According to reports, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev are likely to discuss ministers in Russia's new government on Tuesday.

Peskov did not name any names. Putin was sworn into the presidency last week and proposed Medvedev as prime minister.

Putin won a landslide re-election victory in March, extending his grip over the world's largest country for another six years until 2024, making him the longest-lasting leader since Soviet dictator Josef Stalin who ruled for nearly 30 years.

Putin was sworn into the presidency last week and proposed Medvedev as prime minister

According to reports, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev are likely to discuss ministers in Russia's new government on Tuesday. Peskov did not name any names. Putin was sworn into the presidency last week and proposed Medvedev as prime minister. Putin won a landslide re-election victory in March, extending his grip over the world's largest country for another six years until 2024, making him the longest-lasting leader since Soviet dictator Josef Stalin who ruled for nearly 30 years.

Putin, PM Medvedev to discuss members of new government on Tuesday

If there were any doubts about Vladimir Putin's physical fitness, these would have been dispelled as television images recorded him walking through seemingly endless corridors in the Kremlin, for his inauguration on Monday as President of Russia for the fourth time. &nbsp; 
&nbsp; 
The Western media snidely labelled the ceremony a coronation, noting the manner of his election, that he never stepped outside the Kremlin grounds unlike earlier, pointing to the absence of foreign VIPs. Doubtless, Putin can live with that. &nbsp; 
&nbsp; 
India would have been represented at the level of Ambassador Pankaj Saran at least, if not at the political level. &nbsp;Although much water has flown down the Moscow River and the Yamuna, there is recognition in either country of the diplomatic and political capital they have invested in each other. 
&nbsp; 
Putin is well aware of this, but he is perhaps the last generation of Russian leaders who are committed to the India relationship.&nbsp;Putin, says Nandan Unnikrishnan of the Observer Research Foundation, genuinely likes India and sees potential benefit for his own country in India's growth story. &nbsp;Alas, that growth story faltered somewhere down the line and even as it shows signs of reviving, Russia stumbled on the obstacle course of geopolitics. 
&nbsp; 
Before we examine that, let's look at some indicators of the India-Russia relationship in the Putin era:

<ul>
	<li>Bilateral trade is an abysmal $11 bn&nbsp;</li>
	<li>Russia's share in India's arms purchases has fallen from 79% to 62% in the last five years</li>
	<li>While Russia still tops the arms table for India, the US and Israel have moved into second and third spots and could rise further</li>
	<li>Russia's ties to China are rousing concerns in South Block that Moscow may end up as Beijing's rather shabby cousin</li>
	<li>Russia's ties with Pakistan are also growing</li>
	<li>Russia is supplying frontline weaponry to China, which could end up passing on some to its 'Iron Brother' Pakistan</li>
</ul>

&nbsp; 
Russia insists there's no problem, there's no conflict, India would like to believe but China and Pakistan represent realities that are impossible for South Block to ignore.&nbsp;Yes, Putin has authorised the sale of the S-400 missile defence system to India, also the lease of another nuclear-powered submarine knowing full well that they are for use against China. &nbsp;But he's also selling Su-35 fighter jets to China which are the equivalent of India's Su-30MKI. 
&nbsp; 
Then there's Afghanistan where Russia, China and Pakistan appear on the same side of the fence. &nbsp;Russia insists it wants to cover its flanks from radical Islam and therefore the need to open contacts with the Taliban. &nbsp;Fair enough. &nbsp;But the doubts don't go away. &nbsp;Doubts too in Moscow about India's chin wagging with the Americans and where it's going. 
&nbsp; 
So when the two sides meet there's lots to talk about. Geopolitics, as I mentioned earlier, maybe partly to blame. Russia's re-emergence as a pole in the Arab world has discomfited America. Earlier Russia's annexation of Crimea and its role in Ukraine have added to bad blood. US sanctions are biting and Russia finds itself being driven closer to China. 
&nbsp; 
India has to tread carefully through this minefield. South Block finds strategic value in the Russian connection but this is Putin's last tenure and succession issues will increasingly preoccupy him. A generational change is on the Russian horizon which means uncertainty. India will watch but is not going to wait for the new man in Moscow. It will maintain its course trusting the Russian connection will fall into place.

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

India would like to believe but China and Pakistan represent realities that are impossible for South Block to ignore.

If there were any doubts about Vladimir Putin's physical fitness, these would have been dispelled as television images recorded him walking through seemingly endless corridors in the Kremlin, for his inauguration on Monday as President of Russia for the fourth time. The Western media snidely labelled the ceremony a coronation, noting the manner of his election, that he never stepped outside the Kremlin grounds unlike earlier, pointing to the absence of foreign VIPs. Doubtless, Putin can live with that. India would have been represented at the level of Ambassador Pankaj Saran at least, if not at the political level. Although much water has flown down the Moscow River and the Yamuna, there is recognition in either country of the diplomatic and political capital they have invested in each other. Putin is well aware of this, but he is perhaps the last generation of Russian leaders who are committed to the India relationship. Putin, says Nandan Unnikrishnan of the Observer Research Foundation, genuinely likes India and sees potential benefit for his own country in India's growth story. Alas, that growth story faltered somewhere down the line and even as it shows signs of reviving, Russia stumbled on the obstacle course of geopolitics. Before we examine that, let's look at some indicators of the India-Russia relationship in the Putin era: Bilateral trade is an abysmal $11 bn Russia's share in India's arms purchases has fallen from 79% to 62% in the last five years While Russia still tops the arms table for India, the US and Israel have moved into second and third spots and could rise further Russia's ties to China are rousing concerns in South Block that Moscow may end up as Beijing's rather shabby cousin Russia's ties with Pakistan are also growing Russia is supplying frontline weaponry to China, which could end up passing on some to its 'Iron Brother' Pakistan Russia insists there's no problem, there's no conflict, India would like to believe but China and Pakistan represent realities that are impossible for South Block to ignore. Yes, Putin has authorised the sale of the S-400 missile defence system to India, also the lease of another nuclear-powered submarine knowing full well that they are for use against China. But he's also selling Su-35 fighter jets to China which are the equivalent of India's Su-30MKI. Then there's Afghanistan where Russia, China and Pakistan appear on the same side of the fence. Russia insists it wants to cover its flanks from radical Islam and therefore the need to open contacts with the Taliban. Fair enough. But the doubts don't go away. Doubts too in Moscow about India's chin wagging with the Americans and where it's going. So when the two sides meet there's lots to talk about. Geopolitics, as I mentioned earlier, maybe partly to blame. Russia's re-emergence as a pole in the Arab world has discomfited America. Earlier Russia's annexation of Crimea and its role in Ukraine have added to bad blood. US sanctions are biting and Russia finds itself being driven closer to China. India has to tread carefully through this minefield. South Block finds strategic value in the Russian connection but this is Putin's last tenure and succession issues will increasingly preoccupy him. A generational change is on the Russian horizon which means uncertainty. India will watch but is not going to wait for the new man in Moscow. It will maintain its course trusting the Russian connection will fall into place. (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Opinion: China a worry, India needs to reset ties with President Putin

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been ranked among the top 10 most powerful people in the world by Forbes in a list that has been topped for the first time ever by Chinese President Xi Jinping, who dethroned Russian President Vladimir Putin as the most influential person on the planet.&nbsp;

Modi ranks 9th on the Forbes 2018 list of 75 of the World's Most Powerful People who make the world turn.

"There are nearly 7.5 billion humans on planet Earth, but these 75 men and women make the world turn. Forbes' annual ranking of The World's Most Powerful People identifies one person out of every 100 million whose actions mean the most," Forbes said.

Modi, 67, is ahead of Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg (ranked 13), United Kingdom Prime Minister Theresa May (14), Chinese Premier Li Keqiang (15) and Apple CEO Tim Cook (24).&nbsp; 
Reliance Industries Chairman Mukesh Ambani, with a net worth of 41.2 billion dollars, is the only other Indian on the power list, ranking 32nd. Microsoft's India-born CEO Satya Nadella is on the 40th spot.&nbsp;

Forbes said Modi "remains hugely popular" in the second most populous country on earth. It cited Modi government's November 2016 decision to eliminate India's two largest banknotes in a bid to reduce money laundering and corruption.

"Modi has raised his profile as a global leader in recent years during official visits with US President Donald Trump and Xi Jinping. He has also emerged as a key figure in the international effort to tackle climate change, as warming affects millions of his country's rural citizens," Forbes said.

On Ambani, Forbes said the billionaire industrialist's Reliance sparked a price war in India's hyper-competitive telecom market with the launch of 4G phone service Jio in 2016.&nbsp;

"Jio has signed on 160 million customers by offering free domestic voice calls, dirt-cheap data services and virtually free smartphones," Forbes said.

After being named the most powerful person in the world for four consecutive years, Putin drops to the second spot, dethroned by Xi, who seizes the top spot for the first time ever after China's congress amended its constitution in March, broadening his influence and eliminating term limits.&nbsp; 
Forbes said the Chinese leader "enjoys a cult of personality" not seen since Chairman Mao Zedong, China's founding father.&nbsp;

Putin has ruled Russia since May of 2000, and this year he was re-elected to a fourth term with nearly 77 percent of the vote. ?That's the largest margin of victory for any candidate for the office since the fall of the Soviet Union,? Forbes said.

"This year's list highlights the consolidation of power in the hands of an elite few," Forbes said. 
Rounding up the top five on the list are Trump on the third spot, followed by German Chancellor Angela Merkel (4) and Amazon chief Jeff Bezos (5).&nbsp;

On Trump, Forbes said he has seen limited success pushing his agenda through a Congress controlled by his own party, is under investigation by multiple law enforcement agencies, and can't shake off scandals arising from his personal and business life --but he's still Commander in Chief of the world's greatest economic and military power.

There are 17 new names on the list this year, including Mohammed Bin Salman Al Saud (8), the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia. His father remains king, but he has consolidated power beyond any doubt and taken control of the country, Forbes said.&nbsp;

Other new members include U.S. Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell (11), Exxon Mobil CEO Darren Woods (34), President of South Korea Moon Jae-in (54) and Special Counsel for the U.S. Department of Justice Robert Mueller (72).&nbsp;

On Nadella, Forbes said the Microsoft CEO has steered the company away from a failing mobile strategy and focused on other segments, including cloud computing and augmented reality.&nbsp;

"Since taking over as a CEO, Microsoft's stock has increased by more than 150 per cent," it said.&nbsp;

The list also includes Pope Francis (6), Cofounder of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Bill Gates (7), French President Emmanuel Macron (12), Alibaba Chief Jack Ma (21), CEO and Chairman of Tesla Elon Musk (25), UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres (31), North Korean leader Kim Jong-un (36), Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau (57), Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad (62), Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte (69) and Islamic State's self-proclaimed caliph Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi (73).

In compiling the list, Forbes said it considered hundreds of candidates from various walks of life all around the globe, and measured their power along four dimensions of whether the person has power over lots of people, financial resources controlled by each person, whether the candidate is powerful in multiple spheres and that the candidates actively used their power. PTI

Xi dethroned Russia's Putin. Reliance Industries Chairman Mukesh Ambani, with a net worth of 41.2 billion dollars, is the only other Indian on the power list; he was ranked 32nd

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been ranked among the top 10 most powerful people in the world by Forbes in a list that has been topped for the first time ever by Chinese President Xi Jinping, who dethroned Russian President Vladimir Putin as the most influential person on the planet. Modi ranks 9th on the Forbes 2018 list of 75 of the World's Most Powerful People who make the world turn. "There are nearly 7.5 billion humans on planet Earth, but these 75 men and women make the world turn. Forbes' annual ranking of The World's Most Powerful People identifies one person out of every 100 million whose actions mean the most," Forbes said. Modi, 67, is ahead of Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg (ranked 13), United Kingdom Prime Minister Theresa May (14), Chinese Premier Li Keqiang (15) and Apple CEO Tim Cook (24). Reliance Industries Chairman Mukesh Ambani, with a net worth of 41.2 billion dollars, is the only other Indian on the power list, ranking 32nd. Microsoft's India-born CEO Satya Nadella is on the 40th spot. Forbes said Modi "remains hugely popular" in the second most populous country on earth. It cited Modi government's November 2016 decision to eliminate India's two largest banknotes in a bid to reduce money laundering and corruption. "Modi has raised his profile as a global leader in recent years during official visits with US President Donald Trump and Xi Jinping. He has also emerged as a key figure in the international effort to tackle climate change, as warming affects millions of his country's rural citizens," Forbes said. On Ambani, Forbes said the billionaire industrialist's Reliance sparked a price war in India's hyper-competitive telecom market with the launch of 4G phone service Jio in 2016. "Jio has signed on 160 million customers by offering free domestic voice calls, dirt-cheap data services and virtually free smartphones," Forbes said. After being named the most powerful person in the world for four consecutive years, Putin drops to the second spot, dethroned by Xi, who seizes the top spot for the first time ever after China's congress amended its constitution in March, broadening his influence and eliminating term limits. Forbes said the Chinese leader "enjoys a cult of personality" not seen since Chairman Mao Zedong, China's founding father. Putin has ruled Russia since May of 2000, and this year he was re-elected to a fourth term with nearly 77 percent of the vote. ?That's the largest margin of victory for any candidate for the office since the fall of the Soviet Union,? Forbes said. "This year's list highlights the consolidation of power in the hands of an elite few," Forbes said. Rounding up the top five on the list are Trump on the third spot, followed by German Chancellor Angela Merkel (4) and Amazon chief Jeff Bezos (5). On Trump, Forbes said he has seen limited success pushing his agenda through a Congress controlled by his own party, is under investigation by multiple law enforcement agencies, and can't shake off scandals arising from his personal and business life --but he's still Commander in Chief of the world's greatest economic and military power. There are 17 new names on the list this year, including Mohammed Bin Salman Al Saud (8), the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia. His father remains king, but he has consolidated power beyond any doubt and taken control of the country, Forbes said. Other new members include U.S. Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell (11), Exxon Mobil CEO Darren Woods (34), President of South Korea Moon Jae-in (54) and Special Counsel for the U.S. Department of Justice Robert Mueller (72). On Nadella, Forbes said the Microsoft CEO has steered the company away from a failing mobile strategy and focused on other segments, including cloud computing and augmented reality. "Since taking over as a CEO, Microsoft's stock has increased by more than 150 per cent," it said. The list also includes Pope Francis (6), Cofounder of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Bill Gates (7), French President Emmanuel Macron (12), Alibaba Chief Jack Ma (21), CEO and Chairman of Tesla Elon Musk (25), UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres (31), North Korean leader Kim Jong-un (36), Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau (57), Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad (62), Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte (69) and Islamic State's self-proclaimed caliph Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi (73). In compiling the list, Forbes said it considered hundreds of candidates from various walks of life all around the globe, and measured their power along four dimensions of whether the person has power over lots of people, financial resources controlled by each person, whether the candidate is powerful in multiple spheres and that the candidates actively used their power. PTI

China's Xi is world's most powerful person, Modi is 9th: Forbes

President Vladimir Putin travelled to his inauguration on Monday for a new six-year term in a Russian-made limousine, ditching his old stretch Mercedes to send a patriotic message of self-sufficiency amid increased tensions with the West.

Putin, in power since 2000, wants Russia to reduce its dependence on imported goods and technology, a drive that has gathered pace since Russia was hit by Western sanctions.

Some guests broke into applause at the sight of the car conveying Putin the short distance from his office to the Kremlin hall for the inauguration, Russian news agencies said.

"It's cooler than (US&nbsp;President Donald) Trump's," one guest was quoted as saying by the RIA news agency.

Putin has in the past publicly driven Russian-made cars in front of television cameras in an effort to nurture patriotism and support the domestic auto industry.

Monday marked the first public outing of the new limousine, part of the "Kortezh" series of cars which is also expected to include a sedan, minivan and offroad vehicle.

Under development since 2012, the limousine is being produced by a Russian research institute known by the acronym NAMI, and will be distributed in partnership with Russian carmaker Sollers.

The new limousine is set to become the heir to the Russian-made ZIL sedans that for decades transported Soviet leaders.

Trade Minister Denis Manturov said state officials would be able to switch to Kortezh vehicles when enough of them became available, TASS news agency reported.

The Ministry of Trade said the cars would be marketed under the brand Aurus and made available for sale from the beginning of 2019, RIA reported.

In his inauguration address, Putin said technological innovation and research were essential for Russia's future to keep pace with global change.

Putin's last six-year term has been marked by a sharp downturn in relations with the West over conflicts in Ukraine and Syria, accusations of Russian meddling in the 2016 U.S. election, and the poisoning of a former Russian spy in England. Moscow denies meddling in the elections or poisoning the spy.

