Month: December 2019

Bethlehem (Palestinian Territories) (AFP) – A wooden fragment believed to be from the manger of Jesus arrived in his birthplace of Bethlehem on Saturday amid great ceremony after more than 1,300 years in Europe. A Palestinian scout band playing bagpipes, drums and saxophones accompanied the relic as it arrived in Manger Square, an AFP reporter…

BETHLEHEM, West Bank (AP) — A tiny wooden relic that some Christians believe to be part of Jesus’ manger arrived Saturday in its permanent home in the biblical city of Bethlehem 1,400 years after it was sent to Rome as a gift to the pope. Cheerful crowds greeted the ornately encased relic with much fanfare…

French hunters are facing calls for compulsory breathalyser tests before bearing arms amid fears that a spike in the number of deaths this year could be drink-fuelled. Eight people have already died in hunting accidents since September and the season still has another three months to run.  The death toll has already surpassed the seven…

A Republican candidate hoping to unseat Rep. Ilhan Omar has been permanently banned from Twitter after writing several posts suggesting the Minnesota congresswoman be tried for treason and, if found guilty, hanged. Danielle Stella, an ardent Trump supporter, echoed the unsubstantiated conspiracy theory that Omar shared classified intelligence with the Iranian government. In a Tuesday…

WASHINGTON –  A candidate running for the Republican primary to challenge Democratic freshman Congresswoman Ilhan Omar has been permanently banned from Twitter after tweeting about hanging Omar for treason.  Danielle Stella, who is a candidate for Minnesota’s 5th Congressional District, tweeted Tuesday, “If it is proven @IlhanMN passed sensitive info to Iran, she should be tried for #treason and…

Associated Press/J. Scott Applewhite The campaign account of a Republican vying for Rep. Ilhan Omar’s seat was banned from Twitter after accusing Omar of treason and suggesting she should be hanged, The Washington Times first reported. Danielle Stella’s campaign account, @2020MNCongress, promoted unsubstantiated claims that Omar illegally shared sensitive government information with Qatar and Iran.…

(Bloomberg) — Clouds of tear gas returned to Hong Kong over the weekend as police and protesters clashed, signaling pro-democracy rallies are set to drag on after demonstrators got a boost from an election win and support from the U.S. Congress. Tensions rose in the former British colony as thousands of black-clad protesters marched in…

HONG KONG (AP) — Hundreds of silver-haired activists joined young Hong Kong protesters for a unity rally Saturday, vowing that their monthslong movement will not fade away until there is greater democracy in the Chinese territory. The rally at a park downtown was among several peaceful gatherings by protesters this week to keep up pressure…

By Poppy McPherson and Kate O’Donnell-Lamb HONG KONG (Reuters) – Police fired tear gas to disperse thousands of anti-government protesters in Hong Kong on Sunday, ending a rare lull in violence, as residents took to the streets chanting “revolution of our time” and “liberate Hong Kong”. The protest in the busy shopping district of Tsim…

Riyadh (AFP) – Saudi Arabia became the first Arab nation Sunday to take over the G20 presidency as it seeks to bounce back onto the world stage following global uproar over its human rights record. The oil-rich kingdom has promoted a liberalisation drive, including granting greater rights to women, but faced strong criticism over a…