In my opinion, nakedness lays bare a person's true nature. It strips away hidden agendas, dishonesty and any sense that the person is untouchable. I could see nakedness playing an important role in the world of politics. I am tired of the deception of politicos. I want the naked truth.

 A humorous article on the Guardian website speculates that many political careers would end if politicians made speeches in the nude. For example, "If Robert Mugabe had to stand naked before the people of Zimbabwe and justify his actions he'd be gone in seconds." The writer, Richard Smith, muses that nakedness among politicians could go so far as to abolish tyranny. It makes me laugh to think of that.

Vladimir Putin has turned heads by gallivanting shirtless around Siberia. Sure, it's easy for Western media to poke fun at the Russian PM, but as reported by Spiegel Online, the Russian newspaper Komsomolskaja Pravda "ran a 'Be Like Putin' article, instructing men about exercises they can do to develop a robust torso like Putin's.” Seems like Putin has found a way to motivate young Russian men to be fit and healthy by showing off his own naked torso!

In Belgium, politician Tania Derveaux, the leading candidate of the NEE party for the senate, posed nude in a billboard campaign. Sexy and suggestive, these posters might just gain the support Tania needs to win the senate seat.

And in Poland, the Polish Women's Party used a similar tactic as Tania, albeit a little less suggestive and more political, in their campaign posters. In a Telegraph article, party founder and writer, Manuela Gretkowska said, "This poster is intended to shatter stereotypes in the anachronistic world of politics, which is more often dominated by uncommunicative men." According to Lara Kattan, a writer and professor at Northwestern University, "Most of the major [Polish] parties list female candidates' names on the bottom of electoral lists so they're not seen and not voted for."

Nakedness shows that politicians can relax, be at ease and be human like the rest of us.

Do we need more nudity in government? Does seeing our politicians without their clothes on give us more confidence in their leadership abilities? I think so. What do you think?

In this week's Global Pulse episode, World Leaders - NAKED!, host Erin Coker asks why we are so fascinated by seeing our politicians in the buff. Share your thoughts on "Naked Politicians = Truth + Honesty"!

A week has passed since the disputed Iranian elections, and reliable information from Iran has been more and more difficult to come by. One relatively well-publicized event though took place Tuesday, when Mahmoud Ahmadinejad flew to Russia to participate in his first foreign policy trip as Iran's newly re-elected president. The reason: a meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), a political alliance between Russia, China, and several former Soviet states, with a few nearby nations like Iran maintaining "observer" status.

While nations like the U.S., Germany, and France expressed concern that only massive vote fraud led to Ahmadinejad's re-election, a far warmer reception lay in wait at the SCO. "The Iranian elections are the internal affair of the Iranian people," declared Russian deputy foreign minister Sergei Ryabkov. Ahmadinejad spoke briefly, criticizing the U.S. and the "international capitalist order" while ignoring the rising protests back home.

Ahmadinejad's SCO speech was brief, but its symbolism important. Russia and China's warm reception for a "stable" yet undemocratic Iran speaks to a larger push to organize developing nations in alliances that exclude nations like the U.S. Shortly after Ahmadinejad's return to Iran, the SCO played host to a summit of the BRIC nations (Brazil, Russia, India, and China), which represent the most influential of developing economies. According to a Goldman Sachs report, by 2050 the BRIC nations could surpass the current leading economies, with smaller developing nations like Iran rivaling Canada and Italy in total output.

In the streets of Tehran today, there is still hope that a promised vote recount will yield a fair result. But friends of electoral justice in Iran would do well to take note of the indifference of many global players to the outcome in light of other economic and political ends.

As the waves of the financial meltdown pound banks and governments, the human cost is easily lost in the background. From layoffs to shattered dreams, the global crisis becomes a personal crisis. Do we really see how deeply it reaches into the global community?

SOURCES: Al Jazeera English, Qatar; CNN, U.S.; Deutsche Welle, Germany; South Asia Newsline, India; Russia Today, Russia; KBS, South Korea.

Today, Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko continues to press his government's case that the blame for this month's gas dispute with Russia's Gazprom lies firmly beyond Ukraine's borders. Yushchenko accuses Russia of trying to foster a "sense of insecurity" in the EU regarding Ukraine's gas transport industry, and that Russia has previously employed similar tactics against fellow former Soviet republics Belarus and Moldova. The interview can be seen here and the transcript read here.

Meanwhile, Gazprom announced today a deal with Kuwaiti firm Noor Financial Investment to form a joint venture for gas and oil production in Russia and Kuwait. In their news release, the AP reports that the move comes in the wake of a 70% drop in Gazprom's share price over the past year.

Russia and Ukraine are once again fighting over gas pipelines to Europe. Is this dispute based on Russia exerting its political power over Eastern Europe, or just Ukraine not wanting to pay its bills?

SOURCES: BBC, U.K; ABC News, U.S; FOX News, U.S; TV5, France; Deutsche Welle, Germany; RT, Russia; Channel 5 News, Ukraine; Al Jazeera English, Qatar.

- Global Pulse -

This week, Global Pulse will examine this month's dispute between Russia's Gazprom and Ukraine, which led to a cutting of gas supplies to much of eastern Europe in the heart of winter. In an interview with Newsweek, Ukraine's deputy Prime Minister Hryhoriy Nemyria predicts that "Gazprom is killing the goose that brings Russia golden eggs," and that freezing  European residents will feel little goodwill towards the company and its hardball negotiation tactics. 

Bloomberg meanwhile reports that Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin blames none other than outgoing US President George Bush for escalating the current gas crisis. In his view, Bush administration plans to extend NATO membership to Ukraine, along with a proposed new missile defense shield in eastern Europe, has led to a worsening of Russia's relations with its western neighbors.

Will the arrival of the Obama administration help to stimulate greater cooperation in the region? And when can we expect President Obama to grant an interview, like he did with Al-Arabiya this week, with Russia Today or another influential local outlet?