Rhondda Records is with you every day bringing the news ------- that gives a view of world events different to the mainstream media or social media!
Except Sundays - our day of rest.
Image: we're back!
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
Organizations of The Saviour have organized a Caravan of
Solidarity with Cuba on March 21st, 2026, to condemn the aggressive policy ------ of the disuniting US.
Under the motto “#Cuba is NOT a threat,” the participants will
leave on a journey --- from the Minerva of the University of El
Salvador (UES) at 13:30 local time, to the Cuban embassy.
In El Salvador, there is a historical movement of solidarity, built
by the cripples of war who were cared for in centres by Cuban
doctors ---- who graduated in the Latin american School of
Medicine (ELAM) and by members of social and political
organizations, among others.
In recent days these groups expressed their condemnation
of the policy of the White House to intensify the blockade
against the Cuban people and government with illegal US prohibitions of oil ----- and the persecution of its medical
collaboration in the world, especially in Latin America.
The Solidarity Network Operation and Mission Miracle
condemned the pressures of Washington to prevent
the continuation of cooperation with their medical
solidarity .........in more than 56 countries.
Also, the Palestinian unity of Latin America (UPAL) expressed
“grave concern in the face of the growing political campaign
aimed to discredit and dismantle the medical international
cooperation of Cuba --- in our region.”
“Today.. we observe not a debate on health, but an offensive
policy driven primarily from Washington to put pressure on
Latin american governments to break from or limit, these
programs of cooperation”, he added.
For his part, the lawyer and activist, Salvadoran Raul "Logan,"
Martinez lamented the campaign - by the White House: that
aims to isolate Cuba, and what you get --- is to isolate the
most vulnerable populations of the region..... in terms of
access to medical help, by politicizing the health issue.
“We Salvadorans --- who have been beneficiaries of the
Operation Miracle, by doctors... graduates of ELAM,
among other contributions --- we condemn the
US policy against Cuba,” he said.
Image: People hold up a banner as they protest against Israel at the entrance of the International Criminal Court.
People hold up a banner as they protest
against Israel at the entrance of the
International Criminal Court
Iran’s Army launches drone strikes
on Israeli-occupied lands,
US bases in Kuwait
March 9th, 1:57pm
(PressTV)
The Army of the Islamic Republic of Iran has announced new
drone strikes against US and Israeli targets in retaliation for
the illegal aggression they are waging against the country.
In a statement on Monday, the Army said that its ground, air,
and naval forces had launched drone attacks on the Israeli-
occupied territories and the US bases in Kuwait.
In the past hours, it added, the Army’s destructive drones
targeted the Rehavam Combat Support Unit and the early
-warning radar station of US base 512 in the occupied
lands, as well as US assembly centres & equipment
depots in the al-Adiri camp in Kuwait.
The US and Israel - launched their criminal act of aggression
against Iran on February 28 by assassinating Leader of the
Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei, in a
flagrant violation of the country’s sovereignty.
So far, at least 1,332 Iranian people have been killed in the
terrorist air raids, according to the Red Crescent Society.
Iran swiftly began reprisal missile and drone attacks
on the occupied territories as well as on US assets
in the regional countries.
Who is.......
Sayyed Mojtaba Khamenei,
Iran's next leader?
March 9th, 12:26am
(Al Mayadeen English)
Iran’s Assembly of Experts elects Sayyed Mojtaba Khamenei
as the new Leader of the Islamic Republic, marking an
historic leadership transition. Here's all you need
to know about Iran's new leader.
In a pivotal moment for the Islamic Republic, Iran's Assembly
of Experts has elected Sayyed Mojtaba Khamenei as the
country's new Leader, succeeding his father, martyr
Sayyed Ali Khamenei, who was killed in the initial
strikes of the US-Israeli aggression on Iran on
February 28.
The decision marks a historic transition for Iran's leadership at
a moment of unprecedented global uncertainty, resulting from
the US-Israeli decision ------ to launch an existential war on the
Islamic Republic of Iran.
The 56-year-old Khamenei was born in 1969 in the holy city
of Mashhad and has spent his entire life immersed in
revolutionary politics and religious scholarship.
Unlike many political successors who come to prominence
through formal government positions, Mojtaba Khamenei
ascended through informal channels, building an
extensive network of relationships across
Iran's security apparatus, religious
institutions, and political circles.
A life shaped by revolution
Mojtaba's childhood unfolded during the most formative period
of the Islamic Republic. Born just months before the 1979
Islamic Revolution that transformed Iran, he grew up in
a deeply religious and political household at the heart
of revolutionary institutions.
