Turkish authorities detained 115 suspected members of the so-called “Islamic State” (IS) terrorist group on Thursday, the Istanbul chief prosecutor’s office said.

Police said they obtained information that members of the group had planned attacks in the country during Christmas and New Year celebrations, the prosecutor’s office said in a statement posted to X.

Special police units launched simultaneous raids at 124 locations in Istanbul and detained 115 of the 137 suspects they were seeking, the statement said.

Several pistols and ammunition were seized during the raids, it added. The police’s counter-terrorism operation is still ongoing.

Extremist groups still active in Syria

Turkey, which shares a 900-plus-kilometer (560-mile) border with Syria, has vowed to continue support for Syria’s fight against extremist groups, including IS.

Ankara has been a strong backer of the interim government in Damascus since former dictator Bashar Assad was overthrown last year.

Syria’s interim leader Ahmad Al-Sharaa, who once had ties to al-Qaida, has vowed to distance himself from extremist groups in a quest to build unity in the country.

Although IS has lost much of its sway and territory in Syria, the terrorist group continues to remain active as a loosely linked network rather than a self-declared caliphate with control over cities and territories.

This week, Turkey’s intelligence agency conducted an operation along the Afghanistan-Pakistan border and captured a Turkish national. According to the agency, the individual held a senior role in the Islamic State group.

Edited by: Dmytro Hubenko

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President Donald Trump’s takeover of the Kennedy Center Honors show saw ratings for the annual event tank with 35 percent fewer viewers than last year, according to a report.

Trump became the first president to host the awards that aired Tuesday night after he boasted that the venue’s board and “just about everybody else in America” had requested he take center stage.

But according to preliminary Nielsen data, the televised awards show on CBS “drew its smallest ever audience on December 23, averaging an estimated 2.65 million viewers,” Programming Insider reports. “To put that in perspective: the 2024 broadcast averaged 4.1 million,” the media ratings website noted.

Trump’s opening remarks from the event that happened on December 7, which lasted 12 minutes, were cut by CBS to two minutes for viewers watching at home, according to The Washington Post.

The president touted the event on Truth Social Tuesday morning and billed it as “THE TRUMP KENNEDY CENTER HONORS” after a board voted last week to rename the iconic Washington memorial and performing arts center after Trump.

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President Donald Trump’s takeover of the Kennedy Center Honors show saw ratings for the annual event tank, with 35 percent fewer viewers than last year, according to preliminary figures. (Getty Images)

Leadership at CBS News reportedly instructed staffers to refer to the event’s original name, not the “Trump Kennedy Center Honors.”

In an email to staffers, obtained by the Post, CBS leadership said the network would continue to refer to the event and building as the “Kennedy Center” because the change would require Congressional approval.

“If the president or other administration officials use the new name in a soundbite, that is their prerogative,” the email reportedly said.

Another note to staffers reportedly followed that read: “We should NOT be calling it Trump Kennedy Center, or the Trump Kennedy Center Honors, unless quoting from those who don’t realize an official name change only comes from Congress.”

The move to rename the venue, a decision that was voted on by a board handpicked by Trump, was not a legal one, according to critics.

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Leadership at CBS News reportedly instructed staffers to refer to the event’s original name, not the ‘Trump Kennedy Center Honors’ (Reuters)

“Under current law, there I think is very little question that the Kennedy Center board cannot rename the Opera House after Melania Trump or pretty much anybody else and would need Congress’s permission for anything like that,” David Super, a Georgetown law professor, told the Post earlier this year, as Congress was mulling renaming the center for the president or the first lady. “… That statute is pretty unequivocal, and I can’t really find any loopholes in it.”

Relatives of Kennedy sharply criticized the decision to rename the center.

Maria Shriver, Kennedy’s niece, wrote on X that the decision left her “speechless, and enraged, and in a state of disbelief.”

Jack Schlossberg, the late president’s grandson, claimed the decision to rename the center was motivated by his ongoing campaign for Congress in New York.

“Our campaign represents everything Trump can’t stand or defeat,” Schlossberg wrote on X.

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NEED TO KNOW

• Sofia Vergara shared several holiday-themed photos with her pet Chihuahua Amore on Instagram on Wednesday, Dec. 24
• The Chihuahua of Vergara’s son Manolo, Baguette, also made a special appearance in the photos
• The actress began posting photos of Amore in April 2024 and celebrated the pup’s second birthday in November

Sofia Vergara is decking the holidays with some beloved pets!

The Griselda actress, 53, shared several holiday-themed photos on Instagram on Wednesday, Dec. 24 of her and her puppy Amore looking festive as they posed in front of a golden Christmas tree. 

Vergara could be seen wearing a red velvet jumpsuit as she held up her Chihuahua, who wore a red hood with a white fur ball on top — comparable to a Santa hat — for the camera. Golden presents wrapped in gold bows to match the tree could be seen scattered next to them. 

The actress wore a silver drop necklace and matching silver earrings with natural makeup and a nude lip for the photos, which also included several snaps of Amore with a collar that featured a red Christmas bow.

Sofia Vergara with her Chihuahua Amore and Baguette.

Sofia Vergara/Instagram

Her son Manolo Vergara’s Chihuahua Baguette, could also be seen making a cameo in the photos. In one snap, the light-colored pup posed in front of Vergara’s legs with a bright red cape on. 

Vergara ended the Instagram carousel with a closeup photo of herself holding up Amore, who appeared to have a pouty look while wearing both the red hood with fur on top and red Christmas bow collar.

