(Text-only) Rhondda Records Home Page

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

Except Sundays - our day of rest.

Newsflash !

Cuba ---- resists oil blockade ---- and

advances in energy transformation

by Orlando Oramas León

Montevideo, June 22nd, 1:06am

(Prensa Latina)

Cuba today resists a brutal oil blockade but at the same time

advances in the strategy for energy sovereignty, said the

First Deputy Minister of Energy and Mines, Argelio

Jesus Abad.

The senior official spoke with Prensa Latina at the end of a

working visit to Uruguay, where he participated in the VIII

Conference of Energy Ministers of the Community of

Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC).

Abad said that the island is experiencing one of the toughest

tests in its history as a result of the brutal tightening of the

U.S. blockade and the threat of military aggression.

He recalled that since January Washington ''decreed'' the oil

blockade of Cuba, which he declared ....an "unusual and

extraordinary threat" to the sovereignty of the US.

It turns out, he said, to be the pretext that "seeks to suffocate

our people" and threatens to impose tariffs on any country

that exports fuel to Cuba.

In May, President Donald Trump also signed a new Executive

Order establishing other sanctions in the area of energy.

In six months, barely one fuel ship has arrived in Cuba, Abad

said, mentioning several of the effects of the most recent

punishments on the Antillean island.

The Trump administration has intercepted at least seven

tankers bound for Cuba, reducing Cuban oil imports by

80 to 90 percent, he added.

He added that with its actions Washington "intimidates and

threatens all our suppliers in violation of the rules of free

trade and freedom of navigation."

He said that this causes blackouts of up to 30 hours or more

in his country ------- affecting the refrigeration of food and

medicines, with serious humanitarian consequences.

At the same time, he continued, 40 foreign banks have refused

to operate with Cuba and 140 bank transfers were blocked,

many of them related to payments for the purchase of

solar and wind technologies.

He explained that "despite having recovered and having

available more than 1,100 MW of distributed generation,

we are unable to put them into operation due to the

absolute lack of fuel."

He assured... that Cuba is not giving up and is advancing in

its energy transition strategy, based on the development

of renewable sources, energy efficiency and

technological sovereignty.

Our plan, he said, seeks that, by 2030, more than 24% of

electricity generation will come from clean energies,

reducing Cuba's dependence on fossil fuels and

contributing to the global fight against

climate change.

He described the penetration of renewable

energies ----------- as a qualitative leap.

"From just 3% in 2024 - we went to about 10% by the end of

2025, with the installation of 52 photovoltaic solar parks"

that today generate 38% of the energy consumed

during daytime hours.

He also mentioned.. the execution of two photovoltaic mega

projects that will contribute to the stability of the national

electricity system, and the installation of batteries... to

regulate the frequency and prevent system outages.

At the local level, he continued, more than 5,000 social modules

operate in isolated communities, health centres, bakeries and

other basic services, and for the benefit of children with

special conditions ...that require air conditioning.

Abad praised the fact -- that his country achieved the highest

crude oil production in the last seven years by 2025, a vital

effort to feed thermoelectric plants and replace imports.

''They want to paralyze the country, plunge it into asphyxiation,

but we resist and move forward with the goal of achieving

energy sovereignty and resuming our socio-economic

development,'' he concluded.

Pakistan's defense minister:

Iran-US agreement marks

demise of Netanyahu

June 22nd, 8:54pm

(PressTV)

Pakistan’s Defense Minister, Khawaja Muhammad Asif, has stated

that the emerging agreement between Iran and the United States

represents a major blow to the Zionist regime and could spell the

political demise of Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and US President Donald

Trump formally signed a 14-point Islamabad memorandum of

understanding (MoU) on June 18, with the text finalized and

the agreement officially in effect, after months of intensive

negotiations mediated by Pakistan...... with support from

other regional countries.

Under the MoU, the two sides have entered a 60-day

negotiation period, with the goal of reaching a

comprehensive final agreement.

The MoU calls for a permanent end to hostilities across all fronts,

including Lebanon, a phased lifting of US sanctions, a removal

of the naval blockade on Iran, and restoration of commercial

traffic through the Strait of Hormuz ....within 30 days.

Commenting on the development, Pakistan’s Defense Minister

Asif said on Monday the Zionist regime is actively working to

sabotage the Iran-US agreement.

He warned that the successful conclusion of the deal would not

only end Netanyahu’s political career but could also lead to his

legal accountability.

“The Zionist regime is desperate to derail the peace agreement

between the United States and Iran,” Asif said.

“Reaching this understanding can bring about the political

demise of Netanyahu and may even result in his arrest.”

The Pakistani defense minister further said Western powers

are complicit in the Zionist regime’s crimes, stating that its

Western allies have been partners in the genocide being

carried out in the occupied West Bank, Gaza,

and in Lebanon.

Asif’s remarks come amid reports of significant progress in

talks between Tehran and Washington, with Pakistan

playing a notable diplomatic role in facilitating

dialogue between the two sides.

Khawaja Asif, has been one of the most vocal Pakistani

officials in condemning Israeli crimes in recent months.

In earlier statements, he has described Netanyahu’s

criminal actions as an attempt to divert global

attention from the genocide in Gaza --- by

launching attacks on Iran.

