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North Korea touts progress on nuclear-powered submarine | World News
North Korea is showcasing what appears to be progress on a nuclear-powered submarine, with state media images revealing a largely completed hull.
Images released by North Korea‘s official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) on Thursday showed leader Kim Jong Un visiting a shipyard to inspect the construction of what it said was an 8,700-ton-class nuclear-propelled submarine.
Mr Kim has said the completion of the submarine would mark an “epoch-making” change in strengthening the country’s nuclear deterrent against what he described as enemy threats.
During the visit, Mr Kim denounced South Korea’s US-backed efforts to acquire a nuclear-powered submarine as an “offensive act” that he said gravely infringes on the North’s security and maritime sovereignty.
He added that South Korea’s ambitions further underscore the need to advance and nuclear arm North Korea’s navy.
Pic: KCNA/Reuters
KCNA did not specify when Kim visited the shipyard, but it was the first time North Korean state media had released images of the submarine since March, when coverage mostly showed the vessel’s lower sections.
It was also not immediately clear how close North Korea is to finishing the submarine, though images showing an apparently near-complete hull suggest that key components, including the engine and possibly the reactor, have already been installed, according to experts.
“Showing the entire vessel now seems to indicate that most of the equipment has already been installed and it is just about ready to be launched into the water,” said Moon Keun-sik, a submarine expert at Seoul’s Hanyang University and a former officer in the South Korean navy.
A long-range surface-to-air missile is test-fired near the East Sea.
Pic: KCNA/Reuters
He believes the submarine could be tested at sea within months.
A nuclear-powered submarine was among the advanced weapons Mr Kim outlined at a 2021 party meeting to counter what he described as growing US-led threats, alongside solid-fuelled ICBMs, which enable faster launches, hypersonic weapons, and spy satellites.
North Korea has since tested several of these systems and recently unveiled a new destroyer, which Mr Kim said would expand the range and preemptive strike capabilities of its nuclear forces.
Pic: KCNA/AP
Read more from Sky News:
What is Christmas like in North Korea?
Kim Jong Un unveils ‘most powerful’ missile
Analysts say a nuclear-powered submarine capable of prolonged stealth patrols and underwater missile launches would significantly complicate detection for neighbouring countries, though doubts remain over whether sanctions-hit North Korea has the resources and technology to build one.
Some experts suggest Pyongyang’s closer ties with Russia – including military support for Moscow’s war in Ukraine – may have helped it obtain key technologies.
Mr Kim visits the site of a test-firing of a long-range surface-to-air missile near the East Sea
Pic: KCNA /Reuters
While some suspect Russia could have provided a reactor, others argue North Korea likely developed its own, possibly with limited Russian assistance.
During a November summit with Donald Trump, South Korean President Lee Jae Myung sought US support for acquiring nuclear-powered submarines and pledged to boost defence spending to reduce America’s burden.
Tensions on the Korean Peninsula have remained high as Mr Kim pushes forward with his nuclear weapons programme.
His government has repeatedly dismissed calls by Washington and Seoul to revive negotiations aimed at winding down its nuclear and missile programmes.
Negotiations collapsed in 2019 following a failed summit with Mr Trump during the US president’s first term.
Two foreigners seeking medical evacuation are among those killed in the crash on Africa’s highest mountain.
Published On 25 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.
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.
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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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.
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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.
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.
WORLD NEWS
Man dies after being trapped between his car and the counter during McDonald’s drive-thru freak accident
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
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 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
WORLD NEWS
Pope and new Archbishop of Canterbury make pleas over Gaza and immigration in Christmas sermons | UK News
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.
Dame Sarah Mullally was speaking in St Paul’s Cathedral in London. Pic: PA
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.
Pope Leo addresses crowds in Vatican City
The Pope held a the statue of Baby Jesus during at a Christmas Mass. Pic: AP
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.
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.
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.
WORLD NEWS
Pope Leo laments suffering of Gaza Palestinians in first Christmas sermon | Religion News
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.
WORLD NEWS
‘It’s the wildest place I have walked’: new national park will join up Chile’s 2,800km wildlife corridor | Chile
Chile’s government is poised to create the country’s 47th national park, protecting nearly 200,000 hectares (500,000 acres) of pristine wilderness and completing a wildlife corridor stretching 1,700 miles (2,800km) to the southernmost tip of the Americas.
