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Rhondda Records is with you every day
bringing the news ------- that gives a
view of world events different to 
the mainstream media or
social media!

Except Sundays - our day of rest.

Image: we're back!









 
The country's largest school network 

--- returns to the classroom in Cuba

Holguin, Cuba, September 1, 12:57pm

 (Prensa Latina)


 

Tens of thousands of students in this northeastern province 

began the 2026-2027 school year today with the return to 

the classrooms in over 1,300 educational institutions, 

the most extensive school network in the country.

 

The territory activated 1,285 schools to accommodate an 

enrollment of over 131,700 students, including 3,062 

students in the boarding regime, in the midst of 

a complex context .......of economic and 

energy challenges.

 

As a strategy to guarantee face-to-face attendance, the 

province created 156 educational zones in the popular 

councils, coordinated by school directors to serve 

students who are unable to travel to their 

centres with teaching resources.

 

To meet the needs of teaching coverage, the demarcation applies 

alternatives such as increasing the workload, hiring production 

specialists and incorporating university students through the 

Educating for Love Task.

 

In terms of infrastructure, progress is being made in the recovery of 

the 524 schools affected by Hurricane Melissa in October 2025 

and in the repair of another 22.

 

The authorities of the sector, ensured the indispensable material 

base of study, and guaranteed food and attention to more than 

3,400 students in 26 Special Education institutions.

 

The Minister of Education, Naima Ariatne Trujillo, supervised the 

preparations in the territory ....and urged the decentralization of 

decisions ....to adjust teacher attention to the conditions of 

each municipality.










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















































 

Xi raises four-point proposal on 

new security architecture

 for Middle East

September 2nd, 4:19pm

Source: Xinhua Editor: 

 

Chinese President Xi Jinping on Wednesday raised a four-point 

proposal on building a new security architecture in the Middle 

East via upholding a vision of common, comprehensive, 

cooperative and sustainable security.

 

In his talks with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, Xi said 

China supports countries in the region in developing good-

neighbourly and friendly relations.

 

To promote common security in the region, Xi said - that efforts 

should be made to foster the internal driving force for common 

security in the region.

 

People in the Middle East should remain masters of their own affairs, 

and external interference should be rejected, Xi said, noting that 

China supports regional countries in strengthening dialogue on 

peace and security, exploring the building of a new security 

architecture for the Middle East, and taking their future 

into their own hands.

 

Xi said that a comprehensive approach should be adopted to 

advance common security in the region and that given the 

multiple hotspots in the Middle East and their close 

interconnections, comprehensive solutions 

should be pursued.

 

The Palestinian issue remains at the core of the Middle East 

question and should never be overlooked or marginalized, 

he added.

 

The foundation for common security should be strengthened 

through development, Xi said, noting that lasting peace 

and stability in the Middle East ------ fundamentally 

depend on development.

 

China stands ready to work with Middle East countries to safeguard 

the security of international shipping lanes, advance development 

cooperation, promote the convergence of interests of regional 

countries, gradually enhance mutual trust, and eliminate 

the root causes of the conflict, he said.

 

Xi urged that international coordination for common security in 

the region should be strengthened, and the UN Charter and 

international law should serve ---- as the fundamental 

principles for handling Middle East affairs.

 

The international community, especially external powers, should 

abandon double standards in the Middle East, respect the 

sovereignty and territorial integrity of regional 

countries, and safeguard regional peace 

and stability, Xi added.

 

He also urged support for the United Nations' 

effective role in Middle East affairs.

 

Sisi said that Egypt highly appreciates China's consistent, objective, 

and impartial stance on the Middle East question, noting that Egypt 

is committed to promoting de-escalation in the region..... resolving 

conflicts and differences through political means, and advancing 

regional security and development.

 

Egypt stands ready: to continue strengthening coordination with 

China --- to ease tensions in the Middle East, safeguard
regional stability, and explore a regional security
architecture, Sisi said. 

 

 

______________________________________________________





US military bases across West Asia 

pounded ------- in response to latest 

aggression against southern Iran

by Yousef Ramazani

September 2, 12:43pm 

 (PressTV)

 

In the early hours of September 2, 2026, the Islamic 

Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) ...and the Iranian 

Army --- launched a coordinated wave of missile 

and drone strikes against US military positions 

across Jordan, Kuwait, Bahrain, Iraq, and the 

United Arab Emirates, exacting a heavy toll 

on US forces in retaliation for the bombing 

of southern Iran.