He has also compared Netanyahu’s conduct - unfavorably -

to historical tyrants -- calling his policies responsible for

plunging the region into one of the worst humanitarian

tragedies in modern history.

Pakistan has repeatedly condemned Israeli aggression

and expressed strong support for Iran’s right ---- to

defend its sovereignty.

The Pakistani defense minister’s latest comments align with

Islamabad’s long-standing position that regional stability

cannot be achieved........ while the Netanyahu regime

continues its campaign of death and destruction
..with the backing of Western powers.

___________________________________

Tehran has announced the release

of $12 billion in Iranian assets

June 22nd, 8:45pm

(RT.ru)

Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad-Bagher Ghalibaf

announced that the US and Iran had agreed to unlock

$12 billion of Iranian assets - in Switzerland - during

negotiations with the United States. This was

reported by Reuters.

"During the negotiations, the signing of a document
on the unblocking of frozen Iranian assets worth
$12 billion .....was finally agreed upon,"
reports RIA Novosti.

Earlier, US Vice President J.D. Vance said that the US

would benefit from the unfreezing of Iranian assets.

________________________________________________

Iran ------ is at full defensive
readiness in any scenario:

Khatam al-Anbiya HQ

June 22nd, 3:09pm

(Al Mayadeen English)

Iranian military and officials say the armed forces are in full

readiness and reject US threats, highlighting deterrence

strength and wartime resilience ------- while warning

Washington over its rhetoric.

The Iranian armed forces are in a state of full readiness, Iran's

Khatam al-Anbya Joint Air Defense Commander Brigadier

General Ali Reza Elhami affirmed, adding that, "We are

prepared for any scenario on the part of the enemy."

Elhami noted that: "the air defense force... has recorded a proud

history in the Ramadan War, and we emerged.. from an unequal

war with our heads held high," stressing that operational units

across the country stand today with "complete determination

and steadfastness ------- to defend Iran's skies."

US asked for a ceasefire ------ 10 days into the war

In the same context, the political deputy to the commander

of the Islamic Revolution Guard Corps, Brigadier General

Yadollah Javani, revealed... that the US requested a

ceasefire... on the tenth or eleventh day of the

Ramadan War.

Javani indicated that "Iran continued the war until the fortieth

day with the intention of enhancing the level of deterrence

and out of its conviction that America needed to receive

a severe blow."

He said, "In the end, after Iran had formulated and organized its

conditions, the Leader of the Revolution granted permission

to negotiate from a position of dignity."

Ghalibaf: US must be cautious

The statements come amid continued US threats of bombing Iran

if a deal is not reached, despite ongoing diplomatic efforts aimed

at de-escalation and reaching an eventual agreement.

Iranian Parliament Speaker and member of the country's

negotiating delegation, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf,

dismissed recent threats by US President Donald

Trump on Sunday, saying Tehran: "attaches no

importance to US threats" and warning.. that

Iran's armed forces are prepared to respond.

Responding to Trump's remarks, Ghalibaf questioned the

effectiveness of Washington's pressure tactics, asking,

"Do they not think that if their threats had any result,

they would not have reached the state of

helplessness they are in today?"

Ghalibaf renewed his warning to the United States, saying

it would be better for US officials "to be cautious in their

statements," stressing that Iran's armed forces are

ready to respond ------- "in another way."

Source: Al Mayadeen English

_______________________________

Iran delegation leaves Zurich; technical

talks to continue under ‘commitment

for commitment’ framework

June 22nd, 11:12am

(PressTV)

The Iranian delegation that traveled to Switzerland for talks on

implementing a memorandum of understanding with the US

has left Zurich, while expert-level discussions are set to

continue under a "commitment for commitment"

framework, Tehran said on Monday.

The delegation, named "Minab 168," in memory of the

schoolchildren and others... who were martyred on
the first day of the latest unprovoked US-Israeli

aggression against the Islamic Republic,

departed Zurich Airport on Monday.

During its stay, the delegation engaged in intensive and

continuous talks that began on Sunday morning... and

lasted until early Monday, spanning nearly 18 hours.

During this period, the Iranian side held bilateral and

multilateral meetings with Qatari and Pakistani

mediators, plus an 80-minute quadrilateral

session with the US side.

In these discussions, the Iranian delegation demanded

the implementation of Washington's commitments

under the Islamabad-mediated understanding,

which was recently signed by the Iranian

and US presidents.

Also on Monday, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil

Baghaei noted in a post on X that the discussions

focused on implementation of four of the MoU's

14-strong provisions.

He identified the subject matter of the talks as the

understanding's clauses number 1, 5, 10, and 11.

The first clause ---- requires the cessation of aggression on

all fronts, especially in Lebanon, while the fifth one lays

emphasis on Iran's continued sovereignty alongside

Oman in the Strait of Hormuz and the right to

receive service fees for international

transit through the waterway.

According to the MoU - the 10th clause guarantees Iran's

ability to sell oil and petrochemical products throughout

the talks' 60-day span and the 11th provision addresses

the unfreezing of the Islamic Republic's assets.

Baghaei reminded that "under clause 13 of the memorandum,

the start of negotiations for a final agreement is contingent

upon the initiation and continuation of the implementation

of clauses 1, 4, 5, 10, and 11."

