Christmas Day mass celebrated at Bethlehem’s Church of the Nativity

The reigning "Miss Universe", Andrea Meza of Mexico, toured Jerusalem's Old City on Wednesday in preparation for Israel hosting the Miss Universe 2021 pageant next month. Meza visited Christianity's most sacred church, the Holy Sepulchre, and Judaism's holiest prayer site, the Western Wall. She told media she hoped for a solution to the conflict in the region. This year's Miss Universe competition will be held in the Israeli port city of Eilat on December 12.

Israeli police said the incident took place near a contested flashpoint shrine known to Jews as the Temple Mount and to Muslims as the Noble Sanctuary.

Five people were killed and more than 40 injured after an SUV sped through a Christmas parade in Waukesha, Wisconsin, on Sunday, knocking down dozens of people, including youngsters waving pompoms and a group of "Dancing Grannies."

The pandemic is once again forcing the closure of many popular Christmas markets across Germany. But, in some regions where infection rates are low, authorities are cautiously moving ahead.

Dresden's famous christmas market, the Striezelmarkt, has been around for centuries. This year, the planned opening was canceled due to the high incidence rate of coronavirus infections in the state of Saxony.

It’s Christmas season and Netflix is ushering us into the season with Nigeria’s first Christmas film, A Naija Christmas, a hilarious film about three brothers who would just not fulfill their dying mother’s goal of getting a wife this Christmas.

Concerns are rising across Europe as a number of countries bring in additional measures to combat a surge in infections.

Simon Case was leading the probe into alleged Christmas parties held by Prime Minister Boris Johnson's staff in breach of COVID restrictions. Case has quit after reports of parties in his own office.

On December 19, 2016, Islamist attacker Anis Amri drove a stolen truck through a crowd in central Berlin, killing and injuring dozens. Five years later, the background to the attack remains unclear.

With Israel having closed its borders to most foreigners, Bethlehem's residents are getting ready for a muted holiday season.

‘Tis the season… for emotional manipulation. These images show children seemingly barred from a Christmas market and Father Christmas being dragged away by police. But they are being wielded to pull on people’s heartstrings as the holidays approach, with the fake news mill continuing to twist the facts.

Christmas in Bethlehem is usually a festive and colorful season. This year, festivities in the Palestinian town are set to return — but the COVID pandemic is still casting a shadow on the celebrations.