Putin Quashes Japanese Hopes of End to Island Dispute Under pressure from nationalists, the Russian president backed off previous hints that he was ready to end a 73-year tussle over the Kurile Islands. Share: Facebook Twitter Google+ Stumble Digg Email ThisBlogThis!Share to XShare to Facebook Related Posts:Barack Obama’s BBC Interview With Prince HarryRabwah Journal: Shunned by Pakistan’s Muslims, Ahmadis Find Refuge in a City of Their OwnTel Aviv’s Lego Tower Measures Up for a RecordDeal With Japan on Former Sex Slaves Failed Victims, South Korean Panel Says‘Nobody Thought It Would Come to This’: Drug Maker Teva Faces a CrisisGeely Buys Stake in Volvo Trucks, Despite China Curbs