#come on Micheál

[ardri-na-bpiteog]

Micheál Martin now has the opportunity to do the funniest thing ever

[sayruq]

Spain, Norway and Ireland have announced plans to formally recognize a Palestinian state, in a move that is likely to bolster the global Palestinian cause but strain relations with Israel. Palestinian statehood has been recognized by more than 130 out of 193 member states of the United Nations, according to the Palestine Liberation Organization. “Today, Ireland, Norway and Spain are announcing that we recognize the state of Palestine. Each of us will now undertake whatever national steps are necessary to give effect to that decision,” Irish Prime Minister Simon Harris told a news conference in Dublin. The recognition will come into force in all three countries on May 28, Irish foreign minister Micheál Martin said. Norway’s Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre said the war in Gaza has “made it clear that achieving peace and stability must be predicted on resolving the Palestinian question.” “In the midst of a war, with tens of thousands killed and injured, we must keep alive the only alternative that offers a political solution for Israelis and Palestinians alike: Two states, living side by side, in peace and security,” Støre said. Spain’s Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez said: “We will recognize the state of Palestine for peace, coherence and justice.”

[q-soc-official]

No but seriously imagine it:

You're at the Irish General Election. Everyone is having a terrible time. Fine Gael seems a little too excited. "We have a surprise for you guys." Simon Harris says. All of a sudden Fianna Fáil comes out and starts singing "Coalition Government 4ever" When Micheál Martin gets to the chorus, someone else starts singing...

"Make Crime Illegal.''

Lights flash everywhere, and you see Fine Gael start singing their theme song "Cost of Living Crisis" along with Fianna Fáil, while Nick Delehanty and the Independents are singing his campaign slogan ''Make Crime Illegal.''

Everyone in the crowd is going wild and crying out in pain. Then, when we all hit rock bottom, Richard Boyd Barrett and the rest of People Before Profit storm onto the stage, holding the socialist flag and a gun.

[mikewheeler-anon]

Sometimes Mike has Micheál Whelan impersonating him for a few hours every summer he comes to Hawkins.

Mike has also never told anyone about the existence of Micheál and Micheál finds the idea of it really funny.

Micheál has a horrifically accurate gaydar from growing up in an all boys catholic school and immediately sensed something between Mike and Will. Mike became aware of this gaydar and definitely didn’t cry over Micheál diagnosing him with homosexuality after he asked Micheál if he was gay

Micheál hates wearing his school uniform (trousers,white shirt,tie,knitted sweater vest and blazer) and constantly tells Mike how he lucky is that he can wear his own clothes to school.

Micheál doesn’t know how to interact with the opposite gender.

According to Micheál himself he once caught a real leprechaun in a trap he set up three years ago.

Micheál enjoys creating traps to catch people.

Convinced he can see ghosts.

A bit of Mike’s odd behaviour in season 3 came from Micheál impersonating him when Mike didn’t feel like acting straight and Micheál “who’s never interacted with a girl his age since preschool” Whelan managed to fuck things up such as getting El to break up with him. his only knowledge on straight relationships was from Mike and shitty romance novels do the only thing he knew what to do was kiss El. From impersonating Mike he picked up on how ignored Will felt and Mikes odd behaviour around him. After the “it’s not my fault you don’t like girls”thing happened Micheál was honestly dumbfounded and was unable to speak for a whole three weeks where Mike had to resume acting straight for the whole summer days now while Micheál processed how much of an idiot his cousin can be.(Micheál is sorry for the Milkvan thing that happened in season 3)

[head-post]

Irish parliament descends into chaos as opposition rejects rule changes

Ireland’s parliament was thrown into disarray on Tuesday as opposition lawmakers shouted down the prime minister and forced an early adjournment in protest against controversial changes to speaking rules, according to Politico.

The unprecedented scenes saw tempers flare and accusations of misogyny leveled at the chamber’s first female speaker.

The coalition government of Prime Minister Micheál Martin succeeded in passing an amendment creating new questioning slots for pro-government independents. However, the opposition parties called the move an abuse of parliamentary procedure.

Sinn Féin party and other opposition members immediately disrupted proceedings, drowning out Martin’s attempts to speak after the 94-74 vote victory.

