Podcasts about Baltic Sea

Pastor Zach Stiefel sits down with Mark and Julie Croft for part 2 of a special 2 part podcast about our Latvian Village and ministry partners in the Baltic Sea part of the world.

Scientists detect for the first time an unknown source of GPS interference coming from space. Also, as AI begins to design more and more DNA sequences being manufactured synthetically, how can those manufacturers be sure that what their customers are asking for will not produce toxic proteins or lethal weapons? And… how camera traps in polish forests reveal that the big bad wolf is more scared of humans than anything else. For that last few years instances of deliberate jamming and interference of GNSS signals has become an expected feature of the wars the world is suffering. Yet this disruption of the signals that all of us use to navigate and tell the time nearly always emanate from devices on the ground, or maybe in the air. But in ongoing research reported recently by Todd Humphreys of University of Texas at Austin and colleagues around the world is beginning to reveal that since 2019 an intermittent yet powerful signal has been causing GPS failures across Europe and the North Atlantic. The episodes have been thankfully brief so far, but all the signs suggest it comes not from soldiers or aeroplanes, but from a distantly orbiting satellite somewhere over the Baltic Sea. It may not be malevolent, it could be a fault, but the net of suspicion is tightening. A team of scientists including some from Microsoft report today in a paper in the journal Science an investigation to try to strengthen the vetting of synthetic DNA requests around the world. As AI-designed sequencies increase in number and application, the factories that produce the bespoke DNA are in danger of making and supplying potentially dangerous sequences to customers with malicious intents. But how do you spot the bad proteins out of the almost infinite possible DNA recipes? Tessa Alexanian of the International Biosecurity and Biosafety Initiative for Science, and one of the authors explains some of the thinking. Finally, Liana Zanette of Western University in Ontario and colleagues have been hanging around in Polish forests scaring wolves. Why? Because as wolf numbers rise in protected reserves, more and more human-wolf interactions occur. And a suspicion has arisen that the legal protection they enjoy has led to them losing their fear of humans in a dangerous way. Not so, says Liana's team, blowing away the straw arguments and setting fire to the political motivation to reduce their protection status. Wolves are still terrified of Nature's apex predator – us. Presenter: Roland Pease Producer: Alex Mansfield Production Coordinator: Jana Bennett-Holesworth (Image: Simulation screen showing various flights for transportation and passengers. Credit: Oundum via Getty Images).

This week we talk about Article 4, big sticks, and spheres of influence.We also discuss Moldova, super powers, and new fronts.Recommended Book: More Everything Forever by Adam BeckerTranscriptThe North Atlantic Treaty Organization, or NATO, was originally formed in 1949 in the wake of World War 2 and at the beginning of the Cold War.At that moment, the world was beginning to orient toward what we might think of as the modern global order, which at the time was predicated on having two superpowers—the US and the Soviet Union—and the world being carved up into their respective spheres of influence.NATO was formed as the military component of that protection effort, as the Soviets (and other powers who had occupied that land in the past) had a history of turning their neighbors into client states, because their territory provides little in the way of natural borders. Their inclination, then, was to either invade or overthrow neighboring governments so they could function as buffers between the Soviet Union and its potential enemies.The theory behind NATO is collective security: if anyone attacks one of the member nations, the others will come to their aid. Article 5 of the NATO treaty says that an attack against one member is considered an attack against all members, and while this theoretically would be applied against any would-be attacker, it was 100% created so that the Soviets and their Warsaw Pact allies knew that if they attacked, for instance, Norway, the other NATO nations—including, importantly, the United States, which again, was one of just two superpowers in the world at that point, all the other powers, like the UK and France having been devastated by WWII—would join in their defense.NATO, today, is quite a bit bigger than it was originally: it started out with just 12 countries in Europe and North America, and as of 2025, there are 32, alongside a handful of nations that are hoping to join, and are at various points along the way to possibly someday becoming member states.What I'd like to talk about today are recent provocations by the Soviet Union's successor state, Russia, against NATO, and what these provocations might portend for the future of the region.—In early 2014, Russia invaded—in a somewhat deniable way, initially funding local rabble-rousers and using unmarked soldiers and weapons—the eastern portion of Ukraine, and then annexed an important Black Sea region called Crimea. Then in early 2022, Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine, massing hundreds of thousands of military assets on their shared border before plunging toward Ukraine's capitol and other vital strategic areas.Against the odds, as Ukraine is small and poor compared to Russia, and has a far smaller military, as well, Ukrainians managed to hold off the Russian assault, and today, about 3.5 years later, Ukraine continues to hold Russia off, though Russian forces have been making incremental gains in the eastern portion of the country over the past year, and Russian President Putin seems convinced he can hold the Donbas region, in particular, even if peace is eventually declared.At the moment, though, peace seems unlikely, as Russian forces continue to grind against increasingly sophisticated and automated Ukrainian defenses, the invading force, in turn, bolstered by North Korean ammunition and troops. Ukraine's exhausted soldiery is periodically and irregularly bulwarked by resources from regional and far-flung allies, helping them stay in the game, and they're fleshing out their locally grown defense industry, which has specialized in asymmetric weaponry like drones and rockets, but Russia still has the advantage by pretty much any metric we might use to gauge such things.Over the past three weeks, concerns that this conflict might spill over into the rest of Europe have been heightened by Russian provocations along the eastern edge of the NATO alliance.Russia flew drones into Poland and Romania, fighter jets into Estonia, and aggressively flew fighters over a Germany Navy frigate in the Baltic Sea. Article 4 of the NATO treaty was invoked, which is the lead-up invocation to an eventual invocation of Article 5, which would be a full-fledged defense, by the bloc, against someone who attacked a NATO member.And that's on top of Russia's persistent and ongoing efforts to influence politics in Moldova, which held an election over the weekend that could serve as a foot in the door for Russian influence campaigns and Russia-stoked coups within the EU, or could become one more hardened border against such aggressions, depending on how the election pans out. The final results aren't in as of the day I'm recording this episode, but there are fears that if the pro-Russian parties win, they'll turn the country—which is located on Ukraine's borders, opposite Russia—into another Russian puppet state, similar to Belarus, but if the pro-Russian parties don't do well, they'll try to launch a coup, because Russian disinformation in the country has been so thorough, and has indicated, in essence, if they lose, the process was rigged.All of which is occurring at a moment in which NATO's most powerful and spendy member, by far, the US, is near-universally pulling out of international activities, the second Trump administration proving even more antagonistic toward allies than the first one, and even more overt in its disdain for alliances like NATO, as well. It's probably worth noting here, too, that part of why things are so hectic in Moldova is that the US government has stopped pressuring social networks to tamp down on overt misinformation and propaganda from Russia-aligned groups, and that's led to significant fog of war for this most recent election.Considering the US's recent unreliability, and in some cases complete absence regarding NATO and similar alliances and pacts, it's perhaps prudent that NATO member states have recently agreed to up their individual spending on defense, all of these states meeting or exceeding their pre-2025-summit goal of 2% of GDP, that target increasing to 5% by 2035.This is notable in part because it's something Trump demanded, and that demand seems to have worked and probably been a good idea, but this is also notable because of what it represents: a cessation of leadership by the US in this alliance.The US has long been the big stick wielded by its European allies, and this administration basically said, hey, you need to make your own big sticks, you may not have access to our weapons and support anymore. And while it will still take a while to both get their funding up to snuff and to spend those funds appropriately, outfitting their defenses and shoring up their numbers, this would seem to be a step in that direction—though there's simmering concern that it might be too little, too late.That concern is mostly held by Russia-watchers who have noted a big pivot by Russia's leadership, and in the Russian economy.Over the past 3.5 years since it invaded Ukraine, that invasion taking a lot longer than they thought it would, Russia has shifted into a total war stance, its entire economy becoming reliant on its continued invasion of Ukraine.Should that invasion end or ebb, or should it continue to fail to give the Russian government enough successes, so it can brag about how well it's doing to its citizenry and oligarchs, it would probably need another target—another front in the war that it can open to justify the continued churning-out of weapons and soldiers, and the continued spending of a huge chunk of its GDP toward the military. Lacking that churn, it's economy would be in even worse straits than it's in, today, and lacking that cause, it's possible support for the government could collapse.It's also been posited that it could be a disaster Putin's regime if too many Russian veterans, wounded and traumatized from their time on the front lines in Ukraine, were to arrive back in Russia all at once. That's the sort of situation that could lead to an uprising against the government, or bare minimum a lot of turmoil that they don't want to deal with. Having another front, another battle to send them to, would solve that problem; it would be an excuse to keep them fighting external enemies, rather than looking for internal ones.Russia's Foreign Minister, Sergey Lavrov, recently said that NATO and the EU have declared a “real war” against Russia by participating in the conflict; by providing arms and financial support for Ukraine.This is, of course, a silly thing to say, though it is the kind of statement an aggressor makes when they want to make themselves sound like the victim, and want to justify moving on to victimize someone else. You attacked us for no reason! We are thus completely within our rights to defend ourselves by attacking you; we are in the right here, you're the bad guys.This could be just saber-rattling, and it usually is. Lavrov says things like this all the time, and it's almost always state-sanctioned bluster. The drone and jet flyovers, likewise, could be meant to send a signal to the EU and NATO: back off, this is not your fight, but if you continue supporting Ukraine, we'll make it your fight, and we think we can beat you.It's also possible, though, that these actions are meant to test NATO defenses at a moment in which the US is largely absent from the region, China and Russia have never been tighter, including in supporting each other's regional goals and militaries, and in which Russia seemingly has many reasons, mostly internal, to expand the scope of the conflict.Show Noteshttps://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/pistorius-russian-jet-flew-over-142629311.html?guccounter=1https://www.nytimes.com/2025/09/19/world/europe/russian-fighter-jets-estonia-nato.htmlhttps://www.nytimes.com/2025/09/07/business/russia-disinformation-trump.htmlhttps://www.nytimes.com/2025/09/20/world/europe/poland-drones-russia-nato.htmlhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prelude_to_the_Russian_invasion_of_Ukrainehttps://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c5ygjv0r2myohttps://thehill.com/policy/international/5522862-lavrov-nato-eu-russia/https://www.cnn.com/2025/09/27/europe/putin-hybrid-war-europe-risks-intlhttps://www.nytimes.com/2025/09/27/world/europe/russia-europe-poland-drones-moldova-election.htmlhttps://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-poland-drones-sanctions-rafale-429ff46431a916feff629f26a5d0c0dahttps://www.reuters.com/world/europe/denmark-has-no-plans-invoke-natos-article-4-foreign-minister-says-2025-09-26/https://www.upi.com/Top_News/World-News/2025/09/27/More-drones-spotted-Denmark/4031758983759/https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-war-poland-drones-defense-kyiv-ec284922b946737b98a28f179ac0c5a0https://apnews.com/article/poland-airspace-drones-russia-airport-closed-cf7236040d8c7858104a29122aa1bd57https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-war-poland-drones-fa2d5d8981454499fa611a1468a5de8bhttps://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-war-poland-drones-1232774279039f9e5c5b78bd58686cb9https://apnews.com/article/british-intelligence-mi6-russia-war-443df0c37ff2254fcc33d5425e3beaa6https://apnews.com/article/nato-article-4-explainer-russia-poland-estonia-26415920dfb8458725bda517337adb12https://www.worldpoliticsreview.com/nato-article-4-russia/https://www.nytimes.com/2025/09/28/world/europe/moldova-election-russia-eu.htmlhttps://www.nato.int/cps/en/natohq/topics_49187.htmhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NATOhttps://www.nato.int/cps/en/natohq/topics_52044.htm This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit letsknowthings.substack.com/subscribe

