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Mariela Gómez, right, and her partner Abraham Castro, a Venezuelan migrant couple, sit for Christmas dinner at Castro's parents' home in Maracay, Venezuela, early Thursday, Dec. 25, 2025. The couple abandoned their journey to the United States and returned home from Mexico by land and sea following President Donald Trump's immigration crackdown. (AP Photo/Matias Delacroix)

A Venezuelan family’s Christmas: From the American dream to poverty

Matias Delacroix And Regina Garcia Cano, The Associated Press 4 minute read Updated: 11:45 AM CST

MARACAY, Venezuela (AP) — This was not the Christmas that Mariela Gómez would have imagined a year ago. Or the one that thousands of other Venezuelan immigrants would have thought. But Donald Trump returned to the White House in January and quickly ended their American dream.

So Gómez found herself spending the holiday in northern Venezuela for the first time in eight years. She dressed up, cooked, got her son a scooter and smiled for her in-laws. Hard as she tried, though, she could not ignore the main challenges faced by returning migrants: unemployment and poverty.

“We had a modest dinner, not quite what we’d hoped for, but at least we had food on the table,” Gómez said of the lasagna-like dish she shared with her partner and in-laws instead of the traditional Christmas dish of stuffed corn dough hallacas. “Making hallacas here is a bit expensive, and since we’re unemployed, we couldn’t afford to make them.”

Gómez, her two sons and her partner returned to the city of Maracay on Oct. 27 after crossing the U.S.-Mexico border to Texas, where they were quickly swept up by U.S. Border Patrol amid the Trump administration’s crackdown on immigration. They were deported to Mexico, from where they began the dangerous journey back to Venezuela.

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Jimmy Kimmel jokes about fascism in an ‘alternative Christmas message’ for Britain

The Associated Press 3 minute read Preview

Jimmy Kimmel jokes about fascism in an ‘alternative Christmas message’ for Britain

The Associated Press 3 minute read 1:06 PM CST

LONDON (AP) — Talk show host Jimmy Kimmel took aim at U.S. President Donald Trump as he warned Thursday about the rise of fascism in an address to U.K. viewers dubbed “The Alternative Christmas Message."

The message, aired on Channel 4 on Christmas day, reflected on the impact from the second term in office for Trump, who Kimmel said acts like he's a king.

“From a fascism perspective, this has been a really great year," he said. “Tyranny is booming over here."

The channel began a tradition of airing an alternative Christmas message in 1993, as a counterpart to the British monarch's annual televised address to the nation. Channel 4 said the message is often a thought-provoking and personal reflection pertinent to the events of the year.

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1:06 PM CST

FILE - People walk by the Jimmy Kimmel Live studio on Hollywood Blvd., on Sept. 17, 2025, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)

Kennedy Center Christmas Eve jazz concert canceled after Trump name added to building

Hillel Italie, The Associated Press 3 minute read Preview

Kennedy Center Christmas Eve jazz concert canceled after Trump name added to building

Hillel Italie, The Associated Press 3 minute read Updated: Yesterday at 5:07 PM CST

NEW YORK (AP) — A planned Christmas Eve jazz concert at the Kennedy Center, a holiday tradition dating back more than 20 years, has been canceled. The show's host, musician Chuck Redd, says that he called off the performance in the wake of the White House announcing last week that President Donald Trump's name would be added to the facility.

As of last Friday, the building's facade reads The Donald J. Trump and The John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts. According to the White House, the president's handpicked board approved the decision, which scholars have said violates the law. Trump had been suggesting for months he was open to changing the center's name.

“When I saw the name change on the Kennedy Center website and then hours later on the building, I chose to cancel our concert,” Redd told The Associated Press in an email Wednesday. Redd, a drummer and vibraphone player who has toured with everyone from Dizzy Gillespie to Ray Brown, has been presiding over holiday “Jazz Jams” at the Kennedy Center since 2006, succeeding bassist William “Keter” Betts.

The Kennedy Center did not immediately respond to email seeking comment. The center's website lists the show as canceled.

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Updated: Yesterday at 5:07 PM CST

FILE - A memorial wreath stands next to the bronze memorial bust by Robert Berks of President John F. Kennedy in the grand foyer at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, Nov. 22, 2013, on the 50th anniversary of Kennedy's death. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster, File)

Pope Leo XIV urges the faithful on Christmas to shed indifference in the face of suffering

Silvia Stellacci And Colleen Barry (), The Associated Press 4 minute read Preview

Pope Leo XIV urges the faithful on Christmas to shed indifference in the face of suffering

Silvia Stellacci And Colleen Barry (), The Associated Press 4 minute read Updated: 1:47 PM CST

VATICAN CITY (AP) — Pope Leo XIV during his first Christmas Day message on Thursday urged the faithful to shed indifference in the face of those who have lost everything, such as in Gaza, those who are impoverished, such as in Yemen, and the many migrants who cross the Mediterranean Sea and the American continent for a better future.

