Vladimir Putin, who is set to extend his long rule to 2024 in Russia&#39;s presidential election on Sunday, has stamped his total authority in Russia, silencing opposition and reasserting Moscow`s lost might abroad.&nbsp;

The 65-year-old former KGB officer has reimposed the Kremlin&#39;s grip over 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 has outlasted three US presidents to become one of the globe&#39;s undisputed strongmen, thrusting Moscow into a new rivalry with the West by snatching Crimea from Ukraine and launching a pivotal intervention in Syria.&nbsp;

Named the world&#39;s most powerful person by Forbes for the past four years running, the judo black belt has built a macho man image helped by publicity stunts that included riding topless on horseback through the Siberian wilderness and darting an endangered tiger.

Bolstered by a slavish state media, he is projected to take around 70 percent of the vote by official pollsters, despite producing no programme and refusing to take part in televised debates.

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, has presided over a seizure of the state by a new elite of former secret police cronies and has stoked nationalism in a bid to restore Moscow&#39;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&#39;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&#39;s daughter Ksenia is challenging Putin in the election -- a move that has divided Russia&#39;s already deeply split liberal opposition.

By 1996, he was called to Moscow to work in the Kremlin under Russia&#39;s first democratically elected president Boris Yeltsin, who in 1998 made little-known Putin head of the KGB&#39;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&#39;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&#39;s sphere of influence and also challenged perceived US hegemony.

When crowds in Ukraine ousted Russian-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&#39;s annexation.&nbsp;

The redrawing of Russia&#39;s border sparked the worst standoff with the West since the Cold War and unleashed a wave of nationalism at home that saw Putin&#39;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&#39;s favour.

Putin was then accused of spreading his tentacles much further and Moscow&#39;s old foe -- the United States -- found itself in the crosshairs.&nbsp;

After Donald Trump&#39;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;

&nbsp;

In 2012, Putin returned as president in the face of huge street protests.

Vladimir Putin, who is set to extend his long rule to 2024 in Russia's presidential election on Sunday, has stamped his total authority in Russia, silencing opposition and reasserting Moscow`s lost might abroad. The 65-year-old former KGB officer has reimposed the Kremlin's grip over 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 has outlasted three US presidents to become one of the globe's undisputed strongmen, thrusting Moscow into a new rivalry with the West by snatching Crimea from Ukraine and launching a pivotal intervention in Syria. Named the world's most powerful person by Forbes for the past four years running, the judo black belt has built a macho man image helped by publicity stunts that included riding topless on horseback through the Siberian wilderness and darting an endangered tiger. Bolstered by a slavish state media, he is projected to take around 70 percent of the vote by official pollsters, despite producing no programme and refusing to take part in televised debates. 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, has presided over a seizure of the state by a new elite of former secret police cronies and has 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 Russian-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.

Putin: Russia's post-Soviet tsar

With current President Vladimir Putin widely expected to win, the biggest headache for his campaign was the possibility many voters, including Putin supporters, would not bother to come to the poll stations as they feel&nbsp;the outcome is a foregone conclusion.

Putin opponents alleged employers with close ties to the state were ordering staff to go and vote and send back evidence.&nbsp;

As many as 54.69 per cent&nbsp;of voters have cast their ballots in Kolyma, beating the record of the 2012 election. &quot;The most active voters are in the Severo-Evensky District, where the voter turnout reached&nbsp;73 per cent,&quot; the regional election commission said.

&quot;The turnout this year is higher than in 2012. That is evidenced by the data as of 10:00 a.m. [07:00 GMT] and the noon ... Today we have already received 250 reports about violations. About a half of them were not confirmed and turned out to be fake,&quot; co-chair of the Russia Elects observers&#39; movement Elena Babchenkova said on Sunday, adding that the voter turnout this year was higher than in 2012.

As of 3 p.m. local time (07 a.m. Moscow Time) the voter turnout in the Sakhalin Region reached 48.34 per cent. &quot;The most active voters are in the Kuril Islands, in Iturup where 67.24 per cent&nbsp;voted some 5 hours before the ballot stations&rsquo; closure. Some 47.21 per cent&nbsp;voters cast their votes in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk.&quot;

Babchenkova pointed out that in some cases fake news was disseminated deliberately and added that all the incidents were solved at the site without requests to the Central Election Commission.

Observers monitoring Russia&#39;s presidential election online on Sunday cried foul and shared videos with alleged violations in different parts of the country.

Social media were filled with extracts of the official online streams from the polling stations, in which the actions of voters raise suspicion of ballot stuffing.

The presidential election is set to give Vladimir Putin a runaway victory, the only possible blemish for the Kremlin being if large numbers of voters do not bother taking part because the result is so predictable.

Opinion polls give Putin, the incumbent, support of around 70 per cent, 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.

As many as 54.69% of voters have cast their ballots in Kolyma, beating the record of the 2012 election

With current President Vladimir Putin widely expected to win, the biggest headache for his campaign was the possibility many voters, including Putin supporters, would not bother to come to the poll stations as they feel the outcome is a foregone conclusion. Putin opponents alleged employers with close ties to the state were ordering staff to go and vote and send back evidence. As many as 54.69 per cent of voters have cast their ballots in Kolyma, beating the record of the 2012 election. "The most active voters are in the Severo-Evensky District, where the voter turnout reached 73 per cent," the regional election commission said. "The turnout this year is higher than in 2012. That is evidenced by the data as of 10:00 a.m. [07:00 GMT] and the noon ... Today we have already received 250 reports about violations. About a half of them were not confirmed and turned out to be fake," co-chair of the Russia Elects observers' movement Elena Babchenkova said on Sunday, adding that the voter turnout this year was higher than in 2012. As of 3 p.m. local time (07 a.m. Moscow Time) the voter turnout in the Sakhalin Region reached 48.34 per cent. "The most active voters are in the Kuril Islands, in Iturup where 67.24 per cent voted some 5 hours before the ballot stations’ closure. Some 47.21 per cent voters cast their votes in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk." Babchenkova pointed out that in some cases fake news was disseminated deliberately and added that all the incidents were solved at the site without requests to the Central Election Commission. Observers monitoring Russia's presidential election online on Sunday cried foul and shared videos with alleged violations in different parts of the country. Social media were filled with extracts of the official online streams from the polling stations, in which the actions of voters raise suspicion of ballot stuffing. The presidential election is set to give Vladimir Putin a runaway victory, the only possible blemish for the Kremlin being if large numbers of voters do not bother taking part because the result is so predictable. Opinion polls give Putin, the incumbent, support of around 70 per cent, 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.

Russian Presidential Election: Many Putin supporters not turning out as outcome is foregone conclusion

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/name-modi-means-collusion-between-indias-biggest-crony-capitalists-and-prime-minister-of-india-rahul-gandhi-36245">BJP like Kauravas, Congress like Pandavas: Rahul Gandhi</a>

Recalling the two warring sides of the epic Mahabharat, Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Sunday said the BJP, like the Kauravas, fought for power, while his party, on the lines of the Pandavas, battled for truth.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/putin-eyes-fourth-term-in-polls-as-opposition-cries-foul-36243">Putin eyes </a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/putin-eyes-fourth-term-in-polls-as-opposition-cries-foul-36243">fourth</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/putin-eyes-fourth-term-in-polls-as-opposition-cries-foul-36243"> term in polls as opposition cries foul</a>

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;

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/smriti-irani-slams-rahul-gandhi-over-remarks-on-gst-36248">Smriti Irani slams Rahul Gandhi over remarks on GST</a>

Union Minister of Textiles and Information and Broadcasting Smriti Irani on Sunday lashed out at Congress president Rahul Gandhi for terming Goods and Services Tax (GST) the second highest in the world and one of the most complex taxes.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/gudi-padwa-2018-mumbais-saree-clad-biker-women-take-to-streets-36244">Mumbai: Saree-clad biker women take to streets to celebrate Gudi Padwa</a>

As the country celebrates the spring festival of Gudi Padwa, Mumbai witnessed a colourful parade of women bikers clad in traditional Marathi attire to commemorate the new year for Marathi Hindus.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/entertainment-5-stars-who-fought-with-serious-illnesses-like-irrfan-khan-and-are-now-perfectly-fine-36247">5 stars who fought with serious illnesses like Irrfan Khan and are now perfectly fine</a>

Ever since news of Irrfan Khan suffering from a rare disease has come to fore, the Indian entertainment industry has been in a state of shock. Announcing to the world with a Twitter post, Irrfan who is suffering from NeuroEndocrine Tumour has started the dialogue about health and fitness yet again. This sad news follows the sudden death of Bollywood actress Sridevi who was not only a versatile heroine but a glamour icon.

BJP like Kauravas, Congress like Pandavas: Rahul Gandhi Recalling the two warring sides of the epic Mahabharat, Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Sunday said the BJP, like the Kauravas, fought for power, while his party, on the lines of the Pandavas, battled for truth. Putin eyes fourth term in polls as opposition cries foul 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. Smriti Irani slams Rahul Gandhi over remarks on GST Union Minister of Textiles and Information and Broadcasting Smriti Irani on Sunday lashed out at Congress president Rahul Gandhi for terming Goods and Services Tax (GST) the second highest in the world and one of the most complex taxes. Mumbai: Saree-clad biker women take to streets to celebrate Gudi Padwa As the country celebrates the spring festival of Gudi Padwa, Mumbai witnessed a colourful parade of women bikers clad in traditional Marathi attire to commemorate the new year for Marathi Hindus. 5 stars who fought with serious illnesses like Irrfan Khan and are now perfectly fine Ever since news of Irrfan Khan suffering from a rare disease has come to fore, the Indian entertainment industry has been in a state of shock. Announcing to the world with a Twitter post, Irrfan who is suffering from NeuroEndocrine Tumour has started the dialogue about health and fitness yet again. This sad news follows the sudden death of Bollywood actress Sridevi who was not only a versatile heroine but a glamour icon.

WION Evening News Brief, March 18, 2018

Britain provoked Russia&#39;s wrath on Friday by directly implicating Vladimir Putin in the poisoning<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/russia-vows-to-respond-to-britain-over-spy-attack-any-minute-36060"> attack on an ex-double agent</a>, with the Kremlin saying the claims were &quot;shocking and unforgivable&quot;.

The war of words between Moscow and London over the nerve agent attack on a former Russian spy escalated as Britain&#39;s Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson said his government&#39;s &quot;quarrel&quot; was with Putin rather than the Russian people.

&quot;We think it overwhelmingly likely that it was his decision to direct the use of a nerve agent on the streets of the UK, on the streets of Europe, for the first time since the Second World War,&quot; Johnson said in London.

Putin&#39;s spokesman Dmitry Peskov responded saying Johnson&#39;s claims violated all rules of diplomatic protocol.

Linking Putin to the attack on Sergei Skripal, who moved to Britain in a 2010 spy swap, &quot;is nothing but shocking and unforgivable behaviour from the point of view of diplomacy&quot;, Peskov told Russian news agencies.

The crisis has unravelled in the thick of Russia&#39;s presidential campaign, with Putin expected to win a fourth Kremlin term on Sunday.

In a rare joint statement, the leaders of Britain, France, Germany and the United States on Thursday condemned the attack on Skripal and his daughter Yulia -- both in a critical but stable condition in hospital -- as an &quot;assault on UK sovereignty&quot;.

They said there &quot;no plausible alternative explanation&quot; for the use of the Soviet-designed nerve agent other than Russian responsibility.

Police officer Nick Bailey, who initially attended to the Skripals, was also in hospital in a critical state, though conscious, but his health has improved and he is now in a stable condition, England&#39;s health service said Friday.

Alexander Yakovenko, Russia&#39;s ambassador to Britain, told Channel 4 television that Britain&#39;s response to the attack was a &quot;gross provocation&quot;.

He branded the British investigation &quot;untransparent and secret&quot;, adding that there was &quot;no proof&quot; that Skripal was gravely ill.

Moscow opens probes&nbsp; 
 
The Kremlin has vehemently denied it had a hand in the poisoning of its former spy in the English city of Salisbury on March 4.&nbsp;

London&#39;s key allies have closed ranks against Putin after British Prime Minister Theresa May announced the expulsion of 23 Russian diplomats and suspended high-level contacts, among other measures.

On Friday, Russia said it could hit back at Britain at &quot;any minute&quot; with its own raft of punitive measures.

The Kremlin has indicated it would expel British diplomats in a riposte to London&#39;s move as well as adopt other measures that would &quot;most suit Moscow&#39;s interests&quot;.

&quot;All the steps will be well thought out,&quot; Peskov said.

Meanwhile the Investigative Committee, which reports to Putin, opened a probe into the &quot;attempted premeditated murder&quot; of Skripal&#39;s daughter, a Russian national, which it said had been &quot;carried out in a way that was dangerous to the public&quot;.

At the same time a separate probe was opened into the mysterious death of Nikolai Glushkov, a Russian exile who was found dead at his London home this week.

London&#39;s Metropolitan Police later announced their own murder investigation, saying Glushkov had suffered compression of the neck.

Scepticism in Russia&nbsp;

Putin has barely weighed in on the row, telling a BBC reporter this week: &quot;Sort things out from your side and then we will discuss this with you.&quot;

Russia insists it had no motive to target Skripal with what Britain says was a highly potent Soviet-designed nerve agent called Novichok, in the first such attack in Europe since World War II.

Skripal had taken his daughter, who was on a visit from Moscow, out for lunch before they both collapsed on a bench.

Many Russians remain sceptical that the state was responsible and some analysts have not ruled out the involvement of ordinary criminals or rogue agents.

The incident revived memories of the fate of Alexander Litvinenko, a Russian dissident who died of Polonium radiation poisoning in a 2006 attack in Britain that London blamed on Moscow.

EU president Donald Tusk said Friday that the bloc would discuss the attack at a Brussels summit next week, adding it would send a &quot;clear message&quot;.

&nbsp;&#39;We don&#39;t want Cold War&#39; 
 
Vil Mirzayanov, a Soviet-era chemist who helped create Novichok but later revealed the existence of Moscow&#39;s classified programme, said terrorists could not produce it.&nbsp;

&quot;To create its components one needs powerful labs and very experienced personnel which only exist in several countries,&quot; the now US-based whistleblower told opposition newspaper Novaya Gazeta.

Britain on Friday said that it had invited the chemical weapons watchdog OPCW to take a sample of the poison for analysis, under Article 8 of the Chemical Weapons Convention.

May warned more measures could follow against Russia, noting that the US-led NATO alliance and the UN Security Council had discussed the attack.

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said Friday the alliance did not want a return to Cold War hostilities with Russia while expressing support for Britain&#39;s stance.

&quot;We don&#39;t want a new Cold War,&quot; he told BBC radio.

