Political news

• Russian jets step up raids on rebel-held Idlib and rural Aleppo

  24-12-2016 23:32
  Russian jets stepped up strikes on several towns in Syria's rebel-held Idlib province and rural Aleppo two days after the evacuation of rebels from their last pocket in the northern city of Aleppo, rebels and residents said on Saturday. Idlib province for months has been a target of Russia's heavy bombing campaign against rebel-held areas. It came even while the former eastern part of Aleppo under insurgent control faced an escalation in aerial raids and shelling until its defences collapsed and
  
  Read more

• Pope says Christmas 'hostage' to materialism, God in shadows

  24-12-2016 23:24
  
  By Philip Pullella VATICAN CITY (Reuters) - Pope Francis said on Saturday that Christmas had been "taken hostage" by dazzling materialism that puts God in the shadows and blinds many to the needs of the hungry, the migrants and the war weary. Francis, leading the world's 1.2 billion Roman Catholics into Christmas for the fourth time since his election in 2013, said in his Christmas Eve homily that a world often obsessed with gifts, feasting and self-centeredness needed more humility. "If we want
  
  Read more

• The Latest: Trump says UN vote on Israel complicates peace

  24-12-2016 23:19
  
  The Latest news from President-elect Donald Trump (all times local): 5:05 p.m. Donald Trump says the decision by the United Nations to condemn Israeli settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem "will ...
  
  Read more

• Trump says he plans to dissolve his charitable foundation

  24-12-2016 23:18
  (Reuters) - U.S President-elect Donald Trump said on Saturday he intends to dissolve his charitable foundation, the Donald J. Trump Foundation, which is currently under investigation by the New York attorney general. Trump gave no timeline for winding down the foundation, but said in a statement that he wanted "to avoid even the appearance of any conflict with my role as President." He takes office on Jan. 20. New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman in October directed the foundation to stop
  
  Read more

• Advertisement

• Israel to re-assess U.N. ties after settlement resolution, says Netanyahu

  24-12-2016 20:45
  Israel will re-assess its ties with the United Nations following the adoption by the Security Council of a resolution demanding an end to Israeli settlement building, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Saturday. The vote was able to pass the 15-member council on Friday because the United States broke with a long-standing approach of diplomatically shielding Israel and did not wield its veto power as it had on many times before - a decision that Netanyahu called "shameful". "I instructed t
  
  Read more

• NHS Operations Cancelled Reaches Record High In England

  24-12-2016 20:44
  
  The number of urgent NHS operations cancelled in England has reached a record high, almost double the figure reported just a year ago.
  New statistics released by the health service have been seized upon by critics of the government as proof the NHS is under-resourced.
  Some 446 operations were cancelled in November, up from 357 in October - and 243 in November 2015.NHS England confirmed figures for November 2016 were the highest since records began six years ago, the Guardian reported.
  Norman Lam
  
  Read more

• Carrie Fisher's celebrity friends wish her a fast recovery

  24-12-2016 20:36
  By Aron Ranen LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Friends and colleagues of Hollywood actress Carrie Fisher shared their hopes for a swift recovery for the "Star Wars" star on Saturday, a day after she was taken to a Los Angeles intensive care unit. Fisher, 60, suffered heart problems during a flight on Friday from London, where she had been shooting the third season of the British television comedy "Catastrophe." Her family had said she remained in the intensive care unit on Friday. "I'm shocked and sadden
  
  Read more

• Paul Golding's Sponsored Jail Term Raises Over £5,000 For Refugee Council

  24-12-2016 20:19
  
  The crowdfunder set up to sponsor Paul Golding’s jail term has hit its target of £5,000 - just in time for Christmas.
  The current total is £5,191.60, plus gift aid, all of which will go to The Refugee Council.Golding, the former Britain First, leader was locked up last week after admitting breaching the terms of a High Court injunction.
  In response, satirical news website, The Rochdale Herald, took the opportunity to raise funds for The Refugee Council.
  The charity provides muc
  
