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Bangladesh Unrest Highlights: Bangladesh High Commissioner called in by MEA amid security concerns H-1B visa lottery scrapped: Why Trump admin's new rule will hit Indians the hardest Internet suspended in Assam's Karbi Anglong district amid violence, protests Libyan army chief killed in plane crash near Turkiye's capital ‘He shares our love of young, nubile girls': Trump hints in new Epstein files Dhurandhar box office collection day 19: Ranveer Singh film mints ₹588 crore, surpasses SRK's Jawan's Hindi haul Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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A whole mess of AI generated shownotes. Enjoy! 00:25 – Christmas in Hong Kong, KFC in JapanJoel (Jack the Insider) opens Episode 138 and checks in with Jack (Hong Kong Jack) about Hong Kong's love of Christmas shopping, surreal mall installations and the absence of nativity scenes, before detouring to Japan's KFC-at-Christmas tradition.01:50 – Australia's world‑first social media ban for under‑16sThe Jacks unpack the new national ban on social media for under‑16s, the generational politics of Gen Alpha kids and millennial parents, and the “pick up a book, go for a bike ride” messaging from Anthony Albanese and Julie Inman Grant.They read out Vox pops about kids discovering life without apps, YouTube‑driven body image issues, and the early scramble to alternative chat and file‑sharing apps like LemonAid.05:35 – Social engineering, High Court challenge and mental health concernsThey describe the policy as a conscious piece of social engineering aimed at reshaping youth culture over a decade, and note the High Court challenge led by the Digital Freedom Movement and Libertarian MLC John Ruddick.Beyond Blue, Headspace, ReachOut and the Black Dog Institute warn about cutting off access to online mental‑health support, as the Jacks weigh the internet's harms against the value of peer support communities for young people.09:35 – Enforcement gaps, workarounds and parental resistanceThe Jacks discuss uneven implementation, with some under‑16s apparently still able to access Facebook and Instagram while other apps are wiped, and a rush into less‑regulated platforms.They note reports that up to a third of parents will quietly help kids stay online and float the idea of a nationwide “kitchen‑table” style forum to help parents understand the risks and responsibilities around kids' social media use.12:00 – A social experiment the world is watchingThey canvas overseas interest, with Denmark, Spain and others eyeing bans at 15 rather than 16, and Sarah Ferguson's description of Australia's move as a live “social experiment” whose results are very much unknown.13:05 – Richo's state funeral and the dark arts of NSW Labor RightThe conversation turns to Graham “Richo” Richardson's state funeral, his reputation as Labor's master organiser and electoral numbers man, and his long life “on the public purse”.Joel recounts Richo's link to Balmain Welding and Stan “Standover” Smith, arguing that New South Wales Labor Right's success always had a darker underbelly.15:10 – Paul Brereton, the NACC and conflicts of interestThey examine National Anti‑Corruption Commission boss Paul Brereton's updated disclosures about his ongoing work with the Inspector‑General of the ADF and Afghanistan war‑crimes inquiries, revealed via FOI.The Jacks question whether someone so intertwined with Defence can credibly oversee corruption matters touching Defence acquisitions, and whether carving out whole domains from his remit makes his appointment untenable.18:25 – A quiet NACC, no perp walks and media theatreThe Jacks note how quietly the NACC has operated in Canberra—“blink and you'd miss them”—with none of the televised “perp walks” beloved of New South Wales ICAC coverage.Jack welcomes the absence of media spectacle; Joel admits to missing the grimace‑through‑the‑cameras moment as accused figures run the gauntlet.19:50 – Victorian youth vote turns on LaborNew polling of 18–34‑year‑olds in Victoria shows Labor's vote down 11 points to 28 per cent and the Coalition's up 17 points to 37 per cent, with the Greens steady at 20 per cent.The Jacks argue the Victorian Labor government looks to be in terminal decline, discuss leadership options for Jacinta Allan, and canvass how quickly preference “cascades” can flip a long‑term government once momentum turns.22:15 – Green exports vs coal, Treasury modelling under fireThey dissect Treasury modelling which suggests “green exports” (critical minerals, rare earths, battery inputs) will surpass coal and gas within a decade, and note scepticism from former Treasury official and now CBA chief economist Stephen Yeaman.The Jacks highlight International Energy Agency updates showing coal demand in key markets staying high, and the reality that renewables growth is largely meeting new demand rather than cutting deeply into existing coal and gas use.25:05 – Coal to 2049 and the reality of the gridJack points to Australian market operator projections that coal will remain in the domestic mix until at least 2049, while Joel questions which ageing coal plants will physically survive that long without new builds.They agree modelling must continually be revised against actual demand profiles in China, India, Indonesia and elsewhere, where coal still supplies half or more of electricity.27:20 – 30‑year suppression orders and transparencyThe Jacks shift to a 30‑year suppression order over evidence behind Tanya Plibersek's decision to block a $1 billion coal mine until 2055, and more broadly the proliferation of long‑term suppression orders in Australia.They criticise the over‑use of secrecy in both environmental and criminal matters, arguing it breeds suspicion that justice and accountability can be bought by the wealthy.28:25 – The “prominent family” sexual assault case in VictoriaWithout naming the individual, they discuss a Victorian case involving the convicted son of a prominent family whose identity remains suppressed even after guilty findings for serious sexual offences.They worry that blanket suppression encourages rumour, misidentification and a sense that powerful people get special treatment, even when protection of victims is a legitimate concern.30:05 – From undercover cop to gangland wars: how secrecy backfiresJoel revisits an NSW example where an undercover police officer's drink‑driving conviction was suppressed for 55 years, and Melbourne gangland cases where key cooperating witnesses remained pseudonymous for decades.The Jacks argue that when authorities create information vacuums, gossip and conspiracy inevitably rush in to fill the space.33:50 – MP expenses, family reunion travel and Annika Wells' bad day outThey turn to MPs' entitlements and “family reunion” travel: Annika Wells' ski‑trip optics and poor press conference performance, Don Farrell's extensive family travel, and Sarah Hanson‑Young's $50,000 in family travel for her lobbyist husband.While acknowledging how hard federal life is—especially for WA MPs—they question where legitimate family support ends and taxpayer‑funded lifestyle begins.37:05 – Why family reunion perks exist (and how they're abused)The Jacks recall the tragic case of Labor MP Greg Wilton as a driver for more generous family travel rules, given the emotional cost of long separations.They conclude the system is necessary but ripe for exploitation, and note the Coalition's relatively muted response given its own exposure to the same rules.39:15 – Diplomatic drinks trolleys: London, New York and the UNJoel notes Stephen Smith's stint as High Commissioner in London—the “ultimate drinks trolley” of Australian diplomacy—and his replacement by former SA Premier Jay Weatherill.Jack mentions Smith's reputation for being stingy with hospitality at Australia House, in contrast to the traditionally lavish networking role of London and New York postings.40:40 – Barnaby Joyce joins One NationThe big domestic political move: Barnaby Joyce's shift from the Nationals to One Nation, including his steak‑on‑a‑sandwich‑press dinner with Pauline Hanson.The Jacks canvass whether Joyce runs again in New England or heads for the Senate, and the anger among New England voters who may feel abandoned.42:25 – One Nation's growth, branch‑building and Pauline's futureThey dig into polling from Cos Samaras suggesting 39 per cent of Coalition voters say they'd be more likely to vote One Nation if Joyce led the party, and the risk of the Coalition following the UK Tories into long‑term decline.The Jacks note One Nation's organisational maturation—building actual branches and volunteer networks in NSW and Queensland—and wonder whether Pauline Hanson herself now caps the party's potential.45:20 – Kemi Badenoch, a revived UK Conservative Party and Reform's ceilingAttention swings to the UK, with fresh polling showing Labour slumping to the high teens, the Conservatives recovering into the high teens/low 20s, and Reform polling in the mid‑20s to low‑30s depending on the firm.They credit new Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch for lifting morale by dominating Keir Starmer at the despatch box, but caution that Reform's rise may still be more protest than durable realignment.49:45 – Fragmenting party systems in Europe and the UKDrawing on Michael Gove's comments, the Jacks sketch the new “four‑party” pattern across Europe—radical left/Green, social democratic, Christian Democrat centre‑right, and populist right—and argue the UK is slowly following suit.They suggest both Labour and the Conservatives can no longer comfortably absorb all votes on their respective sides of politics, with Reform and Greens carving out durable niches.53:05 – US seizes a Venezuelan tanker, Trump calls it the “biggest ever”The Jacks look at the US Coast Guard's seizure of a sanctioned Venezuelan oil tanker accused of moving Venezuelan and Iranian oil in support of foreign terrorist groups.Joel notes Trump's boast that it's “the largest tanker ever seized”, while quoting Pam Bondi's more sober explanation of the sanctions basis.54:45 – Five years of social media to enter the US?They examine a Trump‑era proposal to require even visa‑waiver travellers to provide five years of social media history before entering the United States.The Jacks question the logistical feasibility, highlight the trend of travellers using “burner phones” for US trips, and argue measures like this would severely damage American tourism.57:10 – SCOTUS, independent agencies and presidential powerThe Jacks discuss a pending US Supreme Court case about whether presidents can hire and fire the heads of independent agencies at will, with even liberal justices expressing sympathy for expansive executive