News Headlines - 17 December 2017

▽Brexit: Britons now back Remain over Leave by 10 points, exclusive poll shows | The Independent

The British public has swung behind staying in the EU by its largest margin since the referendum, with those backing Remain outstripping Leavers by ten points, a new poll has revealed. The exclusive survey for The Independent by BMG Research showed 51 per cent now back remaining in the union, while 41 per cent want Brexit.

▽Italian woman jailed in Denmark for ordering murder online in bitcoin

An Italian woman who ordered the murder of her boyfriend through a website and paid a hitman in bitcoin digital currency was sentenced on Friday to six years in a Danish jail. The 58-year-old woman ordered the murder - which was never carried out - in March, transferring 4.1 bitcoin, then worth around $4,000, to the hitman’s virtual wallet, the court found.

▽War against Daesh in Syria will be won by February: France’s Macron | Arab News

French President Emmanuel Macron on Sunday predicted the Daesh group would be crushed in Syria by February, pushing for the Syrian government and opposition to come together for fresh peace talks early next year.

▽Belgium ends extradition case against Catalan leader - The Local

A Belgian court formally closed extradition proceedings against deposed Catalan separatist leader Carles Puigdemont on Thursday, after Spain dropped the European arrest warrant against him.

▽World's steepest funicular rail line to open in Switzerland | World news | The Guardian

Swiss engineering and technology have reached new heights with the opening of the world’s steepest funicular rail line. The €44.6m Schwyz-Stoos funicular (Standseilbahn Schwyz-Stoos in German), which goes into public service on Sunday, has been hailed as a triumph of modern design engineering.