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A social-media tribute to Coptic Christians. A billboard in Amish country. A visit to a revered Jewish gravesite. While Donald Trump had a lock on the white evangelical vote, he and his campaign allies also wooed smaller religious groups, far from the mainstream. His campaign aggressively courted niche communities with the understanding that every vote could be critical, particularly in swing states. Voter surveys such as exit polls, which canvass broad swaths of the electorate, aren’t able to gauge the impact of such microtargeting, but some backers say the effort was worth it. Just one week before the election, Trump directed a post on the social-media platform X to Coptic Christians in the United States —- whose church has ancient roots in Egypt. He saluted their “Steadfast Faith in God, Perseverance through Centuries of Persecution and Love for this Great Country.” “This was the first time seeing a major U.S. presidential candidate address the community in this manner,” said Mariam Wahba, a Coptic Christian and research analyst with the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, a Washington-based research institute. “It was really a profound moment.” She said many Copts share the conservative social views of other Christian groups in the Republican constituency, and they may already have been Trump supporters. But the posting reinforced those bonds. Coptic bishops sent the president-elect congratulations after his victory and cited their “shared social and family values.” Some Assyrian Christians — another faith group with Middle Eastern roots — similarly bonded with Trump, whose mispronunciation of “Assyrian” at a rally created a viral video moment and drew attention to their support. Sam Darmo, a Phoenix real estate agent and co-founder of Assyrians for Trump, said many community members cited the economy, illegal immigration and other prominent voter issues. They echoed other conservative Christians’ concerns, he said, on issues such as abortion, gender identity and religious expression in public. But he said Trump supported various Middle Eastern Christians recovering from the Islamic State group’s oppressive rule. Darmo also credited Massad Boulos, father-in-law to Trump’s daughter , Tiffany, for mobilizing various Middle Eastern Christian groups, including Chaldean Catholics, and other voters, particularly in Michigan, such as Muslims. “He brought all these minority groups together,” he said. “We’re hoping to continue that relationship.” But members of Middle Eastern-rooted Christian groups, and their politics, are far from monolithic, said Marcus Zacharia, founder of Progressive Copts, a program of Informed Immigrants, an organization that promotes dialogue on sensitive topics among such groups in the United States and Canada. He said many younger community members question Trump’s stances on issues such as immigration, and sense that conservatives sometimes tokenize them by focusing on the plight of persecuted Christians in the Middle East while neglecting wider issues of repression in countries there that the U.S. supports. He said there needs to be more informed dialogue across the political divide in these communities. “There is no more high time than these next four years to have that way of conducting conversations,” he said. Republicans also made an aggressive push for Amish voters, particularly in the swing state of Pennsylvania, where they are most numerous at about 92,000 — with many below voting age. The GOP has made similar efforts in the past, even though researchers have found that less than 10% of the Amish typically vote, due to their separatism from society. But Republicans used billboards, mailers, ads and door-to-door campaigners to drive turnout in Lancaster County, Pa., home base to the nation’s largest Amish settlement. On election day, Amish voters Samuel Stoltzfus and his wife, Lillian Stoltzfus, said they were supporting Trump, citing their anti-abortion beliefs. “We basically look at it as murder,” Stoltzfus, 31, said outside a polling center in the Lancaster County community of New Holland, where dozens of other members of the local Amish community voted. Trump has wavered on the issue, dismaying some abortion opponents, though many have said Republicans still align more closely to their views. Stoltzfus added: “Make America great again and keep the moral values,” he said. “Let’s go back to the roots.” Steven Nolt, a history professor at Elizabethtown College in Lancaster College who studies the Amish and their voting patterns, said that while it’s too early to say definitively without further research, he doesn’t see evidence of a larger turnout this year. Lancaster County as a whole — most of which is not Amish — is a