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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.”

US' Secretary of Energy

talks in Venezuela video

_________________________________________________

Maduro told his son on the phone:

the Venezuelan government
is taking the right steps.

February 12th, 8:27pm

(RT.ru)

Venezuelan President, Nicolas Maduro, said in a telephone

conversation, that the country's government is taking the

right steps, according to his son Nicolas Maduro Guerra.

"You are doing exactly what you should do and taking

the right steps," he said, according to RIA Novosti.

On January 3, the United States conducted a large-scale

military operation in Venezuela, during which -- they

captured and removed from the country Maduro

and his wife, Cilia Flores.

Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova

said that the United States' kidnapping of Maduro and

possible US court decisions against him - are illegal.

People hold up a banner as they protest

against Israel at the entrance of the

International Criminal Court

‘Colonial eradication - of Palestine’:

Iran condemns Israel’s West Bank

annexation push

February 12th, 7:24pm

(PressTV)

A Palestinian woman cries over rubble of her house which was

demolished by Israeli forces, in the Palestinian village of Beit

Awa in the occupied West Bank on February 11, 2026.

(Photo by AFP)

Iran has strongly condemned the Israeli regime’s recent decision

to seize more land from Palestinians in the occupied West Bank,

saying the move aims to expand “illegal settlement-building”

and entrench occupation and security control over the

territory, alongside the continuation of genocide

in Gaza.

Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson, Esmaeil Baghaei, on

Thursday pointed to the continued killing of Palestinians

in Gaza and the West Bank and “flagrant violations of

human rights and humanitarian law,” including “the

continued unlawful detention of Palestinians in

prisons -------- and the severe torture of

Palestinian prisoners.”

He described these actions as “criminal conduct” carried out in

line with a policy of “genocide against Palestinians ---- and the

colonial eradication of Palestine,” and stressed “the shared

responsibility of all governments to prevent a continuation

of the genocide of the Palestinian people --------- and the

escalating seizure of their lands.”

Baghaei said the “impunity” of the Israeli regime and the

continued comprehensive support of the United States

and certain European countries, particularly Germany

& Britain, are factors behind the ongoing “genocide

of Palestinians.”

He also sharply criticized ''the inaction'' of the United Nations

and other relevant international bodies, regarding the Israeli

regime’s “colonial and expansionist policies.”

The spokesperson reaffirmed the principled position of the

Islamic Republic of Iran, in supporting “the restoration
of the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people,

especially the right to self-determination,

liberation from occupation --- and the

establishment of an independent

Palestinian state with Al-Quds

al-Sharif as its capital.”

The Israeli regime has approved a series of sweeping measures

in the occupied West Bank that Palestinians warn amount to a

blatant breach of the Oslo Accords and a de facto annexation

of Palestinian land.

Israeli minister says Netanyahu's new measures

give it --- 'de facto sovereignty' over West Bank

Energy minister says the new steps “establish a fact on

the ground that there will not be a Palestinian state."

The policy, announced by extremist finance minister Bezalel

Smotrich and minister of military affairs Israel Katz,

significantly alters governance in the West Bank,

opening the way for expanded settlements,

land seizures...... and the erosion of

Palestinian civil rights.

The measures -- remove longstanding legal barriers for Israeli

settlers, accelerate settlement expansion and extend Israeli

military and “civil” authority ----- into areas previously under

partial Palestinian control.

Under the new measures, Israeli forces gain authority to enforce

regulations on “unlicensed” Palestinian buildings in Areas A

and B, often citing heritage or archaeological sites,

enabling land confiscation and demolitions.

The policy lifts secrecy on West Bank land registries, allowing

settlers to identify Palestinian landowners and purchase land

directly, a move that is accelerating the land seizures.

_____________________________________________________________

Two US Navy ships collide

near South America amid

Trump buildup

February 12th, 2:02pm

(PressTV)

Two US Navy vessels have collided during a refueling operation

in waters near South America, injuring two personnel, amid

Washington’s expanding military presence in the region.

The Arleigh Burke-class destroyer USS Truxtun and the fast

combat support ship USNS Supply collided on Wednesday

during a ship-to-ship refueling operation, the Wall Street

Journal reported on Thursday.

Two personnel sustained minor injuries and were

reported in a stable condition, the report added.

The exact location of the collision... has not been disclosed,

though a US military official confirmed it took place within

Southern Command’s area of responsibility, which covers

the Caribbean and parts of the South Atlantic and

South Pacific.

