(Text-only) Rhondda Records Home Page

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 !

Cuban people ....pay tribute to

Commander of the Revolution

Camagüey, Cuba, June 23rd, 11:24am

(Prensa Latina)

The recent death of Commander of the Revolution Ramiro Valdés

Menéndez today causes deep shock in the Cuban people, who

pay posthumous tribute to him in the Plaza de la Revolución

Mayor General Ignacio Agramonte, in Camagüey.

A representation of people from different age groups and sectors

of society went to the Nicolás Guillén Protocol Room, located in

the emblematic Camagüey venue, to express respect and

admiration for the one who dedicated his life to the

defense of the Cuban Revolution.

The main political and governmental authorities of the territory

were the first to pay tribute to the Hero of the Republic of

Cuba, considered one of the closest comrades in

struggle to the historical leader of the

Revolution, Fidel Castro.

The First Secretary of the Communist Party of Cuba, and

President of the Republic, Miguel Díaz-Canel Bermúdez,

expressed deep sorrow for the physical departure of

the Commander of the Revolution - Ramiro Valdés

Menéndez, whom he remembered with respect,

affection & gratitude for his support, advice,

discreet collaboration ....and exemplary

consecration to the service of

the homeland.

Regarding Valdés' legacy, Alcides Miranda Castro, a member

of the Association of Combatants of the Cuban Revolution,

highlighted to Prensa Latina --- his decisive role in the

training of several generations of officers in Cuba's

security and counterintelligence.

"Ramiro was, is and will always be, the teacher of generations

of counterintelligence officers. I owe great experiences and

teachings to him. During his time ...at the head of the

Ministry of the Interior, he consolidated a solid

State Security body, with essential results

for the survival of the Revolution in

those years," he said.

Valdés joined the struggle against Batista's tyranny from

a very young age under the guidance of Fidel Castro

and together with other combatants from the town

of Artemisa ..participated in the assaults on the

Moncada and Carlos Manuel de Céspedes

barracks, on July 26, 1953.

Since then, he has remained on the front line of combat

alongside Commander in Chief Fidel Castro Ruz and

Army General Raúl Castro Ruz, to whom he

expressed his unwavering loyalty,

admiration -- and commitment

to the construction of a

better Cuba.

Throughout his extensive revolutionary career, he held first-

level responsibilities, including Minister of the Interior, First

Deputy Minister of the Revolutionary Armed Forces,

Assistant to the Commander in Chief, Minister of

Information Technology and Communications,

Vice President of the Councils of State and

Ministers, and Deputy Prime Minister, at

the time of his death.

US Senate --- approves resolution

challenging Trump's authority

to wage war on Iran

June 23rd, 9:26pm

(PressTV)

The US Senate has approved a war powers resolution aimed

at preventing President Donald Trump from waging military

aggression against Iran --- without congressional

authorization, marking a significant political

rebuke ---------- of this administration's

military adventurism.

The measure passed on Tuesday in a 50-48 vote, with

four Republican senators joining Democrats in

support of the resolution.

Republican Senators Susan Collins of Maine, Lisa Murkowski of

Alaska, Bill Cassidy of Louisiana, and Rand Paul of Kentucky

broke ranks with their party to back the measure, while

Democratic Senator John Fetterman of Pennsylvania

voted against it.

The resolution would require the president to seek

authorization from Congress before using military

force against Iran.

The Senate vote follows the House of Representatives'

approval of the same measure ....earlier this month.

Although the resolution does not carry the force of law

and does not require the president's signature, its

passage represents a formal expression of

congressional opposition.... to

such aggression.

Trump announced a ceasefire in the latest round of

unprovoked US-Israeli aggression against the

Islamic Republic, on April 7.

The announcement followed at least 100 rounds of decisive

and successful Iranian reprisal ---- against sensitive and

strategic US and Israeli targets throughout the region.

It also ensued Tehran's closing the strategic Strait

of Hormuz to enemies and their allies ---- a move

that unleashed shockwaves onto the global

energy markets.

Tehran and Washington recently signed a memorandum

of understanding aimed at ending the cycle arising out

of the aggression.

Over Sunday and Monday, the two sides held talks in

Switzerland on implementation of the MoU amid the

Islamic Republic's insistence on the other party's

commitment to its obligations -- under the MoU.

