Planets resolve Putin succession mystery: astrologer

0 Comments | AFP, December, 2007

MOSCOW (AFP) — While the world holds its breath to know who will succeed President Vladimir Putin, Russia's most famous astrologist says the answer already lies in the planets.

Gazing into a Sony laptop computer, rather than a crystal ball, Pavel Globa predicted that Putin would pick either First Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev or Prime Minister Viktor Zubkov to replace him in an election on March 2.

Why? Because 2008 is the year of the rat in the Chinese zodiac, which historically favours uncharismatic figures like the grey Medvedev and even more grey Zubkov, Globa said at a Moscow hotel.

"They don't stand out. No one really knows what they're saying, but they seem to be doing something. That's the rat."

Putin's intentions remain one of world...