Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is applauding Russia for ‘understanding‘ the need to prevent Iran from developing nuclear capabilities – this comes a day after Russia said it would implement a contract to supply Iran with its S-300 air defense systems, and in spite of other reports that Russia is resisting sanctions for Iran.  The New York Times says that Moscow will want to leverage its position into maximum yield.  A Telegraph blogger questions the ‘strange propaganda outfit‘ that is Russia Today.  The Other Russia is reporting that a woman in St Petersburg has had her four children confiscated over a $4,600 debt to the housing authorities.  Vladislav Surkov, the Kremlin’s political strategist, has defended his system of state control, saying that ‘consolidated power is the instrument of modernization.  Some call it authoritarian modernization.  I don’t care what they call it.‘