POPULARITY
Deutschland, Österreich, Liechtenstein und die Schweiz wollen den Handel in Europa weiter vereinfachen. Konkret verspricht Deutschland beim Vierertreffen am Freitag in Zürich, sich dafür stark zu machen, dass Schweizer Produkte gleich behandelt werden, wie solche aus der EU. Weitere Themen: Im nächsten Jahr wählt Italien. Doch mit dem geltenden Wahlrecht könnte Regierungschefin Giorgia Meloni ihre Mehrheit im Parlament verlieren. Deshalb hat ihre Regierungskoalition nun einen Vorschlag für ein neues Wahlgesetz präsentiert. In Paris wird beim Concours de la meilleure Baguette de Paris jedes Jahr neu entschieden, wer das beste Baguette der Stadt macht. Dabei geht es nicht nur um Ruhm und Ehre. Der Sieger oder die Siegerin bekommt ein Preisgeld von 4000 Euro und darf ein Jahr lang den Elysée-Palast mit Baguettes beliefern.
bto - beyond the obvious 2.0 - der neue Ökonomie-Podcast von Dr. Daniel Stelter
Russlands Angriffskrieg und das Zittern um die Verlässlichkeit des Partners USA zwingen Europa, seine Verteidigung massiv auszubauen. Schätzungen sprechen von rund 250 Milliarden Euro zusätzlich pro Jahr für die EU. In Paris und Rom sieht man darin den Hebel für die nächste Stufe der Schulden- und Transferunion. Doch das ist nicht der einzige Weg und für Deutschland ganz sicher nicht der beste. Wie es anders gehen kann, diskutierte Daniel Stelter in Episode 284 mit Rob Murray, Senior Fellow beim Atlantic Council und Assistant Professor of Practice an der Johns Hopkins University. Das Konzept einer Defense, Security and Resilience Bank, einer globalen Verteidigungsbank, die Verteidigungsausgaben finanziert, ohne Deutschland in eine Haftungsunion zu ziehen, erhält durch die jüngsten Debatten erneut Aktualität. Zeit für ein bto REFRESH.HörerserviceStudie Defending Europe Without the US: First Estimates of What is Needed: https://is.gd/ikTDpl Studie Guns and Growth: The Economic Consequences of Defense Buildups: https://is.gd/c67ALi Konzept Global Defense Bank: https://is.gd/OUh0i9 beyond the obviousNeue Analysen, Kommentare und Einschätzungen zur Wirtschafts- und Finanzlage finden Sie unter think-bto.com.NewsletterDen monatlichen bto-Newsletter abonnieren Sie hier.RedaktionskontaktWir freuen uns über Ihre Meinungen, Anregungen und Kritik unter podcast@think-bto.com.Handelsblatt – Ein exklusives Angebot für alle „bto – beyond the obvious – featured by Handelsblatt”-Hörer*innen: Testen Sie Handelsblatt Premium 4 Wochen lang für 1 Euro und bleiben Sie zur aktuellen Wirtschafts- und Finanzlage informiert. Mehr erfahren Sie unter: https://handelsblatt.com/mehrperspektiven WerbepartnerInformationen zu den Angeboten unserer aktuellen Werbepartner finden Sie hier. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Recorded live at the CEPR Annual Symposium in Paris. When VoxTalks Economics visits a symposium or conference, we try to find the most interesting new research from economists who are just starting out in their careers. In Paris we invited three of them to the CEPR Office to tell us about their work.In this episode, Tim Phillips talks to Lucie Giorgi, Aix-Marseille School of Economics (AMSE), whose research tracks the impact of sex segregation in French elementary schools; Alishuba Philip of the University of Zurich, who has investigated why slum redevelopment often doesn't benefit the people who live there, and Ali Bakhtawar – also of AMSE – about Lawfare in Pakistan.
La grève des soignants s'est intensifiée contre la loi de financement de la Sécurité sociale. À Paris, des milliers de médecins dénoncent une politique d'austérité budgétaire.Traduction: The healthcare workers' strike intensified against the Social Security budget law. In Paris, thousands of doctors are denouncing a policy of strict budgetary austerity measures. Hébergé par Acast. Visitez acast.com/privacy pour plus d'informations.
