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Pope prays for peace in the Holy Land and Ukraine

Pope prays for peace in the Holy Land and Ukraine

At the end of his weekly General Audience, Pope Francis prays for those suffering from violence in Palestine, Israel and Ukraine, and asks for prayers for an end to all war. Speaking at the end of his General Audience on Wednesday (27 December), Pope Francis renewed his appeal for peace in the Holy Land and Ukraine. “Please, do not forget to pray for those suffering the terrible consequences of violence and war,” he said. “Let us pray especially for martyred Ukraine and for the populations of Palestine and Israel. War is an evil. Let us pray for an end to war.” Pope Francis has been calling for a humanitarian ceasefire in Gaza since 29 October. In his traditional Urbi et Orbi message on Christmas Day, the Pope pleaded for "an end to the military operations with their appalling harvest of innocent civilian victims" and called for "an opening to the provision of humanitarian aid" in Gaza. He also said that his "heart grieves for the victims of the abominable attack of 7 October," and he repeated his "urgent appeal for the liberation of those still being held hostage.” The Pope expressed his hope that sincere dialogue with strong political will and international support might lead to a resolution of the "Palestinian question." In his Urbi et Orbi address, Pope Francis also prayed for an end to the war in Ukraine. “Contemplating the Baby Jesus,” the Pope said, “I implore peace for Ukraine.” “Let us renew our spiritual and human closeness to its embattled people,” he urged, “so that through the support of each of us, they may feel the concrete reality of God’s love."
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Russia confirms damage to one of its Black Sea fleet ships

Russia confirms damage to one of its Black Sea fleet ships

Russia has confirmed one of its warships has been damaged in a Ukrainian attack on a Black Sea port. The airstrike took place at Feodosiya in Russian-occupied Crimea early on Tuesday morning. Russia's Ministry of Defence said the large landing ship Novocherkassk was struck by Ukrainian aircraft carrying guided missiles. The head of the Ukrainian Air Force said earlier its warplanes had destroyed the ship. One person was killed in the attack, according to the Russian-installed head of Crimea, Sergei Aksyonov. Several others were reportedly hurt. Six buildings were damaged and a small number of people had to be taken to temporary accommodation centres, Mr Aksyonov added. The port's transport operations are said to be functioning as normal after the area was cordoned off, while a fire caused by the attack was contained. Footage purportedly showing a huge explosion in the port was shared by Ukrainian air force commander Lt Gen Mykola Oleshchuk. The images have not been independently verified. However, satellite imagery from 24 December shows a ship at port in Feodosiya that appears to be the same length as the Novocherkassk - a landing ship designed to transport troops, weapons and cargo to shore. Any significant damage to the ship will be a welcome bit of good news for Ukraine, with waning Western support now affecting its front-line operations. Given that the Novocherkassk was in dock, it is highly likely it was being loaded with soldiers, equipment or both. There was speculation that the ship was carrying Iranian-made Shahed drones, which Russia has been using in its attacks on Ukrainian targets.
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Event
Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas

The editorial team of commonspace.eu extends its best wishes for Christmas and the festive season to all our contributors, supporters, readers and subscribers. We wish all the best to all of you, but foremost we wish you peace. The accompanying picture has been circulating on the internet in the last days, and it shows the tragedy of war, during the festive season, in this case in Gaza. The message of Christmas is the message of peace. We hope everyone will have a peaceful and happy Christmas.
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More than twenty thousand Palestinians killed in Gaza in ten weeks

More than twenty thousand Palestinians killed in Gaza in ten weeks

Health officials in Gaza say more than 20,000 Palestinians have been killed in the war between Israel and Hamas. The figure, amounting to nearly one percent of the territory’s prewar population, is a new reflection of the staggering cost of the war, which in just over 10 weeks has displaced more than 80 percent of Gaza’s people and devastated wide swaths of the tiny coastal enclave. Gaza’s health ministry said Friday that it has documented 20,057 deaths in the fighting. It does not differentiate between combatant and civilian deaths. It has previously said that roughly two-thirds of the dead were women or children.
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Sheikh Mishaal sworn in as new Emir of Kuwait

Sheikh Mishaal sworn in as new Emir of Kuwait

Sheikh Mishal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah took the constitutional oath as the new Emir of Kuwait at a special session of the country's parliament on Wednesday (20 December), becoming the 17th Amir of the State of Kuwait.   In a speech after the constitutional ceremony in the Assembly, Sheikh Mishal paid tribute to late Emir Sheikh Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah who died on Saturday, and strongly criticized the government and the Assembly for taking “unanimous decisions that harm national interests”. Kuwait has a complex constitutional arrangement that has developed over decades to balance the interests of different branches of the ruling al Sabah family, and the power of the royal family and people’s opinion reflected through the country’s elected parliament which has become increasingly adept at providing scrutiny of the ruling family. For this reason, Kuwait is considered the most democratic of the six GCC monarchies, but the system has also often ended in deadlock between the parliament and ruling family, sometimes triggering fresh elections and often bringing down Ministries headed by members of the Royal Family. Sheikh Mishal, who until Saturday was the country’s Crown Prince, was declared as Kuwait’s 17th ruler by the Cabinet of Ministers on Saturday, hours after announcing the death of Sheikh Nawaf.
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Opinion
Opinion: Azerbaijan seeks guarantees

Opinion: Azerbaijan seeks guarantees

"While optimism surrounds the impending peace agreement, the cautionary inclusion of guarantees becomes crucial to forestall resurgent territorial claims", writes Vasif Huseynov in this op-ed for commonspace.eu citing a comment by president Aliyev on 6 December. "As the region braces for a historic peace agreement, the challenge lies in designing a comprehensive treaty that not only concludes hostilities but fosters enduring reconciliation between Azerbaijan and Armenia."
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New maritime task force to patrol Red Sea following Houthi attacks on shipping

New maritime task force to patrol Red Sea following Houthi attacks on shipping

The United States has announced the establishment of Operation Prosperity Guardian, an important new multinational security initiative under the umbrella of the Combined Maritime Forces and the leadership of its Task Force 153, which focuses on security in the Red Sea. A Pentagon statement said that "Operation Prosperity Guardian is bringing together multiple countries to include the United Kingdom, Bahrain, Canada, France, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Seychelles and Spain, to jointly address security challenges in the southern Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden, with the goal of ensuring freedom of navigation for all countries and bolstering regional security and prosperity.” The conflict between Israel and the Palestinians in Gaza has spilled over into the Red Sea as Houthi rebels in Yemen, who control parts of the country including its capital and some of its Red Sea coastline, intensify their attacks on shipping passing through the Red Sea. BP on Monday, became the latest of a number of global companies that announced the suspension of use of the vital Red Sea route which connects the Gulf region and the Indian Ocean to Europe through the Suez Canal. The United States has condemned the attacks and promised decisive action to deal with them.  The Pentagon announced on Monday the formation of a new international mission focused on countering attacks on commercial vessels in the Red Sea.