The memorandum's fourth provision - demands that the United

States withdraw its troops from the areas surrounding Iran ----

30 days after the conclusion of a potential final agreement.

Baghaei, meanwhile, pointed to a joint statement issued

by the mediating countries, Qatar and Pakistan.

The statement was drafted in consultation with Iran and the

United States, foreseeing implementation mechanisms to

monitor the execution of the memorandum’s provisions,

the spokesperson noted.

According to the official, technical & expert-level

discussions - are set to continue.... with the

participation of Iranian representatives,

headed by Deputy Foreign Minister for

Legal and International Affairs,

Kazem Gharibabadi.

Iran warns ---- of 'heavy, regretful' response to

any violation of US MoUhttps://t.co/3ks1hTlo0b

— Press TV (@PressTV) June 22, 2026

"The basis of the process - is 'commitment for commitment,'

and the Islamic Republic, while monitoring implementation

of the other side’s obligations, will use all its leverage to

ensure those commitments are fulfilled."

___________________________________________

Chile: Signatures to be delivered

to demand Israel's expulsion

from the UN

Santiago de Chile, June 22nd, 12:22am

(Prensa Latina)

Chileans from the group Lawyers for Palestine will deliver today

a communication backed by about 80 thousand signatures and

addressed to the Secretary General of the UN, António

Guterres, where they ask to expel Israel from

that organization.

The formal delivery will be made by jurists Nelson Hadad and

Paula Abugattas, as well as activist Jihad Shahwan, at the

headquarters in this capital of the Economic Commission

for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC), an entity

that belongs to the United Nations.

The aim of the initiative is to get the member states of the

multilateral body to consider excluding Israel from that

forum for violating its founding principles and for the

genocide committed in Gaza.

"We are facing - an unprecedented case in the history of the

United Nations because Israel does not abide by any of the

resolutions issued in favour of Palestine, not even that of

the creation of two states," Hadad recently told

Prensa Latina.

He denounced that Benjamin Netanyahu's regime has

committed the worst crimes typified in the Rome

Statute, such as crimes of aggression, crimes

against humanity, war crimes and genocide.

The communication addressed to Guterres urges him to promote

the implementation of Resolution 377 A (V) --- a mechanism that

empowers the General Assembly to act if the Security Council

does not achieve its duty to maintain world peace due to the

blockade by veto - of one of its permanent members.

In statements to this agency, Carolina Eltit, a Chilean detained by

Tel Aviv when she participated in the Humanitarian Flotilla for

Gaza, called for people ------ to join the petion signings.

It is important to stop Zionism, that each country intervenes

and that governments are not complicit in genocide, he said.

The activist denounced that they were kidnapped in

international waters, beaten, and tortured, some

suffered sexual abuse ....and were tied hand

and foot.

Although they were unable to arrive with the aid, he believes

that the effort was worth it because Israel was once again

a human rights violator and the situation in Gaza --- was

once again - in the spotlight.

Today, June 22nd, is the

Anti-Fascist Struggle Day.

This is a public holiday in Croatia observed on 22 June

and commemorates the formation of the First Sisak

Partisan Detachment, a Communist-led guerrilla

unit during World War II in Yugoslavia, on

June 22nd in 1941, and in general, the

uprising of the anti-fascist Croatian

wing of the Yugoslav Partisans

against the forces of Nazi

Germany, Fascist Italy,

& their puppet state:

The public holiday, was introduced

by the Croatian Parliament in 1991.

The celebration of Anti-Fascist Struggle Day in the Brezovica

Forest near Sisak --- is organized by the Federation of Anti-

Fascist Fighters of Croatia, Sisak.... and Sisak-Moslavina

County. In recognition, delegations of state institutions,

parties, and associations lay wreaths in the memorial

park of Brezovica near Sisak.

Upon marking this historical event, numerous delegations and

anti-fascist organizations... pay homage and lay flowers and

wreaths in the city cemeteries of major Croatian cities.

Expat in Croatia says:

''This day --- is extremely important in Croatian history. The Sisak

Detachment and its members ------- decided to fight against evil.

They feared for their lives and the lives of their fellow citizens.

''Although they fought for their fundamental rights, today, we still

have to fight for many other fundamental human rights and the

rights of vulnerable minorities. We hope this will change very

soon, and everyone will become equal in the eyes of the

Iran --- hails Ireland’s move

to ban --- imports from the

illegal Israeli settlements

May 27th 11:34am

(PressTV)

Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister for Legal and International Affairs

Kazem Gharibabadi hails Ireland’s decision to ban imports from

illegal Israeli settlements, describing the move as a practical

step toward holding the Israeli regime accountable for its

violations of international law.

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

of the Israeli regime is a commendable step toward turning

international law from rhetoric into action,” Gharibabadi

wrote in a post published on social media platform X

on Wednesday.

He pointed to a 2004 advisory opinion by the International Court

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

“established in breach of international law” and said the

ruling obliges states not to recognize the illegal status

created by the settlements or support their

continuation in any form.

“Therefore, buying and selling settlement products is not normal

trade, but economic complicity in sustaining occupation and

whitewashing an unlawful situation," he further wrote.