Speaker Verona Murphy repeatedly admonished lawmakers before conceding defeat. She ultimately adjourned the session without formally recording the vote outcome.

The crisis stems from opposition fury over the government’s reliance on the “Regional Independents,” a group whose kingmaker, Tipperary TD Michael Lowry, was previously implicated in corruption findings. In exchange for their support, these non-party lawmakers secured the speakership for Murphy, junior ministerial positions, and questioning rights traditionally reserved for opposition parties.

The deadlock has paralysed committee formations and comes at a sensitive juncture for Ireland’s export-dependent economy. Martin warned the opposition’s tactics were reckless given impending US tariff threats that could disproportionately impact Ireland’s pharmaceutical sector.

Read more HERE

[cantquitu]

Excerpts from an actual news article - not a parody - about the advice former Irish taoiseach (Prime Minister) Bertie Ahern has for Taoiseach Micheál Martin ahead of his meeting with Trump today:

He should ignore any untruths told by US president Donald Trump at their meeting tomorrow, advises former taoiseach Bertie Ahern.

"If [Mr Trump] goes off on a tangent, I'd let him, I’d just sit it out. I don't see there's any point in getting involved. You say your piece. You can be accused of being too quiet, but so what?" Mr Ahern said.

Asked if he would intervene even if Mr Trump were saying something that is incorrect, Mr Ahern replied, "No, I just don't see the point."

Mr Ahern pointed to recent examples where French President Emmanuel Macron and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer corrected Mr Trump on inaccurate figures relating to European spending on Ukraine.

"I was delighted when Starmer did that and when Macron did it. But [Mr Trump] just used the wrong figures again the following day and has persisted in using the wrong figures."

Like, how is this real life?? How has America come to this??

[dragoneyes618]

Ireland’s relationship with Israel is simply incomprehensible.

While both Dublin and Jerusalem are democracies and share common historical experiences with British colonialism—the British Mandate in Palestine and the Irish struggle for independence—Ireland today is the most viciously anti-Israel and pro-Palestinian member of the European Union. Ireland leads the European nations in anti-Israel, pro-BDS campaigns. 

Sinn Féin, the political arm of the former terrorist Provisional Irish Republican Army (IRA), is now Dublin’s leading political party. The IRA received training supported by the Soviet Union in Lebanon’s Bekaa Valley together with the Palestinian terrorists in the 1960s and 1970s. There exists a counterbalance to Dublin’s intensely pro-Palestinian sympathies; the Ulster Protestants in Northern Ireland, who are the most pro-Israel members of the British Parliament. Brian Kingston, a member of the Legislative Assembly of Northern Ireland and a Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) politician, remarked in a recent interview: “The unionist community in Northern Ireland has a long-standing affinity and affiliation to the cause of Israel.”

The IRA played a role during World War II in supporting German Nazis. Although the government of Ireland was officially neutral, the IRA collaborated with the Nazi military intelligence. Adolf Hitler sent money, transmitters and spies to Ireland. Moreover, the IRA provided the Nazis with targeting information on British installations in Belfast. After Hitler committed suicide in April 1945, Ireland’s wartime leaders—President Douglas Hyde and Prime Minister Éamon de Valera—offered official condolences to the Nazi envoy in Dublin.

More recently, the Hezbollah terror group’s unprovoked attacks on Israeli communities in northern Israel, which began on Oct. 8, 2023—one day after the Hamas terrorist attacks in southern Israel—did not stir Ireland’s peacekeepers in the U.N. Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) to try and stop the shelling attacks nor did they call to impose the U.N. Security Council Resolution 1701. Passage of that resolution came in the wake of the summer 2006 war between Hezbollah and Israel, and called for the disarmament of all armed groups in Lebanon—in particular, Hezbollah’s disarmament. Resolution 1701 established that no armed forces, other than UNIFIL and the Lebanese Armed Forces, could be south of the Litani River in Lebanon. Yet Hezbollah remained.

