Nation and world news in brief for December 25

Former President Clinton discharged from hospital

WASHINGTON (Reuters) — Former U.S. President Bill Clinton was discharged from a Washington hospital on Tuesday after being treated for the flu, his deputy chief of staff said in a post on X.

Clinton, 78, was hospitalized on Monday at Georgetown University Medical Center with a fever, his deputy chief of staff, Angel Urena, said.

Brazil probes risks from chemicals after tankers plunged off collapsed bridge

ESTREITO, Brazil (Reuters) — Brazilian state and federal authorities were assessing on Tuesday the risks of water contamination after trucks carrying sulfuric acid and agricultural pesticides plunged into a river on Sunday in a deadly bridge collapse.

The central span of a 533-meter (583-yard) bridge that links the cities of Estreito in Maranhao state and Aguiarnopolis in Tocantins state gave way as vehicles were crossing above the Tocantins River on Sunday afternoon.

The Maranhao state government and the Tocantins fire department confirmed three more deaths in separate statements on Tuesday, raising the death toll to four, and with more than 10 people still missing.

Rescue divers had halted their efforts on Sunday after finding that trucks transporting sulfuric acid had plunged into the river.

Christmas procession arrives at Church of the Nativity

TEL AVIV (TNS) — Christmas celebrations in the Holy Land have begun, overshadowed by the devastating war in the Gaza Strip.

The traditional Christian procession arrived in Bethlehem, the birthplace of Jesus Christ as described in the Bible, in the afternoon.

The procession consisted of a convoy of vehicles from Jerusalem led by the highest representative of the Catholic Church in the Holy Land, Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa.

The patriarch walked the last stretch of the way to the Church of the Nativity. He was received by Christian representatives.

Due to the war in Gaza, which has been going on for a year and a half, the traditional Christmas celebrations in Bethlehem in the Palestinian West Bank are rather subdued, as they were in 2023.

The midnight Mass is to take place as usual, but other public festivities have been abandoned, such as the lighting of a large Christmas tree in the square in front of the Church of the Nativity and musical performances by bands from all over the world.

There are hardly any tourists in Bethlehem this year because of the fighting in the region.

On the weekend, as a sign of solidarity, Pizzaballa visited the only Catholic church in the Gaza Strip and celebrated a Mass there.

‘Rust’ case against Alec Baldwin officially ends

(TNS) — A New Mexico prosecutor has withdrawn her appeal of the dismissed involuntary manslaughter case against Alec Baldwin, officially ending the years-long criminal case against the “Rust” actor in the 2021 on-set shooting death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins.

In a filing Monday with the 1st Judicial District Court of New Mexico, special prosecutor Kari Morrissey wrote that the state attorney general informed her that it would “dismiss its appellate efforts if the reviewing court did not recommend summary reversal.”

Under New Mexico law, only the attorney general can prosecute and defend criminal appeals in higher courts, the filing said.

Baldwin’s attorneys Luke Nikas and Alex Spiro called the decision to dismiss the appeal the “final vindication” of what they and the actor “have said from the beginning.”

Smishing: US postal officials warn about new texting scam

DALLAS (TNS) — Amid the busy holiday shipping season, the U.S. Postal Service is sounding an urgent warning about a scam being sent via text message to unsuspecting users.

According to postal officials, the scam consists of cell phone owners receiving a text message that says a USPS package can’t be delivered because of missing information.

USPS officials say the message includes a a text link, that could then expose the user’s personal information, including financial details, to unknown scammers when clicked.

“The criminals want to receive personally identifiable information such as: account usernames and passwords, Social Security Number, date of birth, credit and debit card numbers, personal identification numbers, or other sensitive information,” the news release says.

Authorities are calling this scam “smishing,” a more sophisticated deceptive practice where users pretend to be from a legitimate company or individual and then provide a link that allows users to provide some type of personal data, according to the Federal Communications Commission.

Postal officials say their customers can received automated updates about the delivery status of mail or packages, but mail customers have to sign up on the official page of USPS.

Pope Francis opens Holy Door of St. Peter’s Basilica, marking Jubilee

ROME (TNS) — Pope Francis on Tuesday opened the Holy Door of St Peter’s Basilica in the Vatican, marking the official beginning of the Jubilee year of the Catholic Church.

In a Christmas Eve ceremony rich with symbolism, the 88-year-old pontiff, who is using a wheelchair due to a severe knee condition, knocked several times on the heavy bronze door. Helpers then opened it from the inside.

Following the pope, 10 children from around the world, each dressed in traditional attire, crossed the threshold of the Holy Door. They were followed by 54 worshipers from various countries.

By crossing the threshold, believers enter the “time of mercy and forgiveness,” the pontiff said.

Every 25 years, the Catholic Church celebrates a special year known as a Jubilee.

During a Jubilee, the Catholic faithful can attain indulgence for their sins through prayer and penance. This also includes pilgrimage to Rome and passing through the Holy Doors.

The 2025 Jubilee officially ends on January 6, 2026.

Iran takes first steps toward easing its broad social media bans

Iran said it will start easing some of the world’s tightest internet restrictions by lifting its ban on WhatsApp and Google Play — a sign that authorities want to placate domestic opponents as the Islamic Republic faces major economic and foreign-policy challenges.

Earlier on Tuesday, Iran’s Supreme Council of Cyberspace approved the lifting of blocks on “certain widely used foreign platforms” according to the state-run Islamic Republic News Agency, which named WhatsApp and Google Play as the first two applications to be unblocked.

Since the 2009 protests against the reelection of hardliner Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, social media networks including Facebook, X and YouTube have been banned or restricted by authorities who’ve blamed them for facilitating protests and fomenting opposition to the state.

Iran’s government has faced criticism for years from ordinary Iranians, Western governments, the United Nations and political activists for its draconian attitude toward the internet. O

fficials — most of whom use banned social media sites to run their own public-facing accounts — often fail to deliver on promises to reduce censorship. Instead, it’s increased significantly over the past 10 years.

It’s not clear when Tuesday’s decision will come into effect.