His early exposure to state-building, decision-making processes and governance, gave him an insider's
understanding of Iran's political machinery
....that few contemporaries possess.
In his formative years, he chose to pursue advanced religious
education at Qom's seminaries, the premier theological
centre for Shia Islam. There, he devoted himself to
studying Islamic jurisprudence and the principles
of Islamic law, reaching the highest stages of
seminary education, which precedes the
rank of marja (source of emulation).
This scholarly foundation distinguished him from
many Iranian political figures and provided him
with the religious credentials necessary for
the leadership of the Islamic Republic.
The crucible of war
The trajectory of Sayyed Mojtaba's political influence was
shaped significantly by the Iran-Iraq War that dominated
the 1980s.
During these formative years, he became affiliated with the Islamic Revolution Guard Corps, serving in military units alongside fighters who would later become prominent commanders in Iran's security establishment. These wartime bonds have proven decisive -- as he now
commands the full trust -- of the security and military leadership to guide Iran through the current war on the country.
The shared experience of the "Sacred Defense" against
Iraq created a cohort of leaders bound by mutual
respect, shared ideology, and battle scars.
Power without portfolio
What distinguished Sayyed Mojtaba's rise ------ was his
accumulation of influence without holding prominent
formal positions. For decades, he remained largely
out of the public eye, yet his name became
increasingly central to analyses of Iran's
power dynamics.
He reportedly played key roles --- in coordinating policy
initiatives, building communication channels between
various state institutions, and serving as a liaison
between the office of the Leader, and other
branches of government.
His influence became particularly visible - during the political
upheavals of 2009 - when Iran faced its most serious internal
crisis. From that moment forward, his name was consistently
mentioned in discussions regarding power balances and the
future direction of the Islamic Republic.
Beyond his political networks..... Sayyed Mojtaba developed
genuine religious credentials. He spent more than 17 years
teaching advanced seminary courses in Islamic
jurisprudence and principles of Islamic law.
His scholarly contributions were recognized by prominent
clerics, and he gained respect within theological circles
for his rigorous approach to Islamic sciences. This dual
foundation, both religious scholarship and political-
military connections, positioned him uniquely, for
the leadership role.
A challenge to US imperialism
The Assembly of Experts' decision to elect Sayyed Mojtaba
represents continuity and significant change, as well as a
direct challenge to US President Donald Trump.
The Iranian system.. has traditionally resisted hereditary
succession, and some observers noted that the martyr
Sayyed Ali Khamenei had reportedly expressed
reservations... about his son assuming the
position. However, the current context
of succession, is different.
Sayyed Ali Khamenei was assassinated in joint US-Israeli
airstrikes, in what Israeli officials characterize --- as a
"decapitation strike" --- intended to paralyze Iranian
decision-making and foster a leadership transition
more favourable... to Western interests.
Meanwhile, Trump - has intervened in the succession debate,
publicly dismissing the late leader’s son, Mojtaba Khamenei,
as an "unacceptable lightweight". Trump signaled a desire
for a hand-picked successor who would align with US
regional goals, warning that a continuation of anti-
West policies ..would lead to further aggression.
In this light ------ the succession transcends a mere transfer of
familial power. It has emerged as a unified defiance by Iran’s
clerical establishment, military apparatus, and political
factions --- against a US attempt to subvert national
sovereignty and impose an external will on the
Iranian people.
In accepting his election, Sayyed Mojtaba pledges to continue
the revolutionary path established by Ayatollah Ruhollah
Khomeini and maintained through his father's
34-year tenure.
Officials have emphasized that the transition represents
continuity with established principles, as well as a
contemporary touch ---- to move the Islamic
Republic forward.
Broad support .....across political & regional lines
The election - has garnered support from Iran's political
establishment and allied movements across the region.
President Masoud Pezeshkian said that the council's
selection will mark a new stage for self-sufficiency
and prosperity for the Iranian people.
First Vice President Reza Aref declared his backing for
Sayyed Mojtaba, testifying that he is "a sincere and
capable person for leadership - knowledgeable
about the issues and affairs of the system
and the state."
Reformist-intellectual Atta'allah Mohajerani also announced
his support for the selection, signaling that backing for
the transition ---- extends across Iran's traditional
political spectrum.
The Iranian judiciary ---- affirmed the legitimacy of the process,
with the head of the judicial branch noting that the Assembly
of Experts selected Sayyed Khamenei by an "overwhelming
majority" - and praising the assembly's demonstration of
its "decisive role in preserving the country's stability
and cohesion".
