Bond... Vlad Bond

Vladimir Putin has dived to the bottom of the world's deepest lake in Siberia, aboard a mini-submarine. The Russian prime minister descended 1,400m (4,600ft) in a four-and-a-half hour mission to inspect crystals containing natural gas.

Mr Putin, a former KGB spy, said it was a very special feeling and he had not seen anything like it before. The mission is likely to add to the 56-year-old's carefully cultivated image as a man of action.

However, as he emerged after the dive, Mr Putin quickly played down reporters' suggestions that his next challenge would be to travel in space. "There is enough work on earth," he said. Being the prime minister of one of the world's most influential countries obviously has its privileges!