Rhondda Records is with you every day bringing the news ------- that gives a view of world events different to the mainstream media or social media!
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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
The US military -- boarded another tanker in the Indian
Ocean carrying Venezuelan oil, the Pentagon said,
in the latest escalation of Washington’s
''sanctions enforcement''
against Caracas.
In a statement on Sunday, the Pentagon claimed the
Panamanian-flagged Veronica III had tried to “slip
away” by sailing the vessel from the Caribbean
Sea to the Indian Ocean.
“We tracked it.. from the Caribbean to the Indian
Ocean, closed the distance, and shut it down,”
it added.
This is the second oil tanker linked to Venezuela
seized by the US military in the Indian Ocean.
Last week... the US military announced seizing
the first Venezuela-linked vessel, the Aquila II,
in the Indian Ocean.
The Pentagon said the move demonstrates the
US President Donald Trump's determination
to enforce the oil blockade on Venezuela
even “halfway around the world.”
Since last year, nine ships have been seized
by the US military -- in international waters.
International observers have slammed
Washington's move as “theft” and
"outright piracy."
Venezuela had faced oil sanctions from the US
---- for several years. In December, however,
Trump, expanded the pressure campaign,
by ordering a quarantine of sanctioned
tankers - in an effort to target the
government of President
Nicolás Maduro.
The standoff escalated in January -- when US
special forces detained Maduro and his wife
in Caracas -- and transferred them to a jail
in New York.
After Maduro's abduction, Trump announced
that Venezuela's oil would be controlled
by Washington.
US Secretary of Energy Chris Wright said on
Thursday that oil sales from Venezuela,
controlled by Washington, have
generated more than $1bn
since Maduro’s capture.
He said... the sales in the next few
months will bring in another $5bn.
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
Lebanon’s parliament speaker
calls for pressure on Israel -
to stop ceasefire violations
February 16th, 7:28pm
(PressTV)
Lebanese Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri appeals
for global pressure on Israel to stop its ongoing
breaches of the November 2024
ceasefire agreement.
“Lebanon and the Lebanese people do not want war and
will not accept the Israeli occupation of their land,”
Berri said on Monday during a meeting with the
German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier,
in Beirut.
“We cannot succumb to these
daily violations and attacks."
Berri also reaffirmed ---- Lebanon's complete
dedication to the ceasefire pact with Israel.
The parliament speaker expressed gratitude to the
German president --- for his nation's backing of
Lebanon ...and its contributions to multiple
development initiatives in the country.
Steinmeier, for his part, said Germany will keep
supporting Lebanon across different sectors
and voiced his opposition to the Israeli
occupation of Lebanese land.
The German president arrived in Lebanon on February 15
for a three-day trip, during which he will officially open a Lebanese naval academy in Beirut.
Israeli strike in eastern Lebanon --- kills four
The Israeli regime has launched another drone attack on
eastern Lebanon, in blatant violation of the ceasefire
agreement with the Arab country.
Earlier on Monday, a young Lebanese man was killed in
an Israeli drone strike on the town of Hanin, in the
Bint Jbeil district of southern Lebanon.
Lebanon's official National News Agency (NNA) --- reported
that Mohammad Tahsin Hussein Qashqash, was preparing
to start the van he owned, which was parked outside his
house alongside his SUV to transport students to school ------- when the attack was carried out.
It added that that the Israeli drone fired several
missiles at him, resulting in his death and the
burning of both vehicles.
Israel's military confirmed the incident in a
statement, saying it killed an individual
who was, it said purportedly involved
.....in ''efforts to re-establish''
Hezbollah infrastructure.
Israeli breaches of the November 2024 ceasefire have
resulted -- in the deaths and injuries of hundreds of
Lebanese citizens. Israel persists - in occupying
five Lebanese highlands captured during the
recent war, along with other regions of
Lebanon which it has controlled.... for many years.
In October 2023, Israel launched military attacks on
Lebanon, which escalated into a full-blown war by
September 2024, leading to over 4,000 fatalities
and approximately 17,000 injuries.
Lebanon's authorities have consistently called for
pressure on Tel Aviv -- to stop its assaults and
adhere to the ceasefire conditions. They
are demanding - the removal of Israeli
troops from the territories seized in the latest war.
