Thursday, 27 February 2014
Li Na on Australian Open Win at Book Launch
Li Na and her husband Jiang Shan appear at the
new addition unveiling ceremony in Beijing on February 22, 2014. [Photo:
Chinanews.com]Li Na on Australian Open Win at Book Launch
To celebrate her victory in Australian Open, Chinese tennis star Li
Na unveiled the new addition of her biography book - 'My Life in
Beijing" on Saturday.Li Na won the women's title in Australian Open last month at Melbourne Park after beating Dominika Cibulkova of Slovakia.
The Chinese player has spent much of her spare time in charity events.
"I hope that I can help as much as possible those who need help when I am able to do it. I think everything will be answered for, no matter good things or bad things. So, when those kids grow up, they will give back to the society because they have been helped when they are young."
Li Na is the first Asian tennis player that has won two Grand Slams and currently she is also at her career high number two of WTA ranking which is also unprecedented in Asia.
Currently, Li Na is training in Beijing but she has to do it at indoor courts due to the bad air pollution in the Chinese capital.
Her next tournament is the BNP Paribas Open at Indian Wells in the USA in early March.
CRI SHOWBIZ
The film stars Francis Ng Chun Yu, Ruby Lin, Tony Yang, Monica Mok, Qin Hailu and Li Jing.
Total investment in the film has reached about 100
million yuan. Preparation took three years whilst production took a
year. Most of the scenes of the film were shot in Beijing and Wuxi, a
city in southeast China's Jiangsu province.
The producer of the film spent a large sum of money to
build a real house in the same style as the original building on No.81
Chaoyangmen Inner Street. Moreover, 3D techniques have been employed to
help showcase the old city of Beijing.
CRI SHOWBIZ
Popular
Chinese TV host He Jiong attends the premiere of "Free Birds" in
Beijing on Thursday Feb 27, 2014. [Photo: CRIENGLISH.com/Zhao Pingping]
Popular Chinese TV hosts He Jiong and Xie Na says they had fun dubbing the American cartoon movie "Free Birds." The film premiered in Beijing on Thursday.
The 3-D animated comedy tells the story of two turkeys from opposite sides of the tracks who must put aside their differences and team up to travel back in time in order to change the course of history. Their goal, of course, is to get turkey off of the holiday menu �C for good.
He Jiong dubbed the voice of Reggie, who is secretly in love with Xie Na's character Jenny. Xie joked that, in real life, this was not the case. She also spoke about the way she came to love her role. "When I first heard I was supposed to dub the voice of a turkey, I resisted the role. But after I saw parts of the film, I found my character to be really cute. She is a unique turkey. She insists on wearing a necklace even though turkey necks aren't good for necklaces."
The film will hit Chinese screens Friday, March 7th.
Popular Chinese TV hosts He Jiong and Xie Na says they had fun dubbing the American cartoon movie "Free Birds." The film premiered in Beijing on Thursday.
The 3-D animated comedy tells the story of two turkeys from opposite sides of the tracks who must put aside their differences and team up to travel back in time in order to change the course of history. Their goal, of course, is to get turkey off of the holiday menu �C for good.
He Jiong dubbed the voice of Reggie, who is secretly in love with Xie Na's character Jenny. Xie joked that, in real life, this was not the case. She also spoke about the way she came to love her role. "When I first heard I was supposed to dub the voice of a turkey, I resisted the role. But after I saw parts of the film, I found my character to be really cute. She is a unique turkey. She insists on wearing a necklace even though turkey necks aren't good for necklaces."
The film will hit Chinese screens Friday, March 7th.
From CRI report
National Days on anti-Japanese War Victory, Nanjing Massacre Ratified
Related: Memorial Day for Nanjing Massacre Helps Educate People
China's top legislature on Thursday ratified two new national days, one to mark victory of the war against Japanese aggression and the other to commemorate victims in the Nanjing Massacre.
September 3 was ratified as the victory day and December 13 the national memorial day for massacre victims, according to two decisions made at the three-day session of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress which ended on Thursday.
In 1951, the Chinese government designated September 3, the next day after the Japanese government officially signed the instrument of surrender in 1945, as the victory day.
Japanese troops started the massacre in Nanjing on Dec. 13, 1937, killing more than 300,000 people in the following 40-odd days of atrocities.
Lawmakers, political advisors and people from all walks of life have repeatedly proposed setting the two dates as national days.
Related: Memorial Day for Nanjing Massacre Helps Educate People
China's top legislature on Thursday ratified two new national days, one to mark victory of the war against Japanese aggression and the other to commemorate victims in the Nanjing Massacre.
September 3 was ratified as the victory day and December 13 the national memorial day for massacre victims, according to two decisions made at the three-day session of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress which ended on Thursday.
In 1951, the Chinese government designated September 3, the next day after the Japanese government officially signed the instrument of surrender in 1945, as the victory day.
Japanese troops started the massacre in Nanjing on Dec. 13, 1937, killing more than 300,000 people in the following 40-odd days of atrocities.
Lawmakers, political advisors and people from all walks of life have repeatedly proposed setting the two dates as national days.
Wednesday, 26 February 2014
26 February 2014, 10:30
Fukushima-1 to test artificial permafrost system to prevent radiation leaks
Specialists from Japanese company Tokyo Electric Power (TEPCO) intend to test an artificial permafrost layer system in March. They plan to lay it under Fukushima-1 to prevent a leakage of radioactive water from the station. The testing may begin on May 11, TEPCO reports.
Works on the installation of the system that creates a
layer of permafrost are being hold at the moment. If it proves to be
effective, it will solve two problems at the same time – a leakage of
radioactive water from the station and an inflow of subsoil waters in
the basements of the buildings that contain power generating units.
Altogether,
Japanese government plans to allot 300 million dollars on the creation
of the ice barrier under four power generating units of Fukushima-1. In
the course of the works, TEPCO specialists bore vertical pits of 30
meters depth and then place tubes, in which they will inject special
chilled liquid. Thus, this fluid will create a wall of permafrost.
Water
for cooling is injected in three Fukushima-1 reactors, in which a
nuclear fuel melted in spring, 2011. This water spills through the gaps
of the reactors, fills the basements of the power generating units and
drainage systems, and mixes with subsoil waters. Several tons of this
water get to the technical port of the nuclear station. However,
Japanese government claims that radioactive parts form a sediment there
and don't get in the waters of the Ocean.
