| Battle for Damascus: Rebels break capital peace Posted: 17 Jul 2012 10:08 AM PDT | Syrian opposition fighters have taken their battle to the neighbourhoods of Damascus, with reports that the city has witnessed explosions and intense daylight shootouts. RT's Maria Finoshina is in the capital. Follow her on twitter for updates: twitter.com RT LIVE rt.com Subscribe to RT! www.youtube.com Like us on Facebook www.facebook.com Follow us on Twitter twitter.com Follow us on Google+ plus.google.com RT (Russia Today) is a global news network broadcasting from Moscow and Washington studios. RT is the first news channel to break the 500 million YouTube views benchmark. | Views: 18905 134 ratings | | Time: 02:11 | More in News & Politics |
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| Another $200 million for the Pentagon up in smoke? Posted: 30 Jul 2012 05:00 PM PDT | While social programs are being scrapped across the board, expenses for the Pentagon are exploding more than ever. The US spends several times over what China spends on their military, but few speak out in favor of cutting in. More than $200 dollars has been spent on training police forces in Iraq. Is tax money actually being spent on anything being asked for? Author Michael O'Brien discusses. Like us and/or follow us: twitter.com www.facebook.com | Views: 302 63 ratings | | Time: 10:49 | More in News & Politics |
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| Washington and Moscow clash over Syria Posted: 13 Jun 2012 08:11 PM PDT | US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton caused an uproar after she accused Russia of sending attack helicopters to Syria. Russian officials have stated they are in compliance with international law and denied Clinton's accusations stating from their side that it's Washington who arms Syrian opposition forces escalating bloodshed in Syria. Lucy Kafanov brings us more on the issue. Like us and/or follow us: twitter.com www.facebook.com | Views: 9990 211 ratings | | Time: 02:53 | More in News & Politics |
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| Archaeologists Stunned By Treasure Trove Of Medieval Lingerie Posted: 30 Jul 2012 10:42 AM PDT | It was a leap into the modern age for women when the bra went into mass production exactly 100 years ago. But now it's emerged that even the maidens and maidservants of the middle ages already appreciated the brassiere. Austrian archaeologists have found undergarments in a castle in Austria, supporting the claim that the modern-day bra may actually have its roots in the Middle Ages. This would mean that bras were used much earlier than previously thought; until now historians believed that bras originated as late as the 1800's. The world's oldest brassieres resemble the modern ones in an astounding manner. Of the four bras found, two of them have the same structure as modern lingerie. This is considered something of a sensation, since it was previously believed that bras with cups and strings over the shoulders were a product of our modern times. [Beatrix Nutz, Archaeologist]: (female, German) "If you take the cups as a guideline - and this is what I must take into consideration - it is like a modern bra. It needs cups." The archaeologists came across the find rather by accident. The dilapidated medieval castle of Lengberg in Eastern Tyrol had to be renovated, and when floor boards were removed the stunning find was discovered. More than 2700 textile pieces, tools, musical instruments and even a deck of cards were found. Using radiocarbon dating it was discovered that the lingerie dated back to between 1440 and 1485. Beatrix Nutz explains why such examples of <b>...</b> | Views: 5 0 ratings | | Time: 01:55 | More in Science & Technology |
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| Olympic Opening Ceremony Wows Audience Posted: 30 Jul 2012 10:31 AM PDT | The opening ceremony marking the start of the London Olympics received a rousing reception from an enthusiastic live audience on Friday. An audience of 60000 in the Olympic Stadium and a probable billion television viewers around the globe watched a touching finale to a high-octane, musical celebration of British history and culture. Directed by film director Danny Boyle, the ceremony was a dizzying event designed to highlight the grandeur and eccentricities of the nation that invented modern sport. Children's voices ushered in an exuberant historical pageant of meadows, smokestacks and digital wizardry before seven teenage athletes were given the honour of lighting the Olympic cauldron that will burn for the duration of the