I’ve done my share of high-speed autobahn driving in Germany but nothing like this. This is a Bugatti Chiron accelerating up to 417kph or just on 260mph! Absolutely insane speed!

I've been thinking again about the cancellation by the Herbert Park Hotel of the hotel booking for the antisemitism conference. Following various comments made, I've been looking further into SECCA, the event organisers, I've changed my mind and have deleted my post last week. SECCA is not just an affiliate of the World Jewish Council (WJC) but it is a direct initiative convened by the WJC - it is a WJC event. The WJC has defended Israel's completely disproportionate response (incl. the killing of 21,000 children) to Oct 7th in the following ways: - It conducts media advocacy to defend the strategic and legal rationale behind IDF operations. - It defends the legality of the IDF's conduct under international humanitarian law. - It amplifies official IDF findings and intelligence to counter allegations of misconduct. - It heavily advocates against the unilateral recognition of Palestinian statehood. - It lobbies against UN resolutions, commissions of inquiry and mandates that target Israel. - It leads global campaigns to combat the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) movement. - Its leaders meet with heads of state to build support for Israeli foreign policy objectives. - It publicly honours its Israeli members and fellows who serve in the IDF reserves. - It promotes the IHRA definition of antisemitism, which draws controversy for including criticisms of Israel in its examples. In order to counter allegations of war crimes the WJC quotes intelligence, legal perspectives & operational narratives put forward by the IDF and communicates these to global leaders & the public. The WJC stands four-square behind Israel and its military actions, despite numerous major war crimes carried out by Israel. It has lobbied that countries don't comply with the ICC arrest warrants for Netanyahu and Gallant. WJC is like a diplomatic shield for Israel regarding the West Bank because it consistently opposes international efforts to force an end to the occupation. Its position goes beyond general solidarity with Israel This runs down through to SECCA where Katharina von Schnurbein, who was the European Commission Coordinator on Combating Antisemitism and SECCA co-chair. On 29 May 2025, she made the ludicrous statement that bake sales raising money for the Palestinian Red Crescent made Jews in the EU feel uncomfortable. She said that, while the EU was going to review of its preferential trade agreement with Israel, it should rest on verified evidence rather than "rumours about Jews". Clearly this review was in reaction to Israel's bombing campaign in Gaza and not "rumours about Jews". She promoted Israel's line in relation to the supply of food to Gaza at that time. Just a couple of months later a MUAC survey suggested that 10's of thousands of children had severe malnutrition. So taking all that into account, is it possible for an individual or organisation to take a stand against WJC/SECCA on the basis that it defends Israel's disproportionate attack on Palestinians and its ongoing occupation of the West Bank, without it be rooted in antisemitism? Having looked into the background of the organisation involved, I think so. It's a pity because antisemitism does need to be confronted, but as long as organisations position themselves firmly in support of the military actions of Israel, then protests are legitimate.

Israeli soldiers forced Palestinian families from their homes in Hebron in the occupied West Bank overnight Friday, taking control of the properties, marking houses with X signs and hanging Israeli flags from balconies. Troops also blocked roads and closed a nearby checkpoint, restricting movement in the neighborhood as the military expanded its presence in the area. The operation followed an attack Friday in which two Palestinian gunmen killed two Israeli soldiers and wounded three others before being shot dead by Israeli forces. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had threatened a major military offensive following the attack.

