Siberian city backs cat for mayor

BARNAUL, Russia -- Tired of dog-eat-dog politics, residents of Barnaul say they want a cat to be their next mayor. The city of 650,000 people is to get a new mayor this week when a commission of the city council and a regional governor choose from among six candidates. But an informal online poll asking residents to express their preferences among the six and a Siamese cat named Barsik showed the feline nabbing more than 90 percent of the vote.

-- Associated Press