WASHINGTON: A lucky lottery player in the US state of Arkansas has won the $1.8 billion Powerball prize, the second-largest US lottery jackpot ever won, the gambling game&#39;s organizer said on Thursday. &quot;With final ticket sales, the Powerball jackpot reached $1.817 billion, making it the second-largest US lottery jackpot ever won and the largest Powerball prize this year,&quot; Powerball said in a statement. The draw was held on Christmas Eve. The winner can claim the full amount in 30 annual payments or opt for a one-off cash payout of $834.9 million before tax. The odds of winning the jackpot are 1 in 292.2 million, according to Powerball. The largest lottery bonanza in history was $2.04 billion, awarded in 2022 to a person who bought their ticket in California.

Americas

The winner can claim the full amount in 30 annual payments or opt for a one-off cash payout of $834.9 million before tax; odds of winning the jackpot are 1 in 292.2 million.

US lottery player wins $1.8B Powerball on Christmas Eve

VATICAN CITY: Pope Leo XIV on Thursday urged Russia and Ukraine to find the &quot;courage&quot; to hold direct talks and spoke of the dire humanitarian situation in Gaza in his first Christmas message. The US pope, who was elected by fellow cardinals in May after the death of his predecessor pope Francis, also condemned the &quot;senselessness&quot; of war and the &quot;rubble and open wounds&quot; it leaves behind. Speaking to a crowd of some 26,000 people in St Peter&#39;s Square, the pope called for &quot;solidarity with and acceptance of those in need&quot; in Europe -- a possible reference to growing anti-immigration sentiment on the continent. &quot;Let us pray in a particular way for the tormented people of Ukraine,&quot; he said. &quot;May the parties involved, with the support and commitment of the international community, find the courage to engage in sincere, direct and respectful dialogue,&quot; he added. Russian and Ukrainian officials have spoken separately in recent weeks to US negotiators about proposals to end the war started by Russia&#39;s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Tens of thousands have been killed, eastern Ukraine decimated and millions forced to flee their homes. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky this week outlined key points of a plan to end the conflict after US talks. But Russian President Vladimir Putin has so far shown no willingness to compromise, doubling down on his hardline demands. &#39;Return of life&#39;In his first Christmas homily as pontiff, Leo addressed the dismal conditions in Gaza, where hundreds of thousands of people are still living in temporary shelters in wintry conditions weeks after a fragile ceasefire took hold. &quot;How... can we not think of the tents in Gaza, exposed for weeks to rain, wind and cold,&quot; the pope said, adding that the territory&#39;s inhabitants &quot;have nothing left and have lost everything.&quot; The UN has said an estimated 1.3 million people currently need shelter&nbsp;assistance in Gaza and has warned of the increasing risk of hypothermia as temperatures dip. &quot;The war, in all its forms, has been harsh on everyone living on this land,&quot; Elias al-Jalda, a Palestinian Christian from Gaza, told AFP after attending a Christmas mass at Gaza&#39;s only Roman Catholic Church late on Wednesday. &quot;We hope this year will mark the beginning of a new phase -- one defined by a complete end to the war and the return of life to Gaza,&quot; said Jalda, one of dozens attending the mass. &#39;Compassion and reconciliation&#39;Sarah Mullally, who becomes head of the Church of England next month, addressed the issue of immigration directly in her Christmas sermon Thursday. &quot;Our national conversations about immigration continue to divide us, when our common humanity should unite us,&quot; &nbsp;said the future archbishop of Canterbury. &quot;We who are Christians then hold fast to joy as an act of resistance,&quot; she added. Britain&#39;s King Charles III called for &quot;compassion and reconciliation&quot; at a time of &quot;division&quot; across the world in his annual Christmas Day message broadcast. &quot;With the great diversity of our communities, we can find the strength to ensure that right triumphs over wrong,&quot; he said. &quot;It seems to me that we need to cherish the values of compassion and reconciliation the way our Lord lived and died.&quot; As well as being king of the United Kingdom, Charles is head of the 56 countries that make up the Commonwealth. Joy in BethlehemIn Bethlehem, the Christian community celebrated its first festive Christmas in more than two years as the occupied West Bank city emerges from the shadow of the war in Gaza. Hundreds of worshippers gathered for mass on Wednesday night at the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem, the biblical birthplace of Jesus Christ. In Syria, Christmas lights illuminated Damascus&#39;s Old City despite the Christian community&#39;s fears of violence after a deadly attack in June. Around the district, home to several important churches, red baubles hung from trees, shopkeepers put up Christmas decorations and street vendors peddled warm chestnuts. &quot;Syria deserves joy and for us to be happy, and to hope for a new future,&quot; said student Loris Aasaf, 20. Trump&#39;s Christmas messageIn the United States, President Donald Trump issued a starkly different message to those of religious leaders. He wished a Merry Christmas &quot;to everyone, including the radical left-wing scum&quot;, referring to Democrats. In Australia, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese had a sombre message after the deadly attack during a Hanukkah celebration at Bondi Beach on December 14. &quot;After the terror inflicted on Jewish Australia celebrating Hanukkah and Bondi Beach, we feel the weight of sorrow in our hearts,&quot; he said&nbsp;

