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!
Cuba advances in gradual restoration
of the national electricity system
Havana, July 6th, 9:16pm
(Prensa Latina)
Cuba is making progress in the formation of micro-generation
islands to gradually restore the National Electro-Energy
System (SEN) after the disconnection on Monday, the
general director of Electricity of the Ministry of
Energy and Mines, Lazaro Guerra, said today.
In statements to the Cuban Television Stellar Newscast, the
official explained that, immediately after the disconnection
of the SEN, the system restoration protocol was activated.
Guerra said that five Energas machines currently supply
electricity to a part of Havana and a small area of the
province of Mayabeque, which has allowed the
service in the capital............. to be
progressively expanded.
He added that the system has already reached Mariel, where
the start-up process, of unit five of the thermoelectric plant
has begun, while Santa Cruz del Norte was also energized
with the purpose of putting unit two of that plant
into operation.
The executive stressed --- that the battery storage system
located in El Cotorro - has played an important role in the
stability of the conformed microsystem -- by contributing
to regulate the frequency during the restoration process.
However, he pointed out that in the central region of the
country there are still difficulties in energizing Energas
Varadero and, subsequently - starting up the Carlos
Manuel de Céspedes thermoelectric plant.... due
to weather conditions that have slowed down
the progress of the work.
According to Guerra, the start-up of this plant will allow the
process of recovering the service to be extended to other
territories of the country.
The official explained that the current restoration work is
more complex than on previous occasions due to the
lack of fuel for distributed generation, which limits
the creation of electric micro-islands.... in
other provinces.
Despite these difficulties, he assured that the authorities will
continue working to gradually increase generation capacity
and expand the coverage of the electricity service ----
throughout the national territory.
The new disconnection of the electrical system occurs in
a context of growing economic pressure on Cuba, by
Washington, that prevents the arrival of oil to the
island, after President Donald Trump signed an
executive order last January that threatens
tariffs ------- on countries that export or facilitate the supply of fuels.
Since the end of 2024, the SEN has suffered several total
disconnections, amid the multimillion-dollar effects of
the blockade policy - that the US administration has
maintained against the island for over 6 decades.
Image: People hold up a banner as they protest against Israel at the entrance of the International Criminal Court.
Qaani: Martyred Leader’s funeral in Iraq
to strengthen Iran-Iraq unity
against US sedition
July 7th, 1:23pm
(PressTV)
The commander of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC)
Quds Force says the funeral procession for the late Leader of
the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei in Iraq
will further strengthen the intertwined solidarity of Iranians
and Iraqis against US sedition ------ and reinforce the
commitment to seeking justice for fallen
resistance figures.
Brigadier General Esmail Qaani made the remarks in a
message released on Tuesday, one day ahead of the
funeral of the martyed Leader, in Iraq's Najaf
and Karbala.
He noted that the unprecedented funeral procession for the
martyred Leader would deepen the unity between the
Iranian and Iraqi nations and serve as a powerful
symbol of their shared resolve.
The Quds commander went on to say that the Iraqi
government's decision ---- and the Iraqi people's
widespread preparations.. to host the historic
funeral reflected the profound spiritual bond
between the two neighbouring nations.
He also stated that the late leader's support for the Iraqi
people, together with the role of Iraq's religious
authorities, had paved the way for the fight
against the Daesh Takfiri terrorist group
alongside Iraqi volunteer forces.
Qaani also referred to the assassination of General Qassem
Soleimani and Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis in a US strike near
the Baghdad airport in 2020, saying the 2 commanders
had become shared symbols of sacrifice ---- for
both nations.
"The unparalleled funeral of our martyred Imam in Iraq, like the
magnificent funeral processions of Martyrs Soleimani and Abu
Mahdi al-Muhandis, will strengthen the clenched fists of the
two nations against US conspiracies and further reinforce
the pursuit of justice," Qaani said.
Separately on Tuesday, Nassif Jassim al-Khattabi, governor
of Karbala and chairman of the province's higher security
committee, announced that the Iraqi authorities had
completed extensive security and logistical
preparations for the funeral ceremonies
in Karbala.
Speaking to Iraqi media, Khattabi described the event as one of
great national significance for both the Iraqi government and
people, saying numerous coordination meetings had been
held with federal military commanders, the prime
minister's office, and service agencies,
to ensure the smooth organization
of the ceremonies.
He said mourners and delegations would begin arriving in
Karbala on Wednesday, confirming that comprehensive
security, transportation, and public service plans had
been finalized in coordination with the holy shrines.
According to the governor, the funeral will be held in three
stages, beginning with an official state ceremony on
Tuesday evening, followed by a funeral procession
in Najaf on Wednesday.. before concluding later
that afternoon in Karbala.
Khattabi predicted a massive turnout, saying mourners
from across Iraq were expected to travel to Karbala
for the ceremony.
