General News Thread

[Lionator]

I am not optimistic but I really hope this sticks and we can get a two state solution and Gaza can be rebuilt, 🇮🇱 can live without the threat of H*mas while not taking over the West Bank. 

[danny.]

2 hours ago, st albans fox said:

Apologies 

shouldn’t have been question marks 

 

it was a statement 

Yes, citizens of Israel are Israelis.  Only 77% of which are Jews. 

 

All Jews (by birth) consider themselves descendants of Jacob (and therefore Abraham). There aren’t many Jews who aren’t Jewish by birth - it’s not a religion that seeks converts although obviously it happens (nearly always ref marriage). I’d make a guess that less than 10% of Jews are converts. Could even be 5%. 

Most ethnic Jewish people now are from Eastern Europe (Ashkenazi Jews) who migrated in the 10th century. 

Edited 9 October 2025 by danny.

[Foxdiamond]

8 hours ago, Raj said:

How are 6 year old taking knives to School?

How are parents letting this happen and more worryingly how are 6 year olds thinking its okay to take knives to school? Surely its abit of upbringing issues?

The lack of moral compass of some people is frightening. Lack of love and empathy for their children and others.

[Parafox]

2 hours ago, WigstonWanderer said:

So the thread’s open again?

 

As someone who loathes Trump and all he stands for, should we nevertheless give him some credit for a peace deal in Gaza if it proves to be of substance? Big if obviously.

Maybe, but surely not the Nobel Peace Prize. Especially after he allegedly instigated and supported the insurgence on the White House and subsequently pardoned those jailed for the insurrection. 

 

I hope the Nobel committee understand the ridicule that could come their way if they give him the award.

Edited 9 October 2025 by Parafox

[Parafox]

2 hours ago, Free Falling Foxes said:

We have the highest TB Rate in the country.

 

Unfortunately, not surprising and, as you read the article, pretty annoying......

 

.........The body also said 82% of TB cases in 2024 were found in people born outside the UK, who often migrated to the country with the latent disease, which then became active.

In Leicester, there is a free test available for anyone, with or without symptoms, who has entered the UK within the past five years, has lived for at least six months in a country with high TB rates such as India or sub-Saharan Africa, and is aged between 16 and 35.

 

A free test that, clearly, too many do not take.

In case they test positive?

[Mickyblueeyes]

1 hour ago, st albans fox said:

That’s the sad thing 

Jews and Muslims are indeed brethren. ( of course Ishmael and Isaac not from the same mother).  The bible says that ‘god’ tells Ishmael’s mother (Hagar) that he will make a great nation of her son’s offspring.  

Muslim and Jews have a ridiculous amount in common. My Jewish colleagues were great, they’d always demand we went to a kosher restaurant. Many of the beliefs are similar. Many Jews I know are comfortable praying in a mosque. It’s the only two ancient monotheistic religions. Regularly stand together on social and political issues (aside from Israel/palestine).
 

Arabs and Jews lived together for many years and continue to do so in many other parts of the world. Yes, there has been conflict but many evidences of peace.
 

Very sad with what is happening in the one part of the world they both hold dear. Genuinely like two cousins who have fallen out due to a family dispute! 
 

 

[danny.]

10 minutes ago, Mickyblueeyes said:

Muslim and Jews have a ridiculous amount in common. My Jewish colleagues were great, they’d always demand we went to a kosher restaurant. Many of the beliefs are similar. Many Jews I know are comfortable praying in a mosque. It’s the only two ancient monotheistic religions. Regularly stand together on social and political issues (aside from Israel/palestine).
 

Arabs and Jews lived together for many years and continue to do so in many other parts of the world. Yes, there has been conflict but many evidences of peace.
 

Very sad with what is happening in the one part of the world they both hold dear. Genuinely like two cousins who have fallen out due to a family dispute! 
 

 

It’s six centuries younger than Christianity?!

Edited 9 October 2025 by danny.

