Albert Wagner 
PARIS – A charter plane sequestered while carrying 303 Indians to Nicaragua was authorized Sunday to leave the French airport where it has been grounded for four days for a human trafficking investigation. A lawyer for the airline said the plane would take many of the stranded passengers back to India on Monday. … Read more
OTTAWA – Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says Canadians should “find strength in our differences” this Christmas. In his annual Christmas address, Trudeau called for Canadians to “love our neighbours as we love ourselves” and give back, helping those who have fallen on hard times. “Let’s share the warmth of the season with … Read more
VATICAN CITY – Recalling Jesus’ birth in a stable in Bethlehem, Pope Francis in a Christmas Eve homily said that “the clash of arms even today” prevents Jesus “from finding room in the world.” The pontiff presided Sunday over the evening Mass attended by about 6,500 faithful who took their place amid the … Read more
BELGRADE, Serbia – Riot police in Serbia fired tear gas to prevent hundreds of opposition supporters from entering the capital’s city council building on Sunday in protest of what election observers said were widespread vote irregularities during a general election last weekend. The country’s populist authorities have denied rigging the vote and described … Read more
Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom led a crowd of new releases at the box office on the weekend before Christmas Monday. The DC and Warner Bros. superhero sequel starring Jason Momoa earned an estimated US$28.1 million in its first three days of release in 3,706 locations in North America, according to studio estimates … Read more
KYIV – Russian shelling in southern Ukraine’s Kherson region killed four people Sunday, including an 87-year-old man and his 81-year-old wife who died after a strike on their apartment building. The barrage injured nine other people, including a 15-year-old, sparked fires in homes and at a private medical facility, and set a local … Read more
More than a year after it was put up for sale, Manchester United said Sunday that British billionaire Jim Ratcliffe had agreed to buy a minority stake in the storied Premier League club. Ratcliffe, who owns petrochemicals giant INEOS and is one of Britain’s richest people, has secured a stake of “up to … Read more
PALU, Indonesia – A smelting furnace exploded Sunday at a Chinese-owned nickel plant on Indonesia’s Sulawesi island, killing at least 13 workers and injuring dozens of others, police and a company official said. It was the latest in a series of deadly incidents at nickel smelting plants in Indonesia that are part of … Read more
TEL AVIV, Israel – Fourteen Israeli soldiers were killed in combat in Gaza over the weekend, the Israeli military said Sunday, in some of the bloodiest days of battle since the ground offensive began and a sign that Hamas is still putting up a fight despite weeks of brutal war. The mounting death toll among … Read more
BETHLEHEM, West Bank – The normally bustling biblical birthplace of Jesus resembled a ghost town on Sunday, as Christmas Eve celebrations in Bethlehem were called off due to the Israel-Hamas war. The festive lights and Christmas tree that normally decorate Manger Square were missing, as were the throngs of foreign tourists and jubilant … Read more
