Podcasts about Eastern Ukraine

In this episode, host Patrick Bishop welcomes back friend of the show and veteran journalist, Julius Strauss. Just back from the Donbas in Eastern Ukraine, Julius shares his account of the current situation on the ground and the mood They also dissect the recent geopolitical manoeuvres, breaking down the implications of the controversial Trump-Putin summit, and analysing the results, if any, of the widely covered meeting in The White House on Monday. If you have any thoughts or questions, you can send them to - podbattleground@gmail.com Producer: James Hodgson X (Twitter): @PodBattleground Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Volodymyr Zelensky confirmed that Russian forces have advanced in recent days on Ukraine's eastern frontline near Dobropillia, a mining town.

Your daily news in under three minutes. At Al Jazeera Podcasts, we want to hear from you, our listeners. So, please head to https://www.aljazeera.com/survey and tell us your thoughts about this show and other Al Jazeera podcasts. It only takes a few minutes! Connect with us: @AJEPodcasts on X, Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube

Your daily news in under three minutes. At Al Jazeera Podcasts, we want to hear from you, our listeners. So, please head to https://www.aljazeera.com/survey and tell us your thoughts about this show and other Al Jazeera podcasts. It only takes a few minutes! Connect with us: @AJEPodcasts on X, Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube

PM covers a broad spectrum of issues relevant to all sections of Australia.

Phil, Sean, Elaad, & Raymond are joined by Angela Belcamino (The Bold Lib) to discuss the Attorney General of Texas filing a lawshuit to vacate the seats of Democrats who fled the state over redistricting, The Bold Lib explaining why she's still a democrat, and Putin saying he will end the war in Ukraine if Russia gains ownership of Eastern Ukraine.   Hosts:  Phil @PhilThatRemains (X) Elaad @ElaadEliahu (X) Raymond @raymondgstanley (X) Serge @SergeDotCom (everywhere) Guest: Angela Belcamino @AngelaBelcamino (X)

Tommy and Ben start by breaking down the devastating scale of the famine in Gaza, how Israeli policy drove Gaza to this point, and how the world is responding. They also discuss Israeli PM Bibi Netanyahu's denial and gaslighting about the starvation, whether Trump is buying it, whether there's hope in this moment to build a coalition to pressure Israel to permanently end the war, what Democrats should be doing in this moment, and the impact of French President Emannuel Macron's pledge to recognize a Palestinian state. Then they cover Ukrainian President Volodymr Zelensky's political crisis around Ukraine's anti-corruption agencies, the ceasefire between Thailand and Cambodia, why Trump lifted sanctions on allies of the military junta in Myanmar, how the administration is gearing up to sell out Taiwan for a trade deal with China, and why we're rooting for the Macrons to smoke far-right nutjob and podcaster Candace Owens in court. Finally, Tommy speaks with Ukrainian director Mstyslav Chernov about his new film, 2000 Meters to Andriivka, which follows an assault brigade in Eastern Ukraine as it attempts to recapture a village from the Russians. Get tickets to CROOKED CON November 6-7 in Washington, D.C at http://crookedcon.com

Miche Fox is renowned for her unique approach to culinary arts, blending seasonal and botanical ingredients with her hunter/gatherer roots to create dishes that sustain both body and planet. Most Recently, Her culinary journey includes humanitarian work in Eastern Ukraine, where she provided essential comfort and nourishment to Internally displaced citizens. With over 15 years of experience managing high-profile events and large-scale operations, Miche is a champion of diversity and inclusion and brings a dynamic blend of culinary expertise, event management, and a passion for disaster relief. Her ability to deliver on complex logistics, ensure seamless coordination, and compassion has defined her career in the culinary world.#chefs #travel #freedom #humanitarian #suciotalk

In this episode of The PDB Afternoon Bulletin:  First—a Danish national of Afghan origin has been arrested on suspicion of spying on behalf of the Iranian regime, collecting information on Jewish sites and prominent individuals in Germany in preparation for potential terror attacks. Later in the show—despite Moscow's largely stalled summer offensive, a Kremlin-backed official is claiming that Russian forces have now seized complete control of Ukraine's eastern Luhansk region, which would mark Russia's first complete regional occupation since the full-scale invasion began more than three years ago. To listen to the show ad-free, become a premium member of The President's Daily Brief by visiting PDBPremium.com. Please remember to subscribe if you enjoyed this episode of The President's Daily Brief. YouTube: youtube.com/@presidentsdailybrief TriTails Premium Beef: Celebrate with steak worth standing for. Get a free ribeye with the Freedom Box at https://Trybeef.com/PDB. Birch Gold: Text PDB to 989898 and get your free info kit on gold Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Episode Summary:Juliana Spicoluk, a former dancer turned global wellness influencer. Juliana's journey from rhythmic gymnastics in Ukraine to the entertainment world and eventually to creating the Boho Beautiful brand is a testament to resilience, passion, and reinvention.Juliana shares her personal story, from her beginnings in gymnastics and dance to her breakthrough with Boho Beautiful, which now boasts millions of subscribers and views. Her transition from the entertainment industry to health and wellness—focusing on yoga, Pilates, and mindfulness—was a natural evolution. Her ability to pivot from one career to another without losing her passion for movement is an inspiration to anyone in the arts.If you're a dancer, wellness enthusiast, or someone seeking to build a meaningful career in the creative industry, this episode is packed with wisdom and motivation. Show Notes:(0:00) Introduction to Juliana Spicoluk, founder of Boho Beautiful(2:00) Juliana's transition from rhythmic gymnastics to dance(6:00) Moving from entertainment to wellness with yoga and Pilates(10:00) Creating Boho Beautiful and building a global brand(12:30) Importance of cross-training for dancers(15:00) How dance influences Juliana's wellness work(18:00) Managing multiple passions and avoiding burnout(21:00) Building an authentic personal brand on social media(24:00) Growth of Boho Beautiful on YouTube(28:00) Overcoming challenges in the entertainment industry(32:00) Tips for dancers on staying consistent and focused(35:00) Using yoga and Pilates to improve dance performance(38:00) Juliana's focus on healing and trauma recovery(42:00) Final thoughts on passion, authenticity, and career evolutionBiography:Juliana's journey began in Siberia, Russia, and she grew up in a small village in Eastern Ukraine until she was 10. At that age, she, along with her parents and brother, moved to Vancouver, Canada.Her passion for Rhythmic Gymnastics ignited at the age of 7, shaping her early years into a full-time sports career. Juliana achieved remarkable milestones, becoming a two-time Canadian National Champion, earning silver and bronze medals at the Junior Pan American Games, and representing Canada in global competitions and World Championships. She even trained with the Canadian Olympic Development Team in preparation for the 2008 Beijing Olympics. Unfortunately, a back injury dashed her Olympic dreams, leading her to retire from athletics to focus on her health.Post-retirement, Juliana discovered a new passion for dance, quickly becoming a competitive dancer and performing professionally with renowned artists like Beyoncé, Michael Buble, and on projects like "Sucker Punch" with Vanessa Hudgens. Additionally, she was part of the Girl Group "VNTY," signed to Universal Music Canada.Juliana has pursued various certifications in personal training, Pilates, and Yoga, including a 500-hour YTT from schools in Costa Rica and India. She continues to travel the world, learning from different opportunities, friends, and healers.Juliana's most profound role is that of a mother to her son, Xavian Lionheart Spicoluk, who has become her greatest teacher and spiritual guide. Today, she is known for her content centered around yoga, fitness, guided meditations, vegan food, self-awareness, and conscious living through her company, Boho Beautiful.Juliana, along with her husband and partner, Mark Spicoluk, has grown Boho Beautiful into a thriving community with over 2.8 million YouTube subscribers, 425,000+ Instagram followers, and a substantial following for their books and online programs. Their Boho Beautiful YouTube channel garners approximately 6-7 million monthly views, with a lifetime total of 435 million views since its inception.Connect on Social Media:https://www.instagram.com/juliana.spicolukhttps://www.facebook.com/julianaspicoluk.bohobeautifulhttps://www.youtube.com/live/nsOiSMk611wWebsitewww.julianaspicoluk.com

Jacob welcomes Sim Tack, a military analyst at Force Analysis, to break down the shifting battlefield dynamics in Ukraine. Together, they unpack Ukraine's evolving tactics, Russia's slow but grinding advances, and the logistical and manpower challenges both sides face. Jacob pushes for a bigger picture: what this phase of the war tells us about the future of U.S. involvement, Europe's strategic posture, and why the world should be watching Eastern Ukraine more closely. Sim offers clarity without sensationalism, grounding the conversation in facts, maps, and on-the-ground realities. It's a sobering, sharp look at a war still unfolding.--Timestamps:(00:00) - Introduction and Podcast Update(00:14) - Ukrainian Drone Attack on Russia(00:52) - Analyzing the Impact of the Attack(02:48) - Details of the Drone Strike(07:12) - Implications for Global Military Balance(13:11) - Comparative Analysis with Other Conflicts(21:28) - Technological Evolution in Warfare(26:04) - Mexican Cartels and Military Targets(26:49) - Drone Warfare Evolution(29:47) - Counter-Drone Technologies(37:50) - Impact on Russian Air Power(43:07) - Ukraine's Strategic Timing(51:30) - Conclusion and Future Discussions--Jacob Shapiro Site: jacobshapiro.comJacob Twitter: x.com/JacobShap--The Jacob Shapiro Show is produced and edited by Audiographies LLC. More information at audiographies.com --Jacob Shapiro is a speaker, consultant, author, and researcher covering global politics and affairs, economics, markets, technology, history, and culture. He speaks to audiences of all sizes around the world, helps global multinationals make strategic decisions about political risks and opportunities, and works directly with investors to grow and protect their assets in today's volatile global environment. His insights help audiences across industries like finance, agriculture, and energy make sense of the world.--This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Podtrac - https://analytics.podtrac.com/privacy-policy-gdrp

