Thoughts on Pope Benedict, Turkish-Israeli Relations and Boris Berezovsky

It has been a rather quiet Saturday but there are some interesting stories : (1). Pope Francis helicoptered to Castel Gandolfo to meet with Pope Emeritus Benedict, who came out to the helicopter pad to greet the new Pope. What struck me was how frail Benedict seemed, looking as if he had aged a year in one month. We should keep him in our thoughts and prayers because his health is clearly deteriorating. (2). While US President Obama was in Turkey, Israeli prime minister Netanyahu phoned Turkish president Erdogan to apologize for the 2010 Israeli boarding of a Turkush supply ship headed for Gaza that left 6 dead, promising to pay compensation to their families. If Turkey and Israel have settled their differences, that is very good news for the Middle East. (3). Snow and freezing winds continue to batter Great Britain, especially Wales and central England. This will be the coldest winter in England in the last 50 years. Global warming? (4). Boris Berezovsky has died in London. The Russian oligarch, a long time political enemy of Vkadimir Putin, fled Russia years ago to avoid the Russian president's pursuit. British authorities are investigating the Russian billionaire's death to determine its cause, hoping to rule out Kremlin responsibility, we can guess. ~~~~~ Have a happy Palm Sunday, dear readers, and enjoy these first mild days of Spring.