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Journalist: To end war ------

prosecute UK, US officials

who wage(d) it illegally

October 22nd, 10:12pm (PressTV)

The world must finally put an end to the impunity of war

criminals, by holding US and UK officials responsible

for launching the illegal war on Iraq, done without

the approval of the UN Security Council, and

prosecuting them --- under the Nuremberg

principles, US journalist Don DeBar said.

DeBar made the remarks in an interview with Press TV while

commenting on a report which has revealed that the British

military inquiries into abuse against Iraqi nationals... have

been closed without a single prosecution being brought,

even though the credibility of many "shocking and

shameful incidents" during the war in the Middle

Eastern country, have been confirmed.

British Defense Secretary Ben Wallace said in a statement

this week that the Service Police Legacy Investigations,

which was looking at claims of abuse in Iraq, had now

"officially closed its doors."

In March 2003, the US and Britain invaded Iraq in blatant

violation of international law and under the pretext of

finding WMDs; but no such weapons were ever

discovered in Iraq.

More than one million Iraqis were killed - as the result of

the US-led invasion and subsequent occupation of Iraq

--- according to the California-based investigative

organization, Project Censored.

The US war in Iraq cost US taxpayers $1.7 trillion with

an additional $490 billion in benefits owed to war
veterans, expenses that could grow to more than
$6 trillion over the next four decades counting
interest, according to a study called Costs of
War Project --- by the Watson Institute for

International Studies at Brown University.

DeBar told Press TV that the Iraq war

was illegal from the very beginning.

"It is illegal for a nation to make war on another nation if it

does not have the approval of the UN Security Council, if

any of those nations are signatories to the original UN

Charter. And it’s been adopted - that happened with

the US, as a charter member of the UN -- and it was

approved by the US Senate in the 1940s.

Consequently, the US involvement in Iraq from
the beginning, and the UK involvement in Iraq
from the beginning, was illegal,” he said.

“And under the Nuremberg standards, which would then

apply, each and every death consequent – intentional

or not - to either US or UK military action there, or

condoning of the US action there, by the media

or public officials, or any act facilitating that,

is an individual war crime. And, by the way,

there’s a death penalty for that,” the

journalist noted.

“No one will prosecute these people. That’s why I started

with the word impunity. And we might bookend with that

because that’s the problem. And until the world puts an

end to that impunity, until the world sees the major

contradiction in all international relations, is US,

UK, and EU imperialism, then it’s going to

continue until this eats our species,”

he stated.

A damning White House memo had revealed details of the

so-called “deal in blood” forged by former British Prime

Minister Tony Blair and US President George W. Bush

over the Iraq war.

The document, titled “Secret... Memorandum for the

President”, was sent by then-US Secretary of State

Colin Powell to President Bush on March 28th,
2002, a week before Bush’s summit with Blair
at his Crawford ranch in Texas.

The sensational memo, revealed that Blair had agreed to

support the war a year before the invasion even started

while publicly, the British prime minister was working
to find a diplomatic solution to the crisis.

The document also disclosed that Blair agreed to act as a

spin doctor for Bush and convince a skeptical public that

Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein had Weapons of Mass

Destruction, which actually did not exist.

In response, Bush would flatter Blair and give the

impression that London was not Washington’s

poodle but an equal partner in the

“special relationship.”

Powell told Bush that Blair “will be with us” on the

Iraq war, and assured the president that “"the UK

will follow our lead in the Middle East."

Blair has always denied the claim that he and Bush

signed a deal “in blood”, at Crawford, to launch a

war against Iraq that began on March 20th, 2003,

that has killed hundreds of thousands of people.

The Powell memo, however, showed how Blair and

Bush secretly prepared the Iraq war plot behind

closed doors at Crawford.

Powell told Bush: “He will present to you the strategic,

tactical and public affairs lines, that he believes will

strengthen global support for our common cause.”

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Foreign Minister judges aggression

against Venezuela as an act

of death for the UN

January 16th, 3:24pm

(Prensa Latina)

The Foreign Minister of Venezuela, Yván Gil, affirmed today

that the cunning military aggression of the United States

and kidnapping of President Nicolás Maduro and the

first combatant Cilia Flores, constitutes an act

of death of the UN system.

By participating this Friday in the meeting of the Venezuelan

Jurist Network, the senior diplomat described as extremely

serious the US military operation that ended the lives of

47 soldiers of the Bolivarian National Armed Forces,

and 32 Cuban combatants, and civilians.

Gil stressed that in the early hours of January 3, the norms

of International Law were flagrantly violated and as an

unprecedented fact in contemporary history --- it

represented a “death wound” to the united

Nations System.

The senior diplomat stressed - that the UN is in the spotlight

today because the pillars that supported its creation were

systematically violated and flagrantly transgressed

before ---- and in the operation, of which, he

reaffirmed, “there is no longer any

doubt before the world”.

When referring to the kidnapping of Maduro, he argued that

there is no legal argument that justifies it and mentioned

the personal immunity of leaders --- as a basic norm of
international law that is governed by the sovereign

will of its people --- and not for the recognition
of other governments.

In this sense, he asserted that violating this principle opens

the doors to a scenario of international anarchy, in which

the law of the strongest prevails -- and which foretells
unforeseeable consequences, for global stability

and security.

He highlighted that military aggression against Venezuela

not only represents a problem for the country -- but is a

direct threat to the world order built after World War

II, based on the sovereign equality of States and

the peaceful resolution of conflicts.

In a special way, he said, in a context marked by profound

power asymmetries & the existence of nuclear powers.

In the opinion of the Bolivarian Foreign Minister, the

fight must be fought in the legal and diplomatic

order and through dialogue, and he declared

that the return of Nicolás Maduro and Cilia

Flores “will mean the victory of reason

over weapons and life over death”.

