Magnitsky Act passes Senate, but still faces hurdles;

Fear and loathing toward NATO  

Rights council resigns en masse;

Former finance minister: economic problems on the horizon

Opposition parties unite to survive;

Magnitsky Act stalls in committee

Ahead of nuclear parlay, Putin and Ahmadinejad find common cause;

Battle lines drawn between Kremlin, opposition forces

Russian Orthodox Church backs the Syrian status quo;

The Duma take a stand against new assembly law - albeit briefly