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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.

Newsflash !

U.S.' fascist siege against

Cuba - condemned in Italy

Rome, June 30th, 8:51am

(Prensa Latina)

The U.S. siege of Cuba, with genocidal actions, violating the

human rights of its people ---- is a sign of the resurgence of

fascism, an editorial in the newspaper Il Faro di Roma

warns today in Italy.

In the text signed by analysts Luciano Vasapollo and Rita

Martufi, with the title "Cuba in the crosshairs of the new

imperialism," the vision of the historical leader of the

Cuban Revolution, Commander in Chief Fidel Castro,

is highlighted, who certainly appreciated - that

"fascism is no longer necessarily present in

the historical forms of the 20th century."

Among the most important transformations of capitalism, of

imperialism, is the fact that new political, economic, media

and even institutional configurations are adopted, and the
expressions of the counterrevolution, change language,

tools... and protagonists.

However, they keep their function intact: to defend the

domination of capital against any attempt at popular

emancipation, and "what is happening today, in

Cuba must be interpreted precisely from this

perspective" --- point out Vasapollo and

Martufi, co-founders of the Italian

chapter ----- of the Network of

Intellectuals and Artists in

Defense of Humanity

(REDH).

"Contemporary fascism is no longer presented in a black shirt,"

they express in reference to the time of the emergence in Italy

of that ideology, political movement and totalitarian system of

government of the extreme right.

Today, according to the authors, it tends to "manifest itself

under the guise........ of financial technocracy, neoliberal
authoritarianism, aggressive nationalism or economic

deregulation" and "uses the language of security,

free markets, or the defence of the West",

to foment wars of all kinds.

In the case of U.S. pressure against Cuba, "we are not facing a

normal confrontation between different political systems or

a simple diplomatic dispute. Instead, we are witnessing a

systematic offensive with characteristics reminiscent of

modern forms of imperialist fascism," they point out.

It is, according to them, the blows - of "a predatory imperialism

that uses economic blackmail, financial war, trade blockades,

manipulation of information and permanent destabilization

as tools of aggression against a country that continues

to assert its sovereignty."

In this way, the economic, commercial and financial blockade

imposed by the United States on the island for more than 60

years, and progressively tightened --- through dozens of

extraterritorial measures, "is not simply a measure

of political pressure."

These actions constitute "a real permanent economic war,

whose objective - is to cause suffering to the civilian

population, shortages of medicines and energy,

obstacles to productive development, and

financial isolation" -- as a "strategy that

seeks ---- to break the resistance of a

people through material deprivation."

U.S. imperialism, by adopting purely fascist methods, is thus

attempting to "transform everyday difficulties.... into an

instrument for political overthrow," they emphasize.

The editorial in Il Faro di Roma --- highlights the resistance of

the people of Cuba, a nation that "despite all the difficulties,

continues to represent a political experience that places

at its centre... the universal right to health, education,

culture and international solidarity," an alternative

system intolerable to current fascist imperialism.

...and a lot of clarity about Trump's lies on Iran!

Pentagon plans US ground troop

deployment to force Hezbollah

disarmament: Report

June 30th, 2:34pm

(PressTV)

The Pentagon is, reportedly, preparing to deploy US ground

troops to Lebanon --- to implement the recently signed and

controversial US-brokered ''agreement'' between Lebanon

and Israel, which calls for the disarmament of Hezbollah.

Citing US officials, The Washington Post reported on Tuesday

that US forces would be stationed in Lebanon to monitor

compliance with the agreement by both Lebanon

and Israel.

According to the report, US troops.. would also

be deployed in the Israeli-occupied territories.

The newspaper added that officials from the US Central

Command (CENTCOM) would report any violations of

the so-called ceasefire agreement directly to the

Trump administration. It noted -- however, that

CENTCOM chief Admiral Brad Cooper would

not ---- take a direct role in overseeing

the agreement.

The report came as Cooper visited Beirut on Monday,

where he met Lebanese President Joseph Aoun and

Army Commander Rodolphe Haykal to discuss the

implementation of the agreement’s security

provisions. CENTCOM later said Cooper

also visited Israel during the trip.

Lebanese Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri says the

agreement signed in Washington, is an imposed

set of dictates rather than an agreement that

safeguards Lebanon.

The agreement, signed in Washington last week, requires

the Lebanese army.... to oversee the disarmament of

Hezbollah and other “non-state armed groups”

ahead of a phased Israeli "withdrawal"

from southern Lebanon.

Hezbollah has rejected the agreement as “null and void,”

warning that attempts to impose it ---- could trigger

internal unrest.

