Russia's highest court on Saturday upheld election officials' decision to bar opposition leader Alexei Navalny from running for president in March's election. The Supreme Court turned down Navalny's appeal against the Central Election Commission's move, ruling that the decision to bar him from the race fully conforms to law. President Vladimir Putin, whose approval ratings supposedly top 80 percent, is set to easily win a fourth term in the March 18 vote. Navalny has campaigned for the presidency all year despite an implicit ban on his candidacy due to a fraud conviction seen by many as politically driven. Navalny responded to Saturday's court ruling by repeating his call for a "voters' strike."

Source: CBC News December 30, 2017 12:11 UTC