Podcasts about Balkans

Mission Accomplished: Rob O'Neill on SEAL Team Six, Leadership, and Life After the Battlefield.  In this week's episode, Marcus and Melanie Luttrell meet with one of the most highly decorated combat veterans of our time—Robert J. O'Neill. With an incredible 400+ combat missions under his belt, Rob's experiences span across Liberia, The Balkans, The Persian Gulf, Indian Ocean, Ukraine, Iraq, Afghanistan, and Pakistan. As a Navy SEAL, Rob served in SEAL Team Two, SEAL Team Four, and spent eight years with the legendary SEAL Team Six. Rob's heroic career is underscored by 53 decorations, including two Silver Stars for gallantry, four Bronze Stars with Valor for heroism, and a host of other prestigious commendations. His resume of skills includes elite qualifications like Military Free-Fall Jumpmaster, Naval Special Warfare Scout/Sniper, and Master Naval Parachutist, among many others. In this episode, we dive deep into Rob's role in some of the most significant military operations in recent history: Operation Red Wings, which saw the rescue of the Lone Survivor, Marcus Luttrell The lead jumper in the daring rescue of Captain Richard Phillips from Somali pirates Operation Neptune's Spear, the mission that brought down Osama bin Laden Beyond the battlefield, Rob is the co-founder of the Special Operators Transition Foundation, a non-profit dedicated to helping special operations veterans transition to successful careers in corporate America. He is also the author of the best-selling memoir, THE OPERATOR: Firing the Shots that Killed Osama bin Laden and My Years as a SEAL Team Warrior. Throughout his post-military career, Rob has become a prominent public speaker, security consultant, and media contributor, sharing expert insights on military strategy and terrorism. Whether speaking to survivors of 9/11 or delivering keynote speeches to business leaders, Rob translates his elite training into actionable lessons on leadership, resilience, and success. Join us as we explore Rob O'Neill's incredible journey from the frontlines to the boardroom and hear his thoughts on leadership, transition, and how to thrive under pressure. Tune in to hear the untold stories and actionable advice from one of America's most decorated heroes! In This Episode You Will Hear: • I don't think I could beat Marcus at arm wrestling if I can't pick up a bowling ball. (1:58) • You do realize there's a thing called old man strength? (5:53) • [Rob O'Neil] I have a podcast as well, called “The Operator.” We're called The Operator because if you're doing anything, you're an operator. (6:18) • Having a big man to kick your ass and teach you wind a bobbin; you realize there is skill here. (9:59) • When people quit BUDS, it's not because “this is hard”. [It's because] I'm tired of the broken foot.; I'm tired of the shin splints; I'm tired of my dislocated shoulder; I'm tired. (21:20) • In BUDS, one of the biggest problems is eating too much. Like I want 5 cheeseburgers, but we have a 4-mile run afterwards. (26:35) • [Rob] and for everyone that doesn't know, can you explain what a SDV is? (39:20) [Marcus] Imagine a mini submarine and shrink it down. The difference is that a submarine is dry inside, and the SDV is completely full of water. (39:23) • Listen to Marcus discuss the details of being in an SDV for 8 hours. Talk about ultimate torture - If you have a deep freeze in your garage, fill that sucker full of water, crawl in there and sit down for 8 hours. (40:32) • The first time I got in there, I was terrified. (45:29) • [Marcus] There's stuff that happens to us out there. Sometimes safety gets in the way of it. (58:49) • [After falling down the mountain during Operation Red Wings] I could hear that stream running. I've got to get me water, but I kept thinking I can't drink out of it, because my buddies are in it. (81:07) • If you want to make God laugh, tell Him what your plan is. (92:04) • [Marcus] Bro, when you saw that son of a bitch's face [Osama Bin Laden], what was the first thing you saw? [Rob O'Neal] I saw his nose. He was skinny, wearing white – tall. (95:22 ) • My nickname was “Nisro” (Navy SEAL Rob O'Neal). When they asked “Who got him?” They go “Nisro,” and they said “Fuck! We're never gonna hear the end of it.” (97:30) Support Robert:   - IG: mchooyah - Host of The Operator Podcast Support TNQ   - IG: team_neverquit , marcusluttrell , melanieluttrell , huntero13   -  https://www.patreon.com/teamneverquit Sponsors:   - dripdrop.com/TNQ    -  cargurus.com/TNQ    - armslist.com/TNQ   - partnersinbuilding.com - Navyfederal.org        -    - You can find Cremo's new line of antiperspirants and deodorants at Target or Target.com    - WARFARE IN THEATERS APRIL 11th Watch Trailer here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JER0Fkyy3tw First Look Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-3DWuqiAUKg&t=3s    -   - PXGapparel.com/TNQ   - bruntworkwear.com/TNQ    - Selectquote.com/TNQ    - Groundnews.com/TNQ    - You can find Cremo's new line of antiperspirants and deodorants at Target or Target.com    - shipsticks.com/TNQ    - Robinhood.com/gold    - strawberry.me/TNQ    - stopboxusa.com {TNQ}    - ghostbed.com/TNQ [TNQ]   -  kalshi.com/TNQ   -  joinbilt.com/TNQ    - Tonal.com [TNQ]   - greenlight.com/TNQ   - PDSDebt.com/TNQ   - drinkAG1.com/TNQ   - Shadyrays.com [TNQ]   - qualialife.com/TNQ [TNQ]   - Hims.com/TNQ   - Shopify.com/TNQ   - Aura.com/TNQ   - Policygenius.com   - TAKELEAN.com [TNQ]   - usejoymode.com [TNQ]

Get featured on the show by leaving us a Voice Mail: https://bit.ly/MIPVM

W. J. Lundy is a still serving Veteran of the U.S. Military with service in Afghanistan. He has over 12 years of combined service with the Army and Navy in Europe, the Balkans and Southwest Asia. W.J. is an avid athlete, writer, backpacker and shooting enthusiast. He currently resides with his wife and daughter in Central Michigan.

Today Justin is joined once more by Tim Spicer. Tim served for 20 years in the British Army where he rose to the rank of Lieutenant Colonel and saw active service in Northern Ireland, The Falklands Campaign, the Gulf War, and the Balkans, as well as serving in the Far East, Cyprus, and Germany. Today, he's back to discuss his own life and career, which has been full of danger and adventure as well. Tim wrote about it all in his autobiography which covers his service all over the world, as well as his work as the founder of a private military company not long after he left the British Army. Check out Tim's first appearance in ep 200: 'From Biffy to Bond: The Real Spy Who Inspired "From Russia, with Love"' here.Connect with Tim:penguin.co.uk/authors/208198/tim-spicerIG: @timspicerauthorCheck out the book, An Unorthodox Solider, here.https://a.co/d/6wZaj6YConnect with Spycraft 101:Get Justin's latest book, Murder, Intrigue, and Conspiracy: Stories from the Cold War and Beyond, here.spycraft101.comIG: @spycraft101Shop: shop.spycraft101.comPatreon: Spycraft 101Find Justin's first book, Spyshots: Volume One, here.Check out Justin's second book, Covert Arms, here.Download the free eBook, The Clandestine Operative's Sidearm of Choice, here.History by MailWho knew? Not me! Learn something new every month. Use code JUSTIN10 for 10% off your subscription.Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.Support the show

On July 28, 1914, the Great War began when Austria-Hungary declared war on Serbia in response to the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand a month earlier. On this week's “Leaders and Legends” podcast, we discuss the beginning of the war and the march of folly in Russia, the Balkans, and beyond with Professor Nick Lloyd, author of “The Eastern Front: A History of the Great War, 1914-1918"About Veteran Strategies‘Leaders and Legends' is brought to you by Veteran Strategies—your local veteran business enterprise specializing in media relations, crisis communications, public outreach, and digital photography.Learn more at www.veteranstrategies.com.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this enlightening episode of History Rage, host Paul Bavill is joined by historian and secretary of the Salonika Campaign Society, Chris Loader, to shine a much-needed spotlight on one of the most overlooked fronts of the Great War—the Salonika Campaign. Chris shares his personal connection to this forgotten battlefield through his family history and reveals the complexities of this often-ignored chapter of World War I.Chris Loader's Journey:A lifelong passion for history, particularly the First World War, fuelled by a family connection to the Salonika campaign.His academic background in history and a focus on public perceptions of the war through period dramas.Understanding the Salonika Campaign:Exploring the geographical and political context of the campaign, situated in the Balkans and its significance during the war.Detailing the complex alliances and the motivations that led to British and French troops landing in Salonika in 1915.The Nature of Warfare in Salonika:Examining the unique challenges faced by soldiers, including the difficult terrain, extreme weather conditions, and the prevalence of malaria.Discussing the contrasting styles of combat, from trench warfare to mobile engagements, and the impact of disease on troop strength.Lasting Impacts of the Campaign:Assessing how the Salonika Campaign contributed to the collapse of Bulgaria and the subsequent political tensions in the Balkans.Highlighting the campaign's significance in the broader context of World War I and its legacy in contemporary geopolitics.Chris and Paul engage in a passionate discussion, urging listeners to remember the sacrifices of the nearly 8,000 British Commonwealth soldiers buried in the region and to recognize the importance of this often-overlooked campaign. This episode is a call to action for historians and enthusiasts alike to bring the Salonika Campaign back into public consciousness.Guest Information:Stay updated on Chris Loader's upcoming book on the Salonika campaign.Explore more about the Salonika Campaign Society at salonicacampaignsociety.org.uk.Listen to Chris's podcast, Salonika Secrets, available on all major platforms.Follow Chris on Twitter: @LuckyLoader15.Support History Rage on Patreon at patreon.com/historyrage for exclusive content and the iconic History Rage mug. Follow History Rage on Social Media:Twitter: @historyrageFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/HistoryRageInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/historyrage/Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/historyrage.bsky.socialStay informed, stay passionate, and let the rage for historical truth burn on! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Lynne O’Donnell and Hannah Cogan join Emma Nelson to discuss the week’s biggest stories. Plus: Tyler Brûlé in Lisbon and Guy De Launey with the latest news from the Balkans. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Un attentat contre l'église grecque orthodoxe à Damas a fait 25 morts et plus de 60 blessés au mois de juin dernier, relançant l'inquiétude au sein de la minorité chrétienne. Celle-ci est passée d'un million de personnes avant la guerre en 2011, à moins de 300 000 aujourd'hui, en raison de l'exil et des déplacements forcés. Avec 200 à 300 millions de fidèles, l'Église orthodoxe est la troisième confession chrétienne, après le catholicisme et le protestantisme. Son histoire, marquée par de longues épreuves, notamment durant la conquête mongole et la longue domination de l'Empire ottoman, reste assez largement méconnue. Au carrefour des empires disparus, byzantin, ottoman et russe, l'orthodoxie a été déchirée par la guerre froide, avant de se retrouver au cœur des conflits contemporains : génocides, guerres des Balkans et d'Ukraine, d'Irak ou encore de Syrie.  Les mondes orthodoxes sont complexes. Leurs influences et leur proximité réelle avec les pouvoirs politiques sont une grille de lecture des soubresauts du présent. Les prêches enflammés du patriarche Kirill de Moscou, que l'on a vu par ailleurs bénir les chars russes allant détruire les villes ukrainiennes, ont ravivé l'image d'une orthodoxie belliciste, ultraconservatrice et homophobe. Une orthodoxie radicalement hostile à l'Otan, à l'Union européenne et aux valeurs démocratiques. Regard sur le rôle de l'église orthodoxe dans les relations internationales. Invité :  Jean-Arnaud Dérens, historien et journaliste, fondateur du Courrier des Balkans, dont il est le co-rédacteur en Chef. Géopolitique de l'orthodoxie. De Byzance à la guerre en Ukraine, aux éditions Tallandier. 

Troisième confession chrétienne du monde, l'orthodoxie est aujourd'hui fracturée en raison du conflit en Ukraine. Une nouvelle église, indépendante du patriarcat de Moscou, s'est en effet déclarée dans ce pays en guerre et elle a été reconnue par le patriarcat de Constantinople. Dans son livre Géopolitique de l'Orthodoxie, de Byzance à la guerre en Ukraine, Jean-Arnault Dérens fait le portrait d'une Église qui, depuis la chute du communisme, s'est trop rapprochée du pouvoir politique. À ses risques et périls.   Jean-Arnaud Dérens, Géopolitique de l'orthodoxie. De Byzance à la guerre en Ukraine, aux éditions Tallandier, 2025. À lire aussiL'Église orthodoxe dans les relations internationales

Troisième confession chrétienne du monde, l'orthodoxie est aujourd'hui fracturée en raison du conflit en Ukraine. Une nouvelle église, indépendante du patriarcat de Moscou, s'est en effet déclarée dans ce pays en guerre et elle a été reconnue par le patriarcat de Constantinople. Dans son livre Géopolitique de l'Orthodoxie, de Byzance à la guerre en Ukraine, Jean-Arnault Dérens fait le portrait d'une Église qui, depuis la chute du communisme, s'est trop rapprochée du pouvoir politique. À ses risques et périls.   Jean-Arnaud Dérens, Géopolitique de l'orthodoxie. De Byzance à la guerre en Ukraine, aux éditions Tallandier, 2025. À lire aussiL'Église orthodoxe dans les relations internationales

durée : 00:52:59 - On va déguster - par : François-Régis Gaudry - Le jeudi 20 mars, des iraniens et près de 300 millions de personnes, des Balkans à l'Asie centrale, du Moyen-Orient aux rives de la Mer Noire vont célébrer Norouz, le nouvel an du calendrier persan. C'est l'occasion de percer les mystères de la cuisine perse. - réalisé par : Lauranne THOMAS Vous aimez ce podcast ? Pour écouter tous les autres épisodes sans limite, rendez-vous sur Radio France.

