After this stunning moment




it was only going to be a matter of time before once more Russians provided the "lighter" articles in the paper. Although the wonderful polka dancing of Yeltsin has still never been replicated Putin is doing his level best:

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday stopped on a walk through the Kremlin to speak to a young boy before lifting up the boy's shirt and kissing the astonished youth on his stomach.

He stopped and spoke to a young boy who appeared to be aged four or five and turned away shyly when asked his name.

"What is your name?" Putin asked, kneeling down in front of the fair-haired boy and holding him by the waist.

"Nikita," the clearly shocked boy answered, looking from side to side.

Putin then lifted the boy's shirt and kissed him on his stomach.

When questioned later Putin explains: "I tell you honestly, I just wanted to touch him like a kitten and that desire of mine ended in that act."

The Izvestia daily, which tracked down Nikita, discovered that he had refused to wash after that kiss.

"I just liked him and he liked me very much. I want to be president myself," the five-year-old told the paper. (Reuters)





Now, call me a freak but i kinda appreaciate a politician whimsical enough to pull off that line.. After the Clinton hugging Lewinsky photo that simply wouldn't stay out of the press rubbing the flesh with the plebs has been rather fraught. I like that Putin throws caution to the wind, that'll show the G8 that Russia really is ready for the world stage..

Hmmm, maybe not.

(The boy was called Nikita which is also the name of my savings account.. it's a sign perhaps?)