Google Cloud Speech-to-Text API (Chirp) + Gemini 2.5 Flash Non-Thinking. Treat it as a searchable index of what was broadcast, not a quotation record.
00:00:01Since February participant. 2022, the war
00:00:04changed everything. We show the new
00:00:08history of Ukraine,
00:00:11about incredible strength of spirit, about fighting no matter
00:00:14what.
00:00:19Watch the joint project of Radio Liberty and the TV channel "Current
00:00:23Time," what is actually happening in
00:00:26Ukraine.
00:00:38In a matter of seconds, an explosion destroys the cooling towers of a nuclear power plant.
00:00:42An impressive sight, but
00:00:45dismantling an entire station takes decades. This
00:00:48happens because many materials are radioactive, and they cannot simply
00:00:52be disposed of the way nuclear waste
00:00:55was disposed of before.
00:00:58Nuclear energy is experiencing a revival worldwide.
00:01:01But have operators considered decommissioning nuclear power plants?
00:01:05What happens when a plant's service life comes to
00:01:08an end, and most importantly, how much will its
00:01:11decommissioning and
00:01:13disposal cost?
00:01:16Also in this issue: China, can exports
00:01:20save economic growth?
00:01:23Ayurveda: a healthy lifestyle at the intersection of tradition and modernity,
00:01:27and Erica Robin.
00:01:30Courage at a beauty
00:01:31pageant.
00:01:40Made in Germany.
00:01:43It was the jewel of Soviet technology. Nuclear
00:01:47energy is the energy of the future.
00:01:50It was the pride of communist East Germany. The station
00:01:54operates at full capacity and is absolutely safe. Now it
00:01:57has become a nightmare, beeping continuously.
00:02:30we are entering a contaminated
00:02:31zone,
00:02:35Kurt Radlof's parents worked here when the nuclear power plant was still
00:02:38functioning. Now he is responsible for public relations
00:02:41here. We immediately find ourselves in the center
00:02:45of the station.
00:02:52It's
00:02:53huge.
00:02:58Yes, here we have the... reactor shaft, where the
00:03:02nuclear fuel tank was also located. This is the heart
00:03:05of any reactor
00:03:06unit.
00:03:14Everything here is contaminated.
00:03:17We assume there is radiation here. If the measurement
00:03:21results are above the permissible minimum, further
00:03:24layers must be removed. This is a standard procedure, but of course, it takes a lot
00:03:27of time. It exists.
00:04:04fuel rods, all elements near them. The rods are left to cool in the world's nastiest
00:04:07pools, then placed in temporary storage.
00:04:10This process alone can take years. In this case, it
00:04:14took 7 years, but that was the easy part.
00:04:18The remaining 330,000 tons of materials need to be checked for radioactivity and
00:04:21dismantled, because the problem with radiation is
00:04:25that it cannot be neutralized.
00:04:28Nuclear fuel is considered high-level waste and can
00:04:32remain radioactive for hundreds of thousands of years.
00:04:36It must be stored until it no longer poses a threat.
00:04:40Elements closest to the fuel, such as parts of the reactor
00:04:43vessel, were activated, meaning
00:04:46they were exposed to radiation long enough to become
00:04:49radioactive themselves.
00:04:53They are considered intermediate-level waste
00:04:56and also cannot be decontaminated. Therefore, they
00:05:00also need to be stored safely, but
00:05:03parts that were further from the fuel can
00:05:06be decontaminated. For this, they need to be sorted by
00:05:10material, and then the radioactive material needs to be separated.
00:05:15We have several decontamination zones here, for example,
00:05:18dry spray chambers or high-pressure chambers for spraying
00:05:21water. This significantly reduces the volume
00:05:25of waste that needs to be stored for centuries.
00:05:29Then each piece of equipment must be cut down to the size of these
00:05:33boxes. After a double check for residual
00:05:37radiation, the decontaminated material can finally be sent to
00:05:40a landfill.
00:05:42According to the International Atomic Energy Agency, the entire
00:05:46decommissioning process will take 15-20
00:05:49years.
00:05:53But the problem is that in many cases, not everything goes according to
00:05:57plan,
00:06:00as in this workshop. This
00:06:03is the so-called first special building, where radioactive
00:06:06control water
00:06:09used to be cleaned.
