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The 'CIDC 2025 – Critical Infrastructure Defence Challenge' cybersecurity festival is being held on 9–10 October at the Baku Congress Centre, join...
Christmas celebrations across Europe brought communities together through religious events, historic milestones, and festive traditions. From Pope Francis inaugurating the 2025 Jubilee in the Vatican to the reopening of Paris’ Notre Dame Cathedral, the holiday spirit was alive with hope and renewal.
Vatican: Pope Francis Kicks Off Jubilee of Hope
Pope Francis inaugurated the 2025 Holy Year at St. Peter’s Basilica, opening the Holy Door to mark the start of a year dedicated to hope, reflection, and reconciliation. Speaking to worshippers, the Pope emphasized the Jubilee’s call for spiritual renewal and global transformation.
“This is the season of hope,” said Pope Francis, urging believers to bring hope to the weary, the broken-hearted, and those struggling with despair. The yearlong jubilee will feature cultural and religious events, including pilgrimages and concerts, uniting Catholics worldwide.
The pontiff plans to extend this message of hope by opening a Holy Door at Rome’s Rebibbia prison later this week, symbolizing new beginnings for inmates.
Paris: Notre Dame Reopens for Christmas Mass
For the first time since a devastating fire in 2019, Paris’ Notre Dame Cathedral hosted Christmas Eve masses, marking a historic moment for the iconic Gothic structure. After years of intensive restoration, the cathedral reopened earlier this month, drawing thousands of worshippers and visitors for four Christmas Eve services.
The midnight mass, led by Archbishop Laurent Ulrich, was a highlight of the celebrations. “We’ve come home!” Ulrich declared, celebrating the return to the cherished cathedral. Tourists and locals alike marveled at the restoration’s success, with many calling it a moving, once-in-a-lifetime experience.
The restoration was funded by nearly $1 billion in global donations, a testament to the cathedral’s cultural and spiritual significance.
Athens: Lanterns Light the Night Sky
In Athens, Greece, thousands gathered at Kotzia Square on Christmas Eve to participate in a beloved annual tradition. Attendees wrote wishes on paper lanterns and released them into the night sky, creating a stunning display of light and hope.
“It’s a night of wishes,” said Athens Mayor Haris Doukas. “Athens celebrates, becoming a huge and beautiful event.”
The celebration highlighted the unity and joy of the season, drawing residents and visitors alike to share in the festive atmosphere.
From spiritual renewal in the Vatican to joyous traditions in Athens, Europe’s Christmas celebrations demonstrated resilience, hope, and the enduring spirit of community.
Video from the USGS (United States Geological Survey) showed on Friday (19 September) the Kilauea volcano in Hawaii erupting and spewing lava.
At least eight people have died and more than 90 others were injured following a catastrophic gas tanker explosion on a major highway in Mexico City’s Iztapalapa district on Wednesday, authorities confirmed.
At least 69 people have died and almost 150 injured following a powerful 6.9-magnitude earthquake off the coast of Cebu City in the central Visayas region of the Philippines, officials said, making it one of the country’s deadliest disasters this year.
Authorities in California have identified the dismembered body discovered in a Tesla registered to singer D4vd as 15-year-old Celeste Rivas Hernandez, who had been missing from Lake Elsinore since April 2024.
A powerful 7.4-magnitude earthquake struck off Russia’s Kamchatka Peninsula on 13 September with no tsunami threat, coming just weeks after the region endured a devastating 8.8-magnitude quake — the strongest since 1952.
Azerbaijan’s junior figure skater Arina Kalugina has set a new Olympic record in the Quadruple Salchow jump at the Denis Ten Memorial Challenger 2025 in Almaty, Kazakhstan.
Superstar Taylor Swift's latest studio album, 'The Life of a Showgirl,' arrives Friday with a promotional blitz that includes midnight sales at Target stores, a release party at movie theatres around the globe and pop-up experiences in New York and Los Angeles.
Scientist and global activist Jane Goodall, who turned her childhood love of primates into a lifelong quest for protecting the environment, has died at the age of 91, the institute she founded said on Wednesday.
U.S. federal prosecutors urged a judge on Tuesday to sentence Sean "Diddy" Combs to more than 11 years in prison this week following the hip-hop mogul's conviction on prostitution-related charges.
Oscar-winning actress Nicole Kidman and country music star Keith Urban have separated after 19 years of marriage, various news outlets reported on Monday, citing unidentified sources.
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