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

Russian President Vladimir Putin today called an <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/10-injured-in-saint-petersburg-supermarket-bombing-27907">explosion that tore through a Saint Petersburg supermarket</a>, wounding 13 people, &quot;an act of terror.&quot;

&quot;As you know, an act of terror took place in Saint Petersburg yesterday,&quot; he said at a meeting of military officers in the Kremlin.

The homemade bomb went off in a locker at the supermarket yesterday, officials said.

Anna Mityanina, vice governor of Saint Petersburg, which is Russia&#39;s second city, said on Twitter that of the 13 wounded eight remained in hospital care. 
Five people declined to be hospitalised, she added.

The explosion occurred at around 1845 local time as Russians geared up to celebrate the New Year -- the country&#39;s biggest holiday -- followed by Russian Orthodox Christmas, which falls on January 7.

Officials earlier said 10 people had been injured, saying the bomb had the power equivalent to 200 grammes of TNT.

In a sign of the severity of the situation, the case was overseen by Russia&#39;s National Anti-Terror Committee even though authorities initially opened a probe into the attempted murder.

The committee said the explosion went off after &quot;a criminal placed an unidentified explosive device in a storage locker.&quot;

The blast comes after a suicide bombing killed 15 people and wounded dozens on the Saint Petersburg metro in April.

That bombing was claimed by a group linked to Al-Qaeda which said it was a message to countries engaged in war with Muslims, a veiled reference to Russia&#39;s military campaign in Syria.

Earlier this month Russia&#39;s FSB security service said it had arrested members of the Islamic State group who had planned to blow up the Kazan Cathedral, one of Saint Petersburg&#39;s most famous landmarks, among other crowded places.

The Kremlin has said that those attacks were prevented thanks to intelligence provided by America&#39;s Central Intelligence Agency.

Saint Petersburg, Russia&#39;s former Imperial capital, will host World Cup matches next year.

'As you know, an act of terror took place in Saint Petersburg yesterday,' Putin said at a meeting of military officers in the Kremlin

Russian President Vladimir Putin today called an explosion that tore through a Saint Petersburg supermarket, wounding 13 people, "an act of terror." "As you know, an act of terror took place in Saint Petersburg yesterday," he said at a meeting of military officers in the Kremlin. The homemade bomb went off in a locker at the supermarket yesterday, officials said. Anna Mityanina, vice governor of Saint Petersburg, which is Russia's second city, said on Twitter that of the 13 wounded eight remained in hospital care. Five people declined to be hospitalised, she added. The explosion occurred at around 1845 local time as Russians geared up to celebrate the New Year -- the country's biggest holiday -- followed by Russian Orthodox Christmas, which falls on January 7. Officials earlier said 10 people had been injured, saying the bomb had the power equivalent to 200 grammes of TNT. In a sign of the severity of the situation, the case was overseen by Russia's National Anti-Terror Committee even though authorities initially opened a probe into the attempted murder. The committee said the explosion went off after "a criminal placed an unidentified explosive device in a storage locker." The blast comes after a suicide bombing killed 15 people and wounded dozens on the Saint Petersburg metro in April. That bombing was claimed by a group linked to Al-Qaeda which said it was a message to countries engaged in war with Muslims, a veiled reference to Russia's military campaign in Syria. Earlier this month Russia's FSB security service said it had arrested members of the Islamic State group who had planned to blow up the Kazan Cathedral, one of Saint Petersburg's most famous landmarks, among other crowded places. The Kremlin has said that those attacks were prevented thanks to intelligence provided by America's Central Intelligence Agency. Saint Petersburg, Russia's former Imperial capital, will host World Cup matches next year.

Vladimir Putin calls Saint Petersburg blast 'act of terror'

Russian President Vladimir Putin has thanked his US counterpart Donald Trump for the CIA&#39;s help in foiling a plot to attack the city of Saint Petersburg, the Kremlin said Sunday.

Putin spoke by phone with Trump to thank him for intelligence supplied by the CIA which allowed Russia&#39;s FSB security service to break up an Islamic State group cell that was planning a suicide attack on December 16, it said in a statement carried by Russian news agencies.

The FSB announced on Friday it had arrested seven members of a cell that had been planning a suicide attack and &quot;the killing of citizens&quot; in crowded areas of Russia&#39;s second city.

Police confiscated a &quot;large number of explosives used to make homemade bombs, automatic rifles, munitions and extremist literature,&quot; it said in a statement.&nbsp;

On Tuesday, FSB chief Alexander Bortnikov said Russia was on alert for the possible return of jihadists from Syria ahead of the World Cup and the presidential election in 2018.

Russia has suffered several assaults in recent years, including an attack in Saint Petersburg that left 14 people dead in April.

The Russian President thanked his US counterpart for the CIA's help in foiling a plot to attack the city of Saint Petersburg, the Kremlin said

Russian President Vladimir Putin has thanked his US counterpart Donald Trump for the CIA's help in foiling a plot to attack the city of Saint Petersburg, the Kremlin said Sunday. Putin spoke by phone with Trump to thank him for intelligence supplied by the CIA which allowed Russia's FSB security service to break up an Islamic State group cell that was planning a suicide attack on December 16, it said in a statement carried by Russian news agencies. The FSB announced on Friday it had arrested seven members of a cell that had been planning a suicide attack and "the killing of citizens" in crowded areas of Russia's second city. Police confiscated a "large number of explosives used to make homemade bombs, automatic rifles, munitions and extremist literature," it said in a statement. On Tuesday, FSB chief Alexander Bortnikov said Russia was on alert for the possible return of jihadists from Syria ahead of the World Cup and the presidential election in 2018. Russia has suffered several assaults in recent years, including an attack in Saint Petersburg that left 14 people dead in April.

Putin thanks Trump for CIA's help in foiling IS attack plot

Opponents of Donald Trump made up allegations of Russian interference in last year&#39;s US elections to discredit him, Russian President Vladimir Putin said at his annual press conference Thursday.&nbsp;

&quot;All this was made up by people who are opposed to Trump so as to delegitimise his work,&quot; the president said in response to a question about allegations of Russian influence.

Putin said representatives of the Russian government had met with Trump&#39;s team but said this was normal diplomatic practice.&nbsp;

&quot;Our ambassador was accused of meeting with someone, but this is normal practice worldwide,&quot; the president said.&nbsp;

&quot;What is so transgressive in this case and why should it take on this spy-thriller tone?&quot;

Putin said he hoped relations between the two countries would improve but suggested it would not be possible in the current US political climate. &nbsp;

Asked to assess Trump&#39;s work so far as president, Putin said it was up to US voters rather than him to judge.

&quot;We can see several quite significant achievements in the short time he has been at work,&quot; Putin said, citing the markets and consumer confidence in particular.

Opponents of Donald Trump made up allegations of Russian interference in last year's US elections to discredit him, Russian President Vladimir Putin said

Opponents of Donald Trump made up allegations of Russian interference in last year's US elections to discredit him, Russian President Vladimir Putin said at his annual press conference Thursday. "All this was made up by people who are opposed to Trump so as to delegitimise his work," the president said in response to a question about allegations of Russian influence. Putin said representatives of the Russian government had met with Trump's team but said this was normal diplomatic practice. "Our ambassador was accused of meeting with someone, but this is normal practice worldwide," the president said. "What is so transgressive in this case and why should it take on this spy-thriller tone?" Putin said he hoped relations between the two countries would improve but suggested it would not be possible in the current US political climate. Asked to assess Trump's work so far as president, Putin said it was up to US voters rather than him to judge. "We can see several quite significant achievements in the short time he has been at work," Putin said, citing the markets and consumer confidence in particular.

