(Text-only) Rhondda Records Home Page

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

'Israel' kills 16 Palestinians in Gaza;

11th infant freezes to death

November 14th, 1:04pm

(Al Mayadeen English)

Two Palestinians were killed and several others were wounded

when an Israeli drone targeted a group of residents near the

Abu Sharkh roundabout, west of the Jabalia camp in the

northern Gaza Strip, Al Mayadeen’s correspondent in

Gaza reported.

In central Gaza, Israeli vehicles opened

fire northeast of the al-Bureij camp.

“He was still wearing his wedding suit.” It was supposed to be

Anwar al-Muqata’a’s wedding day. Instead.. he spent it at his

friend’s funeral in Deir al-Balah, central Gaza. On November

12, 2026, his close friend Nash’at Fuad Awad, 26, was

driving Anwar and his bride..... to their wedding

photographs. Anwar had stepped out of the

car with his bride for pictures and was

walking back.... when an Israeli

occupation drone ---- fired a

missile at the car, killing

Nash’at inside it.

“The groom is our friend. The driver is my friend,” says one of

their friends who was there. “There’s no joy left. We stopped

everything.” Anwar went straight from his wedding photos

to carrying Nash’at’s body, and buried him at the Deir al-

Balah cemetery still dressed in his wedding suit. That

same day, Israeli occupation strikes killed at least 11

Palestinians across Gaza -- more than a year into a

ceasefire that was supposed to let people live.

Source: alkhatibmohmmed (IG)

— Translating Falasteen (Palestine)

(@translatingpal) November 14, 2026

Israeli vehicles - opened fire east of Khan Younis in the

south. Israeli forces carried out demolitions in the city.

16 Palestinians killed in 48 hours

The Palestinian Ministry of Health in Gaza reported that

hospitals in the Strip received 16 Palestinians killed

and 68 injured over 48 hours.

Since the "ceasefire" took effect on Oct. 11, 2025, the Ministry

said, 1,643 people have been killed and 5,964 others have

been injured in Gaza, while 850 bodies of Palestinian

martyrs have been retrieved.

9-month-old infant dies from severe cold

The cumulative toll since the start of the genocide now stands

at 74,695 killed and 176,093 injured, according to the ministry.

The Ministry added... that 21 deaths were added to the

cumulative toll after their data were completed and

approved by the committee that certifies deaths.

It said the last update to the toll was made on

Nov. 7, 2026.

Gaza is flooding not just from heavy rainfall - but because Israel

won’t allow construction equipment in, preventing Palestinians

from building homes and relegating them to tents. This is all

part of Israel’s genocide and systematic destruction

of Palestine. https://t.co/a44WjqRojK

— Power to the People (@ProudSocialist) November 8, 2026

The Ministry also reported.. that a 9-month-old infant froze

to death, bringing the number of cold-related deaths to 11.

This is happening as "Israel" continues its genocide in the Strip,

as winter sets in for Palestinians in Gaza amid a lack of basic

necessities caused by the total Israeli blockade.

Source: Al Mayadeen + Agencies

_______________________________________

US denies visa to Palestinian pastors

due to speak about Gaza genocide,

Israeli settler violence

November 14th, 5:19am GMT

(PressTV)

Organizers said the State Department denied his visa

for alleged “security reasons,” preventing him
from describing the Israeli attacks on

Palestinian communities.

Father Issa Thaljieh, Greek Orthodox parish priest

at Bethlehem's Church of the Nativity (file photo)

The US State Department has denied visas to two Palestinian

Christian priests who were due to attend events about the

Israeli genocide in Gaza ---- and settler violence against

Palestinians in the West Bank.

Father Issa Thaljieh, priest at Bethlehem’s Church of the Nativity,

was due to address a Christian gathering near the US Capitol

on Monday.

Organizers said the State Department denied his visa for

alleged “security reasons,” preventing him from

describing Israeli attacks on Palestinians

and Palestinian communities.

“A parish priest from Bethlehem, treated as a threat. That

should worry all of us,” Laila Mokhiber of Orthodox

Christians for Palestine (OCP) said, adding, “It

means the people living through this are

being kept from telling us about it.”

The second priest, Munther Isaac, head of Bethlehem’s

Christmas Lutheran Church, was also denied a

US visa last week.

He had planned to attend a Christian convention in Atlanta

and address US evangelicals ------- about the dangers of

Christian-Zionist theology.

