Russia's Foreign Ministry announced on October 14 that it will demand an investigation into a case whereby a Russian citizen -- a captain serving on a ship flying the Lithuanian flag -- has been held by Norwegian authorities since March 19. Russian sources claim that... MORE

In a move certain to raise tensions in Crimea and set the autonomous republic on a collision course with the central Ukrainian authorities, the Crimean parliament voted yesterday to give Russian the status of "official language" on the territory of the autonomous republic. (Russian Television,... MORE

The UN military observers' mission in Abkhazia yesterday lodged an official protest against the military exercises recently completed by Georgian forces near Abkhazia. (See Monitor, October 13) The UN mission had also objected during the conduct of the exercise, seconding the Russian "peacekeeping" command's own... MORE

Iranian foreign minister Kamal Kharrazi conferred in Ashgabat with President Saparmurad Niazov and other senior Turkmen officials on export routes for that country's immense, if incompletely estimated, oil and gas resources. The discussions resulted in the signing of protocols of intent on three projects: --... MORE

The abortion rate in Russia has fallen by nearly a quarter since 1993, according to a new draft government report being prepared for UNICEF. The number of abortions per 100 live births fell from 235 in 1993 to 203 in 1997, which is still extremely... MORE

According to Gazprom director Viktor Ilyushin (a former Yeltsin aide and deputy prime minister), at the end of this month the corporation will create a special holding company, Gazprom-Media, to manage its interests in TV and newspapers. Ilyushin said the goal is to ensure the... MORE

Of $20 billion direct and indirect foreign capital which has flowed into Russia since 1990, the city of Moscow alone has absorbed 57.3 percent, followed by Tyumen with 5.4 percent and St. Petersburg with 3.9 percent. (Izvestia, October 15) Charges Dropped Against Former Russian Ground... MORE

A Russian news agency on October 13 reported that criminal proceedings against Gen. Vladimir Semenov -- the former commander of the Russian Ground Forces -- has been dropped. Then defense minister Igor Rodionov had announced last December that Semenov had been fired, ostensibly on suspicion... MORE

Weapons Workers Prepare Strike.

Israel yesterday notified Georgian president Eduard Shevardnadze that he has been awarded the Israeli Democratic Institute's prize for his "contribution to the democratic development of Georgia and his assistance to the return of Jews to their homeland in Israel during his term as USSR foreign... MORE