Putin says Trump opponents 'made up' Russia vote interference

Russia&#39;s former anti-doping chief-turned-whistleblower Grigory Rodchenkov is working under the control of US special services, Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Thursday.

The scandal over the 2014 Sochi Olympics, triggered by revelations made by Rodchenkov, is part of a broader doping affair that has led to the suspension of Russia&#39;s anti-doping agency RUSADA, the country&#39;s athletics federation and Paralympic Committee.

Putin also said during his year-end news conference that the doping scandal had been fuelled deliberately before Russia&#39;s presidential election due in March next year. He also said that both global anti-doping body WADA and the International Olympic Committee were working under duress.

The scandal over the 2014 Sochi Olympics, triggered by revelations made by Rodchenkov has led to the suspension of Russia's anti-doping agency RUSADA, the country's athletics federation and Paralympic Committee

Russia's former anti-doping chief-turned-whistleblower Grigory Rodchenkov is working under the control of US special services, Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Thursday. The scandal over the 2014 Sochi Olympics, triggered by revelations made by Rodchenkov, is part of a broader doping affair that has led to the suspension of Russia's anti-doping agency RUSADA, the country's athletics federation and Paralympic Committee. Putin also said during his year-end news conference that the doping scandal had been fuelled deliberately before Russia's presidential election due in March next year. He also said that both global anti-doping body WADA and the International Olympic Committee were working under duress.

US secret services control doping whistleblower Rodchenkov: Putin

Russia has been banned from the 2018 Winter Olympic in Pyeongchang, South Korea. The ban was imposed when Russian Olympic Committee was found guilty of alleged &quot;state-sponsored doping&quot;. Even government officials are prohibited to attend the events, their flag and symbols will not be displayed and their anthem will not be played.

Thomas Bach, President of International Olympic Committee said in a Press Conference, &quot;Russian Olympic Committee (ROC) is banned from competing in the upcoming Winter Olympics but the athlete can participate, be it individual or team competitions, under the name &quot;Olympic Athlete from Russia&quot; with the acronym OAR. Olympic anthem will be played at any ceremony.&quot;

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<h5>The purpose of Olympic games is to spread the philosophy of creating a peaceful and better world. Those nations which were engaged in a war or violated human rights have been banished from the games.</h5>
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<div class="share-blockquote"><a class="twitter popup" href="http://twitter.com/intent/tweet?text=The purpose of Olympic games is to spread the philosophy of creating a peaceful and better world. Those nations which were engaged in a war or violated human rights have been banished from the games." target="_blank">&nbsp;</a></div>
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The individual athlete will participate if they come out &quot;clean&quot;. They will wear the jersey with the abbreviation &quot;OAR&quot; and will carry the Olympic flag. Thomas Bach also mentioned, &quot;The Russian doping system is an unprecedented attack on the integrity of the Olympic games and sports.&quot;

The purpose of Olympic games is to spread the philosophy of creating a peaceful and better world. Those nations which were engaged in a war or violated human rights have been banished from the games. But the case of Russia has gone far beyond. The doping case may not be a grievous crime against humanity or it might not cause a war but it may snag a healthy competition and deal a critical blow to the prestige of the Olympics.

But this punishment is too severe to handle. There are 32 games where Russian contenders have a very high chance of winning, and this harsh decision could completely jeopardise that possibility. Biathlon, Cross-Country Skiing, Curling, Figure Skating, Freestyle Skiing, Ice Hockey, Luge, Short Track Speedskating, Skeleton, Snowboard and Speedskating are the games where Russian team had the best chances of getting the medal.

Russia has already been banned for the Winter Paralympic Games by the International Paralympic Committee for the same doping charges.

Many in the sports circuit and beyond is raising the question whether such actions are really an attempt to keep international sporting events clean of drugs or is it a deliberate attempt to politicise the event? After all, the western world which controls such august sporting bodies has not been in best of terms with Putin&#39;s Russia. So a pertinent question could well be, is Russia suffering Putin&#39;s punishment.

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The IOC is banning Russian officials from attending the event too.&nbsp;It is yet to be seen how Vladimir Putin, one of the most influential leaders in the world, responds to this ban. He is not known to be taking national humiliation quietly.

It will indeed be very unfortunate if the arena of Olympics sports turns into another Cold War between Russia and the West.

Athletes are requesting people not to judge other athletes if they participate in the games. Recently, two-time Olympic champion, Sergei Chepikov, urged people not to criticise the athletes who eventually decide to compete under a neutral flag at the Winter Olympics. But if the IOC is banning Russia, then why it is inviting athlete to play as an individual--deprived of their flag, national anthem and their pride. After all, the main motivation for a participating player is to hear one&#39;s own national anthem during the ceremony. Player represent their nation, not their individuality.

Whether it is a war against drugs or war against Russia, this chain of events has created a state of pain and anger for all Russian sportspersons and related authorities.

There is definitely a need to punish those who are violating the guidelines of such big and expensive events but this collective punishment and to ban a country from participation is not the solution.

(Disclaimer: The author writes here in a personal capacity).

There is definitely a need to punish those who are violating the guidelines of such big and expensive events but this collective punishment and to ban a country from participation is not the solution

Russia has been banned from the 2018 Winter Olympic in Pyeongchang, South Korea. The ban was imposed when Russian Olympic Committee was found guilty of alleged "state-sponsored doping". Even government officials are prohibited to attend the events, their flag and symbols will not be displayed and their anthem will not be played. Thomas Bach, President of International Olympic Committee said in a Press Conference, "Russian Olympic Committee (ROC) is banned from competing in the upcoming Winter Olympics but the athlete can participate, be it individual or team competitions, under the name "Olympic Athlete from Russia" with the acronym OAR. Olympic anthem will be played at any ceremony." The purpose of Olympic games is to spread the philosophy of creating a peaceful and better world. Those nations which were engaged in a war or violated human rights have been banished from the games. × The individual athlete will participate if they come out "clean". They will wear the jersey with the abbreviation "OAR" and will carry the Olympic flag. Thomas Bach also mentioned, "The Russian doping system is an unprecedented attack on the integrity of the Olympic games and sports." The purpose of Olympic games is to spread the philosophy of creating a peaceful and better world. Those nations which were engaged in a war or violated human rights have been banished from the games. But the case of Russia has gone far beyond. The doping case may not be a grievous crime against humanity or it might not cause a war but it may snag a healthy competition and deal a critical blow to the prestige of the Olympics. But this punishment is too severe to handle. There are 32 games where Russian contenders have a very high chance of winning, and this harsh decision could completely jeopardise that possibility. Biathlon, Cross-Country Skiing, Curling, Figure Skating, Freestyle Skiing, Ice Hockey, Luge, Short Track Speedskating, Skeleton, Snowboard and Speedskating are the games where Russian team had the best chances of getting the medal. Russia has already been banned for the Winter Paralympic Games by the International Paralympic Committee for the same doping charges. Many in the sports circuit and beyond is raising the question whether such actions are really an attempt to keep international sporting events clean of drugs or is it a deliberate attempt to politicise the event? After all, the western world which controls such august sporting bodies has not been in best of terms with Putin's Russia. So a pertinent question could well be, is Russia suffering Putin's punishment. It is yet to be seen how Vladimir Putin, one of the most influential leaders in the world, responds to this ban. He is not known to be taking national humiliation quietly. × The IOC is banning Russian officials from attending the event too. It is yet to be seen how Vladimir Putin, one of the most influential leaders in the world, responds to this ban. He is not known to be taking national humiliation quietly. It will indeed be very unfortunate if the arena of Olympics sports turns into another Cold War between Russia and the West. Athletes are requesting people not to judge other athletes if they participate in the games. Recently, two-time Olympic champion, Sergei Chepikov, urged people not to criticise the athletes who eventually decide to compete under a neutral flag at the Winter Olympics. But if the IOC is banning Russia, then why it is inviting athlete to play as an individual--deprived of their flag, national anthem and their pride. After all, the main motivation for a participating player is to hear one's own national anthem during the ceremony. Player represent their nation, not their individuality. Whether it is a war against drugs or war against Russia, this chain of events has created a state of pain and anger for all Russian sportspersons and related authorities. There is definitely a need to punish those who are violating the guidelines of such big and expensive events but this collective punishment and to ban a country from participation is not the solution. (Disclaimer: The author writes here in a personal capacity).