Europe

Pope Leo XIV urged Russia and Ukraine to find the "courage" to hold direct talks and spoke of the dire humanitarian situation in Gaza in his first Christmas message

Pope urges Russia, Ukraine dialogue in Christmas blessing

Web Desk

ISLAMABAD: A coalition of right-wing Hindu groups enforced a statewide shutdown in India&rsquo;s Chhattisgarh state on Wednesday, disrupting daily life and targeting Christmas celebrations amid protests over alleged religious conversions, according to Indian media reports. The daylong shutdown, known as a &ldquo;Chhattisgarh Bandh,&rdquo; was called by the Sarva Hindu Samaj to protest what it described as an inadequate police response to a violent clash earlier this week in Kanker district, The Hindu reported. The unrest escalated in Raipur, the state capital, where a mob stormed the Magneto Mall on Wednesday afternoon. The media reported that about 40 to 50 men armed with sticks and rods entered the mall, tore down Christmas decorations including stars, garlands, and a Santa Claus display, and questioned shoppers and staff about their religious identity and caste before damaging property. The Indian Express reported that Raipur police registered a First Information Report (FIR) against around 30 unidentified individuals on charges of rioting and vandalism. Police said investigations were underway. The shutdown capped a volatile week for minority relations in central India.&nbsp; On Tuesday, the Catholic Bishops&rsquo; Conference of India issued a statement condemning what it described as an &ldquo;alarming&rdquo; rise in attacks on Christians during the Christmas season. According to The Hindu, the bishops said they were particularly disturbed by a viral video from Jabalpur in the neighboring state of Madhya Pradesh. The footage allegedly shows Anju Bhargava, a local vice president of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party, verbally abusing and physically harassing a visually impaired woman who was attending a Christmas program. &ldquo;These attacks gravely undermine India&rsquo;s constitutional guarantees of freedom of religion,&rdquo; the bishops said in the statement, urging Union Home Minister Amit Shah to ensure strict law enforcement and provide &ldquo;proactive protection&rdquo; to Christian communities.

