Labour Party ‘not connected’ to Anti-Jewish messages. The party has sought to distance itself from the continuing media attention surrounding anti-Semitic messages that have been left by members of the party on Facebook. Among the messages left on the social media platform was praise for Adolf Hitler and threats to kill Prime Minister Theresa May, as reported by the Sunday Times. Over two months the paper investigated the 20 biggest pro-Corbyn Facebook groups. Meanwhile, one of Labour’s biggest private donors informed the Observer that left the party over its failure to deal with “the most blatant acts of anti-Semitism”. Sir David Garrard, who donated £1.5 million to Labour since 2003, told the paper: “I have watched with dismay and foreboding the manner in which the leadership has, in my view, over the last two years, conducted itself.” The issue continues to present a serious challenge to Jeremy Corbyn’s leadership.

102nd Anniversary of Easter Rising remembered in Dublin. The 1916 rebellion was commemorated with a military ceremony, attended by President Michael D Higgins and Taoiseach Leo Varadkar, The main event was held outside the General Post Office, the de facto headquarters of the 1916 rebels. There were further events at Glasnevan Cemetary, as well as an annual commemoration at the Garden of Remembrance in Parnell Square, organised by the Relatives Association. Noreen Byrne drew attention to the 300 women who took part in the Rising. They were “strong, independent women prepared to resist prescribed roles,” she noted. In Belfast, Sinn Féin’s Michelle O’Neill used the occasion to call for a referendum on Irish unity “within the next five years.”

7 people charged after illegal republican parade in Lurgan. The arrests were made by the PSNI after masked men wearing paramilitary-style uniforms marched down Lurgan’s Levin Road. It is believed to have been organised by Republican Sinn Féin, without notification and without approval from the Parades Commission. “Today the PSNI said enough is enough and through a well coordinated plan delivered with professionalism and skill they broke up this illegal RSF gathering and arrested the colour party,” commented Doug Beattie, UUP MLA for Upper Bann. Gerry Kelly, Sinn Féin’s spokesman on policing, wrote on Twitter that he wanted commemorations “to be open, respectful and dignified,” but raised his concern with the PSNI that a woman was injured during the incident. He called for a tougher approach to be taken with loyalist paramilitaries in the area.

Good Friday Agreement ‘not finished’ according to Seamus Mallon. The former deputy First Minister for Northern Ireland said the current stalemate in Northern Ireland does not signal the end of the Good Friday Agreement, but a new beginning. Mallon was speaking in Dublin before taking part in an event to commemorate victims of the Troubles. As Northern Ireland had been without a government since January 2017, Mallon stated that, “We have got an agreement, the Good Friday Agreement, some people say it has been damaged, that it is finished. It is not.” There had been suggestions from British politicians that the Agreement is no longer fit for purpose. “The collapse of power-sharing in Northern Ireland shows the Good Friday Agreement has outlived its use,” wrote Owen Paterson, former Secretary of State. Mallon’s could be seen as a reassertion of the need for political parties to re-establish a power-sharing government with a new spirit of cooperation, in contrast to the tone of previous failed attempts.

Netanyahu and Erdogan in war of words over continuing Gaza violence. It comes after a total of 16 Palestinians were killed on Friday after Israeli soldiers opened fire on some violent demonstrators on the Gaza border. President Erdogan accused Netanyahu of being “a terrorist.” It came after Mr Netanyahu rejected Ankara’s “moral lessons” and accused Turkey of indiscriminately bombing civilians in its actions abroad. He has previously called Mr Erdogan someone who “bombs Kurdish villagers” in a reference to Turkey’s military operations in the Afrin area of Syria. Mr Erdogan had earlier labelled the Israeli response on Friday an “inhumane attack”. “Hey Netanyahu! You are occupier. And it is as an occupier that are you are on those lands,” Mr Erdogan said in a televised address on Sunday. The escalating war of words comes amid growing international criticism of the Israeli military response. However, the Israeli prime minister stated “The most moral army in the world will not be lectured to on morality from someone who for years has been bombing civilians indiscriminately,” said on Twitter.