Podcasts about Bulgaria

On this episode, my guest is Hasan Kerim Güç. Kerim graduated from Istanbul High School in 1992 and from Yildiz Technical University in 1996. Between 1997-2004, he completed his master's degree in Information Systems and Business Administration in Baltimore, USA. He returned to Turkey in 2010. Realizing that the treasure he had been looking for for 14 years was right in his own home, he took the position of Chief Editor at Nefes Publishing House in 2014. Kerim nourishes his business life with Sufi studies and is pursuing a doctoral degree from the Usküdar University Institute for Sufi Studies. He has published four books.Show Notes* Rejecting the American Dream* Anatolian and Sufi Hospitality* Sufis and the Ottomans* Tanri misafiri (“God's guest”)* Togetherness, and the roots of Religion* When we welcome suffering, we make honey out of pain* Submission, servants and the prophet Mohammed* The Conference of the Birds / Stories from the Thirty Birds* Limits to hospitality in the Islamic world* Bereket / Baraka* Rumi's Guest HouseHomework* Kerim Vakfı* Stories from the Thirty Birds* Cemalnur Sargut: A Sufi Life of Love, Suffering, and Divine Union* Cemalnur Sargut Books* Kerim Guc - Instagram* Kyoto University Kenan Rifai Center for Sufi Studies* Ken'an Rifâî Chair of Islamic Studies at Peking University* University of North Carolina (UNC) Ken'an Rifâî Chair in Islamic StudiesTranscriptChris: [00:00:00] Welcome to the End of Tourism podcast, Kerim. Hoș geldiniz.Kerim: Thank you very much for having me.Chris: Yeah, it's my pleasure. Thank you for joining me today. Perhaps you could tell our listeners, where you find yourself and what the world looks like there for you.Kerim: Well, first of all, I'm an immigrant also. I was an immigrant. I lived in the US for a while, and then I came back to to my own country. And things are very different here than there, than it is in US. From the perspective of what I did... I was actually an engineer, and I was working in the IT fields, and I was living the American dream, and then I realized that there was some kind of an emptiness, and this whole thing, and I decided to go back to Turkey and [00:01:00] study Sufism, and since my mother was actually a Sufi teacher. She decided to actually move this whole Sufism into academia. So, she basically established an institute in Istanbul - Üsküdar Istanbul - at the University of Üsküdar. The difference between this institute and the other schools, the people like myself, like engineers, coming from different disciplines, including lawyers and whatnot, they were not able to do their masters or PhDs in Sufism, because in other universities, they require for you to actually have theology backgrounds. But with this new establishment, we were able to educate people from all different disciplines and, [00:02:00] so we basically concentrated on ethics rather than the religion itself.So, a lot of people coming from different areas, especially the white-collar people, living this, like - how do I say that? - it's a world of money and materialism and all kind of that stuff. They're coming to our institute and realizing that money or career is not the only goal for life.And we started to concentrating on things like spirituality more than the materialist world.Chris: Thank you. Well, I'm very much looking forward to exploring these themes with you and a little bit of the work that you do with Kerim Vakfı.Kerim: Sure.Chris: And so for the last season of the podcast, I'm very much interested in focusing on different hospitality traditions and practices from around the [00:03:00] world, as I mentioned to you. And, one of the key themes of the podcast is radical hospitality. Now, the word “radical” comes from Latin and it means “rooted,” or we might even say “local” or “living.”And so. I'm curious if there are any radical hospitality practices that you think are unique to your place, to Istanbul, or to the Sufi community that you might be willing to share with us today?Kerim: Well, Istanbul, actually, is a very metropolitan city. So like the other metropolitan cities, we kind of lost that - what we call the hospitality of Anatolia. Anatolia is basically the Eastern part of Istanbul. And in Istanbul, we have, right now, 25 million people in a very small area. And in older days when the population was smaller, [00:04:00] we were able to show our hospitality, because the Turkish hospitality is very famous, actually. In this area the hospitality is very famous, including the, you know, Greek and Arab hospitality. Usually, it's a little bit different than the western countries.For instance, we welcome people - we used to, and probably still, in the countryside - the people coming from other cities or countries or whatnot. The locals actually helped them out as much as possible. They even invite them to their own houses and let them stay for how long they want to stay. And this was kind of like a regular thing in the old days. It's still going on very much in the eastern side of Turkey, pretty much in the countryside. [00:05:00] But Istanbul, like other cosmopolitan cities, we kinda lost that. You know, neighbourly things. We have a lot of neighbours and we we have always good... we used to have a lot of good relationship with them, but nowadays, again, because of this material world, we kind of lost this hospitality.So from the Sufi point of view, hospitality is very important. It's interesting that you mentioned the “radical.” You were talking about where “radical” come from, but you didn't talk about where “hospitality” comes from. See, there is a relationship between the hospital and the hospitality and the way the Sufis look at things is very much like the illnesses in our body are our guests. So, we don't think that they're bad for you. They're actually [00:06:00] the guests of our house for a time being. So we show them the hospitality as much as we can, and then hopefully we say goodbye to them.Chris: Wow. Wow. That's fascinating. I do know that the term “hospitality,” hospital is part of that, and hospital historically came from these notions of hospitality. I mean, in the western world in, and at least in the Christian world, there's a kind of unauthorized history in which a lot of this hospitality, as you mentioned, that was offered to the stranger, was done by the families or the individual houses or homes within a community. A stranger would come and they would ask for hospitality, ask for food and shelter, and the family would have to decide whether to do that and how to do it. [00:07:00] And then at some point, the institution of the Church kind of stepped in and said, “you know what? You don't have to do this anymore. When the stranger comes to the community, when they show up at your door, just send them to us. Just send them to the church and we'll give them what they need.”And so this did a number of things, but the two most obvious ones, I think, are that the family, the individuals in the family and the community on a grassroots level, slowly ended up losing their ability, their unique kind of familial or personal ability to host the stranger. And at the same time, of course, the church used this as a way to try to convert, the stranger.Kerim: Right.Chris: And so I'm curious if there's anything in that realm that you see in the Islamic world, maybe in the Sufi world... you mentioned that, since the [00:08:00] imposition of modernity and the industrial Revolution in the world, we see less and less possibilities for small-scale, grassroots hospitality between people, in part, because there's so much movement, and of course, because the hospital has its brothers and sisters in the sense of the “hotel” and the “hostel.”Kerim: Absolutely.Chris: So, I'm curious if there's anything like that that comes to mind for you in regards to the Islamic world.Kerim: Well, one thing is about like the Ottomans. The Ottomans, when they were coming from the Anatolia and then started conquering all those places in the Balkan area, Greece and Bulgaria, Hungary and all those places, after they actually conquered, they sent Sufis to those places. And, like in Hungary, there is a person, his name is [00:09:00] Gül Baba, which means “Rose Father.” That's what they call him. He actually has his own tekke (tekke is like a church for Sufis). And this place, it's like a school more, more like a school, but it's a religious school.And in this tekke, he actually finds all those people with needs, and he pretty much helped them out with all those needs. And the people coming from different religions, they actually started liking people like from the Turks' point of view, because the Turks were symbolized by these Sufi movements. And instead of, you know, pushing people to convert or demolishing the churches and rebuilding mosques and stuff. Instead of that, they actually [00:10:00] welcomed people from all over the world, or all over the place, basically, to stay in the tekke, to eat and to get education in the tekke. So this was a great strategy of Ottomans. That's how they actually stayed in Europe for almost like 600 years. So that was very much like, you know, their strategy, I think. And in a good way.Chris: Yeah, you know, in my research I found out that there's still Sufi orders in the Balkans a group called the Bektashi.Kerim: Right.Chris: And of course, with the very little historical understanding that I had, I was very surprised. I had no idea. But of course, when I eventually went to visit the regions that my father is from, I saw churches, synagogues, and mosques, all in the same little neighbourhoods.[00:11:00] So, quite an impressive kind of understanding that the major religions in those places could coexist for so long. And that in the context of someone who grew up in North America, who thought it was the opposite (previously) and such things are so difficult.Kerim: Right. Right.Chris: So, Kerim, a mutual friend of ours has told me, that in the Turkish language, there is a phrase (and excuse my pronunciation). The phrase is tanri misafiri.Kerim: Right.Chris: Which translates into English as something like “God's guest.”Kerim: Right.Chris: Or “the guest sent by God.”Kerim: Right. Right.Chris: And so I'm wondering if you could speak about this phrase, maybe what it means to you and where you think it comes from?Kerim: Well, in Anatolia, it's a very famous phrase. And like I said previously, you know anybody coming from somewhere else, who comes into somebody's [00:12:00] house, is allowed to stay in the house as “the guest of God,” because we believe that God has sent that guest to us and we try to... you know, it's more like making that guest happy means making God happy. So, that's the understanding of older generations.In today's metropolitan areas, I don't think it's possible because of the security problems and everything. But like I said, in the countryside, people are very welcoming when it comes to this, because it is very important that knowing that person is actually coming from God, from Allah, so we have to take care of that person as much as possible to please God, actually.So that's how it is. I still see that in many cities in the [00:13:00] more eastern side of Turkey or south side of Turkey, or even north side of Turkey except in the bigger cities. But in the smaller cities, people are much more welcoming, again because of this specific idiom, actually.Chris: From tanri misafiri?Kerim: Right. Tanri means “God” in our language. In the original Turkish language, it's tanri, and, misafiri means “ the guest.”Chris: Yeah. So beautiful. Thank you for sharing that with us.Kerim: Absolutely.Chris: And so when guests arrive in a home, you know, in English, at least in, in the context of the older traditions, it is said that the guest or the potential guest, the stranger, asks for hospitality. They don't necessarily say “ they ask for food,” which we can imagine that surely they [00:14:00] do. They don't necessarily say that “they ask for shelter” or “accommodation,” which we surely we could imagine they do. But the literature often says they ask for hospitality.And so, when we think of hospitality today, we often think about people sitting around a table eating food together. And so I'm curious if there's a shared understanding among Sufis or at least the community that you live among and in, about the importance of both eating food and eating food together.Kerim: Togetherness is probably one of the most important things in the Islamic religion. Because like even our way of worshiping God - Allah - we try to do that in a union as much as possible. It is very interesting, the words that “religion” comes from.[00:15:00] Re- means “again,” and legion means “union.”So it's almost like “religion” itself means “to recreate the union,” “to reshape the union,” “ to have the union back,” because we have the tendency to be alone. And even you can imagine that in the western countries, in the western world, a lot of people want to be alone.Like, there's a lot of individuals rather than a group of people. And in the eastern world, it's a little bit different. We are more like family-oriented people. We try to do things together. I mean, there are advantages and disadvantages obviously, but there is a difference between them.So, we always had this [notion that] “the more is better,” basically. You know, more people is better. So, we help each other, [00:16:00] we understand each other, we talk about our problems. When we try to solve them, it's easier together. And if there's pain, you know, the pain actually, can be eased with more people, easier, I think, compared to have this pain alone. So, again, we're more family-oriented people.And the Sufi are very much like that. The Sufi always pray together, and they think that it creates a n energy, basically. It produces an energy that basically helps all of them at the same time, in a union.Chris: Hmm hmm. And do you find that sitting down for a meal together also creates that kind of union, or recreates as you were saying?Kerim: I think so. Doing any kind of activities, including eating... eating is basically the most common activity [00:17:00] that we do in our daily life and getting together, to talk about our things together, and discuss things together, all those things - togetherness, when it comes to the idea of togetherness - I think, is beautiful.Chris: Hmm, hmm. Amen. Yeah, I very much agree with that, Kerim.And so, when we think about hospitality, and we think about food, we often imagine big banquet tables and as you said, this sense of togetherness and celebration.But there's also, you know, from what little I've read, there's also this important aspect of the religious life in the Islamic world, and perhaps in the Sufi world as well that points to, maybe not the absence of food, but a different way of being fed, and a different way of feeding that doesn't [00:18:00] include the food we're used to, the kind of material food. And we often refer to this as fasting. And so, there's a beautiful video that you sent me, Kerim, of your mother speaking, and she recalls a phrase in that video from her own mother who said that “when we welcome suffering, we make honey out of pain.”And so, this is a question I very much want to ask you because I've fasted myself quite intensely. I'm curious, what is the honey that comes from fasting? Or, what do you think is the honey that comes from fasting?Kerim: Right? First of all, yeah, fasting is in our religion. So, we basically do that one month in the whole year. It's called Ramadan. In some cases, we actually do that because our Prophet Muhammad, when he [00:19:00] lived, he was fasting every Monday and every Thursday. So it was like a common practice for some of the religious people. And at least we do that one month in the whole year.And obviously, that month is a little bit difficult, you know, because we not only stop eating, we also stopped drinking and all that stuff. In theory, we should not be lying, we should not be telling bad things to other people or gossiping and all that stuff, but usually we do during that time. I mean, in theory, we should not be doing that.So it's like a whole discipline thing - the whole fasting. And at the end of the thirty days, you become a really, really different person. And first of all, one thing that [00:20:00] I feel, is that you understand the people who do not have food. We still have people in the world, unfortunately, in Africa, and all those places, the people, having less access to food as we do, and we feel like, oh yeah we don't actually thank God for all those things that he's giving to us. And this is the time that you start thinking about the reality and start thanking God for actually giving us all that food, twenty-four hours, seven days [a week]. And when you are fasting during that time, you are understanding the feeling of these people, who are like poor and who cannot eat.There are people now, in the social media, we are seeing people, who never had [00:21:00] chocolates in their life. The people living in these countries or in the cities or metropolitan cities, we never think about these things.So, we take these things for granted, and during that time of fasting, you start thinking about these stuff and then you become more thankful, and that's basically honey itself, after the suffering. And I wouldn't say “suffering,” because we don't suffer as much as they do, honestly.And we're just telling our egos, “just stop for a day to do bad things and stop eating,” and all that stuff that ego wants to have. And again, it's at the end of the thirty days, you become a new person because now you have a different mentality. Now, in the other eleven months, you still forget about these things, but [00:22:00] again, it comes through. It's like a cycle.Chris: Yeah. Yeah. I totally agree with you that, you know, gratitude is the honey and...Kerim: Absolutely.Chris: ...I remember the fasting that I did over the course of four years, and I don't know if it was as intense as the fasting that happens during Ramadan, but doing that fasting and trying to feed something other than myself for a time imbued a degree of hospitality and gratitude that I don't think I had ever felt before. And it sticks to me. It sticks to my bones to this day. And it's something that, like you said, I also have to constantly remind myself of those moments when I sit down to eat a meal, because it's so easy to forget.Kerim: Absolutely. Absolutely. And one thing is [00:23:00] basically during that time of fasting, you basically stop feeding your ego, and start feeding your spirit, basically. That's what I think.Chris: That's beautiful. Yeah. I absolutely understand that. Thank you, Kerim.So my next question is around the word “ submission.” So, translated into English, the word “Islam” means “submission.” Now I've read that this word can also be translated to mean “servants of God.” Servants of God.Now in English, the word “servant” can be synonymous with “host.” A servant and a host. Now, there's a book by an author named Mona Siddiqui called Hospitality in Islam. And in that book she writes, it's actually a quote, but she writes,“'What is faith?' The Prophet replied, ‘the giving of [00:24:00] food and the exchange of greetings.' He ends on a most dramatic note saying, “a house which is not entered by guests is not entered by angels.”Kerim: Perfect. Yeah.Chris: And it seems that in this phrase, the Prophet is suggesting that the way we are with guests and strangers has something to do with how we are with the divine, which I think you kind of alluded to a little bit earlier.And so I'm curious, is this something that you've seen in your own days or in those of others that you know? Is hospitality a practice that connects us to the divine?Kerim: Absolutely. Because reaching God, you need to reach people first. To be able to reach God... when I say “reach God,” meaning be in communication with Him, is basically being in a communication [00:25:00] with the people he created. So, to serve the people is basically serving him from the Islamic point of view.So, and that's a hadith that you mentioned in the book. It's a hadith of Prophet Mohammed, like you said. And Prophet Mohammed always... it was a common practice that he was hosting maybe, you know, 10-15 people every night. And he was a poor person, by the way. I mean, he doesn't have much money, much food or anything, but they share. There was a time that... there's a story that somebody, actually, one of his apostles rather, asks him to visit him for a dinner. So he invites him to a dinner.But during his conversation, Prophet Mommed said, “can I bring my friends too?”[00:26:00]And the apostle says, “of course you can bring your friends.” And he brings hundreds of people. Now, the host only have some bread, and maybe a little bit meat, and a little bit rice in the cup.So, he was ashamed because he doesn't have any money, and the Prophet Mohammed is going to bring all those guests together, and he didn't know what to do. But he uses submission, basically.He said, well, if Prophet Mohammed is coming, then something is going to happen. And as he was thinking all those things, Prophet Mohammed puts his hand on top of the rice holder. And every time he was putting rice onto the dishes, the rice never ends, the meat never ends. So he served like 200 people during this invitation and the food never ended.[00:27:00]So he was happy for his submission, basically.Chris: Wow. Beautiful. Thank you, Kerim.Kerim: Of course.Chris: You know, you have this beautiful book - that is still in the mail, unfortunately I haven't got my hands on it yet, but I'm very much looking forward to it - called Stories From the Thirty Birds, which I understand is inspired by The Conference of the Birds, this incredible book from I think the 1300s.And I'm curious if you could tell us a little bit about that book and what, if any inspiration or maybe teachings around hospitality that come from both, The Conference of the Birds and how you've employed it in your book.Kerim: Right. The Conference of the Birds is really a beautiful story of Farid ud-Din Attar who lived in Nishapur, which is in Khorasan, in Iran, today. And he was one of the very famous [00:28:00] Sufis at that time. He was the teacher of Rumi. A lot of people know Rumi. And he wrote this book about birds, millions of birds, who are in the process of going to their king, which is the phoenix (or what we call it simurg). And during that time, during that travel, they go through seven valleys, and in each valley some of the birds get lost, because the valleys actually symbolize things.Like, the first valley is the valley of intention. So, a lot of birds actually don't have the intention to reach their king. The king is basically symbolizing Allah (God), and the birds are symbolizing us very much, and we are getting [00:29:00] lost during the time of life. Like, our intention is basically this world. If our intention is staying in this world, then we stay in this world. And that's the valley of intention.And a lot of birds, like half of them, actually, get lost in this stage.And the second valley is the valley of love. And the birds that get lost in this valley are the ones that actually think the beauty is in this world, rather than they don't see the beauty of God himself. So they see the shadow of that beauty in the world, but they're content with that beauty, and they don't really want to move on.And again, the third valley is the value of wisdom. And the birds that get lost in this valley are the ones who think that knowledge, [00:30:00] in this world, is more important than anything else, and they don't realize the source of the knowledge is actually their king.So on and so forth, they go through the seven valleys and at the end of the seventh valley, only thirty birds remain. And the thirty birds, they're ready to see their king, and they go through this mountain called Qaf, where the  simurg, the phoenix lives (behind the mountain). And it's very difficult to get there, basically. When they get there, they can't find the king over there. They only find a mirror. So, they realize the king is themselves, but more specifically, the union of thirty birds. So simurg - the [00:31:00] phoenix - in Iranian, in Persian means “thirty birds,” actually. Si is “thirty.” “Burg” is “bird,” actually.So from what we understand is, the union of ourselves, what we are seeing, is our reflection, because the king is actually a perfect mirror. But we don't see ourselves, only, we see the union of thirty birds together. So there are birds that we don't think live together. For instance, a hawk doesn't live with a smaller bird together, but in this union, they live together. There in one. And they use whatever advantage they have together. So it's almost like being one and using the characteristics of every single bird [00:32:00] itself.Chris: And I imagine that someone growing up in a culture like that, whether back then or more recently, and hearing this story or hearing it multiple times throughout their life or maybe once a year, that that notion also might arise in the way that they are with others, the way they are with strangers.Kerim: Right.Chris: And so, I have one final question for you, if that's all right?Kerim: Absolutely.Chris: So, before we say farewell I'd like to ask you about Istanbul, and I'd like to ask you about the limits to hospitality. So, last year, on a trip I took to the city I met a friend of a mutual friend of ours, and for a couple of hours we walked around the Karakoy neighbourhood and he spoke to me about how the city has changed quite a bit over the last decade.For many people who grew up in Istanbul, the city [00:33:00] might now appear to be very difficult to live in. He said that the cost of living has skyrocketed. The rents, the rent prices or costs have doubled. And much of this is a combination of tourism and gentrification in the city.Now it seems that many religious traditions speak of the importance of welcoming strangers and offering them hospitality, but they also speak of the limits to such hospitality. In one particular, hadith or saying of the Prophet Mohammed, it is said that “hospitality is for three days. Anything more is charity or sadaqah.”Again, excuse my pronunciation.Kerim: No. That's perfect pronunciation.Chris: And so I'm curious, you mentioned a little bit earlier, in the Sufi community and perhaps in the Islamic communities, there is this notion of togetherness, but also that “more is better.” And so I'm [00:34:00] curious in the context of what's happening in Istanbul and what's happening in many places around the world, do you think there should also be limits to the hospitality that is offered to the guest or stranger?Kerim: Well, of course. I mean, of course we have financial issues here, and it's very difficult for us to actually serve other people as much as we want to. But again, when we are together, even if it's very difficult to live in the city, it's still something, you know?What I see: the rent went up, like you said, so the people try to move into their family houses, the houses there of their families and everything. And in western countries, it's difficult. You usually don't do this kind of stuff, but in our community, it's much easier to do these things. And, you know, the families welcome the children [00:35:00] more than other countries. So that's something I think that's a positive thing.But to the strangers. What do we do for strangers? Obviously, we do as much as possible. We may not be able to serve them as much as we used to, obviously, before this inflation. And we have the highest inflation in the world, or probably the second-highest inflation. So again, it's difficult, and Istanbul became probably one of the most expensive cities in the world. But even that, again, we may not be able to take them to dinner every night, but we serve what we have in the house, like in the Prophet Mohammed's story.Whatever we have, we share. And, we call it bereket, as in Arabic baraka, they call it. Baraka is something [00:36:00] like... we use it for money. It's not “more money.” That's not important. How do I say that? I don't even know how to say it in English, but it's more like “the luck of the money, itself.” Basically, you may be able to buy more stuff with less money based on your luck. That's basically what we call it. Bereket. So the bereket is much more important than the amount of the money or the financial thing. And the bereket always goes up when you share it.Chris: Beautiful. Yeah, I love that. I mean, in English, not to reduce it at all, but in English we say, quality over quantity.”Kerim: Yeah, absolutely.Chris: And you said that, in order to offer hospitality or the hospitality that we would like to offer to our guests, sometimes maybe that means not doing it all the time, [00:37:00] because one simply cannot. Right. It's not possible.Kerim: Right.Chris: But yeah, it's a really beautiful point.Kerim: Rumi is a very important Sufi, probably known by many Americans. Even the world knows him. He wrote a poem, which is about the guests. So, if you don't mind, I'm gonna read that, uh, it's called the Guest House and it goes like:This human life is a guest house. Every dawn, a new visitor arrives.A gladness, a sadness, a pettiness, a flash of insights all come knocking, unannounced.Welcome them all. Make room even if a band of sorrows storms inand clears your rooms of comfort.Still honour every guest.[00:38:00] Perhaps they empty you to prepare you for something brighter.The gloomy thought, the shame, the bitterness,greet them at the door with a smile, and lead them inside.Be thankful for whoever comes, for each is sent as a messenger from the beyond.So that's a poem by Rumi, and I think it pretty much explains the whole hospitality thing.Chris: Yeah, that's a gorgeous, gorgeous poem. I love that. I'll make sure that's up on the End of Tourism website when the episode launches.And so finally, Kerim, uh, I'd like to thank you so very much for being willing to join me today, to be willing to speak in a language that is not your first, or mother tongue, and to share with us some of the beauty that has touched your days. Before we say goodbye, [00:39:00] perhaps you could tell our listeners how they can follow and learn more about Kerim Vakfı, Stories from the 30 Birds, your book, and any other projects you might want them to know about.Kerim: We have a Sufi centre in North Carolina, at the University of North Carolina. We have a centre in China, Beijing University, and another center in Kyoto University in Japan. And my mother's book about the commentary of some Quranic verses is the one. For instance, Yasin is available through Amazon and my book Stories from the 30 Birds is available on Barnes and Noble and all that other places in US.Chris: Beautiful. Well, I'll make sure that those links are all available on the End of Tourism website and on my Substack when the episode comes out. [00:40:00] And on behalf of our listeners, tesekkur, tesekkur.Kerim: I thank you. Get full access to Chris Christou at chrischristou.substack.com/subscribe

