51.   The Russian parliament is scheduled to debate the second round of strategic arms reduction talks, known as START II, next month.

52.   The Russian parliament has since begun an independent probe into the auctions.

53.   The Russian parliament is expected to take up the global warming treaty before autumn, and environmental activists expect ratification to follow in the absence of any organized opposition.

54.   The Russian parliament recently drafted a law stating that all World War II trophy art shall stay in Russia, except for those pieces taken by individual looters.

55.   The Russian parliament, staunchly loyal to the Kremlin, has repeatedly failed to muster the votes for an independent inquiry into the bombings or the Ryazan incident.

56.   The treaty, known as Start II, is awaiting action in the Senate and in the Russian parliament.

57.   The vote plays into the hands of the hyper-nationalists in the Russian parliament and gives them a strong arguing point in their bid for eventual presidential power.

58.   The treaty requires approval by a simple majority of both houses of the Russian parliament.

59.   There were other Chechen candidates, like Ruslan Khasbulatov, who had been speaker of the Russian parliament, and Malik Saidullayev, a businessman in Moscow.

60.   There are hopes that legislation will go through the Russian parliament by the end of this year.