December 25, 2023
A roundup of local and international news.
Newsroom, 25.12.2023, 13:18
Christmas. Christians are celebrating Christmas, the birth of Jesus, a feast based on the biblical gospels of Matthew and Luke. Two thousand years ago, the Virgin Mary and her fiancé Joseph travelled from Nazareth to Bethlehem to register for the census ordered by the Roman emperor Augustus. Mary was with child following the miraculous apparition of angel Gabriel, who announced her she would give birth to the Messiah. In Bethlehem, Mary and Joseph spent the night in a grotto used as shelter for animals, and thats where Mary gave birth to Jesus. Three wise men came from the East guided by a star to the place where Jesus was born, bearing gifts and announcing a king was born. This gospel story is told today in church services and the carols sung at this time of the year. In his Christmas message, the head of the Romanian Orthodox Church, Patriarch Daniel urged the faithful to show generosity for those suffering because of loneliness, war and poverty.
Messages. President Klaus Iohannis said in his Christmas message that this celebration is about “generosity, hope, peace and light”, as “compassion, love and generosity are the most precious gifts”; while prime minister Marcel Ciolacu said Christmas is a celebration of “joy and hope” and urged the Romanian people to have hope in Romanias chance. The Romanian defence minister Angel Tîlvăr thanked the military who are currently on foreign missions and their families “for their understanding and support”. He also mentioned the security situation in the Black Sea area, saying that Romania, as a member of the North Atlantic Alliance and the European Union, has unprecedented security guarantees.
Moldova. The pro-Western president of the Republic of Moldova, Maia Sandu, asked Parliament to hold a referendum next autumn on the countrys joining the European Union. Sandu, who came to power three years ago, said she would run for a new term in 2024, Radio Chisinau reports. The European Commission decided, this month, to start accession talks with the Republic of Moldova, as well as with the neighbouring Ukraine. Sandu said her country has many important steps to make on its path to European accession and gave assurances that it was ready to pursue this course.
Ukraine. Ukraine celebrated its first Christmas on 25th December, according to the Western calendar, instead of 7th January, according to the Julian calendar used in Russia, in a symbolic decision to further distance itself from Russia. “We all celebrate Christmas together. On the same date, as one big family, as one nation, as one united country,” said Ukraines president Volodymyr Zelensky in his Christmas message.
Middle East. The bodies of five Israeli hostages who died while they were kept captive by Hamas were recovered from underground tunnels in the north of the Gaza Strip, the Israeli army said today. The three soldiers and two civilians were among the 240 persons abducted by Hamas on 7th October. Prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel would intensify operations, whose toll among civilians is worrying western powers. In another move, the Palestinians released after being arrested by the Israeli army in Gaza said they were tortured during arrest, which Israel denies, France Presse reports. They are among the hundreds of Palestinians detained by Israel during the armys ground operations and questioned about suspected links with Hamas. Despite calls from Pope Frances, the Israeli army continued to strike the south of Gaza, where it engaged with violent clashes with Hamas and Islamic Jihad fighters. (CM)