Britain provoked Russia's wrath on Friday by directly implicating Vladimir Putin in the poisoning attack on an ex-double agent

Britain provoked Russia's wrath on Friday by directly implicating Vladimir Putin in the poisoning attack on an ex-double agent, with the Kremlin saying the claims were "shocking and unforgivable". The war of words between Moscow and London over the nerve agent attack on a former Russian spy escalated as Britain's Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson said his government's "quarrel" was with Putin rather than the Russian people. "We think it overwhelmingly likely that it was his decision to direct the use of a nerve agent on the streets of the UK, on the streets of Europe, for the first time since the Second World War," Johnson said in London. Putin's spokesman Dmitry Peskov responded saying Johnson's claims violated all rules of diplomatic protocol. Linking Putin to the attack on Sergei Skripal, who moved to Britain in a 2010 spy swap, "is nothing but shocking and unforgivable behaviour from the point of view of diplomacy", Peskov told Russian news agencies. The crisis has unravelled in the thick of Russia's presidential campaign, with Putin expected to win a fourth Kremlin term on Sunday. In a rare joint statement, the leaders of Britain, France, Germany and the United States on Thursday condemned the attack on Skripal and his daughter Yulia -- both in a critical but stable condition in hospital -- as an "assault on UK sovereignty". They said there "no plausible alternative explanation" for the use of the Soviet-designed nerve agent other than Russian responsibility. Police officer Nick Bailey, who initially attended to the Skripals, was also in hospital in a critical state, though conscious, but his health has improved and he is now in a stable condition, England's health service said Friday. Alexander Yakovenko, Russia's ambassador to Britain, told Channel 4 television that Britain's response to the attack was a "gross provocation". He branded the British investigation "untransparent and secret", adding that there was "no proof" that Skripal was gravely ill. Moscow opens probes The Kremlin has vehemently denied it had a hand in the poisoning of its former spy in the English city of Salisbury on March 4. London's key allies have closed ranks against Putin after British Prime Minister Theresa May announced the expulsion of 23 Russian diplomats and suspended high-level contacts, among other measures. On Friday, Russia said it could hit back at Britain at "any minute" with its own raft of punitive measures. The Kremlin has indicated it would expel British diplomats in a riposte to London's move as well as adopt other measures that would "most suit Moscow's interests". "All the steps will be well thought out," Peskov said. Meanwhile the Investigative Committee, which reports to Putin, opened a probe into the "attempted premeditated murder" of Skripal's daughter, a Russian national, which it said had been "carried out in a way that was dangerous to the public". At the same time a separate probe was opened into the mysterious death of Nikolai Glushkov, a Russian exile who was found dead at his London home this week. London's Metropolitan Police later announced their own murder investigation, saying Glushkov had suffered compression of the neck. Scepticism in Russia Putin has barely weighed in on the row, telling a BBC reporter this week: "Sort things out from your side and then we will discuss this with you." Russia insists it had no motive to target Skripal with what Britain says was a highly potent Soviet-designed nerve agent called Novichok, in the first such attack in Europe since World War II. Skripal had taken his daughter, who was on a visit from Moscow, out for lunch before they both collapsed on a bench. Many Russians remain sceptical that the state was responsible and some analysts have not ruled out the involvement of ordinary criminals or rogue agents. The incident revived memories of the fate of Alexander Litvinenko, a Russian dissident who died of Polonium radiation poisoning in a 2006 attack in Britain that London blamed on Moscow. EU president Donald Tusk said Friday that the bloc would discuss the attack at a Brussels summit next week, adding it would send a "clear message". 'We don't want Cold War' Vil Mirzayanov, a Soviet-era chemist who helped create Novichok but later revealed the existence of Moscow's classified programme, said terrorists could not produce it. "To create its components one needs powerful labs and very experienced personnel which only exist in several countries," the now US-based whistleblower told opposition newspaper Novaya Gazeta. Britain on Friday said that it had invited the chemical weapons watchdog OPCW to take a sample of the poison for analysis, under Article 8 of the Chemical Weapons Convention. May warned more measures could follow against Russia, noting that the US-led NATO alliance and the UN Security Council had discussed the attack. NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said Friday the alliance did not want a return to Cold War hostilities with Russia while expressing support for Britain's stance. "We don't want a new Cold War," he told BBC radio.

Kremlin furious as Britain blames Putin for ex-spy attack

Moscow vowed Friday to hit back at Britain with its own raft of punitive measures &quot;any minute&quot; after the West blamed Russia directly for a nerve agent attack on a former double agent.

President Vladimir Putin&#39;s spokesman Dmitry Peskov on Friday said Russia&#39;s sanctions could come &quot;any minute&quot; even though he declined to say whether Moscow would deliver its response before Sunday&#39;s presidential election.

&quot;All the steps will be well thought out,&quot; he told reporters.

In a rare joint statement, the leaders of Britain, France, Germany and the US on Thursday condemned the attack on former double agent Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia as an &quot;assault on UK sovereignty&quot;.

Moscow has vehemently denied it had a hand in the poisoning of its former spy in the cathedral city of Salisbury in early March.

Britain&#39;s key allies closed ranks against Putin after British Prime Minister Theresa May announced the expulsion of 23 Russian diplomats and suspended high-level contacts, among other measures.

Russia said earlier this week it would expel British diplomats in response to London&#39;s move as well as adopt other measures that the Kremlin said would &quot;most suit Moscow&#39;s interests.&quot;

&quot;Of course we will,&quot; Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov told journalists when asked whether Moscow will respond in kind.&nbsp;

He did not provide further details.

The crisis unravelled in the thick of a presidential election as Putin is expected to win a fourth Kremlin term on Sunday.

The president barely weighed in on the row, just telling a BBC reporter earlier this week: &quot;Sort things out from your side and then we will discuss this with you.&quot;

Russia insists it had no motive to target Skripal with what Britain says was a highly potent Soviet-designed nerve agent called Novichok, the first such attack in Europe since World War II.

Many Russians remain sceptical that the state was involved in an attack on British soil and some analysts didn&#39;t rule out the involvement of common criminals or rogue agents.

The official military newspaper Krasnaya Zvezda (Red Star) quoted the former head of Russia&#39;s GRU military intelligence, Fyodor Ladygin, who denied his officers had been involved.

&quot;We don&#39;t care about the fate of a traitor,&quot; said Colonel General Ladygin.

&quot;For an intelligence officer, a traitor dies immediately - he absolutely ceases to exist in memory. For a traitor, oblivion is death.&quot;

The attack on the Skripals revived memories of the fate of Alexander Litvinenko, a Russian dissident who died of Polonium poisoning in a 2006 attack in the UK that London blamed on Moscow.

But the leaders of Britain, France, Germany and the United States said Thursday there was &quot;no plausible alternative explanation&quot; for the use of the Soviet-designed nerve agent.

In a joint statement, they demanded Moscow &quot;address all questions&quot; related to the attack against Skripal, which they said amounted to a &quot;breach of international law&quot;.

Skripal moved to Britain in a 2010 spy swap and had taken his daughter, who was on a visit, out for lunch before they both collapsed on a bench in the street on March 4.

The Daily Telegraph reported late Thursday that intelligence agencies now believe the nerve agent used on the pair was planted in the daughter&#39;s suitcase before she left Moscow.

May warned more measures could follow, noting that the US-led NATO alliance and the UN Security Council had discussed the attack, while it was also expected to be on the agenda of the European Union summit next week.

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said Friday the alliance did not want a return to Cold War hostilities with Russia while expressing support for Britain&#39;s stance.

He said the targeting of Skripal fit a &quot;pattern of reckless behaviour&quot; to which the US-led military alliance had responded, but insisted political dialogue must also continue.

&quot;We don&#39;t want a new Cold War, we don&#39;t want a new arms race, Russia is our neighbour, therefore, we have to continue to strive for an improved better relationship with Russia,&quot; he told BBC radio.

NATO chief Stoltenberg said this week the attack must have &quot;consequences&quot; but noted that Britain had not invoked the alliance&#39;s Article 5 mutual defence clause. 
&nbsp;

"All the steps will be well thought out," said Putin's spokesman Dmitry Peskov

Moscow vowed Friday to hit back at Britain with its own raft of punitive measures "any minute" after the West blamed Russia directly for a nerve agent attack on a former double agent. President Vladimir Putin's spokesman Dmitry Peskov on Friday said Russia's sanctions could come "any minute" even though he declined to say whether Moscow would deliver its response before Sunday's presidential election. "All the steps will be well thought out," he told reporters. In a rare joint statement, the leaders of Britain, France, Germany and the US on Thursday condemned the attack on former double agent Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia as an "assault on UK sovereignty". Moscow has vehemently denied it had a hand in the poisoning of its former spy in the cathedral city of Salisbury in early March. Britain's key allies closed ranks against Putin after British Prime Minister Theresa May announced the expulsion of 23 Russian diplomats and suspended high-level contacts, among other measures. Russia said earlier this week it would expel British diplomats in response to London's move as well as adopt other measures that the Kremlin said would "most suit Moscow's interests." "Of course we will," Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov told journalists when asked whether Moscow will respond in kind. He did not provide further details. The crisis unravelled in the thick of a presidential election as Putin is expected to win a fourth Kremlin term on Sunday. The president barely weighed in on the row, just telling a BBC reporter earlier this week: "Sort things out from your side and then we will discuss this with you." Russia insists it had no motive to target Skripal with what Britain says was a highly potent Soviet-designed nerve agent called Novichok, the first such attack in Europe since World War II. Many Russians remain sceptical that the state was involved in an attack on British soil and some analysts didn't rule out the involvement of common criminals or rogue agents. The official military newspaper Krasnaya Zvezda (Red Star) quoted the former head of Russia's GRU military intelligence, Fyodor Ladygin, who denied his officers had been involved. "We don't care about the fate of a traitor," said Colonel General Ladygin. "For an intelligence officer, a traitor dies immediately - he absolutely ceases to exist in memory. For a traitor, oblivion is death." The attack on the Skripals revived memories of the fate of Alexander Litvinenko, a Russian dissident who died of Polonium poisoning in a 2006 attack in the UK that London blamed on Moscow. But the leaders of Britain, France, Germany and the United States said Thursday there was "no plausible alternative explanation" for the use of the Soviet-designed nerve agent. In a joint statement, they demanded Moscow "address all questions" related to the attack against Skripal, which they said amounted to a "breach of international law". Skripal moved to Britain in a 2010 spy swap and had taken his daughter, who was on a visit, out for lunch before they both collapsed on a bench in the street on March 4. The Daily Telegraph reported late Thursday that intelligence agencies now believe the nerve agent used on the pair was planted in the daughter's suitcase before she left Moscow. May warned more measures could follow, noting that the US-led NATO alliance and the UN Security Council had discussed the attack, while it was also expected to be on the agenda of the European Union summit next week. NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said Friday the alliance did not want a return to Cold War hostilities with Russia while expressing support for Britain's stance. He said the targeting of Skripal fit a "pattern of reckless behaviour" to which the US-led military alliance had responded, but insisted political dialogue must also continue. "We don't want a new Cold War, we don't want a new arms race, Russia is our neighbour, therefore, we have to continue to strive for an improved better relationship with Russia," he told BBC radio. NATO chief Stoltenberg said this week the attack must have "consequences" but noted that Britain had not invoked the alliance's Article 5 mutual defence clause.

Russia vows to respond to Britain over spy attack 'any minute'

Russia today rejected Britain&#39;s demand that Moscow provide an explanation over the poisoning of an ex-double agent and said London should provide Moscow with access to the nerve agent.

&quot;Before giving ultimatums it&#39;s better to honour your own obligations on international law,&quot; Lavrov told reporters, referring to the Chemical Weapons Convention.

Russia&#39;s top diplomat said that Britain should have sent Moscow an official request about the substance used on its soil.

Lavrov said Russia had not received such a request and also demanded to be given access to the Russian-made nerve agent used to poison former double agent Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia.

&quot;Through an official note we had demanded access to this substance,&quot; Lavrov said, adding that Russia also asked to be informed about the investigation. &quot;Our requests have been denied.&quot;

&quot;If the procedures stipulated by the convention will be implemented I assure you that Russia will fulfil its obligations,&quot; Lavrov said.

He insisted that Moscow was not to blame for the poisoning of the former agent said it was ready to cooperate with London.

&quot;Russia is not guilty. Russia is ready to cooperate according to the Chemical Weapons Convention, if Britain takes the trouble and condescends to carry out its international obligations according to the same document,&quot; Lavrov told a press conference.

Separately, a spokeswoman for the Russian foreign ministry, Maria Zakharova, said the ministry had summoned the British ambassador, Laurie Bristow, amid the escalating poisoning row.(AFP)

&nbsp;

'Before giving ultimatums it's better to honour your own obligations on international law,' Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov told reporters

Russia today rejected Britain's demand that Moscow provide an explanation over the poisoning of an ex-double agent and said London should provide Moscow with access to the nerve agent. "Before giving ultimatums it's better to honour your own obligations on international law," Lavrov told reporters, referring to the Chemical Weapons Convention. Russia's top diplomat said that Britain should have sent Moscow an official request about the substance used on its soil. Lavrov said Russia had not received such a request and also demanded to be given access to the Russian-made nerve agent used to poison former double agent Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia. "Through an official note we had demanded access to this substance," Lavrov said, adding that Russia also asked to be informed about the investigation. "Our requests have been denied." "If the procedures stipulated by the convention will be implemented I assure you that Russia will fulfil its obligations," Lavrov said. He insisted that Moscow was not to blame for the poisoning of the former agent said it was ready to cooperate with London. "Russia is not guilty. Russia is ready to cooperate according to the Chemical Weapons Convention, if Britain takes the trouble and condescends to carry out its international obligations according to the same document," Lavrov told a press conference. Separately, a spokeswoman for the Russian foreign ministry, Maria Zakharova, said the ministry had summoned the British ambassador, Laurie Bristow, amid the escalating poisoning row.(AFP)

Ex-Russian spy's poisoning in UK: Russia rejects Britain's ultimatum, wants access to nerve agent

President Vladimir Putin faces a midnight deadline to explain to Britain how a nerve agent developed by the Soviet Union was used to strike down a former Russian double agent who passed secrets to British intelligence.

Sergei Skripal, 66, and his daughter Yulia, 33, have been in hospital in a critical condition since March 4 when they were found unconscious on a bench outside a shopping centre in the southern English cathedral city of Salisbury.

Prime Minister Theresa May said it was &quot;highly likely&quot; Moscow was to blame after Britain identified the substance as part of the Novichok group of nerve agents which were developed by the Soviet military during the 1970s and 1980s.

&quot;It is now clear that Mr Skripal and his daughter were poisoned with a military-grade nerve agent of a type developed by Russia,&quot; May said.&nbsp;

&quot;Either this was a direct act by the Russian state against our country. Or the Russian government lost control of this potentially catastrophically damaging nerve agent and allowed it to get into the hands of others.&quot;

May gave Putin, who faces a presidential election on March 18, until end of Tuesday to explain what happened or face what she said were &quot;much more extensive&quot; measures against the $1.5 trillion Russian economy.

The Russian ambassador, Alexander Yakovenko, was summoned to the Foreign Office and given until the end of Tuesday to provide an explanation. Russia has denied any role in the attack on Skripal and his daughter.

US&nbsp;Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said the United States had &quot;full confidence&quot; in Britain&#39;s assessment that Russia was likely responsible. US&nbsp;President Donald Trump has not yet publicly commented on the attack.

Earlier, White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders said the United States stood by Britain, calling it America&#39;s &quot;closest ally,&quot; but she stopped short of blaming Russia for the attack.&nbsp;

The European Union also said it would stand by Britain, which is due to leave the bloc in just over a year&#39;s time. May spoke to French President Emmanuel Macron, who Downing Street said condemned the attack and offered his solidarity with Britain.

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said the use of any nerve agent was horrendous and completely unacceptable.

Nerve agent&nbsp;

Russia said May&#39;s allegations were politically motivated.

&quot;It is a circus show in the British parliament,&quot; the TASS news agency quoted Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova as saying. &quot;The conclusion is obvious: It&#39;s another political information campaign, based on a provocation.&quot;

May said Russia had shown a pattern of aggression including the annexation of Crimea and the murder of former KGB agent Alexander Litvinenko, who died in 2006 after drinking green tea laced with radioactive polonium-210.&nbsp;

A British public inquiry found the killing of Litvinenko had probably been approved by Putin and carried out by two Russians, Dmitry Kovtun and Andrei Lugovoy - a former KGB bodyguard who later became a member of the Russian parliament.

Both denied responsibility, as did Moscow.

Putin, who took over as Kremlin chief from Boris Yeltsin on the last day of 1999, has denied allegations that Russia meddled in the 2016 US&nbsp;presidential election and says the West has repeatedly tried to undermine Russian interests.

Skripal betrayed dozens of Russian agents to British intelligence before his arrest in Moscow in 2004. He was sentenced to 13 years in prison in 2006, and in 2010 was given refuge in Britain after being exchanged for Russian spies.&nbsp;

Since emerging from the John le Carre world of high espionage and betrayal, Skripal lived modestly in Salisbury and kept out of the spotlight until he was found unconscious on Sunday.

Novichok agents are believed to be five to 10 times more lethal than the more commonly known VX and Sarin. They cause a slowing of the heart and restriction of the airways, leading to death by asphyxiation, University of Reading pharmacology professor Gary Stephens said.

Russian state television said Skripal had been recruited by the British when working as Russia&#39;s military attache in Spain and that he had handed over 20,000 pages of secret documents to MI6, Britain&#39;s foreign spy service.