The first U.S. pontiff addressed some 26,000 people from the loggia overlooking St. Peter's Square for the traditional papal “Urbi et Orbi'' address, Latin for “To the City and to the World,'' which serves as a summary of the woes facing the world.

While the crowd gathered under a steady downpour during the papal Mass inside St. Peter's Basilica, the rain had subsided by the time Leo took a brief tour of the square in the popemobile, then spoke to the crowd from the loggia.

Leo revived the tradition of offering Christmas greetings in multiple languages abandoned by his predecessor, Pope Francis. He received especially warm cheers when he made his greetings in his native English and Spanish, the language of his adopted country of Peru where he served first as a missionary and then as archbishop.

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Updated: 1:47 PM CST

Pope Leo XIV presides over Christmas Day Mass at the St. Peter's Basilica at the Vatican, Thursday, Dec. 25, 2025. (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia)

Virtual reality opens doors for older people to build closer connections in real life

Michael Liedtke, The Associated Press 6 minute read Preview

Virtual reality opens doors for older people to build closer connections in real life

Michael Liedtke, The Associated Press 6 minute read Updated: 11:09 AM CST

LOS GATOS, Calif. (AP) — Like many retirement communities, The Terraces serves as a tranquil refuge for a nucleus of older people who no longer can travel to faraway places or engage in bold adventures.

But they can still be thrust back to their days of wanderlust and thrill-seeking whenever caretakers at the community in Los Gatos, California, schedule a date for residents — many of whom are in their 80s and 90s — to take turns donning virtual reality headsets.

Within a matter of minutes, the headsets can transport them to Europe, immerse them in the ocean depths or send them soaring on breathtaking hang-gliding expeditions while they sit by each other. The selection of VR programming was curated by Rendever, a company that has turned a sometimes isolating form of technology into a catalyst for better cognition and social connections in 800 retirement communities in the United States and Canada.

A group of The Terraces residents who participated in a VR session earlier this year found themselves paddling their arms alongside their chairs as they swam with a pod of dolphins while watching one of Rendever's 3D programs. “We got to go underwater and didn't even have to hold our breath!” exclaimed 81-year-old Ginny Baird following the virtual submersion.

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Updated: 11:09 AM CST

Jim Holtshouse watches video through a Rendever virtual-reality headset at the Forum at Rancho San Antonio retirement community in Cupertino, Calif. on June 11, 2025. (AP Photo/Terry Chea)

Russian court sentences pro-war activist and Putin critic to 6 years in prison

The Associated Press 2 minute read Preview

Russian court sentences pro-war activist and Putin critic to 6 years in prison

The Associated Press 2 minute read Updated: 12:56 PM CST

A court in Russia on Thursday convicted a pro-war activist and critic of President Vladimir Putin of justifying terrorism and sentenced him to six years in prison.

Sergei Udaltsov, the leader of the Left Front movement that opposes Putin and is affiliated with the Communist Party, was arrested last year.

According to Russian independent news site Mediazona, the charges against him stem from an article Udaltsov posted online in support of another group of Russian activists accused of forming a terrorist organization. Those activists were convicted earlier this month and handed sentences ranging from 16 to 22 years in prison.

Udaltsov has rejected the charges against him as fabricated. On Thursday, he denounced the verdict as “shameful” and said he was going on a hunger strike, Mediazona reported.

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Updated: 12:56 PM CST

FILE - Sergei Udaltsov, a political activist, stands behind glass in a cage in a courtroom prior to a session in Moscow, Russia, Monday, April 21, 2025. (AP Photo/Pavel Bednyakov, File)

Somalis vote in the first one-person, one-vote local election in decades

Omar Faruk, The Associated Press 3 minute read Preview

Somalis vote in the first one-person, one-vote local election in decades

Omar Faruk, The Associated Press 3 minute read 9:36 AM CST

MOGADISHU, Somalia (AP) — Residents of Somalia’s capital are set to vote Thursday in a controversial local election that marks the country’s first-ever one-person, one-vote poll since 1969. Analysts say it is a major departure from clan-based power-sharing negotiations.

The election of local council members, to be conducted across Mogadishu’s 16 districts, has been organized by the Somali federal government but rejected by opposition parties, which have called the election flawed and one-sided.

Somalia has for decades selected its local council members and parliamentarians through clan-based negotiations, and it is the leaders who later elect a president. Since 2016, different administrations have promised to reintroduce one-person, one-vote elections, but insecurity and internal disputes between the government and the opposition have delayed their implementation.

