Podcasts about Albania

La morte di Papa Francesco ha monopolizzato l'informazione di ieri. Ripercorriamo chi è stato Jorge Mario Bergoglio, tra forti aperture su ecologia, pace, giustizia sociale e una Chiesa più inclusiva, ma anche tensioni interne e polemiche. Parliamo poi del futuro prossimo: funerali, camerlengo, conclave. Infine, un rapido sguardo ai colloqui nucleari tra USA e Iran e al caso dei CPR in Albania.INDICE:00:00:00 - Sommario00:01:00 - La morte di Papa Francesco e tutto quello che significa00:17:27 - I colloqui Usa-Iran, l'Earth Day e il caso dei migranti in AlbaniaFonti: https://www.italiachecambia.org/podcast/papa-francesco-ecologista/Iscriviti alla newsletter: https://bit.ly/3ZcEw

Samir Mane fled Albania's communist regime in the early 1990s and resettled in Austria where he made his first fortune. Now back in Albania, he oversees a real estate and retail empire stretching across the western Balkans and beyond.Mane, the 57-year-old tycoon, is Albania's first—and only—billionaire, the richest person in this small Mediterranean country of just 2.8 million people. Thanks to his investments in retail, real estate and banking, he's built a $1.4 billion fortune, per Forbes estimates, earning him a place on Forbes' 2025 World's Billionaires list. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Hotel Plaza Berat Manager Olivia Gega talks about the fixture of tourism in Albania, the dark communist past & the positive moves forward in the wake of the country's popularity.

From Albanian refugee to running a seven-figure recruitment firm by age 27. On this week's episode of The RAG Podcast, I'm joined by Klajdi Bega, founder and CEO of Luminary Group, a life sciences headhunting firm operating across the UK, Europe, and the US. Born in Albania and raised in North London, Klajdi's story is one of grit, vision, and relentless drive. After starting in sales at 16 and entering recruitment six years ago, he launched Luminary just two years back—and hit £1 million in revenue in his second full year! In this episode, we discuss: - Klajdi's journey from refugee to successful founder - How he's building a high-performance, values-driven team - The lessons learned from year one versus year two of trading - Balancing marriage, family life, and business ownership - The power of mentorship, goal-setting, and staying focused on a clear vision If you're in your 20s and thinking of launching a business—or if you just want to hear an incredibly inspiring story—this episode is not to be missed. Chapters00:00 Introduction to Klajdi Bega and Luminary Group02:59 Klajdi's journey from refugee to CEO06:01 Early life and challenges in North London08:55 Career beginnings and entry into recruitment12:13 The transition to entrepreneurship15:08 Building Luminary Group: vision and strategy17:52 Navigating the recruitment landscape21:01 Growth and future plans for Luminary Group24:03 Navigating marriage and business27:10 Year one: achievements and expectations29:29 Training the next generation32:10 Building client relationships34:48 Year two: growth and recognition39:02 Balancing work and family life45:03 Navigating recruitment challenges47:56 The impact of AI on recruitment50:08 Global expansion and client relationships52:02 Scaling for success55:06 Building a strong company culture56:56 Vision for the future59:53 Personal growth and work-life balance__________________________________________Episode Sponsor: UntappedUntapped is THE market leader and go-to agency for finding and hiring tried-and-tested offshore talent into UK, US and Australian-based recruitment companies.They're providing top-class TEAMMATES, NOT OUTSOURCES! We use Untapped for Hoxo's own offshore hires, and it's been a total game-changer for our team. No one else can compete with the quality of their network, their in-depth candidate assessment process or their time to hire. If hiring elite-level overseas talent into your business to boost sales and increase productivity whilst saving yourself a huge amount in employment costs isn't on your radar for 2024, it should be!Untapped are hiring recruitment, sales, marketing and support staff into recruitment agencies of all shapes, sizes and specialisms globally and they are growing rapidly!Join the waiting list today so you don't miss out on the next cohort of business-launching hiring projects. https://bit.ly/47GGdvZ __________________________________________Episode sponsor: HoxoRecruiters: are you sitting on a goldmine of LinkedIn connections without knowing how to turn them into real opportunities?Most recruiters spend hours every day on cold outreach and endless scrolling, hoping for replies that never come. But what if LinkedIn could work for you instead?The Hoxo 7-Day LinkedIn Challenge is a simple, step-by-step framework designed to help you:Identify warm leads already in your networkStart meaningful conversations with potential clients and candidates—without feeling pushyShare content that gets...

Steve H. Hanke is a Senior Fellow, Contributing Editor of The Independent Review, and a Member of the Board of Advisors at the Independent Institute. Hanke is professor of applied economics and founder and co-director of the Institute for Applied Economics, Global Health, and the Study of Business Enterprise at the Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, senior adviser at the Renmin University of China's International Monetary Research Institute in Beijing, and a special counselor to the Center for Financial Stability in New York. Hanke is also a contributing editor at Central Banking in London and a contributor at National Review. In addition, Hanke is a member of the Charter Council of the Society for Economic Measurement.In the past, Hanke taught economics at the Colorado School of Mines and at the University of California, Berkeley. He served as a member of the Governor's Council of Economic Advisers in Maryland in 1976–77, as a senior economist on President Reagan's Council of Economic Advisers in 1981–82, and as a senior adviser to the Joint Economic Committee of the U.S. Congress in 1984–88. Hanke served as a state counselor to both the Republic of Lithuania in 1994–96 and the Republic of Montenegro in 1999–2003. He was also an adviser to the presidents of Bulgaria in 1997–2002, Venezuela in 1995–96, and Indonesia in 1998. He played an important role in establishing new currency regimes in Argentina, Estonia, Bulgaria, Bosnia‐Herzegovina, Ecuador, Lithuania, and Montenegro. Hanke has also held senior appointments in the governments of many other countries, including Albania, Kazakhstan, the United Arab Emirates, and Yugoslavia.

In the first of a two-part special, the Eurovoix Podcast is at the London Eurovision Party to speak to several of this year's Eurovision contenders.On this show, James Stephenson and Darshan Bijuvignesh interview artists from all across Europe looking to make an impact at the contest in Basel next month. They range from older acts like San Marino's Gabry Ponte and Poland's Justyna Steczkowska, to younger artists like Croatia's Marko Bosnjak and Iceland's Væb.There's also a chance to learn more about this year's artists. James speaks to Belgium's Red Sebastian about his decision to take on a stage name, Australia's Go-Jo about his upbringing in a self-sustaining community, and Czechia's Adonxs about how his time in London shaped his artistry today. You'll also hear from six Latvian fairies as Tautumeitas also drop by to chat.And, at the end of the show, Darshan meets his favourite artists of this year, Shkodra Elektronike from Albania - and he has a special gift just for them. Tomorrow, we'll be back with your regularly scheduled Wrap-Up covering all that happened at LEP, the latest news from Basel, more of our song previews and a chance to hear what British Eurofans think of this year's songs - from the pub!Make sure you come back at 07:00 CET on Tuesday 15 April for Part 2, and every week for the Eurovoix Podcast - on Tuesday next week because of Easter, and Monday after that!CREDITSCreated and Produced by: James StephensonHost: James StephensonContributors: Darshan BijuvigneshEditor: James StephensonAnd our guests from the London Eurovision Party: Gabry Ponte (San Marino 2025), Marko Bosnjak (Croatia 2025), Justyna Steczkowska (Poland 2025), Red Sebastian (Belgium 2025), Væb (Iceland 2025), Tautumeitas (Latvia 2025), Go-Jo (Australia 2025), Adonxs (Czechia 2025) and Shkodra Elektronike (Albania 2025)Want to know more about Eurovision? Read all the latest news from the contest at Eurovoix.Follow Eurovoix on XFollow Eurovoix on InstagramFollow Eurovoix on Facebook

Buongiorno e buon lunedì dalla redazione di Mainstreaming!

Smartphones, computers and other electronics have now been exempted from U.S. President Donald Trump's tariffs on China. You'll hear how that could bring some relief to American consumers.Also: Thousands of Canadian students head to the U.S. every year to attend university. But recent tensions between the two countries have some students thinking twice about moving south of the border.And: We'll take you to northeast Scotland, where a peat-bog has been named a UNESCO world heritage site. People there are hoping the new status will help undo some environmental impacts that drove people to leave the region hundreds of years ago.Plus: U.S. and Iran hold nuclear talks, Disability advocates demand more from federal leaders, Italy sends asylum seekers to Albania, and more.

#827: Join us as we sit down with Senada Greca –  a world-renowned personal coach, fitness creator, & powerhouse entrepreneur whose impact spans across the globe. With a devoted community, Senada has become the go-to trainer for icons like Kim Kardashian, Bebe Rexha, & Miranda Kerr. After moving to the U.S. from Albania, Senada turned adversity into ambition – overcoming disordered eating habits, grinding through late-nights in the gym, & building her success story to become a serial entrepreneur in the wellness space. In this episode, Senada opens up about the transformative power of strength training, the mindset behind true discipline, & what it really takes to achieve success. Influenced by empowering women, Senada shares how she is helping others level up from the inside out with WeRise, a fitness & personal growth app! To Watch the Show click HERE For Detailed Show Notes visit TSCPODCAST.COM To connect with Senada Greca click HERE To connect with Lauryn Bosstick click HERE To connect with Michael Bosstick click HERE Read More on The Skinny Confidential HERE Get your burning questions featured on the show! Leave the Him & Her Show a voicemail at +1 (512) 537-7194. This episode is brought to you by The Skinny Confidential Head to the HIM & HER Show ShopMy page HERE and LTK page HERE to find all of Michael and Lauryn's favorite products mentioned on their latest episodes. To step into the best version of yourself, visit the WeRise app at werise.xyz and use code SKINNY for 25% off.  This episode is sponsored by The Skinny Confidential For a better choice and peace of mind in your home, shop The Skinny Confidential Toilet Paper at shopskinnyconfidential.com. This episode is sponsored by Nutrafol Go to Nutrafol.com and enter the promo code SKINNYHAIRGIFT. This episode is sponsored by Purely Elizabeth Visit purelyelizabeth.com and use code SKINNY at checkout for 20% off. This episode is sponsored by Kettle & Fire Kettle & Fire Maui Nui Venison Bone Broth is available right now at Whole Foods stores nationwide. This episode is sponsored by Fatty15 You can get an additional 15% off their 90-day subscription Starter Kit by going to fatty15.com/SKINNY and using code SKINNY at checkout. This episode is sponsored by Hero Bread  Go to hero.co and use code SKINNY at checkout for 10% off your order. This episode is sponsored by Sono Bello  Schedule your free consultation now at sonobello.com/skinny. Produced by Dear Media  

Can Germany’s incoming chancellor, Friedrich Merz, lead Europe? And what will happen if the US withdraws troops from the continent? Plus: editorial director Tyler Brûlé previews the Delphi Economic Forum; a check-in from Salone del Mobile; and why Italy is sending a naval vessel to Albania instead of migrants. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

WWW.ADVENTUREFREAKSSS.COM – GoStraight to the Source!How to work with me: =================================

Il Governo cambia la destinazione d’uso dei centri in Albania. Domani i primi trasferimenti dei migranti dall'Italia al centro di Gjader. L’avvocato generale della Corte di giustizia Ue: “Si può designare Paese d'origine sicuro con atto legislativo”. Con noi Federico Casolari, professore di diritto dell’Unione Europea all’Università di Bologna, esperto di temi giuridici legati alle migrazioni. Save the Children: un bambino su tre utilizza il cellulare tutti i giorni. Sentiamo Giuseppe Lavenia, psicologo e psicoterapeuta, presidente Di.Te. (Associazione Nazionale Dipendenze Tecnologiche Gap e Cyberbullismo). Quanto costerebbe un iPhone con i dazi in vigore? Ne parliamo con il nostro Enrico Pagliarini.