A British policeman who was one of the first to attend to the stricken spy was also affected by the nerve agent. He is now conscious in a serious but stable condition, police said. 
&nbsp;

Russia said May's allegations were politically motivated

President Vladimir Putin faces a midnight deadline to explain to Britain how a nerve agent developed by the Soviet Union was used to strike down a former Russian double agent who passed secrets to British intelligence. Sergei Skripal, 66, and his daughter Yulia, 33, have been in hospital in a critical condition since March 4 when they were found unconscious on a bench outside a shopping centre in the southern English cathedral city of Salisbury. Prime Minister Theresa May said it was "highly likely" Moscow was to blame after Britain identified the substance as part of the Novichok group of nerve agents which were developed by the Soviet military during the 1970s and 1980s. "It is now clear that Mr Skripal and his daughter were poisoned with a military-grade nerve agent of a type developed by Russia," May said. "Either this was a direct act by the Russian state against our country. Or the Russian government lost control of this potentially catastrophically damaging nerve agent and allowed it to get into the hands of others." May gave Putin, who faces a presidential election on March 18, until end of Tuesday to explain what happened or face what she said were "much more extensive" measures against the $1.5 trillion Russian economy. The Russian ambassador, Alexander Yakovenko, was summoned to the Foreign Office and given until the end of Tuesday to provide an explanation. Russia has denied any role in the attack on Skripal and his daughter. US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said the United States had "full confidence" in Britain's assessment that Russia was likely responsible. US President Donald Trump has not yet publicly commented on the attack. Earlier, White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders said the United States stood by Britain, calling it America's "closest ally," but she stopped short of blaming Russia for the attack. The European Union also said it would stand by Britain, which is due to leave the bloc in just over a year's time. May spoke to French President Emmanuel Macron, who Downing Street said condemned the attack and offered his solidarity with Britain. NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said the use of any nerve agent was horrendous and completely unacceptable. Nerve agent Russia said May's allegations were politically motivated. "It is a circus show in the British parliament," the TASS news agency quoted Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova as saying. "The conclusion is obvious: It's another political information campaign, based on a provocation." May said Russia had shown a pattern of aggression including the annexation of Crimea and the murder of former KGB agent Alexander Litvinenko, who died in 2006 after drinking green tea laced with radioactive polonium-210. A British public inquiry found the killing of Litvinenko had probably been approved by Putin and carried out by two Russians, Dmitry Kovtun and Andrei Lugovoy - a former KGB bodyguard who later became a member of the Russian parliament. Both denied responsibility, as did Moscow. Putin, who took over as Kremlin chief from Boris Yeltsin on the last day of 1999, has denied allegations that Russia meddled in the 2016 US presidential election and says the West has repeatedly tried to undermine Russian interests. Skripal betrayed dozens of Russian agents to British intelligence before his arrest in Moscow in 2004. He was sentenced to 13 years in prison in 2006, and in 2010 was given refuge in Britain after being exchanged for Russian spies. Since emerging from the John le Carre world of high espionage and betrayal, Skripal lived modestly in Salisbury and kept out of the spotlight until he was found unconscious on Sunday. Novichok agents are believed to be five to 10 times more lethal than the more commonly known VX and Sarin. They cause a slowing of the heart and restriction of the airways, leading to death by asphyxiation, University of Reading pharmacology professor Gary Stephens said. Russian state television said Skripal had been recruited by the British when working as Russia's military attache in Spain and that he had handed over 20,000 pages of secret documents to MI6, Britain's foreign spy service. A British policeman who was one of the first to attend to the stricken spy was also affected by the nerve agent. He is now conscious in a serious but stable condition, police said.

Putin faces midnight deadline to explain nerve attack on former spy to UK

Soon after Vladimir Putin is re-elected on Sunday, his thoughts will turn to the question that is likely to dominate his next term as Russia&rsquo;s president: what will he do when it ends?&nbsp;

Putin&rsquo;s victory in the presidential election is not in doubt as his ratings are high and he has the state machinery behind him, but how long the man who has dominated Russia for nearly 18 years wants to stay power is uncertain.

The constitution limits the president to two successive terms, obliging him to step down at the end of his mandate &mdash; as he did in 2008 after serving two four-year terms.

His mandate will not expire until 2024 but the problem needs immediate attention because the uncertainty about his long-term future is a source of instability in a fractious ruling elite that only he can keep in check.

&ldquo;The Russian political scene is entering a new phase,&rdquo; said Gleb Pavlovsky, a former Kremlin adviser who is now critical of the country&rsquo;s leadership.&ldquo;Most discussion within the ruling elite focuses not on the next stage of the Putin era but on what will constitute the post-Putin era.&rdquo;

Vygaudas Usackas, the European Union&rsquo;s ambassador to Russia until last October, says the stakes are high.

&ldquo;This is a risky moment for the system,&rdquo; said Usackas, who is now director of the Institute of Europe at Lithuania&rsquo;s Kaunas University of Technology.

Putin has at least three main options. He could take a leaf out of Chinese President Xi Jinping&rsquo;s book and seek an end to term limits, hand over to a place-holder for a term and then return, or anoint a successor and bow out of public life.

Each choice carries risks and Putin may have other options up his sleeve. A former spy, he is secretive and likes to pull surprises. But the uncertainty about his plans is potentially more destabilizing than anything for the ruling elite, the political, security and business leaders around Putin.&nbsp;

Two sources close to the Kremlin said there was, as yet, no plan for when Putin&rsquo;s term ends. The matter is so sensitive that they agreed to talk only on condition of anonymity.

Russia&rsquo;s ruling system, while projecting an image of unity, is divided along many lines &mdash; between security hawks and economic liberals, between people with personal vendettas, and between competing for business interests.

Putin holds the disparate interests together, so any hint of a vacuum at the centre of the system is risky.

PUTIN FOREVER

Putin is so entrenched within Russia&rsquo;s ruling system that many of its members can imagine no other leader. Many in-state companies and major banks say they anticipate no real change at the top when Putin&rsquo;s next term ends.

&ldquo;There are no discussions in the corridors about the succession. It&rsquo;s as if people know that he (Putin) will be around forever,&rdquo; said a source in a government ministry.

If Putin wants the constitution changed to allow a third successive term, he will need two-thirds support in the lower house of parliament, three-quarters in the upper chamber and approval in two-thirds of regional legislatures.&nbsp;

All are institutions where Kremlin allies are the overwhelming majority but Putin has said will not change the constitution to stay in power. 
&nbsp; 
If he did so, he would risk a backlash from voters who might see it as Russia turning its back on democracy. He also avoided the temptation to tinker with the constitution to extend his rule in 2008, when he last faced term limits.

Instead, he stepped aside and let a loyal lieutenant, Dmitry Medvedev, run for president, certain he would win with the Kremlin&rsquo;s backing. Putin, who became prime minister for four years, secure re-election when Medvedev&rsquo;s term ended in 2012, and Medvedev has been prime minister since then.

Putin controlled the country from the wings between 2008 and 2012 and might see a similar move as an option now. Medvedev&rsquo;s ratings are much lower than Putin&rsquo;s but the ruling elite could accept him as a tried-and-tested proxy for Putin.

&ldquo;Only Medvedev,&rdquo; a source in government circles told Reuters when asked who could be president after Putin.&ldquo;Everyone is afraid of change.&rdquo;&nbsp;

FATIGUE

Age, though, might now get in the way of Putin.&nbsp;

He is in robust physical shape but will be 71 when his fourth term ends. If he again stepped aside for a full term, he would be 77 on his return &mdash; the presidential term was extended to six years in 2008 during Medvedev&rsquo;s presidency.

One of the sources close to the Kremlin said Putin does sometimes feel extremely tired, but largely through exasperation at officials&rsquo; incompetence and bureaucratic sloth.

During a meeting with Belarussian President Alexander Lukashenko in 2016, Putin was caught on an open microphone confiding to his ally:&ldquo;I don&rsquo;t get enough sleep. The day before yesterday I slept for four hours, last night I got five hours.&rdquo;

Putin might also be loath to rule in his late seventies as he has portrayed himself as a healthy and energetic leader since replacing the ailing Boris Yeltsin and providing the vitality lacked by most leaders in the dying days of the Soviet Union.

He will soon have ruled longer than Soviet Communist leader Leonid Brezhnev, whose 18-year rule from 1964 to 1982 is primarily associated with stagnation, though dictator Josef Stalin ruled the Soviet Union for three decades.

To enjoy a restful retirement, Putin would need to anoint a fully fledged successor who can hold on to power in his or her own right and also protect the interests of the ruling elite.

Kremlin insiders say Putin has selected no heir apparent, and that any names being circulated are the product of speculation, not knowledge of Putin&rsquo;s thinking.

The names include Igor Sechin, head of state oil firm Rosneft; Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu; Igor Dyumin, a former Putin bodyguard who became a regional governor, and Moscow mayor Sergei Sobyanin.&nbsp;

Anointing a successor also entails dangers for Putin as doing so too soon would risk him becoming a lame duck, allegiances shifting from him to the heir apparent and new turf wars being set off in the ruling elite.

Above all, Putin will want to ensure any successor can hold on to power, will protect him and will not dismantle the system built around him.

Handing over to an heir, while eventually inevitable, will therefore also be Putin&rsquo;s riskiest path.

&ldquo;The longer he stays in power, the harder it will be to exit,&rdquo; said Andrei Kolesnikov, senior fellow at the Carnegie Moscow Center, a think tank.&ldquo;How can he abandon such a complicated system, which is essentially his personal project?&rdquo;&nbsp;

The constitution limits the president to two successive terms, obliging him to step down at the end of his mandate — as he did in 2008 after serving two four-year terms

Soon after Vladimir Putin is re-elected on Sunday, his thoughts will turn to the question that is likely to dominate his next term as Russia’s president: what will he do when it ends? Putin’s victory in the presidential election is not in doubt as his ratings are high and he has the state machinery behind him, but how long the man who has dominated Russia for nearly 18 years wants to stay power is uncertain. The constitution limits the president to two successive terms, obliging him to step down at the end of his mandate — as he did in 2008 after serving two four-year terms. His mandate will not expire until 2024 but the problem needs immediate attention because the uncertainty about his long-term future is a source of instability in a fractious ruling elite that only he can keep in check. “The Russian political scene is entering a new phase,” said Gleb Pavlovsky, a former Kremlin adviser who is now critical of the country’s leadership.“Most discussion within the ruling elite focuses not on the next stage of the Putin era but on what will constitute the post-Putin era.” Vygaudas Usackas, the European Union’s ambassador to Russia until last October, says the stakes are high. “This is a risky moment for the system,” said Usackas, who is now director of the Institute of Europe at Lithuania’s Kaunas University of Technology. Putin has at least three main options. He could take a leaf out of Chinese President Xi Jinping’s book and seek an end to term limits, hand over to a place-holder for a term and then return, or anoint a successor and bow out of public life. Each choice carries risks and Putin may have other options up his sleeve. A former spy, he is secretive and likes to pull surprises. But the uncertainty about his plans is potentially more destabilizing than anything for the ruling elite, the political, security and business leaders around Putin. Two sources close to the Kremlin said there was, as yet, no plan for when Putin’s term ends. The matter is so sensitive that they agreed to talk only on condition of anonymity. Russia’s ruling system, while projecting an image of unity, is divided along many lines — between security hawks and economic liberals, between people with personal vendettas, and between competing for business interests. Putin holds the disparate interests together, so any hint of a vacuum at the centre of the system is risky. PUTIN FOREVER Putin is so entrenched within Russia’s ruling system that many of its members can imagine no other leader. Many in-state companies and major banks say they anticipate no real change at the top when Putin’s next term ends. “There are no discussions in the corridors about the succession. It’s as if people know that he (Putin) will be around forever,” said a source in a government ministry. If Putin wants the constitution changed to allow a third successive term, he will need two-thirds support in the lower house of parliament, three-quarters in the upper chamber and approval in two-thirds of regional legislatures. All are institutions where Kremlin allies are the overwhelming majority but Putin has said will not change the constitution to stay in power. If he did so, he would risk a backlash from voters who might see it as Russia turning its back on democracy. He also avoided the temptation to tinker with the constitution to extend his rule in 2008, when he last faced term limits. Instead, he stepped aside and let a loyal lieutenant, Dmitry Medvedev, run for president, certain he would win with the Kremlin’s backing. Putin, who became prime minister for four years, secure re-election when Medvedev’s term ended in 2012, and Medvedev has been prime minister since then. Putin controlled the country from the wings between 2008 and 2012 and might see a similar move as an option now. Medvedev’s ratings are much lower than Putin’s but the ruling elite could accept him as a tried-and-tested proxy for Putin. “Only Medvedev,” a source in government circles told Reuters when asked who could be president after Putin.“Everyone is afraid of change.” FATIGUE Age, though, might now get in the way of Putin. He is in robust physical shape but will be 71 when his fourth term ends. If he again stepped aside for a full term, he would be 77 on his return — the presidential term was extended to six years in 2008 during Medvedev’s presidency. One of the sources close to the Kremlin said Putin does sometimes feel extremely tired, but largely through exasperation at officials’ incompetence and bureaucratic sloth. During a meeting with Belarussian President Alexander Lukashenko in 2016, Putin was caught on an open microphone confiding to his ally:“I don’t get enough sleep. The day before yesterday I slept for four hours, last night I got five hours.” Putin might also be loath to rule in his late seventies as he has portrayed himself as a healthy and energetic leader since replacing the ailing Boris Yeltsin and providing the vitality lacked by most leaders in the dying days of the Soviet Union. He will soon have ruled longer than Soviet Communist leader Leonid Brezhnev, whose 18-year rule from 1964 to 1982 is primarily associated with stagnation, though dictator Josef Stalin ruled the Soviet Union for three decades. To enjoy a restful retirement, Putin would need to anoint a fully fledged successor who can hold on to power in his or her own right and also protect the interests of the ruling elite. Kremlin insiders say Putin has selected no heir apparent, and that any names being circulated are the product of speculation, not knowledge of Putin’s thinking. The names include Igor Sechin, head of state oil firm Rosneft; Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu; Igor Dyumin, a former Putin bodyguard who became a regional governor, and Moscow mayor Sergei Sobyanin. Anointing a successor also entails dangers for Putin as doing so too soon would risk him becoming a lame duck, allegiances shifting from him to the heir apparent and new turf wars being set off in the ruling elite. Above all, Putin will want to ensure any successor can hold on to power, will protect him and will not dismantle the system built around him. Handing over to an heir, while eventually inevitable, will therefore also be Putin’s riskiest path. “The longer he stays in power, the harder it will be to exit,” said Andrei Kolesnikov, senior fellow at the Carnegie Moscow Center, a think tank.“How can he abandon such a complicated system, which is essentially his personal project?”

Vladimir Putin has Russia guessing before election: How long will he hold on to power?

Russian President Vladimir Putin is facing condemnation over his recent remark where he suggested the involvement of Russian Jews in the 2016 US presidential elections. Putin suggested the 2016 US presidential polls have been likely manipulated by the Russian Jews.

Putin made these remarks during a television interview on Saturday. During the interview, he also stated the possibility of anyone in the country to have been behind the 2016 US Presidential Elections manipulation except the Russian government.&nbsp;

&quot;Maybe they&#39;re not even Russians. Maybe they&#39;re Ukrainian, Tatars, Jews - just with Russian citizenship,&quot; Putin stated during the interview.&nbsp;

&quot;Maybe they have dual citizenship, or maybe a green card. Maybe it was the Americans who paid them for this work. How do you know? I don&#39;t know,&quot; the Russian President added.&nbsp;

Putin has been facing severe backlash for his comments. The American Jewish Committee on Sunday called Putin&#39;s statements similar to &quot;the Protocols of the Elders of Zion&quot;.

Members of Israel&#39;s parliament have also thrown flak at Putin&#39;s comments.

&quot;We are quite familiar with the oldies &#39;Maybe Jews run the world, maybe Jews use blood for their rituals, maybe Jews had slaughtered Jews in Poland&#39;. Now comes the latest hit &#39;maybe Jews meddled in US elections&#39;. Our government has to condemn strongly this statement #putin #jews,&quot; Ksenia Svetlova, a Zionist Union lawmaker tweeted.&nbsp;

(With inputs from ANI)&nbsp;

Members of Israel's parliament have also thrown flak at Putin's comments

Russian President Vladimir Putin is facing condemnation over his recent remark where he suggested the involvement of Russian Jews in the 2016 US presidential elections. Putin suggested the 2016 US presidential polls have been likely manipulated by the Russian Jews. Putin made these remarks during a television interview on Saturday. During the interview, he also stated the possibility of anyone in the country to have been behind the 2016 US Presidential Elections manipulation except the Russian government. "Maybe they're not even Russians. Maybe they're Ukrainian, Tatars, Jews - just with Russian citizenship," Putin stated during the interview. "Maybe they have dual citizenship, or maybe a green card. Maybe it was the Americans who paid them for this work. How do you know? I don't know," the Russian President added. Putin has been facing severe backlash for his comments. The American Jewish Committee on Sunday called Putin's statements similar to "the Protocols of the Elders of Zion". Members of Israel's parliament have also thrown flak at Putin's comments. "We are quite familiar with the oldies 'Maybe Jews run the world, maybe Jews use blood for their rituals, maybe Jews had slaughtered Jews in Poland'. Now comes the latest hit 'maybe Jews meddled in US elections'. Our government has to condemn strongly this statement #putin #jews," Ksenia Svetlova, a Zionist Union lawmaker tweeted. (With inputs from ANI)

Putin says Russian Jews manipulated 2016 US Presidential polls, faces backlash

Russia said Sunday it successfully launched a hypersonic missile which President Vladimir Putin called &quot;an ideal weapon&quot; as he unveiled a new array of next-generation arms earlier this month.