In Raipur, a group armed with wooden sticks damaged Christmas displays at Magneto Mall (Screengrab / X)

Asia

A coalition of right-wing Hindu groups enforced a statewide shutdown in India’s Chhattisgarh state on Wednesday, disrupting daily life and targeting Christmas celebrations amid protests over alleged religious conversions, according to Indian media reports

Indian Hindutva groups shut Chhattisgarh down, target Christmas celebrations 

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Thursday extended &ldquo;heartfelt greetings&rdquo; on the joyous and blessed occasion of Christmas to the Christian communities, especially for those &ldquo;brothers and sisters living in Pakistan.&rdquo; According to a press release issued by the Press Information Department (PID), the premier wished &ldquo;all fellow citizens the traditional joys of this festive occasion,&rdquo; praying that it brings &ldquo;peace, stability, and prosperity for our country, including the valued Christian community.&rdquo; &ldquo;Christmas is not only a specific religious festival, it is also a universal message of love, peace, tolerance, and goodwill for all humanity, bringing people closer to one another,&rdquo; the premier said. He said that the Christian community in Pakistan represented an &ldquo;active, positive, and peaceful segment of our society and has made valuable contributions to the country&rsquo;s socio-economic development,&rdquo; terming their &ldquo;sincere efforts&quot; as &quot;truly commendable!&rdquo; In a post on X, PM Sharif said Pakistan&rsquo;s Christian community was &ldquo;an integral part of our national fabric,&rdquo; adding that their contributions are &ldquo;deeply valued and a source of collective pride.&rdquo;<div class="fr-embed"><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display: flex; max-width: 550px; width: 100%; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px; line-height: 2;"><iframe id="twitter-widget-0" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-0&features=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%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=2004061984187466173&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Farticles%2F&sessionId=86880188e0bf9a80a6092e32ec3ea00a0b8e8be2&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 369px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</iframe></div></div> PM Sharif said that the sacrifices made by the community, &ldquo;standing shoulder to shoulder with the entire nation in the fight against terrorism, are a source of great pride for us.&rdquo; &ldquo;Their significant services in the fields of education, healthcare, and other walks of life have greatly contributed to the promotion of social harmony,&rdquo; he said. The premier said that it remained a &ldquo;key priority&rdquo; for Pakistan to &ldquo;ensure interfaith harmony, protection of rights and freedoms, economic well-being, and equal opportunities&rdquo; for professional growth for all citizens without discrimination of &ldquo;religion, race, or ethnicity.&rdquo; He called on the country to renew &ldquo;our collective solemn resolve that people of all faiths and backgrounds will continue to work together constructively to build a strong, secure, and prosperous Pakistan for future generations.&rdquo; &ldquo;With best wishes, I extend my heartfelt Christmas greetings to all,&rdquo; the premier said A message of hope, peace and compassionPresident Asif Ali Zardari also extended greetings and good wishes to Christians in Pakistan and around the world on the occasion of Christmas, reaffirming the country&rsquo;s commitment to religious freedom, equality and harmony. According to PTV News, the president said Christmas carried a universal message of hope, peace and compassion, and highlighted values that unite communities across faiths. In his message, he said, &ldquo;Christmas is a time of hope, peace and compassion. The message of love and service to humanity that this season brings reminds us of the deep bonds that unite all people.&rdquo; President Zardari recalled Quaid-i-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah&rsquo;s address to the first Constituent Assembly on August 11, 1947, saying it outlined a vision of Pakistan based on freedom and equality for all citizens. The president&rsquo;s message cited an excerpt from the Quaid&rsquo;s speech, stating: &ldquo;You are free; you are free to go to your temples, you are free to go to your mosques or any other place of worship in this State of Pakistan. &ldquo;You may belong to any religion, caste or creed &mdash; that has nothing to do with the business of the State.&rdquo; President Zardari said that &ldquo;these words remain a powerful commitment to religious freedom and mutual respect among citizens&rdquo;. He said Christian citizens of Pakistan had made significant contributions to national life, including in politics, national defence, education, literature, arts, music, healthcare, social welfare and public service. &ldquo;Their efforts strengthen our shared progress and enrich our national life.&rdquo; The president said Pakistan&rsquo;s Constitution guaranteed equal rights and freedom of religion for every citizen and reaffirmed the state&rsquo;s commitment to peaceful coexistence. &ldquo;We remain committed to fostering harmony, mutual respect and peaceful coexistence among all communities. Our diversity is a source of strength and should inspire greater unity, understanding and cooperation,&rdquo; he said. Concluding his message, President Zardari said, &ldquo;May the spirit of Christmas inspire us all to uphold compassion and justice and to work together for the welfare of our nation.&rdquo; Separately, the armed forces also extended &ldquo;heartfelt&rdquo; Christmas greetings to the Christian community, acknowledging their valuable contributions to the nation&rsquo;s progress, APP reported, citing a statement by Inter-Services Public Relations. The statement said the armed forces reaffirmed their commitment to the Quaid&rsquo;s vision of equal rights, religious freedom and harmony for all citizens.