The Network of Jurists of Venezuela organized the meeting

this Friday, with the participation of organizations of

lawyers, students, university professors, judges,

prosecutors and public defenders, from all the

states of the country, and authorities of the

Supreme Court of Justice, the Attorney

General's Office, the Ombudsman's

Office and organizations of

the justice system.

____________________________________________

Law Reform will facilitate

social investment in

Venezuela

January 16th, 8:19am

(Prensa Latina)

The president in charge of Venezuela, Delcy Rodríguez,

reiterated today that the partial reform of the Organic

Hydrocarbons Law, will be to facilitate investment,

strengthen legal certainty and achieve

faster results.

Through her Telegram account -- the president recalled

that she presented the day before before the National

Assembly (parliament), in the Memory and Account

2026 speech, that project that incorporates “the

successful business management models of

the Anti-Blockade Law”.

Rodríguez reported --- that all the currency that enters the

country “through energy cooperation”, will be allocated

to two sovereign funds: one for social protection and

the well-being of workers ---- and another for

infrastructure and services that promote

economic and social development.

She stressed -- that these funds must be managed without

bureaucracy and indolence and presented to the country

through a public technological platform.

She explained the day before in her speech, that the first of

the funds will contribute to improving workers' income and

foreign currency “go directly to hospitals, schools, etc,

and to food and housing.”

The dignitary in charge also instructed the creation of the

Sovereign Infrastructure and Service Fund for Economic

and Social Development, whose foreign currency goes

to water, electricity and roads.

She requested the creation of a technological

platform to make the use of these resources

transparent and “devoid of bureaucracy

and corruption”.

Rodríguez affirmed yesterday in her 2026 Annual

Message to the Nation - that the historical

contradictions with the United States

will be resolved through political

dialogue and diplomacy.

In the presence of the deputies of both groups, the

Powers of the State..... the accredited diplomatic

corps, special guests, sectoral vice presidents,

ministers, the military high command and

relatives of President Nicolás Maduro,

and the first combatant Cilia Flores,

Rodríguez requested a minute of

applause, for the Venezuelan

heroes and heroines who

fell on January 3.

“Honour and glory -- to the Venezuelans who fought

that morning and opened a new page in history”,

she expressed.

Rodríguez stated that “a new policy is being forged

in Venezuela”, after armed aggression coming

from a nuclear power ----- like our history

has never known.

The dignitary in charge acknowledged: that there is a

stain on relations with the United States when they

crossed the red line, attacked, and killed, and

invaded and kidnapped President Nicolás

Maduro and the first combatant,

Cilia Flores.

“It is a problem in relations between the United States and

Venezuela and we said that this stain, and we swore it

before our heroes and heroines, we were going to

resolve diplomatically, face to face, as Bolívar

taught us to «not be afraid of diplomacy”.

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

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Iraqi army assumes full control

of Ain al-Asad airbase after

complete US withdrawal

January 17th, 9:22pm

(PressTV)

US forces have fully withdrawn from the Ain al-Asad airbase

in western Iraq, with the Iraqi army now assuming full

control of the strategic facility, Iraqi officials said

on Saturday.

The withdrawal came ---- as part of an agreement reached

between Washington and Baghdad in 2024 to wind down

the US-led military coalition in Iraq by September 2025.

Under the agreement, US forces were to depart bases

where they had been stationed as part of operations

claimed by Washington to be aimed at the Daesh

Takfiri terrorist group.

Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani had

previously said that the original agreement called

for a full US pullout from Ain al-Asad ----- by

September of 2025. The United States,

however.... delayed a full withdrawal,

citing what it called developments

in neighbouring Syria.

Iraqi Army Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Abdul Amir Rashid Yarallah

visited the base on Saturday to oversee the reassignment

of duties and responsibilities to Iraqi military units

following the withdrawal.

In a statement, the Iraqi military said Yarallah had

instructed commanders to intensify coordination

among units stationed at the base, and to fully

utilize its capabilities and strategic location.

A senior official at Iraq’s ministry of defense, speaking on

condition of anonymity, was cited by The Washington

Post as confirming -- that US forces had completely

vacated the base and removed all US equipment.

There was.. no immediate statement from

the US military regarding the withdrawal.

The handover... followed earlier announcements by

Iraqi military officials that the mission of the US

-led coalition at Ain al-Asad, had ended.

In late December, the Deputy Commander of Iraq’s Joint

Operations Command, Lt. Gen. Qais al-Muhammadawi

said coalition forces would withdraw from the base

and transfer control to Iraqi security forces,

adding.... that the process had been

coordinated - through the Joint

Operations Command.

The coalition headed by the US, rolled into Iraq

in 2014 at the head of scores of Washington’s

allies - under the pretext of battling Daesh.

US-led military campaigns that followed... would feature

carpet bombing strikes against various Iraqi cities that

attracted widespread criticism for their sheer scale

and indiscriminate nature, resulting in wholesale

destruction of large areas.

The campaigns ....were also brought into question,

for their inefficiency, that saw Daesh continuing

to wreak havoc -------- and stage bloodshed

across Iraq.

The group had reared its head -- amid significant and drawn-

out chaos throughout Iraq resulting from the aftermath of

the 2003 US-led invasion of the Arab country, that was

followed by a momentous rise in anti-US sentiment.

Following 2014, various US military interests, including

its troops at Ain al-Assad, turned into a sustained

target of repeated rocket attacks.

In early 2020, Iran’s Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC)

launched a retaliatory ballistic missile strike against the

base following the US’s assassination of the Islamic

Republic’s top anti-terror commander, General

Qassem Soleimani.

The commander had played an indispensable role

in helping Iraq and Syria defeat Daesh

three years earlier.

