Janet Ryder Supports North Wales Rape and Sexual Abuse Centre

An assembly member has called on the police and local authorities to put up more cash to save a rape crisis centre. The centre in Caernarfon, Gwynedd, could close within weeks because of a £70,000 funding shortfall. Now Plaid Cymru AM for North Wales Janet Ryder has urged local councils, health authorities and the police to help make up the money. The centre assists around 500 people a year with support services but managers said it was hard to find grant funding.

Janet Ryder has backed the service which is unique in North Wales and called on the authorities to step in. “This is a service that does so much for the most vulnerable of people and it must not be allowed to stop”.

But the centre could close by the end of the summer unless help is found, said Katherine Moseley, director of the centre. “There is a meeting of trustees on Monday and we have been told we have about two months to go. It’s a vital service because it is seen as independent and people feel a lot more relaxed,” she said. It is very difficult to find grant funding. There is nowhere to apply to.”

She said they were getting more and more referrals from local authorities and the police, but did not have the funds to cope. The centre provides specialist support services such as counselling, advocacy and a helpline.

Friday! Mark Hollis- Watershed

Julian Cope on Mark Hollis

‘Watershed’ gives the album some mid-pace, spelling out the classical and jazz directions of the record, though avoiding anything that sounds like a traditional song – Hollis lost in a kind of repetition akin to Wyatt’s bleating on ‘Sea Song’, always coming back to “Should have said so much…Makes it harder…The more you love…” ‘Inside Looking Out’ strips the album back again, extremely sparse piano and a minimal folky guitar, I’m pretty sure I read that Hollis’ started studying certain instruments and classical approaches, evident in this song. ‘Inside Looking Out’s lyrics like the longest song here ‘A Life (1895 – 1915)’ have the least lyrics. There seems to be a Beckettian “Less is more” vibe here, and I’m sure “Fail better” is something Hollis lives by – the records sound that way…

Silencing the Dead

From Naj@ Neo-Resistance

Some of the conditions for funerals set by the government for the families of the innocent victims:

1) the funeral be held in small scale and attended only by family members [in Iran funerals are attended by EVERYONE who knows anyone of the dead's family]

2) no motos, speeches and signs against the government.

3) the cause of death should not be written on the tombstone.

And here are the names:

• Mohammad Hossein Barzegar, 25, killed in haft-e-Tir square, 28 Khordad.
• Seyed Reza Tabatabayee, 30, accountant, killed on Azerbaijan street, 30 khordad.
• Iman Hashemi, 27, shot in the eye that killed him on Friday 30 Khordad on Azadi street.
• Parisa Keli (not sure of spelling last name, female) 25, graduate in Literature, shot in the neck on 31 Khordad on Keshavarz boulevard.
• Mohsen Hadadi, 24, computer software designer, shot in the forehead on Nosrat street, on 30 Khordad.
• Mohammad Nikzadi, 22, graduate of building engineering, shot in the chest, in Vanak Square, on 26 khordad.
• Ali Shahedi, 24, after being arrested and transferred to the police station in Tehran Pars district, he was killed on 31 Khordad, and the cause of death was not revealed.
• Vahed Akbari ,34, married with a 3 years old daughter. Shot in torso, on 30 Khordad on Vanak street.
• Abolfazl Abdollahi, 21, shot in the back of the head in front of Sharif University on Azadi street, on Khordad 30.
• Salar Tahmasbi, 27, graduate student in trade management in Rasht university, Shot in the forehead on Saturday Jordad 30 on Jomhoori street! [jomhoori means republic]
• Fahimeh Salahshoor, 25, female, hit on the head with a baton on Khordad 21, and died of internal bleeding at the hospital.

Vahid-Reza Tabatabayee, 29, graduate in English, shot in the head in Baharestan square [in front of the parliament] on 3 Tir.

Ungrateful

It comes to something when corporations feel so entitled they reject huge wads of government welfare because it isn’t enough-

Wales’ deputy first minister has questioned the commitment of Anglesey Aluminium’s owners to stay on the island. Anglesey assembly member Ieuan Wyn Jones said he was disappointed the company had not accepted offer of UK and Welsh Assembly Government aid. The firm has rejected financial support of £48m over four years saying it was generous but not enough. The firm has offered 140 staff voluntary redundancy. Cheap power for Anglesey Aluminium has been supplied by the nearby Wylfa nuclear plant for the last 10 years. Talks are continuing to try to strike a new deal for cheap power, which has been supplied by the nearby Wylfa nuclear plant for the last 10 years.

