Lebed reacted calmly, telling a Moscow press conference last night that he plans to take a short rest but will remain in politics. He said Kremlin insiders decided he had to go just two days after he gave Yeltsin a report identifying those responsible for... MORE

A gravestone inscribed "Wages, RIP. We remember you. Date of death: October 1995," has been unveiled in the far northern Russian city of Krasnoyarsk. Some workers there have not been paid for 12 months. (Izvestiya, October 17) Yeltsin Shows Who's Boss; Sacks Lebed.

Appearing on Russian television yesterday, Russian president Boris Yeltsin announced that he was sacking security adviser Aleksandr Lebed from all his posts. Yeltsin said he could no longer tolerate Lebed's "mistakes," his constant quarreling with other ministers, his taking of decisions without proper authorization, and... MORE

A Russian diplomatic spokesman yesterday depicted Foreign Minister Yevgeny Primakov's upcoming visit to the Middle East as a reflection of Moscow's intention to play a more active role in diplomatic developments there. He also described the Middle East as one of Russia's diplomatic priorities. Primakov... MORE

Adm. Feliks Gromov, the commander in chief of the Russian Navy, announced yesterday that work would start next week on a new-generation strategic nuclear-powered submarine. He said it would be two or three times more powerful than any submarine now in the fleet. Last week,... MORE

Meeting in Moscow yesterday, the Council of Foreign Ministers of CIS member countries turned down a Russian proposal to empower the secretary-general of the CIS Collective Security Council (CSC) to represent CIS countries in discussions with NATO. (Itar-Tass, October 17) The CSC consists of heads... MORE

Meeting in Moscow yesterday with the UN high commissioner for refugees, Sadako Ogata, Russian foreign minister Yevgeny Primakov attempted to underscore what he described as "the danger of mass emigration from Estonia and Latvia because of the continuing discrimination policy against permanent residents deprived of... MORE

The lower house of the Russian Duma voted today to approve President Boris Yeltsin's dismissal of national security aide Aleksandr Lebed. (Itar-Tass, October 18. See "perspective" items below) Russia Judged Most Dangerous Emerging Market.

Earlier this month, U.S. and European credit-rating agencies awarded Russia its first long-term credit rating since the 1917 Revolution. Russia's BB grading was higher than expected, putting it on a level with Hungary, Mexico, India and Slovakia, and above Turkey, Venezuela and Brazil. (Segodnya, October... MORE

Murtuz Aleskerov was elected yesterday to the post of chairman of the Milli Majlis, a post which is second only to that of president in Azerbaijan«s political system. Aleskerov, 68, is a Moscow-trained professor of law and currently rector of Baku University. He was a... MORE