__________________________________

Hamas says: Israeli army, settlers

coordinating West Bank attacks

January 17th, 7:05pm

(PressTV)

The Palestinian resistance movement Hamas says the

ongoing attacks by extremist settlers against the

Palestinian community - in the occupied West

Bank are part of a broader and systematic

campaign --------- to intimidate residents,

complicate their daily lives and create

a new reality that paves the way for

annexation ------- and the forced

displacement of people.

Abdul Rahman Shadid, a senior leader of the group,

stated on Saturday - that the relentless assaults

faced by West Bank governorates ----- ranging

from demolitions and vandalism to theft and

systematic intimidation --- are executed in

complete collaboration between Israeli

forces and settler groups.

He added that this highlights the brutal nature of the Tel

Aviv regime, showing a blatant disregard for laws or

principles ....and a complete lack of concern for

international warnings regarding the serious

repercussions --- of its ongoing policy of

forced displacement.

Shadid emphasized that these “crimes and acts of

terrorism will not weaken our people's resolve,

their strength on their land ---- or their

commitment to their rights.”

No matter how Israel’s repression and aggression

may become -- Palestinians will never give up

what is rightfully theirs, the senior Hamas

official stated.

Shadid -- urged all walks of the Palestinian society to

ramp up their mobilization and solidarity to confront

these assaults, and to bolster the resilience of

those living in the affected villages

and communities.

He called on human rights organizations and the

international community to take action ----- and

break their suspicious silence.. over settler

offenses, and to take immediate steps

to ensure accountability for the

ongoing Israeli violations...

affecting the Palestinian

people and territories.

Palestinians in the West Bank, are experiencing heightened

Israeli military operations and a surge in violent incidents

by settlers following the onset of the devastating Gaza

war in October 2023, which has claimed at least

71,548 lives in the coastal area.

Since then, at least 1,107 Palestinians have been killed

and nearly 11,000 others injured in the West Bank due

to attacks by the military and Israeli settlers in the

occupied territory. Around 21,000 individuals

have also been abducted - by the forces
of the occupying regime.

For months, human rights organizations have been

sounding the alarm about the increasing risk of

ethnic cleansing faced by Palestinians in the

West Bank - amid this ongoing violence.

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

declared Israel’s prolonged occupation of historic

Palestine to be unlawful and urged the removal

of all settlements located in the West Bank

and East al-Quds.

_______________________________________

Another Palestinian infant freezes to death

in Gaza ------ amid the shortage of shelters

January 17th, 6:16pm

(PressTV)

A 27-day-old Palestinian infant has died due to extreme

cold in Khan Younis, in the southern Gaza Strip, as

displaced families..... continue to suffer harsh

winter conditions mixed with the ongoing

impacts --------- of a two-year Israeli

genocidal war.

According to the medical staff at Nasser Hospital in Khan

Younis, the baby, Aisha Ayesh al-Agha, died as a result

of extreme cold, on Saturday.

With the death of al-Agha, the number of children who have

died in the Gaza Strip from the extreme cold since the

beginning of the season has risen to eight, the

Palestinian Health Ministry in Gaza said.

There is no more information about the infant’s condition

prior to her death. However, civil defense & ambulance

services say low temperatures are severely affecting

children, the elderly, and those who are unwell.

They point to instances of intense shivering, significant

loss of body heat, worsening respiratory conditions,

and the risk of further fatalities.

According to the data from the Government Media Office,

Israel’s genocidal war has caused massive destruction,

affecting 90% of the Gaza Strip’s civilian infrastructure.

Palestinians are suffering a worsening situation amid

Israel’s failure to meet its obligations under the

ceasefire agreement, which entered its first

phase on October 10, 2025, including

opening border crossings ----- and

allowing the agreed quantities

of food, relief, medical aid,

and shelter materials to

enter the enclave.

Palestinians believe that Israel is repeatedly violating

the ceasefire agreement that halted Israel’s brutal

war - that has killed more than 71,000 people,

most of them women and children, and

injured over 171,000 others, since

October 2023.

According to the Health Ministry, at least 464 Palestinians

have been killed and nearly 1,280 others injured in Israeli

attacks - since the ceasefire.

_____________________________________

Trump, Netanyahu -- orchestrated deadly

riots to destabilize Iran: Hezbollah chief

January 17th, 3:43pm

(PressTV)

The secretary general of Lebanon’s Hezbollah resistance

movement has hailed Iran as the fortress of resistance

and freedom, saying the US and Israel orchestrated

the recent riots to destabilize the country.

“Trump - and Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu

incited rioters in Iran with intent ---- to overthrow the

establishment, and change the equation there in

a way that would best benefit them and serve

their interests,” Sheikh Naim Qassem said

in a televised speech from Beirut on the

occasion of Eid al-Mab'ath – the day

God - chose Muhammad (PBUH) as

His final prophet, to spread Islam.

He noted: that the US president and Netanyahu “were

unable to achieve their latest scheme in Iran, as the

noble Iranian nation poured into the streets of

cities across the country, in millions.”

Sheikh Qassem emphasized ------ that the massive pro-

establishment rallies in Iran “showed the real public

desire and demands” ...saying that millions-strong

demonstrations cannot be compared to dozens

of subversive elements.

The Hezbollah leader added --- that Washington resorted to

riots and acts of terrorism in Iran - because it realized it

could not weaken the Islamic Republic after decades

of sanctions ..........and the so-called maximum

pressure campaign.

Sheikh Qassem said that the United States “does not want

a free system or people who can govern their state of

affairs by themselves. It, rather - seeks to control

nations and their choices, and supports Israel

.......in order to spread its expansionism in

the region.”