Among other things, Iran has laid serious emphasis on the

cessation of aggression on all fronts, including Lebanon,

recognition and continuation of the Islamic Republic's

sovereignty over the Strait of Hormuz, removal of

illegal sanctions, and unfreezing of the

country's assets.

_______________________________________

Hezbollah says Israeli project 'broken,'

urges full withdrawal from Lebanon

June 23rd, 6:34pm

(PressTV)

Hezbollah Secretary-General Sheikh Naim Qassem says the

resistance has reached a stage of "breaking the Israeli

project," and the occupation has no choice but to

fully withdraw from all Lebanese territory.

"We are now in a new phase in the history of Lebanon, its

Resistance, its army, its people, and its future, a phase

called 'Breaking the Israeli Project,'" Sheikh Qassem

said in a televised address on Tuesday.

He said the project -- that sought to eliminate Hezbollah

"militarily, politically, culturally, socially, and humanly"

over the past two to three years ....had failed.

"This does not mean they will not try again or that there will

not be other phases, but there was a major project called

the military, political, cultural, social, and human

elimination of Hezbollah, and the erasing of
its existence, and the existence of all

those with it..... on the path to

Greater Israel. This project

has been broken."

Sheikh Qassem - said the Israeli occupation has no

choice but to withdraw entirely from Lebanese soil.

"We now... have a ceasefire. The withdrawal must take

place according to a timetable. Israel has no choice

but to fully withdraw from all Lebanese territory,

without retaining an inch," he said, referring to

the Iran-US agreement, which stipulates an

end to the war on Lebanon.

He said the ceasefire must be followed by a complete

Israeli withdrawal, making way for the Lebanese

Army to deploy south of the Litani River.

"Israel withdraws ......and the Lebanese Army

deploys exclusively south of the Litani River."

The Hezbollah chief rejected any arrangement that

would allow the occupation to retain any part of

Lebanese land --- under any pretext.

"We will not accept the occupation retaining

a single inch -------- under any title."

He also put a premium on a complete end to

aggression by land, sea and air, and the

deployment of the Lebanese Army

across the south.

'Battlefield broke the project'

Sheikh Qassem credited the resistance's

steadfastness on the battlefield ---- for

the breakthrough.

"Had the Resistance - not been on the battlefield,

we would not have reached this result," he said.

He acknowledged the heavy price paid. "Had

we not had Sayyed Hasan Nasrallah and the

martyred leaders, the wounded, the

captives, and the great families

.....that rallied around the

Resistance, we would

not have broken

the project."

He dismissed criticism ..from those who warned

that the resistance was not stronger than Israel.

"Who said that we are stronger than the Israeli entity?

We are saying that we are on the battlefield, and the

Israeli entity on the battlefield will not endure, and

cannot achieve its goals.. even if time drags on."

He warned that "had the battlefield collapsed, the

Israeli entity ...would have taken a step in its

project -------- to eliminate Hezbollah and

achieve the 'Greater Israel' project."

Sheikh Qassem also rejected - any project for the

disarmament of the resistance or the imposition

of new political conditions.

'Iran's role ---- decisive'

Sheikh Qassem underlined the crucial role played by

Iran, saying the resistance entered the fight "based

on Iran," adding strength to its existing capabilities.

He said the US-Iran memorandum of understanding

explicitly included in its first clause a cessation of

aggression on Lebanon.

"Iran does not negotiate on behalf of Lebanon," he

said, "but rather calls for a ceasefire and then

leaves the Lebanese to manage their

own affairs."

The Hezbollah chief criticised the performance of

the Lebanese authorities in negotiations since

November 2024, saying the occupation

made no concessions.

The fifth round of Lebanon-Israel talks, opened in

Washington.. on Tuesday, with President Joseph

Aoun saying the negotiations could be decisive

but that Beirut would - "accept nothing less

than ---- the complete end of the Israeli

occupation of southern Lebanon."

However, Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu

has insisted that Israeli forces would remain in

southern Lebanon .......indefinitely.

The talks take place against the backdrop of a US-Iran

memorandum of understanding signed on June 18,

which includes a commitment to ending military

operations on "all fronts," including Lebanon.