The resistance group reiterated on Monday - that it reserves

the right to self-defense as Israeli forces continue attacks

on southern Lebanon in blatant violation of the ceasefire.

Hezbollah Secretary-General Sheikh Naim Qassem has also

described the US-brokered agreement as “a gratuitous

concession” to Israel and “a stab in the back of

the resistance.”

Instead, he called for the implementation of the Iran-US

memorandum of understanding (MoU) --- whose first

provision calls for a permanent end to hostilities

across all fronts, including Lebanon.

Iran has repeatedly urged the United States to compel Israel

to halt its attacks on Lebanon and fully withdraw from the

areas it occupies under a Tehran-Washington agreement

signed on June 17.

Tehran has maintained that all provisions of the MoU,

including those relating to Lebanon, must be

fully implemented.

____________________________________________

Mission unaccomplished – Part VII:
US war goal shrank from ''ending
Iran's civilization''.... to just

reopening Hormuz Strait

June 30th, 2:05pm

By Press TV Website Staff

The Strait of Hormuz has long been described.... as the world's

most vital maritime chokepoint - situated between the Persian

Gulf and the Gulf of Oman, effectively within Iranian territorial

waters. Approximately 20% of global petroleum consumption

passes through its narrow waters, making it an artery of the

global economy.

But for Iran, the Strait is far more than a strategic waterway. It

is the ultimate expression of sovereignty - the most powerful

instrument of deterrence, and the strategic trump card that

forced the United States to acknowledge a new regional

reality - after the recent war.

Throughout the 40-day war - imposed on Iran, the Strait of

Hormuz emerged as the decisive factor that transformed

battlefield gains ........into diplomatic leverage for the

Islamic Republic.

It was closed from a position of Iranian authority immediately

after the US-Israeli war machine resorted to unprovoked and

illegal military aggression ...amidst nuclear talks.

It was reopened, from a position of Iranian authority, after

the Iranian and US presidents signed a memorandum of

understanding to formally end the US-Israeli war ----
on all fronts.

And in both acts, Tehran demonstrated that control over this

critical energy route belongs unequivocally to the Islamic

Republic, not to the United States, not to its allies, and

not to any international arrangement that fails to

recognize Iran's sovereign rights.

The imposed war made this clear, and

the memorandum of understanding

formalized it.

The strategic significance of the Strait

For decades, US strategists assumed that the Strait of Hormuz

could be secured through military might, that the presence of

the US Fifth Fleet in Bahrain, the network of occupation

bases across the Persian Gulf, and the projection of

US naval power would guarantee the free flow of

oil ...regardless of Iran's preferences.

This assumption ---- was always flawed,

and the recent war exposed its fallacy.

The Strait of Hormuz is not merely a body of water, but the

gateway through which the energy wealth of the Persian

Gulf reaches global markets – from South Asia to Europe

and beyond. Each tanker that passes through its waters

bears not just oil but the economic vitality of countries
dependent on these energy exports.

Control over this chokepoint translates into leverage over

global energy prices, economic stability, & the strategic

calculations of every major power. Iran's geographic

position, straddling the Strait along its entire

northern coast, grants it a natural

advantage - that no amount of

US military hardware....

can neutralize.

When Iran closed the Strait during the recent imposed war, the

global oil markets reacted with immediate - and sustained -

shock. Prices surged dramatically and supply chains

were disrupted. The economic consequences

rippled across continents, reminding the

world that the stability of the global

energy system ------- rests on US

behaviour in the region.

The reopening: A concession, not a gift

The reopening of the Strait was not a unilateral concession

from Iran. It was the outcome of a strategic calculation in

which Iran secured tangible benefits for restoring the

energy route.

The United States.. having failed to achieve its military

objectives and facing mounting economic pressure at

home, found itself in a position - where it needed the

Strait reopened far more than Iran needed it closed.

This asymmetry of urgency became the

foundation upon which Iran built

its negotiating leverage.

The MoU reflected this reality. Iran's sovereignty over the Strait

was not merely acknowledged, but it was formalized in clear

terms. The provisions governing maritime traffic, the

mechanisms for ensuring compliance, and the

recognition of Iran's rights were all shaped

by the strategic reality that the Strait of

Hormuz is not a global commons to be

managed by external powers ---- but

Iranian territorial waters, subject

to Iranian authority.

This represents a fundamental reversal of the strategic

dynamic that had prevailed for decades. In the past,

the US could threaten to close the Strait to Iran.

