Observers from the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) say the election was slanted in favour of Mr Putin's party, United Russia.
Though tensions exist between Afghanistan's Sunni and minority Shia Muslims, most attacks in Afghanistan in recent years have targeted government officials or international forces, correspondents say.
Correspondents say the unrest will come as a shock to President Nursultan Nazarbayev, who has ruled the republic since before independence and kept a tight rein on public protest
Japanese media say that for more than 30 years the company that owns the tunnel had relied on rudimentary visual inspections, with no reinforcement or repairs since construction.
He and his party say nuclear energy has a role to play in resource-poor Japan's future. Mr Abe has also called for a tough stance on the territorial row with China over East China Sea islands that both countries claim.
