* Russia's Agriculture Ministry demanded that Poland stop smuggling and re-exporting banned products to Russia, responding to Poland's demand for EU sanctions against Russia over the embargo
* Ukraine's Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovych pledged that the country will not tap Russian natural gas bound for Europe as it did in early 2006
* Kiev is not considering reneging on a deal regarding a Russian naval fleet stationed in Ukraine's Crimea, Foreign Minister Borys Tarasyuk said
* Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko and Polish Prime Minister Jaroslaw Kaczynski have made the extension of the Odessa-Brody pipeline, which pumps Caspian oil, to Poland a cooperation priority, the Ukrainian presidential press service said
* The Russian soccer team took its second victory in the 2008 Euro Cup qualifiers, defeating Macedonia 2-0
* Iran will be able to create powerful facilities to enrich uranium within a few years, Viktor Mikhailov, Russia's ex-nuclear minister, said
* Russia's lower house of parliament adopted on a second reading a draft law canceling the 20% minimum threshold for voter turnout during elections, as well as early voting
* A threatened tsunami skirted the Southern Kuril Islands, the Russian Emergencies Ministry said
* A serviceman has been killed in a landmine explosion in southeast Chechnya, the Interior Ministry of the Russian North Caucasus republic said