“Feliz Navidad a todos mis seguidores!!! Los quiero!! Gracias por estar siempre ahi!!!🎄❤️,” she captioned the photo, which translates to, “Merry Christmas to all my followers!!! I love them!! Thank you for always being there!!! 🎄❤️.”

The Modern Family alum began sharing photos of Amore to her Instagram account in April 2024 and the pup even made an appearance with Vergara in PEOPLE’s Beautiful Issue in May of that year.

She could be seen posing with the black and white-colored pup over her shoulder as she wore a strapless black gown. In her interview with PEOPLE, Vergara even called out for the pup who wore a miniature diamond necklace and even called him, “my love.” 

Sofia Vergara poses with her pup Amore on Instagram.

Sofia Vergara/Instagram

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Vergara previously opened up to PEOPLE about watching Amore and her son’s dog Baguette, saying, “Manolo has a dog, and on the weekends he just drops the dog at my house. And [similarly], I used to drop [Manolo] at my mom’s house during the weekend so that I could at least go out every once in a while.”

In November, Vergara celebrated Amore’s second birthday with a tribute on Instagram. Alongside several photos of the pup in various outfits and posing with her, she wrote, “Feliz cumpleaños Amore!🥳❤️ 2.”

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California residents are bracing for a second wave of life-threatening floods as roads turned to rivers and mudslides engulfed homes on Christmas Day. 

The holiday period is forecast to be a washout for the Golden State this year, with meteorologists warning that up to eight inches of rain is expected to hit several areas including Los Angeles County and Santa Barbara over the next four days. 

California officials have warned holiday travelers to avoid roads due to the series of winter storms which are continuing to bring flash flooding and even tornadoes. 

Hundreds of residents have been evacuated, while 160,000 homes were without power on Christmas morning, according to PowerOutage.com.  

Governor Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency in Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, San Diego, and Shasta counties as the winds and rain intensified. 

Areas like Altadena which were scorched by the wildfires in January are especially vulnerable, as residents were only just beginning to rebuild when the floods struck their partially-constructed properties. 

The burn scar areas were also stripped of vegetation by fire, making the land less able to absorb water.  

Storms began to move in late Tuesday evening and were expected to intensify throughout Christmas Day, meanwhile a ‘clipper’ weather system is due to submerge much of the West Coast and Midwest in rain and snow. 

The holiday period is forecast to be a washout for the Golden State this year, with meteorologists warning that up to eight inches of rain is expected to hit several areas including Los Angeles County and Santa Barbara over the next four days

Stormy weather struck California on Christmas Day, prompting hundreds of evacuations

San Bernardino County firefighters said they rescued people trapped in cars Wednesday when mud and debris rushed down a road leading into Wrightwood, a resort town in the San Gabriel Mountains about 80 miles (130 kilometers) northeast of Los Angeles. It was not immediately clear how many were rescued.

Firefighters also went door to door to check homes, and the area was under a shelter-in-place order, officials said. An evacuation order was issued for Lytle Creek, also in the San Gabriel Mountains.

Travis Guenther and his family were trapped in Lytle Creek after roaring waters washed out the only bridge in or out of their neighborhood. More than a dozen neighbors took shelter at a community center or found hotel rooms.

‘Everybody that left to go to work this morning is stuck,’ he said. ‘Half the families are here, and half the families are on the other side of the creek.’

Guenther said he had plenty of supplies and was coordinating with other in the community of about 280 people. Two nurses who live on his street offered to help anyone who may need medical attention.

Janice Quick, president of the Wrightwood Chamber of Commerce and a resident of the mountain town for 45 years, said a wildfire in 2024 left much of the terrain without tree coverage.

The storm also stranded Dillan Brown, his wife and 14-month-old daughter at a rented cabin in Wrightwood with almost no food and only enough diapers for about another day. 

Roads leading off the mountain and to a grocery store became blocked by rocks and debris, Brown said.

A resident learned of his situation and posted a call for help in a Facebook group. In less than an hour, neighbors showed up with more than enough supplies to ride out the storm, including bread, vegetables, milk, diapers and wipes.

‘I think we’re a little sad and upset that we’re not going to be home with our families,’ Brown said, but the ‘kindness shown is definitely an overwhelming feeling.’

Areas along the coast including Malibu were under flood warnings until Wednesday evening, and wind and flood advisories were issued for much of the Sacramento Valley and the San Francisco Bay Area.

Several roads including a part of Interstate 5 near the Burbank Airport closed due to flooding.

The storms were the result of multiple atmospheric rivers carrying massive plumes of moisture from the tropics during one of the busiest travel weeks of the year.

California officials have warned holiday travelers to avoid the roads due to the series of winter storms which are continuing to bring flash flooding and even tornadoes

Hundreds of residents have been evacuated, while 160,000 homes were without power on Christmas morning, according to PowerOutage.com

Southern California typically gets half an inch to 1 inch (1.3 to 2.5 centimeters) of rain this time of year, but this week many areas could see between 4 and 8 inches (10 to 20 centimeters) with even more in the mountains, National Weather Service meteorologist Mike Wofford said.

Heavy snow and gusts created ‘near white-out conditions’ in parts of the Sierra Nevada and made mountain pass trave treacherous. 

Officials said there was a ‘considerable’ avalanche risk around Lake Tahoe, and a winter storm warning was in effect until Friday morning.

Gov. Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency in six counties to allow state assistance in storm response.

