1. Reuters: Jon Boyle, ANALYSIS-Cuban base closure a sea change in Russian strategy.
2. BBC Monitoring: State Duma Deputy Chairman on closure of Russian bases, relations with USA. (Lukin)
3. AFP: Afghan opposition commander, Russian army chief meet in Tajikistan.
4. Moscow Times: Megan Twohey, Borodin, Poll Allegations Hurt Russia Rating. (re corruption)
5. Laura Belin: TV-6.
6. The Times (UK): KEZHAN KAZHEGELDIN, Democracy holds key to stability in Central Asia. The US must look beyond Afghanistan's borders and consider its neighbours.
7. The Independent (UK): Anne Penketh, Russian military suspected as source of anthrax.
8. Financial Times (UK) letter: Darrell Slider, Georgia-Abkhazia conflict needs an international support force.
9. New York Times: Michael Wines, Wired Radio Offers a Fraying Link to Russia's Past.
10. Reuters: World faces biggest challenge since Cold War-study. (IISS)
11. Transitions Online: Alexei Pankin, Another One Bites the Dust. After Russian media tycoon Berezovsky's campaign against President Putin, a recent court decision to liquidate his TV-6 network should come as no surprise.
12. Washington Post: Jim Hoagland, Bush's New Deal in Shanghai.
13. strana.ru: Putin – China’s Most Popular Foreign Leader – to Arrive in Shanghai Thursday. Russian president to deliver report on Russia’s role in the region.
14. Novaya Gazeta: Viktor Minin, THE THIRD FORCE OF WORLD WAR III. Is China behind all that has been happening?
15. Toronto Sun: Matthew Fisher, Unending suffering. Afghan refugees in dire misery.