'One Bethlehem church nativity scene has infant Jesus lying among the rubble'

Christmas is canceled in the land of Jesus' birth

Queen Rania Al Abdullah in The Washington Post

Bethlehem usually comes alive at Christmas, writes Queen Rania of Jordan in The Washington Post, but not this year. In the Holy Land, "celebrations have been canceled". In the occupied West Bank, one Bethlehem church's nativity scene has the infant Jesus among "the rubble of a bombed-out building". International organisations are calling Gaza "a graveyard for children. How perverse that the Holy Land should be described as something so profoundly unholy."

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Spate of Iranian executions cannot go unchallenged

Jawad Iqbal in The Times

Iran's mullahs are "waging an increasingly deadly war against their own people", says Jawad Iqbal in The Times. More than 127 Iranians have reportedly been executed since October, including women and children, despite international bans on the death sentence for minors. There is also "more than a whiff of suspicion that the regime is taking advantage of the world's focus on Gaza" to quietly crack down on opponents and dissidents.

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Britain's declining birth rate is becoming a problem too big to ignore

Fraser Nelson in The Daily Telegraph

"Fears of a demographic decline are growing across Europe," writes Fraser Nelson in The Telegraph. But what should be a "dry, statistical topic" is being treated as a "dangerous conspiracy theory of the far right". Some believe that discussions of the "birth gap" should "not be allowed to take place", despite plummeting birth rates. But the "natalism debate" matters; it's about the future of society. Politicians who won't address these issues "may well end up forced to make way for those who will".

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'It's behind you': Panto helped me beat depression

Beverley Callard on the i news site

"The fun and laughter of pantomime is the perfect antidote for the dark and cold weather outside," says actress Beverly Callard on the i news site. In 2010, "I struggled badly with severe clinical depression" and "the magic of pantomime is almost healing for me". Panto offers "a sense of escapism" and "a healthy dose of slapstick", as well as "an opportunity to shout and cheer. People always feel happier after a show."

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