Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has hailed the shooting down of two Russian fighter jets on Christmas Eve, saying “This Christmas sets the right mood for the entire year ahead.”.

The typically bustling biblical birthplace of Jesus looks like a ghost town on Christmas Eve, with celebrations in Bethlehem called off due to the Israel-Hamas war.

Houston won’t be seeing a white Christmas this year, but we will have to deal with another form of precipitation in the days leading up to it and that will be in the form of rain.

You’re about to prepare that delicious holiday meal...then it hits you -- you’re missing that last ingredient! Oh no!

KPRC 2 viewers are capturing some interesting photos of the Houston area sky ahead of expecting thunderstorms that are headed our way before Christmas Day.

There’s a 30% chance of rain on Saturday in the Houston area, and we’re going to have showers and possibly thunderstorms on Christmas Eve.

A daily summary of the changing conditions for the holiday weekend from the Storm Tracker 2 weather team.

We will see decreasing cloud cover through the morning, which will bring a gorgeous sunny afternoon.

We will see decreasing cloud cover through the morning, which will bring a gorgeous sunny afternoon.

Local organizers in Washington say three buses of recent migrant families arrived from Texas near the home of Vice President Kamala Harris in record-setting cold on Christmas Eve.

Most retail and grocery stores are closed for the holiday, but pharmacies like Walgreens and CVS are keeping their doors open for people who have waited until the last minute to shop.

If you didn’t get a chance to participate this holiday season - no worries - you can always help next year because the “gift of giving” has no expiration date.

Nearly two dozen residents were left without homes on Christmas Eve after a 2-alarm swept through an apartment complex in the Upper Kirby area Saturday afternoon.

The head of the Houston Professional Fire Firefighters Association reported that many fire trucks were out of service on Christmas Eve due to staffing shortages or mechanical issues, but the city of Houston’s fire chief said that is definitely not the case.

Luckily some Houston-area stores will be open on Christmas Eve for that final rush, whether you need that final ingredient, or need to pick up a whole meal, or even a Christmas gift

Hello Houston, and welcome back!

The family of a man shot and killed in the Katy area on Christmas Eve is asking for the public’s help in identifying the suspects involved, according to the Harris County Sheriff’s Homicide Division.

A man has been arrested and charged for a hit-and-run crash that left two people dead at a southwest Houston intersection on Christmas Eve, police said.

Scottish singer Tom Walker has praised the piano skills of the Duchess of Cambridge after the pair recorded a Christmas tune that was shown during a carol concert.

The staff is tired, the omicron variant is bearing down and the intensive care unit beds are filling fast at a hospital in the French city of Marseille.

Two people were involved in a deadly crash the night of Christmas Eve on Houston’s southwest side, according to authorities.

It's beginning to feel a lot like..... summertime? Houstonians hoping to get into the holiday spirit by participating in Christmas traditions, like ice skating, were in for a warm surprise Friday.

Amid the surge of coronavirus cases across the U.S., numerous churches have canceled in-person Christmas services.

From Bethlehem and Frankfurt to London and Boston, the surging coronavirus dampened Christmas Eve festivities for a second year.

Texans are taking varying levels of precautions as they finish holiday shopping and prepare for Christmas worship services.

An assembly line of holiday films to make the heart sing is the Hallmark Channel's blueprint, and it works every year like mistletoe or eggnog.

The European Union and Britain are back to quarreling less than a year after finalizing Brexit.

The Pentagon has announced it will keep a Navy aircraft carrier in the Middle East to provide protection for the more than 10,000 American and coalition troops withdrawing from Afghanistan in coming weeks.

HOUSTON – Cold air has settled into Southeast Texas and will be sticking around for a while. We are in the beginning of the longest stretch of cold weather that has hit Houston so far this season. As we head into late Sunday, temperatures will start to drop and wintry precipitation will be getting close to Southeast Texas! Sunday NightAccumulations will be insignificant in Southeast Texas but snow will accumulate north and northwest of our area. Weekend Travel WeatherAfter Sunday’s rain/snow mix event, the rest of the ten day forecast shows a cooler than normal start with plenty of sunshine for the week ahead.

UK chief trade negotiator David Frost looks on as Britain's Prime Minister Boris Johnson signs the EU-UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement at 10 Downing Street, London Wednesday Dec. 30, 2020. (Leon Neal/Pool via AP)BRUSSELS – Britain’s Parliament voted resoundingly on Wednesday to approve a trade deal with the European Union, paving the way for an orderly break with the bloc that will finally complete the U.K.’s long and divisive Brexit journey. With just a day to spare, lawmakers in the House of Commons voted 521-73 in favor of the agreement sealed between the U.K. government and the EU last week. She noted that the deal protected trade in goods but did not cover services, which account for 80% of Britain's economy. “We have a deal in trade, which benefits the EU, but not a deal in services, which would have benefitted the U.K.," May said.