The Italo-Greek War, which began as a purely regional conflict in October 1940, would transform into a broader European confrontation as both Germany and Britain made the fateful decision to intervene in Greece. For the Germans, concerns about protecting vital Romanian oil fields from potential British air attacks, combined with fears of Italian collapse, drove the planning of Operation Marita, an invasion designed to secure the Balkans before the launch of Barbarossa. Meanwhile, Churchill and the British leadership saw Greece as an opportunity to distract Axis forces, demonstrate support for smaller nations, and potentially build a Balkan alliance with Yugoslavia and Turkey. Greek leader Metaxas initially resisted British ground forces, fearing they would provoke German intervention, but his death in January 1941 led to a shift in policy under his successor. As German forces moved into Romania and Bulgaria throughout early 1941, and British RAF squadrons began arriving in Greece, both sides prepared for a confrontation that would expand the war far beyond the mountains of Albania where Italian and Greek forces had been locked in bitter combat. History of the Second World War is part of the Airwave Media podcast network. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠megaphone.f⁠⁠⁠m Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Send a textHey Canners! Jon and Colbz are back with a packed episode. Jon breaks down his trip to Bulgaria — from the stunning mountain views to the brutally tough ski runs that pushed him to the limit. The guys dive into some World Baseball Classic chatter, hit on the latest NBA storylines, and wrap things up with all the biggest moves from NFL free agency. A little travel, a little sports chaos, and plenty of laughs along the way.

Mac Millings makes his tournament debut as England's hopes hang by a thread. Bobby Robson is forced into some changes and, although familiar issues are still apparent early on against Poland, goals change games. And careers. There is also Morocco discovering what can be done when you cross the halfway line, progress for the hosts, Paraguay and Belgium fight to avoid the USSR, Italy remain unconvincing and some love for Jorge Valdano. South Korea v Italy - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=03ISodmB7jg Argentina v Bulgaria - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cyy0KjsS0os Mexico v Iraq - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2G2xrWF-sIQ Paraguay v Belgium - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u8opR05tJ-E England v Poland - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8jcCQetmfAU & https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oBmpdKC1Ye8 Morocco v Portugal - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hkauTeF1NA8 If you want weekly exclusive bonus shows, join our Nessun Dorma community chat, want your episodes without ads and a couple of days earlier or just want to support the podcast, then head over to ⁠⁠⁠patreon.com/NessunDormaPodcast⁠⁠⁠ where you can subscribe for only $3.99 a month (less than 75p a week!). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Beyond The Outer Realm welcomes the return of UK Archeologist, Author and Historian Mark Olly Date: March 10th, 2026 EP: 690 TOPIC: Mark is one of TOR's Fan Favourites, and graciously returns with his vast array of knowledge and wit! Today.......We Search for Lost Civilizations , Technology, Out of Place Artifacts! Contact for the show - theouterrealmcontact@gmail.com https://linktr.ee/michelledesrochers_ Please support us by Liking, Subscribing, Sharing and Commenting. Thank you all !!! About Our Guest: Mark Olly was born in 1962 in Warrington, England, and educated at Appleton Hall County Grammar School, Warrington College of Art & Design, the University of Liverpool Institute of Extension Studies field archaeology unit, various business schools, and El-Shaddai College of Advanced Ministry U.K. Manchester where he obtained a Certificate of Ministry (Ct.Min.AP) and Diploma of Biblical Studies (Dip.BS.AP). For over 22 years he worked as a professional musician, live DJ, compare, and in music management, founding Angelharp Music, Unicorn Entertainments Agency Ltd. and Legendthink Ltd. (one of the first ‘multi-media' companies in the world) before moving on to pursue a solo career as a writer, archaeologist and television presenter. This career has so far taken him to all parts of the UK, France, Egypt, Norway, Italy, Bulgaria, Cyprus, South America, Turkey, Malta, and North Africa in search of the ancient and the mysterious. His hobbies include collecting antiques and geological specimens, Dark Age, Celtic and Medieval costumed re-enactment, staging occasional exhibitions and live events, public speaking, and investigating ancient sites. He has six major books in print, appeared on Carlton Television's ‘The History Detectives', wrote and presented all three seasons (22 episodes) of ITV Granada's award nominated ‘Lost Treasures' adventure archaeology series, has presented for Sky History Channel, writes, presents and directs DVD's for US media giant Reality Entertainments / Reality Films, wrote and directed four Music Videos for International US band Hayseed Dixie and three for Sacred Wind's 2014/15 Christmas charity single, occasionally appears in movies, and recently played sessions with bands Soul Path, Sacred Wind, Metal Hose, Atakarma Giants, Wolf and Copperworm. He is visiting lecturer at Wilsmlow Guild and the University Of Chester, an exam invigilator, occasionally heads up his own archaeological unit, and runs his own DVD production and props company MythCo. If you enjoy the content on the channel, please support us by subscribing: Thank you All A formal disclosure: The opinions and information presented or expressed by guests on The Outer Realm Radio and Beyond The Outer Realm are not necessarily those of the TOR, BTOR Hosts, Sponsors, or the United Public Radio Network and its producers. Although the content may be interesting, it is deemed "For Entertainment Purposes" . We are always respectful and courteous to all involved. Thank you, we appreciate you all!!!!