00:06:12The building hid an unpleasant
00:06:14surprise.
00:06:20We noticed that there was quite a strong
00:06:22contamination here in the corner.
00:06:26If there was a crack somewhere in the plaster, which
00:06:29was probably not uncommon in 1990. Water
00:06:33seeped into the cracks and spread
00:06:36further.
00:07:12Every centimeter of the building needs to be checked for radiation, and all
00:07:16contaminated concrete must be cut or chipped away layer by
00:07:19layer.
00:07:23And we haven't even reached the final stage of the process yet:
00:07:25storage. Germany currently has no permanent
00:07:29nuclear waste repository.
00:07:32Therefore, everything is currently stored in a building that we are not allowed to
00:07:36film from the outside for security
00:07:37reasons.
00:07:50Low-to-intermediate-level radioactive waste, which constitutes
00:07:5495% of the total volume, is planned to be sent
00:07:57to a permanent repository currently under construction in central
00:08:00Germany. As for high-level waste,
00:08:03there are currently no specific plans for its
00:08:05storage.
00:08:09And this is not just Germany's problem. Currently,
00:08:13only two of the thirty-one countries producing nuclear energy
00:08:16are building permanent repositories for high-level
00:08:19waste. So the fuel rods will remain
00:08:23here for a very
00:08:24long time.
00:08:28This nuclear power plant and its legacy will be the
00:08:30concern of current and future
00:08:33generations.
00:08:43China continues to build new nuclear power plants, despite the high
00:08:46costs of their decommissioning.
00:08:50Nuclear energy is returning.
00:08:53Beijing wants to reduce emissions and meet the growing demand for
00:08:56energy, but energy is mainly needed to increase
00:09:00exports. The domestic market is
00:09:03weakening. Are exports saving the economy
00:09:07or just masking structural
00:09:09problems?
00:09:15China's economy is slowing down,
00:09:18the housing market is collapsing, and people are not
00:09:20buying anything.
00:09:22Nevertheless, the country still achieves growth targets of
00:09:265%, driven by massive exports, even despite
00:09:30rising domestic debt. Since
00:09:322015, this debt has almost doubled and is now approaching
00:09:36100% of GDP. But it
00:09:38is financed domestically, mainly by private savings.
00:09:44China is a dual economy. On the one hand,
00:09:47it is slowing down, with domestic demand and investment
00:09:50declining. But on the other hand,
00:09:53exports are growing intensely.
00:09:57Exports help, but the real estate market, once the engine
00:10:01of the Chinese economy, is now slowing the country's
00:10:03development.
00:10:10Housing prices are falling.
00:10:14years, last year they fell by more than 5%.
00:10:16Until 2020, the real
00:10:22estate sector provided...
00:10:56This consumption slowdown is exacerbated by China's long-term
00:11:00problem, demographic
00:11:01decline.
00:11:07The working-age population's share is shrinking from almost
00:11:1070% in 2010 to
00:11:13a projected less than 40% in
00:11:152090.
00:11:19A shrinking workforce means fewer young
00:11:22buyers and declining demand, which becomes
00:11:25an obstacle to economic
00:11:27growth.
00:11:31We might think that deflation in China is the result
00:11:34of overproduction
00:11:36capacity.
00:11:38But in reality, it's a lack of demand. China
00:11:42should increase domestic
00:11:43demand.
00:11:46In recent years, consumer prices have hardly
00:11:49changed. While in factories, often
00:11:52the cost of production exceeded its
00:11:55selling price.
00:12:01Deflation is an unusual phenomenon for a major economy. However,
00:12:05China has been in this state for 3 consecutive years.
00:12:09One reason is that
00:12:12China has a very primitive social security system.
00:12:16Employees of private enterprises do not have good social packages. As a
00:12:20result, they do not want to spend much. Therefore, China
00:12:23has a large volume.
00:12:34If growth is not possible from within, it must come
00:12:37from outside. Exports are now more important than ever.
00:12:41Chinese manufacturers strive to remain competitive in the
00:12:44global market at almost any cost.