Some guests broke into applause at the sight of the car conveying Putin the short distance from his office to the Kremlin hall for the inauguration, Russian news agencies said

President Vladimir Putin travelled to his inauguration on Monday for a new six-year term in a Russian-made limousine, ditching his old stretch Mercedes to send a patriotic message of self-sufficiency amid increased tensions with the West. Putin, in power since 2000, wants Russia to reduce its dependence on imported goods and technology, a drive that has gathered pace since Russia was hit by Western sanctions. Some guests broke into applause at the sight of the car conveying Putin the short distance from his office to the Kremlin hall for the inauguration, Russian news agencies said. "It's cooler than (US President Donald) Trump's," one guest was quoted as saying by the RIA news agency. Putin has in the past publicly driven Russian-made cars in front of television cameras in an effort to nurture patriotism and support the domestic auto industry. Monday marked the first public outing of the new limousine, part of the "Kortezh" series of cars which is also expected to include a sedan, minivan and offroad vehicle. Under development since 2012, the limousine is being produced by a Russian research institute known by the acronym NAMI, and will be distributed in partnership with Russian carmaker Sollers. The new limousine is set to become the heir to the Russian-made ZIL sedans that for decades transported Soviet leaders. Trade Minister Denis Manturov said state officials would be able to switch to Kortezh vehicles when enough of them became available, TASS news agency reported. The Ministry of Trade said the cars would be marketed under the brand Aurus and made available for sale from the beginning of 2019, RIA reported. In his inauguration address, Putin said technological innovation and research were essential for Russia's future to keep pace with global change. Putin's last six-year term has been marked by a sharp downturn in relations with the West over conflicts in Ukraine and Syria, accusations of Russian meddling in the 2016 U.S. election, and the poisoning of a former Russian spy in England. Moscow denies meddling in the elections or poisoning the spy.

To send message of self-sufficiency, Putin drives to inauguration in Russian-made limousine

President Vladimir Putin travelled to his inauguration on Monday for a new six-year term in a Russian-made limousine, ditching his old stretch Mercedes to send a patriotic message of self-sufficiency amid increased tensions with the West.

Putin, in power since 2000, wants Russia to reduce its dependence on imported goods and technology, a drive that has gathered pace since Russia was hit by Western sanctions.

Some guests broke into applause at the sight of the car conveying Putin the short distance from his office to the Kremlin hall for the inauguration, Russian news agencies said.

"It's cooler than (US&nbspPresident Donald) Trump's," one guest was quoted as saying by the RIA news agency.

Putin has in the past publicly driven Russian-made cars in front of television cameras in an effort to nurture patriotism and support the domestic auto industry.

Monday marked the first public outing of the new limousine, part of the "Kortezh" series of cars which is also expected to include a sedan, minivan and offroad vehicle.

Under development since 2012, the limousine is being produced by a Russian research institute known by the acronym NAMI, and will be distributed in partnership with Russian carmaker Sollers.

The new limousine is set to become the heir to the Russian-made ZIL sedans that for decades transported Soviet leaders.

Trade Minister Denis Manturov said state officials would be able to switch to Kortezh vehicles when enough of them became available, TASS news agency reported.

The Ministry of Trade said the cars would be marketed under the brand Aurus and made available for sale from the beginning of 2019, RIA reported.

In his inauguration address, Putin said technological innovation and research were essential for Russia's future to keep pace with global change.

Putin's last six-year term has been marked by a sharp downturn in relations with the West over conflicts in Ukraine and Syria, accusations of Russian meddling in the 2016 U.S. election, and the poisoning of a former Russian spy in England. Moscow denies meddling in the elections or poisoning the spy.

President Vladimir Putin travelled to his inauguration on Monday for a new six-year term in a Russian-made limousine, ditching his old stretch Mercedes to send a patriotic message of self-sufficiency amid increased tensions with the West. Putin, in power since 2000, wants Russia to reduce its dependence on imported goods and technology, a drive that has gathered pace since Russia was hit by Western sanctions. Some guests broke into applause at the sight of the car conveying Putin the short distance from his office to the Kremlin hall for the inauguration, Russian news agencies said. "It's cooler than (US&nbspPresident Donald) Trump's," one guest was quoted as saying by the RIA news agency. Putin has in the past publicly driven Russian-made cars in front of television cameras in an effort to nurture patriotism and support the domestic auto industry. Monday marked the first public outing of the new limousine, part of the "Kortezh" series of cars which is also expected to include a sedan, minivan and offroad vehicle. Under development since 2012, the limousine is being produced by a Russian research institute known by the acronym NAMI, and will be distributed in partnership with Russian carmaker Sollers. The new limousine is set to become the heir to the Russian-made ZIL sedans that for decades transported Soviet leaders. Trade Minister Denis Manturov said state officials would be able to switch to Kortezh vehicles when enough of them became available, TASS news agency reported. The Ministry of Trade said the cars would be marketed under the brand Aurus and made available for sale from the beginning of 2019, RIA reported. In his inauguration address, Putin said technological innovation and research were essential for Russia's future to keep pace with global change. Putin's last six-year term has been marked by a sharp downturn in relations with the West over conflicts in Ukraine and Syria, accusations of Russian meddling in the 2016 U.S. election, and the poisoning of a former Russian spy in England. Moscow denies meddling in the elections or poisoning the spy.

Putin takes inaugural ride in Russian-made limousine to send patriotic message of self-sufficiency

Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny and more than 1,000 anti-Kremlin activists were detained by police on Saturday during street protests against Vladimir Putin ahead of his inauguration for a fourth term as president.

Navalny had called for demonstrations in more than 90 towns and cities across Russia against what he says is Putin's autocratic, tsar-like rule.

"We will force the authorities, made up of swindlers and thieves, to take into account the millions of citizens who did not vote for Putin," Navalny said beforehand.

Putin overwhelmingly won re-election in March, extending his grip over Russia for six more years - a tenure of 24 years that would make him Moscow's longest-serving leader since Soviet dictator Josef Stalin.

Navalny, who was barred from running in the election on what he says was a false pretext, was detained soon after showing up on Moscow's Pushkin Square, where young people chanted "Russia without Putin!" and "Down with the Tsar!".

Video footage showed five policemen hauling him to a waiting van by his arms and legs, a scene that was repeated dozens of times with his supporters. Moscow police said he had been detained for organising an unsanctioned rally.

"Nothing Will Change"

Navalny, who has been detained and jailed numerous times for organising similar protests, had managed to address his supporters briefly, saying he was glad they had shown up.

One protester in Moscow, donning a rabbit's mask with the legend "Tsar of the Animals" said he was unsure what the protest would achieve.

"I have the feeling that people are gathering just to let off steam and that nothing will change," said the 31-year-old man called Alexander, who declined to give his surname.

OVD-Info, a rights organisation that monitors detentions, said it had received reports of police detaining over 1,000 people across Russia, nearly 500 of them in Moscow. It cited its own sources at the Moscow protest as saying pro-Kremlin Cossacks had beaten protesters with leather whips, sparking a fight.

A police spokesman said around 1,500 people had protested in Moscow, the Interfax news agency reported. Reuters reporters estimated the crowd numbered several thousand.

Protests also took place in the Far East, Siberia and St Petersburg. In the Urals city of Yekaterinburg, around 1,500 km (900 miles) east of Moscow, a Reuters reporter saw more than 1,000 people protesting, some shouting "Down with the Tsar!"

Father Of The Nation

Putin, 65, has been in power, either as president or prime minister, since 2000. 
Backed by state TV and the ruling party, and credited with an approval rating of around 80 percent, he is lauded by supporters as a father-of-the-nation figure who has restored national pride and expanded Moscow's global clout with interventions in Syria and Ukraine.

The authorities regard most of the protests as illegal, arguing that their time and place was not approved beforehand and that the police have a duty to protect public order.

Putin has dismissed Navalny as a troublemaker bent on sowing chaos on behalf of Washington. Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev, a close Putin ally, has called Navalny a political charlatan.

Putin is due to be inaugurated on Monday in a Kremlin ceremony heavy on pomp.

With more than 56 million votes, almost 77 percent of the total, his March election win was his biggest ever and the largest by any post-Soviet Russian leader, something he and his allies say gave him an unequivocal mandate to govern.

European observers said there had been no real choice in the election, and complained of unfair pressure on critical voices. Critics like Navalny accuse Putin of overseeing a corrupt authoritarian system and of annexing Ukraine's Crimea illegally in 2014, a move that isolated Russia internationally.

Alexei Navalny had called for demonstrations in more than 90 towns and cities across Russia against what he says is Putin's autocratic, tsar-like rule.

Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny and more than 1,000 anti-Kremlin activists were detained by police on Saturday during street protests against Vladimir Putin ahead of his inauguration for a fourth term as president. Navalny had called for demonstrations in more than 90 towns and cities across Russia against what he says is Putin's autocratic, tsar-like rule. "We will force the authorities, made up of swindlers and thieves, to take into account the millions of citizens who did not vote for Putin," Navalny said beforehand. Putin overwhelmingly won re-election in March, extending his grip over Russia for six more years - a tenure of 24 years that would make him Moscow's longest-serving leader since Soviet dictator Josef Stalin. Navalny, who was barred from running in the election on what he says was a false pretext, was detained soon after showing up on Moscow's Pushkin Square, where young people chanted "Russia without Putin!" and "Down with the Tsar!". Video footage showed five policemen hauling him to a waiting van by his arms and legs, a scene that was repeated dozens of times with his supporters. Moscow police said he had been detained for organising an unsanctioned rally. "Nothing Will Change" Navalny, who has been detained and jailed numerous times for organising similar protests, had managed to address his supporters briefly, saying he was glad they had shown up. One protester in Moscow, donning a rabbit's mask with the legend "Tsar of the Animals" said he was unsure what the protest would achieve. "I have the feeling that people are gathering just to let off steam and that nothing will change," said the 31-year-old man called Alexander, who declined to give his surname. OVD-Info, a rights organisation that monitors detentions, said it had received reports of police detaining over 1,000 people across Russia, nearly 500 of them in Moscow. It cited its own sources at the Moscow protest as saying pro-Kremlin Cossacks had beaten protesters with leather whips, sparking a fight. A police spokesman said around 1,500 people had protested in Moscow, the Interfax news agency reported. Reuters reporters estimated the crowd numbered several thousand. Protests also took place in the Far East, Siberia and St Petersburg. In the Urals city of Yekaterinburg, around 1,500 km (900 miles) east of Moscow, a Reuters reporter saw more than 1,000 people protesting, some shouting "Down with the Tsar!" Father Of The Nation Putin, 65, has been in power, either as president or prime minister, since 2000. Backed by state TV and the ruling party, and credited with an approval rating of around 80 percent, he is lauded by supporters as a father-of-the-nation figure who has restored national pride and expanded Moscow's global clout with interventions in Syria and Ukraine. The authorities regard most of the protests as illegal, arguing that their time and place was not approved beforehand and that the police have a duty to protect public order. Putin has dismissed Navalny as a troublemaker bent on sowing chaos on behalf of Washington. Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev, a close Putin ally, has called Navalny a political charlatan. Putin is due to be inaugurated on Monday in a Kremlin ceremony heavy on pomp. With more than 56 million votes, almost 77 percent of the total, his March election win was his biggest ever and the largest by any post-Soviet Russian leader, something he and his allies say gave him an unequivocal mandate to govern. European observers said there had been no real choice in the election, and complained of unfair pressure on critical voices. Critics like Navalny accuse Putin of overseeing a corrupt authoritarian system and of annexing Ukraine's Crimea illegally in 2014, a move that isolated Russia internationally.

Russian police detain over 1,000 people at anti-Putin protests

Benjamin Netanyahu will meet Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday in Moscow to discuss regional issues, the Israeli prime minister said in a statement on Saturday.

Israel has been lobbying world powers to "fix or nix" a 2015 nuclear deal with Iran as a May 12 deadline set by President Donald Trump approaches.

Israel is also concerned that Iran is establishing a military presence in Syria, and it has attacked Iranian targets there.

Since intervening in the Syrian civil war on behalf of President Bashar al-Assad in 2015, Russia has generally turned a blind eye to Israeli attacks on suspected arms transfers and deployments by his Iranian and Hezbollah allies.

But when Moscow condemned an April 9 strike that killed seven Iranian personnel, and blamed Israel, it set off speculation in Israel that Russian patience might be wearing thin.

On Thursday, Israel’s defence minister reminded Russia of his government’s decision not to join Western sanctions against it, and asked that Moscow reciprocate with a more pro-Israel approach to Syria and Iran.

Netanyahu and Putin spoke by phone on Monday after the Israeli prime minister presented what he said were Iran's secret nuclear files which document it having worked toward developing atomic weapons in the past.

US&nbspand Israeli officials said the information showed Iran had lied about its past work to develop nuclear arms but intelligence experts said there was no smoking gun showing that Tehran had violated the nuclear deal under which it curbed its atomic programme in return for relief from economic sanctions.

Trump has given Britain, France and Germany a May 12 deadline to fix what he views as the deal’s flaws - its failure to address Iran’s ballistic missile programme, the terms by which inspectors visit suspect Iranian sites, and “sunset” clauses under which some of its terms expire - or he will reimpose US&nbspsanctions.

Moscow has repeatedly said it wants the Iran nuclear deal left intact. Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on Friday Russia would deem any changes to the deal to be unacceptable.

Israel has been lobbying world powers to "fix or nix" a 2015 nuclear deal with Iran as a May 12 deadline set by President Donald Trump approaches

Benjamin Netanyahu will meet Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday in Moscow to discuss regional issues, the Israeli prime minister said in a statement on Saturday. Israel has been lobbying world powers to "fix or nix" a 2015 nuclear deal with Iran as a May 12 deadline set by President Donald Trump approaches. Israel is also concerned that Iran is establishing a military presence in Syria, and it has attacked Iranian targets there. Since intervening in the Syrian civil war on behalf of President Bashar al-Assad in 2015, Russia has generally turned a blind eye to Israeli attacks on suspected arms transfers and deployments by his Iranian and Hezbollah allies. But when Moscow condemned an April 9 strike that killed seven Iranian personnel, and blamed Israel, it set off speculation in Israel that Russian patience might be wearing thin. On Thursday, Israel’s defence minister reminded Russia of his government’s decision not to join Western sanctions against it, and asked that Moscow reciprocate with a more pro-Israel approach to Syria and Iran. Netanyahu and Putin spoke by phone on Monday after the Israeli prime minister presented what he said were Iran's secret nuclear files which document it having worked toward developing atomic weapons in the past. US&nbspand Israeli officials said the information showed Iran had lied about its past work to develop nuclear arms but intelligence experts said there was no smoking gun showing that Tehran had violated the nuclear deal under which it curbed its atomic programme in return for relief from economic sanctions. Trump has given Britain, France and Germany a May 12 deadline to fix what he views as the deal’s flaws - its failure to address Iran’s ballistic missile programme, the terms by which inspectors visit suspect Iranian sites, and “sunset” clauses under which some of its terms expire - or he will reimpose US&nbspsanctions. Moscow has repeatedly said it wants the Iran nuclear deal left intact. Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on Friday Russia would deem any changes to the deal to be unacceptable.

Israeli PM Netanyahu to meet Russia's Putin on Wednesday: Statement

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/ahead-of-karnataka-polls-authorities-seize-cash-articles-worth-rs-152-crore-134795">Ahead of Karnataka polls, authorities seize cash, articles worth Rs 120 crore</a>

The Election Commission-appointed surveillance teams have seized cash, jewellery and other inducements worth over Rs 120 crore in the poll-bound Karnataka, a senior official said today.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/congress-slams-yeddyurappa-for-threatening-voters-134801">Congress slams Yeddyurappa for 'threatening' voters</a>

Congress party on Saturday slammed BJP for ''threatening voters in frustration. A defeatist BJP facing rejection at the hands of Kannadigas is threatening voters in frustration. Mr Yeddyurappa, insulting democracy and intimidating voters will trounce the BJP decisively," tweeted Congress spokesperson Randeep Surjewala.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/putin-opponents-protest-across-russia-before-his-inauguration-134789">Putin opponents protest across Russia before </a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/putin-opponents-protest-across-russia-before-his-inauguration-134789">presidential</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/putin-opponents-protest-across-russia-before-his-inauguration-134789"> inauguration</a>

Critics of Vladimir Putin took to the streets of Russia on Saturday ahead of his inauguration for a fourth presidential term to register their opposition to what they say is his autocratic Tsar-like rule.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/south-korea-faces-dilemma-over-anti-north-leaflets-as-ties-thaw-134788">South Korea faces </a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/south-korea-faces-dilemma-over-anti-north-leaflets-as-ties-thaw-134788">dilemma</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/south-korea-faces-dilemma-over-anti-north-leaflets-as-ties-thaw-134788"> over anti-North leaflets as ties thaw</a>

Days after a historic inter-Korean summit Lee Min-bok, a defector who has been flying anti-Pyongyang leaflets into the North for 15 years, received a call from an official at Seoul's Unification Ministry urging him to halt his balloon campaign.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/2000-french-police-on-streets-for-anti-macron-protest-134783">2,000 French police on streets for anti-Macron protest</a>

Paris police are deploying in large numbers and activists are calling for calm as the French capital prepares for a mass protest on the anniversary of President Emmanuel Macron's inauguration.

