The Vatican's justice minister criticises Israel's actions and compares Gaza to a "big concentration camp".

The BBC's Paul Reynolds considers how George W Bush, due to end his term in office on 20 January, compares to other US presidents.

Vehicle sales in Japan fell 22% in December compared with the same month in 2007, making it the worst December on record.

Fewer motorists were caught drinking and driving over the festive period compared to last year, Leicestershire Police say.

Grim economic predictions compare the new year with 1946, but for some it was a period of good times.

Acute child malnutrition in parts of Zimbabwe increases by more than 60% compared with 2007, an aid charity says.

Experiments in rats may have revealed why some painkilling drugs are less effective in women compared with men.

The number of shoppers on UK High Streets grew on Monday, compared with the corresponding Monday in 2007, new figures show.

Elephants living in zoos have a shorter lifespan than their wild or working relatives, a study suggests.

Labour is criticised for urging banks to pass on interest rate cuts while charging its members "uncompetitive" rates on credit cards.

People in Wales are more "lonely" compared to previous decades, new research suggests.

The Glasgow area has the highest UK "breadline poor" figures since 1970, according to BBC-commissioned research.

Derry City Council says that its loan debt of £21m is a healthy ratio when compared to its assets.

Some poor countries score well compared to richer ones in a report assessing the treatment of children in Africa.

The Conservative Party is promising to peg exams in England to an international benchmark to ensure standards.

When is a record not always a record? When it's twinned with the word "debt". To have a hope of knowing what's happening with the economy, you need to learn the rules of a childish game.

Showbiz expert Ashley Pearson says Cabinet enforcer Liam Byrne's precisely timed demands for coffee, soup and briefings are still "amateur" compared with some celebrities.

The eurozone records a trade deficit in September compared with a surplus for the same month last year.

You have been sending your views about England's chief medical officer column on how the NHS could learn from department stores, such as John Lewis.

Germany factory output falls sharply in September as the global slowdown hits demand for products from the world's top exporter.