(Text-only) Rhondda Records Home Page

New rules for foreign exchange

management available in Cuba

Havana, September 11th, 10:32am

(Prensa Latina)

The Official Gazette of the Republic of Cuba today has new rules

that regulate the management, control and allocation of foreign

currency, and....... modify the operation of bank accounts in

foreign currency.

The regulations are part of the economic and social

transformations approved on June 18 in the

Caribbean nation to face the complex

scenario caused by the aggression

and blockade ....of the US.

These are resolutions 103/2026, of the Ministry of Economy

and Planning (MEP) on the General Bases for the system of

management control and allocation of foreign currency of

the national economy, and 102/2026, of the Central Bank

of Cuba (BCC), referring to the Rules for the opening of

bank accounts in foreign currency.

With these regulations --- the country seeks greater flexibility and

business and territorial autonomy, to enhance the participation

of non-state actors in the country's development and to raise
production, services, exports and offers to the population.

Such provisions allow certain internal operations to be carried out

in foreign currency, especially between companies, wholesale

businesses and foreign investment modalities, explained

a report by the Cuban News Agency.

Legal and natural persons who carry out an economic activity may

open accounts in foreign currency both in the national territory

and abroad, without prior authorization, but with a notification

to the Central Bank of Cuba & the Tax Administration Office.

Retail trade will continue to be conducted mainly in Cuban pesos,

but the Ministry of Economy and Planning may authorize certain

sales in foreign currency ....in the interests of the country.

____________________________________

Trump’s Venezuela Oil Deal.....

Doesn’t Add Up. Here's Why

September 4th, 9:19pm GMT

(Pravda.En)

Donald Trump has called his Venezuela agreement the “biggest

oil deal in world history.” He promises control over 65B barrels,

cheaper gasoline, a refilled Strategic Petroleum Reserve and

a century of US energy dominance—all at “zero cost” to

the US.

Every part of that sales pitch has.. a problem.

The 65B-barrel figure assumes that operators can recover around

20% of the oil underground. Venezuela’s fields have historically

achieved recovery rates of only 6–8%. A realistic estimate

may therefore be closer to 20B barrels.

Much of it is extremely heavy crude from the Orinoco Belt. Producing

and processing it requires dilutents, new wells, pipelines, upgrading

facilities and specialized refineries. Trump is counting difficult oil

in the ground, as if it were gasoline ready for delivery.

Venezuela ...currently produces around 1.2M barrels per day, down

from roughly 3M in the late 1990s. Caracas says at least $100B in

investment may be needed to raise output to just 1.5M barrels

per day. Even that modest increase would take years and

barely register in a global market consuming more than

100M barrels daily.

The promised investment has yet to appear. Exxon previously called

Venezuela “uninvestable” ------ while other major producers remain

cautious. Chevron has committed $7B, but its plan runs during

2031. Washington has placed its grand $100B reconstruction

scheme around North American Blue Energy Partners, a far

smaller Barbados-based operator expected to raise the

money from private investors.

Those investors must also ignore the legal mess. The White House

claims NABEP received 100-year concessions over 17 fields.

Venezuela’s hydrocarbons law provides initial terms of up

to 25 years, with extensions capped - at another 15.

There was no competitive auction, and a future

Venezuelan government could challenge
the entire arrangement.

Trump’s plan for the Strategic Petroleum Reserve is equally flimsy.

The reserve held around 294M barrels in late August -- against an

authorized capacity of 714M. The State Department has secured

20% of NABEP’s future production at cost - but first the company

must find investors, rebuild the fields and produce the oil. That

will not refill hundreds of millions of missing barrels..........

anytime soon.

Cheaper gasoline is another campaign fantasy. Oil prices respond to

actual daily supply, not century-long claims over difficult reserves.

Any meaningful new Venezuelan output will arrive years after

the midterms Trump wants to influence.

The administration has confused ownership paperwork with an

operating oil industry. A Pentagon stake, board vetoes and

purchase rights may give Washington control on paper.

They cannot repair pipelines, provide electricity,

raise $100B or ---- force heavy crude out of

neglected fields.

Trump staged the victory ceremony before securing the

financing, settling the law, or producing a single

additional barrel.