authority.They link this to a broader global question: how much power should be handed from elected ministers to expert regulators, and how hard it is to claw that power back once delegated.01:00:25 – Trump's national security strategy and an abandoned EuropeThey turn to the Trump administration's new national security strategy framing Europe as both security dependent and economic competitor, and signalling an end to automatic US security guarantees.The Jacks describe openly hostile rhetoric from Trump figures like J.D. Vance and Marco Rubio towards Europe, and portray it as part of a broader American drift into isolationism as China and Russia advance.01:02:20 – Europe rearms: Germany, Poland and conscription talkThe conversation moves to European responses: big defence spending increases in Poland and Germany, and German plans to assess 18‑year‑olds for potential limited conscription.Joel argues Europe may need to build its own strategic table rather than rely on a fickle US ally, while Jack stresses serious military capability is the price of a genuine seat at any table.01:03:50 – Biden, the border and a blown political callThe Jacks examine a New York Times reconstruction of how the Biden administration mishandled southern border migration, from 75,000 encounters in January 2021 to 169,000 by March.They say Biden officials badly underestimated both the scale of migration and the law‑and‑order backlash, including resentment from migrants who followed legal pathways.01:07:05 – Migration then and now: Ellis Island vs the Rio GrandeJack recounts Ellis Island's history: the small but real share of arrivals turned back at ship‑owners' expense, and how many migrants later returned home despite being admitted.They contrast a heavily regulated, ship‑based 19th‑century system with today's chaotic mix of asylum flows, cartels and porous borders, and argue that simple “open borders” rhetoric ignores complex trade‑offs.01:09:55 – Americans know their ancestry, and that shapes the debateJoel notes how many Americans can precisely trace family arrival via Ellis Island, unlike many Australians who have fuzzier family histories.He suggests this deep personal connection to immigration history partly explains the emotional intensity around contemporary migration and ICE enforcement.01:10:30 – Ashes 2–0: Neeser's five‑for and Lyon's omissionSport time: Australia go 2–0 up in the Ashes with an eight‑wicket win at the Gabba.The big call is leaving Nathan Lyon out for Michael Neser; the Jacks weigh Nesser's match‑turning 5/42 and clever use of Alex Carey standing up to the stumps against the loss of a front‑line spinner over key periods.01:11:55 – Basball meets Australian conditionsThey discuss the limits of “Bazball” in Australia, praising Stokes and Will Jacks' rearguard while noting most English batters failed to adapt tempo to match situation.Jack cites past blueprints for winning in Australia—long, draining innings from Alastair Cook, Cheteshwar Pujara and Rahul Dravid—that hinge on time at the crease rather than constant aggression.01:15:05 – Keepers compared: Alex Carey vs England's glovesJoel hails Carey's performance as possibly the best keeping he's seen from an Australian in a single Test, including brilliant work standing up to the seamers and a running catch over Marnus Labuschagne.They contrast this with England's struggling keeper, question whether Ben Foakes should have been summoned, and note Carey's age probably rules him out as a future Test captain despite his leadership qualities.01:17:05 – England's bowling woes and Jofra Archer's limitsThe English attack looks potent in short bursts, especially Jofra Archer and Mark Wood, but lacks the endurance to bowl long, hostile spells over a five‑day Test in Australian conditions.Archer hasn't bowled more than 10 overs in an international match for over two years, and the Jacks argue that's showing late in games as speeds drop and discipline wanes.01:25:45 – World Cup 2026: Trump's “peace medal”, Craig Foster's critiqueSwitching codes to football, they note FIFA awarding Donald Trump a “peace” medal ahead of the 2026 World Cup and his delight in placing it on himself.Craig Foster attacks world football for embracing a US president he accuses of human‑rights abuses, prompting the Jacks to point out FIFA's recent World Cups in Russia and Qatar hardly make it a moral authority.01:27:20 – Seattle's Pride match… Iran vs EgyptJack tells the story of Seattle's local government declaring its allocated World Cup game a Pride match, only to discover the fixture will be Iran vs Egypt—two teams whose governments are unlikely to embrace that framing.01:27:55 – Stadiums in the desert and the cost of spectacleJoel reflects on vast, underused stadiums in the Gulf built for the World Cup and now often almost empty, using a low‑attendance cricket game in Abu Dhabi as an example of mega‑event over‑build.01:29:05 – Wrapping up and previewing the final show of 2025The Jacks close Episode 138 by flagging one more episode before Christmas, thanking listeners for feedback—especially stories around the social media ban—and promising to return with more politics, law and sport next week.a
Send us a textDr. Claudia Mahler, Ph.D. is the United Nations Independent Expert on the Human Rights of Older Persons ( https://www.ohchr.org/en/special-procedures/ie-older-persons/ms-claudia-mahler-independent-expert-enjoyment-all-human-rights-older-persons ). Dr. Mahler holds a law degree and a doctorate from Leopold‑Franzens‑Universität Innsbruck in Austria, and has spent over two decades researching and advocating for human rights. She has worked extensively on economic, social, and cultural rights, as well as minority rights, asylum law, and social protection, bringing a deep expertise in the legal and policy frameworks that protect vulnerable populations.Before joining the UNHRC, Dr. Mahler was a senior researcher at the German Institute for Human Rights, taught human rights law at several universities, and served as a consultant to the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights. In her current role, Dr. Mahler focuses on advancing the rights of older persons globally, including promoting access to work, protecting older adults in conflict zones, and leading efforts to draft a legally binding international instrument on their rights. Her work combines rigorous research, international advocacy, and a passionate commitment to ensuring that older adults can live with dignity, security, and equality worldwide. Important Episode Links Report - Older persons in armed conflict and peacebuilding - https://docs.un.org/en/A/80/203Report - Intersection between older persons' right to social protectionand their right to work -https://docs.un.org/en/A/HRC/60/24#ClaudiaMahler #UnitedNations #IndependentExpert #HumanRightsOfOlderPersons #MinorityRights #AsylumLaw #SocialProtection #UnitedNationsHumanRightsCouncil #OlderPersonsInArmedConflicts #AccessToWork #Ageism #AgeDiscrimination #AgeTech #Longevity #Lonliness #SocialIsolation #Aging #Ageing #HumanRights #OlderPersons#STEM #Innovation #Science #Technology #Research #ProgressPotentialAndPossibilities #IraPastor #Podcast #Podcaster #Podcasting #ViralPodcastSupport the show
Host Sarah Henry is joined by international lawyer Eitan Diamond, who specialises in international humanitarian law and human rights law. As Manager and Senior Legal Expert at the IHL Centre, Eitan leads efforts in the Israeli-Palestinian context. Discussing the ongoing challenges faced by human rights organisations, he speaks about Israeli-imposed restrictions on humanitarian and human rights groups operating in the region and emphasises the crucial role of civic society in holding governments accountable under international law. Learn more about working in the field of IHL and IHRL as this episode explores the intersection of international law, justice, and activism, offering insights on how we should continue to push for change and accountability. About Eitan Diamond Eitan Diamond is an international lawyer specialising in international humanitarian law (IHL) and international human rights law. He serves as Manager and Senior Legal Expert at the IHL Centre overseeing its work in the Israeli-Palestinian context. He also serves on the managerial boards of the NGOs Public Committee against Torture in Israel and Parents against Child Detention, and on the editorial board of the Journal of International Humanitarian Legal Studies. Eitan has previously worked, inter alia, as an expert consultant for UNICEF, for the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), and at the research centre Forensic Architecture; as Executive Director of the NGO Gisha; as a Legal Advisor for the Delegation of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) in Israel and the Occupied Territories; and as Researcher and Legal Advisor for the NGO B'Tselem. Alongside his work as a practitioner, Eitan engages in academic research and has a range of publications on IHL-related themes. His academic qualifications include a PhD from the Meitar Centre for Advanced Legal Studies at Tel Aviv University's Faculty of Law; an LLM in Public International Law from the London School of Economics and Political Science, where he was a Chevening Scholar; and an LLB from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. He is also a recipient of a Diploma in Human Rights awarded by the Academy of European Law at the European University Institute. To find out more about the work and organisations discussed in this episode, please see the following links: For general information about the IHL Centre's work in Israel Palestine: https://www.diakonia.se/ihl/jerusalem/ Links to our publications are available here: https://www.diakonia.se/ihl/news/?category=israel-palestine-publication An Easy Guide on IHL for professionals working in the oPt: https://www.diakonia.se/ihl/news/easy-guide-to-international-humanitarian-law/ A resource for our publications regarding the hostilities and violence in the oPt: https://www.diakonia.se/ihl/jerusalem/2023-2024-hostilities-escalating-violence-opt/ A resource for our publications regarding legal proceedings before international court relating to Israel and the oPt: https://www.diakonia.se/ihl/jerusalem/proceedings-before-international-courts-relating-to-israel-and-the-opt/ A resource for our publications regarding shrinking civic and humanitarian space in Israel-Palestine: https://www.diakonia.se/ihl/jerusalem/shrinking-space/ You can also follow Eitan Diamond's work here: LinkedIn and SSRN
