- The UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) is suspending its operations in the city of Rafah, saying that they do not have the supplies or security necessary. Perhaps this has something to do with the fact that Israeli soldiers have been taking it upon themselves to tip off the settler mobs regarding the location of aid convoys.
- A major donor to the University of Manitoba is in high dudgeon about the Faculty of Medicine valedictorian's speech daring to call for a ceasefire in Gaza. The donor, Ernest Rady, accuses the valedictorian of "hateful lies" and "calling for the destruction and elimination" of the Jewish people (to my knowledge he didn't, but when you donate $30 million to a university I guess they aren't going to question what you say). He's demanding, among other things, that the university edit the speech out of the official convocation video recording. The recording is apparently no longer on the university website, so I guess Rady's donation paid off.
- Justin Trudeau has come out with an expression of concern that the ICC is moving to prosecute both Likud and Hamas leaders. He says he's troubled by what he sees as the "sense of an equivalency" between the two. Of course no equivalency is being declared, merely that both Hamas and Likud leaders appear to meet the threshold for prosecution - but don't expect Trudeau to draw a distinction like that. The Biden administration, meanwhile, is moving to potentially sanction ICC officials in response.
- Evacuees from the Cranberry Portage area are returning to their communities, though not everyone has a home to return to. In Fort Nelson, BC a number of homes have been lost as well.
- The fact that a former (and possible future) US president is undergoing a criminal prosecution for the first time in history is making far less of an impact on the public consciousness than you might expect.
- Russia has begun conducting drills simulating the use of tactical nuclear weapons; this was motivated in part by French President Emmanuel Macron musing about the possibility of sending European troops. Unfortunately, this illustrates very well why NATO powers can't send troops - the risk of escalation is just too great.
- A passenger on a Singapore Airlines flight from London to Singapore was killed and several others injured when turbulence unexpectedly struck the flight. The victim was a 73 year old UK citizen. It's suspected that climate change is making turbulence worse; I guess it would be impolite to point out that it's pretty much certain that excessive air travel is making climate change worse, though.
- The Manitoba NDP has selected nurse Carla Compton to be the party's candidate in the Tuxedo byelection.
- Shop owners in Winnipeg are reporting that shoplifters are becoming "more brazen" and more likely to threaten store staff.
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