Isaac said the convention aims to bring Palestinian

Christians before US audiences and challenge

theology supporting the regime.

The Washington gathering... would bring together

Christian leaders from around the world calling

for an end to US arms transfers to Israel.

They would read names from the Gaza Children’s Shroud,

a 120-yard cloth bearing more than 20,000 names of

children killed in Gaza since October 7, 2023,

when the regime launched its genocidal

war on the territory.

According to Gaza’s Health Ministry, at least 74,653

Palestinians have been killed & 176,007 wounded

in Israeli attacks on the Gaza Strip since the

US-enabled genocide began.

The organizers will also demand that the Congress

hold Israeli forces and settlers accountable for

their attacks on Palestinians in the Occupied

West Bank.

According to the UN Office for the Coordination of

Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), Israeli forces and

settlers have killed at least 1,216 Palestinians

and wounded 13,300 others, including since

October 7, 2023.

_______________________________________________

Failure to hold the United States and Israel

accountable ------ puts all countries at risk

November 13th, 11:49pm GMT

(Pravda.En)

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi called on the

international community to hold Washington and

Tel Aviv accountable for starting a war in the

Middle East. In an article for Kyodo News,

he warned --- that the unpunished use of

force by influential countries threatens

the international order.:

If force is allowed to prevail over the law, Iran will not be

the only victim. The foundations of the international

legal order and the authority of the UN Charter

itself will also be under threat. If - the States

responsible for aggression go unpunished,

the security of no country can be taken

for granted.

According to him, the UN Security Council did not authorize

attacks by the US and Israel on Iran, and references to

possible future threats do not justify force. He called

on Washington: to stop aggression, respect Iranian

sovereignty ------ and compensate for the damage.

Source: Telegram "lomovkaa"

_________________________________________

Yemeni forces make major advances,

complete their encirclement of Aden

November 13th, 11:03am GMT

(PressTV)

Yemen’s Armed Forces -------- make major advances against
Saudi-backed militants south of the Bab el-Mandeb Strait,
officially completing the encirclement of Aden Province.

Yemen’s Armed Forces have managed to make major

advances against Saudi-backed militants south of

the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, officially completing

the encirclement of Aden Province.

Reports said on Friday that the Yemeni forces reached

the coastal strip connecting Aden to Lahij Province.

Saudi-sponsored mercenaries in the areas of al-Suqiya

and Ras al-Ara were given two options, surrender and

face capture, or withdraw without their weapons,

the reports added.

The advances come, as Saudi fighter jets have carried

out dozens of airstrikes to prevent the Yemeni forces

from cementing their gains.

On Thursday, fierce clashes erupted along several fronts

near Kharaz Camp, which is considered one of the main

military support bases for Saudi-backed militants and

houses a large number of warehouses containing

various types of weapons.

Yemeni Armed Forces Spokesperson Yahya Saree:

We carried out six strikes targeting Saudi troop

concentrations at Kharaz Camp and other

positions in Ras al-Arah and Kharaz,

in Lahij province.

The operations resulted in dozens of casualties,

with direct hits. pic.twitter.com/CFRsiv7BbZ

— PressTV Extra (@PresstvExtra) November 12, 2026

Mohammad al-Farah, a member of the Ansarullah political

bureau - announced that the Yemeni forces continue to

advance in Lahij while Saudi-sponsored elements are

experiencing confusion and disarray in their ranks.

Major General Ahmed al-Turki, a commander of Saudi-backed

militants left the frontline without coordination, according to

recent reports. Mahmoud al-Subaihi, a member of the so-

called presidential leadership council, departed Aden...

for Riyadh.

Saudi Arabia waged a devastating war on Yemen in March 2015,

but it failed to reinstall a Riyadh-friendly regime there. In 2022,

the kingdom agreed to a ceasefire with Ansarullah, but still

maintained its land, sea, and air blockade of the country.

A few months ago, Yemen launched operations in response to

illegal Saudi airstrikes - and announced a maritime blockade

in retaliation for the 12-year inhumane siege of the country

by the kingdom.

Since then, Yemen’s Armed Forces have pushed back Saudi-

backed militants and taken control of several areas, now

strengthening control over the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, a

strategic maritime passage between the Red Sea

and the Gulf of Aden.

_____________________________________

Iran --- claims to have

destroyed US radar

in Bahrain

November 13th, 2:35am GMT

(Prensa Latina)

Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) - announced

today that it destroyed a U.S. early warning radar in Bahrain,

in retaliation for an attack on a communications tower in

the south of the Islamic Republic.

