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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.

Journalist: To end war ------

prosecute UK, US officials

who wage(d) it illegally

October 22nd, 10:12pm (PressTV)

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

criminals, by holding US and UK officials responsible

for launching the illegal war on Iraq, done without

the approval of the UN Security Council, and

prosecuting them --- under the Nuremberg

principles, US journalist Don DeBar said.

DeBar made the remarks in an interview with Press TV while

commenting on a report which has revealed that the British

military inquiries into abuse against Iraqi nationals... have

been closed without a single prosecution being brought,

even though the credibility of many "shocking and

shameful incidents" during the war in the Middle

Eastern country, have been confirmed.

British Defense Secretary Ben Wallace said in a statement

this week that the Service Police Legacy Investigations,

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

"officially closed its doors."

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

violation of international law and under the pretext of

finding WMDs; but no such weapons were ever

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

the US-led invasion and subsequent occupation of Iraq

--- according to the California-based investigative

organization, Project Censored.

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

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

International Studies at Brown University.

DeBar told Press TV that the Iraq war

was illegal from the very beginning.

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

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

any of those nations are signatories to the original UN

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

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

approved by the US Senate in the 1940s.

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

“And under the Nuremberg standards, which would then

apply, each and every death consequent – intentional

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

condoning of the US action there, by the media

or public officials, or any act facilitating that,

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

there’s a death penalty for that,” the

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

with the word impunity. And we might bookend with that

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

end to that impunity, until the world sees the major

contradiction in all international relations, is US,

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

continue until this eats our species,”

A damning White House memo had revealed details of the

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

Minister Tony Blair and US President George W. Bush

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

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

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

The sensational memo, revealed that Blair had agreed to

support the war a year before the invasion even started

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

The document also disclosed that Blair agreed to act as a

spin doctor for Bush and convince a skeptical public that

Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein had Weapons of Mass

Destruction, which actually did not exist.

In response, Bush would flatter Blair and give the

impression that London was not Washington’s

poodle but an equal partner in the

“special relationship.”

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

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

will follow our lead in the Middle East."

Blair has always denied the claim that he and Bush

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

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

that has killed hundreds of thousands of people.

The Powell memo, however, showed how Blair and

Bush secretly prepared the Iraq war plot behind

closed doors at Crawford.

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

tactical and public affairs lines, that he believes will

strengthen global support for our common cause.”

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China's Foreign Ministry Reaffirms

Support for Cuba ---- in the Face

of Threats

April 21st, 4:56am

(Prensa Latina)

The Chinese Foreign Ministry today reiterated its support for

Cuba in the face of foreign interference and again urged the

United States to listen to the voice of justice.

"Recently, countries and people from various sectors in the

U.S. expressed their opposition to the U.S. blockade

against Cuba. The U.S. government must listen to

the right voice --- and immediately end its

blockade, sanctions and any form of

coercion and pressure against

Cuba," spokesman Guo

Jiakun said.

The spokesperson reiterated Beijing's readiness to work

with all parties to support the island in safeguarding its

sovereignty and national security, as well as opposing

external interference.

China stated on several occasions, that it will continue its

"support and assistance" in the face of repeated threats

from the United States, and condemned Washington's

pressures ----- that "compromise regional peace

and stability."

Recently, a cultural exchange between children and young

people from Cuba and China .....also became an event of

international support for the Caribbean island in the

face of recent threats from the United States.

In statements to Prensa Latina, Cuba's ambassador to China,

Alberto Blanco, said that international solidarity with the

island responds to its historical vocation to support

other countries.

Gabriel Chan, a member of the Central Committee of the

Communist Youth League of China, reaffirmed that

organization's support for the "just struggle of

the Cuban people - against imperialism

and hegemony."

Chan stressed to Prensa Latina that for more than 60 years

the youth organizations of both countries have maintained

exchanges .....to strengthen mutual understanding and

advance the socialist cause.

Also in an interview with Prensa Latina, Argentine researcher

Emiliano Lopez, present at that event, considered that

supporting Cuba in the current context constitutes

"a demonstration of humanity."

