The main parties in Bosnia have agreed to form a central government, ending a 14-month political crisis. Muslim, Croat and Serb parties have been deadlocked over the issue since elections in October 2010. Janet Barrie reports.
Finally the leaders of Bosnia's three main ethnic groups have found a way of sharing power in the central government. They also agreed to pass a budget for 2011, averting a very real possibility that state institutions could grind to a halt next year. Bosnia is still a deeply divided country after the war there in the mid-1990s, in which around 100,000 people lost their lives. The European Union and United States insisted though that the communities worked more closely together in a central government to qualify for funds from the IMF and European Commission.
Church leaders in Nigeria say their members will defend themselves if the country's security forces are unable to protect them. The statement by coalition of Pentecostal churches came as tension continued to rise, following a series of attack by an Islamist group targeting churches across Nigeria.
You're listening to the latest world news from the BBC
A campaign group in Venezuela says the country suffered a record number of murders in 2011. The Venezuela Violence Observatory said there have been more than 19,000 killings this year, an average of 53 a day. Criminal violence is said to be a major issue in next year's presidential elections. More from James Read of our America's desk.