Almost 400 people were wounded Saturday during running battles between Lebanese anti-government protesters and security forces in the capital Beirut, rescue services said. It was the heaviest toll since the protests erupted three months ago, with the Red Cross and Civil Defense saying 377 people at least were rushed to hospitals or treated at the scene. More demonstrations were expected later Sunday as part of the wave of popular protests that has demanded the wholesale ouster of the Lebanese political class, which the activists condemn as inept and corrupt. Protesters had called Saturday for a week of “anger” as an economic crisis deepened while efforts remained deadlocked to form a new government to replace the one that stepped down under street pressure late last year. Saturday s clashes began after dozens of protesters, some concealing their faces with scarves, threw rocks, plant pots and other objects at anti-riot police guarding the road leading to parliament. Others tried to breach barbed wire barricades to reach the legislature building or charged police lines using traffic signs as weapons. The security forces responded with water cannon and tear gas to disperse the crowds. The Civil Defense said late Saturday 43 people were taken to hospital and that it had treated at the scene 114 others who were “slightly injured or suffered from breathing problems”. The Red Cross said it had rushed 80 people to city hospitals while 140, including both protesters and members of the security forces, were given first aid at the scene of the clashes. The state-run National News Agency said around 30 people were detained following the violence but were later released. Meanwhile security forces said they had opened an investigation after a video shared online showed police beating up people believed to be protesters as they were brought to a Beirut police station. The protest movement that has rocked Lebanon since October 17 is demanding that a new government be comprised of independent experts and exclude all established political parties. The previous government headed by veteran premier Saad Hariri stepped down on October 29 under pressure from the street but has stayed on in a caretaker capacity. The demonstrators have been denouncing rampant corruption in Lebanon and accuse authorities of being inefficient and motivated by personal and partisan gains. Political factions agreed on December 19 to appoint former education minister Hassan Diab as the new premier but have since squabbled over proposed ministers. The World Bank has warned of the worsening impact on the economy, saying the poverty rate in Lebanon could rise from a third to half of the population if the political crisis is not resolved soon. On Sunday, calls were posted online for new demonstrations near the parliament.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. military is resuming operations against Islamic State militants in Iraq and is working to soon restart training Iraqi forces, U.S. officials said Wednesday, despite deep divisions over the American drone strike that killed an senior Iranian commander in Baghdad and the resulting missile attacks by Iran on Iraqi bases. One official said some joint operations between the U.S. and Iraqi forces have already begun, but there are not yet as many as before. The official said details are still being worked out to restore the training of Iraqi forces, but that could happen relatively soon. Relations with Iraq were fractured after the U.S. launched a drone strike near Baghdad s international airport on Jan. 3 that killed Iranian Gen. Qassem Soleimani. The Parliament later voted to expel U.S. forces from the country and Prime Minister Adil Abdul Mahdi asked Washington to work out a road map for a troop withdrawal. The U.S. flatly rejected that request and has not moved to pull the more than 5,000 troops out. Officials spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss decisions not yet made public. One official said military leaders have discussed the resumption of operations with the Iraqis, but it s not clear who was involved in those talks or whether Iraqi government leaders are publicly endorsing the move. Iraqi leaders were angry about the American drone strike and the retaliatory attacks by Iran. Iranian missiles struck Al-Asad Air Base last week, and hit near another base, but warnings sounded and no one was killed or injured. Iraq officials, however, called the U.S. strike that killed Soleimani an unacceptable breach of Iraqi sovereignty. That strike also killed Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, the deputy commander of Iran-backed militias known as the Popular Mobilization Forces. And thousands of anti-government protesters turned out in Baghdad and southern Iraq, with many calling for both the U.S. and Iran to leave their country. U.S. officials, including Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, dismissed the calls for American troops to leave, saying the forces are critical to the fight against the Islamic State group. “We are happy to continue the conversation with the Iraqis about what the right structure is,” Pompeo said during one White House appearance last week. Tensions in Iraq had been spiking since late December, when a rocket attack at a base in northern Iraq killed one American contractor. The U.S. blamed Iran-backed fighters and quickly struck back. American airstrikes targeted Iranian-backed militia at five sites in Iraq and Syria, including weapons depots and command and control bases. Over New Year s, hundreds of Iran-backed militiamen attacked the highly fortified American embassy compound in Baghdad. The Pentagon deployed hundreds of additional troops to the region, and scaled back military operations and training inside Iraq. U.S. officials have said they believe Iraq is also interested in resuming the training, which has been going on since 2015, after IS began taking control of large swaths of Iraq and Syria. More details, including increased security for U.S. and coalition forces, are still being discussed. The New York Times first reported the resumption of joint military operations.