https://www.cevanstewartauthor.com/ C. Evan Stewart recently retired as a senior partner in an international law firm headquartered in New York City. Mr. Stewart is a visiting professor at Cornell University and an adjunct professor at Fordham Law School. In addition, he is a contributing columnist for the New York Law Journal, New York Business Law Journal, and the Federal Bar Council Quarterly; he has published approximately 300 articles on a variety of legal subjects, and is frequently featured in the national media and regularly speaks across the country on securities, professional responsibility, and complex litigation issues. In 2016, he received the Sanford D. Levy Award from the New York State Bar Association for his contributions to the field of legal ethics. Mr. Stewart is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations and the Economic Club of New York. He is also a Director and Treasurer of Humanities New York. Mr. Stewart has served as a Trustee of Cornell University, Westminster School, the American University of Bulgaria, the American Historical Association, the Young Women's Christian Association of the USA, YMCA Camping Services, and the Federal Bar Council. Mr. Stewart has been recognized by The Legal 500 since 2015, Super Lawyers since 2009, and has also been hailed as a Local Litigation Star by Benchmark Litigation. He is also recognized by The Best Lawyers in America in its securities litigation category. In 2016, Mr. Stewart received the Sanford D. Levy Award from the New York State Bar Association's Ethics Committee for his significant contributions to the field of professional responsibility. In 2008, he received the Modaq Content Award for writing the most popular article in the United States. Since 1980, Mr. Stewart has been AV(R) Peer Review Rated by Martindale-Hubbell. William Henry Seward and the Secession Winter (November 1860 – April 1861) The lively tale of a politically fraught era 165 years in the past and yet highly relevant today. In the winter of 1860-61, one man, William Henry Seward, Republican Senator from New York (the presumptive favorite for the 1860 Republican nomination for president; defeated by Lincoln on the third ballot), labored mightily to effectuate his plan to save the Union. Because of history's (and historians') heavy bias to portray Lincoln as almost a saint (see, for example, Jon Meacham's “And There Was Light: Abraham Lincoln and the American Struggle” (Random House 2022)), Seward's prodigious efforts have either been ignored, given short shrift, or looked upon as something less than honorable. This short book – based upon original archival research and a comprehensive review of secondary sources – tells the story of Seward's efforts. Counter-factual history is always an iffy business. But Seward's “plan” did help to keep the Upper South States in the Union during the months before the president-elect became the president. And had his counsel been followed after March 4th, perhaps the course of American History would have played out very differently.