The state deployed emergency resources and first responders to several coastal and Southern California counties, and the California National Guard was on standby.

The California Highway Patrol reported a seemingly weather-related crash south of Sacramento in which a Sacramento sheriff’s deputy died. 

James Caravallo, who was with the agency for 19 years, was apparently traveling at an unsafe speed, lost control on a wet road and crashed into a power pole, CHP Officer Michael Harper said via email.

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King Charles has delivered his speech to the nation and the commonwealth, paying tribute to our greatest generation of war heroes and calling for peace and forgiveness throughout the world

The King has spoken of the “need to cherish the values of compassion and reconciliation”, as he delivered a message of hope this Christmas.

The monarch paid tribute to the courage and sacrifice of our greatest generation of war veterans, but as a way of looking forward to the future, said he had been inspired this year by community heroes he had met on his travels around the world.

Amid religious tension at home and abroad, with the devastating terror attacks this year against Jewish communities in Manchester and Sydney, Charles made special mention of the “great diversity of our communities”, which can help us to “find the strength to ensure that right triumphs over wrong”.

Charles spoke from The Lady Chapel in the heart of Westminster Abbey, the spiritual home of the royal family for more than 1,000 years (Image: PA)READ MORE: Royal Family LIVE: George, Charlotte and Louis delight fans as they meet crowds

The King’s message this year will be marked but his calls for love and respect, no doubt reflecting on his emotional visit to the Nazi death camp Auschwitz in January.

As part of the commemorations for the 80th anniversary of its liberation for Holocaust Memorial Day, Charles met survivors and emphasised the importance of remembering past evils to build a kinder future.

Echoing these sentiments in his Christmas message he said: “If we can find time in our journey through life to think on these virtues we can all make the future more hopeful.”

In a year where the royal family was encouraged by the Princess of Wales entering remission from cancer and the King this month announcing his own treatment for the disease will be reduced in the new year, the royal family continues to be blighted by the scandal surrounding Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor and the activities of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex.

Yet Charles did reference the “deep wells of hope” and finding “peace through forgiveness” when faced with times of uncertainty.

Speaking of “the values of which we must never lose sight”, the King spoke over poignant imagery from Windsor Castle for Armed Forces veterans to commemorate the 80th anniversary of VJ Day on May 8 this year.

King Charles and Queen Camilla lead the royal family to church in Sandringham on Christmas Day morning (Image: PA)

Charles also referenced the journey of the pilgrims and his own historic meeting with Pope Leo this year at the Vatican, where he became the first monarch in 500 years to pray together with the head of the Catholic church.

“Pilgrimage is a word less used today, but it has particular significance for our modern world, and especially at Christmas,” he said.

“It is about journeying forward, into the future, while also journeying back to remember the past and learn from its lessons. We did this during the Summer, as we celebrated the 80th Anniversaries of VE and VJ Day. The end of the Second World War is now remembered by fewer and fewer of us, as the years pass.

Charles and Camilla with Reverend Paul Williams(Image: AFP via Getty Images)

“But the courage and sacrifice of our servicemen and women, and the way communities came together in the face of such great challenge, carry a timeless message for us all.”

For the second year in a row, the King chose to record his Christmas speech – the fourth of his reign – away from a royal residence to give the message more of a community feel.

Charles spoke from The Lady Chapel in the heart of Westminster Abbey, the spiritual home of the royal family for more than 1,000 years and the burial place of 15 Kings and Queens including Charles II, Elizabeth I, Mary I and Mary Queen of Scots.

Last year’s Christmas message was recorded at Fitzrovia Chapel in central London, a former sacred space of the demolished Middlesex Hospital where Diana, Princess of Wales opened London’s first dedicated Aids ward.

Crowds applauded the king and queen at church(Image: PA)

The monarch said he continued to draw inspiration from stories of “courage over adversity” that he has heard personally during his public engagements.

He added: “It seems to me that we need to cherish the values of compassion and reconciliation; the way Our Lord lived and died. This year, I have heard so many examples of this, both here and abroad.

“These stories of the triumph of courage over adversity give me hope, from our venerable military veterans to selfless humanitarian workers in this century’s most dangerous conflict zones; to the ways in which individuals and communities display spontaneous bravery, instinctively placing themselves in harm’s way to defend others.”

The King chose not to speak about his own health battles, instead deciding to convey a message of community cohesion from his own experiences, royal sources said.

“As I meet people of different faiths, I find it enormously encouraging to hear how much we have in common; a shared longing for peace and a deep respect for all life,” he added.

“If we can find time in our journey through life to think on these virtues we can all make the future more hopeful.”

King Charles chose to this year record his Christmas Day message away from a royal residence for the second time in his reign (Image: PA)

As war continues to rage in Europe following Russian tyranny in Ukraine, the King personally asked a choir from the country to be a part of his Christmas message.

Songs for Ukraine Chorus, founded in 2023 in response to the war and bring together singers from across the Ukrainian community and supporters living in the UK, sang the carol ‘Carol of the Bells’, based on a song by Ukrainian Composer, Mykola Leontovych.

In the background of the broadcast, which also features scenes including the Prince of Wales and Prince George at a London homeless charity and the Princess Royal visiting a rehabilitation facility for military personnel in Kyiv, are Christmas trees repurposed from the Princess of Wales’ Together at Christmas carol concert, staged at the abbey earlier in December before the King’s message was filmed.

The King’s speech was broadcast to the nation at 3pm on Christmas Day and is now available on YouTube.

