Podcasts about general directorate

The Islamic State, once a local insurgency rooted in Iraq and Syria, has transformed into a global network with far-reaching influence. In this episode of the podcast, we chart how its operations have expanded beyond the Middle East, as the group leveraged technology, propaganda, and local affiliates to spread its ideology across borders. Host Lucas Webber is joined by Aaron Zelin, a Fellow at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy and founder of the widely acclaimed website, Jihadology. Aaron explains how The General Directorate of Provinces, a global hierarchy structure responsible for overseeing and coordinating Islamic State's global affiliates, is central to much of the group's expansion.

The first Ishara open  House Challenge .Book 3 in 18 parts, By FinalStand. Listen to the ► Podcast at Explicit Novels.Odd Happenings{8:58 am, Wednesday, Sept. 3rd ~ 5 Days to go; the Final Salvo ~ at this time}I had deposited my Mother in the place I felt was safest for her   with OT (Oyuun T m rbaatar) at the Kazakhstan's UN mission. Her being my family was what mattered to them most. I picked her up on my way to work, which made my entrance into the lobby all that much more cataclysmic.I was traveling light with only Wiesława Živa providing me with security. Chaz, Pamela and Juanita were catching up with their sleep, with a promise of taking me out for a late lunch. That was really them telling me to not leave JIKIT until they came for me around 2:00 pm.So anyway, me, Mom and Wiesława walked into the ground floor of the Mil Ma Towers to find eleven people waiting on us. We were in downtown Manhattan in a part of town the NYPD paid particular attention to. What could go wrong, right? Two of the people were Amazons from Havenstone. With them were two fine young men from the US 'don't make me kill you' Department. By this time in my life I was sure they had one   which no one talked about.Five of my expectant visitors were of the same mold as those who protected Hana for me. Not the Ghost Tigers   that would have put me at ease. Sure, they were a gang of assassin and in this circumstance; I would have preferred them. As it was, ten sets of highly-trained Illuminati operative eyes kept me, my party and the four guardians of JIKIT in their overlapping fields of vision.The last two, were doing an impromptu family reunion. They were Aunts 'X' and 'Y', and neither of them smelled like fish, or crab."Aunt Deidre," I tossed out there. "What brings you here today?"It looked like clobbering time! No. Wait. Neither Mom, nor my aunts, were saying anything and they were normally so verbose."Sibeal.""Imogen.""Sibeal, you are looking surprisingly well for a dead woman," the other one said."Deidre, you are looking surprisingly alive for someone who deserves to be dead," Mom bantered back."How long have you known about this?" Imogen's eyes flickered my way."Not long, a while, more than a day, ah, take your pick," I mumbled. I decided to turn that frown aka 'my gut wrenching terror that my Mother was about to die' upside down aka ramped up my sexy, 'glad to see you in a totally incestuous way'."So, what brings you here today and why aren't you waiting upstairs with the rest of my band of cutthroats, malcontents and ne'er do-wells? Oh, and I'm happy to see both of you." Karma was about to bitch-slap the shit out of me and it was so well deserved."I'm pregnant," Imogen studied my reaction. Yeah, I had banged her after Deidre, but before Baibre because I am a fucking reprehensible human being and sometimes, I feel I am utterly irredeemable."Great news," I exhaled. I so wanted to ask 'so, who is the father?' except that was too cruel, even for an O'Shea.No one stopped me from stepping up and hugging her. Everyone in the lobby had heard her loud and clear. Anyone who knew me, or even about me, knew she wasn't passing on the information because Imogen liked sharing good news. I kept my hands on her hips while I leaned my torso back until we could make eye contact."Does Granddad know?" It occurred to me in that second that Pamela was going to kick herself for missing this and the opportunity to kick me as well."I told him over the phone. His reaction was neutral," she responded."Whoa, girl? Boy? How are you doing? When are we going to sit down and figure out a name? Is there anything I can do for you?""Come home with me," she suggested."No," Mom snapped. "Next time he steps into your custody, we all know you won't let him get away." She meant the plane trip to Ireland."No, Mom," I countered. "I'm a grown man now and I make my own decisions. That being said   no, I'm not going home with you.""Not only am I still in love with the concept of my personal freedom, I have important work to do. People are counting on me.""We are counting on you too," Deidre stated. "In fact, that is the other reason we came here. We need you.""Why do I feel that has to do with something besides sex?""Can we talk to you in private?" Imogen requested. There were a thousand and one reasons to say 'no'. Things like 'common sense', bad behavior   they had murdered my homicidal uncle   and the fact they were as morally twisted as their creator. Oh   and they were hot and I hadn't been laid in forever."Sure. Let's go upstairs. You can have your people sweep the room to ensure our privacy then the four of us can sit down and have a family chat," I offered."We don't want her in the room," Deidre indicated Mom."We are a package deal," I denied her. "Like her, or not, she is as much family to me as you both are."They consented far too fast. Either I was falling into their masterful trap, or something horrible had happened. Neither options was palatable to me. The bodyguards departed, Wiesława last of all."What's gone wrong?" Mom preempted me. Her sisters glared."Father's body is not his own," Imogen told us. I was trying to figure out the relevance of that when Mom gasped."Oh fuck," she said in a small voice. "No serum?" Oh yeah, the refinement of those addictive pheromones Grandpa Cáel had gifted me with. Whatever flesh-form he currently inhabited wasn't one containing his genetic make-up meaning,"Oh shit," I mumbled. "What can I do?""Yes," Deidre replied to Mom."Let them die," Mom insisted (to me). Less I forget, she was raised by Grandpa Cáel too. Her being a loving mother to me didn't translate over to her being a humanitarian of any kind."The Hell you say," I jumped up and stared down at Mom. "You hate them. I don't. Letting them die makes me worse than him." Grandpa."So you will help us?" Deidre moved to the edge of her seat."Okay. This is the point where I threaten you into making some concessions, we argue then you eventually cave in because no matter how terrible your futures look, you aren't willing to give up on living. None of that is going to happen. What do you need from me?""Come back with us to Ireland so we can finish our experiments," Imogen joined me in standing. Unwilling to give her sister any physical advantage, Mom stood as well."No. That isn't even a believable lie," I scolded her. "You don't need to blackmail me into helping you. I'll do it gladly. That doesn't mean I'll let you trick me into doing something stupid. I do 'stupid' all the time. I'm accustomed to it and I know it when its ugly head rises up before me. Try again.""We could pick a neutral location," Deidre suggested."How about Havenstone?" They didn't look like that plan was even worthy of their consideration. "Imogen, inside you is growing a possible heir to House Ishara. An attack on you would be an attack on Ishara. Barring you betraying the Amazons, you would be perfectly safe.""Wonderful," Mom's sarcasm dripped off every word. "I'm going to be a grandmother to my nephew while my son is bringing a child into the world that can double as his cousin.""That sound pretty horrible, Mom. It is the truth, but it still sounds pretty terrible."While those words tumbled out of my mouth, I did a little soul back-searching. How in the fuck was   outside of the actual fucking   was Imogen pregnant? My existence was a freaking fluke of nature. A few words were bandied about the room while I was lost in deductive reasoning and turning hunches into assumptions and turning those into reasonable mystic hypotheses.I created the Mojo-Little Engine that thought it could. Specifically, the legacy of Vranus. Legions of little Vranusian sperm had been jumping hurdle after hurdle to keep the faith alive   that Vranus would meet his Ancestors with his mission accomplished. I was already half way there.Still, the legacy of Vranus and the hopes of Dot Ishara hadn't stopped in their struggle just because I had been born. They were still trying to restore the mortal descendants of a Dead House. They were also still spiritually pushing me on to fulfill his last command   to save the Arinniti sons.I was halfway there by returning the offspring of Bolu, Vranus' fellow guardian, back to the fold. It remained for me to round up the purpose of the whole mission in the first place. My semen weren't taking a chance that I could get gakked before that was accomplished. Having knocked up an augur despite the toxic soup she called blood should have been a dire warning to me, I'm an idiot.When the curse of Sarrat Irkalli clashed with the actions of Dot Ishara, Ishara had won. Sarrat Irkalli sought to deny Alal any children of his own. Dot was insisting the male line of Vranus Ishara continue on. The end result was Alal received his long-denied grandson, who just happened to also want him dead because of a feud that stretched back over two millennia.As an added insult, his grandson then knocked up one of Alal's genetically manipulated daughters, again giving him something he couldn't accomplish on his own   heirs   grand-sons and  daughters, most who would also want to kill him, being Amazons and members of the 9 Clans after all. Why? Cause Goddesses are bitches, that's why.That got me to wondering when would be the next time I was going to meet Ishara. I hadn't suffered severe head trauma in while and she was overdue for some snuggle time, witty banter and a fortune cookie. I'd try to be careful. It wouldn't do any good, but I had to try."Why are you crying?" Mom touched my arm."No reason," I lied."Why don't we make plans for tonight?" Deidre insinuated herself next to me. "We'd like to meet Hana. From what I understand, Father likes her.""No can-do," I sniffled. "I've got an orgy with 159 women at 8 o'clock, except there won't be any sex, or fun of any kind. Basically, I have to convince a roomful of women to not beat me up and take my stuff.""You don't have to go," Imogen had finished boxing me in   I had a chair behind me and Momma-clones all around."For the same reason I'm going to take care of our child, Imogen, I have to go to this meeting. People are counting on me to do the right thing without telling me what the right thing to do is.""That's unfair," Deidre empathized by stroking my chest."Not so. This is just another day in the life of a new hire at Havenstone Commercial Investments. Every day is like this and in five more days, the real fun beings." That wasn't entirely accurate. I had one good, stress-free week. It was when Carrig put me in a coma. That week I had done pretty well for myself.{9:28 am, Wednesday, Sept. 3rd ~ 5 Days to go}I trundled my latest 'Assistant-in-Charge of keeping the hopes of future Isharans alive' (I didn't want to call Aunt Imogen, or any other woman, my 'Baby-Mamma'), along with Mom and Deidre, for a meet-and-greet with Buffy. I had spelled out in no uncertain terms that Buffy was the power behind the Ishara Throne and thus making 'her' believe they were playing on the up-and-up was their best hope for easing relations between the O'Shea and the Amazon Host.After they left me (with the assurance we'd be getting back together for lunch, with Hana), I made three calls. I needed to make a formal request to Katrina (any Illuminati member(s) entering any Amazon facility was her purview) and another to Elsa (as a sign of respect) that Aunt Imogen and two unarmed bodyguards, max, needed to see our medicos about a delicate issue.The third call was to Buffy to enlighten her as to both the arrival of another one of my aunts (so we needed to get along peacefully with her) and that Aunt Imogen was carrying yet another potential heir to House Ishara. I suggested it would be a symbolic gesture if a member of House Ishara could hang around for the visit, as it might impress upon Imogen our House had a vested interest in keeping her alive."Another one?" Buffy sizzled. "And this one is your aunt?""It is a date then," I stumped her."You are going to take your pregnant aunt out on a date?" Buffy's sizzle meter was rapidly climbing to Krakatoa proportions."Nope. I'm setting up a date for us. You, me and a quiet location at 12:01 am Tuesday morning, my First. Later in the morning, I'll be heading out to wherever they have stored Felix so we can work on some cooperative strategy.""And if I say 'no'?" She was terribly grumpy."Ugh, I guess I'll go bar-crawling with Odette and Timothy, Gay and Lesbian bars only. That way I know I'll behave.""And if they say 'no'?" she was slightly less hostile."I'll know you threatened their lives, and then you and I will finally find out who is better on the mats. Trust me, it will not be an experience you will enjoy.""I don't know. I think I'd like that.""No. You start threatening the other people I love and you will not be happy; I guarantee that, Buffy."She realized I was both serious and angry. She had stepped out of bounds, the 'bounds' I had set up two hours earlier during our elevator ride."Is the meeting still on for the night?" she evaded my disappointment."Yes. Will you be there?""Of course," she grumped."Buffy, don't bother showing up if you can't separate 'us' as friends, 'us' as Wakko Ishara and my First, and you as my apprentice."Making me miserable in the first relationship doesn't help the latter two one bit. I try not to be an irresponsible asshole as House Head. More than anyone else, you know what I will sacrifice to be Ishara and one with my Isharans. I'll also step out and be plain ole 'Cáel Nyilas' when events permit.""But I am sick and tired of people not taking my desire to be foolish and care-free seriously. Being a dogmatic ass-hat isn't in me, but if you can't work with that, from here on out we are Wakko Ishara and Buffy Ishara and nothing more. I will still trust you as an Isharan, but not as a friend. Your choice.""Don't be such an asshole!" she snapped."Screw you!" I fired back. "I made a fucking effort to plan out some personal time with