Greetings this Thursday, the 11th of September, 2025, otherwise known as National Hot Cross Bun Day. To inform you, a hot cross bun, according to Wikipedia, is a spice latened bread often filled with raisins, distinguishable for the iconic cross etched atop. Its roots can be traced back to numerous countries including but not limited to the UK, Ireland, Australia, Canada, and the US. They can be bought and enjoyed throughout the year in a few countries, especially in the United Kingdom. These specially baked buns indeed mark the close of Lent. Each component of a hot cross bun holds valuable symbolism; the cross alludes to Jesus’ crucifixion, the concealed spices pay homage to the spices used in Jesus’ embalming, and the orange peel reflects his sufferings on the cross. Fascinatingly, Jesus was embalmed with around 75 pounds of aloe and myrrh.
This year, Lent fell from the 5th to 17th of March. Therefore, the connection between today being labeled as Bunday remains unclear. This day is also earmarked for several observations such as Celebrate Freedom Day, Bed-Making Day, a day commemorating National Emergency Responders, and Patriot Day, a day observing the falling of two aircraft into the World Trade Centre back in 2001. News of a tragic incident from the political front – Charlie Kirk, a well-known conservative activist, was assassinated while delivering a talk at Utah Valley University. He succumbed to the fatal gunshot wound to his neck, which cut through his carotid artery, causing rapid blood loss.
While I greatly diverge from his political ideals, no one should be subjected to such a frightening end. He leaves behind his spouse and two children, and the celebration of death for political vengeance, which is becoming regrettably common, is unequivocally unacceptable. There were individuals who heartlessly expressed the wish that the assassin had used better equipment, which presumably, would’ve ensured Kirk’s death instantly. However, when news of his decease broke out, these individuals, recognizing the optics of their previous sentiments, publicly revised their statements. The insensitivity of such statements leaves me lost for words. The grief and loss that Kirk’s family, close ones, and friends must be going through is unimaginable.
In international news, an Israeli airstrike targeted Qatar in a bid to eliminate Hamas leadership yesterday. Following a diplomatic deadlock of almost two years, Qatar’s peace mediation attempts were caught amidst violent crossfire. This airstrike, aimed at members of Hamas’s political office in Doha, obstructed ongoing negotiations to end the Gaza conflict. This attack stands to potentially disrupt Qatar’s role in mediating peace dialogs between the two sides.
Qatar’s Prime Minister, Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, in a press conference on Tuesday reaffirmed Qatar’s commitment to continue its mediation efforts between Israel and Hamas. “Qatari diplomacy’s cornerstone is mediation; hence it will persist regardless of the situation,” Mohammed stated. Nevertheless, he confided that the recent attacks may have rendered present peace talks ineffectual. “With such an attack that we just witnessed, the viability of the current talks seems questionable,” he added.
News from the New York Times informs that the U.S. military broke the news about Israel’s airstrike in Qatar to President Trump. Trump expressed his displeasure about being kept in the dark about such a significant event by the Israelis, whom he regards as a robust ally in the Middle East as well as a close friend. The surprise was not new for Mr. Trump, who had been similarly uninformed of Israel’s 12-day war with Iran back in June.
Netanyahu, Israel’s Prime Minister, has repeatedly exercised brazen attacks on Israeli adversaries, especially Hamas, often leveraging American weapons with limited or no prior intimation with the U.S. government, owing to his camaraderie with Trump. Mr. Trump expressed his disapproval on Tuesday afternoon of being kept uninformed by Israelis again. He made his displeasure apparent by stating, `I was exceedingly displeased with every aspect,’ before adding, `This has to resolve, we must ensure the safe return of our hostages. But I am entirely unhappy about how it took place.’
Trump finds himself in a precarious situation where he is expected to back two allies, even though one has subjected the other to bombing. However, he appears to endorse Israel’s actions more than empathize with Qatar. Trump, agreeing with Israel’s strategy to obliterate Hamas, intends to minimize civilian collateral as much as possible. His tacit approval for Israel is possibly fuelled by his desire to cement his reputation as ‘The Great Peacemaker’, in hopes to secure the coveted Nobel Peace Prize.
Having lost patience with peace negotiations, Netanyahu resorted to drastic measures, a realization that seems to have dawned upon Trump too. As stated by a headline in the WSJ, Netanyahu’s aggressive move against Hamas in Qatar signifies his exhaustion with the dialogue process. Natasha Hausdorff provides a useful viewpoint, arguing that such attacks do not contravene any international law.
Kamala Harris, in her latest book, critiques Joe Biden’s hesitance on whether to continue his presidency, which she claims created a vacuum for potential Democratic alternatives. An excerpt from the Associated Press from her recent book states that Kamala blamed the Democrats’ recklessness for letting Biden decide about running for another term, a decision she saw as ill-advised as Biden dropped his candidature in July 2024 after an underwhelming performance during a debate. This move pushed her to take over the Democratic ticket which eventually led to her defeat against the Republican Donald Trump.
Kamala writes in her book, `The stakes were too high. This should not have been left to personal ambition or individual ego. This decision should have been about more than just personal interests.’ Biden’s office has not immediately responded to the allegations. Kamala had always refrained from criticizing the president during and after the campaign, often defending him against any doubts over his mental acuity.
Despite this, her book does hint at Biden’s flagging energy levels, especially around the time of the disastrous debate, labeling him as `tired.’ She writes, `Even on the worst of days, he was far more knowledgeable, capable of judgment, and compassionate than Donald Trump on his best of days. But at 81, fatigue was evident in Joe’s physical and verbal missteps.’ Shedding light on the series of events that led up to the debate, she states, `It doesn’t surprise me that the debate debacle unfolded just after he had made back-to-back trips to Europe followed by a flight to attend a Hollywood fundraiser on the West Coast. I am convinced that it wasn’t incapacity.’
Harris further alleges that Biden’s media coverage was manipulated by those around him, leading to an unflattering portrayal during her term as vice president. Contrary to popular opinion, Harris believes Biden’s alleged tiredness was not a symptom of his age or potential dementia, as all presidents have to deal with excessive workload. Trump, though three years younger than Biden, appears to be quite vigorous despite his McDonald’s diet. Harris’s book seems to be an attempt at self-exoneration.
On another shocking note, Russian weaponry infiltrated NATO airspace, in this case, Poland, for the first time. Assisted by NATO allies, Poland successfully eliminated the trespassing drones. On Wednesday, Poland reported that approximately 19 Russian drones violated its airspace over a span of seven hours in what Europe sees as the gravest breach of NATO territory since Russia’s all-out invasion of Ukraine more than three years ago.
The Polish forces identified the incident as an ‘act of aggression’, stating that the drones were neutralized with help from NATO allies. Dutch F-35s intercepted several of the drones, and German Patriot missile batteries spread over Poland were alerted. For the first time since the war, alliance forces engaged potential threats within its own airspace. Donald Tusk, Polish Prime Minister, confirmed that the drones arrived from both Russian and Belarusian territory, where Russian and Belarusian forces are currently preparing for large-scale military exercises. The debris of drones scattered across seven villages within eastern Poland, one of which resulted in significant roof damage to a house. Fortunately, no casualties were reported, but in response, Poland temporarily suspended parts of its airspace and all flights from Warsaw’s main airport were put on hold during the attack.
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