Washington’s empire of plunder - celebrated the robbery

before discovering that its loot existed largely on paper.

Source: Telegram "newrulesgeo"

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

Ansarallah (the Houthis) are advancing

slowly but steadily west of Taizz city

September 12th, 8:08pm GMT

(Pravda.En)

In the Jabal Habashi area, they have captured the villages of

Al-Darbah, Akmat Al-Qasas, Wadi Shabq, Al-Bawrha, Jundin,

Shatt Al-Ruqa', Al-Mazandah, Al-Khadraa, Al-Jinan, Jabal

Naba, and Al-Shaqah.

Source: Telegram "Middle_East_Spectator",

repost "zoka200"

______________________________________________

Rashti embroidery ......showcases

Iranian heritage at BRICS summit

September 12th, 11:18am

(PressTV)

A traditional Rashti-embroidered

cloth from Iran’s Gilan province.

Rashti embroidery, a centuries-old traditional craft from Iran’s

northern Gilan province, is showcasing the country’s rich

artistic heritage to international visitors at a handicrafts

exhibition held on the sidelines of the BRICS summit

in New Delhi.

The five-day exhibition, running from September 10 to 15, brings

together handicrafts from BRICS member states under the title

“BRICS Bazaar,” with the aim of strengthening cultural and

artistic exchanges and creating broader opportunities

for economic co-operation among member countries.

At the entrance to the exhibition, handmade carpets from BRICS

countries have been arranged in a circular display featuring a

range of colours, symbolizing the cultural, ethnic and

religious diversity of the grouping.

Iranian women entrepreneurs and artisans are taking an active

part in the exhibition, presenting traditional crafts from

across the country.

Among them is Ameneh Sedighi, an artist and instructor from Gilan,

who is introducing Rashti embroidery, a traditional Iranian

needlework technique known for its intricate designs

and use of natural silk thread.

Sedighi said her main aim........ is to introduce

the Iranian craft to an international audience.

“Our goal in taking part in this exhibition... is to introduce Iranian

traditional embroidery, particularly Rashti embroidery,” she said.

According to Sedighi, the craft dates back between 330 and 550

years before Christ and was traditionally practiced by men,

although it is now mainly carried out by women.

The embroidery is made using natural silk thread produced in

Gilan and a special hook used in Rashti embroidery, she said.

“We were able to introduce the distinguished art of Rashti

embroidery and our country’s traditional art to visitors

at this exhibition and, as always, show that we are

a people with a rich culture and great artistic

talent,” Sedighi said.

She also highlighted the strong response from international visitors,

particularly Indians, to Iranian handicrafts, praising the support

provided by the Indian hosts to participating Iranian artists.

The exhibition also highlights - the cultural similarities between the

handicrafts of participating countries. One of the most noticeable

parallels is between Iranian and Kashmiri handicrafts.

A representative of Kashmir at the exhibition attributed the

similarities between Iranian and Kashmiri arts and crafts

to the close cultural ties between the two peoples.

BRICS was established in 2009 by Brazil, Russia, India and China

as a platform for emerging economies to deepen cooperation

and gain a greater voice in global affairs, with South Africa

joining two years later.

The grouping has since expanded to include Egypt,

Ethiopia, Indonesia, Iran and the UAE, (boo!)

strengthening its economic & geopolitical

weight and reflecting growing efforts by

developing countries - to challenge the

dominance of Western-led global

institutions.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian arrived in New Delhi

on Friday to attend the 18th BRICS Summit, where he is

expected to engage with leaders of member and

partner countries on issues of economic,

political and cultural cooperation.

___________________________________________

Lebanese president: Withdrawal of Israeli

forces from south ‘national principle’

to uphold

September 12th, 11:10am

(PressTV)

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun says the withdrawal of Israeli

occupation forces from the southern part of the country as

well as the return of displaced people to their areas

constitute "national principles" that must be

adhered to rigorously.

“The withdrawal [of Israeli forces], the return of prisoners and

displaced people, and reconstruction are national principles

that we pledge to uphold,” Aoun told reporters on Saturday,

during a visit to the southern city of Nabatieh, with the
army commander Rodolphe Haykal ..and the heads
of Lebanon’s security agencies.

