Portal:Current events/2009 December 9

December 9, 2009 (Wednesday)

An unexplained spiral light seen in the sky across large parts of Northern Norway confounds spectators. Authorities speculate that the light could come from a misfired Russian rocket, but Russian authorities deny this. (Daily Mail) (The Daily Telegraph)
Thousands of Jewish settlers stage a protest at the curbs on settlement building in the West Bank. (BBC) (Xinhua) (Times of India)
British Chancellor of the Exchequer Alistair Darling delivers the pre Budget report, with tax rises and spending cuts to reduce the government debt. (BBC) (Wall Street Journal)
Irish Minister for Finance Brian Lenihan delivers the nation's Budget for 2010. (The Irish Times) (RTÉ) (BBC)
The Irish Bishops Conference apologises for the sexual abuse suffered by its children after spending the first day of its winter conference examining the Murphy Report. (RTÉ) (Irish Independent) (Javno) (BBC)
24 people are charged with rebellion after 57 people were killed during the Maguindanao massacre in the southern Philippines last month. (Manila Bulletin) (Straits Times)
A legal challenge to Ireland's abortion laws takes place at the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg. (RTÉ) (BBC)
The Australian government is accused of "censorship" after it refuses visas to several North Korean artists who were to attend an international exhibition displaying their work. (The Times) (BBC) (AFP)
India plans to secure its naval harbours with electric fences "against clandestine threats from the sea". (BBC)
Chinese police recommend that prosecutors formally charge dissident Liu Xiaobo for "subversion of state power" after he was detained for a year without trial. (BBC) (Radio Television Hong Kong) (New York Times)
Tens of thousands of people rally in several cities in Indonesia demanding the government do more to tackle political corruption. (CNN) (Xinhua) (Jakarta Post)
Aung San Suu Kyi meets with an official from the military junta for the third time, as Burmese state media accuse her of being "dishonest". (Bangkok Post) (AP) (BBC)
The United States government agrees to pay $3.4 billion to settle Cobell v. Salazar, a class-action lawsuit brought by Native American representatives who claimed that it has incorrectly accounted for Native American trust assets. (Los Angeles Times) (Xinhua) (Voice of America)
For the first time since the return of democracy in 1986, the Congress of the Philippines is debating in a joint session to discuss whether to approve, revoke or extend the declaration of martial law in Maguindanao. (ABS-CBN News)
North Korea announces for the first time an outbreak of the H1N1 swine flu virus in the country. (Yonhap) (Channel News Asia)