He emphasized that the Iranian nation, thanks to its

resistance, the wise leadership of Leader of the

Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali

Khamenei, as well as efforts made by

authorities and security forces,

has thwarted the US goal

....of overthrowing the

Islamic Republic.

Sheikh Qassem stressed that Hezbollah believes that

“Iran is steadfast and strong, and will remain a

fortress of resistance, independence,

freedom, and inspiration.... for

the oppressed.”

The Hezbollah secretary-general underscored that

enemies: “will not be able to defeat millions of

Iranian people, who have rallied behind

their leader.”

He also stated that “America committed the crime of

the century in Venezuela by abducting President

Nicholas Maduro,” calling for “a global

movement ------- to put an end to the

unjustified American arrogance,

which solely seeks tyranny.”

‘Sovereignty cannot be established
without resistance’

Turning to developments in Lebanon, Sheikh Qassem

urged the government to carry out its responsibility

of maintaining the country’s sovereignty.

He added that Hezbollah disarmament cannot be

discussed when there is zero sovereignty, and

the Israeli regime continues to violate the

ceasefire agreement.

The Hezbollah chief stressed that defense and

retaliation at any time against the recurrent

Israeli acts of aggression - are legitimate.

He clarified that the Lebanese government's push

to have a state monopoly on arms is a US-Israeli

demand aimed at restricting Hezbollah.

“The Lebanese nation has no problem with Hezbollah’s

arms. The weapons are, rather, a problem for Israel

because they prevent the regime from grabbing

more of the Lebanese territories,” Sheikh

Qassem stated.

The Hezbollah chief finally emphasized that any

concessions to Israel or further compromises

would only lead to Lebanon’s greater

weakness --- in the face of the

occupying regime.

______________________________________________________

Top general warns enemies waging

media war against Iran after riots

January 17th, 2:16pm

(PressTV)

The Chief of Staff of the Iranian Armed Forces, Major

General Abdolrahim Mousavi ---- says the Islamic

Republic's adversaries try to distort realities

through their media empire and

cognitive warfare.

General Mousavi made the remarks on Saturday,

following the foreign-backed riots that spread

across Iranian cities last month.

“The enemy's media empire and cognitive warfare --- have

influenced segments of Iranian society, particularly in

the field of soft war. God willing, we will be able to

move the country towards the ideals of the

Islamic Revolution,” he said.

General Mousavi further underscored the importance
of remaining vigilant against the deceptive tactics

employed by the enemy, stressing the necessity
of “clear and accurate” communication -- to
counteract misinformation campaigns.

The top general also emphasized Iran's substantial

capabilities to combat such conspiracies

- particularly those orchestrated by
the “criminal” US government.

During the recent riots, Western media failed to report

on attacks on public and private properties, the

involvement of armed groups, and foreign

encouragement or support for unrest.

They tend to prioritize one-sided narratives --- that amplify

pressure in Washington for military action against Iran,

while downplaying widespread violence and relying

heavily on figures supplied by US government-

funded organizations.

An investigation by The Grayzone editor-in-chief, Max

Blumenthal and editor Wyatt Reed, revealed that

major Western outlets have overlooked

mounting video evidence: showing

severe violence -- carried out by

groups described as: “largely

peaceful” protesters ------ by

Amnesty International and

Human Rights Watch.

The footage released by Iranian state media -- and other

sources depicts public lynchings, attacks on mosques,

arson at municipal buildings, markets, and fire

stations ----- as well as armed men firing

weapons in crowded city centres.

Despite this evidence, the report argues that coverage

in the US and Europe, has predominantly focused on

alleged abuses by Iranian security forces -- relying

on casualty figures produced by Iranian diaspora

NGOs funded by the US National Endowment for

Democracy, which has long been associated

with US regime-change efforts.

The unrest in Iran, which initially stemmed from currency

volatility and rising inflation linked to unlawful US and

EU sanctions, rose on January 8 - when coordinated

attacks targeted public, state, and religious sites.

Armed groups attacked shops, banks, bus stations,

and mosques, killing a number of security

personnel and civilians.

The authorities say evidence shows foreign-backed terrorist

groups distributed weapons, deliberately targeted civilians

and security forces, and acted with the direct involvement

of the US and Israel.

_____________________________________

US threatens to re-impose Caesar

sanctions on Syria over SDF

operations: Report

January 17th, 11:11am

(PressTV)

The US has reportedly threatened to reimpose the so-called

Caesar sanctions on Syria --- over the ruling Arab regime

forces’ crackdown on the so-called Syrian Democratic

Forces (SDF), a Kurdish-led group backed

by Washington.

US Vice President J.D. Vance warned Syrian interim

president Ahmed al-Sharaa against pursuing a

military campaign against the SDF.

According to the Wall Street Journal on Friday, Vance

told al-Sharaa in a phone call “to resolve differences

with the Kurds.”

US President Donald Trump signed an executive order

in June to ease Washington’s sanctions against the

Syrian regime.

However, according to US assessments cited by the WSJ,

the Syrian regime is planning a “massive, multipronged

operation” against the Kurdish-led forces... which

could expand to include areas, where US troops

are stationed. The US is against the operation

against the SDF.

Back then, White House Press Secretary Karoline

Leavitt claimed Trump’s order to ease the

unilateral US sanctions aimed “to

promote and support the

country’s path to

stability and

peace.”

Trump’s executive order eased the US sanctions on

“entities critical to Syria’s development, the

operation of its government, and the

rebuilding of the country’s

social fabric.”

Syria’s Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) forces have been

carrying out a massive crackdown against Aleppo’s

Kurdish neighbourhoods controlled by the SDF.

The Arab state has been the target

of US sanctions since 1979.

Washington intensified the sanctions against the Arab

state in 2011 after the nation found itself under siege

by foreign-backed terrorist groups, including Daesh.