Razzia bei X. In Paris stürmt die Polizei Büros des sozialen Netzwerks – und das aus rein politischen Gründen + Im Schwerpunkt des Tages: Die Epstein-Affäre wird immer größer: Jetzt gerät ein weiterer britischer Adliger ins Kreuzfeuer. + Und: Gift in der Babynahrung – AUF1 deckt auf, wie Handelskonzerne unsere Kinder gefährden
We're right in the middle of the Fall/Winter 2026 Menswear shows in Milan and Paris, so it's only right that GQ's Global Fashion Correspondent Samuel Hine joins us on The Run-Through!Sam is a fixture on the menswear scene and writes the popular GQ newsletter Show Notes.. He shared all the trends, red carpet looks and shows he's most excited about just before heading to Milan.Other highlights on the Milan schedule include Prada, Zegna and Armani. Plus, 2025 LVMH Prize Winner Soshi Otsuki and designer Shinya Kozuka, who showed at Pitti Uomo in Florence.The Menswear shows coincide with several major awards shows, and there have already been lots of looks that went from the runway to the red carpet this year. With the Oscars and Grammys coming up, we're sure to see more runway looks on our favorite celebs.In Paris, all eyes are once again on Jonathan Anderson's Dior.Hine told Phelps he expects to see a continued exploration of the “preppy classicism" we saw in Anderson's Dior Men's debut in June.Another milestone of the Fall Menswear shows will be Véronique Nichanian's final show for Hermès after 37 years as artistic director.Hine said he is keeping a close eye on which shows the Heated Rivalry guys end up attending – Hudson Williams opening DSquared2 was major!He also shared a bit about what's coming next for GQ now that Will Welch, Global Editorial Director at GQ, announced he's leaving the magazine on February 15th, and hinted at what to expect from this year's GQ Bowl. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices
Isaac Lythgoe is a sculptor, painter and writer based In Paris, FR. His practice is world-building; reimagining narrative traditions and modes of storytelling, he creates interconnected works that probe power structures, contemporary ethics, and shifting social norms. Within this constructed universe, arcs of romance and mortality intersect, inviting viewers to consider how collective memory is formed—and what future societies might resemble. This temporal drift between past and future is mirrored in Lythgoe's aesthetic language, where tensions between the natural and the synthetic unfold through form, material, and gesture. Recent and forthcoming shows include Phantasmagoria: Folkloric Sculpture for the Digital Age, The Henry Moore Institute, Leeds, UK, (2026), Would I lie to you, Duarte Sequeira, Seoul, KR (2024), Production Residency at Lafayette Anticipations, Paris, FR, (2024), Cute!, Somerset House, London, UK, (2024), After Laughter Comes Tears, MUDAM, Luxembourg, LX, (2023) amongst others. Beautiful losers, 180cm x 140cm, oil on canvas, 2025. I pretended there was nowhere to love, 80cm x 60cm, oil on canvas, 2025 Everyone's a bad guy, 110cm x 80cm x 80cm fibreglass, carbon fibre, epoxy, cast aluminium, scarab beetles
In Paris sind am Ukraine-Gipfel die Sicherheitsgarantien konkreter geworden: Es geht etwa um europäische Truppen in der Ukraine. Vieles bleibt aber vage. Wir schätzen das Ergebnis ein. Weitere Themen: · Die USA bekräftigen erneut ihr Interesse an Grönland, auch ein Einsatz des Militärs sei eine Option. Der Erwerb Grönlands habe für die nationale Sicherheit der USA Priorität, teilte das Weisse Haus mit. Die Insel gehört völkerrechtlich zu Dänemark. · Nach der Brandkatastrophe von Crans-Montana hat sich das Betreiber-Ehepaar der betroffenen Bar ausführlich geäussert. In einer Mitteilung sprechen sie den Betroffenen ihr Mitgefühl aus. Sie seien am Boden zerstört und von Trauer überwältigt. Sie kündigten zudem an, bei den Ermittlungen uneingeschränkt zu kooperieren. · Die Katastrophe von Crans-Montana mit 40 Toten und über 100 zum Teil Schwerstverletzten könnte Konsequenzen haben für den Staat. Das erklärt Strafrechtsprofessor Daniel Jositsch. Die Gemeinde hätte die Bar jährlich in Sachen Brandschutz kontrollieren müssen, zuletzt erfolgt ist die Kontrolle allerdings 2019.
In Paris einigen sich Unterstützerstaaten auf eine Sicherheitserklärung für die Ukraine │ Außenminister aus Deutschland, Frankreich und Polen beraten im Weimarer Dreieck über weitere Schritte │ Über der neuen Arrow-3-Radarstellung in Annaburg werden verdächtige Drohnen gesichtet, die Bundeswehr reagiert │ Israelische und syrische Vertreter vereinbaren in Paris eine gemeinsame Kommunikationsstelle, während in Syrien erneut Kämpfe bei Aleppo aufflammen
In Paris hat die Koalition der Willigen konkretisiert, wie ein möglicher Waffenstillstand in Ukraine abgesichert werden könnte. Wie reagiert Moskau darauf? Dazu unser Korrespondent Jürgen Buch.
In Paris plant die Koalition der Willigen offenbar Sicherheitsgarantien für die Ukraine, in Brandenburg zerbricht die Koalition aus SPD und BSW und im Kloster Seeon diskutiert die CSU über Abschiebungen.