He was a disciple of St Peter, born in Antioch. St Peter took him to Rome (he was bishop of Antioch before being bishop of Rome, so Antioch is as much the 'see of Peter' as is Rome) and made him Bishop of Ravenna. In Ravenna, he healed the wife of the military governor of a grave illness, after which the governor and his household confessed Christ and were baptized. Apollinarius was able to form a house church in the governor's home, from which he labored for the Gospel for twelve years. Eventually, he was condemned to exile in Illyria for his faith, and began a life of missionary travel in the Balkans, travelling as far as the Danube. After twelve years of this work, he was driven back to Italy by the hostility of some of the pagans. He was received with joy by the people of Ravenna, which aroused the envy of the pagan elders, who denounced him to the Emperor Vespasian. When the elders asked permission to kill Apollinarius, the Emperor only gave them permission to drive him from the city, wisely saying 'It is not seemly to take revenge on behalf of the gods, for they can themselves be revenged on their enemies if they are angered.' But, in defiance of the Imperial decree, the pagan leaders attacked and killed Apollinarius with knives. His holy relics are preserved in Ravenna, in a church dedicated to him.

Le 31 janvier 2020, les cloches de Big Ben ont retenti, sonnant du même coup le glas de la participation du Royaume-Uni à l'Union européenne. 5 ans plus tard, certains Brexiters ont changé d'avis, et le bilan de cette sortie tonitruante reste mitigé, particulièrement dans le secteur agricole. Cette émission est une sélection estivale des programmes d'Accents d'Europe. Cette émission est une réédition estivale de nos programmes   Cinq ans après le Brexit, les agriculteurs britanniques font la moue Et si c'était à refaire ? Le Royaume-Uni ne quitterait sans doute pas l'UE si l'on en croit ce sondage Yougov publié, il y a quelques mois, fin janvier : 11% des personnes interrogées seulement estiment que le Brexit a été une réussite, et parmi les électeurs qui avaient voté oui au divorce, 20% sont pour un retour de leur pays dans l'UE. Au sein du secteur agricole où les partisans du Brexit étaient nombreux, le bilan, 5 ans plus tard, est mitigé. Le reportage de Marie Billon dans les Midlands.   Les Balkans ne font plus rêver leurs jeunes L'exode de la jeunesse est l'une des questions qui préoccupent le plus le sud de l'Europe. La région des Balkans est l'une des plus touchées au monde par la fuite des cerveaux. Au point de susciter des craintes pour l'avenir même de ses sociétés. Les explications de notre correspondant dans les Balkans, Louis Seiller.   Chronique musicale Le choix de Vincent Théval : Vecchia Storia, d'Ada Oda (Pelle d'oca).   Les glaciers suisses, bientôt une carte postale du passé ? 40% : c'est le volume total perdu par les glaciers suisses depuis l'an 2000. Les scientifiques l'ont constaté, en 2024, la chaleur à la surface de la planète n'a jamais été aussi élevée. Les glaciers européens fondent à un rythme sans précédent et leur disparition semble inéluctable si rien n'est fait. Celui d'Aletsch, en Suisse, semble déjà condamné ; d'autres pourraient encore survivre, à condition que la neutralité carbone devienne réalité. Reportage sur le plus grand glacier d'Europe de l'Ouest, Jérémie Lanche.

Le 31 janvier 2020, les cloches de Big Ben ont retenti, sonnant du même coup le glas de la participation du Royaume-Uni à l'Union européenne. 5 ans plus tard, certains Brexiters ont changé d'avis, et le bilan de cette sortie tonitruante reste mitigé, particulièrement dans le secteur agricole. Cette émission est une sélection estivale des programmes d'Accents d'Europe. Cette émission est une réédition estivale de nos programmes   Cinq ans après le Brexit, les agriculteurs britanniques font la moue Et si c'était à refaire ? Le Royaume-Uni ne quitterait sans doute pas l'UE si l'on en croit ce sondage Yougov publié, il y a quelques mois, fin janvier : 11% des personnes interrogées seulement estiment que le Brexit a été une réussite, et parmi les électeurs qui avaient voté oui au divorce, 20% sont pour un retour de leur pays dans l'UE. Au sein du secteur agricole où les partisans du Brexit étaient nombreux, le bilan, 5 ans plus tard, est mitigé. Le reportage de Marie Billon dans les Midlands.   Les Balkans ne font plus rêver leurs jeunes L'exode de la jeunesse est l'une des questions qui préoccupent le plus le sud de l'Europe. La région des Balkans est l'une des plus touchées au monde par la fuite des cerveaux. Au point de susciter des craintes pour l'avenir même de ses sociétés. Les explications de notre correspondant dans les Balkans, Louis Seiller.   Chronique musicale Le choix de Vincent Théval : Vecchia Storia, d'Ada Oda (Pelle d'oca).   Les glaciers suisses, bientôt une carte postale du passé ? 40% : c'est le volume total perdu par les glaciers suisses depuis l'an 2000. Les scientifiques l'ont constaté, en 2024, la chaleur à la surface de la planète n'a jamais été aussi élevée. Les glaciers européens fondent à un rythme sans précédent et leur disparition semble inéluctable si rien n'est fait. Celui d'Aletsch, en Suisse, semble déjà condamné ; d'autres pourraient encore survivre, à condition que la neutralité carbone devienne réalité. Reportage sur le plus grand glacier d'Europe de l'Ouest, Jérémie Lanche.

Theo Bergvall om den nya energin i Djurgårn och segern mot Elfsborg! Josip nere på Balkan om Malmös asfaltering av letterna och det kommande hatmötet mot FCK! Sillysvep och truppbyggen! Axel Brönner om känslorna att höra curvan sjunga hans namn och kärleken till Peking!TuttoSvenskan görs i samarbete med:TCL:Tuttosvenskan sponsras av TCL - en av världens största TV-tillverkare. Hög kvalitet till riktigt bra priser är ledorden som gäller för TCL. Läs mer och se utbudet på TCL.com och besök din lokala elektronikaffär för att skaffa deras grymma produkter!TV4 Play:Se Allsvenskan via vår dunderdeal med TV4 Play! Via vårt samarbete med TV4 Play streamar du Allsvenskan, Superettan, Serie A, La Liga, Landskamper, Svenska Cupen och MYCKET annat för 249kr/mån (ord 349kr). Ni har erbjudandet här: https://www.tv4play.se/kampanj/tuttoATG:Läs om våra senaste tankar gällande spel på: https://www.atg.se/tutto.18 år gäller för spel och stödlinjen.se finns om du upplever minsta problematik med spelande.Sociala Medier:Instagram - TuttosvenskanTwitter - TuttosvenskanTikTok - TuttosvenskanTidskoder:00:00 Intro02:01 Spångens Europaresa10:42 Samtal med Theo Bergvall24:41 Samtal med Josip Ladan41:56 Silly-svep1:00:11 Samtal med Axel Brönner 1:08:04 Mer Norrköping 1:10:43 Avrundning Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today's guest is one of Britain's best-loved and most fearless voices in wildlife and environmental broadcasting - it's the brilliant Chris Packham.Chris first made his name back in the 1980s as a presenter on The Really Wild Show, a programme that inspired a whole generation of children - myself included - to get out into nature. But before that, he was actually behind the camera, working as a wildlife cameraman after studying zoology. And it's that deep understanding of animals, ecosystems and science that still underpins everything he does.Since those early days, Chris has become a fixture on British television. You'll know him from Springwatch, Autumnwatch, and Winterwatch, from his BBC documentaries like The Walk That Made Me and Inside Our Autistic Minds, and from his powerful activism, whether he's leading anti-hunting campaigns, protesting HS2, or calling out the destruction of biodiversity in the UK and beyond.He's won multiple awards for his environmental work and was awarded a CBE for services to nature conservation. But he's also never been afraid to challenge the establishment, and I think that's one of the reasons so many people connect with him. In today's episode, we explore the places that have shaped him, from Kathmandhu to Kashmir, Mauritius to Marrakech. He talks about the awe and purpose he finds in travel, the power of experiencing landscapes that tell stories - whether it's battle sites like Little Bighorn in Montana or the brutalist war memorials of the Balkans - and the importance of discomfort, of being challenged by a place.We talk about being neurodivergent and how that shapes the way he sees the world when he travels - and also the places he'll never return to. Spoiler: it's not a great day for Dubai or Vegas.Destination Recap:White Sands National Park, New Mexico, USABig Bend National Park, Texas, USAEverglades National Park, Florida, USAZion National Park, Utah, USANew Forest National Park, Hampshire, England HondurasBorneoScotlandArles, France MauritiusSeville, SpainKathmandu, Nepal Kashmir, IndiaAntarcticaGalapagos, EcuadorMarrakech, Morocco Bar of sand nr Sanibel Island, Florida, USALittle Big Horn, Montana, USADubaiLas Vegas, USAPhilippines RainforestThe ‘Stans - Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan Finding the Spomeniks With thanks to Airbnb for their support of today's episode.Thanks so much for listening today. If you want to be the first to find out who is joining me on next week's episode come and follow me on Instagram I'm @hollyrubenstein, and you'll also find me on TikTok - I'd love to hear from you. And if you can't wait until then, remember there's the first 14 seasons to catch up on, that's over 155 episodes to keep you busy. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Repasamos la LIMúR, Lista Ibérica de Músicas de Raíz del segundo trimestre del 2025, una iniciativa que lanzamos desde Mundofonías y en la que participan especialistas y divulgadores de diversos países. Escuchamos músicas que conectan Portugal, el País Vasco, Cataluña o el País Valenciano con Siria, Irlanda, Italia, Francia y otros parajes orientales. Escuchamos más novedades ibéricas desde Asturias y Portugal, para terminar con influencias balcánicas desde Francia e inspiraciones bluegrass desde Alemania. We review the LIMúR, the Iberian Roots Music Chart for the second quarter of 2025, an initiative launched by Mundofonías with the participation of specialists and music disseminators from various countries. We listen to music that connects Portugal, the Basque Country, Catalonia and the Valencian Country with Syria, Ireland, Italy, France and other eastern landscapes. We hear more Iberian new releases from Asturias and Portugal, finishing with Balkan influences from France and bluegrass inspirations from Germany. - Héctor Braga - Llobatu - Rabil - O gajo - Filhos do Vendaval - Trovoada - Estaca Zero - Ponteiros à solta na terra dos duendes - As aventuras do guitarrinho no país das possibilidades - Oriol Marès & Talal Fayad Quartet - Ma7dood - Estuarium - Rodrigo Leão - O labirinto - O rapaz da montanha - Alboka - Blackberry blossom / The bachelor - The marker stone - Efrén López, Ciro Montanari & Jordi Prats - Tappya - Mel - Matthieu Saglio & Camille Saglio - Strange fruit - Al alba - Tako Toki - Yanitza - Yanitza [single] - WDR Big Band - Elzic’s farewell / Yew piney mountain - Bluegrass 📸 Matthieu Saglio & Camille Saglio (Claude Theolle)

In Bulgaria and throughout the Balkans it seems that political experiments are coming to an end. Democracy is ending in Yugoslavia, Agrarianism is being steadily killed off, and moderates are under pressure from all sides. As the 1920s and season 10 come to a close, the Lyapchev government faces its toughest challenges yet. Supporters like you make this podcast happen! Check out www.patreon.com/bulgarianhistorypodcast to see the great perks you can get for supporting us. You can find images for this episode at: www.bghistorypodcast.com/post/236-twilight-experiment

Follow us on X: @gov_gilmore @americasrt1776 @ileaderssummit @NatashaSrdoc @JoelAnandUSA @supertalk Join America's Roundtable (https://americasrt.com/) radio co-hosts Natasha Srdoc and Joel Anand Samy with Ambassador James Gilmore, former U.S. Ambassador to the OSCE, the 86th Governor and former Attorney General of the Commonwealth of Virginia. During the program, Natasha Srdoc and Joel Anand Samy delve into the major shift in US foreign policy, specifically as it pertains to Russia's invasion of Ukraine. President Trump has authorized for Ukraine to receive US weapons in defending the nation from Russian attacks. President Trump stated that he would infuse Ukraine with US weapons which are purchased by European allies. President Trump simultaneously issued an ultimatum to Russian President Vladimir Putin, giving him 50 days to arrange a ceasefire or face trade sanctions. What does this change mean for America and its potential engagement with Ukraine and NATO partners? How will Russia's Putin respond? Is America's attitude toward supporting Ukraine changing, or will the concerns of isolationism remain a stumbling block? Ambassador Gilmore served as America's top diplomat to the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) in President Donald Trump's first administration. His firm leadership through the Trump Administration made an impact within Europe's capital cities and its corridors of power specifically in regard to holding Russia to account. In 2020, then-Ambassador Gilmore at a OSCE conference in Vienna, Austria, stated: "The United States has repeatedly condemned Russia's invasion, occupation, and purported annexation of Ukraine's Crimean peninsula and the abuses that Russia commits there. In fact, I just finished doing that in response to their raising some trivial little error we made, but NOT an error of our policy. Today we would like to draw attention to the Russian government's continuing conscription of individuals from Crimea into Russia's armed forces. Compelling persons protected by the Fourth Geneva Convention to serve in the forces of a hostile power is a grave breach of the Geneva Convention, and a violation of the obligations that the Russian Federation owes under its subscription to the Geneva Convention. Once again, a violation of international norms and behavior and commitments that the Russian Federation has made and now violates." Follow us on X: @gov_gilmore @americasrt1776 @ileaderssummit @NatashaSrdoc @JoelAnandUSA @supertalk America's Roundtable is co-hosted by Natasha Srdoc and Joel Anand Samy, co-founders of International Leaders Summit and the Jerusalem Leaders Summit. America's Roundtable (https://americasrt.com/) radio program focuses on America's economy, healthcare reform, rule of law, security and trade, and its strategic partnership with rule of law nations around the world. The radio program features high-ranking US administration officials, cabinet members, members of Congress, state government officials, distinguished diplomats, business and media leaders and influential thinkers from around the world. Tune into America's Roundtable Radio program from Washington, DC via live streaming on Saturday mornings via 68 radio stations at 7:30 A.M. (ET) on Lanser Broadcasting Corporation covering the Michigan and the Midwest market, and at 7:30 A.M. (CT) on SuperTalk Mississippi — SuperTalk.FM reaching listeners in every county within the State of Mississippi, and neighboring states in the South including Alabama, Arkansas, Louisiana and Tennessee. Tune into WTON in Central Virginia on Sunday mornings at 6:00 A.M. (ET). Listen to America's Roundtable on digital platforms including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon, Google and other key online platforms. Listen live, Saturdays at 7:30 A.M. (CT) on SuperTalk | https://www.supertalk.fm

San Francisco'da Balkan müziği tınıları yankılandı ve hikaye böyle başladı. Amerikalıların bu müziğe neden bu kadar ilgi gösterdiğini, Balkan geleneklerinin bölgeyi nasıl etkilediğini ve kilometrelerce ötede memleket hasretinin bir belgesele nasıl dönüştüğünün hikayesini "Balkancisco" belgeselinin yönetmeni Tuğrul Sarıkaya'yla konuştuk. NEDEN PENCERE? Sinemadan müziğe, çizgi romandan dijital sanata, sokak oyunlarından uçurtma uçurmaya, gölge oyunlarından illüzyon gösterisine, tiyatrodan plastik sanatlara, romanlardan masallara, çocuk şarkılarından operaya, geçmişten bugüne, geleneklerden modern zamanlara kültür, sanat... Unutulmasınlar, kuşaktan kuşağa aktarılsınlar, diye... Zeynepgül Alp'le Pencere cumartesi 09.30, pazar 19.10'da NTVRadyo'da. Programın tüm bölümleri kaçıranlar ve tekrar dinlemek isteyenler için NTVRadyo'nun arşivinde (ntvradyo.com.tr) ve podcast platformlarında.

