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Journalist:To end war ------
prosecute UK, US officials
who wage(d) it illegally
October 22nd, 10:12pm (PressTV)
The world must finally put an end to the impunity of war
criminals, by holding US and UK officials responsible
for launching the illegal war on Iraq, done without
the approval of the UN Security Council, and
prosecuting them --- under the Nuremberg
principles, US journalist Don DeBar said.
DeBar made the remarks in an interview with Press TV while
commenting on a report which has revealed that the British
military inquiries into abuse against Iraqi nationals... have
been closed without a single prosecution being brought,
even though the credibility of many "shocking and
shameful incidents" during the war in the Middle
Eastern country, have been confirmed.
British Defense Secretary Ben Wallace said in a statement
this week that the Service Police Legacy Investigations,
which was looking at claims of abuse in Iraq, had now
"officially closed its doors."
In March 2003, the US and Britain invaded Iraq in blatant
violation of international law and under the pretext of
finding WMDs; but no such weapons were ever
discovered in Iraq.
More than one million Iraqis were killed - as the result of
the US-led invasion and subsequent occupation of Iraq
--- according to the California-based investigative
organization, Project Censored.
The US war in Iraq cost US taxpayers $1.7 trillion with
an additional $490 billion in benefits owed to war veterans, expenses that could grow to more than $6 trillion over the next four decades counting interest, according to a study called Costs of War Project --- by the Watson Institute for
International Studies at Brown University.
DeBar told Press TV that the Iraq war
was illegal from the very beginning.
"It is illegal for a nation to make war on another nation if it
does not have the approval of the UN Security Council, if
any of those nations are signatories to the original UN
Charter. And it’s been adopted - that happened with
the US, as a charter member of the UN -- and it was
approved by the US Senate in the 1940s.
Consequently, the US involvement in Iraq from the beginning, and the UK involvement in Iraq from the beginning, was illegal,” he said.
“And under the Nuremberg standards, which would then
apply, each and every death consequent – intentional
or not - to either US or UK military action there, or
condoning of the US action there, by the media
or public officials, or any act facilitating that,
is an individual war crime. And, by the way,
there’s a death penalty for that,” the
journalist noted.
“No one will prosecute these people. That’s why I started
with the word impunity. And we might bookend with that
because that’s the problem. And until the world puts an
end to that impunity, until the world sees the major
contradiction in all international relations, is US,
UK, and EU imperialism, then it’s going to
continue until this eats our species,”
he stated.
A damning White House memo had revealed details of the
so-called “deal in blood” forged by former British Prime
Minister Tony Blair and US President George W. Bush
over the Iraq war.
The document, titled “Secret... Memorandum for the
President”, was sent by then-US Secretary of State
Colin Powell to President Bush on March 28th, 2002, a week before Bush’s summit with Blair at his Crawford ranch in Texas.
The sensational memo, revealed that Blair had agreed to
support the war a year before the invasion even started
while publicly, the British prime minister was working to find a diplomatic solution to the crisis.
The document also disclosed that Blair agreed to act as a
spin doctor for Bush and convince a skeptical public that
Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein had Weapons of Mass
Destruction, which actually did not exist.
In response, Bush would flatter Blair and give the
impression that London was not Washington’s
poodle but an equal partner in the
“special relationship.”
Powell told Bush that Blair “will be with us” on the
Iraq war, and assured the president that “"the UK
will follow our lead in the Middle East."
Blair has always denied the claim that he and Bush
signed a deal “in blood”, at Crawford, to launch a
war against Iraq that began on March 20th, 2003,
that has killed hundreds of thousands of people.
The Powell memo, however, showed how Blair and
Bush secretly prepared the Iraq war plot behind
closed doors at Crawford.
Powell told Bush: “He will present to you the strategic,
tactical and public affairs lines, that he believes will
strengthen global support for our common cause.”
Cuba considers Venezuela’s response
to imperial infamy -----admirable
December 9th, 1:48pm
(Prensa Latina)
The president of Casa de las Americas in Cuba - Abel Prieto,
considered the response of President Nicolas Maduro and
the Venezuelan people to what he called the infamy of
the declining US empire... admirable.
Speaking at the opening of the People’s Assembly for Peace
and Sovereignty of Our America, the Cuban intellectual
expressed his pride..... in the presence of a large
delegation from the island at this meeting.
He stated that the Cuban delegation includes representatives
from all sectors of revolutionary civil society, including the
Network of Intellectuals and Artists in Defense of
Humanity, women, farmers, workers, and the
National Assembly (parliament).
Prieto declared - that the Cuban people have followed this entire
criminal escalation in detail, the lies upon lies, which are used
as a permanent weapon of war to confuse and try to divide
the people of Cuba and Venezuela.
The writer highlighted as admirable ----- the fact that millions of
Venezuelans responded to President Nicolas Maduro’s call to
enlist in the Bolivarian People’s Militias, which reminded him
of Fidel and Raul Castro’s military doctrine ----- of the War of
the Entire People, adopted by President Miguel Duaz-Canel.
“In the Bolivarian Republic --- I have not seen anyone afraid, or
insecure, and the people have responded with great bravery,
firmness, courage, and dignity to the call to battle issued
by the Head of State and the leadership of the United
Socialist Party of Venezuela,” he emphasized.
The Cuban researcher commented that what is at stake
here is not only the Caribbean, Venezuela, and Cuba,
but also the balance of the world, and called for a
The political ecosystem into which the Bolivarian Revolution has
been transformed gives legitimacy to the process in its daily life.
The cognitive and media war against Venezuela prevents, “in a true
crime”, the people of the world from being able to enjoy what a
Revolution like the Bolivarian one means, seeing it in all its
complexity, its contradictions, but also, in its beauty
and organizational capacity.
The level of political participation in Venezuela is stunning, in
a completely dialogic country, which since the arrival of the
Revolution has not stopped dialogue ----- the war against
Nicolás Maduro has been brutal and unjust, because
if ever there was a man completely dedicated to
the revolutionary cause, it has been him.
