(Text-only) Rhondda Records Home Page

Cuba: Ending the blockade

is an ethical requirement

Havana, October 23rd 10:33am

(Prensa Latina)

The doctor of the National Institute of Oncology and

Radiobiology of Cuba, Josefina Prosper, alluded to

the effects of the U.S. blockade on cancer health

and assured that its end is - today - an

ethical requirement.

These statements to Prensa Latina took place on the

occasion of the Parliamentary Public Hearing, based

in this health institution, in which sensitivity and the

struggle for life ...are palpable, in every corner.

"Between March 2025.. and February 2026, the blockade

caused losses of around 367 million dollars, in damages

to Cuban health, but the highest cost is not measurable

in figures, but in the time.. that a sick person does not

have," Josefina said. Of the 395 drugs, that oncology

needs in its basic health system, 300 are in shortage

- due to the difficulty of accessing the supplies and

raw materials necessary for their manufacture.

Behind these numbers are the families -------

desperately looking for the medicine

they need, she said.

Prosper spoke about child care and the challenges

it imposes on a day-to-day basis.

She noted that, in neonatology, in which the most fragile

children are cared for over 95 percent of the equipment

depends on energy that is often unstable which forces

health personnel to take measures to sustain life,

which is the most important thing.

She recognized an increase in infant mortality from four per

thousand live births, in 2018, to 9.9 in 2026. "Behind these

figures there are households that do not hear the cry of

their babies today," she said.

The doctor spoke about the complications that can be faced

in an operating room, in which, if an anesthesia machine is

turned off, doctors must work miracles to continue with

the surgical act, because it cannot be stopped.

In addition, it meant that in order to make way for oncological

operations, on which the patient's life depends, the health

system is forced to postpone other surgeries, and that

each postponement represents a person who will not

receive the treatment they need.

"Today there are more than 100,000 patients waiting for

an operation, and of them 12,000 are infants," she said.

She also said that more than 30 thousand children have

seen their vaccination treatments affected not only by

the shortage of medicines but also by the lack of fuel

or the absence of refrigeration vehicles... that

guarantee their transport to all corners of

the island.

Every year, between 300 and 400 Cuban children and

adolescents are diagnosed with cancer whose lives

depend on missing medicines or equipment that

runs on energy, she said.

Although for them, she added, there are treatments in

other parts of the world that could work in their

clinical picture --- it is not possible for us to

access them, because they contain US

components in their formulation,"

lamented the doctor.

She invited us to reflect on what we would feel if our

son, our mother, a brother or a close friend were in

this situation, and just imagine how devastating

it is.

She also mentioned the specific case of Diego, a teenager

diagnosed at the age of 15 who has spent four years in

treatments from Villa Clara to Havana.

His mother, Liset, wakes up startled every day, because

her son's life depends on his treatment not failing and

for that ...fuel is necessary.

The results are not long in coming. Survival for childhood

cancer patients fell from 85 percent ....to 65 percent.

A Cuban child deserves the same access to services

and medicines --------- as any other child in the world.

For the doctor, no mother deserves to fear that the

machine that sustains her child's life will be

turned off - and no people in the world

deserves as much punishment - as

that of an economic, commercial,

financial and energy blockade.

"Lifting the blockade is today an ethical requirement

rather than a political decision. Cancer does not

wait, the newborn does not wait, the patient

who needs dialysis to live ...does not wait.

For them, their families and those of us

who continue to fight for life ---- we

demand an end to this genocide

today," Prosper concluded.

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

IOF raze neighbourhoods in al-Khalil,

--------- force 2,000 people out

October 24th, 8:49pm

(Al Mayadeen English)

Israeli occupation forces besiege al-Khalil, demolish homes

and facilities, and force thousands of Palestinians to

evacuate ----- as raids sweep the city.

Israeli occupation forces continued their military aggression

against al-Khalil in the occupied West Bank on Saturday,

imposing a siege on the city and neighbouring villages,

demolishing homes and commercial and industrial

facilities, and forcing thousands of Palestinians

to evacuate their homes.

