Chechens yesterday marked the anniversary of the death of the first Chechen president, Djohar Dudaev. The republic's leadership visited the place where he was killed. A ritual dance was performed in his honor. Dudaev was killed two years ago by a guided missile, while he... MORE

" Lenin was born 128 years ago today. To mark the anniversary, an opinion poll was conducted by the Russian Center for the Study of Public Opinion (VTsIOM). It found that many Russians still feel quite warmly about the Bolshevik leader. The older the respondent,... MORE

A joint Russian-Iraqi commission on the oil industry and power engineering met in Moscow on April 20. According to a Russian deputy minister for fuel and energy, the talks focused on the participation of Russian companies in both the "oil for food" program worked out... MORE

Russian Defense Minister Igor Sergeev celebrated his sixtieth birthday earlier this week. That he still holds the post--albeit as an acting minister--would seem to signify Russian President Boris Yeltsin's continued faith in him. When Sergeev was appointed originally in May of last year, some speculation... MORE

Britain's Foreign Secretary Robin Cook has defended a controversial decision by the British government to accept a consignment of nuclear waste from Georgia for recycling in Scotland. Environmentalists have protested strongly, partly because the decision was originally kept secret and partly because Britain agreed to... MORE

President Boris Yeltsin has agreed to meet tomorrow with the speakers of the two houses of the Russian parliament to discuss the ongoing crisis over his nomination of prime minister. (BBC, April 22; see story below) BATTLE FOR MONOPOLIES AT HEART OF RUSSIAN POWER STRUGGLE.

As Friday's crucial vote over Russia's new prime minister approaches, it is clear that the fight revolves over control over Russia's so-called natural monopolies--gas, electricity and railways. President Boris Yeltsin has said that, if the State Duma rejects his nominee, Sergei Kirienko, for the third... MORE

A recently formed Party for the Economic and Political Renewal of Tajikistan (PEPRT) announced yesterday that it has joined the United Tajik Opposition. UTO is a coalition comprised of the Party of Islamic Rebirth, the Democratic Party (a smaller, secular grouping), and the Lali Badahshon... MORE

Armenia's newly elected President Robert Kocharian and his appointee, Prime Minister Armen Darbinian, installed yesterday a post-election government. Its foremost characteristics are the youth of the main ministers, a stated commitment to market reforms and non-affiliation with political parties. The cabinet of ministers includes eight... MORE

The government installed yesterday includes Vardan Oskanian, 43, a seasoned opponent of "unilateral concessions" on Karabakh, as foreign minister. Oskanian relinquished his U.S. citizenship on the eve of this appointment. Born in Syria, and a graduate of the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at... MORE