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Mary Jane Freeman

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Beethoven: Sparks of Joy!

March 18, 2021by Mary Jane Freeman in Daily Beethoven — Sparks of Joy, General, General updates, Music updates

Beethoven: Sparks of Joy – Op. 4, Wind Quintet

Despite its high opus number (103), the Wind Octet was composed in 1792 when Beethoven was still in service to the Elector in Bonn. The Elector, Maximilian Franz, was a great lover of Tafelmusik – background music to be played at dinner – and maintained an excellent wind band. After arriving in Vienna, Beethoven revised the piece as a string quintet, published in 1796 as Opus 4. It’s a most enjoyable piece, featuring some furious virtuoso writing for the horns, especially in the fourth movement. This performance is from the University of Michigan Symphony Band, conducted by Michael Haithcock. [Notes by Margaret Scialdone.]

Beethoven: Sparks of Joy!

July 25, 2021by Mary Jane Freeman in General updates, Music updates

Almost ninety years after the publication of Beethoven’s Opus 38 Clarinet Trio, Johannes Brahms composed his two sonatas for clarinet and piano. Brahms had already decided to retire from composing, but after hearing the clarinetist Richard Mühlfeld play Mozart’s Clarinet Quintet, he was captivated by the beautiful tone of the instrument. He and Mühlfeld became close friends, and Brahms wrote several pieces for clarinet which were to be among his last compositions.
The following performance of Brahms’ first Clarinet Sonata is followed by his first piano quartet. {Notes by Margaret Scialdone.} https://youtu.be/w8_SwyOl40A?t=418

Caribbean Nations to Join China’s Belt and Road Initiative

March 18, 2021by Mary Jane Freeman in China, Economic development updates, General updates, Global Diplomacy, New Silk Road / BRI updates, World Land-Bridge updates

Caribbean Nations Want to Cooperate With China on the Belt and Road

March 17 (EIRNS)—Chinese President Xi Jinping held separate teleconferences yesterday with the President of Guyana and the Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago and their teams, encountering great interest from each in expanding their country’s collaboration with China on economic development, and with the Belt and Road Initiative, in particular, according to Xinhua’s report. Xi spoke with both of China’s willingness to work together with the entire Caribbean region on development.

Guyanese President Dr. Irfaan Ali had his Vice President and three cabinet ministers (Foreign Affairs, Public Works and Finance) join him in the discussion, his office reported. Xinhua reported that Dr. Ali thanked Xi in the name of the leaders of major political parties and ministers of Guyana, for China’s assistance in the fight against the pandemic, and spoke of how Guyana “regards China as the most important cooperative partner in its national development, and is committed to strengthening relations between the two parties and two countries.” He conveyed that “Guyana expects to actively promote the Belt and Road cooperation with China, and strengthen cooperation in infrastructure and other fields, and stands ready to actively promote the development of relations between the Caribbean Community and China,” Xinhua noted.

Trinidad and Tobago Prime Minister Keith Rowley was also joined in his teleconference call with Xi by three ministers (Foreign and CARICOM Affairs, National Security and Health), along with the Permanent Secretary to the Prime Minister, his office reported. From Xinhua’s report, it can be said that the geopolitical tale of a “malign” China has not made headway here. Rowley spoke of “the great achievements of the Chinese people, under the leadership of the Communist Party of China (CPC), in such fields as economy, science and technology and poverty alleviation.” Citing China’s success in defeating the COVID-19 epidemic, and leadership in the global fight against the pandemic, Rowley told Xi: “the CPC should feel proud of itself.” As had the Guyanese President, he expressed his nation’s willingness to work with China to actively promote Belt and Road cooperation.

WFP Beasley To Bezos: ‘The Sky Is No Longer the Limit’–Let’s End Hunger!