Pakistan and Qatar have announced the creation of

a "de-confliction cell" involving the US, Iran and

Lebanon to ensure the cessation of attacks

on Lebanon.

Despite the ceasefire, Israeli forces have continued

strikes in southern Lebanon, with Lebanese media

reporting two people killed by Israeli gunfire on

Tuesday in the village of Nabatieh al-Fawqa,

the first deadly attack in days.

Hezbollah has vowed to confront any violation.

Lebanon says Israeli attacks since

March... have killed more than

4,100 people.

_______________________________

Pezeshkian arrives in Islamabad to

warm welcome from Pakistan’s

top leaders

June 23rd, 11:21am

(PressTV)

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian arrived in Islamabad on

Monday, where he was welcomed by Pakistani President Asif

Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif at the start of

his visit to the Pakistani capital.

Pezeshkian and the high-ranking Iranian delegation

accompanying him were received upon arrival at

Nur Khan Air Base, by Pakistan's top civilian

leaders in a ceremony organized by the

host country.

A number of Pakistani officials, along with Iran's ambassador to

Islamabad, Reza Amiri Moghadam, attended the reception. The

welcoming ceremony was broadcast live by Pakistan's state

television and other news networks.

Pakistan arranged an official reception at the

airport to honour the Iranian president's visit.

As part of the ceremony, Pakistan Air Force fighter jets

conducted a flypast over the area where Pezeshkian's

aircraft landed, paying their tribute to the visiting

Iranian leader.

The honours also included a 21-gun salute for the

Iranian president ...and the accompanying

senior delegation.

This is a developing story…

_____________________________________________

Israeli forces ----- kill two Lebanese men

in southern Lebanon despite ceasefire

June 23rd, 11:06am

(PressTV)

Israeli military forces have opened fire on a region in

southern Lebanon in blatant violation of the US-

sponsored ceasefire, killing two people.

Lebanon’s Civil Defense and official National News

Agency (NNA) said Israeli soldiers opened fire at

a group of people near a bulldozer clearing a

road in the al-Deir neighbourhood of

Nabatieh al-Fawqa town...

on Tuesday.

The Israeli military said it was checking the report.

This incident marks the most recent fatal occurrence

despite a US-mediated “ceasefire” - established last

week between Israel and the Lebanese resistance

movement Hezbollah.

Iran had previously cautioned that it would “respond”

should Israeli occupation forces initiate further

assaults on Lebanon.

Netanyahu says Israeli military will

keep occupying southern Lebanon

Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu and top

military officials have reaffirmed the regime’s

plans to maintain the occupation of areas

of southern Lebanon.

The recent Israeli offensive in southern Lebanon has

resulted... in direct damage costs to buildings

exceeding $1.38 billion, with an estimated

rubble volume of approx..... 3.1 million

cubic metres, according to a report

released on Monday, by a UN

agency and a Lebanese

research centre.

The assessment was conducted by the United Nations

Development Program (UNDP) in collaboration with

Lebanon’s National Council for Scientific

Research, which is linked to

the government.

The findings indicate that 11,095 buildings were completely

destroyed, impacting 17,891 housing units, while 2,242

buildings experienced partial damage, affecting 5,219

housing units.

Additionally, the report said that 9,311 buildings

incurred minor damage, which corresponds

to 18,282 housing units.

The assessment included regions located south of the

Litani River, including the districts of Bint Jbeil,

Marjayoun, Nabatieh, Tyre, and Sidon.

Since March 2, Israel has been conducting an extensive

military onslaught in Lebanon --- characterized by

artillery bombardments, and the demolition of

homes, particularly in the southern areas.

This offensive has led to the loss of 4,106 lives, left

12,153 individuals injured, and displaced over a

million people, according to reports from

Lebanese officials.

_____________________________

Israel obstructs the entry

of testing materials into

Gaza laboratories

June 23rd, 7:36am

Motee Abu Musabeh

Press TV, Deir al-Balah

The Gaza medical laboratories face a severe shortage of

the testing materials required for medical analysis,

which is believed to be another catastrophic

consequence of the Israeli blockade.

This systematic deprivation could put the lives of thousands

of patients and injured --- at risk of death due to the lack of

accurate diagnoses.