_____________________________________
Hezbollah patient,but current situation
-------- can not persist: Sheikh Qassem
February 16th, 3:30pm
(Al Mayadeen English)
Hezbollah is steadfast --------- and remains committed to
continuing the path of its martyred leaders, Secretary-
General Sheikh Naim Qassem declared on Monday
during a speech ......on the anniversary of the
Resistance leaders' martyrdom.
“Our struggle is ongoing and stable, and we will continue
the path of the martyred leaders who were followed by
others,” he said ---- adding that the responsibility of
resistance in Lebanon... is shared by the state,
the army, and the people.
“The resistance ---- in our understanding ---- is national,
pan-Arab, Islamic and humanitarian. These elements
cannot be separated from one another,” Sheikh
Naim stressed.
He emphasized that Lebanon is confronting an enemy
“that seeks to exterminate people - destroy stones,
life, and strength, and we must remain steadfast
- in the face of that.”
The so-called 'ceasefire' and disarmament plots
Discussing the ceasefire agreement.. which came into
force on November 27, 2024 & has been continuously
violated by the Israeli occupation --- Sheikh Qassem
reiterated that Lebanon has upheld and respected
the provisions of the agreement while the Israeli
occupation has not. This comes ---- at a time of
ceaseless violations, targeting infrastructure,
civilians, as well as airspace breaches ---
including surveillance.
At the same time -- the Lebanese government has focused
on disarming the Islamic Resistance, which Sheikh Naim
warned --- was a "grave mistake" --------- that serves the
enemy's agenda.
“What is this assistance - that makes our country an easy
prey for Israel --- and leads to the imposition of foreign tutelage over us for the interests of major powers?”
he asked, reasserting -- “We want to ensure, that
Lebanon --- is sovereign, independent, and the
sole decision maker ...when it comes to its
internal affairs. Otherwise, Lebanon will
be on the path... toward vanishing.”
On warand defense
Assuring Lebanon, that Hezbollah does not seek war,
Sheikh Naim stressed that the Resistance remains
prepared and ready to defend the nation against
any hostility. “We do not want war, nor do we
seek it, but we will not surrender, and we
are ready to defend. There is a great
difference --- between defense and
the initiation of a war,” he said.
He further noted, “We have what enables us to defend,
and they know that the outcome of any war.... is
not guaranteed.”
Sheikh Naim also reminded the government of its duties
to its country and liberating its lands, saying, "If it is
surrender you are after, amend the constitution, for
the constitution says to take every action possible
to achieve liberation of all Lebanese territories."
Additionally, he highlighted that the state's constant
concessions have played a role in propagating the
Israeli enemy's ambitions.
“Announce that you have fulfilled your duties and that
you have nothing left to give, and stop every move
under the banner of limiting weapons,” he urged.
Hezbollah prioritizes national unity
Sheikh Qassem reaffirmed --- that Hezbollah supports
national unity, full sovereignty, and liberation, and
opposes "all forms of sedition - and is in favour
of a national security strategy."
He also divulged the reasons Hezbollah remains patient
in the face of the ongoing aggression, clarifying, "First,
because the state bears responsibility and must fulfill
its duties. Second, in care for our society and our
country ....at this stage."
However, he warned ------ that the current situation cannot
persist indefinitely. “This situation cannot continue as is.
As for when, how, and what developments may change
this reality, we will allow the facts to tell the story.”
He also stressed ------ that the regional dynamics.... are
interconnected and that any solution or complication
elsewhere “is reflected --- in one way or another ---
on Lebanon.”
On Occupied Palestine
Regarding occupied Palestine, Sheikh Qassem stated that
“Israel” is “an expansionist entity that wants Palestine
and the entire region --------- without exception.”
“Do not underestimate..... what the occupation is doing in
Gaza, and its formal and gradual annexation of the West
Bank. America -- is the one managing that,” he warned.
Source: Al Mayadeen English
_________________________________
Iran’s IRGC Navy - holds 'Smart Control
of the Strait of Hormuz'military drills
February 16th, 2:05pm
(PressTV)
The Naval forces of Iran’s Islamic Revolution Guards
Corps (IRGC) have started military drills off the
country’s southern coast, practicing smart
control of the strategic Strait
of Hormuz.
The combined live-fire intensive drills, named "Smart
Control of the Hormuz Strait," began on Monday and
are directly supervised by the IRGC Chief
Commander --- Major General
Mohammad Pakpour.
The drills aim to test the readiness of the IRGC Navy’s
operational units and review support programs and
scenarios in the face of "possible security and
military threats" .....in the strategic Strait
of Hormuz.