Welcome back to Missionary Roundtable! In this episode I talk to Vinny Nigro. He and his wife Meghan are missionaries to Kosovo, currently on the deputation and fundraising trail. Vinny's story is one of redemption--from the jail cell, to salvation, to the mission field. Vinny and Meghan spent a year in Albania as part of a missions internship. We will talk about how God brought him to that point, and how God used that internship to further equip and prepare him for the mission they are getting ready to do now. If you would like to learn more about the Nigro's journey to Kosovo, or give to support them, or invite them to share at your church, you can learn more about them and contact them here: https://www.christ4kosovo.com/   Kale's new book Brainwashed: https://a.co/d/eCoP06Q   New episodes are now released whenever available, not in a seasonal format. Although there is no set release schedule, new episodes will always be released on Wednesdays. So check back often, and turn on notifications so you don't miss new episodes! Follow or subscribe on any major podcast platform, or on YouTube here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCrvesnHvssaH0nfLI8Qg8QA   Missionary Roundtable is hosted and produced by Kale Horvath. Kale is a pastor and missionary to the country of Hungary. You can learn more about his ministry at www.horvaths2hungary.com. 

Each month, RNIB Connect Radio's Allan Russell talks with Anne Hornsby from MindsEye Description to look at some forthcoming events with Audio Description. AD makes television, movies, galleries  and other arts events more inclusive, accessible and enjoyable for blind and partially sighted people. This month they're looking at a recent teaching trip to Albania plus performances of The 39 Steps and Bat Out Of Hell. If you'd like more information on audio described events, go to www.mindseyedescription.co.uk #RNIBConnect Image Shows Anne Hornsby from MindsEye Description, At The Microphone

WWW.ADVENTUREFREAKSSS.COM – GoStraight to the Source!How to work with me: =================================

Many of Albania's voices are political, and this recording demonstrates that this remains true today. Captured in Skanderbeg Square, in the heart of Tirana, this recording showcases the soundscape of a protest organized by the opposition party, the Democratic Party of Albania.  In the recording, the voice of the individual speaking into the microphone during the protest in front of Tirana City Hall reverberates off the nearby museum, opera house, and Hotel Tirana surrounding the square. The preparations for the fair and the speeches happening in the square are also included in this recording, contributing to the intricate soundscape of the area. Recorded by Uğur Aslan.

The guys get together to recap Saturday night's scoreless draw against Portland Timbers. They discuss the team's continued stellar defensive play and frustrations with the lack of offensive output before closing out the episode with a quick Last Business Day. 0:30 - Intro 5:20 - Lineup reactions 7:55 - Portland recap 43:05 - Postgame takeaways 51:10 - Next LV watch party 52:50 - Last Business Day Sign up today for Underdog Fantasy using this link and when you use promo code "NORTHEND" at sign up you'll get up to $1000 in bonus cash plus a free pick! Visit our website for match preview articles, weekly MLS picks and access to our salary cap and roster spreadsheets! Follow the podcast on socials YouTube Instagram Bluesky Threads Twitter

DONATE @ HTTPS://WWW.PAYPAL.ME/SERBIANRADIOCHICAGOSRPSKI RADIO ČIKAGO – DRAGOMIR ANDANGENERAL MUP RS I BIVŠI DIREKTOR POLICIJE RS*KO ŽELI UBISTVO PREDSEDNIKA DODIKA I ORUŽANI SUKOB U BIHSERBIAN RADIO CHICAGO IS A KEY PLAYER AMONG THE ETHNIC BROADCASTERS IN THE U.S. AND IS CONSIDERED THE NUMBER ONE MEDIA OUTLET IN THE SERBIAN-AMERICAN AND BALKAN COMMUNITY IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AND CANADA.SERBIAN RADIO CHICAGO BROADCASTS DAILY FROM 3PM TO 4PM CST ON WNWI AM 1080, CHICAGO.HTTPS://WWW.SERBIANRADIOCHICAGO.COMHTTPS://WWW.SERBIANRADIOCHICAGO.NETSupport the show

Before taking to the stage at Amsterdam's Eurovision in Concert, Rory spoke with Shkodra Elektronike for an interview. The duo is representing Albania at Eurovision 2025 with their entry “Zjerm” Rory and the duo talked about the Albanian electronica scene, the origin of Beatriçe’s now iconic dance moves, and Kolë’s favourite flavours of rakia. Are […] The post TEP Interviews: Shkodra Elektronike (Albania 2025) at Eurovision in Concert 2025 appeared first on That Eurovision Site.

The craziness that is Eurovision 2025 does not stop this week! For this preview show, we welcome our friend Dude Points to discuss this year’s entries from Montenegro, Albania, Norway, […]

