Rivals vie for position in new Russia

In an annual Q+A session today, Russian President Vladimir Putin made his first public comments on the Boston Marathon bombings, believed to have been perpetrated by two Chechen Russians immigrants.

During the height of Russia's energy boom, Vladimir Putin's poll numbers routinely hovered in the stratosphere. In the fall of 2008, with Putin basking in the glow of victory in a short, easy war with Georgia, with oil at $140 a barrel, and with Russia's economy chugging along at 5% growth, roughly 9 in 10 Russians approved of his performance. 9 in 10! Putin was arguably the single most popular politician in the world, and his position appeared completely unassailable.

JERUSALEM — Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s decision to bring a dovish rival into his Cabinet appears to be backfiring, drawing heavy criticism both in Israel and from the Palestinians and suddenly complicating the task of forming a viable coalition government, to the point where rivals are openly threatening to force new elections.

Russia introduced new alcohol laws. The Senate made a deal on the fiscal cliff. Hewlett- Packard may dispose from some of its businesses. Royal Dutch Shell’s drilling ship Kulluk grounded near a small island in the Gulf of Alaska.

During his presidential campaign, Vladimir Putin promised a large increase in government spending, but he needs the highest oil prices ever to help pay for his promises.

Reuters - Talks between bitter rivals Georgia and Russia over Moscow's bid to join the World Trade Organization (WTO) ended without agreement on Saturday, and Georgia said it would block Russian accession unless Moscow's position changes.

Many western politicians have harbored deep suspicions of Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Vladimorovich Putin since he first emerged on the Russian political stage in 1999. This is hardly surprising, given his KGB background, though those with longer historical memories will recall that Yuri Andropov came from the same organization and that the West grudgingly found a way to work with him.