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Young creators from Cuba will 

dedicate May Pilgrimages

 to Fidel

April 28th, 4:02pm

(Prensa Latina) 

 

The Hermanos Saíz Association (AHS) of Cuba confirmed today 

that the next edition of the International May Pilgrimage 

Festival, will be dedicated to the thought of Fidel 

Castro and the four decades of life of the 

youth organization.

 

Scheduled for the 2nd to the 8th of next month, in the eastern 

province of Holguín & despite the current fuel and electricity 

limitations, the event will maintain its essence, with the 

participation of writers, artists and cultural promoters 

who will meet again in the so-called City of Parks.

 

The Memoria Nuestra Thought Congress will once again be 

the central axis, with panels and conferences on the work 

of Commander in Chief Fidel Castro and the Saíz brothers, 

accompanied by research by the young intellectuals, 

explained the organization, on social networks.

 

The programming will include regular spaces such as Shared 

Words for literature, Blue Camera for cinema, Babel for the 

visual arts and Bloggers ------- for the exchange of 

digital communication.

 

There will also be trova performances, dances in parks, 

street theatre, improvisation competitions ...and rap 

and rock concerts.

 

The May Pilgrimages constitute an essential symbol 

of the identity of the AHS and the commitment of 

young art to Cuban culture ....and the unity 

of peoples.

 

 

____________________________________________




 

 US citizens in Havana ---- support 

solidarity, & reject the blockade

April 28th, 7:33am 

(Prensa Latina) 

 

US unionists and activists visiting Cuba expressed today 

in this capital, their rejection of their government's 

blockade against the Caribbean nation.

 

In exclusive statements to Prensa Latina, they stated that they 

visit Havana to participate in the International Trade Union 

Internship and in the activities for May Day, International 

Workers' Day, and above all, to learn more about the 

island ---- and increase actions in favour of Cuba.

 

Mark Friedman, founder and one of the coordinators of the Hands 

Off Cuba Committee, in Los Angeles, with affiliated groups in 

other US cities, confessed that “Cuba is in his blood”, not 

only as a socialist, but as an activist, since he was 17 

years old in various unions such as the automotive, 

steel and others.

 

The also member of the International Association of Machinists 

Local 1484, emphasizes the intention and, more importantly, to 

see what actions to take: to defend Cuba against the blockade 

upon his return to his country.

 

He mentions initiatives such as demonstrations and protests, 

educational work in universities and unions: to spread the 

truth about the largest of the Antilles.

 

In this sense, he recalled the approval by the American 

Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial 

Organizations (AFL-CIO) in California 

representing 2.3 million members, 

of a resolution ------ against the 

blockade - and the inclusion 

of Cuba on the list of State

 Sponsors of Terrorism.

 

Likewise, he commented that in the current delegation there 

are workers from Amazon, the dockers union and others 

who will contribute to the strong support for Cuba, 

which already contributes --- more than 10,000 

dollars each year. The committee - has sent 

medical relief containers, every 4 months, 

worth a million dollars.  


Every time they come to Havana, they 

bring supplies, for example, destined 

for the Calixto García Hospital - a 

centre where they will arrive at

this time --- on April 30.

 

Likewise, Justin Uribe of the Hands Off Cuba Committee and 

second vice president of the Federation of Classified 

Workers of Hawthorne, California (HFCE), reported 

that he came to provide solidarity to Cuban 

workers, to all the people ---- and to ask
for an 
end to the illegal blockade.

 

The Cuban people are in need of more solidarity from the North 

American people. When they return, the activities will not end,

 they will conclude when the blockade ends, said Uribe, in 

turn, the health and safety liaison for a school district 

in California.

 

There are people who are unaware of the reality of Cuba, they 

only know what the US government says it is doing for their 

security, since Cuba is a threat, but that ---- is not the case. 

Another world exists in Cuba, he added. Friedman, one of 

the organizers of the trip considers the delegation to be 

very broad and diverse, made up of 9 unions, leaders 

and activists.

 

Among the union leaders in Cuba these days are leaders of 

Teamsters, Amazon Labor Union, Service Employees 

International Union, International Association of 

Machinists, International Brotherhood of 

Electrical Workers, United Union of 

Roofers and Waterproof Workers, 

United Domestic Workers (Cal), 

the Hawthorne Federation of 

Classified Employees, and

the American Federation 

of State, County --- and 

Municipal Employees

 (AFSCME).





Image: People hold up a banner as they protest against Israel at the entrance of the International Criminal Court.

