China says its most wanted man admits crimes (Reuters)

BEIJING (Reuters) ? China's most wanted man, who was deported from Canada in July after a decades-long legal battle, has admitted to his crimes and will now be handed over to prosecutors, state media reported Friday.

Beijing had sought the deportation of Lai Changxing for years, accusing him of running a multi-billion dollar smuggling ring in the southeastern city of Xiamen in the 1990s in one of China's biggest political scandals in decades.

Nothing has been heard of him since he was returned to China over the summer.

A brief report on state radio's website (www.cnr.cn) said the probe into his crimes had finished and that Lai would now be handed over to Xiamen prosecutors.

"Lai Changxing and other mainstay members of his criminal clique candidly confessed the facts of their smuggling and bribery crimes," state radio said.

The "legal rights" of Lai and the other suspects were "fully guaranteed," with Lai able to meet with his lawyer, the report added.

The investigation team carried out the probe "fairly and in accordance with the law," it said.

Lai may face life imprisonment, state media has reported. But some legal experts and human rights activists have said it was unlikely Lai could receive a fair trial in China.

The report did not say when Lai's case may come to trial.

The probe found that between 1996 and 1999, Lai and his accomplices smuggled cars, oil, chemicals, cigarettes and other goods and bribed "dozens" of government officials, state radio added.

"The figure involved was enormous," it said, without providing other details.

Lai, whose case had plagued Sino-Canadian relations, was sent back after a Canadian court dismissed concerns he could be tortured or executed back home.

Lai fled to Canada with his family in 1999 and claimed refugee status, saying the allegations against him were politically motivated.

China had promised Canada Lai would not be tortured or executed and that Canadian officials would have access to him.

Lai's alleged crimes occurred in the special economic zone of Xiamen in Fujian province in the mid-1990s when Jia Qinglin, now the ruling Communist Party's fourth most senior leader, was the province's Party boss.

Beijing has accused Lai's business empire, the Yuanhua Group, of bribing officials to allow a massive smuggling ring in a scandal that implicated more than 200 senior figures, including Jia's wife, Lin Youfang. She denied any wrongdoing.

Lai admitted in a 2009 interview with Toronto's Globe and Mail newspaper that he had avoided taxes by exploiting loopholes in the law, but he denies bribery charges. He said he would have been executed had he not been in Canada.

China put more than 300 suspects on trial and sentenced 14 to death, including provincial officials and a former vice minister of public security, in a case Beijing has used for a propaganda campaign against corruption.

(Reporting by Ben Blanchard; Editing by Paul Tait)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/china/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20111230/wl_nm/us_china_fugitive

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China and Africa Develop a Close Economic Union

By Eric Platt, THE BUSINESS INSIDER

December 28, 2011

Over the past decade, African exports have boomed: total volume tripled to more than $330 billion. This is according to a new report published by Fitch. That growth, predicated largely on an ever-shifting global workforce of cheap labor, has largely been fueled by China.

During the period, Chinese demand has ramped higher than that of other purchasers. In 2000, just 5% of exports from the continent ended in a port or runway in China. Today that figure stands at 17%, nearing the same levels as U.S. and European purchases.

In a new report titled The Africa-China Connection, Fitch documents China's growing influence in the block.

"China?s engagement with Africa can be classified into three rationales: its dragon-sized appetite for resources, new export markets and new investment opportunities," says Fitch analyst Kit Ling Yeun.

The Pacific behemoth has used cheap credit, along with a special loan program, to incent development in the region ? as well as itself.

Federal direct investment has centered heavily around mining and manufacturing. FDI reached $11.1 billion in 2010, or about 4% of total investments. That is relatively low compared to other regions like Latin America, which accounts for 14% of Chinese direct investment.

But these federal investments have not kept pace with overall loans written. China's Export-Import Bank and the China Development Bank have underwritten billions in debt for African sovereigns.

Between 2000 and 2010, Fitch estimates that the Export-Import Bank provided $67.2 billion in debt financing for projects including infrastructure expansion, energy plants, telecommunication services and water supplies. The World Bank provided about $12.5 billion less over the same period.

The China Development Bank deployed the China-Africa Development Fund in 2007, which partners private Chinese ventures with African companies. The bank's mission is of "strengthening China's competitiveness and improving the living standards of its people." However, in doing so it has raised more than $1 billion for African industry, with expectations for that figure to quintuple by 2015.

The work has built a robust market for African goods, now representing more than 30% of Angola exports and 18% of Congolese exports. Below is data from the International Monetary Fund and the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development, documenting the rapid growth in sub-Saharan Africa exports to China.

Fitch calls the Sino-Africa connection a "potential win-win situation," creating a strong export market for African countries while China gains a consistent commodity supply stream.

And the ratings agency is not alone. Deutsche Bank recently called it the new frontier, forecasting it to match a BRIC-like pace of economic expansion.

"Stronger linkages with China and other rapidly growing markets have also added impetus to growth," Robert Burgess, EEMEA Chief Economist at Deutsche Bank, says. "Almost half of sub-Saharan African exports now go to emerging and developing markets compared with less than one-quarter in 1990."

Risks remain when investing in the continent, as ethnic fighting and political instability heightens uncertainty. Fitch also noted that China may not always be good for the resource-rich continent.

"The challenge for Africa is to maximize the wider benefits in terms of growth, employment and transfer of expertise, while avoiding the risk of taking on too much debt and using it for consumption rather than investment," Yeun says.

Source: http://www.thefiscaltimes.com/Articles/2011/12/28/China-Africa-Develop-Close-Economic-Union.aspx

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Singapore weekly onshore fuel oil stocks fall

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Source: http://www.bunkerworld.com/news/i109332/Singapore_weekly_onshore_fuel_oil_stocks_fall

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Santa bring you a new Sony Ericsson phone? Sony has a gift for you

Did Santa leave you a shiny new Sony Ericsson smartphone under the Christmas tree? If so and you live in Australia, France, Germany, Italy, Spain or the UK, Sony would like to give you 5 free movies and 90 days free access to their Music Unlimited service.

The offer is in fact open to anyone who takes ownership of a current Xperia smartphone or the Live with Walkman handset between Nov. 1, 2011, and Jan. 31, 2012. If you qualify, hit the source link for more information.

Source: Sony Ericsson

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/androidcentral/~3/-lexT2ajxGU/story01.htm

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Cenk Uygur: Vote Against Obama in Iowa (Huffington post)

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NYT: Shopping While Intoxicated nets online gains

After enjoying a few drinks, some people go dancing. Others order food. And for some, it?s time to shop online.

?I have my account linked to my phone, so it?s really easy,? said Tiffany Whitten, of Dayton, Ohio, whose most recent tipsy purchase made on her smartphone ? a phone cover ? arrived from Amazon much to her surprise. ?I was drunk and I bought it, and I forgot about it, and it showed up in the mail, and I was really excited.?