López pointed out that the island contributed to the world

"a human vision of revolutionary simplicity and concern

for others."

For her part, the Brazilian Carolina Igomie highlighted the

importance of internationalism -- and expressed her

desire to continue supporting the resistance

of the Cuban people.

The statements come in a context of broad international

support for Cuba after the latest threats from the US

and President Donald Trump.

Tasnim: The Strait of Hormuz will remain

closed --- until the US blockade is lifted

April 21st, 9:21pm

(RT.ru)

Iran has stated that the Strait of Hormuz will remain

closed .......as long as the US blockade continues.

In addition, according to Tasnim, Iran threatens to

break through the border by force --- if necessary.

"Continuation of the naval blockade --- means continuation

of the conflict. Iran will not open the Strait of Hormuz

as long as the naval blockade continues, and will

break the blockade by force --- if necessary,"

the statement said.

Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump has also

previously stated, that the Strait of Hormuz

will not be opened ...until a final deal

is reached with Iran.

On April 18th, the IRGC announced that Iran had

closed the Strait of Hormuz until the US naval

blockade was completely lifted.

The Islamic Republic's Supreme National Security

Council (SNSC) has emphasized that Iran intends

to maintain control over navigation in the Strait

of Hormuz until the conflict with the US is

resolved and a sustainable peace is

established in the Middle East.

Reuters later reported that more than 20 ships

passed through the Strait of Hormuz in the

24 hours to April 18, the highest number

since March 1.

__________________________________________

Iran's strategic leverage

shatters US's illusion

of blockade

April 21st, 8pm

(PressTV)

Despite US warships engaging in blatant maritime piracy

by intercepting tankers and claiming a naval strangle-

hold, Iranian crude keeps moving.

Chinese buyers are paying a premium, Indian refiners are

routing payments through yuan, and Tehran has turned

the narrow legal geography of the Strait of Hormuz

into its strongest bargaining chip.

The US Navy fired on an Iranian cargo ship in the Gulf of

Oman on Sunday, blowing a hole in its engine room

before Marine pirates boarded the vessel,

President Donald Trump announced

on Truth Social.

It was the most dramatic piracy in what has become a daily

occurrence at sea, but a US blockade of Iranian ports

that has failed to achieve its stated aim of cutting

off Iran’s oil revenues.

Just days before the attack on the Touska, an Iranian-

flagged vessel nearly as long as an aircraft carrier,

another tanker owned by the National Iranian

Tanker Company successfully completed a

voyage to Indonesia, unloading about

2 million barrels of crude... before

returning safely to Kharg Island,

Iran’s main oil export terminal.

The ship transited back through waters that the

US Central Command claims......... are under its

effective blockade.

The contrast illustrates a fundamental reality of the current

war. While US destroyers patrol the Gulf of Oman and have

forced 27 commercial vessels to turn around since the

blockade began on April 13, Iran’s oil continues

to reach customers.

TankerTrackers.com, a maritime intelligence firm, reported

that Iranian crude exports in April remained at elevated

levels ------ directly contradicting claims by the US

president ..that Iran was losing $500 million

daily from a closed Strait of Hormuz.

The 'legal architecture' of the
waterway helps explain why.

The Strait of Hormuz is 21 nautical miles wide at its

narrowest point. Under the UN Convention on the

Law of the Sea, which Iran has signed but not

ratified, coastal nations may claim territorial

waters extending 12 nautical miles from

their shores.

This creates a mathematical reality that neither side

disputes. The strait is narrow enough -- that the

territorial waters of Iran and Oman overlap

or abut --- leaving no high-seas corridor

where international transit passage

is unambiguously guaranteed.

The US-Israeli war of terrorism has prompted Iran to finally

put aside... its longstanding diplomatic hesitation and

historical reluctance over its Hormuz rights, fully

enforcing its sovereign authority under the

12-mile territorial waters provision of

international law to administer,

regulate, and control traffic

through the strait.

Iran's legal command replaces
US bluff -- in Strait of Hormuz

Under international law, Iran exercises its sovereign right

to regulate Strait of Hormuz transit, designating routes

and requiring IRGC coordination.