The Israel Defense Forces, in response to Hezbollah’s attacks during the last year, have moved from an aerial campaign to ground operations in Southern Lebanon to clear out Hezbollah forces. Israel has requested that the Irish contingent and all of UNIFIL move out of harm’s way. Ireland’s deputy premier and minister for defense and foreign affairs, Micheál Martin, responded by saying that he “strongly condemns” the IDF targeting and firing on the UNIFIL positions. Israel has repeatedly stated that it has no quarrel with the Lebanese people and certainly not with any of the UNIFIL peacekeepers.

This new dispute regarding the Irish peacekeepers comes after Ireland, Norway and Spain unilaterally recognized Palestinian statehood in May, essentially rewarding the Palestinians for the massacre of 1,200 Israelis by Hamas and the kidnapping of 250 others as hostages on Oct. 7, 2023.

The tensions aren’t just in the political arena. Members of an Irish women’s basketball team refused to shake hands with their Israeli counterparts during a pregame meeting in February’s FIBA EuroLeague Women’s tournament. The Israeli team ended up defeating the Irish team, 87-57. The behavior of the Irish national team was the same as the Islamic Republic of Iran’s team and teams from Israel’s Arab enemies in other tournaments.

Ireland was the first member of the European Economic Community (EEC)—the precursor of the European Union—to declare in 1980 their support for Palestinian statehood. Additionally, Ireland didn’t establish diplomatic relations with Israel until 1975 and first opened its embassy in Tel Aviv in 1996, long after other Western European nations.

When Israel retaliated against missile attacks launched from Gaza by Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad in May 2021 during an 11-day conflict, the Irish government was the first E.U. state to condemn Israel, alleging the de facto “annexation of Palestinian land.” The issue propelling this condemnation was the decision by the Israeli Supreme Court affirming Jewish ownership of homes in the eastern Jerusalem neighborhood of Sheikh Jarrah. It was an example of brazen Irish interference in an Israeli legal matter that had nothing to do with annexation.

Ireland has transformed from being an intensely Catholic state to an equally intense secular one. While the young Irish have moved away from their church, they are eagerly accommodating Islamists who seek to undermine and destroy the Judeo-Christian way of life. Ultimately, they will learn that Islamists seek to destroy their Irish culture as well.

The Catholic Church in Ireland had an antisemitic past but with Ireland becoming increasingly secular, the antisemitism of today is no longer of the religious variety. It has the marking of a leftist, ideologically driven hatred dressed as anti-colonialism. Dublin has adopted the Palestinian narrative without questioning or searching for the truth. Arab-Islamic colonialism is rarely if ever discussed, and Palestinian terrorism is largely excused. The fact that the Palestinians have rejected every opportunity for self-determination and statehood does not bother the Irish government. What the Palestinians want is the disappearance of Israel and the Jews. It seems that Dublin is OK with that.

Relations between Ireland and Israel have been strained for years and with Sinn Féin growing power in Dublin, the relationship isn’t likely to improve and may only get worse.

[itsawhumpsideblog]

The New York Volunteers Masterpost

Summary: Micheál and Patrick emigrate from Ireland to New York City shortly before the American Civil War. They enlist in the Union Army and fight with the 69th New York, part of the famous Irish Brigade. There, they make friends with tentmates Jack, Ted, and Rory, forming a found family that will stick together through everything.

These novels were a NaNoWriMo project over the course of several years and written quite a while ago. They were read by one or two of my friends, but I liked the idea of sharing them and they are pretty whumpy.

Author's notes

The characters are each based on a Civil War-era song and when relevant, chapters will come with links to the music that goes with them.

Content Warnings for the series overall are: violence, guns, major injury, character death (it's set during a war, so expect the kinds of things that the setting will necessarily entail), physical abuse of a child (but there's Comfort as well as Hurt). Other content warnings will be included by chapter.

Click here to head Back to the Library!

Book 1:

Prologue

To America Sailed O'er

For America's Bright Starry Banner

In The Ranks Of Death You Will Find Him

And Guide Their Way Home

Mister, Here's Your Mule

Soon With Angels I'll Be Marching

In The Prison Cell I Sit

I'd Rather My Son As He Used To Be

Be It Ever So Humble

Shall We Never More Behold Thee?

