Egypt ISIL claims responsibility for Cairo Cathedral attack The Islamic militant group ISIL has said it was behind Sunday’s bomb attack (Dec 11) on Cairo’s main Coptic cathedral. 13/12/2016
Italy Italian Prime Minister wins initial vote of confidence Paolo Gentiloni needs to win votes of confidence in both houses of parliament. He easily won the first in the lower chamber by 368 to 105. 13/12/2016
Israel Jewish settlers demand support for Amona outpost Residents and supporters of the Amona settlement in the West Bank protest near the Israeli PM's residence in Jerusalem against the outpost's dismantlement. 13/12/2016
Syria Thousands stream out of Aleppo as rebel deal is struck Russia's ambassador to the UN Vitaly Churkin says an agreement has been struck for rebels to evacuate the city in north-western Syria. 13/12/2016
world news EU conservatives elect Antonio Tajani as candidate for parliament speaker The European People’s Party has appointed Italian Antonio Tajani to be its candidate for the European Parliament’s presidency. 13/12/2016
Poland Thousands flood streets as Poland marks 35th anniversary of martial law Thousands of Poles flooded the streets as the country remembered the 35th anniversary of the declaration of martial law by its former communist regime. 13/12/2016
USA Mr President, Meet Mr Kanye West US rapper Kanye West has been pictured meeting President-elect Donald Trump in the business mogul’s Manhattan base, Trump Tower. Trump said the 13/12/2016
Afghanistan Afghan 'plastic bag Messi' gets to join his idol on the pitch Arguably footballer Lionel Messi’s biggest fan, five-year old Murtaza Ahmadi made headlines when photos of him sporting a blue-and-white-striped 13/12/2016
brussels bureau The Brief from Brussels: No freeze in EU-Turkey ties This is the Brief from Brussels, the roundup of the day’s top stories from Europe’s de facto political capital. 13/12/2016
Syria Paris attacks planners killed in airstrike - US US airstrikes have killed three key ISIL leaders in Syria, according to the US defence secretary Ash Carter. 13/12/2016
Insight Aleppo: 'A complete meltdown of humanity' As the battle for Aleppo comes to an end, the plight of civilians is getting worse by the hour amid accusations by Western countries of atrocities as the Syrian army… 13/12/2016
Syria Deal reached for evacuation of fighters and civilians from eastern Aleppo - UN There are reports of summary executions as government forces advance against rebels holed up in a handful of neighbourhoods. 13/12/2016
Italy Tunisian captain setenced to 18 years for deadly shipwreck A Tunisian man accused of being the captain of a migrant boat that sank killing over 700 people has been found guilty of manslaughter by an Italian court and faces 18 years in… 13/12/2016
economy Russia signs oil development deals with Iran Russia is moving forward with its plans to become a major investor in Iran through initial agreements covering various industries, particularly oil. 13/12/2016
futuris Fluid glass in windows developed in Liechtenstein which could provide an energy source This edition of Futuris comes from Liechtenstein to look at a project that is developing windows which could provide a source of energy. 13/12/2016
economy Federal Reserve meets, interest rate hike expected The Federal Reserve's policy meeting is expected to end with a 0.25 percent interest rate rise, but all eyes are on Donald Trump to see how he reacts. 13/12/2016
brussels bureau EU rejects calls for 'freeze' in Turkey talks EU foreign ministers said on Tuesday the bloc would not push ahead with membership talks with Turkey but rejected calls by Austria and European lawmakers to freeze the process because of Ankara’s secu 13/12/2016
world news Final Aleppo battle - as seen by Syrian and Russian media The governments of Syria and Russia are presenting a very different picture of the crisis in Aleppo from that portrayed by the UN, as the battle for the city draws to a… 13/12/2016
Syria Political analyst Hisham Jaber says victory in Aleppo won't end the war After three weeks of fighting, the Syrian army and allied forces are poised to restore full control over the war-torn city of Aleppo. 13/12/2016
Syria Battle for Aleppo: cries of desperation appear on social media As the attacks by Syrian government forces have intensified on the last rebel-held area of Aleppo, cries of desperation have been published via social media in a series of videos and… 13/12/2016
Japan Japanese transport app offers 'drunk mode' to partygoers A Japan-based application development company has come up with a novel way to help its customers during the festive party season. Ekispert, makers 13/12/2016
economy Oil demand set to rise says International Energy Agency Global oil demand will rise more strongly than expected in 2016 and 2017 the International Energy Agency has said. 13/12/2016
economy UK inflation hits two year high in November British consumer prices were 1.2 percent higher in November than a year earlier, pushed up by more expensive clothing and technology goods. 13/12/2016
corporate UniCredit moves to overcome Italian banking woes with 13 bln euro share sale Italy's largest bank, UniCredit, is to raise 13 billion euros in a share issue to shore up its balance sheet. It will also cut 14,000 jobs. 13/12/2016
Italy Why do governments in Italy change so often? A look at the factors driving this turnover. 13/12/2016
brussels bureau Escaped ISIL sex slaves win EP's Sakharov Prize Two young Yazidi women have picked up this year’s Sakharov Prize. 13/12/2016
France From speed restrictions to bans on older cars - how France is battling pollution wave Last week air pollution took centre stage in France, as Paris and other cities including Lyon, took measures to combat hazardous air quality. 13/12/2016
Syria "Please stand with Aleppo": an activist's plea for help An independent Syrian media activist has made a call on social media this week for the rest of the world to "stand with Aleppo" 13/12/2016
Syria Syria and Russia warned over latest Aleppo 'atrocities' As the battle for Aleppo draws to a close, United Nations humanitarian adviser Jan Egeland says the Syrian and Russian governments must be held responsible for atrocities committed by militias loyal t 13/12/2016
USA Trump names oil executive with ties to Russia as US secretary of state Donald Trump has announced that the new US secretary of state will be Exxon Mobil CEO Rex Tillerson. 13/12/2016
