Moscow - There is outrage in the ruling United Russia party over a new brand of ice cream bearing the name of Prime Minister Vladimir Putin.

The local branch of the party in Lipezk is angry about what it called the lack of political good taste and the profanation of his name, according to the Wednesday edition of the newspaper Novaya Gazeta.

The paper reported that all the managers of the ice cream company in Lipezk were loyal members of United Russia and that the Putin ice cream was not intended as a reference to the head of government.

Moscow, Apr. 7 : As Russia''s Prime Minister, Vladimir Putin, earns 11 per cent more than President Dmitry Medvedev, says a Kremlin declaration.

In 2008 Putin earned 4.6 million rouble (94,000 pounds), 11 per cent more than the 4.14 million roubles declared by Medvedev, statement''s posted on their respective web sites showed.

Both men earn over 18 times Russia''s average wage of 230,000 roubles per year, reports The Telegraph.

Moscow - Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin outlined a list of 2009 budget priorities to the Duma, the lower house of parliament Monday, including plans for the completion of an oil pipeline to China this spring.

The pipeline, made possible in the midst of a financial crisis thanks to a 25-billion-dollar loan from China, is supposed to deliver 15 million tons of oil a year, for a total of 300 million tons from 2010 through 2030.

Warsaw - Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin will visit Poland for ceremonies marking the outbreak of World War II, his Polish counterpart Donald Tusk said Thursday.

The visit in September will be Putin's first trip in a number of years to the former Soviet bloc, and comes after months of tension between Moscow and Warsaw.

Putin's visit will include talks on gas and energy cooperation, Tusk said.

London, Mar 20 : A photograph has surfaced that reportedly shows Vladmir Putin and then US President Ronald Reagan together.

Official White House snapper Pete Souza took the Red Square picture in 1988.

The Sun quoted experts as saying that Soviet secret service agents often posed as bystanders when foreign leaders toured the USSR during the Cold War.

They claim Putin would have been briefed to ask a crafty question in an attempt to embarrass Ronnie during his visit to Mikhail Gorbachev.

Moscow - In the latest frictions between Moscow and Kiev over gas deliveries, Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin on Thursday warned Ukraine to be punctual with its payments or face another possible cuto-off.

According to the Interfax agency, Putin said that if Ukraine did not make its payments for February by this Saturday, there would be a cut-off.

This in turn could have consequences for consumers in Europe, the Russian government leader warned.