Up-scaling the scope of the sanctions even further, the

US approved the Caesar Act in 2019, targeting any

individual and business - that participated either

directly or indirectly in Syria’s reconstruction.

In the meantime, insecurity has persisted across

the Arab country a year after the ouster of

former president Bashar al-Assad.

Volunteers lay flowers at an installation by the charity

Oxfam, depicting a Mark-84 2,000-pound bomb - with

the words 'Stop Arming Israel,' opposite the Houses

of Parliament in central London, UK, July 30, 2024.

(Photo by AFP)

UK NGOs demand government halt

all arms exports to Israeli regime

January 17th, 7:51am

(PressTV)

A coalition... of UK non-governmental organizations (NGOs)

call on the government to suspend all arms exports to the

Israeli regime, warning that UK-made weapons risk being

used in genocide and further eroding international law.

In a joint statement released on Friday, five groups,

Campaign Against Arms Trade, Global Justice

Now, the Global Legal Action Network, the

International Centre of Justice for

Palestinians, and War on Want,

said they were “appalled” by

signs that the government

may lift blocks on arms

export licenses to the

Israeli-occupied

territories.

Their response followed comments by Business

Secretary Peter Kyle -- who said arms exports

could resume, if progress were made toward

what he described as “sustainable peace.”

The NGOs dismissed that position as “completely

divorced from reality,” pointing to Israel’s

ongoing violations of the October

10 ceasefire.

“The Government’s position was already untenable,”

the statement said, highlighting - that the UK has

paused... only around 30 of roughly 350 arms

export licenses to Israel, just 8.6 percent

of the total.

In September 2024... the government announced the limited

suspension after a review identified a “clear risk” that UK-

made weapons --- could be used to commit or facilitate

serious violations of international humanitarian law.

The NGOs stressed ------ that conditions on the

ground - have only worsened since then.

They said Israel’s actions show “a total disregard

for peace” and represent a continuation of the

genocide of the Palestinian people, making

any move to reopen arms exports

morally indefensible.

Restarting sales, they warned, would shield Israel from

accountability.... while laying bare the UK’s “weak

commitment to upholding international law.”

“In this context,” the NGOs said, “the UK should not

only refuse to ‘unpause’ the current suspension,

but suspend all arms exports to Israel --- and

freeze its existing free trade agreement.”

The appeal comes as Israel continues to violate the

ceasefire that took effect on October 10, 2025,

between the occupying entity and Hamas,

the Palestinian resistance movement.

Gaza’s Health Ministry reports that at least 460

Palestinians have been killed and nearly 1,270

injured since the ''ceasefire'' began.

Since Israel launched its genocidal assault on Gaza

on October 7, 2023, more than 71,000 Palestinians

have been killed and over 172,000 wounded, the

majority of whom are women and children.

_____________________________________________________

US to advance Gaza plan

despite Netanyahu’s

objections?

January 16th, 10:29pm

(Al Mayadeen English)

The administration of US President Donald Trump will move

forward with its Gaza plan, despite objections from Israeli

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, according to Axios.

Citing a senior US official, Axios reported on Thursday, that

Washington does not intend to coordinate with Netanyahu

regarding the formation of the National Coordination

Committee for Governance of the Gaza Strip.

"This is our show, not his show. We managed to do things in

Gaza in recent months nobody thought was possible, and

we are going to continue moving," the official stated.

According to the report, the US administration did

not consult Netanyahu about the committee’s

composition, with the official stressing - "If

he wants us to deal with Gaza, it will have

to be our way. We worked over him. Let

him focus on Iran and let us deal with

Gaza. We're not going to argue with

him. He will do his politics and we

will keep moving forward with

our plan."

The source added that while Netanyahu may engage

in political maneuvering, the US will continue

implementing its plan independently:
“He can’t really go against us.”

Netanyahu --------- rejects Trump’s Gaza

committee as against "Israel’s" policy

Netanyahu criticized the announcement by US President

Donald Trump regarding the formation of the Gaza

Executive Committee, which falls under the

broader framework of the so-called

Gaza Peace Council initiative.

In a statement issued by his office, Netanyahu said the

formation of the committee "was not coordinated with

‘Israel’ and contradicts its policy." The statement

emphasized.. that the decision was made

unilaterally, without consultation or

agreement with “Israel.”

Netanyahu has instructed his Foreign Minister, Gideon Sa’ar,

to urgently communicate with US Secretary of State Marco

Rubio to discuss the matter. The move, seen by analysts

as significant, could signal a divergence between

“Israel” and the US over the governance and

future direction of the Gaza Strip.

Source: Agencies

Image: Muhammad Ali's Birth Day

Today, January the 17th, in 1942,

Muhammad Ali,

boxer, activist - and

global cultural icon

is born.

Widely known by the nickname "the Greatest", he is often

regarded as the greatest heavyweight boxer of all time.

He held the Ring magazine heavyweight title from 1964 to

1970, was the undisputed champion from 1974 to 1978,

and was the WBA and Ring heavyweight champion

from 1978 to 1979.

In 1999, he was named the Sportsman of the Century
by Sports Illustrated --- and Sports Personality

of the Century by the BBC.

Born in Louisville, Kentucky, he began training as an

amateur boxer - at the age of 12. At 18, he won a
gold medal in the light heavyweight division
at the 1960 Summer Olympics, turning

professional, later that year.

He won the world heavyweight championship, defeating

Sonny Liston in a major upset on February 25, 1964, at

age 22. During that year, he denounced his birth name

as a "slave name" and formally changed his name to

Muhammad Ali.

In 1967, Ali refused to be drafted into the military, owing to

his religious beliefs and ethical opposition to the Vietnam

War, and found guilty of draft evasion and stripped of his

boxing titles. He stayed out of prison while appealing

the decision to the Supreme Court, where his

conviction was overturned in 1971.

