Podcasts about Lai

What if getting fired was the best thing that ever happened to you?In this episode of Let's Be Clear, Pastor Jamal Bryant sits down with comedian and content creator D'Lai to discuss the painful journey behind his success. D'Lai shares how growing up in poverty, losing his mother as a baby, getting fired from job after job, and facing rejection on stage shaped the man he is today.D'Lai also shares the unbelievable story of moving to Las Vegas with almost no money, sleeping in his car, overcoming failure, battling a gambling addiction, and the unexpected way he met Lesa.This conversation is filled with powerful lessons about faith, resilience, purpose, discipline, and refusing to let setbacks define your future.If you've ever felt overlooked, rejected, discouraged, or wondered if your best days are still ahead, this episode is for you.#JamalBryant #LetsBeClear #D'Lai #SuccessStory #Comedy #Faith #Entrepreneurship

Jonathan Miltimore discusses the ongoing imprisonment of 79-year-old pro-democracy publisher Jimmy Lai in Hong Kong, calling it the world's most overlooked story. Miltimore expresses his deep disappointment that Donald Trumpfailed to raise Lai's case publicly during his Beijing trip, instead repeating CCP rhetoric that Lai caused "bedlam." He describes Lai's deteriorating health inside his tiny, unventilated six-foot cell and urges President Trump to pressure Xi Jinping during his upcoming U.S. visit. Miltimore notes that even certain CCP factions want Lai released to avoid international outrage if he dies in prison, emphasizing that Lai is fully prepared for potential martyrdom. (4)

TABLE OF CONTENTS THE JOHN BATCHELOR SHOW 8-21-2026Anatol Lieven discusses the war in Ukraine, highlighting Ukrainian drone and missile attacks on Russian civilian infrastructure like Black Sea resorts and a commercial center. He carefully examines the psychological impact of these infrastructure strikes, noting that while they aim to weaken Russian morale, history shows such strategies rarely succeed. Lieven describes growing domestic resentment over rampant government corruption, which threatens Western aid and has already led to several high-profile dismissals. Finally, he analyzes global energy and food security threats caused by port and refinery strikes, alongside Prime Minister Andy Burnham's struggle to balance costly military commitments with domestic recovery. (1)Peter Berkowitz reflects on the 30th anniversary of Alan Sokal's famous academic hoax, which exposed the intellectual decline within higher education humanities. Berkowitz critiques contemporary humanities departments for their ideological hypocrisy: professors claim objective truth is subjective while simultaneously insisting that their own political claims are absolute truths. He references a report from Vanderbilt and Washington University confirming that significant contingents of humanities faculty in core disciplines subordinate scholarship to political activism. Finally, Berkowitz notes that this progressive ideological capture is concentrated among college-educated voters in elite university towns, warning that treating education as political indoctrination severely perverts liberal education. (2)Mary Anastasia O'Grady discusses the alarming rise of authoritarianism in Mexico under President Claudia Sheinbaum and her ruling party, Morena. O'Grady details how the ruling party has systematically consolidated power by taking control of independent electoral bodies, tribunals, regulatory commissions, and the judiciary through politicized popular elections. She warns that Morena's latest effort targets television and radio—the primary sources of information for most Mexican citizens—to effectively censor critical independent media. While O'Grady deeply laments the weak leadership of the official political opposition, she finds hope in the strong pushback and widespread mobilization of Mexican civil society against these state controls. (3)Jonathan Miltimore discusses the ongoing imprisonment of 79-year-old pro-democracy publisher Jimmy Lai in Hong Kong, calling it the world's most overlooked story. Miltimore expresses his deep disappointment that Donald Trumpfailed to raise Lai's case publicly during his Beijing trip, instead repeating CCP rhetoric that Lai caused "bedlam." He describes Lai's deteriorating health inside his tiny, unventilated six-foot cell and urges President Trump to pressure Xi Jinping during his upcoming U.S. visit. Miltimore notes that even certain CCP factions want Lai released to avoid international outrage if he dies in prison, emphasizing that Lai is fully prepared for potential martyrdom. (4)Veronique de Rugy critiques California Representative Ro Khanna's proposal for a "one-time" 5% wealth tax on billionaires. De Rugy explains that several different European countries largely abandoned wealth taxes because they are administratively difficult, generate little revenue, and cause severe economic distortions. Highlighting a debate between Khanna and Mark Cuban, she details how taxing paper wealth completely ignores true liquidity, forcing entrepreneurs to sell shares of private companies or borrow against volatile collateral. De Rugy warns that wealth taxes inevitably expand to target middle-class citizens, ultimately costing states far more in lost income taxes than they retrieve from the wealthy. (5)Rohan Naidu discusses the groundbreaking discovery of "black hole stars" at cosmic dawn using the James Webb Space Telescope. Naidu explains that these infant objects appear as mysterious "little red dots" but possess hybrid properties of both highly luminous black holes and stars. He explains how a young black hole surrounded by dense hydrogen gas absorbs blue and green light, creating a signature "Balmer break" resembling the star Vega. Naidu outlines future research, including finding atmospheric chemical fingerprints like water, and using the newly proposed Celestemission alongside ground telescopes to directly image swirling gas feeding these infant black holes. (6)James M. Scott traces the dramatic, complex final months of World War II in the Pacific. Scott details how Secretary of War Henry Stimson briefed Truman in depth on the secret atomic bomb, and praises General Leslie Groves' masterful management of the Manhattan Project's secret cities. He describes Japan's political division: Emperor Hirohito secretly sought peace while militarists prepared a fanatical defense of Kyushu to force better terms. Scott explains the intense debate over demanding unconditional surrender versus preserving the Japanese monarchy, concluding with the Trinitytest, Potsdam Conference, and Truman's hope that the bomb's shock value would force surrender. (7)Evan Ellis analyzes key regional political and security developments in Latin America. Ellis discusses EcuadorianPresident Daniel Noboa's visit to China to secure security, trade, and economic assistance, and explains how historical visa-free policies turned Ecuador into a major transit corridor for Chinese migrants entering the US. He details Bolivia's ongoing political instability and the dangerous scandals involving Evo Morales. Ellis also covers Chile's border enforcement efforts, Colombia's return to aggressive military operations against cartels following a major earthquake, and the stalled democratic transitions in Venezuela and Nicaragua, where regimes rely on brutal repression and illicit economies to hold power. (8)This fuller eight-file version supersedes the earlier seven-file draft — de Rugy now sits at (5) and everything falls in place without gaps. The Celeste mission appears again in segment 6; the source calls it "newly proposed," which explains why I couldn't verify it earlier, so I've let it stand.

Raimonds Staprāns – gleznotājs un dramaturgs. Duālists – starp Rīgu, kur dzimis 1926. gadā, un Sanfrancisko, kur nodzīvoja lielāko daļu savas dzīves un šā gada janvārī aizgāja mūžībā. Reālists un abstrakcionists. Gleznoja lēni un rakstīja lēni. Šaubījās – daudz. Tā savai simtgadei tuvojas Raimonds Staprāns – gan ne vairs pats, bet ar izstādi “Klusuma arhitektūra” Latvijas Nacionālajā mākslas muzejā un grāmatu “46 epizodes ar un bez ironijas”. Taču mums ir viņa balss ieraksti, kas tapuši dažādos laikos un vietās – Sanfrancisko, Rīgā un mājā pie okeāna Sīrančā. Ik pa laikam viņš arī palasīja kādu lapu no tolaik topošajiem memuāriem. Tad atkal šaubījās. Tagad grāmatā apkopotas 46 epizodes, kurām priekšvārdus rakstījušas viņa meitas Maretta un Alda, bet pēcvārdu – literārā redaktore Ieva Struka. Lai izstāstītu Raimonda Staprāna stāstu, aicinājām vairākus viņam tuvus cilvēkus izvēlēties vienu no viņa gleznām – tādu, kas viņiem pašiem šķiet īpaša un caur kuru iespējams pastāstīt kaut ko būtisku par Raimondu. Viņa dzīvesbiedre Ilona Staprāns, mākslas zinātniece un izstādes kuratore Eliasa Ansone, teātra zinātniece Ieva Struka, "VFS Films" vadītājs un producents Uldis Cekulis, kā arī Raimonda galerists un draugs Pīters Mendelhols (Peter Mendenhall, ASV) – katrs no viņiem uz Raimondu Staprānu raugās citādi. Oktobrī gaidāma arī VFS Films un režisora Pētera Krilova dokumentālā filma par Raimondu Staprānu “Sarkanais šķūnis”.

TABLE OF CONTENTS, THE JOHN BATCHELOR SHOW, 8-12-2026Michael Bernstam: Michael Bernstam discusses a critical shortage of refined products such as diesel and gasoline, noting that global supply has dropped by 8.3 million barrels per day. While crude oil is available, refining capacity in the US and Europe has declined for decades. Recent Ukrainian drone strikes have further crippled Russia's refining capabilities, forcing it to import fuel. These disruptions, along with Houthi attacks in the Red Sea, contribute to a daily deficit of 2 million barrels. Bernstam warns that consumers worldwide will face higher energy and food prices indefinitely as a result. (1)Michael Lucchese: Michael Lucchese explores the history and modern return of isolationism within American politics, particularly the Republican Party. He characterizes isolationism as a short-sighted avoidance of global affairs that often coincides with political extremism. Lucchese argues that the West is currently in a civilizational contest against an axis of revisionist powers including China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea. He critiques recent administrations for showing a lack of civilizational confidence, which he believes has encouraged adversaries to be more aggressive on the world stage. (2)Captain James Fanell: Captain James Fanell reports on China's escalating campaign to annex international waters east of Taiwan. For the first time, Chinese vessels are interrogating ships on the high seas, an outrageous violation of maritime norms. This aggression occurs as the US Navy is severely overstretched, with carrier deployments extending to nine months and the arsenal of democracy being depleted by conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East. Fanell urges the US and partner navies to conduct joint maneuvers with Taiwan to counter Beijing's comprehensive national power strategy. (3)Mark Clifford: Mark Clifford discusses the ongoing detention of British citizen and entrepreneur Jimmy Lai in Hong Kong. While China recently released a Protestant pastor, Xi Jinping reportedly remains determined that Lai, a fervent Catholic and advocate for Western values, will die in prison. Clifford suggests Xi's animosity is personal, rooted in a belief that the survival of the Communist Party is paramount and that any dissent is an existential threat. Despite the UK's new leadership focusing on domestic issues, Clifford hopes the government continues to pressure Beijing for the release of its citizen. (4)Charles Burton: Charles Burton provides insight into the annual Beidaihe retreat, where Chinese leaders meet secretly to decide the party's direction. This year's focus is on a failing domestic economy, including a collapsed housing market and crushing local government debt. Burton notes that Xi Jinping's limited international travel may indicate internal instability. Additionally, the discussion touches on escalating trade tensions between Canada and the US over potential tariffs and disagreements regarding the financing of the new Gordie Howe International Bridge. (5)Peter Huessy: Peter Huessy examines the fragile state of nuclear deterrence as Russia conducts drills for tactical nuclear weapons. He warns that the US is behind the eight ball regarding theater nuclear options, possessing only gravity bombs while Russia maintains thousands of short-range weapons. Huessy fears Putin may use these weapons for blackmail if he perceives a conventional loss in Ukraine. He advocates for the rapid modernization of the US nuclear triad, specifically calling for sea-launched cruise missiles to restore a credible deterrent against reckless adversaries. (6)Cliff May: Cliff May argues that Islamism is not being studied with the rigor that communism once received during the Cold War. He observes that many university Middle East studies departments, funded by foreign interests such as Qatar, have become Islamist adjacent. May highlights a recent Senate hearing on the Muslim Brotherhood where most senators failed to attend, fearing accusations of Islamophobia. This willful determination to ignore history allows the red-green alliance of far-left activists and Islamists to grow, posing a significant threat to democratic values. (7)Admiral Mark Montgomery: Admiral Mark Montgomery details the growing cyber and hybrid warfare cooperation within the axis of aggressors: China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea. This cooperation often involves criminal actors sharing attack techniques and technology to target critical infrastructure. Montgomery warns of new generation warfare, including terrorist acts, jamming, and disinformation. He specifically points to China's Volt Typhoon program, which has installed malware in US rail, water, and energy systems. Montgomery urges an all-hands-on-deck approach to secure essential systems, as attribution for these ghost-like attacks remains difficult. (8)Simon Constable: Simon Constable reports on rising commodity prices, with Brent crude reaching $89 per barrel and European gas prices surging 18 percent. He discusses the recent change in UK government, where new Prime Minister Andy Burnham has pledged to focus almost exclusively on domestic issues. Constable also touches on the results of a longevity quiz, noting that average life expectancy in the US has reached 79 years. Finally, the conversation addresses unusual political rhetoric in Britain regarding the monarchy and the impact of extreme weather and wildfires across Europe. (9)Bob Zimmerman: Bob Zimmerman discusses the progress of commercial space ventures, highlighting Rocket Lab's new contract for its reusable Neutron rocket. He explains how companies such as SpaceX are developing recoverable capsules for in-space manufacturing, including pharmaceuticals. Zimmerman also notes a recent Chinese rocket failure, which was transparently reported only because of local live-streamers. Additionally, India is attempting to transfer control of its spaceports to the private sector to foster competition. Despite opposition from fake environmental activist groups, Zimmerman remains optimistic about the future of private-sector space exploration. (10)One correction applied: the raw had "Vault Typhoon" — the PRC infrastructure intrusion campaign is Volt Typhoon. Also still open from the prior batch: Hu Chunhua and Mohammad Reza Tavakoli.Across both batches, four threads run through nearly every segment.The axis as a working system, not a slogan. Chinese and Russian materiel moving to Iran (Holt), Iranian resupply of the Houthis (Fitton-Brown), Hezbollah's Syrian pipeline (Daoud), and Montgomery's cyber cooperation among all four — the same four capitals appear in Lucchese's civilizational contest and Montgomery's shared attack techniques. The story is no longer four separate adversaries but one logistics and learning network.Pauses as rearmament. Haqqani, Daoud, and Fitton-Brown independently report Iran boasting that ceasefires are for restocking. Sayeh supplies the domestic mirror: executions spike precisely when negotiations are underway. Ben-Ur gives the Gaza version — Hamas distributing rifles while the disarmament deal is being signed. The diplomatic interval is the adversary's production cycle.American absence, and who fills it. Haqqani's "helpless giant," Fitton-Brown's elephant in the room, Fanell's nine-month carrier deployments and depleted arsenal, Huessy's theater nuclear gap, Bernstam's lost refining capacity. Chang and Holt argue the reticence is a gambit; the guests closer to the ground read it as depletion. Haqqani's line is the sharpest: China wins by saying nothing.Xi's brittleness. Collier's $7.7 trillion in hidden bad loans, Burton's Beidaihe meeting on a collapsed housing market and local debt, Xi's shrinking travel schedule, Holt's factional rival. Clifford's Jimmy Lai segment is the same material in personal form — the vindictiveness of a leader who treats any dissent as existential. External aggression from Fanell sits directly on top of internal weakness from Collier and Burton, which is the more interesting juxtaposition than either alone.Two smaller pairings worth an hour break: Bernstam and Constable both on energy and food prices as the civilian bill for all of the above, and Araújo/Peña Esclusa's hemispheric shift as the one segment where the trend runs the other way — Petro out, De la Espriella in, Lula isolated.If you want a running order argument: Collier and Burton to establish the weakness, Fanell and Holt for the aggression it produces, then the Iran arc from Haqqani through Sayeh, with Bernstam and Constable as the price tag.