&nbsp

Ahead of Karnataka polls, authorities seize cash, articles worth Rs 120 crore The Election Commission-appointed surveillance teams have seized cash, jewellery and other inducements worth over Rs 120 crore in the poll-bound Karnataka, a senior official said today. Congress slams Yeddyurappa for 'threatening' voters Congress party on Saturday slammed BJP for ''threatening voters in frustration. A defeatist BJP facing rejection at the hands of Kannadigas is threatening voters in frustration. Mr Yeddyurappa, insulting democracy and intimidating voters will trounce the BJP decisively," tweeted Congress spokesperson Randeep Surjewala. Putin opponents protest across Russia before presidential inauguration Critics of Vladimir Putin took to the streets of Russia on Saturday ahead of his inauguration for a fourth presidential term to register their opposition to what they say is his autocratic Tsar-like rule. South Korea faces dilemma over anti-North leaflets as ties thaw Days after a historic inter-Korean summit Lee Min-bok, a defector who has been flying anti-Pyongyang leaflets into the North for 15 years, received a call from an official at Seoul's Unification Ministry urging him to halt his balloon campaign. 2,000 French police on streets for anti-Macron protest Paris police are deploying in large numbers and activists are calling for calm as the French capital prepares for a mass protest on the anniversary of President Emmanuel Macron's inauguration.

News brief: Big stories of the day

Days after the US-led air strikes in Syria, the retaliation possibly seems to be coming from Russia in cyberspace. Moscow may actually opt for cyber attacks over nuclear war.&nbsp;

Cyberspace is proving to be a battleground for Russia and the West. Russia has already been accused of carrying out cyber attacks on Washington, London and other cities.

In a fresh series of allegations, the United States and Britain have accused the Kremlin of launching attacks on firewalls and other networking equipment used by government agencies, businesses and critical infrastructure operators across the globe.

American and British officials say that the new cyber attacks have affected a wide range of organisations including internet service providers, private businesses, among others around the world.&nbsp;

Washington and London issued a joint statement that says, "The operation is to support espionage, extract intellectual property, maintain persistent access to victim networks and potentially lay a foundation for future offensive operations".&nbsp;

Britain and US have issued an alert to understand the threat and protect potential targets. This comes amid tensions between Russia and the West over a suspected chemical attack in Syria.&nbsp;

White House's cybersecurity coordinator, Rob Joyce, recently noted, "The alert is not related to the suspected chemical attack in a town in Syria that prompted a US-led military strike over the weekend targetting facilities of the Russian-backed Syrian government".&nbsp;

The Kremlin has outrightly denied the allegations. The Russian embassy issued a statement saying that "British accusations of cyber threats from Moscow are striking examples of a reckless, provocative and unfounded policy against Russia".

Australia has also joined the US and the UK in blaming Russia for the cyber attacks.&nbsp;

This is not the first time when such allegations are levelled against Putin-led Russia. While Moscow continues to rubbish all accusations, the blame-game continues to intensify between Russia and the West.&nbsp;

Australia has also joined the US and the UK in blaming Russia for the cyber attacks

Days after the US-led air strikes in Syria, the retaliation possibly seems to be coming from Russia in cyberspace. Moscow may actually opt for cyber attacks over nuclear war. Cyberspace is proving to be a battleground for Russia and the West. Russia has already been accused of carrying out cyber attacks on Washington, London and other cities. In a fresh series of allegations, the United States and Britain have accused the Kremlin of launching attacks on firewalls and other networking equipment used by government agencies, businesses and critical infrastructure operators across the globe. American and British officials say that the new cyber attacks have affected a wide range of organisations including internet service providers, private businesses, among others around the world. Washington and London issued a joint statement that says, "The operation is to support espionage, extract intellectual property, maintain persistent access to victim networks and potentially lay a foundation for future offensive operations". Britain and US have issued an alert to understand the threat and protect potential targets. This comes amid tensions between Russia and the West over a suspected chemical attack in Syria. White House's cybersecurity coordinator, Rob Joyce, recently noted, "The alert is not related to the suspected chemical attack in a town in Syria that prompted a US-led military strike over the weekend targetting facilities of the Russian-backed Syrian government". The Kremlin has outrightly denied the allegations. The Russian embassy issued a statement saying that "British accusations of cyber threats from Moscow are striking examples of a reckless, provocative and unfounded policy against Russia". Australia has also joined the US and the UK in blaming Russia for the cyber attacks. This is not the first time when such allegations are levelled against Putin-led Russia. While Moscow continues to rubbish all accusations, the blame-game continues to intensify between Russia and the West.

Watch: US, Britain blame Russia for global cyber attack

US&nbspPresident Donald Trump invited his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin to the United States during a phone call, and said he would be glad to see Putin in the White House, RIA Novosti reported on Friday, citing the Russian Foreign Ministry.

The news agency quoted Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov as saying Trump returned to the subject of an invitation a couple of times during a call last month and that Russia was now expecting Trump to formalise the invitation.&nbsp

"We proceed from the fact that the US&nbsppresident in a telephone conversation...made such an invitation, said he would be glad to see (Putin) in the White House, would then be glad to meet on a reciprocal visit," said Lavrov, according to a transcript of an interview with RIA on the foreign ministry website.&nbsp

"He returned to this topic a couple of times, so we let our American colleagues know that we do not want to impose, but we also do not want to be impolite, and that considering that President Trump made this proposal, we proceed from the position that he will make it concrete."&nbsp

Rolling out a welcome for Putin in the White House could anger Trump's domestic critics, who accuse Russia of hostile acts against Western countries, including the United States.

"I would simply turn your attention to the fact that Donald Trump after this phone conversation has said several times in both Tweets and in words that it is necessary to resolve issues with Russia, we want to have good relations with Russia, this is better than not having good relations, and that only a fool thinks otherwise," Lavrov said. "We also hear this."

Trump and Putin spoke by phone on March 20. 
&nbsp

Trump and Putin spoke by phone on March 20.

US&nbspPresident Donald Trump invited his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin to the United States during a phone call, and said he would be glad to see Putin in the White House, RIA Novosti reported on Friday, citing the Russian Foreign Ministry. The news agency quoted Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov as saying Trump returned to the subject of an invitation a couple of times during a call last month and that Russia was now expecting Trump to formalise the invitation. "We proceed from the fact that the US&nbsppresident in a telephone conversation...made such an invitation, said he would be glad to see (Putin) in the White House, would then be glad to meet on a reciprocal visit," said Lavrov, according to a transcript of an interview with RIA on the foreign ministry website. "He returned to this topic a couple of times, so we let our American colleagues know that we do not want to impose, but we also do not want to be impolite, and that considering that President Trump made this proposal, we proceed from the position that he will make it concrete." Rolling out a welcome for Putin in the White House could anger Trump's domestic critics, who accuse Russia of hostile acts against Western countries, including the United States. "I would simply turn your attention to the fact that Donald Trump after this phone conversation has said several times in both Tweets and in words that it is necessary to resolve issues with Russia, we want to have good relations with Russia, this is better than not having good relations, and that only a fool thinks otherwise," Lavrov said. "We also hear this." Trump and Putin spoke by phone on March 20.

Russia says Trump invited Putin to US during phone call

Russian President Vladimir Putin warned on Sunday that further Western attacks on Syria would bring chaos to world affairs, while signs emerged that Moscow and Washington want to pull back from the worst crisis in their relations for years.

Putin made his remarks in a telephone conversation with Iranian counterpart Hassan Rouhani after the United States, France and Britain launched missile strikes on Syria on Saturday over a suspected poison gas attack.&nbsp

A Kremlin statement said Putin and Rouhani agreed that the Western strikes had damaged the chances of achieving a political resolution in the multi-sided, seven-year conflict that has killed at least half a million people.

"Vladimir Putin, in particular, stressed that if such actions committed in violation of the U.N. Charter continue, then it will inevitably lead to chaos in international relations," a Kremlin statement said.

The attacks struck at the heart of Syria`s chemical weapons programme, Washington said, in retaliation for a suspected poison gas attack a week ago. All three participants insisted the strikes were not aimed at toppling President Bashar al-Assad or intervening in the conflict.

The bombings, hailed by U.S. President Donald Trump as a success but denounced by Damascus and its allies as an act of aggression, marked the biggest intervention by Western countries against Assad and ally Russia, whose foreign minister Sergei Lavrov called them "unacceptable and lawless".

Putin`s comments were published shortly after Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov struck a more conciliatory note by saying Moscow would make every effort to improve political relations with the West.

When asked whether Russia was prepared to work with the proposals of Western countries at the United Nations, Ryabkov told TASS news agency: "Now the political situation is extremely tense, the atmosphere is extremely electrified, so I will not make any predictions.

"We will work calmly, methodically and professionally, using all opportunities to remove the situation from its current extremely dangerous political peak."

Russian Foreign Ministry official Vladimir Ermakov said Washington would want to maintain a dialogue with Moscow about strategic stability after the raids, Russian media reported. 
"In the U.S. administration there are specific people who it is possible to talk with," said Ermakov, head of the ministry`s department for non-proliferation and arms control.

In Damascus, Syria`s deputy foreign minister, Faisal Mekdad, met inspectors from the global chemical weapons watchdog OPCW for about three hours in the presence of Russian officers and a senior Syrian security official.

The inspectors were due to attempt to visit the site of the suspected gas attack in Douma on April 7, which medical relief organisations say killed dozens of people. Moscow condemned the Western states for refusing to wait for OPCW`s findings before attacking.

Mekdad declined to comment to reporters waiting outside the hotel where the meeting took place.

Russia denounced allegations of a gas attack in Douma and said it was staged by Britain to whip up anti-Russian hysteria.&nbsp

In an indication that the West, too, would prefer to lower tensions, the United States and Britain both reiterated that their military action on Saturday was not aimed at Assad, Putin`s ally, only at his use of chemical weapons.

Speaking to the BBC, Britain`s Foreign Secretary (Minister) Boris Johnson said that Western powers had no plans for further missile strikes, though they would assess their options if Damascus used chemical weapons again.

"This is not about regime change ... This is not about trying to turn the tide of the conflict in Syria," he told the BBC, adding that Russia was the only country able to pressure Assad to negotiate an end to the conflict.

Asked about U.S.-Russia relations, U.S. ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley said ties were "very strained" but that the United States still hoped for a better relationship.

Haley said that the United States would not pull its troops out of Syria until its goals were accomplished. Speaking on Fox News Sunday, Haley listed three aims for the United States: ensuring that chemical weapons are not used in any way that poses a risk to U.S. interests, that Islamic State is defeated and that there is a good vantage point to watch what Iran is doing.

Trump has made clear he wants to withdraw the roughly 2,000 U.S. troops involved in the anti-Islamic State campaign in Syria. But he appeared to contradict that message when he said on Saturday that Western allies were prepared to "sustain" the military response if Assad does not stop using prohibited chemical weapons.

British opposition leader Jeremy Corbyn said the legal basis used to support the British role was debatable, adding that he would only support action backed by the U.N. Security Council.

"I say to the foreign secretary, I say to the prime minister, where is the legal basis for this?" Corbyn said in an interview with the BBC.

In Damascus, Assad told a group of visiting Russian lawmakers that the Western missile strikes were an act of aggression, Russian news agencies reported.

Syria released video of the wreckage of a bombed-out research lab, but also of Assad arriving at work as usual, with the caption "morning of resilience" and there were no immediate reports of casualties.&nbsp

Russian agencies quoted the lawmakers as saying that Assad was in a "good mood", had praised the Soviet-era air defence systems Syria used to repel the Western attacks and had accepted an invitation to visit Russia at an unspecified time.

President Trump had said "mission accomplished" on Twitter after the strikes, though U.S. Lieutenant General Kenneth McKenzie at the Pentagon acknowledged elements of the programme remain and he could not guarantee that Syria would be unable to conduct a chemical attack in the future.

Russian and Iranian military help over the past three years has allowed Assad to crush the rebel threat to topple him. 
The United States, Britain and France have all participated in the Syrian conflict for years, arming rebels, bombing Islamic State fighters and deploying troops to fight the militants. But they have refrained from targeting Assad`s government, apart from a volley of U.S. missiles last year.

France, the United States and Britain plan to put forward a new draft resolution aimed at dismantling Syria`s chemical weapons programme, wiping out terrorism, demanding a ceasefire across Syria and finding a political solution to the war, French U.N. Ambassador Francois Delattre told the council on Saturday.

Most Gulf stock markets rose on Sunday, supported by firm oil prices and relief that the weekend`s military attack on Syria was relatively limited in scope and there was no immediate retaliation.

Internationally, gold and oil are expected to extend gains on Monday, albeit modestly, when the markets open for the first time since the missile attack. Equities and bonds are unlikely to suffer big losses unless the West strikes again or Russia retaliates.

Gold has benefited in recent days as a safe-haven asset amid a U.S.-China trade dispute and the escalating conflict in Syria, which also pushed oil above $70 a barrel on concerns over a spike in Middle Eastern tensions.

The strikes suggest that Trump may have reset America`s red line for military intervention in Syria over the use of chemical weapons.

In Washington, a senior administration official said that "while the available information is much greater on the chlorine use, we do have significant information that also points to sarin use" in the attack.

Sarin had previously appeared to be the threshold for intervention. Chlorine, in contrast, has been used more widely in Syria`s conflict without past U.S. reprisals and is far easier to find and weaponise, experts say.&nbsp

Washington described the strike targets as a centre near Damascus for the research, development, production and testing of chemical and biological weapons a chemical weapons storage site near the city of Homs and another site near Homs that stored chemical weapons equipment and housed a command post.

Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei described the attack as a crime and the Western leaders as criminals, while U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres urged all Security Council members to use restraint but said charges of chemical weapons use demand investigation.&nbsp

Meanwhile, Pope Francis called on world leaders to renew efforts to bring peace to Syria, saying he was deeply troubled by their failure to agree on a joint plan to end the bloodshed.

Putin made his remarks in a telephone conversation with Iranian counterpart Hassan Rouhani after the United States, France and Britain launched missile strikes on Syria on Saturday over a suspected poison gas attack

Russian President Vladimir Putin warned on Sunday that further Western attacks on Syria would bring chaos to world affairs, while signs emerged that Moscow and Washington want to pull back from the worst crisis in their relations for years. Putin made his remarks in a telephone conversation with Iranian counterpart Hassan Rouhani after the United States, France and Britain launched missile strikes on Syria on Saturday over a suspected poison gas attack. A Kremlin statement said Putin and Rouhani agreed that the Western strikes had damaged the chances of achieving a political resolution in the multi-sided, seven-year conflict that has killed at least half a million people. "Vladimir Putin, in particular, stressed that if such actions committed in violation of the U.N. Charter continue, then it will inevitably lead to chaos in international relations," a Kremlin statement said. The attacks struck at the heart of Syria`s chemical weapons programme, Washington said, in retaliation for a suspected poison gas attack a week ago. All three participants insisted the strikes were not aimed at toppling President Bashar al-Assad or intervening in the conflict. The bombings, hailed by U.S. President Donald Trump as a success but denounced by Damascus and its allies as an act of aggression, marked the biggest intervention by Western countries against Assad and ally Russia, whose foreign minister Sergei Lavrov called them "unacceptable and lawless". Putin`s comments were published shortly after Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov struck a more conciliatory note by saying Moscow would make every effort to improve political relations with the West. When asked whether Russia was prepared to work with the proposals of Western countries at the United Nations, Ryabkov told TASS news agency: "Now the political situation is extremely tense, the atmosphere is extremely electrified, so I will not make any predictions. "We will work calmly, methodically and professionally, using all opportunities to remove the situation from its current extremely dangerous political peak." Russian Foreign Ministry official Vladimir Ermakov said Washington would want to maintain a dialogue with Moscow about strategic stability after the raids, Russian media reported. "In the U.S. administration there are specific people who it is possible to talk with," said Ermakov, head of the ministry`s department for non-proliferation and arms control. In Damascus, Syria`s deputy foreign minister, Faisal Mekdad, met inspectors from the global chemical weapons watchdog OPCW for about three hours in the presence of Russian officers and a senior Syrian security official. The inspectors were due to attempt to visit the site of the suspected gas attack in Douma on April 7, which medical relief organisations say killed dozens of people. Moscow condemned the Western states for refusing to wait for OPCW`s findings before attacking. Mekdad declined to comment to reporters waiting outside the hotel where the meeting took place. Russia denounced allegations of a gas attack in Douma and said it was staged by Britain to whip up anti-Russian hysteria. In an indication that the West, too, would prefer to lower tensions, the United States and Britain both reiterated that their military action on Saturday was not aimed at Assad, Putin`s ally, only at his use of chemical weapons. Speaking to the BBC, Britain`s Foreign Secretary (Minister) Boris Johnson said that Western powers had no plans for further missile strikes, though they would assess their options if Damascus used chemical weapons again. "This is not about regime change ... This is not about trying to turn the tide of the conflict in Syria," he told the BBC, adding that Russia was the only country able to pressure Assad to negotiate an end to the conflict. Asked about U.S.-Russia relations, U.S. ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley said ties were "very strained" but that the United States still hoped for a better relationship. Haley said that the United States would not pull its troops out of Syria until its goals were accomplished. Speaking on Fox News Sunday, Haley listed three aims for the United States: ensuring that chemical weapons are not used in any way that poses a risk to U.S. interests, that Islamic State is defeated and that there is a good vantage point to watch what Iran is doing. Trump has made clear he wants to withdraw the roughly 2,000 U.S. troops involved in the anti-Islamic State campaign in Syria. But he appeared to contradict that message when he said on Saturday that Western allies were prepared to "sustain" the military response if Assad does not stop using prohibited chemical weapons. British opposition leader Jeremy Corbyn said the legal basis used to support the British role was debatable, adding that he would only support action backed by the U.N. Security Council. "I say to the foreign secretary, I say to the prime minister, where is the legal basis for this?" Corbyn said in an interview with the BBC. In Damascus, Assad told a group of visiting Russian lawmakers that the Western missile strikes were an act of aggression, Russian news agencies reported. Syria released video of the wreckage of a bombed-out research lab, but also of Assad arriving at work as usual, with the caption "morning of resilience" and there were no immediate reports of casualties. Russian agencies quoted the lawmakers as saying that Assad was in a "good mood", had praised the Soviet-era air defence systems Syria used to repel the Western attacks and had accepted an invitation to visit Russia at an unspecified time. President Trump had said "mission accomplished" on Twitter after the strikes, though U.S. Lieutenant General Kenneth McKenzie at the Pentagon acknowledged elements of the programme remain and he could not guarantee that Syria would be unable to conduct a chemical attack in the future. Russian and Iranian military help over the past three years has allowed Assad to crush the rebel threat to topple him. The United States, Britain and France have all participated in the Syrian conflict for years, arming rebels, bombing Islamic State fighters and deploying troops to fight the militants. But they have refrained from targeting Assad`s government, apart from a volley of U.S. missiles last year. France, the United States and Britain plan to put forward a new draft resolution aimed at dismantling Syria`s chemical weapons programme, wiping out terrorism, demanding a ceasefire across Syria and finding a political solution to the war, French U.N. Ambassador Francois Delattre told the council on Saturday. Most Gulf stock markets rose on Sunday, supported by firm oil prices and relief that the weekend`s military attack on Syria was relatively limited in scope and there was no immediate retaliation. Internationally, gold and oil are expected to extend gains on Monday, albeit modestly, when the markets open for the first time since the missile attack. Equities and bonds are unlikely to suffer big losses unless the West strikes again or Russia retaliates. Gold has benefited in recent days as a safe-haven asset amid a U.S.-China trade dispute and the escalating conflict in Syria, which also pushed oil above $70 a barrel on concerns over a spike in Middle Eastern tensions. The strikes suggest that Trump may have reset America`s red line for military intervention in Syria over the use of chemical weapons. In Washington, a senior administration official said that "while the available information is much greater on the chlorine use, we do have significant information that also points to sarin use" in the attack. Sarin had previously appeared to be the threshold for intervention. Chlorine, in contrast, has been used more widely in Syria`s conflict without past U.S. reprisals and is far easier to find and weaponise, experts say. Washington described the strike targets as a centre near Damascus for the research, development, production and testing of chemical and biological weapons a chemical weapons storage site near the city of Homs and another site near Homs that stored chemical weapons equipment and housed a command post. Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei described the attack as a crime and the Western leaders as criminals, while U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres urged all Security Council members to use restraint but said charges of chemical weapons use demand investigation. Meanwhile, Pope Francis called on world leaders to renew efforts to bring peace to Syria, saying he was deeply troubled by their failure to agree on a joint plan to end the bloodshed.

