General News

[hejammy]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/c628n68zpj6t

 

I mean come on now it's just like they don't give 2 shits and are taking the absolute piss out of the entire human race. When will the politicians of the world wake up and take real action? Ffs is there no hope for humanity? 

[davieG]

Reports of deaths and injuries 'false and fabricated' - Gaza Humanitarian Foundationpublished at 11:11

11:11Breaking

The BBC has just received a response from the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation following reports that dozens were killed after Israeli tanks opened fire near an aid centre in Rafah.

"It is false and fabricated. All aid was distributed today without incident," the GHF says, adding that there have been no injuries or fatalities.

"We have heard that these fake reports have been actively fomented by Hamas. They are untrue and fabricated."

As we've mentioned, our colleagues at BBC Verify are trying to establish the facts and we'll bring you the latest information as soon as we get it.

[leicsmac]

1 hour ago, hejammy said:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/c628n68zpj6t

 

I mean come on now it's just like they don't give 2 shits and are taking the absolute piss out of the entire human race. When will the politicians of the world wake up and take real action? Ffs is there no hope for humanity? 

 

20 minutes ago, davieG said:

Reports of deaths and injuries 'false and fabricated' - Gaza Humanitarian Foundationpublished at 11:11

11:11Breaking

The BBC has just received a response from the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation following reports that dozens were killed after Israeli tanks opened fire near an aid centre in Rafah.

"It is false and fabricated. All aid was distributed today without incident," the GHF says, adding that there have been no injuries or fatalities.

"We have heard that these fake reports have been actively fomented by Hamas. They are untrue and fabricated."

As we've mentioned, our colleagues at BBC Verify are trying to establish the facts and we'll bring you the latest information as soon as we get it.

"Truth is the first casualty of war."

[st albans fox]

31 minutes ago, leicsmac said:

 

"Truth is the first casualty of war."

Yes it most certainly is

 

In all directions 

Ukraine, Russia. Israel, Hamas, Sudan, Myanmar, Congo 

 

it’s not great that respected news organisations publish before they can effectively check the reports - but I guess the alternative is to wait several days and by then it’s no longer news (if it ever was in the first place).  Most people just absorb the headline anyway - that also causes so much damage across the entirety of society (away from wars).

[Trav Le Bleu]

59 minutes ago, leicsmac said:

 

"Truth is the first casualty of war."

In the case of Gaza, if Israeli government wants to be believed, then why won't it let independent (from them) news sources into Gaza to see for themselves.

 

It just makes them seem.like they're lying, which they almost certainly are.

[leicsmac]

56 minutes ago, st albans fox said:

Yes it most certainly is

 

In all directions 

Ukraine, Russia. Israel, Hamas, Sudan, Myanmar, Congo 

 

it’s not great that respected news organisations publish before they can effectively check the reports - but I guess the alternative is to wait several days and by then it’s no longer news (if it ever was in the first place).  Most people just absorb the headline anyway - that also causes so much damage across the entirety of society (away from wars).

I don't envy those reputable organisations the dilemma. 

 

31 minutes ago, Trav Le Bleu said:

In the case of Gaza, if Israeli government wants to be believed, then why won't it let independent (from them) news sources into Gaza to see for themselves.

 

It just makes them seem.like they're lying, which they almost certainly are.

I certainly think that there's a cynical self interest manifesting itself in trying to control the narrative going on from the l that particular side, yes. 

[st albans fox]

11 minutes ago, Trav Le Bleu said:

In the case of Gaza, if Israeli government wants to be believed, then why won't it let independent (from them) news sources into Gaza to see for themselves.

 

It just makes them seem.like they're lying, which they almost certainly are.

It’s a great question 

the vast majority of journalists in Gaza are reporting (or they certainly were up until recently) under the auspices of Hamas or PIJ.   Allowing independent journalists in would potentially solve that issue. the news out of Gaza is nearly always negative to Israel with little nuance applied. (Which could well be the truth - no one can be certain). 

 

We know that historically, the Israeli govt haven’t been particularly bothered about their global image - they have a view that only they will deal with their future because at various points though the past 80 years (and especially so in the 48/67 and 73 wars), they’ve been left to do so. Clearly the past thirty+ years has seen that change with the Americans becoming more and more entwined (both politically and militarily) with the Israeli govt. 
 

One explanation that makes  sense is that Israel doesn’t want western journalists in Gaza who could become collateral damage - they don’t seem particularly bothered about Gazans losing their lives if they can take out a Hamas/PIJ member but having to take account of any western journalist’s safety is a whole extra dimension that they simply don’t want to deal with. 

it’s also the case that many in the west view reports from Gaza as being unreliable - if you have ‘westerners’ In there showing the dreadful conditions that vast numbers of the population's are living in then that would probably change.  whilst the Americans are still v supportive,  if public opinion began to move markedly then even trump would be forced to respond.  The Israeli govt clearly don’t want that to happen. 
 