Shopping under the influence has long benefited high-end specialty retailers ? witness the wine-and-cheese parties that are a staple of galleries and boutiques. Now the popularity of Internet sales has opened alcohol-induced purchases to the masses, including people like Ms. Whitten, who works in shipping and receiving and spent just $5 on the cat-shaped phone cover.

Chris Tansey, an accountant in Australia, went shopping online after drinking late one night (to be precise, it was well into the morning). By the end of the session, he had bought a $10,000 motorcycle tour of New Zealand.

?The hang-ups of spending your hard-earned cash are so far removed from your life when you?ve had a bottle of wine,? Mr. Tansey said in an e-mail. The New Zealand trip was terrific, he said. But a pair of $3 sunglasses on eBay ?turned out to be horrible fakes, with $17 of postage that I obviously didn?t see with beer goggles.?

Story: Stores, downturn create new kinds of shoppers

Online retailers, of course, can never be sure whether customers are inebriated when they tap the ?checkout? icon. One comparison-shopping site, Kelkoo, said almost half the people it surveyed in Britain, where it is based, had shopped online after drinking.

But while reliable data is hard to come by, retailers say they have their suspicions based on anecdotal evidence and traffic patterns on their Web sites ? and some are adjusting their promotions accordingly.

?Post-bar, inhibitions can be impacted, and that can cause shopping, and hopefully healthy impulse buying,? said Andy Page, the president of Gilt Groupe, an online retailer that is adding more sales starting at 9 p.m. to respond to high traffic then ? perhaps some of it by shoppers under the influence.

On eBay, the busiest time of day is from 6:30 to 10:30 in each time zone. Asked if drinking might be a factor, Steve Yankovich, vice president for mobile for eBay, said, ?Absolutely.? He added: ?I mean, if you think about what most people do when they get home from work in the evening, it?s decompression time. The consumer?s in a good mood.?

Story: Online shopping up 16.4 percent on Christmas

Nighttime shopping is growing over all. ChannelAdvisor, which runs e-commerce for hundreds of sites, says its order volumes peak about 8 p.m., and that shoppers are placing orders later and later: in 2011, the number of orders placed from 9 to midnight increased compared with previous years.

A recent array of nighttime offers sent to a shopper?s e-mail inbox included: from 6 to 9 p.m., a limited-quantity sale on fashions at Neiman Marcus; at 7:38 p.m., a promotion for three-day stays at Loews hotels; at 8:44 p.m., a promotion by Gilt for macaroons and faux-fur blankets; and at 2:23 a.m., an offer by Saks for a $2,000 gift card with purchase.

At QVC, the television shopping channel, traffic and viewers rise around noon, then quiet down until after 7 p.m. Then items like cosmetics and accessories sell briskly. ?Call them girl treats ? they seem to attract a really strong following once you get past dinnertime,? said Doug Rose, senior vice president for multichannel programming and marketing for the company. ?You can probably come to your own conclusion as to what?s motivating her.?

Still, the nighttime spike requires delicacy among retailers: for reasons of propriety, they do not want to be seen as encouraging drunken shopping, and many people who inadvertently buy products in that state would most likely return them at high rates. On the other hand, a happy customer can lead to higher sales.

?In a shopping context, alcohol would lift people?s moods and make them feel more relaxed,? said Nancy Puccinelli, an associate fellow at the Oxford?s Sa?d Business School who studies consumer behavior. ?If we see a product and we feel good, we will evaluate the product more positively.?

Alcohol-fueled purchases, however, could lead to problems, she said. Even with online retailers storing credit card information and offering one-click checkout, alcohol reduces working memory, which means ?at the time of purchase, you wouldn?t have the cognitive ability to think through. If you think about a sweater: is this the right size, is it the right color,? she said.

Kristin A. Kassaw, a professor of psychiatry and behavioral science at Baylor, said online shopping while drunk could have serious financial consequences.

?When you?re loading things you can?t feel or touch into this fake cart, you don?t have a sense of, ?I?m buying all this stuff, I?m buying too much.? It takes you away from the actual spending-money experience,? she said.

In actual stores, despite the longer hours around the holidays, intoxicated shoppers seem to be rare ? but when they do appear, they can be quite disruptive.

On Thanksgiving night around 11 p.m., a shopper at a Walmart in Florence, Ala., was stumbling in the aisles and grabbing onto items; police officers shot him with a stun gun and charged him with public intoxication. At a Best Buy in Lufkin, Tex., a drunken man disappeared into a bathroom around 4 a.m. on Black Friday and tried to flush a cable down the toilet, apparently to avoid being caught shoplifting.

And in Scarborough, Me., early on the Friday after Thanksgiving, a man was arrested as he drove out of a Cabela?s parking lot, where he had ostensibly been drinking all night as he waited for the store to open.

Amanda Schuster, a wine-and-spirits writer and consultant in Brooklyn, says she never shops in actual stores after drinking, but she finds it hard to resist the Web. ?It feels productive in a way ? like I didn?t just come home drunk and pass out, I went home and did something,? she said.

That something tends to be buying used CDs at Amazon. When an unexpected package shows up, ?I try to backtrack a little bit, and I look in to my purchasing history, and I?m like, oh, yeah,? she said.

Regrets? She has a few.

?When did I get ?Heart?s Greatest Hits??? she said.

This story appeared in the New York Times on Dec. 27 as "Online Merchants Home in on Imbibing Consumers."

Copyright ? 2011 The New York Times

Source: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/45804069/ns/business-retail/

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A position-by-position breakdown of Northwestern vs. Texas A&M

Quarterbacks:

Texas A&M quarterback Ryan Tannehill put together a solid season that would have gotten a lot more attention in the Big Ten than it did in the pass-happy Big 12. Tannehill's average of 284.6 passing yards per game would have led the Big Ten by a margin of more than 40 yards per game, but he finished just fifth in the Big 12. His 28 passing touchdowns would have been good for second in the Big Ten.?

However, Tannehill's accuracy leaves something to be desired as he completed just 61.1 percent of his passes and tossed 14 interceptions. Though more attempts will invariably lead to more interceptions, Tannehill was picked off on one out of every 35 passes whereas Northwestern's tandem of quarterbacks, Dan Persa and Kain Colter, combined to throw an interception one out of every 42 passes.

Persa and Colter also provide a ground game that is far superior to Tannehill's. NU's quarterbacking duo averaged 57 rushing yards per game, more than twice what Tannehill?compiled. Though Tannehill has thrown for considerably more yards (3,415 to 2,823) and more touchdowns (28 to 22), when Colter and Persa's running is thrown in, the Wildcats' signal-callers had the advantage in both total yards and touchdowns.

