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Pope Francis on Sunday kicked off global Christmas celebrations with a call for peace, as Israel's war on Hamas and Russia's invasion of Ukraine cast a shadow over one of the world's favourite holidays.

British billionaire Jim Ratcliffe has agreed a deal to buy a 25 percent stake in Manchester United for about $1.3 billion, vowing to return the Premier League club to the "top of world football".

Pope Francis on Sunday appealed for peace as he kicked off Christmas celebrations with a mass at Saint Peter's Basilica as the Israel-Hamas war raged in the Gaza Strip.

A plane with 303 Indian passengers detained near Paris over suspicions of human trafficking will be free to leave Monday, French judicial officials said, though its destination remains unclear.

Looking frail but determined, Serbian opposition leader Marinika Tepic fixes her makeshift bed -- a leather sofa inside a parliament building, where she has been on hunger strike since Monday.

Gaza's deadliest ever war cast a pall of gloom over Bethlehem on Christmas Eve Sunday, as the death toll spiralled and Israel shifted its efforts against Hamas to the besieged territory's south.

British billionaire Jim Ratcliffe's deal to buy a 25 percent stake in Manchester United is the latest twist in the remarkable story of one of the world's most famous football clubs.

British billionaire Jim Ratcliffe has expanded his sports portfolio by buying a 25 percent stake in Manchester United.

Ukrainian Orthodox Christians attended services on Sunday as the country prepares to celebrate Christmas on December 25 for the first time, after the government changed the date from January 7, when most Orthodox believers celebrate, in a snub to Russia.

British billionaire Jim Ratcliffe already has interests in football, Formula One and cycling. He now owns a slice of his boyhood club, Manchester United.

INEOS chairman Jim Ratcliffe has agreed a deal to buy 25 percent of Manchester United for about £1.25 billion ($1.6 billion) and will take control of the Premier League club's football operations, it was announced on Sunday.

The joint US-Canadian military monitoring agency has continued its decades-long tradition of tracking Santa's whereabouts, helping children around the globe find out when his reindeer-powered, present-filled sleigh is coming to town.

Israel on Sunday pressed on with its war on Hamas in Gaza, shifting focus to the besieged territory's south as a spiralling death toll has thrown a pall of gloom over Bethlehem on Christmas Eve.

Wolves inflicted a fourth defeat in six matches on Chelsea on Sunday, beating the London side 2-1 in the first Christmas Eve Premier League match since 1995.

Most of the roughly 300 Indians travelling on a plane detained near Paris over suspicions of human trafficking will be free to resume their trip Monday, French judicial sources said Sunday.

Police in London said on Sunday that officers had arrested a second man on suspicion of theft and criminal damage, after a Banksy artwork was removed from a south London street corner within hours of appearing.

Moldovan President Maia Sandu on Sunday said she would seek a second term next year as she looks to steer the former Soviet republic to EU membership.

A deal has been reached to end an hours-long strike by ground staff at Geneva airport, which had caused numerous flight delays and cancellations during the holiday rush.

Austria on Sunday said three people were detained for suspected involvement in an "Islamist network", as Vienna and Cologne step up police controls citing heightened security concerns during Christmas.

At least 13 people were killed and 46 injured in eastern Indonesia on Sunday in an explosion at a Chinese-funded nickel-processing plant, the owner of the industrial park that hosts the facility said.

Israel pushed on Sunday with its military campaign to destroy Hamas over the October 7 attacks, as the focus of the deadly combat shifted to southern Gaza where most displaced Palestinians are trapped.

Four French judges on Sunday began questioning more than 300 Indians travelling on a plane detained near Paris over suspicions of human trafficking.

At least 13 people were killed and 38 injured in eastern Indonesia on Sunday in an explosion at a Chinese-funded nickel-processing plant, the owner of the industrial park that hosts the facility said.

Israel said its armed forces were increasingly focused on Hamas targets in south Gaza Sunday, as the United States again pressed its ally to do more to protect Palestinian civilians.

Stand-up comedy is taking Senegal by storm, with a crew of young comics gaining recognition well beyond the West African country's borders.

The catchy tune of "Carol of the Bells" may sound instantly familiar and evoke Christmas movies such as "Home Alone" but those humming along may have little inkling to the music's origins.

Australia's Usman Khawaja has been denied permission to place a peace symbol on his bat and shoes for the Boxing Day Test against Pakistan, reports said Sunday.

The Pittsburgh Steelers kept their playoff hopes alive and severely damaged the Cincinnati Bengals' chances of making the NFL post-season with a 34-11 win over their AFC North rivals on Saturday.

The Detroit Pistons matched an NBA single-season mark for futility on Saturday, slumping to a 26th straight defeat in a 126-115 loss to the Nets in Brooklyn.

Dressed all in white, a man pretends to aim a slingshot towards another who, running away, tries to dodge the imaginary rock flung towards him.

VNG co-founder Le Hong Minh's first taste of international competition was as a gamer for Vietnam at an early e-sport tournament in South Korea.

A relentless Israeli military campaign, in response to deadly Hamas attacks on October 7, has upset the lives of most, if not all, residents of the Gaza Strip.