Podcasts about Beirut

If you prefer to watch the video you can find it at the bottom of this webpage. Episode Sponsors: Jack Carr Mountain Man Medical About This Episode: In this episode, we talk with Jack Carr, a former Navy SEAL and bestselling author, live from the SHOT Show 2026. Jack shares insights about his transition to writing, focusing on his fiction series featuring James Reese and his upcoming novel, “The Fourth Option,” which explores themes of heritage and modern conflict. We discuss the authenticity in his storytelling, shaped by his military experiences, and his nonfiction work on the 1983 Beirut barracks bombing. Jack also reflects on the challenges of writing in the digital age and the importance of connecting with audiences through his podcast, “Danger Close.” As always, any questions or suggestions for future episodes can be submitted to podcast@concealedcarry.com! Thanks for Listening! Thanks so much for joining us this week. Have some feedback you'd like to share? Leave a note in the comment section below. If you enjoyed the podcast the biggest compliment you could give us would be to subscribe to future episodes via a podcast app on your phone or via iTunes. You can find past podcast episodes by clicking here. Video Recording: Press PLAY on the video below to watch the video recording! {"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"VideoObject","@id":"https://www.concealedcarry.com#/schema/video/4244273","name":"S13E4: Authenticity Sells – Jack Carr on Gear, Guns, and Getting It Right","description":"In this episode, we talk with Jack Carr, a former Navy SEAL and bestselling author, live from the SHOT Show 2026. Jack shares insights about his transition to writing, focusing on his fiction series featuring James Reese and his upcoming novel, "The Fourth Option," which explores themes of heritage and modern conflict.","thumbnailUrl":"https://i.ytimg.com/vi/GAsugcDj5qM/maxresdefault.jpg","uploadDate":"2026-01-30T11:12:53-07:00","embedUrl":"https://www.concealedcarry.com/player-embed/id/4244273/?autoplay=0","duration":"PT55M18S","interactionStatistic":{"@type":"InteractionCounter","interactionType":{"@type":"http://schema.org/WatchAction"},"userInteractionCount":1}}

It's hard to be the only woman , I feel lonely sometimes because I'd like to have another woman colleague to talk too.'The BBC's Chief international correspondent, Lyse Doucet speaks to Hind Kabawat, Syria's Minister for Social Affairs and Labour. and the only female minister in the transitional government.She was born in India and grew up across the Middle East and Europe. Her life has been shaped by movement, exile and conflict. She studied economics in Damascus, law in Beirut, and later continued her education in the United States.During Syria's war, she worked abroad on diplomacy and legal reform, advising on negotiations and pushing for greater representation of women in public life. After the fall of the Assad regime and the creation of a transitional authority, she returned home to take up public office. In this conversation, she talks about power, responsibility, and what leadership means in a country still reckoning with more than a decade of conflict.The Interview brings you conversations with people shaping our world, from all over the world. The best interviews from the BBC, including episodes with the Colombian president Gustavo Petro, the Palestinian-American human rights lawyer Noura Erekat and Mexican actor Diego Calva. You can listen on the BBC World Service on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays at 0800 GMT. Or you can listen to The Interview as a podcast, out three times a week on BBC Sounds or wherever you get your podcasts. Presenter: Lyse Doucet Producers: Lina Shaikhouni, Farhana Haider Editor: Justine LangGet in touch with us on email TheInterview@bbc.co.uk and use the hashtag #TheInterviewBBC on social media.(Image: Hind Kabavat Credit: Beyza Comert/Anadolu via Getty Images)

David Daoud explores what Hezbollah will manage if Tehran fails. The discussion considers the organization's future autonomy and survival prospects should its Iranian patron collapse, examining whether the group can sustain itself independently or faces inevitable decline without external support.1899 BEIRUT

Send us a textIn this conversation, Ricardo Karam sits down with Michel Helou in a discussion that moves beyond politics as slogans and delves into the core of the Lebanese experience as a daily test of conscience and responsibility. Michel returned from Europe to Beirut, learned Arabic until it became part of his everyday life, worked in the media within a long-established institution, and then chose to move from observation to direct political engagement.The conversation addresses questions of identity without romanticism, presenting Lebanon as it truly is: pain, a complex administrative reality, and a system that continues to resist change. From everyday scenes that revealed the collapse of the idea of the state to his first shocks within public administration, Michel explores the meaning of genuine reform, and addresses money and political financing, along with the ethical boundaries of what is acceptable and unacceptable in public life.In a direct discussion about youth and the National Bloc, Michel Helou reflects on how success criteria that go beyond parliamentary seats to include changing behavior and enforcing respect for the rule of law.Join Ricardo Karam and Michel Helou in a profound conversation about identity, the state we aspire to, and the possibility of change in Lebanon today.في هذا الحوار الصريح، يجلس ريكاردو كرم مع ميشال حلو، في لقاء يتجاوز السياسة كشعارات ليدخل إلى جوهر التجربة اللبنانية بوصفها اختباراً يومياً للضمير والمسؤولية. عاد ميشال من أوروبا إلى بيروت، تعلّم العربية حتى أصبحت جزءاً من حياته اليومية، عمل في الإعلام داخل مؤسسة عريقة، ثم اختار الانتقال من موقع المراقبة إلى موقع الفعل السياسي.يتناول الحوار مسألة الهوية بعيداً عن الرومانسية، ويطرح لبنان كما هو: وجعاً، واقعاً إدارياً معقّداً، ونظاماً يقاوم التغييرويناقش مفهوم الإصلاح الحقيقي كما يتوقف عند المال والتمويل السياسي، وحدود المقبول والمرفوض أخلاقياً في العمل العام.وفي حديث مباشر عن الشباب والكتلة الوطنية، يتناول ميشال حلو كيفية تحويل الخطاب السياسي النظيف إلى تنظيم فعلي على الأرض، ومعايير النجاح التي لا تُقاس فقط بالمقاعد، بل بتغيير السلوك وفرض احترام القانون.انضموا إلى ريكاردو كرم وميشال حلو في لقاء عميق عن الهوية، الدولة التي نريدها، وإمكانية التغيير في لبنان اليوم.

What if your previous career—completely unrelated to therapy—held the exact keys you needed to unlock a successful private practice? For Denise Smith, running an auto body shop taught her the administrative, financial, and client-relations skills that gave her the confidence to launch Speak Up Speech Therapy in Southern California.Denise is a speech-language pathologist with over 20 years of experience whose journey to private practice was anything but linear. Born and raised in Beirut, Lebanon, she discovered the field almost by accident when university programs reopened after war. What began as a curious joke with friends became a lifelong calling after she moved to the United States.Denise is also the co-host of the Heal Yourself Podcast, where she and her co-host lead powerful conversations on self-healing, emotional mastery, and elevating your relationship with yourself from the inside out.After years as a school-based SLP, Denise never saw herself as a business owner. But a pivotal stint managing her then-husband's auto shop—handling scheduling, insurance claims, invoices, and client complaints—became her unexpected training ground. She looked in the mirror and realized, “Why am I not doing this for me?”Her turning point came on a walk past a neighbor's house—a neighbor who happened to be a special education coordinator. Denise asked how to get on the list for Independent Educational Evaluations (IEEs). That simple question started a domino effect: her first contract led to school referrals, which gave her the foundation to build a practice intentionally designed around her life, not the other way around.With a focus on school contracts, IEEs, and private clients, Denise has created what she calls a “lifestyle practice.” It's a model built on freedom and flexibility, allowing her to heal her nervous system, prioritize her daughter's competitive dance schedule, and travel—all while serving a population she loves.In Today's Episode, We Discuss:How running an auto shop gave her the unexpected confidence to start her own practiceWhy she ditched perfection and chose progress with purposeWhat it's like to build a mobile, flexible “lifestyle” practice while navigating divorce and deep personal healingHow she makes income from school contracts, private pay clients, and independent evaluations — without burning outDenise's story is a powerful reminder that your path to private practice doesn't have to look traditional. By trusting her unique journey and leveraging all of her experiences, she designed a business that supports her life, family, and well-being first.Ready to explore what a lifestyle practice could look like for you? Whether you're just starting to consider private practice or looking to grow an existing one, the right guidance can help you build the freedom, flexibility, and fulfillment you deserve — just like Denise has. The Grow Your Private Practice Program gives you the coaching and guidance to scale your private practice. Learn more at www.GrowYourPrivatePractice.com.Whether you want to Start or Grow a private practice, I can help you get the freedom, flexibility, fulfillment, and financial abundance that you deserve. Visit

