Podcasts about Arabian Sea

This week, we're honored to welcome Louis Alexander, a Guinness World Record-holding adventurer and endurance athlete from London. At just 25 years old, Louis has already achieved feats that most of us can only dream of—running marathons on all seven continents and swimming marathons in all seven seas. His journey has taken him from the frozen landscapes of Antarctica to the sweltering waters of the Arabian Sea, testing the limits of human endurance while raising tens of thousands of dollars for charity.Louis takes us on a journey through his transformation from an ordinary young man to a full-time professional adventurer. He shares the pivotal moment that sparked his passion for adventure—climbing Mount Kilimanjaro in honor of his late grandfather, Captain Rick Taylor, who inspired his mission to raise awareness for dementia. That first adventure ignited a fire within him, leading to a relentless pursuit of challenges that push the boundaries of physical and mental endurance.In this episode, we explore the mindset and grit required to take on such extraordinary challenges, the lessons Louis has learned from the world's most extreme environments, and the profound sense of purpose that drives him. From the Amazon Rainforest to the Arctic Circle, Louis shares stories of triumph, struggle, and the power of finding meaning through adventure.Join us for an inspiring conversation about embracing risk, building resilience, and using adventure as a force for good.

DITCH YOUR DOCTOR! https://www.livelongerformula.com/wam Get a natural health practitioner and work with Christian Yordanov! Mention WAM and get a FREE masterclass! HELP SUPPORT US AS WE DOCUMENT HISTORY HERE: https://gogetfunding.com/help-wam-cover-history/ GET NON-MRNA FREEZE DRIED MEAT HERE: https://wambeef.com/ Use code WAMBEEF to save 20%! GET HEIRLOOM SEEDS & NON GMO SURVIVAL FOOD HERE: https://heavensharvest.com/ USE Code WAM to save 5% plus free shipping! GET YOUR APRICOT SEEDS at the life-saving Richardson Nutritional Center HERE: https://rncstore.com/r?id=bg8qc1 Josh Sigurdson reports on the escalation between Europe and Russia as the EU rejects a ceasefire deal which will both damage the supply chain internationally while also forcing potentially millions into war. Both Denmark and Germany are pushing a draft while the UK works on the same. Germany wants their draft to be "inclusive" and to support "diversity" while going up against Russia. If anything has ever sounded like the final words of a collapsing civilization, it's that. Denmark wants countless women to be drafted. Ukraine is looking to now draft much younger people than previously as they continue to target energy sites in Russia and shut down a ceasefire deal. Meanwhile, in the United States, people are being arrested and deported including citizens for criticizing Israel as the US continues to pummel Houthis in the Red Sea and Arabian Sea further damaging the supply chain and moving closer to war with Iran, one of Russia and China's top allies. They do this for their master, Israel. This escalation helps push forward the Greater Israel Project and allows for the manufactured, scripted World War 3 scenario to play out. This was always the agenda. They had to make it look natural. They had to make it look like the US was going to pull back on one side while it pushes on another. All roads lead to Rome. This is a manufactured power shift from the west to the east in favor of technocratic emergency orders and a NEW New World Order. Stay tuned for more from WAM! Get local, healthy, pasture raised meat delivered to your door here: https://wildpastures.com/promos/save-20-for-life/bonus15?oid=6&affid=321 USE THE LINK & get 20% off for life and $15 off your first box! SIGN UP FOR HOMESTEADING COURSES NOW: https://freedomfarmers.com/link/17150/ Get Prepared & Start The Move Towards Real Independence With Curtis Stone's Courses! GET YOUR WAV WATCH HERE: https://buy.wavwatch.com/WAM Use Code WAM to save $100 and purchase amazing healing frequency technology! GET ORGANIC CHAGA MUSHROOMS HERE: https://alaskachaga.com/wam Use code WAM to save money! See shop for a wide range of products! GET AMAZING MEAT STICKS HERE: https://4db671-1e.myshopify.com/discount/WAM?rfsn=8425577.918561&utm_source=refersion&utm_medium=affiliate&utm_campaign=8425577.918561 USE CODE WAM TO SAVE MONEY! GET YOUR FREEDOM KELLY KETTLE KIT HERE: https://patriotprepared.com/shop/freedom-kettle/ Use Code WAM and enjoy many solutions for the outdoors in the face of the impending reset! BUY GOLD HERE: https://firstnationalbullion.com/schedule-consult/ PayPal: ancientwonderstelevision@gmail.com FIND OUR CoinTree page here: https://cointr.ee/joshsigurdson JOIN US on SubscribeStar here: https://www.subscribestar.com/world-alternative-media For subscriber only content! Pledge here! Just a dollar a month can help us alive! https://www.patreon.com/user?u=2652072&ty=h&u=2652072 BITCOIN ADDRESS: 18d1WEnYYhBRgZVbeyLr6UfiJhrQygcgNU World Alternative Media 2025

