On October 8, Kazakhstan's President Nursultan Nazarbaev declared that he would concede to parliament the power to, first, shorten his term of office by two years and, second, call early presidential elections on January 10, 1998 (Reuters, October 8). Like other Central Asian presidents have... MORE

The leader of the Ukrainian Democratic Party (UDP) Volodymyr Yavorivsky has warned that if the national-democratic forces fail to unite, the left wing "will have a colossal advantage" in the run-up to the presidential elections of 1999. The usually personally ambitious Yavorivsky even proposed to... MORE

Moldova's economic crisis, which stems largely from the previous administration's abandoning reforms, is being aggravated by Russia's financial crisis. This threatens a social collapse in the approaching winter and puts the country's political independence at risk. More than 60 percent of this agricultural country's exports... MORE

On Sunday, eight serviceman and one pensioner kidnapped in separate incidents along the border with Chechnya and held hostage in Chechnya were freed. Their liberation came thanks to the joint efforts of the Russian Interior Ministry (MVD) and the Federal Security Service (FSB)--in particular Deputy... MORE

Rossel's comments, while perhaps well intentioned, were not accurate. Not surprisingly, Communist leader Gennady Zyuganov cited Yeltsin's illness as further proof that the head of state should be removed. "Everyone is well aware of the fact that, for a long time, he has been unable... MORE

An explosion took place Saturday on the Makhachkala-Buinaksk railway line, near the Shamkhal station, next to a train carrying troops to the Defense Ministry's 136th Motorized Buinaksk Brigade. One serviceman was killed by the explosion. Two wagons were knocked off the rails and caught fire.... MORE

The eyes of most political observers were fixed again on Boris Yeltsin's precarious health and increasingly faltering public performances. Russia's television stations and newspapers alike devoted extensive coverage to Yeltsin's near-falls in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, and the truncation of his official swing through Central Asia. Kremlin... MORE

Amid the confrontational rhetoric, suggestions yesterday indicated that Moscow might be dangling at least two carrots before the West in an effort to avert the threatened air strikes on Yugoslavia. A Russian news program intimated that if NATO calls off the strikes, Russian authorities might... MORE

Tensions between Moscow and the West deepened still further yesterday: NATO moved a step closer to launching air strikes on Yugoslavia while leading Russian political figures warned of the likely consequences. Russian military leaders have been more explicit than their government counterparts in describing Moscow's... MORE

The Supreme Court of Tajikistan announced on October 9 that it has sentenced warlord Bahrom Sodirov to death on multiple charges including banditry and terrorism. Bahrom had been captured last year. His elder brother Rizvon was killed in a clash with security forces last December... MORE