you, disguised as a joke; you knew it and you still decided to be a ball-buster. Like I need another fucking ball-buster right now, with all the other shit on my plate. You know better!" I was screaming. The people in JIKIT were working overtime at not staring at me."I'm under a ton of stress here too," she snarled. "I have to deal with the Council, keep our House growing and fulfill my obligations with Executive Services.""Do you want to quit? No longer by my 'apprentice'? Go back to working for Katrina full time?""Really?" she whispered."Of course the fuck not!" I shouted. "I didn't pick you for the job because of your sterling personality, or your bedroom excellence. I picked you because I had, and still have, utter faith in your ability to do whatever is necessary to overcome the landfill-sized colossal ill-fortune the Ancestors have dumped in our lap.""I'm just asking you to stop being a whiny, over-sensitive cunt and remember: it was the psychotic bitch who I chose for the top spot," I rumbled."I'm going to kick your ass," she seethed."Nice to know. We on for Monday night?"Pause."Yes," and she hung up. Two seconds later my phone rang again. "Buffy?" I answered. "And don't be late!" she menaced, then hung up again."So," Addison turned my way, "are you praying for World Peace to break out, or Nuclear War?""Hardy-har-har," I griped."Now that your personal drama is temporarily derailed, we have something for you to look at," Mehmet motioned for my attention. "Ever heard of Kōfuku no Kagaku?" I shook my head. "It translates over as 'Happy Science' and it is a cult-like organization in Japan.""Cool beans. Why do I have a sinking impression it is not a front for the Ninja?""That is what we want you to find out," Addison took over. "Of critical importance is the news conference their leader, Ryuho Okawa, gave earlier this afternoon/morning (~ 3:17 pm Tokyo time = 2:17 am East Coast time ~), especially a very relevant part of his interesting public announcement."He claims to be the Earthly manifestation of the Supreme Being. That is old news. Today he claimed that Temujin of the Khanate was the reincarnation of the original Genghis Khan and, with him, Ryuho, as the unifier of theological forces and therefore serving as spiritual advisor to Temujin, they would usher in a new period of Peace throughout Asia.""I'm waiting for the other shoe to drop," I exhaled."He also claims that Japan is in the midst of an epic struggle, both spiritually and in the physical sense. The 'ancient guardians' of Japanese purity, the 6 Ninja Families, are at war with the depth of all Evil, the Chinese Seven Pillars of Heaven by name, who are determined to drag all of Asia away from the Light and into the Darkness of pain, degradation and slavery."In fact I quote: 'Alone among the nations of the Earth, only the Japanese cultural identity can stand firm against this global menace. Only the Japanese can keep the torch of true Enlightenment aloft. Only the Japanese can guide the development of the Khanate into the Supreme Empire it is meant to be'.""I'm going to go out on a limb here and say this guy is pseudo-religious, a Japanese ultra-nationalist as well as anti 'all things Sino'," came out of my mouth."Correct.""None of the Secret Societies would do something so public. Temujin's background is a mystery, but no one in the Khanate is calling him a reincarnated spirit, and they know the truth," I continued."This guy is pretty nutty," Mehmet confirmed. "He also claims to channel Buddha, Mohammed, Christ and Confucius. His followers worship him as the Earthly manifestation of the 'Supreme Being' named El Cantare, which is yet another name for any number of ancient supreme deities. And he claims to consult with the 'spirit guardians' of national leaders and aids in their mystic defense, with the aid of the Five Sacred Sisters' Spirits."Clearly this man was insane. Unfortunately, insane didn't make someone wrong,"Ah Hell," I muttered.Mehmet and Addison perked up; after all, figuring out the bizarre was my position on the team."He probably is insane, and I can't blame him," I sighed. "He isn't El Cantare; he is in touch with the Weave.""I have a feeling this is 'not good'," Addison murmured. "How bad is it?""The Five Sacred Spirit Sisters are most likely the five augurs who died in order to save Temujin, which, in turn, allies the 9 Clans with the E&S and Amazons to 'save' Japan, though it is not 'saved' yet.""Technically, the Weave IS the Supreme Being. It's largely indifferent, yet capable of doing both good and ill in response to outside (aka mortal) stimuli. If you can observe the Weave, you might be able to see the most likely path destiny is taking as well as the key players screwing with that destiny."That would include the Gong Tau sorcerers and the ninjas use of their own brand of magic; and God only knows what other mystic tricks the others have been attempting.""How do we get them to stop?" Captain Delilah Faircloth muttered."Not that easy Delilah. Everyone in this room has intersected because of a magic experiment that happened before any of us were born (Mom).""The fight at Summer Camp was flipped on its head because I saw the ghost the 7 Pillars sent to scout the area. My freeing of one of those trapped and tortured souls led to the calamity at the Barbeque Pit. I didn't use magic. I countered it. Still, my actions were interfering with the Weave."All four people the augurs, those Five Sisters, told me about had been dead at some point in time, some for thousands of years. Ajax didn't kill anyone using magic. Neither has Saku, yet both of them are products of disruptions in the Weave. 'Me' being alive and breathing is yet another disruption, since I shouldn't exist because of another mystic curse from five thousand years ago."Being alive and killing people means I've killed people who shouldn't be dead. Do we need to go into all the millions that have died in the Khanate war? Which was a combination of a resurrected Temujin and the 7 Pillars hunger for World Domination, if we do nothing, the rippled of those other disruption will still carry on."Except for me, no one on this taskforce has used an iota of magic, yet we are all dedicated to combatting mystical forces," I related to the group. I wondered where Rikki (Martin) and Beatrice (Ya Konan) had gotten off to. Lady Yum-Yum being absent only made my 'Scooby' senses tingle more."You use magic?" Agent-86 tilted his head in curiosity."I talk to a Goddess on a semi-regular business. I see ghosts. I've been the conveyer of messages from dead people and I've killed an un-killable man. Do we need to go back over my kidnapping by the 7 Pillars? The memories of my undead Grandfather floating around in my head?""I'm not calling thunderbolts out of the sky and shooting fireballs out my ass, but what I am doing is magical, nonetheless.""So, what do we recommend to our allies and benefactors (i.e., our sovereign governments)?" Mehmet inquired."Hmm, we tell our governments this crackpot is a Prophet of Doom who could be turned into an asset," I rubbed my brow with all four fingers and a thumb. Rikki, Beatrice and Lady Worthington-Burke quietly entered the room. They were all highly pleased in a 'I just won the lottery' kind of way. I was curious, but had to carry on with my train of thought."Quietly start seeking out other mystic societies, preferably low-key, quiet types who avoid the limelight, and start looking into other forms of magical insight and, quite frankly, protection. If the Weave has let this happen, we can expect worse. Lastly, I'll ask my 'Brother' to meet with this guy and get a feel for his personality.""That will only increase the believability of his ramblings," Addison protested."The boat called 'Denial' has already sailed. The World is in crisis. People are going to look for non-conventional answers. It is better to get ahead of this and bring Ryuho Okawa on board as a 'consultant'. Don't give him the whole picture by any means. The guy is definitely a loose cannon. Even worse, he is also a loose cannon the Weave has touched.""Besides, the Seven Pillars are going to figure this out pretty quick, their Weave sensitivity, ya know, and either kidnap him to be their own spiritual seismic sensor, or kill him for being both a loose cannon and yet another person screwing with their 'best laid plans'. Keeping him alive has the added benefit of making the Seven Pillars expend resources trying to get at him. Japan needs every bit diversion they can get."Let's not forget to tell our Secret Society allies of our plans, lest they kill him too. His babblings aren't going to make the 9 Clans or the E&S happy with him. They both have an established habit of making perceived enemies dead. Let's keep him alive and utilize this opportunity.""I like this plan," Addison nodded. Mehmet was clearly on board as well. Agent-86 clearly was playing the best on-line mystic MMORPG ever! (And with the added bonus that his team's action had real-world consequences.) The three 'ladies' new to the room received an abbreviated version of our discussion and my 'suggestions'. They weren't really suggestions. Barring a few insanely criminal endeavors, JIKIT treated me like a true asset."Something else big?" Addison looked to her British counterpart (Yum-Yum)."The Japanese Diet has voted for a public referendum on a Constitutional Amendment to repeal/revise Article 96 of the Japanese Constitution.""Oh fuck," was echoed, either verbally or subliminally, by everyone in the room except for me, Delilah and Agent-86.'Cáel' knew Jack and Shit about the Japanese Constitution. Hell, I barely knew about the US one and I was a native. However, Alal did know it, and knew both what Article 96 was and what its amendment really meant. Good-old 96 was the rolling dark cloud across the political Great Plains that heralded a swarm of tornados. Clouds were clouds and their arrival could mean anything.Article 96 dictated how the Japanese Constitution could be amended. The current process was a 2/3rd vote in both the House of Councilors (the 'Upper House', roughly equivalent to our Senate) and the House of Representatives (the 'Lower' House) followed by a public referendum. The proposed amendment to Article 96 would transform the process to a mere majority vote in both Houses.Imagine the shit-storm which would be unleashed if the US Congress tried to pull that shit. The biggest political issue was that the Japanese Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) held 294 of the 475 seats in the lower house (a clear majority) and 115 of the 242 in the Upper House (7 seats short of a majority). If the amendment passed next month (October 14th to be precise), the LDP could pretty much do as they pleased.And what was the first thing they were going to do? They were going to put to rest another part of the Constitution, namely the far more globally important Article 9. And what was that?Real World Stuff: WarningsArticle 9:(1)Aspiring sincerely to an international peace based on justice and order, the Japanese people forever renounce war as a sovereign right of the nation and the threat or use of force as means of settling international disputes.(2)To accomplish the aim of the preceding paragraph, land, sea, and air forces, as well as other war potential, will never be maintained. The right of belligerency of the state will not be recognized.If Article 9 was repealed, the Japanese nation could exercise diplomacy by military means, aka declaring an offensive war against a foreign power. Currently Japan had a modest budget military budget of $48 Billion a year (Earth's 10th largest). It was modest when you considered it was a mere 1% of the Japanese GDP. Great Britain, France and South Korea's smaller economies all functioned nicely with double that percentage for their military budget.Regionally, every other nation was increasing their military expenditures, except Japan's protector, the US and (perhaps) North Korea, who's spending on anything was a closely guarded state secret. Right now, China and the Khanate's military expenditures were running roughly even at $180 billion each, but this was an arm's race the PRC would eventually win, they had too great an advantage in the size of their workforce and a far larger industrial base.The truth was, if the PRC couldn't win this race fast, she was facing a long, grinding war reminiscent of the Communists' Long Rise to Power that wrecked their country a century ago. The monetary dynamic was shifting badly against them because the Khanate wasn't alone.India, Taiwan and Vietnam were also ramping up their war spending to a combined tune of $34 billion and now allied with the Khanate, equating to an additional $90 billion the PRC had to overcome. South Korea was already adding $8 billion to their military and Russia was taxing the fuck out of Manchuria to both pay for their 'Peaceful Intervention' and to increase the 'Readiness' of their other forces.All of this military spending was bad for both the regional and global economies (unless you were Israel who was turning out hardware 24/7/365 for the Khanate and Indian war machines). So at this point, Japan doing 'nothing' was possibly more disastrous than doing 'something' else.They were already spending $50 fucking billion on glorified policemen while the future of East Asia was being decided without them. Doubling the military budget would place a huge burden on the largely pacifistic population. It would also put Japan in the position of deciding the Fate of Nations.With the repeal of Article 9, Japan could utilize 'proactive means' to keep the naval supply routes to China open, not even the Indian's had the naval presence to confront the Japanese. Such a policy was a nice, friendly gesture to the Asian Colossus, who wasn't likely to show a shred of appreciation for their efforts.No, China had spent the last 60 years stoking the hatred of the Land of the Rising Sun among their people. (Many Japanese forgot current Chinese hatred was based on the Japanese butchering their way across China for nearly a decade between 1937 to 1945).