The high-precision Kinzhal (Dagger) missile was launched from a MiG-31 supersonic interceptor jet that took off from an airfield in the South Military District in Russia&#39;s southwest, the defence ministry said.

&quot;The launch went according to plan, the hypersonic missile hit its target,&quot; the ministry added.

The ministry released video footage showing two pilots gearing up for a flight and then running towards a jet with a large missile slung beneath its underbelly.&nbsp;

Set to rousing, patriotic music, the video then shows a missile detaching from the airborne plane and gliding across the dark sky, leaving a fiery trail behind.

The Kinzhal missile was one of an array of new weapons Putin unveiled in his state-of-the-nation address earlier this month, ahead of a presidential election on March 18 that he is all but guaranteed to win.

Putin said the missile flies at 10 times the speed of the sound and can overcome air-defence systems.&nbsp;

The missile has been deployed in the Southern Military District since December 1, he added.

Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin said on Facebook that work had also been done to modernise the &quot;unique&quot; MiG-31 supersonic jet that will carry the missile.&nbsp;

Since the start of the year, more than 250 sorties have been carried out by the aircraft to perfect the work of the missile systems, the defence ministry said.

The high-precision Kinzhal (Dagger) missile was launched from a MiG-31 supersonic interceptor jet that took off from an airfield in the South Military District in Russia's southwest

Russia said Sunday it successfully launched a hypersonic missile which President Vladimir Putin called "an ideal weapon" as he unveiled a new array of next-generation arms earlier this month. The high-precision Kinzhal (Dagger) missile was launched from a MiG-31 supersonic interceptor jet that took off from an airfield in the South Military District in Russia's southwest, the defence ministry said. "The launch went according to plan, the hypersonic missile hit its target," the ministry added. The ministry released video footage showing two pilots gearing up for a flight and then running towards a jet with a large missile slung beneath its underbelly. Set to rousing, patriotic music, the video then shows a missile detaching from the airborne plane and gliding across the dark sky, leaving a fiery trail behind. The Kinzhal missile was one of an array of new weapons Putin unveiled in his state-of-the-nation address earlier this month, ahead of a presidential election on March 18 that he is all but guaranteed to win. Putin said the missile flies at 10 times the speed of the sound and can overcome air-defence systems. The missile has been deployed in the Southern Military District since December 1, he added. Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin said on Facebook that work had also been done to modernise the "unique" MiG-31 supersonic jet that will carry the missile. Since the start of the year, more than 250 sorties have been carried out by the aircraft to perfect the work of the missile systems, the defence ministry said.

Russia test-fires 'ideal' hypersonic missile

Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Saturday that he had no plans to change the constitution to stay in the Kremlin beyond 2024.

Asked by the US television network NBC whether he would follow in the footsteps of China&#39;s Xi Jinping, Putin insisted he had no such intentions.

&quot;I never changed the constitution, I did not do it to suit myself and I have no such plans to do so today,&quot; he said in an interview whose transcript was released by the Kremlin on Saturday.

Putin also rejected suggestions that he could not quit power because it would put him in danger, saying he heard &quot;a lot of ravings on this subject&quot;.

&quot;Why do you think after me power in Russia will be necessarily taken over by people who are ready to destroy everything that I have done over the past years?&quot; Putin said.

He said though he had been thinking about his potential successor, ultimately the decision would be taken by the Russian people.

&quot;It never hurts to think but at the end of the day it will be the Russian people who will decide that,&quot; he said.

The Russian president, who is accused by critics of having ambitions to stay in power indefinitely, is expected to be reelected for a fourth term in an upcoming ballot.

Putin, who was first elected president in 2000 and is running for a fourth term in the March 18 polls, has always prided himself on respecting the constitution, which bars him from serving more than two presidential terms in a row.

Putin&#39;s top critic Alexei Navalny has been barred from contesting the poll because of a criminal conviction his supporters call punishment for challenging the strongman.

Putin declined to say whether he could pardon Navalny.

&quot;Any man can be pardoned if he deserves this,&quot; said Putin.

The Russian president, who never called Navalny by his name in public, referred to the 41-year-old opposition politician as &quot;certain political forces&quot;.

&quot;What do I like in principle? It&#39;s that they expose problems and this is good, indeed it&#39;s right,&quot; Putin said.

&quot;But it&#39;s not enough for the country&#39;s positive development. Absolutely not enough. Because concentrating one&#39;s attention on problems, it&#39;s not only insufficient, it&#39;s even dangerous because it could lead to certain destruction and we need creation.&quot;

Asked by the US television network NBC whether he would follow in the footsteps of China's Xi Jinping, Putin insisted he had no such intentions

Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Saturday that he had no plans to change the constitution to stay in the Kremlin beyond 2024. Asked by the US television network NBC whether he would follow in the footsteps of China's Xi Jinping, Putin insisted he had no such intentions. "I never changed the constitution, I did not do it to suit myself and I have no such plans to do so today," he said in an interview whose transcript was released by the Kremlin on Saturday. Putin also rejected suggestions that he could not quit power because it would put him in danger, saying he heard "a lot of ravings on this subject". "Why do you think after me power in Russia will be necessarily taken over by people who are ready to destroy everything that I have done over the past years?" Putin said. He said though he had been thinking about his potential successor, ultimately the decision would be taken by the Russian people. "It never hurts to think but at the end of the day it will be the Russian people who will decide that," he said. The Russian president, who is accused by critics of having ambitions to stay in power indefinitely, is expected to be reelected for a fourth term in an upcoming ballot. Putin, who was first elected president in 2000 and is running for a fourth term in the March 18 polls, has always prided himself on respecting the constitution, which bars him from serving more than two presidential terms in a row. Putin's top critic Alexei Navalny has been barred from contesting the poll because of a criminal conviction his supporters call punishment for challenging the strongman. Putin declined to say whether he could pardon Navalny. "Any man can be pardoned if he deserves this," said Putin. The Russian president, who never called Navalny by his name in public, referred to the 41-year-old opposition politician as "certain political forces". "What do I like in principle? It's that they expose problems and this is good, indeed it's right," Putin said. "But it's not enough for the country's positive development. Absolutely not enough. Because concentrating one's attention on problems, it's not only insufficient, it's even dangerous because it could lead to certain destruction and we need creation."

No plans to do so: Putin on changing constitution to cling to power

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday praised female bosses and their &quot;typically feminine traits&quot; during a visit to a pastry factory ahead of International Women&#39;s Day.&nbsp;

March 8 is a public holiday in Russia but is mainly celebrated by giving flowers and chocolates to women rather than stressing the need for gender equality.

&quot;To be a major shareholder... or the head of a business, you have to have particular qualities,&quot; said Putin as he met with female entrepreneurs in the city of Samara on the Volga river.

&quot; I think that women do have these qualities, and even certain advantages,&quot; said the president, who cultivates a macho image and is often photographed topless and playing sports.&nbsp;

&quot;Men are, as they say, tougher. But if these leadership qualities are combined with typically feminine traits, then the result is often much superior to the assertiveness of strong men.&quot;

Russia&#39;s last female leader was Catherine the Great, who died in 1796, and the only woman standing in a presidential election this month, Ksenia Sobchak, has around one percent of the projected vote.

Communist candidate Pavel Grudinin has pulled out of televised presidential debates, which Putin has refused to take part in, but briefly returned Wednesday to wish Sobchak the best on the upcoming holiday.&nbsp;

He apologised to the former reality TV host and socialite &quot;on behalf of all men&quot; for the insults she suffered during a previous debate, at which an ultra-nationalist candidate called her a &quot;whore&quot;.&nbsp;

Grudinin then handed Sobchak a bouquet of flowers and left the stage.

Moscow Metro said it had set up temporary beauty salons in one of the capital&#39;s major underground stations to offer free make-up and styling to female passengers.

A group of feminist activists were detained on International Women&#39;s Day last year after protesting near the Kremlin with banners calling for an end to male rule.

March 8 is a public holiday in Russia but is mainly celebrated by giving flowers and chocolates to women than stressing the need for gender equality

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday praised female bosses and their "typically feminine traits" during a visit to a pastry factory ahead of International Women's Day. March 8 is a public holiday in Russia but is mainly celebrated by giving flowers and chocolates to women rather than stressing the need for gender equality. "To be a major shareholder... or the head of a business, you have to have particular qualities," said Putin as he met with female entrepreneurs in the city of Samara on the Volga river. " I think that women do have these qualities, and even certain advantages," said the president, who cultivates a macho image and is often photographed topless and playing sports. "Men are, as they say, tougher. But if these leadership qualities are combined with typically feminine traits, then the result is often much superior to the assertiveness of strong men." Russia's last female leader was Catherine the Great, who died in 1796, and the only woman standing in a presidential election this month, Ksenia Sobchak, has around one percent of the projected vote. Communist candidate Pavel Grudinin has pulled out of televised presidential debates, which Putin has refused to take part in, but briefly returned Wednesday to wish Sobchak the best on the upcoming holiday. He apologised to the former reality TV host and socialite "on behalf of all men" for the insults she suffered during a previous debate, at which an ultra-nationalist candidate called her a "whore". Grudinin then handed Sobchak a bouquet of flowers and left the stage. Moscow Metro said it had set up temporary beauty salons in one of the capital's major underground stations to offer free make-up and styling to female passengers. A group of feminist activists were detained on International Women's Day last year after protesting near the Kremlin with banners calling for an end to male rule.

Russian President Vladimir Putin hails 'advantages' of female bosses ahead of women's day

The Kremlin on Friday rejected US allegation that Russia violated its treaty obligations. The Trump administration had previously accused the Putin regime to have been developing destabilising weapons system for nearly a decade.&nbsp;

White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders on Thursday noted the same shortly after Russian President Vladimir Putin announced an array of new nuclear weapons.

Putin announced that the new weapons system could hit almost any point in the world and is capable of evading a US-built missile shield.&nbsp;

Meanwhile, Russian spokesman Dmitry Peskov denied any breach of international arms control pacts by Russia.&nbsp;

&quot;Russia does not plan to get dragged into any arms race,&quot; said Peskov.&nbsp;

(With inputs from Reuters)&nbsp;

Russian spokesman Dmitry Peskov denied any breach of international arms control pacts by Russia

The Kremlin on Friday rejected US allegation that Russia violated its treaty obligations. The Trump administration had previously accused the Putin regime to have been developing destabilising weapons system for nearly a decade. White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders on Thursday noted the same shortly after Russian President Vladimir Putin announced an array of new nuclear weapons. Putin announced that the new weapons system could hit almost any point in the world and is capable of evading a US-built missile shield. Meanwhile, Russian spokesman Dmitry Peskov denied any breach of international arms control pacts by Russia. "Russia does not plan to get dragged into any arms race," said Peskov. (With inputs from Reuters)

Russia does not plan to get dragged into any arms race: Spokesperson

Russian President <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/us-releases-putin-list-of-russians-eligible-for-sanctions-31216">Vladimir Putin in an array of video clips</a> unveiled a new range of nuclear weapons including intercontinental ballistic missile, a small nuclear warhead that could be attached to cruise missiles, underwater nuclear drones, a supersonic weapon and a laser weapon.

&quot;I can say that <a href="http://www.wionews.com/photos/in-pics-unveiling-ceremony-of-statue-of-mikhail-kalashnikov-the-russian-inventor-of-the-fabled-ak-47-assault-rifle-466">Russia has developed an unmanned submarine</a> that can operate at great depth,&quot; the Russian president said, adding ominously,&quot;it can travel transcontinental distance, with a speed many folds faster than conventional submarines, the most advanced torpedoes, and all types of ships, even the fastest.&quot;

&quot;This is absolutely fantastic,&quot; he declared excitedly.

The Russian president who will be fighting the next presidential elections due to be held in a few days in which he is widely expected to win drew huge cheers as he presented the next generation weapons to the Russian public.

&quot;Unmanned submarines can be armed with conventional and nuclear warheads, this allows them to strike a wide range of targets,&quot; Putin said.

&quot;Low attitude, difficult to notice cruise missile carrying a nuclear warhead, with a virtually unlimited range and an unpredictable trajectory and capability to bypass interception lines, it&#39;s invincible to all existing and prospective air defence and missile defence systems,&quot; he told the crowd as he displayed the images on a video screen.

The presentation made on a giant screen in central Moscow was not just a display of Russian military capability but a virtual vision of Putin&#39;s Russia projecting himself as a &quot;strong man&quot;.&nbsp;

&quot;The most important stage of development of modern arms systems is the creation of a high-precision, supersonic missile aerospace system that has no equivalents in the world.&quot;

&quot;Its tests have been successfully concluded,&quot; he added.

The Russian leader also voiced concerns about a new US&nbsp;nuclear doctrine, saying that Russia&#39;s own doctrine was defensive and only envisaged the use of nuclear weapons in response to an attack.

Russia has repeatedly said it is keen to hold talks with the United States about the &quot;balance&quot;&nbsp;of strategic nuclear power.

The Russian president who will be fighting the next presidential elections due to be held in a few days in which he is widely expected to win

Russian President Vladimir Putin in an array of video clips unveiled a new range of nuclear weapons including intercontinental ballistic missile, a small nuclear warhead that could be attached to cruise missiles, underwater nuclear drones, a supersonic weapon and a laser weapon. "I can say that Russia has developed an unmanned submarine that can operate at great depth," the Russian president said, adding ominously,"it can travel transcontinental distance, with a speed many folds faster than conventional submarines, the most advanced torpedoes, and all types of ships, even the fastest." "This is absolutely fantastic," he declared excitedly. The Russian president who will be fighting the next presidential elections due to be held in a few days in which he is widely expected to win drew huge cheers as he presented the next generation weapons to the Russian public. "Unmanned submarines can be armed with conventional and nuclear warheads, this allows them to strike a wide range of targets," Putin said. "Low attitude, difficult to notice cruise missile carrying a nuclear warhead, with a virtually unlimited range and an unpredictable trajectory and capability to bypass interception lines, it's invincible to all existing and prospective air defence and missile defence systems," he told the crowd as he displayed the images on a video screen. The presentation made on a giant screen in central Moscow was not just a display of Russian military capability but a virtual vision of Putin's Russia projecting himself as a "strong man". "The most important stage of development of modern arms systems is the creation of a high-precision, supersonic missile aerospace system that has no equivalents in the world." "Its tests have been successfully concluded," he added. The Russian leader also voiced concerns about a new US nuclear doctrine, saying that Russia's own doctrine was defensive and only envisaged the use of nuclear weapons in response to an attack. Russia has repeatedly said it is keen to hold talks with the United States about the "balance" of strategic nuclear power.

Watch: Putin makes stunning presentation on Russia's missile & nuclear capability

According to a Danish newspaper, a whistleblower had warned Denmark&#39;s biggest bank in 2013 against Russian President Vladimir Putin and Russia&#39;s spy agency using its Estonian bank branch for money laundering.

Denmark&#39;s Berlingske daily said today that the Danske Bank leadership knew &quot;of far more serious conditions than previously stated.&quot;

Danske Bank is reported to have shut down 20 Russian customer accounts in 2013. The move was followed by a whistleblower&#39;s report alleging its Estonian branch to possibly had been involved in illegal activities.

The clients&#39; identities were kept secret at the time. Danske Bank did not comment on the matter.&nbsp;

Denmark's Berlingske daily said today that the Danske Bank leadership knew 'of far more serious conditions than previously stated'

According to a Danish newspaper, a whistleblower had warned Denmark's biggest bank in 2013 against Russian President Vladimir Putin and Russia's spy agency using its Estonian bank branch for money laundering. Denmark's Berlingske daily said today that the Danske Bank leadership knew "of far more serious conditions than previously stated." Danske Bank is reported to have shut down 20 Russian customer accounts in 2013. The move was followed by a whistleblower's report alleging its Estonian branch to possibly had been involved in illegal activities. The clients' identities were kept secret at the time. Danske Bank did not comment on the matter.