In Leaders Getting Coffee episode 55, our guest is the former National Party Minister, Speaker of the House and Ambassador to London, Sir Lockwood Smith. Sir Lockwood Smith is one of those people you feel you know before meeting him. He first stepped into the public gaze as a television presenter of science programmes aimed at school age children. What started as a university holiday job delivered some early name recognition, helping him to win a seat in the old first part the post political system. He grew up on the family farm that he still runs today. He learned the ropes early and developed the skills necessary to run the farm before leaving school. A Bachelors and Masters degree (with honours) in Agricultural Science put the theory alongside the practical skills he’d already developed. At first, he followed what most of us would observe as an academic career, lecturing at Massey University and wining a scholarship to attend the Waite Agricultural Research Institute, at the University of Adelaide, where he studied for his PhD in ruminant metabolism. He tells of studying Opera, as a sideline, while he was there. While in Adelaide he took up rowing, winning five state championships and leading the Adelaide University Boat Club as it’s captain. Back in New Zealand, politics was calling and he was elected to parliament as the MP for Kaipara in 1984. He became one of our longest serving MP’s, staying for 29 years, the last five of which were spent as a most respected “Speaker of the House”. On the Leaders Getting Coffee podcast with Bruce Cotterill, Sir Lockwood speaks of the highs and lows of life in politics. There have been many achievements and the occasional disappointment, and he is refreshingly open in his discussion, including the behind the scenes conflict surrounding leadership appointments. And he reflects on his time as Speaker of the House and his disappointment at today’s parliamentary behaviour. He also covers off his five-year stint as our High Commissioner to the United Kingdom, Ghana & Nigeria, and Ambassador to Ireland and the various roles he conducted on behalf of the UK government after his post was completed. Today, he’s back on the farm that he has operated throughout a busy life, breeding Belgian Blue bulls, a breed that he has continued to develop and enhance over his entire life. He’s a happy and contented man with a wonderful story to tell. And he tells it very well.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Former Glendale Mayor and current High Commissioner for Diaspora Affairs Zareh Sinanyan sits down with the Wise Nuts for a no-holds-barred 2+ hour conversation from Yerevan.We dive deep into:Why Armenia was completely unprepared for the 2020 Artsakh WarThe Velvet Revolution: real revolution or just regime musical chairs?Pashinyan's real record: economy, corruption, military reform, wages & inflationThe explosive Armenian Church crisis and why archbishops are in jailDiaspora vs. Armenia reality check: misinformation, lobbying failures & why LA Armenians are out of touchHostages still in Baku, peace talks, security guaranteesRepatriation, education, Nvidia's half-billion AI investment, universal healthcare2026 elections: will Pashinyan win again?This is one of the most honest and controversial conversations about modern Armenia you'll hear in the diaspora.Follow us on all Social Media: YouTube: www.youtube.com/@WiseNutsInstagram: instagram.com/wisenuts_podcastWisenuts Merchandise: https://wisenutspodcast.com/General Sponsors:Megeredchian Law
Episode #233 features Peter Varghese — widely regarded as one of Australia's most influential architects of foreign policy. He currently serves as Chancellor of the University of Queensland and previously held two of the Australian Government's most senior diplomatic roles: Secretary of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade and Australia's High Commissioner to India.Born in Kenya and arriving in Australia in the 1960's under the White Australia Policy, Peter rose from “accidental public servant” to one of the nation's most influential foreign policy leaders — advising Prime Ministers, running Australia's peak intelligence agency, shaping DFAT, crafting the India strategy, and now driving UQ's global and Australia–India partnerships.In this conversation with Vidit Agarwal, Peter reflects on his identity, diplomacy, the craft of clear thinking, Australia-India relations and the lessons from a career defined by courage, conviction and national impact.It's time to explore your curiosity — please enjoy.________To support this podcast, check out our some of our sponsors & get discounts:→ $1,000 off Vanta: Your compliance superpower — vanta.com/highIf you're keen to discuss sponsorship and partnering with us or recommend future guests, email us at contact@curiositycentre.com today!Join our stable of commercial partners including the Australian Government, Google, KPMG, University of Melbourne and more.________CLICK HERE to read show notes from this conversation. Please enjoy!________Follow us on Instagram, LinkedIn or TwitterGet in touch with our Founder and Host, Vidit Agarwal directly hereContact us via our website to discuss sponsorship opportunities, recommend future guests or share feedback, we love hearing how to improve! Thank you for rating / reviewing this podcast on Apple Podcasts and Spotify, it helps others find us and convince guests to come on the show! ________This is the fourth episode in this special series with the Australian Government and their Centre for Australia–India Relations, highlighting the deepening ties between Australia and India across technology, business, media, culture and sport. With nearly one million people of Indian heritage now calling Australia home—the country's fastest-growing large diaspora—this series brings to light the untold stories of change makers shaping the future of both nations.________The High Flyers Podcast is described as a "meticulously researched biography" that uncovers the untold stories of remarkable people and companies -- redefining the "high flyer". Launched in 2020, we have ranked in the global top ten podcasts for past two years, with listeners in 27 countries and over 200 episodes released. Excerpts of the podcast have been featured in Forbes, AFR, Daily Telegraph, and showcased at SXSW.200+ guests have joined host, Vidit Agarwal on the show from 15+ countries. Prominent guests include Malcolm Turnbull (Prime Minister of Australia), Anil Sabharwal (VP, Product for Google Chrome, Photos and Drive), Andy Penn (CEO, Telstra), Stevie Case (Chief Revenue Officer, Vanta), Brad Banducci (CEO, Woolworths), Jillian Broadbent (Board Member, Macquarie Capital), Sweta Mehra (EGM, NAB; ex CMO, ANZ), Bowen Pan (Creator, Facebook Marketplace), Sam Sicilia (Chief Investment Officer, Hostplus), Niki Scevak (Co-Founder, Blackbird Ventures), Mike Schneider (CEO, Bunnings), Trent Cotchin (3x Premiership Winning Captain, Richmond Football Club), Jason Collins (Head of Australasia, BlackRock) and many more. Our parent company, Curiosity Centre is your on-demand intelligence hub for knowledge, connections and growth to achieve your potential, everyday. Join 200,000+ Investors, Founders, Functional Leaders, CEOs and Emerging Leaders. Learn with the world's best and be 1% better everyday at https://curiositycentre.com
Bongani Bingwa speaks to Antony Phillipson, British High Commissioner to the Republic of South Africa, as the dust settles on the first G20 Summit ever hosted on African soil. Phillipson reflects on what has widely been hailed as a significant success for South Africa, a summit where the country not only showcased its leadership but ensured African priorities were placed firmly at the centre of global deliberations. With the G20 baton moving to the US in 2026 and then to the United Kingdom in 2027, he outlines how the UK is doubling down on preparing a full, ambitious agenda despite the absence of the US at this year’s meeting, and how Britain intends to build on the momentum created in Johannesburg. 702 Breakfast with Bongani Bingwa is broadcast on 702, a Johannesburg based talk radio station. Bongani makes sense of the news, interviews the key newsmakers of the day, and holds those in power to account on your behalf. The team bring you all you need to know to start your day Thank you for listening to a podcast from 702 Breakfast with Bongani Bingwa Listen live on Primedia+ weekdays from 06:00 and 09:00 (SA Time) to Breakfast with Bongani Bingwa broadcast on 702: https://buff.ly/gk3y0Kj For more from the show go to https://buff.ly/36edSLV or find all the catch-up podcasts here https://buff.ly/zEcM35T Subscribe to the 702 Daily and Weekly Newsletters https://buff.ly/v5mfetc Follow us on social media: 702 on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TalkRadio702 702 on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@talkradio702 702 on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/talkradio702/ 702 on X: https://x.com/Radio702 702 on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@radio702 See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Jawed Ashraf, with over three decades in Indian foreign service, including Ambassador to France and High Commissioner to Singapore, offers his insights on India’s foreign policy here and now. We begin with the India-Europe relationship on trade, investment, tech, talent, travel, and visas, which leads to the challenges related to Russia. The conversation then moves to India’s ongoing challenges vis-à-vis the US, China, and Pakistan. We conclude with going over the vast potential for deeper India-South East Asia collaboration. In each of these cases, the recently retired foreign service veteran digs into his vast experience and deep expertise.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Ukraine says at least eight civilians have been killed in a major Russian drone and missile attack, which hit both energy facilities and apartment blocks. We speak to one Kyiv resident who says that living under constant threat makes every day like roulette.Also in the programme: we ask the UN's High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, whether the international community is capable of taking action to stop the flow of arms to the Sudanese RSF group; and crime novelist turned national football coach Eydun Klakstein tells us why his Faroe Islands team have what it takes to make World Cup history.(Pictured: Locals watch as emergency services work the site of a Russian strike on a nine-storey residential building in Kyiv, Ukraine, 14 November 2025. Credit: MAXYM MARUSENKO/EPA/Shutterstock)
In this bulletin, a month out from the under 16 social media ban, the government is yet to decide on Roblox inclusion, a former South Australian Premier will be the new High Commissioner to the UK. And in Formula 1, a downcast Oscar Piastri responds after a crash costs him a podium place in Sao Paulo.