Pope Tawadros II, Pope of Alexandria and Patriarch of Saint Mark, opened on Tuesday the Cathedral of Abu Fam the Ausimi Soldier following restoration work, as part of a pastoral visit to Sohag Governorate that began last Saturday. Pope Tawadros II opened three altars, church icons and the icon holder in the cathedral, naming the main altar after the martyr Abu Fam, the front altar after Saint Anba Bishoy and the back altar the Virgin Mary. Pope Tawadros arrived in Tama accompanied by several Archbishops and Bishops, and he was received by Head of the Diocese of Tama Bishop Isaac. Sixteen bishops took part in prayers during the opening ceremonyof the cathedral. Pope Tawadros II began his visit to Sohag on Saturday and has visited five dioceses in the area.

BEIRUT (AP) — Following a brief lull, Lebanese protesters returned to the streets, blocking several roads around the capital, Beirut, and other areas of the country on Tuesday in renewed rallies against a ruling elite they say has failed to address the economy’s downward spiral. Protesters burned tires and blocked three main highways leading to the capital from the south, east and north, bringing traffic to a standstill. School and university students took part in some of the protests and hundreds marched down main highways, raising Lebanese flags and blasting rallying songs through loudspeakers. The protesters returned to the streets after several weeks of relative calm, following the designation of Hassan Diab as prime minister in mid-December. The lull was also partly due to the holidays followed by soaring regional tensions between the US and Iran that eclipsed the protesters in Lebanon and Iraq demanding sweeping political change. Samer al-Khoury, a 29-year-old protester, said the protesters were giving the politicians 48 hours to form a new government. “We need solutions,” he said. “The street is angry because some people are more poor than others; some people are dying in hospitals; some people don’t have food on their table.” Rabie al-Zain, an activist protesting in Jal al-Dib, north of Beirut, said the rallies are a reminder to the rulers that the reasons for their protests are still here. “Today we add the students to the revolution — those who will handle the country when the current rulers will go to the dustbin of history,” he said. In downtown Beirut, dozens rallied outside the Central Bank, chanting against the governor and his financial policies. Security forces separated the protesters from the bank’s entrance. In the northern city of Tripoli and in Akkar province, protesters sat in the streets and blocked several roads with burning tires or bricks. In the southern city of Sidon, dozens of protesters marched down the streets, rallying outside banks and government offices. Lebanon is facing its worst economic crisis in decades, with the local currency plummeting before the dollar, losing over 60 percent of its value over the last weeks while sources of foreign currency have dried up. Meanwhile, banks have imposed informal capital controls limiting withdrawal of dollars and foreign transfers in the country, which relies heavily on imports of basic goods. Panic has set in among residents who fear their deposits are in danger. Nationwide protests for three months have failed to pressure politicians to form a new government to institute drastic reforms. Diab, the designated prime minister, has so far failed to form an emergency government amid political divisions and jockeying for power. Prime Minister Saad Hariri resigned in late October. Speaking to foreign diplomats, President Michel Aoun said Tuesday that forming a government in these critical times requires “people who can earn the trust of the people and the parliament.” Lately, protesters had focused their ire on banks, rallying at the premises or outside banks and demanding access to their deposits. Dozens have also taunted politicians who showed up in shopping malls or restaurants, sometimes chasing them out of public places and decrying their failure to address the economic crisis. Nationwide protests began in mid-October in Lebanon, denouncing years of government mismanagement and corruption, demanding the political elite step down.

