Should note that Putin suggested that the recent poisoning deaths in Irkutsk -- where dozens of people drank scented bath lotion containing methyl alcohol, or methanol -- was the fault of foreigners.
"A number of individuals, who are citizens of a foreign country, started that business -- production of the bath lotion. One of them decided to earn some money separately and found somewhere...technical alcohol [methanol] without, I think, knowing of the possible consequences."
Next question: Reporter from a children's newspaper notes that newspapers from children are not purchased by libraries anymore and asks if the government can help get such papers back in libraries. He also relays a question from an 8-year-old reader who asks what kind of robot Putin needs in the Kremlin. Putin says the decisions made in the Kremlin affect millions of people and have to be made by humans. Putin says the government supports libraries. Says libraries should be turned into "multimedia centers" and government at local and national level need to pay more attention to this. It isn't just a matter of sending more money, he says.
Third question! They said only two more! But ahh, the public demands it.
Putin wishes everyone a happy new year and leaves the hall after just under four hours onstage and onscreen.
Here's our summing-up of the press conference.