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Three Palestinians were arrested on accusations of lighting a Christmas tree on fire and damaging part of a Nativity scene at a Catholic church in the Israeli-occupied West Bank city of Jenin, the Palestinian Authority Police announced.

The attack happened at around 3 a.m. Monday, according to the church.

Palestinian Authority Police said Wednesday the three were taken into custody after a review of surveillance footage targeting the Holy Redeemer Church of Jenin. Tools believed to have been used in the attack were seized from the suspects.

Police condemned the apparent attempt to incite sectarian and religious tensions in the West Bank.

CHRISTMAS RETURNS TO HOLY LAND CITIES AS BETHLEHEM’S CHRISTIAN POPULATION DWINDLES, NAZARETH REMAINS STRONG

Palestinian parishioners check a recently installed Christmas tree after the previous one was destroyed at the Holy Redeemer Latin Church in the West Bank town of Jenin Tuesday, Dec. 23, 2025. (AP)

The church shared photos on social media showing the skeleton of a synthetic Christmas tree that had been cleared of the green plastic branches, and red and gold ornaments were scattered across a courtyard.

The torched tree was quickly cleaned up by the church, which erected a new one a day after the attack in time for Christmas Mass.

The church held a special ceremony with local Muslim and Christian leaders and politicians in attendance. Rev. Amer Jubran, the local priest at the church, said the arson was an isolated incident and emphasized the city’s unity.

“This occasion reaffirmed that attempts to harm religious symbols will never diminish the spirit of the city nor the faith of its people,” the Holy Redeemer Church said in a statement.

Palestinian Authority Police said the trio was taken into custody after a review of surveillance footage. (Getty Images)

The small Christian community in the West Bank is facing increasing threats of extremism from various sides, including both Israeli settlers and Palestinian extremists, prompting them to escape the region.

Christians make up between 1-2% of the West Bank’s roughly 3 million residents, and the vast majority of the community is Muslim. Across the entire Middle East, the Christian population has been declining as people have fled conflict.

In Israel, some church authorities and monitoring groups have documented a recent uptick in anti-Christian sentiment and harassment, including in Jerusalem’s Old City. Extremist Israeli settlers have also reportedly vandalized and torched areas around churches and Christian villages.

POPE LEO XIV DELIVERS FIRST CHRISTMAS CALLING FOR END TO VIOLENCE IN MIDDLE EAST, RUSSIA-UKRAINE WAR

Police condemned the apparent attempt to incite sectarian and religious tensions in the West Bank. (Getty Images)

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The Israel-Hamas war in Gaza kicked off a surge of violence in the West Bank, with the Israeli military’s offensive targeting terrorists killing hundreds of Palestinians and displacing tens of thousands. Terrorists have also attacked and killed Israelis in Israel and the West Bank.

The conflict has coincided with an increase in Israeli settler violence and Palestinian attacks on Israelis.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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Warning: This story contains spoilers for Stranger Things season 5, Volume 2.

NEED TO KNOW

• Tensions are high between Hopper (David Harbour) and Eleven (Millie Bobby Brown) in Volume 2 of Stranger Things season 5
• When it comes to Eleven, Hopper is “more protective than most parents because of his history,” the Duffer Brothers tell PEOPLE
• Volumes 1 and 2 of Stranger Things season 5 are streaming now on Netflix, and the finale drops Dec. 31 at 8 p.m. ET

Eleven is keeping secrets heading into the Stranger Things finale, and the tension between her and Hopper seems ready to implode.

Things are tense between the father-daughter duo throughout season 5, Volume 2, as Eleven (Millie Bobby Brown) is furious and feels betrayed by Hopper (David Harbour).

In Volume 1, it was revealed that he had a suicide plan that he’d kept to himself for months. Eleven discovered the truth as they broke into the government facility in the Upside Down at the end of Volume 1. Though he claimed it was just a “failsafe,” Eleven was not convinced, and her distrust has lingered into the next round of episodes.

Their tension has left an opening for Eight (Linnea Berthelsen) to convince Eleven to partake in her own self-destructive plan heading into the finale.

The “messy and complicated” dynamic between Hopper and Eleven is a key piece of the puzzle as the final episode of the series approaches, the Duffer Brothers say.

“It’s just a dynamic that we really wanted to explore, which is this dynamic of a parent and their child, who’s actually no longer really a child anymore, is actually a young adult, becoming an adult — and how do you deal with that?” Matt Duffer tells PEOPLE. “How do you deal with letting them go, giving them independence, when, especially Hopper, feels protective of her?”

Hopper is even “more protective than most parents because of his history,” having lost his daughter, Sarah, years earlier, to cancer.

David Harbour as Jim Hopper and Millie Bobby Brown as Eleven in ‘Stranger Things’ season 5.

Courtesy of Netflix

That tricky dynamic between a parent and child is “really a big part, I think, of everyone’s journey in transitioning from childhood or young adulthood to adulthood,” Matt says.

