The Latest: Putin: Political machinations behind Olympic ban
(World News Russia)

MOSCOW (AP) -- The Latest on the Russian president's annual news conference (all times local): 2 p.m. Russian President Vladimir Putin says political machinations are behind the International Olympic Committee's ban on Russia's national team at the upcoming Winter Games. Speaking at his annual news conference, Putin said Thursday that he believes that the "scandal is being created ahead of the domestic political calendar." Putin is up for re-election in March and he has suggested before that his adversaries might use the ban to dampen his popularity. Russian athletes earlier this week decided overwhelmingly in favor of competing at the Pyeongchang Games. Russian...