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Two foreigners seeking medical evacuation are among those killed in the crash on Africa’s highest mountain.

Published On 25 Dec 202525 Dec 2025

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Five people have been killed in a helicopter crash on Africa’s highest mountain, Mount Kilimanjaro, in Tanzania, authorities say.

The accident took place on Wednesday evening on one of the most popular tourist climbing routes in what police said was a rescue mission to pick up patients on the mountain.

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Two foreigners, who police said had been picked up in a medical evacuation, were among those killed.

A local doctor, a tour guide and the pilot were also killed in the crash.

Tanzanian media reports said Czech nationals as well as a Zimbabwean were on board the helicopter.

The accident happened between the mountain’s Barafu Camp and Kibo Summit at an altitude of more than 4,000 metres (13,100ft).

Kilimanjaro Regional Police Commander Simon Maigwa told journalists the aircraft belonged to the Kilimanjaro Aviation company, which has yet to comment on the accident.

The Tanzania Civil Aviation Authority on Thursday said investigations had started in line with international safety regulations “to determine the circumstances and probable cause” of the accident.

Aircraft accidents on Mount Kilimanjaro are rare. The last recorded incident was in November 2008 when four people died.

Kilimanjaro draws thousands of tourists every year. While the ascent is not technically difficult, altitude sickness is a problem for many climbers.

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A Powerball player in Arkansas won a $1.817bn jackpot in Wednesday’s Christmas Eve drawing, ending the lottery game’s three-month stretch without a top-prize winner.

Final ticket sales pushed the jackpot higher than previously expected, making it the second-largest in US history and the largest Powerball prize of 2025, according to www.powerball.com. The jackpot had a lump sum cash payment option of $834.9m.

“Congratulations to the newest Powerball jackpot winner! This is truly an extraordinary, life-changing prize,” Matt Strawn, Powerball Product Group chair and Iowa Lottery CEO, was quoted as saying by the website. “We also want to thank all the players who joined in this jackpot streak – every ticket purchased helps support public programs and services across the country.”

The prize followed 46 consecutive drawings in which no one matched all six numbers.

The last drawing with a jackpot winner was on 6 September, when players in Missouri and Texas won $1.787bn.

The last time someone won a Powerball jackpot on Christmas Eve was in 2011, Powerball said. The company added that the sweepstakes also has been won on Christmas Day four times, most recently in 2013.

Powerball’s odds of 1 in 292.2m are designed to generate big jackpots, with prizes growing as they roll over when no one wins. Lottery officials note that the odds are far better for the game’s many smaller prizes.

“With the prize so high, I just bought one kind of impulsively. Why not?” Indianapolis glass artist Chris Winters said on Wednesday.

Tickets cost $2, and the game is offered in 45 states plus Washington DC, Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands.

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Skip next section Pope Leo XIV urges direct talks between Kyiv and Moscow

12/25/2025December 25, 2025

Pope Leo XIV urges direct talks between Kyiv and Moscow

With the majority of Christians celebrating Christmas today, Pope Leo XIV called on the faithful to pray “for the tormented people of Ukraine.”

“May the parties involved, with the support and commitment of the international community, find the courage to engage in sincere, direct and respectful dialogue,” he added, calling for “the clamor of weapons” to cease.

His appeal comes just a day after details on a new peace plan were revealed to the public, with Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy saying Kyiv and Washington were united behind the proposal. On Thursday, Moscow said it was analyzing documents on the suggested deal.

https://p.dw.com/p/55xtH

Skip next section WATCH: Zelenskyy open to demilitarized zone in Ukraine’s east

12/25/2025December 25, 2025

WATCH: Zelenskyy open to demilitarized zone in Ukraine’s east

The question of territorial concessions in eastern Ukraine remains unresolved in the 20-point peace plan presented by Volodymyr President Zelenskyy, and Russia has given no indication it was willing to withdraw from the area.

Zelenskyy open to demilitarized zone in Ukraine’s east

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https://p.dw.com/p/55xxQ

Skip next section Russia awaits response from Paris on jailed researcher Laurent Vinatier

12/25/2025December 25, 2025

Russia awaits response from Paris on jailed researcher Laurent Vinatier

In a rare public move, the Kremlin said they had contacts with France regarding Laurent Vinatier, a French national currently serving a three-year sentence in Russia.

Vinatier, previously a researcher with a Swiss conflict mediation NGO, had been jailed in mid-2024. He was convicted for failing to register as a “foreign agent” under Russia’s draconian law aiming to curb foreign influence, and is now facing charges of espionage.

 “Indeed, a proposal was made to the French regarding Vinatier,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters.

 “The ball is now in France’s court,” he added, without providing details.

Separately, the lawyer for Vinatier’s family said his family hopes that the researcher could be freed during the holiday season, including Orthodox Christmas most Russian celebrate on January 7th.

“We have every confidence in French diplomacy, which is doing its utmost,” the lawyer said.

https://p.dw.com/p/55xwE

Skip next section WATCH: ‘One-third of Ukrainians do not expect war to end in 2026’

12/25/2025December 25, 2025

WATCH: ‘One-third of Ukrainians do not expect war to end in 2026’

As Russian strikes continue, Ukrainians remain skeptical about Russian aggression ending anytime soon. DW reports from Kyiv on the Christmas mood and what a US-proposed demilitarized “free economic zone” could mean for eastern Ukraine.