Unfortunately, the cultural part designed by imperialism in the world - is so powerful.... that it is capable of hiding that, even from its own compatriots ....who live that reality.
The United States Government knows all this, and knows the
vanguard of the PSUV - and the very high cost that it would
mean to confront it, together with the Bolivarian National
Armed Forces ------- in a conflict against our country, beyond military asymmetries.
As Maduro said, when closing the plenary session of the Fifth
Congress, “each aggression of imperialism accelerates our
evolution, makes us stronger, more participatory and
democratic;the more aggression, the more
Revolution; and at maximum pressure,
maximum preparation”.
Image: People hold up a banner as they protest against Israel at the entrance of the International Criminal Court.
People hold up a banner as they protest
against Israel at the entrance of the
International Criminal Court
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Iran - after a 'strong region free
from foreign interference': FM
December 9th, 9:56pm
(PressTV)
Foreign Minister, Abbas Araghchi -- says Iran pursues
a "strong region" free from "disruptive interference"
by certain extra-regional powers.
The top diplomat made the remarks in Tehran on Tuesday,
meeting with senior envoys from Beijing and Riyadh
following the countries’ third trilateral meeting.
Araghchi stressed that lasting stability and security in the
region required collective cooperation among the
regional states.
He, meanwhile, praised China’s “constructive approach” to
West Asian issues and underlined the Islamic Republic’s
commitment to strengthening ties with its neighbours,
including Saudi Arabia, under its good-
neighbourliness policy.
He highlighted the “growing trajectory” of Tehran-Riyadh relations
across areas of mutual interest, noting - continued consultations
between the two sides, particularly at the foreign-minister level.
Araghchi also identified China’s role in reinforcing international
peace and stability, supporting multilateralism and the rule of
law, and bolstering cooperation across the developing world
as “very important.”
He noted that Tehran and Beijing --- are determined to use
all available capacities ------ to expand bilateral relations.
For their part, the heads of the Chinese and Saudi delegations,
Waleed al-Kharaii, Saudi Arabia’s deputy foreign minister, and
Miao Deyi, China’s vice foreign minister, thanked Iran for
hosting the trilateral session ---- and affirmed their
countries’ readiness to broaden cooperation
with Tehran “in all fields.”
The meeting, attended by Majid Takht-Ravanchi, Iranian deputy
foreign minister for political affairs, concluded with the signing
of a joint document by the three deputy foreign ministers.
A section of the document underscored Beijing’s readiness
to continue supporting and encouraging the steps taken
by Tehran and Riyadh to strengthen their bilateral ties
across multiple domains.
In March 2023.. after several days of intensive negotiations hosted
by China, Iran and Saudi Arabia agreed to resume their diplomatic
relations and reopen their embassies and diplomatic missions
following seven years of estrangement.
The countries had severed their ties in January 2016 after
Riyadh’s execution of Sheikh Nimr al-Nimr, a prominent
Shia cleric, prompted angry protesters to storm the
Saudi Embassy in Tehran.
_________________________________________
Gaza Endures 738 Israeli Violations
in 60 Days of Ceasefire--- as the
Humanitarian Crisis Worsens
December 9th, 6:07pm
(al Manar)
Despite a formal ceasefire that Palestinian resistance factions
have fully upheld, the Israeli enemy has continued its assault
on Gaza, committing hundreds of violations that have left
more than 1,300 Palestinians dead or wounded since
the agreement took effect.
The Gaza Government Media Office reported on Tuesday that
the Israeli occupation forces carried out 738 violations over
the first 60 days of the ceasefire, keeping the enclave
under a suffocating blockade and meeting only 38%
of its minimum humanitarian commitments.
According to the statement, the Zionist enemy has engaged in
“grave and systematic breaches” since the ceasefire began
on 10 October 2025 through Monday evening - actions that
constitute clear violations of international humanitarian
law and a deliberate undermining of the agreement
and its humanitarian protocol.
The government detailed the violations as follows:
205 incidents of direct gunfire targeting civilians
37 incursions by military vehicles into residential areas
358 attacks and bombardments against unarmed
civilians and their homes
138 demolitions of homes, institutions, and civilian buildings
These actions resulted in the killing of 386 Palestinians and
the injury of 980 others, in addition to 43 unlawful arrests
carried out by Israeli forces.
Humanitarian Commitments Undermined
The media office affirmed that the Israeli enemy failed to meet
even the basic level of humanitarian aid agreed upon. Only
13,511 trucks entered Gaza out of the 36,000 that should
have been allowed during the ceasefire period — an
average of 226 trucks per day, compared with
the daily quota of 600.
Fuel deliveries were even more restricted: Gaza received only
315 fuel trucks out of the 3,000 stipulated — just 10% of the
agreed amount—averaging 5 trucks per day instead of 50.
This left hospitals, bakeries, water facilities, and sanitation
networks on the brink of shutdown, deepening the
hardship faced by civilians across the Strip.
The media office warned that Israel’s continued violations
amount to a dangerous circumvention of the ceasefire
and an attempt to impose a humanitarian regime
based on coercion, deprivation - and political
pressure. It held Israel fully responsible for
the worsening humanitarian situation,
the rising death toll... as well as the
destruction of civilian property.
The statement urged the international community, the United
Nations, US President Donald Trump, and the parties
sponsoring the agreement to uphold their legal and
moral duties by compelling Israel to honour its
commitments in full.
It called for immediate measures to protect civilians and
ensure the uninterrupted flow of humanitarian aid and
fuel as mandated by the ceasefire — steps deemed
essential to confronting the ongoing catastrophe
in Gaza.
Source: Al-Manar Website
___________________________________
Iran, China, Saudi Arabia ----Call for an
Immediate Halt to Israeli Aggression
December 9th, 4:17pm
(al Manar)
Iran China Saudi Arabia, Iran and China affirmed
their commitment to implementing the Beijing
Agreement during a meeting in Tehran.
