WORLD

Bethlehem, Palestinian Territories | AFP | Hundreds of Orthodox Christians began marking Christmas in Bethlehem Sunday, as protesters demonstrated against the sale of church land to Israelis. Greek Orthodox patriarch Theophilos III arrived at the Church of the Nativity, built on the traditionally recognised site of Jesus’s birth, as a …

Jerusalem, Undefined | AFP | US President Donald Trump’s national security adviser said Sunday that conditions such as guarantees on the safety of Kurdish allies must be met before American troops are withdrawn from Syria, NBC News said. John Bolton told journalists travelling with him on a trip to Israel …

Washington, United States | AFP | US President Donald Trump said Sunday negotiations are underway on the location of his next summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, while remaining evasive on its timing. Trump, who held a historic summit with Kim in Singapore in June, said earlier in …

Riyadh, Saudi Arabia | AFP |  Saudi courts will notify women by text message when they get divorced, in a new regulation that took effect on Sunday, officials said. The measure approved by the justice ministry appears aimed at curbing seemingly rampant cases of men secretly ending marriages without informing …

Bangkok, Thailand | AFP | A Saudi woman held at Bangkok airport said she would be killed if she was repatriated by Thai immigration officials, who confirmed the 18-year-old was denied entry to the country on Sunday. The incident comes against the backdrop of intense scrutiny of Saudi Arabia over …

Washington, United States | AFP | The newly installed US Congress is expected to see a fresh effort to develop new regulations for big technology firms, with a focus on tougher enforcement of privacy and data protection. The wave of data scandals that have hit Facebook and other online platforms …

Paris, France | AFP | “Yellow vest” protesters returned in force to the streets of France this weekend, clashing with police in several cities and smashing their way into a government ministry in Paris with the help of a forklift truck. The interior ministry put the number of protesters who …

Kunduz, Afghanistan | AFP | At least 30 people were killed when a gold mine collapsed in northeastern Afghanistan on Sunday, officials said, in the latest tragedy to strike the war-torn country. Another seven were injured in the incident in Kohistan district of Badakhshan province, district governor Mohammad Rustam Raghi …

Vatican City, Holy See | AFP | Pope Francis on Sunday urged EU leaders to show “concrete solidarity” with 49 migrants stranded on NGO ships off the coast of Malta who have been refused permission to land. “Forty nine migrants rescued in the Mediterranean by two NGO ships have been onboard …

  Washington, United States | AFP |  Talks aimed at ending a partial US government shutdown which entered its third week on Saturday made little progress but were to continue on Sunday, President Donald Trump said. An impasse with lawmakers over Trump’s demand for billions of dollars to pay for …