Jason Burke's The Revolutionists: The Story of the Extremists Who Hijacked the 1970s (Knopf, 2026) is an epic, authoritative, gripping account of the years when a new wave of revolutionaries seized the skies and the streets to hold the world for ransom In the 1970s, an unprecedented wave of international terrorism broke out around the world. More ambitious, networked and far-reaching than ever before, new armed groups terrorized the West with intricately planned plane hijackings and hostage missions, leaving governments scrambling to cope. Their motives were as diverse as their methods. Some sought to champion Palestinian liberation, others to topple Western imperialism or battle capitalism; a few simply sought adventure or power. Among them were the unflappable young Leila Khaled, sporting jewelry made from AK-47 ammunition; the maverick Carlos the Jackal with his taste for cigars, fine dining, and designer suits; and the radical leftists of the Baader-Meinhof Gang or the Japanese Red Army. Their attacks forged a lawless new battlefield thirty thousand feet in the air, evading the reach of security agencies, policymakers, and spies alike. Their operations rallied activist and networks in places where few had suspected their existence, leaving a trail of chaos from Bangkok to Paris to London to Washington, D.C. Veteran foreign correspondent Jason Burke provides a thrilling account of this era of spectacular violence. Drawing on decades of research, recently declassified government files, still secret documents, and original interviews with hijackers, double agents, and victims still grieving their loved ones, The Revolutionists provides an unprecedented account of a period which definitively shaped today's world and probes the complex relationship between violence, terrorism, and revolution. From the deserts of Jordan and the Munich Olympics to the Iranian Embassy Siege in London and the Beirut bombings of the early 1980s, Burke invites us into the lives and minds of the perpetrators of these attacks, as well as the government agents and top officials who sought to foil them. Charting, too, such shattering events as the Iranian Revolution and the Lebanese civil war, he shows how, by the early 1980s, a campaign for radical change led by secular, leftist revolutionaries had given way to a far more lethal movement of conservative religious fanaticism that would dominate the decades to come. Driven by an indelible cast of characters moving at a breakneck pace, full of detail and drama, The Revolutionists is the definitive account of a dark and seismic decade. 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

Jason Burke's The Revolutionists: The Story of the Extremists Who Hijacked the 1970s (Knopf, 2026) is an epic, authoritative, gripping account of the years when a new wave of revolutionaries seized the skies and the streets to hold the world for ransom In the 1970s, an unprecedented wave of international terrorism broke out around the world. More ambitious, networked and far-reaching than ever before, new armed groups terrorized the West with intricately planned plane hijackings and hostage missions, leaving governments scrambling to cope. Their motives were as diverse as their methods. Some sought to champion Palestinian liberation, others to topple Western imperialism or battle capitalism; a few simply sought adventure or power. Among them were the unflappable young Leila Khaled, sporting jewelry made from AK-47 ammunition; the maverick Carlos the Jackal with his taste for cigars, fine dining, and designer suits; and the radical leftists of the Baader-Meinhof Gang or the Japanese Red Army. Their attacks forged a lawless new battlefield thirty thousand feet in the air, evading the reach of security agencies, policymakers, and spies alike. Their operations rallied activist and networks in places where few had suspected their existence, leaving a trail of chaos from Bangkok to Paris to London to Washington, D.C. Veteran foreign correspondent Jason Burke provides a thrilling account of this era of spectacular violence. Drawing on decades of research, recently declassified government files, still secret documents, and original interviews with hijackers, double agents, and victims still grieving their loved ones, The Revolutionists provides an unprecedented account of a period which definitively shaped today's world and probes the complex relationship between violence, terrorism, and revolution. From the deserts of Jordan and the Munich Olympics to the Iranian Embassy Siege in London and the Beirut bombings of the early 1980s, Burke invites us into the lives and minds of the perpetrators of these attacks, as well as the government agents and top officials who sought to foil them. Charting, too, such shattering events as the Iranian Revolution and the Lebanese civil war, he shows how, by the early 1980s, a campaign for radical change led by secular, leftist revolutionaries had given way to a far more lethal movement of conservative religious fanaticism that would dominate the decades to come. Driven by an indelible cast of characters moving at a breakneck pace, full of detail and drama, The Revolutionists is the definitive account of a dark and seismic decade. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/history

Jason Burke's The Revolutionists: The Story of the Extremists Who Hijacked the 1970s (Knopf, 2026) is an epic, authoritative, gripping account of the years when a new wave of revolutionaries seized the skies and the streets to hold the world for ransom In the 1970s, an unprecedented wave of international terrorism broke out around the world. More ambitious, networked and far-reaching than ever before, new armed groups terrorized the West with intricately planned plane hijackings and hostage missions, leaving governments scrambling to cope. Their motives were as diverse as their methods. Some sought to champion Palestinian liberation, others to topple Western imperialism or battle capitalism; a few simply sought adventure or power. Among them were the unflappable young Leila Khaled, sporting jewelry made from AK-47 ammunition; the maverick Carlos the Jackal with his taste for cigars, fine dining, and designer suits; and the radical leftists of the Baader-Meinhof Gang or the Japanese Red Army. Their attacks forged a lawless new battlefield thirty thousand feet in the air, evading the reach of security agencies, policymakers, and spies alike. Their operations rallied activist and networks in places where few had suspected their existence, leaving a trail of chaos from Bangkok to Paris to London to Washington, D.C. Veteran foreign correspondent Jason Burke provides a thrilling account of this era of spectacular violence. Drawing on decades of research, recently declassified government files, still secret documents, and original interviews with hijackers, double agents, and victims still grieving their loved ones, The Revolutionists provides an unprecedented account of a period which definitively shaped today's world and probes the complex relationship between violence, terrorism, and revolution. From the deserts of Jordan and the Munich Olympics to the Iranian Embassy Siege in London and the Beirut bombings of the early 1980s, Burke invites us into the lives and minds of the perpetrators of these attacks, as well as the government agents and top officials who sought to foil them. Charting, too, such shattering events as the Iranian Revolution and the Lebanese civil war, he shows how, by the early 1980s, a campaign for radical change led by secular, leftist revolutionaries had given way to a far more lethal movement of conservative religious fanaticism that would dominate the decades to come. Driven by an indelible cast of characters moving at a breakneck pace, full of detail and drama, The Revolutionists is the definitive account of a dark and seismic decade. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/military-history

Jason Burke's The Revolutionists: The Story of the Extremists Who Hijacked the 1970s (Knopf, 2026) is an epic, authoritative, gripping account of the years when a new wave of revolutionaries seized the skies and the streets to hold the world for ransom In the 1970s, an unprecedented wave of international terrorism broke out around the world. More ambitious, networked and far-reaching than ever before, new armed groups terrorized the West with intricately planned plane hijackings and hostage missions, leaving governments scrambling to cope. Their motives were as diverse as their methods. Some sought to champion Palestinian liberation, others to topple Western imperialism or battle capitalism; a few simply sought adventure or power. Among them were the unflappable young Leila Khaled, sporting jewelry made from AK-47 ammunition; the maverick Carlos the Jackal with his taste for cigars, fine dining, and designer suits; and the radical leftists of the Baader-Meinhof Gang or the Japanese Red Army. Their attacks forged a lawless new battlefield thirty thousand feet in the air, evading the reach of security agencies, policymakers, and spies alike. Their operations rallied activist and networks in places where few had suspected their existence, leaving a trail of chaos from Bangkok to Paris to London to Washington, D.C. Veteran foreign correspondent Jason Burke provides a thrilling account of this era of spectacular violence. Drawing on decades of research, recently declassified government files, still secret documents, and original interviews with hijackers, double agents, and victims still grieving their loved ones, The Revolutionists provides an unprecedented account of a period which definitively shaped today's world and probes the complex relationship between violence, terrorism, and revolution. From the deserts of Jordan and the Munich Olympics to the Iranian Embassy Siege in London and the Beirut bombings of the early 1980s, Burke invites us into the lives and minds of the perpetrators of these attacks, as well as the government agents and top officials who sought to foil them. Charting, too, such shattering events as the Iranian Revolution and the Lebanese civil war, he shows how, by the early 1980s, a campaign for radical change led by secular, leftist revolutionaries had given way to a far more lethal movement of conservative religious fanaticism that would dominate the decades to come. Driven by an indelible cast of characters moving at a breakneck pace, full of detail and drama, The Revolutionists is the definitive account of a dark and seismic decade. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/national-security

Much more on Substack!Iran, Lebanon and Syria, Oh My!Hussain Abdul-Hussain is a fellow at the The Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD), hailing from Beirut via Baghdad and all the way to Washington DC. We talk about how he learned Hebrew by chatting with Israeli soldiers on the lebanese border, why he was wrong about the new leader of Syria, and why peace with Israel can only help the Arab and Muslim world.Follow Hussain on X and keep up with his work at the FDD!Also:* Does everyone in Lebanon hate us? Only 3 out of 4 people.* Seeing Israel beyond the F-16s, through AM radio and pop culture.* The most dangerous thing Hussain ever did - read an Israeli newspaper on the Columbia campus.* Holding our breath for Iran.* But don't hold your breath for Syria.* Some advice for dealing with idiots.* Coming soon - Hussain's book, The Arab Case For Israel!* The are only three Christians left in Baalbek, Lebanon - and that's bad for Muslims.* The uselessness of the UN Peacekeeping Force.* Can Israeli and Saudi Arabia make it work?* Bring in George Clooney!* Our $7,000 aren't a match for Qatari money. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit askajew.substack.com/subscribe