Can You Segway?Book 3 in 18 parts, By FinalStand. Listen to the ► Podcast at Explicit Novels.So exactly who was going to be sympathetic to their plight, who we cared about?Beyond my fevered dream of making a difference there was a pinch of reality. See, the Cabindans and the people of Zaire were both ethnic Bakongo and the Bakongo of Zaire had also once had their own, independent (until 1914) kingdom which was now part of Angola. The Bakongo were major factions in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) -(formerly for a short time known as the nation of Zaire, from here on out to be referred to as the DRC and in the running for the most fucked up place on the planet Earth, more on that later)- and Congo (the nation) yet a minority in Angola. Having an independent nation united along ethnic and linguistic lines made sense and could expect support from their confederates across international boundaries.The Liberation Air ForceThe Earth & Sky operated under one constant dilemma ~ when would Temujin make his return? Since they didn't know and it was their job to be prepared for the eventuality if it happened tomorrow, or a century down the line, they 'stockpiled', and 'stockpiled' and 'stockpiled'.That was why they maintained large horse herds and preserved the ancient arts of Asian bowyers, armoring and weapons-craft. That was why they created secret armories, and sulfur and saltpeter sites when musketry and cannons became the new ways of warfare. They secured sources of phosphates and petroleum when they became the new thing, and so on.All of this boiled over to me being shown yet again I worked with clever, creative and under-handed people. The Khanate came up with a plan for a 'Union' Air Force {Union? More on that later} within 24 hours, and it barely touched any of their existing resources. How did they accomplish this miracle? They had stockpiled and maintained earlier generation aircraft because they didn't know when Temujin would make his re-appearance.They'd also trained pilots and ground crews for those aircraft. As you might imagine, those people grew old just as their equipment did. In time, they went into the Earth & Sky's Inactive Reserves ~ the rank & file over the age of 45. You never were 'too old' to serve in some capacity though most combat-support related work ended at 67.When Temujin made his return and the E&S transformed into the Khanate, those people went to work bringing their lovingly cared for, aging equipment up to combat-alert readiness. If the frontline units were decimated, they would have to serve, despite the grim odds of their survival. It was the terrible acceptance the Chinese would simply possess so much more war-making material than they did.Well, the Khanate kicked the PRC's ass in a titanic ass-whooping no one (else) had seen coming, or would soon forget. Factory production and replacement of worn machines was in stride to have the Khanate's Air Force ready for the next round of warfare when the Cease-fire ended and the Reunification War resumed.Always a lower priority, the Khanate military leadership was considering deactivating dozens of these reserve unit when suddenly the (Mongolian) Ikh khaany khairt akh dáé (me) had this hare-brained scheme about helping rebels in Africa, West Africa, along the Gulf of Guinea coast/Atlantic Ocean, far, far away, and it couldn't look like the Khanate was directly involved.They barely knew where Angola was. They had to look up Cabinda to figure out precisely where that was. They brought in some of their 'reservist' air staff to this briefing and one of them, a woman (roughly a third of the E&S 'fighting'/non-frontline forces were female), knew what was going on. Why?She had studied the combat records and performance of the types of aircraft she'd have to utilize... back in the 1980's and 90's and Angola had been a war zone rife with Soviet (aka Khanate) material back then. Since she was both on the ball, bright and knew the score, the War Council put her in overall command. She knew what was expected of her and off she went, new staff in hand. She was 64 years old, yet as ready and willing to serve as any 20 year old believer in the Cause.Subtlety, scarcity and audacity were the watchwords of the day. The Khanate couldn't afford any of their front-line aircraft for this 'expedition'. They really couldn't afford any of their second-rate stuff either. Fortunately, they had some updated third-rate war-fighting gear still capable of putting up an impressive show in combat ~ providing they weren't going up against a top tier opponents.For the 'volunteers' of the Union Air Force, this could very likely to be a one-way trip. They all needed crash courses (not a word any air force loves, I know) in Portuguese though hastily provided iPhones with 'apps' to act as translators were deemed to be an adequate stop-gap measure. Besides, they were advised to avoid getting captured at all cost. The E&S couldn't afford the exposure. Given the opportunity ~ this assignment really was going above and beyond ~ not one of these forty-six to sixty-seven year olds backed out.No, they rolled out fifty of their antiquated aircraft, designs dating back to the 1950's through the mid-70's, and prepared them for the over 10,000 km journey to where they were 'needed most'. 118 pilots would go (72 active plus 46 replacements) along with 400 ground crew and an equally aged air defense battalion (so their air bases didn't get blown up). Security would be provided by 'outsiders' ~ allies already on the ground and whatever rebels could be scrounged up. After the initial insertion, the Indian Air Force would fly in supplies at night into the Cabinda City and Soyo Airports.The composition,14 Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-21 jet fighters ~ though she entered service in 1959, these planes' electronics were late 20th century and she was a renowned dogfighter. 12 were the Mig-21-97 modernized variant and the other two were Mig-21 UM two-seater trainer variants which could double as reconnaissance fighters if needed.14 Sukhoi Su-22 jet fighter-bombers ~ the original design, called the Su-17, came out in 1970, the first 12 were variants with the 22M4 upgrade were an early-80's package. The other 2 were Su-22U two-seat trainers which, like their Mig-21 comrades, doubled as reconnaissance fighters. The Su-22M4's would be doing the majority of the ground attack missions for the Cabindans, though they could defend themselves in aerial combat if necessary.6 Sukhoi Su-24M2 supersonic attack aircraft ~ the first model rolled off the production lines in the Soviet Union back in 1974. By far the heaviest planes in the Cabindan Air Force, the Su-24M2's would act as their 'bomber force' as well as anti-ship deterrence.8 Mil Mi-24 VM combat helicopters ~ introduced in 1972 was still a lethal combat machine today. Unlike the NATO helicopter force, the Mi-24's did double duty as both attack helicopter and assault transports at the same time.4 Mil Mi-8 utility helicopters, first produced in 1967. Three would act as troop/cargo transports (Mi-8 TP) while the fourth was configured as a mobile hospital (the MI-17 1VA).4 Antonov An-26 turboprop aircraft, two to be used as tactical transports to bring in supplies by day and two specializing in electronic intelligence aka listening to what the enemy was up to. Though it entered production in 1969, many still remained flying today.2 Antonov An-71M AEW&C twin-jet engine aircraft. These were an old, abandoned Soviet design the Earth & Sky had continued working on primarily because the current (1970's) Russian Airborne Early Warning and Control bird had been both huge and rather ineffective ~ it couldn't easily identify low-flying planes in the ground clutter so it was mainly only good at sea. Since the E&S planned to mostly fight over the land,They kept working on the An-71 which was basically 1977's popular An-72 with some pertinent design modifications (placing the engines below the wings instead of above them as on the -72 being a big one). To solve their radar problem, they stole some from the Swedish tech firm Ericsson, which hadn't been foreseen to be a problem before now.See, the Russians in the post-Soviet era created a decent AEW&C craft the E&S gladly stole and copied the shit out of for their front line units and it was working quite nicely ~ the Beriev A-50, and wow, were the boys in the Kremlin pissed off about that these days. Whoops, or was that woot?Now, the Khanate was shipping two An-71's down to Cabinda and somewhere along the line someone just might get a 'feel' for the style of radar and jamming the Cabindans were using aka the Swedish stuff in those An-71's. The Erieye radar system could pick out individual planes at 280 miles. The over-all system could track 60 targets and plot out 10 intercepts simultaneously. NATO, they were not, but in sub-Saharan Africa, there were none better.Anyway, so why was any of this important?Why the old folks with their ancient machines? As revealed, since the Earth & Sky had no idea when Temüjin would return, they were constantly squirreling away equipment. World War 2 gave them unequaled access to Soviet military technology and training.Afterwards, under Josef Stalin's direction, thousands of Russian and German engineers and scientists were exiled to Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, Tajikistan, and Kyrgyzstan who were then snatched up (reportedly died in the gulags/trying to escape) and the E&S began building mirror factories modeled on the 'then current' Soviet production lines.So, by the early 1950's, the E&S was building, flying and maintaining Soviet-style Antonov, Beriev, Ilyushin, Myasishchev, Mikoyan-Gurevich, Sukhoi, Tupolev and Yakovlev airplanes. First in small numbers because their pool of pilots and specialists was so small.The E&S remedied this by creating both their own 'private' flight academies and technical schools. They protected their activities with the judicious use of bribes (they were remarkably successful with their economic endeavors on both side of the Iron Curtain) and murders (including the use of the Ghost Tigers).By 1960, the proto-Khanate had an air force. Through the next two decades they refined and altered their doctrine ~ moving away from the Soviet doctrine to a more pure combined-arms approach (the Soviets divided their air power into four separate arms ~ ADD (Long Range Aviation), FA (Front Aviation), MTA (Military Transport Aviation) and the V-PVO (Soviet Air Defenses ~ which controlled air interceptors).).It wasn't until the collapse of the Soviet Union and the independence of the various former SSR's that the E&S program really began to hit its stride. Still, while Russia faltered, China's PLAAF (Peoples' Liberation Army Air Force) began to take off. Since the Chinese could produce so much more, the E&S felt it had to keep those older planes and crews up to combat readiness. The younger field crews and pilots flew the newer models as they rolled off the secret production lines.Then the Unification War appeared suddenly, the E&S-turned Khanate Air Force skunked their PLAAF rivals due to two factors, a surprise attack on a strategic level and the fatal poisoning of their pilots and ground crews before they even got into the fight. For those Chinese craft not destroyed on the ground, the effects of Anthrax eroded their fighting edge. Comparable technology gave the Khanate their critical victory and Air Supremacy over the most important battlefields.What did this meant for those out-of-date air crews and pilots who had been training to a razor's edge for a month now? Their assignment had been to face down the Russians if they invaded. They would take their planes up into the fight even though this most likely would mean their deaths, but they had to try.When Operation Fun House put Russia in a position where she wasn't likely to jump on the Khanate, this mission's importance faded. The Russian Air Force was far more stretched than the Khanate's between her agitations in the Baltic and her commitments in the Manchurian, Ukrainian, Chechen and Georgian theaters.With more new planes rolling off the production lines, these reservist units began dropping down the fuel priority list, which meant lowering their flight times thus readiness. Only my hare-brained scheme had short-circuited their timely retirement. Had I realized I was getting people's grandparents killed, I would have probably made the same call anyway. We needed them.The KanateThe Khanate's #1 air superiority dogfighter was the Mig-35F. The #2 was the Mig-29. No one was openly discussing the Khanate's super-stealthy "Su-50", if that was what it was, because its existence 'might' suggest the Khanate also stole technology from the Indian defense industry, along with their laundry list of thefts from South Korea, Japan, Taiwan, the PRC, Russia and half of NATO.Her top multi-role fighters were the Su-47, Su-35S and Su-30SM. The Su-30 'Flanker-C/MK2/MKI were their 2nd team with plenty of 3rd team Su-27M's still flying combat missions as well.Strike fighters? There weren't enough Su-34's to go around yet, so the Su-25MS remained the Khanate's dedicated Close Air Assault model.Medium transport aircraft? The An-32RE and An-38. They had small, large and gargantuan transports as well.Bombers? The rather ancient jet-powered Tu-160M2's and Tu-22M2's as well as the even older yet still worthwhile turboprops ~ from 1956's ~ the Tu-95M S16.Helicopters? While they still flew updated variants of the Mil Mi-8/17 as military transports, the more optimized Kamov Ka-52 and Mil Mi-28 had replaced them in the assault role.Bizarrely, the Khanate had overrun several Chinese production lines of the aircraft frames and components ~ enough to complete fairly modern PLAAF (Peoples Liberation Army Air Force) FC-1 and J-10 (both are small multi-role fighter remarkably similar to the US F-16 with the FC-1 being the more advanced model, using shared Chinese-Pakistani technology and was designed for export,).They did have nearly two dozen to send, but they didn't have the pilots and ground crews trained to work with them, plus the FC-1 cost roughly $32 million which wasn't fundage any legitimate Cabindan rebels could get their hands on, much less $768 million (and that would just be for the planes, not the weeks' worth of fuel, parts and munitions necessary for what was forthcoming).Meanwhile, except for the An-26, which you could get for under $700,000 and the An-71, which were only rendered valuable via 'black market tech', none of the turboprop and jet aircraft the Khanate was sending were what any sane military would normally want. The helicopters were expensive ~ the 'new' models Mi-24's cost $32 million while the Mi-17's set you back $17 million. The one's heading to Cabinda didn't look 'new'.The Opposition:In contrast, the Angolan Air Force appeared far larger and more modern. Appearances can be deceptive, and they were. Sure, the models of Russian and Soviet-made aircraft they had in their inventory had the higher numbers ~ the Su-25, -27 and -30 ~ plus they had Mig-21bis's, Mig-23's and Su-22's, but things like training and up-keep didn't appear to be priorities for the Angolans.When you took into account the rampant corruption infecting all levels of Angolan government, the conscript nature of their military, the weakness of their technical educational system, the complexity of any modern combat aircraft and the reality that poor sods forced into being Air Force ground crewmen hardly made the most inspired technicians, or most diligent care-takers of their 'valuable' stockpiles (which their officers all too often sold on the black market anyway), things didn't just look bleak for the Angolan Air Force, they were a tsunami of cumulative factors heading them for an epic disaster.It wasn't only their enemies who derided their Air Force's lack of readiness. Their allies constantly scolded them about it too. Instead of trying to fix their current inventory, the Angolans kept shopping around for new stuff. Since 'new'-new aircraft was beyond what they wanted to spend (aka put too much of a dent in the money they were siphoning off to their private off-shore accounts), they bought 'used' gear from former Soviet states ~ Belarus, Russia and Ukraine ~ who sold them stuff they had left abandoned in revetments (open to the elements to slowly rot) on the cheap.To add to the insanity, the Angolans failed to keep up their maintenance agreements so their newly fixed high-tech machines often either couldn't fly, or flew without critical systems, like radar, avionics and even radios. Maybe that wasn't for the worst because after spending millions on these occasionally-mobile paperweights, the Angolans bought the least technologically advanced missile, gun and rocket systems they could get to put on these flying misfortunes.On the spread sheets, Angola had 18 Su-30K's, 18 Su-27, 12 Su-25's, 14 Su-22's, 22 Mig-23's, 23 Mig-21bis's and 6 Embraer EMB 314 Super Tucano (a turboprop aircraft tailor-made for counter-insurgency operations), 105 helicopters with some combative ability and 21 planes with some airlift capacity. That equated to 81 either air superiority, or multi-role jet fighters versus the 12 Union Air Force (actually the Bakongo Uni o de Cabinda e Zaire, For as Armadas de Liberta  o, For a Area ~ Liberation Armed Forces, Air Force (BUCZ-FAL-FA) Mig-21-97's.It would seem lopsided except for the thousands of hours of flight experience the 'Unionists' enjoyed over their Angolan rivals. You also needed to take into account the long training and fanatic dedication of their ground crews to their pilots and their craft. Then you needed to take into account every Unionist aircraft, while an older airframe design, had updated (usually to the year 2000) technology lovingly cared for, as if the survival of their People demanded it.A second and even more critical factor was the element of surprise. At least the PRC and the PLAAF had contingencies for attacks from their neighbors in the forefront of their strategic planning. The Angolans? The only country with ANY air force in the vicinity was the Republic of South Africa (RSA) and they had ceased being a threat with the end of Apartheid and the rise of majority Black rule in that country nearly two decades earlier.In the pre-dawn hours of 'Union Independence Day', the FAL-FA was going to smash every Angolan Air base and air defense facility within 375 miles of Cabinda (the city). Every three hours after that, they would be hitting another target within their designated 'Exclusion Zone'. Yes, this 'Exclusion Zone' included a 'tiny' bit of DRC (Democratic Republic of Congo) territory. The DRC didn't have an air force to challenge them though, so,Inside this 'Exclusion Zone', anything moving by sea, river, road, rail, or air without Unionist governmental approval was subject to attack, which would require neutral parties to acknowledge some semblance of a free and independent B U C Z. Worse for Angola, this 'Zone' included Angola's capital and its largest port, Luanda, plus four more of their ten largest urban centers. This could be an economic, military and humanitarian catastrophe if mishandled.The Angolan Army did not have significant anti-aircraft assets. Why would they? Remember, no one around them had much of an air force to worry about. The FAL-FA in turn could hit military convoys with TV-guided munitions 'beyond line of sight', rendering what they did have useless. It got worse for the Army after dark. The FAL-FA could and would fly at night whereas the average Angolan formation had Zip-Zero-Nadda night fighting capacity.Then geography added its own mountain of woes. As far as Cabinda was concerned, there was no direct land line to their border from Angola. Their coastal road only went as far as the port of Soyo where the Congo River hit the South Atlantic Ocean. Across that massive gap was the DRC where the road was not picked back up. Far up the coast was the DRC town of Muanda (with an airport) and though they did have a road which went north, it did not continue to the Cabindan border.Nope. To get at Cabinda from the south meant a long, torturous travel through northeastern Angola, into the heart of the DRC then entailed hooking west to some point 'close' to the Cabindan frontier before finally hoofing it overland through partially cleared farmland and jungle. Mind you, the DRC didn't have a native air force capable of protecting the Angolans in their territory so,In fact the only 'road' to Cabinda came from the Republic of Congo (Congo) to the north and even that was a twisted route along some really bad, swampy terrain. This had been the pathway of conquest the Angolans took 39 years earlier. The difference being the tiny bands of pro-independence Cabindan guerillas back then couldn't hold a candle to the Amazons fighting to free Cabinda this time around in numbers, zeal, training and up-to-date equipment.Next option ~ to come by sea. They would face a few, stiff problems, such as the FAL-FA having ship-killer missiles, the Angolan Navy not being able to defend them and the Unionists having no compunction to not strike Pointe-Noire in the 'not so neutral' Republic of the Congo if they somehow began unloading Angolan troops. It seemed the Republic of the Congo didn't have much of an Air Force either.Before you think the FAL-FA was biting off more than they could chew, Cabinda, the province, was shaped somewhat like the US State of Delaware, was half the size of Connecticut (Cabinda was 2,810 sq. mi. to Conn.'s 5,543 sq. mi.) and only the western 20% was relatively open countryside where the Angolan Army's only advantage ~ they possessed armed fighting vehicles while the 'Unionists' did not (at this stage of planning) ~ could hopefully come into play.Centered at their capital, Cabinda (City), jets could reach any point along their border within eight minutes. Helicopters could make it in fifteen. To be safe, some of the FAL-FA would base at the town of Belize which was in the northern upcountry and much tougher to get at with the added advantage the Angolans wouldn't be expecting the FAL-FA to be using the abandoned airfield there, at least initially.Where they afraid attacking Angolan troops in the DRC would invite war with the DRC? Sure, but letting the Angolans reach the border unscathed was worse. Besides, the DRC was in such a mess it needed 23,000 UN Peacekeepers within her borders just to keep the country from falling apart. Barring outside, read European, intervention, did "Democratically-elected since 2001" President (for Life) Joseph Kabila want the FAL-FA to start dropping bombs on his capital, Kinshasa, which was well within reach of all their aircraft?Congo (the country), to the north, wasn't being propped up by the UN, or anything else except ill intentions. In reality, it hardly had much of a military at all. Its officer corps was chosen for political reliability, not merit, or capability. Their technology was old Cold War stuff with little effort to update anything and, if you suspected corruption might be a problem across all spectrums of life, you would 'probably' be right about that too.If you suspected the current President had been in charge for a while, you would be correct again (1979-1992 then 2001- and the 'whoops' was when he accidently let his country experiment with democracy which led to two civil wars). If you suspected he was a life-long Communist (along with the Presidents of the DRC and Angola), you'd be right about that as well. Somehow their shared Marxist-Leninist-Communist ideology hadn't quite translated over to alleviating the grinding poverty in any of those countries despite their vast mineral wealth,At this point in the region's history, little Cabinda had everything to gain by striving for independence and the vast majority of 'warriors' who could possibly be sent against her had terribly little to gain fighting and dying trying to stop them from achieving her goal. After all, their lives weren't going to get any better and with the Amazons ability ~ nay willingness ~ to commit battlefield atrocities, those leaders were going to find it hard going to keep sending their men off to die.And then, it got even worse.See, what I had pointed out was there were two oil refineries in Angola, and neither was in Cabinda. Cabinda would need a refinery to start making good on their oil wealth ~ aka economically bribe off the Western economies already shaken over the Khanate's first round of aggressions.But wait! There was an oil refinery just across the Congo River from Cabinda ~ which meant it was attached to mainland Angola. That had to be a passel of impossible news, right?Nope. As I said earlier, it seemed the people of northern Angola were the same racial group as the Cabindans AND majority Catholic while the ruling clique wasn't part of their ethnic confederacy plus the farther south and east into Angola you went, the less Catholic it became.But it got better. This province was historically its own little independent kingdom (called the Kingdom of Kongo) to boot! It had been abolished by Portugal back in 1914.The 'good' news didn't end there. Now, it wasn't as if the leadership of Angola was spreading the wealth around to the People much anyway, but these northerners had been particularly left out of this Marxist version of 'Trickle Down' economics.How bad was this? This northwestern province ~ called Zaire ~ didn't have any railroads, or paved roads, linking it to the rest of the freaking country. The 'coastal road' entered the province, but about a third of the way up ran into this river, which they'd failed to bridge (you had to use a single track bridge farther to the northeast, if you can believe it). It wasn't even a big river. It was still an obstacle though.How did the Angolan government and military planned to get around? Why by air and sea, of course. Well, actually by air. Angola didn't have much of a merchant marine, or Navy, to make sealift a serious consideration. Within hours of the 'Union Declaration of Independence' anything flying anywhere north of the Luanda, the capital of Angola, would essentially be asking to be blown out of the sky.Along the border between Zaire province and the rest of Angola were precisely two chokepoints. By 'chokepoints', I meant places where a squad (10 trained, modernly-equipped troopers) could either see everything for miles & miles over pretty much empty space along a river valley and the only bridge separating Zaire province from the south, or overlook a ravine which the only road had to pass through because of otherwise bad-ass, broken terrain.Two.Zaire Province had roughly the same population as Cabinda ~ 600,000. Unlike Cabinda, which consisted of Cabinda City plus a few tiny towns and rugged jungles, Zaire had two cities ~ Soyo, with her seventy thousand souls plus the refinery at the mouth of the Congo River, and M'banza-Kongo, the historical capital of the Kingdom of Kongo, spiritual center of the Bakongo People (who included the Cabindans) and set up in the highlands strategically very reminiscent of Điện Biàn Phủ.Of Zaire's provincial towns, the only other strategic one was N'Zeto with her crappy Atlantic port facility and 2,230 meter grass airport. The town was the northern terminus of the National Road 100 ~ the Coastal Road. It terminated because of the Mebridege River. There wasn't a bridge at N'Zeto though there was a small one several miles upstream. N'Zeto was also where the road from provinces east of Zaire ended up, so you had to have N'Zeto ~ and that tiny bridge ~ to move troops overland anywhere else in Zaire Province.So you would think it would be easy for the Angolan Army to defend then, except of how the Amazons planned to operate. They would infiltrate the area first then 'rise up in rebellion'. Their problem was the scope of the operation had magnified in risk of exposure, duration and forces necessary for success.The serious issue before Saint Marie and the Host in Africa were the first two. They could actually move Amazons from Brazil and North America to bolster their numbers for the upcoming offensive. Even in the short-short term, equipment wouldn't be a serious problem. What the Amazons dreaded was being left in a protracted slugfest with the Angolan Army which the Condottieri could jump in on. The Amazons exceedingly preferred to strike first then vanish.There was reason to believe a tiny number could have stayed behind in Cabinda to help the locals prepare their military until they could defend themselves. They would need more than a hundred Amazons if Cabinda wanted to incorporate Zaire. The answer was to call back their newfound buddy, the Great Khan. While he didn't have much else he could spare (the Khanate was ramping up for their invasion of the Middle East after all, the Kurds needed the help), he had other allies he could call on.India couldn't help initially since they were supposed to supply the 'Peace-keepers' once a cease-fire had been arranged. That left Temujin with his solid ally, Vietnam, and his far shakier allies, the Republic of China and Japan.First off ~ Japan could not help, which meant they couldn't supply troops who might very well end up dead, or far worse, captured.. What they did have was a surplus of older equipment the ROC troops were familiar with, so while the ROC was gearing up for their own invasion of mainland China in February, they were willing to help the Chinese kill Angolans, off the books, of course.The ROC was sending fifteen hundred troops the Khanate's way to help in this West African adventure with the understanding they'd be coming home by year's end. With Vietnam adding over eight hundred of her own Special Forces, the Amazons had the tiny 'allied' army they could leave shielding Cabinda/Zaire once the first round of blood-letting was over.To be 'fair', the Republic of China and Vietnam asked for 'volunteers'. It wasn't like either country was going to declare war on Angola directly. Nearly a thousand members of Vietnam's elite 126th Regiment of the 5th Brigade (Đặc cáng bộ) took early retirement then misplaced their equipment as they went to update their visas and inoculations before heading out for the DRC (some would be slipping over the DRC/Cabindan border).On Taiwan, it was the men and women of the 602nd Air Cavalry Brigade, 871st Special Operations Group and 101st Amphibious Reconnaissance Battalion who felt the sudden desire to 'seek enlightenment elsewhere, preferably on another continent'.They too were off to the Democratic Republic of Congo, man that country was a mess and their border security wasn't worth writing home about, that's for damn sure, via multiple Southeast Asian nations. Besides, they were being issued fraudulently visas which showed them to be from the People's Republic of China, not the ROC/Taiwan. If they were captured, they were to pretend to "be working for a Communist Revolution inside Angola and thus to be setting all of Africa on fire!" aka be Mainland Chinese.There, in the DRC, these Chinese stumbled across, some Japanese. These folks hadn't retired. No. They were on an extended assignment for the UN's mission in, the DRC. OH! And look! They'd brought tons of surplus, outdated Japanese Self Defense Forces' equipment with them, and there just so happened to be some Taiwanese who had experience in using such equipment (both used US-style gear).And here was Colonel Yoshihiro Isami of the Chūō Sokuō Shūdan (Japan's Central Readiness Force) wondering why he and his hastily assembled team had just unloaded,18 Fuji/Bell AH-1S Cobra Attack helicopters,6 Kawasaki OH-6D Loach Scout helicopters,12 Fuji-Bell 204-B-2 Hiyodori Utility helicopters,6 Kawasaki/Boeing CH-47JA Chinook Transport helicopters and4 Mitsubishi M U-2L-1 Photo Reconnaissance Aircraft.Yep! 46 more aircraft for the FAL-FA!Oh, and if this wasn't 'bad enough', the Chinese hadn't come alone. They'd brought some old aircraft from their homes to aid in the upcoming struggle. Once more, these things were relics of the Cold War yet both capable fighting machines and, given the sorry state of the opposition, definitely quite deadly. A dozen F-5E Tiger 2000 configured primarily for air superiority plus two RF-5E Tigergazer for reconnaissance, pilots plus ground crews, of course.Thus, on the eve of battle, the FAL-FA had become a true threat. Sure, all of its planes (and half of its pilots) were pretty old, but they were combat-tested and in numbers and experience no other Sub-Saharan African nation could match.The Liberation Ground Forces:But wait, there was still the niggling little problem of what all those fellas were going to fight with once they were on the ground. Assault/Battle rifles, carbines, rifles, pistols, PDW, SMGs as bullets, grenades and RPG's were all terrifyingly easy to obtain. The coast of West Africa was hardly the Port of London as far as customs security went. They were going to need some bigger toys and their host nations were going to need all their native hardware for their upcoming battles at home.And it wasn't like you could advertise for used IFV (Infantry Fighting Vehicles), APCs (armored personnel carriers) and tanks on e-Bay, Amazon.com, or Twitter. If something modern US, or NATO, was captured rolling around the beautiful Angolan countryside, shooting up hostile Angolans, all kinds of head would roll in all kinds of countries, unless the country,A) had an Executive Branch and Judiciary who wouldn't ask (or be answering) too many uncomfortable questions,B) wasn't all that vulnerable to international pressure,C) really needed the money and,D) didn't give a fuck their toys would soon be seen on BBC/CNN/Al Jazeera blowing the ever-living crap out of a ton of Africans aka doing what they were advertised to do and doing it very well in the hands of capable professionals.And politics was kind enough to hand the freedom-loving people of Cabinda & Zaire a winner, and it wasn't even from strangers, or at least people all that strange to their part of the Globe. If you would have no idea who to look for, you wouldn't be alone.That was the magic of the choice. See, the last three decades had seen the entire Globe take a colossal dump on them as a Nation and a People. They were highly unpopular for all sorts of things, such as Crimes Against Humanity and 'no', we were not talking about the Khanate.We would be talking about Република Србија / Republika Srbija aka Serbia aka the former Yugoslavia who had watched all their satellite minions (Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Montenegro, Kosovo and Macedonia) slip away. Despite being reduced to a tiny fraction of their former selves thus fighting two incredibly brutal and bloody World Wars for nothing, Serbia insisted on maintaining a robust armaments industry.Mind you, they didn't make the very best stuff on the planet. That didn't stop them from trying though. Of equal importance was their geographic location and the above mentioned desire for some hard currency without asking too many questions. The geography was simple, you could move even heavy gear unnoticed from central Serbia to the Montenegrin port of Bar by rail and load them up on freighters and off to the Congo you went.The Serbians produced an APC called the BVP M-80A's which weren't blowing anyone's minds away when they started rolling off the production lines back in 1982, plus some over-eager types on the Serbian Army's payroll sweetened the deal by offering 'the rebels' some BVP M-80 KC's and a KB as well.Then they slathered on the sugary-sweet Maple syrup by upgrading a few of the M-80A's to BVP M-98A's. Why would they be so generous? The KC's and KB were the Command & Control variants, so that made sense (C = company & B = battalion commander). The -98A had never been tested in the field before and they were kind of curious how the new turrets (which was the major difference) would behave. 'Our' procurement agents didn't quibble. We needed the gear.Besides, these Slavic entrepreneurs gave them an inside track on some 'disarmed/mothballed' Czech (introduced in 1963) armored mobile ambulances and Polish BWP-1 (first rolled out in 1966) APC's which were either in, or could be quickly configured into, the support variants those ground-fighters would need. The 'disarmed' part was 'fixable', thanks to both the Serbians and Finland. The 'missing' basic weaponry was something the Serbians could replace with virtually identical equipment.It just kept getting better. Unknown to me at the time, the Finnish firm, Patria Hágglunds, had sold twenty-two of their 'most excellent' AMOS turrets ~ they are a twin 120 mm mortar system ~ then the deal fell through. Whoops! Should have guarded that warehouse better. Those bitches were on a cargo plane bound for Albania inside of six hours.The ammunition for them was rather unique. Thankfully, it was uniquely sold by the Swiss, who had no trouble selling it to Serbia, thank you very much! Twenty-two BWP-1's became mobile artillery for the Unionist freedom fighters, though I understood the ship ride with the Serbian and Chinese technicians was loads of fun as they struggled to figured out how to attach those state-of-the-art death-dealing turrets to those ancient contraptions.To compensate, the Serbians added (aka as long as our money was good) two Nora B-52 155 mm 52-calibre mobile artillery pieces and one battery of Orkan CER MLRS (Multiple Launch Rocket System) for long-range artillery, two batteries of their Oganj 2000 ER MRLS for medium range carnage and six batteries of their M-94 MRLS for 'close support' as well. More field-testing new gear for the "freedom fighters" We also managed to 'purchase' ten M-84AS Main Battle tanks plus an M-84A1 armor recovery vehicle. It should have been twelve tanks, but two had 'loading issues'.Not to be deterred, our busy little procurement-beavers discovered four tanks no one was using, in neighboring Croatia. Why wasn't anyone immediately keen on their placement? They were two sets of prototypes, Croatia's improvements on the M-84; the M-95 Degman which was a 'failed redesign' and the M-84D, which was a vast up-grade for the M-84 line which had been sidelined by the 2008 Global economic collapse, after which the project stagnated.It seemed they were all in working order because late one night 'my people' exited a Croatian Army base with them, never to be seen again, until two weeks later when an intrepid news crew caught the distinctive form of the M-95 sending some sweet 125 mm loving the Angolan Army's way. Whoops yet again! At least they hit what they were aiming at and destroyed what they hit, right?By then, millions of other people would be going 'what the fuck?' right along with them as Cabinda's camouflage- and mask-wearing rebel army was laying the smack-down on the Angolans. That was okay; over a million 'free Cabindan Unionists' were in the same boat. Over a thousand Asians with their mostly-female militant translators were right there to prop up their 'Unionist Allies', but then they were the ones with the tanks, armored vehicles, planes and guns, so they were less worried than most.To pilot these tanks, APC, IFV and man this artillery, they had to go back to the Khanate. Sure enough, they had some old tankers used to crewing the T-72 from which the M-84's and -95 Degman were derived. They'd also need drivers for those BVP M-80A's and Polish BWP-1's and OT-64 SKOT's... who were, again, derived from old Soviet tech (just much better). The Serbian artillery was similar enough to Soviet stuff, but with enough new tech to make it 'more fun' for the reservists to 'figure out' how to use.More volunteers for the Liberation Armed Forces! More Apple sales, great apps and voice modulation software so that the vehicle commanders would be heard communicating in Portuguese if someone was eavesdropping. As a final offering the Turkish Navy spontaneously developed some plans to test their long range capabilities by going to, the South Atlantic.On the final leg they would have six frigates and two submarines, enough to give any navy in the region, which wasn't Brazil, something to think about. This was a show of force, not an actual threat though. If anyone called their bluff, the Khanate-Turkish forces would have to pull back. These were not assets my Brother, the Great Khan, could afford to gamble and lose.If someone didn't call that bluff, he was also sending two smaller, older corvettes and three even smaller, but newer, fast attack boats, a "gift" to the Unionists ASAP. The frigates would then race home, they had 'other' issues to deal with while the submarines would hang around for a bit. The naval gift was necessitated by the reality the Unionists would have to press their claim to their off-shore riches and that required a naval force Angola couldn't hope to counter.As things were developing, it was reckoned since a build-up of such momentous land and air power couldn't be disguised, it had to happen in a matter of days ~ four was decided to be the minimum amount of time. More than that and the government of the Democratic Republic might start asking far too many questions our hefty bribes and dubious paperwork couldn't cover. Less than that would leave the task forces launching operations with too little a chance of success.Our biggest advantage was audacity. The buildup would happen 100 km up the Congo River from Soyo, the primary target of the Southern Invasion, in the DRC's second largest port city, Boma. Though across the river was Angolan territory, there was nothing there. The city of roughly 160,000 would provide adequate cover for the initial stage of the invasion.There they grouped their vehicles & Khanate drivers with Amazon and Vietnamese combat teams. The Japanese were doing the same for their 'Chinese' counterparts for their helicopter-borne forces. Getting all their equipment in working order in the short time left was critical as was creating some level of unit dynamic. Things were chaotic. No one was happy. They were all going in anyway.What had gone wrong?While most children her age were texting their schoolmates, or tackling their homework, Aya Ruger ~ the alias of Nasusara Assiyaiá hamai ~ was getting briefings of her global, secret empire worth hundreds of billions and those of her equally nefarious compatriots. She received a very abbreviated version of what the Regents received, delivered by a member of Shawnee Arinniti's staff.When Aya hopped off her chair unexpectedly, everyone tensed. Her bodyguards' hands went to their sidearms and Lorraine (her sister by blood), also in the room on this occasion, stood and prepared to tackle her 'former' sibling to the ground if the situation escalated into an assassination attempt. No such attack was generated, so the security ratcheted down and the attendant returned her focus to her Queen. Aya paced four steps, turned and retraced her way then repeated the action three more times."How many people live in the combined areas?" she asked."The combined areas? Of Cabinda and Zaire?""Yes.""I," the woman referenced her material, "roughly 1.1 million.""What is the yearly value of the offshore oil and natural gas production?""Forty-nine billion, eighty hundred and sixty-seven million by our best estimates at this time,""How many live in Soyo City proper?""Roughly 70,000.""We take Soyo," she spoke in a small yet deliberate voice. "We take and hold Soyo as an independent city-state within the Cabindan-Zaire Union. From the maps it appears Soyo is a series of islands. It has a port and airport. It has an open border to an ocean with weaker neighbors all around.""What of the, Zairians?""Bakongo. As a people they are called the Bakongo," Aya looked up at the briefer. "We relocate those who need to work in Soyo into a new city, built at our expense, beyond the southernmost water barrier. The rest we pay to relocate elsewhere in Zaire, or Cabinda."By the looks of those around her, Aya realized she needed to further explain her decisions."This is more than some concrete home base for our People," she began patiently. "In the same way it gives our enemies a clearly delineated target to attack us, it is a statement to our allies we won't cut and run if things go truly bad.""In the same way it will provide us with diplomatic recognition beyond what tenuous handouts we are getting from Cáel Wakko Ishara's efforts through JIKIT. Also, it is a reminder we are not like the other Secret Societies in one fundamental way, we are not a business concern, or a religion. We are a People and people deserve some sort of homeland. We have gone for so long without.""But Soyo?" the aide protested. "We have no ties to it, and it backs up to, nothing.""Northern Turkey and southern Slovakia mean nothing to us now as well," Aya debated. "No place on Earth is any more precious than another. As for backing up to nothing, no. You are incorrect. It backs into a promise from our allies in the Earth & Sky that if we need support, they know where to park their planes and ships."Aya was surrounded with unhappy, disbelieving looks."The Great Khan is my mamētu meáeda," she reminded them, "and I have every reason to believe he completely grasps the concept's benefits and obligations."The looks confirmed 'but he's a man' to the tiny Queen."Aya, are you sure about this?" Lorraine was the first to break decorum."Absolutely. Do you know what he sent me when he was informed of my, ascension to the Queendom?""No," Lorraine admitted."We must go horse-riding sometime soon, Daughter of Cáel, Queen of the Amazons."More uncertain and unconvinced looks."He didn't congratulate me, or send any gifts. He could have and you would think he would have, but he didn't. He knew the hearts of me & my Atta and we weren't in the celebratory mood. No. The Great Khan sent one sentence which offered solace and quiet, atop a horse on a windswept bit of steppe."Nothing.Sigh. "I know this sounds Cáel-ish," Aya admitted, "but I strongly believe this is what we should do. We are giving the Cabindans and Bakongo in Zaire independence and the promise of a much better life than what they now face. We will be putting thousands of our sisters' lives on the line to accomplish this feat and well over two hundred million dollars.""What about governance of the city ~ Soyo?" the aide forged ahead."Amazon law," Aya didn't hesitate. "We will make allowances for the security forces of visiting dignitaries and specific allied personnel, but otherwise it will be one massive Amazon urban freehold.""I cannot imagine the Golden Mare, or the Regents, will be pleased," the attendant bowed her head."It is a matter of interconnectivity," Aya walked up and touched the woman's cheek with the back of her small hand. "We could liberate then abandon Cabinda with the hope a small band could help them keep their independence. Except we need the refinery at Soyo so the people of Cabinda can truly support that liberty.""So, we must keep Soyo and to keep Soyo, we must keep Zaire province. There is no other lesser border which makes strategic sense ~ a river, highlands, a massive river, an ocean ~ those are sustainable frontiers. You can't simply keep Soyo and not expect the enemy to strike and destroy that refinery, thus we must take Zaire province.""But the Bakongo of Zaire cannot defend themselves and will not be able to do so for at least a year, if not longer. That means we must do so, and for doing so, they will give us Soyo and we will be honest stewards of their oil wealth. We cannot expect any other power to defend this new Union and if we don't have a land stake we will be portrayed as mercenaries and expelled by hostile international forces.""So, for this project to have any chance of success, we must stay, fight and have an acknowledged presence, and if you can think of an alternative, please let me know," she exhaled."What if the Cabindans and Bakongo resist?""It is 'us', or the Angolans and they know how horrible the Angolans can be. Didn't you say the average person their lives on just $2 a day?""Yes.""We can do better than that," Aya insisted."How?" the aide persisted. "I mean, 'how in a way which will be quickly evident and meaningful?'""Oh," Aya's tiny brow furrowed. Her nose twitched as she rummaged through the vast storehouse of her brain."Get me in touch with William A. Miller, Director of the U.S. Diplomatic Security Service. He should be able to help me navigate the pathways toward getting aid and advisors into those two provinces ASAP.""I'll let Katrina know," the attendant made the notation on her pad."No. Contact him directly," Aya intervened. "We established a, rapport when we met. I think he might responded positively to a chance to mentor me in foreign relations.""Really?" Lorraine's brows arched."Yes," Aya chirped."Are you sure, Nasusara?" the attendant stared. She used 'Nasusara' whenever she thought Aya had a 'horrible' idea instead of a merely a 'bad' one."Yes. He owes me. Last time we met I didn't shoot him.""Didn't?" the woman twitched."Yes. I drew down on him with my captured Chinese QSW-06. I didn't want to kill him, but I felt I was about to have to kill Deputy National Security Advisor Blinken and he was the only other person in the room both armed and capable of stopping me.""Why is he still alive?""Cáel Ishara saw through my distraction and then took my gun from me, asked for it actually," she shyly confessed."Would you have shot him?" the aide inquired."What do you think?" Aya smiled.And Then:So, given t