The visit came.... hours after Israeli forces bombed the

Ali Al Taher Ridge in the district with over hundreds

of tons of explosives. Residents of Nabatieh

described a massive explosion throughout

the region that left the ground shaking

beneath their feet.

The Lebanese president also - ruled out

new talks with Israel for the time being.

“There are no new negotiations with

Israel at present,” he stated.

A US official told the US news website Axios on Friday,

that the next round of Israel-Lebanon talks, originally

scheduled for Rome next week, is postponed.

The Israeli and Lebanese ambassadors will, instead,

convene at the State Department in Washington to

discuss recent developments - and the ongoing

implementation of the so-called framework

agreement, the official added.

The next round of formal negotiations will take

place in Rome in October, the US official said.

An unnamed Lebanese source close to the negotiations

also said on Friday that “the timing .....doesn’t suit us.”

On June 26, representatives from the Beirut government

and the Tel Aviv regime signed a US-sponsored frame-

work agreement in Washington, which outlines a

phased withdrawal of Israeli troops from

Lebanese territory, alongside the

deployment of the Lebanese

army, in regions vacated

by Israeli forces.

According to official Lebanese figures, Israeli assaults in

Lebanon have resulted in the deaths of nearly 4,400

individuals and left 12,500 others injured -- since

March 2.

Israel continues its occupation of regions in southern Lebanon,

including territory that has been held for many years.. as well

as areas seized during recent wars and military offensives.

_____________________________________________________________

Iran working to remove obstacles

to joining BRICS New

Development Bank:

Araghchi

September 12th, 10:39am

(PressTV)

Iran is working to remove the obstacles preventing

its membership in the BRICS New Development

Bank (NDB), its Foreign Minister, Abbas

Araghchi says.

Speaking on Saturday on the sidelines of the second day

of the BRICS summit, Araghchi described the gathering

as an important event, saying discussions on the use

of national currencies and Iran's membership in the

NDB have attracted considerable global attention.

“The BRICS summit is an important meeting that will

begin today,” the foreign minister stated, adding

that the group’s Business Council convened

the previous night with the participation

of the presidents of India, Russia

and Iran.

He noted, that the discussions have focused particularly on

the use of national currencies, a subject that has received

extensive media coverage around the world.

Araghchi also highlighted President Masoud Pezeshkian’s

bilateral meetings on the sidelines of the summit, saying

the president held a “very good” meeting with the

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the

previous day.

He added that Pezeshkian was scheduled to hold meetings

with the leaders of Malaysia and Ethiopia, describing

Ethiopia as an important country in Africa.

“Bilateral and regional issues will be discussed during these

meetings,” Araghchi remarked, stressing that the Islamic

Republic is expanding relations with Muslim and

regional countries.

‘War criminal promotion tactics’: Adidas

faces boycott calls ---- over campaign

featuring an Israeli trooper

September 4th, 9:45pm

(PressTV)

Calls for a boycott of Adidas are growing after the sportswear

company featured an Israeli trooper in a global campaign.

The campaign has prompted criticism from pro-Palestine

organizations and activists --- because of the trooper

Shaliv Biton’s participation in the Israeli regime’s

bloodletting in Gaza.

The campaign has been rolled out in Adidas stores,

including its outlets in the occupied territories.

Biton took part in an Israeli assault in Gaza in 2021 that

claimed the lives of more than 200 Palestinians and

destroyed numerous buildings.

Critics have reminded Biton’s military background and his

social media activity. He has shared photographs and

videos of himself and other Israeli forces in Gaza,

including footage of troops singing and dancing,

while his profile also contains images of him

carrying weapons.

Sports journalist Leyla Hamed criticized Adidas’ choice of

campaign representative, arguing that the company

chose to bank on Biton’s having lost a leg, while

it should have considered the wider context

of limb loss in Gaza.

“Gaza has the highest per capita rate of child amputees in the world.

More than 5,000 traumatic limb amputations have been estimated

since October 2023, as a result of Israeli attacks carried out by

soldiers like the one Adidas chose to model for them,”

she wrote on X.