(The Cornerstone) There was a truism which had guided American, Chinese, Japanese and Russian political thought for 150 years: 'There could only be one supreme power in East Asia and the Eastern Pacific'. Japan had followed the logical expression of that paradigm by invading Taiwan (1895), Korea (1910), beating up on Imperial Russia (1904), taking Manchuria (1931) and going to war with China (1937) while that country was trapped in a bloody civil war.To stop the Empire of Japan's rise, the US had attempted to cripple the Japanese economy before the Empire could harvest their just-acquired Asian natural resources. In response, Japan had thrown its soldiers and sailors into a futile effort against the British Empire, the United States and China and lost.With Imperial Japan crushed and the Soviet Union preoccupied in Europe, China had risen. The irresistible force of China's rapidly increasing population, natural resources exploitation and extensive land mass took hold. Japan couldn't compete in a 'fair' fight. Since 1945, the Japanese government had lived with the fear of aggression from Russia and/or China aimed their way.The US felt the same way, or they had. The fear produced by the broad acceptance of 'Only-One-Shall-Rule-Asia' had led to the Korean War, the half-century cease-fire along the Demilitarized Zone in Korea and the Vietnamese Civil War. The Communists in China and Russia had feuded until the Soviet Union collapsed under its own economic inadequacies.A reborn Russia, even with the ultra-nationalist Putin at the helm, couldn't stop China's growing domination. Asia was China's for the taking, until the Khanate rose up like some desert mirage in the Western Steppe, one that turned into the Mother of All Storms. So now, miraculously, the dominion of Asia was up for grabs once more.Japan could not overcome China; that was a given. The Dragon had more people, more resources and an almost three-fold larger economy. Given a decade, the PRC would grind the Khanate down. Once more it was the tyranny of numbers. Even India, Taiwan and Vietnam could only slow down the inevitable.India's subpar economic output marginalized the power of their citizenry. Taiwan had the proportional economy, but not nearly enough people. Vietnam had neither and had always had a rough time defending themselves, much less been successful confronting powers beyond her homeland. Putin's Mother Russia had a host of other problems, internal and external, so she had already contributed as much as Putin dared.Until Thursday morning, Tokyo Time, the undeniable Destiny of Asia remained in the hands of those men in Beijing. The dominoes were falling in a way those rulers had not foreseen and now fumed over. But on Wednesday night, there was no industrial power (with the population to back it up) which could threaten the People's Republic of China.Europe and the US wouldn't intervene. Much like the leadership in Japan, the Communist Chinese Politburo believed Putin had wagered as much as dared. No other nation on Earth mattered. Japan? That was laughable. Their Constitution bound the hands off their military behind their backs with a pledge of eternal pacifism.The Chinese weren't blind to the 250,000 men and women of the Japanese Self Defense Force. Without the political will, those troops might have well have been in Brazil. A hostile Brazil was actually a greater worry because Brazil was the powerhouse of South America, a G-8 economy and hungered for a Permanent Seat on the UN Security Council. The PRC was dedicated to denying their desire as it would have diluted the PRC's burgeoning diplomatic power.Japan? Ha.Thursday morning, in what was essentially an undetected (by anyone except the Ninja and JIKIT) coup d' tat, pacifism was sacrificed on the Altar of Nationalism. Article 96's demise was pre-ordained. A poll taken on July 1st, 42% of Japanese felt positively about the repeal of Article 96 while 46% opposed it.The same agency took a new poll on August 28th. The economic-political situation of Japan was going through a titanic tidal shift. If Buddhism moved you toward devout pacifist, the Khanate had liberated Tibet and was clearly withdrawing as the UN troops' boots hit the ground.If you were a Nationalist of any kind, you were seeing a whole lot more people at your rallies, accessing your websites and signing up to join your formerly fringe parties. If you were a Socialist, you were scared. Why? The PRC was in the process of nationalizing all of Japan's (and South Korea's and Taiwan's) business interests in China, for the 'Duration of the Emergency', or so they said.That meant plenty of Japanese workers were losing their jobs and looking to blame someone. You couldn't blame the centrist LDP. The LDP had been working alongside the Japanese Communist Party for months. They had done nothing wrong and had worked tirelessly for a peaceful diplomatic solution. It was their 'comrades' in China, their Marxist confederates, who were costing the hard-working Japanese workers their jobs.If you were in the Establishment, all of the above worried the crap out of you. Japan's economy had been limping along at barely-positive growth for a decade. Your aging population needed more and more from their public services and, worst of all, you had nothing in your political and economic tool box to escape the obvious oncoming national catastrophe.The possibility of a Global Recession loomed on the horizon, if they were lucky. Highly respected economists in Japan and elsewhere were examining all the key indicators over the past three months and were suggesting hording as a viable policy for middle class households to consider. If you were in the Developing World, worse was heading your way.The word being bandied about on those esteemed academic internet websites wasn't 'recession', it was depression. Global prosperity thrived on nations investing in both their own economy and the economies of other nations. The governments representing a third of the World's population were not investing in their economies.Unless you were a war profiteer, you could expect fewer consumer goods on the shelves; and what was there would cost more. Your income wasn't going up; your expenses were. If you were an Atheistic homeowner in the Western World with a secured 3.25% fixed rate home loan, you took up religion. The prime interest rate would be racing for the 20% mark and that was only if your economy was stable.If you lived in a country in the Developing World, your trade goods didn't compete with those created in the G-20. Your competition was with other Developing World businesses and the prize was the pocketbooks of those consumers in the G-20, which was a shrinking purse.It wasn't like you were being paid all that much to begin with; and now those once poor-paying, but at least plentiful, jobs were drying up. You needed your government to help you out. It wasn't like those governments could raise money by taxing the unemployed and under-employed. They didn't have money. And the rich in most of those same nations had a long and successful legacy of avoiding paying.Those growing economies had a few tried and tested 'solutions' for getting their countries through these rough stretches.The IMF? 'We are out to make 'positive' capital investments and your economic outlook doesn't look promising. We suggest 'austerity'.'The BRICS? Since India and China were basically in an undeclared state of war: 'we won't be loaning anyone anything for a while.'The BIS? 'As soon as the People' Bank of China, the Reserve Bank of India, the Central Bank of Ireland, the Bank of Israel and the Central Bank of the Republic of Turkey get back to us about their sudden, serious lack of transparency, we'll call you back.'World Bank? Holy Shit! 'The world's going down the toilet, we will do what we can.'F Y I, I (as in Cáel) had been wrong. The 6 Elders of the Ninja families didn't talk to Japanese Prime Minister, Shinzō Awbee. They talked with another, far more immediately important man. So sue me (Cáel) for not knowing the inner workings of various world governments, and creatively interpreting events surrounding all those people I (Cáel) didn't. I'm a freaking Liberal Arts major with a fertile imagination, not a superspy, or even a competent Intelligence Analyst!}The Japanese government had appealed to the U.S., U.N., P.R.C., A.S.E.A.N., India; and (through back channels aka JIKIT) the Khanate for an end to this madness; all with typical results:The U.S.A: We are working on it (without letting them know what precisely they were working on)Japan: Well, do something fast. Our Government Bonds are about to be more useful as wallpaper.The U.N.: We are working on it (with their long-established tradition of not doing anything until the crisis had passed)Japan: You are preparing to pass a Resolution to move this matter from the First Committee to the Fourth Committee, gee, thanks guys. Will they be meeting sometime before Christmas?The PRC: We are too busy right now, so shut up, keep the trade lanes open, and was that your submarine we detected sneaking into our territorial waters?Japan: What? What do you mean you are 'too busy?' You are one of our biggest trading partners, your economy is going down the toilet, and, No! That was not our submarine in your territorial waters. That accusation is absurd.(Note from Japanese Prime Minister, Shinzō Awbee, to Admiral Katsutoshi Kawano, head of the JMSDF {the de facto Japanese Navy}), The PRC has made this outrageous claim that one of our submarines has been sneaking around their territorial waters. There is no truth to that rumor, right?Kawano: Which time?Prime Minister: Oh My God! What have you people been doing and why is this the first time I'm hearing about it?Kawano: Sir, if you are just now getting around to asking us, you don't want to know.Prime Minister: What do you mean 'I don't want to know?' I'm the head of the damn government and, you are right. Fine. There is no way I'm going back to the Chinese Ambassador and apologizing for any this. Is there any way this can come back to screw us over?Kawano: With all these US and British submarines helping us out, not very likely, Prime Minister.Prime Minister: Oh, very good. You are correct, I don't want to know what you 'haven't' been doing. I am ordering you to destroy all transcripts and recordings of this conversation.Kawano: It has been my distinct honor not having this conversation with you, Prime Minister. Sayōnara.ASEAN, What do you expect us to do about this? Have you seen the unimpressive combined sizes of our members' air forces and navies? Did you see the smack-down the Khanate has inflicted on the PLAN's South China Sea Fleet?Besides, the PRC is claiming that the Khanate launched covert attacks against the Parcels and Spratly islands which originated from Indonesian and Filipino waters. We are investigating the issue. If you are asking us for help, you are truly screwed. Don't call us. We will call you.Japan, {muttering} Investigating the attacks that came from your territory, bullshit! You are covering your own asses, damn it!(Note from Prime Minister, Shinzō Awbee, to Shotaro Yachi, Japanese National Security Advisor), I've heard an ugly rumor that the Khanate has forces secreted in the Philippines and Indonesia. Do you happen to know anything about it?Yachi: Yes Sir. We had advance notice of the organization, composition and destination of those forces.Awbee (while muttering 'no one tells me anything anymore'): What the! Would you please tell me what is going on.Yachi: We have made critical steps toward future alliances which will guarantee Japanese security for decades to come.Awbee What does that mean, and since when have you been creating and implementing foreign policy? We have a Minister for that, in case you somehow over-looked him at the last cabinet meeting. Wait! Does he know about this too?Yachi: No Sir, Foreign Minister Kishida is currently unaware of the Kinkyū tokushu sakusen tasukufōsu (Emergency Special Operations Task Force). Admiral Katsutoshi knows the basics of our operational policy, since we need to borrow some of his assets from time to time. Director-General Kitada (of the Public Security Intelligence Agency) and key personnel from the Foreign Ministry's Intelligence & Analysis Service and Security Bureau make up the majority of the task force's operatives.Awbee: What have you been doing?Yachi: You don't want to know, Mr. Prime Minister. It would make things, awkward.Awbee: 'You don't want to know', of course, I don't. I'm only the elected head of this government. Why would I possibly want to know what acts of espionage and war my deputies are executing?Yachi: I am glad we are on the same page, Sir. Will there be anything else?Awbee: No, wait. Do you have any intelligence on what the Khanate is up to?Yachi: Yes Sir. Is there anything in particular you want to know?Analysis Services: Can you contact someone in their leadership willing to discuss regional affairs?Yachi: I can put you in touch with the Great Khan himself if necessary.AS: What!Yachi: Sir, I would hardly be acting in our nation's best interests if I couldn't divine the intentions of the key players on the stage. Shall I initiate the necessary communications to facilitate that level of clandestine diplomatic contact?AS: No. Yes. No, I need to think about this. Hmm, have you been conducting any domestic espionage missions?Yachi: You don't want me to answer that, Sir.Awbee: of course I don't, I'm only the damn Prime Minister. Shotaro, I'm still Prime Minister, aren't I?Yachi: Yes Sir. We have been working overtime to ensure that. We've foiled two enemy assassination attempts and one attempted kidnapping so far. We remain vigilant.AS: How come this is the first I'm hearing about it? Is the head of my security in on this conspiracy of yours too?Yachi: No Sir. These particular guardians wish to avoid notoriety at all costs.Awbee: Okay. Good to know. Ah, keep up the good work and destroy any trace of this conversation.Yachi: Way ahead of you, Sir. Have a good night.India, Yes, we are more than willing to work with you toward regional stability. Care to acknowledge the Khanate's legitimacy first? We'd really appreciate it. Sure, get back to us when you've done that. Until then, the South China Sea Awaits! Yes, we plan to keep what we've earned. Later now. We think there is going to be further instability in Southeast Asia.Japan, Ya think? It is your damn warships sailing around the freaking South China Sea enforcing your utterly un-secret alliance with the Khanate. Why are you doing this to us? What have we ever done to you?The Khanate, We are not out to damage your national interests. We apologize, but there is now way we will call off this war with the Communist Chinese. It is them, or us, to the death. We have already received and agreed to your request to allow all Japanese flagged ships safe transit through the South China Sea. We really wish to be your friends this time, to make up for those two invasion attempts seven hundred years ago.(Note from  Prime Minister to Self) Great. The only reasonable people who aren't out to kick me in the nuts are also the ones I can't acknowledge talking to. I've got to do something a