Iran's armed forces, through the Khatam al-Anbiya command
headquarters, declared their readiness for their "complete
obedience" to their new leader --- and renewed their
allegiance to the principles of the Islamic
Revolution's founding figures.
Regional allies voice confidence
The election has also received backing from Iran's regional
allies. Sanaa's Supreme Political Council Chairman Mahdi
al-Mashat characterized the selection as "an indicator of
Iran's strength and cohesion" --- while the Yemeni Ansar
Allah movement's political office, expressed confidence
that Iran will "advance toward achieving a great victory
that shapes the characteristics of dignity and honour
for the nation, in confronting the global arrogance."
Iraq's Kata'ib Hezbollah, speaking through Secretary General
Abu Hussein al-Hamidawi, called the appointment evidence
of "the deep insight and foresight" of the Assembly of
Experts, in selecting a leader capable of carrying
the banner of resistance movements -- amid the
"destabilizing challenges" facing the region.
Resilience amid adversity
Supreme National Security Council of Iran (SNSC) Secretary Ali
Larijani underscored the significance of the transition -- noting
that despite the enemies' calculations that the assassination
would leave the country at an impasse, the election of
Sayyed Mojtaba Khamenei demonstrated Iran's
institutional resilience.
Larijani predicted that Sayyed Khamenei's presence "will be
a source of prosperity and blessing for the future of the
Islamic Revolution."
International observers... have noted the election's broader
significance. The New York Times and the Financial Times
suggested the choice --- signals Iran's determination to
continue on its course regardless of pressure from
"Israel" and the United States, demonstrating
continuity... during the crisis.
As Iran enters this new chapter under Sayyed Mojtaba
Khamenei's leadership.... the breadth of institutional
support and regional backing ----- suggests that the
transition, while unprecedented in circumstances
...may provide the new leader with considerable
political capital to navigate the extraordinary
challenges ahead.
His decisions in the coming months on military strategy,
the nuclear file, negotiations, and the direction of the
revolution .....will shape not only Iran's future, but
regional stability more broadly.
Source: Al Mayadeen English
____________________________________
Several people killed: in Israeli
airstrikes -------on Lebanon
March 9th, 10:53am
(Al Mayadeen English)
Israeli airstrikes on southern Lebanon and Beirut's Southern
Surbub killed several people and wounded dozens, with
raids reported in Tair Dibba, Jwayya, and Bint Jbeil.
The Israeli occupation forces - launched a series of violent
airstrikes on Monday, targeting Beirut's Southern Suburb
and multiple towns in southern Lebanon, resulting in a
rising number of casualties.
According to Al Mayadeen's correspondent, Israeli warplanes
have carried out more than 10 raids on the Southern Suburb
since dawn. The strikes targeted the vicinity of the Saint
Therese neighbourhood, the area between Ghobeiry
and Haret Hreik, and most recently, the Al-Sfeir
area, Al-Laylaki and Bir al-Abed areas.
"Israel" issued displacement threats this morning against
the Southern Suburb of Beirut, threatening all branches
of al-Qard al-Hassan association with destruction. The
association has aided tens of thousands of Lebanese,
offering them zero-interest loans.
In southern Lebanon, Al Mayadeen's correspondent reported
that a Lebanese police officer belonging to the Chebaa
municipality was martyred in an Israeli drone strike.
Separately, three individuals were killed in the town of Kfar
Tebnit after an airstrike completely destroyed their home.
In another incident, two people were martyred while
traveling to the town of Aitaroun. Their vehicle
was struck by a drone --- on the main road
between Bint Jbeil and Aitaroun.
A further fatality was recorded in the town of Choukine,
where an airstrike destroyed a home, killing one
person and critically injuring another.
Israeli warplanes - also conducted strikes on the towns of
Sarifa and Yater, targeted the al-Maslakh neighbourhood
in Bint Jbeil, and renewed raids on the town of
Jwayya in the Tyre (Sour) district.
Six killed, 30 wounded in Tair Dibba and Jwayya
Lebanon's Ministry of Health confirmed that the occupation's
raids on the towns of Tair Dibba and Jwayya - resulted in the
deaths of six people and left more than 30 others wounded.
Rescue operations and efforts to clear rubble are ongoing.
In a related development, civil defense teams from the Al-
Risala Scout Association successfully retrieved the
bodies of martyrs in the town of Sarifa who had
been killed in an Israeli strike two days prior.
Meanwhile, the Lebanese Red Cross, supported by the
Lebanese army, completed a complex operation to
evacuate 11 Syrian workers.
