A round-up of today's other world stories, in brief ...
Nine headless bodies found near Acapulco
MEXICO CITY - Mexican police have found nine decapitated bodies in a city near the tourist resort of Acapulco. Some of the victims might have been soldiers who were combating powerful drug gangs.
The bodies of the men, which were marked with signs of torture, were left on the side of a highway, while their heads were stuffed in a plastic bag found outside a shopping centre. - (Reuters)
Death of poet Adrian Mitchell
LONDON - Adrian Mitchell, poet, playwright and children's author, has died at the age of 76. Mitchell was renowned for his political poems about nuclear war, Vietnam, prisons and racism, which became part of the folklore of the British left. - (PA)
Sarkozy condemns Lyon mosque fire
LYON - French president Nicolas Sarkozy joined Muslim groups yesterday in condemning attackers who set fire to a mosque in a Lyon suburb, while hundreds gathered outside the building to protest against racism and Islamophobia.
The fire at the mosque in Saint-Priest was started early on Saturday before morning prayers. - (Reuters)
'Hallelujah' at no 1 and at no 2
LONDON - The top two spots in Britain's Christmas singles chart have been taken by covers of Leonard Cohens 1984 song Hallelujah, with X Factor talent show winner Alexandra Burke's version beating Jeff Buckley's 1994 cover. - (Reuters)
Undersea cable repair work begins
PARIS - Work has begun to fix submarine cables under the Mediterranean suspected of being cut by a ship's anchor, disrupting internet and international telephone service in parts of the Middle East and south Asia. - (Reuters)
Rights office in Iran closed
TEHRAN - Iranian police have raided and closed the office of a watchdog group led by Iran's Nobel peace prize winner Shirin Ebadi ahead of a celebration to mark International Human Rights Day. Iran's judiciary said the Human Rights Defenders Centre was involved in "illegal" activities. - (Reuters)