26th Feb: Blockchain DXB Podcast

AI Review of Blockchain DXB Episode | Created using Notebook LM by GoogleIn today's AI-powered episode of Blockchain DXB under the AI Takeover Series, we analyze the latest developments in blockchain, crypto, and Web3.

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*) South Africa welcomes Türkiye's involvement in Gaza genocide case South Africa has welcomed Türkiye's involvement in Gaza genocide case against Israel at the International Court of Justice, saying it "will bring new perspective." Ronald Lamola, South Africa's international relations and cooperation minister, said: "Türkiye's intervention will enable the top court to see it from a new perspective." Lamola told reporters in the capital Pretoria that Türkiye's joining in South Africa's case against Israel "shows how solid the case is." *) China slams Israel for killing 100 Palestinians in Gaza school China has condemned the Israeli military's recent attack on a school sheltering displaced people in besieged Gaza that killed at least 100 Palestinians. Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesman Lin Jian said in a statement that Beijing denounces any actions that harm civilians. Lin said that his country opposes any actions that violate international humanitarian law urging Israel to immediately stop its attacks on Gaza. *) Ukraine controls 1,000 square kilometres in Russia's Kursk — army commander Ukraine's top commander, General Oleksandr Syrskyi, announced that Ukrainian forces now control 1,000 square kilometers of Russia's Kursk region. This is the first time Ukraine has publicly acknowledged this significant gain. In a video on President Zelenskyy's Telegram channel, Syrskyi reported that fighting continues along the front line and assured that the situation is under control. *) Thousands flee as wildfires bear down on Greek capital Thousands of people have fled their homes around Athens, including in the historical town of Marathon, as strong winds fanned a wall of wildfire flames closer to the Greek capital. Nearly 700 firefighters and over 30 aircraft battled the blazes that had advanced into the city's outer suburbs near Mount Pentelikon. And finally… *) 6th Intl Friendship Short Film Festival honours Palestinian stories The 6th International Friendship Short Film Festival organised in Istanbul by Balkon Film with the support of Türkiye's Ministry of Culture and Tourism's General Directorate of Cinema is set to welcome film enthusiasts next October. This year's festival will be held in honour of Palestine. Turkish films and those focusing on the themes of the Israeli occupation and Palestinian independence, particularly in the "Humanitarian Perspective" section, will have their submission fees waived. The "Humanitarian Perspective" section will focus on films that highlight Palestinian solidarity or the various struggles faced by Palestinians such as occupation, the Nakba and resistance.

