Russia - Russian Duma's rough start / Vladimir Putin ally Sergei Naryshkin presides Duma as protests continue

Published on Dec 21, 2011 by Euronews

http://www.euronews.net/ A close ally of Vladimir Putin has been elected speaker of Russia's State Duma, at its first sitting since a parliamentary poll critics say was rigged.

Sergei Naryshkin vowed to encourage more debate and compromise in the lower house. His predecessor Boris Gryzlov, also from Putin's party, had said parliament was no place for discussion. He quit amid post-election protests.

While the ruling United Russia party remains dominant, opposition groups like the Communists look set a play a more active part in proceedings.

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Russian Duma's rough start

Published on Dec 21, 2011 by Euronews

http://www.euronews.net/ The elections earlier this month for the new Russian Duma brought ordinary people out in the biggest protests since the breakup of the old Soviet Union. Tens of thousands of Russians condemned the parliamentary elections as having been skewed in favour of the ruling United Russia party. They want a re-run of the elections, and the fighting mood seems to be holding, promising further demonstrations.

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USA - Bank of America (NYSE:BAC) To Settling In Fair-Lending Probe (potential upside 91.7%)

Uploaded by FinancialNewsOnline on Dec 21, 2011

Bank of America (NYSE:BAC) is said to be on the verge of settling a U.S. Justice Department probe into whether its Countrywide Financial unit violated fair-lending practices, according to people close to the issue and reported in Bloomberg.

The DOJ is "being very aggressive reviewing mortgage data, and where they determine a lender is not adequately serving a particular community, they are doing things like requiring banks to open branches in lower-income areas," said Warren W. Traiger, a lawyer at New York-based Buckly Sandler LLP who advises financial firms on fair-lending compliance.

Bank of America (NYSE:BAC) has potential upside of 91.7% based on a current price of $5.12 and an average consensus analyst price target of $9.81

Czech Republic - Thousands of Czechs have turned out in Prague to pay their respects to Vaclav Havel

Published on Dec 21, 2011 by Euronews

http://www.euronews.net/ Thousands of Czechs have turned out in Prague to pay their respects to the former president Vaclav Havel following his death at the weekend.

A procession carried Havel's coffin from the medieval old town, where it had been displayed since Monday, to Prague Castle.

It was the first of three days of official mourning that will culminate in a state funeral on Friday. The day will also be officially marked in Slovakia where Havel was also president before the partition of the old Czechoslovakia.

Afghanistan - Taliban says it was behind the roadside bomb that kill 5 Polish soldiers involved in reconstruction work on historical sites

Published on Dec 21, 2011 by Euronews

http://www.euronews.net/ Five Polish soldiers have been killed in Afghanistan.

It is the deadliest single incident for Poland since it joined the NATO-led coalition there almost a decade ago.

The Taliban says it was behind the roadside bomb that blew up the troops' convoy in Ghazni province. It happened in a village where Polish forces have been involved in reconstruction work on historical sites.

Poland has some 2,500 soldiers in Afghanistan. A total of 36 Polish troops have died there since Warsaw deployed its forces in the country in 2002.
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Raw Video: 5 NATO Troops Killed in Afghanistan

Published on Dec 21, 2011 by AssociatedPress

Five NATO service members died Wednesday when a roadside bomb exploded in eastern Afghanistan, the alliance said. A NATO statement did not identify the nationality of those killed but Polish reports say all five soldiers were Poles. (Dec. 21)

China - Rare concessions made in wake of unrest at Haimen in Guangdong province.

Published on Dec 21, 2011 by Euronews

http://www.euronews.net/ Chinese government officials have reportedly agreed to suspend the construction of a power plant, after thousands of angry residents took part in a protest.

Demonstrators surrounded a government building and blocked a road in the town of Haimen in Guangdong province.

Online accounts say two people died during clashes with police. A Chinese official has denied the claims.

Meanwhile, a separate protest over seized farmland and the death of an activist in police custody has ended in Wukan village, also in Guandong province.