‘One-third of Ukrainians do not expect war to end in 2026’

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Skip next section Poland claims intercept of Russian plane over Baltic Sea

12/25/2025December 25, 2025

Poland claims intercept of Russian plane over Baltic Sea

For the second time this week, Poland scrambled jets in response to a potential threat to its air space amid the fighting in Ukraine.

“Polish fighter jets intercepted, visually identified, and escorted a Russian Federation reconnaissance aircraft out of the area of responsibility,” after detecting it was flying near Polish airspace.

The intercept took place above international waters of the Baltic Sea, according to the Polish military.

Russian breach of Estonian airspace raises Baltic concerns

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Warsaw’s forces also detected objects entering Polish airspace from Belarus, which is allied with Russia, and determined the objects were most likely “smuggling balloons,” the Polish defense ministry said in an online post.

https://p.dw.com/p/55xsj

Skip next section Welcome to our coverage12/25/2025December 25, 2025

Welcome to our coverage

Hello and merry Christmas from the Bonn newsroom!

Today, we once again bring you key headlines regarding the war in Ukraine and the wider tensions between Russia and NATO allies in Europe, with the Kremlin still mulling its response to the peace plan pitched by Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy this week.

Stay tuned for the latest updates in this live blog.

https://p.dw.com/p/55xrL

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Pope Leo XIV appealed Thursday in his Christmas Day message for peace in conflict-scarred regions, calling for an end to violence in the Middle East and Ukraine.

Speaking to tens of thousands gathered in St. Peter’s Square for his first Christmas Urbi et Orbi address, Latin for “to the city and to the world,” Pope Leo prayed for “justice, peace, and stability for Lebanon, Palestine, Israel, and Syria.”

The pontiff then turned to the Russia-Ukraine war, calling on believers to pray for the “tormented people” of Ukraine. 

“May the clamor of weapons cease, and may the parties involved, with the support and commitment of the international community, find the courage to engage in sincere, direct and respectful dialogue,” he said.

ZELENSKYY CALLS FOR US TO RESPOND TO ‘SIGNALS’ RUSSIA IS ‘PREPARING TO MAKE NEXT YEAR A YEAR OF WAR’

Pope Leo XIV waves before delivering the Urbi et Orbi Christmas Day blessing from the main balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica at the Vatican, Thursday, Dec. 25, 2025. (Gregorio Borgia/AP)

Pope Leo also remembered civilians caught in other conflicts, including in parts of Africa and Asia, and prayed for peace for people suffering under political instability, religious persecution and terrorism.

He urged world leaders to reject violence and indifference, stressing that peace must be rooted in justice, dialogue and solidarity with the most vulnerable.

“In becoming man, Jesus took upon himself our fragility, identifying with each one of us: with those who have nothing left and have lost everything, like the inhabitants of Gaza; with those who are prey to hunger and poverty, like the Yemeni people; with those who are fleeing their homeland to seek a future elsewhere, like the many refugees and migrants who cross the Mediterranean or traverse the American continent,” the pontiff said.

Pope Leo XIV, after delivering the Urbi et Orbi Christmas Day blessing from the main balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica at the Vatican, Thursday, Dec. 25, 2025. (Gregorio Borgia/AP)

TRUMP TOUTS ‘PROGRESS’ ON UKRAINE-RUSSIA DEAL, ADMITS IT’S ‘ONE OF THE MORE DIFFICULT’ CONFLICTS TO SOLVE

“On this holy day, let us open our hearts to our brothers and sisters who are in need or in pain. In doing so, we open our hearts to the Child Jesus, who welcomes us with open arms and reveals his divinity to us,” he added.

Pope Leo, the first U.S.-born pope, was elected in May following the death of Pope Francis and has made appeals for peace a central theme of his early papacy.

Pope Leo XIV waves before delivering the Urbi et Orbi Christmas Day blessing from the main balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica at the Vatican, Thursday, Dec. 25, 2025. (Gregorio Borgia/AP)

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He has repeatedly called for an end to Russia’s war in Ukraine and has met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy as part of his diplomatic outreach. 

The Vatican said in July that Pope Leo expressed willingness to host representatives of both Russia and Ukraine for peace negotiations, a position he has maintained.

Ashley Carnahan is a writer at Fox News Digital.

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Former Colorado elections clerk Tina Peters is asking a state appeals court to recognise a pardon issued by Donald Trump for her state convictions as valid.

In a motion, her lawyers argue the court lacks jurisdiction due to Trump’s December 5 pardon, demanding her release from prison.

Ms Peters, the former Mesa County clerk, was convicted of state crimes for orchestrating a data breach scheme, driven by false claims about 2020 election voting machine fraud.

A US president’s pardon power typically does not extend to state crimes.

Her legal team cited President George Washington’s pardons for state and federal crimes in the 1795 Whiskey Rebellion.

They urged a swift ruling, with arguments for her conviction appeal set for Jan. 14.

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President Trump pardoned Peters earlier this month (AP)

The appeals court ruled lawyers from the state attorney general’s office, defending the conviction, must respond to Ms Peters’ arguments by January 8 Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser previously dismissed the pardon, stating: “The idea that a president could pardon someone tried and convicted in state court has no precedent in American law, would be an outrageous departure from what our constitution requires, and will not hold up.” His office declined further comment.

If the appeals court deems the pardon invalid, one of Ms Peters’ attorneys, Peter Ticktin, said she could appeal to the US Supreme Court.

