POLITICS
Candidates running against Vladimir Putin
By Jordi Bou
March 18, 2018 - Russia's election officials have registered eight candidates for the presidential election, including President Vladimir Putin. With his approval ratings topping 80 percent and rivals trailing far behind, Putin is set to easily win a fourth term. Putin's most vocal critic, the 41-year-old opposition leader Alexei Navalny, has been barred from the race due to a criminal conviction that he calls politically motivated.