World News from the BBC

The United States has said it's deeply disappointed by the decision of a court in Bahrain to uphold the convictions of some of the medics arrested after last year's anti-government protests. A group of Bahraini doctors and nurses were sentenced in September to up to 15 years in prison for helping demonstrators. Nine of them have been acquitted on appeal, but nine others have seen their sentences reduced to between one month and five years.

The Libyan Supreme Court has revoked a controversial law that made it a crime to glorify the country's former leader Muammar Gaddafi. The law, which was introduced last month, also criminalised what were called attacks against Islam. Rana Jawad in Tripoli has more.

Though some Libyans welcomed the law, many condemned it, including international human rights watchdogs, who described it as draconian and reminiscent of old ways. Much of the controversy surrounded articles that also criminalised any attack against the 17 February revolution that toppled Colonel Gaddafi, the state and its institutions or Islam. The head of Libya's Human Rights Council told the BBC Thursday's ruling would instil more trust in the judiciary.

Reports from Russia say several regional police chiefs have been sacked after a group of traffic policemen in the Ural mountains apparently took a biplane for a joyride last Monday night. They've not been seen since. Fishermen, foresters and hunters have all been called in to search for the missing aircraft, but no trace has been found.