Report alleges Putin's family using Estonian bank for money laundering

Russia said on Monday it would establish an evacuation corridor and implement a five-hour daily truce to allow people to leave Syria&#39;s eastern Ghouta, after a U.N. Security Council resolution demanding a 30-day ceasefire across the entire country.

It appeared to make no mention, however, of allowing relief supplies to enter the territory, where 400,000 people are living under siege and bombardment.

Over the past week, Syria&#39;s army and its allies have subjected the rebel-held enclave near Damascus to one of the heaviest bombardments of the seven-year war, killing hundreds.

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<h5>Eastern Ghouta cannot wait, it is high time to stop this hell on earth,&#39; UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres told the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva, calling for implementation of a ceasefire</h5>
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On Sunday, health authorities there said several people had symptoms consistent with chlorine gas exposure. On Monday, rescue workers and a monitoring group said seven small children had been killed by air and artillery strikes in one town.

&quot;Eastern Ghouta cannot wait, it is high time to stop this hell on earth,&quot; U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres told the U.N. Human Rights Council in Geneva, calling for implementation of the ceasefire.

Fighting has raged across Syria since Saturday&#39;s resolution, as Turkey presses its offensive against a Kurdish militia in Afrin, rival rebel groups fight each other in Idlib and a U.S.-led coalition targets Islamic State in the east..

Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu was cited by the RIA news agency as saying President Vladimir Putin had ordered a ceasefire in eastern Ghouta from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. each day, and the creation of a &quot;humanitarian corridor&quot;.

RED CROSS CALLS FOR MORE

Major-General Yuri Yevtushenko, head of the Russian peace and reconciliation centre in Syria, said the measures, decided in agreement with Syrian forces, were intended to help civilians leave and to evacuate the sick and wounded.

RIA&#39;s report of his remarks made no direct mention of letting relief supplies in, but quoted Yevtushenko accusing militants of &quot;holding hundreds hostage, including women and children, and victimising residents, refusing to allow them to leave&quot;.

The International Committee of the Red Cross in Geneva said it welcomed any measure that allowed &quot;those who wish to leave to do so, of their free will&quot;, as well as medical evacuations.

But spokeswoman Iolanda Jaquemet said much more was required: &quot;The need remains for humanitarian convoys to move in with vital supplies: medicines, medical supplies, food, material to purify the water. This is a place with up to 400,000 people and humanitarian needs are huge.&quot;

Linda Tom, a U.N. humanitarian spokeswoman in Damascus, called for the Council resolution to be fully implemented &quot;so that the U.N. and its partners can deliver humanitarian assistance to those in need, particularly to those in eastern Ghouta&quot;.

She said at least 30 people had been killed in Ghouta in the previous 48 hours.

Russia, along with Iran and Shi&#39;ite militias, is a major backer of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and it joined the war on his side in 2015, helping him claw back important areas.

Mohamad Alloush, political chief of one of eastern Ghouta&#39;s biggest rebel factions, said the Syrian army and its allies had launched &quot;a sweeping ground assault&quot; after the U.N. resolution.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said allegations that the Syrian government was responsible for any chemical attack were aimed at sabotaging the truce.

The Syrian government has consistently denied using chemical weapons in the war, which will soon enter its eighth year having killed hundreds of thousands of people and forced half of Syria&#39;s pre-war population of about 23 million from their homes.

DEAD CHILDREN

A picture issued by Civil Defence rescue workers, which Reuters could not independently verify, showed seven small bodies lying beside each other, wrapped in white and blue sheets, after air and artillery strikes on the town of Douma in eastern Ghouta.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a UK-based monitoring group, said four of them were among a single family of nine killed by an air strike. The other three were among seven killed by shelling in the same town, it said.

The bombardment of eastern Ghouta over the past week has been one of the heaviest of the war, killing at least 556 people in eight days, according to the Syrian Observatory.

It said the intensity of the bombardment had diminished since the U.N. resolution, but that 21 people had been killed in eastern Ghouta on Monday.

Rebel shelling has caused 36 deaths and a number of injuries in Damascus and nearby rural areas in the last four days, Zaher Hajjo, a government health official, told Reuters.

The deputy director general of the World Health Organisation, Peter Salama, said the WHO urgently needed to evacuate 750 medical cases from eastern Ghouta, as well as &quot;sustained access for medical equipment and for medical drugs and commodities&quot;.

RELATIVE LULL

In eastern Ghouta, people were using the relative lull to find provisions, said Moayad Hafi, a rescue worker based there.

&quot;Civilians rushed from their shelters to get food and return quickly since the warplanes are still in the sky and can hit at any moment,&quot; he told Reuters in a voice message.

Lavrov said the ceasefire would not cover either the Ahrar al-Sham or the Jaish al-Islam factions, describing them as partners of the former al Qaeda affiliate the Nusra Front.

The two major rebel factions in eastern Ghouta are Jaish al-Islam and Failaq al-Rahman. Tahrir al-Sham, an alliance of jihadists including Nusra, also has a small presence there.

In Idlib, Ahrar al-Sham and Tahrir al-Sham have been fighting each other in recent days, rather than cooperating.

Syrian state television reported that army units had advanced against militants near Harasta in eastern Ghouta. The state news agency SANA also reported that the army had stopped a car bomb being driven into Damascus.

The Nusra Front has consistently been excluded from ceasefires in Syria, and the opposition says the government has used this as an excuse to keep up its bombardments.

Over the past week, Syria's army and its allies have subjected the rebel-held enclave near Damascus to one of the heaviest bombardments of the seven-year war, killing hundreds

Russia said on Monday it would establish an evacuation corridor and implement a five-hour daily truce to allow people to leave Syria's eastern Ghouta, after a U.N. Security Council resolution demanding a 30-day ceasefire across the entire country. It appeared to make no mention, however, of allowing relief supplies to enter the territory, where 400,000 people are living under siege and bombardment. Over the past week, Syria's army and its allies have subjected the rebel-held enclave near Damascus to one of the heaviest bombardments of the seven-year war, killing hundreds. Eastern Ghouta cannot wait, it is high time to stop this hell on earth,' UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres told the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva, calling for implementation of a ceasefire × On Sunday, health authorities there said several people had symptoms consistent with chlorine gas exposure. On Monday, rescue workers and a monitoring group said seven small children had been killed by air and artillery strikes in one town. "Eastern Ghouta cannot wait, it is high time to stop this hell on earth," U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres told the U.N. Human Rights Council in Geneva, calling for implementation of the ceasefire. Fighting has raged across Syria since Saturday's resolution, as Turkey presses its offensive against a Kurdish militia in Afrin, rival rebel groups fight each other in Idlib and a U.S.-led coalition targets Islamic State in the east.. Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu was cited by the RIA news agency as saying President Vladimir Putin had ordered a ceasefire in eastern Ghouta from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. each day, and the creation of a "humanitarian corridor". RED CROSS CALLS FOR MORE Major-General Yuri Yevtushenko, head of the Russian peace and reconciliation centre in Syria, said the measures, decided in agreement with Syrian forces, were intended to help civilians leave and to evacuate the sick and wounded. RIA's report of his remarks made no direct mention of letting relief supplies in, but quoted Yevtushenko accusing militants of "holding hundreds hostage, including women and children, and victimising residents, refusing to allow them to leave". The International Committee of the Red Cross in Geneva said it welcomed any measure that allowed "those who wish to leave to do so, of their free will", as well as medical evacuations. But spokeswoman Iolanda Jaquemet said much more was required: "The need remains for humanitarian convoys to move in with vital supplies: medicines, medical supplies, food, material to purify the water. This is a place with up to 400,000 people and humanitarian needs are huge." Linda Tom, a U.N. humanitarian spokeswoman in Damascus, called for the Council resolution to be fully implemented "so that the U.N. and its partners can deliver humanitarian assistance to those in need, particularly to those in eastern Ghouta". She said at least 30 people had been killed in Ghouta in the previous 48 hours. Russia, along with Iran and Shi'ite militias, is a major backer of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and it joined the war on his side in 2015, helping him claw back important areas. Mohamad Alloush, political chief of one of eastern Ghouta's biggest rebel factions, said the Syrian army and its allies had launched "a sweeping ground assault" after the U.N. resolution. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said allegations that the Syrian government was responsible for any chemical attack were aimed at sabotaging the truce. The Syrian government has consistently denied using chemical weapons in the war, which will soon enter its eighth year having killed hundreds of thousands of people and forced half of Syria's pre-war population of about 23 million from their homes. DEAD CHILDREN A picture issued by Civil Defence rescue workers, which Reuters could not independently verify, showed seven small bodies lying beside each other, wrapped in white and blue sheets, after air and artillery strikes on the town of Douma in eastern Ghouta. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a UK-based monitoring group, said four of them were among a single family of nine killed by an air strike. The other three were among seven killed by shelling in the same town, it said. The bombardment of eastern Ghouta over the past week has been one of the heaviest of the war, killing at least 556 people in eight days, according to the Syrian Observatory. It said the intensity of the bombardment had diminished since the U.N. resolution, but that 21 people had been killed in eastern Ghouta on Monday. Rebel shelling has caused 36 deaths and a number of injuries in Damascus and nearby rural areas in the last four days, Zaher Hajjo, a government health official, told Reuters. The deputy director general of the World Health Organisation, Peter Salama, said the WHO urgently needed to evacuate 750 medical cases from eastern Ghouta, as well as "sustained access for medical equipment and for medical drugs and commodities". RELATIVE LULL In eastern Ghouta, people were using the relative lull to find provisions, said Moayad Hafi, a rescue worker based there. "Civilians rushed from their shelters to get food and return quickly since the warplanes are still in the sky and can hit at any moment," he told Reuters in a voice message. Lavrov said the ceasefire would not cover either the Ahrar al-Sham or the Jaish al-Islam factions, describing them as partners of the former al Qaeda affiliate the Nusra Front. The two major rebel factions in eastern Ghouta are Jaish al-Islam and Failaq al-Rahman. Tahrir al-Sham, an alliance of jihadists including Nusra, also has a small presence there. In Idlib, Ahrar al-Sham and Tahrir al-Sham have been fighting each other in recent days, rather than cooperating. Syrian state television reported that army units had advanced against militants near Harasta in eastern Ghouta. The state news agency SANA also reported that the army had stopped a car bomb being driven into Damascus. The Nusra Front has consistently been excluded from ceasefires in Syria, and the opposition says the government has used this as an excuse to keep up its bombardments.

Syria's Ghouta: Russia orders daily 5-hour truce

Running with a lacklustre slogan, no programme and refusing to debate his opponents, it sometimes seems like Russian President Vladimir Putin is not campaigning for re-election at all.

But it is unlikely to matter for the 65-year-old strongman who is cruising towards victory and a historic fourth Kremlin term in next month&#39;s election, with a result that seems so inevitable analysts are calling it a return to the Soviet era.

&quot;Putin is the only candidate without a programme. That is extremely alarming,&quot; said Andrei Kolesnikov of the Carnegie Moscow Center, describing it as &quot;a demonstration of disregard for his people.&quot;

As always, Putin has bowed out of debates and has symbolically refused his free television airtime as a candidate.

But he already benefits from wall-to-wall news coverage, and Channel One state television has been rebroadcasting Oliver Stone&#39;s four-part documentary about him although it won&#39;t show the last episode until after the vote following a slap on the wrist from the electoral commission.

The most visible sign of his campaign are the images of him plastered on billboards along highways outside Moscow under the slogan: &quot;A strong president makes for a strong country.&quot;

Generic posters from the Central Electoral Commission urging people to vote are everywhere.

Putin&#39;s main task is to ensure a respectable turnout, with state pollsters VTsIOM predicting 80.4 percent although last time, participation was just over 65 percent.

&quot;We have returned to what we had hoped to leave behind after the collapse of Soviet power: ritualistic elections where... the result is pre-programmed,&quot; wrote columnist Fyodor Krasheninnikov in the independent weekly, The New Times.

And others agree.

&quot;This is the most meaningless of all the presidential polls in Russia, the most lacking in substance,&quot; said Kolesnikov.

So far, the most striking moment of Putin&#39;s &quot;campaign&quot; was when he joined millions of Orthodox Christians in plunging into an ice hole wearing swimming trunks for the January&#39;s Epiphany holiday.

He has since skipped several events this week after coming down with a rare cold.

Functions he has attended have been highly choreographed such as a recent meeting with local mayors, when Putin was choppered in, met with a star-struck few as journalists watched on a screen from another room.

Although the numbers planning to vote for him have dipped from last year&#39;s high of 76.9 percent, Putin still commands a 71.5 percent of support, VTsIOM figures show.

For pro-Kremlin observers, Putin&#39;s campaign is laying the ground for his future term and eschewing stunts that would only gain him a few points in the election.

&quot;We see real hands-on work that has significantly greater results than populist fussing around for the sake of an extra one to two percent in elections,&quot; said Nikolai Kalmykov of the Russian Presidential Academy of National Economy and Public Administration.

With opposition leader Alexei Navalny barred from standing due to a fraud conviction, he is urging his supporters -- many of them young -- to boycott the polls. 
The latest VTsIOM polls suggest the lowest turnout is likely to be among 18 to 24-year-olds.

Among those running against Putin are two new colourful characters who may have a political future ahead of them.

Ksenia Sobchak, a former reality show host turned liberal journalist, is standing on a &quot;none of the above&quot; ticket and has called for Navalny to be allowed on the ballot. 
While she is forecast to come a distant fourth, this outspoken daughter of Saint Petersburg&#39;s former mayor -- Putin&#39;s political mentor -- is one of the few people who doesn&#39;t fear him, and sparks could fly if they were to meet.

Another is debonair businessman Pavel Grudinin, the little-known director of an agribusiness who was chosen as the Communist candidate in December after veteran leader Gennady Zyuganov chose not to stand.

The moustachioed 57-year-old businessman, who has praised Stalin, scored well in early polls, prompting a wave of negative coverage from state and pro-Kremlin media over fears he could do better than planned, observers said.

If the vote were held today, he would win 7.3 percent, polls show.

&quot;There is a campaign and it does have an element of intrigue... Sobchak and Grudinin,&quot; said Kolesnikov, who said the polls would test Sobchak&#39;s potential for leading a liberal party and Grudinin&#39;s to take over from Zyuganov. 
&nbsp;

It sometimes seems like Russian President Vladimir Putin is not campaigning for re-election at all

Running with a lacklustre slogan, no programme and refusing to debate his opponents, it sometimes seems like Russian President Vladimir Putin is not campaigning for re-election at all. But it is unlikely to matter for the 65-year-old strongman who is cruising towards victory and a historic fourth Kremlin term in next month's election, with a result that seems so inevitable analysts are calling it a return to the Soviet era. "Putin is the only candidate without a programme. That is extremely alarming," said Andrei Kolesnikov of the Carnegie Moscow Center, describing it as "a demonstration of disregard for his people." As always, Putin has bowed out of debates and has symbolically refused his free television airtime as a candidate. But he already benefits from wall-to-wall news coverage, and Channel One state television has been rebroadcasting Oliver Stone's four-part documentary about him although it won't show the last episode until after the vote following a slap on the wrist from the electoral commission. The most visible sign of his campaign are the images of him plastered on billboards along highways outside Moscow under the slogan: "A strong president makes for a strong country." Generic posters from the Central Electoral Commission urging people to vote are everywhere. Putin's main task is to ensure a respectable turnout, with state pollsters VTsIOM predicting 80.4 percent although last time, participation was just over 65 percent. "We have returned to what we had hoped to leave behind after the collapse of Soviet power: ritualistic elections where... the result is pre-programmed," wrote columnist Fyodor Krasheninnikov in the independent weekly, The New Times. And others agree. "This is the most meaningless of all the presidential polls in Russia, the most lacking in substance," said Kolesnikov. So far, the most striking moment of Putin's "campaign" was when he joined millions of Orthodox Christians in plunging into an ice hole wearing swimming trunks for the January's Epiphany holiday. He has since skipped several events this week after coming down with a rare cold. Functions he has attended have been highly choreographed such as a recent meeting with local mayors, when Putin was choppered in, met with a star-struck few as journalists watched on a screen from another room. Although the numbers planning to vote for him have dipped from last year's high of 76.9 percent, Putin still commands a 71.5 percent of support, VTsIOM figures show. For pro-Kremlin observers, Putin's campaign is laying the ground for his future term and eschewing stunts that would only gain him a few points in the election. "We see real hands-on work that has significantly greater results than populist fussing around for the sake of an extra one to two percent in elections," said Nikolai Kalmykov of the Russian Presidential Academy of National Economy and Public Administration. With opposition leader Alexei Navalny barred from standing due to a fraud conviction, he is urging his supporters -- many of them young -- to boycott the polls. The latest VTsIOM polls suggest the lowest turnout is likely to be among 18 to 24-year-olds. Among those running against Putin are two new colourful characters who may have a political future ahead of them. Ksenia Sobchak, a former reality show host turned liberal journalist, is standing on a "none of the above" ticket and has called for Navalny to be allowed on the ballot. While she is forecast to come a distant fourth, this outspoken daughter of Saint Petersburg's former mayor -- Putin's political mentor -- is one of the few people who doesn't fear him, and sparks could fly if they were to meet. Another is debonair businessman Pavel Grudinin, the little-known director of an agribusiness who was chosen as the Communist candidate in December after veteran leader Gennady Zyuganov chose not to stand. The moustachioed 57-year-old businessman, who has praised Stalin, scored well in early polls, prompting a wave of negative coverage from state and pro-Kremlin media over fears he could do better than planned, observers said. If the vote were held today, he would win 7.3 percent, polls show. "There is a campaign and it does have an element of intrigue... Sobchak and Grudinin," said Kolesnikov, who said the polls would test Sobchak's potential for leading a liberal party and Grudinin's to take over from Zyuganov.

