President Yahya Jammeh says the West African community's decision to send troops into The Gambia to force him to accept defeat in last month's presidential election, is "a declaration of war".
Leaders from the Economic Community of West African States, or ECOWAS, deployed troops to The Gambia on Thursday after Jammeh said he would not accept the results of December's election, in which he lost to opposition leader Adama Barrow.
In a New Year's message broadcast on Saturday, Jammeh said the "blatant and one-sided" approach of ECOWAS, "disqualified it from providing mediation services".
"Let me make very clear, we are ready to defend this country against any aggression," Jammeh said, adding that if ECOWAS did not back down "the impasse will continue with the risk of escalation into a military confrontation".
He added, "What we are simply and rightfully asking for is to return to the polls and allow the Gambians to elect who they want to be their president in a free and fair election."
After more than two decades in power, Jammeh, 51, lost a December 1 election to Barrow, a former real-estate agent.
After initially accepting the result, Jammeh later rejected it, alleging irregularities, and filed a petition to the Supreme Court which is due to be reviewed on January 10.
Barrow has insisted he will take office nine days later, as planned, with ECOWAS leaders set to attend the ceremony.
Earlier this month, ECOWAS said it would stage a military intervention, led by neighbouring Senegal, if Jammeh failed to step down and set a deadline of January 19, the day of Barrow's planned inauguration.
The UN Security Council has called on Jammeh to "fully respect" the election results and ensure Barrow's safety.
The electoral commission said Barrow obtained 222,708 votes (43.3 percent) compared with Jammeh's 208,487 (39.6 percent).
Jammeh has questioned the validity of the count after the electoral commission changed some results, even though it insists the outcome was not affected.
Sunday, January 1, 2017
All change: New 12-sided pound coin to enter circulation in March
The new 12-sided £1 coin is going to enter circulation on 28 March, the Government has announced.
Its arrival means the "round pound" - a stalwart of piggy banks, purses and pockets since 1983 - is going to cease being legal tender on 15 October.
Once the new coins begin hitting the high street, Britons are going to be urged to spend or exchange their old pounds quickly to make way for "the new quid on the block".
The round pound's successor is thinner, lighter and slightly bigger in diameter - and experts believe that its distinctive design will make it trickier to counterfeit.
It has been estimated that about one in every 30 pound coins currently in circulation is fake, creating a headache for businesses and the Royal Mint.
The 12-sided pound has been heralded as "the most secure coin in the world", as it boasts several security features - including a holographic image which changes from a "£" symbol to the number "1" when the coin is seen from different angles.
Its design is based on the old threepenny bit, which went out of circulation in 1971.
More than 1.5 billion of the new coins are being made by the Royal Mint, with more than 2,000 a minute already being created at its plant in Wales.
If the coins were put side by side, it is believed there would be enough to stretch from the UK to New Zealand and back again.
Retailers have warned that some vending machines may be unable to accept the new coins when they make their debut in March, but the British Retail Consortium says the industry is "committed" to being fully prepared for the change to our change.
James Lowman, chief executive of the Association of Convenience Stores, said: "It is essential that retailers are prepared for the introduction of the new £1 coin.
"The transition is likely to affect a number of areas of their business, especially if they have coin-operated machines such as self-service tills in store."
Its arrival means the "round pound" - a stalwart of piggy banks, purses and pockets since 1983 - is going to cease being legal tender on 15 October.
Once the new coins begin hitting the high street, Britons are going to be urged to spend or exchange their old pounds quickly to make way for "the new quid on the block".
The round pound's successor is thinner, lighter and slightly bigger in diameter - and experts believe that its distinctive design will make it trickier to counterfeit.
It has been estimated that about one in every 30 pound coins currently in circulation is fake, creating a headache for businesses and the Royal Mint.
The 12-sided pound has been heralded as "the most secure coin in the world", as it boasts several security features - including a holographic image which changes from a "£" symbol to the number "1" when the coin is seen from different angles.
Its design is based on the old threepenny bit, which went out of circulation in 1971.
More than 1.5 billion of the new coins are being made by the Royal Mint, with more than 2,000 a minute already being created at its plant in Wales.
If the coins were put side by side, it is believed there would be enough to stretch from the UK to New Zealand and back again.
Retailers have warned that some vending machines may be unable to accept the new coins when they make their debut in March, but the British Retail Consortium says the industry is "committed" to being fully prepared for the change to our change.
James Lowman, chief executive of the Association of Convenience Stores, said: "It is essential that retailers are prepared for the introduction of the new £1 coin.
"The transition is likely to affect a number of areas of their business, especially if they have coin-operated machines such as self-service tills in store."