Smart utilization of Iran’s geopolitical advantages in
the Persian Gulf and the Sea of Oman, is another
main objective of the military exercise.
A rapid, decisive, and comprehensive response by the
IRGC's operational forces in the face of anti-security
plots in the maritime arena ----- is at the core of the
operational exercises of the units participating
in the drill.
Iran is conducting naval exercises in the Strait of
Hormuz as the administration of US President
Donald Trump has deployed military forces
to the region, including F-35 fighter jets,
large fuel tankers, and additional
naval assets ----- heightening
concerns, about possible
new military action.
At least 163 C-17 and C-5 cargo flights have traveled
from bases in the US and Japan to the Middle East
via Europe, accodring to Drop Site News.
US officials said on February 12 that the Pentagon
was sending an additional aircraft carrier to the
region, adding thousands more troops along
with fighter aircraft, & missile destroyers.
Speaking at the White House on Friday, US President
Donald Trump confirmed that a second aircraft
carrier --- the USS Gerald R Ford --- would be
leaving the Caribbean for the Middle East
“very soon.”
On Sunday, Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces, Major
General Abdolrahim Mousavi warned the US
president against any confrontation with
the Islamic Republic -- saying such an
action will serve as a harsh lesson
for Washington.
“Trump should know - that he would be entering
a confrontation that gives harsh lessons, the
outcome of which, will ensure -- that he no
longer makes threats around the world,”
Mousavi said.
The deployments come as Iran and the United States
are scheduled to hold a second phase of indirect
nuclear talks in the Swiss city of Geneva on
Tuesday. Oman.. is expected to continue
its intermediary role.
_____________________________________
Israeli soldier confesses to murder, sexual
assault in Gaza----- during a live stream
February 16, 10:32am
(PressTV)
A video shared on social media platforms ---- has ignited
widespread anger online after an Israeli soldier openly
confessed to committing atrocities, including murder
and rape, in the Gaza Strip during two years of
genocidal war against Palestinians in the
besieged coastal territory.
In a live TikTok broadcast featuring US YouTuber, Jeff
Davidson, the soldier said, “We don’t just kill, we
also rape,” alluding to acts committed by
Israeli forces against women and
children in Gaza.
In the live stream conversation, held during the Gaza
onslaught but only made public recently, Davidson
--- first inquired about the soldier's identity and
military connection. The individual claimed
to be part of the Israeli military.... and
broadcasting from inside Gaza.
When confronted by Davidson with the reality that the
Israeli army caused the devastation in Gaza, the
soldier acknowledged it without hesitation
or any sign of regret.
The soldier directed the camera outward and detailed
widespread devastation in the area, as the US interviewer requested him to display
his surroundings.
“You wanna see Gaza? Don’t be surprised, there’s
no house here. Flat, all flat,” the soldier said.
Davidson responded, “You guys flattened it?”
The soldier replied: “Oh yeah.”
The discussion heated up, when the soldier tried
to rationalize attacking children by presenting
a picture of a child with a gun, asserting he
discovered it in a destroyed house.
Davidson rejected his assertion, emphasizing that
children protecting themselves from an invading
military can never warrant killing or attacking
them. He also --- held the Israeli regime
accountable for the dire situation
in Gaza.
In a surprising turn, the soldier continued, stating, “We
have killed women and children,” and coldly added:
“And by the way, don’t worry…we rape them too.”
Human rights organizations have highlighted the video
as strong proof --- of grave war crimes perpetrated
by the Israeli military - against Gaza civilians,
asserting that --- backing from successive
US administrations and Western allies
---- fosters a perceived culture of
impunity for such offenses.
Gaza’s Health Ministry announced on Sunday that 726
bodies have been retrieved since the ceasefire
agreement with Israel came into effect
on October 10 last year.
The ceasefire concluded Israel’s two- year genocide ----- that started on October 7, 2023.
Palestinian officials report that the war has claimed
over 72,000 Palestinian lives --- injured more than
171,000 individuals, and resulted in extensive
damage on 90% of civilian infrastructure.
The UN projects that the costs for
reconstruction will be around
$70 billion.
At least 601 Palestinians have died and over 1,600
others have been wounded ---- in Israeli strikes
since the ceasefire, according to Gaza's
Health Ministry.