In the aftermath of the Charlie Kirk assassination, Utah's Republican Governor Spencer Cox called for unity and civility. It was an unexpected message delivered by an unexpected messenger at a time when political violence in America is on the rise.  Correspondent Scott Pelley travels to Utah for an extensive interview with Governor Cox on the threats to political discourse, protecting free speech and why his message may be unpopular with some in his own party. Correspondent Bill Whitaker reports from the Baltic Sea and Finland on the case of the Eagle S, a Russian shadow fleet oil tanker that dragged its anchor and broke undersea internet and electricity cables connecting Finland and Estonia. A 60 Minutes investigation reveals the Eagle S was not an isolated case. Authorities suspect Russian hybrid warfare aimed at undersea infrastructure, prompting NATO to launch Baltic Sentry, a new defensive monitoring mission. Correspondent Jon Wertheim catches up with the CEO-slash-hype man of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), Dana White, in Las Vegas for an interview about his 25 years as the league's undisputed boss. White's sharp business instincts helped turn the UFC from a fledgling cage-fighting operation to a $15 billion global league. He talks about his friendship with President Donald Trump, his sport's place in the ‘manosphere,' and his plans for a summer 2026 fight card on the White House lawn. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

fWotD Episode 3066: SMS Rheinland Welcome to featured Wiki of the Day, your daily dose of knowledge from Wikipedia's finest articles.The featured article for Friday, 26 September 2025, is SMS Rheinland.SMS Rheinland was one of four Nassau-class battleships, the first dreadnoughts built for the German Imperial Navy (Kaiserliche Marine). Rheinland mounted twelve 28 cm (11 in) main guns in six twin turrets in an unusual hexagonal arrangement. The navy built Rheinland and her sister ships in response to the revolutionary British HMS Dreadnought, which had been launched in 1906. Rheinland was laid down in June 1907, launched the following year in October, and commissioned in April 1910.Rheinland's extensive service with the High Seas Fleet during World War I included several fleet advances into the North Sea, some in support of raids against the English coast conducted by the German battlecruisers of I Scouting Group. These sorties culminated in the Battle of Jutland on 31 May – 1 June 1916, in which Rheinland was heavily engaged by British destroyers in close-range night fighting.The ship also saw duty in the Baltic Sea, as part of the support force for the Battle of the Gulf of Riga in 1915. She returned to the Baltic as the core of an expeditionary force to aid the White Finns in the Finnish Civil War in 1918, but ran aground shortly after arriving in the area. Significant portions of her armor and all her main guns had to be removed before she could be refloated. The damage done by the grounding was deemed too severe to justify repairs and Rheinland was decommissioned to be used as a barracks ship for the remainder of the war. In 1919, following the scuttling of the German fleet in Scapa Flow, Rheinland was ceded to the Allies who, in turn, sold the vessel to ship-breakers in the Netherlands. The ship was broken up for scrap metal starting in 1920. Her bell is on display at the Military History Museum of the Bundeswehr in Dresden.This recording reflects the Wikipedia text as of 00:54 UTC on Friday, 26 September 2025.For the full current version of the article, see SMS Rheinland on Wikipedia.This podcast uses content from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License.Visit our archives at wikioftheday.com and subscribe to stay updated on new episodes.Follow us on Mastodon at @wikioftheday@masto.ai.Also check out Curmudgeon's Corner, a current events podcast.Until next time, I'm neural Salli.

Die Themen in den Wissensnachrichten: +++ Eisberge werden beim Schmelzen fünfeckig +++ CO2 sorgt für größere Bäume im Amazonasgebiet +++ Japanische Pflanze lockt mit dem Duft sterbender Ameisen +++**********Weiterführende Quellen zu dieser Folge:Update ErdeShape evolution and capsize dynamics of melting ice/ Physical Review Fluids, 12.09.2025Increasing tree size across Amazonia/ Nature Plants, 25.09.2025Sea-dumped munitions in the Baltic Sea support high epifauna abundance and diversity/ Communications Earth and Environment, 25.09.2025People Stop Using Contraception When It Stops Them Having Good Sex: systematic review synopsis/ The Pleasure Project, 26.09.2025Alle Quellen findet ihr hier.**********Ihr könnt uns auch auf diesen Kanälen folgen: TikTok und Instagram .