00:12:47Companies are in survival mode. They need
00:12:50market share, they are willing to lower prices, even at a
00:12:54loss. And this is a little frightening for Europe,
00:12:57especially Germany, and the entire world.
00:13:01And China's financial system supports
00:13:03this. Thus, all banks stay
00:13:07afloat. When they issue loans, they don't care if they
00:13:11make a profit. They don't even care if they can get that
00:13:14money back. The financial system just keeps giving
00:13:18money to all these companies, and as a result, there's a huge
00:13:22oversupply. That's why it's so hard to compete
00:13:25with Chinese products. The consequences are felt worldwide.
00:13:29Countries like Germany face reduced demand for their products,
00:13:33and those trying to build factories have to struggle
00:13:36to compete with China's dumping prices.
00:13:40China is thinking about China.
00:13:44If a company is losing money, but can
00:13:47compete with another company in the US or
00:13:50Europe, that's
00:13:53enough.
00:13:55They'll deal with profitability
00:13:57later.
00:14:01China is accepting slower growth for the opportunity to restructure its
00:14:05economy. But what can be done to
00:14:09accelerate it?
00:14:13If we manage to take bolder fiscal and
00:14:16monetary measures, China's economy can recover very
00:14:20quickly.
00:14:26I hope that the Chinese government will shift its
00:14:29focus from supply
00:14:31to demand
00:14:34and direct fiscal resources to social
00:14:36spending.
00:14:40For now, Beijing is willing to endure short-term difficulties for
00:14:44long-term results, such as technological self-sufficiency and
00:14:47financial
00:14:48stability.
00:14:53Another developing...
00:14:59Ayurveda, which means the science of life, has existed in India for thousands
00:15:02of years. It views the human body, mind, and
00:15:06soul as a single whole.
00:15:10A proper balance between elements is believed to enhance
00:15:14self-healing abilities. Currently, a fundamental modernization
00:15:17of Ayurveda
00:15:19is taking place in India.
00:15:26Relaxation is what most people associate with Ayurveda,
00:15:29but it's far from everything.
00:15:33After centuries of being in the background, Ayurveda is now
00:15:36becoming...
00:15:40Dr. Aishwarya Jayaram, a doctor who has practiced Ayurveda
00:15:44for 15 years, closely follows these changes. She
00:15:47works at Sanjeevanam Hospital, which combines traditional
00:15:51Ayurveda with modern healthcare and has become the center of this
00:15:55transition.
00:15:57This is a holistic approach. We see a person as a single
00:16:01whole. We think about their body, mind, spirit, even
00:16:04spirituality. We consider all these aspects. Ayurveda
00:16:08has many dimensions; it's not just wellness, it's
00:16:12prevention, it's stimulation, treatment
00:16:15and, of course,
00:16:16rehabilitation.
00:16:20Ayurveda, the science of life, is believed to be almost 5,000
00:16:24years old. Its foundation is the balance between
00:16:27mind, body, and
00:16:28spirit.
00:16:31It relies on nature, medicinal plants,
00:16:35nutrition, and lifestyle changes.
00:16:38Before, 14-15 years ago, people came simply
00:16:42for relaxation, rest, rejuvenation at
00:16:44retreats. But now, more and more people are considering
00:16:48Ayurveda as a method of treatment. They
00:16:51choose Ayurveda as their treatment system,
00:16:54preferring it over Western drug-based medicine.
00:16:58And clinics like Sajjavanam show how the perception
00:17:02of Ayurveda is changing. It is no longer considered an ancient healing
00:17:05system, practiced in small traditional centers or by individual
00:17:09doctors, but represents an organized and
00:17:12thriving sector, studied by modern
00:17:15science. It's now an entire
00:17:17industry.
00:17:19A clinic where thousands of people come annually looking for solutions to
00:17:23medical problems, with doctors with degrees in fields such as
00:17:27neurology, ophthalmology, and gynecology, as well as with
00:17:30laboratories for developing medicines and therapeutic oils, a modern
00:17:34Ayurvedic center combines everything.
00:17:37This, according to Eavy Anoop, the founder of Sajiwam
00:17:41company, such Ayurvedic personal
00:17:44care products like shampoos, soaps, oils, creams
00:17:47have also gained enormous
00:17:49popularity.