Historical note: Despite the time and place, there's no racism or sexism in this story and thus no warnings for either. Although both would be historically present, this was a for-fun project I did and frankly, writing racist and sexist characters isn't very fun. There is eventually a single Confederate character who is portrayed sympathetically as an individual, but his cause is not portrayed sympathetically. Since this is the internet and you don't know me, I want it on record that I do not condone anything that the Confederacy stood for.

[verycleverboy]

It's been one week since Donald Trump did what the Hitlers and Stalins of the world have tried and failed to do over the past 80 years: in a late-night tantrum triggered by one reporter asking one question, a thumb-sucking old man who sees himself as the last great American silenced the Voice of America.

The VOA was, and (assuming we come to our senses) probably will be again, one of the most effective sales tools for American-style democracy in the post-WW2 era, and how they've done it is very simple: when repressive regimes double down on lies, we go all-in on the truth.

How well they've lived up to that mission statement has always been a point of debate. But that the current head of United States government thinks it makes them a broken-beyond-repair liability to his agenda should stop you cold...and not just about journalism.

NPR, another publicly-funded outlet in the crosshairs right now, reports on the state of affairs:

Six Voice of America journalists sued Kari Lake and the Trump administration on Friday, alleging their moves to shut down the U.S.-funded network were unlawful and unconstitutional. The journalists say that the government's acts violate their First Amendment rights on free speech grounds and usurp the U.S. Congress's control of the power of the federal purse. More than 900 full-time network employees were placed on indefinite leave last weekend; 550 contractors were terminated from their jobs. Most employees at the federal parent, U.S. Agency for Global Media, were also placed on indefinite leave. The lead plaintiffs include Patsy Widakuswara, until recently Voice of America's White House bureau chief and Jessica Jerreat, its press freedom editor. Four other journalists sued anonymously as John Does. Kathryn Neeper, the director of strategy and performance assessment at the U.S. Agency for Global Media, is also a named plaintiff. She was also placed on leave. Few Voice of America journalists are known inside the U.S.; the network is prohibited from broadcasting to American audiences. Nonetheless, Widakuswara made headlines twice: First in pressing Trump's then-Secretary of State Mike Pompeo in early 2021 over the siege of the U.S. Capitol and, earlier this month, in asking Irish Taoiseach Micheál Martin about "the president's plans to expel Palestinians from Gaza" at an appearance with President Trump at the White House. Irritated, Trump asked Widakuswara what outlet she worked for. Upon hearing the answer, he replied, "No wonder," and called on another reporter.[...]

"Tragically, Kari Lake lives in the MAGA fantasy world, but she makes decisions that have real-world consequences for hundreds of journalists," said David Seide, the lead attorney on the suit. Seide is senior counsel at the Government Accountability Project, a non-profit that seeks to protect the rights of whistleblowers . "We've assembled a coalition of journalists, unions, and advocacy groups to stop and reverse the DOGE machine," Seide added. Among the other backers of the suit are the press-rights group Reporters Without Borders and unions representing federal employees, journalists, and foreign policy staffers. Lake gave this one-sentence reply to a request for comment for this story: "Kari Lake does not grant interviews or interact with disreputable 'news' outlets like NPR." She has not responded to prior efforts seeking interviews. Morales and the agency itself did not respond.

(continue reading)

[10bmnews]

UFC news: Conor McGregor teases 'important meeting' in Washington

UFC fighter Conor McGregor appeared to be headed to Washington, D.C., early Monday for what he called “the most important meeting” regarding Ireland’s “future.”  The meeting falls on St. Patrick’s Day and comes just a week after the Irish fighter was complemented by President Donald Trump during a visit to the Oval Office by Ireland’s prime minister.  Irish Taoiseach Micheál Martin, right,…

[bllsbailey]

What Donald Trump Said About Chuck Schumer Will Have MSNBC Spontanously Combusting

President Donald Trump met with Irish Prime Minister Micheál Martin

at the White House on Wednesday and made a truckload of news in the process. From being enamored by Vice President JD Vance's socks to accusing Ireland of "taking advantage" of the United States, the topics covered the gambit. 

SEE: Hilarious Moments With Trump, Irish PM, and JD Vance's Socks

One of those was the continued holding of hostages by Hamas. In what was likely an underhanded jab at Martin, who is very��pro-Palestinian and anti-Israel (as is most of Ireland, unfortunately), Trump discussed a recent meeting he had with several of those who had been released. During their time together, he asked them, "Was there any kindness shown?" The hostages reportedly answered in the negative, saying the Palestinians showed them nothing but "pure hatred" the entire time. 