Advantage: Northwestern

Wide Receivers:

The receiving corps clearly marked NU's strongest unit this season. Senior wide receiver Jeremy Ebert topped the 1,000-yard mark while Colter emerged as a solid receiving option when he wasn't under center. Four different players caught three or more touchdown passes, and young talent like Christian Jones demonstrated that this group has the potential to remain elite for years to come.

Still, for all their success, the Wildcats cannot match the Aggies in terms of receiving prowess. Ryan Swope topped even Ebert's numbers, averaging 91.8 yards per game with 11 touchdown receptions. From Swope on down, Texas A&M's wide receivers outplayed NU's. The Aggies' No. 2 receiver, Jeff Fuller, easily topped Colter with 255 more receiving yards, as did the Aggies' No. 3 receiver, Uzoma Nwachukwu?who outpaced Demetrius Fields by 263 yards.

The Aggies also have more depth with nine players catching a touchdown pass this season to the Wildcats' six. Though NU's wide receivers played admirably, Texas A&M's competed on another level.

Advantage: Texas A&M

Running Backs:

Northwestern, which struggled to establish a rushing attack in the two seasons since Tyrell Sutton's departure, took a step forward in 2011. The Wildcats ranked fifth in the Big Ten with their average of 176 yards per game. It was NU's most productive season on the ground since 2005, when Sutton earned Big Ten Freshman of the Year honors after leading the Cats to an average of 193 rushing yards per game.

Mike Trumpy started the season as the Cats' top back, but the sophomore's season ended when he tore his ACL against Illinois. Offensive coordinator Mick McCall called on several backs to fill Trumpy's spot, mixing and matching senior Jacob Schmidt, sophomore Adonis Smith and freshman Treyvon Green. However, it was Colter who proved the Cats' most lethal weapon on the ground, tallying 589 yards and eight touchdowns on 118 carries. After Colter, Schmidt was NU's most reliable rusher, frequently getting the call on third-and-short situations.

Like NU, Texas A&M saw its leading rusher sidelined for the season with a torn ACL. Unlike the Cats, the Aggies had the luxury of an NFL prospect to fill the void. Through the first 10 games of the season, junior Christine Michael split carries with senior Cyrus Gray. The duo combined to form one of the more formidable rushing attacks in the Big 12; in the month of October, the Aggies led the conference with 256 rushing yards per game. But on Nov. 5, Michael tore his left ACL in a loss to Oklahoma. Two weeks later, Gray went down with a stress fracture in his shoulder. With Gray forced to miss Texas A&M's season finale against Texas, Ben Malena shouldered the load, rushing 25 times for 83 yards. Michael is out for the season, but Gray is expected to play against Northwestern.

Advantage: Texas A&M

Offensive Line

The Cats' offensive line was the second most experienced in the country, but it struggled to live up to its billing. While NU retained the same starting five throughout the season, a few rough halves hurt the Cats (most notably the second half against both Penn State and Michigan State). Overall, the Cats allowed 35 sacks, the second worst figure in the Big Ten.

On the other hand, Michael and Gray benefited from one of the nation's best offensive lines. Anchored by standout left tackle Luke Joeckel, the Aggies' front five surrendered just eight sacks over 12 games, the fewest in the country. The unit has undergone unthinkable adversity since the end of the season. On Dec. 21, offensive line coach Jim Turner left to take the same job at Texas Tech, followed by reserve lineman Joseph Villavisencio's death in a car accident one day later.

Advantage: Texas A&M

Defensive Ends:

The Northwestern defensive ends had a terrible 2011 campaign. The Wildcats expected All-Big Ten candidate Vince Browne to lead their four-man rotation, but other than his game-clinching sack against Boston College, the senior was virtually non-existent on the field. Sophomore Tyler Scott showed the most upside of the four, levying constant pressure on the quarterback through the first six games and accumulating seven tackles against Michigan. However, a shoulder injury kept him out of two games and limited his effectiveness towards the end of the season. Quentin Williams and Kevin Watt became NU's starting ends after the team's loss to Penn State on Oct. 22 and brought a renewed energy to the defensive line.

Texas A&M got good productivity from its ends in its 3-4 scheme. The two stalwarts of the line were Tony Jerod-Eddie and Spencer Nealy, who combined for 13.5 tackles for loss and five-and-a-half sacks. Jerod-Eddie led the unit with 48 tackles and six quarterback hits while Nealy was not far behind with 44 tackles. Ben Bass was ineffective as a substitute, compiling 23 tackles in 12 games, while the only other defensive end who saw the field was freshman Gavin Stransbury with 14 tackles.

Although the Aggies are only two deep at defensive end, their two ends have played much better than all four ends for the Wildcats combined.

Edge: Texas A&M

Defensive Tackles:

In the middle of the Aggies' 3-4 formation is 310-pound Eddie Brown Jr. The junior compiled just 27 tackles, but had four tackles-for-loss and three sacks. Although not as big, Kirby Ennis was equally effective in his limited playing time. The 286-pound sophomore had only 10 tackles, but had two tackles-for-loss and one-and-a-half sacks.

The Cats got good productivity from their defensive tackles this season despite injuries. Jack DiNardo had 32 tackles in 10 games played while Niko Mafuli had 15 tackles. While the seniors did not have many tackles, the duo accumulated nine tackles-for-loss and four sacks. NU's depth in the middle was lacking for most of the season, but sophomores Chance Carter and Will Hampton held their own in limited playing time. The biggest wild card is junior Brian Arnfelt who missed most of the season with a foot injury. Arnfelt will get the start against the Aggies after Mafuli broke his leg during practice in early December.

NU's defensive tackles were the team's most consistent defensive unit this season. Although Texas A&M got a lot of pressure with Brown Jr., the high pace of the Cats' offense should test the Aggies' depth in the middle.

Edge: Northwestern

Linebackers:

NU's linebackers suffered the most upheaval of any of the team's units this season. Only one linebacker that started the Cats' opener against the Eagles is still starting and he has since been shifted to the outside linebacker spot. Injuries hit this group hard as four linebackers have missed games due to injury this season. There is no real leader of this group although junior David Nwabuisi is the most experienced of the three starters. Damien Proby has settled into the middle linebacker position as a sophomore while Collin Ellis has played well for a freshman. The team's depth took a hit when freshman Chi Chi Ariguzo was lost for the season, but the Cats do have two seniors who can come in as substitutes in Bryce McNaul and Ben Johnson.

For the Aggies, their success lies in their linebackers. Four of Texas A&M's top-five tacklers are linebackers, led by Sean Porter and Damontre Moore. The pair of outside linebackers combined for 16 sacks and 136 tackles this season. On the interior, Jonathan Stewart is the team's leading tackler with 89, 16 more than Porter. He is joined on the inside by a rotation of Steven Jenkins, Charlie Thomas and Garrick Williams. Jenkins was the best of the group with 52 tackles and is the only one of the three with a sack this season.