Radiation
from Japan's leaking Fukushima nuclear power plant could arrive to
Pacific coast by April, scientists reported. The report came even as
some Internet sites continue claiming that dangerously radioactive ocean
water from Fukushima is showing up along California beaches - reports
that have been denied by health officials and scientists since they
first surfaced more than a month ago.
Ken
Buesseler, a chemical oceanographer at the Woods Hole Oceanographic
Institution on Cape Cod, Mass., reported that four coastal monitoring
sites in California and Washington have detected no traces of radiation
from the Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear plant destruction - "not yet," he
said during a telephone press briefing.
Buesseler
said no federal or international agencies are monitoring ocean waters
from Fukushima on this side of the Pacific, so he has organized
volunteer monitors at 16 sites along the California and Washington
coasts and two in Hawaii to collect seawater in 20-liter specialized
plastic containers and ship them by UPS to his Woods Hole laboratory.
Two specific radioactive isotopes of the element cesium are formed in nuclear accidents, he explained.
One
is cesium-137, whose radioactivity decays very slowly - its half-life
is 30 years - while the other is cesium-134, which decays rapidly with a
two-year half-life. So while cesium-137 is still detectable in the
world's oceans from old nuclear-weapons tests, any traces of cesium-134
that are detected by monitoring instruments could only have come from
the Fukushima nuclear accident, Buesseler said.
According
to a widely accepted model of the oceans' circulation patterns, traces
of the plume of radioactive seawater from Fukushima should be detectable
along the Pacific coast in April.
"We
need to know the real levels of radiation coming at us," said Bing
Dong, a retired accountant and self-described activist at Point Reyes
Station who has volunteered to collect ocean samples for Buesseler's
project. "There's so much disinformation out there, and we really need
actual data."
The
initial nuclear accident from the Fukushima reactors released several
radioactive isotopes, such as iodine-131, cesium-134 and cesium-137.
"The only cesium-134 in the North Pacific is there from Fukushima," Ken Buesseler said.
Middle East
Germany's pivotal part in Mideast peace process
Germany could play a major role as part of the European Union in
presenting a package of incentives to Israel and the Palestinians in
order to see through a peace deal, according to a former diplomat.
"It's only six weeks until the nine-month point of peace negotiations and then comes the question of how the two sides will react and whether there will be a continuation to the process and obviously a package of incentives could help in this respect. The most important package is not to Israel, it's to the Palestinians - or to both to foster regional cooperation, which will be an incentive to everyone concerned," he told DW.
However, Tommy Steiner, Director of International Relations at the Iinstitute for Policy and Strategy at the Interdisciplinary Center in Herzliya, said any package of incentives offered by the EU won't be transformational. "I don't believe Israel, or Palestine will sign a framework agreement based on some sweeteners from the EU," he told DW.
Steiner said the EU had already granted Israel "special status" but no one could define what this meant and it had so far not provided any benefits. "If you called Lady Ashton and asked her what special status means, she would stutter, nobody has really defined this to Israel."
Eran said that in July 2013 Israel and the EU had a heated discussion on the issue of financial guidelines that ended with an agreement.
The agreement laid out that the EU would provide an unprecedented package of European political, economic and security support to both Palestine and Israel in the context of a final status agreement.
Court Cases
Court weighs far-right NPD's case against Germany's president
A question with political resonance: Did President Joachim Gauck call the far-right NPD "loonies"? Germany's highest court is hearing a case brought by the extremist party against the country's president.
Once again, Germany's highest court will have to deal with the National Democratic Party (NPD), but this time, it's at the far-right group's behest. On Tuesday (25.02.2014), the Federal Constitutional Court in Karlsruhe is hearing a case brought by the NPD against President Joachim Gauck. The party alleges Germany's president failed to live up to his duty of maintaining neutrality on party politics by calling NPD members "loonies" during a speech.
Sunday, 23 February 2014
A turning point in Israeli-German relations
German public opinion of Israel is slumping ahead of Chancellor Angela
Merkel's visit there. There is growing public and political
disillusionment over Israel’s treatment of its Palestinian neighbors.
Next week, Merkel and her 15 cabinet ministers will participate in the largest-ever bilateral consultations and will kick off official preparations for next year's celebrations commemorating 50 years since diplomatic relations between the two countries were established.
However, the visit has been overshadowed by reports of the worst crisis in diplomatic ties since Merkel took office almost 10 years ago. A recent BBC poll showed that only 14 percent of Germans today had a positive view of Israel.
"I think German public opinion is actually worse than what's shown in the polls because Germans don't publicly state their opinion, they play it down," said Israel's former ambassador to Germany and the European Union, Avi Primor.
"The Germans are still very aware of their Nazi past, particularly Merkel who is originally from East Germany, so she has a bad conscience from the past but this is changing and you can't ignore the growing public opinion," he told DW.
Primor said there had been a major evolution among Israelis on their view of Germany but the tides had turned in the opposite direction and now Germans were growing increasingly uncomfortable about Israel's policies.
"Originally I was totally anti-Germany and didn't believe Israel should have any ties with it. But by '68 we were really impressed by the generation of Germans who demanded their parents and teachers tell the truth about their Nazi past and the reparations agreement changed relations even further. We ultimately grasped that Germany was striving for a European Germany and not a German Europe. Now we almost see Germans demanding the same standards of Israelis," Primor said.
A stalled peace process
A senior Israeli official confirmed to DW that recent phone calls between Merkel and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during and since the P5+1 meetings on Iran had escalated to shouting and disagreements. The most divisive issue between the two countries is over Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank.
The official said the German government has the view that Netanyahu is unwilling to move the peace process forward and is going as far as stalling the process.
Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier, who visited Israel in January, said at the time that Israeli's settlement policy represented a major barrier to the peace process.
"We think the European message to the Palestinians should be to not miss another opportunity because Kerry is very intensively involved and we hope the Palestinians won't walk away from the table. If some Europeans have said that if the process doesn't succeed that they will blame Israel automatically that's hardly conducive for Palestinians to have to make difficult choices," the Israeli official told DW.
Very recently the state of the relations between Israel and Germany, in particular Israeli sensitivities, were illustrated when extreme right-wing members of the Knesset stormed out during Martin Schulz' speech, the German President of the European Parliament. Schulz posed a question in the Knesset over unequal water distribution, mentioned to him by a Palestinian youth during a visit to Ramallah.