    




 

Japanese tanker transits Strait of Hormuz 

after obtaining Iran’s permission

April 28th, 2:39pm

 (PressTV)

 

Iranian officials say passage through the Strait of Hormuz 

will be regulated along designated routes and require 

authorization from Iran.

 

A Japanese-owned supertanker carrying two million barrels of 

crude oil has successfully transited the Strait of Hormuz after 

securing permission from Iranian authorities, marking a rare 

passage through the strategic waterway since the launch 

of the US-Israeli war on Iran.

 

The vessel, identified as the Idemitsu Maru, a Panama-flagged 

VLCC, managed by a subsidiary of Japanese refiner Idemitsu 

Kosan, began its journey late Monday after having remained 

stationary off Abu Dhabi, for over a week.

 

It transported crude loaded from Saudi Arabia’s 

Juaymah terminal in early March.

 

According to ship-tracking data, the tanker briefly altered 

course near Iran’s Qeshm and Larak Islands before 

continuing eastward past Larak.

 

The passage required coordination with Tehran.

 

This is believed to be the first time a Japanese-linked 

oil vessel has moved through the waterway, since 

the war began on February 28.

 

Japan typically sources about 95% of its oil imports 

from West Asia, much of which passes through 

the Strait of Hormuz.

 

Since the war, however, traffic - has fallen sharply - as 

Iran has implemented tight restrictions and requires 

all ships to obtain approval.

 

Iran - has effectively blockaded the vital conduit for 

oil and gas shipments --- since the start of the US-

Israeli aggression, sending energy prices soaring.

 

Iranian officials say passage will be regulated 

along designated routes ---- and require 

authorization from Iran.

 

On April 13, one month after the war began, the 

US Central Command..... began implementing 

“a blockade of all maritime traffic entering 

and exiting Iranian ports.”

 

Iran says the blockade is “an illegal

 act” that “amounts to piracy.”

 

Diplomatic efforts to resolve the standoff have stalled.

 

Pakistan, which brokered the April 8 ceasefire, 

continues to mediate between Washington 

and Tehran.


_____________________________________



 

 

Israeli attacks ''unchecked'' 

against southern Lebanon 

despite 'ceasefire'

April 28th, 12:43pm

(Al Mayadeen English)

 

Israeli occupation forces continue the aggression across 

southern Lebanon, targeting multiple towns including 

Majdal Zoun, Tibnine, and Shaqra on Tuesday.

 

Since April 17, the ceasefire in Lebanon has remained under 

sustained strain, with the Israeli occupation continuing a 

pattern of repeated strikes across southern Lebanon 

and the Bekaa. 

 

On Tuesday, a drone strike hit a motorcycle in Majdal Zoun. In 

parallel, air raids struck the towns of Baraachit, Tibnine, and

Shaqra, while artillery fire, including banned phosphorus 

shells, was reported in the area between Baraachit 

and Shaqra.

 

According to Al Mayadeen's correspondent, the wave of attacks 

extended further into Eastern Zawtar, Toulin and Kherbet Selm, 

with Bayyout al-Sayyad also coming under artillery shelling.

 

Elsewhere, Jabal al-Batm was hit in a separate airstrike, while a 

drone attack targeted agricultural land between Burj al-Shamali 

and al-Housh in the Tyre district.

 

IOF issue displacement threat

 

Earlier today, the Israeli occupation forces' spokesperson issued 

a so-called "evacuation" threat ----- against residents in multiple 

south Lebanon towns, including Ghandourieh, Burj Qalaouiyah, 

Qalaouiyah, Al-Souwaneh, Jmeijmeh, Safad al-Battikh, 

Baraachit, Shaqra, Aita al-Jabal, Tebnine, Sultaniyeh, 

Bir al-Sanasil, Kfar Dounine, Khirbet Selm, Selaa, 

and Deir Kifa, ordering them to immediately 

leave their homes and move toward the 

Sidon district.

 

The threat effectively enforces a new wave of forced 

displacement from the south, despite the ceasefire 

agreement brokered earlier in April. 

 

Greenlit by US ------- Israeli aggression expands

 

Israeli forces also intensified their aggression against 

Lebanon on Monday, launching a wave of airstrikes 

and artillery bombardments ------ across southern 

Lebanon and the Bekaa region ------ killing and 

wounding civilians .....and further deepening 

the humanitarian toll of the ongoing assault.

 

In a development likely to intensify scrutiny of international 

involvement, Israeli media outlet Maariv reported that the 

latest wave of attacks, particularly those targeting 

southern Lebanon and the Bekaa region, was 

carried out with a “green light” from the US, 

which is officially positioned as a mediator 

in ceasefire negotiations.