Opinion: Ban on Russia, why is Putin silent?

Russian President<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/russias-ruling-party-says-to-back-putin-if-he-seeks-new-term-25531"> Vladimir Putin said today he will </a>be seeking a fresh six-year term as president of Russia next year in March.

Putin is the longest <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/president-putin-asks-755-us-diplomats-to-leave-russia-18404">serving Russian president, he was </a>also the prime minister of Russia for two terms - 1999 until 2000 and again from 2008 until 2012.

&quot;I will offer my candidacy for the post of president of the Russian Federation,&quot; Putin told workers at the GAZ factory in Nizhny Novgorod.

Putin,65, who has been in power for nearly 18 years became president of Russia&nbsp;for the first time in 2000 until 2008. He is currently serving his second term as president since May 2012.

The Russian president who was a KGB foreign intelligence officer will become the longest-serving Russian leader since Leonid Brezhnev who was Russia&#39;s leader from 1964 to 1982.&nbsp;

&quot;There is always a great deal of responsibility involved in this decision for any person, because the motive must be the desire to make life better in this country,&quot; he told the workers at the GAZ factory.

&quot;And this can be achieved only with people&#39;s trust and support. And now I want to ask, do you trust and support me?&quot; to which the audience shouted &quot;Yes!&quot;.

Putin first became president after Boris Yeltsin resigned on New Year&#39;s Eve in 1999.

Putin who has been in power for nearly 18 years became president of the Russian president for the first time in 2000

Russian President Vladimir Putin said today he will be seeking a fresh six-year term as president of Russia next year in March. Putin is the longest serving Russian president, he was also the prime minister of Russia for two terms - 1999 until 2000 and again from 2008 until 2012. "I will offer my candidacy for the post of president of the Russian Federation," Putin told workers at the GAZ factory in Nizhny Novgorod. Putin,65, who has been in power for nearly 18 years became president of Russia for the first time in 2000 until 2008. He is currently serving his second term as president since May 2012. The Russian president who was a KGB foreign intelligence officer will become the longest-serving Russian leader since Leonid Brezhnev who was Russia's leader from 1964 to 1982. "There is always a great deal of responsibility involved in this decision for any person, because the motive must be the desire to make life better in this country," he told the workers at the GAZ factory. "And this can be achieved only with people's trust and support. And now I want to ask, do you trust and support me?" to which the audience shouted "Yes!". Putin first became president after Boris Yeltsin resigned on New Year's Eve in 1999.

I will offer my candidacy next year for the post of president: Putin

Putin on Wednesday said Russia would not prevent athletes from competing at the 2018 Winter Games under the Olympic flag, after the IOC banned the country over a doping scandal.&nbsp;

&quot;We will certainly not declare any boycott, we will not prevent our Olympians from competing, if they want to take part in a personal capacity,&quot; news agencies quoted him as saying during a speech at an automobile plant in Nizhny Novgorod, where he also announced he would run for a fourth presidential term next year.

Putin on Wednesday said Russia would not prevent athletes from competing at the 2018 Winter Games under the Olympic flag, after the IOC banned the country over a doping scandal.?

Putin on Wednesday said Russia would not prevent athletes from competing at the 2018 Winter Games under the Olympic flag, after the IOC banned the country over a doping scandal. "We will certainly not declare any boycott, we will not prevent our Olympians from competing, if they want to take part in a personal capacity," news agencies quoted him as saying during a speech at an automobile plant in Nizhny Novgorod, where he also announced he would run for a fourth presidential term next year.

No Russian Olympic boycott: Putin

The United States and Russia issued a presidential joint statement saying there was &quot;no military solution&quot; to the war in Syria after their leaders met briefly on the sidelines of a regional summit in Vietnam.

There had been mixed messages for days from both Moscow and the White House on whether President Donald Trump and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin would hold face-to-face discussions during the APEC summit in Danang.

The statement, issued by officials from both sides, said the two presidents had made progress on Syria, which has been battered by six years of civil war.

The US and Russia have backed competing factions in the bloody conflict, and agreement on the next steps towards peace is rare.

&quot;The presidents agreed that there is no military solution to the conflict in Syria,&quot; the statement said, adding that the two sides &quot;confirmed their determination to defeat ISIS&quot; -- an alternative name for the Islamic State jihadist group.

The statement added that the two sides had agreed to keep military channels open to avoid potential clashes over Syria and urged the warring sides to participate in UN-led peace talks in Geneva.

Russia has run a major bombing campaign in Syria since 2015, when it stepped in to support President Bashar al-Assad&#39;s fight against rebels -- some of them US-backed -- tipping the conflict in his favour.

The Russian military has recently accused the United States of merely &quot;pretending&quot; to fight IS in Iraq and of hindering the Russian-backed offensive in eastern Syria.

But Saturday&#39;s joint statement expressed satisfaction with efforts to prevent incidents between their respective forces in Syria.

&quot;The Presidents affirmed their commitment to Syria&#39;s sovereignty, unity, independence, territorial integrity, and non-sectarian character,&quot; it said.

According to senior State Department officials, the statement was the result of &quot;months of fairly intense discussions&quot; and was finalised on the margins of the APEC summit between diplomats.

It represents Russia&#39;s firm committment to the UN-backed peace process, one of the officials said.

&quot;We made very clear that there will not be any reconstruction aid in Syria until there is a meaningful political process moving along the timeline,&quot; he said.

&quot;I cannot speak to the Russians, but I think it might be one of the reasons why they clearly committed to the fact that the ultimate resolution to the civil war will be under the Geneva process,&quot; he added.

A new round of talks is scheduled to be held in Geneva from November 28, the UN special envoy for Syria announced Thursday.

There have been seven previous sessions between the Syrian regime and the opposition, which failed to overcome the main obstacle -- the fate of President Assad.

Haunted relationship 
 
Trump&#39;s relationship with Moscow has haunted the first year of his presidency, with key former aides under a US investigation for alleged collaboration with the Kremlin.

Putin and Trump last held face-to-face talks at a G20 summit earlier in the year, and there was intense speculation over whether they would so do again in Danang.&nbsp;

After the pair met on the sidelines of the APEC summit, Trump said he believes Putin was sincere when he denied meddling in the US election that propelled Trump to power, adding that the Russian leader felt &quot;very insulted&quot; by the allegations.

