The Kremlin is lashing out at Western support for Pussy Riot, the three-woman punk-rock activists jailed last week for two years (pictured above).

Mitchell Prothero in Foreign Policy has a great takedown of Hezbollah’s role in the latest Lebanese tumult.

With six weeks to go, Venzeulan president Hugo Chávez holds a narrow 49% to 47% lead over Miranda state governor and Mesa de la Unidad Democrática presidential nominee Henrique Capriles.

Greek prime minister Antonis Samaras asks for more time in an interview with Germany’s Bild. English summary from Spiegel here.

Egyptian president Mohammed Morsi will visit the United States on Sept. 23.

A new Forum Research poll shows Jean Charest and the Liberals are once again in the lead in Québec with 35% to just 29% for the sovereigntist Parti québécois.

Liberal Democratic leader Nick Clegg is coming under pressure from his own party’s rank-and-file to step down before the United Kingdom’s next expected election in 2012.

Dutch prime minister Mark Rutte has emerged in advance of the Sept. 12 election, calling for a €1,000 tax break for every worker.

Romanian prime minister Victor Ponta’s fight against president Traian Băsescu shows no signs of abating.

Photo credit to Andrei Stenin of RIA Novosti.