Putin's place in the sun

Update to yesterday's posting, from Britain's 'Daily Telegraph'

"World politics seems to be turning into a playboy convention.

Holidaymakers on the Côte d'Azur this summer may spot a familiar - albeit unlikely - figure sipping Pastis in Saint Tropez's Place des Lices.

I hear that Russian President Vladimir Putin has bought a château perched high on the Saint Tropez peninsula, in Gassin, and is busy making it ready in time for spring.

"Putin's got 50 people working on the place, which used to be a hotel," says one local. "It'll take some time, because it was quite run down and it's apparently got between 20 and 30 rooms, but it'll be an amazingly lavish property when it's all completed.
"It's also got two pools, one inside, one outside. The security measures are obviously pretty stringent," adds my source.

"The property is hidden away behind pine trees and the doors are going to be armoured, but he won't be holing himself up in there all the time because he's always been a fan of Tropezian glamour."

Just imagine the swimwear."

St. Trop. would be most handy. Putin allegedly owns a flotilla of yachts worth $80m, including the 57 metre royal-class yacht the 'Olympia' - a 'gift' from Russia's wealthiest businessman, Roman Abramovich.

We will soon see if Putin will also be included in 'Forbes Rich List'.

p.s. Has anyone else noticed that whenever Tymoshenko's name is mentioned in western publications, more often than not it is preceeded merely by 'charismatic', and no longer by 'firebrand'?