A passenger jet crashed near the city of Aktau in Kazakhstan on Wednesday, with many feared dead. The Azerbaijan Airlines flight went off course and officials did not immediately explain why, but the crash came shortly after drone strikes hit southern Russia.

Top world leaders, including President Joe Biden, Pope Francis, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, and Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelenskyy shared their uplifting Christmas messages.

Biden signed 50 bills into law on Tuesday that include making the bald eagle the country's official bird and one that stops members of Congress from collecting their pensions if convicted of crimes.