Built in the style of a French chateau, with a palatial roofline rising high over the River Thames, Whitehall Court is one of Britain’s grandest private buildings.

Now that Vladimir Putin has dispensed with the formalities of reclaiming presidential authority, Kremlinologists can focus on the more substantive question of how Russia’s paramount leader intends to define his third term. In particular, many are wondering how he will proceed with his pet project -- the creation of a Eurasian Union.

The convictions close the book on corruption and murder trials that have exposed the rot within the system.

Democracies need different rules of engagement with authoritarian regimes.

Russian President Vladimir Putin may be running for reelection as an independent candidate, at least officially — but his electoral campaign is wholly funded by the ruling United Russia party and 22 affiliated foundations. They have contributed the entire 400 million rubles (US$ 7 million) that any candidate can legally spend on the election.

A scandal involving fraud, racketeering and theft that features ties to President Donald Trump and a notorious Cyprus bank is playing out in a Los Angeles federal court, where a former Kazakhstan politician and his family are accused of laundering at least US$300 million in stolen government funds.