I will spend Christmas at home alone because I don't have anyone to spend them with. “I don’t feel like celebrating anything,” Otero said as she sat down to eat a plate of salmon with potatoes. “We have missed one another these Christmas holidays,” Cano said. I am one of the last ones left. I will spend Christmas at home alone because I don’t have anyone to spend it with.”___AP writer Joseph Wilson contributed to this report.

HOUSTON – Christmas Eve Services at St. Martin’s Episcopal Church were a little different compared to years past amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Dr. Russell Levenson, the Rector at St. Martin’s Episcopal Church. The church set up hand sanitation stations set up at the entrance and required reservations and masks. Several extra church services were also added throughout the day to help ensure safety. So, it seems to be well structured,” said Rachel Van Til, who attended church services said.

In this photo provided by Maitrise Notre-Dame de Paris soprani singer Julie Fuchs and the Notre Dame Cathedral choir recording a Christmas concert on Saturday, Dec. 19, 2020, inside Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris. The concert will be broadcasted on French television on Christmas. (MSNDP/Musique Sacree Notre-Dame de Paris via AP)PARIS – Wearing hard hats and protective suits, members of the choir of Notre Dame Cathedral sang inside the medieval Paris landmark for the first time since last year’s devastating fire for a special Christmas Eve concert. The public was not allowed and isn’t expected to see the insides of Notre Dame until at least 2024. The Notre Dame choir used to give 60 concerts a year inside the cathedral but has been itinerant ever since, moving among other Paris churches.

Few people were there to greet them as the coronavirus pandemic and a strict lockdown dampened Christmas Eve celebrations. The Philippines prohibited mass gatherings and barred extended families from holding traditional Christmas Eve dinners. On Christmas Eve in Italy, church bells rang earlier than usual. In Athens, Christmas Eve was eerily silent. The schedule for Christmas Eve and Christmas day included Masses in English and Spanish, and a bilingual jazz vespers service.

(AP Photo/Emrah Gurel)BEIJING — Authorities in China’s northeastern port city of Dalian are testing millions of residents after seven new coronavirus cases were reported there in the last 24 hours. It has a deal to secure up to 100 million doses of the potential vaccine produced by AstraZeneca. Koca said the first shipment of three million doses of CoronaVac would be shipped to Turkey on Sunday and arrive Monday. He said Turkey could get 4.5 million doses until the end of March and would have the option buy up to 30 million doses. Indonesia has reported nearly 700,000 COVID-19 cases, the largest caseload in Southeast Asia and second in Asia only to India’s 10.1 million confirmed cases.

Once ratified by both sides, the agreement will ensure Britain and the 27-nation bloc can continue to trade in goods without tariffs or quotas after the U.K. breaks fully free of the EU on Jan. 1. The devil will be in the detail of the 2,000-page agreement, but both sides claimed the deal protects their cherished goals. If Britain were to quit the EU with no agreement governing trade, the two sides would reinstate tariffs on each other's goods. Even with a trade deal, goods and people will no longer be able to move freely between the U.K. and its continental neighbors without border restrictions. ___Follow all AP stories on the Brexit trade talks at https://apnews.com/Brexit

Stocks are ticking higher on Wall Street Wednesday, Dec. 23, following a mixed set of reports on the economy. (AP Photo/John Minchillo)Stocks closed slightly higher on Christmas Eve, as investors went into the holiday weekend not bothered by President Donald Trump’s threat not to sign a major economic stimulus package approved by Congress this week. Relatively safe investments like utilities and real estate were among the biggest gainers, while energy stocks fell. Trump has asked for higher individual payments to Americans, something Democrats support but which is unlikely to get a vote in the Republican-held Senate. Consumers pulled back on their spending by more last month than economists expected, mainly because of a drop in income.

Airports also recorded around 1 million travelers on each of the five days between last Friday and Tuesday. Fauci, who turned 80 on Thursday, said he and his wife would be celebrating his birthday and the holidays with their children on Zoom. It took 292 days to reach 1 million cases on Nov. 11. Nurses are exhausted, terrified of what’s next and angry at those who ignore pleas to stay home and stay safe. Associated Press writers Heather Hollingsworth in Kansas City, Missouri, and Shelley Adler in Fairfax, Virginia, contributed to this story.