(Tasnim News Agency)
A joint communiqué issued on Tuesday, at the conclusion of
the Iranian–Saudi–Chinese trilateral meeting ------ called for
the “immediate cessation” of Israeli military aggression
against Palestine, Lebanon, and Syria.
Iran welcomed what it described as the clear and principled
Saudi and Chinese positions ---- condemning the Israeli
enemy’s recent attacks.
The three countries also reaffirmed their support for
a comprehensive political settlement in Yemen,
grounded in internationally recognized
principles and supervised by the
United Nations.
They further welcomed progress in consular coordination
between Iran and Saudi Arabia, which ensured the safe
travel of more than 85,000 Iranian pilgrims and over
210,000 Umrah visitors in 2025.
The statement noted growing cooperation between research,
academic, media, cultural, and policy institutions in both
countries, expressing satisfaction with the exchange
of delegations and their joint participation in
relevant events.
The three states voiced their intention to expand cooperation
across political and economic spheres, emphasizing the
centrality of regional dialogue to bolster security,
stability, peace, and economic development.
The meeting in Tehran marked the third session of the trilateral
committee linking Iran, China, and Saudi Arabia. A preparatory
session involving diplomats and experts from the three
nations was held in the Iranian capital a day earlier.
The committee’s second meeting—tasked with following up on
the Beijing Agreement—was convened on 20 November 2024
in Riyadh, chaired by Saudi Deputy Foreign Minister Waleed
Abdulkarim Al-Khuraiji, with Iran represented by Deputy
Foreign Minister for Political Affairs, Majid Takht-
Ravanchi, and China, by the Vice Foreign
Minister, Deng Li.
During that session, Iran and Saudi Arabia -- renewed their
commitment to fully implementing the Beijing Agreement
and advancing good-neighbourly relations.... in line with
the UN Charter, as well as the Organization of Islamic
Cooperation framework, and international law,
including respect for national sovereignty
and independence.
Both countries also expressed appreciation for China’s
sustained, constructive role and for Beijing’s ongoing
support in overseeing the implementation of
the agreement.
Source: Al-Manar Website
_______________________________________
Iraq’s Central Bank Officially Removes
Hezbollah, Ansarullah from List
of Frozen Assets
December 9th, 2:23pm
(al Manar)
The Asset Freezing Committee at the Central Bank of Iraq has
amended a previous decision -- officially removing the names
associated with Lebanon’s Hezbollah & Yemen’s Ansarullah
movement, from its list of frozen assets.
Iraqi media reported on Tuesday that the Asset Freezing
Committee at the country’s Central Bank has amended
Decision No. (24) of 2025. Based on this amendment,
all titles and entities previously associated with
Lebanon’s Hezbollah and Yemen’s Ansarullah
movement have been removed from the
asset freezing list.
The text published by the Committee confirms that the new
amendment involves canceling the clauses of the former
decisions that had placed these groups on the asset
freeze list. It was also stressed that the amending
decision ..must be published in Iraq’s Official
Gazette, and on the website of the Office
of Anti-Money Laundering and Counter
-Terrorism Financing, and is effective
from the date of issuance.
Previously, the Asset Freezing Committee at the Central
Bank of Iraq had mistakenly included the names of
Hezbollah and the Ansarullah movement on the
“terrorist groups” list.
Following this error, Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia’
Al-Sudani ordered an immediate investigation into the
mistake made in Decision No. 61 of 2025 by the
Committee for Freezing Terrorist Assets — a
decision that was published, in Issue 4848
of the Iraqi Official Gazette on November
17, 2025.
According to the Prime Minister’s office, the decision contained
texts that “did not reflect reality,” clarifying that Iraq had only
agreed to Malaysia’s request to freeze assets linked to ISIS
and Al-Qaeda, and nothing more.
The Iraqi government emphasized in its statement that
its political and humanitarian stances regarding the
aggression against the people of Lebanon and
Palestine are principled and fixed, and
non-negotiable.
These stances, the government asserted, reflect the will of
the Iraqi people in supporting the right of the region’s
nations to freedom and a dignified life.
Source: Agencies
(edited by Al-Manar)
_________________________
Sources Close to Speaker Berri:
“No Room -- for Any Form of
Normalization with
Israeli Enemy”
December 9th, 11:33am
(al Manar)
Sources close to Lebanese Speaker Nabih Berri, affirmed on
Tuesday - that the position of the Speaker of Parliament is
firm regarding refusal to expand the framework of direct
negotiations with the Israeli enemy --- or to task any
committee other than the existing “Mechanism”.
In remarks to Al-Binaa Lebanese daily, the sources stressed -- that
Speaker Berri’s stance is clear: that the Mechanism committee is
tasked with handling military, security and technical issues only.
The sources indicated that Speaker Berri stressed Lebanon’s
constants in any negotiation process, foremost among them
the Israeli withdrawal from occupied Lebanese territories,
the cessation of attacks, the demarcation of borders,
and the return of prisoners.
“Any deviation of the negotiations from this path will be met
with the appropriate response, for every incident - has its
own context,” the sources cited the Lebanese speaker
as saying.
“No room - for any form of normalization of ties with
the Israeli enemy,” the sources added to Al-Binaa.
The paper added that Speaker Berri briefed the UN Security
Council delegation, who visited Beirut last week, on the
current situation in south Lebanon... in light of the
ongoing Israeli attacks.
The Lebanese Speaker told the UNSC delegation that Lebanon
has fully implemented the obligations of the 2024 ceasefire
agreement, while ‘Israel’ has not adhered to any of its
commitments, Al-Binaa reported.
The daily also learned that Speaker Berri is still refusing to
meet former ambassador Simon Karam, who joined the
technical ceasefire meetings.
