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Main news of February 26

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A roundup of what has happened in the past 24 hours 26.02.2010, Sputnik International

2010-02-26T20:59+0000

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Main news of February 26

20:59 GMT 26.02.2010

A roundup of what has happened in the past 24 hours

RUSSIA

* Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin pledged on Friday to maintain the Russian mortgage market and lower mortgage interest rates in order to boost market growth

* Russian President Dmitry Medvedev said that people suspected of economic crimes should be released on bail more often to prevent jail being used to pressure businessmen, as well as to cut the prison population

* Russia is ready to provide permanent accreditation for NATO diplomats in Moscow in a sign of warming ties with the alliance, the country's envoy to NATO said

* The Russian government will simplify visa and migration procedures for foreigners involved in investment and high-tech projects in Russia, President Dmitry Medvedev said

* The ivi.ru website comprising hundreds of videos in Russian opened, providing Internet users with an opportunity to legally watch movies on-line free of charge

* Leader of the Russian Liberal Democrats Vladimir Zhirinovsky said cloning should be permitted in Russia and proposed cloning himself "for the nation's benefit"

* Moscow disapproves of Israel's decision to put two mosques in the West Bank on its national heritage list which would hamper the resumption of peace dialogue, a senior Russian diplomat said

* The lower house of the Russian parliament on Friday passed a bill making it easier for smaller political parties to get their representatives into regional assemblies

WORLD

* Though seeking to find new ways of working with Russia, the United States will not accept Moscow's policies in the Baltic region, Undersecretary of Defense for Policy Michele Flournoy said at a news conference in Tallinn

* A new strategic arms reduction treaty between the United States and Russia to replace the expired START 1 treaty may be signed in March or April, a Russian presidential aide said

* The party of new Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych will propose giving the Russian language official status at a regional level, Party of Regions deputy head Boris Kolesnikov said

* Moscow and Paris have yet to clinch a deal on the purchase of a French warship and it will not be signed during the Russian president's visit to France on March 1-3, a source in the Russian Defense Ministry said

* At least 9 people were killed on Friday when Taliban militants launched a series of attacks on the Afghan capital Kabul, officials and regional media say

SPORTS

* Russia took the bronze medal in a photo finish with Austria for the silver in the Vancouver Olympics men's 4x7.5km cross country relay on Friday under heavy snowfall

* Canada beat the United States 2-0 to grab the gold medal in the women's ice hockey final at the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver

* South Korea's Kim Yu-na won the gold medal in figure-skating on Thursday at the Vancouver Winter Olympics with a record score

* Alexei Grishin of Belarus won gold in the men's Olympic freestyle skiing aerials in Vancouver

* The president of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) said he hopes Russia will build a safe Olympic luge track in its southern resort city of Sochi

* Russia presented an Olympic University project in Vancouver

* Prime Minister Vladimir Putin said on Friday that Russia's disappointing performance at the 2010 Winter Olympics must be thoroughly analyzed and rectified before the Sochi 2014 Games

* A senior aide for Russian President Dmitry Medvedev said Russia's performance at the Vancouver Olympics was "dismal" although he expected such failure

* Russian and Olympic officials said on Friday that President Dmitry Medvedev was unlikely to attend the Olympic Closing Ceremony in Vancouver on Sunday