In Hopper’s case, his grief drives him, and “he had to confront it again as he was going to save Will in season 1, and then he had to confront it again over the various seasons as he sort of adopted Eleven as his own daughter,” says Ross Duffer.

Hopper’s “greatest fear” is that “Eleven wouldn’t be able to live happily and that she would die at the end of all this,” Ross says, and that now “seems to be a possibility,” given the suicide pact she makes with Eight.

As episode 7 ends, the gang heads into the Upside Down to begin “Operation Beanstalk,” their plan to defeat Vecna before he brings the Abyss to Earth. Eight tells Eleven that they can’t “leave with the others” and instead must stay behind so that “when the Upside Down vanishes, so will we.”

At first, Eleven is hesitant, but she gives her sister a subtle nod just before the episode ends that seems to indicate she’s in on the secret plan.

Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE’s free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer​​, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

As for what that means for Hopper, Ross teases that his fear “is what we really explore moving into the finale.”

David Harbour as Jim Hopper in ‘Stranger Things’ season 5.

Courtesy of Netflix

In episode 7, Hopper shared his fears for Eleven’s safety with Joyce (Winona Ryder) before their final mission kicked off.

“I can work on repairing things between us when I get on the other side of this, but right now, I need to make sure she gets out of this alive,” he said.

“That Kali makes one false move, I swear to god, I’m gonna kill her. I’m gonna kill her. I will not hesitate. Anything happens to El in that tank, I am pulling her out. I can’t lose her, Joyce,” Hopper said, his voice breaking as he gave voice to his biggest fear. “I can’t.”

Volumes 1 and 2 of Stranger Things season 5 are streaming now on Netflix. The finale drops Dec. 31 at 8 p.m. ET.

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Former US President Joe Biden shared a family photo to wish followers a happy holiday season, only for online users to quickly note that he was barely visible in the snap.

Biden, 83, posted the image Wednesday night, posing in front of a Christmas tree alongside seven family members.

‘Wishing you a peaceful and joyful Christmas Eve filled with love,’ he wrote on X.

Commenters immediately pointed out that the 46th commander–in–chief was largely obscured by his wife Jill in the unusual festive photo.

‘I saw this photo and thought – No f–ing way that’s real,’ one user wrote.

‘This is surely someone mocking Joe Biden as being photoshopped into the picture,’ he added. ‘But no, it’s real. It’s from his official account. This is mind blowing.’

The curious group image had been viewed more than 3.1million times, as of Thursday afternoon.

Online users were quick to point out that Joe Biden’s Christmas Eve group photo had relegated the former US president to the background, with his face partially blocked by wife Jill

Biden was relegated to the background of the family group photo, with part of his face blocked by his smiling wife.

‘Nice of the lady to stand in front of your head Joe,’ one X user wrote.

‘Why are you in the back,’ another asked. ‘Blocked by Jill.’

Others were even more blunt in their assessments, as they took aim at the former First Lady for obscuring her husband’s face.

‘This is a former president of the United States being shoved in the background and half covered up by his wife in his own photo,’ one X user said. ‘It’s [sic] could almost be a joke but I don’t think it is.’

The ‘classy’ move to not feature Biden more prominently on his own profile was also sarcastically noted by online commenters.

‘Ouch,’ an X user posted. ‘Way to shove the family namesake to the back, cover part of his face, then post it to his social media account.’

Join the debate

Should family photo etiquette change when the person photographed is a former president?

Instead of the former president, it was Biden’s son Hunter, 55, who took center stage in the Christmas Eve portrait.

‘Hunter is the alpha now,’ a separate user noted.

He was accompanied by his daughter, Maisy, 24, on his right and his wife, Melissa Cohen, 39, standing next to Jill Biden. 

The family shot was rounded out by Joe Biden’s daughter Ashley, 44, and his granddaughter Finnegan, 25. 

Joe Biden was the only member of the photo whose face was partially obscured.

‘I think it’s disrespectful to put the eldest family member in the back of a photo taken for the former president’s social media,’ a user wrote.

Another user agreed: ‘His family buried him in the back of the Christmas photo and then posted it on his own account.’

Commenters asked why the former First Lady was obscuring the 46th president’s head. One user sarcastically said it was a ‘classy’ touch on Biden’s own social media account

Since Biden dropped out of the presidential race in 2024, he has taken a back seat in both his public and political life.

But when he was president, Biden was put in the spotlight for a series of disastrous debate performances and gaffes – including introducing Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky as ‘President Putin’, confusing his vice president Kamala Harris with Trump and calling his defense secretary Lloyd J Austin III ‘that black man’.

At the beginning of the month, Biden tripped on his words as he failed to say ‘America’ in a speech.

The former US president was denouncing ‘the many crises caused by this administration’ when he botched the name of the nation he formerly governed.

‘We’re the United States of Amerigotit,’ Biden said. ‘That’s who we are. We’re the US.’

In May, Biden’s post–presidential office revealed he had been diagnosed with prostate cancer, which had spread to his bones.

