Trust the American people, says avowed liberal John Lloyd, who believes the US Constitution is one of the reasons why the new administration won’t be as bad as feared

Here’s a briefing on some of the stories and issues highlighted on irishexaminer.com today.

The Russian president did not phone the singer to discuss the anti-gay policies for which Putin has been shunned by national leaders and the Kremlin isolated, says Masha Gessen

Eight people, tried in the largest Russian political trial of the past half-century, were jailed last week having been held for protesting the seemingly endless presidency of Vladimir Putin, writes Masha Gessen