Today, June the 23rd, is the

United Nations' Public
Service Day

The United Nations Public Service Day is celebrated on

June 23 of every year. The UN Public Service Day was

designated by the United Nations General Assembly's

resolution A/RES/57/277, adopted on December 20th,

2002, to “celebrate the value and virtue of public

service to the community”. This was amended,

to enable the Sustainable Development Goals.

The United Nations Economic and Social Council established

that the United Nations Public Service Awards be bestowed

on Public Service Day for contributions made to the cause

of enhancing the role, prestige, and visibility --- of

Public institutions for the Sustainable Development Goals

Effective, accountable and inclusive institutions are essential

to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

This is recognized by SDG 16 and the 2030 Agenda for

Sustainable Development. The Agenda recognized -

that governments have the primary responsibility

for implementing the SDGs, and ensuring follow-

up and review over the coming 15 years at the

national, regional and global levels.

One of the first steps governments take to implement the

Agenda is often to shape the institutional arrangements

for steering the implementation of the SDGs ---- and

Public administration - the cornerstone of governments' work -

plays an essential and critical role in improving people’s lives.

Reinventing public administration is a positive & necessary

way forward. Without public administration, modernization

and transformation to adapt to today’s needs, realizing a

better future for all -- will be impossible. Where capable

administrations are lacking... governments are

incapacitated; and where governments are

incapacitated, sustainable development

The 2026 United Nations Public Service Forum will take place

in Tbilisi, Georgia from 23 to 25 June 2026, under the theme

"Transforming Public Institutions: Advancing innovation,

Participation, and Inclusion ".

The Forum is co-organized by the United Nations Department of

Economic and Social Affairs (UN DESA) through its Division for

Public Institutions and Digital Government (DPIDG) and the

Ministry of Justice of Georgia.

Iran --- hails Ireland’s move

to ban --- imports from the

illegal Israeli settlements

May 27th 11:34am

(PressTV)

Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister for Legal and International Affairs

Kazem Gharibabadi hails Ireland’s decision to ban imports from

illegal Israeli settlements, describing the move as a practical

step toward holding the Israeli regime accountable for its

violations of international law.

“Ireland’s decision to ban imports from the illegal settlements

of the Israeli regime is a commendable step toward turning

international law from rhetoric into action,” Gharibabadi

wrote in a post published on social media platform X

on Wednesday.

He pointed to a 2004 advisory opinion by the International Court

of Justice (ICJ), which stated that the settlements had been

“established in breach of international law” and said the

ruling obliges states not to recognize the illegal status

created by the settlements or support their

continuation in any form.

“Therefore, buying and selling settlement products is not normal

trade, but economic complicity in sustaining occupation and

whitewashing an unlawful situation," he further wrote.

He added that Western governments that present themselves

as defenders of international law must now match words

with action instead of backing down under pressure

from the Israeli regime, certain US lawmakers,

and powerful business lobbies.

The remarks came as several European countries are moving

toward tougher measures against Israeli settlements built

on occupied Palestinian land.

Dutch Prime Minister Rob Arnoldus Adrianus Jetten said

on Friday that Amsterdam would suspend all economic

transactions linked to settlements in the occupied

West Bank and the Golan Heights.

The measure is intended to “prevent Dutch society from

contributing, through our economic activities, to illegal

occupation & the maintenance of illegal settlements,”

Jetten explained.

Meanwhile, a report by Palestine’s Colonization and Wall

Resistance Commission (CWRC) --- has described 2025

as a “year of bloodshed” in the occupied West Bank,

documenting over 23,800 attacks by Israeli forces

and settlers ---- against Palestinians.

In early 2026, Israel's so-called internal security service, Shin

Bet downgraded the classification of settler violence against

Palestinians in the occupied West Bank from “terror attacks”

to “serious incidents,” narrowing the definition of terrorism

to cases involving explicit intent to kill and reducing the

priority of investigations.

Since October 7th, 2023, when the Israeli regime launched its
genocidal assault on Gaza --- Israeli forces and settlers have

killed at least 1,155 Palestinians in the occupied West Bank

--- wounded nearly 11,750 others, and abducted around

22,000 people, according to official figures.

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?