Biden completed radiation treatment for the aggressive cancer in late October, and was previously also surrounded by his family during Thanksgiving.

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A huge ‘backpacker Christmas party’ led to a popular beach being littered with rubbish – with more than 20 tonnes of waste left behind after festive celebrations

Revellers at Coogee Beach in Australia(Image: Getty)

Aussie locals have been left fuming after a ‘massive backpacker Christmas bash’ turned an iconic beach into a rubbish dump, forcing the local council into a mammoth cleanup operation.

Sydney’s Coogee beach was packed to the brim with party-goers on December 25, sporting Santa hats and clutching drinks as they basked in the Australian sun celebrating Christmas Day.

But plenty of residents were appalled by the mountains of litter left behind – with others slamming those who turned the scenic spot into an outdoor loo as festivities continued, reports the Express..

Randwick Council announced: “Council staff have commenced the cleanup of Coogee Beach after a large backpacker Christmas party.

“A big thank you to all our lifeguards, rangers and waste and cleansing staff for all your hard work under difficult circumstances on Christmas Day. Thank you.”

The mayor praised council workers for their tireless efforts in a Facebook post. “In total, more than 20 tonnes of rubbish was picked up and sent to the tip in four truck-loads,’ he said.

Cans, food and other rubbish was left behind(Image: Getty)

“Staff used beach rakes, footpath sweepers, high-pressure hoses and hands-on cleaning to clear rubbish and clean toilets, sand and grassed areas.

“While many people behaved responsibly, it’s disappointing that some chose to litter heavily and urinate in public spaces.”

Whilst some came to the defence of those who abandoned their waste, others were gobsmacked by the blatant disrespect shown towards the beloved location. One Facebook user expressed their gratitude, saying: “Thank you to everyone who cleaned up. What a shame our beautiful beach is treated so poorly.”

However, another bloke had a different take, stating: “Stop being a Scrooge. People had a party, yeah there’s a bit of mess but it will get cleaned up. In the current climate I’m glad people can let their hair down and have a dance.

“Big thank you to the clean up crew and Merry Christmas.

“Why don’t you make them clean it up? They made the mess so they should clean it up,” chimed in another.

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These are the key developments from day 1,401 of Russia’s war on Ukraine.

Published On 26 Dec 202526 Dec 2025

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Here is where things stand on Friday, December 26:

Fighting

• Officials in Russia’s Krasnodar region reported a huge fire following a Ukrainian drone strike on two storage tanks holding oil products in the southern Russian port of Temryuk. The blaze spread across roughly 2,000 square metres (some 21,500 square feet).
• Long-range Ukrainian drones targeted oil storage facilities at Temryuk port, as well as a gas processing plant in Russia’s Orenburg region, Ukraine’s SBU security service said.
• Ukraine’s General Staff said its military also struck the Novoshakhtinsk oil refinery in Russia’s Rostov region using Storm Shadow missiles, triggering several explosions.
• The General Staff described the Russian refinery as a major supplier of oil products in southern Russia that supports Moscow’s military operations in Ukraine.
• Russia’s Ministry of Defence announced that its forces had taken control of the settlement of Sviato-Pokrovske in eastern Ukraine’s Donetsk region, according to reports from Russian state news agencies.

Regional security

• Poland sent fighter jets to intercept a Russian reconnaissance aircraft flying near its airspace over the Baltic Sea and said dozens of objects entered Polish airspace from Belarus overnight, warning the incidents during the holiday season may signal a provocation.
• Russia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs accused the United States of encouraging what it called “piracy” in the Caribbean and Pacific Ocean by blockading Venezuela, while expressing hope that US President Donald Trump’s pragmatism could prevent further escalation.
• Moscow also reiterated its support for Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro’s government and its efforts to safeguard national sovereignty amid threats by the US to remove Maduro from power.

Peace talks

• Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said he spoke with Donald Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff and son-in-law, Jared Kushner, for about an hour on how to end the war with Russia and “how to bring the real peace closer”.

• “Of course, there is still work to be done on sensitive issues,” the Ukrainian leader said. “But together with the American team, we understand how to put all of this in place. The weeks ahead may also be intensive. Thank you, America!”

• Russia believes negotiations with the US to end the war in Ukraine are making gradual progress, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said. She described the talks as slow-moving but advancing steadily.

Politics and diplomacy

• Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said President Vladimir Putin had sent the US president a Christmas greeting along with a congratulatory message.
•  Russia said it had put forward a proposal to France concerning Laurent Vinatier, a French researcher imprisoned under Russia’s foreign agent laws, adding that the next steps in the Frenchman’s case now rest with Paris.

Sanctions

• Russia’s target of producing 100 million tonnes of liquefied natural gas annually has been pushed back by several years due to international sanctions, the country’s Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak said in comments aired on state television.

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US President Donald Trump said he had ordered the country’s army to launch a “powerful and deadly” strikes against targets of the so-called Islamic State (ISIS) in northwestern Nigeria.

