Joshua Brollier writes on the latest shooting of a Palestinian farmer, Mohammed Qdeih, by the IDF. Joshua also documents the story of ninety five years old Ahmed Hassan Jabbar Qdeih. Ahmed tells how Zionist militias terrorized his farm in 1948. Ahmed was detained, along with his family, and taken to their house where they were forced to watch as his father was murdered in front on them. The militias destroyed their home, bombed the well and set ablaze 60 dunams of land. Additionally, they stole 60 sheep and two cows to take with them. Full text at link.

Yesterday in al-Faraheen, Gaza , Israeli Occupation Forces shot and wounded an unarmed 22 year oldfarmer, Mohammed Qdeih, from behind. Mohamed and nine others went out to their fields in the early afternoon, walking approximately 250 meters from the Israeli border. Within minutes, two heavily armed Israeli military jeeps rushed to the security fence. They issued a warning for the farmers and residents to leave the area and shortly thereafter the Palestinians, intimidated by the heavy military presence, began to head back tothe village of Abasan . The soldiers were not satisfied and opened fire, piercing Mohamed's right arm from the backside. Israeli forces continued to shoot rounds of live ammunition while Mohamed and the others frantically evacuated and waited for an ambulance. Another young Palestinian, 19, was shot yesterday near the border in Jabaliya. ... read full story / add a comment

In this week's issue:

SWP CONFERENCE: CRAZY CONTORTIONS OF SWP CENTRAL COMMITTEE
Following criticisms of the SWP’s culture and practice in the first two Internal Bulletins, the leadership has mobilised to rubbish opponents.
Peter Manson reports

ISRAEL-GAZA: WHY DID ISRAEL DO IT?
The success or failure of the onslaught on Gaza can only be judged against the operation’s aims, writes Israeli socialist Moshé Machover. This is an edited version of a talk given to the December 8 CPGB aggregate

The latest edition of the Weekly Worker is now available online at: www.cpgb.org.uk/home/weekly-worker/942 ... read full story / add a comment

The Anti Eviction Taskforce strongly condemns the intentions of the Irish Government in seeking to change the 2011 Judgment on the Land and Conveyance Law Reform Act 2009. ... read full story / add a comment

Today Ireland's Justice Committee is to start hearings on prostitution legislation. You can watch online, they are taking place in Committee Room 2 from 2 p.m. G.M.T. onwards. All of the organisations invited are members of anti-sex work coalition Turn Off the Red Light (TORL). TORL initially announced the news of these hearings last month, saying they are hopeful the new law they are advocating for will be enacted before the new year. It was only yesterday in a press release the Justice Committee stated today's hearing will be the first, giving some hope that there may be further hearings at a later date which will include sex workers.

Also today a letter written by a sex worker and sent to the Justice Committee last month has come to light. ... read full story / add a comment

It has been reported that President Chavez of Venezuela will be returning to Cuba immediately for more cancer treatment and he has acknowledged the seriousness of his health situation in a televised address, saying for the first time that if he suffers complications Vice President Nicolas Maduro should be elected as Venezuela's leader to continue his socialist movement.. ... read full story / add a comment

Yesterday an image that is purportedly British street artist Banksy’s Christmas card this year started making the rounds on Twitter.
... read full story / add a comment

Targeting young families, the elderly and the sick, as the government slashes child benefits, triples prescription charges and rubber-stamps controversial property tax. ... read full story / add a comment

The Carers Association will protest outside Leinster House at 1pm on Tuesday 11th Decmber.

The Carers Association are extremely disappointed with the level of reduction of over 19% in the respite grant paid to over 77,000 family carers, 20,000 of whom receive no other support from the state for providing full-time care for a family member from their own resources. The grant is used by carers to buy in home care or pay for residential respite care for the cared for person in order to give the carer a much needed break from their caring role. Despite working 7 days a week, 365 days a year carers are entitled to no holidays and no breaks. This grant goes some way towards allowing this. Other carers use the grant to pay bills. ... read full story / add a comment

Anti Racism Network

Public Meeting:
Cuts Breed Racism - “Crisis and the Asylum Seekers in Ireland”
... read full story / add a comment

Aurora is a 32-year old Costa Rican woman. She has a job that she likes, a good relationship, after months of trying, she is finally pregnant. However, at 8 weeks, the doctors informed her that the fetus has multiple severe malformations that would not allow it to survive outside the uterus, including severe scoliosis, decreased level of amniotic fluid, and a complete absence of abdominal wall which leaves the internal organs such as the liver and intestines outside of the body. She has had many more exams since, which have all confirmed the original diagnosis of a nonviable pregnancy. A little after her first appointment, Aurora started experiencing strong abdominal and back pain that prevent her from working. The circumstances of the pregnancy are seriously affecting her physical and emotional health. Aurora has indicated that “in addition to the physical pain, the stress and suffering resulting from the news have provoked constant sadness, depression, severe stress, insomnia, nightmares, constant tears” ... read full story / add a comment