Source: AFP (edited by
Al-Manar English Website)
____________________________________________
Islamic Jihad Says “Closes Captive Case”,
Difficulties Reported in Recovering Last
Hostage’s Body
December 9th, 10:32am
(al Manar)
The Islamic Jihad Palestinian resistance group announced on
Tuesday it has closed the case of Israeli captives held with
its operatives, as Hamas and the Red Cross resume the
search for the body of the last hostage in Gaza.
In a statement, Spokesman of Islamic Jihad’s Al-Quds Brigades
military wing, Abu Hamza said: “closed the case of Israeli
captives after we handed over the body of the last
hostage held with us last Wednesday.”
He affirmed that the Al-Quds Brigades and the resistance factions
have adhered to all the terms of the agreement stipulated for the
first phase of the ceasefire agreement in the besieged strip.
In this context, the spokesman called on the mediators
and guarantors to “pressure the enemy to implement
its obligations under the agreement and to stop
its repeated criminal violations.”
Meanwhile, the Government Media Office in Gaza, announced
on Tuesday that the number of Israeli violations has reached
738 ......since the ceasefire took effect on October 10.
Palestinian media reported that the Israeli attacks in violation
of the ceasefire have killed at least 370 Palestinians and
injured more than 950 others.
Hamas Has “Objective Difficulties”
For its part, efforts have been underway by Hamas and the
Red Cross to find the body of the last slain hostage held
by the Palestinian resistance group in the Gaza City’s
Zeitoun Neighbourhood.
Media outlets reported on Monday difficulties in finding
the body of Israeli Police Master Sgt. Ran Gvili, the
last deceased captive in Gaza.
Commenting on the issue, former Israeli military point man
on captives Maj. Gen. (res.) Nitzan Alon said that Hamas
has “objective” difficulties in finding the body of the
last hostage.
“Hamas has an objective difficulty… It’s related to the chaos
they faced immediately after October 7,” Alon told Ynet
in an interview.
“Nevertheless, we believe -- that it is possible to bring him back.
There is a connection between the pressure applied to Hamas
and the results, so we can’t give up,” Alon said in a wide-
ranging interview, his first since he ended his more
than two years in the role where he also led the
Israeli occupation military’s intelligence-
gathering effort on captives and
missing persons.
Source: Al-Manar English Website
________________________________________
Israeli Enemy Escalates Attacks
on South Lebanon in Violation
of Ceasefire
December 9th, 8:32am
(al Manar)
The Israeli enemy expanded its attacks on south Lebanon
overnight and at dawn on Tuesday, with airstrikes being
reported in Iqlim Al-Tuffah .....and infiltrations being
recorded in border towns.
Al-Manar correspondent reported that Israeli warplanes
launched a series of airstrikes that hit several targets
in Iqlim Al-Tuffah --- at midnight.
A series of strikes targeted Safi Mount and the valley between
the towns of Azza and Roumine, our correspondent said,
reporting damage in houses lying in the outskirts of
the targeted towns.
Several infiltrations were also reported in several
border towns overnight and at dawn on Tuesday.
An Israeli force infiltrated into Shwat hill in the outskirts
of Ayta Al-Shaab border town, according to our reporter.
Elsewhere in Adaisseh, our correspondent stated -- that
an Israeli force blew up a house near the town’s square.
Another Israeli force infiltrated at dawn, on Tuesday, into
Wadi Al-Assafir in the southern neighbourhood of Khiam
The academic boycott of Israeli universities in Europe has
doubled, even after the Gaza ceasefire aimed at ending
the occupying regime’s genocidal war against the
besieged Gaza Strip.... a move that further
isolates Tel Aviv --- in global higher
education, a new report says.
The Academic Boycott of Israel Monitoring Team, created by
the Committee of University Presidents in Tel Aviv, said in a
report on Monday that academic boycotts targeting the
regime have surged, with around 1,000 cases
reported in Europe by November.
It stressed that Israel’s negative image, which has persisted even
after the ceasefire over the genocidal war against Gaza -- is “so
deeply entrenched that political moves alone are not enough
to shift public perception.”
Contrary to expectations that the boycott would ease following the
ceasefire, the report notes that “the opposite occurred,” with
institutions and individual academics more frequently
filing boycott cases.
The monitoring team, whose report was published by The Marker,
the economic version of the Hebrew newspaper Haaretz ---- also
warned that this expanding boycott could isolate Israeli higher
education significantly and pose a long-term strategic threat
to its international standing.
The report further identified concrete consequences for the move,
including a drop in EU Horizon Europe research grants for Israeli
scholars, exclusion from international cooperation projects,
and a breakdown in collaborative programs.
The Association of University Heads in Israel has reportedly
recorded over 1,000 incidents of academic boycotts over
the last two years, three times the total as of a year ago.
According to the report, 57 percent of cases involve individual
researchers (mainly being excluded from research groups),
22 percent are institutional severances, seven percent
are from professional associations, and 14 percent
relate to halted student exchanges or
postdoctoral partnerships.
It also said that this crippling boycott trend --- is unlikely to reverse
soon without “major regional and geopolitical changes,” warning
that sustained isolation of Israeli academia may continue.
The boycott movement “will accompany Israeli academia for
a long time and will not ease without major regional and
geopolitical changes,” the report noted.
Israel has killed nearly 70,000 Palestinians, most of them women
and children, and injured over 170,900 others in Gaza since
October 7, 2023, according to Gaza's Health Ministry,
when it launched a brutal war against the
Palestinian territory.
Despite a ceasefire announced in October,
Israel continues to target Gaza -------
in violation of the agreement.
Hamas has urged the guarantors of the ceasefire, namely Qatar,
Turkey, Egypt, and the United States, to press Israel to abide
by the deal ---- and stop its attacks on Gaza.
Image: No thanks to Israeli goods App
The world and her daughter are calling for a boycott of the genocidal colonial apartheid state of Israel.
