Rhondda Records is with you every day bringing the news ------- that gives a view of world events different to the mainstream media or social media!
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Journalist:To end war ------
prosecute UK, US officials
who wage(d) it illegally
October 22nd, 10:12pm (PressTV)
The world must finally put an end to the impunity of war
criminals, by holding US and UK officials responsible
for launching the illegal war on Iraq, done without
the approval of the UN Security Council, and
prosecuting them --- under the Nuremberg
principles, US journalist Don DeBar said.
DeBar made the remarks in an interview with Press TV while
commenting on a report which has revealed that the British
military inquiries into abuse against Iraqi nationals... have
been closed without a single prosecution being brought,
even though the credibility of many "shocking and
shameful incidents" during the war in the Middle
Eastern country, have been confirmed.
British Defense Secretary Ben Wallace said in a statement
this week that the Service Police Legacy Investigations,
which was looking at claims of abuse in Iraq, had now
"officially closed its doors."
In March 2003, the US and Britain invaded Iraq in blatant
violation of international law and under the pretext of
finding WMDs; but no such weapons were ever
discovered in Iraq.
More than one million Iraqis were killed - as the result of
the US-led invasion and subsequent occupation of Iraq
--- according to the California-based investigative
organization, Project Censored.
The US war in Iraq cost US taxpayers $1.7 trillion with
an additional $490 billion in benefits owed to war veterans, expenses that could grow to more than $6 trillion over the next four decades counting interest, according to a study called Costs of War Project --- by the Watson Institute for
International Studies at Brown University.
DeBar told Press TV that the Iraq war
was illegal from the very beginning.
"It is illegal for a nation to make war on another nation if it
does not have the approval of the UN Security Council, if
any of those nations are signatories to the original UN
Charter. And it’s been adopted - that happened with
the US, as a charter member of the UN -- and it was
approved by the US Senate in the 1940s.
Consequently, the US involvement in Iraq from the beginning, and the UK involvement in Iraq from the beginning, was illegal,” he said.
“And under the Nuremberg standards, which would then
apply, each and every death consequent – intentional
or not - to either US or UK military action there, or
condoning of the US action there, by the media
or public officials, or any act facilitating that,
is an individual war crime. And, by the way,
there’s a death penalty for that,” the
journalist noted.
“No one will prosecute these people. That’s why I started
with the word impunity. And we might bookend with that
because that’s the problem. And until the world puts an
end to that impunity, until the world sees the major
contradiction in all international relations, is US,
UK, and EU imperialism, then it’s going to
continue until this eats our species,”
he stated.
A damning White House memo had revealed details of the
so-called “deal in blood” forged by former British Prime
Minister Tony Blair and US President George W. Bush
over the Iraq war.
The document, titled “Secret... Memorandum for the
President”, was sent by then-US Secretary of State
Colin Powell to President Bush --- on March 28th, 2002, a week before Bush’s summit with Blair at his Crawford ranch in Texas.
The sensational memo, revealed that Blair had agreed to
support the war a year before the invasion even started
while publicly, the British prime minister was working to find a diplomatic solution to the crisis.
The document also disclosed that Blair agreed to act as a
spin doctor for Bush and convince a skeptical public that
Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein had Weapons of Mass
Destruction, which actually did not exist.
In response, Bush would flatter Blair and give the
impression that London was not Washington’s
poodle but an equal partner in the
“special relationship.”
Powell told Bush that Blair “will be with us” on the
Iraq war, and assured the president that “"the UK
will follow our lead in the Middle East."
Blair has always denied the claim that he and Bush
signed a deal “in blood”, at Crawford, to launch a
war against Iraq that began on March 20th, 2003,
that has killed hundreds of thousands of people.
The Powell memo, however, showed how Blair and
Bush secretly prepared the Iraq war plot behind
closed doors at Crawford.
Powell told Bush: “He will present to you the strategic,
tactical and public affairs lines, that he believes will
The Chinese foreign ministry said today to Prensa Latina,
thank you again for your strong support to Cuba in the
defense of its sovereignty and national security, and
called for the United States - to listen to the voice of justice - and of the international community.
To a Prensa Latina question, the spokesperson Mao Ning
replied that China took note of the recent visit of U.S.
lawmakers to the island, those who opposed the
hostile policy of Washington against the
Caribbean nation.
The foreign ministry called for an immediate halt to all
the sanctions and the blockade against Cuba, while
reiterating the willingness of Beijing to work with
the international community ...in supporting
the island.
China has said on several occasions that it will continue with
its"support and assistance"to Cubadespite the repeated threats of the US --- and condemned the pressures of Washington --- that"compromise peace and stability in the region".
Recently, the Chinese ambassador to Cuba, Hua Xin,
denounced the impact of the blockade of the US
and reaffirmed his country's support: to foil the ongoing intensification of the policy.
The diplomat stressed -- that Beijing will continue its
support in the defence of Cuba's sovereignty and
national security, and will further strengthen
its cooperation in key sectors - such as
energy and power.
Among the projects underway --- Hua Xin mentioned the
synchronization to the national network of solar parks
donated by China, implementation of solar energy
systems in houses and social centres and the
delivery of food assistance ------ including
sending thousands of tonnes of rice.
Image: People hold up a banner as they protest against Israel at the entrance of the International Criminal Court.