Send us a textIn this conversation, Ricardo Karam sits down with Dr. Basel Dalloul, a leading figure in the preservation and documentation of contemporary Arab art. The discussion goes beyond the concept of art collecting to explore meaning, memory, and cultural responsibility. Dr. Dalloul shares his vision of art as a human and political archive, reflecting on the moment when a family legacy transformed from a “collection” into a historical trust.The conversation highlights the experience of the Dalloul Art Foundation as a distinct cultural model based on archiving, research, and accessibility rather than display alone. It reveals how Dr. Dalloul's technological background contributed to building a robust knowledge infrastructure that safeguards Arab art from loss while providing it with proper historical and legal context. The dialogue also addresses the complex relationship between market forces and meaning, the commodification of identity, and the role of data and documentation in preserving artistic memory.From Beirut as a courageous base amid ongoing challenges to the global presence of Arab art as an active and productive force, join Ricardo Karam and Basel Dalloul in a profound dialogue on art, identity, and cultural responsibility in a rapidly changing world.في هذا الحوار، يجلس ريكاردو كرم مع دكتور باسل دلّول، أحد أبرز الفاعلين في حماية وتوثيق الفن العربي المعاصر، في لقاء يتجاوز مفهوم جمع الأعمال الفنية ليتناول المعنى، الذاكرة، والمسؤولية الثقافية. يشارك دكتور دلّول رؤيته حول الفن بوصفه أرشيفاً إنسانياً وسياسياً، ويتوقف عند اللحظة التي تحوّل فيها الإرث العائلي من "مجموعة" إلى أمانة تاريخ.يتناول الحوار تجربة  Dalloul Art Foundation كنموذج ثقافي مختلف، قائم على الأرشفة، البحث، والإتاحة، لا على العرض فقط، ويكشف كيف أسهمت الخلفية التكنولوجية لدلّول في بناء بنية تحتية معرفية تحمي الفن العربي من الضياع وتمنحه سياقه التاريخي والحقوقي. كما يناقش اللقاء العلاقة المعقدة بين السوق والمعنى، وتسليع الهوية، ودور البيانات والتوثيق في صون الذاكرة الفنية.من بيروت كمقر شجاع في زمن الأزمات، إلى الحضور العالمي للفن العربي كقوة فاعلة ومنتجة، يفتح اللقاء مساحة للتأمل في دور الثقافة في صناعة السرديات الكبرى، انضموا إلى ريكاردو كرم وباسل دلّول في حوار عميق عن الفن، الهوية، والمسؤولية الثقافية في عالم متغيّر.

A judge sets limits on ICE tactics used on protesters in Minnesota. Meanwhile, the Justice Department begins a criminal investigation into Minnesota Governor Tim Walz and other officials. María Corina Machado courts President Donald Trump, while CIA Director John Ratcliffe meets Venezuelan officials, deepening questions overthe shape of the country's future. And in Beirut, Father Guilherme Peixoto, the “DJ Priest,” spins faith into a techno beat. Listen to the latest On Assignment: On the ground in Greenland Listen to Morning Bid podcast ⁠⁠here⁠⁠. Sign up for the Reuters Econ World newsletter ⁠⁠here⁠⁠.  Listen to the Reuters Econ World podcast ⁠⁠here⁠⁠. Visit the Thomson Reuters Privacy Statement for information on our privacy and data protection practices.  You may also visit megaphone.fm/adchoices to opt out of targeted advertising. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When evil terrorists have hijacked a passenger plane flying through Europe filled with mostly Americans and they're headed towards Beirut...who are you gonna call?  The Delta Force! Yup smack in the middle of a now legendary run of B-Grade genre films (Missing In Action, Breakin', Cobra), Cannon Films decided to make a statement with this star-studded political action thriller starring Chuck Norris (The Way of the Dragon, Code of Silence, Walker Texas Ranger) and the late, great Lee Marvin (Cat Ballou, The Dirty Dozen) who lead this titular elite squad of warriors to the rescue.  Not only that but one half of the Israeli producing duo which ran Cannon - Menahem Golan (Over the Top, Enter the Ninja, The Apple) - actually decided to direct it himself. ;) When first released amidst a true glut of military-themed action films in '86, this was only a middling success but since then, it has garned a devoted cult following thanks to it likely overqualifed cast filled with former Oscar-winners (Marvin, Martin Balsam, George Kennedy, Shelly Winters) and an EXTREMELY catchy theme song created by Alan Silvestri!  Well that and we get to see Norris' McCoy dispatch bad guys with missiles from his motorcycle....Host: Geoff GershonEdited By Ella GershonProducer: Marlene Gershon  Send us a textSupport the showhttps://livingforthecinema.com/Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/Living-for-the-Cinema-Podcast-101167838847578Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/livingforthecinema/Letterboxd:https://letterboxd.com/Living4Cinema/

This one hits deeper than a startup story.I sat down with Kal Merhi, founder of iRoomit, and what began as a simple “Airbnb-for-roommates” conversation turned into a masterclass in resilience, reinvention, and building something that actually serves people.Kal grew up in Beirut during the civil war—fifteen years of survival, homelessness, and walking miles every morning just to get water. He came to Canada with ten family members and two dollars, learned the language on the fly, bought his first business with a handshake and a promissory note, scaled to 23 stores, lost everything, rebuilt five more businesses, burned out, lost his mother… and then found the idea that finally felt like purpose.iRoomit wasn't built to chase hyper-growth or squeeze users for revenue.It was built to solve a real, global problem:Rent is unaffordable. Loneliness is rising. Scams are everywhere. And millions of people just need a safe, stable place to live.In this episode, we break down:* How Kal's war-zone childhood shaped his belief that every person deserves “100 square feet called home.”* How bootstrapping forced him to design a real business, not a VC hallucination.* The scam problem in housing that nobody talks about—and how iRoomit engineered a zero-scam ecosystem using real-time ID + payment verification.* The rise of co-living, and why the next housing wave isn't ownership—it's shared space, affordability, and community.* Why landlords can make more by renting individual rooms than renting a whole house.* How iRoomit is scaling across Canada, the U.S., the U.K., Australia, Singapore, and the UAE—without investors or a dime of outside funding.* The mindset required to start from nothing, fail repeatedly, and still build something that matters.If you're a founder rebuilding from setback…If you're trying to build clarity around your next move…If you want an example of someone who's been through hell and still chose purpose over profit—This conversation will reset your bar.Listen in. Then turn insight into execution.Connect with Kalhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/kal-merhi-a40563161/https://www.iroomit.com/ This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.dougutberg.com

Send us a textIn this episode, I sit down with Manuel “Mano” Agulian, known to many as Pastor Mano, a Pasadena based pastor who leads the Armenian Christian Outreach at PazNaz and serves in Armenian Ministries. We talk about his story of leaving Beirut, Lebanon and coming to the United States during the civil war, and how that journey shaped his faith, his family, and the way he thinks about purpose. We also get into what long term ministry looks like when you are trying to reach and build up the next generation. Pastor Mano shares how ACOP focuses on Armenian youth and families and the different ways they build community, including sports, music, and even motorsports ministry. We also explore his other world as a mechanical engineer and longtime car builder, and how craftsmanship, discipline, and persistence show up in both the garage and ministry. ______________Music CreditsIntroEuphoria in the San Gabriel Valley, Yone OGStingerScarlet Fire (Sting), Otis McDonald, YouTube Audio LibraryOutroEuphoria in the San Gabriel Valley, Yone OG__________________My SGV Podcast:Website: www.mysgv.netNewsletter: Beyond the MicPatreon: MySGV Podcastinfo@sgvmasterkey.com

Send us a textIn this unique conversation, Ricardo Karam meets Serge Brunst, the Lebanese designer who transformed his passion for art and beauty into an extraordinary journey between East and West. Born in Aleppo to a family of diverse roots Russian, Italian, and Levantine his experience has been shaped by the balance between belonging and identity, medicine and art, Beirut and Paris.Serge recounts his journey from medicine to design, reflecting on the pivotal moment that led him to step into the world of creativity. He shares memories of 1960s Beirut, a city of light and life, where he redefined Lebanese aesthetics through the design of palaces and iconic interiors, collaborating with leading architects and designers.He also speaks about his passion for collecting antiques and Orientalist art, his design philosophy that blends memory, beauty, and meaning, and offers advice to the new generation of designers, providing deep insights into the artistic and human legacy he leaves behind.Join Ricardo Karam and Serge Brunst in this conversation that chronicles the journey of a man who merged art, history, and identity, carving out a unique place for himself in both Lebanese and global design.في هذا الحوار الفريد بالتفاصيل، يلتقي ريكاردو كرم بـ سيرج برونست المصمم اللبناني الذي حوّل شغفه بالفن والجمال إلى رحلة استثنائية بين الشرق والغرب. وُلد في حلب لعائلة متعددة الجذور، روسية وإيطالية ومشرقية، وتجسدت تجربته بين الانتماء والهوية، بين الطب والفن، بين بيروت وباريس.يستعرض سيرج رحلته من الطب إلى التصميم، مستذكراً لحظة التحوّل التي قادته لترك الاختصاص والانطلاق إلى عالم الإبداع، وكيف كانت بيروت في الستينات مسرحاً للضوء والحياة، حيث أعاد تعريف الجمال اللبناني من خلال تصميم القصور والديكورات البارزة، ومشاركته مع كبار المعماريين والمصممين.كما يتحدث عن شغفه بجمع التحف والفن الاستشراقي، وعن فلسفته في التصميم التي تمزج بين الذكريات والجمال والمعنى، ويشارك نصائحه لجيل المصممين الشباب، مقدماً رؤية ثاقبة عن الإرث الفني والإنساني الذي يتركه وراءه.انضموا إلى ريكاردو كرم وسيرج برونست في هذا اللقاء الذي يوثّق رحلة رجل جمع بين الفن، التاريخ، والهوية، وصنع لنفسه مكاناً فريداً في عالم التصميم اللبناني والعالمي.

