Pope Leo XIV on Thursday urged Russia and Ukraine to find the "courage" to hold direct talks and spoke of the dire humanitarian situation in Gaza in his first Christmas message.
Saint Peter's, one of the world's oldest rock churches, is a sacred rallying point for the isolated Christians still left in quake-hit Antakya in southeastern Turkey, the city known in ancient times as Antioch.
Pope Leo XIV condemned the "senselessness" of war and the "open wounds" it leaves behind, as he delivered his first Christmas message on Thursday after a year marked by conflict but also hopes for peace in Gaza and Ukraine.
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Boulevard
At a church in Sumatra, dozens of worshippers sang hymns at a Christmas mass, gathered together for their first service since deadly floods swept the Indonesian island.
December 25, 2025
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Nasry Asfura, a conservative businessman backed by US President Donald Trump, was declared winner of the Honduran presidential vote Wednesday, weeks after a razor-thin election marred by delays and allegations of fraud.
December 24, 2025
RECENT NEWS
Manchester United winger Amad Diallo scored as Ivory Coast began their Africa Cup of Nations title defence with a 1-0 victory over Mozambique in Marrakesh on Wednesday.
December 24, 2025
Major US stock indices finished at fresh records Wednesday following a shortened pre-holiday session while gold and silver prices also struck fresh highs.
December 24, 2025
Cristian Romero could be hit with an extended suspension after he was charged by England's ruling Football Association with failing to leave the field and acting in an "aggressive" manner when he was sent off against Liverpool last Saturday.
December 24, 2025
Politics
Hundreds of Bolivian miners protested on Wednesday against the elimination of long-standing fuel subsidies by the government.
December 24, 2025
RECENT NEWS
The decision by African football bosses to change the Africa Cup of Nations from a biennial competition to a tournament held every four years has been met with a mixed reaction on the continent with some seeing it as simply caving in to pressure from European clubs and FIFA.
On the eve of Christmas, President Donald Trump has unleashed a fresh blast of vitriol at late-night comedy talk shows, saying comedian Stephen Colbert is a "pathetic trainwreck" who should be "put to sleep."
Captain Riyad Mahrez scored in each half as 2019 champions Algeria eased to a 3-0 win over 10-man Sudan in their opening game at the Africa Cup of Nations on Wednesday.
Flash flood warnings were in effect in Los Angeles and most of southern California on Wednesday as one of the worst Christmas storms in recent memory brought heavy rain and fears of deadly mudslides.
December 24, 2025
Sports
Manchester United manager Ruben Amorim hs urged his players to "step up" in the absence of "impossible to replace" skipper Ruben Amorim.
December 24, 2025
RECENT NEWS
A Danish video game studio said it was delaying the release of the first James Bond video game in over a decade by two months to "refine the experience".
Brazil's former president Jair Bolsonaro, imprisoned for attempting a coup, was temporarily released Wednesday to undergo surgery in the capital Brasilia, a source at the clinic told AFP.
A Serbian court dropped charges Wednesday against a former construction minister over the Novi Sad railway station canopy collapse that killed 16 people, citing a lack of evidence.
Stock markets steadied Wednesday in thin Christmas Eve trade while gold and silver prices struck fresh highs.
December 24, 2025
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