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Bethlehem (West Bank), Dec 25 (AP) Bethlehem marked another somber Christmas Eve on Tuesday in the traditional birthplace of Jesus under the shadow of war in Gaza. The excitement and cheer that typically descends on the West Bank during Christmas week were nowhere to be found. The festive lights and giant tree that normally decorate Manger Square were missing, as were the throngs of foreign tourists that usually fill the square. Also Read | Bill Clinton Health Update: Former US President Is out of MedStar Georgetown University Hospital After Being Treated for Flu. Palestinian scouts marched silently through the streets, a departure from their usual raucous brass marching band. Security forces arranged barriers near the Church of the Nativity, built atop the spot where Jesus is believed to have been born. The cancellation of Christmas festivities is a severe blow to the town's economy. Tourism accounts for an estimated 70% of Bethlehem's income — almost all from the Christmas season. Salman said unemployment is hovering around 50% — higher than the 30% unemployment across the rest of the West Bank, according to the Palestinian Finance Ministry. Also Read | American Airlines Operations Up and Running Again After Brief Grounding Due to Systemwide Technical Issues on Christmas Eve. Latin Patriarch Pierbattista Pizzaballa, the top Roman Catholic cleric in the Holy Land, noted the shuttered shops and empty streets and expressed hope that next year would be better. “This has to be the last Christmas that is so sad,” he told hundreds of people gathered in Manger Square, where normally tens of thousands would congregate. Pizzaballa held a special pre-Christmas Mass in the Church of the Holy Family in Gaza City. Several Palestinian Christians told the Associated Press that they have been displaced in the church since the war began in October of last year with barely enough food and water. “We hope by next year at the same day we'd be able to celebrate Christmas at our homes and go to Bethlehem,” said Najla Tarazi, a displaced woman. “We hope to celebrate in Jerusalem ... and for the war to end. This is the most important thing for us and the most important demand we have these days because the situation is really hard. We don't feel happy.” Bethlehem is an important center in the history of Christianity, but Christians make up only a small percentage of the roughly 14 million people spread across the Holy Land. There are about 182,000 in Israel, 50,000 in the West Bank and Jerusalem and 1,300 in Gaza, according to the U.S. State Department. The number of visitors to the town plunged from a pre-COVID high of around 2 million per year in 2019 to fewer than 100,000 in 2024, said Jiries Qumsiyeh, the spokesperson for the Palestinian Tourism Ministry. After nightfall, the golden walls of the Church of the Nativity were illuminated as a few dozen people quietly milled about. A young boy stood holding a pile of balloons for sale, but gave up because there were no customers to buy them. The war in Gaza has deterred tourists and has prompted a surge of violence in the West Bank, with more than 800 Palestinians killed by Israeli fire and dozens of Israelis killed in militant attacks. Palestinian officials do not provide a breakdown of how many of the deceased are civilians and how many are fighters. Since the deadly Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas attack that sparked the war, access to and from Bethlehem and other towns in the West Bank has been difficult, with long lines of motorists waiting to pass through Israeli military checkpoints. The restrictions have prevented some 150,000 Palestinians from leaving the territory to work in Israel, causing the economy there to contract by 25%. In the Oct. 7 assault on southern Israel, Hamas-led militants killed about 1,200 people, most of them civilians, and took more than 250 Israeli hostages. Israeli officials believe that around 100 hostages remain in captivity in the Gaza Strip. Elsewhere, Christmas celebrations were also subdued. Syrians protest after Christmas tree burned Scores of Syrian Christians protested Tuesday in Damascus, demanding protection after the burning of a Christmas tree in Hama the day before. Videos and images shared on social media showed the large, decorated tree burning at a roundabout in Suqalabiyah, a town in the Hama countryside. It remains unclear who was responsible for setting the tree on fire. In a video that circulated on social media, a representative of Syria's