POLITICS
The Interstate Aviation Committee (MAK) released a new report on the crash of a Polish presidential plane in April 2010, saying pilot error was the main cause of the tragedy. Poland says Russia is also to blame.
(Kommersant, Vedomosti, Rossiiskaya Gazeta, Nezavisimaya Gazeta)
The European Parliament has discussed measures to toughen policies against Belarus for the country's clampdown on opposition after December's presidential election saw the reelection of Alexander Lukashenko. Sanctions may be introduced in February.
(Kommersant)
The Stockholm arbitration court found three pieces of evidence that it says prove the Russian government seized the property of now bankrupt oil company Yukos.
(Vedomosti)
Russia's presidential administration has drafted a new anticorruption package, an official close to the anti-corruption council said.
(Vedomosti)
ECONOMY & BUSINESS
The protection of "strategic interests, defense capability and state security" is the reason now given by the Audit Chamber for classifying the results of its 2008 investigation into the alleged $4 billion worth of financial violations by state-owned pipeline operator Transneft
(Moscow Times)
A new Kremlin decree a decade in the making bans foreigners from buying land near federal borders, but analysts said the move would not harm foreign investment in the country.
(Moscow Times)
Capitalization of the Russian stock market has for the first time since the start of the 2008 financial crisis exceeded the $1 trillion mark.
(Kommersant)
The Moscow government is starting talks to sell its 22.32% stake in oil and gas company Sibir Energy to Russian energy giant Gazprom's oil arm Gazprom Neft. The deal, assessed at $900 million, could reduce the city's budget deficit.
(Kommersant)
Although Italy's UniCredit is also interested in buying a stake in the Bank of Moscow, the Russian capital could give up its plans for a tender and directly sell the package to Russia's second largest state lender VTB.
(Vedomosti)
SOCIETY
The government wants at least 20% of federal officials to be fluent in a foreign language by 2020, and is even prepared to send them abroad to study.
(Moscow Times)
The Federal Anti-Monopoly Service has pledged to turn to the prosecutor's office to prevent Sergei Mavrodi, recently released from prison after serving a four-and-a-half-year sentence for fraud, from creating a new financial pyramid.
(Rossiiskaya Gazeta)
The Federal Security Service recommended some Russian regions to ban free email services and Skype for state officials following the Wikileaks scandal.
(Nezavisimaya Gazeta)
IT
Two of the country's biggest telecommunications providers, Mobile TeleSystems and VimpelCom, are considering purchasing St. Petersburg-based operator Eltel
(Moscow Times)
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