01st July: Crypto & Coffee at 8

Emmanuelle PorcherCollège de FranceBiodiversité et écosystèmesAnnée 2023-2024Colloque - Nouvelles approches pour le suivi des plantes, des pollinisateurs et de leurs interactions dans un monde en changement : European Initiatives for Pollinator MonitoringDenis MichezLaboratory of Zoology, University of Mons, Mons, BelgiumRésuméSeveral studies have now shown at different spatial scale that certain species of the wild bee fauna are in decline in Europe. In response, some European countries and the European commission are implementing action plans to mitigate negative population trends. To evaluate the efficiency of these actions we need an accurate estimation of population. One of the first actions proposed is therefore an ambitious monitoring program, which involves the development of taxonomic recognition tools and training to use them. Several projects started in 2021 and concern the whole of European continent. We will present here the initiatives on taxonomy (ORBIT project) and on capacity building (SPRING project). ORBIT and SRPING are three-years projects commissioned by the General Directorate for Environment of the European Commission. Orbit aims to develop taxonomic resources for facilitating European bee inventory and monitoring. SPRING aims to strengthen the taxonomic capacity in EU Member States, and support preparation for the implementation of the EU Pollinator Monitoring Scheme "EU-PoMS", notably by organising training sessions for different level of expertise. The trainings aimed at 4 different levels: (i) identifying large pollinator groups, (ii) identifying bees and hoverflies to genus level, (iii) identifying bees or hoverflies to species group level, (iv) identifying bees or hoverflies to species level. Trainings at level (i) were developed at the national scale; levels (ii) and (iii) were covering multiple countries; and level (iv) considered the whole Europe. Moreover, the project created a series of e-learing materials on pollinator identification at different levels, focusing on the needs of people involved on the monitoring. All this material will be open to the public on the online portal 'Pollinator Academy', that will act as a hub to centralise information about already available tools related to pollinator identification (articles, online keys, books, interesting links, other courses, etc.).Denis MichezJe suis professeur de botanique et de zoologie à l'université de Mons où j'enseigne depuis 2008. Je développe des recherches sur les abeilles sauvages, leur taxonomie, leur distribution, leur écologie ou encore leur conservation. Je suis impliqué dans plusieurs projets européens, notamment sur le développement de liste rouge et sur l'impact des pesticides ou du changement climatique.

"Live" Theft on Hit Radio: Momo Prosecuted and Granted Bail The prosecutor of the Criminal Court of Aïn Sebaâ in Casablanca has decided to pursue Mohamed Bousfiha, also known as "Momo," the host of Hit Radio, in a state of freedom on bail of 100,000 dirhams. He is accused of participating in the intentional dissemination of false information. This case began after Hit Radio aired a video in which a listener claimed to have been the victim of a phone theft during a call, also accusing the police of non-intervention. The security authorities in Casablanca initiated a thorough investigation, which revealed that the caller had actually fabricated a fictitious theft in collaboration with a third party in order to boost the radio station's audience and derive personal benefits. The ongoing police investigations, conducted in coordination with the General Directorate of National Territory Surveillance, have also led to the prosecution of two other individuals for their involvement in fabricating a fictional crime, insulting an organization, and spreading false information. The second accomplice involved in these criminal acts has been arrested, and it has been revealed that he has previously committed several similar falsification operations in the past. It is important to note that the prosecutor has granted Momo bail, allowing him to remain in a state of freedom during the legal proceedings. The decision to pursue him in a state of freedom with a cautionary measure reflects the prosecutor's assessment that he does not pose a flight risk or a threat to public safety. This case highlights the importance of responsible journalism and the consequences of intentionally disseminating false information. The authorities are committed to upholding the law and ensuring that individuals who manipulate public perception for personal gain are held accountable. As the investigation continues, it remains to be seen how this case will unfold and what legal actions will be taken against those involved in this "live" theft on Hit Radio. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/chatgpt20/message

NEW, PREVIOUSLY UNKNOWN SPECIES OF 1,000-YEAR-OLD HUMANOIDS RECENTLY DISCOVERED IN PERU, TO BE PRESENTED TO THE MEDIA BY UNIQUE TEAM OF SCIENTISTS, UFOLOGISTS AND AWARD-WINNING INVESTIGATIVE FILMMAKERS DURING LOS ANGELES PRESS CONFERENCE TO BE LIVE STREAMED AROUND THE WORLD   Los Angeles, March 12, 2024 – In January 2024, two award-winning, Los Angeles-based investigative filmmakers, Serena DC and Michael Mazzola, took a trip together down to Mexico City to prove that the “alien mummies” which had been presented by iconic Mexican Investigator Jaime Maussan in Mexico City on September 13, 2023, before the Mexican Congress were, indeed fakes. Much to their surprise, DC and Mazzola discovered that the bodies Mr. Maussan had presented there that day were, in fact, A NEW SPECIES OF HUMANOID PREVIOUSLY UNKNOWN TO SCIENCE! Following Mr. Maussan's presentation on 9/13/23 in Mexico City, Peruvian officials went to great lengths to discredit his “bodies” by conflating them with “other bodies” – dolls, in fact -- which had been created by an artist. Then claiming that Mr. Maussan presented “dolls” at his event, the Peruvian Ministry of Culture succeeded in generating a massive amount of negative media attention around the world, discrediting both the legitimacy of Mr. Maussan's “bodies” and Mr. Maussan, himself. Today, at a Global Press Conference at The Mondrian Hotel on Sunset Blvd. in West Hollywood, CA, Serena DC and Michael Mazzola were joined by Mr. Jaime Maussan, inventor Adam Michael Curry, Peruvian Journalist Jois Mantilla, Dr. José de Jesús Zalce Benítez, Dr. Roger Zuñiga, Dr. Ricardo Manuel Anicama Pardo, Manuel Natividad Cruz Torres, Dr Juan Jose Rodriguez Lazo, Dr. Edgar Martin Hernandez, Dr. David Ruiz, and Dr. Rafael Arcangel Berrocal Ramos who collectively refuted the claims of “fake alien bodies.” This unique Team presented to the Media and to the World that Mr. Maussan's original two bodies, along with an additional five bodies discovered recently in a cave in Peru, HAVE BEEN SCIENTIFICALLY VERIFIED TO BE A PREVIOUSLY UNKNOWN SPECIES OF HUMANOIDS LIVING ON EARTH, 1,000 YEARS AGO. During the Press Conference, the Team live streamed scientists from four locations in Mexico and Peru who demonstrated in real time scientific analyses and live body scans of these never-seen-before bodies. Some of these bodies are even believed to contain some ancient technology, for which Metallurgical Expert and Engineer Dr Manuel Torres provided expert testimony. “This is a once in a lifetime press event, where reporters will be the first people on Earth to see these incredible beings and judge for themselves if they were once living creatures or ‘fakes.' After we present the mind-blowing forensic evidence behind these creatures, the true origins of these mysterious creatures will be open for discussion,” said DC and Mazzola. Regarding the September 2023 revelation of “alien mummies,” acclaimed Astrophysicist Neil Degrasse Tyson, on February 29, 2024, during an interview with 60 Minutes' Lesley Stahl, said, “We have to at least bring out the evidence. They did that in Mexico. That was an important first step – you present the evidence, then you send samples of it to other labs to verify or falsify your claims. That's how science works.” “We went down to Mexico to prove that these now infamous ‘alien mummies' were nothing but a fraud,” Serena DC and Michael Mazzola said. “But we immediately became aware that Peruvian officials and the media were pushing this as a fraud, not Jaime Maussan and not these scientists. Our press conference today is being presented to address all of the lies and misinformation about this topic that have been reported, around the world, since last September. Our goal is to hopefully set the record straight. These bodies are a significant archeological find – they are either an extinct, unknown species or the result of various genetic experiments from 1000 years ago, or something else we haven't considered. But they aren't dolls. And how could early humans have performed those genetic experiments 1000 years ago?” DC and Mazzola continue, “We have teamed up with a group of brilliant scientists, all of whom have been on the same quest as us – to discover the true origins of this new species. At today's press conference, our team of decorated scientists and forensics experts will be unveiling these ancient bodies, some of which stand about 4-feet tall. One of these scientists is Dr Jose Zlace, who has pointed out that “these tridactyl bodies correspond to biological and organic beings, with a harmonious and functional anatomical structure without traces of alteration or manipulation, being completely authentic, the DNA results corroborate their authenticity and at the same time demonstrate their differentiation to any Known species in Darwin's Taxonomy." Therefore, for Dr. Zalce we are faced with extraordinary bodies that could represent a paradigm shift in what is known and described by science as we currently know it. Dr Zlace states: "We need to protect these bodies from their natural degradation in order to preserve them and further deepen their study and understanding by the world's scientific community. These bodies of 3 different species are something extraordinary that must be treated with the necessary respect and objectivity so that humanity understands that we are facing something that could completely change our own conception and understanding as human beings.”  ABOUT THE BODIES: The bodies of several unidentified species recently discovered in a remote cave in South America have just been analyzed by American scientists who are ready to come forward with their shocking findings. The bodies, which have been carbon dated to be around 1,000 years old, have had extensive scans and DNA testing done to them. The results of these tests have revealed these facts: ** The bodies appear to be the result of highly sophisticated genetic experiments that were not possible to be performed by early humans in 1000 AD. ** Mysterious DNA: Analysis indicates that 30% of their genetic material remains unidentified, presenting a profound mystery about their existence and origin.** Unique Physiological Traits: Exhibiting tridactyl hands and feet, alongside atypical anthropometric features – these beings challenge the very framework of biological evolution. Scientists are convinced that they have discovered a brand-new species of beings who were sentient, intelligent and who walked the Earth 1,000 years ago. However, there is no record of these creatures in the history books, leaving the scientific community with more questions than answers. PRESENT AT TODAY'S PRESS EVENT: Iconic Mexican Journalist Jaime Maussan Award Winning Investigative Filmmaker Serena DC Award Winning Investigative Filmmaker Michael Mazzola Journalist Jois Mantilla Dr. José de Jesús Zalce Benítez:Lieutenant Colonel of the Mexican Navy; Naval Surgeon, former Head of Health Research and Development for the Mexican Navy. Dr. Roger Zuñiga:Anthropologist/Research Director, University of IcaLed 12-person scientific team investigating the bodies Dr. Ricardo Manuel Anicama Pardo:Head, Neck, and Maxillofacial SurgeonCurrent Chief of the Head and Neck Surgery Department at the National Hospital Edgardo Rebagliati Martins Manuel Natividad Cruz Torres:Engineer and Metalurgical expert who analyzed the “technology” inside the bodies Dr Juan Jose Rodriguez Lazo:Renowned expert in hand micro-surgery Dr. Edgar Martin HernandezPhD Biologist Adam Michael CurryConsciousness researcher, technology executive, and frontier science advocate. Dr. David Ruiz:Plastic Surgeon & Forensic Expert Dr. Rafael Arcangel Berrocal Ramos:Lawyer who will comment on the judicial gaps in the constitutional framework around the unidentified anomalous bodies Credentials of Dr. José de Jesús Zalce Benítez: • Lieutenant Colonel of the Mexican Navy.• Naval Surgeon, graduate of the Naval Medical School of the Ministry of the Navy, Mexican Navy.• Master's Degree in Forensic Medicine, graduate of the Military School of Health Graduates of the Mexican Army.• Diploma in Aerospace Medicine, Mexican Air Force of the Mexican Army.• Diploma in Forensic Anthropology, National School of Anthropology and History.• Medical Strategic Leadership Program, Center of Medical Excellence, United States Army, Fort Sam San Antonio, Texas, USA.• Former Director of the Institute of Health Sciences Research of the Ministry of the Navy.• Former Director of Medical Procurement and Supplies of the General Directorate of Naval Health of the Ministry of the Navy.• Former Deputy Director of Inspection of Naval Health Establishments of the Inspection and General Comptroller of the Navy.• Former Head of Legal and Forensic Medicine of the Mexican Navy.• Forensic Medical Expert of the General Military Justice Prosecutor's Office.• Forensic Medical Expert and medical expert for Naval command consultancy.• Former Advisor to the Naval Intelligence Unit and the Special Operations Unit of the Navy. Dr. José de Jesús Zalce Benítez's summary of ANALYSIS OF THE NAZCA BODIES: - Body known as Maria, approximately 168 centimeters tall, with tridactyl hands and feet with 5 phalanges on each finger, with linear fingerprints on the fingers, without apparent traces of mammary glands, navel, or external genitals, elongated skull vertically with approximately 30% greater volume capacity inside, eye sockets larger than the average recorded in an adult human, without apparent auricular pavilion. The following studies were conducted: X-rays, 64 and 128 slice computed tomography with 3D reconstruction, carbon 14 dating, and DNA analysis with the following result: 30% unknown and 70% with diverse contributions from unrelated hominids, without traces of alteration on its surface neithBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/earth-ancients--2790919/support.