Today, Iran holds the power to open or close it,

and the US must negotiate..... to ensure its

continued accessibility. The shift.... is not

merely tactical but structural. The Strait

of Hormuz is now a source of Iranian

power rather than a vulnerability to

be exploited by adversaries.

A card to consolidate battlefield gains

The Strait of Hormuz was never a negotiating tool --- but the

mechanism through which Iran consolidated its battlefield

achievements. Throughout the war, the Iranian forces

demonstrated their ability to strike US bases with

precision, to repel aggression, and --- to defend

Iranian territory against overwhelming odds.

But military success, however impressive,

must be translated into political

outcomes to be sustained.

The Strait ....provided

that translation.

By linking the reopening of the energy route - to the broader

terms of the understanding, Iran ensured that the strategic

gains achieved on the battlefield ---- were not lost at the

negotiating table. The terms of the understanding,

including the recognition of Iran's nuclear rights,

the preservation of its missile and drone

capabilities, and the commitment to

end hostilities on all fronts, were

all reinforced by Iran's control

over the Strait.

The message was clear: the US could not expect the free

flow of oil through the Strait ...while simultaneously

denying Iran its fundamental rights.

This integration of military capability and diplomatic

leverage represents one of the most sophisticated

strategic achievements in modern Iranian history.

The Strait of Hormuz ...thus serves - as a force multiplier

that enhances every aspect of Iran's strategic posture.

It provides Tehran ...with a sustainable means of

ensuring its security.. obtaining compensation

for war damages, and securing the country's

economic prosperity.

It transforms Iran from a reactive power into a determining

regional superpower capable of shaping the region's

political and economic trajectory.

The implications for regional security

The era in which ''external powers'' could impose their will on

the region without regard for Iranian interests - has
effectively ended. The Strait of Hormuz... now
serves as both a symbol and an instrument
of this new reality.

Every country that depends on Persian Gulf energy exports,

must now recognize that Iran's cooperation is essential for

stable access to global markets. Every power - that seeks

to project military force into the region must accept that

Iranian sovereignty over the Strait is a red line that can

not be crossed --- without a cost.

The understanding between Iran and the US has formalized

this new arrangement. But -- the true significance of the

Strait of Hormuz lies not in any diplomatic document

but in the strategic reality it represents.

Iran has demonstrated that it possesses the capability, the will,

and the strategic sophistication to use its geographic position

as a source of enduring power. The US, by contrast, has

demonstrated that its ability to project force into the

region... does not translate into control over the

region's most vital strategic assets.

A victory consolidated

The Strait of Hormuz ---- is now a strategic trump card that has

transformed Iran's military resilience into diplomatic leverage.

Its closure and reopening from a position of Iranian authority

has established a new strategic reality – Iran's sovereignty

over the Strait is non-negotiable, its control over the

energy route is absolute, and its willingness to

use this leverage ---- is beyond question.

The 40-day war may have been imposed on Iran... but what

happened after that ---- was dictated by Iran. Through the

intelligent and resolute exercise of sovereignty over the

Strait of Hormuz, Iran ------- has secured a position of

enduring strength that no amount of US military

pressure can reverse.

The energy route will work on Iranian terms from now on.

Even allies such as Oman cannot bypass these terms

and designate a corridor through it without taking

Iran into confidence. And that is the most

powerful message of all: in the new

regional order, power flows

through the Strait of

Hormuz, and Iran

holds the keys

to the gate.

_________________________________________

Israeli army demolishes buildings

across Gaza ---- as ceasefire

violations continue

June 30th, 11am

(PressTV)

The Israeli army has demolished buildings and civilian

structures in northern and southern Gaza, as artillery

shelling and heavy gunfire were reported in multiple

areas, according to local sources and witnesses.

The demolitions occurred on Tuesday amid what

continuing Israeli violations of the ceasefire

that took effect on October 10, 2025.

According to local sources and witnesses, Israeli forces

carried out three large-scale demolition operations

targeting remaining homes and structures

northeast of the city of Khan Yunis

in the southern Gaza Strip.

The operations coincided... with heavy gunfire from Israeli

military vehicles. Witnesses also reported Israeli artillery

shelling northwest of the city of Rafah in southern Gaza.

In northern Gaza, witnesses said they heard a massive

explosion caused by an Israeli demolition operation

near the al-Sanafour junction in the al-Tuffah

neighbourhood, east of Gaza City.

Israeli military vehicles also opened heavy fire east of the

al-Tuffah and Shujaiya neighbourhoods in the city, while

residents reported additional explosions in areas

under Israeli control.

