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Rhondda Records is with you every day
bringing the news ------- that gives a
view of world events different to
the mainstream media or
social media!

Except Sundays - our day of rest.

Venezuela reaffirms support for Palestine

on 78th anniversary of the Nakba

May 15th, 11:04am

(Prensa Latina)

Foreign Minister Yvan Gil today ratified Venezuela's firm

support for the resistance of the Palestinian people,

and their inalienable right to return and for their

full independence.

"It has been 78 years since the Nakba (catastrophe), an event

that has left an indelible mark on our collective humanity,"

the senior diplomat wrote on his Telegram account.

Gil recalled that the Palestinian people were forced to

leave their land and have not yet been able to return.

He stressed that the Palestinian catastrophe is the result

of one of the "most degrading colonization projects

in modern history."

The highest representative of Bolivarian diplomacy, remarked

that today that occupation and ethnic cleansing against an

innocent people, "persists with total impunity," backed by

the Western powers ....and neglected by the multilateral

organizations created precisely to end such atrocities.

[Rhondda Records adds: Nakba Day is NOT mentioned

by Wikipedia on their days of special remembrance !]

________________________________________

Cuba celebrates the

International Day

of ''Families''

May 15th, 12:25pm

(Prensa Latina)

Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez recalled today

on the social network X the celebration of the

International Day of Families.

"We reaffirm Cuba's commitment to respect, protect, and

promote the rights of ''all forms'' of family," he said.

He also denounced the serious damage caused daily to Cuban

families by the economic, commercial, financial and energy

blockade imposed by the United States against the island.

The International Day of Families is celebrated on May 15 each

year, in order to raise awareness among the population about

the role of families in the education and training of children

from early childhood, as well as to promote family ties

and family unity.

The origin of this important date is established from the 1980s.

However, in 1994 the United Nations General Assembly

proclaimed this day to be an official day, taking into

account that the family is the central nucleus

of many societies.

Since then, the International Day of Families has been

an emblematic date to highlight its value worldwide.

UAE .....failed to push GCC states to

join a coordinated war against Iran:

Report

May 15th, 7:33pm

(PressTV)

The United Arab Emirates has failed in an attempt to convince

other Arab member states of the Persian Gulf Cooperation

Council (GCC) to join Abu Dhabi in a coordinated military
campaign against the Islamic Republic.

Bloomberg reported on Friday that the UAE has unsuccessfully

tried to push the five fellow members of the GCC to take part

in a joint military operation against Iran, early in the

unwarranted US-Israeli war against the

Islamic Republic.

The brutal US-Israeli aggression on Iran -- was launched on

February 28 with deadly airstrikes that hit an elementary

school in Minab, assassinated Iran's Leader Ayatollah

Seyyed Ali Khamenei, and killed senior Iranian

officials and commanders.

The Islamic Republic retaliated to the US-Israeli strikes by

firing hundreds of drones and missiles ---- at US-Israeli

military and commercial targets across the region.

The report says that in response to Iran's retaliatory strikes

in the region triggered by the US-Israel bombing campaign

against the Islamic Republic, the UAE made an abortive

attempt early on in the conflict to rally the other three

tiny Arab Persian Gulf states, Qatar, Bahrain and

Kuwait, as well as Oman and Saudi Arabia, into

launching coordinated military attacks.

For this purpose, UAE President, Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al

Nahyan (MBZ) ...had held a series of phone calls with regional

leaders, including Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman

(MBS). According to the Bloomberg report, MBZ believed the

Persian Gulf Arab states needed a coordinated response to

deter Iran.

MBZ, in the calls, pointed out to the Arab leaders that the

6-member GCC had been created in 1981 in response to

threats allegedly stemming from Iran’s 1979

Islamic Revolution.

However, the other Arab states -- reportedly rejected the idea,

refusing the notion of escalating violence in the Persian Gulf.

In the meantime, Bahrain and Kuwait largely aligned with

Saudi Arabia and stayed out of direct involvement, and

Oman...... maintained a neutral stance due to its

traditionally close ties with Iran. Qatar - also

close to Iran, considered retaliatory strikes

but ultimately opted for de-escalation and

mediation, according to the report.

The Trump administration is reportedly aware of the arguments

among the Persian Gulf Arab leaders and is also pushing for a

coordinated military attack against the Islamic Republic.

However, in recent years, Persian Gulf Arab states' leaders,

such as the Kuwaitis, who still remember the damage

from previous US-led regional wars, have pursued

joint efforts to stabilize the region and attract

investment, even as the underlying

tensions persisted.

The Bloomberg report, citing sources familiar with the matter,

says that after several of the Persian Gulf Arab leaders, who

were among MBZ's allies, reminded him that the US-Israeli

aggression against the Islamic Republic “wasn’t their

war,” he quickly made coordination with President

Donald Trump’s administration ...and the Israeli

regime ---- to carry out some strikes against

Iran in March and April.