Mariah Carey botches New Year show in lip-sync meltdown
Mariah Carey suffered humiliation in front of millions of people after a series of technical glitches during her New Year gig in New York's Times Square.
The global megastar's live televised performance of Emotions was disastrous from the outset as she complained about being unable to hear her backing track and barely sang a note.
She gave up quickly, shrugging and telling the Manhattan crowd of one million and many more watching at home: "Well, Happy New Year."
As the music continued to play without her, she went on: "We can't hear... We're missing some of this vocal but it is what it is. I'm going to say let the audience sing, okay?
"I wanted a holiday too, can I not have one?"
Pacing the stage, she attempted to continue with her dance moves before adding: "Get these monitors (speakers) on please."
The track finally came to an end with her saying sarcastically: "That was... amazing."
It went from bad to worse with her next effort, We Belong Together.
Carey was supposed to lip sync to the song but before long she was complaining about more sound problems.
She gave up entirely as her pre-recorded vocal continued and at one point appeared frustrated as she turned her back to the audience and walked towards the back of the stage.
As the music cut out, she attempted to put on a brave face and said "It just don't get any better" before leaving the stage.
The cameras then cut back to ABC host Ryan Seacrest, who said: "Mariah Carey there, on our stage. No matter what Mariah does, the crowd absolutely loves it."
Afterwards, she posted an old clip of her shrugging on Twitter and wrote: "S*** happens. Have a happy and healthy new year everybody! Here's to making more headlines in 2017."
The jokes came thick and fast, with some tweeters calling her performance "the final victim of 2016" in an apparent reference to the high number of celebrity deaths last year.
Another wrote: "I'm choosing to believe Mariah Carey's performance was an artistic reinterpretation of the 2016 Presidential election."
The global megastar's live televised performance of Emotions was disastrous from the outset as she complained about being unable to hear her backing track and barely sang a note.
She gave up quickly, shrugging and telling the Manhattan crowd of one million and many more watching at home: "Well, Happy New Year."
As the music continued to play without her, she went on: "We can't hear... We're missing some of this vocal but it is what it is. I'm going to say let the audience sing, okay?
"I wanted a holiday too, can I not have one?"
Pacing the stage, she attempted to continue with her dance moves before adding: "Get these monitors (speakers) on please."
The track finally came to an end with her saying sarcastically: "That was... amazing."
It went from bad to worse with her next effort, We Belong Together.
Carey was supposed to lip sync to the song but before long she was complaining about more sound problems.
She gave up entirely as her pre-recorded vocal continued and at one point appeared frustrated as she turned her back to the audience and walked towards the back of the stage.
As the music cut out, she attempted to put on a brave face and said "It just don't get any better" before leaving the stage.
The cameras then cut back to ABC host Ryan Seacrest, who said: "Mariah Carey there, on our stage. No matter what Mariah does, the crowd absolutely loves it."
Afterwards, she posted an old clip of her shrugging on Twitter and wrote: "S*** happens. Have a happy and healthy new year everybody! Here's to making more headlines in 2017."
The jokes came thick and fast, with some tweeters calling her performance "the final victim of 2016" in an apparent reference to the high number of celebrity deaths last year.
Another wrote: "I'm choosing to believe Mariah Carey's performance was an artistic reinterpretation of the 2016 Presidential election."
It's rained on London's 'kaleidoscopic' New Year's Day Parade
Hundreds of thousands of people have lined the streets of London for a parade to mark the start of the new year.
Some 8,500 cheerleaders, marching band musicians and acrobats from across the world danced down Whitehall for the annual New Year's Day Parade.
The parade kept going through lunchtime as heavy rain started to fall.
Many spectators were undeterred and held their umbrellas as they continued to cheer the marching bands.
The event - now in its 31st year - also featured characters from blockbuster films as the theme of the day was Lights, Camera, Action.
The parade saw Disney characters mix with the music of famous musicals like Baz Luhrmann's Moulin Rouge and the Broadway hit Annie.
The theme tunes for Ghostbusters, the James Bond film Skyfall and the Harry Potter series were also played.
:: 'Safe' New Year celebrated in UK despite security fears
Parade spokesman Dan Kirkby said it was a "kaleidoscopic" celebration that had grown and revolutionised London's former "black hole of culture" on 1 January.
"We reckon we have about 20 different nations represented," he said.
"From Bolivia through to the US, and we've got Pakistan celebrating the 70th anniversary of the state of Pakistan," he added.
He added: "It's quintessentially quirky, the very best of British meets people from all over the world."
Some 8,500 cheerleaders, marching band musicians and acrobats from across the world danced down Whitehall for the annual New Year's Day Parade.