The strike comes after months of Trump threatening military action over what he labeled as an “existential threat” for Christianity in Nigeria, a claim the local government rejects.

The US army’s Africa Command (AFCOM) said the strike had been conducted at the request of the Nigerian authorities in the northwestern Sokoto State.

Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth said he was “grateful” for the support and cooperation with the Nigerian government.

Nigeria’s Foreign Ministry confirmed the “precision hits on terrorist targets,” adding that the government is guided by its intention to safeguard all citizens’ life, regardless of faith. 

According to a statement posted on the ministry’s X account, terrorism against any of the country’s religious communities “remains an affront on Nigeria’s values and  to international peace and security.”

Why did the US launch strike in Nigeria?

In a Truth Social post, Trump said the reason for the strike was the Islamist group’s targeting of “primarily innocent Christians,” which he said had reached levels “never seen for many years.”

“Under my leadership, our Country will not allow Radical Islamic Terrorism to prosper,” Trump’s post read.

The US State Department recently announced its intention to restrict visas for Nigerian nationals involved in violence against Christians in the country.

Washington also designated Nigeria a “country of particular concern” under the International Religious Freedom Act.

Which militant groups are active in northern Nigeria?

Nigeria has been battling a deadly Islamist insurgency in its northern regions.

According to Nigeria’s National Human Rights Commission, at least 2,266 people were killed by bandits or insurgents in Nigeria during the first half of 2025 — surpassing the total number of such deaths in all of 2024.

Particularly Boko Haram has concentrated their attacks in the northwestern state of Sokoto.

A splinter group known as the Islamic State in West Africa Province (Iswap) has also carried out attacks in northeastern Nigeria, particularly in the Borno state.

Iswap has also been involved in clashes with Boko Haram, as it is one of at least three Boko Haram splinter groups active in Nigeria.

Nigeria’s security forces under-resourced amid crisis

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Edited by: Farah Bahgat

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NEED TO KNOW

• A TikTok travel enthusiast is sharing a simple trick that saves her “hundreds of dollars” every single time
• Before an upcoming hotel stay, user @azartravelz says she emails the general manager of the property and asks to make her trip “extra special”
• The content creator says the process takes her less than 10 minutes and results in free breakfast or room upgrades, if not both

A frequent traveler is sharing the one trick she says saves her “hundreds of dollars” in food and free upgrades every time she stays in a hotel. 

TikTok user @azartravelz revealed the tip in a “Travel Hack Tuesday” video earlier this year. The self-described “personal finance nerd, school nurse and family travel enthusiast” says she frequently uses the hack, of sorts, for every family vacation.

Azar says the first step is to search for the name of the general manager at whatever property she is staying at. For example, she searched for the “general manager Hyatt Ziva Cancun” prior to her Mexican vacation. From there, she seeks out their email address.

“You might have to do some internet sleuthing, or just call the hotel and ask for the name and email address of the general manager,” she says. 

After that, she uses a simple template to inform management of an upcoming stay. 

“I send them an email that just says, ‘Hey, we’re coming to your hotel [on] these dates. Here’s our confirmation number. We’re so excited to stay with you. We’ve heard such wonderful things about the property,’ ” she explains.

“ ‘We’re celebrating my birthday and I’m just wondering if there’s anything you could do to make our stay extra special, such as a room upgrade and/or a free breakfast or club access,’ ” referencing some property’s exclusive club-level offerings that sometimes offer breakfast and snacks throughout the day. 

A stock image of a large hotel suite.

Getty

Azar says the whole process only takes her 10 minutes, from searching for the email, composing it, to hitting send. Although it takes little effort, she claims it works “100% of the time.”

“At minimum, I’ve gotten a room with a better view or a slightly larger room,” the creator says. But sometimes, the upgrade is much larger. 

“My most recent trip, we went to Turkey and we stayed at a Hyatt Regency. They upgraded us to a suite,” she says. “The cash price for this for a whole week was like $6,000, and they gave us [the] free breakfast buffet for my family of five.”

Azar says the family saved “hundreds of dollars” over the course of the week, just in food alone. 

A stock image of breakfast served at a hotel.

Getty

“Whether you’re paying for your hotel on points or cash or whatever, do this little trick,” Azar says. “The worst they can say is ‘no.’ And if they say no, you’re staying in the room you booked anyways.”

“Ask for what you want and see what you get,” she says at the end of the video.

Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE’s free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer​​, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

In the comment section, other TikTok users shared their own success stories using the simple trick.

“I did this for our Niagara Falls trip (here now) and the manager upgraded our room to a falls view suite with a bottle of wine,” one user writes.

Another said, “Followed your template with my own twist and our room was upgraded within the hour and when we checked in this morning they also gave us a bar credit.” 

Meanwhile a user claiming to be a hotel general manager offered their two cents: “Join the rewards program first. Much better chance of this working. Members will always get first debs on perks and upgrades.”