Abu Dhabi had already established diplomatic relations

with the Israeli entity as part of the 2020 US-brokered

Abraham Accords.

In the meantime --- Abu Dhabi’s growing dependence on

Washington and Tel Aviv has led to its cutting from its

regional partners, leading to its exit from the OPEC

in late April, as well as its recently announced

departure.... from the GCC.

To make matters worse, Tel Aviv has been working closely

with Abu Dhabi, gathering the Emirates' security and

military intelligence ---- according to the report,

citing people familiar with the cooperation.

The Israelis reportedly deployed an Iron Dome air missile

system and military personnel to assist the UAE,

reported Bloomberg, citing US officials.

Amid increasing revelations of Israeli-Emirati coordination,

Reuters reported that during the war against Iran, Israeli

prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu..... met with the

Emirati president.

The meeting marked the first publicly confirmed

meeting between the two.

A source familiar with the meeting told the agency that

Netanyahu and MBZ "secretly" met on March 26 in the

city of Al Ain in the Emirate of Dubai, near the Omani

border, Israeli media outlets reported Wednesday,

citing his office.

"This visit led to a historic breakthrough

in relations between Israel and the

United Arab Emirates," the

office added.

_________________________________________

Spanish PM says ‘silence not an option’

in face of ‘illegal Israeli war, genocide’

May 15th, 7:03pm

(PressTV)

Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez has defended Spain’s decision

not to participate in this year’s Eurovision Song Contest,

stating that the country could not remain silent in
the face of Israel’s genocidal actions against

Palestinians in the besieged Gaza Strip -

and its aggression against Lebanon.

Speaking on Friday, Sánchez said Spain’s absence

from the competition reflects its unwavering

commitment to human rights and

international law.

“That is why Spain is not participating in the Eurovision

Song Contest, because our commitment to human

rights and international law is also expressed

through culture,” Sánchez said in a video

message shared on X.

Recalling the decision by Spain’s public broadcaster

RTVE, Sánchez described it as - “both consistent

and necessary: to stand up against injustice.”

“This year, therefore, will be different — yes, we won’t

be in Vienna, but we’ll be doing this... with the

conviction that we’re on the right side

of history,” he added.

The Spanish prime minister drew a parallel with

the exclusion of Russia from the contest

following its war with Ukraine.

“When Russia invaded Ukraine, it was barred from

the contest, and Spain supported that decision.

Those principles must also apply - when we

talk about Israel,” he said. “There can be

no double standards.”

The 2026 contest began on May 12, with

the Grand Final scheduled for Saturday.

Sánchez emphasized that Spain has historically

supported Eurovision because the competition

was created to “promote peace,” “bring us

together,” and “celebrate the diversity of

the European continent.”

“But in the face of illegal war and genocide,

silence is not an option,” he declared.

“And we cannot remain indifferent ---- to what

continues to happen - in Gaza and Lebanon.

It is a matter of consistency, responsibility

and humanity,” the prime minister added.

Sánchez also noted that several other countries,

including Ireland, Iceland, the Netherlands, and

Slovenia, have taken a similar stance and will

not participate in this year’s contest.

Earlier, Sánchez announced that Spain will urge

the EU to terminate its association agreement

with Israel.

EU foreign ministers recently agreed on sanctions

targeting violent Israeli settlers in the occupied

West Bank.

Senior Spanish government officials have repeatedly

called on the international community to impose

sanctions on Israel to halt the genocidal war

in Gaza.

Israel’s brutal aggression has killed more than

72,000 people in Gaza since October 2023.

Meanwhile, Lebanese authorities report that at least

2,869 people have been killed, 8,730 wounded, and

more than one million displaced in the renewed

Israeli aggression since March 2.

________________________________________________

Hamas, Islamic Jihad reaffirm

adherence --- to resistance

against Israel on Nakba

anniversary

May 15th, 6:39pm

(PressTV)

Palestinian resistance movements - Hamas and Islamic Jihad

have reaffirmed their adherence to resistance against Israel

until Palestine is liberated, urging the international

community --- to stop the regime’s “terrorism”,

which poses a “real threat” to the security

and stability of the region and the world.

The statement was issued on Friday, on the 78th anniversary

of the Nakba (Catastrophe) day, which marks --------- the mass

displacement of hundreds of thousands of Palestinians from

their homes when an Israeli regime was established in 1948.

“On the 78th anniversary of the Nakba: There is no legitimacy

or sovereignty for the occupation over the land of Palestine,

no matter how much time passes and how great the

sacrifices,” Hamas said.

The movement urged the world -- to “criminalize the occupation

and work to stop its terrorism against our land, our people, and

our sanctities, and to empower our people with their legitimate

rights and the establishment of their independent state -- with

al-Quds as its capital.”