 

The Emergency Operations Centre of the Public Health 

Ministry announced that Israeli airstrikes on southern 

Lebanon on April 27 killed four people, including a 

woman, and injured 51 others, among them

 3 children and 6 women.

 

 

Source: Al Mayadeen English

 

 

______________________________________

 

 

 

Hezbollah drones -- catch Israel off 

guard -- IOF unprepared for threat

April 28th, 12:34pm

(Al Mayadeen English)

 

A senior Israeli security official..... admits “Israel” was 

unprepared - for Hezbollah’s explosive drone attacks 

on the Lebanon front, as new battlefield technology 

reshapes the war.

 

Hezbollah’s use of explosive drones along the Lebanon front 

came as "a major, genuine surprise" to the Israeli military, a 

senior Israeli security official told i24News, adding that the 

occupation soldiers --- were not "sufficiently prepared for 

this threat."

 

According to the official, dozens of attack drones.... are being 

deployed every week, across multiple fronts. These systems 

include drones designed to drop munitions as well as others 

intended to directly detonate upon impact, on Israeli forces.

 

Israeli failure scrutinized as drone warfare expands 

 

The official noted that “Israel’s” Ministry of War, alongside 

its domestic security industries, is now engaged in an 

accelerated effort to develop effective counter-

measures and interception capabilities 

against this emerging threat.

 

He further underscored the necessity of a comprehensive 

internal military reassessment, questioning why the 

danger was only accorded serious attention 

after it had already resulted in the loss 

of soldiers’ lives.

 

The development reflects the growing intensity of drone warfare 

on the Lebanon front, where low-cost but highly effective aerial 

systems are increasingly shaping battlefield dynamics.

 

Fatal Taybeh operation referenced

 

Moreover, according to i24News, Hezbollah’s explosive drones 

have reportedly been launched from considerable distances, 

targeting sites occupied by Israeli forces and carrying out

 precise “kamikaze”-style strikes.

 

The report stated that 4 drones penetrated the al-Taybeh area 

in southern Lebanon, where the 36th Division is deployed.

 

Two of the drones reached their intended targets with accuracy. 

One struck a tank crew from the 77th Battalion, resulting in 

the death of Sergeant Idan Fox and leaving six other 

soldiers ...wounded. 

 

Undetectable, fast, and effective

 

The report characterized Hezbollah’s explosive drones as 

a more advanced iteration compared to earlier low-cost 

systems employed in previous rounds of aggression,

 including the 2024 war.

 

These kamikaze-style drones are reportedly capable of 

operating with minimal reliance on signal reception, 

significantly complicating efforts to detect or 

neutralize them through conventional 

electronic warfare measures.

 

In addition, some of the booby-trapped platforms, are said to 

utilize long-range fibre-optic guidance systems, rendering 

hem largely impervious to electronic jamming..... or 

attempts at remote redirection.

 

 

Source: Israeli media

 






Image: Tariq Aziz' Birth Day

 

Today, April the 28th, in 1936,

 


Tariq Aziz,



 

 Iraqi politician and journalist,

 

is born.

 

He served as the Deputy Prime Minister of Iraq from 1979

 to 2003 and Minister of Foreign Affairs from 1983 to 1991. 

 

Aziz was a member of the Revolutionary Command Council 

and the Regional Command of the Iraqi Branch of the 

Ba'ath Party. Ethnically Assyrian, he was both an 

Arab nationalist and a Chaldean Catholic.

 

His association with Saddam began in the 1950s
when both 
were activists for the then-banned
Arab Socialist Ba'ath Party.

 

 Due to security concerns, Saddam rarely left Iraq, so Aziz would

 often be Iraq's highest-level representative at international and 

diplomatic summits. In the year prior to the 2003 invasion of 

Iraq, Aziz said --- ''The United States did not want regime 

change in Iraq - but rather ------ region change".

 

 He said that the Bush administration's reasons for war were

 "oil and Israel." 

 

After surrendering to US forces on 24 April 2003, Aziz was 

held in prison, first by US forces and subsequently by the 

US-backed Iraqi regime, in Camp Cropper in Baghdad. 

 

He was acquitted at trial of most charges but then found guilty 

of crimes against humanity and sentenced to 15 years in 2009 

for the deaths of 42 merchants found guilty of profiteering 

in 1992, and another 7 years ...for relocating rebel Kurds.

 

On 26 October in 2010, he was sentenced to death by the US

installed Iraqi High Tribunal - which sparked international 

condemnation from Iraqi bishops, many other Iraqis, the 

Vatican, the United Nations, the EU and Amnesty 

International, as well as governments around 

the world, including Russia.