Im Kanzleramt kommt es zu einem überraschenden Einschnitt. Friedrich Merz trennt sich von seinem langjährigen Büroleiter Jacob Schrot. Der Schritt wirft Fragen auf, weil er nicht nur etwas über die Personalie selbst sagt, sondern auch über die Lage des Kanzlers. Nach einem Jahr als außenpolitisch präsenter Regierungschef steht Merz unter wachsendem Druck, innenpolitisch und wirtschaftlich zu liefern. Rixa Fürsen und Rasmus Buchsteiner ordnen ein, warum der Abschied auch mit einem fehlenden Wirtschaftsprofil zu tun hat und welche Erwartungen nun mit dem neuen Büroleiter Philipp Birkenmaier verbunden sind.Im 200-Sekunden-Interview erklärt Vanessa Zobel (CDU) aus dem Wirtschaftsausschuss des Bundestags und Mitglied im Parlamentskreis Mittelstand, warum der Mittelstand schnelle Signale braucht, weshalb Reformen Zeit brauchen und wo sie trotz schwacher Wachstumszahlen erste Anzeichen für Bewegung sieht. Außenpolitisch bleibt der Kanzler trotzdem gefordert. In Paris beginnt der erste Ukraine-Gipfel des Jahres. Hans von der Burchard gibt die wichtigsten Infos zum Treffen vorab.Das Berlin Playbook als Podcast gibt es jeden Morgen ab 5 Uhr. Gordon Repinski und das POLITICO-Team liefern Politik zum Hören – kompakt, international, hintergründig. Für alle Hauptstadt-Profis: Der Berlin Playbook-Newsletter bietet jeden Morgen die wichtigsten Themen und Einordnungen. Jetzt kostenlos abonnieren. Mehr von Host und POLITICO Executive Editor Gordon Repinski: Instagram: @gordon.repinski | X: @GordonRepinski. POLITICO Deutschland – ein Angebot der Axel Springer Deutschland GmbH Axel-Springer-Straße 65, 10888 Berlin Tel: +49 (30) 2591 0 information@axelspringer.de Sitz: Amtsgericht Berlin-Charlottenburg, HRB 196159 B USt-IdNr: DE 214 852 390 Geschäftsführer: Carolin Hulshoff Pol, Mathias Sanchez Luna Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
«International-Spezial» zum Jahresende, Teil 2: Frankreich-Korrespondentin Zoe Geissler und Grossbritannien-Korrespondent Patrik Wülser blicken zurück auf ein turbulentes, ereignisreiches 2025. Ein Jahr, in dem sich die beiden «alten Mächte» dank Trump erstmals seit Brexit wieder annäherten. US-Präsident Donald Trump hielt «das alte Europa» im vergangenen Jahr, gelinde gesagt, auf Trab. In Paris und London war die Politik gefordert, aber nicht nur von Trump, sondern auch von eigenen Problemen, die beidseits des Ärmelkanals ähnlich sind. Zoe Geissler hatte kaum Zeit, in Paris ihre Koffer auszupacken und sich als neue Frankreich-Korrespondentin einzurichten, bevor sie über eine Kaskade von Regierungswechseln und Prozessen berichten musste. Und Grossbritannien-Korrespondent Patrik Wülser erlebte, wie die Bevölkerung im Königreich weiterhin auf bessere Zeiten warten muss, trotz Versprechen eines relativ neuen Premiers. Die «neueste» SRF-Korrespondentin und der dienst-älteste Korrespondent blicken auf ein turbulentes Jahr und auf eindrückliche Begegnungen in ihren Berichtsgebieten zurück, und wagen einen Ausblick aufs Neue Jahr.
«International-Spezial» zum Jahresende, Teil 2: Frankreich-Korrespondentin Zoe Geissler und Grossbritannien-Korrespondent Patrik Wülser blicken zurück auf ein turbulentes, ereignisreiches 2025. Ein Jahr, in dem sich die beiden «alten Mächte» dank Trump erstmals seit Brexit wieder annäherten. US-Präsident Donald Trump hielt «das alte Europa» im vergangenen Jahr, gelinde gesagt, auf Trab. In Paris und London war die Politik gefordert, aber nicht nur von Trump, sondern auch von eigenen Problemen, die beidseits des Ärmelkanals ähnlich sind. Zoe Geissler hatte kaum Zeit, in Paris ihre Koffer auszupacken und sich als neue Frankreich-Korrespondentin einzurichten, bevor sie über eine Kaskade von Regierungswechseln und Prozessen berichten musste. Und Grossbritannien-Korrespondent Patrik Wülser erlebte, wie die Bevölkerung im Königreich weiterhin auf bessere Zeiten warten muss, trotz Versprechen eines relativ neuen Premiers. Die «neueste» SRF-Korrespondentin und der dienst-älteste Korrespondent blicken auf ein turbulentes Jahr und auf eindrückliche Begegnungen in ihren Berichtsgebieten zurück, und wagen einen Ausblick aufs Neue Jahr.
«International-Spezial» zum Jahresende, Teil 2: Frankreich-Korrespondentin Zoe Geissler und Grossbritannien-Korrespondent Patrik Wülser blicken zurück auf ein turbulentes, ereignisreiches 2025. Ein Jahr, in dem sich die beiden «alten Mächte» dank Trump erstmals seit Brexit wieder annäherten. US-Präsident Donald Trump hielt «das alte Europa» im vergangenen Jahr, gelinde gesagt, auf Trab. In Paris und London war die Politik gefordert, aber nicht nur von Trump, sondern auch von eigenen Problemen, die beidseits des Ärmelkanals ähnlich sind. Zoe Geissler hatte kaum Zeit, in Paris ihre Koffer auszupacken und sich als neue Frankreich-Korrespondentin einzurichten, bevor sie über eine Kaskade von Regierungswechseln und Prozessen berichten musste. Und Grossbritannien-Korrespondent Patrik Wülser erlebte, wie die Bevölkerung im Königreich weiterhin auf bessere Zeiten warten muss, trotz Versprechen eines relativ neuen Premiers. Die «neueste» SRF-Korrespondentin und der dienst-älteste Korrespondent blicken auf ein turbulentes Jahr und auf eindrückliche Begegnungen in ihren Berichtsgebieten zurück, und wagen einen Ausblick aufs Neue Jahr.
Luxus hat eine Schattenseite. Eine, über die kaum jemand spricht und die doch Milliarden bewegt. Gestohlene Designer-Bags, verschwundene Uhren und die professionellen Hehler-Netzwerke dahinter. In Paris, London, München: Die spektakulären Überfälle der letzten Monate zeigen, wie organisierte Kriminalität den Luxusmarkt längst infiltriert hat. Doch während der Uhrenmarkt ein globales Datenmodell entwickelt hat, bleibt der Taschenmarkt eine Black Box. Anonym, unreguliert, perfekt für Täter. Genau hier setzt Jan Oliver Stück an, Founder von Saclàb, der größten Plattform für Certified Pre-Owned Luxury Bags. Er versucht jetzt, Ordnung in dieses milliardenschwere Schatten-Ökosystem zu bringen. In dieser Episode von TOMorrow sprechen wir über: – die Crime Economy hinter Designer-Taschen – warum Taschen begehrter sind als Rolex, AP & Co. – wie reale Überfälle ablaufen und warum die Dunkelziffer explodiert – die enormen Lücken im globalen Luxus-Tracking – und die Frage: Kann ein digitales Register die Luxuskriminalität wirklich stoppen? Ein True-Crime deep dive in die dunkle Seite des High-End-Marktes und ein Blick auf eine Revolution in Ownership, Sicherheit und Transparenz. Willkommen bei TOMorrow Luxury Crime.