This will be the first major voting exercise overseen by Somalia's National Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission, with up to 20 political parties fielding candidates.

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9:36 AM CST

A woman casts her vote during the local election in Mogadishu, Somalia, Thursday, Dec. 25, 2025. (AP Photo/Farah Abdi Warsameh)

The Kremlin says Moscow made an offer to France regarding a French citizen imprisoned in Russia

The Associated Press 3 minute read Preview

The Kremlin says Moscow made an offer to France regarding a French citizen imprisoned in Russia

The Associated Press 3 minute read 8:53 AM CST

The Kremlin on Thursday said it was in contact with the French authorities over the fate of a French political scholar serving a three-year sentence in Russia and reportedly facing new charges of espionage.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters that Russia has made “an offer to the French” regarding Laurent Vinatier, arrested in Moscow last year and convicted of collecting military information, and that “the ball is now in France's court.” He refused to provide details, citing the sensitivity of the matter.

The French Foreign Ministry said Thursday it had no comment.

Peskov's remarks come after journalist Jérôme Garro of the French TF1 TV channel asked President Vladimir Putin during his annual news conference on Dec. 19 whether Vinatier's family could hope for a presidential pardon or his release in a prisoner exchange. Putin said he knew “nothing” about the case, but promised to look into it.

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8:53 AM CST

FILE - French citizen Laurent Vinatier sits in a cage prior to a court session at the Zamoskvoretsky District Court in Moscow, Russia, on Monday, Oct. 14, 2024. (AP Photo/Pavel Bednyakov, File)

Turkey starts examining black boxes from jet crash that killed Libya’s military chief and 7 others

The Associated Press 2 minute read Preview

Turkey starts examining black boxes from jet crash that killed Libya’s military chief and 7 others

The Associated Press 2 minute read Updated: 1:09 PM CST

ISTANBUL (AP) — Experts have started the analysis of the black boxes recovered from a jet crash in Turkey that killed eight people, including western Libya’s military chief, the Turkish defense ministry said Thursday. The probe was being done in coordination with Libyan officials.

The private jet with Gen. Muhammad Ali Ahmad al-Haddad, four other military officers and three crew members crashed on Tuesday after taking off from Turkey’s capital, Ankara, killing everyone on board. Libyan officials said the cause of the crash was a technical malfunction on the plane.

Al-Hadad was the top military commander in western Libya and played a crucial role in the ongoing, U.N.-brokered efforts to unify Libya’s military, which has split, much like Libya’s institutions.

The high-level Libyan delegation was on its way back to Tripoli, Libya's capital, after holding defense talks in Ankara aimed at boosting military cooperation between the two countries.

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Updated: 1:09 PM CST

Turkish rescue teams search for the remains of a private jet carrying Libya's military chief and four others that crashed after taking off from Ankara, killing everyone on board, in Ankara, Turkey, early Wednesday, Dec. 24, 2025. (AP Photo/Efekan Akyuz)

Algeria votes to declare French colonization a crime and demands restitution

The Associated Press 4 minute read Preview

Algeria votes to declare French colonization a crime and demands restitution

The Associated Press 4 minute read 4:12 AM CST

ALGIERS, Algeria (AP) — Legislators in Algeria voted to declare France’s colonization of the North African country a crime, approving a law that calls for restitution of property taken by France during its 130-year rule, among other demands seeking to redress historical wrongs.

France slammed the law as a “hostile act” threatening bilateral efforts to heal wounds of the past. The two countries retain close cultural and economic ties but have troubled diplomatic relations.

In a solemn ceremony steeped in symbolism, 340 of 407 members of Algeria’s National Assembly voted late Wednesday to approve the law. The move came just a few weeks after African countries made a collective resolution for recognition and reparations for colonial-era crimes.

The law covers the period from the landing of King Charles X’s army on the beaches of Sidi Ferruch west of Algiers in 1830 to July 5, 1962, the date of Algeria’s official independence.

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4:12 AM CST

Parliament members vote on a bill seeking to criminalize France's colonisation, considering it a

Son of former Bangladesh prime minister returns after 17 years in exile with a chance to lead

Julhas Alam, The Associated Press 4 minute read Preview

Son of former Bangladesh prime minister returns after 17 years in exile with a chance to lead

Julhas Alam, The Associated Press 4 minute read Updated: 4:45 AM CST

DHAKA, Bangladesh (AP) — The son of a former prime minister of Bangladesh returned home Thursday, promising to work for a safe country after more than 17 years in self-imposed exile as a frontrunner to become the nation's next leader in upcoming elections.

Tarique Rahman moved to London in 2008 for medical treatment with permission after he was tortured while in custody during a military-backed government that ruled from 2006 to 2008.