 

The latest round of Iranian retaliation came, after the US 

military ------ struck a residential building in Kouhestak,
Sirik 
County, Hormozgan Province, where a wedding 

celebration was taking place ------ killing at least 

five people, including a child, and wounding 

68 others.

 

The US military - also targeted a civilian airport, a fishmeal 

factory and power grids in southern Iran ...in a desperate 

military aggression drawing widespread condemnation.

 

The attacks --- revived harrowing memories of the brutality 

inflicted by the US-Israeli war machine on civilian targets 

across Iran during the earlier phase of the US-Israeli 

aggression, including the Minab school massacre 

and the Lamerd sports hall strike.

 

Iran's armed forces responded swiftly and decisively with 

combined missile and drone operations targeting US

 bases and assets across the region, inflicting 

extensive damage on their infrastructure, 

equipment, and personnel.

 

The strikes -- demonstrated Iran's ability to reach US positions 

far beyond the Persian Gulf ---- shattering the assumption that 

geographical distance could provide sanctuary for US forces.

 

Broader context

 

The latest round of attacks came after weeks of escalating US 

violations of the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding 

(MoU) signed on June 17 with repeated acts of military 

aggression, maritime banditry and piracy.

 

In recent weeks, in blatant violation of the MoU, the US continued 

its illegal naval blockade of Iran and struck multiple locations in 

southern Iran, prompting Tehran to target US military facilities 

across the region - and close the strategic waterway again.

 

On Sunday night, the US targeted Iran's Larak Island, prompting the 

IRGC to announce a retaliatory combined operation against US 

military positions in Jordan.

 

The US Central Command (CENTCOM) claimed it launched airstrikes 

in retaliation for what it termed... attempts by Iran's IRGC to deploy 

sea mines in the Strait of Hormuz and a missile barrage directed 

at a US military base in Jordan, claims not backed by facts.

 

The spokesperson for the Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters 

confirmed that Iran's Armed Forces had responded to the attacks 

by targeting US outposts across the region with drone & missile 

strikes, inflicting extensive damage on infrastructure, facilities, 

weapons, and equipment at the bases, and killing & wounding 

a significant number of US commanders and troops.

 

He emphasized that "these offensive operations against the 

US, will continue to teach them a lesson until they regret 

their acts of aggression."

 

The immediate trigger for the September 2 retaliation was a US 

missile strike that sent shrapnel into a residential home in 

Kouhestak, Sirik County, where a wedding celebration 

was in progress.

 

The attack .....resulted in the martyrdom of five civilians, including a 

child, and wounded 68 others. Earlier reports had put the death toll 

at two, but the number rose as more casualties were confirmed.

 

The Red Crescent Society described the attack as "a US missile 

strike that sent shrapnel into a residential home in Kouhestak, 

where a wedding celebration was taking place." The Iranian 

Health Ministry confirmed the casualties, with a child 

among those killed.

 

Elsewhere in Sirik, the US military also attacked a fishing pier, and a 

port authority tower, while a fishmeal factory on Qeshm Island, was 

targeted. These attacks constituted clear examples of war crimes 

and exposed the true nature of US claims about human rights.

 

The US military bases across the region that were attacked
in retaliatory operations by the Iranian armed forces,
including 
the IRGC and Army, follow.....

 

The IRGC's Aerospace Force carried out a heavy ballistic-missile 

retaliatory strike on the US Marine base known as Camp Titin in 

Jordan as part of the second wave of the "Punishment of the 

Aggressor" operation.

 

The strike killed a large number of US personnel and destroyed 

several key facilities and attack helicopters. Security sources 

confirmed that the Iranian attack on Camp Titin was powerful, 

destructive, and precise.

 

Camp Titin is located near Aqaba at the northern end of the Red 

Sea, relatively close to Eilat port in occupied Palestine and the 

Saudi Arabian border.

 

Its location makes it suitable.. for US Marine exercises, maritime 

infrastructure protection, amphibious operations, and the rapid 

deployment of military equipment and personnel.

 

US Navy sources have documented FASTCENT, a rapid-response 

Marine unit, conducting exercises at the camp, underscoring 

its role in supporting US Marine Corps operations and 

rapid force deployments.