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By NICHOLAS COMINO, NEWS REPORTER, AUSTRALIA

Published: 01:14 GMT, 26 December 2025 | Updated: 01:29 GMT, 26 December 2025

A 47-year-old man has been named as a person of interest by police after a rabbi’s car was allegedly targeted by an arson attack on Christmas Day. 

A family fled were forced to flee their home after a vehicle displaying a Hanukkah sign was firebombed in Melbourne’s south-east.

Emergency services raced to Balaclava Road in St Kilda East , the heart of the city’s Jewish communit, at about 2.50am on Thursday after a car was set alight in their driveway.

A billboard on top of the car read: ‘Happy Chanukah.’ The vehicle was engulfed in flames but was unoccupied at the time. Firefighters evacuated residents as a precaution while they worked to contain the blaze.

Police confirmed no one was injured.

Victoria Police are urging John Argento to come forward as part of their investigation into the targeted blaze. 

Argento, who is already wanted on an outstanding arrest warrant for deception-related offences, is well known to police. 

Officers say Argento leads a ‘transient lifestyle’ and often moves through Melbourne’s inner southern and northern suburbs. 

Pictured is a man police are interested in speaking to regarding the alleged incident 

He is described as 185cm tall, with a thin build, blue eyes, grey hair, and a fair complexion. 

Police have released an image of Argento and are appealing to anyone who knows his whereabouts to contact Crime Stoppers immediately.

Detectives stress the attack appears targeted but say there is no evidence Argento poses a specific risk to the Jewish community. 

Investigators also want to question him about a car break-in that occurred just 20 minutes after the arson. 

‘We understand the devastating impact this type of offence has on our Jewish community, and we are continuing to prioritise this investigation. We won’t fully understand the motives of this arsonist until we get them into custody,’ Chris Gilbert the Assistant Commissioner for the Southern Metro Region said. 

Gilbert stressed there was no ongoing threat to the community. 

‘At this stage, we do not believe there is a broader threat to the Jewish community. We want to thank people in the area for their assistance in this investigation so far,’ he said. 

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Man is named as person of interest after rabbi’s car firebombed on Christmas Day

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Michael Dickinsin, 69, was killed in a freak accident in the drive-thru lane of a McDonald’s in Grand Island, Nebraska, on Tuesday after he was pinned between his car and the side of the building

The customer was crushed to death while trying to pay (Image: KSNB Local)

A customer tragically lost his life in a freak accident at a McDonald’s drive-through whilst attempting to pay for his order.

Michael Dickinsin, 69, was crushed to death on Tuesday after becoming trapped between his vehicle and the building’s exterior in Grand Island, Nebraska. He was rushed to a local hospital but sadly could not be saved.

Grand Island Police Division Chief Dean Elliott described Dickinson’s death as a freak accident. “It appears the deceased opened the door to further reach out the window for payment purposes,” he told KSNB.

McDonalds drive-thru can be dangerous(Image: Getty Images)

READ MORE: ‘I’m haunted by my father’s cries after my brother killed him’

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“We’re not sure if the vehicle lurched forward or what happened, but he got pinched between the door frame and the drive-through window counter.”

It follows another tragedy where a Texas doctor was decapitated when lift doors closed around his neck, leaving his head trapped outside, reports the Mirror US.

Initial inquiries revealed that Dickinson was alone in the vehicle and was the sole person who “sustained fatal injuries,” police confirmed.

Elliott informed the outlet that a McDonald’s worker was also injured during the incident whilst attempting to assist Dickinson by entering through the passenger side of the car. The department’s Accident Reconstruction Team is assisting with the inquiry, the outlet reported.

A comparable incident occurred at a McDonald’s in Vancouver in 2021 when Tony Eyles, 42, was killed by his own vehicle at the drive-through. CCTV footage showed the man settling his bill when he dropped his bank card on the ground, police said at the time.

As Eyles attempted to retrieve the car, it rolled forward, trapping him between the car door and the building. Unable to free himself, Eyles was crushed.

Drive-thru accidents can and do happen(Image: Getty Images)

“This is an absolutely heartbreaking scenario,” expressed Vancouver Police Constable Tania Visintin about the unrelated incident, as per a press release. “Our deepest condolences go out to the family and friends of this man.”

Visintin informed the Edmonton City News that the incident was a tragic event for the McDonald’s employees who witnessed it. “People aren’t used to seeing this type of incident happen, especially at your workplace.”

She further mentioned that victim services were offered to the staff. “I would assume everyone is shaken up.”

What makes these incidents particularly unusual is that fatal car accidents typically involve more than one vehicle. However, in these instances, only the deceased’s cars were involved.

“The fact that no other vehicle was involved… this seems like a freak accident,” Visintin commented.

This follows a horrifying incident where a group of children, including his own, watched Santa Claus fall to his death.

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The US has launched airstrikes against Islamic State militants in Nigeria, Donald Trump has said.

US Africa Command said the strikes were conducted “in coordination with Nigerian authorities” in Sokoto State, while a US official told the Reuters news agency that the strikes killed multiple targets.