He added that Western governments that present themselves

as defenders of international law must now match words

with action instead of backing down under pressure

from the Israeli regime, certain US lawmakers,

and powerful business lobbies.

The remarks came as several European countries are moving

toward tougher measures against Israeli settlements built

on occupied Palestinian land.

Dutch Prime Minister Rob Arnoldus Adrianus Jetten said

on Friday that Amsterdam would suspend all economic

transactions linked to settlements in the occupied

West Bank and the Golan Heights.

The measure is intended to “prevent Dutch society from

contributing, through our economic activities, to illegal

occupation & the maintenance of illegal settlements,”

Jetten explained.

Meanwhile, a report by Palestine’s Colonization and Wall

Resistance Commission (CWRC) --- has described 2025

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

documenting over 23,800 attacks by Israeli forces

and settlers ---- against Palestinians.

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

Bet downgraded the classification of settler violence against

Palestinians in the occupied West Bank from “terror attacks”

to “serious incidents,” narrowing the definition of terrorism

to cases involving explicit intent to kill and reducing the

priority of investigations.

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

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

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

22,000 people, according to official figures.

The world and her daughter are calling for a boycott
of the genocidal colonial apartheid state of Israel.

Place yourself on the right side of joy and sorrow
by joining the world's boycott - say ''no'' to evil!

Keir Hardie - Britain's first Labour MP - opposed World War One.

His namesake is stammering his way in the opposite direction.

VVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVV

ROGER WATERS
TO MUSICIANS:-
"BOYCOTT ISRAEL"

Roger Waters formerly of Pink Floyd, in an open letter,
calls on his fellow musicians --- to boycott the Zionist
Israeli regime and follow the example of the cultural
boycott against the ex S. African Apartheid regime.

“Given the inability or unwillingness of our governments
[to act] …. I write to you now, my brothers and sisters …
to ask you to join with me, & thousands of other artists
around the world, to declare a cultural boycott
on Israel,” Roger Waters says in his letter.

Waters says the Zionist regime has been found guilty of
major breaches of human rights and international law
by international organizations, UN officials and the
International Court of Justice.

He touches on two such cases, saying the regime has been
identified as perpetrating the “crime of Apartheid”, including
in a statement on March 9th, 2012 by the UN Committee on
the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, and the “crime of
ethnic cleansing” including in East Jerusalem (al-Quds).

Waters adds that he has been a member of the Boycott,
Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) campaign against the
Israeli regime’s occupation of the Palestinian lands and
Tel Aviv’s violations of Palestinian human rights for 7
years, and now wants other musicians to also join
the anti-Israeli front.

“Please join me and all our brothers and sisters in global
civil society in proclaiming our rejection of Apartheid in
Israel & occupied Palestine, by pledging not to perform
or exhibit in Israel or accept any award or funding from
any institution linked to the government of Israel, until
such time as Israel complies with international law
and universal principles of human rights.”

The former Pink Floyd Musician also says he has recently
faced a boycott by the US media after his November 29th,
2012 address at the UN on behalf of the Russell Tribunal.

In the address, he sought accountability for the Zionist
regime’s violations of the international law and the lack
of United Nations resolve that prevents the Palestinian
people from achieving their inalienable rights,
especially the right of self-determination.

____________________

www.wegottickets.com/thefactory

www.ticketweb.co.uk

browse venues in Wales

www.ticketlineuk.com

02920 230130

Cash tickets from:

The Factory, Porth
Instrumental Music, Penygraig
Spillers Records, Cardiff

For more details visit

www.factoryporth.com
www.facebook.com/TheFactoryVenue
Twitter @TheFactoryPorth
01443 687080

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

Daytime Delights...

Starts at 1pm

The Parc & Dare, Treorchy

Lunchtime Concerts in the Lounge Bar.

Indulge in a delicious cake and a cup of tea
while enjoying music and sing-along songs
from fantastic Welsh musicians.

Ticket information:

The Cultural Services Booking & Information Line:

08000 147 111
or book online at

www.rct-arts.co.ukÃ‚Â

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

Mid Rhondda Modelling Club...

7pm - 9pm

Tonyrefail Comprehensive School
Mid Rhondda Modelling Club

has been running for over 30 years.

We meet on a regular basis

& enjoy making models for display.

We encourage both Gentlemen

and Ladies to attend,
and also young people aged 12+.

However, Young people under 16,
must be accompanied by an adult.

Ticket information

£1 contribution every week. Under 16's free

Telephone Mr. Davies on 01443 686658

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

Comedy In The Laughter Lounge

The Park & Dare Theatre, Treorchy.

COMEDY IN THE LAUGHTER LOUNGE

Join us once a month in the intimate setting
of the Laughter Lounge for some
top notch comedy with some of the
biggest and brightest
rising comedians on the circuit.

Laugh? You'll snort like a pig!

Hilarious - TimeOut.

www.rct-arts.co.uk

Rhondda Records exists to express the Rhondda's
vision --- when it was confident, powerful, caring,
and socialist.

A Rhondda very aware of the media's poisonous
tricks -- how they con working class people into
attacking each other, or racial groups, or, often,
even their best allies and friends... instead of
seeing their real enemies:--- an elite who hate
the very idea that working people can think,
create, or achieve a fairer society.

