PROGRAM NOTES 05/07/21-
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This weeks show features stories from NHK JAPAN, RADIO HAVANA CUBA, and RADIO DEUTSCHE-WELLE.

From JAPAN- We begin with several reports from this week's G7 Summit in London. In meetings before the summit began Japan and the US made agreements about opposing China in every way possible, from the South China Sea, to Taiwan, to Hong Kong. As reported last week, the UK is sending its new aircraft carrier to the Indo-Pacific region along with a flotilla of warships called the carrier strike group. France, the Netherlands and Germany are joining in the expedition in response to Chinas growing influence in the region. They will get together for military exercises in the Asian waters this summer. In Myanmar pro-democracy forces say they have created a peoples defense force to protect civilians from the military crackdown on protestors, with 769 said to have been killed. US pharmaceutical giant Pfizer is reporting a huge increase in profits from the Covid vaccines.

From CUBA- First a Viewpoint on the 7 million Colombians who protested over President Duques tax overhaul that included Value Added Taxes of 20% on basic food items, when the populous is becoming poorer. On Mayday protests erupted in a number of European countries including France, Spain, and Germany. The combined net worth of the richest 100 Americans has increased by $461 billion since Joe Biden was elected president, largely gained from the stimulus packages. On World Press Freedom Day Edward Snowden criticized Biden for praising independent media while aggressively pursuing the extradition of Julian Assange.

From GERMANY- Monday was World Press Freedom Day and Reporters Without Borders called on the EU to do more to protect journalists in Europe. The German government announced more ambitious plans to cut carbon emissions following a court ruling that the current laws were insufficient. Then brief reports on an important election in Scotland, Britain and France have sent Naval ships to the isle of Jersey over Brexit rules, two reports on the far-right in Europe, and short updates on the global pandemic and vaccine situations.

"None are more hopelessly enslaved than those who falsely believe they are free."
--Goethe