Companies stop Wikileaks payments

Datacell, which accepts credit card donations for Wikileaks, has said it will take action if Visa Europe and Mastercard continue not to process these payments. The two credit card companies say they are not willing to work for Wikileaks any more.

Reporter:
Theo Leggett

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Wikileaks is a voluntary organisation which relies on donations to pay for its operations. Over the past few days, two of the mainsources of that money have been blocked. On Tuesday, the credit card giants Visa Europe and Mastercard said they would suspend payments to Wikileaks, following a similar move by the online service Paypal on Friday. But the company which receives credit card donations on Wikileaks' behalf is threatening legal action. Datacell, an IT firm based in Iceland, has refused to comply with requests to shut down its donor account. It says those requests were based on "untrue and unverified accusations". It claims that if its credit card facilities are withdrawn permanently, its own business will be in danger - and it will sue the credit card firms for damages, which it says would not be small.

Theo Leggett, BBC News

DengarListen to the words

Vocabulary

voluntary organisation

organisasi yang bekerja secara sukarela

relies on

bergantung pada

donations

donasi, sumbangan

sources

sumber

credit card giants

perusahaan kartu kredit raksasa

legal action

tindakan hukum

to comply with

mengikuti atau mematuhi

donor account

rekening bank milik donor

withdrawn

dihentikan

damages

kerugian

New stars discovered in the sky

Scientists have discovered there are three times more stars in the sky than they had thought. New research in the "Nature" journal says this could mean there are people living on another planet like the earth.

Reporter:
Pallab Ghosh

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Astronomers have assumed that the composition of all galaxies is the same as our own. But using a new, more powerful instrumenton the Keck telescope in Hawaii, researchers have discovered that older galaxies contain twenty times more small dim stars, called 'red dwarves', than younger galaxies such as our own. Doctor Marek Kukula of the Royal Greenwich Observatory describes what the view from a planet in an older galaxy might be like.

"When one of these galaxies that we now know contain lots and lots of small red stars, it may well be true that the night sky is dotted with these small, faint red stars glowing like embers and that might produce a very pretty effect."

According to Professor Pieter van Dokkum of Yale University, the discovery also increases the estimate of the number of planets in the universe, and therefore makes it even more likely that there's life somewhere else in the cosmos.

"There's been particular attention recently to these red dwarf stars. In one galaxy there's about a trillion of these stars and there's hundreds of billions of these galaxies. Even if the planet is quite close to the star, you could have liquid water on the planet, because the star is not as bright as the sun and so a planet can be a lot closer and still be kind of balmy, rather than scorching hot."

The discovery that there are many more stars means that ouruniverse is a much brighter, more crowded place than we previously thought.

Pallab Ghosh, BBC News

DengarListen to the words

Vocabulary

astronomers

ahli astronomi/perbintangan

composition

komposisi

powerful instrument

alat yang lebih canggih yang melekat pada teleskop

galaxies

galaksi, kumpulan jutaan atau bahkan miliaran bintang di angkasa

dotted with

ditaburi dengan

glowing like embers

berpijar seperti bara api

the cosmos

angkasa luar

balmy

sejuk

scorching hot

cukup panas untuk menghanguskan kehidupan

universe

alam semesta

Wikileaks embarrass US government

The US has strongly criticised the release by the website Wikileaks of thousands of extracts from secret messages between officials in America and abroad. However, Wikileaks says the information is of no threat to security around the world.

Reporter:
Jonathan Marcus

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So what do the Americans really think about the heads of state and government they have to deal with? Not a lot in some cases and that, let's be honest, is one of the most interesting aspects of the Wikileaks material; the candid, uncensored and often rather colourful descriptions of people like the Libyan Leader, Muammar Gaddafi, or the Italian Prime Minister, Silvio Berlusconi.

All this is hugely embarrassing for the Americans and hugely entertaining for us, but it isn't going to change much. Countries do not break off ties over such things. Indeed there is little in this firstbatch of cables that will send shock-waves through any of Washington's bilateral relationships with its friends and allies abroad.

What the publication of the cables has done though, is enable us to begin to sketch in some of the detail of stories, like the Gulf rulers'antipathy towards Iran, which was known but never spelt out in such crystal clear terms. The evolution of US policy towards Iran over the past two presidencies now becomes clearer; how the Obama Administration in particular has sought to bring Russia and China on board; and how Israel's relationship with Moscow has also become part of the equation.