  Read more

• Advertisement

• Status Quo guitarist Rick Parfitt dies aged 68

  24-12-2016 20:10
  By Guy Faulconbridge LONDON (Reuters) - Rick Parfitt, the guitarist of British rock group Status Quo, died in hospital on Saturday in Spain aged 68 after suffering from a severe infection. "He will be sorely missed by his family, friends, fellow band members, management, crew and his dedicated legion of fans from throughout the world, gained through 50 years of monumental success with Status Quo," his family and Status Quo Manager Simon Porter said in a joint statement. Parfitt is survived by hi
  
  Read more

• 11 Batsh*t Crazy Things The British Far-Right Did In 2016

  24-12-2016 18:47
  
  2016 was a good year for those on the right-wing side of politics as the so-called “alt-right” made some serious inroads in the US.
  But, as ever, those good old reliable far-righters in the UK were as incompetent as ever.
  Here’s our pick of the top almost-too-dumb-to-believe things they got up to over the last 12 months...-- This feed and its contents are the property of The Huffington Post, and use is subject to our terms. It may be used for personal consumption, but may not b
  
  Read more

• Iran allows free foreign exchange at banks in move to unify rates

  24-12-2016 18:10
  Iran authorised some banks on Saturday to deal in foreign exchange trading at a free-market rate, the central bank said, as authorities try to unify exchange rates. Iran operates two exchange rates, a free market rate, which was at around 40,140 rials to the dollar on Saturday and an official rate used for some state transactions, set by the central bank at around 32,300 rials. In recent months, the central bank has raised the official rate gradually to shrink the gap between the two.
  
  Read more

• Sixteen hurt in Christmas eve blast at Catholic church in Philippines

  24-12-2016 18:01
  Sixteen people were wounded in a grenade explosion outside a Catholic church during a Christmas eve mass in the Philippines' restive southern island of Mindanao, a priest and police said on Saturday. Security forces across Southeast Asia are on alert ahead of the Christmas and New Year holidays, as police in Australia and Indonesia said they had foiled bomb plots and Malaysian security forces arrested suspected militants. Bernardo Tayong, Midsayap town police chief, said most of the injured had
  
  Read more

• Turkish authorities investigating 10,000 social media users - ministry

  24-12-2016 17:36
  Turkish authorities are investigating some 10,000 people on suspicion of using social media to support terrorism, the interior ministry said on Saturday, part of a wide crackdown that has alarmed rights groups and some Western allies. Turkey, which faces security threats from Kurdish and leftist militants and Islamic State, has sacked or suspended more than 100,000 people following an attempted military coup in July. Rights groups and some European countries have said President Tayyip Erdogan is
  
  Read more

• Burundi lifts ban on NGOs accused of anti-government activity

  24-12-2016 17:27
  Burundi has halted legal action against 11 non-governmental organisations that were banned due to accusations they conspired with opponents of President Pierre Nkurunziza, the prosecutor general's office said on Saturday. Nkurunziza's government has often accused civil society groups of working against it during a crisis that erupted last year over his disputed election for a third term. "The Prosecutor General of the Republic informs the national and international community that he has terminat
  
  Read more

• Europe on Christmas high alert after truck attack in Berlin

  24-12-2016 17:18
  By Philip Pullella ROME (Reuters) - Security was heightened for the Christmas weekend in Italy and at the Vatican on Saturday after Italian police killed the man believed to be responsible for the Berlin market truck attack while other European cities kept forces on high alert. In France, Britain and Germany, which have all been targets of Islamist militant attacks, police increased their presence at tourist spots in major cities and other densely populated areas. Anis Amri, a 24-year-old Tunisi
  
  Read more

• Lampard to stay in close contact with Chelsea

  24-12-2016 17:12
  Former England midfielder Frank Lampard says he will be "in close contact" with his old club Chelsea as he decides on his next career move. Lampard watched Premier League leaders Chelsea's 1-0 home win over West Bromwich Albion earlier this month and was an onlooker at training on Wednesday when manager Antonio Conte said he was in good enough shape to continue his playing career. "I'm still waiting for the five-year contract to come through from Chelsea, they haven't called yet," Lampard joked
  