In 2022, Aquatic Life Institute (ALI) led the charge in Banding Together to Ban Octopus Farming. In 2024, we are ecstatic to see these efforts come to fruition in Washington State. This landmark achievement underscores our collective commitment to rejecting the introduction of additional animals into the seafood system and positions Washington State as a true pioneer in aquatic animal welfare legislation. In light of this success, ALI is joining forces with various organizations to advocate for similar bans across the United States and utilizing these monumental examples as leverage in continuous European endeavors. 2022 Aquatic Life Institute (ALI) and members of the Aquatic Animal Alliance (AAA) comment on the Environmental Impact of Nueva Pescanova before the Government of the Canary Islands: General Directorate of Fisheries and the General Directorate for the Fight against Climate Change and the Environment. Allowing this industrial octopus farm to operate [...] ---Outline:(00:45) 2022(01:44) 2023(03:37) 2024(04:50) March 14, 2024--- First published: March 15th, 2024 Source: https://forum.effectivealtruism.org/posts/AD8QchabkrygXkdgm/we-did-it-victory-for-octopus-in-washington-state --- Narrated by TYPE III AUDIO.

Welcome to The Nonlinear Library, where we use Text-to-Speech software to convert the best writing from the Rationalist and EA communities into audio. This is: We Did It! - Victory for Octopus in Washington State, published by Tessa @ ALI on March 15, 2024 on The Effective Altruism Forum. In 2022, Aquatic Life Institute (ALI) led the charge in Banding Together to Ban Octopus Farming. In 2024, we are ecstatic to see these efforts come to fruition in Washington State. This landmark achievement underscores our collective commitment to rejecting the introduction of additional animals into the seafood system and positions Washington State as a true pioneer in aquatic animal welfare legislation. In light of this success, ALI is joining forces with various organizations to advocate for similar bans across the United States and utilizing these monumental examples as leverage in continuous European endeavors. 2022 Aquatic Life Institute (ALI) and members of the Aquatic Animal Alliance (AAA) comment on the Environmental Impact of Nueva Pescanova before the Government of the Canary Islands: General Directorate of Fisheries and the General Directorate for the Fight against Climate Change and the Environment. Allowing this industrial octopus farm to operate could result in serious bio security and biophysical risks with regard to effluents being produced from this facility and discharged to surrounding waterways. There were many issues associated with the information provided by Nueva Pescanova as it relates to the environmental impacts of the proposed project, which we addressed in detail. Through the launch of Aquatic Life Institute's Octopus Farming Ban Campaign, we exposed the dangers of Nueva Pescanova's commercial octopus farm in Gran Canaria, as well as an octopus farm in Yucatan, Mexico, masquerading as a research facility (Hiding in Plain Sight). 2023 If permitted to operate, just one farm could potentially produce 1 million octopuses each year. In an attempt to dissuade future development of this unsustainable and cruel farming endeavor, ALI pushed initiatives via our seafood certification campaign and focused on the certified marketability of this potential seafood "product" through the Aquaculture Certification Schemes Animal Welfare Benchmark. ALI expanded on our prior concerns related to impacts on animal welfare, the environment, and public health being priority points of intervention during conversations with seafood certification schemes as a premise for prohibition. As a result, RSPCA published a statement denouncing plans for the world's first octopus farm and Friend of the Sea provided us with a direct quotation explicitly stating they will not certify this species. If global seafood certifications refuse to create a "price premium" market for this product, perhaps this could serve as an indication to producers and investors that such products will not be welcomed or worth it. These demonstrations of opposition are a testament to our attempts at rejecting a dangerous development before it is an industrial disaster and translates to the prevention of unnecessary suffering for millions of animals. Through collaborative efforts with members of the Aquatic Animal Alliance (AAA) and the Aquatic Animal Policy focus group (AAP), spearheaded by the Aquatic Life Institute, we actively advocated for HB 1153 in Washington State. Several ALI team members were present during the public hearing for the House Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee to vote on HB 1153 - Prohibiting Octopus Farming and submitted subsequent written testimony in support. Our extensive communications with decision makers contributed to a series of successful milestones, ultimately resulting in its enactment into law. 2024 February proved to be a fast and furious month as we witnessed history being made: February 6, 2024: HB 1153 is pulled and passes the House Floor. February 14, 2024: ALI wrote to all Washington's Senate Senators of the Agriculture,...

As he says himself, every ship needs its captain, and our captain on today's episode of the iGaming Daily podcast sponsored by Optimove is SBC Noticias Journalist Fernando Noodt Molins, joined on the good ship iGD by SBC Noticias Editor Lucía Gando, and SBC Notícias Brasil's Isadora Marcante.Fernando first gets Isa's thoughts on a recent shakeup in the regulatory picture in Brazil, as José Francisco Manssur, special advisor to the Ministry of Finance, and the man responsible for handling the regulation of the sports betting sector has left the government. In the second half of the podcast, Lu and Fer chat about some major recent updates in Peru, as the Government seeks a new President to lead the General Directorate of Casino Games and Slot Machines (DGJCMT), following the removal of incumbent Eduardo Sevilla Echevarría, whose tenure was terminated yesterday by MINCETUR, Peru's Ministry of Foreign Trade and Tourism.Some links mentioned on the podcast:https://sbcnoticias.com/br/espaco-juridico-guilherme-sadi-publicidade-das-apostas/https://sbcnoticias.com/peru-proceso-licitacion-inicio-featured/Host: Fernando Noodt MolinsGuest: Isadora Marcante, Lucía GandoProducer: Anaya McDonaldEditor: James RossRemember to check out our partners Optimove at https://hubs.la/Q02gLC5L0 or go to Optimove.com/sbc to get your first month free when buying the industry's leading customer-loyalty service.  