An Egyptian Coptic woman has praised the Minya Criminal Court s 10-year-sentence in absentia on Saturday of three of her assaulters, who were accused in May 2016 of attacking her and stripping off her clothes in the streets of Karam Abu Omair village, after rumors of an affair between a Muslim woman and Christian man sparked sectarian violence in Egypt s Minya Governorate. “Today I earned back my rights, after having been mercilessly stripped of my clothes and paraded in the streets. God is just and sent me a fair court decision after many people have doubted my words. We ve been kicked out of our home for several years,” said Soad Thabet, known in the media as the “Karam woman,” according to a report from Al Masry Al-Youm. She also expressed her gratitude to Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, commenting: “You ve stood by my side and supported me since the start of my struggle and you ve also built us a (new) home to accommodate us in light of the incident.” Thabet s story began in May 2016, when rumors began to circulate about an affair between a Christian man and a married Muslim woman in Karam Abu Omair village, located in Egypt s Minya Governorate. Nearly 300 Muslims assembled in the village, demonstrating their anger by setting fire to several buildings and homes, which were reportedly owned by Coptic Christians, Egypt Independent previously reported. Thabet claimed that she had been violently assaulted by a group of Muslim men during the unrest, with the mob attacking her and stripping her of her clothes in the street. Copts also set fire to houses and a storage room belonging to Muslim residents as rumors of the affair sparked outrage in the village. Thabet later filed a case in which she accused the former husband of the Muslim woman involved in the incident and the man s father of assaulting her.

TRIPOLI (Reuters) – Both of Libya s warring factions accused each other of violating a ceasefire proposed by Turkey and Russia, as fighting continued around the capital, Tripoli, on Sunday. The Turkish and Russian presidents had called for the ceasefire to start on Sunday, more than nine months into an offensive on Tripoli by the eastern-based Libyan National Army (LNA) led by Khalifa Haftar. Both the LNA and the Tripoli-based, internationally recognized Government of National Accord (GNA) had said they conditionally agreed to the truce. But the GNA said in a statement that it had recorded gunfire in the Salaheddin and Wadi Rabea areas “minutes” after the ceasefire was meant to start at 0001 a.m. on Sunday (Saturday 2201 GMT). From early on Sunday morning exchanges of fire could be heard in Salaheddin and Ain Zara districts. Any attempt to impose a lasting ceasefire will be hard to enforce because of the splintered nature of Libya s military coalitions, with disparate factions and foreign fighters deployed on both sides. Both sides refer to each other as militias. “The (GNA) militias violated the truce on more than one battlefront, with all types of weapons,” said LNA commander Al-Mabrouk Al-Gazawi, adding that forces were waiting for further instruction from LNA general command. The GNA said in a statement it had recorded violations by “the aggressor s militias” but that it “renews its commitment to the ceasefire, and emphasizes the need for commitment from the patrons of this ceasefire and the United Nations mission in Libya in applying it optimally”. Turkey s defense ministry said it had observed that all sides were trying to abide by the ceasefire, and that the situation was calm except for “one or two separate incidents”. The ceasefire call came after a recent escalation of fighting around Tripoli, and the LNA s advance into Sirte, a strategically important city midway along Libya s coastline. It also came as the United Nations and European powers pushed for a summit in Berlin aimed at winding down foreign involvement and resuming a peace process upended by Haftar s advance. The LNA has received backing from the United Arab Emirates, Jordan, Egypt and Russia, while Turkey backs the GNA and voted this month to allow a troop deployment to the North African country.