Overly amicable talks between Trump and Putin in Vietnam risked being an awkward sell for the White House, as it vigorously denies any undue links with the Kremlin. 
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The US and Russia issued a presidential joint statement saying there was 'no military solution' to the war in Syria after their leaders met briefly on the sidelines of a regional summit in Vietnam

The United States and Russia issued a presidential joint statement saying there was "no military solution" to the war in Syria after their leaders met briefly on the sidelines of a regional summit in Vietnam. There had been mixed messages for days from both Moscow and the White House on whether President Donald Trump and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin would hold face-to-face discussions during the APEC summit in Danang. The statement, issued by officials from both sides, said the two presidents had made progress on Syria, which has been battered by six years of civil war. The US and Russia have backed competing factions in the bloody conflict, and agreement on the next steps towards peace is rare. "The presidents agreed that there is no military solution to the conflict in Syria," the statement said, adding that the two sides "confirmed their determination to defeat ISIS" -- an alternative name for the Islamic State jihadist group. The statement added that the two sides had agreed to keep military channels open to avoid potential clashes over Syria and urged the warring sides to participate in UN-led peace talks in Geneva. Russia has run a major bombing campaign in Syria since 2015, when it stepped in to support President Bashar al-Assad's fight against rebels -- some of them US-backed -- tipping the conflict in his favour. The Russian military has recently accused the United States of merely "pretending" to fight IS in Iraq and of hindering the Russian-backed offensive in eastern Syria. But Saturday's joint statement expressed satisfaction with efforts to prevent incidents between their respective forces in Syria. "The Presidents affirmed their commitment to Syria's sovereignty, unity, independence, territorial integrity, and non-sectarian character," it said. According to senior State Department officials, the statement was the result of "months of fairly intense discussions" and was finalised on the margins of the APEC summit between diplomats. It represents Russia's firm committment to the UN-backed peace process, one of the officials said. "We made very clear that there will not be any reconstruction aid in Syria until there is a meaningful political process moving along the timeline," he said. "I cannot speak to the Russians, but I think it might be one of the reasons why they clearly committed to the fact that the ultimate resolution to the civil war will be under the Geneva process," he added. A new round of talks is scheduled to be held in Geneva from November 28, the UN special envoy for Syria announced Thursday. There have been seven previous sessions between the Syrian regime and the opposition, which failed to overcome the main obstacle -- the fate of President Assad. Haunted relationship Trump's relationship with Moscow has haunted the first year of his presidency, with key former aides under a US investigation for alleged collaboration with the Kremlin. Putin and Trump last held face-to-face talks at a G20 summit earlier in the year, and there was intense speculation over whether they would so do again in Danang. After the pair met on the sidelines of the APEC summit, Trump said he believes Putin was sincere when he denied meddling in the US election that propelled Trump to power, adding that the Russian leader felt "very insulted" by the allegations. Overly amicable talks between Trump and Putin in Vietnam risked being an awkward sell for the White House, as it vigorously denies any undue links with the Kremlin.

Trump, Putin agree 'no military solution' in Syria

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/texas-shooting-leaves-at-least-26-dead-officials-23554" target="_blank">Gunman walks into Texas church, shoots 26 people dead</a>

A black-clad gunman armed with an assault rifle opened fire on a small-town Texas church during Sunday morning services, killing 26 people and wounding 20 in the last mass shooting to shock the United States.The victims, who ranged in age from five to 72, were gunned down at First Baptist Church in Sutherland Springs, a rural community of about 400 people located 30 miles (50 kilometers) southeast of San Antonio.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/cong-has-run-away-hp-poll-one-sided-modi-at-rally-23538" target="_blank">Indira Gandhi refused to carry out note ban: Modi</a>

Prime minister Narendra Modi stressed that the implementation of demonetisation policy was required in 1971, but it was implemented by the BJP government.&nbsp;&quot;Former prime minister Indira Gandhi refused to carry out note ban. Had she done note ban when needed, I would not have had to carry out this big task,&#39;&#39; said Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/rahul-tells-modi-to-quit-if-unable-to-control-price-rise-give-jobs-23545" target="_blank">Rahul asks Modi to quit if unable to control price rise, give jobs</a>

Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi today asked the Narendra Modi government to stop delivering &quot;hollow&quot; speeches and quit if it was unable to stop prices from rising and give jobs to the people.Gandhi, whose Twitter feed has become more active of late, posted on the micro-blogging site: &quot;Mehngi gas, mehnga ration, band karo khokhla bhashan, daam bandho, kaam do, varna khali karo singhasan.&quot;

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/sacked-catalan-leader-carles-puigdemont-freed-on-bail-in-belgium-23557" target="_blank">Sacked Catalan leader Puigdemont freed on bail in Belgium</a>

Catalonia&#39;s sacked separatist leader Carles Puigdemont and four of his former ministers were released with conditions in Belgium on Sunday after turning themselves in to face a Spanish warrant for their arrest. A judge ordered the five, who fled Spain earlier this week after being accused of rebellion and sedition, not to leave Belgium until their extradition case is heard.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/queen-elizabeth-ii-has-13m-in-investments-in-offshore-tax-havens-documents-23562" target="_blank">US Commerce Secretary has ties to firm linked to Putin&#39;s inner circle</a>

US Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross has business ties to a shipping firm linked to Vladimir Putin&#39;s inner circle, according to a vast leak of financial documents that also revealed Britain&#39;s Queen Elizabeth II&#39;s investments in tax havens.

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Gunman walks into Texas church, shoots 26 people dead A black-clad gunman armed with an assault rifle opened fire on a small-town Texas church during Sunday morning services, killing 26 people and wounding 20 in the last mass shooting to shock the United States.The victims, who ranged in age from five to 72, were gunned down at First Baptist Church in Sutherland Springs, a rural community of about 400 people located 30 miles (50 kilometers) southeast of San Antonio. Indira Gandhi refused to carry out note ban: Modi Prime minister Narendra Modi stressed that the implementation of demonetisation policy was required in 1971, but it was implemented by the BJP government. "Former prime minister Indira Gandhi refused to carry out note ban. Had she done note ban when needed, I would not have had to carry out this big task,'' said Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Rahul asks Modi to quit if unable to control price rise, give jobs Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi today asked the Narendra Modi government to stop delivering "hollow" speeches and quit if it was unable to stop prices from rising and give jobs to the people.Gandhi, whose Twitter feed has become more active of late, posted on the micro-blogging site: "Mehngi gas, mehnga ration, band karo khokhla bhashan, daam bandho, kaam do, varna khali karo singhasan." Sacked Catalan leader Puigdemont freed on bail in Belgium Catalonia's sacked separatist leader Carles Puigdemont and four of his former ministers were released with conditions in Belgium on Sunday after turning themselves in to face a Spanish warrant for their arrest. A judge ordered the five, who fled Spain earlier this week after being accused of rebellion and sedition, not to leave Belgium until their extradition case is heard. US Commerce Secretary has ties to firm linked to Putin's inner circle US Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross has business ties to a shipping firm linked to Vladimir Putin's inner circle, according to a vast leak of financial documents that also revealed Britain's Queen Elizabeth II's investments in tax havens.

