Some 5 million women in the Indian southern state of Kerala formed a 620-kilometer (385-mile) human chain on Tuesday to demand equal gender rights, local media reported.

Two parishes of the canonical Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate (UOC-MP) have merged together and joined the new "church" of Ukraine, a representative of the "church" and "Metropolitan" Anthony (Makhota) of Khmelnytskyi and Kamianets-Podilskyi claimed

The JIT counsel said that the cabinet had approved putting the 172 names on ECL.

A parish of the Ukrainian canonical Orthodox Church (UOC) in the Khmelnytskyi region along with its priest have joined the newly established autocephalous Ukrainian church, the representative of the non-canonical church, "Metropolitan" Anthonii Makhota of Khmelnitskyi and Kamenets-Podolsky, said on Tuesday.

Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia Kirill has sent Christmas greetings to the heads of Christian churches, according to the Russian Orthodox Church's website.

On December 25, Western Christian churches celebrate Christmas, a public holiday in many parts of the world that commemorates Jesus Christ's birth.

The Syrian northern city of Aleppo on Monday marks the second anniversary of its victory over terrorism. Exactly two years ago the country's most populous city was liberated from militants.

A solstice is one of the two days in a year when the Sun at noon reaches its minimum or maximum height above the horizon. There are two solstices during the year, in winter and in summer.