TRUMP: I will say, I just saw 10 hostages, and they were treated really badly. They were really treated badly. I was shocked. I asked them, 'Was there any kindness shown? One was in there for 500 days, one was 323 days. I said, "Was there any," like 10 of them, I said, "Was there any kindness?" Did they ever say, "Don't worry, you'll be okay or give you a little wink, or give you an extra slice of bread or something?" And everybody said, all of these people said, "Zero. It was hatred, it was pure hatred."

You have to respect Trump's willingness not to pull any punches, even when people who have opposed him are sitting right next to him. Martin's position on this topic is extreme, with him supporting Hamas-led Gaza being given statehood despite what they did on October 7th. And while I understand many people from Ireland are still chapped about their conflicts with Britain, this is a completely different situation, and it's not 1921 anymore. Palestinians and the Irish are not kindred spirits. 

At another point during the conversation, Trump said that "no one" will be "deported" from Gaza, addressing concerns that Palestinians would be forced out of the region. Instead, the president's goal is to allow those who want to leave to leave, something they largely haven't been able to do because of Hamas. But it was Trump's comments on Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) that will end up making the biggest headlines. Continuing to answer questions, Trump called Schumer a "Palestinian," saying, "He's not Jewish anymore."

TRUMP: I blame the Democrats, and Chuck Schumer is a Palestinian, as far as I'm concerned. He used to be Jewish. He's not Jewish anymore. He's a Palestinian. (Reporters erupt)

That sound you hear is every producer at MSNBC furiously typing out monologues for their on-air "talent." Rachel Maddow may actually spontaneously combust once her show starts, while Chris Hayes strikes me more of a crier. Trump is going to be accused of "antisemitism" and "xenophobia" until the cows come home after this comment. 

Is what he said "antisemitic," though? One, I'm not sure how observant Schumer is, given he goes to a "liberal synagogue" that features a female rabbi who constantly rails against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Regardless, Trump is clearly speaking rhetorically to highlight Schumer's continued cowardice when it comes to the war against Hamas. Post-October 7th, the New York senator has tried to straddle the fence, offering faint condemnation of Hamas while focusing most of his energy on going after Israel. 

So, while Schumer is ethnically Jewish, suggesting that he's allied himself with the terrorists in Gaza for cheap political gain seems fair enough to me. If that makes the press clutch their pearls, then good. 

[q-soc-official]

No but seriously imagine it:

You're seeing Fine Gael on a concert. Everyone is having a great time. Fine Gael seems a little excited. "We have a surprise for you guys." Simon Harris says. All of a sudden Fianna Fáil comes out and starts singing "Cost of Living Crisis." When Micheál gets to the chorus, someone else starts singing...

"She got her lipstick on Here I come, da da dum She got her lipstick on Hit and run, then I'm gone".

Lights flash everywhere, and you see Fine Gael singing "cost of living crisis" along with Fianna Fáil, while Jedward is singing "Lipstick". Everyone in the crowd is going wild and crying. Then, if things couldn't get any worse, Leo Varadkar and some Kerry lad walk onto stage and kiss, holding the twink flag.

[khumaerbayas]

Trump to Host Taoiseach Micheál Martin at the White House for St. Patrick’s Day Talks – [your]NEWS

By Blessing Nweke US President Donald Trump will meet with Irish Taoiseach Micheál Martin at the White House this Wednesday, continuing the tradition of Irish government engagements for St. Patrick’s Day. Martin’s visit comes at a critical time, with global tensions escalating due to ongoing conflicts, particularly in Ukraine and the Middle East. In a statement ahead of his trip, Martin…

[weaversweek]

37 "Indian" - Eg and Alice

Written by Eg White

Eg and Alice have just recorded an album in Eg's kitchen for WEA. Their first single, "Indian", is about and for outcasts everywhere. There is no video, no remix and no team of crack session players, no name producers, female backing singers or troop of baggy trousered military drilled dancers.

Part of the UncoolTwo50 project, marking the best singles from 1977-99.