WION Morning news brief, Nov 6, 2017

Editors of Russia&#39;s opposition newspaper, Novaya Gazeta, said on Thursday they were planning to give their employees weapons training and arm them with &quot;traumatic&quot; or less lethal weapons to protect themselves against possible attacks.&nbsp; 
&nbsp; 
The decision comes amid a spike in violence against dissenters in Russia, including this week&#39;s attack on a radio journalist who was stabbed in the neck at the offices of the liberal Echo of Moscow radio.&nbsp; 
&nbsp; 
&quot;If the state is not ready to protect us, we will protect ourselves,&quot; Sergei Sokolov, a deputy editor at Russia&#39;s top Opposition newspaper, told AFP.&nbsp; 
&nbsp; 
&quot;When journalists find themselves helpless in the face of lawlessness in the streets and indiscipline of law enforcement agencies there is no other way.&quot;&nbsp; 
&nbsp; 
Novaya Gazeta editor Dmitry Muratov said on Wednesday that a number of employees would undergo arms training and the newspaper would purchase traumatic weapons.&nbsp;

The use of fire arms is tightly regulated in Russia. The so-called traumatic weapons that use rubber bullets can be used for self-defence, but can also inflict lethal damage.&nbsp; 
&nbsp; 
&quot;I will arm the newsroom,&quot; Muratov said on Echo of Moscow Radio.&nbsp; 
&nbsp; 
&quot;We will also supply journalists with other security means that I don&#39;t want to talk about.&quot;&nbsp;

&quot;We will conclude an official agreement with the Russian interior ministry,&quot; he added. &quot;I have no other choice.&quot;&nbsp;

Contacted by AFP, Muratov said he could not provide details of the plan over security concerns.&nbsp; 
&nbsp; 
&quot;Our security experts have asked me to refrain from comments before we take concrete steps,&quot; he said.&nbsp; 
&nbsp; 
Pavel Kanygin, a Novaya Gazeta special correspondent, said he was ready to use non-lethal weapons to defend himself.&nbsp; 
&nbsp; 
&quot;I don&#39;t see anything bad in our situation,&quot; he told AFP in written comments, adding that potential criminals may be deterred by the knowledge that Novaya Gazeta reporters carry weapons.&nbsp; 
&nbsp; 
&quot;This too is defence.&quot;&nbsp; 
&nbsp; 
President Vladimir Putin&#39;s spokesman said today he saw no reason to provide extra security for journalists.&nbsp; 
&nbsp; 
&quot;Unfortunately, every one of us can become a target of a madman,&quot; Dmitry Peskov told reporters, adding that Novaya Gazeta was free to adopt any measures as long as they were in line with existing laws.&nbsp;

Over the past two decades Novaya Gazeta has lost several journalists to contract-style killings, including investigative reporter Anna Politkovskaya who was gunned down in the entrance to her Moscow apartment in 2006.&nbsp; 
&nbsp; 
Earlier this week Tatyana Felgenhauer, a 32-year-old Echo of Moscow presener, was stabbed in the neck by a mentally unstable man.&nbsp; 
&nbsp; 
Many commentators have blamed the authorities for fomenting hatred against dissenters and creating an atmosphere in which such attacks became possible.

'If the state is not ready to protect us, we will protect ourselves,' Sergei Sokolov, a deputy editor at Novaya Gazeta, said

Editors of Russia's opposition newspaper, Novaya Gazeta, said on Thursday they were planning to give their employees weapons training and arm them with "traumatic" or less lethal weapons to protect themselves against possible attacks. The decision comes amid a spike in violence against dissenters in Russia, including this week's attack on a radio journalist who was stabbed in the neck at the offices of the liberal Echo of Moscow radio. "If the state is not ready to protect us, we will protect ourselves," Sergei Sokolov, a deputy editor at Russia's top Opposition newspaper, told AFP. "When journalists find themselves helpless in the face of lawlessness in the streets and indiscipline of law enforcement agencies there is no other way." Novaya Gazeta editor Dmitry Muratov said on Wednesday that a number of employees would undergo arms training and the newspaper would purchase traumatic weapons. The use of fire arms is tightly regulated in Russia. The so-called traumatic weapons that use rubber bullets can be used for self-defence, but can also inflict lethal damage. "I will arm the newsroom," Muratov said on Echo of Moscow Radio. "We will also supply journalists with other security means that I don't want to talk about." "We will conclude an official agreement with the Russian interior ministry," he added. "I have no other choice." Contacted by AFP, Muratov said he could not provide details of the plan over security concerns. "Our security experts have asked me to refrain from comments before we take concrete steps," he said. Pavel Kanygin, a Novaya Gazeta special correspondent, said he was ready to use non-lethal weapons to defend himself. "I don't see anything bad in our situation," he told AFP in written comments, adding that potential criminals may be deterred by the knowledge that Novaya Gazeta reporters carry weapons. "This too is defence." President Vladimir Putin's spokesman said today he saw no reason to provide extra security for journalists. "Unfortunately, every one of us can become a target of a madman," Dmitry Peskov told reporters, adding that Novaya Gazeta was free to adopt any measures as long as they were in line with existing laws. Over the past two decades Novaya Gazeta has lost several journalists to contract-style killings, including investigative reporter Anna Politkovskaya who was gunned down in the entrance to her Moscow apartment in 2006. Earlier this week Tatyana Felgenhauer, a 32-year-old Echo of Moscow presener, was stabbed in the neck by a mentally unstable man. Many commentators have blamed the authorities for fomenting hatred against dissenters and creating an atmosphere in which such attacks became possible.

Will arm journalists, say Russian newspaper editors after Putin refuses protection

A Russian court sentenced <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/russias-massive-anti-graft-protest-leader-detained-for-15-days-13860" target="_blank">opposition leader Alexei Navalny to his third jail term this year on Monday</a>, disrupting plans by the long-time Kremlin critic to campaign before Russia&#39;s coming election.

Russia holds a presidential election in March next year. The incumbent Vladimir Putin has yet to announce his candidacy but is widely expected to do so and to win.

Navalny hopes to run, even though Russia&#39;s central election commission declared him ineligible because of a suspended prison sentence, which he says was politically motivated.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/russia-opposition-leader-navalny-jailed-1500-arrested-after-wave-of-protests-16759" target="_blank">He was detained by police on Friday</a> as he left his Moscow home to attend a pre-election rally in a provincial town and later charged with repeatedly violating laws governing the organisation of public meetings and rallies.

A court sentenced him to 20 days in jail on Monday, a term which means he will miss a campaign rally planned in Putin&#39;s hometown of St Petersburg on October 7 - the Russian leader&#39;s birthday.

&quot;Old man Putin is so scared of our meetings in the regions that he decided to make himself happy with a small gift for his jubilee,&quot; Navalny said on Twitter after his sentencing.

Navalny has been jailed twice already this year after organising rallies and protests against government corruption.

Russian opposition activists say they are coming under increased pressure as the election approaches, with authorities frequently turning a blind eye to violent attacks.

Navalny has been jailed twice already this year after organising rallies and protests against government corruption

A Russian court sentenced opposition leader Alexei Navalny to his third jail term this year on Monday, disrupting plans by the long-time Kremlin critic to campaign before Russia's coming election. Russia holds a presidential election in March next year. The incumbent Vladimir Putin has yet to announce his candidacy but is widely expected to do so and to win. Navalny hopes to run, even though Russia's central election commission declared him ineligible because of a suspended prison sentence, which he says was politically motivated. He was detained by police on Friday as he left his Moscow home to attend a pre-election rally in a provincial town and later charged with repeatedly violating laws governing the organisation of public meetings and rallies. A court sentenced him to 20 days in jail on Monday, a term which means he will miss a campaign rally planned in Putin's hometown of St Petersburg on October 7 - the Russian leader's birthday. "Old man Putin is so scared of our meetings in the regions that he decided to make himself happy with a small gift for his jubilee," Navalny said on Twitter after his sentencing. Navalny has been jailed twice already this year after organising rallies and protests against government corruption. Russian opposition activists say they are coming under increased pressure as the election approaches, with authorities frequently turning a blind eye to violent attacks.

