Grigory Yavlinsky

MOSCOW (Reuters) - Former Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev said on Thursday Russia faced turmoil because Vladimir Putin was unable and unwilling to carry out fundamental reform of a tightly-controlled political system.

Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin on Wednesday acknowledged he could fail to score an outright victory in March presidential polls but warned any second round risked sparking political instability.

Thousands of opposition activists took to their cars Sunday to protest Prime Minister Vladimir Putin's bid to return to the presidency, in a rally held on a Moscow ring road.

YEKATERINBURG, Russia (Reuters) - Thousands of supporters of Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin rallied on Saturday to back his bid to return to the Kremlin, a week before what are likely to be far larger opposition protests to demand greater political choice.

The United States said Friday it is "disappointed" that Russia has disqualified the sole liberal challenger to Vladimir Putin from the March 4 presidential ballot.

MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russian election authorities on Friday barred liberal opposition leader Grigory Yavlinsky from standing against Vladimir Putin in a presidential election in March, boosting Putin's chances of winning in the first round.

Russia on Friday disqualified Vladimir Putin's liberal challenger Grigory Yavlinsky from the March 4 presidential ballot, in a move slammed by his supporters as undermining the legitimacy of the polls.

Russian billionaire Mikhail Prokhorov, who hopes to challenge Vladimir Putin for the presidency, was on Wednesday officially registered to run, becoming the fifth candidate in the historic March race.

Liberal leader Grigory Yavlinsky is likely to be excluded from Russia's presidential race, election officials said Tuesday, a move that could undermine the legitimacy of Vladimir Putin's planned comeback.

Liberal leader Grigory Yavlinsky is likely to be excluded from the Russian presidential race, election officials said Tuesday, in a move that will undermine the legitimacy of Vladimir Putin's historic comeback.

Russia's election authorities said Monday they may reject the presidential candidacy of liberal opposition leader Grigory Yavlinsky after finding alleged violations in his registration forms.

MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russian liberal opposition leader Grigory Yavlinsky could be barred from running against Vladimir Putin in a presidential election after officials said Monday there were problems with his registration as a candidate.

Police arrested a leader of Russia's liberal opposition on Saturday at the latest protest rally against fraud-tainted parliamentary polls.

Billionaire Mikhail Prokhorov, who hopes to challenge strongman Vladimir Putin in Russia's March presidential polls, has collected the two million signatures needed by law to run, his spokeswoman said Friday.

MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russian billionaire Mikhail Prokhorov said on Monday he would run for president against Prime Minister Vladimir Putin next March, weeks after falling out with the Kremlin over his abortive leadership of a small pro-business party.

MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russian billionaire Mikhail Prokhorov said on Monday he would run for president against Prime Minister Vladimir Putin next March, weeks after falling out with the Kremlin over his abortive leadership of a small pro-business party.

MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russian billionaire Mikhail Prokhorov said on Monday he would run for president against Prime Minister Vladimir Putin next March, weeks after falling out with the Kremlin over his abortive leadership of a small pro-business party.

MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russian billionaire Mikhail Prokhorov said on Monday he would run for president against Prime Minister Vladimir Putin next March, weeks after falling out with the Kremlin over his abortive leadership of a small pro-business party.

MOSCOW (Reuters) - If Vladimir Putin is to face a Russian rebellion, its spiritual leader may be a 35-year-old blogger named Alexei Navalny.

MOSCOW (Reuters) - Plans for big new protests against Vladimir Putin fizzled on Wednesday after a show of force by Russian police who have detained more than 1,000 people in a crackdown since a parliamentary election dismissed by Kremlin foes as a fraud.