BBC News with Gaenor Howells

The former Russian Finance Minister Alexei Kudrin says this month's parliamentary elections were flawed and should be rerun with new electoral laws. Mr Kudrin, who is a close friend of the Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, was greeted with

whistles

and catcalls by tens of thousands of demonstrators in central Moscow. They are part of a day of protests across Russia against the official election result - a win for Mr Putin's party. Steve Rosenberg reports.

Prospect Sakharov is packed with protesters - tens of thousands of people who've taken to the streets to demand fresh parliamentary elections, and much of their anger is directed at Vladimir Putin. Up on stage, politicians, rock stars and writers have been calling for Mr Putin to resign. One speaker said the civil society which had suddenly appeared couldn't be

stamped out

by the Russian authorities. Many in the crowd have been blowing red whistles - their attempt to

blow the whistle

on Mr Putin's decade in power.

Fighting in the northern Nigeria between government forces and Islamist militants is reported to have left about 50 people dead. The fighting broke out two days ago in the cities of Damaturu and Maiduguri. Here's our Africa editor Martin Plaut.

Intense fighting erupted in two northern Nigerian cities on Thursday and Friday. The police and army fought running battles with suspected members of the Islamist sect Boko Haram. The army chief of staff Lieutenant General Ihejirika said he lost three soldiers with a further seven wounded, but that his men killed more than 50 militants. Boko Haram, which calls for a strict Muslim state, was founded in 2002. Since then, it's attacked government buildings and the United Nations headquarters in Nigeria.