1. The second major winter storm in a week is making its way through the Northeast. Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick has ordered state agencies to send home non-emergency employees and he is encouraging private businesses to follow suit. The storm is being blamed for dozens of traffic accidents throughout the state.

2. British forces have formally handed over control of Basra to Iraq. British troops will continue to help train security forces there. The handover means half of the country's 18 provinces are controlled by the Iraqi government.

3. Turkish forces are escalating their fight against Kurdish rebels based in northern Iraq. They launched a deadly early morning air raid, targeting rebel positions near the border with Iran.

4. A group of students from a culinary academy in Peru thought they would get festive in a different way to mark the upcoming Year of the Potato. These students cooked up a Christmas exhibition made entirely of potatoes. It is complete with a potato Christmas tree and Nativity scene.