Russia: Putin critic Navalny jailed for 20 days

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/rahul-gandhi-leaves-for-norway-to-skip-rjds-bjp-bhagao-desh-bachao-rally-19518">Rahul Gandhi, who has just returned from Norway</a> is now heading for&nbsp;another foreign visit.&nbsp;

This time the Congress vice-president will be visiting Silicon Valley in the United States to groom his Artificial Intelligence skills.&nbsp;

Party sources say&nbsp;Rahul Gandhi wants India to excel in Artificial Intelligence and added that he is going to the US to &quot;expand his thoughts about artificial intelligence&quot;.&nbsp;

Artificial Intelligence, the science of creating intelligent machines that think like human brains, is still in its nascent&nbsp;phase in India. However many other countries including China have already invested in the field.&nbsp;

The Chinese government had long ago&nbsp;realised the importance of Artificial Intelligence for boosting its economy. The country has already devised plans to emerge as the world&#39;s premier AI innovation hub by 2030.&nbsp;

Despite the<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/second-academic-journal-pressed-to-censor-china-content-19309"> strict censorship in China</a>, <a href="http://www.wionews.com/photos/game-of-tech-apple-google-facebook-who-will-win-392">Google</a> is striving to utilise the intelligent technology resource and engineering talent&nbsp;from China. The US tech giant is looking for AI experts from the country.

The growth of artificial intelligence in China has moved Google to establish its own AI research team in the country, which it&nbsp;indicated during its&nbsp;May AI summit held near Shanghai.&nbsp;

Google&#39;s search engine has been <a href="http://www.wionews.com/science-tech/apple-abstains-its-chinese-users-from-accessing-vpn-18430">blocked in China</a> since 2010, however, the company is making efforts to maintain a strong foot hold in the country.&nbsp;

Google recently entered into a partnership with the local government on the AI summit in the town of Wuzhen.

The US giant has also relaunched Google Translate mobile app in Chinese language. &nbsp;Recently Google initiated building artificial&nbsp;intelligence team in the country.

Recently Google has initiated for building artificial team in the country. As part of its AI research It is looking for expert qualified human resources for its machine learning programme

Rahul Gandhi, who has just returned from Norway is now heading for another foreign visit. This time the Congress vice-president will be visiting Silicon Valley in the United States to groom his Artificial Intelligence skills. Party sources say Rahul Gandhi wants India to excel in Artificial Intelligence and added that he is going to the US to "expand his thoughts about artificial intelligence". Artificial Intelligence, the science of creating intelligent machines that think like human brains, is still in its nascent phase in India. However many other countries including China have already invested in the field. The Chinese government had long ago realised the importance of Artificial Intelligence for boosting its economy. The country has already devised plans to emerge as the world's premier AI innovation hub by 2030. Despite the strict censorship in China, Google is striving to utilise the intelligent technology resource and engineering talent from China. The US tech giant is looking for AI experts from the country. The growth of artificial intelligence in China has moved Google to establish its own AI research team in the country, which it indicated during its May AI summit held near Shanghai. Google's search engine has been blocked in China since 2010, however, the company is making efforts to maintain a strong foot hold in the country. Google recently entered into a partnership with the local government on the AI summit in the town of Wuzhen. The US giant has also relaunched Google Translate mobile app in Chinese language. Recently Google initiated building artificial intelligence team in the country.

Rahul Gandhi to visit Silicon Valley to study Artificial Intelligence

Australian cyclist Shane Perkins has been given the green light to attain Russian citizenship by President Vladimir Putin, paving the way for the twice world champion to represent his new country at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

The Melbourne-born 30-year-old won a sprint bronze for Australia at the 2012 Olympics in London but missed out on selection for last year&#39;s Rio Games.

&quot;The President resolved to grant Russian Federation citizenship to Shane Alan Perkins,&quot; the Kremlin said in a statement on its website. 
Perkins posted a picture of himself on Twitter wearing Russia colours on his bike and wrote: &quot;I&#39;m the most excited guy in the world right now! I can make my dreams come true!&quot;

Perkins, a good friend of Russia&#39;s reigning world champion sprinter Denis Dmitriev, who took bronze in the sprint at Rio, began seriously considering defecting less than a year ago, frustrated at being shut out of Australia&#39;s high performance programme, he told local media.

Perkins&#39; father Daryl, a former national champion, raced in the now defunct tandem sprint with Ian Browne at the 1964 Tokyo Olympics. They were beaten by the silver medal-winning Soviet Union pair of Imants Bodnieks and Viktor Logunov in the quarter-finals.

Australia has granted citizenship to a number of top Russian athletes over the years, including women&#39;s tennis player Daria Gavrilova, the world number 26, and former European champion speed skater Tatiana Borodulina.

The Melbourne-born 30-year-old won a sprint bronze for Australia at the 2012 Olympics in London but missed out on selection for last year's Rio Games.

Australian cyclist Shane Perkins has been given the green light to attain Russian citizenship by President Vladimir Putin, paving the way for the twice world champion to represent his new country at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. The Melbourne-born 30-year-old won a sprint bronze for Australia at the 2012 Olympics in London but missed out on selection for last year's Rio Games. "The President resolved to grant Russian Federation citizenship to Shane Alan Perkins," the Kremlin said in a statement on its website. Perkins posted a picture of himself on Twitter wearing Russia colours on his bike and wrote: "I'm the most excited guy in the world right now! I can make my dreams come true!" Perkins, a good friend of Russia's reigning world champion sprinter Denis Dmitriev, who took bronze in the sprint at Rio, began seriously considering defecting less than a year ago, frustrated at being shut out of Australia's high performance programme, he told local media. Perkins' father Daryl, a former national champion, raced in the now defunct tandem sprint with Ian Browne at the 1964 Tokyo Olympics. They were beaten by the silver medal-winning Soviet Union pair of Imants Bodnieks and Viktor Logunov in the quarter-finals. Australia has granted citizenship to a number of top Russian athletes over the years, including women's tennis player Daria Gavrilova, the world number 26, and former European champion speed skater Tatiana Borodulina.

Cyclist Perkins gets nod from Putin for Russia switch

President Vladimir Putin on Sunday said the United States would have to cut 755 diplomatic staff in Russia and warned of a prolonged gridlock in its ties after the US Congress backed new sanctions against the Kremlin.

Putin added bluntly that Russia was able to raise the stakes with America even further, although he hoped this would be unnecessary.

A US State Department official denounced the move as a &quot;regrettable and uncalled for act,&quot; adding that Washington was now weighing a potential response.

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<h5>On Thursday, the US Senate overwhelmingly approved a bill to toughen sanctions on Russia for allegedly meddling in the 2016 US presidential election and for its annexation of Crimea in 2014. The evictions of US diplomatic staff are in response to that</h5>
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On Friday, the Russian foreign ministry demanded Washington cut its diplomatic presence in Russia by September 1 to 455 people -- the same number Moscow has in the US.

&quot;More than a thousand people -- diplomats and technical personnel -- were working and are still working&quot; at the US embassy and consulates, Putin said in an interview with Rossia-24 television.&nbsp;

&quot;755 people must stop their activities in Russia.&quot;

The US State Department would not confirm the number of US officials serving at the mission.

Putin added that an upturn in Russia&#39;s relations with Washington could not be expected &quot;any time soon.&quot;

&quot;We have waited long enough, hoping that the situation would perhaps change for the better,&quot; he said.

