ECONOMY-RUSSIA: The Argentine Model, No Use To Irresolute Russia

The Russian leadership's lack of political discipline would most likely handicap any attempt to save the struggling Russian economy by applying Argentina's early 1990s economic magic trick of crash, burn and phoenix-like rebirth.

POLITICS-RUSSIA: Primakov Gets The Nod From Almost Everyone

Russian President Boris Yeltsin extricated himself from his political quagmire, bowed to his parliament and nominated a prime minister whose main qualification is his lack of presidential ambition and party affiliation.

TRADE-CENTRAL ASIA/CAUCASUS: A Silk Road For The 21st Century

A summit of 34 countries connected, directly or indirectly, with the New Silk Road opened Monday in the Azeri capital of Baku to advance TRACECA -- the Transport Corridor Europe-Caucasia-Asia project.

POLITICS-RUSSIA: Communists On A Roll As Yeltsin Flounders Again

For Russia's resurgent Communist party, the stand off in the parliament over Russian acting premier Viktor Chernomyrdin, is -- to borrow the American phrase -- a real 'win- win' situation.

ECONOMY-RUSSIA: Investors Once-Bitten, Twice Shy Of Privatisation

The Kremlin's hopes of raising billions by selling off its remaining holdings in Russian industry were dashed by the feeble investment climate here, even before the opposition- led parliament started its campaign of resistance to more selloffs.

ECONOMY-RUSSIA: U.S.-Russian Summit Avoids Corruption Issue

Russians, with or without evidence, put the blame for their economic woes on endemic corruption. But despite appeals from NGOs, this week's meeting between Russian President Boris Yeltsin and U.S. leader Bill Clinton avoided the issue.

CHILDREN-UKRAINE: Chernobyl’s Cancerous Legacy ‘Needs More Study’

The lessons learnt from years of treating children exposed to radioactivity by the 1986 Chernobyl disaster may give clues to the treatment of youngsters suffering from thyroid and other cancers around the world -- if there is the will to do so.

ECONOMY-RUSSIA: Banks On Edge Of Collapse, Country Awaits Worst

The queues of anxious depositors are lengthening outside Russian banks as the clock ticks down to what appears to be an imminent collapse of the country's banking system.

POLITICS-RUSSIA: Big Business Gets Their Man Back In Place

Russian President Boris Yeltsin capped his weekend coup d'theatre Monday by asking parliament to reinstate ZCZC DAP017 LLLL AA AB ARJ XJ WX DD QU SERVENG .LONAAMS CI IP POLITICS-RUSSIA: Big Business Gets Their Man Back In Place

POLITICS-RUSSIA: Big Business Gets Their Man Back In Place

Russian President Boris Yeltsin capped his weekend coup d'theatre Monday by asking parliament to reinstate Viktor Chernomyrdin, sacked in March to make way for Sergei Kiriyenko, who was sacked Sunday.

ECONOMY-RUSSIA: Duma Blasts Government As Crisis Deepens

The State Duma, lower house of the Russian parliament, held an emergency session Friday to discuss the country's current financial crisis, bombarding President Boris Yeltsin and his troubled government with ferocious condemnation.

TAJIKISTAN: Peace Process Moves On As Taleban Advance In Afghanistan

On Monday Tajikistan's president, Imamali Rahmanov, strengthened his national unity administration by appointing six leaders of the Islamist-led United Tajik Opposition (UTO) as cabinet members. These UTO figures join their five colleagues, who were installed into office early this year.

HEALTH-RUSSIA: HIV/AIDS Infections Rise In The Russian Army

The number of soldiers found to be infected with the HIV virus has quadrupled in the last year and a half in Moscow's military district alone, say army officials.

COMMODITIES-UKRAINE/RUSSIA: Slugging It Out In Sugar Trade Standoff

Next week's massive import tax hikes on the sugar trade with Russia will do nothing to sweeten a bitter standoff between Russian processors and Ukrainian exporters, who will be exempted from Saturday's scheduled rises.

COMMODITIES-RUSSIA: Price Wobbles Push Russian Aluminium Into Crisis

With world aluminium prices at their lowest for four years, Russia's aluminium industry is facing serious problems with some experts warning of a possible collapse.

COMMODITIES-RUSSIA: Price Wobbles Push Russian Aluminium Into Crisis

With world aluminium prices at their lowest for four years, Russia's aluminium industry is facing serious problems with some experts warning of a possible collapse.

LABOUR-RUSSIA: Unions Fail To Halt Angry Miners’ March To Violence

Zhenya Shumeiko, new deputy head of the Independent Miners' Union at the Severny mine here, bought his first suit when he started work. But he finds the black two- piece, black shirt and garish silver tie as ill-fitting as the job itself.

POLITICS-AZERBAIJAN: Aliyev Seeks Closer Ties With The West

The political high point of Azeri President Haidar Aliyev's current five-day state visit to the United Kingdom was his meeting on Tuesday with British Prime Minister Tony Blair.

ENVIRONMENT-RUSSIA: Radioactive Lake Threatens Arctic Disaster

Deep below the beds of Siberia's giant man- made Lake Karachai, a thick layer of highly radioactive salt in the underground water supply is leaching its way, slowly but surely, towards open rivers and ultimately the outside world.

ECONOMY-RUSSIA: Duma Deputies Dispute IMF-Required Austerity Bill

Russian President Boris Yeltsin Wednesday berated, bribed and begged his parliamentarians, to get them to endorse a sweeping austerity plan and meet conditions set by the International Monetary Fund.

DISARMAMENT-RUSSIA: Chemical Weapons Destruction Plan Crawls To Halt

Russia will miss its global treaty deadline and will fail to destroy its massive chemical weapons stocks by the year 2008, admits Stanislav Petrov, head of the country's chemical and biological defence forces.