2 Russian strategic bombers land in Venezuela
■ MOSCOW (AP) - Two Russian strategic bombers landed in Venezuela on Wednesday as part of military manouvers, the government said, announcing an unprecendented deployment to the territory of a new ally at a time of increasingly tense relations with the U.S.
Russia's Defense Ministry said the two Tu-160 bombers flew to Venezuela on a training mission. It said in a statement carried by the Russian news wires that the planes will conduct training flights over neutral waters over the next few days before heading back to Russia.
In Moscow, Defense Ministry spokesman Alexander Drobyshevsky refused to say how long the Venezuela deployment will last or say whether the planes carried any weapons.
The military said NATO fighters escorted the two Russian bombers on their way to Venezuela.
Earlier this week, Russia said it will send a naval squadron and long-range patrol planes to Venezuela in November for a joint military exercise in the Caribbean.
Minisubs complete first stage of Lake Baikal study
■ NOVOSIBIRSK (RIA Novosti) - The Mir-1 and Mir-2 mini-submarines have completed the first stage of their study of Lake Baikal, the world's deepest freshwater lake, an environmental official said Wednesday.
The mini-subs have so far made 52 dives. Mikhail Borzin, the vice president of Lake Baikal's preservation foundation, said the second stage will start in spring 2009.
A foundation spokesman said Monday that researchers studying the Siberian lake have discovered boxes containing ammunition dating back to the 1920s.
Baikal, called the Sacred Sea by locals for its size and beauty, is the world's oldest and deepest lake, with an age estimated at 25 million years. It holds around 20% of the planet's freshwater and is home to hundreds of unique species of fauna and flora.
The two-year expedition, which started at the end of July, will include around 160 dives in various parts of the lake.
Two people die in helicopter crash in central Russia
■ MOSCOW (RIA Novosti) - Two people died and one person was seriously injured in a helicopter crash in central Russia early on Sunday, an emergencies ministry official said.
"A Robinson R-44 helicopter crashed near the village of Kuzmino in the Smolensk Region," the official said. "Two people died and one person was taken to a local hospital with serious burns."
An officer-on-duty at the ministry's regional center received a report about the crash at 06.38 Moscow time (02.38 GMT).
"The helicopter was completely burnt and its call signs were unrecognizable," the source said.
An investigation has been launched into the identities of the victims.
The Robinson R44 is a light, four-seat civilian helicopter.
