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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!

Except Sundays - our day of rest.

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

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

“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,”

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

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.”

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The US violates international law,

denounces Parlasur leader

December 24th, 7:27am

(Prensa Latina)

The deployment of military forces by the United States and its

bombings in the Caribbean constitute a flagrant violation of

international law ---- and violate the mechanisms for the

peaceful resolution of disputes, Argentina's leader

of Palasur denounces.

In a comment published today by the newspaper Página12, the

president of the Parlasur Human Rights Commission, Victoria

Donda, emphasizes that these are actions against regional

peace - and contradict the consensus reached by the

Community of Latin American and Caribbean

States (CELAC).

Remember that this regional mechanism “declared our region as a

territory of peace. Any unilateral action of a warlike nature, no

matter how much justification one tries to construct, violates

the principle of non-intervention and offends the dignity of

the people”. US foreign policy towards Latin America and

the Caribbean combines, in a worrying and rude manner,

military, financial and diplomatic pressures, Donda lists.

These strategies – she warns - far from being new, have found

fertile ground in the region for the imposition of

conditionalities, economic blockades and,

in extreme cases, armed interventions.

“We cannot fail to point out - that military and financial

interventionism are two sides of the same coin: the

logic of subordination and dependence”, warns

Donda, who is a lawyer by profession.

This model ----- seeks to condition development processes,

generating political vulnerability, economic dependence

and, ultimately, loss of sovereignty.

“Faced with this scenario, it is essential to express the most

energetic repudiation of the policy of intervention and

bombing deployed by the United States in the

Caribbean”, exhorts the professor at the

National University of La Plata.

In her call, she explains that the rejection should not only be due

to the violation of the sovereignty of the peoples involved, but

also due to the irreparable damage that is inflicted on trust,

regional cohesion and the search for peaceful solutions.

“Today more than ever, we must reaffirm our solidarity with the

people of the Caribbean and Latin America who suffer the

consequences of foreign interference”, claims Donda.

The commitment to peace, self-determination, and regional

integration, she adds, is not an abstract aspiration, but an

urgent need to guarantee a dignified, sovereign future.

“Latin America and the Caribbean have the historic opportunity

to say enough to subordination and move towards their own

agenda, based on respect, cooperation, and unrestricted

defense of their fundamental rights” ----- concludes the

president of the Parlasur Human Rights Commission.

_______________________________________________________

US boat strike kills another person

in eastern Pacific as Trump

escalates pressure

on Venezuela

December 23rd, 10:17am

(PressTV)

A US military strike on a vessel in the eastern Pacific Ocean

has killed another individual, marking the latest fatal attack

in Washington’s expanding campaign of lethal force at sea.

In a statement on Monday, US Southern Command said the strike

took place earlier in the day against what it described as a

“low-profile vessel” in international waters, resulting in

the death of one person, as part of a military

campaign carried out under the pretext

of drug interdiction.

“On Dec. 22, at the direction of @SecWar Pete Hegseth, Joint Task

Force Southern Spear conducted a lethal kinetic strike on a low-

profile vessel operated by Designated Terrorist Organizations

in international waters,” SOUTHCOM wrote on X, adding

that no US service members were harmed.

At least 105 people have been killed since early September in attacks
on vessels accused by Washington of drug trafficking under a

campaign known as Operation Southern Spear.

The administration of US President Donald Trump claims

the campaign is intended to curb the narcotics trade.

Just last week, US forces attacked two vessels in the eastern

Pacific, killing five more people, whom were labeled

“unlawful combatants” by Washington.

The White House claims that it can conduct lethal strikes without

judicial review, based on a classified Justice Department finding.

These deadly operations come amid a broader escalation of US

military and economic pressure on Venezuela, including a

major naval buildup in the Caribbean and a “total and

complete blockade” of oil tankers trading with

the South American country.

The US has already intercepted two Venezuelan-bound

tankers and is pursuing another, aiming to cut off

Caracas’s oil revenues.

Venezuela has time and again warned that the blockade threatens

global energy supplies and has condemned the US deployment

and maritime strikes as a systematic and unlawful use of

lethal force in violation of international law.