No programme, no debate but Putin cruising to poll win

US President Donald Trump called his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin on Monday to offer his condolences after a <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/russian-passenger-plane-with-71-on-board-crashes-outside-moscow-32499" target="_blank">deadly plane crash near Moscow</a>, a White House official said.

The call between the two leaders -- who are at the center of an FBI investigation into <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/russia-to-face-consequences-if-it-meddles-again-tillerson-32051" target="_blank">Moscow`s alleged meddling in the 2016 US election</a> -- took place after a plane crashed minutes after takeoff from Domodedovo airport, killing all 71 people on board.

Trump spoke with Putin to &quot;express his condolences regarding the crash of Saratov Airlines Flight 703 on February 11,&quot; the White House said, offering its account of the event.

&quot;President Trump said that the United States was standing by to assist Russian authorities in their investigation.&quot;

The pair also discussed Middle East peace, ahead of Putin`s meeting with Palestinian leader Mahmud Abbas.

&quot;The two presidents discussed other topics of mutual concern, and President Trump reiterated the importance of taking further steps to ensure the denuclearization of North Korea,&quot; according to the White House.

The call between the two leaders -- who are at the center of an FBI investigation into Moscow`s alleged meddling in the 2016 US election -- took place after a plane crashed minutes after takeoff from Domodedovo airport, killing all 71 people on board

US President Donald Trump called his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin on Monday to offer his condolences after a deadly plane crash near Moscow, a White House official said. The call between the two leaders -- who are at the center of an FBI investigation into Moscow`s alleged meddling in the 2016 US election -- took place after a plane crashed minutes after takeoff from Domodedovo airport, killing all 71 people on board. Trump spoke with Putin to "express his condolences regarding the crash of Saratov Airlines Flight 703 on February 11," the White House said, offering its account of the event. "President Trump said that the United States was standing by to assist Russian authorities in their investigation." The pair also discussed Middle East peace, ahead of Putin`s meeting with Palestinian leader Mahmud Abbas. "The two presidents discussed other topics of mutual concern, and President Trump reiterated the importance of taking further steps to ensure the denuclearization of North Korea," according to the White House.

Trump offers Putin condolences over plane crash

The Russian police arrested opposition leader Alexei Navalny in Moscow on Sunday as protests continue.&nbsp;

The <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/russian-opposition-leader-navalny-detained-in-moscow-30993">Russian Police detained</a> opposition leader Alexei Navalny moments after he appeared at a rally to urge voters to boycott what he said would be a rigged presidential election in March.

Police forced their way into Navalny`s office using power tools, citing reports of a bomb threat, an online feed run by Navalny`s supporters showed.

Surrounded by supporters, the 41-year-old chanted &quot;Swindlers and thieves&quot; before being detained by police shortly afterwards at an unsanctioned gathering in the city centre amid heavy police presence.

&quot;I have been detained,&quot; Navalny tweeted. &quot;This means nothing. Come to Tverskaya (Avenue),&quot; he said, referring to Moscow&#39;s main thoroughfare.

&quot;You are not rallying for me, but for yourselves and your future.&quot;

Heeding a call by President Putin&#39;s bete noire, thousands rallied in dozens of cities to protest upcoming &quot;pseudo-elections,&quot; with many chanting and brandishing placards saying &quot;Voters&#39; strike.&quot;

Around 90 people were detained across the country, according to OVD-Info, an independent group which monitors crackdowns on demonstrations.

Teenagers, pensioners and middle-aged citizens ignored police broadcasts to clear the square, chanting &ldquo;Putin is a thief&rdquo; and &ldquo;Russia without Putin&rdquo;, waving placards and Russian flags.

A dozen buses filled with riot police flanked the square, as the protest gradually swelled. &ldquo;Get Putin out of power,&rdquo; shouted one elderly lady as she moved through the crowd, under a placard reading: &ldquo;Putin, you leave us no choice.&rdquo;

Russia&rsquo;s election commission in December formally banned Navalny from taking part in the election, where Mr Putin will almost certainly win another six-year term in power and extend his 18-year rule.&nbsp;

Officials rejected Navalny&rsquo;s candidacy because of a February 2017 criminal conviction for embezzlement, which itself has been criticised by independent legal experts and foreign judges as politically motivated. 
&nbsp;

Heeding a call by President Putin's bete noire, thousands rallied in dozens of cities to protest upcoming 'pseudo-elections,' with many chanting and brandishing placards saying 'Voters' strike'

The Russian police arrested opposition leader Alexei Navalny in Moscow on Sunday as protests continue. The Russian Police detained opposition leader Alexei Navalny moments after he appeared at a rally to urge voters to boycott what he said would be a rigged presidential election in March. Police forced their way into Navalny`s office using power tools, citing reports of a bomb threat, an online feed run by Navalny`s supporters showed. Surrounded by supporters, the 41-year-old chanted "Swindlers and thieves" before being detained by police shortly afterwards at an unsanctioned gathering in the city centre amid heavy police presence. "I have been detained," Navalny tweeted. "This means nothing. Come to Tverskaya (Avenue)," he said, referring to Moscow's main thoroughfare. "You are not rallying for me, but for yourselves and your future." Heeding a call by President Putin's bete noire, thousands rallied in dozens of cities to protest upcoming "pseudo-elections," with many chanting and brandishing placards saying "Voters' strike." Around 90 people were detained across the country, according to OVD-Info, an independent group which monitors crackdowns on demonstrations. Teenagers, pensioners and middle-aged citizens ignored police broadcasts to clear the square, chanting “Putin is a thief” and “Russia without Putin”, waving placards and Russian flags. A dozen buses filled with riot police flanked the square, as the protest gradually swelled. “Get Putin out of power,” shouted one elderly lady as she moved through the crowd, under a placard reading: “Putin, you leave us no choice.” Russia’s election commission in December formally banned Navalny from taking part in the election, where Mr Putin will almost certainly win another six-year term in power and extend his 18-year rule. Officials rejected Navalny’s candidacy because of a February 2017 criminal conviction for embezzlement, which itself has been criticised by independent legal experts and foreign judges as politically motivated.

Russian opposition leader Alexi Navalny arrested

Emergency <a href="http://www.wionews.com/videos/watch-cctv-footage-shows-moment-of-russian-plane-crash-8304">workers in Russia searched snow-covered</a> fields outside Moscow on Monday, looking for body fragments and clues after a fatal plane crash a day earlier killed all 71 people on board.

President Vladimir Putin has ordered a special commission to investigate what caused the AN-148 plane operated by Saratov Airlines to crash outside Moscow shortly after taking off for the city of Orsk in the Orenburg region, about 900 miles (1,500 km) southeast of the capital.

Among the possible causes, investigators are looking into&nbsp;weather conditions, human error and the plane&#39;s technical condition. The plane&#39;s crew did not send any distress signals.

Experts are analysing a flight recorder recovered in the wreckage as well as plane fragments. Footage from a CCTV camera which captured some of what happened was posted online on Monday. It showed what looked like a large ball of fire streaking through the sky.

Debris and human remains are spread over a radius of a kilometre around the crash site, investigators have said.

Officials from Russia&#39;s Emergency Situations Ministry told a meeting broadcast on state TV on Monday that DNA tests were being organised with the relatives of those killed to try to identify body fragments.

The plane, manufactured in 2010, had been carrying 65 passengers and six crew. The passenger list showed many young people were on board, including a five-year-old girl. 
&nbsp;

Among the possible causes, investigators are looking into weather conditions, human error and the plane's technical condition.

Emergency workers in Russia searched snow-covered fields outside Moscow on Monday, looking for body fragments and clues after a fatal plane crash a day earlier killed all 71 people on board. President Vladimir Putin has ordered a special commission to investigate what caused the AN-148 plane operated by Saratov Airlines to crash outside Moscow shortly after taking off for the city of Orsk in the Orenburg region, about 900 miles (1,500 km) southeast of the capital. Among the possible causes, investigators are looking into weather conditions, human error and the plane's technical condition. The plane's crew did not send any distress signals. Experts are analysing a flight recorder recovered in the wreckage as well as plane fragments. Footage from a CCTV camera which captured some of what happened was posted online on Monday. It showed what looked like a large ball of fire streaking through the sky. Debris and human remains are spread over a radius of a kilometre around the crash site, investigators have said. Officials from Russia's Emergency Situations Ministry told a meeting broadcast on state TV on Monday that DNA tests were being organised with the relatives of those killed to try to identify body fragments. The plane, manufactured in 2010, had been carrying 65 passengers and six crew. The passenger list showed many young people were on board, including a five-year-old girl.

Russian investigators hunt for clues after fatal plane crash

Russian President Vladimir Putin has ordered his government to organise an alternative competition for Russian athletes banned from the Winter Olympics over a doping scandal, his spokesman said on Wednesday.

The Kremlin leader also told athletes who are due to compete in Pyeongchang next month, as independent competitors, that he was sorry officials had failed to protect them from the fallout.

&quot;<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/sorry-for-not-being-able-to-shield-you-from-doping-scam-putin-to-russian-athletes-31362">Forgive us for not having been able to shield you from this</a>,&quot; Putin said during a reception at his residence outside Moscow on Wednesday, adding that the scandal had contributed to &quot;very difficult conditions&quot; for athletes ahead of the Games.

&quot;You should focus on the result and on your victory,&quot; he added. &quot;Nothing should distract you from this.&quot;

&quot;I wish you luck,&quot; Putin said, adding he wanted them to be &quot;courageous&quot;.

He said the exclusion of many Russian&nbsp;sportsmen and women over doping was &quot;strange&quot;, reiterating his pledge to support those&nbsp;who have been prevented from taking part.

The International Olympic Committee<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/instances-doping-use-in-russia-admits-putin-31242"> banned Russia from the 2018 Winter Olympics</a> after a report on a vast, Moscow-backed doping scheme in previous Games.&nbsp;

Only 169 of Russia&#39;s athletes have been allowed to take part in the Games, under a neutral flag as an &quot;Olympic Athlete from Russia&quot;.

&#39;Russian Olympics&#39;?

Speaking to reporters, Putin&#39;s spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the president had tasked ministers with organising an alternative competition for those banned from the 2018 Games.

Putin &quot;reminded the cabinet of the decision to organise a competition for those of our athletes who had not been allowed to take part in the Olympic Games,&quot; Russian news agencies quoted Peskov as saying.&nbsp;

The Kremlin spokesman added that athletes who win at the alternative event would receive compensation equal to what Moscow normally awards Olympic medalists.

Pro-Kremlin newspaper Izvestiya reported this week that the alternative competition for banned athletes would take place in the Black Sea resort of Sochi which hosted the 2014 Winter Olympic Games.

Speaking to the athletes, Putin reiterated his complaint that the ban against Russia was politically motivated.

&quot;For us, certain things are truly strange,&quot; he said.

At the same time, he admitted Russian officials might have been guilty of &quot;oversight, mistakes&quot; and a lack of proper attention to &quot;things that are very important and key in modern&nbsp;sport.&quot;

He said he hoped that international sporting organisations would not become annexes of &quot;certain countries&quot;, a thinly-veiled jab at the United States.

Last year, Putin claimed the United States was behind Russian&nbsp;sports&nbsp;doping allegations to influence March presidential elections widely expected to extend the Russian leader&#39;s Kremlin term until 2024.

Putin has consistently denied the Russian state has run a vast doping scheme, instead blaming individual sporting officials.

&#39;Greatest sporting nation&#39;

The athletes thanked Putin for his support, with hockey player Pavel Datsyuk presenting the Kremlin chief with a jersey featuring the slogan &quot;Russia in my heart&quot; and players&#39; signatures.

Luger Roman Repilov for his part said the Russian athletes should emerge winners at Pyeongchang to show the world that &quot;Russia is the greatest sporting nation.&quot;

&quot;We should prove to them all that we are Russians, that we are strong, that those who are banning our teammates will not be able to break us,&quot; Repilov said.

&quot;We should pull ourselves together and go there and win.&quot;&nbsp;

Snowboarder Alena Zavarzina&nbsp;said the exclusion of other Russians was utterly unfair.

&quot;I believe that what happened with our colleagues who cannot go to these Games is an egregious injustice,&quot; she said.

&quot;We will fight and do everything in our power to bring home the medals that we deserve.&quot;

The 23rd Winter Olympics will open in Pyeongchang, South Korea, on February 9, featuring 102 events in 15&nbsp;sports&nbsp;and athletes from all over the world.

&nbsp;

Earlier, Putin said "sorry" on behalf of his government for not being able "shield" athletes after the doping scandal hit the country

Russian President Vladimir Putin has ordered his government to organise an alternative competition for Russian athletes banned from the Winter Olympics over a doping scandal, his spokesman said on Wednesday. The Kremlin leader also told athletes who are due to compete in Pyeongchang next month, as independent competitors, that he was sorry officials had failed to protect them from the fallout. "Forgive us for not having been able to shield you from this," Putin said during a reception at his residence outside Moscow on Wednesday, adding that the scandal had contributed to "very difficult conditions" for athletes ahead of the Games. "You should focus on the result and on your victory," he added. "Nothing should distract you from this." "I wish you luck," Putin said, adding he wanted them to be "courageous". He said the exclusion of many Russian sportsmen and women over doping was "strange", reiterating his pledge to support those who have been prevented from taking part. The International Olympic Committee banned Russia from the 2018 Winter Olympics after a report on a vast, Moscow-backed doping scheme in previous Games. Only 169 of Russia's athletes have been allowed to take part in the Games, under a neutral flag as an "Olympic Athlete from Russia". 'Russian Olympics'? Speaking to reporters, Putin's spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the president had tasked ministers with organising an alternative competition for those banned from the 2018 Games. Putin "reminded the cabinet of the decision to organise a competition for those of our athletes who had not been allowed to take part in the Olympic Games," Russian news agencies quoted Peskov as saying. The Kremlin spokesman added that athletes who win at the alternative event would receive compensation equal to what Moscow normally awards Olympic medalists. Pro-Kremlin newspaper Izvestiya reported this week that the alternative competition for banned athletes would take place in the Black Sea resort of Sochi which hosted the 2014 Winter Olympic Games. Speaking to the athletes, Putin reiterated his complaint that the ban against Russia was politically motivated. "For us, certain things are truly strange," he said. At the same time, he admitted Russian officials might have been guilty of "oversight, mistakes" and a lack of proper attention to "things that are very important and key in modern sport." He said he hoped that international sporting organisations would not become annexes of "certain countries", a thinly-veiled jab at the United States. Last year, Putin claimed the United States was behind Russian sports doping allegations to influence March presidential elections widely expected to extend the Russian leader's Kremlin term until 2024. Putin has consistently denied the Russian state has run a vast doping scheme, instead blaming individual sporting officials. 'Greatest sporting nation' The athletes thanked Putin for his support, with hockey player Pavel Datsyuk presenting the Kremlin chief with a jersey featuring the slogan "Russia in my heart" and players' signatures. Luger Roman Repilov for his part said the Russian athletes should emerge winners at Pyeongchang to show the world that "Russia is the greatest sporting nation." "We should prove to them all that we are Russians, that we are strong, that those who are banning our teammates will not be able to break us," Repilov said. "We should pull ourselves together and go there and win." Snowboarder Alena Zavarzina said the exclusion of other Russians was utterly unfair. "I believe that what happened with our colleagues who cannot go to these Games is an egregious injustice," she said. "We will fight and do everything in our power to bring home the medals that we deserve." The 23rd Winter Olympics will open in Pyeongchang, South Korea, on February 9, featuring 102 events in 15 sports and athletes from all over the world.