IRGC: Attempts by warshipsto pass
through the Strait of Hormuz
will be harshly suppressed
April 11th, 9:40pm
(RT.ru)
The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Navy
has stated that any attempt by warships to pass
through the Strait of Hormuz will be met with
a harsh response.
"The IRGC Navy is fully and decisively exercising... control
over the Strait of Hormuz. Only non-military vessels are
granted permission to pass through in accordance
with special regulations," the command said
in a statement cited by Tasnim.
In addition, the IRGC has denied reports
of US ships passing through the strait.
Earlier, an Axios reporter, Barak Ravid, reported that several
US Navy ships had - allegedly - crossed the Strait of Hormuz.
The Iranian state broadcaster IRIB then reported, citing
a source, that the US warships did not cross the Strait
of Hormuz.
CNN noted that the United States is making unacceptable
demands on the Strait of Hormuz and a number of other
issues --- during negotiations with Iran, which are
currently taking place... in Islamabad.
____________________________________
After victory in war ----- Iran seeks to
consolidate gains, not compromise,
in Islamabad talks
April 11th, 1:43pm
(Press TV Strategic Analysis Desk)
The high-stakes negotiations in Islamabad between Iranian and
US delegations are unlike any diplomatic engagement between
the two sides in decades. This time, the balance of power has
fundamentally shifted following the 40-day war against the
Islamic Republic.
Negotiations are no longer about managing tensions or avoiding
confrontation. They are about consolidating Iran's military and
political power after the thumping victory in the recent war,
which ended with the US side accepting Iran’s
10-point proposal.
The talks, under Pakistani mediation in Islamabad - are meant to
reap the fruits of people’s resistance and the country's growing
power and influence across multiple domains, including
security, strategy, and economics.
From Tehran's perspective, the outcome of these talks must
include the consolidation of Iran's legitimate authority over
the Strait of Hormuz, the receipt of war reparations -- the
release of its frozen assets, and the lifting of the illegal
primary and secondary sanctions.
These -- are not negotiating positions. They are the fruits of
resistance, that must now be harvested at the negotiating
table as the two sides reconvene in the Pakistani capital.
Washington forced to join negotiations
The US was compelled to enter these negotiations after a
crushing military and strategic defeat in the 40-day war.
The options that Washington had held over Iran ---- for
decades - military threats, economic strangulation,
political isolation – have lost their effectiveness.
They have been tried, and they have produced
no results.
Moreover, the trajectory of shifting equations in the region and
the world continues to worsen for the United States. Had Iran
continued its retaliatory attacks on the oil and energy
infrastructure in the region, the resulting global
energy crisis would have created serious
problems for the US and its close allies.
The US, in other words, did not choose to talk.
They were left with no other choice.
The victor's posture
Iran decided to participate in these negotiations as the
victorious side. The enemy has achieved none of its
declared objectives. Iran --- did not collapse. It
was not dismembered. It emerged stronger
and more assertive, with military victory,
and the people’s overwhelming support.
The enemy -- did not gain access to Iran's uranium. It could not
destroy Iran's missile capability. No rift was created between
the people and the government. And the enemy was not
successful in engineering an internal coup, such as
the one in January.
On the contrary, new costs ------ were imposed on the US war
machinery. These include deepening divisions with Europe, intensifying distrust among the Arab countries allied with
Washington, a crisis with public opinion -- inside the US, widespread global opposition to the US, and a severe
reputational defeat for the world's so-called “most
powerful military” ----- at the hands of the
Iranian nation.
The closure of the Strait of Hormuz for US and allied vessels
and greater cohesion within the Axis of Resistance in the
region ....further compounds the enemy's troubles.
Two specific failures stand out. The first was the severe and
humiliating failure of the infiltration operation in Isfahan,
which aimed to access Iran's nuclear sites and
materials and ended up in the repeat of the
infamous 1980 Tabas disaster.
The second was the major defeat in the United Nations Security
Council, where an anti-Iranian resolution pushed by Bahrain to
force open the Strait of Hormuz ------- was effectively vetoed
by Russia and China.
Iran.. not only did not lose on the battlefield but demonstrated
its high capability for sustained and successful military
engagement and by adding new and more effective
capabilities, it shifted the military battlefield
in its favour.
In demonstrating popular solidarity with the government, Leader
of the Islamic Revolution and the armed forces, in exercising
authority and control over the Strait of Hormuz, and in
successfully managing public opinion both
domestically and internationally ----- Iran
emerged as the victorious side in the
view of all international observers.
The silence on the battlefield
Meanwhile, the war continues. What has occurred, in the words
of the Leader of the Islamic Revolution, Ayatollah Seyyed
Mojtaba Khamenei, is that for now, silence has prevailed
over the military battlefield. But silence is not peace.
And a ceasefire - is not the end.
For Iran, as the victorious side in the war, negotiation is a
continuation of the war by other means – specifically, to
consolidate its gains. No war can continue forever,
because it is costly and damages infrastructure.
But the assessment - draws a clear red line: if
the gains of the war are not realized through
negotiations, there will be no choice but to
continue the war.
What makes these talks different
The difference between these negotiations in Islamabad and
those of previous years in Oman, Geneva and other places
with the US ---- lies entirely in Iran's thumping victory.
In the past, if negotiations failed to yield results, it was
because of the looming threat of the military option.
The US ......could always fall back on the threat of
force. But now, that option has been discredited.
It has effectively been removed from the table.
