SMALL INCREASE IN DEFENSE SPENDING PROPOSED.

Russia’s Defense Council recommended on November 20 that defense spending in Russia’s 1997 state budget be raised by 6 trillion rubles. According to Council secretary Yuri Baturin, 4.4 trillion of that sum would be devoted to weapons development; 1.6 trillion would be spent on food and uniforms. (Interfax, November 20) The government has proposed spending just over 100 trillion rubles on defense, far less than the 160 trillion requested by the Defense Ministry.

U.S. Botched Galkin Arrest.