Iran is fully within its rights, and there is no need to

accommodate the colonialist powers that have

exhausted every weapon in their arsenal —

from crippling sanctions to economic

warfare — to harm the Iranian

people... for years.

The time has come for Iran to strike back, to deploy its

own strategic leverage, and to turn the tables on a

West that has shown nothing but inhumanity.

Since late February, when US and Israeli strikes triggered

the current war, Tehran has effectively closed the strait

to all vessels it does not expressly approve.

In fact, Iran has allowed... a carefully managed flow of its

own oil exports and vessels from countries it considers

non-hostile to pass through designated corridors north

& south of Larak Island, where it monitors each ship.

The new status has done something remarkable to Iranian

oil pricing. Chinese independent refiners - known as tea-

pots, are now buying Iranian Light crude at premiums

of $1.50 to $2 per barrel above Brent, according to

trading sources cited by Reuters.

For years under sanctions, Iranian oil traded at a discount

to global benchmarks, compensating buyers for the risks

of dealing with a blacklisted seller. That dynamic

has reversed.

At least two teapot refineries purchased cargoes at these

premium prices this month, betting that Iranian supply is

more reliable than alternatives from Saudi Arabia or the

UAE, both of which, have effectively shut in ....about

9 million barrels per day of production.

China has taken more than 90% of Iran’s crude exports

in recent years, and Beijing’s refiners just received

new import quotas totaling 55 million tons.

One US-sanctioned Aframax tanker, the Ping Shun, was

reportedly carrying 600,000 barrels of Iranian crude

from Kharg Island and is now signaling Dongying

n China’s Shandong province, a hub for

private refining.

Meanwhile, refiners in India - which was once Iran’s third-

largest oil customer are scrambling for crude after West

Asian supplies were constrained by the strait’s closure.

A temporary US sanctions waiver, issued March 21 and

allowing transactions for already-loaded cargoes until

April 19, created a narrow window for purchases.

Past payment mechanisms - had long complicated the

Iranian oil trade, because the US bans Iran's access

to the dollar-based financial system. Those hurdles

have now been resolved.

According to Reuters, Indian refiners are making payments

for Iranian crude, using the Chinese yuan, routing funds

through the ICICI Bank -- one of India's largest private

sector banks, to settle accounts with Iranian sellers.

The development carries geopolitical weight. Yuan-

denominated oil trade between Iran and India

reduces both countries’ reliance on the US

dollar and the SWIFT financial messaging

system, both of which Washington has

used as weapons, in its ''maximum

pressure'' campaign.

For China, it reinforces the yuan’s gradual emergence

as an alternative reserve currency. For India, it is a

pragmatic response to a simple problem... where

the country needs crude oil, and Iran has it.

The Touska seizure on Sunday -- drew a sharp response from

Tehran. Iran’s top military headquarters, Khatam al-Anbiya,

vowed that the armed forces would “soon respond to and

retaliate for --- this act of armed piracy”.

The US blockade strategy carries domestic political risks.

Average US gasoline prices ----- have exceeded the
psychological threshold of $4 per gallon, with

continued high energy costs --- set to hurt

the Republican party... in November’s

midterm elections.

Iran, for its part, has decades of experience with sanctions.

The country has built resilience through a combination of

barter trade, and diplomatic hedging.

The key variable is time, with observers questioning how

long can the US maintain high-intensity maritime piracy

while bearing the political costs of elevated oil prices

and inflation.

For now, the oil keeps moving. Chinese refiners are paying

more than ever. Indian payments are flowing in yuan and

every successful Iranian tanker voyage undercuts the

US narrative ... . .. of an airtight blockade.

___________________________________________

Spain, Slovenia, Ireland - push EU

to debate Israel pact suspension

April 21st, 2:34pm

(PressTV)

This aerial view shows destruction caused by Israel in the
north of the Gaza Strip on 19 January 2025. (Photo by AFP)

Spain, Slovenia and Ireland have urged the EU -- to debate

suspending its association agreement with Israel, due to

the violations and crimes the regime has committed: in

Gaza, the occupied West Bank and Lebanon.

