Moscow: An Azerbaijani airliner with 67 people onboard crashed Wednesday in the Kazakhstani city of Aktau, leaving at least 32 survivors, according to officials. More than 30 people are likely dead.

Bethlehem, the city in the occupied West Bank believed to be the birthplace of Jesus Christ, marked another somber Christmas amid the ongoing Israel-Palestine conflict. For the second consecutive year, the town's usual festive cheer was absent, with no lights, decorations, or tourists in the central Manger Square. Bethlehem's mayor, Anton Salman, said the town had “limited its joy” in solidarity with those suffering in Gaza.

The United States has addressed human rights concerns with Bangladesh's interim government, amid ongoing tensions with India over attacks on minorities. In a phone conversation on Monday, US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan and Bangladesh Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus discussed the protection of human rights, though the official accounts of the discussion varied significantly.

A passenger plane operated by Azerbaijan Airlines crashed near Aktau in Kazakhstan on Wednesday, Russian news agencies reported, citing Kazakhstan's Emergencies Ministry. The aircraft, which was en route from Baku to Grozny in Russia’s Chechnya, was rerouted due to fog in Grozny.

Sanjeeb Wazed, son of deposed Bangladesh prime minister Sheikh Hasina, has accused the Muhammad Yunus led interim government of “weaponising the judiciary” for carrying out a “political witch hunt” against the Awami League leadership.

Pakistan, in rare airstrikes, targeted multiple suspected hideouts of the Pakistani Taliban inside neighbouring Afghanistan on Tuesday, dismantling a training facility and killing some insurgents, four security officials said.

Bethlehem (West Bank): Bethlehem prepared on Tuesday to mark another sombre Christmas in the traditional birthplace of Jesus under the shadow of war in Gaza.

Pakistan is planning to procure 40 advanced Chinese stealth fighter jets, J-35, marking a potential milestone as China's first export of its fifth-generation fighter aircraft. The acquisition is expected to enhance Pakistan's air capabilities amidst regional tensions with India, according to the South China Morning Post.