However one story in particular, the revelation that the US was trying to get enriched uranium out of Pakistan, also illustrates the potential damage that these sorts of revelations can do. Some things can be done behind the scenes which would be impossible in the full glare of publicity. Secrecy is part of the currency of diplomacy and this huge haemorrhage of information has, temporarily at least, devalued an essential element of that currency.

Jonathan Marcus, BBC News

DengarListen to the words

Vocabulary

candid

jujur, terus terang

break off ties

memutuskan hubungan resmi

batch of cables

kumpulan pesan atau komunikasi

bilateral relationships

hubungan bilateral

sketch in some of the detail

memberikan gambaran yang lebih lengkap

antipathy

antipati, perasaan benci

crystal clear

sangat jelas, mudah dimengerti

behind the scenes

di balik layar

the currency of diplomacy

proses diplomasi antar negara

haemorrhage of information

munculnya informasi secara tiba-tiba atau cepat

Computer company awarded compensation

The German computer software company, SAP, has been fined $1.3bn for stealing trade secrets from another company. Lawyers for Oracle, the other company involved, said the fine is the largest ever awarded in a corporate copyright abuse case.

Reporter:
Mark Gregory

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The judgement is being seen as a severe blow to the reputation of the world's largest provider of software for business computer systems. SAP has always accepted that one of its subsidiary companies,TomorrowNow, which is now defunct, downloadedcopyrighted Oracle software over the internet and used it in its own systems to lure customers away from Oracle.

SAP argued the financial consequences were small and it should pay no more than $40 million in damages. But the jury appears to have accepted Oracle's argument that the scale of the damages should reflect what it would have cost SAP to buy a license to use the stolen software at the outset, a far larger amount.

The penalty is certainly one of the biggest ever awarded in acorporate copyright case. Oracle's lawyers say it is the largest. Top executives from both firms gave evidence in the three-week trial, which has captivated the attention of California's Silicon Valley, a global centre for high technology industry.

SAP, Oracle and another company, Hewlett Packard, are involved in a bitter three-way tussle for control of the multi-billion dollar market for corporate computer systems. SAP's longstanding dominance isunder threat by the other two. SAP says it's likely to appeal against the award. If nothing else, the case has brought home the potential financial risks firms face if they take others' trade secrets.

Mark Gregory, BBC News

DengarListen to the words

Vocabulary

subsidiary companies

anak perusahaan

defunct

tidak beroperasi lagi

copyrighted

memiliki hak paten

damages

kompensasi, ganti rugi

outset

awalnya

corporate copyright case

sengketa hukum mengenai kepemilikan hak paten perusahaan

captivated the attention

menarik perhatian

tussle

perseteruan

under threat

terancam

trade secrets

rahasia bisnis perusahaan

Heritage on a Plate

The French dining ritual has been added to Unesco's list of 'intangible heritage of humanity'. The list of 213 cultural traditions from around the world also includes Chinese acupuncture, the Peking Opera and Colombian music.

Reporter:

Christian Fraser

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France's submission, which sits alongside Croatian gingerbread and the Azerbaijani carpet, centres mostly around the ritual itself - how wines are paired with dishes, how the table is dressed, the precise placing of glasses for water and wine, knife blade pointing in, fork curved towards the dish, all time-honoured rituals.

One jury member said there was no major reason why France should be rejected, not even President Sarkozy's untimely assertion that when it comes to cooking the French are the best in the world, a statement that enraged the Italians and Spaniards with whom Greece and Mexico are bidding jointly for the honour of Mediterranean diet.

There are no specific French dishes or ingredients in this entry. It centres largely on the fact the French have a tendency to talkendlessly about their food.

Christian Fraser, BBC News, Paris

Dengar

Listen to the words

Vocabulary

submission

pendaftaran

centres mostly around

terfokus pada

paired with

dipasangkan atau disesuaikan dengan

dressed

didekorasi

time-honoured rituals

tradisi yang sudah lama berlangsung

untimely

kurang pas

enraged

membuat marah

bidding

mendaftar

have a tendency to

cenderung

endlessly

terus-menerus, tak berakhir

Computer company awarded compensation

The German computer software company, SAP, has been fined $1.3bn for stealing trade secrets from another company. Lawyers for Oracle, the other company involved, said the fine is the largest ever awarded in a corporate copyright abuse case.