On Monday, Trump refused to clarify his ultimate objective in

Venezuela, while once again hinting at possible ground

attacks and suggesting that it would be “wise” for

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro...

to step aside.

“There’s no answer. He can do whatever he wants. We have a

massive armada — the biggest we’ve ever had, and the

biggest we’ve ever had in South America. He can do

whatever he wants. It’s all right, whatever he

wants to do. If he wants to do something,

if he plays tough, it’d be the last time

he’s ever able to play tough,”

Trump said.

Separately on Monday, Caracas stressed that the US-imposed naval

blockade will disrupt global energy markets, according to a

letter signed by Maduro and read aloud by Foreign

Minister Yvan Gil.

Maduro also condemned the US military deployment in the Caribbean

as “a direct threat involving the use of force” and denounced the

boat strikes in the Caribbean and the Pacific as part of a

“systematic practice of lethal force” ---- outside

international law.

____________________________________________________________

Lavrov and the Venezuelan Foreign Minister

discussed the US escalatory actions

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and his Venezuelan

counterpart Ivan Gil expressed serious concern over the

intensification of Washington's escalatory actions in

the Caribbean Sea during a telephone conversation.

The relevant information was published on the

official website of the Russian Foreign

Ministry on December 22.

"The ministers expressed serious concern, about Washington's

escalating actions in the Caribbean, which have far-reaching

consequences for the region -------- and pose a threat to

international shipping," the statement said.

Lavrov, in turn, confirmed Russia's full support for Venezuela. The

foreign ministers also agreed to continue their contacts and

coordinate their actions on international platforms,

primarily at the United Nations.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on December 18 that Moscow

calls for restraint around the escalation of the situation in Venezuela

in order to avoid an unpredictable development of the situation.

He also described the growing tensions in the region, as

potentially dangerous.

On the same day, the Russian Foreign Ministry stated that tensions

around Venezuela had been continuously and purposefully

escalating earlier that day.

It was argued that the escalation of the conflict between the US

and Venezuela ------ has ''unpredictable consequences'' for the

People hold up a banner as they protest

against Israel at the entrance of the

International Criminal Court

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Rights group reports worsening

humanitarian conditions

in Israeli prisons

December 24th, 7:21pm

(PressTV)

A Palestinian prisoners’ rights group says health conditions in

Israeli prisons are worsening, citing medical neglect,

shortages of vital medicines, and inadequate

follow-up for sick inmates.

The Commission of Detainees’ and Ex-Detainees’ Affairs said in

a statement on Wednesday that its legal team uncovered

extremely severe humanitarian conditions endured

by Palestinian detainees in the Ofer and

Negev prisons.

The commission said the revelation followed field visits

that exposed a distressing reality at detention and

interrogation facilities.

The advocacy group stated that detainees reported a

significant lack of clothing and blankets, leaving

them with no choice but to rely on tattered

and inadequate garments.

It characterized the treatment as a clear breach

of humanitarian and international standards.

According to the commission, Palestinian prisoners also

reported ongoing restrictions on family visits, leading

to significant psychological anguish.

Additionally, they highlighted abrupt and frequent transfers

between different prison sections and facilities, employed

as a means of exerting both psychological and

physical pressure.

The legal team recorded numerous complaints of oppression

and mistreatment, highlighting degrading searches,

collective penalties, and constant restrictions

that violate detainees' dignity and their

fundamental rights.

The commission emphasized that such practices represent

serious breaches of international humanitarian law and

global conventions.

It held the Israeli authorities fully responsible for ensuring the

safety and well-being of detainees, and urged --- immediate

action to put an end to the violations.

In a related development, the Asra Media Office reported that

Israeli officials - had intensified their repressive measures at

the isolation section of Ganot Prison throughout December.

It reported that prison units conducted three consecutive raids

on December 14, 16, and 19, during which detainees were

subjected to beatings and widespread abuse,

indiscriminately.

The office further said severe isolation conditions persist

without any signs of improvement, accompanied by

extreme cold ---- and a lack of even the most

essential life necessities.