Referring to “heinous” Israeli massacres and crimes committed

over the past decades, including the genocidal war in Gaza,

the movement noted: “the fascist occupation government

continues ----- to blatantly and deliberately violate the

ceasefire agreement through systematic bombing

and direct targeting of civilians,” leaving more

han 850 Gazans killed since the agreement

went into effect last October.

The group described the ceasefire violations as - an “exposed

attempt to escalate pressure and blackmail and impose a fait

accompli that the enemy --- has failed to achieve” in the war.

The movement hailed the Palestinian people’s steadfastness,

noting that Israel’s crimes have failed to undermine their

determination to resist and liberate their land.

Hamas also paid tribute... to the martyred resistance leaders

“whose blood and sacrifices will remain fuel for the masses

of our people in our ongoing battle until the Zionist enemy

is defeated.”

The group warned that the global inaction has emboldened the

Israeli regime to expand its “terrorism” beyond the borders of

Palestine, becoming “a real threat to the security and

stability of the region and the world.”

Noting that resistance in all its forms - is “a natural and

legitimate right” guaranteed by international charters,

laws, and divine laws to peoples living under

occupation, Hamas dismissed demands

for the movement’s disarmament.

“Any talk of disarming while the occupation and its criminality

remain is considered collusion with the enemy's agendas to

impose its control, perpetuate its aggression, and erase

the essence of our just cause.”

In a separate statement, Islamic Jihad noted that this year’s

anniversary of the Nakba ...comes in light of the escalating

"American-Zionist" aggression against the Muslim Ummah,

“with Palestine at its heart, in relentless attempts to

impose hegemony and control over our Arab and

Islamic homeland.”

Referring to the so-called “Greater Israel” project, the

statement said it confirms the dimensions of the

dangers posed by Israel --- at the Arab and

Islamic level.

“The Zionist project is an imminent danger to all peoples and

countries in our region. Therefore, confronting this project is

a religious, national, and moral duty, and everyone must

bear their full responsibility to repel the danger of the

criminal entity,” the Islamic Jihad stressed.

While referring to the Israeli war crimes -- and crimes against
humanity against Palestinians, the movement stressed that

the Israeli entity -- “is living a deep existential crisis from

which all these practices will not save it, thanks to the

steadfastness of the resistance forces in all arenas.”

“On this occasion, we extend our greetings to all the fighters,

in all arenas, in Lebanon, Yemen, and Iraq, and foremost

among them the Islamic Republic of Iran, with its

steadfast, courageous people ------- its wise

leadership and its solid government.”

The movement affirmed that the Israeli atrocities “will not

dissuade our people and its resistance forces from

adhering to Jihad and resistance - as a path to

liberating our sanctities, our land, and our

prisoners, and preserving the rights of

our people.”

It urged “the sincere and free people of our nation

and the world - to continue in solidarity and

exposing the criminal practices of the

usurping entity and its sponsors in

the American administration.”

________________________________

Israeli minister announces illegal

settlement plans in Lebanon,

with mass displacement

of Palestinians

May 15th, 4:29pm

(PressTV)

Israeli far-right minister Itamar Ben-Gvir has announced that

the Tel Aviv regime intends to establish illegal settlements

in southern Lebanon ------- while encouraging the mass

displacement of Palestinians from the besieged

Gaza Strip and the occupied West Bank.

“We have more plans.... to encourage migration from Gaza,

encourage migration from the West Bank, and promote

settlement in Lebanon. We will not hesitate ---- to

eliminate anyone who rises up to kill us,”

Ben-Gvir said at a Thursday event

marking the anniversary of

Israel’s occupation of

East al-Quds.

The remarks come as the Israeli military aggressively

seeks to seize additional land to redraw the borders

of both Gaza and Lebanon.

On Thursday, Israeli regime’s prime minister Benjamin

Netanyahu admitted that Israel now controls around

60% of the Gaza Strip, significantly more than the

area stipulated under last year’s so-called

ceasefire agreement.

“Today we control 60% of the Gaza Strip,”

Netanyahu said.

Senior Hamas official Bassem Naim, stated earlier, that

Israel has shifted the so-called “yellow line” westward

-- by an additional 8–9%, bringing the total area under

Israeli control ---- to over 60% of the besieged strip.

Palestinian officials and human rights groups report - that

Israeli occupation forces.. have gradually pushed beyond

the original demarcation line into deeper areas of Gaza,

recently referred to in reports as the so-called

“orange line.”

Israel’s Haaretz newspaper has confirmed that the current

area under Israeli control ...exceeds the limits set by the

ceasefire agreement that took effect in October 2025.

Hundreds more Palestinians have been killed as Israel

continues its daily violations of the ceasefire in the

blockaded Gaza Strip.

