This week, Vladamir Putin celebrated his 62nd birthday. This led his supporters to create an art exhibition that shows Vladamir Putin as Hercules, with images of the Russian leader completing 12 brave tasks, just like the Greek hero. For example, one picture shows Putin battling Western countries like Canada and the United States which are drawn just like the multi-headed monster that Hercules battled.
You can see the pictures from the BBC here. The Russian president promotes a macho image and enjoys a cult of personality that seems very strange in comparison to Western politics. Six years ago he was given a tiger for his birthday. What do you think? Do the pictures make Putin look powerful and impressive, or just silly?
Last week a man jumped over a fence and ran into the White House. He entered the East Room–one of the famous rooms in the historic home of the American president–before he was finally stopped. This was very embarrassing for the Secret Service, who are the special police that protect the president. The director of the Secret Service resigned today. Some people hope a new director will make serious changes, because this event was only one of several problems with the Secret Service in the last few years.