Group of gunmen blocked in Dagestan.

MAKHACHKALA, November 2 (Itar-Tass) -- The commandoes of the Federal
Security Service and the police have blocked a group of up to 3 gunmen in
a flat of an apartment block in the city of Khasavyurt, Dagestan.

The anti-terrorist operation regime was announced at 1.20 a.m. Moscow
time in the area of three streets of the city - Datuyeva, Shchorsa and
Vorobyeva Streets, the public relations group of the Federal Security
Service department in Dagestan told Itar-Tass on Monday. In reply to the
surrender demands the blocked gunmen opened fire at the law enforcers. The
commandoes are preparing for a storm operation into the flat. Some
dwellers of the apartment block were evacuated.

.Russia to be represented broadly at International Havana Fair.

HAVANA, November 2 (Itar-Tass) -- Russia will be represented broadly
at the 27th International Havana Fair FIHAV-2009 that will open here on
Monday. About 700 companies from more than 50 countries will participate
in the fair. Over 50 companies and enterprises will represent Russia,
which will have a special pavilion at the fair.
"Our country will be represented at the Havana Fair on a so sweeping
scale for the first time recently," Russian Ambassador in Cuba Mikhail
Kamynin told Russian reporters. He noted that the Russian exposition would
present broadly such spheres as the energy sector, transport and the
pharmaceuticals.
The diplomat noted that Russian exponents represent a big number of
enterprises and companies operating in the sphere of advanced
technologies. "This fact shows that we want to establish our trade and
economic cooperation with Cuba on a new basis and to develop new trends of
cooperation taking into account that the Cuban economy is advancing along
the path of innovative development, and our cooperation in such spheres as
biopharmaceuticals, genetic engineering, telecommunications can take an
important place in the whole scope of bilateral relations in the near
future," Kamynin said.
The Day of Russia will be held at the Havana Fair on Tuesday. Spain,
Canada and China will also be the major participants at the FIHAV-2009
fair. Some 111 enterprises mainly operating in the food industry and the
health care will represent Cuba at the forum.

.RF scientists to discuss advanced biotechs in medicine in Havana.

HAVANA, November 2 (Itar-Tass) -- The medical application of the
latest developments in biotechnologies will be discussed at an
international congress that will open in the Cuban capital on Monday.
About 100 specialists from more than 35 countries, including Russia, are
participating in the congress. Five scientists were invited from Russia to
give lectures at scientific conferences, top official from the Havana
Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology Gerardo Guillen, who is
the deputy chairman of the congress organising committee, said.
The forum participants, including two Nobel Prize winners, will share
the information on the latest scientific developments in the struggle with
dangerous diseases and will share the experience in the production of new
medicines.
Many U.S. scientists will not be able to attend the congress on
biotechnologies over the ban for U.S. citizens to visit the island under
an embargo, which the U.S. imposed on Cuba in 1962. Only two U.S.
scientists will participate in the congress that is nine times fewer than
at the similar forum in 2003, Gerardo Guillen said.

.Four RF sailors of Island of Luck bulk freighter arrested in Congo.

YUZHNO-SAKHALINSK, November 2 (Itar-Tass) -- Four sailors on the
Panamanian-flagged bulk freighter Island of Luck, which was arrested in
the Democratic Republic of Congo on October 20, are Russian citizens,
Maritime Bulletin editor-in-chief Mikhail Voitenko told Itar-Tass from
Bangkok on Monday. The crew of 23 sailors includes 15 Ukrainian citizens
and by one citizen from India, Ghana and Myanmar.
The previous media reports named this arrested ship as Exland, but
Voitenko specified that the Island of Luck was detained on the way to the
main Congolese port Matadi with 12,000 tonnes of rice.
According to the preliminary reports, the detention of the bulk
freighter was caused by an act of violence against four Congolese
citizens, who got aboard the ship illegally and were attempting to travel
without the pay. They were allegedly beaten up and were thrown overboard;
the fate of one of them is still unclear. Congolese naval ships rescued
other people. The investigation into the incident was launched.
According to Maritime Bulletin, the Island of Luck crewmen are being
brought to the shore and interrogated.
Russian sailors aboard the bulk freighter are chief mate Vitaly
Dushin, chief mechanic Vladimir Rudenok, second mechanic Andrei Chernov
and third mechanic Alexander Bochka.
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