...while Russia falls from the ranks of the democratic nations.

The Canadian Press: Putin government is 'all in the family' as succession battle goes forward
Vladimir Putin's government has started to look like a family affair since a cabinet shakeup this month that left two pairs of close relatives serving in top posts.

Roto-Reuters: Putin critic, accused of extremism, faces court
A political analyst defended himself in a Moscow court today against charges of inciting nationalist extremism in a book critical of Russian President Vladimir Putin.

CBS News: Garry Kasparov: The Match Of His Life
At the chessboard, he was a legend, becoming the world?s top-ranked player. But now Garry Kasparov has his hand in Russian politics, where his opponent, Vladimir Putin, seems to have the upper hand.

Bloomberg.com: Putin Staying Put to Lead Russian Reassertion
In the past year, Russian President Vladimir Putin has morphed from a noisy irritant to the West who was reaching the end of his two-term limit to a swaggering antagonist who isn't going away.