'Izvestia' loses independence

MOSCOW (AP) - Russia's Supreme Soviet legislature yesterday adopted a resolution changing the independent status of Izvestia newspaper and ordering it to become a daily of the Russian parliament. The legislative attack on Izvestia is viewed as the first real blow in a recent battle for the freedom of the Russian press and a personal insult to President Boris Yeltsin, who has publicly supported the newspaper.

The editor-in-chief, Igor Golembiovsky, described the resolution as 'illegitimate' and said the staff would continue to publish an independent paper.