A Russian court has released opposition leader Alexei Navalny from custody less than 24 hours after convicting him of embezzlement and sentencing him to five years in prison.

When Vladimir Putin says the US is endangering the global economy by abusing its dollar monopoly, he’s not just talking.

Russian MPs are to vote on a Kremlin-backed law which would impose harsh regulations on all of Russia’s foreign-funded non-governmental organisations involved in political activity.

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.

Russsian observers today warned they are seeing widespread violations in elections expected to return Vladimir Putin to the Kremlin, despite efforts to give the appearance of a fair vote.

RUSSIAN Prime Minister Vladimir Putin yesterday said the March election, in which he will seek to reclaim presidency, should be transparent and fair, but rejected demands from swelling numbers of protesters for a rerun of the fraud-tainted parliamentary election.

Russian prime minister Vladimir Putin has rejected demands from growing numbers of protesters for a re-run of the fraud-tainted parliamentary election.

As the Russian people begin to tire of his stunts, it is high time Vladimir Putin left the political spotlight, writes Nina L Khrushcheva

Thousands took to the streets of Moscow and St Petersburg today, braving strong winds and torrential rain for a second week of protests over Russia's fraud-tainted parliamentary vote.

Prime Minister Vladimir Putin has accused the organisers of massive protests against vote fraud of working to weaken Russia on orders from the West and rejected calls for a rerun of the election.

PRESIDENT Dmitry Medvedev ordered an investigation yesterday into allegations of fraud in Russia’s parliamentary election, one day after tens of thousands of protesters demanded it be annulled and rerun.

Russia’s opposition will test Vladimir Putin’s grip on power today in nationwide protests that promise to be the largest demonstration of public outrage since the dying days of the Soviet Union.

Russian opposition leaders say Moscow authorities have sanctioned what they hope will be a massive rally against election fraud, after a violent police crackdown on a series of protests earlier this week.

PRIME Minister Vladimir Putin strongly criticised US Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton yesterday, accusing her of encouraging and funding Russians protesting election fraud.

Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin today accused US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton of encouraging and supporting the election protesters and warned of a wider Russian crackdown on unrest.

Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin today accused US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton of encouraging and supporting the election protesters and warned of a wider Russian crackdown on unrest.

FORMER Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev has called for Russia’s elections to be rerun due to fraud, as the opposition vowed new rallies contesting the results despite mass arrests.

POLICE clashed with protesters on a downtown Moscow square for a second night as demonstrators rallied against alleged vote fraud in Russia’s parliamentary elections.

Demonstrators trying to hold a second day of protests against vote fraud in Russia’s parliamentary elections have clashed with police in Moscow.

Prime minister Vladimir Putin’s party struggled to hang onto its majority in Russia’s parliamentary election, results showed today, suggesting Russians were wearying of the man who has dominated Russian politics for more than a decade.

VLADIMIR PUTIN’S ruling party suffered a big drop in support in a parliamentary election yesterday and was not certain even of holding on to a majority of seats, an exit poll showed.

Russia’s long dominant party appeared likely to lose its edge as voters across the sprawling country cast ballots for Parliament today, many of them frustrated over corruption and the gap between ordinary Russians and the super-rich.

RUSSIA’S political parties enjoy “free and equal competition” ahead of tomorrow’s parliamentary election, President Dmitry Medvedev insisted, as voters complained of record violations by the Kremlin party and the only independent election monitoring group was prosecuted.

Russian president Dmitry Medvedev said the nation’s political parties enjoyed “free and equal competition” ahead of Sunday’s parliamentary election, while voters complain of record violations of election law by the main pro-Kremlin party.

VLADIMIR PUTIN accepted his ruling party’s nomination yesterday to return to Russia’s presidency, while accusing foreigners of funding his political opponents in a reminder of the anti-Western rhetoric that characterised his years in power.

Prime Minister Vladimir Putin has been formally nominated by the ruling United Russia party to run for president in next March’s election.

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev has defended his decision not to seek a second term, saying that the nation likes Vladimir Putin more.

RUSSIA’S finance minister rebelled yesterday against Vladimir Putin’s plan to make President Dmitry Medvedev his prime minister if he returns to the Kremlin by saying he would not serve in the next government.

Vladimir Putin said today he will run for Russia’s presidency in 2012, almost certainly ensuring he will retake the office he previously held and foreshadowing years more of a strongman rule that many in the West have called a retreat from democracy.

FORMER Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev has criticised the government for taking Russia backwards and said the nation needs free elections and fresh leadership.

Former Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev has criticised the government for taking Russia backward and said the nation needs free elections and a fresh leadership.

RUSSIAN Prime Minister Vladimir Putin yesterday invited motorists, home owners and charity volunteers to join a movement which should help his United Russia party win a parliamentary election later this year.

RUSSIA’S ruling party swept regional elections in several provinces at the weekend, maintaining its grip on power.

Russia’s ruling party swept regional elections in several provinces at the weekend, easily maintaining its grip on power.

Russians went to the polls in regional elections today which will gauge the ruling United Russia party's ability to garner support at a time of economic hardship and high unemployment.

Former president Mikhail Gorbachev has compared Vladimir Putin's United Russia party to the worst of the communists he once led, saying parliament and the judiciary were not fully free.

Thousands of protesters rallied across Russia today to criticise the government’s economic course and its response to the global financial crisis.

Russia’s President Dmitry Medvedev today signed a law extending presidential terms from four years to six, a move seen as paving the way for Vladimir Putin’s return to the office.

A MOSCOW court reversed its earlier decision and barred the public and media from the trial of three men accused of murdering investigative journalist Anna Politkovskaya after jurors complained press coverage could put them at risk.

Russia formally voted Vladimir Putin as prime minister today leaving the country wondering just who is really in charge.

President Vladimir Putin accepted leadership of the dominant United Russia party today securing his grip on power after he leaves the Kremlin and becomes prime minister next month.

Russian voters were expected to endorse Vladimir Putin’s choice of a successor in today’s presidential election, allowing Mr Putin to retain a measure of power in his nation whose wealth and global voice have grown even as democratic freedoms diminished.

PRESIDENT Vladimir Putin told a party congress yesterday he would accept the prime minister’s post if his long-time protege is elected president, guaranteeing Mr Putin a continuing heavyweight political role in Russia.

Russia's President Vladimir Putin continued his moves towards keeping a tight political grip on the country today when he announced he would accept the post of prime minister if a key ally wins next year's presidential election.