The latest demolitions come as Israeli forces

have expanded their control over parts of

the Gaza Strip - in recent weeks.

According to local accounts, the Israeli troops have moved

concrete barriers westward along the so-called "Yellow

Line," widening the restricted zone ------- and forcing

additional Palestinian residents to flee.

Israeli forces remain deployed along the zone, a security

buffer inside the Gaza Strip that prevents Palestinians

from accessing nearby areas.

Both the ceasefire and the zone were envisioned as part of a

US-proposed plan to supposedly end the war of genocide

that the Israeli regime had begun against Gaza -------

in October 2023.

The plan, however, stopped far short of securing necessary

commitments from the regime, which is currently reported

to be controlling over 70% of the Palestinian territory.

According to Gaza's health ministry, Israeli ceasefire

violations since the truce took effect.. have killed

1,045 Palestinians and injured 3,380 others,

most of them women and children.

The ministry also said that since October 8, 2023, when the

regime began the genocide, more than 73,000 Palestinians

have been killed --- and over 173,000 others wounded

across the coastal sliver --- while about 90% of

the territory's civilian infrastructure ..has

been destroyed.

Today, June 30th, is

Independence Day in the

Formerly named Zaire, the Democratic Republic

of the Congo, is the second-largest country in

Africa and the eleventh-largest in the world.

With a population of about 124 million people, the

Democratic Republic of the Congo is the fourth-

most populous country in Africa. French is the

official and most widely spoken language.

There are over 200 indigenous languages, of which

Lingala --- is the most widely spoken. The capital,

largest city, and economic centre, is Kinshasa.

The Congo - was first inhabited by Central African

foragers around 90,000 years ago, and settled in

the Bantu expansion about 2 to 3,000 years ago.

In the west, the Kingdom of Kongo ruled around

the mouth of the Congo River, from the 14th to

the 19th century. The empires of Mwene Muji,

Luba, and Lunda ruled between the 15th and

These kingdoms were broken up by Europeans

during the colonization of the Congo Basin.

King Leopold II of Belgium acquired rights to the Congo

territory in 1885 and called it the Congo Free State. In

1908, Leopold ceded the territory after international

pressure - in response to widespread atrocities -
and it became.... a Belgian colony.

The country achieved independence from Belgium in 1960

--- and was immediately confronted by Western-backed

secessionist movements, the West's assassination

of its first independent Prime Minister, Patrice
Lumumba, who was replaced by a Western
puppet, Mobutu Sese Seko.. in 1965.

Mobutu renamed the country Zaire in 1971 and

imposed a vicious, personal dictatorship.

Despite being rich in natural resources, the DRC is one

of the world's poorest and least developed countries,

still suffering political instability, a total lack of

infrastructure, and rampant corruption, and

all because.... of the recent centuries of

colonial extraction and exploitation.

The nation is a prominent example.. of what the

West likes to call --- the "resource curse", as it

is by far the richest country in all of Africa,
in terms of its natural resources.

The DRC's main exports are raw minerals and metal,

which accounted for 80% of all its exports, in 2023.

The DRC's level of ''human development'' was ranked

171 out of 193 countries by the Human Development

As of 2022 --- after two decades of Western-provoked and

funded ''civil wars'', about 1 million Congolese refugees

were still living in neighbouring countries. Two million

children are at risk of starvation, and the fighting
has displaced 7 million people.

The DRC is a member of the United Nations, the Non-

Aligned Movement, the African Union, COMESA.. the

Southern African Development Community, plus the

Organisation Internationale de la Francophonie,

and the Economic Community of Central

It's largest trading partner is now China.

In recent years, the international community has renewed

its focus on the DRC, recognizing that sustainable peace

is essential not only for the Congolese people, but also

for regional stability in Central Africa.

The United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in

the DRC (MONUSCO) - remains one of the largest and

most comprehensive peacekeeping operations.. in

the world. Regional initiatives, led by the African

Union and the Southern African Development

Community (SADC), have also sought to

broker peace and foster dialogue

among conflicting parties.

These efforts include addressing the root causes of conflict,

such as governance reforms, economic development, and

the demobilization of armed groups. While progress has

been gradual, the DRC remains at a critical juncture,

with the potential for transformative change.

Amid these challenges, China has emerged as a significant

and constructive partner for the DRC, contributing both

economically and diplomatically to the nation’s

development and stability.