In this episode, Janice Campbell sits down with Professor Carol Reynolds to explore the powerful role music and the arts play in a child's education. Together, they unpack how music isn't just a “nice extra,” but an essential part of helping kids connect with history, science, and even math. Carol shares how rhythm, sound, and story all work together to shape not only knowledge, but also confidence and joy in learning. If you've ever wondered how to integrate music and literature more fully into your homeschool, or you're looking for encouragement that it's not too late to begin, this conversation will inspire you. By the end, you'll be reminded that education is about more than checking boxes—it's about nurturing the soul through beauty, rhythm, and story. About Carol Professor Carol Reynolds is a much sought-after public speaker for arts venues, homeschool conferences, and general audiences. She combines insights on music history, arts, and culture with her passion for arts education to create programs and curricula, inspires concert audiences, and lead art tours. Never dull or superficial, Carol brings to her audiences a unique blend of humor, substance, and skilled piano performance to make the arts more accessible and meaningful to audiences of all ages. Carol has led art tours to Russia, Poland, Austria, Germany, Hungary, Switzerland, the Czech Republic, Croatia, Slovakia, San Francisco, and Broadway on behalf of several arts organizations and has recently teamed with Smithsonian Journeys for cruises to the Holy Land, Mediterranean, Caribbean, Baltic Sea, Indian Ocean, and across the Atlantic. Her enthusiasm and boundless energy give tour participants an unforgettable experience. For more than 20 years, Carol was Associate Professor of Music History at the Meadows School of the Arts, Southern Methodist University in Dallas, Texas. She now makes her home in North Carolina with her husband, Hank, and her daughter and grandchildren. Hank and Carol maintain a second residence in Weimar, Germany — the home of Goethe, Schiller, Bach, and Liszt, and the focal point of much of Europe's artistic heritage. About Janice Janice Campbell, a lifelong reader and writer, loves to introduce students to great books and beautiful writing. She holds an English degree from Mary Baldwin College, and is the graduated homeschool mom of four sons. You'll find more about reading, writing, planning, and education from a Charlotte Mason/Classical perspective at her websites, EverydayEducation.com, Excellence-in-Literature.com, and DoingWhatMatters.com. Resources  Saul by George Frideric Handel The Creation by Joseph Haydn https://www.professorcarol.com/2011/08/20/the-biggest-page-turn-in-music/ Peter and the Wolf by Sergei Prokofiev The role of music in a Hitchcock movie soundtrack Hurrah and Hallelujah: 100 Songs for Children Excellence in Literature curriculum (Grades 8-12) Connect Carol Reynolds | Website | Facebook | Instagram  Janice Campbell | Instagram | Facebook | Twitter | Pinterest | Website Homeschooling.mom | Instagram | Website Subscribe to our YouTube channel | YouTube Have you joined us at one of the Great Homeschool Conventions?  We hope to see you there! For more encouragement on your homeschooling journey, visit the Homeschooling.mom site, and tune in to our sister podcast The Charlotte Mason Show. View full show notes on the blog.

Today's West Coast Cookbook & Speakeasy Podcast for our especially special daily special, Tarrytown Chowder Tuesday is now available on the Spreaker Player!Starting off in the Bistro Cafe, “Big Daddy” Gavin Newsom made the Trump administration cry in public.Then, on the rest of the menu, attorneys press for the release of an Oregon wildland firefighter detained by federal immigration officials while on the fire line of the largest wildfire on the West Coast; the guy who was kicked out of Italy for being too corrupt and too fascist for the corrupt Italian fascists, says American teachers are terrorists; and, Trump just ended hunger in America by shutting down the government's annual report on hunger in America.After the break, we move to the Chef's Table where German and Swedish fighter jets tracked a Russian reconnaissance plane flying over the Baltic Sea; and, airport cyberattacks linked to Russian intelligence disrupts more flights across Europe.All that and more, on West Coast Cookbook & Speakeasy with Chef de Cuisine Justice Putnam.Bon Appétit!The Netroots Radio Live Player​Keep Your Resistance Radio Beaming 24/7/365!“As I ate the oysters with their strong taste of the sea and their faint metallic taste that the cold white wine washed away, leaving only the sea taste and the succulent texture, and as I drank their cold liquid from each shell and washed it down with the crisp taste of the wine, I lost the empty feeling and began to be happy and to make plans.” -- Ernest Hemingway "A Moveable Feast"Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/west-coast-cookbook-speakeasy--2802999/support.

France joins the U.K., Canada and Australia in recognizing a Palestinian state, Trump honors slain conservative activist Charlie Kirk, German and Swedish jets track a Russian plane over the Baltic Sea, The U.S. sanctions ‘enablers' of a sanctioned Brazilian judge, Egypt pardons British-Egyptian activist Alaa Abdel Fattah, Germany's AfD reaches 26% in polls, The FBI allegedly recorded Trump's border czar taking a $50K cash bribe, Trump says the Murdochs will join a TikTok U.S. investment group, The U.S. approves Meta's Llama AI for government use, and Nobel laureates call for binding AI 'red lines' by 2026. Sources: www.verity.news

APAC stocks traded mixed after Chinese markets failed to benefit from the phone call between US President Trump and Chinese President Xi on Friday, with some citing a lack of concrete progress.US lawmakers face a deadline of September 30th to pass a funding bill to avoid a government shutdown. Members of the Senate are not scheduled to return to Washington until September 29th, and House lawmakers are not due to return until October 7th, according to NBC.Estonia triggered NATO Article 4 after three Russian MiG-31 jets entered its airspace on Friday, while Germany scrambled fighter jets to track a Russian plane over the Baltic Sea over the weekend.European equity futures are indicative of an uneventful cash market open with Euro Stoxx 50 futures U/C after the cash market closed flat on Friday.Looking ahead, highlights include EZ Consumer Confidence Flash (Sep), Canadian Producer Prices (Aug); Speakers include BoE's Pill, Bailey, Fed's Williams, Musalem, Barkin, Hammack, BoC's Kozicki; Supply from the EU.Read the full report covering Equities, Forex, Fixed Income, Commodites and more on Newsquawk

Your morning briefing, the business news you need in just 15 minutes.On today's podcast:(1) Donald Trump’s order on H-1B visas which requires a $100,000 fee for applications — will hurt margins of Indian outsourcers who use the program to deploy engineers to client sites. That’s a blow to India’s $280 billion IT services sector, which is already grappling with sluggish growth as customers cut back on technology spending due to geopolitical tensions and Trump’s tariffs.(2) Canada, the UK and Australia have formally recognized a Palestinian state, joining a growing global consensus and pushing ahead with a policy that has drawn criticism from US President Donald Trump.(3) Estonia is set to ask NATO allies for extra air-defense assistance over the Baltic Sea as the alliance’s eastern members try to respond to the third violation of NATO airspace this month by Russia.(4) President Donald Trump and top Republicans mourned Charlie Kirk on Sunday and galvanized young conservatives at the memorial service ahead of next year’s crucial midterm elections.(5) The UK approved a second runway at London Gatwick Airport, the latest infrastructure project pushed by Keir Starmer’s government as he tries to boost economic growth.(6) Hong Kong International Airport is weighing grounding all passenger flights for 36 hours, the longest in recent history, as the Asian financial hub braces for one of its strongest super typhoons in years, according to people familiar with the matter.Podcast Conversation: Millennials Are Stuck in an Old, Lazy StorySee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Lithuania sits along the Baltic Sea, sharing borders with Latvia, Belarus, Poland, and Russia's Kaliningrad region. Its strategic location made it a crossroads of cultures and empires for centuries. This geography also gave Lithuania access to trade routes that shaped its prosperity. Interestingly, it is the only Baltic nation with a history as a medieval empire.Vilnius, the capital, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site thanks to its Baroque architecture and Old Town. Walking through its cobbled streets feels like stepping back in time. From Gothic churches to Renaissance courtyards, the city is a tapestry of styles. Fun trivia: Vilnius once competed with Florence for being called the “Jerusalem of the North.Lithuania is one of the oldest recorded states in Europe, officially mentioned in chronicles as early as 1009. That's more than a thousand years of history. Over time, it rose to become the heart of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, stretching from the Baltic to the Black Sea. Imagine one small nation commanding such vast lands!The Grand Duchy of Lithuania reached its height in the 14th century. It was one of the largest countries in Europe, covering parts of today's Ukraine, Belarus, Poland, and Russia. This powerful state balanced military might with religious tolerance. Did you know it was one of the last places in Europe to officially convert to Christianity—in 1387? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Latvia spans about 64,000 square kilometers, making it slightly larger than West Virginia in the United States. Its capital, Riga, is the largest city in the Baltic States and a hub of culture, architecture, and innovation. Latvia's geographic position has made it a crossroads of Northern and Eastern Europe for centuries. This location shaped its history, culture, and economy in profound ways. The terrain of Latvia is predominantly low-lying, with flat plains and gently rolling hills. It's a land carved by ancient glaciers, which left behind thousands of lakes, bogs, and fertile soils. The highest point in the country is Gaiziņkalns, which reaches just 312 meters. Yet even with modest elevations, Latvia boasts breathtaking scenery. Forests dominate more than half of Latvia's land area, making it one of the greenest countries in Europe. Pine, spruce, and birch trees create an enchanting landscape that feels almost untouched by time. These forests are home to wolves, lynx, and elk, adding a wild mystique to the Latvian countryside. Nature is truly at the heart of Latvian identity. Latvia has an extensive coastline, stretching more than 500 kilometers along the Baltic Sea. The sandy beaches, especially in Jurmala, attract visitors from around the world. The Gulf of Riga offers calmer waters compared to the open sea, making it ideal for sailing and fishing. This coastal life has long influenced Latvian culture and cuisine. The Daugava River is the lifeline of Latvia, flowing from Russia through Belarus before crossing the country and emptying into the Gulf of Riga. It has been called the “River of Destiny” because of its central role in trade, transport, and cultural development. Many towns and cities were founded along its banks. Even today, it remains a symbol of national pride. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

