CURRENTTIME — broadcast
20260807 023000 UTC
339 transcript segments
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[00:00:00] and I will do everything in my power to continue helping to fight for
[00:00:03] freedom anywhere in the world, against you, as well as against
[00:00:07] Xi, Kim Chen, Ayatollah, and other
[00:00:10] disgusting bandits who dispose of people's lives around
[00:00:13] the world. Thank you, Senator, for taking the time
[00:00:17] to share your
[00:00:18] perspective.
[00:01:35] In Ukraine, we have always told about unique places and
[00:01:39] unique people, but that was
[00:01:42] before. Since February
[00:01:45] 2022, everything has changed with
[00:01:48] the war. We are showing a new
[00:01:52] history of Ukraine, about
[00:01:55] incredible strength of spirit, about fighting no matter
[00:01:58] what.
[00:02:03] Watch the joint project of Radio Svoboda and the Current Time TV channel:
[00:02:07] what is really happening in Ukraine.
[00:02:22] In a matter of seconds, an explosion destroys the cooling towers of a nuclear power plant,
[00:02:26] an impressive sight, but
[00:02:29] dismantling the entire station takes decades. This
[00:02:32] happens because many materials are radioactive, and they cannot simply be
[00:02:36] disposed of in the same way that nuclear
[00:02:38] waste was disposed of before.
[00:02:42] Nuclear energy is experiencing a revival worldwide.
[00:02:45] But have operators considered decommissioning nuclear power plants?
[00:02:48] What happens when a plant's service life comes to
[00:02:52] an end? And most importantly, how much will its
[00:02:55] decommissioning and
[00:02:57] disposal cost?
[00:03:00] Also in this issue, can China's exports
[00:03:04] save economic growth?
[00:03:07] Ayurveda - a healthy lifestyle at the intersection of tradition, modernity,
[00:03:10] and Erika Robin.
[00:03:14] Courage in a
[00:03:15] beauty pageant.
[00:03:24] Made in Germany.
[00:03:27] It was a jewel of Soviet technology. Atomic
[00:03:31] energy - the energy of the future.
[00:03:34] It was the pride of communist East Germany. The station
[00:03:38] operates at full capacity and is absolutely safe. Now it
[00:03:41] has become a nightmare, beeping continuously.
[00:03:45] Let's move back a meter.
[00:03:49] This is one of the largest and most expensive projects in the world for decommissioning
[00:03:52] civilian facilities. It took
[00:03:55] a decade longer than
[00:03:56] planned.
[00:04:44] Here is the reactor shaft, where the nuclear fuel tank
[00:04:47] was also located. This is the heart of any reactor
[00:04:50] block,
[00:04:58] everything here is contaminated.
[00:05:01] We assume that there is radiation here. If the results of
[00:05:05] the measurements are above the permissible minimum, further
[00:05:08] layers must be removed. This is a standard procedure, but of course, it takes a very long
[00:05:11] time. There are strict rules
[00:05:14] regarding the duration of stay in these halls. You cannot
[00:05:18] eat, drink, or go to the toilet here. It has been
[00:05:21] 35 years since
[00:05:23] the shutdown,
[00:05:27] and there is still so much here.
[00:05:30] We have dismantled the main elements, the reactor vessel and its
[00:05:34] parts.
[00:05:42] After shutdown, the nuclear fuel rods and all
[00:05:45] elements located next to it are dismantled into parts.
[00:05:49] The rods are left to cool in the world's most unpleasant pools, and then placed
[00:05:52] in temporary storage. This process alone can
[00:05:56] take years. In this case, it took 7 years, but that was
[00:06:00] the easy part. What remains is to check for radioactivity and
[00:06:03] dismantle 330 thousand tons of material, because
[00:06:07] the problem with radiation is that it cannot be
[00:06:10] neutralized. Nuclear fuel is high-level
[00:06:14] waste and can remain radioactive for hundreds of thousands of
[00:06:18] years. It must be stored until it no
[00:06:21] longer poses a threat. The elements closest to
[00:06:25] the fuel, such as parts of the reactor vessel, were
[00:06:28] activated, meaning they were exposed to radiation for a sufficiently
[00:06:32] long time and are now
[00:06:33] radioactive themselves.
[00:06:37] They belong to intermediate-level waste and are also not subject
[00:06:40] to.
[00:07:13] Then each piece of equipment must be
[00:07:16] cut to the size of these boxes. After
[00:07:19] a double check for residual radiation, the decontaminated
[00:07:22] material can finally be sent to
[00:07:24] a landfill.