Announcing the military intervention on his social media platform Truth Social, Mr Trump said: “Tonight, at ‌my direction as Commander ‌in Chief, the United States launched ​a powerful and deadly strike against ‍ISIS Terrorist Scum in Northwest Nigeria, who have been targeting ‌and viciously killing, primarily, ⁠innocent Christians, ‌at levels not seen ‍for many years, and even Centuries!

“I have previously warned these Terrorists that if they did not stop the slaughtering of Christians, there would be hell to pay, and tonight, there was. The Department of War executed numerous perfect strikes, as only the United States is capable of doing.

“Under my leadership, our Country will not allow Radical Islamic Terrorism to prosper.”

On X, Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth said: “The President was clear last month: the killing of innocent Christians in Nigeria (and elsewhere) must end,” he said. “The @DeptofWar [Department of War] is always ready, so ISIS found out tonight – on Christmas. More to come…”

He added he was grateful to the Nigerian government for its “support and cooperation”.

Following the updates from US officials, Nigeria’s foreign ministry confirmed ​that ​precision ‍air strikes by the ‌US had hit “terrorist targets” ​in the country’s ‍northwest.

It said the country was in “cooperation” and “collaboration” with the US in “addressing the persistent threat of terrorism and violent extremism”.

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Mr Trump said last month that he’d ordered the Pentagon to begin planning for potential military action in Nigeria following claims of Christian persecution.

His government also designated Nigeria a “country of particular concern” under the International Religious Freedom Act and said it would restrict visas for Nigerians and their family members involved in mass killings and violence against Christians in the West African country.

The Nigerian government previously said Mr Trump’s claims that Christians face persecution there is a misrepresentation of the country’s complex security challenges.

After the US strikes, Nigeria’s foreign ministry said: “Nigeria reiterates that all counter-terrorism efforts are guided by the primacy of protecting civilian lives, safeguarding national unity, and upholding the rights and dignity of all citizens, irrespective of faith or ethnicity. Terrorist violence in any form whether directed at Christians, Muslims, or other communities remains an affront to Nigeria’s values and to international peace and security.”

This breaking news story is being updated and more details will be published shortly.

Please refresh the page for the fullest version.

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DEVELOPING STORYDEVELOPING STORY,

US president says ‘deadly strike’ in Nigeria targeted ISIL fighters who had killed ‘primarily, innocent Christians’.

Published On 25 Dec 202525 Dec 2025

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The United ‍States ‍has carried out an air strike against ISIL (ISIS) fighters in northwest Nigeria, US ⁠President Donald Trump ​said.

“Tonight, ⁠at my direction as Commander in Chief, the United States launched a powerful and ​deadly strike ‌against ISIS Terrorist Scum in Northwest Nigeria,” ‌Trump said in a post on his Truth Social platform on Thursday evening.

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Trump said ISIL fighters had “‌targeted and viciously” killed “primarily, innocent Christians, at ⁠levels not seen for many years, and even Centuries!”

“I have previously warned these Terrorists that if they did not stop the slaughtering of Christians, there would be hell to pay, and tonight, there was,” Trump said.

The US military’s Africa Command (AFRICOM), which is responsible for operations in Africa, said in a post on X that the air strike was carried out “at the request of Nigerian authorities” and had killed “multiple ISIS terrorists”.

“Grateful for Nigerian government support & cooperation,” US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth wrote on social media, warning also of “more to come”, without providing details.

In a statement, AFRICOM said the strike occurred in “Soboto state,” an apparent reference to Nigeria’s Sokoto state.

[Al Jazeera]

The US military action comes weeks after Trump said he had ordered the Pentagon to begin planning for potential military action in Nigeria following claims of Christian persecution in the country.

Nigeria’s government has said armed groups target both Muslim and Christian communities in the country, and US claims that Christians face persecution ‌do not represent a complex security situation and ignore efforts by Nigerian authorities to safeguard religious freedom.

Al Jazeera’s Shihab Rattansi, reporting from Washington DC, said the threat of US military action in Nigeria had been “percolating for some time” and Donald Trump had accused Nigeria of not doing enough to protect its Christian community in his first term as president.

“But in the last two months or so, with congressional pressure and the State Department, they declared Nigeria a particular country of concern when it came to the rights of Christians and we had heard that the US had begun overflight surveillance of Nigeria from an airbase in Accra, in Ghana, over the last several weeks. And now we have this,” Rattansi said.

“On Christmas day, the Trump administration acts. This will go down very well with Trump’s Christian evangelical base, I am sure,” he said.

Trump issued his attack statement on Christmas Day while he was at ‌his Palm Beach, Florida, Mar-a-Lago Club, where he has been spending the holiday.

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Victoria police have named a man they want to interview in relation to a suspected arson attack on a car sporting a “Happy Chanukah” sign in Melbourne on Christmas Day.

Police said emergency services were called to a vehicle displaying a mobile billboard that had been set alight in the driveway of a property in St Kilda East about 2.50am on Thursday.

On Friday they named 47-year-old John Argento as “a person who may be able to assist with their investigation”.