 

According to reports, the United States sought to position part of its

 forces at Camp Titin, apparently assuming that Iran either lacked 

detailed intelligence on the deployment or would be unable to 

strike the location.

 

The targeting of Camp Titin demonstrated that geographical 

distance cannot necessarily put US military positions 

beyond Iran's reach. It also exposed the extent of 

Iran's intelligence capabilities regarding US

 military movements.

 

According to some reports, a medical evacuation helicopter was 

observed at a US base in Jordan, arriving to retrieve wounded 

soldiers or personnel after the Iranian attack, indicating 

that the strikes had caused significant casualties.

 

The IRGC announced that its Aerospace Force also carried out a 

massive ballistic missile strike on the hangars housing RQ-4 

and MQ-9 reconnaissance and strike drones at the US 

Prince Hassan Air Base in Jordan.

 

As a result of the retaliatory attack, several US drones 

were destroyed ...and a number of military pilots and 

technical aviation personnel were killed or injured.

 

The IRGC also reported that several technical infrastructures were 

set on fire in the retaliation. The attack was described as a heavy 

ballistic missile strike targeting the hangars and technical 

infrastructure of US long-range drones.

 

The RQ-4 Global Hawk and MQ-9 Reaper represent some of the most 

advanced surveillance and strike assets in the US inventory, and 

their destruction represents a significant degradation of US 

reconnaissance capabilities in the region.

 

The IRGC announced that its forces struck the command compound 

and living quarters of a high-ranking US commander at Kuwait's Ali 

Al-Salem Air Base, setting fire to a drone hangar and deployment 

ramp and destroying a number of drones.

 

The attack killed several US personnel and was followed by strikes 

on a drone hangar and the ramp used to deploy drones involved in 

attacks against Iran.

 

Ali Al-Salem Air Base is one of the key US operational centres in the 

region, described as a major air transportation hub and a principal 

gateway for deploying military forces to West Asia. It plays a 

central role in Washington's regional military and 

logistical strategy

 

The base - houses advanced radar systems, including Patriot air 

defense radars, which had been previously targeted by Iranian 

forces. The attack on the US commander's compound 

represents a significant blow, targeting US 

leadership infrastructure directly.

 

The Iranian Army announced that it had carried out drone strikes 

targeting radar systems and troop positions at the Sheikh Isa

 Air Base in Bahrain.

 

The attacks were carried out as part of Operation Thunder, 

with Arash explosive drones striking radar facilities and 

gathering points for US forces.

 

The Army described Sheikh Isa as one of the most important US 

bases in the Persian Gulf region, serving as a crucial hub - for 

the repair and maintenance of helicopters and drone spare 

parts, as well as hosting reconnaissance aircraft.

 

Bahrain ---- is the headquarters of the US Fifth Fleet, 

making the Sheikh Isa base particularly significant.

 

The attacks on radar facilities in Bahrain are part of a broader 

campaign to degrade US air defense and surveillance 

capabilities across the region ---- following similar 

strikes on radar systems in Kuwait and Jordan.

 

The Army emphasized that the operations would continue, 

and that the response to US crimes, would be extensive 

and far-reaching.

 

The Iranian Army announced it had launched dozens of explosive-

drone strikes against radar systems and troop positions at the
Al 
Dhafra and Al Minhad bases in the UAE as part of the
30th phase 
of Operation Thunder.

 

Al Dhafra Air Base is described as one of the main 

US operational centres in the region, used for air 

operations, intelligence, surveillance, and 

logistical support.

 

The base - hosts a significant US military presence, and attacks 

on it ....represent a broadening of the confrontation to include 

Gulf states hosting US forces.

 

The Al Minhad base serves as a vital logistics hub 

---- for supporting and transporting foreign forces.

 

The Iranian Army stated that it targeted the locations of 

helicopters and forces of the US military at the base 

by launching dozens of attack drones.

 

The UAE Ministry of Defence confirmed that national air 

defense units engaged unmanned aerial vehicles over 

territorial waters, moving from the direction of Iran, 

indicating the severity of the strikes.

 

Iranian forces carried out combined missile and drone attacks 

on US bases in Erbil, Iraqi Kurdistan, targeting a repair centre

a technical equipment warehouse, a spy balloon guidance 

system, and fuel tanks.

