A congress of Moldovan president Mircea Snegur's Party of Rebirth and Reconciliation on July 13 nominated Snegur as its candidate for reelection as president in the November 17 presidential balloting. In an appeal to the people of Moldova, the congress described the Agrarian Democratic parliamentary... MORE

Speaking on the eve of talks in Moscow with Egyptian foreign minister Amr Moussa, a top Russian diplomat said yesterday that Moscow intends "to undertake a series of new steps and measures" aimed at furthering the Middle East peace process and Russia's role in it.... MORE

Russia's trade minister yesterday called for an end to the 1974 Jackson-Vanik Amendment and urged the U.S. to grant Moscow permanent most-favored-nation status. Oleg Davydov also complained that the U.S. continued to view Russia as a developing "non-market economy," which he said results in "anti-dumping... MORE

Moscow Mayor Yuri Luzhkov offered a reward of $1 million yesterday for information leading to the arrest of the perpetrators of last week's two bus bombings. Luzhkov's announcement came amid a security crackdown in the capital city that, according to Moscow city police, has led... MORE

The Russian command yesterday claimed to have killed 300 Chechen fighters, losing only 2 Russians killed in destroying Chechen resistance leader Zelimkhan Yandarbiev's Makhketi headquarters. Independent observers questioned both figures and noted that most Chechen fighters had probably slipped out of the encirclement. Russian forces... MORE

Yesterday's announcement that President Yeltsin had appointed Anatoly Chubais as his chief-of-staff took most observers by surprise. (NTV, July 15) Only a couple of weeks ago, Yeltsin publicly insisted that he had no intention of giving Chubais any new job. Chubais -- an administrator of... MORE

The appointment was welcomed by members of the democratic camp and deplored by Communist and nationalist leaders. Recalling Yeltsin's vow not to give Chubais a new appointment, Communist leaders said the appointment showed Yeltsin was also lying when he said he would change his policies... MORE

Russian president Boris Yeltsin has at last listened to his doctors and begun a two-week vacation to rebuild his strength after three grueling months of electioneering. (AP, Reuters, July 15) Instead of heading south to the Black Sea, Yeltsin is spending his holiday in the... MORE

Ukraine's new prime minister, Pavlo Lazarenko, today emerged unscathed from an assassination attempt when a remote-controlled device exploded under his car en route to his Kiev office. No casualties were reported. (Interfax-Ukraine, July 16) Chechens Rally to Protest Killings.

Chechens today formed a live chain along Grozny roads and outside the government building in the capital to protest against the latest murders committed by Russian troops in Grozny suburbs overnight. Soldiers aboard APCs killed at least 12 Chechen civilians in Pervomayskaya (not to be... MORE