Putin orders alternative Olympic Games for banned athletes

Russian President <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/instances-doping-use-in-russia-admits-putin-31242">Vladimir Putin today said &quot;sorry&quot;&nbsp;on </a>behalf of his government for not being able &quot;shield&quot; athletes after the doping scandal hit the country.

The president said athletes faced &quot;very difficult conditions&quot; as a result of the scandal.

&quot;Forgive us for not having been able to shield you from this,&quot; Putin said.

On Wednesday, the Russian president had admitted to &quot;instances&quot; of doping in Russia.

However, Putin dismissed whistleblower Grigory Rodchenkov as an &quot;idiot&quot; after he reportedly said that the Russian president must have known about state-sponsored doping program.

The International Olympic Committee has banned Russia from the 2018 Olympics after reports of large-scale doping in previous games.

Only 169 of Russian athletes have been allowed to take part in the Winter Olympics next month under a neutral flag as&nbsp;&quot;Olympic Athlete from Russia&quot;.

&quot;For us certain things are truly strange,&quot; Putin said, adding, &quot;Hundreds of thousands, millions of fans who love you are watching you.&quot;

Meanwhile, Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) said the verdicts on appeals from 39 Russian athletes who were given lifetime Olympic bans for doping violations at the 2014 Sochi Games will be announced on Thursday.

The athletes were disqualified from their events, banned from participating in future Olympics and in some cases stripped of their medals following the International Olympic Committee&rsquo;s investigation of widespread doping in Sochi.

The president said athletes faced "very difficult conditions" as a result of the scandal.

Russian President Vladimir Putin today said "sorry" on behalf of his government for not being able "shield" athletes after the doping scandal hit the country. The president said athletes faced "very difficult conditions" as a result of the scandal. "Forgive us for not having been able to shield you from this," Putin said. On Wednesday, the Russian president had admitted to "instances" of doping in Russia. However, Putin dismissed whistleblower Grigory Rodchenkov as an "idiot" after he reportedly said that the Russian president must have known about state-sponsored doping program. The International Olympic Committee has banned Russia from the 2018 Olympics after reports of large-scale doping in previous games. Only 169 of Russian athletes have been allowed to take part in the Winter Olympics next month under a neutral flag as "Olympic Athlete from Russia". "For us certain things are truly strange," Putin said, adding, "Hundreds of thousands, millions of fans who love you are watching you." Meanwhile, Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) said the verdicts on appeals from 39 Russian athletes who were given lifetime Olympic bans for doping violations at the 2014 Sochi Games will be announced on Thursday. The athletes were disqualified from their events, banned from participating in future Olympics and in some cases stripped of their medals following the International Olympic Committee’s investigation of widespread doping in Sochi.

Sorry for not being able to shield you from doping scam: Putin to Russian athletes

In a freewheeling interview with the BBC,<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/russia-is-aiming-to-interfere-in-coming-us-elections-warns-cia-chief-31153"> Central Intelligence Agency(CIA) director Mike Pompeo</a> said China has much &quot;bigger footprint&quot; to carry out covert activities than Russia.

The CIA director had earlier <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/trump-administration-declines-to-apply-new-russia-sanctions-for-now-31162">said Moscow is expected to meddle</a> in the 2018 US mid-term elections.

However, Pompeo expressed the hope that America will be able to hold a free and fair election.

The mid-term elections would be crucial for the Democrats as they will attempt to prise seats from the Republicans in the 435-member House of Representatives and 33 Senate seats in the Upper chamber.

President Trump&#39;s election in 2016 was marred with rumors about Russian interference intended to undermine Hillary Clinton&#39;s chances of becoming president.

Trump has however repeatedly denied he colluded with Russia to win the US elections.

Last week the US president had said he was willing to be interviewed under oath by former FBI director Mueller who is investigating alleged Russia meddling in the 2016 election.

&quot;I&#39;m looking forward to it,&quot; Trump had said, adding, that he would do it &quot;under oath.&quot;

The mid-term elections would be crucial for the Democrats as they will attempt to prise seats from the Republicans

In a freewheeling interview with the BBC, Central Intelligence Agency(CIA) director Mike Pompeo said China has much "bigger footprint" to carry out covert activities than Russia. The CIA director had earlier said Moscow is expected to meddle in the 2018 US mid-term elections. However, Pompeo expressed the hope that America will be able to hold a free and fair election. The mid-term elections would be crucial for the Democrats as they will attempt to prise seats from the Republicans in the 435-member House of Representatives and 33 Senate seats in the Upper chamber. President Trump's election in 2016 was marred with rumors about Russian interference intended to undermine Hillary Clinton's chances of becoming president. Trump has however repeatedly denied he colluded with Russia to win the US elections. Last week the US president had said he was willing to be interviewed under oath by former FBI director Mueller who is investigating alleged Russia meddling in the 2016 election. "I'm looking forward to it," Trump had said, adding, that he would do it "under oath."

China has bigger footprint than Russia for covert activities: CIA chief Pompeo

The US Treasury has released a long-awaited list of Russian officials and business leaders eligible for sanctions under a law designed to punish Moscow for its alleged meddling in the election that brought Donald Trump to power.

The list published shortly before midnight yesterday features the names of most of the senior members in President Vladimir Putin&#39;s administration -- 114 politicians altogether -- and 96 business people the US considers &#39;oligarchs&#39; close to Putin and worth at least USD 1 billion each.

The seven-page unclassified list, which does not trigger sanctions right away, features Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev and top officials in Russian intelligence agencies.

Also on the list were the chief executives of big state-owned companies such as energy giant Rosneft and Sberbank.

The list was widely expected to infuriate Putin and send shivers through his inner circle and Moscow&#39;s moneyed elite, threatening to cut them off from world finance.

Yesterday was the deadline for its release under a law passed last year by Congress over the objections of Trump, whom critics in the US say has been oddly reluctant to criticise Russia or Putin.

Under the same law, the State Department yesterday also declined to punish any US or foreign companies for dealings with Russian arms companies. It argued this was not needed because governments around the world have already nixed billions in contracts with those Russian firms.

US lawmakers passed the law -- called the Countering America&#39;s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act -- out of concern that Trump, eager to have warm ties with Putin, might not take tough action to punish Moscow and Russian officials for interfering in US elections and destabilising Ukraine.&nbsp;

The list was published shortly before midnight yesterday

The US Treasury has released a long-awaited list of Russian officials and business leaders eligible for sanctions under a law designed to punish Moscow for its alleged meddling in the election that brought Donald Trump to power. The list published shortly before midnight yesterday features the names of most of the senior members in President Vladimir Putin's administration -- 114 politicians altogether -- and 96 business people the US considers 'oligarchs' close to Putin and worth at least USD 1 billion each. The seven-page unclassified list, which does not trigger sanctions right away, features Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev and top officials in Russian intelligence agencies. Also on the list were the chief executives of big state-owned companies such as energy giant Rosneft and Sberbank. The list was widely expected to infuriate Putin and send shivers through his inner circle and Moscow's moneyed elite, threatening to cut them off from world finance. Yesterday was the deadline for its release under a law passed last year by Congress over the objections of Trump, whom critics in the US say has been oddly reluctant to criticise Russia or Putin. Under the same law, the State Department yesterday also declined to punish any US or foreign companies for dealings with Russian arms companies. It argued this was not needed because governments around the world have already nixed billions in contracts with those Russian firms. US lawmakers passed the law -- called the Countering America's Adversaries Through Sanctions Act -- out of concern that Trump, eager to have warm ties with Putin, might not take tough action to punish Moscow and Russian officials for interfering in US elections and destabilising Ukraine.

US releases 'Putin list' of Russians eligible for sanctions

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu held talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday after accusing Iran of wanting &quot;to turn Lebanon into one giant missile site&quot;.

He made his comments before leaving for Moscow, where he again said Iran wanted to &quot;destroy&quot; the Jewish state.

Netanyahu has held a series of discussions with Putin in recent months on Iran&#39;s influence in war-torn Syria and in Lebanon, seeking to persuade Russia to limit Iran&#39;s presence near Israeli territory and to stop it from entrenching itself militarily in Syria.

Russia, Iran and Lebanon&#39;s Shiite Muslim militant group Hezbollah -- which is backed by Tehran -- all support Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in his country&#39;s civil war.

Netanyahu said before he left Israel that he planned to discuss with Putin Iran&#39;s &quot;relentless efforts to establish a military presence in Syria, which we strongly oppose and are also taking action against&quot;.

&quot;We will also discuss Iran&#39;s effort to turn Lebanon into one giant missile site, a site for precision missiles against the state of Israel, which we will not tolerate.&quot;

After viewing an exhibition in Moscow dedicated to the 1943 uprising at the Sobibor Nazi death camp, Netanyahu said that Israel is &quot;still ready to prevent any attempts of this type of ideology, in the first place Iran, which speaks of the intention to destroy us&quot;.&nbsp;

&quot;We will stand before them (Iran) with all our might,&quot; Netanyahu said. &quot;There will not be another Holocaust.&quot;&nbsp;

The two leaders also took part in a Holocaust remembrance ceremony at Moscow&#39;s Jewish Museum and Tolerance Center and watched parts of a Russian-made film on the Sobibor uprising.&nbsp;

Putin said modern political and religious leaders should do &quot;everything possible to preserve historical memory in the 21st century and prevent the weeds of nationalist ideology spreading in whatever form it takes: anti-Semitism, Russophobia and other phobias built on hatred&quot;.&nbsp;

Netanyahu has held a series of discussions with Putin in recent months on Iran's influence in war-torn Syria and in Lebanon, seeking to persuade Russia to limit Iran's presence near Israeli territory and to stop it from entrenching itself militarily in Syria

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu held talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday after accusing Iran of wanting "to turn Lebanon into one giant missile site". He made his comments before leaving for Moscow, where he again said Iran wanted to "destroy" the Jewish state. Netanyahu has held a series of discussions with Putin in recent months on Iran's influence in war-torn Syria and in Lebanon, seeking to persuade Russia to limit Iran's presence near Israeli territory and to stop it from entrenching itself militarily in Syria. Russia, Iran and Lebanon's Shiite Muslim militant group Hezbollah -- which is backed by Tehran -- all support Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in his country's civil war. Netanyahu said before he left Israel that he planned to discuss with Putin Iran's "relentless efforts to establish a military presence in Syria, which we strongly oppose and are also taking action against". "We will also discuss Iran's effort to turn Lebanon into one giant missile site, a site for precision missiles against the state of Israel, which we will not tolerate." After viewing an exhibition in Moscow dedicated to the 1943 uprising at the Sobibor Nazi death camp, Netanyahu said that Israel is "still ready to prevent any attempts of this type of ideology, in the first place Iran, which speaks of the intention to destroy us". "We will stand before them (Iran) with all our might," Netanyahu said. "There will not be another Holocaust." The two leaders also took part in a Holocaust remembrance ceremony at Moscow's Jewish Museum and Tolerance Center and watched parts of a Russian-made film on the Sobibor uprising. Putin said modern political and religious leaders should do "everything possible to preserve historical memory in the 21st century and prevent the weeds of nationalist ideology spreading in whatever form it takes: anti-Semitism, Russophobia and other phobias built on hatred".

Netanyahu lashes out at Iran in talks with Putin

Russian president Putin today <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/us-secret-services-control-doping-whistleblower-rodchenkov-putin-26760">admitted that there were &quot;instances&quot; </a>of doping use in Russia even as he joked that he was &quot;offended&quot; not to be on the US &quot;Kremlin list&quot;.

&quot;I am offended, you know,&quot; <a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/ioc-bans-six-russian-female-ice-hockey-players-for-life-over-doping-26567">Putin said on not being</a> named on the US list which named Russian firms, businessmen and officials threatening to cut them off from world finance.

Putin dismissed whistleblower Grigory Rodchenkov&nbsp;as an &quot;idiot&quot; after he reportedly said that the Russian president must have known about state-sponsored doping program.

&quot;They&#39;ve got this idiot Rodchenkov,&quot; Putin said, referring to the US, where Rodchenkov has fled.&nbsp;

&quot;Everything is based on the testimony of this man... can he even be trusted?&quot;

The president said it was it was partially Russia&#39;s &quot;own fault&quot; for being under scrutiny for doping. &quot;After all, there were instances of doping use,&quot; he said.

In a German documentary series, Rodchenkov who was the former director of Russia&#39;s anti-doping laboratory had alleged that state-organized doping practices existed during the 2008 Olympics in Beijing and 2012 London Olympics.

Putin dismissed whistleblower Rodchenkov as an "idiot" after he reportedly said the Russian president must have known about state-sponsored doping program.

Russian president Putin today admitted that there were "instances" of doping use in Russia even as he joked that he was "offended" not to be on the US "Kremlin list". "I am offended, you know," Putin said on not being named on the US list which named Russian firms, businessmen and officials threatening to cut them off from world finance. Putin dismissed whistleblower Grigory Rodchenkov as an "idiot" after he reportedly said that the Russian president must have known about state-sponsored doping program. "They've got this idiot Rodchenkov," Putin said, referring to the US, where Rodchenkov has fled. "Everything is based on the testimony of this man... can he even be trusted?" The president said it was it was partially Russia's "own fault" for being under scrutiny for doping. "After all, there were instances of doping use," he said. In a German documentary series, Rodchenkov who was the former director of Russia's anti-doping laboratory had alleged that state-organized doping practices existed during the 2008 Olympics in Beijing and 2012 London Olympics.

'Instances of doping use in Russia,' admits Putin

Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny has been freed after a brief spell in police detention in Moscow as thousands rallied against a March election expected to extend Vladimir Putin&#39;s Kremlin term.

&quot;I&#39;m free,&quot; Navalny said on Twitter late Sunday, adding: &quot;Today has been an important day... Thanks to all those who were not afraid to fight for their rights.&quot;

Heeding a call by Putin&#39;s bete noire, thousands braved freezing temperatures to stage rallies in dozens of cities to protest upcoming &quot;pseudo-elections,&quot; as Navalny and his supporters refer to them.&nbsp;

In Moscow, Navalny chanted &quot;Swindlers and thieves&quot; at a rally in the city center Sunday before several police officers pounced on the 41-year-old opposition politician, knocking him to the ground and dragging him on to a bus.&nbsp;

Authorities said earlier Navalny would be charged with organizing an unpermitted protest, adding he had been taken to a police station. The opposition leader urged Muscovites not to give up.

&quot;You are not rallying for me, but for yourselves and your future,&quot; he tweeted.About 4,000 people turned up for the unsanctioned rally in Moscow, with many chanting

&quot;Down with the czar&quot; and brandishing placards saying &quot;Voters&#39;&nbsp;strike.&quot;&nbsp;

Authorities beefed up security, dispatching police vans and passenger buses to the city center, but police largely refrained from arresting protesters. A crowd of protesters was later allowed to walk down to Red Square.&nbsp;

One group of protesters walked several kilometers and reached the government headquarters as police watched on.

Authorities estimated the Moscow turnout at around 1,000 people.

Ahead of the Moscow rally police broke into Navalny&#39;s headquarters using a power saw. Police also detained several members of Navalny&#39;s team.More than 250 people were detained across the country, according to OVD-Info, an independent monitor.

Sunday&#39;s turnout paled in comparison to last year&#39;s protests when tens of thousands demonstrated against corruption among Russia&#39;s elite in March and June, 2017.&nbsp;

Police unleashed a severe crackdown afterward, arresting more than 1,000 people including schoolchildren.&nbsp; 
 
Navalny himself served three jail sentences of 15 days, 25 days and 20 days for organizing unauthorized protests last year.

But many protesters said Sunday authorities would not intimidate them.

&quot;These are not elections because we already know the result,&quot; Elena Ruzhe, 62, told AFP in Moscow.

&quot;I&#39;m not scared to protest,&quot; added the former culture ministry worker.