Mark Clifford: Mark Clifford discusses the ongoing detention of British citizen and entrepreneur Jimmy Lai in Hong Kong. While China recently released a Protestant pastor, Xi Jinping reportedly remains determined that Lai, a fervent Catholic and advocate for Western values, will die in prison. Clifford suggests Xi's animosity is personal, rooted in a belief that the survival of the Communist Party is paramount and that any dissent is an existential threat. Despite the UK's new leadership focusing on domestic issues, Clifford hopes the government continues to pressure Beijing for the release of its citizen. (4)

Saistībā ar Pedvāli prātā visbiežāk pirmā doma prātā nāk par mākslinieku rezidencēm. Jau kopš 90. gadu sākuma mākslinieks Ojārs Arvīds Feldbergs tur rīko tēlniecības simpozijus un plenērus, kā arī te vairākus gadus aizvadītas mākslinieku rezidences. Lai jaunradītu, pie mums uz Latviju braukušas radošas personības gan no Eiropas, gan tālākām vietām, ASV, Korejas, Japānas, Ķīnas, šogad pirmo reizi pārstāvēta Brazīlija. Līdz ar to šī ir arī vieta, kur notiek kultūras zināšanu apmaiņa, arī atbraukušos izglītojot par Latvijas tradīcijām un kultūras mantojumu. Lai gan katram māksliniekam ir savs ritms, sarunā ar Kultūras Rondo viņi norāda, ka bez citiem šajā rezidencē nespētu uzturēties. Tieši savstarpējā saskarsme viņus mēdz iedvesmot saviem darbiem.

12. augusta vakarā visā Latvijā būs vērojams daļējs Saules aptumsums. Tas būs īpaši nozīmīgs, jo maksimālajā fāzē Mēness aizsegs aptuveni četras piektdaļas Saules diametra. Tāpēc noteikti ir svarīgi zināt, kur ir lielākā iespēja, ka to netraucēs redzēt mākoņi. Lai arī mākoņi būs, to nebūs tik daudz, lai liegtu redzēt saules aptumsumu. Šoreiz svarīgāka ir vietas izvēle, kur aptumsumu skatīties, jo tas notiks saulrietā, kad saule būs zemu pie paša horizonta. Labākā vieta, kur to vērot ir jūras piekraste, Rīgas līča piekraste Vidzemē posmā no Rīgas līdz Ainažiem, Igaunijas robežai. Un, protams, Kurzemes rietumu krasts – no Kolkas līdz Lietuvas robežai. Nākamreiz tik iespaidīgs aptumsums Latvijā būs tikai pēc 13 gadiem – 2039. gadā, kad tiks aizsegti 88 % no saules un daļā Latvijas tas būs gredzenveida aptumsums. -- Toms arī pirms kāda laika pabija Liepājā un tikās ar pieredzējušu zvejnieku Oskaru Kadeģi, lai runātu par to, kā laikapstākļi ietekmē Latvijas zvejnieku darbu.

Rīgas vicemērs Edvards Ratnieks (Nacionālā apvienība) ir viens no aktīvākajiem Rīgas domes politiķiem un nevar sūdzēties par publicitātes trūkumu, taču pēdējā laikā tā lielākoties koncentrējusies ar vienu tēmu – cīņa pret imigrāciju un ar to saistītajām problēmām. Ratnieks ne vien rosinājis Pašvaldības policijas reidus, lai pārbaudītu imigrantu statusu un iespējamās nelikumības, bet arī aktīvi iesaistās soctīklu diskusijās par šiem jautājumiem. Nesen asu reakciju izpēlnījās kāds viņa ieraksts, kurā bija lietots apzīmējums “mērkaķi”. Politiskie oponenti tajā sakatījuši rasisma izpausmes. Lai gan šajā jautājumā visasākos pārmetumus Ratniekam veltījuši partijas “Progresīvie” pārstāvji, īpaši tās jaunatnes organizācija “Protests”, tas netraucē Nacionālajai apvienībai un “Progresīvajiem” kopīgi strādāt Rīgas domes valdošajā koalīcijā. Vai tādu pašu kombināciju varam pieredzēt arī pēc Saeimas vēlēšanām rudenī?

新感覺夾心土司 多種口味隨心挑選 讓你隨時隨地都有好心情 甜蜜口感草莓夾心、顆粒層次花生夾心、濃郁滑順可可夾心 清爽鹹香鮪魚沙拉、精選原料金黃蛋沙拉 輕巧美味帶著走，迎接多變的每一天 7-Eleven多種口味販售中 https://sofm.pse.is/9getxb -- 【台中求職防騙｜找工作要小心，別讓騙局有機可乘】 最近正值求職、轉職旺季，提醒大家找工作時一定要提高警覺！ 若遇到「先繳費」、「押證件」、「簽空白文件」、「工作內容不清楚」、「薪資含糊不明」等情況，都要多查證、多確認，不要急著答應。 https://sofm.pse.is/9fwtpt －－－－以上為 SoundOn 動態廣告－－－－ Tai-Ex opening upward Taiwan envoy to Japan protests Nagasaki memorial designation, skips event Lai inspects Taoyuan Avenger Air Defense System Netanyahu rejects Trump's Gaza peace roadmap Ancient Rome shipwreck found -- Hosting provided by SoundOn

This conversation with Dr. David Lai explores the evolving future of healthcare by examining why modern medicine is highly effective at treating disease yet often falls short in measuring and promoting true health. Drawing on evidence-based functional medicine, global health experience, and advances in precision medicine, Dr. Lai discusses the early biological changes that precede chronic illness, the critical roles of mitochondria, metabolic health, inflammation, and the gut microbiome, and how chronic stress and burnout affect long-term well-being. He also shares insights into healthy aging, the promise of biomarkers and artificial intelligence in clinical practice, and why prevention and building resilience should begin decades before disease becomes clinically apparent. Dr. David Lai Biography Dr. David Lai is a Canadian Physician, former World Health Organization medical officer, and Founder of Tao Functional Health. Over the past two decades, he has worked across humanitarian emergencies, public health, and clinical medicine, serving communities in countries including Afghanistan, Palestine, and South Sudan. Today, his work focuses on bridging evidence-based medicine, systems biology, and personalized care to better understand why chronic diseases often develop long before symptoms appear. Through clinical practice, education, and writing, he advocates for a more proactive model of healthcare that emphasizes prevention, resilience, and healthy aging. Website & Social Media Website: https://www.taofunctionalhealth.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-lai-1467422ab/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@taofunctionalSupport the show: http://www.cooleyfoundation.org/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Šoreiz raidījumā Piespēle runājam par pasaules autosporta virsotni – Pirmo formulu. Lai gan F-1 vēsturē vēl nekad čempionātā nav startējis neviens latviešu braucējs, mūsu tautieši ir komandu aizkulisēs. Ar vienu no viņiem sarunājamies raidījumā: studijā viesojas šī gada F-1 čempionāta līdervienības “Mercedes” inženieris Mārtiņš Zalmans. Nedēļas notikumu izlasē: Dāvis Bertāns noslēdz karjeru Latvijas basketbola izlasē, valstsvienības kandidātu saraksts pagalam pliekans; Basketbolists Artūrs Žagars karjeru turpinās Ķīnas virslīgas klubā Džedzjanas “Golden Bulls”; Harijs Vītoliņš pagarina līgumu ar Latvijas Hokeja federāciju, vēl vismaz gadu vadīs vīriešu hokeja izlasi; Futbola Eirokausu vasaru turpina trīs Latvijas klubi – visi trīs Latvijas virslīgā ir pirmajā trijniekā.

Sievietes Piebalgas kultūrvēsturē – Lizete Skalbe, Mudīte Austriņa, Angelika Gailīte, Elza Usenko-Kaudzīte, divas Mariannas. Kultūras rondo par viņu dzīvesstāstiem dzirdējām konferencē, kas norisinājās svētkos „Vecpiebalga atver durvis 2026”. Kad runājam par Piebalgu, vispirms iedomājamies par Kārli Skalbi, Reini un Matīsu Kaudzītēm, Antonu Austriņu, Emīlu Dārziņu. Bet jau pēc šī raidījuma, kurā skan pētnieku stāsti par Piebalgas sievietēm, jums noteikti gribēsies uzzināt vēl ko vairāk  par Angeliku Gailītis, Dzidru Kuzmani (Ķencīti), divām Mariannām vai izlasīt kādu Lizetes Skalbes tulkojumu. Gudras un lepnas piebaldzietes. Lai nav tikai fotogrāfijās – māte, māsa vai sieva, bet ir vārds, uzvārds, dzīvesstāsts un jaunu pētījumu takas. Šoreiz pa mazai skicei katrai no viņām. Sākumā tāds neliels pētnieku pingpongs konferencē „Sievietes Piebalgas kultūrtelpā: personības un mantojums”. Piebalgā bija svarīgi ne tikai uzklausīt pētījumus, bet arī uzdot jautājumus – kā padarīt redzamas Latvijas sievietes, kuras sapņojušas lielus sapņus, guvušas labu izglītību arī laikos, kad meitenēm nebija pieņemts skoloties tālāk par mājsaimniecību un sekretārēm. Tās nav tikai šīs izceltās Piebalgas sievietes, bet varbūt tā ir Tava vecvecmāmiņa, kuras foto ir tikai Tavā albumā. Arī šos stāstus joprojām ir iespējams pievienot digitālajam resursam „womage.lv”. Resurss atklāj Latvijas sieviešu dzīvesstāstus un ieguldījumu sabiedrības, kultūras un valsts attīstībā no 19. gadsimta vidus līdz 20. gadsimta vidum. Latvijas Universitātes Literatūras, folkloras un mākslas institūta vadītāja Eva Eglāja atgādina sieviešu izglītības ceļus. Sekojot sievietēm Piebalgas kultūrtelpā, Jaunpiebalgas novadpētniecības muzeja vadītāja Vēsma Johansone iepazīstināja ar spilgtākajām novada sievietēm. Un te kāds vārds, kuru, iespējams, nezinājām, jo visi viņu sauca par „Ķencīti”. Tā ir bibliotekāre Dzidra Kuzmane. Skan arī Ķencīša balss no Latvijas Radio arhīva. Ejam tālāk, lai Lizeti Skalbi ieraudzītu ne tikai kā Kārļa Skalbes sievu, bet arī talantīgu tulkotāju. Stāsta Piebalgas muzeju apvienības „Orisāre” vadītāja Līva Grudule. Lizetei Skalbei šogad –140, bet Mudītei Austriņai, rakstnieka Antona Austriņa meitai, viņa „Kaikašos” būs īpaša ekspozīcija – „Mudītes ceļš”. Šoreiz Antona Austriņa memoriālā muzeja „Kaikaši” vadītāja Laura Šulca stāsta Mudītes Austriņas dzīvesstāstu un par viņas gaitām Ņujorkā.  Raidījumā skan arī Mudītes Austriņas balss, kas ierakstīta 1978. gadā, kad viņa var sēdēt pie viesnīcas loga Rīgā un tikai sapņot par tēva mājām „Kaikašiem”. Bet grāmatizdevējs un novadpētnieks Jānis Polis stāsta par Angeliku Gailīti, kura 1924. gadā bijusi otrā latviešu sieviete, kas ieguvusi vēsturnieces grādu. 1922. gadā viņa nodibina studenšu biedrību „Varavīksne”, bet divus gadus vēlāk to pārorganizē par korporāciju. Gailīte strādāja par skolotāju Franču licejā, kā arī kādu laiku ārlietu ministrijas preses nodaļā. Turpinājumā ļoti emocionāls stāsts par divām Mariannām, kuras redzamas padara „Orisāres” krājumu glabātāja Daiga Šatrovska. Marianna Bergmane un Marianna Zīle-Graubiņa: stāsts par dakteri un viņas meitu – aktrisi, par kurām „Orisārē” glabājas vēstules. Pēc šī emocionālā stāsta par divām Mariannām arī liekam punktu raidījumam. Atvadoties vēl ieejam Vecpiebalgas Vidus kapos pie Reiņa un Matīsa Kaudzītēm, pie Ata Kronvalda un vēl kādas svarīgas Piebalgas rakstnieces Ingunas Baueres.  

Good afternoon, I'm _ with today's episode of EZ News. Lai boards coast guard vessel to observe coastal defense President Lai Ching-te boarded a Coast Guard Administration vessel in New Taipei's Bali District to observe coastal defense (海岸防禦) operations during the Han Kuang military exercise. According to the Presidential Office, Lai received briefings (簡報) on the patrol vessel's equipment and coastal strike operations. He also inspected its missile launcher system and learned about its configuration and operational readiness (作戰準備狀態). Thursday marked the second day of the Han Kuang exercise, with drills in the north focusing on coastal defense and other defensive operations. Typhoon Dolphin moves west Meteorologist Wu De Rong says Typhoon Dolphin appears to be moving further west even as it continues to weaken. The Central News Agency cites Wu as saying that while the system is expected to pass near the Ryukyu Islands today, uncertainty in its projected track (預測路徑) is increasing, making it less likely that the storm might miss Taiwan completely. Because of this, Wu is warning of intense rainfall in northern Taiwan and later in central and southern Taiwan tomorrow through the early morning of the 10th. While temperatures are expected to drop in parts of Taiwan, eastern Taiwan may experience extreme heat due to downslope warming (下坡增溫) caused by air descending over the mountains. Strong wind gusts are also expected across Taiwan, and residents are advised to take precautions. National Central University planning Arctic expedition Members of the National Central University's Polar Institute are taking part in what is Taiwan's first ever independently planned expedition (考察／探險) to the Arctic. According to the university, a 30-member team will be spending 12 days near Norway's Svalbard archipelago (群島), which is located midway between mainland Norway and the North Pole. The team includes scientists from Academia Sinica, the National Taiwan University and the National Academy of Marine Research. The university says although Taiwan is not an Arctic nation, changes in the Arctic could have long-term consequences for Taiwan. UKRAINE WARNS ALLIED AIR DEFENCE MISSILE SUPPLIES DOWN BY A THIRD AS ZELENSKY URGES URGENT ACTION AHEAD OF WINTER Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says Ukraine has hit more oil facilities deep inside Russia. The attacks are part of Kyiv's effort to undermine (削弱) Moscow's wartime economy. Meanwhile, Russian drone and glide bomb attacks across Ukraine killed at least three civilians and wounded 22 others. Zelenskyy is urging his allies to supply interceptor missiles to bolster (加強／強化) Ukraine's air defenses. William Denselow reports from Brussels. That was William Denselow reporting. Iran reviews ban on US ships An Iranian parliamentary committee is ​reviewing a preliminary bill ‌that would bar (禁止) U.S., Israeli and ​other "hostile" vessels from ​transiting the Strait of Hormuz. The ban was reported by Iran's semi-official ​Fars news agency… and its citing a lawmaker. The draft bill would impose ​fines (處以罰款) of up ​to 20% of a ship's ‌cargo value for violations of the proposed restrictions. The lawmaker said ​the ​legislation was still under expert review ​and that ​parliament had invited specialists to submit recommendations before the ​draft is ​finalised. Canada climate change wildfires In North America, a new analysis (分析) found that climate change created conditions that led to Canada's Wildfires… even though the Trump administration thinks otherwise. Ed Donahue explains. That was the I.C.R.T. EZ News, I'm _. -- Hosting provided by SoundOn