//The Wire//2300Z September 19, 2025////ROUTINE////BLUF: RUSSIAN AIRCRAFT INCURSION REPORTED IN ESTONIA. POCKETS OF CIVIL UNREST BECOME SOLIDIFIED IN CHICAGO AS LOCALS CONTINUE TO OPPOSE ICE.// -----BEGIN TEARLINE------International Events-Europe: Controversy has continued over the past few days regarding the Online Safety Act. Details are hard to verify, however users noted that they could not access the Bible Gateway app from a British or European IP address yesterday afternoon. In a statement posted to their website, the app was reportedly offline due to "technical issues". Some time after this notice was posted, the main support website was taken down completely.Analyst Comment: It's not clear as to if this is a technical problem unrelated to censorship efforts, or if this website was taken offline due to noncompliance with the Online Safety Act. Either way, this app has a very large userbase, so answers will be sought regarding what is going on.Estonia: This morning several Russian fighter aircraft reportedly violated Estonian airspace. Estonia stated that 3x Russian MiG-31 fighters entered their airspace, remaining inside Estonia for 12 minutes before departing. 3x Italian F-35's were scrambled to respond to the incursion, though it is unclear as to if the Russian aircraft were actually intercepted. This morning Estonia enacted Article 4 of the NATO charter, which mandates a meeting of NATO to discuss the incident.This afternoon, Polish authorities reported that 2x Russian fighter aircraft conducted a low-pass flyover of a Polish oil rig platform in the Baltic Sea.-HomeFront-Utah: A truck driver was arrested yesterday after a minor traffic incident led to the discovery of two children in the back of his truck. Jacob Ortell Scott was arrested after two girls (aged 12 and 14) were found in the refrigerated trailer he was hauling, which turned out to be his sisters.Analyst Comment: Very few details have become public regarding this strange case, but local journalists are set on this not being a human trafficking case, simply because the driver was related to the children in his trailer. This is not a certainty, and the mere act itself is exceptionally suspicious; this could have been trafficking or attempted murder, or anything in between.Illinois: This morning local tensions flared in Chicago as activists have intensified operations to disrupt ICE, with local politicians urging resistance to deportations as well. Various ICE facilities around the city have been targeted by demonstrators attempting to prevent access to the facilities. Several federal vehicles have been attacked and the tires slashed by rioters, and a few dozen protesters (mostly led by local politicians or political candidates) remained demonstrating outside federal facilities throughout the day.-----END TEARLINE-----Analyst Comments: Violating Estonia's airspace is a classic Russian pastime, so even though Estonia is (understandably) freaking out about it, this incident is the fourth time airspace violations have been reported this year alone. This is mostly due to where the airspace violations are taking place...over the Gulf of Finland. Due to the very tight geography of the region, Russia can very easily violate Estonia's airspace by flying across the east-west corridor over the Gulf. Most of the time, Russia uses this as a way of poking Estonia and thus conveying their regional power to NATO. In this case, Russia chose to "poke" this time using MiG-31s...a platform that was a powerhouse during the Cold War, but is a bit dated today and is in the process of being phased out. This is probably an attempt to bully Estonia (again, as Russia is known to do), but in such a manner that is "softer" than sending Su-35's or another more modern platform. Nevertheless, the Cold War antics will continue to escalate as diplomatic effort

Eesti Kontserdi hooaja avakontserdil "Elemendid" astuvad üles Kristjan Järvi ja tema 25-liikmeline all-stars bänd.

Samuel Ramani is an Associate Fellow at the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI) think tank in London and the CEO of Pangea Geopolitical Risk. Samuel is the author of Russia in Africa: Resurgent Great Power or Bellicose Pretender and Putin's War on Ukraine: Russia's Campaign for Global Counter-Revolution, which were published by Oxford University Press and Hurst in 2023. Samuel frequently advises the UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office, US Department of State, US Department of Defence, and NATO on defense and security issues, and is a regular contributor to the BBC World Service, Al Jazeera, CNN International, and Foreign Policy magazine.----------SUPPORT THE CHANNEL:https://www.buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtainhttps://www.patreon.com/siliconcurtain----------LINKS:https://www.mei.edu/profile/samuel-ramani----------SILICON CURTAIN LIVE EVENTS - FUNDRAISER CAMPAIGN Events in 2025 - Advocacy for a Ukrainian victory with Silicon Curtainhttps://buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtain/extrasOur events of the first half of the year in Lviv, Kyiv and Odesa were a huge success. Now we need to maintain this momentum, and change the tide towards a Ukrainian victory. The Silicon Curtain Roadshow is an ambitious campaign to run a minimum of 12 events in 2025, and potentially many more. Any support you can provide for the fundraising campaign would be gratefully appreciated. https://buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtain/extrasWe need to scale up our support for Ukraine, and these events are designed to have a major impact. Your support in making it happen is greatly appreciated. All events will be recorded professionally and published for free on the Silicon Curtain channel. Where possible, we will also live-stream events.https://buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtain/extras----------DESCRIPTION: Russia's Global Counter-Revolution: In-Depth Analysis with Samuel RamaniIn this episode, Jonathan interviews Samuel Ramani, an associate fellow at the Royal United Services Institute and CEO of Pangea Geopolitical Risk. Ramani, author of books such as 'Russia in Africa' and 'Putin's War on Ukraine: Russia's campaign for Global Counter-Revolution,' discusses the overarching narrative behind Russia's global resurgence and counter-revolutionary efforts. They delve into the ideological and pragmatic motivations of Vladimir Putin, Russia's historical sense of humiliation, and Putin's strategic alignment with global far-right movements. The conversation also covers the implications of a potential post-war period in Ukraine and the future of Russian imperialism in regions like the Black Sea, Baltic Sea, and South Caucasus. Through detailed analysis, Ramani elucidates the complexities of Russia's domestic politics, its international strategies, and the sociopolitical forces that sustain Putin's regime.----------CHAPTERS: 00:00 Introduction to Samuel Ramani and His Work00:21 Overview of Russia's Global Counter-Revolution02:06 Putin's Historical Ambitions and Russian Identity05:06 Russian Ideology and the Invasion of Ukraine08:50 Generational Divide in Support for the War13:40 Economic Stability and Rising Ultra-Nationalism20:46 Putin's Pragmatism vs. Ideology25:57 Reconciling Contradictions and Promoting Sovereign Democracy27:14 Russia's Multipolar World and Sovereignty Contradictions29:45 Russian Propaganda and Anti-Western Sentiment32:08 The Evolution of the Russia-Ukraine Conflict36:04 Russia's Global Influence and Counter-Revolutionary Strategy41:10 Putin's Grip on Power and Potential Threats44:54 The Future of Russian Aggression and Global Stability50:54 Conclusion and Final Thoughts----------

An offshore wind farm near the island of Bornholm, Denmark shows how international energy sharing creates global energy progress. Sign up now for Uptime Tech News, our weekly email update on all things wind technology. This episode is sponsored by Weather Guard Lightning Tech. Learn more about Weather Guard's StrikeTape Wind Turbine LPS retrofit. Follow the show on Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, Linkedin and visit Weather Guard on the web. And subscribe to Rosemary Barnes' YouTube channel here. Have a question we can answer on the show? Email us! There's a little Danish island in the Baltic Sea that's about to make history. And it all started with a handshake worth seven billion euros. Bornholm. Population: forty thousand souls. About the size of Tulsa, Oklahoma. For eight hundred years, this island has watched the tides of war and peace wash over Northern Europe. But last week, Bornholm became the center of the most ambitious energy project in human history. Here's what just happened. The European Commission signed the largest energy grant in EU history. Six hundred forty five million euros. Seven hundred fifty six million dollars. All for one little island. But that's just the beginning. Siemens Energy just won the contract to build four massive converter stations. Two on Bornholm. One on Zealand. One in Germany. The job? Converting three gigawatts of offshore wind power into electricity that can flow between countries. Think about that. Three gigawatts. That's enough power for four and a half million homes. And the cables to carry all that electricity? NKT, a Danish company, just signed a six hundred fifty million euro contract. They'll lay two hundred kilometers of underwater cable. That's one hundred twenty four miles of electrical cord running beneath the Baltic Sea. But here's where this story gets remarkable. The cable won't be laid by just any ship. It'll be installed by the NKT Eleonora. A cable laying vessel currently under construction. When it launches in twenty twenty seven, it'll be one of the most advanced ships in the world. Powered by renewable energy. Built specifically for this project. They're not just connecting countries. They're connecting the future. Thomas Egebo, the Danish project leader, says this is about more than electricity. Quote: We are taking a big step towards a future where offshore wind from the Baltic Sea will supply electricity to millions of consumers. End quote. But let me tell you what makes this story truly extraordinary. This isn't about one country getting richer. This is about sharing power. Literally. When Denmark has too much wind, Germany gets the surplus. When Germany needs more electricity, Denmark shares theirs. Two gigawatts flow to Germany. One point two gigawatts stay in Denmark. It's like having the perfect neighbor. The kind who loans you sugar when you're out, except the sugar is enough electricity to power Berlin. The construction timeline reads like something from science fiction. Construction begins in twenty twenty eight. The island goes operational in twenty thirty. By then, Bornholm will be the electrical heart of Northern Europe. But here's the part that will give you goosebumps. This project started during the pandemic. June twenty twenty. When the world was falling apart, when nations were closing borders, one hundred seventy one out of one hundred seventy nine Danish parliamentarians voted yes. Democrats and conservatives. Liberals and traditionalists. They all agreed on one thing: the future belongs to cooperation. Stefan Kapferer, the German project leader, calls this efficient offshore cross linking between all countries bordering the North and Baltic Seas. Translation: It's the birth of a European electrical network. One that shares power, shares security, and shares prosperity. The wind turbines will be built fifteen kilometers offshore. That's about nine miles from Bornholm's coast.