____________________________________
Two children killed in Palestinian
Authority ambush in West Bank;
Hamas slams attack as
‘black mark’
February 16, 8:10am (PressTV)
Two children have been killed - after Palestinian
Authority (PA) forces opened fire on a vehicle
carrying their father, a resistance fighter, in
the town of Tamoun.. in the northeastern
part of the occupied West Bank.
The three-year-old daughter of Samer Samara
succumbed to her wounds on Sunday after
being shot by the forces, Palestinian
media outlets reported.
Her 16-year-old brother, Ali, was killed after
being shot in the head. Their father was
wounded and later, abducted..... by
the PA forces.
According to the reports, the forces shot
Samara in the legs before abducting him.
Local reports said units from the PA’s so-called
Preventive Security Service and a special unit
set up the ambush and fired heavy gunfire at
the car..... during an operation to abduct
Samara -------- who is wanted by the
Israeli occupation forces.
Following the killings, the youths of the town of Tamoun launched a demonstration and a general strike. Reports said: the PA
sent reinforcements to suppress
the demonstration.
The Gaza Strip’s Hamas resistance movement
condemned the atrocities, holding the
Authority fully responsible for the
consequences -- of targeting
resistance fighters -- and
killing children.
In a statement, the group described what happened
as a “serious crime” ---- and a “black mark in the
record of the security services that continue
to overpower our people ------- instead of
protecting them.”
The movement warned: that the policy could
damage Palestinian internal cohesion and
demanded --- accountability.
It called for “holding all those involved accountable,
stopping the pursuit of wanted Palestinians, and
releasing the political detainees.”
The Committee of Families of Political Prisoners also
condemned the shooting ---- describing it as the
result of a “systematic policy... of targeting
resistance fighters.”
It said the incident represented a “dangerous deviation”
that placed security services in confrontation with the
population ...rather than protecting them.
Human rights organizations say, that such incidents
risk deepening internal tensions --- at a time when
Palestinians in the West Bank also face ongoing
Israeli military raids and now settler violence:
contributing to what observers describe as
a climate of compounded insecurity
for civilians.
__________________________________
Peace with Israel ------- ‘not possible’ under
constant violations of Palestinian rights,
says foreign minister
February 16th, 7:09am
(PressTV)
Palestinian Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates,
Varsen Aghabekian Shahin has stated that achieving
peace with Israel is ---- “not possible” as long as
Palestinian rights are being violated by the
occupying regime -- emphasizing that
international law ----- needs to be
upheld and one-sided actions
----- must cease.
“Peace with Israel under conditions of constant
violation of Palestinian rights is not possible,”
Shahin said, on the sidelines of the Munich
Security Conference, on Sunday.
She contended that unilateral Israeli measures in the
occupied Palestinian territories, including the West
Bank and East al-Quds, like unlawful settlement
expansion and legalizations ---- hinder the
chances for a negotiated resolution.
“Everything that Israel is undertaking unilaterally in
occupied territory should be considered null and
void,” Shahin said, stressing - that annexation
“is in violation of international law, and it
is a crime that needs to be stopped.”
The top Palestinian diplomat --- also spoke about the
Gaza ceasefire process, which started on October
10, stating that advancement to the next phase
relies on a complete adherence ----- to the
initial agreements.
“We would like to go into phase two, but
we need to ensure - that the phase one
obligations are undertaken,” she said.
The initial phase concluded after the swap of Israeli
captives for Palestinian abductees, while the
second phase involves rebuilding the area
that Israel devastated during two years
of airstrikes.
“We still see - that we don’t have a complete ceasefire.
We have a partial ceasefire. The humanitarian aid is
not getting in, to the extent that is needed. The
Rafah border crossing... is partially opened,”
she added, noting --- that additional steps
are necessary for a seamless transition.
Shahin advocated for more robust global
measures and referenced current legal
and diplomatic structures.
“What we would like, is for the world to stand up
and say, ‘Look, enough is enough. International
law is very clear,'” she said, referring to all the
international rulings and UN resolutions, that
deem settlements and occupation ---- illegal.
Shahin stated - that recent assaults emphasize
her view that Israel is “for no peace,” pointing
out --- that if it truly wanted peace, it would
stop infringing on international law and
the rights of Palestinians.
Rather, she stated that Israel is persisting with
“annexationist colonialist measures” and
aiming to “legalize criminality.”