Jau astoto reizi Ikšķile kļūs par Latvijas muzikālā teātra epicentru – no 9. līdz 15. augustam norisināsies Starptautiskais operetes festivāls, kurš, kā atzīst tā rīkotāji un mākslinieki, kļuvis par unikālu un daudzšķautņainu parādību ne vien Latvijas, bet arī Eiropas kultūras kartē.  Lai arī festivāla vārds nes sevī “operetes” zīmogu, tas jau sen ir kļuvis par platformu daudz plašākam muzikālā teātra spektram. Kā uzsver mākslinieciskā vadītāja Agija Ozoliņa-Kozlovska: “Operete ir tikai viens no muzikālā teātra žanriem, bet mēs attīstām visus – operas, mūziklus, bērnu izrādes, pat jauniestudējumus. Šogad festivāls atšķiras ar īpašu kameriskumu, kas ļauj skatītājiem būt tuvāk māksliniekiem, sajust nianses un netveramas emocijas, ko lielā estrādē palaiž garām.” Viens no šī gada festivāla centrālajiem notikumiem būs izrāde „Meistarklase”, kas veltīta leģendārajai  operdīvai Marijai Kallasai. Izrāde tapa kā Sonoras Vaices Latvijas Kultūras akadēmijas diplomdarbs režijā, turklāt Vaice debitēs dramatiskā teātra lomā. Sonora Vaice atzīst: “Kallasa bieži tiek traktēta komiski, bet mani interesēja atklāt viņas dziļo, traģisko būtību – to, kā slavenības spožums mijas ar vientulību un vēlmi būt mīlētai." Festivāla noslēgumā gaidāma teatralizēta Vīnes šansonu programma “Es lauzu sirdis”, kuras centrā būs austriešu mākslinieks Gernots Kranners – Latvijā jau pazīstams kā F. Lehāra operetes “Džudita” režisors.  Taču īpaša uzmanība veltīta arī jaunajiem talantiem – atklāšanas koncertā “Prelūdija” 9. augustā uzstāsies gan jau atzīti Operetes teātra solisti, gan topošie mūziķi no Latvijas vadošajām mūzikas skolām. Visi dalībnieki ir starptautisku konkursu laureāti, kas liecina par festivāla nozīmi jauno mākslinieku izaugsmes ceļā. Kultūras apmaiņa un sadarbība ar Eiropas teātriem, meistarklases un lietišķā teātra institūta vadītās radošās darbnīcas festivāla laikā veicina ne vien žanra ilgtspēju, bet arī personisku izaugsmi – kā māksliniekiem, tā skatītājiem. “Operete ir dzīva un reāla tad, ja spēj sarunāties ar šodienas cilvēku,” rezumē Agija Ozoliņa-Kozlovska.

"Svirlītis ir lielākais no lapu ķauķīšiem. Tas dīvo dziļāk mežos un ir izteikts gājputns. Atlido ap 19. aprīli. Latvijā dzīvo apmēram 600000 svirlīšu pāru," stāsta Latvijas Ornitoloģijas biedrības pārstāve Zane Dāvidsone. Tulkojumā no angļu valodas šis ir meža ķauķis (wood warbler).  "Lai šo putniņu atšķirtu un pamanītu, tad, visticamāk, ir jāiemācās tieši balss, jo izskatā ir līdzīgs saviem brālēniem čuņčiņam un vītītim," turpina Zane Dāvidsone. "Dziesmiņa ir ļoti raksturīga, ja iesiet pa mežu, tad noteikti dzirdēsiet, ka tā griežas kā monētiņa - tip, tip, tip, tip, trrr. Ir arī bēdīgā dziesma, ko varētu iztulkot kā tādu bēdīgu saucienu: Nē, nē, nē, nē, nē, nē, nē, neapēd, lūdzu, mani!" Svirlītim, salīdzinot ar čunčiņu un vītīti, ir citrondzeltena rīklīte, kakliņš kontrastā ar baltām krūtīm. Un ir diezgan izteikta uzacu svītra. Pārtiek putniņš no kukaiņiem un citiem bezmugurkaulniekiem, un rudenī arī ēdogas un sēklas.  Ligzdas vietu izvēlas un ligzdu būvē mātīte. Tā ir lodveida formas, savīta no sausas zāles, lapām, mizu stērbelītēm un dzīvnieku vilnas. Parasti tā atrodas uz zemes paaugstinātā vietā, kuru nevar apdraudēt pēkšņa ūdens līmeņa celšanās un kur neaug zāle vai aug retināta zāle. 

Good afternoon, I'm _ with today's episode of EZ News. Tai-Ex opening  The Tai-Ex opened 449 points higher this morning from yesterday's close, at 43-thousand-809, on turnover of 25.5-billion N-T. The market closed almost unchanged (幾乎沒有變化) on Tuesday after moving by more than 1,000 points during the session. Early gains (早盤漲幅) were reduced by selling, as investors largely ignored an overnight rally (上漲行情) on Wall Street. Lai meets with Eswatini's visiting PM President Lai Ching-te has held talks with visiting Eswatini Prime Minister Russell Dlamini. During the meeting, Lai said the two countries are working together in industry, public health and digital development. He said his administration will continue to strengthen exchanges (加強交流) with Eswatini and help the country meet its development goals (發展目標). The cooperation includes energy projects, such as facilities for storing emergency oil supplies (緊急石油儲備). Lai also thanked Dlamini for Eswatini's support for Taiwan's participation in international organizations (國際組織) during the United Nations General Assembly. MOTC eyeing future of Taoyuan International Airport's Terminal 1  The Ministry of Transport is reportedly considering several options for the future of Terminal 1 at Taoyuan International Airport. The terminal has been in service for nearly 50 years. The ministry says an evaluation (評估) is now underway, but detailed plans will not be released until construction of Terminal 3 is completed at the end of next year. Possible options include demolishing (拆除) and rebuilding Terminal 1 or carrying out another major upgrade (進行升級改建). The Taoyuan International Airport Corporation is expected to submit its own proposal by the end of this year. The terminal was upgraded between 2010 and 2013, raising its annual passenger capacity (旅客運量) from 12 million to 15 million. Qatar reports progress in U.S.-Iran mediation Qatar says mediators (調停者) are making progress toward ending the U.S.-Iran war, although conflicting statements have raised doubts about a quick agreement. Qatar says it is working with Pakistan and Oman to exchange draft proposals (提案草案) between Washington and Tehran. U.S. President Donald Trump says direct talks have begun, but Iranian officials deny that negotiations with the United States are taking place. Iran says separate talks with Oman about safe shipping routes (航運路線) through the Strait of Hormuz are going well. Brent crude oil prices fell more than 5 percent on hopes that ships may soon be able to use the strait again. However, the important shipping route remains almost completely closed. Another cargo ship was hit near the strait, forcing the crew to leave the vessel. One crew member (船員) remains missing. North Korea warns of new military measures against Japan North Korea says it may take additional military action (額外軍事行動) in response to Japan's recent test launch (試射) of a Tomahawk cruise missile. Kim Yo Jong, the sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, criticized the launch in a statement published by state media. Japan fired the long-range missile from the Aegis destroyer Chokai in the Pacific Ocean. Kim also mentioned Japan's tests of other missiles and its participation in a U.S.-led military exercise in the Philippines in May. She accused Japan of trying to become a major military power and said the United States was supporting those efforts. Kim said North Korea would prepare additional military options to respond to what it sees as a potential threat (潛在威脅), but she gave no details. SpaceX rocket debris set to strike moon A discarded (被丟棄的／廢棄的) piece of a SpaceX rocket is expected to crash into the moon at around 2:35 this afternoon Taiwan time. The four-metric-ton object is the second stage (火箭級段) of a Falcon 9 rocket launched in January 2025. It is expected to hit Einstein Crater at a speed of about 8-thousand-690 kilometers per hour. SpaceX says the crash was not planned. The rocket stage ran out of fuel and could no longer be controlled after completing its mission. The impact is expected to send lunar dust into the air, although it will be difficult to see from Earth without special equipment. Experts say the crash poses no danger, but it raises concerns about how space debris (太空垃圾) will be managed as more missions travel to the moon. That was the I.C.R.T. EZ News, I'm _. -- Hosting provided by SoundOn

Kijivā pēc Ukrainas ārlietu ministra Andrija Sibihas ielūguma šodien viesojas Latvijas ārlietu ministre Baiba Braže. Edgars Rinkēvičs: Šobrīd ir īstais brīdis, lai sabiedrība pirms Saeimas vēlēšanām deputātu kandidātiem jautātu viņu domas par parlamentāriešu transporta un mājokļa kompensācijām. Lai gan slimnīcu tīkla reforma stāsies spēkā tikai nākamā gada sākumā, Balvu un Gulbenes slimnīcu apvienība paziņojusi, ka dzemdību nodaļu Balvos slēgs jau no septembra. Ģenerālis Juris Martukāns: Spēcīga hibrīduzbrukuma apstākļos, ja pie robežas parādās anomāls migrantu skaits, robežsardzei būtu nepieciešams vismaz 400 papildus cilvēku. Latvijas U-18 sieviešu izlase Eiropas čempionātā aizvada astotdaļfināla spēli.

