AFRICA AND RUSSIA ARE NATURAL ALLIES - PUTIN. (PHOTO).

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 Africa and Russia are natural allies - Putin Russian President Vladimir Putin courted dozens of African leaders at a Russia-Africa summit that wraps up Thursday as he seeks to bolster Moscow’s clout across the continent. Speaking during a meeting in the Kremlin on the second day of the summit, Putin said that “Russia and Africa are united by truly strong bonds of friendship and close partnership.” “We are natural allies in building a multipolar, genuinely democratic world order, free from diktat and double standards and based on respect for the norms of international law and the fundamental principles of the United Nations Charter,” Putin said, AP reported. He mentioned Moscow’s support for the African nations’ anti-colonial fight during Soviet times. “Russia has always been and remains committed to seeing African nations defend their sovereignty, achieve steady growth, and strengthen their economies and social sectors,” the Russian leader said. “We stand ready to continue working...

POPE FRANCIS ONCE AGAIN CONDEMNED THE ISRAELI AIRSTRIKES IN GAZA. (PHOTO).

 


On Saturday, Pope Francis once again condemned the Israeli airstrikes in Gaza, following a day after an Israeli government minister publicly criticized him for suggesting that the international community should examine whether the military actions there amount to genocide against the Palestinian people.


During his annual Christmas address to the Catholic cardinals overseeing various Vatican departments, Francis seemed to reference the Israeli airstrikes from Friday that resulted in the deaths of at least 25 Palestinians in Gaza. "Yesterday, children were bombed," the pope stated. "This is cruelty. This is not war. I wanted to express this because it strikes at the heart."


As the leader of the 1.4 billion-member Roman Catholic Church, the pope typically exercises caution in taking sides during conflicts. However, he has recently become more vocal regarding Israel's military actions against the Palestinian militant group Hamas.


In excerpts from a book released last month, the pontiff mentioned that some international experts believe "what is happening in Gaza has the characteristics of a genocide."


Israeli Minister of Diaspora Affairs Amichai Chikli sharply criticized these comments in an unusual open letter published in the Italian newspaper Il Foglio on Friday, claiming that the pope's statements trivialized the concept of genocide.


Israel's foreign ministry asserted that the country was defending itself against the cruelty demonstrated by Hamas militants, who "hide behind children while attempting to murder Israeli citizens."

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