Kildare Republican Sinn Féin will be marking the 90th anniversary of the execution of seven soldiers of the Irish Republican Army with a commemoration in Kildare Town on Sunday December 16. The Free State Army executed the men in the Glasshouse on the Curragh on December 19 1922. The seven were: Patrick Bagnall and Patrick Mangan, Fairgreen, Kildare; Joseph Johnston, Station Road, Kildare; Bryan Moore and Patrick Nolan, Rathbride, Kildare; Stephen White, Abbey St. Kildare and James O’ Connor, Bansha, Co. Tipperary. This was the single biggest execution of the civil war or counter-revolution of 1922-23. ... read full story / add a comment

Rory O' Connor , Liam Mellows , Dick Barrett and Joe McKelvey to be commemorated in Dublin on Saturday 8th December 2012. ... read full story / add a comment

The key points so far are increases to PRSI working out at about €250 per year per person. Children allowance cut by €10. Property tax set around €500 per year for a Celtic Tiger era house. 10 cents on the pint.

Cuts to electricity allowance and telephone allowance for OAPs. The devil will be in the details. ... read full story / add a comment

How women are treated in Iraqi prisons. Full text at link.

When women in Iraq are arrested, they routinely go through three gruesome phases, starting with humiliation, followed by torture, and often ending with rape. I have received disturbing information from two different, well informed sources: one from qualified social workers in Al-Kadimiyah Women Prison, the other from three national guards officers who worked in the prison. ... read full story / add a comment

Once again the Imperialists are using chemical weapons as a pretext to plan an attack on Syria. Patriot missiles are being moved to Turkeys border with Syria and these weapons require US personnel. Full text at link.

The Obama administration and the corporate media have cited unspecified “intelligence” about the movement of chemical weapons to issue new threats of direct intervention in Syria, where Washington and its allies have been backing so-called “rebels” in a bid to topple the regime of President Bashar al-Assad. President Barack Obama and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton both made public statements Monday alleging a danger of Syria using chemical weapons and threatening US retaliation. ... read full story / add a comment

A loyalist mob which had gathered outside Belfast City Hall this evening
erupted into violence following a vote to limit the days on which the
British Union Jack flag flies above the building. ... read full story / add a comment

Our political parties are at it again. They can't seem to stop. They are rezoning land in areas where the County Manager has already strongly opposed it and as usual FF councillors are at the forefront with FG very close behind. You would think that something might change after FF has led this country to economic ruin and has saddled everyone with debt that has nothing to do with them, restarted emigration and condemned the young, old and sick to cutbacks and poverty for an indefinite period with no end in sight. It all just goes to show the huge democratic deficit in this country and the fact that these self-serving political parties and their developer friends don't give a damn about anyone, the environment or our common future. And so we feel it is important to featurize this local but important story below.

Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown councillors are to vote on a murky rezoning project near Tibradden in the Dublin Mountains on December 10th, which breaches the county development plan and national policy, as well as policy on siting of facilities for older people. Most crucially it breaches the current limits of the no-building areas in the Dublin / Wicklow Mountains, which are a vital amenity for the whole community.

To date a majority of local councillors have been in favour, against the advice of the planners and even the County Manager - but have not explained their reasons for voting yes to this development. It will create a "retirement village" cut off from library, churches and other community contacts: perhaps isolation facility would be a better term. Despite all the scandals, it seems to be "business at usual" over at DL-Rathdown... ... read full story / add a comment

Wednesday 5th December 2012 will see the latest in a series of budget attacks on the working class. The sequence of events is now well established. ... read full story / add a comment

When: (This) Thursday at 6pm

Where: Assemble outside The Opera House, Cork

What to Do: Spread the word. Bring your friends, work mates and neighbours. Bring placards, noise and banners. All welcome. People organising for the the Campaign Against Household and Water Taxes anti-budget protest on Sat 8th are invited to distribute leaflets about it at our march.

We encourage people to come to both events.
It's time to standup and fight! ... read full story / add a comment

The AP was caught with their pants down publishing a dubious graph and hyping up the "Iranian nuclear threat" lie again. "AP helped perpetrate a dangerous hoax, and owes an explanation and accounting for what took place, including identifying the "officials from a country critical of Iran's atomic program" who made false claims about what this is." ... read full story / add a comment