US-based political commentator and activist Guy Christensen also

condemned the campaign, writing, “Actually disgusting when you

know kids in Gaza who might not ever get to walk again.” He

subsequently called for a boycott of Adidas.

Another activist denounced the company for

associating itself with the Israeli military.

“The German sportswear brand Adidas is using Zionist war

criminals from the "Israel" army, who lost a foot while

invading Gaza..... to promote their new single-foot

sneakers. More than 4,000 Palestinian children

have been amputated by "Israel's" bombs,

but Adidas and other millionaire

multinationals ignore them,”

the activist wrote on X.

Other critics similarly condemned Adidas

for associating itself with genocide

and apartheid.

Earlier this year, the NGO Humanity & Inclusion reported that

between 70 and 80 percent of patients admitted to the 12

hospitals that were still partially functioning in Gaza...

had lost limbs or suffered spinal cord injuries.

UNICEF estimated in January 2024 that about 1,000 children

in Gaza had lost one or both legs, equivalent at the time to

approximately 10 children losing a limb each day during

Israeli bombardments. The figure is believed to have

risen since then.

The shortage of medical supplies and the continuing blockade of

Gaza have also complicated the treatment and rehabilitation of

amputees. Healthcare workers have resorted to producing

homemade prosthetics as temporary aids for people

who have lost limbs.... while waiting for access

to appropriate prosthetic devices.

______________________________________

UK legislators call for comprehensive

arms embargo, settlement trade ban

on Israel

July 27th, 6:06am

(PressTV)

A coalition of 80 British lawmakers and peers has called on

newly appointed British Prime Minister, Andy Burnham, to

impose sanctions on Israel -- including a comprehensive

arms embargo and a ban on trade that supports illegal

settlements in the occupied Palestinian territories.

In a letter, spearheaded by MP Kim Johnson, they urged the

government to “decisively change its stance to uphold the

rights of the Palestinian people and to prevent Israel’s

continued violation of international law.”

It also called on the government to acknowledge the UN

Independent Commission of Inquiry report, which

validated Israel’s ongoing genocide in Gaza.

Alongside recognition of the UN finding, the lawmakers urged

the government to fully enforce the International Court of

Justice' advisory opinion, delivered on July 19, 2024.

It holds that Israel’s occupation of the Palestinian territories

is unlawful, that Israel should put an end to that occupation,

desist from creating new settlements, and evacuate those

already established.

“The previous administration ---- has willfully ignored the rulings of

international courts. It has still failed to issue a formal response

to the July 2024 International Court of Justice judgment

- which requires Britain to cease all actions that aid or

assist [Israel’s] grave violations of international law,”

the letter read.

It added, “Now is the opportunity for this government and for you,

as the new Prime Minister, to truly turn a new page.”

The letter bore the signatures of prominent legislators,

including Diane Abbott, Jeremy Corbyn, Baroness

Jenny Jones, and Baroness Warsi.

In an op-ed for Labour Outlook, Johnson stated that Palestine

has emerged as the “defining test” of the Labour Party’s

commitment to the notion --- that international law

applies to all.

“If we condemn violations in one part of the world while excusing

or ignoring them elsewhere, we undermine the very rules-based

international order that Britain claims to defend,” she said.

“Burnham tells us --- he has a plan to renew confidence in Labour. If

that renewal is to mean anything, it must begin by making a clean

break with the failures of Starmerism on Palestine. If we are truly

serious about turning the page, there could be no clearer place

to begin,” Johnson noted.

The letter is supported by the Palestine Solidarity Campaign, which

has been advocating for Burnham to distance himself from former

Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s disgraceful legacy by implementing

extensive sanctions against Israel - comprising a complete arms

embargo, a cessation - of all military collaboration &
diplomatic support - and a total ban on all trade.

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
or 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 at: 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...
- their anti-Corbyn slant is still 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 & 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 the Queen's
Speech - Forcing Schools to Become Academies
- and 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), & 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
& 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 said:
"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 & 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
taxpayers, when a previous expenses system
let them claim back the mortgage payments.
But when those claims were banned, after
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 porter, with rent
at about £3,000 a month. Meantime, Bryant moved
into a new flat claiming his own rent on expenses.

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.