In order to earnmoney from foreign customers now that the Russian government hascut its support to them, some Russian defense firms are workinghard to produce goods that foreign buyers will want. Among theseare advanced aircraft, many of which were on display at the MoscowInternational Air... MORE

Russian bankers todayare very young: their average age does not exceed 45, Moscow'sEcho radio reported August 20. Moreover, most of them come fromrelatively well-educated backgrounds: only 17 percent came fromworker or peasant families, and over 90 percent had some universitytraining. Average Moscow Beggar Also Young.

In order to seehow much corruption there now is among traffic police, new InteriorMinister Anatoly Kulikov send a truck loaded with vodka across450 miles of roads in southern Russia, Moscow media reported August22. The truck was stopped at 24 checkpoints; at 22, the policeasked for... MORE

Boris Yeltsin and his staff will use the Soviet-era namesfor the former Soviet republics and their capitals rather thanemploying the names that the peoples of those countries now use,Moskovsky komsomolets said August 22. Thus, Yeltsin's officeplans to call Kyrgyzstan Kirgizia and Ashgabat Ashkhabad. Thepaper said... MORE

The Russian governmenthas given preliminary approval to a three-tier pension systemthat would replace the existing Soviet-era one, Finansovyeizvestiya reported August 22. In place of the single statepension, the new system would have a basic pension like the AmericanSocial Security, a labor pension that would reflect... MORE

In comments widely reported in the Moscow press, Swiss foreignminister Flavio Cotti said Switzerland would use its 1996 presidencyof the OSCE to help give "Russia and the Commonwealth ofIndependent States members a place in the European security system." Bribery Widespread Among Highway Police.

In anotherexample of a Moscow concession to one group being cited as thebasis for a demand by another, legislators in Perm argue thatMoscow must permit gubernatorial elections in their region nowthat it has done so in the case of Sverdlovsk, Segodnya reportedAugust 22. The elections... MORE

Defense Minister PavelGrachev has given formal recognition to the Russian FederationIndependent Trade Union of Servicemen, Segodnya reportedAugust 22. The new group, which lobbies for better pay and conditions,will now enjoy an official embrace and get ministry-supplied officesand other benefits. Yeltsin's Office to Use Soviet-Era Names... MORE

By agreeingto expand support for agriculture by 3.1 trillion rubles nextyear, the Russian government is seeking to win the support ofthe agrarian sector for its candidates in the upcoming elections,Segodnya suggested August 22. Such a bidding war for thesupport of the agrarians and other groups... MORE

New FSBdirector Mikhail Barsukov has strengthened the service and putit at the service of President Boris Yeltsin, Komsomolskayapravda reported August 22. The FSB will soon take over partof the FAPSI communications security agency and also parts ofthe Foreign Intelligence Service, the paper said. And because... MORE