The Cape Froward national park is a wild expanse of wind-torn coastline and forested valleys that harbours unrivalled biodiversity and has played host to millennia of human history.
“I have been to many exceptional places, and I can tell you that the Cape Froward project is the wildest place I have walked through,” said Kristine Tompkins, the renowned US conservationist at the heart of the project. “It’s one of the few truly wild forest and peak territories left in the country, and the richness of the Indigenous history in the region makes a case for these territories to be preserved for all time.”
Coastline near the former San Isidro lighthouse, which is being converted into a museum. Photograph: Pablo Sanhueza/Reuters
It is the 17th national park created or expanded in Chile and Argentina by Tompkins Conservation and its successor organisation, Rewilding Chile. The groups have spent the best part of a decade knitting together a patchwork of land purchases and state-held properties to create the park.
In 2023, they signed an agreement with the Chilean government to donate the land to become Cape Froward national park.
In February, a population of 10 huemul, an endangered deer species, was found in the park, and a network of cameras regularly captures wild pumas and the endangered huillín, a river otter. The area also encompasses 10,000 hectares of sphagnum bogs, a spongelike moss which stores carbon deep below the ground.
A waterfall in the strait of Magellan, which links the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. Photograph: Pablo Sanhueza/Reuters
Benjamín Cáceres, the conservation coordinator in the Magallanes region for Rewilding Chile, is a native of Patagonia who first visited Cape Froward at the age of 12 with his conservationist father, Patricio Cáceres.
“My father was always a dreamer,” he said. “When he found out about an abandoned lighthouse all those years ago, he brought us here as a family to dream with him – and that’s where this story began for me.”
The San Isidro lighthouse is one of seven designed and built by the Scottish architect George Slight along the treacherous strait of Magellan. It was abandoned in the 1970s and itinerant fishers would come by to salvage wood until the roof collapsed.
Now, Patricio and Benjamín’s vision for the restored lighthouse is becoming a reality. It has been converted into a museum of the natural and human history of the area and – together with a cafe on the beach below – will become the entry point for the new national park.
Gabriela Garrido, project coordinator for the Rewilding Foundation, which secured the land for the Cape Froward project. Photograph: Pablo Sanhueza/Reuters
Dotted along the shoreline are delicate archaeological sites that enshrine the history of the Kawésqar, a nomadic Indigenous people who navigated fjords, rocky beaches and forests in canoes carved from trees.
“This mosaic of ecosystems is tremendously important,” said Cáceres. “The bogs and subantarctic forests are incredibly fragile, and the cultural legacy of the Kawésqar territory, the era of explorers, then whalers; all of this history and biodiversity will be preserved in some form in the future national park.”
In among shells buried in silty mud at Kawésqar campsites are bird and dolphin bones from feasts. There are even circles of stones set out as fish traps on the beaches, and trees stripped of their bark to line the hulls of Kawésqar canoes.
The southern Chilean coastline is dotted with archaeological sites that tell the history of the Kawésqar people. Photograph: Pablo Sanhueza/Reuters
“The area was widely inhabited by nomadic canoeists who lived by fishing and gathering food,” said Leticia Caro, a Kawésqar activist who belongs to the Nómades del Mar community. “For our community, it is very important to protect this area, where you can also see the different ways of inhabiting the land and seas, and the interaction with other peoples like the Yagán, Selknam and Tehuelche.”
Long after Indigenous communities had settled in the area, the waters of the strait of Magellan, which the Kawésqar call the tawokser chams, became the link between the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. Charles Darwin stepped off the Beagle to climb nearby Mount Tarn on his voyage along the coast of Chile and the strait was one of the world’s most important shipping routes until the Panama canal opened in 1914.
The murky depths have claimed many lives and spawned legends. Treasure troves lie in the depths, and sealed bottles of rum have washed ashore over the centuries.
Timber from the forests has been taken as far afield as the Falkland Islands and Buenos Aires for construction and, in 1905, the Magallanes Whaling Society was formed. Eleven years later, with the whale population decimated, an auction was held to sell off the society’s land and equipment.
All that is left at Bahía el Águila, where the carcasses were processed, is the footprint of the factory and a few rotting wooden stumps. Adolf Andresen, the society’s Norwegian founder, died poor and forgotten in the saloon bars of Punta Arenas in 1940.
