(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 !

Solidarity with Cuba --- was
not lacking in Los Angeles

2026 WORLD CUP

June 13th, 7:42am

(Prensa Latina)

Expressions of solidarity with Cuba were not lacking in Los

Angeles prior to the start of the first match of the 2026

World Cup in the US, one of the three venues of the

football festival.

Members of the LA Hands-off Cuba committee in Los Angeles,

accompanied by local residents, handed out leaflets offering

information on the consequences of the brutal economic,

commercial and financial blockade to which the Cuban

people have been subjected for more than 6 decades.

The objective, said the promoters of the initiative, was to make

visible the need for support for the island at a time when the

threats of military aggression by the US... are growing.

The activists joined groups in Los Angeles demanding that

the World Cup be free from the operations of Immigration

and Customs Enforcement (ICE), the federal agency that

is the visible face of the Trump administration's

aggressive immigration agenda.

On the eve of the tournament's kickoff, more than 120 U.S. civil

rights groups issued a joint travel alert warning soccer fans —

even those with visas about the risk of facing immigration

detention or expulsion — when traveling to the country.

For example, Omar Artar, who was making history as the first

Somali referee at a World Cup, was turned away upon arrival

at Miami International Airport.

Iranian fans' tickets were revoked, Scottish spectators'

travel permits were withdrawn and Moroccan

supporters' visas - were denied.

The Department of Homeland Security interrogated
the Iraqi soccer star Aymen Hussein for 7 hours
at the Chicago airport; likewise, the entire
Iranian team.. was denied the right to

spend the night in the US, so they
are staying in Mexico and will
travel to Los Angeles... for

their next commitment.

On the other hand, there is criticism of the high costs of

the World Cup. According to activist Mark Friedman,

the matches have been totally commodified by

FIFA and the sponsoring corporations. They

have become a global spectacle to

generate billions of dollars,

he said.

The US has also denied visas to numerous Cuban athletes

to enter the country in order to participate in qualifying

matches for the 2028 Olympic Games that will also be

hosted by the city of Los Angeles, Friedman recalled.

He stressed that an international campaign is currently

underway to demand that the International Olympic

Committee abide by its own rules and put

pressure on Washington.

With 48 participating teams and 104 matches in the three

venues (US, Mexico and Canada), the 2026 World Cup

kicked off on June 11 until Sunday, July 19, when it

will be the grand final at MetLife Stadium in New

Jersey, with a capacity for more than 80,000.

Displaced Lebanese heading home

despite Israel’s refusal to halt

aggression as part of

Iran-US deal

June 15th, 11:15am

(PressTV)

Forcibly displaced Lebanese are returning to their towns in

southern Lebanon despite Israel's open defiance of an

agreement between the US and Iran that declared a

permanent termination of military operations on

all fronts.

In the first official reaction from an Israeli leader to last night's

ceasefire announcement, Israel Katz, Israel's minister of

military affairs, said that occupation troops will remain

in southern Lebanon and promptly defended the

Zionist entity's policies.

“Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and I - are leading a clear

policy that determines that the IDF will remain in the security

zones in Lebanon, Syria, and Gaza, without any time limit, to

protect, from there, the border and Israeli communities

against jihadist elements,” he said.

He added that local inhabitants would be expelled from the

security zones, and all - he alleged to be - terror-related
infrastructure, both on the ground and underground,

including homes in villages along the contact line

....will be obliterated.

He claimed.. that maintaining control over the security zones is

among the IDF's most significant accomplishments in the war,

noting that for that reason, "we oppose an IDF withdrawal

from Lebanon, despite all the existing pressures and

those that will still come."

He asserted that Netanyahu had made these positions

unequivocally clear to US President Trump and other

senior US officials, adding that he himself had

conveyed the same message to the US'

Secretary of War, Peter Hegseth.

Katz further noted that the IDF also backs maintaining

control over the security zone in Lebanon.

“We will not compromise on Israel’s security interests"

and the protection of settlers "and we will not

withdraw from the security zones,” he said.

The Israeli minister also cautioned that any Iranian attack

on Israel triggered by events in Lebanon would be met

with full force, reiterating the regime's sole

commitment to settlers and security.

Meanwhile, the Israeli newspaper Yediot Aharonot reported

that Netanyahu had informed Trump that “Israel is not

bound by the terms of the agreement” reached

between Iran and Washington and will not

withdraw from Lebanon.

The daily cited Israeli sources as stating that Netanyahu

further informed Trump that the Israeli military would

stay in its existing positions inside Lebanon, and

would retaliate against any strikes launched by

the Lebanese resistance movement Hezbollah.

Earlier this morning, Lebanese families who were forcibly

displaced from their homes started making their way

back to their southern towns - in defiance of both

the continued Israeli assaults and widespread

recommendations from their local municipal

authorities to wait until the recent US-Iran

agreement becomes clearer.

Local municipalities in southern Lebanon have confirmed to

sources on the ground that Israeli occupation forces are

still ''firmly entrenched'' north of the Litani River,

cautioning that the situation is not yet secure

for residents to permanently return to these

contested areas.