Games. Among the performers was Amy Webster. Amy Webster, Opening Ceremony Performer "Everyone was cheering. We were singing along so that we could hear the whole thing going on in our ears. We were counting along with everyone, singing, dancing, it was amazing. They loved it, yeah, they did love it. You could hear they loved it." Others said Queen Elizabeth's performance was the highlight of the show. The monarch appeared in a short, tongue-in-cheek film also starring Daniel Craig in his role as James Bond, who enters Buckingham Palace. Doubles of Bond and the queen then parachuted from a helicopter above the stadium. Olympic Attendee "My favourite bit was when the queen fell out of the helicopter but missed the stadium. That was amazing, amazing <b>...</b> | Views: 5 0 ratings | | Time: 01:33 | More in Science & Technology |
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| 18 Mile Skydive for Daredevil with Sights on World Record Posted: 30 Jul 2012 08:51 AM PDT | It's a quest to complete a record-breaking skydive, and break the speed of sound. Felix Baumgartner was carried by helium balloon in this capsule to almost 30 kilometres above Earth on Wednesday. According to Red Bull Stratos, a project using the jumps to gather medical and scientific research data, he executed a free fall of 3 minutes and 48 seconds, at speeds topping 830 kilometres per hour. [Felix Baumgartner, Skydiver]: "It was rough the last couple of days because we had no success and all these launches, because the weather was bad all the time, so almost no sleep. It was really, really tough to do it today." He landed near Roswell, New Mexico in a pressurized space suit equipped with an oxygen supply. This is the second jump for Baumgartner, as he trains to break the record of a 36 kilometre fall at 1126 kilometres per hour. In the next jump, the balloon carrying Baumgartner into the stratosphere will expand to the size of a small skyscraper as it rises. | Views: 44 6 ratings | | Time: 00:48 | More in Science & Technology |
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| Food-Giveaway Protest in Madrid, Farmers Furious Posted: 30 Jul 2012 07:48 AM PDT | Scores of Spaniards queued for food in central Madrid on Thursday as farmers gave away tens of thousands of fresh fruit and vegetables in a protest over high middle-men cuts. Organizers said farmers are getting paid low prices for their produce, while consumers face high prices on the supermarket shelves. [Lorenzo Ramos, UPA's General Secretary]: "We don't agree with the fact that while we are going bankrupt and are being forced out of business and pulling up our crops, there are other people becoming millionaires by selling our produce and people have to pay a very high price for our produce. That is why we are protesting." Many in the queues in Madrid said the food would be a welcome supplement to their table this week. [Pilar Pua, Madrid Resident]: "With the situation we are in at the moment, you come here to support these people and, on top of that, they help you out a little. Every little thing helps a family. (Journalist asking: Is it difficult to make it to the end of the month?) Yes, it is very difficult with the situation we are in at the moment. Thank god my husband has a job, but we have a family to feed." Spanish farmers are asking the government to approve a law to regulate the selling prices of their products in supermarkets. [Domingo Manzano, Madrid Resident]: "There are a lot in need. People don't want to think about it, but there are a lot of people in need. In this particular situation, the most affected people are the farmers so we have to support them <b>...</b> | Views: 60 11 ratings | | Time: 01:53 | More in Science & Technology |
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| Homemade Satellite to Head Into Space Posted: 30 Jul 2012 04:46 AM PDT | A South Korean artist is hoping he can fulfill his dream of launching a satellite that he made into space. Song has signed a contract with a French satellite agent company NovaNano that acts as a broker to arrange the launch for him, including submitting paperwork, and liaising with a Russian launching station. The 34-year-old has high hopes for his project, but he also said making your own satellite is actually very simple. [Song Hojun, Artist]: "Making a satellite is no more difficult than making a cellphone. He said he hopes his satellite, when it eventually reaches space, will be used for transmitting messages from human to human. [Song Hojun, Artist]: "People can make a reservation for the LED (Light-emitting diode) message. If he or she makes