December 25, Monday, 2023

1. Major Japanese department store operator Takashimaya says it is looking into why some of the Christmas cakes purchased on its online store were delivered in a damaged condition. Takashimaya issued an apology on Sunday after hundreds of customers contacted the company about receiving ruined frozen cakes.
2. Orthodox churches in Ukraine are further distancing themselves from Russia by celebrating Christmas on December 25, as the invasion of their country continues. Ukraine, like Russia, had observed Orthodox Christmas on January 7 according to the Julian calendar. But earlier this year, Kyiv officially changed the date to align with Western European countries. 3. A leading Russian newspaper says the country has been dealing with acute labor shortages this year. It adds that the problem will remain acute in 2024. Izvestia, the newspaper, said that Russia was short about 4.8 million workers this year. The figure represents more than 6 percent of the country’s workforce.