Militant group Hamas announces that it is suspended its campaign of suicide bombings and mortar attacks against Israelis.

A man on an airliner with 197 people on board is wrestled into submission as he tried to light an explosive in his shoe. The FBI says there is no link between Al Qaeda and Richard Reid, a British citizen. His shoe was drilled with holes fitted with a wire and contained a flammable substance.

A helicopter being used by state wildlife authorities to relocate moose clipped a steel cable and crashed into a frozen reservoir near Salt Lake City and three are dead.

Rudolph W. Giuliani bids farewell as mayor of New York. “My strength and energy comes entirely from the people of the city of New York.”

Donald Rumsfeld says the Pentagon is readying the U.S. naval base at Guantanamo Bay to hold captured Al Qaeda and Taliban prisoners.

A videotape broadcast by Al Jazeera television showing Osama bin Laden raises questions about whether he had been killed in U.S. bombings. “Our terrorism is benign. It seeks to make the unjust stop making injustice. It seeks to make America stop its support for Israel which kills our people.”

A group of New York City firefighters and police officers all affected by the Sept. 11 attacks, deliver tons of donated food and supplies to Afghan orphans.

A week before filing for bankruptcy protection, energy giant Enron Corp donated $10,000 to the Democratic party committee that helps Senate candidates, campaign finance reports show.

President Bush said in a Christmas message that Americans were thinking of families who lost loved ones, both in the Sept. 11 attacks and on the battlefield in Afghanistan. “America grieves with you,” said Bush in a holiday message heard on radio.

The government says family members of some of the nearly 3,000 World Trade Center victims will get an average payment of $1.6 million and each family will receive $250,000 for pain and suffering.

Airport security agents across the country begin implementing a new federal order to check for weapons in the shoes of travelers.

Boston – A federal judge orders Richard C. Reid – suspected of trying to detonate explosives aboard a Paris-to-Miami flight held without bail.

Army General Tommy Franks gives holiday cheer to those aboard the USS Roosevelt. He’s the commander of U.S. forces in Afghanistan.

North American movie/box office revenue grew in 2001 – and it’ll be a record year – at about $8.3 billion!

A Days Inn hotel on Long Island that overcharges stranded travelers for rooms after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks has agreed to pay a $9,5000 penalty. The hotel in Hicksville raised rates for some rooms from a posted rate of $139 to $399 a night.

After barely escaping from the 87th floor of the World Trade Center’s north tower on Sept. 11 – Adam Mayblum poured out his heart in an e-mail sent to family and friends. That e-mail has gotten around and so far, about 1,000 strangers from around the world have responded to his story.

Rudolph Giuliani is Time Magazine’s “Person of the Year” for his leadership after the Sept. 11 attacks.

Sports – Tennis star Jennifer Capriati wins the Associated Press female athlete of the year. Barry Bonds gets the male athlete of the year award.

Russian figure skater Kira Ivanova is found dead in her Moscow apartment. She was covered with knife wounds.

Pfizer Inc agrees to settle a lawsuit over the diabetes drug Rezulin after a jury awarded $43 million to a Teas woman who said it destroyed her liver.

In Peru – at least 80 people died and 200 were injured in a fire sparked by an explosion in a fireworks store in a historic district in Lima.

Workers begin a third attempt to destroy residual anthrax spores in the heating and ventilation system of the hart Senate Office Building in Washington DC.

President Bush says it’s just a mater of time before the U.S. captures Osama bin Laden.

The editors of Mad magazine who describe themselves as “America’s foremost experts in stupidity” – give their “The Dumbest People, Evens and Things of 2001” to Jerry Falwell.

Speaking from Texas, President Bush speaks to ease tensions between India and Pakistan. He told President Pervez Musharraf of Pakistan to take new steps to eliminate extremism in his country.

Murders in Oregon as authorities have discovered a 5-year-old boy, his sister (3), mom and a two-year-old in Newport. Wanted – the father/husband Christian Longo – a convicted check forger.

Adolfo Rodriquez, the interim president of Argentina, resigns, citing party infighting.

Sports –
NHL – Atlanta’s Ray Ferraro scores his 400th goal.

Technology –
Yahoo has agreed to acquire hotjobs.com – the nation’s second biggest online job search site. Price is $436 million.

XM satellite radio says it will meet analysts’ estimates for 20,000 to 30,000 subscribers. The stock is at $10.58.

Microsoft Corp. says it will buy a stake ($500 million) in Korea Telecom Corp – a top provider of high-speed Internet connections in S. Korea.

Music news –
Looking back this year, Mariah Carey’s “Glitter” – her first album under her new 4-album ($80 million) EMI deal was considered a flop, selling only 2 million c opies worldwide. EMI says it has a $10 million loss! Other disappointments came from R.E.M., Macy Gray and Shelby Lynne.

A judge awards the Sugar Hill Gang $3 million in their suit against Snapple and TBS because a video of “Rapper’s Delight” was used in a 1998 ad for the Goodwill games without permission.

N Sync did $86.8 million in concert business this past year and album sales of $53.3 million – the hottest act in pop for the year!

Country music singer Deana Carter is arrested and charged with drunk driving in Nashville.

Entertainment news –
Passing – Foster Brooks (89) – best known for his drunken act.

Top TV –
CSI – 23.67
Everybody Loves Raymond – 22.20
Survivor: Africa – 19.60
Monday Night Football – 19.58
Yes, Dear – 17.29
King of Queens – 16.50
Law & Order – 15.04
Friends – 14.69
60 Minutes – 14.53
JAG – 14.18
Judging Amy – 14.08
NYPD Blue – 13.76
The Ellen Show – 13.01
Law & Order: SVU – 12.81
ER – 12.60
The West Wing – 12.57
The Guardian – 12.51
Family Law – 11.81

Television news –
It’s back after a 10-year hiatus – WPIX-TV (Channel 11) presents its “Yule Log” on Christmas morning. It’s simply firewood burning in a fireplace with background Christmas music. Some 611,000 tuned in between 8a and 10a Christmas morning. The channel 11 tradition began back in 1966, but on Christmas Eve.

Wednesday night – CBS broadcasts the Kennedy Center honors, recognizing Jack Nicholson, Van Cliburn, Julie Andrews, Luciana Pavarotti and Quincy Jones.

“Emeril” – in which chief Emeril Lagasse was trying his luck at becoming a sitcom star – is canceled by NBC. Oh well!

New Year’s Eve television –
CBS – King of Queens, Yes, Dear, Everybody Loves Raymond, The Ellen Show, 48 Hours, David Letterman, Craig Kilborn.
NBC – Weakest Link, Third Watch, Crossing Jordan, Jay Leno, Conan O’Brien
ABC – ABC 2002, Dick Clark’s Prime Time New Year’s Rockin’ Eve 2002, Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve 2002
Fox – Boston Public, Ally McBeal, Billboard’s Rock ‘n Roll New Year’s Eve
PBS – Crucible of the Millennium
WB – 7th Heaven, Raising dad
MTV – MTV 2001: 50 to 1, New Year’s Eve 2002

Dick Clark’s Prime Time New Year’s Rockin’ Eve 2002 – Aerosmith, Elton John, Destiny’s Child, Dave Matthews Band, Kool and the Gang, Barry Manilow

Billboard’s Rock ‘n Roll New Year’s Eve – ‘N Sync, Britney Spears, Tim McGraw, Incubus, No Doubt, Shaggy, Alicia Keys, Eve, Destiny’s Child.

Jay Leno – Bill Maher, Blue Man Group, Chris Isaak

Craig Kilborn – Merv Griffin, Green Day