Robert Amsterdam

Apart from the train attack, it is one slow news day out of Russia.

It seems that everyone is on vacation: Anne Applebaum writes about the summer destinations of our world leaders, the New York Times notes that Cécilia Sarkozy may have faked a sore throat to escape a hamburger and hot dog dinner with the Bushes at Kennebunkport (I mean, c'mon, a distinguished head of state visits and you don't at least offer the local lobster?), and Vladimir Putin held a prolific photo shoot (literally I have found dozens of photos) during his fishing trip with Prince Albert of Monaco. The machinery of this cult of personality takes no vacations!

However leave it to the Germans to see the photo below and immediately punch up this story carrying the headline: SIBERIA'S MARLBORO MAN: Bare-Chested Putin Answers Call of the Wild

(Reuters)

Later in the trip, the weather must have cooled down, as the president throws a sweater over his shoulders - a fashion move that the Der Spiegel journalist quipped could only be confused with Nicholas Sarkozy.

(Reuters)