Hello Interactors,I've long been a fan of “regreening” cities, imagining replacing bits of asphalt and concrete with trees, plants, mini-parks, and green roofs to cool them down. In many cases these are indeed good interventions. But even these celebrated nature-based solutions to the “urban heat island” effect require closer inspection. It turns out any land cover change alters energy, water, and momentum exchanges between the Earth's surface and the atmosphere. Which are the right ones and where?To understand why cookie cutter greening plans can fail and how planners and policy makers can build cities that can handle climate change, we need to understand how land and the air interact. Environments vary from place to place, and this puts limits on what we can do to land to create urban climates that are both beautiful and healthy.To get a handle on what the research says, I found a literature review from 2025 that synthesized findings from 84 peer-reviewed studies. In was published in the journal Climate Risk Management.Let's see what they, and others, found.BEATING HEAT WITH BIOPHYSICAL FEATSWhat better place to start than science. Let's just delve right into how urban green spaces affect temperature. It starts with determining the energy balance at the surface of the earth. This comes from a budget equation found in physical geography. When sunlight hits the Earth's surface, it breaks down into three main fluxes, or ways heat moves around* Sensible heat flux: the heat that directly warms the surrounding air, which we measure as temperature.* Latent heat flux: the heat that's used to turn water from a liquid to a gas, like when we sweat or plants release water vapor (transpiration).* Ground heat flux: the heat stored in building materials, asphalt, and soil.In conventional urban environments dominated by concrete and asphalt, latent heat flux is minimal because we've built cities in ways that rapidly drain water away as ‘waste'. As a result, incoming solar energy is funneled into sensible heat. This raises daytime air temperatures that gets stored as ground heat, which is slowly radiated back into the city at night. Urban greening can reshuffle this thermodynamic budget through three interconnected physical mechanisms: shading, evapotranspiration, and albedo modification.Mechanism 1. Shading: Intercepting Solar RadiationShading — the most immediate and reliable cooling mechanism provided by vegetation — requires precise microclimatic quantification. Vegetative canopies act as physical shields, intercepting incoming shortwave solar radiation before it strikes impervious surfaces like concrete or asphalt. By preventing these dense materials from absorbing heat and emitting sensible heat flux back into the boundary layer, shading dramatically lowers surface temperatures and reduces the baseline thermal energy transferred to the surrounding air. (Bowler, D. E., et al. 2010)The cooling benefit of urban trees is non-linear, accelerating significantly once neighborhood canopy cover crosses a critical threshold of around 40%. Measuring daytime air temperatures across urban gradients, they found that canopy cover above this 40% mark can lower local air temperatures by up to 1.5 to 2.0 degrees Celsius, effectively offsetting the thermal burden created by surrounding roads and impervious surfaces. (Ziter, C. D., et al. 2019)Mechanism 2. Evapotranspiration: Trading Sensible Heat for Latent HeatWhile shading blocks heat absorption, evapotranspiration actively removes heat from the air. Plants absorb soil moisture through their root systems and release it as water vapor through tiny microscopic pores in their leaves called stomata. This process requires thermal energy that turns phase-changing liquid water into gas. This energy transfer absorbs sensible heat and converts it into latent heat.Evapotranspiration from well-watered urban green spaces can lower local air temperatures by 2-4 degrees celsius. (Coutts, et al., 2013) However, physical geographers emphasize a crucial physical prerequisite that is easy to overlook: evapotranspiration is entirely dependent on available water. When the soil is dry or the air is super dry, plants close their stomata to save water. When stomata close, evapotranspiration shuts down. This leaves shading as the sole remaining cooling mechanism.Mechanism 3. Albedo Dynamics: The Surface Reflectivity ParadoxAlbedo measures the reflectivity of a surface on a scale from 0.0 (total absorption) to 1.0 (total reflection). Urban asphalt has a low albedo (0.05 to 0.10), absorbing up to 95% of incoming solar energy. Vegetation's albedo can range from 0.11 to 0.25.In temperate climates, replacing low-albedo asphalt with greenery or reflective surfaces increases surface reflectivity, sending more solar radiation back into space before it can be absorbed as sensible heat. One study documented that increasing urban surface albedo typically lowers peak ambient air temperatures by 0.3 degres Celsius to 1.0 degree Celsius — alongside much larger drops in surface pavement temperatures. While a temperature change under one degree Celsius may sound modest at first glance, a baseline shift of this magnitude across a neighborhood is enough to redefine a local microclimate. (Santamouris, 2014)But swapping out light urban surfaces for dark vegetation can also have a negative effect. Paradoxically, when researchers in 2023 replaced dry, light-colored desert soil with darker vegetation in hot, arid regions it reduced overall surface reflectivity. The drop in albedo caused an increase in daytime surface warming. (Schlaerth, et al., 2023)Furthermore, dense tree canopies inside narrow urban street canyons can act as thermal blankets at night. While trees provide valuable shade during the day, their foliage reduces the sky view factor at street level, trapping outgoing longwave thermal radiation emitted by surrounding building facades and asphalt. When combined with reduced wind permeability, this canopy barrier restricts nocturnal radiative cooling and holds warm air near ground level (Lee et al., 2016).These are the physical realities that can demonstrate how urban greening is not a consistently inherent cooling practice. It is a complex thermodynamic intervention whose success relies entirely on local environmental conditions.PLACEMENT, PATCHES, AND PARK PATTERNSBecause thermodynamic processes happen across physical spaces, cooling urban green space can be uneven. The literature review reveals that a green space's cooling capacity depends on four spatial and biological variables: vegetation density, species selection, spatial configuration, and urban morphology. Let's break them down individually.Cooling Factor 1. Vegetation Density and Species TraitsNot all greenery cools equally. One way to measure this is through a Leaf Area Index (LAI). This is the total leaf area per unit of ground area and is a primary predictor of thermal performance. As you might imagine, dense foliage absorbs more from the sun and then produces higher cumulative transpiration (so long as there's adequate water).Botanical traits also play a big role. Broadleaf deciduous species (like oaks or maples) feature large surface areas that maximize summer transpiration, but that goes away when they drop their leaves in winter. Evergreen coniferous trees, however, maintain continuous canopy coverage through every season.In temperate rainforest environments like Seattle or Vancouver, researchers found that conifers cooled urban surroundings up to 1.7 degrees celsius more effectively than broadleaf trees. Dense needle canopies continuously block incoming solar radiation due to higher LAI and the fact that clusters of spiny needles better trap a stable buffer of calm air which moderates heat exchange with the surrounding urban environment. (Eyster & Beckage, 2022, 2023) Cooling factor 2. Spatial Configuration: Landscape Ecology PrinciplesEcologists and geographers commonly evaluate green spaces through two main attributes: composition (how much green space exists) and configuration (how those green patches are arranged across the landscape). Over 58% of the mechanism-focused studies in the literature review analyzed spatial pattern metrics. The consensus is the spatial layout of green space is just as important as its total area!Other empirical studies consistently demonstrate that cooling effects decay the further you get from green spaces. Research done in 2016 and 2023 shows how urban parks can produce a primary “cooling footprint” that extends typically 100 to 300 meters from the park boundaries. If you're lucky enough to live within this buffer, temperatures drop between 1.9 and 3.1 degrees celsius, but beyond 300 meters, the cooling influence quickly falls off. (Bao, et al. 2016, Shi et al. 2023)This spatial limit leads to a couple spatial layout choices. A few big parks or connected networks of smaller green spaces. Large, consolidated parks (>2 hectares) generate intense, stable “cool islands” at their core, but their benefits remain localized. For example, a study in Xalapa, Mexico, revealed that parks larger than 2.8 hectares with over 21% tree cover provided reliable local cooling of around 2 degrees celsius . (Lemoine-Rodriguez et al., 2022)Connected networks of smaller green spaces distributed across a city create a more equitable cooling effect. Three studies in 2019 and 2021 show that fragmented, isolated green patches — like big parks — perform poorly compared to continuous, linear green corridors. Linear “green belts” or street-tree networks (in the right environment) can act as ventilation channels, allowing cool air generated by vegetation to flow into adjacent built-up neighborhoods. (Masoudi et al., 2019, 2021; Pramanik, 2019)Cooling factor 3. Urban Morphology: The Built Environment MatrixObviously, green spaces don't exist in isolation. They're embedded within a three-dimensional hodge podge of buildings, streets, and other bits of infrastructure. Urban morphologists can quantify this urban morphological cacophony using building height-to-street-width ratio and sky view factor - the extent to which surrounding structures and canopies obstruct a location's view of the open sky.High-density urban cores with tall buildings create deep “urban canyons” that generate their own shade. In these settings, building shade can combine with tree shade during peak daylight hours to significantly lower temperatures.However, studies show that if tree canopies in narrow street canyons are too dense — particularly in humid environments — they can trap anthropogenic heat emitted by vehicle exhaust and air conditioning condenser units. They can also significantly reduce localized wind speeds. As a result, maximizing green space cooling efficiency requires aligning vegetation density and canopy architecture with prevailing wind corridors to preserve urban ventilation channels (Cheung & Jim, 2019; Morakinyo et al., 2019).Nothing is every as easy as it seems.BRIDGING GAPS WITH BETTER MAPSWhile academic literature can offer detailed insights into microclimatic processes, there remains a big gap between academia and urban planning and governmental policy. That gap may be self-fulfilling. The literature review of 84 papers revealed 61% of the papers simply advocate for expanding green space area, whereas only 26% focus on optimizing existing green infrastructure.Recommending that dense, historical cities “add more large parks” ignores real-world urban constraints. In modern, rapidly expanding cities, urban land is expensive, highly contested, and structurally constrained. Space dedicated to a new park often competes directly with housing, transit infrastructure, or commercial development. To move beyond idealistic slogans, urban planning will have to recon with three major implementation challenges.Challenge 1. The Water-Energy-Heat Nexus in Arid CitiesThe most significant implementation challenge facing nature-based solutions occurs precisely where urban heat stress is most severe — in hot, arid regions. Cities like Phoenix, Cairo, Tehran, or Riyadh already suffer from intense summer heatwaves. You don't have to live in or visit these places to know water there is extremely scarce.Maintaining green spaces in places like this requires pumping groundwater or desalinating seawater. Pumping and desalinating water requires massive amounts of electricity, which only increases greenhouse gas emissions if that power is coming from fossil fuels. Furthermore, if irrigation water runs out during a heatwave, non-adapted vegetation dries out, loses its cooling capacity, and can even become a wildfire risk.To solve this dilemma, physical geographers advocate evaluating urban greening through a standardized resource efficiency metric: evapotranspirative cooling per unit of water applied. In plain language, this ratio measures how many degrees of cooling you get for each liter (or gallon) of water that plants and soil release into the air through evaporation and transpiration.In dry climates — where municipal water is already tightly rationed and turfgrass is increasingly discouraged but rarely banned (I'm looking at you Arizona) — urban greening strategies are going to have pivot away from high-water lawns and non-native foliage. These cities have to move from simply prioritizing or incentivizing drought-tolerant species to requiring them. While drought-tolerant plants transpire less water than many other plants and trees — and still require water — when combined with drip-irrigation using treated municipal wastewater (greywater), they can provide a pretty reliable canopy shade and even modest evaporative cooling without draining water reserves.Challenge 2. Environmental Justice and Thermal EquityUrban heat exposure is rarely, if ever, distributed evenly across socio-economic groups. In many cities worldwide, low-income neighborhoods exhibit significantly lower tree canopy cover, higher proportions of impervious asphalt, and higher building densities than the more affluent suburbs and ex-urbs. This imbalance leaves more vulnerable populations exposed to extreme heat hazards.When municipalities undertake uncoordinated “regreening” projects, they risk triggering green gentrification. Installing fancy attractive parks can then inflate surrounding property values, displacing residents while still not reducing their heat related vulnerability.To address this, requires targeted interventions like deploying small-scale, distributed interventions (think pocket parks, vegetated bus stops, and road corridors) directly in high-vulnerability, low-canopy/vegetation neighborhoods. You could focus on functional shading over high-maintenance aesthetics. This could better ensure that at least transit stops, pedestrian walkways, and playgrounds are prioritized for canopy cover. Lastly, combining situated green infrastructure with social policy could create and/or protect more affordable housing around old and new greened public corridors and spaces.Challenge 3. A Multi-Benefit, Context-Specific Design FrameworkNo single cooling intervention works everywhere. Planners and policy makers need to adopt an integrated, multi-tiered approach that combines nature-based solutions with material interventions.In arid and semi-arid environments, planners should prioritize structural canopy shading and end an over-reliance on water-intensive lawn evapotranspiration. It's time to demand drought-tolerant trees with greywater irrigation networks, shade sails, and high-albedo “cool pavements” that can better reflect solar radiation without draining water resources.In contrast, humid and more temperate climates would likely benefit most from maximizing green spatial connectivity. By linking existing parks through linear street-tree corridors — with select broadleaf and/or coniferous species — summer evapotranspiration can be enhanced while maintaining year-round microclimate regulation.Finally, within high-density, built-up cores where ground space for new parks is limited, cities should leverage vertical green walls and green roofs paired with reflective building materials. But they best also preserve prevailing wind corridors while preventing nighttime heat traps through street canyons.“Regreening” is a compelling slogan, but as physical geography demonstrates, simplistic blanket policies can yield unpredictable thermodynamic results. Simply planting trees without considering local climate, available water, species traits, spatial configuration, and urban geometry can lead to unintended consequences.The exhaustive synthesis of decade-long research provided by Hadi Soltanifard and Majid Amani-Beni (2025) offers a clear path forward. Nature-based solutions are not off-the-shelf products that can be copy-pasted across different global cities. They are dynamic, living interventions that alter energy fluxes across urban surfaces.By moving beyond blanket acreage targets and framing urban greening as the strategic reorganization of surface-energy relations, geographers, urban planners, and policymakers will need to work together. When we design green infrastructure that respects local environmental constraints, honors spatial equity, and optimizes microclimatic processes, urban greening moves from a vague policy promise toward tools of experimentation that can pragmatically evolve our cities and megaregions into truly climate-resilient urbanscapes.ReferencesBowler, D. E., Buyung-Ali, L., Knight, T. M., & Pullin, A. S. (2010). Urban greening to cool towns and cities: A systematic review of the empirical evidence. Landscape and Urban Planning, 97(3), 147-155.Cheung, P.K., Jim, C.Y., 2019. Differential cooling effects of landscape parameters in humid-subtropical urban parks. Landscape and Urban Planning 192, 103651.Coutts, A.M., Tapper, N.J., Beringer, J., et al., 2013. Watering our cities: the capacity for Water Sensitive Urban Design to support urban cooling and improve human thermal comfort in the Australian context. Progress in Physical Geography 37(1), 2–28.Eyster, H. N., & Beckage, B. (2022). Conifers may ameliorate urban heat waves better than broadleaf trees: Evidence from Vancouver, Canada. Atmosphere, 13(5), 830.Eyster, H. N., & Beckage, B. (2023). Arboreal urban cooling is driven by leaf area index, leaf boundary layer resistance, and dry leaf mass per leaf area: Evidence from a system dynamics model. Atmosphere, 14(3), 552.Lee, H., Mayer, H., & Chen, L. (2016). Contribution of trees and grasslands to the mitigation of human heat stress in a residential district of Freiburg, Southwest Germany. Landscape and Urban Planning 148:37–50.Lemoine-Rodríguez, R., Inostroza, L., Falfán, I., & MacGregor-Fors, I. (2022). Too hot to handle? On the cooling capacity of urban green spaces in a Neotropical Mexican city. Urban Forestry & Urban Greening, 74, 127633.Masoudi, M., Tan, P.Y., 2019. Multi-year comparison of the effects of spatial pattern of urban green spaces on urban land surface temperature. Landscape and Urban Planning. 184, 44–58.Masoudi, M., Tan, P.Y., Fadaei, M., 2021. The effects of land use on spatial pattern of urban green spaces and their cooling ability. Urban. Clim 35, 100743.Masoudi, M., Tan, P.Y., Liew, S.C., 2019. Multi-city comparison of the relationships between spatial pattern and cooling effect of urban green spaces in four major Asian cities. Ecol. Indic 98, 200–213.Morakinyo, T.E., Ouyang, W., Lau, K.-K.-L., et al., 2020. Right tree, right place (urban canyon): Tree species selection approach for optimum urban heat mitigation-development and evaluation. Sci. Total. Environ 719, 137461.Pramanik, M. (2019). Impacts of urban expansion on land surface temperature and urban heat island in Kolkata Municipal Corporation, India. Environmental Monitoring and Assessment, 191(12), 738.Santamouris, M. (2014). Cooling the cities—a review of reflective and green roof mitigation technologies to fight heat island and improve comfort in urban environments. Solar Energy, 103, 682-703.Schlaerth, Hannah L., et al. "Albedo as a competing warming effect of urban greening." Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres 128.24 (2023): e2023JD038764.Soltanifard, H., & Amani-Beni, M. (2025). The cooling effect of urban green spaces as nature-based solutions for mitigating urban heat: Insights from a decade-long systematic review. Climate Risk Management, 49, 100731.Ziter, C. D., Pedersen, E. J., Kucharik, C. J., & Turner, M. G. (2019). Scale-dependent interactions between tree canopy cover and impervious surfaces reduce daytime urban heat. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), 116(15), 7575-7580. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit interplace.io

Pat ja vasara šogad nav ļoti svelmaina, brīvais laiks ūdens tuvumā un peldēšanās daudziem jebkurā gadījumā ir iecienīta nodarbe. Peldēt, protams, iespējams, arī citās sezonās, bet ūdenī var arī vingrot. Par iespēju apgūt peldētprasmi un par sportošanu ūdenī saruna raidījumā Kā labāk dzīvot.  Būt aktīviem aicina biedrības "Peldēt droši" peldēšanas treneris Pāvels Murāns, "Rimi" Olimpiskā centra vingrošanas ūdenī trenere Adelīna Priedniece un šī centra peldēšanas treneris Juris Apters. Klausītājus interesē, kas varētu palīdzēt pārvarēt bailes no lielāka dziļuma? "Jautājums, vai tev ir jāiet tajā lielajā dziļumā? Mēs gribam būt droši, un iznākt no ūdens arī ir jāmāk pareizi. Ir jāprot peldēt, kontrolēt savs ķermenis ūdenī, bet, vai visiem ir jāprot pārpeldēt to ezeru vai dīķi? Vai tas tiešām visiem ir jādara? Izvērtējam savas spējas," norāda Adelīna Priedniece. "Bailes no dziļuma nav jāpārvar. Tām ir jāpaliek. Ko dziļumā meklēt? Tas ir tikai risks noslīkt," papildina Pāvels Murāns. "Peldamies dziļumā līdz krūtīm, lai var nostāties uz kājām. Lai būtu droši, peldam gar krastu, nevis prom no krasta." "Ja cilvēkam ir bail no dziļuma, [jautājums], kāpēc viņam bail no dziļuma? Viņam ir bail noslīkt. Ja viņam bail un nav slikti, tad viņš nejūtas droši uz ūdens. Ja viņš nejūtas droši uz ūdens, tad no sākuma viņam jāsajūtas droši pat seklajā daļā, vai mēs runājam par baseinu vai atklātajās ūdenstilpnēs. Viņam jāiemācās kontrolēt savu ķermeni ūdenī. Un tad, ja mēs runājam par baseinu, trenera pavadībā varam iekāpt arī dziļākajā galā," uzskata Juris Apters.

Greetings EA listeners!! this weeks guests features Lai Boginivalu from the Pentecostals of Sydney.. Lai shares his story and journey, from his early days in Christ ,to serving, and now to his kids serving in ministry.. a great insight into a brother in Christ, hope you listen and enjoy.