Send us a textIn deeply human conversation Ricardo Karam meets his friend from university Omar Dabaghi, a man who carries within him the memory, contradictions, and soul of old Beirut. Born into a family rooted in authenticity and openness, Omar was kidnapped during the war because he was Christian. Yet he chose to return to Hamra convinced that fear should never decide where one belongs.In this episode, Omar revisits the Beirut of memory and meaning a city that once united its differences through conversation and culture. He opens up about his 1986 abduction, how it reshaped his relationship with the city, and how he learned to reconcile pain with purpose, love with loss.He also reflects on his political journey running in the 2022 elections on the “Beirut Needs a Heart” list, and his vision of politics as a moral duty, not a pursuit of power.Between nostalgia and reform, loss and resilience, Omar shares the story of a man who never stopped believing in his city.A conversation about fear and belonging, memory and renewal, Beirut past and present and the unshakable faith that this city, despite everything, can still smile at dawn.Join Ricardo Karam and Omar Dabaghi for an intimate dialogue that smells like old Beirut where coffee, courage, and love still linger in the air.في هذه المحادثة، يلتقي ريكاردو كرم بصديق مقاعد الدراسة عمر دبغي  رجل يحمل في داخله ذاكرة بيروت القديمة، وتناقضاتها، وروحها التي لا تموت. وُلد عمر في عائلة بيروتية متجذّرة بالصدق والانفتاح، خُطف خلال الحرب فقط لأنّه مسيحي، لكنه اختار أن يعود إلى الحمرا مؤمنًا بأن الخوف لا يجب أن يحدد مكان الانتماء.في هذه الحلقة، يستعيد عمر بيروت الذاكرة والمعنى المدينة التي كانت توحّد اختلافاتها عبر الثقافة والكلمة.يتحدّث عن اختطافه عام 1986، وكيف غيّر ذلك علاقته بالمدينة، وكيف تصالح مع الألم دون أن يفقد حبّه لها أو إيمانه بها.كما يتناول تجربته السياسية حين ترشّح في انتخابات 2022 على لائحة "بيروت بدها قلب"، ورؤيته للسياسة كمسؤولية أخلاقية تجاه الناس والمكان، لا كصراع على السلطة. بين الحنين والإصلاح، الفقدان والصمود، يروي عمر قصة رجل لم يتوقف يوماً عن الإيمان بمدينته.حديث عن الخوف والانتماء، الذاكرة والتجدد، بين بيروت الأمس وبيروت اليوم وعن الإيمان العنيد بأن هذه المدينة، رغم كل شيء، ما زالت قادرة أن تبتسم مع الفجر.انضموا إلى ريكاردو كرم وعمر دبغي في حوار صادق تفوح منه رائحة بيروت القديمة … حيث القهوة والشجاعة والحبّ لا يزالون في الهواء.

In this episode we are joined by Wassila Abboud to discuss her essay, "The Dining Table and the Drone." Our conversation begins with her meditations on grief in Lebanon. We explore how people often name today's grief through the language of past griefs — and what this transference between past and present reveals about the psyche under domination. From there, we turn to Walter Benjamin's "angel of history" and why Abboud argues this analogy fails to capture Lebanon's relationship to catastrophe. We discuss why so many returns cluster around 1982, how that year fractured grief itself, reshaping collective memory, political imagination, and the vocabulary of resistance. We examine the paradoxical meaning of ceasefire, the choreography of repeated displacement, and the temporal logic of domination that ensures catastrophe is always waiting just beyond its declaration. Our conversation also situates Lebanon's grief in relation to Gaza's present devastation, asking what it reveals about the impossibility of stability in a regional order sustained by capital accumulation and the extraction of life. We trace the sequence of events between 1978 and 1982 — from Operation Litani to the Camp David Accords and Israel's full-scale invasion of Beirut — not simply as military maneuvers but as the crystallization of a regional order that fractured Lebanon's political landscape and redefined resistance. Wassila Abboud is a cultural worker and writer researching between Beirut and Amsterdam. Her work engages with critical theory, philosophy, and culture and takes on both a speculative and materialist approach, examining the conditions of past and present historical struggles. (Follow her on IG: @wassila_) If you like what we do and want to support our ability to have more conversations like this. Please consider becoming a Patron. You can do so for as little as a 1 Dollar a month at patreon.com/millennialsarekillingcapitalism  

HOW ARE DOMESTIC POLITICS SHAPING ISRAEL'S NATIONAL SECURITY?HEADLINE 1: A big Gaza announcement is expected.HEADLINE 2: The Lebanese Armed Forces said it completed the first phase of its plan to deploy across south Lebanon and disarm non-state groups.HEADLINE 3: An Iranian hacking group claimed it identified an Israeli agent coordinating Mossad operations inside Iran.--FDD Executive Director Jon Schanzer provides timely situational updates and analysis, followed by a conversation with Gadeer Kamal Mreeh, former member of Knesset (Israel's parliament) and founder and CEO of GKM Global Consulting LLC.Learn more at: fdd.org/fddmorningbrief--Featured FDD Pieces: "Lebanon Must Become Independent of Saudi Arabia Too" - Hussain Abdul-Hussain, This is Beirut"Can Iran Hold the Line Against Its Protesters?" - Reuel Marc Gerecht and Ray Takeyh, The Wall Street Journal "How the UK Is Undermining US Indo-Pacific Security" - Alexander Gray and Cleo Paskal

***I have been working with Lara Sheehi on her new show.  Make sure you subscribe to her video and audio feeds to listen to the rest of this episode**** Ghassan Abu Sittah: Clinic as site of resistance   In this episode, I sit down with Dr. Ghassan Abu Sittah to discuss the centrality of the clinic in the genocidal violence perpetrated by the Zionist settler state in Gaza, his concept of the biosphere of genocide, and importantly, the site of the clinic as central to resistance, refusal, and liberation. Dr Ghassan Abu-Sittah is a British-Palestinian Plastic & Reconstructive Surgeon. He completed his medical education at University of Glasgow in the U.K and his postgraduate residency training in London. In April of 2024 he was awarded and Honorary Doctorate from the American University of Beirut, where is currently Professor of Conflict Medicine. His work was featured by numerous newspapers and media outlets notably La Monde, The Independent, Telegraph, BBC and CNN. Follow us on IG: @psychicmilitancypod & TikTok: @psychic.militancy Consider becoming a Patron to support the show! https://www.patreon.com/psychicmilitancy

Click here to send a message. We love to hear from our listeners! Send us a text message and share your feedback What would you learn if you crossed international borders with only a 26-liter backpack and a belief that most people are kind? We sit down with friend Dean Fromm, a Colorado based traveler who's visited 109 countries, to unpack how light gear, slow plans, and open eyes can turn the world into a classroom. From Ecuador's Amazon, where a landslide an innovative act of collective problem-solving, to nights in Beirut under rolling blackouts, Dean shows how generosity often lives where our news cycles don't look.We dig into practicals—e-visas, passports, research routines, and why maps reveal more than roads. Dean chooses regions and builds trips around terrain, history, and the people he meets along the way. He makes the case for the Middle East and Asia as welcoming, life-affirming places, sharing vivid stories from Lebanon, Armenia, and an unforgettable solo entry into Gaza in the mid-90s that led to two days of hospitality from people with very little to spare. It's not a blind faith; it's a risk-aware posture shaped by real mishaps like a fall near Lake Baikal that turned into a lesson on resilience, recovery, and listening to your limits.If you've ever wondered how to travel with intention, Dean's playbook is simple and demanding: pack less, stay longer, talk to strangers, and let maps guide your understanding of why cities exist where they do. Let local food, markets, and music become your syllabus. Say yes when your gut says yes, and keep your boundaries when it doesn't. You'll come home with fewer certainties and a deeper, steadier confidence in people—and in your own ability to navigate the unknown.Enjoy the conversation, then share it with a friend who needs a nudge to book that first trip. Subscribe, leave a review, and tell us: where did a stranger's kindness change your route?Support the show