Thatcher said her proudest achievement was
Blair and New Labour - who parachuted in
careerists and expenses fiddlers - to stop
local Labour members having a say, and
who made genuine socialist MPs leave
the Labour party in disgust and many
members and voters to despair...
and the young to stop voting.

Jeremy Corbyn was always attacked because
he was trying to reverse all that New Labour
corruption --- that's why membership was
flooding in all over the UK.

______________________________________

Get Involved!

– If you feel you’ve been ‘purged’,
take this online survey:

https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/857YMDK

or this one:

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSc0du5YuhPZ8ahI
oxC_b6pvBprmGA4XFdG-0r2dOVYyc4UNFg/viewform?c=0&w=1

– Request all your own data that
the Labour Party holds on you:

http://www.labour.org.uk/pages/privacy

_______________________________________

IF - YOU THINK you HAVE
BEEN UNFAIRLY BARRED:

“Any member who is suspended & intends
to appeal the decision should throw in a
‘Subject Access Request in accordance
with the Data Protection Act’ --- for ALL
data that the Labour Party hold on them.

The Labour Party are Data Controllers and
therefore have to, by law, provide you with
all material/information they hold on you.”

If anyone is in contact with anyone who
was barred from voting --- please can
you pass this info on:

The Labour leadership election was under the
jurisdiction of the electoral reform services.

If you were unfairly deprived of your vote you
can call them on 0208 365 8909 and lodge
your complaint, and inform them of your
Data Protection request.

https://www.electoralreform.co.uk

The notification letters barring new members
did not give a clear reason, or information on
how to appeal, so Vox Political suggests that
anyone in this situation, could also contact
Liz Davies here: http://www.whycantivote.com

She is a barrister --- who can
advise members on what to do.

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

PONCY LABOUR MPS PROBLEM?

A huge drop in working-class Labour MPs,
caused a massive drop in support among
voters with similar backgrounds, reveals
research seeking to explain why support
has dwindled in the party’s heartlands.

The study says past leaders like Kinnock
and Blair made a concerted effort to pick
“more and more middle-class candidates
to run for office, during the 80s and 90s,
as part of an effort to rebrand” -- which
had initial successes at the ballot box.

But this “conscious electoral strategy”
stored up problems, as working-class
voters who initially, just didn’t vote in
response, now seek an alternative.

The solution? Trust each constituency to put
forward its own candidates, and don't impose
‘party-approved’ choices who can't do the job.

Now, unfortunately, there are "entryist" MPs who, for
decades, have been groomed by CIA cold war relic
organisations -- like the Atlantic Council -- and are
now trying to misdirect the Labour Party towards
cuts, a militarised police, and a US war agenda...
- and their anti-Corbyn slant is hobbling Labour.

‘How Can I Deselect My Labour MP?’ A Short Guide
to Reselection and Democratic Accountability
by Eric Sim, excellent free advice here:

http://novaramedia.com/2016/07/13/how-can-i-
deselect-my-labour-mp-a-short-guide-to-
reselection-and-democratic-accountability/

CHRIS BRYANT - SUPPORT THE MEMBERS'
LEADERSHIP CHOICE & POLICIES - OR GO!

Chris Bryant, the Rhondda's dodgy MP,
was on TV -- as soon as the PLP coup
started -- telling us that Jeremy MUST
go, because it was the ONLY way to
act in the Labour Party's interest...

Chris Bryant's voting record:
from TheyWorkForYou.com

On Tuition Fees:

On 27 Jan 2004:
Chris Bryant voted in favour of university tuition
fees increasing from £1,125 per year, to up to
£3,000 per year.

On 31 Mar 2004:
Chris Bryant voted to allow university tuition fees
to increase from £1,125 per year, to up to £3,000
per year.

On 31 Mar 2004:
Chris Bryant voted for the introduction of variable
university tuition fees (top-up fees) of up to £3,000
per year in place of the previous fixed fee of £1,250
per year.

On 31 Mar 2004:
Chris Bryant voted to allow university tuition fees
to increase from £1,125 per year to up to £3,000
per year, and to make other changes to higher
education funding and regulation arrangements.

On 14 Sep 2004:
Chris Bryant voted against: the immediate abolition
of all tuition fees, the re-introduction of maintenance
grants of up to £2,000 for students from low-income
homes, and changes to the country's higher
education system.

On 14 Sep 2004:
Chris Bryant voted to reject the Liberal
Democrat policy of abolition of tuition fees.

On 25 May 2016:
Chris Bryant was absent for a vote on Queen's
Speech - Forcing Schools to Become Academies
- Further Rises in University Tuition Fees

On Human Rights:

Consistently voted for introducing ID cards

Almost always voted for requiring the mass
retention of information about communications

Generally voted for mass surveillance of
people’s communications and activities

On the Environment:

Generally voted against greater regulation
of hydraulic fracturing (fracking) to extract
shale gas

On Special Interests:

Almost always voted against limits
on success fees paid to lawyers in
no-win no fee cases

Generally voted against a
statutory register of lobbyists

On War or Peace:

Generally voted for use of UK military
forces in combat operations overseas

Consistently voted for the Iraq war

Consistently voted against an
investigation into the Iraq war

Generally voted for replacing Trident
with a new nuclear weapons system

On 2 Dec 2015:
Voted to support UK airstrikes in Syria
[without UN authorisation]

On 2 Dec 2015:
Voted to support UK airstrikes in Syria
[without UN authorisation]

On Independence:

Generally voted for more EU integration

____________________________

Chris Bryant Labour MP
From Wikipedia

(aka 1962-1986: Mr Christopher John Bryant
1986-1991: The Reverend Christopher John
Bryant, 1991-2001: Mr Christopher John
Bryant, 2001-: Mr Christopher John
Bryant MP.)