On this week's 8th Anniversary Pledge Drive edition of the program, we bring you an insightful community conversation held on March 25, 2025 about “American Foreign Policy: An Assessment” with veteran diplomat, Dr. Richard Haass, and moderator Ambassador Marcie Ries, two Oberlin College alumni from the early 1970s. Dr. Richard Haass is a veteran diplomat, respected scholar of international relations, and president emeritus of the Council on Foreign Relations. In this program, he offers his observations about the changing course of American foreign policy and the repercussions for the post-World War II world order. He comments on scenarios and implications of what might come next. Ambassador Marcie Ries served as moderator. Dr. Richard Haass ‘73 served as president of the Council on Foreign Relations for twenty years before retiring in 2023, and is now a senior counselor at Centerview Partners, LLC. From January 2001 to June 2003, Dr. Haass was director of policy planning for the Department of State and a principal advisor to Secretary of State Colin Powell. From 1989 to 1993, he was special assistant to President George H.W. Bush and senior director for Near East and South Asian affairs on the staff of the National Security Council. Previously, he served in the Departments of State (1981–1985) and Defense (1979–1980), and was a legislative aide in the U.S. Senate. A Rhodes Scholar, Dr. Haass holds a bachelor's degree from Oberlin College and master's and doctorate of philosophy degrees from Oxford University. He has also received numerous honorary degrees and was a member of the faculty of Harvard University's Kennedy School of Government and Hamilton College. Dr. Haass is the author or editor of fourteen books on American foreign policy, one book on management, and one on American democracy. He is as well the author of a weekly newsletter Home & Away published on Substack. Marcie B. Ries '72 is a retired Ambassador with more than thirty-five years of diplomatic experience in Europe, the Caribbean and the Middle East. She is a three-time Chief of Mission, serving as Head of the U.S. Mission in Kosovo (2003-2004), United States Ambassador to Albania (2004-2007) and as United States Ambassador to Bulgaria (2012-2015). She was a Senior Fellow at the Harvard Kennedy School's Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs from 2020-2021, where she co-authored the report “A U.S. Diplomatic Service for the 21st Century.” She was also co-author of Blueprints for a More Modern Diplomatic Service, published by Arizona State University in 2022. She graduated from Oberlin in 1972 and earned a master's degree from the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies. Truth to Power airs every Friday at 9pm, Saturday at 11am, and Sunday at 7pm on Louisville's grassroots, community radio station, Forward Radio 106.5fm WFMP and live streams at https://forwardradio.org