&quot;But it seems that even if the situation is changing, it&#39;s not for any time soon.&quot;

Raise the stakes? 
Putin warned that Russia could further ratchet up the pressure, but he hoped this would not be needed.

Russia still &quot;has things to say and is able to further restrict areas of common activities, which may be sensitive for the American side,&quot; he said.

If the damage inflicted by &quot;attempts to pressure Russia&quot; rises further, &quot;we are able to look at other forms of retaliation. But I hope we won&#39;t have to do it,&quot; he said.

&quot;For the time being, I am against&quot; any additional riposte, Putin said.

On Thursday, the US Senate overwhelmingly approved a bill to toughen sanctions on Russia for allegedly meddling in the 2016 US presidential election and for its annexation of Crimea in 2014. Iran and North Korea are also targeted in the sanctions bill.

The law now goes to President Donald Trump who had made an improvement in ties with Russia a plank of his election campaign -- a position that his critics said was inexplicable.

Russia also froze two US embassy compounds -- a Moscow summer house and a storage facility in the city -- from August 1.

&quot;I thought that we should show that we too are not going to stand by without a response&quot; after &quot;the baseless measures taken by the American side,&quot; Putin said.

In December, then US president Barack Obama ordered out 35 Russian diplomats and closed down two embassy summer houses that Washington said were being used by Moscow for espionage.

At the time, the Kremlin said it would put any retaliation on hold until after Trump took office.

Hacking &#39;cooperation&#39; 
High on the list of US grievances is the allegation that Russian operatives hacked Democratic Party computers at the peak of the troubled 2016 election campaign.

Putin on Sunday said Russia had proposed &quot;several times establishing cooperation with the American side&quot; on cyber-security.

&quot;But instead of starting to work constructively, all we hear are baseless accusations about interference in the internal affairs of the United States,&quot; he complained.

Putin and Trump, meeting on the sidelines of the July 7-8 G20 summit in Hamburg, talked about setting up what Trump called an &quot;impenetrable cyber security unit&quot; to prevent hacking in future elections.

Senior members of Trump&#39;s Republican Party poured scorn on the concept.

Lindsey Graham, a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, said the notion was &quot;not the dumbest idea I&#39;ve ever heard, but it&#39;s pretty close.&quot;

Former presidential candidate John McCain said sarcastically he was &quot;sure that Vladimir Putin could be of enormous assistance in that effort, since he&#39;s doing the hacking.&quot;

'755 people must stop their activities in Russia,' Putin said in an interview with Rossia-24 television

President Vladimir Putin on Sunday said the United States would have to cut 755 diplomatic staff in Russia and warned of a prolonged gridlock in its ties after the US Congress backed new sanctions against the Kremlin. Putin added bluntly that Russia was able to raise the stakes with America even further, although he hoped this would be unnecessary. A US State Department official denounced the move as a "regrettable and uncalled for act," adding that Washington was now weighing a potential response. On Thursday, the US Senate overwhelmingly approved a bill to toughen sanctions on Russia for allegedly meddling in the 2016 US presidential election and for its annexation of Crimea in 2014. The evictions of US diplomatic staff are in response to that × On Friday, the Russian foreign ministry demanded Washington cut its diplomatic presence in Russia by September 1 to 455 people -- the same number Moscow has in the US. "More than a thousand people -- diplomats and technical personnel -- were working and are still working" at the US embassy and consulates, Putin said in an interview with Rossia-24 television. "755 people must stop their activities in Russia." The US State Department would not confirm the number of US officials serving at the mission. Putin added that an upturn in Russia's relations with Washington could not be expected "any time soon." "We have waited long enough, hoping that the situation would perhaps change for the better," he said. "But it seems that even if the situation is changing, it's not for any time soon." Raise the stakes? Putin warned that Russia could further ratchet up the pressure, but he hoped this would not be needed. Russia still "has things to say and is able to further restrict areas of common activities, which may be sensitive for the American side," he said. If the damage inflicted by "attempts to pressure Russia" rises further, "we are able to look at other forms of retaliation. But I hope we won't have to do it," he said. "For the time being, I am against" any additional riposte, Putin said. On Thursday, the US Senate overwhelmingly approved a bill to toughen sanctions on Russia for allegedly meddling in the 2016 US presidential election and for its annexation of Crimea in 2014. Iran and North Korea are also targeted in the sanctions bill. The law now goes to President Donald Trump who had made an improvement in ties with Russia a plank of his election campaign -- a position that his critics said was inexplicable. Russia also froze two US embassy compounds -- a Moscow summer house and a storage facility in the city -- from August 1. "I thought that we should show that we too are not going to stand by without a response" after "the baseless measures taken by the American side," Putin said. In December, then US president Barack Obama ordered out 35 Russian diplomats and closed down two embassy summer houses that Washington said were being used by Moscow for espionage. At the time, the Kremlin said it would put any retaliation on hold until after Trump took office. Hacking 'cooperation' High on the list of US grievances is the allegation that Russian operatives hacked Democratic Party computers at the peak of the troubled 2016 election campaign. Putin on Sunday said Russia had proposed "several times establishing cooperation with the American side" on cyber-security. "But instead of starting to work constructively, all we hear are baseless accusations about interference in the internal affairs of the United States," he complained. Putin and Trump, meeting on the sidelines of the July 7-8 G20 summit in Hamburg, talked about setting up what Trump called an "impenetrable cyber security unit" to prevent hacking in future elections. Senior members of Trump's Republican Party poured scorn on the concept. Lindsey Graham, a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, said the notion was "not the dumbest idea I've ever heard, but it's pretty close." Former presidential candidate John McCain said sarcastically he was "sure that Vladimir Putin could be of enormous assistance in that effort, since he's doing the hacking."

Putin orders US to cut diplomatic staff by 755

US President Donald Trump and Russian leader Vladimir Putin shook hands as they met for the first time Friday at a G-20 summit marred by violent protests and a rift between America and its Western allies over climate change and trade.

The handshake in Hamburg came hours before the brash property tycoon and the ice-cool ex-KGB agent were due to hold a blockbuster bilateral that promises to be dissected frame by frame for any sign of rapprochement or estrangement.

&quot;I look forward to all meetings today with world leaders, including my meeting with Vladimir Putin. Much to discuss,&quot; Trump wrote on Twitter.

Asked if Putin felt the same about the talks, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said: &quot;Affirmative&quot;.

Their meeting, say analysts, is of vital importance for issues ranging from the North Korean crisis and conflicts in Syria and Ukraine to US-Russian disarmament treaties, world trade and global warming.

&quot;While Trump&#39;s pro-wrestling approach is showy, bombastic and impulsive, Putin thrives on judo&#39;s discipline and mental toughness, where a core technique is to keep an opponent off-balance and exploit his weakness,&quot; noted Derek Chollet from think-tank German Marshall Fund.&nbsp;

&quot;How these contrasting styles of machismo interact... will likely be the defining feature of their relationship.&quot;

Their meeting comes on the sidelines of what is expected to be the most fraught G-20 summit in years.

Trump&#39;s &quot;America First&quot; approach on trade and climate-sceptic stance are testing the relationship with longstanding allies, especially in Europe.

And his tough response to North Korea&#39;s missile programme -- an issue where Russia and China are urging calm -- throws a further volatile ingredient into the mix.

End &#39;destabilising&#39; action

On the presidential election campaign trail last year, Trump said he hoped relations with Putin could be rebuilt after Russia&#39;s acrimonious ties with his predecessor Barack Obama.

