Pope Francis used his Christmas message on Monday to call for a negotiated two-state solution to end the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, after US President Donald Trump stoked regional tensions with his recognition of Jerusalem as Israel&#39;s capital.

&quot;Let us pray that the will to resume dialogue may prevail between the parties and that a negotiated solution can finally be reached, one that would allow the peaceful coexistence of two states within mutually agreed and internationally recognised borders,&quot; Francis said.

It was the second time that the pope has spoken out publicly about Jerusalem since Trump&#39;s decision on December 6. On that day, Francis called for the city&#39;s &quot;status quo&quot; to be respected, lest new tensions in the Middle East further inflame world conflicts.

It was the second time that the pope has spoken out publicly about Jerusalem since Trump's decision on December 6.

Pope Francis used his Christmas message on Monday to call for a negotiated two-state solution to end the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, after US President Donald Trump stoked regional tensions with his recognition of Jerusalem as Israel's capital. "Let us pray that the will to resume dialogue may prevail between the parties and that a negotiated solution can finally be reached, one that would allow the peaceful coexistence of two states within mutually agreed and internationally recognised borders," Francis said. It was the second time that the pope has spoken out publicly about Jerusalem since Trump's decision on December 6. On that day, Francis called for the city's "status quo" to be respected, lest new tensions in the Middle East further inflame world conflicts.

Mideast needs two-state solution, Pope says in Christmas message

It`s the question every good little girl and boy asks on Christmas Eve: When is Santa coming?&nbsp; 
 
As it has done every year since 1955, a Canadian and American defense agency is tracking the jolly old man`s path around the globe in his reindeer-powered sleigh. 
 
A 3-D, interactive website at www.noradsanta.org shows Santa on his delivery route, allowing users to click and learn more about the various cities along the way. 
 
The Santa tracker presented by the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) dates to 1955, when a Colorado newspaper advertisement printed a phone number to connect children with St Nick but mistakenly directed them to the hotline for the military nerve center. 
 
To avoid disappointing the little ones, NORAD`s director of operations at the time, Colonel Harry Shoup, ordered his staff to check the radar to see where Santa might be and update the children on his location. 
 
President Donald Trump joined in the NORAD tradition on Sunday, answering the phone from his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida. 
 
&quot;What would you like more than anything?&quot; the president asked one child. 
 
&quot;Building blocks, that`s what I`ve always liked too. I always loved building blocks,&quot; Trump said after the child responded. 
 
Another asked help for his hospitalized grandmother. 
 
&quot;So you want your grandma to get out of the hospital? That`s what your wish is? That`s great. That`s better than asking for some toy or something,&quot; Trump said. 
 
&quot;Your grandma`s gonna be good, okay, she`s gonna be good.&quot;First Lady Melania Trump also took calls: &quot;How are you? Merry Christmas. Are you tracking Santa? Do you know where he is right now?&quot; she asked. 
&quot;As soon as you go to sleep, Santa will be there.&quot;&nbsp; 
 
When not spreading holiday cheer, NORAD conducts aerospace and maritime control and warning operations -- including monitoring for missile launches from North Korea, something that may have been on Santa`s mind as he passed over the country`s capital of Pyongyang.

&quot;NORAD radars have sensed movement near the North Pole. It appears that the elves have finished loading Santa`s sleigh and Santa has lifted off! Even loaded with all the gifts and goodies, Santa`s sleigh seems to be moving lightning fast,&quot; the website said in a video clip at the launch of Santa`s global journey. 
 
As of 0715 GMT, Santa was making his way through the western US state of Colorado, having already left more than 6.1 billion gifts in his wake.

Volunteers manning the NORAD phone line included military members in uniform. One soldier completed his look with a camouflage Santa hat, according to photos on the website`s Twitter account.

The Santa tracker &quot;has become a magical tradition for generations of families everywhere,&quot; General Lori Robinson, commander of the US Northern Command and NORAD, told Politico.&nbsp;

&quot;While certainly a reminder that we have the watch defending North America, our ultimate goal is to provide goodwill and cheer during the holiday season.&quot;

Volunteers are armed with a 14-page handbook detailing the &quot;tracking operation,&quot; Politico reported.