PREVIEW FOR LATER TONIGHT HEZBOLLAH'S FINANCIAL LIFELINE IN VENEZUELA Colleague David Daoud. David Daoud explains why Hezbollah remains entrenched in Venezuela. He argues the terror group urgently needs revenue from Venezuelan resources to maintain social support among Shiites in Lebanon, seeking financial reservoirs that are situated far beyond the immediate reach of Israeli military operations. 1836 BEIRUT

In the 1970s, a network of radical extremists terrorised the West with plane hijackings and hostage-takings. Among them were the beautiful young Leila Khaled with her jewellery made from grenade rings, the hard-drinking philanderer Carlos the Jackal sporting shades and open-neck shirts, and the radical leftists of the Baader-Meinhof Gang. Taking Israel, capitalism and ‘western imperialism' as targets, they orchestrated spectacularly violent attacks that held governments to ransom and the world gripped to their television screens. In October 2025 one of the foremost writers on terrorism and International Security Correspondent for the Guardian Jason Burke came to the Intelligence Squared stage to uncover the insider stories from the terror attacks which shaped this tumultuous decade. From the Munich Olympics and the raid on Entebbe, to the Iranian Embassy Siege in London and the Beirut bombings of the early 1980s, Burke shed light on the lives and minds of the perpetrators of these attacks, as well as the government agents who sought to thwart and assassinate them, drawing on declassified archive material and original interviews with key actors and witnesses. --- If you'd like to become a Member and get access to all our full ad free conversations, plus all of our Members-only content, just visit intelligencesquared.com/membership to find out more. For £4.99 per month you'll also receive: - Full-length and ad-free Intelligence Squared episodes, wherever you get your podcasts - Bonus Intelligence Squared podcasts, curated feeds and members exclusive series - 15% discount on livestreams and in-person tickets for all Intelligence Squared events  ...  Or Subscribe on Apple for £4.99: - Full-length and ad-free Intelligence Squared podcasts - Bonus Intelligence Squared podcasts, curated feeds and members exclusive series … Already a subscriber? Thank you for supporting our mission to foster honest debate and compelling conversations! Visit intelligencesquared.com to explore all your benefits including ad-free podcasts, exclusive bonus content and early access. … Subscribe to our newsletter here to hear about our latest events, discounts and much more. https://www.intelligencesquared.com/newsletter-signup/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this landmark episode, we sit down with Dr. Ramy Bou Khalil and Dr. Joseph El Khoury to explore the vision, urgency, and meaning behind the launch of the Lebanese Journal of Mental Health (LJMH). Drawing on journeys that span academia, clinical care, leadership, and the diaspora, our guests reflect on how Lebanese psychiatry has endured war, economic collapse, political instability, and mass physician emigration yet continues to produce rigorous, compassionate, and globally relevant work. From the formative academic environments of American University of Beirut and Université Saint-Joseph, to leadership within the Lebanese Psychiatric Society, this conversation traces how institutional memory, resilience, and responsibility converged to make LJMH not just aspirational—but necessary. We discuss: Why now is the right moment for a national mental health journal How LJMH supports clinicians and researchers working in resource-limited settings The importance of honoring pioneers while mentoring the next generation Turning brain drain into brain circulation through meaningful diaspora engagement Redefining “impact” beyond metrics—toward relevance, voice, and continuity This episode is a reflection on legacy and a blueprint for the future of mental health scholarship in Lebanon and the region.

In the 1970s, a network of radical extremists terrorised the West with plane hijackings and hostage-takings. Among them were the beautiful young Leila Khaled with her jewellery made from grenade rings, the hard-drinking philanderer Carlos the Jackal sporting shades and open-neck shirts, and the radical leftists of the Baader-Meinhof Gang. Taking Israel, capitalism and ‘western imperialism' as targets, they orchestrated spectacularly violent attacks that held governments to ransom and the world gripped to their television screens. In October 2025 one of the foremost writers on terrorism and International Security Correspondent for the Guardian Jason Burke came to the Intelligence Squared stage to uncover the insider stories from the terror attacks which shaped this tumultuous decade. From the Munich Olympics and the raid on Entebbe, to the Iranian Embassy Siege in London and the Beirut bombings of the early 1980s, Burke shed light on the lives and minds of the perpetrators of these attacks, as well as the government agents who sought to thwart and assassinate them, drawing on declassified archive material and original interviews with key actors and witnesses. --- This is the first instalment of a two-part episode. If you'd like to become a Member and get access to all our full ad free conversations, plus all of our Members-only content, just visit intelligencesquared.com/membership to find out more. For £4.99 per month you'll also receive: - Full-length and ad-free Intelligence Squared episodes, wherever you get your podcasts - Bonus Intelligence Squared podcasts, curated feeds and members exclusive series - 15% discount on livestreams and in-person tickets for all Intelligence Squared events  ...  Or Subscribe on Apple for £4.99: - Full-length and ad-free Intelligence Squared podcasts - Bonus Intelligence Squared podcasts, curated feeds and members exclusive series … Already a subscriber? Thank you for supporting our mission to foster honest debate and compelling conversations! Visit intelligencesquared.com to explore all your benefits including ad-free podcasts, exclusive bonus content and early access. … Subscribe to our newsletter here to hear about our latest events, discounts and much more. https://www.intelligencesquared.com/newsletter-signup/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

As 2025 comes to a close, we're revisiting interviews with this year's nominees and winners of some of the biggest prizes in literature. First up: Raja teaches philosophy to high schoolers and shares an apartment with his 82-year-old mother, Zalfa. Rabih Alameddine explores their relationship – and other forms of intimacy – in his new novel The True True Story of Raja the Gullible (and His Mother). In today's episode, the author joins NPR's Scott Simon for a conversation about Raja's self-deprecation, Zalfa's relationship with another older woman, and Alameddine's mother's memory loss.To listen to Book of the Day sponsor-free and support NPR's book coverage, sign up for Book of the Day+ at plus.npr.org/bookofthedayLearn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Special Christmas/New Year edition with the brothers' mother! The brothers welcome their mother, the author and educator Jean Said Makdisi, to the show, to discuss her books, her memories of growing up between Palestine and Egypt, living in America in the 1950s and 1960s and returning to Lebanon, where she raised her children through the 1975-1990 war while teaching at Beirut University College. She is the author of "Teta, Mother and Me: An Arab Woman's Memoir" and "Beirut Fragments: A War Memoir."  This episode was recorded live and produced by Layla Makdisi. Date of recording: August 8, 2025. Watch the video edition on our YouTube channel Follow us on our socials: X: @MakdisiStreet YouTube: @MakdisiStreet Insta: @Makdisist TikTok: @Makdisistreet Music by Hadiiiiii Sign up at Patreon.com/MakdisiStreet to access all the bonus content, including the latest Q&A  

How does a physician go from building a genetics startup in Beirut to practicing medicine hundreds of miles offshore? In this episode, we explore the world of maritime medicine, a little-known field at the crossroads of clinical care, emergency decision-making, prevention, and global regulation. Our guest breaks down what maritime medicine really is, how it differs from emergency, occupational, and family medicine, and what a “workday” looks like when patients are on ships, in ports, or connected by satellite from the open ocean. We discuss the most common medical cases at sea, the ones that keep physicians up at night, and the unique clinical and logistical challenges of caring for patients when evacuation isn't an option. We also dive into fitness-for-duty decisions, prevention, and why joining the American Board of Maritime Medicine marks an important step for the specialty. Finally, we look ahead at where maritime medicine is headed with telemedicine, AI, and a rapidly evolving global shipping industry, and whether this unconventional path could be a fit for burned-out physicians seeking something different. #MaritimeMedicine #PhysicianCareers #NonTraditionalMedicine #Telemedicine #GlobalHealth #MedicineAtSea #CareerPivot #LebanesePhysiciansPodcast

A2 THE SHOW #593Join us as we welcome Cyril Aris, Lebanese director, screenwriter, and member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences®, whose feature A Sad and Beautiful World (2025) premiered at Venice and became Lebanon's Oscar® submission. Cyril opens up about choosing filmmaking over consulting, capturing Beirut's most challenging moments, and using cinema as a political and social tool. He reflects on navigating censorship, working with first-time actors, and crafting deeply human stories of love, loss, and resilience. Along the way, he shares how life experiences shape meaningful cinema and the importance of challenging global stereotypes about Beirut and Lebanese identity.IG: @cyrilarisWEBSITE: https://www.cyrilaris.com/

6. Failure to Disarm: Hezbollah's Persistence and UNIFIL's Inefficacy. David Daoud reports that the Lebanesegovernment is failing to disarm Hezbollah south of the Litani River, merely evicting them from abandoned sites. He argues UNIFIL is an ineffective tripwire, as Hezbollah continues to rebuild infrastructure and receive funding right under international observers' noses. 1969 BEIRUT