The history of the world's most successful military alliance, from the wrecked Europe of 1945 to Vladimir Putin's invasion of Ukraine. As they signed NATO into being after World War II, its founders fervently believed that only if the West's democracies banded permanently together could they avoid a catastrophic global atomic conflict. Over the 75 years since, the alliance has indeed avoided war with Russia, also becoming a major political, strategic and diplomatic player well beyond its borders. It has survived disagreements between leaders from Eisenhower, Churchill and de Gaulle to Trump, Stoltenberg and Merkel, faced down Kremlin foes from Stalin to Putin and endured unending questions and debate over what new nations might be allowed to join. Deterring Armageddon: A Biography of NATO (Hachette UK, 2024) takes the reader from backroom deals that led to NATO's creation, through the Cold War, the Balkans and Afghanistan to the current confrontation with the Kremlin following the invasion of Ukraine. It examines the tightrope walked by alliance leaders between a powerful United States sometimes flirting with isolationism and European nations with their ever-evolving wishes for autonomy and influence. Having spent much of its life preparing for conflicts that might never come, NATO has sometimes found itself in wars that few had predicted – and with its members now again planning for a potential major European conflict. It is a tale of tension, danger, rivalry, conflict, big personalities and high-stakes military and diplomatic posturing – as well as espionage, politics and protest. From the Korean War to the pandemic, the Berlin and Cuba crises to the chaotic evacuation from Kabul, Deterring Armageddon tells how the alliance has shaped and been shaped by history – and looks ahead to what might be the most dangerous era it has ever faced. Peter Apps is global defence correspondent for Reuters news agency and is currently on sabbatical as executive director of the Project for Study of the 21st Century (PS21). He is the author of two Kindle Singles. BEFORE EBOLA (2014) describes his experiences covering haemorrhagic fever in Angola in 2005 while CHURCHILL IN THE TRENCHES (2015) reconstructs the experiences of Britain's future prime minister at the front line during the First World War. Peter's podcast, focusing on modern military topics, as part of PS21 can be found here. Sidney Michelini is a post-doctoral researcher working on Ecology, Climate, and Violence at the Peace Research Institute of Frankfurt (PRIF). Book Recomendations: Sapiens by Yuval Noah Harari Alexander Hamilton by Ron Chernow Tom Clancy novels Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/new-books-network

The history of the world's most successful military alliance, from the wrecked Europe of 1945 to Vladimir Putin's invasion of Ukraine. As they signed NATO into being after World War II, its founders fervently believed that only if the West's democracies banded permanently together could they avoid a catastrophic global atomic conflict. Over the 75 years since, the alliance has indeed avoided war with Russia, also becoming a major political, strategic and diplomatic player well beyond its borders. It has survived disagreements between leaders from Eisenhower, Churchill and de Gaulle to Trump, Stoltenberg and Merkel, faced down Kremlin foes from Stalin to Putin and endured unending questions and debate over what new nations might be allowed to join. Deterring Armageddon: A Biography of NATO (Hachette UK, 2024) takes the reader from backroom deals that led to NATO's creation, through the Cold War, the Balkans and Afghanistan to the current confrontation with the Kremlin following the invasion of Ukraine. It examines the tightrope walked by alliance leaders between a powerful United States sometimes flirting with isolationism and European nations with their ever-evolving wishes for autonomy and influence. Having spent much of its life preparing for conflicts that might never come, NATO has sometimes found itself in wars that few had predicted – and with its members now again planning for a potential major European conflict. It is a tale of tension, danger, rivalry, conflict, big personalities and high-stakes military and diplomatic posturing – as well as espionage, politics and protest. From the Korean War to the pandemic, the Berlin and Cuba crises to the chaotic evacuation from Kabul, Deterring Armageddon tells how the alliance has shaped and been shaped by history – and looks ahead to what might be the most dangerous era it has ever faced. Peter Apps is global defence correspondent for Reuters news agency and is currently on sabbatical as executive director of the Project for Study of the 21st Century (PS21). He is the author of two Kindle Singles. BEFORE EBOLA (2014) describes his experiences covering haemorrhagic fever in Angola in 2005 while CHURCHILL IN THE TRENCHES (2015) reconstructs the experiences of Britain's future prime minister at the front line during the First World War. Peter's podcast, focusing on modern military topics, as part of PS21 can be found here. Sidney Michelini is a post-doctoral researcher working on Ecology, Climate, and Violence at the Peace Research Institute of Frankfurt (PRIF). Book Recomendations: Sapiens by Yuval Noah Harari Alexander Hamilton by Ron Chernow Tom Clancy novels Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/history

The history of the world's most successful military alliance, from the wrecked Europe of 1945 to Vladimir Putin's invasion of Ukraine. As they signed NATO into being after World War II, its founders fervently believed that only if the West's democracies banded permanently together could they avoid a catastrophic global atomic conflict. Over the 75 years since, the alliance has indeed avoided war with Russia, also becoming a major political, strategic and diplomatic player well beyond its borders. It has survived disagreements between leaders from Eisenhower, Churchill and de Gaulle to Trump, Stoltenberg and Merkel, faced down Kremlin foes from Stalin to Putin and endured unending questions and debate over what new nations might be allowed to join. Deterring Armageddon: A Biography of NATO (Hachette UK, 2024) takes the reader from backroom deals that led to NATO's creation, through the Cold War, the Balkans and Afghanistan to the current confrontation with the Kremlin following the invasion of Ukraine. It examines the tightrope walked by alliance leaders between a powerful United States sometimes flirting with isolationism and European nations with their ever-evolving wishes for autonomy and influence. Having spent much of its life preparing for conflicts that might never come, NATO has sometimes found itself in wars that few had predicted – and with its members now again planning for a potential major European conflict. It is a tale of tension, danger, rivalry, conflict, big personalities and high-stakes military and diplomatic posturing – as well as espionage, politics and protest. From the Korean War to the pandemic, the Berlin and Cuba crises to the chaotic evacuation from Kabul, Deterring Armageddon tells how the alliance has shaped and been shaped by history – and looks ahead to what might be the most dangerous era it has ever faced. Peter Apps is global defence correspondent for Reuters news agency and is currently on sabbatical as executive director of the Project for Study of the 21st Century (PS21). He is the author of two Kindle Singles. BEFORE EBOLA (2014) describes his experiences covering haemorrhagic fever in Angola in 2005 while CHURCHILL IN THE TRENCHES (2015) reconstructs the experiences of Britain's future prime minister at the front line during the First World War. Peter's podcast, focusing on modern military topics, as part of PS21 can be found here. Sidney Michelini is a post-doctoral researcher working on Ecology, Climate, and Violence at the Peace Research Institute of Frankfurt (PRIF). Book Recomendations: Sapiens by Yuval Noah Harari Alexander Hamilton by Ron Chernow Tom Clancy novels Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/military-history

The history of the world's most successful military alliance, from the wrecked Europe of 1945 to Vladimir Putin's invasion of Ukraine. As they signed NATO into being after World War II, its founders fervently believed that only if the West's democracies banded permanently together could they avoid a catastrophic global atomic conflict. Over the 75 years since, the alliance has indeed avoided war with Russia, also becoming a major political, strategic and diplomatic player well beyond its borders. It has survived disagreements between leaders from Eisenhower, Churchill and de Gaulle to Trump, Stoltenberg and Merkel, faced down Kremlin foes from Stalin to Putin and endured unending questions and debate over what new nations might be allowed to join. Deterring Armageddon: A Biography of NATO (Hachette UK, 2024) takes the reader from backroom deals that led to NATO's creation, through the Cold War, the Balkans and Afghanistan to the current confrontation with the Kremlin following the invasion of Ukraine. It examines the tightrope walked by alliance leaders between a powerful United States sometimes flirting with isolationism and European nations with their ever-evolving wishes for autonomy and influence. Having spent much of its life preparing for conflicts that might never come, NATO has sometimes found itself in wars that few had predicted – and with its members now again planning for a potential major European conflict. It is a tale of tension, danger, rivalry, conflict, big personalities and high-stakes military and diplomatic posturing – as well as espionage, politics and protest. From the Korean War to the pandemic, the Berlin and Cuba crises to the chaotic evacuation from Kabul, Deterring Armageddon tells how the alliance has shaped and been shaped by history – and looks ahead to what might be the most dangerous era it has ever faced. Peter Apps is global defence correspondent for Reuters news agency and is currently on sabbatical as executive director of the Project for Study of the 21st Century (PS21). He is the author of two Kindle Singles. BEFORE EBOLA (2014) describes his experiences covering haemorrhagic fever in Angola in 2005 while CHURCHILL IN THE TRENCHES (2015) reconstructs the experiences of Britain's future prime minister at the front line during the First World War. Peter's podcast, focusing on modern military topics, as part of PS21 can be found here. Sidney Michelini is a post-doctoral researcher working on Ecology, Climate, and Violence at the Peace Research Institute of Frankfurt (PRIF). Book Recomendations: Sapiens by Yuval Noah Harari Alexander Hamilton by Ron Chernow Tom Clancy novels Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/world-affairs

descriptionGrease Panarisi, 10 Percent True Episode 73 Part 3⸻0:00 intro teaser (pulling offensive - the man with 4 brains)4:30 welcome back Grease 6:55 impressions of a wing EWO in early days of Strike Eagle 12:57 ALQ-135/ALR-56 issues (from Desert Storm) addressed? 15:50 F-111 any better? 16:52 ALQ-131 endorsed!17:22 tasking and deployment reflections following Desert Storm -AEF concept23:26 deployments/learning?27:10 Viper stats and blowing motors30:00 Thoughts on CSAR in the wake of Desert Storm perceived shortcomings 31:50 employment/ROE/improv?33:50 on the job threat assessment?35:03 theatre ramifications of Blackhawk shoot down and a Strike Eagle guy's view on it 43:08 Support the Channel!!43:38 Turkish hosts47:03 Balkan deployment 54:45 employing gbu-24 59:25 gbu-15 and agm-130?1:01:25 facing 2 weeks of war in Balkans with Desert Storm experience in the bag1:04:55 thoughts on the “stick monkeys”1:08:25 expanding upon “the man with 4 brains”1:14:50 how do you do that?!1:16:22 maxing out potential? 1:18:05 correlation between leadership and tactical prowess?1:24:58 Test Pilot School1:32:35 evaluating the Mig-15 as a personal (private) aircraft1:36:00 any knowledge at this point about existing Mig experts in the AF?1:40:40 most “useful” part of course?1:45:35 WSO skills in the mix, other students and A-101:50:15 Test pilot hates mathematics 1:55:20 “W+12” graduation guest speaker2:00:24 guest test at China Lake?2:02:30 rounding out and part 4 preview

In this episode, we dive headfirst into one of Europe's most brutal and under-discussed chapters: the collapse of Yugoslavia. Live from Croatia, where the scars of that war still linger, and where, 30 years on, the economic, political, and human fallout continues to echo across the continent. We explore how hyperinflation, sparked by debt-fuelled mismanagement and ethnic tension, helped tear the country apart. At one point, Yugoslavia's army was the largest in Europe. Today, its people make up the single largest intra-EU migrant group. In Ireland alone, over 40,000 Croats were issued PPS numbers in the last five years. We walk you through the tangled roots of nationalism, the rotating presidency that doomed a federation, and how the ghost of Tito, who told Stalin to feck off in 1946, still haunts the region. We also talk Jamie Dimon, who popped up in Dublin last week declaring “Europe has lost,” and we break down what that means in GDP terms: 25 years ago, US and EU GDP per capita were neck-and-neck—now the US is 25% ahead. We trace that back to 1995 and ask: What if Yugoslavia was the first warning shot? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

‘War and conflict is not something that is not familiar to me. It is not an essay title, it is not a theoretical exercise. It's very real.' Campaigner Baroness Helic is the latest guest on Lord Speaker's Corner as she warns that society has become numb to sexual violence in war. Arminka Helic, Baroness Helic, campaigns to raise global awareness of rape as a war crime. Here she shares her extraordinary journey from fleeing the Bosnian war as a refugee to becoming special adviser to the then Foreign Secretary William Hague (now Lord Hague of Richmond) via a researcher job in the House of Commons library.  ‘It's a weapon that is part of ethnic cleansing and genocide… Survivors are stigmatised. Perpetrators are not. That's what we have to flip. Some of the victims are as young as two months old. And the world does nothing. We have become globally desensitised.' While working for Lord Hague, she persuaded him to join forces with Angelina Jolie to highlight the proliferation of warzone sexual violence. The Hollywood actor and then UNHCR Special Envoy and actor had written, produced and directed a harrowing 2011 film ‘In the Land of Blood and Honey', which underscored the pervasive nature of sexual violence in war. Following this, the Preventing Sexual Violence in Conflict Initiative (PSVI) was created, which has continued across multiple governments and is now supported by Labour minister and special envoy Lord Collins of Highbury. ‘I heard reports of some of my friends from school being detained in what became known as rape camps. We need to understand that war is not just about armies - it's about lives torn apart. Peace agreements don't end trauma.' In this episode, Baroness Helic warns that rising global conflict, weakened international institutions, and public desensitisation have dulled reactions to atrocities that once would have mobilised urgent action. She also discusses Israel/Gaza, and raises concerns about Russian influence in the Balkans, describing the region as a potential ‘second front' of destabilisation through proxy actors.  See more from the series https://www.parliament.uk/business/lords/house-of-lords-podcast/  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