Hola comunidad, sí, Albania, ese país que no es Syldavia, el reino imaginario de Tintín con bigotes y conspiraciones, sino un lugar real que parece sacado de una aventura igual de loca. Prepárate para una ciudad que pasó de búnkeres grises a edificios pintados como si un niño hubiera encontrado un bote de pintura. Un día tanta sinceridad me traerá problemas... menos mal que estamos juntos en esto, ¿verdad?Por cierto, si viajas y quieres estar conectado tengo un código de descuento de 5% para tí en tu próxima eSim de HolaFly https://holafly.sjv.io/N94mdN el código de descuento es ELTURISTA Que lo disfrutes. Así podrás seguir escuchado este podcast. Todavía no he pulsado el botón de ‘monetizar' porque quiero que nada interrumpa esta aventura: ni anuncios, ni pausas, solo tú y yo explorando el mundo. Pero te necesito: ¿me echas una mano? Dame 5 estrellas y deja una reseña, son 30 segundos para ti y un empujón enorme para mí.  Tú también puedes ser parte activa: ¿tienes ideas para futuros episodios? Envíame un audio de hasta 1 minuto por Instagram o Facebook —puedes mandar varios si necesitas más tiempo—. Búscame como https://www.instagram.com/cesarsar_elturista/ , CesarSar en FB  https://www.facebook.com/CesarSar/  o suscríbete a mi canal de YouTube  https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC55ZMnqfOlSc7uWbIEM4bDw ¿Prefieres escribirme? Mándame un correo a viajes@cesarsar.com , y si quieres, incluye una nota de voz.  Si sueñas con un viaje perfecto, déjame ayudarte. Como viajero consultor, pongo a tus pies mis 135 países recorridos y tres vueltas al mundo —¡eso son muchas historias que contar! Escríbeme al mismo mail y organicemos juntos tu próximo gran viaje, para que vivas, disfrutes y sueñes a lo grande, porque un buen viaje es pura vida. Además, he vuelto a lanzar viajes en grupo, así que estate atento a mis redes: ¡podríamos explorar el mundo juntos!  Y si te mola este podcast y quieres darme un extra de apoyo con la serie de tv, deja un comentario en mi post de BuenViaje en IG: https://www.instagram.com/p/CrKqoyzubKZ/?  Un abrazo enorme, comunidad. Compartir es vivir, ¡y contigo esto cobra sentido!Aquí algunas de las plataformas donde está disponible el podcast. Apple Podcast https://podcasts.apple.com/es/podcast/c%C3%A9sar-sar-el-turista/id1592890080Spotify https://open.spotify.com/show/14Gs7rhzsYoaQe5Nh05SsI?si=HMPa8pfqSKWSSf0ZtIQGKgIVOOX https://go.ivoox.com/sq/1396585#Viajes #ViajesBarartos #Viajes #Viajessostenibles #Consejosdeviajes #Viajesfelices #Podcastdeviajes #Vueltaalmundo #Tirana #Albania #Europa #UnionSovietica