He did not fight for nearly four years --- and lost a period

of peak performance as an athlete. Ali's actions as a

conscientious objector to the Vietnam War, made

him an icon for the 1960s generation - and he

became a prominent, high-profile figure of

racial pride for US/Africans --- during

the civil rights movement and

throughout his career.

He developed an interest in Sufism -- which he referenced in

his 2003 autobiography, The Soul of a Butterfly. According

to Ali's daughter, Hana Yasmeen Ali, who co-authored

The Soul of a Butterfly with him... Ali was attracted

to Sufism after reading the words of Inayat Khan,

which explain Sufi teachings, at Bowl of Saki.

Muhammad Ali received guidance from Islamic scholars

such as the Grand Mufti of Syria, Al Marhum Al Sheikh

Ahmed Kuftaro, Hisham Kabbani, Imam Zaid Shakir,

Hamza Yusuf, and Timothy J. Gianotti, who

planned his funeral.

Ali had gone on the Hajj pilgrimage to Mecca in 1972, which

inspired him in a similar manner to Malcolm X, meeting

people of different colours from all over the world

giving him a different outlook and greater

spiritual awareness.

In 1977, he said that, after he retired, he would dedicate

the rest of his life.. to getting "ready to meet God" by

helping people, charitable causes, uniting people..

and helping to make peace. He went on another

Hajj pilgrimage to Mecca in 1988.

After the September 11 attacks in 2001, he stated that

"Islam is a religion of peace and does not promote

terrorism or killing people" ----- and that he was

"angry that the world sees a certain group

of Islam followers ---- who caused this

destruction.... but they are not real

Muslims. They are racist fanatics

who call themselves Muslims."

In 2015, after the November 2015 Paris attacks, he stated:

"True Muslims know that the ruthless violence of so-called
Islamic jihadists -- goes against the very tenets of our
religion. We as Muslims have to stand up to those

who use Islam to advance their own personal

agenda. Political leaders should use their

position - to bring understanding about

the religion of Islam, and clarify that

these misguided murderers have

perverted people's views on

what Islam really is."

Spain acts against Israel's illegal settlements,

orders platforms to remove listings

December 30th, 3:10pm

(PressTV)

Spain has ordered seven major online platforms to remove

more than 100 holiday-rental listings located in Israeli-

occupied Palestinian territories, marking Madrid’s

latest move to condemn Israel's settlement

activity, deemed illegal under

international law.

Spain’s Ministry of Consumer Affairs said on Tuesday that it

had identified 138 listings on platforms operating in Spain

and notified the companies to “immediately remove or

block” the content.

Authorities warned that failure to comply could result in further

government action, though the penalties were not specified.

The Minister of Consumer Affairs, Pablo Bustinduy, condemned the

listings, saying they help “normalize and perpetuate a colonial

regime considered illegal under international law.”

The move is a part of measures introduced by Prime Minister

Pedro Sanchez’s government to support Palestine and hold

Israel accountable for its genocidal aggression in Gaza.

Sanchez has repeatedly denounced the international community

for oscillating --- between “indifference” and “complicity” with

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

This latest move builds on a series of measures Spain has adopted

in recent months ---- to confront Israel over its illegal settlement

enterprise and military aggression.

In September 2025, the Spanish government banned imports

of goods produced in illegal Israeli settlements in the

occupied Palestinian territories.

Sanchez said the goal is “to stop the genocide in Gaza, pursue

its perpetrators -------- and support the Palestinian population.”

The Spanish government has prohibited ships and aircraft

carrying weapons directed towards Israel from entering

its ports or airspace.

The country has said that it will ----- deny entry to

anyone directly involved in the atrocities in Gaza.

Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank -- are considered

illegal under international law, a position upheld by the United

Nations and the majority of the global community.

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

landmark advisory opinion declaring Israel’s occupation of

Palestinian territories illegal -- and calling for the removal

of all settlements from the West Bank and East al-Quds.

Since recognizing the Palestinian state - in 2024, Spain

has been one of Europe’s most vocal critics of Israel’s

genocide in Gaza.

Israel has so far killed more than 71,000 Palestinians since

launching the genocidal war on Gaza on October 7, 2023,

before a ceasefire deal, brokered by the United States,

was reached in the strip last October.

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.ukÃ‚Â

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

Mid Rhondda Modelling Club...

7pm - 9pm

Tonyrefail Comprehensive School
Mid Rhondda Modelling Club

has been running for over 30 years.

We meet on a regular basis

& enjoy making models for display.

We encourage both Gentlemen

and Ladies to attend,
and also young people aged 12+.

However, Young people under 16,
must be accompanied by an adult.

Ticket information

£1 contribution every week. Under 16's free

Telephone Mr. Davies on 01443 686658

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

Comedy In The Laughter Lounge

The Park & Dare Theatre, Treorchy.

COMEDY IN THE LAUGHTER LOUNGE

Join us once a month in the intimate setting
of the Laughter Lounge for some
top notch comedy with some of the
biggest and brightest
rising comedians on the circuit.

Laugh? You'll snort like a pig!

Hilarious - TimeOut.

www.rct-arts.co.uk

Rhondda Records exists to express the Rhondda's
vision --- when it was confident, powerful, caring,
and socialist.

A Rhondda very aware of the media's poisonous
tricks -- how they con working class people into
attacking each other, or racial groups, or, often,
even their best allies and friends... instead of
seeing their real enemies:--- an elite who hate
the very idea that working people can think,
create, or achieve a fairer society.