There are many rumours on the island that surround the cheap electricity deal they have with Wylfa, I hope to get to the bottom of them and give AA a chance to respond but…ungrateful ain’t the half of it if they are true.

Viva Palestina US

As the US is the guarantor for Israel’s siege on Gaza, the shield that gives it impunity, this US convoy is an important step forward in awareness. Obama chose not to speak out to defend the Free Gaza boat instead allowing Israeli piracy (apparently only Somalis get whacked by ‘heroic’ snipers for committing piracy, which must leave the survivors of the USS Liberty unimpressed). Also worth noting the resource question in relation to Gaza raises its head, the Captain of the Spirit of Humanity says in an email- “It appears as though the Israeli government is drilling for natural gas in the buffer zone. That gas belongs to the people of Gaza. It seems to be one of their reasons for stopping us, perhaps they’re worried that we may go back and tell the world what we have seen.” British Gas is working with Israel on this project, as usual ideological reasons for warfare are also allied with the motives of capital.

Viva Palestina US:- Fresh from the success of the Viva Palestina: Lifeline from Britain to Gaza aid convoy – which took over 100 vehicles to Gaza from the UK, Member of Parliament, George Galloway has linked up on his US tour with the Vietnam veteran and peace campaigner, Ron Kovic, to launch a similar, but even larger venture from the States.

Galloway announced the initiative at a 1000-strong meeting in Anaheim, California, rounding off a packed-out, coast to coast speaking tour highlighting the Palestinian cause.

“There’s a new atmosphere in the US over Palestine,” says Galloway, “the phenomenal response to this tour demonstrates that.”

Ron Kovic, whose story was immortalized in Oliver Stone’s Born on the Fourth of July, will be the co-leader of the convoy, which will travel from New York City to Egypt before making its way across the Rafah border into Gaza.

Viva Palestina USA is headquartered in Chicago, Illinois, but individuals and groups from across the nation are organizing locally to generate support for the convoy, which aims to raise $10 million for humanitarian aid and 500 vehicles with which to deliver the aid into Gaza.

“And what better day to head off,” says Galloway, “Than July 4 – Independence Day!”

Swine Flu Silver Lining

It could be worse, you could be in a backwards nation with no comprehensive health service-

The fatality rate also appears to be low. In the UK, only three people – all with significant underlying health problems – have died out of 7,447 confirmed cases. Health experts believe more people have caught swine flu but shown no symptoms. In the United States, the official figures show 27,725 Americans have contracted H1N1, with 127 deaths.

Hmm roughly what, almost a thousand percent higher fatality rate for corporate profits first system? (money- a pretty comon motive for murder I guess).

First They Came For the Migrants

And let’s just be clear Roberto Maroni & the Northern League are fascists, just as torture is not called torture, fascists are never called fascists. Thanks media, heck of a job…

Italian lawmakers on Thursday gave final approval to controversial legislation that makes illegal immigration a punishable offence and allows mayors to form civilian anti-crime patrols in towns and cities. The bill was approved by 157 votes for to 124 against, in the upper house Senate. The lower house Chamber of Deputies had already approved the package in May. A provision to triple the time illegal immigrants can be detained in holding centres, is also included in the package which is now law.

Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi’s government relied on confidence votes in both houses of parliament to ensure approval of the measures which are strongly supported by the ruling coalition’s junior partner, the anti-immigration Northern League party. Italy’s centre-left opposition, the Catholic Church and human rights activists have slammed what they say is the criminalisation of would-be immigrants.

The law won’t help defend Italian citizens from crime and “seriously violates the civil rights of immigrants whose work is indispensable to keep thousands of businesses going,” said leading centre-left Democratic Party senator, Anna Finocchiaro. But in his response Maurizio Gasparri from Berlusconi’s People of Freedom party said the government “is proud” of achieving an objective which helps fulfill promises to “combat crime”. Under the provisions, people entering Italy without permission face fines of up to 10,000 euros (14,084 dollars), while anyone renting housing to an illegal immigrant faces up to three years in prison. Critics also allege the citizen-patrols would amount to vigilante groups who are likely to harass foreigners. But Interior Minister and senior Northern League official, Roberto Maroni, has said the patrols would mostly consist of unarmed, retired police officers.

Many immigrants are afraid to seek medical care in Italy because they fear they will be expelled from the country, according to a survey by the Italian-based human rights group EveryOne. The group’s survey was released on Thursday as the Italian parliament approved a law making illegal immigration a crime.

“Reports have confirmed the recent sharp drop in the number of migrants seeking medical care for serious illnesses,” said Roberto Malini, Matteo Pegoraro and Dario Picciau, co-presidents of the EveryOne Group in a media statement.

