POLITICS

The popular social network is banned in Iran - but supreme leader "likes" it.

Poll finds Hamas popular enough to make electoral gains.

As the Queen's Diamond jubilee year comes to a close, she made another piece of history today by becoming the first monarch since King George III in 1781 to attend a cabinet meeting in Downing Street.

George Osborne, Britain's Chancellor of the Exchequer, has often of late made reference to the fact that the Coalition Government has already reduced the country's Budget Deficit by a quarter since coming to power. Concentrating on Deficit reduction has not been politically comfortable for the Government with the opposition Labour Party being usually ahead in the opinion polls since late November 2010 - it didn't take long - and a ComRes survey for The Independent at the end of October...

Critics urge governor Rick Snyder to veto legislation that allows concealed weapons into hitherto banned places.

Facebook and Twitter capture heartrending moments of president comforting relatives of 26 victims of Adam Lanza in Newtown, Connecticut.

Syrian vice-president Farouq al-Sharaa dramatically admits that neither side in 21-month conflict can win civil war.

German development minister Dirk Niebel says debt relief delayed till democracy gets back on track.

Iran angry over deployment of Patriot missiles on Turkey-Syria border.

Hundreds of people gathered at central Syntagma Square in Athens to protest against the wave of racism in Greece

Officer alleged to have leaked police records involving incident which lead to resignation of former chief whip.

After Japan's LDP party won the Japanese elections by a landslide, the next Prime Minister if the country Shinzo Abe has vowed to take a hard line with China over current territorial disputes.

Abe, considered a hawk on China, says he will 'stop challenge'.

Girls aged between nine and 13 killed while collecting firewood.

US President Barack Obama visited the grieving relatives of the 26 people killed at Sandy Hook Elementary School last Friday, saying that more must be done to prevent such tragedies happening in the future.

Obama says America must 'change' to protect its children but refuses to address gun control debate.

Deflation, rising currency and perceived threats to national security have driven disillusioned voters to the conservative LDP.

Second round of polling on 22 December

President expresses profound grief over school slaughter and promises action to prevent similar tragedies.

Sandy Hook School scene of number of injuries in shooting spree as neighbouring schools go in to lockdown.

BREAKING: Head of ultranationalist Yisrael Beiteinu party to stand down before elections.

Calls for an EU referendum are dangerous and ignore the huge benefits the EU brings to Britain, says political analyst Tim Rose

Yousri al-Jamal and Ma'amoun Wazwaz accused by IDF in Hebron of working for human rights group

Miliband draws on Jewish background to say separation does not mean isolation in immigration speech.

The outspoken,larger than life, Israeli Foreign Minister, Avigdor Lieberman has announced he is resigning after being charged with fraud and breach of trust.

Foreign ministry denies earlier statement while US agrees to send Nato Patriot missiles to Turkey.

Russian military says missile an answer to US missile programme.

The South Korean Defence Ministry displayed some debris on one of its naval ships, which it says is from the North Korean rocket, launched two days earlier.

Cuban President Raul Castro to visit isolated Iran next year..