Tadifi's legendBook 3 in 18 parts, By FinalStand. Listen to the ► Podcast at Explicit Novels.Meanwhile, Elsa was quietly amused. It wasn't like I could request the SD to force my House Guard to not do something they had been told to do by someone in my hierarchy. That would lead to chaos, and it was unfair to Juanita."Fine," I decided. "Get us three some water. Elsa and I will be practicing."Now Juanita was stuck. I wasn't asking her to leave the room, just leave me alone. I was technically her leader, respect notwithstanding."It is good to see you have not become drunk with power," Elsa smirked once Juanita had left on her errand."Your mockery is unappreciated," I glared back. I was only kidding. "I haven't seen you around recently. It is good to see you.""It is good to see you too," Elsa said in a voice far softer and compassionate than I would have preferred. After all, she had me drugged, beaten, then beaten me up again in the not so distant past.Of course, I had also sexed her up, bringing her to orgasm with my fingers alone. We had also exchanged a burning French kiss in Katrina's office that Buffy was aware of. Then there was the Buffy-Elsa personal feud and the Elsa-Rhada family feud. Balancing that was Elsa's super-hot body and intriguing personality. Sex with her promised to be memorable, more memorable than normal."What have you been up to? I'd like to say I've been behaving myself, but I don't want to advance our relationship by lying (right now, about this).""You are largely responsible for what I've been up to the past two weeks," she stepped back. She tossed her spear aside and entered her fighting stance. How nice of her to warn me, and get rid of her weapon. How erotically odd of her to give me the illusion of a chance."I deny everything," I rocked back. She was blindingly fast. The fact that I was able to block most of the blow was a testament to how much I had learned in the past two and a half months."Watashi wa nihongo o hanashimasu', 'Wǒ shuō pǔtōnghu ', 'Wǒ shuō guǎngdōng hu ' and 'Aku isa basa jawa'," she lectured me as she maneuvered me into a corner with a series of kicks and feints. She spoke Japanese, Mandarin, Cantonese and Javanese. That was nice to know."Wait," then she kicked me off the mat."Amazons don't have a 'time out'," she smiled. I cautiously worked my way back onto the practice area."What part did you play?" I readied myself. This time, I went on the offensive. I used my greater strength and reach to compensate (rather poorly) for her superior reflexes."Someone had to ride herd on those disparate forces. My status was respected by the Amazons, I had experience dealing with outsiders, plus your person Addison nominated me, and Katrina suggested that you and I were close. That was enough for the Khanate. Your embassy and earlier aid to the Seven Families brought the 9 Clans along.""And you stole the carrier?""It was an once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to humiliate the Seven Pillars," she grinned. "Riding in a nuclear submarine was interesting, right up there with running around, spray painting translations next to all the markings onboard the captured vessel. Herding regular civilians wasn't nearly as much fun.""In the annals of the SD, that is going to be a victory hard to surpass," I got out right before my legs were swept out from under me. Before I could roll over, she landed on top of me. She didn't go for a pin. Elsa simply sat there, straddling my hips and looking down at me. We were both breathing heavily."I owe you for that," she patted me on my bare chest."Is that a good thing, or a bad thing?""I'll let you figure that out during the Great Hunt," she gave a sliver of a smile."Not you too," I groaned."Who else are you worried about?""You and twenty-nine other Amazons. By name, Rachel. She's pretty upbeat about her chances and believes she has a score to settle.""Rachel will be a tough one," Elsa acknowledged."Comfortable?" Juanita muttered."Yes, I am," Elsa grinned her way. "Thank you for asking." Juanita gave me a look that suggested I do something like protest, or actually try to fight her off."Why are you being nice to me?" I wondered."I've learned to appreciate your numerous qualities," Elsa enlightened me. "I am also honest enough to admit I was completely wrong about you. You make a good Amazon." That was huge praise indeed and more importantly, it was to a public audience. I was double fortunate that no one was close enough to see Elsa's camel toe resting against my lightly covered hard-on."Thank you. Is there anything I can do for you?""Aren't you engaged to someone?" Juanita reminded me. What she was really saying was 'don't you know you belong to the maidens of House Ishara?' Trust me, I know these things. Had she meant Hana, she would have said Hana."She has the patience of Job," I reasoned. "Oh, Elsa, Job is a figure in the Old Testament of the Bible." I doubted she knew."Oh. Is he a bloody-handed butcher, raging misogynist, or one of those pacifistic wimps?""He's a nice guy who gets swallowed by a whale.""That's Jonah," Juanita corrected me. "Job is the one who was tested by God. Job accepted God taking away all his family, wealth and health, only to be rewarded for his loyalty to God with more than he ever had before.""Wimp.""I would never turn away from Ishara," Juanita rumbled."Zorja would never feel the need to test my loyalty so," Elsa riposted."Oh look," I thrust my hips up. "I seem to need a shower." Elsa's expression was of superiority and lust combined into a lethal cocktail of my demise."Let's go. You can wash my back," she said as she rose over me. She even offered me a hand up. That was unexpected and accepted warily."Is there some battle wound that makes you incapable of bathing yourself?" Juanita got feisty. Holy Hell, she was my Caribbean Buffy-twin."None," Elsa smugly commented. "I like the feel of his hands on my body. He possesses non-threatening masculinity wed with sisterly solidarity. It is a unique experience that you seem woefully unaware of.""Yippee!" I whispered."You really are a man-whore," Juanita declared under her breath."Check," I gave her a thumbs-up. Sadly, Elsa gave me enough respect to walk at my side, not in front of me (so I could have been mesmerized by her buttocks.) As I was stripping down in the locker room, I noticed Juanita hovering close by. "Are you going to follow me into the shower?""Yes.""Why? I am not going to be in danger in the middle of Havenstone.""I'll be the judge of that," she insisted."You do realize I've had sex with an audience before, don't you?""I've been warned about that and know proper counter-measures.""What? What kind of measures?" I was now naked and, towel in hand, was making my way to the communal showers."Charlie horses, trips, stun-gun if applicable," she informed me with relish."You are threatening to damage my prestige," I enlightened her."Cáel, I was chosen for more than my martial skills. I was selected because I will not wilt before your childish ways.""Are you a lesbian?""No. Why would a woman have to be a lesbian to withstand your wiles?""You'll figure it out eventually," I chuckled. Actually, knowing what a playboy-cad I was turned out to be a counter-intuitive edge for me. Expecting me to be a letch just meant I totally ignored the woman. Then the doubt would set in. 'Why wasn't I hitting on her?' she would think. She'd go through the phase of her not being good enough for me to knowing that wasn't the case, definitely, and would come at me to prove herself right. Wham-bam, another one in the can. Oink.Step One: reduce the amount of time talking to her as a fellow human traveler of life. From here on out, I would address her by her name when I wanted something and otherwise treat her like furniture ~ furniture I was comfortable with. In this case, I treated her like a towel rack. She promptly dropped it. That was okay, I was planning to get dressed wet anyway.I rinsed off my hair quickly as Elsa settled underneath the showerhead beside me. As soon as I finished, she handled me a bottle of (scentless) body soap. It was probably one of those the jaguar will smell me coming ten miles away excuses Amazons used to avoid being girlie. I got my hands all sudsy and began working on her shoulders and neck from behind.Wordlessly, Elsa followed my physical directions, allowing me to wash her arms before working my way down her back in languid, amorous circles. Around the 10th thoracic vertebrae, Elsa gave me a deep, cleansing exhalation. I dug my fingers into her taut back muscles, racking them down to her buttocks, deftly ran them along the sides of her glutes and finished up caressing them along the line between her thighs and ass.I worked her buttocks apart, worked my fingers along her perineum, tickling the back of her labia then up, across her anus and back to her tailbone and the small of her back. A crazy idea came to me: maybe I could talk her into a tramp stamp; something like If you are reading this, know I'll kill you next. That would be so Elsa.I lathered her ass up for another half-minute before working my way down to her thighs, starting with the hip joints and then coaxing of her parted lips. I knelt down so that I was resting on the balls of my feet. Elsa obliged me by parting her legs, standing on her toes with her feet over a foot apart, then placing her hands against the shower stall while arching her back so that her hips were thrust back."Oh, come on," Juanita protested. "What kind of bath is this?""Did you hear something?" Elsa looked down at me."Nope. I was focusing all of my attention on you," I smiled up at her. I was really liking the way her muscles were stressed through her exertions. I couldn't seem to pay enough attention to her robust calves. I didn't pass up the opportunity to plant gentle kisses on each cheek either.Elsa's ankles and feet happened all too fast and the pretense of a bath was complete. She looked at me while she soaped up her breasts then let the water cascade all over her body."Thank you, Cáel," she gave me a regal nod of her damp head, turned and left. "Train harder for the Hunt. You are going to need every edge you can get.""I'm stalking oysters over the weekend. They are cunning and stealthy adversaries," I replied sagely. Elsa snorted, then started toweling off as she left, going toward her own locker. I walked past my soaked towel on the floor without a single glance. Juanita stalked behind me, clearly with a lot on her mind she was now waiting for the proper moment to share. I got dressed."Not going to dry off?" she grumbled."I never use towels," I lied. "I like the rain-washed feel." By ignoring her act of defiance, I really steamed her. I wasn't done. As we headed toward the elevator, I opened up with my next jibe. Buffy really shouldn't challenge me so. I'm a past-master of dealing with clingy, bossy women."Regretting you made that bet?" I mused while we waited."What bet?" she simmered."The bet where you assured Buffy and whomever else was in the room that you wouldn't break down and physically harm me ~ punishing me for my wicked ways?""What? How did," she groused then, "You are playing me.""Yep.""You really are full of yourself," she seared me with her gaze."No, but I know what I'm good at and I'm good at frustrating women. I've been working at it for the past four years and I've got over 200 women who would agree that I'm very good at doing it.""Why are you doing this to me? I'm on your side," she turned all pouty and hurtful."Because if I don't, I'll go mad, Juanita," I enlightened her. "You want to protect me, right?""Yes," she sensed a verbal trap. The elevator opened and we stepped in."See, I don't want to be protected," I started."That's,""Let me finish, please," I stopped her. She gave me the visual 'go-ahead'. "I don't want to live a life where I need to be protected. I don't want to worry that women I hang out with could be cornered by some unsavory types at an eatery because those women happen to know and like me.""I admire what you are doing, I really do. This is not the life I wanted, though. This is not what I wanted to be doing four months after leaving college. I wanted to be some corporate worm, barely scraping by on my work reviews and being, as you said, 'a man-whore'.""You don't have that luxury," she pointed out."Am I not doing my job?" I countered."I guess you are," she grudgingly admitted."Yet you feel you have the right to critique my personal life and how I approach it," I related. "I'm not beating you up by playing the I am Ishara bullshit. I certainly don't expect anyone to be grateful to me for the opportunity to be in a House. I don't because I believe that every member of House Ishara has already proven they belong here before I ever meet them. I believe in you. Sometimes I would appreciate it if my sisters would give me the same respect."She looked away because my harpoon had struck home."Unlike the rest of you, I inherited my place in this madhouse. Unlike every other Amazon here, I am only a part of House Ishara because I am the choice of a thousand ancestors to be our leader. Notice that no one asked me if I wanted to do this. And I don't think I ask too much of you because frankly, there are times when I feel unworthy to be in your company.""You are still Ishara and I must still be your guardian," she held her ground. I glared at her. She glared back. I coughed. She kept glaring."What's my name?""Oh," she shrugged. "Cáel Wakko Ishara.""That may sound silly you to, but I have chosen the designations for myself, my First Ancestor and the Goddess for a good reason."We rode in silence. When we got to the ground floor, we made our way to our bikes and got ready to head home."What is the reason?""To never take ourselves too seriously. The worst thing I can think to befall my House is we become as humorless as the rest of the bitches around here. 'Laugh at Death' should be our motto.""Isn't that a bit childish?""Of course it is," I groaned. "You clearly haven't been paying attention to a damn thing I've been saying. I swear I'm thinking about bringing back 'National Clown Nose Day'.""We had a 'National Clown Nose Day'?" she pedaled to keep up."God help me," I muttered.(Where is my Serge?)"You are not going to let me go through my door first?" I sighed in exasperation. Juanita insisted that she go through every door first, because today was so very different than yesterday, when I had Pamela, perhaps I protest too much."You have a gun," a somewhat familiar voice said from inside my/Timothy's apartment. Oh, fuck. Ya know, because Juanita was as pretty as she was lethal, which is to say 'too much for the given company'."Don't make any sudden moves unless you want to see it," Juanita cautioned her."Oh, it's okay," Odette intervened. "This is Anais Saint-Armour. She's a Mountie.""Oh, she's on the List too," Juanita grumbled. "What has he done wrong this time?""Why don't you tell me who you are first?" Anais growled at Juanita while I pushed my way into the room."I don't like your attitude," Juanita glared."Anais, this is Juanita Leya Antonio Garza; she's my latest bodyguard. Juanita, this is Anais, a good friend of mine who helped save my life in Hungary when the 'terrorists' were closing in," I somewhat exaggerated,, she had helped me catch up with the rest of the team when Pamela and I got sidetracked."Why did he chose you?" Anais fumed. Did I mention she's insanely jealous with an aching need to know why I was marrying anyone else, but her."What list?" Odette proved to be on the ball."He didn't chose me. I volunteered for the spot.""Buffy made an anti-girlfriend list. Elsa is on it too," I mumbled."I bet you did," Anais (responding to Juanita)."It is not like that," I moved to interpose myself between my Mountie and my non-mounted (for now) guardian. "I'm on the board of directors for Havenstone now and,""How did that happen?" Anais turned 'The Force' on me. (That's Canadian for the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, really) "You insisted (reference back in the days we were seeing one another) you were impoverished.""I inherited it from my Father,""He's poor too. I ran a background check when we first started dating," Anais kept up the pressure."My Mother?""She's dead.""Okay, it was my Father through a convoluted meandering of genetics," I went back to attempting the truth (shame on me)."Which is it?" she glowered."My Father, but it's too complicated to get into now," I tried to touch her. She recoiled. She was still pissed with me."He's telling the truth this time," Odette rose to my defense."Why didn't you tell me this when you were in Hungary? For that matter, if you are rich, why didn't you use those resources to get yourself out of trouble instead of involving me?" She really was a great cop."I had to make a call to someone I trusted and who couldn't be traced back to me, or Havenstone, or the Irish Embassy," I fibbed."What have you gotten yourself into?" Anais thawed somewhat."I believe I promised you dinner," I reminded her."You did.""Where are we going?" Juanita stressed our lack of privacy."'We' aren't going anywhere. Ms. Anais Saint-Armour and I are going to a restaurant of her choosing. Don't worry about it. She carries a gun.""I'm not carrying a gun," Anais torpedoed my plan."Where are we going?" Juanita repeated herself. I had to switch mental gears quickly to take in the new looks I was getting from Anais. I shouldn't have ignored those cues."I can't get around my personal security service," I sighed. Why did I give in? Anais was all about gathering evidence and then drawing conclusions from the facts in available.I had been involved in some significant bad-assery in Europe that was way beyond anything she would have associated with the old me. Terrorist cells duking it out with me (and others) in a Budapest metro station? A rustic inn being reduced to ashes after a suspected firefight? Bomb threats? A full-scale military operation in Romania?I had been kidnapped with a resultant massive manhunt for me then returned under highly mysterious circumstances. There had been a young girl with me, we were close for reasons not really gone into and I had saved her despite all forms of parenthood had been anathema to me.I was a man who others deemed necessary to protect, thus a man making secretive phone calls, getting snippets of information and being involved in the deaths of way too many people to be the old, playboy me. Who had I become?I therefore might be a man who 'needed' to marry a billionairess due to some unspeakable political reasons, not out of any romantic/sexual desire of my own. Anais knew that I was a commitment-phobe, not a gold-digger. That meant she could be involved with me without it really being cheating. I needed her help, I had reached out to her when I was in crisis and she was in the people-helping business, right?There was clearly more evidence out there for her to discover and she had the good fortune to be able to have me in a spot where I could be interrogated."Where do you want to go?" I disengaged and went to my room. The door was only partially shut as I changed."Eleven Madison West," I was told."Oh," Odette cooed, "that place is expensive.""I know," Anais remarked."Why did you pick it?" Odette inquired."To remind Cáel that meals can be very expensive." That was my 'date' reminded me that I'd cheated with her over the course of a home-cooked meal, cooked not-by-her in someone else's home. I wondered how Maya was doing.Eleven Madison West meant I pulled out one of my Havenstone suits. They were tailored after all and I suspected that getting into this place at this time of night was going to take some charisma and finagling. Dressing as causal-me wouldn't do. When I stepped out, jaws dropped ~ I do look good all gussied up. Odette dispelled the shock by jumping into my arms."You look hot," she squealed. "Too bad I'm not going out with you.""You might want to remember that," Anais griped."We need to stop by Havenstone so I can attempt to dress up for this affair," Juanita stated."How about we call in a replacement? Give you the night off?" I suggested."Who?""Chaz?""You want that British SSR non-commissioned officer to be your personal bodyguard for tonight? You've got balls," Juanita coughed. I took out my phone and got ready to give him a call."Hey, Anais, why didn't you call me to tell me you were coming over?" I carefully avoided the word 'warned' as she would take that the wrong way."I don't have your personal phone number. I called your home phone and got the answering service, last night and again this morning," she narrowed her eyes."Odette, did Timothy get lucky last night?" I looked past the Mountie."No. A good friend of his rolled his motorcycle and he went to the hospital to help him out," Odette shook her head. Poor Timothy. My roomie/fuck-buddy misinterpreted Anais's pique. "Timothy is gay, not a sexual enabler.""Huh?" Juanita wondered."Wingman," I translated. "Sometimes the three of us go to gay clubs where I act as his wingman,""And they feed me to lesbians," Odette sounded enthusiastic. Thanks to me she was hardly a same-sex virgin."If there are three people living here and two bedrooms, who sleeps on the sofa?" Anais skewered Odette with her eyes."If Cáel has company and isn't sharing, I sleep with Timothy," Odette refused to wilt, or cut me some slack with Anais."Isn't sharing?" those ocular death orbs flicked my way."Hmm, if we are going to Elven Madison West, I had better make that call," I evaded. I rang Chaz."Nyilas," he answered. "How are you doing this evening?""I'm good. I have an ex-girlfriend from out of town visiting, she wants to go to a swanky place and Juanita isn't dressed for the detail so,""You want me to double date?""No, I need a bodyguard.""You are assuming I have something appropriate to wear.""You are British!" I protested. "Even your chicks have tuxedos.""Very well. Will this be a personal protection detail, or close support?""Aahhh,""Close support," said Anais."Personal Protection," countered Juanita."The one most likely to save me from being stabbed with a steak knife," I muttered."I am not going to physically attack you," Anais simmered. Yeah, right, I had heard that one before, and not just from her."Personal Protection it is," Chaz informed me."Oh, and she's a Mountie.""Is she armed?""No," I thanked the goddesses."Does she want to be?""Huh? Are you going to arm her?" I panicked."No. You have a NYPD liaison. Give Officer Kutuzov a call and make a formal request. If she is a law enforcement officer in good standing, it shouldn't be a problem.""Oh, I can do that?, I'm not sure that's the best idea," I prevaricated."Man up, Nyilas," he chided me. "You should work on making it so women don't want to shoot you instead of thinking of ways to disarm them.""Spoken like a man who wisely prefers the company of other men," I grumbled."Good use of the word 'wisely'. Next question: what are we using as a means of conveyance?""Umm,""I have my motorcycle," Anais was less than helpful."If you weren't one of the bravest human beings I'd ever met, I would determine at this moment that you are a dolt. Call Havenstone and arrange for one of those Mercedes Armored GL550s. Bring your license. I drive on the correct side of the road and I'm not keen on having a distraught paramour driving into a storefront at 80 kph.""Man, I like the way you speak," I joked."I took advantage of a proper English education.""I was joking with you.""I know.""Can I date your sister?" I didn't know if he had a sister, but he'd hinted there were multiple Tomorrow's out there. Anais' mood didn't improve."Yes. I like you. You are a good bloke.""Does your sister know how to kill people?""Yes. I'd say she's relatively proficient with a variety of small arms and hand-to-hand techniques," he enlightened me."Just checking.""Cáel, every woman you are interested knows how to kill people, or how to have people killed," Chaz reminded me."What about Odette? She's neither well connected nor lethal.""Odette is indeed an enigma. She counters that by being well liked by people who are capable of killing others who hurt her, except where you are concerned. You live a treasured life.""Have you made dinner reservations? If you need me for a black tie event it has to be, what is the American for it, swanky.""That's more of a Cael/Pamela thing," I corrected him. "American's say 'high class', expensive, or 'hot spot'.""Thanks for the update. Make those calls.""O-kay. Will do. I'll meet you at Havenstone in thirty minutes. Does that work for you?""Yes. Make those calls. I'll see you at, 7:52 pm, EDT. Mark.""Huh?""Goodbye Cáel," and he hung up."Who is this 'Chaz' character?" Anais questioned me."He is Color Sergeant Charles Tomorrow of the British Army's Special Reconnaissance Regiment, he's a badass and he's delicious," Odette answered for me."How do you know him, either of you?" came next."He was with," Odette began blabbing 'National Security' stuff."Odette, don't. Anais, he is member of the Joint International Khanate Interim Taskforce along with me. Odette helps out in an auxiliary role," I answered."Cáel, how did you end up doing this kind of work?" she was perplexed. "You were devoid of anything approaching civic responsibility when we were last together. Quite frankly, I didn't think you cared for anyone but yourself.""Hey now," Odette got feisty. She was my friend after all."We can talk about that over dinner?" I suggested. She didn't like that answer, so I lied. "I grew up," which was what she wanted to hear. I was spared any more interrogation at the moment by the necessity of making those three phone calls. Nikita liked hearing from me again, though she was less pleased that it was official business. She did agree to contact the appropriate agency for me, despite me making it for a different female law enforcement agent.I'd wised up about Havenstone. I called Executive services to have the car delivered to my door step. I cautioned the operative that, in my neighborhood, they might be stopped on suspicion of purchasing guns, drugs, and/or a good time. I would have the car in fifteen minutes and agreed to take the delivery driver back to work afterwards. I'd have done it even if I wasn't meeting Chaz.At Eleven Madison West, I got a snooty 'exactly who do you think you are?' followed by 'you will be placed on the waiting list, a spot may open up around 9:50'. Was I going to inform Chaz and Anais of this? Of course not. I planned to beg like a big dog, suggest that while I was a nameless face, I actually knew people, a person, and we'd see how far that got me.While waiting for the S U V to arrive and on the drive back to Havenstone, this is pretty much what followed:"Do you know who was behind your father's murder yet?""Yes, but I can't talk about it.""Was that the reason people are trying to kill you?""Yes. That and other reasons.""What other reasons?""Things I can't talk about.""Why can't you talk about it?""Secret society stuff ~ decoder rings, secret handshakes, writing in cyphers, holding clandestine meetings in public places after dark, and various other things world governments don't want me talking about.""Are you pulling my leg?" I wished I was running my hands over her legs. This wasn't the time for that revelation."No. Most of what I am telling you is the truth.""Were you in a shootout at the Chicago Medical Examiner's morgue?""Yes. I was unarmed at the time.""Was your life in danger?""It depends on what you mean by 'danger'. My allies had guns and were expert shots. I was shot at, but they missed me, so I not sure how much my life was at risk.""Can you please be serious?""I'm trying. You scare me.""You don't need to be afraid of me. I only want to help." That was mostly true. She was a diligent, hard-working incorruptible public servant,well, as long as you overlooked her charging me with bestiality when she was truly pissed with me."I'm not afraid of you hurting me. I'm afraid for you. You are an excellent peace officer and I'm worried that you will learn too much. Then your life will be as screwed up as mine.""I can take care of myself.""The reality that you are going out with me unarmed speaks volumes about what you don't know, Anais.""Don't think this line of questioning is over, Cáel.""Don't worry. I know you are not done.""Very well. How is your aunt?" The crab-fisherwoman, not the Irish menagerie."Happy as a clam, working a real job and living life on her own terms.""Where did you go wrong?" That was a loaded question. I had to tread carefully."A girl humiliated me in high school. I decided to take control of my life and somehow, despite my best intentions to be an unreliable lothario, I've ended up with people closer to me than family,and this constant need for physical protection.""Why are you engaged?" Finally, the real reason she was here. Had she come by to pick up her accoutrements, she would have been gone by the time I came home. She wanted answers, answers that allowed her to be in charge of our relationship again. It was the double-barreled impact of exceptional sex and wondering why she wasn't 'the one'.(Me) "Are you seeing somebody?""You didn't answer my question.""I've answered plenty of your questions. Answer mine.""No. Men expect too much from a career woman." Translation: 'I'm a bitch that, regardless of my dynamite looks and raunchy sex drive, repels men because I'm a compulsive control freak with abysmal trust issues.'"You do put your career first." Translation: 'I've totally forgotten that you are a compulsive control freak with abysmal trust issues.' It was what she wanted to hear."Your turn.""Put on your tin-foil hat. I did it to save lives in Central Asia when the anthrax strikes were going on. I have this friend over there that people listen to.""Who? The Great Khan?"I didn't respond which wasn't the answer she was expecting."How?" as in how could I possibly be good friends with the master of arguably the third or fourth most powerful nation on the face of the Earth"That's one of those things I can't talk about.""Do you love her?""I don't know. I'm lousy at relationships. I get along with her daughter. Her father wants to bury me alive in the Nevada desert. The rest of the family seems to be coming around to the idea that I might be one of them.""That isn't a 'yes'.""No, it isn't.""Do you think you can ever love someone?" If you need translated, sigh, okay, 'why don't you love me?'"Do you mean 'when am I going to stop stumbling from botched relationship to botched relationship and make something constructive of my personal life?'""Yes.""Did I mention that I've discovered I have a grandfather?""No. That isn't answering my question.""It is in a way. Did I mention that Mom had ten sisters I wasn't aware of? I had an uncle, but he died in my arms.""No. My condolences on your uncle. What does this have to do with you becoming more of an adult and becoming accountable for your life?""Did I mention I have an adopted grandmother who is my spiritual twin?""No.""Don't worry about my uncle. He died trying to kill me. My aunts murdered him, though I can never prove it.""Oh.""My grandfather? He was the one who sent those terrorists to kill me. It was his litmus test to see if I was worthy of being in his family. I passed.""Are you serious?""Yes. My spiritual grandma? She's a retired professional assassin. Daily I interact with a half-dozen people who have killed multiple human beings in their lifetimes. You want to know why I'm not behaving responsibly? I am acting responsibly. I'm trying to not get the decent civilians around me killed."She took awhile digesting that. By that time, we had returned to Havenstone and picked up Chaz. I made introductions."So, are you really with the SRR?" she asked him."Yes.""Why are you with Cáel?""My mandate contains multiple answers. Suffice it to say, since my RAF contemporary will not be returning from the UK until tomorrow, I am presently chief liaison officer for Her Majesty's government with JIKIT.""Why are you coming along as Cáel's bodyguard? Don't you have something better to do with your Friday evenings?" Subtle and polite, Anais ain't. Why was I putting up with her? She was a sexual tornado who would try anything once. She was a real prize."First question: Cáel is a friend, his life is in perpetual danger and I consider it my duty to keep him alive. He would do the same for me. Second question: the nature of my present assignment doesn't leave much room for any meaningful romantic associations.""Hmm," I contemplated what wasn't being said. "Chaz, you are nailing one of my security chicks, aren't you?""Yes.""Which one?""A man of character doesn't brag about such things."Chaz was getting some Amazon nookie. I had to find a way to tell him how dangerous that was. She might decide he's make good father material, not a good thing where Amazons were concerned."Are all of his security personnel women?" Anais pressed."Miss Saint-Amour, Havenstone is a corporation that employs over ten thousand people. There are precisely five men currently on their payroll. All their security personnel are woman. Cáel has very limited, if any, input on the matter.""Are you sure about that?""Yes, Miss Saint-Amour. Who would trust a man of Cáel's dubious experience with his own security?" Chaz pointed out."Oh." She hadn't thought of that."Can you tell me why you think his life is in danger?""He is far more likely to be kidnapped than murdered. He possess certain sensitive data that powerful entities would like to access, thus I am his bodyguard tonight. Considering the quality of the women who normally guard him, I consider it an honor.""To guard Cáel, on a date?""He was kidnapped visiting a child at a playground. Yes, we believe his life is in constant peril. The training and experience of his security service is top flight and it has been a pleasure to serve among them.""Were you with him in Budapest and Romania?""The metro station?""Yes.""Yes.""Romania?""Do you mean the counterterrorism action south of Miercurea Ciuc?""Yes.""Yes."Wow, these two were lousy communicators. I could imagine Chaz propositioning one of my Amazons.Chaz: 'You have a superior feminine physique which I find appealing. Want to fuck?'Amazon: 'You look like you have the prerequisite stamina and battle scars to be part of the New Directive. Sure.'"Were you involved in the actual combat? The SRR is normally an intelligence gathering unit.""I was gathering battlefield intelligence, Miss. That required my close proximity to armed and actively hostile enemy aliens (as in they were in Romania illegally, not that they were all supernatural beings). My involvement resulted in two KIA's and one WIA.""Damn Chaz, you rock.""I am a professional.""How many did Pamela gak?""One KIA.""Just one? Whoa, that's so unlike her.""She kept trying to bracket the cell leader (aka Ajax). He had the Devil's Own Luck.""Cáel, why are you making light of all those deaths?" Anais chastised me. "How many terrorists did you wound, or kill?""I wounded one guy.""That is disingenuous," Chaz chided me. "You orchestrated the operation, showed tactical expertise in seizing the most critical terrain feature and engineered the death of the terrorist leader.""My Cáel did that? When I knew him, he was adverse to violence," Anais shook her head."Considering the considerable number of people he's killed, he's still adverse to physical confrontation where his own life is involved. But God help you if you threaten someone he is close to, though. He's the man who can get things done when the team is in a pinch.""Cáel, what happened to you?" she didn't sound upset at all."I learned to care for people beyond my immediate interest, you know, actual long-term relationships," with the unspoken 'as opposed to women I'm currently having sex with'."It took you long enough," she snipped. Reference her being a compulsive control freak with abysmal trust issues.The interrogation was put on hold while we entered the restaurant and,"Mr. Nyilas?" the maytre dee greeted me."Yes.""We will get you a table right away," he nodded obsequiously. What the hell was up with that? Where was my two hour wait time? Oh yeah, I was a minor, fifteen seconds of fame celebrity."Will Ms. Sulkanen be joining you this evening?""No. She had to oversee a packaged Erythrosine-monosaccharides explosion in Boca Raton. Flaming plastic pink flamingo bits were raining down everywhere. I imagine it is taking an Everest-sized load of hush money to keep this out of the media," I replied. I was so eerily sincere, he bought it and a look of horror snuck over his face. I had become the public face of corporate malfeasance."Your table (gulp) is ready, Sir," he began to sweat. He took us to our table for four then beat a hasty retreat. Undoubtedly his civic-mindedness would have him calling up TMZ within a minute. After all, it was unlikely he owned any plastic pink flamingos, or invested in their construction. Once he was gone, Chaz let a thin smile break through his hard-earned military unfazed-ability."What exactly are packaged Erythrosine-monosaccharides?" he inquired."Packaged is self-explanatory. Erythrosine is pink food coloring and monosaccharides are,""Sugar," Anais frowned."Exploding pixie sticks, I have nieces and nephews. You are a genius at misdirection, Mr. Nyilas," he nodded."Thank you, Color Sergeant Tomorrow. It is nice to be appreciated for my bizarre and useless preoccupation," I grinned."You practice lying?" Anais' view of me dimmed."Miss, he excels at extraneous, outrageous utterances. No harm is intended.""Things like I was helping her find her contact lenses?" That had been my excuse when caught coming out of Maya's apartment. Sadly, Anais is highly perceptive and knew the lady didn't wear contacts. The copious female aroma wafting off me certainly hadn't helped."That's unfair," I countered. "Back then, I was a college nitwit suffering from undiagnosed nymphomania. I'd like to think I'm getting better."" tes-vous mieux?" she retorted in French."Je suis assez intelligent pour aller vers vous lorsque des vies  taient sur la ligne." That's right, Anais. When my life and the lives of others were on the line, she was the first one I thought to call. Letting a woman know that you admire her profession, professionalism and reliability never hurts."Are you really a nymphomaniac?" she returned to English. French is the language of sex, as is any derivative of Sanskrit, Farsi and Portuguese. Reference the multitude of Indians, the hotness of Persian women and the outpouring of lust that is Brazil."I had a magnetoencephalography recently. The neuroscientists didn't know what to make of my brain patterns. I appear to be somewhat unique in my madness."She didn't believe me. I didn't blame her. No one really likes hearing a truth they don't want to accept."Here," I leaned forward and pointed to the tiny divot in my forehead. "I was stabbed with a needle in the skull. That is why they looked at me, not because of my sexual malfunction."She touched it to makes sure. We were interrupted by the waiter stopping by to see if we were ready to order yet."We will have three of the most expensive appetizers, dinners, deserts and wines," Anais preempted us. Ugh. I was either a millionaire by the wonders of Havenstone accounting, or broke. I foolishly never looked into such things, never having had much money before. I needed a distraction."Hey Chaz, nice suit," was what came to mind. It was a swell masterpiece of the tailoring arts I hadn't expect from a ground-pounder from a family of ground-pounders serving Queen and Country for generations."Thank you. Pamela picked it out for me, suspecting an event such as this would transpire. She told me you paid for it," Chaz answered."I did?""I made the reasonable deduction that she forged your signature on whatever medium was used for payment," he shrugged, "in the same way she exhibits a criminal tendency toward every other aspect of her life.""What does Pamela look like?" Anais glowered."She's his grandmother," Chaz responded politely. "They make quite the pair. Normally we don't let them alone in the same room. Bad things happen.""Bad things?""Things like that scenic hostel being reduced to ruin," he enlightened her."This is the supposed assassin?""Retired assassin," Chaz corrected her. "So far she's only, what is the term you two use?" he looked at me."Sending a Get-Well card to their next of kin? Pumping up the volume? Making a critical attitude adjustment? Retroactively revoking their lease on life? We have a few.""Yes, those. Pamela has assured the team director that she no longer accepts assignments of a murderous nature. These days she only practices her skills on those we determine are a threat to the greater endeavor," he explained."She murders people? You all murder people?" Anais furrowed her brow. "Cáel, do you engage in these activities?""What? Who? Me? No!" I waved off any conspiratorial associations. "The vast majority of people I've killed was totally by accident.""How do you accidently kill people?" she pierced my soul with her voice."Okay, I let them kill themselves because warning them would have resulted in me and some friends meeting very immediate violent ends," I pleaded."Miss Saint-Amour, I've talked to trustworthy people who were on the scene when this happened. It was a paramilitary action with the lives of children on the line. Cáel acted to save the lives of innocents," Chaz defended me. That is what Anais wanted to believe; that I was basically a decent human being. I was a pig, but a courageous one. I had confronted her after my infidelity, on the other side of the US/Canadian border where her jurisdiction didn't apply.I knew my revelations were hideously hard to believe. In my favor, I had been in dangerous places doing dangerous things. The Metro firefight had been captured on the place's security system (which had been leaked to the public thus leading to some delusional admirers into thinking I would make a great new King of Hungary even though they hadn't had a monarch since 1918 nor was I from the right (Hapsburg) family. In case this whole Havenstone thing came crashing down in flames, I needed to keep my options open).There had been a bomb threat at Mindszent which I had reputable sources call in (and where I had admittedly hung out with a few of the women who saved me from an earlier disaster) and Miercurea Ciuc had made the international news. Well over 100 people had died and some of the terrorists were still at large. The Romanian government declared I had been 'instrumental' in the confrontation without saying what 'instrumental' meant.I was heroically vague, more mature than where we left off and clearly incited pussy-twitching memories. We'd once fucked so continuously hard and long one weekend that neither one of us could stand until an hour after we stopped. Anais was well worth the pain I was contemplating. Sex with her wasn't the pain I was worried about. It was dodging all her calls afterwards. Once again reference her being a compulsive control freak with abysmal trust issues.Oh, how did I know she was reveling in our past coital moments? She hadn't walked out on me yet. She hadn't walked out when she found Odette in my domicile, when she met Juanita, or when she found out that I worked with highly experienced killers as part of my new daily routine.Normally Anais was smarter than this and had a career in law enforcement to contemplate. Lastly, she hadn't asked to be armed, despite getting permission from the NYPD. Had she decided to get a gun, Anais was sure in her hormonally-cascading mindset she would have shot me by now. I incite all kinds of passion in women. It is a curse.The rest of dinner was unremarkable. Anais continued to interrogate Chaz who proved that he was both skilled in counter-interrogation techniques and not willing to spill anymore secrets about what anyone at JIKIT did. However he had provided her with every logical reason to beat feet back across the Canadian border and she hadn't taken the hints about what a disaster sleeping with me could be.We drove Anais back to her motel, then Chaz and I headed home in silence. Despite his earlier declarations, he knew how to drive the 'right' way all along. As he was letting me out in front of my building, he gave me this pleasant warning."I'm not going to lecture you about not going back there, or avoiding the crazy ones. You already know better and are going back by her place anyway. I do advise that whatever you do, don't let her restrict your movements in any way. She's likely to make you pay double for your past indiscretions and take payment out on your cock. Good luck, Mate.""Wait," I stopped him. "Can you help me hotwire her bike? I can use that as an excuse to darken her doorway.""Dolt," he muttered. He helped me anyway because that's what really good friends do ~ assisting you in your self-destruction so we could joke about it later. At least that was what I hoped was going on. Chaz being a closet sadist was an unsettling idea. I didn't get to immediately pursue my plan because,(We work for you, don't we?)At 9 am, the President of the United States of America, after a late night briefing and a good night's sleep, decided that for the sake of world peace he had to intervene in Southeast Asia ~ Thailand to be specific, though he had some vague notion that a summit of regional leaders was in the offing and the US needed to establish some sort of game plan instead of looking impotent and disinterested.Based on carefully selected bits of information supplied to him by us (JIKIT), he ordered two carrier taskforces to move to the Gulf of Thailand to enforce an anticipated UN arms embargo and 'No-Fly Zone'. It would take four days (September 3rd) for Carrier Strike Group Nine (built around the USS Ronald Reagan) and the 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit (2,200 souls) to take up a position in the South China Sea close to the Gulf of Thailand. By fortuitous circumstance, 500 Marines and sailors were already deployed to Malaysia on a joint training mission with the Malaysian Marines.The second one, the USS Carl Vinson's Carrier Strike Group One wouldn't arrive until the 9th, six days later. What the US government wanted to know was what the Khanate and Vietnam would do in those long, lonely six days. The Khanate had as many modern, up-to-date combat aircraft on Woody Island as the Reagan could send up. The Vietnamese could add another 48 planes worth worrying about.There was the added complication that Thailand hadn't asked for help yet. His experts (us again) were suggesting that he was about to wake up one morning and find Khanate tanks rolling down the streets of Bangkok, which

AlabamaSevere storms hit AL and other states, killing 35 people, 3 in AlabamaNWS now reports an EF 1 tornado hit Calera, EF 2 hit Talladega countyThe Wilson Lock in Florence has dangerous levels of water after stormsDOJ dismisses lawsuit against AL over removal of illegal aliens from voter rollsState Dept. of Ed is taking over the Dallas County school systemUniversity of Alabama is on list for investigation by US Dept. of EDSchool Choice enrollments for 2025 hits 25K with deadline set for April 7thNationalSecDef Hegseth says air strike on Houthis in Arabian Sea is long overdueTrump completes deportation of gang members, despite judge's order not toSoS Rubio and CBS's Brennan go at it over Mahmoud Khalil's arrest in NYCList of universities scrutinized for discrimination includes Cornell and YaleCNN poll bears brutal news about Democrats hating their own partyElon Musk explains the Democrat led opposition to his efforts with DOGE

