Vladimir Putin set to stay in power until 2036
(World News Russia)

(NST) – Russians overwhelmingly approved a package of constitutional changes in a nationwide vote, partial results showed on Wednesday, allowing President Vladimir Putin to potentially extend his two-decade rule until 2036. With just over 85 per cent of ballots counted after the end of seven days of voting, 77.8 per cent of voters had supported the reforms, according to election commission figures cited by Russian state agencies. There had been little doubt of voters backing the changes, which Putin announced earlier this year and critics denounced as a manoeuvre to allow him to stay in the Kremlin for life. But top Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny slammed the results as a “huge...