Paolo Gentiloni named as Italy's new prime minister

Italy has gotten its fifth prime minister in as many years - after the resignation of Matteo Renzi in the wake of a crushing referendum defeat.

The man tapped to be the new premier is Paolo Gentiloni, who has served as foreign minister under Mr Renzi.

A soft-spoken, 62-year-old heir to an aristocratic family, Mr Gentiloni is seen as a safe pair of hands to shepherd Italy to its next general election, due in a little over a year.

He is a center-left politician of the Democratic Party and is close to Mr Renzi.

Mr Gentiloni received the mandate from the Italian president, Sergio Mattarella, and is now expected to put together a Cabinet.

He said he would try to form the government "as soon as possible" and that it would move "within the same framework" as the reformist government of Mr Renzi.

"I am aware of the urgent need to give Italy a government with full powers," he said.

Mr Gentiloni, if confirmed, will have to deal with a looming crisis in the troubled banking sector and ongoing relief efforts after a series of deadly earthquakes between August and October.

The next general election is due by February 2018. But Mr Gentiloni might survive only a few months as many political parties demand an early vote once a new electoral law is approved by Parliament.

Mr Renzi resigned hours after losing the 4 December referendum on constitutional changes. He had made the reform a centrepiece of his government and staked his premiership on its outcome.

Mr Gentiloni had a career in journalism before moving into politics as a campaign manager for a former Rome mayor, Francesco Rutelli, in the mid 1990s.

He was appointed communications minister in 2006 but his efforts to reform the Italian television market never made it into law.

He became Italy's top diplomat in 2014 - a surprise decision by Mr Renzi given Mr Gentiloni's lack of international experience. Diplomats say he has dealt competently with a number of difficult events, such as the migration crisis.

Mr Gentiloni becomes the fifth Italian prime minister since 2011.

Explosion at Cairo's Coptic cathedral kills 25, wounds dozens

A bomb explosion inside the main Coptic Christian cathedral in Egypt's capital, Cairo, has killed 25 people and wounded dozens.

Some reports say a bomb was lobbed into a chapel adjacent to one of the cathedral's walls but others said it was planted inside.

The spiritual leader of Egypt's Orthodox Christian community, Pope Tawadros II, has his office in St Mark's Cathedral in the centre of the city.

State television reported that a security official said a bomb made of TNT appeared to have been the cause of the explosion.

Ambulances lined up outside the church in the capital's Abbasiya district to evacuate the dead and wounded.

A crowd gathered outside the church chanted: "Tell the sheikh, tell the priest, Egyptians' blood is not cheap".

There was no claim of responsibility for the attack, but jihadists in Sinai have targeted Christians before, as well as Muslims they accuse of working with the government.

Cathedral worker Attiya Mahrous, who rushed to the chapel after he heard the blast, said: "I found bodies, many of them women, lying on the pews. It was a horrible scene."

Another witness Mariam Shenouda said: "Everyone was in a state of shock. There were children. What have they done to deserve this? I wish I had died with them instead of seeing these scenes."

Islamic State recaptures ancient Syrian city Palmyra, activists say

Islamic State has regained control of Syria's ancient city of Palmyra, activists and a news agency affiliated with the militant group have said.

The reports came amid conflicting information over the fate of the city in central Syria.

IS re-entered Palmyra on Saturday - the first time since they were expelled nine months ago.

Then heavy Russian airstrikes and Syrian army troops appeared to have repelled the push, forcing the militants to retreat to the city's outskirts.

Now, the British-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said the militants were back in control.

The AMAQ news agency, which is affiliated with Islamic State, said the group had captured a castle overlooking the city.

Russia's defence ministry had said earlier that its jets had launched 64 strikes and killed more than 300 militants during the operation, backing up the Syrian army.

IS has been advancing on the town for days, gaining control of some oil and gas fields on its outskirts along the way.

It was not clear who controlled the fields now.

The IS push in Palmyra comes days the group in the Iraqi city of Mosul launched a major counterattack that surprised Iraqi soldiers, killing at least 20 and halting their advance.

Iraqi special forces units have entered the eastern outskirts of the largest remaining IS-held city in Iraq, but their advance has been greatly slowed by both a desire to limit civilian casualties and the resilience of the IS fighters.

Adama Barrow urges Yahya Jammeh to accept defeat

Adama Barrow, president-elect of The Gambia, has called on Yahya Jammeh to accept the outcome of last week's election after the incumbent overturned the result in a sudden political U-turn.

Jammeh, who has ruled the West African country for 22 years, conceded defeat in a public address last week, but rejected the outcome early on Saturday citing "abnormalities" with the electoral process.

Changing his position on the election results, Jammeh said: "after a thorough investigation, I have decided to reject the outcome of the recent election. I lament serious and unacceptable abnormalities which have reportedly transpired during the electoral process."

Barrow said that Jammeh had no constitutional right to reject the results and appealed to him "to facilitate a smooth transfer of executive power".

"I urge him to change his current position and accept the verdict of the people in good faith for the sake of the Gambia our homeland."

Later on Saturday, in a unanimous statement the 15-member UN Security Council demanded Jammeh "respect the choice of the sovereign people of The Gambia, and to transfer, without condition and undue delay, power to the President-elect, Mr Adama Barrow".

Jammeh's announcement presents an unexpected and severe challenge to the incoming Barrow administration, which was already grappling with how to take the reins of power and deal with the army, which for two decades was loyal to the president.

The latest official figures gave Barrow a narrower win than initially announced - 43.29 percent of the votes for Barrow and 39.64 for Jammeh. Voter turnout was at 59 percent.

The African Union called Jammeh's rejection of the results "null and void" since he had already conceded defeat.

"The Chairperson of the Commission strongly urges President Yahya Jammeh to facilitate a peaceful and orderly transition and transfer of power," Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, AU chief, said, also calling on The Gambia's security forces to remain neutral.
Widespread unease

Soldiers were seen placing sandbags in strategic locations across the capital Banjul on Friday, a development that prompted widespread unease among the population, who had been panic-buying food before the vote, due to fear of unrest.

Witnesses told Reuters news agency that there was particular nervousness about Jammeh's statement that he would deal harshly with any troublemakers who took to the streets.

Reacting on social media, Isatou Touray, Opposition spokesperson, criticised what she called a "violation of democracy" and called on the people to "remain calm, lucid, vigilant and not retreat".

The US state department said in a statement that Jammeh's rejection of the results was an egregious attempt to undermine a credible election and remain illegitimately in power.

Mankeur Ndiaye, Senegal's foreign minister, called for an emergency meeting of the Security Council and "solemnly" warned Jammeh not to harm Senegal's interests or its citizens in Gambia.



Senegal, which has Gambia's only land border, and entirely surrounds the small riverside country, is a non-permanent member of the Security Council. Its army intervened in Gambia in 1981, during a coup.

Church collapses in Uyo, killing 'scores'

A church roof has collapsed in southeastern Nigeria killing at least 60 people, with local media reporting the death toll to be much higher.

The evangelical Reigners Bible Ministry in Uyo, capital of Akwa Ibom state, was packed with worshippers when the roof, which was still under construction, collapsed, local media said on Saturday.

Bodies of at least 60 victims have been retrieved, according to a rescue official who spoke to the AP news agency on condition of anonymity.

Governor Udom Emmanuel was also reported to be inside when metal girders crashed onto worshippers and the corrugated iron roof caved in. He did not take any injuries in the incident.

"We have never had such a shocking incident in the history of our dear state," Emmanuel said on his Facebook page.

The governor's spokesman, Ekerete Udoh, said the state government will hold an inquiry to investigate if anyone compromised building standards.

President Muhammadu Buhari expressed his condolences "over the many deaths and injury recorded following the incident," presidential spokesman Garba Shehu said in a statement.

The state-run Nigerian News Agency said "between 50 and 200" people could have been killed, adding that a rescue operation was under way.



In September 2014, 115 people including 84 South Africans, were killed in Lagos in the collapse of a church belonging to the famous televangelist TB Joshua.

PM aide and MP Nicky Morgan clash over leather trousers remark

A spat has erupted between a top aide to Theresa May and Nicky Morgan after the former Cabinet minister was banned from a Downing Street meeting in a row over the PM's leather trousers.

Fiona Hill called the former education secretary "that woman" after Ms Morgan publicly criticised the PM's decision to wear the Amanda Wakeley-designed trousers worth nearly £1,000 during a photo shoot for a newspaper.

She had previous met with Ms Morgan and fellow Conservative Alistair Burt and invited them to meet Mrs May about their views on Brexit next week.

But text messages obtained by the Mail on Sunday show Ms Hill texted Mr Burt and told him "don't bring that woman to No 10 again".

Ms Morgan found out about the message, and according to the newspaper replied: "If you don't like something I have said or done, please tell me directly.

"No man brings me to any meeting. Your team invites me. If you don't want my views in future meetings you need to tell them."

Ms Hill, thought to have been referring to a previous meeting the two attended together, replied: "Well, he just did. So there!"

It comes after the PM insisted she was not out of touch because of her choice to wear expensive clothing.

Speaking during a trip to Bahrain, she said: "Look, I stood on the steps of Downing Street and said what I did about the importance of a country that works for everyone because that is what I have heard from people as I have gone around the country, as I have met people in a whole variety of circumstances.

"I believe it is important for politicians to get out and about and that's exactly what I continue to do.

"It is important that we have a country that works for everyone."

Ms Morgan said the "bitter chocolate" trousers had been "noticed and discussed" among the Tory party, and added: "I don't have leather trousers. I don't think I've ever spent that much on anything apart from my wedding dress."

Two blasts outside Besiktas stadium in Istanbul kill 29

QTwenty nine people have been killed in two explosions outside a football stadium in Istanbul, according to the country's interior minister.

At least one of the blasts was caused by a car bomb and targeted a riot police bus directly outside the Besiktas stadium, Suleyman Soylu said.

He later said it was believed that a suspected suicide bomber had struck Macka Park, next to the stadium, also known as the Vodafone Arena.