Today, it's Episode Five of Escalation, our latest narrative series co-hosted by Lawfare Managing Editor Tyler McBrien and Ukraine Fellow Anastasiia Lapatina. Throughout the show, Nastya and Tyler trace the history of U.S.-Ukrainian relations from the time of Ukrainian independence through the present. You can listen to Escalation in its entirety, as well as our other narrative series, on our Lawfare Presents channel, wherever you get your podcasts.In Episode Five, Ukraine's Russia-backed president refuses to sign a deal with the European Union—and millions of Ukrainians take to the streets to force him out. Then the West watches as Russia invades Crimea and parts of Eastern Ukraine. Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/lawfare. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Original Publish Date: 5/8/2025 Description: The conclave is over and the prediction markets were dead wrong. In this episode of History of the Papacy, we dive into the fascinating rise of Cardinal Robert Prevost, now Pope Leo XIV, the first American pope. Just days before his election, he barely registered in the prediction markets. So how did he win in less than five ballots? We explore how these markets work, why they usually get things right, and why the conclave is one place where money can’t predict the Holy Spirit. Support the show: Buy me a coffee! https://buymeacoffee.com/historyofthepapacy Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/historyofthepapacy Buy me a book! https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/1MUPNYEU65NTF Have questions, comments or feedback? Here are ways to contact me: Email Us: steve@atozhistorypage.com https://www.atozhistorypage.com/podcast Music Provided by: "Sonatina in C Minor" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) "Funeral March for Brass" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) "Crusade Heavy Perfect Loop" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Agnus Dei X - Bitter Suite Kevin MacLeaod (incomptech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 Licensehttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ Begin Transcript: [00:00:00] Welcome back to the History of the Papacy Podcast, a podcast about the Popes of Rome and Christian Church. Prepare yourself to step behind the ropes and leave the official tour of the story of the Popes and Christianity. I am your host, Steve Gura, and I thank you for joining me on this journey. Hey everybody, it's Steve here. I recorded this episode about, uh, maybe two days ago, and a lot has changed since that recording. We do have a new Pope, Pope Leo the 14th, who was former Cardinal. Robert Prevost, who is the [00:01:00] first American Pope, or who is the first American pope. We'll get into a lot of the details about this future Pope. We'll probably do an episode on this Cardinal Prevost, where he came from. There's a lot of interest. Details with his life. We probably won't get into a tremendous amount of detail because there's just so much new information coming out about him, but related to this episode that I recorded before, and I think this, this, uh, you should definitely hang on all the way to the end because it's so interesting. This whole episode was based around the prediction markets around who would be Pope, and I said it in this episode and I've said it many times. Prediction markets are very accurate in some ways, but I think that it was very inaccurate with this current Pope and just it would be inaccurate with Popes in general because it's such a unique election and that the only data points are the [00:02:00] 140 cardinals who go in, or the X amount of Cardinals will say in future conclaves. And we just don't know what the politics are. We don't a hundred percent know what the politics are going in, and we know. Basically 0% of what political machinations went on in that enclave. It must have been fascinating because of how quickly they came up with him. It was less than five ballots to get Cardinal Privos to become Pope Leo the 14th. It's one of the shortest conclaves of all times, only two days to get white smoke. So I think that that is fascinating. So definitely keep listening and let's see a little bit of how these markets worked. I'll just say that going in Cardinal Perlin was up. To 67% and Prevost was [00:03:00] pretty low down there. I don't even think he was on my uh, radar at all. He was on the poly market in the under 5%. So this will be definitely an interesting pay papacy to watch out for with this young pope, relatively young, not super young. 69 for an elected leader or of any sort or stripe in this era. That's young. So let's, let's check out and think a little bit more about these markets today. I'm going to address some of the top contenders for the, uh, next Pope. I'm not gonna get too much into the, the detail of each of these Cardinals, because again, there's 140 of them. All of them are in play as. To be the next Pope. So what I'm gonna do is I'm gonna take a little different tack than our friends over at Pontax or Popular History. Definitely tune [00:04:00] into both of them because they are doing continued coverage as well. Way I'm going to look at it today is I wanna look at some of the, what are these cardinals who are meeting in conclave looking for in the next Pope? And then what I'm also going to look at is. The poly market prediction. Market website. And what the poly market is, is people literally put their money where their mouth is. They put um, I guess what you might call wagers or their maybe investing in their own money on who they, the next Pope is. Honestly, they don't, most of these people, they're not gonna have any more insider information than you or I do. They're just predicting who they think the next Pope is. And what I think is valuable about poly market is this was more, this website was more accurate in the 2024 [00:05:00] presidential election than any of the polling and generally. Poly market is very accurate, especially as it gets closer and closer to the actual events, the more accurate it becomes. Again, there's some problems with the, the nature of. The conclave process because once they're in conclave, these 140 cardinals, a lot of politics breaks down when they're face to face and they're horse trading inside of the inside of the conclave. Somebody could be up, up, up, up, up in the ballots, but they're just not hitting that number, and then the whole conclave starts to switch and they could. Do a 180 turn that person who on the first initial ballots could have been the top contender, and then they start to lose steam and it [00:06:00] starts swinging towards somebody else. That can very easily happen when these popes. When these cardinals are on lockdown, could this be a quick conclave or could it be a long, drawn, drawn out affair? We just don't know at this time. Now, before we get too far into the actual, who's the, who are our top contenders? As on poly market. Let's talk a little bit about what these cardinals are actually looking for and what are some of the, the factors at play. This, it really is the, the chest, the 3D chest, the five D chest, if you will, of a conclave. What, what some of the factors that they're looking for is regionality. Is it going to be somebody from Europe inside of Europe? Is it an, is it an Italian or a Southern European versus the [00:07:00] Germans who have a really powerful block? Is it, are they looking? Are they looking for somebody who is. Theologically driven from a certain bent. Are they a moderate theologically? Are they liberal? Are they conservative? Are they a moderate conservative or liberal politically? And that politically charged moderate tism or liberalism or conservatism can very much change whether they are depending based on what region they're from. And then another factor, of course, is the. The person's age, are they looking for a pope that is younger or older? Are they looking for somebody who could be a placeholder? Fra? Pope Francis was Pope for a long time. He made a lot of changes. Are they looking for that cardinal? Who will become Pope, who's gonna be pretty much status quo? Are they gonna be a [00:08:00] Francis site, so to speak and continue his. Reforms and his changes and his policies, or are they going to look for somebody who's Auntie Francis, who's gonna go back on a lot of the things that he's done? Then there's the, it's sort of the X factor. Most of the popes who are real contenders are, uh, are all Latin, meaning that they're Roman. Roman and they're vet. But there's also this, uh. The so-called Sury Juris or Sury juris churches that are self-governing autonomous churches within the Roman Catholic Church. They're generally, uh, on the outside they would look like an Eastern Orthodox or an Oriental Orthodox, but they're not in communion with the Orientals or the. Or the Eastern Orthodox, but externally they look like them and [00:09:00] they have a lot of the same theological bents. None of these guys are really in the running, but it, it could be interesting that they wind up going with one of these. It's kind of an a way outsider possibility, but it's not. Impossible. So let's just talk about region quickly. Regions, we have the United States, we have South America, Europe. Then Africa and the East China and, uh, China really being the, that 800 pound gorilla in the room, generally speaking, the I. African cardinals are much more theologically conservative than maybe your European cardinals. You've got South America who many of their cardinals are much more. [00:10:00] Liberal politically and liberal, more liberal on the theological bent America, a real mixed bag. You have some very conservatively political and conservatively theological cardinals mixed in with some very liberal on both political and theological. Issues Europe. Again, a a mixed bag, but generally more liberal theologically and a mixture of liberal conserv or conservative politically. Now talking about theologically, you have your conservatives, your liberals, and your moderates, and your moderates. It's not like they're 50 50. A lot of times they don't have a a, they haven't drawn stark lines either liberal or conservative, or they do [00:11:00] have a mixed bag of both opinions. I. As far as somebody liberally, theologically, they're gonna be people who are more for remarriage, which was always a big no-no in the, uh, in the Catholic church where if you got divorced and you're not. You haven't been, your marriage wasn't a nulled in an official church capacity. These people, people, these laypeople who were married and divorced, were not allowed to get communion. They were essentially ex-communicated. So there's a lot of cardinals who wanna liberalize that. You have liberals who want to be ecumenical, meaning they wanna have strong ties and maybe even form communion again with some of the Protestant groups or some of the Eastern Orthodox and I. Oriental Orthodox [00:12:00] churches, they want much tighter, much tighter connections with these other churches that are not in communion with Rome. Conservatively, uh minded Cardinals want to be much stricter on those issues and they don't wanna. Necessarily have stronger ecumenical relationships with the other churches, or if the other churches wanna have relations with the Catholic church, they're gonna have to become Catholic and fall in line with Catholic Church dogmas. There's this big issue of the ordination of women. Liberals are leaning more towards the ordination of women. Maybe not full, full-blown priests, but maybe women, deacons. The conservatives are really against that. Then you have the issue of the Latin mass and the Latin mass is a. Huge [00:13:00] issue. Pope Francis the co, the Council of Vatican ii, all the way back in the sixties kind of dialed back and went back on the traditional Latin mass. And what we should really just say is the traditional Latin mass is not just saying the mass in Latin. There's a whole. Environment around that, where the people who are into the traditional Latin mass have certain political views, certain theological views. Popes later on, after Vatican two started to give the Latin mass a little bit more consideration. John Paul two light loosened up and allowed more groups to do this Latin mass. And then Pope Benedict. Loosened it a lot more, but Pope Francis really pulled back the reigns on how much the Latin mass was allowed and he fairly much banded except for certain groups and [00:14:00] certain circumstances. Hey, Steve here. If you're enjoying the history of the Papacy podcast joining us. On Patreon at patreon.com/history, ofthe papacy, we're working toward going completely listener funded, which means no more ads ever. When you join, you get early access to episodes, monthly book giveaways, and most importantly, your name is added to the history of the papacy dip. Dicks our own list of commemorated supporters. You can become an Antioch level supporter. For just $3 per month, but it makes a huge difference to making the history of the papacy ad-free and independent. Nobody likes ads, not you, not me, and I'm the guy who records them, so let's just give rid of them. Visit patreon.com/history of the papacy and join [00:15:00] today. Now, politically speaking, that's a whole different ball of wax. Like I said, regionally that's gonna change a lot because a conservative in Europe is going to look a lot different than, uh, conservative from say, the United States and what they believe in. Another big issue is on abortion, generally speaking. Abortion is an ex communicatable offense. If somebody gets an abortion, you're out and there's not a lot of options to get back in. You're more liberally inclined. Uh, pres and Cardinals would be willing to give people who have women who have had an abortion an option to get back into the church. Then we have this age issue, and age is very, it can be complicated because. Popes do not have to resign. [00:16:00] So you a, a cardinal could be right on the cusp of nine, uh, that 80-year-old of where they're no longer payable, but that cardinal could be 79 and 364 days old. Get elected Pope and still have good 10 years or more left in them and could still make a lot of changes. But then again, you have Cardinals who are in their fifties. They could have a 20 year reign no problem, and be very transformative. You could have a cardinal get picked who's very administrative minded and doesn't wanna make these big changes and all these different issues that are at play. There's just, we're talking about. Each, each single category that I've laid out, four, four different, five different categories, that they could be all over the place on these and inside of the conclave. They could be looking for somebody who's a little bit [00:17:00] of this, a little bit of that. It could just get down to the fact that as the, as the ballots start rolling out. They could go to somebody all together who's not any of these, and the cardinals could go for somebody who's in a way, opposed to them on many of the issues just because of way, the way this balloting inside of the conclave breaks down. There's probably going to be a lot of impetus for them to make it a, a conclave short. Like just let's boom, boom, boom and get it done with. There could be, but they could also get drawn out and it could take months. We just don't know. Pope Francis was a very quick conclave, not many ballots, but that doesn't necessarily mean the way it, it could play out in this current enclave. There's just so, so many factors at play. Then the, there's the, also the issue, a big issue [00:18:00] that in a lot of ways Pope Francis pun punted on, he talked a big game, but he didn't do much with the huge issue of the child sex abuse scandal. That's really been rocking the church since the sixties, but it's really played out during Francis' Reign. And Francis in Word took a very hard line, but then he didn't do much. And a lot of cardinals who are in sitting in conclave right now have very questionable backgrounds on what they, they actually did to fight against this. Major, major scandal. They, uh, some of the cardinals were very loose on who they were, who they clamped down on of priests that were known to have been essentially predators, and some cardinals came down hard on them.[00:19:00] Just another issue at hand. Now getting into who were the really, the guys who are in the top on Poly Market. We have Pietro Parlin. He's the top contender right now by far on Poly Market. He is. Coming in at 29% chance there's over a million dollars in play at his, uh, election. You can buy a, a share in Cardinal Parlin at uh, 29 cents us. He's youngish at 70 years old. He's an Italian, he's all of these cardinals. Uh, the thing you can really say is that they're all insiders. They all have top jobs. They are top, um, they're really ingrained into the, the whole. [00:20:00] Administration of the church. You can't really be a cardinal without doing that. He is the Cardinal Bishop of Santi, Simon, uh, GI Angela. As his, um, official post, he's also a member of the Council of Cardinal Advisors, and he's had a bunch of jobs. He was consecrated. He's actually one of the rare, uh, cardinals that was put in place by Pope. Uh. Pope Benedict. So he's been a, he's been around, even though he is only 70 years old. Most of the, of the vast majority of the Cardinals were actually appointed by Francis at this point. So this Pietro Harlene, he is definitely one to keep your eye on. Steve here with a quick word from our sponsors. The next one on the list [00:21:00] is coming in at 18% with, um, a, a well over $1.1 million in volume trading volume. So he's being heavily traded. Is Luis San Antonio Tagle and he is a Filipino. Uh, Cardinal. He seems to lean a little bit more on the theologically and politically liberal side, just from, you know, real broad strokes. And he is very young coming in at 67 years old and he's a. Probably, uh uh, what you could really call is a Francis site, and I think if he became Pope, he would definitely continue Francis' reforms and Francis' policies going forward. And somebody like him, you could see a easily a 20 year reign out of somebody [00:22:00] like him, maybe 25 year reign, somebody who's only 67 years old. Then we have coming in just a few percent lower Mateo Zui. He is coming in at about eight, $800,000 in volume on poly market. He's another Italian. He's a, uh, straight from Rome again. Young at 69 years of age. He's, uh, he's the bishop of Bologna, which is a powerful Italian episcopate. Again, I mean, these guys, they're, uh, they're, every single one of the, the top contenders resumes are totally, totally. Insiders, uh, inside of the, the papal, the curia, and the administrative arm of the papacy. [00:23:00] He's definitely another liberal who, uh, on political issues for sure. And again, he's another one who's probably would very much continue a lot of Francis' policies. Then you have. Coming in at 9%. So these top four that I've mentioned, they are, they're taking up about 70% of poly market. Turkson is an African Pope, or he's a African Cardinal Archbishop of Cape Coast in Africa Again. Full resume of all these jobs inside of the curia. A lot of these, uh, it, it's very interesting amongst the African Cardinals. Uh, Cardinal Syrah is another one who, uh, he's a little bit lower on the list only coming in at 3%. Where to Turin [00:24:00] is in at 9%, but with a lot of trading volume of over a million dollars. In volume. The African cardinals are of particular note because they are, the Catholicism is just exploding in Africa and it's bringing in a lot of, uh. New converts who are converting from either different Protestant groups or from the Native African religions, but they're, they're bringing in a lot, a lot of new, new converts. So that's something to watch because you're really in a, uh, an, an expansion mode. So they have to make certain compromises with native. Internal politics in Africa as well as the particular needs of these, the, these new groups of people who are coming into the church [00:25:00] who. Have their own beliefs, but are with an evangelistic faith. Some are, when they become Catholics, they're going to be very much, they wanna follow the letter of the law, but also they have their own thoughts on issues. I. And because they are growing so much, they're a force to be reckoned with. And I think that it's not impossible that they could go with an African cardinal just because this is such a powerful and growing block. And then the last Pope coming in at, or the last PO potential Pope is Pierre Batista Pizza Ball, who is an Italian again. He's leaning in. He's leaning in some ways towards the conservatives, but also the liberals. He is kind of a moderate. But he's really big into interfaith dialogue or ecumenical relationships between the different churches. Now, [00:26:00] another huge issue that I didn't mention is where cardinals are falling on some of the big hot button issues and. Two of the big hot button international issues in 2025 is the UK Russo Ukrainian War, which really pits in a lot of ways Catholicism versus Eastern Orthodoxy because there's, wow. We could get into a lot of issues here. Western Ukraine is largely Roman Catholic. Eastern Ukraine is largely amongst, especially amongst the Russian population. Russian Orthodox with deep, deep, deep ties to the Russian Orthodox Church under the patriarch Cial. Then in the middle, stuck in the middle are the what the Eastern Orthodox will call uni eights. But, [00:27:00] um, they're these, uh, the self-governing. Churches that would on the outside look Eastern Orthodox, but are actually in communion with Rome and they're stuck in the middle. But then you also have Eastern Orthodox who are a part of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church that's split away from the Russian Orthodox Church. They're accepted by some Eastern Orthodox but not accepted by the Russian Orthodox, so that's a huge issue going on. The popes of Rome have been sort of leaning more towards the, the breakaway Ukrainian Orthodox Church and against the Russian. Orthodox church inside of Ukraine. Huge political issue. Then you have the whole fight in the war that's currently going on in Gaza. [00:28:00] Now, that mostly focuses mu, most of the Gazen, uh, people are Muslim, but there's a significant Christian population and many of them are tied to the Eastern Orthodox Church. So beyond the religious issues, there's also the humanitarian issues for the Muslims and the Christians inside of Gaza. All issues that we're gonna have to look at, that we look at, uh, as outsiders not sitting inside of the conclave issues that. Many Catholics find very important to them, be it, uh, revolving around the Russo Ukrainian war and the war that's currently going inside of Gaza. Very important to many people in sitting inside of that conclave, the cardinals and the priest's laity, everybody who's outside of the conclave, [00:29:00] all issues that. Uh, we should be looking at and thinking about, and that these cardinals will certainly be looking at. So this is my little take on what to look for in the conclave, and definitely send in your comments and look for more. Coverage of conclave of 2025 coming up soon. I will talk to you next time. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A new report from Trump’s Department of Health and Human Services tries to discredit gender-affirming care, contradicting leading medical experts who say it can save lives. Yale grad student Tetiana Kotelnykova grew up in war-torn Eastern Ukraine. She says appeasing Russian President Putin with territory captured during the war will make him want more. Critics review the latest film releases: “Another Simple Favor,” “The Surfer,” “Rust,” and “Thunderbolts.*” LA cheese shops offer sandwich menus, monthly clubs, events, and specialty grocery items. All make enticing cheese boards with charcuterie.