Good afternoon, I'm _ with today's episode of EZ News. Tai-Ex opening  The Tai-Ex opened 73 points higher this morning at 44,899. Turnover reached 7.3 billion N-T dollars. The market bounced back on Wednesday, led by chip and technology shares. The gains came after the Philadelphia Semiconductor Index rose 5.21 percent overnight, as major chipmakers (晶片製造商) and other A-I-related companies gained in the U-S. Foreign minister repeats South China Sea position Foreign Minister Lin Chia-lung has repeated Taiwan's claims in the South China Sea. However, he said the Lai administration is not actively pushing those claims. His comments come as tensions continue between China and the Philippines in the disputed waters (爭議海域). Speaking at a legislative hearing on the government's South China Sea policy, Lin said Taiwan's claims over islands in the area have not changed. He said Taiwan's position is based on four principles (原則). These include solving disputes peacefully under international law, including Taiwan in international talks, protecting freedom of navigation (航行自由) and air travel, and sharing regional resources. Possible tropical storm could affect Taiwan this weekend The Central Weather Administration says a tropical depression (熱帶性低氣壓) east of the Philippines could become a tropical storm as early as today. The weather system could reach waters near Taiwan this weekend. A sea warning (海上警報) may be issued as it moves through the Bashi Channel and into the South China Sea. The tropical depression is about 1,400 kilometers east-southeast of Eluanbi, Taiwan's southernmost point. It is moving northwest at 27 kilometers per hour. If it becomes a tropical storm, it will be named Noul. It would be the 12th named storm of this year's Pacific typhoon season. US signs agreement with Saudi Arabia on uranium enrichment  The U-S has signed an agreement with Saudi Arabia on the kingdom's civilian (民用的) nuclear energy program. The deal could allow Saudi Arabia to develop the ability to enrich uranium (濃縮鈾). The Trump administration has released few details about the agreement. However, it could lead to the construction of a uranium enrichment center after a joint U-S-Saudi study. The U-S Department of Energy says the peaceful nuclear agreement will also give American companies greater access to Saudi Arabia's nuclear energy program. Major wildfire burns in central Spain Firefighters in central Spain are battling a major wildfire (野火、森林大火) in Guadalajara. The fire has burned more than 32,000 hectares (公頃) of land. Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez visited the area on Wednesday and called for political parties to work together against climate change. He said climate change is a scientific issue, not a political one. The Guadalajara fire is one of the largest in Spain's history. It comes less than two weeks after another fire in southern Spain killed 13 people. A heat wave is making firefighting more difficult, with temperatures reaching 42 degrees. Other European countries are also facing extreme heat and wildfires. Police station opens at Hitler's birthplace in Austria Austria has opened a police station in the house where Adolf Hitler was born. The Nazi leader was born in the former inn (以前的旅館) in April 1889. For years, Austrian officials debated what to do with the 17th-century building. They wanted to stop it from becoming a place where neo-Nazis would gather. The building has now been refurbished (翻修), and its outside appearance has been changed. The government first announced plans to turn it into a police station in 2019. Police musicians performed at the opening ceremony. Louvre reopens Apollo Gallery after jewel theft The Louvre Museum in Paris has reopened its Apollo Gallery. The gallery (展廳、畫廊) had been closed after crown jewels (王室珠寶) worth more than 100 million U-S dollars were stolen during a daytime robbery last October. The AP's Alex Turnbull reports. That was the I.C.R.T. EZ News, I'm _. -- Hosting provided by SoundOn

"Baltā cielava ir Latvijas cilvēkiem ļoti tuvs putns, gan fiziski, gan garīgi. Baltā cielava uzturas cilvēku tuvumā, apdzīvo viensētas, pilsētas, arī jūras krastu. Bet katrā ziņā bieži vien mēs redzam balto cielavu savā tuvumā," stāsta Latvijas Ornitoloģijas biedrības priekšsēdētājs Viesturs Ķerus.  "Mudīga un čakla. Latvijas nacionālais putns. Cielava ir tāda, kādi mēs gribētu būt, vismaz atbilstoši mūsu priekšstatiem par cielavu," atzīst Viesturs Ķerus. "Baltā cielava nav no tiem putniem, kuru mēs drīzāk dzirdētu nekā redzētu. Mežā mēs "vērojam putnus ar ausīm", bet baltā cielava nekur ļoti neslēpjas. Vienīgais viņa slēpjas tad, kad ir jāperē mazuļi, turpina Viesturs Ķerus. "Baltās cielavas mātītes tad ielien labi paslēptā ligzdā, kas varbūt kādā zaru kaudzē, malkas grēdā, akmeņu čupā. Reizēm ir gadījumi, kad šī vieta ir arī novārtā atstāta traktora motors." Ja tā gadās, šo traktoru vajadzētu vēl uz kādu mēnesi atstāt novārtā, lai cielava var mierīgi izaudzināt savus bērnus.  Lai arī oficiālais nosaukums ir baltā cielava, reizēm cilvēki viņu sauc par pelēko cielavu, jo pelēkuma viņā arī netrūkst. Melnbalts putns - melns, balts, pelēks. Ornitologi par pelēko cielavu sauc citu cielava sugu, kas ir stipri reti sastopama un dzīvo pie upēm. 

Good afternoon, I'm _ with today's episode of EZ News. Tai-Ex opening The Tai-Ex opened up 121-points this morning from Friday's close, at 42,793 on turnover of 15.5-billion N-T. The market saw its biggest single-day drop on record last Friday -- tumbling just over 2,950-points -- as a sell-off in artificial intelligence-related shares dragged Wall Street lower and weighed on global equities. President Lai honors F-16V pilot who died in January training accident President Lai Ching-te has presented a posthumous presidential citation (追授獎項) honoring Air Force pilot Hsin Po-yi. Hsin died after his F-16V fighter jet crashed during a nighttime training mission off of Hualien in January. Hsin's father, Hsin Chin-yu, accepted the citation from Lai at a ceremony. Hsin served with the Air Force's Hualien-based 5th Tactical Composite Wing and was posthumously promoted from captain to major and awarded the Order of Loyalty and Valor. Hsin's F-16V fighter jet disappeared from radar on the evening of January 6 on a routine raining mission shortly after he reported becoming separated from the lead aircraft while flying through clouds. The aircraft's flight data recorder was recovered in March. Taiwan's students shine at international Biology, Chemistry Olympiads Taiwan students have ranked first and third, respectively, in gold medal tallies, at the International Biology Olympiad and the International Chemistry Olympiad. The students won four gold medals at the Biology Olympiad and three golds and one silver at the Chemistry Olympiad. Both events took place in Vilnius, Lithuania, According to the Ministry of Education, Taiwan sent students from the Taipei Municipal Chien Kuo High School, the Taipei First Girls High School the Taichung Municipal Taichung First Senior High School to the event. Taiwan's four-gold haul topped the medal table among 78 participating countries and 302 contestants. US STRIKES ABADAN AS WASHINGTON FACES QUESTIONS OVER MILITARY READINESS FOR WIDER IRAN CONFLICT The United States struck targets on the outskirts of the Iranian city of Abadan on Sunday evening, extending what has now been more than a week of consecutive American strikes against Iran. The latest attack came as the White House faces accusations (指控) of sending mixed signals on its strategy — having reimposed sanctions on Iranian oil exports after initially lifting them under a memorandum of understanding that now appears to have collapsed. Kate Fisher reports from Washington. Nigeria UNICEF Warns of Child Malnutrition Health workers in northern Nigeria say more children are relapsing into malnutrition and cite knock-on effects from the war in the Middle East. The region is already under pressure from an insurgency crisis. The conflict in the Middle East has worsened food security for millions, especially children. UNICEF warns that if the war continues, millions more children could fall into poverty. The war has also affected fertilizer supplies and prices, threatening the planting season and worsening the fate (命運) of mostly farming communities in northern Nigeria. Hungary President Signs to End his Term Hungary's president has signed a constitutional amendment ending his term, resolving a dispute with the new government. Prime Minister Péter Magyar, who defeated Viktor Orbán in April, had urged Tamás Sulyok to resign, accusing him of failing to oppose Orbán's antidemocratic actions. When Sulyok refused, Magyar's party passed an amendment for his immediate removal. Sulyok signed it on the final day before the deadline. His term officially ends today. Magyar's government has been dismantling (拆解) Orbán's influence by removing appointees and making judicial reforms. It also plans to nominate a new president soon. That was the I.C.R.T. EZ News, I'm _. －－－－以下為 SoundOn 動態廣告－－－－ 【暑假首選】雄獅文具想像力製造所天天不休息！白色牆面隨你畫、泡泡雨空中飄，巨型 60 色色彩牆隨手拍都是網美大片！ 八月更有全新「彩耀日」戶外顏料射擊，暑假就是要玩好玩滿。 快來發揮想像力打包快樂！

We were at the dress rehearsal of BIRDY, one Hung Dance's most critically acclaimed productions, which will be premiering in New York at NYU Skirball on July 17 & 18th. BIRDY explores the relationship between freedom, limitation, and identity through a distinctive movement language inspired by Tai Chi, traditional Peking opera and contemporary dance. Related Links: https://talkingtaiwan.com/birdy-explores-universal-themes-of-freedom-limitation-and-identity-relevant-to-taiwan-ep-353/ We sat down to speak with Lai Hung-Chung, Choreographer and Artistic Director of Hung Dance about his artistic vision for BIRDY and Wei-Ping Chen the dance company's Operations Director. Lai told us that the themes of freedom, limitation, and identity not only reflect his personal struggles but also relate to Taiwan's situation.   Hung Dance is an award-winning Taiwanese contemporary dance company founded in 2017. The troupe's name comes from the Chinese character 翃 (Hóng), meaning to fly.   Related Links: https://talkingtaiwan.com/birdy-explores-universal-themes-of-freedom-limitation-and-identity-relevant-to-taiwan-ep-353/

FAN MAIL--We would love YOUR feedback--Send us a Text MessageA 78-year-old man sits in solitary confinement in Hong Kong with a 20-year sentence hanging over him. He could have left. He could have said the words that would have set him free. Jimmy Lai refused to lie, and that single act of conscience explains why authoritarian power reacts so fiercely to one person who won't be bought or frightened into agreement. We trace Lai's story from his rise as a self-made publisher and founder of Apple Daily to the convictions that made him a political prisoner, then widen the lens to a timeless pattern: rulers don't only want silence, they want affirmation. To make the point vivid, we bring in Robert Bolt's A Man for All Seasons and the example of Sir Thomas More, whose quiet “no” threatened a king more than any army ever could. From there, we get personal. Tyranny's business model depends on getting good people to say things they don't believe, and most of the time the pressure arrives in small, ordinary moments. A boss, a crowd, or an algorithm nudges you toward the easy line instead of the true one, and repetition slowly erases your ability to resist. You'll leave with one clear action step for the week, a sharper understanding of why free speech and freedom of the press matter, and a reason to take courage seriously before it costs more than you think. Key Points from the Episode:• the weight of “20 years” for a 78-year-old man and why it reads like a life sentence  • the Thomas More parallel from A Man for All Seasons and the danger of quiet refusal  • who Jimmy Lai is, why he founded Apple Daily, and why he stayed  • why regimes punish unbought people and make examples of them  • conscience as an antidote to tyranny and the everyday pressures to comply  • a simple action step for the next moment you feel pushed to say the comfortable lie  • a warning about treating communism as abstract and a call to sober attention at home  • prayer for Jimmy Lai and others imprisoned for refusing to bow  Want to go deeper?Watch the documentary on Jimmy Lai's story and the fall of Hong Kong: The Hong Konger — freejimmylai.comGo back and listen to where this story started — our 2022 episode: LM #21 — Two Iron Ladies: The Hong KongerAnd keep Jimmy Lai in your prayers tonight, along with every man and woman sitting in a cell right now simply for refusing to lie.Want to leave a review? Click here, and if we earned a five-star review from you — high five and knuckle bumps — we appreciate it greatly, thank you so much!Keep fighting the good fight.Links?

Lai arī Latvijai nav pašai sava astronauta, mums ir spēcīgi kandidāti. Viena no viņiem ir Veronika Puiša – mediķe, kas sākusi karjeru kā ģimenes ārste Skotijā, šobrīd ir Eiropas Kosmosa aģentūras medicīnas padomes locekle, aeornautikas un kosmosa mediķe un strādā ar pirmās formulas pilotiem. Meitene, kas grib strādāt kosmosā – tā viņu savulaik dēvēja studiju gados. Drīzumā Veronika dosies ilgstošā pētījumā uz Antarktīdu, kas arī ir saistīts ar kosmosa izpēti. Pētījums, kura laikā Veronika Puiša dosies uz Antarktīdu, ir Eiropas Kosmosa aģentūras finansēts darbs. Viņa dosies uz itāļu-franču staciju "Concordia". Tā atrodas apmēram 3200 metru augstumā Antarktīdas vidienē. Un dažādi apstākļi šo vidi padara ļoti ekstremālu. Tā ir gan polārā nakts un diena, kā arī gaisa temperatūra, kas vasarā ir mīnus 20-30 grādu, ziemā - mīnus 70-80 grādu.  Pētniece atklāj, ka vasaras periodā tur visai daudz zinātnieku, bet ziemas periodā tur būs tikai 12-13 pētnieki. Tur uz vietas būs jādzīvo deviņus mēnešus bez iespējām doties prom. "Tur ienāk mans darbs kā biomedicīnas pētniecei. Es realizējušu Eiropas Kosmosa aģentūras pētniecības programmu, pētot izolācijas efektu uz cilvēkiem. "Concordia" bāzi izmanto kā analogu Mēness un Marsa pētījumiem. Tie būs fizioloģiski pētījumi, piemēram, kā mums mainās imūnā sistēma, kad esam izolācijā ilgu laiku, gan arī kā baktērijas mainās, gan psiholoģiskā pētniecība." Pētot šos jautājumus, sanāks arī pašai nokļūt izolācijā un sevi pakļaut visam tam, kas ir tas pētījuma objekts. "Dažos pētījumos es būšu arī pati pētījuma objekts," piekrīt Veronika Puiša. Pētniece atzīst, ka sajūtas, domājot par gaidāmo došanos uz Antarktīdu, ir dažādas. No vienas puses ir liels gandarījums, jo tā ir unikāla iespēja un reti kuram to izdodas paveikt.  "Man liekas, ka tas ir tuvākais, ko es varēju atrast tam, lai būtu astronaute, jo darbs ir visai līdzīgs," atzīst Veronika Puiša. "Protams, no otras puses arī, ir bail, jo ilgu laiku būs jādzīvo tālu no visiem cilvēkiem, ko es pazīstu, no manas normālās dzīves, no manas karjeras veselu gadu es būšu prom un man nebūs nekādas iespējas atgriezties, lai kas arī nenotiktu. Protams, ir bail, un es ļoti daudz domāju par to, kā saglabāt gan personīgās attiecības, gan profesionālās attiecības." Zinātnes ziņas par pētījumu, kas ļauj uz novecošanos palūkoties pozitīvi Par novecošanos ierasts domāt kā par ne to patīkamāko procesu - galu galā kļūst fiziski grūti veikt kādas darbības, atmiņa vairs nav tik spēcīga, pielavās demence, tad vēl vientulības risks… Jā, un sava daļa patiesības tajā visā ir, tomēr pētījumi un īpaši ASV Jeilas universitātes zinātnieku veikums vairāk nekā desmit gadu garumā ļauj uz novecošanos palūkoties citādi. Jaunajā, žurnālā “Geriatrija” publicētajā pētījumā, gandrīz pusei pieaugušo, kas vecāki par 65 gadiem, uzlabojusies fiziskā vai mentālā veselība, un dažkārt pat abi rādītāji. Zinātnieki secinājuši, ka cilvēkiem ar pozitīvāku attieksmi pret novecošanos bijusi ievērojami lielāka iespējamība uzrādīt šos veselības uzlabojumus. Viedokli par pētījumu jautāju veselības psiholoģei, vadošajai pētniecei Rīgas Stradiņa universitātē Kristīnei Šneiderei-Pītersai. Vai varam teikt, ka iegūtie dati ir pārsteidzoši?