GOP stronghold that Trump won handily, though both parties’ votes edged up from 2020, according to unofficial results posted by the Pennsylvania Department of State. Trump’s biggest increases were in urban or suburban areas with few Amish, while some areas with larger Amish populations generally saw a modest increase in the Trump vote, said Nolt, director of the college’s Young Center for Anabaptist and Pietist Studies. “Bottom line, percentage-wise, not much change in the parts of Lancaster County where the Amish live,” he said. Trump directly reached out to members of the Chabad Lubavitch movement, a prominent and highly observant branch of Orthodox Judaism. On Oct. 7, the anniversary of the Hamas attack on Israel that triggered the Gaza war , Trump made a symbolically resonant visit to the “Ohel,” the burial site of the movement’s revered late leader, Rabbi Menachem M. Schneerson. Wearing a yarmulke, the traditional Jewish skullcap, Trump, who has Jewish family members, brought a written prayer to the Ohel and laid a small stone at the grave in keeping with tradition. The site in New York City, while particularly central to Chabad adherents, draws an array of Jewish and other visitors, including politicians. About two-thirds of Jewish voters overall supported Trump’s opponent, Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris, according to AP VoteCast, a survey of more than 120,000 voters. But the Trump campaign has made a particular outreach to Orthodox Jews, citing issues including his policies toward Israel in his first administration. Rabbi Yitzchok Minkowitz of Chabad Lubavitch of Southwest Florida said it was moving for him to see images of Trump’s visit. “The mere fact that he made a huge effort, obviously it was important to him,” he said. Smith writes for the Associated Press. AP journalist Luis Henao contributed to this report.
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Clara Strack scored 24 points and grabbed 10 rebounds, Teonni Key had 16 points and 13 rebounds and No. 14 Kentucky defeated Arizona State 77-61 on Tuesday in the Music City Classic to remain unbeaten. Kentucky nearly had four players with double-doubles as Georgia Amoore added 20 points and nine rebounds and Amelia Hassett had eight points and nine rebounds for the Wildcats (6-0), who shot 42% and scored 13 points off 14 Arizona State turnovers. Javascript is required for you to be able to read premium content. Please enable it in your browser settings. Get any of our free email newsletters — news headlines, obituaries, sports, and more.Joint statement by Arab, Astana process countries call for political solution in Syria
The word "Merci" was projected on to the front of Paris' Notre-Dame cathedral as it reopened, in thanks for its salvation after a devastating fire that brought the 860-year-old building close to collapse five years ago. or signup to continue reading The first responders who helped preserve the Gothic masterpiece and some of those who subsequently restored it received a standing ovation after the Archbishop of Paris, Laurent Ulrich, struck the doors of Notre-Dame three times with his crozier before symbolically reopening the building. "I stand before you to express the gratitude of the French nation, our gratitude to all those who saved, helped and rebuilt the cathedral," French President Emmanuel Macron said on Saturday. "Tonight we can together share joy and pride. Long live Notre-Dame de Paris, long live the Republic and long live France." Minutes earlier, the cathedral's bells rang out and Macron welcomed guests including US President-elect Donald Trump. Pope Francis said it was a day of "joy, celebration and praise". In a message read aloud, the pope hoped "the rebirth of this admirable church would constitute a prophetic sign of the renewal of the Church in France". Notre-Dame has been meticulously restored, with a new spire and rib vaulting, its flying buttresses and carved stone gargoyles returned to their past glory and white stone and gold decorations shining brightly once again. Getting Trump to attend, and organising a meeting between him and Ukraine's leader Volodymyr Zelenskiy at the Elysee Palace ahead of the Notre-Dame ceremony, was a coup for Macron as he faces a political crisis at home, after parliament ousted his prime minister. Trump shook hands with Britain's Prince William and heads of state and government as he made his way to the front of the cathedral. He sat next to Macron in the front row. Earlier, guests stood and applauded as Zelenskiy walked into the cathedral. Tesla billionaire Elon Musk also attended, as did Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and former French presidents Francois Hollande and Nicolas Sarkozy. Earlier, tourists snapped pictures with the restored