Crystal clear

These are some of the stories we will not be seeing on newsstands around the world in 2009:

—Iranian President Ahmadinejad to make state visit to Washington;

—Former President Bush Jr to be appointed a UN goodwill ambassador;

—Obama to make state visit to Havana;

—US troops to be home from Iraq by Christmas;

—Troops out of Afghanistan by year's end;

—Middle East Peace Deal reached;

—Kim Jong-il to meet South Korean counterpart;

—Hu Jintao to pay visit to Taiwan; and

—Australia votes to become a republic.