Geographically, Denmark is situated in Northern Europe. It consists of the Jutland Peninsula and more than 400 islands, though only about 70 of them are inhabited. Its location makes it a bridge between mainland Europe and the Nordic countries.Denmark's closest neighbors are Germany to the south, Sweden across the Öresund Strait, and Norway to the north. With the Baltic Sea on one side and the North Sea on the other, Denmark has always been shaped by water.Despite its modest size, Denmark covers about 43,000 square kilometers, making it smaller than many of its European neighbors. Its population is around 6 million people, concentrated in cities like Copenhagen, Aarhus, and Odense. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The most fascinating nations in Northern Europe—Finland. Known for its pristine landscapes, innovative culture, and deep traditions, Finland is often called the “Land of a Thousand Lakes.” But as we'll uncover, Finland is much more than its lakes—it's a story of resilience, beauty, and balance between nature and modernity.Finland sits in Northern Europe, bordered by Sweden to the west, Norway to the north, and Russia to the east, while the Baltic Sea lies to the south. This strategic position has shaped Finland's culture, trade, and history, making it both Scandinavian and distinctly unique.With over 188,000 lakes and forests covering about 75% of its land, Finland is one of the greenest countries on Earth. This abundance of nature has not only defined Finnish culture but also earned it a reputation for being one of the cleanest, most sustainable environments in the world. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Galley Fire on Cruise Ship is the lead story on Monday Travel and Cruise Industry Podcast, September 1, 2025 with Chillie Falls. Also today, Cruise Guest Arrested At Norfolk; Niagara Takes Flight; Legend of the Seas Float-Out; Age Change at Calypso Lagoon; Disney Adventure Departs Shipyard for Baltic Sea; Captain Dag Dvergastein Retires; and lots more LIVE at 11 AM EDT. CLICK for video feed #mondaytravelandcruiseindustrypodcast #travelandcruiseindustrynews #podcast #cruisenews #travelnews #cruise #travel #chilliescruises #chilliefalls #whill_us Thanks for visiting my channel. NYTimes The Daily, the flagship NYT podcast with a massive audience. "Vacationing In The Time Of Covid" https://nyti.ms/3QuRwOS To access the Travel and Cruise Industry News Podcast; https://cms.megaphone.fm/channel/trav... or go to https://accessadventure.net/ To subscribe: http://bit.ly/chi-fal I appreciate super chats or any other donation to support my channel. For your convenience, please visit: https://paypal.me/chillie9264?locale.... Chillie's Cruise Schedule: https://www.accessadventure.net/chillies-trip-calendar/ For your mobility needs, contact me, Whill.inc/US, at (844) 699-4455 use SRN 11137 or call Scootaround at 1.888.441.7575. Use SRN 11137. YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/ChilliesCruises Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/chillie.falls X: https://x.com/ChillieFalls Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The breathtaking land of Sweden—a country that perfectly balances natural beauty, cultural depth, and modern innovation. Known as one of the happiest nations on earth, Sweden is more than just IKEA furniture and ABBA songs; it's a country that thrives on history, sustainability, and creativity.Situated in Northern Europe, Sweden is the largest country in Scandinavia and the fifth largest in Europe by area. With coastlines along the Baltic Sea and the Gulf of Bothnia, and borders shared with Norway and Finland, Sweden's geography is a tapestry of forests, mountains, lakes, and islands that provide endless opportunities for exploration.The capital city, Stockholm, is often called the “Venice of the North.” Built across 14 islands and connected by over 50 bridges, the city blends medieval architecture with modern design. From the cobblestone streets of Gamla Stan, the old town, to the futuristic architecture of its business district, Stockholm reflects both history and progress. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Tillsammans ska finska och svenska forskare ta reda på hur, när och var fladdermössen flyger över Östersjön när de migrerar till Mellaneuropa. Lyssna på alla avsnitt i Sveriges Radio Play. Målet med projektet, Bat Migration över the Baltic Sea, även kallat BAMBI, är att efter dessa frågor besvarats, hitta olika metoder för att skydda fladdermössen från de marina vindkraftverkens rotorblad. Speciellt viktigt är det att få fram denna kunskap inför de kommande planerna att storskaligt bygga ut den havsbaserade vindkraften. Därför kommer under tre års tid de höstflyttande fladdermössens flygrutter följas bland att genom 150 inspelningsapparater runt om Östersjön, från norr till söder och från öst till väst. Kunskapen kommer sen vara till stor nytta för både länsstyrelser och vindkraftsbolag, till exempel för att veta när rotorbladen ska stängas av, och gå ned i så kallat bat mode.Medverkande i programmet är Heather Wood vid SLU Centrum för biologisk mångfald, Michael Schneider på Länsstyrelsen i Västerbotten och kapten Louise Westerberg. Reporter: Catharina Ericson Ulfvesvet@sr.seProducent: Lars Broströmlars.brostrom@sr.se

This week's show features stories from Radio Deutsche-Welle, France 24, NHK World Radio Japan, and Radio Havana Cuba. http://youthspeaksout.net/swr250822.mp3 (29:00) From GERMANY- A Ukrainian has been arrested in Italy for involvement in the bombing of the Nord Stream pipeline in the Baltic Sea in 2022. Israel has commenced a final assault on Gaza City- a discussion with Egyptian journalist Karim el-Gawhary- they also describe the announcement of an expansion of Israeli settlements in the West Bank, which many see as the end of any two state solution to the area. From FRANCE- I lost the first part of a report by Israeli reporter Noga Tamopolsky about massive protests in across Israel against Netanyahu and the continuing war on Palestine. Netanyahu accused French President Macron and Australian PM Albanese of being anti-Semites by saying they will join the countries who support Palestinian statehood. From JAPAN- Japanese exports to the US fell for the 4th straight month. The Taliban interim government in Afghanistan says it wants to end its international isolation- Russia has recognized their rule and the Taliban hope to extend economic cooperation with more countries including Japan. From CUBA- El Salvador will extend pretrial detention for 80,000 gang suspects for 2 more years without trials. In a recent Presidential election in Bolivia, 2 right-wing candidates garnered the most votes and will have a runoff election soon. Political leaders in Ireland, Scotland, and Wales have urged British PM Starmer to impose sanctions on Israel over the war in Gaza. Another Palestinian journalist has been murdered in Israel and the Columbia Journalism Review has requested suggestions for safeguarding Palestinian journalists. Available in 3 forms- (new) HIGHEST QUALITY (160kb)(33MB), broadcast quality (13MB), and quickdownload or streaming form (6MB) (28:59) Links at outfarpress.com/shortwave.shtml PODCAST!!!- https://feed.podbean.com/outFarpress/feed.xml (160kb Highest Quality) Website Page- < http://www.outfarpress.com/shortwave.shtml FurthuR! Dan Roberts "Hope doesn't come from words. Hope only comes from actions." --Greta Thunberg Dan Roberts Shortwave Report- www.outfarpress.com YouthSpeaksOut!- www.youthspeaksout.net

