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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.

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Cuba celebrates 60th anniversary 

of regional student organization

Havana, August 11, 1:35pm

 (Prensa Latina) 

 

Representatives of Cuban students and the world celebrated today 

the 60th anniversary of the creation of the Latin American and 

Caribbean Continental Organization of Students (OCLAE) 

and ratified their support for the Cuban people.

 

At the José Martí Memorial located in the Plaza of the Revolution

 in this capital, they highlighted the work of the Latin American 

student movement in the articulation of the struggle of that 

sector for social rights.

 

The meeting, which was attended by the first secretary of the Union

 of Young Communists of Cuba, Meyvis Estevez, served as a space 

to pay tribute to those who from universities and educational 

centres have contributed to the strengthening of the youth 

movement in the continent.

 

In the central words of the meeting, the president of OCLAE, 

José Alejandro Alonso, underscored the work of the leader 

of the Cuban Revolution Fidel Castro Ruz in strengthening 

the organization.

 

In exclusive statements to Prensa Latina, the student of the 

Higher Institute of International Relations, Solang Padrón, 

stressed the importance of the exchange between 

students from different regions at a time when 

the Caribbean island is facing a blockade 

by the Donald Trump regime.

 

"It should be noted that OCLAE - has been heir to strong anti-

imperialist values and these spaces are of vital importance 

to get closer to other young people who are fighting like us

 for anti-colonialist ideals and even supporting the Cuban 

Revolution," he said.

 

For her part, Camille Mongin, of the Young Communist 

Movement of France, emphasized the need for young 

people from all latitudes to know and be bearers of 

the reality of the largest of the Antilles.

 

"Sometimes we do not realize the social advances that have 

existed throughout these 67 years of Revolution. Therefore, 

we must remember that in Cuba, if there is a very complex 

situation, it is not because of socialism, but because of 

the blockade imposed by the US," he said.

 

OCLAE was created on August 11, 1966, by agreement of the 

Fourth Latin American Congress of Students, as a mobilizing 

& coordinating initiative of the anti-imperialist struggles of 

the student movement of Latin America & the Caribbean.

 

 

_____________________________________________________


 



Axios: US companies have not signed

ONE single oil deal with Venezuela

August 3rd, 2:56pm

(Pravda.EN)

 

US companies -- have not concluded a single oil deal 

with Venezuela in 8 months, despite Washington’s 

statements about the recovery of the industry.

 

This is reported by the Axios portal.

 

According to the newspaper, after statements by US 

President Donald Trump that US companies would 

be able to ''quickly restore'' the Venezuelan oil 

industry, not a single deal was concluded.

 

 



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









































 

 

Israeli army conducts artillery strikes, 

ground incursion, house burnings
in 
southern Lebanon

August 11, 10:58am

 (PressTV)

 

The Israeli military has carried out artillery strikes, a ground 

incursion, and house burnings in southern Lebanon despite 

a ceasefire agreement that took effect on April 16.

 

According to Lebanon’s official National News Agency (NNA), 

Israeli forces discharged machine gun fire towards Wadi 

al-Salouqi in the Nabatieh governorate and bombarded 

the town of Mansouri in southern Lebanon overnight.

 

The Israeli forces also conducted two 

explosions in the Mansouri region.

 

They carried out a major explosion in the Kfar Tebnit area 

of Nabatieh, while the surrounding areas of Nabatieh 

al-Fawqa were subjected to intermittent artillery 

shelling from Israeli positions.

 

Israeli forces set fire to multiple houses in Khiam 

while offensives persisted inside the town.

 

NNA reported that Israeli forces have made advances into 

the western outskirts of Mays al-Jabal, accompanied by 

artillery fire aimed at a residential structure.

 

Israeli drones also flew at low altitude over 

the Zahrani area. There were no reports 

of casualties or property damage.

 

The assaults came just days after the conclusion of the seventh 

round of Lebanese-Israeli discussions, which wrapped up 

on Thursday in Rome... with the sponsorship of the US. 

The talks primarily addressed issues concerning the 

implementation of a so-called framework 

agreement established on June 26.

 

During a cabinet session on Friday, Lebanese President Joseph 

Aoun asserted that Lebanon had achieved “positive progress”

 in the discussions held in Rome regarding border issues 

and detainees.

 

Despite these ongoing negotiations, Israel continues its acts 

of aggression in Lebanon, which commenced on March 2, 

resulting in the deaths of 4,335 individuals and injuries 

to 12,277, while displacing over 1 million people, as

 reported by the Lebanese authorities.