Thatcher said her proudest achievement was
Blair and New Labour - who parachuted in
careerists and expenses fiddlers - to stop
local Labour members having a say, and
who made genuine socialist MPs leave
the Labour party in disgust and many
members and voters to despair...
and the young to stop voting.

Jeremy Corbyn was always attacked because
he was trying to reverse all that New Labour
corruption --- that's why membership was
flooding in all over the UK.

______________________________________

Get Involved!

– If you feel you’ve been ‘purged’,
take this online survey:

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

or this one:

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

– Request all your own data that
the Labour Party holds on you:

http://www.labour.org.uk/pages/privacy

_______________________________________

IF - YOU THINK you HAVE
BEEN UNFAIRLY BARRED:

“Any member who is suspended & intends
to appeal the decision should throw in a
‘Subject Access Request in accordance
with the Data Protection Act’ --- for ALL
data that the Labour Party hold on them.

The Labour Party are Data Controllers and
therefore have to, by law, provide you with
all material/information they hold on you.”

If anyone is in contact with anyone who
was barred from voting --- please can
you pass this info on:

The Labour leadership election was under the
jurisdiction of the electoral reform services.

If you were unfairly deprived of your vote you
can call them on 0208 365 8909 and lodge
your complaint, and inform them of your
Data Protection request.

https://www.electoralreform.co.uk

The notification letters barring new members
did not give a clear reason, or information on
how to appeal, so Vox Political suggests that
anyone in this situation, could also contact
Liz Davies here: http://www.whycantivote.com

She is a barrister --- who can
advise members on what to do.

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

PONCY LABOUR MPS PROBLEM?

A huge drop in working-class Labour MPs,
caused a massive drop in support among
voters with similar backgrounds, reveals
research seeking to explain why support
has dwindled in the party’s heartlands.

The study says past leaders like Kinnock
and Blair made a concerted effort to pick
“more and more middle-class candidates
to run for office, during the 80s and 90s,
as part of an effort to rebrand” -- which
had initial successes at the ballot box.

But this “conscious electoral strategy”
stored up problems, as working-class
voters who initially, just didn’t vote in
response, now seek an alternative.

The solution? Trust each constituency to put
forward its own candidates, and don't impose
‘party-approved’ choices who can't do the job.

Now, unfortunately, there are "entryist" MPs who, for
decades, have been groomed by CIA cold war relic
organisations -- like the Atlantic Council -- and are
now trying to misdirect the Labour Party towards
cuts, a militarised police, and a US war agenda...
- and their anti-Corbyn slant is hobbling Labour.

‘How Can I Deselect My Labour MP?’ A Short Guide
to Reselection and Democratic Accountability
by Eric Sim, excellent free advice here:

http://novaramedia.com/2016/07/13/how-can-i-
deselect-my-labour-mp-a-short-guide-to-
reselection-and-democratic-accountability/

CHRIS BRYANT - SUPPORT THE MEMBERS'
LEADERSHIP CHOICE & POLICIES - OR GO!

Chris Bryant, the Rhondda's dodgy MP,
was on TV -- as soon as the PLP coup
started -- telling us that Jeremy MUST
go, because it was the ONLY way to
act in the Labour Party's interest...

Chris Bryant's voting record:
from TheyWorkForYou.com

On Tuition Fees:

On 27 Jan 2004:
Chris Bryant voted in favour of university tuition
fees increasing from £1,125 per year, to up to
£3,000 per year.

On 31 Mar 2004:
Chris Bryant voted to allow university tuition fees
to increase from £1,125 per year, to up to £3,000
per year.

On 31 Mar 2004:
Chris Bryant voted for the introduction of variable
university tuition fees (top-up fees) of up to £3,000
per year in place of the previous fixed fee of £1,250
per year.

On 31 Mar 2004:
Chris Bryant voted to allow university tuition fees
to increase from £1,125 per year to up to £3,000
per year, and to make other changes to higher
education funding and regulation arrangements.

On 14 Sep 2004:
Chris Bryant voted against: the immediate abolition
of all tuition fees, the re-introduction of maintenance
grants of up to £2,000 for students from low-income
homes, and changes to the country's higher
education system.

On 14 Sep 2004:
Chris Bryant voted to reject the Liberal
Democrat policy of abolition of tuition fees.

On 25 May 2016:
Chris Bryant was absent for a vote on Queen's
Speech - Forcing Schools to Become Academies
- Further Rises in University Tuition Fees

On Human Rights:

Consistently voted for introducing ID cards

Almost always voted for requiring the mass
retention of information about communications

Generally voted for mass surveillance of
people’s communications and activities

On the Environment:

Generally voted against greater regulation
of hydraulic fracturing (fracking) to extract
shale gas

On Special Interests:

Almost always voted against limits
on success fees paid to lawyers in
no-win no fee cases

Generally voted against a
statutory register of lobbyists

On War or Peace:

Generally voted for use of UK military
forces in combat operations overseas

Consistently voted for the Iraq war

Consistently voted against an
investigation into the Iraq war

Generally voted for replacing Trident
with a new nuclear weapons system

On 2 Dec 2015:
Voted to support UK airstrikes in Syria
[without UN authorisation]

On 2 Dec 2015:
Voted to support UK airstrikes in Syria
[without UN authorisation]

On Independence:

Generally voted for more EU integration

____________________________

Chris Bryant Labour MP
From Wikipedia

(aka 1962-1986: Mr Christopher John Bryant
1986-1991: The Reverend Christopher John
Bryant, 1991-2001: Mr Christopher John
Bryant, 2001-: Mr Christopher John
Bryant MP.)

Born in Cardiff, to a Scottish mother & a Welsh
father, Bryant grew up in Cardiff, Wales (where
his father worked for 5 years), and Cheltenham.