On this episode of the Energy Security Cubed Podcast, we feature the audio from a panel focusing on the view from the Indo-Pacific on energy needs in the region and Canada's role from the CGAI Energy Security Forum Conference, "Canada's Next Chapter in the Indo-Pacific". // For the podcast's intro section, Joe and Kelly discuss the Budget's Climate Competitiveness Strategy, oil prices, and Exxon vs. Europe. // Guest Bio: - H.E. Dr. Shazelina Z. Abidin is the High Commissioner of Malaysia - Mr. Hideaki Ishii is Deputy Head of Mission, Embassy of Japan in Canada - Dr. Quynh Tran is Chief Trade Representative of Vietnam to Canada - Ms. Hejin Kim is Minister-Counsellor of the Embassy of the Republic of Korea to Canada // Host Bio: - Kelly Ogle is Managing Director of the Canadian Global Affairs Institute - Joe Calnan is a Fellow and Energy Security Forum Manager at the Canadian Global Affairs Institute // Interview recording Date: October 28, 2025 // Energy Security Cubed is part of the CGAI Podcast Network. Follow the Canadian Global Affairs Institute on Facebook, Twitter (@CAGlobalAffairs), or on LinkedIn. Head over to our website at www.cgai.ca for more commentary. // Produced by Joe Calnan. Music credits to Drew Phillips.
Sarojini Seeneevassen, nouvelle High Commissioner of Mauritius en Australie parle de son premier déplacement à Melbourne et fait le point sur l'Africa Australia dialogue initiative.
Anangu traditional owners have marked 40 years since Uluru Kata Tjuta National Park was handed back to their people. The handback was a landmark moment for Aboriginal land rights in Australia and a powerful recognition of the enduring connection between First Nations peoples and Country. The official celebrations have included a trip to London for a delegation of nine Anangu traditional owners, who met with High Commissioner to the UK Stephen Smith, and King Charles, as part of the official commemorations. - আনানগু ঐতিহ্যবাহী মালিকেরা উলুরু-কাটা জ্যুটা ন্যাশনাল পার্ক তাদের জনগণের কাছে ফেরত দেওয়ার ৪০ বছর পূর্তি উদযাপন করেছেন। এই ফেরত প্রদান ছিল অস্ট্রেলিয়ায় আদিবাসী ভূমি অধিকারের ইতিহাসে এক মাইলফলক ঘটনা এবং ফার্স্ট নেশনস জনগোষ্ঠীর সঙ্গে তাদের ভূমির চিরস্থায়ী সম্পর্কের এক শক্তিশালী স্বীকৃতি।
The Anangu traditional owners have commemorated 40 years since the historic handback of Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park — a defining moment in Australia's recognition of Aboriginal land rights. As part of the 40th anniversary celebrations, a delegation of nine Anangu representatives travelled to London, where they met with Australia's High Commissioner to the UK, Stephen Smith, and King Charles, marking the occasion's national and international significance.
Palestine's olive harvest season started this month, and quickly became the target of Israeli settler attacks. A viral video this week showed a mob violently chasing Palestinian olive pickers in an occupied West Bank town north-east of Ramallah. A masked man is seen striking a woman with a club in the field, knocking her to the ground. In another town, farmers trying to harvest their groves were met by gunfire from Israeli soldiers, who are known to offer protection to settlers. These incidents are not new but the UN has documented a 13 per cent increase in settler attacks this year compared to the same period last year. In addition to violence and vandalism, farmers are now also facing the threat of Israeli annexation. In this episode of Beyond the Headlines, host Nada AlTaher speaks to Ajith Sunghay, head of the UN's Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, and Abbas Milhem, executive director of the Palestinian Farmers' Union. They discuss the recent rise in assaults and the impact of Israel's land grab policies on Palestinian agriculture.
Anangu traditional owners have marked 40 years since Uluru Kata Tjuta National Park was handed back to their people. The handback was a landmark moment for Aboriginal land rights in Australia and a powerful recognition of the enduring connection between First Nations peoples and Country. The official celebrations have included a trip to London for a delegation of nine Anangu traditional owners, who met with High Commissioner to the UK Stephen Smith, and King Charles, as part of the official commemorations.
Katie speaks to Human Rights lawyer Craig Mokhiber about the Gaza Tribunal being held in Istanbul October 23-26, which Craig helped organize and Katie will be covering. Katie will also be delivering testimony on the media's complicity in the genocide. Then Katie speaks to three people arrested for protesting the UK's Draconian Terror Laws, which make it illegal to support proscribed organizations like Palestine Action, a direct action group from the UK and has targeted and sabotaged the Israeli weapons manufacturer Elbit Systems factories. All three are Jewish and the descendents of Holocaust survivors: Colonel Chris Romberg is a former Army officer and defence attache with the UK embassies in Jordan and Egypt. His family fled Nazi-occupied Austria in 1938. Naomi Wimborne-Idrissi is a Jewish activist and former Labor Party electee, as well as the cofounder of Jewish Voice for Labour. Carolyn Gelenter is a longtime activist since the Vietnam war and is also the daughter of a Holocaust survivor. For the full discussion, please join us on Patreon at - https://www.patreon.com/posts/israels-veterans-141778520 Craig Mokhiber is an American former United Nations (UN) human rights official and a specialist in international human rights law, policy, and methodology. On October 28, 2023, Mokhiber stepped down as the director of the New York office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR). In his final letter to High Commissioner, he harshly criticized the organization's response to the war in Gaza, calling Israel's military intervention a "textbook genocide" and accusing the UN of failing to act. **Please support The Katie Halper Show ** For bonus content, exclusive interviews, to support independent media & to help make this program possible, please join us on Patreon - / thekatiehalpershow Get your Katie Halper Show Merch here! https://katiehalper.myspreadshop.com/all Follow Katie on Twitter: https://x.com/kthalps Follow Katie on Instagram: / kthalps Follow Katie on TikTok: / kthalps
In this episode of 'The Biggest Table,' host Andrew Camp converses with Michael Shaikh, a writer and human rights investigator. Shaikh discusses his extensive work in political crises and conflict zones, and his book 'The Last Sweet Bite,' which explores the loss and preservation of culinary heritage in war-torn regions. He shares personal stories and experiences from his time in Japan, Afghanistan, Myanmar, and other countries, highlighting how violence impacts food culture and community. The conversation delves into the resilience of human spirit, the role of women in preserving culinary traditions, and the importance of food as a cultural and political element. Shaikh emphasizes the need for policy changes to protect culinary heritages and advocates for the recognition of domicide as a crime. The episode underscores the powerful connections between food, identity, and community, and the role of culinary traditions in maintaining hope amidst adversity.Michael Shaikh is a writer and human rights investigator who has worked for twenty years in areas marred by political crisis and armed conflict. He has worked at Human Rights Watch, International Crisis Group, the Center for Civilians in Conflict, the UN's Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, and the New York City Mayor's Office of Climate and Environmental Justice. Michael is on the board of Adi Magazine. He is the author of The Last Sweet Bite: Stories and Recipes of Culinary Heritage Lost and Found, which was recently released by Crown Publishing. Originally from Cleveland, Ohio, he lives in New York City.This episode of the Biggest Table is brought to you in part by Wild Goose Coffee. Since 2008, Wild Goose has sought to build better communities through coffee. For our listeners, Wild Goose is offering a special promotion of 20% off a one time order using the code TABLE at checkout. To learn more and to order coffee, please visit wildgoosecoffee.com.
