“Voters protesting rising utility bills and transportation costs gave opposition parties a boost in Russia’s regional elections, weakening the ruling United Russia party’s legislative majorities and electing a Communist-backed candidate mayor of the Siberian city of Irkutsk, complete returns showed Monday. Sunday’s vote was a measure of how the global financial crisis, which ended a decade of rapid economic growth, has eroded support for Prime Minister Vladimir Putin’s party.” (03/16/10)