Another lawyer, John Case, sought her release from state prison based on Trump’s pardon, but the state refused, an email in the court filing shows.

Earlier this month, Ms Peters lost a federal court bid for release from prison. She claims the state judge who sentenced her to nine years violated her First Amendment rights by punishing her for election fraud allegations.

During her October 2024 sentencing, Judge Matthew Barrett called Ms Peters a “charlatan” and said she posed a danger to the community for spreading lies.

Ms Peters was unapologetic, insisting her actions were to uproot what she believed was fraud and done for the greater good.

Ms Peters was convicted of allowing a man to misuse a security card to access the election system and being deceptive about his identity.

The man was affiliated with MyPillow chief executive Mike Lindell, a prominent promoter of false claims that voting machines were manipulated to steal the election from Donald Trump.

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NEED TO KNOW

• The former Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson spent Christmas apart from the royal family, who continued their tradition of gathering at Sandringham
• King Charles announced he was stripping his younger brothers of all royal titles and honors in late October amid renewed scrutiny over Andrew’s ties to Jeffrey Epstein
• While Andrew and Sarah were shut out, their two daughters, Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie, joined the royal family’s church outing

The former Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson are spending Christmas apart from the royals, just weeks after his titles were stripped.

While King Charles and members of the royal family stepped out to attend church on Christmas Day at Sandringham, their traditional holiday spot located 110 miles north of London, Andrew and his ex-wife were absent. The former couple, who divorced in 1996 but have stayed amicable, were not expected to join the festivities amid the recent scandal, brought about by renewed interest in Andrew’s ties to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

The pair’s daughters, Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie, spent Christmas with the royals. Beatrice, 37, was joined by her husband, Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi, while Eugenie, 35, also walked to church alongside her husband, Jack Brooksbank.

Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi, Princess Eugenie and Princess Beatrice on Christmas 2025.

Henry NICHOLLS / AFP via Getty

Andrew, 65, and Sarah, 66, have been lying low since King Charles stripped his brother of all royal titles and honors in late October.

Andrew stepped back from his public role in 2019 following his BBC interview in which he discussed his relationship with Epstein, who died in jail the same year while charged with the sex trafficking of minors. Queen Elizabeth stripped her son of his military titles and patronages in 2022 after a judge rejected Andrew’s attempt to have Epstein victim Virginia Giuffre’s sexual assault lawsuit against him dismissed. He later settled with Giuffre out of court for an undisclosed sum.

Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi and Princess Beatrice on Christmas 2025.

Aaron Chown/PA Images via Getty

In recent years, he continued to join the royals at family events, such as Christmas and Easter church outings. However, there was renewed criticism of the former prince in recent weeks. Giuffre, who died by suicide in April, claimed in a memoir published posthumously that Andrew “believed having sex with me was his birthright,” describing three occasions Epstein allegedly arranged for her to meet him beginning at age 17. Andrew has denied the claims.

In addition, recently leaked emails showed that Andrew was in touch with Epstein after he had claimed to break off contact, while Sarah called the financier “a steadfast, generous and supreme friend to me and my family” in another recently surfaced email.

Andrew has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing.

King Charles and Queen Camilla at Christmas 2025, with Princess Eugenie seen behind them.

Jordan Peck/Getty

Andrew and Sarah also missed Christmas with the royals last year amid backlash around his connection to an alleged Chinese “spy.”

Princess Eugenie also spent Christmas in 2024 privately, but Princess Beatrice joined the royal family’s gathering after a last-minute change in plans. Beatrice planned to spend the holiday with her in-laws in Italy, but she was advised against travel by doctors due to her pregnancy with her daughter Athena, who was born preterm the following month.

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The former Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson in February 2024.

CHRIS JACKSON/POOL/AFP via Getty Images

Although Andrew and Sarah were also shut out from the King’s Christmas lunch at Buckingham Palace on Dec. 16, Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie were seen driving into the event. Despite the controversy surrounding their parents, PEOPLE understands that Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie’s titles and position are unaffected.

Andrew and Sarah did attend a private christening for their granddaughter Athena on Dec. 12.

The royals traditionally spend Christmas at Sandringham, where Andrew is expected to move after being “served to surrender the lease” on his longtime accommodations at Royal Lodge. The Sandringham Estate is private, and his new accommodations are being privately financed by King Charles. The exact location among the estate’s roughly 150 properties remains undisclosed.

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By PERKIN AMALARAJ, FOREIGN NEWS REPORTER

Published: 13:16 GMT, 25 December 2025 | Updated: 13:22 GMT, 25 December 2025

A man has died in a ‘freak accident’ after getting trapped between his car and a McDonald’s driver-thru counter. 

The Nebraska man, identified locally as 69-year-old Michael Dickinson, somehow got himself trapped between his vehicle and the payment window at a McDonald’s branch in the town of Grand Island on Tuesday morning. 

Police and firefighting crews were called just before 10:30am, and Mr. Dickinson was taken to the nearby CHI St. Francis emergency room, where he was pronounced dead.

Grand Island Police Division Chief Dean Elliott said it was ‘100% a freak accident’.

‘It appears the deceased opened the door to further reach out the window for payment purposes.’ Elliott said. 

He added: ‘We’re not sure if the vehicle lurched forward or what happened, but he got pinched between the door frame and the drive thru window counter.’

Elliott said an employee at the fast food chain tried helping him by going through the passenger side of the vehicle, injuring himself in the process.

He was taken to hospital by ambulance, and is expected to be okay. 