Russia's Putin predicts global 'chaos' if West hits Syria again

Russian Defence Ministry test-launched&nbsp;Russia's new anti-ballistic&nbsp;missile&nbsp;at Sary-Shagan testing range in Kazakhstan.

A video released by the ministry on Monday (April 2) showed anti-ballistic&nbsp;missile&nbsp;complex arriving at the range and&nbsp;missile&nbsp;being launched.

According to the ministry official, the new modernised anti-missile&nbsp;launch was successful.

The ministry said in a statement that the tested&nbsp;missile&nbsp;is already in service and used to protect the city of Moscow from potential attacks from air.

The ministry said in a statement that the tested missile is already in service

Russian Defence Ministry test-launched Russia's new anti-ballistic missile at Sary-Shagan testing range in Kazakhstan. A video released by the ministry on Monday (April 2) showed anti-ballistic missile complex arriving at the range and missile being launched. According to the ministry official, the new modernised anti-missile launch was successful. The ministry said in a statement that the tested missile is already in service and used to protect the city of Moscow from potential attacks from air.

Watch: Russia successfully test-launches new anti-ballistic missile

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin on Tuesday launched the construction of Turkey`s first nuclear power plant in the Mediterranean Mersin region.

"In the name of God!" Erdogan said standing next to Putin at the presidential palace in Ankara as he ordered through a video link the launch of the $20 billion dollar Akkuyu nuclear power plant project.&nbsp

State television TRT showed workers already starting work on the ground as fireworks went off to mark the event.

Once completed the power station will provide 10 per cent of the electricity needs of Turkey, which has few energy resources of its own.&nbsp

The first stage is due to come online in 2023, the 100th anniversary of modern Turkey`s founding, and be completed entirely in 2026.

"This scale of the project is difficult to exaggerate," Putin said at the ceremony. "This marks a new stage in the development of Turkey`s economy."

Erdogan said: "The power plant will contribute to our energy security and also play an important role in the fight against climate change."

Turkey`s Energy Minister Berat Albayrak, Erdogan`s son-in-law, praised the Akkuyu project saying: "We are standing at a crucial juncture in realising the 63-year dream."

Turkey and Russia have forged burgeoning ties in recent months on a number of areas including energy as well as the Syrian crisis, despite differences on key policy areas.

"We are also in close cooperation with Russia to end as soon as possible the terror threat and clashes in Syria," Erdogan said.

Key Syrian regime backers Russia and Iran have joined forces with rebel-supporting Turkey to push forward a peace process but also to ensure influence in Syria once the conflict ends.

Once completed the power station will provide 10 per cent of the electricity needs of Turkey, which has few energy resources of its own

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin on Tuesday launched the construction of Turkey`s first nuclear power plant in the Mediterranean Mersin region. "In the name of God!" Erdogan said standing next to Putin at the presidential palace in Ankara as he ordered through a video link the launch of the $20 billion dollar Akkuyu nuclear power plant project. State television TRT showed workers already starting work on the ground as fireworks went off to mark the event. Once completed the power station will provide 10 per cent of the electricity needs of Turkey, which has few energy resources of its own. The first stage is due to come online in 2023, the 100th anniversary of modern Turkey`s founding, and be completed entirely in 2026. "This scale of the project is difficult to exaggerate," Putin said at the ceremony. "This marks a new stage in the development of Turkey`s economy." Erdogan said: "The power plant will contribute to our energy security and also play an important role in the fight against climate change." Turkey`s Energy Minister Berat Albayrak, Erdogan`s son-in-law, praised the Akkuyu project saying: "We are standing at a crucial juncture in realising the 63-year dream." Turkey and Russia have forged burgeoning ties in recent months on a number of areas including energy as well as the Syrian crisis, despite differences on key policy areas. "We are also in close cooperation with Russia to end as soon as possible the terror threat and clashes in Syria," Erdogan said. Key Syrian regime backers Russia and Iran have joined forces with rebel-supporting Turkey to push forward a peace process but also to ensure influence in Syria once the conflict ends.

Putin, Erdogan launch construction of Turkey's first nuclear power plant

The spy row escalated into a full-blown&nbsp;expulsion drama in Russia as German foreign minister <a href="http://cmsuat.wionews.com/world/spy-poisoning-row-britain-has-one-month-to-reduce-diplomatic-presence-says-russia-127345">Heiko Maas said today that Moscow</a> had decided to expel four German diplomats in a tit-for-tat response after Germany ordered the expulsion of four Russian diplomats.

Russia expelled diplomats from 23 countries on Friday.

The Russian foreign ministry said it had summoned the heads of missions from 23 countries to tell them that some other their diplomats had to leave the country.

Poland said that Russia was expelling four of their diplomats. Among the other countries that had similarly been told to pull their envoys were the Netherlands, Sweden, the Czech Republic, Finland and Lithuania.&nbsp;

Thirteen Ukrainian diplomats were also ordered to leave.

"This decision by Moscow is not a surprise," said Heiko Maas in a statement while announcing the expulsion of German diplomats from Russia.

"We did not take our decision to sent back Russian diplomats lightly," Maas said, adding that it was "a necessary and appropriate political signal."

Berlin still remains open to dialogue with Russia, the statement added.

During the day, Dutch ambassador Renee Jones-Bos had said that Russia has expelled two diplomats over the spy row. 
&nbsp; 
Russia had announced the expulsion of 60 US diplomats on Thursday and had decided to close the US consulate in Saint Petersburg nearly a week after President Trump ordered the expulsion of 60 Russian diplomats and the closure of the Russian consulate in Seattle.

The Western nations have accused Putin's regime of being involved in the poisoning of ex-spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia in a nerve agent attack in the English city of Salisbury on March 4.

Russia has however denied any involvement in the poisoning of Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia.

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During the day, Dutch ambassador Renee Jones-Bos had said that Russia has expelled two diplomats over the spy row.

The spy row escalated into a full-blown expulsion drama in Russia as German foreign minister Heiko Maas said today that Moscow had decided to expel four German diplomats in a tit-for-tat response after Germany ordered the expulsion of four Russian diplomats. Russia expelled diplomats from 23 countries on Friday. The Russian foreign ministry said it had summoned the heads of missions from 23 countries to tell them that some other their diplomats had to leave the country. Poland said that Russia was expelling four of their diplomats. Among the other countries that had similarly been told to pull their envoys were the Netherlands, Sweden, the Czech Republic, Finland and Lithuania. Thirteen Ukrainian diplomats were also ordered to leave. "This decision by Moscow is not a surprise," said Heiko Maas in a statement while announcing the expulsion of German diplomats from Russia. "We did not take our decision to sent back Russian diplomats lightly," Maas said, adding that it was "a necessary and appropriate political signal." Berlin still remains open to dialogue with Russia, the statement added. During the day, Dutch ambassador Renee Jones-Bos had said that Russia has expelled two diplomats over the spy row. Russia had announced the expulsion of 60 US diplomats on Thursday and had decided to close the US consulate in Saint Petersburg nearly a week after President Trump ordered the expulsion of 60 Russian diplomats and the closure of the Russian consulate in Seattle. The Western nations have accused Putin's regime of being involved in the poisoning of ex-spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia in a nerve agent attack in the English city of Salisbury on March 4. Russia has however denied any involvement in the poisoning of Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia.

After expelling Dutch diplomats, Russia orders 4 German diplomats to leave

Russia on Friday summoned ambassadors of nine nations while declaring that Britain has one month to reduce diplomatic presence.

"The ambassadors will be handed protest notes and told about the Russian side's retaliatory measures," the foreign ministry said in a statement as ambassadors were seen arriving at the Russian foreign ministry.&nbsp

As the tit-for-tat diplomacy over expulsion continued, Dutch ambassador Renee Jones-Bos said Russia has expelled two diplomats over the spy row.

Dutch Ambassador Renee Jones-Bos told TASS state news agency: "Two of my colleagues are leaving Moscow. But we (the embassy) are staying here."

Russia had announced the expulsion of US 60 diplomats on Thursday and had decided to close the US consulate in Saint Petersburg after President Trump had ordered the expulsion of 60 Russian diplomats and the subsequent closure of the Russian consulate in Seattle.

More than 150 Russian diplomats have been ordered out of the US, EU members, NATO countries and other nations in a coordinated action against Moscow.&nbsp

The Western nations have accused Putin's regime of being involved in the poisoning of ex-spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia in a nerve agent attack in the English city of Salisbury on March 4.

Reports said on Thursday that Skripal's daughter Yulia was out of danger but Sergei was still in critical condition.

&nbsp

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More than 150 Russian diplomats have been ordered out of the US, EU members, NATO countries and other nations in a coordinated action against Moscow.

Russia on Friday summoned ambassadors of nine nations while declaring that Britain has one month to reduce diplomatic presence. "The ambassadors will be handed protest notes and told about the Russian side's retaliatory measures," the foreign ministry said in a statement as ambassadors were seen arriving at the Russian foreign ministry. As the tit-for-tat diplomacy over expulsion continued, Dutch ambassador Renee Jones-Bos said Russia has expelled two diplomats over the spy row. Dutch Ambassador Renee Jones-Bos told TASS state news agency: "Two of my colleagues are leaving Moscow. But we (the embassy) are staying here." Russia had announced the expulsion of US 60 diplomats on Thursday and had decided to close the US consulate in Saint Petersburg after President Trump had ordered the expulsion of 60 Russian diplomats and the subsequent closure of the Russian consulate in Seattle. More than 150 Russian diplomats have been ordered out of the US, EU members, NATO countries and other nations in a coordinated action against Moscow. The Western nations have accused Putin's regime of being involved in the poisoning of ex-spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia in a nerve agent attack in the English city of Salisbury on March 4. Reports said on Thursday that Skripal's daughter Yulia was out of danger but Sergei was still in critical condition.

Spy poisoning row: Britain has one month to reduce diplomatic presence, says Russia

Russia's decision to <a href="http://cmsuat.wionews.com/world/russia-to-expel-60-american-diplomats-close-consulate-in-st-petersburg-foreign-minister-lavrov-127144">expel 60 American diplomats and order closer to the US Consulate</a> in St Petersburg marks a further deterioration in bilateral ties, the White House said today.

"Russia's action today to expel American diplomats marks a further deterioration in the US-Russia relationship," White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders said, hours after Russia in a retaliatory action asked 60 American diplomats to leave the country within seven days and shut down the St Petersburg Consulate within 48 hours.

"The expulsion of undeclared Russian intelligence officers by the United States and more than two dozen partner nations and NATO allies earlier this week was an appropriate response to the Russian attack on the soil of the United Kingdom," Sanders said.

The Trump administration had earlier ordered the expulsion of 60 Russian diplomats and shutter the country's consulate general in Seattle.

She said the Russian response was "not unanticipated", and the US will "deal" with it.

Russia has expelled 60 US diplomats and closed the St Petersburg consulate in a tit-for-tat response to US action over a spy poisoning case in the UK.

Russia's decision to expel 60 American diplomats and order closer to the US Consulate in St Petersburg marks a further deterioration in bilateral ties, the White House said today. "Russia's action today to expel American diplomats marks a further deterioration in the US-Russia relationship," White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders said, hours after Russia in a retaliatory action asked 60 American diplomats to leave the country within seven days and shut down the St Petersburg Consulate within 48 hours. "The expulsion of undeclared Russian intelligence officers by the United States and more than two dozen partner nations and NATO allies earlier this week was an appropriate response to the Russian attack on the soil of the United Kingdom," Sanders said. The Trump administration had earlier ordered the expulsion of 60 Russian diplomats and shutter the country's consulate general in Seattle. She said the Russian response was "not unanticipated", and the US will "deal" with it.

Russian action to expel 60 US diplomats marks further deterioration in bilateral ties: White House

After the US and <a href="http://cmsuat.wionews.com/world/poisoned-former-russian-spy-skripals-daughter-is-no-longer-critical-hospital-127116">EU expelled over 100 diplomats</a>, Russia said today it will expel 60 American diplomats and close the consulate in Saint Petersburg as tensions between Russia and the West continued over the poisoning of an ex-spy in the UK.

The Russian move confirmed a tit-for-tat response after the Trump administration announced last week it has expelled 60 Russian diplomats and decided to shutdown the consulate in Seattle.

Russian ambassador Sergey Lavrov said that the US ambassador had been informed of "retaliatory measures".

"They include the expulsion of the equivalent number of diplomats and our decision to withdraw permission for the functioning of the US consulate general in Saint Petersburg," Lavrov said.

"The measures would be reciprocal ... They include expulsion of the equivalent number of diplomats and they include our decision to withdraw our agreement to allow the United States' general consulate to operate in St. Petersburg," Lavrov added.

Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova had earlier said the charges against Russia that it was behind poisoning of an ex-spy in Salisbury, UK was "politically motivated".

"We have answered all the questions raised by UK," the Russian foreign minister had said at a press conference in Moscow.

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Russian ambassador Sergey Lavrov said that the US ambassador had been informed of "retaliatory measures".

After the US and EU expelled over 100 diplomats, Russia said today it will expel 60 American diplomats and close the consulate in Saint Petersburg as tensions between Russia and the West continued over the poisoning of an ex-spy in the UK. The Russian move confirmed a tit-for-tat response after the Trump administration announced last week it has expelled 60 Russian diplomats and decided to shutdown the consulate in Seattle. Russian ambassador Sergey Lavrov said that the US ambassador had been informed of "retaliatory measures". "They include the expulsion of the equivalent number of diplomats and our decision to withdraw permission for the functioning of the US consulate general in Saint Petersburg," Lavrov said. "The measures would be reciprocal ... They include expulsion of the equivalent number of diplomats and they include our decision to withdraw our agreement to allow the United States' general consulate to operate in St. Petersburg," Lavrov added. Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova had earlier said the charges against Russia that it was behind poisoning of an ex-spy in Salisbury, UK was "politically motivated". "We have answered all the questions raised by UK," the Russian foreign minister had said at a press conference in Moscow.