Rahman, 60, is the acting chairman of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party, one of two major political parties in the South Asian nation of more than 170 million people. His return is seen as politically significant ahead of the next election set for Feb. 12 under the current interim government.

A flight carrying Rahman, his wife and daughter arrived at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in the capital, Dhaka, late Thursday morning among tight security measures.

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Updated: 4:45 AM CST

Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) Acting Chairman, Tarique Rahman, waves to supporters at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in Dhaka after returning from London, ending more than 17 years of self-imposed exile, Thursday, Dec. 25, 2025. (AP Photo/Mahmud Hossain Opu)

A helicopter on a rescue mission crashes on Tanzania’s Mount Kilimanjaro, killing all 5 on board

The Associated Press 2 minute read Updated: 1:31 AM CST

DAR ES SALAAM, Tanzania (AP) — Five people have died after a helicopter crashed on Africa’s highest mountain, Mount Kilimanjaro, in Tanzania.

The accident Wednesday evening happened on one of the most popular tourist climbing routes, in what police said was a rescue mission to pick up patients on the mountain.

Two foreigners, who police said had been picked up in a medical evacuation, were among those killed. A local doctor, a tour guide and a pilot were also killed in the crash.

The accident happened between the mountain's Barafu Camp and Kibo Summit at an altitude of more than 4,000 meters (13,100 feet).

Saudi Arabia urges Yemen’s separatists to leave 2 governorates as the anti-rebel coalition strains

Jon Gambrell, The Associated Press 5 minute read Preview

Saudi Arabia urges Yemen’s separatists to leave 2 governorates as the anti-rebel coalition strains

Jon Gambrell, The Associated Press 5 minute read Updated: 1:23 PM CST

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Saudi Arabia on Thursday called on Emirati-backed separatists in southern Yemen to withdraw from two governorates they now control, a move that has threatened to spark a confrontation within a fragile coalition that has been battling the Iran-backed Houthi rebels in the country's north.

The statement from Saudi Arabia's Foreign Ministry appeared aimed at putting public pressure on the Southern Transitional Council, a separatist Yemeni force long supported by the United Arab Emirates. Saudi Arabia backs the National Shield Forces of Yemen's internationally backed government in the war against the Houthis.

The separatists' actions have “resulted in an unjustified escalation that harmed the interests of all segments of Yemeni people, as well as the southern cause and the coalition’s efforts,” the ministry said. “The kingdom stresses the importance of cooperation among all Yemeni factions and components to exercise restraint and avoid any measures that could destabilize security and stability.”

Meanwhile, the Houthis buried four of their fighters, including the group's top missile and drone commander who was presumed killed in March, in the first round of U.S. airstrikes to hit the rebels in March.

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Updated: 1:23 PM CST

December 25, 2025

A Venezuelan family’s Christmas: From the American dream to poverty

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Jimmy Kimmel jokes about fascism in an ‘alternative Christmas message’ for Britain

Jimmy Kimmel jokes about fascism in an ‘alternative Christmas message’ for Britain

Kennedy Center Christmas Eve jazz concert canceled after Trump name added to building

Kennedy Center Christmas Eve jazz concert canceled after Trump name added to building

Pope Leo XIV urges the faithful on Christmas to shed indifference in the face of suffering

Pope Leo XIV urges the faithful on Christmas to shed indifference in the face of suffering

Virtual reality opens doors for older people to build closer connections in real life

Virtual reality opens doors for older people to build closer connections in real life

Russian court sentences pro-war activist and Putin critic to 6 years in prison

Russian court sentences pro-war activist and Putin critic to 6 years in prison

Somalis vote in the first one-person, one-vote local election in decades

Somalis vote in the first one-person, one-vote local election in decades

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Jets out of excuses

The Kremlin says Moscow made an offer to France regarding a French citizen imprisoned in Russia

The Kremlin says Moscow made an offer to France regarding a French citizen imprisoned in Russia

Turkey starts examining black boxes from jet crash that killed Libya’s military chief and 7 others

Turkey starts examining black boxes from jet crash that killed Libya’s military chief and 7 others

Algeria votes to declare French colonization a crime and demands restitution

Algeria votes to declare French colonization a crime and demands restitution

Son of former Bangladesh prime minister returns after 17 years in exile with a chance to lead

Son of former Bangladesh prime minister returns after 17 years in exile with a chance to lead

A helicopter on a rescue mission crashes on Tanzania’s Mount Kilimanjaro, killing all 5 on board

Saudi Arabia urges Yemen’s separatists to leave 2 governorates as the anti-rebel coalition strains

Saudi Arabia urges Yemen’s separatists to leave 2 governorates as the anti-rebel coalition strains

December 25, 2025

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