Israeli spokesperson David Mencer said that the cargo on the Madleen boat was "meagre", and consisted mostly of items that were banned in Gaza, including hope, faith, solidarity and love.

Why is it that people can receive international aid when they are facing the forces of nature - powerful and damaging but not malignant - but the international community is powerless to intervene when people face human-made disasters?

When there has been a risk of famine elsewhere in the world, or where there have been natural disasters affecting similar numbers of people, Governments around the world have been quick to intervene and bring relief to people affected.

Here's the letter (and some others):

. Let it be known that I have written many serious letters to the paper, and most of them have not been published. But they publish this jokey one. Really, I know that at this time there are far more important things in the world. I’ll work on something more serious for the next one.

I’m a bit embarrassed to say that The Guardian is publishing one of my letters in tomorrow’s print edition (and it’s online now). Embarrassed because it’s just a jokey letter responding to someone who was miffed that they hadn’t been mentioned in the Guardian birthday column.

So very easy for Labour to break pledges on: Green investment, abolishing tuition fees and the House of Lords, support for children in poverty, bankers' bonuses.
So very hard for Labour to break a pledge stay within ridiculous tory fiscal rules.

What I look like as a viking. Happy to do this for anyone else. Just send me your photo, email address and other data, which I will sell on to AI developers. (PS - Helmet available in different colours).

'm performing with Michael Rosen and Ivor Dembina next Monday, in aid of Medical Aid for Palestinians. Book tickets at: dice.fm/event/rkpkq-...

There seems to be a lot of alarm about artificial intelligence, but what worries me more is genuine stupidity.