The linebackers mark the Aggies' best unit and although the Cats' young crew of linebackers is coming into its own, Texas A&M's have been firing on all cylinders.

Edge: Texas A&M

Safeties:

Trent Hunter and Steven Terrell tied for Texas A&M's team high in takeaways with two interceptions each. Hunter put up some of the best stats for an Aggies defense that ranked second to last in the conference in scoring defense and total defense. The senior safety finished third on the Aggies with 73 tackles, including two-and-a-half tackles-for-loss and a sack. His eight pass breakups marked the second highest figure on the team. Despite sharing second-string strong safety duties, Howard Matthews proved an aggressive player in the backfield, recording three tackles-for-loss and two sacks among his 26 tackles on the year. Matthews also hurried the quarterback four times, more than double the total of any other player in Texas A&M's secondary.

NU's secondary received regular criticism in 2011, as a result of its 222.2 passing yards allowed per game, the second worst number in the Big Ten. The Cats were anchored by the play of senior safety Brian Peters. Peters led NU with four interceptions and also forced two fumbles while recovering another.

Redshirt freshman safety Ibraheim Campbell was burned frequently by opposing wide receivers early in the season, but adjusted well enough to be named to Yahoo! Sports' Freshman All-American first team. Campbell also demonstrated his skills as a run stopper, leading the Cats with 89 tackles.

Advantage: Northwestern

Cornerbacks:

NU suffered a major blow when it lost senior cornerback Jordan Mabin for the Meineke Car Care Bowl of Texas due to shoulder surgery. Mabin, a four-year starter, secured his half of the field while the Cats rotated through several options on the opposite side, hoping to find a worthy companion for Mabin.

Now, NU will have to rely on senior Jeravin Matthews, who was benched earlier this year before regaining his job, and redshirt freshman Daniel Jones, who got beat for two touchdowns against Michigan State while filling in for Mabin.

Though he only intercepted just one pass this season, Texas A&M cornerback Terrence Frederick played the same role of shutdown cornerback that Mabin did. Frederick broke up a team-high 12 passes this year and made 49 tackles.

The Aggies' cornerbacks?utilize an aggressive style and aren't afraid to cheat towards the line in order to stop a play in the backfield. Frederick recorded more tackles-for-loss than every NU player except David Nwabuisi and Jack DiNardo, while fellow cornerback Dustin Harris matched Frederick with two sacks.

Perhaps as a result of its risk-taking style, Texas A&M suffered similar vulnerability through the air as NU. The Aggies gave up the most passing yards of any team in the Big 12, surrendering more than 280 passing yards per game. Still, while both teams lack a strong track record of cornerback coverage, the Aggies at least will not be trotting out a redshirt freshman for his first start.

Advantage: Texas A&M

Kicking Game:

The Aggies are blessed to have one of the best kickers in the game in Randy Bullock. The senior made all but four of his 29 field-goal attempts in 2011, including a most impressive 10-of-12 clip from 40 to 49 yards out. He also hit a 52-yard field goal in 2011, and is 3-for-5 from 50 yards and beyond in his college career. So, there's no doubting his range. Bullock is generally reliable as well ? he has missed just two field goals from fewer than 30 yards out in his college career ? so Texas A&M will not hesitate to trot Bullock out in pressure situations. The Aggies also posted the second-best kickoff coverage numbers in the Big 12 this season.

On the other sideline, coach Pat Fitzgerald hasn't shown very much trust in kicker Jeff Budzien. The sophomore attempted just four field goals in the Wildcats' final six games of the season. On the bright side for NU, Budzien was highly reliable when it came to extra points, sending all 48 of his extra-point attempts through the uprights. Extra points have haunted past NU kickers in bowl games, so Budzien's reliability from close range is a plus. However, he made just two-of-five from 40 to 49 yards, so while he has the leg, he cannot necessarily be trusted from deep.

Advantage: Texas A&M

Punters:

After averaging fewer than 40 yards per punt in six of Northwestern's first eight games of the 2011 season, Brandon Williams ended his season in fine form, averaging 42 yards or more in each of the Wildcats' last four games of the regular season. His unusual rugby style generally limits what the return team can do with his punts, and friendly bounces have been known to lead to unbelievably long yardage for Williams. The sophomore produced a 77-yard punt in a win over Minnesota, followed by a 57-yarder against Michigan State the next week. Williams, while hardly steady, has the ability to change games with a few spectacular boots.

Meanwhile, Ryan?Epperson?produced his best season yet for the Aggies, averaging 40.9 yards per punt, a 3.3-yard improvement from 2010. Yet, Texas A&M still finished with the third-lowest net punting numbers in the Big 12, similar to Northwestern's low finish in the Big Ten. The Aggies also allowed 3.1 yards per return, while the Wildcats allowed just 1.4 yards per return.

A 57-yard punt return in the Wildcats' regular-season finale arguably sealed Northwestern's loss to Michigan State that day, but this is still an area where the Cats should have an edge.

Advantage: Northwestern

Return Team:

Dustin Harris, a defensive back and returner for Texas A&M, is plenty dangerous. He helped the Aggies finish second in the Big 12 with their 13.6 yards per punt return average. The Aggies were less prolific when it came to kickoff returns, averaging just 21.3 yards, while failing to bring one back to the house. Northwestern sophomore?Venric?Mark also failed to bring one back for a touchdown, but he came awfully close on several occasions, helping the Wildcats average 21.8 yards per kickoff return and 12.8 yards per punt return. With such similar numbers, and both teams clearly featuring dangerous weapons in the return game, I'm going to have to declare this category a tie.

Advantage: Even

Head Coach:

Whatever you thought of Pat Fitzgerald's decision to run wide receiver Zeke Markshausen to the right on a fake field goal try to cap off the 2010 Outback Bowl, there's no doubt that Fitzgerald is one of the most dynamic coaches in college football. He's highly experienced in bowl games, having led the Wildcats to four consecutive bowl games, and should be highly determined, given his 0-5 mark in bowl games as a player and a coach. In his sixth year with Northwestern, Fitzgerald provides unparalleled stability at the helm, particularly after signing a contract extension in May that will keep him in Evanston through the 2020 season. Compare that with the instability at Texas A&M. Defensive coordinator Tim DeRuyter was named interim head coach in place of the recently departed Mike Sherman. The Aggies' matchup with the Cats will mark DeRuyter's first and last game at the helm of Texas A&M. After their bowl game, the Aggies will welcome Houston coach Kevin Sumlin to College Station, while DeRuyter will depart for Fresno State, where he will be the new head coach.