Way back in 1986, Eg White had been a founder member of Brother Beyond, co-writing "How many times" and "Can you keep a secret". He left in early 1988, before the 'Yond bought a recording session with Stock Aitken and Waterman, and had their fifteen months of fame.

Instead, Eg worked with BMX champion Alice Temple on the album 24 Years of Hunger; "Indian" was the lead single, and released to rave reviews.

The sound was very, very different from your average 1991 tune. None of the loud ravey beats, no raucous hair-metal guitars, or scuzzy grimy noise. No promotion, no slot on The 8-15 from Manchester, no tie-in with Maid Marion The Merry Movie, not even a promo picture beyond the single cover.

"Indian" was a clean song, laidback, relaxed. It was in the style of Joni Mitchell, Curtis Mayfield, perhaps in the minimalist ambience of classical composers Michael Nyman and Steve Reich In The Afternoon.

It's a song of undefined heartache, a love that perhaps isn't socially popular but completely heartfelt. Eg would go on to become a top songwriter, he did "Leave right now" with Will Young, and we can imagine Will singing this querulous, uncertain number to his crush of undefined gender.

In the event, "Indian" was swept away in the mush. Sold 4400 copies in early autumn 1991, never rose above number 102 in the weekly chart, but remembered - in hushed and reverent tones - by anyone who ever heard it.

Brother Beyond songs on my 500-song longlist: "Can you keep a secret", "Be my twin", and "Drive on"; the last could have made the top 100 but there's already too much from 1989.

This is about as close as I get to classical crossover music in the top 50. Other works I considered: "Caribbean blue" the pick of Enya's singles; "Adiemus" from Karl Jenkins' Adiemus project; "Chasing sheep is best left to shepherds" from Michael Nyman; "Nessun dorma" by Luciano Pavarotti. All were dropped in the longlist. "Principia" by Steve Martland wasn't released as a single, and ain't eligible.

"Lumen" by Micheál Ó Súilleabháin was in my Uncool50 two years ago, dropped here because I want to concentrate on more sizeable hits. "Indian" is the second of just three complete stiffs in the 50, and the last comes very soon...

[newstfionline]

Wednesday, May 29, 2024

The U.S. is facing pressure to approve attacks in Russia (NYT) Ukraine is preparing for a Russian offensive from the northeast, where Ukrainian officials say Russia has amassed some 10,000 troops near the border. The situation there has prompted several Western leaders to call for the U.S. to allow Ukraine to use American weapons to strike within Russia. Without that power, the Ukrainians say their hands are tied. The Biden administration has debated taking such a step but has feared escalating the war. Vladimir Putin warned today that Western countries helping Ukraine strike inside Russia should be aware of “what they’re playing with.”

In a north Texas county, dazed residents sift through homes mangled by a tornado (AP) The dazed residents of a north Texas county sifted through their mangled homes on Sunday after seven people there were killed when a tornado ripped through the remote region near the tiny community of Valley View. Cooke County Sheriff Ray Sappington said there’s “just a trail of debris left” in the area bordering Oklahoma where the dead included two children, ages 2 and 5, in Valley View, a town where barely 800 people live. The county bore the brunt of powerful weekend storms that left 15 people dead across Texas, Oklahoma and Arkansas. Tens of thousands of residents were without power across the three states.

Peru prosecutors file graft complaint against president (Reuters) Peru’s attorney general’s office on Monday presented a so-called constitutional complaint against President Dina Boluarte in an alleged corruption case involving her use of luxury watches, a national scandal that could lead to removal proceedings. The formal accusation comes as the leader’s popularity has sunk to a new low, according to polls. The complaint accuses Boluarte of receiving a bribe. If Congress moves forward on it, the accusation could lead to Boluarte’s ouster.