[Parafox]

18 minutes ago, danny. said:

It’s six centuries younger than Christianity?!

 

Interesting. Religious belief must have started somewhere at some time and why?

 

 

Edited 9 October 2025 by Parafox

[bovril]

28 minutes ago, Mickyblueeyes said:

Muslim and Jews have a ridiculous amount in common. My Jewish colleagues were great, they’d always demand we went to a kosher restaurant. Many of the beliefs are similar. Many Jews I know are comfortable praying in a mosque. It’s the only two ancient monotheistic religions. Regularly stand together on social and political issues (aside from Israel/palestine).
 

Arabs and Jews lived together for many years and continue to do so in many other parts of the world. Yes, there has been conflict but many evidences of peace.
 

Very sad with what is happening in the one part of the world they both hold dear. Genuinely like two cousins who have fallen out due to a family dispute! 
 

 

Leaving aside the sentence about the respective age of monotheistic religions... I think Brits like to tell themselves conflicts in places like, I dunno, Ireland, Palestine or India/Pakistan just as totally random examples are down to ancient ethnic or religious conflicts and not because of, you know...

[st albans fox]

50 minutes ago, danny. said:

Most ethnic Jewish people now are from Eastern Europe (Ashkenazi Jews) who migrated in the 10th century. 

I think approx 75/80% of world Jewry is Ashkenazi (as you say those who ended up in Eastern Europe on their long journey from the Levant).  The balance are Sephardi - those who settled around Mediterranean and Arab countries.  In Israel, the split is 50/50 which reflects the large number of Sephardi Jews who were kicked out of/left Arab countries in the late forties and fifties and resettled in Israel. 
 

im not educated enough to know the detail of the long journey of the Ashkenazi from Roman expulsion out of Judea and their establishment of large communities in e Europe.  
 

Whilst I’m not always keen to accept wiki as fact, I found this link thorough and detailed. 
 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jewish_ethnic_divisions

 

if anyone is struggling to sleep later then I recommend it 😄

 

[Mickyblueeyes]

45 minutes ago, danny. said:

It’s six centuries younger than Christianity?!

Yes but I don’t get it ?

[Mickyblueeyes]

25 minutes ago, bovril said:

Leaving aside the sentence about the respective age of monotheistic religions... I think Brits like to tell themselves conflicts in places like, I dunno, Ireland, Palestine or India/Pakistan just as totally random examples are down to ancient ethnic or religious conflicts and not because of, you know...

Oh yes, you know is very much, well you know….

[bovril]

49 minutes ago, danny. said:

It’s six centuries younger than Christianity?!

And about 2 millennia younger than Zoroastrianism.....  

[Mickyblueeyes]

2 minutes ago, bovril said:

And about 2 millennia younger than Zoroastrianism.....  

ah, yes, forgot that one. Ancient as they come. 

[Md9]

4 hours ago, WigstonWanderer said:

So the thread’s open again?

 

As someone who loathes Trump and all he stands for, should we nevertheless give him some credit for a peace deal in Gaza if it proves to be of substance? Big if obviously.

He doesn’t do anything for any one other than himself so what ever deal he has in place will only benefit him massively and some other dodgy people and after so long a lot of innocent people will lose out somewhere along the line 

[blabyboy]

13 hours ago, st albans fox said:

It’s a UN body.  elected by UN members.  It’s not created just for Gaza. It’s ongoing for the world.  Just shows the UN  for what they are and as a western democracy I think we place too much trust in them and some of their reports/votes. 
 

of course western democracies are also responsible for human rights abuses but we have systems in place to call them out and hold people accountable. (If they’re used) 

I know it's a UN body, I thought that was obvious when it was posted.

I realise it's not just for Gaza too.

 

What do you mean by " Just shows the UN  for what they are" ?

 

We need to put trust in independent organisations and institutions, we all need to be held to account by our peers. I think the adage of 'Trust but Verify' applies here 

 

"we have systems in place to call them out and hold people accountable. (If they’re used)"

 

I think the fact that you have to caveat that statement at the end tells us all we really need to know.