It held Israeli officials entirely accountable for the safety of

detainees and the repercussions of their isolation and

repression policies. An urgent appeal was made for

legal and humanitarian action --- to put an end to

the ongoing violations within the prisons.

The conditions under which Palestinian inmates are held by Israel

are deeply concerning....... marked by unsatisfactory hygiene

practices. Additionally ---- these detainees continue to face

ongoing torture, mistreatment, and systemic oppression.

Palestinian prisoners have repeatedly engaged in

prolonged hunger strikes as a form of protest

against their perceived unjust detention.

Human rights organizations report that Israel persists

in breaching the rights and freedoms guaranteed to

detainees, under the Fourth Geneva Convention

---- and international law.

___________________________________________

Diplomacy does not entail
sending bombers... Iran’s
foreign minister tells US

December 24th, 5:17pm

(PressTV)

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has rebuked the US

gesture of diplomacy at the UN Security Council, saying

openness to dialogue does not entail bombing the

other side during negotiations.

Morgan Ortagus, the US deputy special envoy for West Asia,

told the Security Council on Tuesday that Washington

remains available for “meaningful” negotiations

with Iran over its nuclear program, but said

the administration of President Donald

Trump will not allow enrichment

on Iranian soil.

Araghchi described the remarks as "a new

definition of diplomacy --------- by the US."

Noting that Washington denies Tehran’s “internationally

recognized rights” to uranium enrichment, Araghchi

said, “This is dictation ---- and not negotiation,
let alone a meaningful one.”

"The world witnessed how we were negotiating when the US

opted to open fire on our people and torpedoed diplomacy,"

Araghchi said, in reference to the Israeli-US aggression

of June.

"We did what we always do: resist and confront those

who assault us, and make sure ------- they regret it.”

Supported by the US, Israel conducted the aggression on

June 13, a few days before the sixth round of indirect

nuclear talks between Tehran and Washington.

More than a week later, the US also entered the war --- by

bombing three Iranian nuclear sites in a grave violation

of the United Nations Charter, international law, and

the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT).

On June 24, Iran, through its successful retaliatory operations

against both the Israeli regime and the US, managed to

impose a halt to the illegal assault.

“‘Extending the hand of diplomacy’ ---- does not entail sending

bombers and then crow about their failure as a success,”

Araghchi said, urging Washington to “try real, honest

diplomacy ---- instead of attempting to deceive

the world.”

Iran’s permanent mission to the United Nations also reacted

to the US remarks. “How touching... to hear lectures on

‘diplomacy’ -- from a party that openly acknowledges

its leading role -- in enabling and coordinating the

Israeli regime’s war against Iran,” the mission

posted on X.

In November, Trump acknowledged the role of the United States

in the Israeli aggression. “Israel attacked [Iran] first. That

attack was very, very powerful. I ---- was very much

in charge of that.”

“Zero enrichment, ultimatums, and coercion wrapped in diplomatic

vocabulary do not constitute negotiations; they merely confirm

that the objective is capitulation, not agreement,” the

Iranian mission said.

The position of the Islamic Republic, it said ------ “is

anchored in the rule of law, not the rule of power.”

_____________________________________

Israel approves 126 illegal units in West

Bank settlement .....evacuated in 2005

December 24th, 5pm

(PressTV)

Israel’s far-right finance minister Bezalel Smotrich has ordered

the construction of 126 settler units..... in Sanur - a former

settlement in the northern occupied West Bank, - thus

defying longstanding international condemnation.

Israeli media reported on Wednesday ----- that Smotrich instructed

the body responsible for approving illegal settlement expansion

to convene a meeting to discuss and approve the new units

at Sanur, a settlement in the Jenin Governorate that was

evacuated in 2005.

In a statement late Tuesday, he said the plan would include

commercial areas, paved roads, and zones for schools

and kindergartens.

Smotrich visited Sanur in August with a group of

extremist settlers, two decades after the

settlement was evacuated in 2005.

Israeli outlets reported that his visit was intended

.........to pave the way for its reconstruction.

The decision follows the Israeli "security cabinet’s" recent

approval of a "highly controversial" project of 19 new

settlements in the West Bank.