  Read more

• Campaign raises $170,000 for family of 'heroic' Polish truck driver

  24-12-2016 17:05
  A crowdfunding campaign has raised over $170,000 for the family of Polish truck driver Lukasz Urban who was murdered as he apparently tried to seize back control of his vehicle as it was used in an attack on a Berlin Christmas market on Monday. The campaign was started by British truck driver Dave Duncan on Tuesday, a day after a man believed to be Anis Amri - shot dead by police on Friday - attacked Lukasz and ploughed the Polish man's truck into a Christmas market, killing 12 people. Lukasz, 3
  
  Read more

• Iraqis celebrate first Christmas near Mosul after Islamic State pushed out

  24-12-2016 15:30
  By Maher Chmaytelli BARTELLA, Iraq (Reuters) - Several hundred Iraqi Christians flocked on Saturday to a northern town recently retaken from Islamic State, celebrating Christmas for the first time since 2013, their joy tainted with sadness over the desecration of their church. Once home to thousands of Assyrian Christians, Bartella emptied in August 2014 when it fell to Islamic State's blitz across large parts of Iraq and neighbouring Syria. The church was badly damaged during Islamic State's ti
  
  Read more

• Eurogroup's Dijsselbloem says Greek debt relief talks can resume

  24-12-2016 15:20
  By Toby Sterling AMSTERDAM (Reuters) - Eurogroup chief Jeroen Dijsselbloem said on Saturday talks about initial Greek debt relief measures would be resumed after being frozen mid-month over Greece's decision to pay pensioners a Christmas bonus. Dijsselbloem said creditors had agreed to recommence talks after he received a letter from Greek Finance Minister Euclid Tsakalotos reaffirming the government's commitment to reforms demanded as part of Greece's third bailout. "I'm happy to conclude that
  
  Read more

• Today's News: Dec. 24, 2016

  24-12-2016 15:08
  —Tunisian authorities have arrested three men in connection with the December 19 attack in Berlin, including the nephew of prime suspect Anis Amri, whom police shot and killed Friday in Milan.
  
  Read more

• Security stepped up in Italy, at Vatican after truck attack suspect killed

  24-12-2016 15:03
  By Philip Pullella ROME (Reuters) - Security for the long Christmas weekend was heightened throughout Italy and at the Vatican on Saturday following the killing by police of the man believed to be responsible for the Berlin market truck attack. As investigators sought to determine if Anis Amri had accomplices in Italy, and associates of the 24-year-old were arrested in his home country of Tunisia, national security officials were taking no chances. At the Vatican, where Pope Francis was due to c
  
  Read more

• Tunisian security forces arrest three for links to Berlin market attack suspect

  24-12-2016 14:35
  Tunisian security forces have arrested three suspected militants after uncovering their links to Anis Amri, the Tunisian national believed responsible for the Berlin Christmas market attack that killed 12 people, Tunisia's Interior Ministry said on Saturday. In Spain, intelligence services are investigating a possible connection via Internet between Amri and a Spanish resident on Dec. 19, Interior Minister Juan Ignacio Zoido told radio station COPE on Saturday. Amri, 24, is suspected of ploughin
  
  Read more

• As Obama accomplished policy goals, his party floundered

  24-12-2016 14:20
  
  WASHINGTON (AP) — In boasting about his tenure in the White House, President Barack Obama often cites numbers like these: 15 million new jobs, a 4.9 percent unemployment rate and 74 months of consecutive job growth.
  
  Read more

• GOP on taxes: Cut rates, brackets but what about the deficit

  24-12-2016 14:08
  
  Congressional Republicans are planning a massive overhaul of the nation's tax system next year, a heavy political lift that could ultimately affect families at every income level and businesses of every ...
  