[st albans fox]

48 minutes ago, blabyboy said:

I know it's a UN body, I thought that was obvious when it was posted.

I realise it's not just for Gaza too.

 

What do you mean by " Just shows the UN  for what they are" ?

 

We need to put trust in independent organisations and institutions, we all need to be held to account by our peers. I think the adage of 'Trust but Verify' applies here 

 

"we have systems in place to call them out and hold people accountable. (If they’re used)"

 

I think the fact that you have to caveat that statement at the end tells us all we really need to know.

 

my comment on the UN was that as a body, it’s obviously made up of members who will have political biases and be part of blocs.  Self interest will abound.   But I also accept your central  point. 

[blabyboy]

14 hours ago, leicsmac said:

And don't forget the slick PR teams to ensure that a lot of people don't even believe some of those abuses have even occurred. Terrible things are no less terrible simply because a plurality of people happened to vote for government that does them. 

 

IMO the only reason the UN is flawed in terms of its structure is because it lacks the enforcing teeth to be able to deal with the bigger national players. 

Quite. Being vetoed by only one member of the Security council must be extremely frustrating when the majority think otherwise. Needs reform urgently 

[st albans fox]

13 minutes ago, blabyboy said:

Quite. Being vetoed by only one member of the Security council must be extremely frustrating when the majority think otherwise. Needs reform urgently 

Would you have any level of veto ?  say two or three members of the six needing to veto for it to be valid ?  If you have no veto system and work on a straight majority of the GA then you effectively have a world parliament and as a western liberal democracy we may not be too happy with what is decided and we have to abide by. 

[MaidstoneFox]

I'm assuming the Gaza treaty has been wrapped up just in time for the Eurovision Song Contest to now go ahead. 

[MaidstoneFox]

1 hour ago, Md9 said:

He doesn’t do anything for any one other than himself so what ever deal he has in place will only benefit him massively and some other dodgy people and after so long a lot of innocent people will lose out somewhere along the line 

Juicy real estate deals sketched in for rebuilding Gaza.

[st albans fox]

1 minute ago, MaidstoneFox said:

I'm assuming the Gaza treaty has been wrapped up just in time for the Eurovision Song Contest to now go ahead. 

Tough one 

could be a long period of negotiations around the future or it could also fall apart !

 

some states (eg Spain) will never share a stage  

[blabyboy]

3 minutes ago, st albans fox said:

Would you have any level of veto ?  say two or three members of the six needing to veto for it to be valid ?  If you have no veto system and work on a straight majority of the GA then you effectively have a world parliament and as a western liberal democracy we may not be too happy with what is decided and we have to abide by. 

Really good question.

Your suggestion sounds more promising than the current implication. As there are 15 in total with 5 permanent members, I think a passing 8 majority is good enough. It should encourage the permanent members to more actively engage with the non-permanent ones and as they swap every 2 yes, gives opportunities to reset. Atm, the permanent members can afford to be lazy knowing just one of them can block anything - not really an incentive for discussion and compromises.

 

I'd remove the Abstention option, this would force the UK to be a bit more assertive in our choices, and China too.

 

Wrt your point about a world parliament and Western democracies not taking too kindly to it... We are implicitly dictated by the U.S presently anyway, so I see it as a bit of a facade - a pretence at choice for the casual public viewer. It's a sad state of affairs at the moment all round really. 

 

[Free Falling Foxes]

3 hours ago, Parafox said:

In case they test positive?

Then get treatment?

[Trav Le Bleu]

3 hours ago, bovril said:

Leaving aside the sentence about the respective age of monotheistic religions... I think Brits like to tell themselves conflicts in places like, I dunno, Ireland, Palestine or India/Pakistan just as totally random examples are down to ancient ethnic or religious conflicts and not because of, you know...

Sexual frustration?