Vladimir Churov

A section of the Chernobyl nuclear power plant in Ukraine collapsed under the weight of snow, officials said Wednesday, raising new concerns about the condition of the facility that was the site of the world's worst nuclear accident.

Russians on Sunday voted to elect governors and mayors in the first such polls since President Vladimir Putin's return to the Kremlin, as observers complained of numerous and egregious violations.

Russians on Sunday voted to elect governors and mayors in the first such polls since President Vladimir Putin's return to the Kremlin as observers complained of numerous violations.

Russians went to the polls on Sunday to elect regional governors and mayors in key cities in the first such vote since President Vladimir Putin's return to the Kremlin.

Opposition activists in the southern Russian city of Astrakhan Thursday toned down their near month-long hunger strike against allegedly rigged polls but vowed to stage a mass weekend protest.

MOSCOW (Reuters) - International monitors said on Monday Russia's presidential election was clearly skewed to favor Vladimir Putin, a verdict that could spur protesters planning to take to the streets to challenge his right to rule.

Russian leader Vladimir Putin on Monday reclaimed the Kremlin after a crushing victory in a presidential election but faced protests by the opposition who said the poll was undermined by fraud.

Russians voted on Sunday in presidential polls expected to return strongman Vladimir Putin to the Kremlin for a record third term, despite a wave of protests against his 12 years of domination.

MOSCOW (Reuters) - The Kremlin held out an olive branch to Russia's opposition Monday before protesters take to the streets to challenge Vladimir Putin's victory in a presidential election they said was a "declaration of war."

MOSCOW (Reuters) - International monitors said on Monday Russia's presidential election was clearly skewed to favor Vladimir Putin, a verdict that could spur protesters planning to take to the streets to challenge his right to rule.

MOSCOW (Reuters) - International monitors said on Monday Russia's presidential election was clearly skewed to favor Vladimir Putin, a verdict that could spur protesters planning to take to the streets to challenge his right to rule.

MOSCOW (Reuters) - International monitors said Russia's presidential election was clearly skewed to favour Vladimir Putin, a verdict that could spur protesters planning to take to the streets to challenge his right to rule.

A bare-chested Vladimir Putin strokes the bottom of an Olympic gymnast and overdoses on Botox as his wife Lyudmila takes refuge in a monastery -- in a new staging of a play at a Moscow theatre.

Vladimir Putin accused Russia's opposition on Wednesday of plotting dirty tricks to discredit his likely victory in weekend presidential polls, saying they must "submit" to the majority in the vote.

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.

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.

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

MOSCOW (Reuters) - A longtime ally of Vladimir Putin called on Monday for the creation of a liberal party to fill a void in Russian politics exposed by mass protests against the prime minister's 12-year rule, and cast himself as its potential leader.

MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russia's former finance chief and one of its richest tycoons put themselves forward as candidates to unite liberal and middle-class voters who vented frustration with Vladimir Putin's political dominance by taking to the streets in protest.

MOSCOW (Reuters) - A longtime ally of Vladimir Putin called on Monday for the creation of a liberal party to fill a void in Russian politics exposed by mass protests against the prime minister's 12-year rule, and cast himself as its potential leader.