 

Israel maintains its occupation of regions in southern Lebanon, 

with some areas being held for decades and others since the 

war of 2023-2024, as its military has penetrated over 

10 kilometres (6.21 miles) into Lebanese land 

during the current onslaught.

 

 

___________________________________________________

 

 

 

The Lebanese government’s direct talks 

with Israel... ‘pointless’, says top cleric

August 11, 10:20am

 (PressTV)

 

Vice President of Lebanon’s Supreme Islamic Shia Council 

(SISC), Sheikh Ali Khatib, has categorically dismissed 

direct talks between the Beirut government and the 

Israeli regime, stressing that the negotiations are 

pointless and will not yield any benefits to the 

Arab nation.

 

“Surrender to the Zionist regime implies heading towards 

destruction. Israel is actually the enemy of Palestinian 

life in Gaza and the West Bank,” Sheikh Khatib said.

 

“Israeli prime minister [Benjamin Netanyahu] --- has declared 

that the regime will not withdraw its forces from Gaza and 

implement the so-called peace agreements in Gaza.... 

unless Hezbollah and Hamas disarm. If, God forbid, 

the resistance groups relinquish their weapons, 

ordinary people will be massacred and 

slaughtered,” he said.

 

Sheikh Khatib maintained that while the Lebanese authorities 

have declared they would engage in direct negotiations with 

Israel to restore security and peace so that the residents of 

southern Lebanon can return to their homes, Israeli 

officials have announced ----------- they will not 

withdraw from occupied Lebanese areas.

 

The senior Lebanese cleric emphasized that Palestinians were 

massacred in their own villages and vicious atrocities were 

committed against them when they were forced to hand 

over their weapons before 1947.

 

“What was the upshot of the United Nations Security Council 

Resolution 1701 adopted in 2006? Israel did not comply 

with it and continued its aggression, killing more than 

500 people over the course of 15 months,” he said.

 

He went on to say that the Israeli military has destroyed and 

bulldozed villages in southern Lebanon, covering a vast 

swathe of land ..from the Khiam region to Naqoura.

 

“These villages, which were once vibrant with their residents 

and buildings, have been reduced to ruins, and destroyed 

due to round-the-clock explosions,” he said.

 

Sheikh Khatib argued that officials do not acknowledge the 

fact that Israel does not intend to implement the ceasefire 

agreement, and simply says one thing, but does another.

 

He noted that there is an internal and Arab collusion with Israel, 

as certain Lebanese political factions and some Arab countries 

regimes are against Hezbollah and the regional resistance 

groups people, because the latter have thwarted their 

''normalization'' schemes.

 

Sheikh Khatib finally lambasted the Lebanese government’s 

efforts to distance itself from it, characterizing such 

attempts as “naive and stupid.”

 

“The main purpose of these attempts - is to support the Israeli 

occupation of southern Lebanon, help Israel, and give Israeli 

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu a higher chance of 

winning the forthcoming election,” the senior 

Lebanese cleric concludes.

 

 

 

_______________________________

 

 

 

 

Iran won -- both war and diplomacy 

in US-Israeli aggression: Araghchi

August 11, 9:42am

 (PressTV)

 

Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi says Iran has won - on both the 

battlefield and the diplomatic front during the recent US-Israeli 

aggression and the 12-day war - stressing: that the Iranian 

resistance --------- ultimately forced the enemy to 

seek negotiations.

 

Speaking at a Tuesday ceremony to sign a memorandum of 

understanding on cooperation between diplomacy and the 

health sector, to rebuild infrastructure damaged during 

the recent war, Araghchi said the 12-day war, like the 

eight-year Iran-Iraq war, featured “unprecedented 

scenes” of courage and sacrifice by Iranians 

across all sectors.

 

He said the efforts of Iranian men and women ensured that 

people’s livelihoods and access to life, health, hygiene 

and medical services, were not disrupted during 

the aggression.

 

“Iran rendered the world’s largest conventional army incapable 

and defeated it. This is not a slogan; it is a reality,” Araghchi 

said, adding that the Islamic Republic demonstrated to the 

world that it is ---- a resilient and formidable force.

 

The foreign minister said - he has repeatedly heard foreign 

ministers and officials praise Iran’s performance, saying 

that Iranians surprised the world --- by resisting the US, 

Israel, Western regimes, and others supporting them.

 

“Nobody thought that Iran could resist in this way and 

ultimately force the enemy to ask for negotiations,” 

he said.

