Putin vows to halve poverty

RUSSIAN President Vladimir Putin has said he intends to halve poverty in the country within the next six years, in his annual state of the nation speech in Moscow.

The speech is the last before an election he is expected to win in 17 days time.

Mr Putin is laying out his key policies for his fourth presidential term.

“Every person matters to us,” he said, adding that he wanted to increase employ- ment and longevity.

Putin faces seven challengers on 18 March although none is expected to attract widespread support. The president played no part in a raucous televised debate broadcast on Wednesday that featured the other candidates.

Absent from the campaign is prominent opposition leader Alexei Navalny, who has been barred from running and has called on voters to boycott the poll.