The IOF levelled a neighbourhood in al-Khalil, driving out

hundreds of families in collective punishment, local

Palestinian authorities said.

Al-Khalil Municipality - estimated that 35

hectares (86 acres) had been destroyed.

The head of the municipality said the occupation forces

demolished a house... and several commercial and

industrial facilities, while forcing more than 2,000

Palestinians to leave their homes. He added that

al-Khalil and several surrounding villages -- are

under a complete siege.

Israeli occupation forces raided several neighbourhoods

in Dura, focusing on the Krisa area, where they

searched homes, including that of the father

of Palestinian detainee Ibrahim al-Rajoub.

Mass detentions amid brutality

In a separate assault, the IOF detained Thaer Tayseer -- after

Israeli settlers assaulted him in the village of Sama, west of

Dura. The forces continued closing entrances to al-Khalil,

plus its refugee camps and surrounding towns, pursuing

residents and their vehicles and assaulting Palestinians.

Several Palestinians suffered from suffocation after inhaling

toxic tear gas fired by occupation forces near Khubab

Roundabout and the Sadda al-Fahs area south of

the city.

The IOF continued to seal off the al-Jaladah and Ain Deir

Bahha areas, raiding homes after forcing their residents

to leave.

Local sources said the occupation forces had forced around

1,500 Palestinians to evacuate their homes in Deir Bahha

and al-Jaladah since Friday, while planning to displace

another 2,500 in the coming hours. The ongoing

aggression has already displaced more than

200 families, leaving them without shelter.

'Israel' launches multi-day aggression on al-Khalil

Israeli occupation forces began evacuating Palestinians

from the al-Jalda area of al-Khalil early on Saturday,

after the Israeli military and Shin Bet announced a

new aggression under the guise of a "military

operation" in the city that they say will last

several days.

Troops stormed al-Khalil in large numbers and fired flares

over the city, while other forces raided Nablus and other

West Bank cities, including Tubas, Aqaba, and Qalqilya,

carrying out detentions, according to local reports.

Palestinian media reported confrontations between

Resistance fighters and occupation forces in the

Balata camp, east of Nablus.

In a joint statement on Friday night, the military and the

Shin Bet claimed the operation, led by the so-called

Judea Regional Brigade with Border Police and the

Civil Administration, is “focused and limited to the

area from which the terrorists operated.”

Residents can only leave through three exits after

questioning and security checks by occupation

forces, the statement said, and anyone who

raises “suspicion” will be taken........

for interrogation.

Source: Al Mayadeen

_______________________________

YAF carry out 7 ops against vital

targets deep inside Saudi Arabia

October 24th, 5:04pm

(Al Mayadeen English)

The Yemeni Armed Forces announce seven

operations targeting Saudi airports, oil

facilities, and military sites ....after

100 Saudi airstrikes on Yemen.

Yemeni Armed Forces spokesperson Brigadier General

Yahya Saree announced that Sanaa carried out seven

military operations targeting airports, oil facilities,

and military positions across Saudi Arabia, in

response to 100 Saudi airstrikes on Yemen

over 24 hours.

In a statement issued on Saturday, Saree said the

operations are in response to Saudi aggression

that targeted civilian residences and

infrastructure in Sanaa and other

Yemeni governorates --- leaving

dozens killed and wounded.

Saree said the latest attacks brought the total number

of Saudi airstrikes and missile attacks on Yemen

since the escalation began ---- to 3,123.

The spokesperson stressed that the Yemeni Armed

Forces' operations were carried out using ballistic

missiles and drones.

Operations detailed

Saree's statement detailed the operations as follows:

The first operation targeted Khalid Airport in the Saudi

capital, Riyadh, in two phases, achieving accurate hits.

The second operation targeted Aramco facilities in

Yanbu, while the 3rd struck the Rabigh oil refinery.

The fourth operation targeted crude oil pumping

stations and the East–West crude oil pipeline.