Victoria police said Argento was known to police and had an outstanding arrest warrant relating to other matters.

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“Detectives believe Argento lives a transient lifestyle. He is known to frequent Melbourne’s inner southern and northern suburbs,” the statement said.

“Detectives are treating this arson as a targeted attack but there is no indication that Argento poses as a specific risk to the Jewish community.”

No one was inside the car at the time of the incident but the occupants of the house were evacuated as a precaution, police said.

The Victoria police assistant commissioner for the southern metro region, Chris Gilbert, said at this stage he did not believe there was a broader threat to the Jewish community.

“We understand the devastating impact this type of [alleged] offence has on our Jewish community and we are continuing to prioritise this investigation,” he said.

The Victorian premier, Jacinta Allan, said on Thursday she had been briefed by police on the St Kilda incident.

“This is not what any family, street or community deserves to wake up to on Christmas Day in Australia,” she said on X.

“We have a duty to this community: to ensure their families are safe and feel safe right now, and to work long-term in a serious effort to drive anti-Semitism and hate out of our state.”

The incident comes less than two weeks after 15 people were killed in a mass shooting that targeted Jews celebrating the holiday of Hanukah at Sydney’s Bondi beach.

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US President Donald Trump said he had ordered the country’s army to launch a “powerful and deadly” strikes against targets of the so-called Islamic State (ISIS) in northwestern Nigeria.

The strike comes after months of Trump threatening military action over what he labeled as an “existential threat” for Christianity in Nigeria, a claim the local government rejects.

The US army’s Africa Command (AFCOM) said the strike had been conducted at the request of the Nigerian authorities in the northwestern Sokoto State.

Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth said he was “grateful” for the support and cooperation with the Nigerian government.

Why did the US launch strike in Nigeria?

In a Truth Social post, Trump said the reason for the strike was the Islamist group’s targeting of “primarily innocent Christians,” which he said had reached levels “never seen for many years.”

“Under my leadership, our Country will not allow Radical Islamic Terrorism to prosper,” Trump’s post read.

The US State Department recently announced its intention to restrict visas for Nigerian nationals involved in violence against Christians in the country.

Washington also designated Nigeria a “country of particular concern” under the International Religious Freedom Act.

Which militant groups are active in northern Nigeria?

Nigeria has been battling a deadly Islamist insurgency in its northern regions.

According to Nigeria’s National Human Rights Commission, at least 2,266 people were killed by bandits or insurgents in Nigeria during the first half of 2025 — surpassing the total number of such deaths in all of 2024.

Particularly Boko Haram has concentrated their attacks in the northwestern state of Sokoto.

A splinter group known as the Islamic State in West Africa Province (Iswap) has also carried out attacks in northeastern Nigeria, particularly in the Borno state.

Iswap has also been involved in clashes with Boko Haram, as it is one of at least three Boko Haram splinter groups active in Nigeria.

Nigeria’s security forces under-resourced amid crisis

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Edited by: Farah Bahgat

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President Donald Trump said the U.S. launched airstrikes in northwest Nigeria on Christmas night targeting ISIS militants he accused of killing Christians, calling the operation decisive and warning further attacks would follow if the violence continues.

“Tonight, at my direction as Commander in Chief, the United States launched a powerful and deadly strike against ISIS Terrorist Scum in Northwest Nigeria, who have been targeting and viciously killing, primarily, innocent Christians, at levels not seen for many years, and even Centuries!” Trump said Thursday on Truth Social. 

“I have previously warned these Terrorists that if they did not stop the slaughtering of Christians, there would be hell to pay, and tonight, there was. The Department of War executed numerous perfect strikes, as only the United States is capable of doing.

“Under my leadership, our Country will not allow Radical Islamic Terrorism to prosper,” he continued. “May God Bless our Military, and MERRY CHRISTMAS to all, including the dead Terrorists, of which there will be many more if their slaughter of Christians continues.”

‘GENOCIDE CAN’T BE IGNORED’: GOP LAWMAKER BACKS TRUMP’S THREAT OF MILITARY ACTION IN NIGERIA

A newspaper vendor pulls a newspaper with an article reporting U.S. President Donald Trump’s message to Nigeria over the treatment of Christians, at a newspaper stand in Ojuelegba, Lagos, Nigeria, Nov. 2, 2025.  (Reuters/Sodiq Adelakun)

Last month, Trump threatened to “do things in Nigeria that Nigeria is not going to be happy about” and “go into that now disgraced country guns-a-blazing.”

That warning set the stage for the Christmas-night strikes, which Secretary of War Pete Hegseth said fulfilled the president’s demand that the killings stop.

“The President was clear last month: the killing of innocent Christians in Nigeria (and elsewhere) must end,” Secretary of War Pete Hegseth said on X. “The @DeptofWar is always ready, so ISIS found out tonight — on Christmas. More to come…

“Grateful for Nigerian government support & cooperation,” he added. “Merry Christmas!”