Since launching its genocidal war on the people of Gaza

more than two years ago, the Tel Aviv regime has killed

over 72,500 people.

Meanwhile, Israel has also repeatedly breached the truce

in Lebanon, killing 2,896 people and injuring 8,824 others

since March 2.

Tel Aviv regime forces have occupied at least five strategic

locations and several border towns in southern Lebanon

under the pretext of creating a so-called “buffer zone.”

In the same speech, Ben-Gvir boasted about the harsh new

restrictions he has imposed on Palestinian detainees, in

Israeli prisons ---- following the passage of ''legislation''

allowing the death penalty for Palestinian prisoners.

“Israeli prisons have become real prisons,” he said.

“No jam or chocolate, no academic studies... no

deposits, no television or radio. They are left

with only the bare minimum.”

On March 30, the Israeli Knesset passed the controversial

law by a vote of 62–48, with ......one abstention. The

legislation permits death sentences by hanging

for Palestinian prisoners who Israel accuses

of carrying out, or planning, attacks that

killed Israelis.

It also allows courts to impose the death penalty

without a request from the prosecution and

without a unanimous judicial decision.

The UN's Committee -- on the Elimination of Racial

Discrimination has urged Israel to “immediately”

repeal the law.

More than 9,600 Palestinian prisoners, including women

and children, are currently held in Israeli jails, where

they face ---- systematic torture, starvation, and

medical neglect, that have already caused

the deaths of dozens.

______________________________

Former congressman - admits:

US defeat in war against Iran

May 15th, 1pm

(PressTV)

Former US congressman and 3-time presidential candidate Ron

Paul has admitted that the United States has been defeated in

the war against Iran, despite --- “the trillions extorted from

Americans for the most expensive military on earth”.

“What do we get for the most expensive military on the earth?

Larger than the combined militaries of the next dozen or so

countries. Not much. Iran’s military budget is less than 1%

of ours. Yet, Iran destroyed or disabled every US military

base in the Middle East,” Paul told US media.

“It turns out that Iran has destroyed dozens of multi-million

dollar US spy drones, and several near billion dollar spy

radar stations with their own drones costing America

thousands of dollars each,” he added.

Paul noted that “the US surprise attack was supposed

to make Iran cower and beg for mercy, but it did

the opposite.”

“It showed that despite the trillions extorted from Americans

for the most expensive military on earth, the US military

can no longer win the wars --- that US presidents

illegally force them into fighting.”

The US and Israel started a fresh round of aerial aggression on

Iran on February 28, some eight months after they carried out

unprovoked attacks on the country.

Iran began to swiftly retaliate against the strikes - by launching

barrages of missile and drone attacks on the Israeli-occupied

territories, & on US bases and interests in regional countries.

On April 8th, a Pakistan-brokered temporary ceasefire between

Iran and the US took effect. However, the subsequent peace

negotiations in Islamabad ultimately stalled amid the US’
maximalist demands and its insistence on -------

unreasonable positions.

'Checkmate in Iran'

Earlier this week, an article published in the Atlantic magazine

noted that the US defeat in the Iran war cannot be repaired or

ignored, compared to previous defeats experienced by the

US - such as the wars in Afghanistan and Vietnam.

“Defeat in the present confrontation with Iran will be of an

entirely different character. It can neither be repaired nor

ignored,” Robert Kagan said in the article, adding that it

also strengthens the role of China and Russia as Iran's

allies, and significantly reduces Washington's role.

"There will be no return to the status quo ante ---- no ultimate

American triumph that will undo or overcome the harm done.

The Strait of Hormuz will not be ‘open,’ as it once was. With

control of the strait, Iran emerges as the key player in the

region and one of the key players in the world," he said.

The article added that the war has revealed an America that

is “unreliable and incapable of finishing what it started”.

“This will create a chain reaction across the world, as

friends and enemies will remember America's defeat.”

The article stressed that "President Trump likes to talk

about who has the 'cards,' but whether he has good

cards to play .... is unclear.”

It noted that about five weeks of strikes, which led to the

martyrdom of Leader of Islamic Revolution Ayatollah

Sayyed Ali Khamenei and a large number of high-

ranking Iranian officials, “failed to overthrow

the [Iranian] government or force it into

the slightest concession.”

Noting that the Trump administration hopes to achieve through

a blockade of Iranian ports what was not achieved by the

strikes, the article said: “a government that did not

surrender in the face of five weeks of relentless

attacks is unlikely to surrender to economic

pressure alone.”

It also downplayed the impact of the resumption of the war,

saying proponents of continuing the war failed to “explain

why new attacks will achieve what 37 days of bombing

did not."

Kagan stated that Trump “declared a ceasefire without the

slightest concession from Iran” because of the Islamic

Republic’s strong retaliatory attacks.

