(Text-only) Rhondda Records Home Page

HRC assesses impact of ----

U.S. blockade against Cuba

by Antonio Rondón,

special correspondent

Geneva, September 9th, 9:31am

(Prensa Latina)

The UN Human Rights Council (HRC) evaluated today in its

plenary session the impact of the United States' policy of

economic asphyxiation against Cuba -- and the violation

of that siege ---- of international law.

The evaluation of Washington's intention to strangle the Cuban

economy was based on a report in the UNHRC, with a factual

denunciation of the hardships caused by that policy - since,

reinforced by an energy blockade - last January.

The special rapporteur's document to assess the impact of

Washington's reinforced unilateral coercive measures

against the island, in addition to exposing the effects

of the policy of asphyxiation, also shows its

violation of UN regulations.

The U.S. nation - must stop using the rhetoric of sanctions and

the designation of Cuba as a state sponsor of terrorism as a

political instrument to isolate Cuba from cooperation and

the international financial system, he stresses.

The United States should end the state of national emergency

related to Cuba, as it is not compatible with Article 4 of the

International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, the

special rapporteur's report specifies.

Washington must also harmonize its national legislation with

international law, including international human rights law

and the law of international responsibility, the

report specifies.

"The prohibition imposed by the United States on ships of any

flag entering its ports during the 180 days following their

entry into Cuban ports, violates the Convention to

Facilitate International Maritime Traffic, in

particular its articles I, II and V,"

the document states.

Washington also violates international law with its exercise of

extra-territorial jurisdiction over nationals and companies of

third states by cooperating with public authorities,

nationals and companies of Cuba, the

special rapporteur found.

Within the framework of the 63rd ordinary session of the HRC,

which began on Monday, the report was outlined on the basis

of a mission of the HRC in Cuba, from November 11 --- to 21,

2025, to directly evaluate the impact of the suffocation

policy applied by the White House.

____________________________________

Trump’s Venezuela Oil Deal.....

Doesn’t Add Up. Here's Why

September 4th, 9:19pm GMT

(Pravda.En)

Donald Trump has called his Venezuela agreement the “biggest

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

cheaper gasoline, a refilled Strategic Petroleum Reserve and

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

the US.

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

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

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

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

may therefore be closer to 20B barrels.

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

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

facilities and specialized refineries. Trump is counting difficult oil

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

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

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

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

per day. Even that modest increase would take years and

barely register in a global market consuming more than

100M barrels daily.

The promised investment has yet to appear. Exxon previously called

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

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

2031. Washington has placed its grand $100B reconstruction

scheme around North American Blue Energy Partners, a far

smaller Barbados-based operator expected to raise the

money from private investors.

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

claims NABEP received 100-year concessions over 17 fields.

Venezuela’s hydrocarbons law provides initial terms of up

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

There was no competitive auction, and a future

Venezuelan government could challenge
the entire arrangement.

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

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

authorized capacity of 714M. The State Department has secured

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

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

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

anytime soon.

Cheaper gasoline is another campaign fantasy. Oil prices respond to

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

Any meaningful new Venezuelan output will arrive years after

the midterms Trump wants to influence.

The administration has confused ownership paperwork with an

operating oil industry. A Pentagon stake, board vetoes and

purchase rights may give Washington control on paper.

They cannot repair pipelines, provide electricity,

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

neglected fields.

Trump staged the victory ceremony before securing the

financing, settling the law, or producing a single

additional barrel.

Washington’s empire of plunder - celebrated the robbery

before discovering that its loot existed largely on paper.

Source: Telegram "newrulesgeo"

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

IOF widen West Bank crackdown

-------- with raids, demolitions

September 9th, 1:02pm

(Al Mayadeen English)

Palestinian sources report detentions, demolition orders,

and property seizures, while settlers establish a tent on

privately owned land near Beit Lahm.

Israeli occupation forces detained 15 Palestinians in

several areas across the occupied West Bank, Al

Mayadeen's correspondent in Ramallah reports.

In al-Issawiya, the IOF notified residents... that they had 20

days to demolish their homes, our correspondent reported.

Israeli occupation forces also began demolishing

several facilities and a house ---- in Silwan town.

Colonists establish tent near Bethlehem

Israeli settlers set up a tent Wednesday on Palestinian-owned

land belonging to Rashaydeh village, east of Beit Lahm.

Bakr Rashaydeh, head of the Rashaydeh village council, told a WAFA

correspondent that dozens of settlers erected the tent near the

village's western entrance, raising concerns that an illegal

settlement outpost could be established at the site.

He said settlers have recently intensified attacks against

Palestinians in the Kisan area ---- including assaults on

homes, attacks on shepherds and the theft of sheep.

Demolitions reported near Jenin

Concurrently, Israeli occupation forces began demolishing

commercial and agricultural structures and greenhouses

near the entrance to Arrana village, northeast of Jenin.

Mahmoud al-Saadi, chairman of the Arrana Village Council, told

WAFA that Israeli troops began tearing down structures whose

Palestinian owners had received demolition notices.... on

September 3.

About 16 structures had been served with demolition notices,

including commercial shops, agricultural rooms, and

greenhouses, he said.

Al-Saadi added that the precise number of structures demolished

so far remained unclear because the operation is still underway.

He said these demolitions are affecting structures that

provide a livelihood for dozens of Palestinian families.

Sheep pen demolished north of al-Quds

Israeli forces' bulldozers began demolishing a sheep pen on

Wednesday morning in the al-Aqbat suburb of al-Ram, north

of occupied al-Quds, as heavy firing of tear gas canisters

was reported in the area.

