Podcasts about Central Africa

Welcome to the 123rd episode of "Good Morning BSS World" podcast! Today we're heading straight to the heart of Africa's rapidly evolving BPO and GBS landscape. My special guest is Rod Jones, Owner of Rod Jones Contact Centre Consulting and a leading voice in Africa's outsourcing sector. Connecting with us from Johannesburg, Rod brings exclusive updates from the Africa Federation of GBS Associations and shares firsthand insights following his recent participation at the CxOutsourcers event in Munich.In this episode, Rod provides a comprehensive regional update on Africa's BPO and ITO sectors. We discuss the Federation's impressive growth-now boasting nine full member countries and seven candidates, with a vision to reach 20 members by the end of 2025. Rod highlights the collaborative spirit and knowledge sharing that are driving professionalization and best practices across the continent.We delve into the latest developments in Southern Africa, including South Africa's refreshed value proposition and ongoing government incentives, as well as emerging associations in Namibia and Zimbabwe. Rod also shares news from East Africa, where Kenya and Ethiopia are launching new initiatives and associations, and Central Africa, with Rwanda and Uganda making significant policy strides. West Africa's dynamic progress in Nigeria and North Africa's exciting developments in Morocco, Tunisia, and Egypt round out a truly pan-African perspective.A major theme is the rise of ethical impact sourcing, empowering underprivileged communities and women, with strong support from the CxOutsourcers community. Rod also touches on the critical need for digital skills development to keep Africa competitive in the global outsourcing arena.Tune in for a unique, in-depth look at Africa's BPO future-its challenges, achievements, and the collaborative energy shaping the next chapter of global business services!  Key points of the podcast:Africa's BPO sector is rapidly expanding, with significant growth in digital skills development and international investment across various regions.The Africa Federation now includes nine full member countries and seven candidate countries, aiming to have 20 member countries by the end of 2025.Ethical impact sourcing is becoming a fundamental pillar in the BPO industry, focusing on integrating underprivileged communities, women, and refugees into the workforce.  Links:Rod Jones - https://www.linkedin.com/in/rodjonessouthafrica/Africa Federation of GBS Associations - https://africagbsfederation.org/Africa Federation of GBS Associations on Linkedin - https://www.linkedin.com/company/africa-gbs-federation/posts/?feedView=allTalk to AI about this episode - https://gmbw.onpodcastai.com/episodes/Dq05MYOX3bM/chatWebinar (May 29th, 2025): https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_hedlE0itSsq-j9gOetomTQ#/registration  ****************************  My name is Wiktor Doktór and on daily basis I run Pro Progressio Club https://klub.proprogressio.pl - it's a community of many private companies and public sector organizations that care about the development of business relations in the B2B model. In the Good Morning BSS World podcast, apart from solo episodes, I share interviews with experts and specialists from global BPO/GBS industry.If you want to learn more about me, please visit my social media channels:YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/c/wiktordoktorHere is also link to the English podcasts Playlist - https://bit.ly/GoodMorningBSSWorldPodcastYTLinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/wiktordoktorYou can also write to me. My email address is - kontakt(@) wiktordoktor.pl  ****************************  This Podcast is supported byPatrons: Marzena Sawicka https://www.linkedin.com/in/marzena-sawicka-a9644a23/Przemysław Sławiński https://www.linkedin.com/in/przemys%C5%82aw-s%C5%82awi%C5%84ski-155a4426/Damian Ruciński https://www.linkedin.com/in/damian-ruci%C5%84ski/Szymon Kryczka https://www.linkedin.com/in/szymonkryczka/Grzegorz Ludwin https://www.linkedin.com/in/gludwin/Adam Furmańczuk https://www.linkedin.com/in/adam-agilino/  If you like my podcasts you can join Patrons of Good Morning BSS World as well. Here are two links to do so:Patronite - https://patronite.pl/wiktordoktor  Patreon - https://www.patreon.com/wiktordoktor Or if you liked this episode and would like to buy me virtual coffee, you can use this link https://www.buymeacoffee.com/wiktordoktor - by doing so you support the growth and distribution of this podcast.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/good-morning-bss-world--4131868/support.

Sidi Mubarak Bombay was sort of a combined guide, translator and nurse, and often the supervisor of the African laborers on expeditions through eastern and equatorial Africa in the 19th century. Research: "Sidi Mubarak Bombay Unsung African adventurer." BBC History Magazine, Aug. 2023, p. 56. Gale In Context: U.S. History, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A756775082/GPS?u=mlin_n_melpub&sid=bookmark-GPS&xid=0b775bc3. Accessed 14 Apr. 2025. "Sidi Mubarak Bombay." Explorers & Discoverers of the World, Gale, 1993. Gale In Context: U.S. History, link.gale.com/apps/doc/K1614000037/GPS?u=mlin_n_melpub&sid=bookmark-GPS&xid=ab21ce2c. Accessed 14 Apr. 2025. Burton, Richard F. “Zanzibar: City, Island and Coast in Two Volumes.” Vol. 2. London, Tinsley Brothers. 1872. Cameron, Verney Lovett. “Across Africa.” New York: Harper & Bros. 1877. Cavendish, Richard. “The Nile’s Source Discovered.” History Today. 8/8/2008. https://www.historytoday.com/archive/nile%E2%80%99s-source-discovered Driver, Felix. “Hidden histories made visible? Reflections on a geographical exhibition.” Transactions of the Institute of British Geographers , 2013, Vol. 38, No. 3. Via JSTOR. https://www.jstor.org/stable/24582457 Fresh Air. “'River of the Gods' captures the epic quest to find the source of the Nile.” 6/15/2022. https://www.npr.org/2022/06/15/1105189330/river-of-the-gods-captures-the-epic-quest-to-find-the-source-of-the-nile Grant, James Augustus. “A Walk Across Africa; Or, Domestic Scenes from My Nile Journal.” Edinburgh, London, W. Blackwood and Sons. 1864. Hitchman, Francis. “Richard F. Burton, K.C.M.G. : his early, private and public life with an account of his travels and explorations.” London : Sampson Low, Marston, Searle & Rivington. 1887. https://archive.org/details/richardfburtonkc02hitc Howgego, Raymond John. “John Hanning Speke – Soldier and Explorer (1827-1864). Ligue Internationale de la Librairie Ancienne. https://ilab.org/fr/article/john-hanning-speke-english-soldier-and-explorer-1827-1864 Lepere, Imogen. “Mbarak Mombée: An African Explorer Robbed of His Name.” JSTOR Daily. 3/11/2024. https://daily.jstor.org/mbarak-mombee-an-african-explorer-robbed-of-his-name/ Longair, Sarah. “The Materiality of Indian Ocean Slavery and Emancipation: The Challengesof Presence and Absence.” From Being a Slave: Histories and Legacies of European Slavery in the Indian Ocean. Leiden University Press. (2020). Via JSTOR. https://www.jstor.org/stable/jj.1011743.16 Millard Candace. “River of the Gods: Genius, Courage, and Betrayal in the Search for the Source of the Nile.” Doubleday. 2022. Royal Geograophical Society. “Sidi Mubarak Bombay.” https://cdn-rgs-media-prod.azureedge.net/xs0ksumf/exploringafricafactsheetsidimubarakbombay.pdf Simpson, Donald Herbert. “Dark Companions: The African Contribution to the European Exploration of East Africa.” New York : Barnes & Noble Books. 1976. Speke, John Hanning. ““What Led to the Discovery of the Source of the Nile”.” William Blackwood and Sons. Edinburgh and London. 1864. https://archive.org/details/whatledtodiscov01spekgoog Speke, John Hanning. “The Discovery of the Source of the Nile.” New York, Harper. 1864. Stanley, Sir Henry M. “How I Found Livingstone: Travels, Adventures and Discoveries in Central Africa including four months residence with Dr. Livingstone.” 1871. The East African. “Bombay: Refuge for slave Africans.” https://www.theeastafrican.co.ke/tea/magazine/bombay-refuge-for-slave-africans-1296480 UK Archives. “Bombay Africans: 1850-1910.” From 1807 Commemorated. https://archives.history.ac.uk/1807commemorated/exhibitions/museums/bombay.html Wisnicki, Adrian S. “Cartographical Quandaries: The Limits of Knowledge Production in Burton's and Speke's Search for the Source of the Nile.” History in Africa , 2008, Vol. 35 (2008). Via JSTOR. https://www.jstor.org/stable/25483732 See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dick Sands, a youth of fifteen, must assume command of a ship after the disappearance of its captain. Nature's forces combined with evil doings of men lead him and his companions to many dangerous adventures on sea and in Central Africa.  Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Dick Sands, a youth of fifteen, must assume command of a ship after the disappearance of its captain. Nature's forces combined with evil doings of men lead him and his companions to many dangerous adventures on sea and in Central Africa.  Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Dick Sands, a youth of fifteen, must assume command of a ship after the disappearance of its captain. Nature's forces combined with evil doings of men lead him and his companions to many dangerous adventures on sea and in Central Africa.Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Dick Sands, a youth of fifteen, must assume command of a ship after the disappearance of its captain. Nature's forces combined with evil doings of men lead him and his companions to many dangerous adventures on sea and in Central Africa.Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Dick Sands, a youth of fifteen, must assume command of a ship after the disappearance of its captain. Nature's forces combined with evil doings of men lead him and his companions to many dangerous adventures on sea and in Central Africa.Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Dick Sands, a youth of fifteen, must assume command of a ship after the disappearance of its captain. Nature's forces combined with evil doings of men lead him and his companions to many dangerous adventures on sea and in Central Africa.Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

The recently-opened bridge linking Cameroon and Chad is set to revolutionize travel and boost trade across Central Africa. Hundreds of lives will also be saved as scores of people die every year attempting to cross the river, often on rickety canoes.

Graeme Raubenheimer chats to rising music duo 2point1—Prince Baloyi and Moeketsi Rathebe—about their breakout hit “Stimela” featuring Ntate Stunna, which has surpassed 10 million streams and 23 million YouTube views. Inspired by Hugh Masekela’s iconic track of the same name, the conversation explores how Stimela taps into South Africa’s deep-rooted history of migrant labour and working-class struggle, as the country marks Workers’ Day. Afternoon Drive with John Maytham is the late afternoon show on CapeTalk. Presenter John Maytham is an actor and author-turned-talk radio veteran and seasoned journalist. His show serves a round-up of local and international news coupled with the latest in business, sport, traffic, and weather. The host’s eclectic interests mean the program often surprises the audience with intriguing book reviews and inspiring interviews profiling artists. A daily highlight is Rapid Fire, just after 5:30 pm. CapeTalk fans call in, in an attempt to stump the presenter with their general knowledge questions. Another firm favourite is the humorous Thursday crossing with award-winning journalist Rebecca Davis, called “Plan B”. Thank you for listening to a podcast from Afternoon Drive with John Maytham Listen live – Afternoon Drive with John Maytham is broadcast weekdays between 15:00 and 18:00 (SA Time) https://www.primediaplus.com/station/capetalk Find all the catch-up podcasts here https://www.primediaplus.com/capetalk/afternoon-drive-with-john-maytham/audio-podcasts/afternoon-drive-with-john-maytham/ Subscribe to the CapeTalk daily and weekly newsletters https://www.primediaplus.com/competitions/newsletter-subscription/ Follow us on social media: CapeTalk on Facebook: www.facebook.com/CapeTalk CapeTalk on TikTok: www.tiktok.com/@capetalk CapeTalk on Instagram: www.instagram.com/capetalkza CapeTalk on X: www.x.com/CapeTalk CapeTalk on YouTube: www.youtube.com/@CapeTalk567 See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Thomas met Toby Tanser while on his recent trip to Kenya and immediately knew he had to have him on the podcast. Shoe4Africa originated 30 years ago from Toby's vision of harnessing the power of sports to create positive change for African children. Initially focused on collecting and distributing athletic shoes to aspiring young runners in Kenya their efforts expanded to address broader issues, including healthcare and education. Currently operating with only one paid staff member, Shoe4Africa has built East and Central Africa's first public children's hospital, which has treated over 1.2 million children. Beyond healthcare, they've established six free-to-attend schools, a Boys and Girls Club, and generated hundreds of jobs, all while distributing over 6 million meals to those in need.Learn more about Shoe4Africa: https://shoe4africa.org/Follow Shoe4Africa on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shoe4africa/

I greet you in Jesus' precious name! It is Thursday morning, the 17th of April, 2025, and this is your friend, Angus Buchan, with a thought for today. We start in the Book of Deuteronomy 8:3: “…man shall not live by bread alone; but man lives by every word that proceeds from the mouth of the Lord.” Now, that was written 600 years before the birth of Jesus. Quite incredible! Now, we go straight to the Book of Luke 4:4:And Jesus answered him, (He answered the devil when He was tempted in the desert. He said): “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God.' ” Isn't that incredible? 600 years later, the Son of God, in the desert while being tempted by the devil said, “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God.”You know, the holiest sacrament in the Christian faith is communion, Holy Communion, breaking of bread, yes, and this is the eve of the Last Supper, the last meal that our beloved Jesus had on earth, and He sat around the table with His disciples and He had Holy Communion. We read that in 1 Corinthians 11:23-25. Now this is Paul. He says that “the Lord Jesus, on the same night in which He was betrayed took bread; and when He had given thanks, He broke it and said, “Take, eat; this is My body which is broken for you; do this in remembrance of Me.” In the same manner He also took the cup after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in My blood. This do, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.” Now, listen to this, verse 26: “For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord's death till He comes”Very, very important. Maybe tonight, sit with your family around the table as you think about Good Friday, which is tomorrow, and have Holy Communion together. You know folks, when I travel, and sometimes I go into the poorest of poorest areas, maybe in Central Africa, maybe overseas, people always tend to give you the best they have, not necessarily the richest people, but the poorest people, and it is so important to eat it heartily and to give thanks because that is what they want.Now, tonight as we break bread together as a family, remember, Jesus says it is the Word of God that satisfies the soul, that gives you strength and healing and hope. Spend time reading your Bible. Jesus bless you and have a wonderful day.Goodbye.

This is an ad-free, bonus episode from History Dispatches. Sidi Mubarak Bombay grew up a slave - taken from his home in Africa to India. But that didn't stop him from being one of the most accomplished explorers and travelers of Central Africa. Over a period of 20 years, Bombay traveled with some of the most famous African explorers, including Richard Francis Burton, Henry Morton Stanley, David Livingston, and Richard Speke. This a look at his extraordinary his life. This episode does not replace the regular schedule of Explorers Podcast episodes. A new regular episode will be out next week. History Dispatches is a new daily history show hosted by Explorers Podcast creator Matt Breen and his son, McKinley Breen. The show covers people, places, events and even objects from throughout history. The show offers short, fun and easily digestible bits of history goodness. History Dispatches comes out every weekday. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Andrée Blouin fought ardently for her belief in independence from imperial power. We look at her life, legacy and how colonial law impacted her experiences: from growing up in an orphanage, to losing her son from a treatable illness. Blouin used her experiences to advocate for women's rights both against traditional customs and European imperialism. How did she end up on the periphery of post-independent African history? This episode was originally aired on February 6th 2023. Follow us on IG: itsacontinentpod and Twitter: itsacontinent. It's a Continent (published by Coronet) is available to purchase: itsacontinent.com/book   We're on Buy me a Coffee too: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/itsacontinent Visit our website: itsacontinent.com Artwork by Margo Designs: https://margosdesigns.myportfolio.com Music provided by Free Vibes: https://goo.gl/NkGhTg Warm Nights by Lakey Inspired: https://soundcloud.com/lakeyinspired/... Creative Commons — Attribution 3.0 Unported— CC BY 3.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/... Sources for further reading: Gender and Decolonization in the Congo: The Legacy of Patrice Lumumba Who was the woman behind Lumumba? Remembering the Congolese women who fought for independence My country, Africa : autobiography of the black pasionaria Overlooked No More: Andrée Blouin, Voice for Independence in Africa Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Tom welcomes back Simon Hunt, an expert on global economics, China, and the copper industry. Hunt discusses the escalating tensions between the U.S. and Iran, driven by Trump's tariff policies and geopolitical ambitions. He explains that these tensions could lead to regional conflicts, with significant implications for global markets and supply chains. Hunt also explores the broader shift in global power dynamics, highlighting how nations like China, Russia, and Iran are strengthening ties through organizations like BRICS. He warns that U.S.-China trade disputes, including high tariffs on Chinese goods, are causing severe disruptions to global supply chains and manufacturing sectors. These disruptions are expected to lead to a global economic slowdown or recession. The conversation delves into the potential impact of these developments on financial markets, particularly the value of the dollar, which Hunt suggests may undergo significant changes as countries seek alternative currencies tied to gold. He also discusses copper's role as an economic barometer, predicting price volatility and eventual increases due to supply chain disruptions and long-term demand shifts. Hunt concludes by emphasizing the uncertainty and chaos that dominate the current geopolitical landscape, urging caution for businesses and investors as they navigate this complex environment. The episode ends with a note on the importance of staying informed about global developments to understand their far-reaching implications. Time Stamp References:0:00 - Introduction0:55 - Liberation or Demolition3:54 - Iran Sovereignty & Trump8:56 - China & 104% Tariffs16:20 - Trump & Iran Escalation21:50 - Tensions Ukraine/Russia28:20 - U.S. Trillion Defense Budget30:37 - A Tale of Two Dollars34:37 - China Yuan Devaluing38:20 - BRICS Currency?39:30 - China's Econ. Issues47:40 - Global Slowdown & Copper54:11 - Monitor Geopolitics56:44 - Wrap Up Guest Links:Email: simon@shss.comWebsite: https://simon-hunt.com/Substack: https://shss.substack.com Simon Hunt began his career in 1956 in Central Africa as a PA to the Chairman of Rhodesian Selection Trust, one of the two large copper companies in what was then Northern Rhodesia, now Zambia. In 1961, he came back to London and joined Anglo American Corporation of South Africa as a PA to one of the Board Directors, followed by being part of a small sales and marketing team for copper. From there, he helped start up a new copper development organization, CIDEC, financed by copper producers, which he then joined, focusing on conducting end-use studies of copper in Europe. He then went into the City to gain financial experience and founded Brook Hunt in 1975. He was instrumental in setting up the company's cost studies and end-use analyses. Simon appeared as material witness and consultant in two ITC anti-dumping cases in 1978 and 1984, winning both at the commission level. He has spent 2-4 months every year in China since 1993, and until a few years ago would be visiting some 80 wire and cable and brass mill factories across the country every year. He now restricts these factory visits to a smaller number, all of which he has known for many years. Simon also spends many weeks each year traveling around Asia. The focus of the company's services is on the global economy, including the changing geopolitical and financial structures, China's economy and its copper sector, and then the global copper industry as each part is interconnected. Simon is the author of the "Frontline China Report Service," which is marketed by the TIS Group. The Service provides regular reports on China's economy, politics, and financial outlook. Simon established this company in January 1996.

It's Tuesday, April 8th, A.D. 2025. This is The Worldview in 5 Minutes heard on 125 radio stations and at www.TheWorldview.com.  I'm Adam McManus. (Adam@TheWorldview.com) By Kevin Swanson Horrific Muslim persecution of Christians in Sub-Saharan Africa The Gatestone Institute's International Policy Center has released its report on the persecution of Christians in Africa.   The report claims that the West is ignoring the carnage playing out in Sub-Sahara Africa, and that Muslim “Jihadists are murdering, raping, torturing, kidnapping, enslaving, and, in some instances, burning people alive — across Africa, and now in Syria.” The newly-installed Syrian government and the al-Qaeda-affiliated HTS terrorists, are still conducting door-to-door purges, massacring religious minorities in cruel, sadistic ways. Reliable reports indicate they have massacred 7,000 Christians and Alawites, a sect of Islam. And the death toll is still rising. Jihad is spreading in at least twelve African nations. Muslim jihadists beheaded 70 Christians in the Congo in February. Church leaders are targeted, abducted, tortured, and murdered. Christian villages have been burned down. Plus, pastors, priests and lay Christians have been abducted by the Islamist Allied Democratic Forces. More than 16.2 million Christians in Sub-Saharan Africa have been driven from their homes by jihadist violence and conflict. Women and girls are abducted, forced into "marriage," forced to convert to Islam, raped, and subjected to forced labor. Some are forced to act as suicide bombers or human shields at the hands of jihadis. Boko Haram and the Islamic State West African Province regularly attack, abduct, and murder Christians in Cameroon located in Central Africa. Churches have been set on fire and church leaders and seminary students kidnapped. Plus, the report claims that no Christian is safe in Burkina Faso, a country in West Africa.  Hundreds of churches there have been closed. The Muslim-run nation of Libya, in North Africa on the coast of the Mediterranean Sea, countenances widespread slavery, forced labor, and human trafficking. Sharia law is strictly upheld. For a Muslim to convert to Christianity is a crime punishable by death. Any Libyan woman suspected of associating with Christians faces house arrest, sexual assault, forced marriage, or even death. Nigeria remains the worst example of Jihadist murder and mayhem. Tens of thousands of Christians have been murdered and thousands of women and girls have been abducted and subjected to sexual violence. But, do keep in mind what Jesus said in Matthew 16:18. He declared, “On this rock, I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it.” British Christian nurse in trouble for referring to confused man as man More outrageousness from the United Kingdom. A nurse has lost her job with the National Health Service because she was caught referring to a pedophile transgender person as a “Mister.” Nurse Jennifer Melle, age 40, was fired from her job in Carshalton, Surrey, after having to endure the patient hurling racial slurs at her. She added, “I am devastated to have been suspended. … Despite being the one placed at risk, I am the one being punished. The message I have received is clear: I am expected to tolerate racism, deny biological reality, and suppress my deeply-held Christian beliefs." Appearing on Free Speech Nation, she shared her Biblical convictions. MELLE: “I thank Jesus for giving me the courageous spirit, standing on the Word of God. According to the Word of God, Genesis 1:27 said, ‘God created a male and female.' I just stood by it. I said, ‘Well, I'm a Christian woman, and I love the Lord, and I know beyond male and female is an abomination to the Lord. And I can't do that.'” Represented by the Christian Legal Centre, Andrea Williams, its chief executive, criticized the National Health Service for allegedly focusing on trans ideology instead of protecting its staff from racial and physical abuse. U.S.-China tariff war heats up The tit-for-tat tariff war with China is heating up.   On Friday, China announced a 34% tariff on U.S. imports as an answer to President Trump's 34% reciprocal tariff. Yesterday, the U.S. president announced an additional tariff of 50% effective tomorrow, unless China backs down, reports CBS News. Aboard Air Force One on Sunday night, President Trump did not pull any punches. TRUMP: “When you look at the trade deficit that we have with certain countries, way over a billion [dollars] per country. With China, it's a trillion dollars. And we have to solve our trade deficit with China. We have a trillion dollar trade deficit with China. Hundreds of billions of dollars a year we lose with China. And unless we solve that problem, I'm not going to make a deal. “Now, I'm willing to deal with China, but they have to solve their surplus. We have a tremendous deficit problem with China. They have a surplus of at least a trillion dollars a year. And I want that solved. No other President has taken it on.” New Yorkers need “good moral character” before carrying handgun The U.S. Supreme Court let stand a New York law that requires residents to demonstrate “good moral character” before they are permitted to carry a handgun. The law requires applicants to have “the essential character, temperament and judgement necessary to be entrusted with a weapon and to use it only in a manner that does not endanger oneself or others.” Stocks, Dow Jones, and Nasdaq down U.S. stocks are down over the last week. The Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped 4,000 points, 11% down for the year.   And the tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite was down by about 2,000 points, settling around 15,570 points on Monday evening. The Nasdaq is down 19% on the year, about where it was in November 2021.  Court awards 7,000 sexual abuse victims $4 billion in Los Angeles While the state-controlled foster care system is supposed to protect children, the unaccountable system, made up of sinful men and women, has become the predator. Last week, the courts awarded a record $4 billion against the Los Angeles County's juvenile detention and foster care system. The settlement was the largest of this kind, distributed to 7,000 plaintiffs — victims of unspeakable sexual abuse. L.A. officials have issued concerns that the fine might bankrupt the county.  The rise of America's “assassination culture” The Network of Contagion Research Institute and Rutgers University's Social Perception Lab have issued a report concerned with a rising “assassination culture” in the United States.  Especially troubling is the view that 31% of respondents stated it would be at least somewhat justifiable to murder Elon Musk.  And 38% said it would be at least somewhat justifiable to murder President Donald Trump. Among those who identify left of center, 48% to 55% would justify these assassinations. 22 million watched House of David finale And finally, the producers of the Amazon-released program, House of David, announced over the weekend, that the season finale had achieved #1 on Prime. WatchWonderProject took to Instagram with a message: “All glory to God!” Thus far, the program has brought in 22 million viewers. Of Amazon's new releases in 2025, House of David has taken the top position, holding its own in the top 10 for 38 days. Producer and writer for House of David, Jon Erwin, previously produced Christian films like October Baby, I Can Only Imagine, and American Underdog. The studio has announced a forthcoming Season 2. Let us not forget David's greater Son who reigns today, over all. Luke 1:32 declares, “He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give to Him the throne of his father David.” Close And that's The Worldview on this Tuesday, April 8th, in the year of our Lord 2025. Subscribe by Amazon Music or by iTunes or email to our unique Christian newscast at www.TheWorldview.com. Or get the Generations app through Google Play or The App Store. I'm Adam McManus (Adam@TheWorldview.com). Seize the day for Jesus Christ. Print stories British Prime Minister: Time to focus on Britain British Prime Minister Keir Starmer spoke yesterday, indicating an end to globalization, and a return to nation's focusing in on their own national interests, reports The Independent. He called the present times “a completely new world.”  Former Brazilian president thanked God for Trump's re-election Brazil's previous president Jair Bolsonaro addressed a peaceful protest of 40,000 in Sao Paulo over the weekend, thanking God publicly that Donald Trump was re-elected in the United States, reports Breitbart. Bolsonaro told the crowd, “I have nothing but gratitude for the two years we spent together in our respective presidencies.”

I greet you in Jesus' precious name! It is Monday morning, the 7th of April, 2025, and this is your friend, Angus Buchan, with a thought for today. We start in the Book of Zachariah 3:4: “Take away the filthy garments from him.” And to him He said, “See, I have removed your iniquity from you, and I will clothe you with rich robes.” A beautiful promise from the Lord, to take away all of our sin. Then we go to the Book of Revelation 19:8: “And to her it was granted to be arrayed in fine linen, clean and bright, for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints.” Yes, we are talking about the marriage day, that wonderful, wonderful occasion when you and I will meet our beloved Jesus Christ, our Bridegroom. The Lord is preparing a great marriage feast for you and me when we meet Him in Heaven. You and I are the church and the bride, and Jesus is the Bridegroom. I want to ask you a question. Are you ready? Am I ready? You know, I love weddings. I have had the privilege of marrying off my children and my grandchildren. What an occasion it is! The excitement when the mothers are getting the food ready, the bride and the bridesmaids are getting their dresses ready, the bridegrooms are cleaned up. These boys have had a nice shave. They are ready with their beautiful suits on. It is an incredible occasion, the flowers in the church are magnificent. It is a joyous occasion and lots of fun.I remember, my very dear brother in Christ - his son was getting married to my youngest daughter, and he offered his vintage tractor. Yes, it was an inheritance he got from his grandfather and I want to say to you, this tractor was imported from England and was working up in Central Africa. He brought it to the farm and said he would drive my daughter and me to the chapel in this tractor. What a wonderful machine. Pop, pop, pop as it went up the hill, but it did have a little bit of a problem with the exhaust. There was a lot of black smoke and maybe even the occasional drop of oil. Now, my daughter had a beautiful white dress on! Aah, but we sorted that out because we gave her a lovely umbrella, but I want to say to you today there must be no oil, there must be nothing in our garments that will tarnish the wedding day. The Lord said He has given us new garments and we need to go to church, we need to go to the wedding day, clean. Are we ready for that great and wonderful day when we meet our beloved Jesus face to face?Prepare yourself because that day is coming very soon. Jesus bless you and goodbye.

Send us a textLinking the Travel Industry is a business travel podcast where we review the top travel industry stories that are posted on LinkedIn by LinkedIn members.  We curate the top posts and discuss with them with travel industry veterans in a live session with audience members.  You can join the live recording session by visiting BusinessTravel360.comYour Hosts are Riaan van Schoor, Ann Cederhall and Aash ShravahStories covered on this session include -London's Heathrow airport is currently closed. Passengers are asked not to travel to the airport under any circumstances. The February 2025 Airlines Reporting Corporation (ARC) data shows a concerning decline in travel sales, and is discussed in this post by Robert W. Mann, Jr.The Austrian rail operator ÖBB joins Star Alliance as the group's second intermodal partner.Uganda Airlines announce they will start serving the Entebbe - London routes with four flights a week to Gatwick from 18 May.Travel related developments continue in Tanzania with the news that the largest conference facility in East and Central Africa will be developed in Arusha. The facility will house a 5,000-seat auditorium as well as a 500-room five-star hotel.Africa's biggest airport will be built in Ethiopia, at an estimated $7.8b cost, with the aim to provide a capacity of 60m passengers a year by 2040. You can subscribe to this podcast by searching 'BusinessTravel360' on your favorite podcast player or visiting BusinessTravel360.comThis podcast was created, edited and distributed by BusinessTravel360.  Be sure to sign up for regular updates at BusinessTravel360.com - Enjoy!Support the show

China has emerged as one of the world's leading developers of Unmanned Combat Aerial Vehicles (UCAVs). This is reflected in China's exports of UCAVs, especially across West Asia and Central Africa. In this episode of All Things Policy, Shobhankita Reddy sits down with Adya Madhavan, researcher with the Takshashila Institution, to discuss Adya's latest research work examining the factors that have enabled China to build such a robust export market, the politics of UCAV exports, and the implications for other countries, including India. The PGP is a comprehensive 48-week hybrid programme tailored for those aiming to delve deep into the theoretical and practical aspects of public policy. This multidisciplinary course offers a broad and in-depth range of modules, ensuring students get a well-rounded learning experience. The curriculum is delivered online, punctuated with in-person workshops across India.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://school.takshashila.org.in/pgp⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠All Things Policy is a daily podcast on public policy brought to you by the Takshashila Institution, Bengaluru.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Find out more on our research and other work here: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://takshashila.org.in/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠...⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Check out our public policy courses here: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://school.takshashila.org.in⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

The last days before the Great Hunt.Book 3 in 18 parts, By FinalStand. Listen to the ► Podcast at Explicit Novels.“Can the scorpion ever stop being a scorpion? “"Do we get our legally permitted weaponry back?" The bishop still held my hand."Sure. If it makes you feel better.""I would like to meet your people then," he gave my paw one last shake then released me. "Shall we go?""I will have someone take you to your car. I want to briefly meet with the President, of Havenstone, then I'll join you in the garage. We'll drive over to JIKIT and I'll make the introductions. Good enough?""That is acceptable," he nodded."What about you two?" I regarded the nun and the Swiss Super-soldier. The nun remained vigilant, and silent. The Swiss' eyes flickered to his boss before settling back on me."It is what I volunteered for," he stated firmly."Okay. Please never say I didn't give you a chance to take the sane way out. Also, Bishop Nicolö, circumstances have conspired to up my prospective wedding date to January 1st.""That will be more difficult. Why the change?" he remained grim."We are having twins. By March, this will be very visible.""That is, unfortunate," he shook his head."You have no idea," and then a brainstorm. "And I am curious about resurrecting the Order of the Dragon, the Societas Draconistarum." Technically that meant 'Society of the Dragonists' which was more appropriate than the literal Ordo Draconis."Precisely how do you plan to recreate a crusading Christian Order which was the purview of the Hungarian monarchs?" he didn't sound the least skeptical, just curious."I have billions of euros to fund such a thing," I winked. "Of far greater critical importance, I know where I can find the supernatural guidance and spiritual imperative for such an organization.""You are going to produce a dragon?" his eyes grew larger even as he fought down his fear. Good man. He was adaptive. He'd need to be."I never said such a thing. That would make me sound crazy," I smiled broadly. "Besides, when I say 'dragon', you think 'devil' and that's way too pedestrian for where we are going.""I am not a moral relativist.""Neither am I. I'm out to save lives and nurture the drive in the human spirit to reach for freedom, love and liberty. As you might imagine, I'm pretty freaking outnumbered.""I think you are crazy," he re-evaluated things."I just might be. In all honesty, you should back out now. Take your two compadres back to 25 East 39th Street (the Holy See's Permanent Observer Offices to the UN in NYC) and report 'Mission Failure'. You'll most likely live longer," I reasoned."I am not afraid to die," Sister Rafaela Sophia finally voiced an opinion."That's idiotic," I scoffed before the bishop could reprimand her for opening her mouth. "You should be.""My soul is in God's hands," she set her jaw."Does he talk to you?" I countered."His message is clear.""Not what I asked. I asked if he specifically directed you to toss your life fruitlessly away as an object lesson for the reckless, or careless?""This is uncalled for," Nicolö intervened."Nope. I bet you a phone call to my Brother to physically restore your bishopric that there are four people in this room who have murdered in cold blood," I kept eye contact with the nun, "and she's the odd one out. Right Juanita?""Yes, Ishara," Juanita slipped up. Her spycraft, like mine, needed work."You were in the military?" the bishop asked my bodyguard."Was? I am. Right now," she related. "I will be until I die."That earned me looks from the three Catholics."She is loyal," Nicolö nodded slightly toward her, referring to Juanita's declaration."Huh? To me? Nope. She's loyal to my office, which we shan't get into right now. Back to you, Sister Rafaela Sophia. Are you out to be a martyr, or has some saint, or angel, given you a directive the other two seem to be unaware of which causes you to devalue your life?""I am devoted to the One True God, Christ, our Savior," and Juanita snorted, "and the Virgin Mary," the nun stated firmly. "I don't hear voices in my head.""Juanita, that was rude. Apologize to our guest," I kept looking forward."No." Well, fuck you too."Gun," I commanded. I held out my left hand."What? No. I will not give you one of my guns," she resisted."Juanita, give me your primary weapon, or I will ask Pamela to beat you up the moment I depart for the Great Hunt. After yesterday's stunt, you know she will," I threatened. Fair, I was not. She drew a Glock-20 and handed it to me. I went through the routine, dropped the magazine then ejected the round before opening the door.Oh look, there were four SD chicks outside, ready to escort my visitors downstairs. I didn't even need to waste a phone call. It wasn't like the conference room wasn't being monitored."Excuse me," I took a half step out the door then hurled all three items down the hall. Looking back at Juanita. "Go fetch.""Fuck you," she snapped."And insulting her faith was as degrading to both her faith and her as me doing this to you is degrading to you right now," I lectured her. "It is important to her, therefore it is important to me because she is my guest in the same way it is important to me that I let my bodyguard do her job without being a total asshole all the time. Now go get your God-damn weapon," I barked. Off she went. I left the door open."Now Sister Rafaela Sophia, the point of all this is: I don't give a crap if you are willing to die for God. In fact, that makes you less than worthless to me and the team. I want to know if you are willing to put other motherfuckers in the ground so that Bishop Nicolá, or Mathias, might get to keep doing their jobs.""Murder is a sin," she declared."Go home," I sighed while shaking my head."She answers to me, the Church and God, not you, Mr. Nyilas," the bishop stepped forward."Then you can go home too," I shrugged. "I'm not asking for remorseless killers. I'm asking for people willing to kill to get the hard work done and best of all, for people who know the difference.""Everyone on JIKIT is a professional soldier, or killer?" he asked."No, but the ones who aren't don't carry guns and know to get down when things get funky," I bantered."I vouch for her," he insisted. Juanita came running back into the room."Cool beans. I don't know you either.""You apparently know my service history," he volleyed."Yeah. Ten years a foreigner in the service of France, then you went straight into a university which turns out Jesuits," I riposted."What turned your life around?" he evaded. That was okay. I'd gotten what I wanted. I was willing to bet he had read every bit of public information about me and it was rumored the heavy Catholic membership in the FBI had its benefits to the Church as well. Not so much as to give them insight into JIKIT, but,"Someone risked their life for me. It's been pretty much downhill from there," I confessed. It was the truth. After Katrina gave me the life line on Day Two, it had all spiraled to the revelation of my heritage, Dad's death, Summer Camp, the Hamptons, Romania and Aya's kidnapping."A person, a soldier, died saving my life," the bishop empathized. "Her story is similar. She seeks redemption. She is not suicidal. I am staking both our lives on it."Did he mean him and Mathias, or him and me? I wasn't certain. Still, it was good enough for now. I'd gotten a look at their emotional make up, even the relatively quiet Swiss."Very well," I agreed. "I have to go see the President about my new job description. I'll catch up with you at your car." To the SD team leader, "Take them to the garage. I will join the group of you very soon.""Yes Ishara," she nodded. I exited the room, Juanita in tow. Two SD entered. I was gone before the Papal team left. Upstairs we went, with one last chore to discharge. I had to check on Ms. French to be absolutely freaking sure it was Shawnee, because anyone else would spell disaster.{8:30 am, Monday, September 8th. Last day}A Room full of asistants:Well, there it was, the office of the Executive Director to the President, and not 'Executive Assistant', because this was Katrina's final 'fuck you, no, just her final 'fuck you' before the Great Hunt got underway. I shouldn't assume things, dang it!Anyway, according to the gray-haired matron running gatekeeper to the Office of the President, this was where I was supposed to show up. I shot Juanita a worried look. She glanced my way and shrugged, momentarily willing to not give me shit about the past 24 hours because where I was situated would determine how easily she could do her job.In we went. In the suite were three desks, the 'big' desk situated at the far end of the office space and two far more modest ones on either side of the entryway. The room expanded beyond the chokepoint formed by the two closest desks into a cluttered area. The walls were cluttered with inset bookshelves and portraits of women. Facing one another were a loveseat on my left with bookend plush chairs in an 'L' facing and a full sofa on the right. There were end tables at the ends of the sofa and the corners between the loveseat and each chair.As the door opened, I hadn't knock as this was my office, or so it seemed, the occupants, who had all been sitting in quiet conversation in the central section, began reacting. Oh look ~ Constanza! I nearly had a heart attack before I realized there were three other Amazons also in the room. Sadly, none were behind the 'big desk', so I couldn't tell who was in charge. Two of the other three choices weren't too much better. First off,"Ishara," Marilynn Saint John stood to greet me. I'd last seen her when I'd dedicated her grandmother's (Hayden's) spirit to the halls of my ancestors, not hers, after forcing the political crisis leading to Hayden's suicide ~ her taking herself to the cliffs and in doing so, destroying the Amazon Cult of Blood Purity. Marilynne was clearly still bitter with me. Umm, I could still incite passion in women I hadn't slept with, yet, woot?"Cáel," the senior-most and only friendly face in the room spoke next. Thank goodness it was Beyoncé Vincennes, Head of House Hanwasuit and House Ishara ally."Cáel Ishara," the third individual was deferential which I wasn't sure how to take as the last time I'd encountered her, yeah, things hadn't gone well either."Beyoncé," I started off with a smile. From there, I had to figure out, ah, Beyoncé's eyes flickered to Constanza then Sabia. I knew Marilynn, with her young age, had the least seniority, "Constanza, Sabia, Marilynn. How's tricks?"Glum faces by everyone except Beyoncé. I didn't ask about Sabia's particular well-being. It had been months since I'd beaten her into the mats of the Full-blooded gym. She'd attacked Yasmin, the Brazilian Hottie and my Brazilian Jujutsu sparring buddy, and I'd retaliated by ambushed her when she turned her back on us. Besides, she'd been giving me shit before I even could see straight.Constanza was minus her left eye because of her dire insult to me. If she wasn't capable of working, she wouldn't be here. If she appreciated my 'mercy' in sparing her life ~ her insult was worthy of her death ~ Constanza hid it well. I hadn't spared her expecting a change of heart. I hadn't felt words alone warranted anyone's death. I was a big boy and could take a few insults. House Ishara, as represented by me, could care less. These days, my sisters would be less understanding despite them knowing my heart."Constanza Landau of House Jaya and Marilynn Saint John of House Anahit are Assistants to President Shawnee French," Beyoncé eased things along, "so will be working closely with us, at least for the short term. Sabia Noel of House Guabancex, who I now think you know as well, has joined you as the other 'Assistant' to the 'Executive Director to the President', (that would make me an 'adept', but adept at what?), and since two of the three Regents are unfamiliar with the workings of Havenstone proper, Shawnee has asked me to perform in that role."Beyoncé was, or had been, Havenstone HQ's CFO (Chief Financial Officer). From what I was quickly piecing together, she would essentially be making all the day-to-day decisions concerning the running of Havenstone (how the Host made the majority of its money) until the Regents got up to speed.Only Buffy had actual experience with the New York office and, from what she had told me, solely within Executive Services. While ES knew 'who' did what inside Havenstone, they weren't aware precisely how those Amazons got their jobs done. That would have been an impossible task. Katrina could do it, but she knew it was beyond the ability of most of us 'mere mortals'. Since we were currently at war, the Host needed Katrina completely focused on her duties as Chief Spy-mistress, not baby-sitting the adults.Shawnee indeed had much gravitas among the other House Heads. Not only had she risen up to lead a First House, she had performed heroically during the final days of the last Secret War. Afterwards she had moved into the realm of Amazon jurisprudence and mediation. Until yesterday, she had lived in a House Arinniti freehold in Minnesota's Great Lakes region thus her desire for the 'Training Wheels' period.The Regency would not rule through telecommunication (the upper echelons feared being eavesdropped upon beyond the standard Amazon (read: paranoid) levels) and Havenstone: New York was the center best situated for the current war-fighting operations, so here she lived. I was sure a team from Executive Services was buying, outfitting/spy-proofing and fortifying a dwelling suitable for the President of a Fortune 500 company. Hayden's home would remain the domicile of Sydney thus Marilynn.The same rigmarole would be done for Rhada and Buffy (though I imaged Buffy would bitch endlessly). Publically, they were VP's of a company worth hundreds of billions of dollars and they had to present the public trappings of such leaders.Why did the Amazons do this ~ unmask their leadership to public exposure? Legal-simple: they could request and expect all levels of public and private security for their executives who happened to also be important officials of the Host. Certainly not all executives at Havenstone were officeholders, House Heads, or House Apprentices, but the high level of competence which permitted one often led to the other.Beyonce:As an example: Beyoncé wasn't the most 'bad-ass' lethal chick in House Hanwasuit. As she was preparing to be casted, her intelligence, creativity and diligence at her future craft, finances, was noted by the Host and the members of her House. In due time her name was circulated as Apprentice and the elders approved. When her elder cousin, the prior House Head, took herself to the cliffs, Beyoncé assumed the top spot. Beyoncé wasn't even one of that woman's three daughters.Mirroring her advancement in her House was her advancement in Havenstone's Accounting, Acquisitions and Banking Divisions until she was appointed CFO Havenstone HQ ~ the supreme financial authority inside Havenstone, though the individual regional branches had a greater degree of autonomy than you might normally expect from a 21st century conglomerate, or a Bronze Age autocracy.I had to constantly remind myself, despite the near-constant feuding, Amazons exhibited a phenomenally higher level of trust than I'd ever found in any other society I'd ever witnessed, or read about, before. Though technically Beyoncé could have gone to President Hayden to enforce her decisions ~ or now the Regency ~ she was far more diplomatic in her approach in dealing with the other 'continental' CEO's and CFO's.That meant she had to wrangle the aspirations and resources from:North America (including Latin America, the 'Canadian Arctic' and the North Pacific Ocean),South America (includes both the South Atlantic and South Pacific as far as Samoa),Europe (mostly Central Europe these days plus Antarctica, the 'Russian' Arctic and the North Atlantic),Africa (mostly West-central Africa),India (the subcontinent plus the vast expanse of the Indian Ocean) and,Southeast Asia (which includes Australia)All of which suggested Havenstone hadn't redrawn the Amazons' geographic demarcations since the late 19th century. As an example, an East African venture, say in Tanzania, was as likely to be under the purview of Havenstone: India (due to its control over the Indian Ocean) as Havenstone: Africa (which traditionally had no East Coast holdings due to their constant struggles versus the Arabic slave trade).Returning to Beyoncé: initially she had held the proper 'conservative' (aka man-hating) mindset. My behavior during that first Board Meeting began to change her opinion of me and the New Directive. After the Archery Range incident, Beyoncé became a vocal proponent of the New Directive and faced challenges within her ranks. House Heads do not have to accept challenges and Beyoncé didn't, reasoning with her detractors they had no alternatives save the 'Old Ways' which spelled doom for the Amazon Race.Bing-bang-boom ~ I became the Head of a resurrected House Ishara by the Will of the Ancestors and Beyoncé was vindicated. Not necessarily in the New Directive, but in her support of me thus the rebirth of a sister First House. The purge following High Priestess' Hayden's death was her ultimate absolution. The Ancestors and Destiny had spoken and shown Beyoncé had been piloting House Hanwasuit along the proper course all along.Back to my current circumstances:Oh, why was I Assistant to the Executive Director to the President? It gave me direct access to the finances of Havenstone which was a critical leg of the war-fighting stool ~ people, morale, money and equipment. As Chief Diplomat, I helped with all four of those in varying degrees, allied troops, allied victories, allied bank accounts and allied armaments.The Great Khan, my spiritual 'Blood-Brother', was ramping up his logistic support for my Amazons in Africa, Asia and the Americas. We were 'Allies in the Struggle' and he wasn't going to wait for the Condottieri to begin coordinating with the Seven Pillars to declare them to be his enemies. They were already fighting the Amazons and 9 Clans, his allies, so their fates were sealed.In Japan, my Amazons provided small yet highly effective strike groups which the Ninja families furnished all the support services for. Everything from food to bullets to medical attention as needed. Without reservation, we shared their death-grapple with the Seven Pillars.From the dispatches I was getting back from my family members and envoys in Japan, we were making serious diplomatic inroads with the Ninja. Once again, it was the Amazons shocking capacity for violence as well as their fanaticism, professionalism and proficiency which all impressed our hosts and terrified our enemies, and this from people of a philosophical mindset which had them historically battling samurai.The Black Lotus were running around like rhesus monkeys on crack cocaine unleashed in a China Shop and given RPG's. While the Amazons couldn't help them in China, Indochina & Thailand ~ the Khanate could and was. The Amazons were of more help in the Philippines, Malaysia and Indonesia, where the Black Lotus and Amazons were going everywhere on the offensive against the Seven Pillars while the normal tight cohesion and iron-clad confidence, traits which made the 7P's so dangerous ~ were shaken by their horrendous losses in the 'Homeland' aka Mainland China.Less we forget, the 'military intelligence' wing of their organization had been decimated by the Khanate's Anthrax attack due to members of the Earth & Sky sacrificing themselves by being injected with the toxin then allowing themselves to be captured, which always ended in torture and death.Furthermore, the People's Republic of China, while having a scary 18% of the population either captured, imprisoned, dead, or displaced due to the Khanate invasion, that had come with the loss of 63% of their landmass (they had lost all of Nei Mongol, Ningxia & Xinjiang Uighur Autonomous Regions, Qinghai and Gansu as well as 90% of Yunnan, 80% of Sichuan and 20% of Shaanxi provinces) to the Khanate and the 'abomination' that was a free Tibet.Then came the Russian 'stab in the back' which entailed the loss of another 10% of their people falling under foreign dominion as well as losing 8% of their most industrialized territory, Manchuria (Heilongjiang, Jilin and Liaoning provinces ~ the Nei Mongol portion of 'Manchuria' was in the Khanate's greedy clutches, from the viewpoint of a Seven P's warrior).Don't get me wrong, they weren't about to throw in the towel. If anything, they were becoming more dedicated to trying harder, digging deep into their knowledge of every atrocity, inhumanity and perversion now deemed necessary to re-chart history back onto its 'correct' path. It was this willingness to act in an even greater sociopathic manner which was being used against them. After all, the 7P's had plenty of proxy allies, who were starting to get really nervous about what their paymasters were now asking them to do,We Amazons were getting some extra special help too. The Booth-gan (Do not call them Thuggee ~ the confederate 9 Clan member based out of India though long since ensconced within various Hindi enclaves across the Globe) had created an all-female group of ultra-fanatical Kali-devotees ~ a gift for the upcoming battle fomented by the Will of the Goddess herself.While Aya was our Queen and the Regency would rule until she wished to assume command of the Amazon People, the nuts-and-bolts of the Host's activities were handled by Saint Marie as Golden Mare (our Minister of War) (technically she held the top spot due to our State of War, though no Golden Mare had ever exercised such authority over a Queen (and she definitely believed Aya was our Queen)), Katrina (as Minister of Intelligence and Security), Beyoncé (as Havenstone (the multinational corporation) ~ our Treasurer/Economic Tsarina) and me (our Foreign Minister).Saint Marie had decided to forgo a public face in order to better facilitate her moving around to various battle fronts and holding clandestine meetings with her junior regional commanders. Her Havenstone corporate title was 'Chief of Security Training and Certification'. As an extra level of deception, the head of Security Services wasn't even a Director-level position, instead being folded into the duties of the Office of the President.To my current circumstances ~ I had been given Constanza's house name which could only mean she wasn't currently assigned to the Security Detail; a fact that couldn't have made her bad attitude any better. Marilynn had completely lost her way as an Amazon when I first met her, burying her pain and confusion in endless partying and intoxicants. I believed only her grandmother's status as High Priestess kept her from the severest of reprimands, or death. I didn't even know what Marilynn's caste was. Sabia,"While I'm sure you are both far more qualified than I, precisely how did you two get these jobs?" I had to ask my two non-coworkers. Constanza glowered. Marilynn flinched."I have an in depth knowledge of Havenstone security procedures and resources," Constanza replied."Shawnee requested me," was Marilynn's comeback. "I also have intimate knowledge of the City of New York and its environs.""Actually, Buffy Ishara recommended you both to Shawnee," Beyoncé corrected their misconceptions. I knew the score. I'd be working intimately with the tight community around the President (Shawnee) and Vice Presidents (Buffy & Rhada). Buffy wanted me to be surrounded by women who hated my guts, so I wouldn't end up boinking them. It rarely worked that way. All too often ladies who hated my still-beating heart ended up punishing me with sex. I wasn't sure why that happened, but it did."Beyoncé, didn't the Chief Diplomat of the Host have her own office? I'm pretty sure Troika had one before her unfortunate collision with Saint Marie," I felt entitled to inquire."Do you feel you've earned that office space?" she riposted."Oh, fuck no!" I waved my hands one over the other to accentuate my denial. "I was just wondering where I could stick Juanita while I'm hanging around, here.""She has the desk right outside the door, Cáel," Beyoncé smiled knowingly. "So there is no way you can sneak past her.""Oh," I grunted. "Buffy again?""No. Pamela Pile put in that particular request.""Oh, Sweet Mother of God, now she is conspiring against me too?""Yes. Some of us realize the greatest hazard to your health is yourself, Ishara," Beyoncé chided me. "We'd like to keep you around, so we listen to those charged with that nigh impossible task.""Is she going to be hanging around the office often?" Constanza asked, either myself, Juanita, or Beyoncé; I wasn't sure. She = Pamela."Please, Constanza," I attempted to intervene, "don't make Pamela kill you. It will upset Mona." Constanza's scowl was accentuated by the eyepatch covering her ruined left socket, the one Pamela had carved out when Constanza had insulted me and House Ishara on our first day of rebirth. I didn't tell Juanita this, because Juanita might just shoot Constanza over the insult before Pamela got a chance to finish the job.The tension was palatable."Mona and I have talked, about Romania, and other things," Constanza grudgingly allowed. It took me a second to realize there was a hidden meaning to what she said. Mona was part of my personal Security Detail bodyguard unit. If she felt Constanza, the woman who had raised her after her birth-mother had died, was a threat to me, she'd feel duty-bound to snuff Constanza first. Amazons were hard-ass bitches alright and I think Mona had made that clear."I hope things can improve between us," I offered to Constanza. "Beyoncé, I just stopped in to say 'hey'. I'm off to JIKIT and I've got three of the Pope's people waiting on me in the garage so,""Vice President Varma requested a moment of your time," Beyoncé smirked. "She is in 2604.""Who?""Vice President Rhada Varma, a moment of your time, alone?" she clarified."Sure thing," I backed out of the office. Once I had some space, I turned to Juanita. "Give me three minutes then bust in and say, I don't know, a tsunami is about to overwhelm the city, or something. Otherwise, I won't get out for at least an hour and I think I've put the Bishop and his people through enough delays as it is.""Are you actually asking me to stop you from having an in-office liaison?" she studied me intently as we walked in the direction of Rhada's office."Yes. It's not likely to happen often, believe me.""Oh, I do, in that you won't ask me to do it often," she grumbled. I'd deal with Juanita's morale problem later. Right now, I had to gird my loins so they wouldn't do anything else with Rhada. I had work to do, damn it!Rhada was sitting at her desk, working on something, stylus raised up so she could chew on the end. Her hair was pulled back in a half-ponytail, the type that captured the rear half of the hair in a ponytail while leaving the front and bangs free to flow down. Rhada's blouse was white & billowy and, as I was soon to discover, her pants were ultra-tight and contour hugging."Mr. Nyilas," she greeted me. "I would like a moment of your time," she relayed what I already knew. She was more than a tad nervous to boot."Vice President Varma," I started off."When in private you may call me Rhada," she interrupted."Rhada, you look more ravishing than ever."That got up her and coming around her desk, which revealed her ultra-tight pants with no sign of her wearing underwear. Yikes! My cock was preparing to do what a cock was meant to do and I just didn't have the time, Really!"Do you have any time?" she let her bosom heave."Not today, ugh," I groaned. See, Rhada took the stylus and dragged it down her chin, throat and in between her bountiful mounds.All of which exposed the top of her black bra."Are you sure, Master?" she enticed me by turning around and then leaning over her desk, point that ass in my direction. My mouth began salivating and my groin ached. I found myself quick-stepping to her and giving those buttocks two firm slaps, one on each cheek."No, damn it, though I'm going to make you pay for this when I get back," I rumbled."Master will make me wait?" she taunted me."That will cost you even more," I growled. "I have business which simply won't wait and here is my captive teasing me with the treasures of her flesh. Bad, war captive," I spanked her yet again, hard. "Bad!" and I spanked her a fourth time. With each beating, Rhada gasped in pain and then exhaled in pleasure."If I've been bad, Master must be extra harsh with me when he returns in triumph from the Great Hunt," she gloated. Rhada had gotten what she wanted, which was another affirmation of my lust for her and our 'game'. I could provide her the release she so desperately craved while allowing her the safety of remaining in the Amazon fold. It was a perfect pairing, for her.I had other problems, such as all the other baby mamas in my life plus the extra-marital affairs I was contemplating. I still took the moments we had to snuggle with Rhada, her grinding that tush into my rod while I held both her arms tightly to her side while raining kisses down onto her neck and head."Sir! A giant tsunami is approaching the city!" Juanita exploded through the door."What?" I coughed. I had a face full of hair."Huh?" Rhada pushed up and away from me. I let her go."Right now," Juanita insisted. She really needed to stop taking me so seriously when I gave her such advice."Really?" from Rhada. She shot me a curious look so I shrugged. What else was I supposed to do with such a flimsy lie forcing our separation? At least I got out of there on time?{9:50 am, Monday, September 8th ~ Last day}(JKIT HQ)"Is this a common occurrence?" Sister Rafaela Sophia whispered to the closest woman, who happened to be Wiesława, the Polish Amazon. Since she hadn't arrived with us from Havenstone, the nun might have assumed she was with the 'Americans', or British."What?" Wiesława responded evenly."Weapons combat, they look real," the nun clarified."They are real. We always practice with real weapons.""Really?""Of course," Wiesława smiled at her. "We believe a few cuts and scrapes now will save lives when the true tests come.""Oh, you are with, Havenstone?" Rafaela clued in."Yes. I am Wiesława of House Živa. I am currently assigned to Unit L, Cáel's unit within JIKIT," she offered her hand to shake. Despite being a full-blooded Amazon from a freehold, her 'human' skills were progressing nicely. The nun shook it."I am Sister Rafaela Sophia of the Handmaids of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, that is a Roman Catholic Religious Order." Pause. "Do you hate Catholics too?""Yes. We have lived beside your people for many centuries and found your clergy to be much more dangerous than your pagan predecessors. Still, Cáel thinks you can be relied on and he's proven we can trust outsider women, which I was raised to believe was unlikely, and outsider men, which was basically anathema, so I'm willing to set aside my prejudices and judge you as an individual," the Pole imparted."Outsider men?" Rafaela mumbled."Well, yes," Wiesława smirked. "You are a nun, right?""Yes.""So you set aside the World of Men to live mostly among women, right?""Not entirely," the nun chose her words carefully. "We still rely on priests for religious rights and of course obey the life teachings of Christ and follow the leadership of his Holiness, the Pope, a man.""No one is perfect," the Amazon bantered back."Do you know the teachings of our Lord, Jesus Christ?" Rafaela ventured into dangerous waters."Yes. He was the semi-historical Son of your supposed One True God. We are not monotheists. We are Polytheists. Živa is my House's matron Goddess. It is also the name of the first woman to lead the House, her birth name surrendered to Destiny so all the daughters who came afterwards would be equals.""Oh, is Mr. Nyilas also pagan?" she inquired."I am unsure. From what I have been told, he has commended the spirit of his fallen father to your Jesus in a sacred ceremony then, in the presence of your Trinity and the Goddess Ishara, brought in new members to his House. I suspect he may be both," Wiesława reasoned. "Why don't you ask him?""Because he's fighting for his life?" Rafaela looked my way.See, the entire time their discussion had been going on, I had been sparring in a spare room at JIKIT HQ with Estere Abed, the Hashashin assassin (rather redundant ~ like saying the Sahara Desert). I had two tomahawks while she had a scimitar and curved dagger. While we sparred using the furniture as obstacles, Agent-86 was briefing me on various World events to get my input.Addison Stuart (CIA) and Lady Fathom Worthington-Burke (MI-6) were having a chat with Bishop Nicolé de Santis, verifying for themselves he was worth adding to the team. Juanita was having a similar discussion with Rikki Martin (US State Department) concerning my earlier encounter with the Papal team. Nicolé's buddy, Wachtmeister Mathias Bosshart of the Swiss Guard, was getting acquainted with the other security personnel.In comparison, those two had it easy. Both men were in their elements. Nicolé was a spook who pretended to be a diplomat for the Pope and was well acquainted with terms like 'deniable assets', 'plausible deniability' and your direct superior referring to requests concerning your identity/diplomatic status by saying 'I never heard of him and if I had, I have no idea what he was doing when you caught him doing what I don't know what he was doing', or something like that.Mathias was in the company of military-security specialists, brother professionals who were introducing him to his 'sister' professionals. Our Homeland Security gang were almost entirely former military by now. They got along with our JSOC folks and both had gained a limited acceptance with the Amazon security contingent.They bonded over the fact they were forced to work with really shady characters ~ the 9 Clans menagerie ~ who didn't always appreciate JIKIT operational security. Without going into particulars, the Wachtmeister was given the impression the abnormal was the norm and if you didn't think there was a 'down-side' to being able to carry your personally favorite bang-bang (the SG 552-2P Commando in his case) with some serious attachments (read: grenade launcher) around in downtown Manhattan, you probably didn't belong on this team.Back in the room,"He's not fighting for his life," Estere laughed. "He is fighting for mine.""Right," I responded sarcastically. We went through a flurry of exchanges, ending up with me kicking a chair at her. Estere stepped over it, colliding with me.I blocked her dagger, disarmed her scimitar and,"You are dead," she panted down at me, smiling. I was on my back, her straddling me. She had a belt-knife to my throat. I hadn't see her draw it. The scimitar 'disarm' had been a distraction."Woot!" I exhaled."But you're dead," Sister Rafaela misunderstood my good humor."He survived a minute and thirty-four seconds more today than his previous record," Estere responded. She slithered off of me, doing my arousal no good whatsoever, then offered me a hand up."And that's better?""He's a rank amateur with a few months on the job. I've been training to kill people for nearly two decades," Estere smiled. "Care to have a go?""With him, or you?""Either," Estere offered."I don't have a knife, or any hand weapons," she stated."We'll need to remedy that," Wiesława stated. "You should at least carry a knife.""Really? Why?""It is a nearly universal tool," I verbally stepped up. "Even if you are disarmed, you should be able to find one relatively easily, people are less likely to miss a stolen knife than a purloined gun, and a concealed blade could come in handy.""Do you train in knife-work?" Rafaela eye-balled me."Absolutely. It is part of my culture," I grinned."Okay. Can we spar, hand-to-hand?""Sure," I nodded. I put my tomahawks in their harnesses then put my harnesses aside. Estere gave me a wink before giving us the fighting space."So," Rafaela began to circle, "are you Christian?""By your definition, or mine?""By the definition of the Catholic Church."Oh cool, she went for a Savate stance. This was going to get ugly.My "no," was followed by her kick and my block, lunge and grapple. She wasn't nearly as good as Felix. I had her down and in a choke hold within fifteen seconds.Perhaps she thought I'd take it easy on her. She tapped out. I released her, retreated and flowed back to my boxing stance. It took her a moment to realize this was 'practice', not 'an interview'. She hadn't failed in anyone's eyes. We were both doing this to get better."See, I really, truly believe I have talked to supernatural entities ~ some who are considered divinities," I continued. This time she was more careful, trading jabs and blocks with me. "They don't claim to be the One True God. I believe in such a thing, but I also believe having been given the Message, Humanity has been left to muddle things out for ourselves."Whoops, she popped me one."The Woman-Thing this morning?""Yep," I evaded another flurry. She got cocky and I landed three blows, dropping her to the ground. I didn't help her up. Instead, I withdrew and let her get back up on her own before deciding if she wanted to continue. She did."I believe I've seen dragons and ghosts. I have felt legions of my ancestors give me quiet encouragement when I needed it. I know the dead have been brought back to life," I came at her. This time we both went for body blows, knees, elbows and fists. She was not SD-caliber and she needed to be. I grappled and she was forced to tap out again. After she regained her feet, she held up a hand for a pause."Do you believe any of that?" she addressed Estere."I am an adherent of Ismaili Islam yet nothing Cáel has encountered is contrary to my belief system. The Universe is a complex place and the Divine Light is often seen through a fractured lenses," she counseled the nun."Among the escapees were lawyer Francisco Luemba, Catholic Priest Raul Tati, economist Belchior Lanso Tati and former policeman Benjamin Fuca who are serving jail sentences of between three and six years each for supposed links to the rebel group FLEC (Frente para a Libertaé'o do Enclave de Cabinda), which carried out the attack on the Togolese football team at the start of the Africa Cup of Nations in January, 2010," Agent-86 read off yet another bit of global minutia."We need to get to them," I half turned. Sister Rafaela punched me in the gut and I folded up."Oh!" she gasped. "I'm sorry.""Okay," I mumbled. I had to keep with the plan. "Those men. We need to contact our Coils people in Kinshasa and the Warden of the Mountain Ways ('she' was the Amazon Host's leader of Africa ~ in the ancient times, the mountain ways had been the routes of southern vulnerability for the Amazon tribe thus the name).""Okay," both Agent-86 and Estere answered."Why?" 86 added."The Coils and the Host have had a serious problem with no nation in Africa giving them even back room recognition so we are going to take over our own country, Cabinda. It's been struggling to be free of Angola since 1975 and, by latest estimates, we've got strike elements of over 2,000 Amazons ready and waiting next door in Cameroon, Gabon and the Republic of Congo.""So you are going to go to war with Angola?" Estere frowned. "Don't we have enough enemies?""Au contraire," I grinned wickedly. "The resistance movement is genuine," I ticked off my points, "they have tons of offshore oil, and after we set off some spectacular explosions in the two main Angolan ports which are just down the coast, we allow global panic to bully the UN into intervening before the Angolan military launch an effective counter-offensive ~ considering the Angolan Armed Forces (I'd been reading up on a ton of CIA & MI-6 briefings) will most likely involve attrition warfare since they can't beat us in a stand-up fight.""They, the Angolans, have no overland access, they are separated by 60 kilometers of territory belonging to the Democratic Republic of Congo over some sad ass roads Plus the Congo River itself which is freaking huge by the time it gets that close to the Atlantic, Cabinda rests on the Atlantic Ocean by the way. No bridges. The Angolan Navy is anemic. Let me think."I began pacing."Hmm, they have no paratroopers though they have some Special Forces, we will need to hit as many of them in the barracks as we can. Their last invasion was from the north, overland, from the Republic of the Congo, in 1975, not likely to happen this time, though I may have my 'Brother' weasel up a battalion of Indian paratroopers to act as convincing peacekeepers after the initial take over.""Perhaps we can recruit some Vietnamese. I'm sure they'll love fighting in someone else's jungle for a change. We'll need some of 'our' guys to seize the port of Soyo, it is on the wrong side of the river, but has the major refinery the Cabindans will need. Since the entire surrounding province are the same ethnic make-up as the Cabindans, we'll have to take that too.""Man-o-man, I bet by the time this is over they'll really wish they'd given little Cabinda independence back in 1975. As for their other refinery, it is in their capital, Luanda, a few big explosions there too will get the markets jittery. Check that ~ the complete and utter destruction of their major petroleum facility will create a stampede for Peace," I continued. I walked over as our resident computer intelligence genius worked his magic."Blowing things up, you mean killing people," the nun blanched."Yes. This is what I do," I spared her a sympathetic glance. "I've got a madman roaming around in my head who provides me truly epic military advice which normally, but not always, means blowing shit up and killing folks. Welcome to the team," then as the data appeared, "Holy Shit! Did they build their oil refinery in the midst of their ghetto?" I was staggered. The refinery in Soyo was isolated from the town so it could be easily (and safely) seized. It was the one in Luanda which was the 'Holy Shit' site."It looks that way," Agent-86 agreed nonplussed. "Hmm, yeah, here is the port facility then your neighborhood of shoddily constructed one- and two-story dwellings between the refinery and the inland storage tanks, the perimeter barrier appears to be a chain link fence. I'd hate to be their Chief of Security.""Oh yeah," I choked. Estere slipped around to get a look."Whoops," she snorted."What are these people thinking?" I continued. "The whole shebang is exposed to the northern quarter of the city. The storage tanks have residential dwellings on all four sides with numerous side streets. Two teams with RPGs and four rounds apiece, Holy Crap. Sorry Sister.""But I want to save lives," she sputtered."Limiting the collateral damage could be pretty tough," Estere frowned. She toggled throw a series of maps to multiple pictures."Oh, look (dripping sarcasm); they light up the refinery at night. You can sit off the coast in a speed boat under cover of darkness and attack from there," she noted."Damn. Those are a lot of lights," Agent-86 agreed."24-7 operation," I suspected."We will need some experts," the government agent nodded."Or we are going to kill a fuck-load of innocent people. Not just the workers, but can you imagine a fire spreading to those neighborhoods? Shit," I muttered."You can't seriously be contemplating doing something like this," the nun sputtered. "It is inhumane. Think of the families, the children.""Lady, yes I am. Do you have any idea what the Human Rights record of the Angolan Army in Cabinda is? It is truly horrific and in case you missed it, one of the guys in dire need of rescuing by me, due to him being a huge rebel leader who has managed to escape, is also a Catholic priest. He's going to be part of the new government we are going to install once we kill a few hundred Angolans ~ mostly soldiers (more like well over a thousand).""We are going to kill a few hundred so a few hundred thousand can live free, democratic lives without worrying about the local police and political establishment torturing and murdering them. It is all part of the plan.""I think I need to talk with the Bishop.""Hang on. Let me finish," I forestalled her. "He'll get briefed along with everyone else. After all, it is a majority Roman Catholic country as is Angola, so I'm sure your guy can be of immense help.""The people you are putting at risk don't deserve this," she protested."They never do," I nodded in agreement with her. "It rarely stops terrible crap from happening to them though."I felt sorry for the Sister. She thought the Bishop was going to put a stop to this. Poor girl; he was going to do the exact opposite. See, the two competing forces at play here were a communistic kleptocracy (currently ruling Angola) and Catholic liberation theology united with a Cabindan national identity dating back to 1885. At stake was 900,000 barrels a day of petroleum. That was a bunch of funding for somebody. Last I checked, the state run energy conglomerate had misplaced $32 billion, in just three years.Mind you, the Coils of the Serpent and the Amazon Host didn't want to help the People of Cabinda out of the goodness of their hearts either. They wanted cover for the importation of weapons and other war-fighting material so they could kill the Condottieri in Africa. If the rebel leaders-turned-legitimate government didn't play ball well, the Coils were in the 'assassinating people' business and somewhere along the line the survivors would figure out keeping 'us' happy kept them alive. Problem solved.It was Bishop Nicolé de Santis' job to facilitate that understanding. If certain people with Vatican credentials explained the 'facts of life' to the new regime a lot more lives could be saved, Catholic lives. In turn, he could work to make sure the new group in power wasn't nearly as corrupt as the gang we were tossing out. Better education and quality of life, improved infrastructure & security and a nice shiny cathedral, or two.We, as in JIKIT and our component members, didn't want to rule the country and dominate the people's lives. We needed the ports and the airfields with a blind eye turned to our skullduggery. Sure, there would be future considerations. Amazons and Coil members would be fighting and dying for these people's freedom ~ public recognition definitely not required. No; the Amazons wanted to be left alone in their deep jungle homes which was an isolation they basically already had. This was a future chit which said 'don't come looking'.The Coils? Let's just say in the future Cabinda would have embassies around the globe and if occasionally they wanted someone to slip through under diplomatic cover ~ they were good for it. And if the Cabindans ever needed help in the future they knew they had friends in dark places who were now invested in Cabinda's survival. It was a win-win-win, unless you were an Angolan big-wig, or one of their foot-soldier currently serving in Cabinda. Amazons weren't big on taking prisoners, or even giving the opposition the option of giving up.For me, it wasn't lunch yet and here I was plotting to overthrow yet another government in yet another country ~ though in only two, small provinces this time. Thank the Goddess I had the rest of the week

Dr. Bernadette Atanga is a physician, leadership coach, and author of Beneath the Armor, a powerful book exploring how emotional suppression in men impacts families, workplaces, and society. With over 30 years of experience in Internal Medicine and Pediatrics, she helps men and leaders embrace emotional resilience, self-awareness, and authentic connection.Through her L.E.A.D. framework and global coaching work, Dr. Atanga empowers organizations with tools for emotional mastery, stress management, and empathetic leadership. Fluent in five languages and shaped by life in the U.S., Italy, Britain, and Cameroon, she brings cultural depth and perspective to every conversation.As founder of the Atanga Peace Project, she launched educational and leadership programs in Cameroon, including a radio series that reached audiences across Central Africa. Her work champions mental health, emotional intelligence, and the dismantling of harmful cultural norms.A sought-after speaker, Dr. Atanga has shared stages with Broadway star Justin Guarini and business coach Kim Walsh Phillips. Through her programs, workshops, and virtual trainings, she continues to shift the global conversation around leadership, masculinity, and emotional well-being.www.atangamd.comhttp://www.linkedin.com/in/bernadette-atanga-md-083274327https://www.instagram.com/atangabmd/

Show Notes Prof. Manfred Kets de Vries, is a global thought leader, who is best known for applying psychoanalytic thinking to the challenges of leaders and organisations.   He discusses his journey from psychoanalysis to leadership development, the societal forces that shape leaders, and the critical role of emotional awareness in navigating today's volatile landscapes.  Kets de Vries exposes the hidden psychological currents that drive leadership—how unconscious patterns, unresolved trauma, and deep-seated insecurities manifest in boardrooms and political arenas alike. He explores the destructive nature of narcissistic leadership, the rising stress and impatience among CEOs, and the ways in which cultural expectations mold our leaders for better or worse.  Manfred and Simon discuss toxic leadership today, and then focus on what can be done. Manfred shares his experience that ultimately leadership is about relationships—about the capacity for self-awareness, reflection, and genuine connection. In a world where political fault lines deepen, Manfred challenges us not just to analyze leadership from a distance but to engage with it personally—to recognize our own role in shaping the leadership cultures around us. Because leadership isn't just about those at the top; it's about how we choose to show up in our own lives, our communities, and our organizations. Key Reflections Toxic leadership can have devastating effects on organizations and society. Psychoanalysis provides valuable insights into leadership dynamics. Leaders are shaped by societal expectations and cultural contexts. Narcissism in leadership can lead to destructive outcomes. The current political climate reflects deeper societal issues. Stress and impatience are prevalent among CEOs today. Leadership is relational  Creating a good life involves cultivating and appreciating happy moments. Everyone has the potential to make a difference in society. Keywords leadership, toxic leadership, narcissism, psychoanalysis, organizational change, political leadership, societal impact, emotional intelligence, executive coaching, personal development Brief Bio Manfred F. R. Kets de Vries is the Distinguished Clinical Professor of Leadership Development and Organisational Change and the Raoul de Vitry d'Avaucourt Chaired Professor of Leadership Development, Emeritus, at INSEAD. He integrates economics, management, and psychoanalysis to explore leadership, executive stress, career dynamics, entrepreneurship, and corporate transformation. He founded the INSEAD Global Leadership Centre and directs The Challenge of Leadership Executive Education program. He has held professorships at McGill University, HEC Montréal, and Harvard Business School. A prolific scholar, he has authored 49 books and over 400 academic papers, with works translated into 31 languages. His latest book, Narcissistic Leadership, delves into the complex interplay between narcissism and leadership, offering profound insights into its impact on organizations and society. Among many other awards, he  received the INSEAD Distinguished Teacher Award five times and was recognized as one of the world's top 50 management thinkers by Financial Times, Le Capital, Wirtschaftswoche, and The Economist. As a consultant, he has advised leading organizations across the US, Canada, Europe, Africa, and Asia on organizational transformation and strategic human resource management. Honored as an Officer in the Order of Oranje Nassau, he is also an adventurer and a member of New York's Explorers Club, frequently exploring remote regions such as the Arctic Circle, Siberia, and Central Africa.

John Lechner is a writer and researcher specializing in security issues in Central Africa, the Sahel, Turkey, Russia, and the former Soviet Union. Fluent in Russian and several other languages, he has spent years analyzing Russia's growing influence in Africa and its global military networks.In episode 46 of Tahrir Podcast, we discussed his book, "Death Is Our Business: Russian Mercenaries and the New Era of Private Warfare," (Bloomsbury Publishing, 2025) which explores Wagner's origins and its evolution into a key tool of Russian power projection. Lechner challenges the prevailing narrative that Wagner operates purely as a Kremlin proxy, offering a detailed analysis of its structure, motivations, and impact on global warfare. Through extensive fieldwork and exclusive interviews, he sheds light on the mercenary group's role in Ukraine, Syria, Libya, and Africa, revealing how it has shaped conflicts and influenced state-building efforts.The book also delves into the personal and political dynamics within Wagner, examining the group's financial incentives, ideological leanings, and its often-uneasy relationship with the Russian state. Lechner provides critical insights into the blurred lines between state and private military actors, the future of mercenary warfare, and what this means for global security.Episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/J3pStvWHKTk John's book: https://www.bloomsbury.com/us/death-is-our-business-9781639733361/John's website: https://www.johnlechnerauthor.com/Streaming everywhere! https://linktr.ee/TahrirPodcast Reach out! TahrirPodcast@gmail.com Support us on Patreon for as low as $2 per month ($20 per year)! https://www.patreon.com/TahrirPodcast

In this episode, we dive into the chilling tale of a 1959 snake sighting in the heart of Central Africa. A giant serpent, stretching over 50 feet, was said to have been spotted—an encounter so bizarre it has sparked debate for decades. Can this monstrous creature truly slither its way into the realm of the believable, or is it merely a legend born from the depths of jungle myth? Join us as we unravel the mystery and examine whether this tale is a slithering truth or a fantastical fiction

I greet you in Jesus' precious name! It is Friday morning, the 7th of March, 2025, and this is your friend, Angus Buchan, with a thought for today. We go straight to the Gospel of John 3:16 (AMP Version): “For God so [greatly] loved and dearly prized the world, that He [even] gave His [One and] only begotten Son, so that whoever believes and trusts in Him [as Saviour] shall not perish, but have eternal life.” My dear friend, what a blessing, the whole Bible in one verse! I want to speak to you this morning about salvation. Another word for salvation is “a ticket to Heaven”, yes - being rescued from going to hell. Abundant life (John 10:10).Many years ago I went to bonny Scotland to go and have a look at where my ancestors came from. I, myself, am an African, born and bred in Central Africa, but I went to a little village called Buchan Haven, the name of my family, and in that little village there is a hall they called Rescue Hall, a little Christian church, Rescue Hall. What a beautiful name. Now that little village was full of fishermen, I have never seen so many Buchans in my life, a very quaint little village, but a lot of tragedy there from fishermen who go out into the North Sea, into the freezing cold, up to the Arctic Circle, looking for fish so that they can feed their families, pay their debts, educate their children and work hard - Buchan Haven. There is a statue of a woman, a mother with a little child hanging onto her skirts. She has got her hand up and she is looking out into the perilous North Sea to see if her husband, and the rest of the fishermen, are coming home on the fishing boats. I want to tell you today, maybe you need to be rescued from the perilous seas of this life in which we are living. If you are, then look to the Lord. Look to the Lord and He will save you, like He continually saved those brave fishermen and those brave women who prayed for their men to come home. Rescue Hall is a place I preached in and many people have been saved in that wonderful place.Today, look to the Lord and let Him save you from the perilous seas of life.Jesus bless you and goodbye.

In this episode of EMS One-Stop, host Rob Lawrence welcomes back Dr. Alex Isakov, a leading expert in infectious diseases from NETEC and Emory University in Atlanta. Dr. Isakov provides valuable updates on current and emerging infectious diseases; their global impact; and the critical role EMS professionals play in identifying, isolating and protecting themselves and their patients. This discussion highlights key infectious diseases, including H5N1 (avian flu/bird flu), Mpox (previously known as monkeypox), Ebola, Marburg, Lassa fever and seasonal flu, providing EMS personnel with essential knowledge and safety protocols in light of ongoing global health concerns. Throughout the episode, Dr. Isakov offers insights into the latest outbreaks, the importance of vaccinations, and strategies for responding to potential infectious disease threats. He stresses the necessity of remaining vigilant and prepared for high-consequence diseases while maintaining optimal patient care. From the evolving threat of H5N1 to the resurgence of seasonal influenza, Dr. Isakov ensures that EMS professionals are equipped with the most relevant and up-to-date information needed to protect both themselves and their communities. Summary of key infectious diseases covered by Dr. Isakov H5N1 (avian influenza/bird flu): Dr. Isakov provides an update on the H5N1 outbreak in poultry and dairy herds, stressing the importance of limiting human exposure and watching for potential mutations that could lead to human-to-human transmission. Mpox (Clade 1B): Dr. Isakov discusses the risk of Mpox, particularly Clade 1B, which remains prevalent in Central Africa but has now spread to other countries, including the United States. He highlights the importance of identifying travel history and unusual rashes, along with strict protective measures for EMS clinicians. Ebola and Marburg: These diseases continue to present a risk, with smaller outbreaks currently ongoing in Uganda (Ebola) and Tanzania (Marburg). Dr. Isakov notes the importance of being prepared to identify and isolate individuals who may have been exposed during travel to these regions. Lassa fever: Dr. Isakov points out the ongoing concern of Lassa fever in West Africa and emphasizes that EMS professionals should be on alert for symptoms in travelers who have visited affected regions. Seasonal influenza: The seasonal flu outbreak is particularly severe this year, and Dr. Isakov underscores the importance of vaccination, especially for vulnerable populations, to reduce serious illness and hospital strain. Timeline 00:00 – Introduction to the episode and guest, Dr. Alex Isakov 01:33 – Uupdate on Mpox (Clade 1B) and its global spread 05:24 – Ebola and Marburg outbreaks: ongoing concerns in Uganda and Tanzania 08:01 – Lassa Fever in West Africa and its impact on EMS professionals 13:05 – The importance of travel vaccinations for high-risk areas like malaria zones 15:13 – Mystery illness in the Democratic Republic of Congo and the investigation into its cause 17:01 – H5N1 and avian influenza concerns, including potential human transmission risks 22:02 – Severity of the current seasonal flu outbreak and vaccination recommendations 25:24 – EMS community's role in flu and measles vaccination advocacy 29:05 – Discussing surge conditions and excess mortality during pandemics 32:01 – Closing remarks, including updates on new NITEC EMS resources Additional infectious disease resources National Emerging Special Pathogens Training & Education Center Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Featured Resources | NETEC Symptoms of Malaria | Malaria | CDC Lassa Fever Suspected in Death of U.S. Traveler Returning from West Africa | CDC Newsroom CDC A(H5N1) Bird Flu Response Update February 26, 2025 | Bird Flu | CDC Mpox | Mpox | CDC Healthcare Workers: Could it be Ebola?

The international war reporter John Lechner is a brave man. For his new book Death Is Our Business: Russian Mercenaries and the New Era of Private Warfare, he spent time in both Russia and the Central African Republic researching the Russian mercenary Wagner Group founded by Yevgeny Prigozhin. In our conversation, he details Prigozhin's rise, his rebellion against Putin, and his eventual death. Lechner argues that mercenary groups like Wagner are generally no more or less bloodthirsty than the governments that employ them. We also talked about the broader global trend of outsourcing warfare, from Russian mercenaries to U.S. contractors like Blackwater, and how this approach reduces political costs for governments engaging in military interventions.Here are the 5 KEEN ON AMERICA takeaways from the Lechner interview:* Wagner Group represents a broader trend of privatized warfare, following in the footsteps of Western contractors like Blackwater but expanding into offensive operations.* Yevgeny Prigozhin's personal ambition and desire to overcome his status within Putin's inner circle drove Wagner's expansion globally.* Mercenary groups like Wagner typically mirror the human rights practices of the governments that hire them, often exacerbating existing abuses rather than introducing new ones.* Prigozhin's rebellion against Putin stemmed from his narcissism and fear of losing political leverage when the Ministry of Defense attempted to absorb Wagner's fighters.* The outsourcing of warfare (through mercenaries, proxies, or technology) allows governments to pursue interventionist policies with reduced political costs, as contractor deaths don't receive the same public scrutiny as military casualties.John Lechner graduated from the Master of Science in Foreign Service (MSFS) Program at Georgetown University's School of Foreign Service. At Georgetown, John focused on security issues in Central Africa and the Sahel; Turkey; Russia, and the former Soviet Union. He is an expert on Russia's growing influence in Africa. He speaks fluent Russian; advanced French, Turkish, and Georgian; and conversational Bosnian-Croatian-Serbian (BCS), Chechen, German, and Sango (the lingua franca of the Central African Republic). After working in finance for several years, John decided to leverage his language skills and significant experience living abroad—especially in Russia and Europe—for a career in international affairs. After arriving in Washington DC, he took an internship with the Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD), analyzing and publishing articles on Turkish domestic politics, security, and foreign relations. While attending Georgetown he has continued to work as a freelance journalist, covering issues related to language, history, culture, and politics in eastern Ukraine, Moldova, Turkey, the Sahel, and the Central African Republic. He is an expert on the history, languages, and politics of Central Africa, Turkey, and the former Soviet Union. You can find his articles published in Foreign Policy, War on the Rocks, Kyiv Post, The Diplomat, Africa is a Country, African Arguments, The National Interest, and Defense One, among others.Named as one of the "100 most connected men" by GQ magazine, Andrew Keen is amongst the world's best known broadcasters and commentators. In addition to presenting the daily KEEN ON show, he is the host of the long-running How To Fix Democracy interview series. He is also the author of four prescient books about digital technology: CULT OF THE AMATEUR, DIGITAL VERTIGO, THE INTERNET IS NOT THE ANSWER and HOW TO FIX THE FUTURE. Andrew lives in San Francisco, is married to Cassandra Knight, Google's VP of Litigation & Discovery, and has two grown children.Keen On America is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit keenon.substack.com/subscribe

03/02/25 Bib-Lit.docx Mark interviews three well known biblical scholars. Dr. Steve Ortiz Dr. John Manson Dr. Lawson Younger We are looking at our guests to enlighten us through scripture on: 1. How we See the World 2. How we See Scripture 3. How we See God Dr. Ortiz Grew up in LA and moved to Arizona with his wife and two children. He lived in Isreal and then back to New Orleans. He then left New Orleans and attended South Western Baptist Seminary and after that accepted a position as a Professor at Lipscomb University in Nashville, Tennessee. Dr. John Manson was Born in Zaire which was the Democratic Republic of the Congo from 1971 to 1997. It was a country in Central Africa. He received hi PHD from Harvard University. Dr. Lawson Younger was a math major in college and following the words of 1 John 5:13 he suddenly realized that he could have eternal life, he changed his focus to learning Latin, Greek and Hebrew. All of this helped him understand the context of how scriptures were developed. They discussed how Burial was achieved in the Old Testament of the Bible. The belief was that the flesh decayed, along with it the sins of the dead and your spirit was raised into Gods Kingdom after that. It should be noted that Jesus raised from the dead in full body since he was without sin. Each of the guest were asked to talk about how their academic discipline enriched scripture in ways that can transform our lives. A great discussion took place concerning Tihlath-Pilser5 III, King of the Neo-Assyrian Empire from 745 BC to his death in 727. His reign marked the true transition of Assyria into an empire.

On today's episode, we're going off the beaten path to the remote swamps of Central Africa. Here, local legends talk about an enormous, long-necked creature that STALKS the murky waters of the Congo. This elusive beast is referred to only as 'Mokele Mbembe'... and whatever you do... don't eat it's meat.Follow us on Twitter, Instagram, and YouTubeJoin our Secret Society Facebook CommunitySupport us on Patreon.com/ThisParanormalLife to get access to weekly bonus episodes!Buy Official TPL Merch! - thisparanormallife.com/storeIntro music by www.purple-planet.comEdited by Philip ShackladyResearch by Ewen Friers Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Donate (no account necessary) | Subscribe (account required) Join Bryan Dean Wright, former CIA Operations Officer, as he breaks down today's most pressing stories shaping America and the world. In today's episode, we cover: Trump's Executive Orders Under Attack: Democrat-appointed judges freeze multiple Trump policies, including federal worker buyouts, deportations to Guantánamo Bay, and funding cuts to states. We examine why past presidents—Jefferson, Garfield, and Truman—would likely disagree with these rulings. Military Overhaul Continues: Trump fires service academy board members, reinstates the name Fort Bragg (with a twist), and ends taxpayer-funded transgender procedures in the military. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth takes a hard stance against DEI policies. The Foreign Aid Battle: Democrats and some Republicans push back against USAID cuts, but real-world examples from Cambodia and Central Africa show why Trump is standing firm. Global Flashpoints: Tensions escalate as Iran debates building a nuclear weapon, Trump pressures Hamas with a deadline to release hostages, and the U.S. considers resettling 50,000 white South Africans facing persecution. Stay informed with Bryan's expert analysis on these critical developments. "And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free." - John 8:32

So she induced the mother, who had her baby very quickly, probably an hour later. We were hoping that would help save the mother, that it would stop all the convulsing. Unfortunately, she continued to decline, and the baby was born, weighing about 3.5 pounds.                                                               ----------------Today's story is told by Ali Brooks of the Fulani Project in Central Africa. Subscribe and leave us a review if you enjoyed listening to today's story!

The illegal drug trade is booming in Europe due to a growing and profitable demand for cocaine. It can be sold for almost double the price you can get for it in the US. Belgium and the Netherlands have been named as the new cocaine capitals, as the major container ports there have been infiltrated by drug smuggling gangs, and the US market becomes saturated and turns to opiates instead.But how does cocaine get to Europe? And who's operating these gangs? We speak to two journalists who've been looking at the illegal drug trade in Europe; Anna Holligan, BBC correspondent in the Netherlands, and Gabriel Stargardter, a Reuters journalist in Paris.As more drugs are routed to Europe, countries in West and Central Africa are increasingly being used as key transit zones. Lucia Bird from the Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime tells us what impact it's having on those countries.Plus David Hillier, a freelance British journalist, explains what kinds of illegal drugs Europeans are currently taking. Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld Email: whatintheworld@bbc.co.uk WhatsApp: +44 0330 12 33 22 6 Presenter: Iqra Farooq Producers: Julia Ross-Roy, Hayley Clarke and Benita Barden Editor: Rosanna La Falce

Interview recorded - 24th of January, 2025On this episode of the WTFinance podcast I had the pleasure of welcoming back Simon Hunt.During our conversation we spoke about his thoughts on the markets, the geopolitical challenges, BRICS alliance, US allies becoming weaker, proxy wars, gold and more. I hope you enjoy!0:00 - Introduction1:30 - Thoughts on markets?2:51 - Geopolitical challenges?17:05 - Split the BRICS alliance?20:58 - US allies becoming weaker?23:45 - Proxy wars25:49 - Geopolitical risks of markets?27:00 - What impact on other assets?28:30 - Gold30:40 - One message to takeaway?Simon Hunt began his career in 1956 in Central Africa as a PA to the Chairman of Rhodesian Selection Trust, one of the two large copper companies in what was then Northern Rhodesia, now Zambia.In 1961 he came back to London and joined Anglo American Corporation of South Africa as a PA to one of the Board Directors, followed by being part of a small sales and marketing team for copper. From there, he helped start up a new copper development organisation, CIDEC, financed by copper producers, which he then joined, focusing on conducting end-use studies of copper in Europe.He then went into the City to gain financial experience and founded Brook Hunt in 1975. He was instrumental in setting up the company's cost studies and end-use analyses. He appeared as material witness and consultant in two ITC anti-dumping cases in 1978 and 1984, winning both at the commission level.He has spent 2-4 months every year in China since 1993 and until a few years ago would be visiting some 80 wire and cable and brass mill factories across the country every year. He now restricts these factory visits to a smaller number, all of which he has known for many years. He also spends many weeks each year traveling around Asia.The focus of the company's services is on the global economy, including the changing geopolitical and financial structures, China's economy and its copper sector, and then the global copper industry as each part is interconnected.Simon is the author of the “Frontline China Report Service,” which is marketed by the TIS Group. The Service provides regular reports on China's economy, politics, and financial outlook.Simon established this company in January 1996.Simon Hunt -Website - https://www.simon-hunt.com/Email - simon@shss.comWTFinance -Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/67rpmjG92PNBW0doLyPvfniTunes -https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/wtfinance/id1554934665?uo=4LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/anthony-fatseas-761066103/Twitter - https://twitter.com/AnthonyFatseas

There is growing tension between the Fulanis in Ghana and local communities they live in, across the country. The Fulanis, an ethnic group of people live in West Africa, Central Africa and South Sudan. There have been clashes, murders and counter killings among them and indigenous people for years now. The conflict doesn't seem to be ending anytime soon.

Writing a book is one thing—getting it published and into readers' hands is another battle entirely. Traditional publishing can feel like an endless waiting game, while self-publishing comes with the challenge of standing out in a crowded market. Even after the book is out, getting people to notice it requires just as much effort as writing it in the first place. The hardest part isn't just finishing the book—it's making sure it actually reaches the audience it deserves. Erik Seversen is a renowned author, speaker, and entrepreneur who has lived an extraordinary life. He has hitchhiked from London to Central Africa, lived with a remote tribe in the Amazon, and built and sold successful businesses. Erik has published 15 best-selling books on topics such as mindset, peak performance, and AI, and has helped over 300 people become best-selling authors. Today, Erik shares his insights on the power of compilation books, discussing the strategies he uses to ensure successful book launches, including the importance of keyword research and garnering verified reviews. Stay tuned! Resources Erik Seversen: Love the Life you Live! Self Publishing Center: Your Resource For Becoming a Bestselling Author! Follow Erik Seversen on Facebook Connect with Erik Seversen on LinkedIn Check out Eric Seversen's Bestselling Books on Amazon

Send us a textEarly 20th century German Exploders and Modern Day Creationists keep saying there is a Sauropod dinosaur in the Congo! Going by the name of Mokele-mbembe some say this creature lives in the remote regions of Southern Africa. It is true these regions are not that well explored, is is true that people are seeing a longed neck dinosaur? And what is it's link to creationists? All that and more from Miles and Trey, on this Plastic Pleasiour Podcast! Monster Quest this epoisde is - S3E18 -The Last Dinosaur "MonsterQuest goes to the jungles of Central Africa in search of Mokele-mbembe which is believed by some to be a living relic of the dinosaurs."Support the show

PREVIEW - AFRICA CORPS: SUDAN: UKRAINE Colleague Caleb Weiss of FDD reports confirmed details that Ukrainian special forces are in Sudan's civil war to attack the Russian mercenary Africa Corps. More details later. 1855 North and Central Africa

To celebrate our third anniversary, we are excited to release our first English episode this month, focusing on Mission 300. In this episode, we sit down with Franz Drees-Gross, Regional Director for Infrastructure for the World Bank's Western and Central African countries, to gain insights on how access to electricity can transform Sub-Saharan Africa into an economic powerhouse. We also hear from other guests who have been impacted by the lack of access to energy.The People First podcast is available online, on Spotify, and on Apple Podcast. For more updates, follow us by subscribing, and don't forget to rate and comment on this episode.Sequences 00:00 Introduction01:08 Interview with guest, Franz Drees-Gross, World Bank Regional Director for Infrastructure, Western and Central Africa07:05 Electrification success story and progress from Côte d'Ivoire09:50 Habiba Ali's insights on the benefits of renewable energy for economic growth and gender parity in Nigeria13:01 Ghanaian poet Nora Anyidoho on access to electricity15:02 ConclusionAbout People First PodcastPeople First Podcast provides a human angle to concrete development topics as they affect people in Western and Central Africa. It also features World Bank project and initiatives. Join us for a sustainable and inclusive development!About World Bank GroupThe World Bank Group is one of the world's largest sources of funding and knowledge for low-income countries. Its five institutions share a commitment to reducing poverty, increasing shared prosperity, and promoting sustainable development.

My ongoing Africa hunting mini-series continues this week with another special guest: Hancke Hudson. Hancke is a South African Professional Hunter who has spent the past 30 years hunting in the rainforests of Central Africa for animals like bongo, dwarf buffalo, sitatunga, and the numerous species of small antelope that live there. The rainforest is a special place and these hunts are like nothing anywhere else in the world. While these hunts are not for the faint of heart, those brave enough to take the plunge and hunt the rainforest will be rewarded with a unique adventure few others will ever get to experience. Subscribe to The Big Game Hunting Podcast on YouTube here Sponsor: Get in touch with Hancke Hudson to book that bongo hunt you've always dreamed of. He is a top notch Professional Hunter who has access to some of the best bongo hunting ares in all of Africa. Contact him via WhatsApp at +263 77 326 0977 or visit cheletsafaris.com to learn more. Be sure to tell him you heard about him from The Big Game Hunting Podcast and be sure to email me at john@thebiggamehuntingblog.com to tell me how your hunt went!

Episode SummaryIn this episode, Brother Eric joins Mark Gilmore to discuss the incredible opportunities for Gospel advance in Africa. With over 30 years of experience in missions, Eric shares his journey of church planting, training indigenous leaders, and addressing the need for pioneer missionaries. This episode will challenge you to take steps of faith and embrace God's call to reach the unreached.Topics DiscussedThe spiritual landscape across Africa's regions and the unique challenges of each.Eric's journey of planting over 40 churches in northern Kenya.The importance of discipleship and empowering national leaders for church planting.Opportunities for missions in Central Africa and other unreached areas.The need for young people to move from surrender to action in responding to God's call.Breaking down the barriers of fear, passivity, and waiting for a “perfect” call.Encouragement for teens and parents to embrace faith-driven risk in missions.Key TakeawaysAfrica is home to nearly a thousand unreached people groups and an urgent mission field.Church planting thrives when every believer is equipped to share the Gospel and disciple others.Faith requires action; taking steps toward missions allows God to guide and provide.Missions is not history—it's an opportunity for this generation to make an eternal impact.You don't need a dramatic call; surrender, take steps, and let God direct your path.If you have your own unique story of gospel advance or if you sense God leading you toward a particular people group, we'd love to hear about it. Even if it's just a sentence or two, share what God is doing in an email to gomission@theegeneration.org.GoMission, hosted by Mark Gillmore, is a monthly, missions-focused program designed to expose young people to the people, stories, and opportunities happening across the globe in the world's harvest fields. If you've been encouraged by this podcast, please take the time to give us a five-star rating and write a brief review. That would help tremendously in getting the word out and raising the visibility of the Thee Generation for others. For more faith inspiring resources and information about joining Thee Generation, please visit theegeneration.org.

“Get up! Get up!” the gendarme shouted as they banged on the front door.“Why are you here?” Grace asked as she opened her door to the armed policemen.SLAP! “Get up. You have to come with us.”                                                               ----------------Today's story is told by Ali Brooks of the Fulani Project in Central Africa. Subscribe and leave us a review if you enjoyed listening to today's story!

It's Thursday, December 5th, A.D. 2024. This is The Worldview in 5 Minutes heard on 125 radio stations and at www.TheWorldview.com.  I'm Adam McManus. (Adam@TheWorldview.com) By Jonathan Clark and Adam McManus Muslim terrorist group in Syria puts Christians in grave danger Islamic militias with the Organization for the Liberation of the Levant took over Syria's second largest city of Aleppo last week. It's the latest offensive in the years-long civil war between government forces and armed rebel groups in the country. The tensions mean grave danger for Christians who live in the area. Churches are still open, but militants are removing Christmas decorations.  The Muslim terrorist group is known for brutal governance and violent persecution. Please pray for Christians in Syria, ranked 12th on the Open Doors' World Watch List of nations where it is most difficult to be a Christian.  1 Peter 4:12-13 says, “Beloved, do not think it strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened to you; but rejoice to the extent that you partake of Christ's sufferings, that when His glory is revealed, you may also be glad with exceeding joy.” UnitedHealthcare CEO gunned down in NYC In the United States, chilling video shows the moment a gunman calmly shoots down  UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, age 50, at close range on the streets of Midtown Manhattan in front of the New York Hilton Hotel on Wednesday morning, reports the New York Post. NYPD Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny explained what happened before the shooting. KENNY: “The shooter arrived at the location on foot about five minutes prior to the victim's arrival. He stands alongside the building line as numerous other people and pedestrians pass him by. From video, we see at 6:44am the victim is walking alone towards the Hilton after exiting his hotel across the street. We believe the victim was headed to the Hilton Hotel to attend the United Health Group investors conference that was scheduled to start at 8am.” In the video, the unidentified assailant — clad in a black hoodie, black mask, black pants, gloves and wearing a gray backpack — can be seen methodically firing what appears to be a single-action handgun at the CEO, pulling back the slide with each shot. Thompson stumbles back upon the first shot, which appears to hit him in the back, briefly turning to face the shooter before falling to the sidewalk and attempting to crawl away as the gunman continues firing.  New York City Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch added this. TISCH: “At this time, every indication is that this was a premeditated, pre-planned, targeted attack.” While the shooter fled on foot and disappeared into Central Park, emergency personnel administered CPR at the scene to Thompson, before rushing him to Mount Sinai Hospital, where he was pronounced dead. The shooter remains at large. TISCH: “The full investigative efforts of the New York City Police Department are well underway, and we will not rest until we identify and apprehend the shooter in this case.” UnitedHealthcare is the nation's largest health insurer. It is a division of UnitedHealth Group, the fourth-largest public company in America behind Walmart, Amazon, and Apple. Thompson's wife, Paulette, told NBC News that he had been receiving threats perhaps over a lack of health care coverage. Plus, another wrinkle in the story, is that Thompson was one of several senior executives at UnitedHealthcare under investigation by the Department of Justice. On February 16th, he exercised stock options and sold shares worth $15.1 million, less than two weeks before news of the federal antitrust probe went public, according to a Crain's New York Business report from April. Trump pick for Drug Enforcement Administration withdraws On Tuesday, Chad Chronister, President-elect Donald Trump's selection to lead the Drug Enforcement Administration, said that he would withdraw from consideration, reports NBC News. Chronister, who is the sheriff in Hillsborough County, Florida, said he would turn down Trump's planned nomination to be the next DEA administrator just three days after Trump announced it. He is the second of Trump's administration picks to take his name out of the running, after former Republican Congressman Matt Gaetz of Florida dropped his bid to become attorney general last month. Chronister ran into a series of hurdles from Trump's political base because of how he handled the coronavirus pandemic — particularly his decision in 2020 to arrest Tampa Pastor Ronald Howard-Browne for simply holding a church service. Pro-life ruling upholds ban on abortion trafficking A federal appeals court upheld an Idaho law on Monday that bans abortion trafficking, reports the Idaho Capital Sun.  The 2023 law protects pregnant minors from being transported for an abortion without their parents' knowledge. The law is in addition to a 2022 law that bans nearly all abortions.  Linda Thomas, Director of Community Outreach, told LifeNews, “With abortions virtually banned in Idaho, Planned Parenthood and other organizations are actively coaching and luring women across state lines for abortions. This is abortion trafficking.” Transgender case heard at Supreme Court The U.S. Supreme Court heard arguments in a major transgender case yesterday. The Biden administration is challenging a Tennessee law that protects children from drugs and operations meant to enable them to pretend to be the opposite sex. The conservative majority on the court appeared supportive of the law during the hearing.  However, a decision isn't expected for months. The ruling could affect similar measures in 25 other states.  Philippians 4:6 most popular verse this year And finally, the Bible app YouVersion reports that more people engaged with the Bible this year in record numbers. The most popular verse of the year was Philippians 4:6. It says, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.” Bible engagement grew significantly in Central Africa, Eastern Africa, and Latin America. One of YouVersion's partners in the app is 24-7 Prayer International. Carla Harding noted, “Throughout 2024, we have seen a rise in the number of people dedicating themselves to night and day prayer in different nations around the world. Our hope is that through continual prayer, the global church would be ignited in the presence of God and carry His love with greater compassion and power to the communities around them.” Close And that's The Worldview on this Thursday, December 5th, in the year of our Lord 2024. Subscribe by Amazon Music or by iTunes or email to our unique Christian newscast at www.TheWorldview.com. Or get the Generations app through Google Play or The App Store. I'm Adam McManus (Adam@TheWorldview.com). Seize the day for Jesus Christ.

Joe Biden's first and last trip to Africa as president wrapped up in a port city in Angola. It's the end of an 800 mile train line connecting the port to massive mineral deposits in Central Africa. The U.S. and other Western countries are raising billions to upgrade the rail line, a move that is seen as an effort to counter China's investments in mining in the region. We go to one of the mining cities along that train route to see how the geopolitics are playing out. Support NPR and get sponsor-free episodes of State of the World. Sign up for NPR+ at plus.npr.orgLearn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Darkness Syndicate members get the ad-free version plus all artwork created and considered for use as YouTube and podcast thumbnails: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/2p9ed59aIN THIS EPISODE: Jack the Ripper stalked the West End of London in 1888. He was never captured. How did he do it… and how did he get away with it? *** We'll learn about a supposedly real spider from Central Africa with a leg span of 5-feet across. CHAPTERS & TIME STAMPS (All Times Approximate)…00:00:00.000 = Disclaimer and Cold Open00:04:51.077 = Show Intro00:07:11.900 = Inside The Mind of the Ripper, Part 100:22:09.660 = Inside The Mind of the Ripper, Part 200:34:05.435 = Giant Spider of the Congo00:43:59.070 = Show CloseSOURCES AND REFERENCES FROM THE EPISODE…“Giant Spider of the Congo” by Terrence Aym, from Helium.com (link no longer available)“Inside The Mind of the Ripper” by Josh Clark and Patrick J. Kiger for History's How Stuff Works: https://tinyurl.com/y26ghwlqWeird Darkness theme by Alibi Music Library. = = = = =(Over time links seen above may become invalid, disappear, or have different content. I always make sure to give authors credit for the material I use whenever possible. If I somehow overlooked doing so for a story, or if a credit is incorrect, please let me know and I will rectify it in these show notes immediately. Some links included above may benefit me financially through qualifying purchases.)= = = = ="I have come into the world as a light, so that no one who believes in me should stay in darkness." — John 12:46= = = = =WeirdDarkness® is a registered trademark. Copyright ©2024, Weird Darkness.= = = = =Originally aired: November 18, 2020CUSTOM LANDING PAGE: https://weirddarkness.com/InsideTheMindOfJackTheRipper

On today's podcast, former President Donald Trump wins the 2024 presidential election; mpox cases in Central Africa might be decreasing; the U.S. government approves Apple AirPods as hearing aids followed by a talk about ‘mainstream;' then, the present perfect continuous on Lesson of the Day.

This episode addresses the issue of the “strongman” in politics and the way it exemplifies and contributes to a loss of authenticity, a lack of integrity and a loss of soul in modern cultures.   “As a storyteller and someone who studies mythology, I carry stories around, maybe in the same way that someone might carry food or medicine or equipment in a backpack in case a need arises. To follow the metaphor, I need stories for nourishment. I need stories for medicine. And stories equip me with ways of dealing with trouble or tragedy or trickery that I otherwise wouldn't have. When something strikes me as troublesome, a story often comes to mind. That's what happened when I read news reports about the current presidential election in the United States coming down to gender issues and what it means to be a man.   Observers and pollsters are pointing out that while a high percentage of women say they will vote for Vice-President Kamala Harris, an even higher percentage of men say that they will vote for former president Donald Trump. Polling data also indicates that younger men are increasingly being persuaded by Trump's posturing as a strong man. And sadly, that leads him to double down on crudely demeaning the first woman to become a vice president in the United States, while also threatening to punish members of the media and anyone else who opposes him.   While the notion of a strong man as savior can seem appealing when the world is full of conflicts and uncertainty, the long history of human survival as a species depends upon something other, something more than just claiming to be strong or trying to appear as manly and invincible. The idea of people, especially young men, falling for the posture of strength and the pretense of courage brought to mind an old story from the traditions of Central Africa.   The ancient story of how a powerful hunter becomes a visionary seeker has been handed down from people who were specifically known to be crafty survivors able to withstand hardships and survive the most difficult life circumstances. They knew that in the hard times they had to draw upon their instinctive capacities for toughing it out. They also knew that at critical times the point becomes hunting for a greater sense of meaning in life and responding to the age old calling of truth and beauty, or else everyone might lose their way and wind up both empty handed and hollow inside.   We are living amidst massive storms in nature and confounding storms of conflict and chaos in culture and our survival, as well as life on the planet, depends upon our connection to our own souls, where the instincts for survival and the longing for truth and meaning dwell together. In the depths of our souls we can find the age-old connection to the Soul of the World, which has survived endless numbers of storms and natural disasters. The quest for truth and meaning is as ancient and necessary as the hunt for food and shelter and safety; for truth and beauty provide places of refuge for the heart and the soul of humanity without which we cannot find the true courage or the actual wisdom needed to survive the storms of life.”   Thank you for listening to and supporting Living Myth. You can hear Michael Meade talk more about finding soul in difficult times by purchasing his new in-depth course “Holding the Thread of Life”. Purchase and learn more at courses.mosaicvoices.org   You can save 30% on this new course and further support this podcast by becoming a member of Living Myth Premium. Members receive bonus episodes each month, access to the full archives of over 680 episodes and a 30% discount on all events, courses and book and audio titles.   Learn more and join this community of listeners at patreon.com/livingmyth.   If you enjoy this podcast, we appreciate you leaving a review wherever you listen and sharing it with your friends. On behalf of Michael Meade and the whole Mosaic staff, we wish you well and thank you for your support of our work.

Donate (no account necessary) | Subscribe (account required) Join Bryan Dean Wright, former CIA Operations Officer, as he dives into today's top stories shaping America and the world. In today's episode, we cover: The Real Jobs Report: Media outlets celebrated the September jobs report, but we uncover hidden details that suggest the data may be incomplete and misleading. China's Cyber Espionage: A newly discovered Chinese spy ring, Salt Typhoon, has hacked into U.S. systems, including FBI wiretap requests, raising concerns about national security. Russia's Military Build-Up: Moscow plans to expand its army to 1.5 million soldiers, surpassing U.S. and Indian forces. What does this mean for global stability? Ukraine's Struggles on the Eastern Front: Russian forces, bolstered by North Korean artillery, are forcing Ukraine to retreat faster than at any time in the past two years. Europe's Migration Crisis: Austria's far-right party wins a major election, driven by voters fed up with illegal migration and crime, signaling a shift in European politics. Monkeypox and Marburg Virus Outbreaks: New health crises emerge in Central Africa, including a deadly strain of monkeypox in the Congo and a Marburg virus outbreak in Rwanda. "And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free." - John 8:32

#AFRICA: Russians in Sudan, Ethiopia, Sierra Leone, Nigeria, Burkina Faso, Mali, Central Africa Republic, for gold. Gregory Copley, Defense & Foreign Affairs 1920 Saudi Arabia

Donate (no account necessary) | Subscribe (account required) Join Bryan Dean Wright, former CIA Operations Officer, as he dives into today's top stories shaping America and the world on The Wright Report. In this episode, we cover: California's Housing Controversy: Discover how California Democrats, with Kamala Harris, are pushing to help illegal aliens buy homes with taxpayer dollars. Taxing Unrealized Gains: Uncover the heated debate around Kamala Harris' proposal to tax unrealized capital gains, and how it ties back to the Civil War. Europe's Migrant Dillema: Get insights into Germany's latest terror attack and Sweden's tough new deportation policies, with lessons on gun control and migration. Africa's Electricity Crisis: Learn about the power crisis threatening a critical railroad project in Central Africa, impacting global investments. Space History in the Making: Catch up on the latest SpaceX mission, set to break records and make history with its first-ever civilian spacewalk. "And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free." - John 8:32