July 25, 2021by Mary Jane Freeman in Agriculture, Economic development updates, Finance, General updates, Global Diplomacy, Healthcare, Sanctions

July 24 (EIRNS)–David Beasley, Executive Director of the World Food Program, tweeted on July 20, on the day billionaire Jeff Bezos took a ride into space and back:

“To @JeffBezos, @blueorigin, tremendous congratulations today! I can only imagine how incredible it was to see OUR planet from above. We’re all ONE human race. The sky is no longer the limit!! Now, let’s go end hunger together! Earth needs you!!
…you have proven over and over that anything is possible when you set your heart and mind to it. As you saw from space, Earth is a special place. 41 million people are on the brink of famine. I need your help. We need your help. Together, I know we can! #SpaceForBoth”

UN Syria Envoy in Moscow; Lavrov: End “Suffocating Sanctions”

July 25, 2021by Mary Jane Freeman in General

July 24 (EIRNS)–Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov hosted UN Special Envoy for Syria Geir Pedersen in Moscow on July 22. Their public remarks ahead of the meeting mostly consisted of pleasantries and promises to adhere to UN Security Council Resolution 2254, which sets the framework for a political solution in Syria, but the disastrous economic situation in Syria was also upfront. Pedersen noted that the economic situation in Syria is extremely difficult. “Nine out of 10 are living in poverty,” he said. “We have Syria divided more or less into three different areas. All of this needs to change. But for this to change, we need to start on how we concretely can implement Security Council resolution 2254.”

“You rightly highlighted the dire economic and social crisis in Syria,” Lavrov replied. “The reason, of course, is rooted in the military conflict, which devastated quite a large chunk of the Syrian territory and human settlements. But the absolutely illegal, suffocating sanctions, the so-called Caesar Act adopted by the U.S. and similar activities – or the lack of activities of the European Union – are clearly adding to the crisis.”

China’s Xi Jinping Promotes Scientific Innovation for Progress

March 17, 2021by Mary Jane Freeman in Economic development studies, Economic development updates, General, General updates, New financial order updates, Scientific research studies, Studies & contributions

Major Article on Science by Xi Jinping Published in CCP’s Qiushi Journal

March 16, 2021 (EIRNS)–A major article by Chinese President Xi Jinping was published today in the Communist Party’s theoretical journal Qiushi (“Seek Truth”). The article, entitled “Strive to Become the World’s Major Science Center and Innovation Highland”, was largely taken from speeches Xi had given in the last few years on the topic of China’s development of science and technology, in particular a major speech he gave on May 28, 2018, to the 19th Academician Conference of the Chinese Academy of Sciences.

“If China wants to prosper and rejuvenate, it must vigorously develop science and technology, and strive to become the world’s major scientific center and innovation highland,” Xi said. “We are closer to the goal of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation than at any time in history. More than at any time in history, we need to become a world-class power in science and technology!” In his article, Xi stressed five main areas in which scientists should concentrate their attention. 　

First, fully understand that innovation is the first driving force, provide high-quality scientific and technological supplies, and focus on supporting the construction of a modern economic system;

Second, be determined to innovate independently, strengthen confidence in innovation, and focus on enhancing the ability of independent innovation;

Third, comprehensively deepen the reform of the scientific and technological system, enhance the efficiency of the innovation system, and focus on stimulating innovation vitality;

Fourth, deeply participate in global science and technology governance, contribute Chinese wisdom, and strive to build a community with a shared future for mankind;

Fifth, firmly establish the strategic position of talents leading development, gather talents in an all-round way, and strive to consolidate the foundation of innovative development of talents.

Xi was quite insistent that, in spite of the progress that China has made in its development in recent years as a major force in scientific innovation, there are still many areas that have yet to be resolved if China is to achieve its goal of becoming a world-class technological power. He encouraged scientists to be daring, to make new breakthroughs in the areas of information technology, space, and the life sciences, and to pursue leads in new areas that have yet to be studied, but look to be of importance to the development of the economy and of people’s lives.