&quot;When a rocket or missile is launched, a tremendous amount of heat is produced -- enough for the satellites to see them,&quot; it says. &quot;Rudolph`s nose gives off an infrared signature similar to a missile launch. The satellites detect Rudolph`s bright red nose with no problem.&quot;

A 3-D, interactive website shows Santa on his delivery route, allowing users to click and learn more about the various cities along the way.

It`s the question every good little girl and boy asks on Christmas Eve: When is Santa coming? As it has done every year since 1955, a Canadian and American defense agency is tracking the jolly old man`s path around the globe in his reindeer-powered sleigh. A 3-D, interactive website at www.noradsanta.org shows Santa on his delivery route, allowing users to click and learn more about the various cities along the way. The Santa tracker presented by the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) dates to 1955, when a Colorado newspaper advertisement printed a phone number to connect children with St Nick but mistakenly directed them to the hotline for the military nerve center. To avoid disappointing the little ones, NORAD`s director of operations at the time, Colonel Harry Shoup, ordered his staff to check the radar to see where Santa might be and update the children on his location. President Donald Trump joined in the NORAD tradition on Sunday, answering the phone from his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida. "What would you like more than anything?" the president asked one child. "Building blocks, that`s what I`ve always liked too. I always loved building blocks," Trump said after the child responded. Another asked help for his hospitalized grandmother. "So you want your grandma to get out of the hospital? That`s what your wish is? That`s great. That`s better than asking for some toy or something," Trump said. "Your grandma`s gonna be good, okay, she`s gonna be good."First Lady Melania Trump also took calls: "How are you? Merry Christmas. Are you tracking Santa? Do you know where he is right now?" she asked. "As soon as you go to sleep, Santa will be there." When not spreading holiday cheer, NORAD conducts aerospace and maritime control and warning operations -- including monitoring for missile launches from North Korea, something that may have been on Santa`s mind as he passed over the country`s capital of Pyongyang. "NORAD radars have sensed movement near the North Pole. It appears that the elves have finished loading Santa`s sleigh and Santa has lifted off! Even loaded with all the gifts and goodies, Santa`s sleigh seems to be moving lightning fast," the website said in a video clip at the launch of Santa`s global journey. As of 0715 GMT, Santa was making his way through the western US state of Colorado, having already left more than 6.1 billion gifts in his wake. Volunteers manning the NORAD phone line included military members in uniform. One soldier completed his look with a camouflage Santa hat, according to photos on the website`s Twitter account. The Santa tracker "has become a magical tradition for generations of families everywhere," General Lori Robinson, commander of the US Northern Command and NORAD, told Politico. "While certainly a reminder that we have the watch defending North America, our ultimate goal is to provide goodwill and cheer during the holiday season." Volunteers are armed with a 14-page handbook detailing the "tracking operation," Politico reported. "When a rocket or missile is launched, a tremendous amount of heat is produced -- enough for the satellites to see them," it says. "Rudolph`s nose gives off an infrared signature similar to a missile launch. The satellites detect Rudolph`s bright red nose with no problem."

This Christmas, track where all Santa Claus is visiting

Scientists have created the world&#39;s smallest Christmas card - measuring just 15 micrometres wide - that could fit over 200 million cards in a single postage stamp.

The 15x20 micrometres card requires a powerful microscope just to see it, let alone read the festive message inside.

Created by researchers at the National Physical Laboratory (NPL) in the UK, it features a whimsical, jolly snowman and the words &#39;Season&#39;s Greetings&#39;.

The card is made from platinum-coated silicon nitride, usually used in electronics, and both the design on the front and the message inside were carved out by a focused ion beam ? a jet of charged particles.

The tools used to make the card are being used to develop cutting-edge techniques for understanding materials on a tiny scale, helping to further the miniaturisation of electronics, and the development of new battery materials.

&quot;While the card is a fun way to mark the festive season, it also showcases the progress being made in materials research on this scale,&quot; said David Cox, Research Fellow at NPL, who created the card with his colleague Ken Mingard.