 

The attacks resulted in the destruction of the repair centre, 

warehouses, and balloon system, with fuel tanks set on 

fire - and a number of troops killed.

 

The strikes in Erbil -- demonstrated Iran's ability to target 

US positions across multiple theatres simultaneously, 

coordinating attacks on bases in Jordan, Kuwait, 

Bahrain, the UAE, and Iraq --- within a single 

operational window.
















































Image: national day holiday in Vietnam








 

Today, September 2, is

 

Independence Day,

 

a national holiday in Vietnam. 

 

 

This special day commemorates President Ho Chi Minh 

reading the Declaration of independence of the 

Democratic Republic of Vietnam at Ba Dinh 

Square in Hanoi, on 2 September 1945.

 

 It is the country's National day.

 

During World War II, the Japanese occupied Vietnam and allowed 

the French to remain and exert some influence. At the war's end

 in August 1945, a power vacuum was created in Vietnam.

 

The Viet Minh launched the August Revolution across the country 

to seize government offices. Emperor Bao Dai abdicated on 25 

August 1945, ending the Nguyen dynasty. 

 

On 2 September 1945, at Ba Dinh Square, Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh, 

leader of the Viet Minh, declared Vietnam's independence 

under the new name of the Democratic Republic of 

Vietnam (DRVN) ...in a speech that invoked the 

United States Declaration of Independence 

and the French Revolution's Declaration 

of the Rights of Man and the Citizen.

 

It was also the day Japan formally signed the document 

to officially surrender to the Allies... ending World War II.

 

Initially called Vietnam Independence Day, 2 September was first 

referred to as National Day in 1954. The communist leadership 

established a unified list of national holidays. These new 

holidays were to include the International Labour Day 

on 1 May, the anniversary of the August Revolution 

on 19 August, Viet Nam's National Day, on 

2 September, and Ho Chi Minh's birthday 

on 19 May. The lunar new year, and the 

mid-autumn moon, continued to be 

observed as traditionally.

 

In 2025, Vietnam held the largest military parade in history 

to celebrate the 80th anniversary of National Day, 

on land, in the air and at sea.

 

The list of full public holidays in Vietnam has been revised 

since 2007 but National Day, 2 September, remains a full 

public and bank holiday. By 2019, the holiday was 

lengthened by one day .....by adding one day 

immediately before or after 2 September.












UK legislators call for comprehensive 

arms embargo, settlement trade ban

 on Israel

July 27th, 6:06am

 (PressTV)

 

A coalition of 80 British lawmakers and peers has called on 

newly appointed British Prime Minister, Andy Burnham, to 

impose sanctions on Israel -- including a comprehensive 

arms embargo and a ban on trade that supports illegal 

settlements in the occupied Palestinian territories.

 

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

government to “decisively change its stance to uphold the 

rights of the Palestinian people and to prevent Israel’s 

continued violation of international law.”

 

It also called on the government to acknowledge the UN 

Independent Commission of Inquiry report, which 

validated Israel’s ongoing genocide in Gaza.

 

Alongside recognition of the UN finding, the lawmakers urged 

the government to fully enforce the International Court of 

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

 

It holds that Israel’s occupation of the Palestinian territories 

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

desist from creating new settlements, and evacuate those 

already established.

 

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

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

to the July 2024 International Court of Justice judgment 

- which requires Britain to cease all actions that aid or 

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

the letter read.

 

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

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

 

The letter bore the signatures of prominent legislators, 

including Diane Abbott, Jeremy Corbyn, Baroness 

Jenny Jones, and Baroness Warsi.

 

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

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

commitment to the notion --- that international law 

applies to all.

 

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

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

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

 

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

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

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

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

to begin,” Johnson noted.

 

The letter is supported by the Palestine Solidarity Campaign, which 

has been advocating for Burnham to distance himself from former 

Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s disgraceful legacy by implementing 

extensive sanctions against Israel - comprising a complete arms 

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



Image: No thanks to Israeli goods App

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!




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.



____________________




AT THE FACTORY


Tickets from


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.uk 


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



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_b6pvBprm
GA4XFdG-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.


Image: Russian scientists and Scottish ones



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.


Image: BRICS

Image: March 26 London anti cuts demo




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.


Image: unemployment in Wales


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?




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