It's YOUR time to #EdUp with Chris Klaus, CEO, Fusen. & Co-Founder, Georgia Tech CREATE-X Startup AcceleratorIn this episode, sponsored by the ⁠⁠⁠ELIVE 2026 Conference in Denver, Colorado, April 19-22, & the 2026 InsightsEDU Conference in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, February 17-19,YOUR cohost is Samyr Qureshi, Executive Chairman, KnackYOUR host is ⁠Dr. Joe SallustioHow does a Georgia Tech alum who built a cybersecurity startup in his grandmother's guest bedroom end up creating the Klaus building & launching an accelerator that has supported nearly 1,000 student startups?What happens when you tell college students to stop interning for Google & Amazon & instead intern for themselves, giving them credit, funding & mentorship to build their own companies?How does a venture capitalist who invests in founders before they even have a company & helps them incorporate as US entities from Chile to Beirut change the game for international entrepreneurs & protect America's competitive edge?Listen in to #EdUpThank YOU so much for tuning in. Join us on the next episode for YOUR time to EdUp!Connect with YOUR EdUp Team - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Elvin Freytes⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠& ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Dr. Joe Sallustio⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠● Join YOUR EdUp community at ⁠The EdUp Experience⁠We make education YOUR business!P.S. Want to get early, ad-free access & exclusive leadership content to help support the show? Then ⁠⁠​subscribe today​⁠⁠ to lock in YOUR $5.99/m lifetime supporters rate! This offer ends December 31, 2025!

In this Special Rewind Episode, host Mark Ledlow revisits an impactful conversation with Mike Trott, a former Air Force veteran and CIA Special Agent, whose career has been defined by protecting some of the world's most high-profile individuals. Mike shares the journey of writing his seminal book, The Protected, and the immense pressure of securing an endorsement from former CIA Director George Tenet. They delve into the "layers of security" model, the dangers of social media misinformation, and the 2020 Beirut port explosion as a critical case study in risk management and incompetence. Mike also discusses his current role as VP of Global Safety and Security at Discovery Land, highlighting how the security industry has pivoted during the COVID-19 pandemic. The conversation covers the vital importance of utilizing operational downtime for training and preparing for the massive impending resurgence of global corporate travel.This Special Rewind Episode offers timeless, practical lessons for security professionals, executives, and principals seeking to strengthen decision-making, preparedness, and resilience.Learn about all this and more in this episode of The Fearless Mindset Podcast.KEY TAKEAWAYSMastering the craft of security requires decades of lived experience and continuous learning.Security programs must be holistic; removing a single layer compromises the entire foundation.The endorsement of a high-level principal stems from a commitment to excellence and professional pressure.Social media misinformation is a growing "failed experiment" that poses significant risks to global stability.Effective risk assessment involves evaluating "all-hazard" scenarios, including neighboring industrial threats.Professional EP teams must utilize downtime for rigorous training to remain sharp for future surges in travel.QUOTES“I don't think you can write a book, especially about our career... and hit all the points unless you've lived through it. That's going to take you a few decades.”“If you take one or two layers out... it's like removing the foundation from your building, from your house. You're gonna have issues.”“Social media does a lot of good, hands down... but I think we haven't seen or been able to measure how bad it does in terms of false information.”“As CSOs or VP of Security and Safety, we probably didn't see this coming where we'd have to step up and be more involved with helping to understand this pandemic.”“If EP teams are not training right now and taking advantage of this opportunity and they're just staying at home... you're probably wrong.”“The executives are gonna own a full launch and it's gonna ramp up pretty quick. Get ready. It's gonna be madness.”“Fearless isn't just your ability to handle a high stress situation. I think fearless also applies into your ability to make good decisions.”Get to know more about Mike Trott and his work through the links below:Book: www.TheProtected.usLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mwtrott/To hear more episodes of The Fearless Mindset podcast, you can go to https://the-fearless-mindset.simplecast.com/ or listen on major podcasting platforms such as Apple, Google Podcasts, Spotify, etc. You can also subscribe to the Fearless Mindset YouTube Channel to watch episodes on video. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

PREVIEW: Lebanon's Slow Deterioration Amid International Inaction: Colleague David Daoud analyzes the crisis in Lebanon, contrasting France's lenient approach to Hezbollah with the United States' more aggressive stance, arguing that the international community's fear of causing a civil war by pressing for disarmament is inadvertently allowing Lebanon to slowly deteriorate into a failed state. 1914 BEIRUT

Welcome to The Times of Israel's Daily Briefing, your 20-minute audio update on what's happening in Israel, the Middle East and the Jewish world. Diplomatic correspondent Lazar Berman and environmental reporter Sue Surkes join host Jessica Steinberg for today's episode. Following the IDF strike that killed top Hamas commander Raad Saad in Gaza City, Berman reviews the obstacles for Israel and Hamas in moving toward the second phase of the broader ceasefire. He discusses how Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and US President Donald Trump will need to find a way to agree on the thorny and fundamental issue of how to get Hamas to disarm. As the IDF postponed a planned airstrike on Hezbollah infrastructure in Lebanon, Berman reports on the ongoing issue of needing Hezbollah to disarm, the Lebanese Army's efforts to work to accomplish that, and Israel's dissatisfaction with Lebanon's progress. After the Water Authority began channeling desalinated water to the Sea of Galilee, the first ever attempt anywhere in the world to top up a freshwater lake with processed seawater, Surkes reports on hopes that it will raise the level of the sea by half a centimeter a year. Surkes also discusses the new facility for the National Sea Turtle Rescue Center, featuring the world’s only sea turtle breeding program, helping protect and preserve these creatures that have existed on the planet for 330 million years. Check out The Times of Israel's ongoing liveblog for more updates. For further reading: US State Department said to ask 70 countries to contribute to Gaza stabilization force Report: Israel agrees to US demand to pay for massive Gaza rubble-clearing operation Beirut has been warned of possible Israeli offensive against Hezbollah — Lebanese FM Scientists tracking impact as desalinated water flows into Sea of Galilee for first time Subscribe to The Times of Israel Daily Briefing on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts. This episode was produced by Podwaves. IMAGE: Palestinians inspect a car belonging to Hamas commander Raad Saad after it was hit in an Israeli airstrike in Gaza City, on December 13, 2025. (Fathi Ibrahim/Flash90)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This year saw the release of two memoirs concerned with the Palestinian diasporic experience. Tareq Baconi's Fire in Every Direction is a story of queer adolescent unrequited love, braided together with a family history of displacement from Haifa to Beirut to Amman. Sarah Aziza's The Hollow Half is a story of surviving anorexia and the ways that the body holds the intergenerational grief of the ongoing Nakba. In this episode of On the Nose, Jewish Currents editor-in-chief Arielle Angel speaks with Baconi and Aziza about what it means to claim Palestinianness as a political identity, not just a familial one, and the radical necessity of turning silence—around queerness, Gaza, the Nakba—into speech.Thanks to Jesse Brenneman for producing and to Nathan Salsburg for the use of his song “VIII (All That Were Calculated Have Passed).”Books Mentioned and Further ReadingThe Hollow Half by Sarah AzizaFire in Every Direction by Tareq BaconiHamas Contained: The Rise and Pacification of Palestinian Resistance by Tareq Baconi“Al-Atlal, Now: On Language and Silence in Gaza's Wake,” Sarah Aziza, Literary Hub“The Work of the Witness,” Sarah Aziza, Jewish Currents“The Trap of Palestinian Participation,” Tareq Baconi, Jewish CurrentsBlack Atlantic by Paul Gilroy“Selling the Holocaust,” Arielle Angel, Menachem Kaiser, and Maia Ipp, Jewish CurrentsTranscript forthcoming.