Reporter:
Mark Gregory

DengarListen to the story

Report

The judgement is being seen as a severe blow to the reputation of the world's largest provider of software for business computer systems. SAP has always accepted that one of its subsidiary companies,TomorrowNow, which is now defunct, downloadedcopyrighted Oracle software over the internet and used it in its own systems to lure customers away from Oracle.

SAP argued the financial consequences were small and it should pay no more than $40 million in damages. But the jury appears to have accepted Oracle's argument that the scale of the damages should reflect what it would have cost SAP to buy a license to use the stolen software at the outset, a far larger amount.

The penalty is certainly one of the biggest ever awarded in acorporate copyright case. Oracle's lawyers say it is the largest. Top executives from both firms gave evidence in the three-week trial, which has captivated the attention of California's Silicon Valley, a global centre for high technology industry.

SAP, Oracle and another company, Hewlett Packard, are involved in a bitter three-way tussle for control of the multi-billion dollar market for corporate computer systems. SAP's longstanding dominance isunder threat by the other two. SAP says it's likely to appeal against the award. If nothing else, the case has brought home the potential financial risks firms face if they take others' trade secrets.

Mark Gregory, BBC News

DengarListen to the words

Vocabulary

subsidiary companies

anak perusahaan

defunct

tidak beroperasi lagi

copyrighted

memiliki hak paten

damages

kompensasi, ganti rugi

outset

awalnya

corporate copyright case

sengketa hukum mengenai kepemilikan hak paten perusahaan

captivated the attention

menarik perhatian

tussle

perseteruan

under threat

terancam

trade secrets

rahasia bisnis perusahaan

French rockers are singing in English

There are growing numbers of rock bands in France singing in English rather than French. Musicians are familiar with American and English rock culture and believe English is the most natural language to use when they perform.

Reporter:Hugh Schofield

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The breakthrough for bands that sing in English has not been straightforward. Under France's cultural protection laws, radio stations can only play a set amount of English-language music, and most prefer to fill their quota with actual British or American bands. That means little airtime for French-English bands.

There's also a feeling among some critics that singing in English is perhaps a bit of a cop out. But for the members of Anorak, in rehearsal here outside Paris, singing in English is simply a recognition of changing times.

The internet generation cares little for national barriers, today's French youngsters are tuned into English like everyone else is, so why feel guilty? Language has always been a vital part of French culture, so whether you like it or resent it, what's happening is undoubtedly significant. Young French musicians are abandoning theirlinguistic heritage, and joining the globalised world.

Hugh Schofield, BBC News, Paris

DengarListen to the words

Vocabulary

breakthrough

terobosan, perkembangan penting

quota

jatah

airtime

waktu siaran radio atau televisi

a feeling among

pendapat

a bit of a cop out

menghindari kewajiban atau tugas-tugas

in rehearsal

saat berlatih

internet generation

generasi internet

cares little for

tidak terlalu menaruh perhatian, hanya memiliki sedikit ketertarikan

a vital part

bagian sangat penting

linguistic heritage

warisan budaya bahasa

Cameron drums up business in China

PM David Cameron arrives in China for trade mission

Mari belajar Bahasa Inggris dalam dua bahasa dengan menyimak berita yang saya copy-paste dari BBC..

Berita pertama tentang kunjungan PM David Cameron ke Cina, dan yang kedua adalah pengiriman limbah nuklir Jerman ke Prancis.

Cameron drums up business in China

The British Prime minister, David Cameron, is leading Britain's biggest trade delegation to China.

He says he is bringing the message that Britain wants a much stronger relationship with Beijing.

In the biggest deal struck so far, the British firm, Rolls Royce, has signed a one-point-two billion-dollar agreement to supply aircraft engines to China Eastern Airlines.

Critics have urged Mr Cameron to highlight human rights and his office has said he will.

But the BBC Beijing correspondent says it's unclear what form this will take.

Cameron usahakan bisnis di Cina

Perdana Menteri Inggris, David Cameron, yang memimpin delegasi perdagangan terbesar Inggris, berkunjung ke Cina.