[00:07:26] According to the International Atomic Energy Agency, the entire
[00:07:30] decommissioning process will take 15-20
[00:07:33] years.
[00:07:37] But the problem is that in many cases, things don't go according to
[00:07:41] plan. It beeps
[00:08:42] continuously. This is 10
[00:08:46] microsieverts. It's better to move back a meter from
[00:08:50] this spot. You can't stand or lie here for
[00:08:53] an hour.
[00:08:56] Every centimeter of the building must be checked for radiation, and all
[00:09:00] contaminated concrete must be cut or chipped away layer by
[00:09:03] layer.
[00:09:07] And we still haven't reached the last stage of the process,
[00:09:09] storage. In Germany... there is no permanent
[00:09:13] nuclear waste repository yet.
[00:09:16] Therefore, everything is currently stored in a building that we are not allowed
[00:09:19] to film from the outside, for security reasons.
[00:09:34] Low- and intermediate-level waste, which constitutes
[00:09:38] 95% of the total volume, is planned to be sent to
[00:09:41] a permanent repository being built in Central
[00:09:44] Germany. As for high-level waste,
[00:09:47] there are no specific plans for its storage
[00:09:49] yet.
[00:09:53] And this is not just Germany's problem. Currently,
[00:09:57] only two out of thirty-one countries producing nuclear energy
[00:10:00] are building permanent repositories for high-level
[00:10:03] waste. So the fuel rods will remain
[00:10:07] here for a very
[00:10:08] long time.
[00:10:12] This, and its legacy, will be the
[00:10:14] concern of current and future
[00:10:16] generations.
[00:10:27] China continues to build new nuclear power plants, despite the high
[00:10:30] costs of their decommissioning.
[00:10:34] Nuclear power is back.
[00:10:37] Beijing wants to reduce emissions and meet growing energy
[00:10:40] demand, but energy is mainly needed to boost
[00:10:44] exports, while the domestic market
[00:10:47] weakens. Does exports save the economy
[00:10:51] or just mask structural problems?
[00:10:59] China's economy is slowing down,
[00:11:02] the housing market is collapsing, and people are not buying
[00:11:04] anything.
[00:11:06] Nevertheless, the country still achieves growth targets of
[00:11:10] 5%, driven by massive exports,
[00:11:13] even despite rising domestic debt. Since
[00:11:16] 2015, this debt has almost doubled and is now approaching
[00:11:20] 100% of GDP, but it is financed by domestic
[00:11:24] funds.
[00:11:28] China has a dual economy; on the one hand,
[00:11:31] it is slowing down, with domestic demand and investment
[00:11:34] declining. But on the other hand,
[00:11:37] exports are growing intensely.
[00:11:41] Exports help, but the real estate market, once the engine
[00:11:45] of the Chinese economy, is now slowing the country's
[00:11:47] development.
[00:11:55] have been declining since 2022, and last year they
[00:11:59] fell by more than
[00:12:00] 5%.
[00:12:06] Until 2020, the real estate sector accounted for approximately
[00:12:09] one-third of China's economic growth. It was huge,
[00:12:12] it was a bubble. The bursting of this bubble has far-reaching
[00:12:16] consequences for public services and consumer
[00:12:18] spending. The reason is that when the real estate market collapsed,
[00:12:22] local authorities could no longer sell land, apartments,
[00:12:25] or multi-story buildings.
[00:12:29] This also sharply reduced state funding and state
[00:12:32] salaries. This greatly slowed down consumption in
[00:12:35] China.
[00:12:40] This slowdown in consumption is exacerbated by China's long-term
[00:12:44] problem, demographic
[00:12:45] decline.
[00:12:51] The proportion of the working-age population is decreasing.
[00:12:55] in 2010 to a projected less than 40% in
[00:12:59] 2090.
[00:13:03] A shrinking workforce means fewer young
[00:13:06] buyers, lower demand, which becomes
[00:13:09] an obstacle to economic
[00:13:11] growth.
[00:13:15] We might think that deflation in China is a result of
[00:13:18] excess production
[00:13:20] capacity.
[00:13:22] But in reality, it's a lack of demand. China
[00:13:26] should increase domestic
[00:13:27] demand.
[00:13:30] In recent years, consumer prices have hardly
[00:13:33] changed. While in factories, often
[00:13:36] the cost of production exceeded the cost of its
[00:13:39] sale.