Der Onlinehändler Shein hat in Frankreich eine Anzeige am Hals, weil er Sexpuppen in Kinderoptik angeboten hat. In Paris gibt es Proteste gegen Shein. Die Kritik: Solche Puppen könnten potenzielle Täter triggern. Vereinzelt liest man auch die Meinung, Sexpuppen in Kinderoptik könnten Menschen mit pädophilen Neigungen im Gegenteil als Ventil dienen und sie davon abhalten, sich an echten Kindern zu vergehen. Das sei nicht undenkbar, aber sicher nicht allgemein der Fall, sagt Monika Egli-Alge vom Institut Forio in Frauenfeld, das sich mit forensisch-psychologischen und psychiatrischen Fragestellungen befasst. Sie arbeitet auch im Präventionsprojekt «Kein Täter werden», das sich an Menschen mit sexuellem Interesse an Kindern richtet. Ob eine kindliche Sexpuppe eine Person eher triggere oder als Ventil funktioniere, komme auf den Einzelfall an, erklärt Egli-Alge in dieser Podcast-Folge. Die Forschung debattiere die Frage kontrovers, und es sei schwierig, sie mit Studien zu untersuchen. ____________________ Habt Ihr Fragen oder Themen-Inputs? Schreibt uns gerne per Mail an newsplus@srf.ch oder sendet uns eine Sprachnachricht an 076 320 10 37. ____________________ In dieser Episode zu hören: - Monika Egli-Alge, Psychotherapeutin am Forio-Institut und beim Projekt «Kein Täter werden» ____________________ Links und Hilfe: - «Kein Täter werden»: https://kein-taeter-werden.ch/ - Dargebotene Hand»: https://www.143.ch/ ____________________ Team: - Moderation: Isabelle Maissen - Produktion: Corina Heinzmann - Mitarbeit: Nicolas Malzacher ____________________ Das ist «News Plus»: In einer Viertelstunde die Welt besser verstehen – ein Thema, neue Perspektiven und Antworten auf eure Fragen. Unsere Korrespondenten und Expertinnen aus der Schweiz und der Welt erklären, analysieren und erzählen, was sie bewegt. «News Plus» von SRF erscheint immer von Montag bis Freitag um 16 Uhr rechtzeitig zum Feierabend.
Every once in a while, I meet someone whose story reminds me why inclusion and communication go hand in hand. My guest this week, Shabnam Asthana, is one of those people. She's a global PR leader, entrepreneur, and author who has spent her life turning words into bridges that connect people and purpose. We talk about her journey from teaching and lecturing at India's National Defence Academy to leading global communications for major brands—and what it taught her about empathy, leadership, and real inclusion. Shabnam shares how storytelling can turn data into emotion, and why true diversity is less about representation and more about respect. Her message is powerful and deeply human: being unstoppable begins with an open heart, quiet courage, and the willingness to rise again. If you're ready to lead with empathy and communicate with purpose, this conversation will stay with you long after it ends. Highlights: 00:43 – Hear how early role models and a working mother raised ambitions and set a path toward leadership. 03:39 – Learn why strong communication skills pointed her toward PR and how debates built confidence. 05:24 – See why teaching became the first step when women in PR roles were rare in smaller cities. 08:12 – Discover what it took to lecture at India's National Defence Academy and earn respect in a rigid setting. 12:09 – Understand the leap from academia to corporate PR after being scouted for communication excellence. 15:50 – Learn how serving as a spokesperson shaped internal and external messaging at a Swedish-Indian firm. 17:01 – Gain a humble view of global work and why inclusion means moving from tokenism to listening. 21:08 – Compare India and Sweden and see how representation differs from real inclusion in practice. 24:18 – Learn how small, specific acts like adding sign to slides can make people feel genuinely seen. 34:24 – Find out how storytelling turns CSR spreadsheets into human change that inspires action. 43:22 – Explore the choice to found Empowered Solutions and why entrepreneurship kept growth alive. 53:06 – Take a fresh definition of an unstoppable mindset rooted in resilience and an open heart. About the Guest: A multi-faceted Professional, who has fast tracked from being a reputed National name to a well-respected and emulated global one! Shabnam Asthana has added new dimensions to Global PR and Communications. She has to her credit, post graduate degrees in English Literature, Public Relations and Advertising, an MBA in Marketing Management & several International certifications including a prestigious Hon. Doctorate in Business Administration from the National American University USA (NAU). She has over 25 years of rich professional experience. She started her career in the educational field as a high school teacher and then moved on to the role of a Lecturer at the prestigious National Defence Academy, Khadkwasla. She was the only civilian who compered for the Passing out parades, PT & Equestrian display and the Graduation ceremony of the NDA for 3 consecutive years. This was covered live on Doordarshan. It was after one of the Passing out Parades that she was compering at the NDA, that a senior position in a reputed company was offered to her and thus began her foray into the corporate world. After her successful corporate stint in senior positions with reputed companies including Multinationals in India and abroad and reputed real estate businesses, she started her own PR and communications firm, Empowered Solutions in 2005 which has been running successfully since then. Adding offices in USA and Canada as part of its international expansion. Ways to connect with Jan: Wikipedia - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shabnam_Asthana Instagram https://www.instagram.com/shabnamasthana/?hl=en Linked in - https://in.linkedin.com/in/dr-shabnam-asthana-7b174a5 Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/ShabnamAsthana/ X - https://x.com/shabnamasthana VyaapaarNiti Expert Profile - https://www.vyaapaarniti.com/expert/dr-shabnam-asthana- Tring Celebrity Platform - https://www.tring.co.in/shabnam-asthana About the Host: Michael Hingson is a New York Times best-selling author, international lecturer, and Chief Vision Officer for accessiBe. Michael, blind since birth, survived the 9/11 attacks with the help of his guide dog Roselle. This story is the subject of his best-selling book, Thunder Dog. Michael gives over 100 presentations around the world each year speaking to influential groups such as Exxon Mobile, AT&T, Federal Express, Scripps College, Rutgers University, Children's Hospital, and the American Red Cross just to name a few. He is Ambassador for the National Braille Literacy Campaign for the National Federation of the Blind and also serves as Ambassador for the American Humane Association's 2012 Hero Dog