Richard Kay, what a disgraceful piece of selective anti-Irish journalism. To describe Ireland as a “sewer of anti-Semitism” is a sweeping and deeply insulting characterisation of an entire nation of 7.5 million people, north and south Let's be absolutely clear. Antisemitism is abhorrent. The 143 incidents reported by Ireland's Jewish Representative Council are deeply troubling and deserve massive consideration. Every Jewish person in Ireland deserves to live safely, free from hatred, intimidation, and discrimination. But acknowledging that does not require accepting your disgraceful attempt to portray an entire country as morally bankrupt because its people oppose the actions of the Israeli government. And since you've decided to question Ireland's humanitarian conscience, Richard, perhaps a few facts might be useful. if you had done some actual research, apart from listening to the campaigners who are targeting Ireland, to deflect from the atrocities in Gaza According to Ireland's official 2025 development assistance figures: Ireland contributed €1.88 billion in overseas development assistance, equivalent to 0.44% of our national income, they also provided more than €330 million in humanitarian funding, responding to crises across the world. Irish support through civil society partners alone reached over 9 million people across 64 countries. Ireland remains among the world's top 20 humanitarian donors. Irish humanitarian assistance has supported people affected by conflict and disaster in Sudan, Ukraine, Gaza, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Syria, Yemen, Somalia and elsewhere. And here's a particularly inconvenient fact for your narrative: in 2024, 72% of Ireland's humanitarian funding through the programme reported by Irish Aid was directed towards forgotten and underfunded emergencies, including Syria, Yemen, the Sahel and the Horn of Africa. So much for your bullshite suggestion that Irish compassion only extends to Palestinians. These are not slogans shouted at demonstrations, Richard. They are documented financial commitments, delivered through the United Nations, the Red Cross and humanitarian organisations working in some of the most dangerous places on earth. Ireland has been providing development assistance for more than half a century. Its humanitarian commitment didn't suddenly materialise when the war in Gaza began. Then there's your remarkable treatment of the Starry Plough flag. You associate it with the INLA while omitting its origins with James Connolly's Irish Citizen Army in 1914. A century of Irish labour history conveniently discarded to manufacture a more sinister impression. Your comparison with Afghanistan is equally selective. Ireland's decision to play cricket against Afghanistan is open to legitimate criticism, but it does not establish that Irish people are indifferent to the Taliban's oppression of women. And let's discuss Britain, Richard? Britain has experienced serious antisemitic incidents, anti-Muslim hatred and racist violence. Would you consider it fair to describe the entire British population in similarly contemptuous terms? Or does that particular standard of collective condemnation only apply when you're writing about Ireland? There is a serious discussion to be had about antisemitism in Ireland. Jewish people who have experienced abuse deserve to be heard, believed and protected. But you have repeatedly blurred the distinction between hatred of Jewish people and legitimate criticism of the Israeli government, while giving readers a thoroughly distorted impression of Irish humanitarian values, shameful behaviour TBH Irish people can condemn Hamas's atrocities, reject antisemitism, oppose the suffering of Palestinian civilians, and demand accountability under international law. These positions are not mutually exclusive. And the suggestion that Ireland only cares about Palestinian suffering is contradicted by decades of humanitarian work and billions of euros in documented assistance. The most unbelievable irony, Richard, is that you've written an article supposedly condemning prejudice while indulging in sweeping national stereotyping yourself. You could have written a serious and necessary article about the safety of Ireland's Jewish community. Instead, you've chosen to caricature an entire country while overlooking evidence that contradicts and obliterates your argument. Ireland is not beyond criticism, Richard. But neither is your journalism, and the Irish people deserve considerably better than this absolute Isreali propaganda piece. I, for one, will be refraining from any further consideration of this publication, and I hope that other Irish people do the same.

World-leading cardiac surgeon Asif Hasan was surrounded by the children who received the gift of life thanks to his unerring skills at the emotional climax of another memorable Pride of Britain ceremony. 🥹 Now 70 years old, Mr Hasan has just retired after 35 years of service at the Freeman Hospital in Newcastle upon Tyne, but just after receiving his Lifetime Achievement Award, he had an extra special surprise: a cast of patients who would not be alive without him. ❤️

Quite possibly the best answer and funniest moment on The Chase.👏👏

This is all true. This former GOP state legislator closely aligned with DeSantis and Randy Fine -- Mike Caruso -- was arrested in August on charges of sexually abusing multiple young kids in his family, including his grandson and a niece. He had previously advocated the death penalty for pedophiles. This picture is when Caruso, Randy Fine and DeSantis went to Israel in 2023 to sign a "hate speech" law that restricted the free speech rights of Floridians on behalf of Israel. They signed it in Israel.

Nothing like writing a whole long ass statement for your Western audience, only for one of your own to to pop up and say, “U are lying.” 😆 Lov’en it