Pope Leo condemns 'open wounds' of war in first Christmas homily
Pope Leo XIV condemned the "senselessness" of war and the "open wounds" it leaves behind, as he delivered his first Christmas message on Thursday after a year marked by conflict but also hopes for peace in Gaza and Ukraine.
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Mogadishu votes in first local elections in decades under tight security
Somalians turned out in droves on Thursday to vote in local elections in the capital Mogadishu -- the first by universal suffrage in nearly 60 years -- with the city locked down amid security concerns.
Read morePrime minister hopeful Tarique Rahman arrives in Bangladesh
Aspiring prime minister and political heavyweight Tarique Rahman was welcomed back to Bangladesh on Thursday by huge crowds of joyous supporters after 17 years in self-imposed exile.
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'Starting anew': Indonesians in disaster-struck Sumatra hold Christmas mass
At a church in Sumatra, dozens of worshippers sang hymns at a Christmas mass, gathered together for their first service since deadly floods swept the Indonesian island.
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Cambodian PM's wife attends funerals of soldiers killed in Thai border clashes
The wife of Cambodia's leader has attended funerals for soldiers killed in border clashes with Thailand, according to an official Facebook post, even though Phnom Penh has not announced any military deaths.
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Prime minister hopeful Tarique Rahman arrives in Bangladesh: party
Aspiring prime minister and political heavyweight Tarique Rahman was welcomed back to Bangladesh on Thursday by huge crowds of supporters after his 17 years in self-imposed exile.
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Pacific archipelago Palau agrees to take migrants from US
The tiny Pacific island nation of Palau has agreed to accept up to 75 non-American migrants from the United States under a deal worth $7.5 million, the two countries have said.
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Pope Leo expected to call for peace during first Christmas blessing
Pope Leo XIV is expected to renew his calls for peace Thursday when he delivers his first Christmas blessing from St Peter's Basilica at the end of a year overshadowed by conflict, but also marked by hopes for peace in Gaza.
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Australia opts for all-pace attack in fourth Ashes Test
Australia will take an all-pace attack into the fourth Ashes Test, skipper Steve Smith said Thursday, while Josh Inglis was dropped with selectors preferring Usman Khawaja.
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'We hold onto one another and keep fighting,' says wife of jailed Istanbul mayor
Turkish democracy has taken a heavy beating since the jailing of Istanbul's popular opposition mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, his wife told AFP, saying it has been painful for his family but that the ordeal has made them stronger.
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