It was not quite an endorsement, but Russian president Vladimir Putin has praised Donald Trump’s talents and lauded his calls for better ties with Russia.

A Saudi blogger sentenced to 10 years in prison and 1,000 lashes for insulting Muslim clerics has won the European Union’s Sakharov Prize for human rights.

Moscow has spent more than 53 billion rubles (€920m) supplying a separatist rebellion in east Ukraine and at least 220 Russian soldiers have been killed there, a report by Russian opposition activists said.

Russian president Vladimir Putin resurfaced, smiling and looking his normal self after a 10-day absence from public view that fuelled a wave of rumours about his health.

The main suspect in the killing of Russian opposition politician Boris Nemtsov has signs of torture on his body and was forced to confess to the shooting, a human rights activist said.

Russian news agencies said yesterday that one of the suspects in the killing of leading opposition figure Boris Nemtsov has admitted involvement in the crime.

Opposition leaders face tough task in wake of Nemtsov’s killing

One by one, thousands of mourners filed past the white-lined coffin of slain Kremlin critic Boris Nemtsov yesterday, many offering flowers as they paid their last respects to one of the most prominent figures of Russia’s opposition.

The outrage of ordinary Muscovites was sparked by Boris Nemtsov’s assassination on Friday, but many fear apathy will return in the face of a remorseless enemy, says Anna Nemtsova

Like Stalin, Putin has nurtured a climate of fear and lawlessness, in which those who rally behind the Kremlin feel a duty to eliminate the leader’s opponents however they can, says Nina L Khrushcheva

The Ukrainian woman with Kremlin critic Boris Nemtsov when he was gunned down told Russia media yesterday that she did not see his killer, as conflicting reports emerged about the availability of surveillance footage showing the slaying.

Russian foreign minister Sergey Lavrov said the killing of opposition leader Boris Nemtsov was a “heinous crime which will be fully investigated”.

Murdered spy Alexander Litvinenko’s widow says Boris Nemtsov’s shooting was the Russian government’s way of saying anyone who spoke out against Vladimir Putin would be killed.

Holding placards declaring “I am not afraid”, thousands of Russians marched in Moscow in memory of Kremlin critic Boris Nemtsov, whose murder has widened a split in society that some say could threaten Russia’s future.

THE violent death of yet another opponent of Russian President Vladimir Putin adds another layer of complexity to the deteriorating relationship between the democratic world and an increasingly autocratic Kremlin. 

Russia’s top investigative body is looking into several possible motives for the killing of prominent opposition figure Boris Nemtsov, including an attempt to destabilise the state, Islamic extremism, the Ukraine conflict and his personal life.

A leading Russian opposition politician, former deputy prime minister Boris Nemtsov, has been shot dead, Russian officials say.

Moscow police interrupted a play featuring the trial of punk rockers Pussy Riot yesterday and warned its Swiss director for violating visa rules in what a government critic said was part of an anti-Western campaign.

A bill banning Americans from adopting Russian children yesterday went to president Vladimir Putin for his signature after winning final approval from parliament in retaliation for a US law meant to punish Russian human rights abusers.

Thousands of opposition supporters gathered today outside the old KGB headquarters in central Moscow today to mark a year of mass protests against Vladimir Putin and his government.

Vladimir Putin once compared ruling Russia to being a “galley slave”, but four yachts that come with the job, not to mention palaces, aircraft and a wealth of luxury perks help explain his refusal to quit the presidency, leading critics have said.

Tens of thousands of Russians flooded Moscow's tree-lined boulevards today in the first massive protest against president Vladimir Putin's rule since his inauguration in May - a rally that came even as police interrogated key opposition leaders.

Russian police searched the homes of prominent opponents of President Vladimir Putin in a clear warning he is losing patience with dissenters before a major rally today that could draw tens of thousands of people challenging his rule.

Russian investigators searched the apartments of several opposition leaders today and called them in for questioning, raising tensions on the eve of a large protest against President Vladimir Putin.

Vladimir Putin took the oath as Russia’s president yesterday with a ringing appeal for unity at the start of a six-year term in which he faces growing dissent, economic problems, and bitter political rivalries.

Vladimir Putin took the oath of office in a brief but regal Kremlin ceremony today, while on the streets outside thousands of riot police prevented hundreds of demonstrators from protesting his return to the presidency.

Police in Moscow have arrested top opposition figures along with demonstrators after a protest march on the eve of Vladimir Putin’s inauguration as president tried to reach the Kremlin.

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.

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.

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.

Thousands of protesters took to Moscow’s streets, accusing prime minister Vladimir Putin’s party of rigging Russia’s parliamentary election in which it won the largest share of the seats.

Russian prime minister Vladimir Putin was sued for libel in a Moscow court today in a rare case of the Kremlin-loyal justice system agreeing to hear a case against him.

ABOUT 500 people demonstrated in a Moscow square yesterday to demand the ousting of Prime Minister Vladimir Putin and his “rule of thieves”.

About 500 people demonstrated in a central Moscow square today to demand the removal of prime minister Vladimir Putin and his “rule of thieves”.

Several hundred people were today demonstrating in a central Moscow square to call for the ejection of prime minister Vladimir Putin.

VLADIMIR PUTIN vowed yesterday to “drag out of the sewer” the masterminds of the twin suicide bombing of the Moscow subway system that killed 39 people and left scores wounded.

Vladimir Putin’s party won a crushing victory in Russia’s parliamentary elections, paving the way for the leader to remain in control even after he steps down as president.

Russians complained today about being pressured to vote, with some saying their ballots were already filled out for President Vladimir Putin’s party and others reporting cash bribes, election watchdogs said.

Dozens of opposition activists were detained by riot police today as they tried to rally against Russian President Vladimir Putin's government in central St Petersburg.

Allies of President Vladimir Putin won a sweeping victory in Russia’s elections today but European human rights officials condemned the poll as having fallen short of international legal requirements and representing a retreat from democratic reforms.

The jailing of Russia’s richest man in what is widely seen as a politically-driven attack on his oil empire could herald a return to Soviet-style repression that is bound to trigger capital flight, media and politicians warned today.