Egypt s Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities announced that a number of sites, churches and monasteries along the path following the Holy Family s journey in Egypt have been restored and opened to visitors, amid ongoing efforts to boost cultural and religious tourism in the country. Tourism and Antiquities Minister Khaled al-Anani added that Old Cairo s “Hanging Church” was reopened after the completion of restoration work, as well as the Church of the Virgin Mary in Samanoud. The Church of the Martyrs Sergius and Bacchus has also been restored and opened to the public. Also known as Abu Serga, the church was constructed over a cavern where the Holy Family was rumored to have rested after fleeing from King Herod to Egypt. Parts of the four monasteries in Wadi al-Natrun have been restored as well, according to Anani, who added that the Ministry is currently working on the reconstruction of the Virgin Mary Church in Gabal al-Tayr (mountain of the birds) area in Minya and further development of the site of the Virgin Mary s Tree in Matariya district. The Ministry also plans to issue an information catalog in both Arabic and English to document the historical journey of the Holy Family in Egypt and important sites along their path. Anani extended Christmas greetings to Egyptian Christians during visits to various sites along the Holy Family path to check up on services and ongoing development projects, including Mary s Tree, the Hanging Church, the Abu Serga Church and the Virgin Mary Church in Maadi. Tourism expert Sabri Yani, who also serves as a member of the General Assembly of the Chamber of Tourism Establishments, said that Egypt has still not managed to secure its fair share of the religious and cultural tourism industry, especially given the number of archaeological and religious sites in the country. He argued that the development of infrastructure projects and restoration work along the Holy Family s path across Egypt would help to revive cultural and spiritual tourism in the country. Spiritual or religious tourism accounts for about 4 million tourists worldwide, according to Yani. The route taken by the Holy Family in Egypt, which marks stopping points during their flight from Palestine, extends from Rafah in North Sinai and goes through the northeast through the Delta region, moving next to Cairo. The path following the Holy Family s voyage is set to run through Beheira, Sharqia, Kafr el-Sheikh, Minya, Assiut, Gharbia and North Sinai, and the trek represents the world s longest pilgrimage in a single country.

The Saint Mark Cathedral in Abbasiya celebrated Coptic Christmas on Tuesday as Pope Tawadros II of Alexandria welcomed hundreds of celebrating Christians. The pope distributed sweets to children inside one of the halls specifically prepared for that, and took photos with the attendees in the presence of the church choir who chanted Christmas carols and melodies amid great joy. Interior Minister Mahmoud Tawfiq visited Pope Tawadros II to congratulate him and all Christians, expressing sincere congratulations from the behalf of the entire police force as well. He praised the Egyptian church s role in spreading tolerance across all the people of the nation, as Egyptian history shows that the church has always been confronting efforts to divide Egyptians. Pope Tawadros II praised the police s efforts and sacrifices in facing the challenges of the current era. He stressed on the people s support towards the security services as they carried out tasks to ensure the nation s security and stability. The speaker of the House of Representatives Ali Abdel-Aal, headed a delegation of MPs to Abbasiya cathedral to offer congratulations, saying: “You, Your Holiness, are a patriotic Egyptian figure that receives the satisfaction and love of all the people.” Abdel-Aal added that any country should be reassured if it has a strong army that continues to modernize its military capabilities and combat training, alongside a national unity guarded by wise people who believe in this country, allowing Egypt to remain a source of good for the entire region.

Egypt s Coptic Orthodox Pope Tawadros II will lead this evening the Coptic Christmas mass in the Nativity of Christ Cathedral in Egypt s New Administrative Capital. Egyptian ministers, MPs and top state officials will be attending the mass. The Coptic Orthodox Church published earlier today Pope Tawadros Message for the Feast of Nativity 2020. The Papal message was translated into 19 languages. The mass will be broadcast on Egyptian terrestrial and satellite TV channels and on the radio. The Nativity of Christ Cathedral is the largest church in the Middle East, with a capacity to accommodate 8,200 worshipers. In 2018, Pope Tawadros led the first Christmas mass in the newly inaugurated New Administrative Capital s Nativity of Christ Cathedral. President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi attended the mass. Coptic Orthodox Egyptians, who make up around 90 percent of all Christians in the country, celebrate Christmas on 7 January. A minority of non-Orthodox Christians observed the holiday on 25 December. Egypt s interior ministry has intensified security measures nationwide ahead of Christmas, deploying security in main streets, axes and squares, and around vital institutions and houses of worship.

Several governors and executive officials congratulated Copts across Egypt for Christmas on January 7, ordering local units at the governorates to continue preparations to secure the celebrations. Churches and dioceses in Minya decorated their buildings to receive prayers for the Christmas mass. The Minya Security Directorate meanwhile placed security personnel at the churches, establishing a security plan in coordination with the armed forces to protect the celebrations. The governor of Minya Osama al-Qadi opened parks for free, and formed an operations room to follow up the celebrations and monitor any complaints. The governor of Luxor Mostafa Alham headed to Diocese of Saint Gerges in Armant for the Christmas celebrations. Elsewhere, the Qena Security Directorate finished preparations to secure various establishments, churches, and monasteries in cities across the governorate. The chief of the Qena Security Directorate Sherif Abdel Hamed finalized the security plan to protect the governorate s churches and monasteries. The plan includes installing metal detector gates at church entrances, iron barriers near the churches, and preventing any cars from stopping to close to the churches. Rapid Intervention Forces, and fixed and mobile patrols will be available in case of emergency. Security caravans will be available on the Western and Eastern Desert Road, Abdel Hamed said. The governor of Sharqiya Mamdouh Ghorab meanwhile followed up preparations for the service sectors across the governorate s cities for Christmas celebrations, stressing that the governorate is cooperating with executive bodies and the security directorate to implement its plan to secure the churches.

