The underwear, 2009 was the year of the short story, Egypt blocks travel of Gaza Freedom March activists

The underwear with the explosive worn by alleged Northwest 253

bomber Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab is shown in this undated photo. (ABC News)

2009 was the year of the short story - Alice Munro won the Man Booker International, Raymond Carver's widow published a revised edition of What We Talk About When We Talk About Love, and fine collections appeared from old hands and debutantes. This year proved that reports of the short story's death have been greatly exaggerated 2009 has proved that rumours of the death of the short story – so often forecast that almost every review of almost every collection seems duty-bound to repeat and thus propagate it – are greatly exaggerated. The consensus running through the end-of-year reviews is that it's been a vintage year for short fiction, and I agree. I come here to praise the short story, not to bury it.

Alice Munro won the Man Booker International, Raymond Carver's widow published a revised edition of What We Talk About When We Talk About Love, and fine collections appeared from old hands and debutantes. This year proved that reports of the short story's death have been greatly exaggerated

Shashi Tharoor mum on visa tweet, 'followers' come out in support

Egypt blocks travel of Gaza Freedom March activists

Why I want to march in Gaza On 29 December, I will attempt to cross into the Gaza Strip along with 1,300 other peace and justice activists from 43 countries. Some of us have traveled to Gaza previously. It will be my third visit since the Israeli invasion, which destroyed or damaged more than 50,000 homes and 90 percent of private industry. Pam Rasmussen comments for The Electronic Intifada.

[Pakistani newspapers were not published today- Ashura]