The fifth targeted King Fahd International Airport

in Dammam, resulting in the disruption of air

traffic at the airport.

The sixth operation targeted Najran Airport, while

the seventh struck the Khamis Mushait air base.

The statement said both operations achieved

direct hits.

Yemen vows to continue operations

against Saudi Arabia

Saree reaffirmed that the Yemeni Armed Forces would

continue operations deep inside Saudi territory in

defense of Yemen and its people, maintaining an

equation of “blockade for blockade and

escalation for escalation" until the

aggression ends and the

blockade on Yemen

is lifted.

Saudi allegations about Mecca, Madinah false

In a separate statement, the Yemeni brigadier general

said the Yemeni Armed Forces affirm that what the

Saudi enemy is promoting about our forces

targeting the holy sites in Mecca and

Madinah is a "grave and blatant

falsehood," stressing ---- that

these lies and allegations..

no longer deceive anyone.

"Our operations... target its oil facilities and military bases,

and we announce them at the time they are carried out,"

the YAF spokesperson stressed.

Footage released

Additionally, the Yemeni Military Media released footage

showing sniper operations targeting several Sudanese

mercenaries on the border fronts.

Saudi mobilizations, naval base hit

In an earlier statement, Saree revealed that the Yemeni

forces targeted Saudi-backed mobilizations at what it

called al-Nasr Camp and the naval military base

in Aden.

According to Saree, "The forces were being assembled

and equipped under the supervision of Saudi officers,

led by Saudi Brigadier General Badr Salah al-Harbi,

with the aim of attacking the Yemeni people and

their Armed Forces."

The YAF urged those being mobilized not to respond to

Saudi calls to fight fellow Yemenis, warning them

against being sent into “death traps” in pursuit

of Saudi interests in Yemen.

YAF publish footage of Rajoum

drones targeting Saudi forces

On October 23, the Yemeni Armed Forces released footage

showing drone strikes targeting Saudi and Saudi-backed

forces and vehicles on several fronts, as the YAF

continue to employ unmanned aerial systems

against opposing troop concentrations and

military vehicles.

The footage, captioned: “Scenes of targeting enemy Saudi

troop concentrations and vehicles on several fronts, using

Rajoum drones, October 23, 2026” --- shows drones drop

bombs on concentrations of Saudi and Saudi-backed

forces and striking military targets.

Rajoum drones’ impact on Saudi forces

The director of Al Mayadeen’s bureau in Yemen said the

footage demonstrates that the Yemeni Armed Forces

possess a low-cost aerial capability ....with a

significant operational impact.

He said the Yemeni Armed Forces have a highly effective

and lethal weapon that can be deployed across different

theatres of operations, adding that it can threaten and

disable tanks.

The bureau chief also highlighted the skill of the crews

operating Rajoum drones, saying they can accurately

hit their targets and inflict significant damage.

He added that Saudi-affiliated troop concentrations

were being worn down -- pointing to the impact of

the Yemeni Armed Forces’ operations on forces

deployed across multiple fronts.

Source: Yemeni Military Media

___________________________________

IRGC warns ‘apocalyptic war’

will reverberate beyond Iran,

shape region’s fate

October 24th, 2:23pm

(PressTV)

The spokesman for the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps

warns that the joint aggression by the US and Israel

could have repercussions beyond Iran and decide

the fate of other nations in the region.

Brigadier General Hossein Mohebbi said on Saturday that

Iranian society must understand the circumstances

surrounding the current confrontation, maintain

national cohesion, and rely on its domestic

capabilities ---- to determine its fate,

consciously and responsibly.

He expressed confidence that Iran would achieve

“absolute victory” in this “apocalyptic war” and

emerge as a global superpower.

He added that Iran’s confrontation with the US

and Israel extends beyond the military sphere,

encompassing questions of identity, culture,

religion and Iranian-Islamic civilization.

“Preserving the country's integrity and safeguarding

its national and religious identity - are among the

most important responsibilities... of the Iranian

nation today,” the IRGC spokesman stressed.