I appreciate that many of you find it difficult to discuss this from a dispassionate analytical standpoint - I apologise if you find my comments cold and uncaring.  
 

I had a long debate with one of my teenagers yesterday   - he comes at the whole situation from an understandable place for his age but is able to appreciate that as with everything in life, things are nearly always shades of grey rather than black or white.   We ended up in the very sad place that nearly all the grimness in the world is due to bad actors having their own agenda at the expense of the majority. Not national agendas that would actually improve their country but personal /political / religious ones (and 99.9% financial). 

[Trav Le Bleu]

1 hour ago, st albans fox said:

 

One explanation that makes  sense is that Israel doesn’t want western journalists in Gaza who could become collateral damage - they don’t seem particularly bothered about Gazans losing their lives if they can take out a Hamas/PIJ member but having to take account of any western journalist’s safety is a whole extra dimension that they simply don’t want to deal with. 

I do think this is a big factor, but is also damning in as such it's an admission to being fairly slapdash in their "targeted" offensive against Hamas.

 

There's no way that Israel can destroy Hamas in this fashion. Hamas isn't a group of people (who aren't all in Gaza in any case), it's an ideology.

 

The only thing that can destroy hate is love.

[Torquay Gunner]

2 hours ago, st albans fox said:

It’s a great question 

the vast majority of journalists in Gaza are reporting (or they certainly were up until recently) under the auspices of Hamas or PIJ.   Allowing independent journalists in would potentially solve that issue. the news out of Gaza is nearly always negative to Israel with little nuance applied. (Which could well be the truth - no one can be certain). 

 

We know that historically, the Israeli govt haven’t been particularly bothered about their global image - they have a view that only they will deal with their future because at various points though the past 80 years (and especially so in the 48/67 and 73 wars), they’ve been left to do so. Clearly the past thirty+ years has seen that change with the Americans becoming more and more entwined (both politically and militarily) with the Israeli govt. 
 

One explanation that makes  sense is that Israel doesn’t want western journalists in Gaza who could become collateral damage - they don’t seem particularly bothered about Gazans losing their lives if they can take out a Hamas/PIJ member but having to take account of any western journalist’s safety is a whole extra dimension that they simply don’t want to deal with. 

it’s also the case that many in the west view reports from Gaza as being unreliable - if you have ‘westerners’ In there showing the dreadful conditions that vast numbers of the population's are living in then that would probably change.  whilst the Americans are still v supportive,  if public opinion began to move markedly then even trump would be forced to respond.  The Israeli govt clearly don’t want that to happen. 
 

I appreciate that many of you find it difficult to discuss this from a dispassionate analytical standpoint - I apologise if you find my comments cold and uncaring.  
 

I had a long debate with one of my teenagers yesterday   - he comes at the whole situation from an understandable place for his age but is able to appreciate that as with everything in life, things are nearly always shades of grey rather than black or white.   We ended up in the very sad place that nearly all the grimness in the world is due to bad actors having their own agenda at the expense of the majority. Not national agendas that would actually improve their country but personal /political / religious ones (and 99.9% financial). 

That’s certainly one of the reasons, although the main reason is probably the obvious one, in that Israel does not want verified news agencies like the BBC and CNN broadcasting their daily footage of carnage and starvation into people’s homes.  Much harder for Israel to dispute their accuracy and impartiality.  Edit I see you have touched on this in para 4.

Edited 1 June 2025 by Torquay Gunner

[Trav Le Bleu]

5 hours ago, hejammy said:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/c628n68zpj6t

 

I mean come on now it's just like they don't give 2 shits and are taking the absolute piss out of the entire human race. When will the politicians of the world wake up and take real action? Ffs is there no hope for humanity? 

I was listening to The News Quiz on Radio 4 yesterday and interestingly Andy Zaltsman (who is Jewish) said of Netanyahu, after a story about many public figures call him out on this...

 

"Why would he listen to them, when he doesn't take any notice of the 10 unambiguous commandments given to him by his own god."

 

Funny... and desperately sad.

 

Most of all, it's true.

[Torquay Gunner]

Ukraine bombs Russian planes in Siberia.

 

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/jun/01/ukraine-launches-major-drone-attack-on-russian-bombers-security-official-says

[st albans fox]

8 hours ago, davieG said:

Reports of deaths and injuries 'false and fabricated' - Gaza Humanitarian Foundationpublished at 11:11

11:11Breaking

The BBC has just received a response from the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation following reports that dozens were killed after Israeli tanks opened fire near an aid centre in Rafah.

"It is false and fabricated. All aid was distributed today without incident," the GHF says, adding that there have been no injuries or fatalities.

"We have heard that these fake reports have been actively fomented by Hamas. They are untrue and fabricated."

As we've mentioned, our colleagues at BBC Verify are trying to establish the facts and we'll bring you the latest information as soon as we get it.