China’s involvement in the DRC is anchored in its

commitment to mutual benefit and partnership,

as exemplified by the Sicomines agreement

This, part of China’s “resources-for-infrastructure” model,

has facilitated critical investments in roads, hospitals,

and schools - laying the foundation for long-term

development. These projects - have not only

improved infrastructure - but also created

jobs ..and stimulated economic growth,

thus addressing some underlying

drivers of the conflicts.

China’s role in the DRC extends beyond economics.

China has actively supported peace and stability

in the whole region. Chinese peacekeepers

have been an integral part of MONUSCO

...providing most of the essential

engineering, medical, and

China has consistently supported multilateral efforts

to address the DRC crisis --- working within the

frameworks of the UN, AU, and SADC.

Its emphasis on non-interference.. and respect for

sovereignty, has fostered trust and cooperation

with successive Congolese governments,

enabling it to engage effectively in

Long live - AND PROSPER - the DRC !!!!

Happy Independence Day!

1,150 health professionals, organizations

launch petition ---- to boycott Israeli

medical association over

Gaza genocide

June 26th, 4:20pm

(PressTV)

More than 1,150 health professionals and medical organizations

have signed a petition --------- demanding a boycott of the Israeli

Medical Association (IMA), saying it is directly complicit in the

ongoing genocide against Palestinians ------ in the besieged

Gaza Strip.

The signatories, are urging the World Medical Association (WMA)

to expel the IMA over its complete silence on Israel’s systematic

destruction of Gaza’s health infrastructure, as well as the killing,

abduction, and torture of Palestinian doctors, nurses, and

first responders.

Led by the People’s Health Movement (PHM), Doctors for Gaza,

and the Health Advisory Council of Jewish Voice for Peace,

the petition also calls for the WMA to suspend the Israeli

body for its blatant failure.. to uphold core medical

ethical standards.

Among the hundreds of signatories are Spain’s Health Workers

for Palestine, the US-based Doctors Against Genocide, and

the Health Alliance for Democracy in the Philippines.

The petition, recently published in The Lancet, the world’s

leading medical journal, states that the IMA has violated

medical ethics and international humanitarian law... in

the besieged strip.

The Lancet noted that it could not find any public statements

from the IMA ---- condemning Israeli attacks on Gaza’s health

system, criticizing the regime’s conduct in the war, calling

for a ceasefire, or responding to UN reports documenting

genocide against the Palestinian people.

Instead, the IMA has repeatedly echoed Israeli regime talking

points, including the unsubstantiated claim that the Hamas

resistance movement uses hospitals as command centres.

In recent months, there has been a growing international

campaign to suspend Israel from the WMA and boycott

Israeli doctors and medical institutions.

A report by the Euro-Mediterranean Human Rights Monitor,

in April 2026 highlighted the IMA’s failure to condemn the

Israeli military’s repeated attacks on Gaza’s hospitals.

The report stated: “This incitement .....was supported by

institutional cover from the IMA, which not only failed to

condemn the targeting of the health system but also

lobbied to block international ceasefire calls,

prioritizing military alignment ---- over its

humanitarian duty to protect life.”

In mid-June --- the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR),

the largest Muslim civil rights organization in the US, welcomed

international medical groups’ calls for Israel’s suspension from

the WMA.

In late 2023, a group of Israeli doctors, including dozens of

practicing physicians, published an open letter explicitly

calling for the bombardment of Gaza’s Al-Shifa Hospital,

describing the territory’s health infrastructure as a

“legitimate target.”

The IMA.... took no disciplinary action against them.

Al-Shifa Hospital was among dozens of medical facilities

in Gaza that were repeatedly bombed and raided by

Israeli forces. Scores of hospitals and health

centres ---- were destroyed ---- or

rendered inoperable.

In December 2024, Israeli troops stormed

Kamal Adwan Hospital in northern Gaza.

According to Euro-Med Monitor, medical staff and

displaced civilians sheltering there --------- were

executed during the raid.

The hospital director, Dr. Hussam Abu Safiya, was

abducted and remains in Israeli custody, where

he is subjected to severe mistreatment ----

and torture.

The Israeli genocide in Gaza has effectively annihilated

the Strip’s entire medical system. Airstrikes combined

with a criminal blockade have pushed the remaining

hospitals to the brink of total collapse, leaving

critically injured patients...... without

adequate care.

With severe shortages of medicine, equipment, and fuel,

doctors in Gaza warn that many more lives will be lost

as the Zionist regime’s siege continues to strangle

the healthcare system.

The systematic targeting of civilian infrastructure, medical

facilities, and densely populated areas by the Israeli

occupation has been widely documented ---- as

constituting genocide.

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?