Born in Cardiff, to a Scottish mother & a Welsh
father, Bryant grew up in Cardiff, Wales (where
his father worked for 5 years), and Cheltenham.

He was educated at Cheltenham College, an
independent school for boys in the spa town
of Cheltenham in Gloucestershire, where he
was captain of the school swimming team,
and Mansfield College at the University of
Oxford, where he graduated in 1983, with
a Bachelor of Arts (BA) degree in English.
This was later promoted to a Master of
Arts degree (MA (Oxon)), as per tradition.

After completing his first degree, Bryant began
training to be a priest in the Church of England
at Ripon College, Cuddesdon, in Oxfordshire.
There, he obtained a degree in theology.

Although a member of the Conservative
Party, and an elected office-holder in the
Oxford University Conservative Association,
he joined the Labour Party in 1986, after
leaving Oxford.

He was ordained deacon in 1986 and priest in
1987. He served as a Curate at the Church of
All Saints, High Wycombe, from 1986 to 1989;
then as a Youth Chaplain in Peterborough,
as well as travelling in Latin America.

In 1991 Bryant left the ordained ministry, after
deciding that being gay and being a priest,
were incompatible. Statements made by
Richard Harries, then Bishop of Oxford,
also influenced his decision.

After leaving the priesthood in 1991, Bryant
worked as the election agent to the Holborn
and St Pancras Constituency Labour Party,
where he helped Frank Dobson hold his seat
in the 1992 general election.

From 1993, he was Local Government officer
for the Labour Party; he lived in Hackney and
was elected to Hackney Borough Council in
1993, serving until 1998. He became Chair of
the Christian Socialist Movement.

He is both a member of the Labour Friends
of Israel and Labour Friends of Palestine &
the Middle East. From 1994 to 1996 he was
London manager of the leader-grooming
"charity", Common Purpose.

He was Labour candidate for Wycombe, in the
1997 general election (he lost by 2,370 votes),
and Head of European Affairs for the BBC,
from 1998.

His selection for the very safe Labour seat of
Rhondda, South Wales in 2000, shocked many
people given Bryant's background – gay, an ex-
Anglican vicar, and someone who was a Tory,
while studying at Oxford, and a member now,
of the Henry Jackson Society 'think tank' ---
described by The Guardian newspaper as
'neoconservative'. It is pro-US, pro-NATO
and pro-military intervention, as well as
being fundamentally anti-socialist.

Fifty-two people applied for the candidature
and a local councillor was hot favourite to
win, before Bryant was parachuted in.

In 2004, a photograph of Mr Bryant in his
underpants, which he had posted to a gay
dating website, was published in 'papers.

When an interviewer suggested he was
a 'disgrace to the Rhondda', he replied:
"They can't get rid of me."

His pay, allowances and some expenses:

The basic annual salary for an MP, from
April 1st, 2016 is £74,962. MPs also get
expenses: to cover the costs of running
an office, employing staff, having some-
where to live in London, plus, in their
constituency and travelling between
Parliament and their constituency.

His MP's expenses story:

Chris Bryant changed second home
twice to claim £20,000: the deputy
leader of the House of Commons,
"flipped" his second home twice,
in 2 years, allowing him to claim
almost £20,000 for renovations
and fees.

Chris Bryant, MP for the Rhondda, split over
£92,000 of expenses between 3 properties
in Wales and London --- within five years.

In 2004, he attempted to claim £58,000 to
overhaul his second home in Wales, after
allegedly complaining that properties in
his constituency were "terrace or mine
owners' houses".

Mr Bryant, a former Church of England clergyman,
wanted the money for a new bathroom & kitchen,
and to demolish his conservatory. He'd bought the
detached house for £97,500, under a year earlier.

He submitted a claim to the Commons fees office for
£58,493.26 --- almost 3 times the annual maximum.
He noted that the claim exceeded his allowance.

His alleged justification was disclosed... in
correspondence between Commons officials.
By email, an official wrote: "He had problems
finding a suitable property because in the
Rhondda there is a choice mainly of terraced
property or mine owners' houses." When
approached by the Daily Telegraph,
Mr Bryant said: "I have never said
or thought anything of the sort".

In all, he successfully claimed over £13,000
for renovations, repairs & appliances, in 2004.
Along with other bills, his annual claim was
£20,902.

In April 2005, he flipped his expenses to his flat in
west London, which he bought for £400,000 in April
2002. He also claimed £630 a month for mortgage
interest, along with other bills. After claiming over
£3,600 over 3 months, he sold the flat in July 2005
for £477,000.

Mr Bryant used his profits to buy a more expensive
flat in west London, which was valued at £670,000.
He immediately flipped his second home expenses
there, claiming almost £6,400 in stamp duty, legal
fees and mortgage fees, incurred in the purchase.