BEIRUT (AP) — Syrian government forces shelled a rebel-held village in the country s northwest on Wednesday, hitting a school and killing at least six people, opposition activists said. The attack in Idlib province, the last rebel stronghold Syria, was part of an ongoing offensive in which Syrian troops have captured more than 40 villages and hamlets over the past two weeks. Idlib is dominated by al-Qaida-linked militants and is also home to 3 million civilians. The United Nations has warned of the growing risk of a humanitarian catastrophe in the region, which lies along the Turkish border. A war-monitoring group, the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, said a teacher and four students were killed in Sunday s government shelling of the village of Sarmin. Hadi Abdullah, an Idlib-based opposition activists, gave a slightly higher death toll, saying seven people were killed, including a woman and four children. Different death tolls are common in the immediate aftermath of bombings. Syrian troops have been bombarding parts of Idlib since last month, with the shelling and airstrikes intensifying since the ground offensive began on Dec. 19. The U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said that as a result of hostilities, more than 235,000 people had been displaced between Dec. 12 and Dec. 25. Many of them have fled from the town of Maaret al-Numan, toward which the Syrian troops have been steadily advancing. Elsewhere in northern Syria, a car bombing on Wednesday in the town of Suluk, controlled by Turkey-backed opposition fighters, killed three people, according to Syrian state media and the Observatory. Areas controlled by Turkey-backed fighters have witnessed several explosions, with dozens killed and wounded in the past weeks. Turkey has blamed Syrian Kurdish fighters for the attacks. They deny the charges.

Elements of the Egyptian military have been deployed in the streets to cooperate with the interior ministry in securing public institutions, houses of worship, and major roads and traffic hubs during the New Year and Christmas celebrations, a statement from the armed forces said. The deployment comes in implementation of the directives of the general command of the armed forces, the Egyptian military spokesman said. According to the statement, security patrols, combat groups, elements of the military police, and rapid intervention forces have been deployed to protect public institutions and vital facilities, as well as to conduct joint checks and patrols in the main streets and squares to ensure the safety of citizens during the celebrations. The Coptic Orthodox Church, to which the vast majority of Egypt s Christians belong, celebrates Christmas on 7 January. The day is a bank holiday.

The committee on the legalization of churches at its Tuesday meeting approved legalizing the status of 90 churches and affiliated buildings, bringing the number legalized since the committee began work a year-and-a-half ago to 1,412 churches and buildings, Prime Minister Spokesperson Nader Saad announced. Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly chaired the Tuesday meeting in the presence of ministers of justice, parliamentary affairs, local development, housing, and representatives of the concerned authorities and Christian communities. Saad said that the committee reviewed the latest developments which took place since its last meeting on December 3, regarding the situation of the churches and its affiliated service buildings. Given the critical importance of meeting these requirements to protect citizens and preserve property, the meeting reviewed the churches fulfillment of the civil protection requirements, praising what has been implemented in this regard, he added. At the beginning of the meeting, Madbouly congratulated the Egyptian people for the new year as well as Christians for Christmas, wishing goodness for Egypt.

Egypt s Minister of Manpower Mohamed Saafan announced on Monday that Tuesday 7 January, 2020 will be a paid holiday for the private sector on the occasion of the Coptic Orthodox Christamas. Coptic Orthodox Christians, who comprise the majority of Egypt s Christians, celebrate Christmas on 7 January, following the Julian calendar. The minister offered Christmas greetings to Egyptian Christians in his statement. The Coptic Christmas has been a public holiday in Egypt since 2003.