Advantage: Northwestern

Source: http://www.dailynorthwestern.com/sports/a-position-by-position-breakdown-of-northwestern-vs-texas-a-m-1.2683088

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Kucinich opposing veteran Democrat in Ohio primary (AP)

TOLEDO, Ohio ? Ohio Rep. Dennis Kucinich (koo-SIH'-nich) says he's sticking with his plan to run against fellow Democratic Rep. Marcy Kaptur in a U.S. House primary contest that will pit two veteran lawmakers against each other.

Kucinich had spent the last few weeks mulling whether to run against Kaptur or seek another seat in Cleveland after the Ohio Legislature approved a new congressional district map.

The new map gave Kaptur a bigger chunk of her current district in the Toledo area, leading to speculation that Kucinich might run against Rep. Marcia Fudge instead.

Kucinich said Wednesday that he will he file to run against Kaptur in a district that hugs the Lake Erie shoreline from Cleveland to Toledo.

The winner of the March primary will be heavily favored to win the seat.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/uscongress/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20111228/ap_on_el_ho/us_ohio_redistricting_kucinich

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60 Years After Leaving, Porpoises Again Play In SF Bay

Isidore Szczepaniak/Golden Gate Cetacean Research

A harbor porpoise comes up for air near the Golden Gate Bridge. The porpoises are returning to the bay in growing numbers after a 60-year absence.

December 28, 2011 from KQED

Something that has been missing from San Francisco Bay since World War II appears to be making a comeback: Harbor porpoises are showing up in growing numbers, and researchers are trying to understand why they're returning.

The walkway across the Golden Gate Bridge is almost always packed with people taking photos. But Bill Keener isn't here for snapshots of the stunning views. He's aiming his massive telephoto lens at a dark shape in the water 200 feet below.

"There's a porpoise right there, coming very, very close," he says. "Here's a mother and calf coming straight at us." Keener is with Golden Gate Cetacean Research, a nonprofit group focused on studying local porpoises, whales and dolphins.

Harbor porpoises have dark gray backs, and they're about 5 feet long ? smaller than most of their dolphin relatives. Keener spots one turned on its side and spinning.

The porpoises, feeding in the middle of a busy shipping lane, spin as they go after schools of herring and anchovies. Seeing this behavior is huge for Keener because harbor porpoises are notoriously shy in the open ocean. But the fact that they're here at all is what's most remarkable.

Keener and his colleagues have identified 250 porpoises with their photos by looking for unique scars on the animals. When the team first started working on the bridge, the patrol officers took notice.

"We're staring down at the water for hours," Keener says. "They start getting worried about us. But they know us now; they know what we're doing."

Enlarge Lauren Sommer/KQED

Bill Keener (left) and Jonathan Stern search for porpoises under the Golden Gate Bridge. Water quality has dramatically improved since the 1970s, which may be bringing the porpoises back.

Lauren Sommer/KQED

Bill Keener (left) and Jonathan Stern search for porpoises under the Golden Gate Bridge. Water quality has dramatically improved since the 1970s, which may be bringing the porpoises back.

Porpoises In Decline

The big question, though, is why harbor porpoises disappeared in the first place. Keener says the bay has always been porpoise habitat. Sightings were common until the 1930s.

"We don't really have reports from around World War II, and there were a lot of things going on during World War II that could have caused [the decline]," he says.

San Francisco Bay became a wartime port. It was a major ship-building center. One newsreel reported that 14 warships at one time sailed under the Golden Gate Bridge. And the Navy strung a seven-mile-long net underwater across the opening of the bay to keep out Japanese submarines. Hundreds of mines were planted in the waters outside the Golden Gate.

Keener says all of this certainly would have disturbed the porpoises. But there's a bigger change that may have driven them away: water quality.

The bay waters today are a far cry from those of the 1950s and '60s. As the region boomed, so did water pollution. Keener says raw sewage used to flow right into the bay.

"I remember coming across the Bay Bridge when I was very young, and it would just smell," Keener says. "It would stink."

William Keener/Golden Gate Cetacean Research

A group of harbor porpoises in San Francisco Bay, photographed from the Golden Gate Bridge. Harbor porpoises haven't been seen in the bay since the 1930s. Researchers believe World War II activity may have contributed to their disappearance. The Navy strung a seven-mile underwater net across the mouth of the bay to keep out enemy submarines.

Rediscovering The Bay

After the Clean Water Act was passed in 1972, the bay's water quality began to improve. But it took time for the food web to come back. San Francisco State University whale researcher Jonathan Stern says maybe the porpoises had to rediscover the bay.

"Over 60 years, we're talking about a number of generations of porpoises," Stern says. "So it's quite likely that San Francisco Bay as a habitat was out of the institutional memory."

Stern and Keener glide over the bay waters in a 22-foot boat, slowing down as they pass under the bridge.

"There's porpoises between us and the south tower at 200 yards," Stern says. Keener and Stern have a special permit to approach the porpoises. They wait, listening for them to surface.

"I just heard one here," Keener says. "Here's a cow-calf pair close to the boat, and we'll hear this puff. The old-time sailors used to call them puffing pigs. That's the exhalation."

The porpoises seem calm around boats in the bay, which Stern says will let researchers study their life cycle and social structure.

"It's one of those very few good-news environmental stories. And it's in our backyard. It gives one hope," Stern says.

It also gives researchers a chance to study how porpoises will react to the America's Cup race, which comes to the Bay Area in two years.

Source: http://www.npr.org/2011/12/28/143857342/60-years-after-leaving-porpoises-again-play-in-sf-bay?ft=1&f=1007

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Pitino: Plans to quit when contract ends in 2017 (AP)

LOUISVILLE, Ky. ? Rick Pitino said Tuesday that he won't coach past the 2016-2017 season when his current contract ends at Louisville.

"When you're 59, you're realistic that you don't have a whole lot of years left," Pitino said at a news conference before the No. 4 Cardinals play Georgetown on Wednesday. "My contract's going to run out in 2017. I'm not coaching any more after that."

The former Providence and Kentucky coach has guided the Cardinals to a 12-0 record so far this season.

Louisville's Athletic Association granted Pitino, the only men's coach to lead three different programs to the Final Four, a four-year contract extension in August. He'll make $3 million in base salary until the end of the 2013 season, followed by $3.9 million a year.

Pitino didn't use the word 'retire,' but has said in the past that Louisville would be his last coaching stop. He's 253-96 in his 11th season at Louisville, which reached the Final Four in 2005.

The Cardinals will host the Hoyas in their Big East Conference opener before traveling to face rival and No. 3 Kentucky on Saturday.

Pitino said Louisville hasn't started preparing for Kentucky.

