Staff Editor

LOS ANGELES, (Reuters) – The Miami Heat gave their   fans some Christmas cheer with a dominating 96-80 victory over   the Los Angeles Lakers yesterday.

AUCKLAND, (Reuters) – Pace bowler Tim Southee   ripped through Pakistan’s batting order before opener Martin   Guptill smashed a quick-fire half century to help New Zealand   to a five-wicket win over Pakistan in the first Twenty20   international today.

Prime Minister, Samuel Hinds today spread the joy of the season interspersed with words of wisdom to the celebrating residents of the Dharm Shala when he visited the Home of Benevolence for all races in Albouystown,  the Government Information Agency reported.

President Bharrat Jagdeo spent the early part of Christmas day distributing toys to youths in the pediatric care unit of the Georgetown Public Hospital, the Government Information Agency reported.

JOS/MAIDUGURI, Nigeria, (Reuters) – Explosions in  Nigeria’s central region killed 32 people on Christmas Eve and  six people died in attacks on two churches in the northeast of  Africa’s most populous nation, officials said today.

LONDON, (Reuters) – Queen Elizabeth praised the power  of sport in bringing people together in her Christmas Day  address to the nation, before London hosts the 2012 Olympic  Games.

The police are investigating an armed robbery that occurred at about 3 pm yesterday, at Big Creek, Port Kaituma, NWD, during which miner Reval Wong, 25 years, was attacked and robbed by two men, one of whom was armed with a handgun.

DURBAN, (Reuters) – Bowler-friendly conditions in   Durban will help India in the second test against South Africa   starting tomorrow, skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni said yesterday.

MELBOURNE, (Reuters) – Australia’s phoenix-like rise  from Ashes oblivion at Perth teased a grateful nation with the  smell of English blood and will draw a big crowd to Melbourne’s  sporting coliseum when the fourth test starts tonight.

PESHAWAR, Pakistan, (Reuters) – A burqa-clad   suicide bomber attacked a crowd of people waiting for aid in   Pakistan today, killing at least 40 of them, officials said, showing    militants’ ability to strike despite army offensives.

Two houses were gutted in a fire tonight at Bagotstown, one lot from the KFC outlet in the area.

(Trinidad Express) Four Guyanese nationals, among them a toddler, died in an accident on the Churchill Roosevelt Highway this evening.

The Ministry of Health this afternoon issued an urgent appeal for blood donors saying that it was down to 15 units when it should usually have 150.

NEW DELHI, (Reuters) – A Delhi court has launched a  probe into allegations by two inmates that they were ordered by  prison officers to murder two 2010 Commonwealth Games officials  inside the high-security Tihar jail.

LONDON, (Reuters) – Pope Benedict called for people  to remember the significance of Christ’s birth in a Christmas  message specially recorded for Britons and aired on the BBC today.

The police are investigating an armed robbery that occurred at about 3 am today during which proprietrix of the New Thriving Restaurant, Che Jin King, 52 years of Brickdam, Georgetown, was attacked and robbed by three men who were armed with a handgun and

The police say they are investigating the reported kidnapping of office-clerk, 29 years of Evan Phillips Park, Agricola, EBD, which occurred at about 8.

(Barbados Nation) It will be a bleak Christmas for more than 100 children who will not have an Auntie Olga Christmas party this year.

(De Ware Tijd) – In January, construction will start of a so-called ‘carbon lab’ at the premises of Berg en Dal on the Suriname River.

(De Ware Tijd) – The number of repeaters in the first and second grade of primary school, as well as the sixth grade are a matter for concern.