Sayano-Shushenskaya HPP death toll rises to 19.

SAYANOGORSK, August 21 (Itar-Tass) -- The death toll of the
large-scale accident at Sayano-Shushenskaya hydropower plant in Siberia
rose to 19 on Friday after rescuers found two more bodies in the ruined
and flooded turbine room.
"Two bodies of a man and woman were found today," the aftermath
eliminating headquarters said.
Fifty-six people are still reported missing.

.Little chance to find survivors in ruined Siberian HPP.

MOSCOW, August 21 (Itar-Tass) -- The head of the Siberian rescue
center admitted on Thursday there is little chance to find survivors in
the ruined and flooded turbine room of Sayano-Shushenskaya hydropower
plant in Siberia.
"The chances are decreasing," he told Echo Moskvy radio station,
adding one major cave-in remained in the area of the third and fourth
generating units. "It is all flooded in the area and it is very dangerous
to carry out rescue work there," Alexander Kresan said.
At least seventeen people were killed and 58 remain missing in the
tragic accident at the HPP when water burst out and flooded the turbine
room on Monday. Two people were rescued from under the debris on the first
day and Kresan said it was a "major victory".
The RusHydro Company that owns the plant said it would allocate 100
million rubles to the victims of the disaster and the relatives.
Kresan said deep divers did the most risky job. They worked in "an
extreme environment" and decreased contamination of the Yenisei River with
circuit-breaker oil.
In Khakassia where the plant is located a representative of
Rospotrebnadzor sanitary watchdog said the level of contamination was
gradually decreasing and surpassed the permissible norm 3-4-fold.
However, the governor of neighboring Krasnoyarsk territory, Alexander
Khloponin, said on Wednesday the contamination near the settlement of
Shushenskoe exceeded the norm 45-fold and there was no water intake from
the Yenisei River for the local population.
The Russian Emergency Service reported on Thursday the water
withdrawal from the flooded turbine room increased 1.5-fold and comprised
4200 cubic meters per hour.
Emergency Minister Sergei Shoigu earlier said water will be pumped out
completely in 32 hours if the withdrawn volume is increased from 3000 to
4000 cubic meters per hour.
Energy Minister Sergei Shmatko estimated restoration work would cost a
maximum of 40 billion rubles if all the turbines and equipment are to be
replaced.
"It is the maximum estimate in case 90 percent of the equipment has to
be replaced, which means the plant is to be built anew," he was quoted as
saying by his press service.
"This is the most pessimistic restoration scenario," the minister
added, specifying it includes replacement of all ten turbines and the
construction of a new turbine room.
New turbines will have a higher capacity, which will raise production
of the biggest Russian hydropower plant, which comprised 6500 MWt before
the accident. Shmatko said the capacity of each replaced turbine will
increase from 640 to 720 MWt.

.NKorea sends condolence delegation to Seoul.

PYONGYANG, August 21 (Itar-Tass) -- North Korea is sending a
high-level delegation to South Korea for two days on Friday to pay tribute
to late former President Kim Dae-jung, which observers said was a sign of
improving relations between the two Koreas.
The official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said the six-member
delegation is led by secretary of the Central Committee of the Workers'
Party Kim Ki-nam, who often accompanies North Korean leader Kim Jong-il in
his trips across the country.
Besides, the delegation includes another senior official of the
Workers' Party, Kim Yang Gon, who is considered to be a close aid to the
North Korean leader.
Kim Jong-il and Kim Dae-jung held a historic summit in Pyongyang in
2000, the first between the leaders of the two Koreas since the Korean War
in the early 1950s. Kim Dae-jung died on Tuesday at age 85.
The announcement of the delegation's visit was followed by another
reported "olive branch" from North Korea, which said it was lifting
cross-border traffic restrictions from Friday.
The Yonhap news agency quoted an anonymous Unification ministry
official as saying North Korea promised "to withdraw the important measure
taken on Dec. 1 with regard to the land passage over the Military
Demarcation Line as of Aug. 21."
Yonhap explained the so-called "Important Measure" drastically reduced
the number of times South Koreans and their cargo trucks could cross the
border to three times a day. The number of South Koreans allowed to stay
in Kaesong was also cut to 880, and hundred of others were forced to leave
or visit with daily permits. Over a hundred South Korean firms operate in
Kaesong.

.Russia says dialogue with moderate Taliban possible in Afghanistan.

MOSCOW, August 21 (Itar-Tass) -- Russia believes a dialogue with
moderate Taliban is possible in Afghanistan on certain terms to promote
peace.
"We are convinced that national reconciliation in Afghanistan is
possible only in case of a dialogue with the moderate wing of the Taliban
on condition it recognizes the national constitution, disarms and disrupts
ties with Al-Qaeda," Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexei Borodavkin
told Tass on Thursday.
However, there can be no talk with radicals. "Attempts to agree with
extremists and concessions to them lead to nothing good. Terrorists use
respite to gather forces and spread their influence, and Afghan
authorities should take it into account," he added.

.Russia, Venezuela to join petroleum coke effort.

MOSCOW, August 21 (Itar-Tass) -- The Russian Inter RAO UES Company and
Petroleos de Venezuela signed a memo of intent to join effort in the use
of petroleum coke in power generation, Inter RAO UES said on Thursday.
"The talk is about examining the possibility of the use of
Venezuela-produced petroleum coke in the sphere of electric power
engineering, petrochemistry and refining on the basis of Russian
experience, as well as assessment of corresponding technologies," the
company said.
"The work in the direction will not only allow to strengthen
cooperation between Russia and Venezuela in the sphere of power
generation, but also to discuss in detail and agree on the terms of a
project to build in the region a petroleum coke-fired power plant," it
added.
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