Awards. https://michaelhingson.com https://www.facebook.com/michael.hingson.author.speaker/ https://twitter.com/mhingson https://www.youtube.com/user/mhingson https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelhingson/ accessiBe Links https://accessibe.com/ https://www.youtube.com/c/accessiBe https://www.linkedin.com/company/accessibe/mycompany/ https://www.facebook.com/accessibe/ Thanks for listening! Thanks so much for listening to our podcast! If you enjoyed this episode and think that others could benefit from listening, please share it using the social media buttons on this page. Do you have some feedback or questions about this episode? Leave a comment in the section below! Subscribe to the podcast If you would like to get automatic updates of new podcast episodes, you can subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts or Stitcher. You can subscribe in your favorite podcast app. You can also support our podcast through our tip jar https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/unstoppable-mindset . Leave us an Apple Podcasts review Ratings and reviews from our listeners are extremely valuable to us and greatly appreciated. They help our podcast rank higher on Apple Podcasts, which exposes our show to more awesome listeners like you. If you have a minute, please leave an honest review on Apple Podcasts. Transcription Notes: Michael Hingson ** 00:00 Access Cast and accessiBe Initiative presents Unstoppable Mindset. The podcast where inclusion, diversity and the unexpected meet. Hi, I'm Michael Hingson, Chief Vision Officer for accessiBe and the author of the number one New York Times bestselling book, Thunder dog, the story of a blind man, his guide dog and the triumph of trust. Thanks for joining me on my podcast as we explore our own blinding fears of inclusion unacceptance and our resistance to change. We will discover the idea that no matter the situation, or the people we encounter, our own fears, and prejudices often are our strongest barriers to moving forward. The unstoppable mindset podcast is sponsored by accessiBe, that's a c c e s s i capital B e. Visit www.accessibe.com to learn how you can make your website accessible for persons with disabilities. And to help make the internet fully inclusive by the year 2025. Glad you dropped by we're happy to meet you and to have you here with us. Michael Hingson ** 01:20 Well, Hi again, everyone. I am your host, Michael Hingson, and you are here listening to or watching or both, unstoppable mindset today, our guest is a person of many talents, and I think you're going to be as amazed about her as I am. Shabnam Asthana is a person who has been involved in she was a teacher for a while. She's been very heavily involved in a variety of things at the corporate level. She started her own marketing firm in 2005 and I don't know what all my gosh, she's got so many things, it's really hard to keep up, but I'm sure she's going to tell us all about it, and I am looking forward to that. And I really appreciate all of you being here with us. So Shabnam, I want to welcome you to unstoppable mindset. And thank you for being here. Shabnam Asthana ** 02:15 Thank you, Michael, truly wonderful to be with here, and thank you for that amazing introduction. You make me feel as if I've worn a professional cape of so many accolades and so many things. It's wonderful to be here with you. Michael Hingson ** 02:32 Michael, well, you do have lots of awards and lots of accolades. Shabnam Asthana ** 02:38 That's just one part of the journey. The true reward is in the, you know, work that I do, these stories, that I shape, the narratives that spring in that is the true reward. And of course, accolades are always welcome, and they are a way of encouragement, which do ensure that, yes, I continue doing the good work. Michael Hingson ** 03:00 Well, why don't we start back at the beginning, which is always fun to do. Why don't you tell us about the early Shabnam growing up? Shabnam Asthana ** 03:08 Okay, that's something which is very close to my heart. I was born in India in a small city called Bokaro, Steel City. It was a Steel City. It was an industrial town, and we were a very close knit community, and we had lots of, you know, interaction with people. I came from a background where both my parents, my mother and my father were working, and at that point of time, a working woman was sort of seen as a novelty, not something I'm talking way, way back. And now the people will also guess my age, I guess because it's pretty way back. And that was the time when we weren't India was still developing, and women were still not seen as the working class, you know, especially in senior corporate positions. And my mother was a senior officer in the steel plant, so that set my aspirations and ambitions very high. And I wanted to emulate her. I wanted to be someone who was working now what I would do I was not very sure of, but yes, I wanted to be working. And then later on, my sister, my both my sisters, were also working, my older siblings, and of course, that set the tone for me to also hop into the professional shoes, and, you know, chart out a career path for myself. So, Michael Hingson ** 04:44 so what? What did you do? As far as schooling? Did you go to college? Shabnam Asthana ** 04:51 Yes, I went to the local school there, which was an English medium good school called sin Xavier School. And that was some. Thing which really groomed me for the future, that set the foundations for my career. And after that, I did my schooling in the my college, sorry, in the capital city of India, which is Delhi. And then on, I moved to a place which is close to Mumbai, which is Pune, and I continued my education there. And of course, my career started in Pune. That is when I got into academics, and then henceforth, Michael Hingson ** 05:34 so when you were in college, and as you were coming out of it, what did you want to do with your life? What was your plan? Or did you have one? Shabnam Asthana ** 05:43 Yes, I did have one. Like I said, I was always good in communications, and people used to tell me that you are a good communicator. I used to win all the debates. I used to win elocution competitions. And I said, Well, yes, communication does seem to be my forte, so why don't I build on that? And then I saw my father, he was in the public relations industry, and I somehow at the back of my mind, I said, Yes, that is something I would surely want to do. So why not try my hand at PR? And that's how the seeds of my career was planted in my mind, and then it developed there on. Michael Hingson ** 06:30 But you started out in education and in teaching. Shabnam Asthana ** 06:34 Yes, that's very interesting. I'll tell