Pope Leo XIV called for peace through humility, responsibility, and dialogue, stressing that individuals can contribute to global stability by standing with the weak and oppressed.
WATCH: Pope Leo XIV gives his first Urbi Et Orbi Christmas message in Vatican City, reflecting on the birth of Jesus Christ.
“Today, true peace has come down to us from heaven.” pic.twitter.com/lBgcGcH1Mu
— Fox News (@FoxNews) December 25, 2025
Earlier, he led Christmas Day Mass in St. Peter’s Basilica, emphasizing that peace can only emerge through listening and human solidarity, as the Catholic Church marked the holiday amid the closing phase of the Holy Year celebrations.
Palestinian Police Arrest Three in Christmas Church Arson in West Bank
Palestinian Authority police arrested three Palestinians in Jenin, in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, on suspicion of setting fire to a Christmas tree and damaging part of a Nativity scene at the Holy Redeemer Catholic Church.
The attack occurred around 3 a.m. local time on Monday and was identified after police reviewed surveillance footage and seized tools believed to have been used in the arson.
Church officials condemned the incident but described it as isolated, quickly replacing the tree and holding Christmas Mass with Muslim and Christian leaders present to emphasize communal unity.
3 Palestinians accused of torching a Christmas tree at a Catholic church in West Bank https://t.co/sp6loOZ3Ee pic.twitter.com/2Ur0XBeUl9
— New York Post (@nypost) December 25, 2025
The arrests come amid heightened tensions in the West Bank, where violence has surged since the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza and where the region’s small Christian community faces increasing pressure from extremist attacks and broader instability.
Istanbul Police Detain 115 Islamic State Suspects Ahead of Holiday Celebrations
Istanbul police on Thursday carried out coordinated raids across the city, detaining 115 suspected members of the Islamic State (IS) group accused of planning attacks targeting Christmas and New Year’s celebrations.
Authorities said the operation followed intelligence that IS had called for violence, particularly against non-Muslims, during the holiday period. Prosecutors issued warrants for 137 suspects and conducted raids at 124 locations, seizing firearms, ammunition, and documents.
Turkish authorities have detained 115 suspected Islamic State members they said were planning to carry out attacks on Christmas and New Year celebrations in the country.
Contributed by @AZ_Intel_. pic.twitter.com/dSgGjCPDQG
— Open Source Intel (@Osint613) December 25, 2025
The arrests come as regional counterterrorism pressure on IS intensifies, with recent US strikes and Syrian security operations targeting the group in Syria.
Despite losing its territorial control in 2019, Islamic State continues to pose a security threat through active cells across the region.
Russian Court Jails Opposition Activist Sergei Udaltsov for Terrorism Charges
A Russian court on Thursday sentenced opposition activist Sergei Udaltsov to six years in a maximum-security penal colony after convicting him of justifying terrorism.
Udaltsov, a pro-war leftist and leader of the Left Front movement affiliated with the Communist Party, was arrested last year over an online article supporting other activists accused of forming a terrorist organization. Those activists received lengthy prison terms earlier this month.
Udaltsov rejected the charges as fabricated, called the verdict shameful, and announced a hunger strike.
Russian opposition leader jailed.
Sergei Udaltsov receives 6 years in a maximum-security colony for “justifying terrorism” online. The veteran activist, a 2012 protest leader, has begun a hunger strike, calling the case purely political. pic.twitter.com/DWWFiY1kyT
— Open Source Intel (@Osint613) December 25, 2025
The ruling comes as Russian authorities intensify a nationwide crackdown on dissent following the invasion of Ukraine, targeting opposition figures, independent media, and civil society, with Udaltsov’s conviction marking the latest in a series of high-profile prosecutions.
Ukraine Strikes Russian Energy Sites With Storm Shadow Missiles and Drones
Ukraine said on Thursday that its forces used British-made Storm Shadow cruise missiles and domestically produced long-range drones to strike multiple Russian oil, gas, and military facilities as the war nears its fourth year.
According to Ukraine’s General Staff, the air force hit the Novoshakhtinsk oil refinery in Russia’s Rostov region, a major supplier of fuel to Russian troops, while the SBU security service reported drone strikes on oil storage tanks at the port of Temryuk in Krasnodar and a gas processing plant in Orenburg, about 1,400 kilometers (870 miles) from Ukraine.
Russian authorities confirmed fires at fuel tanks in Temryuk following the attack.
Ukraine’s armed forces struck the Novoshakhtinsk oil refinery in Russia’s Rostov region using a Storm Shadow missile, with local residents reporting as many as six explosions. pic.twitter.com/GMoDJYpGmU
— Open Source Intel (@Osint613) December 25, 2025
Ukraine also reported striking a military airfield in Maikop, in the Adygea region.
The strikes reflect Kyiv’s strategy of targeting Russian energy infrastructure to reduce oil revenues that fund Moscow’s war effort.
Myanmar Junta Pushes Military-Backed Vote as Civil War Rages
Myanmar’s military ruler Min Aung Hlaing urged voters to support candidates aligned with the armed forces as the country holds a tightly controlled general election nearly five years after the 2021 coup.
Speaking last week from a military base, he signaled the junta’s intent to use the vote to entrench its power and seek international legitimacy despite an ongoing civil war.
Voting is taking place in two phases, on Sunday, December 28, and January 11, in just 202 of Myanmar’s 330 townships where the military maintains partial control, excluding most opposition parties, including the dissolved National League for Democracy.
#UPDATE The UN said Myanmar’s junta is using violence and intimidation to force people to vote in upcoming military-controlled elections, while armed opposition groups were using similar tactics to keep people away.
➡️ https://t.co/SYhDUxYp6b pic.twitter.com/0ADJnBfW96
— AFP News Agency (@AFP) December 23, 2025
Analysts say the election, dominated by the military-backed Union Solidarity and Development Party, is unlikely to end violence or gain broad foreign recognition, as critics argue it lacks inclusiveness, credibility, and basic conditions for a free and fair process.
Australia Plans National Bravery Awards After Deadly Antisemitic Attack
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced on Thursday that the government will create a national bravery award to honor civilians and first responders who risked their lives during a deadly antisemitic terror attack on a Hanukkah celebration.
The December 14 attack, which killed 15 people, took place at a beachside event and was carried out by Sajid Akram and his son, Naveed Akram, before police killed the elder attacker.
Albanese said the honors will recognize individuals such as Ahmed al Ahmed, who disarmed an assailant despite being wounded.
At the worst of times, we see the best of Australians.
We will recognise the heroes of the Bondi terrorist attack with new honours and awards. pic.twitter.com/eyJFX5QCwM
— Anthony Albanese (@AlboMP) December 24, 2025
The announcement came in Sydney as Australia grapples with heightened security concerns during the holiday season, alongside new state and federal measures to tighten gun laws, ban terrorist symbols, and expand police powers in response to the attack.
Sources: News Agencies
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Evening Brief: Trump Fields NORAD Santa Calls, Pope Leo XIV Calls for Solidarity in First Christmas Message, Australia Plans National Bravery Awards
Trump’s NORAD calls, Pope’s plea for peace, Ukraine hits Russian energy sites. Here’s what’s making headlines this Thursday evening.
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