HELP SUPPORT US AS WE DOCUMENT HISTORY HERE: https://gogetfunding.com/help-wam-cover-history/ GET NON-MRNA FREEZE DRIED MEAT HERE: https://wambeef.com/ Use code WAMBEEF to save 20%! GET HEIRLOOM SEEDS & NON GMO SURVIVAL FOOD HERE: https://heavensharvest.com/ USE Code WAM to save 5% plus free shipping! Get local, healthy, pasture raised meat delivered to your door here: https://wildpastures.com/promos/save-20-for-life/bonus15?oid=6&affid=321 USE THE LINK & get 20% off for life and $15 off your first box! GET YOUR APRICOT SEEDS at the life-saving Richardson Nutritional Center HERE: https://rncstore.com/r?id=bg8qc1 Josh Sigurdson reports on the escalating conflict with Yemen following airstrikes by Trump on alleged "Houthis" while killing dozens of women and children as well as injuring hundreds more. This has lead to the Houthis striking the USS Harry Truman with multiple ballistic missiles. The scenes in Sanaa were like hell on Earth as Trump stood and watched drone operators massacre civilians to target a group the US and Israel propped up in the first place. "No new wars" said Trump during the election. Obvious pandering as he has already committed to "striking Iran" and "obliterating" it if they "kill him" which is just propagandized nonsense from Israel. Most have chosen to not be consistent in their libertarian views on war because they support Trump more than any single ideology. This is leading to far too much support for war with Iran which this latest Yemen attack signifies. Iran is one of Russia and China's top allies. After overthrowing Syria, Israel wants to move on Iran next, but first they want to get rid of those pesky Houthis who don't support Israel murdering a hundred thousand women and children in Gaza and throughout Palestine, not to mention Lebanon. The Houthis have pledged to destroy ANY US ship in the Red Sea or Arabian Sea destroying the crucial supply chain which is already mortally damaged. All by design. Prepare yourselves now or continue sitting on your hands. It's your choice. Stay tuned for more from WAM! SIGN UP FOR HOMESTEADING COURSES NOW: https://freedomfarmers.com/link/17150/ Get Prepared & Start The Move Towards Real Independence With Curtis Stone's Courses! GET YOUR WAV WATCH HERE: https://buy.wavwatch.com/WAM Use Code WAM to save $100 and purchase amazing healing frequency technology! GET ORGANIC CHAGA MUSHROOMS HERE: https://alaskachaga.com/wam Use code WAM to save money! See shop for a wide range of products! GET AMAZING MEAT STICKS HERE: https://4db671-1e.myshopify.com/discount/WAM?rfsn=8425577.918561&utm_source=refersion&utm_medium=affiliate&utm_campaign=8425577.918561 USE CODE WAM TO SAVE MONEY! GET YOUR FREEDOM KELLY KETTLE KIT HERE: https://patriotprepared.com/shop/freedom-kettle/ Use Code WAM and enjoy many solutions for the outdoors in the face of the impending reset! BUY GOLD HERE: https://firstnationalbullion.com/schedule-consult/ PayPal: ancientwonderstelevision@gmail.com FIND OUR CoinTree page here: https://cointr.ee/joshsigurdson JOIN US on SubscribeStar here: https://www.subscribestar.com/world-alternative-media For subscriber only content! Pledge here! Just a dollar a month can help us alive! https://www.patreon.com/user?u=2652072&ty=h&u=2652072 BITCOIN ADDRESS: 18d1WEnYYhBRgZVbeyLr6UfiJhrQygcgNU World Alternative Media 2025

Unruly Labor: A History of Oil in the Arabian Sea (Stanford UP, 2024) by Andrea Wright offers a critical and nuanced examination of the labor regimes that sustain the oil economies of the Arabian Peninsula. Challenging dominant narratives centered on state-building, elite wealth, and resource control, Wright focuses on the transnational laborers whose work has been essential to the region's economic development. She explores how oil extractive economies depend not only on physical resources but also on the regulation, mobility, and discipline of migrant workers, particularly those from South Asia. The book traces the histories of labor migration across the Arabian Sea, revealing how colonial legacies, neoliberal policies, and contemporary state practices shape the lives of migrant workers. Wright argues that rather than being passive victims of state control, these workers navigate complex systems of power, leveraging networks and strategies to resist exploitation. From recruitment agencies in India to labor camps in the Gulf, she uncovers how workers contest the structures designed to discipline them—sometimes subtly, through everyday acts of defiance, and sometimes through overt resistance. At the heart of Unruly Labor is a critique of how oil economies function not just through the material extraction of petroleum but through the extraction of labor itself. Wright draws on ethnographic research, archival sources, and interviews to illustrate the racialized and gendered hierarchies embedded in these labor systems. She examines how Gulf states, in collaboration with sending countries, enforce restrictive labor policies that render migrants both essential and disposable. Yet, despite these constraints, migrants carve out spaces of agency, forging solidarity and alternative futures within and beyond the oil economy. By linking the history of oil to the lived experiences of laborers, Wright offers a compelling intervention in studies of the Gulf, labor migration, and global capitalism. Unruly Labor is essential reading for scholars of anthropology, history, and political economy, as well as anyone interested in the hidden forces that sustain global energy markets. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/new-books-network

Unruly Labor: A History of Oil in the Arabian Sea (Stanford UP, 2024) by Andrea Wright offers a critical and nuanced examination of the labor regimes that sustain the oil economies of the Arabian Peninsula. Challenging dominant narratives centered on state-building, elite wealth, and resource control, Wright focuses on the transnational laborers whose work has been essential to the region's economic development. She explores how oil extractive economies depend not only on physical resources but also on the regulation, mobility, and discipline of migrant workers, particularly those from South Asia. The book traces the histories of labor migration across the Arabian Sea, revealing how colonial legacies, neoliberal policies, and contemporary state practices shape the lives of migrant workers. Wright argues that rather than being passive victims of state control, these workers navigate complex systems of power, leveraging networks and strategies to resist exploitation. From recruitment agencies in India to labor camps in the Gulf, she uncovers how workers contest the structures designed to discipline them—sometimes subtly, through everyday acts of defiance, and sometimes through overt resistance. At the heart of Unruly Labor is a critique of how oil economies function not just through the material extraction of petroleum but through the extraction of labor itself. Wright draws on ethnographic research, archival sources, and interviews to illustrate the racialized and gendered hierarchies embedded in these labor systems. She examines how Gulf states, in collaboration with sending countries, enforce restrictive labor policies that render migrants both essential and disposable. Yet, despite these constraints, migrants carve out spaces of agency, forging solidarity and alternative futures within and beyond the oil economy. By linking the history of oil to the lived experiences of laborers, Wright offers a compelling intervention in studies of the Gulf, labor migration, and global capitalism. Unruly Labor is essential reading for scholars of anthropology, history, and political economy, as well as anyone interested in the hidden forces that sustain global energy markets. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/middle-eastern-studies

Unruly Labor: A History of Oil in the Arabian Sea (Stanford UP, 2024) by Andrea Wright offers a critical and nuanced examination of the labor regimes that sustain the oil economies of the Arabian Peninsula. Challenging dominant narratives centered on state-building, elite wealth, and resource control, Wright focuses on the transnational laborers whose work has been essential to the region's economic development. She explores how oil extractive economies depend not only on physical resources but also on the regulation, mobility, and discipline of migrant workers, particularly those from South Asia. The book traces the histories of labor migration across the Arabian Sea, revealing how colonial legacies, neoliberal policies, and contemporary state practices shape the lives of migrant workers. Wright argues that rather than being passive victims of state control, these workers navigate complex systems of power, leveraging networks and strategies to resist exploitation. From recruitment agencies in India to labor camps in the Gulf, she uncovers how workers contest the structures designed to discipline them—sometimes subtly, through everyday acts of defiance, and sometimes through overt resistance. At the heart of Unruly Labor is a critique of how oil economies function not just through the material extraction of petroleum but through the extraction of labor itself. Wright draws on ethnographic research, archival sources, and interviews to illustrate the racialized and gendered hierarchies embedded in these labor systems. She examines how Gulf states, in collaboration with sending countries, enforce restrictive labor policies that render migrants both essential and disposable. Yet, despite these constraints, migrants carve out spaces of agency, forging solidarity and alternative futures within and beyond the oil economy. By linking the history of oil to the lived experiences of laborers, Wright offers a compelling intervention in studies of the Gulf, labor migration, and global capitalism. Unruly Labor is essential reading for scholars of anthropology, history, and political economy, as well as anyone interested in the hidden forces that sustain global energy markets. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Nilanjana Dasgupta discusses with Ivan six things which should be better known. Nilanjana Dasgupta is provost professor of psychology and inaugural director of the Institute of Diversity Sciences at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. She is the author of many articles; the winner of the Hidden Bias Research Prize from the Kapor Foundation; and the recipient of multiple U.S. government research grants. Her work has been featured in the New York Times and other major outlets. Her new book is Change the Wallpaper. Diversity training doesn't change people's behavior nor the organizations in which they work. Do you know we spend 8 billion dollars on diversity training each year? Only a few DEI trainings are grounded in science; most are not. Our behaviour is shaped by situational forces more often than our personal beliefs. What do I mean by situational forces? They include the opinions of our colleagues, peers, and bosses. The roles we occupy and the role-based norms and expectations of how we should act. The path to culture change is not individual heroes. In fact, individuals acting alone are powerless. But individuals acting together with intention are powerful movers of cultures. Talent is made, not born. Did you know that young Einstein early in life was pretty average? He struggled in school as a child. He didn't get admission into his college of choice the first time but got in after a second attempt. Playing for change: A global music project turned movement turned non-profit organization for social good that connects the world through music. The idea came from the belief that music has the power to break down boundaries and connect people across the world. Travel in Kerala, India. A mixture of cultures, religions, ethnic groups, food, weather, landscapes, showing co-existence and contrasts. On the west coast of India, jutting out into the Arabian Sea. This podcast is powered by ZenCast.fm

Welcome back to A Century Of Stories: India presented by IDFC FIRST Bank! In this episode, Kunal takes you to the iconic Taj Mahal Palace Hotel in Mumbai, India’s first luxury hotel. Discover its fascinating history, stunning architecture, and world-class hospitality that has welcomed royalty, celebrities, and travellers for over a century. From its breathtaking views of the Arabian Sea to its rich legacy, this landmark is more than just a hotel—it's a piece of India’s cultural fabric. Watch now for an unforgettable journey! Subscribe for more such captivating stories! New episodes out every Monday! #TajMahalPalace #IndianHospitality #ACenturyOfStories - Open IDFC FIRST Bank savings account : https://www.idfcfirstbank.com/personal-banking/accounts/savings-account?utm_source=ig&utm_medium=content&utm_campaign=June&utm_content=COS Know more about Zero Fee Banking : https://www.idfcfirstbank.com/getmorefromyourbank?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=centuryofstories&utm_campaign=cosepi1&utm_term=Aug23 Follow ‘A Century of Stories’ official Instagram handle at @acenturyofstories Subscribe to A Century of Stories YT channel Listen to A Century of Stories across Audio Platforms Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Google Podcasts | Gaana | Amazon Music | Jio Saavn Follow our host Kunal on Instagram at @kunalvijayakar And don’t forget to rate us!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Fluent Fiction - Hindi: New Beginnings: A Night of Dreams and Friendship in Mumbai Find the full episode transcript, vocabulary words, and more:fluentfiction.com/hi/episode/2024-12-27-23-34-02-hi Story Transcript:Hi: मुंबई की वह रात, जब पूरा शहर झूम रहा था।En: That night in Mumbai, when the whole city was swaying with joy.Hi: मरीन ड्राइव पर नए साल की पार्टी धूमधाम से चल रही थी।En: A grand New Year's party was taking place at Marine Drive.Hi: सर्द रात और अरब सागर की लहरें लोगों में उत्साह भर रही थीं।En: The cold night and the waves of the Arabian Sea were filling everyone with enthusiasm.Hi: आराव, जो एक बैंक में काम करता है, उस भीड़ में खड़ा था, जैसे किसी नए आगाज का इंतजार कर रहा हो।En: Aarav, who works in a bank, stood among the crowd, as if waiting for a new beginning.Hi: उसके जीवन में सब कुछ उबाऊ और सीमाओं से भरा हुआ लग रहा था।En: Everything in his life seemed monotonous and confined.Hi: दूसरी ओर, मीरा थी। एक स्वतंत्र कलाकार, जो अपनी कला में ही खोई रहती थी।En: On the other hand, there was Meera, an independent artist, who often lost herself in her art.Hi: अपने करियर के कारण लोग उसे अक्सर जज करते थे, लेकिन मीरा उन आलोचनाओं को दरकिनार करके नई दोस्ती खोजने निकली थी।En: People often judged her because of her career, but Meera ignored those criticisms and set out to find new friendships.Hi: इस नए साल की पार्टी ने उसे एक मौका दिया था, जहां वह अजनबियों से बात कर सकती थी।En: This New Year's party had given her an opportunity to talk to strangers.Hi: आराव ने सोचा, शायद अकेले पार्टी में आकर मैं कुछ नया महसूस कर पाऊं।En: Aarav thought, maybe by coming to the party alone, I might feel something new.Hi: जैसे ही उसने कदम बढ़ाया, वह मीरा की ओर अनायास खिंचा चला आया।En: As he took a step forward, he was unintentionally drawn towards Meera.Hi: मीरा ने खुद को संकोच से बाहर निकालकर आराव से बातचीत शुरू की।En: She brought herself out of hesitation and started a conversation with Aarav.Hi: "नया साल मतलब नए सपने, नए दोस्त, है ना?" उसने मुस्कुराते हुए कहा।En: "New Year means new dreams, new friends, right?" she said with a smile.Hi: आराव थोड़ा चौंका, फिर मुस्कराते हुए जवाब दिया, "हाँ, नए साल की यही तो खास बात होती है।"En: Aarav was a bit surprised, then replied with a smile, "Yes, that's the special thing about the new year."Hi: दोनों का थोड़ी ही देर में बातों का सिलसिला शुरू हो गया।En: In just a short while, a series of conversations began between them.Hi: मीरा ने अपनी कला की दुनिया के बारे में बताया।En: Meera talked about her world of art.Hi: आराव ने भी अपने दिल की बातें साझा कीं—अपने सपनों और उन सपनों की राह में बनी दीवारों के बारे में।En: Aarav also shared his inner thoughts—his dreams and the barriers in the way of those dreams.Hi: गिने-चुने क्षणों में, पूरा आकाश पटाखों से जगमग हो उठा।En: In a few counted moments, the entire sky lit up with fireworks.Hi: नया साल आ चुका था।En: The new year had arrived.Hi: आराव ने नये साल का स्वागत करते हुए कहा, "चलिए, इस साल कुछ नया करते हैं।"En: Aarav, welcoming the new year, said, "Let's do something new this year."Hi: मीरा ने सहमति में सिर हिलाया, "और साथ में अपनी कला को एक नई दिशा देते हैं।"En: Meera nodded in agreement, "And along the way, give our art a new direction."Hi: अचानक जीवन में आए इस मोड़ ने उन्हें सोचने पर मजबूर कर दिया।En: This unexpected turn in life made them reflect.Hi: वे दोनों अब अपनी राह और खुद को नए सिरे से देखने लगे।En: They both began to see their paths and themselves anew.Hi: आराव में एक नया जोश था, और मीरा में आत्म-विश्वास।En: Aarav had a new energy, and Meera had confidence.Hi: वे तय किया कि जल्द ही मिलकर उन सपनों को फिर से छूने का प्रयास करेंगे।En: They decided to meet soon and attempt to reach those dreams again.Hi: उस रात ने उन्हें सिखाया कि नए साल का स्वागत केवल नई उम्मीदों के साथ नहीं, बल्कि एक सच्ची दोस्ती के साथ भी किया जा सकता है।En: That night taught them that the new year could be welcomed not only with new hopes but with a true friendship as well.Hi: मरीन ड्राइव की लहरों की तरह, उनका भी जीवन अब नई दिशा की ओर बढ़ रहा था।En: Like the waves of Marine Drive, their lives were now moving in a new direction. Vocabulary Words:swaying: झूम रहा थाgrand: धूमधाम सेenthusiasm: उत्साहmonotonous: उबाऊconfined: सीमाओं से भरा हुआindependent: स्वतंत्रcriticisms: आलोचनाओंhesitation: संकोचopportunity: मौकाstrangers: अजनबियोंbarriers: दीवारोंunexpected: अचानकreflection: सोचनेconfidence: आत्म-विश्वासdirection: दिशाwaves: लहरेंartist: कलाकारjudged: जजconversation: बातचीतdreams: सपनेfireworks: पटाखोंnew year: नया सालfriendships: दोस्तीreflected: अप्रतिबिंबितenergy: जोशwelcoming: स्वागतseries: सिलसिलाcounted moments: गिने-चुने क्षणोंpaths: राहattempt: प्रयास

Fluent Fiction - Hindi: The Envelope Adventure: Embracing Life's Little Pleasures Find the full episode transcript, vocabulary words, and more:fluentfiction.com/hi/episode/2024-12-14-23-34-02-hi Story Transcript:Hi: चमकीली सुबह की मुलायम धूप में गेटवे ऑफ इंडिया के सामने खड़ा अरुण अपनी दुनिया से बिल्कुल अलग महसूस कर रहा था।En: In the soft sunlight of a bright morning, standing in front of the Gateway of India, Arun felt completely detached from his world.Hi: गहराई से साँस लेते हुए, उसने अरब सागर से आती हल्की नमकीन हवा को भीतर खींचा।En: Taking a deep breath, he inhaled the light salty breeze coming from the Arabian Sea.Hi: हंसते-खिलखिलाते पर्यटक, रंगीन गुब्बारे बेचने वाले बच्चे, और ठेले पर ताज़ा भुट्टा पकाते मामा के बीच जिन्दगी की चहल-पहल में वह खोया हुआ सा था।En: Amidst the lively hustle of laughing tourists, children selling colorful balloons, and a vendor roasting fresh corn on a cart, he seemed lost.Hi: ठीक उसी समय, उसकी नजर एक रहस्यमय लिफाफे पर पड़ी जो जमींन पर गिरा हुआ था।En: Just then, his eyes fell on a mysterious envelope lying on the ground.Hi: क्यूरियस जर्नलिस्ट होने के नाते, अरुण ने तुरंत लिफाफा उठाया।En: Being a curious journalist, Arun instantly picked up the envelope.Hi: लिफाफे पर उसके नाम की झलक थी - "अरुण सिंह"।En: It bore a hint of his name - "Arun Singh".Hi: आश्चर्य से भरा हुआ, उसने लिफाफा खोला।En: Filled with surprise, he opened the envelope.Hi: अंदर एक छोटा सा कागज था।En: Inside was a small piece of paper.Hi: उस पर लिखा था, "अगर तुम खोज को आगे बढ़ाना चाहते हो, तो जुहू बीच पर पहली लहर का इंतजार करो।En: It read, "If you wish to pursue the quest, wait for the first wave at Juhu Beach."Hi: "अरुण का दिल तेजी से धड़कने लगा।En: Arun's heart began to race.Hi: उसे शायद ऐसी ही किसी खोज की तलाश थी।En: Perhaps this was the kind of quest he had been searching for.Hi: लेकिन वह जानता था, यह रास्ता उसके लिए असामान्य था।En: But he knew this path was unusual for him.Hi: अपने ऑफिस और दोस्तों का चेहरा सामने आता, जहाँ उसके काम की जिम्मेदारियां उसका इंतजार कर रही थीं।En: The face of his office and friends came to mind, where his work responsibilities awaited him.Hi: लेकिन एक अद्वितीय एडवेंचर के लालच ने उसे आगे बढ़ने के लिए प्रेरित किया।En: Yet, the lure of a unique adventure inspired him to move forward.Hi: जुहू बीच पर, लहरें ठंडी रेत को छू रही थीं।En: At Juhu Beach, the waves were touching the cool sand.Hi: अरुण इंतजार कर रहा था, अपने मन में उमड़ते-घुमड़ते सवालों के साथ।En: Arun waited, with questions swirling in his mind.Hi: अचानक, लहर से एक सीप उसकी ओर बहकर आई।En: Suddenly, a shell floated towards him from the wave.Hi: उसमें एक और छोटा कागज छिपा था - "काला घोड़ा कला महोत्सव, अगला सुराग।En: It had another small note hidden inside - "Kala Ghoda Arts Festival, next clue."Hi: "अरुण अब मुंबई की नब्ज के साथ दौड़ने लगा।En: Arun now raced along with the pulse of Mumbai.Hi: भीड़, ट्रैफिक, और निरंतर बजते हॉर्न के बीच, एक चीज उसे आगे बढ़ाती रही - रहस्य के परतें खोलने की चाहत।En: Amidst the crowd, traffic, and the constant blaring of horns, one thing kept propelling him forward - the desire to unravel the layers of mystery.Hi: काला घोड़ा कला महोत्सव में, किसी रंगबिरंगे चित्र के नीचे सटीक रूप से एक बक्सा रखा मिला।En: At the Kala Ghoda Arts Festival, precisely beneath a colorful painting, he found a box.Hi: उसकी धड़कनें तेज हो गईं।En: His heartbeat quickened.Hi: बक्से में एक और संदेश था - "गेटवे ऑफ इंडिया पर तुम्हारी खोज पूरी होगी।En: Inside the box was another message - "Your search will conclude at the Gateway of India."Hi: "गेटवे ऑफ इंडिया पर पहुंचकर, अरुण ने चारों ओर देखा।En: Upon reaching the Gateway of India, Arun looked around.Hi: आखिरकार, उसे एक छोटा संदूक मिला।En: Finally, he found a small chest.Hi: उसे देखते ही, उसके मन में सवालों का तूफान फिर से घिर आया।En: As soon as he saw it, a storm of questions engulfed his mind once more.Hi: संदूक खुला तो उसमें कोई खजाना नहीं था, बल्कि एक नोट था।En: The chest opened, but there was no treasure, only a note.Hi: "खोज तुम्हारी नहीं, जीवन की है।En: "The quest is not yours, it's for life.Hi: रोजमर्रा की छोटी-छोटी खुशियों का आनंद लो।En: Enjoy the little pleasures of everyday life."Hi: "अरुण समझ गया था।En: Arun understood.Hi: जिस रोमांच की उसे तलाश थी, वह तो उसके दिल के अंदर ही कहीं छुपा था।En: The adventure he was searching for was actually hidden somewhere within his heart.Hi: उसने महसूस किया कि हर दिन का जीवन, उसकी अपनी कहानी का सबसे बड़ा रोमांच है।En: He realized that each day of life is the greatest adventure of his own story.Hi: सूरज अस्त होने की ओर बढ़ रहा था, और गेटवे ऑफ इंडिया का लाल-पीला आकाश ने उसकी आंखों में नई चमक भर दी।En: The sun began to set, and the red-yellow sky over the Gateway of India filled his eyes with new sparkle.Hi: अरुण ने संतोष में डूबते हुए, उस लिफाफे का मानो शुक्रिया किया।En: Sinking in satisfaction, Arun almost thanked that envelope.Hi: अब उसे अपने जीवन का अर्थ मिला था - रोजमर्रा की छोटी-छोटी खुशियों का रोमांच।En: He had now found the meaning of his life - the adventure of everyday little pleasures.Hi: वह लौट गया, जीवन में पूरी आत्मा से डूबा हुआ।En: He returned, immersed in life with his whole being. Vocabulary Words:detached: अलगhustle: चहल-पहलvendor: विक्रेताmysterious: रहस्यमयenvelope: लिफाफाinhale: भीतर खींचनाquest: खोजunusual: असामान्यresponsibilities: जिम्मेदारियांadventure: एडवेंचरswirling: उमड़ते-घुमड़तेshell: सीपpropelling: आगे बढ़ातीunravel: खोलनेlayers: परतेंconclude: पूरी होगीchest: संदूकengulfed: घिरtreasure: खजानाpleasures: खुशियोंsatisfaction: संतोषsparkle: चमकimmersed: डूबा हुआcurious: क्यूरियसhint: झलकbreeze: हवाlure: लालचpulse: नब्जprecisely: सटीक रूप सेcontentment: संतोष

