POLITICS CORNER

[Stanley]

See THIS for the top story......
Israelis and Palestinians have celebrated as a major hostage and prisoner exchange on Monday marked a significant step towards ending two years of war in Gaza. In a crucial first phase of the US-brokered plan to end the war, Hamas returned all living Israeli hostages, while Israel freed almost 2,000 Palestinian prisoners and detainees. There were emotional scenes as families of the Israeli hostages screamed and cried with happiness as they embraced their freed loved ones. And for the Palestinians who were freed from Israeli jails, crowds waving flags greeted them joyfully as they arrived on buses in Gaza and the occupied West Bank. US President Donald Trump landed in Israel minutes after the first hostages were reunited with their families, and in a speech to Israel's parliament, the Knesset, declared a "historic dawn in a new Middle East". He then flew on to a summit in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, to meet more than 20 leaders for talks on later phases of his Gaza peace plan. At the summit Egypt, Qatar, Turkey and the US signed a declaration as guarantors of the ceasefire deal which is aimed at ending two years of war that has left Gaza in ruins. But amid the diplomatic celebrations and the joy of reunions between family members, many challenges still lie ahead if the ceasefire is to be built into a lasting peace.

[Stanley]

I have just listened to King Abdullah of Jordan saying some very sensible things.... Asked if there was any chance of peace following the present cease fire he said no. When asked why he said that there could be no peace as long as Netanyahu's extreme right wing government holds power because their continuation of war against the Palestinians is the only way they can survive and avoid retribution for what they have done.
So, it looks as though all we can look forward to is an eventual break-down of talks and a resumption of action against the Palestinians.
This of course directly contradicts Trump's forecast of peace spreading across the Middle East..... Surprise surprise!

[Julie in Norfolk]

Ceasefire, rest and reform, call out on a tiny perceived "act of insurrection", start all over again.

[Stanley]

Exactly Julie......

HERE'S the latest update.....
Updated 1 hour ago
Hamas has returned the bodies of four more deceased hostages, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) has said. The Red Cross retrieved the remains in coffins and handed them over to the Israeli military late on Tuesday night. The transfer came after Israel warned it would restrict aid into Gaza until Hamas returned the bodies of all 28 deceased hostages. The Palestinian armed group handed back 20 living and four deceased hostages on Monday. The remains of 45 deceased Palestinians who had been held in Israel were returned to Gaza on Tuesday, the Red Cross said in a statement.

THIS grubby little piece of domestic politics caught my attention.....
9 hours ago
Former House of Lords Speaker Baroness D'Souza faces an eight-week suspension after complaining to the Metropolitan Police Commissioner about "unfair" speeding fines. A Lords inquiry found the 81-year-old peer broke rules on "personal honour" by writing to Sir Mark Rowley on Lords headed notepaper to query multiple breaches of the 20mph limit adding up to £400 in fines. Baroness D'Souza said she only wanted to "open a conversation" on London speed limits, but later called the letter to Sir Mark "unwise" and said she regretted sending it. The Lords Standards Commissioner ruled the letter was "an attempt to influence" the police investigation.

[Stanley]

THIS claimed priority for me over matters of state.....
A company linked to Baroness Michelle Mone has failed to meet a deadline to repay £122m for breaching a Covid-19 personal protective equipment (PPE) contract. The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) won a legal case earlier this month against PPE Medpro, a consortium led by Lady Mone's husband Doug Barrowman, over claims the PPE did not comply with relevant healthcare standards. A High Court judge ruled some of the company's gowns they supplied were not "sterile". Health and Social Care Secretary Wes Streeting said the government would "pursue PPE Medpro with everything we've got to get these funds back" after the company failed to pay the damages cost by 16:00 BST on Wednesday. PPE Medpro entered administration on 30 September, the day before the court judgement. Streeting said: "At a time of national crisis, PPE Medpro sold the previous government substandard kit and pocketed taxpayers' hard-earned cash. "PPE Medpro has failed to meet the deadline to pay - they still owe us over £145 million, with interest now accruing daily." The firm was ordered to pay interest of £23.6m, which means the total sum owed is £145.6m. According to the DHSC, this sum will accrue interest at 8% per year from Thursday until it is fully paid.
Are they trying to escape the debt by going bankrupt?