Regulators OK new Virgin casino operator as striking union members push for answersJack Schlossberg, JFK grandson and activist, latest star to get a lookalike contest
Bethlehem marks a second subdued Christmas Eve during the war in Gaza BETHLEHEM, West Bank (AP) — Bethlehem is marking another somber Christmas Eve under the shadow of war in Gaza. Manger Square lacked its usual festive lights and crowds of tourists on Tuesday. Instead, the area outside the Nativity Church was quiet. The church was built atop the spot where Jesus is believed to have been born. The war, the violence in the occupied West Bank it has spurred and the lack of festivities has deeply hurt Bethlehem's economy. The town relies heavily on Christmas tourism. The economy in the West Bank was already reeling because of restrictions placed on laborers preventing them from entering Israel during the war. Pope Francis kicks off a yearlong Jubilee that will test his stamina and Rome's patience VATICAN CITY (AP) — Pope Francis has opened the great Holy Door of St. Peter's Basilica. The ceremony kicks off the 2025 Holy Year. It's a celebration of the Catholic Church that is expected to draw some 32 million pilgrims to Rome. And it will test the pope’s stamina and the ability of the Eternal City to welcome them. This begins the Christmas Eve Mass. The ceremony inaugurates the once-every-25-year tradition of a Jubilee. Francis has dedicated the 2025 Jubilee to the theme of hope. Trump vows to pursue executions after Biden commutes most of federal death row FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) — President-elect Donald Trump says he'll “vigorously pursue” capital punishment after President Joe Biden commuted the sentences of most people on federal death row partly to stop Trump from pushing forward their executions. Trump criticized Biden’s decision on Monday to change the sentences of 37 of the 40 condemned people to life in prison without parole. Trump said that he will direct the Department of Justice to pursue the death penalty “as soon as I am inaugurated.” Trump was vague on what specific actions he may take. 21 dead as Mozambique erupts in violence after election court ruling MAPUTO, Mozambique (AP) — Violence that engulfed Mozambique after the country’s highest court confirmed ruling party presidential candidate Daniel Chapo as the winner of disputed Oct. 9 elections has killed at least 21 people, including two police officers. Mozambique Interior Minister Pascoal Ronda told a news conference in Maputo late Tuesday that a wave of violence and looting was sparked by the court’s announcement a day earlier. He said it was led by mostly youthful supporters of losing candidate Venancio Mondlane, who received 24% of the vote, second to Chapo, who got 65%. Prosecutors find workers in 'slavery like' conditions at Chinese car company site in Brazil RIO DE JANEIRO, Brazil (AP) — A task force led by Brazilian prosecutors says it has rescued 163 Chinese nationals working in “slavery-like” conditions at a construction site in northeastern Brazil, where Chinese electric vehicle company BYD is building a factory. The Labor Prosecutor’s Office released videos of the dorms where the construction workers were staying, which showed beds with no mattresses and rooms without any place for the workers to store their personal belongings. In a statement issued Monday, the prosecutor’s office said the workers had been hired in China by Jinjian Group, one of the contractors on the site, which is located in Camaçari, a city in the Salvador metropolitan region. NFL players who use platform to share their faith say it's their duty to spread their love of Jesus ALLEN PARK, Mich. (AP) — Jake Bates was standing on the turf in his hometown of Houston when asked to reflect on an unlikely journey from learning how to sell bricks to making game-winning kicks for the Detroit Lions. Bates used his platform as an NFL player to spread his love of Jesus. A month later, Bates told The Associated Press it is a duty to share his faith. The NFL is filled with players and coaches who feel the same way, such as Houston's C.J. Stroud, Atlanta's Kirk Cousins, and Lamar Jackson and John Harbaugh of the Baltimore Ravens. Stunning photos show lava erupting from Hawaii's Kilauea volcano HONOLULU (AP) — Lava is erupting from Hawaii’s Kilauea volcano for the second straight day. The eruption has stayed within Kilauea’s summit caldera inside Hawaii Volcanoes National Park and no homes are threatened. Molten rock began spewing out of the volcano before dawn on Monday when fissures opened in the caldera floor and shot lava high into the air. It then oozed across the caldera floor. Scientists expect activity to fluctuate in coming days. The lava paused Monday afternoon but fountains reemerged Tuesday morning. The eruption has occurred in an area that’s been closed to the public since 2007 due