Place yourself on the right side of joy and sorrow by joining the world's boycott - say ''no'' to evil!
Keir Hardie - Britain's first Labour MP - opposedWorld War One.
His namesake is stammering his way in the opposite direction.
VVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVV
ROGER WATERS TO MUSICIANS:- "BOYCOTT ISRAEL"
Roger Waters formerly of Pink Floyd, in an open letter, calls on his fellow musicians --- to boycott the Zionist Israeli regime and follow the example of the cultural boycott against the ex S. African Apartheid regime.
“Given the inability or unwillingness of our governments [to act] …. I write to you now, my brothers and sisters … to ask you to join with me, & thousands of other artists around the world, to declare a cultural boycott on Israel,” Roger Waters says in his letter.
Waters says the Zionist regime has been found guilty of major breaches of human rights and international law by international organizations, UN officials and the International Court of Justice.
He touches on two such cases, saying the regime has been identified as perpetrating the “crime of Apartheid”, including in a statement on March 9th, 2012 by the UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, and the “crime of ethnic cleansing” including in East Jerusalem (al-Quds).
Waters adds that he has been a member of the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) campaign against the Israeli regime’s occupation of the Palestinian lands and Tel Aviv’s violations of Palestinian human rights for 7 years, and now wants other musicians to also join the anti-Israeli front.
“Please join me and all our brothers and sisters in global civil society in proclaiming our rejection of Apartheid in Israel & occupied Palestine, by pledging not to perform or exhibit in Israel or accept any award or funding from any institution linked to the government of Israel, until such time as Israel complies with international law and universal principles of human rights.”
The former Pink Floyd Musician also says he has recently faced a boycott by the US media after his November 29th, 2012 address at the UN on behalf of the Russell Tribunal.
In the address, he sought accountability for the Zionist regime’s violations of the international law and the lack of United Nations resolve that prevents the Palestinian people from achieving their inalienable rights, especially the right of self-determination.
____________________
AT THE FACTORY
Tickets from
www.wegottickets.com/thefactory
www.ticketweb.co.uk
browse venues in Wales
www.ticketlineuk.com
02920 230130
Cash tickets from:
The Factory, Porth Instrumental Music, Penygraig Spillers Records, Cardiff
Indulge in a delicious cake and a cup of tea while enjoying music and sing-along songs from fantastic Welsh musicians.
Ticket information:
The Cultural Services Booking & Information Line:
08000 147 111 or book online at
www.rct-arts.co.ukÂÂ
*************************************************
Mid Rhondda Modelling Club...
7pm - 9pm
Tonyrefail Comprehensive School Mid Rhondda Modelling Club
has been running for over 30 years.
We meet on a regular basis
& enjoy making models for display.
We encourage both Gentlemen
and Ladies to attend, and also young people aged 12+.
However, Young people under 16, must be accompanied by an adult.
Ticket information
£1 contribution every week. Under 16's free
Telephone Mr. Davies on 01443 686658
************************************************
Comedy In The Laughter Lounge
The Park & Dare Theatre, Treorchy.
COMEDY IN THE LAUGHTER LOUNGE
Join us once a month in the intimate setting of the Laughter Lounge for some top notch comedy with some of the biggest and brightest rising comedians on the circuit.
Laugh? You'll snort like a pig!
Hilarious - TimeOut.
www.rct-arts.co.uk
Rhondda Records exists to express the Rhondda's vision --- when it was confident, powerful, caring, and socialist.
A Rhondda very aware of the media's poisonous tricks -- how they con working class people into attacking each other, or racial groups, or, often, even their best allies and friends... instead of seeing their real enemies:--- an elite who hate the very idea that working people can think, create, or achieve a fairer society.
Thatcher said her proudest achievement was Blair and New Labour - who parachuted in careerists and expenses fiddlers - to stop local Labour members having a say, and who made genuine socialist MPs leave the Labour party in disgust and many members and voters to despair... and the young to stop voting.
Jeremy Corbyn was always attacked because he was trying to reverse all that New Labour corruption --- that's why membership was flooding in all over the UK.
______________________________________
Get Involved!
– If you feel you’ve been ‘purged’, take this online survey:
– Request all your own data that the Labour Party holds on you:
http://www.labour.org.uk/pages/privacy
_______________________________________
IF - YOU THINK you HAVE BEEN UNFAIRLY BARRED:
“Any member who is suspended & intends to appeal the decision should throw in a ‘Subject Access Request in accordance with the Data Protection Act’ --- for ALL data that the Labour Party hold on them.
The Labour Party are Data Controllers and therefore have to, by law, provide you with all material/information they hold on you.”
If anyone is in contact with anyone who was barred from voting --- please can you pass this info on:
The Labour leadership election was under the jurisdiction of the electoral reform services.
If you were unfairly deprived of your vote you can call them on 0208 365 8909 and lodge your complaint, and inform them of your Data Protection request.
https://www.electoralreform.co.uk
The notification letters barring new members did not give a clear reason, or information on how to appeal, so Vox Political suggests that anyone in this situation, could also contact Liz Davies here: http://www.whycantivote.com
She is a barrister --- who can advise members on what to do.
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PONCY LABOUR MPS PROBLEM?
A huge drop in working-class Labour MPs, caused a massive drop in support among voters with similar backgrounds, reveals research seeking to explain why support has dwindled in the party’s heartlands.
The study says past leaders like Kinnock and Blair made a concerted effort to pick “more and more middle-class candidates to run for office, during the 80s and 90s, as part of an effort to rebrand” -- which had initial successes at the ballot box.
But this “conscious electoral strategy” stored up problems, as working-class voters who initially, just didn’t vote in response, now seek an alternative.
The solution?Trust each constituency to put forward its own candidates, and don't impose ‘party-approved’ choices who can't do the job.
Now, unfortunately, there are "entryist" MPs who, for decades, have been groomed by CIA cold war relic organisations -- like the Atlantic Council -- and are now trying to misdirect the Labour Party towards cuts, a militarised police, and a US war agenda... - and their anti-Corbyn slant is hobbling Labour.