The Truxtun departed Norfolk, Virginia, on February 6 for a

scheduled deployment, while the Navy-owned Supply,

primarily crewed by civilian mariners, has been

operating in the Caribbean.

The incident comes amid US President Donald Trump’s

large-scale naval buildup in the Caribbean, ordered in

recent months as part of his campaign against what

he claimed to be trafficking.

Twelve warships are currently assigned to Southern

Command, including the aircraft carrier USS Gerald

R. Ford and its strike group.

Past incidents have proven deadly and exposed systemic

failures. In 2017, two separate destroyer collisions in the

Pacific killed 17 sailors - the USS Fitzgerald near Japan

and the USS John S. McCain near Singapore.

Investigations later concluded both were avoidable and

resulted from crew failures, leading to the dismissal

of several senior officials.

More recently, on February 12 last year, the aircraft carrier

USS Harry S. Truman collided with a merchant vessel

near Port Said, Egypt. No injuries were reported.

Since mid-2025, the Trump administration has ordered what

critics describe as the largest US military buildup in the

Caribbean and South American region in decades ---

including warships, aircraft, submarines, and

strikes against targets near Venezuela.

This force posture has been justified by the White House as

a fight against drug trafficking, but analysts and regional

leaders see it as an aggressive projection of military

power ....deep into South American waters.

In a dramatic escalation earlier this year, US forces launched

strikes on Venezuelan territory and carried out an incursion

that resulted in the kidnapping and removal to US prisons

of President Nicolás Maduro ...and his wife.

Trump publicly stated the US would effectively “run” Venezuela

temporarily until a transition is secured, signaling a level of

intervention ----- that goes far beyond routine political

pressure or sanctions.

As part of what US commanders call Operation Southern Spear,

US forces have been attacking vessels they allege are linked

to narco-trafficking, often without independent evidence.

These strikes have killed dozens and sparked legal

challenges --- and accusations of illegal military

action - in peacetime.

Trump’s administration --- is also warning other South American

countries about outside influence such as China’s investments

in Peru’s ports as part of a broader “Western Hemisphere

security” push, signaling another front in geopolitical

competition, under Trump’s doctrine.

South American leaders from Brazil to Venezuela have expressed

alarm at this US military footprint, warning it could destabilize

the region and reignite Cold War–style tensions. Domestic

critics in the US and abroad argue that Trump’s actions

amount to a ''foreign watchdog'' aggression ---- and

undermine sovereignty.

__________________________________________________

Over 2,000 British nationals fought

for Israel during Gaza genocide:

Report

February 12th, 10:46am

(PressTV)

More than 2,000 British nationals have served in the Israeli

military during the regime's genocidal war against the

Gaza Strip.

A report published by Declassified UK on Wednesday revealed

that more than 2,000 British nationals fought alongside the

Israeli regime forces during the Israeli genocide in Gaza.

The report is based on data obtained for the first time,

through a Freedom of Information request submitted

to the Israeli regime's authorities.

The numbers stated in the latest report included Israeli forces

with dual or multiple nationalities as opposed to earlier data

that counted only 54 Britons serving as "lone soldiers"

fighting for the Tel Aviv regime.

Consultants on legal matters told Declassified

that the new figures raised serious concerns.

The data revealed... that 1,686 dual British-Israeli nationals

were enlisted, along with 383 individuals who held British,

Israeli, and at least one additional nationality, placing

them within a broader group --- of more than 50,000

Israeli military personnel with multiple citizenship.

Earlier data from publicly available figures were limited to

so-called “lone soldiers” in the Israeli forces. This

included foreign nationals without family

relatives in occupied Palestine.

A report by the Knesset Research and Information Centre

based on the earlier data, had recorded just 54 “lone

soldiers” hailing from the UK fighting for the Israeli

regime ...as of August 2024.

Legal expert Paul Heron of the Public Interest Law Centre

(PILC) sounded the alarm about the grave concerns

regarding the significant number of Britons who

were in violation of international law.

“There must be no impunity where credible evidence

links British nationals to grave breaches of

international law,” he said

“Where dual nationals have served in units implicated in

atrocities, the authorities must investigate promptly

and, where the evidence meets the threshold,

pursue arrest and prosecution --- like any

other serious crime,” he added.

Last year, a 240-page complaint was submitted to the

Metropolitan Police war crimes unit ---- naming 10

Britons accused of “targeted killing of civilians

and aid workers, including by sniper fire, and

indiscriminate attacks on civilian areas.”

