Rhondda Records logo 2
 
Rhondda Records Home Page
 
 
Peace Page
A Page from the Rhondda dedicated to Peace
 
 
One Union
A Page to help unity among working people
 
 
The Miners' Next Step and Donbass news
A pamphlet,a song and a future for loving people everywhere
 
 
Rhondda Records Cartoon Page
A page to help the Rhondda laugh
 
 
Quotations Page
Words said in truth or jest
 
 
Your Health Page
A page to help your health - be positive !
 
 
Africa Page
Africa - news, progress, events
 
 
genuine leftwing Mass events Page
Some activities you just might like to aid Peace
 
 
Discussion Page
Let's open up and share (communicate)
 
 
Poisoning Earth and our terrible fate, if, if, if
Human degradation ruins our beautiful planet
 
 
Siarad Gwmraeg? A page for Welsh patriots
Wales News and our Welsh language News
 
 
Poetry and Literature in Wales & the World, Page
Poetry and Literature in Wales
 
 
Rhondda Records' Top Recommended Books Page
Great Thinkers point the way forward
 
 
Richard Gould's Page
Move over Titch Gwilym and Micky Gee, Richard Gould IS the new Welsh virtuoso
 
 
Efran Kaye's Page
The master of music, Efran Kaye is here!
 
 
Glynbyerful Male (voice) Choir's Very Own Page
a choir from all the Glyns of the Rhondda for nutters
 
 
Rhondda History Page
A page to help those who want to know the Rhonddas past
 
 
Penrhys, Rhondda Page
A page telling the story of a unique magical village - Penrhys, in the Rhondda !
 
 
Poet's Page
music and opinion from Wales' wandering poet.
 
 
The Novel --- as promised
The Boy Who Lived Up A Tree
 
 

Rhondda Records Home Page



Rhondda Records is usually 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.

we're back!


 
Russia keeps on the agenda to 
resume direct flights to Cuba
Moscow, October 5th, 3:15am
 (Prensa Latina) 
 
Resuming direct flights between Russia and Cuba - is still on the 
agenda, the director of the Department for Latin America of the 
Foreign Ministry of the Slavic country, Alexandr Schetinin, told 
Sputnik today.
 
"First of all, this depends on the serious situation that is observed 
today in Cuba. The issue of the resumption of connections is 
on the agenda, but it is undoubtedly an issue that requires 
guaranteeing a whole series of necessary conditions 
that, as we hope, will be resolved as it evolves," 
the diplomat detailed.
 
On January 29, U.S. President Donald Trump signed an order 
allowing the imposition of tariffs on imports from countries 
that supply oil to Cuba, and also declared a state of 
emergency due to an alleged security threat 
from the island.
 
The move --- has further exacerbated fuel shortages 
in Cuba, affecting transportation, food production, 
health and education.
 
According to data from the Caribbean country's National Office 
of Statistics and Information ---- from January to the end of 
March, Cuba received just 298,057 international visitors, 
48 percent less than in the same period last year.
 
The lack of fuel to supply the planes --- led to the suspension 
of direct flights from countries such as Canada and Russia, 
two of the main source markets for tourists to the island.

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


 
Houthis report - another ballistic
missile strike on Riyadh airport
 October 12th, 8:50pm
(Izvestia.ru)
 
On October 12, the military representative of the Ansar Allah movement 
Yahya Saria, said that the rebels struck with a ballistic missile at the 
international airport of Riyadh.
 
"Our armed forces attacked King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh 
with a ballistic missile, the hit was accurate," Saria wrote on the 
Telegram channel.
 
He also reiterated his call on international airlines and travelers to refrain 
from flying to Saudi airports, saying that they are.. unsafe. The exception, 
according to him, are the airports and airspace of Mecca and Medina. In 
addition, a representative of the Houthis reported an unmanned aerial 
vehicle strike on an airbase in the Saudi city of Khamis Mushait.
 
The passenger terminal of Riyadh's King Khalid International Airport was 
attacked again on Sunday, October 11. Turki al-Maliki, a spokesman for 
the Arab coalition against the Houthi rebels in Yemen, led by Saudi 
Arabia, said that the strike fell on terminal No4. A fire broke out 
in the building. Later it became known that one person died 
and 11 more were injured.
 