He further warned that the US and Israel seek to

weaken and fragment Iran by undermining its

identity, erasing its culture, and seeking to

replace it ---- with their own ''values''

and models.

Mohebbi said public steadfastness and resistance

against the enemy could help Iran overcome the

current phase ....and build a future based on

dignity and strength.

He stressed the need for comprehensive defense of

the country, adding, “Today, we must defend Iran's

territorial integrity, culture, national and religious

identity, and civilization.”

The IRGC spokesman’s remarks come --- as tensions

between the United States and Iran have remained
unresolved through negotiations and dialogue......

over the past several months.

Reports that the US military has drawn up plans for

renewed strikes against Iran, potentially targeting

the country’s energy infrastructure and peaceful

nuclear sites with GBU-43/B Massive Ordnance

Air Blast, dubbed the “Mother of All Bombs,”

underscore the threat of further illegal US

aggression against the Islamic Republic.

The latest threats come amid Washington’s

repeated violations of the Islamabad

Memorandum of Understanding,

reached ...after 40 days of

US-Israeli aggression

against Iran.

The war began on February 28, 2026, while Tehran and

Washington were engaged in negotiations over Iran’s

peaceful nuclear program.

Iran swiftly retaliated with barrages of missiles and

drones targeting the Israeli-occupied territories,

plus US bases and interests across the region.

‘War criminal promotion tactics’: Adidas

faces boycott calls ---- over campaign

featuring an Israeli trooper

September 4th, 9:45pm

(PressTV)

Calls for a boycott of Adidas are growing after the sportswear

company featured an Israeli trooper in a global campaign.

The campaign has prompted criticism from pro-Palestine

organizations and activists --- because of the trooper

Shaliv Biton’s participation in the Israeli regime’s

bloodletting in Gaza.

The campaign has been rolled out in Adidas stores,

including its outlets in the occupied territories.

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

claimed the lives of more than 200 Palestinians and

destroyed numerous buildings.

Critics have reminded Biton’s military background and his

social media activity. He has shared photographs and

videos of himself and other Israeli forces in Gaza,

including footage of troops singing and dancing,

while his profile also contains images of him

carrying weapons.

Sports journalist Leyla Hamed criticized Adidas’ choice of

campaign representative, arguing that the company

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

it should have considered the wider context

of limb loss in Gaza.

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

More than 5,000 traumatic limb amputations have been estimated

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

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

she wrote on X.

US-based political commentator and activist Guy Christensen also

condemned the campaign, writing, “Actually disgusting when you

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

subsequently called for a boycott of Adidas.

Another activist denounced the company for

associating itself with the Israeli military.

“The German sportswear brand Adidas is using Zionist war

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

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

sneakers. More than 4,000 Palestinian children

have been amputated by "Israel's" bombs,

but Adidas and other millionaire

multinationals ignore them,”

the activist wrote on X.

Other critics similarly condemned Adidas

for associating itself with genocide

and apartheid.

Earlier this year, the NGO Humanity & Inclusion reported that

between 70 and 80 percent of patients admitted to the 12

hospitals that were still partially functioning in Gaza...

had lost limbs or suffered spinal cord injuries.

UNICEF estimated in January 2024 that about 1,000 children

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

approximately 10 children losing a limb each day during

Israeli bombardments. The figure is believed to have

risen since then.

The shortage of medical supplies and the continuing blockade of

Gaza have also complicated the treatment and rehabilitation of

amputees. Healthcare workers have resorted to producing

homemade prosthetics as temporary aids for people

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

to appropriate prosthetic devices.

______________________________________

UK legislators call for comprehensive

arms embargo, settlement trade ban

on Israel

July 27th, 6:06am

(PressTV)

A coalition of 80 British lawmakers and peers has called on

newly appointed British Prime Minister, Andy Burnham, to

impose sanctions on Israel -- including a comprehensive

arms embargo and a ban on trade that supports illegal

settlements in the occupied Palestinian territories.