Israel continues to raid southern Lebanon

in open defiance of the Iran-US deal

Israeli occupation forces carried out strikes against areas

in southern Lebanon on Monday, in blatant violation of

the Iran-US deal.

According to Lebanese media outlets, shortly after the

announcement of the Iran-US MoU, which included

the end of war on all fronts, including Lebanon,

Israeli occupation forces pressed ahead with

their assaults south of the Arab country,

violating the deal.

Israeli warplanes carried out two airstrikes in the early hours

of Monday, targeting the town of Majdal Zoun. A drone strike

hit areas in the town of Kfar Tebnit as well.

Iran and the US on Sunday finalized the text of an MoU

aimed at ending the war, said Iran’s Supreme National

Security Council (SNSC).

It is expected to bring an immediate and permanent halt to the

war on all fronts.... including Lebanon, and end the US naval

blockade against Iran. The agreement is scheduled to be

officially signed in Switzerland on June 19.

_____________________________________________________________

Pakistan - will host ‘historic’ Iran-US deal

signing ceremony in Geneva on June 19:

PM Sharif

June 15th, 10:40am

(PressTV)

Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif says the formal signing

ceremony of the Iran-US Memorandum of Understanding (MOU)

will be hosted by his country in Geneva on June 19.

Sharif, whose country mediated between Iran and the US,

announced early on Monday that Tehran and Washington

reached an agreement following intensive negotiations,

with both sides declaring an immediate, permanent

end to military operations across all fronts,

including in Lebanon.

During his opening address to Pakistan’s National Assembly,

Shehbaz said, "Today, by the grace of Allah, the world has

crossed an historic milestone.”

Describing the development as a turning point after a period of

global tension, he added, “I congratulate the Pakistani

nation and the entire international community

from the depths of my heart.”

He called the Iran-US agreement a matter of collective pride,

saying Pakistan played a constructive role in supporting

the diplomatic engagement.

The Islamic Republic of Iran and the US, following the

announcement of a ceasefire on April 8 of this year,

began negotiations to permanently end the war

with Pakistan's mediation.

The text of the MOU, based on Iran's 14-point proposal from the

very beginning of the ceasefire, was reviewed multiple times

over the past 60 days in the capitals of both countries.

Tehran and Washington each, at various stages, applied

and announced their perspectives on the text.

Despite all pressures, ceasefire violations, and repeated

changes in Washington's position, the Islamic Republic

of Iran insisted on its stance.

Following the signing of the MOU, the two countries will place

a series of intensive negotiations on their agenda over the

next 60 days, to reach a comprehensive agreement on

disputed issues.

__________________________________

Iran - to hold US to account for

implementation of agreement:

Araghchi to counterparts

June 15th, 9:56am

(PressTV)

Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has discussed the

agreement with the United States with his counterparts

from Türkiye, Iraq, Egypt, Japan, and Saudi Arabia,

emphasizing US responsibility for implementing

the deal.

Speaking in separate telephone calls on Monday morning with

Hakan Fidan of Türkiye, Fuad Hussein of Iraq, Badr Abdelatty

of Egypt, Toshimitsu Motegi of Japan and Faisal bin Farhan

of Saudi Arabia, Araghchi discussed the process and

provisions of the Islamabad memorandum

of understanding.

Referring to the responsibility of the US in implementing the

agreement, Araghchi emphasized the need for a complete

halt to the destabilizing aggressions and the Israeli

attacks against Lebanon.

The top diplomat also expressed gratitude for the positions and

roles of Türkiye, Iraq, & Egypt in supporting the establishment

of a ceasefire, reducing tensions, and pursuing diplomatic

efforts to achieve regional stability and security.

The foreign ministers of Iran, Türkiye, Iraq, and Egypt also

stressed -- the continuation of close consultations and

cooperation regarding regional developments.. and

the necessity of strengthening diplomatic efforts

to maintain peace and stability.

In conversation with his Japanese counterpart,

Araghchi explained the most important

provisions of the memorandum of

understanding.. and expressed

hope - that its implementation

would mark the beginning of

a new chapter of economic

cooperation & investment

between the 2 countries.

Motegi welcomed the Islamabad memorandum of

understanding, describing it as an important step

toward resolving regional crises, and stressed

the necessity of its precise implementation.

Talks toward a final agreement.... will be postponed until

after the other side has implemented its commitments

under the memorandum, the secretariat said.

Araghchi also briefed his Saudi counterpart --- on the

provisions and latest developments regarding the

Islamabad memorandum of understanding.

Araghchi also expressed gratitude for Saudi Arabia's role

in the ongoing diplomatic process.. aimed at ending the

US-Israeli aggression against Iran and strengthening

regional stability and security. He further stressed

the importance ...of continuing this process.

The Islamic Republic of Iran and the US, following the

announcement of a ceasefire on April 8 of this year,

began negotiations to permanently end the war -

with Pakistan's mediation.