building in the background as final preparations for the event went on inside. Some Parisians were particularly thrilled. "What does Notre-Dame mean to me? This. Look, it's here," said careworker Pascal Tordeux, displaying a tattoo on his arm representing the cathedral. "It means everything." On the evening of April 15, 2019, dismayed Parisians rushed to the scene and TV viewers worldwide watched horrified as the fire raged through the cathedral. "The planet was shaken on that day," Macron said ahead of Saturday's event. "The shock of the reopening will – I believe and I want to believe – be as strong as that of the fire, but it will be a shock of hope." Visitors can now book a free ticket online, on the Cathedral's website. But on Saturday, the first day bookings could be made for the coming days, all tickets were gone, a message on the site said. Group visits will be allowed next year and the Catholic Church expects the cathedral to welcome 15 million visitors each year. Thousands of experts - from carpenters and stonemasons to stained glass window artists - worked around the clock for the last five years, using age-old methods to restore, repair or replace everything that was destroyed or damaged. "Notre-Dame is more than a Parisian or French monument. It's also a universal monument," said historian Damien Berne. The cathedral's first stone was laid in 1163, and construction continued for much of the next century, with major restoration and additions made in the 17th and 18th centuries. Money poured in for the renovation from all over the world - more than 840 million euros ($A1.4 billion). DAILY Today's top stories curated by our news team. 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DEAN McCullough has been blasted by I'm A Celebrity fans as he made a 'cheeky' request to Danny Jones. Viewers watched as Maura Higgins and Reverend Richard Coles finally arrived in the main camp. They had successfully won their secret mission and subsequent eating challenge, meaning the celebrities all received a junkfood buffet. But as they all returned to camp, talk shifted to the sleeping arrangements for their new additions. McFly's Danny Jones immediately moved into a bed, giving up his uncomfortable hammock. But Radio 1's Dean McCullough didn't seem impressed, asking Danny if he could move to the bed beside the mice and rats. more on i'm a celebrity Danny declined, leaving Dean less than happy, before he later took a nap on the bed. I'm A Celebrity viewers at home fumed on social media over the exchange, with one writing: "Dean just spent the night on a comfy luxurious bed and is back in the camp not even 10 minutes and expecting Danny to swap his bed for his own comfort." A second wrote: "Dean not only didn’t give his bed up but wanted Danny to swap with him. What a twat." "Can’t believe Dean asking Danny to switch beds, firstly if he had any decency he should of offered Rev Richard a bed to sleep in and took the hammock, no morals that one," raged a third. Most read in TV While a fourth commented: "Dean expecting Danny to give his bed up for him but won’t give it up for Richard." Meanwhile, Dean was left furious at Coronation Street's Alan Halsall for waking him up from a nap to help Jane Moore collect firewood. Read Rebekah Vardy's latest I'm A Celebrity column here . i'm A Celebrity is back for its 24th series, with a batch of famous faces living in the Aussie jungle. The Sun's Jake Penkethman takes a look at the stars on the show this year.. Coleen Rooney - Arguably the most famous name in the camp, the leading WAG, known for her marriage to Wayne Rooney , has made a grand return to TV as she looks to put the Wagatha Christie scandal behind her. The Sun revealed the mum-of-four had bagged an eye-watering deal worth over £1.5million to be on the show this year making her the highest-paid contestant ever. Tulisa - The popstar and former X Factor judge has made her triumphant TV comeback by signing up to this year's I'm A Celeb after shunning TV shows for many years. Known for being a member of the trio, N-Dubz , Tulisa became a household name back in 2011 when she signed on to replace Cheryl on ITV show The X Factor in a multi-million pound deal. Alan Halsall - The actor, known for playing the long-running role of Tyrone Dobbs on ITV soap opera Coronation Street , was originally signed up to head Down Under last year but an operation threw his scheduled appearance off-course. Now he has become the latest Corrie star to win over both the viewers and his fellow celebrities. Melvin Odoom - The Radio DJ has become a regular face on TV screens after rising to fame with presenting roles on Kiss FM, BBC Radio 1 and 4Music. Melvin has already been for a spin on the Strictly dancefloor and co-hosted The Xtra Factor with Rochelle Humes