"One thing I've learned to do with my age, I really don't look ahead," said Pitino, who went 219-50 in eight seasons at Kentucky and won the 1996 national championship. "For years, I've been preaching the precious present and having to always subscribe to it."

Senior guard Chris Smith echoed his coach.

"We haven't talked about Kentucky one time yet, and we're going to keep it like that until we come out with a W tomorrow," he said.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/sports/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20111227/ap_on_sp_co_ne/bkc_louisville_pitino

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Childs ready for Cotton Bowl, NFL

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. ? Greg Childs doesn't think there's anything special about the way he has behaved this season.

The Arkansas wide receiver just smiles when he's asked about his on-the-field struggles and downplays the positive attitude he's shown while recovering from last season's knee injury.

The senior has graciously slipped from starring to a supporting role for the Razorbacks this season. Behind that smile, though, burns the same old Greg Childs ? one of the top receivers in the SEC for his first three seasons, one who still fully expects to shine in the NFL.

Childs' last NCAA game comes when No. 6 Arkansas (10-2) faces No. 8 Kansas State (10-2) on Jan. 6 in the Cotton Bowl.

?I'm just waiting my time; it's coming real soon,? Childs said. ?It's going to be a show.?

Childs led the Razorbacks in nearly every receiving category as a sophomore in 2009, finishing with 48 catches for 894 yards and seven touchdowns. He led the Razorbacks with 46 catches for 659 yards when he injured his knee against Vanderbilt in the eighth game of the season.

After an offseason of rehabilitation, Childs was clearly not full-speed. He finished the regular season with 16 catches for 192 yards, both career lows, and was seventh on Arkansas in catches.

By all accounts, Childs didn't let the drop in production affect his attitude.

?The fact that you can look at somebody and say, ?He was a great teammate' is, in my mind, more important than all that other stuff,? Arkansas quarterback Tyler Wilson said. ?And Greg has certainly been that.?

Those who know him have no doubt he'll have an impact moving forward ? both against the Wildcats and in the NFL.

?He's gotten back his speed,? Arkansas coach Bobby Petrino said. ?He'll be back next year.?

Source: http://www.mysanantonio.com/news/local_news/article/Childs-ready-for-Cotton-Bowl-NFL-2423612.php

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TechGrinch Was Not Impressed By Google?s ?Jingle Bells? Doodle

Warning, I?m about to get real critical of something pretty minor. It?s midnight on Christmas and the world is largely at a standstill, so pardon my rant.

When I visited Google.com this morning, I was as excited as the kids sprinting from bed to tree. But all I found was a lump of sonic coal. Oh joy, after months of Christmas music, I get to hear a crummy elevator music version of ?Jingle Bells? one more time? *sigh*

But wait, is it a game where I guess how to play the song on the colored keys? No. Can I remix it and make my own song using the tones? Nope. Can I at least share something to the legion of strangers who?ve added me to their Circles on Google+? Well there was no readily available permalink, and the metadata wasn?t changed so sharing Google.com into G+ didn?t produce a doodle preview.

Why the high expectations? I was impressed with the Thanksgiving doodle, mostly because a special button encouraged people to share their custom turkey to Google+. Considering the fledgling social network needs users and content, I thought that was a wise move.

The Polish doodle the day before offered a sci-fi comic puzzle game. The Father?s Day doodle was a useful PSA to call your Dad. And the 65th birthday tribute to Queen?s Freddie Mercury was the pinacle of awesome, featuring mustachioed bears riding bicycles. Today we got a crummy elevator music ?Jingle Bells?. I would have settled

I would have settled for some 8-bit tones, a more expansive light show, or something actually interactive and not just triggered. In previous years, the Christmas doodles have been basic but classy. This one built me up with its shiny buttons but didn?t follow through. Maybe children were more elated.

Oh sorry, am I being an overly entitled TechGrinch? Normally I?m a rather loving person, this is just some?constructive criticism. I know the doodle is a delightful little service Google does out of the goodness of its 30,000 hearts. I?m sure it has plenty else to worry about and should be permitted an occasional flop.

Still, Google needs loyalty and good will right now. It should be looking to make fanboys and fangirls out of all of us, because it?s launched some ambitious products in verticals with powerful?incumbents. If services like Google+ and Google Currents are going to challenge the Facebooks and Flipboards, Google needs people to love it.

Ask any parent ? on Christmas Day the stakes are high. Google just got the 6 year old a big shiny box with a pair of socks in it. When it comes to holiday doodles, Google should either keep it simple, or really make it shine. TechGrinch signing off.

Image Credit: Shipment Of Fail

Google provides search and advertising services, which together aim to organize and monetize the world?s information. In addition to its dominant search engine, it offers a plethora of online tools and platforms including: Gmail, Maps and YouTube. Most of its Web-based products are free, funded by Google?s highly integrated online advertising platforms AdWords and AdSense. Google promotes the idea that advertising should be highly targeted and relevant to users thus providing them with a rich source of information....

Learn more

Source: http://techcrunch.com/2011/12/25/jingle-bells-doodle/

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Analysis: What's the plan if North Korea collapses? (Reuters)

SEOUL (Reuters) ? North Korea appears to be making an orderly transition after the death of leader Kim Jong-il last week, but the risk of collapse is higher than before and regional powers need to start discussing that contingency with China, diplomats and analysts say.

The problem is China refuses to contemplate any unraveling of North Korea which has nuclear ambitions and is its long-term ally. Beijing has rebuffed such overtures from the United States, Japan and South Korea.

"Secret talks with China to plan for contingencies have long been overdue," said Douglas Paal, vice president for studies at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace in a paper this week.

"Beijing has been reluctant to engage in this kind of dialogue, although Chinese thinkers have increasingly acknowledged privately the need for such an authoritative conversation."

Yet little evidence has emerged that such talks have taken place or are being planned, despite a flurry of discussions between the four countries in the aftermath of Kim's death last Saturday.

Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda travels to Beijing at the weekend, but it is unlikely that China would entertain anything more than platitudes. No contingency plan can be coordinated without China's agreement, since it borders North Korea and supplies much of its food and fuel.

Christopher Hill, a former envoy to the six-party talks on North Korea nuclear disarmament, said it was difficult to raise North Korean instability scenarios with China.

"The Chinese are always skittish about these things," he said, adding that the disclosure of secret U.S. diplomatic cables by WikiLeaks have made them especially wary of contingency planning.

Still, the transition of power in North Korea from the departed "Dear Leader," Kim Jong-il, to his son, the "Great Successor" Kim Jong-un, is going smoothly so far.

"We hope it stays that well," said Pentagon spokesman George Little. "We have not seen any unusual North Korean troop movements since the death of Kim Jong-il. That would be one indicator of a less than smooth transition."

The real worry is further down the road if a contest for power develops and piles stresses on a state that is already perilously close to economic collapse.