Hackers leak backend data from the North Korean state-sponsored hacking group Kimsuky. A ransomware attack on a Dutch clinical diagnostics lab exposes medical data of nearly half a million women. One of the world's largest staffing firms suffers a data breach. Saint Paul, Minnesota, confirms the Interlock ransomware gang was behind a July cyberattack. Researchers jailbreak ChatGPT-5. A cyber incident takes the Pennsylvania Attorney General's Office entirely offline. A new report quantifies global financial exposure from Operational Technology (OT) cyber incidents. Finnish prosecutors charge a Russian captain for allegedly damaging five critical subsea cables in the Baltic Sea. On our Industry Voices segment, we are joined by Sean Deuby, Semperis' Principal Technologist, with insights on the global state of ransomware. Hackers take smart buses for a virtual joyride. Remember to leave us a 5-star rating and review in your favorite podcast app. Miss an episode? Sign-up for our daily intelligence roundup, Daily Briefing, and you'll never miss a beat. And be sure to follow CyberWire Daily on LinkedIn. CyberWire Guest On our Industry Voices segment, we are joined by Sean Deuby, Semperis' Principal Technologist, who is sharing insights and observations on the state of ransomware around the globe. If you want to hear the full conversation, check it out here. Selected Reading Kimsuky APT Hackers Exposed in Alleged Breach Revealing Phishing Tools and Operational Data (TechNadu) Ransomware attack on dutch medical lab exposes cancer screening data of almost 500K women (Beyond Machines) Manpower discloses data breach affecting nearly 145,000 people (Bleeping Computer) Saint Paul cyberattack linked to Interlock ransomware gang (Bleeping Computer) Tenable Jailbreaks GPT-5, Gets It To Generate Dangerous Info Despite OpenAI's New Safety Tech (Tenable) Pennsylvania Attorney General's Office hit by cybersecurity incident, shuts down digital infrastructure (Beyond Machines) New Dragos Report Estimates Over $300 Billion in Potential Global OT Cyber Risk Exposure (Business Wire) The 2025 OT Security Financial Risk Report (Dragos) Finland charges captain of suspected Russian ‘shadow fleet' tanker for subsea cable damage (The Record) Free Wi-Fi Leaves Buses Vulnerable to Remote Hacking (SecurityWeek) Audience Survey Complete our annual audience survey before August 31. Want to hear your company in the show? You too can reach the most influential leaders and operators in the industry. Here's our media kit. Contact us at cyberwire@n2k.com to request more info. The CyberWire is a production of N2K Networks, your source for strategic workforce intelligence. © N2K Networks, Inc. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Tom Cunliffe is a living legend among offshore sailors. He has lived his life at sea, mostly sailing traditional boats. He learned to sail on a 22 ft gaff sloop when a teenager on the Norfolk Broads. He studied law in university, but then ran off to sea. He has worked as mate on a coasting merchant vessel and skippered private yachts as well as having been a delivery and charter skipper. He was a sailing tutor for many years, progressing from running a dinghy sailing school in the south of France to becoming a senior offshore instructor at the British National Sailing Centre in Cowes. He has been a yachmaster examiner since 1978. He is the author of about 30 books about sailing, including "The Complete Yachmaster" and "Celestial Navigation."  We talk about the harbor in Denmark where we was waiting out a storm, sailing in the Baltic Sea, classic boats, history, sailing into St Petersburg Russia, navigating in the Baltic islands without modern technology, sailing a 1911 pilot cutter, the difference between navigating today vs before GPS, the benefits of using paper charts for passage planning, the joy of finding your destination with celestial navigation, heaving-to, surviving a hurricane, the benefit of a heavy mast, his Mason 44, why he has always sailed full-keel boats, using the code zero, what he would choose if he were to buy a boat today, his upcoming novel "Hurricane Force," and more. Photos and links are on the shownotes page Support the show through Patreon

With the war against Ukraine in its fourth year, we reflect on the situation in Ukraine and the broader hybrid war that Russia is waging against the West. On February 24th 2025, it was three years since Russia launched its large-scale invasion of Ukraine. What Russia expected to be a quick victory has turned into a bloody conflict, in which the Russians have already lost more than half a million soldiers, while the Ukrainians continue to hold their ground – albeit pushed onto the defensive.Meanwhile, the hybrid war that Russia is waging against the rest of Europe is becoming increasingly visible: ships sailing under foreign flags destroying critical infrastructure in the Baltic Sea, disinformation sowing chaos during elections in Moldova, and secret agents preparing (so far foiled) attacks on European airplanes and citizens. The conflict with Russia intensifies, but are we fully aware of the threat when only Ukrainians are doing the actual fighting?We pause to reflect on the situation on the ground in Ukraine and examine the broader European context. What challenges lie ahead for both Ukraine and Europe in the coming period? How are these challenges affected by the growing momentum of radical right parties in the West? And is disinformation from the Kremlin being given free rein now that Meta and X have removed their fact-checkers and the American president blames Ukraine for starting the war?This is a programma from our archives, which took place on the 24th of February 2025.Speakers: Jean Charles Ellermann-Kingombe, Serhii Prokopenko, Kira Lebedenko, Pekka Kallioniemi and Janthe Van SchaikMusic by: Galyna Bilych, Mykhailo Bilych and Andriy VasinProgramme editor: Veronica BaasModerator: Yoeri AlbrechtWith support of NATOZie het privacybeleid op https://art19.com/privacy en de privacyverklaring van Californië op https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Andrew Shapiro talks with CSIS researcher (and undersea cable enthusiast) Erin Murphy about the threats facing these critical transmission paths at the bottom of the world's oceans. Erin explains why undersea cables are vital to military communications, financial systems, and healthcare—and how they've evolved into strategic targets. She also discusses the roles of China and Russia, and how the commercial interests of the infrastructure's private owners stack up against national security concerns.

Latvia has a remarkably long coastline for its size. Therefore, seafaring, fishing and eating fish are important parts of Latvian life and culture. We step back in time and discover the history of Latvia's fishing industry, with many good tales. We will also taste some typical Latvian fish, mostly smoked in the way Latvians love it, which the EU now wants to ban. I will suggest a fish driving tour along the Bay of Riga coast from Jūrmala up to Kolka and then down the Baltic Sea coast to Mazirbe, where fishing boats came to die. Join me as we get stuck into some tasty fish! Thanks for listening!

The Migration Agency publishes a list of 152 professions subject to shortages in Sweden that could be exempted from tougher pay rules for work permits. We go through what this means. Also: Police in Umeå investigate after effigies dressed in striped shirts and Stars of David are hung by their necks at a demonstration against the war in Gaza.And: The hot weather's causing unusually large algal blooms all along Sweden's east coast. We hear how the situation looks on the Baltic Sea.Presenters: Michael Walsh and Ulla Engberg

Earlier this month, a tanker laden with thousands of tonnes of crude oil, which had set off from a Russian port on the Baltic Sea, sailed down the west coast of Ireland. The decision by the Sierra, a 250-metre tanker which was destined for India, to sail around the British Isles and into the North Atlantic, rather than take the more direct route through the English Channel, has caused confusion and concern among maritime and naval experts. The tanker, which passed by the west coast of Ireland on July 10th, was just one of the rising number of sanctioned Russian ships, known as shadow fleet vessels, to sail through Irish-controlled waters in recent months. The suspicious and bizarre behaviour of these vessels has prompted the Irish Defence Forces and Government to step up maritime monitoring because of environmental and national security concerns. What is this Russian shadow fleet and why are some of their vessels taking the longer route around the Irish coast and sailing outside recognised shipping lanes? And what are the security and environmental risks posed by these ships? Irish Times crime and security correspondent Conor Gallagher discusses the dramatic increase in the number of sanctioned Russian ships sailing through Irish-controlled waters. Presented by Sorcha Pollak. Produced by Suzanne Brennan and Andrew McNair. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

**Discussion begins at 5:15**In the 1970s and 80s, the USSR had a dedicated branch of the navy researching “anomalous phenomena”, which used Soviet submarines to track USOs in the Black Sea, the Baltic Sea, Lake Baikal, and the Arctic Ocean.  These objects allegedly moved at impossible speeds, changed directions instantly, and were seen emerging from or diving into the water without creating splash disturbances.  Then, in 2009, a number of documents related to the USSR research into UFOs/USOs revealed the story of the Lake Baikal swimmers.  There were declassified reports that 7 Navy divers on a training mission in Lake Blaikal, the world's oldest and deepest lake, had encountered mysterious humanoid beings underwater.  These figures, which came to be known as the Baikal Swimmers, were 9-10 feet tall, wearing tight silver suits with umbrella like helmets on their heads, but lacked scuba gear or breathing apparati.  The divers told their superiors who instructed them to capture one.  The divers again made contact with these acquatic beings, but failed to capture one as  a sudden and powerful force allegedly repelled them.  As a result, the divers all were propelled to the surface and leading them all to suffer from decompression sickness.  Three of the divers died as a result.  But what were the swimmers really?   Extraterrestrial?  Unknown sea creature? – perhaps one of the many species endemic only to Lake Baikal..  Or is this another urban legend gone viral?  Send us a textSupport the showTheme song by INDA