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

government to “decisively change its stance to uphold the

rights of the Palestinian people and to prevent Israel’s

continued violation of international law.”

It also called on the government to acknowledge the UN

Independent Commission of Inquiry report, which

validated Israel’s ongoing genocide in Gaza.

Alongside recognition of the UN finding, the lawmakers urged

the government to fully enforce the International Court of

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

It holds that Israel’s occupation of the Palestinian territories

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

desist from creating new settlements, and evacuate those

already established.

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

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

to the July 2024 International Court of Justice judgment

- which requires Britain to cease all actions that aid or

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

the letter read.

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

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

The letter bore the signatures of prominent legislators,

including Diane Abbott, Jeremy Corbyn, Baroness

Jenny Jones, and Baroness Warsi.

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

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

commitment to the notion --- that international law

applies to all.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

to begin,” Johnson noted.

The letter is supported by the Palestine Solidarity Campaign, which

has been advocating for Burnham to distance himself from former

Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s disgraceful legacy by implementing

extensive sanctions against Israel - comprising a complete arms

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

Rhondda Records exists to express the Rhondda's
vision --- when it was confident, powerful, caring,
and socialist.

A Rhondda very aware of the media's poisonous
tricks -- how they con working class people into
attacking each other, or racial groups, or often
even their best allies and friends.... instead of
seeing their real enemies:- an elite who hate
the very idea that working people can think
or create, or achieve ------- a fairer society.

Thatcher said her proudest achievement was
Blair and New Labour - who parachuted in
careerists and expenses fiddlers - to stop
local Labour members having a say, and
who made genuine socialist MPs leave
the Labour party in disgust and many
members and voters to despair...
and the young to stop voting.

Jeremy Corbyn was always attacked because
he was trying to reverse all that New Labour
corruption --- that's why membership was
flooding in all over the UK.

______________________________________

Get Involved!

– If you feel you’ve been ‘purged’,
take this online survey:

https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/857YMDK

or this one:

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSc0du5YuhPZ8ahI
oxC_b6pvBprmGA4XFdG-0r2dOVYyc4UNFg/viewform?c=0&w=1

– Request all your own data that
the Labour Party holds on you:

http://www.labour.org.uk/pages/privacy

_______________________________________

IF - YOU THINK you HAVE
BEEN UNFAIRLY BARRED:

“Any member who is suspended & intends
to appeal the decision should throw in a
‘Subject Access Request in accordance
with the Data Protection Act’ --- for ALL
data that the Labour Party hold on them.

The Labour Party are Data Controllers and
therefore have to, by law, provide you with
all material/information they hold on you.”

If anyone is in contact with anyone who
was barred from voting --- please can
you pass this info on:

The Labour leadership election was under the
jurisdiction of the electoral reform services.

If you were unfairly deprived of your vote you
can call them on 0208 365 8909 and lodge
your complaint, and inform them of your
Data Protection request.

https://www.electoralreform.co.uk

The notification letters barring new members,
did not give a clear reason, or information on
how to appeal, so Vox Political suggests that
anyone in this situation... could also contact
Liz Davies at: http://www.whycantivote.com

She is a barrister -------- who can
advise members on what to do.

**************************************

PONCY LABOUR MPS PROBLEM?

A huge drop in working-class Labour MPs,
caused a massive drop in support among
voters with similar backgrounds, reveals
research seeking to explain why support
has dwindled in the party’s heartlands.

The study says past leaders - like Kinnock
and Blair made a concerted effort to pick
“more and more middle-class candidates
to run for office, during the 80s and 90s,
as part of an effort to rebrand” -- which
had initial successes at the ballot box.

But this “conscious electoral strategy”
stored up problems, as working-class
voters who initially, just didn’t vote in
response, now seek an alternative.

The solution? Trust each constituency to put
forward its own candidates, and don't impose
‘party-approved’ choices who can't do the job.