 

Araghchi noted that the same enemy that called for 

“unconditional surrender” on the first day of the 

war was, 20 days later, seeking negotiations.

 

He added that Iran also demonstrated during the 

diplomatic process that it knew how to defend 

its interests.

 

“I also heard this from various officials, in these exact 

words: ‘You won both the war and the diplomacy,’” 

Araghchi said.

 

“We brought ethics, we brought dignity, and we took 

pride in it,” he added, attributing the outcome to 

the sacrifices made by Iran’s medical and 

resistance sectors.

 

The US&Israel launched unprovoked wars against the 

Islamic Republic on June 13 last year and February 

28, which lasted 12 and 40 days, respectively.

 

The Iranian Armed Forces managed to force the 

aggressors into asking for a truce, during both 

rounds of assaults.

 


 

___________________________________________________

 

 

 

Israel --- manipulated the

2026 Slovenian election

August 11, 11:56am

 (PressTV)

 

A European government that imposed an arms embargo 

on Israel was destabilized and ultimately toppled
by a 
covert, dirty tricks campaign.

 

The Slovenian Liberal Freedom government was targeted by 

a shadowy private intelligence company working on behalf 

of the Zionist entity, known as Black Cube, to influence 

the outcome of Slovenia's general election... earlier 

this year.

 

However, despite Black Cube’s interference, the Liberal Freedom 

Movement still secured more votes than their rivals, but 

insufficient to form a government, and has now 

been replaced by a right-wing coalition.

 

One of the new government's first retrograde steps 

..........was to lift the arms embargo on Israel.

 

Subverting Slovenia: 

 

Today, we will be exposing how a European government, that 

imposed an arms embargo on Israel, was destabilized, and 

ultimately toppled, by a covert dirty tricks campaign.

 

12 days before election day in Slovenia in March this year, videos 

of prominent Slovenian figures during alleged business meetings 

began appearing on the website www.anticorruption2026.com, 

which lists no owners, no editor, or contact information.

 

The meetings were reportedly organized by the alleged British 

investment fund, Stockard Capital, and the purpose of the 

post was to expose the corruption of the government 

and its president, Robert Golob.

 

But Stockard Capital does not exist. It was a fake entity

 used to generate video material of alleged corruption.

 

The whole episode was a sting operation designed 

to topple the incumbent pro-Palestine government.

 

Operatives from Black Cube, a private corporate

 intelligence firm --- staffed by former Israeli 

defense and intelligence personnel, ran 

a hybrid election meddling operation.

 

In March 2026, Slovenian law enforcement, investigative 

journalists, and civil society groups revealed that Black 

Cube executives, including CEO Dan Zorella, & adviser 

Giora Eiland, former head of Israel's National Security 

Council, had made multiple covert trips to Ljubljana.

 

The operatives were accused of orchestration, wiretapping, and 

establishing fake corporate fronts to record Slovenian figures.

 

These selective, edited recordings, which allegedly linked Golob's 

liberal government to corruption, were leaked online --- just days 

before the March 22nd, 2026 national election.

 

In 2025, Black Cube had met secretly with the conservative, 

populist opposition leader, Janez Janša, who amplified the 

leaked tapes during his campaign.

 

Prior to the election, Slovenia had established one of the 

most vocally anti-Netanyahu, pro-Palestinian stances 

in the EU.

 

The Golob administration had formally recognized Palestinian 

statehood, imposed a complete arms embargo and transit 

ban on military equipment destined for Israel ---- and 

imposed an unprecedented travel ban on Israeli 

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and 

far-right ministers.

 

Because of these policies, analysts and former government
ministers suggested... that the progressive leadership 

in Slovenia --- had become a target for political 

neutralization and external pressure 

by pro-Israel actors.

 

The subversion campaign.... triggered a massive diplomatic crisis. 

PM Golob formally requested that the EU Commission investigate 

the incident, labeling the private spy operation --- a grave hybrid 

threat against the EU.

 

Janez Janša won the elections, and his new right-wing government 

immediately made a sharp U-turn in foreign policy by lifting the 

Israeli arms embargo, reversing travel bans, lowering the 

Palestinian flag from government buildings, and moving 

Slovenia's embassy....... to Jerusalem/Al-Quds.

 

Slovenia had been successfully neutralized.

 

Black Cube is a secretive intelligence and dirty tricks firm created 

in the settler colony, with offices in London and Madrid as well as 

Tel Aviv. It's been implicated in subversion and covert dirty 

tricks ----------- in 60 countries.

 

It claims not to work for Israeli clients or the 

Zionist regime, but such claims --- are false.

