bannork

Netanyahu's statement the war will continue for another year suggests to me he sees no deal possible with Hamas

Hopefully coming soon

The Israeli military may have to attempt to justify before the ICC that they have ' taken all feasible measures'. Many don't believe them

The IDF is being sued by some of the concert survivors https://m.jpost.com/breaking-news/article-780328

Now Israeli tactics require another year of war in Gaza, plus the government seems to have given up on any hope of getting its hostages back

You quoted this very same passage last month. It's but one person's opinion and even he admitted the principles of distinction and proportionality are open to interpretation.

Please stop being obtuse. If you bomb a place where people live, you are going to kill them. That is intentional killing. ' Honestly your honor, I was aiming at the bloke below ground, I didn't intend to kill the family in the way, they were just collateral. '

A fact you seem to have trouble acknowledging is that Israel has been bombing Gaza, knowingly killing thousands of children, women and men. This is intentional slaughter.

I didn't realise Hamas was bombing and killing thousands of Palestinian children.

Israel is intentionally bombing Gaza, knowing full well it is causing massive civilian deaths. The Hamas leadership are scum, no one expects anything better from them but Israel claims the moral high ground. Killing children in such large numbers, however, makes Israel murderers no better than Hamas

I'm not disputing that Hamas are evil but what Israel is doing killing thousands of innocent children, women and men with their bombing is evil too.

"Israel-Gaza war: Israeli bombing is killing and maiming children at a record pace, warn human rights groups | The Independent" https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/israel-gaza-war-death-toll-children-b2470815.html

What do you call the deliberate bombing of homes in Gaza that has resulted in so many deaths of babies, children, women and men then? It's deliberate murder of Palestinians. Hamas are evil but so are Israel intentionally killing the innocent.

I didn't realise Palestinian children had been slaughtering Israelis. Do babies and children have to die in their thousands because of Hamas?

Hamas are evil but that's no reason to slaughter thousands of innocent civilians. Israel are committing war crimes, fostering hatred for their nation for generations to come.

After the horror of the Holocaust, it's tragic to see the descendants of the victims's families doing the same thing in Gaza with the wholesale slaughter of civilians.

Israel's genocide of the Palestinians

Settha became PM courtesy of the unelected senators and Prayud's party. He'll make noises but any meaningful change is out of his hands.

Not as simple as that. With banks not accepting land documents such as sor bor kor, many Thais have to rely on family or loan sharks if they wish to work overseas, for example, they may have to pay 100,000 baht or more in advance for labour fees, etc . Some loan sharks are liked, a teacher in our village enabled many Thais to work in Korea in the golden years before Covid. I believe 5% interest per month is the legal limit but many loan sharks charge 10% a month. Compulsive gamblers are easy prey for loan sharks, and when the latter 'have connections' as they invariably do, (otherwise how could they survive?) then the hapless debtor is in deep trouble, often having to leave the area. The problem is intractable unless the government punishes loan sharks with several years in the slammer. And that won't happen because of ..... 'connections'.

They've joined hands with the dictator. That's the price of their return.

Yingluk is the Queen of Hearts for PT. Photogenic, approachable, she appeals to folks upcountry, unlike Thaksin's daughter. She's geographically challenged, couldn't remember which Thai provinces were next to the sea when she was PM, but image is all. However, maybe she's had enough of being dragged into politics. Personally I think the elite are scared stuff of Pita and MF, too many brains there, which fills me with apprehension for the January verdicts on Pita's two cases.

Still so darn good.

Wondering if Crossy is going to wind us back to Year Zero as he usually does at New Year, lol

I don't think we can assume how it will finally play out, due to various factors. Thaksin is everything for Pheu Thai.If he dies, has an incapacitating stroke, etc, the party is finished and will dissolve into factions. Secondly, his fate is not in his hands. Things can change in a mercurial moment. His freedom in Thailand will always be conditional.

Thaksin is a willing hostage, not a prisoner. He wouldn't have come back otherwise! Play the game, join with the junta parties, betraying your pre election promises, sideline the election winners, MF, then you, Thaksin, will be freed after some time. Win win for Thaksin and the elite. Who loses? Perhaps Pheu Thai, the latest NIDA poll shows MF have nearly twice the support of PT.