pWotD Episode 2776: India Welcome to Popular Wiki of the Day, spotlighting Wikipedia's most visited pages, giving you a peek into what the world is curious about today.With 327,180 views on Saturday, 7 December 2024 our article of the day is India.India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country in the world by area and the most populous country. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the south, the Arabian Sea on the southwest, and the Bay of Bengal on the southeast, it shares land borders with Pakistan to the west; China, Nepal, and Bhutan to the north; and Bangladesh and Myanmar to the east. In the Indian Ocean, India is in the vicinity of Sri Lanka and the Maldives; its Andaman and Nicobar Islands share a maritime border with Thailand, Myanmar, and Indonesia.Modern humans arrived on the Indian subcontinent from Africa no later than 55,000 years ago. Their long occupation, initially in varying forms of isolation as hunter-gatherers, has made the region highly diverse, second only to Africa in human genetic diversity. Settled life emerged on the subcontinent in the western margins of the Indus river basin 9,000 years ago, evolving gradually into the Indus Valley Civilisation of the third millennium BCE. By at least 1200 BCE, an archaic form of Sanskrit, an Indo-European language, had diffused into India from the northwest. Its evidence today is found in the hymns of the Rigveda. Preserved by an oral tradition that was resolutely vigilant, the Rigveda records the dawning of Hinduism in India. The Dravidian languages of India were supplanted in the northern and western regions. By 400 BCE, stratification and exclusion by caste had emerged within Hinduism, and Buddhism and Jainism had arisen, proclaiming social orders unlinked to heredity. Early political consolidations gave rise to the loose-knit Maurya and Gupta Empires based in the Ganges Basin. Their collective era was suffused with wide-ranging creativity, but also marked by the declining status of women, and the incorporation of untouchability into an organised system of belief. The Middle kingdoms exported the Indian influences, and religions of Hinduism and Buddhism to the Southeast Asia.In the early mediaeval era, Christianity, Islam, Judaism, and Zoroastrianism became established on India's southern and western coasts. Muslim armies from Central Asia intermittently overran India's northern plains, eventually founding the Delhi Sultanate and drawing northern India into the cosmopolitan networks of mediaeval Islam. Under the Rajaraja I and his son Rajendra I, the Cholas of south India became the greatest Indian state of its era, and also led to the apex of Indian influence in Southeast Asia. In the 15th century, the Vijayanagara Empire created a long-lasting composite Hindu culture in south India. In the Punjab, Sikhism emerged, rejecting institutionalised religion. The Mughal Empire, in 1526, ushered in two centuries of relative peace, leaving a legacy of luminous architecture. Gradually expanding rule of the British East India Company followed, turning India into a colonial economy but also consolidating its sovereignty. British Crown rule began in 1858. The rights promised to Indians were granted slowly, but technological changes were introduced, and modern ideas of education and public life took root. A pioneering and influential nationalist movement emerged, which was noted for nonviolent resistance and became the major factor in ending British rule. In 1947, the British Indian Empire was partitioned into two independent dominions, a Hindu-majority dominion of India and a Muslim-majority dominion of Pakistan, amid large-scale loss of life and an unprecedented migration.India has been a federal republic since 1950, governed through a democratic parliamentary system, and has been the world's most populous democracy since the time of its independence in 1947. It is a pluralistic, multilingual and multi-ethnic society. India's nominal per capita income increased from US$64 annually in 1951 to US$2,601 in 2022, and its literacy rate from 16.6% to 74%. During the same time, its population grew from 361 million to almost 1.4 billion, and India became the most populous country in 2023. From being a comparatively destitute country in 1951, India has become a fast-growing major economy and a hub for information technology services, with an expanding middle class. India has a space programme with several planned or completed extraterrestrial missions. Indian movies, music, and spiritual teachings play an increasing role in global culture. India has substantially reduced its rate of poverty, though at the cost of increasing economic inequality. India is a nuclear-weapon state, which ranks high in military expenditure. It has disputes over Kashmir with its neighbours, Pakistan and China, unresolved since the mid-20th century. Among the socio-economic challenges India faces are gender inequality, child malnutrition, and rising levels of air pollution. India's land is megadiverse, with four biodiversity hotspots. Its forest cover comprises 21.7% of its area. India's wildlife, which has traditionally been viewed with tolerance in India's culture, is supported among these forests, and elsewhere, in protected habitats.This recording reflects the Wikipedia text as of 02:00 UTC on Sunday, 8 December 2024.For the full current version of the article, see India on Wikipedia.This podcast uses content from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License.Visit our archives at wikioftheday.com and subscribe to stay updated on new episodes.Follow us on Mastodon at @wikioftheday@masto.ai.Also check out Curmudgeon's Corner, a current events podcast.Until next time, I'm neural Kajal.

Welcome back to A Century Of Stories: India presented by IDFC FIRST Bank!   This week, join Kunal as he takes you on a ride across the Mumbai Trans Harbour Link - India's longest sea bridge, and a landmark infrastructure project connecting Mumbai to Navi Mumbai across the Arabian Sea. Stretching over 21.8 kms, this ambitious bridge reduces travel time between the two cities to under 20 minutes, easing congestion and offering a vital new route for commuters. Designed to withstand high-speed winds and seismic activity, the MTHL is set to bolster economic growth, improve connectivity, and further Mumbai's status as a global metropolitan hub.   Subscribe for more such captivating stories! New episodes out every Monday!   #MTHL #AtalSetu #Infrastructure #ACenturyOfStories   - Open IDFC FIRST Bank savings account :  https://www.idfcfirstbank.com/personal-banking/accounts/savings-account?utm_source=ig&utm_medium=content&utm_campaign=June&utm_content=COS   Know more about Zero Fee Banking : https://www.idfcfirstbank.com/getmorefromyourbank?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=centuryofstories&utm_campaign=cosepi1&utm_term=Aug23   Follow ‘A Century of Stories' official Instagram handle at @acenturyofstories Subscribe to A Century of Stories YT channel Listen to A Century of Stories across Audio Platforms Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Google Podcasts | Gaana | Amazon Music | Jio Saavn   Follow our host Kunal on Instagram at @kunalvijayakar   And don't forget to rate us! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode of PING, Nowmay Opalinski from the French Institute of Geopolitics at Paris 8 University discusses his work on resilience, or rather the lack of it, confronting the Internet in Pakistan. As discussed in his blog post, Nowmay and his colleagues at the French Institute of Geopolitics (IFG), University Paris 8, and LUMS University Pakistan used a combination of technical measurement from sources such as RIPE Atlas, in a methodology devised by the GEODE project, combined with interviews in Pakistan, to explore the reasons behind Pakistan's comparative fragility in the face of seaborne fibre optical cable connectivity. The approach deliberately combines technical and social-science approaches to exploring the problem space, with quantitative data and qualitative interviews. Located at the head of the Arabian Sea, but with only two points of connectivity into the global Internet, Pakistan has suffered over 22 ‘cuts' to the service in the last 20 years, However, as Nowmay explores in this episode, there actually are viable fibre connections to India close to Lahore, which are constrained by politics. Nowmay is completing a PhD at the institute, and is a member of the GEODE project. His paper on this study was presented at the 2024 AINTEC conference held in Sydney, as part of ACM SIGCOMM 2024.

Two bodies recovered after Indian Coast Guard helicopter crashed in Arabian sea, Kolkata doctor rape-murder: 3 stage, film personalities of Bengal return state honours over R G Kar case, Congress, AAP in seat sharing talks for Haryana Assembly polls, Indian para-athletes win five medals in a late evening rush, Actor Siddique, director Ranjith move Kerala High Court for protection from arrest

This is the Catchup on 3 Things by The Indian Express and I'm Flora Swain.Today is the 29th of August and here are the headlines.West Bengal Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress Chief Mamata Banerjee today said that a ‘malicious disinformation campaign' has been unleashed against her over her speech made on Wednesday at the students rally.” She added, quote “Not uttered a single word against students or their movement, I have spoken against BJP because they are trying to create anarchy.” Meanwhile, the BJP is all set to sit on a dharna near Kolkata's Esplanade today. This comes a day after the party called a 12-hour bandh in the state to protest against the alleged police action on protesters during the Nabanna Abhijan.Amid incessant rain in Gujarat, a runway side wall of the Rajkot International Airport collapsed today. Rescue operations are underway across the state, where the rain fury has claimed about 35 lives since Monday. The Army and Indian Coast Guard have been evacuating people from flood-affected districts. Meanwhile, after remaining closed for almost two days, the NH 27 which is one of the two lifelines of Kandla and Mundra ports in Kutch has been reopened for vehicular traffic on Thursday morning as floodwaters receded in the area.The IMD said today that a cyclone is likely to develop over the north Arabian Sea, off Gujarat coast tomorrow. The cyclone is most unlikely to affect Indian coasts, as the prevailing deep depression over Saurashtra-Kutch would have moved away to the north Arabian Sea by tomorrow. If realised, this will be only the second cyclone to develop in the Arabian Sea since August 1964. Upon intensifying into a cyclone, it will acquire the name Asna, christened by Pakistan.Former BJP MP and Wrestling Federation of India ex-president Brij Bhushan Singh sought the quashing of all criminal proceedings against him over allegations of sexual assault of wrestlers before the Delhi High Court today. He argued that there was “a hidden agenda” behind the complaints against him as he was the president of WFI at the time. The 1,500-page chargesheet against Singh for alleged sexual harassment, assault and stalking of six women wrestlers had included statements of at least 22 witnesses from across four states, including wrestlers, a referee, a coach and a physiotherapist.Australia's Education Minister Jason Clare on Tuesday announced plans to introduce a National Planning Level to cap the number of new international students at 2.7 lakh for the calendar year 2025 which is pending parliamentary approval. This cap marks the lowest intake in the past five years, and a significant decrease from the 5.61 lakh international students who started their studies in 2023. The announcement comes merely a month after a hike in Australia's visa processing fee came into effect on 1st of July.This was the Catch Up on 3 Things by The Indian Express.

From the battlefield to the boardroom, with retired Navy SEAL, Lieutenant Commander JJ Parma. In this week's episode of The Team Never Quit Podcast, we're honored to have retired Navy SEAL Lieutenant Commander JJ Parma. With a distinguished military career spanning numerous positions, including SEAL Platoon Commander and multiple operations officer roles, JJ Parma's leadership has been instrumental in shaping the future of military operations. He was responsible for the manning, training, and equipping of personnel while managing day-to-day operations and budgeting for units across the globe. Beyond his military achievements, JJ has transitioned into civilian life as a motivational speaker and operations professional. With expertise in intercultural communication, intelligence analysis, government, and crisis response, JJ has a demonstrated history of leading in both military and civilian sectors. A Master of Business Administration with a focus on financial management, JJ is now a leader in the financial services industry, driving the strategic intent of investment platforms worldwide. His passion for leadership and culture is further backed by a specialized program in Professional Leadership Development from Harvard Business School, where he honed skills in business leadership, culture, and strategy. Alongside his Swim Buddy Kristel, JJ delves into how the lessons from his military career continue to influence his approach to business and life, providing practical insights that listeners can apply in their own lives. This episode is packed with valuable insights from a true leader who has mastered the art of navigating complex environments both in and out of the military. Whether you're a military professional, business leader, or someone looking to elevate your personal and professional life, JJ Parma's story will inspire and motivate you to strive for excellence. In This Episode You Will Hear: • I grew up 2 streets over from Marvelous Marvin Hagler. (4:28) • Everything about my childhood today is about perspective. (6:48) • [I grew] up in the inner city, a very diverse multicultural place. You name it, we had it. Portuguese, Greek, Black, Spanish, and Spanish populations – we had it all. (6:52) • My mother was the true definition of a hero – selfless. (9:20) • I would spend my time as a child alone, in a pool, teaching myself to swim. I was so comfortable, I would stay there all day, all night, all summer. (17:00) • I had every book on the Vietnam War that you could possibly imagine. (32:24) • I was the kid who tied my friends to a tree. (32:28) • This fascination with the military never really went way. It built and built. Every Halloween, guess what I was? Some kind of Army guy with face paint. Some commando, running around. (33:00) • [Navy SEALS] They're like Green Berets - but the water… it was the water – peace. Nobody does that. That's what I want.  Maritime. (39:04) • Rick Kyser was my mentor. He was phenomenal. He told us the story about Black Hawn down from his perspective. That was it for me. Hook, line, and sinker. This is the job for me. (48:19) • In Serbia, the Muslims were being eradicated by the Serbs. Genocide Level 1. And we went there defending the Muslim population. The peacekeeping mission was that we were protecting them. When it gets political, people want to hone in on the politics. They don't know the stories on the ground.  The stories on the ground never get told. (61:52) • We spent 3 months ship-chasing Bin Laden's family. There was a container ship in the northern Arabian Sea which had one of Bin Laden's sons on it, transporting arms. You know what we found? 55 containers of rice. (70:27) • Next thing you know, I hear it. A 2.75 rocket. Hits about 1-15 yards from the back Humvee. The Humvee comes off the ground, lands, I'm in the 3rd Humvee looking back, and I'm like “We just lost a couple of guys right there.” (82:58) • I got a letter from Bush with Team 10's original coin which said “Victory through Violence”, which they stopped making. Now it's “Victory through Valor.” (92:19) • We have so many skills, and our skill set so vast, it's all lexicon. That the trick that the civilians play on you. (100:26) • Find a good swim buddy. (101:15) • Moments are fleeting. One thing that's finite is death. They're told by society that this how it has to go. You have to live this phase, this phase, and this phase, and then you're gone. And they live that way. We're gonna try to reset that. (110:46) • When you find your swim buddy – if they find you at your lowest point – that's a keeper. (111:52) • People need to fail, because from failure, launches a whole new life lesson. (113:10)  Socials: - IG:  thefourthphasepodcast -  IG: team_neverquit , marcusluttrell , melanieluttrell , huntero13 - https://www.patreon.com/teamneverquit Sponsors:    - Navyfederal.org          - Tonal.com [TNQ]   - qualialife.com/TNQ [TNQ]   - greenlight.com/TNQ   - PDSDebt.com/TNQ   - drinkAG1.com/TNQ    - GoodRX.com/TNQ    - ghostbed.com/TNQ [TNQ]    - Shadyrays.com [TNQ]   - Hims.com/TNQ    - Shopify.com/TNQ   - PXG.com/TNQ   - Aura.com/TNQ   - Moink.com/TNQ    - Policygenius.com   - TAKELEAN.com [TNQ]   - usejoymode.com [TNQ]   - Shhtape.com [TNQ]   - mackweldon.com/utm_source=streaming&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=podcastlaunch&utm_content=TNQutm_term=TNQ

Josh travels to India in search of Dwarka, a mythical kingdom swallowed by the ocean. To find evidence that the golden city is real, he dives into the Arabian Sea and visits a dig site that could rewrite history. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Good afternoon, I'm _____ with today's episode of EZ News. Tai-Ex opening The Tai-Ex opened down 396-points this morning from yesterday's close, at 23,373 on turnover of 13.6-billion N-T. The market lost more than 200 points on Wednesday as Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing share price tumbled after Donald Trump once again claimed that Taiwan had taken "100-per cent" of America's "chip business." Analysts say Trump's comments and his being seen as possibly winning November's U-S election are raising concerns that T-S-M-C's global expansion will be affected if he returns to the White House. Cabinet Launches Task Force to Tackle Economic Issues Premier Cho Jung-tai has announced the establishment of a Cabinet-level task force which will be responsible for formulating (制定) policies to tackle various economic issues. The Economic Development Commission will convene (召開) for the first time today. According to the premier, the first issue on the agenda will be discussion refarding how Taiwan can further attract overseas investors and skilled workers. The premier says other issues, including driving innovation, modifying taxation rules, raising salary levels and funding the construction of social housing will also be discussed by the task force in the future. Hsinchu County Magistrate Indicted on Corruption Charges Hsinchu County Magistrate Yang Wen-ke has been indicted along with 11 other people on corruption charges. According to prosecutors, Yang and the 11 others knowingly shielded (庇護) Fong Yi Construction from legal responsibility after the company caused a severe sinkhole in the county last year. Prosecutors say Fong Yi Construction failed to properly stabilize the ground of a new residential project in order to save over 100-million N-T in costs. And the company's use of substandard materials led six collapses and sinkholes appearing on roads adjacent to the construction site between April of 2022 and April of 2023. Yang continues to serve as Hsinchu County Magistrate despite the indictment. UN says fighting in Gaza is increasing The United Nations warns that further regional spillover (溢出效應) conflict in the Middle East is increasing by the day, at a meeting on the ongoing crisis in Gaza. Jody Jacobs reports… Oman Tanker Rescue Continues Nine crew members were rescued and another died as teams searched for others after an oil tanker capsized this week off the coast of Oman, according to the country's state news agency. The tanker, the MT Prestige Falcon, had 16 crewmembers on board, mostly Indians, when it capsized in the Arabian Sea late Monday southeast off Oman's Ras Madrakah area. The cause of the capsizing (傾覆) and the condition of the tanker and its cargo were not immediately known. But the Indian navy, which sent a warship to help in the search operations, said the rescue teams were dealing with rough seas and strong winds. Brazil Illegal Dumping Leads to Fish Dieoff Several tons of fish have died along one of the main rivers in Brazil's Sao Paulo state after an alleged illegal dumping of industrial waste from a sugar and ethanol (乙醇) plant. Prosecutors say a preliminary analysis estimates that between 10 and 20 tons of fish died on the Piracicaba River. The initial investigation points to an “irregular discharge of wastewater” from Estiva's Sao Jose plant in the community of Rio das Pedras, and it reached a stream that flows into the river. Prosecutors have requested a full report into water conditions and are waiting for further technical information before taking the next steps regarding civil and criminal liability. That was the I.C.R.T. news, Check in again tomorrow for our simplified version of the news, uploaded every day in the afternoon. Enjoy the rest of your day, I'm _____. －－－－以下訊息由 SoundOn 動態廣告贊助商提供－－－－ 南科特區第一環LM重劃區，別稱台南首富里，聯上APPLE位居核心， 鄰A類雙語學區，獨棟雙併、大面寬大地坪別墅，隱私性高，受企業主，科技菁英青睞， 移居台南，首選聯上APPLE！ 即刻入主065832388 https://bit.ly/45ZKgnm -- 擺脫經濟失落的30年，日本政策放大絕， 讓股利被重新定義！渴望體驗超越想像的日本股市嗎？ 【00956】掌握日企配息好機會，7/30激安募集！ 【00956】中信日經高股息 了解更多

AP correspondent Charles de Ledesma reports on new Israeli attacks in Gaza; a U.S.-flagged ship targeted near the Arabian Sea; and a breakdown in unity talks in South Sudan.

I had the pleasure of speaking with Ashutosh Joshi, an Indian photographer and writer whose recent memoir “Journey to the East”, chronicles his 1800-kilometer walk through the heart of India, from the Arabian Sea to the Bay of Bengal. Initially a project document the issues plaguing rural India, the project unfolded to become an unforgettable voyage of self-discovery. In this interview, Ashutosh reflects on human kindness, philosophical insights, religious perspectives, and societal issues he encountered during his travels. He talks about his background, the influence of Western philosophy, and his academic experiences in England and Scotland. Key themes include environmental degradation, farming crises, caste dynamics, and the impact of digitization on human connectivity. The dialogue also touches on the challenges faced by India under nationalistic pressures and the role of art, journalism and freedom of speech in highlighting these issues, his thoughts on spirituality and society. A story of universal human optimism and connection forged step by step, person to person.Ashutosh's dialogue reveals both optimism for humanity's intrinsic kindness and concerns about societal trends driven by technology and politics. His upcoming projects and thoughts on cross-cultural learning cap a conversation that is both a personal narrative and a broader cultural critique.00:00 Introduction to Philosophical Insights02:33 Life in India: Family and Background05:51 Journey to the West: Education and Experiences10:02 Cultural Observations and Reflections15:42 Philosophical and Religious Explorations16:03 The Concept of Kali Yuga21:31 Western Philosophers and Psychedelic Influence26:19 The Walking Journey Across India34:08 Living Arrangements and Language Barriers34:47 Caste and Social Dynamics in Rural India37:08 Safety Concerns and Gender Differences38:35 Media and Press Relations 40:12 Philosophical Reflections and Book Summary41:47 Optimism and Human Kindness45:15 Religious Polarization and India's Diminishing Press Freedom49:28 The Fallacy of Western Freedom and COVID-19 Reflections54:11 Photography and Social Documentation59:00 Migration and Cultural Diversity01:02:14 Upcoming Projects and Final ThoughtsThe Book of PtahJourney to the Eastwww.ashutoshjoshi.inInterview Transcript, More @Leafbox.com Get full access to Leafbox at leafbox.substack.com/subscribe

Most episodes of The Cycling Europe Podcast know where they are going from the outset. This episode is slightly different. We start in the English Lake District to take in the sounds of the recent Cycle Touring Festival in its new home of Coniston. We then head to India to hear from long-distance cyclist James Thomas. He lives in a coastal town in Goa on the shore of the Arabian Sea but often ventures into the mountains on foot and on his bike. He reflects upon his current experiences in India as well as past experiences cycling through Europe, especially Albania. We stay in Albania for an extract from Along The Med on a Bike Called Reggie, Andrew P. Sykes' travelogue about cycling the EuroVelo 8 from Greece to Portugal in 2013. To explain if things have changed in the past decade, the podcast speaks to Dritan Kolgjini, a tour guide for Explore Travel's Albanian cycling trips. Does the country really live up to its reputation of being the 'new Croatia'?

Find me and the show on social media @DrWilmerLeon on X (Twitter), Instagram, and YouTube Facebook page is www.facebook.com/Drwilmerleonctd   FULL TRANSCRIPT Wilmer Leon (00:00:00): As I'm sure most of you know by now, according to Iran State Media, Iran's President Ibrahim Raisi, the country's foreign minister, Hussein Amir Abdulah, have died in a helicopter crash. There are a number of questions that this unfortunate turn of events presents. Was this simply an unfortunate accident as their helicopter traveled in dense fog along Iran's border with Azerbaijan, was the helicopter taken down? What's next for Iran? What's next for the region? Announcer (00:00:43): Connecting the dots with Dr. Wilmer Leon, where the analysis of politics, culture, and history converge. Wilmer Leon (00:00:51): Welcome to the Connecting the Dots podcast with Dr. Wilmer Leon. I'm Wilmer Leon. We have a tendency to view current events as though they occur in a vacuum, failing to understand the broader historical context in which most events take place. During each episode of this program, my guests and I have probing, provocative and in-depth discussions that connect the dots between the events and the broader historic context in which they occur. This enables you to better understand and analyze these events that impact the global village in which we live. For insight into these issues, let's go to Beirut Lebanon. Let my guest, he's an award-winning broadcaster and independent journalist based in Beirut Lebanon. He's a policy consultant with the Community Media Advocacy Center, and you can find him and his work at Free Palestine dot video. He's Laith Marouf Laith. As always, welcome back. Laith Marouf (00:01:53): Thank you for having me. It's always a pleasure to be with you. Wilmer Leon (00:01:56): So let me start with who was former president Ibrahim Raisi. The western media describes him in less than glowing terms as a religious hardliner. He's seen as a potential successor to Supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Hamani. He was a former judge and allegedly a member of what the West calls the death commission, which forcibly disappeared and traditionally executed in secret thousands of political dissidents. Those are the allegations who was former President Ibrahim Raisi. Laith Marouf (00:02:41): Well, definitely he was part of the first generation that lived the Islamic Revolution and were on the front lines during the massacres that Iraq and the West commissioned in Iran, the use of chemical weapons against Iranians paid for by the Germans and the us. So he has that credential of living that revolution, and he was a judge and the accusations that are keep on being repeated there of thousands of prisoners being executed, we're talking about the terrorists that are part of the Mujah, the MEK terrorist organization that was housed in Iraq and funded by the West and is now housed in Albania that was responsible for the killing of almost 70,000 people in Iran through their terror campaign. That includes the killing of ministers and the government officials at the time. So the accusation against him is that he crushed the vessels, the terrorists that work for the CIA, that's his accusation against him and otherwise he was a judge and very respected within the country because of this background. Actually, whatever accusation that the west has against him as a discrediting thing, in reality, it is a positive thing for his reputation in Iran because of how he defended Iran against the terrorist. (00:04:31): The hype that we saw over the last month or so in the media about Rasi being going to be the next ayatollah after Hamina steps down, that there is no truth to that in terms of any speaking of that in Iranian society or Iranian media. In fact, we should take it as an indicator of that he was going to be assassinated. There's something that say it has the Sid Hasan Astra, the Secretary General of Hezbollah after the assassination of General Soleimani in 2020 by Trump. So Sid Hasan Asra a speech. He spoke about how when the media in the West suddenly gives attention to a leader in the region out of the blue and start giving them very high stature, that is maybe true, but it's not. That's an indicator of an assassination coming and that he spoke to General Soleimani the day before he was assassinated while he was in Beirut about that and warned him as he was flying to Baghdad on a domestic flight that this is actually even more worrisome that he was on a domestic flight given all this attention. So now we see kind of the same thing happening here, all this hype being pumped about Raisi in the month before the assassination, specifically since the retaliation of Iran against the assassination of its diplomats in the Damascus. So I see it as actually an indicator that he was going to be assassinated and now that's what actually happened. Wilmer Leon (00:06:26): To your point that this was an assassination, there are a couple of things that as soon as I heard that the helicopter went down that came to mind. One was, was it taken down? Apparently there were three helicopters flying in formation and his helicopter was one of the three, and it seems as though it just dropped out of the sky. They keep talking about the terrain, they keep talking about the fog. I know some US military trained helicopter pilot certified helicopter pilots. The first thing I did was call them and ask them when you heard fog, when you heard terrain, when you heard the helicopter went down. I said, what's the first thing that came to your mind? They all said, oh, they took that thing out the sky and they said, first of all, they all said to me as certified pilots, we would never have crashed our helicopter. That just was not going to happen short of some catastrophic mechanical failure. They said, which by the way, we are trained to deal with. They told me the quality of pilots that they have in Iran that those pilots, they say this goes all the way back to when Iran was an ally of the United States during the Shaw's time and that the protocols that were in place then are many of the same protocols that they follow today. (00:08:03): So there was a lot of information opinion that they gave to me, which said, and then they even mentioned, you got to understand the MEK along that region, that Azerbaijan is an ally of Israel or that there are elements within Azerbaijan that are so connect some of those dots for me please. Are these just the opinions of Ill-informed individuals or they said for the fact that the thing dropped out the sky without it, even a mayday call indicates that something was wrong here? Laith Marouf (00:08:43): Yeah, I mean, you mentioned a lot of important things. So first off, obviously there was no made call as you said. So we don't have any information about some problem happening on the helicopter. The other is that there was two other helicopters with it and they continued to reach their target and destination and they reached it. That's the question also, why didn't they stop and fly back and look for the other helicopter? That's a big indicator that there's something wrong that happened there that is not just a regular crash. The other thing is that the Iranian government took a very long time to really show us what happened and tell us that Rasi and his companions were dead. In fact, the hours after the crash, the Minister of Internal Security told the whole world that they received two calls from survivors on the plane, on the helicopter, and later on all the way around 2:00 AM PA on time, again, the minister of internal claim that they received a call from one of the crew members on the helicopter all the way that late saying that they were hearing the ambulances or the sirens in the area. (00:10:13): So while all of this was happening, the minute the helicopter crash was announced and called a soft landing, and then it took so long, I mean, this is Iran that has satellites. This is Iran that has drones that can fly and reach Israel and hit their targets thousands of kilometers away. I thought in my mind that either from the first minute that Raisi and his team were assassinated and they're dead, and the Iranians were delaying the announcements so they can tidy up their house and prepare for the transition and think about what they want to do if there's an actual assassination or that the Iranians were hiding the fact that he was alive and they were just milking it for support. This is what I thought during the whole night as they were doing this search, and obviously for them to finally tell us they're dead, that's in me confirmed that there was an assassination. (00:11:21): None of the stories that came from the Iranian government to the media during the quote search made any sense. And so now we know they're killed. I believe the Iranian government knows that they were killed and how they were killed, and I think given the fact that the Israelis have a tendency of assassinating political leaders as retaliation for their failures on the battlefield, this is historic. Look at how even recently, look at how they assassinated Hamas leadership in Beirut because they were failing on the ground in Gaza and they failed in the battle with Iran after they targeted the embassy in Damascus and Iran landed a huge blow on them and they were not able to retaliate. So their only usual behavior is to assassinate political leaders, and that's what we saw. The question is because Netanyahu attempted last month when attacking the embassy to drag the United States into a war because he sees Israel losing the battle on the ground. (00:12:47): He sees that Israel cannot even fight Hezbollah if a bigger war starts with Lebanon. He needs the United States to be around on the battlefield with him. He wanted to drag Iran into that war with the attack on the embassy, and they didn't retaliate in a way that created a war. And now he did this to try to drag again Iran into this war. But this is not what Iran wants. Iran has a clear plan with the access of resistance that we're seeing unfold over the last seven months, which is to chisel away at Israel slowly and cook it like a frog, a live frog boiling where it collapses internally, where all this support from the world collapses externally, and there's no need for a war for this Zionist colony to collapse, but Netanyahu wants a war. So I think the Iranians are not going to admit that this is an assassination because if they admit this an assassination, they have no choice but to carpet bomb the hell out of the Zionist colony, and that would derail the plan and will take it to the stage that Netanyahu wants it. So I think they're going to just bite the bullet and continue on their set plan and will not be dragged into, it's very sad. I mean, it's very sad that this is going to be what's going to happen, but that's the only thing path forward I see. Otherwise, if Iran decides to retaliate, we're going to be in World War three immediately. Wilmer Leon (00:14:24): And I think it's important for people to understand that there's a much longer term vision here, that the axis of resistance, they have a different worldview. We know that if the situation were reversed and either if somebody had shot an Netanyahu's playing out the sky or if this had happened to Tony Blinken while he was traveling in the region, that the bombs would be exploding by now. But I think there are economic concerns here that those in the region are taking into account war. As I said to Godfather, war is messy business war is very expensive. And with their economies under sanctioned, with their now finding ways to move and operate without the sanctions to go into a war right now, whether it's the Russian economy, whether it's the Chinese economy, whether it's the Iranian economy, they don't want that economic stress on their economies. They also know that I think going into a World War which, or at least a regional conflict, would shut off oil transport through both the Red Sea and the Persian Gulf, which would then collapse the world economy. They don't want do that. I don't think I'm conflating their concern for world welfare. I think they're looking much, much longer. Am I connecting some dots here? Laith Marouf (00:16:04): Yes, yes, you definitely are. And although most of the access of resistance and China, Russia, and most of Africa and Latin America want to see an end to American imperialism, no one wants the whole world to burn in the process. Okay? It's no one's interest to have a World War. People want to clip the wings of the United States, bring it back to its natural size, and the same thing for Europe and balance humanity. There's no interest in these countries to see the United States burn and Europe become a wasteland. And so there's the difference. The difference is people in the south and the East just want the foot of America off their neck. They don't want to put their own foot on America's neck. And so we will see, as we are seeing right now, both in the battlefield in Ukraine, or what's happening around Taiwan or what's happening here right now in the Western Asia battlefield is the constant attempt by the access of resistance and others around the world to take things slow, to allow time to be the biggest weapon. Wilmer Leon (00:17:33): Hence the adage. You have the watches, we have the time. So with all of this, what's next for Iran? Laith Marouf (00:17:43): Yeah, I mean, we already know that they have to have an election within 50 days. That was announced yesterday, and the current vice president was appointed as temporary president until elections happen. Iran as a constitutional democracy will fill these positions as fast as possible, even though these individuals leave a huge gap behind them because of their knowledge and portfolios. abd Ian being the youngest foreign affairs minister of Iran's history, and because of his relations in Africa and Latin America and Rasi with the relationships that he built. So where should expect that this is going to happen this election. But look at one thing, the Israelis, at least what they got from this is at least now a distraction for the next three, five days in Iran and World News while they intensify the massacres in Gaza and in the West Bank last night, for instance, eight people were killed in Janine, so Palestinians. (00:19:06): So there's a lot that we can't really predict what's going to happen. The other thing is that it's very possible that Iran, although they don't announce that this was an assassination and that they don't put the finger on Israel, that they actually conduct clandestine actions that are in kind and something nasty happens to some Israeli official, and nobody can say who it is. So those are possibilities. But I think the most probable thing is that Iran will try to stay the course that the support fronts in Lebanon and Yemen will intensify rapidly to a different level. Wilmer Leon (00:19:49): That's my next question. What happens in the region? Laith Marouf (00:19:53): Yes. Yes. So we're already seeing an intensification even before this assassination. We had a change in the tactics on the Lebanese front with Hezbollah conducting multilayered complex operations that include drones, guided missiles, and achieving huge hits. Much of the air defenses that Israel has downing two huge surveillance balloons. One of them is the biggest in the world, this Zeppelin balloon, there's only two of them in the Zionist colony, one around the Una reactor, one in the north. And the Israelis had put this one in the north because of the destruction of all of their surveillance equipment on the border with Lebanon. So to see Hezbollah not only down these drones, but also film the after from, sorry, not only down these balloons, but also film with surveillance, drones after effect of the destruction and coming back with their images, 100% high HD 4K images of the, so we're already passed into a new stage now in Lebanon, and I expect it to only intensify. And similarly with Yemen, I think that in the next 24 hours, we will see Yemen starting to attack shipping in the Mediterranean, and that will add another sea under Yemeni sovereignty. It's not only going to be the Red Sea, the Arabian Sea, and the Indian Ocean, you'll have also the Mediterranean, and that will be the smartest thing that Iran can do with the access of resistance is to intensify the battle on these fronts without addressing the issue of the assassination of Raisi. Wilmer Leon (00:21:55): When we look at the recent dynamics, and what I mean by that is if we go back to October 7th, in fact not even that, I'm sorry. What I mean is China gets involved with the Saudis, the Saudis wind up talking to Iran. There's reproach mom between Iran and the Saudis haven't heard much from the Crown Prince Ben Salman. In all of these most recent developments, are there things coming out of Saudi Arabia that are not being reported in the West, particularly now as it relates to the death of former President Raisi? And is Bin Salman concerned about his longevity? Laith Marouf (00:22:54): I think everybody is right now worried about their longevity. We've seen the assassination attempt on the Czech president, so we saw the attempted coup, all of this within 24 hours in Congo. Again, American Israeli mercenaries trying to overthrow the president of La Congo. So we're right now entering a new stage in the global battle, not only in Western Asia, we're seeing the West do the maximum they can with the hybrid war. So it's not only a media war, it's not only a sanctions war, it's not only direct confrontations or military confrontations. We're seeing these assassinations and cos and so on, intensified by the United States and its vessel states. So the Saudis issued an official statement condolences to Iran on the assassination. In fact, all of the Gulf countries, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, Emirate, Oman, Saudi, all of them send their condolences. There is three days of mourning in Lebanon, in Syria, in Iraq, in Pakistan, in India, and in Tajikistan and in Turkey. And this is things that are unheard of. Maybe it was expected as Syria or Iraq, but Lebanon and Pakistan and Turkey, this is so we can see that the whole region is worried about the results of this assassination. What does it also mean to, what are the rules of the game now? What is allowed to be done? Because if you are allowed to assassinate presidents now, this means there's no rules. Wilmer Leon (00:25:05): Lemme just quickly say to that point, that reminds me of a comment that President Putin made maybe a year ago as people were talking about, oh, is Russia going to assassinate the president of Ukraine? And Putin said, no. He said, no, no, no, we don't do that. So people need to understand that there's a, I hate to use it. There's a decorum, there's a protocol. There are certain things you're not supposed to do even in the rules of war, even in warfare, you don't assassinate the leader of your opposing country. So you are making that comment just made me think about the point that Laith Marouf (00:25:57): By the way, president Putin is on the way right now on the flight to the Harran, and he's flying with escorts of Soho 35 to the Harran, and he will be there tomorrow during the funeral procession led by the Illah. Wilmer Leon (00:26:19): What is that signal? In my mind that's huge because that's huge on a couple of fronts. One, his country is in the midst of a conflict with NATO slash the United States slash the West. So he must feel incredibly comfortable to leave as he did when he went to China in the midst of this conflict. I can leave my country. I'm not concerned about a being assassinated. I'm not concerned about something happening domestically. B, he's flying into a war zone. He's flying into a country whose president was just killed, many believe assassinated. So on a number of fronts, that to me speaks volumes. Laith Marouf (00:27:07): Yes. And there's the ICC arrest warrant Wilmer Leon (00:27:10): Against that too. Laith Marouf (00:27:11): It's the National Criminal Court. So we know that yesterday, the minute the announcement was made that the crash happened, the President Putin called in the ambassador of Iran to Moscow into almost a six hour meeting with all the heads, the intelligence military in foreign affairs of Russia. It was like a special kind of war council almost. And we don't know what happened in this meeting. So what information did Russia share with Iran? What are their points that were made in that meeting? And immediately we see this visit by President Putin being confirmed, and he's flying over the Caspian Sea directly into Iran from Russian territory to Iranian territory with the military escorts. We will clearly that this indicates a lot of things. And he's flying with him the top cater of the Russian military intelligence and foreign affairs to Iran. So there's something that's going to happen there. (00:28:34): We don't know what's the exchange that's going to happen in these meetings. And to go back to the issue of assassinations, the access of resistance members have never assassinated any Israeli leadership. Not because they can't. In fact, the only time that there was any assassination of an Israeli official is the Minister of settlements during the second in the Father in 2002 was conducted by the popular front for the liberation of Palestine in retaliation for the assassination of the leader of the PLFP AB mufa when the Israelis fired missile from a helicopter into his official office. So historically, the axis of resistance does not do assassinations like this. Why? Because number one, and this is true for Russia, by the way, number one, our enemies don't have any heroes. They only got lunatics, stupid leaders. And if you kill them, Wilmer Leon (00:29:42): You martyr them. Laith Marouf (00:29:43): You create the martyrs, right? The Israelis, Wilmer Leon (00:29:48): You inflate them to an artificial sense of value in power. Laith Marouf (00:29:56): Exactly. So there's no need to create martyrs for the Ukrainians or the Israelis. These are all goals. They should never be allowed to reach that status of martyrdom. The second issue, and this is true again for Ukraine, is because we're gifted as an axis of resistance. And Russia is gifted with the stupidest kind of enemy. Why would you want to kill Zelinsky if he's so dumb? Or Netanyahu is making so many stupid mistakes. If you kill them, maybe somebody smarter will come, you'll be even cursed. And in fact, if you look at the Israelis assassinating over and over, leaderships in the axis of resistance, every time they assassinated somebody, somebody even more cunning and more ready to fight them, gets into the position. Look at Hezbollah. Say Hasan came into his position as Secretary General after the assassination by Israel of Del Mu, the former First Secretary General of Hezbollah who was very moderate, soft spoken. And then you get sala and look at what so assassinations don't work on those two grounds. So it's a stupid thing that the Israelis did, this assassination of sei, and it's just going to bring somebody more in power. And now Iran has a president as a martyr on the path of liberation of Palestine. What glory does Iran have? No other nation lost a president in defense of Palestine, not even the Palestinian authority. You see, Wilmer Leon (00:31:49): You're laying out. That logic also goes back to some fundamental organizational constructs, as in organizations that are personality led versus organizations that are structurally led. So what I understand you to be saying is that this resistance is not based upon the personality in charge, that there is a structure here. There is an ideology here that, as we've said a number of times on a number of shows, you can't kill an ideology with a military. You can only defeat an ideology with a better ideology. And so you can assassinate all the leaders you want to, but there are people right behind them that are waiting to take charge. Laith Marouf (00:32:48): Yes, it is institutionalized. Obviously, we don't want to undermine the human factor, like a human factor is very important in all of these things. And people's personalities and connections make a difference. And so yes, these losses are always big, but because of this institutionalization, hopefully the, and because of the actual human factor, this new person that will fill, will bring new openings, new connections with them. Yes, the human factor is very important and institutionalization is as important. Wilmer Leon (00:33:28): Switching gears a bit, the ICC, the International Criminal Court is seeking arrest warrants for the leader of Hamas, Yaya Sanir, as well as the Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on charges of war crimes, crimes against humanity. And it seems to be centered around the October 7th retaliation by Hamas on Israel. President Biden has denounced as outrageous the request for these warrants. Biden has said, let me be clear. Whatever this prosecutor might imply, there is no evidence none between Israel and Hamas. Biden said that this is a false equivocation. A couple of things. One, people need to understand that the ICC, the prosecutor is seeking arrest warrants. No warrants have been issued yet. I also find it interesting that they are tying all of this back to the October 7th response by the resistance as though October 7th is actually the beginning of something as opposed to the continuation of something. And then I'd like to get your take on, as I understand international law, the actions taken by Hamas on October 7th do not violate international law because Hamas is, Hamas represents the occupied, Israel is the occupier. And in international law, the occupied can do anything in its power to resist occupation. There is no right to defend oneself when you are the occupier. Laith. Maro your thoughts on that analysis? Laith Marouf (00:35:35): Yeah, I mean, I agree with everything that you said, and I would add to it, can you imagine if during the Vietnam War, Vietnam was, and the Vietnamese resistance were taken to the international criminal court and their leadership were declared terrorists for defending themself against French and American occupation, or the Algerian resistance being called terrorists at the ICC for defending themself against the massacres of the French or the French resistance against the Nazis Wilmer Leon (00:36:13): Or the A NC in South Africa Laith Marouf (00:36:15): Or the A NC? So I personally think the collaboration is Palestinian Authority on purpose launched this case at the ICC because they wanted the leadership of the resistance in Hamas to be charged with war crimes. Okay, Wilmer Leon (00:36:43): Wait a minute. Start that again because man, I never saw that one coming. Start that one again, please. Laith Marouf (00:36:52): Yes, yes. I know it's sometimes hard for people to make these connections, but you see there's never been, that's why Wilmer Leon (00:36:58): You're wrong. Connecting the dots. Laith Marouf (00:37:00): Yes. There's never been in history international criminal court case of the occupied taking their occupier into court and the occupied being charged with crimes against their occupier. And it was the Palestinian authority that pursued this case. Okay? And I think it was done on purpose by Abbas Wilmer Leon (00:37:29): Mah. Abba did this Laith Marouf (00:37:31): Mahmud, Abba and his collaborationist goons to dirty the reputation of the resistance to make their resistance equal to the crimes of the occupier. Okay? And I add to it even more the these arrest warrants against Netanyahu and Ganz, who's going to actually enforce them? No Western country will stop Netanyahu from flying over its airspace or landing on its territory, that's for sure, 100%. But you know who's going to be a target? It's a smile Nia, who's sitting in Qatar, right? SSIR and Aldi are in Gaza. The Israelis can't even kill them or assassinate them. They can't reach them, let alone try to arrest them for ICC charges. But smile, Nia, the head of Hamas in foreign political borough is now the number one target. He's probably right now running to find a place that he can hide than Qatar, because Qatar is a vessel state, and they will hand them over to the Americans at any moment. Okay? So in reality, this is one of the worst things that ever happened to the Palestinians. This ICC case, there's nothing to celebrate about it. And if you notice the limitations of this case that it only, as you said, starts October 7th, Wilmer Leon (00:39:03): They don't mention genocide, Laith Marouf (00:39:05): Okay? And not only that, the case is only for crimes inside Ga Gaza, none of the historical Palestine, west Bank, east Jerusalem, any of that will be included in this. And this is not only to protect Israel from accusations of apartheid and the settlement building that is one of the biggest war crimes possible, but also to hide the fact that all these internment camps that have been built since October 7th, were thousands of Palestinians from the Gaza Strip were abducted and sent into these Guantanamo and being tortured, raped, and killed on mass, disappeared completely, because nobody even knows that they're in this. And the fact that VE turned all the Israeli prisons into that same model, 12,000 Palestinian prisoners since October 7th, have been living in these internment camps, tortured, raped, and killed with hundreds, hundreds of testimonies of rape and torture by men, women, and children coming out of these dungeons. And if you notice the docket of these requests for arrest warrants, this house, slave Han, who is a puppet of the United States and Israel, who came as a replacement to the ICC chief prosecutor before him, who got humiliated and death threats and banned from entering the United States and so on, because she even dare thought about charges Wilmer Leon (00:40:56): Even his family was under. Yes, Laith Marouf (00:40:58): Yes. So now, what does this guy do? If you look at the charges when he's talking about Hamas crimes, he speaks of them as if they're facts that rapes happen. We have no, Wilmer Leon (00:41:17): No evidence Laith Marouf (00:41:18): Any rape that babies were killed. No evidence, no evidence killed. But when he talks about the crimes of the Zionist, Wilmer Leon (00:41:27): He uses a minute, just to that point, going back to President Putin, I remember him saying, if you have evidence of these crimes, please show the world. He was very emphatic on that point. You have made these allegations. If you have evidence, please show the world. And no matter how many times Joe Biden, no matter how many times Tony Blinken wants to talk about these atrocities, they've never even pierce Morgan. I know you saw the interview with Dr. Morandi and Pi Morgan, where Morandi just cut him a new one. He said, Pierce, where's the evidence? And Pi Morgan just kept chatting, just kept chirping. Go ahead, I'm sorry. Laith Marouf (00:42:30): Yes, yes. I mean, the evidence is like you have to take the word of the chosen people for fact. What are you antisemitic, Wilmer. You don't believe every word that comes out of a chosen person mouth. I mean, that's it. That's all evidence you need. So Wilmer Leon (00:42:48): If I was antisemitic, I wouldn't be talking to you. Laith Marouf (00:42:50): Exactly. Exactly. But we're joking about it. But truly, this guy, this sock puppet had, he went down to Israel after October 7th and sat down with the families and unquote survivors, and visited the colonies that were attacked, but refused to enter Gaza Amass, opened the door for him, invited him to come and see Joe evidence, the war crimes. He refused to go to Gaza, okay? And then now he's coming and he's writing in his docket that these crimes happened by Hamas. But when he's talking about the crimes accusations against Israel, he says reasonable grounds before every accusation he is already, you could see how tainted this case is and what is its ultimate goal. I mean, yesterday, the spokesperson for the American government, I can't remember his name, the thin white guy. He was being interviewed, sorry, asked in the question period about this issue, and the guy claimed that the Palestinians have no right to go to the ICC and that their only courts that have jurisdiction are Israeli or American courts. He wants the Palestinians to come and beg at American courts, which even shows you how Israel is a colony, a vessel of the United States. But yes, this is where Wilmer Leon (00:44:32): Matthew Miller, Laith Marouf (00:44:35): Yes, Matthew Pillar, and people call him Matthew Killer. Yes, Wilmer Leon (00:44:38): Right. Matthew Miller. Laith Marouf (00:44:39): Yeah, yeah, yeah. Wilmer Leon (00:44:42): So I'm sorry, I interrupted you. You're saying he was saying that they need to come to American courts? Laith Marouf (00:44:47): Yes. That they have no right to go to the ICC, and the only place that has jurisdiction is the US or Israel over crimes in Gaza, Wilmer Leon (00:45:00): Which is also very telling in that the United States is not as signatory to the ICC, but seems to want to either use it when it's convenient or condemn it when it's convenient. But in fact, excuse me, there's a standing American law, and people can look this up, that if an American is brought before the Hague, the United States reserves the right to invade it. I might even be called the Hague Invasion Act. I'm drawing a blank on the name, but people, folks, you need to look this up. The United States has a standing American law saying, we will invade the Hague if an American is arrested and held accountable for crime. Laith Marouf (00:45:59): Yes, it's ally known as the Hague Invasion Act. And in fact, if you look at the ICC record, 42 out of the 42 people that were convicted of crimes at the ICC were African African leaders, and then add to it that the charges against President Putin. So this ICC is the most captured, un affiliated organism captured by the West, along with the International Atomic Energy Organization and the Chemical and Weapons Organization. These are the least trusted three organs of the un. And we're seeing, I believe these indictments, or if there is an arrest warrant issued, I mean, I don't see anything good coming to the Palestinians from this. Wilmer Leon (00:47:08): Wow. That's a perspective and a level of analysis that I did not see coming. But what you're saying makes sense. Bring us up to date, please on what's happening in Rafa. According to the new Arab, there are by 1.4 million Palestinians there. And that around the 7th of May, they were told that they had to leave. And the number I see is about 80,000 people have fled, but there's, I guess a slow boiling Israeli incursion into the area. What's going on in Rafa now? Laith Marouf (00:48:02): Yeah, I mean, the Israelis are doing what they call belts, fire belts. It's like bombardment from the land, from the sea, from the air on straight lines, and then going next straight line and so on. This is what they've been doing since last week. They haven't yet attempted invading Rafa. They have been stuck in Jabal since last week in the longest and fiercest battle on the ground of Gaza since the beginning of the war. The Israelis lost, according to their own media, at least 10 officers there. That includes a field general, the highest ranking military officer on the field of any army, and along with all his commanders. So we've seen the videos come out from this Jabali battle every day, two or three videos coming out from Hamas, Islamic Jihad and others that showed us tens of Israeli tanks destroyed APCs and bulldozers. So they're receiving a beating, a whipping in the battlefield of Jabal. (00:49:21): So I don't think they're going to invade RA anytime soon. They'll continue bombing from the air. But this has also happened at the same time as yesterday or the day before the Americans finished building the pier, right? Right. And we already now have images of this spear with American air defenses, radars and tanks and ABCs waiting in the landing ships. So clearly the sphere is not about delivering any aid, and it's definitely not about the mass expulsion of Palestinians. This is an invasion, beachfront landing zone in the case of total collapse of the Israeli military on the battlefield. And that's what we are seeing right now happening. Wilmer Leon (00:50:11): And is it a coincidence or should we connect dots that the pier was completed right around the same time that it was announced that, what was it, 1.2 billion more of weaponry has been approved. And so is that a coincidence or am I wrong to connect these dots? Laith Marouf (00:50:34): No, it's not a coincidence. It's also not a coincidence that it was finished the day they assassinated rasi. You see, all of these are time things. It's same thing. It's not a coincidence that the sock puppet Han announced the ICC arrest warrants at the same day of the assassination. So all of this is clearly timed together, and we now saw in the last 48 hours, the cards of the West put on the table, have opened. Now their hand, they just opened their hand with these three moves. The Wilmer Leon (00:51:15): But wait a minute, president Biden is calling for a ceasefire. How can this be true? Laith Maro, when President Biden, when he was at Morehouse giving his commencement address, he's calling for a cease fire. Help me understand this, because obviously you didn't hear him. And so now that you understand, Joe Biden wants to cease fire, how can everything that you've just said be true? Laith Marouf (00:51:44): Isn't it one of the most disgusting things that Biden could do is to lie to the black students and the administration of the university say that he will not use their black faces in his promotional materials for his election? That was one of the conditions to allow him to speak to the students who were going to demonstrate. But because their administration found a middle ground and told them, okay, you can demonstrate without, Wilmer Leon (00:52:15): Don't make any noise, shut Laith Marouf (00:52:16): Down, don't make any noise, and so on. And this guy is not going to use your faces for his election. And now he goes around and immediately, immediately releases a promotional video of using these students to try to get sympathy from the black communities in America. This is, and obviously anybody that believes American leaders should go and ask the indigenous people about all the treaties and their promises. I mean, there's 400 years of record of broken promises and broken treaties. There's not one treaty I think the United States ever abided by with anyone. Have Wilmer Leon (00:53:04): You seen this Washington Post article from last week? The Washington Post reported about a WhatsApp chat stream where New York mayor Eric Adams was chatting with a number of American multimillion and billionaires, such as the former founder of Starbucks and the CEO of Dell and a number of other financiers where they were demanding that Eric Adams send the NYPD into Columbia University. They offered campaign contributions, they offered to fund private investigators to look into the students. And he is now, of course, denying that this took place. But the Washington Post has the transcript of the WhatsApp communications, and they named these individuals by name. And it seems as though their whole concern or motivation behind this is they're losing control of the narrative. Your thoughts, lath maus. Laith Marouf (00:54:21): Yeah. I mean, it's 100% a fact that this happened. No matter what the mayor says, who was another sock puppet? And if me and you have enough money, we can buy American politicians if we want to. They're very cheap. They'll sell you their mamas if you have enough money. Okay? So it's not a surprise. It's actually great that it got leaked, and I'm sure the Washington Post only published it because it was going to be all around the internet anyways, and they needed to have a scoop to stay on top of the story. But this is the truth. The political class and the economic elite are abusing the police in the United States, abusing the power they have over the police, forcing the police to become political police, to suppress the students and the communities that are demonstrating for the liberation of Palestine. I mean, I watched these images over the weekend. The beatings that the NYPD was giving to these youth was, I mean, very similar to who Wilmer Leon (00:55:36): Were peacefully protesting, Laith Marouf (00:55:37): Peacefully protesting, being jumped and taken to the ground and punching women in the face while having your legs on their necks. I mean, it is very similar to how they treat on a daily basis, the black community, specifically black men. But now we're seeing it on a daily scale of people not being accused of any crime or just speaking out or demonstrating. And that's what was happening to the black community in the sixties and the seventies and or the Black Lives Matter movement during the Obama years. Now we are gearing up to this summer of discontent all across the west as these youth finished their exams in the universities and pour into the streets. And we should expect maximum suppression from the political class, and they will be abusing the police to do so because they can't use the courts. Look, in Canada, there's been now two court cases where Zionist students went to court to try to force the police to remove a student encampment from McGill University in Montreal. (00:57:01): McGill University is the Ivy League University in Canada, and they lost. The judge said, no, the students have a right. And then the university administration itself appealed and went to the court to also asked the court to tell the police to remove the students. And again, the court said no. And therefore, this is what's happening. The Zionists in Canada were stupid enough to think that they can win this in court. They thought like, oh, we have all the media, we have all the politicians. We can rip apart the Bill of Rights in Canada. But the Zionists in the United States are a little bit smarter. They know that if they go to court First Amendment, they cannot remove these students. Therefore, they skipped all the legal process and went immediately into abusing their access to power by moving the police, setting them like dogs on the students. Wilmer Leon (00:58:03): Laith Maro, my brother. As always, I got to thank you for joining me today. And let me reiterate to folks that they need to go to Free Palestine video. Go to Free Palestine video. You can see if you could quickly just explain to the audience what you're doing there on the ground, real time in Beirut with free Palestine video. Laith Marouf (00:58:33): So yeah, as a volunteer community television, we're teaching youth and students to produce content in English. We're also doing everyday almost reporting from the south of Lebanon, from the Warfront exclusive coverage of what's happening there, interviews of people on the ground. And we're doing weekly episode of a special show called Wartime Cafe with the biggest intellectual and political leaders in Lebanon in English. Last time, the last episode of wartime Cafe was with Ibrahim Al Mu, who is a member of Parliament, but also the former spokesperson for Hezbollah. He hasn't spoken in English media for a long time. So this is the kind of content that you will get. Please support us donations. We need membership. If there's possible, so people subscribe for monthly donation, that will be amazing. And you can add on our website, free pass. Send the video. You have the links to all our socials, so Twitter, telegram, Instagram, YouTube, brumble. Please watch the content and help us through donations. Wilmer Leon (00:59:49): My brother, my dear brother, lathe Maru, thank you so much for joining me today. Laith Marouf (00:59:54): Thank you for having me. Wilmer Leon (00:59:56): Look forward to having you back. Folks. Thank you all so much for listening to the Connecting the Dots podcast with me, Dr. Wimer Leon. Stay tuned for new episodes every week. Also, please follow and subscribe. Please leave a review, share the show, and you can follow us on social media. You'll find all the links below to the show description, contribute to this effort if you can. Nothing is too small and we know nothing is too large. We greatly, greatly appreciate the contributions that are helping to keep this program on the air. Remember, this is where the analysis of politics, culture, and history converge because talk without analysis is just chatter, and we don't chatter here on connecting the dots. See you again next time. Until then, I'm Dr. Wilmer Leon. Have a great one. Peace. I'm out Announcer (01:00:59): Connecting the dots with Dr. Wilmer Leon, where the analysis of politics, culture, and history converge.

Welcome to the Instant Trivia podcast episode 1185, where we ask the best trivia on the Internet. Round 1. Category: Odd American History 1: In 1833 this 35-inch-tall millionaire wed the 32-inch-tall Lavinia Warren (P.T. had his hand in it...). Tom Thumb. 2: Way before Ford, an assembly line was set up in Cincinnati in the 1800s to disassemble these animals. pigs. 3: In 1801 this American boat designer tried to sell his submarine to Napoleon. Fulton. 4: Dexter Pratt, a neighbor of Longfellow, had this job (and presumably, sinewy hands). blacksmith. 5: Declaring bankruptcy to get out of jail in 1819, he now had time to smell the roses and draw the birds. Audubon. Round 2. Category: Comic Actors 1: He was a star in British Vaudeville before creating the "Little Tramp" onscreen. Charlie Chaplin. 2: His title roles have included "Ace Ventura" and half of "Dumb and Dumber". Jim Carrey. 3: Martin Short, John Candy and Dan Aykroyd were all born in this country. Canada. 4: 20 years after playing Woody Allen's "Annie Hall", she's become a respected film director. Diane Keaton. 5: Seen in "Evita", this sex symbol from Malaga gained fame in the offbeat comic films of Pedro Almodovar. Antonio Banderas. Round 3. Category: Brushed Up Your Shakespeare 1: In a "seasonal" play, young Mamillius tells us, "A sad tale's best for" this season. A Winter's Tale. 2: This villain says, "Now, sir, be judge yourself whether I in any just term am affined to love the Moor". Iago. 3: In "The Merry Wives of Windsor", this comic character courts both Mistress Ford and Mistress Page. Falstaff. 4: These scaredy-cats "die many times before their deaths", says Julius Caesar. a coward. 5: In "Much Ado About Nothing", she and Benedick carry on a "merry war". Beatrice. Round 4. Category: It'S Me, Margaret 1: She entered the House of Commons in 1959; a higher post awaited. (Margaret) Thatcher. 2: On "mash" Loretta Swit played head nurse Margaret Houlihan, better known by this nickname. Hot Lips. 3: Works by this anthropologist include "Growing up in New Guinea". Margaret Mead. 4: Season 2 of this Netflix show featured the lavish wedding of Princess Margaret, played by Vanessa Kirby. The Crown. 5: In 1939 this actress starred with Judy Garland in "Babes in Arms" in black-and-white and "The Wizard of Oz" in green. (Margaret) Hamilton. Round 5. Category: Stupid Geographic Answers 1: It was once called the Union of South Africa. South Africa. 2: This seaport is the capital of Djibouti. Djibouti. 3: This sea lies to the north of Belgium, the Netherlands and Germany. the North Sea. 4: The Arabian Sea lies between India on the east and this peninsula on the west. the Arabian peninsula. 5: Kansas City is at the confluence of the Missouri River and this river. the Kansas River. Thanks for listening! Come back tomorrow for more exciting trivia!Special thanks to https://blog.feedspot.com/trivia_podcasts/ AI Voices used

This is The DX Mentor podcast. I hope to help those hams trying to move up the DXCC ladder as well as those that at on the DXCC Honor Roll. As fast as technology is moving, no one can keep up on it all. I am here to help. #DX #Hamradio In this episode of The DX Mentor, our #DX gurus, will discuss: VU2VKU, Krish, (aka W4VKU) and his DXpedition to Lakshadweep and to Andamann. The questions that were discussed and answered were: How did you get into Ham Radio? Why start chasing DX? Why decide to BE the DX? What other DXPeditions have you been on? Specifically, lets talk about VU7A - Lakshadweep Located in the Arabian Sea off of the West coast of India Just above the equator - HOT Approximately 12/4 to 12/15. Lets talk about VU4N - Andaman Island Located in the Bay of Bengal on the East coast of India, closer to Thailand than to India Approximately 12/16 to 12/26 Resources mentioned include: Southwest Ohio DX Assoc. https://www.swodxa.org DX Code of Conduct : https://www.dx-code.com/ Daily DX https://www.dailydx.com/ DX Engineering https://www.dxengineering.com/ Icom https://www.icomamerica.com/ IC-905 https://www.icomamerica.com/lineup/products/IC-905/ IC-9700 https://www.icomamerica.com/lineup/products/IC-9700/ IC-7610 https://www.icomamerica.com/lineup/products/IC-7610/ IC-7300 https://www.icomamerica.com/lineup/products/IC-7300/

//The Wire//2100Z April 8, 2024////ROUTINE////BLUF: HOUTHI ATTACKS CONTINUE. SHIP LOSES POWER IVO VERRAZZANO BRIDGE IN NY.// -----BEGIN TEARLINE------International Events-Red Sea: Houthi forces claim to have conducted attacks on several commercial ships over the weekend. The M/V HOPE ISLAND was targeted in the Red Sea, resulting in unknown success. Yemeni forces also claim to have targeted the M/V MSC GRACE F and M/V MSC GINA in the Indian Ocean and Arabian Sea, but the success of these actions is also unknown. AC: Yemen claims to have carried out the latter attacks with their Air forces, which if true, would signal both an increase in capabilities and yet another escalation of the conflict.-HomeFront-New York: The M/V APL QINGDAO lost propulsion while transiting the Kill Van Kull waterway at approximately 08:30 pm Sunday evening. The QINGDAO lost power just north of the Verrazzano Bridge, but tugboats were able to bring the vessel under control before any damage occurred.-----END TEARLINE-----Analyst Comments: The power loss onboard the QINGDAO marks the second such incident occurring under nearly identical circumstances. Though the loss of power on a ship can result from any number of innocent mechanical issues, the circumstances and timing of recent events decreases the likelihood of both incidents being innocent mistakes.Analyst: S2A1//END REPORT//

In our latest episode of the 10 Adventures podcast, we're joined by Ash Joshi, author of the upcoming book "Journey to the East." Ash takes us on a captivating 1800km expedition across India, from the Arabian Sea to the Bay of Bengal, revealing a hidden side of the country rarely seen by travelers or locals.   As we delve into Ash's motivations for this epic journey, we discover his desire to connect with the heart of India, away from bustling cities and tourist attractions. Through walking, Ash immerses himself in the lives of villagers and nomadic tribes, gaining insights into their struggles, resilience, and the impact of social structures like the caste system.   Check out Ash's Instagram https://www.instagram.com/ashutoshjoshistudio/ Visit www.ashutoshjoshi.in to secure a copy of Ash's book "Journey to the East"   About Us

Fluent Fiction - Hindi: The Mysterious Phone Mix-up: A Tale of Friendship and Playful Deception Find the full episode transcript, vocabulary words, and more:fluentfiction.org/the-mysterious-phone-mix-up-a-tale-of-friendship-and-playful-deception Story Transcript:Hi: मुंबई, शहर के बीपीबी सागर किनारे, रात के चोटिले हिस्से में रवि को एक फोन मिला। वह यह सोचकर खुश हुआ कि वह अपना फोन खो बैठा था, लेकिन जैसे ही उसने फोन चालू किया, उसे राधा के वालपेपर की पहचान हुई। उसने तुरंत सोचा कि वह अपने मित्र राधा के फोन को वापस करेगा, लेकिन उसे अमित का एक मेसेज मिला - "राधा, कृपया मेरी कुरींट मिस्ट्री के बारे में ना बताएँ!"En: Mumbai, along the shores of the Arabian Sea, Ravi received a call in the late hours of the night. He was happy thinking he had misplaced his phone, but as soon as he turned on the phone, he recognized Radha's wallpaper. He immediately thought he would return his friend Radha's phone, but then he received a message from Amit - "Radha, please don't tell me about my 'current mystery'!"Hi: रवि को उसे पेश किए गए मौके का पूरी तरह से उपयोग करने का ख्याल आया। वह चुपके से हंसते हुए, अमित की ओर से उत्तर दिया। "मेरे प्रिय अमित, मैंने कुरींट मिस्ट्री को जीवन में कभी नहीं देखा।" वहां से, एक श्रृंखला की शुरुआत हो गई। रवि और अमित के बीच मजाकिया पाठ संवाद ने उनकी दोस्ती को और भी मजबूत बनाया।En: Ravi thought of making full use of the opportunity presented to him. Quietly chuckling, he replied to Amit, "My dear Amit, I have never encountered a 'current mystery' in my life." From there, a series of conversations began. The humorous text exchanges between Ravi and Amit strengthened their friendship even more.Hi: दिन बीतते गए और गपशप जारी रही। लेकिन, एक दिन रवि ने एक मेसेज पाठित किया जिसमें उन्होंने साफ शब्दों में कहा कि वह राधा का फोन उसे मिल गया है। अमित भ्रमित हो गया और तुरंत ही जवाब दिया, "क्या?! तुम्हारे पास राधा का फोन है? और तुमने इसे पिछले हफ्ते से क्यों नहीं वापस किया?"En: Days went by with gossip continuing. But one day, Ravi sent a message clearly stating that he had found Radha's phone. Amit was bewildered and immediately replied, "What?! You have Radha's phone? And why didn't you return it to her since last week?"Hi: इसका अद्वितीय उत्तर था- "मैं सोच रहा हूं कि यह मेरे लिए कितना मनोरंजक है।" अमित का जवाब- "अरे पागल, राधा सोच रही है कि उसने अपना फोन खो दिया है!"En: His unique reply was, "I was thinking how entertaining it is for me." Amit responded, "Oh, you're crazy, Radha is thinking she lost her phone!"Hi: रवि समझ गया कि उसकी मजाकिया परंपरा ने अब समय सीमा पार कर दी है। उसने तुरंत फोन बांधकर राधा के घर जाने का निर्णय लिया। जब उसने दरवाजा खोला, उसका स्वागत एक बड़ी मुस्कान के साथ हुआ। "तुमने मेरा फोन खोज लिया! तुम ही थे ना जिसने सब तरह के मजाकिया संदेश भेजे थे?"En: Ravi realized that his humorous tradition had now crossed the line. He immediately decided to call Radha and go to her house. When he opened the door, he was greeted with a big smile. "You found my phone! You were the one sending all those funny messages, right?"Hi: रवि ने मुस्कुराकर खुद को बेखबर बताया, "शायद!" और राधा ने हंसते हुए कहा, "तुम बहुत बदमाश हो, रवि!" उन्होंने स्वीकार किया, "हां, लेकिन मैंने तुम्हें मजाक में आपके फोन को खोने के बारे में सोचने में मदद की!"En: Smiling innocently, Ravi said, "Maybe!" And Radha chuckled, "You're very mischievous, Ravi!" He admitted, "Yes, but I helped you think about losing your phone in jest!"Hi: इसके बाद से, रवि अमित और राधा के बीच के संवादों को साझा करते रहे, उनकी दोस्ती और विश्वास एक दूसरे पर और भी मजबूत होता चला गया। हर किताब की तरह, इस कहानी का अंत भी था, परन्तु अब जब तक रवि अपने दोस्तों के साथ हैं, उसके पास हमेशा कुछ मजाकिया और हकीकत से ऊपर उठने के लिए है।En: Since then, Ravi continued to share exchanges between Amit and Radha, and their friendship and trust in each other only grew stronger. Like every book, this story also had an end, but as long as Ravi is with his friends, he always has something playful and beyond reality to rise above.Hi: वह यही कहानी अमित और राधा से साझा करते हुए मुस्कुराया, "तुम लोगों से बेहतर कुछ नहीं हो सकता।" और उन्होंने सहमती से कहा, "और हमें तुमसे बेहतर दोस्त भी नहीं मिल सकता, रवि!" और ऐसे ही, एक आरामदायक और खुशहाल संतोषजनक संघर्ष की शुरुआत हुई।En: Sharing this story with Amit and Radha, Ravi smiled and said, "There can't be anything better than you guys." And in agreement, they said, "And we can't find better friends than you, Ravi!" And so, a comfortable and happy struggle began. Vocabulary Words:Mumbai: मुंबईArabian Sea: अरब सागरRavi: रविcall: कॉलnight: रातphone: फोनRadha: राधाwallpaper: वॉलपेपरAmit: अमितcurrent mystery: कुरेंट मिस्ट्रीopportunity: मौकाreply: जवाबconversations: बातचीतfriendship: दोस्तीgossip: गपशपmessage: संदेशfound: पायाbewildered: हैरानentertaining: मनोरंजकhumorous: मजाकियाtradition: परंपराjest: हंसीexchange: विनिमयtrust: विश्वासstory: कहानीsharing: साझाstruggle: संघर्षcomfortable: आरामदायकhappy: खुशहाल

Today on America in the Morning   Biden To Announce New Russian Sanctions President Biden is unveiling new sanctions in direct response to the death of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny. Correspondent Linda Kenyon reports this comes after the president met with Navalny's widow in California.    Smirnov Arrested Again The ex-FBI informant charged with lying in an investigation into the Biden family has been re-arrested. Correspondent Clayton Neville has the latest.     Latest On Alabama's IVF Controversy More IVF providers in Alabama are pausing treatments for people in response to an Alabama state Supreme Court decision on the legal status of frozen embryos.  Correspondent Jackie Quinn reports.      Successful Launch & Landing  It was one large step for the space program, as a private company has successfully landed a spacecraft on the moon for the first time in more than 50 years. Correspondent Norman Hall reports.      Indictments In Arms Smuggling Case Four foreign nationals were charged Thursday with transporting suspected Iranian-made weapons on a vessel intercepted by U.S. naval forces in the Arabian Sea last month. (NBC)        Ten Millions Reasons To Stay  Apparently it pays to stay in school. Correspondent Gethin Coolbaugh reports the University of Texas is giving its football coach a massive pay raise.        Panda Diplomacy  You can call this “Panda Diplomacy.” Correspondent Karen Chammas reports on a new wave of pandas being sent by China to the United States.     CPAC Day One  Republicans from the Trump wing of the GOP are meeting for the annual Conservative Political Action Conference where the focus is once again, first and foremost, securing another term in the White House for Donald Trump. John Stolnis has more on the first day of CPAC.      Massive Cellular Outage  A-T&T is now saying a software update caused the massive failure of their network on Thursday, where everything from making a call, to checking your email, to calling 9-1-1 was rendered inoperable. Correspondent Norman Hall reports.    Latest In The Middle East  Israel has agreed to send a high-level delegation to Paris for hostage negotiation talks with Hamas, as the US and Arab States push for a peaceful solution in Gaza. As correspondent Karen Chammas reports, the ceasefire meeting comes as Yemeni Houthis launched a missile attack in the Gulf of Aden, and Israel intercepted a ballistic missile heading toward a city in Israel's South.     Good Housing News The first month of housing data is in, and the numbers show a promising start for home sales in 2024. Correspondent Haya Panjwani has more.     Trump Delay Denied A request of former President Donald Trump is denied by a Judge in New York, surrounding the recent nine-figure civil verdict against him.  Correspondent Clayton Neville has the story.    Hair Raising Decision A judge has ruled in a hair discrimination lawsuit in Texas, upholding the suspension of a high schooler over his dreadlocks. Correspondent Mike Hempen reports.     New Arrests & Conviction From January 6 Within the past 72 hours a Philadelphia man and a retired Charleston, South Carolina police officer were arrested and charged with crimes related to the January 6 riot at the US Capitol. Correspondent Ed Donahue reports another Capitol rioter was also sentenced to prison.    Housing Needed A study says that the United States is unprepared for the growing number of older people who'll need housing. Correspondent Donna Warder reports.    Tech News  No official reason has been given for yesterday's massive cellular blackout, which has left it up to the conspiracy theorists to come up with their own.  Here's Chuck Palm with today's tech news.    Finally   The health issues for former TV talk show host Wendy Williams appear to be getting worse. Entertainment correspondent Margie Szaroleta has the details.   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

So growing up in North Carolina, not too far from the coast, I've always had an interest in pirate history. For vacation over the last few years, I've been taking my family to a place called Topsail Island, which has all kinds of history related to the pirate Edward Teach, who was known as Blackbeard. And I gotta be careful because I can really nerd out about this, so I'll go ahead and tell you that the best pirate ship name I've ever heard of was a ship named The Fancy. That was the name of the ship led by the pirate Henry Avery back in the year 1695. Henry Avery started as a member of the British navy, and then he became a merchant sailor, and eventually he was promoted to be the first mate of a Spanish trading ship … but then he convinced the entire crew to commit mutiny and become pirates. They took over their trading ship and he renamed it The Fancy — and by July 1695 he was attempting the single greatest pirate heist in history. As the story goes, Avery had learned about a huge convoy of Indian ships sailing toward Mecca on the Arabian Sea. There were 25 ships total, owned by the emperor of India, and it's most prized ship was carrying what would have been around $300 million dollars worth of cargo. And Avery decided he'd capture it … but he was insanely outnumbered. His solution was to recruit other pirate ships to help him. Basically, Avery organized a coalition of pirates, and together, with their own ‘pirate armada' they pursued this convoy over several months, and by September 1695, they had destroyed or hijacked the entire fleet, they stole all the treasure, and Avery escaped and was never seen again. True story. Henry Avery became a nightmarish legend within his own century — he and his crew were notorious for being cruel and vicious; they had a reputation for torturing their prisoners; Avery himself did barbaric things — He and his crew were known for these things …But do you know one fact about them they were not known for?Their unity.These were united pirates. They started by uniting together to commit mutiny. For months they united together to pursue this Indian fleet. Somehow, Avery convinced other pirates to unite together with his crew for the attack. There was a lot of pirate unity going on, so then why are they not known for their unity?Because they were pirates.They were the terrorists of the 17th century, and nobody admires the unity of terrorists. Unity for What?I wanna start here by getting clear about something. Over the next couple of weeks in the Book of Philippians we're gonna be looking at the topic of unity, and right away I want us to know that unity itself is worthless. Unity for the sake of unity — like everybody just agreeing together and being on the same page — that does not count for anything. In fact, it could be a terrible thing! It could be destructive.The question is always what is the unity for?What matters is not agreeing together, but it's what you're agreeing together about. Being on the same page together is good only if what's on that page is good!This makes sense to us, but it's important for us to nail down because in our day “unity” or “being united” is a little bit of a cultural buzzword. And if we're just listening to the world around us, we can make the mistake of thinking that unity by itself is a virtue, but it's not — not even within churches.The apostle Paul in the Book of Philippians is concerned about a certain kind of unity — we're gonna see that next week in Chapter 2, but here at the end of Chapter 1 is where we see why this unity is so important for the local church. In today's passage, Paul gives us at least three defining marks of what real church unity is — and this is relevant for us because if our church will experience real, biblical unity, it's gonna be marked by these three things. So I'm eager to to show them to you, but first, let's pray again:Father in heaven, thank you for the Holy Scriptures and for your Holy Spirit who speaks and works through your Scriptures according to your will. In this moment, by your grace, please accomplish in us what magnifies your glory. In Jesus's name, amen. Three marks of real church unity. Here's the first:1) Real church unity is Holy Spirit unity.This first mark is more like a foundation.Look again at verse 27 (we focused on the first part of verse 27 last week). Paul says, “Only let your manner of life be worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or am absent, I may hear of you that you are standing firm in one spirit …”And let's just stop right there for a minute and look at those three words “in one Spirit.” Y'all see those three words in verse 27? — “in one spirit” — if you see it say ‘got it.'Those three words, “in one spirit,” is another way to talk about unity. And the “Spirit” here in verse 27 is the Holy Spirit — the NIV makes that a capital “s” in Spirit, and I think that's right. In other places when Paul uses that phrase “in one Spirit” it's pretty clear that he's talking about the Holy Spirit. For example, in 1 Corinthians 12:13, Paul says, “For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body — Jews or Greeks, slaves or free — and all were made to drink of one Spirit.”Paul's talking about the Holy Spirit, and he's making the case for unity in the Holy Spirit. In Ephesians 2:18, after Paul has been explaining how Jesus has broken down the wall of hostility between Jews and Gentiles, he says, “For through him [Jesus] we both have access in one Spirit to the Father.”Again that's the Holy Spirit. Paul is saying that whatever our differences are, as Christians we have unity in the Holy Spirit. See, Paul couldn't care less about generic, why-can't-we-all-just-get-along unity. Paul's concern is that local churches are united in the Holy Spirit. This is supernatural, divinely-created unity.The foundational mark of real church unity is that it's Holy Spirit unity.And Holy Spirit unity is doing something. 2) Real church unity shows our common treasure.Here again, for this second mark, we're still at a high level. I just want you to see the connection between “your manner of life being worthy of the gospel” and “you standing firm in one Spirit.” If you like to draw lines and circles in your Bible, you can underline or bracket “let your manner of life be worthy of the gospel of Christ” and then circle “standing firm in one Spirit” — and then draw a line connecting the two.Paul is saying that if this church is living worthy of the gospel, it will be displayed in their Holy Spirit unity. If A is true, then B will be evident.Holy Spirit unity within a local church is the manifestation of that church living worthy of the gospel.And again, like we saw last week, if we zoom in more on what it means for us to live “worthy of the gospel” it does not mean that we deserve the gospel, but it means that our life together fits with the gospel. The way we live lines up with who Jesus is. So for our church to be worthy of the gospel it means that our church's life together in this world witnesses to the all-satisfying value of Jesus. And one way that is seen is through how we endure suffering (we saw that last week in verses 29–30); but another way that's seen is through the church's Holy Spirit unity that Paul describes here.Paul knows that if this church is treasuring Jesus above everything else, they will have Holy Spirit unity — they will have real church unity — which we can see is not unity for its own sake. It's unity that points to something else. It shows our common treasure — and Paul is either gonna see that for himself or he's gonna hear about it. But now here's a big question: how does this real church unity look? What exactly does Paul want to see or hear in verse 27?This is where Paul is gonna give us some more details about what characterizes real church Holy Spirit unity. So we're gonna focus in here and spend some time on this third mark.3) Real church unity is ready for battle. We're still in verse 27 (verse 27 is a long verse)!In the second half of verse 27 Paul describes for us how he hopes to find this church (or hear about this church), and he tells us three things. We've already seen the first. He hopes to find this church … First, standing firm in the Holy Spirit. Second, with one mind be striving (or contending) side by side for the faith of the gospel. Third, to not be frightened in anything by their opponents.Now, notice that each of these three descriptions are all in the same metaphor. This is a battle metaphor, which makes sense in light of the context. Remember that the background to this entire letter is that Paul is in prison. He's in prison in Rome, writing to a local church that's in the Roman colony of Philippi. So this whole thing is surrounded by opposition! That's the reason for their shared suffering. When Paul mentions in verse 30 that the Philippians are engaged in the “same conflict” he's had, he's talking about them facing the same opposition, most likely from the Romans.Paul first mentions “opponents” in verse 28, but they've been there the whole time, and what's why he uses this battle metaphor. And this tells us right away that real church unity is not idealistic. This is not rosy, posh unity, but it's embattled unity. It's unity not only for when things might be going their best, but it's for when things are at their worst — this is unity that's ready for battle. And that means three practical things I want you to see. Real church unity ready for battle means:First, we hold our ground.That's in the idea of “standing firm” in verse 27. “Standing firm” is actually the main verb in the second half of verse 27 — it's the main thing, you could say, that Paul wants to see or hear about in this church's unity. And it's a defensive image. It means you're digging in your heels and maintaining. You're holding your ground. And to do that means we avoid two things: we neither change our message nor retreat our witness. These are two mistakes that have been made in church history, and we can see examples in America over the last 250 years. Consider theological liberalism. Going back to the early 1800s, Liberal theology started to be a thing, and a big driver behind it was the fear that Christianity would become irrelevant to modern minds. The thinking was that the way to make Christianity appealing to more people is to make it fit with all the new theories of science and Enlightenment philosophy. So they watered down biblical authority, they played ‘cut and paste' with certain parts of Scripture, and eventually what they ended up with was an entirely different religion. Theological liberalism basically invented, “A God without wrath who brought a people without sin into a Kingdom without judgment through a Christ without a Cross.” (Richard Niebuhr). They changed the message, see — but remember that Christianity is, fundamentally, a message — it's good news — and so when you change the message, you don't actually have Christianity anymore. Don't do that.But the other mistake is to retreat our witness. In this mistake, Christians might still hold on to the truths of Christian doctrine, but they withdrawal from society and barricade themselves in isolated communities. And you might immediately think of examples like Amish communities, and that's one example, but this is broader than that. This retreat way of thinking can be in any church and community, and maybe more common is how we think this way as individuals. Anytime we as individuals “hide our light under a basket,” we're doing this. This mentality is the flee mentality; it's the “get away” mentality. It's retreating our witness. Don't do that. Real church unity means we hold our ground — we neither change our message nor retreat our witness.Second, we fight for gospel advance. We see this at the end of verse 27, where Paul is explaining more of what it means to stand firm in the Holy Spirit. We are, “with one mind striving side by side for the faith of the gospel.”So this is an active unity. It's not bunkered down, but it's striving. That word “striving side by side” means literally that we're fighting with — we're fighting side by side, together, on the same team. We're gonna see this word again in Chapter 4, and I'll save some comments for when we get there, but I want you to see mainly, for today, that this side-by-side fighting is for a common goal more than it's against a common enemy.It's important here that Paul doesn't define this side-by-side fighting by its opposition — the opposition will take different forms over the next 2,000 years — instead, Paul defines this side-by-side fighting by what it's fighting for, it's common goal — and he calls it “the faith of the gospel.” We're contending side by side for that. And this phrase here, “the faith of the gospel,” is unique. This is the only time Paul uses this exact phrase, so there's some questions about what exactly he means. But I think in context we can see that “the faith of the gospel” is a more comprehensive idea than just saying the “gospel.”“The faith of the gospel” is not only talking about the gospel message itself, but it also includes all the truths and implications of the gospel. One commentator says that Paul is stressing both the communication and the conduct of the gospel. Another way to put it is that Paul wants maximum gospel advance. He's doesn't just want people to hear the gospel, but he wants everyone to be mature in Christ (that's what he tells us in Colossians 1:28). He wants as many people as possible to hear the gospel, believe the gospel, and then become like Jesus from the heart. The way we've talked about that around here is that our goal in gospel advance includes both distance and depth. In other words, we want the gospel message to advance geographically. We want people who've never heard the gospel to hear it! We want neighbors to hear it! We want the good news of Jesus to spread everywhere! And so we give and go and labor for that. And, at the same time, we want the gospel of Jesus to have its fullest effect in our lives. We want the gospel to advance to all peoples and in all of us. And that's something we fight for, together, for one another. That's what discipleship is. It means that as a local church, we are committed to helping one another follow Jesus, and that's not easy. We're gonna have to wrestle through some things together. There may even be times when we don't all agree on every single detail; there may be times when we have to say or hear an uncomfortable word, but the goal is gospel advance. We want more of Jesus out there and more of Jesus in here!That's what we're fighting for. What I want for you, and what you want for me, and what we want for each other, is that Jesus be our all-consuming passion and all-satisfying treasure. An that doesn't just happen, you've gotta fight for it. Real church unity means we're fighting for it together. Here's the third detail within this battle metaphor.Third, we are courageous when it costs.Paul says in verse 27 that he hopes this church holds their ground, fights side by side for gospel advance, and that, verse 28, you are “not frightened in anything by your opponents.”A positive way to say “not be frightened” is to say be courageous. It means we're not hindered by those who would stand against us with their threats. We press on in our witness. We keep going. We're not surprised by the opposition, and we're not stopped by it — and all this is much easier said than done until we start thinking about the cost involved.Courage is only courage if it comes with a cost threat.Well, what do you think it is? When we're determined to hold our ground on what the Bible says, when we're wrestling for gospel advance in this world, what's at stake for us? For Paul, it was literally his life. For the church at Philippi it could have been their lives too — but what about when it comes to our opposition? What cost is threatened by our opponents?This is different for churches in different parts of the world, but for us, I think the cost is our comfort. Those who oppose us threaten to make things difficult for us. It means most basically that people will think badly of you — your neighbors think you're stupid; you're co-workers think you're a bigot. That's really hard for some of us. The fact that we could be ridiculed or mocked or unfairly criticized — that bothers us.But the truth is: being a Christian in a 21st-century progressive metro like ours is going against the grain — and that won't be smooth. It won't be easy. It's not comfortable. It requires our courage. We Choose JesusAnd the courage we need is the same courage Paul had; it's the same courage he wants to see in the church at Philippi. It's a courage that has considered its gain far better than every good thing it could lose on earth, even including life itself. See, this is where Paul's thinking in verses 20–21 is still showing up. To live is Christ, to die is gain.Whatever the opponents might take from us, Jesus is better and we choose him. The church, together, chooses Jesus no matter the cost.And so yeah, verse 28 tells us, it's a clear sign to our opponents about how all of this is gonna go down.Jesus said the gates of hell will not prevail against his church; his gospel is advancing and it will keep advancing, and one day every knee will bow — we know the end of the story, and so we can have courage now. Real church unity will have this kind of courage.Real church unity is ready for battle: we hold our ground, we fight for gospel advance, we are courageous when it costs.Paul wants that for the church in Philippi and he wants that for our church today. And that's what brings us the Table.The TableLook, you don't get unity by aiming for unity — it's just what happens when you all want the same thing. And in a word, for us, his name is Jesus.

In this episode, FAQ is: What are the best stretching methods for solo travel. Today's Destination is: Kerala, India Today's Misstep- I did not get to use my airline credits on Spirit. Travel Advice: U-shaped airline pillows can be stuffed with clothes. FAQ:  What are the best stretching methods for solo travel? Stretching offers several benefits for your solo female traveler's body, including improvements in flexibility, range of motion, and overall well-being. Here are some ways stretching can positively impact your body: Increased Flexibility: Stretching helps lengthen muscles and tendons, which can improve your flexibility. This increased flexibility can enhance your ability to perform various activities and exercises. Improved Range of Motion: Regular stretching can contribute to an increased range of motion in your joints. This is particularly beneficial for activities that require a wide range of motion, such as playing sports or performing certain exercises. Enhanced Circulation: Stretching promotes better blood circulation throughout the body. Improved circulation can help deliver nutrients to muscles and remove waste products, improving overall health. Reduced Muscle Tension and Soreness: Stretching can help alleviate muscle tension and reduce soreness after physical activity. It can also aid in preventing muscle imbalances, leading to discomfort or injury. Improved Posture: Stretching the muscles around the spine, shoulders, and hips can contribute to better posture. Proper posture is essential for preventing musculoskeletal issues and promoting overall spinal health. Enhanced Athletic Performance: Athletes often incorporate stretching into their warm-up routines to prepare their bodies for physical activity. Improved flexibility and range of motion can positively impact athletic performance and reduce the risk of injuries. Stress Relief: Gentle stretching exercises like yoga can promote relaxation and reduce stress. This is achieved through physical movement, controlled breathing, and mindfulness. Joint Health: Stretching helps maintain the health of your joints by promoting fluid circulation and preventing stiffness. This is especially important as you age, as flexibility and joint health become increasingly crucial. Improved Balance and Coordination: Stretching exercises that target specific muscle groups can enhance balance and coordination. This is beneficial for activities that require stability and precise movements. I would like to point out that stretching should be done gradually and in a controlled manner. Avoid bouncing or forcing your body into extreme positions, as this can lead to injuries. A well-rounded fitness routine that combines strength training, cardiovascular exercise, and flexibility training (including stretching) is generally recommended for overall health and fitness. Today's destination: Kerala, India Kerala, a state on India's tropical Malabar Coast, has nearly 600km of Arabian Sea shoreline. It's known for its palm-lined beaches and backwaters, a network of canals. Inland are the Western Ghats, mountains whose slopes support tea, coffee and spice plantations and wildlife. National parks and other sanctuaries are home to elephants, langur monkeys, and tigers. Named one of the world's ten paradises by National Geographic Traveler, Kerala is famous especially for its ecotourism initiatives and beautiful backwaters. Its unique culture and traditions, coupled with its varied demography, have made Kerala one of the most popular tourist destinations in the world. I flew Indigo Air to Cochin, near Kerala. I was in southwestern India now. Today's Misstep- I did not get to use my airline credits on Spirit.   Today's Travel Advice-U Shaped Airline pillows can be stuffed with clothes. Connect with Dr. Travelbest 5 Steps to Solo Travel website Dr. Mary Travelbest X Dr. Mary Travelbest Facebook Page Dr. Mary Travelbest Facebook Group Dr. Mary Travelbest Instagram Dr. Mary Travelbest Podcast Dr. Travelbest on TikTok Dr.Travelbest onYouTube In the news  

US and UK forces have been jointly carrying out a continuous drumbeat of strikes on Houthi targets in Yemen over the past three weeks. Unfortunately, in the words of President Biden, “Well, when you say are they working, no. Are they going to continue, yes.” In the meantime while we wait for the strikes to work, the Houthis continue to launch anti-ship missiles at merchant shipping in the southern Red Sea and Gulf of Aden, and they have scored a few hits that the US and UK destroyers have not been able to shoot down in time. We are playing an escalating game of tit-for-tat with the Houthis. We don't really want to launch an all out air war against them because that would risk drawing in Iran. We could win that fight if it came down to it of course, but if the goal is to open sea lanes, and a war zone pretty definitively closes a sea lane off, so it would be a bit of an own goal in that regard.  In the meantime two U.S. Navy SEALs remain missing and were declared dead after going into the water January 12th during the search and seizure of Houthi weapons sourced from Iran being carried by a vessel in the Arabian Sea. On the more comical side on 24 January, the Houthi claimed to have attacked and sunk a U.S. destroyer with a missile, which is very not true. Given the situation, insurance companies are not eager to insure ships sailing into a quasi-war zone and have raised rates appropriately. This means a huge percentage of the shipping traffic which would normally be routed through the Suez Canal will now divert around the Horn of Africa, leading to much higher shipping rates, inflation pressure at home, and disrupted supply chains around the world. Follow me on X: ⁠⁠@USNavyPodcast Follow me on IG: ⁠⁠@USNavyPodcast⁠⁠ Email me at: usnavalhistorypodcast@gmail.com

In this episode of The President's Daily Brief: A pointed accusation from the U.S. Navy's top Mideast commander: Iran is directly behind the Houthi rebel attacks on commercial ships. We dive into the repercussions for Tehran. The U.S. military has ceased its search for two Navy SEALS who vanished in the Arabian Sea. A contentious proposal from an EU country calls for Ukraine to cede its eastern regions to end the ongoing conflict with Russia. Our Back of the Brief segment offers insights and predictions for today's highly anticipated GOP primary in New Hampshire. Please remember to subscribe if you enjoyed this episode of The President's Daily Brief. Email: PDB@TheFirstTV.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

DeSantis out, the Chiefs move on. $845 Million Google Data Center in Ft Wayne.  Ron DeSantis dropping out of the race. No one knows what they're doing in political consulting. Trump insulted DeSantis relentlessly during the campaign, but now loves his endorsement. Search has ended for Navy Seals lost in the Arabian Sea. We are at war with Iran, because Iran is at war with us. Trump congratulating DeSantis after dropping out. Tony has issues with Trump's personality. You're against me, you're evil. You're for me, you're great. Trump is not an outsider, he's a politician. UFC fighter, Sean Strickland goes after reporter. Being offended does not give license to remove someone's rights. The eyes are on the Ice. Layoffs at the Los Angeles Times. Not a surprise, there is no reporting at these outlets. What does this mean for the very concept of news? People get sick and tired of narrative over news. Did you know that there was a white supremacist march in NYC over the weekend? CNN and MSNBC did not cover. Hmmm. Popcorn Moment.  Border crosser, grown man with a Middle Eastern accent. “Soon you will know who I am”. This alone should be reason enough to close the border. Ice on the way. Meatless Monday. Devour Indy starts today. Tavern at the point. Vicino on Mass Ave. devourindy.com. DeSantis statement. Tim Scott as presidential choice. Trump supporter must recognize how DJT wins in a general. Emotion is why he's here. Tony opposes emotional responses; he wants rational responses. Socialist Jesse Brown threatens local Pizza place. Buses are a 20th Century solution. No one rides the Red Line, now they want to build the Blue Line. Their real intention is to elimination of vehicles. Gerry Dick from Inside Indiana Business talks about the planned Google Datacenter in Ft Wayne. Fill up on the News. Ron DeSantis endorses Trump. Tony feels that DeSantis was the easier lift over the finish line. The suburban soccer mom needs to be convinced. Can a bus have a dedicated lane. Indiana Senator Aaron Freeman doesn't want dedicated lanes to buses. Nikki Haley questions Trump's fitness for the job of President. Haley plays the left's game.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

RR The Wire 1830Z January 05, 2024PRECEDENCE: ROUTINE RRDTG: 183005Z JAN 24ICOD: 173005Z JAN 24CONTROLS: Public ReleaseQQQQBLUF: INDIA RESCUES HIJACKED SHIP. TENSIONS ESCALATE BETWEEN NORTH AND SOUTH KOREA. -----BEGIN TEARLINE------International Events-Red Sea/HOA: Indian Naval forces conducted rescue operations onboard a hijacked vessel in the Arabian Sea. The vessel, now identified as the M/V LILA NORFOLK, was hijacked two days ago by unknown assailants. Upon boarding, Indian forces discovered that the hijackers had fled prior to the counterpiracy operation.In the Red Sea, economic impacts to western shipping companies continue to be felt. Some estimates indicate that some companies have quadrupled their normal shipping rates in response to the fuel, maintenance, and administrative costs resulting from shifting to longer routes. Additionally, the surge of maritime traffic to the Cape Route has caused congestion at many ports in Africa, as most of the port facilities now required for refueling were not built to handle the capacity now expected of them. AC: As a reminder, most Chinese, Russian, and Iranian shipping through the region remains unhindered; it is only the primarily western-based shipping that is being impacted by Yemeni targeting.Far East: Tensions escalate between North and South Korea in response to recent moves by both sides. A few weeks ago, Kim Jong Un signaled a radical shift in DPRK policy, namely the “impossibility” of Korean reunification. The idea of reunification has been removed from North Korean propaganda websites, confirming the shift in rhetoric. As the idea of reunification has been the bedrock of DPRK rhetoric for decades (as evidenced by the famous Arch of Reunification monument, among countless others), this change has caused diplomatic tensions between the North and South.Yesterday, the diplomatic tensions transitioned into kinetic action, as DPRK forces conducted military exercises near South Korea's Yeonpyeong Island. The live-fire “exercises” were extremely close to the island, prompting evacuations. ROK forces have responded in kind, conducting military exercises in the same area.-HomeFront-SD: A B-1B Lancer strategic bomber crashed upon landing at Ellsworth Air Force Base at approximately 5:30 pm (local time) yesterday evening. All four crew members safely ejected from the aircraft. Initial reporting indicates the cause for the accident may have been due to weather conditions.Analyst Comments:Though the tensions on the Korean peninsula may seem to be a dire situation, tit-for-tat artillery exercises have been a mainstay of the Korean conflict for decades. So far, neither the North nor the South have fired into each other's territory, but both have conducted provocation actions in the diplomatically ambiguous areas along the border. However, as tensions have been rising on the Korean peninsula for months, it is possible that accidents or diplomatic mistakes could cascade into creating more serious problems throughout the region.-----END TEARLINE-----Analyst: S2AEND REPORTNNNN

This is the Catch Up on 3 Things for the Indian Express and I'm Flora Swain.It's the 5th of January and here are the top stories of this week.Tsunami waves hit several parts of Japan's coastal areas and urgent evacuation warnings were issued after a 7.6-magnitude earthquake shook the country's north-central region on Monday. Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, in a televised address, asked citizens to follow evacuation orders closely and warned that more powerful quakes and tsunami waves might follow the initial ones. At least 48 people were killed as relief and rescue operations continued. Thousands of rescuers struggled to reach the worst-hit area in the Noto peninsula in Ishikawa prefecture due to badly damaged and blocked roads.The truck drivers' associations called off their nationwide protest against the new penal provisions regarding hit-and-run cases in the Bharatiya Nyay Sanhita on Tuesday. This came after the Ministry of Home Affairs held discussions with representatives of the All India Motor Transport Congress on the second day of the strike. The strike saw vehicles lined up outside petrol pumps as fuel supply was impacted in cities across the country.The Supreme Court on Wednesday declined to grant interim relief to Trinamool Congress leader Mahua Moitra, who has challenged her expulsion from the Lok Sabha. The court, however, sought a reply from the Lok Sabha Secretary General on Moitra's plea. The Bench of Justices Sanjiv Khanna and Dipankar Datta said it would hear the matter again in the week commencing 11th of March.The chief of Israel's Mossad intelligence service vowed on Wednesday that the agency would hunt down every Hamas member involved in the 7th of Oct attack on Israel, no matter where they are. His pledge came a day after the deputy head of the Palestinian militant group was killed in a suspected Israeli strike in Beirut. Israel has refused to comment on reports it carried out the killing, but the comments by David Barnea appeared to be the strongest indication yet it was behind the blast.Prime Minister Narendra Modi went snorkeling to explore the undersea life during his recent visit to Lakshadweep, and posted pictures of his adventure calling it an "exhilarating experience" of the sojourn in the islands located in the Arabian Sea. Modi was in Lakshadweep on 2nd and 3rd of January to inaugurate the Kochi-Lakshadweep Islands Submarine Optical Fiber Connection and lay foundation stone for the renovation of primary healthcare facility and five model Anganwadi centers.This was the Catch up on 3 Things by The Indian Express.

RR The Wire 2230Z January 04, 2024PRECEDENCE: ROUTINE RRDTG: 223004Z JAN 24ICOD: 213004Z JAN 24CONTROLS: Public ReleaseQQQQBLUF: MERCHANT SHIP HIJACKED IN ARABIAN SEA. SOME EPSTEIN DOCS RELEASED. -----BEGIN TEARLINE------International Events-Red Sea/HOA: An unidentified ship has reported being boarded by unknown assailants in the Arabian Sea. The U.K. Maritime Trade Operations center has reported the receipt of a distress call from the vessel, and that the crew has taken refuge in the ship's Citadel (safe room). Due to the location of the hijacking (almost 500 NM east of Somalia), it's possible that this is a standard piracy attempt not affiliated with Yemen. However, very few details are public at the moment.Europe: Protests against the ruling Socialist party continue in Spain. Extremely widespread protests have been underway in Spain for almost two months, beginning in earnest after the attempted assassination of the Vox party leader on Nov 9. AC: In the context of the upcoming protests in Germany, it is important to remember the protests already underway throughout Europe. Despite millions of people taking part in demonstrations daily, most media outlets have not covered these protests in Spain.-HomeFront-USA: A number of court documents related to the Jeffrey Epstein network have been released to the public.Analyst Comments:As some of the Epstein documents flood social media, care must be taken to be observant of second and third order effects, which remain largely unknown. As important as it is for the average citizen to be aware of these details (if they aren't already fully aware of the situation), equally as important is to not let these revelations distract from more operationally valuable information. On the one hand, it is unlikely that exceptionally powerful people would not be able to influence the release of these documents. On the other hand, in the event that truly “smoking-gun” information is released regarding Epstein's clients, the potential for deception operations (including false-flags) to be carried out is high.-----END TEARLINE-----Analyst: S2AEND REPORTNNNN

Hear about travel to Gujarat, India as the Amateur Traveler talks again to James Schomburgk about festivals, temples, and Asiatic lions. https://amateurtraveler.com/travel-gujarat/ James says, "Gujarat is in the far western central of northern India. Pakistan is its western border. And the southern border is the Arabian Sea. It's actually close to some of the big-hitting states in terms of tourism, but it's a very different geographically. It's very different feel to the rest of India. If you're looking for something that's remote. If you're looking for something that is you'll be, you'll be certainly be treated like royalty, because everybody will be looking at you bizarrely because they rarely see any tourists. The beauty of it is I think, for me, the wildlife, the wildlife is was quite mind blowing. And I know I've spoken to so many people in India, a lot of people associate India with tigers, but what they have in Gujarat is lions, leopards, hyena, and wolf, animals that people would be a bit surprised that are in India. It was the birthplace of Mahatma Gandhi so it's also got a lot of history." James starts us in the city of Bhavnagar. He stayed in the Nilambag Palace with the current Maharaja. Half the palace has been turned into a hotel. He takes us then to one of the most holy sites in Jainism at Shatrunjaya. You can climb the 3,300 steps past a number of temples to a set of ornate temples at the top that are 900 years old. The view from the top of the mountain is also spectacular. If you don't have the fitness to climb the steps you can get carried up on a litter.  From there James directs us to Sasan Gir National Park where you can see the last remaining Asiatic Lions in India.  The Asiatic Lion is a close cousin of the African Lion. In addition to lions, they saw the nilgai which are the largest Asian antelope, and the dangerous mugger crocodile. Gir National Park is closed from 16 June to 15 October every year. The next stop is Junagadh which is known for its old fort (the name literally translates to "Old Fort"). There are also some spectacular mausoleums in Junagadh which were built in the late 1800s in an Indo-Islamic style. They have elaborate carvings and minarets with exterior spiral staircases. But the most memorable part of James' visit to Junagadh was the festival of Bhavnath Mela where throngs of people would climb the nearby holy hill of Girnar wearing their best sari... or in the case of some Naga (holy men) wearing nothing at all. Somnath temple is a sacred Hindu site that has been built and rebuilt over the centuries after it fell victim to invading Muslim armies from the West. Gujarat cuisine is vegetarian and you won't find alcohol either for religious regions so James and his traveling companion enjoyed a visit to the tiny state of Diu which used to be a Portuguese possession. Here you could see the blending of the Indian and Portuguese cultures... and get a cheap beer. They enjoyed a visit to a fishing village and a pick-up game of cricket with locals. The last stop on our itinerary is Blackbuck National Park for more wildlife viewing including the eponymous Blackbuck antelope, striped hyena, and Indian wolf. James highly recommends a stay in the luxurious Blackbuck Safari Lodge. After you have seen the well-known sites of India, explore some of its hidden gems like Gujarat.

The Red Sea, which lies between Africa and Asia, has been in the news lately over attacks on commercial ships, including one bound for India, with the Navy deploying four warships in the Arabian Sea as a deterrent. In Ep 1375 of Cut The Clutter, Editor-in-Chief Shekhar Gupta explains what exactly is happening in the Red Sea, and why the attacks have the world worried.

*)Families of hostages boo Israel's Netanyahu during parliament address Families of hostages taken by Hamas booed Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as he addressed parliament, vowing to bring the captives home but saying "more time" was needed. "Now! Now!" the families chanted from the gallery when Netanyahu said Israeli forces first needed to increase military pressure on Palestinian resistance group Hamas. Netanyahu said he spoke to Israeli field commanders who said they needed "more time" to finish the mission. *) Nicaragua-bound plane carrying 300 'trafficked' Indians lands in Mumbai A plane that had been grounded in France for days over concerns its nearly 300 mostly Indian passengers were part of a human trafficking scheme has landed in Mumbai, flight tracking data showed. The Airbus A340 initially had been bound for Nicaragua when it was detained last Thursday at Vatry airport, east of Paris, where it had stopped for refuelling. It had arrived from Dubai, and there was an anonymous tip-off that it was carrying potential victims of human trafficking. Of the original 303 people on the passenger list, 276 were on the plane that took off just before 3:00 pm on Monday. Among the passengers staying behind were two people questioned by French police over suspected people trafficking, but a judicial source said police released them after establishing that the 303 passengers had boarded the plane of their own free will. *) Ukraine destroys Russian fleet ship in Crimea: air force Ukraine's air force said it had destroyed a Russian fleet ship off the Crimean peninsula suspected of carrying drones for use in Moscow's war against Kiev. "Around 2:30 am (0030 GMT) on December 26, tactical aviation of the Air Force attacked with cruise missiles the Novocherkassk large landing ship of the Black Sea Fleet of the Russian Federation in the area of Feodosia," it said in a post on messaging platform Telegram. Feodosia is home to a major Russian naval base on the Moscow-annexed Crimean peninsula. *) Indian navy to deploy guided missile destroyer ships after strike off its coast India's navy will deploy guided missile destroyer ships in the Arabian Sea after an Israel-affiliated merchant vessel was struck off the Indian coast over the weekend. The Indian navy was investigating the nature of the attack on the vessel, MV Chem Pluto, which docked in Mumbai, and initial reports pointed to a drone attack, the statement said. A spokesperson for Iran's foreign ministry on Monday called a US claim that Iran had attacked the ship near India "baseless". And finally… *)Archaeologists in Türkiye unearth remnants providing clues to religious beliefs of ancient Medes Archaeologists in northern Türkiye have unearthed structures and religious artefacts linked to the Medes, an ancient Iranian people, marking their first appearance in Anatolian archaeology. Excavations were unearthed in the previous years at Oluz Hoyuk in Amasya province, where pottery fragments and ceramics were identified as belonging to the Medes. This year's findings from the region revealed altars and architectural structures which were also determined to belong to the Medes. The Medes were an ancient Iranian tribe from the Iron Age living mostly between today's western and northern Iran.

This is the Catch Up on 3 Things for the Indian Express and I'm Flora Swain.It's the 25th of December and here are the headlines.In his reply to a letter written by Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar, Leader of Opposition Mallikarjun Kharge said the Chairman's letter “unfortunately justifies the autocratic and arrogant attitude of the Government towards Parliament.” Replying to the points raised by Dhankhar, the senior Congress leader urged him to examine his concerns “objectively and with neutrality as the Chairman of the Rajya Sabha.” He said, quote, “The ruling party has indeed weaponised the suspension of members as a convenient tool to undermine democracy, sabotage Parliamentary practices and throttle the Constitution." UNquote.Trinamool Congress MP Kalyan Banerjee, who had sparked a controversy last week for mimicking Vice-President Jagdeep Dhankhar, once again imitated Dhankar, saying mimicry is a right to expression and a fundamental right. While speaking during a programme in West Bengal's Sreerampur, he said, quote, “I will keep doing the mimicry. It is an art form. If needed, I will do it a thousand times. I have all the fundamental rights to express my views. You can put me in jail. I will not step back," Unquote.Leaders across the political spectrum paid tributes to former Prime Minister and BJP leader Atal Bihari Vajpayee on his 99th birth anniversary today. President Droupadi Murmu, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and Vice-President Jagdeep Dhankar visited the ‘Sadaiv Atal' memorial in New Delhi early this morning and paid floral tributes to the BJP founder member.Iran today rejected a US claim that it had attacked a chemical tanker in the Arabian Sea off the Gujarat coast on the 23rd of December as “baseless”. Responding to a question about the attack, a spokesperson for Iran's foreign ministry said that the “US accusation is baseless.” The reaction comes a day after the Pentagon said that a drone launched from Iran had struck the vessel in the Indian Ocean. The human resources head of NewsClick, Amit Chakraborty, has reportedly moved an application before the Patiala House Court stating that he wants to become an approver in the case filed under provisions of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act against the news portal. NewsClick has been accused of acting with the intention to disrupt the sovereignty and territorial integrity of India and to cause ‘disaffection' against India.This was the Catch-Up on the 3 Things by The Indian Express.

#Houthis: From a much longer conversation later today, Bill Roggio of FDD connects the Houthi missile and drone attacks in the Red Sea with the Somali pirate attacks in the Red Sea and Arabian Sea -- and the inability of the US and its allies to respond adequately to a global shipping crisis. https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/companies/bp-latest-firm-to-pause-red-sea-shipments-as-us-says-it-will-form-international-coalition-to-curb-houthi-attacks/ar-AA1lFFZE 1904 Russo-Japan War

A wealth of scholarship has highlighted how commercial, political and religious networks expanded across the Arabian Sea during the seventeenth century, as merchants from South Asia traded goods in the ports of Yemen, noblemen from Safavid Iran established themselves in the courts of the Mughal Empire, and scholars from across the region came together to debate the Islamic sciences in the Arabian Peninsula's holy cities of Mecca and Medina.  James White's book Persian and Arabic Literary Communities in the Seventeenth Century: Migrant Poets between Arabia, Iran and India (Bloomsbury, 2023) demonstrates that the globalising tendency of migration created worldly literary systems which linked Iran, India and the Arabian Peninsula through the production and circulation of classicizing Arabic and Persian poetry. By close reading over seventy unstudied manuscripts of seventeenth-century Arabic and Persian poetry that have remained hidden on the shelves of libraries in India, Iran, Turkey and Europe, the book examines how migrant poets adapted shared poetic forms, imagery and rhetoric to engage with their interlocutors and create communities in the cities where they settled. The book begins by reconstructing overarching patterns in the movement of over a thousand authors, and the economic basis for their migration, before focusing on six case studies of literary communities, which each represent a different location in the circulatory system of the Arabian Sea. In so doing, the book demonstrates the plurality of seventeenth-century aesthetic movements, a diversity which later nationalisms purposefully simplified and misread. James White is Departmental Lecturer of Asian and Middle Eastern Studies at Oxford University. Ahmed Yaqoub AlMaazmi is a Ph.D. candidate at Princeton University, Near Eastern Studies Department. His research focuses on the intersection of law, the occult sciences, and the environment across the western Indian Ocean. He can be reached by email at almaazmi@princeton.edu or on Twitter @Ahmed_Yaqoub. Listeners' feedback, questions, and book suggestions are most welcome. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/new-books-network

A wealth of scholarship has highlighted how commercial, political and religious networks expanded across the Arabian Sea during the seventeenth century, as merchants from South Asia traded goods in the ports of Yemen, noblemen from Safavid Iran established themselves in the courts of the Mughal Empire, and scholars from across the region came together to debate the Islamic sciences in the Arabian Peninsula's holy cities of Mecca and Medina.  James White's book Persian and Arabic Literary Communities in the Seventeenth Century: Migrant Poets between Arabia, Iran and India (Bloomsbury, 2023) demonstrates that the globalising tendency of migration created worldly literary systems which linked Iran, India and the Arabian Peninsula through the production and circulation of classicizing Arabic and Persian poetry. By close reading over seventy unstudied manuscripts of seventeenth-century Arabic and Persian poetry that have remained hidden on the shelves of libraries in India, Iran, Turkey and Europe, the book examines how migrant poets adapted shared poetic forms, imagery and rhetoric to engage with their interlocutors and create communities in the cities where they settled. The book begins by reconstructing overarching patterns in the movement of over a thousand authors, and the economic basis for their migration, before focusing on six case studies of literary communities, which each represent a different location in the circulatory system of the Arabian Sea. In so doing, the book demonstrates the plurality of seventeenth-century aesthetic movements, a diversity which later nationalisms purposefully simplified and misread. James White is Departmental Lecturer of Asian and Middle Eastern Studies at Oxford University. Ahmed Yaqoub AlMaazmi is a Ph.D. candidate at Princeton University, Near Eastern Studies Department. His research focuses on the intersection of law, the occult sciences, and the environment across the western Indian Ocean. He can be reached by email at almaazmi@princeton.edu or on Twitter @Ahmed_Yaqoub. Listeners' feedback, questions, and book suggestions are most welcome. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/history

A wealth of scholarship has highlighted how commercial, political and religious networks expanded across the Arabian Sea during the seventeenth century, as merchants from South Asia traded goods in the ports of Yemen, noblemen from Safavid Iran established themselves in the courts of the Mughal Empire, and scholars from across the region came together to debate the Islamic sciences in the Arabian Peninsula's holy cities of Mecca and Medina.  James White's book Persian and Arabic Literary Communities in the Seventeenth Century: Migrant Poets between Arabia, Iran and India (Bloomsbury, 2023) demonstrates that the globalising tendency of migration created worldly literary systems which linked Iran, India and the Arabian Peninsula through the production and circulation of classicizing Arabic and Persian poetry. By close reading over seventy unstudied manuscripts of seventeenth-century Arabic and Persian poetry that have remained hidden on the shelves of libraries in India, Iran, Turkey and Europe, the book examines how migrant poets adapted shared poetic forms, imagery and rhetoric to engage with their interlocutors and create communities in the cities where they settled. The book begins by reconstructing overarching patterns in the movement of over a thousand authors, and the economic basis for their migration, before focusing on six case studies of literary communities, which each represent a different location in the circulatory system of the Arabian Sea. In so doing, the book demonstrates the plurality of seventeenth-century aesthetic movements, a diversity which later nationalisms purposefully simplified and misread. James White is Departmental Lecturer of Asian and Middle Eastern Studies at Oxford University. Ahmed Yaqoub AlMaazmi is a Ph.D. candidate at Princeton University, Near Eastern Studies Department. His research focuses on the intersection of law, the occult sciences, and the environment across the western Indian Ocean. He can be reached by email at almaazmi@princeton.edu or on Twitter @Ahmed_Yaqoub. Listeners' feedback, questions, and book suggestions are most welcome. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/islamic-studies

A wealth of scholarship has highlighted how commercial, political and religious networks expanded across the Arabian Sea during the seventeenth century, as merchants from South Asia traded goods in the ports of Yemen, noblemen from Safavid Iran established themselves in the courts of the Mughal Empire, and scholars from across the region came together to debate the Islamic sciences in the Arabian Peninsula's holy cities of Mecca and Medina.  James White's book Persian and Arabic Literary Communities in the Seventeenth Century: Migrant Poets between Arabia, Iran and India (Bloomsbury, 2023) demonstrates that the globalising tendency of migration created worldly literary systems which linked Iran, India and the Arabian Peninsula through the production and circulation of classicizing Arabic and Persian poetry. By close reading over seventy unstudied manuscripts of seventeenth-century Arabic and Persian poetry that have remained hidden on the shelves of libraries in India, Iran, Turkey and Europe, the book examines how migrant poets adapted shared poetic forms, imagery and rhetoric to engage with their interlocutors and create communities in the cities where they settled. The book begins by reconstructing overarching patterns in the movement of over a thousand authors, and the economic basis for their migration, before focusing on six case studies of literary communities, which each represent a different location in the circulatory system of the Arabian Sea. In so doing, the book demonstrates the plurality of seventeenth-century aesthetic movements, a diversity which later nationalisms purposefully simplified and misread. James White is Departmental Lecturer of Asian and Middle Eastern Studies at Oxford University. Ahmed Yaqoub AlMaazmi is a Ph.D. candidate at Princeton University, Near Eastern Studies Department. His research focuses on the intersection of law, the occult sciences, and the environment across the western Indian Ocean. He can be reached by email at almaazmi@princeton.edu or on Twitter @Ahmed_Yaqoub. Listeners' feedback, questions, and book suggestions are most welcome. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/literary-studies

​ is an award-winning author, avid yogi, and yoga teacher, high performance & transformation life coach. In a business career spanning 25 years working with technology giants and start-ups, Smita was one of the first to bring India's information technology services into the heart of British and European companies. Smita worked internationally with global industry leaders, winning multi-million dollar contracts, the largest being $1 billion. ​ Smita is a TV presenter, and for her YouTube channel,  – Smita has interviewed leading politicians, entrepreneurs, and global gurus. She also creates videos on topics of personal development & emotional and spiritual intelligence. ​ ​Smita is the author of the Amazon bestseller . Inspired by actual events from her own life, “Karma & Diamonds” follows a young woman's gripping journey of self-discovery across continents and lifetimes as she struggles to conquer life's conflicts and unpredictable challenges by listening to her inner voice. ​ In this week's  follow Smita's journey and work: ​ As a child growing up in a small port town along North West India's Arabian Sea coastline, Smita observed her father practicing yoga and meditation. While he never taught her, she started her own yoga and meditation practice at age 12.​ ​ Alongside her business life, based in London, when not traveling for work, Smita dedicated her weekends, holidays, and spare time over many years to becoming a life coach.   Learn more and connect with Smita here:   

In 2018, Sheikha Latifa of Dubai made a daring attempt to escape her home country. Her plan was to hide in the trunk of a car, launch a dinghy, reach a yacht, sail to India or Sri Lanka, and then fly to the United States to claim asylum. But, in the middle of the Arabian Sea, a team of armed men stormed the boat and forced Latifa back to Dubai. The commandos had been sent at the request of her father, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the Prime Minister of the United Arab Emirates and the ruler of Dubai.  The Sheikh has been praised by world leaders as a modernizer and a champion for women's advancement in the Middle East, all while subjecting Latifa and other women in his family to confinement and abuse (charges that he has denied). Heidi Blake, a staff writer at The New Yorker, spent many months reporting on what led the princess to flee, and on the consequences that she faced. She joins Tyler Foggatt to discuss the Dubai royal family's patriarchal system of control and the women who tried to break free.