Local sources said the tear gas caused several Palestinians to

suffer suffocation while the demolition operation continued.

Palestinian home usurped near Tulkarm

Israeli occupation forces raided al-Jaroushiya village, north of

Tulkarm, on Wednesday evening and seized a Palestinian

home, converting it into a military post.

Local sources said the forces raided the home of Palestinian

citizen Fathi al-Zaghal and his sons and forced them to

leave --- before usurping their property and turning it

into a military barracks.

The sources said it was the second time in less than a month

that Israeli occupation forces had taken control of al-Zaghal

family's home.. and converted it into a military barracks.

Source: Agencies

________________________________

‘Even a 1% threat ---- is 100%’:

Army commander vows --- full

combat readiness at borders

September 9th, 11:26 am

(PressTV)

The commander of the Iranian Army’s Ground Forces, has declared

that the military maintains absolute combat readiness to confront

any threat, highlighting how Iranian troops have successfully

adapted to executing complex maneuvers under intense

enemy surveillance and fire during recent conflicts.

Brigadier General Ali Jahanshahi made the remarks.... during an

inspection of the combat readiness, equipment, and defensive

capabilities of the 16th Armoured Division in Qazvin.

Assessing the division's operational posture, he emphasized - the

active and continuous deployment of Ground Forces units along

Iran’s borders to safeguard the nation's territorial integrity.

Reflecting on the military's performance during the recent US-Israeli

war of aggression, General Jahanshahi detailed how Iranian ground

units ........executed large-scale tactical deployments ---- in highly

contested environments.

"During the recent wars -- our forces traversed long distances

and deployed themselves and their equipment in designated

positions while under enemy fire," General Jahanshahi said.

He noted that these extensive movements of troops, heavy

equipment, and munitions were carried out despite the

enemy utilizing a dense network of reconnaissance

drones, aircraft, and spy satellites ..to monitor

their activities.

Despite the grueling conditions and constant aerial surveillance,

the commander praised the troops' high morale and resilience,

noting that their steadfast presence in forward defensive

trenches serves as a profound reassurance to the

Iranian public and a strong deterrent ----

to adversaries.

Underscoring the military's uncompromising defensive doctrine,

General Jahanshahi invoked the strategic directives of the

martyred leader of the Islamic revolution, Ayatollah

Seyyed Ali Khamenei, who was assassinated

during the early stages of the war ....in

late February.

"As the martyred leader of the revolution stated, for the armed

forces, even a one percent threat is treated as a full, 100

percent threat," the general affirmed. "Therefore, under

any circumstances, we possess complete readiness

to confront all threats."

______________________________________

IRGC warns of more ‘unique’ surprises

if enemy continues aggression

September 9th, 10:39am

(PressTV)

A senior IRGC official warns that if Iran’s adversaries persist in their

miscalculations & continued aggression, they should be prepared

for further “pride-inspiring and unique” Iranian surprises.

Speaking at a meeting in Tehran... on Wednesday, Brigadier General

Ramezan Sharif, the IRGC's former spokesman and current adviser

to its commander-in-chief, emphasized that “the entire region is

under the precise, comprehensive and moment-to-moment

intelligence surveillance of the powerful armed forces

of the Islamic Republic of Iran.”

He called Iran’s sovereign control of the Hormuz Strait a “strategic

and deterrent weapon” in the hands of the country, saying it had

not only changed the balance on the ground but had also

become an inspiring model for the Resistance Front

and a powerful warning to Iran’s enemies.

General Sharif pointed to the capture of an unmanned US

underwater intruder in the Strait of Hormuz, which was

unveiled on Tuesday, describing the achievement as

a tangible example ---- of Iran’s technological

innovation and active deterrent power.

“If the enemy insists on continuing its aggression and its

miscalculations, it should prepare itself... to witness

further pride-inspiring and unique Iranian surprises,

that will once again reshape the region’s strategic

equations ----- in favour of the front of truth,”

he warned.

He added that although the hostile coalition, particularly the US

military and the Israeli regime, “must understand that in the

face of the faith, wisdom and courage of the Islamic

Republic’s forces, they have no way out --- but to

surrender to the realities on the ground.”

The Strait of Hormuz has increasingly become a key arena in

the US war on Iran, prompting Tehran --- to assert greater

control over maritime activity in and around the strait.

Recent military exchanges.... have included US strikes on Iranian

oil tankers and Iranian missile attacks targeting US naval forces.

IRGC targeted 2 US naval vessels, 8 tankers

and 10 ships -------- in retaliatory strikes.

In a statement released on Tuesday, the IRGC Navy announced that

it has successfully intercepted and captured a highly advanced,

unmanned US underwater vehicle at the entrance of the

strategic Strait of Hormuz.

The unmanned submersible incorporates some of the world's most

advanced underwater technology and was delivered to the US

terrorist military in 2025, the statement said.

The capture of the unmanned underwater vehicle (UUV) marks the

latest in a long history of Iran intercepting and seizing advanced

Western military technology.

Over the past decade, Iranian forces have successfully downed or

captured numerous high-value US assets, including the RQ-170

Sentinel stealth drone, MQ-9 Reaper drones, plus.... various

underwater gliders & surface vessels in the Persian Gulf.

Reverse-engineering these captured technologies has historically

played a significant role in accelerating Iran’s domestic drone

and unmanned naval programs.

‘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,
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.