When asked about her appeal to Germany and
Finland - to join other European nations in
recognition of a Palestinian state, she
said,“They will consider it at the
right time. The vision of
recognition... is there,
but - they need to be
moving towards it..
according to their
convenience.”
“But to me, the matter is very clear. If you are a two-
stater, if you believe in international law, if you
want to comply with international law, you
need to recognize: because there is no
justification, whatsoever, for not
recognizing,” she added.
On Sunday, the Israeli regime approved a plan to
register vast swathes of the occupied West
Bank as “state property,” - marking the
first action of this kind - since Israel
took control of the region in 1967.
According to the Oslo II Accord, signed in 1995, Area A
of the West Bank is entirely controlled by Palestinians. Area B has Palestinian civil governance with Israeli
oversight, and Area C, which constitutes about
61% of the West Bank, is fully controlled by
the Israeli regime.
The recent move was part of a series of decisions by
Israel’s so-called Security Cabinet last week, which
are intended to enhance illegal settlement
construction --- and boost Tel Aviv’s
dominance over the occupied
West Bank.
Israeli media outlets report ---- that the actions involve
reversing a law that prohibited the sale of land in the
West Bank to illegal Israeli settlers, unsealing land
ownership documents, and transferring control of
building permits in a settlement area close to
al-Khalil from a Palestinian municipality ----
to Israel’s civil administration.
____________________________________________
‘Netanyahu... is deceiving you’:
Anti-settlement organization
warns Trump
February 16, 6:02am
(PressTV)
An Israeli anti-settlement organization --- has warned
Donald Trump that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin
Netanyahu is moving ahead with the de facto annexation of the occupied West Bank -
notwithstanding alleged opposition
to the move by the US president.
Peace Now -- said on Sunday, that a few days after
Trump's statement: emphasizing his opposition to
Israel's annexation of the West Bank, the Israeli
cabinet "decides on a step --- that amounts to
a full-scale annexation.”
The Israeli regime’s “decision - on a land settlement in
the West Bank is a mega-robbery of Palestinian lands.
Land registration will result in the transfer of
ownership of the vast majority of Area C"
to the regime, and the "Palestinians will
not have the actual possibility of
exercising their ownership
rights,” it added. Area C
comprises over 60% of
the occupied territory.
“It is not for nothing that international law prohibits
land settlements in occupied territory… We are
warning President Trump ----- Netanyahu is
deceiving you! You said... you would not
allow annexation, but he is annexing
-------- right under your nose.”
An initial 244.1 million shekels (more than $78 million)
is allocated over five years -- 2026 to 2030 -- to
establish a mechanism for registering and
settling land in Area C. It follows a May
2025 resolution directing preparatory
work to open settlement procedures
in the West Bank.
Under the decision, a “Settlement Administration”
will be created.... within the regime’s so-called
justice ministry, to oversee land registration
in the West Bank.
Overall, the settlement process could enable
an Israeli takeover - of 83 percent of Area C.
Peace Now stated - that the process required Palestinian
landowners to prove ownership “in a way that is almost
impossible for them,” adding that if they fail, the land
will “automatically” be registered in the name of the
regime. The organization stressed ----- that land
registration ----- constituted a distinct act of
sovereignty, prohibited for an occupying
regime ------ under international law.
The move has invited additional sweeping condemnation, including by the Gaza
Strip-headquartered, Palestinian
resistance movement, Hamas,
which described it as: “a null
and void decision issued by
an illegitimate occupying
power.”
Hamas said the plan represented an attempt
--- “to impose settlement ..and Judaization
realities - by force, in flagrant violation
of international law ------ and
UN resolutions.”
The Palestinian Authority.... described the decision
as a “serious escalation” that effectively nullified
signed agreements..... and contravened UN
Security Council resolutions.
Image: Elizabeth Peratrovich Day
Today, February 16th, is
Elizabeth Peratrovich Day,
in Alaska.
Born Elizabeth Jean Wanamaker
she was a civil-rights activist
and Native-American rights
advocate.
She was also, Grand President of
the Alaska Native Sisterhood - a
Tlingit, who worked for equality
on behalf of all Alaska Natives.
Elizabeth Wanamaker was born on July 4th, 1911, in
Petersburg, Alaska, as a member of the Lukaaxaidi
clan in the Raven moiety of the Tlingit nation and
with the Tlingit name of Kaaxxgalaat ("person
who packs for themselves").