&quot;We are using the tools that created the card to accurately measure the thickness of extremely small features in materials, helping to unlock new battery and semiconductor technologies,&quot; Cox said.

&quot;It&#39;s a genuinely exciting development that could help to make new technologies and techniques a reality,&quot; he said. 
NPL&#39;s card is 10 times smaller than the previous record-holder.

The 15x20 micrometres card requires a powerful microscope just to see it, let alone read the festive message inside.

Scientists have created the world's smallest Christmas card - measuring just 15 micrometres wide - that could fit over 200 million cards in a single postage stamp. The 15x20 micrometres card requires a powerful microscope just to see it, let alone read the festive message inside. Created by researchers at the National Physical Laboratory (NPL) in the UK, it features a whimsical, jolly snowman and the words 'Season's Greetings'. The card is made from platinum-coated silicon nitride, usually used in electronics, and both the design on the front and the message inside were carved out by a focused ion beam ? a jet of charged particles. The tools used to make the card are being used to develop cutting-edge techniques for understanding materials on a tiny scale, helping to further the miniaturisation of electronics, and the development of new battery materials. "While the card is a fun way to mark the festive season, it also showcases the progress being made in materials research on this scale," said David Cox, Research Fellow at NPL, who created the card with his colleague Ken Mingard. "We are using the tools that created the card to accurately measure the thickness of extremely small features in materials, helping to unlock new battery and semiconductor technologies," Cox said. "It's a genuinely exciting development that could help to make new technologies and techniques a reality," he said. NPL's card is 10 times smaller than the previous record-holder.

Scientists create world's smallest Christmas card

On Christmas Eve, US&nbsp;President Donald Trump took calls from children, asking them what they wanted most from Santa, and revealing what was on his own wish list.

One boy wanted building blocks. Another wished for his grandma to get out of the hospital.

And as for Trump - who has sent a series of combative tweets since arriving at his Florida vacation home - he said he wants &quot;peace for the country.&quot;

&quot;We&#39;ve got prosperity - now we want peace,&quot; Trump told a child named Ryan, who called the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) to check on Santa&#39;s progress.

Every year on Christmas eve NORAD purports to track the flight of Santa and his reindeer-pulled sleigh, a tradition since 1955 when a department store misprinted a phone number, sending a flood of calls to a NORAD colonel, who played along.

Sitting in a gold chair beside first lady Melania Trump in an ornate, tapestried great room, the president enthusiastically chatted with youngsters and their parents. Reporters in the room could hear only the president&#39;s side of the conversation.

In his trademark brash style honed during a career in the New York real estate world, Trump predicted the kids would have the greatest Christmas ever.

&quot;I&#39;ll make a prediction - Santa is going to treat you well. Really well. The best he&#39;s ever treated you,&quot; he told one child from Mississippi, throwing in an invitation to come to the Oval Office sometime.

Casper from Arlington, Virginia, was a child after Trump&#39;s own heart. &quot;Building blocks! That&#39;s what I always liked too,&quot; the president exclaimed.

&quot;I predict that Santa will bring you building blocks, so many you won&#39;t be able to use them all,&quot; he said.

As for Ryan, he told Trump he wanted his grandmother to come home from the hospital.

&quot;That is great. That&#39;s better than asking for some toy or something,&quot; Trump said.

As for Trump - who has sent a series of combative tweets since arriving at his Florida vacation home - he said he wants "peace for the country."