Spain and Norway formally recognize a Palestinian state as EU rift with Israel widens (AP) Spain and Norway moved to formally recognize a Palestinian state with Ireland to follow suit on Tuesday in a coordinated effort by the three western European nations. Israel slammed the diplomatic move that will have no immediate impact on its grinding war in Gaza but adds to international pressure on Tel Aviv to soften its devastating response to last year’s Hamas-led attack. Israel’s Foreign Minister Israel Katz lashed out at Spain on X, saying Sánchez’s government was “being complicit in inciting genocide against Jews and war crimes.” Relations between the EU and Israel nosedived Monday, with Madrid insisting that the EU should take measures against Israel for its continued deadly attacks in southern Gaza’s city of Rafah. After Monday’s meeting of EU foreign ministers, Irish Foreign Minister Micheál Martin said “for the first time at an EU meeting, in a real way, I have seen a significant discussion on sanctions” for Israel.

A proxy war (NYT) Over the last few weeks, a Russian blitz has claimed more than a dozen villages in northeast Ukraine, near the country’s second-largest city. This summer, Russia will likely continue its offensive push in the country’s east. Russia’s ability to carry out these attacks is in some ways surprising. War is expensive. And Russia’s economy is limited by steep sanctions from some of the richest countries in the world. Yet Moscow has managed to keep paying for its war machine. How? U.S. officials point to China. China has vowed not to send weapons to Russia. But it has supported Russia’s economy by buying oil and expanding other kinds of trade. Russia uses the revenue from that trade to manufacture weapons. It has also bought parts for these weapons from China, according to U.S. officials. Of course, Washington and its allies have also provided support, including actual weapons, to Ukraine. From that angle, the war looks more like part of the broader contest between the U.S. and China—what some analysts call a new cold war — than a one-off conflict. “We are headed into 30 or 40 years of superpower competition and confrontation,” said my colleague David Sanger. Ukraine is just the current front.

Spying Arrests Send Chill Through Britain’s Thriving Hong Kong Community (NYT) Simon Cheng still visibly tenses when he describes his detention in China. In 2019, Mr. Cheng, a pro-democracy activist from Hong Kong and a former employee of Britain’s Consulate there, was arrested after a business trip to mainland China. For 15 days, he was questioned and tortured, according to his account. Beijing confirmed his detention but denied he was mistreated. When he was finally released, he no longer felt safe in Hong Kong, and in early 2020, he fled to Britain and claimed asylum. His activism—and China’s pursuit of him—did not end once he moved to London. Last year, the Hong Kong authorities put a bounty on Mr. Cheng and other activists, offering $128,000 for information leading to their arrest. Still, like many Hong Kong activists living in self-imposed exile in Britain, he hoped his newfound distance from the Chinese authorities put him far from their reach. This month, three men were charged in London with gathering intelligence for Hong Kong and forcing entry into a British residence. While the men have not yet been found innocent or guilty—the trial will not begin until February—the news of the arrests threw a spotlight on many activists’ existing concerns about China’s ability to surveil and harass its citizens abroad, particularly those who have been critical of the government.

Papua New Guinea Landslide Has Buried 2,000 People, Officials Say (NYT) More than 2,000 people were buried alive in the landslide that smothered a Papua New Guinea village and work camp on Friday in the country’s remote northern highlands, the authorities told the United Nations on Monday. Government officials visited the disaster site on Sunday. And even as the official death toll jumped from a few dozen to 670, they warned that far more victims than expected appeared to still be caught under the rubble.

Typhoon leaves at least seven people dead and thousands displaced in the Philippines (AP) A typhoon has finally moved away from the Philippines, leaving at least seven people dead, mostly due to floods or toppled trees, and forcing the closures of several seaports, stranding thousands of passengers, officials said Tuesday. Typhoon Ewiniar crept by the country’s eastern coast late Friday night and lingered over the Philippine islands for several days, before shifting northeastward away from the archipelago. All storm warnings were lifted Tuesday. The typhoon’s shift in direction spared the densely populated capital, Manila, from a potentially damaging hit.

Iran and nuclear weapons (The Atlantic) In a sharp departure from a years-long policy, Iran’s leading officials are now openly threatening to build and test a nuclear bomb. Earlier this month, Kamal Kharazi, a former foreign minister, said that Tehran had the capacity to build a bomb and that, if it faced existential threats, it could “change its nuclear doctrine.” “When Israel threatens other countries, they can’t sit silent,” he said in an interview with Al-Jazeera Arabic on May 9. To emphasize that this wasn’t a gaffe, he reiterated the position a few days later when he addressed an Iranian Arab conference in Tehran. Kharazi isn’t just any old diplomat. He heads a foreign-policy advisory body that reports directly to Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. He would not have spoken without Khamenei’s blessing. For Iranian officials to openly acknowledge the possibility that Iran could pursue a nuclear weapon is a momentous change and marks the collapse of a previous taboo.