"Trump - did not stop the attacks on Iran because he got tired of

them; rather, the reason was the targeting of important energy

facilities in the region by Iran”, particularly the attack on the

Qatari Ras Laffan facilities which was conducted in

response to the March 18 Israeli attack on

Iran's South Pars gas field.

The article emphasized that "any solution except an effective

American surrender carries great risks that Trump has so far

been unwilling to face,"

“Withdrawing from the war at present --- may seem the least

damaging option. From a political perspective, Trump likely

believes he has a better chance of surviving a defeat than

surviving a larger, longer, and more costly war that may

still end in failure. Hence, an American defeat is not

just possible, but probable."

Noting that the US defeat means that Iran retains control of the

Strait of Hormuz, the article said “by controlling the strait, Iran

gains power beyond its theoretical nuclear capability and can

impose tolls on ships ....and even restrict the movement of

countries with which it does not have good relations."

"This leverage enables Tehran to dictate the lifting of sanctions

and the normalization of relations to countries," it added.

“In this situation, Israel becomes more isolated than ever and

comes under international pressure not to provoke Tehran.”

Referring to the broader global consequences of America's

defeat in the Persian Gulf, the article said America's allies

in East Asia and Europe........ will have doubts about

America's ability in future conflicts.”

“Global adaptation toward a post-American world ------ has

accelerated, and America's dominance over the Persian

Gulf ------ will be only one of the losses of the recent

developments in West Asia."

________________________________________________

Iran won’t enter talks without
US meeting preconditions:

Ex-IRGC chief

May 15th, 11:28am

(PressTV)

The former chief commander of the Islamic Revolution Guard

Corps (IRGC) says Iran will not hold negotiations with the

United States as long as Washington does not meet

the preconditions set by Tehran.

In an interview with Tasnim news agency published on

Thursday, Major General Mohammad Ali Jafari said

the enemy repeatedly reneged on its promises

and waged two military attacks in the midst

of talks, leading Iran to distrust it.

“The enemy’s behaviour caused us to make a fundamental

strategic shift and change our strategy regarding

negotiations and engagement. This strategic

shift.... means that this time, we set

preconditions for negotiations;

in other words, the enemy

must undertake a series

of confidence-building

measures,” he added.

“Some of the measures may come in the form of preconditions;

meaning the enemy must provide written commitments, sign

them, and guarantee that certain actions will not be

repeated - such as ending the war and refraining

from military threats. Another part ---- must be

carried out in practice, such as unblocking

Iran’s funds.”

Jafari also said Iran believes that at the first step, confidence-

building measures must be carried out, and then in the next

phase, it can hold negotiations on the nuclear issue.

He further emphasized that the Islamic Republic is not currently

engaged in direct negotiations with the enemy, but exchanging

messages through a third country, such as Pakistan, in order

to present its preconditions and obtain commitments from

the enemy.

“The US has no choice - but to accept Iran’s legitimate

demands or continue the war,” the former IRGC chief

commander asserted.

He also warned that Iran will deliver stronger and

heavier blows to the enemy if it resumes the war.

“Of course, war also has its costs for us, but without a doubt,

the cost and damage of continuing the war for the enemy

and its regional allies is much greater than for us,”

Jafari noted.

The unjustified US-Israeli aggression on Iran began on

February 28 with airstrikes that assassinated senior

Iranian officials and commanders.

The Persian Gulf littoral states allowed the aggressor

regimes to use their soil and airspace to launch

anti-Iran attacks.

The Iranian armed forces unleashed 100 waves of

successful retaliatory strikes against sensitive

and strategic US and Israeli targets

throughout the region.

On April 8, forty days into the war, an Islamabad-brokered

temporary ceasefire went into effect. However, the first

round of Tehran-Washington negotiations failed to

reach an agreement.

The US unilaterally extended the truce after its expiry,

but imposed an inhumane “naval blockade” of Iran.

Tehran has refrained from committing to a 2nd round

of talks, with the authorities citing Washington’s
excessive demands -- and its piracy against
Iranian ships as two main impediments
....to concluding the war.

_____________________________________

Hamas has called on Fatah
to overcome... any inter-
Palestinian differences

by Maxim Aleshin

May 14th, 8:39pm

(Vesti.ru)

The Palestinian Hamas movement has called on the Fatah

movement --- to hold a meeting aimed at developing a

Palestinian national strategy. This was reported

by RIA Novosti citing a statement from

the movement.

''We call on our brothers in the Fatah movement - to hold a direct

meeting in order to reach an agreement on a national strategy

for the issues that concern our people... Today, we need an

internal national consensus.... in order to face the

challenges and dangers that we face,''

the Hamas statement urged.