The enemy has realized two things simultaneously. First, its
ultimate option – the military option – is no longer credible.
Second --- it has recognized the popular strength of the
Islamic Republic with massive daily demonstrations
across the country. These two realizations have
fundamentally altered the nature of the
diplomatic encounter.
If conditions are not accepted
The question is: what if Iran's conditions are not accepted
in the Islamabad talks? In that case, Iran's hand - will be
freer to pursue its objectives.
Given Iran's upper hand on the battlefield, naturally, if the
aggression resumes, Iran will be able to inflict heavier
blows on the enemy and increase the enemy's costs,
like it did in the past six weeks - in ways that the
enemy had not anticipated.
Given that the United States' options have been exhausted,
continuing the war would mean increasing Iran's leverage
in future negotiations and securing greater concessions.
Failure at the table, in other words, would not lead to
a weaker Iranian position. It would lead to a
stronger one.
The question of Lebanon
As the talks are set to begin in Islamabad, the Israeli
regime continues to bomb Lebanon, in a blatant
breach of the ceasefire agreement, as clearly
outlined in the 10-point proposal.
So, why -------- is Iran not striking Israel as it
continues its aggression against Lebanon?
The answer is twofold. First, the precondition for starting
negotiations ----- is the cessation of Israeli attacks on
Lebanon, and, so far --- because this condition has
not been met fully, the talks have not yet begun.
The negotiations themselves --- have been
conditioned on a halt to Israeli military
actions against the people and
resistance in Lebanon.
Second, and more strategically, securing a lasting halt
to the regime's attacks on Lebanon, holds greater
value than an Iranian missile strike.
A single military blow, however powerful, cannot match
the strategic weight of a durable ceasefire that
protects Lebanon and consolidates the
resistance's position.
So, as the two delegations meet in Islamabad, the Iranian
assessment offers a clear picture of how it views these
talks, in which the high-profile Iranian side is led by
Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf and
includes, among others, the Foreign Minister,
Abbas Araghchi.
This is not a negotiation between equals seeking a
compromise. It is a negotiation in which one side
arrives as the victor, seeking to consolidate
the gains of a war it won.
The preconditions are set. The red lines are drawn.
And if the fruits of resistance are not delivered at
the table, the war will continue – again
on Iranian terms.
___________________________________________
Iranian negotiators meet Pakistani PM
in Islamabad ahead of US talks
April 11th, 1:26pm
(PressTV)
The Iranian negotiating team, led by Parliament Speaker
Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf, has held a meeting with
Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif in
Islamabad, ahead of talks with the US.
Pakistan has emerged as a key mediator in efforts to end
an unlawful war waged by the US and Israel against
the Islamic Republic ...late in February.
The meeting was held in Islamabad on Saturday prior
to the Pakistani-mediated negotiations which are
scheduled to convene with the US negotiators
later in the day.
According to Tasnim news agency, the Iranian delegation
intends to assess the US position and its fulfillment of
commitments during today’s sessions, after which a
decision will be made regarding negotiations with
the US.
Earlier in the day, US Vice President JD Vance, also
met with the Pakistani prime minister in Islamabad.
Vance was joined for the bilateral meeting by special
envoy Steve Witkoff and President Donald Trump’s
son-in-law, Jared Kushner.
Sharif was joined by Deputy Prime Minister and
Foreign Minister Sen. Mohammad Ishaq Dar,
along with Interior Minister Sen. Syed
Mohsin Raza Naqvi, according to a
news release from the Pakistani
prime minister’s office.
There was no press coverage of the meeting.
Sharif commended both sides’ commitment to engaging
constructively, and “expressed the hope that these
talks would serve as a stepping stone towards a
durable peace in the region,” his office wrote
in the news release.
He hailed Iran’s engagement in the Islamabad talks --- and
affirmed Pakistan’s sincere resolve to continue playing
its role as a mediator ...to help build momentum
towards achieving meaningful results in the
interests of regional and global peace
and stability.
A high-ranking Iranian delegation arrived in the Pakistani
capital for talks with the US, amid the Islamic Republic’s
warnings that a failure to meet Tehran’s preconditions..
would lead to the failure of the talks.
Headed by the Iranian parliament speaker, the delegation,
featuring security, political, military, economic, and legal
committees, arrived in Islamabad on Friday.
Other Iranian officials on the delegation include Foreign
Minister Abbas Araghchi, Secretary of the Supreme
National Defense Council, Ali-Akbar Ahmadian,
and the Governor of the Central Bank,
Abdolnasser Hemmati, as well as
some members of Parliament.
Iran and the US announced a ceasefire on Tuesday, 40
days after the country joined the Israeli regime in
launching their latest bout of unprovoked
aggression against Iran.
Iranian officials have stressed that the rights of the Iranian
people - must be guaranteed during the talks and have
presented their conditions.. as part of a 10-point
proposal, which US President Donald Trump
previously said... would serve as a basis
for negotiations.
___________________________________________
US agrees to release Iran's frozen assets
as precondition ahead of Islamabad
talks: Report
April 11th, 11:26am
(PressTV)
The US has reportedly agreed to release frozen
Iranian assets in Qatar and foreign banks - as
a precondition ahead of the Islamabad talks.
Reuters quoted a senior Iranian source as saying
that the US had agreed to release Iranian frozen
assets held in Qatar and other foreign banks,
and welcomed the move as a sign of
“seriousness” in reaching a deal
with Washington during talks
in Islamabad.
