29 December: US court refuses appeal to prevent Saddam Hussein's transfer to Iraqi custody for the purpose of immediate execution; observers had raised serious questions about integrity of trial process, decried rush to execute as likely to prevent the vast majority of his victims from seeking justice... Saddam Hussein, fmr Iraqi dictator ousted by 2003 US invasion, has been hanged for crimes against humanity, after transfer to Iraqi government custody...

28 December: Ethiopian forces assist Baidoa government troops in moving on Mogadishu; Somalia could see protracted civil war if UIC mounts substantial "unconventional war" against pro-Baidoa forces...

27 December: Iraq supreme court upholds Saddam Hussein death sentence, machinery of justice system appears to indicate ex-dictator may be executed by year's end...

14 December: Xinhua reports "The sudden disappearance of a number of key witnesses in the Alexander Litvinenko investigation will make it even harder for British detectives, whose inquiry has now spread across five countries"; a number of witnesses have reportedly said they are too afraid to give evidence to detectives... War reportedly near in Somalia; UN envoy says conflict could spread to entire Horn of Africa region...

8 December: US Congress achieves consensus on deal to provide civilian nuclear fuel to India, move will reverse decades of US nuclear non-proliferation policy... Native Floridian Seminole tribe has purchased Hard Rock Café chain for $965 million; the 124-restaurant enterprise netted profits last year of $490 million...

7 December: Turkey has announced it will open port, airport to traffic, commerce, from Cyprus, in effort to re-open negotiations with EU on joining the 25-member body; move could help to overcome decades of conflict, tension over militarized border dividing island... Russia has announced it is launching its own criminal probe in the murder by radiation poisoning of defector, Kremlin critic Litvinenko; AP reports "After a Muslim prayer service, ex-spy Alexander Litvinenko was laid to rest Thursday in a rain-swept funeral at London's Highgate Cemetery attended by a Russian tycoon, a Chechen rebel leader and other exiled Kremlin critics"; at least one dozen sites in Britain have reportedly tested positive for polonium-210, as well as 3 jetliners, and no less than 7 employees at the Millennium Hotel, "where Litvinenko met a contact on the day he fell ill", have reportedly tested positive for radiation exposure... Russia's investigation will also included charges for the attempted murder of Litvinenko associate, businessman Dmitry Kovtun, and appears to be proposed as a way to prosecute suspects in Russia, without extradition or subjecting high-profile figures to interrogation by foreign security services... Israel not pleased with incoming US Def. Sec. Gates' sworn testimony which appeared to confirm Israel is the only regional nuclear power; Reuters AlertNet quotes Gates as saying "They are surrounded by powers with nuclear weapons: Pakistan to their east, the Russians to the north, the Israelis to the west and us in the Persian Gulf"...

6 December: US Dept. of Justice has brought first-ever criminal charges for torture committed outside the US; case against Chuckie Taylor, son of deposed Liberian dictator Charles Taylor is alleged to have implemented torture when he headed security service under his father's regime; Human Rights Watch hails move as "a major step against impunity for atrocities"...

5 December: "Registered traveler program", where frequent flyers pay to be subject to biometric scanning, bomb-detection equipment, for privilege of speedy checks, set to expand to 20 airports around US; critics say waits are too slow, security benefit is not discernible, program could provide open door to would-be terrorists who can pay and can pass background checks...

4 December: Hugo Chávez looks to be winner by wide margin in Venzuelan presidential elections; exit polls show 58% to 40% victory, opponent says his supporters should be patient, recognize that electoral authorities corrected many reported irregularities... US State Dept. spokesman: "We look forward to having the opportunity to work with the Venezuelan government on issues of mutual interest"; announcement comes as controversial pres. Hugo Chávez, intensely critical of US foreign policy, wins 3rd consecutive term... UN Sec. General Kofi Annan has said Iraq is in a civil war, or something much worse, highlighted ways in which Iraqi quality of life is worse than under the tyranny of Saddam Hussein, tells BBC current regime appears unable of controlling violence...

US ambassador to UN, John Bolton, has resigned, will not face Senate hearings, as Democratic opposition suggests he could not be confirmed...

3 December: Red Cross in Philippines says 1,000 feared dead in massive mudslides brought on by typhoon with 165 mph winds, torrential rains; Pres. Gloria Macapagal Arroyo has declared a state of national calamity, as at least 406 are confirmed dead, with at least another 398 missing... Wife of murdered ex-Russian spy Litvinenko has tested positive for radioactive contamination; she is third person to test positive for Polonium-210 exposure since start of poisoning case... Baluchistan province in western Pakistan sees rise in violence, as separatist factions clash with military...

2 December: Mexican Congress nearly descends into violence as conservative leader Felipe Calderón is sworn in; opposition lawmakers barricaded entrances to hall, hoisted banneres reading "Mexico doesn't deserve a traitor to democracy as president"; Globe and Mail reports "The congress was the scene of sit-ins, fist fights and sleepovers for much of the week as politicians from Mr. Calderon's National Action Party (PAN) vied with rivals from the Democratic Progressive Party (PRD) for control of the chamber"... At least 300 known dead in landslide in Philippines, provoked by mountain runoff after typhoon roared through area; Forbes reports "Ash and boulders had been building on the slopes of the 8,077-foot Mayon - one of 22 active volcanos in the Philippines - which has been coming to life in recent months. Typhoon Durian's winds of 139 mph and drenching rain on Thursday raked it all down on the deluged villages"...

1 December: Pro-Hezbollah rally in Beirut draws 1 million supporters, showing decisive support for militia, putting troubled gov't in crisis... US Supreme Court hears case related to measures to curb Carbon-induced global warming; case marks first time Court will be able to rule on legal obligation of gov't to regulate carbon emissions... Radioactive isotope has been found in close personal associate of murdered former Russian spy; UK authorities plan to interview 2nd victim, test more contacts for exposure; at least 3 planes have been ordered grounded indefinitely due to residue... Top Shi'a and Sunni leaders from Iraqi factions to meet with Pres. Bush at White House to discuss means of bringing end to spiraling upsurge in violence; Shi'a leader Abdul-Aziz al-Hakim, head of the Supreme Council for the Islamic Revolution in Iraq, the largest Shi'a political faction in Parliament, will speak to the U.S. Institute for Peace and the Catholic University Law School, during his visit...