How do separatist conflicts arise and spread? When does separatism become a cover for a foreign aggression? How do local communities respond when state institutions collapse, and militants take over? The armed conflict in Eastern Ukraine, which started eight years before Russia's full-scale invasion, contains unique evidence to address each of these questions. In Seize the City, Undo the State: The Inception of Russia's War on Ukraine (Oxford UP, 2015), Serhiy Kudelia offers an authoritative study of the conflict at its initial stage--2013-14--based on a meticulous comparison of mobilization dynamics in over dozen towns of Donbas as well as in two major cities outside of it: Kharkiv and Odesa. Through his extensive travels and numerous interviews with conflict witnesses and participants, Kudelia explains how a small group of Russian agents and local militants succeeded in eliminating state control over the largest and most densely urbanized region of Ukraine but failed to do it elsewhere. Kudelia challenges the conventional accounts of the armed conflict in Donbas, which portray it either as an interstate conflict entirely manufactured by Moscow or as a civil war that broke out without any external influence. Instead, he argues that local actors prepared ideological and organizational basis for the uprising, but the successful spread of separatist control resulted from the covert intervention of Russian agents and widespread collaboration with them of town administrators and community activists. His findings also show that when enough members of local communities organized to resist militant takeovers, the separatist challenges there quickly dissipated. A fine-grained and highly original on-the-ground analysis of the origins of the wider Russian-Ukrainian war that broke out in 2022, this book offers broader insights into the conditions under which external intervention may trigger the rise of an armed insurgency in a society torn apart by political and ideological disagreements. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/new-books-network

How do separatist conflicts arise and spread? When does separatism become a cover for a foreign aggression? How do local communities respond when state institutions collapse, and militants take over? The armed conflict in Eastern Ukraine, which started eight years before Russia's full-scale invasion, contains unique evidence to address each of these questions. In Seize the City, Undo the State: The Inception of Russia's War on Ukraine (Oxford UP, 2015), Serhiy Kudelia offers an authoritative study of the conflict at its initial stage--2013-14--based on a meticulous comparison of mobilization dynamics in over dozen towns of Donbas as well as in two major cities outside of it: Kharkiv and Odesa. Through his extensive travels and numerous interviews with conflict witnesses and participants, Kudelia explains how a small group of Russian agents and local militants succeeded in eliminating state control over the largest and most densely urbanized region of Ukraine but failed to do it elsewhere. Kudelia challenges the conventional accounts of the armed conflict in Donbas, which portray it either as an interstate conflict entirely manufactured by Moscow or as a civil war that broke out without any external influence. Instead, he argues that local actors prepared ideological and organizational basis for the uprising, but the successful spread of separatist control resulted from the covert intervention of Russian agents and widespread collaboration with them of town administrators and community activists. His findings also show that when enough members of local communities organized to resist militant takeovers, the separatist challenges there quickly dissipated. A fine-grained and highly original on-the-ground analysis of the origins of the wider Russian-Ukrainian war that broke out in 2022, this book offers broader insights into the conditions under which external intervention may trigger the rise of an armed insurgency in a society torn apart by political and ideological disagreements. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/military-history

How do separatist conflicts arise and spread? When does separatism become a cover for a foreign aggression? How do local communities respond when state institutions collapse, and militants take over? The armed conflict in Eastern Ukraine, which started eight years before Russia's full-scale invasion, contains unique evidence to address each of these questions. In Seize the City, Undo the State: The Inception of Russia's War on Ukraine (Oxford UP, 2015), Serhiy Kudelia offers an authoritative study of the conflict at its initial stage--2013-14--based on a meticulous comparison of mobilization dynamics in over dozen towns of Donbas as well as in two major cities outside of it: Kharkiv and Odesa. Through his extensive travels and numerous interviews with conflict witnesses and participants, Kudelia explains how a small group of Russian agents and local militants succeeded in eliminating state control over the largest and most densely urbanized region of Ukraine but failed to do it elsewhere. Kudelia challenges the conventional accounts of the armed conflict in Donbas, which portray it either as an interstate conflict entirely manufactured by Moscow or as a civil war that broke out without any external influence. Instead, he argues that local actors prepared ideological and organizational basis for the uprising, but the successful spread of separatist control resulted from the covert intervention of Russian agents and widespread collaboration with them of town administrators and community activists. His findings also show that when enough members of local communities organized to resist militant takeovers, the separatist challenges there quickly dissipated. A fine-grained and highly original on-the-ground analysis of the origins of the wider Russian-Ukrainian war that broke out in 2022, this book offers broader insights into the conditions under which external intervention may trigger the rise of an armed insurgency in a society torn apart by political and ideological disagreements. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/russian-studies

