Current Affairs 2024

[Stephen]

Even if I was a floating voter, I don't think I would be swayed by the candidate that took the trouble to knock on my door, not for a general election anyway, but maybe for a local election. For a GE it's the party that I consider best to run the country, whereas a local councillor that tries his best for each constituent is probably more important, especially now we have mayoral elections to decide who controls the spending.
But unless we have a heatwave, and Putin is assassinated, and the energy prices plummet, then I think it is a foregone conclusion that Starmer will be PM on July 5th.

Having seen public opinion around the country on the news this morning I think your right John about Starmer being next PM.

[Onelife]

So, this is what Hamas means when they say they treat hostages like guests?

https://www.cbc.ca/news/world/israel-ha ... -1.7211516

[Mervyn and Trish]

Very similar to the way it is reported that Israel is treating Palestinian prisoners.

There is no right and no wrong in this. It just has to stop.

[Onelife]

Very similar to the way it is reported that Israel is treating Palestinian prisoners.

There is no right and no wrong in this. It just has to stop.

I’m sure there is some truth in the way Palestinian prisoners are being treated but I doubt very much that it extends to the de-humanised brutality evidenced here…


Simchat Greyman had to pause several times when describing the evidence of sexual violence he saw when recovering bodies of victims of the October 7 Hamas terror attack on Israel.
One body was so severely brutalized that he and his colleagues from ZAKA, the ultra-orthodox Jewish human remains recovery organization, couldn’t tell whether it was a man or a woman.
Greyman described finding a woman who was shot in the back of her head, lying on her bed, naked from her waist down. A live grenade was planted in her hand.
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And then there was the body with the nails.
“I was called into a house, I was told there are few bodies over there. I saw in front of my eyes a woman, laying (down). She was naked and she had nails …,” Greyman managed to say before pausing for a long time, struggling to get the words out.
“She had nails and different objects in her female organs. Her body was brutalized in a way that we could not identify her,” he added, the trauma clearly visible on his face.
Greyman was testifying at a United Nations session on sexual and gender-based violence in the October 7 Hamas terror attack, hosted by Israel at the UN headquarters in New York on Monday.
He was one of several eyewitnesses invited to address the meeting, providing evidence that sexual violence and rape occurred and were weaponized by Hamas during the attacks.
CNN cannot independently verify individual allegations and claims. However, several first responders who attended the scenes of the October 7 attack told CNN the attacks were overwhelmingly gruesome and that some female victims were found undressed.

[Ray B]

So out goes nursery rhymes for baby and the interaction you have, instead you blast them with some kind of rap music and turn them deaf before they get to three years old.
The modern family??????

[david63]

Looks as if Mr Trump may be having to raid his piggy bank soon!

[Onelife]

So out goes nursery rhymes for baby and the interaction you have, instead you blast them with some kind of rap music and turn them deaf before they get to three years old.
The modern family??????

My thoughts exactly…I watched the report and thought how bloody stupid.

[Slapstick]

Looks as if Mr Trump may be having to raid his piggy bank soon!

$5 a month perhaps

[Mervyn and Trish]

Makes our former PM eating a birthday cake look pretty trivial. But he can still stand, get elected and pardon himself.

The joys of a presidential system eh?

[Stephen]

I think the judge might have to emigrate if Trump makes president again. He was not a happy bunny with the judge and the verdict.

[screwy]

Don’t see what the problem is…Politicians are all thieves,rogues and liars.

[Mervyn and Trish]

Trump's response makes him look all of that, plus a serious dose of deranged. I'm still baffled that among a population of 300 million the US can't find two better candidates.

[Ray B]

At 82 years old this year, Biden does look a good candidate for a part in 'One foot in the grave' or 'Waiting for god'.

[Stephen]

At 82 years old this year, Biden does look a good candidate for a part in 'One foot in the grave' or 'Waiting for god'.

[towny44]

At 82 years old this year, Biden does look a good candidate for a part in 'One foot in the grave' or 'Waiting for god'.

That could let Trump win, because on our recent Princess cruise that was the concern that a vote for Biden would result in Kamala becoming president, and few people seem to rate her as presidential.