On this episode of #TheGlobalExchange, Colin Robertson sits down with Gaston Barban, Daryl Copeland, Evan Potter and Bernie Etzinger to discuss the ins and outs of public diplomacy. // Participants' bios - Gaston Barban worked at Global Affairs Canada for 38 years and was the former High Commissioner to South Africa. - Daryl Copeland and has had a 30 year career at Global Affairs Canada. - Evan Potter is a CGAI Fellow and Associate Professor in the Communications Department at the University of Ottawa. - Bernie Etzinger was the Chief Communications and Outreach Officer at the Ottawa Hospital. // Host bio: Colin Robertson is a former diplomat and Senior Advisor to the Canadian Global Affairs Institute. // Reading Recommendations: - "Reputational Security" by Nicholas J. Cull - "Margaret Atwood Inc.: A Force Multiplier in Canadian Literary Diplomacy and Cultural Statecraft" by Evan Potter - "Zbig" by Edward Luce - "Held" by Anne Michaels "Cultural Diplomacy at the Front Stage of Canada's Foreign Policy" by the Senate of Canada // Music Credit: Drew Phillips | Producer: Jordyn Carroll // Recording Date: October 15, 2025 Release date: October 20, 2025
As global power dynamics continue to shift, the Indo-Pacific sits at the heart of a rapidly evolving strategic and economic landscape. In this timely and wide-ranging session, Peter Varghese, former Australian Foreign Secretary and High Commissioner to India, offers a perspective shaped by decades of diplomacy and deep engagement with the region. His address will explore the complex forces redefining the Indo-Pacific: from the sharpening rivalry between the US and China, to China's expanding influence and the evolving policy direction in Washington. The session will also examine how key regional players (India, Japan, Korea, Indonesia) are shaping their own responses to these pressures, and what this means for the broader security of the region. Alongside geopolitics, the conversation will turn to trade tensions, economic nationalism, and the slowing pace of globalization; factors that now cast long shadows over our economic future. Can traditional regional institutions hold, or will more agile, interest-based minilateral groups take their place? In this episode of BIC Talks, Peter Varghese will be in conversation with Latha Reddy, Nitin Pai, and Ranjan Mathai. This is an excerpt from a conversation that took place in the BIC premises in Aug 2025. Subscribe to the BIC Talks Podcast on your favourite podcast app! BIC Talks is available everywhere, including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Castbox, Overcast, Audible, and Amazon Music.
Donald Trump may have declared the war on Gaza over, but a welcome-but-shaky ceasefire and lasting peace are not the same thing. On this episode of After America, Judge Navi Pillay, former UN High Commissioner for Human Rights and 2025 Sydney Peace Prize Laureate, joins Dr Emma Shortis to discuss accountability in international law and the prerequisites for genuine peace. This discussion was recorded on Monday 13 October 2025. Details of Judge Navi Pillay’s Australian events are available on the Sydney Peace Foundation website. Dead Centre: How political pragmatism is killing us by Richard Denniss is available now via Australia Institute Press. Guest: Navi Pillay, Chair of the United Nations Human Rights Council Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory Host: Emma Shortis, Director, International & Security Affairs, the Australia Institute // @emmashortis Show notes: Israel has committed genocide in the Gaza Strip, UN Commission finds, Office of the High Commissioner, United Nations Human Rights (September 2025) Summary of ICJ’s Order of 24 May 2024, United Nations (May 2024) 2025 Peace Prize Citation: Navi Pillay, Sydney Peace Foundation (2025) Beyond the Two-State Solution: Policy responses to the Destruction of Palestine and the Insecurity of Israel, the Australia Institute (February 2025) Theme music: Blue Dot Sessions We’d love to hear your feedback on this series, so send in your questions, comments or suggestions for future episodes to podcasts@australiainstitute.org.au.Support After America: https://nb.australiainstitute.org.au/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Vassy Kapelos is joined by High Commissioner of India to Canada Dinesh Patnaik, former ambassadors Derek Burney, Guy Saint-Jacques, and Stewart Beck, Public Safety Minister Gary Anandasangaree, and strategists Kathleen Monk, Kory Teneycke, and Scott Reid.
Roger Waters joins the show to talk about Gaza, the UN, free speech & what he wants the president of Colombia to do. Plus, he reacts to the latest crackdowns on speech, the war in Ukraine, & why some musicians are such cowards when it comes to Israel. For the full discussion, please join us on Patreon at - https://www.patreon.com/posts/patreon-full-140151702 But first, we're joined by Vaniya Agrawal & Hossam Nasr, two former Microsoft workers who helped pressure the company to bar the Israeli military from using Microsoft services to spy on millions of Palestinian civilian phone calls made each day in Gaza & the occupied West Bank & stored in Microsoft's vast Azure cloud computing platform. But there's more work to be done, as Microsoft continues to collaborate w/Israel in other ways. Of course, we can't leave you hanging on Trump's deal so we will ALSO be joined by Mouin Rabbani & Craig Mokhiber who will break down what's really happening in Gaza. Roger Waters is a singer, songwriter & musician, best known for being a member of the legendary rock band, Pink Floyd. He's also an outspoken activist for peace, a free Palestine & several other causes that get him in trouble. Vaniya is an organizer w/No Azure for Apartheid & ex-Microsoft worker who was terminated for protesting at Microsoft's 50th anniversary keynote event, where she disrupted a panel of current & former Microsoft CEOs including Bill Gates, Satya Nadella, & Steve Ballmer. Since then, she has continued organizing w/NoAA to apply pressure on Microsoft executives to meet workers' demands. Most recently Vaniya was arrested twice last month for participating in encampments on Microsoft campus, & occupying the office of Microsoft President Brad Smith at Microsoft's global headquarters. Hossam Nasr is the co-founder of No Azure for Apartheid & a former Microsoft worker. He worked at the company for 3 years before being fired in October last year for organizing a vigil on Microsoft campus for the Palestinians killed in Gaza. Since then, he has organized w/NOAA to pressure Microsoft to end its relationship w/the Israeli military & confronted executives at company events. Most recently Hossam was arrested twice last month after participating in the Liberated Zone encampment on Microsoft's campus & the sit-in at Brad Smith's office. Mouin Rabbani is a researcher, analyst & commentator specializing in Palestinian affairs, the Arab-Israeli conflict & the contemporary Middle East. He has among other positions previously served as Principal Political Affairs Officer w/the Office of the UN Special Envoy for Syria, Head of Middle East w/the Martti Ahtisaari Peace Foundation, Senior Middle East Analyst & Special Advisor on Israel-Palestine w/the Int'l Crisis Group. Rabbani is Co-Editor of Jadaliyya & a Contributing Editor of Middle East Report. Craig Mokhiber is an American former United Nations (UN) human rights official & a specialist in international human rights law, policy, & methodology. On October 28, 2023, Mokhiber stepped down as the director of the New York office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR). In his final letter to High Commissioner, he harshly criticized the organization's response to the war in Gaza, calling Israel's military intervention a "textbook genocide" & accusing the UN of failing to act. ***Please support The Katie Halper Show *** For bonus content, exclusive interviews, to support independent media & to help make this program possible, please join us on Patreon - https://www.patreon.com/thekatiehalpershow Get your Katie Halper Show Merch here! https://katiehalper.myspreadshop.com/all Follow Katie on Twitter: https://x.com/kthalps Follow Katie on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kthalps Follow Katie on TikTok: https://tiktok.com/@kthalps
James Heenan, the representative of the U.N. Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights in Seoul, joins the podcast this week to unpack the High Commissioner's new update on human rights in the DPRK — an effort to take stock of the situation in the country 11 years after the landmark U.N. Commission of Inquiry report. Several activists have argued that the update offers little in the way of new revelations and falls short by not naming key perpetrators. But Heenan contends that its value lies elsewhere: It is the most comprehensive trend analysis to date, built on 314 victim and witness testimonies gathered over the past decade and backed by dozens of U.N. documents. He outlines what the report has to say about North Korea's tightening system of repression — rooted in state ideology, codified punishments and forced labor — and weighs in on what meaningful public action looks like now. James Heenan is the representative for the U.N. Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights in Seoul. He previously served as the head of the Office of the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights in Palestine and has also worked in academia on labor rights issues and as a practicing lawyer in the U.K. and Australia. He last appeared on episode 325 of the NK News podcast. About the podcast: The North Korea News Podcast is a weekly podcast hosted by Jacco Zwetsloot exclusively for NK News, covering all things DPRK — from news to extended interviews with leading experts and analysts in the field, along with insight from our very own journalists. NK News subscribers can listen to this and other exclusive episodes from their preferred podcast player by accessing the private podcast feed. For more detailed instructions, please see the step-by-step guide at nknews.org/private-feed.
