WORLD NEWS

In Tyre, Lebanon, a Somber Christmas Underlined by Trauma and Grief

Mexico’s Radish-Carving Contest Draws Thousands to the South

The winning entry in the traditional radish category, made by Carlos David Vásquez López and his family for The Night of the Radishes contest in Oaxaca’s city center. It focused on Oaxacan food.

Azerbaijan Airlines Jet Crashes in Kazakhstan, Killing Dozens

The crash site of an Azerbaijan Airlines passenger plane near the city of Aktau, Kazakhstan, on Wednesday.

Released From a Russian Prison, This Activist Got Right to Work

Vladimir Kara-Murza, the Russian political activist, greeting U.S. senators in Washington in September.

Desi Bouterse, Fugitive Former Dictator of Suriname, Dies at 79

Desi Bouterse in 2023. He led a military coup in Suriname in 1980 and remained a powerful figure in the country for decades.

Cyclone on French Archipelago Exposes Resentments Over Immigrants

Immigrants from Comoros at a shantytown devastated by the cyclone in Mayotte island last week.

In Mozambique, Dozens Are Killed in Clashes Over Disputed Election Ruling

Security forces framed by smoke from a burning barricade in Maputo, Mozambique, on Tuesday.

Famine Warning for Northern Gaza Draws U.S. Rebuke and Raises Questions

Palestinians gathered to receive food from a charity kitchen, in Khan Younis, in the southern Gaza Strip, in November.

Syria’s New Leaders Try to Unite Rebel Factions Under Defense Ministry

Children resting on the remains of a Syrian Air Force helicopter at a military airport on the outskirts of Damascus on Sunday. It was among military targets across Syria hit by Israeli airstrikes.

Russia Strikes Ukraine’s Energy Infrastructure on Christmas Day

Rescuers tried to put out a fire on Wednesday after a drone strike in Kharkiv, Ukraine.

Pope Francis Calls for Peace in Ukraine and Gaza on Christmas

Pope Francis waving from the main balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica in Vatican City on Wednesday.

King Charles Addresses U.K. Riots and His Cancer in Christmas Speech

King Charles III and Queen Camilla attended a Christmas church service with William, Prince of Wales, and Catherine, Princess of Wales, in Sandringham, England.

How Afghan Militias, Unleashed by the U.S., Proved Worse Than the Taliban

A member of the Afghan Local Police, a militia organization formed to fight the Taliban, outside the unit’s hilltop base in 2012 in Taloqa, Kunduz Province, Afghanistan.

Christians in Gaza, Huddled in Churches, Celebrate Christmas

A young boy walked in front of St. Porphyrius, a Greek Orthodox Church in Gaza that was damaged during an Israeli bombardment.

How Mexican Cartels Test Fentanyl on Vulnerable People and Animals

Prosecutors in Taiwan Indict Ko Wen-je, Former Presidential Candidate

Ko Wen-je, center, during the presidential election in Taipei in January.

20 Years Since the Deadly Tsunami in Asia

A woman mourning a relative killed in the tsunami in Cuddalore, India, on Dec. 28, 2004.

Thursday Briefing

Rescuers tried to put out a fire on Wednesday after a drone strike in Kharkiv, Ukraine.

A Young Sudanese Trapped by War Makes Painful Choices and Is Viewed With Suspicion

Still Sounding Young at 85, She Is the Voice of Old Japan

Midori Kato has been voice acting the character Sazae Fuguta in the TV animation series Sazae-san since it started in 1969.

Five Journalists Killed in Gaza Strike, Palestinian Officials Say

A destroyed vehicle after an Israeli strike in Nuseirat in central Gaza on Thursday.

Hanukkah in Pictures: Keeping the Flame Alive

The first candle of Hanukkah was lit by rabbis at the Western Wall in Jerusalem, as they gathered in joint prayer with families of hostages held in Gaza.

Thursday Briefing: Rebel Factions Try to Unite Syria

A Syrian Air Force helicopter that was destroyed by Israeli strikes.

If Syrian Chemical Weapons Were Found, the U.S. Army Could Safely Destroy Them

Munitions personnel at a military facility for destroyed chemical weapons in Richmond, Ky. A process called hydrolysis has became the preferred method to handle such weapons in the United States.

From Fighters to Policemen in a Post-Assad Damascus

The Animal Celebrities Who Surprised, Soothed and Screamed at Us in 2024

Hippo holidays from Moo Deng, the pygmy hippopotamus who became a viral sensation this year.

Christmas in Pictures: Lights and Color Mark the Season

Syrian Christians paraded through the streets, under the watch of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham fighters, in Damascus on Christmas Day.

Holiday Briefing

21 Dead as Mozambique Erupts in Violence Over Election Ruling

Protesters gathering on Monday next to a burning barricade in Maputo, the capital of Mozambique.

Armed Attack at Haiti Hospital Kills at Least 3

The wife of a journalist, who was shot during a gang attack at a hospital in Haiti’s capital, Port-au-Prince, cries as his body arrives at a different hospital.

