1.   The miners leader Arthur Scargill has condemned the import of five thousands tons of cheap Russian coal being unloaded at docks in the region.

2.   Russian coal miners have not received paychecks for at least three, and in some regions seven, months.

3.   The Russian coal industry, once a mainstay of the Soviet economy, is in decline and Moscow is planning major reforms.

4.   Production at many Russian coal mines, which use outdated equipment and are plagued by accidents, has plunged.

5.   Aging equipment and falling safety standards at most Russian coal mines have led to a string of accidents in recent months.

6.   An explosion at a Russian coal mine in the arctic Vorkuta region killed at least one and injured five miners, officials said Sunday.

7.   An underground gas explosion killed four Russian coal miners Monday in a mine in the Ural Mountains, an official said.

8.   Explosions and other accidents blamed on aging equipment and disregard for safety rules frequently occur at the Russian coal mines.

9.   Hundreds of thousands of Russian coal miners went on strike Tuesday over back pay, taking teachers, pensioners and power plant workers with them in many regions.

10.   Lax safety precautions and outdated equipment at Russian coal mines have led to scores of accidents in recent years.