Gorbachev criticises Putin party

Former president Mikhail Gorbachev has compared Vladimir Putin's United Russia party to the worst of the communists he once led, saying parliament and the judiciary were not fully free.

In some of his strongest criticism of his successors, Mr Gorbachev, 78, also said the global economic crisis showed capitalism should be tempered with elements of the socialist system he played such a critical role in sweeping away.