From Washington,this is VOA News.

Pope Francis delivered his first Christmas Eve homily at St. Peter's Basilica in the Vatican.

During mass, the Pope urged the world's 1.2 billion Catholics to rejoice this Christmas because "Jesus is the light who brightens the darkness" and brings peace.

Pope Francis spoke on humans' historical and personal journey for a promised land and salvation.

Elsewhere.

Pilgrims from around the world have converged on the West Bank town of Bethlehem for Christmas Eve celebrations hosted by the Palestinian Authority.

Robert Berger reports.

Palestinian boy and girl scouts kicked off Christmas celebrations with a festive march through Manger Square in Bethlehem. The square is decked out for the holiday with a giant Christmas tree, bells, lights and Palestinian flags.

The mood was more solemn inside the ancient Church of the Nativity, as thousands of pilgrims lined up to visit the grotto where tradition says Jesus Christ was born.

Israel and the Palestinian Authority are working together to facilitate the entry of pilgrims from Jerusalem to Bethlehem, in the spirit of Christmas goodwill.

Robert Berger for VOA News BETHLEHEM.

Israel launched a series of attacks in the Gaza Strip, in apparent retaliation for the cross-border killing of an Israeli civilian by a Gaza sniper.

Israel said the attacks from the air and on the ground targeted what it called "terror sites" in Gaza -- including a weapons manufacturing facility and a concealed rocket launcher.

Hamas, the group that rules the Gaza Strip, says that a three year-old girl was killed in the Israeli attacks.

Syrian government air strikes on rebel-held areas of Aleppo continued for a tenth straight day, leaving at least 15 people dead.

The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights sys now more than 300 people have been killed since the start of the bombing campaign.

Former National Security Agency contractor Edward Snowden says he is satisfied with the results of his leaking of details of NSA surveillance programs.

Snowden, now living under temporary asylum in Moscow, told Washington Post newspaper he feels his "mission is already accomplished" because Americans are now aware of the programs and can address them as they choose.

Republican Congressman Peter King, a member of the House Intelligence Committee told VOA Snowden is anything but well-meaning and patriotic, and that he has put American lives "at risk."

Army commanders of nuclear-armed neighbors India and Pakistan met Tuesday for the first time in 14 years in a bid to reduce tensions in the disputed region of Kashmir after a year of intermittent clashes.

The meeting between the director generals of military operations (DGMOS) from both countries took place on the Pakistani side of the border at Wagah near the city of Lahore.

Two American astronauts have successfully repaired a crippled cooling system during a rare Christmas Eve spacewalk.

NASA ordered the spacewalks to revive a critical cooling loop at the International Space Station and install a new pump.