in 2015 but now he is facing up to his biggest challenge yet - the Aussie jungle . GK Barry - The UK's biggest social media personality, GK, whose real name is Grace Keeling, has transformed her TikTok stardom into a lucrative career. Aside from her popular social media channels, she hosts the weekly podcast, Saving Grace, and regularly appears on ITV talk show, Loose Women . She has even gone on to endorse popular brands such as PrettyLittleThing, KFC and Ann Summers. Dean McCullough - A rising star amongst this year's bunch of celebs , Dean first achieved notability through his radio appearances on Gaydio and BBC Radio 1. He was chosen to join the BBC station permanently in 2021 and has featured prominently ever since. He has enjoyed a crossover to ITV over the past year thanks to his guest slots on Big Brother spin-off show, Late & Live. Oti Mabuse - The pro dancer has signed up to her latest TV show after making her way through the biggest programmes on the box. She originally found fame on Strictly Come Dancing but has since branched out into the world of TV judging with appearances on former BBC show The Greatest Dancer as well as her current role on ITV's Dancing On Ice . Danny Jones - The McFly star was drafted into the programme last minute as a replacement for Tommy Fury. Danny is the second member of McFly to enter the jungle , after Dougie Poynter won the show in 2011. He is also considered a rising star on ITV as he's now one of the mentors on their Saturday night talent show, The Voice , along with bandmate Tom Fletcher . Jane Moore - The Loose Women star and The Sun columnist is braving the creepy crawlies this year. The star is ready for a new challenge - having recently split from her husband . It will be Jane's first foray into reality TV with the telly favourite having always said no to reality shows in the past. Barry McGuigan - Former pro boxer Barry is the latest fighting champ to head Down Under following in the footsteps of Tony Bellew and Amir Khan . It comes after a tough few years for Irish star Barry, who lost his daughter Danika to bowel cancer . He told The Late Late Show in 2021: "She was such an intrinsic part of the family that every day we ache." Maura Higgins - The Irish TV beauty first found fame on Love Island where she found a brief connection with dancer Curtis Pritchard . Since then, she has competed on Dancing On Ice as well as hosting the Irish version of the beauty contest, Glow Up. Since last year, she has been working on building up her career in the US by being the social media correspondent and host of Aftersun to accompany Love Island USA. She even guest hosted an episode of the spin-off, Love Island Games, in place of Maya Jama last year. Rev. Richard Coles - Former BBC radio host the Rev Richard Coles is a late arrival on I’m A Celebrity , and he's ready to spill the beans on his former employer. The former Communards and Strictly star , said the BBC did not know its a**e from its elbow last year. An insider said: "Rev Coles will have a variety of tales to tell from his wild days as a pop star in the Eighties, through to performing on Strictly and his later life as a man of the cloth."1st Test Live: Jaiswal, Rahul will look to build on the big lead vs Australia
Taylor Swift has reportedly made life-altering decision, moving there fulltime to get closer with Kansas City Chiefs player Travis Kelce. The pair who started dating 12 months ago keep attracting public attention due to their increasingly close relationship and rumors about possible engagement. ET Year-end Special Reads Take That: The gamechanger weapon's India acquired in 2024 10 big-bang policy moves Modi government made in 2024 How governments tried to rein in the social media beast Taylor Swift Relocates to Nashville After the end of her massively popular Eras Tour, Taylor Swift's attention turned to her private life. According to Page Six, Swift has relocated to Nashville, bringing her closer to Kelce's Kansas home," observes the writer. The new setup also gives her the flexibility to be at more of his games, as Swift is already a fixture at Chiefs games. Also Read : Donald Trump's worries mount after the MAGA war; now this: Low-income voters worry he'll cut benefits on which they rely The step happens at a pivotal stage in their relationship, that has been accompanied with sightings on the streets and also mutual back rubs. Just the other week Swift was seen cheering on Kelce as the Chiefs took on the Texans on December 21, confirming her level of commitment. According to reports, Kelce reportedly threw an epic celebration of Swift's 35th birthday in the form of an Eras Tour-themed surprise party in Kansas City. Friends and family came for the party, with themed decorations and friendship bracelets and references to Swift's hit albums. They reported that Swift was "blown away" by Kelce's generous act and said it was "thoughtful. 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While engagement rumors are swirling, neither Taylor nor Travis has confirmed any engagement news. How did Travis Kelce celebrate Taylor Swift's birthday? Travis Kelce surprised Taylor with a themed party inspired by her Eras Tour, which included friends, family, and creative details that left her "blown away." (You can now subscribe to our Economic Times WhatsApp channel )