Then, nearly a month later, the Trump administration rolled out a new visa-restriction policy in response to a wave of brutal anti-Christian attacks in Nigeria, targeting those accused of orchestrating religious violence against Christians in the West African nation and around the world.

TRUMP ADMIN TARGETS ANTI-CHRISTIAN VIOLENCE WITH NEW VISA CRACKDOWN POLICY FOLLOWING NIGERIA ATTACKS

A drone view of Christians departing St. Peter and Paul Catholic Church after Sunday mass in Palmgrove, Lagos, Nigeria, Nov. 2, 2025.  (Reuters/Sodiq Adelakun)

Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the policy in the Immigration and Nationality Act will allow the State Department to deny visas to those “who have directed, authorized, significantly supported, participated in, or carried out violations of religious freedom.” 

Immediate family members may also face visa restrictions in some cases.

“The United States is taking decisive action in response to the mass killings and violence against Christians by radical Islamic terrorists, Fulani ethnic militias, and other violent actors in Nigeria and beyond,” Rubio said in the statement.

The move followed a surge of attacks on Christians and Christian institutions in Nigeria. Last month, gunmen stormed the Christ Apostolic Church in Eruku, Kwara State, killing two people and kidnapping dozens. The 38 abducted worshipers were freed nearly a week later.

Days later, armed attackers raided St. Mary’s School in Niger State, abducting more than 300 students and staff. School officials said 50 students aged 10 to 18 escaped in the following days, but 253 students and 12 teachers remain captive.

TRUMP’S WARNING TO NIGERIA OFFERS HOPE TO NATION’S PERSECUTED CHRISTIANS

President Donald Trump announced attacks against terrorists in Nigeria, killing Christians.

The violence prompted Trump to designate Nigeria a “country of particular concern,” though the Nigerian government disputes the U.S. assessment.

“I’m really angry about it,” the president told Fox News Radio last month. “What’s happening in Nigeria is a disgrace.”

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Echoing Trump’s warning, Rubio said earlier this month, “As President Trump made clear, the ‘United States cannot stand by while such atrocities are happening in Nigeria and numerous other countries.’”

Fox News Digital’s Stephen Sorace contributed to this report.

Greg Wehner is a breaking news reporter for Fox News Digital.

Story tips and ideas can be sent to Greg.Wehner@Fox.com and on Twitter @GregWehner.

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President Donald Trump has announced the U.S. military has conducted deadly strikes against ISIS targets in Nigeria after the group is accused of targeting Christians.

“Tonight, at my direction as Commander in Chief, the United States launched a powerful and deadly strike against ISIS Terrorist Scum in Northwest Nigeria, who have been targeting and viciously killing, primarily, innocent Christians, at levels not seen for many years, and even Centuries!” the president wrote in a Truth Social post the evening of Christmas Day.

“I have previously warned these Terrorists that if they did not stop the slaughtering of Christians, there would be hell to pay, and tonight, there was,” Trump continued.

“The Department of War executed numerous perfect strikes, as only the United States is capable of doing. Under my leadership, our Country will not allow Radical Islamic Terrorism to prosper. May God Bless our Military, and MERRY CHRISTMAS to all, including the dead Terrorists, of which there will be many more if their slaughter of Christians continues.”

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President Donald Trump says the US has conducted deadly strikes against ISIS targets in Nigeria after the group targeted Christians (AP)

Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth and White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt also posted online about the strikes.

Hegseth said in a post on X, “The President was clear last month: the killing of innocent Christians in Nigeria (and elsewhere) must end. The @DeptofWar is always ready, so ISIS found out tonight — on Christmas.”

The defense secretary added, “Grateful for Nigerian government support & cooperation. Merry Christmas!”

The Nigerian government is yet to comment publicly on the strikes.

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Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said he was grateful for Nigerian support on the deadly ISIS strikes (Secretary of War, X)

Last month, Trump said he was instructing the Defense Department to “prepare for possible action” in Nigeria, claiming the nation’s government “continues to allow the killing of Christians.”

He also declared that Nigeria is a “country of particular concern.” The U.S. government uses this designation for nations determined to have committed “particularly severe violations of religious freedom,” according to the State Department’s website.

Trump said in November, “If the Nigerian Government continues to allow the killing of Christians, the U.S.A. will immediately stop all aid and assistance to Nigeria, and may very well go into that now disgraced country, ‘guns-a-blazing,’ to completely wipe out the Islamic Terrorists who are committing these horrible atrocities,”

Much of northern Nigeria has been struck by conflict in an ongoing security crisis and Trump has singled the country out for what he calls “the killing of Christians” by “radical Islamists.”

Victims and church leaders have reiterated Trump’s claims that Christians are persecuted, saying they’ve long been attacked, kidnapped or killed over their faith.

But many insist the reality isn’t that simple, with experts and residents saying most attacks emphasize the widespread violence that has long plagued the West African nation, where everyone is a potential victim, regardless of background or belief.

With reporting from the Associated Press.

This is a breaking news story and will be updated.

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