Russia to expel 60 American diplomats, close consulate in St. Petersburg: Foreign minister Lavrov

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Microsoft’s Indian-born CEO Satya Nadella, US President Donald Trump, newly re-elected Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping are among the contenders this year for TIME magazine’s list of 100 most influential people who have made an impact on the contemporary world.

For more than a decade, the TIME 100 annual list has featured some of the world’s most significant artists, leaders, scientists, activists and entrepreneurs. The list will be announced next month.

While the editors at TIME will make the final judgement call on who makes the list, the publication has asked readers to vote online on who they believe are the most influential people of the year.

This year’s list of contenders includes Modi, who has been featured regularly in the previous years among the probables for the most influential people by the reputable news magazine.

Modi had been named among the contenders last year as well as in 2016.

He was named by the TIME editors among the 100 most influential people in the world in 2015, with former US President Barack Obama writing a profile for him for the magazine.

Others on the list this year are North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, Pakistani-American actor Kumail Nanjiani, Trump’s daughter Ivanka Trump, son-in-law and senior adviser Jared Kushner, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg, Amazon chief Jeff Bezos, members of the British Royal family – Prince William and his wife Duchess of Cambridge Catherine, Prince Henry and his fiancee Meghan Markle and former President of the US Barack Obama.

Student activists — from “Dreamers” fighting for immigration reform to the students at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School advocating for school safety and gun control — are also in the running for this year’s TIME 100.

The list also includes Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Pope Francis, Attorney General Jeff Sessions, French President Emmanuel Macron, Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi, Founder of the #MeToo movement Tarana Burke, actor Dwayne Johnson, Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia Mohammed bin Salman, CEO of Tesla and SpaceX Elon Musk, Special counsel Robert Mueller, Apple CEO Tim Cook, Former FBI Director James Comey, President of South Korea Moon Jae-in.

For more than a decade, the TIME 100 annual list has featured some of the world's most significant artists, leaders, scientists, activists and entrepreneurs.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Microsoft’s Indian-born CEO Satya Nadella, US President Donald Trump, newly re-elected Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping are among the contenders this year for TIME magazine’s list of 100 most influential people who have made an impact on the contemporary world. For more than a decade, the TIME 100 annual list has featured some of the world’s most significant artists, leaders, scientists, activists and entrepreneurs. The list will be announced next month. While the editors at TIME will make the final judgement call on who makes the list, the publication has asked readers to vote online on who they believe are the most influential people of the year. This year’s list of contenders includes Modi, who has been featured regularly in the previous years among the probables for the most influential people by the reputable news magazine. Modi had been named among the contenders last year as well as in 2016. He was named by the TIME editors among the 100 most influential people in the world in 2015, with former US President Barack Obama writing a profile for him for the magazine. Others on the list this year are North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, Pakistani-American actor Kumail Nanjiani, Trump’s daughter Ivanka Trump, son-in-law and senior adviser Jared Kushner, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg, Amazon chief Jeff Bezos, members of the British Royal family – Prince William and his wife Duchess of Cambridge Catherine, Prince Henry and his fiancee Meghan Markle and former President of the US Barack Obama. Student activists — from “Dreamers” fighting for immigration reform to the students at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School advocating for school safety and gun control — are also in the running for this year’s TIME 100. The list also includes Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Pope Francis, Attorney General Jeff Sessions, French President Emmanuel Macron, Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi, Founder of the #MeToo movement Tarana Burke, actor Dwayne Johnson, Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia Mohammed bin Salman, CEO of Tesla and SpaceX Elon Musk, Special counsel Robert Mueller, Apple CEO Tim Cook, Former FBI Director James Comey, President of South Korea Moon Jae-in.

TIME's 100 most influential list: Modi, Putin, Trump among contenders

The United States and its European allies have expelled more than 100 Russian diplomats over the nerve agent attack on UK soil.

Many nations have shown solidarity after Theresa May last week accused Russia of being responsible and ordered 23 of its diplomats to leave the country.

EU leaders agreed last week it was highly likely Russia was behind the nerve-agent poisoning.

British Prime Minister Theresa May said the show of solidarity gave a strong message.

"We welcome today's actions by our allies, which clearly demonstrate that we all stand shoulder to shoulder in sending the strongest signal to Russia that it cannot continue to flout international law," a statement from Mrs May's office said.

Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson said the "extraordinary international response by our allies stands in history as the largest collective expulsion of Russian intelligence officers ever".

The US action is also the biggest move against Russia since the Cold War era and the hostilities with the then Soviet Union.

The Russian foreign ministry said the moves demonstrated a continuation of a "confrontational path".

"It goes without saying that this unfriendly act by this group of countries will not go without notice and we will react to it," its statement said.

Why are they doing it?

President of the European Council Donald Tusk said 14 EU states had decided to expel Russian diplomats as a direct result of a meeting, held last week, about the Salisbury poisoning.

"Additional measures, including further expulsions within this common EU framework, are not to be excluded in the coming days and weeks," he said.

The US state department said in a statement: "On March 4, Russia used a military-grade nerve agent to attempt to murder a British citizen and his daughter in Salisbury.

"This attack on our Ally the United Kingdom put countless innocent lives at risk and resulted in serious injury to three people, including a police officer."

It called the attack an "outrageous violation of the Chemical Weapons Convention and breach of international law".

The US is expelling 48 envoys at the Russian embassy in Washington and 12 more at the UN in New York. It will also order the closure of the Russian consulate in Seattle.

Here is a list of the countries and the number of Russians expelled.

- US, Canada -

The United States expelled 60 alleged "spies" posted around the country and at the Russian mission to the United Nations.

It also closed the Russian consulate in Seattle over alleged spying at the nearby Kitsap submarine base and Boeing.

The retaliation against Moscow was taken "in response to Russia's use of a military-grade chemical weapon on the soil of the United Kingdom," White House press secretary Sarah Sanders said.

Canada ousted four diplomats, calling the nerve agent attack "a despicable, heinous and reckless act".

- European Union -

Sixteen EU states have joined Britain in expelling Russian diplomats following a European Council decision last week to react to Moscow within a common framework.

"Additional measures including further expulsions are not to be excluded in the coming days and weeks," EU President Donald Tusk said.

Britain itself has already kicked out 23 Russian diplomats, with Moscow retaliating with a tit-for-tat move.

Croatia: One diplomat

Czech Republic: Three diplomats

Denmark: Two diplomats

Estonia: One diplomat

France: Four diplomats

Finland: One diplomat

Germany: Four diplomats

Hungary: One diplomat

Italy: Two diplomats

Latvia: One diplomat

Lithuania: Three diplomats

Netherlands: Two diplomats

Norway: One diplomat

Poland: Four diplomats

Romania: One diplomat

Spain: Two diplomats

Sweden: One diplomat

- Outside EU -

Albania: Two diplomats

Norway: One diplomat

Ukraine: 13 diplomats

President Petro Poroshenko called for even more action to be taken.

"The next step is to increase the price that Moscow has to pay for its international crimes, including the strengthening of personal, financial and economic sanctions," he said.

The alleged poisoning triggered a diplomatic row between London and Moscow with tit-for-tat expulsions of diplomats on both sides.

The United States and its European allies have expelled more than 100 Russian diplomats over the nerve agent attack on UK soil. Many nations have shown solidarity after Theresa May last week accused Russia of being responsible and ordered 23 of its diplomats to leave the country. EU leaders agreed last week it was highly likely Russia was behind the nerve-agent poisoning. British Prime Minister Theresa May said the show of solidarity gave a strong message. "We welcome today's actions by our allies, which clearly demonstrate that we all stand shoulder to shoulder in sending the strongest signal to Russia that it cannot continue to flout international law," a statement from Mrs May's office said. Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson said the "extraordinary international response by our allies stands in history as the largest collective expulsion of Russian intelligence officers ever". The US action is also the biggest move against Russia since the Cold War era and the hostilities with the then Soviet Union. The Russian foreign ministry said the moves demonstrated a continuation of a "confrontational path". "It goes without saying that this unfriendly act by this group of countries will not go without notice and we will react to it," its statement said. Why are they doing it? President of the European Council Donald Tusk said 14 EU states had decided to expel Russian diplomats as a direct result of a meeting, held last week, about the Salisbury poisoning. "Additional measures, including further expulsions within this common EU framework, are not to be excluded in the coming days and weeks," he said. The US state department said in a statement: "On March 4, Russia used a military-grade nerve agent to attempt to murder a British citizen and his daughter in Salisbury. "This attack on our Ally the United Kingdom put countless innocent lives at risk and resulted in serious injury to three people, including a police officer." It called the attack an "outrageous violation of the Chemical Weapons Convention and breach of international law". The US is expelling 48 envoys at the Russian embassy in Washington and 12 more at the UN in New York. It will also order the closure of the Russian consulate in Seattle. Here is a list of the countries and the number of Russians expelled. - US, Canada - The United States expelled 60 alleged "spies" posted around the country and at the Russian mission to the United Nations. It also closed the Russian consulate in Seattle over alleged spying at the nearby Kitsap submarine base and Boeing. The retaliation against Moscow was taken "in response to Russia's use of a military-grade chemical weapon on the soil of the United Kingdom," White House press secretary Sarah Sanders said. Canada ousted four diplomats, calling the nerve agent attack "a despicable, heinous and reckless act". - European Union - Sixteen EU states have joined Britain in expelling Russian diplomats following a European Council decision last week to react to Moscow within a common framework. "Additional measures including further expulsions are not to be excluded in the coming days and weeks," EU President Donald Tusk said. Britain itself has already kicked out 23 Russian diplomats, with Moscow retaliating with a tit-for-tat move. Croatia: One diplomat Czech Republic: Three diplomats Denmark: Two diplomats Estonia: One diplomat France: Four diplomats Finland: One diplomat Germany: Four diplomats Hungary: One diplomat Italy: Two diplomats Latvia: One diplomat Lithuania: Three diplomats Netherlands: Two diplomats Norway: One diplomat Poland: Four diplomats Romania: One diplomat Spain: Two diplomats Sweden: One diplomat - Outside EU - Albania: Two diplomats Norway: One diplomat Ukraine: 13 diplomats President Petro Poroshenko called for even more action to be taken. "The next step is to increase the price that Moscow has to pay for its international crimes, including the strengthening of personal, financial and economic sanctions," he said.

Attack on ex-spy in UK: US, Europe expel over 100 diplomats, Putin expected to react soon

Russian President Vladimir Putin will try to bolster Russia&#39;s image through hosting the World Cup in a similar way to how Adolf Hitler used the Olympics when it was held in Nazi Germany, Britain&#39;s foreign minister Boris Johnson said on Wednesday.

Russia is hosting the World Cup in June and July this year, and Johnson agreed with a lawmaker who said Putin would use the tournament to improve Russia&#39;s image, comparing it to when Hitler&#39;s Germany hosted 1936 Olympics.

&quot;Your characterisation of what is going to happen in Moscow in the World Cup, in all the venues - yes, I think the comparison with 1936 is certainly right,&quot; Johnson replied during a question and answer session with lawmakers.

Russia is hosting the World Cup in June and July this year

Russian President Vladimir Putin will try to bolster Russia's image through hosting the World Cup in a similar way to how Adolf Hitler used the Olympics when it was held in Nazi Germany, Britain's foreign minister Boris Johnson said on Wednesday. Russia is hosting the World Cup in June and July this year, and Johnson agreed with a lawmaker who said Putin would use the tournament to improve Russia's image, comparing it to when Hitler's Germany hosted 1936 Olympics. "Your characterisation of what is going to happen in Moscow in the World Cup, in all the venues - yes, I think the comparison with 1936 is certainly right," Johnson replied during a question and answer session with lawmakers.

Putin will try to bolster Russia's image through World Cup like Hitler: Boris Johnson

U.S. President Donald Trump spoke with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday, an administration official told Reuters without elaborating.

The White House planned to release a statement on their conversation on Tuesday, the official said.

Putin was re-elected on Sunday as Russia's president, extending his tenure for another six years.

Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said on Tuesday he hoped Putin's win would lead to a thaw in U.S.-Russia relations, the RIA news agency reported.

Ryabkov was cited as saying he hoped the victory would persuade some American politicians to stop isolating Russia and said Moscow was open to dialogue with Washington.

The European Union's chief executive, Jean-Claude Juncker, published a letter of congratulations to Putin on Tuesday, saying Russia and Europe should "re-establish a cooperative pan-European security order."

With East-West ties at post-Cold War lows, Juncker's congratulatory letter followed the latest expression of concern about Russia from EU foreign ministers on Monday over the nerve

agent attack on a former Russian double agent on British soil. Russia denies involvement.

The White House planned to release a statement on their conversation on Tuesday, the official said

U.S. President Donald Trump spoke with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday, an administration official told Reuters without elaborating. The White House planned to release a statement on their conversation on Tuesday, the official said. Putin was re-elected on Sunday as Russia's president, extending his tenure for another six years. Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said on Tuesday he hoped Putin's win would lead to a thaw in U.S.-Russia relations, the RIA news agency reported. Ryabkov was cited as saying he hoped the victory would persuade some American politicians to stop isolating Russia and said Moscow was open to dialogue with Washington. The European Union's chief executive, Jean-Claude Juncker, published a letter of congratulations to Putin on Tuesday, saying Russia and Europe should "re-establish a cooperative pan-European security order." With East-West ties at post-Cold War lows, Juncker's congratulatory letter followed the latest expression of concern about Russia from EU foreign ministers on Monday over the nerve agent attack on a former Russian double agent on British soil. Russia denies involvement.

Trump speaks with Putin after re-election victory in Russia

The Kremlin said on Monday that London would either have to back up its assertions that Russia was behind the poisoning of a former spy and his daughter in Britain with evidence or apologise &quot;sooner or later.&quot;

Earlier, Kremlin said that UK&#39;s accusations that Putin ordered the Salisbury nerve agent attack were &ldquo;shocking and unforgivable&rdquo;.

Britain had accused Russia of being responsible for the use of a Soviet-era nerve agent called Novichok which was used to poison Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told a conference call with reporters that Britain&#39;s allegations were &quot;difficult to explain... groundless and slanderous&quot;.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov had said repeatedly that Moscow would retaliate soon for the expulsion of 23 Russian diplomats by Theresa May.

Speaking to reporters on Friday, Peskov repeated denials that Russia had ordered the attack on Sergei Skripal, a former Russian double agent, and his daughter, Yulia, in Salisbury.&nbsp;

&ldquo;Any references to our president is nothing other than shocking and unforgivable from the point of view of diplomatic behaviour,&rdquo; he said.

President Vladimir Putin on Sunday rubbished claims that Russia poisoned a former spy in Britain, on the eve of international chemical weapons experts heading to Britain to probe the attack.

&quot;It&#39;s complete drivel, rubbish, nonsense that somebody in Russia would allow themselves to do such a thing ahead of elections and the World Cup,&quot; Putin told supporters after winning a fourth term as president.

&quot;We have destroyed all chemical weapons,&quot; he added, rejecting Britain&#39;s claim that only Moscow could be behind the nerve agent attack on former double agent Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia.

Putin said Russia is &quot;ready to take part in the investigation&quot;, although earlier on Sunday British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson accused the Russians of &quot;smug sarcasm and denial&quot; in response to the accusations.

Earlier, Kremlin said that UK's accusations that Putin ordered the Salisbury nerve agent attack were 'shocking and unforgivable'

The Kremlin said on Monday that London would either have to back up its assertions that Russia was behind the poisoning of a former spy and his daughter in Britain with evidence or apologise "sooner or later." Earlier, Kremlin said that UK's accusations that Putin ordered the Salisbury nerve agent attack were “shocking and unforgivable”. Britain had accused Russia of being responsible for the use of a Soviet-era nerve agent called Novichok which was used to poison Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told a conference call with reporters that Britain's allegations were "difficult to explain... groundless and slanderous". Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov had said repeatedly that Moscow would retaliate soon for the expulsion of 23 Russian diplomats by Theresa May. Speaking to reporters on Friday, Peskov repeated denials that Russia had ordered the attack on Sergei Skripal, a former Russian double agent, and his daughter, Yulia, in Salisbury. “Any references to our president is nothing other than shocking and unforgivable from the point of view of diplomatic behaviour,” he said. President Vladimir Putin on Sunday rubbished claims that Russia poisoned a former spy in Britain, on the eve of international chemical weapons experts heading to Britain to probe the attack. "It's complete drivel, rubbish, nonsense that somebody in Russia would allow themselves to do such a thing ahead of elections and the World Cup," Putin told supporters after winning a fourth term as president. "We have destroyed all chemical weapons," he added, rejecting Britain's claim that only Moscow could be behind the nerve agent attack on former double agent Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia. Putin said Russia is "ready to take part in the investigation", although earlier on Sunday British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson accused the Russians of "smug sarcasm and denial" in response to the accusations.

Kremlin asks UK for evidence on spy attack allegations

Russia will remain a &quot;difficult partner&quot; after President Vladimir Putin&#39;s re-election but will be needed to help resolve international tensions, German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said Monday, questioning the vote&#39;s fairness.&nbsp;

&quot;The result of the election in Russia did not surprise us any more than the circumstances of this election,&quot; Maas told reporters in Brussels before talks with his European Union counterparts.