PREVIEW — David Daoud — Hezbollah's Ideological Bond and Financial Secrecy. Daoud explains that Hezbollah'sfinancial structures remain systematically opaque and untraceable, as the organization utilizes clandestine fundraising mechanisms and independent revenue streams rather than relying exclusively upon Iranian material support and financial transfers. Daoud characterizes the "genius" of the Hezbollah-Iran relationship as fundamentally ideological rather than transactional; Hezbollah maintains unwavering loyalty to Tehran rooted in shared religious conviction and revolutionary philosophy, meaning the organization would remain strategically faithful to Iran even if material support and financial subsidies were terminated, creating durable strategic partnership independent of fluctuating resource availability. 1960 BEIRUT

Lebanon's Demographic Decline and Political Stagnation: Colleague Hussain Abdul-Hussain reports that Pope Leo's visit highlighted Lebanon's diminishing Christian population, now estimated at perhaps one-quarter, with the government remaining weak and reluctant to disarm Hezbollah, fearing foreign deals that sacrifice national interests; while civil war is unlikely, the country remains dominated by an Iranian-backed militia. 1950 BEIRUT

Eugene Hasenfus died this week. He had been part of a covert operation to supply weapons to the anti-Sandinista group known as the "contras." As part of this activity, he was in an airplane shot down over Nicaragua while doing an arms delivery. His capture exposed a massive scheme by the U.S. government to sell arms to Iran in exchange for freeing U.S. hostages taken by pro-Iranian militias in Beirut and use the money to fund the contras war against the Sandinista government in Nicaragua. It became known as the "Iran-contra" affair, or "Iran-contraGate." It reached the highest levels in the U.S. government. And led to a number of convictions (and, later, presidential pardons.)In our latest, we look into the history of Reagan's wars in Central America, the Iran-contra scandal and subversion as foreign policy. ----------------------------------------------------------------------

This week, Ashley and Zac debrief Pope Leo XIV's first international trip to Turkey and Lebanon, where he preached a strong message of peace and Christian unity, and shared insights from the conclave that elected him. Then, they speak to their colleague and America's senior audio producer, Maggi Van Dorn, about the new season of her podcast, "Hark! The Stories Behind Our Favorite Christmas Carols." They reflect on Maggi's reporting trip to Coventry, England, a place of historic violence and home of the haunting Christmas hymn, "The Coventry Carol". Links: Pope Leo and Patriarch Bartholomew urge Christian unity at Nicaea commemoration In Turkey, Pope Leo pushes for unity and peace—within and beyond Christianity Pope Leo makes a strong pitch for peace in war-threatened Lebanon Pope Leo meets survivors of Beirut port explosion and calls for peace as he concludes Lebanon visit Pope Leo on what he was thinking inside the conclave Listen to “Hark! The Stories Behind Our Favorite Christmas Carols” on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and at AmericaMagazine.org/Hark You can follow us on X and on Instagram @jesuiticalshow.   You can find us on Facebook at facebook.com/groups/jesuitical.  Please consider supporting Jesuitical by becoming a digital subscriber to America magazine at AmericaMagazine.org/subscribe Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Special envoy, Steve Witkoff, meets President Putin at the Kremlin with the latest US plan to end war in Ukraine. President Zelensky says Ukraine is committed to achieving a "real and secure peace". Also: The number of dead in the devastating floods and landslides in Sumatra in Indonesia has risen to more than seven-hundred. Hundreds more are feared buried in mud; the Sri Lankan authorities say the flash flooding and landslides have also killed hundreds there. One-hundred-and-fifty-thousand people have attended a mass held by Pope Leo in Beirut. A special BBC report on a dam collapse at a Chinese copper mine in Zambia leading to toxic waste, including heavy metals, pouring into the surrounding waterways and farmland. The Global News Podcast brings you the breaking news you need to hear, as it happens. Listen for the latest headlines and current affairs from around the world. Politics, economics, climate, business, technology, health – we cover it all with expert analysis and insight. Get the news that matters, delivered twice a day on weekdays and daily at weekends, plus special bonus episodes reacting to urgent breaking stories. Follow or subscribe now and never miss a moment. Get in touch: globalpodcast@bbc.co.uk

Hezbollah Regeneration and Israel's Targeted Killing of Hashem Safieddine — John Batchelor, Bill Roggio, David Daoud — Daoud reports that Hezbollah is actively regenerating military capabilities throughout Lebanon, systematically violating the ceasefire agreement through infrastructure reconstruction and weapons procurement. Roggiodocuments that Israel successfully targeted and killed Hashem Safieddine, identified as Hezbollah's top military logistics officer overseeing reconstruction operations. Batchelor notes that Iran has reportedly allocated $2 billion for Hezbollah reconstruction and operational purposes, demonstrating Tehran's commitment to sustaining the organization despite military setbacks. Daoud details Israeli Defense Force operations including air strikes, drone operations, and ground-based policing activities against Hezbollah assets throughout Lebanon. 1836 BEIRUT

PREVIEW — David Daoud — Escalation in Israeli Policing Activity Against Hezbollah. John Batchelor and Daouddiscuss heightened Israeli security operations against Hezbollah along Israel's northern border, indicating Hezbollah'srapid organizational regeneration. While the IDF rarely provides operational commentary, Daoud has documented a significant escalation in recent operations—transitioning from drone reconnaissance strikes to sustained, intensive air strikes designed to ensure target destruction and elimination of leadership cadres. 1900 BEIRUT

Escalating Conflict: Hezbollah Strike, Turkish Influence, and Fragile Ceasefires — Jonathan Schanzer — Schanzer discusses the chaotic status of regional ceasefires, highlighting Israel's major strike against Hezbollah's de facto military commander in Beirut. Iran and Turkey are actively exploiting smuggling routes into Lebanon via Syriato sustain Hezbollah operations. Schanzer addresses the dysfunction of the Lebanese government, the fragility of the Gaza truce agreement, and the complex geopolitical competition involving Russia, Turkey, and external actors competing for influence over the nascent Syrian state. 1898

CONTINUEDEscalating Conflict: Hezbollah Strike, Turkish Influence, and Fragile Ceasefires — Jonathan Schanzer  BEIRUT

SHOW -25 CBS EYE ON THE WORLD WITH JOHN BATCHELOR 1942 THE SHOW BEGINS IN THE DOUBTS ABOUT the peace plan. FIRST HOUR 9-915 Economy, Fed Rates, and the AI Productivity Boom — Liz Peek — Peek examines the U.S. economy, noting mixed retail sales data alongside recent strength in credit card spending. She anticipates the Federal Reserve will likely reduce interest rates in December due to softening labor market conditions, despite traditional employment reporting lags. Peekemphasizes that the Fed fails to account adequately for AI's significant, though currently unmeasured, impact on productivity gains, employment displacement, and escalating electricity consumption, even as AI demonstrates substantial benefits in diagnostics and medical analysis. 915-930 930-945 Ireland's Exposed Western Flank and Europe's Ukraine Stance — Judy Dempsey — Dempsey examines how Ireland's steadfast neutrality and limited defense capabilities leave its critical undersea communication cables vulnerable to Russian eavesdropping and potential sabotage. Despite maintaining budget surpluses, Ireland prioritizes social issues, including housing, over defense investments. Dempsey notes that European powers view the U.S.-Russia peace proposal for Ukraine with skepticism, characterizing it as a "Russian wish list," while German leadership remains publicly committed to sustained Ukrainian military support. 945-1000 SECOND HOUR 10-1015 Unorthodox Ukraine Diplomacy and Geopolitical Realism — Mary Kissel — Kissel analyzes the "exceedingly odd" U.S. approach to Ukraine peace negotiations, wherein businesspeople framed initial proposals while bypassing traditional State Department channels. This transactional negotiating style concerns European allies because it appears to reward Russia and establishes an unfavorable initial bargaining position. Kissel suggests the conflict will likely persist while diplomatic discussions protract. She commends Marco Rubio for prioritizing economic growth and countering Chineseand Iranian influence throughout the Western Hemisphere. 1015-1030 1030-1045 Escalating Conflict: Hezbollah Strike, Turkish Influence, and Fragile Ceasefires — Jonathan Schanzer — Schanzer discusses the chaotic status of regional ceasefires, highlighting Israel's major strike against Hezbollah's de facto military commander in Beirut. Iran and Turkey are actively exploiting smuggling routes into Lebanon via Syriato sustain Hezbollah operations. Schanzer addresses the dysfunction of the Lebanese government, the fragility of the Gaza truce agreement, and the complex geopolitical competition involving Russia, Turkey, and external actors competing for influence over the nascent Syrian state. 1045-1100 THIRD HOUR 1100-1115 China's Debt Dilemma and Keir Starmer's Political Trouble — Joseph Sternberg — Sternberg analyzes China'scritical economic vulnerabilities, noting that its $2.2 trillion in global lending—partly channeled through the Belt and Road Initiative—faces mounting pressure from defaults and political resistance to Chinese asset ownership. Domestically, China restricts capital inflows to manage inflation and stabilize exchange rates. Sternberg also examines UK politics, noting that Labour leader Keir Starmer faces mounting political difficulties ahead of a challenging budget that lacks an articulated economic growth strategy. 1115-1130 1130-1145 AI Regulation: The Danger of Fear and the Need for a National Framework — Kevin Fraaser — Fraser critiques the regulatory rush surrounding AI, faulting the EU's approach to establishing guardrails based on "speculative fears" rather than documented harms. He warns against allowing "robophobia"—unfounded fear of artificial intelligence—to drive policy, advocating instead for regulatory focus on beneficial applications including healthcare diagnostics and educational access. Fraaser advocates for a unified U.S. regulatory framework to prevent a fragmented patchwork of state laws and excessive litigation that stifles technological innovation. 1145-1200 FOURTH HOUR 12-1215 Ukraine Diplomacy, NATO Defense Gaps, and Baltic War Games — Gregory Copley — Copley analyzes the opaque U.S.-Russia Ukraine peace talks, which initially involved non-traditional negotiators rather than career diplomats. European powers are seeking inclusion in discussions but maintain conflicting strategic objectives. The discussion covers NATO's eroding relevance, particularly regarding Ireland's vulnerability to Russian surveillance and potential sabotage of critical undersea communication cables. Copley assesses a war game scenario in which Russia directly challenges NATO's Article 5 collective defense commitment in the Baltics. 1215-1230 1230-1245 1245-100 AM

Hezbollah Regeneration Efforts and the Fallout from a Targeted Beirut Strike — David Daoud, Bill Roggio — David Daoud reports that Israel killed Hezbollah's top military commander, Hashem Safieddine, in Beirut, marking an expansion of Israeli operations into the Lebanese capital. This escalation reflects Hezbollah's comprehensive regeneration efforts—including receiving billions in funding from Iran and developing domestic drone production capabilities—which are outpacing Israeli degradation operations. Hezbollah and Hamas view Russia's success in Ukraine as strategically beneficial because it diminishes American global hegemony.

