Albert Wagner 
HUIXTLA, Mexico – Christmas Day meant the same as any other day for thousands of migrants walking through southern Mexico: more trudging under a hot sun. There were no presents, and Christmas Eve dinner was a sandwich, a bottle of water and a banana handed out by the Catholic church to some of … Read more
KRYVORIVNIA, Ukraine – Christmas carried more than spiritual weight for many Ukrainians this year as the country newly observed it as a public holiday on Dec. 25 rather than the later date followed in Russia. The change, enacted in legislation signed by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in July, reflects both Ukrainians’ dismay with the … Read more
TALLINN, Estonia – Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, whose country’s relations with Russia grew tense this year, said Monday that when Armenia takes the rotating chairmanship of a Moscow-dominated economic alliance he will try to suppress politics obstructing regional integration. Armenia is to become the chairman country of the Eurasian Economic Union in … Read more
Macklin Celebrini hasn’t been an underdog many times in his life. The same goes for Canada whenever the country hits the ice for an international tournament. Heading into the 2024 world junior hockey championship, however, the powerhouse nation isn’t viewed as the favourite — at least from the outside. And it … Read more
QAMISHLI, Syria – Turkey intensified its airstrikes against Kurdish groups in Syria and northern Iraq in retaliation for the deaths of 12 Turkish soldiers in Iraq over the weekend. The Turkish defence ministry said in a statement Monday that it had killed at least 26 militants in the strikes. In Qamishili, in … Read more
BEIRUT – An Israeli airstrike Monday in a Damascus neighbourhood killed a high-ranking Iranian general, Iranian state media said. The killing of Razi Mousavi, a long-time adviser of the Iranian paramilitary Revolutionary Guard in Syria, comes as clashes along the Lebanon-Israel border between Hezbollah and Israel continue to intensify with fears of the … Read more
LIVERPOOL, Englanf – Liverpool soccer star Mohamed Salah says he “shares the pain” of grieving families at Christmas amid the Israel-Hamas war. The Egypt international posted a message on X, formerly known as Twitter, saying: “Christmas is a time when families get together and celebrate. “With the brutal war going on in … Read more
Gift cards make great stocking stuffers — just as long as you don’t stuff them in a drawer and forget about them after the holidays. Americans are expected to spend nearly US$30 billion on gift cards this holiday season, according to the National Retail Federation. Restaurant gift cards are the most popular, making … Read more
BELGRADE, Serbia – Serbian police said Monday they have detained at least 38 people who took part in a protest against reported widespread irregularities during a recent general ballot that declared the governing populists as winners of the parliamentary and local councils’ elections. Opposition group Serbia Against Violence has been staging protests since … Read more
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – A man was fatally shot and three people were hurt as gunfire rang out at a shopping centre in Colorado on Christmas Eve, police said Sunday. A fight broke out between two groups of people in the afternoon at the Citadel Mall in Colorado Springs and officers received a … Read more