Now, unfortunately, there are "entryist" MPs who, for
decades, have been groomed by CIA cold war relic
organisations -- like the Atlantic Council -- and are
now trying to misdirect the Labour Party towards
cuts, a militarised police, and a US war agenda...
- their anti-Corbyn slant is still hobbling Labour.

‘How Can I Deselect My Labour MP?’ A Short Guide
to Reselection and Democratic Accountability
by Eric Sim, excellent free advice here:

http://novaramedia.com/2016/07/13/how-can-i-
deselect-my-labour-mp-a-short-guide-to-
reselection-and-democratic-accountability/

CHRIS BRYANT - SUPPORT THE MEMBERS'
LEADERSHIP CHOICE & POLICIES - OR GO!

Chris Bryant, the Rhondda's dodgy MP,
was on TV -- as soon as the PLP coup
started: telling us that Jeremy MUST
go because it was the ONLY way to
act in the Labour Party's interest...

Chris Bryant's voting record:
from TheyWorkForYou.com

On Tuition Fees:

On 27 Jan 2004:
Chris Bryant voted in favour of university tuition
fees increasing from £1,125 per year, to up to
£3,000 per year.

On 31 Mar 2004:
Chris Bryant voted to allow university tuition fees
to increase from £1,125 per year, to up to £3,000
per year.

On 31 Mar 2004:
Chris Bryant voted for the introduction of variable
university tuition fees (top-up fees) of up to £3,000
per year in place of the previous fixed fee of £1,250
per year.

On 31 Mar 2004:
Chris Bryant voted to allow university tuition fees
to increase from £1,125 per year to up to £3,000
per year - and to make other changes to higher
education funding & regulation arrangements.

On 14 Sep 2004:
Chris Bryant voted against: the immediate abolition
of all tuition fees, the re-introduction of maintenance
grants of up to £2,000 for students from low-income
homes, and changes to the country's higher
education system.

On 14 Sep 2004:
Chris Bryant voted to reject the Liberal
Democrat policy of abolition of tuition fees.

On 25 May 2016:
Chris Bryant was absent for a vote on the Queen's
Speech - Forcing Schools to Become Academies
- and Further Rises in University Tuition Fees.

On Human Rights:

Consistently voted for introducing ID cards

Almost always ------ voted for requiring the mass
retention of information about communications

Generally voted for mass surveillance of
people’s communications and activities

On the Environment:

Generally voted against greater regulation
of hydraulic fracturing (fracking) to
extract shale gas

On Special Interests:

Almost always voted against limits
on success fees paid to lawyers
in no-win no fee cases.

Generally ------- voted against a
statutory register of lobbyists

On War or Peace:

Generally - voted for use of UK military
forces in combat operations overseas.

Consistently voted for the Iraq war.

Consistently voted against - an
investigation into the Iraq war.

Generally - voted for replacing Trident
with a new nuclear weapons system.

On 2 Dec 2015:
Voted to support UK airstrikes in Syria
[without UN authorisation]

On 2 Dec 2015:
Voted to support UK airstrikes in Syria
[without UN authorisation]

On Independence:

Generally voted for more EU integration

____________________________

Chris Bryant Labour MP
From Wikipedia

(aka 1962-1986: Mr Christopher John Bryant
1986-1991: The Reverend Christopher John
Bryant, 1991-2001: Mr Christopher John
Bryant, 2001-: Mr Christopher John
Bryant MP.)

Born in Cardiff, to a Scottish mother & a Welsh
father, Bryant grew up in Cardiff, Wales (where
his father worked for 5 years), & Cheltenham.

He was educated at Cheltenham College, an
independent school for boys in the spa town
of Cheltenham in Gloucestershire, where he
was captain of the school swimming team,
and Mansfield College at the University of
Oxford, where he graduated in 1983, with
a Bachelor of Arts (BA) degree in English.
This was later ''promoted'' to a Master
of Arts degree (MA (Oxon)), as
per tradition.

After completing his first degree -- Bryant began
training to be a priest in the Church of England
at Ripon College, Cuddesdon, in Oxfordshire.
There, he obtained a degree in theology.