She was orphaned at a young age.. and adopted by
Andrew and Jean Wanamaker (née Williams), who
gave her the name, Elizabeth Jean. Andrew was
a fisherman and Presbyterian lay minister. The
Wanamakers raised Elizabeth in Petersburg,
Klawock, and Ketchikan, Alaska.
Wanamaker graduated from Ketchikan High School,
and then attended Sheldon Jackson College, in
Sitka, and the Western College of Education
in Bellingham, Washington (now part of
Western Washington University).
On December 15, 1931, Elizabeth Wanamaker married
Roy Scott Peratrovich (1908–1989), also a Tlingit, of
mixed Native and Serb descent, who worked in a
cannery. They had three children -- daughter
Loretta Montgomery (c. 1942) and sons
Roy Jr. (c. 1934) and Frank (c. 1938).
The family lived in Klawock, where Roy was elected to
four terms as village mayor. Elizabeth Peratrovich
was a member of the Presbyterian Church.
Both the Peratroviches were concerned about racial
discrimination and inequities. Looking for greater
access to lawmakers who could effect change,
they moved to Juneau, and even there found
extensive social and racial discrimination
against Alaska Native people.
The Peratrovichs were one of the first Indigenous
families in Juneau..... to live in a non-Native
neighbourhood, and Roy Jr. was one of
the first Indigenous children... to
attend public schools there.
The Peratrovich family later moved to Antigonish,
Nova Scotia, Canada, where Roy studied the
fishing industry.. at Saint Francis Xavier
University, the first Alaskan to do so
on a United Nations fellowship.
Later, they moved to Denver, Colorado, where Roy
studied banking and finance at the University of
Denver and credit procedure at the Central
Bank and Trust Company in Denver.
In the 1950s, the Peratrovichs moved to Oklahoma,
when Roy took up a position with the federal
government, and they moved back to
Alaska, when Elizabeth fell ill.
The eldest son, Roy Jr. ------ a partner in the engineering firm of Peratrovich, Nottingham and Drage, became
a civil engineer in Alaska.. and designed the
Brotherhood Bridge in Juneau... which
carries the Glacier Highway over
the Mendenhall River.
Besides being an engineer Roy Peratrovich Jr. is also
a Native artist. Her younger son, Frank, worked as
the Area Tribal Operations Officer for the Bureau
of Indian Affairs in Juneau.
In 1941, while living in Juneau, Alaska, Elizabeth and
Roy Peratrovich encountered discrimination in their
attempts to secure housing... and gain access to
public facilities. They petitioned the territorial
governor Ernest Gruening, to prohibit public
places from posting signs ------- such as
"No Natives Allowed,""We cater to white trade only,""No Dogs,
No Natives,"... that were
common in Alaska
at this time.
With the help of others, Elizabeth and Roy Peratrovich drafted and introduced an anti-discrimination bill in 1941, though it failed to pass. Nevertheless, they
persevered for hundreds of days of meetings.
There were many grassroots efforts --- in those days,
including efforts by countless other Alaska Native people who took steps to overcome and raise
awareness of the widespread inequities
and instances of blatant prejudice.
In 1945.... representing the Alaska Native Brotherhood/
Sisterhood, they again, brought an anti-discrimination
bill before the Alaska Senate.
Last to testify, Elizabeth Peratrovich took to the floor
to deliver an impassioned speech, calling for equal
treatment for Indigenous peoples.
In reaction to the bill, the Juneau territorial senator, Allen
Shattuck asked, "Who are these people -------- barely out
of savagery, who want to associate with us whites ---
with 5,000 years of recorded civilization behind us?"
Elizabeth Peratrovich responded:
''I would not have expected that I, who am barely out of
savagery, would have to remind gentlemen with five
thousand years of recorded civilization behind
them, of our Bill of Rights.''
The Senate voted 11–5 for House Resolution 14,
providing -- "full and equal accommodations,
facilities, and privileges to all citizens in
places of public accommodations
within the jurisdiction of the
Territory of Alaska; to
provide penalties
for violation".
The bill was signed into law by Governor Gruening
in 1945, nearly 20 years before the US Congress
passed the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
Acts of the territorial legislature, required final approval
from the U.S. Congress, which affirmed it (Bob Bartlett,
Alaskan delegate, was known for his efficiency in
passing legislation).
Alaska thus became the first territory or state to end
"Jim Crow" since 18 states banned discrimination
in public accommodations in the three decades
following the Civil War; not until 1955.. would
two more states, New Mexico and Montana,
follow suit.