"One of the questions from these young men that moved me the most was: 'how can it be that Israelis are allowed to use 70 liters of water per day and Palestinians only 17,'" Shulz relayed.
He later admitted he hadn't checked his figures and they were found to be exaggerated, but it is not disputed that Israel receives more water per capita than Palestine.
The incident highlighted the bubbling tensions and was unfortunate as Schulz had given excellent speeches at the Hebrew University just the day before while receiving an honorary doctorate for his relationship with the university and Israel.
Diminished trust
Germany is Israel's third-largest trading partner after the US and China and if relations deteriorate, trade could be impacted said former ambassador Avi Primor.
"Germany is totally indispensable to Israel - Germany has many pro-Israel policies, but I think this is gradually fading and if nothing in the Middle East changes it will get worse."
The chief executive of the Israeli-German chamber of industry and commerce, Grisha Alroi-Arloser, said the $US6.5-billion trade relationship was strong, even though attention was shifting to the possible boycotts of Israeli products. "Boycotts won't solve the problem and I think people are rethinking this as being a counter-productive option. German exports to Israel are three times as high as Israeli exports to Germany. Israel may reconsider buying from Germany," he told DW.
Next week, Merkel and her 15 cabinet ministers will participate in the largest-ever bilateral consultations and will kick off official preparations for next year's celebrations commemorating 50 years since diplomatic relations between the two countries were established.
However, the visit has been overshadowed by reports of the worst crisis in diplomatic ties since Merkel took office almost 10 years ago. A recent BBC poll showed that only 14 percent of Germans today had a positive view of Israel.
"I think German public opinion is actually worse than what's shown in the polls because Germans don't publicly state their opinion, they play it down," said Israel's former ambassador to Germany and the European Union, Avi Primor.
"The Germans are still very aware of their Nazi past, particularly Merkel who is originally from East Germany, so she has a bad conscience from the past but this is changing and you can't ignore the growing public opinion," he told DW.
Primor said there had been a major evolution among Israelis on their view of Germany but the tides had turned in the opposite direction and now Germans were growing increasingly uncomfortable about Israel's policies.
"Originally I was totally anti-Germany and didn't believe Israel should have any ties with it. But by '68 we were really impressed by the generation of Germans who demanded their parents and teachers tell the truth about their Nazi past and the reparations agreement changed relations even further. We ultimately grasped that Germany was striving for a European Germany and not a German Europe. Now we almost see Germans demanding the same standards of Israelis," Primor said.
A stalled peace process
A senior Israeli official confirmed to DW that recent phone calls between Merkel and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during and since the P5+1 meetings on Iran had escalated to shouting and disagreements. The most divisive issue between the two countries is over Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank.
The official said the German government has the view that Netanyahu is unwilling to move the peace process forward and is going as far as stalling the process.
Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier, who visited Israel in January, said at the time that Israeli's settlement policy represented a major barrier to the peace process.
"We think the European message to the Palestinians should be to not miss another opportunity because Kerry is very intensively involved and we hope the Palestinians won't walk away from the table. If some Europeans have said that if the process doesn't succeed that they will blame Israel automatically that's hardly conducive for Palestinians to have to make difficult choices," the Israeli official told DW.
Very recently the state of the relations between Israel and Germany, in particular Israeli sensitivities, were illustrated when extreme right-wing members of the Knesset stormed out during Martin Schulz' speech, the German President of the European Parliament. Schulz posed a question in the Knesset over unequal water distribution, mentioned to him by a Palestinian youth during a visit to Ramallah.
"One of the questions from these young men that moved me the most was: 'how can it be that Israelis are allowed to use 70 liters of water per day and Palestinians only 17,'" Shulz relayed.
He later admitted he hadn't checked his figures and they were found to be exaggerated, but it is not disputed that Israel receives more water per capita than Palestine.
The incident highlighted the bubbling tensions and was unfortunate as Schulz had given excellent speeches at the Hebrew University just the day before while receiving an honorary doctorate for his relationship with the university and Israel.
Diminished trust
Germany is Israel's third-largest trading partner after the US and China and if relations deteriorate, trade could be impacted said former ambassador Avi Primor.
"Germany is totally indispensable to Israel - Germany has many pro-Israel policies, but I think this is gradually fading and if nothing in the Middle East changes it will get worse."
The chief executive of the Israeli-German chamber of industry and commerce, Grisha Alroi-Arloser, said the $US6.5-billion trade relationship was strong, even though attention was shifting to the possible boycotts of Israeli products. "Boycotts won't solve the problem and I think people are rethinking this as being a counter-productive option. German exports to Israel are three times as high as Israeli exports to Germany. Israel may reconsider buying from Germany," he told DW.
Friday, 21 February 2014
Ukraine
On the ground in Kyiv
As the situation in Ukraine intensified on Thursday, reporters in Kyiv's Independence Square shared their experience via social media. DW's Mareike Aden was on the Maidan when the violence broke out.
DW has been following the protests and escalating violence in Kyiv since
a brief truce broke down Thursday. Several international reporters,
including DW's Mareike Aden, witnessed first-hand the
sniper fire and street fighting
between demonstrators and riot police. DW editors on the Europe desk
have curated some of their tweets and facebook postings to chronicle the
first few frantic hours on February 20 on the Maidan.
WhatsApp with your Facebook data?
Facebook's acquisition of smartphone messaging service WhatsApp widens the social network giant's portfolio and opens the door to further data. But analysts say that could go hand-in-hand with more data abuse.
It is true that WhatsApp has grown at a rapid pace in its five-year existence. 450 million active monthly users chat with their phone contacts, both one-on-one and in groups. The service allows people to send texts, photos, videos and voice recordings over the Internet. An estimated one million users are joining on a daily basis worldwide.
But this deal is not just about market access, said Janneke Slöetjes, advisor to Dutch digital rights group Bits of Freedom. "It's about missing part of the social graph that Facebook has had no insight into," she told DW.
The value of data
Though WhatsApp is not very popular in the United States, it is a key player in European countries, as well as in several major developing markets such as India and Brazil where the messaging service is extremely popular, especially among teenagers. The mobile-messaging service could help Facebook generate more growth from younger users that are no longer choosing the social network to communicate.
The demographics of WhatsApp's users were likely a draw for Facebook, said Rebecca Lieb, analyst at Altimeter Group. "This is clearly also a play at securing their base of younger users who are married to text messaging," she told the Wall Street Journal.