‘How Can I Deselect My Labour MP?’ A Short Guide to Reselection and Democratic Accountability by Eric Sim, excellent free advice here:
http://novaramedia.com/2016/07/13/how-can-i- deselect-my-labour-mp-a-short-guide-to- reselection-and-democratic-accountability/ CHRIS BRYANT - SUPPORT THE MEMBERS' LEADERSHIP CHOICE & POLICIES - OR GO!
Chris Bryant, the Rhondda's dodgy MP, was on TV -- as soon as the PLP coup started -- telling us that Jeremy MUST go, because it was the ONLY way to act in the Labour Party's interest...
Chris Bryant's voting record: from TheyWorkForYou.com
On Tuition Fees:
On 27 Jan 2004: Chris Bryant voted in favour of university tuition fees increasing from £1,125 per year, to up to £3,000 per year.
On 31 Mar 2004: Chris Bryant voted to allow university tuition fees to increase from £1,125 per year, to up to £3,000 per year.
On 31 Mar 2004: Chris Bryant voted for the introduction of variable university tuition fees (top-up fees) of up to £3,000 per year in place of the previous fixed fee of £1,250 per year.
On 31 Mar 2004: Chris Bryant voted to allow university tuition fees to increase from £1,125 per year to up to £3,000 per year, and to make other changes to higher education funding and regulation arrangements.
On 14 Sep 2004: Chris Bryant voted against: the immediate abolition of all tuition fees, the re-introduction of maintenance grants of up to £2,000 for students from low-income homes, and changes to the country's higher education system.
On 14 Sep 2004: Chris Bryant voted to reject the Liberal Democrat policy of abolition of tuition fees.
On 25 May 2016: Chris Bryant was absent for a vote on Queen's Speech - Forcing Schools to Become Academies - Further Rises in University Tuition Fees
On Human Rights:
Consistently voted for introducing ID cards
Almost always voted for requiring the mass retention of information about communications
Generally voted for mass surveillance of people’s communications and activities
On the Environment:
Generally voted against greater regulation of hydraulic fracturing (fracking) to extract shale gas
On Special Interests:
Almost always voted against limits on success fees paid to lawyers in no-win no fee cases
Generally voted against a statutory register of lobbyists
On War or Peace:
Generally voted for use of UK military forces in combat operations overseas
Consistently voted for the Iraq war
Consistently voted against an investigation into the Iraq war
Generally voted for replacing Trident with a new nuclear weapons system
On 2 Dec 2015: Voted to support UK airstrikes in Syria [without UN authorisation]
On 2 Dec 2015: Voted to support UK airstrikes in Syria [without UN authorisation]
On Independence:
Generally voted for more EU integration
____________________________
Chris Bryant Labour MP From Wikipedia
(aka 1962-1986: Mr Christopher John Bryant 1986-1991: The Reverend Christopher John Bryant, 1991-2001: Mr Christopher John Bryant, 2001-: Mr Christopher John Bryant MP.)
Born in Cardiff, to a Scottish mother & a Welsh father, Bryant grew up in Cardiff, Wales (where his father worked for 5 years), and Cheltenham.
He was educated at Cheltenham College, an independent school for boys in the spa town of Cheltenham in Gloucestershire, where he was captain of the school swimming team, and Mansfield College at the University of Oxford, where he graduated in 1983, with a Bachelor of Arts (BA) degree in English. This was later promoted to a Master of Arts degree (MA (Oxon)), as per tradition.
After completing his first degree, Bryant began training to be a priest in the Church of England at Ripon College, Cuddesdon, in Oxfordshire. There, he obtained a degree in theology.
Although a member of the Conservative Party, and an elected office-holder in the Oxford University Conservative Association, he joined the Labour Party in 1986, after leaving Oxford.
He was ordained deacon in 1986 and priest in 1987. He served as a Curate at the Church of All Saints, High Wycombe, from 1986 to 1989; then as a Youth Chaplain in Peterborough, as well as travelling in Latin America.
In 1991 Bryant left the ordained ministry, after deciding that being gay and being a priest, were incompatible. Statements made by Richard Harries, then Bishop of Oxford, also influenced his decision.
After leaving the priesthood in 1991, Bryant worked as the election agent to the Holborn and St Pancras Constituency Labour Party, where he helped Frank Dobson hold his seat in the 1992 general election.
From 1993, he was Local Government officer for the Labour Party; he lived in Hackney and was elected to Hackney Borough Council in 1993, serving until 1998. He became Chair of the Christian Socialist Movement.
He is both a member of the Labour Friends of Israel and Labour Friends of Palestine & the Middle East. From 1994 to 1996 he was London manager of the leader-grooming "charity", Common Purpose.
He was Labour candidate for Wycombe, in the 1997 general election (he lost by 2,370 votes), and Head of European Affairs for the BBC, from 1998.
His selection for the very safe Labour seat of Rhondda, South Wales in 2000, shocked many people given Bryant's background – gay, an ex- Anglican vicar, and someone who was a Tory, while studying at Oxford, and a member now, of the Henry Jackson Society 'think tank' --- described by The Guardian newspaper as 'neoconservative'. It is pro-US, pro-NATO and pro-military intervention, as well as being fundamentally anti-socialist.
Fifty-two people applied for the candidature and a local councillor was hot favourite to win, before Bryant was parachuted in.
In 2004, a photograph of Mr Bryant in his underpants, which he had posted to a gay dating website, was published in 'papers.
When an interviewer suggested he was a 'disgrace to the Rhondda', he replied: "They can't get rid of me."
His pay, allowances and some expenses:
The basic annual salary for an MP, from April 1st, 2016 is £74,962. MPs also get expenses: to cover the costs of running an office, employing staff, having some- where to live in London, plus, in their constituency and travelling between Parliament and their constituency.
