The Kremlin-controlled Russian parliament has rammed through a harsh bill that raises fines 150-fold for people taking part in unsanctioned rallies, in a move aimed at discouraging the opposition from challenging President Vladimir Putin.

Vladimir Putin scored a decisive victory in Russia’s presidential election to return to the Kremlin and extend his hold on power for six more years.

Vladimir Putin won a resounding victory in Russia’s presidential election yesterday, exit polls showed, securing a new six-year term in the Kremlin and a mandate to deal with opposition protests after a vote that opponents said was marred by fraud.

Prime Minister Vladimir Putin rolled to victory in Russia’s presidential election today, according to exit polls cited by state television, but the vote was tainted by claims of violations, including “carousel voting” in which voters were bused around to cast several ballots.

Vladimir Putin has won Russia’s presidential election, according to exit polls.

Monitored by web cameras and a network of volunteer civilian observers, Russians voted today in presidential elections expected to return Vladimir Putin to the Kremlin.

The funeral of former President Boris Yeltsin – who engineered the final collapse of the Soviet Union and pushed Russia toward pluralism and a market economy – will take place tomorrow.

The head of a private centre in Russia that trains the country’s special forces today admitted that photographs of exiled former spy Alexander Litvinenko had been used during target shooting practice.

Viktor Yushchenko was sworn in as president of Ukraine today, two months after massive protests over his loss in a fraud-plagued election plunged the ex-Soviet republic into political crisis.

The Russian parliament’s upper house wants new anti-terror legislation to include stricter penalties for people who aid terrorists and for officials whose negligence results in terrorist attacks, the Interfax news agency reported today.

Russian foreign minister Sergey Lavrov said Chechen rebel warlord Shamil Basayev directed the hostage-taking raid on a school in southern Russia.

Russian President Vladimir Putin performed a U-turn today – apparently responding to wide public dismay over the bloody school siege – and agreed to the formation of a parliamentary investigative commission.

Voter turnout in Russia’s presidential election exceeded the 50% threshold needed to make the vote valid, Russian news agencies quoted Central Election Commission chief Alexander Veshnyakov as saying hours before polls closed today.

Grieving relatives and friends gathered in the Ural Mountains city of Ufa today to pay their final respects to 28 people killed in last week’s air crash over Germany.

Boris Yeltsin, who was admitted to hospital more than a month ago, had fallen ill with pneumonia but has fully recovered.