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About 500 additional hospital beds need to be provided each year – the equivalent of a new hospital annually – to keep up with Ireland’s projected population growth, former taoiseach Leo Varadkar has said. Delivering the Irish Medical Organisation ’s annual Doolin lecture in Dublin on Saturday, the former Fine Gael leader and minister for health said he feared the pipeline of new hospital development projects was not sufficiently strong. He suggested a new €1 billion hospital was needed in Galway , where the existing facility is “just not what it should be”, and that significant investment was also required in Limerick and elsewhere. Mr Varadkar said he hoped the next programme for government would include a commitment to open about 5,000 additional hospital beds. He forecast that the Irish population would reach six million by about 2040. “When I was minister for health we had three hospital projects on the go – the national children’s hospital , the national forensic mental health hospital in Portrane and the National Rehabilitation Hospital in Dún Laoghaire. Two of these are open and the other will probably be commissioned next year or in 2026,” he said. However, Mr Varadkar said he was worried about the pipeline of capital development projects coming after that. He said the planned national maternity hospital project – to replace the existing facility at Holles Street – was “crawling along” and had not yet gone to tender or for construction. He said the “type of projects that we need – some of the big extensions” are not coming “which kind of worries me”. During his address to an audience at the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland , Mr Varadkar said a shortage of hospital beds was at the heart of a lot of the problems in the Irish health system. “We have done a terrible thing in policy terms – a lot done with advice from medics and specialists – by reducing hospital beds by far too much and making the emergency department the only way through which most patients can get into the hospital,” he said. “That is a fundamental thing that has not been resolved yet.” [ Lucy Nugent has been appointed new chief executive of Children’s Health Ireland Opens in new window ] Mr Varadkar said in his defence as a former minister for health that he stopped the closure of hospital beds. He said over recent years governments had been increasing the bed stock “but not anywhere near what is required”. He forecast that health spending and health staffing would increase further in the years ahead but not at the rate experienced in recent times. He said the health service and the public should be “prepared for that”. He suggested health spending could rise by 3 or 4 per cent, about an additional €1 billion year, but not by €2 billion annually. “When I was minister for health, 2014-2016, at that time there were about 9,000 whole-time-equivalent doctors and dentists employed by the HSE ,” he said. “It is now at 14,000 – there has been a 50 per cent increase in number of doctors and dentists. A further 50 per cent increase would not be sustainable and not affordable.” Mr Varadkar also said Ireland was “an outlier” in terms of the number of staff in the health service who were trained overseas. He said 51 per cent of nurses and midwives in Ireland were foreign trained as well as more than a third of doctors. “[There is] no other country in the western world where the numbers are that high. Norway and the UK are not that far off, but we are a definite outlier in that regard,” he said. “Of course there is nothing wrong with being a foreign-trained doctor. My dad is one and was a very popular GP in west Dublin. “There is something not right when more than half of nurses are foreign trained and one third of doctors are.” “Something that has to be looked at in the years ahead both in terms of the number of people being training and what more we can do to ensure that more people who go abroad come back.” He said that more healthcare professionals who went abroad stayed there for good compared with those working in other sectors. Martin Wall is the former Washington Correspondent of The Irish Times. He was previously industry correspondent