For all its rigidity, the Soviet Union offered some social mobility and a way for bright, politically ambitious or well-connected people from the provinces to rise to the top.

ECONOMIST: Russia's opposition

Commentators in The Beijing News and Modern Express call on authorities to explain to a sceptical public how Xu Tao and other young people from well-connected families are able to zoom through the civil service with "rocket promotions".

BBC: China media: Cyber espionage

Many more people would have perished had Boston been targeted by a well-established international terrorist group connected to Al-Qaeda.

CNN: Boston bombing suspects: The Dagestan connection