&quot;We certainly cannot talk in all respects about a fair political contest as we know it,&quot; he said.

It was &quot;unacceptable&quot; that the Russian election also took place in Crimea, which Russia annexed from Ukraine four years ago in breach of international law, the minister said.&nbsp;

&quot;In this respect, we assume that Russia will remain a difficult partner,&quot; Maas added.

&quot;But Russia is also needed when it comes to resolving the major international conflicts and that is why we want to remain in dialogue,&quot; the minister said.

Russia is a key player in Ukraine, but also in the civil war in Syria and in the nuclear standoff on the Korean peninsula.

&quot;We also expect Russia to make constructive contributions, more so than has been the case in the recent past,&quot; he said.

Maas said the ministers will discuss the situation in the Ukraine where the EU accuses Moscow of supporting a rebellion in the east.

The foreign ministers&#39; meeting will focus on British allegations that Russia used a nerve agent to poison a former Russian spy in Britain, charges Moscow denies.&nbsp;

'The result of the election in Russia did not surprise us any more than the circumstances of this election,' German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said

Russia will remain a "difficult partner" after President Vladimir Putin's re-election but will be needed to help resolve international tensions, German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said Monday, questioning the vote's fairness. "The result of the election in Russia did not surprise us any more than the circumstances of this election," Maas told reporters in Brussels before talks with his European Union counterparts. "We certainly cannot talk in all respects about a fair political contest as we know it," he said. It was "unacceptable" that the Russian election also took place in Crimea, which Russia annexed from Ukraine four years ago in breach of international law, the minister said. "In this respect, we assume that Russia will remain a difficult partner," Maas added. "But Russia is also needed when it comes to resolving the major international conflicts and that is why we want to remain in dialogue," the minister said. Russia is a key player in Ukraine, but also in the civil war in Syria and in the nuclear standoff on the Korean peninsula. "We also expect Russia to make constructive contributions, more so than has been the case in the recent past," he said. Maas said the ministers will discuss the situation in the Ukraine where the EU accuses Moscow of supporting a rebellion in the east. The foreign ministers' meeting will focus on British allegations that Russia used a nerve agent to poison a former Russian spy in Britain, charges Moscow denies.

Russia will remain 'difficult partner' after Putin re-election: Germany

Vladimir Putin won Russia&#39;s presidential election on Sunday with 76.67 per cent of the vote, according to an official exit poll, with the opposition reporting ballot stuffing and other cases of alleged fraud.

Putin, who has ruled Russia for almost two decades, stood against seven other candidates, but his most vocal critic Alexei Navalny was barred from the ballot for legal reasons and the final outcome was never in doubt.

The Kremlin was hoping for high voter numbers to give greater legitimacy to Putin&#39;s historic fourth term as Russia faces increasing isolation on the world stage over a spy poisoning in Britain and a fresh round of US sanctions.

About 107 million Russians were eligible to cast ballots and the central election commission said turnout was 60 per cent, after the authorities used both the carrot and the stick to boost participation.

Selfie competitions, giveaways, food festivals and children&#39;s entertainers were laid on at polling booths in a bid to create a festive atmosphere around the election.

But employees of state and private companies reported coming under pressure to vote, while students were threatened with problems in their exams or even expulsion if they did not take part, according to the opposition-leaning Novaya Gazeta newspaper.

The exit poll by state-owned pollster VTsIOM at 1,200 voting stations around Russia projected that Putin had won 76.67&nbsp;per cent of the vote, up from 64 per cent six years ago.

Communist candidate Pavel Grudinin performed better than expected, with 11.2 per cent according to the exit poll, but the results of all other candidates including former reality TV host Ksenia Sobchak were forecast to be in single figures.

Putin&#39;s thumping victory will extend his total time in office to nearly a quarter of a century, until 2024, by which time he will be 71. Only Soviet dictator Josef Stalin ruled for longer.

Putin has promised to use his new term to beef up Russia&#39;s defences against the West and to raise living standards.

Navalny -- who called on his supporters to boycott the &quot;fake&quot; vote and sent over 33,000 observers across the country to see how official turnout figures differed from those of monitors -- said there had been &quot;unprecedented violations&quot;.

His lawyer Ivan Zhdanov said the actual national turnout at 1700 GMT, when polls closed in Moscow, was 55 per cent, according to data collected by monitors.

Navalny&#39;s opposition movement and the non-governmental election monitor Golos reported ballot stuffing, repeat voting and Putin supporters being bussed into polling stations en masse.&nbsp;

One election commission worker in the republic of Dagestan, which traditionally registers extremely high official turnout figures, told AFP around 50 men entered the station where he was working and physically assaulted an observer before stuffing a ballot box.

But the electoral commission dismissed most concerns, saying monitors sometimes misinterpret what they see.

Since first being elected president in 2000, Putin has stamped his total authority on the world&#39;s biggest country, muzzling opposition, putting television under state control and reasserting Moscow&#39;s standing abroad.&nbsp;

The 65-year-old former KGB officer used an otherwise lacklustre presidential campaign to emphasise Russia&#39;s role as a major world power, boasting of its &quot;invincible&quot; new nuclear weapons in a pre-election speech.

Casting his ballot in Moscow, Putin said he would be pleased with any result giving him the right to continue as president.

&quot;I am sure the programme I am offering is the right one,&quot; said the man who is already Russia&#39;s longest-serving leader since Stalin.

Most people who spoke to AFP said they voted for Putin, praising him for restoring stability and national pride after the humiliating collapse of the USSR.

&quot;Of course I&#39;m for Putin, he&#39;s a leader,&quot; said Olga Matyunina, a 65-year-old retired economist.

&quot;After he brought Crimea back, he became a hero to me.&quot;

Sunday marks four years since Putin signed a treaty declaring Crimea to be part of Russia in a move that triggered a pro-Kremlin insurgency in east Ukraine, a conflict that has claimed over 10,000 lives.

Ahead of the vote, a new crisis broke out with the West as Britain implicated Putin in the poisoning of former double agent Sergei Skripal with a Soviet-designed nerve agent.

In response, London expelled 23 Russian diplomats, prompting a tit-for-tat move by Moscow. Also this week, Washington hit Russia with sanctions for trying to influence the 2016 US election.&nbsp;

Putin&#39;s previous Kremlin term was marked by a crackdown on the opposition after huge protests, the Ukraine conflict, military intervention in Syria and the introduction of Western sanctions that contributed to a fall in living standards.

The president has said he will use his fourth term to address a litany of domestic problems including widespread poverty and poor healthcare.

Ahead of the election, state-run pollsters had predicted Putin would take about 70 perc ent of the vote, with the independent Levada Centre -- branded a &quot;foreign agent&quot; -- barred from releasing any polls.

&quot;Another six years of slavery,&quot; said a piece of paper made up to look like a ballot which was spotted on a Moscow street -- in an apparent reference to Putin&#39;s next term.&nbsp;

Election officials flew to far-flung regions to collect votes from indigenous herders, while cosmonaut Anton Shkaplerov -- the only Russian currently aboard the International Space Station -- cast his ballot by proxy.

&nbsp;

The exit poll from 1,200 polling stations around Russia gave second place to Communist candidate Pavel Grudinin with 11.2 per cent

Vladimir Putin won Russia's presidential election on Sunday with 76.67 per cent of the vote, according to an official exit poll, with the opposition reporting ballot stuffing and other cases of alleged fraud. Putin, who has ruled Russia for almost two decades, stood against seven other candidates, but his most vocal critic Alexei Navalny was barred from the ballot for legal reasons and the final outcome was never in doubt. The Kremlin was hoping for high voter numbers to give greater legitimacy to Putin's historic fourth term as Russia faces increasing isolation on the world stage over a spy poisoning in Britain and a fresh round of US sanctions. About 107 million Russians were eligible to cast ballots and the central election commission said turnout was 60 per cent, after the authorities used both the carrot and the stick to boost participation. Selfie competitions, giveaways, food festivals and children's entertainers were laid on at polling booths in a bid to create a festive atmosphere around the election. But employees of state and private companies reported coming under pressure to vote, while students were threatened with problems in their exams or even expulsion if they did not take part, according to the opposition-leaning Novaya Gazeta newspaper. The exit poll by state-owned pollster VTsIOM at 1,200 voting stations around Russia projected that Putin had won 76.67 per cent of the vote, up from 64 per cent six years ago. Communist candidate Pavel Grudinin performed better than expected, with 11.2 per cent according to the exit poll, but the results of all other candidates including former reality TV host Ksenia Sobchak were forecast to be in single figures. Putin's thumping victory will extend his total time in office to nearly a quarter of a century, until 2024, by which time he will be 71. Only Soviet dictator Josef Stalin ruled for longer. Putin has promised to use his new term to beef up Russia's defences against the West and to raise living standards. Navalny -- who called on his supporters to boycott the "fake" vote and sent over 33,000 observers across the country to see how official turnout figures differed from those of monitors -- said there had been "unprecedented violations". His lawyer Ivan Zhdanov said the actual national turnout at 1700 GMT, when polls closed in Moscow, was 55 per cent, according to data collected by monitors. Navalny's opposition movement and the non-governmental election monitor Golos reported ballot stuffing, repeat voting and Putin supporters being bussed into polling stations en masse. One election commission worker in the republic of Dagestan, which traditionally registers extremely high official turnout figures, told AFP around 50 men entered the station where he was working and physically assaulted an observer before stuffing a ballot box. But the electoral commission dismissed most concerns, saying monitors sometimes misinterpret what they see. Since first being elected president in 2000, Putin has stamped his total authority on the world's biggest country, muzzling opposition, putting television under state control and reasserting Moscow's standing abroad. The 65-year-old former KGB officer used an otherwise lacklustre presidential campaign to emphasise Russia's role as a major world power, boasting of its "invincible" new nuclear weapons in a pre-election speech. Casting his ballot in Moscow, Putin said he would be pleased with any result giving him the right to continue as president. "I am sure the programme I am offering is the right one," said the man who is already Russia's longest-serving leader since Stalin. Most people who spoke to AFP said they voted for Putin, praising him for restoring stability and national pride after the humiliating collapse of the USSR. "Of course I'm for Putin, he's a leader," said Olga Matyunina, a 65-year-old retired economist. "After he brought Crimea back, he became a hero to me." Sunday marks four years since Putin signed a treaty declaring Crimea to be part of Russia in a move that triggered a pro-Kremlin insurgency in east Ukraine, a conflict that has claimed over 10,000 lives. Ahead of the vote, a new crisis broke out with the West as Britain implicated Putin in the poisoning of former double agent Sergei Skripal with a Soviet-designed nerve agent. In response, London expelled 23 Russian diplomats, prompting a tit-for-tat move by Moscow. Also this week, Washington hit Russia with sanctions for trying to influence the 2016 US election. Putin's previous Kremlin term was marked by a crackdown on the opposition after huge protests, the Ukraine conflict, military intervention in Syria and the introduction of Western sanctions that contributed to a fall in living standards. The president has said he will use his fourth term to address a litany of domestic problems including widespread poverty and poor healthcare. Ahead of the election, state-run pollsters had predicted Putin would take about 70 perc ent of the vote, with the independent Levada Centre -- branded a "foreign agent" -- barred from releasing any polls. "Another six years of slavery," said a piece of paper made up to look like a ballot which was spotted on a Moscow street -- in an apparent reference to Putin's next term. Election officials flew to far-flung regions to collect votes from indigenous herders, while cosmonaut Anton Shkaplerov -- the only Russian currently aboard the International Space Station -- cast his ballot by proxy.

Russia elections: Putin wins fourth term with 76.67% of vote

A KGB officer turned world leader, Vladimir Putin <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/putin-wins-fourth-term-with-739-of-vote-36284" target="_blank">stamped his total authority on Russia</a>, silencing opposition and reasserting Moscow`s lost might abroad while building a strongman image through macho stunts.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="http://www.wionews.com/photos/vladimir-putin-a-brief-profile-of-the-russian-president-728" target="_blank">Vladimir Putin: A brief profile of the Russian president</a>

Putin, 65, who extended his long rule to 2024 in Russia`s presidential election on Sunday, has reimposed the Kremlin`s grip on society since taking power 18 years ago after a lawless but relatively free decade following the demise of the USSR.

On the international stage, he dealt with three US presidents, thrusting Moscow into a new rivalry with the West by snatching Crimea from Ukraine and launching a pivotal intervention in Syria.&nbsp;

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/russian-president-vladimir-putin-in-10-dates-35556" target="_blank">10 key dates in Vladimir Putin&#39;s political journey</a>

Named the world`s most powerful person by Forbes for the past four years running, the judo black belt carefully nurtured his image as a powerful leader with photo opportunities showing him riding topless on horseback in the Siberian wilderness and darting an endangered tiger.

Supporters laud him as a saviour who restored pride and traditional values to a humiliated nation.

To foes, however, Putin has dragged his homeland further from democracy, presided over a seizure of the state by a new elite of former secret police cronies and stoked nationalism in a bid to restore Moscow`s lost empire.

Putin was born into a working-class family in Leningrad -- now Saint Petersburg -- on October 7, 1952, and cut his teeth in the city`s rough-and-tumble neighbourhoods.

&quot;The Leningrad streets taught me one thing: if a fight is unavoidable, you have to hit first,&quot; Putin said in 2015.

He fulfilled a childhood dream by joining the KGB intelligence service, getting posted in 1985-1990 to Dresden in what was then East Germany when Soviet power was crumbling.

His political rise began after he returned to work at Saint Petersburg city hall under his mentor, liberal mayor Anatoly Sobchak.&nbsp;

Two decades later, Sobchak`s daughter Ksenia is challenging Putin in the election -- a move that has divided Russia`s already deeply split liberal opposition.

By 1996, he was called to Moscow to work in the Kremlin under Russia`s first democratically elected president Boris Yeltsin, who in 1998 made little-known Putin head of the KGB`s successor, the FSB.

Battling health and drinking problems, frail Yeltsin in August 1999 named Putin prime minister and his popularity shot up as he oversaw the launch of a second war to crush rebels in the Chechnya region.&nbsp;

When Yeltsin sensationally resigned on New Year`s Eve 1999, Putin suddenly took over as president of the biggest country on Earth.

Buoyed by an influx of petrodollars that saw living standards soar, the Kremlin under Putin forged its own &quot;sovereign democracy&quot; in which the trappings of pluralism -- such as political opposition and civil society -- were subverted.

He has guarded his private life jealously and once famously told journalists to keep their &quot;snotty noses&quot; out of his business.&nbsp;

After three decades of marriage, he divorced his wife Lyudmila in 2013 but rumours of new romance -- including with a former Olympic gymnast -- have not been confirmed.

In line with the constitution, when Putin ended his second term in 2008, he handed power to protege Dmitry Medvedev and moved to become prime minister -- but few doubted who was really in charge.&nbsp;

In 2012, he returned as president in the face of huge street protests.

While the demonstrations petered out after a police crackdown, the spectre of unrest spurred tough new measures to eradicate dissent.Putin, who once decried the collapse of the USSR as the &quot;greatest geopolitical catastrophe&quot; of the 20th century, has ferociously defended Moscow`s sphere of influence and also challenged perceived US hegemony.

When crowds in Ukraine ousted Russia-backed leader Viktor Yanukovych in February 2014, the Kremlin faced losing its dominance over a key neighbour.

Within days, Putin ordered special forces to seize the strategic Crimea peninsula and -- after a hasty referendum rejected internationally -- in March 2014 signed off on the region`s annexation.&nbsp;

The redrawing of Russia`s border sparked the worst standoff with the West since the Cold War and unleashed a wave of nationalism at home that saw Putin`s popularity soar.&nbsp;

Soon the Kremlin was accused of masterminding a rebellion in east Ukraine that turned into a festering conflict that has cost more than 10,000 lives.

Despite sanctions pushing his economy into recession, Putin also launched a bombing campaign in Syria to support leader Bashar al-Assad in 2015. It is widely seen as the key factor that tipped the war in Assad`s favour.

Putin was then accused of spreading his tentacles much further and Moscow`s old foe -- the United States -- found itself in the crosshairs.&nbsp;

After Donald Trump`s shock election win, US intelligence accused Putin of ordering a hacking and influence campaign to get Trump to the White House.