How do separatist conflicts arise and spread? When does separatism become a cover for a foreign aggression? How do local communities respond when state institutions collapse, and militants take over? The armed conflict in Eastern Ukraine, which started eight years before Russia's full-scale invasion, contains unique evidence to address each of these questions. In Seize the City, Undo the State: The Inception of Russia's War on Ukraine (Oxford UP, 2015), Serhiy Kudelia offers an authoritative study of the conflict at its initial stage--2013-14--based on a meticulous comparison of mobilization dynamics in over dozen towns of Donbas as well as in two major cities outside of it: Kharkiv and Odesa. Through his extensive travels and numerous interviews with conflict witnesses and participants, Kudelia explains how a small group of Russian agents and local militants succeeded in eliminating state control over the largest and most densely urbanized region of Ukraine but failed to do it elsewhere. Kudelia challenges the conventional accounts of the armed conflict in Donbas, which portray it either as an interstate conflict entirely manufactured by Moscow or as a civil war that broke out without any external influence. Instead, he argues that local actors prepared ideological and organizational basis for the uprising, but the successful spread of separatist control resulted from the covert intervention of Russian agents and widespread collaboration with them of town administrators and community activists. His findings also show that when enough members of local communities organized to resist militant takeovers, the separatist challenges there quickly dissipated. A fine-grained and highly original on-the-ground analysis of the origins of the wider Russian-Ukrainian war that broke out in 2022, this book offers broader insights into the conditions under which external intervention may trigger the rise of an armed insurgency in a society torn apart by political and ideological disagreements. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/eastern-european-studies

How do separatist conflicts arise and spread? When does separatism become a cover for a foreign aggression? How do local communities respond when state institutions collapse, and militants take over? The armed conflict in Eastern Ukraine, which started eight years before Russia's full-scale invasion, contains unique evidence to address each of these questions. In Seize the City, Undo the State: The Inception of Russia's War on Ukraine (Oxford UP, 2015), Serhiy Kudelia offers an authoritative study of the conflict at its initial stage--2013-14--based on a meticulous comparison of mobilization dynamics in over dozen towns of Donbas as well as in two major cities outside of it: Kharkiv and Odesa. Through his extensive travels and numerous interviews with conflict witnesses and participants, Kudelia explains how a small group of Russian agents and local militants succeeded in eliminating state control over the largest and most densely urbanized region of Ukraine but failed to do it elsewhere. Kudelia challenges the conventional accounts of the armed conflict in Donbas, which portray it either as an interstate conflict entirely manufactured by Moscow or as a civil war that broke out without any external influence. Instead, he argues that local actors prepared ideological and organizational basis for the uprising, but the successful spread of separatist control resulted from the covert intervention of Russian agents and widespread collaboration with them of town administrators and community activists. His findings also show that when enough members of local communities organized to resist militant takeovers, the separatist challenges there quickly dissipated. A fine-grained and highly original on-the-ground analysis of the origins of the wider Russian-Ukrainian war that broke out in 2022, this book offers broader insights into the conditions under which external intervention may trigger the rise of an armed insurgency in a society torn apart by political and ideological disagreements. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

How do separatist conflicts arise and spread? When does separatism become a cover for a foreign aggression? How do local communities respond when state institutions collapse, and militants take over? The armed conflict in Eastern Ukraine, which started eight years before Russia's full-scale invasion, contains unique evidence to address each of these questions. In Seize the City, Undo the State: The Inception of Russia's War on Ukraine (Oxford UP, 2015), Serhiy Kudelia offers an authoritative study of the conflict at its initial stage--2013-14--based on a meticulous comparison of mobilization dynamics in over dozen towns of Donbas as well as in two major cities outside of it: Kharkiv and Odesa. Through his extensive travels and numerous interviews with conflict witnesses and participants, Kudelia explains how a small group of Russian agents and local militants succeeded in eliminating state control over the largest and most densely urbanized region of Ukraine but failed to do it elsewhere. Kudelia challenges the conventional accounts of the armed conflict in Donbas, which portray it either as an interstate conflict entirely manufactured by Moscow or as a civil war that broke out without any external influence. Instead, he argues that local actors prepared ideological and organizational basis for the uprising, but the successful spread of separatist control resulted from the covert intervention of Russian agents and widespread collaboration with them of town administrators and community activists. His findings also show that when enough members of local communities organized to resist militant takeovers, the separatist challenges there quickly dissipated. A fine-grained and highly original on-the-ground analysis of the origins of the wider Russian-Ukrainian war that broke out in 2022, this book offers broader insights into the conditions under which external intervention may trigger the rise of an armed insurgency in a society torn apart by political and ideological disagreements. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

How do separatist conflicts arise and spread? When does separatism become a cover for a foreign aggression? How do local communities respond when state institutions collapse, and militants take over? The armed conflict in Eastern Ukraine, which started eight years before Russia's full-scale invasion, contains unique evidence to address each of these questions. In Seize the City, Undo the State: The Inception of Russia's War on Ukraine (Oxford UP, 2015), Serhiy Kudelia offers an authoritative study of the conflict at its initial stage--2013-14--based on a meticulous comparison of mobilization dynamics in over dozen towns of Donbas as well as in two major cities outside of it: Kharkiv and Odesa. Through his extensive travels and numerous interviews with conflict witnesses and participants, Kudelia explains how a small group of Russian agents and local militants succeeded in eliminating state control over the largest and most densely urbanized region of Ukraine but failed to do it elsewhere. Kudelia challenges the conventional accounts of the armed conflict in Donbas, which portray it either as an interstate conflict entirely manufactured by Moscow or as a civil war that broke out without any external influence. Instead, he argues that local actors prepared ideological and organizational basis for the uprising, but the successful spread of separatist control resulted from the covert intervention of Russian agents and widespread collaboration with them of town administrators and community activists. His findings also show that when enough members of local communities organized to resist militant takeovers, the separatist challenges there quickly dissipated. A fine-grained and highly original on-the-ground analysis of the origins of the wider Russian-Ukrainian war that broke out in 2022, this book offers broader insights into the conditions under which external intervention may trigger the rise of an armed insurgency in a society torn apart by political and ideological disagreements. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/book-of-the-day

Europe correspondent Alice Wilkins spoke to Lisa Owen about how 34 people have been killed in a Russian missile attack in north eastern Ukraine, one of the men who planned the Manchester Arena bombing at an Ariana Grande concert attacking three prison officers while serving his sentence. She also spoke about how two prestigious University rowing teams have gone head to head in a race down the River Thames - but they've been racing in E coli contaminated water.

"In my composition, I mixed the sound of an air raid siren in Prague, Czechia; the sound of a metronome as a symbol of time's relentless march and history's cyclical nature; two voices: a child repeating after his mother the names of Ukrainian cities; and an old Ukrainian folk song, Grey Goose, sung dramatically by a solo a cappella female voice (Yulia Volovik). "I chose the air raid siren in Prague because this sound triggers my feelings about the painful facts I have lived with since 2014. How come 1968 and 2014 are connected in my mind? I didn't reflect enough on the Soviet invasion of Prague in 1968. I was just a little child then, but later, I learned about the eight people (the only eight people in the entire USSR) who were brave and noble enough to protest on Red Square. They became my gods. I later met one of them, Natalia Gorbanevskaya, in Paris, and we stayed in touch for a while. I considered her to be much more human than I was, and I wasn't able to make friends with her. I regret that. "In 2014, Russia annexed Crimea. I didn't live in Russia at the time, but I visited it sometimes. It was shameful to see how many of my former compatriots expressed happiness over this annexation (although "annexation" was a prohibited word; they referred to it as a "reunion"). At the same time, Russia started a war in Eastern Ukraine. It wasn't the large-scale war we see today, but it was still real. I felt the parallel between 1968 and 2014, so I interviewed my mother to recall her memories of the moment when the USSR Czechoslovakia, and through this, to try to understand why such interventions and annexations could take place. This interview became the voiceover for my experimental film-performance Chronicles on the Laps. "Later, Russia launched its full-scale invasion, and this war is now in its fourth year. In 2022, I helped Ukrainians who fled the war find homes in another country. This is a devastating, never-ending pain. I can only imagine the anguish of those whose homes were bombed and destroyed, whose loved ones were tortured and killed. "I hope I have explained my choice of the inspirational heritage recording and how it connects to the work I've created." Air raid siren in Prague reimagined by Rūta Jauška. ——————— This sound is part of the Sonic Heritage project, exploring the sounds of the world's most famous sights. Find out more and explore the whole project: https://www.citiesandmemory.com/heritage

When Ukraine's new president backs out of a deal with the EU, thousands of Ukrainians protest in Kyiv's main square. The West watches as Russia invades parts of Eastern Ukraine & Crimea. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

                                     REVOLUTION!                           Phase One - Trump/Zelensky                The Black Spy Podcast, Season 19, Episode 0004   The Trump/Zelensky debacle in the Oval Office, showed as clearly, as did the Vietnam or Afghanistan end of US engagement optics did, that the United states has ended its adventure in the Ukraine. However, in addition to just this sign that an incoming President wanted to divest himself of a losing, frankly unwinnable war, President Trump is showing a true revolutionary zeal to change the whole US military, industrial and congressional complex. Now transactional business and not secret intelligence driven covert and overt warfare is no longer the preferred model to retain US world-wide hegemony. At least not with a military pier equivalent nation. Russia's "Special Military Operation" in Ukraine, initiated in February 2022, has been framed by the Kremlin as a response to various historical and geopolitical factors. One narrative emphasizes the presence of far-right elements in Ukraine, drawing connections to nationalist groups active during World War II. However, although most western experts reject the portrayal of Ukraine as a neo-Nazi state, noting that while far-right groups exist, they do not hold significant influence in the government or military, they nevertheless have little to say about such far right units killing 14,000 Russian heritaged Ukrainian civilian citizens since 2016. In the early stages of the Cold War, Western intelligence agencies, including the CIA and MI6, reportedly collaborated with former Ukrainian nationalist fighters to undermine Soviet authority. These covert operations aimed to exploit anti-Soviet sentiments. This lasted 10 years and saw the reported death of up to a 100,000 Soviet Citizens. In the end though, it has been stated by the west, that this had limited long-term impact. The 2014 Maidan uprising, which led to the ousting of Ukraine's pro-Russian president, is viewed by Russia as a Western-backed coup that shifted Ukraine towards Euro-Atlantic integration. This assertion is backed up by Sigint in which, Victoria Nuland, the officer in charge of Eastern Europe in the US State Department discussing which Ukrainian's leaders should or shouldn't rule the country with the American Ambassador to the Ukraine The recording ends with Nuland saying she'll have president Biden slap the person they chose to lead Ukraine on the back when they take power! NATO's eastward expansion since 1991 has been perceived by Russia as a direct threat to its security interests. Despite assurances in the 1990s about limiting NATO's growth, to not one inch outside of the then East Germany, the alliance has incorporated several Eastern European countries, heightening tensions, as it attempted to incorporate the Ukraine. The Minsk agreements, brokered by Germany and France, aimed to cease hostilities in Eastern Ukraine. Critics argue that, rather than fostering peace, these accords allowed Ukraine to strengthen its military capabilities, which was confirmed by both the German Chancellor Merkel and French President Holland after they left office. This act intensifying conflicts in regions with significant Russian-speaking populations, such as Donbas and Crimea. In summary, President Trump appeared to validate everything that Russia has hitherto stated is its reason for military actions in Ukraine. The Oval Office statements of President Trump and administration seemed to agree with the justification previously articulated by the Kremlin through a complex interplay of historical grievances, security concerns over NATO's expansion, and perceptions of Western interference in Ukraine's political trajectory meaning their is now little dispute between the US' causes for war and Russia's. As Trump continually states, there would have been no war if he were president! As always, please don't be afraid to contact us and put any questions you might have to any of the Black Spy Podcast team concerning this or any other of our fascinating subjects. And, if you want to continue learning whilst being entertained, please don't forget to subscribe to the Black Spy Podcast for free, so you'll never miss another episode. To contact Firgas Esack of the DAPS Agency go to Linked In To contact Dr. Rachel Taylor please use her Substack account. To contact Carlton King by utilising any of the following: To donate - Patreon.com/TheBlackSpyPodcast Email: carltonking2003@gmail.com Facebook: The Black Spy Podcast Facebook: Carlton King Author Twitter@Carlton_King Instagram@carltonkingauthor To read Carlton's Autobiography: “Black Ops – The incredible true story of a (Black) British secret agent” he incredible true story of a (Black) British secret agent”