Speaking before a meeting of EU foreign ministers in

Luxembourg on Tuesday, Spanish Foreign Minister

Jose Manuel Albares said the 3 states formally

requested that the issue be placed on

the agenda.

"Spain, along with Slovenia and Ireland, has requested that

the suspension of the Association Agreement between

the European Union and Israel be discussed and

debated today," he said.

The top Spanish diplomat appealed to European countries

to uphold the existing international humanitarian laws

and norms.

"I expect every European country to uphold what the

International Court of Justice and the UN say on

human rights and the defense of international

law. Anything different would be a defeat for

the European Union," Albares added.

Last week, in a joint letter sent to EU foreign policy chief

Kaja Kallas, the 3 governments said Israel had taken a

series of measures that "contravene human rights and

violate international law and international

humanitarian law."

They stated that Israel breached the 1995 agreement

that outlines political, economic and trade relations

between the EU and the Israeli entity.

They said repeated appeals to Israel

to reverse course had been ignored.

Elsewhere in the letter, the ministers pointed to a

proposed brutal Israeli law that would impose

the death penalty - by hanging Palestinian

prisoners convicted in military courts.

The letter also described the Israeli bill as "a grave

violation of fundamental human rights" -- and a

further step in the "systematic persecution,

oppression, violence and discrimination"

faced by Palestinians.

The ministers also cited the humanitarian crisis in the

besieged Gaza strip, saying conditions there were

"unbearable", with continuing violations of the

ceasefire agreement ...and insufficient aid

entering the territory.

The letter warned that violence in the occupied West Bank

was also intensifying, with settlers acting "with absolute

impunity" alongside ongoing Israeli military raids,

causing civilian deaths.

They called for "bold and immediate action" and

said all options should remain on the table.

Spain and Slovenia have already moved to curb trade with

Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank after

sustained public protests and growing

political pressure.

Ireland is also seeking to revive its Occupied Territories Bill

in the lower house of parliament, the Dail, first introduced

in 2018, which would ban trade in goods and services

from illegal settlements in the West Bank.

The EU - is Israel's largest trading partner, with a

relationship worth more than €45 billion a year.

Any suspension or rupture of the agreement,

would therefore carry major economic and

political consequences for the

Tel Aviv regime.

___________________________________________

China blames US for
diplomatic impasse

with Iran - urges it
to show ‘sincerity’

in talks

April 21st, 2:16pm

(PressTV)

China has called on the United States to demonstrate

“sincerity” in resolving its prolonged standoff with

Iran over its nuclear program, while censuring

the joint US-Israeli military aggression

against the country.

In its latest Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) report,

Beijing said that Washington is responsible for

the current diplomatic impasse with Tehran.

The national report on the implementation of the Treaty

on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons was made

public online by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs

on Monday.

According to the report, the US and Israel’s military

aggression against Iran, both in June 2025 and on

February 28, “seriously violated international law

and the purposes of the UN Charter.”

In the report, Beijing described Washington’s unilateral

withdrawal from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of

Action (JCPOA) --- as the “root cause” of the

current diplomatic standoff between

the US and Iran.

During his first term in 2018, US President Donald Trump

withdrew from the nuclear deal, branding it “the worst

deal ever.” Trump claimed that he was seeking

stronger terms.

The US and Israel attacked Iranian nuclear and military sites

in June 2025, even as indirect negotiations were underway

between Tehran and Washington regarding Iran’s peaceful

nuclear program.

Seven months later, the two enemies launched a new wave

of aggression against the country on February 28, again

as Iran and the US were on the verge of finalizing a

new nuclear agreement.

Tehran asserts its legal right under the NPT to develop

nuclear technology for energy production, medical

research, and scientific advancement.

The US and its allies, however, accuse Iran of seeking

the technical capability to produce a nuclear weapon.

Tehran has consistently maintained that it regards weapons

of mass destruction as a threat to humanity and has never

included them in its defense doctrine, even in the face of

direct military aggression.