The United States.... has not made any public
comments on the issue of unfreezing assets.
Reuters further quoted the unnamed source as
saying that unfreezing the assets is “directly
linked to ensuring safe passage through the
Strait of Hormuz,” which is expected to be
a key issue in the talks.
Also, according to a correspondent from IRIB,
US officials have agreed to Iran’s request to unfreeze its blocked assets.
Media outlets close to the US delegation
are also confirming the development,
the correspondent said.
However, no official or fully verified confirmation
has yet been released regarding the unfreezing
of Iran’s assets.
Based on the statement by Iran’s Supreme National
Security Council, the US has been forced to accept
the 10-point plan of the Islamic Republic of Iran in
which the US is - principally - committed to non-
aggression.. the continuation of Iran’s control
over the Strait of Hormuz - its acceptance of
enrichment, the lifting of all the primary and
secondary sanctions, the termination of all
UN Security Council and IAEA Board of
Governors resolutions, compensation
for Iran’s damages, the withdrawal
of US combat forces - from the
region - and the cessation of
war on all fronts - including
against the heroic Islamic
Resistance of Lebanon.
Earlier, Iran’s Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer
Qalibaf said two of the actions agreed upon by the
parties have not yet been realized: a ceasefire in
Lebanon ---- and the release of Iran’s blocked
assets before the start of negotiations.
A high-ranking Iranian delegation... arrives in the Pakistani
capital for talks with the United States, amid the Islamic
Republic's warnings ---- that a failure to meet Tehran's
preconditions would prompt the process ---- to fail.
Headed by Qalibaf, the delegation, featuring security,
political, military, economic, and legal committees,
reached Islamabad on Friday.
Journalists in Islamabad remain on standby, watching
closely behind closed doors as it becomes clearer
whether negotiations between Tehran and
Washington will finally take place.
Currently, the Iranian delegation is holding meetings with
Pakistan’s Prime Minister and Speaker of Parliament.
These discussions are expected to help determine the
framework and details of any future Iran–US talks.
Liu Yuxiao, a director of Ballet Vision and CEO of the lens
manufacturing plant, earlier said that Hanita Lenses
sustained losses of around $15 million over a
period of three years --- as well as a
$4 million debt. This resulted in
severe financial issues.
Yuxiao said he became the CEO in March last year to try
to prevent total collapse, and added that the company
may now break even in 2026.
The developments also come as ties between the two sides
were deteriorating over the self-ruling island of Taiwan,
which has been looking to the Zionist entity for
increased military cooperation.
China has already warned Israel against providing military
expertise and technology to Taiwan under the guise of
civilian programs.
Tel Aviv is reportedly assisting Taipei with integrating
elements of its Green Pine and Arrow systems in
order to develop the Tian Gong-4 missile
system, which will be part of the
T-Dome network.
The military cooperation comes despite ongoing Chinese
warnings that it would not tolerate Israeli ties with the
island, which it considers a renegade province.
Taiwan wants to deepen its ties with Israel and its
administration has refrained from condemning
the Tel Aviv regime's crimes in the besieged
Gaza Strip ---- and the other occupied
Palestinian territories.
Image: No thanks to Israeli goods App
The world and her daughter are calling for a boycott of the genocidal colonial apartheid state of Israel.
Place yourself on the right side of joy and sorrow by joining the world's boycott - say ''no'' to evil!
Keir Hardie - Britain's first Labour MP - opposedWorld War One.
His namesake is stammering his way in the opposite direction.
VVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVV
ROGER WATERS TO MUSICIANS:- "BOYCOTT ISRAEL"
Roger Waters formerly of Pink Floyd, in an open letter, calls on his fellow musicians --- to boycott the Zionist Israeli regime and follow the example of the cultural boycott against the ex S. African Apartheid regime.
“Given the inability or unwillingness of our governments [to act] …. I write to you now, my brothers and sisters … to ask you to join with me, & thousands of other artists around the world, to declare a cultural boycott on Israel,” Roger Waters says in his letter.
Waters says the Zionist regime has been found guilty of major breaches of human rights and international law by international organizations, UN officials and the International Court of Justice.
He touches on two such cases, saying the regime has been identified as perpetrating the “crime of Apartheid”, including in a statement on March 9th, 2012 by the UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, and the “crime of ethnic cleansing” including in East Jerusalem (al-Quds).
Waters adds that he has been a member of the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) campaign against the Israeli regime’s occupation of the Palestinian lands and Tel Aviv’s violations of Palestinian human rights for 7 years, and now wants other musicians to also join the anti-Israeli front.
“Please join me and all our brothers and sisters in global civil society in proclaiming our rejection of Apartheid in Israel & occupied Palestine, by pledging not to perform or exhibit in Israel or accept any award or funding from any institution linked to the government of Israel, until such time as Israel complies with international law and universal principles of human rights.”
The former Pink Floyd Musician also says he has recently faced a boycott by the US media after his November 29th, 2012 address at the UN on behalf of the Russell Tribunal.
In the address, he sought accountability for the Zionist regime’s violations of the international law and the lack of United Nations resolve that prevents the Palestinian people from achieving their inalienable rights, especially the right of self-determination.
____________________
AT THE FACTORY
Tickets from
www.wegottickets.com/thefactory
www.ticketweb.co.uk
browse venues in Wales
www.ticketlineuk.com
02920 230130
Cash tickets from:
The Factory, Porth Instrumental Music, Penygraig Spillers Records, Cardiff
Indulge in a delicious cake and a cup of tea while enjoying music and sing-along songs from fantastic Welsh musicians.