Good afternoon, I'm _ with today's episode of EZ News. Tai-Ex opening  The Tai-Ex opened 71-points higher this morning from yesterday's close, at 45,805, on turnover of 9.8 billion N-T. The market rose again on Wednesday after falling a day earlier.  Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing got support from last-minute buying near the end of trading. Lawmakers call for officials to resign over contaminated cooking oil case A Legislative committee has passed a motion (動議) calling for (要求) Premier Cho Jung-tai, Health Minister Shih Chung-liang and Food and Drug Administration head Chiang Chih-kang to step down (辭職) and take responsibility for the latest cooking oil contamination case. The motion was passed during a meeting of the legislative Social Welfare and Environmental Hygiene Committee. The committee asked health, education and economics officials to report on food safety measures following the discovery of excessive levels (含量過高) of a carcinogen (致癌物) in soybean oil produced by Central Union Oil Corp. Opposition lawmakers criticized the Lai administration for changing its policy on the issue several times. The motion also asks all three officials to apologize (道歉) to the public. Lai touts ties with Guatemala  President Lai Ching-te says Taiwan will build stronger ties with Guatemala. He says his administration will encourage (鼓勵) more Taiwanese companies to use Guatemala as a base (以…為基地) for entering Latin American markets. The statement came as Lai held talks with the visiting president of Guatemala's Congress, Luis Alberto Contreras Colindres. According to Lai, closer ties between Taiwan and Guatemala will bring more business opportunities for both sides. Lai also said Guatemalan exports to Taiwan have reached 130 million US dollars for two years in a row. He said Guatemala is quickly becoming Taiwan's largest supplier of sugar and fourth-largest supplier of coffee. US launches second, larger wave of strikes on Iran as Trump says ceasefire is over The United States has launched a second, larger wave of airstrikes (空襲) against Iran. The strikes targeted (以…為目標) coastal radar installations and anti-ship missile sites along the country's southeastern coast. US President Donald Trump declared the ceasefire with Tehran "over" while attending the NATO summit in Ankara. He warned of further escalation if Iran continued to target commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz. Iran's Revolutionary Guard responded by launching missiles and drones at dozens of American military sites in Bahrain and Kuwait. But reporter Kate Fisher in Washington says Trump later seemed to leave a small chance for talks to restart (重新開始). China allocates funds for disaster relief China has allocated (撥款) millions in relief (救助) funding for disaster-hit areas after severe storms and a deadly landslide. The central government has provided 7.4 million US dollars to repair infrastructure (修復基礎設施) in Hubei province. It has also provided other funds to rebuild homes and move residents to safer places. Eleven people died in thunderstorms and tornadoes on Monday. Gansu province will receive 4.4 million US dollars after a landslide killed 21 forestry workers. Earlier funding was given to Guangxi, where flooding from Tropical Storm Maysak has caused six deaths and forced 130,000 people to leave their homes. Heavy rain is still hitting parts of China, and more rain from a typhoon is expected over the weekend. Canada PM Visiting Saudi Arabia Canada's prime minister is visiting Saudi Arabia. It is the first trip by a Canadian leader to the kingdom in 26 years. The visit is aimed at expanding (擴大) Canada's economic ties beyond the United States. Today, Mark Carney will meet Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, who is Saudi Arabia's de facto ruler. He will also speak at the Saudi Arabia-Canada Investment Forum. The trip shows Canada's effort to diversify (多元化) trade as it faces US tariff threats. Saudi Arabia is also looking for foreign investment as it tries to move its economy beyond oil. Canada and Saudi Arabia restored full diplomatic ties in 2023, ending a dispute over human rights criticism. That was the I.C.R.T. EZ News, I'm _. -- Hosting provided by SoundOn

Ekonomisko sakaru saraušana ar Krieviju un Baltkrieviju pēc Krievijas pilna mēroga iebrukuma Ukrainā šķita pašsaprotama, tomēr praksē, izrādās, tas nav tik viegli izdarāms. Eksporta apjoms uz agresora un tā satelītvalsti šogad vien sasniedzis pusmiljardu eiro. Lai arī tas lielākoties ir reeksports, tomēr no tā pelna arī vietējie uzņēmēji. Importa apjoms ir nesalīdzināmi mazāks, tur papildus ierobežojumi vēl top.  Valdība apņēmusies pārtraukt gan importu, gan eksportu ar šīm valstīm, arī, citējot valdības deklarāciju –  "uzņemties vadošo lomu šī jautājuma risināšanā Eiropas Savienības ietvarā". Kā ar to veicas – par to diskutējam Krustpunktā. Analizē Latvijas Tirdzniecības un rūpniecības kameras valdes priekšsēdētāja Katrīna Zariņa, Ārlietu ministrijas parlamentārais sekretārs Artjoms Uršuļskis (Jaunā Vienotība), Ekonomikas ministrijas ES un ārējo ekonomisko attiecību departamenta direktora vietnieks Jānis Zakovics un Ministru prezidenta ārštata padomnieks informācijas un komunikācijas tehnoloģiju un vēlēšanu jautājumos Krists Avots.  

No vienas puses – dabisks process, savdabīga deja starp Karību un Dienvidamerikas tektoniskām plātnēm, no otras puses – traģiskas postošas sekas pilsētām un iedzīvotājiem, kuri dzīvo  ar šādu kustīgu pasauli zem kājām. Nesen notikusī zemestrīce Venecuālā bija viena no traģiskākajām, ko šī latīņamerikas valsts piedzīvojusi ilgā laikā, taču nebūt ne vienīgā. Ģeologi norāda, ka lielākā daļa venecuēliešu dzīvo burtiski zemestrīču epicentrā. Ko zinām par Dienvidamerikas ģeoloģiju un kāpēc šajā zemestrīcē ir tik liels bojā gājušo skaits? Raidījumā Zināmais nezināmajā skaidro Latvijas Universitātes Eksakto zinātņu un tehnoloģiju fakultātes pētnieks Viesturs Zandersons un Latvijas Universitātes Eksakto zinātņu un tehnoloģiju fakultātes asociētais profesors, ģeologs Ģirts Stinkulis. -- Latīņamerikas valsti Venecuēlu trešdien, 24. jūnijā, satricinājušas divas spēcīgas zemestrīces ar 7,2 un 7,5 magnitūdu stiprumu. Postījumi nodarīti arī galvaspilsētā Karakasā.  Pirmās zemestrīces epicentrs atradās 21 kilometru uz rietumiem no piekrastes pilsētas Moronas. 39 sekundes vēlāk aptuveni 45 kilometru attālumā notika otra zemestrīce. Piedzīvoti vēl 20 pēcgrūdieni. NASA publicētie dati liecina, ka spēcīgajās zemestrīcēs Venecuelā ir sabojājušas vai sagrāvušas vairāk nekā 58 000 ēku.    Ko par zemestrīcēm domāja cilvēki vairākus tūkstošus gadu senā vēsturē? Dievu dusmas, nepaklausīgu dievību dumpošanās pazemē, milzu dzīvnieki, kas kustas uz saviem pleciem nesot pasauli – tā senāk cilvēki ir skaidrojuši zemestrīču rašanos. Pa starpu šiem ticējumiem arī zinātniski skaidrojumi,  piemēram, 1774. gadā  izdotajā „Augstas gudrības grāmatā” Vecais  Stenders par zemestrīci raksta šādi: „Dziļā zemē ir daudz alas, dažas no iekšķīgiem sērainiem tvaikiem iekarst un gruzd, kamēr uguns iešaujās, kur nu caurumu atrod, un kad vietām caurumu neatrod, kur tie iekšķīgi karsti tvaiki, kas plešās, iziet varētu, tad visa virsēja zeme top celta  un kratīta un rīb un trīc.  Ak tu Dieva sodība! Kas par briesmām, kad zeme apakš kājām zūd un lejas par kalniem ceļās.” Lai arī Latvija atrodas seismiski neaktīvā zonā, tomēr vēl pirms Stendera zinātnisku pamatojumu šai dabas parādībai ir devis Stendera tautietis, vācbaltu mācītājs Georgs Mancelis un runa ir par zemestrīci  Bauskas apkaimē 1616. gadā. Par to stāsta ģeoloģijas zinātņu doktors Valdis Segliņš. -- Vālodzes dosjē - iepazīstam retāk sastopamu putniņu, kas gan daudz ir apdziedāts tautasdziesmās. Stāsta Latvijas Ornitoloģijas biedrības pārstāve Zane Dāvidsone.   Japāņu kultūrā bija izplatīts mīts par milzu samu Namazu, kurš mīt zem Japānas salām un dievs  Kašima ir izmantojis burvju akmeni, lai šo samu  piespiestu pie zemes. Tikko Kašima novērsis uzmanību, tā sams dauzījis asti un kustējies un sākās zemestrīce.  Pievēršamies arī citiem pasaules reģioniem un mītiem. Valdis Segliņš stāsta par  Centrālamerikas  indiāņu ciltīm un viņu skatījumu un šo dabas parādību.

No celebration of the US 250th, just a couple of protest songs, and a big feature on new Celtic music, a look back at our recent Irish tour, and some tasty new releases from Lai, Senegal, France, Eire, and Canada

Lietuvas Republikas Seims ar nelielu balsu vairākumu apstiprināja premjerministra pilnvaras Sociāldemokrātiskās partijas priekšsēdētājam, ekonomistam Mindaugam Sinkevičum. 22. jūnijā par savu atkāpšanos no amata paziņoja Lielbritānijas premjerministrs Kīrs Stārmers. Bet starp Ukrainu un Poliju uzliesmojis pēkšņs un negaidīti spējš starptautisks skandāls, kura pamatā ir vairāk nekā astoņdesmit gadus seni vēstures notikumi. Ārzemju aktualitātes pārrunājam kopā ar politoloģi, Latvijas Universitātes Ekonomikas un sociālo zinātņu fakultātes Sociālo un politisko pētījumu institūta vadošo pētnieci Žanetu Ozoliņu un LSM ārzemju ziņu redaktori Ievu Strazdiņu. Lietuvai būs jauna valdība Vakar Lietuvas Republikas Seims ar nelielu balsu vairākumu apstiprināja premjerministra pilnvaras Sociāldemokrātiskās partijas priekšsēdētājam, četrdesmit gadus vecajam ekonomistam Mindaugam Sinkevičum. Tagad viņam divu nedēļu laikā jāsastāda valdība, kam tad jāsaņem prezidenta Gitana Nausēdas piekrišana un Seima apstiprinājums. Sinkevičus savulaik darbojies dzimtā Jonavas rajona pašvaldībā, divreiz bijis tā mērs, pildījis arī ekonomikas un inovāciju ministra amatu premjera Sauļus Skverneļa valdībā. Savu nomināciju jaunais premjers ieguva pēc tam, kad demisionēja viņa priekšgājējas, premjerministres Ingas Ruginienes kabinets, kuru jau labu laiku destabilizēja pretrunas starp valdošās koalīcijas partijām. Galvassāpes partneriem radīja nacionālistiski populistiskā partija „Nēmunas rītausma”, kuras līderis Remigijus Žemaitaitis pamanījās nopelnīt notiesājošu spriedumu par antisemītiskiem izteikumiem un holokausta noniecināšanu, bet pēc tam arī izmeklēšanu par iespējamu krāpniecisku rīcību. Tomēr pēdējais piliens sociāldemokrātu pacietības kausā bija „Nēmunas rītausmas” atteikšanās atbalstīt valdības plānus par armijas poligona izveidi Baltkrievijas robežas tuvumā. Notika izšķiršanās par nacionālpopulistu izmešanu no koalīcijas, vietā piepulcinot centriski kreiso partiju Demokrātu savienība „Lietuvas vārdā”. Koalīcijā paliek otrs līdzšinējais partneris – partiju apvienība, kuru veido Lietuvas Zemnieku un zaļo savienība un partija Lietuvas poļu vēlēšanu akcija – Kristīgo ģimeņu savienība. Arī nākamajā valdībā, gluži tāpat kā iepriekšējā, dominējošās pozīcijas saglabās sociāldemokrāti, kuriem ir lielākā frakcija Seimā. Līdzšinējā premjerministre Ruginiene varētu atgriezties jau agrāk pildītajā sociālās aizsardzības un darba ministres amatā, savukārt ārlietu ministra portfelis, visdrīzāk, joprojām paliks sociāldemokrātu atbalstītā bezpartejiskā ministra Ķēstuša Budra rokās, kas apliecina stingru pēctecību Lietuvas ārpolitiskajās nostādnēs. Kopumā ņemot, jaunā koalīcija, kurā nacionālpopulistus nomainījuši centriski kreisie no Demokrātu savienības „Lietuvas vārdā”, šķiet ideoloģiski daudz loģiskāka. Vai „Ziemeļu karalis” glābs Britāniju? 22. jūnijā par savu atkāpšanos no amata paziņoja Lielbritānijas premjerministrs Kīrs Stārmers. Viņa leiboristu valdība nāca pie varas 2024. gada jūlijā pēc Parlamenta vēlēšanām, kurās smagu sakāvi cieta britu konservatīvie, savukārt leiboristi ieguva parlamentāro vairākumu. Taču gluži citu ainu rādīja šī gada maijā notikušās vietvaru vēlēšanas, kurās leiboristi zaudēja gandrīz pusotru tūkstoti deputātu vietu, lielāko daļu no kurām sev pievāca Breksita „zvaigznes” Naidžela Farāža vadītā radikāli labējā un populistiskā parija „Reformēt Apvienoto Karalisti”. Kādu kumosu no leiboristu elektorāta pīrāga nokampa arī viņu kreisā flanga konkurenti Anglijas un Velsas Zaļā partija, tāpat daļa agrāko leiboristu vēlētāju izšķīrušies par labu neatkarīgiem kandidātiem. Nelīdzēja Stārmera priekšvēlēšanu retorika par stingrāku imigrācijas politiku, un nepārliecinoša leiboristu vēlētāju acīs ir bijusi arī valdības līdzšinējā nepietiekami dāsnā sociālā politika. Daudzi leiboristu vēlētāji kā nekonsekventu un liekulīgu vērtē Stārmera un viņa valdības pozīciju Gazas kara sakarā, no vienas puses turpinot ieroču piegādes Izraēlai, tomēr atzīstot Palestīnas valsti de jure un atsaucot iebildumus pret Izraēlas līderiem izvirzītajām apsūdzībām Starptautiskajā krimināltiesā. Jau tūlīt pēc graujošo pašvaldību vēlēšanu rezultātu paziņošanas skaidri izpaudās viedoklis, ka premjera demisija ir tikai laika jautājums, un, iespējams, tika gaidīts, līdz parādīsies gana pārliecinošs pēctecis. Par tādu kļuvis līdzšinējais Lielās Mančestras grāfistes lordmērs Endijs Bērnems, kurš 18. jūnijā Parlamenta papildvēlēšanās uzvarēja savu konkurentu no farāžistu partijas. Bērnems ir pieredzējis politiķis, kurš laikā no 2007. līdz 2010. gadam ieņēmis vairākus ministra amatus premjera Gordona Brauna valdībā. Kopš 2017. gada viņš bija Lielās Mančestras mērs, un šajā amatā sevi apliecināja kā patiešām prasmīgu vietvaras līderi, jo sevišķi pandēmijas laikā, kad viņa argumentācija panāca zināmu centrālās valdības atbalsta politikas koriģēšanu. Pateicoties sekmīgajai darbībai un iegūtajai autoritātei Bērnems presē ticis iedēvēts par „Ziemeļu karali”. Viņš pat definējis savu kreisās politikas virzienu, dodot tam apzīmējumu „mančestrisms”. Pēc viņa paša vārdiem, tas ir „neoliberālismu izbeidzošs” „uzņēmējdarbībai draudzīgs sociālisms” un „moderna un funkcionāla atbilde uz augstas nevienlīdzības un lēnas izaugsmes slazdu, kuru radīja 20. gadsimta astoņdesmito gadu centieni maksimāli privatizēt ekonomisko varu un pārmērīgi centralizēt politisko varu Valsts kases rokās”. Bērnems jau saņēmis atbalstu no daudziem leiboristu partijas biedriem, savukārt vairāki viņa potenciālie sāncenši partijas vadītāja vēlēšanās savas kandidatūras atsaukuši. Kā iespējams konkurents Bērnemam gan tiek minēts līdzšinējais bruņoto spēku ministrs Elisters Kernss. Pagātnes traģēdija un šodienas farss Maija beigās starp Ukrainu un Poliju uzliesmoja pēkšņs un negaidīti spējš starptautisks skandāls, kura pamatā ir vairāk nekā astoņdesmit gadus seni vēstures notikumi. Viss sākās ar prezidenta Volodimira Zelenska parakstītu dekrētu par Ukrainas nemiernieku armijas nosaukuma piešķiršanu Ukrainas bruņoto spēku īpašo operāciju centram „Ziemeļi”. Ukrainas nemiernieku armija bija Ukraiņu nacionālistu organizācijas bruņotais spārns, kas Otra pasaules kara laikā cīnījās par neatkarīgas Ukrainas valsts atjaunošanu, karojot gan pret vācu okupācijas spēkiem, gan dažādas ievirzes poļu bruņotās pretestības vienībām, gan padomju partizāniem. Vēl desmit gadus pēc pasaules kara beigām Nemiernieku armija turpināja cīņu pret padomju okupācijas režīmu, un šodienas Ukrainā tā tiek pieminēta kā nacionālās atbrīvošanās kustība. Taču šo spēku kontā ir arī nežēlīga izrēķināšanās ar Rietumukrainas neukraiņu iedzīvotājiem, lielākoties poļiem, kas notika 1943. un 1944. gadā. Poļu vēsturnieki to traktē kā genocīdu un lēš iespējamo upuru skaitu līdz simt trīsdesmit tūkstošiem; viņu ukraiņu kolēģi sauc šos skaitļus par pārspīlētiem un norāda, ka arī poļu puse izvērsusi ukraiņu civiliedzīvotāju slepkavošanu, tātad tas bijis abpusējs terors un kara noziegumi. Lai kādi arī nebūtu vēstures traktējumi, attiecīgā nosaukuma piešķiršana Ukrainas armijas vienībai kļuva par iemeslu, lai Polijas prezidents Karols Navrockis lemtu par agrāk piešķirtā Polijas Baltā Ērgļa ordeņa, valsts augstākā apbalvojuma, atņemšanu prezidentam Zelenskim. Tiek minēts, ka šī soļa patiesais iemesls ir politiska rīvēšanās starp prezidenta Navrocka pārstāvēto labēji konservatīvo partiju „Likums un Taisnīgums” un pašreizējo valdības bloku – plašu centrisko spēku koalīciju. Prezidenta mērķis esot bijis nostādīt neērtā situācijā premjerministru Donaldu Tusku, kuram vajadzētu arī ar savu parakstu apstiprināt ordeņa atņemšanu. Nesagaidot procesa beigas, prezidents Zelenskis pa pastu nosūtīja savu ordeņa eksemplāru uz Polijas prezidenta kanceleju Varšavā, un, solidarizējoties, viņa piemēram sekoja vairāki citi šī apbalvojuma saņēmēji: agrākie Ukrainas prezidenti Leonīds Kučma, Viktors Juščenko un Petro Porošenko, kā arī vairākas citas amatpersonas, ieskaitot ārlietu ministru Andriju Sibihu un izlūkdienesta vadītāju Kirilo Budanovu. Pie tam oficiālā Varšava steidzās apliecināt, ka šis nedaudz groteskais process nekādi neietekmēšot Ukrainai sniedzamo atbalstu tās cīņā pret Krievijas agresiju. Vakar gan parādījās informācija, ka Polija pagaidām nenodos Ukrainai agrāk solītos iznīcinātājus Mig-29, bet tas tādēļ, ka Ukraina, savukārt, nav pildījusi apņemšanos piegādāt poļiem militāros lidrobotus.    Sagatavoja Eduards Liniņš.

