WORLD Radio News - WORLD Radio News: 12-25-25 (2/3)

Episode Date: December 25, 2025

The latest headlines in three minutes from WORLD updated three times throughout the day.Sign-up for the daily Sift email at thesift.org.Support sound journalism, grounded in facts and Biblical truth at wng.org/donate.

With World Radio News, I'm Kent Covington. A powerful winter storm slammed Southern California Wednesday, packing heavy rain, strong winds, and dangerous flooding on Christmas Eve. Mudslides in debris flows trapped drivers and forced water rescues, especially in mountainous areas and where recent wildfires charred the ground. Joe Sarard, with the National Weather Service, says in the Los Angeles area, We've had anywhere from two to three to four inches of rain and lower elevations to as much as five to nine inches in the higher terrain. Firefighters rescued people stuck in their cars near Wrightwood where mud and rocks blocked roads and cut off access to supplies.

The severe weather is wreaking havoc on travel during one of the busiest travel weeks of the year. U.S. stocks edged higher Wednesday on a quiet holiday shortened trading day with Wall Street closing at French. record highs. The Dow rose nearly 300 points, while the S&P 500 in NASDAQ also finished slightly higher. Trading was light with only about a third of the normal day's volume as markets closed early for Christmas Eve. The uptick follows news of a stronger than expected government report on the economy for the third quarter. Bolivia's new conservative-leaning president is rolling out reforms. He says are aimed at pulling the country out of the digital slow lane. World's Kristen Flavin has more.

President Rodrigo Paz has signed a decree clearing the way for satellite internet providers like Starlink to operate nationwide, lifting restrictions installed by the previous leftist government. Bolivia has long struggled with slow and unreliable internet, especially outside major cities. Many households still rely on an aging Chinese satellite, making even basic online tasks frustrating. The government says newer low-orbit satellites could sharply improve service even in remote. areas. Paz's move signals a broader shift in policy. His administration is pushing market-friendly changes to attract foreign investment and modernize infrastructure. For World, I'm Kristen Flavin. In Nigeria, cheers and tears of joy filled a village in the north central region as families welcomed home school children kidnapped more than a month ago. One father reunited with his child,

told reporters, this Christmas since we are celebrating. birthday Christmas with our children. I were so glad. The final group of students and teachers arrived late Wednesday night, ending a weeks-long ordeal that began with an attack on St. Mary's Catholic School. Nigerian officials say all of those taken in the November kidnapping have now been released, though they have not explained how or if a ransom was paid. For World Radio, I'm Kent Covington. Merry Christmas. For more sound journalism grounded in facts and biblical truth, visit worldradiot.new.

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