a booking for a message, such as 'I love you,' the satellite will flash the light in Morse Code using the LED lights in space, at a certain time. People will be able to see the blinking lights with the naked eye or through a telescope." Song spent nearly six years combing through academic papers, shopping online at sites that specialize in components that can be used for space projects. He said he wanted his satellite project to inspire people to achieve great things. [Song Hojun, Artist]: "I believe that, not just a satellite, anything can be made with the help of the Internet and social platforms. I chose a satellite to show that." The satellite will be launched from a Russian rocket station in Kazakhstan in December. For <b>...</b> | Views: 7 0 ratings | | Time: 01:38 | More in Science & Technology |
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| Talking Urinals Take Interactive Media to New Level Posted: 30 Jul 2012 04:16 AM PDT | Healthquest Technologies, a Maryland engineering company, has made male bathroom breaks more interactive by inventing a urinal screen that they call "Wizmark." Its inventor, Dr. Richard Deutsch, saw a possible gold mine in the one universal men's room etiquette -- when using a urinal, never stare at the person next to you. [Dr. Richard Deutsch, Inventor of Wizmark]: "Wizmark is an innovation we developed to adjust the idea that there is no more captive audience then a gentleman standing at a urinal." The screen can be installed inside any type of urinal and is motion activated. When triggered it can talk, sing, or flash a string of lights around a promotional message when greeting a "visitor". [Dr. Richard Deutsch, Inventor of Wizmark]: "People are bombarded with messages either pro-social or product promotions and that they remember very few of them. The delivery system is unique in the matter that everybody remembers a message that they hear from a talking urinal." Wizmark's patented design looks simple from the outside, but a lot of research went into it. [Dr. Richard Deutsch, Inventor of Wizmark]: "What we've done is incorporate various timers so that when it detects the presence of a visitor it allows the visitor to become unzipped and truly captured before it commences playing a 15 second audio message. And the audio message once completed, then is put on hold until the visitor completes their mission and can be re-triggered by the next visitor." Mainly used in <b>...</b> | Views: 7 2 ratings | | Time: 02:16 | More in Pets & Animals |
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| UNSC unanimously extends Syria observer mission for 'final' 30 days Posted: 20 Jul 2012 10:36 AM PDT | All members of the UN Security Council have voted in favour of a resolution, extending the observer mission to Syria. The mandate's been given a "final" 30 days, but could be renewed if certain conditions are met. RT's Marina Portnaya has the latest from New York. RT LIVE rt.com Subscribe to RT! www.youtube.com Like us on Facebook www.facebook.com Follow us on Twitter twitter.com Follow us on Google+ plus.google.com RT (Russia Today) is a global news network broadcasting from Moscow and Washington studios. RT is the first news channel to break the 500 million YouTube views benchmark. | Views: 9161 99 ratings | | Time: 04:16 | More in News & Politics |
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| 100000 Wildebeest Cross Crocodile Infested River Posted: 29 Jul 2012 05:33 PM PDT | About 100000 wildebeests on Friday gathered alongside the Mara River at the Maasai Mara National Reserve in East Kenya, preparing for their adventurous and sometimes dangerous annual crossing where they will face attacks from crocodiles and hippos hyenas and lions. Millions of wildebeests will cross this river accompanied by thousands of zebras and Thomson gazelles. Their sheer population size is good news for all the predators in the Mara River. Crocodiles have been expecting their annual feast for long, while hippos protect their territory. Xing Ba, Volunteer and Environmentalist "I have different feelings every time I come here. But a common one is that the scene is overwhelming. I can feel the continuous circle of life on the Earth, and I also feel keenly the need to protect this one of the last pure lands on this planet." Known as one of the seven new wonders, the wildebeest migration is a spectacle that attracts numerous tourists from around the world every July, when the herbivores cross from the Serengeti National Park in Tanzania to Kenya's Maasai Mara National Reserve. The wild animals stay in the Mara for three months before moving back to the Serengeti and repeating the whole journey the next year. | Views: 43 5 ratings | | Time: 01:17 | More in Pets & Animals |