*Qatar calls for safeguards for all Israeli nuclear facilities Qatar reiterated its call for intensified international efforts Saturday to subject all of Israel's nuclear facilities to the safeguards of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). Qatar's Ambassador Jasim Yacoub Al Hammadi highlighted “the need for the international community and its institutions to uphold their commitments under resolutions of the UN Security Council, which called on Israel to subject all of its nuclear facilities to IAEA safeguards.” He also highlighted “the urgency for the international community and its institutions to take decisive action to compel Israel to implement international resolutions, recognise the Palestinian people's right to self-determination and the establishment of their independent state. *Russia says France has repeatedly lied Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov has accused France of lying and violating international agreements, including the implementation of the Minsk agreements for a settlement in Ukraine and violated security guarantees given to Viktor Yanukovych, a former Ukrainian president. He stressed: "France, like other countries, didn't fulfill its guarantees. It was a real lie," adding that when French President Emmanuel Macron accused Russia of posing a threat to Europe, he did not mention France's mistakes. The Minsk Agreements were meant to resolve the Crimea crisis in 2014, as well as Eastern Ukraine. *Arab League denounces attack on security forces in Syria The Arab League condemned acts of violence and attacks on government security forces to fuel internal tensions and threaten civil peace in Syria. It expressed "condemnation of violence, attacks on government security forces, and reckless killings, threaten civil peace, and exacerbate the challenges Syria is facing at this critical stage."​​​​​​​ The Arab League emphasised that "such circumstances require a focus on policies and measures that strengthen and safeguard stability and civil peace to thwart any plans aimed at destabilising Syria and undermining its chances for recovery." *North Korea unveils nuclear-powered submarine for the first time North Korea has unveiled for the first time a nuclear-powered submarine under construction, a weapons system that can pose a major security threat to South Korea and the US. The naval vessel appears to be a 6,000-ton-class or 7,000-ton-class one which can carry about 10 missiles, South Korean submarine expert said, adding the use of the term “the strategic guided missiles” meant it would carry nuclear-capable weapons. *Un warns South Sudan's peace process at risk amid growing violence A recent surge in violence and escalating political tensions in South Sudan are putting a fragile peace process in jeopardy, a UN human rights commission warned. "We are witnessing an alarming regression that could erase years of hard-won progress," Yasmin Sooka, chairperson of the UN Commission on Human Rights in South Sudan, said. She urged leaders to "urgently refocus on the peace process, uphold the human rights of South Sudanese citizens, and ensure a smooth transition to democracy."

The road to the TRUMPIAN revolution (Part 2) The Black Spy Podcast, Season 19, Episode 0003   Russia's "Special Military Operation" in Ukraine, initiated in February 2022, has been framed by the Kremlin as a response to various historical and geopolitical factors. One narrative emphasizes the presence of far-right elements in Ukraine, drawing connections to nationalist groups active during World War II. However, although most western experts reject the portrayal of Ukraine as a neo-Nazi state, noting that while far-right groups exist, they do not hold significant influence in the government or military, they nevertheless have little to say about such far right units killing 14,000 Russian heritaged Ukrainian civilian citizens since 2016. In the early stages of the Cold War, Western intelligence agencies, including the CIA and MI6, reportedly collaborated with former Ukrainian nationalist fighters to undermine Soviet authority. These covert operations aimed to exploit anti-Soviet sentiments. This lasted 10 years and saw the reported death of up to a 100,000 Soviet Citizens. In the end though, it has been stated by the west, that this had limited long-term impact. The 2014 Maidan uprising, which led to the ousting of Ukraine's pro-Russian president, is viewed by Russia as a Western-backed coup that shifted Ukraine towards Euro-Atlantic integration. This assertion is backed up by Sigint in which, Victoria Nuland, the officer in charge of Eastern Europe in the US State Department discussing which Ukrainian's leaders should or shouldn't rule the country with the American Ambassador to the Ukraine The recording ends with Nuland saying she'll have president Biden slap the person they chose to lead Ukraine on the back when they take power! NATO's eastward expansion since 1991 has been perceived by Russia as a direct threat to its security interests. Despite assurances in the 1990s about limiting NATO's growth, to not one inch outside of the then East Germany, the alliance has incorporated several Eastern European countries, heightening tensions, as it attempted to incorporate the Ukraine. The Minsk agreements, brokered by Germany and France, aimed to cease hostilities in Eastern Ukraine. Critics argue that, rather than fostering peace, these accords allowed Ukraine to strengthen its military capabilities, which was confirmed by both the German Chancellor Merkel and French President Holland after they left office. This act intensifying conflicts in regions with significant Russian-speaking populations, such as Donbas and Crimea. In summary, Russia's military actions in Ukraine are justified by the Kremlin through a complex interplay of historical grievances, security concerns over NATO's expansion, and perceptions of Western interference in Ukraine's political trajectory. However, many of these justifications have been contested by Western leaders, officials and the western mainstream mass media albeit now, President Trump is accepting that all of Russia's grievances are indeed TRUE! As always, please don't be afraid to contact us and put any questions you might have to any of the Black Spy Podcast team concerning this or any other of our fascinating subjects. And, if you want to continue learning whilst being entertained, please don't forget to subscribe to the Black Spy Podcast for free, so you'll never miss another episode. To contact Firgas Esack of the DAPS Agency go to Linked In To contact Dr. Rachel Taylor please use her Substack account. To contact Carlton King by utilising any of the following: To donate - Patreon.com/TheBlackSpyPodcast Email: carltonking2003@gmail.com Facebook: The Black Spy Podcast Facebook: Carlton King Author Twitter@Carlton_King Instagram@carltonkingauthor To read Carlton's Autobiography: “Black Ops – The incredible true story of a (Black) British secret agent”

