New Delhi, Dec. 21 -- The young journalist in a red bow tie stood during President Vladimir Putin's annual news conference Friday and displayed a sign saying he wanted to get married. But his main question wasn't directed at Putin - it was to his girlfriend, Olga, proposing marriage.

Putin complimented Kirill Bazhanov of Yekaterinburg's Channel 4 on his snazzy tie, saying, "You're ready to go to the registry office!" Bazhanov told Putin "we'd be very glad to see you at the wedding."

The Russian leader's year-end media session had serious questions, of course, about late pension payments, construction projects gone wrong, and the fighting in Ukraine, where Putin sent troops nearly four years ago.

But every year - amid the weighty questi...