Welcome to another installment of the ChinaTalk radio show! Today, we're diving into Taiwan's war on green energy. Shenanigans abound in this episode, including: The lights-out scenario — Taiwan only holds 11 days of LNG reserves, and 97% of the island's energy is imported, but the ruling party phased out nuclear and botched the renewable rollout anyway. The offshore wind graveyard — how made-in-Taiwan components drove developers to abandon the world's best offshore wind sites, The Taipower unbundling reversal — and the Kafkaesque system that keeps electricity prices dirt cheap despite the Iran war. “Green energy cockroaches” — why corruption is Taiwan's dirtiest secret, and how the Taiwanese public came to associate renewables with scandal, The nuclear U-turn — How President Lai Ching-te walked back forty years of "Non-Nuclear Homeland" orthodoxy to restart Taiwan's nuclear reactors. A transcript of this show with embedded source links is available on the ChinaTalk substack. This episode was produced by Lily Ottinger and Aqib Zakaria. Special thanks to "Jason Feng," Angelica Oung, Ricky Huang, Tsaiying Lu (DSET), and Yu-Hsuan Yeh (formerly of CSIS and DSET) for their time and expertise. Everyone's views are their own and don't represent any organization. If you want to learn more, check out Angelica's ongoing work on her two Substacks, Taipology and Elemental Energy. You can also check out Ricky's two podcasts, where he hosts cross-partisan debates about energy policy and more. "Jason's" voice was anonymized with ElevenLabs' text-to-speech tools. Finally, we know Angelica is a controversial figure, but we decided to interview her because, on energy policy specifically, her views are shared by a not-insubstantial portion of the Taiwanese public. [See: this poll which reported that 59% of the Taiwanese public didn't feel confident that Lai's administration could protect Taiwan from power outages, and this poll from June 2025 that shows a near-even split in public opinion for and against the non-nuclear homeland policy.]  Outro song lyrics: 「燈火 Taiwan」 (Lights of Taiwan) [Verse 1] The AC stopped humming on August day eight Aunties in the market, no fan on their face Eleven days of gas, forty-two of coal Then the island goes dark, and the story gets old O-lóng-mn̂g, o-lóng-mn̂g (黑黑暗暗, pitch black) We knew this would come, but we looked away [Pre-Chorus] Forty years they said hūi-hi̍k (非核, non-nuclear) Forty years of dreaming we could wish it all away But the strait is a wind tunnel, and the sun still shines While we burned the future for cheaper times [Chorus] Góa ê kò͘-hiong, lí kám ū thêng-thāu? (我的故鄉, 你敢有聽著? — My homeland, can you hear?) The Franken-reactor sleeps beneath the hill Crystal Yang drank the water, but the people got ill Góa ê kò͘-hiong, lí ài kiàⁿ-khí-lâi (我的故鄉, 你愛起來 — My homeland, you must rise) Not nuclear OR green — we need both to survive [Verse 2] Round 3.1, Round 3.2, localization chains RWE went home, EnBW felt the pain Yunlin's turbines turning, three times the cost While the lūi-chhù (綠能蟑螂, green cockroaches) ate what we lost Behind the meter, batteries wait Zero price auction — we sealed our own fate [Pre-Chorus] Taipower's black box, CPI's lie TSMC pays more so the auntie don't cry But the data centers can't grow, AI waits at the door While we argue if nuclear is sin or chó͘ (善或惡, good or evil) [Chorus] Góa ê kò͘-hiong, lí kám ū thêng-thāu? The Franken-reactor sleeps beneath the hill Crystal Yang drank the water, but the people got ill Góa ê kò͘-hiong, lí ài kiàⁿ-khí-lâi Not nuclear OR green — we need both to survive [Bridge] (Spoken, over soft piano) March 22nd, 2026 Lai Ching-te said the words nobody wanted to hear Kò͘-hiong needs power Not slogans, not pride, not forty years of fear [Final Chorus] Góa ê kò͘-hiong, lí kám ū thêng-thāu? The blockade is coming, the Hormuz is closed Spot market gas at 140% — who knows? Góa ê kò͘-hiong, lí ài kiàⁿ-khí-lâi Distributed and hardened, let the sun and wind rise With nuclear beside them — open both your eyes [Outro] O-lóng-mn̂g, mài koh o-lóng-mn̂g (黑黑暗暗, 莫閣黑黑暗暗 — Darkness, don't be dark again) Kiàⁿ-khí-lâi, Tâi-oân (起來, 台灣 — Rise up, Taiwan) Kiàⁿ-khí-lâi... ChinaTalk is an audience-supported publication. If you'd like to help us produce more content like this, please consider a paid subscription on Substack. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Welcome to another installment of the ChinaTalk radio show! Today, we're diving into Taiwan's war on green energy. Shenanigans abound in this episode, including: The lights-out scenario — Taiwan only holds 11 days of LNG reserves, and 97% of the island's energy is imported, but the ruling party phased out nuclear and botched the renewable rollout anyway. The offshore wind graveyard — how made-in-Taiwan components drove developers to abandon the world's best offshore wind sites, The Taipower unbundling reversal — and the Kafkaesque system that keeps electricity prices dirt cheap despite the Iran war. “Green energy cockroaches” — why corruption is Taiwan's dirtiest secret, and how the Taiwanese public came to associate renewables with scandal, The nuclear U-turn — How President Lai Ching-te walked back forty years of "Non-Nuclear Homeland" orthodoxy to restart Taiwan's nuclear reactors. A transcript of this show with embedded source links is available on the ChinaTalk substack. This episode was produced by Lily Ottinger and Aqib Zakaria. Special thanks to "Jason Feng," Angelica Oung, Ricky Huang, Tsaiying Lu (DSET), and Yu-Hsuan Yeh (formerly of CSIS and DSET) for their time and expertise. Everyone's views are their own and don't represent any organization. If you want to learn more, check out Angelica's ongoing work on her two Substacks, Taipology and Elemental Energy. You can also check out Ricky's two podcasts, where he hosts cross-partisan debates about energy policy and more. "Jason's" voice was anonymized with ElevenLabs' text-to-speech tools. Finally, we know Angelica is a controversial figure, but we decided to interview her because, on energy policy specifically, her views are shared by a not-insubstantial portion of the Taiwanese public. [See: this poll which reported that 59% of the Taiwanese public didn't feel confident that Lai's administration could protect Taiwan from power outages, and this poll from June 2025 that shows a near-even split in public opinion for and against the non-nuclear homeland policy.]  Outro song lyrics: 「燈火 Taiwan」 (Lights of Taiwan) [Verse 1] The AC stopped humming on August day eight Aunties in the market, no fan on their face Eleven days of gas, forty-two of coal Then the island goes dark, and the story gets old O-lóng-mn̂g, o-lóng-mn̂g (黑黑暗暗, pitch black) We knew this would come, but we looked away [Pre-Chorus] Forty years they said hūi-hi̍k (非核, non-nuclear) Forty years of dreaming we could wish it all away But the strait is a wind tunnel, and the sun still shines While we burned the future for cheaper times [Chorus] Góa ê kò͘-hiong, lí kám ū thêng-thāu? (我的故鄉, 你敢有聽著? — My homeland, can you hear?) The Franken-reactor sleeps beneath the hill Crystal Yang drank the water, but the people got ill Góa ê kò͘-hiong, lí ài kiàⁿ-khí-lâi (我的故鄉, 你愛起來 — My homeland, you must rise) Not nuclear OR green — we need both to survive [Verse 2] Round 3.1, Round 3.2, localization chains RWE went home, EnBW felt the pain Yunlin's turbines turning, three times the cost While the lūi-chhù (綠能蟑螂, green cockroaches) ate what we lost Behind the meter, batteries wait Zero price auction — we sealed our own fate [Pre-Chorus] Taipower's black box, CPI's lie TSMC pays more so the auntie don't cry But the data centers can't grow, AI waits at the door While we argue if nuclear is sin or chó͘ (善或惡, good or evil) [Chorus] Góa ê kò͘-hiong, lí kám ū thêng-thāu? The Franken-reactor sleeps beneath the hill Crystal Yang drank the water, but the people got ill Góa ê kò͘-hiong, lí ài kiàⁿ-khí-lâi Not nuclear OR green — we need both to survive [Bridge] (Spoken, over soft piano) March 22nd, 2026 Lai Ching-te said the words nobody wanted to hear Kò͘-hiong needs power Not slogans, not pride, not forty years of fear [Final Chorus] Góa ê kò͘-hiong, lí kám ū thêng-thāu? The blockade is coming, the Hormuz is closed Spot market gas at 140% — who knows? Góa ê kò͘-hiong, lí ài kiàⁿ-khí-lâi Distributed and hardened, let the sun and wind rise With nuclear beside them — open both your eyes [Outro] O-lóng-mn̂g, mài koh o-lóng-mn̂g (黑黑暗暗, 莫閣黑黑暗暗 — Darkness, don't be dark again) Kiàⁿ-khí-lâi, Tâi-oân (起來, 台灣 — Rise up, Taiwan) Kiàⁿ-khí-lâi... ChinaTalk is an audience-supported publication. If you'd like to help us produce more content like this, please consider a paid subscription on Substack. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Latvijā noslēdzies līdz šim apjomīgākais pētījums par mobingu un psiholoģisko drošību darba vietās, atklājot: gandrīz katrs trešais respondents atzīst, ka pēdējo sešu mēnešu laikā ir saskāries ar mobingu darba vidē. Vienlaikus vairāk nekā puse aptaujāto atrodas paaugstināta psiholoģiskās labbūtības riska zonā. Par mobingu darba vietā saruna raidījumā Kā labāk dzīvot. Studijā saruna ar zinātņu doktori psiholoģijā, kognitīvi biheiviorālās terapijas speciālisti Mariju Ābeltiņu un klīnisko psihologu Edmundu Vanagu. Klausāmies arī ierakstu par to, ka uzņēmums „Sunstar Group" palīdz risināt darba aizsardzības un veselības uzlabošanas jautājumus dažādos uzņēmumos. Uzņēmuma pārstāve Simona Balte vērtē, ka mobings darba vietā ir aktuāla problēma, bet par to pašos uzņēmumos joprojām runā pārāk maz.  Lai pievērstu uzmanību šai sabiedrībā joprojām maz apspriestajai problēmai, tiek uzsākta arī informatīva kampaņa "Neredzamās rētas", kuras mērķis ir veicināt izpratni par mobingu darba vietās, tā sekām un iespējamiem risinājumiem.   