After Romania, one night in Rome.By FinalStand. Listen to the Podcast at Explicit Novels.When our ancestor committed the first murder, was it rage, or fear that drove them to the deed?(Evening near the Metropole, Roma, Italia)"I think you've done well," Riki congratulated me as she terminated her phone call. Word had come down that her replacement was on the way. Our profile had been updated back at State and they clearly wanted to bring in the 'real professionals'. There also had been a miscommunication. I was far too stressed to be reasonable now.Some undeserving smuck was about to be at the receiving end of my wrath for no better reason than I was at my limit of accepting any further alterations to my life. In hindsight, I was being totally irrational. At that moment in time, I didn't care whose day I was ruining. Sometimes I can be a jerk and an idiot at the same time.The US State Department apparently thought I couldn't dictate who was, or wasn't, a member of 'Unit L', we now had our own designation within Javiera's expanding task-force. The government had a random name generator for this shit and we got the letter 'L'. Maybe that device didn't think we were going to last long enough to matter. Anyway, I took the phone and hit redial. Riki gave me an 'I'm puzzled' look."Who am I talking to?" I inquired."Ms, who are you?" he demanded, since my caller ID said Riki and, unless I used my high, squeaky voice, I obviously sounded like a guy."I'm Cáel Nyilas. Who is this?" I replied."I'm Bill A. Miller, Director of the U.S. Diplomatic Security Service. What seems to be the problem, Mr. Nyilas?" He was rather uptight about the call-back."Since we are working together, why don't you call me Cáel?" I politely requested. "I'll call you Willy.""My name is Bill, but you can call me Director Miller," he corrected me. "The reason for your call is?""It is Willy, or Dick; your choice," I countered. "I don't call my boss 'Director' and I worship the ground she walks on. You are not even in her league. Also, I've had bad experiences with guys named Bill which are too painful to explain right now."That was true. One was friend taking a shower and leaving me alone with his mother. The other was early on in my career when I confused a girl named Bonnie with her real name 'Bill'. I was my own personal 'The Crying Game'. I didn't handle that episode well."Besides, I didn't call to discuss name-calling. I want to know how many agents work for you.""What does that have to do with anything?" he grumbled."You are quick with the questions while painfully bereft of answers," I snorted. "Don't make me Google this too.""Over two thousand," he stopped being a total ass. "Is there anything else I can tell you that Miss Martin should have been able to tell you?" Ooops, Back to being an ass."Riki's being physically restrained from taking her phone back by some of my educationally-challenged, illegal alien, unskilled labor force of questionable loyalty," I outrageously lied. It was an odious habit of mine that I'd cultivated vigorously over the past few weeks. "Two thousand humans, thanks. Is Riki's replacement a guy, or a girl? Wait, who cares? Just send their picture and I'll let you know where to send their replacement.""Are you threatening my people?" he simmered."No. That would make me an uncooperative and nefarious nuisance," I evaded. "Of course, when a person sticks their hand into a functioning garbage disposal, you don't blame the device. You blame the moron who stuck their hand in." From the perspective of our relationship, I was the garbage disposal."That definitely sounds like a threat," he responded. He was going to stick his hand in anyway."Your inability to comprehend the nuances possible with the English language is not why I called and not something I feel I can educate you about, given my current time constraints. Just have one of your insipid flunkies send me the picture. I need to purchase duct tape and an out-of-the-way storage space," I informed him."By the way, in the spirit of legal chicanery, could you tell me how long it will take for Riki Martin's name to come back up in the rotation? Let's figure 36 hours between each hot-shot leaving DC and their eventual inability to return phone calls," I wanted to make sure he knew I was taunting his pompous self. (Me being pompous and unhelpful didn't cross my mind at that moment.)"Let me make myself clear, Mr. Nyilas," he repeated. "Not only can you not dictate terms to the US government, you are not even the team's designated leader." I wasn't? Fuck him. I had tons of useless members of the Alphabet Mafia in front of my name, all loudly proclaiming my numerous accolades.Of everyone on the team, I had the most: NOHIO (Number One House Ishara Official), HCIESI-NDI, (Havenstone Commercial Investments Executive Services' Intern -- New Directive Initiative, I didn't make that one up, I swear), MEH (Magyarorszag es Erdely Hercege) and UHAUL (Unpaid Honcho Assigned to Unit L). I liked that last one, so that was how I was going to sign off on all my reports now."First off, I AM in charge, Willy. Without me, there is no Unit L. I quit, and then what? In case you missed it, I can't be drafted or threatened by you. If you think you can replace me, please do so right now and let me get back to my life -- you know, the thing that actually puts money in my pocket.Besides, I am not refusing to take anyone you see fit to put on MY team. I'm just not going to tell you where I'm going to take them to. I suspect they are adults and can find their way home, eventually, Willy.""Mr. Nyilas, you are an unbelievably fortunate amateur and novice intellectual in a situation that demands experience and professionalism. It is time for you to step back and let the people who know what they are doing take over. Just play your part and we'll make sure you get due credit for following orders and behaving," he unleashed his fair-smelling bile."I am following your orders; your procedures dictate that a member of the State Department will be on this team," I kept my calm. "As one of the people who actually has experience with this situation, I'm letting you know how things work in the field. Every person you send will be misplaced, thus you will have to send someone else. Alerting you to the need to stay on top of your job -- sending someone else -- sounds to me like common sense advice in this circumstance.""That is not going to happen, Nyilas. If something happens, " he got out."Willy, duct tape is plentiful and cheap. Kidnapping -- thus hostage keeping -- is virtually a religion in Southern Italy. And though I am already wired into the local criminal underground, I'm just not going to be able to help you, or them. I'll make up some implausible excuses as the need arises. So now you know the score. The next move is yours," I smiled."The next words out of your mouth had better be 'I'll behave', or the State Department will revoke your passport and have stern words with the Republic of Ireland over your diplomatic status," Willy warned me."I'll behave," I fibbed. Riki snatched the phone out of my hand."Sir -- Director Miller, I want you to know I had nothing to do with Mr. Nyilas' tirade," Riki apologized. "He stole my phone.""I did." and "oww!" I hollered in the background. "She ground her heel into my instep. the fiery little minx." I was propping up her excuse because I owed her for verbally taking a dump on her boss, the ass-heap back in Romania. Riki punched me."Ms. Martin, do we need to reconsider your employment, or can we rely on you to re-organize Unit L before Ms. McCauley (her replacement) arrives?" Willy lectured."Director Miller, ""Call him Big Willy," I whispered to her. "He loves that 'Big Willy' style."This time she hit me in the thigh. My ballistic vest had gotten in the way of her first hit, but she was a quick learner."How can you know a song from 1997, yet not know that Russia invaded Georgia in 2008?" Riki put her hand over the phone and hissed at me."Ah," Pamela teased. "Somebody is a Will Smith fan." Riki looked away.I wasn't sure what to make of the Will Smith -- Ricky Martin combo forming in my mind. Will was one of my manly icons. Hey, he was a stud, scored numerous hotties in his film career and married Jada Pinkett Smith. What's not to love? Growing up, I wanted to be like Will Smith. When/if I ever finished growing up, I wanted to be like George Clooney."Director Miller," Riki tried again. "He's lying. From my personal observations and with supporting personality profiles provided by other members of the task force, I can guarantee you that Mr. Nyilas is unreliable and untrustworthy. Sir, I've watched Romani males hide their wallets and their daughters when he walks by." Okay, wasn't that last bit a lie?"that last bit a lie?es hide their wallets and their daughters when he walks by. provided by other members However, unless she has been cross-trained as a waitress at a gang-affiliated nightclub, a day-care worker for the criminally insane, plus consistently wins at Texas hold 'em, she's going to be out of her element here.""No sir, but Mr. Nyilas likes me, I'm not sure why," she glared at me. I poked her in the boob to help clarify the matter. Riki slapped my hand. Virginia punched me in the shoulder. I decided to poke Virginia in her ballistic-covered breast, hoping she was jealous for the attention. I was wrong. They both hit me again.Had this been sexual harassment, they would have hated this job and despised me. Since this was me being my painfully childish self, well, I was still annoying, but also adorable. Put it this way: if a woman could not only pepper spray a man making cat-calls at her, and was even encouraged to do so, wouldn't that de-stress the situation?"Director Miller, I don't want to stay on this assignment, yet I'd be remiss if I didn't explain some of the numerous pitfalls of working with Unit L. Every one of them is comfortable being a walking arsenal. I'm on my way to have a ballistic vest tailored for me because I'm the only one in the unit without one. I have no doubt that any of them could kill me with their bare hands in less than 5 seconds if they so desired," she explained."You would think they would want a more effective combatant with them," Miller grew icy, suspecting duplicity on Riki's part -- moron. She looked at me over the phone."Sir, I think they like me because I know I don't belong in a firefight. They can count on me to cower behind cover while the bullets are flying. That allows the rest to kill unimpeded by having to keep an eye on me," she said.Pause."One of them did show me how to recognize and start various grenades. She said if I was ever the last one alive, it would give me 'options'."Pause."Ms. Martin, don't cancel your flight back to DC yet. I'm going to give Ms. Castello a call to see what her assessment of the situation is," Willy allowed. "Good-bye.""I can't believe I talked him into making me stay with you people," Riki moaned.Our little caravan was slowing to a stop outside the Metropole Hotel. It was Hana's choice for a Roman meeting location. A restaurant and a hotel room, all in one location. Rachel and Wiesława were ahead of us, checking things out. Hana had informed us that the Illuminati had two people watching her. This was going to be my last bit of time with Rachel for a while.(Meanwhile, Back At The Ranch, )Two new members of House Ishara were on their way to Rome. They'd be joined by two members of the House Guard of Andraste from Britain. The two Isharans were the first members of the House Guard of Ishara in over a thousand years. I didn't expect them to be the martial equals of Rachel, or Charlotte. Not yet. And anyway, that didn't matter. What mattered to me was that they'd volunteered for the task and Buffy felt they were the best we had.Another nomadic pack of House Hylonome Amazons had taken in the traumatized Zola. She had to stay in Romanian until the authorities finished up her part of the investigation. A mixed group from House Živa and Ishara (led by Helena) would handle security for Professor Loma, his family and the Lovasz sisters during their trip to New York.Aliz, his wife, was officially in House Ishara's custody. That was my best play at making sure she avoided summary justice for her 'betrayal' of House Hylonome. The whole group would be handed over to House Epona as soon as the Romanians cleared them for foreign travel. It helped my case that Aliz appreciated my warnings about the danger that both families were in from House Illuyankamunus.The occult nitpicking that allowed me to leverage this maneuver was accomplished by me doing yet another rarely done feat. In the name of Alkonyka Lovasz, House Ishara was sponsoring a new Amazon house. I could testify to the existence and matronage of the Goddess SzélAnya (without her permission), which was one of the stepping stones for acceptance.Vincent was going to stay in Germany for two days, then he was off to his home and daughters in Arlington Virginia, with a long convalescence and a rumored promotion. Mona and Tiger Lily were already on their way to New York as honor guard for Charlotte's body, courtesy of the US Air Force. The Amazons needed the USAF to do it because that was the only way we could get the Romanians to release her body.The Hylonome dead, they would be buried in a private plot after all the autopsies were done. I was absolutely sure the Hylonome would steal the bodies in due time and give them a 'proper' burial. Of the Mycenaeans, Red and one of his buddies still remained at large. Of Ajax's half-brother, Teucer, and the other previously wounded Greek warrior, there was no sign. Kwen and the other POWs remained in Romania to face a laundry list of charges. Her fate was unknown to me.My bodyguard was reduced, yet no one minded. The twin reasoning was that the Black Hand in Italy would provide some protection for me. The other was that I was in the birthplace of the Condottieri. Selena's sources strongly suspected that their HQ was close to Rome itself. I could have had more security by recruiting among the 'natives'.Various sources, some inside Italy, had suggested that the Carabinieri, Italy's military police force, had 'offered' to provide some protection. That was prompted by events surrounding my visits to Budapest  and  Mindszent, Hungary and the 'action' south of Miercurea Ciuc, Romania (no one wanted to call it a battle, even though the fight involved over 1000 Romanian Land Forces troops and half a squadron of the Romanian Air Force).My refusal of the offer caused a 'disruption'. This was a polite way of saying the Italians did not want me to enter their country. I wasn't being a jerk this time. Selena and Aunt Briana were both of the opinion that the Condo's recruited heavily from European military and paramilitary units -- particularly Western Europe. And that not all their 'new hires' had left active duty either.A peculiar circumstance then developed. The pretext for denying me entry was undercut by Hungary and Romania erasing me from their official investigation. I wasn't a threat (despite the burnt landscape and tombstones sprouting up in my wake.) Romania didn't want me to stay, Hungary decided they didn't want me back -- at the moment -- and the US/UK/Ireland were telling the Italians that I was a peach, or whatever implied that in diplomatic speech.There was a compromise finally reached by Riki and shadow forces that I couldn't put names to. I could come to Italy as long as my itinerary was relayed to Carabinieri. We could keep our side arms in holsters and our big guns as long as they weren't on our persons. I could go around without a Carabinieri bodyguard as long as I ignored them floating around me at a discreet distance. A liaison officer would meet me at the hotel to maintain the illusion that I was just a paranoid tourist.Delilah had to touch base with the British again, probably for the same reasons that the US wanted to replace Riki. While both Delilah and Chaz were military and seconded to MI-6, they weren't considered Intelligence Experts by the people at the helm. For that matter, they weren't even sure how Delilah had ended up at my side, killing multi-national terrorists in three separate countries inside of one month. That was very cinematic, not realistic. The idea of governments with shadow operatives 'sanctioning' people was not something that anyone in the 'know' wanted to talk about.Whether it was before the media, a US Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, the United States House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, or a UK Parliamentary Foreign Affairs Select Committee this wasn't what these Department Heads wanted to discuss. Less anyone forget, my Congress and my President didn't, umm, get along.In my favor, I was an orphan from New Hampshire, both my US Senators were women and I'd worked on their campaigns or dated some of their volunteers. It might do me some good to call Dr. Kimberly Geisler at Bolingbrook to see what she could do politically. All that could wait.(Finishing Up)Selena Jovanović had the first of our two dark blue Alfa Romeo 159s, the one that disgorged Rachel and Wiesława. She, Saku and Odette would circle the block in case there was any trouble. Pamela had the driver's seat in my car. No one wanted me or Odette to drive because we didn't understand urban Italian street etiquette. It was Virginia, me and Riki in the backseat with Chaz up front with Pamela.Rachel gave the preliminary order to disembark. That meant the lobby was partially clear -- there were armed types about that seemed to be either Carabinieri, or understandable private security. Rome wasn't as dangerous as Mexico City (kidnap-wise), but events in London, Budapest and the Hungarian and Romanian countryside were putting people on edge. And those with enough money could buy some emotional comfort in the form of armed private contractors.Chaz took his H and K UMP-45, stock folded, out of the bag at his feet and secured it inside the right-side of his jacket. Three spare clips went inside a harness on his left. It was dreamlike as Virginia and I went through a similar, less heavily armed process. For FBI Girl, it was a 'carry-on' with flash-bang, concussion and smoke grenades, plus a few extra clips/mags for everyone.For me, it was a tomahawk, a second Gloc-22 and a bullet for everyone in the hotel, if that became necessary. As the car came to a stop in front of the main doors, I worked my way over Riki so that I would be the second person to exit the car. Chaz would be the first. Virginia got out on her side. Pamela would stay at the wheel -- Riki had an appointment with a tailor to keep.I felt it then, that sympathetic spiritual harmony I was one-third of. I looked up into the 'clear' Rome night. There she was, Bellatrix, the Amazon star in the Constellation of Orion. According to the Egyptian Rite, the Weave of Fate was nearly invisible by day, but by night, you could make out its strands in the motion of the stars. That was not something Alal had ever truly mastered. Still,I had a new phone since the charred remains of my old one were in some evidence locker in Budapest by now. That didn't mean I wanted to use it. I was getting squirrely about people I didn't want finding me, finding me. Chaz was in the lead, I was in the middle and Virginia covered my back. Rachel caught sight of us, gave a quick nod, and then she and Wiesława went for the elevators.Rachel would want to check out Hana's room before I got there -- if I got there. I called Odette."Hey Babe," Odette beamed excitement my way. She was in Rome and we had a guaranteed 24 hour layover. For a girl who thought her great adventure in life was going to end up being a high school trip to Philadelphia to see the Liberty Bell, she was in Nirvana."Hey to you too, Odette. I need a favor," I began."Sure," she chirped."In five minutes from, right now make sure Sakuniyas comes to see me and Hana in the restaurant by herself," I requested. Odette hesitated, taking in her knowledge of 'Cáel-speak'."No problemo Jeffe," she answered. She knew I was in some undefined trouble. We both knew that her body language would convey that unease to Saku, which was what I needed. See, I had a plan. I tapped Chaz, slowing him and thus allowing Virginia to bunch up with us."Do either one of you remember the movie 