The workers were injured on Sunday evening when an Israeli
drone targeted them on the outskirts of the town of Yohmor
al-Shaqif as they were unloading a shipment of chickens.
They remained stranded at the site for hours.. before
being transported to a hospital in Nabatieh.
Israeli strikes across Lebanon
The latest attacks come amid a broader wave of Israeli strikes
targeting multiple areas across Lebanon, including residential
neighbourhoods and civilian infrastructure. Over the past
days, Israeli airstrikes have hit towns across Southern
Lebanon and other regions, causing widespread
destruction and civilian casualties.
According to Lebanese officials and local reports ------- several
massacres have been recorded in southern towns during the
escalation. In the town of Dweir, Israeli strikes destroyed a
home and a nearby car repair garage, killing six people,
including five members of the Ayash family. In Seer
al-Gharbiya in the Nabatieh district, an airstrike on
a residential building reportedly killed at least 20
people, most of them women and children,
wiping out an entire family.
Additional strikes -- targeted several towns in the Nabatieh and
Saida districts, including Rcheif, Srebbine, Shaukine, Tefahata,
and Ghaziyeh, where a 4-story residential building collapsed
after being hit by an airstrike. Rescue teams later detected
signs of life beneath the rubble, with efforts continuing to
reach survivors.
Airstrikes were also reported in the border town of Alma
al-Shaab, where a resident identified as Sami Y. Ghafri
was killed, as well as in Aytit in the Tyre district and
in Qana, where four people were killed after a
residential building was struck.
Source: Al Mayadeen English
Image: Vyacheslav Mikhaylovich Molotov's Birth Day
Today, March 9th, in 1890,
Vyacheslav Mikhaylovich Molotov,
Soviet politician, diplomat,
and revolutionary,
is born.
''Life has improved, and now, as never before, the doors to a
happy and cultured life for all the peoples of our Union ---
stand wide open. We are already enjoying the first fruits
of our victory, and we see that an unparalleled rise in
the standard of living and culture of all the peoples
of the Soviet Union awaits us. And in spite of all
this..... we have not yet seen the last of people
who -- in their blind hatred of the new world --
are planning the seizure & dismemberment
of the Soviet Union. Well..... what shall we
say to them? It is true that we appeared
in the world without the permission of
these gentlemen, and undoubtedly
against their wishes. This means
that the time has come when
the old world must make
way for the new.''
''We've done so much that even if we are
smashed, everything ---- will have been
worth it. If not today, then tomorrow.''
''Infallible people do not exist, Lenin used to say.
It depends, first, on the kind of error and,
second, how long it persisted. And...
whether there was a willingness
to pursue the line considered
correct. If there was such
willingness, certain
errors had to be
passed over."
''I do not believe that everything we did under Stalin was right.
But the main thing we achieved, gives us justifiable pride.
Had we been conquered, we would have had to wait
a long time ...for liberation.''
''Stalin will be rehabilitated, needless to say.''
''There is no alternative to class struggle. The fact that
atomic war may break out, isn't that class struggle?
There is no alternative to class struggle. This is a
very serious question. The be-all and end-all, is
not peaceful coexistence. After all, we have
been holding on for some time, and under
Stalin we held on to the point where the
imperialists felt able to demand point-
blank --- either surrender such and
such positions - or it means war.''
''So far..... the imperialists have not renounced that.''
China labels Israeli-occupied lands
as‘high risk area,’bans all new
investments: Report
February 5th, 7:41pm
PressTV)
A Chinese investment fund has revealed that the Beijing
government has imposed a ban on all new investment
in Israeli-occupied lands due to the regime’s brutal
aggression against the besieged Gaza Strip.
The news emerged in Israeli media outlets, amid a lawsuit filed
by members of Kibbutz Hanita against Ballet Vision, a Chinese
-controlled fund that holds an 80% stake in Hanita Lenses, an
intraocular lens manufacturing plant located in the northern
part of the occupied lands near the Lebanese border.
Israeli settlers from the kibbutz have filed a lawsuit against the
fund, which controls 80 percent of an intraocular lens plant
located in the northern settlement.
A lawsuit filed in the Tel Aviv district court shows the kibbutz is
seeking approximately $11 million, accusing the fund of failing
to exercise an option to purchase their remaining shares, as
stipulated in a prior agreement.
According to a response letter from Ballet attached to the
lawsuit... the Chinese government has classified Israeli-
occupied lands as a "high-risk area" or "red category"
due to the ongoing situation in the West Asia region,
specifically since Oct. 7, 2023.
