- Israel shifts focus to Houthis, but it needs partners to defeat distant foe The Times of Israel
- Israeli military intercepts missile launched from Yemen, army says Reuters
- Israel Intercepts Houthi Missile and Threatens Militant Group’s Leaders The New York Times
- Houthis raise combat readiness to the highest level expecting Israeli retaliation - report The Jerusalem Post
- Netanyahu warns Houthis amid calls for Israel to wipe out terror leadership as it did with Nasrallah, Sinwar Fox News
Three shot dead as medics, journalists and police attacked at Haiti hospital
Two journalists and a police officer are reported to have been killed, with others injured in the attack.
Palestinian Christians struggle to find hope at Christmas
For the second year running, tourists are staying away and public festivities have been cancelled.
Palestinian Christians struggle to find hope at Christmas
For the second year running, tourists are staying away and public festivities have been cancelled.
Bethlehem marks a minimalist Christmas Mass amid ongoing war in Gaza – Euronews
- Bethlehem marks a minimalist Christmas Mass amid ongoing war in Gaza Euronews
- Christmas in Bethlehem celebrated under the shadow of Israel's war in Gaza NBC News
- Sombre Christmas in Bethlehem an 'escape' from war for Palestinians Yahoo! Voices
- Christians in Gaza, Huddled in Churches, Celebrate Christmas: ‘We’re Still Here’ The New York Times
- Christians in Israel, West Bank plod through another muted Christmas but hold onto hope Haaretz
Two reporters and a police officer killed in shooting at Haiti hospital reopening
Gunmen target press conference at Haiti’s largest public hospital after street gangs forced its closure earlier this year
Two reporters and a police officer were killed and others injured on Tuesday when armed men opened fire on a group of journalists who gathered for a government press conference scheduled to announce the reopening of Haiti’s largest public hospital.
Street gangs forced the closure of the State University of Haiti hospital early this year and authorities had pledged to reopen the facility in the capital, Port-au-Prince, on Christmas Eve. But as journalists gathered to cover the event, the gunmen opened fire.
Continue reading...Pope Francis kicks off yearlong Jubilee – POLITICO
Greenland and the Panama Canal aren’t for sale. Why is Trump threatening to take them?
Trump's promises to use America's strength to its advantage helped propel him twice to the White House.
Greenland and the Panama Canal aren’t for sale. Why is Trump threatening to take them?
Trump's promises to use America's strength to its advantage helped propel him twice to the White House.
Ukraine’s war stamps put humour, patriotism and swearing in the post
Ukraine's war stamps, some with swear words, boost morale at home and promote its image abroad.
Ukraine’s war stamps put humour, patriotism and swearing in the post
Ukraine's war stamps, some with swear words, boost morale at home and promote its image abroad.
DJ Alfredo, icon of Ibiza’s dance music scene, dies aged 71
DJ whose anything-goes spirit had a huge influence on British club culture had suffered a stroke in 2021
DJ Alfredo, who had a significant influence on Ibiza becoming a global centre for dance music culture, has died aged 71.
Amnesia, the club where he held a residency during the 1980s, announced the news, writing on Instagram: “Thank you for the nights and beats we shared together. Your music and vision shaped the sound of Balearic Beat and the soul of Amnesia. So many memories were made through your energy, your legacy will live on our dancefloor forever. You will never be forgotten.”
Continue reading...Modernism and Islamic motifs: How Indian artists envisioned Christ’s birth
Over the centuries, painters in India have depicted Jesus's birth from a uniquely local perspective.
Toxic spill fears follow deadly Brazil bridge collapse
Lorries containing pesticides and sulphuric acid plunged into the Tocantins river in the north of the country.
Pope opens Holy Door to kick off special jubilee year
More than 30 million Catholic pilgrims are expected to head to Rome for the jubilee, which takes place once every 25 years.
Ex-Abercrombie & Fitch CEO has dementia, lawyers say
The legal team behind Mike Jeffries, arrested earlier this year on sex trafficking charges, has requested a hearing to determine his fitness to stand trial.
Ex-drug lord Fabio Ochoa walks free in Colombia after 20 years in US prisons
Victims of Medellín cartel demand justice as some express dismay former mob boss faces no charges in Colombia
The return of the former drug trafficker Fabio Ochoa to Colombia following his deportation from the United States has reopened old wounds among victims of the Medellín cartel, with some expressing dismay at the Colombian authorities’ decision to let Ochoa walk free.
Some of the cartel victims said they were hoping the former drug lord will at least cooperate with ongoing efforts by human rights groups to investigate one of the most violent periods of Colombia’s history and demanded that Colombian prosecutors also take Ochoa in for questioning.
Continue reading...Mauritius holds out on Chagos Islands deal over Diego Garcia lease
UK government accused of ‘nitpicking about compensation’ after being told to pay more to retain military base
Mauritius is holding out over a deal to gain control of the Chagos Islands from the UK, leaving ministers less than a month to rescue the agreement.
The government in Mauritius, which took office last month, has made clear it is dissatisfied with the terms negotiated by the previous administration. Over the weekend the deputy prime minister accused the British government of “nitpicking about the compensation”.
Continue reading...Middle East crisis: one child killed every hour in Gaza, UN says – as it happened
This live blog is now closed, you can read more of our coverage of the Middle East here
Israeli forces have killed a Palestinian man in a dawn raid on a refugee camp near the city of Tulkarm in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, Palestinian and Israeli officials said. The Israeli military said the man was killed in a “counter-terrorism” operation that resulted in 18 arrests, Reuters reports. Palestinian news agency Wafa said that Fathi Saeed Odeh Salem died after snipers shot him and fired on ambulance crew. We have not yet been able to independently verify any of this information. Meanwhile, medics said at least nine Palestinians, including a member of the civil emergency service, were killed in four separate Israeli airstrikes across the territory today.
At least 45,338 Palestinian people have been killed and 107,764 injured in Israeli airstrikes on Gaza since 7 October 2023, the Gaza health ministry said in a statement on Tuesday.
Continue reading...Shyam Benegal, influential director of India’s ‘parallel cinema’, dies aged 90
The film-maker challenged mainstream Bollywood and pioneered a new wave cinema movement in the 1970s that tackled social issues
Shyam Benegal, a renowned Indian film-maker known for pioneering a new wave cinema movement that tackled social issues in the 1970s, has died aged 90 after suffering from chronic kidney disease.
Benegal passed away on Monday at Mumbai’s Wockhardt hospital and his cremation took place on Tuesday, the Press Trust of India news agency reported, quoting his daughter Piya. “Benegal had been suffering from chronic kidney disease for several years but it had gotten very bad. That’s the reason for his death,” Piya said.
Many paid tribute to the film-maker on social media platform X. “Deeply saddened by the passing of Shyam Benegal, whose storytelling had a profound impact on Indian cinema. His works will continue to be admired by people from different walks of life,” India’s prime minister Narendra Modi tweeted.