UK home sales up 24%, says HMRC
The number of homes being sold in the UK has risen by 24% over the last year, according to HM Revenue and Customs. BBC News – Business
Craig Taylor
Egypt police arrest former PM Qandil
Egyptian police have arrested Hisham Qandil, the former prime minister who served under ousted President Mohammed Morsi, the interior ministry says. BBC News – Middle East
Russia drops first Greenpeace case
A British man arrested by Russia over Greenpeace protests in the Arctic has charges dropped, with the others expected to be freed soon. BBC News – Europe
Gatwick fury, floods and power cuts
Stormy weather leaves angry passengers stranded at Gatwick, while thousands face Christmas without power and flood warnings force residents to leave their homes. BBC News – UK
‘Obamacare’ help offered amid rush
The US government offers help to anyone who misses the latest – 24 December deadline – to enrol for President Obama’s health insurance scheme. BBC News – US & Canada
Thousands dead in S Sudan, UN says
Thousands of people must have been killed in the past week of violence in South Sudan, the UN humanitarian co-ordinator there tells the BBC. BBC News – Africa