Today, May 15th, in 1892,

collier, boxing champion,
fitness trainer, referee,

5 ft 2 inch William James Wilde was a Welsh professional boxer

- who competed from 1911 to 1923. He - simultaneously - held

the National Sporting Clubs British flyweight title ....and the

World Flyweight championship, from 1916 to 1923.

Often regarded as the greatest British fighter of all time, he was

the first official world flyweight champion and was rated by US

boxing writer Nat Fleischer, and many other professionals and

fans, as "the Greatest Flyweight Boxer Ever".

Wilde earned various nicknames, such as "The Mighty Atom",

"Ghost with the Hammer in His Hand", and "The Tylorstown

Terror" due to his bludgeoning punching power.

While reigning as the world's greatest flyweight, Wilde would

take on bantamweights and even featherweights, and

Jimmy Wilde's birth certificate states that he was born in the

Taff Bargoed Valley community of Pentwyn Deintyr (now

known as the Graig), Quakers Yard, Treharris, Wales,

in the county borough of Merthyr Tydfil.

His parents later moved to the village of Tylorstown in the

Rhondda Valley..... when Wilde was around six years old.

In the 1901 census, eight year old William James Wilde,

his parents and his three sisters, were all recorded as

speaking only Welsh.

His father was a coal miner and Jimmy later worked in the

pits himself, being small enough to crawl through gullies

impassable to most of his colleagues.

He started boxing at the age of 16 in fairground boxing booths,

where crowds were amazed - by his toughness and ability to

knock down much larger opponents, most of whom were

local men weighing around 200 lbs.

In 1910, Wilde married his wife Elizabeth and was a father

the same year. He left Tylorstown Colliery in 1913.

The record books often show that Wilde started boxing

professionally in 1911, but it is widely assumed (and

later confirmed by boxing analysts) that he had

been fighting professionally, for at least four

years before that. His claim that he had at

least 800 fights is possibly exaggerated,

but it was certainly more than the 152

shown in Boxrec and elsewhere.

Managed by Teddy Lewis, (a former reserve captain of the local

rugby club, Pontypridd RFC) Wilde went undefeated in 103

bouts, all of which, were held in Britain. In the middle of

that streak, on 31 December 1912, he won the British

7 stone championship by beating Billy Padden by

an 18th-round knockout in Glasgow.

He finally lost his undefeated record when he challenged Tancy

Lee for the vacant British Championship on 15 January 1915

in London. Ignoring his handlers advice to postpone the

fight.... because he was suffering from Influenza, a

weakened Wilde was stopped in the 17th round

In 1915, Wilde was hospitalized, requiring an operation - for "an

internal complaint". After a sixteen-fight knockout streak -- on

14 February 1916 he won the British flyweight title by beating
Joe Symonds by a knockout in round twelve at the National
Sporting Club in London.

On 13 May, he had two fights on the same day at Woolwich

barracks winning both by knockout, both fights combined

lasted less than five rounds. On 26 June Wilde returned

to the National Sporting Club to take his revenge on

Tancy Lee --- with an eleventh-round knockout.

On 18 December, Wilde became the first ever World Flyweight

Champion when he defeated Young Zulu Kid of the US,

knocking him out in the 11th round of their bout

at the Holborn Stadium.

In late December 1916 --- after being rejected on two previous

occasions due to an old leg problem from a colliery accident

and for being underweight, Wilde was accepted into the

British Army and while never seeing active service,

was a physical training instructor at Aldershot.

In 1917, he retained the British title by beating George Clarke by

a fourth round KO. He kept fighting and winning, and in 1919,

he beat the great US bantamweight Joe Lynch, who would

later win the World bantamweight title

In 1923 Wilde announced his retirement before returning

to England, confirming his decision on 1 January 1924.

In 1927, at the age of 35, Wilde was reportedly considering

making a comeback, but after consulting a specialist in

head trauma, never returned to competitive boxing.

For a while he ran a successful Cinema and cafe in Cardiff.

In the 1930s Wilde lived in Hocroft Court, Cricklewood, from

where.. almost all of his boxing trophies and medals were

stolen, in a 1936 burglary. He became a boxing referee,

including in 1936, refereeing every bout of a boxing

tournament at the Hastings Pier Pavilion.

He wrote an incisive weekly boxing column in the News of

the World for nigh on two decades. In December 1936 he

was injured after being thrown from his car --- when it

collided with a van near Hampstead and suffered

After the War, Wilde lived in Cadoxton, Barry, South Wales.

In 1960 Wilde suffered facial injuries after being mugged at

a train station in Cardiff. His wife, Elizabeth, died in 1967,

and two years later Wilde - 76 - who was suffering from

diabetes and dementia... died at Whitchurch Hospital.

He was buried alongside his wife in Barry Cemetery.