Xi underlined that China had to think about developing these areas of science on its own, given the increasing strictures placed on China coming from the outside. While there should be self-reliance, this did not mean that science should be carried on “behind doors”, but that scientists and science should be open to the world, share their accomplishments, and invite foreign scientists to participate in the research.

Scientists should be given the freedom to concentrate on science, and not be engulfed in “red tape” and bureaucratic snaggles. He underlined that the government would take measures to create new national laboratories in order to focus much of the scientific work. There would also be an emphasis on promoting the development of innovative enterprises, and there would be a concerted effort to link the institutes and research centers with the enterprises and the laboratories, in order to quickly transform breakthroughs into productive forces, naming, as did the Government Work Report, science and technology as the “primary productive force” of the economy.

The publication of Xi’s speech only underlines the significance that he places on the Five-Year program, where many of these issues were dealt with in detail and around which the country will be mobilized.

RIAC Analyst Believes Geo-Economics Is Overtaking Geopolitics in Central Asia

July 25, 2021by Mary Jane Freeman in Afghanistan, China, Economic development updates, General updates, Geopolitics updates, Global Diplomacy, India, Pakistan, Russia, United States, World war danger updates

July 24 (EIRNS) — Moscow-based American foreign affairs expert Andrew Korybko writes on his blog on the website of the Russian International Affairs Council (RIAC), that the ongoing settlement of the Afghanistan war is putting “geo-economics” ahead of the zero-sum game of geopolitics. He writes that “geo-economics” is at the center of the cooperation among the U.S., Russia, China and Pakistan in seeking an Afghan settlement and the creation of the so-called “Quad” of Uzbekistan, Afghanistan, Pakistan and the United States which was created on July 16 at the connectivity conference in Tashkent, Uzbekistan. This latter, Korybko writes, “complements the prior such platform between the former two states, China and Tajikistan back in 2016 as well as the Pakistan-Afghanistan-Uzbekistan (PAKAFUZ) railway project that was agreed upon in February.”

Crucial to the development according to Korybko is Pakistan’s new “Geo-Economic Grand Strategy Is Multi-Alignment,” which was adopted during March’s inaugural Islamabad Security Dialogue, where it was announced that geo-economics will now constitute the basis for all policy formulation and not geopolitics. The first fruits of the policy was the creation of the so-called Quad platform among Pakistan, Afghanistan, Uzbekistan, and the U.S.

Korybko writes: “Pakistan is actively fulfilling its geostrategic destiny as the ‘Zipper of Eurasia’” by connecting a variety of stakeholders through their shared economic interests. “Islamabad is leveraging its influence in Afghanistan to advance the neighboring country’s peace process, which saw it facilitate Beijing and Moscow’s incipient ties with the Taliban. Upon these multipolar great powers establishing pragmatic political relations with the group, they were then able to seriously countenance the viability of trans-Afghan connectivity corridors. Russia is interested in reaching the Indian Ocean Region through PAKAFUZ (which can also unofficially be conceptualized as N-CPEC+), while China is pioneering the so-called “Persian Corridor” to Iran via Tajikistan and Afghanistan. The U.S., meanwhile, aims to use PAKAFUZ as a means for expanding its economic influence in the post-withdrawal Afghanistan and the Central Asian republics (CARs).”

As for India, it is finding itself left out of the process, he writes, because it is maintaining a geopolitical policy aimed at countering Pakistan. Nonetheless, he believes now India has begun to seriously reassess its policy away from geopolitical principles, which of course will require an improvement of relations with Pakistan. One option would be reversing the August 2019 abrogation of Article 370 which dismantled the autonomy of Jammu and Kashmir to bifurcate the region, which would admittedly be a very difficult political decision.

He concludes: “The very fact that the U.S., which is known for its geopolitically driven zero-sum policies, is joining together with Pakistan, Afghanistan and Uzbekistan in order to expand its economic influence in Central Asia speaks to just how dramatically everything is changing.”

