Russian President Vladimir Putin says his country's election indicates "trust" and "hope" in him after a vote in which he stifled the opposition.Sunday was the last day of a presidential election that offered Russians no real alternatives to Mr Putin after he ruthlessly cracked down on dissent.Early returns after the polls closed showed Mr Putin is poised to extend his near quarter-of-a-century rule for six more years, with some 87% of the vote after about 60% of precincts were counted, accordin

Russian President Vladimir Putin says his country's election indicates "trust" and "hope" in him after a vote in which he stifled the opposition.Sunday was the last day of a presidential election that offered Russians no real alternatives to Mr Putin after he ruthlessly cracked down on dissent.Early returns after the polls closed showed Mr Putin is poised to extend his near quarter-of-a-century rule for six more years, with some 87% of the vote after about 60% of precincts were counted, according to Russia's Central Election Commission.