On April 11–12, Pakistan hosted talks between the US and

Iran after brokering a two-week ceasefire on April 8,

which is set to expire on April 22.

The high-level talks, however, ended without an agreement.

Now reports say a US delegation is headed to Islamabad

for the second round of talks with Tehran. Iran has said

it has not plans to take part in new negotiations.

Iranian Parliament Speaker and lead negotiator Mohammad

Baqer Qalibaf said on Monday that Tehran will not accept

negotiations “under the shadow of threats.”

He said... “by imposing a blockade and violating the

ceasefire,” Trump intends “to turn the negotiating

table.... into a table of surrender --- or to justify

renewed warmongering.”

The uncertainty shrouding the next round of talks

escalated, after the US Navy targeted an Iranian

merchant vessel in the Sea of Oman on Sunday.

Iran’s military condemned the incident as a

“criminal operation” and “maritime piracy.”

In a Monday statement, Chinese Foreign Ministry

voiced “concern over the forced interception of

a relevant vessel by the US,” warning that the

situation in the Strait of Hormuz is sensitive

and complex.

The Iranian-flagged cargo ship Touska

had been travelling from China.

______________________________________

US citizens concerned about Trump’s

mental and emotional stability: Poll

April 21st, 1:52pm

(PressTV)

A new survey has revealed that only 26% of US citizens view

President Donald Trump as a "balanced" individual, raising

alarm bells amid ongoing geopolitical tensions and the

war against Iran.

The Reuters/Ipsos poll --- which was conducted over six days

and concluded on April 20, indicates that with the backdrop

of the military aggression against Iran and the contentious

exchanges with the Pope, Trump’s approval rating stays

at an historic low, as many citizens express doubts

about his temperament and conduct.

The survey also showed that only 36% of US citizens

endorse Trump's presidential performance, a figure

that has remained unchanged from the

previous month.

The poll ...indicated a growing concern among US citizens
including a notable fraction of Trump's own Republican

base, who have begun to openly question his

emotional stability after a series of

inflammatory statements and

erratic behaviour.

Overall, only 26% of US citizens consider

Trump to be a balanced individual.

The data also reveals a clear bipartisan divide; while 53%

of Republicans still deem Trump as balanced, a mere 7%

of Democrats share this viewpoint.

The Trump administration has faced mounting scrutiny

following the illegal US-Israeli aggression against Iran,

which has triggered escalating gas prices back home.

____________________________________________

Iran Parliament advances legislation on

‘new legal regime’ in Hormuz Strait

April 21st, 1:36pm

(PressTV)

The Iranian Parliament’s National Security and Foreign

Policy Committee has ratified a motion allowing the

country to set up a new legal regime for the

control of the Strait of Hormuz, a key

waterway in the Persian Gulf

responsible for a fifth of

the global oil supply.

A member of the committee said on Tuesday that it had

ratified the 12-article motion entitled “The Law on

Establishing Iran’s Sovereignty over the Strait of

Hormuz”, allowing the motion to be submitted

to the presiding board of Iran's parliament

for a public debate in the main chamber

of the legislature.

Vahid Ahmadi said the legislation, if ratified by the

parliament, would allow Iran to charge tolls on

ships passing the Strait for environmental

and security services.

Ahmadi said the law will also contain terms on which

types of vessels will be allowed through the Strait,

its secure and safe corridors, as well as

restrictions... for vessels belonging to

or related to adversarial countries.

The motion comes amid Iran’s continued control over

transit via the Strait of Hormuz which began after

the launch of the US-Israeli aggression on

the country in late February.

Iran has maintained its control over the strait although

the aggression stopped in early April with a Pakistani

-mediated ceasefire.

Another senior member of the Iranian parliament had

said earlier this month that the new legislation on

governance of the Strait of Hormuz would ban

any vessels or cargo belonging or related

to the Israeli regime.

Mohammad Reza Rezayi Kouchi said that the new

legislation stipulates that ships passing through

the Strait must coordinate their passage with

Iranian authorities and pay charges in the

Iranian rial for the services they receive.