The forest covered by the Cape Froward project is home to endangered deer and otter species as well as wild pumas. Photograph: Pablo Sanhueza/Reuters
But there are still a number of steps before the national park officially comes into existence.
An Indigenous consultation process, a legal requirement for large-scale projects in Chile, was held in September but fell flat. Chile’s environment ministry said it would make “every effort” to advance with plans for the park by March.
But if no progress is made after two years, the lands revert to the ownership of Tompkins’ organisations.
“Each of the park projects we have developed has specific reasons for being considered essential for conservation,” said Tompkins, who was the chief executive of Patagonia outdoor clothing for 20 years until 1993. “And in this sense Cape Froward is a piece of an ecological puzzle that, over time, should ensure that key biodiversity sites within Chilean Patagonia are permanently protected.”
The Guardian’s reporting was supported by Rewilding Chile
Pope Leo has urged Ukraine and Russia to find the “courage” to hold direct talks to end the war during his first Christmas remarks to crowds in St Peter’s square.
He called for an end to conflicts around the world during his Urbi et Orbi address, which is traditionally delivered by the pontiff on Christmas Day to worshippers gathered in Vatican City.
Speaking about Ukraine, the Pope said: “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.”
His plea comes as US-led negotiations on a deal to end the fighting continues.
The US has sought to mediate between Kyiv and Moscow as it seeks to put together an agreement to end the fighting acceptable to both sides, but direct talks between the warring parties have not taken place during this latest round of diplomatic efforts.
Pope Leo also decried turmoil and conflict plaguing other parts of the world, including Thailand and Cambodia where deadly border clashes have flared up despite a ceasefire in July.
He asked that the South East Asian nations’ “ancient friendship” be restored and “to work towards reconciliation and peace”.
During an earlier Christmas Day sermon in St Peter’s Basilica, Pope Leo lamented conditions for homeless people the world over, and the damage caused by conflicts.
“Fragile is the flesh of defenceless populations, tried by so many wars, ongoing or concluded, leaving behind rubble and open wounds,” said the pope.
He said the story of the birth of Jesus showed that God had “pitched his fragile tent” among the people of the world. “How, then,” he asked, turning his attention to the conditions of Palestinians, “can we not think of the tents in Gaza, exposed for weeks to rain, wind and cold?”
Gaza has been devastated by Israeli bombardment in a two-year war, triggered by Hamas’s attack on Israel on 7 October 2023.
Winter storms have compounded the plight of the territory’s 2.1m population, nearly all of whom have been displaced and their homes damaged or destroyed.
Aid agencies have called for Israel to allow more tents and urgently needed supplies into Gaza.
Cogat, the Israeli military body which controls Gaza’s border crossings, has dismissed claims of deliberate aid restrictions, saying almost 310,000 tents and tarpaulins had been delivered since the start of the ceasefire in October.
Diplomatic relations between India and Bangladesh have hit a critical juncture with Dhaka suspending visa and consular services at its missions in New Delhi and Agartala on December 22 following protests outside the facilities.
India has also suspended visa services at its Chittagong visa application center in Bangladesh following widespread violent protests triggered by the death of prominent Bangledeshi activist Sharif Osman Hadi.
The 32-year-old was a fierce critic of India and a key figure in the 2024 uprising that ended the 15-year autocratic rule of former Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.
Hadi died on December 18 in a Singapore hospital where he was being treated after being shot in the head a week earlier in Dhaka by a masked man riding on the back of a motorbike.
Protesters near the Bangladesh High Commission in New Delhi accused Bangladeshi groups of wrongly targeting minoritiesImage: Manish Swarup/AP Photo/picture alliance
Bangladesh’s interim leader Muhammad Yunus has called the shooting a premeditated attack carried out by a powerful network aimed at derailing elections planned for February.
Envoys summoned in tit-for-tat move
Tensions between India and Bangladesh further increased following the killing of Dipu Chandra Das, a 25-year-old Hindu man lynched and burned in public in Bangladesh’s Mymensingh district over blasphemy allegations.
Several areas across India, including Kolkata and Hyderabad, witnessed protests by prominent Hindu groups seeking justice for Das. Many carried placards and banners with slogans including “India will not tolerate torture of Hindus in Bangladesh.”
New Delhi and Dhaka summoned each other’s envoys earlier this week in a tit-for-tat move to express concern over the situation that has escalated into reciprocal suspension of visa services and heightened tensions over minority safety and diplomatic security.
This visa freeze affects tens of thousands of Bangladeshis seeking medical treatment in India, creating a humanitarian dimension.
Is Bangladesh on a path to democracy?
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India has sharply rejected Bangladesh’s attempt to equate protests at its facilities in Dhaka with protests outside Bangladeshi missions in India.
“India continues to keep a close watch on the evolving situation in Bangladesh. Our officials remain in touch with Bangladesh authorities and have conveyed to them our strong concerns at the attacks on minorities. We have also urged that the perpetrators of the barbaric killing of Das be brought to justice,” said Randhir Jaiswal, spokesperson for India’s Foreign Ministry.
The visa suspension represents the most tangible impact on ordinary citizens since tensions flared. India was issuing around 1,500 visas daily to Bangladeshis, prioritizing medical and emergency visas.
The entire pipeline of patients is affected especially for those needing new visas, follow-up appointments, and emergency care.
But this is not the first time it happened. Following political unrest and Hasina’s ouster in August last year, Indian visa centers across the country were closed indefinitely for security reasons.
‘Complex interdependence’
Experts and former diplomats emphasize that the diplomatic breakdown between the neighboring nations was serious given the recent tensions.
“The visa freeze is ad hoc, not permanent,” Sanjay Bhardwaj, a professor of South Asian studies at Delhi’s Jawaharlal Nehru University, told DW, noting that it is “more of a tactical move rather than a strategic rupture.”
“India closed its Chittagong visa office after escalating anti-India rhetoric threatened staff safety. Bangladesh’s suspension of visa operations in India is purely retaliatory, designed to appease domestic constituencies,” he said.
Bhardwaj said that India and Bangladesh share a complex interdependence.
“Bangladesh cannot function without Indian cooperation — whether in trade, transit, or connectivity,” he added.
“This visa standoff, while disruptive for ordinary citizens, does not automatically derail broader bilateral relations or commerce. Both sides understand the stakes. The freeze hurts people, not the relationship’s structural foundation.”
Why is India protecting Bangladesh’s Sheik Hasina?
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Medical travel hit by fallout
This latest flashpoint builds on over a year of fraying ties that have deteriorated sharply since Sheikh Hasina’s ouster, with India expressing growing alarm over the safety of Hindus and other minorities in Bangladesh while Dhaka has pushed back against what it perceives as interference in its internal affairs.
“India’s visa stoppage was a temporary security measure responding to tangible, credible threats against our missions and visa centers. Services have since resumed everywhere except Chittagong where the threat remains real,” Pinak Ranjan Chakravarty, a former high commissioner to Bangladesh, told DW.
Chakravarty also believes Bangladesh’s response is just retaliation. “They’re manufacturing a false equivalence to claim their missions in India face similar dangers. It is a fabricated narrative for domestic consumption, not grounded in comparable security concerns,” he said.
“Yes, summoning high commissioners is standard diplomatic protocol for lodging concerns. But there is a difference between legitimate security threats and political posturing,” added Chakravarty.
Sreeradha Datta, a Bangladesh expert at the Jindal School of International Affairs, said the current crisis will de-escalate in days, but normal India-Bangladesh relations will not resume until an elected government takes power in Dhaka.
“Fringe elements have hijacked the political narrative — this does not reflect majority Bangladeshi sentiment,” Datta told DW.
“The interim government must prove it can control domestic violence. What happened with Prothom Alo and Daily Star newspapers exposes either gross incompetence or ill intention, and the authorities have shown little interest in repairing ties with India,” added Datta.
On December 18, mobs vandalized, looted, and set fire to the headquarters of the newspaper offices amid riots following the assassination of youth leader Hadi.
“The stalemate is clear. Bangladesh’s caretaker administration lacks legitimacy and political will, while India waits for a credible partner. Unless Dhaka signals genuine intent to normalize relations, New Delhi will not budge,” said Datta.
Bangladesh mosque, temple share same courtyard
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Edited by: Keith Walker
WORLD NEWS
Norad Santa tracker 2025 live: Follow Father Christmas as he delivers presents around the world
Pope in photos as Christmas celebrated in the Vatican
Pope Leo XIV presides over his first Christmas Day Mass at the St. Peter’s Basilica at the Vatican.
The first US-born pope was elected in may by the world’s cardinals during a conclave and succeeded the late Pope Francis.
Here are some photos of his first Christmas as the Pope:
Pope Leo XIV presides over Christmas Day Mass at the St. Peter’s Basilica at the Vatican, Thursday, Dec. 25, 2025. (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia) (Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved)
Pope Leo XIV holds up the book of the Gospel during the Christmas Day Mass at the St. Peter’s Basilica at the Vatican, Thursday, Dec. 25, 2025. (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia) (Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved)
Pope Leo XIV presides over Christmas Day Mass at the St. Peter’s Basilica at the Vatican, Thursday, Dec. 25, 2025. (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia) (Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved)
Pope Leo XIV presides over Christmas Day Mass at the St. Peter’s Basilica at the Vatican, Thursday, Dec. 25, 2025. (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia) (Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved)
Shaheena Uddin25 December 2025 11:30
Santa is travelling over the Pacific Ocean on his final stretch
The NORAD’s advanced air base tracking aircraft has confirmed that Santa is travelling south from Alaska over the Pacific ocean, marking the final stretch of his Christmas Eve journey.
Tracking crews remain watching as Santa heads home using the E-3 Sentry aircraft which is an airborne warning and control system.
This device is able to detect Santa “despite the fact that he flies faster than starlight” and is able to provide an accurate, real time image of the area.
(NORAD Santa Tracker)
Shaheena Uddin25 December 2025 11:00
Santa nears the final few stops of his Christmas Eve journey
Santa nears the final few stops of his Christmas Eve journey and has been spotted flying over snow-covered landscapes in Anchorage, Alaska.
The NORAD has confirmed there are no major travel disruptions and his “sleigh is moving right on schedule”.
The Alaska NORAS Region Commander has reported that Santa was spotted over Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in the US.
It shared that “Anchorage is Alaska’s most populous city and contains more than 40 per cent of the state’s total population. That will surely make for one busy stop for Santa, but we know he is up to the task.”
The organisation added: “With sometimes less than six hours of sunlight per day in the winter, Anchorage also boasts the most espresso coffee stands per capita than anywhere in the US.”
(Santa NORAD)
Shaheena Uddin25 December 2025 10:32
Elon Musk shares Grok’s version of Santa’s Christmas run
Elon Musk also joined the festive fun by sharing a visualisation created by Grok, the AI chatbot developed by his company xAI, showing Santa Claus racing across the sky in his sleigh.
The post highlighted how Grok, known for generating real-time visuals and explanations on X, has become part of the Christmas Eve spectacle.
Shweta Sharma25 December 2025 09:45
Shweta Sharma25 December 2025 09:30
‘God bless us, every one!’ The five best film versions of Dickens’ A Christmas Carol
Aas any story outside the Bible been adapted and performed more times than A Christmas Carol? The tale of Ebenezer Scrooge and the four ghosts who set out to change his miserly ways has been reworked and reimagined hundreds of times in the past 180 years.
There have been stage productions, radio shows, films, musicals, television adaptations and animated specials, with everyone from Jim Carrey and Ryan Reynolds to Daffy Duck and Barbie giving us their own takes on Scrooge.
When Charles Dickens first published his original novella a few days before Christmas in 1843, it was an immediate hit. Within weeks it was being performed on stage at London’s Surrey Theatre, and by 1853 even Dickens himself was getting in on the act. The book was the subject of the author’s first ever public reading, delivered to a rapturous reception at Birmingham Town Hall.
The five best film versions of Dickens’ A Christmas Carol
The classic festive tale of humbug and redemption has been adapted countless times for film and TV since the very first silent version in 1901 – but which ones are actually worth watching? The Ghost of Christmas Past takes Kevin E G Perry back to visit the top five
Shweta Sharma25 December 2025 09:00
Canadian police ‘spot’ Santa in Alberta
Christmas Eve excitement reached new heights in Canada after the Edmonton police reported a live Santa sighting over the city.
In a festive post on social media, the police said their AIR1 helicopter crew had “eyes on Santa’s sleigh” flying over Edmonton, adding that officers were keeping the skies clear so Father Christmas could deliver gifts without interruption.
“From all of us at the Edmonton Police Service, Merry Christmas!” the post read.
The light-hearted update quickly drew thousands of views and reactions online, with users responding in the Christmas spirit – some cheering Santa on, others joking about time zones and the Norad tracker showing him elsewhere.
