RUBLE CORRIDOR SEEN RISING, NARROWING.

Kommersant-Dailyon August 23 reported that the Russian Central Bank is likelyto raise and narrow the soft peg corridor for the ruble exchangerate against the dollar after October 1. The paper suggested thatthe ruble-dollar rate might rise to 5,500 to one next year andthat the central bank would use its reserves to hold the ratewithin a far narrower range than it has announced so far.

Leading Russian Banks In Trouble.