With the longest unbeaten streak in boxing history, he went

103 fights before his first loss. Wilde had a record of 139

wins, 3 losses, 1 draw and 5 no-contests, with an

impressive 99 wins by knockout.

Ring Magazine named him both the 3rd greatest puncher

of all time, and the greatest flyweight of all time.

In 1990, he was elected to the inaugural class of the

International Boxing Hall of Fame and in 1992, the

Welsh Sports Hall of Fame.

He was ranked as the top flyweight of all-time

by the International Boxing Research

Organization in 2006.

''In America ------- they had no chance.
I knocked them all cold in America.''

EU approves new sanctions against Israeli

settlers ------ over violence in West Bank

May 11th, 5:43pm

(PressTV)

The EU agreed to impose new sanctions against Israeli

settlers ------ over the increasing violence against

Palestinians in the occupied West Bank.

EU foreign ministers, who gathered in Brussels for a meeting

of the Foreign Affairs Council on Monday, also approved a

new round of sanctions against Israeli organizations

supporting illegal settlement activity in the

occupied West Bank.

“It's done! The EU is sanctioning today the main Israeli

organizations guilty of supporting the extremist and

violent colonization of the West Bank, as well as

their leaders. These most serious - and

intolerable - acts must cease without

delay," French Foreign Minister

Jean-Noel Barrot, said, on

social media platform X.

Barrot said, “The hope that France revived last year in New

York, that of two recognized and respected States living

side by side in peace and security, we will let no one

undermine it."

EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas also confirmed the decision,

saying EU foreign ministers "gave the go-ahead to sanction

Israeli settlers over violence against Palestinians."

"It was high time we moved from deadlock to delivery.
Extwemisms and violence carry consequences,"

Kallas saids - on X.

The decision sparked outrage from Israeli foreign minister

Gideon Sa'ar, who called it “arbitrary --- and political”.

“The European Union has chosen, in an arbitrary and political

manner, to impose sanctions on Israeli citizens and entities

because of their political views ...and without any basis,”

Sa’ar sneered... in a post on social media platform X.

He defied the decision, saying Israel will continue

to support the (illegal) settlements in the

occupied West Bank.

Violence by Israeli forces and settlers has escalated across

the occupied West Bank since October 2023, when Israel

launched the genocidal war against Gaza, including

killings, abductions, home demolitions, and

settlement expansion.

Since then, at least 1,155 Palestinians have been killed,

and about 11,750 others injured, and nearly 22,000

arrested in the occupied West Bank.

_____________________________________

FIFA World Cup boycott ‘self-evident’

under Trump’s ‘racist, vile’ regime:

Activist

April 14th, 9:03am

by Mohammad Ali Haqshenas

The United States is no longer a safe or credible host for a global

sporting event ----- with sweeping travel bans, rising internal
repression, and an increasingly aggressive foreign policy,

making a boycott of the 2026 World Cup -- not radical:

but inevitable, according to an activist and artist.

In an interview with the Press TV website, Willie Dowling, an

activist .....who also happens to be a multi-instrumentalist,

singer and composer, said there were "enough reasons"

for the world to boycott the FIFA World Cup to be

co-hosted by the US before the announcement

of recent restrictions placed on travel.

Dowling’s case begins with borders - and who is allowed to cross

them. Even before new restrictions were announced in January

2026, he noted that 19 countries were already subject to full

entry bans to the US, with another nineteen ----- facing

partial restrictions.

“Without exception, all of the nations banned

or partially banned ....have mostly non-white

populations,” he told the Press TV website.

“The extraordinarily rapid decline of the United States ---- into an

even more racist, authoritarian nation --- than it has historically

been should be reason enough not to go there for the football.”

The bans, he believes, are not bureaucratic hurdles but warnings.

“This should serve as a warning to everyone that it is not safe

to go to the US, particularly if you are non-white.”

These concerns are no longer theoretical. Campaigns urging fans,

players, and national associations to stay away from the US-

hosted tournament have gained momentum across Europe,

Latin America, Africa, and parts of Asia.

The possibility of a direct boycott by a competing nation

has also become a reality in the wake of the Trump

regime’s acts of aggression abroad.

Iran could essentially boycott the World Cup in response to the

unprovoked US-Israeli war of aggression ---- which began on

February 28 and targeted the country's nuclear facilities,

schools, hospitals, and bridges, as well as its

sports infrastructure.

Pointing to the "malicious actions carried out against Iran,"

Iranian Sports Minister Ahmad Donyamali stated recently,

"Our players do not have security, and fundamentally

the conditions for participation do not exist."

The US government - has also restricted Iran's participation. While

FIFA president Gianni Infantino claimed -- that the Iranian team is

"welcome to compete," the US president warned that the Iranian

team’s "life and safety" would be at risk ------- if it participated in

the event.