Earlier this year, Israel repealed the so-called Disengagement

Law, allowing settlers to return to the settlements of Sanur,

Ganim, and Kadim near Jenin and Nablus.

In September, Smotrich announced plans to annex more than

80 percent of the occupied West Bank, describing the move

as a “preventative step” ------ against countries recognizing

Palestinian statehood.

This furious reaction by Israeli ministers comes after Britain,

Canada, and Australia ---- formally recognized the state

of Palestine.

Israel has occupied the West Bank since 1967. Violence has

surged across the region since the regime's genocidal war

began on Gaza in October 2023.

In the last two years, nearly 1,102 Palestinians have been killed

in the occupied West Bank, and nearly 11,000 others --- have

been injured in attacks by the Israeli military and settlers.

Around 21,000 people have also been

abducted by the occupying

regime’s forces.

Rights organizations have been warning that Palestinians

in the West Bank face a growing threat of ethnic

cleansing amid the continuing violence.

In July 2024, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) ruled

that Israel’s prolonged occupation of historic Palestine

is unlawful -- and called for the removal of all of the

settlements in the West Bank and East al-Quds.

________________________________________

Speaker Berri Extends Christmas Greetings,

Highlights Palestinian Suffering and

Lebanese Resilience

December 24th, at 2pm

(al Manar)

Lebanese Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri extended his Christmas

greetings, highlighting the Palestinian suffering, as well as the

resilience in southern Lebanon, in facing Israeli aggression.

In a statement on the occasion, Speaker Berri Christmas offered

“warmest congratulations and best wishes, to the Lebanese in

general and the members of the Christian sects in particular.”

Speaker Berri said he extends his greetings “from a place that is the

nearest to the Church of Nativity, where joy is reborn on a bloodied

Palestinian face,” and from “St. George Church in Yaroun whose

bells rang this year from atop the rubble which bears witness

to the Israeli aggression.”

The Lebanese speaker said the Christmas this year “announces an

eternal birth of life in face of murder, love in face of hatred, truth

in face of falsehood, and a victory of faith over doubt, joy over

sorrow, hope over pain, and unity over division.”

Speaker Berri also expressed hope that this Christmas will embody

the values shared by both the Gospel and the Quran, urging all

political and social groups in Lebanon....... to reflect these

principles and work together for the nation’s wellbeing.

He invoked a message from Pope Leo XIII, advocating for

a collective commitment to human dignity and faith.

St. George Church, which was mentioned by Speaker Berri’s message

lies in the southern Lebanese border town of Yaroun ----- and was

targeted by the Israeli enemy ----- in November 2023.

Source: Al-Manar English Website

___________________________

Iran condoles with Libya

over death of army chief

in plane crash

December 24th, 10:20am

(PressTV)

Lieutenant General Mohammed al-Haddad was killed along

with seven other people aboard the plane including three

crew members, early on Wednesday.

Iran has offered condolences to Libya over the death of

the country’s army chief following a plane crash.

Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei said the crash

of the plane carrying Field Marshal Mohammed al-Haddad,

chief of staff of Libya’s Government of National Unity

forces, was a tragic incident, and conveyed

condolences to the Libyan government

and people, as well as sympathy to

the victims’ families.

The aircraft crashed early on Tuesday while returning

from Ankara to Tripoli, killing all those on board.

Libya’s Government of National Unity said in an official statement

that al-Haddad and four members of his entourage were killed

when a private aircraft crashed near Ankara.

According to Turkish officials, the Falcon 50 aircraft requested

an emergency landing because of electrical failure.. minutes

after it took off from Ankara, but contact was lost.

The tragedy coincides with Libya’s planned Independence Day

celebrations on Dec. 24-25, marking 74 years since the

country’s liberation from Italian occupation, which

will now be observed under three days of

national mourning.

Turkish authorities said Wednesday they had found the cockpit

voice recorder and black box from the crash site, in the

Haymana district near Ankara.

Libya is split between a UN-recognized government in Tripoli,

led by Prime Minister Abdulhamid Dbeibah, and commander

Khalifa Haftar's administration in the east.

