Online World News

James Cleverly: women’s rights group the Fawcett Society called his words ‘sickening’. Home secretary has apologised for remark at Downing Street reception about spiking his wife’s drink The home secretary is facing calls to resign after making jokes about spiking his wife’s drink with a date rape drug at a Downing Street reception. James Cleverly  apologised  for making the remarks just hours after the  Home Office  announced plans to crack down on spiking – putting drugs into another person’s drink or directly into their body without their knowledge. But campaigners said his comments were likely to be “upsetting and triggering” to victims of spiking and sexual assault, and called for an overhaul of attitudes that normalised “banter” about date rape and coercive control. Cleverly told guests at a Downing Street reception that “a little bit of Rohypnol in her drink every night” was “not really illegal if it’s only a little bit”, the Sunday Mirror reported. He also la...

  A priest walks by the Church of the Nativity, traditionally believed to be the birthplace of Jesus, on Christmas Eve, in the West Bank city of Bethlehem, Dec. 24, 2023. BETHLEHEM, WEST BANK —  The normally bustling biblical birthplace of Jesus resembled a ghost town Sunday, as Christmas Eve celebrations in Bethlehem were called off due to the Israel-Hamas war. The festive lights and Christmas tree that normally decorate Manger Square were missing, as were the throngs of foreign tourists who gather each year to mark the holiday. Dozens of Palestinian security forces patrolled the empty square. The gift shops were slow to open on Christmas Eve, although a few did once the rain had stopped pouring down. There were few visitors, however. "This year, without the Christmas tree and without lights, there's just darkness," said Brother John Vinh, a Franciscan monk from Vietnam who has lived in Jerusalem for six years. He said he always comes to Bethlehem to mark Christmas, but ...

  Mauricio Pochettino admits his Chelsea team need to be more clinical after Wolves condemned them to an an eighth Premier League defeat of a tepid campaign. Second-half goals from Mario Lemina and Matt Doherty secured victory for the hosts, who recorded successive league wins against Chelsea for the first time in nearly half a century. Substitute Christopher Nkunku headed home in injury time on his Premier League debut but it was not enough to salvage a point for the Blues, who lost a fourth consecutive away league game for the first time since December 2000. This was another day when Chelsea's failings in attack came back to haunt them. They have now have failed to convert 36 big chances in the league this season - the most of any team. Pochettino said: "We feel very disappointed because I think we deserve much more. This competition wounds you when you are not clinical enough. "We created chances, that is why it is so disappointing. We conceded after a few corners and ...

  Laura Lynch - a bassist and later vocalist - left the group in 1995 Laura Lynch - a founding member of the US country music band the Dixie Chicks - has died in a car crash. She was 65. The Texas Department of Public Safety said she died after being involved in a collision between two vehicles near the city of El Paso on Friday. Reacting to the news, the current band members said in a post on Instagram that they were "shocked and saddened". "We hold a special place in our hearts for the time we spent playing music, laughing and travelling together. "Laura was a bright light...her infectious energy and humour gave a spark to the early days of our band. "Laura had a gift for design, a love of all things Texas and was instrumental in the early success of the band. "Her undeniable talents helped propel us beyond busking on street corners to stages all across Texas and the mid-West," the band said, adding that their thoughts were with Laura's "fa...