His MP's expenses story:
Chris Bryant changed second home twice to claim £20,000: the deputy leader of the House of Commons, "flipped" his second home twice, in 2 years, allowing him to claim almost £20,000 for renovations and fees.
Chris Bryant, MP for the Rhondda, split over £92,000 of expenses between 3 properties in Wales and London --- within five years.
In 2004, he attempted to claim £58,000 to overhaul his second home in Wales, after allegedly complaining that properties in his constituency were "terrace or mine owners' houses".
Mr Bryant, a former Church of England clergyman, wanted the money for a new bathroom & kitchen, and to demolish his conservatory. He'd bought the detached house for £97,500, under a year earlier.
He submitted a claim to the Commons fees office for £58,493.26 --- almost 3 times the annual maximum. He noted that the claim exceeded his allowance.
His alleged justification was disclosed... in correspondence between Commons officials. By email, an official wrote: "He had problems finding a suitable property because in the Rhondda there is a choice mainly of terraced property or mine owners' houses." When approached by the Daily Telegraph, Mr Bryant said: "I have never said or thought anything of the sort".
In all, he successfully claimed over £13,000 for renovations, repairs & appliances, in 2004. Along with other bills, his annual claim was £20,902.
In April 2005, he flipped his expenses to his flat in west London, which he bought for £400,000 in April 2002. He also claimed £630 a month for mortgage interest, along with other bills. After claiming over £3,600 over 3 months, he sold the flat in July 2005 for £477,000.
Mr Bryant used his profits to buy a more expensive flat in west London, which was valued at £670,000. He immediately flipped his second home expenses there, claiming almost £6,400 in stamp duty, legal fees and mortgage fees, incurred in the purchase.
He then began claiming interest of £1,000 a month on the mortgage. He also claimed a further £6,000 a year for the flat's service charge and ground rent.
In all, he claimed £92, 415 in second home expenses, from 2004 to 2009.
Mr Bryant said at the time: "I moved flat in London, so as to be closer to Parliament."
Research by Channel 4 News in 2015 found that at least 46 MPs had this kind of system in place – a move one Labour backbencher described as “a new fiddle”. Channel 4 reported then:
“Our investigation found that many of the MPs bought their London properties with the help of the taxpayer, when a previous expenses system allowed them to claim back mortgage payments. But when those claims were banned, following the expenses scandal, they switched to letting out their properties, in some cases for up to £3,000 a month. They then started claiming expenses for rent and hotels in the capital.”
Among those identified was Chris Bryant, shadow leader of the House of Commons. He had already bought a penthouse in London back in 2005 and claimed around £1,000 a month in mortgage claims under the old system.
But after the expenses scandal, he started renting the property out. It’s since been advertised by estate agents as having a private lift and a porter, with rent at about £3,000 a month. Meanwhile, Bryant moved into a new flat;- claiming his own rent on expenses.
Image: Russian scientists and Scottish ones
Russian/Scottish scientists hail long-range secure quantum communication system.
A group of scientists from ITMO University in Saint Petersburg, Russia, has developed a new approach to constructing quantum communication systems for secure data exchange.
The experimental device based on the results of the research is capable of transmitting single-photon quantum signals across distances of 250 klmtrs or more, which is on par with its cutting edge analogues, the ITMO press-service says.
"Now researchers are on a mission -- to create a fully-fledged quantum cryptographic system, that will generate & distribute quantum keys and transmit useful data simultaneously", ITMO says.
Information security is becoming more and more of a critical issue not only for large companies, banks and defense enterprises but even for small businesses and individual users.
But the data encryption algorithms we currently use for protecting our data are imperfect - in the long-term, their logic can be cracked. Regardless of how complex and intricate the algorithm is, getting around it, is just a matter of time.
Unlike algorithm-based encryption, systems that protect information, by making use of fundamental laws of quantum physics, can make data transmission totally immune to hacker attacks, in the future.
Information in a quantum channel is carried by single photons that change irreversibly if an eavesdropper tries to intercept them. The legitimate users will instantly know about any kind of intervention.
Researchers at the Quantum Information Centre of the International Institute of Photonics and Optical Information Technology at ITMO Uni., Russia, along with their colleagues from the Heriot-Watt University, in Edinburgh, have devised a new way to generate and distribute, quantum bits.
This makes it possible to share quantum signals --- via optical fibres --- 250 kilometres in distance.
"To transmit quantum signals, we use the so- called side frequencies," says Artur Gleim, head of the Quantum Information Centre, at ITMO University,
"This unique approach gives us a number of advantages -- such as a considerable simplification of the device architecture and the large pass-through capacity of the quantum channel. In terms of bit rate and operating distances, our system is comparable to absolute champions in the field of quantum communications."
According to Robert Collins, research associate at the Institute of Photonics & Quantum Sciences at Heriot-Watt University, and one of the authors of the study, this may become a pivotal point for the whole field of quantum communication and cryptography:
"Down the track, this new approach can enable smooth coexistence of numerous data streams with different wavelengths in one single optical cable. On top of it, these quantum streams can be fed into the already existing fibre optic lines --- along with conventional communications."
The research paper is published in the Optics Express journal.
Scottish universities are to be congratulated for their strong & growing links with Chinese and Russian universities....
What a shame, that Wales is lying low --- with academics too scared to break from US military research.
Image: BRICS
Image: March 26 London anti cuts demo
KILLING THE ELDERLY BY CLOSING CARE HOMES
Did you know that each time a local authority
closes a care home for the elderly, within 8
months, around half the residents are dead?
Campaigners liken the cuts and their effect to euthanasia of the UK's elderly. What to do?