you. I wanted to start my career in PR, but I was in a place which was a small city, and it was a place called Jamshedpur, before I moved on to Pune, and there, the career scope was very limited. We didn't have women in the PR. In fact, it was unheard of. So the best thing, or the easiest thing that a woman could do was to hop on the bandwagon of academics. And not saying that it was something you know, that was not looked up to. But yes, I did enjoy my role as a school teacher. That was my first job in Jamshedpur, a small it was, again, a steel city in India, and I became a high school teacher, and quite enjoyed it, because that was also communication. It was the way you communicated with your students, and, you know, sort of got them into, got them interested in what they were learning. So that was, again a stepping stone, and it was the area of communications which expanded later on. Michael Hingson ** 07:47 So how long did you stay in teaching? Shabnam Asthana ** 07:51 I was there for about two years in Jamshedpur, and then I moved on to Pune. And guess what the next opportunity I got was as a lecturer in the National Defense Academy. That was a place where the future generals were being groomed, and I was a civilian who, sort of, I was the only civilian, probably, who got into the teaching profession there and there I spent a good four years truly memorable. Worth remembering recounting. There was so many incidents, and I loved teaching. That was something which I did at the National Defense Academy too. Although that was at a higher level, it was very different from the school teaching which I had done. This was more, you know, on a national level, where you had to be more, and there was a lot of discipline which came in, because it was the future, you know, Army personnel, Navy personnel, so all that, there was a lot of discipline that came in and that groomed me better. I understood what the world of discipline meant in the true sense, because I lived Michael Hingson ** 09:10 it right. What? How did you discover the job at the defense Academy? Though that's certainly a whole lot different than teaching high school students or maybe not. Shabnam Asthana ** 09:23 It is a whole lot intimidating. Let me tell you that it's very intimidating to walk into a room full of, you know, future generals, army people you don't know who you know who you are, I mean, who they are, and you sort of get very intimidated by the kind the aura is very, very intimidating. Michael Hingson ** 09:46 How did you discover that job? Yes, Shabnam Asthana ** 09:49 that was done. We in India, we have something which is called the employment exchange. So you register there and you give your qualify. You list down your qualifications, and you know whatever you are planning to do, and they invite you for certain vacancies. So one fine day, I was just sitting and having my lunch at home when I received a letter, and the letter was an interview call for the National Defense Academy. I literally jumped out of my skin because I was a school teacher, and then being asked to appear for an interview in the National Defense Academy itself was a big leap for me. Whether I got it or not was a different thing. But then to sort of come on board and go and sort of appear for an interview was also something very exciting. And when I went there, I was like, I said, the only civilian The rest were army officers, wives and daughters, you know, related to the working personnel there. So when I went, I was interviewed by the three representatives from all the three wings, that is the Navy, the Air Force and Army. And that was a very good experience. They asked me a lot of questions, and I believe it was later on I was told that it was my confidence that got me in. So thanks to that, I Michael Hingson ** 11:23 was going to ask you why you why you got in, or why you think you got in. And yes, Shabnam Asthana ** 11:30 yeah, I did ask them that later, and unofficially, I was told that. Well, it was the way you carried yourself, the confidence and, you know, the excitement and enthusiasm that you shared, which was very, very refreshing. Michael Hingson ** 11:48 So what exactly did you do at the academy? Shabnam Asthana ** 11:53 I was teaching them English, and I was teaching them literature. I don't know how interested they were in literature, but then the feedback that I got, which was, you know, the it was a routine feedback, which we have the teachers get. So I used to get good marks, and people used to say, yes, that, you know, your classes are engrossing. It's good. And then, apart from that, there was something very interesting I did, which was I compared for their passing out parades, and I compared for all their shows. And that was something which was covered on television, and that gave me a different kind of foothold in my profession, where I was being seen, where I was being heard, and my confidence grew by leaps and bounds. I was being accepted as a woman. I was being accepted as a civilian. And that was something which was very, very heartwarming for me, Michael Hingson ** 13:01 and I would assume, very difficult to achieve, Shabnam Asthana ** 13:05 I think so I do yes, in retrospect, yes. Michael Hingson ** 13:09 So you did that for roughly four years. Yes. And why did you leave that? What was your? Was your thought about that, Shabnam Asthana ** 13:21 okay, I would have gone on. It was such a glorious part of my career. But, you know, change, they say, is constant, and that is something which happened. I was comparing for a passing out parade when the chairman of a corporate company which was doing rather well, heard me, and he was impressed by my communication, my speaking abilities, my, you know, the way I was presenting things. And he said he offered me a job, and he said, Why don't you come and join my office and come in as a PR person for my company, and that's exactly I was actually, you know, not very sure whether I wanted to leave this an industry and career where I was already established, where people knew me, and just hop on to the corporate world. But if you remember, that was my ambition. That was what I had always won right at the start. So the moment it came, it almost felt as if it fell into my laps. And I said, Why don't I do that? Yes, and this is a good opportunity, and I must take it up. My I spoke to my family, and they too, felt that it was a good stepping stone to move on. And so I accepted it, and that was my entry into the world of PR, in the corporate Michael Hingson ** 14:48 world. So what year was that this Shabnam Asthana ** 14:53 was way back on now you are prompting me to give away my age, which is like. Like ancient, I'd be a fossil. Okay, yes, this was way