On Wednesday's edition of SaskAgToday with Ryan Young: Canada's High Commissioner to the U.K. Ralph Goodale commented on Prime Minister Mark Carney's recent trip to London to talk trade and defence.
Since the UN was created eight decades ago in the wake of a catastrophic World War, real progress has been made on freedom and equality and justice.But that's not much comfort to those living in conflict zones today worldwide, where accountability is scarce and impunity is rife.UN News's Conor Lennon caught up with the UN's High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk on Wednesday who's in New York for high-level week and began by asking him what can really be done to rein in the abusers, beyond naming and shaming them.
Amid the doom and gloom about France's political crisis and the public deficit, our guest maintains that the country is still economically attractive and still the second power in the European Union. Clément Beaune is France's High Commissioner for Strategy and Planning, a former secretary of state for European Affairs and a former minister-delegate for Europe in French governments. He supposes that the current political fragmentation will not disappear with elections in the years to come, and urges French political forces to find the kind of compromises that have enabled coalition governments to function in other European countries.
Journalist Taylor Lorenz joins to talk about her bombshell expose on how a dark money group Is secretly funding high-profile Democratic influencers. She also hits back at the haters and smearers with actual facts. But first Human Rights attorney Craig Mokhiber talks about how a little-used UN mechanism could stop Israel's genocide in Gaza. For the full discussion, please join us on Patreon at - https://www.patreon.com/posts/patreon-full-137998347 Taylor Lorenz is a freelance journalist on YouTube and Substack and hosts the podcast Power User. She has written for The New York Times, The Atlantic, New York Magazine, Washington Post and more. She's also the author of the bestselling book Extremely Online, which covers the rise of the content creator industry Craig Mokhiber is an American former United Nations (UN) human rights official and a specialist in international human rights law, policy, and methodology. On October 28, 2023, Mokhiber stepped down as the director of the New York office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR). In his final letter to High Commissioner, he harshly criticized the organization's response to the war in Gaza, calling Israel's military intervention a "textbook genocide" and accusing the UN of failing to act. ***Please support The Katie Halper Show *** For bonus content, exclusive interviews, to support independent media & to help make this program possible, please join us on Patreon - https://www.patreon.com/thekatiehalpershow Get your Katie Halper Show Merch here! https://katiehalper.myspreadshop.com/all Follow Katie on Twitter: https://x.com/kthalps Follow Katie on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kthalps Follow Katie on TikTok: https://tiktok.com/@kthalps
On this episode of #TheGlobalExchange, Colin Robertson sits down with Jeremy Kinsman and John Negroponte to discuss the ongoing change in our geopolitical landscape and what it means for Canada. // Participants' bios - Jeremy Kinsman served as the High Commissioner to the United Kingdom, Ambassador to Russia, the European Union and Italy. He continues to speak and write on foreign affairs in Policy Magazine, and you can hear him on the CIC's Red Passport together with Louise Blais and Peter Donolo. - John Negroponte is the Vice Chairman at McLarty Associates. He served at the U.S. Ambassador to Honduras, Mexico, the Philippines, the United Nations and Iraq. He served as Director for Vietnam under President Nixon, Deputy National Security Advisor under President Reagan, Deputy Secretary of State under President Clinton and Director of National Intelligence under President George W. Bush. // Host bio: Colin Robertson is a former diplomat and Senior Advisor to the Canadian Global Affairs Institute. // Reading Recommendations: - "The Determined Spy: The Turbulent Life and Times of CIA Pioneer Frank Wisner" by Douglas Waller - "Daikon" by Samuel Hawley // Music Credit: Drew Phillips | Producer: Jordyn Carroll // Recording Date: August 22, 2025 Release date: September 02, 2025
Robert Hutchinson's After Nuremberg: American Clemency for Nazi War Criminals (Yale UP, 2022) is about the fleeting nature of American punishment for German war criminals convicted at the twelve Nuremberg trials of 1946–1949. Because of repeated American grants of clemency and parole, ninety-seven of the 142 Germans convicted at the Nuremberg trials, many of them major offenders, regained their freedom years, sometimes decades, ahead of schedule. High-ranking Nazi plunderers, kidnappers, slave laborers, and mass murderers all walked free by 1958. High Commissioner for Occupied Germany John J. McCloy and his successors articulated a vision of impartial American justice as inspiring and legitimizing their actions, as they concluded that German war criminals were entitled to all the remedies American laws offered to better their conditions and reduce their sentences. Based on extensive archival research (including newly declassified material), this book explains how American policy makers' best intentions resulted in a series of decisions from 1949–1958 that produced a self-perpetuating bureaucracy of clemency and parole that “rehabilitated” unrepentant German abettors and perpetrators of theft, slavery, and murder while lending salience to the most reactionary elements in West German political discourse. Nicholas Misukanis is a doctoral candidate in the history department at the University of Maryland - College Park. He studies modern European and Middle Eastern history with a special emphasis on Germany and the role energy autonomy played in foreign and domestic German politics during the twentieth century. He is currently working on his dissertation which analyzes why the West German government failed to convince the public to embrace nuclear energy and the ramifications this had on German politics between 1973 and 1986. His work has been published in Commonweal, America: The Jesuit Review, The United States' Naval Academy's Tell Me Another and Studies on Asia. He can be reached at Misukani@umd.edu. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/history
Disclaimer: This conversation with Mr. Ajay Bisaria was recorded on August 6, 2025 and reflects the information available to us at that time. Any developments that occurred after the recording date have not been covered by the guest or the host.Episode 120 of The Prakhar Gupta Xperience features Ajay Bisaria.Ajay Bisaria is a former Indian diplomat who served as High Commissioner to Canada (2020–2022) and Pakistan (2017–2020), and as Ambassador to Poland and Lithuania. He was an aide to Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee from 1999 to 2004, contributing to major policy initiatives. Over his 35-year career in the Indian Foreign Service, he specialized in India's relations with Eurasia, including Russia, Ukraine, and Central Asia. Academically, he holds degrees from St. Stephen's College, the Indian Institute of Management Calcutta, and Princeton University. Currently, he is a strategic advisor and Distinguished Fellow at the Observer Research Foundation, advising global businesses on geopolitics, governance, and international strategy.This is what we talked about:00:00 - Intro00:53 - Trump calls India a "Dead Economy"09:21 - Are We in a Tariff War?12:11 - India–U.S. Relations History15:14 - Is Pakistan a New Ally?24:25 - Failures of Indian Media28:17 - Impact of 50% Tariff31:12 - Ambassador vs High Commissioner35:26 - Pakistan as a Paradox38:31 - Collapse of Diplomacy Talks42:25 - Why Pakistan is Different47:28 - Pakistan's Denial of Terrorism50:42 - Indus Water Treaty Basics1:04:09 - Trump's Issue with BRICS1:06:22 - China's Global Rise1:10:39 - Could Bangladesh Betray India?1:14:21 - Complexity of Global Diplomacy1:17:12 - India–Russia Friendship1:18:54 - India's Non-Alignment Advantage1:19:18 - Final Question for Prakhar
Robert Hutchinson's After Nuremberg: American Clemency for Nazi War Criminals (Yale UP, 2022) is about the fleeting nature of American punishment for German war criminals convicted at the twelve Nuremberg trials of 1946–1949. Because of repeated American grants of clemency and parole, ninety-seven of the 142 Germans convicted at the Nuremberg trials, many of them major offenders, regained their freedom years, sometimes decades, ahead of schedule. High-ranking Nazi plunderers, kidnappers, slave laborers, and mass murderers all walked free by 1958. High Commissioner for Occupied Germany John J. McCloy and his successors articulated a vision of impartial American justice as inspiring and legitimizing their actions, as they concluded that German war criminals were entitled to all the remedies American laws offered to better their conditions and reduce their sentences. Based on extensive archival research (including newly declassified material), this book explains how American policy makers' best intentions resulted in a series of decisions from 1949–1958 that produced a self-perpetuating bureaucracy of clemency and parole that “rehabilitated” unrepentant German abettors and perpetrators of theft, slavery, and murder while lending salience to the most reactionary elements in West German political discourse. Nicholas Misukanis is a doctoral candidate in the history department at the University of Maryland - College Park. He studies modern European and Middle Eastern history with a special emphasis on Germany and the role energy autonomy played in foreign and domestic German politics during the twentieth century. He is currently working on his dissertation which analyzes why the West German government failed to convince the public to embrace nuclear energy and the ramifications this had on German politics between 1973 and 1986. His work has been published in Commonweal, America: The Jesuit Review, The United States' Naval Academy's Tell Me Another and Studies on Asia. He can be reached at Misukani@umd.edu. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/military-history
The UN's Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights Palestine office said today that more than 1,300 people seeking aid in Gaza have been killed since late May. The OHCHR also said that 859 of these deaths were "in the vicinity" of Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) sites. For more Ajith Sunghay, the OHCHR Head of Office for Palestine.