The text of the announced memorandum of understanding —

based on Iran's 14-point proposal from the very beginning of

the ceasefire — was reviewed multiple times over the past

60 days in the capitals of both countries. Tehran and

Washington each, at various stages, applied and

announced their perspectives on the text.

Despite all pressures, ceasefire violations, and repeated

changes in Washington's position, the Islamic Republic

of Iran insisted on its stance.

Following the signing of this memorandum, the two countries

will place a series of intensive negotiations on their agenda

in the next 60 days - to reach a comprehensive agreement

on disputed issues.

_________________________________________________

Netanyahu.... must be removed

'with sticks and stones' -- if he

tries to sabotage the election,

says Ex-Israeli PM Ehud Barak

June 15th, 7:08am

(PressTV)

Former Israeli premier Ehud Barak has called for Prime Minister

Benjamin Netanyahu to be removed “with sticks and stones”

if he attempts to undermine the upcoming general election

through military aggression against Lebanon.

“I fear Netanyahu may try to sabotage the elections, and he

can do it very easily … If he tries, we will have no choice

but to remove him with sticks and stones,” Barak said

during an interview on Sunday.

Netanyahu, 76, has led the current coalition

administration since late December 2022.

His party, Likud, has been described as the most right-wing

since Israel was illegally established as a political entity

on the occupied Palestinian territories in 1948.

The current term of the Israeli parliament expires in

October 2026, with elections expected to be held

in September or October.

Barak warned that Netanyahu “could sabotage the elections”

by attacking Lebanon, which in turn would force the

Lebanese resistance movement Hezbollah, or

Iran, to retaliate.

“Netanyahu wants an endless war because he understands

that ending it ..would accelerate his trial,” Barak warned.

Netanyahu is currently standing trial on corruption charges and

is also wanted by the International Criminal Court (ICC) since

2024 for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza,

where Israel’s genocidal assault has killed over 72,000

Palestinians and wounded 172,000 others.

Barak condemned Netanyahu for attacking Iran, saying “Israel

is paying the price for Netanyahu’s arrogance and lack of

foresight,” because “none of the objectives of the war

against Iran have been achieved.”

He also said that the negotiations between Washington and

Tehran are “very bad” for Israel and that Netanyahu

is to blame for any upcoming agreement.

The arrangements under discussion between Iran and the US

are “not an agreement, but a memorandum of understanding

that [fails] to address either missiles or Iran’s regional

allies,” Barak said.

On Monday -- the secretariat of Iran’s Supreme National Security

Council (SNSC) said that Tehran and Washington have finalized

the text of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on ending

the war, bringing an immediate, permanent halt to military

operations on all fronts --- including in Lebanon --- and

terminating the US naval blockade against Iran.

The MoU, finalized late Sunday, will

be signed on Friday in Switzerland.

Under its terms, the war and all military attacks, including

in Lebanon, have ended immediately, and the US naval

blockade of Iran has been lifted.

Further technical and political talks are expected to follow

the signing ...to address implementation details.

The US-Israeli aggression against Iran

began on February 28, 2026.

The Iranian armed forces responded with daily missile

and drone barrages against targets in the Israeli-

occupied territories, as well as US military

bases and assets across the region.

Iran also closed the Strait of Hormuz, triggering a sharp rise

in global oil prices and other energy-related commodities.

Today June 15th, in 1914,

Yuri Vladimirovich Andropov,

He served as the General Secretary of the Communist Party

of the Soviet Union from late 1982 until his death in 1984.

He previously served as the Chairman of the KGB

from 1967 until 1982.

Earlier in his career, Andropov served as the Soviet ambassador

to Hungary from 1954 to 1957. During this period, he took part

in suppressing the 1956 Hungarian counter-revolution.

Later under the leadership of Leonid Brezhnev, he was

appointed chairman of the KGB on 10 May 1967.

As Brezhnev's health deteriorated from the mid-1970s

onward.. Andropov began to increasingly run Soviet

policy alongside Foreign Minister Andrei Gromyko

and Defense Minister Dmitry Ustinov.

Upon Brezhnev's death on 10 November 1982, Andropov

succeeded him as General Secretary and as the leader

of the Soviet Union. He sought to implement reforms

to eliminate corruption and economic inefficiency

by investigating longtime officials.

This, at a time when the Soviet Union began to be

burdened by an arms race fueled by the US, that

included a US policy of a ''first strike'', to win a

nuclear war, which led to huge debt problems

for the Soviet Union.

Upon suffering kidney failure in February 1983, Andropov's

health began to deteriorate rapidly. He died aged 69 on
February 9th, in 1984, having led the Soviet Union
for just 15 months.

Putin has praised Andropov's

honesty and his uprightness.

In a message read at the opening of a new exhibition

dedicated to Andropov, Vladimir Putin called him

"a man of talent --- with great abilities".

"It is time the US stopped searching for the best ways

of unleashing nuclear war. Engaging in this, is not

just irresponsible. It is insane."

"Responsible statesmen have only one choice:

to do everything possible to prevent a

nuclear catastrophe."

"Any other position is

so, it is suicidal."

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?