POLITICS
Russian President Dmitry Medvedev reiterated his support for the creation of an independent Palestinian state. The Russian president is on his first tour of the Middle East that does not include Israel
(Kommersant, Nezavisimaya Gazeta, Rossiiskaya Gazeta)
A Polish commission investigating the Smolensk air crash said Russian air traffic controllers were under pressure, made a number of errors and failed to warn the Polish pilots that they were off course
(Kommersant, Nezavisimaya Gazeta)
Latvian Interior Minister Linda Murniece, who placed former Moscow mayor Yury Luzhkov on a blacklist of people whose presence in the country is "undesirable," said she had made the decision based on information from the country's security services
(The Moscow Times, Kommersant)
In his first official trip abroad, new Belarusian Prime Minister Mikhail Myasnikovich will visit Moscow on Thursday and meet with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin
(Nezavisimaya Gazeta)
BUSINESS & ECONOMY
The Economic Development Ministry said that Russia may complete talks on joining the World Trade Organization as early as April, with just a couple of issues remaining unsolved
(The Moscow Times, Rossiiskaya Gazeta)
Moscow's ubiquitous payment terminals are set to sprout in the United States this year as one of their Russian operators, Qiwi, announced an alliance with Japan's business empire Mitsui to enter new markets
(The Moscow Times, Vedomosti)
Microsoft Russia demonstrated confidence in the ruble on Tuesday when it announced that it will begin conducting business in the currency with local partners starting March 1
(The Moscow Times)
WORLD
Poland imposed an entry ban on Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko and several state officials following a post-election crackdown on the opposition in Minsk
(Kommersant)
Ukraine's embattled opposition leader Yulia Tymoshenko appealed to prosecutors to drop charges against her
(Nezavisimaya Gazeta)
EDUCATION
The draft of the new Russian education reform, released to a blast of patriotic fanfare last month, is stirring up sharp criticism from opponents, who fear that the new program will be used to brainwash them into becoming docile servants of the authorities
(The Moscow Times)
SOCIETY
Optimism among consumers of seven developing countries is second to last in Russia, according to the Credit Suisse Research Institute, with only the rich expecting income growth
(The Moscow Times, Vedomosti)
SPORTS
Russian tennis star and former World No. 1 Dinara Safina suffered her shortest ever Grand Slam performance when she was knocked out in the first round of the 2011 Australian Open by another former World No. 1, Kim Klijsters of Belgium
(Kommersant)
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