Ticket information:
The Cultural Services Booking & Information Line:
08000 147 111 or book online at
www.rct-arts.co.ukÂÂ
*************************************************
Mid Rhondda Modelling Club...
7pm - 9pm
Tonyrefail Comprehensive School Mid Rhondda Modelling Club
has been running for over 30 years.
We meet on a regular basis
& enjoy making models for display.
We encourage both Gentlemen
and Ladies to attend, and also young people aged 12+.
However, Young people under 16, must be accompanied by an adult.
Ticket information
£1 contribution every week. Under 16's free
Telephone Mr. Davies on 01443 686658
************************************************
Comedy In The Laughter Lounge
The Park & Dare Theatre, Treorchy.
COMEDY IN THE LAUGHTER LOUNGE
Join us once a month in the intimate setting of the Laughter Lounge for some top notch comedy with some of the biggest and brightest rising comedians on the circuit.
Laugh? You'll snort like a pig!
Hilarious - TimeOut.
www.rct-arts.co.uk
Rhondda Records exists to express the Rhondda's vision --- when it was confident, powerful, caring, and socialist.
A Rhondda very aware of the media's poisonous tricks -- how they con working class people into attacking each other, or racial groups, or, often, even their best allies and friends... instead of seeing their real enemies:--- an elite who hate the very idea that working people can think, create, or achieve a fairer society.
Thatcher said her proudest achievement was Blair and New Labour - who parachuted in careerists and expenses fiddlers - to stop local Labour members having a say, and who made genuine socialist MPs leave the Labour party in disgust and many members and voters to despair... and the young to stop voting.
Jeremy Corbyn was always attacked because he was trying to reverse all that New Labour corruption --- that's why membership was flooding in all over the UK.
______________________________________
Get Involved!
– If you feel you’ve been ‘purged’, take this online survey:
– Request all your own data that the Labour Party holds on you:
http://www.labour.org.uk/pages/privacy
_______________________________________
IF - YOU THINK you HAVE BEEN UNFAIRLY BARRED:
“Any member who is suspended & intends to appeal the decision should throw in a ‘Subject Access Request in accordance with the Data Protection Act’ --- for ALL data that the Labour Party hold on them.
The Labour Party are Data Controllers and therefore have to, by law, provide you with all material/information they hold on you.”
If anyone is in contact with anyone who was barred from voting --- please can you pass this info on:
The Labour leadership election was under the jurisdiction of the electoral reform services.
If you were unfairly deprived of your vote you can call them on 0208 365 8909 and lodge your complaint, and inform them of your Data Protection request.
https://www.electoralreform.co.uk
The notification letters barring new members did not give a clear reason, or information on how to appeal, so Vox Political suggests that anyone in this situation, could also contact Liz Davies here: http://www.whycantivote.com
She is a barrister --- who can advise members on what to do.
**************************************
PONCY LABOUR MPS PROBLEM?
A huge drop in working-class Labour MPs, caused a massive drop in support among voters with similar backgrounds, reveals research seeking to explain why support has dwindled in the party’s heartlands.
The study says past leaders like Kinnock and Blair made a concerted effort to pick “more and more middle-class candidates to run for office, during the 80s and 90s, as part of an effort to rebrand” -- which had initial successes at the ballot box.
But this “conscious electoral strategy” stored up problems, as working-class voters who initially, just didn’t vote in response, now seek an alternative.
The solution?Trust each constituency to put forward its own candidates, and don't impose ‘party-approved’ choices who can't do the job.
Now, unfortunately, there are "entryist" MPs who, for decades, have been groomed by CIA cold war relic organisations -- like the Atlantic Council -- and are now trying to misdirect the Labour Party towards cuts, a militarised police, and a US war agenda... - and their anti-Corbyn slant is hobbling Labour.
‘How Can I Deselect My Labour MP?’ A Short Guide to Reselection and Democratic Accountability by Eric Sim, excellent free advice here:
http://novaramedia.com/2016/07/13/how-can-i- deselect-my-labour-mp-a-short-guide-to- reselection-and-democratic-accountability/ CHRIS BRYANT - SUPPORT THE MEMBERS' LEADERSHIP CHOICE & POLICIES - OR GO!
Chris Bryant, the Rhondda's dodgy MP, was on TV -- as soon as the PLP coup started -- telling us that Jeremy MUST go, because it was the ONLY way to act in the Labour Party's interest...
Chris Bryant's voting record: from TheyWorkForYou.com
On Tuition Fees:
On 27 Jan 2004: Chris Bryant voted in favour of university tuition fees increasing from £1,125 per year, to up to £3,000 per year.
On 31 Mar 2004: Chris Bryant voted to allow university tuition fees to increase from £1,125 per year, to up to £3,000 per year.
On 31 Mar 2004: Chris Bryant voted for the introduction of variable university tuition fees (top-up fees) of up to £3,000 per year in place of the previous fixed fee of £1,250 per year.
On 31 Mar 2004: Chris Bryant voted to allow university tuition fees to increase from £1,125 per year to up to £3,000 per year, and to make other changes to higher education funding and regulation arrangements.