 
_______________________________________________________________


Riyadh trapped - between war costs &
painful concessions: The Economist
October 12th, 3:59pm
(Al Mayadeen English)
 
Saudi Arabia's renewed war on Yemen, threatens its economic 
ambitions and exposes military vulnerabilities, leaving Riyadh 
facing prolonged conflict --- or costly concessions.
 
Saudi Arabia’s renewed war on Yemen is placing its economic 
ambitions at risk, as attacks on airports and energy facilities 
expose the kingdom’s vulnerabilities while its military 
campaign struggles to achieve decisive gains, 
The Economist reported.
 
The magazine’s assessment points to mounting pressure and
prolonged fighting could disrupt the investment and tourism 
projects central to its development plans, and negotiations 
with the Yemeni Armed Forces would likely require 
significant concessions.
 
Despite years of Saudi-led military operations, the YAF continue to 
control extensive areas of Yemen and retain the capacity to strike 
strategic infrastructure inside the kingdom.
 
Renewed campaign faces uncertain objectives
 
Saudi Arabia’s latest offensive has yet to reverse all the territorial 
gains made by the YAF in September, according to the report.
 
The movement advanced across much of Yemen’s southwestern 
coastline last month, taking control of the port city of Mokha.
 
The YAF have also continued efforts to surround 
Taiz, where opposing forces remain entrenched.
 
The renewed fighting follows the relative calm established by the 2022 
ceasefire, which stabilized front lines without resolving the conflict 
stemming from the Saudi-led war launched in 2015.
 
Saudi Arabia reneged on the truce by launching airstrikes on Sanaa 
International Airport, in an attempt to prevent an Iranian aircraft 
trying to break the more than a decade-long siege on the 
country from landing.
 
People who recently met Saudi leaders told The Economist that 
Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman was determined to 
recover territory lost in September. However, the 
campaign’s objectives beyond that 
remain uncertain.
 
“Whether they have clear goals beyond that,
 I don’t know,” one Western official said.
 
Investment plans face consequences of war
 
The escalation comes as Riyadh prepares to host the Future Investment 
Initiative on October 26, an event intended to reinforce the kingdom’s 
position as a destination for international capital.
 
Organizers said the gathering would proceed in an announcement 
issued hours before the October 10 attack on Riyadh’s airport.
 
However, repeated strikes and flight cancellations have cast doubt 
on attendance and access to the capital, the magazine reported. 
Diverting visitors through other Saudi cities may offer limited 
reassurance, with Dammam’s airport also targeted.
 
The report argued that sustained attacks on transport 
and energy infrastructure could undermine Saudi 
efforts to diversify its economy.
 
That exposure places pressure on Riyadh to resolve a conflict 
in which its military advantages have failed to secure a 
conclusive outcome.
 
Repeated strikes raise air-defense questions
 
According to The Economist, the October 10 attack on Riyadh’s 
airport killed at least 13 people and wounded 309, 
some critically.
 
Witnesses cited by the magazine said missiles struck Terminal 3, 
which handles domestic flights, causing part of the roof to 
collapse. The airport remained closed for more than 24 
hours at the time of reporting, without a confirmed 
reopening date.
 
A further attack on October 11 hit Terminal 4 and caused a fire.
 
The magazine also reported that an October 8 strike killed
three people and destroyed an aircraft belonging to a
Saudi state-owned carrier.
 
Despite the earlier attacks and widespread flight cancellations, Saudi 
authorities had continued operating the airport, a decision the report 
said was facing criticism in the capital.
 
The strikes have raised questions.... about the effectiveness of Saudi 
Arabia’s US-made Patriot and THAAD systems. Although the reasons 
for the failed interceptions remained unclear, the magazine noted 
concerns over shrinking interceptor supplies following months 
of regional warfare.
 
Foreign backing unlikely to secure decisive victory
 
Riyadh has sought additional support from its international partners, 
invoking a mutual-defense agreement signed with Pakistan and 
Turkey in August, according to the report.
 
Pakistan deployed several thousand troops while stating that it 
would not participate in fighting inside Yemen. Britain sent an 
aerial-refuelling aircraft, and France pledged personnel to 
protect a major Saudi oil port on the Red Sea.
 
US President Donald Trump had repeatedly rejected Saudi requests for 
US airstrikes, although he suggested after the airport attack that he 
could reconsider.
 