Wednesday, 19 February 2014
Radio New Zealand
Dotcom search warrant ruling overturned
Updated at 9:52 pm on 19 February 2014Lawyers for Kim Dotcom say the internet businessman is likely to fight a Court of Appeal ruling that search warrants used to raid his house near Auckland were lawful.
The decision made public on Wednesday overturns a ruling by Chief High Court judge Justice Winkelmann in June 2012 that the warrants were too broad and therefore unlawful.
Police carried out search warrants on the properties of Kim Dotcom and Bram van der Kolk on 20 January 2012 and seized some 135 electronic items. The warrants were executed under the Mutual Assistance in Criminal Matters Act 1992 at the request of the US Department of Justice.
The United States is is seeking the extradition of Mr Dotcom, Mr van der Kolk, Mathias Ortmann and Finn Batato on a number of charges, including breach of copyright and money laundering.
Crown lawyers argued at a hearing in November last year there was enough information in the application for the warrants to make it clear what police were looking for.
The Court of Appeal judges accepted that, saying the warrants were defective in some respects, but there was no miscarriage of justice.
It concluded that Mr Dotcom and the other respondents would have understood the nature and scope of the warrants - especially in light of their arrest warrants - which were not defective and explanations given to them by police when the properties were searched.
However, the appeal has been only partially successful. The court ruled that a decision to send copies of material seized to authorities was a breach of agreements.
On 16 February 2012, the Solicitor-General gave a direction to the Commissioner of Police under the Mutual Assistance in Criminal Matters Act 1992 that the items seized on the searches were to remain in the "custody and control" of the Commissioner until further direction.
In deciding that the removal of the clones (copies) of the electronic items from New Zealand to the US was not authorised, the court said it was satisfied the Solicitor-General's direction applied to the copies and that their removal was therefore in breach of the terms of the direction.
A lawyer for Kim Dotcom, William Akel, says it is disappointing that the warrants have been ruled lawful and any appeal has to be lodged within 20 working days.
"One always prefers to succeed in any appeal, but the important point now is that we have to consider and analyse the decision in some detail, and consider an application for leave to appeal to the Supreme Court."
Crown Law on Wednesday declined to comment on the ruling.
Kim Dotcom is suing police and the New Zealand Government's spy agency for $5 million compensation, arguing that the raid in 2010 was illegal and officers used unnecessary force.
Mr Dotcom tweeted online on Wednesday that he's "not sorry that fighting back, getting up and being successful are encoded" in his DNA, and he's happy he can "challenge evil".
Listeners' Garden
A: Hello and welcome to Listeners' Garden. My name is Lai Ming, sitting in for Mark Griffiths. B: And I'm Wu You. Hello everyone! A: China launched its first moon rover early this month. The success of the recent mission means that China is moving a step closer to realizing its ambitions in space exploration. B: On today's show, we'll talk a little bit about China's lunar mission, along with some background information. But before we do so, let's first check our mailbox. A: OK. Our first letter comes from our old friend Mike Peraaho from the United States. Hello Mike, it's great to read from you again! B: Mike writes in, saying: "I enjoy listening to China Drive on the weekends. I cannot listen to it on weekdays because I have to go to work." A: Mike continues his letter by saying: "China Drive's 'Music Spotlight' brings back memories of the music I grew up with. At least most of the time, 'Music Spotlight' covers bands that I have heard of, but with more information and tidbits of the band's history than I ever knew." Well, Mike, we're very pleased that you enjoy the program. B: Yes, we certainly welcome more comments and suggestions from you and other listeners so that we can improve even better. Thanks, Mike, for writing in. A: Our next letter is from Perpet Prabhu in India. Perpet is a DX listener and, unlike Mike Peraaho, Perpet has begun listening to China Radio International via shortwave only recently. B: So welcome Perpet to the big CRI family. We've talked about DX listening on Listeners' Garden a few weeks ago. A DX listener is also known as a DX-er. A: That's right. With DX standing for distance, a DX-listener is a person who tries to catch radio stations from as far away countries as possible and sends reception reports to the stations that he or she has heard. B: Perpet writes in, saying: "I am a DX-er. I listen to many radio stations from around the world. Recently, I heard China Radio International on shortwave. The signals are very strong. I can hear CRI English Service from morning till night." A: Perpet goes on to say: "Your news programs are very nice. I am also a regular listener of the Tamil language program on CRI." Well, thanks Perpet. We're very pleased that you enjoyed listening to CRI. Please keep in touch with us and we'll be very pleased to read your letters. Thanks for writing. B: Well, let's move on to this letter from another long-time listener of CRI, Hari Madugula. Hari writes to us from India. He's been listening to CRI since the 1980s, when CRI was called Radio Beijing. A: Hari writes in, saying: "CRI produces very good programs for listeners around the world. The various listener-contests by different language services are especially popular among the listeners." B: Hari goes on to suggest that more contests be held to promote CRI's website and the programs. Hari says: "In fact, there should be more listener-contests, perhaps on a monthly basis. The questions should be about the history of China and its modern development." A: Yes, Hari. That's a very good idea. It's great to read your letter. In fact, as far as I know, there are some international broadcasters who have this kind of regular monthly quiz. The questionnaires are put on their website for listeners. The winners will be awarded with small gifts and souvenirs. Yes, this is a very good suggestion. B: Yes, indeed. By taking the quiz, the listeners go to the website regularly so it attracts more listeners. Thanks, Hari, for your suggestion. Thanks again for the letter. A: OK, now, let's move on to the next letter, which is from Pakistan. Ahmad Jalal writes in, saying: "I'm a regular listener of CRI and reader of the English service website." Hi, Ahmad, it's great to read your letter. B: Ahmad says: "I love all the feature programs including the World According To Words, In the Spotlight and People in the Know, to name just a few. Thanks everyone at CRI for the great shows." A: Well, Ahmad, we should thank you for tuning in to CRI and for writing to us with such great comments. Thank you for your letter. And please do keep in touch with us and write to us anytime you like. We're always pleased to read the letters from you and other listeners. Thanks again for your letter. B: Our next letter is from the United States. David Jones writes in with feedback on a piece of news he heard on CRI. A: The news was about Mr. Arnold Schwarzenegger's recent visit to Xi'an in northwest China. While he was in the city, Mr. Schwarzenegger took a trip to the terracotta army museum last Tuesday. Standing in front of the ancient terracotta sculptures, Mr. Schwarzenegger claims: "Here I am, with terracotta warriors." B: David writes in, with some