Good afternoon, I'm _____ with today's episode of EZ News. Tai-Ex opening The Tai-Ex opened down 190-points this morning from yesterday's close, at 46,909 on turnover of 17.6-billion N-T. The market lost ground (下跌；走低) on Tuesday as semiconductor stocks, especially memory chip suppliers came under heavy pressure as investors rushed to pocket gains (獲利了結；把收益落袋) built in recent sessions. Lai urges democracies to unite against transnational repression President Lai Ching-te is once again calling for closer international cooperation to counter (對抗；反制) transnational repression (跨國鎮壓) and describing it as a growing challenge facing democracies around the world. Speaking at the opening ceremony of a Global Cooperation and Training Framework workshop in Taipei, Lai told attendees that threats facing democratic countries today have gone beyond traditional military domains and geographic boundaries (地理界線). The workshop was titled "Building Resilient Democracies: Responding to Transnational Repression." Organizers say it brought together experts and scholars from 29 countries to exchange views on safeguarding democracy, freedom, human rights and the rule of law. Oil tanker chartered by CPC expected to arrive in Taiwan in July C-P-C has confirmed that a an oil tanker (油輪) it chartered (包租；租用) is expected to arrive in Taiwan in mid-July after exiting the Strait of Hormuz. According to the state-refiner, the "Dubai Energy" is carrying 2-million barrels of crude oil. The statements come after Reuters reported that the Dubai Energy left the Strait of Hormuz and is bound for Kaohsiung. The vessel had been stranded in the Strait for over three months due to the Iran war. C-P-C says the crude oil being shipped to Taiwan will be assigned to C-P-C's refinery plants (煉油廠) in Kaohsiung and Taoyuan based on market demand. NKorea Commissions New Destroyer North Korea has commissioned (正式服役) a 5,000-ton destroyer that leader Kim Jong Un touts as a symbol of the country's growing naval and nuclear capabilities. North Korea's official Korean Central News Agency says Kim made the comments Tuesday at a commissioning ceremony at the western port of Nampo. Kim says that warships such as the Choe Hyon show that the nuclear armament (核武裝) of his navy is progressing as planned. State media says Kim during Tuesday's speech said Kang Kon, a second destroyer in the same class as the Choe Hyon, will also be entering service soon. North Korea also has separate plans to build a larger, 10,000-ton destroyer. US Senate passes war powers resolution on Iran for first time The United States Senate has voted to approve a war powers resolution (戰爭權力決議) directing US President Donald Trump to withdraw American forces (撤軍) from the conflict with Iran — the first time such a measure has passed both chambers of Congress. The White House has dismissed the vote as having no legal significance (法律效力；法律意義), but four Republican senators broke ranks (倒戈；不跟隨所屬陣營立場) to support the resolution alongside Democrats. Mitch Mccann reports from New York. That was Mitch Mccann reporting from New York. Germany Trains Halted Amid System Malfunction A problem with a communications system forced Germany's railway system to halt all trains, leaving passengers stranded (受困；滯留) across the country. Trains were held at stations late Tuesday evening and would-be travelers stood in long lines at information desks as they tried to figure out how to get to their destinations. The main national railway operator said shortly before 1 a.m., nearly two-and-a-half hours after it first reported the outage (系統中斷；故障), that the problem had been resolved and service was resuming “step by step.” (逐步恢復) The company said there was a nationwide problem with a system which is used for internal communication on the railway network. That was the I.C.R.T. EZ News, I'm _____. -- Hosting provided by SoundOn

Tựa Đề: Đấng Nắm Giữ Tương Lai; Kinh Thánh: Thi-thiên 121:1-8; Tác Giả: Bà Mục Sư Đoàn Hô-rếp; Loạt Bài: Hội Thánh Báp-Tít Trung Tâm

Tựa Đề: Khởi Điểm Đúng Cho Tương Lai; Kinh Thánh: Sáng-thế Ký 22:1-18; Tác Giả: Mục Sư Trần Quang Tuấn; Loạt Bài: Hội Thánh Tin Lành Báp Tít Hiệp Nhất

The National Security Hour with Blanquita Cullum – Jimmy Lai's imprisonment in Hong Kong highlights the growing clash between Communist Chinese authority and fundamental freedoms. Apple Daily's pro-democracy voice draws prosecution under national security laws, while Amnesty International and global advocates call for Lai's release and warn that free speech, human dignity, and rights remain under attack today...

The National Security Hour with Blanquita Cullum – Jimmy Lai's imprisonment in Hong Kong highlights the growing clash between Communist Chinese authority and fundamental freedoms. Apple Daily's pro-democracy voice draws prosecution under national security laws, while Amnesty International and global advocates call for Lai's release and warn that free speech, human dignity, and rights remain under attack today...

Nākamajā gadā paredzēts ieviest jaunu slimnīcu reformu, ne vairs ar pieciem, bet trim slimnīcu līmeņiem. Ko tas risinās un kā līdzēs mūžīgajai līdzekļu trūkuma problēmai medicīnā? Krustpunktā diskutē Veselības ministrijas parlamentara sekretare Līga Āboliņa, Balvu un Gulbenes slimnīcu apvienības valdes priekšsēdētājs Marģers Zeitmanis, Valsts kontroles padomes locekle Maija Āboliņa, Latvijas Lauku ģimenes ārstu asociācijas pārstāvis Ainis Dzalbs un Latvijas Pašvaldību savienības pārstāvis Tukuma novada domes priekšsēdētājs Gundars Važa. Krustpunktā vēsturē ne reizi vien esam runājuši par slimnīcu reformu, jo jautājums tiek aktualizēts ik pa gadiem. Jau iepriekš ir bijušas slimnīcu reformas, kaut kādu rezultātu, protams, tās ir devušas. Jautājumā, vai šis rezultāts ir bijis labs, domas dalās. Lai nu kā, ir skaidrs, ka tas nav pilnībā sakārtojis slimnīcu tīklu, jo atkal esam nākamās reformas priekšvakarā. Protams, realitāte mainās, un nekas arī akmenī nav iecirsts. Jautājums, vai tad, ja tiks īstenota nākamā reforma, būs labāk? Sekojot līdzi jau vairāku mēnešu garumā ilgušajām diskusijām, šķiet, ka vairums speciālistu saka, ka atstāt visu, kā ir, arī nevajadzētu. Bet ir svarīgi, lai pēc vēl vienas reformas tiešām sistēma būtu kaut cik sakārtota un saprotama un pacienti būtu ieguvēji, nevis zaudētāji.

Summits between US and Chinese leaders are important events. They provide opportunities to discuss sensitive issues, manage friction, and to identify ways to solve problems and promote cooperation where possible. A great deal of preparation usually goes into a US-China summit, involving hundreds of phone calls, virtual, and in-person meetings between US and Chinese officials.   The May 14-15 summit in Beijing was atypical, perhaps not surprisingly since Donald Trump is a very atypical president. Today we are going to talk about the summit – the process and well as the outcomes and the implications for the US-China relationship and American interests.  Joining us today to talk about these issues is Sarah Beran. Sarah Beran was senior director for China and Taiwan affairs in the National Security Council during the Biden administration from 2022 to 2024. She was subsequently deputy chief of mission at the US Embassy in Beijing. At the NSC, she led strategic preparations for multiple summits between President Joe Biden and Xi Jinping. After her 23 years in government service, Sarah joined Macro Advisory Partners.   Timestamps:   [00:00] Introduction   [01:45] Differences in Preparing for the Summit   [03:33] What Was Missing from Trump's Itinerary   [08:18] US and Chinese Objectives for the Summit   [12:30] Constructive Strategic Stability as a Framework   [18:09] Iran, North Korea, and Denuclearization in Chinese Policy [23:55] Tension over Taiwan Language   [29:15] Potential Reactions to Trump Calling President Lai   [30:12] Future of US-China Relations and Ally Reactions 

Send us Fan MailIn this episode of Small-Cap Spotlight, John Lai, CEO of PetVivo Holdings (PETV), joins host Tim Gerdeman and WTR analyst Robert Sassoon to discuss the company's regenerative medicine platform for companion animals. The conversation covers PetVivo's product suite led by Spryng, its cartilage-mimicking protein particle matrix; the off-the-shelf Precise PRP product; and a BioPiezo collaboration with the University of Connecticut that pairs Spryng with nanofiber technology to drive cartilage regeneration with potential translation to human medicine. Lai also previews the launch of PetVivo.ai, an agentic AI platform for veterinary practices, and outlines the company's pathway toward cash-flow breakeven. 

President Donald Trump said on Friday that Taiwan was a major topic of discussion during his summit with Chinese Communist Party leader Xi Jinping and added that he had not yet decided whether to proceed with a major U.S. arms package for the island.Trump also said he thinks Xi is seriously considering releasing detained pastor Ezra Jin in China, but that the case of jailed media tycoon Jimmy Lai "is a tough one." Lai was sentenced to 20 years in jail in what Amnesty International calls a "travesty of justice" and an attack on press freedom.

Editors Jimmy Lovaas and Ahmed Namatalla discuss the Iran war impasse and growing public concern, plus more on a primary election in Louisiana, a general strike in Italy, Taiwan's legislature voting on impeachment against President Lai, and NOAA's outlook for the 2026 Atlantic hurricane season.Subscribe to the show: Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and many more. These stories and others are also available in our free weekly Forecast newsletter.This episode includes work from Factal editors Ahmed Namatalla, Joe Veyera, Michael Archer, Awais Ahmad, and Theresa Seiger. Produced and edited by Jimmy Lovaas. Music courtesy of Andrew Gospe. Have feedback, suggestions, or events we've missed? Drop us a note: hello@factal.comWhat's Factal? Created by the founders of Breaking News, Factal alerts companies to global incidents that pose an immediate risk to their people or business operations. We provide trusted verification, precise incident mapping, and a collaboration platform for corporate security, travel safety, and emergency management teams. If you're a company interested in a trial, please email sales@factal.com. To learn more, visit Factal.com, browse the Factal blog, or email us at hello@factal.com.Read the full episode description and transcript on Factal's blog.Copyright © 2026 Factal. All rights reserved.

Mark Simon reports on Jimmy Lai's persecution and solitary confinement in Hong Kong. He argues Xi Jinping'shardline stance reflects internal insecurity, using Lai as a deterrent while his public awareness grows.1903

On Tuesday's Mark Levin Show, Joe Kent, the former deputy at the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, is a reportedly serial leaker who was hostile to President Trump's agenda and rejected the commander-in-chief's decisions on military operations in Iran. His resignation letter, written publicly for the press and Democrats rather than privately to the president, is intentionally crafted to create controversy, undermine the president's war effort against, question the existence of an imminent threat, give aid and comfort to enemies, and dishonor current military personnel. Later, Sebastien Lai, son of Jimmy Lai who's imprisoned in Hong Kong, calls in. Jimmy Lai is a prominent courageous Hong Kong pro-democracy advocate, media owner, and journalist who stood up against China's crackdown on Hong Kong's freedoms. Despite his age, Lai has been imprisoned since the crackdown began. Sebastian expresses gratitude for Trump's public support and mentions that releasing the elderly Lai would be an easy, moral, and rational gesture for China, especially amid upcoming diplomatic opportunities, but stresses that more pressure is needed as his father's health rapidly worsens and his death in prison would serve no one's interest. Afterward, Sen Rick Scott calls in to explain that the Senate must look at all the options to pass the SAVE America act because the Democrat party wants fraud. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

When pro-democracy protesters marched in the streets in Hong Kong in 2019, China responded by arresting thousands, including the leaders of the movement. One of the arrested was Jimmy Lai, who had used his newspaper to campaign for democracy. This month, he received a 20-year jail sentence. In an interview, Michael Barbaro speaks to Mr. Lai's son, Sebastien Lai, about the sentence, what it means for the pro-democracy movement and where Hong Kong may go from here. Guest: Sebastien Lai, a democracy activist and the son of the pro-democracy media entrepreneur Jimmy Lai. Background reading: A Hong Kong court sentenced Jimmy Lai to 20 years in prison. The sentence for the media mogul shows how Hong Kong enforces Xi Jinping's red lines with a new severity. Listen to our interview with Jimmy Lai from 2020. Photo: Andrew Testa for The New York Times For more information on today's episode, visit nytimes.com/thedaily. Transcripts of each episode will be made available by the next workday.  Subscribe today at nytimes.com/podcasts or on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. You can also subscribe via your favorite podcast app here https://www.nytimes.com/activate-access/audio?source=podcatcher. For more podcasts and narrated articles, download The New York Times app at nytimes.com/app. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

On November 1, 1755, a massive earthquake took place on the floor of the Atlantic Ocean southwest of Lisbon, Portugal. The destruction in Portugal led to one of the first coordinated government responses to a natural disaster. Research: Algarve History Association. “The 1755 Lisbon Earthquake and the Algarve.” https://www.algarvehistoryassociation.com/en/portuguese-history/algarve-history/194-the-1755-lisbon-earthquake-and-the-algarve Blanc, P.-L.: Earthquakes and tsunami in November 1755 in Morocco: a different reading of contemporaneous documentary sources, Nat. Hazards Earth Syst. Sci., 9, 725–738, https://doi.org/10.5194/nhess-9-725-2009, 2009. Borlase, William. “The Natural History of Cornwall.” Oxford : printed for the author; by W. Jackson: sold by W. Sandby, London; and the booksellers of Oxford. 1758. Cavendish, Richard. “Pombal and the Inquisition in Portugal.” History Today. 5/5/2001. https://www.historytoday.com/archive/months-past/pombal-and-inquisition-portugal Dynes, Russell R. “The Lisbon Earthquake in 1755: The First Modern Disaster.” University of Delaware Disaster Research Center. Preliminary Paper #333. Joel, Lucas. “November 1, 1755: Earthquake Destroys Lisbon.” EARTH. November/December 2015. Lai, Dria. “The Great Lisbon Earthquake: A Journey through the First Modern Disaster.” https://storymaps.arcgis.com/stories/e30a2ea6401e4f2e8805dfbcfa604dc5 Lisbon Earthquake Museum. “Inquérito.” https://lisbonquake.com/en-GB/blog/inquerito Lisbon Earthquake Museum. “Providências.” https://lisbonquake.com/en-GB/blog/providencias Martínez-Loriente, S., Sallarès, V. & Gràcia, E. The Horseshoe Abyssal plain Thrust could be the source of the 1755 Lisbon earthquake and tsunami. Commun Earth Environ 2, 145 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1038/s43247-021-00216-5 Mascarenhas, J., Belgas, L., Branco, F.G., Vieira, E. (2024). The Pombaline Cage (“Gaiola Pombalina”): An European Anti-seismic System Based on Enlightenment Era of Experimentation. In: Endo, Y., Hanazato, T. (eds) Structural Analysis of Historical Constructions. SAHC 2023. RILEM Bookseries, vol 47. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-39603-8_5 Molesky, Mark. “The Vicar and the Earthquake: Conflict, Controversy, and a Christening during the Great Lisbon Disaster of 1755.” e-JPH, Vol. 10, number 2, Winter 2012. Penwith Local History Group. “The Mounts Bay Tsunami.” https://www.penwithlocalhistorygroup.co.uk/on-this-day/?id=269 Pereira, Alvaro S. “The Opportunity of a Disaster: The Economic Impact of the 1755 Lisbon Earthquake.” The Journal of Economic History , Jun. 2009. Via JSTOR. https://www.jstor.org/stable/40263964See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.