In a statement, the military clarified that its air force carried out

the operation --- in response to an attack on a communications

tower in the city of Sirik, Hormozgan province, on Thursday.

The IRGC called the action a "serious warning" to Washington

to cease violations of Iranian airspace - and oil smuggling in

the Strait of Hormuz.

He also assured that his forces are prepared to respond to

further actions of this type and warned companies that

operate under U.S. direction and participate in those

activities -- they will face "more severe sanctions."

So far, the U.S. military and Bahraini authorities had not offered

comment on the attack announced by Tehran. Iran's official

IRNA news agency reported on Thursday.. that the city of

Sirik had been targeted in an attack blamed on "hostile

elements," without offering details of the possible

casualties or material damage.

Today, November 14th, is the

Day of the Colombian Woman

Policarpa Salavarrieta Ríos (c. 26 January 1795 to

14 November 1817), also known by her nickname

of La Pola, was a Neo-granadine seamstress

...who spied for the Revolutionary Forces

during the Spanish Reconquista of the

Viceroyalty of New Granada.

She was captured by Spanish Royalists and ultimately

executed for high treason. The Day of the Colombian

Woman is commemorated on the anniversary of her

death. She is now considered a heroine of the

independence of Colombia.

In 1802 a smallpox epidemic broke out in the capital, killing

thousands, including Policarpa's father, mother, brother

Eduardo and sister María Ignacia.

There is little information about this period in Policarpa's life.

What is known is that she worked as a seamstress, and is

believed to have worked as a teacher in a public school.

At that time.. Guaduas was an important rest stop on the most

important road through New Granada, making it both a centre

of commerce and of news and information. During the war,
Policarpa's family were on the Revolutionary side: her

brother-in-law, Domingo García, died fighting along

with Antonio Nariño in the Southern Campaign,

in which her brother Bibiano also fought.

By the time she moved back to Bogotá in 1817, she was actively

participating in political issues. As Bogotá was a stronghold of
the Reconquista, where most of the population were Spanish

Royalists and approved the take over by Pablo Morillo
- it was very difficult to get in and out of the city.

Policarpa and her brother Bibiano entered the capital with forged

documents and safeguards, and a letter of introduction written
by Ambrosio Almeyda and José Rodríguez, two Revolutionary

leaders; they recommended that she and her brother stay in

Andrea Ricaurte y Lozano's house under cover of working

as her servants. In reality, Andrea Ricaurte's home was

the centre of intelligence gathering and resistance

in the capital.

In Guaduas, Policarpa was known as a revolutionary. Because

she was unknown in Bogotá, she could move freely and meet

with other patriots and spies.... unsuspected. She could also

infiltrate the homes of the royalists. Offering her services as

a seamstress - to the wives and daughters of royalists and

officers - Policarpa altered and mended for them and their

families; at the same time, she overheard conversations,

collected maps and intelligence ----- on their plans and

activities -- identified who the major royalists were,

and who were suspected of being revolutionaries.

She visited the revolutionaries in prison...... bringing them

food, and keeping them informed of the patriot's efforts.

Also, she helped keep tabs on the loyal patriots, by

documenting those who enlisted in the army, as

well as those who donated money or valuable

objects to the war effort.

Policarpa also secretly recruited young men to the

Revolutionary cause; with assistance from her

brother. Together, they helped increase the

number of soldiers ---- the insurgency in

Cundinamarca desperately needed.

Capture

Salavarrieta knew that her capture was near, so she warned the

fellow revolutionaries to destroy incriminating evidence, for her

sake, as well as others. The names of involved patriots was

written on many documents, therefore, Salavarrieta wanted

the documents away from the hands of royal officers.

Policarpa's operations ran smoothly and undetected until

the Almeyda brothers were apprehended while carrying

information back to the insurgents outside Bogotá.

Their information directly linked La Pola to

the Revolution.

The Almeyda brothers and La Pola were implicated in
helping soldiers desert the Royal Army and join the
Revolution;-- transporting weapons, ammunition
and supplies to the insurgents; in helping the
Almeydas escape from prison - when they
were captured in September that year,
and finding them refuge in Machetá.

They had hoped their connection with La Pola could come in

handy in the event of a revolt in the city. The loyalists now

suspected her of treason, but lacked solid evidence to

accuse a seamstress of espionage and treason.

