POLITICS

Thousands of people formed a human chain around the center of Moscow on Sunday as the opposition upped its campaign for honest elections just a week before the presidential vote.

(The Moscow Times, Kommersant, Vedomosti)

Billionaire-turned-presidential candidate Mikhail Prokhorov invited supporters to join his own political party over the weekend, which he has promised to set up after the March 4 election.

(The Moscow Times, Kommersant)

A referendum for Syria’s new constitution was held on Sunday. The opposition, however, boycotted the vote on the draft, which, among other things, envisages multi-party system and parliamentary elections within three months. Western powers described the referendum as illegitimate.

(Kommersant, Moskovskie Novosti, Rossiiskaya Gazeta, Nezavisimaya Gazeta)

Dmitry Rogozin’s Volunteer movement of the Popular Front in support of the army, navy and defense industry held its first congress in Moscow on Sunday

(Kommersant, Moskovskie Novosti, Izvestia, Nezavisimaya Gazeta)

ECONOMY

The Russian economy shrank 0.1 percent in January 2012, thanks to shrinking investment and consumer demand, the Russian economics ministry said

(Kommersant, Moskovskie Novosti, Nezavisimaya Gazeta)

OIL & GAS

Russia's 12-year oil boom is nearing its peak, forcing the next president to decide whether to cut taxes and revive production or use the windfall from $100 oil to boost public spending and quell mounting unrest

(The Moscow Times)

TELECOMS & IT

Internet company Mail.ru said that it increased net income by 156.9 percent last year to hit $207.6 million, putting it ahead of fellow market player Yandex, which achieved a 51 percent increase to $179.30 million net in 2011.

(The Moscow Times)

BANKING & FINANCE

Oil producer Gazprom Neft and telecoms operator Rostelecom announced loans from domestic lenders on Friday, adding to pressure on the Central Bank to inject liquidity into the market

(The Moscow Times)

DEFENCE

Russia may lose its key military object in Central Asia - the Kant military base in Kyrgyzstan. The country’s president Almazbek Atambayev said Russia had a $15-million debt to Kyrgyzstan for leasing military facilities and threatened to close the base, while the Kremlin pledged to repay the debt

(Kommersant, Moskovskie Novosti, Vedomosti, Rossiiskaya Gazeta)

SOCIETY

Lawyers for former Yukos owner Mikhail Khodorkovsky and his partner, Platon Lebedev, submitted an appeal to the Supreme Court over their December 2010 conviction on charges of embezzlement and money-laundering

(The Moscow Times)

Russian Economics Minister Elvira Nabiullina said the ministry is drafting a project of a luxury tax to be imposed on dwellings of more than 1000 square meters and cars more powerful than 250 hp

(Vedomosti, Rossiiskaya Gazeta)

SPORT

The cost of the ambitious project to turn Sochi into an Olympic resort city has already been estimated at 1.4 trillion rubles, most of which is due to come from the Russian budget

(Vedomosti)

Russia international Andrei Arshavin has returned to his former club Zenit St. Petersburg on loan from Arsenal to get regular playing time ahead of Euro 2012.

(Kommersant, Izvestia)

Russian WBA heavyweight champion Alexander Povetkin defended his title late on Saturday in a tough battle against WBO cruiserweight champion Marco Huck

(Kommersant, Izvestia)

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