News Headlines - 24 December 2013

▽UN increases troops in South Sudan to 12,500 - The Washington Post

The U.N. Security Council has voted to temporarily increase the U.N. peacekeeping force in conflict-torn South Sudan to 12,500 troops from 7,000, a nearly 80 percent increase. The resolution adopted unanimously Tuesday by the U.N.’s most powerful body will also increase the U.N.’s international police contingent from 900 to 1,323.

▽Japan Provides Ammunition for UN Mission in Sudan

Japan has provided a shipment of ammunition to a United Nations peacekeeping mission in troubled South Sudan, making it the first time since WWII that Tokyo has given arms to a foreign military. Responding to requests by the U.N., Japan said it gave 10,000 bullets late Monday to the South Korean military, which is part of an international force dealing with violence that threatens to return South Sudan to civil war.

▽Japan's record budget spending highlights balancing act | Reuters

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Tuesday secured cabinet approval for a draft budget for the next fiscal year that aims to split the benefits of higher tax revenue between trimming fresh borrowing and stimulating the economy with record spending.

▽European shares post best pre-Christmas week since 1999 | Reuters

European stocks edged up on Tuesday, adding to the best run-in to Christmas since 1999, although trading in the shortened session was thin. Many centres such as Germany, Switzerland and Italy were already closed for the Christmas break.

▽Storms across Britain leave five dead and Christmas travel in chaos | theguardian.com

Five people have died since Monday and thousands have had Christmas disrupted after the UK was battered by strong winds and heavy rain causing widespread chaos to rail, road, air and ferry travel. Hundreds of travellers were left stranded at Gatwick airport because of cancelled flights and power cuts at the airport, and emergency services evacuated homes near the River Mole in Surrey, which was expected to rise to record levels late on Christmas Eve.