Robert Hutchinson's After Nuremberg: American Clemency for Nazi War Criminals (Yale UP, 2022) is about the fleeting nature of American punishment for German war criminals convicted at the twelve Nuremberg trials of 1946–1949. Because of repeated American grants of clemency and parole, ninety-seven of the 142 Germans convicted at the Nuremberg trials, many of them major offenders, regained their freedom years, sometimes decades, ahead of schedule. High-ranking Nazi plunderers, kidnappers, slave laborers, and mass murderers all walked free by 1958. High Commissioner for Occupied Germany John J. McCloy and his successors articulated a vision of impartial American justice as inspiring and legitimizing their actions, as they concluded that German war criminals were entitled to all the remedies American laws offered to better their conditions and reduce their sentences. Based on extensive archival research (including newly declassified material), this book explains how American policy makers' best intentions resulted in a series of decisions from 1949–1958 that produced a self-perpetuating bureaucracy of clemency and parole that “rehabilitated” unrepentant German abettors and perpetrators of theft, slavery, and murder while lending salience to the most reactionary elements in West German political discourse. Nicholas Misukanis is a doctoral candidate in the history department at the University of Maryland - College Park. He studies modern European and Middle Eastern history with a special emphasis on Germany and the role energy autonomy played in foreign and domestic German politics during the twentieth century. He is currently working on his dissertation which analyzes why the West German government failed to convince the public to embrace nuclear energy and the ramifications this had on German politics between 1973 and 1986. His work has been published in Commonweal, America: The Jesuit Review, The United States' Naval Academy's Tell Me Another and Studies on Asia. He can be reached at Misukani@umd.edu. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/new-books-network
Robert Hutchinson's After Nuremberg: American Clemency for Nazi War Criminals (Yale UP, 2022) is about the fleeting nature of American punishment for German war criminals convicted at the twelve Nuremberg trials of 1946–1949. Because of repeated American grants of clemency and parole, ninety-seven of the 142 Germans convicted at the Nuremberg trials, many of them major offenders, regained their freedom years, sometimes decades, ahead of schedule. High-ranking Nazi plunderers, kidnappers, slave laborers, and mass murderers all walked free by 1958. High Commissioner for Occupied Germany John J. McCloy and his successors articulated a vision of impartial American justice as inspiring and legitimizing their actions, as they concluded that German war criminals were entitled to all the remedies American laws offered to better their conditions and reduce their sentences. Based on extensive archival research (including newly declassified material), this book explains how American policy makers' best intentions resulted in a series of decisions from 1949–1958 that produced a self-perpetuating bureaucracy of clemency and parole that “rehabilitated” unrepentant German abettors and perpetrators of theft, slavery, and murder while lending salience to the most reactionary elements in West German political discourse. Nicholas Misukanis is a doctoral candidate in the history department at the University of Maryland - College Park. He studies modern European and Middle Eastern history with a special emphasis on Germany and the role energy autonomy played in foreign and domestic German politics during the twentieth century. He is currently working on his dissertation which analyzes why the West German government failed to convince the public to embrace nuclear energy and the ramifications this had on German politics between 1973 and 1986. His work has been published in Commonweal, America: The Jesuit Review, The United States' Naval Academy's Tell Me Another and Studies on Asia. He can be reached at Misukani@umd.edu. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/genocide-studies
Robert Hutchinson's After Nuremberg: American Clemency for Nazi War Criminals (Yale UP, 2022) is about the fleeting nature of American punishment for German war criminals convicted at the twelve Nuremberg trials of 1946–1949. Because of repeated American grants of clemency and parole, ninety-seven of the 142 Germans convicted at the Nuremberg trials, many of them major offenders, regained their freedom years, sometimes decades, ahead of schedule. High-ranking Nazi plunderers, kidnappers, slave laborers, and mass murderers all walked free by 1958. High Commissioner for Occupied Germany John J. McCloy and his successors articulated a vision of impartial American justice as inspiring and legitimizing their actions, as they concluded that German war criminals were entitled to all the remedies American laws offered to better their conditions and reduce their sentences. Based on extensive archival research (including newly declassified material), this book explains how American policy makers' best intentions resulted in a series of decisions from 1949–1958 that produced a self-perpetuating bureaucracy of clemency and parole that “rehabilitated” unrepentant German abettors and perpetrators of theft, slavery, and murder while lending salience to the most reactionary elements in West German political discourse. Nicholas Misukanis is a doctoral candidate in the history department at the University of Maryland - College Park. He studies modern European and Middle Eastern history with a special emphasis on Germany and the role energy autonomy played in foreign and domestic German politics during the twentieth century. He is currently working on his dissertation which analyzes why the West German government failed to convince the public to embrace nuclear energy and the ramifications this had on German politics between 1973 and 1986. His work has been published in Commonweal, America: The Jesuit Review, The United States' Naval Academy's Tell Me Another and Studies on Asia. He can be reached at Misukani@umd.edu. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/law
Moshoeshoe, the Basotho king who'd outwitted, outfought and outlived most of his enemies, was nearing his end. He had managed to ensure his chiefdom survived in signing the Treaty of Aliwal North with the British, who then annexed his territory. Or at least were about to but there were some loose ends to tie up before the Colonial Office signed off on the deal. One of the loose ends was the opposition from some French missionaries who took exception to the Treaty believing it was a cosy deal agreed between the British and the Boers of the Orange Free State which left Moshoeshoe's people with far less territory than they had originally claimed. The most pressing matter was food. Could the Basotho feed themselves with less arable land following the ceding of much of the Caledon valley to the Boers. David Dale Buchanan was the editor of the Witness Newspaper based in Pietermaritzburg who championed Moshoeshoe's claim for expanded sovereignty during boundary talks. Paris Evangelical Missionary Society's Francois Daumas joined Buchanana in actively lobbied the British government in London to reverse or soften the settlement terms that had been unfavorable to Moshoeshoe. Buchanan used his platform in Natal's colonial press to rally public and political support for Moshoeshoe, portraying the Basuto as deserving more just boundaries—and influenced the colonial secretary to consider Moshoeshoe's case more sympathetically. Meanwhile, Daumas took the issue straight to the corridors of British power in London, sailing to Britain in 1869. He pressed the Foreign Office and Colonial Office to reconsider the treaty's terms, hoping to secure territory that the Conventions had removed from Basotho ambit. Their joint efforts helped shape the High Commissioner's Notice of May 13, 1870, with an amendment in November 1871. This modification adjusted the Aliwal North boundary by Extending Basutoland eastward along the Caledon River to its true headwaters, and Restoring territory around Chief Molapo that the Orange Free State had claimed. These revisions returned critical grazing land and strategic highlands to Basutoland. Unfortunately, as you're going to hear, Moshoeshoe wasn't around to experience the fruits of their diplomacy. So it was on a January morning in 1870 that Moshoeshoe roused himself, like a candle flickering before it went out. He was about to perform a remarkable act, almost unheard of in southern Africa tradition. In his last official duty, Moshoeshoe convened a meeting of chiefs and headmen at Thaba Bosiu, and announced he was abdicating in favour of his eldest son, Letsie. It was almost a hospital pass, because Letsie would now take over a land compressed on all sides by pressure groups, African and Colonial. It was still unclear if Basotholand would survive — having barely scraped through the previous few years, the Free State Basotho war of 1865 to 1868 had drained the country of food, and crushed much of its spirit. But it was not defeated, and emerged under Letsie, balanced on a knife-edge, now protected by the British Empire. Moshoeshoe followed up his announcement at the meeting with more orders, that when Letsie died, he should be succeeded by Motsoane who was the only child of Letsie's first wife, Senate — and Senate's father was Josepha who was the eldest son of Molapo's first wife. This was an attempt by Moshoeshoe to create cohesion but it was doomed to fail because he was unilaterally changing Basotho laws of succession. Let us turn to the final weeks of Moshoeshoe's life, marked by an unseemly rivalry between French Protestants and Catholics. It is striking how the distant quarrels of European theology left their mark on South African history.The old Basotho fox had toyed with Christianity for years. Sometimes he wore it like a borrowed coat; sometimes he tossed it aside. The French missionaries were his pawns in a diplomatic game, sometimes they attempted to make him in their own image.
