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	Thursday, 24 December, 2009, 0:00 GMT 05:00 +05:00:Asia/Calcutta

TOP STORIES
	'Clashes' at Iran cleric ceremony Police and opposition supporters clash in Iran during a memorial for a leading dissident cleric, opposition websites say.
	Bishop quits after abuse scandal A second Irish bishop is resigning after a damning report which found that Catholic leaders concealed child abuse.
	Balloon boy hoax parents jailed A court in the US sentences the parents who pretended their son was adrift in a balloon to a total of 110 days in jail.
	'Hostages held' in US post office A US man in a wheelchair claiming to be carrying explosives takes five people hostage in a post office in Virginia, say reports.
	Madoff moved to prison hospital Disgraced Wall Street financier Bernie Madoff is moved to the medical centre within his North Carolina jail.

AFRICA
	UN imposes sanctions on Eritrea The UN Security Council imposes sanctions on Eritrea, accusing it of aiding Islamist insurgents in Somalia.
	Sick Nigeria leader 'must quit' A senior politician in Nigeria takes court action to force the country's sick president, Umaru Yar'Adua, from office.
	Nestle shuts Zimbabwe milk plant Swiss multinational Nestle suspends operations at its dairy plant in Zimbabwe, citing harassment.

AMERICAS
	'Hostages held' in US post office A US man in a wheelchair claiming to be carrying explosives takes five people hostage in a post office in Virginia, say reports.
	Obama says climate dismay valid US President Barack Obama says disappointment at the outcome of the Copenhagen summit is justified.
	Balloon boy hoax parents jailed A court in the US sentences the parents who pretended their son was adrift in a balloon to a total of 110 days in jail.

ASIA-PACIFIC
	Chinese dissident Liu on trial Prominent Chinese dissident Liu Xiaobo has gone on trial in Beijing on charges of subversion, amid Western criticism.
	Ford agrees Volvo sale to Geely Ford has agreed to sell Swedish carmaker Volvo to China's Geely and expects the deal to be completed early 2010.
	Man charged with bathtub murder A man is charged with raping and killing British teacher Lindsay Ann Hawker who was found in a sand-filled bath in Japan.

EUROPE
	Air Comet 'hunger strike' threat Passengers stranded at airports in Spain and Latin America threaten a hunger strike after Air Comet suspends all its flights.
	Bishop quits after abuse scandal A second Irish bishop is resigning after a damning report which found that Catholic leaders concealed child abuse.
	Johnny Hallyday leaves hospital French rock star Johnny Hallyday is released from a Los Angeles hospital after back surgery that led to a coma.

MIDDLE EAST
	'Clashes' at Iran cleric ceremony Police and opposition supporters clash in Iran during a memorial for a leading dissident cleric, opposition websites say.
	Shalit mediator holds Gaza talks The German mediator trying to secure a deal for the release of captured Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit visits Gaza, Hamas says.
	Jewish Exodus ship skipper dies The captain of Jewish immigrant ship the Exodus, which was refused entry to Palestine in 1947, dies at the age of 86.

SOUTH ASIA
	India visa move brings complaints India tightens rules for long-term tourist visas, a move other countries say is causing problems for many of their citizens.
	Pakistan eunuchs get own gender Pakistan's Supreme Court says eunuchs must be allowed to identify themselves as a distinct gender to ensure their rights.
	Afghan senator killed by police An Afghan senator was shot dead by police when his car failed to stop at a checkpoint in northern Baghlan province, officials say.

UK
	No respite for Christmas getaway Weather forecasters fear a "problematic night", as ice and snow continue to disrupt thousands of Christmas getaway plans.
	Strictly star on driving charge Strictly Come Dancing finalist Ricky Whittle is charged with dangerous driving after an incident involving a photographer in Liverpool.
	UK 'friendly fire' soldier named The second British soldier to be killed in a suspected "friendly fire" incident this week in Afghanistan is named by the Ministry of Defence.

UK EDUCATION
	University funding cut by £398m Lord Mandelson announces cuts to university funding of £398m in the annual grant letter to academic institutions.
	Pair quit amid student loans row Two directors at the Student Loans Company have resigned in the wake of a damning report on payment delays.
	Legal warning halts outdoors trip A council says a school trip for 70 pupils cannot go ahead to avoid discriminating against one of the group who is disabled.

ENGLAND
	Driver 'avoided bigger tragedy' A coach driver whose vehicle overturned in icy conditions in Cornwall, killing two women, is praised by witnesses for avoiding a bigger tragedy.
	Loose bullock shot in Birmingham A bullock escapes from an abattoir and runs along streets in Birmingham before being shot by firearms officers.
	Playboy model hit woman in toilet A former Playboy Model of the Year is convicted of attacking a musician's daughter in a nightclub toilet in Brighton.

