Richard L. Bliss, the 29-year-old American technician arrested on November 25 by Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB), was released on bail over the weekend but ordered to remain in the southern Russian city of Rostov-on-Don pending his trial. Despite protests from the U.S., Russian authorities... MORE

According to Tatarstan's constitution, all laws passed by the republic's State Council (its highest legislative body) and signed by the president come into force after their publication in the republic's two official languages -- Russian and Tatar. But although Tatars make up the overwhelming majority... MORE

On December 5, Russian financier Boris Berezovsky called for the ruble to be allowed to devalue by up to one quarter - to 7,500 rubles to the dollar, for example - in order to lessen the squeeze on Russia's financial markets. Berezovsky was firmly rebuffed... MORE

Duma speaker Gennady Seleznev indicated last weekend that if, as is expected, President Yeltsin refuses at Thursday's roundtable to sign the federal land code into law, the opposition will call on the president to agree to a moratorium of five to ten years on the... MORE

Russian president Boris Yeltsin is due to consult this morning with Prime Minister Viktor Chernomyrdin and the speakers of the two houses of the Russian parliament in the second meeting of the "Big Four." The task of today's meeting is to prepare for the first... MORE

Tajikistan's Security Ministry announced on December 1 that Rizvon Sodirov was killed that day, and that about half of his estimated 80 fighters were killed or captured. They were netted in an operation conducted by army, security, and interior ministry troops in and near Dushanbe.... MORE

Georgia's Supreme Court began on December 1 the criminal trial of Jaba Ioseliani, former head of the banned Mkhedrioni [Knights] political-paramilitary organization, and 14 alleged co-conspirators. They are accused of involvement in the August 1995 assassination attempt against President Eduard Shevardnadze as well as earlier... MORE

Moscow mayor and presumed presidential aspirant Yury Luzhkov, on December 5 in Minsk, named First Deputy Prime Minister Anatoly Chubais as the first and foremost "enemy of Russia-Belarus integration." Luzhkov further listed business magnate Boris Berezovsky -- until recently deputy head of Russia's Security Council... MORE

Ukrainian president Leonid Kuchma on December 5 came out in support of turning part of the shares of Ukraine's idle oil refineries over to Russian companies. "The Russians are promising that they would deliver enough crude oil to employ our refining capacities, if they are... MORE

The presidential offices and foreign ministries of all three Baltic states were quick to respond to Yeltsin's offer in a positive vein. They described the offer as a hopeful signal that Russia will seek to promote mutual confidence and goodneighborly relations in the Baltic region.... MORE