But Moscow faces mounting accusations that it interfered in the election to help propel Trump into the White House. As a result, Trump faces pressure at home and from US allies to take a combative tone.

In a key speech in Warsaw on Thursday, Trump fired a rare salvo of criticism at Russia, but did not name Putin specifically.

&quot;We urge Russia to cease its destabilising activities in Ukraine and elsewhere, and its support for hostile regimes -- including Syria and Iran -- and to instead join the community of responsible nations in our fight against common enemies and in defence of civilisation itself,&quot; he told a cheering crowd of about 10,000 people.

A White House source confirmed to AFP that Trump will be joined at the meeting only by Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and a translator, an extraordinarily small cast list that raised concerns among experts.

&quot;Neither Tillerson or Trump have any experience of foreign policy. That is one reason why they need pros in the room when meeting Putin,&quot; said Thomas Wright of the Brookings Institution.

Storm over climate

North Korea&#39;s successful test of an intercontinental ballistic missile this week also casts a dark shadow over the US leader&#39;s first G20 summit.

Trump had warned Thursday that Pyongyang&#39;s military sabre-rattling would bear &quot;consequences&quot;, saying he was considering a &quot;severe&quot; response to its &quot;very, very bad behaviour&quot;.

After repeatedly urging Beijing to ratchet up the economic pressure on North Korea, Trump will hold what promises to be a testy meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping on the G20&#39;s sidelines.

Beyond the complex diplomatic waltz, the US leader also faces tough talks in the main G20 conference room, where a united front is forming against his dismissive attitude to global warming.&nbsp;

Trump may have vowed to pull the US out of the 2015 Paris climate protection accord, but G20 host German Chancellor Angela Merkel stressed that &quot;many many other countries want to go on implementing&quot; it.

&quot;We are not going to paper over the differences but rather, we will call discord discord,&quot; said Merkel.

British Prime Minister Theresa May said world leaders will redouble efforts over the two-day summit to persuade Trump to rejoin the Paris deal.

&quot;I believe the collective message that will be given to President Trump around this table will be the importance of America coming back into that agreement, and I hope we will be able to work to ensure that can happen,&quot; she told the BBC.

But the timing of Trump&#39;s meeting with Putin -- expected to begin 15 minutes after G20 leaders start their afternoon session on climate change -- has been viewed as a sign of the US leader snubbing the issue.

Cars torched 
 
Outside the heavily-guarded conference hall, tensions were also high with police clashing with demonstrators again early Friday following a night of running battles that left more than 100 police officers injured.

Beginning early Friday, activists torched more cars, smashed shop windows, fired flares at the police helicopters and even slashed tyres on vehicles belonging to the Canadian delegation.&nbsp;

Small groups played cat-and-mouse with the 20,000 police on duty to try and stop the leaders even getting to the summit venue.

&quot;It&#39;s a total catastrophe that a minority can just riot like this,&quot; local resident Munch told AFP &quot;These idiots have nothing better to do than to demonstrate. They have to be moved out.&quot;

Their meeting, say analysts, is of vital importance for issues ranging from the North Korean crisis and conflicts in Syria and Ukraine to US-Russian disarmament treaties, world trade and global warming

US President Donald Trump and Russian leader Vladimir Putin shook hands as they met for the first time Friday at a G-20 summit marred by violent protests and a rift between America and its Western allies over climate change and trade. The handshake in Hamburg came hours before the brash property tycoon and the ice-cool ex-KGB agent were due to hold a blockbuster bilateral that promises to be dissected frame by frame for any sign of rapprochement or estrangement. "I look forward to all meetings today with world leaders, including my meeting with Vladimir Putin. Much to discuss," Trump wrote on Twitter. Asked if Putin felt the same about the talks, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said: "Affirmative". Their meeting, say analysts, is of vital importance for issues ranging from the North Korean crisis and conflicts in Syria and Ukraine to US-Russian disarmament treaties, world trade and global warming. "While Trump's pro-wrestling approach is showy, bombastic and impulsive, Putin thrives on judo's discipline and mental toughness, where a core technique is to keep an opponent off-balance and exploit his weakness," noted Derek Chollet from think-tank German Marshall Fund. "How these contrasting styles of machismo interact... will likely be the defining feature of their relationship." Their meeting comes on the sidelines of what is expected to be the most fraught G-20 summit in years. Trump's "America First" approach on trade and climate-sceptic stance are testing the relationship with longstanding allies, especially in Europe. And his tough response to North Korea's missile programme -- an issue where Russia and China are urging calm -- throws a further volatile ingredient into the mix. End 'destabilising' action On the presidential election campaign trail last year, Trump said he hoped relations with Putin could be rebuilt after Russia's acrimonious ties with his predecessor Barack Obama. But Moscow faces mounting accusations that it interfered in the election to help propel Trump into the White House. As a result, Trump faces pressure at home and from US allies to take a combative tone. In a key speech in Warsaw on Thursday, Trump fired a rare salvo of criticism at Russia, but did not name Putin specifically. "We urge Russia to cease its destabilising activities in Ukraine and elsewhere, and its support for hostile regimes -- including Syria and Iran -- and to instead join the community of responsible nations in our fight against common enemies and in defence of civilisation itself," he told a cheering crowd of about 10,000 people. A White House source confirmed to AFP that Trump will be joined at the meeting only by Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and a translator, an extraordinarily small cast list that raised concerns among experts. "Neither Tillerson or Trump have any experience of foreign policy. That is one reason why they need pros in the room when meeting Putin," said Thomas Wright of the Brookings Institution. Storm over climate North Korea's successful test of an intercontinental ballistic missile this week also casts a dark shadow over the US leader's first G20 summit. Trump had warned Thursday that Pyongyang's military sabre-rattling would bear "consequences", saying he was considering a "severe" response to its "very, very bad behaviour". After repeatedly urging Beijing to ratchet up the economic pressure on North Korea, Trump will hold what promises to be a testy meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping on the G20's sidelines. Beyond the complex diplomatic waltz, the US leader also faces tough talks in the main G20 conference room, where a united front is forming against his dismissive attitude to global warming. Trump may have vowed to pull the US out of the 2015 Paris climate protection accord, but G20 host German Chancellor Angela Merkel stressed that "many many other countries want to go on implementing" it. "We are not going to paper over the differences but rather, we will call discord discord," said Merkel. British Prime Minister Theresa May said world leaders will redouble efforts over the two-day summit to persuade Trump to rejoin the Paris deal. "I believe the collective message that will be given to President Trump around this table will be the importance of America coming back into that agreement, and I hope we will be able to work to ensure that can happen," she told the BBC. But the timing of Trump's meeting with Putin -- expected to begin 15 minutes after G20 leaders start their afternoon session on climate change -- has been viewed as a sign of the US leader snubbing the issue. Cars torched Outside the heavily-guarded conference hall, tensions were also high with police clashing with demonstrators again early Friday following a night of running battles that left more than 100 police officers injured. Beginning early Friday, activists torched more cars, smashed shop windows, fired flares at the police helicopters and even slashed tyres on vehicles belonging to the Canadian delegation. Small groups played cat-and-mouse with the 20,000 police on duty to try and stop the leaders even getting to the summit venue. "It's a total catastrophe that a minority can just riot like this," local resident Munch told AFP "These idiots have nothing better to do than to demonstrate. They have to be moved out."

Trump, Putin in first showdown at fractious G-20

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