By the time bbc verify will have hard evidence of what happened the war will have moved onto the next horrendous incident. the facts will be irrelevant. From a strategic perspective this incident makes little sense. Israel are desperate for the GHF initiative to be successful because it keeps aid away from hamas - those who distribute the food are going to have the trust of the population. If Hamas are not selling aid then they also have problems paying their fighters.  Israel also want to move the population away from the north so that only Hamas/PIJ fighters remain there. (This is clearly against international law but so is fighting from within civilian populations and infrastructure). 
 

Hamas have previously warned the population away from going to these GHF distribution points - they said that they were traps. Clearly events from this morning would back that up - if it did happen then it’s a massive strategic OG by the IDF and would surely be a mistake in that context. However, Israel would certainly cover it up because if true, it would possibly lead to the failure of the GHF plan.  So far we’ve seen time stamped  CCTV released by the GHF which shows no sign of shooting or disruption etc.  but there are clearly hundreds of people this morning with gunshot wounds and 25 fatalities.  These people haven’t shot themselves.   Maybe the incident didn’t occur at an aid distribution point but it serves Hamas’ purpose to say that it did -meanwhile the IDF needs to explain how the dead and injured people have received their injuries. 
 

EDIT:  I’ve seen a drone video which shows men shooting into the crowds of people. This is apparently from today - I can’t verify that.  An English doctor interviewed on bbc N24 mentioned that she’d heard locals speaking of the gunfire being between Gazans rather than from the IDF but she would be surprised if that many firearms were available.   If Hamas are actually shooting civilians in an attempt to dissuade them from taking GHF aid then that would show they really are struggling to maintain their status. 

Edited 1 June 2025 by st albans fox

[urban.spaceman]

[leicsmac]

7 minutes ago, urban.spaceman said:

Yep. Civil unrest at the very best within the next five to ten years given the narrative that is being drip fed to people with firearms and a grudge, I think. 

[Zear0]

20 minutes ago, urban.spaceman said:

Are you going to provide any convincing evidence Biden wasn't executed and replaced by the blandess version of The Terminator we've ever seen?

 

Thought not, brainwashed. 

[urban.spaceman]

5 minutes ago, Zear0 said:

Are you going to provide any convincing evidence Biden wasn't executed and replaced by the blandess version of The Terminator we've ever seen?

 

Thought not, brainwashed. 

It's a fair cop. You've rumbled me. 

[st albans fox]

26 minutes ago, Zear0 said:

Are you going to provide any convincing evidence Biden wasn't executed and replaced by the blandess version of The Terminator we've ever seen?

 

Thought not, brainwashed. 

 

21 minutes ago, urban.spaceman said:

It's a fair cop. You've rumbled me. 

I think there’s mileage in this 

channel 4 definitely make a reality tv show from it 

[Soar Fox]

1200 illegals in 1 day coming over

[leicsmac]

14 minutes ago, Soar Fox said:

1200 illegals in 1 day coming over

Tbh I think the UK should take a leaf out of a soon-to-be-announced Trump policy and authorise the use of tactical nuclear weapons to secure the border. 

 

A 100 Million Kelvin welcome should serve as a good deterrent. 

[Parafox]

On 31/05/2025 at 15:10, foxy boxing said:

Why is there always incidents of copycat crimes, whenever you hear about a crime like a car hitting pedestrians days later there is an exact same incident. Are people just morons.

 

On 31/05/2025 at 15:17, leicsmac said:

I think a lot of it comes down to some people having lives so empty that they'll seek fame as a means to fill it, or, if they can't get that, notoriety.

 

People (often the more individualistic kind) often get obsessed with power and "legacy". That can be both good or bad - sadly the latter more than the former.

 

I have not seen any mention of this in the news; however, could it not simply be an accident rather than a copycat crime?

[leicsmac]

1 minute ago, Parafox said:

 

 

I have not seen any mention of this in the news; however, could it not simply be an accident rather than a copycat crime?

It's entirely possible. We'll only really get to know in due course. 

 

Edit: however, sadly other examples of the above do exist. Dylann Roof and Brenton Tarrant, to name but two. 

Edited 1 June 2025 by leicsmac

[Tommy G]

Disgraceful what is happening in Paris. Got to be careful what you say on the matter though.

[Zear0]

Pretty extraordinary trojan horse move by the Ukrainians in Russia today. That lorry driver who got collared for it wins the award for most unlucky driver of cargo.

Edited 1 June 2025 by Zear0

[st albans fox]

2 minutes ago, Zear0 said:

Pretty extraordinary trojan horse move by the Ukrainians in Russia today. That lorry driver who got collared for it wins the award for lost unlucky driver of cargo.

 Brilliant planning if what I’ve read is true 

[Md9]

1 hour ago, urban.spaceman said:

Heart attack needs to catch up with him soon . Every day is something a little more crazy than the last