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| Learn Chinese - Greetings in Chinese, Ni Hao, Zao Shang Hao Posted: 29 Jul 2012 02:19 PM PDT | This week we look at some of the basic greetings in Mandarin Chinese. 你好- Nǐ Hǎo - Hello 早上好- Zǎo Shàng Hǎo - Good Morning 早- Zǎo - Morning 吃了嗎？ - Chī le ma? - Have you eaten? 吃了- Chī le - I have eaten. If you are new to this series, first check out the tones of Mandarin Chinese: www.youtube.com | Views: 467 37 ratings | | Time: 01:22 | More in Shows |
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| Official Repression Starts Over Qidong Mass Protest Posted: 29 Jul 2012 08:37 PM PDT | Follow us on TWITTER: twitter.com Like us on FACEBOOK: www.facebook.com Mass protests against a polluting sewage discharge project were alleviated in Qidong under Nantong, Jiangsu Province. This was after local authorities announced a permanent suspension. However, martial law still continues around the city hall, according to local residents. On July 28, a 20000 strong police force entered Qidong from Wuxi, Suzhou, and Changzhou cities. Sources said that over 100 protesters were arrested, with the majority being students. Officials intentionally circulated descriptions of "mobs" over the internet. This were refuted as slander of the "civil rights movement," according to the comments. Japan's Kyodo news agency reported production at a Japanese-owned paper mill in Qidong was suspended. This occurred on July 28, due to outbreak of local mass protests against pollution. Production would be resumed on July 29, said Kyodo news. News posted on Chinese micro-blogs revealed that over 20000 armed and ranger police are stationed in the Qidong Middle School. They were dispatched from Wuxi, Suzhou and Changzhou. At least 100 people were arrested, with most of them being young students. According to sources, three were killed, including one female and one male university student. On July 29, mass protests staged the day before were declared illegal by Qidong police authorities. This instruction was "according to the higher-level instructions". The announcement proclaimed participants <b>...</b> | Views: 206 2 ratings | | Time: 03:59 | More in News & Politics |
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| Persecuted For Resisting Doping Policy Posted: 29 Jul 2012 08:34 PM PDT | Follow us on TWITTER: twitter.com Like us on FACEBOOK: www.facebook.com The London Olympics are underway and doping athletes is still a topic of concern to the world and Olympic Committee. Former medical supervision team leader of the Chinese Sports Commission Training Bureau, Dr. Xue Yinxian, provided New Tang Dynasty TV(NTD) with her 1988 diary about the Chinese Sports Bureau's policy on routine doping. Dr. Xue and her family have suffered from persecution because she resisted orders to doping the athletes. Xue Yinxian is 74 years old. She is the mother of Chinese independent filmmaker Yang Weidong. She graduated from the Beijing Institute of Physical Education Department of Sports Medicine in 1963. She has served as the doctor for the national track and field team, basketball team, martial arts team, women's volleyball team, and gymnastics team, respectively. She has also served as the National Sports Commission Training Council medical supervision leader, the Chinese national gymnastics team medical leader, and accompanied national sports teams to more than 50 countries. Xue Yinxian was forced to leave the national gymnastics team in February 1989 because she refused to dope athletes. She then suffered persecution at the hands of the National Education Committee and Training Council. She could not receive a reasonable job, her university degree was secretly tampered with, and her wages deliberately cut. In 2007, her husband, Yang Kheton, sadly passed away under a <b>...</b> | Views: 21 1 ratings | | Time: 04:31 | More in News & Politics |