“To live, a people must always be able to know its past, to judge it, to accept it.”— Simone Veil, French politician and Shoah survivor When I sat down with historian Anastasios Karababas to discuss his new book, In the Footsteps of the Jews of Greece: From Ancient Times to the Present Day (Paperback, published January 30, 2024), I was struck by the depth and complexity of the story he tells—a story that spans over 2,500 years and is still unfolding today. Karababas in the book and the conversation guided me through the origins and evolution of Jewish life in Greece from ancient times to today. We discussed the four major Jewish groups whose histories are intertwined with the Greek landscape: Romaniots, the ancient Greek Jews whose presence predates the Romans. Ashkenazi Jews, who arrived between the 11th and 13th centuries, bringing their Central European traditions. Sephardic Jews, who found refuge in Greece after their expulsion from Spain in the 15th century, especially revitalizing the community in Thessaloniki. Italian Jews, who settled in the 16th century, further enriching the community's diversity. Thessaloniki, once known as the "Jerusalem of the Balkans," stood out in our conversation as a beacon of Jewish life, with Jews making up 30–40% of the city's population at its height. Karababas's account of the 20th century was both inspiring and heartbreaking. Before World War II, there were about 75,000 Jews in Greece. He shared the stories of Jews who served in the Greek army against Mussolini, a testament to their deep sense of belonging. But the Holocaust cast a long shadow, with 85% of the community deported and wiping out around 90% of the community leaving a profound void. Today, as Karababas explained, the Jewish population in Greece numbers only about 5,000, spread across nine communities—a stark contrast to the more than thirty that once existed. Only Athens, Thessaloniki, and Larissa still have resident rabbis. These communities survive through private funding and the interest of Jewish heritage tourism, striving to keep their unique traditions alive. Our discussion also touched on the complexities of Judeophobia in Greece. Karababas described Judeophobia as a blend of anti-semitism, anti-zionism, and anti-Judaism, with roots in the influence of the Greek Orthodox Church. He characterized current anti-semitism as “superficial,” with few violent incidents. Despite the rise in anti-zionist sentiment, he pointed out that Greece maintains strong governmental ties with Israel, reflecting the nuanced relationship between Greek society, its Jewish citizens, and the broader region. Reading In the Footsteps of the Jews of Greece: From Ancient Times to the Present Day and speaking with Karababas reminded me how vital it is to know, judge, and accept our past as a means of ensuring a safer future. The story of Greek Jewry is one of migration, tragedy, and renewal—a testament to resilience and the enduring spirit of a people determined to remember and to live. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/new-books-network

“To live, a people must always be able to know its past, to judge it, to accept it.”— Simone Veil, French politician and Shoah survivor When I sat down with historian Anastasios Karababas to discuss his new book, In the Footsteps of the Jews of Greece: From Ancient Times to the Present Day (Paperback, published January 30, 2024), I was struck by the depth and complexity of the story he tells—a story that spans over 2,500 years and is still unfolding today. Karababas in the book and the conversation guided me through the origins and evolution of Jewish life in Greece from ancient times to today. We discussed the four major Jewish groups whose histories are intertwined with the Greek landscape: Romaniots, the ancient Greek Jews whose presence predates the Romans. Ashkenazi Jews, who arrived between the 11th and 13th centuries, bringing their Central European traditions. Sephardic Jews, who found refuge in Greece after their expulsion from Spain in the 15th century, especially revitalizing the community in Thessaloniki. Italian Jews, who settled in the 16th century, further enriching the community's diversity. Thessaloniki, once known as the "Jerusalem of the Balkans," stood out in our conversation as a beacon of Jewish life, with Jews making up 30–40% of the city's population at its height. Karababas's account of the 20th century was both inspiring and heartbreaking. Before World War II, there were about 75,000 Jews in Greece. He shared the stories of Jews who served in the Greek army against Mussolini, a testament to their deep sense of belonging. But the Holocaust cast a long shadow, with 85% of the community deported and wiping out around 90% of the community leaving a profound void. Today, as Karababas explained, the Jewish population in Greece numbers only about 5,000, spread across nine communities—a stark contrast to the more than thirty that once existed. Only Athens, Thessaloniki, and Larissa still have resident rabbis. These communities survive through private funding and the interest of Jewish heritage tourism, striving to keep their unique traditions alive. Our discussion also touched on the complexities of Judeophobia in Greece. Karababas described Judeophobia as a blend of anti-semitism, anti-zionism, and anti-Judaism, with roots in the influence of the Greek Orthodox Church. He characterized current anti-semitism as “superficial,” with few violent incidents. Despite the rise in anti-zionist sentiment, he pointed out that Greece maintains strong governmental ties with Israel, reflecting the nuanced relationship between Greek society, its Jewish citizens, and the broader region. Reading In the Footsteps of the Jews of Greece: From Ancient Times to the Present Day and speaking with Karababas reminded me how vital it is to know, judge, and accept our past as a means of ensuring a safer future. The story of Greek Jewry is one of migration, tragedy, and renewal—a testament to resilience and the enduring spirit of a people determined to remember and to live. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/jewish-studies

“To live, a people must always be able to know its past, to judge it, to accept it.”— Simone Veil, French politician and Shoah survivor When I sat down with historian Anastasios Karababas to discuss his new book, In the Footsteps of the Jews of Greece: From Ancient Times to the Present Day (Paperback, published January 30, 2024), I was struck by the depth and complexity of the story he tells—a story that spans over 2,500 years and is still unfolding today. Karababas in the book and the conversation guided me through the origins and evolution of Jewish life in Greece from ancient times to today. We discussed the four major Jewish groups whose histories are intertwined with the Greek landscape: Romaniots, the ancient Greek Jews whose presence predates the Romans. Ashkenazi Jews, who arrived between the 11th and 13th centuries, bringing their Central European traditions. Sephardic Jews, who found refuge in Greece after their expulsion from Spain in the 15th century, especially revitalizing the community in Thessaloniki. Italian Jews, who settled in the 16th century, further enriching the community's diversity. Thessaloniki, once known as the "Jerusalem of the Balkans," stood out in our conversation as a beacon of Jewish life, with Jews making up 30–40% of the city's population at its height. Karababas's account of the 20th century was both inspiring and heartbreaking. Before World War II, there were about 75,000 Jews in Greece. He shared the stories of Jews who served in the Greek army against Mussolini, a testament to their deep sense of belonging. But the Holocaust cast a long shadow, with 85% of the community deported and wiping out around 90% of the community leaving a profound void. Today, as Karababas explained, the Jewish population in Greece numbers only about 5,000, spread across nine communities—a stark contrast to the more than thirty that once existed. Only Athens, Thessaloniki, and Larissa still have resident rabbis. These communities survive through private funding and the interest of Jewish heritage tourism, striving to keep their unique traditions alive. Our discussion also touched on the complexities of Judeophobia in Greece. Karababas described Judeophobia as a blend of anti-semitism, anti-zionism, and anti-Judaism, with roots in the influence of the Greek Orthodox Church. He characterized current anti-semitism as “superficial,” with few violent incidents. Despite the rise in anti-zionist sentiment, he pointed out that Greece maintains strong governmental ties with Israel, reflecting the nuanced relationship between Greek society, its Jewish citizens, and the broader region. Reading In the Footsteps of the Jews of Greece: From Ancient Times to the Present Day and speaking with Karababas reminded me how vital it is to know, judge, and accept our past as a means of ensuring a safer future. The story of Greek Jewry is one of migration, tragedy, and renewal—a testament to resilience and the enduring spirit of a people determined to remember and to live. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

“To live, a people must always be able to know its past, to judge it, to accept it.”— Simone Veil, French politician and Shoah survivor When I sat down with historian Anastasios Karababas to discuss his new book, In the Footsteps of the Jews of Greece: From Ancient Times to the Present Day (Paperback, published January 30, 2024), I was struck by the depth and complexity of the story he tells—a story that spans over 2,500 years and is still unfolding today. Karababas in the book and the conversation guided me through the origins and evolution of Jewish life in Greece from ancient times to today. We discussed the four major Jewish groups whose histories are intertwined with the Greek landscape: Romaniots, the ancient Greek Jews whose presence predates the Romans. Ashkenazi Jews, who arrived between the 11th and 13th centuries, bringing their Central European traditions. Sephardic Jews, who found refuge in Greece after their expulsion from Spain in the 15th century, especially revitalizing the community in Thessaloniki. Italian Jews, who settled in the 16th century, further enriching the community's diversity. Thessaloniki, once known as the "Jerusalem of the Balkans," stood out in our conversation as a beacon of Jewish life, with Jews making up 30–40% of the city's population at its height. Karababas's account of the 20th century was both inspiring and heartbreaking. Before World War II, there were about 75,000 Jews in Greece. He shared the stories of Jews who served in the Greek army against Mussolini, a testament to their deep sense of belonging. But the Holocaust cast a long shadow, with 85% of the community deported and wiping out around 90% of the community leaving a profound void. Today, as Karababas explained, the Jewish population in Greece numbers only about 5,000, spread across nine communities—a stark contrast to the more than thirty that once existed. Only Athens, Thessaloniki, and Larissa still have resident rabbis. These communities survive through private funding and the interest of Jewish heritage tourism, striving to keep their unique traditions alive. Our discussion also touched on the complexities of Judeophobia in Greece. Karababas described Judeophobia as a blend of anti-semitism, anti-zionism, and anti-Judaism, with roots in the influence of the Greek Orthodox Church. He characterized current anti-semitism as “superficial,” with few violent incidents. Despite the rise in anti-zionist sentiment, he pointed out that Greece maintains strong governmental ties with Israel, reflecting the nuanced relationship between Greek society, its Jewish citizens, and the broader region. Reading In the Footsteps of the Jews of Greece: From Ancient Times to the Present Day and speaking with Karababas reminded me how vital it is to know, judge, and accept our past as a means of ensuring a safer future. The story of Greek Jewry is one of migration, tragedy, and renewal—a testament to resilience and the enduring spirit of a people determined to remember and to live. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/european-studies

What does it take to introduce an entire country to a cuisine they've never heard of—and scale it into a multi-million-dollar empire? Ivan Iricanin pulled it off with AMBAR, turning an obscure idea into one of the most successful and unique restaurant groups in the country.In today's episode, Ivan breaks down how he created product-market fit where none existed, scaled a culturally unfamiliar concept into a household name, and mastered the economics of an unlimited tasting menu—without racing to the bottom. You'll hear how he used hospitality as a weapon, designed operations for profitability, and built a team that could support explosive growth in both the U.S. and abroad.If you're sitting on an unconventional idea or wondering how to scale in a crowded market, this one's for you. To learn more about Ambar and the group behind one of the most successful Balkan concepts in the world, visit https://www.ambarrestaurant.com.____________________________________________________________Full Comp is brought to you by Yelp for Restaurants: In July 2020, a few hundred employees formed Yelp for Restaurants. Our goal is to build tools that help restaurateurs do more with limited time.We have a lot more content coming your way! Be sure to check out our other content:Yelp for Restaurants PodcastsRestaurant expert videos & webinars

In December 2024, the long and bloody stalemate in Syria broke down. In a transformation breathtaking for its suddenness and speed, President Bashar al-Assad, the beating heart of Arab authoritarianism, fled to Russia, his dungeons emptying as rebels overcame the Syrian army with scarcely a fight. Euphoria at the collapse of a government people never voted for was tempered by fear for the future. The victorious insurgents were supported by outside powers and had a track record of brutality comparable to Assad's in addition to religious fanaticism. Syrians—whose fragile, cosmopolitan mosaic has been repeatedly shattered by foreign-backed sectarians—faced rule by an avowedly Islamist regime that pledged to break with its past and show tolerance to all religious communities. In this illuminating and concise survey, Charles Glass shows how Assad's misrule, Sunni fundamentalism, and Western deceit combined to create and prolong the Syrian disaster, which since 2011 has claimed more than two hundred thousand lives and driven more than eight million people from their homes. Glass has reported extensively from the Middle East and travelled frequently in Syria for more than fifty years. Here he melds reportage, analysis, and history to provide an accessible overview of the origins and permutations defining the conflict, situating it clearly in the broader crises of the region. In this new and thoroughly revised edition of his earlier Syria Burning, Glass brings the story to the present, showing how we got here and what a post-Assad settlement might bring. About the Author: Charles Glass was ABC News Chief Middle East Correspondent from 1983 to 1993. Since 1973, he has covered wars in the Middle East, Africa and the Balkans. He is the author of Syria Burning, Tribes with Flags, The Tribes Triumphant, Money for Old Rope, The Northern Front, Americans in Paris, The Deserters, They Fought Alone and Soldiers Don't Go Mad: A Story of Brotherhood, Poetry, and Mental Illness During the First World War. His website is www.charlesglass.net. About the Host: Stuti Roy is a recent graduate with an MPhil in Modern South Asian Studies from the University of Oxford, and a BA in Political Science from the University of Toronto. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/new-books-network