The arrest of Alejo Sabaraín while he was trying to escape to

Casanare was the event that allowed the royalists to arrest

La Pola; he was apprehended with a list of Royalist and

Patriots given to him by Policarpa.

Sergeant Iglesias, the principal Spanish officer in Bogotá -- was

charged with finding and arresting her. Policarpa Salavarrieta

and her brother Bibiano were both arrested at the house of

Andrea Ricaurte y Lozano and taken to the Colegio Mayor

de Nuestra Señora del Rosario, which had been turned

into a makeshift prison.

Trial and death

They were taken to the Council of war and she was found guilty

of conspiring against the Crown. On November 10, Policarpa,

Alejo, and six other prisoners were sentenced to execution

by firing squad, for the morning of November 14, 1817.

The hour chosen for her execution.... was nine in the morning of

November 14. Hands bound, La Pola marched to her death, with

two priests by her side and led by a guard. Instead of repeating

the prayers the priests were reciting, she cursed the Spaniards

and predicted their defeat in the coming Revolution.

It is said that La Pola cursed the Spaniards relentlessly during

the night before her execution. At one point she stopped,

tired and thirsty, and one of the guards offered her a

glass of wine. She tossed the glass right back at

her captors, proclaiming "I would not accept

even a glass of water from my enemies!"

She was to die with six other prisoners .....and her lover, Alejo

Sabaraín, in the Bolívar Square. After ascending the scaffold

she was told to turn her back, as that was the way traitors

were killed. As she was led to her execution, Policarpa

gave heart to the other prisoners ---- and berated her

captors. La Pola, refusing to kneel to the Spanish

firing squad, shouted the following in Spanish:

''Vile soldiers, turn your arms against the enemies of your

homeland... indolent people! How different your fate

would be today - if you knew the price of liberty!

But it is not too late: see that – though [I am] a

woman and young – I have courage enough to

suffer death & a thousand other deaths more.

Don't forget this example. Wretched people

-- I pity you. Someday you will have more

dignity! I die to defend the rights of

my homeland.''

When the squad began shooting, Pola turned

around to face the squad and was murdered.

As was customary, the bodies of Alejo and the other six

prisoners were paraded and exhibited through the

streets of Bogotá ---- to scare off would-be

Revolutionaries. Being a woman, she

was spared this final humiliation.

Her death as a martyr during the Independence

Wars inspired poets, writers and playwrights

to immortalize her, always highlighting

her bravery ---- her courage.

Her memory is kept alive in Columbia and throughout

Latin America, by naming streets, buildings, statues

and even animals after her.

On November 8, 1967, Law 44 was passed by the Congress of

the Republic of Colombia and signed by President Carlos

Lleras Restrepo, which declared in its 2nd Article that

November 14th would be the “Day of the Colombian

Woman” ----- in honour of the anniversary of the

death of “Our heroine, Policarpa Salavarrieta”.

France --- bans Israeli settler leader

Yossi Dagan from entering country

November 11th, 9:25pm

(Al Mayadeen English)

Dagan recently campaigned in Europe and the US

against sanctions and boycotts targeting goods

produced in West Bank settlements.

France barred Yossi Dagan, head of the so-called

"Samaria Regional Council," a settler body in

the occupied West Bank, from its territory

over his role in advancing settlement

construction, France 24 reported.

Dagan said that French immigration officers pulled

him aside for questioning when he landed in Paris

last week, after which he was not admitted.

"During passport control, he was pulled aside and

questioned" before being informed that he was

banned from entering French territory,

according to the statement.

It did not specify the date or the air-

port - where the events took place.

Paris cites international law violations

The French Ministry of Foreign Affairs, did not confirm

the deportation, according to France 24, but stressed

that "Dagan is subject to an administrative ban from

the territory ------- because of his active role in

implementing the settlement policy

in the West Bank."

"Settlement building is contrary to international law

and undermines the two-state solution," it added.

It remains unclear whether Dagan is among the 28 settlers

France sanctioned in February 2024 over abuses against

Palestinians, as the French Foreign Ministry has not

released that list.

Dagan is a prominent figure in the settlement movement.

He has recently campaigned - in Europe and the US -

against sanctions and boycotts targeting goods

produced in West Bank settlements.