Full interview with U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk in Geneva, Switzerland.
Full interview with U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk in Geneva, Switzerland.
Katie talks to Human Rights lawyer Craig Mokhiber about the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation massacres, concentration camps, and open genocide. Then Katie speaks to former Army ranger Greg Stoker about U.S. concentration camps, the IDF and the floods in Texas, where he's based. To see Greg talk about Hamas, Epstein, Kash Patel and more, please join us on Patreon at - https://www.patreon.com/posts/patreon-full-133705785 Craig Mokhiber is an American former United Nations (UN) human rights official and a specialist in international human rights law, policy, and methodology. On October 28, 2023, Mokhiber stepped down as the director of the New York office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR). In his final letter to High Commissioner, he harshly criticized the organization's response to the war in Gaza, calling Israel's military intervention a "textbook genocide" and accusing the UN of failing to act. Greg Stoker is a former United States Army Ranger. He has a background in special operations and human intelligence collection. He conducted 4 combat deployments to Afghanistan during the unfortunately named “Global War On Terror” and is now an anti-war activist, host of the Colonial Outcasts Podcast, and analyst at MintPress News. Link to sign the Sarajevo Declaration on the genocide in Palestine - https://www.change.org/p/sign-the-sarajevo-declaration-of-the-gaza-people-s-tribunal
Headlines for July 01, 2025; “Worst Thing I’ve Ever Seen”: U.S. Surgeon Describes Mass Starvation, Injury and Death in Gaza; “Trying to Find Food Is a Death Sentence”: Palestinian Writer Muhammad Shehada on Gaza Aid Massacres; “Ethnic Cleansing”: U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, on Israel’s War in Gaza; “Damaging and Deadly” Heat Domes Nearly Tripled, from Europe to the U.S.: Climatologist Michael Mann
Headlines for July 01, 2025; “Worst Thing I’ve Ever Seen”: U.S. Surgeon Describes Mass Starvation, Injury and Death in Gaza; “Trying to Find Food Is a Death Sentence”: Palestinian Writer Muhammad Shehada on Gaza Aid Massacres; “Ethnic Cleansing”: U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, on Israel’s War in Gaza; “Damaging and Deadly” Heat Domes Nearly Tripled, from Europe to the U.S.: Climatologist Michael Mann
This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.globaldispatches.orgBombs are dropping in Iran and Israel, with no end in sight and the very real prospect that the United States might imminently join the fight. As a hot war unfolds in the Middle East, frantic diplomacy is also underway at both the United Nations and the IAEA.In the first (and free) segment, Mark and Anjali take a deep dive into a parallel diplomatic process on Iran's nuclear program that is unfolding alongside the escalating war. After the jump, they discuss the implications of the Trump administration's decision to walk out of a major UN conference on financing for development and the Sustainable Development Goals.Mark and Anjali then react to breaking news that the United Nations is poised to abandon its lease at the historic and stately Palais Wilson in Geneva, which once housed the League of Nations and is now the headquarters of the High Commissioner for Human Rights.https://www.globaldispatches.org/40PercentOff https://www.globaldispatches.org/20PercentOffOr, you can support us at full price: https://www.globaldispatches.org/
Subscribe to Bad Faith on Patreon to instantly unlock our full premium episode library: http://patreon.com/badfaithpodcast Craig Mokhiber, international human rights law specialist who stepped down from his post as director of the New York office of the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights after October 7th, returns to Bad Faith to discuss the Rafah massacre in which dozens of Palestinians were killed by the IDF while waiting for aid, the Gaza Tribunal's Sarajevo Conference in which legal scholars, human rights experts, journalists, and survivors pushed a civil society-led initiative for accountability for Israel; and the potential for U.N. reform now that the U.S. is withdrawing funding, and perhaps influence, from the United Nations. Subscribe to Bad Faith on YouTube for video of this episode. Find Bad Faith on Twitter (@badfaithpod) and Instagram (@badfaithpod).
Between The Lines Radio Newsmagazine (Broadcast-affiliate version)
Women's March's Tamika Middleton: June 14 Nationwide Anti-Authoritarian Protests Likely to be Largest Since Trump Returned to OfficeFormerly of the UN's High Commissioner for Human Rights' New York Office Craig Mokhiber: Israel's Seizure of Gaza-Bound Humanitarian Aid Ship Violates International LawOil Change International's Collin Rees: Trump & GOP Slash Clean Energy Incentives that Reduced Pollution, Created Jobs, Lowered Electric BillsBob Nixon's Under-reported News Summary• UN aid convoy attacked in Sudan• Record-breaking wildfires burning across Canada• Trump officials may be profiting from insider informationVisit our website at BTLonline.org for more information, in-depth interviews, related links, transcripts and subscribe to our BTL Weekly Summary and/or podcasts. New episodes every Wednesday at 12 noon ET, website updated Wednesdays after 4 p.m. ETProduced by Squeaky Wheel Productions: Scott Harris, Melinda Tuhus, Bob Nixon, Anna Manzo, Susan Bramhall, Jeff Yates and Mary Hunt. Theme music by Richard Hill and Mikata.
On March 20, the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights presented a report on “promoting accountability” for DPRK violations at the 58th session of the Human Rights Council. This week, Eleonor Fernandez of the U.N. OHCHR joins the podcast to unpack the report and what accountability really means for North Korea, the evidence behind the U.N.'s work and the challenges of investigating abuses in one of the world's most closed societies. She also discusses what role South Korea, Japan, the U.S. and European countries play in advancing human rights in North Korea and some of the main concerns regarding escapees who are forcibly repatriated to the DPRK. Eleonor Fernandez is a human rights officer in the Seoul Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (UN OHCHR). About the podcast: The North Korea News Podcast is a weekly podcast hosted by Jacco Zwetsloot exclusively for NK News, covering all things DPRK — from news to extended interviews with leading experts and analysts in the field, along with insight from our very own journalists. NK News subscribers can listen to this and other exclusive episodes from their preferred podcast player by accessing the private podcast feed. For more detailed instructions, please see the step-by-step guide at nknews.org/private-feed.