After resolving a few remaining fair-competition issues, negotiators tussled over EU fishing rights in U.K. waters as they worked right into Christmas Eve to secure a provisional deal for a post-Brexit relationship after nine months of talks. A trade deal would avert the imposition of tariffs and duties that could cost both sides billions in trade and hundreds of thousands of jobs. Johnson has always insisted the U.K. will “prosper mightily” even if no deal is reached and the U.K. has to trade with the EU on World Trade Organization terms from Jan. 1. Rumors of a pre-Christmas trade deal surfaced in recent days based on progress on the main outstanding issues, other than fishing. On Wednesday, brokering on quotas and transition times for EU vessels to continue fishing in U.K. waters was in full swing, with progress reported from several sides.

All most people wanted for Christmas after this year of pandemic was some cheer and togetherness. Instead many are heading into a season of isolation, grieving lost loved ones, worried about their jobs or confronting the fear of a new potentially more contagious virus variant. Peruvians won't be allowed to drive their cars over Christmas and New Year to discourage visits even with nearby family and friends. South Africans won’t be able to go to the beach on Christmas Eve, Christmas Day or New Year’s Day. There are no nationwide travel restrictions in the United States, but health officials have urged people to stay home and limit gatherings.

SEOUL – South Korea will prohibit private social gatherings of five or more people and shut down ski resorts and major tourist spots nationwide starting from Christmas Eve as it contends with surging coronavirus infections. The capital area has been at the center of a viral resurgence in past weeks that has overwhelmed hospitals and increased death tolls and raised questions to how the government is handling the outbreak. Forty-eight COVID-19 patients have died in the past 48 hours, the deadliest two days since the emergence of the pandemic. The viral resurgence has put pressure on the government to raise social distancing restrictions to maximum levels, something policymakers have resisted for weeks out of economic concerns. The mass outbreak in Samut Sakhon was revealed over the weekend when authorities reported more than 500 new cases, the country’s biggest single-day increase by far.

HOUSTON – Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner urged everyone Monday to get tested for coronavirus and cancel their holiday gatherings as the city’s positivity rate rises as Christmas approaches. Turner said an additional 777 coronavirus cases were reported Monday, bringing the city’s total cases to 111,211. Three more deaths were also reported, bringing the city’s total deaths to 1,530. The city’s positivity rate as is at 11.2%, up nearly a point from last week, Turner said. “Please get tested before Christmas Eve,” Turner said.

There’s no business in snow business this Christmas like we experienced in 2004 (Thanks to Donna Bohannon for some great Angleton snow shots! ), but our coldest Christmas Day in years is in our forecast! For those of you who like hot-cocoa-footy-pajama Christmas mornings and afternoons, then this is your year! I took a look back at our Christmas highs since that fateful 2004 snow day. Cold all holidayHere’s a look at our 10-day forecast and you can see that Christmas Eve through Sunday promises beautiful ugly sweater temps:Christmas Week ForecastWe’re also dry the whole way through.

Shopping for a pre-owned vehicle? According to a new study by iSeeCars, December is one of the best times to buy a used car in Houston as there 13% more deals than average, and 18.1% more deals on Christmas Eve, specifically. Experts at iSeeCars analyzed over 32 million used car sales, comparing specific times of the year to determine when car shoppers would find savings of at least 5% which amount to over $1,100 off the price of the average pre-owned vehicle. The study found the holiday season to be one of the best times of year to find deals; however, the study discovered better deals tend to be available at the beginning of the year. Here are the best and worst times to buy a used car in Houston:Top 10 Best Times to Buy a Used Car, according to iSeeCarsMartin Luther King Jr. Day January February New Year’s Eve/New Year’s Day Christmas Eve December March Veterans Day November Thanksgiving/Black FridayTop 10 Worst Times to Buy a Used Car, according to iSeeCars

NEW YORK – Christmas is still a few weeks away, but Mariah Carey is already orchestrating her dinner menu. 1 hits really going to sweat over a hot stove? “Magical Christmas Special” is another example of diverse, family-friendly holiday programming that hasn’t always been allotted by Hollywood. “As a kid, if I had to select one holiday, of course I’m going with Christmas. And while the pandemic has halted a number of projects, 2020 has been busy for Carey: In September she released her candid memoir “The Meaning of Mariah Carey,” which debuted at No.

