'Tis the season! From Google Doodle to Kerala fishermen to US President Donald Trump, here is a curation of some bitter-sweet Christmas stories.
Donald Trump is having a lonely Christmas in White House!
Yes, you read that right. on his third straight day holed up inside the White House during the partial US government shutdown which he initiated over demands to construct a border wall, President Donald Trump vented his frustration on Twitter. "I am all alone (poor me) in the White House waiting for the Democrats to come back and make a deal on desperately needed Border Security. At some point the Democrats not wanting to make a deal will cost our Country more money than the Border Wall we are all talking about. Crazy," Trump tweeted.
Earlier, on Christmas eve the President and first lady Melania Trump took calls from children anxious to find out where Santa is on his gift-giving journey.
In one conversation, Trump asked a 7-year-old named Coleman, "Are you still a believer in Santa?"
He listened for a moment before adding, "Because at 7, it's marginal, right?" Trump listened again and chuckled before saying, "Well, you just enjoy yourself."
Church bells silenced at this Nagaland Church
The burial of a Bible recently sparked a row in Nagaland, leading to 'no Christmas celebrations' at a church in the state's Wokha district.
The rift cropped up between two groups of clergymen after R Sanga Keivom, general secretary of Assemblies of God of East India, published a notice announcing the “excommunication” of Pastor Nzio Ezung for alleged “unscriptural practice”. Following this, on December 21, the Wokha authorities issued an order banning entry into the Assemblies of God church.
Nagaland has never before shut down a church during Christmas considering the state has an over 90% Christian population.
When techies turned Santa for Kerala fisherfolk
The boats of Kerala fishermen had taken a beating who had undertaken a mammoth task of rescuing people during the August floods. Most of their equipment was damaged to an extent rendering them useless leaving them jobless for months together.
This has not lasted long as techies have come forward to help out fishers at Alappad and Kollam. As many as 14 boats were refurbished and handed over to the fishers by the Group of Technology Companies and Natana, the cultural organisation of techies
Google's special Christmas doodle
The search engine began posting their annual 'Happy Holidays' doodles from Sunday. The first illustration showed a bunch of elves tossing presents into Santa Claus' sleigh as the reindeer awaited clearance for takeoff.
Not a Merry Christmas for these nuns
For sisters at the St Francis Mission House, Kuravilangad, it's not so festive this year. The price of their protests seeking arrest of Franco Mulakkal, the former bishop of Jalandhar has costed them dearly as they have sidelined by their own colleagues from the Christmas celebrations at the convent.
Santa gets pushed out in China
At least four Chinese cities and one county have ordered restrictions on Christmas celebrations this year, according to official notices and interviews, thanks to the growing emphasis on traditional culture by the ruling Communist Party and the systematic suppression of religion under President Xi Jinping
CM Bhupesh Baghel's christmas gift to himself - a cabinet expansion
For newly elected Chhattisgarh CM, this Christmas has every reason to rejoice! In his first ever cabinet expansion, Bhupesh Baghel inducted nine Congress MLAs, including a woman legislator, as ministers.
Christmas cheer for Rajya Sabha MPs
Rajya Sabha Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu last week announced that December 24 and 26 will be a holiday for the House to give an extended weekend break for Christmas celebrations. The MPs now get to enjoy a five-day break beginning Saturday, December 22.
White gifts for the needy
Centenary Methodist English Church in Nampally, Hyderabad had a special Secret Santa wherein they distributed 'white gifts' which are a way of sharing the joy of Christmas with those who belong to the weaker sections of the society. The Church would distribute about 300 gifts to those in need.