La leader del partito di estrema destra Rassemblement National, Marine Le Pen, è stata condannata per appropriazione indebita di fondi pubblici del Parlamento europeo. Una condanna che potrebbe impedirle di candidarsi alle elezioni presidenziali del 2027. Intanto con il vicedirettore di Milano Finanza Fabrizio Massaro capiamo meglio cosa vuol dire l'acquisto di Tim da parte di Poste Italiane, mentre il governo ha deciso di usare per i rimpatri i centri costruiti l'anno scorso in Albania. ... Qui il link per iscriversi al canale Whatsapp di Notizie a colazione: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029Va7X7C4DjiOmdBGtOL3z Per iscriverti al canale Telegram: https://t.me/notizieacolazione ... Qui gli altri podcast di Class Editori: https://milanofinanza.it/podcast Musica https://www.bensound.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What if you could redefine your identity beyond titles and roles? How do you know which path to take when you come upon a fork in the road along life's journey? Join us, as we explore these profound questions with our remarkably wise guest, Dave Schutter. From Military to Ministry - Dave Schutter's Wisdom Journey Our special guest Dave Schutter had his sights set on a military career, dreaming of an appointment to West Point. But God had a different plan for his life. From his dreams of West Point to a transformative mission trip to Albania, Dave's journey is a testament to adaptability, faith and finding purpose. Together, we unravel the intricate balance of separating who we are from what we do, sharing experiences from his time as a military chaplain in Afghanistan and his work in pastoral ministry. It's an engaging conversation steeped in life's simple joys and the wisdom found in unexpected places.   More about Pastor Dave Schutter Dave is a military veteran, a pastor and a pizza aficionado. Born and raised in Cleveland, Ohio, as the son of a military man, Dave dreamed of attending West Point, but a sports injury prevented him from passing the fitness entrance exam. He didn't give up on that dream and years later Dave qualified for that appointment to the US Military Academy at West Point. But he turned down that opportunity in favor of something different.   Today, Dave leads the congregation at Northwest Presbyterian Church as Senior Pastor. Notably in Dave's life, he served as a military Chaplain in the US Army, including an active deployment in Afghanistan. That tour of duty earned him the prestigious Bronze Star.   Dave Schutter graduated with a Master of Divinity degree from Covenant Theological Seminary in 1997 and earned a Master of Theology degree from Westminster Seminary in 2017. He completed his undergraduate studies at Miami (Ohio) University in 1993. Dave is also a contributor to the Jonathan Edwards Encyclopedia (Eerdmans, Fall 2017) and the Jonathan Edwards Global Sermon Editing Project.   Dave, his wife Kim, and their three children live in the Columbus Ohio area.   Resources Connect with Dave on LinkedIn Link to website for Dave's church - Northwest Presbyterian Church   Credits Editor + Technical Advisor Bob Hotchkiss Brand + Strategy Advisor Andy Malinoski PR + Partnerships Advisor Rachel Bell Marketing, Social Media and Graphic Design Chloe Lineberg   Stay Connected with Us on Social YouTube @themainthingpod Twitter @themainthingpod Instagram @themainthingpod Facebook  @TheMainThingPod LinkedIn   Help Support and Sustain This Podcast Become a subscriber. Share the podcast with one or two friends. Follow us on social media @TheMainThingPod Buy some Main Thing Merch from our Merchandise Store. Buy a book from our curated wisdom collection on bookshop.org. Become a patron and support us on Patreon with funding.   Episode Chapters [0:03:48] - Skip and Dave pontificate on their shared love of pizza [0:05:48] - Dave's family military legacy; dreams of West Point [0:07:11] - How Skip and Dave are connected [0:08:50] - Dave shares his main thing [0:10:17] - Identity; Solid advice from a mentor in South Dakota [0:14:16] - Pain points, feelings of shame and wondering if we are enough [0:18:39] - A pivotal trip to Albania [0:21:10] - Dave shares a final thought ###

Share your thoughtsWhat happens when everything you think defines you is suddenly stripped away? In this episode, Erika Allison Lambro shares her remarkable journey from rejecting her Christian upbringing to embracing an LGBTQ identity, Buddhist spirituality, and activism against the church—only to have it all crumble after a cancer diagnosis at age 40. For 25 years, she distanced herself from her family and faith, even writing a book titled "Gay the Pray Away" challenging the church's stance on sexuality. Yet despite constructing these new identities, something was still missing.The turning point came through cancer—not as something God saved her from, but as what God used to save her life.This conversation offers hope to anyone questioning who they truly are. As Erika puts it: "If you allow your constructed identities to crumble, as scary as it may feel, what you're going to find is an even more solid ground underneath—that you are a child of God." If her story resonates with you, or you feel called to share your testimony through missions as she did in Albania, visit rfwma.org to explore opportunities to serve.Support the showThanks for listening! Visit our website rfwma.org and follow us on Facebook :https://www.facebook.com/limitlessspiritpodcast/and Instagram: @limitlessspiritpodcastHelp us make more inspiring episodes: https://rfwma.org/give-support-the-podcast/

Send me a Text Message!MARCH 2025Hey everyone—checking in from Albania! This month's been a bit of a whirlwind. I finally moved into my new place in Porto (which felt amazing), but then had to leave Portugal until my visa is approved. Cue the Great Travel Shuffle: Porto > Madrid > Tirana > Frankfurt > US > Frankfurt > Porto. So. Many. Flights.But you know what? Tirana—and especially the Blloku neighborhood—continues to surprise me. It's my third time here and there's always more history to discover. From strong espressos and people-watching to powerful pieces of history tucked around every corner, it's been a unique little chapter.In this episode, I'm talking about the highs, the hectic moments, the history, and what it's like living out of a suitcase while craving a little stillness. If you've ever felt that mix of wanderlust and wanting to just hang your clothes up for once—you'll get it.Website  I  Instagram  I  Twitter  I  LinkedIn  I  YouTubeEmail: actorbobtapper@gmail.comIn this episode:Moving into my Porto Apartment (for a quick minute)Pack, Unpack, Repack and back to TiranaEnver Hoxha's Home: 40 years of communist rulePostbllok MemorialLooking forward to my return to PortoAirBnbBook your stay!Former Residence of Enver HoxhaRight in the heart of Tirana is a quiet villa that once belonged to Enver Hoxha, Albania's longtime communist leader. For decades, the entire area around it—now known as Blloku—was completely off-limits, guarded by police and secret agents. It was basically a wall-less fortress for the regime's elite, hidden in plain sight. Today, it's one of the city's liveliest neighborhoods, but that history still lingers.Postbllok MemorialOne of the most powerful spots in Tirana is the Postbllok Memorial—a small but impactful installation created by former political prisoner Fatos Lubonja and artist Ardian Isufi. It features concrete beams from Spaç Prison, part of a military bunker, and a piece of the Berlin Wall gifted by the city of Berlin. Each element tells a story of Albania's past under dictatorship and its long road to freedom. Support the show