“Vaccine Diplomacy” ~ U.S. Stopped Approval of Russia’s Vaccine to Brazil; Now Brazilian Deaths Rising

March 17, 2021by Mary Jane Freeman in Brazil, COVID-19, General, General updates, Geopolitics updates, Global Diplomacy, Healthcare, Russia, The Committee for the Coincidence of Opposites, United States

U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services Brags It Used Diplomatic Pressure To Stop Brazil from Approving Russia’s COVID Vaccine

March 16, 2021 (EIRNS) — The annual report of the HHS’s Office of Global Affairs stated that they had “used diplomatic relations in the Americas region” to stop Russian and Chinese “vaccine diplomacy” in the region “to the detriment of US safety and security.” In the report, signed by Trump’s HHS Secretary Aznar, they pat themselves on the back about for having successfully used “OGA’s Health Attaché office to persuade Brazil to reject the Russian COVID-19 vaccine.” When questioned by TASS today, the Biden HHS repeated their adherence to that approach with the standard sophistry: “The United States is a firm believer in the need for vaccines that meet the minimum clinical standards of efficacy.”

Russia’s {RT} covered the story as a “bombshell admission,” noting that Brazil is currently sinking into an uncontrolled COVID crisis with a very small percentage of the population vaccinated. The article cited an expert at Moscow’s Gamaleya Institute, which developed Russia’s Sputnik V vaccine, saying that “we believe countries should work together to save lives. Efforts to undermine the vaccines are unethical and are costing lives.”

China’s {Global Times} published an article by editor Wang Wenwen which also pointed to the HHS admission that it used diplomatic pressure “to force Brazil, one of the worst-hit countries in terms of the COVID-19 pandemic, to reject the Russian coronavirus vaccine Sputnik V.” The editorial more broadly attacked, saying that “the West’s indulgence and zeal of the Cold War era is being manifested by its politicization of vaccines. The US, in particular, is practicing its very selfishness in vaccine distributions and exploiting vaccines as a geopolitical weapon, which, consequently, is dividing the world into two camps — one represented by countries inoculated with Chinese and Russian vaccines and the other with US and European vaccines.”

Europe is publicly lined up with the United States, Wang noted, but, “What is even more ironic is that the EU publicly dismissed Russia’s global vaccine supply, but has been turning to Sputnik V shots behind the scenes, according to media reports. Clearly, the EU cannot afford the self-invented geopolitical game involving vaccines.”

China’s approach is different, Wang argued. “Being a major power, China’s offer of vaccines to other countries is out of responsibility and morality without political attachment. That is why many countries welcomed and defended Chinese vaccines. If China’s influence expands, it is a natural outcome… Just imagine, if the global supply of vaccines is monopolized by the US, how many more people would die? Does the US care? The answer is clear.”

Railway Service in Europe Seriously Disrupted by Floods

July 23, 2021by Mary Jane Freeman in Economic development updates, Finance, General, General updates, Geopolitics updates, Germany, Global Diplomacy

July 22, 2021 (EIRNS)–The Trains.com website comments that portions of the rail network in Western Europe could be out of service for months or years in the wake of flooding that has left hundreds dead across a swath of western Germany and Belgium. Rail service has been suspended after the floods, which saw rivers running three yards higher than previous records in some cases and destroyed homes and businesses. See report here.

In Belgium, most rail lines south of Brussels saw disruption, with many in the hilly Ardennes region seriously damaged. The high-speed rail line connecting Brussels with Cologne in Germany was briefly closed, but as this goes through hills and over valleys, it was not seriously damaged. Services restarted over the weekend. The older rail lines that follow river valleys, often no more than a few yards above the river, fared much less well. Several routes are so badly damaged that reconstruction is expected to take until late August; less damaged routes reopened July 19.

In neighboring Germany, where the scale of destruction and loss of life has been greater, some rail lines, again built following river valleys, have been completely washed out. In total, German national railroad Deutsche Bahn has reported that 600 kilometers (more than 370 miles) of tracks and 80 stations are impassable.