The parade kept going through lunchtime as heavy rain started to fall.
Many spectators were undeterred and held their umbrellas as they continued to cheer the marching bands.
The event - now in its 31st year - also featured characters from blockbuster films as the theme of the day was Lights, Camera, Action.
The parade saw Disney characters mix with the music of famous musicals like Baz Luhrmann's Moulin Rouge and the Broadway hit Annie.
The theme tunes for Ghostbusters, the James Bond film Skyfall and the Harry Potter series were also played.
:: 'Safe' New Year celebrated in UK despite security fears
Parade spokesman Dan Kirkby said it was a "kaleidoscopic" celebration that had grown and revolutionised London's former "black hole of culture" on 1 January.
"We reckon we have about 20 different nations represented," he said.
"From Bolivia through to the US, and we've got Pakistan celebrating the 70th anniversary of the state of Pakistan," he added.
He added: "It's quintessentially quirky, the very best of British meets people from all over the world."
Ferry fire off Indonesia leaves 23 dead as people 'fight over life jackets'
People fought over life jackets as a blaze ripped through a crowded ferry off Indonesia, according to a survivor.
At least 23 of those on board were killed and 22 others injured in the fire that gutted most of the vessel.
Dozens were rescued from the boat which had been carrying more than 230, according to officials.
A search involving 10 ships has been launched to try to find 17 people still missing.
The ferry was taking passengers from the capital Jakarta to the resort island of Tidung, and most were Indonesians celebrating the New Year.
The manifest showed only 100 were registered as passengers, along with six crewmen.
One survivor told local media: "Fifteen minutes after the boat set sail, people at the back of the boat started making noise. Then I saw smoke.
"There was more and more, the boat was crowded and people were fighting for life jackets."
Another passenger said: "When we wanted to go, I panicked because I saw my son jump off the boat without a (life jacket) because somebody else had taken it."
Nearby fishermen managed to get many of the survivors out of the water.
The head of Jakarta's search and rescue agency, Hendra Sudirman, said 98 people had been rescued.
The fire broke out aboard the Zahro Express about 15 minutes after it left Muara Angke port in north Jakarta early on Sunday.
The cause of the blaze has not been confirmed, although one police source said it may have been a short circuit on the boat's power generator.
Sea accidents are frequent in Indonesia, with vessels often overloaded and having too few life jackets on boat.
Local television footage has shown people in the water, with ferry in flames in the background.
At least 23 of those on board were killed and 22 others injured in the fire that gutted most of the vessel.
Dozens were rescued from the boat which had been carrying more than 230, according to officials.
A search involving 10 ships has been launched to try to find 17 people still missing.
The ferry was taking passengers from the capital Jakarta to the resort island of Tidung, and most were Indonesians celebrating the New Year.
The manifest showed only 100 were registered as passengers, along with six crewmen.
One survivor told local media: "Fifteen minutes after the boat set sail, people at the back of the boat started making noise. Then I saw smoke.
"There was more and more, the boat was crowded and people were fighting for life jackets."
Another passenger said: "When we wanted to go, I panicked because I saw my son jump off the boat without a (life jacket) because somebody else had taken it."
Nearby fishermen managed to get many of the survivors out of the water.
The head of Jakarta's search and rescue agency, Hendra Sudirman, said 98 people had been rescued.
The fire broke out aboard the Zahro Express about 15 minutes after it left Muara Angke port in north Jakarta early on Sunday.
The cause of the blaze has not been confirmed, although one police source said it may have been a short circuit on the boat's power generator.
Sea accidents are frequent in Indonesia, with vessels often overloaded and having too few life jackets on boat.
Local television footage has shown people in the water, with ferry in flames in the background.
Turkey New Year party massacre gunman hunted by security forces
Turkish police are hunting a gunman who killed at least 39 people in a New Year nightclub attack in Istanbul.
Twenty-four of the fatalities were reportedly foreign citizens from countries including Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Lebanon, India, France, Tunisia, Israel and Belgium.
Another 69 people were wounded, four critically, in what Istanbul's governor described as a "terrorist attack" at the Reina club which was popular with tourists.
CCTV footage has emerged of the moment the killer opened fire outside and then stormed the building that was packed with up to 600 revellers celebrating the New Year.
He first fatally shot policeman Burak Yildiz and travel agent Ayhan Arik at the front of the venue around 1.15am local time, before randomly attacking people inside the nightspot.
It was initially reported the assailant, armed with a long-barrelled gun, had been wearing a Father Christmas outfit but this was later denied by the Turkish prime minister.
The attacker is believed to have changed his clothes to escape the scene.
"The search for the terrorist continues... I hope (the assailant) will be captured quickly, God willing," said interior minister Suleyman Soylu.
He added: "This was a massacre, a truly inhuman savagery."
Witnesses described diving under tables as the assailant opened fire, while one reveller told how she had to lift dead bodies off her to escape the building after the attack.
Some party-goers jumped into the nearby Bosphorus to escape the slaughter in the Ortakoy district.
Sinem Uyanik said she saw several bodies inside the club, which is on the European side of the waterway, and her husband Lutfu Uyanik was wounded.
"Before I could understand what was happening, my husband fell on top me," she said.
"I had to lift several bodies from on top of me before I could get out."
Governor Vasip Sahin said: "A terrorist with a long-range weapon ... brutally and savagely ...fired bullets on innocent people.
"They (the revellers) were there solely to celebrate the New Year and have fun."
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has said the attack was designed to destabilise the country.
The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) said UK tourists should follow the advice of local authorities while remaining vigilant.
Attempts are being made to see whether any Britons were among the dead and injured.
Prime Minister Theresa May has written to Mr Erdogan to underline the UK's commitment to defeating terrorism following the New Year attack.
Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson has called the atrocity "cowardly", while the White House condemned its "savagery".
Security measures had already been heightened in major Turkish cities, with police barring traffic leading up to key city squares.
In Istanbul, 17,000 police officers were on duty, some disguised as Santa Claus and others as street vendors, state-run news agency Anadolu reported.
Ankara and Istanbul have been targeted by several attacks in 2016 carried out by the Islamic State group or Kurdish rebels and leaving 180 people dead.
Saturday, December 31, 2016
Sky Views: Don't whinge - there's lots to be grateful for in 2017
The moaning and hand-wringing has reached deafening levels.
The internet memes are out of control. If you spend more than 10 minutes on Twitter, you'll be overwhelmed with the sense that 2016 was an unmitigated disaster of epic proportions.
According to received wisdom, 2017 will be even worse.
Well, there's a few problems with that analysis (not least that Brexit and Trump were both voted for by a majority of the electorate).
In fact there are many, many things to be thankful for.
Here's my list of reasons why we should all cheer up a bit:
1. Millions of people disengaged with politics started caring again. People who never voted before because they felt ignored have re-engaged with the political process after the EU referendum vote. (Don't like how people voted? Sorry, that's how democracy works.)
2. We are living longer than ever before. Figures show that for those aged 65, men can expect to live for another 19 years and women a further 21 years.
3. The giant panda is no longer endangered and China has banned the ivory trade - a game changer for elephants.
4. Fewer children are dying as child mortality drops.
5. A peace deal was reached in Colombia after 50 years of war.
6. It was a great year for women in politics, with a female Prime Minister, First Ministers in Scotland and Northern Ireland and women leading the Green Party, Plaid Cymru, Scottish Labour and the Scottish Conservatives.
7. And there was good news for the environment, with US carbon dioxide emissions at their lowest level since 1991.
8. Islamic States has lost swathes of territory.
9. Sri Lanka managed to eradicate malaria.
10. And Sheffield Wednesday finished the year in the championship play-off positions.
(Sorry about that last one - I couldn't resist.)
The internet memes are out of control. If you spend more than 10 minutes on Twitter, you'll be overwhelmed with the sense that 2016 was an unmitigated disaster of epic proportions.
According to received wisdom, 2017 will be even worse.
Well, there's a few problems with that analysis (not least that Brexit and Trump were both voted for by a majority of the electorate).
In fact there are many, many things to be thankful for.
Here's my list of reasons why we should all cheer up a bit:
1. Millions of people disengaged with politics started caring again. People who never voted before because they felt ignored have re-engaged with the political process after the EU referendum vote. (Don't like how people voted? Sorry, that's how democracy works.)
2. We are living longer than ever before. Figures show that for those aged 65, men can expect to live for another 19 years and women a further 21 years.
3. The giant panda is no longer endangered and China has banned the ivory trade - a game changer for elephants.
4. Fewer children are dying as child mortality drops.
5. A peace deal was reached in Colombia after 50 years of war.
6. It was a great year for women in politics, with a female Prime Minister, First Ministers in Scotland and Northern Ireland and women leading the Green Party, Plaid Cymru, Scottish Labour and the Scottish Conservatives.
7. And there was good news for the environment, with US carbon dioxide emissions at their lowest level since 1991.
8. Islamic States has lost swathes of territory.
9. Sri Lanka managed to eradicate malaria.
10. And Sheffield Wednesday finished the year in the championship play-off positions.
(Sorry about that last one - I couldn't resist.)
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