Ep 358: There we go, 2 games, 2 wins, 6 points. Was it enough though? Join me and various other England fans as we look back on Thomas Tuchel's first games against Albania and Latvia. I also take a glance at who has already qualified for the World Cup 2026. Running Time: 51:44 Join the debate in our Facebook group at http://bit.ly/2hnHBzi http://www.threelionspodcast.com http://www.Twitter.com/3LionsPodcast http://www.Twitter.com/Russell_Osborne

We're getting on with it this week, so no preamble just pure enjoyment of nine songs from Uitwaaien, Griff And Michele, The Short Fuses, French Girls, The Toy Dolls, Miss Georgia Peach, The Lemon Drop Gang, Scustin and Payola.Voice of Jeff, Comedy Suburbs, Tony has your Facebook comments, Bum Fun, Swagger: Second Shot, last week, knackered, Severance, Wedding Band, Anal Sex, England v Albania, Scotland v Greece, Lovejoyless, Heathrow, Mad Heidi, Cheese, From the Vaults, Tony's International Gig Guide, this week,work work work, Mothers Day, Forest, Reacher, blackcurrent, Izzatwat, AI, John Wayne and a reminder of the ways you can listen.Song 1: Uitwaaien – Will We Love Again?Song 2: Griff And Michele – 54-46 Was My NumberSong 3: The Short Fuses – You Ain't Shit (Without A Leather Jacket)Song 4: French Girls – Independent WomanSong 5: The Toy Dolls – The Ashbrooke LaunderetteSong 6: Miss Georgia Peach – You're The Reason Our Kids Are UglySong 7: The Lemon Drop Gang – Let The World StaySong 8: Scustin – The IckSong 9: Payola – Pulse Jet Man

England's new manager began his tenure with straightforward wins over Albania and Latvia, with a host of new faces impressing along the way. However some problems remain, with square pegs being forced into round holes in Thomas Tuchel's lineups. Elsewhere, USA manager Mauricio Pochettino was pictured having a coffee with Daniel Levy, leading to speculation that he may one day return to Spurs for a second spell as boss. But is it adding two and two and getting five with Ange Postecoglou still hanging onto his job in the meantime? Niall and Marley discuss this and more, including whether the USA can have an impact on home soil next summer, on today's FSD. Keep up to date with us on our socials here: Twitter: https://twitter.com/FSDPod TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@footballsocialdaily Telegram Group: https://t.me/FootballSocial Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Morning Footy crew discuss England's 3-0 win over Latvia yesterday. Thomas Tuchel has his squad firing on all engines. This after a comfortable win over Albania. That's 2 wins in 2 matches for Tuchel. Reece James has now netted his first ever goal for England. Kane and Eze also each had one in the latest victory. Morning Footy is available for free on the Audacy app as well as Apple Podcasts, Spotify and wherever else you listen to podcasts.  Visit the betting arena on CBSSports.com for all the latest in sportsbook reviews and sportsbook promos for betting on soccer For more soccer coverage from CBS Sports, visit https://www.cbssports.com/soccer/ To hear more from the CBS Sports Podcast Network, visit https://www.cbssports.com/podcasts/ Watch UEFA Champions League, UEFA Europa League, UEFA Europa Conference League, Serie A, Coppa Italia, EFL, NWSL, Scottish Premiership, Argentine Primera División by subscribing Paramount Plus: https://www.paramountplus.com/home/ To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Ian is joined by Flo Lloyd-Hughes and Ryan Hunn to discuss the Thomas Tuchel England era, starting with two wins against Albania and Latvia (02:12). They chat about both games, the positives, the key performers, who might be a Harry Kane backup, where players like Phil Foden might fit in and look, and much more. Host: Ian Wright Guests: Flo Lloyd-Hughes and Ryan Hunn Producers: Ryan Hunn and Roscoe Bowman Additional Production: Patris Gordon Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

We kick off our 2025 Eurovision Review Season with #EurovisionSky poster Ted Van Houten to discuss the entries from Albania, Slovenia, Belgium, Ukraine, and Poland. About Ted Ted is a transportation planner in Washington, DC. As someone who loves European geopolitics, obscure pop music, and being a homosexual, Ted was destined to be a Eurovision fan as soon as he found out about it. Other than Eurovision, Ted enjoys trivia competitions (both online and at his local bar), tennis, reality television, and making puns on Bluesky that get less likes than he wishes they would. Evolution Summary

Max Rushden is joined by John Brewin, Nedum Onuoha and Ali Maxwell as Thomas Tuchel begins his tenure as England's head coach with a 2-0 win over Albania. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/footballweeklypod

Jimbo welcomes Daniel Storey, Tom Williams and Seb Stafford-Bloor into the pod after an incredible weekend of international action. Germany throw away a 3-0 lead against Italy but still earn the right to compete in the Nations League finals and indeed to host them. But what happened with the Jamal Musiala goal that embarrassed the Azzurri? Cristiano Ronaldo's on the scoresheet for Portugal in their extra-time victory over Denmark. France win on penalties against Croatia as Michael Olise really steps up for his country. Spain also progress on penalties after a 3-3 draw with Netherlands. Pol Ballus was there and is full of praise for Lamine Yamal and Spain debutant Dean Huijsen. Thomas Tuchel's England beat Albania and welcome Latvia to Wembley. The panel ask whether we will ever see the best of Phil Foden in an England shirt. Plus Motta, Matondo, Mexico and the Marshall Islands. Produced by Charlie Jones. RUNNING ORDER:  • PART 1a: Germany 3-3 Italy (06.00) • PART 1b: Portugal 5-2 Denmark (11.00)  • PART 1c: France beat Croatia on penalties (13.00) • PART 1d: Spain beat Netherlands with Pol Ballus (17.30) • PART 2a: Elsewhere in the Nations League (24.00) • PART 2b: England ready for Latvia (30.00) • PART 2c: Bellamy's Wales win again (37.00) • PART 3a: Motta sacked by Juventus (40.00) • PART 3b: New Zealand qualify for the World Cup (43.00) • PART 3c: Lee Wingate from The Sweeper joins us (45.00) • PART 3d: Mexico win the Nations League (53.00) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Morning Footy crew welcome in Geoff Shreeves to discuss the takeaways from England's victory over Albania which was Thomas Tuchel's first match as Manager. Goals from Arsenal's Lewis-Skelly and Bayern's Harry Kane were more than enough as England were able to keep a clean sheet. The group also spotlight Marcus Rashford and Phil Foden's performances as well. Morning Footy is available for free on the Audacy app as well as Apple Podcasts, Spotify and wherever else you listen to podcasts.  Visit the betting arena on CBSSports.com for all the latest in sportsbook reviews and sportsbook promos for betting on soccer For more soccer coverage from CBS Sports, visit https://www.cbssports.com/soccer/ To hear more from the CBS Sports Podcast Network, visit https://www.cbssports.com/podcasts/ Watch UEFA Champions League, UEFA Europa League, UEFA Europa Conference League, Serie A, Coppa Italia, EFL, NWSL, Scottish Premiership, Argentine Primera División by subscribing Paramount Plus: https://www.paramountplus.com/home/ To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

After Thomas Tuchel's first England match, what will he have learned? Mark Chapman is joined by Nedum Onuoha, Glenn Murray and Senior Football Reporter Ian Dennis to discuss England's win against Albania at Wembley on Friday evening. How much can be read into Tuchel's first match as England manager and how much has changed since he took over? Hear from the new manager who gives his assessment of England's performance, as well as England's two debutants, Arsenal's Myles Lewis-Skelly and Newcastle's Dan Burn. The panel discuss the impressive debuts for the pair and they also look ahead to Monday's match against Latvia. Plus, after Friday's under-21 match between England and France became the most valuable under-21 international match ever, Julien Laurens pops by to discuss some of the future stars.BBC Sounds / 5 Live Premier League commentaries this week:Sat 22 Mar - 19:15 - Wales v Kazakhstan in the UEFA World Cup qualifiers on 5 Sports Extra Sun 23 Mar - 14:30 - Manchester City v Chelsea in the Women's Super League on 5 Live Mon 24 Mar - 19:45 - England v Latvia in the World Cup qualifiers on 5 Live Tue 25 Mar - 19:00 - North Macedonia v Wales in the World Cup qualifiers on 5 Sports Extra Wed 26 Mar - 20:00 - Arsenal v Real Madrid in the Women's Champions League on 5 Live Thu 27 Mar - 20:00 - Chelsea v Manchester City in the Women's Champions League on 5 Live

John Murray & Ian Dennis are joined by former BBC Wales football correspondent Rob Phillips. They discuss his journey following the Wales national team and seeing Gareth Bale's rise from the youth team. Herr Chapman claims another sticky-handed victim dipping into their sweets on the radio. More football lookalikes, England v Wales in Clash of the Commentators and there's a high bar to get into the Great Glossary of Football Commentary.03:00 Rob Phillips' journey following Wales 09:50 Following Gareth Bale's rise from the start 19:50 Herr Chapman is at it again… 21:40 John's Mike Gatting incident 24:05 More football lookalikes & soundalikes 29:10 Play-by-play commentary sharing 36:20 England v Wales in Clash of the Commentators 45:20 What will enter the Great Glossary?BBC Sounds / 5 Live commentaries this weekend: Fri 1945 England v Albania in World Cup qualifier, Sun 1430 Man City v Chelsea in the Women's Super League, Mon 1945 England v Latvia in World Cup qualifier.

Mark Chapman hosts the Football Daily Podcast as England beat Albania 2-0 in a World Cup qualifying match in Thomas Tuchel's first game in charge.Senior Football Reporter Ian Dennis provides reaction from Wembley alongside former England players Matt Upson and Leon Osman.Football Correspondent John Murray speaks to the new England boss after the match and also interviews goalscoring debutant Myles Lewis-Skelly.TIMECODES:00:25 - Post-match chat 12:55 - Myles-Lewis Skelly interview 19:30 - Thomas Tuchel interviewBBC Sounds / 5 Live Premier League commentaries this week:Sat 22 Mar - 19:15 - Wales v Kazakhstan in the UEFA World Cup qualifiers on 5 Sports Extra Sun 23 Mar - 14:30 - Manchester City v Chelsea in the Women's Super League on 5 Live Mon 24 Mar - 19:45 - England v Latvia in the World Cup qualifiers on 5 Live Tue 25 Mar - 19:00 - North Macedonia v Wales in the World Cup qualifiers on 5 Sports Extra Wed 26 Mar - 20:00 - Arsenal v Real Madrid in the Women's Champions League on 5 Live Thu 27 Mar - 20:00 - Chelsea v Manchester City in the Women's Champions League on 5 Live

Billi (@SGPSoccer) delivers a bumper edition of The EPL, which deep delves into another horrible loss for the USMNT and what the implications may be. This is followed by an inquest into Liverpool's horrible season ending week and some strong thoughts regarding the future of Mo Salah. The episode closes out by looking at a handful of European World Cup qualifiers, which includes looking at Tuchel's first bow as the England manager, as they host Albania at Wembley tonight. A squad that had been settled under Gareth Southgate, until the former coach decided to go with youth at the Euros, has now seen several of the old guard return— as forgotten men Jordan Henderson, Reece James and Marcus Rashford are back in favour. Exclusive SGPN Bonuses And Linkshttp://linktr.ee/sportsgamblingpodcastFollow The Sports Gambling Podcast X/Twitter - https://x.com/GamblingPodcastInstagram - https://www.instagram.com/sportsgamblingpodcastTikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@gamblingpodcastFacebook - http://www.facebook.com/sportsgamblingpodcastFollow The Sports Gambling Podcast HostsSean Green - http://www.twitter.com/seantgreenRyan Kramer - http://www.twitter.com/kramercentricGambling problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER CO, DC, IL, IN, LA, MD, MS, NJ, OH, PA, TN, VA, WV, WY Call 877-8-HOPENY or text HOPENY (467369) (NY) Call 1-800-327-5050 (MA)21+ to wager. Please Gamble Responsibly. Call 1-800-NEXT-STEP (AZ), 1-800-522-4700 (KS, NV), 1-800 BETS-OFF (IA), 1-800-270-7117 for confidential help (MI)