He was educated at Cheltenham College, an
independent school for boys in the spa town
of Cheltenham in Gloucestershire, where he
was captain of the school swimming team,
and Mansfield College at the University of
Oxford, where he graduated in 1983, with
a Bachelor of Arts (BA) degree in English.
This was later promoted to a Master of
Arts degree (MA (Oxon)), as per tradition.

After completing his first degree, Bryant began
training to be a priest in the Church of England
at Ripon College, Cuddesdon, in Oxfordshire.
There, he obtained a degree in theology.

Although a member of the Conservative
Party, and an elected office-holder in the
Oxford University Conservative Association,
he joined the Labour Party in 1986, after
leaving Oxford.

He was ordained deacon in 1986 and priest in
1987. He served as a Curate at the Church of
All Saints, High Wycombe, from 1986 to 1989;
then as a Youth Chaplain in Peterborough,
as well as travelling in Latin America.

In 1991 Bryant left the ordained ministry, after
deciding that being gay and being a priest,
were incompatible. Statements made by
Richard Harries, then Bishop of Oxford,
also influenced his decision.

After leaving the priesthood in 1991, Bryant
worked as the election agent to the Holborn
and St Pancras Constituency Labour Party,
where he helped Frank Dobson hold his seat
in the 1992 general election.

From 1993, he was Local Government officer
for the Labour Party; he lived in Hackney and
was elected to Hackney Borough Council in
1993, serving until 1998. He became Chair of
the Christian Socialist Movement.

He is both a member of the Labour Friends
of Israel and Labour Friends of Palestine &
the Middle East. From 1994 to 1996 he was
London manager of the leader-grooming
"charity", Common Purpose.

He was Labour candidate for Wycombe, in the
1997 general election (he lost by 2,370 votes),
and Head of European Affairs for the BBC,
from 1998.

His selection for the very safe Labour seat of
Rhondda, South Wales in 2000, shocked many
people given Bryant's background – gay, an ex-
Anglican vicar, and someone who was a Tory,
while studying at Oxford, and a member now,
of the Henry Jackson Society 'think tank' ---
described by The Guardian newspaper as
'neoconservative'. It is pro-US, pro-NATO
and pro-military intervention, as well as
being fundamentally anti-socialist.

Fifty-two people applied for the candidature
and a local councillor was hot favourite to
win, before Bryant was parachuted in.

In 2004, a photograph of Mr Bryant in his
underpants, which he had posted to a gay
dating website, was published in 'papers.

When an interviewer suggested he was
a 'disgrace to the Rhondda', he replied:
"They can't get rid of me."

His pay, allowances and some expenses:

The basic annual salary for an MP, from
April 1st, 2016 is £74,962. MPs also get
expenses: to cover the costs of running
an office, employing staff, having some-
where to live in London, plus, in their
constituency and travelling between
Parliament and their constituency.

His MP's expenses story:

Chris Bryant changed second home
twice to claim £20,000: the deputy
leader of the House of Commons,
"flipped" his second home twice,
in 2 years, allowing him to claim
almost £20,000 for renovations
and fees.

Chris Bryant, MP for the Rhondda, split over
£92,000 of expenses between 3 properties
in Wales and London --- within five years.

In 2004, he attempted to claim £58,000 to
overhaul his second home in Wales, after
allegedly complaining that properties in
his constituency were "terrace or mine
owners' houses".

Mr Bryant, a former Church of England clergyman,
wanted the money for a new bathroom & kitchen,
and to demolish his conservatory. He'd bought the
detached house for £97,500, under a year earlier.

He submitted a claim to the Commons fees office for
£58,493.26 --- almost 3 times the annual maximum.
He noted that the claim exceeded his allowance.

His alleged justification was disclosed... in
correspondence between Commons officials.
By email, an official wrote: "He had problems
finding a suitable property because in the
Rhondda there is a choice mainly of terraced
property or mine owners' houses." When
approached by the Daily Telegraph,
Mr Bryant said: "I have never said
or thought anything of the sort".

In all, he successfully claimed over £13,000
for renovations, repairs & appliances, in 2004.
Along with other bills, his annual claim was
£20,902.

In April 2005, he flipped his expenses to his flat in
west London, which he bought for £400,000 in April
2002. He also claimed £630 a month for mortgage
interest, along with other bills. After claiming over
£3,600 over 3 months, he sold the flat in July 2005
for £477,000.

Mr Bryant used his profits to buy a more expensive
flat in west London, which was valued at £670,000.
He immediately flipped his second home expenses
there, claiming almost £6,400 in stamp duty, legal
fees and mortgage fees, incurred in the purchase.

He then began claiming interest of £1,000 a month
on the mortgage. He also claimed a further £6,000
a year for the flat's service charge and ground rent.

In all, he claimed £92, 415 in second
home expenses, from 2004 to 2009.

Mr Bryant said at the time: "I moved flat in
London, so as to be closer to Parliament."

Research by Channel 4 News in 2015 found that
at least 46 MPs had this kind of system in place
– a move one Labour backbencher described as
“a new fiddle”. Channel 4 reported then:

“Our investigation found that many of the MPs
bought their London properties with the help of
the taxpayer, when a previous expenses system
allowed them to claim back mortgage payments.
But when those claims were banned, following
the expenses scandal, they switched to letting
out their properties, in some cases for up to
£3,000 a month. They then started claiming
expenses for rent and hotels in the capital.”

Among those identified was Chris Bryant, shadow
leader of the House of Commons. He had already
bought a penthouse in London back in 2005 and
claimed around £1,000 a month in mortgage
claims under the old system.

But after the expenses scandal, he started renting
the property out. It’s since been advertised by estate
agents as having a private lift and a porter, with rent
at about £3,000 a month. Meanwhile, Bryant moved
into a new flat;- claiming his own rent on expenses.

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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