It seems I missed Saint Patrick’s Day … again! Well, really, I always miss Saint Patrick’s Day. Having no Irish connection is part of that, of course. It has long struck me as strange that so many people with no Irish connection celebrate St Patrick’s in a way that we don’t celebrate St George’s Day (apart from putting up a few flags), St Andrew’s Day or St David’s Day! Any excuse for a party! Happy St Patrick’s Day to those who celebrate it.
I’ve been out running as usual. It’s another fine, sunny day here. If you find a spot where you are in the sun but you are sheltered from the wind it feels positively balmy and warm. Step into the shade and the temperature plummets. And if you happen to walk in one of the wind tunnels that seem to exist in some of the lanes around here then it’s absolutely freezing. However, the sun is shining and the sky is blue. It looks as though all is right with the world.
And then I skim-read the newspapers online and came across this headline:
More than 400 Palestinian people killed in overnight Israeli airstrikes, officials say.
“Palestinian health authorities have raised the death toll from the Israeli airstrikes on the Gaza Strip.
Gaza’s health ministry said on Telegram the death toll from the airstrikes was 404, raised from 326. It gave the slightly higher figure of 413 on its WhatsApp channel.
Gaza’s health ministry has said over 660 injured Palestinian people have arrived at hospitals with many other victims of the airstrikes thought to be buried under rubble.
The Red Cross said many medical facilities in the Gaza Strip were “overwhelmed” in the aftermath of the attacks.”
So that’s the end of the ceasefire!
Various countries have condemned the airstrikes:
Belgium, whose prime minister said that the “heavy toll” undermines the objectives of the ceasefire with Hamas and makes the return of Israeli hostages less likely. “The blocking of humanitarian aid to Palestinian civilians constitutes a serious violation of international law,”
Malta, whose government “strongly condemn” the “barbarous attacks” by the Israeli military on the Gaza Strip.
Switzerland, whose foreign ministry strssed “the obligation to protect the civilian population” and posted on X “Switzerland calls for an immediate return to the ceasefire, the release of all hostages, and unimpeded delivery of humanitarian aid”.
China, whose foreign ministry spokesperson said the country “is highly concerned about the current situation between Israel and Palestine”.
And the Kremlin said it was concerned by what it called a large number of civilian casualties after the devastating Israeli attacks on Gaza.
So why have I not found an expression of concern, at the very least, from our own prime minister?
The ceasefire has given the IDF time to rest, they’ve had a further supply of weapons from various sources, and Israel has vowed to continue its assault on Gaza until Hamas’s military and governing capabilities are destroyed.
And so it goes on!
Also going on are deportations of ‘undesirable foreign nationals” from the USA. In this case a plane-load of Venezuelans. Despite US district judge James Boasberg issuing an order blocking the deportations, they went on anyway. Mr Trump claims the deported Venezuelans are members of the prison gang Tren de Aragua, which he designated as a Foreign Terrorist Organization. And in any case, Mr Trump is busy pushing the boundaries of executive power, challenging the historic checks and balances between the US branches of government. He’s determined to do things his way.
In this photo provided by El Salvador's presidential press office, a prison guard transfers the deportees from the US to an El Salvador prison.
In this photo provided by El Salvador's presidential press office, a prison guard transfers the deportees from the US to an El Salvador prison. No comment!
As regards Canada becoming part of the USA, we must remember that King Charles III is still their head of state. Will he mention this when Mr Trump visits him?
Life goes on. Stay safe and well, everyone!
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