In December 2024, the long and bloody stalemate in Syria broke down. In a transformation breathtaking for its suddenness and speed, President Bashar al-Assad, the beating heart of Arab authoritarianism, fled to Russia, his dungeons emptying as rebels overcame the Syrian army with scarcely a fight. Euphoria at the collapse of a government people never voted for was tempered by fear for the future. The victorious insurgents were supported by outside powers and had a track record of brutality comparable to Assad's in addition to religious fanaticism. Syrians—whose fragile, cosmopolitan mosaic has been repeatedly shattered by foreign-backed sectarians—faced rule by an avowedly Islamist regime that pledged to break with its past and show tolerance to all religious communities. In this illuminating and concise survey, Charles Glass shows how Assad's misrule, Sunni fundamentalism, and Western deceit combined to create and prolong the Syrian disaster, which since 2011 has claimed more than two hundred thousand lives and driven more than eight million people from their homes. Glass has reported extensively from the Middle East and travelled frequently in Syria for more than fifty years. Here he melds reportage, analysis, and history to provide an accessible overview of the origins and permutations defining the conflict, situating it clearly in the broader crises of the region. In this new and thoroughly revised edition of his earlier Syria Burning, Glass brings the story to the present, showing how we got here and what a post-Assad settlement might bring. About the Author: Charles Glass was ABC News Chief Middle East Correspondent from 1983 to 1993. Since 1973, he has covered wars in the Middle East, Africa and the Balkans. He is the author of Syria Burning, Tribes with Flags, The Tribes Triumphant, Money for Old Rope, The Northern Front, Americans in Paris, The Deserters, They Fought Alone and Soldiers Don't Go Mad: A Story of Brotherhood, Poetry, and Mental Illness During the First World War. His website is www.charlesglass.net. About the Host: Stuti Roy is a recent graduate with an MPhil in Modern South Asian Studies from the University of Oxford, and a BA in Political Science from the University of Toronto. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/islamic-studies

In December 2024, the long and bloody stalemate in Syria broke down. In a transformation breathtaking for its suddenness and speed, President Bashar al-Assad, the beating heart of Arab authoritarianism, fled to Russia, his dungeons emptying as rebels overcame the Syrian army with scarcely a fight. Euphoria at the collapse of a government people never voted for was tempered by fear for the future. The victorious insurgents were supported by outside powers and had a track record of brutality comparable to Assad's in addition to religious fanaticism. Syrians—whose fragile, cosmopolitan mosaic has been repeatedly shattered by foreign-backed sectarians—faced rule by an avowedly Islamist regime that pledged to break with its past and show tolerance to all religious communities. In this illuminating and concise survey, Charles Glass shows how Assad's misrule, Sunni fundamentalism, and Western deceit combined to create and prolong the Syrian disaster, which since 2011 has claimed more than two hundred thousand lives and driven more than eight million people from their homes. Glass has reported extensively from the Middle East and travelled frequently in Syria for more than fifty years. Here he melds reportage, analysis, and history to provide an accessible overview of the origins and permutations defining the conflict, situating it clearly in the broader crises of the region. In this new and thoroughly revised edition of his earlier Syria Burning, Glass brings the story to the present, showing how we got here and what a post-Assad settlement might bring. About the Author: Charles Glass was ABC News Chief Middle East Correspondent from 1983 to 1993. Since 1973, he has covered wars in the Middle East, Africa and the Balkans. He is the author of Syria Burning, Tribes with Flags, The Tribes Triumphant, Money for Old Rope, The Northern Front, Americans in Paris, The Deserters, They Fought Alone and Soldiers Don't Go Mad: A Story of Brotherhood, Poetry, and Mental Illness During the First World War. His website is www.charlesglass.net. About the Host: Stuti Roy is a recent graduate with an MPhil in Modern South Asian Studies from the University of Oxford, and a BA in Political Science from the University of Toronto. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/middle-eastern-studies

Is there a lack of democracy in Serbia? Can the current student-led protests topple the Government? Will this Balkan country ever join the European Union? Allan Little chairs a panel of leading Serbian politicians and analysts who face tough questions from across the nation.The panel: Marko Djuric: Minister of Foreign Affairs, Serbian Progressive Party Borko Stefanovic: Deputy Leader, Freedom and Justice Party Danica Ilic: Journalist Filip Balunovic: Research fellow, University of Belgrade

This week on Wine Chats, we're on holidays and throwing it back to Season 5, where we're pouring Balkan wine and diving into one of the most emotional conversations we've ever had - why are women still being silenced in this day and age?Join us as we crack open a bottle of rich Serbian Merlot from our wine sponsor, Podrum Food & Liquor, and dive into a deeply emotional conversation about the terrifying silencing of women around the world.

Die Trans Dinarica ist ein neuer Fernradweg, der Brücken schlägt. Seit letztem Sommer verbindet er auf einer Länge von 5.500 Kilometern acht Länder des westlichen Balkans – von Slowenien bis Albanien. Auch durch Bosnien-Herzegowina führt die Route. Florian Guckelsberger ist sie von Sarajevo bis Mostar geradelt. Der Radweg schlängelt sich von den Bergen Bosniens bis in die mediterrane Herzegowina. Er verläuft entlang alter Waldpfade, über die Sarajevo während der Belagerung versorgt wurde. Im Schatten der Berggipfel geht es weiter zu abgelegenen Bergdörfern, die seit Jahrhunderten bewohnt sind; und von dort hinab entlang wilder Flüsse in Richtung Mittelmeer. Florian Guckelsberger hat sich den vielen Höhenmetern gestellt und berichtet von einer Reise, die viel über die Vergangenheit und Gegenwart des Balkans erzählt. Wer die sportliche Herausforderung annimmt, hat nicht nur die Chance auf warmherzige Begegnungen abseits ausgetretener Tourismuspfade, sondern auch die Gelegenheit, einige der letzten wirklich abgeschiedenen Landschaften Europas zu erkunden.

On this day in 1995, at the height of the war in the former Yugoslavia, the Bosnian Serb army captured what was supposedly the UN "safe area" of Srebrenica. In the ensuing days, thousands of Bosnian Muslim women were raped. 8000 Muslim men and boys were murdered. It was Europe's worst massacre since the Second World War.Also in the programme: a Liberian historian on whether his fellow citizens should be outraged by President Trump's remarking on the Liberian leader's "excellent English"; and Scottish writer Irvine Welsh on his sequel to Trainspotting 30 years on from the publication of the original novel.(Photo: Bosnian Muslim women react as they stand amid grave stones of victims killed during the Srebrenica genocide, at the Srebrenica Genocide Memorial in Potocari, Bosnia and Herzegovina, 11 July 2025. Credit: Reuters/Amel Emric)