very interesting comments about the terracotta army. His ideas challenged some generally accepted aspects of the Chinese history. A: For example, David says in his letter: "The terracotta army was not a clay regiment to protect him in his afterlife. It was China's first emperor's memorial to the end of war." Well, interesting. B: Well, I don't know about that. But the fact is that the emperor also buried many other things in his tomb as well. A: Yes, that's right. In fact, many other non-military terracotta figurines were also found in the pits and they include court officials, acrobatics and musicians. B: I'm sure the emperor would not wish to put an end to music. Do you see what I mean? A: Yes. In fact, I was in Xi'an about six months ago and I've been to the terracotta museum as well. As far as I know, in ancient times, when an emperor or noble died, there were humans buried with the dead. The martyrs were usually his beloved concubines, servants and soldiers. These people were either killed before burial, or were buried alive. They were supposed to continue to keep his or her company in the afterlife. B: This was pure cruelty. And the tradition started to change later. Gradually, terracotta figurines were used, instead of humans, to bury with the dead. I believe that's how the terracotta army, court officials and musicians in the First Emperor's tomb came to be. A: OK. Anyway, thanks very much David. Your letter is one of the most interesting we've received, isn't it, Wu You. B: Yes, it is. A: You know what, Wu You, while I was doing some research on the internet yesterday, I discovered something. B: Oh, what is it? A: It turned out that this listener, David Jones, is a sinologist and the author of a book about Chinese history. B: Oh, he is?! Wow! That is a surprise! So, what else have you found about him and the book? A: Well, I had no time to read it through yet, but, I can tell you that this book discusses how the empire of China came into being, and the leadership style of this First Emperor. B: Wow, I'm very interested. I must read the book. What's the name of it? A: The book is called The School of Sun Tze. Sun Tze, which means Master Sun, was a Chinese military general and philosopher during the Spring-and-Autumn period some 2,500 years ago. The book actually tries to offer a voyage of discovery into the world of competition and conflict. It presents fresh thought on how management without conflict can be applied in today's complex world. B: That's very interesting. The book must have had some new ideas for relationship management in the modern age. Well, I can't wait to read it. OK, now it's time to relax and let's enjoy some music. A: It's Goodbye My Love sung by Teresa Teng. B: That was Goodbye My Love sung by Teresa Teng. A: Our listener Lu Derming from Australia writes in, saying: "Hello, people at CRIENGLISH. Congratulations for the successful launch of the moon rover." B: Lu continues by saying: "I love the story 'The Race Between the Tortoise and the Rabbit.'" Yes, Lu, everyone knows the story "guitusaipao", which is one of the most popular children's stories in China. A: Lu goes on to hail China's successful lunar mission early this month. He says: "It won't take long for the Chinese people to finally unite with the Moon Godess, Chang'e." B: In fact, many other listeners, including Yaroslav Ivanovsky from the Ukraine, also write in to cheer on the success of China's first moon rover, launched early this month. A: So next on Listeners' Garden, we're going to share some background information about China's moon rover with our listeners. B: Let's begin with the name of the moon rover. China chose the name "Yutu," or Jade Rabbit, for its first moon rover through a worldwide poll conducted online. A: In traditional Chinese culture, the Jade Rabbit is a symbol of kindness, purity and agility. It is identical to the moon rover in both outlook and connotation. It also represents China's peaceful use of space. B: In Chinese folklores, the Yutu is a white pet rabbit of Chang'e, the moon goddess who has lent her name to the Chinese lunar mission. A: Legend has it that, after swallowing a magic pill, Chang'e took her pet and flew toward the moon, where she became a goddess, and has lived there with her pet ever since. B: The online poll to name China's first moon rover was conducted in October this years among the Chinese people at home and abroad. A: In one month time, about 200,000 entries were submitted for a 14-member jury who selected a group of names for the final round of polling. B: Popular names included "tansuo" which means exploration, and "lanyue" which means catching the moon. Another popular entry was "Qian Xuesen," after the late scientist who is considered the founder of China's space program. A: In the final round of voting, nearly 700,000 people out of more than 3 million voted for Yutu, the Jade Rabbit. Yutu is scheduled to land on the moon in the middle of December and explore the surface of moon for three months. If successful, it will be the first time a Chinese spacecraft has soft-landed on the surface of an extraterrestrial body. B: This moon rover is part of the Chang'e-3 lunar probe. The rover itself has two wings, stands on six wheels, and weighs 140 kilograms. It is a highly efficient and integrated robot that can withstand the vast temperature variations on the moon. A: The success of the recent mission means that China is moving a step closer to realizing its ambitions in space exploration. B: China plans to launch a space laboratory around 2015 and an experimental space station in 2018. China is scheduled to launch a space station in 2020. A: Well, that was some information on China's first moon rover, the Yutu, or Jade Rabbit. We hope you find it interesting and informative. B: Before we conclude today's show, here's a little announcement. A: Listeners' Garden is a long-time program of China Radio International and has been on the air for many years. But I'm afraid that today's show will be the last episode, which means that Listeners' Garden will no longer exist from now on. It will be replaced by some other new and fascinating shows on CRI. We hope you keep listening and enjoy the programs. B: It's hard to say goodbye to a show that is so popular among the listeners. But, we still welcome our listeners' to write to CRI any time you like. A: That's right! As we have done on Listeners' Garden, listeners' letters will be answered and read on air on other related programs regularly. So you can still hear your own letters read on air here at CRI. B: That's right. And we would also like to thank our listeners' for tuning in to Listeners' Garden over the past years and writing to us with great comments and feedbacks about our programs. It's been great to be with you and read your letters. A: Before we end today's show, let's enjoy a song sung by a group of children in China in both Chinese and English. It's Auld Lang Syne. B: With that, we come to the end of this edition of Listeners' Garden. We hope you enjoyed it. A: If you'd like to listen to today's programs again, or the pieces of music we played, all you have to do is to log on to our website. The address is: newsplusradio.cn. I'm Lai Ming in Beijing. Thanks for joining us. B: And I'm Wu You, Bye-bye! |
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Tuesday, 18 February 2014
Science & Technology
US Army Develops Three-year-edible Pizza
Military researchers say long-sought-after food will soon be added to field rations, known as 'meals ready to eat
Dear friends, we invite you once again to participate in a new prize-wining contest here on RRI called “From the ‘Wine Route’ to the ‘Princes’ Route”.