  Read more

• Zara And Mike Tindall Lose Their Baby

  24-12-2016 13:57
  
  Zara and Mike Tindall have lost their baby, a spokeswoman for the couple has said, just a month after announcing the pregnancy. 
  The Queen’s granddaughter and her husband had been expecting their second child in late spring.
  The spokeswoman for the couple said: “Very sadly, Zara and Mike Tindall have lost their baby. At this difficult time, we ask that everyone respects their privacy.”
  She would not give any details about the circumstances surrounding the loss of the coup
  
  Read more

• Jacob Rees-Mogg's Christmas Dinner Is A Brexit Bonanza

  24-12-2016 13:51
  
  The poshest Tory of them all, Jacob Rees-Mogg, has given a startling insight into his family’s festivities this year.
  The vocal Eurosceptic was speaking on Radio 4’s Today programme when he was asked about the annual minefield for all that is Christmas dinner conversations - specifically politics.I'm forever near a radio saying, 'What the fuck is this garbage?' And the answer is always Jacob Rees-Mogg.— Oh, Tommenbaum! (@TomosMonpot) December 24, 2016
  Rees-Mogg said: &ldq
  
  Read more

• Eurogroup's Dijsselbloem - movement toward Greek debt relief resumes

  24-12-2016 13:51
  By Toby Sterling AMSTERDAM (Reuters) - Eurogroup chief Jeroen Dijsselbloem said Saturday that talks on short-term debt relief measures for Greece would be resumed after being frozen mid-month over Athens' decision to pay a year-end bonus to pensioners. In a statement, Dijsselbloem said the country's creditors had agreed to continue talks after he received a letter from the Greek finance minister in which he reaffirmed his commitment to Greece's reform program. "I'm happy to conclude that we have
  
  Read more

• Euro zone to unblock Greek short-term debt relief deal in January

  24-12-2016 13:49
  Euro zone finance ministers, the Eurogroup, will unblock the now suspended short-term debt relief measures for Greece in January after Athens reassured euro zone lenders it would honour its bailout commitments, Eurogroup sources said on Saturday. "We have received a letter by the Greek authorities in response to the concerns raised by the institutions as well as the Euro Working Group on the recently legislated fiscal measures," one official said. Last week Greece has raised significant concerns
  
  Read more

• Allardyce says priority is plugging leaks at Palace

  24-12-2016 13:45
  Plugging the leaks in Crystal Palace's porous defence will be the first priority for the south London club's new manager Sam Allardyce's as he looks ahead to a hectic Christmas period. Former England boss Allardyce replaced the sacked Alan Pardew on Friday with Palace just above the relegation zone with the third-worst defensive record in the Premier League. "We have a very important job of stopping the goals going in at the other end," Allardyce, said in a video on Palace's website (www.cpfc.co
  
  Read more

• United have moved away from traditions on transfers, says Moyes

  24-12-2016 12:57
  (Reuters) - David Moyes has questioned his former club Manchester United's transfer policy as he prepares Sunderland for Monday's Premier League clash at Old Trafford. United have splurged about 500 million pounds ($614.50 million) in the transfer market since Alex Ferguson ended his 26 trophy-laden years in charge in 2013. Despite the vast outlay they have failed to add to their record 20 English league titles and are already 13 points off the pace this season under Jose Mourinho.
  
  Read more

• South Koreans protest for ninth straight weekend for Park to step down

  24-12-2016 12:48
  By Yun Hwan Chae SEOUL (Reuters) - A large crowd of South Koreans took to the streets of central Seoul on Saturday for the ninth weekend in a row to demand the immediate resignation of President Park Geun-hye, who has been impeached by parliament over a corruption scandal. About 200 young people dressed as Santa Claus gave out gifts to some of around 200,000 people taking part in the rally, many of whom brought their children. "It'll be a Merry Christmas if Park Geun-hye steps down!" the crowd c
  
  Read more

• Nigeria's Buhari says army has captured key Boko Haram camp

  24-12-2016 12:46
  Nigeria's army has captured a key Boko Haram camp that was the Islamist militant group's last enclave in its northeastern Sambisa forest stronghold, President Muhammadu Buhari said on Saturday. "I was told by the Chief of Army Staff that the camp fell at about 1:35 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 22, and that the terrorists are on the run and no longer have a place to hide," said Buhari. The Nigerian military has in recent weeks been carrying out a large-scale offensive in the Sambisa forest, a vast former
  