[00:13:45] Deflation is an unusual phenomenon for a large economy. However,
[00:13:49] China has been in this state for 3 years in a row. One
[00:13:53] of the reasons is that
[00:13:56] China has a very primitive social security system,
[00:14:00] employees of private enterprises do not have a good social package,
[00:14:04] as a result, they do not want to spend much, therefore
[00:14:07] there is a large amount of savings in China in case of unforeseen
[00:14:10] circumstances.
[00:14:18] If growth is not possible from within, it must come
[00:14:21] from without. Exports are now more important than ever.
[00:14:25] Chinese manufacturers strive to remain competitive in the
[00:14:28] global market at almost any cost.
[00:14:31] Companies are in survival mode. They need
[00:14:34] market share. They are willing to lower prices even at a
[00:14:38] loss. And this is a little scary for Europe.
[00:14:41] Especially Germany, and indeed the whole world.
[00:14:45] And the Chinese financial system supports
[00:14:47] this. Thus, all banks remain
[00:14:51] afloat. When they give out loans, they don't care if they will receive
[00:14:56] it. They don't even care if they can pay back that money.
[00:15:00] The financial system just keeps giving money to all these companies, and as
[00:15:04] a result, there's a huge oversupply. That's why
[00:15:07] it's so hard to compete with products made in
[00:15:10] China. The consequences are felt worldwide.
[00:15:13] мире.
[00:15:15] Countries like Germany face reduced demand for their
[00:15:18] products, and those who try to build factories struggle to
[00:15:22] compete with China's dumping prices.
[00:15:28] China thinks about China. If a
[00:15:31] company is losing money but can compete with another company in
[00:15:34] the USA or Europe.
[00:16:10] I hope the Chinese government will shift its
[00:16:13] focus from supply to
[00:16:15] demand
[00:16:18] and direct fiscal resources to social
[00:16:20] spending.
[00:16:24] At the moment, Beijing is ready to endure short-term difficulties for the sake of
[00:16:28] long-term results, such as technological self-sufficiency and
[00:16:31] financial
[00:16:32] stability.
[00:16:37] And another developing economic sector from
[00:16:40] Asia: holistic medicine. Ayurveda, which
[00:16:43] means the science of life, has existed in India for thousands of years. It
[00:16:47] considers the body, mind, and soul
[00:16:50] of a person as a single whole.
[00:16:54] It is believed that the right balance between elements enhances the ability to
[00:16:57] self-heal. Currently, India is undergoing a fundamental
[00:17:01] modernization of
[00:17:03] Ayurveda.
[00:17:07] Massage, oils,
[00:17:10] relaxation - that's what most people associate with Ayurveda,
[00:17:13] but that's far from all. After
[00:17:17] centuries of being in the background, Ayurveda is now becoming
[00:17:21] mainstream.
[00:17:24] Dr. Aishwarya Jayaram, a physician who has been practicing Ayurveda
[00:17:27] for 15 years, is closely following these changes. She
[00:17:31] works at Sanjeevanam Hospital, which combines traditional
[00:17:35] Ayurveda with modern healthcare.
[00:18:07] thousands of years old, its foundation is the balance between
[00:18:11] mind, body, and
[00:18:12] spirit.
[00:18:15] It relies on nature, medicinal plants,
[00:18:19] nutrition, and lifestyle changes.
[00:18:22] Before, 14-15 years ago, people came simply
[00:18:26] for relaxation, rejuvenation,
[00:18:28] for retreats, but now more and more people are considering
[00:18:32] Ayurveda as a method of treatment. They
[00:18:35] choose Ayurveda as their.
[00:20:09] In India, permission is required from the receiving country,
[00:20:11] its licensing body
[00:20:13] must have a system to examine this product and issue
[00:20:17] permission. This is not available now, and it is lacking. In these
[00:20:20] countries, there is no licensing body to approve medicines. He
[00:20:24] says the government can help here. Over the past
[00:20:27] decade, the government has actively promoted Ayurveda, calling
[00:20:31] it India's soft power. A special
[00:20:34] ministry was created. Funds were invested in research,
[00:20:37] educational institutions, and infrastructure, as well as in
[00:20:41] its international promotion. Wellness tourism is another
[00:20:44] area where Ayurveda holds a leading position. Emelie
[00:20:47] Terje, originally from France, and her
[00:20:51] thorough research in search of a cure for endometriosis brought her
[00:20:54] here. In Western medicine, the view of the problem is very
[00:20:58] limited. I read about endometriosis, it's related to
[00:21:02] what you eat, to your daily routine, to many things,
[00:21:05] so when I read about Ayurveda, it seemed very
[00:21:09] interesting to me, perhaps it was the solution that would help me
[00:21:12] cope with my illness, because I was having a very hard time in
[00:21:16] everyday life. Aishwarya says that such cases...
