Reuters: The man after Putin? 10 December

Medvedev, 42, who will be the youngest Russian leader since Tsar Nicholas II when he is sworn in on May 7, has asked former President Putin to be his prime minister. Putin, 55, was prevented by term limits from running for re-election. The Election Commission said voter turnout neared 70 percent.

The choice came days after Putin announced a plan to hold onto power after his term ends. Putin said that if his close ally, Dmitry Medvedev, wins next year's presidential vote, he would serve as Medvedev's prime minister.

Dmitry Medvedev swept to power in the first round of Russia's presidential election, with 70 percent of votes, according to an official count announced Monday. Vladimir Putin will cede him the office but not all power, as Medvedev has pledged to appoint him as prime minister and continue to collaborate closely.

Dmitry Medvedev officially took over as Russia's president on Wednesday at a grand Kremlin ceremony that launched an era of joint rule with his mentor -- and now prime minister -- Vladimir Putin.

President Putin was speaking at his last EU-Russia Summit as president. As the summit drew to an end the President of the European Commission, Jose Manuel Barroso said significant progress had been made on the issues preventing the EU from agreeing Russia's accession to the World Trade Organisation.

The exit polls results are in line with expectations. Medvedev was the candidate chosen by outgoing President Vladimir Putin to succeed him after eight years in office.

Dmitry Medvedev Iis swept to power in the first round of Russia's presidential election, with 70 percent of votes, according to official results announced Monday. Vladimir Putin will cede him his office, but not all its power, as Medvedev has pledged to appoint him prime minister.

Russians are voting in a presidential election seen by critics as rigged to hand victory to Vladimir Putin's chosen successor, Dmitry Medvedev. He faces three challengers, but overwhelming victory is almost a foregone conclusion. Medvedev has promised to appoint Putin, who will have served as president for eight years, as his prime minister. Voters speak their mind.

Putin was holding talks in Germany with German Chancellor Angela Merkel and told a news conference he was not going to cancel his trip to Iran to discuss its nuclear programme. A Russian news agency had reported that Putin had been warned by his special services of a possible plot to assassinate him during his visit to Tehran. Putin is the first Kremlin leader to visit Iran since Josef Stalin went there in 1943. Joanna Partridge reports for Reuters