On 14 Sep 2004: Chris Bryant voted against: the immediate abolition of all tuition fees, the re-introduction of maintenance grants of up to £2,000 for students from low-income homes, and changes to the country's higher education system.
On 14 Sep 2004: Chris Bryant voted to reject the Liberal Democrat policy of abolition of tuition fees.
On 25 May 2016: Chris Bryant was absent for a vote on Queen's Speech - Forcing Schools to Become Academies - Further Rises in University Tuition Fees
On Human Rights:
Consistently voted for introducing ID cards
Almost always voted for requiring the mass retention of information about communications
Generally voted for mass surveillance of people’s communications and activities
On the Environment:
Generally voted against greater regulation of hydraulic fracturing (fracking) to extract shale gas
On Special Interests:
Almost always voted against limits on success fees paid to lawyers in no-win no fee cases
Generally voted against a statutory register of lobbyists
On War or Peace:
Generally voted for use of UK military forces in combat operations overseas
Consistently voted for the Iraq war
Consistently voted against an investigation into the Iraq war
Generally voted for replacing Trident with a new nuclear weapons system
On 2 Dec 2015: Voted to support UK airstrikes in Syria [without UN authorisation]
On 2 Dec 2015: Voted to support UK airstrikes in Syria [without UN authorisation]
On Independence:
Generally voted for more EU integration
____________________________
Chris Bryant Labour MP From Wikipedia
(aka 1962-1986: Mr Christopher John Bryant 1986-1991: The Reverend Christopher John Bryant, 1991-2001: Mr Christopher John Bryant, 2001-: Mr Christopher John Bryant MP.)
Born in Cardiff, to a Scottish mother & a Welsh father, Bryant grew up in Cardiff, Wales (where his father worked for 5 years), and Cheltenham.
He was educated at Cheltenham College, an independent school for boys in the spa town of Cheltenham in Gloucestershire, where he was captain of the school swimming team, and Mansfield College at the University of Oxford, where he graduated in 1983, with a Bachelor of Arts (BA) degree in English. This was later promoted to a Master of Arts degree (MA (Oxon)), as per tradition.
After completing his first degree, Bryant began training to be a priest in the Church of England at Ripon College, Cuddesdon, in Oxfordshire. There, he obtained a degree in theology.
Although a member of the Conservative Party, and an elected office-holder in the Oxford University Conservative Association, he joined the Labour Party in 1986, after leaving Oxford.
He was ordained deacon in 1986 and priest in 1987. He served as a Curate at the Church of All Saints, High Wycombe, from 1986 to 1989; then as a Youth Chaplain in Peterborough, as well as travelling in Latin America.
In 1991 Bryant left the ordained ministry, after deciding that being gay and being a priest, were incompatible. Statements made by Richard Harries, then Bishop of Oxford, also influenced his decision.
After leaving the priesthood in 1991, Bryant worked as the election agent to the Holborn and St Pancras Constituency Labour Party, where he helped Frank Dobson hold his seat in the 1992 general election.
From 1993, he was Local Government officer for the Labour Party; he lived in Hackney and was elected to Hackney Borough Council in 1993, serving until 1998. He became Chair of the Christian Socialist Movement.
He is both a member of the Labour Friends of Israel and Labour Friends of Palestine & the Middle East. From 1994 to 1996 he was London manager of the leader-grooming "charity", Common Purpose.
He was Labour candidate for Wycombe, in the 1997 general election (he lost by 2,370 votes), and Head of European Affairs for the BBC, from 1998.
His selection for the very safe Labour seat of Rhondda, South Wales in 2000, shocked many people given Bryant's background – gay, an ex- Anglican vicar, and someone who was a Tory, while studying at Oxford, and a member now, of the Henry Jackson Society 'think tank' --- described by The Guardian newspaper as 'neoconservative'. It is pro-US, pro-NATO and pro-military intervention, as well as being fundamentally anti-socialist.
Fifty-two people applied for the candidature and a local councillor was hot favourite to win, before Bryant was parachuted in.
In 2004, a photograph of Mr Bryant in his underpants, which he had posted to a gay dating website, was published in 'papers.
When an interviewer suggested he was a 'disgrace to the Rhondda', he replied: "They can't get rid of me."
His pay, allowances and some expenses:
The basic annual salary for an MP, from April 1st, 2016 is £74,962. MPs also get expenses: to cover the costs of running an office, employing staff, having some- where to live in London, plus, in their constituency and travelling between Parliament and their constituency.
His MP's expenses story:
Chris Bryant changed second home twice to claim £20,000: the deputy leader of the House of Commons, "flipped" his second home twice, in 2 years, allowing him to claim almost £20,000 for renovations and fees.
Chris Bryant, MP for the Rhondda, split over £92,000 of expenses between 3 properties in Wales and London --- within five years.
In 2004, he attempted to claim £58,000 to overhaul his second home in Wales, after allegedly complaining that properties in his constituency were "terrace or mine owners' houses".
Mr Bryant, a former Church of England clergyman, wanted the money for a new bathroom & kitchen, and to demolish his conservatory. He'd bought the detached house for £97,500, under a year earlier.
He submitted a claim to the Commons fees office for £58,493.26 --- almost 3 times the annual maximum. He noted that the claim exceeded his allowance.
His alleged justification was disclosed... in correspondence between Commons officials. By email, an official wrote: "He had problems finding a suitable property because in the Rhondda there is a choice mainly of terraced property or mine owners' houses." When approached by the Daily Telegraph, Mr Bryant said: "I have never said or thought anything of the sort".
