NEWS OF THE DAY
From Around the World
1 Pope’s message: Pope Francis used Sunday’s Christmas Eve Mass at St. Peter’s Basilica to focus on refugees and migrants, drawing a parallel between their travails and that of the holy family at the time of Jesus’ birth. Recalling that Mary gave birth to Jesus in a manger because “there was no place for them in the inn,” Francis highlighted the biblical story in a present day in which the White House has restricted travel for people from predominantly Muslim countries, the Myanmar military has carried out a vicious campaign against a stateless Rohingya minority, and wars, human trafficking and the indifference of wealthy nations have resulted in millions of families languishing in squalid refugee camps. Using the example of the holy family to emphasize the “dangers that attend those who have to leave their home behind,” Francis noted that in Bethlehem, Joseph and Mary found a city that “seemed to want to build itself up by turning its back on others.”
2 Jerusalem embassy: Guatemalan President Jimmy Morales announced on Christmas Eve that the Central American country will move its embassy in Israel to Jerusalem, becoming the first nation to follow the lead of President Trump in ordering the change. Guatemala was one of nine nations that voted with the United States and Israel on Thursday when the U.N. General Assembly overwhelmingly adopted a nonbinding resolution denouncing Trump’s recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital. Trump didn’t set any timetable for moving the U.S. Embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, and neither did Morales. In a post on his official Facebook account Sunday, Morales said that after talks with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, he decided to instruct Guatemala’s Foreign Ministry to move the embassy. No other country has their embassy for Israel in Jerusalem, though the Czech Republic has said it is considering such a move.
3 Church attack arrests: Egyptian security officials say 15 people have been arrested in connection with an attack on an unlicensed Christian church south of the capital, Cairo. The officials said those arrested Sunday were 12 Muslims and three Christians suspected of involvement in Friday’s violence. Three Christians were wounded by the attackers.
4 Presidential pardon: Peru’s president announced Sunday night in Lima that he granted a medical pardon to jailed former strongman Alberto Fujimori, who was serving a 25-year sentence for human rights abuses, corruption and the sanctioning of death squads. President Pedro Pablo Kuczynski released a statement saying he decided to free Fujimori for “humanitarian reasons.” The 79-year-old Fujimori, who governed from 1990 to 2000 and reportedly suffers from heart problems, is a polarizing figure in Peru. Some Peruvians laud him for defeating the Maoist Shining Path guerrilla movement, while others loathe him for human rights violations carried out under his government. 5 Russian elections: Hundreds of supporters of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny nominated him for president Sunday in Moscow, allowing Navalny to file the endorsement papers required for his candidacy and putting pressure on the Kremlin to allow him to run. Navalny, the most formidable foe President Vladimir Putin has faced during 18 years in power, is prohibited from seeking political office because of a criminal conviction that is largely viewed as retribution. He could enter the race, however, if he gets special dispensation or the conviction is thrown out.