(AP Photo/Matt Dunham, File)BRUSSELS – Please leave a chair empty at this year's family Christmas dinner as a precaution, or face the possibility of having that chair empty forever. That's the stark dilemma Belgium's prime minister has set to urge smaller festive family gatherings, as Europeans battle with containing the surging COVID-19 pandemic over the holiday season. Britain, with the continent's highest death rate at 57,031 yet a Christmas tradition unlike few others, could not resist the temptation of relaxation. Like Belgium, Italy, where the pandemic initially struck hard in Europe, is taking a hard line at Christmas. In Oberndorf, home of the world's most famous Christmas carol, they hope its lyrics will not be taken too literally.

HOUSTON – Houstonians and visitors can celebrate the winter holiday with shopping, sightseeing and special events in downtown Houston. There’s no place like Downtown for the holidays,” said Angie Bertinot, Downtown District Director of Marketing and Communications. www.marriottmarquishouston.comHoliday Decor on Main StreetNovember 18–January 3Stroll along Main Street and take in the twinkling lights bringing the holiday spirit to Downtown Houston! Glowing with energy-efficient LED lights, shimmering ornaments and a stunning star topper, the tree lights up the streets of Downtown Houston year after year. www.phoeniciafoods.com/Discovery GreenThe Ice at Discovery Green powered by Green Mountain EnergyDaily, November 13–January 31Tickets from $11Discovery Green, 1500 McKinneyIce skating returns to Downtown Houston this holiday season!

The Heisman Trophy will be presented Jan. 5, but without the usual ceremony held in New York City, and the finalists will be revealed on Christmas Eve. The deadline for Heisman voters to submit their ballots is now Dec. 21, two days after the conference championship games are scheduled to be played. Before college football schedules were revised because of the coronavirus pandemic, the Heisman was set to be handed out Dec. 12. Now it will be awarded during the 10 days between the College Football Playoff semifinals on Jan. 1 and the championship game on Jan. 11. ___More AP college football coverage: https://apnews.com/Collegefootball and https://twitter.com/AP_Top25

MADISON COUNTY, Ill (KMOV / CNN) – An extremely popular gift over the last few years nearly caused a fire on Christmas Eve for a Madison County family. Celeste Robinson and her husband bought As-Seen-On-TV UFO drones for their kids and plugged them in Christmas Eve so they could use them first thing in the morning. The drones were hand held and specifically made for kids. That's when she said her husband heard a strange hissing noise. Panicked, Robinson threw the malfunctioning drone on the floor after it burst into flames in her hand.

HOUSTON – The Houston Police Department is asking for public help in locating a suspect in connection with the fatal shooting of a man by a gunman on a motorcycle on Christmas Eve. Police say the shooting occurred at 1:10 p.m. Tuesday outside a home at 14802 Buxley Street. “Fields was wielding a metal pipe when Mosely produced a firearm and shot Fields multiple times,” police wrote in a press release. He is wanted for questioning in this incident, however is not currently charged in Fields’ death.”Instead, Mosely is being charged with a felon in possession of a firearm. Witnesses previously told KPRC 2 a man who lives in the area was walking down the street when someone on a motorcycle drove up beside him, shot him and then drove away.

On Dec. 22, 2004, a cold front made its way across the South Texas region, plunging temperatures into the mid-30s with frigid weather continuing into the next day. Annotated satellite imagery of South Texas and north-eastern Mexico on Christmas Day morning in 2004. (NASA EODIS Worldview)Although the Houston metro didn’t receive a foot of snow, parts of southwest Houston and the greater area did receive a few inches. Snowfall Totals from 2004 (National Weather Service)The real Christmas miracle took place in a large portion of South Texas where amounts from 6 to 12 inches of snow were recorded. Video of snow in Houston 2004Do you remember when it snowed in 2004?

HOUSTON – Many families gather at home for dinner on Christmas Eve, while others eat together on Christmas Day. Here are some of our KPRC 2 viewers’ favorite restaurants to visit on Christmas Eve:Buca di Beppo5192 Buffalo SpeedwayBuca di Beppo is open on Christmas Eve beginning at 11 a.m. Brennan’s of Houston3300 Smith St.Brennan’s of Houston invites guest to dine with them on Christmas Eve from 5 p.m. to 8:30. Steak 484444 Westheimer RoadSteak 48 will open at 4 p.m. on Christmas Eve. Other Houston-area suggestions are:Avenida Brazil Churrascaria SteakhouseLocations: Houston, Clear Lake and The WoodlandsAvenida Brazil has hosted Christmas Eve dinner since 2008.