Pentagon suspends aid deliveries via Gaza pier after repeated mishaps (Washington Post) The Pentagon said Tuesday that it has suspended the delivery of humanitarian aid to Gaza via its floating pier after mishaps in which four U.S. military vessels were beached, one U.S. service member was critically injured, and sections of the structure were ripped free in bad weather. The damage will require the U.S. military, with Israeli assistance, to disassemble pieces of the pier attached to the Gazan shore, rebuild them in the nearby Israeli port of Ashdod, then transport them back to the Gazan shore and reconnect them, said Sabrina Singh, a Pentagon spokeswoman. That process will take at least a week, temporarily eliminating the pier as an option to deliver humanitarian assistance to civilians in Gaza aid as Israel continues its months-long military campaign against the militant group Hamas.

‘We have nothing.’ (AP) The tent camps stretch for more than 16 kilometers (10 miles) along Gaza’s coast, filling the beach and sprawling into empty lots, fields and town streets. Families dig trenches to use as toilets. Fathers search for food and water, while children look through garbage and wrecked buildings for scraps of wood or cardboard for their mothers to burn for cooking. Over the past three weeks, Israel’s offensive in Rafah has sent nearly a million Palestinians fleeing the southern Gaza city and scattering across a wide area. Most have already been displaced multiple times during Israel’s nearly 8-month-old war in Gaza, which is aimed at destroying Hamas but has devastated the territory and caused what the United Nations says is a near-famine. The situation has been worsened by a dramatic plunge in the amount of food, fuel and other supplies reaching the U.N. and other aid groups to distribute to the population. Palestinians have largely been on their own to resettle their families and find the basics for survival. “The situation is tragic. You have 20 people in the tent, with no clean water, no electricity. We have nothing,” said Mohammad Abu Radwan, a schoolteacher in a tent with his wife, six children, and other extended family.

Uganda tackles yellow fever with new travel requirement, vaccination campaign for millions (AP) Uganda has rolled out a nationwide yellow fever vaccination campaign to help safeguard its population against the mosquito-borne disease that has long posed a threat. By the end of April, Ugandan authorities had vaccinated 12.2 million of the 14 million people targeted, said Dr. Michael Baganizi, an official in charge of immunization at the health ministry. Uganda will now require everyone traveling to and from the country to have a yellow fever vaccination card as an international health regulation, Baganizi said.

South Africa’s election could bring the biggest political shift since it became a democracy in 1994 (AP) South Africans will vote Wednesday to decide whether their country will take its most significant political step since the moment 30 years ago when it brought down apartheid and achieved democracy. Then, Nelson Mandela led the African National Congress party to victory as Black South Africans who were the majority were allowed to vote for the first time. But while the ANC still governs in 2024, it is amid rising discontent caused largely by high levels of unemployment and poverty. That could result in a majority of South Africans choosing another party this week over the one that led them to freedom. “Thirty years of South African democracy does not mean we should endure an eternity under the ANC,” John Steenhuisen, the leader of the main opposition Democratic Alliance party, said in the run-up to the election.

The Good Old Days (Washington Post) What you consider the peak of culture, music and fashion really does depend on what you thought was cool in middle school. Analysis of a YouGov survey that asked respondents which decade had the best and worst music, economy, movies, etc., shows that for most respondents, regardless of when they grew up, the best economy, movies and television happened when they were around 12 to 15 years old. The best fashion, sports and music period comes a little later, around age 16 to 19.

[youthchronical]

Irish Leader to Visit Trump as Ties Between U.S. and Europe Are Tested

President Trump will host Micheál Martin, the taoiseach or prime minister of Ireland, at the White House on Wednesday, for a traditional annual visit ahead of St. Patrick’s Day amid deepening tensions with Europe over tariffs and the war in Ukraine. The annual visit is seen as important to reinforce the longstanding diplomatic relationship between the two countries. But this one comes at a time…