BUSINESS
	Madoff moved to prison hospital Disgraced Wall Street financier Bernie Madoff is moved to the medical centre within his North Carolina jail.
	Star Alliance firms seek immunity The Star Alliance applies for immunity from competition rules on routes between the US and Japan.
	Ford agrees Volvo sale to Geely Ford has agreed to sell Swedish carmaker Volvo to China's Geely and expects the deal to be completed early 2010.

ENTERTAINMENT
	Johnny Hallyday leaves hospital French rock star Johnny Hallyday is released from a Los Angeles hospital after back surgery that led to a coma.
	Winehouse is charged with assault Singer Amy Winehouse is charged with assault at a theatre in Milton Keynes and a public order offence.
	Sesame Street star dies aged 63 Alaina Reed Amini, best known for playing Olivia Robinson on long-running children's show Sesame Street, dies aged 63.

SCIENCE & ENVIRONMENT
	Science news highlights of 2009 From smash-ups in space to shockwaves at Copenhagen - a review of a year in science and the environment.
	Obama says climate dismay valid US President Barack Obama says disappointment at the outcome of the Copenhagen summit is justified.
	Soyuz docked with space station A spacecraft carrying an international crew docks with the International Space Station, Russian mission control says.

TECHNOLOGY
	OLPC unveils slimline tablet PC The group behind the $100 laptop reveals a tablet version of its PC aimed at connecting children in the developing world.
	Hacker cracks Kindle's copyright An Israeli hacker has found a way to transfer the books on Amazon's e-reader to any other device.
	Microsoft Word sales ban upheld A US appeals court upholds a $290m (£182m) verdict against Microsoft in a patent dispute with Canadian company i4i.

HEALTH
	Low hormones 'make birth harder' Expectant mums who are low in thyroid hormone are more likely to struggle with labour, findings suggest.
	Old heart patients 'over-drugged' People over the age of 80 are being treated too aggressively for high blood pressure, researchers claim.
	Doctors discover GBL drug death The first known death from a drug popular with clubbers has emerged the day the government banned it.

ON THIS DAY NEWS FROM THE BBC ARCHIVES
	1972: Earthquake wreaks devastation in Nicaragua Ten thousand people are feared dead after a two-hour earthquake rips through the Nicaraguan capital, Managua.
	1956: Jubilation as allied troops leave Suez The United Nations Emergency Force takes over in Egypt after British and French forces withdraw from Port Said and Port Fuad ending the Suez Crisis.
	1992: Queen's Christmas speech leaked The BBC investigates a leak which led to the Queen's Christmas speech being published in a national newspaper.

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TOP STORIES
	Mayweather-Pacquiao bout 'is off' Floyd Mayweather Jr's planned bout with Manny Pacquiao is off because of a blood-testing dispute, says Pacquiao's promoter Bob Arum.
	Schumacher targets 2010 F1 title Michael Schumacher says he will be challenging to win another Formula 1 title in 2010 after announcing his return to the sport.
	Levein appointed Scotland manager Former Dundee United manager Craig Levein is confirmed as the new Scotland national coach by the Scottish Football Association.
	Pietersen 'approaching top form' England batsman Kevin Pietersen reckons he is returning to top form ahead of the second Test against South Africa.
	Renault choose Briatore successor Renault replace Flavio Briatore as team principal with Frenchman Eric Boullier, a former GP2 team manager.

FOOTBALL
	Levein appointed Scotland manager Former Dundee United manager Craig Levein is confirmed as the new Scotland national coach by the Scottish Football Association.
	Man City angry at Mancini reports Manchester City ban copies of newspapers at their training ground after the media reaction to the sacking of manager Mark Hughes.
	Hull and Arsenal face FA charges Hull and Arsenal have been charged by the Football Association for failing to control their players during the Gunners' 3-0 Premier League win.

CRICKET
	NZ bowler Bond ends Test career New Zealand fast bowler Shane Bond retires from Test cricket because he is unsure if his body can cope with the rigours of the five-day game.
	England could be scarred - Smith South Africa captain Graeme Smith says England could be mentally scarred following their second-innings collapse in the drawn first Test in Centurion.
	Australia hope Ponting will play Australia are hopeful that captain Ricky Ponting will overcome an elbow injury to play in the Boxing Day Test against Pakistan.

TENNIS
	Federer & Williams win ITF awards Roger Federer and Serena Williams are named 2009 world champions by the International Tennis Federation.
	Henin given wildcard for Sydney Former world number one Justine Henin gets a wildcard for the Sydney International tournament which starts on 10 January.
	Gasquet cleared of drug charges Richard Gasquet is cleared of any wrongdoing by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (Cas) after testing positive for cocaine.

MOTORSPORT
	Schumacher targets 2010 title win Michael Schumacher says he will be challenging to win another Formula 1 title in 2010 after announcing his return to the sport.
	MotoGP poised for bigger engines MotoGP engines will increase in size from 800cc to 1000cc in 2012 after a agreement between the sport's governing body and rights holders on Friday.
	Raikkonen agrees rallying switch Former Formula 1 champion Kimi Raikkonen agrees to race for Citroen's junior team in the 2010 World Rally Championship.

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