1. Republicans praise Trump's revised travel ban
Senior Republicans have praised US President Donald Trump's revised ban on entry into the country from mainly Muslim nations. Senator Lindsey Graham, a vocal critic of the original ban, said the new version would stand legal scrutiny and was "clearly not a Muslim ban". Democrats, however, say the move is still divisive.
Trump travel ban: Judge expands definition of relatives
2. Government 'abdicating responsibility' for social care
The head of Care England, which represents adult care providers in England, has accused the government of "abdicating" responsibility for social care to local authorities and focusing more on the "protection of vulnerable politicians than … vulnerable adults". An extra £1.3bn will be invested in the sector over two years in tomorrow's Budget, but there is expected to be a shortfall of £2.6bn by 2020.
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3. Budget to fund new grammar schools
Philip Hammond will announce £320m for new free schools, many of which are expected to later become grammar schools, in his first Budget tomorrow. The Chancellor will also announce £216m to rebuild and refurbish existing schools. One teachers' group said grammar schools are a "waste of money" and do not help social mobility.
Pros and cons of creating new grammar schools
4. Iraq troops retake Mosul government office
Iraqi troops have retaken the main government office in Mosul from Islamic State, as they continue an offensive to push the terror group out of its last remaining stronghold in Iraq. The buildings, of symbolic value, were won with a surprise attack overnight. A courthouse was also retaken.
5. Downing Street rejects Hague call for snap election
Downing Street has rejected William Hague's call for an early general election, saying it is not something Theresa May "plans to do or wishes to do". Writing in today's Daily Telegraph, the former Tory leader said going to the polls before Brexit would "strengthen the government's hand at home and abroad".
6. British tourist 'raped and held captive' in Australia
A British backpacker claims she was held captive in Australia for two months, during which she says she was repeatedly raped, beaten and choked, Queensland police report. The 22-year-old woman was rescued when officers stopped the van she was driving for a trivial offence and she was able to alert them that her alleged attacker was hiding in the boot of the vehicle.
British backpacker 'raped and kept captive' for nine weeks in Australian Outback
7. Facebook 'failed to remove child images'
The BBC says 80% of inappropriate images it found on Facebook, including sexualised photographs of children, were not removed from the site despite being reported using the social network's own system. Damian Collins MP, the chairman of the Commons media committee, said he had "grave doubts" about how effective Facebook's content moderation systems were.
8. George Michael died of natural causes
George Michael died of natural causes, a coroner has ruled. The 53-year-old singer, who had been suffering from heart disease, passed away at his Oxfordshire home on Christmas Day as a result of "dilated cardiomyopathy with myocarditis and fatty liver". Police initially said his death was "unexplained but not suspicious".
9. Ivory poachers shoot rhino at French zoo
Ivory poachers have shot dead a rhino at a zoo in France. Keepers at Thiory Zoo found the body of four-year-old white rhino Vince on Tuesday morning. One of his horns had been hacked off with a chainsaw, police said. It is thought to be the first time poachers, who kill around 100 animals each month in the wild, have targeted a European zoo.
10. Briefing: Rare £1 coins
The new 12-sided £1 coin will enter circulation in the UK this month, with its state-of-the-art design hailed as the "most secure coin in the world". But before you rid your pockets and purses of the round pound, it's worth noting that some of the rarest old £1 coins can be worth more than their face value.
Rare £1 coins: how to find the most valuable ones