He added that Wednesday had been declared an official
holiday in the province to facilitate the event and to
ensure the effective implementation of security
and public service measures.
Earlier, Lieutenant General Saad Maan, the spokesman for the
special media committee organizing the ceremonies, said the
procession route in Najaf ....would extend approximately six
kilometres from Al-Sadrain Overpass to the Shrine of Imam
Ali, while the route in Karbala would cover 5.8 kilometres.
He said extensive welfare and health measures - have been
put in place, including the deployment of 351 service tents
in Najaf, more than 400 in Karbala, and 150 ambulances
along the funeral routes... to provide medical support
for the participants.
Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei was assassinated, alongside
some of his family members, on February 28, the first day
of the 40-day illegal war of aggression waged by the
US and the Israeli regime ---- against Iran.
Image: True Independence Day --- for Solomon Islands.
Today, July the 7th, is
True Independence Day
--- for Solomon Islands.
Beginning in the 1840s, and accelerating in the 1860s,
islanders began to be recruited (or often kidnapped)
as labourers for the colonies in Australia, Fiji and
Samoa, in a process known as "blackbirding".
Conditions for workers were poor and exploitative,
and local islanders often violently attacked any
Europeans who appeared on their islands.
In June 1893, Captain Herbert Gibson of HMS Curacoa
declared the southern Solomon Islands to be a
British ''protectorate''.
There were almost permanent rebellions from that moment.
The murder of colonial administrator William R. Bell, by
Basiana of the Kwaio people on Malaita in 1927 - as
Bell attempted to enforce an unpopular head tax,
led to the Kwaio people being killed and
Basiana and his companions
being executed.
The official name of the British administration was changed
from the "British Solomon Islands Protectorate" to "The
Solomon Islands" in 1975, and self-government was
achieved the following year.
''Independence'' was obtained, and the name
changed to just "Solomon Islands", in 1978.
After ''independence'', Solomon Islands
became a constitutional monarchy.
Since then, there have been rebellions,
riots, and almost permanent ethnic
conflicts -- the British responding
with ''de-lousing'' clamp-downs.
China offered a protection force to bring order,
trade, infrastructure and investment, but
the Prime Minister at the time - was
removed after the required vote
of confidence was betrayed
by a handful of corrupt
assembly members.
The King of Solomon Islands - is now Charles III,
represented by a governor-general appointed
on the advice of the prime minister.
A 2025 report claims one third have no access
to basic drinking water and two thirds have
no access to basic sanitation.
According to a UNICEF report, even the capital's
poor do not have access to adequate places to
relieve their waste, and an estimated 70% of
Solomon Island schools have no access to
safe or clean water for drinking, washing,
and the relieving of waste.
Lack of safe drinking water in school-age children -- results in
high risks of contracting fatal diseases such as cholera and
typhoid. The number of Solomon Islanders living with piped
drinking water has been decreasing.... since 2011.
The Solomon Islands' per-capita GDP of $600 ranks it as a
least developed country, and more than 75% of its labour
force is engaged in subsistence agriculture and fishing.
Most manufactured goods and petroleum products must be
imported. Only 3.9% of the area of the islands is used for
agriculture, and 78.1% is forests.
The Solomon Islands Government
.....was insolvent by 2002.
As of 2022, rough wood makes up two-thirds of the country's
exports --------- worth over SI$2.5 billion (US$308 million).
In 1998, gold mining began - at Gold Ridge on Guadalcanal.
Mineral exploitation in other areas continued. The islands
are rich in undeveloped mineral resources such as lead,
zinc, nickel, and gold. Negotiations are underway, that
may lead to the eventual reopening of the Gold Ridge
mine, which was closed --- after the riots in 2006.
Rennell Island bauxite mine... operated from
2011 to 2021 on Rennell Island, leaving
behind serious ecological damage
after multiple spills.
Solomon Islands' fisheries also offer prospects. A Japanese
joint venture, Solomon Taiyo Ltd., which operated the only
fish cannery in the country closed in mid-2000 as a result
of disturbances. Though the plant has reopened under
local management, the export of tuna has stopped.
The road system in Solomon Islands is insufficient, and there
are no railways. The most important roads connect Honiara
to Lambi (58 km; 36 miles) in the western part of Guadal
canal and to Aola (75 km; 47 miles) in the eastern part.
There are few buses and these ------- do not circulate
according to a fixed timetable. In Honiara, the
capital, there is no bus terminus.
In 2021, the top cause of deaths, according to the WHO,
was ischaemic heart disease, followed by stroke and
diabetes mellitus. In 2018, there were 59,191
confirmed cases of malaria infections.
While English is the official language -- only 1–2% of the
population are able to communicate fluently in English.
Education in Solomon Islands is not compulsory, and only
60% of school-age children... have access to primary
education. There are kindergartens - in various
places - including the capital - but they are
not free. The percentage of government
funding allocated to education was
9.7% in 1998, down from 13.2%
in 1990.