Three years after Russia's invasion of Ukraine on Feb. 24, 2022, roughly 20% of the Ukrainian territory remains occupied by Russian troops. Before the invasion, there were 41 million people living in Ukraine; today, the UN Refugee Agency estimates that 3.7 million people still in Ukraine have been displaced from their homes, while almost 7 million refugees had to flee abroad. The war has severely damaged the Ukrainian economy and the living conditions for people in Ukraine.Like everywhere else in the world, there is a class divide in Ukraine, and the impact of the war has not been equally felt: while the average Ukrainian was forced to migrate, lose wages, and fight on the front, the wealthy were able to escape conscription and put their money abroad. While economic elites reportedly took $35 billion out of the country since the start of the war, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelesnky not only refused to expropriate and nationalize their assets but, instead, chose to impose harsh anti-labor measures on workers and unions and make further cuts to social services using the national emergency laws. The fight to ensure Ukrainian people's right to self-determination is not just about removing all Russian troops from Ukrainian territory and allowing the Ukrainian people to decide their own fate without fears of coups and invasions. It also has to do with stopping and reversing the encroachment of Western corporate and US imperial interests that seek to further exploit the country. However, prospects for this are growing darker by the day as President Donald Trump's new administration engages in bilateral negotiations with Russian President Vladimir Putin, and without Zelensky, to end the war, all while suggesting that the US take ownership of 50% of Ukraine's rare earth minerals. Solidarity with working people in Ukraine and their fight against Russia's invasion never meant support for the Zelensky government, the US government, NATO, or the designs of rival imperial powers, but lack of international solidarity has left Ukrainians in an impossible situation.   This is Solidarity without Exception, a new podcast series brought to you by The Real News Network, in partnership with the Ukraine Solidarity Network, hosted by Blanca Missé and Ashley Smith. In Episode One of this series, released on the three-year anniversary of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, we analyze the current state of the war and the last three years from an internationalist, working-class perspective. Cohost Blanca Missé speaks with Denys Bondar, a native of Ukraine, professor of Physics at Tulane University, and one of the coordinators of the Ukraine Solidarity Network in the US; and Hanna Perekhoda, a researcher at the University of Lausanne, Switzerland, a founder of the Switzerland-based Committee of Solidarity with the Ukrainian People and Russian Opponents of the War, and an ethnic Ukrainian who grew up in the Russian-speaking the city of Donetsk in the Donbas region of Eastern Ukraine.Help us continue producing radically independent news and in-depth analysis by following us and becoming a monthly sustainer.Sign up for our newsletterFollow us on BlueskyLike us on FacebookFollow us on TwitterDonate to support this podcastPre-Production: Maximillian Alvarez, Blanca Missé, Kayla Rivara, Ashley SmithStudio Production: David HebdenAudio Post-Production: Alina NehlichMusic Credits: Venticinque Aprile (“Bella Ciao” Orchestral Cover) by Savfk |https://www.youtube.com/savfkmusicMusic promoted by https://www.free-stock-music.com Creative Commons / Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

The road to the TRUMPIAN revolution (Part 1) The Black Spy Podcast, Season 19, Episode 0002   Russia's "Special Military Operation" in Ukraine, initiated in February 2022, has been framed by the Kremlin as a response to various historical and geopolitical factors. One narrative emphasizes the presence of far-right elements in Ukraine, drawing connections to nationalist groups active during World War II. However, although most western experts reject the portrayal of Ukraine as a neo-Nazi state, noting that while far-right groups exist, they do not hold significant influence in the government or military, they nevertheless have little to say about such far right units killing 14,000 Russian heritaged Ukrainian civilian citizens since 2016. In the early stages of the Cold War, Western intelligence agencies, including the CIA and MI6, reportedly collaborated with former Ukrainian nationalist fighters to undermine Soviet authority. These covert operations aimed to exploit anti-Soviet sentiments. This lasted 10 years and saw the reported death of up to a 100,000 Soviet Citizens. In the end though, it has been stated by the west, that this had limited long-term impact. The 2014 Maidan uprising, which led to the ousting of Ukraine's pro-Russian president, is viewed by Russia as a Western-backed coup that shifted Ukraine towards Euro-Atlantic integration. This assertion is backed up by Sigint in which, Victoria Nuland, the officer in charge of Eastern Europe in the US State Department discussing which Ukrainian's leaders should or shouldn't rule the country with the American Ambassador to the Ukraine The recording ends with Nuland saying she'll have president Biden slap the person they chose to lead Ukraine on the back when they take power! NATO's eastward expansion since 1991 has been perceived by Russia as a direct threat to its security interests. Despite assurances in the 1990s about limiting NATO's growth, to not one inch outside of the then East Germany, the alliance has incorporated several Eastern European countries, heightening tensions, as it attempted to incorporate the Ukraine. The Minsk agreements, brokered by Germany and France, aimed to cease hostilities in Eastern Ukraine. Critics argue that, rather than fostering peace, these accords allowed Ukraine to strengthen its military capabilities, which was confirmed by both the German Chancellor Merkel and French President Holland after they left office. This act intensifying conflicts in regions with significant Russian-speaking populations, such as Donbas and Crimea. In summary, Russia's military actions in Ukraine are justified by the Kremlin through a complex interplay of historical grievances, security concerns over NATO's expansion, and perceptions of Western interference in Ukraine's political trajectory. However, many of these justifications have been contested by Western leaders, officials and the western mainstream mass media albeit now, President Trump is accepting that all of Russia's grievances are indeed TRUE! As always, please don't be afraid to contact us and put any questions you might have to any of the Black Spy Podcast team concerning this or any other of our fascinating subjects. And, if you want to continue learning whilst being entertained, please don't forget to subscribe to the Black Spy Podcast for free, so you'll never miss another episode. To contact Firgas Esack of the DAPS Agency go to Linked In To contact Dr. Rachel Taylor please use her Substack account. To contact Carlton King by utilising any of the following: To donate - Patreon.com/TheBlackSpyPodcast Email: carltonking2003@gmail.com Facebook: The Black Spy Podcast Facebook: Carlton King Author Twitter@Carlton_King Instagram@carltonkingauthor To read Carlton's Autobiography: “Black Ops – The incredible true story of a (Black) British secret agent”

AP correspondent Julie Walker reports Russia claims capture of another Ukraine village, while the U.S. attempts a peace deal.

Early this morning Ukrainian terrorists launched American weapons at a school in Kherson which was Eastern Ukraine it's now Russia they targeted and hit children and teachers on their way to school. 13 were hurt... including 3 children, 2 are in critical condition. and 2 were killed. 

AP correspondent Charles de Ledesma reports while Russia makes inroads into Ukrainian territory, President Zelenskyy claims a whole Russian battalion was lost in attempts to retake territory in the Kursk region.

January 2nd 2024 Yuriy reflects on the bleak reality of a new year amidst ongoing war and the absence of miracles. He describes the unrelenting horrors of conflict and the hope for the warmth of spring. Check out Yuriy's latest blog on his substack here: https://substack.com/home/post/p-153574207  You can email Yuriy, ask him questions or simply send him a message of support: fightingtherussianbeast@gmail.com    You can help Yuriy and his family by donating to his GoFundMe: https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-yuriys-family   Yuriy's Podbean Patron sign-up to give once or regularly: https://patron.podbean.com/yuriy   Buy Yuriy a coffee here: https://bmc.link/yuriymat  Subscribe to his substack: https://yuriymatsarsky.substack.com/  ----more---- TRANSCRIPT: (Apple Podcasts & Podbean app users can enjoy accurate closed captions)      It's January 2nd.  Here comes the new year. Congratulations. A new year, but the same old war. It's just as it was. The insane deranged horde of murderers and rapists hasn't gone anywhere. Hasn't disappeared, hasn't retreated to where stinking holes in their vile country. There's been no Christmas Miracle, no New Year's miracle. There are no miracles at all. We were all lied to. There can be no miracles in the world where the governments of peaceful countries can calmly watch for years as Russian maniacs kill Ukrainian children and women every day. There can be no miracles in the world, that still hasn't found a way to deal with a monster in the Kremlin and instead trades with him and makes deals. There are no miracles. New year is just a day to change the calendar. Christmas means even less. Supposedly, it was the day when the Savior was born, but Russian theier paint his face on their uniforms, and this Savior doesn't object. They decorate their planes with his icons, planes that bomb schools, and maternity wards, and he forgives them. They lie to the whole world, claiming they kill thousands of people and destroy entire cities in his name. And what about him? What does the savior do? Who is his saving?  When the Nazi concentration camp Auschwitz was liberated, an inscription was found on one of its walls left by a Jewish prisoner who perished there: "if there is a God, he will have to beg me for forgiveness."  You know what's changed since when? Not much. The Nazis today, aren't Germans, they're Russians. The concentration camps aren't in Nazi occupied Poland, but in Russian occupied Eastern Ukraine. The letter Z has replaced with swastika. That's the only difference. And here we are with this stupid new year, with its empty, never fulfilled hopes for something better. Well, maybe there is one benefit to this New Year. It means the first month of winter is over. The spring is closer, but we only need to hold on for two more months until the warmth begins. Spring is always easier. When it's warm, when you are not soak it in cold rain and you are not shivering in a damp basement during a shelling. Spring will be better. The main thing is to make it until when.

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Support this podcast with a tax-deductible donation. Photographer Anastasia Taylor-Lind and writer Alisa Sopova create intimate, accessible portraits of Ukrainian civilians living close to the frontlines of the Russian invasion. Sometimes their subjects are picnicking in a park or tending a garden. Other times, they're repairing a ceiling damaged by shelling or waiting for departure on an evacuation train. Anastasia and Alisa have been working together in Ukraine since the Maidan Revolution, also known as the “Revolution of Dignity” in 2014. And over the years, they've returned to visit the same families, witnessing how the war touches men, women, and children over time. Independent Projects5K From the Frontline Welcome to DonetskInternational media work:NPR: The Ukraine war isn't new. These intimate photos show 3 families enduring it for yearsThe New Humanitarian: How seven years of war and COVID-19 split Ukraine in twoThe New York Times: Opinion: Where There Are Fish in the Tap Water and Women's Uteruses Fall OutTime Magazine: The Strange Unreality of Life During Eastern Ukraine's Forgotten WarMusic in this episode by Doyeq, One Man Book, and Bill Vortex ABOUT THE SHOW The Making Peace Visible podcast is hosted by Jamil Simon and produced by Andrea Muraskin, with help from Faith McClure. Steven Youngblood is Director of Education for Making Peace Visible. Learn more at makingpeacevisible.org Support our work Connect on social:Instagram @makingpeacevisibleLinkedIn @makingpeacevisibleX (formerly Twitter) @makingpeaceviz We want to learn more about our listeners. Take this 3-minute survey to help us improve the show!