Currently, a lot is going on in the European Union concerning regulations that can impact nature and nature restoration. To get a better understanding of the current state of nature in the European Union and the future of nature conservation and restoration I talk with Frank Vassen. Frank works in the Nature Unit in the General Directorate for the Environment at the European Commission. That might sound a little dry but worry not. The conversation was joyful and funny at times. Frank has a good sense of humour and deep understanding of nature conservation and you can see his passion for it.After listening to this episode you will have a comprehensive view of the current state of affairs when it comes to nature conservation in the European context. I asked Frank to explain terms like Natura 2000, 30 by 30, OECMs, etc. These are the terms that we often hear but it's not always clear what they are and what level of nature protection they offer. We also discuss the challenges faced by nature conservation and restoration initiatives and the possible solutions. We finish with the outlook for the future of nature conservation and restoration in the EU.Last but not least, we discuss what citizens and voters in the European Union can do to help nature and nature conservation efforts. Spoiler alert: we're not going to tell you who to vote for and it turns out there are more ways to get involved than only through casting votes. That is not to say, of course, that your democratic privileges (duties?) are not important.The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the individual participants and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of any organisation. The participants are expressing their personal opinions and perspectives.Subscribe to Tommy's Outdoors: Conservation and Science NewsletterSupport the Podcast and Buy Me a Coffee.Recommended Books: tommysoutdoors.com/booksMerch: tommysoutdoors.com/shopFollow Tommy's Outdoors on Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, TikTok and FacebookMentioned in this episode:DisclaimerThe views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the individual participants and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of any organisation. The participants are expressing their personal opinions and perspectives.

23rd Oct: Crypto & Coffee at 8

Top 5 Most Read RNS's on Vox Markets for Monday 6th March 2023 5. Versarien #VRS - Costain Civil Engineering Project Versarien announce the completion of the construction phase of a civil engineering project being undertaken by the Company with a subsidiary of Costain Group plc. Versarien has been working with Costain to develop designs for, and bring into production, a 3D printed concrete headwall for use in highway construction projects, part of the Digital Roads of the Future Partnership, a collaboration led by the University of Cambridge, Costain and National Highways, of which Versarien is a partner. 4. Horizonte Minerals #HZM - Araguaia Line2 Feasibility Study Contracts Awarded Horizonte Minerals reports that it has awarded contracts for the Line 2 Feasibility Study at its Araguaia Nickel Project. The second line at Araguaia is expected to increase production by 100% to 29,000 tonnes of nickel per year through the construction of a duplicate RKEF processing facility ("Line 2"). 3. IOG PLC #IOG - Blythe H2 well spud IOG plc confirms that the Blythe H2 well was spudded at 3.20am on Sunday 5th March. The H2 well is expected to take approximately three months to drill, complete and hook-up, subject to the usual offshore operational risks to scheduling. 2. Greatland Gold #GGP - 2023 Half Year Results Summary Cash: £59.8 million (30 June 2022: £10.4 million) § Total Debt: £43.5 million (30 June 2022: £43.1 million) § Operating loss (before share-based payments): £3.5 million (H1 FY22: £2.9 million) § Havieron Feasibility Study progressing; focus on value enhancing options § Updated Mineral Resource for Havieron of 85Mt at 2.0g/t Au and 0.26% Cu for a total of 5.5Moz of Au and 222kt of Cu (100% basis), being over 6.5Moz AuEq 1. UK Oil & Gas #UKOG - Turkey: Pinarova-1 drilling update UK Oil & Gas announce that further to its Pinarova-1 release of 1st March 2023, the Company is now in possession of Turkey's General Directorate of Mining & Petroleum Affairs' formal written consent covering the Pinarova-1 exploration well's geological and technical objectives and design. As is customary, GDMPA request that they must receive a notice of intended "spud" date five days before actual drilling commencement, still currently expected to be around the end of March or early April 2023.

The 15th exhibition of grapes and honey, which is held by the General Directorate of Agriculture in Dohuk, with the wide participation of farmers and beekeepers from various villages in Dohuk Governorate. The exhibition displayed dozens of grapes, along side with the local product of honey. To find out more details about the exhibition, the number of participants and to know the most important challenges facing farmers in marketing their local products, SBS Assyrian spoke to agricultural engineer (Ibtisam Sadiq)regarding this exibition.

A daily news briefing from Catholic News Agency, powered by artificial intelligence. Ask your smart speaker to play “Catholic News,” or listen every morning wherever you get podcasts. www.catholicnewsagency.com - The government of Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega, which has been in power for 15 years, expelled 18 Missionaries of Charity from the Central American country on July 6. According to the newspaper El Confidencial, the nuns were taken by the General Directorate of Migration and Immigration and the police from the cities of Managua and Granada, where they had been serving the poor, to the border country of Costa Rica. Of the 18 sisters, there are seven Indians, two Mexicans, two Filipinos, two Guatemalans, two Nicaraguans, one Spaniard, one Ecuadorian, and one Vietnamese. The religious order was founded by Saint Teresa of Calcutta. The dissolution of the Missionaries of Charity and another 100 NGOs in Nicaragua was approved June 29 by the National Assembly on an “urgent” basis and without any debate. https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/251742/missionaries-of-charity-expelled-from-nicaragua-by-order-of-ortega-government Florida Senator Marco Rubio urged Tuesday that the Biden administration clarify that it will not pay for federal employees' sick leave while traveling for an abortion. In the letter, the Republican senator expressed his concern that providing sick leave for employees obtaining abortions could violate the Hyde Amendment. The legislative provision bars federal funding of abortion, with exceptions in cases of rape, incest, or to save the life of the mother. The Biden administration, he claimed, is “even willing to violate longstanding federal law prohibiting the use of taxpayer monies to fund abortions or abortion services.” https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/251740/rubio-urges-that-biden-administration-honor-hyde-amendment-regarding-abortion-travel Today, the Church celebrates Saints Aquila and Priscilla, a Jewish couple from Rome who had been exiled to Corinth, and were friends of St. Paul in the first century. They hosted St. Paul on his visit to that city and were probably converted by him. They are mentioned a few times in the New Testament in glowing terms by their friend Paul. They were tentmakers, thus sharing the same profession as Paul, and because of this it is thought that Paul may have worked with them. Acts 18:18-19 tells us that they accompanied Paul to Ephesus and stayed there with him for three years. In the era of Masses being held in house churches, their house was an important one. https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/saint/sts-aquila-and-priscilla-531

The Regulation Amending the Regulation on Non-Cash Lotteries and Draws of the General Directorate of the National Lottery was published in the Official Gazette dated 16 June 2022. The Regulation introduces new application processes for the organization of non-cash lotteries and draws.

Recent Development The recent developments in the healthcare sector are: (1) the Draft Guideline on the License Application for Foods for Special Medical Purposes, (2) the Draft Guideline on the Stability Studies of Foods for Special Medical Purposes published by the Turkish Pharmaceuticals and Medical Devices Authority and (3) the Guideline on the Distance Health Information Systems (USBS) published by the General Directorate of Health Information Systems.

The Bureau (original title: Le Bureau des Légendes) is a French political thriller television series created by Éric Rochant and produced by TOP - The Oligarchs Productions and Canal+, which revolves around the lives of agents of the DGSE (General Directorate of External Security), France's principal external security service. Originally aired in France from 27 April 2015, it was launched in the United States and Canada on iTunes on 1 June 2016 as part of a new international "Episodic Cinema" label, quickly reaching the Top Five.[1][2] In the United Kingdom, the series was released exclusively by Amazon Prime on 17 June 2016.[3][4] The first season received positive reviews in both France and other countries, and won several awards. The second season has been universally acclaimed, and has even been seen by some as the best television ever produced in France.[5] The third and fourth seasons, respectively aired in France beginning 22 May 2017[6] and 22 October 2018,[7] have met with further acclaim, with praise for the show's acting, pacing, plot and realism.[8]

AUCKLAND CITY. AUCKLAND. French Defence Minister Charles Hernu caught wind of Greenpeace's plan to protest upcoming French tests in late 1984. After reportedly ‘exploding with fury', Hernu ordered the French security service, the General Directorate for External Security or in French, Direction Générale de la Sécurité Extérieure (DGSE) to investigate the rumours. To ensure the security of France, discussions surrounding ‘neutralising' the Greenpeace mission commenced. Ideas in the form of reports began coming across Charles Hernu's desk. In late March 1985, the DGSE was given the green light to go ahead with the plan. They codenamed the mission, “Operation Satanique”. Visit www.truecrimenz.com for information on how to vote for the next episode or click here to take you directly to the page. Visit www.truecrimenz.com for additional information on this case. Including a transcript of this episode, with supporting pictures, sources, and credits. Link to video mentioned at the end of the podcast: The Rainbow Warrior Bomber Breaks His Silence 