Ia mengatakan ia membawa pesan bahwa Inggris menginginkan kerjasama yang lebih kuat dengan Beijing.

Dalam perjanjian terbesar yang paling mengejutkan sejauh ini adalah perusahaan Inggris, Rolls Royce, telah menandatangani persetujuan senilai US$ 1,2 miliar untuk menyediakan mesin pesawat milik China Eastern Airlines.

Cameron mendapatkan kritikan untuk menekankan masalah HAM dan kantornya mengatakan bahwa ia akan melakukannya.

Namun koresponden BBC mengatakan tidak jelas langkah apa yang akan diambil.

German nuclear waste reaches destination

A shipment of radioactive waste has finally reached its storage site

A shipment of radioactive waste has finally reached its storage site in Germany, after its journey was dogged at every step by anti-nuclear activists.

It took ninety-two hours - a record - for the German waste to be returned from France, where it had been reprocessed.

Some three thousand protesters had to be cleared from the roads for the final leg of the journey.

Limbah nuklir Jerman sampai tujuan

Pengiriman limbah radioaktif akhirnya telah sampai ke tempat penyimpanan di Jerman, setelah perjalanannya diikuti secara seksama oleh pegiat anti nuklir.

Perjalanan itu memakan waktu 92 jam - rekor untuk limbah Jerman dikirim kembali ke Prancis, tempat untuk memproses ulang limbah tersebut.

Sekitar 3.000 pegiat harus disingkirkan dari jalan pada bagian akhir perjalanan itu.

Concern over Eurozone stability

Greek budget deficit is currently two points higher than last year's estimate

Mari belajar Bahasa Inggris dalam dua bahasa dengan menyimak berita yang saya copy-paste dari BBC.

Topik pertama adalah kekhawatiran mengenai stabilitas ero, dan yang kedua adalah pengungsi Korea Utara ke Korea Selatan.

Renewed concern over Eurozone stability

There are fresh concerns over the stability of the Eurozone, because of the debt crises affecting two of its members -- Greece and Ireland.

The European Union has revealed that the Greek budget deficit is currently fifteen-point-four percent of gross domestic product -- almost two points higher than last year's estimate.

It's also feared that Ireland may soon need a bail-out from the same international fund used to rescue Greece in May.

The Irish government has been in touch with Brussels but insists it is not seeking help.

The Euro, and European stock markets, fell amid the uncertainty.

Kekhawatiran mengenai stabilitas zona Eropa

Terdapat kekhawatiran baru mengenai stabilitas zona mata uang Ero, karena krisis utang yang mempengaruhi dua negara anggotanya -- Yunani dan Irlandia.

Uni Eropa telah memberitahukan bahwa defisit anggaran Yunani saat ini adalah 15,4 persen dari produk domestik bruto -- hampir dua persen lebih tinggi daripada perkiraan tahun lalu.

Juga ada ketakutan bahwa Irlandia akan segera memerlukan dana bantuan dari dana internasional seperti yang telah menyelamatkan Yunani bulan Mei.

Pemerintah Irlandia telah menghubungi Brussels namun menyangkal untuk mencari bantuan.

Nilai ero dan pasar saham Eropa jatuh di tengah ketidakpastian.

20,000 North Koreans have arrived South

More than twenty thousand North Koreans have defected to the South since civil war

South Korea says the number of refugees who've settled there after fleeing from the North has doubled over the past three years.

It says more than twenty thousand North Koreans have defected to the South since civil war divided the country in the 1950s.

But the number arriving since 2007 is equal to the entire previous period.

Most attempt the journey through China, which repatriates them if they are caught.

20.000 warga Korea Utara tiba di Selatan

Korea Selatan mengatakan bahwa jumlah pengungsi yang menetap di sana setelah keluar dari Korea Utara berlipatganda pada tiga tahun terakhir.

Mereka mengatakan bahwa lebih 20 ribu warga Korea Utara bertolak ke Selatan sejak perang saudara memecah negara itu pada tahun 1950an.

Namun jumlah pengungsi yang tiba sejak 2007 sama dengan jumlah seluruhnya pada periode sebelumnya.

Kebanyakan upaya pengungsian dilakukan melalui Cina, yang akan mengirimkan mereka kembali jika tertangkap.