One of the writing skills I am asked about the most is, “How do I get emotion on the page?” People ask this no matter what genre they are writing, because no one wants to produce a manuscript that is flat and unengaging. Emotion is the key, but figuring out how to inspire your reader to feel something is a tricky thing to learn and an even trickier thing to master.In her debut novel, Slanting Towards the Sea (Simon & Schuster, July 2025), Lidija Hilje has mastered it. The story feels so raw and so real—and English is not even Lidija's first language! It's a remarkable achievement. I'm excited to speak with Lidija about her path to publication and how she figured out how to get the emotion of her characters onto the page.Links from the Pod:Article from Jane FriedmanGuide on Literary Fiction from LidijaLidija's website: www.lidijahilje.comAuthor Accelerator book coaches Barbara Boyd and Nita CollinsHey everyone, it's Jenny Nash. This episode happens to feature an Author Accelerator book coach. Author Accelerator is the company I founded more than 10 years ago to lead the emerging book coaching industry. If you've been curious about what it takes to become a successful book coach, which is to say, someone who makes money, meaning, and joy out of serving writers, I've just created a bunch of great content to help you learn more. You can access it all by going to bookcoaches.com/waitlist. We'll be enrolling a new cohort of students in our certification program in October, so now's a perfect time to learn more and start making plans for a whole new career.Transcript below!EPISODE 456 - TRANSCRIPTJennie NashHey everyone, it's Jennie Nash. This episode happens to feature an Author Accelerator book coach. Author Accelerator is the company I founded more than 10 years ago to lead the emerging book coaching industry. If you've been curious about what it takes to become a successful book coach—which is to say, someone who makes money, meaning, and joy out of serving writers—I've just created a bunch of great content to help you learn more. You can access it all by going to bookcoaches.com/waitlist. That's bookcoaches.com/waitlist. We'll be enrolling a new cohort of students in our certification program in October, so now's a perfect time to learn more and start making plans for a whole new career.Multiple Speakers:Is it recording? Now it's recording, yay. Go ahead. This is the part where I stare blankly at the microphone. I don't remember what I'm supposed to be doing. Alright, let's start over. Awkward pause. I'm going to rustle some papers. Okay, now one, two, three.Jennie NashHey writers, I'm Jennie Nash, and this is the Hashtag AmWriting podcast, the place where we talk about writing all the things; short things, long things, fiction, nonfiction, pitches, and proposals. Today I'm talking with Lidija Hilje, the author of the novel Slanting Towards the Sea. And what we're talking about is how to capture emotion on the page—the most elusive thing in the entire writing universe. Lidija lives in Croatia. She's a former lawyer who I know because she became a book coach through Author Accelerator. This is her first novel, and it's something else. As a longtime book coach, it's really hard for me to read for pleasure anymore, because it's so hard not to see the writer at work and the seams of the creation. But Slanting Towards the Sea—I saw none of that. I fell wholly into the story and became lost in it; the olive trees and the sea, the pain of these people and this love triangle, and also just the love that they had for life and each other. It's almost unbearably raw—the way life itself can feel sometimes. And yet, since I know Lidija and her story to becoming a writer, I also know how much work it took to create this feeling and emotion. I'm so excited to speak with Lidija today, and so excited for people to hear about her and her story. So welcome, Lidija. Thanks for coming onto the podcast.Lidija HiljeThank you so much for having me and for this incredible introduction. I'm so honored.Jennie NashWell, before we get started, I want to read the jacket copy for Slanting Towards the Sea, so that our listeners can hear the bones of the story that you wrote. Is that okay if I read it for our listeners?Lidija HiljeAbsolutely. Thank you so much.Jennie NashOkay.Ivona divorced the love of her life, Vlaho, a decade ago. They met as students at the turn of the millennium, when newly democratic Croatia was alive with hope and promise. But the challenges of living in a burgeoning country extinguished Ivona's dreams one after another—and a devastating secret forced her to set him free. Now Vlaho is remarried and a proud father of two, while Ivona's life has taken a downward turn. In her thirties, she has returned to her childhood home to care for her ailing father. Bewildered by life's disappointments, she finds solace in reconnecting with Vlaho and is welcomed into his family by his spirited wife, Marina. But when a new man enters Ivona's life, the carefully cultivated dynamic between the three is disrupted, forcing a reckoning for all involved. Set against the mesmerizing Croatian coastline, Slanting Towards the Sea is a cinematic, emotionally searing debut about the fragile nature of potential and the transcendence of love.That's it! What a—what a—what a summary, right? So I want to start by talking about the genre of this book, Lidija. As a book coach, you specialize in helping people write literary fiction. And you're extremely articulate about defining exactly what it is. And I'd like to just start there, by talking about how you see this novel, where it's positioned and, um, and your sense of it in, as a—in the genre, um, categories, if you will. Um, and I'll share with our listeners before you answer that English is not your first language—which is something we're going to talk about from a writing perspective, but just from a listening perspective, to give people some context for that. So let's talk about—let's talk about genre.Lidija HiljeYeah, well, genre is one of my favorite topics as a book coach, and so naturally it is something I love talking about. So the first book I ever wrote, which is now safely shelved in a drawer at the bottom of a drawer, was women's fiction. And the reason why it was women's fiction was that because I was learning how to write, I was learning how to weave a story together. And in doing so, I was trying to find some commonalities in stories—like how stories work, how you develop them, how you develop a character arc, how you wrap it up towards the end. And—but my intention always was to write literary. I was just not very good at doing it. And so I kind of—like all the feedback that I got throughout my—from developmental editors—it was like geared towards kind of channeling the book towards women's fiction. And this is something that really still strikes me as a book coach: how different it is to coach literary fiction as opposed to genre fiction, which is more formulaic. So basically, that first book is safely shelved. And when I started writing this book, I was working really hard at trying to make it not be formulaic. And actually, one of the book coaches from our community helped me. I had a conversation with Barbara Boyd where I outlined my story for her, and she said there was this moment where I kind of did something in my outline…what could basically be called a cop-out—so that… I killed a character, basically, so that the…you know, that the book would close neatly, right? And so she called me out on it and said—because I talked to her specifically because she coaches literary fiction but didn't like or coach women's fiction—and I thought that perspective was something I needed. And so she said, "Why are you killing that character?” And that was the wake-up moment for me, because that was the moment when I realized that in doing so, that was the typical moment where a writer kind of goes toward the genre. And where the interesting thing in the literary fiction genre lies is exploring, you know, what happens when you don't kill the character—when you don't take the easy way out. And so, genre-wise, what I, you know—I run a book club for writers, and we read a lot of literary fiction. And so, I was constantly trying to figure out, like, what is it about these books that, you know, define genre? And in studying these books, there are several things, and I could talk about this, I guess, for centuries, but I'll try to...Jennie NashI—I love it. Let's do it.Lidija HiljeSo basically, in literary fiction, there are many things that genre fiction also has. There are themes, there are character arcs—you know, a character might grow, though not necessarily. But basically, it's much less clear than in genre fiction. In genre fiction, for instance, you have—especially in women's fiction—you will have a woman who is shy and then she becomes confident toward the end. Or you have a horrible, you know, self-obsessed character who learns their lesson toward the end of the book. It's really clear-cut. The reader can latch on to what the problem is without thinking too much about it. And literary fiction does the opposite. It fans out a little bit. It touches on many different things that kind of seem unrelated, but they are related. And this is a problem in writing it, as well as coaching it, because as a coach or as a writer, you have to be aware of all these things. You have to beware of how these things tie together so that you have the idea of this through line that goes throughout the story, whereas the reader might not be catching on as fast but does have the confidence that you, as the writer, are going to get them there, if that makes sense.Jennie NashOh, it makes so much sense. So when you were working on—I actually remember reading some opening, maybe the opening chapters of the novel that has been shelved. When I read those pages, they struck me as if they had that feeling of literary fiction. Was that your intention with that novel as well?Lidija HiljeYes, it was. It was just that I was unable to... I came to writing late. I mean, I was always a writer in the sense that I was always writing something, but I came to writing fiction and specifically books very late. It was 2017 when I started writing that book in Croatian. And the first, you know, contact with any craft or writing happened in 2019 when I finished the draft and I translated that book into English, and I started looking for ways of pub... you know, publishing that book and realized that the first draft is not the last draft. Like that was the—like it was—sometimes it's so funny to think like how recently I didn't know anything about publishing or writing at all. So basically, I did want that book to be literary fiction. I always wanted to do, you know, to write the type of fiction that I wrote in Slanting [Slanting Towards the Sea], and obviously I hope to, you know, hone my craft in the future, but it wasn't—it wasn't on that level. And the first developmental editor that I worked with in 2019, she was giving me all the logical advice that you can give someone, which is... hone the character arc you are telling here, show, you know, all those things that we tell our clients when we work with them as book coaches. But what it did is it completely stripped the literary part from it, and it made me write in scene, which is not how literary fiction is written. You know, like, one of the differences between commercial fiction and literary fiction is that you don't necessarily write in scenes. You write in summaries, and you write in postcards, which is the type of a scene that goes deeper instead of forward, if that makes sense. So you're not kind of—nothing changes for the protagonist, the protagonist doesn't realize anything, they don't decide on a new course of action, nothing new happens, but the reader's understanding of the character happens. And this is also true when you're looking at the character arc on the, you know, scope of the whole novel. Like in literary fiction, it will often be that, you know, that the character doesn't change much in terms of, like what I said before—she was shy and she stopped being shy, right? It will just be that the reader's understanding of the character deepens. And so my first book was an attempt at literary fiction, but it was not an execution. You know, the execution didn't really match that, and I feel like the advice that I got from my early developmental editor was just kind of trying to put me in the confines of commercial fiction. Which is... you know... understandable. You know, and I'm great— I'm even, like, today—I'm grateful for it because you first have to learn how to walk and then you can run, right? So I did have to go through the process of learning how to write a good scene, of learning how not to tell, of learning how to hide the seams that you—that you were talking about—you need to hide your fingerprints as a writer. And that was my learning book. I learned a lot from writing it, but by the time I was done with it, it was not—it didn't—it was not a bad book, and I got a lot of full requests for it, but it was not—it did not end up being what I had hoped for it.Jennie NashSo, in 2017, when you started that book, you said you came to writing late. Do you mind sharing where you were in your life, if you want to share your age or what you were doing in your life, just to give us some context for what you mean by that—by coming to it late?Lidija HiljeSo yeah, so 2017 was one of the hardest years in my life, I think. I think it's just the moment where I was around 35, I think. I would have to do the math, but mid-30s. And I had just been fired for the second time after my second maternity leave. And, you know jobs in my profession, which is—I was an attorney—were scarce, and I opened my own law firm. And I sat there in my law office, you know, a woman working as an attorney in Zadar, Croatia. It was not, you know, I was not having like flocks of clients, you know, going through the door. And you had to sit there from 8am to 4pm, which is our work time. And I had, um, ii had um... I started writing basically to pass the time. And I was writing just the scenes that I was interested in that, you know, brought me joy and then I, you know, wrote the intermittent scene, and the book grew and grew. And by the time I had finished it, which was a year and a half later, you know, it became... It just became a thing that I was—it took over it took over my whole life. I could not, you know and financially it was a difficult time for us as well. We had reached—my husband and I, like I said mid 30's—and we had kind of peaked career wise here in Croatia. So basically, what people don't understand about Croatia is that even if you're a brain surgeon, or if you're a lawyer, or if you're a programmer—like my husband—the money you make is not much more than the average wage. And so, you know, we were at the top of our game professionally, but not earning enough to make ends meet. And so we had started thinking about moving to Ireland basically, which is the, you know, IT hub for the... in Europe. And in thinking about it, I was sitting in my law office and I was basically crying my eyes out thinking if I go there, I'm going to be stripped of my identity as an attorney. I had been working toward that for basically 15, 20 years. And in trying to get over that pain of working towards something that in Ireland, it's not going to mean anything because, you know, the legal system is so very different and my use of language was not, you know, it's still not really good. Like professional English is not the same as this spoken English, you know, everyday English. And so, in kind of trying to accept that we are going to move and I'm going to be stripped of that identity as a lawyer, I was, in a way, you know, to make it easier for myself, I started accepting all the things that I didn't want to look at, which is I hated my job.Jennie NashRight, right.Lidija HiljeI loved being in a courtroom, like that was a good part of it. But everything else, you know, the intellectual part of it, like thinking about law, applying law to a certain case was interesting to me. But everything else was horrible. And so, once I accepted that, and my husband got a job, you know, like working for... as a freelancer for an outside company, and we could stay in Croatia, I was like, "And what am I going to do now? I can't go back to being a lawyer." And so, because his wage was a little bit more than, you know, for the first time, he could afford for me to go, you know, to take a year off and to see what I could do. And so, for a while, I interned at a foreign literary agency—that didn't go anywhere. Then I wrote, you know, a copy for a startup that didn't end up, you know, paying me. So that was kind of like—I was at the end of my rope by the, you know, toward the end of that year. And then I encountered the Author Accelerator program for book coaches, and I had during that year I had connected with writers and I have realized that basically the legal knowledge really translates beautifully into book coaching. So it was kind of like, you know, working on a story, or if you're working on a case, or working on a book, it's kind of a similar thing, similar logic applies. And so it was a… you—you know, it was, I know I'm mixing a little bit the books coaching and legal and, you know, writing careers...Jennie NashNo, it's fascinating.Lidija HiljeBut they are so intertwined in my life, yeah.Jennie NashI mean, it's fascinating the way that you trained yourself on story, basically. And I remember the conversation when you approached Author Accelerator, because you were nervous about being able to meet the requirements of our program because of your language—that English is not your first language. But I, I mean, we have a system whereby it's you try it, you know, if—if you'd meet the requirements, you meet them and if you don't, you don't. And it struck me that your grasp of story was so profound. That I didn't know... you know, it was one conversation about your grasp of the written language. But, um, you were... you were very nervous about your ability to do the work of book coaching in another language. And it's just interesting from where we sit now, so I want to circle back to the book itself and the novel and what you accomplished in it, because it really does have the thing that so many writers are always trying to do, and they talk about it—it is so elusive. Which is this capturing this feeling, emotion, letting the reader sit in the mirror of what those characters are feeling, and you feel it your own self, and that it, you know, when it, when it works, it's, it's like a magic trick. And it strikes me that you came at that very deliberately. It was not accidental. Is that fair to say? Would you believe that?Lidija HiljeI think I always wanted to write about... I always wanted to write quiet stories. And for quiet stories to work, you have to make the quiet things loud in a way. And the loud things are the emotions. And so yes, yes, it was always my goal. I was not always good at it... in writing emotion. But yeah, like during that process of writing that first book, I struggled with it a lot. I struggled with what I guess happens a lot of the time when we are writing is that we're trying very hard for the reader to see things the way we are seeing them. And this counter-intuitively causes the very reverse effect. You know the reader—is the more you're trying to make them listen to you, the more you're trying to, you know, impose your view of things on them, the more they resist. So the trick is basically, and I'll make it sound very easy, it's not easy at all to execute, but the trick is to kind of, you know, to try to find a way and to deliver that emotion without judgment. Like, this is what I'm feeling, or this is what my character is feeling. And not trying to explain it, not trying to get compassion, not trying to get the reader to feel anything. Like, you're just putting things out in the ether, and you're allowing the reader to do their own math. And this is something you can do in literary fiction, which is more open-ended, right? And the readers of genre fiction, I do need more hand-holding in that sense that they will not maybe work as hard as the literary reader. So yeah, I did work very hard. And, you know, the first book, the “shelved” book, really got to a point where I couldn't do that work anymore. But when I started Slanting [Slanting Towards the Sea]… the literally... the first scene in Slanting [Slanting Towards the Sea], came out the way it did. Like that's…Jennie NashOh wow!Lidija HiljeIt didn't change. We had this meeting of writing friends and one of them said, let's exchange, like, let's read 500 new words and I was not working on anything. I had been focusing on book coaching at that moment—that was 2021. And I went to the moment in that room when she is thinking about her ex-husband, you know, when the protagonist is thinking about her ex-husband, and it just came out the way it is. I don't think I changed basically more than three words since that scene came out the way it is. And so...Jennie NashOh, that's amazing. I want to... I want to read some of the lines from that opening scene, if I can, to give the readers... I mean the listeners a sense of what we're talking about. So here's how Slanting Towards the Sea begins.I open his socials and sift through his photos. I know their sequence like I know the palm of my hand. Better even, because I can never memorize what my palm looks like, how the life line twirls into the love line, how it begins tight and uniform, but then turns ropey. It scares me to look at it, to trace the lines, to see where they might lead me in years to come. But I know Vlaho's photos by heart.And it goes on from there. It's, it's just, it's so haunting. And, and the whole, the whole novel is, is that, has that feel to it. So when did you, when did you know that with this story you had it? You knew with the other one that you couldn't get it back, or that it wasn't going to happen. When did you begin? Was it after the sharing of that scene where you thought, oh, I've got this?Lidija HiljeI knew that I could write a scene, but there's a difference, you know, a postcard. I would call this a postcard. This is the typical example of a postcard, a scene where nothing changes for