The Israeli military says the sixth and final hostage was released by Hamas in the latest exchange on Saturday and has arrived back in Israel even as heightened tensions clouded the future of the fragile ceasefire deal. The six included three Israeli men seized from the Nova music festival and another abducted while visiting his family in southern … Read more
Supporters of Pope Francis gathered outside Rome’s Gemelli Hospital to pay tribute to the 88-year-old.
Dozens of others injured after thousands of devotees queue outside one of the most visited Hindu temples in southern India. At least six people have been crushed to death and dozens injured as a crowd surged at one of the most visited Hindu religious sites at Tirupati town in India’s southern state of Andhra Pradesh. … Read more
Pope Francis calls for “arms to be silenced” around the world, appealing for peace in the Middle East, Ukraine and Sudan in his Christmas address as he denounces the “extremely grave” humanitarian situation in Gaza. He used his traditional message to the world’s 1.4 billion Catholics on Wednesday to call for talks for a just … Read more
Pope Francis delivered a plea for peace in a world torn by conflict in his 2024 Christmas Day “Urbi et Orbi” (“To the City and the World”) address. It came as Christmas marked the start of the 2025 Holy Year celebration that is expected to bring some 32 million Catholic faithful to Rome. “I invite … Read more
Syrian Christians have attended Christmas Eve services for the first time since the overthrow of President Bashar al-Assad in early December. In Sednaya, Syria, a large crowd gathered near a historic monastery on Christmas Eve to witness the lighting of a towering tree adorned with glowing green lights. The celebration offered a rare moment of … Read more