One of the legal experts involved with the case, Michael

Mansfield, an English barrister, said, “British nationals

are under a legal obligation not to collude with

crimes committed in Palestine." He

emphasized -- that "No one is

above the law.”

The report comes as part of a broader legal push by advocacy

groups in the UK to pursue the figures involved in the Israeli

regime's ongoing genocidal war on Gaza, which kicked off

in October 2023 and has resulted in more than 72,000

Palestinians dead and 90% of Gaza destroyed.

___________________________________________________

Houthi: Iranian, Yemeni revolutions

inspire Islamic nation to fight off

enemy conspiracies

February 12th, 10:41am

(PressTV)

Leader of Yemen's Ansarullah resistance movement Abdul-Malik

al-Houthi says the popular revolutions of the Yemeni and

Iranian people offer vital lessons for the Muslim world

in the face of enemy plots.

In a statement issued on Wednesday, Houthi said the historic

resistance of the two countries carries important lessons

for the Muslim world, reinforcing hope and confidence

in divine promises.

He added, that the shared experience has been reinforced as

adversaries of Islam and humanity are pushing forward their

schemes -- among them the so-called “New Middle East”

and “Greater Israel” -- using their proxies and allies.

He also extended his congratulations to Leader of the Islamic

Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei and the Iranian

people on the anniversary of the victory of the 1979

Islamic Revolution.

He emphasized that the victory of the Islamic Revolution

in Iran led to the establishment of an independent

Muslim country ------ free from US hegemony.

The Yemeni leader praised Iran’s steadfastness against the

Israeli regime’s conspiracies for 47 years, while supporting

oppressed nations, foremost among them...... the

Palestinian people.

On Wednesday - Iranians marked the 47th anniversary of the

Islamic Revolution, which overthrew the US-backed Pahlavi

dictatorship ......and led to the establishment of the

Islamic Republic.

Millions of Iranians took part in nationwide rallies and

celebrations to commemorate the historic event and

reaffirmed their commitment to the country's

independence and sovereignty.

Elsewhere in his statement, Houthi congratulated the Yemeni

people on the anniversary of the historic victory marked by

the withdrawal of US Marines from the capital Sana’a

on February 11, 2015.

He said the US forces' withdrawal marked a decisive turning

point --- and a symbol of the defeat of foreign control over

Yemen's political and administrative centre.

The Yemeni leader added ----- that recent developments have

exposed Zionist plots, emphasizing that the Israeli regime's

atrocities against the Palestinian people in Gaza ------ have

laid bare the true nature of Zionism to the world.

He said that the Muslim world bears a major responsibility: to

strengthen awareness, unity, and support for the Palestinian

people and their resistance, and to confront the Israeli

enemy --- and its US ally.

The withdrawal of US Marines from Sana’a on February

11, 2015, marked a historic moment in Yemen’s

modern political history.

For years, US forces had maintained a direct presence in

the capital, exercising influence over Yemen’s political

and administrative institutions and attempting to

implement policies aligned with US interests.

Their presence symbolized foreign domination at

the heart of Yemen’s government - and allowed

the US to exert control over senior officials.

____________________________________________________

AIPAC faces challenge: as new PAC

seeks to end US military support

for Israel

February 12th, 10:02am

(PressTV)

A new political action committee (PAC) has emerged in the US to

confront decades of pro-Israel lobbying by AIPAC, aiming to end

Washington’s complicity in Israel’s occupation, apartheid, and

genocide against Palestinians.

After decades of shaping Congress in favor of Israel, the powerful

American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) is now facing

a direct political counterweight.

The newly launched Peace, Accountability, and Leadership PAC

(PAL PAC) announced its formation on Wednesday, pledging to

transform shifting US public opinion on Israel and Palestine

---- into concrete legislative action.

The PAC’s debut came.... during the sixth visit of Israeli prime

minister Benjamin Netanyahu — wanted by the International

Criminal Court (ICC) over war crimes in the besieged Gaza

Strip — to US President Donald Trump, highlighting the

entrenched nature of US-Israel ties in Washington.

PAL PAC says it will back elected officials who defend

Palestinian civil rights, and work to end Israel’s

violent and illegal occupation.

Describing itself as the only PAC exclusively committed to

justice and accountability for Palestinians, the group

operates as an allied organization of the IMEU

Policy Project.

It states that its mission is to promote a US foreign policy

guided by human rights, dignity, and international law,

rather than unconditional support for Israel.

The PAC identifies as a core priority ending Israel’s ongoing

human rights abuses -- and halting US complicity in Israel’s

apartheid system, illegal land confiscation, and genocide

against Palestinians.

