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[John]

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A Peruvian woman called Virgin Mary gave birth to a baby boy on Christmas Day and named him Jesus, it has emerged. Skip related content
The baby's father, Adolfo Jorge Huamani, 24, is a carpenter.

Virgen Maria Huarcaya delivered the 7.7lb (3.5kg) boy, Jesus Emanuel, in the early hours of Christmas at the central maternity hospital in Lima, the capital.

The country's main newspaper said: "Two thousand years later the story of Bethlehem is relived."

Mr Huamani said: "A few days ago we had decided to name my son after a professional soccer player. But thanks to a happy coincidence this is how things ended up".

Yahoo.

[John]

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[JohnCenaFan28]

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[JohnCenaFan28]

Israeli warplanes retaliating for rocket fire from the Gaza Strip have pounded dozens of security compounds across the Hamas-ruled territory in unprecedented waves of airstrikes, killing more than 200 people and wounding nearly 400 in the single bloodiest day of fighting in years.

Most of those killed were security men, but an unknown number of civilians were also among the dead.

Hamas said all of its security installations were hit, threatened to resume suicide attacks, and sent at least 50 rockets crashing into Israeli border communities, according to the Israeli military's count. One Israeli was killed and at least six people were wounded in the rocket attacks.

The strikes caused widespread panic and confusion in Gaza, as black clouds of smoke rose above the territory, ruled by Hamas for the past 18 months. Some of the Israeli missiles struck in densely populated areas as children were leaving school, and women rushed into the streets frantically looking for their children.

The offensive began eight days after a six-month truce between Israel and the militants expired. During that time, the military says, rocket and mortar squads have fired 200 projectiles at Israeli targets, and in recent days, Israeli leaders had been voicing strong threats to launch a major offensive.

Israeli defence Minister Ehud Barak said Israel would expand the operation if necessary. "There is a time for calm and there is a time for fighting, and now is the time for fighting," he told a news conference. He did not say whether a ground offensive was planned.

Asked earlier if Hamas political leaders might be targeted next, military spokeswoman Major Avital Leibovich said: "Any Hamas target is a target."

Prime Minister Gordon Brown, the Vatican, the UN and special Mideast envoy Tony Blair all called for an immediate restoration of calm, and the Arab League scheduled an emergency meeting Sunday to discuss the situation.

White House spokesman Gordon Johndroe said: "Hamas's continued rocket attacks into Israel must cease if the violence is to stop. The United States urges Israel to avoid civilian casualties as it targets Hamas in Gaza."

In Gaza City's main security compound, bodies of more than a dozen uniformed Hamas police lay on the ground. The Gaza police chief was among those killed.

-Nova

[JohnCenaFan28]

There were emotional scenes around the UK as around 200 Woolworths stores closed their doors for the last time.

The plight of the redundant staff was summed up by one assistant, single mother Sarah Meehan, who said she was preparing for the "worst New Year ever" as she faces unemployment.

Woolworths stores across the country were stripped bare as staff sold absolutely everything - including fixtures and fittings - for anything they could get.

A Noel Edmonds Telly Addicts computer game, a New Kids on The Block CD and two stained office chairs - advertised for 50p each - were among the few remaining items at the store where Ms Meehan worked in Portobello Road, Notting Hill, West London.

The store was stripped bare on its final day of trading. The rows of Pick 'n' Mix - which had been brightly adorned with sweets and chocolates - were reduced to empty crates as shoppers took advantage of reductions of up to 95%.

But while some bargain hunters were delighted with their purchases, Ms Meehan, 20, said she was "devastated".

She said: "This has ruined Christmas for my family and now I'm expecting the worst New Year ever. We have all noticed the financial problems on Portobello Road - the market has never been so quiet. Even my grandmother is worried and she's been working here for 65 years.

"My worst fears are for my three year old - we all do our best to go out and work but I have been unable to find anything. It's only going to get worse."

The high street institution was little more than an empty shell - but shoppers still made the most of the remaining bargains, with three DVDs being sold for £5 and posters reduced to as little as 5p.

Anthony Green, 60, from Westbourne Grove, said the shop had been in "decline for several years". He added: "I think this is the sign of much worse to come for everyone on the high street. It is really quite depressing standing in here, surrounded by all this discarded stock."

-Nova

[JohnCenaFan28]

Katherine Jenkins arrived at Harrods to a chorus of boos as dozens of anti-fur campaigners protested against the Welsh singer's decision to open the store's winter sale.

Protesters chanted "shame on Catherine" as the mezzo soprano arrived at the historic Knightsbridge store by horse-drawn carriage. The boos were eventually drowned out by claps and cheers from bargain hunters queuing outside as Jenkins - wearing a black dress with white detail - was ushered into the store by chairman Mohamed al Fayed.

The queues started to form outside the shop overnight, a Harrods spokesman said. Further cheers were heard as Catherine began the traditional annual countdown to mark the start of the sales.

Jenkins reportedly stepped in after chart-topping singer Leona Lewis refused a lucrative invite to open the sales because of Harrods' policy to sell fur.

Campaigner John Wilson, from the Coalition to Abolish Fur Trade, said: "We are gathered here today because of our disgust at Ms Jenkins who professes to be against animal cruelty and the fur trade.

"We understand that Harrods is now the only major store in the UK to sell imported fur."

Followed by a group of bagpipe players, Jenkins and al-Fayed visited the shop's stationery, pets and musical instruments department.

Jenkins was then pictured buying two Jasmine di Milo dresses - one in grey and one in black.

Vegetarian Jenkins said she tried not to let the campaigners "dampen everyone's fun".

Flanked by her mother Susan, who joined her on the tour, the singer said: "I was very excited to join the sales - I am a girl's girl, so obviously this is my idea of fun. Personally I do not eat meat or wear fur, but people are entitled to their opinions."

-Nova

[JohnCenaFan28]

Queues formed outside shops from 4am and online shoppers even faced waiting times to get on to retail websites as bargain-hunters shrugged off the recession to spend at the sales.

Next was one of the first to let shoppers through the doors, kicking off its sale at 5am in stores nationwide.

The half price or less sale was so popular that online shoppers faced a wait of up to 20 minutes to get on to the company's website.

Marks & Spencer, which attracted 25,000 people in the first hour of its online sale on Christmas Day, offered more bargains when its sale started in stores from 6am on Saturday.

There were also queues at Harrods where opera singer Katherine Jenkins declared the sale open at 9am, prompting a scramble for bargains like Gucci boots reduced from £320 to £179.

Saturday's bargain bonanza follows a difficult month with slow sales in early December prompting price cutting on a level never seen before on the High Street. Spending picked up just before Christmas and many stores reported frenetic Boxing Day trading.

The number of Boxing Day shoppers nationwide was up 2.3% on last year, according to Springboard, which monitors 27 locations in London's West End and across 50 other major towns and cities in the UK.

The West End overall saw 3.5% more people than Boxing Day last year while the number in Oxford Street was up 5.4%.

Jace Tyrrell, of the New West End Company, said the post Christmas bargain-hunt was fantastic news for many shops which suffered an anxious start to the month. But he added people seemed to be spending more carefully.

Mr Tyrrell said the strong euro was helping London with a high number of European visitors visiting the capital to shop.

-Nova