He said that the 12-article law would also prohibit

transit for countries and entities that are hostile

to Iran & its allies in the regional Resistance

Front, as well as those that avoid using

“Persian Gulf” as the official name of

the body of water in southern Iran

in their shipping documents.

The lawmaker said Iran would seize ships disobeying

the rules and will confiscate some 20% of the value

of their cargo, according to the new law.

_____________________________________

X suspends Iranian accounts -------- in a bid to

silence voices against US-Israeli aggression

April 21st, 1:24pm

(PressTV)

Elon Musk-owned X platform has banned

multiple Iranian accounts critical of the

US-Israeli war against Iran.

The social media platform X, once known as Twitter,

has launched a sweeping campaign to suspend

accounts opposed to the US-Israeli

aggression against Iran.

The latest account to be suspended belongs to

Ali Alizadeh, an Iranian journalist & podcaster

based in the United Kingdom, who is active

on X under the handle @Jedaal.

According to reports, the account was taken down

without prior notice or explanation, marking the

latest in a series of suspensions affecting

Iranian users critical of the war.

Previously, amid the US-Israeli war against Iran, X took

similar action against other Iranian voices, including

social media activist Arya (@AryJeay) and the

international affairs commentator and TV

show host Mehdi Khanalizadeh

(@Khanalizadeh_IR).

Both accounts were also removed from the

platform in recent weeks without warning.

X owner Elon Musk and the platform itself have come

under fire for silencing Iranian and pro-resistance

voices that oppose Western foreign policy and

wars across the world.

The suspended accounts... had been outspoken in their

criticism of the recent war against Iran and Lebanon,

as well as the ongoing ethnic cleansing in Gaza

and the occupied West Bank.

Seyed Mohammad Marandi, a professor at the University of

Tehran who maintains an active presence on social media,

condemned the silencing of Iranian voices on X.

"Another Iranian account, @Jedaal, has been suspended.

@elonmusk and @X are gradually silencing all Iranian

voices opposed to ethnic cleansing, genocide,

and empire," he wrote.

X has not issued any statement so far regarding the

suspensions, which have reignited debate over

free speech on the platform, which Musk

had called a "global town square."

Social media users say: X selectively enforces its policies,

disproportionately targeting voices from the Global South,

particularly those critical of the US-Israeli war coalition.

In the past, the platform has imposed severe restrictions on

Press TV and other Iranian media outlets under pressure

from the Zionist lobby in the United States.

David Miller, a British academic and commentator, said it is

part of "a very clear pattern and an insidious campaign"

on the part of X against Iranian users.

"The mayor of Tehran, Alireza Zakani, the academic Mahdi

Khanalizadeh, the MP Amirhossein Sabeti, the eulogist

Mahdi Rasouli and the open source information

account @AryJeay have all been suspended

from @X @Support. The latest victim is

@jedaal," he wrote on his X handle.

"Clearly, this is a concerted political campaign to silence all

dissent against the Zionist regime change policy in Tehran.

It comes on the heels of Iranian government accounts

having their verified status removed and the

Pahlavist flag replacing the Iranian flag

here. If this application is to have any

claim to being a public square, these

accounts must be reinstated."

________________________________

‎US-Israeli war on Iran --- causing

biggest energy crisis in history:

IEA

April 21st, 1:07pm

(PressTV)

‎The Director-General of the International Energy Agency

(IEA), Fatih Birol, has warned that US-Israeli aggression

against Iran has caused the direst energy crisis

in history.

‎

‎"This is indeed - the biggest crisis in history," Birol

told France Inter radio in an interview broadcast

on Tuesday.

‎"The crisis is already huge, if you combine the effects

of the petrol crisis and the gas crisis with Russia,"

he added.

‎

‎The US-Israeli aggression against Iran has halted

maritime traffic in the Strait of Hormuz, which is

a conduit for a fifth of global oil and liquefied

natural gas flows.

‎It has also come in the aftermath of the Russia-Ukraine war,

which had already severed Russian gas supplies to Europe.