new leadership, Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham, could be seen visiting the site and addressing the community. He said: “This act was committed by people who are not Syrian, and they will be punished beyond your expectations.” Germans mourn after Christmas market attack German celebrations were darkened by a car attack on a Christmas market on Friday that left five people dead and 200 people injured. President Frank-Walter Steinmeier rewrote his annual recorded Christmas Day speech to address the attack. He plans to acknowledge that “there is grief, pain, horror and incomprehension over what took place in Magdeburg,” while urging Germans to “stand together,” according to an early copy of the speech. Heavy snow hits the Balkans A snowstorm in the Balkans stranded drivers and downed power lines, but some saw the beauty in it. “I'm actually glad its falling, especially because of Christmas,” said Mirsad Jasarevic in Zenica, Bosnia. “We did not have snow for Christmas for 17 years here, and now is the time for wonderful white Christmas.” Planes grounded in the United States American Airlines briefly grounded flights across the U.S. on Tuesday due to a technical problem just as the Christmas travel season kicked into overdrive. Winter weather threatened more potential problems for those planning to fly or drive. Meanwhile, the flight-tracking site FlightAware reported that 1,447 flights entering or leaving the U.S., or serving domestic destinations, were delayed Tuesday, with 28 flights canceled. Spanish ministries bring seafarers holiday cheer In the port of Barcelona, Spain, volunteers from the faith-based ministry Stella Maris visited seven ships docked there on Christmas Eve to deliver Nativity scenes and the local specialty of turrón (nougat candy) to seafarers. The volunteers met seafarers from India, the Philippines, Turkey and elsewhere, said Ricard Rodríguez-Martos, a Catholic deacon and former merchant marine captain who leads Stella Maris in this major Mediterranean harbor. (AP) (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
Published 4:48 pm Monday, November 25, 2024 By Data Skrive There are four games featuring a ranked team on Tuesday’s college basketball schedule. Watch women’s college basketball, other live sports and more on Fubo. What is Fubo? Fubo is a streaming service that gives you access to your favorite live sports and shows on demand. Use our link to sign up for a free trial. Catch tons of live women’s college basketball , plus original programming, with ESPN+ or the Disney Bundle.
Roblox Stock Price: The Gaming Titan’s Market Dance! Discover Its Tech-Driven Future
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Nasdaq surges above 20,000 after US inflation data matches estimatesAnalysis: Protecting QBs from violent late hits like the one that leveled Trevor Lawrence isn't easy
Boston Scientific Corp. stock underperforms Monday when compared to competitorsBiden claims he pardoned Hunter because he was targeted by DOJ — but these 4 celeb cases show first son got kid-gloves treatmentNEW YORK — U.S. stock indexes got back to climbing Dec, 11 after the latest update on inflation appeared to clear the way for more help for the economy from the Federal Reserve. The S&P 500 rose 0.8 percent Wednesday to break its first two-day losing streak in nearly a month and finished just short of its all-time high. So-called Big Tech stocks led the way, which drove the Nasdaq up 1.8 percent to top the 20,000 level for the first time. The Dow Jones Industrial Average, meanwhile, lagged the market with a dip 0.2 percent. Stocks got a boost as expectations built that Wednesday's inflation data will allow the Fed to deliver another cut to interest rates at its meeting next week. Traders are betting on a nearly 99 percent probability of that happening, according to data from CME Group, up from 89 percent Tuesday. If they're correct, it would be a third straight cut by the Fed after it began lowering rates in September from a two-decade high. Lower rates would give a boost to the economy and to prices for investments, but they could also provide more fuel for inflation. "The data have given the Fed the 'all clear' for next week, and today's inflation data keep a January cut in active discussion," according to Ellen Zentner, chief economic strategist for Morgan Stanley Wealth Management. Expectations for a series of cuts to rates by the Fed have been one of the main reasons the S&P 500 has set an all-time high 57 times this year, with the latest coming last week.