Trump administration has also barred travelers from Iran and

three other World Cup-participating countries, and multiple

Iranian delegates already had their visas denied before

December’s group-stage draw.

Activist groups cite visa denials, expanded anti-immigration

policies, internal security crackdowns, and US military

aggression abroad. Some governments.. have quietly

raised concerns about whether fans and journalists

can enter — and remain — safely.

Dowling sees a boycott as leverage. “Nor is it wise to give

Trump and his regime --------- anything they can use as a

successful publicity event,” he noted.

Individual choices matter, he argued, because - they scale.

“As individuals, we can’t do much to help bring down this

vile regime, but little actions by millions of people — like

not buying US goods --- or not travelling to the US — will

start to hit the US economy and thereby affect Trump’s

standing with his own MAGA zealots,” he stated.

The argument extends well beyond immigration. Dowling

pointed to foreign policy and to broken promises. “Let’s

remember Trump campaigned to win the Presidency

on a policy of ‘No more foreign wars’ and ‘No more

regime changes’.”

The reality, he added, looks very different. “And yet in

under a year he has bombed several countries, and

militarily threatened five others, including long-

standing allies.”

In Dowling’s view, these actions are not just aggressive but

also unlawful. “All of his military interventions fly in the

face of International Law and Human Rights."

Against that backdrop --- the idea of hosting the world’s biggest

sporting event in the US, feels absurd to him. “In light of this,

it seems almost extraordinary to me - that there is even a

question about boycotting the World Cup in the US.”

He drew a direct comparison. “The existential threat coming

from the US far exceeds that of any other nation on the

planet, and since Russia has experienced a boycott,

it seems perfectly logical - if not blindingly obvious

that the USA should be boycotted, internationally

isolated and sanctioned.”

For Dowling, the issue is credibility. “What good is ‘rules-based

order’ if the most powerful nation in the world consistently

flaunts any rule they choose to?”

The danger, he hastened to add, is not only external, but

domestic. “Incidentally, it’s interesting that Trump said:

‘No more foreign wars’ - because it looks increasingly

likely that he’s going to spark a civil war in the US.”

Dowling believes internal unrest - may be politically useful.

“I suspect he’s continually provoking dissent and protest

in the US in order to declare a national emergency and

invoke the Insurrection Act, thereby cancelling the

midterm elections --- which he would otherwise

lose and then face immediate impeachment

and probably jail.”

And.. he sees a longer game. “And should he succeed in

cancelling the midterms, he’ll undoubtedly seek a way

to cancel the 2028 election.”

The implications, he noted -- are chilling. “This increasingly

authoritarian grip and the casual willingness of the Trump

regime to either censor, jail, extradite, or even murder

those of a different colour, or those in opposition to

them are reasons enough to boycott the football.”

Some calls to stay away have come from inside football itself.

Former FIFA president Sepp Blatter and several European

officials recently suggested fans would be safer

watching from home .....rather than going all

the way to the stadiums in the US.

Dowling’s criticism sharpened - when it

turned to FIFA’s conduct under Trump.

He cited “the ludicrous ‘Peace Award’ the football governing

body presented to Trump, only days before he bombed

Venezuela to steal their oil.”

The timing, he added, came “long after the US

military assaults on other nations in the

previous months of 2025.”

“The idea of Trump qualifying for any award in the name

of peace is laughable,” Dowling said. “And FIFA

inexplicably made themselves part of that

ridiculous hypocrisy.”

At the heart of the boycott argument is exclusion. “The ban on

travel and the visa policies imposed by the US extend almost

exclusively to nations that have predominantly non-white

populations,” Dowling stated.

“This is typical of the Trump regime … of course, they

consistently deny their racism, but one only needs

to observe their actions: to see that they don’t

match the rhetoric.”

He described a governing style built on misinformation, referring

to the Trump administration. “This is a regime that has adopted

lying --- as its key strategy.” He invokes a phrase popularized by

Trump’s former adviser. “As Steve Bannon said — with strong

echoes of Joseph Goebbels — ‘Flood the zone with shit’.”

The goal, Dowling argues, is distraction.

“I suspect they might have been even further down the line with

their objectives had they not started to attack their own white

population in democratic states, particularly recently --- in

Minnesota,” he added, pointing to the recent violence.

The standard, he said, is racial. “The US and indeed the Western

world -------- tends to be more tolerant towards murder -------- if it’s

non-whites that are being killed.”

Which brings him back to football. And to first principles. “How

can a sporting event be described as ‘global’ ....if 39% of the

world’s nations ---- are exempt from the racist whims of

the Trump regime?”

For Dowling, the conclusion needs no embellishment.

“Taking all of the above into account.... I’d suggest

that the moral case for a boycott is self-evident.”

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.

____________________

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.

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.

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 !!!

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!

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 !!!

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?