Latest Christmas News

King Charles III focuses Christmas message on healthcare workers in year marked by royal illnesses

Dec. 25, 2024 13:00 PM EST

LONDON (AP) — King Charles III used his annual Christmas message Wednesday to hail the selflessness of those who have cared for him and the Princess of Wales this year, after both were diagnosed with cancer. The 76-year-old monarch said he and his family are “continually”...

Pope urges 'all people of all nations' to silence arms and overcome divisions in Christmas address

Dec. 25, 2024 12:04 PM EST

VATICAN CITY (AP) — Pope Francis in his traditional Christmas message on Wednesday urged “all people of all nations” to find courage during this Holy Year “to silence the sounds of arms and overcome divisions” plaguing the world, from the Middle East to Ukraine, Africa to Asia. ...

Pope Francis kicks off a yearlong Jubilee that will test his stamina and Rome's patience

Dec. 25, 2024 09:53 AM EST

VATICAN CITY (AP) — Pope Francis kicked off the 2025 Holy Year on Tuesday, inaugurating a celebration of the Catholic Church that is expected to draw some 32 million pilgrims to Rome in a test of the pope's stamina and the ability of the Eternal City to welcome them. From his...

Russia targets Ukrainian energy infrastructure on Christmas Day

Dec. 25, 2024 07:09 AM EST

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Russia launched a massive missile and drone barrage targeting Ukraine's energy infrastructure on Wednesday, striking a thermal power plant and prompting Ukrainians to take shelter in metro stations on Christmas morning. The strikes on Ukrainian fuel and energy...

Stock market today: Asian shares are mostly lower, with most world markets closed for Christmas

Dec. 25, 2024 01:27 AM EST

BANGKOK (AP) — Shares slipped in Tokyo and Shanghai on Wednesday, two of only a handful of world markets open on Christmas day. Oil prices rose. Japan's Nikkei 225 index edged 0.1% lower to 38,997.02, while the Shanghai Composite index lost 0.2% to 3,387.41. ...

Cities worldwide hold subdued Christmas Eve celebrations amid conflicts

Dec. 24, 2024 23:37 PM EST

BETHLEHEM, West Bank (AP) — Bethlehem marked another somber Christmas Eve on Tuesday in the traditional birthplace of Jesus under the shadow of war in Gaza. The cheer that typically descends on the West Bank during Christmas week were nowhere to be found. The festive lights and...

Sailors greeted with tears and cheers as USS Cole returns to home port ahead of Christmas

Dec. 24, 2024 21:24 PM EST

NORFOLK, Va. (AP) — Hundreds of sailors and their loved ones got an early Christmas present when the USS Cole docked at its home port in Norfolk, Virginia, after seven months at sea. The ship was greeted at Naval Station Norfolk on Monday with cheering from a crowd bundled in...

Heavy travel day starts with brief grounding of all American Airlines flights

Dec. 24, 2024 18:41 PM EST

WASHINGTON (AP) — American Airlines briefly grounded flights nationwide Tuesday because of a technical problem just as the Christmas travel season kicked into overdrive and winter weather threatened more potential problems for those planning to fly or drive. Government regulators...

NFL on Netflix: Christmas Day games are a 1st for streaming giant

Dec. 24, 2024 17:51 PM EST

Netflix will have one of its biggest days Wednesday since the site launched in 1998 when it airs two NFL games for the first time. “NFL Christmas Gameday on Netflix” begins with a two-hour pregame show at 11 a.m., before Pittsburgh hosts Kansas City. Baltimore faces Houston in...

Soccer star Cristiano Ronaldo takes family to Lapland for Christmas vacation

Dec. 24, 2024 17:50 PM EST

Soccer star Cristiano Ronaldo said it was “just a little cold” as he posed bare-chested in the snow before taking an icy dip in a pool during a Christmas vacation in Finland’s Lapland region. The 39-year-old Portuguese international traveled with partner Georgina Rodriguez and...