The new Italian law provides for anti-crime patrols in towns and cities and triples the amount of time illegal immigrants can be detained in holding centres from two to six months. Apart from doctors and school principals, every one is required under the law to report illegal migrants to the authorities.

The denial of medical care and fear among migrants is similar in the UK, maybe that is why the fascism in Italy goes unremarked upon by the Neoliberal EU establishment, it is something they really rather admire.

Entitled To Kill

In the Israeli army reaction to Amnesty’s report on their assault on Gaza they show again the absolute sense of entitlement that views others suffering as subordinate to their own desires. A very dangerous chauvinism that is the logical result of Zionist ideology, a militarist garrison colonial state practising apartheid. Reminding me of what Naomi Klein said recently-

“There is a debate among Jews. I used to say the Jewish community then I got excommunicated. There is a debate among Jews–I’m a Jew by the way” that boils down to: “Never again to everyone, or never again to us?… [Some Jews] even think we get one Get away with genocide free card… There is another strain in the Jewish tradition that says, ‘Never again to anyone.’”

Way Below Minimum

Calculate the Minimum Income you should be getting here. (ht2 Don Paskini@LC). Apparently the income I require based on what the public think is £220.33, which is great, that would be very nice, I roll on less than half that. As jailhouselawyer in the comments @LC says-

According to the DWP the government has decided that £55 pw is the minimum I need to live on. This being the case, how could MPs decide that they should receive £100 pw just for food?

Honduras Coup Just Got Chile

As in torture regime Old-cold(war)-School, first we have Battalion 316 (y’know John Negroponte’s fave gang of cowardly butchers) ghoul Joya in charge of repression-

The de facto government of Roberto Micheletti in Honduras named Billy Joya as ministerial assessor, known for coordinating and directing tortures and assassinations in the country during the 1980s

Then we have the US ambassador who was mysteriously unavailable

Foreign Minister Rodas has stated that she has repeatedly tried to make contact with the U.S. Ambassador in Honduras, Hugo Llorens, who has not responded to any of her calls thus far.

Y’know Hugo-

a Cuban refugee who served as President Bush’s security advisor to the Andean region during the 2002 Venezuelan coup,

And now the coup de grace (ha fucking ha) they just suspended key constitutional protections-

The Honduran congress has given police expanded powers to move against opponents of the military-backed interim government in the wake of a coup which deposed the elected president. Congress passed laws on Wednesday which will allow police to arrest people in their own homes without a warrant during a nightly curfew that has been in place since Manuel Zelaya was ousted. ”The deputies have decided to suspend several liberties, among them the liberties of free movement and association – people can be arrested for 24 hours without having any rights,” Al Jazeera’s Mariana Sanchez, reporting from the capital, Tegucigalpa, said.

Via IKN

SUSPENDED, Article 71: No person can be detained for more than 24 hours without being presented to the orders of the competent authority for judgment. Judicial inquiry detention cannot exceed six days from the moment of detention.

That’s Habeas Corpus done with.

SUSPENDED, Article 78: Freedom of association and reunion is guaranteed as long as it does not contravene public order and good custom.

No protests.

SUSPENDED, Article 81: All persons have the right of free passage, to leave enter and stay in national territory. No person can be forced to move from their domicile or residence, except in special circumstances and when the requisits of law allow.

Checkpoints and ‘cleansing’.

SUSPENDED, Article 84: No person can be arrest or detained without the virtue of a written mandate of the competent authority, expidited with legal formalities and for a motive previously established by law. However, in-fragranti criminals may be apprehended by any person in order to deliver them to authorities. The arrested or detained must be informed in the act and with total clarity of their rights and the reasons for the arrest; also, the authority must communicate theri detention to a family member of choice.

Ad hoc state militias get to arrest anyone and disappear them.

SUSPENDED, Article 88: No class of violence or coercion may be exercised on persons to force or make them declare. In a penal, disciplinary or police issue, nobody can be made to declare against themself, against a spouse or living companion, or against family members inside fourth grade of bloodline or second of affinity. Only in front of a competent judge make statements be taken. Any decalration obtained by infringement of these dispositions is null and void.

Torture for fun and false confessions.

SUSPENDED, Article 99: The domicile cannot be violated. No entry or register can take place without the consent of the person who resides in the domicile or without a resolution from acompentent authority. However, the domicile may be searched in the case of emergency to impede the commission or the impunity of a crime or to avoid serious harm to person or property.

Summary house invasions by thugs, you are not safe in your home.

What of the Empire, civil war in Washington? Although it’s not encouraging one of Obama’s heroes is Ronnie Raygun.