Although a member of the Conservative Party,
and an elected office-holder in the Oxford
University Conservative Association....
he joined the Labour Party in 1986,
after leaving Oxford.

He was ordained deacon in 1986 and priest in
1987. He served as a Curate at the Church of
All Saints High Wycombe,from 1986 to 1989;
then as a Youth Chaplain in Peterborough,
as well as travelling in Latin America.

In 1991 Bryant left the ordained ministry, after
deciding that being gay and being a priest,
were incompatible. Statements made by
Richard Harries, then Bishop of Oxford,
also influenced his decision.

After leaving the priesthood... in 1991, Bryant
worked as the election agent to the Holborn
and St Pancras Constituency Labour Party,
where he helped Frank Dobson hold his
seat in the 1992 general election.

From 1993... he was Local Government officer
for the Labour Party; he lived in Hackney and
was elected to Hackney Borough Council in
1993 serving until 1998. He became Chair
of the Christian Socialist Movement.

He is both... a member of the Labour Friends
of Israel and Labour Friends of Palestine &
the Middle East. From 1994 to 1996 he was
London manager of the leader-grooming
"charity", Common Purpose.

He was Labour candidate for Wycombe, in the
1997 general election (he lost by 2,370 votes),
and Head of European Affairs for the BBC,
from 1998.

His selection -- for the very safe Labour seat of
Rhondda, South Wales in 2000, shocked many
people given Bryant's background; gay, an ex-
Anglican vicar, and someone who was a Tory,
while studying at Oxford, and a member now
of the Henry Jackson Society 'think tank' ---
described by The Guardian newspaper, as
'neoconservative'. It is pro-US, pro-NATO
& pro-military intervention, as well as
being fundamentally anti-socialist.

Fifty-two people applied for the candidature
and a local councillor was hot favourite to
win, before Bryant ....was parachuted in.

In 2004, a photograph of Mr Bryant.. in his
underpants which he had posted to a gay
dating website was published in 'papers.

When an interviewer suggested he was
a 'disgrace to the Rhondda', he said:
"They can't get rid of me."

His pay, allowances and some expenses:

The basic annual salary for an MP -- from
April 1st, 2016 is £74,962. MPs also get
expenses: to cover the costs of running
an office, employing staff, having some-
where to live in London, plus, in their
constituency and travelling between
Parliament and their constituency.

His MP's expenses story:

Chris Bryant changed second home,
twice to claim £20,000: the deputy
leader of the House of Commons,
"flipped" his second home twice,
in 2 years allowing him to claim
almost £20,000 for renovations
and fees.

Chris Bryant, MP for the Rhondda, split over
£92,000 of expenses between 3 properties
in Wales and London --- within five years.

In 2004, he attempted to claim £58,000 to
overhaul his second home in Wales, after
allegedly complaining that properties in
his constituency were "terrace or mine
owners' houses".

Mr Bryant, a former Church of England clergyman,
wanted the money for a new bathroom & kitchen,
and to demolish his conservatory. He'd bought the
detached house for £97,500, under a year earlier.

He submitted a claim to the Commons fees office for
£58,493.26 --- almost 3 times the annual maximum.
He noted that the claim exceeded his allowance.

His alleged justification was disclosed....... in
correspondence between Commons officials.
By email, an official wrote: "He had problems
finding a suitable property because in the
Rhondda there is a choice mainly -- of
terraced property.. or mine owners'
houses." When approached by the
Daily Telegraph, Mr Bryant said:
"I have never said or thought
anything of the sort".

In all ----- he successfully claimed over £13,000
for renovations, repairs & appliances, in 2004.
Along with other bills, his annual claim was
£20,902.

In April 2005 ---- he flipped his expenses to his flat in
west London, which he bought for £400,000 in April
2002. He also claimed £630 a month, for mortgage
interest along with other bills. After claiming over
£3,600 over 3 months, he sold the flat in July
2005..... for £477,000.