the protagonist and she doesn't understand anything new, but it kind of deepens the reader's understanding of, you know, her situation. So I knew I could write it, which is something I struggled with, with the first book, but I—there's a long road from doing one good postcard and then, you know, writing an entire book, which in literary fiction you have this additional, you know, challenge. You do a ratio basically of normal scenes and summaries, and postcards, and you have to maintain that ratio throughout the book. So, um, yeah for the... relatively early in the book I had submitted that first scene for some competitions. And I got great feedback. It won a critique match, writing a competition in the literary fiction category. And it was long listed in the BPA Pitch Prize in the UK. So I knew that... you know... you know... that the opening of the book was working. So that was good. But from then on, it was such a struggle, because you read the book, and so you know, it has dual timelines; it spans 20 years. I was struggling so bad trying to figure out whether I should do, you know, the past in flashbacks? Whether I should alternate timelines? How do I set this massive story up, which has, you know, the past, and, you know, the present, which happens over a span of... I don't know... five or six months in the present timeline. So I struggled with it a lot. But the thing that I struggled with the most was accountability. So basically, for the first year and a half—for the first year—I wrote, I think, maybe 150 pages. They were not very well set up. I was unsure of them, and I would always push the book backwards to work on client stories. And so what really changed the game for me was when I—I have this program that I run in summertime and one of our book coaches was in that program, Nita Collins. And after the program ended, we partnered up. And so she was my accountability—you know partner, as well as…you know, feedback giver and cheerleader and all the things. And so, you know, I still struggled with how to set up all the things and how to build up the narrative, which I think is really hard for people to coach literary fiction, because you can basically only offer solutions that are kind of geared towards tropey, right? So the author really does have to do all the work, in that sense, but she was absolutely instrumental in terms of me getting the pages down and just seeing if the pages hit the mark or didn't, why they didn't, you know, talking to her, just voicing, talking about the book. And so this went on for a year and within one year I had a full first draft and from then on it was a quick revising process and within three months I had three agent offers. So it was a fast process from then on, from having the first draft, to getting an agent.Jennie NashWell, big shout out to Nita Collins and the Author Accelerator community. I love that a connection happened for you guys. It's really beautiful the way you describe it. So can you explain why you decided it was time to go out to agents? With the first book you decided... this is not going to go anywhere. I'm putting it aside. And with this one, very soon after you finished the first draft, you decided to pitch. What was that decision-making process like for you?Lidija HiljeSo I want to be completely honest. I didn't shelve the first project because I thought it was not, I could not get it to a level. I was convinced that it was on a level, and I had pitched it, but I had been rejected over 100 times. So basically the industry decided for me that it wasn't going to happen. And one of the things that was really hard for me in that first book is that I set it in the US, which I've never been to the US. So it made it very difficult, but I felt like if I set the book in Croatia, I would, like the cultural perspective would overpower the quiet narrative. And I thought that I couldn't do it. And so I, you know, in Slanting [Slanting Towards the Sea], this is the base of the book. Like, it's, you know, I've found a way to weave the cultural perspective as seamlessly as I could. But the pitching process—I basically... I had the first draft done when I had decided to pitch the book. It was a little bit—to be honest, I was a little bit hasty. I had applied for The Muse & the Marketplace conversation with agents. You could...Jennie NashLike the speed dating.Lidija HiljeYeah, like the speed dating. And so I purchased a few tickets for that. And this was done for two reasons. The first one was to, you know; give myself a goal to work towards—to kind of make it all go faster. And the second goal was to see how the industry looks at this. And if there are any issues that they have with the, you know, with the book or with how it's set up, I would rather know sooner than later. And so, because they were reading not just the pages—they were reading, like, 10 pages, a synopsis, and a query letter—which I would also wholeheartedly recommend writing during the writing phase. Preferably, you know, toward the end of the first draft, you would have to do the pitching materials, because they inform so much of... they make you really focus on what the book is about and kind of drawing out the themes and the plot and kind of parsing all those things out. So I told myself: if I go there, and if I get some, you know the best thing that could happen is I could get some full requests. The worst thing that could happen was they will tell me that I'm not there, that my writing is not there, and that the and/or that the book doesn't hold together. And so what happened is, I was... I had just finished my first draft, but I knew that the ending wasn't right. I had the wrong ending. So I knew I had to rewrite the last third of the book, at least. And I went on to that conference, and out of five agents I had talked to, four had requested a full manuscript—toward, like, when I had it. So it was a huge, you know, confidence builder, and that summer I really, really—I can't, it's really amazing what happened—I just, I was so energized, and I just, you know, I don't know, it's like a visit from the muse, even though it's just work. But it felt—I felt very inspired, and I completely rewrote the book, basically, and that gave it the ending that it needed to have, which was also one of the fights against the genre confinements which I had kind of put on myself. So yeah, so that was the decision that I should be doing that, and at the same time, I wanted to be, like, 100% sure that when I sent the manuscript out, it would be finished—that it would be the best that I can make it by myself, you know, and, you know, for Nita to read it, for a couple of beta readers that I've really trusted—and they have the same taste in books that I do—to read it. And only with that feedback was I really ready to send it out to agents.Jennie NashSo—the—we'll get to what happened with the agents in a minute. But I want to return to something that you said about the culture of Croatia and the role that it has in the story, and you called it foundational. And it really feels both the setting of the country, meaning the land, there's... there's a lot you write about, um, the sea, and the food that comes from the sea, and the winds that travel, um, both on the sea and on the land, and there's olive trees that play a large part in this story. So there is a lot about the country itself, and then there's, there is a lot about the, the culture and the, the changing bureaucracies and politics and things that are going on. And it's interesting that you spoke in your own life about contemplating leaving the country, because your characters at some key points, contemplate leaving as well. So there's—there was very much about the constraints of the world of this place, and that's part of what the, you know, it's interesting that you talk about it as your concern was that it would overwhelm the story, but it's part of, for me, what the container in which that emotion happened. It felt not separate from the story, but a really critical component of it. The way these characters lived on the land, and in this place, and what that allowed them to do,—or to be—or not be and how they bumped up against it. It was... It's really like you have a historian's grasp of that, your world, was that something you were conscious of while you were writing as well?Lidija HiljeYes. I was always worried about writing, you know, a Croatian perspective. Like that was always a big concern for me because I, you know, when you're looking at literature and what interests readers, it's either, you know, the book set in the UK and US, which is kind of the clear narrative, it doesn't, it's, it's a pervasive culture that we all understand when it kind of becomes invisible, or, you know, a background noise, it doesn't really affect the narrative. Whereas the other interesting things that readers, when they want to travel somewhere, they will want to go somewhere exotic, you know, whether it's Nigeria or, you know, Eastern Asia, Japan, China, you know? So it felt like Croatia is different, but not different enough, you know? And so it's, it's kind of like almost like it makes the reader constantly forget that they're in Croatia, while at the same time kind of jarring them when you remind them of the differences, and this was one of the, one of the, you know, key points of my work with Nita, was when she would just notice things like, what is, you know, what is the, why are there, there are no dividers in the hospital between the beds? And it's just like... and now I realize that I have to explain how our hospitals look like, and it's not like yours. Or the difference in the tides, which in America are, you know, over, over, I don't know how many feet, and in Croatia they're just, um, and we talked about it when you were here in Zadar as well. So it's just like, it's very similar to America, but not quite. And that was very frustrating at times to try to depict. But on the other hand, in writing Ivona, I wanted to, I feel, I have felt and still feel a lot of frustration with my country. I love it, but I have been planning, like there have been multiple, you know, periods in my life when I had hoped to leave, just because how frustrating it is to live here sometimes with the bureaucracy and just the way the mentality is here and everything. So basically in writing her story, I wanted to air out those grievances in a way. To give them voice, to examine them, to see what they are, and like everything, you know, it's not black or white, it's the way we are here, and it's also the way I am, you know. I notice this when I interact with people from other areas, and they say that us Croats and, you know, Balkan people are very, you know, always like, always complaining about something, which is true, we are. And so, yeah, so it's difficult. It's difficult because I wanted that to be a part of the story. And at the same time, you know, there, you know, there is the possibility of the American reader who doesn't see that it's a part of the culture here, basically. That they could look at Ivona, and say, you know, why does she just not snap out of it?Jennie NashHmm…Lidija HiljeAnd, you know, it's almost like saying to me to snap out of the issues that I had as I was like, trying, you know, like banging my head against the wall, trying to get my career going, and t's not working. Like whatever you're, you're trying—like it's easier for me to make it in the US, never having set a foot there, than in Croatia.Jennie NashRight.Lidija HiljeI mean, my book is being published in the US; it's still not being published in Croatia, just for the record. So it's really hard, and it's really hard to make that a part of the book, but not have it, like, weigh the book all the way down. So it was a process. It's like all the things you try and miss and, you know, sometimes you go overboard, and then you have to pull back, and you have to be careful not to go too deeply into your own experience and just feel that the character is separate from you, and obviously she has some different issues than I had and a different occupation, but a lot of her grievances are mine as well.Jennie NashWell, that yearning and, can… I guess confusion really does come across. The how will I, how will I live? How will I love? How will I spend my days? I mean, these are the questions of our life, and they're the questions of this character in—as she goes through what she's experiencing. That they're, they're both mundane questions and, and, you know, the most profound. And, and the way you capture it... I mean, that was just to circle back to my initial idea of talking about how to capture emotion on the page, you know, which is the work of a novel. That's what it's for. That's its point. And it's just so hard to do. And you just did it on so many levels in a language that's not your first. And it really is just extraordinary and moving. And in preparing to talk to you today, I read a lot of the early reviews—people who got advanced readers copies, 'cause the book comes out in July, 2025, and we're speaking a few months before that time. So it's not fully out in the world, but it's enough that, um, I can see that reaction rippling through the readers and, and certainly through the, um, professional, um, colleagues and, you know, who've blurbed the book. But this idea of it being—the word people kept using was “moving.” And there was a lot of words like “tender” and “haunting,” you know, people really felt what it sounds like you intended them to feel. So how, from where you sit now, how does that—how does it feel to have gotten that feedback from some of the writers you admire? And to know that it did… it works doing what you want it to do? How does that feel?Lidija HiljeOh, it's, it's impossible to talk about that because I guess I'm typically Croatian in the way that it's easier for me to sit in my failures than to sit in my successes. So it's absolutely incredible. I mean, when you get a blurb from Claire Lombardo, who is, you know, I absolutely adore her books and I think she's insanely talented, you know, and for her, you know, she used the words “humane,” and that really—I was so moved by that. So my… kind of my goal is for, for people to see the humanity in these, these characters. And so it's really, it's really amazing. It's, it's beyond, you know, some of the, you know, I got really great blurbs from authors I really, really deeply admire: Thao Thai, Nguyễn Phan Quế Mai, Amy Lin, and Madeline Lucas, and as well, you know, Claire Lombardo, whom I mentioned. It's really incredible. It's so life affirming for me, you know, to be able to do that. But like I said, it's always, you know, when I'm reading the reviews, which I probably shouldn't be doing, I'm always focusing on the few that are not—just not feeling it. And then I have to remind myself it's not—this is not a book for anyone, for just everyone. And it's, you know, it's a journey. It's still, like you said, early days. I'm learning to be an author, to grow an even thicker skin in that sense. But yeah, it did feel great to get those beautiful reviews. And I'm so grateful to them for reading and donating their time to me.Jennie NashI mean, it's so not fair what I want to say. It's so not fair. But I want to ask anyway. Quite a few of the reviews said they can't wait for your next book, which, you know, it's like you're not a machine. You've just done this one. But are you thinking about that? Are you… do you have thoughts about that?Lidija HiljeYeah, I am trying to work on my new book. But, you know, I'm admiring the writers who put out a book a year. That's definitely not going to be me. There's an insane amount of work in putting the book out. You know, there's invisible work that goes behind the screen, you know, that people don't see, but it's happening and it takes up a lot of time. And there's also this emotional, you know, it's, it's—it's difficult sitting in, like… you're trying to make this your career. You wrote your heart on the paper and you're offering it to the world. And now you're suspended in this period when you put it out and you're waiting to see how it's received, whether someone tramples on it or whether it's upheld. And so it's a difficult, emotionally difficult place to be in, and I'm one of those writers who struggle to create when I'm not, you know, when I'm feeling… when I'm feeling stressed. So work on my second novel is going slowly. I've gotten to page 100, but then I realized it needed, you know, I needed to make some changes, so I'm back to page 30. So it's a, you know, it's a—it's a process. I think, you know, writing literary fiction takes time. It takes self-examination; it takes a lot of reading of other people who have done it successfully—the type of novel that you're trying to execute. So, so yeah, I'm trying to work on it, but, um, but it may, it may be a while.Jennie NashAll right. I know—that's why it wasn't fair to even ask. Um, so back to… I just want to pick up the story back to—you got the three or the four, um, agent requests, and you, you finished the novel, and, um, and you pitched to them. Can you just share what all unfolded? Because… it was pretty extraordinary.Lidija HiljeSo, basically, what happened was I didn't pitch all the four agents that had requested the pages. I had the first querying experience, which is what I said—you know 100 rejections. I took a long, hard look at it and realized that many of the time I was querying the wrong agents, genre-wise, which, you know, I was not aware of at the time. So a lot of those rejections were basically because I was querying a women's fiction book to literary agents. And that was one thing. And the other thing is… I was pretty, you know, unselective with whom I was querying the first time around. And the second time around, I was really intentional with the type of agent and their reputation and the connections within the industry—you know, just much more aware, approaching it much more professionally in terms of, you know, just wanting a good fit that would actually be able to do something for me, you know, to sell the book. And so a friend who had, you know, she had given me a referral to her agent—that didn't pan out. I gave that agent a month, an exclusive. And when that didn't pan out, I basically sent the query to my now agent, Abby Walters, at CAA. And, you know, it was a form on the website. I didn't even write her an email. It was just a form. So I didn't think that anyone would read it, basically. And I got—quickly I got like five or six requests, right out of the gate, those maybe first 10 days. And by the end of the second week I had gotten an offer of representation from Abby. And I followed up with the rest of the agents. The total, uh, the total number of, uh, full requests ended up being, I think, maybe nine out of 20, 25 queries. And, uh, I got three offers of representation, um, from fantastic agents. And, uh, deciding was hell. I was—I was—it was horrible to be in a position where you had to say no to an agent that you admire and that you would genuinely love to work with, but you know, for some reasons I chose Abby and I'm really happy with working with her. She's fantastic. I—I, you know, love her to death. And yeah, so that was the story of getting an agent. It was—it was—it was pretty quick and painless, I have to say, the second time around.Jennie NashRight, from 100 rejections with the first one to—to nine full requests and three offers on—on this one, that's an extraordinary swing, for sure. And I love the—the way that you approached it the second time with that intention. It just says everything about the kind of person and writer you are, and the book landed with Simon & Schuster and will be coming out soon, and I can't wait to share it with our listeners. It's a beautiful, beautiful novel. I just—I cherished reading every page, and we had the really great good fortune of my taking a vacation to Croatia and coming to your town and meeting you and walking through the town with you, and I treasure that for so many reasons. But having read the book, I felt like I could taste it and see it in a really special way, having had a tour of your city with you. So that, for me, was just a special—a special part of it too.Lidija HiljeThank you so much, Jennie. But actually, you kind of were a part of that, because when I thought about the places where Ivona would take a seer to, you know, to see, I had our tour in my—you know, on my mind, because I was thinking, like, what would she show someone who's from another place? Like, where would she take him? And it wouldn't be the things I showed you. I mean, I showed you some of the big things that you have to see when you're here. But I took you to the places that are more intimate to me, like more personally important to me.Jennie NashYeah.Lidija HiljeAnd so this is—this is what's behind the scene where she shows him her school. And, you know, so, yeah… you know, real life.Jennie NashOh, that's amazing. That's amazing. Well, yeah, I did get to see where you went to school and where the law office was. And—and one of the things that's really stayed with me was we went to a bookstore and it… Um, and it—just knowing what your life in books has been, Lidija, and how you've studied them and how you've worked to become a writer of the caliber that you are. And that bookstore was so small, and it had mostly books in Croatian, and it was not anything like the kind of bookstore that one would think would spark a major literary career. And it… that just has stuck with me, because you—you made your own bookstore, right? You found your own literary community. You found your own career and way, and it's just been a joy to watch and to cheer you on. And thank you for coming and talking with us today.Lidija HiljeThank you so much for having me, and all the encouragement over the years. I'm really grateful for that as well.Jennie NashAll right, well, until next time, for our listeners—keep your butt in the chair and your head in the game. Jess LaheyThe Hashtag AmWriting podcast is produced by Andrew Perella. Our intro music, aptly titled Unemployed Monday was written and played by Max Cohen. Andrew and Max were paid for their time and their creative output, because everyone deserves to be paid for their work. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit amwriting.substack.com/subscribe

