Portal:Current events/2010 December 24

Current events of December 24, 2010 (2010-12-24) (Friday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

• At least 32 people are killed in bomb blasts detonated during Christmas Eve celebrations near the city of Jos, Nigeria, while at least six people die in attacks on churches by suspected Islamists in the north-eastern city of Maiduguri.(BBC)
• Rebel groups in the Darfur region of Sudan clash with government forces, three days after resuming ceasefire negotiations. (Reuters)
• Suspected Boko Haram members attack a church in northern Nigeria during Christmas Eve services. (AFP)
• The Hizbul Islam group in Somalia join forces with al-Shabaab. (AFP) (Africa Review)
• A member of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard captured in southern Afghanistan is accused of cross-border weapons smuggling by the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force. (The Australian)

Arts and culture

• A Christmas message by Pope Benedict XVI is broadcast by BBC Radio 4's Thought for the Day programme in the United Kingdom. (Reuters) (PA)
• Thousands of people gather in Bethlehem to celebrate Christmas. (BBC) (Al Jazeera)

Business and economy

• TAAG Angola Airlines grounds its Boeing 777 planes following engine troubles with two of its fleet. (Angola Press) (BBC)
• At least 24,000 workers at two plants in Vietnam go on strike over pay, bonuses and lunar new year holidays. (Straits Times)
• South Africa is invited to join the BRIC group of emerging markets. (Reuters) (Bloomberg)
• Japan's Cabinet approves a record ¥92.4 trillion budget for 2011. (Japan Times) (BBC)

Disasters and accidents

• Large-scale disruption continues in Europe after heavy snowfalls. (BBC)
• More than 30 people are killed after a bus plunged into a ravine in southwest Ecuador. (AFP) (CNN)

International relations

• Russia's lower house gives preliminary approval the New START treaty signed with the United States; full approval will be decided upon next month. (France 24)
• A tripartite summit of Afghanistan, Pakistan and Turkey is held in Istanbul, aimed at boosting trust between Afghanistan and Pakistan. (Al Jazeera) (Xinhua)
• France is to build two warships for Russia in a new deal. (RIA Novosti) (CNN)
• The United Nations General Assembly unanimously approves opposition candidate Alassane Ouattara as President of Côte d'Ivoire. (BBC) (The Hindu)
• South Korea says it will keep a giant Christmas tree near the border with North Korea lit until January 8, amid threats from North Korea. (Herald Sun)

Law and crime

• Indian police search for four people in Mumbai suspected of being members of the Lashkar-e-Taiba group responsible for the 2008 Mumbai attacks. (Times of India) (IOL)
• New laws restricting car purchases in the Chinese capital Beijing come into force, in an attempt to combat serious traffic problems. (China Daily) (BBC)

Politics

• Thongsing Thammavong is named as the new Prime Minister of Laos, a day after the unexpected resignation of Bouasone Bouphavanh. (BBC) (Saigon Daily)(RFA)
• One person is killed after security forces open fire on protesters in Bouziane, Tunisia. (Reuters) (AFP)
• The Roman Catholic Church in Cuba announces that the government will release two more political prisoners to exile in Spain. (CNN) (Taiwan News)
• State television in Côte d'Ivoire goes off the air outside the capital Abidjan amid a political crisis. The Economic Community of West African States threatens to remove incumbent President Laurent Gbagbo by "legitimate force". (IOL) (BBC)