DUBAI (Reuters) – A missile fired by Yemen s Iran-aligned Huthi group struck a military parade in Yemen s southern separatist-held town of al-Dhalea, killing at least five people and injuring others, Yemen s Security Belt forces said on Sunday. No claim of responsibility was made and Huthi media did not immediately comment on the blast or accusation. The Security Belt forces are part of a southern separatist front in south Yemen. At the same time, they are backed by the United Arab Emirates in a fight against Yemen s Iran-aligned Huthi group. Witnesses told Reuters that a blast occurred near a guest platform during the parade and that many were injured or killed. They reported seeing bodies at the scene. At least five people died and eight were injured, according to local health authority figures quoted by the Security Belt group and in a statement from the local media office of the forces which control al-Dhalea. A missile blast struck the military graduation parade area just after the ceremony involving Security Belt forces had finished, the statements said. Yemen has suffered from almost five years of conflict since the Huthi movement ousted President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi s government in late 2014. The coup drew military intervention in 2015 by a Saudi-led coalition, which includes the UAE, trying to restore Hadi s internationally recognized government. The town of al-Dhalea is controlled by southern separatist forces. It lies on the main south-to-north road linking the southern port of Aden — controlled by Hadi s government — to the Huthi-controled capital, Sanaa. A contested frontline runs across al-Dhalea province. In August the Huthis claimed responsibility for a missile and drone attack on a parade in Aden, the seat of the internationally recognized government, killing around 36 people including a prominent commander. Reporting by Reuters team in Yemen, writing by Lisa Barrington; Editing by William Maclean and Louise Heavens

A high-level delegation of Egypt s top Islamic institutions Al-Azhar and Dar Al-Iftaa visited Cairo s Coptic Orthodox Cathedral on Thursday to offer Christmas greetings to Coptic Pope Tawadros II, Pope of Alexandria and Patriarch of St. Mark Diocese. Al-Azhar Grand Imam Sheikh Ahmed El-Tayeb and ُُEgypt s Grand Mufti Shawki Allam headed the delegation that comprised a number of senior Muslim clerics. El-Tayeb said that the mutual feelings of compassion, cordiality, and visits between Muslims and Christians stem from religious teachings that commanded people to get along with each other, according to a statement by Al-Azhar sent to Ahram Online. "All prophets recommendations stressed the necessity of spreading the spirit of brotherhood among people of different religious and ethnic backgrounds," he said. Coptic Orthodox Christians, who comprise the majority of Egypt s Christians, celebrate Christmas on 7 January, following the Julian calendar. This is almost two weeks after most Western denominations, including Catholics and Protestants, hold their celebrations on 25 December. Christians make up around 10 percent of Egypt s population. Tawadros said holidays are "bridges that connect all of us as loved ones living on the same land and with common history and homeland." During the visit, El-Tayeb warned against "black clouds" of Western traditions that are "uprooting Eastern women... destroying families and dismantling Eastern society," Al-Azhar said in a statement on Thursday. Also on Thursday, the Minister of Religious Endowments Mohamed Mokhtar Gomaa and a ministry delegation visited the pope to extend Christmas felicitations.

Egypt s Catholics celebrated Christmas on Tuesday amid heightened security to secure the celebrations. The Catholics Media Office announced the beginning of the mass in several churches nationwide, including Holy Virgin Mary Coptic Catholic Cathedral. They celebrated at different times with Christmas carols in Arabic and English, as the churches were adorned with Christmas lights and trees. Anglican Diocese of Egypt are also celebrating Christmas today at the All Saints Cathedral in Zamalek, headed by Archbishop Monir Hanna Anis. In Alexandria, the pastor of the Cathedral of Resurrection of Coptic Catholics, Yohanna George, said that new CCTV cameras were installed to monitor any violations or assault on the cathedral during Christmas. Heliopolis Saint Fatima s Catholic Church will also see the mass, with the mass seeing attendances by a delegate from President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi, senior officials, police and armed forces members, and others. Saint Joseph s Roman Catholic Church is also seeing a celebration of the mass. Egypt s Christians make up about 10-14 percent of the country s 100 million population, with Catholics estimated at around 500,000. Unlike other western denominations who celebrate Christmas on 25 December, Egypt s Coptic Orthodox Christians celebrate on 7 January due to the use of a different calendar--the Julian calendar. Earlier this week, Egypt s interior ministry said it has intensified security measures nationwide ahead of Christmas and New Year Eve, deploying security in main streets, axes and squares, and around vital institutions and houses of worship, to maintain security and respond promptly and decisively to those who attempt to disturb celebrations.