Culture

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif extended Christmas greetings to Pakistan’s Christian community, praising their contributions, sacrifices and role in national development, while reaffirming commitment to interfaith harmony, equal rights and inclusion.

Christian community integral part of Pakistan’s national fabric, Prime Minister says

ISLAMABAD: India has witnessed a surge in intimidation and harassment against the Christian community, with reports indicating that extremist elements are attempting to prevent Christmas celebrations in several areas. Footage circulating on social media shows members associated with Hindu extremist groups, including individuals linked to the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), allegedly entering churches and public spaces to threaten worshippers and organizers of Christmas events. The extremists reportedly warned Christians that they would not be allowed to celebrate Christmas in India and threatened them with expulsion from the country if celebrations continued. A video widely shared on social media shows Christmas celebrants being forcibly removed from a public place in New Delhi. Women and children wearing Santa Claus hats were allegedly harassed and threatened by a group of caste Hindu men. Activist Suraj Kumar Bauddh posted on social media: &ldquo;You can&rsquo;t celebrate Christmas here. A group of caste Hindus misbehaved and threatened women and children, over wearing Santa Claus hats in New Delhi. These fanatic goons are insulting India.&rdquo;<div class="fr-embed"><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display: flex; max-width: 550px; width: 100%; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><iframe id="twitter-widget-2" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 969px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-2&features=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%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=2003480210348605657&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Farticles%2F&sessionId=ede63cbbf93057ac7ee3deab83b0fd81dcb40a16&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px"></iframe></div></div>Journalist Rajdeep Sardesai also reported: &ldquo;Have been receiving a few videos of Christians being threatened ahead of Xmas. This verified video has shocked and angered me. A BJP district vice president Anju Bhargav assaulted and abused a visually impaired girl in MP&rsquo;s Jabalpur, claiming she was enabling &lsquo;religious conversion&rsquo; with a cop just standing by. Targeting Indian Christians in this manner ahead of Xmas is pathetic. Is this the mindset we wish to show to the world? SHAME.&rdquo;<div class="fr-embed"><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display: flex; max-width: 550px; width: 100%; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><iframe id="twitter-widget-1" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 873px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-1&features=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%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=2003297865129746807&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Farticles%2F&sessionId=ede63cbbf93057ac7ee3deab83b0fd81dcb40a16&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px"></iframe></div></div>Reports have also emerged from Chhattisgarh, where extremist Hindu groups allegedly set fire to houses belonging to Christians in recent days. Only days earlier, a controversial incident involving the Chief Minister of Bihar, who was criticized for pulling the veil of a Muslim woman during a public event, sparked nationwide outrage. These incidents indicate a continuing pattern of harassment against religious minorities in India during the holiday season.

India

The extremists warn Christians that they would not be allowed to celebrate Christmas in India and threaten them with expulsion from the country if celebrations continued.

Articles tagged with "Christmas"

US lottery player wins $1.8B Powerball on Christmas Eve

Pope urges Russia, Ukraine dialogue in Christmas blessing

Indian Hindutva groups shut Chhattisgarh down, target Christmas celebrations

Christian community integral part of Pakistan’s national fabric, Prime Minister says

Hindu extremists target Christian community ahead of Christmas in India