On Christmas Eve, US President Donald Trump took calls from children, asking them what they wanted most from Santa, and revealing what was on his own wish list. One boy wanted building blocks. Another wished for his grandma to get out of the hospital. And as for Trump - who has sent a series of combative tweets since arriving at his Florida vacation home - he said he wants "peace for the country." "We've got prosperity - now we want peace," Trump told a child named Ryan, who called the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) to check on Santa's progress. Every year on Christmas eve NORAD purports to track the flight of Santa and his reindeer-pulled sleigh, a tradition since 1955 when a department store misprinted a phone number, sending a flood of calls to a NORAD colonel, who played along. Sitting in a gold chair beside first lady Melania Trump in an ornate, tapestried great room, the president enthusiastically chatted with youngsters and their parents. Reporters in the room could hear only the president's side of the conversation. In his trademark brash style honed during a career in the New York real estate world, Trump predicted the kids would have the greatest Christmas ever. "I'll make a prediction - Santa is going to treat you well. Really well. The best he's ever treated you," he told one child from Mississippi, throwing in an invitation to come to the Oval Office sometime. Casper from Arlington, Virginia, was a child after Trump's own heart. "Building blocks! That's what I always liked too," the president exclaimed. "I predict that Santa will bring you building blocks, so many you won't be able to use them all," he said. As for Ryan, he told Trump he wanted his grandmother to come home from the hospital. "That is great. That's better than asking for some toy or something," Trump said.

Trump's Christmas wish: 'We've got prosperity, Now we want peace'

Deepika attended her first midnight mass, while Varun Dhawan spread some joy among street children

'Tis the season to be merry! And Bollywood celebrities are making most of the holiday season. While some of them have flown out of the country to ring in the New year, there are others who are in India and brought in Christmas with friends. And a lot of them took to their Social Media page to spread some Christmas cheer among fans. Deepika Padukone attended her fist midnight mass. The actress, who is currently holidaying outside India, shared a stunning picture of the masss. from my 1st ever midnight mass...Merry Christmas everyone!?? A post shared by Deepika Padukone (@deepikapadukone) on Dec 24, 2017 at 5:12pm PST × Deepika's beau, Ranveer Singh, meanwhile is living it up in London. The actor wished his fans on Christmas and shared this photograph. ?? #holidays #merrychristmas A post shared by Ranveer Singh (@ranveersingh) on Dec 24, 2017 at 4:09pm PST × Akshay Kumar and Twinkle Khanna, who are currently holidaying in South Africa with their kids, shared this funny video of 'dancing around a tree'. When Mr K convinces me to dance around trees again:) Merry Christmas folks! #Jingleballe A post shared by Twinkle Khanna (@twinklerkhanna) on Dec 24, 2017 at 12:40pm PST × Alia Bhatt and Katrina Kaif attended Karan Johar's Christmas party and posed for photos together. Both the actresses shared the same photo. While Kat captioned it as 'Merry Christmasss', Alia wrote, "merry with katy". merry with katy ?? A post shared by Alia ??? (@aliaabhatt) on Dec 24, 2017 at 11:09am PST × Basking in the success of his recent release Tiger Zinda Hai, Salman Khan along with the film's director Ali Abbas Zafar and leading lady Katrina Kaif wished fans 'Merry Christmas'. Merry Xmas from Tiger and Zoya ... A post shared by Salman Khan (@beingsalmankhan) on Dec 24, 2017 at 10:31am PST × Kaif also shared photos of the shoot. Merrrrrryyyyyyy christmasssss from...... ????and ??..........have a ?????????????????day A post shared by Katrina Kaif (@katrinakaif) on Dec 24, 2017 at 9:49pm PST × Varun Dhawan spent a day before Christmas with underprivileged children. The actor took to Instagram to share adorable photos with the kids. Merry Christmas ?? A post shared by Varun Dhawan (@varundvn) on Dec 24, 2017 at 10:49am PST × Karan Johar, meanhwile, posted an adorable photo of his twins- Yash and Roohi- dressed as Santa and he wished everyone a Merry Christmas. Merry Xmas from me and mine!!!!?????????? A post shared by Karan Johar (@karanjohar) on Dec 24, 2017 at 9:48pm PST ×

Akshay Kumar, Deepika Padukone, Alia Bhatt: Here's how Bollywood stars rang in Christmas

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Mideast needs two-state solution, Pope says in Christmas message

This Christmas, track where all Santa Claus is visiting

Scientists create world's smallest Christmas card

Trump's Christmas wish: 'We've got prosperity, Now we want peace'

Akshay Kumar, Deepika Padukone, Alia Bhatt: Here's how Bollywood stars rang in Christmas