In spite of all this, he has promised to step down in October, when the next presidential election is due though his aim may be to hand over to one of his children.

ECONOMIST: People power spreads to Central Asia

Well, surprisingly, in spite of all this I am facing the next year with a spring in my step and a festive basketful of condoms on my dresser.

BBC: NEWS | UK | 'A time to celebrate'

In the U.S., stocks have held up relatively well in spite of gloomy economy reports in part because of expectations that the U.S. Federal Reserve will soon step in with a third round of quantitative easing, known in the market as QE3.

WSJ: Dow Closes Above 13000; First Time Since May 7