&quot;Those that lose always look to blame someone else,&quot; Putin retorted.&nbsp;

Putin, 65, who extended his long rule to 2024 in Russia`s presidential election on Sunday, has reimposed the Kremlin`s grip on society since taking power 18 years ago after a lawless but relatively free decade following the demise of the USSR

A KGB officer turned world leader, Vladimir Putin stamped his total authority on Russia, silencing opposition and reasserting Moscow`s lost might abroad while building a strongman image through macho stunts. Also read: Vladimir Putin: A brief profile of the Russian president Putin, 65, who extended his long rule to 2024 in Russia`s presidential election on Sunday, has reimposed the Kremlin`s grip on society since taking power 18 years ago after a lawless but relatively free decade following the demise of the USSR. On the international stage, he dealt with three US presidents, thrusting Moscow into a new rivalry with the West by snatching Crimea from Ukraine and launching a pivotal intervention in Syria. Also read: 10 key dates in Vladimir Putin's political journey Named the world`s most powerful person by Forbes for the past four years running, the judo black belt carefully nurtured his image as a powerful leader with photo opportunities showing him riding topless on horseback in the Siberian wilderness and darting an endangered tiger. Supporters laud him as a saviour who restored pride and traditional values to a humiliated nation. To foes, however, Putin has dragged his homeland further from democracy, presided over a seizure of the state by a new elite of former secret police cronies and stoked nationalism in a bid to restore Moscow`s lost empire. Putin was born into a working-class family in Leningrad -- now Saint Petersburg -- on October 7, 1952, and cut his teeth in the city`s rough-and-tumble neighbourhoods. "The Leningrad streets taught me one thing: if a fight is unavoidable, you have to hit first," Putin said in 2015. He fulfilled a childhood dream by joining the KGB intelligence service, getting posted in 1985-1990 to Dresden in what was then East Germany when Soviet power was crumbling. His political rise began after he returned to work at Saint Petersburg city hall under his mentor, liberal mayor Anatoly Sobchak. Two decades later, Sobchak`s daughter Ksenia is challenging Putin in the election -- a move that has divided Russia`s already deeply split liberal opposition. By 1996, he was called to Moscow to work in the Kremlin under Russia`s first democratically elected president Boris Yeltsin, who in 1998 made little-known Putin head of the KGB`s successor, the FSB. Battling health and drinking problems, frail Yeltsin in August 1999 named Putin prime minister and his popularity shot up as he oversaw the launch of a second war to crush rebels in the Chechnya region. When Yeltsin sensationally resigned on New Year`s Eve 1999, Putin suddenly took over as president of the biggest country on Earth. Buoyed by an influx of petrodollars that saw living standards soar, the Kremlin under Putin forged its own "sovereign democracy" in which the trappings of pluralism -- such as political opposition and civil society -- were subverted. He has guarded his private life jealously and once famously told journalists to keep their "snotty noses" out of his business. After three decades of marriage, he divorced his wife Lyudmila in 2013 but rumours of new romance -- including with a former Olympic gymnast -- have not been confirmed. In line with the constitution, when Putin ended his second term in 2008, he handed power to protege Dmitry Medvedev and moved to become prime minister -- but few doubted who was really in charge. In 2012, he returned as president in the face of huge street protests. While the demonstrations petered out after a police crackdown, the spectre of unrest spurred tough new measures to eradicate dissent.Putin, who once decried the collapse of the USSR as the "greatest geopolitical catastrophe" of the 20th century, has ferociously defended Moscow`s sphere of influence and also challenged perceived US hegemony. When crowds in Ukraine ousted Russia-backed leader Viktor Yanukovych in February 2014, the Kremlin faced losing its dominance over a key neighbour. Within days, Putin ordered special forces to seize the strategic Crimea peninsula and -- after a hasty referendum rejected internationally -- in March 2014 signed off on the region`s annexation. The redrawing of Russia`s border sparked the worst standoff with the West since the Cold War and unleashed a wave of nationalism at home that saw Putin`s popularity soar. Soon the Kremlin was accused of masterminding a rebellion in east Ukraine that turned into a festering conflict that has cost more than 10,000 lives. Despite sanctions pushing his economy into recession, Putin also launched a bombing campaign in Syria to support leader Bashar al-Assad in 2015. It is widely seen as the key factor that tipped the war in Assad`s favour. Putin was then accused of spreading his tentacles much further and Moscow`s old foe -- the United States -- found itself in the crosshairs. After Donald Trump`s shock election win, US intelligence accused Putin of ordering a hacking and influence campaign to get Trump to the White House. "Those that lose always look to blame someone else," Putin retorted.

Vladimir Putin: Russia's post-Soviet tsar

In power for almost two decades, Vladimir Putin predictably won a fourth Kremlin term in <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/putin-wins-fourth-term-with-739-of-vote-36284" target="_blank">Russia&#39;s presidential election</a> on Sunday, extending his long rule for another six years.

With no successor and no political competition, what are the possible scenarios when his term ends in 2024?

Also read: <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/vladimir-putin-russias-post-soviet-tsar-36287" target="_blank">Vladimir Putin &mdash; Russia&#39;s post-Soviet tsar</a>

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/putin-wins-fourth-term-with-739-of-vote-36284" target="_blank">Putin wins&nbsp;</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/putin-wins-fourth-term-with-739-of-vote-36284" target="_blank">fourth</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/putin-wins-fourth-term-with-739-of-vote-36284" target="_blank">&nbsp;term with 76.67% of&nbsp;</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/putin-wins-fourth-term-with-739-of-vote-36284" target="_blank">vote</a>

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="http://www.wionews.com/photos/vladimir-putin-a-brief-profile-of-the-russian-president-728" target="_blank">Vladimir Putin: A brief profile of the Russian president</a>

Leaving power&nbsp;

Without constitutional reform, Putin will not be able to run for the fifth time -- Russian law forbids serving more than two consecutive terms.

Putin, who will turn 72 in 2024, could decide to leave the Kremlin after 24 years in power, making way for a successor.&nbsp;

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/russian-president-vladimir-putin-in-10-dates-35556" target="_blank">10 key dates in Vladimir Putin&#39;s political journey</a>

Russian politics is currently dominated by infighting between rival clans of technocrats and the &quot;siloviki&quot; -- representatives of the security services and the army.&nbsp;

&quot;There is already a fight for influence,&quot; said independent analyst Nikolai Petrov. &quot;Nobody will wait passively, each group will try to promote its interests,&quot; he added.&nbsp;

In a recent interview with American TV channel NBC, Putin said he has been thinking of a potential successor since 2000.

&quot;There is no harm in thinking about it but at the end of the day it will be the Russian people who decide.&quot;&nbsp;

But in making sure no one can compete with him, no political personality is currently popular enough to succeed Putin. Many analysts say Putin leaving power in six years is unlikely.&nbsp;

Switching roles&nbsp;

One way Putin could continue ruling Russia after 2024 is to stay in power in a different role.&nbsp;

The Russian strongman could revisit his move from 2008, which saw him put forward Dmitry Medvedev as president while he himself became prime minister before returning to the Kremlin in 2012.&nbsp;

&quot;Putin may prepare the regime for a transfer of power. But not from Putin to another president but from Putin to Putin in some other role,&quot; said Petrov.&nbsp;

But memories of mass protests in Moscow when Putin switched back with Medvedev and returned to the Kremlin may put the Russian leader off this option.&nbsp;

Putin&#39;s age also makes this scenario problematic. In 2030, the next time Putin is constitutionally allowed to run for another term, he will be 78.&nbsp;

President for life&nbsp;

Putin could choose to follow China&#39;s Xi Jinping in abolishing presidential term limits, thus allowing him to remain president for life.&nbsp;

&quot;I don&#39;t think he will refuse power in 2024 even if he has had enough, he is (already) visibly tired,&quot; said political analyst Dmitry Oreshkin.&nbsp;

&quot;He can&#39;t leave because he does not believe that anyone will protect him,&quot; he added, saying that Putin has built a system in which everything depends on who is at the top.&nbsp;

So far, Putin has ruled out ruling Russia for life.&nbsp;

&quot;I never changed the constitution, especially for it to benefit me and I do not have this kind of intention today,&quot; he told NBC in March.&nbsp;

Oreshkin said Putin does not want to be remembered for changing the constitution and that if he were to remain president for life, it would be done &quot;more elegantly&quot; than in China.

Vladimir Putin, who will turn 72 in 2024, could decide to leave the Kremlin after 24 years in power, making way for a successor

In power for almost two decades, Vladimir Putin predictably won a fourth Kremlin term in Russia's presidential election on Sunday, extending his long rule for another six years. With no successor and no political competition, what are the possible scenarios when his term ends in 2024? Also read: Vladimir Putin — Russia's post-Soviet tsar Also read: Putin wins fourth term with 76.67% of vote Also read: Vladimir Putin: A brief profile of the Russian president Leaving power Without constitutional reform, Putin will not be able to run for the fifth time -- Russian law forbids serving more than two consecutive terms. Putin, who will turn 72 in 2024, could decide to leave the Kremlin after 24 years in power, making way for a successor. Also read: 10 key dates in Vladimir Putin's political journey Russian politics is currently dominated by infighting between rival clans of technocrats and the "siloviki" -- representatives of the security services and the army. "There is already a fight for influence," said independent analyst Nikolai Petrov. "Nobody will wait passively, each group will try to promote its interests," he added. In a recent interview with American TV channel NBC, Putin said he has been thinking of a potential successor since 2000. "There is no harm in thinking about it but at the end of the day it will be the Russian people who decide." But in making sure no one can compete with him, no political personality is currently popular enough to succeed Putin. Many analysts say Putin leaving power in six years is unlikely. Switching roles One way Putin could continue ruling Russia after 2024 is to stay in power in a different role. The Russian strongman could revisit his move from 2008, which saw him put forward Dmitry Medvedev as president while he himself became prime minister before returning to the Kremlin in 2012. "Putin may prepare the regime for a transfer of power. But not from Putin to another president but from Putin to Putin in some other role," said Petrov. But memories of mass protests in Moscow when Putin switched back with Medvedev and returned to the Kremlin may put the Russian leader off this option. Putin's age also makes this scenario problematic. In 2030, the next time Putin is constitutionally allowed to run for another term, he will be 78. President for life Putin could choose to follow China's Xi Jinping in abolishing presidential term limits, thus allowing him to remain president for life. "I don't think he will refuse power in 2024 even if he has had enough, he is (already) visibly tired," said political analyst Dmitry Oreshkin. "He can't leave because he does not believe that anyone will protect him," he added, saying that Putin has built a system in which everything depends on who is at the top. So far, Putin has ruled out ruling Russia for life. "I never changed the constitution, especially for it to benefit me and I do not have this kind of intention today," he told NBC in March. Oreshkin said Putin does not want to be remembered for changing the constitution and that if he were to remain president for life, it would be done "more elegantly" than in China.

Russia's Putin wins yet another term but what happens in 2024?

As president Putin was re-elected after <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/russia-will-remain-difficult-partner-after-putin-re-election-germany-36364">winning the polls by a landslide</a>, the European Union(EU) said Russia should&nbsp;investigate the &quot;violations and shortcomings&quot;.

EU&#39;s latest <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/putins-focus-domestic-policy-issues-strengthening-russias-defence-36404">salvo on Russia came even as </a>France and Germany reached out to the Russian leader after he won the polls handsomely.

&quot;We expect Russia to address the violations and shortcomings reported by the OSCE/ODIHR EOM (observers), as they run against Russia&#39;s OSCE commitments and other international obligations,&quot; the EU said in a statement.

However, the principal members of EU - France and Germany - sent out congratulatory messages to Putin with President Macron wishing Putin on his success and his efforts to &quot;modernise&quot; Russia.

Macron though urged Russia to address the &quot;unacceptable&quot; assassination attempt on ex-spy in Britain.

&quot;The president offered Russia and the Russian people, in the name of France, his wishes for success in the political, democratic, economic and social modernisation of the country,&quot; a statement from Macron&#39;s office said.

&quot;He stressed his commitment to a constructive dialogue between Russia, France and Europe,&quot; the statement added.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel&#39;s spokesman said the German leader will congratulate Putin, but the message will also raise &quot;challenges&quot; in their relations.

&quot;Nevertheless, the continuous contact with Russia&#39;s leadership is very important to us,&quot; the spokesman added.

German foreign minister Heiko Maast was more direct asserting that Russia will remain a &quot;difficult partner&quot;, adding, &quot;It was &quot;unacceptable&quot; that the election also took place in Crimea, which Russia annexed from Ukraine four years ago in breach of international law.&quot;

 
<iframe allow="autoplay; encrypted-media" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/7JuQPj8Q-4U" width="560"></iframe> 
&nbsp;

&nbsp;

EU's latest salvo on Russia came even as France and Germany reached out to the Russian leader

As president Putin was re-elected after winning the polls by a landslide, the European Union(EU) said Russia should investigate the "violations and shortcomings". EU's latest salvo on Russia came even as France and Germany reached out to the Russian leader after he won the polls handsomely. "We expect Russia to address the violations and shortcomings reported by the OSCE/ODIHR EOM (observers), as they run against Russia's OSCE commitments and other international obligations," the EU said in a statement. However, the principal members of EU - France and Germany - sent out congratulatory messages to Putin with President Macron wishing Putin on his success and his efforts to "modernise" Russia. Macron though urged Russia to address the "unacceptable" assassination attempt on ex-spy in Britain. "The president offered Russia and the Russian people, in the name of France, his wishes for success in the political, democratic, economic and social modernisation of the country," a statement from Macron's office said. "He stressed his commitment to a constructive dialogue between Russia, France and Europe," the statement added. German Chancellor Angela Merkel's spokesman said the German leader will congratulate Putin, but the message will also raise "challenges" in their relations. "Nevertheless, the continuous contact with Russia's leadership is very important to us," the spokesman added. German foreign minister Heiko Maast was more direct asserting that Russia will remain a "difficult partner", adding, "It was "unacceptable" that the election also took place in Crimea, which Russia annexed from Ukraine four years ago in breach of international law."

Russia should address 'violations' in presidential polls: European Union

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/vladimir-putin-wins-another-term-but-what-happens-in-2024-36289" target="_blank">Russia&#39;s Putin wins yet another term but what happens in 2024?</a>

In power for almost two decades, Vladimir Putin predictably won a fourth Kremlin term in&nbsp;<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/putin-wins-fourth-term-with-739-of-vote-36284" target="_blank">Russia&#39;s presidential election</a>&nbsp;on Sunday, extending his long rule for another six years.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/ysr-congress-tdp-to-pitch-for-no-trust-vote-against-government-today-36300" target="_blank">YSR Congress, TDP to pitch for </a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/ysr-congress-tdp-to-pitch-for-no-trust-vote-against-government-today-36300" target="_blank">no-trust</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/ysr-congress-tdp-to-pitch-for-no-trust-vote-against-government-today-36300" target="_blank"> vote against </a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/ysr-congress-tdp-to-pitch-for-no-trust-vote-against-government-today-36300" target="_blank">government</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/ysr-congress-tdp-to-pitch-for-no-trust-vote-against-government-today-36300" target="_blank"> today</a>

The YSR Congress and the Telugu Desam Party will pitch for taking up their notices of no-confidence motion against the Modi government when the Lok Sabha meets today amid no signs of a let-up in the deadlock in its proceedings.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/kim-jong-un-has-given-his-word-on-denuclearisation-south-korea-36295" target="_blank">Kim Jong-un &#39;has given his word&#39; on denuclearisation: South Korea</a>

North Korea&#39;s Kim Jong-un has &quot;given his word&quot; that he is committed to denuclearisation, South Korea&#39;s foreign minister Kang Kyung-wha was quoted as saying on Sunday.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/ola-uber-on-strike-today-demand-better-earnings-36298" target="_blank">Ola, Uber on strike today, demand better earnings</a>

App-based&nbsp;cabs Ola and Uber will begin with a strike&nbsp;in Mumbai on Monday for an indefinite period. The strike has been called by Maharashtra Navnirman Vahtuk Sena, the&nbsp;transport wing of Raj Thackeray led MNS.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/president-donald-trump-sharpens-attacks-on-russia-probe-36285" target="_blank">US President Donald Trump sharpens attacks on Russia probe</a>

President Donald Trump Sunday intensified his attacks on Robert Mueller&#39;s Russia investigation as biased against him, but stopped just short of targeting the special counsel &mdash; whose ouster lawmakers warned would cross a &quot;massive red line.&quot;

&nbsp;

Russia's Putin wins yet another term but what happens in 2024? In power for almost two decades, Vladimir Putin predictably won a fourth Kremlin term in Russia's presidential election on Sunday, extending his long rule for another six years. YSR Congress, TDP to pitch for no-trust vote against government today The YSR Congress and the Telugu Desam Party will pitch for taking up their notices of no-confidence motion against the Modi government when the Lok Sabha meets today amid no signs of a let-up in the deadlock in its proceedings. Kim Jong-un 'has given his word' on denuclearisation: South Korea North Korea's Kim Jong-un has "given his word" that he is committed to denuclearisation, South Korea's foreign minister Kang Kyung-wha was quoted as saying on Sunday. Ola, Uber on strike today, demand better earnings App-based cabs Ola and Uber will begin with a strike in Mumbai on Monday for an indefinite period. The strike has been called by Maharashtra Navnirman Vahtuk Sena, the transport wing of Raj Thackeray led MNS. US President Donald Trump sharpens attacks on Russia probe President Donald Trump Sunday intensified his attacks on Robert Mueller's Russia investigation as biased against him, but stopped just short of targeting the special counsel — whose ouster lawmakers warned would cross a "massive red line."