Nevertheless, The Economist assessed that such assistance was 
unlikely to produce a decisive defeat of the Yemeni Armed Forces.
 
Negotiations would carry their own demands. The magazine suggested 
that the YAF would seek economic benefits, an end to the Saudi 
blockade of Yemen’s airspace, and other concessions.
 
The assessment leaves Riyadh confronting the unresolved consequences 
of its war: continued military operations threaten the economic agenda it 
seeks to advance, while a settlement would require concessions that 
force has failed to avert.
 
 
Source: The Economist
 
 
_________________________________________
 
 
 
1 settler killed, 19 injured in munition 
explosion near Lebanon border
October 12th, 2:51pm
(Al Mayadeen English)
 
Nineteen Israelis were injured in an explosion at Ras Ramim 
near the Lebanon border, with Israeli media citing 
suspected unexploded ordnance.
 
One Israeli teenager was killed, and 19 others were injured, 
several critically, after an explosion in the Ras Ramim area 
of the Upper al-Jalil near the Lebanon border, Israeli 
media reported on Monday.
 
Channel 12 reported that one of those injured in the blast later 
died from his wounds. The broadcaster said the explosion 
occurred after a group of students and teachers on a 
school trip stepped on remnants of war or an 
unexploded shell.
 
Channel 14 reported that preliminary investigations indicated that 
one of the students touched the explosive object and may have 
placed it in his backpack before it detonated. Initial 
assessments suggested the blast may have 
involved a cluster bomb.
 
Meanwhile, Maariv reported that the incident was still ongoing, with 
the occupation authorities continuing to evacuate other 
participants from the site.
 
In a statement, the Israeli military spokesperson said an initial 
investigation suggests that the explosion was “apparently 
caused by a Hezbollah cluster bomb that had remained 
in the area and detonated.” He added that search 
operations and an investigation at the site 
are ongoing.
 
Earlier, the Israeli news website Walla reported that the area 
where the incident occurred had previously been declared 
cleared of explosives by the Israeli military and police.
 
The incident comes days after the Israeli military announced 
that an officer was killed and three other soldiers were 
injured when a military vehicle overturned in 
southern Lebanon.
 
'Israel' kills two Lebanese harvesting olives
 
Just yesterday, "Israel" killed two Lebanese trying 
to harvest their olive trees in South Lebanon.
 
In Yater, in the Bint Jbeil district, Israeli artillery targeted the 
town’s outskirts, killing a retired Lebanese soldier as he 
inspected his land and olive harvest, the National 
News Agency (NNA) reported, according to AFP.
 
In Froun, also in the Bint Jbeil district, an explosive object left 
behind by Israeli operations detonated among people tending 
their olive trees, killing an engineer, NNA reported.
 
Froun Mayor Hassan Bazzi told AFP that the engineer had come 
from Beirut, where he lives, to take part in the harvest.
 
The fatal explosion prompted residents to suspend olive 
harvesting until the Lebanese Army could clear the 
village of explosive remnants, Bazzi said.
 
Ongoing Israeli aggression
 
"Israel" continues to violate the “ceasefire” agreement, with 
its occupation forces carrying out demolition, destruction, 
and land-clearing operations in southern Lebanese 
villages, while launching artillery shelling and 
airstrikes by warplanes and drones against 
other areas.
 
Earlier today, Israeli artillery shelled the town of Kfar Tebnit 
in the Nabatieh district, Al Mayadeen’s correspondent in 
southern Lebanon reported.
 
An invading Israeli unit also advanced toward al-Shmeis in 
Kfar Chouba, southern Lebanon, while conducting a 
machine-gun sweep in the area, our 
correspondent added.
 
The Israeli aggression followed Israeli artillery shelling 
on the outskirts of Baraachit in the Bint Jbeil district.
 
The Israeli violations have persisted despite direct negotiations 
between the Lebanese authorities and the Israeli occupation 
entity over the past several months, which resulted in the 
“framework agreement.”
 
Meanwhile, the death toll from Israeli intensified aggression 
against Lebanon since March 2, 2026, reached 4,387, with 
12,424 people injured, as of October 11. The overall toll 
since October 8, 2023, has risen to 8,954 killed and 
30,660 injured.
 