Pilgrims from around the world gathered Tuesday in the biblical city of Bethlehem, revered by Christians as the birthplace of Jesus, to celebrate Christmas in the Holy Land. Palestinians and foreigners began converging on the "little town" in the Israeli-occupied West Bank from early morning, with Christmas Eve festivities taking place in and around the Church of the Nativity. Tourists queued to visit the grotto inside the church, believed to be the exact site where Jesus was born, with Ola, a Nigerian visitor, saying it was a "special day." Outside in the winter sun, hundreds watched as Palestinian scouts paraded to the sound of drums. "I feel really emotional to be here today, it s wonderful," said Germana, an Italian travelling with her husband and two children. Archbishop Pierbattista Pizzaballa, apostolic administrator of the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem and the most senior Roman Catholic official in the Middle East, was due to travel from Jerusalem to Bethlehem on Tuesday morning. He will lead midnight mass in the Church of the Nativity, with Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas expected to attend. Bethlehem is close to Jerusalem, but cut off from the holy city by Israel s separation barrier. The first church was built on the site in the fourth century, though it was replaced after a fire in the sixth century. This year celebrations were bolstered by the return of a wooden fragment believed to be from the manger of Jesus. Sent as a gift to Pope Theodore I in 640, the piece had been in Europe for more than 1,300 years before being returned last month, Francesco Patton, chief custodian for the Holy Land, said. "We venerate the relic because (it) reminds us of the mystery of incarnation, to the fact that the son of God was born of Mary in Bethlehem more than 2,000 years ago," Patton told AFP at the time. Tough Christmas in Gaza In the square by the church, Palestinian tourism minister Rula Maaya told AFP it had been a good year, with 3.5 million tourists visiting the city. But fewer Christians from the Gaza Strip were in attendance than in previous years, as Israel granted permits to just around 200 of the some 900 people who applied, said Wadie Abunassar, an adviser to church leaders in the Holy Land. The Palestinian territories of the West Bank and Gaza are separated by Israeli territory and crossing between them requires hard-to-get permits. Abunassar said Christmas remained a time for hope. "The Holy Land is not only the site of the birth and crucifixion (of Jesus), it is also the place of resurrection," he told AFP. "Despite all challenges, difficulties, pain and problems we are facing, we keep the hope in God and people."

Russia and Turkey have exchanged accusations over each other s involvement in the Libyan conflict amid calls by the Tripoli-based, UN-recognized Government of National Accord (GNA) for backing against the operations of General Khalifa Haftar s Libyan National Army (LNA). Russia has expressed concern over the deployment of Turkish troops in Libya, and the Tripoli government has called for the support of the United States, Britain, Italy and Belgium in its operations against the LNA.

Egypt s interior ministry said it has intensified security measures nationwide ahead of Christmas and New Year Eve. Security directorates deployed security in main streets, axes and squares, and around vital institutions and houses of worship, to maintain security and respond promptly and decisively to those who attempt to disturb celebrations, read a statement. The plans include boosting the security presence and deploying security checkpoints to monitor conditions, and providing rapid deployment forces in vital areas. The ministry also deployed inspection forces and secret services units, and female police to help in inspection and security operations. Coptic Egyptians, who make up 90 percent of all Christians in the country, celebrate Christmas on 7 January. Egypt is also home to a number of other denominations which observe Christmas on 25 December. Over the past years, terrorist attacks targeting churches during religious holiday seasons have left dozens of Christians killed and injured.

Dar al-Iftaa s Observatory of Takfiri Fatwas and Extremist Views in a statement warned of a mobile app called Because Communication Matters (BCM), used by sympathizers of ISIS. The observatory reported that ISIS launched the BCM app to promote its ideology. This new application appeared days after the success of the largest e-campaign against the organization since 2015, leading to the closure of about 26,000 accounts and platforms across social media websites.