It seeks to elect candidates who demonstrate “clear,

courageous, and consistent leadership” on one of

the most morally defining political issues of

the era.

The group is launched with the endorsements of 4 Democratic

lawmakers - Reps. Rashida Tlaib of Michigan, Delia Ramirez

of Illinois, Summer Lee of Pennsylvania, and Ilhan Omar of

Minnesota - and indicated that more endorsements.....

will follow.

Tlaib, the only Palestinian-American serving in Congress, praised

the initiative, saying, “As the only Palestinian-American working

in Congress, I’ve had a front row seat ------- to our government’s

complicity in the genocide.”

“I’m committed to human rights for all --- and this means an arms

embargo and an end to US complicity and support of the Israeli

apartheid government, and its ongoing war crimes and human

rights abuses,” she added.

Tlaib also stressed that PAL PAC has her “full support” as the

only PAC exclusively focused on justice and accountability

for the Palestinian people.

Throughout the brutal aggression on Gaza, AIPAC echoed the

falsehood ----- that there is no Israeli-imposed famine in the

Palestinian territory and defended the Israeli military’s

genocidal conduct ----- while calling for more US aid

to the entity.

_____________________________

Israel demolishes homes

in southern Lebanon

February 12th, 9:33am

(Prensa Latina)

The Israeli army today carried out raids on the border towns

of Adaysseh and Kfarkela, in southern Lebanon, where it

demolished several buildings, the Lebanese National

News Agency reported.

According to sources cited by the media, an Israeli unit entered

the Al-Nouriya neighbourhood, in the centre of Kfarkela, at

dawn, where a residential building detonated after

placing explosives inside.

Another force advanced towards the town of Adaysseh
and proceeded to install explosive charges in two
houses located on the outskirts, which were

later demolished.

These events occur in a context of growing tension on

Lebanon's southern border and amid continued Israeli

violations of the ceasefire agreement reached with

the Resistance Movement lebanese Hezbollah in

November 2014, which causes more victims,

according to official reports.

Since October 2023, Israel has carried out military operations

against Lebanon which, according to official sources in the

Cedar Nation, left more than four thousand dead and

around 17 thousand injured, before escalating into

a full-scale war in September 2024.

Beirut demands the cessation of Israeli military actions and

respect for Lebanese sovereignty, as well as the end of the

occupation of five hills and other areas that remain under

Israeli control .....since previous conflicts.

__________________________________________

The US withdraws from an

important base in Syria

February 12th, 9:27am

(Prensa Latina)

US-led International Coalition forces withdrew from the Al-Tanf

military base, located in eastern Syria, and moved... towards

Jordanian territory, media outlets here reported today.

According to sources, the US troops abandoned the

facility located in the border triangle between

Syria, Iraq and Jordan.

Local sources indicated that the withdrawal was total

..and that the base was handed over to the Syrian

Ministry of Defense. They added that the 54th

Division.. began deploying in and around the

enclave, where it established checkpoints

and imposed strict security measures.

So far no official statement has been issued confirming or

denying the withdrawal of the International Coalition

forces, no details on the administration of the base

or the mechanism planned for the next phase.

The Al-Tanf facility occupies a strategic position in the border

region and served as one of the main operations centres of

the ''International Coalition'' since its establishment.

The base was created in 2014 as the coalition's operational

centre, and on March 3, 2016, its establishment in the

province of Homs was officially announced

--- considered the largest US military

installation in Syrian territory.

According to previous reports, the objective of the base was to

train factions of the so-called Free Syrian Army to combat

both the then government of Bashar al-Assad and

Daesh, and strengthen control of the al-Walid

border crossing, on the Iraqi side.

This action coincides with the withdrawal of US forces

deployed in northeastern Syria, as recently reported

by reliable sources cited by the Syria TV channel.

According to sources, United States troops at the Al-Shaddadi

base, located in the province of Al-Hasakeh, in the northeast

of the country, get ready for a complete departure within a

period of no more than 24 hours, coinciding with the

beginning... of the withdrawal of troops from the

international coalition - led by Washington -

from the Kharab al-Jir base.

At the end of January, US authorities admitted that a complete

withdrawal of troops deployed in Syria was being evaluated,

while President Ahmed Al-Shara promotes efforts to

restore state control over the northeast of

the territory.

As revealed by The Wall Street Journal, three US officials

indicated that the rapid evolution of the situation in

Syria led the Pentagon to question the viability of

the US military mission, especially... after the

defeat of the SDF.