 
Source: Israeli media
 
 
 __________________________



Eight Palestinians, including a child, martyred 
in Israeli attacks on Khan Younis, Jabalia
October 12th, 5:51am
(PressTV)
 
Eight Palestinians, including a child, were martyred in Israeli military 
attacks on Khan Younis and Jabalia in the Gaza Strip, according to 
media reports citing hospitals.
 
The Palestinian Government Media Office in Gaza said on Sunday that 
21,976 children had been taken to hospitals after being killed during 
Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza, which began on October 7, 2023. 
Of these, 1,125 were infants under the age of one.
 
The office said 612 babies had been born and 
subsequently killed during the aggression.
 
It added that while tens of thousands of schoolchildren had been 
killed, another 650,000 children had been deprived of education.
 
According to the report, 62,247 children had been orphaned, losing one 
or both parents. Of these, 2,774 had lost both their mother and father.
 
The office warned that 650,000 children in Gaza are currently at risk 
of death due to hunger and malnutrition, including 40,000 infants.
 
It also reported that 164 children had died from hunger and 
malnutrition, and another 25 had died due to cold weather.
 
The report also noted that 972 children in Gaza had suffered 
disabilities, accounting for 18 percent of all recorded 
disability cases in the territory.
 
According to the office, 5,200 children in Gaza require urgent 
medical treatment, while another 5,803 are awaiting travel 
abroad to receive medical care.
 
The report further warned that 2,432 children with diabetes 
are at risk of death ---- due to shortages of insulin.
 
Meanwhile, 12,000 pregnant women... are at risk of a miscarriage 
because of malnutrition and a lack of healthcare, the office said.
 
The report concluded that children, women and elderly people 
accounted for 55 percent of those martyred during Israel’s 
war on Gaza.
 
On January 1, Israel suspended more than three dozen international
 aid agencies from accessing the besieged Palestinian territory.
 
Since the so-called ceasefire agreement came into effect on October 10, 
2025, Israeli forces have committed hundreds of violations, resulting in 
the killing of over 1,000 Palestinians and injuring thousands of others.
 
Since the beginning of the devastating war on Gaza, more than 71,418 
Palestinians have been killed, and over 171,318 have been wounded. 
The assault caused widespread destruction, with approximately 
90 percent of Gaza’s civilian infrastructure damaged.



Indigenous Resistance Day

Today, October the 12th, is
 
Indigenous Resistance Day!
 
Indigenous Resistance Day --- is a Venezuelan holiday 
that honours the history, culture, and defiance of the 
nation's original peoples against Spanish conquest. 
It centres on the resilience and courage shown in 
the face of - enslavement, resource plunder, and 
cultural suppression, recognizing communities 
whose traditions and identities endure, after 
centuries of struggle. 
 
Established in 2002, by President Hugo Chávez, 
it replaces Columbus Day to celebrate leaders 
like Guaicaipuro and Tamanaco --- and to 
acknowledge: that long fight against 
colonial oppression ---- dating from 
the first European ''expeditions''.
 
The District of Columbia and the states of Colorado,
Hawaii, Alaska, Vermont, South Dakota, New 
Mexico, Maine, Minnesota, and parts of 
California, including, for example, Los 
Angeles County, do not recognize 
Columbus Day -- and have each 
replaced it with celebrations 
of Indigenous Peoples' Day 
or other holidays. 
 
In the states of Delaware, Oregon and Washington, 
Columbus Day ---- is no longer an official holiday.
 
The practice of U.S. cities eschewing Columbus Day 
to celebrate Indigenous Peoples' Day began in 1992 
with Berkeley, California. The many cities that have 
followed suit as of 2018, includes Austin, Boise, 
Cincinnati, Denver, Los Angeles, Mankato, 
Philadelphia, Portland, San Francisco, 
Santa Fe, Seattle, Saint Paul, 
Phoenix, Tacoma, and 
dozens of others.
 
 
Yudith Aranguren, of the Warao people:
 
"We, the indigenous peoples, are here to defend peace, 
because that is how we are with humanity, with the 
teachings left to us by our ancestors, which we 
must follow ....in tranquility and harmony." 




‘War criminal promotion tactics’
: Adidas
 faces boycott calls ---- over campaign 
featuring an Israeli trooper
September 4th, 9:45pm
 (PressTV)
 
Calls for a boycott of Adidas are growing after the sportswear 
company featured an Israeli trooper in a global campaign.
 