Adam, Joanna, and Zach discuss a recent piece by Kate Bernot about the changing landscape of alcohol investment: where once there was a lot of money floating around just looking for upstart brands, those investors are a bit thin on the ground now. Yet that doesn't mean that all the opportunities are gone, just that the money still in the alcohol space is a bit more experienced and potentially a bit savvier. Please remember to subscribe to, rate, and review VinePair on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your episodes, and send any questions, comments, critiques, or suggestions to podcast@vinepair.com. Thanks for listening, and be well.Joanna is reading: The Mount Rushmore of American Craft Cocktail Bars, According to 7 Noteworthy BartendersAdam is reading: Color-Coded Branding Sells Seltzer and Scotch — So Why Not Wine?Zach is reading: Why Is There So Much Champagne at the Bottom of the Baltic Sea?Instagram: @adamteeter, @jcsciarrino, @zgeballe, @vinepair Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Host Joe DeMare talks about how Trump supporters may be beginning to admit they were wrong to support him as he continues to trash the environment, especially the Everglades. Next he interviews Ann Rabe of Don't Waste New York about the plans to fight NY Governor Kathy Hochul as she tries to irradiate "Upstate" with new nuclear plants. Rebecca Wood talks about King Mindaugas of Lithuania and the brackish Baltic Sea. Ecological News includes nuclear plants shutting down in the heat and Ireland shutting its last coal plant.

In this bonus episode, something a bit different: a special dispatch from the Swedish island that has become a Nato bulwark against Russian aggression in the Baltic Sea. Although all troops were removed in 2005, Gotland Island has since been remilitarised and is now home to the Swedish Armed Forces' newest outfit: the Gotland Regiment.The troops are charged with protecting this hugely strategic Baltic outpost from Russia - and they are clear-eyed about the threat Moscow once again poses in northern Europe.Venetia Rainey takes us inside some of Sweden's trademark CV90s, chats to the regiment's commander about the challenges of defending the island, and embeds with elite British paratroopers practicing recapturing the territory from Moscow.https://linktr.ee/BattleLinesContact us with feedback or ideas:battlelines@telegraph.co.uk @venetiarainey@RolandOliphant Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Forget everything you think you know about viruses. In the ocean, there are viral giants so large they were mistaken for bacteria for decades – and they're rewriting the rules of marine ecology.Join us as we explore the fascinating world of giant viruses with Benjamin Minch, a PhD student at the University of Miami who has discovered over 230 previously unknown viral genomes using a revolutionary computational tool called BEREN. These microscopic monsters can hijack photosynthesis, manipulate their hosts like puppet masters, and dramatically reshape ocean food webs.Giant viruses are up to 100 times larger than common viruses, with genomes rivaling those of bacteria. Some enhance their hosts' superpowers – boosting photosynthesis and metabolism – before turning infected cells into viral factories. Others cause victims to clump together and sink as marine snow, playing crucial roles in carbon sequestration and climate regulation.From the Baltic Sea's viral treasure trove to practical applications like predicting harmful algal blooms, this episode explores how invisible giants influence everything from ocean food webs to global nutrient cycles. Discover why the ocean's biggest players might also be its smallest.Links:BEREN tool: https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2024.10.09.617401v1Ben's research publications: https://idsc.miami.edu/pegasus-powered-giant-virus-study-yields-publicly-shared-bioinformatics-tool/

Saare Yachts is a German company that builds quality, semi-custom yachts which are made in Estonia in the yard that formerly built Finngulf Yachts.  In the intro, I discuss the new 5X-more expensive Bahamas cruising permits and new fees, as well as the strikes in Bocas del Toro, Panama. Niels and I talk about sailing in the Baltic Sea, sailing angles, history of the boatyard, building the hulls, vacuum infusion, vinyl-ester resin, foam, bulkheads, lead keels, keel bolts, traditional hull design, heeling, single rudders, engine access, electrical systems, alternators, induction stoves, having 2 alternators, German boom sheeting, a unique liferaft storage and launching system, and more. Photos and links are on the shownotes page Support the show through Patreon

In Episode 53 of Redefining Energy TECH, Host Michael Barnard speaks with Tristan Smith, a prominent expert in maritime decarbonization and professor at the University College London Energy Institute. Tristan shares his insights, beginning with an overview of maritime shipping, which accounts for approximately 1 gigaton of CO₂ equivalent annually, making it responsible for about 2-3% of global emissions. Crucially, the regulatory oversight for these emissions sits largely with the International Maritime Organization (IMO) due to the nature of international shipping occurring beyond national jurisdictions.Our conversation moves through the historical context of the IMO, tracing its evolution from a safety standards body established post-Titanic disaster to an organization now deeply involved in global climate policy. Historically, the IMO faced significant challenges in progressing climate regulations due to entrenched disagreements between developed and developing countries around responsibilities. The Paris Agreement in 2015, alongside persistent advocacy from smaller nations like the Marshall Islands, notably shifted this dynamic, leading to the adoption of the IMO's initial climate strategy in 2018.We delve into recent regulatory developments, including the unprecedented IMO vote initiated by Saudi Arabia, resulting in a decisive 63-to-16 vote (with around 29 abstentions) mandating progressive reductions in greenhouse gas intensity for ships over the next 25 years. The regulation sets clear fines for non-compliance—$380 per ton for exceeding the highest threshold and $100 per ton for mid-level breaches—ultimately requiring ships to achieve a 65% reduction in emissions intensity by 2040.The discussion highlights the role of Emissions Control Areas (ECAs), established initially to curb SOx and NOx emissions in sensitive regions like the Baltic Sea, North Sea, and North America, effectively serving as early tests for broader international regulations. Additionally, we critically examine LNG's journey from a touted solution for reducing SOx and NOx emissions to its complicated position as a potential climate liability due to significant methane emissions both onboard and upstream. Norway's influential promotion of LNG and subsequent studies, such as those by the International Council on Clean Transportation, underline these complexities. Finally, Tristan emphasizes the future challenges facing maritime decarbonization, notably the risk of technological lock-in with LNG and the powerful role of the oil and gas industry within the maritime sector. We also explore the shifting political landscape as global fossil fuel transportation—currently 40% of maritime tonnage along with another declining 15% for raw iron ore—faces inevitable structural declines, promising profound implications for industry dynamics and global decarbonization efforts.

By J. Overton Dr. Sebastian Bruns joins the program to talk about his article, “Conundrums, Right Ahead: Five strategic concerns for Baltic Sea decision-makers.” Sebastian is a naval strategist and sea power expert based in Kiel, Germany, where he is senior researcher at the Institute for Security Policy at Kiel University. Download Sea Control 575: … Continue reading Sea Control 575: Baltic Conundrums with Sebastian Bruns →

In the past 20 years more than a fifth of our oceans have been growing darker. What is causing this and how worried should we be? To mark World Ocean Day on June 8, we've repackaged a deep dive that will take you beneath the Baltic Sea to explore how ocean darkening is changing the marine ecosystem, plus the steps we need to take to protect our oceans.

From the BBC World Service: India formally takes its dispute with the U.S. to the World Trade Organization, challenging Washington's global tariffs on cars. Then, Estonia, Lithuania and Latvia work to stop Russia's fleet of illegal oil tankers from passing through the Baltic Sea. And later, students at the University of Havana in Cuba boycott classes over a sharp hike in mobile internet fees, and the Nintendo Switch 2 launches worldwide.

From the BBC World Service: India formally takes its dispute with the U.S. to the World Trade Organization, challenging Washington's global tariffs on cars. Then, Estonia, Lithuania and Latvia work to stop Russia's fleet of illegal oil tankers from passing through the Baltic Sea. And later, students at the University of Havana in Cuba boycott classes over a sharp hike in mobile internet fees, and the Nintendo Switch 2 launches worldwide.

1. "Conundrums, right ahead: Five strategic concerns for Baltic Sea decision-makers," by Sebastian Bruns, Royal Swedish Naval Society, 2024. (Website is in Swedish, Click the Ladda ned button to download the issue, the article is on page 61 of the PDF in English.)2."From 'Flooded Meadow' to Maritime Hotspot: Keeping the Baltic Sea Free, Open, and Interconnected," by Sebastian Bruns, Carnegie Endowment, December 20, 2023.3. Sea Control 548 – Maritime Competition in the Mediterranean with Dr. Sebastian Bruns & Dr. Jeremy Stöhs, by Jared Samuelson, CIMSEC, September 21, 2024.4. Institute for Security Policy at Kiel University.

