Jewish & World News

Vladimir Putin, banned in Finland? Finnish police say the Russian president's name was mistakenly placed on a secret criminal register that could theoretically have gotten him arrested at the border. TV station MTV3 reported Wednesday that Putin was placed there for his contact with Russian motorcycle gang Night Wolves, though he wasn't suspected of a crime in Finland. But National Police Board spokesman Robin Lardot told the AP the listing was a mistake and that Putin's name was removed from the list.

Vladimir Putin has been elected Russian president for the third time, exit polls suggest, after spending the last four years as the country's PM. The exit polls gave Mr Putin about 60% of the vote, meaning that he should avoid a run-off with his nearest rival, Communist Gennady Zyuganov. Officials say turnout was higher than for the last election in 2008.

Most of Russia's Jews will likely vote for Prime Minister Vladimir Putin in Sunday's presidential elections, according to that country's chief rabbi. "Maybe if there were a more serious choice of candidates they would vote for someone else. But I haven't yet met a single Jew who is voting for [Russian tycoon Mikhail] Prokhorov, for example," said Chabad Rabbi Berel Lazar, in an interview with Haaretz.        He added, "I think the fact that a new, young leader has not yet stepped forward in Russia is a problem. All these people - [Gennady] Zyuganov, [Vladimir] Zhirinovsky [presidential candidates for the Russian Communist and Liberal Democratic parties, respectively] - we've already heard their sermons before. It's the same old people."

A fake news report placing Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin in the dock has become an online hit, getting nearly 3 million views in just three days. The digitally altered clip posted on YouTube this week used news footage of the 2010 trial of former oil tycoon Mikhail Khodorkovsky to put Putin on trial instead of the businessman. The prosecution of Khodorkovsky, which began with his arrest in 2003, is widely seen as retaliation for challenging Putin's power.

Moscow - The leopard growled, flashed its teeth and lunged at the fence of its new enclosure at a national park in Russia’s near the southern city of Sochi. Standing on the other side of the fence was Russian prime minister, and animal lover, Vladimir Putin, who smiled broadly.