150Russian and foreign journalists published an open letter in SegodnyaJune 28 demanding that Moscow investigate the murder of Russianjournalist Natalya Alyakina earlier this month as she tried toget to Budennovsk. Unfortunately, there has been no similar publicdemand for Moscow to investigate the fate of Fred... MORE

Dumamembers who had been in Chechnya told Ekspress-khronika (May25-June 1) that Russian soldiers had raised Soviet red flags andKomsomol banners rather than the Russian tricolor over Russianfiltration camps where the army has attempted to separate Chechenfighters from other Chechens. The base commander said he was... MORE

In a speech to militaryacademy graduates June 28, Boris Yeltsin said that he backed "preservingand upgrading the strategic nuclear forces" as the "mainguarantee" of the country's security, Interfax reported.Yeltsin said he would also push for the creation of "rapiddeployment forces based on paratroopers" that could... MORE

Testifyingat the trial of a young man who sought alternative service buthad been imprisoned instead, a Russian officer said that constitutionalguarantees of a right to alternative service were irrelevant andthat the boy must serve or go to jail, Voronezhskiy kur'yerreported May 20. The officer said... MORE

This yearinflation has risen nearly twice as fast as incomes and that hasled to the pauperization of much of Russian society, an economicsministry official told Moscow's Echo radio June 28. Nikolai Lazutinsaid that 10 percent of the population now eats so poorly thatit is beginning... MORE

Moscow collected 36 percentof the year's taxes in the first six months of 1995, up from 20percent in the same period of 1994, Interfax reported June 28.Some of the increase reflects inflation, but much of it comesfrom improved enforcement. And Investments Rise As Well.

American businessmen tolda Moscow news conference June 28 that Western firms were likelyto invest $20 billion in Russia over the next decade, Interfaxreported. So far this year, Western firms have invested $500 million.In a related development, the US Overseas Private Investment Corporationannounced the distribution of... MORE

Despitedeclines in both production and employment, more than 3,000 workershave died in industrial accidents in Russia since January 1, Interfaxreported June 28. This figure represents a large increase overthe year before and reflects the collapse of government supervisionof workplace safety, a trade union official told... MORE

Dumadeputies may be less willing to devolve powers to Russia's regionsbecause of Chechnya, a group of legal experts said on Russianradio June 27. They warned that the failure to devolve power fromthe center would only heighten tensions around the country's peripheryand could produce the very... MORE

Because some 334of its members could face criminal charges--up to and includingmurder--if parliamentary immunity standards were changed, theDuma has refused to pass legislation that would force deputiesto be responsible for their actions, Argumenty i fakty (no.25) reported. The vote to change immunity protections garneredonly 57... MORE