back in the 90s, Michael Hingson ** 15:06 okay, and that was kind of what I was curious about. So at that time, industry was a little bit more stable than it was later on, but, but still, you You did it, and you so you stepped into that goal, into that role, and so you became part of the PR world, which is, as you said, what you wanted to do initially, anyway. So, so how long did you stay at that company? I Shabnam Asthana ** 15:39 stayed there for about four years, and then the chairman of the company passed away. Unfortunately, he was on a trip to China, and he suffered a massive cardiac arrest, so I was working very closely with him in his office, and as is the norm of the industry, once the leader is not there things you know, sort of crumble, and you know, there's reorganization. New faces come in, and normally the new people bring their own teams. So I felt as if, you know, before they told me to sort of move out or something. I don't know why I pre empted that. I said, Why don't I myself make a shift and join some other industry? I mean, join some other company, which I did. Again, I applied. It was a Swedish company, and again, it was one of the best moves that I could have made. I spent a good 12 years in that company, which Hogan is India Limited, I must name them. They were brilliant. And I spent a very, very good part of my career with that company. Michael Hingson ** 16:56 And so again, you did primarily PR, or what did you Yes, it was Shabnam Asthana ** 17:02 PR and it was handling the chairman and managing director's office. So the entire communication was handled through me, the internal as well as the external communication. I was a spokesperson, yes, Michael Hingson ** 17:18 so you became so in a sense, sort of the face of the company. Shabnam Asthana ** 17:21 Yes, I did. It's nice to feel that yes, that it was a good many years that I was the face of the company in terms of communication, yes, Michael Hingson ** 17:33 right, right. And, and where were you doing this? Shabnam Asthana ** 17:38 This was in Pune, and their head office was in Sweden. I used to sort of move between the two. It was a very global company. The subsidiary was an Indian subsidiary, but the parent company was Swedish. So we had a lot of global travel 17:56 that kept you busy. That did so Shabnam Asthana ** 17:59 there were conferences, and there were so many meetings which were happening, Michael Hingson ** 18:03 yes, right? So what did, what did you? What did you learn from all of that? Do you think Shabnam Asthana ** 18:12 it was a very humbling experience? You know, more than the excitement, I was armed with a lot of excitement, because that would have been one of my first trips outside India. I was I had a lot of excitement, lots of things were on my mind, but then ultimately, when one does travel and work in a global company, it's a very humbling experience, because you are exposed to your strengths and also your blind spots, your strengths, your weaknesses, everything comes to you and then you feel that diversity is not always about representation. It's about respect and inclusion is moving from tokenism to listening. That is what I felt, you know, adapting various voices to your workplace, working in unison, trying to empathize with people from different cultures, different streams, different departments, all that really broadened my horizon. So that was something which I learned. Michael Hingson ** 19:30 So what was the culture like, in terms of since you were at a global company, as it were, how was it different when you were dealing with Sweden, as opposed to when you were dealing with India. Shabnam Asthana ** 19:45 In India, we don't have diversity as a choice. In India, we are served diversity on a platter because you are born with being diverse. You have. Are numerous religions, you have culture. So we are adaptable people in that sense. But strangely enough, it's a paradox. If I would tell you that inclusion is still a work in progress. Inclusion isn't automatic. It doesn't come to you like that. You have to work for it. Now there is a big change, but I'm talking of the days, way back in the 90s when women in boardrooms were a novelty. So sometimes it was just purely for ornamental value. Sad to say that. But gradually you had to open up, you have to open the doors, and you have to say, look, we are here for a reason. And please listen to our voices too. And that's how we started. I started sort of, I remember once when I was moving in India. I mean, not in Sweden, but once when I was in India, and I was in a strategic board meeting. I was the only woman in the room, and the people were sort of, I could sense the expressions. People were curious, people were dismissing. People were sort of, you know, not sort of prepared to take or listen to me, that was a little bit of a setback. But then gradually, when I started moving abroad, and I started seeing more women, and then gradually, when I was moving so were the others, and they too saw the kind of change that was happening. And so it was pretty difficult in India, initially, if I were to be very honest, Sweden was more inclusive. I could see a lot of women in the workforce. And gradually, since we were sort of interacting with each other, we absorbed each other's cultures and values, and the company became very, very inclusive. So it was a pleasure to work there. Michael Hingson ** 22:08 Okay, so in a sense, there were, there are parts of Sweden that made you happier than what you were in the East initially experiencing in India. Shabnam Asthana ** 22:19 Absolutely, absolutely, and I have no hesitation in saying that, because they were welcoming. They were welcoming. And the not necessarily my company, but any company in India, the representation of women, especially in PR, was very, very limited. Now we have evolved, and it's a world of difference, and I'm so happy to see that. Michael Hingson ** 22:48 How about you, may or may not have a lot of expertise in this, but how about if we're going to talk about inclusion and so on, people with disabilities, both in India and in Sweden and so on and again. I don't know whether you really had much experience or exposure to that. I Shabnam Asthana ** 23:06 do. I did have my share of exposure, maybe not extensive, but yes, I do. I remember there's this one incident I'd like to talk to you about. It was in Paris. I was in a conference, and there was a deaf girl in the conference room. I could see people making presentations and knowing fully well, because we had the list of participants, and we had their intros, their introductions with us, my team. And you know, of course, I headed that team. We made a special endeavor to include sign in our