BBC News 2009.12.04

TOP STORIES
	Clinton lauds Nato Afghan pledge US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton welcomes a pledge by Nato allies to send at least 7,000 extra troops to Afghanistan.
	1,700 jobs to go at Corus plant Steelmaker Corus says it will curtail production at its Teesside Cast Products factory, putting 1,700 people out of work.
	England enjoy kind World Cup draw England are drawn to face the United States, Algeria and Slovenia in the group stage of the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.
	Cameron makes Afghan troop visit Conservative leader David Cameron visits British troops serving in southern Afghanistan.
	Jury out in Kercher murder trial The jury in the trial of two students accused of killing Briton Meredith Kercher in Italy retires to consider its verdict.

WORLD
	Clinton lauds Nato Afghan pledge US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton welcomes a pledge by Nato allies to send at least 7,000 extra troops to Afghanistan.
	Pakistan mosque attack 'kills 35' At least 35 people are killed and dozens injured in an attack at a mosque in the Pakistani garrison city of Rawalpindi.
	Rwanda peacekeepers die in Darfur Two Rwandan peacekeepers have been killed in Sudan's Darfur region, the joint UN-African Union peacekeeping force says.

AFRICA
	Shot Guinea chief 'flown abroad' Guinea's military leader Capt Moussa Dadis Camara arrives in Morocco for treatment after being shot by an aide, officials say.
	Rwanda peacekeepers die in Darfur Two Rwandan peacekeepers have been killed in Sudan's Darfur region, the joint UN-African Union peacekeeping force says.
	England enjoy kind World Cup draw England are drawn to face the United States, Algeria and Slovenia in the group stage of the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.

AMERICAS
	US unemployment rate eases to 10% The US unemployment rate fell back in November to 10%, from 10.2% in October, the US Labor Department says.
	Woods 'snoring' after car crash Neighbours of US golfer Tiger Woods say he was lying in the street 'snoring' after a car crash, according to police interviews.
	Chile wake for singer Victor Jara Chile prepares to rebury the remains of singer Victor Jara, 36 years after he was killed following the 1973 coup.

ASIA-PACIFIC
	Deadly blaze in Indonesian city At least 20 people die in a fire in a building in Medan, in the north of the Indonesian island of Sumatra, police say.
	Philippine forces raid clan homes Philippines investigators backed by soldiers raid the compound of a clan suspected in last week's mass political killings.
	Burma's Suu Kyi appeal possible Burmese opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi's appeal against her extended detention may be heard in late December.

EUROPE
	Clinton lauds Nato Afghan pledge US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton welcomes a pledge by Nato allies to send at least 7,000 extra troops to Afghanistan.
	Legendary Soviet spy actor dies Russian actor Vyacheslav Tikhonov, who immortalised fictional wartime spy Stirlitz in a 1973 Soviet TV series, dies at 81.
	England enjoy kind World Cup draw England are drawn to face the United States, Algeria and Slovenia in the group stage of the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.

MIDDLE EAST
	Slain student's family blame Iran The family of Neda Agha Soltan voice their most strongly-worded accusation yet against the Iranian government.
	Egyptian ferries collide on Nile Two passenger ferries collide on the Nile river in northern Egypt, with dozens of people missing, emergency services say.
	'Half year notice' on Iran sites Iran says it will give just six months' notice before operating 10 planned nuclear sites, as the US says time is running out for it to avoid sanctions.

SOUTH ASIA
	Pakistan mosque attack 'kills 35' At least 35 people are killed and dozens injured in an attack at a mosque in the Pakistani garrison city of Rawalpindi.
	Clinton lauds Nato Afghan pledge US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton welcomes a pledge by Nato allies to send at least 7,000 extra troops to Afghanistan.
	Document details Mumbai charges The BBC obtains details of charges that Pakistan has filed against the alleged mastermind of last year's Mumbai attacks.

BUSINESS
	1,700 jobs to go at Corus plant Steelmaker Corus says it will curtail production at its Teesside Cast Products factory, putting 1,700 people out of work.
	UK banking bail-out 'justified' The Treasury was "justified" in using taxpayers' money, totalling £850bn, to bail out banks, an official report says.
	Gold slumps as dollar strengthens The price of gold slumps after surprisingly good US unemployment data sends the dollar higher.

ENTERTAINMENT
	Dam Busters star Todd dies at 90 Actor Richard Todd, best known for his roles in war films The Dam Busters and The Longest Day, dies at the age of 90.
	Screen stars chase theatre awards British screen stars, including Jude Law, Helen Mirren and Rachel Weisz, will battle it out for acting gongs at next year's What's On Stage awards.
	ITV's jungle champ to be crowned I'm a Celebrity... viewers will shortly see snooker player Jimmy White, chef Gino D'Acampo or TV's Kim Woodburn crowned King or Queen of the Jungle.

SCIENCE/NATURE
	Expert slams 'tabloid' e-mail row A colleague of the UK professor at the centre of the climate e-mails row says "sceptics" have embarked on a "tabloid-style character assassination".
	Study measures ocean's CO2 uptake There are substantial variations in the amount of carbon being absorbed by the North Atlantic Ocean, a study shows.
	Iron Curtain kept out alien birds During the Cold War, the Iron Curtain prevented many alien bird species from colonising Eastern Europe, suggests a study.

TECHNOLOGY
	iPhone orchestra ready for debut Smartphone symphony: a group of US students have built music applications and written scores for their iPhones.
	Grid helps tune tiny transistors A vast network of thousands of computers is being harnessed to design the building-blocks for future silicon chips.
	London CCTV to be streamed live How one company is planning to recruit a network of internet users to make sure London's CCTV cameras are watched - with cash prizes for catching the criminals.

HEALTH
	Clot risk after surgery warning The risk of a blood clot after surgery is higher and lasts longer than previously thought, say researchers at the University of Oxford.
	Mobiles 'not causing brain risk' There has been no substantial change in the number of adult brain tumours since mobile phone usage sharply increased in the mid-1990s, Danish scientists say.
	'Double trouble' antibiotic hope A "double-headed" antibiotic could lead to powerful new drugs to beat resistance, say UK researchers.

EDUCATION
	Primary school crackdown set out Local authorities are being told to improve standards at more than 1,400 primary schools in England.
	Science GCSEs to get harder maths Students taking science GCSEs will have to show a higher level of maths, regulators have said.
	Tories to lure science teachers The Conservatives say they would get more top science graduates into teaching by pledging to pay off their student loans.

ON THIS DAY NEWS FROM THE BBC ARCHIVES
	1971: Bomb demolishes crowded Belfast pub At least 10 people die and 17 are injured after a bomb explodes in McGurk's Bar, a crowded Catholic pub in Belfast.
	1991: Last US hostage freed The final American hostage in Lebanon is released by his captors after almost seven years of captivity.
	1983: IRA gunmen shot dead in SAS ambush Police are searching for an IRA gunman who escaped as two of his colleagues were shot dead by the SAS.