A man has died in a ‘freak accident’ after getting trapped between his car and a McDonald’s driver-thru counter

The Nebraskaman, identified locally as 69-year-old Michael Dickinson, somehow got himself trapped between his vehicle and the payment window at a McDonald’s branch in the town of Grand Island

Though the local police department is still investigating the incident, the scene was cleared just two hours later and the drive-thru remained opened that day. 

In September, heart-stopping surveillance video captured the moment a man cleaning his windshield at a Nebraska gas station miraculously dodged death by sidestepping a speeding driver who flipped his car.

The wild crash occurred in the small town of Brady, while Brady Johnson had his truck parked at the Brady Get-n-Go, according to the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office.

Video shows Johnson wiping down his windshield as a speeding Nissan Altima suddenly barrels into view, skidding on the street before crashing through a street pole.

The car then hurtles toward Johnson, whose quick reaction likely saved his life.

Footage shows the Nissan clipping Johnson’s truck and coming within inches of striking him before skidding on its side and finally coming to a stop.

Johnson, with a squeegee still in his hand, could be seen running over to offer help to the driver.

The sheriff’s office said that Johnson suffered a minor leg injury, which only started to bother him later when the adrenaline from the crash wore off.

The driver of the Nissan was taken to the hospital with minor injuries.

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Man dies after being trapped between his car and the counter during McDonald’s drive-thru freak accident

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Gazza, 58, makes a 700-mile round trip from Poole, Dorset to his hometown of Gateshead to see his mum Carol, 82 and siblings – who make sure he isn’t tempted by drink

12:57, 25 Dec 2025Updated 13:09, 25 Dec 2025

Football legend Paul Gascoigne has revealed that his loved ones avoid the Christmas booze due to his addiction to alcohol. Gazza, 58, makes a 700-mile round trip from his flat in Poole, Dorset to his hometown of Gateshead to see his mum Carol, 82, sisters Anna, 59, Lindsay, 52, and brother Carl, 56. He told the Mirror: “The family does not drink around me, so I have to shoot off and just let them get on with it. I love to see them, we go into one house. I will probably get a taxi, it costs around £900 to get back home.

Gazza in Poole, Dorset(Image: Adam Gerrard / Daily Mirror)READ MORE: University Challenge fans blast the BBC for ‘dumbing down’ iconic quiz show for festive special

“But I will open my presents when I get back to Dorset. I usually get slippers, a dressing gown and wine gums, and Brut from my mum.” He added: “I used to advertise their aftershave so it is a bit of a family joke; my sister Anna might get me the wine gums.”

He gives his family cash presents. We spoke with Paul to promote his latest book ‘Eight’ with Reach Sport, which entered the pre-Christmas best sellers list.

He gave us an unflinching account of his battle with the bottle since he stopped playing. And he admitted that he has never been able to fully give up booze, despite many periods in rehab.

“Jimmy Greaves stopped drinking, but that is Jimmy Greaves,” he said. “I am not Jimmy Greaves and I am not George Best.

“I don’t get drunk because I hate my mum and dad or I hate the public. It is not about that. I do it for the sake of it. I might regret it. But I don’t think about yesterday, I don’t think about tomorrow. I just think about today and live for today.”

Paul Gascoigne with Mirror reporter Jeremy Armstrong(Image: Adam Gerrard / Daily Mirror)

He joked his mum is now the only person on the planet who calls him ‘Paul’ and not ‘Gazza’. Of the pain that addiction has caused his family, he said: “I will probably die as Gazza. But I have nothing to hide.

“The whole country knows what I have done now. Looking back, I must have hurt my mum and dad.

But you do not think about it. “The person you hurt the most is yourself.”

He has been forced to undergo 38 operations, the worst being the cruciate ligament injury to his left knee in the 1991 FA Cup final.

He was also attacked in a Newcastle night club as he recovered from that injury, requiring further surgery on his road to recovery. He badly injured his shoulder when he fell out of a palm tree trying to collect a coconut on the 2021 Italian version of ‘I’m a Celebrity’.

The former England, Newcastle Utd, Spurs and Lazio star had to be airlifted off the coast of Honduras, setting for the series.

He also had an injection into his heart during a rehab session in Arizona in 2013 when he thought that he was going to die * Paul Gascoigne, Eight, The Real Gazza is on sale now.

Go to: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Paul-Gascoigne-Eight-Gazza-Revealed/dp/1916811434

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The incoming Archbishop of Canterbury has warned in her Christmas Day sermon that “conversations about immigration continue to divide us, when our common humanity should unite us”.

The Pope also held a service in the Vatican in which he lamented conditions for Palestinians in Gaza and called for the “clamour of weapons [to] cease” in Ukraine and other conflict zones.

Dame Sarah Mullally – the first woman to lead the Church of England in more than 1,400 years – was speaking in St Paul’s Cathedral in her current role as Bishop of London.

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Dame Sarah Mullally was speaking in St Paul’s Cathedral in London. Pic: PA

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Pic: PA

“Many feel the weight of economic pressure. Some feel pushed to the margins,” said the 63-year-old.

“Our national conversations about immigration continue to divide us, when our common humanity should unite us.”

Families struggle to find secure housing, she added, while “our understanding of what it means to live and die well” is being challenged by the “complexities” of assisted dying.

Dame Sarah was elected in November and will legally begin her new role in January.

More on Archbishop Of Canterbury

The Pope also gave his first Christmas Day sermon in the Vatican.

