On July 14, Yeltsin'spress spokesman said that the Russian president would not go homefrom the hospital July 17, as had been announced, but would remainthere for another week As a result, Yeltsin will not make apreviously scheduled trip to Norway and to the northern Russiancity... MORE

On July 16, theGrozny peace talks recessed for three days to allow the delegationsfor each side to consult with their governments. The Russian delegationreturned to Moscow, and the Chechen side went to see Chechen presidentDzhokhar Dudayev, Russian agencies reported. Interfax reportedJuly 15 that the two... MORE

Russian and Chinesebusinessmen have established a joint venture in a regional psychiatrichospital in Russia's Far East, Interfax-Eurasia reported July12. The enterprise will employ patients as part of their worktherapy. The Monitor is a publication of the Jamestown Foundation. It is researched and written under the... MORE

A thousanddemonstrators marched in Ashgabat on July 12 to demand new parliamentaryand presidential elections, Izvestiya reported July 13.The demonstrators told the newspaper that they had been drivento this step by the deterioration of economic conditions for mostTurkmens, and by the lavish spending of the country's... MORE

Russian foreign ministryspokesman Grigory Karasin said July 13 that Moscow would use "allnecessary means" in response to "acts of terrorism againstRussian citizens in Tajikistan," Interfax reported. Karasinadded that Moscow had information that a Tajik opposition strategysession in Afghanistan had decided to step up "terroristactivities" throughout... MORE

Alem Bank of Kazakhstan currentlyowes some $100 million to its depositors, a Kazakh governmentofficial told Interfax July 12. The government is looking intothe matter but does not have any immediate plans to declare abankruptcy. Most of the bank's 30,000 clients are state enterprisesand so its... MORE

As partof an effort to fight a rising tide of crime in Kazakhstan, Alma-Atyhas decided to allow live broadcasts of future executions of criminals,NTV reported July 12. The first such broadcast took place thisweek. There are certain to be more. In 1994, Kazakhstan executed134 people... MORE

Branchesof the Russin Union in Kazakhstan want to join the former Sovietrepublics into "at least a confederation" sometime inthe near future, Russian television reported July 13. This statementcame in a joint appeal issued by the umbrella organization "RussianCommunity" and by units of the Russian Union... MORE

Abkhazleader Vladislav Ardinba told the Russian commander in his regionthat any attempt to exceed the current quota for the return ofGeorgian refugees to Abkhazia would trigger a new round of fighting,Interfax reported July 13. Ardzinba also announced to his parliamentthat he had cabled Boris Yeltsin... MORE

The Armeniancentral electoral commission released the final results of theNational Assembly elections in 70 districts July 12, Noyan Tapannews agency reported July 13. All but 14 of the winners are partof the pro-government bloc, it said, and the CEC acknowledgedthat there had been more than... MORE