CONTINUED Hezbollah Regeneration Efforts and the Fallout from a Targeted Beirut Strike — David Daoud, Bill Roggio — David Daoud reports that Israel killed Hezbollah's top military commandeR IN operations. Hezbollah and Hamas view Russia's success in Ukraine as strategically beneficial because it diminishes American global hegemony. BEIRUT CASTLE

SHOW 11-24-25 CBS EYE ON THE WORLD WITH JOHN BATCHELOR 1852 THE SHOW BEGINS IN THE DOUBTS ABOUT THE PEACE PLANS.  FIRST HOUR 9-915 Ukraine Peace Plans, Concessions, and the Impact on US Alliances — Bill Roggio, Husain Haqqani — Bill Roggiosuggests Ukraine is losing militarily and must accept difficult territorial and military concessions to ensure state survival, predicting that proposed peace deals will ultimately collapse. Ambassador Haqqani emphasizes that U.S. abandonment of allies, exemplified in Afghanistan and Iraq, creates an international perception that America cannot be relied upon. Russia's prevailing would constitute a victory for the "axis of aggressors," including China, Iran, and North Korea, fundamentally weakening U.S. global influence. 915-930 930-945 945-1000 China's Floating Island, Metamaterials, and Polar Ambitions — Brandon Weichert, Gordon Chang — Brandon Weichert discusses China developing an artificial floating island, potentially engineered to withstand nuclear detonation. He characterizes the platform as a next-generation man-made island designed for anti-access and area-denial capabilities. Weichert emphasizes that the core technology—metamaterials—holds critical applications for infrastructure in extreme polar environments, including the Arctic and Antarctic. Gordon Chang notes widespread pessimism in China regarding the prohibitive cost of such massive engineering projects. SECOND HOUR 10-1015 Targeting Terror: Muslim Brotherhood, Hezbollah, and Iran's Crises — Malcolm Hoenlein — Malcolm Hoenlein reports the U.S. is moving to designate the Muslim Brotherhood—Hamas progenitors—as a Foreign Terrorist Organization. He details Iran's severe internal crises, including critical water shortages and power blackouts caused by illegal cryptocurrency mining, alongside its continued drive to rebuild nuclear and conventional arsenals. Israel eliminated Hezbollah's second-in-command, Hashem Safieddine, in Beirut, directly countering Hezbollah's regeneration efforts in Lebanon. The U.S. is actively courting Saudi Arabia to counter China and Russia and encourage participation in the Abraham Accords. Share 1015-1030 1030-1045 Geopolitical Realignment: Venezuelan Cartel and Latin America's Rightward Shift — Ernesto Araujo, Alejandro Peña Esclusa — Alejandro Peña Esclusa discusses the U.S. designating Venezuela's Cartel of the Suns as a Foreign Terrorist Organization, noting they weaponize drug trafficking and maintain alliances with groups including Hezbollah. Ernesto Araujo addresses former Brazilian President Bolsonaro's recent detention and notes that indigenous protests undermined the Lula administration's narrative at COP 30. The upcoming Honduras election reflects a continental trend away from the corrupt "pink tide" regimes. 1045-1100 THIRD HOUR 1100-1115 The Unacceptable Price of Peace: Ukraine's Sticking Points — John Hardie — John Hardie details the Russian-drafted 28-point peace plan, which demanded Ukraine's withdrawal from Donbass, prohibition of NATO accession, and limitations on military force size. Ukraine, approaching negotiations strategically, refuses to surrender fortified Donbass territory essential for defense against future Russian aggression. Russia's maximalist demands render an acceptable settlement nearly impossible, though Ukrainians would accept a military freeze in place coupled with robust Western security guarantees. 1115-1130 1130-1145 Russia's Ambitions in Southern Syria and Israel's Strategic Calculus — Akmed Sharawari — FDD's Akmed Sharawari discusses Russian officers touring southern Syria, potentially returning to staff deconfliction checkpoints between Israel and Syria. Israel reportedly prefers a Russian presence, including bases in western Syria, as a counterbalance to Turkey's growing influence over Damascus. Sharawari argues Israel should not trust Russia given its history of enabling Iranian-backed actors like Hezbollah. Despite ongoing Israeli operations, Hezbollah's smuggling routes remain operational. 1145-1200 Prime Minister Carney's Early Highwire Act in Canadian Politics — Conrad Black — Conrad Black analyzes the early tenure of Canadian Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland (referred to as Carney in this segment), who narrowly secured passage of his budget. Carney campaigned partly on opposition to Donald Trump, demonstrating political agility by balancing competing party factions—advancing a new pipeline for Alberta while offering environmental concessions. Black notes that Canada remains conflicted regarding China, attempting to maintain trade relations while publicly condemning election interference. FOURTH HOUR 12-1215 Iran's Strategic Gains from the War in Ukraine — Jonathan Sayeh — Jonathan Sayeh states that Iran is celebrating Russia's advantageous position in Ukraine as a geopolitical win because it enabled Iran to export military weaponry and demonstrate combat capabilities internationally. Iran expects Russia to reciprocate this military assistance, potentially through air defense system modernization or advancement of Iran's nuclear program, despite profound mutual mistrust between the strategic partners. Iran benefits globally by selling weapons and leveraging instability to argue the U.S. has become an unreliable superpower. 1215-1230 1230-1245 Hezbollah Regeneration Efforts and the Fallout from a Targeted Beirut Strike — David Daoud, Bill Roggio — David Daoud reports that Israel killed Hezbollah's top military commander, Hashem Safieddine, in Beirut, marking an expansion of Israeli operations into the Lebanese capital. This escalation reflects Hezbollah's comprehensive regeneration efforts—including receiving billions in funding from Iran and developing domestic drone production capabilities—which are outpacing Israeli degradation operations. Hezbollah and Hamas view Russia's success in Ukraine as strategically beneficial because it diminishes American global hegemony. 1245-100 AM

The US Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, has given an upbeat assessment of talks with Ukrainian officials about how to end the war with Russia. Mr Rubio said sticking points which remained were "not insurmountable". US, Ukrainian and European officials have been meeting in Geneva in Switzerland to discuss a peace plan that US negotiators devised with their Russian counterparts. It has been widely criticised as sympathetic to Moscow's aims.Also: a BBC investigation has exposed people in Sierra Leone who claim to supply human body parts for ritual ceremonies. More than 50 of the 300 pupils abducted by gunmen in Nigeria have escaped their captors, but parents are voicing their frustration over the lack of security at schools. Hezbollah confirms its chief of staff has been killed in an Israeli airstrike in Beirut. A three-year-old boy from California has astounded doctors with his progress after becoming the first person in the world with Hunter syndrome to receive a ground-breaking gene therapy. A daughter of the former South African President Jacob Zuma is accused of recruiting citizens to fight in Ukraine. And an Argentinian writer recalls the moment she learned her childhood nanny was actually a KGB agent.The Global News Podcast brings you the breaking news you need to hear, as it happens. Listen for the latest headlines and current affairs from around the world. Politics, economics, climate, business, technology, health – we cover it all with expert analysis and insight.Get the news that matters, delivered twice a day on weekdays and daily at weekends, plus special bonus episodes reacting to urgent breaking stories. Follow or subscribe now and never miss a moment.Get in touch: globalpodcast@bbc.co.uk

Targeting Terror: Muslim Brotherhood, Hezbollah, and Iran's Crises — Malcolm Hoenlein — Malcolm Hoenlein reports the U.S. is moving to designate the Muslim Brotherhood—Hamas progenitors—as a Foreign Terrorist Organization. He details Iran's severe internal crises, including critical water shortages and power blackouts caused by illegal cryptocurrency mining, alongside its continued drive to rebuild nuclear and conventional arsenals. Israel eliminated Hezbollah's second-in-command, Hashem Safieddine, in Beirut, directly countering Hezbollah's regeneration efforts in Lebanon. The U.S. is actively courting Saudi Arabia to counter China and Russia and encourage participation in the Abraham Accords.