Oil leak occurs on a pipeline in Yakutia.

VLADIVOSTOK, January 21 (Itar-Tass) - An oil leak has occurred on the
Eastern Siberia-Pacific Ocean pipeline in Yakutia.

A total of 450 cubic meters of oil spilled to the ground 30 kilometers
away from the town of Lensk on January 20, the press service of the Far
Eastern regional centre of the Ministry for Emergency Situations reported
on Thursday.
As it turned out, the leak had been caused by a pipe break during
planned repairs. The snow and soil are polluted on an area of 20,000
square meters. The oil spill is from two to ten centimetres deep. There's
no threat to people's lives or health. Besides, the petroleum products are
unlikely to get into water reservoirs. The oil is thick and is not flowing.
A state of emergency has been announced in the territory of the Lensk
district. An emergency centre has been set up in Lensk. An operational
group of the main department of the Russian Ministry for Emergency
Situations for the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia) has already left for the
accident site.
The oil pipeline had reportedly been mended by Thursday morning.
Trucks are taking away the contaminated soil, which is going to be burnt.
One hundred ninety six people and 40 equipment units are liquidating
the oil leak.

. Haitian earthquake reflects growth in global seismic activity.

MOSCOW, January 21 - The recent earthquake in Haiti is one of the most
powerful over the last 100 years. But it's just reflecting the general
growth of global seismic activity on Earth, Russian scientists believe.
"Global seismic activity is on the rise. The process started about ten
years ago,> Vladimir Kosobokov, a senior researcher at the International
Institute of Theory of Earthquake Forecasts and Mathematical Geophysics of
the Russian Academy of Sciences, said.
He admitted that it was still unclear what stood behind the
intensification of seismic activity. "We closely watch this phenomenon but
we don't' understand its nature so far," Kosobokov went on to say.
The Institute has developed a unique model of predicting
catastrophic events in the Earth's lithosphere on the basis of principles
of heuristic search. In order to predict an earthquake, scientists try to
find regularities in signs that precede it, including the monitoring of
pressure in the Earth's crust.
Thirteen out of 19 predicted earthquakes have occurred over the past
few years. Ten earthquakes occurred in places predicted with accuracy of
almost one kilometer.
Unfortunately, no such forecasts have been made for the Haitian
earthquake. "We make our tests where it's possible and in places where we
can get enough data from instrumental observations. We build the algorithm
of a forecast on the basis of this observation data," Alexander Kosobokov,
the Institute's senior researcher, clarified.
In the meantime, there's only one weak seismic station in the
Dominican Republic in the region hit by the recent earthquake. "The data
it provides is certainly insufficient," Kosobokov said.
The seismic observation situation in Russia is far from being
perfect. "If we could have the same level of monitoring which we used to
have before the Soviet Union collapsed," Kosobokov sighed. He warned that
vast territories in Russia were in the "red zone" of potential seismic
danger. They include the Far East, the Baikal and Altai regions as well as
Dagestan. The Kuril Islands are a source of particular concern. However,
Kosobokov said that no devastating earthquakes were expected in those
regions in the next six months.

.Sixth International Contest of Violists to kick off in Moscow.

MOSCOW, January 24 (Itar-Tass) - The Sixth International Contest of
Violists will kick off in Moscow on January 24. Its opening is timed to
coincide with the birthday of its organizer: Russian violist Yuri Bashmet.
On Saturday evening, Maestro Bashmet will give a concert at the Grand Hall
of the Moscow conservatoire both as a soloist and conductor, a source at
the Russian concert agency told Itar-Tass.
The State Symphony Orchestra 'New Russia' and the Soloists of Moscow
chamber orchestra, both headed by Bashmet, will perform together with him
on January 24.
The violist contest organized by Yuri Bashmet is considered to be a
representative music forum renowned for its reputable jury, talented
participants, and sophisticated repertoire as well as top-class
organization.
Hearings will be held on January 25-28 in the Rakhmaninov Hall of the
Moscow Conservatoire. The final round is scheduled for January 31. It will
be held in the fifth studio of the Kultura (culture) television channel.
The winners will give a concert in the Grand Hall of the Moscow
Conservatoire on February 1.
Yuri Bashmet has turned the viola into a leading musical instrument.
Outstanding modern composers wrote music for Bashmet. The maestro is the
founder of well-known orchestras that successfully perform in Russia and
abroad.
Yuri Bashmet is engaged in educational, charitable and pedagogical
work. His master classes are held in various countries. Bashmet is the
holder of many titles and awards.

-0-fil/