He then began claiming interest of £1,000 a month
on the mortgage. He also claimed a further £6,000
a year for the flat's service charge and ground rent.

In all, he claimed £92, 415 in second
home expenses, from 2004 to 2009.

Mr Bryant said at the time: "I moved flat in
London, so as to be closer to Parliament."

Research by Channel 4 News in 2015 found that
at least 46 MPs had this kind of system in place
– a move one Labour backbencher described as
“a new fiddle”. Channel 4 reported then:

“Our investigation found that many of the MPs
bought their London properties with the help of
the taxpayer, when a previous expenses system
allowed them to claim back mortgage payments.
But when those claims were banned, following
the expenses scandal, they switched to letting
out their properties, in some cases for up to
£3,000 a month. They then started claiming
expenses for rent and hotels in the capital.”

Among those identified was Chris Bryant, shadow
leader of the House of Commons. He had already
bought a penthouse in London back in 2005 and
claimed around £1,000 a month in mortgage
claims under the old system.

But after the expenses scandal, he started renting
the property out. It’s since been advertised by estate
agents as having a private lift and a porter, with rent
at about £3,000 a month. Meanwhile, Bryant moved
into a new flat;- claiming his own rent on expenses.

Russian/Scottish scientists hail long-range
secure quantum communication system.

A group of scientists from ITMO University
in Saint Petersburg, Russia, has developed
a new approach to constructing quantum
communication systems for secure data
exchange.

The experimental device based on the results of the
research is capable of transmitting single-photon
quantum signals across distances of 250 klmtrs
or more, which is on par with its cutting edge
analogues, the ITMO press-service says.

"Now researchers are on a mission -- to create
a fully-fledged quantum cryptographic system,
that will generate & distribute quantum keys
and transmit useful data simultaneously",
ITMO says.

Information security is becoming more and more
of a critical issue not only for large companies,
banks and defense enterprises but even for
small businesses and individual users.

But the data encryption algorithms we currently
use for protecting our data are imperfect - in the
long-term, their logic can be cracked. Regardless
of how complex and intricate the algorithm is,
getting around it, is just a matter of time.

Unlike algorithm-based encryption, systems
that protect information, by making use of
fundamental laws of quantum physics, can
make data transmission totally immune to
hacker attacks, in the future.

Information in a quantum channel is carried
by single photons that change irreversibly
if an eavesdropper tries to intercept them.
The legitimate users will instantly know
about any kind of intervention.

Researchers at the Quantum Information Centre
of the International Institute of Photonics and
Optical Information Technology at ITMO Uni.,
Russia, along with their colleagues from the
Heriot-Watt University, in Edinburgh, have
devised a new way to generate and
distribute, quantum bits.

This makes it possible to share quantum signals
--- via optical fibres --- 250 kilometres in distance.

"To transmit quantum signals, we use the so-
called side frequencies," says Artur Gleim,
head of the Quantum Information Centre,
at ITMO University,

"This unique approach gives us a number
of advantages -- such as a considerable
simplification of the device architecture
and the large pass-through capacity of
the quantum channel. In terms of bit rate
and operating distances, our system is
comparable to absolute champions in
the field of quantum communications."

According to Robert Collins, research associate
at the Institute of Photonics & Quantum Sciences
at Heriot-Watt University, and one of the authors
of the study, this may become a pivotal point for
the whole field of quantum communication and
cryptography:

"Down the track, this new approach can enable
smooth coexistence of numerous data streams
with different wavelengths in one single optical
cable. On top of it, these quantum streams can
be fed into the already existing fibre optic lines
--- along with conventional communications."

The research paper is published
in the Optics Express journal.

Scottish universities are to be
congratulated for their strong
& growing links with Chinese
and Russian universities....

What a shame, that Wales is
lying low --- with academics
too scared to break from
US military research.

KILLING THE ELDERLY BY CLOSING CARE HOMES

Did you know that each time a local authority

closes a care home for the elderly, within 8

months, around half the residents are dead?

Campaigners liken the cuts and their effect
to euthanasia of the UK's elderly.
What to do?

We can start by urging our MPs to sign EDM 2251:

EDM 2251: The contents

This House notes with deep concern the worsening
crisis for elderly care as growing numbers of local
authority and private care homes face closure

Acknowledges concerns that the loss of elderly
people's care homes causes fear, anxiety and,
in many cases, a higher mortality rate, when
vulnerable, elderly people are forced to
leave their homes

Further notes that the Southern Cross crisis
will increase needs for local authority care

And therefore calls on the government to
hold a public inquiry into the deaths after
closures, of local authority care homes,
and impose a moratorium on the closure
of local authority care homes, until that
inquiry publishes its results, to ensure
that vulnerable, elderly people's lives
are not put at further risk.

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

MAKING THE CONNECTION IN WALES

Households across three more English areas
will be able to access superfast broadband
in the latest phase of a Government scheme
to connect rural homes and businesses.

The £50 million funding package for Devon and
Somerset (£30 million), Norfolk (£15 million)
and Wiltshire (£4 million) will aid the roll- out
of superfast broadband services unable to
be reached by the market alone.

Areas will also receive financial support from
their local authorities and private investors,
the Department for Culture, Media and
Sport says.