China, the United States and other regional powers around the peninsula may face a number of daunting scenarios if the transition goes badly over the medium term. These could include civil conflict, a mass exodus of refugees, military mutiny, lost control of the North's small nuclear arsenal or military attack.

A CHANGE IN CHINA?

China is however undergoing its own leadership transition in 2012 and down the line it's not impossible that there may be some changes in its steadfast refusal to work with the United States and its allies on contingency planning for North Korea.

In one Feb 22, 2010 cable by then U.S. ambassador to Seoul Kathleen Stephens, a top South Korean diplomat cited private conversations with two high-level Chinese officials who said China could live with a reunified Korea under the control of South Korea.

The then South Korean vice foreign minister, Chun Yung-woo, who was also a delegate at the six-party talks, said the two Chinese officials told him privately that China "would clearly not welcome any U.S. military presence north of the Demilitarized Zone in the event of a collapse."

But the Chinese officials told him Beijing "would be comfortable with a reunified Korea controlled by Seoul and anchored to the United States in a 'benign alliance' - as long as Korea was not hostile towards China."

The United States maintains 28,500 troops in South Korea and remains the Supreme Commander of unified American and South Korean troops in the event of a crisis with the North.

Chun, now the South Korean president's national security adviser, did not respond to a request for comment.

Chun also told the U.S. ambassador in that cable that China would not militarily intervene in the event of a North Korea collapse, and he expected that to happen within two to three years after the death of Kim Jong-il.

The alleged remarks from the two Chinese diplomats do not represent China's official position on North Korea. But China's ability to influence North Korea is sometimes over-estimated. In April 2009, He Yafei, then China's vice foreign minister, told a U.S. diplomat in Beijing that North Korea acted like a "spoiled child" to attract U.S. attention through steps such as firing a three-stage rocket over Japan.

The official line from Beijing, repeated during a visit by Kim Jong-il to China in May, is that the relationship remains "sealed in blood" of the allies that fought together in the Korean War.

"For China, the core imperative remains the avoidance of anything that might compromise North Korea's stability," said Sarah McDowall, an analyst at IHS Jane's.

"Occasionally, however, when North Korea commits particularly blatant provocations, this priority comes into conflict with another of China's over-riding diplomatic objectives - its desire to be seen as a responsible global player. China's behavior with regards to North Korea in recent years has been a struggle to balance these two objectives."

PEACEFUL REUNIFICATION

In another Wikileaks cable from Astana, Kazakhstan on June 8, 2009, Chinese ambassador Cheng Guoping told his U.S. counterpart Richard Hoagland that China opposes North Korea's nuclear tests and hopes for peaceful reunification of the peninsula over the long term.

Cheng said China's objectives in North Korea were to ensure their commitments on non-proliferation, maintain stability, and 'don't drive (Kim Jong-il) mad,'" Hoagland said in the cable.

John Park, at the United States Institute of Peace in Washington, used a medical analogy to describe the difference in the U.S. and Chinese approaches.

"The way contingency planning is framed by the U.S. is, 'Let us coordinate so that if the North Korean state does collapse we can harvest the organs, and we think they should be implanted in a unified Korea, and the more the U.S. and China coordinate on this, the more smooth and stable it will be.'

"Whereas China's view is, 'Why would you wait for until the patient dies? Why wouldn't you prevent the death of the regime.' So there the Chinese are adopting almost this preventive medicine approach."

Jia Qingguo, professor of international relations at Peking University, said prospects for political stability in North Korea were bleak and interested powers needed "to step up communications, especially now the risks of a crisis are quite high."

The loyalty of those around the "Great Successor" is difficult to ascertain, Jia said.

"Add to that all the many problems, domestic and external, confronting North Korea. In these circumstances, I think it's very difficult to say whether Kim Jong-un will be able to master the political apparatus."

Kim Jong-un, who is in his late 20s, has little experience. His father Kim Jong-il had 20 years to prepare for rule under the tutelage of his father, Kim Il-sung, the charismatic founding father of the North Korean state.

Analysts have said senior officers were replaced after young Kim was made a four-star general last year, though he had never served in the military.

Issues that need to be urgently addressed in contingency planning include how to provide aid in the face of a collapse or crisis, and how to ensure the safety of the North's nuclear materials, Jia said.

"I think from the viewpoint of China and the United States, it may be up to one of them to assume control of the nuclear weapons and avoid proliferation."

A former Japanese diplomat who dealt with North Korean issues, Hitoshi Tanaka, questioned whether any measures would be effective in the event of "internal domestic turmoil" in North Korea.

South Korea, China, Japan and the United States "are very busy collecting and exchanging information and comparing notes" about North Korea's future, but that information is "very, very limited."

"It is extremely important...to let China work in the most constructive way, because clearly, China is the last resort in the context of helping North Korea," he said.

(Additional reporting by Chris Buckley in Beijing, Paul Eckert and Warren Strobel in Washington, Linda Sieg in Tokyo and Jack Kim in Seoul; Editing by David Chance)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/nkorea/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20111223/ts_nm/us_korea_north_collapse

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Anti-Putin protests draw tens of thousands

Demonstrators rally to protest against election fraud in Moscow, Saturday, Dec. 24, 2011. Tens of thousands of demonstrators rallied in the Russian capital Saturday in the largest protest so far against election fraud, signaling growing outrage over Prime Minister Vladimir Putin's 12-year rule. (AP Photo/Alexander Zemlianichenko)

Demonstrators rally to protest against election fraud in Moscow, Saturday, Dec. 24, 2011. Tens of thousands of demonstrators rallied in the Russian capital Saturday in the largest protest so far against election fraud, signaling growing outrage over Prime Minister Vladimir Putin's 12-year rule. (AP Photo/Alexander Zemlianichenko)

Demonstrators hold Russian opposition flags during a rally protesting against election fraud in Moscow, Saturday, Dec. 24, 2011. Tens of thousands of demonstrators rallied in the Russian capital Saturday in the largest protest so far against election fraud, signaling growing outrage over Prime Minister Vladimir Putin's 12-year rule. (AP Photo/Alexander Zemlianichenko)

Protesters hold a portrait of Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin as they gather to protest against alleged vote rigging in Russia's parliamentary elections on Sakharov avenue in Moscow, Russia, Saturday, Dec. 24, 2011. Tens of thousands of demonstrators on Saturday cheered opposition leaders and jeered the Kremlin in the largest protest in the Russian capital so far against election fraud, signaling growing outrage over Prime Minister Vladimir Putin's 12-year rule. (AP Photo/Misha Japaridze)

A demonstrator holds an old Russian imperial flag during a protest against election fraud in the Arctic seaport of Murmansk, 1,450 kilometers (906 miles) north of Moscow, Saturday, Dec. 24, 2011. A demonstration in Moscow was even bigger than a similar protest two weeks ago, although rallies in other cities in the far east and Siberia earlier in the day drew smaller crowds than on Dec. 10. (AP Photo/Andrei Pronin)