In this episode of the Explaining History Podcast, we return to Eugene Rogan's superb The Fall of the Ottomans to explore how military defeat and political crisis in the Balkan Wars transformed the Ottoman Empire from within—and set the stage for the birth of modern Turkey.It's remarkable how topical the story of a declining empire, seemingly in endless crisis, yet still capable of surprising its enemies, feels at this moment. But the Ottoman story is worth understanding on its own terms, not just as a mirror to our own times.We pick up the narrative in 1913, following the catastrophic First Balkan War in which the Ottomans lost most of their remaining European territories. The defeat of Edirne—a historic Ottoman city—triggered a political earthquake in Constantinople. The liberal government that had overseen the loss was overthrown, and when the Grand Vizier was assassinated in June 1913, the Committee of Union and Progress (the Young Turks) seized the opportunity to eliminate their opponents once and for all.The result was the emergence of a ruling triumvirate that would dominate the empire until its final collapse: Enver Pasha, Talat Pasha, and Cemal Pasha. More powerful than the Sultan himself, these men would lead the Ottoman Empire into the First World War and oversee both its greatest triumphs and its ultimate destruction.But 1913 also brought an unexpected gift. Bulgaria, aggrieved by the division of spoils after the First Balkan War, attacked its former allies—Greece and Serbia—sparking the Second Balkan War. With Bulgarian forces redeployed away from the Ottoman frontier, Enver Pasha seized his moment. Defying a cautious government, he led Ottoman forces back into Edirne, liberating the city on 9th July 1913 to national euphoria. The hero of the 1908 revolution became the liberator of Edirne, and the CUP gained unprecedented popular support.Yet this victory masked deeper problems. The same crisis that brought the Young Turks to power also intensified their centralising, Turkifying policies—measures that would alienate the empire's Arab provinces. Arabic was displaced from schools and courts, Turkish officials replaced experienced Arab civil servants, and demands for autonomy were met with police crackdowns.Eugene Rogan traces the emergence of Arabist societies, from Al-Fatah in Paris (which envisaged a dual Turco-Arab monarchy on the Austro-Hungarian model) to the Ottoman Decentralisation Party in Cairo. These organisations sought not independence but greater rights within the empire—a federal system, cultural autonomy, equal status with Turks. But the CUP, at the height of the Balkan crisis, was in no mood to compromise.When the Beirut Reform Society published a manifesto calling for administrative decentralisation in 1913, Ottoman authorities closed its offices and ordered it to disband. A week of strikes and protests ended with prisoners released—but the society never reopened. Arabism went underground, and with it, the possibility of holding the empire together through compromise and cooperation.Empires die, or they evolve. Those that lack the capacity to fend off external threats while accommodating internal diversity through assimilation, compromise, and cooperation—those are the ones that tend to die more rapidly. The Ottoman story is a lesson in what happens when a ruling elite, facing existential crisis, chooses centralisation over conciliation.Topics covered:The political fallout from the loss of EdirneThe assassination of Grand Vizier Mahmud Şevket PashaThe CUP's purge of liberal opponentsThe rise of the triumvirate: Enver, Talat, and Cemal PashaThe Second Balkan War and Bulgaria's fatal miscalculationEnver's recapture of Edirne and its propaganda valueThe emergence of Arabist societies and their demandsThe CUP's centralising, Turkifying policiesThe closure of the Beirut Reform SocietyThe shift from imperial to national identityExplaining History helps you understand the 20th Century through critical conversations and expert interviews. We connect the past to the present. If you enjoy the show, please subscribe and share.▸ Support the Show & Get Exclusive ContentBecome a Patron: patreon.com/explaininghistory▸ Join the Community & Continue the ConversationFacebook Group: facebook.com/groups/ExplainingHistoryPodcastSubstack: theexplaininghistorypodcast.substack.com▸ Read Articles & Go DeeperWebsite: explaininghistory.org Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Last time we spoke about the end of the battle of khalkin gol. In the summer of 1939, the Nomonhan Incident escalated into a major border conflict between Soviet-Mongolian forces and Japan's Kwantung Army along the Halha River. Despite Japanese successes in July, Zhukov launched a decisive offensive on August 20. Under cover of darkness, Soviet troops crossed the river, unleashing over 200 bombers and intense artillery barrages that devastated Japanese positions. Zhukov's northern, central, and southern forces encircled General Komatsubara's 23rd Division, supported by Manchukuoan units. Fierce fighting ensued: the southern flank collapsed under Colonel Potapov's armor, while the northern Fui Heights held briefly before falling to relentless assaults, including flame-throwing tanks. Failed Japanese counterattacks on August 24 resulted in heavy losses, with regiments shattered by superior Soviet firepower and tactics. By August 25, encircled pockets were systematically eliminated, leading to the annihilation of the Japanese 6th Army. The defeat, coinciding with the Hitler-Stalin Pact, forced Japan to negotiate a ceasefire on September 15-16, redrawing borders. Zhukov's victory exposed Japanese weaknesses in mechanized warfare, influencing future strategies and deterring further northern expansion.   #192 The Soviet–Japanese Neutrality Pact Welcome to the Fall and Rise of China Podcast, I am your dutiful host Craig Watson. But, before we start I want to also remind you this podcast is only made possible through the efforts of Kings and Generals over at Youtube. Perhaps you want to learn more about the history of Asia? Kings and Generals have an assortment of episodes on history of asia and much more  so go give them a look over on Youtube. So please subscribe to Kings and Generals over at Youtube and to continue helping us produce this content please check out www.patreon.com/kingsandgenerals. If you are still hungry for some more history related content, over on my channel, the Pacific War Channel where I cover the history of China and Japan from the 19th century until the end of the Pacific War. Despite the fact this technically will go into future events, I thought it was important we talk about a key moment in Sino history. Even though the battle of changkufeng and khalkin gol were not part of the second sino-Japanese war, their outcomes certainly would affect it.  Policymaking by the Soviet Union alone was not the primary factor in ending Moscow's diplomatic isolation in the late 1930s. After the Munich Conference signaled the failure of the popular front/united front approach, Neville Chamberlain, Adolf Hitler, and Poland's Józef Beck unintentionally strengthened Joseph Stalin's position in early 1939. Once the strategic cards were in his hands, Stalin capitalized on them. His handling of negotiations with Britain and France, as well as with Germany, from April to August was deft and effective. The spring and summer negotiations among the European powers are well documented and have been examined from many angles. In May 1939, while Stalin seemed to have the upper hand in Europe, yet before Hitler had signaled that a German–Soviet agreement might be possible, the Nomonhan incident erupted, a conflict initiated and escalated by the Kwantung Army. For a few months, the prospect of a Soviet–Japanese war revived concerns in Moscow about a two-front conflict. Reviewing Soviet talks with Britain, France, and Germany in the spring and summer of 1939 from an East Asian perspective sheds fresh light on the events that led to the German–Soviet Nonaggression Pact and, more broadly, to the outbreak of World War II. The second week of May marked the start of fighting at Nomonhan, during which negotiations between Germany and the USSR barely advanced beyond mutual scrutiny. Moscow signaled that an understanding with Nazi Germany might be possible. Notably, on May 4, the removal of Maksim Litvinov as foreign commissar and his replacement by Vyacheslav Molotov suggested a shift in approach. Litvinov, an urbane diplomat of Jewish origin and married to an Englishwoman, had been the leading Soviet proponent of the united-front policy and a steadfast critic of Nazi Germany. If a settlement with Hitler was sought, Litvinov was an unsuitable figure to lead the effort. Molotov, though with limited international experience, carried weight as chairman of the Council of Ministers and, more importantly, as one of Stalin's closest lieutenants. This personnel change seemed to accomplish its aim in Berlin, where the press was instructed on May 5 to halt polemical attacks on the Soviet Union and Bolshevism. On the same day, Karl Schnurre, head of the German Foreign Ministry's East European trade section, told Soviet chargé d'affaires Georgi Astakhov that Skoda, the German-controlled Czech arms manufacturer, would honor existing arms contracts with Russia. Astakhov asked whether, with Litvinov's departure, Germany might resume negotiations for a trade treaty Berlin had halted months earlier. By May 17, during discussions with Schnurre, Astakhov asserted that "there were no conflicts in foreign policy between Germany and the Soviet Union and that there was no reason for enmity between the two countries," and that Britain and France's negotiations appeared unpromising. The next day, Ribbentrop personally instructed Schulenburg to green-light trade talks. Molotov, however, insisted that a "political basis" for economic negotiations had to be established first. Suspicion remained high on both sides. Stalin feared Berlin might use reports of German–Soviet talks to destabilize a potential triple alliance with Britain and France; Hitler feared Stalin might use such reports to entice Tokyo away from an anti-German pact. The attempt to form a tripartite military alliance among Germany, Italy, and Japan foundered over divergent aims: Berlin targeted Britain and France; Tokyo aimed at the Soviet Union. Yet talks persisted through August 1939, with Japanese efforts to draw Germany into an anti-Soviet alignment continually reported to Moscow by Richard Sorge. Hitler and Mussolini, frustrated by Japanese objections, first concluded the bilateral Pact of Steel on May 22. The next day, Hitler, addressing his generals, stressed the inevitability of war with Poland and warned that opposition from Britain would be crushed militarily. He then hinted that Russia might "prove disinterested in the destruction of Poland," suggesting closer ties with Japan if Moscow opposed Germany. The exchange was quickly leaked to the press. Five days later, the first pitched battle of the Nomonhan campaign began. Although Hitler's timing with the Yamagata detachment's foray was coincidental, Moscow may have found the coincidence ominous. Despite the inducement of Molotov's call for a political basis before economic talks, Hitler and Ribbentrop did not immediately respond. On June 14, Astakhov signaled to Parvan Draganov, Bulgaria's ambassador in Berlin, that the USSR faced three options: ally with Britain and France, continue inconclusive talks with them, or align with Germany, the latter being closest to Soviet desires. Draganov relayed to the German Foreign Ministry that Moscow preferred a non-aggression agreement if Germany would pledge not to attack the Soviet Union. Two days later, Schulenburg told Astakhov that Germany recognized the link between economic and political relations and was prepared for far-reaching talks, a view echoed by Ribbentrop. The situation remained tangled: the Soviets pursued overt talks with Britain and France, while Stalin sought to maximize Soviet leverage. Chamberlain's stance toward Moscow remained wary but recognized a "psychological value" to an Anglo–Soviet rapprochement, tempered by his insistence on a hard bargain. American ambassador William C. Bullitt urged London to avoid the appearance of pursuing the Soviets, a view that resonated with Chamberlain's own distrust. Public confidence in a real Anglo–Soviet alliance remained low. By July 19, cabinet minutes show Chamberlain could not quite believe a genuine Russia–Germany alliance was possible, though he recognized the necessity of negotiations with Moscow to deter Hitler and to mollify an increasingly skeptical British public. Despite reservations, both sides kept the talks alive. Stalin's own bargaining style, with swift Soviet replies but frequent questions and demands, often produced delays. Molotov pressed on questions such as whether Britain and France would pledge to defend the Baltic states, intervene if Japan attacked the USSR, or join in opposing Germany if Hitler pressured Poland or Romania. These considerations were not trivial; they produced extended deliberations. On July 23, Molotov demanded that plans for coordinated military action among the three powers be fleshed out before a political pact. Britain and France accepted most political terms, and an Anglo-French military mission arrived in Moscow on August 11. The British commander, Admiral Sir Reginald Plunket-Ernle-Erle-Drax, conducted staff talks but could not conclude a military agreement. The French counterpart, General Joseph Doumenc, could sign but not bind his government. By then, Hitler had set August 26 as the date for war with Poland. With that looming, Hitler pressed for Soviet neutrality, or closer cooperation. In July and August, secret German–Soviet negotiations favored the Germans, who pressed for a rapid settlement and made most concessions. Yet Stalin benefited from keeping the British and French engaged, creating leverage against Hitler and safeguarding a potential Anglo–Soviet option as a fallback. To lengthen the talks and avoid immediate resolution, Moscow emphasized the Polish issue. Voroshilov demanded the Red Army be allowed to operate through Polish territory to defend Poland, a demand Warsaw would never accept. Moscow even floated a provocative plan: if Britain and France could compel Poland to permit Baltic State naval operations, the Western fleets would occupy Baltic ports, an idea that would have been militarily perilous and diplomatically explosive. Despite this, Stalin sought an agreement with Germany. Through Richard Sorge's intelligence, Moscow knew Tokyo aimed to avoid large-scale war with the USSR, and Moscow pressed for a German–Soviet settlement, including a nonaggression pact and measures to influence Japan to ease Sino–Japanese tensions. On August 16, Ribbentrop instructed Schulenburg to urge Molotov and Stalin toward a nonaggression pact and to coordinate with Japan. Stalin signaled willingness, and August 23–24 saw the drafting of the pact and the collapse of the Soviet and Japanese resistance elsewhere. That night, in a memorandum of Ribbentrop's staff, seven topics were summarized, with Soviet–Japanese relations and Molotov's insistence that Berlin demonstrate good faith standing out. Ribbentrop reiterated his willingness to influence Japan for a more favorable Soviet–Japanese relationship, and Stalin's reply indicated a path toward a détente in the East alongside the European agreement: "M. Stalin replied that the Soviet Union indeed desired an improvement in its relations with Japan, but that there were limits to its patience with regard to Japanese provocations. If Japan desired war she could have it. The Soviet Union was not afraid of it and was prepared for it. If Japan desired peace—so much the better! M. Stalin considered the assistance of Germany in bringing about an improvement in Soviet-Japanese relations as useful, but he did not want the Japanese to get the impression that the initiative in this direction had been taken by the Soviet Union."  Second, the assertion that the Soviet Union was prepared for and unafraid of war with Japan is an overstatement, though Stalin certainly had grounds for optimism regarding the battlefield situation and the broader East Asian strategic balance. It is notable that, despite the USSR's immediate diplomatic and military gains against Japan, Stalin remained anxious to conceal from Tokyo any peace initiative that originated in Moscow. That stance suggests that Tokyo or Hsinking might read such openness as a sign of Soviet weakness or confidence overextended. The Japanese danger, it would seem, did not disappear from Stalin's mind. Even at the height of his diplomatic coup, Stalin was determined not to burn bridges prematurely. On August 21, while he urged Hitler to send Ribbentrop to Moscow, he did not sever talks with Britain and France. Voroshilov requested a temporary postponement on the grounds that Soviet delegation officers were needed for autumn maneuvers. It was not until August 25, after Britain reiterated its resolve to stand by Poland despite the German–Soviet pact, that Stalin sent the Anglo–French military mission home. Fortified by the nonaggression pact, which he hoped would deter Britain and France from action, Hitler unleashed his army on Poland on September 1. Two days later, as Zhukov's First Army Group was completing its operations at Nomonhan, Hitler faced a setback when Britain and France declared war. Hitler had hoped to finish Poland quickly in 1939 and avoid fighting Britain and France until 1940. World War II in Europe had begun. The Soviet–Japanese conflict at Nomonhan was not the sole, nor even the principal, factor prompting Stalin to conclude an alliance with Hitler. Standing aside from a European war that could fracture the major capitalist powers might have been reason enough. Yet the conflict with Japan in the East was also a factor in Stalin's calculations, a dimension that has received relatively little attention in standard accounts of the outbreak of the war. This East Asian focus seeks to clarify the record without proposing a revolutionary reinterpretation of Soviet foreign policy; rather, it adds an important piece often overlooked in the "origins of the Second World War" puzzle, helping to reduce the overall confusion. The German–Soviet agreement provided for the Soviet occupation of the eastern half of Poland soon after Germany's invasion. On September 3, just forty-eight hours after the invasion and on the day Britain and France declared war, Ribbentrop urged Moscow to invade Poland from the east. Yet, for two more weeks, Poland's eastern frontier remained inviolate; Soviet divisions waited at the border, as most Polish forces were engaged against Germany. The German inquiries about the timing of the Soviet invasion continued, but the Red Army did not move. This inactivity is often attributed to Stalin's caution and suspicion, but that caution extended beyond Europe. Throughout early September, sporadic ground and air combat continued at Nomonhan, including significant activity by Kwantung Army forces on September 8–9, and large-scale air engagements on September 1–2, 4–5, and 14–15. Not until September 15 was the Molotov–Togo cease-fire arrangement finalized, to take effect on September 16. The very next morning, September 17, the Red Army crossed the Polish frontier into a country collapsed at its feet. It appears that Stalin wanted to ensure that fighting on his eastern flank had concluded before engaging in Western battles, avoiding a two-front war. Through such policies, Stalin avoided the disaster of a two-front war. Each principal in the 1939 diplomatic maneuvering pursued distinct objectives. The British sought an arrangement with the USSR that would deter Hitler from attacking Poland and, if deterred, bind Moscow to the Anglo–French alliance. Hitler sought an alliance with the USSR to deter Britain and France from aiding Poland and, if they did aid Poland, to secure Soviet neutrality. Japan sought a military alliance with Germany against the USSR, or failing that, stronger Anti-Comintern ties. Stalin aimed for an outcome in which Germany would fight the Western democracies, leaving him freedom to operate in both the West and East; failing that, he sought military reassurance from Britain and France in case he had to confront Germany. Of the four, only Stalin achieved his primary objective. Hitler secured his secondary objective; the British and Japanese failed to realize theirs. Stalin won the diplomatic contest in 1939. Yet, as diplomats gave way to generals, the display of German military power in Poland and in Western Europe soon eclipsed Stalin's diplomatic triumph. By playing Germany against Britain and France, Stalin gained leverage and a potential fallback, but at the cost of unleashing a devastating European war. As with the aftermath of the Portsmouth Treaty in 1905, Russo-Japanese relations improved rapidly after hostilities ceased at Nomonhan. The Molotov–Togo agreement of September 15 and the local truces arranged around Nomonhan on September 19 were observed scrupulously by both sides. On October 27, the two nations settled another long-standing dispute by agreeing to mutual release of fishing boats detained on charges of illegal fishing in each other's territorial waters. On November 6, the USSR appointed Konstantin Smetanin as ambassador to Tokyo, replacing the previous fourteen-month tenure of a chargé d'affaires. Smetanin's first meeting with the new Japanese foreign minister, Nomura Kichisaburö, in November 1939 attracted broad, favorable coverage in the Japanese press. In a break with routine diplomatic practice, Nomura delivered a draft proposal for a new fisheries agreement and a memo outlining the functioning of the joint border commission to be established in the Nomonhan area before Smetanin presented his credentials. On December 31, an agreement finalizing Manchukuo's payment to the USSR for the sale of the Chinese Eastern Railway was reached, and the Soviet–Japanese Fisheries Convention was renewed for 1940. In due course, the boundary near Nomonhan was formally redefined. A November 1939 agreement between Molotov and Togo established a mixed border commission representing the four parties to the dispute. After protracted negotiations, the border commission completed its redemarcation on June 14, 1941, with new border markers erected in August 1941. The resulting boundary largely followed the Soviet–MPR position, lying ten to twelve miles east of the Halha River. With that, the Nomonhan incident was officially closed.  Kwantung Army and Red Army leaders alike sought to "teach a lesson" to their foe at Nomonhan. The refrain recurs in documents and memoirs from both sides, "we must teach them a lesson." The incident provided lessons for both sides, but not all were well learned. For the Red Army, the lessons of Nomonhan intertwined with the laurels of victory, gratifying but sometimes distracting. Georgy Zhukov grasped the experience of modern warfare that summer, gaining more than a raised profile: command experience, confidence, and a set of hallmarks he would employ later. He demonstrated the ability to grasp complex strategic problems quickly, decisive crisis leadership, meticulous attention to logistics and deception, patience in building superior strength before striking at the enemy's weakest point, and the coordination of massed artillery, tanks, mechanized infantry, and tactical air power in large-scale double envelopment. These capabilities informed his actions at Moscow, Stalingrad, Kursk, and ultimately Berlin. It is tempting to wonder how Zhukov might have fared in the crucial autumn and winter of 1941 without Nomonhan, or whether he would have been entrusted with the Moscow front in 1941 had he not distinguished himself at Nomonhan. Yet the Soviet High Command overlooked an important lesson. Despite Zhukov's successes with independent tank formations and mechanized infantry, the command misapplied Spanish Civil War-era experience by disbanding armored divisions and redistributing tanks to infantry units to serve as support. It was not until after Germany demonstrated tank warfare in 1940 that the Soviets began reconstituting armored divisions and corps, a process still incomplete when the 1941 invasion began. The Red Army's performance at Nomonhan went largely unseen in the West. Western intelligence and military establishments largely believed the Red Army was fundamentally rotten, a view reinforced by the battlefield's remoteness and by both sides' reluctance to publicize the defeat. The Polish crisis and the outbreak of war in Europe drew attention away from Nomonhan, and the later Finnish Winter War reinforced negative Western judgments of Soviet military capability. U.S. military attaché Raymond Faymonville observed that the Soviets, anticipating a quick victory over Finland, relied on hastily summoned reserves ill-suited for winter fighting—an assessment that led some to judge the Red Army by its performance at Nomonhan. Even in Washington, this view persisted; Hitler reportedly called the Red Army "a paralytic on crutches" after Finland and then ordered invasion planning in 1941. Defeat can be a stronger teacher than victory. Because Nomonhan was a limited war, Japan's defeat was likewise limited, and its impact on Tokyo did not immediately recalibrate Japanese assessments. Yet Nomonhan did force Japan to revise its estimation of Soviet strength: the Imperial Army abandoned its strategic Plan Eight-B and adopted a more defensive posture toward the Soviet Union. An official inquiry into the debacle, submitted November 29, 1939, recognized Soviet superiority in materiel and firepower and urged Japan to bolster its own capabilities. The Kwantung Army's leadership, chastened, returned to the frontier with a more realistic sense of capability, even as the Army Ministry and AGS failed to translate lessons into policy. The enduring tendency toward gekokujo, the dominance of local and mid-level officers over central authority, remained persistent, and Tokyo did not fully purge it after Nomonhan. The Kwantung Army's operatives who helped drive the Nomonhan episode resurfaced in key posts at Imperial General Headquarters, contributing to Japan's 1941 decision to go to war. The defeat of the Kwantung Army at Nomonhan, together with the Stalin–Hitler pact and the outbreak of war in Europe, triggered a reorientation of Japanese strategy and foreign policy. The new government, led by the politically inexperienced and cautious General Abe Nobuyuki, pursued a conservative foreign policy. Chiang Kai-shek's retreat to Chongqing left the Chinese war at a stalemate: the Japanese Expeditionary Army could still inflict defeats on Chinese nationalist forces, but it had no viable path to a decisive victory. China remained Japan's principal focus. Still, the option of cutting Soviet aid to China and of moving north into Outer Mongolia and Siberia was discredited in Tokyo by the August 1939 double defeat. Northward expansion never again regained its ascendancy, though it briefly resurfaced in mid-1941 after Germany's invasion of the Soviet Union. Germany's alliance with the USSR during Nomonhan was viewed by Tokyo as a betrayal, cooling German–Japanese relations. Japan also stepped back from its confrontation with Britain over Tientsin. Tokyo recognized that the European war represented a momentous development that could reshape East Asia, as World War I had reshaped it before. The short-lived Abe government (September–December 1939) and its successor under Admiral Yonai Mitsumasa (December 1939–July 1940) adopted a cautious wait-and-see attitude toward the European war. That stance shifted in the summer of 1940, however, after Germany's successes in the West. With Germany's conquest of France and the Low Countries and Britain's fight for survival, Tokyo reassessed the global balance of power. Less than a year after Zhukov had effectively blocked further Japanese expansion northward, Hitler's victories seemed to open a southern expansion path. The prospect of seizing the resource-rich colonies in Southeast Asia, Dutch, French, and British and, more importantly, resolving the China problem in Japan's favor, tempted many in Tokyo. If Western aid to Chiang Kai-shek, channeled through Hong Kong, French Indochina, and Burma could be cut off, some in Tokyo believed Chiang might abandon resistance. If not, Japan could launch new operations against Chiang from Indochina and Burma, effectively turning China's southern flank. To facilitate a southward advance, Japan sought closer alignment with Germany and the USSR. Foreign Minister Yosuke Matsuoka brought Japan into the Tripartite Pact with Germany and Italy, in the hope of neutralizing the United States, and concluded a neutrality pact with the Soviet Union to secure calm in the north. Because of the European military situation, only the United States could check Japan's southward expansion. President Franklin D. Roosevelt appeared determined to do so and confident that he could. If the Manchurian incident and the Stimson Doctrine strained U.S.–Japanese relations, and the China War and U.S. aid to Chiang Kai-shek deepened mutual resentment, it was Japan's decision to press south against French, British, and Dutch colonies, and Roosevelt's resolve to prevent such a move, that put the two nations on a collision course. The dust had barely settled on the Mongolian plains following the Nomonhan ceasefire when the ripples of that distant conflict began to reshape the broader theater of the Second Sino-Japanese War. The defeat at Nomonhan in August 1939, coupled with the shocking revelation of the German-Soviet Nonaggression Pact, delivered a profound strategic blow to Japan's imperial ambitions. No longer could Tokyo entertain serious notions of a "northern advance" into Soviet territory, a strategy that had long tantalized military planners as a means to secure resources and buffer against communism. Instead, the Kwantung Army's humiliation exposed glaring deficiencies in Japanese mechanized warfare, logistics, and intelligence, forcing a pivot southward. This reorientation not only cooled tensions with the Soviet Union but also allowed Japan to redirect its military focus toward the protracted stalemate in China. As we transition from the border clashes of the north to the heartland tensions in central China, it's essential to trace how these events propelled Japan toward the brink of a major offensive in Hunan Province, setting the stage for what would become a critical confrontation. In the immediate aftermath of Nomonhan, Japan's military high command grappled with the implications of their setback. The Kwantung Army, once a symbol of unchecked aggression, was compelled to adopt a defensive posture along the Manchurian-Soviet border. The ceasefire agreement, formalized on September 15-16, 1939, effectively neutralized the northern front, freeing up significant resources and manpower that had been tied down in the escalating border skirmishes. This was no small relief; the Nomonhan campaign had drained Japanese forces, with estimates of over 18,000 casualties and the near-total annihilation of the 23rd Division. The psychological impact was equally severe, shattering the myth of Japanese invincibility against a modern, mechanized opponent. Georgy Zhukov's masterful use of combined arms—tanks, artillery, and air power—highlighted Japan's vulnerabilities, prompting internal reviews that urged reforms in tank production, artillery doctrine, and supply chains. Yet, these lessons were slow to implement, and in the short term, the primary benefit was the opportunity to consolidate efforts elsewhere. For Japan, "elsewhere" meant China, where the war had devolved into a grinding attrition since the fall of Wuhan in October 1938. The capture of Wuhan, a major transportation hub and temporary capital of the Nationalist government under Chiang Kai-shek, had been hailed as a turning point. Japanese forces, under the command of General Shunroku Hata, had pushed deep into central China, aiming to decapitate Chinese resistance. However, Chiang's strategic retreat to Chongqing transformed the conflict into a war of endurance. Nationalist forces, bolstered by guerrilla tactics and international aid, harassed Japanese supply lines and prevented a decisive knockout blow. By mid-1939, Japan controlled vast swaths of eastern and northern China, including key cities like Beijing, Shanghai, and Nanjing, but the cost was immense: stretched logistics, mounting casualties, and an inability to fully pacify occupied territories. The Nomonhan defeat exacerbated these issues by underscoring the limits of Japan's military overextension. With the northern threat abated, Tokyo's Army General Staff saw an opening to intensify operations in China, hoping to force Chiang to the negotiating table before global events further complicated the picture. The diplomatic fallout from Nomonhan and the Hitler-Stalin Pact further influenced this shift. Japan's betrayal by Germany, its nominal ally under the Anti-Comintern Pact—fostered distrust and isolation. Tokyo's flirtations with a full Axis alliance stalled, as the pact with Moscow revealed Hitler's willingness to prioritize European gains over Asian solidarity. This isolation prompted Japan to reassess its priorities, emphasizing self-reliance in China while eyeing opportunistic expansions elsewhere. Domestically, the Hiranuma cabinet collapsed in August 1939 amid the diplomatic shock, paving the way for the more cautious Abe Nobuyuki government. Abe's administration, though short-lived, signaled a temporary de-escalation in aggressive posturing, but the underlying imperative to resolve the "China Incident" persisted. Japanese strategists believed that capturing additional strategic points in central China could sever Chiang's lifelines, particularly the routes funneling aid from the Soviet Union and the West via Burma and Indochina. The seismic shifts triggered by Nomonhan compelled Japan to fundamentally readjust its China policy and war plans, marking a pivotal transition from overambitious northern dreams to a more focused, albeit desperate, campaign in the south. With the Kwantung Army's defeat fresh in mind, Tokyo's Imperial General Headquarters initiated a comprehensive strategic review in late August 1939. The once-dominant "Northern Advance" doctrine, which envisioned rapid conquests into Siberia for resources like oil and minerals, was officially shelved. In its place emerged a "Southern Advance" framework, prioritizing the consolidation of gains in China and potential expansions into Southeast Asia. This pivot was not merely tactical; it reflected a profound policy recalibration aimed at ending the quagmire in China, where two years of war had yielded territorial control but no decisive victory over Chiang Kai-shek's Nationalists. Central to this readjustment was a renewed emphasis on economic and military self-sufficiency. The Nomonhan debacle had exposed Japan's vulnerabilities in mechanized warfare, leading to urgent reforms in industrial production. Tank manufacturing was ramped up, with designs influenced by observed Soviet models, and artillery stockpiles were bolstered to match the firepower discrepancies seen on the Mongolian steppes. Logistically, the Army General Staff prioritized streamlining supply lines in China, recognizing that prolonged engagements demanded better resource allocation. Politically, the Abe Nobuyuki cabinet, installed in September 1939, adopted a "wait-and-see" approach toward Europe but aggressively pursued diplomatic maneuvers to isolate China. Efforts to negotiate with Wang Jingwei's puppet regime in Nanjing intensified, aiming to undermine Chiang's legitimacy and splinter Chinese resistance. Japan also pressured Vichy France for concessions in Indochina, seeking to choke off aid routes to Chongqing. War plans evolved accordingly, shifting from broad-front offensives to targeted strikes designed to disrupt Chinese command and supply networks. The China Expeditionary Army, under General Yasuji Okamura, was restructured to emphasize mobility and combined arms operations, drawing partial lessons from Zhukov's tactics. Intelligence operations were enhanced, with greater focus on infiltrating Nationalist strongholds in central provinces. By early September, plans coalesced around a major push into Hunan Province, a vital crossroads linking northern and southern China. Hunan's river systems and rail lines made it a linchpin for Chinese logistics, funneling men and materiel to the front lines. Japanese strategists identified key urban centers in the region as critical objectives, believing their capture could sever Chiang's western supply corridors and force a strategic retreat. This readjustment was not without internal friction. Hardliners in the military lamented the abandonment of northern ambitions, but the reality of Soviet strength—and the neutrality pacts that followed—left little room for debate. Economically, Japan ramped up exploitation of occupied Chinese territories, extracting coal, iron, and rice to fuel the war machine. Diplomatically, Tokyo sought to mend fences with the Soviets through the 1941 Neutrality Pact, ensuring northern security while eyes turned south. Yet, these changes brewed tension with the United States, whose embargoes on scrap metal and oil threatened to cripple Japan's ambitions. As autumn approached, the stage was set for a bold gambit in central China. Japanese divisions massed along the Yangtze River, poised to strike at the heart of Hunan's defenses. Intelligence reports hinted at Chinese preparations, with Xue Yue's forces fortifying positions around a major provincial hub. The air thickened with anticipation of a clash that could tip the balance in the interminable war—a test of Japan's revamped strategies against a resilient foe determined to hold the line. What unfolded would reveal whether Tokyo's post-Nomonhan pivot could deliver the breakthrough so desperately needed, or if it would merely prolong the bloody stalemate. I would like to take this time to remind you all that this podcast is only made possible through the efforts of Kings and Generals over at Youtube. Please go subscribe to Kings and Generals over at Youtube and to continue helping us produce this content please check out www.patreon.com/kingsandgenerals. If you are still hungry after that, give my personal channel a look over at The Pacific War Channel at Youtube, it would mean a lot to me. In 1939, the Nomonhan Incident saw Soviet forces under Georgy Zhukov decisively defeat Japan's Kwantung Army at Khalkin Gol, exposing Japanese weaknesses in mechanized warfare. This setback, coupled with the Hitler-Stalin Nonaggression Pact, shattered Japan's northern expansion plans and prompted a strategic pivot southward. Diplomatic maneuvers involving Stalin, Hitler, Britain, France, and Japan reshaped alliances, leading to the Soviet-Japanese Neutrality Pact in 1941. Japan refocused on China, intensifying operations in Hunan Province to isolate Chiang Kai-shek.   

