Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin said Thursday he would "think about" running for president in 2012, refusing to rule out the possibility that he could return to the Kremlin. "I will think about it. There is plenty of time," Putin said when asked during a televised phone-in show whether he would run in 2012 when President Dmitry's Medvedev's term expires. There has been intense speculation that Putin, who served as president in 2000-2008 and is still widely seen as Russia's most... Read Full Story
Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin will visit Israel in 2010, he said on Friday, following a recent chill in ties between Moscow and Israel's arch-enemy Iran. Putin's pledge to visit the Jewish state came during a meeting in Moscow with Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman, who told him: "We would be happy to see you in Israeli in 2010." "Thank you very much for the invitation. I will definitely come," replied Putin, who also said: "Israel is one of our highest-priority partners in... Read Full Story
by Anna Smolchenko MOSCOW (AFP) -- Russia on Thursday accused the United States of slowing down talks on a new nuclear weapons disarmament treaty, but Washington insisted it still aimed to sign a new accord this year. US and Russian officials have been holding intense talks in Geneva on replacing the 1991 Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty which led to deep cuts in their nuclear arsenals but expired on December 5 without a replacement. "In the past couple of days we have noted a slowdown in the... Read Full Story
Russia called Wednesday for renewed cooperation with the West on European security, two days ahead of the resumption of high-level talks between Moscow and NATO. "The moment has come to establish conditions for cooperation between the United States and Russia because without such actors as NATO we cannot seriously talk about security and political ideas on the continent," said Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, on the sidelines of an OSCE ministerial council in Athens. Russia has been... Read Full Story
Georgia's rebel South Ossetia region freed two detained Georgian teenagers but jailed two others Wednesday after Tbilisi handed over a group of South Ossetian prisoners following European mediation. The four teenage boys were detained last month after allegedly crossing into South Ossetian-controlled territory with explosives. Their detentions sparked an outcry in Georgia and calls from Tbilisi and the European Union for their release. South Ossetia's rebel government said in a statement... Read Full Story
MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin Thursday said the Cold War-era Jackson-Vanik amendment that tied U.S. trade relations to emigration rights for religious minorities was an anachronism and hindered Russia's entry to the World Trade Organization (WTO). Putin's criticisms followed comments by the U.S. trade envoy that the Washington backed Russia's membership of the trade body and wanted to resolve outstanding bilateral issues. Russia is the largest economy outside the... Read Full Story
MOSCOW (Reuters) - Prime Minister Vladimir Putin said on Thursday he would not leave Russian politics any time soon, telling a questioner asking about his departure: "Do not hold your breath." Putin's future has been the subject of speculation since Dmitry Medvedev replaced him as president in May last year. Some analysts have predicted he will quickly return to the Kremlin while others have suggested he could gradually leave politics. Asked during an annual marathon question and answer... Read Full Story
TSKHINVALI, Georgia (Reuters) - Georgia released five South Ossetians on Wednesday, the Russian-backed rebel region of South Ossetia said, in what appeared to be the first step in a European-mediated prisoner swap. Georgia's Interior Ministry said it could not confirm the release, but a Reuters cameraman said the men had arrived in the South Ossetian capital Tskhinvali, a few kilometers (miles) from the boundary with Georgia. South Ossetia's official website said the five -- held since... Read Full Story
The United States is hindering Russia's efforts to join the World Trade Organization (WTO), Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin said on Thursday. "We have the impression that for reasons unclear to us, certain parties, including the United States, are hindering our accession to the WTO," Putin said in televised remarks. Russia began negotiations for WTO membership in 1993, but the talks have hit numerous roadblocks over the years and today Russia remains the world's largest economy still... Read Full Story
BRUSSELS (Reuters) - Russia's envoy to NATO expressed frustration on Tuesday at the military alliance's unwillingness to discuss Moscow's proposals for European security and said it could affect prospects for increased cooperation on Afghanistan. Ambassador Dmitry Rogozin accused some NATO countries of blocking Moscow's calls for a Russian security plan to be discussed in the NATO-Russia Council (NRC), a body in which the two sides discuss cooperation. Speaking hours before an address in... Read Full Story
From Spain's Princess Letizia to Italy's Mara Carfagna, the game of politics is no stranger to beautiful, powerful women. Following is a list of women whose influence is matched only by their sheer hotness.
We've rounded up the fifty most infamous female teacher sex scandals the Internet has seen, and ranked them from most famous to least. We do it because we care.