Billi (@SGPSoccer) delivers a bumper edition of The EPL, which deep delves into another horrible loss for the USMNT and what the implications may be. This is followed by an inquest into Liverpool's horrible season ending week and some strong thoughts regarding the future of Mo Salah. The episode closes out by looking at a handful of European World Cup qualifiers, which includes looking at Tuchel's first bow as the England manager, as they host Albania at Wembley tonight. A squad that had been settled under Gareth Southgate, until the former coach decided to go with youth at the Euros, has now seen several of the old guard return— as forgotten men Jordan Henderson, Reece James and Marcus Rashford are back in favour. JOIN the SGPN community #DegensOnlyExclusive Merch, Contests and Bonus Episodes ONLY on Patreon - https://sg.pn/patreonDiscuss with fellow degens on Discord - https://sg.pn/discordDownload The Free SGPN App - https://sgpn.appCheck out the Sports Gambling Podcast on YouTube - https://sg.pn/YouTubeCheck out our website - http://sportsgamblingpodcast.com SUPPORT us by supporting our partnersUnderdog Fantasy code SGPN - Up to $1000 in BONUS CASH - https://play.underdogfantasy.com/p-sgpnRithmm - Player Props and Picks - Free 7 day trial! http://sportsgamblingpodcast.com/rithmmRebet - Social sportsbook - 100% deposit match promo code SGPN in your app store! ADVERTISE with SGPNInterested in advertising? Contact sales@sgpn.io WATCH the Sports Gambling PodcastYouTube - https://sg.pn/YouTubeTwitch - https://sg.pn/Twitch FOLLOW The Sports Gambling Podcast On Social MediaTwitter - http://www.twitter.com/gamblingpodcastInstagram - http://www.instagram.com/sportsgamblingpodcastTikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@gamblingpodcastFacebook - http://www.facebook.com/sportsgamblingpodcast Gambling problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER CO, DC, IL, IN, LA, MD, MS, NJ, OH, PA, TN, VA, WV, WY Call 877-8-HOPENY or text HOPENY (467369) (NY) Call 1-800-327-5050 (MA)21+ to wager. Please Gamble Responsibly. Call 1-800-NEXT-STEP (AZ), 1-800-522-4700 (KS, NV), 1-800 BETS-OFF (IA), 1-800-270-7117 for confidential help (MI)

Fri 21st March - 10pm - https://youtube.com/live/g7fMgMm2vuc Gary, Alan and Micah will be doing a special livestream episode tonight at 10pm - immediately after the England v Albania game - to give their reaction to Thomas Tuchel's first game in charge. It will be on The Rest Is Football YouTube Channel, you can go straight to the livestream by clicking on the link at the top of this description. A podcast version of that show will also be uploaded to all podcast platforms, so you can still listen as normal wherever you get your podcasts, Do join us tonight though and get your questions and thoughts in for the guys to discuss. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Did we see any significant differences in this England display? Which players do we want to see more of in Monday's game against Latvia? Is Harry Kan'e brilliance taken for granted? In this special livestream episode, Gary and Alan discuss the key talking points after England's victory against Albania and answer the best of your questions as we look ahead to the development of Tuchel's team. Sign up to The Rest Is Football newsletter at therestisfootball.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Welcome in for another edition of the Morning Espresso from the SDH Network, brought to you by Oglethorpe University, Atlanta's premier undergraduate learning experience and soccer powerhouse.Disappointing night for the USMNT who lost 1-0 to Panama on a stoppage time goal from Cecilio Waterman. Panama's 5-4-1 gave the US fits, and there wasn't enough urgency to find answers or take risks. Mauricio Pochettino said afterwards that the US shirt wasn't enough in games like this, he said you could feel the difference in the hunger shown by the two sets of players, and he said the US needed to take more risks going forward. That's not easy to change overnight, and I'm really curious to see the response in the third place game against Canada on Sunday. Mexico will face Panama in the Nations League championship match on Sunday after a 2-0 win over Canada on two goals from Raul Jimenez. The top six teams in South American World Cup qualifying should be fine to qualify. Paraguay is unbeaten in 7 after their 1-0 over Chile. Brazil needed a stoppage time winning deflected goal from Vinicius Junior to beat Colombia. Then, Raphinha needed to prevent Vini from getting a time-wasting yellow card as he was subbed out which would have had him suspended from the Argentina match on Tuesday. Was he trying to get suspended? It looked bizarre.South Korea, Iran, and Australia should be the next teams from Asia to earn qualification to the World Cup after their results yesterday. New Zealand will face New Caledonia for the Oceania qualifying spot after both won their semifinals. Denis Bouanga scored twice for Gabon in their win in African World Cup qualifying. The door has cracked open for Nigeria who has struggled mightily so far after Benin could only manage a draw, Nigeria faces Rwanda and can pull to within two points of qualifying with a win. Mozambique moved into a qualification spot with a win, but Algeria could jump them with a win today. The New York Pancyprian Freedoms became the 6th team to pull off a cupset in the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup, winning a penalty shootout with FC Cincinnati 2. England starts their World Cup qualifying journey today, hosting Albania. England are unbeaten in their last 31 World Cup qualifiers and have never dropped points to Albania. The highlight of the qualifiers is tonight as Uruguay hosts Argentina in one of the world's oldest rivalries. More Espresso on Monday on the SDH Network, presented by Oglethorpe University.

The Morning Footy crew welcome in Geoff Shreeves to discuss England's upcoming World Cup qualifiers against Albania, tonight, and Latvia on Monday. What are the England fans looking for in these matches? And how with new England Manager Thomas Tuchel set up this team for success? And what are the implications of leading a national team as a foreign coach? What does Tuchel see in Jordan Henderson? Morning Footy is available for free on the Audacy app as well as Apple Podcasts, Spotify and wherever else you listen to podcasts.  Visit the betting arena on CBSSports.com for all the latest in sportsbook reviews and sportsbook promos for betting on soccer For more soccer coverage from CBS Sports, visit https://www.cbssports.com/soccer/ To hear more from the CBS Sports Podcast Network, visit https://www.cbssports.com/podcasts/ Watch UEFA Champions League, UEFA Europa League, UEFA Europa Conference League, Serie A, Coppa Italia, EFL, NWSL, Scottish Premiership, Argentine Primera División by subscribing Paramount Plus: https://www.paramountplus.com/home/ To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

England prepare for the first game under Thomas Tuchel. John Murray & Ian Dennis speak to Tuchel and captain Harry Kane before the World Cup qualifier vs Albania.The new England manager talks about the players at his disposal, and in which formation he may use them. Also hear from Bayern Munich's Kane, who feels his former manager is the right man to lead England to a first trophy since 1966.Timecodes: 01:00 Changes in camp 06:15 Thomas Tuchel with John Murray 13:05 Excitement around a new era 15:10 Harry Kane with Ian Dennis 20:00 Kane still at the top of his game 21:15 Albania coming to WembleyBBC Sounds/ 5 Live commentaries this week: England v Albania - World Cup qualifier - 19:45 - Friday 21st March Man City v Chelsea - Women's Super League - 19:45 - Sunday 23rd March England v Latvia - World Cup qualifier - 19:45 - Monday 24th March

No pleasant introductions, or quaint toast at the end of this one folks. We may have moved past the brink, and into the abyss, but that's to discuss in later episodes....Today, three long-term USAID staffers  now retired and free to talk describe their anger over how  the foreign aid  program has been gutted and colleagues maligned, their fear about global suffering and losses that will result ,and their hope for a  come back  in the future.Francisco Bencosme was formerly the China Policy Lead for USAID, the principal advisor on issues relating to China and Taiwan. Prior to joining USAID, he was deputy to the Special Presidential Envoy for Compact of Free Association talks, helping conclude agreements with the Marshall Islands, Micronesia, and Palau in the Pacific Islands. He was at the same time senior advisor to the assistant secretary for East Asian and the Pacific Affairs.Before joining the Biden/Harris administration, he was a senior policy advisor at the Open Society Foundations covering Asia and Latin America. During his time at Amnesty International USA, Bencosme led the US human rights policy and advocacy program towards the Asia Pacific.  In 2018, he was named one of The Hill's Top Lobbyist for a campaign on Myanmar Rohingya issues. He also has served on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee staff.Ann Posner spent more than 32 years working in USAID missions in the Czech Republic, Russia, Albania, Bosnia and the West Bank-Gaza.  As a Foreign Service Executive Officer she led local administrative staffs and helped manage programs involving issues ranged from crop marketing in the Eastern Caribbean, anti-corruption and free election laws in Russia, and agricultural aid in Albania to investigation journalism and judicial reform in BosniaSusan Reichle is a retired Senior Foreign Service officer of USAID and former president and CEO of the International Youth Foundation — global non-profit working to equip and inspire young people everywhere to transform their lives. Before joining IYF, Susan spent 26 years in leadership positions at USAID missions overseas and in Washington, D.C. During her last three years at USAID, she served as the Counselor to the Agency, USAID's most Senior Foreign Service Officer, and advised the administrator and senior leadership on global development policies and management issues. She served in Haiti, Nicaragua, Russia, Colombia and her last assignment in USAID/Washington she led the Democracy, Conflict and Humanitarian Assistance bureau.

Aaron Paul and Jobi McAnuff are joined by Colchester boss Danny Cowley. They discuss their rise from relegation danger to the League Two play-off places. Hear from a bullish Chris Wilder after Sheffield United won the Steel City derby. Catch Neil Harris' punchy post-match comments after Cambridge United lost the Cambridgeshire derby. And Sheffield Wednesday get their Oxfords mixed up!01:35 Bluewater respond to Nathan Jones' shopping ban 05:00 Colchester up into the League Two play-offs 13:50 Is Danny getting in on Jack Payne's ice baths? 16:50 Danny Cowley responds to ‘disrespect' accusations 21:10 Chris Wilder INTERVIEW after Steel City derby win 25:45 Will Portsmouth survive? 27:45 Sheffield Wednesday get their Oxfords confused! 30:40 Neil Harris' explosive post-match interview 34:20 Danny gives Aaron stick in Fantasy EFL 36:20 Hat-tricks and misses chances in 72plus 72minusBBC Sounds / 5 Live commentaries this week: Wed 19 Mar 2000 Man City v Chelsea in the UEFA Women's Champions League, Thu 20 Mar 1945 Greece v Scotland in Nations League play-off, Fri 21 Mar 1945 England v Albania in World Cup qualifier Sun 23 Mar 1430 Man City v Chelsea in the Women's Super League, Mon 24 Mar 1945 England v Latvia in World Cup qualifier.

Angela Martini’s journey is one of resilience, transformation, and the powerful blend of love and discipline. Born in Albania and raised in Switzerland, Angela’s childhood was marked by the unwavering love of her mother and the strict, sometimes harsh teachings of her father. While her father didn’t want her to pursue modeling, the Albanian police recognized her potential, encouraging her to become Miss Albania. Her path to becoming Miss Universe Albania, working with Donald Trump, and eventually finding peace in New York, where she discovered faith and spirituality, reflects a journey of self-discovery. Through her book, Angela shares profound lessons about self-love, astrology, and how overcoming challenges reshaped her life, alongside her husband’s own fight for justice.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.