Born in Bulgaria, raised in Cuba, studied in the U.S.A. and now residing in Austria. Teodora Hadjiyska wears many hats. Teddy is one of the greatest experts on the Dyatlov Pass. An incident where 9 hikers were tragically killed in 1959. Episode on we focus on the trauma Teddy faced in a near death accident herself. Episode two will focus more on the Dyatlov Pass.Teodora (Teddy's) links:https://www.facebook.com/teddy777777Dyatlov Pass:https://dyatlovpass.com/about1079 Book:https://a.co/d/0bzz4W05Al Cooley's book Spencer's Ghosts - The Guardian (Based on a true ghost story)Amazonhttps://a.co/d/0ibcdT5NAlso available on Al Cooley's website:authoralcooley.comContact Al to appear on Ghosts In The Valley Podcastcooley54@gmail.comMusic: Energetic MusicArtwork: Al Cooley

Marco Ansaldo"Mare nero"Sei paesi, le leggende, la guerraMarsilio Editoriwww.marsilioeditori.itConfine sensibile dell'Impero romano, scenario di espansione dei domini commerciali genovese e veneziano nel Medioevo, teatro di guerra nell'Ottocento e protagonista del nuovo ordine globale nel xx secolo, il Mar Nero è oggi un'area cruciale dello scacchiere politico. Non è solo, infatti, il centro del conflitto tra Russia e Ucraina, ma anche il crocevia di interessi mondiali di primaria importanza. Con gli strumenti del cronista e lo sguardo curioso del viaggiatore, Marco Ansaldo ci guida attraverso i principali paesi del «grande lago salato»: da Odessa e dalle coste martoriate dell'Ucraina a Varna, in Bulgaria; da Batumi, in Georgia, dove in estate si affollano i vacanzieri all'ombra della minaccia russa, alla Romania, cerniera sottile tra l'Europa e le sue periferie orientali. L'itinerario tocca anche l'Abkhazia, territorio rivendicato dalla Georgia ma proclamatosi indipendente, e la Crimea, obiettivo delle mire espansionistiche di Putin, per arrivare a Trebisonda, da cui la Turchia lancia le sue migliori navi da trivellazione alla ricerca di giacimenti di gas. Il risultato è un racconto sorprendente fatto di scoperte e incontri, di grande letteratura e personaggi inattesi, in cui spesso il frastuono dei combattimenti cede il passo all'eco delle leggende che tutt'oggi popolano il Mar Nero. Mitologia e geopolitica, guerra e pace si mescolano e alternano di continuo in questo bacino: se ogni nazione che vi si affaccia vive il proprio passato come un presente incandescente, è dalle sue acque scure che forse emergerà anche il nostro futuro.Marco Ansaldo  (1959), già inviato speciale de «la Repubblica» per la politica internazionale, oggi è analista geopolitico, consigliere scientifico di «Limes» da Istanbul, vaticanista per «Die Zeit» e consulente de La7 per il programma Atlantide. Ha insegnato all'Università Luiss e ha collaborato con Rai Radio 3. Alla Turchia ha dedicato tre libri (Chi ha perso la Turchia, Uccidete il Papa, Il caso Ocalan), una lunga serie di reportage e interviste, programmi in radio e in tv, conferenze e convegni, le voci dell'Enciclopedia Treccani e del Dizionario Utet, l'invenzione del Foro di dialogo intergovernativo fra Italia e Turchia.Diventa un supporter di questo podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/il-posto-delle-parole--1487855/support.IL POSTO DELLE PAROLEascoltare fa pensarehttps://ilpostodelleparole.it/

Welcome back, inner circle! DOUBLE FREE EPISODE

As fascist powers continue to take land from their neighbors and take over new countries, an agreement between Germany and the Soviet Union shocks the word and gives Bulgaria an opportunity. Supporters like you make this podcast happen! Check out www.patreon.com/bulgarianhistorypodcast to see the great perks you can get for supporting us. You can find images for this episode at: www.bghistorypodcast.com/post/251-deal-between-devils Check out the book here: www.amazon.com/State-Builders-St…an/dp/6197814110/

Working-class Bulgarians have begun to realise the hollowness of bourgeois ‘democracy' as the decision to join the eurozone is implemented over their protests. The principled participation of communists in the recent anti-eurozone movement in Bulgaria has done much to bring the movement out of the fringes, where it has languished since the fall of socialism in eastern Europe. The stage is now set for further anti-imperialist struggles as the drive to all-out war in Europe accelerates and Bulgarian comprador elites try to prepare their country as a staging post in Nato's assault on the Russian Federation. This statement was made by a representative of the 23 September movement (Движение 23 септември) at the recent ‘Bulgarian people's anti-imperialist struggle against the euro and the consequences of European economic policy on Greece' event, held in Greece in January 2026.

On episode 228, we discussed Bulgaria, clotheslines, and aprons. Enjoy!

In this episode of Behaviour Speak, I speak with Zornitsa Ivanova, the first board certified behaviour analyst living and working in Bulgaria. Zornitsa shares her journey from special education and child psychology into applied behaviour analysis (ABA), and what it has been like introducing evidence-based autism intervention in a country where the field barely existed a decade ago. From translating ABA resources into Bulgarian to helping train the next generation of practitioners, Zornitsa is helping build the foundation for behaviour analysis in Eastern Europe. If you're interested in global behaviour analysis, autism services, or the international expansion of ABA, this conversation offers a fascinating look at what it takes to grow a field from the ground up. This episode is presented by our founding academic partner, the Doctor of Education in the field of Applied Behaviour Analysis program at Western University's Faculty of Education.  Watch the video: https://youtu.be/MDgZN7MROEY Program Information: https://www.edu.uwo.ca/graduate-education/edd/applied-behaviour-analysis.html How to apply: https://www.edu.uwo.ca/graduate-education/apply.html Program brochure: https://www.edu.uwo.ca/graduate-education/edd/foe120_edd_aba_r1.png   Continuing Education Credits (https://www.cbiconsultants.com/shop) BACB: 0.5 Ethics IBAO:  0.5 Cultural QABA: 0.5 General CBA/CPD:    0.5 Cultural Diversity   Follow us! Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/behaviourspeak/ LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/behaviourspeak/ Contact Zornitsa Ivanova at ABA Bloom Е-mail    ababloom@yahoo.com Website https://www.ababloom.bg Facebook: ABA Bloom https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61561684086944 Links: International Behavior Analysis Association https://theibao.com/ Applied Behavior Analysis - Bulgaria https://www.facebook.com/groups/279540052761953/ Related Behaviour Speak Episodes Episode 242: Behaviour Analysis in Moldova with Olga Sirbu https://www.behaviourspeak.com/e/episode-242-behaviour-analysis-in-moldova-with-olga-sirbu-bcba-lba-iba/ Episode 234: Behaviour Analysis in Croatia and Montenegro with Rea Vuksan https://www.behaviourspeak.com/e/episode-234-behaviour-analysis-in-croatia-montenegro-with-rea-vuksan-mads-scid-bcba-iba/ Episode 215 : Behaviour Analysis in Turkiye with Dr. Buket Kısaç Demiroğlu https://www.behaviourspeak.com/e/episode-215-behavior-analysis-in-turkiye-with-dr-buket-kisac-demiroglu/ Episode 208: Behaviour Analysis in Greece with Stefania Zampanka https://www.behaviourspeak.com/e/episode-208-behavior-analysis-in-greece-with-stefania-zampanka-msc-bcba/  

In this episode of the World of Higher Education Podcast, host Alex Usher speaks with Georgi Stoytchev about the structure and future of higher education in Bulgaria.They discuss how the system evolved after the fall of socialism, the role of the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences as the country's main research hub, and Bulgaria's distinctive national university ranking system, which uses administrative and graduate earnings data and is linked to performance-based funding.The conversation also touches on a recent tuition fee controversy, the involvement of Gen Z in anti-corruption protests, and the demographic pressures that are likely to shape the future of Bulgarian higher education.