Protester Alexandra Fedorova, who wore a fur coat, said it was wrong not to let Navalny take part in the vote.

&quot;I don&#39;t see a future. There is nobody to vote for,&quot; the 27-year-old said.Protesters expressed similar sentiments in the second city of Saint Petersburg where around 1,500 people rallied, some chanting &quot;Russia without Putin&quot; and &quot;Putin is a thief.&quot;

&quot;I want change,&quot; Andrei Petrov, 20, told AFP in the former imperial capital. &quot;We are tired of living in this quagmire.&quot;

Earlier in the day opposition supporters protested in far eastern Russia and Siberia, including in the northern city of Yakutsk where people rallied despite temperatures of around minus 45 Celsius (minus 49 Fahrenheit).

In the Ural city of Yekaterinburg around 1,000 people turned up, with the city&#39;s mayor joining the crowd.

&quot;What we are being offered now is not an election,&quot; the outspoken mayor, Yevgeny Roizman, told the gathering.

Navalny -- seen as the only politician able to take on Putin -- has built a robust protest movement, tapping into the anger of a younger generation yearning for change.

He says the upcoming election will be little more than a coronation of Putin who is expected to win a fourth presidential term, becoming the longest-serving Russian leader since Stalin.

Putin&#39;s spokesman Dmitry Peskov warned unsanctioned rallies would lead to &quot;certain consequences&quot; -- a thinly-veiled promise of punishment.

Last year Navalny mounted a forceful bid to run for president but officials ruled him ineligible due to a criminal conviction which he says is politically motivated.

Navalny has said he would use the full force of his campaign -- including over 200,000 volunteers -- to organise &quot;voters&#39;&nbsp;strikes&quot; and encourage Russians to stay away from polling stations on election day.&nbsp;

After 18 years of leadership, both as president and prime minister, Putin fatigue is spreading across Russia.&nbsp;

But the post-Soviet turbulence of the 1990s remains deeply ingrained in Russia&#39;s collective psyche, making many reluctant to take to the streets, observers say.

Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny has been freed after a brief spell in police detention in Moscow

Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny has been freed after a brief spell in police detention in Moscow as thousands rallied against a March election expected to extend Vladimir Putin's Kremlin term. "I'm free," Navalny said on Twitter late Sunday, adding: "Today has been an important day... Thanks to all those who were not afraid to fight for their rights." Heeding a call by Putin's bete noire, thousands braved freezing temperatures to stage rallies in dozens of cities to protest upcoming "pseudo-elections," as Navalny and his supporters refer to them. In Moscow, Navalny chanted "Swindlers and thieves" at a rally in the city center Sunday before several police officers pounced on the 41-year-old opposition politician, knocking him to the ground and dragging him on to a bus. Authorities said earlier Navalny would be charged with organizing an unpermitted protest, adding he had been taken to a police station. The opposition leader urged Muscovites not to give up. "You are not rallying for me, but for yourselves and your future," he tweeted.About 4,000 people turned up for the unsanctioned rally in Moscow, with many chanting "Down with the czar" and brandishing placards saying "Voters' strike." Authorities beefed up security, dispatching police vans and passenger buses to the city center, but police largely refrained from arresting protesters. A crowd of protesters was later allowed to walk down to Red Square. One group of protesters walked several kilometers and reached the government headquarters as police watched on. Authorities estimated the Moscow turnout at around 1,000 people. Ahead of the Moscow rally police broke into Navalny's headquarters using a power saw. Police also detained several members of Navalny's team.More than 250 people were detained across the country, according to OVD-Info, an independent monitor. Sunday's turnout paled in comparison to last year's protests when tens of thousands demonstrated against corruption among Russia's elite in March and June, 2017. Police unleashed a severe crackdown afterward, arresting more than 1,000 people including schoolchildren. Navalny himself served three jail sentences of 15 days, 25 days and 20 days for organizing unauthorized protests last year. But many protesters said Sunday authorities would not intimidate them. "These are not elections because we already know the result," Elena Ruzhe, 62, told AFP in Moscow. "I'm not scared to protest," added the former culture ministry worker. Protester Alexandra Fedorova, who wore a fur coat, said it was wrong not to let Navalny take part in the vote. "I don't see a future. There is nobody to vote for," the 27-year-old said.Protesters expressed similar sentiments in the second city of Saint Petersburg where around 1,500 people rallied, some chanting "Russia without Putin" and "Putin is a thief." "I want change," Andrei Petrov, 20, told AFP in the former imperial capital. "We are tired of living in this quagmire." Earlier in the day opposition supporters protested in far eastern Russia and Siberia, including in the northern city of Yakutsk where people rallied despite temperatures of around minus 45 Celsius (minus 49 Fahrenheit). In the Ural city of Yekaterinburg around 1,000 people turned up, with the city's mayor joining the crowd. "What we are being offered now is not an election," the outspoken mayor, Yevgeny Roizman, told the gathering. Navalny -- seen as the only politician able to take on Putin -- has built a robust protest movement, tapping into the anger of a younger generation yearning for change. He says the upcoming election will be little more than a coronation of Putin who is expected to win a fourth presidential term, becoming the longest-serving Russian leader since Stalin. Putin's spokesman Dmitry Peskov warned unsanctioned rallies would lead to "certain consequences" -- a thinly-veiled promise of punishment. Last year Navalny mounted a forceful bid to run for president but officials ruled him ineligible due to a criminal conviction which he says is politically motivated. Navalny has said he would use the full force of his campaign -- including over 200,000 volunteers -- to organise "voters' strikes" and encourage Russians to stay away from polling stations on election day. After 18 years of leadership, both as president and prime minister, Putin fatigue is spreading across Russia. But the post-Soviet turbulence of the 1990s remains deeply ingrained in Russia's collective psyche, making many reluctant to take to the streets, observers say.

Navalny freed after thousands rally against Putin and 'pseudo-polls'

Russian President Vladimir Putin has directed an increase in the term of sentence for &quot;telephone terrorism&quot; (bomb hoaxes) from&nbsp;5 to 10 years of imprisonment.&nbsp;

Putin signed an amendment on Saturday in the country&#39;s code of law.&nbsp;

Amendments to Article 207 of Russia&rsquo;s Criminal Code states that &quot;a knowingly false report about planned explosion, arson or other activities that pose threat to people&rsquo;s lives or could inflict significant damage to property will be punished by imprisonment for a period of 3 to 5 years.&quot;

The accused will also be charged with more than 1 million rubles ($17,319).

It further states that false phone calls that are made to &quot;destabilize the activities of government agencies&quot; shall be punished with a jail term for up to 6-8 years.&nbsp;

The maximum term of sentence in severe cases like - when false reports of terrorist acts led to the death of a person or other grave consequences - the accused will be subject to 8 to 10 years imprisonment.

These amendments come at a time when the Russian president amended its existing terrorism law to crack down on terrorist activities in the country and stringently punish those who finance terrorism or recruit terrorists.&nbsp;

The earlier version of the law had a maximum term of five years of rigorous imprisonment for bomb hoaxers

Russian President Vladimir Putin has directed an increase in the term of sentence for "telephone terrorism" (bomb hoaxes) from 5 to 10 years of imprisonment. Putin signed an amendment on Saturday in the country's code of law. Amendments to Article 207 of Russia’s Criminal Code states that "a knowingly false report about planned explosion, arson or other activities that pose threat to people’s lives or could inflict significant damage to property will be punished by imprisonment for a period of 3 to 5 years." The accused will also be charged with more than 1 million rubles ($17,319). It further states that false phone calls that are made to "destabilize the activities of government agencies" shall be punished with a jail term for up to 6-8 years. The maximum term of sentence in severe cases like - when false reports of terrorist acts led to the death of a person or other grave consequences - the accused will be subject to 8 to 10 years imprisonment. These amendments come at a time when the Russian president amended its existing terrorism law to crack down on terrorist activities in the country and stringently punish those who finance terrorism or recruit terrorists.

Putin increases punishment for bomb hoaxes to 10 years in prison

Russian President Vladimir Putin called for &quot;pragmatic cooperation&quot; in his New Year wishes to US President Donald Trump, the Kremlin said on Saturday.&nbsp;

In a statement on the Russian president&#39;s New Year wishes to world leaders, the Kremlin said Putin told Trump that &quot;a constructive Russian-American dialogue is especially needed to strengthen strategic stability in the world&quot;.&nbsp;

According to the statement, Putin said that &quot;mutual respect&quot; should be &quot;a base to develop relations&quot; between the two countries.&nbsp;

&quot;This would allow us to move towards building pragmatic cooperation, orientated on the long term,&quot; the statement quoted Putin as saying.&nbsp;

The Russian president also sent messages to other heads of state, including the leaders of former Soviet countries, France&#39;s Emmanuel Macron, Germany&#39;s Angela Merkel and Syrian president Bashar Al-Assad.&nbsp;

In his wishes to the Syrian leader, with whom he met with during a surprise visit to Russia&#39;s Syrian air base Hmeimim earlier this month, Putin &quot;expressed sincere hope that key changes for the better will continue in Syria in the new year&quot;.&nbsp;

The statement added that Putin told Assad &quot;Russia will continue to show all kind of support to the Syrian Arab Republic in order to protect its state sovereignty, unity and territorial integrity&quot;.&nbsp;

Russia became involved in the Syrian conflict in September 2015, when it began an aerial campaign in support of Assad&#39;s military. Putin ordered a partial withdrawal of the Russian army from Syria earlier this month.&nbsp;

The Kremlin said Putin told Trump that 'a constructive Russian-American dialogue is especially needed to strengthen strategic stability in the world'

Russian President Vladimir Putin called for "pragmatic cooperation" in his New Year wishes to US President Donald Trump, the Kremlin said on Saturday. In a statement on the Russian president's New Year wishes to world leaders, the Kremlin said Putin told Trump that "a constructive Russian-American dialogue is especially needed to strengthen strategic stability in the world". According to the statement, Putin said that "mutual respect" should be "a base to develop relations" between the two countries. "This would allow us to move towards building pragmatic cooperation, orientated on the long term," the statement quoted Putin as saying. The Russian president also sent messages to other heads of state, including the leaders of former Soviet countries, France's Emmanuel Macron, Germany's Angela Merkel and Syrian president Bashar Al-Assad. In his wishes to the Syrian leader, with whom he met with during a surprise visit to Russia's Syrian air base Hmeimim earlier this month, Putin "expressed sincere hope that key changes for the better will continue in Syria in the new year". The statement added that Putin told Assad "Russia will continue to show all kind of support to the Syrian Arab Republic in order to protect its state sovereignty, unity and territorial integrity". Russia became involved in the Syrian conflict in September 2015, when it began an aerial campaign in support of Assad's military. Putin ordered a partial withdrawal of the Russian army from Syria earlier this month.

Putin calls for 'pragmatic cooperation' in New Year wishes to Trump

The Islamic State group claimed responsibility on Friday for the bomb attack days earlier that tore through a Saint Petersburg supermarket and wounded 14 people.

&quot;The attack that targeted a shopping centre in Saint Petersburg the day before yesterday (Wednesday) was carried out by an Islamic State-linked group,&quot; IS said in a statement via its propaganda agency Amaq.&nbsp;

On Wednesday evening, a homemade bomb placed in a locker at the supermarket in northwestern Saint Petersburg, Russia&#39;s second city and President Vladimir Putin&#39;s home town, went off sowing panic among customers and wounding 14 people including a pregnant woman.

Putin&#39;s 2015 decision to intervene in Syria militarily on the side of Bashar al-Assad has made Russia a priority target for the Islamic State group.

Officials said a total of 14 people had been wounded in the blast.&nbsp;

The bombing came after the FSB security service said earlier this month it had prevented a terror attack on a key Orthodox cathedral in Saint Petersburg with the help of America&#39;s CIA, which led Putin to thank US President Donald Trump.

FSB chief Alexander Bortnikov has said Russia remains on alert for a possible return of jihadists from Syria ahead of the World Cup and the March presidential polls.

Saint Petersburg will host several World Cup matches including a semi-final.

Earlier this month Bortnikov said that at least 4,500 Russians had left the country to fight with &quot;terrorists&quot; in the Middle East, North Africa and other regions.

Over the past 20 years Russia fought two wars with separatists in Chechnya, leading Islamist militants from the North Caucasus to frequently target Russians through suicide bombings and other attacks.

The Islamic State group claimed responsibility on Friday for the bomb attack days earlier that tore through a Saint Petersburg supermarket and wounded 14 people

The Islamic State group claimed responsibility on Friday for the bomb attack days earlier that tore through a Saint Petersburg supermarket and wounded 14 people. "The attack that targeted a shopping centre in Saint Petersburg the day before yesterday (Wednesday) was carried out by an Islamic State-linked group," IS said in a statement via its propaganda agency Amaq. On Wednesday evening, a homemade bomb placed in a locker at the supermarket in northwestern Saint Petersburg, Russia's second city and President Vladimir Putin's home town, went off sowing panic among customers and wounding 14 people including a pregnant woman. Putin's 2015 decision to intervene in Syria militarily on the side of Bashar al-Assad has made Russia a priority target for the Islamic State group. Officials said a total of 14 people had been wounded in the blast. The bombing came after the FSB security service said earlier this month it had prevented a terror attack on a key Orthodox cathedral in Saint Petersburg with the help of America's CIA, which led Putin to thank US President Donald Trump. FSB chief Alexander Bortnikov has said Russia remains on alert for a possible return of jihadists from Syria ahead of the World Cup and the March presidential polls. Saint Petersburg will host several World Cup matches including a semi-final. Earlier this month Bortnikov said that at least 4,500 Russians had left the country to fight with "terrorists" in the Middle East, North Africa and other regions. Over the past 20 years Russia fought two wars with separatists in Chechnya, leading Islamist militants from the North Caucasus to frequently target Russians through suicide bombings and other attacks.

IS claims Saint Petersburg supermarket bombing

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/palestine-expressed-deep-regrets-over-envoy-sharing-stage-with-hafiz-saeed-mea-28121">Palestine recalls its Ambassador to Pakistan for sharing stage with Hafiz Saeed</a>

&quot;The concerns were conveyed both in New Delhi to the Palestinian Ambassador and in Ramallah to the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates, State of Palestine,&quot; the statement added.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/bhansalis-padmavati-to-get-ua-certificate-films-title-may-also-get-changed-central-film-board-28111">From &#39;Padmavati&#39; to &#39;Padmavat&#39;: Censor Board gives green signal with title change</a>

The certificate will be issued once all relevant modifications are made

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/putin-calls-for-pragmatic-cooperation-in-new-year-wishes-to-trump-28122">Putin calls for &#39;pragmatic cooperation&#39; in New Year wishes</a>

The Kremlin said Putin told Trump that &#39;a constructive Russian-American dialogue is especially needed to strengthen strategic stability in the world&#39;.&nbsp;

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/to-avoid-mumbai-like-fire-delhi-fire-service-to-inspect-restaurants-in-capital-28112">Delhi fire services offices told to carry out inspection at restaurants in the Capital</a>

Delhi Chief Fire Officer, GC Mishra has said that all offices of Delhi Fire Service have been asked to carry out inspection/ visit at restaurants in their respective area.&nbsp;

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/russian-supreme-court-approves-ban-against-opposition-leader-navalny-28120">Russian supreme court approves ban against opposition leader Navalny</a>

The commission, this week, barred Navalny from taking part in the March 18 vote

Palestine Ambassador to Pakistan Waleed Abu Ali on Friday shared the stage with Jamaat-ud-Dawa terror outfit chief Saeed at a rally

Palestine recalls its Ambassador to Pakistan for sharing stage with Hafiz Saeed "The concerns were conveyed both in New Delhi to the Palestinian Ambassador and in Ramallah to the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates, State of Palestine," the statement added. From 'Padmavati' to 'Padmavat': Censor Board gives green signal with title change The certificate will be issued once all relevant modifications are made Putin calls for 'pragmatic cooperation' in New Year wishes The Kremlin said Putin told Trump that 'a constructive Russian-American dialogue is especially needed to strengthen strategic stability in the world'. Delhi fire services offices told to carry out inspection at restaurants in the Capital Delhi Chief Fire Officer, GC Mishra has said that all offices of Delhi Fire Service have been asked to carry out inspection/ visit at restaurants in their respective area. Russian supreme court approves ban against opposition leader Navalny The commission, this week, barred Navalny from taking part in the March 18 vote

WION Evening News Brief, December 30, 2017

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