Syrians in Christian Neighborhoods Protest After Christmas Tree Is Burned

Sophie Hediger, Olympic Snowboarder From Switzerland, Dies in Avalanche

Sophie Hediger was a regular competitor on the international race circuit in snowboard cross.

Russia Sentences a U.S. Citizen, Eugene Spector, to 15 Years for Espionage

Eugene Spector in a Moscow courtroom in 2020. He was convicted of espionage on Tuesday, Russian state news agencies reported.

Dutch Court Issues Prison Sentences Over Violence Against Israeli Soccer Fans

Dutch police officers standing guard after the unrest in Amsterdam, last month.

Israel Intercepts Houthi Missile and Threatens Militant Group’s Leaders

Demonstrators showed support for Palestinians at a rally last week in Sana, Yemen.

As Rome Prepares for a Tourist Surge, Residents Fear Losing the City’s Soul

A newly constructed underpass opened on Monday, creating a large pedestrian zone between the Tiber River and the Vatican.

An English City Dressed a Statue as Santa for Years. Then It Vanished.

Tuesday Briefing

Matt Gaetz has denied wrongdoing.

He Inherited a Seat in the House of Lords. The UK Government Says He Will Lose It in 2025.

Godfrey John Bewicke-Copley, the 7th Baron Cromwell, said his lineage had little bearing on his public servant work: “We are not the port-swilling, fox-hunting hoorays on vast Downton Abbey-esque estates of popular imagination.”

Sorting Fact From Fiction as Fear Engulfs Bangladesh’s Hindus

Hindus in Bangladesh in August, protesting against recent attacks on their community.

These Students Ousted Bangladesh’s Government. Now They’re Rebuilding a Democracy.

A defaced portrait of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, Bangladesh’s founding father, in the capital, Dhaka, in November. His daughter Sheikh Hasina was ousted as prime minister this summer.

What Hun Manet Is Like as Cambodia’s New Leader

Hun Manet, center, the Cambodian prime minister, studied in the United States and Britain. Any hopes that civil liberties would improve under his rule have been dashed.

Is a Putin Ally in Belarus Making a Cautious Overture to the West?

Amid rising expectations for cease-fire talks in the war between Russia and Ukraine, President Aleksandr G. Lukashenko of Belarus appears to be trying to reboot his relations with the West, analysts say.

Tuesday Briefing: The Matt Gaetz Report is Out

Matt Gaetz in April.

Netanyahu Signals Progress on Hostage Deal but Won’t Give Timeline

“Don’t lecture me,” Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned Israeli lawmakers on Monday.

French President Emmanuel Macron Appoints New Cabinet After Previous Government’s Collapse

President Emmanuel Macron of France in Paris this month. It was unclear whether the new government could assuage broader concerns about political instability in Europe.

Slovak Leader Visits Putin, Breaking With E.U.’s Policy of Isolation

President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia with Robert Fico, the prime minister of Slovakia, during a meeting in Moscow on Sunday.

Mozambique Court Upholds Result in Disputed Presidential Election

The President-elect of Mozambique, Daniel Chapo, meeting supporters in the capital, Maputo, on Monday.

Christmas Market Attack in Germany Stirs Political Sniping

A memorial for the victims in Magdeburg, eastern Germany, on Sunday.

A Canceled Vote in Romania Hands Russia a Propaganda Coup

A polling station in the Romanian capital, Bucharest, on Oct. 24, the first round of presidential elections.

Top Arab Diplomats, in Syria Visits, Aim to Build Ties With New Leadership

Syrians celebrating the ousting of Bashar al-Assad in Damascus on the second Friday after the fall of his regime.

Under Pressure, Telegram Turns a Profit for the First Time

Why Are North Korean Troops in Ukraine Taking Heavy Casualties?

A photograph provided by North Korean state media showed troops taking part in a military parade last year in Pyongyang, North Korea.

Mpox Is Spreading in Congo’s Capital, Threatening Global Efforts to Contain the Virus

An mpox patient receiving care in a health center in Goma, Democratic Republic of Congo.

Monday Briefing

A memorial after the attack at the Christmas market in Magdeburg, Germany.

‘I Was Destroyed by It’: 4 Men on Abuse at Ireland’s Catholic Schools

“What isn’t always told is how your life is entirely ripped apart,” said Mark Vincent Healy, who attended St. Mary’s College, run by the Spiritans.

Organized Looting Throws Gaza Deeper Into Chaos

Trucks carrying humanitarian aid entering Gaza via the Rafah crossing have become easy prey for organized gangs.

Surfers Return for Rare Big Wave Contest in Hawaii

Only 45 competitors and 25 alternates were invited to this year’s Eddie. The list is a who’s who of top professional surfers and local legends.

Monday Briefing: Al-Assad’s Final Days in Power

A banner of former President Bashar al-Assad hanging north of Hama, Syria, was defaced after his ouster this month.

Small Plane Crashes Into Buildings in Brazilian City, Killing 10

Firefighters working at the site of a plane crash on Sunday in Gramado, Brazil, in a photograph released by the Rio Grande do Sul Fire Department.