Send a textDee and Carol are back to talk about impatiens, quick wins in the vegetable garden, a new book on cut flowers and several other topics, planned and unplanned.For more information, check out our Substack newsletterTo watch this episode on YouTube, click here. If you are interested in Dee's new garden hose, here's the affiliate link.Flowers:  National Garden Bureau has declared it to be the Year of the Impatien.  On the Bookshelf:  The Beginner's Cut Flower Garden: Grow, Nourish, and Create Bliss Year-Round, by Elizabeth Brown with photos by Lindsay Fairchild (Amazon Link).  Dirt:  Burp Your House. Garden to Visit: Tucson Botanical Gardens Rabbit Holes: Bertha Damon, a Lost Lady of Garden Writing.  The series of books about Mrs. Pollifax, CIA spy!  Baba Marta Day, celebrated on March 1 in Bulgaria. Also  Marce Catlett: The Force of a Story by Wendell Berry? (Amazon Link)(Check out our affiliate links here. Book links are also affiliate links.)As always, we appreciate all of you for listening to the podcast!Support the showOn Instagram: Carol: Indygardener, Dee: RedDirtRamblings, Our podcast: TheGardenangelists.On Facebook: The Gardenangelists' Garden Club.On YouTube.

We are delighted to host Rose Uzunova on this episode of the Mangu.tv podcast series. Rose is currently chief community officer at the Psychedelic Science of Funders Collaborative PCFC, where she cultivates a network of informed, connected philanthropists to drive systemic change in psychedelic science. Previously, she spent over 15 years in finance, including roles on Wall Street, before transitioning into philanthropy and impact-driven community building. As an unreasonable mentor, she merges her financial acumen with heart-centred leadership, fostering collaboration and innovation in global, social and scientific initiatives. Her background combines strategic vision, fundraising capacity and a deep interest in advancing psychedelic research through community funding and advocacy.Rose reflects on her childhood in communist Bulgaria, filled with arts and self-discovery. She speaks about her transition to a more academic environment, and her decision to move to Wisconsin, which gave her better social, academic and professional opportunities. Rose discusses her time in finance with top firms like Morgan Stanley and BlackRock, before her interests shifted towards spiritual healing and psychedelics. She shares her first experience with Ayahuasca and her journey with The Medicine of the Four Directions. Giancarlo and Rose speak about the use of psychedelic medicine and the need for therapy and careful integration. They highlight the importance of creating safe spaces for psychedelic use, ensuring thorough medical history assessments, follow-ups, and integration support. Rose shares her life's purpose, to be a channel for dharmic work for the benefit of all beings' happiness and freedom from suffering.

Have you ever considered your profession as a ministry? Come to this session and hear about the biblical roots of nursing as ministry, your sacred calling to serve, and the importance of paying attention to those divine appointments. We will also talk about finding your passion and being persistent, all while drawing on the power of the Holy Spirit.

Die Themen in den Wissensnachrichten: +++ Darum essen wir Popcorn & Chips immer weiter +++ Fund in Bulgarien könnte Ursprung des aufrechten Gangs neu datieren +++ Bäume sind wohl die besten Klimaschützer in der Stadt +++**********Weiterführende Quellen zu dieser Folge:Studie zu Snacks und Appetitkontrolle in Appetite: "Devaluation insensitivity of event related potentials associated with food cues", 01.03.2026Studie zu einem neuen Fossil-Fund in Bulgarien in Palaeodiversity and Palaeoenvironments: "An early form of terrestrial hominine bipedalism in the Late Miocene of Bulgaria", 04.03.2026Studie zu Schimpansen und Kristallen in Frontiers in Psychology: "On the origin of our fascination with crystals", 04.03.2026Studie zum Einfrieren von Hirngewebe in PNAS: "Functional recovery of the adult murine hippocampus after cryopreservation by vitrification", 03.03.2026Studie zu Stadtvegetation und CO2-Emissionen in Earth's Future: "Fine-Scale Estimation of Urban Biogenic CO2 Fluxes: A Novel Framework Integrating Multiple Versions of Vegetation Photosynthesis and Respiration Models and In Situ Measurements", 25.02.2026Alle Quellen findet ihr hier.**********Ihr könnt uns auch auf diesen Kanälen folgen: TikTok und Instagram .

Michelle illustrates a good point this episode-that miracles and magic don't have to be these big, gigantic events, and that sometimes we can invite them in, to our daily lives, to make our lives more shiny!She has two stories of practical miracles and how each was kind of ridiculous and overt and beautiful, and needed! I hope you enjoy our conversation (especially the part about the Moon!)To check out her website click here!Her YouTube here!And to check out her new App, Make My Hypno, click here!Please consider leaving a rating or a review, I would be ever so glad and grateful and happy and all of it!Your bit of beauty is this: I was researching Bulgaria earlier this week and the incredible scenery, beauty and the traditions that still exist. This YouTube on the Pomack brides will hopefully help you understand what a singular and gorgeous life is still being lived there, and this tradition is centuries if not a 1,000 years old. Learn a little bit more about the world, I dare you!

Michelle illustrates a good point this episode-that miracles and magic don't have to be these big, gigantic events, and that sometimes we can invite them in, to our daily lives, to make our lives more shiny!She has two stories of practical miracles and how each was kind of ridiculous and overt and beautiful, and needed! I hope you enjoy our conversation (especially the part about the Moon!)To check out her website click here!Her YouTube here!And to check out her new App, Make My Hypno, click here!Please consider leaving a rating or a review, I would be ever so glad and grateful and happy and all of it!Your bit of beauty is this: I was researching Bulgaria earlier this week and the incredible scenery, beauty and the traditions that still exist. This YouTube on the Pomack brides will hopefully help you understand what a singular and gorgeous life is still being lived there, and this tradition is centuries if not a 1,000 years old. Learn a little bit more about the world, I dare you!

The Treaty of San Stefano created a large, autonomous Principality of Bulgaria, stretching from the Danube to the Aegean Sea and from the Black Sea to Lake Ohrid with its own government, army, and ...

refurbed, the leading online marketplace for refurbished products in Ireland, has surpassed €3 billion in cumulative Gross Merchandise Volume (GMV) and expanded into 12 new European markets, doubling its footprint and marking a major milestone in the mainstream adoption of refurbished products. The company reached €3 billion in the total value of goods sold through its marketplace less than 12 months after passing €2 billion, reflecting year-on-year GMV growth of over 40%. The milestone follows a €50 million investment round in November 2025 and profitability achieved earlier that year, providing a strong foundation for continued expansion across Europe. "Refurbished is no longer a niche – it's becoming the default for many customers across Europe." said Peter Windischhofer, co-founder and CEO of refurbed. "We've proven that a circular business model can scale profitably. Surpassing €3 billion in GMV and expanding into 12 new markets shows that." To date, refurbed has sold 10 million products across their European markets and over 50% of its customers have returned for additional purchases. Since entering the Irish market five years ago, refurbed has sold more than 400,000 products to over 200,000 customers, contributing over €146 million in GMV. Through the purchase of refurbished devices, Irish customers have saved almost 17 million kilograms of CO?, more than 5 billion litres of water and nearly 60,000 kilograms of electronic waste. Pan-European expansion at scale The company's new markets include Spain, France, the UK, Poland, Slovakia, Slovenia, Croatia, Lithuania, Estonia, Latvia, Bulgaria and Luxembourg, bringing refurbed's addressable market to approximately 486 million consumers. Leading brands available on the platform include Dyson and Kärcher in home and garden, alongside Apple, Samsung and Google in consumer electronics. "This expansion is a deliberate next step," Windischhofer adds. "After reaching profitability and securing fresh investment, we are deploying capital where we see clear demand, strong supply infrastructure and long-term value creation. We scale where our model works – and we know it works." €3 Billion GMV: Refurbishment moves into the mainstream The acceleration from €2 billion to €3 billion in under a year highlights growing consumer trust in refurbished products and increasing competitive strength against new product sales. Premium supply is expanding rapidly, with the premium product share of order volume increasing by +113% and the premium share of GMV rising by +90% since the category launched in 2025. "We are witnessing a clear, structural shift in consumer behaviour," says Kilian Kaminski, co-founder of refurbed. "Smart and sustainable growth is no longer a trade-off. The circular economy is becoming mainstream, and Europe has the opportunity to lead globally by proving that profitability and sustainability go hand in hand." To date, refurbed has contributed to saving 445,000 tonnes of CO2 by offering refurbished instead of new products to consumers. See more stories here. More about Irish Tech News Irish Tech News are Ireland's No. 1 Online Tech Publication and often Ireland's No.1 Tech Podcast too. You can find hundreds of fantastic previous episodes and subscribe using whatever platform you like via our Anchor.fm page here: https://anchor.fm/irish-tech-news If you'd like to be featured in an upcoming Podcast email us at Simon@IrishTechNews.ie now to discuss. Irish Tech News have a range of services available to help promote your business. Why not drop us a line at Info@IrishTechNews.ie now to find out more about how we can help you reach our audience. You can also find and follow us on Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and Snapchat.

In the early 1990s, a strange and controversial excavation project began in the small Bulgarian village of Tsarichina, just northwest of Sofia. What came to be known as the Tsarichina Hole quickly became one of the most mysterious and unsettling events in Eastern Europe's modern paranormal history. The Bulgarian military, without explanation, cordoned off the area and began digging a massive shaft that reportedly stretched over 100 feet deep. Rumors spread rapidly that the military was searching for lost treasure, alien artifacts, or even the remains of an ancient non-human entity. Witnesses claimed to have seen unusual lights, heard unsettling sounds, and felt an oppressive energy around the site. When the project was suddenly abandoned in 1992 without official explanation, locals and researchers alike were left to speculate on what had really been uncovered beneath the ground. Was the Tsarichina Hole a failed treasure hunt, a concealed archaeological discovery, or undeniable evidence of contact with extraterrestrial intelligence? The secrecy surrounding the excavation has fueled decades of theories, connecting the site to UFOs, psychic communication, interdimensional portals, and Bulgaria's hidden history. In this video, we dive deep into the legend of the Tsarichina Hole, separating fact from speculation while analyzing eyewitness accounts, military reports, and paranormal claims. We'll explore the possibility of ancient relics buried beneath Tsarichina, discuss why Bulgarian authorities may have gone to such lengths to seal off the area, and consider how this strange event fits into the broader landscape of UFO sightings, alien encounters, and unexplained phenomena across the world. Whether you believe the Tsarichina Hole was a simple military dig gone wrong, or that it hides one of the greatest secrets ever discovered on Earth, this mystery remains a powerful reminder of how much we still don't know about our planet's past. If you enjoy content about paranormal mysteries, unsolved cases, UFO encounters, alien artifacts, and ancient civilizations, then make sure to watch until the end and subscribe for more deep dives into the strange and unexplained. The truth about the Tsarichina Hole may still be buried underground, but the story continues to haunt researchers, believers, and skeptics to this day. Thank you for watching Roanoke Gaming and I hope you enjoy Bulgaria's Tsarichina Hole is Pure NIGHTMARE Fuel. Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/RoanokeTalesPatreon Merch: Roanokemerch.com #TsarichinaHole #ParanormalMysteries #UnexplainedHistory

In this episode of the Eurovision Showcase on Forest FM, host Ciaran Urry-Tuttiett dives into the latest confirmed entries for the Eurovision Song Contest 2026. We hear brand new selections from Lithuania, Norway, Bulgaria, Finland, Germany and Serbia as the race to Vienna gathers pace. There's also discussion around Italy's potential entry, as we await confirmation on whether Sal Da Vinci will represent the country this May. Join us for the music, the analysis and all the excitement as Eurovision 2026 begins to take shape.

Hope. The hope that the past doesn't determine the future. A positive outlook. Life as an adoptive parent and as an adoptee can be tough. What keeps us going? Love, for sure. And hope! Listen in as we dive into overcoming trauma, abuse and other tough stuff. Robin Sizemore, Executive Director of Hopscotch Adoptions Inc., was recognized in 2012 by the Winston-Salem Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc as a person who has “Transform Lives and Impacted the Community”. Among five other recipients, Robin Sizemore, was recognized in the area of “International Awareness” for her work and advocacy of children through international adoption and aid.  Robin was also the recipient of the “Angels in Adoption” award in 2008, in recognition of her service to children since 1995. She is an adoptive mother and has been an adoption professional since 1995. In addition to placing children in forever families, Robin has been involved in both national and international levels regarding policies and regulations impacting child welfare: she has brought educational opportunities to a variety of officials in Georgia and Armenia, spearheaded cooperative humanitarian efforts, and hosted numerous international delegations through the U.S. State Department and Ministries in other countries which are associated with institutionalized children. Robin has a warm rapport with the wide range of individuals involved with children in need, including government officials, orphanage directors and staff, hospital and humanitarian aid administrators, and adoptive families and children alike. Robin volunteered as a Council on Accreditation Hague Accreditation evaluator and team lead from 2016- 2020 and earned a Certificate of Nonprofit Executive Director Academy Institute/ Nonprofit Executive Director Academy Institute -Center for Creative Leadership – Guilford County Nonprofit Consortium 2014 and a Certificate of Nonprofit Management Nonprofit Management – Guilford Nonprofit Consortium – High Point University 2013. Robin and her husband James are the adoptive parents of the first internationally adopted child from Georgia and, with their second adoption, of the first direct “birthmother to adoptive mother” international placement in Georgia. In addition to their two beautiful children from Georgia. Robin and James have also been blessed with the surprise birth of their youngest and third child. Robin's work is well regarded and highly respected within the country programs and she is considered a valuable resource and thoughtful orphan advocate by U.S. and international officials as the result of her dedication to children and families through humanitarian assistance programs over more than a decade. Robin has developed direct programs for Hopscotch with highly experienced and reliable partners in Armenia, Bulgaria, Georgia, Ghana, Guyana, Morocco, Pakistan, Serbia, Trinidad & Tobago, Ukraine, and appreciates the uniqueness of complex Kinship cases in need of a provider, when called upon. Robin graduated in 1986 from Appalachian State University, Boone, North Carolina, with a Bachelor of Science from the School of Communication and Media Arts, with a Concentration in Public Relations and Minor in Marketing. https://www.linkedin.com/in/robin-ellington-sizemore-a4188a7/ https://www.instagram.com/hopscotch_adoptions/ https://www.facebook.com/HopscotchAdoptions/ https://hopscotchadoptions.org/ Guests and the host are not (unless mentioned) licensed pscyho-therapists and speak from their own opinion only. Seek qualified advice if you need help.

It's EV News Briefly for Thursday 26 February 2026, everything you need to know in less than 5 minutes if you haven't got time for the full show.Patreon supporters fund this show, get the episodes ad free, as soon as they're ready and are part of the EV News Daily Community. You can be like them by clicking here: https://www.patreon.com/EVNewsDaily EV LIST PRICES FALL AS GAS GUZZLER PRICES RISENew EV list prices (excluding Tesla) dropped 2.3%, or roughly $1,500, from an average of $63,327 in September 2025 to $61,860 in January 2026, while average new gas-powered vehicle prices rose 2.5% to $47,427 over the same period. The sharpest cuts came after the federal EV tax credit expired, with the Hyundai IONIQ 5 leading the slide at a 13.8% drop of over $7,000, followed by the Chevrolet Equinox EV at nearly $4,000 off — six models in total posted drops above 5%. FORD TEASES EUROPE CAR RETURN AFTER FIESTA, FOCUSFord CEO Jim Farley used the Q4 2025 earnings call to signal "exciting plans" for passenger cars in Europe, framing the comeback as a selective, profitable return to specific segments rather than a volume land grab. Two new EVs built on Renault's Ampere platform are expected in the subcompact segment from the Ford–Renault partnership, with new passenger cars set to start arriving in 2027 under a new dedicated Europe passenger-car leadership role. UBER EXPANDS EV RIDES ACROSS EIGHT UK CITIESUber has rolled out its EV ride option to eight more UK cities — Birmingham, Manchester, Leeds, Sheffield, Edinburgh, Cambridge, Belfast and Merseyside — at standard UberX prices, after falling short of its pledge to run an all-electric London fleet by end-2025. Only 40% of London miles are now covered by EVs, with UK General Manager Andrew Brem citing charging access as "the biggest barrier," prompting Uber to announce driver support measures including discounted home and public charging in partnership with Pod Point. BMW TALKS PRICE FLOOR TO DODGE EU MINI DUTYBMW and the European Commission are in advanced talks to replace the EU's 20.7% countervailing duty on China-made Mini BEVs with a minimum import price agreement, according to Handelsblatt — covering the Mini Cooper Electric and Mini Aceman, both built at BMW's Zhangjiagang joint venture with Great Wall Motor. The approach would mirror the "price undertaking" the EU accepted from Volkswagen Anhui in early February, which freed the Cupra Tavascan from countervailing duties in exchange for a confidential price floor, volume cap and EU investment commitments. EU CITY BUS SALES HIT 60% ZERO-EMISSIONSix in ten new city buses registered across the EU in 2025 were zero-emission — 56% battery-electric and 4% fuel cell — a dramatic jump from just 12% when the Clean Vehicles Directive was adopted in 2019. Five member states hit 100% zero-emission city bus sales in 2025 (Bulgaria, Denmark, Estonia, Latvia and Slovenia), and Transport & Environment says a fully zero-emission EU city bus market is achievable as early as 2028.​MG2 SET FOR 2027 UK LAUNCH AT £20,000MG will enter the electric supermini segment in 2027 with the all-new MG2, targeting a starting price of around £20,000 (~$25,200), to take on rivals including the Renault 5, Citroën e-C3, Fiat Grande Panda and the incoming VW ID. Polo. The car will use the newer E3 architecture from the MG4 Urban, run front-wheel drive with a torsion-beam rear axle for cost efficiency, and feature a 12.8-inch touchscreen with physical climate controls — a reveal is expected in the second half of 2026. MG CONFIRMS MGS9 PHEV SEVEN-SEATER FOR UKMG will launch the MGS9 plug-in hybrid SUV in the UK later in 2026 as its new flagship, offering three full adult-sized rows and targeting rivals such as the Peugeot 5008, Kia Sorento and Skoda Kodiaq at a value-led price point. The model already holds a five-star Euro NCAP rating and could reach UK showrooms as early as summer 2026, extending MG's line-up to 11 models. AUSTRALIA NVES DATA SHOWS HYBRIDS DO THE HEAVY LIFTAustralia's National Vehicle Emissions Standard published its first half-year performance data (July–December 2025), showing EVs made up roughly 12% of new vehicles supplied, with about two-thirds of manufacturers — including BYD and Polestar — meeting their fleet-wide emissions targets. Petrol- and hybrid-focused brands such as Mazda and Hyundai fell short and face penalties if they don't improve, while the data reveals that near-term emissions gains are leaning more on efficient hybrids than on full EVs. LECTRON ADAPTERS WIN UL 2252 SAFETY CERTIFICATIONLectron has earned UL 2252 safety certification across its full range of EV charging adapters — covering J3400, CCS1 and J1772 in both AC and DC variants — with its two DC adapters handling up to 500 amps at 1,000 volts for peak power of 500 kW, and built-in thermal sensors that trigger derating if heat rises during fast charging. The certification comes as the North American charging landscape remains split between NACS and CCS1 on DC networks and J1772 on AC infrastructure, making a certified bridging adapter an increasingly essential tool for EV drivers navigating the transition.

Residents and students learn from others about original motivation, long-haul stamina, pearls and pitfalls of living in community, debt, vision for one’s next step to the nations, and helping the needy now tensioned with investing in education to help others later.

As Germany conquered countries in WWII, in many nations, they found willing volunteers to help them identify Jews to send to concentration camps. However, not every country did. Finland, Bulgaria, and Albania engaged in a spirited defense of their Jewish communities in the face of Nazi oppression.  However, no country did more to save its Jewish population than Denmark. Learn more about Denmark's Great Escape on this episode of Everything, Everywhere, Daily. Sponsors Quince Go to quince.com/daily for 365-day returns, plus free shipping on your order! Mint Mobile Get your 3-month Unlimited wireless plan for just 15 bucks a month at mintmobile.com/eed Subscribe to the podcast!  https://everything-everywhere.com/everything-everywhere-daily-podcast/ -------------------------------- Executive Producer: Charles Daniel Associate Producers: Austin Oetken & Cameron Kieffer   Become a supporter on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/everythingeverywhere Discord Server: https://discord.gg/Ds7Rx7jvPJ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/everythingeverywhere/ Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/everythingeverywheredaily Twitter: https://twitter.com/everywheretrip Website: https://everything-everywhere.com/  Disce aliquid novi cotidie Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today, we are sitting down with Sarah Yarkin, the breakout star of School Spirits and the lead of the Texas Chainsaw Massacre reboot. Sarah shares her journey from growing up in the Bay Area to navigating UCLA's acting program, where she felt she had to "fight the program" just to begin her professional career. In this episode, we explore the "staircase analogy" of acting, the grueling physical demands of filming horror in Bulgaria, and the liberating moment she realized that "fucking up" an audition can actually be the key to booking the role. Sarah offers a raw, hilarious, and deeply insightful look at trusting your path, letting go of perfectionism, and finally learning to stop delaying your happiness for the next job. These are the unforgettable stories that landed Sarah Yarkin right here. Credits: Texas Chainshaw Massacre School Spirits Platonic Happy Death Day 2U Not Okay Motherland: Fort Salem Single Parents American Horror Story The Good Place Transparent The Middle Guest Links: IMDB: Sarah Yarkin, Actor THAT ONE AUDITION'S LINKS: For exclusive content surrounding this and all podcast episodes, sign up for our amazing newsletter at AlyshiaOchse.com. And don't forget to snap and post a photo while listening to the show and tag me: @alyshiaochse & @thatoneaudition PRACTICE TRACK PUBLIC POP UP: $25 Feb 27th @10am PT THE BRIDGE FOR ACTORS: Become a WORKING ACTOR - 50% THE PRACTICE TRACK: Membership to Practice Weekly CONSULTING: Get 1-on-1 advice for your acting career from Alyshia Ochse COACHING: Get personalized coaching from Alyshia on your next audition or role INSTAGRAM: @alyshiaochse INSTAGRAM: @thatoneaudition WEBSITE: AlyshiaOchse.com APPLE PODCASTS: Subscribe to That One Audition on Apple Podcasts SPOTIFY: Subscribe to That One Audition on Spotify STITCHER: Subscribe to That One Audition on Stitcher EPISODE CREDITS: Host/Producer: Alyshia Ochse Writer: Maddie McCormick WEBSITE & GRAPHICS: Chase Jennings SOCIAL: Alara Cerikcioglu

In this episode of Our Forever Smiles, Laura welcomes back cleft advocate Sam to share his powerful lived experience growing up with bilateral cleft lip and palate. Born in Bulgaria and adopted to the U.S., Sam opens up about early surgeries, speech challenges, bullying, and navigating identity as both an adoptee and someone with a facial difference. Together, they discuss global stigma, harmful language, media representation, and why authentic inclusion matters. This conversation offers perspective, reassurance, and practical insight for parents raising children with cleft and for adults advocating for change. *Tom Burke is the actor who was born with a cleft from the movie Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga Links: Episode 67: Breaking the Ice: Sam Rosen on Growing Up with a Cleft Lip and Palate and Owning His Story Buy Us a Coffee FB Support Group Smile Train Statement Against Werewulf Movie CCAC Applications  

Interviu cu istoricii Armand Goșu și Cosmin Popa, la 4 ani de război în g4media. „Nu exclud un scenariu care să reaprindă conflictul diplomatic între București și Kiev” / „Putin construiește un regim fascist într-un cămin de bătrâni” / „A crescut ostilitatea față de Europa” / „Războiul are efecte morale devastatoare asupra rușilor”. Sunt câteva idei desprinse din interviu. Articolul complet pe  g4media.ro PressOne trece în revistă 4 ani de război în Ucraina: Ce știm sigur - și aproape sigur - despre ajutorul militar pe care România l-a acordat Kievului până acum. După 4 ani de război în Ucraina, provocat de invazia militară a Rusiei, declanșată pe 24 februarie 2022, România continuă să facă o ciudată excepție printre țările NATO și UE, în ceea ce privește transparentizarea clară a ajutoarelor militare acordate până acum Kievul. În ciuda secretomaniei afișate de București, există câteva certitudini legate de ajutorul militar concret pe care România l-a acordat până acum Ucrainei Cea mai importantă donație pentru armata ucraineană făcută de România: un întreg sistem antiaerian Patriot PAC 3, de ultimă generație România mai oferă sprijin în ceea ce privește pregătirea piloților ucraineni pe avioanele F-16 PressOne vorbeste si despre Ciudata „suveică” România-Bulgaria în materie de exporturi de armament care ajung, prin ricoșeu, în Ucraina Această pseudo-„ambiguitate strategică” a fost parafată în perioada președinției lui Klaus Iohannis, când toate cifrele clare, legate de cantitatea și tipul de ajutor militar acordat Kievului au fost secretizate în CSAT. Venirea la Cotroceni a lui Nicușor Dan nu a schimbat această paradigmă. Emblematică rămâne, din acest punct de vedere, declarația făcută de noul ministru al Apărării, Radu Miruță, care a explicat de ce „nu e bine” să se știe cât armament a dat România Ucrainei. Ajutorul pentru Ucraina a depășit miliardul de euro, dar autoritățile de la București nu spun ce anume „s-a dat” în acest ajutor ............................................................................................................................................................................. Serviciile de informații trebuie restructurate fundamental. România a pierdut războiul hibrid cu Rusia - spune Corneliu Bjola, profesor al Universității Oxford din Marea Britanie într-un interviu pentru spotmedia.ro Seful grupului de cercetare “Oxford Digital Diplomacy”, consideră că Nicușor Dan a fost tratat cu superioritate în SUA de către oficialii americani, expunându-se gratuit într-o încercare dificilă de a reface relațiile privilegiate cu Washingtonul, în contextul în care SUA se retrag din Europa. ...................................................................................................................................................................... Comisia de Deontologie din cadrul Colegiului Psihologilor din România și Poliția Capitalei s-au autosesizat în cazul Ion Duvac, în urma dezvăluirilor făcute de PressOne. Poliția Capitalei face apel către toate persoanele „care consideră că au fost victime ale unor astfel de comportamente (n.red. hărțuire) să se adreseze poliției, în vederea formulării unei plângeri” scrie PressOne. Investigația arată cum Ion Duvac, doctor în psihologie și membru în Comisia de Deontologie și Disciplină a Colegiului Psihologilor din România, își hărțuiește sexual pacientele prin propuneri sexuale explicite și cere poze cu părțile intime ale femeilor, încă de la prima ședință, potrivit unei înregistrări ajunse în posesia redacției. În aceeași înregistrare, Duvac afirmă că nu e prima dată când face acest lucru.  ............................................................................................................................................................................................. Bolojan amenință cu revocarea miniștrii și secretarii de stat, dacă România pierde bani din PNRR Premierul Ilie Bolojan a avertizat că miniștrii și secretarii de stat riscă revocarea din funcție dacă România va pierde fonduri din Planul Național de Redresare și Reziliență (PNRR), subliniind că răspunderea pentru neîndeplinirea angajamentelor va fi politică, dar și administrativă. Declarațiile au fost făcute, luni, în cadrul reuniunii Comitetului Interministerial de Coordonare a PNRR, desfășurată sub coordonarea prim-ministrului și a ministrului Investițiilor și Proiectelor Europene, Dragoș Pîslaru.