[CaroleF]

The first time Trump stood I just couldn't believe the Americans would elect them. I remember saying that surely they can't be that stupid - I was wrong!

As for here, I'm assuming Starmer will become PM, however, I just wonder if it's not going to be the sweeping victory some people are suggesting. It wouldn't surprise me if we don't end up with a hung parliament. The last time that happened it took quite a few days before we knew which party was going to govern along with the Lib Dems. So far I've had literature from the Conservatives and Reform. I'm in a Constituency that had up to now Suella Braverman as the MP but now we will be part of the new Hamble Valley Constituency with Paul Holmes standing in the forthcoming election. He has been the MP for Eastleigh up to now but the boundary changes mean we are not longer part of the Fareham Constituency. Fareham has always been Tory but I don't know how things will pan out in the new area.

[Onelife]

I was absolutely delighted to hear Noa Argamani and three other hostages have been rescued by the brave IDF forces, sadly one soldier died during the release of the four captives.

I was starting to lose hope that any of the captives would be rescued…hopefully more to follow.

[Mervyn and Trish]

A few Palestinian children were killed by the brave soldiers too. But perhaps they don't count?

[Onelife]

A few Palestinian children were killed by the brave soldiers too. But perhaps they don't count?

When Hamas did what they did on Oct 7th it was inevitable there would be casualties of war…as is the case with all conflicts.

[david63]

it was inevitable there would be casualties of war

36,500?

[oldbluefox]

How do you tackle an opposition which fights from within a civilian population, even within a refugee camp?
I don't approve of the Israeli scatter gun approach but likewise Hamas are shielding themselves behind women and children so casualties in this scenario are inevitable.

[Chalgrave4]

it was inevitable there would be casualties of war

36,500?

What a lot of people seem to miss is the major caveat on this figure - It is provided by the HAMAS health authority - how accurate is it and how much is propaganda driven. Also how many of these casualties are from (Hamas) friendly fire. All civilian casualties are deplorable but at little realism needs to be applied. The Israeli casualties of Oct 7th were deliberately targeted civilians.

[Onelife]

The two previous posts give a more realistic picture of what is/could be happening in Gaza. What we do know for certain is that footage from that dreadful day on Oct 7th is that many civilians played their part in capturing hostages with children riffling the pockets of lifeless bodies.

I also question the validity of some of the reports about mass starvation.

[Mervyn and Trish]

I acknowledge there are two sides to this story. The attacks in October were horrendous. But they weren't the first strike out of nowhere. This conflict has been going on for decades and Israel are not an innocent party. For years they have illegally occupied territory that is not theirs. I have no doubt that has contributed to years of frustration leading up to October.

I also recognise Israel's desire and right to a secure future. However their ambition to eliminate Hamas is cloud cuckoo land. It's a guerilla terrorist organisation and will regrow from the tiniest serving remnant. And even if there was any chance of success, based on the current ratio of members of Hamas to innocents bring killed by the time Hamas was eliminated so would the civilian population, several times over.

The killing has to stop. The only way peace will come for either side is through a negotiated two state solution.

[Onelife]

I’m certainly out of my depth when it comes to arguing who has claims over the lands but I have read that quite a few historians would argue that the early ancestors of Palestine were a mixture of different tribes including Jews, so take from that what you will.

Hamas, is as you say a guerilla terrorist organisation which is why Gaza finds itself cut off from its bordering countries of Egypt, Israel and Jordan (not land border) presumably because these countries fear the repercussions of a governing body that rules by the gun. I fail to see why any country would want to negotiate with a country that has vowed to eliminate those of a neighbouring county? If Gazans want to be recognised as an independent state, then they need to demonstrate that they are willing to live in peace with their neighbours and not threaten to kill them at every opportunity. Your longing for a negotiated peace won’t happen Imo until a new governing power is in place in Gaza. If there is to be any lasting peace its people will need to see that negotiation can only work when the gun is removed from the head of its neighbour…equally Israel will have to show that it is willing to lift the oppressive control it has had over Gaza.