From left, Russian former Financial Minister Alexei Kudrin, leaders of the opposition Boris Nemtsov and Alexei Navalny attend a rally to protest against alleged vote rigging in Russia's parliamentary elections on Sakharov avenue in Moscow, Russia, Saturday, Dec. 24, 2011. Tens of thousands of demonstrators on Saturday cheered opposition leaders and jeered the Kremlin in the largest protest in the Russian capital so far against election fraud, signaling growing outrage over Prime Minister Vladimir Putin's 12-year rule. (AP Photo/Misha Japaridze)

MOSCOW (AP) ? Tens of thousands of Russians jammed a Moscow avenue to demand free elections and an end to Prime Minister Vladimir Putin's 12-year rule, in the largest show of public outrage since the protests 20 years ago that brought down the Soviet Union. Gone was the political apathy of recent years as many shouted "We are the Power!"

Saturday's demonstration, bigger and better organized than a similar one two weeks ago, and smaller rallies across the country encouraged opposition leaders hoping to sustain a protest movement ignited by a fraud-tainted parliamentary election on Dec. 4.

The enthusiasm also cheered Mikhail Gorbachev, the last Soviet leader who closed down the Soviet Union on Dec. 25, 1991.

"I'm happy that I have lived to see the people waking up. This raises big hopes," the 80-year-old Gorbachev said on Ekho Moskvy radio.

He urged Putin to follow his example and give up power peacefully, saying Putin would be remembered for the positive things he did if he stepped down now. The former Soviet leader, who has grown increasingly critical of Putin, has little influence in Russia today.

But the protesters have no central leader and no candidate capable of posing a serious challenge to Putin, who intends to return to the presidency in a March vote.

Even at Saturday's rally, some of the speakers were jeered by the crowd. The various liberal, nationalist and leftist groups that took part appear united only by their desire to see "Russia without Putin," a popular chant.

Putin, who gave no public response to the protest Saturday, initially derided the demonstrators as paid agents of the West. He also said sarcastically that he thought the white ribbons they wore as an emblem were condoms. Putin has since come to take their protests more seriously, and in an effort to stem the anger he has offered a set of reforms to allow more political competition in future elections.

Kremlin-controlled television covered Saturday's rally, but gave no air time to Putin's harshest critics.

Estimates of the number of demonstrators ranged from the police figure of 30,000 to 120,000 offered by the organizers. Demonstrators packed much of a broad avenue, which has room for nearly 100,000 people, about 2.5 kilometers (some 1.5 miles) from the Kremlin, as the temperature dipped well below freezing.

A stage at the end of the avenue featured banners reading "Russia will be free" and "This election Is a farce." Heavy police cordons encircled the participants, who stood within metal barriers, and a police helicopter hovered overhead.

Alexei Navalny, a corruption-fighting lawyer and popular blogger, electrified the crowd when he took the stage. He soon had the protesters chanting "We are the power!"

Navalny spent 15 days in jail for leading a protest on Dec. 5 that unexpectedly drew more than 5,000 people and set off the chain of demonstrations.

Putin's United Russia party lost 25 percent of its seats in the election, but hung onto a majority in parliament through what independent observers said was widespread fraud. United Russia, seen as representing a corrupt bureaucracy, has become known as the party of crooks and thieves, a phrase coined by Navalny.

"We have enough people here to take the Kremlin," Navalny shouted to the crowd. "But we are peaceful people and we won't do that ? yet. But if these crooks and thieves keep cheating us, we will take what is ours."

Protest leaders expressed skepticism about Putin's promised political reforms.

"We don't trust him," opposition leader Boris Nemtsov told the rally, urging protesters to gather again after the long New Year's holidays to make sure the proposed changes are put into law.

He and other speakers called on the demonstrators to go to the polls in March to unseat Putin. "A thief must not sit in the Kremlin," Nemtsov said.

The protest leaders said they would keep up their push for a rerun of the parliamentary vote and punishment for election officials accused of fraud, while stressing the need to prevent fraud in the March presidential election.

Former world chess champion Garry Kasparov was among those who sought to give the protesters a sense of empowerment.

"There are so many of us here, and they (the government) are few," Kasparov said from the stage. "They are huddled up in fear behind police cordons."

The crowd was largely young, but included a sizable number of middle-aged and elderly people, some of whom limped slowly to the site on walkers and canes.

"We want to back those who are fighting for our rights," said 16-year-old Darya Andryukhina, who said she had also attended the previous rally.

"People have come here because they want respect," said Tamara Voronina, 54, who said she was proud that her three sons also had joined the protest.

Putin's comment about protesters wearing condoms only further infuriated them and inspired some creative responses. One protester Saturday held a picture montage of Putin with his head wrapped in a condom like a grandmother's headscarf. Many inflated condoms along with balloons.

The protests reflect a growing weariness with Putin, who was first elected president in 2000 and remained in charge after moving into the prime minister's seat in 2008. Brazen fraud in the parliamentary vote unexpectedly energized the middle class, which for years had been politically apathetic.

"No one has done more to bring so many people here than Putin, who managed to insult the whole country," said Viktor Shenderovich, a columnist and satirical writer.

Two rallies in St. Petersburg on Saturday drew a total of 4,000 people.

"I'm here because I'm tired of the government's lies," said Dmitry Dervenev, 47, a designer. "The prime minister insulted me personally when he said that people came to the rallies because they were paid by the U.S. State Department. I'm here because I'm a citizen of my country."

Putin accused the United States of encouraging and funding the protests to weaken Russia.

Putin's former finance minister surprised the protesters by saying the current parliament should approve the proposed electoral changes and then step down to allow new parliamentary elections to be held. Alexei Kudrin, who remains close to Putin, warned that the wave of protests could lead to violence and called for establishing a dialogue between the opposition and the government.

"Otherwise we will lose the chance for peaceful transformation," Kudrin said.

Kudrin also joined calls for the ouster of Central Election Commission chief Vladimir Churov.

Putin has promised to liberalize registration rules for opposition parties and restore the direct election of governors he abolished in 2004. Putin's stand-in as president, Dmitry Medvedev, spelled out those and other proposed changes in Thursday's state-of-the nation address.

Gorbachev, however, said the government appears confused.

"They don't know what to do," he said. "They are making attempts to get out of the trap they drove themselves into."

____

Associated Press writers Nataliya Vasilyeva and Jim Heintz contributed to this report.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/cae69a7523db45408eeb2b3a98c0c9c5/Article_2011-12-24-EU-Russia-Protests/id-656c0b2856984690a9dff9e0aa945b95

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