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	Monday, 24 December, 2007, 1:00 GMT 09:00 +08:00:Asia/Shanghai

In pictures
Baghdad residents having fun and celebrating Eid al-Adha

Afghan airlift
Bringing Christmas to British forces in Afghanistan




TOP STORIES

	Patient data loss affects 168,000 The government says the loss of patient records by NHS Trusts affects 168,000 people.

	US snowstorm causes nine deaths A fierce snowstorm claims at least nine lives and leaves tens of thousands without electricity in the US Midwest.

	Fog delays hit holiday travellers Air passengers face delays to their Christmas getaway, with fog forcing the cancellation of nearly 140 flights.

	Post Office sends wrong details The Post Office apologises to thousands of pensioners after 120 account statements were sent to the wrong customers.

	Call to free Iraq's Tariq Aziz The leader of Iraq's Chaldean Christian community urges US forces to free ex-deputy Prime Minister Tariq Aziz.




WORLD

	Thaksin ally wins Thai election The party allied to ousted PM Thaksin wins Thailand's election but falls short of a majority, initial results show.

	Nepal agrees to abolish monarchy Nepal's government agrees for the first time to abolish the country's 240-year-old monarchy.

	US snowstorm causes nine deaths A fierce snowstorm claims at least nine lives and leaves tens of thousands without electricity in the US Midwest.




AFRICA

	Burundi troops join AU in Somalia A Burundian army advance guard flies into Mogadishu to join the fledgling African Union peacekeeping force.

	Ivory Coast's disarmament begins Ivory Coast rebels and government troops start a process of disarmament, five years after violence began.

	Sea cucumber 'new malaria weapon' Sea cucumbers may provide a potential new way to block transmission of the malaria parasite, a study says.




AMERICAS

	US snowstorm causes nine deaths A fierce snowstorm claims at least nine lives and leaves tens of thousands without electricity in the US Midwest.

	CIA 'kept' tapes from 9/11 probe The CIA comes under renewed pressure over why it erased tapes showing interrogations of terror suspects.

	Brazil unhappy at Menezes ruling Brazil is unhappy that no senior police officer involved Jean Charles de Menezes's will be disciplined.




ASIA-PACIFIC

	Thaksin ally wins Thai election The party allied to ousted PM Thaksin wins Thailand's election but falls short of a majority, initial results show.

	Voting ends in Uzbekistan poll Polls close in Uzbekistan's election with incumbent president Islam Karimov widely expected to win.

	Falconio DNA evidence questioned Australian civil libertarians call for a review of the case against the man convicted of killing a British backpacker.




EUROPE

	Turkey 'in new Iraq air strikes' Turkish warplanes again bomb Kurdish rebels across the border in northern Iraq, according to local officials.

	Belgian MPs support crisis leader Belgium's interim PM wins a vote of confidence as he seeks to end months of political paralysis.

	Parmalat in 327m euro settlement Parmalat agrees a settlement with Italian bank Intesa Sanpaolo over the bankruptcy of the dairy group in 2003.




MIDDLE EAST

	Israel confirms settlement plans An Israeli minister defends plans to build 740 homes in two disputed settlements in East Jerusalem.

	Turkey 'in new Iraq air strikes' Turkish warplanes again bomb Kurdish rebels across the border in northern Iraq, according to local officials.

	Call to free Iraq's Tariq Aziz The leader of Iraq's Chaldean Christian community urges US forces to free ex-deputy Prime Minister Tariq Aziz.




SOUTH ASIA

	Nepal agrees to abolish monarchy Nepal's government agrees for the first time to abolish the country's 240-year-old monarchy.

	India's BJP wins Gujarat election Controversial Hindu nationalist leader Narendra Modi wins a key Indian regional election, final results show.

	Italy's Prodi visits Afghanistan Italy's PM, Romano Prodi, visits Afghanistan for talks with President Karzai and an inspection of Italian troops.




UK

	Patient data loss affects 168,000 The government says the loss of patient records by NHS Trusts affects 168,000 people.

	Post Office sends wrong details The Post Office apologises to thousands of pensioners after 120 account statements were sent to the wrong customers.

	Xbox games tackle drink driving Anti-drink drive adverts will appear in xbox games amid concern at the growing number of young drink drivers.




ENGLAND

	Fog delays hit holiday travellers Air passengers face delays to their Christmas getaway, with fog forcing the cancellation of nearly 140 flights.

	Patient data loss affects 168,000 The government says the loss of patient records by NHS Trusts affects 168,000 people.

