LONDON (AP) – King Charles III has chosen Westminster Abbey as the site of his Christmas Day speech on Thursday, reflecting the idea of pilgrimage that is expected to be a theme of the annual address to the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth.

VATICAN CITY (AP) – Pope Leo XIV during his first Christmas Day message on Thursday urged the faithful to shed indifference in the face of those who have lost everything, such as in Gaza, those who are impoverished, such as in Yemen, and the many migrants who cross the Mediterranean Sea and the American continent for a better future.

Excerpts from recent editorials in the United States and abroad:

The American Academy of Pediatrics sued the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services on Wednesday, seeking to block nearly $12 million in cuts to the group. Earlier this month, the federal government “abruptly terminated” grants to the group. The funding supported numerous public health programs, including efforts to prevent sudden unexpected infant death.

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) – North Korea on Thursday displayed apparent progress in the construction of a nuclear-powered submarine, with state media photos showing a largely completed hull, as leader Kim Jong Un condemned rival South Korea’s push to acquire the technology.

NEWCASTLE, Australia (AP) – Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced plans Thursday for a national bravery award to recognize civilians and first responders who confronted “the worst of evil” during an antisemitic terror attack that left 15 dead and has cast a heavy shadow over the nation’s holiday season.

DENVER (AP) – Former Colorado elections clerk Tina Peters is asking the state appeals court to recognize President Donald Trump’s pardon of her state convictions as valid.

DAR ES SALAAM, Tanzania (AP) – Five people have died after a helicopter crashed on Africa’s highest mountain, Mount Kilimanjaro, in Tanzania.