Mr Bryant used his profits to buy a more expensive
flat in west London, which was valued at £670,000.
He immediately flipped his second home expenses
there, claiming almost £6,400 in stamp duty, legal
fees and mortgage fees incurred in the purchase.

He then began claiming interest of £1,000 a month,
on the mortgage. He also claimed a further £6,000
a year, for the flat's service charge & ground rent.

In all, he claimed £92, 415 in second
home expenses, from 2004 to 2009.

Mr Bryant said at the time: "I moved flat in
London, so as to be closer to Parliament."

Research by Channel 4 News in 2015 - found that
at least 46 MPs had this kind of system in place
a move one Labour backbencher described as
“a new fiddle”. Channel 4 reported then:

“Our investigation ---- found that many of the MPs
bought their London properties with the help of
taxpayers, when a previous expenses system
let them claim back the mortgage payments.
But when those claims were banned, after
the expenses scandal - they switched to
letting out their properties, in some
cases for up to £3,000 a month.
They then started claiming
expenses... for rent and
hotels in the capital.”

Among those identified was Chris Bryant, shadow
leader of the House of Commons. He had already
bought a penthouse in London back in 2005 and
claimed around £1,000 a month in mortgage
claims under the old system.

But after the expenses scandal ----- he started renting
the property out. It’s since been advertised by estate
agents as having a private lift and porter, with rent
at about £3,000 a month. Meantime, Bryant moved
into a new flat claiming his own rent on expenses.

Russian/Scottish scientists hail long-range
secure quantum communication system.

A group of scientists from ITMO University
in Saint Petersburg, Russia, has developed
a new approach to constructing quantum
communication systems for secure data
exchange.

The experimental device based on the results of the
research is capable of transmitting single-photon
quantum signals across distances of 250 klmtrs
or more, which is on par with its cutting edge
analogues, the ITMO press-service says.

"Now researchers are on a mission -- to create
a fully-fledged quantum cryptographic system,
that will generate & distribute quantum keys
and transmit useful data simultaneously",
ITMO says.

Information security is becoming more and more
of a critical issue not only for large companies,
banks and defense enterprises but even for
small businesses and individual users.

But the data encryption algorithms we currently
use for protecting our data are imperfect - in the
long-term, their logic can be cracked. Regardless
of how complex and intricate the algorithm is,
getting around it, is just a matter of time.

Unlike algorithm-based encryption, systems
that protect information, by making use of
fundamental laws of quantum physics, can
make data transmission totally immune to
hacker attacks, in the future.

Information in a quantum channel is carried
by single photons that change irreversibly
if an eavesdropper tries to intercept them.
The legitimate users will instantly know
about any kind of intervention.

Researchers at the Quantum Information Centre
of the International Institute of Photonics and
Optical Information Technology at ITMO Uni.,
Russia, along with their colleagues from the
Heriot-Watt University, in Edinburgh, have
devised a new way to generate and
distribute, quantum bits.

This makes it possible to share quantum signals
--- via optical fibres --- 250 kilometres in distance.

"To transmit quantum signals, we use the so-
called side frequencies," says Artur Gleim,
head of the Quantum Information Centre,
at ITMO University,

"This unique approach gives us a number
of advantages -- such as a considerable
simplification of the device architecture
and the large pass-through capacity of
the quantum channel. In terms of bit rate
and operating distances, our system is
comparable to absolute champions in
the field of quantum communications."

According to Robert Collins, research associate
at the Institute of Photonics & Quantum Sciences
at Heriot-Watt University, and one of the authors
of the study, this may become a pivotal point for
the whole field of quantum communication and
cryptography:

"Down the track, this new approach can enable
smooth coexistence of numerous data streams
with different wavelengths in one single optical
cable. On top of it, these quantum streams can
be fed into the already existing fibre optic lines
--- along with conventional communications."

The research paper is published
in the Optics Express journal.

Scottish universities are to be
congratulated for their strong
& growing links with Chinese
and Russian universities....

What a shame, that Wales is
lying low --- with academics
too scared to break from
US military research.