The Israeli Foreign Ministry branded the move as “completely

unacceptable” and said “Israel” will demand explanations

from the French government, before considering its next

steps, according to Amit Segal..... chief political analyst

at Hebrew Channel 12, who ralayed the statement on X.

France has banned Yossi Dagan, head of the Samaria

Regional Council, from entering its territory. Israel’s

Foreign Ministry responded: “This is a completely

unacceptable move. Israel will demand

explanations from the French

government & accordingly,

consider its next steps.”

Part of a wider pattern

The ban follows a similar French move in May against Itamar

Ben-Gvir, the Israeli Police Minister who was barred after

posting a video in which he taunted bound activists

detained by Israeli soldiers from a Gaza-bound

aid flotilla. The footage drew international

condemnation.

Relations between Paris and “Israel” have been strained

since "Israel's" genocidal war on Gaza and France’s

recognition of a Palestinian state in 2025.

In September, French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël

Barrot announced a ban on products from West

Bank settlements, that same day, 11 other

countries, including Britain and Canada,

unveiled comparable trade restrictions.

This Monday, the French National Assembly’s

Committeeon Economic Affairs advanced a

Socialist Party bill that would prohibit

settlement imports.

The UN documented more than 800 settler attacks

on Palestinians in the first five months of 2026,

including ----- assaults, arson, and strikes on

homes, olive groves, and other property.

Source: News websites

________________________________________

Iran warns US, 'Israel':

Past strikes were

just the start

November 11th, 9:25am

(Al Mayadeen English)

Iran’s armed forces chief Maj. Gen. Ali Abdollahi

warns the US and "Israel" that any new

miscalculation will be met with

deadlier strikes.

Iran’s armed forces --- have the military capability to target

sources of threat to the Islamic Republic, Major General

Ali Abdollahi, Chief of the General Staff & Commander

of the Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters -- has

affirmed in a note to Brigadier General Sayyed

Majid Mousavi, commander of the IRGC

Aerospace Force, marking the 15th

anniversary of the martyrdom

of Major General Hassan

Tehrani Moghaddam.

Abdollahi - warned the United States and

“Israel” against any new miscalculation.

“The previous strikes ......were nothing but a beginning --- and

any new miscalculation will be met with deadlier strikes,”

he added, stressing that: “this threat is serious and is

based on the actual capabilities and resources of

Iran’s armed forces.”

Elsewhere in his remarks, he asserted that every point

that poses a threat to the existence of the Islamic

Republic of Iran -- would become a direct target

of asymmetric operations by the armed forces.

Abdollahi also praised the IRGC's Aerospace Force

as a source of pride for Iranians ---- and for the

Axis of Resistance.

Unrestricted response awaits adversaries

amid any aggression: IRGC

Abdollahi’s remarks come amid a series of similar warnings

from senior Iranian military officials in recent weeks.

IRGC spokesperson Brigadier General Hossein Mohebbi
reiterated what he said earlier this month, that Iran's

missile capabilities --- would defend the country

without geographical restrictions, stressing

that the US' imitation of Iranian drones

constitutes conclusive evidence: of

the superiority of Iran's domestic

defense industry.

Mohebbi said Iranian missiles had demonstrated the

ineffectiveness of the US-made Patriot and THAAD

air defense systems, adding that the IRGC's Aero-

space Force had established an effective and

sustainable deterrence mechanism against

attacks targeting Iran's infrastructure.

The spokesperson stressed that Iran remains highly

prepared to confront any aggression, warning that

any perceived threat to the Iranian people would

prompt a forceful response.

"If we feel at any time that the enemies of the Iranian

people want to pose a threat, we will deal with it

forcefully through asymmetric operations,"

he said.

Mohebbi also highlighted the Islamic Republic's

technological and military capabilities ----

stating that further developments in

the aerospace sector could be

unveiled... if a third wave
of war erupts.

"Stunning achievements in the field of aviation
and space.. will be unveiled in the event of a

3rd wave of war," he said.

He warned Iran's adversaries -- against any miscalculation,
saying, "If the enemy makes any mistake, our next blows
will be stronger --- and will knock them down for years."

Source: Agencies

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
or 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 at: 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...
- their anti-Corbyn slant is still 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 & 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 the Queen's
Speech - Forcing Schools to Become Academies
- and 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), & 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
& 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 said:
"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 & 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
taxpayers, when a previous expenses system
let them claim back the mortgage payments.
But when those claims were banned, after
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 porter, with rent
at about £3,000 a month. Meantime, 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.