The contest is devoted to the Prahova Valley, in southern Romania, and draws on the tourist promotion programs “The Orchard Route”, “The Wine Route” and “The Princes’ Route” which are being run by the Prahova County Council.
Prahova County is one of the richest and most developed of Romania’s counties. It is rich in hydrocarbons and non-metallic ores while its main natural resources are crude oil and natural gas, lignite, plaster, chalkstone, freestone and puddingstone, clay and mineral waters.
In Prahova County, the “Wine Route” retraces an older segment of the wine road that crossed Europe and was used by the Romans. The “Wine Route” crosses famous vineyards in Prahova County and includes stopovers at mansions, princely courts and monasteries. The Dealu Mare Vineyard, also known as the land of red wines, is located in the Southern Carpathians curvature, being the most cohesive Romanian wine growing area where the soil and climate conditions resemble very much those in France’s Bordeaux region, as they are on the same latitude.
“The Fruit Route” goes east, crossing several towns and villages, and is aimed at facilitating the development of the northern part of the Prahova County, famous as a fruit-producing area. This route links 18 towns and villages in Prahova County and includes 28 tourist spots. “The Princes’ Route” covers the most important areas where archeological discoveries have been made and where tourists can encounter architectural monuments of national interest.
We invite you to tune in to RRI’s shows, visit our website www.rri.ro and RRI’s Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and Flickr profiles to find the answers to our new contest. Please send correct answers, in writing, to the contest questions and you can be a winner. The contest will come to an end on March 15th 2014 mailing date.
The Grand Prize will be a 9-day (8-night) trip for 2 with full board between September 1st and 9th, 2014 in Prahova County. The winners will have the chance to cover the tourist routes that inspired this contest and to visit the cultural, tourist and historical attractions of the area. The contest is sponsored by Hotel Cautis, from Azuga, and by SC Elena Cabana Vârful Ciucaş SRL. The contest partners are the Prahova County Council and the Prahova Country Center for the Preservation and Promotion of Traditional Culture.
As usual, you will have to pay for your transportation to Romania and for the visa to this country, in case you need one. For the other contestants who send in correct answers we have many prizes and honorable mentions consisting in objects offered by our partners. The prizes are of course related to the Prahova County.
And now the questions:
What tourist promotion programs are being run in Prahova County?
What is the seat of Prahova County?
Which famous winegrowing area in Europe is likened to the Dealu Mare Vineyard?
What are the main natural resources of Prahova County?
Please, also tell us what made you participate in RRI’s contest and why you are listening to RRI’s shows or accessing our website.
Our address is the same: Radio Romania International, 60-64, G-ral Berthelot street, sector 1, Bucharest, PO Box 111, zip code 010165, fax 00.40.21.319.05.62, e-mail: engl@rri.ro.
We are waiting for your answers until March 15th 2014 mailing date. The winners of the contest will be announced after April 1st 2014, for them to have time to prepare their trip to Romania. Good luck!
Monday, 17 February 2014
Music for a good cause
Music for music's sake - art for art's sake: they're unwritten laws for many creative spirits. But the World Doctors Orchestra demonstrates what else music is capable of, including serving as a source of therapy.
How it all began
Berlin-based physician Willich got the orchestra off the ground. A music lover at an early age, he learned to play the violin as a child, then studied piano and conducting. After graduating from high school, he even began studying music until he had a horrible epiphany: "If I have to make music every day as a professional, I'm going to lose my love of it," he recalled. So he changed his major to medicine.
Internist and conductor Stefan WillichThe World Doctors Orchestra performed for the first time in public in 2008 at Berlin's Philharmonie. In the following years - from 2009 to 2012 - the musicians performed in celebrated concerts in the United States, Armenia, China and South Africa. But Berlin, the orchestra's home base, saw a benefit concert nearly every year.
The body of musicians around Stefan Willich keeps charitable causes at the top of the agenda. Concert proceeds go in part to support international and regional projects. The World Doctors Orchestra also encourages its audience to donate money to improve medical care and access in developing countries.
The orchestra now consists of 700 members from over 40 nations. Around 20 percent of the musicians and medical professionals come from Germany.
Logistical challenges
Dealing with members spread around the world is a feat of planning and preparation.
"The musicians get notice well in advance of when a concert is taking place and what pieces will be played. Weeks or even months ahead of time, we send the scores to our members so that everyone, whether in Asia, Africa or the US, can rehearse on their own," said Stefan Willich.
The participants in a given performance then meet in the city where the concert will be held. Often they have just a couple of days to rehearse. No problem, though, the conductor says: "After all, doctors are accustomed to working hard. And since we all love music, the rehearsals hardly feel like work."
Music and medicine
A willingness to work hard isn't the only reason Stefan Willich sees doctors as well suited to a volunteer orchestra. Music and medicine both have to do with very nuanced structures, he says.
"In music, you have the compositions. In medicine, the natural sciences. But in both, you have to give yourself over to emotion, subjectivity and passion," he said, noting also that music can have a relaxing effect on people who spend their days confronted with illness or death.
Two women taking part in music therapyStefan Willich views music therapy as a remarkable interface between music and medicine. Although this form of therapy has often been neglected by modern medical practitioners, it's currently undergoing a renaissance. Willich offers two examples of how music has been shown to have the power to heal: "Music can lower blood pressure. And people suffering from dementia are able to use music to stay in contact with the world around them much longer, even after they've lost the ability to use language."
The musician doctor sees those facts as a strong argument for including music therapy in modern medicine.
As part of this year's Beethovenfest, the World Doctors Orchestra gave a benefit concert in Bonn, with the proceeds going in part to a project called "Dentists for Africa" that was founded by German dentists. Funds also went to the pediatric department at the University of Bonn's hospital.
DW.DE
Deutsche Welle
Culture
Music injuries
Violinists' eczema, painful joints, muscle cramps, tinnitus - around 70 percent of professional musicians suffer from ailments associated with their jobs. But the doctor is in at a musicians' clinic in Düsseldorf.
"My fingers are tripping over each other, and it's already giving me a
lot of pain" - that's how Robert Schumann once described his condition.
Today, we know the composer was suffering from musician's cramp,
formally called focal dystonia. A fellow sufferer was American pianist
Leon Fleischer, who could no longer use his right hand for 30 years
starting in the 1960s.
Other well-known examples of musicians' ailments include pianist Murray Perahia's thumb inflammation and tenor Rolando Villazon's voice loss. The physical strain musicians face can be compared to that of competitive athletes.
But while sports medicine is a well-established field, a comparable medical arena for musicians is just now coming into being. Some German music academies now come outfitted with clinics for musicians, but they often house just a single doctor.
The Duisburg Philharmonic's basoon quartet in for an examination in Düsseldorf
An exception comes by way of a Düsseldorf musicians' clinic, created two
years ago by the music journalist, organist and physician Wolfram
Goertz. Joined to the local university clinic, Goertz's institution is
part of a network including neurologists, orthopedists, hand surgeons,
psychologists and physiotherapists. It can be a source of rescue for
suffering musicians from Germany and all around Europe - many of whom
often have years of trouble in other doctors' offices behind them.
Instruments in the waiting room
"The usual case is, indeed, that a patient who comes to us has already been to at least two or three specialists without being able to find the cause for what's ailing him," said Wolfram Goertz. "After all, the doctors have never examined their patients holding their musical instruments."
That's why performers seeking help in Düsseldorf are asked to bring their instruments along to the university clinic, where the doctors themselves have musical experience and are familiar with the physical movements that go into playing a given instrument.
Medical doctor and musician: Wolfram Goertz
"Musicians often have to take on an 'abnormal' position in order to play. This can cause chronic pain over time," Goertz said.
Just as musicians differ, so, too, do the injuries they're prone to. "It's an unbelievably wide array," said Wolfram Goertz, "Violinists often have problems with their shoulders; cellists with their thumb saddle joint. With brass players, it's often their lips and facial muscles, and they frequently complain of dizziness. And stage fright is a huge problem of course."
Athletes on stage
Before musicians make the trip to the clinic in Düsseldorf, Wolfram Goertz conducts a thorough phone call with them in order to plan their appointments. After initial consultation and treatment, the musicians receive a practice plan.
"They must realize that they are high-performance athletes," Goertz said. "Just as Usain Bolt warms up before a 100-meter dash, musicians also need to take ten minutes and get ready with stretching exercises. Only then should they pick up an instrument."
Neurologist Ulrike Kahlen and hand surgeon Tim Lögters examine a guitarist
Growing reputation
Even during their first visit to the musicians' clinic, all patients are led through various departments and examined by multiple specialists.
"Good treatment is defined by considering a case in a comprehensive way," said Goertz. "At the university clinic, you can always bring in colleagues, just by calling them."
The institution has meanwhile treated more than 500 patients, and its reputation has spread to Europe's major orchestras.
"We've had orchestral musicians from the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam here," said Goertz. "Our patients include members of at least half of Germany's radio symphony orchestras. And in April 2013, we established a partnership with the Duisburg Philharmonic. We're now their team doctor in a sense - looking after individuals, but also offering preventative medicine."
Other well-known examples of musicians' ailments include pianist Murray Perahia's thumb inflammation and tenor Rolando Villazon's voice loss. The physical strain musicians face can be compared to that of competitive athletes.
But while sports medicine is a well-established field, a comparable medical arena for musicians is just now coming into being. Some German music academies now come outfitted with clinics for musicians, but they often house just a single doctor.
The Duisburg Philharmonic's basoon quartet in for an examination in DüsseldorfInstruments in the waiting room
"The usual case is, indeed, that a patient who comes to us has already been to at least two or three specialists without being able to find the cause for what's ailing him," said Wolfram Goertz. "After all, the doctors have never examined their patients holding their musical instruments."
That's why performers seeking help in Düsseldorf are asked to bring their instruments along to the university clinic, where the doctors themselves have musical experience and are familiar with the physical movements that go into playing a given instrument.
Medical doctor and musician: Wolfram GoertzJust as musicians differ, so, too, do the injuries they're prone to. "It's an unbelievably wide array," said Wolfram Goertz, "Violinists often have problems with their shoulders; cellists with their thumb saddle joint. With brass players, it's often their lips and facial muscles, and they frequently complain of dizziness. And stage fright is a huge problem of course."
Athletes on stage
Before musicians make the trip to the clinic in Düsseldorf, Wolfram Goertz conducts a thorough phone call with them in order to plan their appointments. After initial consultation and treatment, the musicians receive a practice plan.
"They must realize that they are high-performance athletes," Goertz said. "Just as Usain Bolt warms up before a 100-meter dash, musicians also need to take ten minutes and get ready with stretching exercises. Only then should they pick up an instrument."
Neurologist Ulrike Kahlen and hand surgeon Tim Lögters examine a guitaristEven during their first visit to the musicians' clinic, all patients are led through various departments and examined by multiple specialists.
"Good treatment is defined by considering a case in a comprehensive way," said Goertz. "At the university clinic, you can always bring in colleagues, just by calling them."
The institution has meanwhile treated more than 500 patients, and its reputation has spread to Europe's major orchestras.
"We've had orchestral musicians from the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam here," said Goertz. "Our patients include members of at least half of Germany's radio symphony orchestras. And in April 2013, we established a partnership with the Duisburg Philharmonic. We're now their team doctor in a sense - looking after individuals, but also offering preventative medicine."
DW.DE
French stock exchange at highest since 2008
After nine consecutive days on the rise, the Paris Stock exchange opened 0.14 per cent up on Monday. The French Cac-40 index reached its highest level since September 2008 on Friday. The result raises hopes that Europe may at last be recovering from economic crisis.
The Paris bourse rose 16.15 ponts on Monday, like most major
European markets managing to fight off fears of deflation in Europe.
In France the publication of slightly-better-than-expected financial
results from companies like Renault, EDF, Société Générale and Michelin
last week had no effect on investors' optimism.
The European Central Bank (ECB), which had feared risks of deflation on the European markets, announced the possiblity of low inflation in Europe.
And the icing on the cake was the publication Friday of a 0.3 per cent GDP growth in the eurozone in 2013, exceeding expectations.
France also did better than forecast with 0.3 per cent growth in 2013.
The resumption of investment and foreign trade could just be the prelude to a recovery in consumption both in France, and in Europe.
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The European Central Bank (ECB), which had feared risks of deflation on the European markets, announced the possiblity of low inflation in Europe.
And the icing on the cake was the publication Friday of a 0.3 per cent GDP growth in the eurozone in 2013, exceeding expectations.
France also did better than forecast with 0.3 per cent growth in 2013.
The resumption of investment and foreign trade could just be the prelude to a recovery in consumption both in France, and in Europe.
