Chrystia Freeland meets three public leaders who are exploiting social media to forge a direct connection with their communities

Vladimir Putin today rejected opposition protests against his presidential election victory and his foreign ministry ruled out any softening of Moscow’s stance on Syria, a strong indication that the Russian leader has no intention of easing tough policies at home or abroad.

Russian riot police detained more than 500 protesters including opposition leader Alexei Navalny yesterday at rallies challenging the legitimacy of Vladimir Putin’s victory in the presidential election.