We can start by urging our MPs to sign EDM 2251:
EDM 2251: The contents
This House notes with deep concern the worsening crisis for elderly care as growing numbers of local authority and private care homes face closure
Acknowledges concerns that the loss of elderly people's care homes causes fear, anxiety and, in many cases, a higher mortality rate, when vulnerable, elderly people are forced to leave their homes
Further notes that the Southern Cross crisis will increase needs for local authority care
And therefore calls on the government to hold a public inquiry into the deaths after closures, of local authority care homes, and impose a moratorium on the closure of local authority care homes, until that inquiry publishes its results, to ensure that vulnerable, elderly people's lives are not put at further risk.
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MAKING THE CONNECTION IN WALES
Households across three more English areas will be able to access superfast broadband in the latest phase of a Government scheme to connect rural homes and businesses.
The £50 million funding package for Devon and Somerset (£30 million), Norfolk (£15 million) and Wiltshire (£4 million) will aid the roll- out of superfast broadband services unable to be reached by the market alone.
Areas will also receive financial support from their local authorities and private investors, the Department for Culture, Media and Sport says.
So it's Broadband Heaven for England...
and crapola for Wales' broadband - the
slowest, worst Broadband in the UK !!!
Lib Dems in Scotland might have received a pummeling for Clegg and his betrayals, yet, in Scotland, their campaign centred on it becoming the "most connected country in Europe," to massively boost their economy.
In Wales, which political party is now willing to put into practice scientists' recommendations: that Wales' hilly topography requires establishing
free 'wireless' broadband?
It could connect the people of Rhondda and the world, boosting Wales' economic regeneration, like no other move.Wireless technology is now supplying free broadband to an entire island off New Zealand's coast.
Come on; if New Zealand can do it - so can we !!!
Image: China's rapeseed blossoms this Spring.
Western China has embraced "green-mode development" - with painful changes from which, Wales could well learn.
Eastern China has seen fast growth and urban mess. The West, a mining and agricultural area, has not.
Xi'an Chan-ba Ecological District, is a model for reclaiming old mining areas.
It took six hard years, but now Xi'an is showing the world how best to change, by turning a badly polluted rubbish landfill site, into an all new environment-friendly development.
As China's economic focus moves from east to west, it's using the lessons learned during 30 or more years of rapid industrial development.
The green way for China's west, is to combine green industrialization & green urbanization.
The western region's strategy is to adopt effective energy-saving and environmental protection technologies... AND to extend its industry through science and products unique to China's West, together with strong vertical growth in agriculture and all its ancilliary economic & professional spin-offs.
In undertaking this industrial revolution, the western region will keep a sharp eye out - to avoid all polluting non-sustainable industries.
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A BIG DROP OF HONEY !!!
Spring is beekeeping and honey-processing season in Yunnan province, in China.
Waves of bees flit across vast fields of flowers.
Local beekeepers and many from other places, such as Sichuan and Fujian provinces - set up their base in tents among the rapeseed farms.
The 430,000 hectares of rapeseed blooms in Luoping attract myriads of bees, which produce 15 - 20 million tons of honey a year.
Local people now look to brand their county as a honey production base & increase sales to outside markets.
Luoping Tianyuanmiyu Bee Industry Co Chair, Zhu Hongkun, founded his enterprise in 2009.
It mainly produces honey, propolis and propolis powder.
His company works with 270 plus beekeepers, who each earn 80,000 yuan a year on average.
Some earn 200,000 yuan annually, Zhu says.
Who says beauty endowed by nature isn't worth a fortune?
The whole of the uplands of south Wales could be as beautiful & productive, if used wisely!
Image: retirement China style
CHINA's PREMIER POINTS WAY FORWARD
As the Tories threaten a "bonfire of the Quangos", perhaps Wales should take note. Now extracting all our mineral wealth has been stopped (apart from sand and rock) we find ourselves "in" the 1st World of the UK, but with a 3rd World economy, only just kept going by quangos which promise much... but deliver little... and rely on weak public support.
We could WAKE UP & understand that we either do something, or stay as begging bowl cases.
China's premier points the way forward for Wales:
"Industrial restructuring is the key... only by developing energy-efficient, indigenous innovative and high value added products can our companies and economy, achieve sustainable development."
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WHILE FRANCE, GREECE, IRELAND, ETC, STRUGGLE TO STOP THE PENSION AGE RISING HIGHER AND HIGHER...
An online survey on qq.com, a popular Chinese news portal, finds that 91% of its over 800,000 respondents, are against raising the current official Chinese retirement age.
745,123 of those surveyed say they oppose raising retirement ages -- 72,456 support it.
China's scholars & the public have been debating whether to raise the retirement age, for the past few years, but the issue rose to prominence after remarks by an official.
Wang Xiaochu, the official vice minister of the Ministry of Human Resources & Social Security, said at a press conference that the government was "studying the matter"...
The retirement age in China is generally set at 60 for men and 50-55 for women.
Wow! Bet you didn't know that !!!
Image: unemployment in Wales
FARMING AND SCIENCE COULD REGENERATE WALES
A new UN General Assembly report warns "vast areas" of cultivated land are lost each year, and that this could lead to unrest.
The report says up to 30 million hectares, an area the size of Italy, is lost each year to environmental degradation, industry & urbanization - the growth of cities - and all because of speculative building and greed.
The UN special rapporteur Olivier De Schutter, gives the example of eastern Africa, where the amount of cultivated land has declined by half --- in just one generation! "
As rural populations grow and competition with large industrial units increases, plots cultivated by smallholders are shrinking year after year," says De Schutter.
"Farmers are often relegated to soils that are arid, hilly or without irrigation."
The UN officer also mentions India as another example, where the average landholding fell from 2.6 hectares in 1960 to 1.4 hectares in 2000. A cut of nearly half in 40 years!
He says 500 million small farmers suffer from hunger, partly because their right to land is being violated. The expert warns of the devastating consequences, as foreign investors compete for larger and larger areas of the world's land for "their" agriculture.
Rhondda Records says Wales could rebuild its new economy by basing it on a fresh approach to high-value added products, using science and agriculture... such as the Altzeim project in Gwent.