Stock up on these popular board games for your next get-togetherThe long-term outlook for the stock of Divi’s Laboratories (₹5,846.75) will remain positive as long as the price holds above ₹4,650. In the short-term it could move in a narrow range with a positive bias. Immediate support levels for the stock are at ₹5,750 and ₹5,423. On the other hand, if the stock manages to close above ₹5,950, it has the potential to reach a new high. F&O pointers: The counter witnessed a rollover of 31 per cent to January series, which is quite healthy. Divi’s Lab Jan futures at ₹5,890.45 and Dec futures at ₹5,855.35 against the spot price of ₹5,846.75 signals existence and rollover of long positions. Option trading indicates that the stock could move in the ₹5,400-6,400 range. Strategy: Consider a bull-call spread using January options. Initiate by simultaneously selling 6000-strike (₹145.60) and buying the 5,900-strike (₹188.75) call options. The net cost for this strategy would be ₹43.15 or ₹4,315 (market lot 100 shares). The maximum loss (if the stock closes below ₹5,900 on expiry) would be the premium paid (₹4,315). However, a profit of ₹5,685 is possible should the stock rise to ₹6,000 before expiry. Hold the position for at least two weeks. Traders who can afford to take higher risk, can just buy Divi’s Lab 6,000-call (₹145.60) rather than executing a call spread. Target and stop-loss can be ₹225 and ₹60 respectively. Follow-up: Dixon Technologies provided profit opportunities last week as expected. Note: The recommendations are based on technical analysis and F&O positions. There is a risk of loss in trading Comments
NoneMIAMI — The sense of dread proved all too real Tuesday, with the Miami Heat announcing that guard Dru Smith sustained a season-ending torn left Achilles tendon in Monday night’s victory over the Brooklyn Nets. Having recently emerged as a prime rotation component in his comeback from his season-ending knee injury a year ago, Smith was helped off the court with 8:18 left in Monday night’s second quarter, a collective shudder enveloping Kaseya Center. For his coach and teammates, this was more than a player on a two-way contract going down. It was seeing it happen again. Last November, Smith shredded his right knee on a misstep off a ledge on the Cleveland Cavaliers court. Then came Monday, with Smith still wearing a protective brace on his right knee. “You don’t want to see anybody get hurt,” coach Erik Spoelstra said. “But we all have such incredible deep respect for his journey, what he’s had to overcome. I’ve been in the building all those times the last year, when nobody else was here and he was doing all the extensive treatment and rehab around the clock. He just has incredible fortitude. So you end up absolutely rooting for guys like Dru.” The non-contact injury came with the Heat facing a Sunday deadline to sign another player to a standard contract, required to get back to 14 under standard deals within 14 days of the recent trade of center Thomas Bryant to the Indiana Pacers. That spot was expected to go to Smith, which still could be the case. Such an elevation would more than double Smith’s salary from his two-way deal. The loss of Smith further exacerbates the Heat’s lack of depth at point guard. Among outside options are elevating undrafted rookie guard Isaiah Stevens from the Heat’s G League affiliate, the Sioux Falls Skyforce, or outside available free agents such as Dennis Smith Jr. or Elfrid Payton. For now, according to a source, the Heat later this week will upgrade two-way forward Keshad Johnson to a standard contract and then add another two-way player, likely Stevens. As of now, it appears Dru Smith will remain under Heat two-way contract. Johnson eventually could be flipped back to a Heat two-way deal. But personnel machinations hardly were on the mind in the wake of Smith, who turns 27 on Dec. 30, going down. “All we can do is pray for him,” center Bam Adebayo said. “But it’s definitely a gut punch because he’s sitting next to me on the plane and we have conversations a lot. We really talk about basketball and really reflect on just how grateful we are to have the life that we live. “So to have a guy that’s that pure have an injury, we pray for him and hope the best for him.” Since going undrafted out of Missouri in 2021, Smith has had several stints with the Heat and the team’s G League affiliate, including a season-ending knee injury in 2022 while with the Skyforce. Through it all, he earned this season’s two-way deal and persevered to a degree that teammate Jimmy Butler lobbied for Smith’s elevation into the first unit. Recently, Smith arguably had been at the top of his NBA game. And then came Monday night. “I feel like it’s been the last week and a half, two weeks, he’s really been playing well,” guard Tyler Herro said. “But all the work he put in to come back from the knee injury last year and where he was at before tonight, it’s just really unfortunate to see him go down. “He’s one of my favorite teammates, one of my favorite players to play with. So it’s really heartbreaking. So it’s unfortunate.” ©2024 South Florida Sun-Sentinel. Visit sun-sentinel.com . Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
Some Atlantic City casino workers call on union boss to resign for opposing a smoking ban
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