  Read more

• Theresa May's Christmas Message Prompts Mixed Response

  24-12-2016 12:42
  
  Theresa May has delivered a Christmas message calling for unity in the UK as the country prepares for Brexit.
  Invoking her upbringing in a vicarage, the Prime Minister also paid tribute to those with family who are working away from home over the festive period.
  She said: “Coming together is also important for us as a country. As we leave the European Union we must seize an historic opportunity to forge a bold new role for ourselves in the world and to unite our country as we move forward
  
  Read more

• West Brom keeper Foster signs new deal

  24-12-2016 12:20
  (Reuters) - West Bromwich Albion's former England goalkeeper Ben Foster has signed a new 2-1/2 year deal through to 2019, the Premier League club announced on Saturday. The 33-year-old Foster, who recently made his 150th league appearance for Albion, has been ever-present this season, helping Tony Pulis' side to eighth place in the table. "We're delighted we've extended Ben's contract," Pulis said on the club website (www.wba.co.uk).
  
  Read more

• Jeremy Corbyn's Christmas Message Prompts Mixed Response

  24-12-2016 12:14
  
  Jeremy Corbyn has highlighted the plight of the homeless in his Christmas message.
  The Labour leader sent greetings to the country on behalf of his party before urging people to consider those less fortunate at this time of year.He said: “It’s a time of year where many of us have time off, where we spend time with our family and loved ones.
  “But for others it’s a time of increased loneliness and despair.
  “On the street of out towns and cities there has been a shocki
  
  Read more

• Readers write: Political coverage, solutions for peace, holiday lines

  24-12-2016 12:00
  You seem to be loath to criticize a man who has sexually assaulted women, who has white supremacist and anti-Semitic advisers, and who demonstrably lies continually. How far would Mr. Trump have to go before you would speak out?
  
  Read more

• A new order in the Middle East, Can Indonesia avoid descent into intolerance?, The Kremlin elected Donald Trump, Zimbabwe’s new ‘quasi-currency’ is not the answer, Rex Tillerson for US secretary of State?

  24-12-2016 12:00
  “The rebels’ last stand in Aleppo and the likely victory of the Russian-backed forces may usher a new era in the Middle East and a new balance of power...,” writes Hassan Barari. “To be sure ‘America’s moment in the Middle East’ is fast coming to an end.... It is clear that [President] Obama failed to understand the gravity of the situation in the Middle East. Unwisely, he alienated America’s allies and appeased America’s opponents.
  
  Read more

• Del Potro to miss Australian Open over injury concerns

  24-12-2016 11:55
  (Reuters) - Argentina's Juan Martin del Potro will miss next month's Australian Open and possibly his country's Davis Cup first round tie against Italy because of injury concerns. A statement announcing that he was withdrawing from the season-opening Auckland Classic and the Australian Open said he needed more recovery time after leading Argentina to the Davis Cup title for the first time in November. If tennis waited for me for two years, Australia can wait for me for one more." He is regarded
  
  Read more

• May Christmas message urges unity after Brexit vote

  24-12-2016 11:47 via bbc.co.uk
  
  Theresa May calls for unity after the Brexit vote in her first Christmas message as prime minister.
  
  Read more

• Egypt's Sisi says military accounts for 1.5-2 percent of economy

  24-12-2016 11:45
  Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi said on Saturday that the military's economic activity accounted for no more than two percent of the country's output, dismissing suggestions that the military could control as much as half of the economy. Speaking at an event celebrating the expansion of a military-owned company, Sisi said the military made up 1.5-2 percent of economic output which he said was 3-4 trillion Egyptian pounds ($160 billion-$213 billion).
  