[00:21:20] a broader global shift towards more holistic and
[00:21:23] long-term approaches to health. This
[00:21:26] is supported by the fact that in many Western countries there are now
[00:21:30] their own Ayurvedic wellness centers. We
[00:21:34] are seeing a significant increase in awareness among the younger
[00:21:37] generation, especially regarding a balanced, healthy
[00:21:41] lifestyle. I think they are looking for balance, and this
[00:21:44] definitely leads them to Ayurveda, in conjunction with yoga. In her
[00:21:48] opinion, the growing interest in Ayurveda reflects broader changes,
[00:21:52] as traditional practices embrace a wider
[00:21:55] audience, larger markets, and open up new
[00:21:58] economic
[00:21:59] opportunities.
[00:22:04] This woman also did not miss her
[00:22:06] chance. Erica Robin from Pakistan
[00:22:10] entered the top twenty at Miss
[00:22:13] Universe. This was a special moment for the whole
[00:22:16] country, where old traditions and customs are still strong.
[00:22:51] They said, you're tall, you look good, you have very beautiful facial
[00:22:54] features, you should have a photo shoot at our
[00:22:57] salon.
[00:23:00] What motivated me? Nothing, I did
[00:23:04] it just out of interest, not
[00:23:06] professionally.
[00:23:11] I didn't know anything about it, I just did it for
[00:23:14] fun. It was my first time
[00:23:16] participating.
[00:23:20] My father was against it, he was afraid of what people would
[00:23:22] say.
[00:23:26] He was concerned about safety, because not all people are
[00:23:29] good.
[00:23:33] I think minorities are less accepted
[00:23:36] here.
[00:23:40] Hi, I'm Erica Robin from Karachi, Pakistan. And I am the first Miss
[00:23:43] Universe from Pakistan.
[00:23:47] The thought of becoming Miss Universe never crossed my mind.
[00:24:39] When it became known, for some time on Twitter and everywhere
[00:24:43] it was.
[00:26:03] strength, will there be a swimsuit competition? They told me: yes, but a bikini is not
[00:26:06] mandatory, if you are uncomfortable, you can wear
[00:26:09] a burkini, that's when I said: yes, I'm in.
[00:26:29] Last year there were 200 applications, because now everyone.
[00:27:02] has applied.
[00:27:03] заявки,
[00:27:10] A lot has changed over time. Now
[00:27:13] every Miss Universe, all former Miss Universes have
[00:27:17] a goal. To get the title, it's not enough to be just
[00:27:20] smart, beautiful, and able to walk and talk
[00:27:22] beautifully.
[00:27:33] I feel that as the first Miss Universe from Pakistan, I
[00:27:37] realized how important it is to be a true
[00:27:39] Pakistani.
[00:27:46] I am very happy to be the first. But I am not the last. And this
[00:27:50] opportunity has been a wonderful experience that I
[00:27:53] will remember for the rest of my
[00:27:54] life.
[00:28:03] This concludes our broadcast. We talked about the cost of decommissioning
[00:28:07] nuclear power plants, about how China's economic growth
[00:28:10] depends on exports and not on the domestic market, about
[00:28:14] how India is modernizing
[00:28:16] Ayurveda. Until next
[00:28:19] time,
[00:28:54] I would say, grandiose plans. I would really like
[00:28:58] Danis to compete in the Special Olympics. How is it
[00:29:02] to lead an athlete to victory? And if it's
[00:29:05] a para-athlete, this path is never simple or
[00:29:09] easy. Every day you have to prove to yourself, to society,
[00:29:12] to the whole world, that the capabilities of people with
[00:29:15] disabilities are actually
[00:29:17] limitless.
[00:29:25] for any reason whatsoever, the abduction, and also
[00:29:28] the deportation of protected persons from occupied territory
[00:29:32] to the territory of the occupying power or to the territory of
[00:29:35] any other state, regardless of whether they are occupied
[00:29:39] or not. The occupying power shall not be able to
[00:29:42] deport or transfer a part of its own
[00:29:45] civilian population to the territory it occupies.