Patrick Lancaster: LIVE from war-torn eastern Ukraine/RussiaSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

As this coming February will mark the third anniversary of Russia's invasion and occupation of Eastern Ukraine, there is already a clear and tangible impact upon the geopolitical challenges faced by the United States and her allies in Europe in terms of their roles in the international system. This week Departures with Robert Amsterdam is pleased to welcome back past guest Michael Kimmage, noted historian, former State Department official, and Associate Professor of History at the Catholic University of America in Washington DC. In this conversation we review his excellent new book, "Collisions: The Origins of the War in Ukraine and the New Global Instability," which critically examines the contributing causes to the outbreak of the war and measures the irrevocable ways in which the conflict has altered the course of US strategic engagement in the international sphere. In his book, Kimmage argues that the war has shattered three critical assumptions - that European peace was permanent, that Europe could continue to sustain this stability without heavy US involvement, and lastly, that Russia would be consigned to a peripheral role. With those assumptions now gone, Kimmage and host Robert Amsterdam discuss what we can expect next.

In this episode of The President's Daily Brief: New insights into Israel's strike on Iran reveal a significant blow to Iran's missile production capabilities, marking a notable setback for Russia's defense industry. We break down the details in today's spotlight. Updates from Turkey's bombing campaign in Iraq and Syria, as the Kurdistan Worker's Party claims responsibility for a deadly attack near Ankara last week. The Russian army is claiming new advances in Eastern Ukraine, capturing a major Ukrainian stronghold in Donetsk. And in today's Back of the Brief, bad news for Iran's Supreme Leader as his newest X account is suspended for threatening violence against Israel. To listen to the show ad-free, become a premium member of The President's Daily Brief by visiting PDBPremium.com. Please remember to subscribe if you enjoyed this episode of The President's Daily Brief. Email: PDB@TheFirstTV.com  Blackout Coffee: https://www.blackoutcoffee.com/PDB Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The global explorer, TV presenter and author Simon Reeve makes programmes around the world which focus on people's lives...and he's been arrested by the KGB, chased by cheetahs and nearly died from malaria.Liz McConaghy spent seventeen years as a Chinook crewman with the RAF, the longest serving woman to do so, her deployments left scars on her soul but has now found a way to soothe them.Lalage Snow, photojournalist and filmmaker, has covered war and unrest in the in Gaza, The West Bank, Israel, Eastern Ukraine - but has now found that the peaceful act of people gardening brings out the best stories. All that, plus we have the Inheritance Tracks of the broadcaster and proud Brummie – Adrian Chiles. Presenters: Nikki Bedi and Jon Kay Producer: Ben Mitchell

The frontlines in Ukraine's east are long and deadly. As Russian and Ukrainian forces hammer each other, civilians are caught in between. As we now too often see in war, it is the civilians who sometimes suffer the most. In this case, people face agonizing choices: to stay, and face the unknown, or flee. Special Correspondent Jack Hewson reports from Eastern Ukraine. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

Ukrainian civilians, under relentless Russian bombing, are fleeing the key logistics and transit hub of Pokrovsk. A Ukrainian journalist explains why the fall of Pokrovsk might jeopardize Ukrainian control of the entire Donetsk region. Also, a housing shortage in Ireland is ranked the worst globally. We learn why. And, water shortages are driving discontent in Cuba and other Caribbean countries. Plus, a final wrap-up of the Paris Paralympics.Listen to today's Music Heard on Air.

The Wagner Group is a Russian private military company (PMC) that gained attention in recent years for its involvement in various conflicts and operations abroad. The group is believed to have close ties to the Russian government, although the exact nature of their relationship remains somewhat secretive.The Wagner Group first gained attention for its activities in Ukraine, particularly during the conflict in Eastern Ukraine.It is believed that the group provided support to pro-Russian separatist forces in the region, playing a significant role in several key battles. However, the Russian government has consistently denied any official involvement with the Wagner Group.Since then, the Wagner Group has been linked to other conflicts and operations around the world, including Syria, Libya, and the Central African Republic.They have been reported to provide military support, training, and security services to various clients, often in areas where the Russian government has strategic interests.Due to the nature of their operations and the lack of official transparency, detailed information about the Wagner Group and its members is often limited.The group has been the subject of media scrutiny and has been accused of human rights abuses, mercenaries' deaths, and destabilizing actions in conflict zones. However, the exact size, structure, and leadership of the Wagner Group remain largely speculative, as the organization maintains a secretive nature.The Wagner group has also played a key role in Ukraine during the Russian invasion. In this episode, we take a look at the situation that unfolded in Russia over the weekend and who some of the players involved in the game were.(commercial at 10:48)to contact me:bobbycapucci@protonmail.comsource:Yevgeny Prigozhin: Wagner insurrection plunges Russia into uncertainty | CNN

Eric welcomes back Eliot from his trip to the High North in Svalbard, Norway where he was attending a workshop on Nordic-Baltic views on European security. Eliot discusses the views of the Nordic countries vis a vis Russia, the role of climate change in the Arctic, and great power competition in that region. They also discuss Eliot's recent Atlantic piece on What Kamala Harris might face with regards to foreign policy if she is elected in November notably including: the dangerous world we face, the chronic underfunding of the nation's defense budget, and the priors of the Obama and Biden alumni who will likely populate a Harris administration. They discuss the lack of debate about national security issues so far in the Presidential campaign and the Reaganesque "mood music" on defense at the DNC with speeches on Thursday night by the Bulwark's own Adam Kinzinger, former Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta quoting Reagan, and finally the Vice President's commitment to maintaining the strongest and most lethal military in the world. They discuss the British Foreign Secretary's statement announcing the suspension of some 30 odd licenses for British defense goods to Israel, its spectacular bad timing and what it might portend for the US-UK "special relationship." Finally, they discuss the situation in Ukraine including the Kursk incursion by Ukrainian forces, the marked but costly progress of Russian forces in Eastern Ukraine, the meaning of "strategic" terrain and what the Ukrainian theory of victory might be. Eliot's Piece in The Atlantic: https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2024/09/kamala-harris-foreign-policy-challenge/679678/ Phillips OBrien on Strategy: https://open.substack.com/pub/phillipspobrien/p/strategic-is-more-than-lines-on-a Occupied Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yfqRRHaFyJg Shield of the Republic is a Bulwark podcast co-sponsored by the Miller Center of Public Affairs at the University of Virginia.

Russia doubles down on its bombardments of eastern Ukraine following what president Zelensky called “one of the largest strikes” of Putin's invasion. Where does that leave the hopes of peace talks? Then: we break down a new regional policing plan put forward by Pacific leaders. Plus: the Venice Film Festival gets under way.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In 2022, the city of Bakhmut in Eastern Ukraine was attacked by Russian forces. The fight for Bakhmut lasted over 10 months and claimed the lives of thousands of people on both sides, becoming the longest and bloodiest battle in this war so far. But why was this sleepy town such an important target for Russia? And what role did the mercenary Wagner group play there? BBC Russian's Olga Ivshina and Ukrainecast presenter Vitaly Shevchenko investigate. Produced by Alice Gioia and Hannah Dean. (Photo: Faranak Amidi. Credit: Tricia Yourkevich.)

In a stunning move by the Ukrainian assembly, lawmakers have officially banned the historic Ukrainian Orthodox Church over its ties to the Moscow Patriarch, all as President Putin has promised devastating revenge for Ukrainian forces invading the Russian region of Kursk! Things are heating up in the Eurasian region and we've got the latest on the escalating tensions, both religious and military, between Russia, Ukraine, and NATO forces! -- Go to https://twc.health/TURLEY and use promo code ‘TURLEY' for an exclusive Turley Talks $45 OFF + FREE Shipping on The Wellness Company Medical Emergency Kit! Have REAL peace of mind when it comes to being prepared for your family's health safety! Join my new Courageous Conservative Bootcamp and get equipped to fight back and restore foundational values. Learn more at https://fight.turleytalks.com/join   *The content presented by our partners may contain affiliate links. When you click and shop the links, Turley Talks may receive a small commission.*  Highlights: "Whether we like it or not, that move back in 2019, to sever the Ukrainian Church from its historic Moscow base, appears to have factored into, at least in part, Russia's decision to invade Ukraine, and in their minds, rescue Eastern Ukraine, which is ethnically Russian, from the secessionist forces of the collective West." "We have to understand what happened at Kursk the way Putin and the whole of Russia understand it: NATO invaded Russia!" "First NATO, or better, Western forces invaded their spiritual sphere, now they're invading their spatial sphere! And make no mistake, this is precisely the kind of incursion that Russian forces were waiting for to justify launching an all-out and what will probably be a decisive assault on Ukrainian forces." Timestamps: [02:12] Ukrainian lawmakers officially ban the Ukrainian Orthodox Church [05:50] The latest on the battlefront where Ukrainian troops invaded Kursk [08:29] Why the Kursk invasion is a NATO invasion -- Thank you for taking the time to listen to this episode.  If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe and/or leave a review. FOLLOW me on X (Twitter): https://twitter.com/DrTurleyTalks Click here to partner with us and defy liberal culture! https://advertising.turleytalks.com/sponsorship Sign up for the 'New Conservative Age Rising' Email Alerts to get lots of articles on conservative trends: https://turleytalks.com/subscribe/. **All clips used for fair use commentary, criticism, and educational purposes. See Hosseinzadeh v. Klein, 276 F.Supp.3d 34 (S.D.N.Y. 2017); Equals Three, LLC v. Jukin Media, Inc., 139 F. Supp. 3d 1094 (C.D. Cal. 2015).

Russian strikes in Ukraine's eastern Donetsk region have killed around a dozen people and injured 37 others. It comes as Ukraine's incursion into Russian territory continues into its fourth day. Also, Japan Meteorological Agency has issued its first-ever advisory warning of the risk of a huge earthquake along the Pacific coast to help focus people on earthquake readiness. And, with tensions high across the Middle East, we talk to people in Israel, Lebanon and Iran as they face the possibility of a full-blown war. Plus, dark skies are getting harder to find, but some places, like in Denmark, are are now trying to protect their dark nighttime skies by fighting light pollution.Listen to today's Music Heard on Air.

In this episode of The PDB Situation Report: We're starting today's show with an important update from Eastern Ukraine, where Russia's offensive in Kharkiv seems to be hitting a wall. We'll chat with Retired Lieutenant Colonel Tony Shaffer, who will share his analysis and insight on exactly what's happening on the ground. China's aggressive wargames in the Taiwan Strait are raising serious alarms. We'll be joined by author Dmitri Alperovitch to unpack the implications of these maneuvers and what they could signal for a potential showdown between the US and China. We'll examine the rise of the Tren de Aragua, a brutal Venezuelan gang making its way into US cities. To listen to the show ad-free, become a premium member of The President's Daily Brief by visiting PDBPremium.com. Please remember to subscribe if you enjoyed this episode of The President's Daily Brief. Email: PDB@TheFirstTV.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

From April 9, 2021: Tensions are heating up between Russia and Ukraine, seven years after the seizure by the Russians of the Crimean Peninsula and the incursions into Eastern Ukraine. With troop movements and some saber rattling, is Vladimir Putin trying to send a message to Joe Biden, or perhaps to Ukrainian President Zelensky? Is he trying to satisfy domestic constituencies or distract them? Benjamin Wittes sat down with Alexander Vindman to talk about what Russia is doing and why, and what the Biden administration should do about it.To receive ad-free podcasts, become a Lawfare Material Supporter at www.patreon.com/lawfare. You can also support Lawfare by making a one-time donation at https://givebutter.com/c/trumptrials.Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/lawfare. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.