In all, he successfully claimed over £13,000 for renovations, repairs & appliances, in 2004. Along with other bills, his annual claim was £20,902.
In April 2005, he flipped his expenses to his flat in west London, which he bought for £400,000 in April 2002. He also claimed £630 a month for mortgage interest, along with other bills. After claiming over £3,600 over 3 months, he sold the flat in July 2005 for £477,000.
Mr Bryant used his profits to buy a more expensive flat in west London, which was valued at £670,000. He immediately flipped his second home expenses there, claiming almost £6,400 in stamp duty, legal fees and mortgage fees, incurred in the purchase.
He then began claiming interest of £1,000 a month on the mortgage. He also claimed a further £6,000 a year for the flat's service charge and ground rent.
In all, he claimed £92, 415 in second home expenses, from 2004 to 2009.
Mr Bryant said at the time: "I moved flat in London, so as to be closer to Parliament."
Research by Channel 4 News in 2015 found that at least 46 MPs had this kind of system in place – a move one Labour backbencher described as “a new fiddle”. Channel 4 reported then:
“Our investigation found that many of the MPs bought their London properties with the help of the taxpayer, when a previous expenses system allowed them to claim back mortgage payments. But when those claims were banned, following the expenses scandal, they switched to letting out their properties, in some cases for up to £3,000 a month. They then started claiming expenses for rent and hotels in the capital.”
Among those identified was Chris Bryant, shadow leader of the House of Commons. He had already bought a penthouse in London back in 2005 and claimed around £1,000 a month in mortgage claims under the old system.
But after the expenses scandal, he started renting the property out. It’s since been advertised by estate agents as having a private lift and a porter, with rent at about £3,000 a month. Meanwhile, Bryant moved into a new flat;- claiming his own rent on expenses.
Image: Russian scientists and Scottish ones
Russian/Scottish scientists hail long-range secure quantum communication system.
A group of scientists from ITMO University in Saint Petersburg, Russia, has developed a new approach to constructing quantum communication systems for secure data exchange.
The experimental device based on the results of the research is capable of transmitting single-photon quantum signals across distances of 250 klmtrs or more, which is on par with its cutting edge analogues, the ITMO press-service says.
"Now researchers are on a mission -- to create a fully-fledged quantum cryptographic system, that will generate & distribute quantum keys and transmit useful data simultaneously", ITMO says.
Information security is becoming more and more of a critical issue not only for large companies, banks and defense enterprises but even for small businesses and individual users.
But the data encryption algorithms we currently use for protecting our data are imperfect - in the long-term, their logic can be cracked. Regardless of how complex and intricate the algorithm is, getting around it, is just a matter of time.
Unlike algorithm-based encryption, systems that protect information, by making use of fundamental laws of quantum physics, can make data transmission totally immune to hacker attacks, in the future.
Information in a quantum channel is carried by single photons that change irreversibly if an eavesdropper tries to intercept them. The legitimate users will instantly know about any kind of intervention.
Researchers at the Quantum Information Centre of the International Institute of Photonics and Optical Information Technology at ITMO Uni., Russia, along with their colleagues from the Heriot-Watt University, in Edinburgh, have devised a new way to generate and distribute, quantum bits.
This makes it possible to share quantum signals --- via optical fibres --- 250 kilometres in distance.
"To transmit quantum signals, we use the so- called side frequencies," says Artur Gleim, head of the Quantum Information Centre, at ITMO University,
"This unique approach gives us a number of advantages -- such as a considerable simplification of the device architecture and the large pass-through capacity of the quantum channel. In terms of bit rate and operating distances, our system is comparable to absolute champions in the field of quantum communications."
According to Robert Collins, research associate at the Institute of Photonics & Quantum Sciences at Heriot-Watt University, and one of the authors of the study, this may become a pivotal point for the whole field of quantum communication and cryptography:
"Down the track, this new approach can enable smooth coexistence of numerous data streams with different wavelengths in one single optical cable. On top of it, these quantum streams can be fed into the already existing fibre optic lines --- along with conventional communications."
The research paper is published in the Optics Express journal.
Scottish universities are to be congratulated for their strong & growing links with Chinese and Russian universities....
What a shame, that Wales is lying low --- with academics too scared to break from US military research.
Image: BRICS
Image: March 26 London anti cuts demo
KILLING THE ELDERLY BY CLOSING CARE HOMES
Did you know that each time a local authority
closes a care home for the elderly, within 8
months, around half the residents are dead?
Campaigners liken the cuts and their effect to euthanasia of the UK's elderly. What to do?
We can start by urging our MPs to sign EDM 2251:
EDM 2251: The contents
This House notes with deep concern the worsening crisis for elderly care as growing numbers of local authority and private care homes face closure
Acknowledges concerns that the loss of elderly people's care homes causes fear, anxiety and, in many cases, a higher mortality rate, when vulnerable, elderly people are forced to leave their homes
Further notes that the Southern Cross crisis will increase needs for local authority care
And therefore calls on the government to hold a public inquiry into the deaths after closures, of local authority care homes, and impose a moratorium on the closure of local authority care homes, until that inquiry publishes its results, to ensure that vulnerable, elderly people's lives are not put at further risk.
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MAKING THE CONNECTION IN WALES
Households across three more English areas will be able to access superfast broadband in the latest phase of a Government scheme to connect rural homes and businesses.
