Bode Miller of the US during the men's downhill event at the World Cup Super-combined on February 12. Olympic champion Miller joined a chorus of top skiers in giving the thumbs-up to the venue that will host the alpine events at the 2014 winter Games in Sochi. Aksel Lund Svindal of Norway during the men's slalom event at the World Cup Super-combined on February 12.

Topic: Putin to run for Russian president in 2012 Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin© RIA Novosti. Alexei Druginyn 05:55 13/02/2012 MOSCOW, February 13 (RIA Novosti) Tags: Vladimir Putin, Russia Related News Putin Proposes Measures to Increase Russia's Population Russia approves program to fight demographic crisis Putin approves demographic policy goals through 2025 - 1 Putin says Russia facing demographic crisis

Russia News.Net Sunday 12th February, 2012 (IANS) Share this page Tweet Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin has proposed a set of measures aimed to increase the country's population from 142 million to 154 million people. Putin said creating enough places in state kindergartens is a top-priority task for the country's leadership.

Topic: Putin to run for Russian president in 2012 Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin© RIA Novosti. Alexey Nikolsky 02:35 13/02/2012 MOSCOW, February 13 (RIA Novosti) Tags: Vladimir Putin, Russia Related News Presidential elections in Russia (2012) Putin Ponders Corruption, Internet Democracy in New Article Putin Urges Restriction of State Control over Businesses Putin praises Russia's 'educational revolution' Global crisis is systemic - Putin Multimedia

MOSCOW, February 12 (Itar-Tass) -- The State Duma will discuss presidential political reform initiatives in the attendance of non-parliamentary parties on February 28. "The State Duma meeting has been postponed from February 17 to February 28 so that the deputies could discuss the presidential political reform initiatives," Speaker Sergei Naryshkin said.

0 Visiting the Turkish American Association, Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu attended an exhibition presented by the students of Pinnacle Academy in Virginia.

Topic: Putin to run for Russian president in 2012 Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin© RIA Novosti. Alexey Nikolskiy 21:27 12/02/2012 MOSCOW, February 12 (RIA Novosti) Tags: elections, Vladimir Putin, Russia, Moscow Related News Putin Vows Reshuffle After Presidential Elections Russian population dwindles since 2002 - statistics Russia approves program to fight demographic crisis Putin approves demographic policy goals through 2025 - 1

February 12, 2012, 11:44 AM EST Business Exchange E-mail Print More From Businessweek EU Sanctions on IranБ─(tm)s Main Ports Will Slash Trade If Enforced Sarkozy Most Unpopular as Election Nears Sees Historic Rebound Russians Meet Assad as Europe Joins Gulf Pulling Diplomats Putin Mulls Levy for Russian State Asset Sales From 1990s Syria Forces Hit Opposition Amid Proposals to End Conflict By Ilya Arkhipov and Henry Meyer

Why Putin's Grasp on Power Remains FirmMaria Lipman and Nikolay Petrov MARIA LIPMAN is Editor of Pro et Contra at the Carnegie Moscow Center. NIKOLAY PETROV is Scholar-in-Residence at the Carnegie Moscow Center. (Sergei Karpukhin/ Courtesy Reuters) Last Saturday, tens of thousands of Muscovites gathered in the third mass protest in less than two months, chanting "Putin, ukhodi!"(Putin, go!) and

Topic: Protests in Syria Pope Benedict XVI © RIA Novosti. Dmitry Astachov 17:35 12/02/2012 VATICAN CITY, February 12 (RIA Novosti) Tags: Arab League, UN Security Council, Sergei Lavrov, Bashar al-Assad, Pope Benedict XVI, Vatican, Syria Related News Saudi Arabia Pushes for New Syria Resolution Majority of Brits Support 'No-Fly Zone' in Syria - Poll Duma Urges UN to Foster Syrian Dialogue UK Denies Sending Special Forces to Syria NATO to Stay out of Syrian Conflict