He said the story of Jesus’s birth in a stable showed God “pitched his fragile tent” among the people of the world.

“How, then, can we not think of the tents in Gaza, exposed for weeks to rain, wind and cold?” said Leo.

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Pope Leo addresses crowds in Vatican City

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The Pope held a the statue of Baby Jesus during at a Christmas Mass. Pic: AP

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The Pope also took a trip in the ‘popemobile’. Pic: Reuters

The pontiff later toured the square in the “popemobile” before giving the traditional Urbi et Orbi (to the city and the world) blessing.

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Royals arrive at Sandringham

Speaking from the balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica, he referenced conflicts in countries such as Sudan, Thailand and Cambodia – and said Ukrainians in particular had been “tormented by violence”.

“May the clamour of weapons cease, and may the parties involved, with the support and commitment of the international community, find the courage to engage in sincere, direct and respectful dialogue,” said the Pope.

The Archbishop of York, meanwhile, said in his own sermon that he had been “intimidated” by Israeli militias in the Holy Land earlier this year.

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I was ‘intimidated by Israeli militias’

He called the visit “sobering” and said he was “stopped at various checkpoints and intimidated by local Israeli militias who told us that we couldn’t visit Palestinian families in the occupied West Bank”.

The Most Reverend Stephen Cottrell added: “The strangers we encounter in the homeless on our streets, refugees seeking asylum, young people robbed of opportunity and growing up without hope for the future, means that we are in danger of even failing to welcome Christ when he comes.”

The King’s Christmas message – recorded in Westminster Abbey – will be broadcast at 3pm. He and other members of the Royal Family attended church in Sandringham this morning.

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Pope Leo has decried conditions ‍for Palestinians in ‍Gaza in his first Christmas sermon as pontiff, in an unusually direct appeal during what is normally a solemn, spiritual service on the day Christians across the globe celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ.

Leo, the first American ⁠pope, said on Thursday that the story of Jesus being born in a stable showed that God ​had “pitched his fragile tent” among the people of the world.

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“How, then, ‍can we not think of the tents in Gaza, exposed for weeks to rain, wind and cold?” he asked.

Leo, celebrating his first Christmas after being elected in May by the ‍world’s cardinals to ⁠succeed the late Pope Francis, has a quieter, more diplomatic style than his predecessor and usually refrains from making political references in his sermons.

But the new pope has also lamented the conditions for Palestinians in Gaza several times recently and told journalists last month that the only solution in the decades-long conflict between Israel and Palestine must include a Palestinian state.

Israel ​and Hamas agreed to a ceasefire in October ‌after two years of intense bombardment and military operations in Gaza, but humanitarian agencies say there is still too little aid getting into the largely destroyed Strip, where nearly the entire population is homeless after being displaced by Israeli attacks.

In Thursday’s service with thousands in ‌St Peter’s Basilica, Leo also lamented conditions for the homeless across the globe and the destruction caused by the wars ‌roiling the world.

“Fragile is the flesh of defenceless ⁠populations, tried by so many wars, ongoing or concluded, leaving behind rubble and open wounds,” said the pope.

“Fragile are the minds and lives of young people forced to take up arms, who on the ‌front lines feel the senselessness of what is asked of them and the falsehoods that fill the pompous speeches of those who send them to their deaths,” he ‍added.

In a later appeal during the “Urbi et Orbi” (to the city and the world) message and blessing given by the pope at Christmas and Easter, Leo called for an end to all global wars, lamenting conflicts, ‌political, social or military, in Ukraine, Sudan, Mali, Myanmar, and Thailand and Cambodia, among others.

Pope Leo XIV holds a figurine of baby Jesus during Christmas Eve Mass in St Peter’s Basilica at the Vatican, December 24 [Guglielmo Mangiapane/Reuters]

‘The wounds are deep’

Ahead of the pope’s mass, in Bethlehem in the occupied West Bank, the Christian community began celebrating its first festive Christmas in more than two years, as the Palestinian city and biblical birthplace of Jesus emerges from the shadow of Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza.

Throughout the war, a sombre tone had marked Christmases in Bethlehem. But celebrations returned on Wednesday with parades and music. Hundreds of worshippers also gathered for mass at the Church of the Nativity on Wednesday night.

With pews filled long before midnight, many stood or sat on the floor for the traditional mass to usher in Christmas Day.

At 11:15 pm (21:15 GMT), organ music rang out as a procession of dozens of clergymen entered, followed by Jerusalem’s Latin Patriarch Pierbattista Pizzaballa, who blessed the crowd with signs of the cross.

In his homily, Pizzaballa urged peace, hope and rebirth, saying the Nativity story still held relevance in the turbulence of modern times.

He also spoke of his visit to Gaza over the weekend, where he said “suffering is still present” despite the ceasefire. In the Strip, hundreds of thousands of people face a bleak winter in makeshift tents.

“The wounds are deep, yet I have to say, here too, there too, their proclamation of Christmas resounds,” Pizzaballa said. “When I met them, I was struck by their strength and desire to start over.”

In Bethlehem, hundreds also took part in the parade down the narrow Star Street on Wednesday, while a dense crowd massed in the square. As darkness fell, multi-coloured lights shone over Manger Square and a towering Christmas tree glittered next to the Church of the Nativity.

The basilica dates back to the fourth century and was built on top of a grotto where Christians believe Jesus was born more than 2,000 years ago.

Bethlehem residents hoped the return of Christmas festivities would breathe life back into the city.

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