Frank Gardner, BBC Security Correspondent, speaks to Carsten Breuer, the German chief of defence.General Carsten Breuer gives his assessment of the threat that Russia poses to the Western alliance Nato. He says that Russia is building up its forces to an "enormous extent" and says that members of the alliance need to prepare for a possible attack from Russia within the next four years, according to assessments from defence analysts. He cites recent attacks on undersea cables in the Baltic Sea, and unidentified drones spotted over German power stations and other infrastructure, as possible evidence that Russia is continuously looking for weaknesses in the defence capabilities of Western countries. Russia has denied involvement in these incidents. General Breuer argues that Nato members should build up their militaries, and that European nations should consider security a baseline for prosperity and development. The Interview brings you conversations with people shaping our world, from all over the world. The best interviews from the BBC. You can listen on the BBC World Service, Mondays and Wednesdays at 0700 GMT. Or you can listen to The Interview as a podcast, out twice a week on BBC Sounds, Apple, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts.Presenter: Frank Gardner Producers: Viv Jones Editor: Nick Holland Get in touch with us on email TheInterview@bbc.co.uk and use the hashtag #TheInterviewBBC on social media.(Image: General Carsten Breuer. Credit: Sean Gallup/Getty Images)

Today's guest is Jim Hansson — marine archaeologist, diver, and co-author of The Ships of Birka. In this episode, we dive deep (literally) into the world beneath the waves: underwater Viking harbors, preserved tools and textiles, how he found a fragment of what is likely a piece of a sail, and the magic of uncovering everyday life from over a thousand years ago. Jim shares wild stories from decades of diving, from finding Kalashnikovs and Santa masks to recovering 16th-century warships in the Baltic Sea.

It's a gut-wrenching, all too familiar scene - Canadians leaving their homes as out of control wildfires advance on entire towns. The prairie provinces are dealing with a record-breaking wildfire season, leaving communities engulfed in worry.Also: As ceasefire negotiations between Russia and Ukraine remain stalled, a number of countries on the Baltic Sea are sounding the alarm on increasingly provocative actions involving a shadowy fleet of ships linked to Moscow.And: As this country's best in film and TV is celebrated at the Canadian Screen Awards this weekend, the federal government is looking into redefining what qualifies as Canadian content.Plus: Reaction to Donald Trump's proposed steel and aluminum tariff increase, Canada's firefighting resources, and more

Eliot returns from overseas travel and brings back the jackassery of the week segment with him. He and Eric discuss the President's reliance on totally fraudulent evidence while ambushing the President of South Africa with a video alleging genocide against whites in his country, the President's bizarre commencement address at the "Army Acadmey," the disembowling of the national security council staff, and the continued sniping in the immediate office of the Secretary of Defense. Eliot also reports on the "strategic ghosts" haunting the chanceries of Europe and his visits to Edinburgh, London, Tallinn, Stockholm and Warsaw. They discuss the UK Strategic Defense Review and Britain's post-imperial overstretch, Eliot's attendance at the Lennert Meri Conference in Estonia and that country's memories of absorption into the Soviet Union and its fears of Russian revanchism, Russian gray zone activity in the Baltic Sea, Russian troop movements in the north and the threat to the Nordics, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov's unpublished threatening letter to the Swedes in 2021, Sweden's "armed neutrality" during the Cold War, the nuclear question that hangs over Poland as well as Polish resentments at past betrayals, Russia's evolution into a perpetual warfare state, and European efforts to both rearm, assist Ukraine and influence Trump (and their chances of success on the latter front). Shield of the Republic is a Bulwark podcast co-sponsored by the Miller Center of Public Affairs at the University of Virginia.

Please hit subscribe and leave a 5-star rating. Click here to see Jen's book. https://a.co/d/2BfTxSq Click here to go to our Patreon Page. https://www.patreon.com/222ParanormalPodcast Click here to go to our website. https://www.222paranormal.com/ Click here to save on Clothing and home goods. https://poshmark.com/closet/happie22   In this episode of the 222 Paranormal Podcast, we dive—literally and figuratively—into one of the most enigmatic underwater discoveries of the 21st century: the Baltic Sea Anomaly. Found in 2011 by the Swedish diving team Ocean X, this strange, circular formation resting nearly 300 feet below the surface of the Baltic Sea has sparked countless theories, ranging from ancient lost civilizations and secret Nazi technology to crashed UFOs and natural geological formations. Join Joe and Jen as they explore the origins of the anomaly, the initial sonar images that captivated the world, and the persistent mystery that has only deepened over the years. Why does this object appear to have unnatural right angles, what looks like a ramp or staircase, and even what some believe is a landing skid? Is it simply an unusual rock formation shaped by glacial activity—or is it something far more ancient, intelligent, and unexplained? But that's just the beginning. The episode also takes you on a global journey beneath the waves to explore undersea ruins found across our planet—remnants of structures that challenge our understanding of history and human civilization. From the sunken city of Dwarka off the coast of India, said to be thousands of years older than previously believed human settlements, to the mysterious Yonaguni Monument off the coast of Japan with its seemingly carved steps and geometric patterns, we examine whether our ancestors may have left behind submerged legacies hidden beneath the oceans. Could these underwater formations be evidence of forgotten advanced civilizations—possibly even the fabled Atlantis? Or are these just products of natural erosion, misinterpretation, and wishful thinking? We weigh the evidence, challenge the assumptions, and ask the hard questions that keep the spirit of paranormal exploration alive. Also featured in this episode: The role of sonar imaging and how underwater anomalies are discovered. Debunking and defending the Baltic Sea Anomaly—what skeptics and believers are saying. Connections between rising sea levels and the loss of coastal civilizations. How tectonic shifts and climate changes might explain some underwater “ruins”—but not all. Whether you're a deep-sea diving enthusiast, a lover of lost civilizations, or just curious about one of the most fascinating unexplained phenomena of our time, this episode is sure to make you question what lies beneath the surface. Don't forget to subscribe and leave us a review—your support helps us continue bringing strange and compelling stories from the edge of the unknown. And if you've had your own underwater or anomaly encounter, we want to hear about it! Reach out on social media or visit our website at www.222paranormal.com. Stay weird. Stay curious. And keep exploring the unknown.

Welcome to Brief Encounters—where history's strangest moments collide with the unexplained. I'm your host, Nik. It was April 1665. A quiet day along the shore of the Baltic Sea. Fishermen cast their lines near the German town of Stralsund, as they had for centuries. Salt in the air. Nets in the water. Nothing unusual—until they looked up and saw ships—not in the water, but in the sky. Dozens of them. Moving, maneuvering, and even firing at each other. A battle. In broad daylight. Overhead. And then… a dark object emerged. It hovered. It shimmered. It terrified.Brief Encounters is a tightly produced, narrative podcast that dives headfirst into the world of UFO sightings, the paranormal, cryptids, myths, and unexplained legends. From ancient sky wars to modern close encounters, each episode takes listeners on a journey through some of the most mysterious and compelling cases in human history. Whether it's a well-documented military sighting or an eerie village legend whispered across generations, Brief Encounters delivers each story with atmosphere, depth, and cinematic storytelling. Episodes are short and binge-worthy — perfect for curious minds on the go. In just 5 to 10 minutes, listeners are pulled into carefully researched accounts that blend historical context, eyewitness testimony, and chilling details. The series moves between eras and continents, uncovering not only the famous cases you've heard of, but also the forgotten incidents that deserve a closer look. Each story is treated with respect, skepticism, and wonder — offering both seasoned enthusiasts and casual listeners something fresh to consider. Whether it's a 15th-century sky battle over Europe, a cryptid sighting in a remote forest, or a modern-day abduction report from rural America, Brief Encounters is your guide through the shadows of our world — and the stories that refuse to be explained.UFO Chronicles Podcast can be found on all podcast players and on the website: https://ufochroniclespodcast.comBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/ufo-chronicles-podcast--3395068/support.

To protect the strategically vital Baltic Sea, NATO must adopt a fully integrated strategy that combines resilience and deterrence. Host Bill Hamblet interviews Commander Stefan Lundqvist, Royal Swedish Navy, and Julian Pawlak about their article in the May issue.

Nick Hunt traverses the spine of the Curonian Spit in the Baltic Sea, and learns how its sands—anchored by forest roots for millennia—began to move rapidly and swallow villages in the eighteenth century when woodlands and sacred groves were systematically clear-cut for timber. Though halted through engineering and reforestation, the dunes are now eroding under human footsteps, and spilling into the lagoon they border. As he witnesses how quickly landscapes are changed by our own hands, Nick asks if the challenge is not in reversing the damage we've done, but in remembering humility before the forces of the Earth. Read the essay. Discover more stories from our latest print edition, Volume 5: Time. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices