Podcasts about Baghdad

A very serious criminal charges facing the president's son, hunter Biden. The indictment coming down last night is breathtaking in its scope, about how the Yale trained lawyer allegedly spent years scheming to avoid more than a million dollars in taxes. There have been ten attacks on U.S. Forces in Syria and Iraq including a rocket attack on the embassy in Baghdad. The other big headline today, the U.S. Today vetoed a U.N. Security council demand for a cease-fire in Gaza. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In the ninth century, the Vikings earned a fearsome reputation by wreaking chaos on the coasts of western Europe. But what is perhaps less well known is that they also travelled eastwards. By sailing along the great rivers of north-eastern Europe, they reached Constantinople, the Caspian Sea and even Baghdad, the bustling heart of the mighty Islamic Abbasid Empire. In this episode of Gone Medieval, Matt Lewis welcomes Dr. Cat Jarman back to the podcast to explore why Viking raiders traded the frozen hinterlands of Northern Europe for the heat and hubbub of the Near East. Senior Producer: Elena GuthrieAssistant Producer: Peta StamperScriptwriter: Peta StamperEditor: Joseph KnightThis was a special collaboration between Ubisoft and History Hit. The content and story was inspired by Assassin's Creed Mirage. To learn more about 9th century Baghdad and the historical characters in the game, listen to Echoes of History here.Discover the past with exclusive history documentaries and ad-free podcasts presented by world-renowned historians from History Hit. Watch them on your smart TV or on the go with your mobile device. Get 50% off your first 3 months with code MEDIEVAL sign up now for your 14-day free trial >You can take part in our listener survey here.

On Thursday February 4th, 2021 - the Hermetic Hour with host Poke Runyon will present a discussion on the 9th century Arab treatise on Stellar Rays by the Baghdad sage Abu Yusuf Al-Kindi. This work had a considerable influence on Medieval astrology and magick. Its influence continues to this day in the New Age astrology of Alice Bailey and in the revival of Picatrix an astrological magick grimoire from the 9th century that al-Kindi's work influenced. So if you want to find out where the mysterious Seven Rays came from, tune in and we will return to Baghdad in the days of the Arabian Nights.

There are warnings that people in Gaza are on the brink of starvation. Two rockets hit the US embassy in Baghdad this morning. Hundreds of groups and activists are calling for the Biden administration to stop funding support for liquified natural gas. The latest jobs numbers are out, we'll tell you what they mean. Plus, there have been more US salmonella deaths linked to cantaloupes. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Hussain Abdul Hussain- Hussain Abdul-Hussain is a research fellow at FDD. He focuses on the Gulf region and Yemen, including on Gulf relations with Iran and Gulf peace with Israel. Born and raised in Beirut, Baghdad and Baalbek, cities that have been the theater of major Middle Eastern events, Hussain earned a degree in History and Archeology from the American University of Beirut, after which he worked as a reporter, and later managing editor, at Beirut's The Daily Star. Malcolm Hoenlein @Conf_of_pres @mhoenlein1 https://www.foxnews.com/world/biden-admin-should-look-at-abraham-accords-type-initiative-when-hamas-terror-regime-is-defeated https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/policy/defense-national-security/blinken-forecasts-tough-choices-israel-victory-hamas# 1898 Damascus

One should not learn Torah or eat a meal from a half-hour before the time for Hanukah candle lighting, until he lights the candles. Our community's practice is to light the candles around 15-20 minutes after sundown, and so one should not begin learning or eating a meal from around 15 minutes before sundown, which in New York City this time of year is around 4:15pm. Although eating a meal is forbidden during this time, it is permissible to eat less a Ke'besa of bread, and certainly to eat fruit or "Mezonot" foods. Moreover, if the father will be returning from work later in the evening, the family may eat supper before he arrives, and they do not have to wait for him to light candles. This is the ruling of Hacham Ovadia Yosef. A person who did not light at the preferred time – which, as mentioned, is 15-20 minutes after sunset, according to our custom – may light even later, even until daybreak, and he may even recite the Berachot. The only condition, however, is that there are people who will see the candles and thus "Pirsumeh Nisa" (publicizing the miracle) will take place. Therefore, if one lights at a time when the candles will be visible, either to people outside or to people inside the home, then he may light and recite the Berachot. If, however, a person arrives home very late at night, and there is nobody to see the candles, he must wake up members of his household so they can be present for the lighting, as otherwise he cannot recite the Berachot. Hacham Bension Abba Shaul (Israel, 1924-1998) rules that two people besides the person lighting and besides his wife must be present for "Pirsumeh Nisa" to be achieved. These two people may be minors, as long as they have reached the age of training in Misvot. Therefore, in the case of a father who returns home very late at night, after everybody is asleep, and he has not yet lit Hanukah candles, he would need to wake up at least two children so he can light with the Berachot. Otherwise, he lights the candles without reciting the Berachot. Hacham Bension adds that if a person lives alone, and he arrives home late at night, he lights the Hanukah candles without a Beracha. It should be noted that different opinions exist as to the proper procedure a family should follow if the father cannot be home at the time of the Hanukah candle lighting. Hacham Bension was of the opinion that lighting at the proper time takes precedence over all other considerations. Thus, for example, he maintained that if a person would have to miss the Arbit service in the synagogue by lighting Hanukah candles on time, he should do so. Additionally, he writes, if the father would be returning from work later than the proper time for lighting, a family member should light at the proper time on his behalf. What's more, according to Hacham Bension, if all the family members will be out of the house at the time for lighting, they should appoint somebody else as their Shaliah ("messenger") to light in their home on their behalf at the proper time. Hacham Bension felt very strongly about the importance of lighting at the proper time, which, in his view, overrides all other considerations. Others, however, disagree, and maintain that since nowadays we in any event light indoors, we do not need to be that strict with regard to the preferred time for lighting. According to this opinion, a family may light candles when the father arrives home in the evening, even if this occurs later than the preferred time. According to all opinions, however, one should make an effort to light at the proper time, as stated by the Rama (Rav Moshe Isserles of Cracow, 1530-1572), in his glosses to the Shulhan Aruch (Orah Haim 672:2). If a person, for whatever reason, missed the lighting one night, he does not make up the missed lighting by lighting the next day, or by adding candles on the next night. However, a missed night of lighting has no impact at all on his obligation on the subsequent nights of Hanukah, and he lights as usual on each of the subsequent nights, with the Berachot. (Hanukah candle lighting differs from Sefirat Ha'omer, in that a missed day of counting prevents one from reciting the Beracha when he counts on subsequent nights.) Hacham Bension Abba Shaul writes that if a person missed a night of lighting and feels a desire to make up what he missed in some way, he can add some oil to the candles on the next night. Once a half-hour has passed since the lighting of the candles, one may, if he so wishes, blow out the candles, or benefit from the light. Although the Ben Ish Hai (Rav Yosef Haim of Baghdad, 1833-1909) ruled stringently in this regard, Hacham Ovadia followed the opinion of the Shulhan Aruch, that one may extinguish or benefit from the Hanukah candles after a half-hour. Additionally, after a half-hour one may derive personal benefit from the oil. If the candles were extinguished before a half-hour, one may not derive benefit from the oil, unless he had specifically stipulated before lighting the candles that he wishes to use the oil. Hacham Bension maintained that it is proper, as a measure of stringency, to have the candles burn for longer than a half-hour – specifically, until a half-hour after the time for lighting according to the view of Rabbenu Tam. The time for lighting according to Rabbenu Tam is around one hour later than the time we light the Hanukah candles, and thus following this stringency requires placing enough oil or using large enough wax candles to sustain the flame for an hour-and-a-half. Although this is not required according to the strict Halacha, nevertheless, given that oil and candles nowadays are not expensive, it would be worthwhile to observe this measure of stringency. Summary: One should not eat a meal with bread starting a half-hour before the time for lighting. However, if the family is waiting for the father to return home and light, they may eat supper in the meantime. Our custom is to light the Hanukah candles 15-20 minutes after sunset, and one should try to light at this time. One who did not light at this time may light anytime later, throughout the night, but if there aren't at least two people besides him and his wife who will see the candles, the Berachot are not recited. According to one opinion, if a person will not be home at the preferred time for lighting, another family member should light instead of him, or, if necessary, he should appoint somebody else to light in his home in his stead. Others disagree. After the candles have burned for a half-hour, one may extinguish the candles and make personal use of the oil, or make use of the light. It is preferable, though, as a measure of stringency, to have the candles lit for an hour-and-a-half.

Today we find ourselves in 9th-century Baghdad, the beating heart of the Islamic Abbasid Caliphate. This was a vast empire that stretched from North Africa through the Middle East, and all the way to Central Asia. At the height of the Islamic Golden Age, it hosted profound cultural and intellectual advancements that laid the foundations for our modern world.Dan is joined by Ali A. Olomi, a historian of the Middle East and Islam. Ali is one of the hosts of Echoes of History, a podcast by Ubisoft and they've just released two brand new series, Baghdad Soundwalks and Figures of Baghdad. In this episode, Ali delves into the stories of the key figures who shaped the city's golden age and appear in Figures of Baghdad.Discover the past with exclusive history documentaries and ad-free podcasts presented by world-renowned historians from History Hit. Watch them on your smart TV or on the go with your mobile device. Get 50% off your first 3 months with code DANSNOW sign up now for your 14-day free trial We'd love to hear from you! You can email the podcast at ds.hh@historyhit.com.You can take part in our listener survey here.

This is the web version of Foreign Exchanges, but did you know you can get it delivered right to your inbox? Sign up today:TODAY IN HISTORYDecember 2, 1805: At the Battle of Austerlitz, Napoleon wins what was arguably his greatest victory against a larger joint Russian-Austrian army. The Allies suffered 36,000 dead/wounded/captured compared with only 9000 for the French. The French victory was so complete that not only did it end the War of the Third Coalition, it allowed Napoleon to create the Confederation of the Rhine among the German states that had become French clients. Emperor Francis II was then forced to dissolve the Holy Roman Empire, which had been in existence continuously since 962 and traced its origins back to Charlemagne's coronation as “emperor of the Romans” in 800.December 2, 1942: Enrico Fermi and his team create the first self-sustaining nuclear reaction at “Chicago Pile-1,” a rudimentary reactor built under the campus of the University of Chicago. This was the first milestone achievement for the Manhattan Project in its race to build a nuclear bomb before Nazi Germany.December 3, 1971: The Pakistani military undertakes preemptive airstrikes against several Indian military installations, beginning the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971, itself the final phase of the Bangladesh Liberation War. India was preparing to enter the war on Bangladesh's side anyway, so when I say these strikes were “preemptive” I am not using that term in the phony, George W. Bush “hey they might attack us someday, you never know” sense of the term. The war, to put it mildly, was a complete disaster for the Pakistanis, who were forced to surrender a scant 13 days later and had to give up their claims on “East Pakistan” (Bangladesh) while suffering around a third of their military killed, wounded, or captured. In one of Henry Kissinger's more notorious acts, the Nixon administration opted to support Pakistan despite evidence of its armed forces committing major atrocities against Bangladeshi civilians.December 3, 1984: A Union Carbide pesticide plant in Bhopal, India, spews toxic methyl isocyanate gas overnight, resulting in the deaths of between 3800 and 16,000 people and causing injury to at least 558,000 more. Union Carbide maintains that the leak was caused by deliberate sabotage, though Indian courts subsequently found several officials at the plant guilty of negligence. The “Bhopal Disaster” remains one of the worst industrial catastrophes in history and its adverse effects are still being felt by people in that region to the present day.MIDDLE EASTISRAEL-PALESTINEThe Israeli military (IDF) was advancing on the southern Gazan city of Khan Younis on Sunday, with Hamas officials and residents both reporting indications of nearby fighting and the IDF later confirming that it has sent ground forces into southern Gaza. The IDF has been ordering civilians to evacuate the eastern reaches of Khan Younis, and of course it's posted a helpful interactive map on its website that warns civilians of imminent danger provided those civilians have reliable internet access and haven't lost their special IDF secret decoder rings. Residents of Khan Younis will likely move further south to Rafah, though that city is also under heavy IDF bombardment so it's not really safe either. Israeli officials say the IDF struck more than 400 targets over the weekend, and the official Gazan death toll had risen at last check to 15,523. The real death toll may be substantially higher, given the likelihood of bodies that haven't yet been recovered and the closure of most of the hospitals that were handling casualties.Elsewhere:* Aid shipments into Gaza have resumed. The Palestinian Red Crescent Society says that 100 truckloads of aid entered the territory from Egypt on Saturday and I believe the aim was to bring in a similar number of trucks on Sunday though I have not seen any information yet as to whether that was accomplished.* The Biden administration may be “pressing” Israel and Hamas to resume negotiations, as White House spokes-ghoul John Kirby told NBC on Sunday, but there's no indication it's having any success. After the ceasefire collapsed on Friday the Israeli government recalled its Mossad negotiators from Qatar, and for Hamas's part the Islamist group's political wing has sworn off any future prisoner swaps “until the war ends.”* The administration is continuing to send large quantities of ordinance to the IDF, including massive “bunker buster” bombs. So any claim that it's really pushing the Israeli government to negotiate a ceasefire or even demonstrate greater discernment in its bombardments really doesn't hold up terribly well.* Israel Hayom is reporting that “key figures” in the US Congress have been shown the text of a “new initiative” that would condition future US aid to Egypt, Iraq, Turkey, and Yemen (all of which it identified as “Arab states,” which would be news to the Turks) on the willingness of governments in those four states to enable the ethnic cleansing of Gaza by taking in refugees. That same outlet has also reported (in Hebrew, so here's a summary from Ryan Grim) that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has asked Minister of Strategic Planning Ron Dermer to put together a plan to “thin the population in Gaza to a minimum,” which if nothing else is an incredible euphemism. The Biden administration has rejected any forced and/or permanent relocation of Gazan civilians, a point that Vice President Kamala Harris reiterated during her visit to the COP28 climate summit in Dubai over the weekend. But it perhaps could be sold on the idea of a “voluntary” (in quotes because in reality it would be anything but) evacuation that is characterized as temporary even if there's no real intention to ever let the evacuees return.* The Guardian says its reporting has confirmed the findings of that bombshell +972 Magazine piece from a few days ago, which reported that the IDF has been using an AI system called “Habsora” (“The Gospel”) to identify targets under a process that's been likened to a “mass assassination factory.” The system is producing targets faster than the IDF can attack them, including private homes where the likelihood of civilian casualties is high. Israeli officials are apparently insisting that the AI is programmed to minimize civilian risk, an assertion that cannot be squared with the high number of civilian casualties incurred so far in this conflict.* Israeli settler mobs attacked two West Bank villages in separate incidents on Saturday, killing at least one Palestinian in one of those attacks. The human rights organization Yesh Din says it's catalogued some 225 settler attacks against Palestinians in the West Bank since October 7, resulting in at least nine deaths.* On a somewhat related note, one of the people killed in last Thursday's shooting in East Jerusalem turns out to have been an Israeli civilian who shot and killed the two Hamas attackers and then was mistakenly gunned down by Israeli soldiers. Video footage apparently shows the man disarming, kneeling, and opening his shirt to demonstrate to the soldiers that he was not a threat, but one of them killed him anyway. The incident has raised issues regarding the trigger happiness of Israeli security forces and the wisdom of the Israeli government's armed vigilante program, which in addition to risking civilian Palestinian deaths also risks more “friendly fire” shootings like this one.* The Washington Post published a story this weekend about the hasty evacuation of al-Nasr Children's Hospital in northern Gaza last month. Without going into some of the grislier details, the staff was forced to evacuate by the IDF and left behind four premature infants who likely would not have survived relocation. They say Israeli officials told them the infants would be taken out in Red Cross ambulances but apparently they were left to die and, eventually, decompose. Reporters discovered their remains during the ceasefire. Israeli officials insist that they never ordered al-Nasr's evacuation and have questioned the veracity of the story, despite video evidence and a recording of a phone call that the IDF itself released in which an Israeli official appears to acknowledge the need to rescue patients from the facility. The Red Cross says it never agreed to assist the evacuation and that conditions in northern Gaza would have made it impossible for its personnel to get to al-Nasr to retrieve the infants.* I mention the al-Nasr story because it strikes me as especially galling. In general I'm trying not to focus heavily on individual atrocities or allegations of atrocities in compiling these newsletters—there would be no space for anything else otherwise. I hope readers don't mistake that for apathy about any of these stories, going back to and including the atrocities committed/allegedly committed by Gazan militants on October 7 (I know cases of sexual violence have been receiving heavy coverage of late). I feel my role here is to try to provide an overview and for me that means keeping some distance from specific events. I'm sure I don't do that consistently but it is my aim.SYRIAAccording to Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, that Saturday morning Israeli missile attack in the vicinity of Damascus killed at least two of its personnel who were in Syria on an “advisory” mission. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported that the strikes killed two Syrians who were affiliated with Hezbollah as well as two foreigners, presumably these IRGC members, while wounding five other people.YEMENHouthi rebels in northern Yemen fired a barrage of missiles and drones at ships in the Red Sea on Sunday. The group damaged three commercial ships and also fired at least three drones at the US naval destroyer USS Carney, which shot the projectiles down. There's no indication of any casualties and two of the vessels reported only minor damage (I'm unsure as to the status of the third). I would not be surprising if the US military were to retaliate against the Houthis in the near future, and there is a genuine risk that this could lead to a full-blown resumption of the Yemen war—though of course that would require Saudi Arabia's involvement.IRAQIraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shiaʿ al-Sudani reportedly told US Secretary of State Antony Blinken during a phone conversation on Saturday that Baghdad does not appreciate the US military carrying out attacks on Iraqi soil. The US attacked two Iraqi militia-linked targets on November 22 (during this newsletter's holiday pause), “killing nine pro-Iran fighters” in retaliation for attacks against US personnel according to AFP. Those attacks tapered off during the Gaza ceasefire, but as we know that ceasefire is no longer operative.On Sunday, US forces carried out a drone strike on a militia target in Iraq's Kirkuk province, killing at least five people and wounding five more. There was initially no indication as to responsibility (though one didn't exactly have to be Sherlock Holmes to solve this caper), but the US military later confirmed that it was responsible and characterized the strike as preempting “an imminent threat.”ASIAPAKISTANUnspecified gunmen attacked a bus in northern Pakistan's Gilgit-Baltistan region late Saturday, killing at least nine people and injuring at least 26 others. The bus driver was among those killed, along with the driver of a truck with which the bus collided. There's been no claim of responsibility and the main body of the Pakistani Taliban has taken the rare step of denying any involvement.PHILIPPINESA bombing targeting a Catholic mass killed at least four people and left several others wounded on the campus of Mindanao State University in the southern Philippine city of Marawi on Sunday. Islamic State claimed responsibility for the attack via Telegram. The previous day, the Philippine military said its forces killed at least 11 jihadist militants in nearby Maguindanao province in an attack targeting “suspected leaders and armed followers of the Dawla Islamiyah [i.e. ‘Islamic State'] and the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters” to borrow the AP's verbiage. I don't know whether Sunday's bombing was planned in advance or was intended as a direct retaliation for Saturday's incident.AFRICAGUINEA-BISSAUThe president of Guinea-Bissau, Umaro Sissoco Embaló, characterized Thursday night's gun battle between elements of the National Guard and his Presidential Palace Battalion as an “attempted coup” in comments to reporters on Saturday. Embaló had been out of the country attending the COP28 summit when the incident took place and said it had delayed his return to Bissau. National Guard commander Victor Tchongo is now in government custody, but Embaló appeared to suggest that there were other coup plotters behind Tchongo and said he would open an investigation into the incident on Monday. The National Guard is part of the Interior Ministry, which AFP says is “dominated” by the African Party for the Independence of Guinea and Cape Verde (PAICG). That party, which won June's parliamentary election and now controls the government, is opposed to Embaló.BURKINA FASOThe military governments of Burkina Faso and Niger announced on Saturday that they are both withdrawing from the G5 Sahel regional counterinsurgency force. That group was formed in 2014 with the aim of pooling resources to battle the various jihadist groups that were threatening Sahelian governments. It began deploying joint forces a couple of years later, but as you might already have concluded it's had minimal impact on the region's jihadist crisis. Mali's ruling junta quit last year, so of the original five member states only Mauritania and Nigeria still remain.ETHIOPIAOfficials in Ethiopia's Oromian regional government have accused the rebel Oromo Liberation Army of killing at least 36 civilians in attacks on three villages that took place on November 24 and 27. The OLA apparently hasn't commented and there's no confirmation of the government claim, but the alleged attacks took place not long after another round of peace talks between the OLA and Ethiopian government broke down, so it's conceivable the group decided to lash out in that moment. The OLA was formed as the military wing of the Oromo Liberation Front in the 1970s but broke away from the group's political leadership when the latter reached a peace accord with the Ethiopian government in 2018. It frequently attacks non-Oromo communities in Oromia, though authorities have only said that the victims of these attacks were Orthodox Christians without reference to ethnicity.EUROPEUKRAINERussian military operations in eastern Ukraine may have hit a couple of speed bumps over the weekend. For one thing, reports that emerged on Friday suggesting that the Russians had seized the town of Maryinka, southwest of the city of Donetsk, appear to have been a bit premature. Ukrainian forces are reportedly still in control of some parts of the town, including a coking plant, though that may change in relatively short order of course. Elsewhere, the Ukrainian military claimed on Saturday that Russian attacks on the city of Avdiivka had completely ceased for a full day. That too could change in a hurry, and indeed may already have changed by the time you read this, but it suggests the Russians were at least regrouping after spending the previous several days in what seemed like intense fighting to try to take the city.The Ukrainian government says it's investigating a claim that Russian soldiers summarily executed two surrendering Ukrainian military personnel. Details are minimal but there's a video of this alleged incident circulating on social media. Needless to say, intentionally killing surrendering soldiers is a war crime.FRANCEA knife-wielding attacker killed one German tourist and wounded two other people near Paris's Eiffel Tower late Saturday. The attacker is a French national who was on a French government “watch list,” had apparently pledged allegiance to Islamic State, and was also “known for having psychiatric disorders” according to Reuters. He cited the conflict in Gaza, among other triggers, to police after his arrest.AMERICASBRAZILBrazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva said on Sunday that he has no intention of bringing Brazil into full membership in the OPEC+ bloc and would stick to “observer” status only, one day after he somewhat incoherently told reporters that he wanted to join the group of major oil producing nations to try to encourage them to stop producing oil. OPEC+ extended a membership offer to Brazil on Thursday, which I gather has raised some eyebrows given Lula's stated commitment to combating climate change. Brazil's state-owned oil company, Petrobras, is continuing to pursue new oil exploration, also despite Lula's climate change position, though he says his aim is to invest oil profits in non-fossil fuel energy alternatives (and to encourage OPEC+ nations to do likewise). Oil remains the cause of, and solution to, all of humanity's problems.VENEZUELAVenezuelans, or at least the ones who participated, apparently voted overwhelmingly in Sunday's referendum to support their country's territorial claim on western Guyana's Essequibo region. Election officials said that the vote was 95 percent in favor for all of its five clauses—the most contentious of which was a question about whether or not to declare Essequibo a new Venezuelan state and extend citizenship to its residents—though there's not much insight as to turnout. There's no indication that the Venezuelan government is planning any imminent steps to try to actualize its claim on Essequibo but the referendum has nevertheless caused some consternation in Guyana and internationally.UNITED STATESFinally, HuffPost's Akbar Shahid Ahmed offers some welcome reassurance that the worst Middle East “expert” in Washington is still central to the Biden administration's regional policy:Four men in Washington shape America's policy in the Middle East. Three are obvious: President Joe Biden, Secretary of State Antony Blinken and national security adviser Jake Sullivan. The fourth is less well-known, despite his huge sway over the other three ― and despite his determination to keep championing policies that many see as fueling bloodshed in Gaza and beyond.His name is Brett McGurk. He's the White House coordinator for the Middle East and North Africa, and he's one of the most powerful people in U.S. national security.McGurk crafts the options that Biden considers on issues from negotiations with Israel to weapon sales for Saudi Arabia. He controls whether global affairs experts within the government ― including more experienced staff at the Pentagon and the State Department ― can have any impact, and he decides which outside voices have access to White House decision-making conversations. His knack for increasing his influence is the envy of other Beltway operators. And he has a clear vision of how he thinks American interests should be advanced, regarding human rights concerns as secondary at best, according to current and former colleagues and close observers.Indeed, even though McGurk has spent nearly 20 years giving bad advice about the Middle East to a succession of US presidents—and even though his fixation on Saudi-Israeli normalization at Palestinian expense may have helped trigger the October 7 attacks—his influence today appears to be greater than it's ever been. I'm sure that makes all of us feel a little better.Thanks for reading! Foreign Exchanges is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.foreignexchanges.news/subscribe

In this weekend's episode, three segments from this past week's Washington Journal First – a conversation with retired U.S. Navy SEAL commander Dan O'Shea who served as coordinator for the hostage working group at the U-S embassy in Baghdad. We discuss ongoing talks between Israel and Hamas over the release of hostages. Then -Republicans in both the House and Senate say tougher border measures are needed in order to pass any kind of aid to Ukraine and Israel. We talk with Lindsey McPherson, political reporter at The Messenger – about what's being considered. Plus - Regina LaBelle, former Acting National Drug Control Policy director in the Biden administration, discusses how federal, state and local governments are responding to the fentanyl crisis in the U-S. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ambassador William Taylor, former US Ambassador to Ukraine, talked to a TNWAC Global Town Hall in Nashville on November 29, 2023 about the war in Ukraine. The session was moderated by Vanderbilt University Distinguished History Dr. Thomas Schwartz. They covered the background and context of the fight over Ukraine as well as the current situations and issues and the role of the United States and the West. Ambassador William B. Taylor is vice president, Europe and Russia at the U.S. Institute of Peace. In 2019, he served as chargé d'affaires at the U.S. embassy in Kyiv and as the U.S. ambassador to Ukraine from 2006 to 2009. During the Arab Spring, he oversaw U.S. assistance and support to Egypt, Tunisia, Libya and Syria. He served in Jerusalem as the U.S. government's representative to the Mideast Quartet. He served in Kabul in 2002 and in Baghdad in 2004. In the 1990s, Ambassador Taylor coordinated U.S. assistance to the former Soviet Union and Eastern Europe. He earlier served on the staff of Senator Bill Bradley. Ambassador Taylor is a graduate of West Point and Harvard's Kennedy School and served as an infantry platoon leader and combat company commander in the U.S. Army in Vietnam and Germany.

Naseem Sadiq discusses the ongoing challenge of monthly wage payments in the public sector, accumilated by the Baghdad central government's refusal to allocate its petroleum funds to the Kurdistan region. Consequently, the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) struggles to meet payroll obligations for public employees, leading to delays and impacting regional infrastructure projects.

The Australian under-20 national team is promising a great future for Australian soccer. Frans Deli is one of those heroes who joined the squad in late June 2023 and has already played with the team in friendly games against Denmark, England, Norway and Belgium.

Guy Filippelli is the Managing Partner of Squadra Ventures, an early-stage venture capital firm that makes concentrated, lead investments into early-stage companies in the National Security and Cybersecurity markets. He was previously founder and CEO of RedOwl Analytics and Berico Technologies. He began his career as a US Army intelligence officer, serving in Korea, Italy, Germany, and Afghanistan, and at NSA where he served as a Special Assistant to the Director, and led a highly successful project in Baghdad. In 2007, Guy received the National Intelligence Medallion, the nation's highest award for civilian personnel, for his efforts to bring real-time targeting capabilities to our tactical forces. He is a graduate of the United States Military Academy (USMA) at West Point, and received his B.A. and M.A. in Philosophy, Politics, and Economics from Oxford University, where he studied as a Marshall Scholar. He is Chairman of the Commit Foundation, a non-profit focused on veteran transition, and also serves on the boards of the National Cryptologic Foundation and the University of Maryland's BioPark. Elevate Your Brand is the #1 marketing podcast for entrepreneurs and “wantreprenuers” looking for insider tips and secrets from the most exciting new and growing brands in Los Angeles and the US at large. Each week, entrepreneurial special guests join Laurel Mintz, founder and CEO of award-winning marketing agency Elevate My Brand, to discuss the marketing failures and successes that have brought their brands to the next level. Learn from real-life experiences and be inspired by leaders in your industry about how smart digital and experiential marketing can elevate your brand.

Gregory Gadson is a combat veteran of the Gulf War, Bosnia, Iraq, and Afghanistan. He achieved the rank of Colonel during his long military career. Gadson is a double amputee, losing both of his legs as a result of a roadside bomb in Baghdad in 2007. You may have later seen him in the 2012 film "Battleship." He is the author of "Finding Waypoints: A Warrior's Journey Toward Peace and Purpose" which is available now. You can follow Col. G on X @IAmGregoryGadson. Follow us: http://instagram.com/battlelinepodcast http://twitter.com/battlelinepod Check out The Battleline Podcast Vault for limited edition gear from the show: http://battlelinepodcast.etsy.com/ Photonis Defense is the global leader in night vision solutions providing more high-quality night vision capabilities than anyone. Hunters, shooters, boaters and outdoor enthusiasts rely on Photonis Defense systems to make their adventures safer and more successful. Visit http://photonisdefense.com for more information; or look for Photonis Defense product options from your night vision dealer. For 15% off all Fort Scott Munitions ammo & gear go to http://fsm.com & use promo code: Battleline For 20% off all Bubs Naturals gear and products including collagen protein and MCT oil powder, go to https://www.bubsnaturals.com/?discount=BATTLELINE .. All purchases help to support the Glen Doherty Memorial Foundation For full video of this episode, subscribe to our Youtube page: https://www.youtube.com/@battlelinepodcast Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In Today's episode of Urban Valor, we have Guest Army veteran Chris Cleland. Growing up in El Monte, California, Chris found himself in trouble, leading to an arrest for grand theft auto. But he turned his life around by joining the Army Infantry, a decision that took him on several deployments to Iraq.You'll get to hear first hand the challenges Chris and his unit faced, especially their encounters with IEDs. He shares his stories from Baghdad, one in particular, where Chris's unit was distributing toys to local children. Tragically, during this act of kindness, an explosive event occurred, resulting in the loss of 27 lives, including many children and Army Specialist Benyahmin Yahudah.Chris also opens up about the mental health struggles that many veterans face. Including his own experiences and how he's now dedicated to helping other veterans adjust to life after service, discussing the need for support and understanding for those who've served.Do NOT miss this POWERFUL New Episode of Urban Valor! 

Have you ever wondered why someone joins the Army and willingly goes into war zones? Join me as I sit down with John Lawyer, a former soldier, who served for over 15 years in the deserts of Kuwait, Baghdad, Kandahar, Afghanistan as a counterintelligence special agent and asymmetric warfare specialist. He shares why he joined the army, his quest to understand the root causes of conflict. and how "the why" always played a big role in his life. We then talk about Johns transformation from a soldier and warrior to a seeker of enlightenment, the enigmatic connections between the darkness in the universe and human consciousness with us. John explains how darkness is a part of our free will and how we each have the choice to walk a path of light or shadow and how the pursuit of inner peace can foster global harmony. We also talk about how to incorporate spirituality into our hectic lives and the role self-care and self-love play in spiritual growth. Head over to the full show notes and all the linksFrom Chaos to Peace Consulting Inc - https://connygraf.comSchedule a complimentary ConsultationConnect with me on LinkedInGet to know the more private me on Instagram orLike and Follow my Facebook Page

Halacha requires lighting candles in the home before the onset on Shabbat every Friday. The Sages enacted this obligation in order to ensure the presence of "Shalom Bayit" – a sense of serenity in the home – on Shabbat. Without light, people are generally tense and anxious; the presence of light brings a feeling of calm, contentment and tranquility which characterizes the desired atmosphere we are to create in the home on Shabbat. The Shabbat candles should be lit by the woman, who recites a Beracha either just before or just after lighting the candles. It should be noted, as an aside, that both practices are acceptable. The Ben Ish Hai (Rav Yosef Haim of Baghdad, 1833-1909) rules that one should light and then recite the Beracha, whereas from the Shulhan Aruch it appears that one should recite the Beracha before lighting. Hacham Ovadia Yosef follows the Shulhan Aruch's position, as did Hacham Ben Sion Abba Shaul (Israel, 1923-1998), though Hacham Ben Sion added that a woman whose mother followed the Ben Ish Hai's position should continue that practice. An interesting question arises concerning the status of electric lights with respect to this obligation. Since the purpose of this Misva is to provide light in the home, can one fulfill the obligation by turning on the electric lights in his home? Moreover, if one's home is already illuminated, how can he recite the Beracha over the lighting of the candles, which contributes a negligible amount of light to the home? Hacham Ben Sion, in his work Or Le'sion (vol. 3, p. 189, and vol. 2, 18:13), writes that one does not fulfill the obligation of Shabbat candles with electric lights because the "fuel" is not present at the time of lighting. When a person lights a candle, all the wax or oil needed to sustain the flame is already present. An electric lamp, however, is sustained by the electric current that is constantly being fed into the lamp. Since that current is not present at the time of lighting, one cannot use such a light for this obligation. Hacham Ben Sion contends that this would be analogous to an oil lamp that has just several drops of oil, and into which one slowly pours oil drop by drop. Clearly, one cannot recite the Beracha over lighting in such a fashion, since the fuel needed to sustain the flame for the required period is not already present. Likewise, according to Hacham Ben Sion, one cannot fulfill the obligation of Shabbat candles with an electric light. By the same token, one may recite a Beracha when lighting candles in a room that already has illumination from electric lights. Since those lights are not suitable for the obligation of Shabbat candles, the candles are needed for the fulfillment of the Misva, thus warranting a Beracha. Of course, if we follow this rationale, we would allow using a battery-operated light for this Misva. As Hacham Ben Sion notes, in the case of a battery-operated light all the power is already contained in the mechanism, and it would therefore suffice for the obligation of Shabbat candle lighting. By extension, then, if one has battery-operated lighting in his home, he should extinguish those lights before kindling the Shabbat lights. Hacham Ovadia Yosef, in his work Yabia Omer (vol. 9), disagrees, and rules that in principle, one can, in fact, fulfill the obligation with electric lights. Since when all is said and done electric lights have the effect of providing illumination, they suffice for this Misva regardless of the fact that the source of power is not currently present. This ruling has numerous ramifications. For example, if a person spends Shabbat in a hotel or hospital, where he is not permitted to kindle a flame, he may turn on an electric light before Shabbat in fulfillment of the obligation to light Shabbat candles. (Rav Aharon Kotler is likewise reported to have taken this position.) Similarly, if a person spends Shabbat in somebody else's home, and is given a room to which he has exclusive access, he may turn on a closet or bathroom light to fulfill the obligation of Shabbat candles. Summary: Different views exist as to the status of electric lights with regard to the obligation of Shabbat candles. Whereas Hacham Ovadia Yosef maintained that one may, in fact, fulfill his obligation with electric lights, Hacham Ben Sion Abba Shaul held that one may not fulfill the obligation with electric lights, unless they are battery-operated.

Hey, Scuttlebutt listeners. Thank you for joining us. This week Vic sits down with Col Eric “Ferris” Buer, former Cobra pilot and author of the book, Ghosts of Baghdad: Marine

Hello Everyone! Welcome to the first official Trophy Talk Podcast review and spoiler cast episode. We hope to be able to bring you many more of these in the future! This first episode centers around the most recent title from the Assassin's Creed universe, AC: Mirage. Joining Colin on this episode is a long time community member, supporter, and friend of the show, Gary aka TheSlyGCooper. In this episode we do of course get into spoilers and a deep discussion of 9th century Baghdad, the combat, the visuals, and gameplay mechanics, and of course the story. However, the first 30 minutes or so we take our time talking about our history with the AC universe and the previous games in the franchise. There's quite a bit to love in this newest entry from Ubisoft, but there's also a good deal to critique. We hope that you enjoy this episode, and thank you so so much for your support!

Hey, Scuttlebutt listeners. Thank you for joining us. This week Vic sits down with Col Eric “Ferris” Buer, former Cobra pilot and author of the book, Ghosts of Baghdad: Marine

The obligation of Hadlakat Nerot, the Ereb Shabbat candle lighting, requires lighting at least one candle, but it is customary for women to light two candles. The most common reason given for this practice is that the two candles correspond to the two commands of "Zachor" and "Shamor" ("remembering" and "observing" the Shabbat). Additionally, the Ben Ish Hai (Rav Yosef Haim of Baghdad, 1833-1909) explained that this practice alludes to the theme of Shalom Bayit (peaceful relations between husband and wife) which underlies the Misva of Hadlakat Nerot. The Sages comment that candle lighting is required with the onset of Shabbat because the presence of light helps ensure Shalom Bayit, as darkness often leads to tension and arguments. Lights must be kindled in the home before Shabbat begins so that an aura of peace and tranquility will pervade the home. This concept, the Ben Ish Hai notes, is alluded to in the two candles that the woman lights. The Hebrew word "Ner" ("candle") has the numerical value of 250, and thus two candles have a combined numerical value of 500. There are 248 "Ebarim" (limbs and organs) in a man's body, and 252 in a woman's body, which together combine to form a total of 500. Thus, the lighting of two candles alludes to the "togetherness" of the husband and wife, which is represented by the number 500, and which constitutes the fundamental reason behind the Misva of the Shabbat candles. The time of lighting the Shabbat candles is an "Et Rason," a moment when a woman's prayers are more readily accepted by God. It is therefore proper for a woman when lighting the Shabbat candles to offer a prayer for Shalom Bayit, for her husband's success in earning a living, and for the well-being of her children, particularly that they should grow to become Torah scholars. The custom among the Sepharadim is that only the mother lights the Shabbat candles; single daughters do not light according to our custom. If the mother is away for Shabbat, such as if she had a baby and must spend Shabbat in the hospital, then the husband should light the Shabbat candles in her stead. He recites the usual Beracha of "Le'hadlik Ner Shel Shabbat." If both parents are away for Shabbat and their children remain home, and among the children is a daughter above the age of Bat Misva, then she should light the Shabbat candles in the home with a Beracha. Hacham Ovadia Yosef rules that a daughter above the age of Bat Misva takes precedence over a son over the age of Bar Misva, even if the boy is older than the girl. If there is no girl over the age of Bat Misva, then a boy who is over the age of Bar Misva should light the candles, with a Beracha. Of course, the parents must light Shabbat candles in the place where they spend Shabbat. But if they have children staying at home for Shabbat, then either a son or a daughter must light the Shabbat candles, as discussed. Summary: It is customary for women to light two candles before the onset of Shabbat, and the time of Shabbat candle lighting is a time especially suited for praying for the well-being of oneself, one's husband and one's children. If the mother is away for Shabbat, then the husband lights the Shabbat candles. If both parents are away for Shabbat but the children remain home, then the candles should be lit by a girl above the age of Bat Misva. If there is no girl this age, then a boy above the age of Bar Misva should light the candles.

Joined by special guest Adam aka Ludohistory, the OSPod crew is going back to school and then back even further to a house of wisdom. Lotta learning, ya'll know the drill.Our podcast, like our videos, sometimes touches on the violence, assaults, and murders your English required reading list loves (also we curse sometimes). Treat us like a TV-14 show.Where to find Adam:Twitch: https://twitch.tv/ludohistoryYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@LudohistoryTwitter: @ludohistoryOSP has new videos every Friday:https://www.youtube.com/c/OverlySarcasticProductionsChannelQuestion for the Podcast? Head to the #ask-ospod discord channel:https://discord.gg/OSPMerch:https://overlysarcastic.shopFollow Us:Patreon.com/OSPTwitter.com/OSPyoutubeTwitter.com/sophie_kay_Music By OSP Magenta ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

Host Alex Pierson speaks with Dan O'Shea, a former Navy SEAL commander who served as the coordinator for the hostage working group at the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad, Strategic Advisor at Stony Lonesome Group. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Welcome to Gorilla Radio, recorded November 22nd, 2023 This assault being waged against human decency in Palestine is a test; a test to gauge how much atrocity we watching will countenance. What we've allowed befall others in Yugoslavia, and Afghanistan, Libya, Somalia, Yemen, Syria, Ukraine, and elsewhere has metastasized, becoming finally the full-blown horror of Gaza. And it's a horror that will, if we allow it continue over there, in due course return to be visited upon us as well. So, why is it allowed time and again? And, who profits this belittlement of humanity? Kathy Kelly is a long-time peace and justice activist, essayist, author, and recipient of numerous awards for her peace service, including multiple nominations for the Nobel Peace prize. Kathy's book titles include, ‘Prisoners on Purpose: a Peacemakers Guide to Jails and Prison,' and ‘Other Lands Have Dreams: from Baghdad to Pekin Prison.' These days she's serving as Board President at World BEYOND War, where among other things, she's been busy co-coordinating the November 2023 Merchants of Death War Crimes Tribunal. The Tribunal launched Sunday, November 12, with the first segment examining the wanton and repeated criminality of the destruction of Gaza. Kathy Kelly in the first half. And; for the last six weeks, millions have gathered in cities and towns across the World to express their collective outrage at what is happening right now in Palestine, and in an effort to pressure their respective governments to demand Israel stop its indefensible destruction of Gaza and its people. Victoria, British Columbia is no different, where every week since Israel's onslaught began citizens have come to the Legislative Buildings, seat of the provincial government, to raise their voices against the statuary and granite facades in hopes of moving their representatives. Soundscapes from the Palestine solidarity manifestations in the second half. But first, Kathy Kelly and trying the profiteers at 2023's Merchants of Death War Crimes Tribunal. Song: Nails in the Wall Artist: Speedy J. - Kait Gray From Grant Wakefield's, The Fire This Time, 2002. Photograph: Munition workers painting shells at the National Shell Filling Factory No.6, Chilwell, Nottinghamshire in 1917. This was one of the largest shell factories in the country, circa 1917. Photo by Horace Nicholls, Public domain via Wikimedia Commons. Photograph: https://www.instagram.com/khaledbeydoun/p/CzG4c2tATXn/   Chris Cook hosts Gorilla Radio, broad/webcasting since 1999. Check out the Archive at Gorilla-Radio.com, GRadio.Substack.com, and the GR blog at: https://gorillaradioblog.blogspot.com/

Sean Supon is the CEO of Iron Neck. Sean was awarded the Bronze Star for his military leadership in Baghdad, Iraq. He led over 200 combat missions. SHOW SPONSORS:  Please support this podcast by checking out our sponsors: 

Dr. Katherine Carroll is an Associate Professor of political science at Vanderbilt University. She earned her MA (1996) and PhD (2001) from the University of Virginia's Department of Politics with a specialization in the comparative politics of the Middle East. She came to Vanderbilt University in 2001 as the Assistant Dean of the College of Arts and Science. After five years in administration, she moved to teaching full time in the Department of Political Science where she offers courses on the Middle East, the war in Iraq, comparative politics, and the U.S. military. From 2009 until 2019 she also directed Vanderbilt's undergraduate major in Public Policy Studies and has continued to serve as the Associate Director since 2019. In 2008 and 2009 she took a leave of absence from Vanderbilt to work as a social scientist on a Human Terrain Team in Baghdad, Iraq. These teams were developed to provide expert social and political advice to brigade commanders and soldiers on the ground in war zones. Her publications include “Not Your Parents' Political Party: Young Sunnis and the New Iraqi Democracy” (Middle East Policy, Fall 2011), “Tribal Law and Reconciliation in the New Iraq” (Middle East Journal, Winter 2011), and Business as Usual? Economic Reform in Jordan (Lexington Press, 2003). William B. Hickman is a retired Major General in the U.S. Army, with 36 years of experience supporting our European Allies, deployments in support of operations in Iraq, Afghanistan, and the Middle East, and strategic and operational assignments focused on U.S. national security. His last assignment was as the Strategic Plans and Policy Director for the NATO Allied Transformation Command, Norfolk, VA. During this assignment, the Plans and Policy Directorate drafted Political and Military Alliance-wide strategic concepts, published the Strategic Foresight Analysis 2017 Report, studied strategic level decision-making through participation in NATO Crisis Management Exercises and provided recommendations to improve Alliance decision-making, and assisted the Nations in drafting the Alliance's first military strategy since the Cold War. Hickman earned his bachelor's degree in Business Administration from Vanderbilt University in 1983 and was commissioned as a second lieutenant through the ROTC program. He later earned a Master's Degree in Business Administration from Vanderbilt University and a Master's Degree in National Security and Strategic Studies from the Naval War College. Together Dr. Carroll and General Hickman are co-editors of the book Understanding the U.S. Military, which is the subject of our conversation today.

In the newly established political capital of Samarra, the Caliph is separated from Baghdad by 60 miles and a wall of soldiers. After becoming the leader of this centralized city, al-Mutawakkil adopts a reign of opulence, and has quite an axe to grind. Will he be able to survive the politics of the new elite guard? An original Ubisoft series, produced by Paradiso Media.Written by: Ali A OlomiHosted by: Ali A Olomi, Deana HassaneinMixing and editing: Adrien Le Blond, Jimmy BardinPre-existing music: Music from Assassin's Creed Mirage (Original Game Soundtrack) by Brendan Angelides, and from Walissarābi Minnal‘irfān (A Tribute To Mirage).Label: Ubisoft MusicIllustration: © Ubisoft Entertainment. All Rights ReservedProduction Coordinator: Brendan GalbreathAdditional Production Assistants: Yael Even Or, Molly O'Keefe, Madeleine Weinberg, Aimie FaconnierProducers: Axelle Gobert, Abi McNeilExecutive Producers Ubisoft: Etienne Bouvier, Julien FabreExecutive Producers Paradiso Media: Benoit Dunaigre, Emi NorrisIf you liked this podcast please subscribe, rate & review. To find out more go to Assassins Creed or find us on Facebook, Twitter & Instagram. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

If a woman lit the Shabbat candles and accepted Shabbat at the proper time (eighteen minutes before sundown), and immediately thereafter remembered that she had not recited the Minha prayer, may she pray Minha at that point? On the one hand, since the sun has not yet set, the time for Minha has not passed and so perhaps she may still recite the prayer. On the other hand, one might argue that since she already accepted Shabbat, she can no longer recite the Friday afternoon Minha prayer. The Ben Ish Hai (Rav Yosef Haim of Baghdad, 1833-1909) held that a woman may not recite Minha after she lights candles and accepted Shabbat, and she must therefore recite an extra Amida at the Friday night Arbit service. This is also the ruling of the Mishna Berura (Rav Yisrael Meir Kagan, 1839-1933). Hacham Ovadia Yosef, however, disagrees. He notes a discrepancy between two rulings of the Shulhan Aruch regarding the question of whether one may perform Melacha (activity forbidden on Shabbat) before sundown on Friday after accepting Shabbat. While in one context the Shulhan Aruch allows performing Melacha in such a case, elsewhere he writes that one may not perform Melacha after accepting Shabbat, even if the sun has not set. The Hid"a (Rav Haim Yosef David Azulai, 1724-1806) reconciled these seemingly contradictory rulings by distinguishing between a private and congregational acceptance of Shabbat. Once the congregation accepted Shabbat by beginning the Arbit prayer in the synagogue, one may no longer perform Melacha, even before sundown. When, however, an individual privately accepts Shabbat – such as in the case of a woman who accepts Shabbat by lighting the Shabbat candles – this acceptance is not entirely binding. With respect to certain laws of Shabbat, a private acceptance does not amount to the onset of Shabbat. Accordingly, Hacham Ovadia rules that a woman may still recite Minha after lighting the Shabbat candles, since her acceptance was done privately, and not as part of the congregation's acceptance of Shabbat. This is also the ruling of the Zera Emet (Rabbi Yishmael Ha'kohen, Italy, 19th century). Hacham Ovadia adds that by the same token, a woman who lit candles on Ereb Shabbat and remembered that she had not separated Halla from her dough may still do so, provided that the sun has not set. Once again, since her acceptance of Shabbat was done privately, it is not entirely binding, and she may therefore separate Halla so that the family has bread for Shabbat. Summary: A woman who accepted Shabbat during candle lighting on Friday afternoon and then remembered that she had not recited Minha may recite Minha at that point, provided that the sun has not set.

Born in Mexico to American parents, David Luhnow (@davidluhnow) returned to report on the country for decades. Luhnow talks about the tectonic shifts in Mexico and yet, how through all this time, the country's institutions continue to fail. The mental toll of years reporting on Mexico's drug war contributed to his leaving to become the current United Kingdom bureau chief for The Wall Street Journal​​. Also, he gets punched in the face. Countries featured: Mexico, Panama, Iraq, Egypt, United Kingdom Publications featured: The Mexico City News, Reuters, The Wall Street Journal   Here are links to some of the things we talked about David's story on the UK university system - https://bit.ly/3szftyy Yaroslav Trofimov on WSJ.com - https://bit.ly/47AewFv David's story A Day in the Life of Baghdad - https://bit.ly/3SKiWoB His story on the Treasure of Nimrud in Iraq - https://bit.ly/3SMB692 His story on the Iraq cigarette company - https://bit.ly/3R5jYKp His story on murder in Acapulco - https://bit.ly/47ksI5f His story on a high school kidnap ring - https://bit.ly/49KE8AY Mexico's Reforma newspaper - https://bit.ly/49CUpb7 Letras Libras - https://letraslibres.com The Rest is History podcast - https://bit.ly/49FBYlT New Yorker story "How the Elderly Lose Their Rights" - https://bit.ly/3sFz3Js José de Córdoba's story on the Russian yacht in Antigua - https://bit.ly/40K1fr4   Follow us on Twitter @foreignpod or on Facebook at facebook.com/foreignpod Music: LoveChances (makaih.com) by Makaih Beats From: freemusicarchive.org CC BY NC

Hello there everyone! Welcome back to another episode of Trophy Talk, your favorite bi-weekly trophy hunting show. In this episode, Colin, Slugger, and Darryl give you updates on some of the fantastic games and trophy hunts they've been taking part in as we quickly approach the end of what has been an amazing year for games. Colin regales us with tales of Baghdad in Assassin's Creed: Mirage, and touches on his time with Alan Wake Remastered. Slugger gets time with one of his favorite all time franchises in Like a Dragon: The Man Who Erased His Name. Darry is the only lucky one in the group who has gotten a chance to platinum Spiderman 2 already, and has finally started his playthrough of God of War: Ragnarok. Yes, after almost a year of sitting on his shelf at home, he's finally ready to tackle one of last years greatest stories and trophy hunts. That's not all though! The crew also gives there thoughts on the recent nominees for Game of the Year to come out of The Game Awards. As noted above, this year was quite the banger with new game releases, do the nominees truly capture that greatness? Last but not least we of course answer our Patreon submitted questions. What game would we want to remake entirely if we had creative control? What difficult platinums and trophies are we planning on going after in the future? All of that and more behind the play button. Thank you for listening!

Salah Fareeq Al-Feroun and his family have been farmers in southern Iraq for generations. In the living room of his house in al-Meshkhab in Najaf Province, his son Muhammad Ziyad takes out a photo of their 32-acre farm — located about five miles away from their home — which shows lush green grass as far as the eye can see, soaked in water. Photo of Salah Fareeq Al-Feroun's farmlands before the water shortages and government mandate to stop cultivating anbar rice.  Credit: Courtesy of Muhammad Ziyad But their farm doesn't look like that anymore. It's now barren and dry, with no one able to work the land anymore.Severe water shortages in Iraq have been affecting the cultivation of the country's signature anbar rice — Al-Feroun's main crop. The water has been drying up because of a combination of climate change and geopolitics.“[There's] no rice, no vegetables, [nothing],” Al-Feroun said. “There [aren't any plants], only wheat. This is the main river — dry.” Salah Fareeq Al-Feroun standing on his farm that is now dry and barren, Al-Meshkhab, Iraq, Aug. 30, 2023. Credit: Sara Hassan/The World Al-Feroun used to grow rice in the summer and wheat in the winter. Now he can only grow wheat. Because of the water shortages, he can no longer grow anbar rice, a long-grain white rice with a high fat ratio that is unique to Iraq, and which is traditionally served with every meal. The word anbar — sometimes also written as amber in English — is an Arabic word that refers to the rice's perfume-like fragrance. X post by @MohammedBaraka Credit: Mohammed Baraka/X post “Amber rice is very significant for its smell and it also [has a] very delicious taste,” al-Feroun said through a translator.For the past two years, though, the Iraqi government has banned farmers from cultivating the rice because it is a water-intensive crop. The paddy where the rice grows has to be fully submerged in water and takes around five months to mature. The government has only allowed for minimal farming of the crop in certain areas to preserve the seeds for future cultivation.Importing riceThis has forced Iraqis to import rice from other countries, including Iran, Pakistan and India. The imported rice has a different taste than anbar.“There used to be five types of anbar rice, but now there are only two,” explained Ahmed Salim, the manager of a store at Al-Warda Market in central Baghdad, as he poured out some rice into packets for weighing. “And the prices have more than doubled. We depend on Pakistani rice — Basmati.” Ahmed Salim, the manager of a store at Al-Warda Market, weighs packets of rice, central Baghdad, Sept. 24, 2023. Credit: Enas Razak Ibrahim/The World ‘The Cradle of Civilization'For centuries, Iraqis have relied on water from two main rivers: the Tigris and the Euphrates.They are what gave Iraq — or ancient Mesopotamia — the titles “The Cradle of Civilization” and “The Land Between Two Rivers.”But that land is drying up. Water sources drying up near Salah Fareeq Al-Feroun's farm, Al-Meshkhab, Najaf Province, Iraq, Aug. 30, 2023. Credit: Sara Hassan/The World Achref Chibani, who is a climate journalist, says that climate change is one factor and that it has a snowball effect. Anbar rice discoloring after a couple of years. The price of what's available now has more than doubled, forcing Iraqis to depend on imported rice, Baghdad, Iraq, Sept. 1, 2023. Credit: Sara Hassan/The World This past summer, temperatures in Iraq reached nearly 122 degrees Fahrenheit, and the country has experienced years of persistent drought.Extreme heat has also devastated crops in neighboring Turkey, which is where the Tigris and Euphrates rivers begin. There are water-sharing agreements among the countries that surround these rivers: Iraq, Iran, Turkey and Syria.Chibani says that the effects of climate change are exacerbated by poor governance and regional politics.“The impact of climate change will make geopolitics more obvious in the near future because close coordination will not be an option, it will be mandatory.”Achref Chibani, climate journalist“It's a combination of both, but the impact of climate change will make geopolitics more obvious in the near future because close coordination will not be an option, it will be mandatory,” Chibani said. A package of Iraqi anbar rice. Credit: Courtesy of Hamzeh Hadad He added that Turkey has also faced droughts and lower levels of rainfall and snowmelt in its southern mountains, which means less water is fed into the rivers. Meanwhile, Turkey has also embarked on massive construction projects in recent years, including the building of dams and hydroelectric power plants along the Tigris and Euphrates, which Chibani says is another factor.“And those decisions vis-a-vis projects in Turkey are affecting the quota of water in Iraq,” Chibani explained. Plus, the Iraqi government hasn't been involved in close negotiations over regional water-sharing because it's been preoccupied with its own internal security issues.International collaborationAl-Feroun, the farmer who can no longer grow anbar in his fields, agreed that climate change is a factor, but that geopolitics also plays a major role.In addition to being a farmer, he spent 25 years teaching at an agricultural secondary school for the Ministry of Education, which has given him insight into how geopolitics has played into what's happening on his farm. Salah Fareeq Al-Feroun's graduating class from the University of Baghdad, Al-Meshkhab, Najaf Province, Iraq, Aug. 30, 2023. Credit: Sara Hassan/The World Back at his home, there are large wooden cabinets filled with books and photos on the walls of his university graduation. And photos of himself, as a government employee, meeting with foreign leaders over the years. Salah Fareeq Al-Feroun at his home. He spent 25 years teaching at an agricultural secondary school for the Ministry of Education, Al-Meshkhab, Najaf Province, Iraq, Aug. 30, 2023. Credit: Sara Hassan/The World Al-Feroun said that a government minister visited farmers recently, telling them they would be compensated for their losses, but they have yet to see any assistance. He said that the government has to move beyond making visits and promises.“Our government has to have serious conversations,” he said, “not just with Turkey, but with the United Nations, the Arab League, the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation and the Non-Aligned Movement to get our rights.”After generations of cultivating the fields, he hopes that his children will also have the chance to be able to continue the family legacy.Enas Razak Ibrahim contributed to this report.Related: This startup is fighting to keep Iraq's palm trees alive

This is Garrison Hardie with your CrossPolitic Daily News Brief for Wednesday, November 15th, 2023. Pub Membership Plug: Public Houses, or Pubs, are not just places to drink beer, wine, cider or even something a little stronger. It is also a unique social centre, very often the focus of community life in villages, towns and cities throughout the length and breadth of the world. We here at CrossPolitic hope to emulate that for you and yours. That’s why you should grab yourself a pub membership with CrossPolitic! We have a lot of big projects we’re working on behind the scenes here at CrossPoltiic. Projects like This America, our rowdy Christian Guides, our new and improved Fight Laugh Feast App, with more to come… and we need you on this ride with us. So pull up a chair, grab a pint, and join us on this ride at fightlaughfeast.com - that’s fightlaughfeast.com. https://www.breitbart.com/middle-east/2023/11/14/iran-expects-10-billion-sanctions-waiver-gift-biden/ Iran Expects $10 Billion Sanctions Waiver Gift from Biden The Iranian pro-regime propaganda site Tasnim News reported on Tuesday that the administration of President Joe Biden is likely to “agree with Iran’s getting access to $10 billion” currently frozen under sanctions, adding to tens of billions in relief the White House has already processed. “The Biden administration may approve a sanctions waiver on Tuesday that will allow Iran to access at least $10 billion in previously frozen funds held in Iraq,” the outlet declared. “According to reports, Governor of the Central Bank of Iran (CBI) Mohammad Reza Farzin held talks with his Omani counterpart last month on the acceleration of Iran’s access to its financial resources.” Tasnim News made the claim based on a report published on Monday by the Washington Free Beacon that described the $10 billion in question as already under a sanctions waiver, but one set to expire on Tuesday. The initial sanctions relief was reportedly issued in July, months before the unprecedented massacre of 1,200 civilians in Israel by the Iran proxy terrorist group Hamas on October 7. That mass killing – in which Hamas slaughtered children as young as infants, extensively tortured victims and desecrated corpses on camera, and took about 250 hostages – has increased pressure on the Biden administration to end sanctions relief programs that unfreeze money for Iran, allowing the government to use the unfrozen funds on legitimate needs and freeing up other funding to share with terrorist organizations such as Hamas. According to the original report, the money represents payments made by the government of Iraq to Iran in exchange for electricity services. “The Trump administration first allowed Iraq to import electricity and gas from Iran, but only on the condition that the payments were kept in an escrow account in Baghdad,” the Free Beacon explained. “The Biden administration continued to issue that waiver, and then broadened it in July so that Iraq could move more than $10 billion outside the country, enabling Tehran to draw on the funds for its budget and humanitarian needs.” The Iranian site Tasnim is sanctioned by the U.S. government for its close ties to the Iranian Islamist dictatorship. It was founded by members of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), a U.S.-designated terrorist organization and a formal arm of the Iranian military, so it serves as an informal mouthpiece for the Iranian regime. The October 7 Hamas attack, which the terrorists branded the “al-Aqsa flood,” has renewed calls for the Biden administration to stop its policy of sanctions relief for Iran. Iran is the world’s foremost state sponsor of terrorism and pours hundreds of millions of dollars a year into jihadist organizations threatening Israel. According to the U.S. State Department, Hamas itself receives about $100 million a year from the Iranian government. The Shiite terrorist group Hezbollah, based in Lebanon and vocally threatening attacks on Israel regularly, receives about $700 million a year from Iran. Despite the overwhelming evidence of coordination between Iran and groups such as Hamas, according to the Foundation for the Defense of Democracies (FDD), the Biden administration has granted Iran over $50 billion in sanctions relief. A month before the Israel attacks, Biden approved an agreement that gifted Iran $6 billion in sanctions relief in a single spell. In exchange for the $6 billion, which had been frozen in South Korean banks and which Washington allowed to be transferred to Iran-friendly Qatar, Iran freed five Americans it had been holding hostage in its political prisons. In October, shortly after the Hamas attack, the Biden administration “temporarily” lifted all oil and gas sanctions on socialist Venezuela, in response to dictator Nicolás Maduro’s short-lived promise to allow a free and fair presidential election. Iran and Venezuela are close allies; Iran refines a significant percentage of its own crude in Venezuela and has helped Venezuela refurbish its dilapidated oil facilities. The two countries recently signed an agreement with the Syrian dictatorship to jointly build a new refining facility. https://www.foxnews.com/world/nepal-bans-tiktok-disrupting-social-harmony Nepal bans TikTok for 'disrupting social harmony' Nepal’s government decided to ban the popular social media app TikTok on Monday, saying it was disrupting "social harmony" in the country. The announcement was made following a Cabinet meeting. Foreign Minister Narayan Prakash Saud said the app would be banned immediately. "The government has decided to ban TikTok as it was necessary to regulate the use of the social media platform that was disrupting social harmony, goodwill and flow of indecent materials," Saud said. He said that to make social media platforms accountable, the government has asked the companies to register and open a liaison office in Nepal, pay taxes and abide by the country's laws and regulations. It wasn't clear what triggered the ban or if TikTok had refused to comply with Nepal's requests. The company did not immediately respond to an email seeking comment. TikTok, owned by China’s ByteDance, has faced scrutiny in a number of countries because of concerns that Beijing could use the app to harvest user data or advance its interests. Countries including the United States, Britain and New Zealand have banned the app on government phones despite TikTok repeatedly denying that it has ever shared data with the Chinese government and would not do so if asked. Nepal has banned all pornographic sites in 2018. https://thepostmillennial.com/oregon-voters-want-to-walk-back-legalization-of-hard-drugs?utm_campaign=64487#google_vignette Oregon voters want to walk-back legalization of hard drugs In 2020, voters in Oregon passed Measure 110, which decriminalized the possession of certain drugs in small quantities for personal use and shuffled revenue from cannabis taxes to resources aimed at helping addicts. Since it went into effect the following year, crime and substance use has not gone down as intended, and as a result, residents are calling for a reintroduction of criminal penalties for users. A poll conducted by DHM Research earlier this year revealed that more than 60 percent of Oregonians want to see the decriminalization aspect of Measure 110 repealed, though support for the use of cannabis taxes to fund treatment programs has maintained popularity. According to the poll, 51 percent of those surveyed said they believed Measure 110 has been bad for Oregon. Of those, 33 percent deemed it "very bad." Over 60 percent said drug addiction, homelessness, and crime had become worse in the time since it was adopted. Rural voters who identified as Republicans were more likely than their Democratic urban neighbors to believe that the policy has had a negative impact on the state, though a sizable proportion of every demographic said as much. The poll, conducted via online survey among 500 Oregon voters between April 24 and 30, also found that drug addiction and mental health were viewed as more likely root causes of homelessness than access to affordable housing. As the Wall Street Journal reports, law enforcement officers across the state have found that contrary to what was expected, doing away with the threat of jail time has not resulted in more addicts seeking help. Since 2021, while 6,000 tickets have been issued for drug possession, only 92 people have gotten in touch with the helpline to complete an assessment that would connect them with the necessary assistance. Those who fail to call are supposed to receive a $100 fine, however that is hardly ever enforced. Overdoses have also continued to rise, jumping 23 percent between May 2021-2022 and May 2022-2023 to 1,500 statewide. https://www.cnn.com/2023/11/14/sport/adam-johnson-police-arrest-spt-intl/index.html Man arrested on suspicion of manslaughter over death of ice hockey player Adam Johnson, police say A man has been arrested on suspicion of manslaughter following the death of ice hockey player Adam Johnson last month, South Yorkshire Police said in a statement on Tuesday. Johnson died after sustaining a cut to the neck while playing for the Nottingham Panthers against the Sheffield Steelers in England on October 28. A Sheffield coroner’s report found that the 29-year-old “sustained an incised wound to the neck caused by the skate of another player” and later died in hospital as a result of the injury. “Our investigation launched immediately following this tragedy and we have been carrying out extensive enquiries ever since to piece together the events which led to the loss of Adam in these unprecedented circumstances,” detective chief superintendent Becs Horsfall said in a police statement. “We have been speaking to highly specialised experts in their field to assist in our enquiries and continue to work closely with the health and safety department at Sheffield City Council, which is supporting our ongoing investigation.” The police statement added that the man arrested remains in custody. Following Johnson’s death, which the Panthers described in a statement on October 29 as a “freak accident,” there has been increased focus on player safety in ice hockey, particularly on whether protective neck guards should be more widely worn. “Adam’s death has sent shockwaves through many communities, from our local residents here in Sheffield to ice hockey fans across the world,” Horsfall said. Born in Hibbing, Minnesota, Johnson started his professional career in the American Hockey League before progressing to the National Hockey League (NHL). He featured in 13 games over two years for the Pittsburgh Penguins and also played in Sweden and Germany before joining the Panthers for the 2023-24 season. In an online obituary, Johnson’s family remembered him as a “thoughtful, patient and genuinely authentic” person who “took pleasure in the small, everyday things.” Members of the ice hockey community across the world have paid tribute to the forward, including in the city of Nottingham, where fans have laid flowers outside the Motorpoint Arena. Police said on Tuesday that officers are supporting Johnson’s family while the investigation into his death remains ongoing.

This is Garrison Hardie with your CrossPolitic Daily News Brief for Wednesday, November 15th, 2023. Pub Membership Plug: Public Houses, or Pubs, are not just places to drink beer, wine, cider or even something a little stronger. It is also a unique social centre, very often the focus of community life in villages, towns and cities throughout the length and breadth of the world. We here at CrossPolitic hope to emulate that for you and yours. That’s why you should grab yourself a pub membership with CrossPolitic! We have a lot of big projects we’re working on behind the scenes here at CrossPoltiic. Projects like This America, our rowdy Christian Guides, our new and improved Fight Laugh Feast App, with more to come… and we need you on this ride with us. So pull up a chair, grab a pint, and join us on this ride at fightlaughfeast.com - that’s fightlaughfeast.com. https://www.breitbart.com/middle-east/2023/11/14/iran-expects-10-billion-sanctions-waiver-gift-biden/ Iran Expects $10 Billion Sanctions Waiver Gift from Biden The Iranian pro-regime propaganda site Tasnim News reported on Tuesday that the administration of President Joe Biden is likely to “agree with Iran’s getting access to $10 billion” currently frozen under sanctions, adding to tens of billions in relief the White House has already processed. “The Biden administration may approve a sanctions waiver on Tuesday that will allow Iran to access at least $10 billion in previously frozen funds held in Iraq,” the outlet declared. “According to reports, Governor of the Central Bank of Iran (CBI) Mohammad Reza Farzin held talks with his Omani counterpart last month on the acceleration of Iran’s access to its financial resources.” Tasnim News made the claim based on a report published on Monday by the Washington Free Beacon that described the $10 billion in question as already under a sanctions waiver, but one set to expire on Tuesday. The initial sanctions relief was reportedly issued in July, months before the unprecedented massacre of 1,200 civilians in Israel by the Iran proxy terrorist group Hamas on October 7. That mass killing – in which Hamas slaughtered children as young as infants, extensively tortured victims and desecrated corpses on camera, and took about 250 hostages – has increased pressure on the Biden administration to end sanctions relief programs that unfreeze money for Iran, allowing the government to use the unfrozen funds on legitimate needs and freeing up other funding to share with terrorist organizations such as Hamas. According to the original report, the money represents payments made by the government of Iraq to Iran in exchange for electricity services. “The Trump administration first allowed Iraq to import electricity and gas from Iran, but only on the condition that the payments were kept in an escrow account in Baghdad,” the Free Beacon explained. “The Biden administration continued to issue that waiver, and then broadened it in July so that Iraq could move more than $10 billion outside the country, enabling Tehran to draw on the funds for its budget and humanitarian needs.” The Iranian site Tasnim is sanctioned by the U.S. government for its close ties to the Iranian Islamist dictatorship. It was founded by members of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), a U.S.-designated terrorist organization and a formal arm of the Iranian military, so it serves as an informal mouthpiece for the Iranian regime. The October 7 Hamas attack, which the terrorists branded the “al-Aqsa flood,” has renewed calls for the Biden administration to stop its policy of sanctions relief for Iran. Iran is the world’s foremost state sponsor of terrorism and pours hundreds of millions of dollars a year into jihadist organizations threatening Israel. According to the U.S. State Department, Hamas itself receives about $100 million a year from the Iranian government. The Shiite terrorist group Hezbollah, based in Lebanon and vocally threatening attacks on Israel regularly, receives about $700 million a year from Iran. Despite the overwhelming evidence of coordination between Iran and groups such as Hamas, according to the Foundation for the Defense of Democracies (FDD), the Biden administration has granted Iran over $50 billion in sanctions relief. A month before the Israel attacks, Biden approved an agreement that gifted Iran $6 billion in sanctions relief in a single spell. In exchange for the $6 billion, which had been frozen in South Korean banks and which Washington allowed to be transferred to Iran-friendly Qatar, Iran freed five Americans it had been holding hostage in its political prisons. In October, shortly after the Hamas attack, the Biden administration “temporarily” lifted all oil and gas sanctions on socialist Venezuela, in response to dictator Nicolás Maduro’s short-lived promise to allow a free and fair presidential election. Iran and Venezuela are close allies; Iran refines a significant percentage of its own crude in Venezuela and has helped Venezuela refurbish its dilapidated oil facilities. The two countries recently signed an agreement with the Syrian dictatorship to jointly build a new refining facility. https://www.foxnews.com/world/nepal-bans-tiktok-disrupting-social-harmony Nepal bans TikTok for 'disrupting social harmony' Nepal’s government decided to ban the popular social media app TikTok on Monday, saying it was disrupting "social harmony" in the country. The announcement was made following a Cabinet meeting. Foreign Minister Narayan Prakash Saud said the app would be banned immediately. "The government has decided to ban TikTok as it was necessary to regulate the use of the social media platform that was disrupting social harmony, goodwill and flow of indecent materials," Saud said. He said that to make social media platforms accountable, the government has asked the companies to register and open a liaison office in Nepal, pay taxes and abide by the country's laws and regulations. It wasn't clear what triggered the ban or if TikTok had refused to comply with Nepal's requests. The company did not immediately respond to an email seeking comment. TikTok, owned by China’s ByteDance, has faced scrutiny in a number of countries because of concerns that Beijing could use the app to harvest user data or advance its interests. Countries including the United States, Britain and New Zealand have banned the app on government phones despite TikTok repeatedly denying that it has ever shared data with the Chinese government and would not do so if asked. Nepal has banned all pornographic sites in 2018. https://thepostmillennial.com/oregon-voters-want-to-walk-back-legalization-of-hard-drugs?utm_campaign=64487#google_vignette Oregon voters want to walk-back legalization of hard drugs In 2020, voters in Oregon passed Measure 110, which decriminalized the possession of certain drugs in small quantities for personal use and shuffled revenue from cannabis taxes to resources aimed at helping addicts. Since it went into effect the following year, crime and substance use has not gone down as intended, and as a result, residents are calling for a reintroduction of criminal penalties for users. A poll conducted by DHM Research earlier this year revealed that more than 60 percent of Oregonians want to see the decriminalization aspect of Measure 110 repealed, though support for the use of cannabis taxes to fund treatment programs has maintained popularity. According to the poll, 51 percent of those surveyed said they believed Measure 110 has been bad for Oregon. Of those, 33 percent deemed it "very bad." Over 60 percent said drug addiction, homelessness, and crime had become worse in the time since it was adopted. Rural voters who identified as Republicans were more likely than their Democratic urban neighbors to believe that the policy has had a negative impact on the state, though a sizable proportion of every demographic said as much. The poll, conducted via online survey among 500 Oregon voters between April 24 and 30, also found that drug addiction and mental health were viewed as more likely root causes of homelessness than access to affordable housing. As the Wall Street Journal reports, law enforcement officers across the state have found that contrary to what was expected, doing away with the threat of jail time has not resulted in more addicts seeking help. Since 2021, while 6,000 tickets have been issued for drug possession, only 92 people have gotten in touch with the helpline to complete an assessment that would connect them with the necessary assistance. Those who fail to call are supposed to receive a $100 fine, however that is hardly ever enforced. Overdoses have also continued to rise, jumping 23 percent between May 2021-2022 and May 2022-2023 to 1,500 statewide. https://www.cnn.com/2023/11/14/sport/adam-johnson-police-arrest-spt-intl/index.html Man arrested on suspicion of manslaughter over death of ice hockey player Adam Johnson, police say A man has been arrested on suspicion of manslaughter following the death of ice hockey player Adam Johnson last month, South Yorkshire Police said in a statement on Tuesday. Johnson died after sustaining a cut to the neck while playing for the Nottingham Panthers against the Sheffield Steelers in England on October 28. A Sheffield coroner’s report found that the 29-year-old “sustained an incised wound to the neck caused by the skate of another player” and later died in hospital as a result of the injury. “Our investigation launched immediately following this tragedy and we have been carrying out extensive enquiries ever since to piece together the events which led to the loss of Adam in these unprecedented circumstances,” detective chief superintendent Becs Horsfall said in a police statement. “We have been speaking to highly specialised experts in their field to assist in our enquiries and continue to work closely with the health and safety department at Sheffield City Council, which is supporting our ongoing investigation.” The police statement added that the man arrested remains in custody. Following Johnson’s death, which the Panthers described in a statement on October 29 as a “freak accident,” there has been increased focus on player safety in ice hockey, particularly on whether protective neck guards should be more widely worn. “Adam’s death has sent shockwaves through many communities, from our local residents here in Sheffield to ice hockey fans across the world,” Horsfall said. Born in Hibbing, Minnesota, Johnson started his professional career in the American Hockey League before progressing to the National Hockey League (NHL). He featured in 13 games over two years for the Pittsburgh Penguins and also played in Sweden and Germany before joining the Panthers for the 2023-24 season. In an online obituary, Johnson’s family remembered him as a “thoughtful, patient and genuinely authentic” person who “took pleasure in the small, everyday things.” Members of the ice hockey community across the world have paid tribute to the forward, including in the city of Nottingham, where fans have laid flowers outside the Motorpoint Arena. Police said on Tuesday that officers are supporting Johnson’s family while the investigation into his death remains ongoing.

Flying the Tyrant Saddam Hussein | My Story Mohammed Sulaiman was the son of a distinguished military officer of Saddam Hussein and the Iraq Air Force. He grew up one day wanting to follow his father's footsteps and fly. He graduated flight training and his experience resulted in him becoming a member of the Iraq elite VIP Squadron. It wasn't long before he became the pilot of Saddam and his family. In this episode, Mohammed shares how he became Saddam's pilot and how he was in Baghdad at the military airport in a bunker during Desert Storm when all of the aircraft was destroyed by US bombing raids. He shares how things changed in that country and how his life was in danger, before escaping to America where he's raised his four children and has enjoyed the American Dream. _______________ Please leave us a review on Apple/Spotify Podcasts: Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/mentors-for-military-podcast/id1072421783 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3w4RiZBxBS8EDy6cuOlbUl #Flying the Tyrant Saddam Hussein | My Story #SaddamHussein #saddam #Flying the tyrant #mentors4mil #mentorsformilitary Mentors4mil Links: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/Mentors4mil Patreon Support: https://www.patreon.com/join/Mentors4mil Guest Links: Flying the Tyrant at Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Flying-Tyrant-Declassified-Escaping-Assassination/dp/B0BTKVS343 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/flyingthetyrant 00:00 Intro 00:19 Flying tyrants - Saddam and his family 00:28 Desert Storm - the attack and aftermath 00:42 Splitting Iraq into - the civil war 00:48 Mohammed names Mohammed a "high value target" and how he escapes the attack on his house 00:59 Living the American Dream Intro music "Long Way Down" by Silence & Light is used with permission. Show Disclaimer: https://mentorsformilitary.com/disclaimer/