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| Qidong Strengthens Police, Online Protests Continue Posted: 29 Jul 2012 08:44 PM PDT | Follow us on TWITTER: twitter.com Like us on FACEBOOK: www.facebook.com On July 28, tens of thousands of residents in Qidong district, Nantong, Jiangsu Province went on protest. They attacked the city government building over Japanese paper mill's wastewater discharge plan. The government declared to permanently cancel the project, but two days later Qidong's streets are strangely calm. According to Kyodo News' report, the Japanese paper mills affected by the protest will resume operation on July 29. Local resident said, the regime has gathered huge amounts of police in Qidong, completely blockading large areas, including the city government building, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) edifice. Armed police are on guard, police are patrolling the streets, many full of police buses are awaiting orders. It's rumored online that on July 29, fishermen from Lusi and other areas are going to Qidong to support the protest. Mr. Dai Baojian from Nantong Gangzha district said, the protest crowd from the 28th did not disperse, and has continued to gather at the Xiangan Plaza. The demonstration will continue in the next two days, armed police from all over Jiangsu were called to Qidong. Netizen wrote, 'a storm is coming!' He called netizens around the country to continue with their support. Japanese reporter was beaten by groups of police. A report by Japanese newspaper Asahi Shimbun disclosed information about an incident with its journalist in Qidong. Atsushi Okudera, a <b>...</b> | Views: 410 2 ratings | | Time: 02:20 | More in News & Politics |
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| China Market-Orientated Changes to Accelerate Posted: 29 Jul 2012 08:43 PM PDT | Follow us on TWITTER: twitter.com Like us on FACEBOOK: www.facebook.com The Chinese Communist Party's (CCP) 18th National Congress is approaching. The change of in the political situation of the CCP has become the focus of China and the world. Wang Yang is CCP Secretary in Guangdong province and He is one of the competitive candidates for the CCP's Standing Committee. He has received a lot of attention recently. The Wall Street Journal recently reported that it might be able to accelerate market-orientated changes in China if Wang gets a position on the Standing Committee. Some commentators think that Wang's liberal ideology is worth being encouraged and promoted. However, Wang's effort could only take effect if there is a breakthrough change in the CCP's political system. The Wall Street Journal reported on July 28 that Wang Yang, a leader for reform, has been always compared to Bo Xilai, former CCP Secretary of Chongqing. However, from the rise of Wang and the fall of Bo, Wang is the one who has chosen the right political path. Wang Yang has been actively promoting reform. The report says that "should Wang Yang get a slot on the Standing Committee, it could be a signal that the new leadership will seek to accelerate market-oriented changes." Wang Yang, son of a laborer, was first to propose "Happy Guangdong" at the 18th Congress in Guangdong province. He pledged a lasting and profound happiness to people. Recently, Guangdong has experience a typhoon. Despite this, Wang <b>...</b> | Views: 32 0 ratings | | Time: 03:44 | More in News & Politics |
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| French Architect Provided Key Assistance in Gu Kailai's Murder Case Posted: 29 Jul 2012 08:41 PM PDT | Follow us on TWITTER: twitter.com Like us on FACEBOOK: www.facebook.com Recently, former Chongqing Chinese Communist Party (CCP) secretary Bo Xilai's wife Gu Kailai was publicly prosecuted with charges of homicide. Hong Kong media reported that Gu could face trial as soon as early August. The trial might end by the 18th CCP National Congress. On the other hand, Hu Jintao and Xi Jinping's recent important speeches indicates that the basic route of the 18th National Congress has been determined Radio France Internationale (RFI) recently cited A Le Monde's report that Patrick Devillers, a French architect linked to Bo Xilai's case, had arrived China to "assist" the investigation. The CCP leaders were trying to collect more evidence against Bo Xilai and Gu Kailai, which were helpful in silencing the leftists inside the party. When Bo Xilai was mayor of Dalian, Devillers became an intimate friend of the Bo couple and accompanied their son Bo Guagua when he went to study in Britain. It is speculated that Devillers is an insider of Bo and Gu, transferring an enormous sum of money abroad. Hong Kong's Oriental Daily wrote that Devillers probably had provided key evidence toward Gu Kailai's poisoning British businessman Neil Heywood. The news of Gu's prosecution was first announced by CCP's mouthpiece media rather than foreign media. This indicates that the CCP leaders had reached agreement on how to deal with Bo's case. This February, former vice mayor of Chongqing, Wang Lijun <b>...</b> | Views: 28 1 ratings | | Time: 03:40 | More in News & Politics |
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