Putin’s dismantling of Russian democracy was so brazen, and his apparatchiks’ justifications for it so transparently disingenuous, that it was hard not to laugh in disbelief.
Vladimir putin
Political snippets: Labor’s contempt for parliament shows
Perhaps Australia had it right back in the 1960s and 1970s when the maximum personal income tax rate was over 60 percent without the rich having the benefit of dividend imputation.
Five bloody years as journalists, and freedom of speech, die
The International Freedom of Expression Exchange, which has labelled today the International Day to End Impunity, has profiled one slain journalist on its website every day this month.
Video of the Day: A touch of badminton with Putin
Russian President Dmitry Medvedev posted a rather bizarre video on the official Kremlin website showing him talking about badminton and then having a hit with president-in-waiting Vladimir Putin. While they obviously aren’t a direct translation, the subtitles done by Deadspin are rather amusing … The video isn’t embeddable, so click here to view it.
Abbott v Putin: it’s a man-off
Tony Abbott and Vladimir Putin are reactionary populists who speak to their public through overtly physical demonstrations of manly prowess, writes David Ritter.
Putin apologists line up to justify the ruling tandem’s bitch slap to democracy
Commentators and analysts have been lining up, not only to explain the ruling tandem’s bitch-slap to democracy with Putin’s return to the Kremlin, but also, worse, to justify and excuse it.
Putin’s endorsement a surprise despite its inevitability
One of the more surprising things about Russian President Dmitri Medvedev’s endorsement of Vladimir Putin as his successor is how much it seemed to surprise the journalists covering it.
Putin to score quarter century in power
Vladimir Putin is likely to win two consecutive six year terms, which will mark 25 years in power. The announcement that he will be switching jobs with president Dmitry Medvedev confirms Medvedev was a stand-in, writes Charles Clover and Catherine Belton.
Cameron goes to Russia to break four-year ice
The issue of Russian participation in Europe has been thrown into sharper relief this week by the visit of British Prime Minister David Cameron to Moscow.
It was 20 years ago today — remembering the Soviet coup
The fall of the Berlin Wall is probably the thing people remember most, but the Soviet empire, truncated and divided, limped on for another two years. It was the August coup, 20 years ago today, that really finished it off.
Richardson: tension at the top in Russia
There’s a fairly widespread view that what they have is just a well-honed “good cop, bad cop” routine, in which Medvedev presents the friendly face of authoritarianism while Putin actually runs the show.
Guy Rundle: Rundle: WikiLeaks … diplomacy out the door and instead, talk of execution
Sarah Palin suggested that Julian Assange should be hunted down like Osama bin Laden and also charged with treason, a tough thing for a US court to hang on an Australian citizen.
PHOTO GALLERY 
Putin, lover of Russia and furry animals
A most wonderful photo gallery of Russian PM Vladimir Putin posing with different animals. Yes, it’s topless Putin swimming with dolphins, military Putin the horse-whisperer, wild Putin patting a tiger and many more goodies.
Gorbachev accuses Putin of blocking democracy
Former Soviet leader Mikhail S. Gorbachev, now 80, has spoken out against Vladimir Putin, arguing Putin’s leadership is deliberately blocking the path to democracy that Gorbachev forged, reports Clifford L. Jevy.
Political snippets: Does either side really want to govern?
You have to start wondering whether either Labor or the Coalition really wants to become the government of Australia under the conditions where it would have to deal with independents and a Green.
Flames, grain and drought: Russia grapples with historic heatwave
Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin has announced a ban on grain exports in a preventative measure to stop price hikes and protect agriculture as the country grapples with its worst heatwave on record.
The 40 top predators of press freedom
Reporters Without Borders has named its annual list of press freedom “predators”. This year, Russian PM Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Hu Jintao join Hall of Famers like Robert Mugabe and the Italian mafia.
Warsaw mourns by the blaze of thousands of candles
The past two days in Poland have been a lesson in private and public mourning, as sirens wail and the street fill with thousands of candles, writes Vince Chadwick and Paulina Olszanka from Warsaw.
Why no one wants to party with Russia
Russia is no longer cool, declares the Moscow Times: and it’s all Putin’s fault. Once known as a “wild, fun-loving and anything-goes” party town, it is now seen as “dreary, corrupt, uncouth and threatening”.
President Putin… again?
Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin seems to be missing his old job, and says he hasn’t ruled out having another crack at the Presidency in 2012. Given his popularity rating is 11 points above that of the country’s actual president, it may not be a crazy suggestion.
PHOTO GALLERY: From Russia with love: Putin and Medvedev
A hilarious yet surprisingly revealing photo gallery, featuring candid moments between Russian President Dmitry Medvedev and PM Vladimir Putin. Is their bro-mance on on the skids?
Does Putin want to be President again?
After serving a little over a year as Russia’s Prime Minister, former Russian President Vladimir Putin looks have sit sights set back on the country’s top job, announcing he may run again in 2012.
Censorship and cowardice at Conde Nast
Publisher Conde Nast has buried a story from GQ on possible connections between Vladimir Putin, the KGB and a series of 1999 bombings officially blamed on Chechen terrorists, keeping the piece off the web and out of Russia, for fear of reprisals.
Putin builds up military fortress in Abkhazia
Russia will spend nearly A$600 million developing its military presence in the contested region of Abkhazia. Vladimir Putin hopes that Abkhazia will become to Russia what Monaco is to France. A celebrity tax haven?
Crikey Says: In bed with Vladimir Putin
Prostitutes, showgirls and now Putins’s four poster — Italian politics is another world.