to hazards including crater wall instability and rockfalls. Haiti gang attack on journalists covering a hospital reopening leaves 2 dead, several wounded PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (AP) — Haiti’s online media association confirms that two reporters were killed and others wounded in a gang attack on the re-opening of Port-au-Prince’s biggest public hospital. Street gangs have taken over an estimated 85% of Haiti’s capital, Port-au-Prince, and they forced the closure of the General Hospital early this year. Authorities had pledged to reopen the facility Tuesday but as journalists gathered to cover the event, suspected gang members opened fire in a vicious Christmas eve attack. The killed journalists were identified as Markenzy Nathoux and Jimmy Jean. An unspecified number of reporters had also been wounded in the attack, which was blamed on the Viv Ansanm gang. Hurricane-force winds bear down on California, latest in stretch of extreme weather LOS ANGELES (AP) — California has been hit hard by extreme weather over the past several weeks. Atmospheric rivers, which are long stretches of wet air that can produce heavy rains, brought a record-setting rainfall before Thanksgiving. A series of atmospheric rivers are producing strong waves and storms near Santa Cruz this week. Thousands were left under evacuation warnings and orders because of a fire around Malibu. Climate change means that strong storms will be responsible for a greater share of the state's yearly precipitation and the periods between those events will be drier. Heavy travel day starts with brief grounding of all American Airlines flights WASHINGTON (AP) — American Airlines briefly grounded flights nationwide due to a technical problem just as the Christmas travel season kicked into overdrive and winter weather threatened more potential problems for those planning to fly or drive. Government regulators cleared American flights to get airborne Tuesday about an hour after the Federal Aviation Administration ordered a national ground stop, which prevented planes from taking off. American said in an email that the problem was caused by vendor technology in its flight operating system. Aviation analytics company Cirium said flights were delayed across American’s major hubs, with only 37% leaving on time. Nineteen flights were cancelled.
With 36 bills to pass, one less senator and only one day left in parliament - Australia's decision makers are in for a wild ride. The federal government has been chipping away at its agenda since Monday, but with only a few more hours to go in the last sitting week of the year, Labor will have to go warp speed to tick off its remaining items. Centrepiece proposals like the social media ban for children younger than 16, clean energy incentives known as Future Made in Australia, and migration laws that would give the government powers to deport non-citizens are among the 36 bills that will be brought before the Senate on Thursday. Asked if politicians would have to endure a marathon 24-hour sitting, manager of government business in the senate Katy Gallagher did not rule it out. "If that is how we get these important bills through, then we are prepared to sit and wait," she told ABC radio. It is not uncommon for senators to vote through the night, though it remains unclear whether every piece of legislation has the support needed to pass. Discussions have continued giving rise to last-minute amendments and other negotiations have reached an impasse. "Peter Dutton's opposition ... want to block, they'll engage and they'll keep you hanging, and then they block," Senator Gallagher said. "They're not interested in implementing reform." Senator Gallagher has said the government will go to other members of the Senate to get its legislation across the line. However, that has become more difficult as the Senate suspended independent senator Lidia Thorpe on Wednesday night after she threw pieces of paper at Pauline Hanson over a racism row. This means Senator Thorpe has been barred from the chamber and will be unable to vote on any legislation. Members of the Senate have also raised concerns that the compressed timeline will not allow bills to be properly considered, with Nationals senator Matt Canavan arguing that each piece of legislation would only receive 15 minutes of debate assuming the chamber sat for its usual nine-hour day. "What other workplace gets to knock off in November and not back until February?" he wrote on X, formerly Twitter. "Let's come back next week, keep working and properly scrutinise..." But Senator Gallagher has insisted on pushing ahead. "These are important bills, we're being upfront, we're allowing time," she said. A federal election must be held by May 17, but if the government opts for an earlier contest, politicians may not return to Parliament House before Australians go to the polls.