POLITICS

Shadow education secretary Tristam Hunt says the number of teachers without formal training has increased by 16% in a year.

Mark Carne has insisted he will take a payout of £135,000 as it is "only" 20% of his annual salary.

Analysts say Brent crude could drop to $55 a barrel early next year.

Officials did not confirm whether top al-Shabaab commander was killed in attack on Somalian town of Saakow.

'Political isolationism would leave us poorer' said CBI director-general John Cridland.

Russian opposition leader says charges fabricated and politically motivated.

Court in Alexandria bans festival at rabbi's tomb citing 'moral offences' at previous events.

Israeli military says Palestinian was throwing rocks at patrol near settlement of Tapuah.

Friends, colleagues and supporters show support for imprisoned trio on social media.

Suicide bomber strikes Sunni funeral in town of Taji north of Baghdad.

Richards warned the media should not fall into 'too few hands'.

Libya has descended into violence as Islamists and tribes fight for power in the post-Gaddafi era.

BCC boss John Longworth said UK parties should refrain from 'tawdry political tactics'.

PM Samaras wanted Dimas as president, while radical leftist party Syriza leads national opinion polls.

Terror group say US-led mission a 'fire of barbarism and cruelty' that drowned country in 'pool of blood'.

Open letter signed by doctors, clerics and politicians urges change to euthanasia law.

Armed factions in Libya are battling for control of the Opec member.

Palestinian Authority official Saeb Erekat confirms Jordan to present vote on statehood resolution.

Christian cleric confirms interfaith gesture from Muslim community during Christmas celebrations.

Opinium for the Observer indicates that Ukip does not have the support of young people

Experts believe former AC Milan and Chelsea FC star is preparing for second presidential run in 2016.

Supply glut, fuelled by US shale production and weak global demand, hits prices hard.

Moscow lists Nato alliance as top security threat in revised military doctrine.

UN Secretary General asks Pakistan PM Nawaz Sharif to restore moratorium on capital punishment.

Pyongyang's powerful National Defence Commission spews venom on Washington over North Korea cyber outage.

Hundreds of prisoners freed in rebel stronghold Donetsk after deal facilitated by OCSE.

China has dodged a time-honoured trade route by sourcing diamonds directly from African mines.

Baghdad government to set up three special bases to train volunteers for the Mosul operation against Isis militants.

Three Uzbek militants among dead after American drones pound two targets in Afghan border region.