The Human Rights Measurement Initiative (HRMI)
finds that the Solomon Islands is fulfilling only
70.1% of what it should be fulfilling -- for the
right to education, based on the country's
level of income, and only 45.4% ....for
secondary education.
Radio is the most influential type of media in the Solomon
Islands - due to language differences, illiteracy, and the
difficulty of receiving television signals in some parts
of the country. The Solomon Islands Broadcasting
Corporation (SIBC) operates public radio services
including the national stations Radio Happy Isles
1037 on the dial, and Wantok FM 96.3, and the
provincial station... Radio Happy Lagoon,
among others.
In 2017, Solomon Islands was visited by 26,000 tourists,
making the country one of the least frequently visited
countries of the world.
Happy True Independence Day!!!
1,150 health professionals, organizations
launch petition ---- to boycott Israeli
medical association over
Gaza genocide
June 26th, 4:20pm
(PressTV)
More than 1,150 health professionals and medical organizations
have signed a petition --------- demanding a boycott of the Israeli
Medical Association (IMA), saying it is directly complicit in the
ongoing genocide against Palestinians ------ in the besieged
Gaza Strip.
The signatories, are urging the World Medical Association (WMA)
to expel the IMA over its complete silence on Israel’s systematic
destruction of Gaza’s health infrastructure, as well as the killing,
abduction, and torture of Palestinian doctors, nurses, and
first responders.
Led by the People’s Health Movement (PHM), Doctors for Gaza,
and the Health Advisory Council of Jewish Voice for Peace,
the petition also calls for the WMA to suspend the Israeli
body for its blatant failure.. to uphold core medical
ethical standards.
Among the hundreds of signatories are Spain’s Health Workers
for Palestine, the US-based Doctors Against Genocide, and
the Health Alliance for Democracy in the Philippines.
The petition, recently published in The Lancet, the world’s
leading medical journal, states that the IMA has violated
medical ethics and international humanitarian law... in
the besieged strip.
The Lancet noted that it could not find any public statements
from the IMA ---- condemning Israeli attacks on Gaza’s health
system, criticizing the regime’s conduct in the war, calling
for a ceasefire, or responding to UN reports documenting
genocide against the Palestinian people.
Instead, the IMA has repeatedly echoed Israeli regime talking
points, including the unsubstantiated claim that the Hamas
resistance movement uses hospitals as command centres.
In recent months, there has been a growing international
campaign to suspend Israel from the WMA and boycott
Israeli doctors and medical institutions.
A report by the Euro-Mediterranean Human Rights Monitor,
in April 2026 highlighted the IMA’s failure to condemn the
Israeli military’s repeated attacks on Gaza’s hospitals.
The report stated: “This incitement .....was supported by
institutional cover from the IMA, which not only failed to
condemn the targeting of the health system but also
lobbied to block international ceasefire calls,
prioritizing military alignment ---- over its
humanitarian duty to protect life.”
In mid-June --- the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR),
the largest Muslim civil rights organization in the US, welcomed
international medical groups’ calls for Israel’s suspension from
the WMA.
In late 2023, a group of Israeli doctors, including dozens of
practicing physicians, published an open letter explicitly
calling for the bombardment of Gaza’s Al-Shifa Hospital,
describing the territory’s health infrastructure as a
“legitimate target.”
The IMA.... took no disciplinary action against them.
Al-Shifa Hospital was among dozens of medical facilities
in Gaza that were repeatedly bombed and raided by
Israeli forces. Scores of hospitals and health
centres ---- were destroyed ---- or
rendered inoperable.
In December 2024, Israeli troops stormed
Kamal Adwan Hospital in northern Gaza.
According to Euro-Med Monitor, medical staff and
displaced civilians sheltering there --------- were
executed during the raid.
The hospital director, Dr. Hussam Abu Safiya, was
abducted and remains in Israeli custody, where
he is subjected to severe mistreatment ----
and torture.
The Israeli genocide in Gaza has effectively annihilated
the Strip’s entire medical system. Airstrikes combined
with a criminal blockade have pushed the remaining
hospitals to the brink of total collapse, leaving
critically injured patients...... without
adequate care.
With severe shortages of medicine, equipment, and fuel,
doctors in Gaza warn that many more lives will be lost
as the Zionist regime’s siege continues to strangle
the healthcare system.
The systematic targeting of civilian infrastructure, medical
facilities, and densely populated areas by the Israeli
occupation has been widely documented ---- as
constituting genocide.
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!
Keir Hardie - Britain's first Labour MP - opposedWorld 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.
____________________
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
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.ukÂÂ
*************************************************
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:
– 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.
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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 !!!
Image: China's rapeseed blossoms this Spring.
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.
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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!
Image: retirement China style
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."
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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 !!!
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.