Peratrovich's testimony has been widely credited as a
decisive factor in the passage of the historic Anti-
Discrimination Act of 1945. In 1992, Fran Ulmer,
who represented Juneau in the Alaska House
of Representatives (and who later became
lieutenant governor of Alaska) --- said the
following about Peratrovich's testimony:
''She talked about herself, her friends, her children --- and
the cruel treatment that consigned Alaska Natives to
a second-class existence. She described -- to the
Senate --- what it means to be unable to buy a
house in a decent neighbourhood - because
Natives are not allowed to live there. She
described how children feel when they
are --- refused entrance into movie
theatres --- or see signs in shop
windows that read"No dogs
or Natives allowed."
The Peratrovich family papers, including
correspondence, personal papers, and
news clippings related to the civil
rights work done by Elizabeth
and Roy Peratrovich.... are
currently held ---- at the
Smithsonian National
Museum....... of the
''American Indian''.
In 1988, the Alaska State Legislature declared
February 16 as "Elizabeth Peratrovich Day".
Elizabeth Peratrovich died of breast cancer,
on December 1, 1958, at the age of 47.
She is buried at Evergreen Cemetery in Juneau,
Alaska, alongside her husband Roy, who died
in 1989.
In March 2019, her obituary was added to The New York
Times as part of their "Overlooked No More" series,
and, in 2020, the US Mint released a $1 coin
inscribed with Peratrovich's likeness - in
honour of her historic achievements.
"Asking you - to give me rights
implies that they are yours
to give."
"I must demand --- that you stop
trying to deny me - the rights
that all people deserve."
China labels Israeli-occupied lands
as‘high risk area,’bans all new
investments: Report
February 5th, 7:41pm
PressTV)
A Chinese investment fund has revealed that the Beijing
government has imposed a ban on all new investment
in Israeli-occupied lands due to the regime’s brutal
aggression against the besieged Gaza Strip.
The news emerged in Israeli media outlets, amid a lawsuit filed
by members of Kibbutz Hanita against Ballet Vision, a Chinese
-controlled fund that holds an 80% stake in Hanita Lenses, an
intraocular lens manufacturing plant located in the northern
part of the occupied lands near the Lebanese border.
Israeli settlers from the kibbutz have filed a lawsuit against the
fund, which controls 80 percent of an intraocular lens plant
located in the northern settlement.
A lawsuit filed in the Tel Aviv district court shows the kibbutz is
seeking approximately $11 million, accusing the fund of failing
to exercise an option to purchase their remaining shares, as
stipulated in a prior agreement.
According to a response letter from Ballet attached to the
lawsuit... the Chinese government has classified Israeli-
occupied lands as a "high-risk area" or "red category"
due to the ongoing situation in the West Asia region,
specifically since Oct. 7, 2023.
“Since the outbreak of the fighting, the Chinese government
has classified Israel as a high-risk zone (red category) and
prohibited any new Chinese investment in the Israeli-
occupied lands,” it said in the letter.
The letter further says that until the restriction
is lifted, the transaction.... is not feasible.
“As long as this restriction remains in place, there is no
practical operational ability to exercise the option,”
it added
Aside from the Chinese government's ban on investing in
Liu Yuxiao, a director of Ballet Vision and CEO of the lens
manufacturing plant, earlier said that Hanita Lenses
sustained losses of around $15 million over a
period of three years --- as well as a
$4 million debt. This resulted in
severe financial issues.
Yuxiao said he became the CEO in March last year to try
to prevent total collapse, and added that the company
may now break even in 2026.
The developments also come as ties between the two sides
were deteriorating over the self-ruling island of Taiwan,
which has been looking to the Zionist entity for
increased military cooperation.
China has already warned Israel against providing military
expertise and technology to Taiwan under the guise of
civilian programs.
Tel Aviv is reportedly assisting Taipei with integrating
elements of its Green Pine and Arrow systems in
order to develop the Tian Gong-4 missile
system, which will be part of the
T-Dome network.
The military cooperation comes despite ongoing Chinese
warnings that it would not tolerate Israeli ties with the
island, which it considers a renegade province.
Taiwan wants to deepen its ties with Israel and its
administration has refrained from condemning
the Tel Aviv regime's crimes in the besieged
Gaza Strip ---- and the other occupied
Palestinian territories.
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
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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.
**************************************
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.