The North African country has been divided --- since a NATO-backed

revolt toppled and killed longtime leader Muammar Kaddafi in 2011.

______________________________________

Palestine Action protesters ------------

demand release of hunger strikers

December 24th, 9:59am

(PressTV)

Outside the UK's Ministry of Justice, there is a demand for

urgent action as the Palestine Action members hunger

strike enters its seventh week.

Chants of 'Free the Hunger Strikers' echo across the street

with protesters accusing the government of political

repression and complicity in the Gaza genocide.

The media has been basically told not to report their story

until now. The story is only now beginning to come out,

so I think that the more we can do to publicize it, the

better. And, that the British government should be

on trial for war crimes, at this point.

Protester 01

Another protest outside the UK’s Ministry of Justice as concern

grows for six Palestine Action prisoners on hunger strike.

Hundreds gather outside UK Ministry of Justice,

demanding the hunger strikers’ release.

The six prisoners, now on hunger strike,

are being held on pre-trial detention.

Some are accused of breaking into a factory owned by Elbit

Systems, Israel's largest arms producer; others allegedly

entered a military base.

None have been convicted.

The campaigners say their conditions are rapidly deteriorating.

Two have had to be hospitalized, raising fears of long-term

injury or death.

Two hunger-striking prisoners affiliated with Palestine Action

have been hospitalized amid mounting concern over the

deteriorating health of activists taking part in a

weeks-long protest.

The way they're being treated in the dungeons, the British

dungeons, is that they do not let them go to hospital.

They take 12 hours, 24 hours, before they get them to hospital,

usually, and I've been to several of these prisons, usually, the

hospitals are a few kilometres down the road.

So it's not as if they're going far away. It's because of the governor

and the prison staff and obviously, the Ministry of Justice behind

us --- who are ordering these things.

Protester 02

Among other things, the hunger strikers are demanding

immediate bail, the deproscription of Palestine Action,

and, the closure of all Elbit sites in the UK.

They're not asking for much. They're remanded prisoners.

They shouldn't be in there. They should be given bail.

And if they're not given bail, and you are going to keep them

in prison for so long, don't torture them in prisons and

treat them like terrorists.

I think the British state has left them with no option

but to do this hunger strike for their freedom.

Nida Jafri, Prisoners for Palestine

Palestine Action proscription High Court review

The UK High Court is reviewing the proscription

of Palestine Action, a group formed in 2020

to oppose Israel.

Critics also accused the Labour government - of bending to

pro-Zionist pressure, by criminalizing direct action - while

protecting arms companies linked to the Zionist regime.

And what they want to do is intimidate people into not

supporting the cause, and make people that might

think I might want to get involved or might not

want to get involved.

They want to scare those people off, which is

why they're extreme with it really, I think.

Protester 03

Despite weeks of protest and pleas, the Ministry of Justice

has refused to meet with the hunger strikers families,

claiming it will set a precedent.

With some of the hunger strikers now hospitalized more than

once, and with the health of others deteriorating, there's a

lot of public pressure for the government to act.

Protesters here are warning that if the government

continues to delay it will be held responsible

whatever happens next.

British protestors arrested for chanting ‘globalize the Intifada’

The UK government has intensified its repression of pro-

Palestinian activists, with arrests for chants like

"globalize the Intifada" deemed racially

aggravated ---- despite the lack of

racial references or violence

in the slogan.

____________________________________________

Former British army officers urge Starmer

to impose full arms embargo on Israel

December 24th, 9:35am

(PressTV)

Four former senior British Army officers have called on the UK

government to impose a full arms embargo on Israel and ban

any involvement with Israeli-owned or Israeli-supported

military companies.

In a letter to Prime Minister Keir Starmer, the officers said

current sanctions are insufficient and that the British

government should take stronger measures to

avoid complicity in war crimes, The Times

reported on Tuesday.

The letter was signed by retired Brigadier John Deverell, who

served more than 30 years and was defense attaché in

Saudi Arabia and Yemen during the 2001 World Trade

Centre attacks; Lieutenant General Sir Andrew

Graham, former director-general of the UK

Defense Academy; retired Major General

Peter Currie; and Major General Charlie

Herbert --- a former senior army

commander in Afghanistan.