Radiopakistan
Pakistan sets world record of forming largest human flag
29‚040 school children took part in the attempt.
Pakistan has set a
world record by forming the largest human flag at the National Hockey
stadium in Lahore this evening (Saturday).
Twenty nine thousand and forty school children took part in the attempt.
The record was previously held by Bangladesh when 27‚170 people formed their national flag in Dhaka.
The record has been validated by a representative of the Guinness Book of World Records.
Information Minister Pervaiz Rashid has felicitated the nation on setting this record.
Human-animal hybrids, disasters in the making
Scientists worldwide are creating bizarre human-animal hybrids that could wreak havoc on society. In the past ten years alone, unforgettable advances in the field of genetic modifications have left researchers and on-lookers stunned.
Nowadays, it is possible for a couple of university-age
students to concoct new life forms in the comfort of their own
basement. Regrettably so, laws have not been able to keep up with the
pace at which scientists have been toying around with their creations.
In
turn, the entities being created are not at all illegal but by all
means could pose a risk to society by and large. There is no telling
what may happen if these life forms are allowed to mate. Still,
eagerness can be seen in the eyes and minds of scientists on a global
level just waiting to unleash their next creation to the world, that all
seemed liked fantasy just a short time ago.
To give a
concrete example, scientists have made mice with an artificial human
chromosome “in every cell of their bodies”. Such an act is being praised
as a “breakthrough” which may lead to different cures for a wide scope
of disease. As reported by Lifenews.com, University of Wisconsin
researchers have had much success by transferring cells from human
embryos into the brains of mice. These very cells began to grow, and in
time made the mice more intelligent.
The mice showed
that they were able to solve a simple maze and learn conditioning
signals at a more enhanced level than if compared to before their
transformation. Critics are quick to question whether a practice of
injecting parts of humans in animals carries more benefits than risks.
Even
now it is apparent that growing human organs inside of animals is not
science fiction, but pure reality. Japanese scientists have started
using pigs to grow human organs inside of them. The entire growth
process takes up to 12 months to complete.
Their main
goal is to add onto the amount of organs available for medical
procedures according to an Infowars.com write up about the topic.
However, this is no basement operation as the Japanese government is
figuring out guidelines for the embryonic research initiative.
Thetruthwins.com
is quick to point out that once a human organ has begun to grow inside
of a pig, that pig is no longer 100 percent pig. If that can be said to
be true, then the human organ that grows inside of the pig cannot be
perceived as 100 percent human after it developed inside of another
animal. Recipients of such organs will be letting human-animal hybrid
parts be put inside their bodies.
The consequences of
creating such hybrids could pose a hazard to communities near and far.
However, the perhaps more unsettling part is realizing that it is not
known what is to be predicted should the hybrids become uncontrollable.
What
is even more daunting is that most countries do not have laws against
creations of this kind, leading people to produce these entities freely.
Additionally, no punishment is set in place should the living thing
become a walking disaster.
It is believed that
genetically tweaking animals to grow human parts is just another way of
corrupting nature. Back in 2011, the Daily Mail reported on UK
scientists creating “more than 150” human-animal hybrid embryos and very
few readers got upset over this.
Other examples have
been noted of in a Slate article, such as packs of humanized-milk
producing goats, an anal sphincter being placed into a mouse, and
doctors constructing a human immune system made for animals. Still,
these are just the projects that are known about. There may be other
experiments underway that are off the radar. Human-animals hybrids are
possible, but it leaves people debating on whether the benefits truly
outweigh the risks involved.
Europe's Merkel right to take measures against US invasive surveillance - expert
As German Chancellor Angela Merkel has called for creating a European communications network aimed at improving data protection and curbing the US NSA and British GCHQ's mass surveillance, Kristian Gustafson, Director of Studies at Brunel University, Centre for Intelligence and Security, shared with the Voice of Russia his take on whether such a network could effectively contain the US spying and why, in his view, "the EU countries will get in to assist".
First of all, Kristian, what do you think of
feasibility of this project? Could the creation of a European
communication network actually help effectively contain the NSA’s mass
surveillance? What do you actually think?
It sounds like a look
of analysis and it is easy to presume that it is certainly prompted by
the NSA and probably GCHQ surveillance but the fact is as well the EU is
aware that if the Americans are leading mass communications, so can
anyone else, including the Russians and anyone else with a national or a
robust national intelligence structure. From that point of view, if
that network will continue to preserve the sanctity of
their decision making and the sanctity of what they trade by their
companies, which is certainly very valuable, then they will need to take
measures to secure their communications.
How will this actually operate though, this system?
Well,
I'm no technician. I can say only that the fact is that there is the
Internet which we all know and love, which goes anywhere in any time
through any means, but actually the fact is that there is a physical
infrastructure of the Internet that requires switching stations and
requires cables that go into the ocean. And currently a lot of the
Internet is physically in the US. Because it is physically in the US and
much of the communication that happens in it is not happening between
Americans (the communication is a weird word about it) then the
Americans have every right legally speaking to look at it. So I suppose
what the EU is thinking about is a way to adapt part of the physical
infrastructure of that Internet into Europe itself, so that it is not
subject to such easy interception by other powers.
Kristian,
I want to ask the question, I mean I wonder has this got something to
(you remember Ms Merkel's telephone was tapped) do with her and her
response to all of this?
I'm sure that politicians
are always at certain level speaking to internal audiences. And I'd
imagine that she is speaking to the European Parliament, to a general
electorate that is, I suppose, seeing a loss of a moral proper,
a loss of German honor here or European honor itself if such a thing
exists. The same way that President Obama's recent speech included the
promise that he wasn't going to spy on allied leaders anymore, this
speech includes the response saying – "we are going to make sure you
don't".
Do you think this will be backed by all the EU countries? What do you think?
I
imagine the EU countries will get in to assist partly because
financially speaking it is probably in their interests. And also whether
or not we have this Snowden revelations or not, this is where we are
given the cards, the EU can't continue to rely on other peoples'
infrastructure and concerns about other issues on that neutrality and
American corporate law will have prompted Europe to look at improving
their own Internet infrastructure anyway. In my mind, this is something
that will probably going to happen anyway.
And of course one wonders in the end wether this is going to tarnish completely relations between the United States and Germany?
No,
it couldn't possibly, there is too much business to be done between
them and in the end they do share a lot of common interests. So as long
as that exists they will continue to be friends.
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