“Since the outbreak of the fighting, the Chinese government
has classified Israel as a high-risk zone (red category) and
prohibited any new Chinese investment in the Israeli-
occupied lands,” it said in the letter.
The letter further says that until the restriction
is lifted, the transaction.... is not feasible.
“As long as this restriction remains in place, there is no
practical operational ability to exercise the option,”
it added
Aside from the Chinese government's ban on investing in
Liu Yuxiao, a director of Ballet Vision and CEO of the lens
manufacturing plant, earlier said that Hanita Lenses
sustained losses of around $15 million over a
period of three years --- as well as a
$4 million debt. This resulted in
severe financial issues.
Yuxiao said he became the CEO in March last year to try
to prevent total collapse, and added that the company
may now break even in 2026.
The developments also come as ties between the two sides
were deteriorating over the self-ruling island of Taiwan,
which has been looking to the Zionist entity for
increased military cooperation.
China has already warned Israel against providing military
expertise and technology to Taiwan under the guise of
civilian programs.
Tel Aviv is reportedly assisting Taipei with integrating
elements of its Green Pine and Arrow systems in
order to develop the Tian Gong-4 missile
system, which will be part of the
T-Dome network.
The military cooperation comes despite ongoing Chinese
warnings that it would not tolerate Israeli ties with the
island, which it considers a renegade province.
Taiwan wants to deepen its ties with Israel and its
administration has refrained from condemning
the Tel Aviv regime's crimes in the besieged
Gaza Strip ---- and the other occupied
Palestinian territories.
Image: No thanks to Israeli goods App
The world and her daughter are calling for a boycott of the genocidal colonial apartheid state of Israel.
Place yourself on the right side of joy and sorrow by joining the world's boycott - say ''no'' to evil!
Keir Hardie - Britain's first Labour MP - opposedWorld War One.
His namesake is stammering his way in the opposite direction.
VVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVV
ROGER WATERS TO MUSICIANS:- "BOYCOTT ISRAEL"
Roger Waters formerly of Pink Floyd, in an open letter, calls on his fellow musicians --- to boycott the Zionist Israeli regime and follow the example of the cultural boycott against the ex S. African Apartheid regime.
“Given the inability or unwillingness of our governments [to act] …. I write to you now, my brothers and sisters … to ask you to join with me, & thousands of other artists around the world, to declare a cultural boycott on Israel,” Roger Waters says in his letter.
Waters says the Zionist regime has been found guilty of major breaches of human rights and international law by international organizations, UN officials and the International Court of Justice.
He touches on two such cases, saying the regime has been identified as perpetrating the “crime of Apartheid”, including in a statement on March 9th, 2012 by the UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, and the “crime of ethnic cleansing” including in East Jerusalem (al-Quds).
Waters adds that he has been a member of the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) campaign against the Israeli regime’s occupation of the Palestinian lands and Tel Aviv’s violations of Palestinian human rights for 7 years, and now wants other musicians to also join the anti-Israeli front.
“Please join me and all our brothers and sisters in global civil society in proclaiming our rejection of Apartheid in Israel & occupied Palestine, by pledging not to perform or exhibit in Israel or accept any award or funding from any institution linked to the government of Israel, until such time as Israel complies with international law and universal principles of human rights.”
The former Pink Floyd Musician also says he has recently faced a boycott by the US media after his November 29th, 2012 address at the UN on behalf of the Russell Tribunal.
In the address, he sought accountability for the Zionist regime’s violations of the international law and the lack of United Nations resolve that prevents the Palestinian people from achieving their inalienable rights, especially the right of self-determination.
____________________
AT THE FACTORY
Tickets from
www.wegottickets.com/thefactory
www.ticketweb.co.uk
browse venues in Wales
www.ticketlineuk.com
02920 230130
Cash tickets from:
The Factory, Porth Instrumental Music, Penygraig Spillers Records, Cardiff
Indulge in a delicious cake and a cup of tea while enjoying music and sing-along songs from fantastic Welsh musicians.
Ticket information:
The Cultural Services Booking & Information Line:
08000 147 111 or book online at
www.rct-arts.co.ukÂÂ
*************************************************
Mid Rhondda Modelling Club...
7pm - 9pm
Tonyrefail Comprehensive School Mid Rhondda Modelling Club
has been running for over 30 years.
We meet on a regular basis
& enjoy making models for display.
We encourage both Gentlemen
and Ladies to attend, and also young people aged 12+.
However, Young people under 16, must be accompanied by an adult.
Ticket information
£1 contribution every week. Under 16's free
Telephone Mr. Davies on 01443 686658
************************************************
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.
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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
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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.