00:17:52The Ayurvedic product market in India is currently
00:17:55valued at $10.5 billion
00:17:59USD.
00:18:02Based on this, I am confident that there will be an annual growth
00:18:05of 15-20%.
00:18:09Undoubtedly, in 3-4 years, it will exceed $20 billion.
00:18:12He says that growth could accelerate
00:18:18further if Ayurvedic medicines
00:18:21gain wider acceptance outside India.
00:18:24It requires permission from the country receiving the product;
00:18:28its licensing authority must have a system to examine this
00:18:31product and issue permission. Currently, this
00:18:34is not the case, and this is lacking. a special ministry was created, investments were made in research,
00:18:54educational institutions and infrastructure, as well as in
00:18:57its international promotion. Wellness tourism is another
00:19:00area where Ayurveda holds a leading position. Emily
00:19:03Terrie, originally from France, and her... In Western medicine, the approach to
00:19:11the problem is essentially very limited. I read about endometriosis, it
00:19:15is related to what you eat, to your daily routine, to many
00:19:19things. So when I read about Ayurveda, it
00:19:23seemed very interesting to me,
00:19:26maybe this is the solution that would help me cope with my
00:19:29illness, because I was having a very difficult time in my daily life.
00:19:33Aishwarya says that such cases reflect a larger
00:19:37global shift towards more
00:19:40holistic and long-term approaches to
00:19:43health. This is supported by the fact that many Western
00:19:47countries now have their own Ayurvedic
00:19:50wellness centers. We are seeing a significant increase in
00:19:53awareness among the younger generation, especially regarding
00:19:57a balanced, healthy lifestyle. I think they
00:20:00are looking for balance, and this certainly leads them to Ayurveda in
00:20:04combination with yoga. In her opinion, the growing interest in Ayurveda
00:20:07reflects more significant changes, where traditional practices
00:20:11are reaching a wider audience, larger
00:20:14markets, and opening new
00:20:15economic
00:27:42promised to soon replace imported passenger
00:27:45aircraft. In Irkutsk, tests of a serial
00:27:49MS-21 aircraft were conducted. This is news
00:27:52of strategic importance for the Russian industry and aviation. The aircraft
00:27:55is completely import-substituted, all equipment is produced in
00:27:58Russia. Talk about the need for domestic
00:28:01liners began back in the mid- 2000s, since then almost
00:28:05every year they promised to launch the MS-21 into
00:28:08production. Ivanov stated that the country should receive
00:28:12a new medium-haul aircraft, the MS-21, in the coming years. The first flight
00:28:16is scheduled for 2015, with serial
00:28:19production beginning in 2016. In just
00:28:222 years, the MS-21 is expected to take
00:28:26to the skies. In 2016, despite government promises,
00:28:29neither serial production nor first flights occurred, only
00:28:33another grand announcement. Russia
00:28:35presented the liner of the future,
00:28:39the MS21. Cool, what can I say.
00:28:43The liner of the Russian dream. The first launch should take place in just a few
00:28:47months. Engineers are ready for serial production. Years passed,
00:28:50deadlines shifted, but Kremlin media continued to feed
00:28:54Russians promises. The first deliveries are scheduled for nineteen
00:28:57years, serial production of MS-21 aircraft is planned to begin in
00:29:012021. This year
00:29:04it will begin. In early 2022,
00:29:08they once again promised to launch production soon. After
00:29:12the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, new
00:29:16sanctions followed. It turned out that the fully Russian
00:29:19aircraft lacked imported parts. Again
00:29:22loud statements about the importance of import substitution and,
00:29:25of course, promises. Serial
00:29:28deliveries are expected to begin as early as next year. This year they will enter
00:29:32series. In the next 6 years, 600 completely domestic
00:29:36liners will be reproduced. This year, that is, in 2024,
00:29:39the aircraft was never launched into series. This will not happen
00:29:42in the current 2026.
00:29:45Serial production of the liner is now planned for
00:29:482032.
00:30:50truly limitless. I am Rosa Iosina,
00:30:53Zhilelskaya. I am 97 years old. I
00:30:57survived the Holocaust, and I am a