Fr Hiroshima Twinkie

The actions of the Israeli government towards illegally detained members of the Sumud Flotilla, including Irish and EU citizens is despicable and cannot be consequence free. This is a further clear breach of international law.

Retiring from the British Army can be complicated... Lt. Colonel Robert Maclaren retired from the British Army in 2001 after a long fulfilling career. On the day that he retired he received a letter from the Personnel Department of the Ministry of Defence setting out details of his pension and, in particular, the tax-free ‘lump sum’ award, (based upon completed years of service), that he would receive in addition to his monthly pension. The letter read: “Dear Lt. Colonel Maclaren, We write to confirm that you retired from the Royal Scots Dragoon Guards on 1st March 2001 at the rank of Lt Colonel, having been commissioned into the British Army at Edinburgh Castle as a 2nd Lieutenant on 1st February 1366. Accordingly your lump sum payment, based on years served, has been calculated as £68,500. You will receive a cheque for this amount in due course. Yours sincerely, Army Paymaster” Col Maclaren replied: “Dear Paymaster, Thank you for your recent letter confirming that I served as an officer in the Royal Scots Dragoon Guards between 1st February 1366 and 1st March 2001 – a total period of 635 years and 1 month. I note however that you have calculated my lump sum to be £68, 500, which seems to be considerably less than it should be bearing in mind my length of service since I received my commission from King Edward III. By my calculation, allowing for interest payments and currency fluctuations, my lump sum should actually be £6,427,586,619.47p. I look forward to receiving a cheque for this amount in due course. Yours sincerely, Robert Maclaren (Lt Col Retd)” A month passed by and then in early April, a stout manilla envelope from the Ministry of Defence in Edinburgh dropped through Col Maclaren’s letter box, it read: “Dear Lt Colonel Maclaren, We have reviewed the circumstances of your case as outlined in your recent letter to us dated 8th March inst. We do indeed confirm that you were commissioned into the Royal Scots Dragoon Guards by King Edward III at Edinburgh Castle on 1st February 1366, and that you served continuously for the following 635 years and 1 month. We have re-calculated your pension and have pleasure in confirming that the lump sum payment due to you is indeed £6,427,586,619.47p. However, We also note that according to our records you are the only surviving officer who had command responsibility during the following campaigns and battles: *The Wars of the Roses 1455 -1485 (Including the battles of Bosworth Field, Barnet and Towton) *The Civil War 1642 -1651 (Including the battles Edge Hill, Naseby and the conquest of Ireland) *The Napoleonic War 1803 – 1815 (including the battle of Waterloo and the Peninsular War) *The Crimean War (1853 – 1856) (including the battle of Sevastopol and the Charge of the Light Brigade) *The Boer War (1899 -1902). We would therefore wish to know what happened to the following, which do not appear to have been returned to Stores by you on completion of operations: *9765 Cannon *26,785 Swords *12,889 Pikes *127,345 Rifles (with bayonets) *28,987 horses (fully kitted) Plus three complete marching bands with instruments and banners. We have calculated the total cost of these items and they amount to £6,427,518.119.47p. WE have therefore subtracted this sum from your lump sum, leaving a residual amount of £68,500, for which you will receive a cheque in due course. Yours sincerely . . . .”

🚨Lady Eleanor Donaldson ruled unfit to stand trial The wife of former DUP leader Sir Jeffrey Donaldson, has been ruled unfit to stand trial in a historical sexual offences case in which her husband is a defendant. Judge Paul Ramsey made the ruling at Newry Crown Court on Wednesday after hearing medical evidence. The judge told the court: “I am satisfied that upon the totality of the evidence presented I will determine that Eleanor Donaldson is unfit to be tried.” Eleanor Donaldson is now set to face a trial of the facts – a process that tests the evidence in the case but cannot result in her being criminally convicted. The judge heard further legal submissions during Wednesday’s hearing on whether that trial of the facts should run alongside the trial of Jeffrey Donaldson or as separate proceedings at a different time. He is due to rule on that point on Thursday. Neither Jeffrey or Eleanor Donaldson were present in court for the ruling. They were not required to attend. Prior to Wednesday’s proceedings, the trial of Jeffrey Donaldson, 63, had been listed to start on May 26. He has pleaded not guilty to 18 alleged offences. The charges include one count of rape and allegations of indecent assault and gross indecency, and span a time period between 1985 and 2008, involving two alleged victims. Eleanor Donaldson, 60, of Dublinhill Road, Dromore, has denied charges of aiding and abetting. Proceedings had already been delayed twice due to medical issues related to her. The judge ruled that she was not fit to stand trial after considering evidence from several psychiatric experts. Jeffrey Donaldson, a former long-standing MP for Lagan Valley, was arrested and charged at the end of March 2024. He resigned as DUP leader and was suspended from the party after the allegations emerged. Weeks before his arrest, he had led the DUP back into devolved government at Stormont after a two-year boycott of the powersharing institutions.