WION Morning News Brief, March 19, 2018

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/cbi-files-chargesheet-against-ex-canara-bank-cmd-rk-dubey-36382">CBI files </a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/cbi-files-chargesheet-against-ex-canara-bank-cmd-rk-dubey-36382">chargesheet</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/cbi-files-chargesheet-against-ex-canara-bank-cmd-rk-dubey-36382"> against ex-Canara Bank CMD RK Dubey in 68 crore loan default case</a>

The&nbsp;Central Bureau of Investigation(CBI) has chargesheeted&nbsp;Canara Bank ex-CMD R K Dubey who was the executive director&nbsp;in Rs 68 crore alleged loan default by the&nbsp;company.&nbsp;

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/nidahas-trophy-heres-why-rohit-sharma-did-not-watch-dinesh-karthiks-last-ball-six-36381">Nidahas Trophy: Here&#39;s why Rohit Sharma did not watch Dinesh Karthik&#39;s last-ball six</a>

Dinesh Karthik clinched an almost next to impossible win for India after he smashed a last-ball six to seal the Nidahas Trophy title on Sunday. The wicketkeeper-batsman played a thrilling knock of 29 runs of just 8 balls, with the last ball becoming a lifetime memory for Karthik and the rest of the world.&nbsp;

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/madhuri-dixit-steps-into-sridevis-role-in-abhishek-vermans-next-36376">Madhuri Dixit steps into Sridevi&#39;s role in Abhishek Verman&#39;s next</a>

Janhvi Kapoor, Sridevi&#39;s daughter has confirmed that Madhuri Dixit will play the role initially offered to her mother by Dharma Productions.&nbsp; Reports suggest Sridevi was initially offered to work opposite Sanjay Dutt. Janhvi said, &quot;Abhishek Varman&#39;s next film was very close to my mom&#39;s heart. Dad, Khushi and I are thankful to Madhuriji for now being part of the beautiful film.&quot;

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/pakistan-to-be-industrial-hub-of-south-asia-after-cpec-project-ahsan-iqbal-36377">Pakistan to be &#39;industrial hub&#39; of South Asia after CPEC project: Ahsan Iqbal</a>

Pakistan Interior Minister Ahsan Iqbal has said that Pakistan would be the &#39;industrial hub&#39; of the entire South Asian region soon, after the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) project is built.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/russia-will-remain-difficult-partner-after-putin-re-election-germany-36364">Russia will remain &#39;difficult partner&#39; after Putin re-election: Germany</a>

Russia will remain a &quot;difficult partner&quot; after President Vladimir Putin&#39;s re-election but will be needed to help resolve international tensions, German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said Monday, questioning the vote&#39;s fairness.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

CBI files chargesheet against ex-Canara Bank CMD RK Dubey in 68 crore loan default case The Central Bureau of Investigation(CBI) has chargesheeted Canara Bank ex-CMD R K Dubey who was the executive director in Rs 68 crore alleged loan default by the company. Nidahas Trophy: Here's why Rohit Sharma did not watch Dinesh Karthik's last-ball six Dinesh Karthik clinched an almost next to impossible win for India after he smashed a last-ball six to seal the Nidahas Trophy title on Sunday. The wicketkeeper-batsman played a thrilling knock of 29 runs of just 8 balls, with the last ball becoming a lifetime memory for Karthik and the rest of the world. Madhuri Dixit steps into Sridevi's role in Abhishek Verman's next Janhvi Kapoor, Sridevi's daughter has confirmed that Madhuri Dixit will play the role initially offered to her mother by Dharma Productions. Reports suggest Sridevi was initially offered to work opposite Sanjay Dutt. Janhvi said, "Abhishek Varman's next film was very close to my mom's heart. Dad, Khushi and I are thankful to Madhuriji for now being part of the beautiful film." Pakistan to be 'industrial hub' of South Asia after CPEC project: Ahsan Iqbal Pakistan Interior Minister Ahsan Iqbal has said that Pakistan would be the 'industrial hub' of the entire South Asian region soon, after the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) project is built. Russia will remain 'difficult partner' after Putin re-election: Germany Russia will remain a "difficult partner" after President Vladimir Putin's re-election but will be needed to help resolve international tensions, German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said Monday, questioning the vote's fairness.

WION Evening News Brief, March 19, 2018

Russians were voting Sunday in an election set to hand President Vladimir Putin a fourth Kremlin term but slammed by the opposition as a sham as tensions with Britain escalated over the poisoning of a former Russian double agent.&nbsp;

With the vast country stretching across 11 time zones, polls opened in the Russian far east at 2000 GMT on Saturday and will close in Kaliningrad, the country&#39;s exclave on the EU border, at 1800 GMT on Sunday.&nbsp;

Putin&#39;s main challenger Alexei Navalny has been barred from taking part in the poll for legal reasons, and the result of the election is in little doubt, with overall turnout likely to provide the only element of surprise.

A total of 107 million Russians are eligible to cast their votes in Sunday&#39;s election in the world&#39;s biggest country, but some analysts say that after 18 years of leadership -- both as president and prime minister -- Putin fatigue may be spreading, with many Russians are expected to skip the polls.

The Kremlin needs a high turnout to give greater legitimacy to a new mandate for Putin, who is already Russia&#39;s longest-serving leader since Joseph Stalin.

By 0700 GMT, turnout stood at 16.55 percent, compared with 6.53 percent at the same hour during the 2012 vote, said Central Electoral Commission head Ella Pamfilova.

Many of those who cast their ballots voted for Putin, praising him for lifting the country out of the post-Soviet quagmire.

&quot;Of course I&#39;m for Putin, he&#39;s a leader,&quot; said Olga Matyunina, a 65-year-old retired economist.

&quot;After he brought Crimea back, he became a hero to me. Last election I didn&#39;t vote for Putin, I don&#39;t even remember who I voted for.&quot;

At many polling stations the atmosphere was festive, with patriotic songs blasting out of speakers outside and cheap food available to voters.

Casting his ballot in Moscow, Putin said he would be pleased with &quot;any&quot; result that gave him the right to continue serving as president.

&quot;I am sure the programme I am offering is the right one,&quot; he said.

Navalny, 41, has denounced the election as a sham and urged Russians to boycott the vote.&nbsp;

He has deployed more than 30,000 observers to monitor the polls and on Sunday, his team -- which calls the vote &quot;a staged procedure to re-appoint Putin&quot; -- began publishing a rolling list of violations from polling stations.

&quot;Those who said that &#39;there would be fewer falsifications during these elections because Putin has already won over everyone&#39; have made a mistake,&quot; he said.

Navalny, who faces a 30-day jail sentence, had been expected to spend election day behind bars but remained free Sunday.

&quot;I will not go to vote. What for?&quot; said Boris Limarev, a 39-year-old manager, as he walked his dog near a polling station in southwest Saint Petersburg.&nbsp;

&quot;It&#39;s clear to everyone who will be elected.&quot;

&quot;And the rest of the candidates are clowns,&quot; interjected his wife Anna, 35.

&quot;Another six years of slavery,&quot; said a piece of paper made up to look like a ballot which was attached to a porch on a central Moscow street -- in an apparent reference to Putin&#39;s next term in office.&nbsp;

Ahead of the poll, a new crisis broke out with the West as Britain implicated Putin in the poisoning of former double agent Sergei Skripal with a Soviet-designed nerve agent.

In response, London expelled 23 Russian diplomats, prompting Moscow to respond in kind. Also this week, Washington hit Russia with sanctions for trying to influence the 2016 US election.&nbsp;

Since first being elected president in 2000, Putin has stamped his total authority on Russia muzzling opposition, putting television under state control and reasserting Moscow&#39;s posture abroad.&nbsp;

He has sought to use the campaign to emphasise Russia&#39;s role as a major world power, boasting of its &quot;invincible&quot; new nuclear weapons in a key pre-election speech.

His previous Kremlin term has been marked by a crackdown on the opposition after huge protests, the annexation of Crimea, support for an insurgency in east Ukraine, a military intervention in Syria and the introduction of Western sanctions that contributed to a fall in living standards.

But the 65-year-old former KGB officer is certain to extend his term to 2024 despite a litany of domestic problems such as widespread poverty and poor healthcare following a lacklustre campaign.

In Saint Petersburg Antonina Kurchatova said she voted for Putin but was just hoping things would not get worse.

&quot;I very much like his foreign policy. He&#39;s doing everything right. But as far as the economy is concerned, everything is terrible,&quot; the 40-year-old told AFP.

State-run pollsters predict Putin will take just under 70 percent of the vote, with the independent Levada Centre -- branded a &quot;foreign agent&quot; -- barred from releasing any research related to the election.

Sunday marks four years since Putin signed a treaty declaring Crimea to be a part of Russia in a move that triggered the outbreak of a pro-Kremlin insurgency in east Ukraine, in a conflict that has claimed more than 10,000 lives.

Kiev has said Russians living in Ukraine would not be able to vote as access to Moscow&#39;s diplomatic missions would be blocked.

Putin is standing against a motley crew of seven Kremlin-approved challengers, including millionaire communist Pavel Grudinin and former reality TV host Ksenia Sobchak, but none are polling more than eight percent.&nbsp;

Overall turnout is expected to be between 63 and 67 percent, according to state-controlled pollsters.

Authorities have pulled out all the stops to ensure a huge turnout, offering food discount vouchers and prizes for the best selfies taken at polling stations after a sexually-charged online campaign.

While the result of the vote was a foregone conclusion, the next six years would be anything but predictable, said Tatyana Stanovaya, an analyst with Moscow&#39;s Center for Political Technologies.&nbsp;

&quot;No one can tell now just how emotional and radical Putin&#39;s actions will be under increasing geopolitical pressure,&quot; she told AFP, adding the role of the military and the security service would increase.&nbsp;

&quot;The regime is inclined to become more closed and tough.&quot;

With the vast country stretching across 11 time zones, polls opened in the Russian far east at 2000 GMT on Saturday and will close in Kaliningrad, the country's exclave on the EU border, at 1800 GMT on Sunday

Russians were voting Sunday in an election set to hand President Vladimir Putin a fourth Kremlin term but slammed by the opposition as a sham as tensions with Britain escalated over the poisoning of a former Russian double agent. With the vast country stretching across 11 time zones, polls opened in the Russian far east at 2000 GMT on Saturday and will close in Kaliningrad, the country's exclave on the EU border, at 1800 GMT on Sunday. Putin's main challenger Alexei Navalny has been barred from taking part in the poll for legal reasons, and the result of the election is in little doubt, with overall turnout likely to provide the only element of surprise. A total of 107 million Russians are eligible to cast their votes in Sunday's election in the world's biggest country, but some analysts say that after 18 years of leadership -- both as president and prime minister -- Putin fatigue may be spreading, with many Russians are expected to skip the polls. The Kremlin needs a high turnout to give greater legitimacy to a new mandate for Putin, who is already Russia's longest-serving leader since Joseph Stalin. By 0700 GMT, turnout stood at 16.55 percent, compared with 6.53 percent at the same hour during the 2012 vote, said Central Electoral Commission head Ella Pamfilova. Many of those who cast their ballots voted for Putin, praising him for lifting the country out of the post-Soviet quagmire. "Of course I'm for Putin, he's a leader," said Olga Matyunina, a 65-year-old retired economist. "After he brought Crimea back, he became a hero to me. Last election I didn't vote for Putin, I don't even remember who I voted for." At many polling stations the atmosphere was festive, with patriotic songs blasting out of speakers outside and cheap food available to voters. Casting his ballot in Moscow, Putin said he would be pleased with "any" result that gave him the right to continue serving as president. "I am sure the programme I am offering is the right one," he said. Navalny, 41, has denounced the election as a sham and urged Russians to boycott the vote. He has deployed more than 30,000 observers to monitor the polls and on Sunday, his team -- which calls the vote "a staged procedure to re-appoint Putin" -- began publishing a rolling list of violations from polling stations. "Those who said that 'there would be fewer falsifications during these elections because Putin has already won over everyone' have made a mistake," he said. Navalny, who faces a 30-day jail sentence, had been expected to spend election day behind bars but remained free Sunday. "I will not go to vote. What for?" said Boris Limarev, a 39-year-old manager, as he walked his dog near a polling station in southwest Saint Petersburg. "It's clear to everyone who will be elected." "And the rest of the candidates are clowns," interjected his wife Anna, 35. "Another six years of slavery," said a piece of paper made up to look like a ballot which was attached to a porch on a central Moscow street -- in an apparent reference to Putin's next term in office. Ahead of the poll, a new crisis broke out with the West as Britain implicated Putin in the poisoning of former double agent Sergei Skripal with a Soviet-designed nerve agent. In response, London expelled 23 Russian diplomats, prompting Moscow to respond in kind. Also this week, Washington hit Russia with sanctions for trying to influence the 2016 US election. Since first being elected president in 2000, Putin has stamped his total authority on Russia muzzling opposition, putting television under state control and reasserting Moscow's posture abroad. He has sought to use the campaign to emphasise Russia's role as a major world power, boasting of its "invincible" new nuclear weapons in a key pre-election speech. His previous Kremlin term has been marked by a crackdown on the opposition after huge protests, the annexation of Crimea, support for an insurgency in east Ukraine, a military intervention in Syria and the introduction of Western sanctions that contributed to a fall in living standards. But the 65-year-old former KGB officer is certain to extend his term to 2024 despite a litany of domestic problems such as widespread poverty and poor healthcare following a lacklustre campaign. In Saint Petersburg Antonina Kurchatova said she voted for Putin but was just hoping things would not get worse. "I very much like his foreign policy. He's doing everything right. But as far as the economy is concerned, everything is terrible," the 40-year-old told AFP. State-run pollsters predict Putin will take just under 70 percent of the vote, with the independent Levada Centre -- branded a "foreign agent" -- barred from releasing any research related to the election. Sunday marks four years since Putin signed a treaty declaring Crimea to be a part of Russia in a move that triggered the outbreak of a pro-Kremlin insurgency in east Ukraine, in a conflict that has claimed more than 10,000 lives. Kiev has said Russians living in Ukraine would not be able to vote as access to Moscow's diplomatic missions would be blocked. Putin is standing against a motley crew of seven Kremlin-approved challengers, including millionaire communist Pavel Grudinin and former reality TV host Ksenia Sobchak, but none are polling more than eight percent. Overall turnout is expected to be between 63 and 67 percent, according to state-controlled pollsters. Authorities have pulled out all the stops to ensure a huge turnout, offering food discount vouchers and prizes for the best selfies taken at polling stations after a sexually-charged online campaign. While the result of the vote was a foregone conclusion, the next six years would be anything but predictable, said Tatyana Stanovaya, an analyst with Moscow's Center for Political Technologies. "No one can tell now just how emotional and radical Putin's actions will be under increasing geopolitical pressure," she told AFP, adding the role of the military and the security service would increase. "The regime is inclined to become more closed and tough."

Putin eyes fourth term in polls as opposition cries foul

Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny said voter turnout in the presidential election on Sunday (March 18) was lower than in 2012.

Citing data collected by activists monitoring the polls, Navalny contradicted the Russian Central Election Commission only hours ago announced some regions had exceeded turnout numbers recorded for 2012.

Opponents of Russian President Vladimir Putin alleged that voters were being compelled to show up at polling stations in a Kremlin drive to ensure Putin&#39;s likely win is not tarnished by a low turnout

Navalny, who is barred from running in the race, said his supporters monitoring the vote reported people being bussed to polling stations by their employers making the morning turnout the highest in Russian history.

In the lead up to the vote Kremlin officials privately acknowledged some voters were reluctant to show up and vote, even if they support Putin, because they believe his victory is already a foregone conclusion.

Talking to journalists in his observers&#39; headquarters on Sunday, Navalny said he was pleased so many had chosen to not vote in an election he had urged his supporters to boycott. Navalny said a decision on whether or not to hold a mass rally protesting the election will be made by Sunday evening.

Opinion polls give Putin, the incumbent, support of around 70 percent, or nearly 10 times the backing of his nearest challenger.

Another term will take him to nearly a quarter century in power - a longevity among Kremlin leaders second only to Soviet dictator Josef Stalin.

Citing data collected by activists monitoring the polls, Navalny contradicted the Russian Central Election Commission only hours ago announced some regions had exceeded turnout numbers recorded for 2012

Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny said voter turnout in the presidential election on Sunday (March 18) was lower than in 2012. Citing data collected by activists monitoring the polls, Navalny contradicted the Russian Central Election Commission only hours ago announced some regions had exceeded turnout numbers recorded for 2012. Opponents of Russian President Vladimir Putin alleged that voters were being compelled to show up at polling stations in a Kremlin drive to ensure Putin's likely win is not tarnished by a low turnout Navalny, who is barred from running in the race, said his supporters monitoring the vote reported people being bussed to polling stations by their employers making the morning turnout the highest in Russian history. In the lead up to the vote Kremlin officials privately acknowledged some voters were reluctant to show up and vote, even if they support Putin, because they believe his victory is already a foregone conclusion. Talking to journalists in his observers' headquarters on Sunday, Navalny said he was pleased so many had chosen to not vote in an election he had urged his supporters to boycott. Navalny said a decision on whether or not to hold a mass rally protesting the election will be made by Sunday evening. Opinion polls give Putin, the incumbent, support of around 70 percent, or nearly 10 times the backing of his nearest challenger. Another term will take him to nearly a quarter century in power - a longevity among Kremlin leaders second only to Soviet dictator Josef Stalin.

Turnout lower than 2012 election despite Kremlin efforts - Navalny

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