Über 500.000 Menschen pilgerten zum Konzert von Thompson, den wahrscheinlich bekanntesten und umstrittensten Sänger in Kroatien. Seine Texte handeln von der Heimatliebe und strotzen nur von faschistischen Symbolen und Hass gegenüber anderen Ländern. Dennoch sorgte er mit seinem Konzert in Zagreb nun für einen Weltrekord. Wie kann das sein, dass ein nationalistischer Sänger so viele Menschen anzieht? Dazu spricht Musiker David Slomo mit Dr. Vedran Džihić, der Experte, wenn es um das Thema Balkan geht. Sie ordnen das Mega-Konzert ein und reden darüber, wie Nationalismus in Kroatien in der Gesellschaft verankert ist.  Wir würden uns sehr freuen, wenn Du "Ganz offen gesagt" auf einem der folgenden Wege unterstützt:Werde Unterstützer:in auf SteadyKaufe ein Premium-Abo auf AppleKaufe Artikel in unserem FanshopSchalte Werbung in unserem PodcastFeedback bitte an redaktion@ganzoffengesagt.at

Ob Belgrad, Novi Sad oder Niš: Die Bilder, die uns in diesen Tagen aus Serbien erreichen, zeigen friedlichen Protest. Mit ihren Handys verwandeln Zehntausende die nächtlichen Straßen in ein Lichtermeer. Ihre Forderung: Recht und Gesetz sollen für alle Menschen in Serbien gelten - auch für diejenigen, die ganz oben im Staat stehen. Auslöser für die Massenproteste war der Einsturz eines Bahnhofsvordachs in Novi Sad Anfang November. 15 Menschen verloren dabei ihr Leben. Für die Studierenden, die seitdem demonstrieren, ist der Vorfall nicht einfach ein tragisches Unglück, sondern Folge unsachgemäßer Renovierungsarbeiten durch ein chinesisches Unternehmen. Sie kritisieren, dass die serbische Regierung zunächst versucht habe, das Unglück zu vertuschen und Verantwortung abzuweisen. "Korruption tötet", so der Slogan, der auf vielen Plakaten zu lesen ist.Florian Bieber ist Leiter des Zentrums für Südosteuropastudien an der Universität Graz. Er beobachtet die Situation in Serbien sehr genau: Es gehe den Studierenden nicht um einen Umsturz, wie Präsident Aleksandar Vučić behauptet, sondern um Transparenz und um Rechtsstaatlichkeit. "Das sind wirklich die großen Probleme, mit denen Serbien seit über einem Jahrzehnt zu kämpfen hat", sagt Bieber im Podcast "Wirtschaft Welt & Weit".Längst gehen nicht mehr nur Studierende auf die Straße, sondern auch Anwälte, Ärzte und viele andere Berufsgruppen. Gerade erst haben sie den Rücktritt des serbischen Ministerpräsidenten Miloš Vučević erreicht. Doch der ist für Bieber "kein bedeutendes Schwergewicht in der serbischen Machtkonstellation", sondern eher eine Art Bauernopfer. Dennoch sieht er den Rücktritt als Indiz dafür, "dass sich das Regime im Moment bedroht fühlt".In der neuen Podcast-Folge erklärt der Professor für Geschichte und Politik Südosteuropas, wie das "System Vučić" funktioniert: Zwar liege die Macht formal beim Ministerpräsidenten, doch in der Praxis habe es Vučić geschafft, die wichtigen Institutionen des Landes zu übernehmen. Seine Macht gehe dabei nicht von der Verfassung aus, sondern von der Partei und seiner Person. "Er könnte theoretisch morgen als Präsident zurücktreten und weiterhin die gleiche Macht ausüben", sagt Bieber. Das passe nicht mit dem Status eines EU-Beitrittskandidaten, den Serbien seit zehn Jahren innehat, zusammen, kritisiert Bieber. "Serbien ist im letzten Jahrzehnt sehr viel weniger demokratisch geworden." Stattdessen beobachtet er "größere Missachtung von Menschenrechten und Rechtsstaatlichkeit". Deutschland und die EU müssten sich dagegen stellen - und ihre Prinzipien auch beim Aushandeln wirtschaftlicher Deals verfolgen. Ansonsten sieht Bieber die Gefahr, dass die EU ihre Sympathien bei vielen Menschen in Serbien verspielt.Im Sommer 2024 haben Serbien und die EU einen Lithium-Deal abgeschlossen. Dabei geht es um die Förderung von Lithium im serbischen Jadartal durch den Bergbaukonzern Rio Tinto. Serbien würde gerne die komplette Wertschöpfungskette vom Abbau des Lithiums bis hin zur Produktion von E-Autos im Land konzentrieren. Die EU will das Vorhaben fördern und beim Thema Lithium weniger abhängig von China werden. Für Bieber rutscht die EU jedoch in eine neue Abhängigkeit, der serbische Präsident Aleksandar Vučić ist für ihn "kein zuverlässiger Bündnispartner". Das Lithium-Abkommen "hat der Europäischen Union und Deutschland auf dem Balkan einen Riesen-Schaden zugefügt", konstatiert Bieber. Viele Menschen haben seiner Beobachtung zufolge inzwischen das Gefühl, dass die EU ihre Forderungen nach mehr Demokratie und Rechtsstaatlichkeit nicht wirklich unterstütze, sondern stattdessen ihre eigenen Interessen verfolge. "Viele Menschen sagen, die EU ist nicht anders als China, die wollen nur unsere Rohstoffe."Dass die EU auf höhere Umweltauflagen setzt als China, lässt der Südosteuropa-Experte übrigens nicht gelten. Denn für ihn fehlen angemessene Kontrollmechanismen. Schon jetzt würden in vielen Fällen, etwa beim Bau von Fabriken, selbst die serbischen Auflagen nicht eingehalten. "Warum sollte das bei einem Minenprojekt einer multinationalen Firma anders sein?", gibt Bieber zu bedenken.Bei dieser Folge handelt es sich um einen Re-Upload. Die Folge haben wir erstmals am 30. Januar 2025 veröffentlicht.Schreiben Sie Ihre Fragen, Kritik und Anmerkungen gern an www@n-tv.de. Unsere allgemeinen Datenschutzrichtlinien finden Sie unter https://datenschutz.ad-alliance.de/podcast.html Wir verarbeiten im Zusammenhang mit dem Angebot unserer Podcasts Daten. Wenn Sie der automatischen Übermittlung der Daten widersprechen wollen, klicken Sie hier: https://datenschutz.ad-alliance.de/podcast.htmlUnsere allgemeinen Datenschutzrichtlinien finden Sie unter https://art19.com/privacy. Die Datenschutzrichtlinien für Kalifornien sind unter https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info abrufbar.

Ils sont des milliers à avoir entamé une longue marche dans la forêt bosnienne, sur les traces de tous ceux qui, en 1995, avaient fui le massacre de Srebrenica. C'était il y a trente ans, 8 000 hommes étaient exécutés par les troupes serbes du Général Mladic... leurs corps jetés dans des charniers. La justice internationale a qualifié ce crime de guerre de génocide. Mais en Bosnie, les nationalistes serbes et les familles des victimes musulmanes sont toujours divisés sur l'Histoire avec un grand H. Cette semaine, ces derniers célébreront la mémoire des victimes au mémorial de Potocari. Reportage signé de notre correspondant dans la région, Louis Seiller.   Et l'on reparle d'entente cordiale des deux côtés de la Manche !   Voilà 17 ans qu'un président français n'avait pas été reçu au Royaume-Uni avec toute la pompe de la monarchie. Entre Paris et Londres, on a parlé dissuasion nucléaire, Ukraine, migrants... la fin de 20 années de turbulences, Marie Billon.     La revue de presse de Franceline Beretti La Pologne a décidé de fermer ses frontières avec la Lituanie et l'Allemagne.   Barcelone vent debout contre le surtourisme  Surtourisme, touristification, les néologismes ou les anglicismes ne manquent pas pour dénoncer un phénomène de masse... La prise d'assaut des grandes villes du sud de l'Europe par les touristes, à tel point que les logements manquent pour les habitants à l'année... On voit donc l'émergence d'un vaste courant militant qui voudrait repenser ce modèle économique. Et c'est la ville de Barcelone en Espagne qui en est le fer de lance. C'est le reportage d'Elise Gazengel.  

The Fates of Classical Antiquity not only survived in the form of related fairy-tale figures but also as the object of superstitions and rituals associated with newborns. In South Slavic and Balkan regions particularly, these customs represent a surprisingly long-lived and genuine case of pagan survival. We begin our episode examining the fairy godmothers of "Sleeping Beauty" as embodiments of the Fates.  Mrs. Karswell reads a few key passages from the definitive version of the story included in Charles Perrault's 1697 collection, Histoires ou contes du temps passé ("stories of times gone by.") We learn how the fairies fulfill the historical role of godparents at the newborn's christening. We also note the peculiar emphasis on the quality of what's set before the fairies at the christening banquet, observing how a failure there leads the wicked fairy to curse the Sleeping Beauty. 1874 illustration by František Doucha for a Czech edition of Sleeping Beauty We then explore antecedents to Perrault's tale, beginning with the 14th-century French chivalric romance, Perceforest.  A peripheral story in this 8-volume work is that of Troylus and Zeelandine, in which the role of Sleeping Beauty's fairy godmothers are played by Greek and Roman deities, with Venus as supporter of Princess Zeelandine (and her suitor Troylus) and Themis cursing Zeelandine to sleep in a manner similar to Perrault's princess.  A failure to correctly lay out Themis' required items at the christening banquet is again again responsible for the curse, though the awakening of Zeelandine by Troylus awakens is surprisingly different and a notorious example of medieval bawdiness. Preceding Perceforest, there was the late 13th-century French historical romance Huon of Bordeaux, in which we hear of the newborn fairy king Oberon being both cursed and blessed by fairies attending his birth.  From around the same time, French poet and composer Adam de la Halle's Play of the Bower describes a banquet at which fairy guests pronounce a curses and blessings on those in attendance prompted again by their pleasure or displeasure at what's set before them at a banquet. We also  hear of the Danish King King Fridlevus (Fridlef II) bringing his newborn son to a temple of "three maidens" to ascertain the  destiny pf the child in Gesta Danorum ("Deeds of the Danes").written around 1200 by Saxo Grammaticus. And lest listeners think such appeals to the Fates were strictly a literary motif, we hear Burchard of Worms, in his early-11th-century Decretum, condemning the not uncommon among the Germans of his region of setting up offering tables for the Fates.  By this point, the connection between how fairy godmother types are served at a banquet and offerings made to the Fates to ensure a cild's fortune should be clear. We then turn back to the Greek Fates, the Moirai (Clotho, Lachesis, and Atropos) and the Roman Parcae (Nona, Decuma, and Morta). Particularly in the case of the Parcae, we hear examples of their connection to the newborn's destiny in the celebration nine or ten days after the birth of the dies lustricus, during which offerings were made to the Fates. The Three Fates by Bernardo Strozzi, late 17th c We make a brief side-trip to discuss the Norns (Urðr, Verðandi and Skuld), the Germanic equivalent of the Fates.  These are more distant cousins, not strongly associated with the newborn and his destiny, though we do hear a passage from the Poetic Edda, in which the Norns are  present birth of the hero Helgi. We also hear a gruesome passage from the 13th-century Njáls Saga, in which the Valkyries weave out the fate of those who will die in the Battle of Clontarf. The Anglo-Saxon equivalent of the Fates, the Wyrds, are also discussed, and we hear how the  witches in Macbeth partook in this identity as the "Weird Sisters," an association Shakespeare inherited from his source material, the 1587 history of Great Britain, known as Holinshed's Chronicles.

Multidisciplinary artist, researcher, and educator Joseph Cochran II returns for his second appearance on The Truth In This Art. Born and raised in East Harlem, Joseph's practice spans photography, video, and archival work, focusing on the systems that define industrialized societies and the emotional toll of late capitalism.In this conversation, Joseph opens up about the years he spent living and working in China, rebuilding from personal loss, and how maintaining his identity shaped the way he navigates spaces abroad and at home. He reflects on the tension between financial survival and creative ethics, why he refuses to distance himself from the communities he comes from, and the emotional weight behind many of his images.This is a raw, thoughtful, and often funny dialogue about legacy, creative freedom, and what it means to stay grounded while moving through a world that often demands compromise.Highlights include:Learning to live without depending on art to make a living—and why that helped his practiceWhy staying connected to the streets isn't just about authenticity, but accountabilityThe power of memory in his photographs—and why he remembers every shotThoughts on working in Shanghai, Brussels, and the Balkans while staying rooted in NYCUpcoming exhibition Public Work opening July 10 in New York

Des milliers de personnes ont entamé mardi une longue marche à travers la forêt bosnienne pour mettre leurs pas dans ceux qui ont fui le massacre de Srebrenica, il y a trente ans. Le 11 juillet 1995, 8 000 hommes ont été massacrés par des militaires serbes dirigés par le général Ratko Mladic. Un crime qualifié de génocide par la justice internationale. Mais en Bosnie, la mémoire reste divisée entre les familles des victimes qui enterrent toujours les restes de leurs morts, et les nationalistes serbes qui refusent le terme de génocide, et estiment avoir été, eux aussi, victimes de la guerre des Balkans.  Un reportage à retrouver dans son intégralité dans Accents d'Europe.   À lire aussiÀ Srebrenica, à l'ombre du génocide, l'impossible réconciliation

PREVIEW BALKANS: Colleague Ivana Stradner comments on how few will take on the complexity of untangling the Yugoslavia  breakup of the 1990s. More. 1910 KING NICHOLAS OF MONTENEGRO AND FAMILY

Dans le supplément de ce dimanche, en première partie, nous débutons par la Syrie, plus précisément par un reportage dans les régions ouest de la Syrie, littoral de la Méditerranée, ce sont des fiefs de la communauté alaouite, la communauté de l'ex-président Bachar el-Assad réfugié en Russie. La région a connu et connait des vengeance et règlements de compte sanglants entre soutiens des nouvelles autorités et tenants de ce qui fut la terrible dynastie des Assad Bachar et Hafez, avec un fond de dissensions également confessionnelles sunnites alaouites. Bilan : des centaines de morts, dans les gouvernorats de Lattaquié, Tartous, Hama et Homs, le calme n'est toujours pas revenu.  En deuxième partie, Louis Seiller revient sur le génocide de Srebrenica, il y a 30 ans. Quelles séquelles, quelles mémoires ? Trois décennies après le massacre de plus de 8 000 Bosniaques musulmans par les Serbes. Syrie : quatre mois après les massacres, la côte alaouite toujours en proie aux violences Aujourd'hui nous voici en Syrie, sur une bande littorale que l'on appelle le réduit alaouite, fief des soutiens à l'ancien régime de Bachar al-Assad. Quatre mois après les massacres dont a été victime principalement cette communauté, (ils ont fait des centaines de morts) violences et exactions persistent dans ces gouvernorats de Lattaquié, Tartous, Hama et Homs.  Il y a d'un côté : les factions les plus radicales, en soif de vengeance envers un régime qui a multiplié les crimes et qui s'en prend aujourd'hui à la minorité alaouite. De l'autre, les loyalistes à l'ancien régime. Ils appellent à l'insurrection armée et mènent régulièrement des attaques contre les membres de la sécurité générale. Une commission, initiée par le nouveau gouvernement et chargée d'enquêter sur ces violences, doit rendre ses conclusions dans les prochains jours.   Un Grand Reportage de Manon Chapelain qui s'entretient avec Jacques Allix. À Srebrenica, à l'ombre du génocide, l'impossible réconciliation Il y a trente ans, du 11 juillet au 17 juillet 1995, plus de 8 000 hommes et adolescents bosniaques musulmans étaient systématiquement assassinés autour de la petite ville de Srebrenica, dans l'est de la Bosnie. Ce massacre a été l'un des points culminants des 3 ans et demi de guerre qui ont opposé les différents peuples de ce pays des Balkans. La justice internationale l'a qualifié de génocide, et elle a condamné à perpétuité ses principaux responsables bosno-serbes. Mais 3 décennies après, la mémoire douloureuse de la guerre et de ce massacre divise toujours Serbes et Bosniaques qui vivent dans la région, le long de la Drina… Un Grand reportage de Louis Seiller qui s'entretient avec Jacques Allix.

durée : 00:05:13 - La Revue de presse internationale - par : Catherine Duthu - La canicule qu'a connue la France fait encore souffrir le sud de l'Europe, de l'Espagne à la Grèce à l'Espagne, en passant par l'Italie et les Balkans. La presse rapporte plusieurs morts et personnes hospitalisées suite à des incendies, des malaises sur des chantiers de BTP, notamment.

What the HELL Were You Thinking covers all the Little Wars, so convenient to make a politician LOOK good without killing too many Americans! Join us as we go from the Iran Hostage Crisis all the way to the Balkans as three Presidents wagged the dog for their ratings! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices