World

Migrants spend Christmas on the road before heading to U.S. border

By Jose Torres TAPACHULA, Mexico (Reuters) - Thousands of migrants arrived on Sunday in the southern Mexican town Alvaro Obregon to spend the Christmas Eve in a public square without shelter before making their way north to cross the country and reach the border with the United States. On Sunday, the group of mostly Central American and Caribbean migrants had walked 15 kilometers (more than 9 miles) from the southern border city Tapachula to get to Alvaro Obregon, with plans to set off again around 4 a.m. the next day. Migrant rights activist Luis Garcia Villagran urged that migrants must not ...

Pope pleads for end to Israel's assault on Gaza

Pope Francis called for the end to the Gaza war and a lasting solution to the conflict in the Middle East in his Christmas Day message on Monday, while also condemning abortion in strong terms. "I plead for an end to the military operations with their appalling harvest of innocent civilian victims, and call for a solution to the desperate humanitarian situation by an opening to the provision of humanitarian aid," he told tens of thousands in St Peter's Square. "May there be an end to the fuelling of violence and hatred. And may the Palestinian question come to be resolved throughsincere and pe...

Hamas chief in Gaza says fighters have dealt Israel heavy losses

The head of the Islamist Hamas movement in Gaza, Yehya al-Sinwar, says its fighters have inflicted heavy losses of life and equipment on Israeli forces in the conflict. In a letter to the chairman of the Hamas politburo, Ismail Haniya, and other members of the committee, al-Sinwar spoke of a bitter, brutal and unprecedented battle against Israeli forces being fought by the Qassam Brigades, the organization's armed wing. He asserted that the Qassam Brigades had attacked at least 5,000 Israeli soldiers, killing a third, seriously injuring another third and permanently incapacitating another thir...

Brazil will require entry visa for travelers with U.S. passports in 2024

Enjoying samba and caipirinhas in their country of origin will no longer be so easy for U.S travelers. Starting on Jan. 10, 2024, travelers with U.S. passports wishing to vacation in Brazil must first obtain a mandatory entry visa. The Electronic Visa (eVisa) of the Federative Republic of Brazil is a new entry requirement for American, Canadian and Australian travelers, Brazilian authorities announced. The U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Consular Affairs alerted on its social media channels that the Brazilian government “will reinstate a visa requirement for all U.S. nationals visiting Br...

Israeli offensive expands in Gaza as Netanyahu vows 'a long war'

Israeli airstrikes on the Al-Maghazi refugee camp in the Gaza Strip on Sunday left about 70 people dead, according to the Hamas-controlled Ministry of Health in Gaza, as the Israeli military also expanded its ground offensive.

Israel's president and prime minister both warned the country to brace for a lengthy conflict in speeches on Sunday, and urged unity and determination. "Let's be very clear: this will be a long war," Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said.

Zelensky sends Christmas greetings: 'In the end, darkness will lose'

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky addressed his compatriots on Sunday with a Christmas message of encouragement in the face of Russia's ongoing invasion. "In the end, darkness will lose. Evil will be defeated," Zelensky said in the video message published on Sunday. He added that the whole country would pray together during the holidays "for our freedom. For our victory. For our Ukraine." Zelensky thanked Ukrainian soldiers who are spending Christmas in the trenches at the front, and also shared his thoughts with all the families who will once again have to celebrate this year without hus...

Increased security after alleged Cologne, Vienna church attack plot

Police in the German city of Cologne and Austrian capital Vienna have stepped up security measures following indications of possible attacks during the Christmas holidays. Security authorities said on Saturday they had received information about a possible attack plan by an Islamist group on Cologne Cathedral and a church in Vienna. The Austrian domestic intelligence service detained four people in an investigation into an Islamist network, according to the Interior Ministry on Sunday, Christmas Eve. The Directorate for State Security and Intelligence at the Austrian Interior Ministry said int...

Four arrested in Austria following Islamist attack plans

The Austrian domestic intelligence service has detained four people in an investigation into an Islamist network, according to the Ministry of the Interior.

The arrests follow indications of a possible attack on a church in Vienna and the cathedral in the German city of Cologne. The Directorate for State Security and Intelligence at the Austrian Interior Ministry announced on Sunday that interrogations with the suspects were under way. Further details could not be given at present for reasons of criminal tactics.

Ukrainian Catholic church says document on blessing same-sex marriage does not apply

(Reuters) - The head of Ukraine's eastern-rite Catholic church on Saturday said a document endorsed byPope Francis this week permitting blessings for same-sex couples did not apply to his church and its teachings. Major Archbishop Sviatoslav Shevchuk said the Vatican document "interprets the pastoral meaning of blessings in the Latin Church" but made no reference to issues governing the eastern, or Greek Catholic, church. "Thus ... this Declaration applies solely to the Latin Church and has no legal force for the faithful of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church," Shevchuk said in a statement. ...

Israel pushes for control in northern Gaza; Biden, Netanyahu discuss outlook

CAIRO/JERUSALEM — Israel fought to wrest full control of northern Gaza from Hamas militants as the U.S. and Israeli leaders discussed the outlook for the 11-week-old war, after the U.N. Security Council appealed for more aid for the Palestinian enclave.

Thick smoke hung over the northern town of Jabalia on Saturday and residents reported persistent aerial bombardment and shelling from Israeli tanks, which they said had moved further into the town.

Pentagon says Iranian drone 'attack' hit chemical tanker near India

A drone launched from Iran struck a chemical tanker in the Indian ocean early on Saturday, the U.S. Department of Defense said.

"The motor vessel CHEM PLUTO, a Liberia-flagged, Japanese-owned, and Netherlands-operated chemical tanker was struck at approximately 10 a.m. local time (6 a.m. GMT) today in the Indian Ocean, 200 nautical miles from the coast of India, by a one-way attack drone fired from Iran," a Pentagon spokesperson told Reuters on Saturday.

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Biden presses Netanyahu on protecting civilians in Gaza: White House

WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden on Saturday pressed Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to protect civilian lives in Gaza, the White House said, as the country's forces mounted fresh military strikes in the territory.

The conversation came a day after the UN Security Council passed a resolution demanding "safe and unhindered delivery of humanitarian assistance at scale," though it stopped short of calling for a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas militants.