 

Black Cube operates in a similar space to other Israeli tech 

startups such as NSO Group, Pegasus Spyware, Celebrate, 

Intelixa, and Predator spyware.

 

These entities leverage Israel's intelligence community's 

expertise and appear to pursue the Zionist regime's 

expansionist aims.









































Image: Independence Day in Chad








Today, August the 11th, is

 

Independence Day in Chad.

 

Independence Day in Chad is celebrated on August 11 each year to 

commemorate the country's liberation from French colonial rule in 

1960. Today marks a step in the long struggle for independence, 

which began after the establishment of Chad as a French

''protectorate'' in the late 19th century. 

 

The country gained ''independence'' under the leadership of 

François Tombalbaye, who became the first president of 

the newly independent nation, but still as a member 

of a ''reformed'' associate union with France. 

 

The conventional narrative... underplays France’s economic 

motivations and fails to address the depth of subsequent 

French meddling, post-independence. Most recountings 

romanticize the independence moment..... ignoring its 

orchestration from Paris to maintain indirect control. 

 

The most crucial understanding is how Chad’s independence 

was not a clean break - more a new chapter of geopolitical
manipulation. This strategic retreat by France, is a key 

example of neo-colonialism.. laying the groundwork 

for future turmoil instead of a long-hoped stability.

 

(François) Tombalbaye, a southern trade union leader, who 

became the first president of the republic, In March 1961,

achieved a fusion of the PPT with the main opposition 

party, the National African Party (PNA), to form a 

new Union for the Progress of Chad. An alleged 

conspiracy by Muslim elements, however, led 

in 1963, to the dissolution of the National 

Assembly, a brief state of emergency, 

& the arrest of the leading ministers 

formerly associated with the PNA. 

 

Only government candidates ran in the new elections 

in December 1963, ushering in the one-party state.

 

President F. Tombalbaye replaced the PPT with the

Mouvement national pour la révolution culturelle 

et sociale (MNRCS); he applied Mobutu's policy 

of 'returning to authenticity'. 

 

On 13 April 1975, a military coup d'état overthrew him and installed

General Félix Malloum. Ever since, Chad has experienced severe 

political instability defined by civil wars and coups d'état 

(Hissein Habré, Goukouni Weddy). 

 

The economy was/is based on agriculture and livestock.
The 
discovery of oil provided new resources for Chad
--- while 
exposing it to additional French control.

 

In addition to internal conflicts - at the beginning of the
21st century Chad had problems along its border with
neighbouring countries Niger, the Central African
Republic, and Sudan. 

 

In early 2003 fighting in the Darfur region of western Sudan
sent thousands of Sudanese fleeing to Chad; by early 2005
it was estimated that there were some 200,000 refugees
in Chad. 

 

Chadian troops were drawn into the conflict periodically, as 

Sudanese militias crossed over the border into Chad while 

chasing Sudanese rebels or attacking refugee camps; 

Chadian rebels ..were also suspected of operating 

from bases in Sudan. The governments in both 

Chad and Sudan accused each other of 

supporting rebel activity.

 

In January 2008 an EU peacekeeping force was deployed 

to protect the refugees of Chad, Sudan, and the Central 

African Republic in conflict zones along the borders; it 

was replaced by a large contingent of United Nations 

peacekeeping forces... in March 2009.

 

Chad is still not free of French control.

 

The French language and a CFA currency tying

14 countries to France’s treasury continue 

to have big effects.

 

Recognising the power of the French language, President 

Emmanuel Macron’s administration in 2018 launched a 

drive to offer French lessons in most African cities. 

 

In a speech to students in Burkina Faso that year, before 

the two countries fell out, Macron declared that French 

would be the “number-one language in Africa … and 

maybe even the world”.

 

In military-led Niger, Burkina Faso and Mali, some 4,000 

French soldiers have exited, while Russian troops have

moved in, on request, to help battle armed terrorists.

 

Chad, Senegal and Ivory Coast have since followed suit.

 

“For these countries, it’s about sovereignty,” Beverly 

Ochieng, with the Control Risks consultancy says.

 

“If you have a foreign force in your country, it means you are 

in some way surrendering sovereignty, and these countries 

see it as freeing themselves of that interference.”

 

Today Chad observes its independence day as a public holiday, 

with festivities, political assemblies, and cultural events, held 

to honour the nation's growing freedom and to celebrate its 

history... as part of a proud, wealthy African community, 

and wishes now --- for a future as bright and shining
--- for all 
of its children.












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!


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.



____________________




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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