Shweta Sharma25 December 2025 08:45
Nasa spots Christmas tree-shaped star cluster
It’s official name is NGC 2264, but the Christmas Tree Cluster wouldn’t be a bad one either.
Nasa, scanning the skies above Santa’s ongoing flight, spotted a cluster of young stars surrounded by swirls of gas. Together, they resemble a giant Christmas tree.
And, it’s only 2,500 light-years away, so I’m sure Santa will deliver presents there too in no time.
Shweta Sharma25 December 2025 08:30
Trump posts AI-generated Santa video warning immigrants to self-deport
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has released an AI-generated Christmas advert, showing Santa Claus working as an ICE agent.
The video, in which an imposing Father Christmas is seen wearing a bulletproof vest and carrying weapons, urges undocumented immigrants to leave the country voluntarily.
The figure, depicted wearing Santa’s traditional red suit and with a white beard, appears with an ICE logo across his chest.
Shweta Sharma25 December 2025 08:00
Santa arrives in California
Santa has been just spotted flying over San Francisco, lighting up the Bay Area as he continues his journey along the West Coast.
“The sleigh flew by the Golden Gate bridge,” it said.
On Christmas eve Santa is shown delivering gifts all around the world, moving west with the time zones. By the time the night is over, he’s covered almost every region.
Shweta Sharma25 December 2025 07:59
NEED TO KNOW
- Kate Middleton’s latest Christmas Day look brought new life to one of her go-to coats
- The Princess of Wales wore a bespoke Blaze Milano coat that she’s worn multiple times in 2025
- Princess Kate is known for her holiday style
Kate Middleton is festive and fashionable this Christmas in one of her go-to coats.
The Princess of Wales, 43, joined members of the royal family — including her husband, Prince William, and their children, Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis — for their annual Christmas Day church outing on Dec. 25.
This year, Princess Kate pulled a familiar piece out of her closet: a bespoke Blaze Milano coat that she wore multiple times in 2025. The choice perfectly coordinated with other members of the family, matching both Princess Charlotte in brown and the color of the day — red, as worn by Queen Camilla and others — in a subtle way due to its burgundy tone.
Kate Middleton at Christmas 2025.
Mark Cuthbert/UK Press via Getty
The royal mom accessorized with a patterned scarf (as did Prince William!) and a brown hat by Juliette Botterill Millinery, which is new to Kate’s collection.
Can’t get enough of PEOPLE’s Royals coverage? Sign up for our free Royals newsletter to get the latest updates on Kate Middleton, Meghan Markle and more!
Kate Middleton and Princess Charlotte on Christmas 2025.
HENRY NICHOLLS / AFP via Getty
Since her 2011 wedding to Prince William, Kate has become known for her style choices, especially around the holidays. Whether she’s sporting a tiara and ballgown in Windsor Castle for a state banquet or outdoors picking out Christmas trees with children, she’s dressed for the occasion. While she’s worn traditional colors for the season, such as reds and greens, she’s also shown that other shades can be equally festive.
Princess Charlotte and Kate Middleton on Christmas 2025.
Samir Hussein/WireImage
Despite the praise for her holiday-ready wardrobe, Princess Kate has admitted to having regrets about past Christmas ensembles. In 2019, she bundled up for the church outing on Dec. 25 in a gray Catherine Walker coat with a faux fur collar. However, with an unseasonably warm temperature of 46 degrees Fahrenheit that year, she admitted to a well-wisher, “I really shouldn’t have worn this.”
When it comes to her fashion philosophy, Princess Kate is known for recycling her favorite pieces (sometimes years apart!) and following the late Queen Elizabeth’s habit of sporting bright colors.
Kate Middleton on Christmas 2019.
Pool/Samir Hussein/WireImage
In the documentary The Queen at 90, the Queen’s daughter-in-law Sophie, the Duchess of Edinburgh, explained the reasoning behind the style choice: “She needs to stand out for people to be able to say, ‘I saw the Queen.'”
Sophie added, “Don’t forget that when she turns up somewhere, the crowds are two, three, four, 10, 15 deep, and someone wants to be able to say they saw a bit of the Queen’s hat as she went past.”
Christmas at the Palace.
People Magazine
PEOPLE’s updated Christmas at the Palace edition is now available!