The campaign has prompted criticism from pro-Palestine 
organizations and activists --- because of the trooper 
Shaliv Biton’s participation in the Israeli regime’s 
bloodletting in Gaza.
 
The campaign has been rolled out in Adidas stores, 
including its outlets in the occupied territories.
 
Biton took part in an Israeli assault in Gaza in 2021 that 
claimed the lives of more than 200 Palestinians and 
destroyed numerous buildings.
 
Critics have reminded Biton’s military background and his 
social media activity. He has shared photographs and 
videos of himself and other Israeli forces in Gaza, 
including footage of troops singing and dancing, 
while his profile also contains images of him 
carrying weapons.
 
Sports journalist Leyla Hamed criticized Adidas’ choice of 
campaign representative, arguing that the company 
chose to bank on Biton’s having lost a leg, while 
it should have considered the wider context 
of limb loss in Gaza.
 
“Gaza has the highest per capita rate of child amputees in the world.
 More than 5,000 traumatic limb amputations have been estimated 
since October 2023, as a result of Israeli attacks carried out by 
soldiers like the one Adidas chose to model for them,” 
she wrote on X.
 
US-based political commentator and activist Guy Christensen also 
condemned the campaign, writing, “Actually disgusting when you 
know kids in Gaza who might not ever get to walk again.” He
 subsequently called for a boycott of Adidas.
 
Another activist denounced the company for 
associating itself with the Israeli military.
 
“The German sportswear brand Adidas is using Zionist war 
criminals from the "Israel" army, who lost a foot while 
invading Gaza..... to promote their new single-foot 
sneakers. More than 4,000 Palestinian children 
have been amputated by "Israel's" bombs, 
but Adidas and other millionaire 
multinationals ignore them,” 
the activist wrote on X.
 
Other critics similarly condemned Adidas 
for associating itself with genocide 
and apartheid.
 
Earlier this year, the NGO Humanity & Inclusion reported that 
between 70 and 80 percent of patients admitted to the 12 
hospitals that were still partially functioning in Gaza... 
had lost limbs or suffered spinal cord injuries.
 
UNICEF estimated in January 2024 that about 1,000 children 
in Gaza had lost one or both legs, equivalent at the time to 
approximately 10 children losing a limb each day during 
Israeli bombardments. The figure is believed to have
 risen since then.
 
The shortage of medical supplies and the continuing blockade of 
Gaza have also complicated the treatment and rehabilitation of 
amputees. Healthcare workers have resorted to producing 
homemade prosthetics as temporary aids for people 
who have lost limbs.... while waiting for access 
to appropriate prosthetic devices.
 
 
______________________________________
 

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.

No thanks to Israeli goods App

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

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


ROGER WATERS
TO MUSICIANS:-
"BOYCOTT ISRAEL"


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

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

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


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

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


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


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

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



____________________



AT THE FACTORY

Tickets from

www.wegottickets.com/thefactory

www.ticketweb.co.uk

browse venues in Wales

www.ticketlineuk.com

02920 230130

Cash tickets from:

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

For more details visit

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


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


Daytime Delights...

Starts at 1pm
The Parc & Dare, Treorchy

Lunchtime Concerts in the Lounge Bar.

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

Ticket information:
The Cultural Services Booking & Information Line:
08000 147 111
or book online at
www.rct-arts.co.uk 


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


Mid Rhondda Modelling Club...


7pm - 9pm

Tonyrefail Comprehensive School
Mid Rhondda Modelling Club
has been running for over 30 years.

We meet on a regular basis
& enjoy making models for display.

We encourage both Gentlemen
and Ladies to attend,
and also young people aged 12+.
However, Young people under 16,
must be accompanied by an adult.


Ticket information
£1 contribution every week. Under 16's free

Telephone Mr. Davies on 01443 686658


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


 Comedy In The Laughter Lounge

The Park & Dare Theatre, Treorchy.

COMEDY IN THE LAUGHTER LOUNGE

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

rising comedians on the circuit.

Laugh? You'll snort like a pig!


Hilarious - TimeOut.

www.rct-arts.co.uk



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

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


BRICS

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.

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?



Text-only version of this page  |  Edit this page  |  Manage website  |  Website design: 2-minute-website.com