The worst affected route along the valley of the Ahr River from Remagen to Ahrbrück has seen around 12.5 miles of its 18-mile length destroyed by flood water, with all seven bridges destroyed where the line crossed from one side of the river to the other.

In the Ruhr region, the main station in the city of Hagen was flooded and closed, along with rail lines through the city, as were those in the nearby city of Wuppertal. The flood waters knocked out power and telecom services in many areas. In the city of Bonn, the electronic signalling center controlling the main rail lines along the Rhine valley was unable to function, due to flood damage. Countries neighboring Germany have also seen flooding, with the south of the Netherlands hit with large-scale disruption to rail and road travel. As the weather system moved on, flood waters have affected Switzerland and by last weekend the rain had moved east to Bavaria in Germany and the neighboring Czech Republic, with the rail line between Dresden and Prague shut down July 18 as the Elbe River burst its banks. The Elbe alley was the scene of massive flooding in August 2002, which closed the rail line for three months.

Egypt Prioritizes Nuclear in Future Energy Mix

July 23, 2021by Mary Jane Freeman in Economic development updates, Egypt, General, General updates, Global Diplomacy, Power & Energy

July 22, 2021 (EIRNS)–Hesham Hegazy, head of the nuclear fuel sector at Egypt’s Nuclear Power Plants Authority NPPA, has recently revealed that the Egyptian nuclear program is not limited to the construction of the Dabaa nuclear power plant, as the country seeks to build more nuclear power plants on the north coast, Al-Monitor reports.

Jamal al-Qalyubi, a professor of petroleum and energy engineering at the American University of Cairo, told Al-Monitor that the Egyptian state has been working since 2015 on a strategy to diversify its energy sources to address future challenges. He said that since the 1960s, Egypt has been heavily reliant on nonrenewable energy sources from hydrocarbons, such as petroleum, diesel and, more recently, natural gas. But the country is now looking to replace the plants that produce electricity via hydrocarbons with ones that rely on so-called renewable energy, in the framework of the Sustainable Development Strategy of Egypt Vision 2030, he said.

Qalyubi noted that nuclear energy is essential for Egypt, and that the state is seeking to have an educational and applied influence in this regard instead of only importing foreign technology. He added that nuclear reactors are beneficial not only in terms of power generation but also in terms of seawater desalination and the production of radioactive isotopes, which ultimately benefit Egypt’s industry.

He expects more Egyptian companies to contribute 20% to the construction of the new nuclear stations; local companies have already contributed 20% to the construction of the first unit of the Dabaa nuclear plant. These companies have managed to participate in the Dabaa project as they received training at the Dabaa Nuclear School in Matrouh governorate (west of Cairo), while educational missions are being sent to Russia, Qalyubi said, adding that such steps help promote Egypt’s local nuclear industry.

Former NPPA deputy head Ali Abdel Nabi told Al-Monitor over the phone, “The Egyptian government’s energy mix plan seeks to have the nuclear plants’ electricity generation to account for about 20% of the total production in Egypt by 2035.” He said, “Reaching this percentage requires the establishment of more nuclear plants, in addition to the Dabaa plant, which only produces 4,800 MW, or nearly 3% of the total electricity production.”

Abdel Nabi explained that one of the goals behind the establishment of nuclear plants in Egypt is the transfer and localization of the manufacturing technology into Egyptian factories, increasing their contribution to the manufacture of new plants to more than 50%.

“Nuclear plants provide electricity in much greater proportion than plants powered by gas or renewable energy such as wind, as these plants operate at 93% of the number of hours per year, compared to 27% for renewable energy plants and 56% for gas plants. In other words, nuclear plants serve the sustainable development goals better,” he noted.

Abdel Nabi pointed out that nuclear power plants are first-class investment projects, as they cover their costs within only 15 years of operation, and that their life span ranges from 60 to 100 years, which ensures greater benefit, unlike plants powered by gas, petroleum, and renewable energy, which operate for 25 years at most.

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