El equipo de VerificaRTVE nos explica esta semana qué países europeos han aprobado medidas legales sobre el velo islámico y su uso en los espacios públicos, a raíz del debate en nuestro país sobre una prohibición de prendas como el burka o el niqab. Alemania, Bulgaria, Dinamarca, Suiza, Países Bajos, Bélgica, Austria, Portugal, Italia y Francia han tomado ya medidas, repasamos cuáles son y cómo las aplican.Además, desmentimos los mensajes en redes sociales y páginas web que afirman que en Asturias se reserva por ley vivienda pública para mujeres lesbianas mayores de 55 años, porque es falso, y un aviso sobre un supuesto correo de la DG para cobrarnos una multa: es un fraude.Envía tus consultas al 659 800 555 o a verificartve@rtve.es. Y recuerda, siempre mejor verificar que reenviar. Escuchar audio

Martyn is joined by Gary and debutant John Mackay get stuck into a bumper couple of days. Scotland make an unfortunate start against the Danes after Uruguay set out their stall against a West German side in a state of disarray. There are a couple of heavyweight clashes with some pulled punches and much more. Paraguay v Iraq - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O8GCTxga8jw Uruguay v West Germany - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cDOY6IR8u5Y Scotland v Denmark - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gfftlr9qtrQ Italy v Argentina - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IHGSoYFuHow France v USSR - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4uNEIWX5-z8 South Korea v Bulgaria - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VWxaRXvEB28 If you want weekly exclusive bonus shows, join our Nessun Dorma community chat, want your episodes without ads and a couple of days earlier or just want to support the podcast, then head over to ⁠⁠⁠patreon.com/NessunDormaPodcast⁠⁠⁠ where you can subscribe for only $3.99 a month (less than 75p a week!). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Un rapporto uscito sul sito All eyes on Wagner ha svelato i nomi di più di 1.400 persone di 35 paesi africani che sono state reclutate in modo più o meno ingannevole dalla Russia per combattere in Ucraina. Con Andrea Spinelli Barrile, giornalista. Il ritrovamento dei cadaveri di cinque uomini e di un ragazzo minorenne sta sconvolgendo l'opinione pubblica e la politica bulgara dal 2 febbraio. Con Francesco Martino, giornalista, da Sofia.Oggi parliamo anche di:Portfolio • “Senza tracce” di Tommaso Bonaventurahttps://www.internazionale.it/magazine/2026/02/12/senza-tracceDisco • The Lighthouse di Tessa Rose Jackson Ci piacerebbe sapere cosa pensi di questo episodio. Scrivici a podcast@internazionale.it Se ascolti questo podcast e ti piace, abbonati a Internazionale. È un modo concreto per sostenerci e per aiutarci a garantire ogni giorno un'informazione di qualità. Vai su internazionale.it/abbonatiConsulenza editoriale di Chiara NielsenProduzione di Claudio Balboni e Vincenzo De SimoneMusiche di Tommaso Colliva e Raffaele ScognaDirezione creativa di Jonathan ZentiCi piacerebbe sapere cosa pensi di questo episodio. Scrivici a podcast@internazionale.it Se ascolti questo podcast e ti piace, abbonati a Internazionale. È un modo concreto per sostenerci e per aiutarci a garantire ogni giorno un'informazione di qualità. Vai su internazionale.it/abbonatiConsulenza editoriale di Chiara NielsenProduzione di Claudio Balboni e Vincenzo De SimoneMusiche di Tommaso Colliva e Raffaele ScognaDirezione creativa di Jonathan Zenti

El T-55 estaba preparado para una eventual guerra de respuesta a la OTAN y era el standard en el Pacto de Varsovia, por lo que pudimos verlo en todos los ejércitos del Bloque del Este. En Budapest o Praga se hicieron omnipresentes en las intervenciones ordenadas por Moscú. Y últimamente se están viendo en el conflicto de Ucrania, utilizados como artillería autopropulsada. Te lo cuenta Félix L. y Antonio G. Casus Belli Podcast pertenece a 🏭 Factoría Casus Belli. Casus Belli Podcast forma parte de 📀 Ivoox Originals. 📚 Zeppelin Books (Digital) y 📚 DCA Editor (Físico) http://zeppelinbooks.com son sellos editoriales de la 🏭 Factoría Casus Belli. Estamos en: 👉 X/Twitter https://twitter.com/CasusBelliPod 👉 Facebook https://www.facebook.com/CasusBelliPodcast 👉 Instagram estamos https://www.instagram.com/casusbellipodcast 👉 Telegram Canal https://t.me/casusbellipodcast 👉 Telegram Grupo de Chat https://t.me/casusbellipod 📺 YouTube https://bit.ly/casusbelliyoutube 👉 http://casusbelli.top ⚛️ El logotipo de Casus Belli Podcasdt y el resto de la Factoría Casus Belli están diseñados por Publicidad Fabián publicidadfabian@yahoo.es 🎵 La música es propia, o bajo licencia privada de Epidemic Music, Jamendo Music o SGAE SGAE RRDD/4/1074/1012 de Ivoox. 🎭Las opiniones expresadas en este programa de pódcast, son de exclusiva responsabilidad de quienes las trasmiten. Que cada palo aguante su vela. 📧¿Queréis contarnos algo? También puedes escribirnos a casus.belli.pod@gmail.com ¿Quieres anunciarte en este podcast, patrocinar un episodio o una serie? Hazlo a través de 👉 https://www.advoices.com/casus-belli-podcast-historia Si te ha gustado, y crees que nos lo merecemos, nos sirve mucho que nos des un like, ya que nos da mucha visibilidad. Muchas gracias por escucharnos, y hasta la próxima. Escucha el episodio completo en la app de iVoox, o descubre todo el catálogo de iVoox Originals

Have you longed to integrate your Christian faith into your patient care—on the mission field abroad, in your work in the US, and during your training? Are you not sure how to do this in a caring, ethical, sensitive, and relevant manner? This “working” session will explore the ethical basis for spiritual care and provide you with professional, timely, and proven practical methods to care for the whole person in the clinical setting. https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/qpah9kh1lttg6cm1jjop9/Bob-Mason-Ethics-of-Spiritual-Care-revised.pptx?rlkey=0emve2ja8282nv8xc4uinq1hg&st=9033htwx&dl=0

Our gifts and talents are a powerful way to share God's love with others. Today's guest, artist Eva Timothy, shares from her life experience that when we humbly reach out to God through prayer, with the desire to glorify Him, He will help those gifts shine. As women, we contain multitudes, each of us at different life stages and varied life circumstances. Our loving Heavenly Father knows where we're at and what we can give, which is precisely why our individual traits, gifts, and talents are exactly what God needs from us. We don't need to start a new hobby or change our personality. When we channel our unique gifts through the lens of God's love then, like the loaves and fishes, our efforts and talents are multiplied, bringing more light and hope to the world around us.  Eva is an award-winning fine art photographer. She was one of the first Latter-day Saint converts in Bulgaria following the fall of the Berlin Wall. Over her life, she has developed a lifelong passion for light—both as a physical medium and as a symbol of divine inspiration. Eva blends artistry, enthusiasm, and spirituality to explore how creativity shapes our lives, encouraging us all to nurture our creative gifts and to look for the light. Notes: BYUH Devotional address by Tracy Browning, "The Difference is You" See Eva's art on her website Join Magnify on Instagram!

Charley chats with Nick Bonomo about independent migration birding in Bulgaria.check out Nick's blog https://www.shorebirder.com/Hazel Grouse recording courtesy of Fredrik Grahn, XC1049385. Accessible at www.xeno-canto.org/1049385. License Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0Please check out the website of our sponsor Tropical Birding: https://www.tropicalbirding.com/If you wish to support this podcast, please visit our Patreon page: https://patreon.com/naturallyadventurous?utm_medium=clipboard_copy&utm_source=copyLink&utm_campaign=creatorshare_creator&utm_content=join_link Intro by Jenna Pinchbeck https://www.jennapinchbeck.com/ Jennapinchbeck@gmail.com. Theme music by John Behrens https://nashvilleaudioproductions.com/Feel free to contact us at: ken.behrens@gmail.com &/or cfchesse@gmail.comNaturally Adventurous Podcast Nature - Travel - Adventure - Birding

Blind since childhood and raised in the remote hills of Bulgaria, Baba Vanga spent decades describing visions of disaster, war, and salvation into the ears of presidents and peasants. But how did a village mystic become one of the world's most feared and revered prophets?The BOOKBY US A COFFEESubscribe to our PATREONEMAIL us your storiesJoin us on INSTAGRAMJoin us on TWITTERJoin us on FACEBOOKVisit our WEBSITEResearch:https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-62008147https://www.rferl.org/a/baba-vanga-bulgarian-mystic-prophet/31930838.htmlhttps://www.thevintagenews.com/2018/02/21/baba-vanga/https://allthatsinteresting.com/baba-vangahttps://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/baba-vanga-psychic-predictions-2023-b2254477.htmlhttps://www.nationalgeographic.com/history/article/baba-vanga-blind-mystic-who-predicted-the-futurehttps://www.mentalfloss.com/posts/baba-vanga-predictionsSarah xx"Spacial Winds," Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)Licenced under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 Licencehttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/SURVEY Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A little later (because someone...RJ...overslept) we chatted about an action packed Women's Sprint including: - Maren Kirkeeide's amazing closing ability - Oceane Michelon's smile filled silver medal  - Lou Jeanmonnot keeps piling up medals - Bulgaria is a biathlon nation now - Great day for Latvia and Denmark!!! - Top biathlon cheerleader Ingrid Tandrevold with a solid day! - Rough day and Olympics for Sweden - Looking ahead to the Pursuit races tomorrow! And more!

Full Text of Readings Memorial of Saints Cyril, Monk, and Methodius, Bishop Lectionary: 334 The Saint of the day is Saints Cyril and Methodius Saints Cyril and Methodius' Stories Because their father was an officer in a part of Greece inhabited by many Slavs, these two Greek brothers ultimately became missionaries, teachers, and patrons of the Slavic peoples. After a brilliant course of studies, Cyril (called Constantine until he became a monk shortly before his death) refused the governorship of a district such as his brother had accepted among the Slavic-speaking population. Cyril withdrew to a monastery where his brother Methodius had become a monk after some years in a governmental post. A decisive change in their lives occurred when the Duke of Moravia asked the Eastern Emperor Michael for political independence from German rule and ecclesiastical autonomy (having their own clergy and liturgy). Cyril and Methodius undertook the missionary task. Cyril's first work was to invent an alphabet, still used in some Eastern liturgies. His followers probably formed the Cyrillic alphabet. Together they translated the Gospels, the psalter, Paul's letters and the liturgical books into Slavonic, and composed a Slavonic liturgy, highly irregular then. That and their free use of the vernacular in preaching led to opposition from the German clergy. The bishop refused to consecrate Slavic bishops and priests, and Cyril was forced to appeal to Rome. On the visit to Rome, he and Methodius had the joy of seeing their new liturgy approved by Pope Adrian II. Cyril, long an invalid, died in Rome 50 days after taking the monastic habit. Methodius continued mission work for 16 more years. He was papal legate for all the Slavic peoples, consecrated a bishop and then given an ancient see (now in the Czech Republic). When much of their former territory was removed from their jurisdiction, the Bavarian bishops retaliated with a violent storm of accusation against Methodius. As a result, Emperor Louis the German exiled Methodius for three years. Pope John VIII secured his release. Because the Frankish clergy, still smarting, continued their accusations, Methodius had to go to Rome to defend himself against charges of heresy and uphold his use of the Slavonic liturgy. He was again vindicated. Legend has it that in a feverish period of activity, Methodius translated the whole Bible into Slavonic in eight months. He died on Tuesday of Holy Week, surrounded by his disciples, in his cathedral church. Opposition continued after his death, and the work of the brothers in Moravia was brought to an end and their disciples scattered. But the expulsions had the beneficial effect of spreading the spiritual, liturgical, and cultural work of the brothers to Bulgaria, Bohemia and southern Poland. Patrons of Moravia, and specially venerated by Catholic Czechs, Slovaks, Croatians, Orthodox Serbians and Bulgarians, Saints Cyril and Methodius are eminently fitted to guard the long-desired unity of East and West. In 1980, Pope John Paul II named them additional co-patrons of Europe. Reflection Holiness means reacting to human life with God's love: human life as it is, crisscrossed with the political and the cultural, the beautiful and the ugly, the selfish and the saintly. For Saints Cyril and Methodius much of their daily cross had to do with the language of the liturgy. They are not saints because they got the liturgy into Slavonic, but because they did so with the courage and humility of Christ. Dear Saints Cyril and Methodius: Pray for us!Saint of the Day, Copyright Franciscan Media

Six members of a secretive mountain commune in Bulgaria are found dead at two separate locations a week apart, and nobody can agree on whether it was murder, suicide, or something far worse.PRINT VERSION: https://weirddarkness.com/petrohan/WeirdDarkness® is a registered trademark. Copyright ©2026, Weird Darkness.#WeirdDarkness #WeirdDarkNEWS #Petrohan #PetrohanMystery #BulgariaMystery #BulgariaMurders #TwinPeaksMurder #TrueCrime #TrueCrimeEurope #BalkanMystery #UnsolvedMystery #MurderMystery #BulgarianMountains #StaraPlanina #NAKZT #IvayloKalushev #BuddhistCult #CultMystery #MountainCommune #MurderSuicide #CoverUp #ParamilitaryOrganization #CaveExplorer #Bulgaria2026 #BreakingNews #CriminalInvestigation #SixDead #PetrohanLodge #BulgariaNews #UnsolvedCrime

What if the secret to building a thriving business wasn't an MBA, a venture capital check, or even a business plan — but simply the courage to say yes before you're ready? Today's guest is Eri Lozdjan, founder of Maven Lane, a premium direct-to-consumer furniture brand that's redefining what it means to bring quality, story, and soul to the spaces where we live our lives. Eri's journey is anything but conventional. He arrived in the United States from Bulgaria at age five, speaking no English, with his young mother and nothing but a relentless drive to figure it out. From working HVAC jobs as a teenager, to producing a New York Fashion Week runway show, to building a furniture brand that sells out its first inventory run in weeks — Eri is proof that the most unlikely paths can lead to the most extraordinary destinations. In this episode, Eri pulls back the curtain on what it really takes to build something meaningful from the ground up — and why staying true to your vision, even when the money is tempting you otherwise, is the ultimate competitive advantage. Here's a taste of what you'll walk away with: Why saying yes before you're ready is the single greatest career accelerator — and how Eri used it to go from knowing nothing about furniture to building a brand people call life-changing The complacency trap that derails even the most successful entrepreneurs — and the simple mindset shift Eri uses to stay sharp no matter how well things are going How a late-night dream gave Eri the name, the logo, and the soul of Maven Lane — and what it teaches us about trusting our instincts The phone call from a stranger that gave Eri the confidence to go all in — and why that one conversation changed everything about how he saw his business Why "nobody cares" is actually the most liberating career advice you'll ever receive — and how embracing it can unlock a level of ownership and accountability most people never find This is a conversation about grit, creativity, identity, and the quiet power of just getting to tomorrow. You're not going to want to miss it.

Those who hope to honor God and advance Jesus' Kingdom face powerful opposition from spiritual, physical, and psychological enemies. Successful launching and long term fruitfulness depends on recognizing and, in dependence on the Holy Spirit, waging war against those enemies.