The former officers criticized claims by a senior Ministry of

Defense source that Israel’s military practices “resemble

our own” ------------ arguing that the Israeli military uses

indiscriminate munitions ----- causing “exceptionally
disproportionate and avoidable civilian fatalities

and the widespread destruction of
civilian infrastructure.”

They highlighted reports of targeted attacks on hospitals,

schools, and other civilian sites, as well as allegations
of detainee torture.

The letter came amid concerns over a planned £2 billion British

Army training contract with Elbit Systems UK, a subsidiary of

the Israeli military company Elbit Systems, which is part of

a consortium bidding for a 15-year contract alongside...

Raytheon UK.

The former officers warned that military collaboration,

including aircraft support and technology transfers,

should be suspended immediately.

Citing recent attacks in Gaza—including one on Friday that killed

six Palestinians, including a baby, in a school sheltering

displaced people—the officers said evidence of war

crimes was “so well-documented and compelling

that the British government should cut all

military collaboration with Israel

forthwith, to avoid the charge

of complicity.”

At least 7 Palestinians killed after

Israeli shelling hits Gaza school

Israeli shelling struck a school in Gaza City on Friday, killing at

least seven Palestinians and injuring others, including children.

Earlier this year, Israeli personnel were banned from enrolling

at the Royal College of Defense Studies, following criticism

that Israeli troops had been trained in the UK during the

Gaza genocide.

The retired officers concluded that “now is not the time to return

to business as usual with the Israeli [regime],” calling for an

immediate halt to military cooperation and a suspension

of all UK involvement with Israeli military entities.

In August, Brendan O’Hara, spokesman for the Scottish National

Party (SNP), wrote in a letter to Starmer that his “Labour

Government cannot sit silent” as Israeli forces

continue their genocidal war on Gaza.

O’Hara outlined several steps the UK must take, including a

full arms embargo on Israel, the immediate recognition of

a Palestinian state, formally joining the International

Court of Justice (ICJ) case on genocide, and

imposing economic sanctions on the

Israeli regime.

He also called on the UK to commit to enforcing international

arrest warrants against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu

and his cabinet. He called for the launch of a naval

operation to deliver aid to the Gaza Strip.

The UK government has come under fire for making “exceptions”

to its partial suspension of arms export licenses to Israel,

specifically allowing the continued shipment of

components for F-35 fighter jets.

A case in the UK High Court raised serious concerns in May that

Britain may be complicit in Israel’s genocide in Gaza, as it

continued to supply weapons and military components,

most notably for F-35 fighter jets ------ used in attacks

that have killed tens of thousands of Palestinians.

This comes amid Israel’s ongoing breach of a United States-

brokered ceasefire agreement with Hamas, which came

into effect on October 10.

According to a Monday report by the Gaza Health Ministry, 411

Palestinians have been killed and 1,112 injured in Israeli

strikes since the ceasefire began on October 10.

It added that 649 bodies were recovered during the same period.

The ministry said that the overall death toll in Gaza since October

2023 has risen to 70,937, with at least 171,192 people injured.

______________________________________________

Pro-Palestine prisoners pause hunger strike

amid severe health crisis, but vow to

resume fight

December 24th, 9:34am

PressTV)

pro-Palestine prisoners Qesser Zuhrah (L) and Amu Gib (Photo via social media)

Two Palestine Action-affiliated prisoners have temporarily ended their

hunger strikes as their health worsens, while pledging their protest

against the UK government’s treatment of Palestinian activists

will resume in the New Year.

Qesser Zuhrah and Amu Gib have resumed eating, according to a

statement from the Prisoners for Palestine group on Tuesday.

Zuhrah ended her strike after 48 days, while Gib resumed eating after

49 days. Both are being held on remand at HMP Bronzefield in Surrey.

“To our government, do not release your breath, because we will

certainly return to battle you with our empty stomachs in the

New Year, when you have shamefully returned from your

blood-soaked break ------- to the theatrics of your

‘democracy’," said Zuhrah, 20.

Gib, 30, said, “We have never trusted the government with our lives,

and we will not start now. There will be no turkey dinner and break

in the Zionist program of genocide. We are committed to the

resistance of their script, not until Christmas, but for the

rest of our lives … we will be the ones to decide how

we give our lives to justice and liberation.”

Zuhrah’s hunger strike was interrupted after she was refused

an ambulance -- for more than 18 hours at HMP Bronzefield,

sparking a protest outside the prison that was attended

by Coventry South MP Zarah Sultana.

The two were part of a group of eight prisoners on hunger strike

in protest against charges connected to break-ins and property

damage carried out on behalf of Palestine Action, which was

banned under UK terrorism legislation in July.

Palestine Action --- has categorically rejected

the charges and demanded they be dropped.

Four other detainees, Kamran Ahmed, Heba Muraisi,

Teuta Hoxha, and Lewie Chiaramello, remain on

hunger strike.

Prisoners for Palestine issued updated demands on Tuesday,

including transferring Muraisi, currently at HMP New Hall in

West Yorkshire, back to Bronzefield.

A spokesperson for Prisoners for Palestine condemned the

UK prison system for isolating detainees and restricting

access to basic rights.

“The remaining four will continue to refuse food ----- on the basis

of their five demands,” they said ----- “including ending all non-

association orders; Heba’s transfer back to HMP Bronzefield;

and equal access to courses and activities afforded to the

sentenced prisoners. Non-association orders ----- further

isolate prisoners, even when held in the same facility,

and Heba has been moved across the country, away

from her family and support network in London.

Extended remand periods - should not deny

prisoners the same access to programs

as others.”

Earlier this month, Jon Cink and Umer Khalid ended their 41-day

and 13-day hunger strikes for health reasons. Both were

hospitalized and have since returned to prison.

The hunger strike by the eight participants, which began on

November 2, 2025, is the largest in UK prisons since the

1981 Irish hunger strike. All the participants face

charges linked to protests at sites, including

Israeli arms manufacturer Elbit Systems

headquarters in the UK, the Filton

research hub, and Royal Air

Force (RAF) Brize Norton.

____________________________________________

Senior Hamas official: Resistance will
not disarm, demands stronger
ceasefire guarantees

December 24th, 7:07am

(PressTV)

Hamas firmly rejects any attempts to disarm the resistance

movement, warning against foreign interference in

Palestinian affairs, while demanding stronger,

more detailed guarantees for the second

phase of the ceasefire with Israel, a

top Hamas official says.

In an interview with Yemen's al-Masirah on Tuesday, Osama Hamdan

stressed that Hamas will never hand over its weapons to foreign

powers, noting, “The resistance rejects the arrival of foreign

forces to disarm us [and take away] the weapons that the

occupation failed to take from us … The idea of

surrendering weapons is an idea that the

resistance does not accept.”

Hamdan also addressed the ongoing ceasefire with Israel, which

the regime continues to violate, underscoring the need for

clearer guarantees in its next stage.

“In the second phase of the Gaza agreement, the guarantees must

be clearer and the commitments need to be more detailed,” he

said, citing Israel’s repeated violations of previous accords.

“The Zionist enemy does not abide by the agreement, and even

the international agreements that it concludes are subject to

blatant violations,” he said

He warned that Israel’s continued siege of Gaza could signal a

return to hostilities. “The failure to open the crossings is an

indication on the part of Israel that the enemy intends to

return to aggression against the Gaza Strip,”

Hamdan said.

He said that using the blockade as a weapon will not weaken

Palestinian resistance, saying using the siege as a tool of

war when it comes to basic needs ------ "increases the

hostility towards the Zionist entity.”

A Press TV correspondent in the occupied West Bank was injured

after Israeli forces fired rubber bullets while she was reporting

live from a refugee camp.

Condemning the Israeli and US policies in the region, Hamdan framed

them as part of a broader strategy to dominate West Asia militarily.

“The Americans want to impose hegemony on the region, with the

Zionist entity being the foundation of this hegemony,” he said,

adding that disarming the resistance would allow Israel to

wrest absolute control over the entire region.

Despite the ongoing attacks against Palestinians, Hamdan expressed

confidence in the Palestinian resilience, stating, “The resistance is

capable of continuing, and I am confident that the outcome of

this conflict ...will be the demise of this entity."

A US-brokered ceasefire between Hamas and Israel was reached on

October 10, 2025. Under the first phase, Israel was mandated to

open all crossings into Gaza, allowing food and aid to enter

and ending hostilities --- in exchange for the release of

all of the captives held by Hamas.

While Hamas has complied with the agreement, Israel has continued

attacks on Gaza and kept most crossings closed, blocking vital aid.

On Tuesday, the occupying entity’s minister of military affairs, Israel

Katz, said the regime has no plans to fully withdraw from Gaza and

intends to establish new military and agricultural outposts in the

north ---------- a clear breach of the ceasefire.

Gaza Government’s Media Office reported on Monday that Israel has

already violated the agreement at least 875 times, including 265

shootings at civilians, 49 incursions into residential areas, 421

shelling attacks, and 150 home demolitions.

Since the ceasefire began, Israeli attacks have killed

at least 411 people in Gaza and injured 1,112 others.

According to the Gaza Health Ministry, the overall death toll in Gaza

since October 2023 when Israel launched the genocidal war

has risen to 70,937, with at least 171,192 people injured.

Today, December the 24th, is

Independence Day
in Libya!

The Kingdom of Libya, known as the United Kingdom

of Libya - from 1951 to 1963 - was a monarchy in

North Africa that came into existence upon

its ''independence'' on December 24th,
in 1951, from the UK and France.

Substantial political power resided with the king,

with a prime minister and Council of Ministers

designated by the king but also responsible

to the Chamber of Deputies. The Senate,

or upper house..... consisted of eight

representatives from each of the

three provinces.

Half of the senators were nominated by the king,

who also had the right to veto legislation and to

dissolve the lower house. Tripoli and Benghazi

served alternately.... as the national capital.

After the first Libyan general election in 1952,

all of the political parties..... were abolished.

The government was in ''close alliance'' with

the US and UK; both countries maintaining

military bases in Libya.

Libya remained a poor and underdeveloped

country heavily dependent on foreign aid,
despite having vast oil reserves.

This lasted until a bloodless

coup d'état... on the 1st

of September 1969.

The coup --- led by Muammar Gaddafi ---

overthrew King Idris and established

the Libyan Arab Republic.... which

introduced untold wealth to its

people --- and challenged the

African continent - to take

back its sovereignty, but

was destroyed.. by the

Western powers who

provoked a civil war

- and murdered its

leader by raping

him ---- with a

bayonette.

Libya.... has since fallen

into destitution -- with

open slave markets.

Muammar Gaddafi's son, Saif,

and the ''Prince'' Mohammed

el-Senussi, King Idris' son,

now vie for power.

In March 2023, Al-Jazeera revealed the testimonies of Wagner

operative Maxim Shugaley - who alleged that Saif had given

Russia incriminating evidence, that implicated prominent

politicians in France the US and Ukraine. Most notably,

the President of France, Emmanuel Macron ----- was

accused of accepting Libyan money...... through

Algerian intermediaries to fund his campaign

in the 2017 French presidential election.

Israeli universities -------- face

growing academic isolation

despite Gaza ceasefire,

report says

November 25th, 8:39am
(PressTV)

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.

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 - opposed World 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.

____________________

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

For more details visit

www.factoryporth.com
www.facebook.com/TheFactoryVenue
Twitter @TheFactoryPorth
01443 687080

***********************************************

Daytime Delights...

Starts at 1pm

The Parc & Dare, Treorchy

Lunchtime Concerts in the Lounge Bar.

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.ukÃ‚Â

*************************************************

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:

https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/857YMDK

or this one:

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSc0du5YuhPZ8ahI
oxC_b6pvBprmGA4XFdG-0r2dOVYyc4UNFg/viewform?c=0&w=1

– 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.

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.

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.

************************************************

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 !!!

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.

*********************************************

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!

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."

*************************************************

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 !!!

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.

What have we got to lose?