Despite COVID, Christmas in Bethlehem brings back joy in troubling times
By DW
22 December 2021 |
8:46 am
Christmas in Bethlehem is usually a festive and colorful season. This year, festivities in the Palestinian town are set to return — but the COVID pandemic is still casting a shadow on the celebrations.
Related
25 Dec 2021
With Israel having closed its borders to most foreigners, Bethlehem's residents are getting ready for a muted holiday season.
26 Dec 2021
With Europe still grappling with Covid-19, Talking Europe speaks to Christa Schweng, President of the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC).
25 Dec 2021
At least one officer was injured and 11 demonstrators were arrested in an unofficial rally in Munich as police described the behavior of protesters as "aggressive."
25 Dec 2021
The pandemic claimed more than 600,000 lives in Brazil. But an effective vaccination campaign has turned the tide. While the pandemic may not be causing the havoc it did in the first half of 2021, it remains a major challenge.
26 Dec 2021
The head of the World Health Organization says rich countries are merely prolonging the pandemic by fueling vaccine inequality. "No country can boost its way out of the pandemic," he says.
25 Dec 2021
Instead, mRNA vaccines use mRNA created in a laboratory to teach our cells how to make a protein—or even just a piece of a protein—that triggers an immune response inside our bodies. That immune response, which produces antibodies, is what protects us from getting infected if the real virus enters our bodies.
25 Dec 2021
The latest polls find a majority of Americans regard the supply chain crisis as a major concern.
26 Dec 2021
The person who died was between the ages of 60 and 79, according to the Robert Koch Institute health body. Germany has also registered a spike in omicron infections in recent days.
26 Dec 2021
Antiviral drugs like Paxlovid could slash hospitalizations and deaths from coronavirus. Treatment would bring us a step closer to the end of the pandemic.
26 Dec 2021
Pope Francis said that those who are indifferent to the poor "offend God." In a Christmas season overshadowed by coronavirus worries, he also urged followers to value the "little things in life."
28 Dec 2021
The Greek and Tunisian coast guards have also reported successful rescue missions. Nonetheless, dozens of people have died in shipwrecks in the Mediterranean over the past several days.
28 Dec 2021
Three BTS members — Suga, RM and Jin — have tested positive for COVID-19. The superstar group had recently returned to South Korea from the United States where they held their first in-person concerts since the pandemic.
Latest
12 mins ago
Firefighters in the German capital are still trying to secure an explosives disposal site amid a continuing wildfire. Parts of the wooded area are reportedly also littered with munitions.
12 mins ago
Sports coach and aspiring model Patience Ramavhale battled depression and anxiety throughout a troubled childhood. But her love of sports and passion for coaching not only developed her young athletes, but also helped Patience improve her mental health. Don’t Hold Back’s Nozibele Qamngana Mayaba catches up with Patience over the customary snack on how using sports can improve your mental health.
1 hour ago
A young Nigerian graduate has embarked on an ambitious drive to address Nigeria's worrying levels of voter apathy. He says he's troubled by the "emotional detachment" from political activities by most people — especially in northern Nigeria.
1 day ago
A year ago, the Taliban retook Kabul. In their first press conference after seizing power in Afghanistan, they surprised the world with the announcement of moderate policies. A key pledge was to address women's rights.
1 day ago
Translation and language-learning giants like Google and DuoLingo are expanding language databases available online, in a push to widen representation and reduce bias in artificial intelligence systems. Residents in countries like Uganda where the native tongue Luganda is not taught in schools, say adding their languages to these platforms could be a game changer.
1 day ago
Germany's €9 monthly travel pass has boosted rail usage, particularly in more rural and tourist areas, the latest statistics suggest. However, road usage is virtually unchanged, suggesting little impact on commuters.