So it's Broadband Heaven for England...

and crapola for Wales' broadband - the

slowest, worst Broadband in the UK !!!

Lib Dems in Scotland might have received a
pummeling for Clegg and his betrayals, yet,
in Scotland, their campaign centred on it
becoming the "most connected country in
Europe," to massively boost their economy.

In Wales, which political party is now
willing to put into practice scientists'
recommendations: that Wales' hilly
topography requires establishing

free 'wireless' broadband?

It could connect the people of Rhondda and the
world, boosting Wales' economic regeneration,
like no other move. Wireless technology is now
supplying free broadband to an entire island
off New Zealand's coast.

Come on; if New Zealand can do it - so can we !!!

Western China has embraced "green-mode
development" - with painful changes
from which, Wales could well learn.

Eastern China has seen fast growth and
urban mess. The West, a mining and
agricultural area, has not.

Xi'an Chan-ba Ecological District, is a model
for reclaiming old mining areas.

It took six hard years, but now Xi'an is showing
the world how best to change, by turning a
badly polluted rubbish landfill site, into an all
new environment-friendly development.

As China's economic focus moves from east to
west, it's using the lessons learned during 30
or more years of rapid industrial development.

The green way for China's west, is to combine
green industrialization & green urbanization.

The western region's strategy is to adopt
effective energy-saving and environmental
protection technologies... AND to extend
its industry through science and products
unique to China's West, together with strong
vertical growth in agriculture and all its
ancilliary economic & professional spin-offs.

In undertaking this industrial revolution, the
western region will keep a sharp eye out - to
avoid all polluting non-sustainable industries.

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

A BIG DROP OF HONEY !!!

Spring is beekeeping and honey-processing
season in Yunnan province, in China.

Waves of bees flit across vast fields of flowers.

Local beekeepers and many from other places,
such as Sichuan and Fujian provinces - set up
their base in tents among the rapeseed farms.

The 430,000 hectares of rapeseed blooms in
Luoping attract myriads of bees, which
produce 15 - 20 million tons of honey a year.

Local people now look to brand their county
as a honey production base & increase sales
to outside markets.

Luoping Tianyuanmiyu Bee Industry Co Chair,
Zhu Hongkun, founded his enterprise in 2009.

It mainly produces honey, propolis and
propolis powder.

His company works with 270 plus beekeepers,
who each earn 80,000 yuan a year on average.

Some earn 200,000 yuan annually, Zhu says.

Who says beauty endowed by nature isn't worth a fortune?

The whole of the uplands of south Wales could
be as beautiful & productive, if used wisely!

CHINA's PREMIER POINTS WAY FORWARD

As the Tories threaten a "bonfire of the Quangos",
perhaps Wales should take note. Now extracting
all our mineral wealth has been stopped (apart
from sand and rock) we find ourselves "in" the
1st World of the UK, but with a 3rd World
economy, only just kept going by quangos
which promise much... but deliver little...
and rely on weak public support.

We could WAKE UP & understand that we either
do something, or stay as begging bowl cases.

China's premier points the way forward for Wales:

"Industrial restructuring is the key... only by
developing energy-efficient, indigenous innovative
and high value added products can our companies
and economy, achieve sustainable development."

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

WHILE FRANCE, GREECE, IRELAND, ETC, STRUGGLE TO
STOP THE PENSION AGE RISING HIGHER AND HIGHER...

An online survey on qq.com, a popular Chinese
news portal, finds that 91% of its over 800,000
respondents, are against raising the current
official Chinese retirement age.

745,123 of those surveyed say they oppose
raising retirement ages -- 72,456 support it.

China's scholars & the public have been debating
whether to raise the retirement age, for the past
few years, but the issue rose to prominence after
remarks by an official.

Wang Xiaochu, the official vice minister of the
Ministry of Human Resources & Social Security,
said at a press conference that the government
was "studying the matter"...

The retirement age in China is generally set
at 60 for men and 50-55 for women.

Wow! Bet you didn't know that !!!

FARMING AND SCIENCE
COULD REGENERATE WALES

A new UN General Assembly report warns
"vast areas" of cultivated land are lost each
year, and that this could lead to unrest.

The report says up to 30 million hectares,
an area the size of Italy, is lost each year
to environmental degradation, industry &
urbanization - the growth of cities - and all
because of speculative building and greed.

The UN special rapporteur Olivier De Schutter,
gives the example of eastern Africa, where
the amount of cultivated land has declined
by half --- in just one generation! "

As rural populations grow and competition
with large industrial units increases, plots
cultivated by smallholders are shrinking
year after year," says De Schutter.

"Farmers are often relegated to soils that
are arid, hilly or without irrigation."

The UN officer also mentions India as another
example, where the average landholding fell
from 2.6 hectares in 1960 to 1.4 hectares in
2000. A cut of nearly half in 40 years!

He says 500 million small farmers suffer
from hunger, partly because their right to
land is being violated.

The expert warns of the devastating
consequences, as foreign investors
compete for larger and larger areas of
the world's land for "their" agriculture.

Rhondda Records says Wales could rebuild
its new economy by basing it on a fresh
approach to high-value added products,
using science and agriculture... such as
the Altzeim project in Gwent.

What have we got to lose?