The £50 million funding package for Devon and Somerset (£30 million), Norfolk (£15 million) and Wiltshire (£4 million) will aid the roll- out of superfast broadband services unable to be reached by the market alone.
Areas will also receive financial support from their local authorities and private investors, the Department for Culture, Media and Sport says.
So it's Broadband Heaven for England...
and crapola for Wales' broadband - the
slowest, worst Broadband in the UK !!!
Lib Dems in Scotland might have received a pummeling for Clegg and his betrayals, yet, in Scotland, their campaign centred on it becoming the "most connected country in Europe," to massively boost their economy.
In Wales, which political party is now willing to put into practice scientists' recommendations: that Wales' hilly topography requires establishing
free 'wireless' broadband?
It could connect the people of Rhondda and the world, boosting Wales' economic regeneration, like no other move.Wireless technology is now supplying free broadband to an entire island off New Zealand's coast.
Come on; if New Zealand can do it - so can we !!!
Image: China's rapeseed blossoms this Spring.
Western China has embraced "green-mode development" - with painful changes from which, Wales could well learn.
Eastern China has seen fast growth and urban mess. The West, a mining and agricultural area, has not.
Xi'an Chan-ba Ecological District, is a model for reclaiming old mining areas.
It took six hard years, but now Xi'an is showing the world how best to change, by turning a badly polluted rubbish landfill site, into an all new environment-friendly development.
As China's economic focus moves from east to west, it's using the lessons learned during 30 or more years of rapid industrial development.
The green way for China's west, is to combine green industrialization & green urbanization.
The western region's strategy is to adopt effective energy-saving and environmental protection technologies... AND to extend its industry through science and products unique to China's West, together with strong vertical growth in agriculture and all its ancilliary economic & professional spin-offs.
In undertaking this industrial revolution, the western region will keep a sharp eye out - to avoid all polluting non-sustainable industries.
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A BIG DROP OF HONEY !!!
Spring is beekeeping and honey-processing season in Yunnan province, in China.
Waves of bees flit across vast fields of flowers.
Local beekeepers and many from other places, such as Sichuan and Fujian provinces - set up their base in tents among the rapeseed farms.
The 430,000 hectares of rapeseed blooms in Luoping attract myriads of bees, which produce 15 - 20 million tons of honey a year.
Local people now look to brand their county as a honey production base & increase sales to outside markets.
Luoping Tianyuanmiyu Bee Industry Co Chair, Zhu Hongkun, founded his enterprise in 2009.
It mainly produces honey, propolis and propolis powder.
His company works with 270 plus beekeepers, who each earn 80,000 yuan a year on average.
Some earn 200,000 yuan annually, Zhu says.
Who says beauty endowed by nature isn't worth a fortune?
The whole of the uplands of south Wales could be as beautiful & productive, if used wisely!
Image: retirement China style
CHINA's PREMIER POINTS WAY FORWARD
As the Tories threaten a "bonfire of the Quangos", perhaps Wales should take note. Now extracting all our mineral wealth has been stopped (apart from sand and rock) we find ourselves "in" the 1st World of the UK, but with a 3rd World economy, only just kept going by quangos which promise much... but deliver little... and rely on weak public support.
We could WAKE UP & understand that we either do something, or stay as begging bowl cases.
China's premier points the way forward for Wales:
"Industrial restructuring is the key... only by developing energy-efficient, indigenous innovative and high value added products can our companies and economy, achieve sustainable development."
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WHILE FRANCE, GREECE, IRELAND, ETC, STRUGGLE TO STOP THE PENSION AGE RISING HIGHER AND HIGHER...
An online survey on qq.com, a popular Chinese news portal, finds that 91% of its over 800,000 respondents, are against raising the current official Chinese retirement age.
745,123 of those surveyed say they oppose raising retirement ages -- 72,456 support it.
China's scholars & the public have been debating whether to raise the retirement age, for the past few years, but the issue rose to prominence after remarks by an official.
Wang Xiaochu, the official vice minister of the Ministry of Human Resources & Social Security, said at a press conference that the government was "studying the matter"...
The retirement age in China is generally set at 60 for men and 50-55 for women.
Wow! Bet you didn't know that !!!
Image: unemployment in Wales
FARMING AND SCIENCE COULD REGENERATE WALES
A new UN General Assembly report warns "vast areas" of cultivated land are lost each year, and that this could lead to unrest.
The report says up to 30 million hectares, an area the size of Italy, is lost each year to environmental degradation, industry & urbanization - the growth of cities - and all because of speculative building and greed.
The UN special rapporteur Olivier De Schutter, gives the example of eastern Africa, where the amount of cultivated land has declined by half --- in just one generation! "
As rural populations grow and competition with large industrial units increases, plots cultivated by smallholders are shrinking year after year," says De Schutter.
"Farmers are often relegated to soils that are arid, hilly or without irrigation."
The UN officer also mentions India as another example, where the average landholding fell from 2.6 hectares in 1960 to 1.4 hectares in 2000. A cut of nearly half in 40 years!
He says 500 million small farmers suffer from hunger, partly because their right to land is being violated. The expert warns of the devastating consequences, as foreign investors compete for larger and larger areas of the world's land for "their" agriculture.
Rhondda Records says Wales could rebuild its new economy by basing it on a fresh approach to high-value added products, using science and agriculture... such as the Altzeim project in Gwent.