  Read more

• Turkey-backed rebels kill 68 IS fighters near Syria's al-Bab - military

  24-12-2016 11:41
  Syrian rebels backed by Turkish warplanes killed 68 Islamic State militants in northern Syria overnight, the Turkish military said on Saturday, as intense fighting around the town of al-Bab continued. Rebels supported by Turkish troops have laid siege to the Islamic State-held town for weeks under the "Euphrates Shield" operation launched by Turkey nearly four months ago to sweep the Sunni hardliners and Kurdish fighters from its Syrian border. Fighting around al-Bab has escalated this week with
  
  Read more

• India's Modi says won't hesitate on tough decisions to help economy

  24-12-2016 11:28
  India will not hesitate to make tough decisions to help support its growing economy, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Saturday, alluding to his recent scrapping of 500 and 1,000 rupee banknotes to tackle endemic corruption. Modi told an event organised by the Securities and Exchange Board of India, India's capital markets regulator that his government would continue to follow sound and prudent economic policies to ensure that India's long-term prospects are bright. It is a short-term pain bu
  
  Read more

• Turkey-backed rebels kill 68 IS fighters near Syria's al-Bab - state media

  24-12-2016 10:57
  Turkey-backed rebels killed 68 Islamic State militants in clashes in northern Syria overnight, Turkish state media reported the military as saying on Saturday, as intense fighting around the town of al-Bab continued. Syrian rebels supported by Turkish troops have been laying siege to the Islamic State-held town for weeks, as part of the "Euphrates Shield" operation launched by Turkey nearly four months ago to sweep the Sunni hardliners and Kurdish fighters from its Syrian border. Fighting around
  
  Read more

• Bosnian region passes tight budget for 2017

  24-12-2016 10:34
  Bosnia's autonomous Serb Republic passed a restrictive 2017 budget of 3.2 billion Bosnian marka ($1.7 billion) early on Saturday, up 2.3 percent from this year and with a meagre surplus which will be used to cover a mounting debt. Passing the budget was a key condition set by the International Monetary Fund to unlock cash under its 553 million euro ($576.72 million) loan deal for Bosnia. It was approved with 45 votes for and 20 against in the 83-seat regional parliament.
  
  Read more

• Thousands flee coastal villages as typhoon approaches Philippines

  24-12-2016 10:24
  Philippine authorities on Saturday evacuated thousands in coastal villages in the country's central region where a category 4 typhoon is expected to make landfall later this weekend, bringing strong winds and heavy rains. The weather bureau said typhoon Nock-ten, locally known as Nina, had earlier packed winds of 130 kmh (93 mph) but has since slowed to 15 kmh, moving west-northwest and was on target to hit Camarines Sur province in the Bicol peninsula. "Families in Albay's coastlines have start
  
  Read more

• Iraqis celebrate first Christmas near Mosul after Islamic State pushback

  24-12-2016 10:20
  By Maher Chmaytelli BARTELLA, Iraq (Reuters) - A few hundred Iraqi Christians flocked on Saturday to Bartella, a northern town recently retaken from Islamic State, to celebrate Christmas for the first time since 2013. Bartella, once home to thousands of Assyrian Christians, emptied in August 2014 when it fell to Islamic State's blitz across large parts of Iraq and neighbouring Syria. "It is a mix of sadness and happiness," said Bishop Mussa Shemali before a Christmas eve ceremony at Mar Shimoni
  
  Read more

• Republicans to target unions, expand school choice in states

  24-12-2016 08:47
  
  JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) — Republicans are poised to use their newly attained capitol dominance to make Missouri the 27th right-to-work state prohibiting mandatory union fees. That is unless Kentucky's recently crowned GOP majorities can beat them to it.
  
  Read more

• A first lady who followed her own path more than precedent

  24-12-2016 08:34
  
  WASHINGTON (AP) — When Michelle Obama considered the daunting prospect of becoming first lady, she avoided turning to books by her predecessors for guidance.
  
  Read more

• Vote on Israel could spur further action _ or trouble for UN

  24-12-2016 08:27
  
  UNITED NATIONS (AP) — The U.S. green light that allowed the U.N. Security Council to condemn Israeli settlements in the West Bank and east Jerusalem could spur moves toward new terms to end the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
  
  Read more

• Trump vows nuclear expansion, warns of 'alternate path'

  24-12-2016 08:26
  
  WEST PALM BEACH, Florida (AP) — President-elect Donald Trump has stepped away from his typically tempered view of U.S.-Russia relations, vowing to expand America's nuclear capabilities while warning that the two global powers should restore collaboration so they don't "have to travel an alternate path."
  
  Read more

Follow @political_UKnws on Twitter!