The largest grouping in Brussels, The UK Brexit Party, arrived at their first European Parliament session today and immediately kicked off a row by turning their backs as the EU anthem was played. This has been happening against a backdrop of the EU voting for key positions to be filled. The leaders of the EU 28 member states met last Tuesday to hammer out who should take over from Jean-Claude Juncker, the president of the European Commission, and Donald Tusk, the president of the European Council, as well as a number of other roles. The Spanish economy has continued to surpass expectations for 2019, while outperforming the wider European economy. The Bank of Spain has responded to this strong performance by increasing its yearly growth forecast from 2.2% to 2.4%, a particularly impressive figure given that the overall European economy has a growth rate of 1.4%. The lack of a stable government in Madrid, more than two months after the April 28 general election, means that nobody is working on getting a national budget approved – the election was called early partly due to acting Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez’s inability to sell his blueprint to parliament. NEW guidelines have been submitted by the General Directorate of Traffic to increase the penalties imposed for distractions whilst driving. Actions such as sending or reading a Whatsapp message, talking on the phone, manipulating the touch screen in any way or car navigation, opening a soda bottle or even lighting a cigarette will all be punishable by a fine and 6 points deducted from your license. . MEMBERS of Madrid’s Greenpeace carried banners saying “Central Madrid works” and “no more cars” on the first day that fines are suspended in the low emission areas of Madrid. IN the UK Labour was plunged into a fresh anti-Semitism row today as a poll revealed heavy support for controversial MP Chris Williamson to be reinstated despite him saying the party was 'too apologetic' about anti-Jewish abuse. ....LOUISE ATKINSON writing about Glastonbury: It is utterly disgusting, but sadly typical. The sight of field after field,pictured left and right, covered in rubbish has become the inevitable fall-out of the summer festival culture as people (usually young people aged 17-24 let their hair down, party their socks off and then stagger back to their middle-class homes leaving environmental carnage behind. Whilst the Brazilian rainforests are being demolished at the rate of one football pitch per minute...The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have asked fans to consider their carbon footprint, just days after new figures show the Royal Household's emissions doubled last year. Parents should put their smartphones down and take every opportunity to talk to their children face to face, the Education Secretary ...........Damian Hinds believes keeping up with social media and work emails often prevents mums and dads from chatting to their offspring. Leapy Lee......I am completely aware that I am ‘also an immigrant.’ I am actually quite a proud immigrant. Many years ago, due to personal reasons, I left the UK and, after some years in the Middle East, moved to Spain where I have resided for the last 35 years. This country has been good to me. .......... Unfortunately the majority of aliens that are pouring into Europe at this time appear to have a different agenda altogether. I am fervently convinced that if our so called leaders don’t wake up soon it will all be too late. Sadly, I

The largest grouping in Brussels, The UK Brexit Party, arrived at their first European Parliament session today and immediately kicked off a row by turning their backs as the EU anthem was played. This has been happening against a backdrop of the EU voting for key positions to be filled. The leaders of the EU 28 member states met last Tuesday to hammer out who should take over from Jean-Claude Juncker, the president of the European Commission, and Donald Tusk, the president of the European Council, as well as a number of other roles. The Spanish economy has continued to surpass expectations for 2019, while outperforming the wider European economy. The Bank of Spain has responded to this strong performance by increasing its yearly growth forecast from 2.2% to 2.4%, a particularly impressive figure given that the overall European economy has a growth rate of 1.4%. The lack of a stable government in Madrid, more than two months after the April 28 general election, means that nobody is working on getting a national budget approved – the election was called early partly due to acting Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez’s inability to sell his blueprint to parliament. NEW guidelines have been submitted by the General Directorate of Traffic to increase the penalties imposed for distractions whilst driving. Actions such as sending or reading a Whatsapp message, talking on the phone, manipulating the touch screen in any way or car navigation, opening a soda bottle or even lighting a cigarette will all be punishable by a fine and 6 points deducted from your license. . MEMBERS of Madrid’s Greenpeace carried banners saying “Central Madrid works” and “no more cars” on the first day that fines are suspended in the low emission areas of Madrid. IN the UK Labour was plunged into a fresh anti-Semitism row today as a poll revealed heavy support for controversial MP Chris Williamson to be reinstated despite him saying the party was 'too apologetic' about anti-Jewish abuse. ....LOUISE ATKINSON writing about Glastonbury: It is utterly disgusting, but sadly typical. The sight of field after field,pictured left and right, covered in rubbish has become the inevitable fall-out of the summer festival culture as people (usually young people aged 17-24 let their hair down, party their socks off and then stagger back to their middle-class homes leaving environmental carnage behind. Whilst the Brazilian rainforests are being demolished at the rate of one football pitch per minute...The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have asked fans to consider their carbon footprint, just days after new figures show the Royal Household's emissions doubled last year. Parents should put their smartphones down and take every opportunity to talk to their children face to face, the Education Secretary ...........Damian Hinds believes keeping up with social media and work emails often prevents mums and dads from chatting to their offspring. Leapy Lee......I am completely aware that I am ‘also an immigrant.’ I am actually quite a proud immigrant. Many years ago, due to personal reasons, I left the UK and, after some years in the Middle East, moved to Spain where I have resided for the last 35 years. This country has been good to me. .......... Unfortunately the majority of aliens that are pouring into Europe at this time appear to have a different agenda altogether. I am fervently convinced that if our so called leaders don’t wake up soon it will all be too late. Sadly, I

Thousands of foreign investors and residents have been identified for a "golden card" permanent residency scheme, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai announced in May. Top business leaders from across the Emirates said the move will give investors greater confidence to settle in the country. They also believe it will create greater demand for buying property, boosting a sluggish property market in Dubai and Abu Dhabi. On Tuesday the General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs announced that 400 individuals had received the golden card so far and that executives with a salary of Dh30,000 or more could apply for the visa.  Host Mustafa Alrawi, Assistant Editor in Chief, and Kelsey Warner, Assistant Business Editor, discuss the potential impact that the 'Golden Card' could bring. Read more on our website: Who is eligible and how to apply for the UAE's 10-year golden residency visa (https://www.thenational.ae/uae/government/who-is-eligible-and-how-to-apply-for-the-uae-s-10-year-golden-residency-visa-1.879152)

Cesar Ulises Trevino is the General Director of Bioconstrucción y Energía Alternativa, a pioneering consulting firm and leader in sustainable building in Mexico and Latin America.  He has developed emblematic projects including the first LEED-NC Gold and LEED-NC Platinum certifications in Latin America.Cesar has been the keynote speaker at multiple conferences in America, Europe and Asia. He is a member of the Advisory Group on Sustainable Building of the Commission of Environmental Cooperation for North America.  Additionally Cesar is an editorial collaborator in various magazines and specialized magazines. Cesar Ulises Trevino - Get To Know Cesar Cesar grew up in Monterrey, Mexico. He was a civil engineer at Tec de Monterrey, with a master's degree in construction management from the University of Newcastle in England. He developed his professional career in Grupo Vitro (Mexico), the Norwegian Institute of Research for Construction (Norway) and the General Directorate of Construction of Works of the Metro (Mexico). He was the first professional Hispanic to receive the LEED Accreditation™ AP and the prestigious LEED™ Fellow. Cesar was also the founding president of the Mexico Green Building Council and former Secretary-General of the World Green Building Council.   Mentors Cesar looks to people that have encouraged and helped him throughout his career. He mentions his family first, saying how they've always had his back. Cesar mentions how he has had many mentors and it is hard to single anyone out. He has enjoyed working with everyone and continues to love it. “I can tell you that the best experience from this journey is the people.” - Cesar Ulises Trevino   Accomplishments Cesar is very happy with his group for completing milestone projects. He has completed projects in Latin America, Mexico, and Norway. There have been some challenges with LEED in Cesar's region. They have gotten better over time, but at one point it was hard for Cesar to make a business case and do what he wanted to do. Cesar has had to work extremely hard to get where he is, and it shows with the progress made in his region. “It was a very strong message to the industry. This project can be done, and it was achieved by Mexicans.” - Cesar Ulises Trevino   Tune into this podcast to listen to the rest of Cesar Ulises Trevino's journey in this podcast hosted by Charlie.   Connect with Cesar Ulises Trevino: Linkedin   Connect with Charlie Cichetti and GBES: Charlie on LinkedIn Green Building Educational Services GBES on Twitter Connect on LinkedIn Like on Facebook Google+ GBES Pinterest Pins GBES on Instagram   GBES is excited our membership community is growing.  Consider joining our membership community as members are given access to some of the guests on the podcasts that you can ask project questions. If you are preparing for an exam, there will be more insurances that you will pass your next exam, you will be given cliff notes if you are a member, and so much more. Go to www.gbes.com/join to learn more about the 4 different levels of access to this one-of-a-kind career-advancing green building community! If you truly enjoyed the show, don't forget to leave a positive rating and review on iTunes.  We have prepared more episodes for the upcoming weeks, so come by again next week! Thank you for tuning in to the Green Building Matters Podcast! Copyright © 2019 GBES

Hassan Akram (Wake Forest University) XXII IDP Industrial Development and Policy Lecture Following its transition to democracy in the 1990s, Chile was an early and enthusiastic adopter of the strategy of global economic integration via bilateral and later multilateral Free Trade Agreements (FTAs) as well as through Bilateral Investment Treaties (BITs). Chile signed is first FTA with Bolivia in 1993 and quickly negotiated agreements with all its major trading partners including the EU (2003), the USA (2004) and China (2006). To date Chile has 26 active FTAs and 37 active BITs, the second highest number in Latin America. The ratification of these treaties by Congress, following their negotiation by the General Directorate of International Economic Relations (DIRECON), was largely a formality, each one passing with very large, near unanimous, majorities demonstrating Chile’s commitment to neoliberal globalisation. When Donald Trump pulled the USA out of the Transpacific Partnership (TPP) the Chilean government was instrumental in the resurrection of this multilateral trade pact, which was re-baptised, without the USA, as the Comprehensive and Progressive Trans-Pacific Partnership (CP-TPP). Given Chile’s bipartisan commitment to trade integration through multilateral treaties the government assumed that the ratification of the CP-TPP would be a fait accompli but a very vocal civil society movement engaged in very high mobilisation against it. Although the treaty passed in the Chamber of Deputies there was the highest level of parliamentary rejection of a TLC in Chilean history. We will seek to analyse and understand why multilateral trade integration has become politically controversial in Chile, contrasting the ‘pragmatic’ case against this particular agreement with the broader politicised rejection of the neoliberal project tout court. Speaker Biography: Hassan Akram is the Director of Wake Forest University’s Chile Centre and also teaches Public Policy at the Diego Portales University where the centre is based. He used to work for the Ministry of Planning and Development in Venezuela when Hugo Chávez was president, and before that at the NGO War on Want when Gordon Brown was Prime Minister. He has a PhD in Social and Political Science from the University of Cambridge, as well as a masters in Development Studies and another in Sociology from the same institution. Speaker: Hassan Akram (Wake Forest University), Antonio Andreoni (SOAS) Released by: SOAS Economics Podcasts