 

On 28 October in 2010, it was reported that Aziz, as well as 25 

fellow prison inmates, had begun a hunger strike to protest 

the fact that they could not receive their once-monthly 

visits from friends and relatives, or any letters, or
food parcels sent in, or any contacts at all
.

 

Iraqi President Jalal Talabani declared that he would not sign 

Aziz's execution order, commuting his sentence to indefinite 

imprisonment. Aziz remained in custody for the rest of his 

life and died of a heart attack in the city of Nasiriyah on

5 June 2015, aged 79, and is buried in Jordan.

 

 

''Many honest women and men in the world do not 

believe the lies which are being fabricated in 

Washington and London, and this is a very 

important international development.''

 

''People say to me - you are not the Vietnamese, you have 

no jungles and swamps to hide in. I reply, let our cities 

be our swamps and our buildings be our jungles.''

 

''These Americans are cowards --- because if they 

were courageous, they would have confronted 

us face-to-face, rather than coming at us 

from behind.''

 

''I'm a victim of a criminal act conducted by this party, 

which is in power right now. So - put it on trial. Its 

leader was the prime minister and his deputy 

is the prime minister right now - and they 

killed innocent Iraqis in 1980.''

 

''My message to the United States - is that 

it should hear the voice of international 

public opinion.''









FIFA World Cup boycott ‘self-evident’

 under Trump’s ‘racist, vile’ regime: 

Activist

April 14th, 9:03am

by Mohammad Ali Haqshenas

 

The United States is no longer a safe or credible host for a global 

sporting event ----- with sweeping travel bans, rising internal
repression, and an increasingly aggressive foreign policy, 

making a boycott of the 2026 World Cup -- not radical: 

but inevitable, according to an activist and artist.

 

In an interview with the Press TV website, Willie Dowling, an 

activist .....who also happens to be a multi-instrumentalist, 

singer and composer, said there were "enough reasons" 

for the world to boycott the FIFA World Cup to be 

co-hosted by the US before the announcement 

of recent restrictions placed on travel.

 

Dowling’s case begins with borders - and who is allowed to cross 

them. Even before new restrictions were announced in January 

2026, he noted that 19 countries were already subject to full 

entry bans to the US, with another nineteen ----- facing 

partial restrictions.

 

“Without exception, all of the nations banned 

or partially banned ....have mostly non-white 

populations,” he told the Press TV website.

 

“The extraordinarily rapid decline of the United States ---- into an 

even more racist, authoritarian nation --- than it has historically 

been should be reason enough not to go there for the football.”

 

The bans, he believes, are not bureaucratic hurdles but warnings. 

“This should serve as a warning to everyone that it is not safe 

to go to the US, particularly if you are non-white.”

 

These concerns are no longer theoretical. Campaigns urging fans, 

players, and national associations to stay away from the US-

hosted tournament have gained momentum across Europe, 

Latin America, Africa, and parts of Asia.

 

The possibility of a direct boycott by a competing nation 

has also become a reality in the wake of the Trump 

regime’s acts of aggression abroad.

 

Iran could essentially boycott the World Cup in response to the 

unprovoked US-Israeli war of aggression ---- which began on 

February 28 and targeted the country's nuclear facilities,

schools, hospitals, and bridges, as well as its

sports infrastructure. 

 

Pointing to the "malicious actions carried out against Iran," 

Iranian Sports Minister Ahmad Donyamali stated recently,  

"Our players do not have security, and fundamentally 

the conditions for participation do not exist."

 

The US government - has also restricted Iran's participation. While 

FIFA president Gianni Infantino claimed -- that the Iranian team is 

"welcome to compete," the US president warned that the Iranian 

team’s "life and safety" would be at risk ------- if it participated in 

the event. 

 

Trump administration has also barred travelers from Iran and 

three other World Cup-participating countries, and multiple 

Iranian delegates already had their visas denied before 

December’s group-stage draw.

 

Activist groups cite visa denials, expanded anti-immigration 

policies, internal security crackdowns, and US military 

aggression abroad. Some governments.. have quietly 

raised concerns about whether fans and journalists 

can enter — and remain — safely.

 

Dowling sees a boycott as leverage. “Nor is it wise to give 

Trump and his regime --------- anything they can use as a 

successful publicity event,” he noted.

 

Individual choices matter, he argued, because - they scale. 

