Grand Croix of the Légion d'honneur

A Croatian journalist organised a Catholic mass for Yugoslav Communist leader Josip Broz Tito as a ‘social experiment’ after a religious service was held for a WWII fascist leader in Zagreb.

Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a decree on the last day of 2015, approving a document that updates and replaces Russia's existing National Security Strategy (NSS) paper, which had been in force since 2009. The updated strategy paper essentially summarizes Russia's national interests and defines its strategic priorities for the years ahead.

As had been previously announced, Russia suspended its visa-free regime with Turkey on Friday.

This is one of the retaliatory measures taken by Russia in response to the downing of the Russian Su-24 bomber by Turkey near the Turkish-Syrian border on November 24 last year.

Russia has also imposed bans on the import of certain Turkish fruits and vegetables.

the French AFP agency has included Russian President Vladimir Putin on its list of most influential persons in 2015, Sputnik reported.

The list is topped by German Chancellor Angela Merkel and followed by Putin, and Pope Francis.

Russia will introduce a food embargo against Ukraine next month over Kiev's trade deal with the EU, Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev said Dec. 21, extending punitive measures already in place against Western countries.

"These measures will be extended to Ukraine too," Medvedev said at a government meeting. "I have just signed the relevant decree."  

Funny moments that political leaders wish they could forget.
1. Vladimir Putin exercises

2. Aussie PM Tony Abbott eats onion, peel and all

3. British PM David Cameron eats a hot dog with a knife and fork

4. German Chancellor Angela Merkel swallows a fish

5. Cold clinking of wine glasses between Obama and Putin

Prime Minister Ahmet Davuto?lu has said the Turkish government "does not take seriously" Vladimir Putin's recent harsh statements, so he will not respond to the Russian president's "undiplomatic and insulting" remarks in the same manner. 

Russian President Vladimir Putin has it clear that Bulgaria is adhering to its EU commitments and it complying with the Third Energy Package, Bulgaria's Prime Minister Boyko Borisov has said.

The downing of a Russian warplane by Turkey had been a "hostile act, not an act of unfriendliness," Russian  President Vladimir Putin said on Thursday.

Moscow had been particularly outraged that Turkey hadn't tried to explain its action and immediately turned to NATO for help instead, Putin told his end-of-year news conference in Moscow.

The Russian resident is holding his 11th annual news conference with a special focus on international events. Similar Q&A sessions in the past have lasted up to several hours. The record was set in 2008, when Vladimir Putin spent 4 hours and 40 minutes speaking with journalists.