‎Birol had said earlier this month that he viewed the current

situation in global energy markets as worse than previous

oil crises in 1973 (Arab-Israeli War), 1979 (the Islamic

Revolution in Iran), and 2022 (Russia-Ukraine war)

combined.

‎

‎In March ------ the IEA agreed to release a record 400 million

barrels of oil from strategic stockpiles to combat rising oil

prices caused by the US-Israeli aggression against Iran.

‎

‎The criminal US-Israeli aggression against Iran ----- began on

February 28 with airstrikes that assassinated the Leader of

the Islamic Republic Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei and

senior Iranian officials and commanders.

‎

Iranian armed forces responded by launching daily missile

and drone operations targeting locations in the Israeli-

occupied territories as well as US military bases

and assets across the region.

‎

‎Furthermore, Iran retaliated against the strikes

by restricting the Strait of Hormuz, which

resulted in a significant increase in oil

prices and its by-products.

‎On April 8, Iran's Supreme National Security Council (SNSC)

announced that there was an agreement to a Pakistan-

brokered temporary ceasefire after the US accepted

Iran's 10-point proposal, as a basis for talks.

‎

Iran temporarily opened the Strait of Hormuz on Friday.

‎

‎On Saturday, the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC)

Navy said Iran has again closed the Strait of Hormuz

after the US chose to retain its blockade of Iranian

ports, violating the terms of a 2-week ceasefire

that took effect on April 8.

_____________________________________

Qalibaf: No talks under threat,

Iran prepared to reveal new

''cards'' on the battlefield

April 20th, 10:08pm

(PressTV)

Iranian parliament speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf

has said that Tehran will not accept negotiations

with Washington under the shadow of threats.

In a post on his X handle early on Tuesday, Qalibaf

denounced US President Donald Trump for acting

on a delusion.

His remarks came in response to continued US ceasefire

violations of the ceasefire deal reached two weeks ago,

including a naval blockade and an attack on an Iranian

merchant vessel in the Sea of Oman on Sunday.

"Trump, by imposing a blockade and violating the ceasefire,

wants - in his own delusion - to turn the negotiating table

into a table of surrender ....or to justify renewed
warmongering," the top lawmaker and

lead negotiator said.

Qalibaf made it clear that pressure tactics will

not yield results ..at the negotiating table.

"We do not accept negotiations under the shadow

of threats," he said. "Over the past two weeks,

we have prepared ourselves - to reveal new

cards on the battlefield."

The story is developing....

Today, April the 21st, in 1837,

Fredrik Bajer, received the Nobel Peace Prize

in 1908 together with Klas Pontus Arnoldson.

He was the son of a clergyman - born in Næstved
in 1837. Bajer served as an officer in the Danish
army, fighting in the 1864 war against Prussia

and Austria where he was promoted to the
rank of first lieutenant.

He was discharged in 1865, and moved to Copenhagen

where he became a teacher, translator and writer.

He entered the Danish Parliament in 1872 as a member

of the Folketinget - and held a seat there for 23 years.

As a member of parliament, he worked for the use

of international arbitration to solve conflicts

among nations, and it is Bajer's efforts

that caused foreign relations..... to

become part of the work of the

Danish Parliament and that

Denmark - participated in

the Inter-Parliamentary
Union from the start --

position among its
many members.

He helped early women's suffrage organisations

and many peace organizations, including the

International Peace Bureau -- both inside

Denmark and Europe-wide..... and he

helped guide the passage of a bill

to sign arbitration agreements

with Sweden and Norway.

"Waging war we understand, but not

waging peace, or at any rate - less

''Always, we must bear in mind, that law

has to be substituted for power, that

care must be taken to serve the

''A sign - that a peace association is going adrift

is its exclusion of other political parties, with

whom it could collaborate effectively on

most of the problems besetting the

''Peace literature is almost exclusively read,

though to good effect, by pacifists, while

what is needed - is the canvassing of

those who have not, so far, been

"The eighteenth of May should, sometime, become

an occasion of great international celebration --

for on this day.... the first Peace Conference

opened at The Hague."

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?