“As individuals, we can’t do much to help bring down this 

vile regime, but little actions by millions of people — like 

not buying US goods --- or not travelling to the US — will 

start to hit the US economy and thereby affect Trump’s 

standing with his own MAGA zealots,” he stated.

 

The argument extends well beyond immigration. Dowling 

pointed to foreign policy and to broken promises. “Let’s 

remember Trump campaigned to win the Presidency 

on a policy of ‘No more foreign wars’ and ‘No more 

regime changes’.”

 

The reality, he added, looks very different. “And yet in 

under a year he has bombed several countries, and 

militarily threatened five others, including long-

standing allies.”

 

In Dowling’s view, these actions are not just aggressive but 

also unlawful. “All of his military interventions fly in the 

face of International Law and Human Rights."

 

Against that backdrop --- the idea of hosting the world’s biggest 

sporting event in the US, feels absurd to him. “In light of this, 

it seems almost extraordinary to me - that there is even a 

question about boycotting the World Cup in the US.”

 

He drew a direct comparison. “The existential threat coming 

from the US far exceeds that of any other nation on the 

planet, and since Russia has experienced a boycott, 

it seems perfectly logical - if not blindingly obvious

that the USA should be boycotted, internationally 

isolated and sanctioned.”

 

For Dowling, the issue is credibility. “What good is ‘rules-based 

order’ if the most powerful nation in the world consistently 

flaunts any rule they choose to?”

 

The danger, he hastened to add, is not only external, but 

domestic. “Incidentally, it’s interesting that Trump said: 

‘No more foreign wars’ - because it looks increasingly 

likely that he’s going to spark a civil war in the US.”

 

Dowling believes internal unrest - may be politically useful. 

“I suspect he’s continually provoking dissent and protest 

in the US in order to declare a national emergency and 

invoke the Insurrection Act, thereby cancelling the 

midterm elections --- which he would otherwise 

lose and then face immediate impeachment 

and probably jail.”

 

And.. he sees a longer game. “And should he succeed in 

cancelling the midterms, he’ll undoubtedly seek a way 

to cancel the 2028 election.”

 

The implications, he noted -- are chilling. “This increasingly 

authoritarian grip and the casual willingness of the Trump 

regime to either censor, jail, extradite, or even murder 

those of a different colour, or those in opposition to 

them are reasons enough to boycott the football.”

 

Some calls to stay away have come from inside football itself. 

Former FIFA president Sepp Blatter and several European 

officials recently suggested fans would be safer 

watching from home .....rather than going all

 the way to the stadiums in the US.

 

Dowling’s criticism sharpened - when it 

turned to FIFA’s conduct under Trump.

 

He cited “the ludicrous ‘Peace Award’ the football governing 

body presented to Trump, only days before he bombed 

Venezuela to steal their oil.”

 

The timing, he added, came “long after the US 

military assaults on other nations in the 

previous months of 2025.”

 

“The idea of Trump qualifying for any award in the name 

of peace is laughable,” Dowling said. “And FIFA 

inexplicably made themselves part of that 

ridiculous hypocrisy.”

 

At the heart of the boycott argument is exclusion. “The ban on 

travel and the visa policies imposed by the US extend almost 

exclusively to nations that have predominantly non-white 

populations,” Dowling stated.

 

“This is typical of the Trump regime … of course, they 

consistently deny their racism, but one only needs 

to observe their actions: to see that they don’t

 match the rhetoric.”

 

He described a governing style built on misinformation, referring

 to the Trump administration. “This is a regime that has adopted 

lying --- as its key strategy.” He invokes a phrase popularized by

 Trump’s former adviser. “As Steve Bannon said — with strong 

echoes of Joseph Goebbels — ‘Flood the zone with shit’.” 

The goal, Dowling argues, is distraction.

 

“I suspect they might have been even further down the line with 

their objectives had they not started to attack their own white 

population in democratic states, particularly recently --- in 

Minnesota,” he added, pointing to the recent violence.

 

The standard, he said, is racial. “The US and indeed the Western

world -------- tends to be more tolerant towards murder -------- if it’s 

non-whites that are being killed.”

 

Which brings him back to football. And to first principles. “How 

can a sporting event be described as ‘global’ ....if 39% of the 

world’s nations ---- are exempt from the racist whims of

 the Trump regime?”

 

For Dowling, the conclusion needs no embellishment. 

“Taking all of the above into account.... I’d suggest 

that the moral case for a boycott is self-evident.”



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 - 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.



____________________




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


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.uk 


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



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_b6pvBprm
GA4XFdG-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.


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.


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


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.


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


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."


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


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.

 What have we got to lose?




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