Andy Potts

Soiree with Silvio

Vladimir Putin may take a "negative" view of media coverage of his birthday, but that's nothing compared to the hangover Italian PM Silvio Berlusconi faced after reportedly joining a soiree in honour of the happy event.

The Italian media was outraged by claims that the "slightly indisposed" politician snubbed a meeting in Rome with King Abdullah of Jordan to jet off to St. Petersburg bearing gifts of fine wines, The Times reported.

Pierluigi Bersani, a leader of Italy's centre-Left opposition, said he was "appalled" by the trip.

The official reason for the trip was a meeting to discuss the South Stream gas pipeline project, which is set to involve Italy's Eni firm, and Putin's press secretary Dmitry Peskov could not confirm that the alleged party at Lake Valdai even took place, never mind who was present.

Happy families

The long-running soap opera surrounding Deni Baisarov, son of singer Kristina Orbakaite and Ruslan Baisarov, and perhaps more importantly grandson of the godmother of Russian pop music Alla Pugacheva, may finally be over.

Following the break-up of their marriage, Orbakaite and Baisarov senior were entangled in a bitter custody battle which gripped the Russian media for months.

Reports that 11-year-old Deni wanted to live with his father, a Chechen businessman, prompted extensive TV coverage, including at least one documentary on the case.

But, Komsomolskaya Pravda reported last week that peace had finally broken out, and the couple had agreed that the child could choose where to live - on condition that one parent would always be able to take time out from a busy performing or business schedule to be with him. "Our son will no longer be left alone with his nanny," Orbakaite told the tabloid.

Many Russian news sites also had video footage of Deni going to meet his mother, with a security guard carrying a big bunch of red roses.

Russian crime on line

Defunct web-hosting group Russian Business Network paid off the authorities to provide "bullet-proof" websites for child pornography and fraudsters, according to a British police investigation.

Computer industry forum zdnet.co.uk quoted intelligence officer Andy Auld of the Serious Organised Crimes Agency saying: "It had not only the police but the judiciary firmly in its pocket."

RBN abrupt ceased operation in November 2007, but has apparently restarted in a new form. "They are back in business, but with a slightly different business model," said Auld. "That is bad news."

A Europe-wide criminal investigation is continuing.

No chop for paedos

Proposals to introduce chemical castration for convicted paedophiles have been dismissed by a senior politician, RIA Novosti reported.

Yelena Mizulina, who chairs a parliamentary committee on the family, told reporters that such measures were found not to prevent re-offending and urged tougher penalties - ending a system in Russia where convicted child abusers can get away with a fine.

She also proposed a sex offenders register, similar to the one in the USA, to prevent re-offending, and suggested publishing information about convicted abusers online.

Good week for...

Celluloid ties

Hollywood star Andy Garcia has begun filming his latest role - as Georgian President and tie-muncher Mikheil Saakashvili in a film about last year's war in South Ossetia. The new movie, directed by Die Hard 2's Renny Harlin, is billed as an impartial anti-war production, the Guardian reported, despite the involvement of one of Saakashvili's MPs as an advisor. However, Russia's reply has hit a snag as award-winning Serbian director Emir Kusturica turned down an offer to film the story for a Russian company.

Bad week for ...

Schoolboy pranks

Practical joker Herman Ovchinikov, aged 10, forced his primary school to be evacuated after spraying a pepper gas canister around his classroom during a lesson, life.ru reported. Four children from the school in Berezniki, Perm region, were taken to intensive care and a further nine were hospitalised after the incident, which saw 884 pupils and staff sent home on Thursday. The four girls in intensive care suffered an allergic reaction to the gas.