Pope Francis has called for negotiations between Ukraine and Russia to end the war triggered by Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022. In his traditional Christmas Day address, the Pope said "boldness [was] needed to open the door" to dialogue "in order to achieve a just and lasting peace" between the two sides.

Russia has said it would only accept a legally binding ceasefire deal for a lasting peace that would ensure the security of both Russia and its neighbours. Russian Foreign Minister, Sergei Lavrov, said that a weak ceasefire to freeze the war in Ukraine would be futile and counterproductive.

AI warfare may conjure images of killer robots and autonomous drones, but a different reality is unfolding in the Gaza Strip. There, artificial intelligence has been suggesting targets in Israel’s retaliatory campaign to root out Hamas following the group’s Oct.

Faith leaders and residents in Bethlehem are grappling with how to mark the festive holiday while fellow Palestinians continue to be killed.

For a second straight year, the war raging in Gaza has kept pilgrims and tourists away from Bethlehem in the occupied West Bank, where Christmas tourism makes up about 70% of the city's economy. Imtiaz Tyab has more.