The newspaper added that, if these forces were completely

dissolved, there would be no justification for the military

permanence of the United States in the Arab country.

Today, February 12th, in 1920,

anti-apartheid fighter,
trade union activist,
and Communist,

Raymond Mphakamisi Mhlaba OMSG was a leader of the African

National Congress (ANC) who became the first premier of the

Eastern Cape. Mhlaba spent 25 years of his life in prison.

Well-known for being sentenced with Nelson Mandela, Govan

Mbeki, Walter Sisulu and others in the Rivonia Trial, he was

an active member of the ANC and the South African

Communist Party (SACP) all his adult life.

His kindly manner brought him the nickname

"Oom Ray” (“Uncle Ray” in Afrikaans).

Mhlaba started working at a laundry in Port Elizabeth after

leaving school in 1942. The horrendous conditions at the

laundry converted him to a trade unionist and he

became the leader of Non European Laundry

Workers Union in 1943.

In 1943, he joined the South African Communist Party, serving

as the party's district secretary from 1946 until the party was

banned in 1950. In 1944, he became a member of the African

National Congress. From 1944 Mhlaba maintained dual

membership of the ANC and the SACP.

He rose through the ANC ranks becoming the chairman of the

Port Elizabeth branch of the ANC from 1947 to 1953, and

then elected to the Cape Executive committee.

Mhlaba was the first to be arrested for disobeying apartheid laws

during the nationwide Defiance Campaign of 1952 together with

Govan Mbeki and Vuyisile Mini for three months in Rooi Hel

('Red Hell' or North End Prison, Port Elizabeth).

The campaign was launched in Port Elizabeth when Mhlaba led a

group of volunteers singing freedom songs through the "Whites

Only" entrance of the New Brighton Railway Station. This

action earned him the Xhosa nickname "Vulindlela" or

"he who opens the way."

That same year, Mhlaba was charged under South Africa's

Suppression of Communism Act. Although his political

activities continued, he was barred from attending

meetings or gatherings.

After the ANC was banned on 8 April, under the Unlawful

Organisations Act, the party took up the armed struggle

forming its military wing ----- Umkhonto we Sizwe.

Mhlaba was one of its first recruits and was sent to China for

military training. In 1961, he spent ten months in China,

studying at the Nanjing Military Academy. During the

early 1960s, Mhlaba traveled to the Umkhonto we

Sizwe’s military camps in Morocco and Algeria

as well as going to other countries to

negotiate for military support.

Before leaving South Africa he assisted Mandela in writing

the Umkhonto constitution. In 1962, Mhlaba returned to

South Africa, becoming a commander of the MK, after

Nelson Mandela's arrest.

On 12 June 1964, Mhlaba, Mandela and seven other ANC

leaders were sentenced to life imprisonment, and all

were sent to Robben Island.

During his time in Robben Island, Mhlaba and other ANC members

founded the ANC High Command, with Mandela as its head.

The committee educated and supported the younger
imprisoned members --- formulating policies on
day-to-day concerns, prisoners' complaints,
and strikes, and maintaining discipline
within their isolation unit.

Looking back at their time in Robben Island, Mandela said of

Mhlaba: "I got to know him as the peacemaker. He spent

a lot of time urging fellow prisoners to forget their

differences and unite, so that conditions for

prisoners could improve."

After his release from prison on 15 October 1989, he was elected

to the ANC national executive and the South African Communist

Party central committee. He became national chairperson of

In January 1994 he was chosen as the ANC's nominee as Premier

of the Eastern Cape and in May 1994 he was elected to that post.

He helped to establish the house of traditional leaders. He then

became the High Commissioner to Uganda and Rwanda, until

He was chairperson of a black economic empowerment

consortium involved in the Coega port project, but

suffered a stroke on 19 July 2003,

In 2004, Mhlaba was diagnosed with advanced liver cancer.

Doctors discharged him, saying there was nothing they

On 20 February 2005 he died in hospital. He was granted a state

funeral on 27 February 2005, which was attended by tens of
thousands of mourners.

Mhlaba is survived by his three sons and five daughters.

Among many legacies, the Raymond Mhlaba Centre

for Governance and Leadership at Nelson Mandela

University, is named in his honour.

“Ubuntu - is the generosity, tolerance, hospitality, and ability

to share with those in need. This... is the practice observed

by African people and was more the custom in those days.”

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

Israeli-occupied territories, Ballet says Hanita Lenses

incurred significant operational losses.

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.

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.