An Eritrean man alleged to be a major people-smuggling figure has been extradited to the Netherlands by the United Arab Emirates (UAE), paving the way for a high-profile trial in a Dutch court amid renewed concerns about abuses against migrants, officials confirmed Wednesday.

Millions of Ukrainians spent Christmas without electricity after Russian strikes on energy infrastructure killed civilians and triggered widespread power outages, Ukrainian officials said.

Christmas Eve passed with little public observance across much of China this year as authorities under the Chinese Communist Party intensified restrictions on religious gatherings, public celebrations, and even seasonal decorations, according to pastors, Christians, and residents who spoke to The Epoch Times.

The United States carried out a targeted military strike against Islamic State terrorists in northwest Nigeria on Christmas Day, acting in coordination with Nigerian authorities, U.S. President Donald Trump announced in a series of social media posts.

Libya’s Prime Minister Abdul-Hamid Dbeibah said late Tuesday that the country has suffered a “great loss” after its military chief was confirmed among eight people killed in a private plane crash shortly after takeoff from Turkey’s capital, Ankara.

The Netherlands remained on edge Tuesday after a car drove into a crowd of people waiting to watch a Christmas parade in the eastern Dutch town of Nunspeet, injuring numerous people at a time when Europe has faced several threats against holiday events.

Officials say massive Russian drone and missile strikes on Ukraine have killed at least three people, including a four-year-old child, while cutting power to several regions just two days before Christmas, as the country faces bitter winter cold.

The United States has seized another crude oil tanker off the coast of Venezuela, marking the second such operation in less than two weeks as President Donald Trump intensifies pressure on Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro and his government.

Ukraine’s military says it is attempting to halt a Russian incursion into a border village in the northeastern Sumy region, even as diplomatic efforts continue to seek an end to the nearly four-year war.

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz called for “peaceful coexistence” as his nation marked the first anniversary of a deadly car-ramming attack at a Christmas market in eastern Germany that revived a debate about the influx of migrants from mainly Muslim countries.

A stormy debate unfolded in the Knesset on Wednesday under the opposition’s banner, “Complete failure in achieving war goals: returning the hostages and dismantling Hamas.” Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, fresh from court testimony, took the podium to defend his government’s performance during the 18 months of war since the October 7, 2023, Hamas massacre—and for the first time confirmed that Israel eliminated Mohammed Sinwar, Hamas’s top military commander in the Gaza Strip.

Israel has confirmed the first-ever operational use of high-powered laser defense systems to intercept Hezbollah drones during recent clashes along the Lebanese border, marking a groundbreaking shift in modern warfare.

The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) confirmed conducting a fresh round of airstrikes on the Houthi-controlled Sanaa International Airport in Yemen, targeting infrastructure allegedly used for terrorist operations against Israel.

The Israeli government on Monday approved the emergency recruitment of up to 450,000 reservists through August 31, 2025, the highest number since the October 7 Hamas attack. The move comes amid strong legal criticism over the state’s failure to enforce equal conscription, particularly within the ultra-Orthodox community.

A newly opened humanitarian aid center in the Tel al-Sultan neighborhood of Rafah descended into chaos Tuesday, as massive crowds of Palestinians breached the compound, prompting an emergency evacuation by American aid workers and private security personnel.

Iran has threatened to launch a “decisive strike” against Israel if what it calls “another mistake” is made, escalating regional tensions just days after a fifth round of nuclear negotiations between Tehran and the United States concluded with little progress.

Archaeologists have uncovered a rare and poignant glimpse into the lives of ancient African Christians in the heart of Israel’s Negev Desert, discovering exquisitely carved bone and ebony figurines in 1,500-year-old graves of women and children.

In a dramatic escalation of Congress’ investigation into the Jeffrey Epstein scandal, House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer (R-Ky.) on Tuesday issued sweeping subpoenas to a roster of high-profile political figures, including former President Bill Clinton, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, and former FBI Directors James Comey and Robert Mueller. The committee is demanding testimony from nearly a dozen former federal officials and full access to Justice Department records related to the Epstein case.

Attorney General Pam Bondi has authorized the convening of a federal grand jury to consider potential criminal charges against former Obama administration officials involved in what has been widely dubbed the “Russia collusion hoax,” multiple sources confirmed Monday.

A Delta Air Lines flight traveling from Salt Lake City, Utah, to Amsterdam was forced to make an emergency landing in Minneapolis after encountering severe turbulence that left 25 people injured, the airline and authorities confirmed.

In a development that could reshape the historical understanding of the Trump-Russia investigation, Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) on Thursday released the long-classified appendix to Special Counsel John Durham’s 2023 report. Known as the “Durham annex,” the newly public document reveals extensive intelligence pointing to a Clinton campaign-backed scheme to falsely link Donald Trump to Russia, and a disturbing pattern of inaction and political bias within the FBI and intelligence community under the Obama administration.

The U.S. Senate overwhelmingly rejected two resolutions Wednesday that sought to block arms sales to Israel, as lawmakers debated America’s ongoing support for its closest ally in the Middle East amid growing concerns over civilian casualties in Gaza.

FBI Director Kash Patel has uncovered thousands of sensitive documents tied to the origins of the Trump-Russia investigation hidden inside multiple “burn bags” stored in a previously undisclosed secure room at FBI headquarters, Fox News Digital reports.

In a closely watched decision Wednesday, the Federal Reserve voted to hold interest rates steady for the fifth consecutive meeting, keeping its benchmark federal funds rate in a range of 4.25% to 4.5%. The 9-2 vote revealed rare dissent within the Fed’s leadership, as two Trump-appointed governors–Michelle Bowman and Christopher Waller–called for an immediate rate cut, citing risks to the labor market and signs of cooling inflation.

A new study shows that persecuted Iranian Christians seeking asylum in the former Soviet state of Georgia are unfairly vulnerable to deportation as Georgian authorities routinely deny their claims, Article 18 reports.

Twelve Christian converts in Iran are facing the possibility of torture and lengthy prison terms after being charged with “propagating a religion contrary to Islam” and “collaborating with foreign governments,” Article 18 reports.

U.S. President-elect Donald J. Trump’s pledge to bring the Christian faith back into the White House appeared to have helped boost Bible sales to levels not seen in years.

Evangelical Christians have plunged into mourning after Hal Lindsey, who explained the Biblical “signs of times” to millions worldwide, passed away at the age of 95.

As Islamic jihadists continue a relentless campaign of murder, abductions, and displacement against Christians in northern Nigeria, communities of local believers are joining together to pray and to support one another, including with finances to pay extortionate ransoms for kidnapped loved ones, International Christian Concern (ICC) reports.

As part of an intensifying intolerance of Christianity in India, eight village councils in the Sukma District of India’s Chhattisgarh State passed a joint resolution earlier this month to ban Christians from staying in their communities, Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW) reports.

There was hope Tuesday for at least some of the thousands of Christians held as “bonded labors” in Islamic-ruled Pakistan, with Christian aid workers telling Worthy News they freed 100 Christian families ahead of Christmas.