	Hammond crash car goes for sale The jet-powered car Richard Hammond was driving when he crashed in North Yorkshire has been put up for sale.




NORTHERN IRELAND

	Pair are held after man murdered Two men are arrested by police after a man dies outside a bar in a County Antrim village.

	Two men are killed in accidents Two men are killed and another is seriously injured in two road accidents on Sunday morning.

	Woman sexually assaulted in town A man is arrested after what police have described as a serious sexual assault in Newtownards.




SCOTLAND

	Tug skipper body found by divers The body of the skipper of the Flying Phantom tug is found by police divers searching the capsized vessel.

	Motorist killed in road collision One person is killed and another injured in a car accident in East Lothian, the fire service confirms.

	Zoo animals given Christmas treat Animals at Edinburgh Zoo are brought some festive cheer after Christmas trees are put in their enclosures.




WALES

	First Laura Ashley store to close Staff at the first shop in the fashion and home furnishings chain Laura Ashley are told it is to close next month.

	Jones subjected to death threats Boss Dave Jones reveals he received death threats during Cardiff's poor run last month.

	Curtain fire adds drama to panto Lesley Joseph and other stars are forced to leave a theatre as the curtains are set alight by a stage firework.




POLITICS

	Patient data loss affects 168,000 The government says the loss of patient records by NHS Trusts affects 168,000 people.

	Clegg to focus party on education New Liberal Democrat leader Nick Clegg says education is his "biggest enthusiasm" in politics.

	Blair Catholic service 'moving' Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O'Connor describes the service to receive Tony Blair into the Catholic Church as "moving".




BUSINESS

	Christmas deliveries 'on track' Royal Mail rejects claims that two million mailed items will not reach customers in time for Christmas.

	First-time buyers 'at fresh low' The number of first-time home buyers in the UK has sunk to its lowest point since 1980, mortgage lender Halifax says.

	US asset rescue scheme abandoned A plan by US banks to calm down rattled credit markets is dropped shortly before it was due to launch.




ENTERTAINMENT

	Festive double for X Factor stars X Factor winner Leon Jackson is the Christmas number one, and 2006 champion Leona Lewis tops the album chart.

	Police have highest-grossing tour The comeback gigs by rock band The Police generated more money than any other tour in North America in 2007.

	Hammond crash car goes for sale The jet-powered car Richard Hammond was driving when he crashed in North Yorkshire has been put up for sale.




SCIENCE/NATURE

	Not one but 'six giraffe species' The world's tallest animal, the giraffe, may actually be several species, a new genetics study suggests.

	Beetles and dinos living together Today's beetles evolved during the Jurassic Period and have persisted ever since, say scientists.

	Ariane rocket ends 2007 on high Europe's Ariane 5 rocket lofts two satellites from the Kourou spaceport in its last mission of the year.




TECHNOLOGY

	Manhunt 2 to face court challenge British censors win the right to fight the release of video game Manhunt 2 in the High Court.

	Apple shuts down rumours website A legal row over leaked details of Apple products ends with the rumours site being shut down.

	UK gamers spend £1.5bn on titles Sales of video games in the UK are at an all-time high, with more than 78 million titles sold in 2007.




HEALTH

	Patient data loss affects 168,000 The government says the loss of patient records by NHS Trusts affects 168,000 people.

	Sea cucumber 'new malaria weapon' Sea cucumbers may provide a potential new way to block transmission of the malaria parasite, a study says.

	Trial volunteers 'left in lurch' Patients in trials of drug treatments are being left in the lurch when the research finishes, doctors say.




EDUCATION

	General GCSE Diploma idea dropped The government has quietly scrapped its plan for a General Diploma recognising GCSE achievement.

	Sensitivity concern over RS exam Exams watchdog scraps religious studies coursework over concern about "sensitive" topics.

	Outspoken school adviser ousted The controversial education adviser Sir Cyril Taylor is replaced after 10 years spearheading school reforms.

ON THIS DAY NEWS FROM THE BBC ARCHIVES

1962: Bay of Pigs prisoners fly to freedom
More than 1,000 men taken prisoner at the Bay of Pigs invasion of Cuba return to the United States in time for Christmas.

1974: 'Drowned' Stonehouse found alive
Former UK minister John Stonehouse has been found in Australia after apparently faking his own death.

1968: First astronauts orbit Moon
The Apollo 8 spacecraft and its crew of three astronauts become the first manned space mission to orbit the Moon.




SPECIAL COVERAGE

Eye for detail
A favourite story, told and retold. But that's how mistakes slip in

Christmas in Gaza
Christians celebrate the festivities under Hamas rule

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