Photo: Getty ImagesRussian President Vladimir Putin won a landslide re-election victory on Sunday, extending his rule over the world's largest country for another six years at a time when his ties with the West are on a hostile trajectory. Putin has promised to use his new term to beef up Russia's defences against the West and to raise living standards. Backed by state TV, the ruling party, and credited with an approval rating around 80 percent, his victory was never in doubt. Putin loyalists said the result was a vindication of his tough stance towards the West. Putin (65) has been in power, either as president or prime minister, since 2000.

Source: Otago Daily Times March 18, 2018 18:11 UTC