presentation. And she was so happy because she said, you know, she came to me and she expressed to me that although I have participated so many times in meetings, and especially corporate meetings, I am so happy to see. It was the first time that I felt I was seen and I was not just a presence. So she was very happy with the kind of, you know, preparation that we did for her especially. So I believe it's very nice if people learn to respect each other and learn to believe that not everybody is similar. You may have so many strengths which I don't have. I do not see any physical disability as a handicap. I'm very, very sure about that, I do not see anybody who appears different or who doesn't have the same listening capacity, hearing capacity, to be different from me. They have their own strengths. So I truly believe that, you know, disability. In that sense, is something which does not put a person in the back seat. How. Michael Hingson ** 25:09 How was that attitude received? Well, both at the company, when you were when you were in the room with her, and you were signing and so on. How did other people receive that? And how was that kind of attitude received initially in India? Shabnam Asthana ** 25:29 Well, to be very honest, Michael, it wasn't something that is the done thing. People do not accept that. They are like, well, it's a general presentation. We really don't have to make specific I do remember a person who came up to me and said, Shabnam, why did you make a very specific presentation? It was a very general presentation by you doing that, you have set a precedent for others to sort of make them feel small, you know. So he took it in a very negative way. Said, you've made us feel very small. I said, no, please do not look at it that way. It is something where we have made her feel a part of us. It is not trying to belittle anybody, trying not to, you know, get a an edge over others. All of us are the same. It's just that I made it a little easier for her. That's what I just told him, and probably he did, walk away with a smile. I don't know whether it was a sarcastic one or whether it was a smile of acceptance, but then I got my Michael Hingson ** 26:38 point. I took was this was this in Sweden or India. This was in Paris. In Paris, okay, yes, Shabnam Asthana ** 26:46 okay, this was a conference, which was Michael Hingson ** 26:49 she said that, right? Well, you know, the reality is that's all part of the inclusive mindset and the inclusion mindset, and it is so true that most people don't tend to realize it Yes. So I hear what you're saying, Shabnam Asthana ** 27:10 yes, and realization and sort of acceptance has evolved. People are more accepting. People are more flexible. You know, the rigidity earlier, people were very rigid. Now there is a lot of flexibility. I believe that, right? Michael Hingson ** 27:32 Well, I think it's better. I'm I think there are still all too many people who tend not to really have an overly inclusive mindset. And it is, it is something that that will be with us for a while, and hopefully over time, people will become more open and realize the value of inclusion. In this country, we have, well and around the world, we have a significant number of people who have these so called physical disabilities, and the reality is that the disability is more caused by inaction mostly than it is by real action. Shabnam Asthana ** 28:12 Absolutely yes. And I also seriously believe that diversity enriches the outcomes. I have some I have practical experience, and I've seen that. So inclusion enriches outcomes in many ways, right? Michael Hingson ** 28:35 How has all of your traveling and all of your exposure in various places around the world. How has that tended to shape your understanding of diversity and inclusion? Shabnam Asthana ** 28:50 Okay, yes, that's a very interesting question. I have seen that challenges are real, biases, stereotypes and expectations that women need to prove themselves twice as much also exists in many, many parts of the world. So they have been. I mean, there have been certain cultures, certain countries, which are very easy to breeze through when you are at work meetings or you're talking to people. But there are certain countries in the let's say in the Middle East, the Far East, which are still not very open to, you know, women taking on lead roles, women strategizing, women talking things that would influence decisions. So sometimes there's also a word I'd like to put in here that sometimes it is not country specific. Specific. It is very individual, specific. So there, like you said, you know, there are certain mindsets which still exist. There are people who may be residing in countries that are very open and very receptive, but their own mindset is limiting. And it is a mindset which is closed, it is rigid. So that stops and that prevents any inclusion. You know that, if I were to put it that way, so I would say it's not merely, not always country specific. Yes, individuals have to evolve themselves and change their mindsets. So it's sometimes I've seen it's countries are good, but some individuals are rigid. I've seen some individuals that are good, but the countries that are rigid. So it sort of works both ways. Michael Hingson ** 30:54 And it's not just about women, it is about anybody who is different. Yes, then the so called norm, whatever that happens to be, absolutely Shabnam Asthana ** 31:03 inclusion is not limited to women. So again, I'd like to clarify that it's inclusion is a broad spectrum. So yes, of course, we are a small part of it. But yes, Michael Hingson ** 31:17 you have written a book, yes, romancing your career and and also you've done a lot of mentoring, obviously, and so on. But what do you mean when you talk about women? And I would say anybody who's different need to define success on their own terms. Tell me more about that. Shabnam Asthana ** 31:41 So women, or anybody, let's not be very specific about women, because then it would be detracting from the main subject of inclusion. Anybody who wants to be heard has to believe in one thing, that silence is not the answer. Courage is so you have to move from silence to courage. Try and portray your point of view. Speak to people if they listen to you good enough if they don't, it's not as if the doors are closed. If the doors are closed, you can surely open a window for yourself, and it works. So just being silent or being very subdued or being very you know sad that your point of view, or being upset, for that matter, that your point of view is not being listened to is not the answer. You have to show courage. You have to do your homework, right? Remember that value is something that takes anybody places. It's not about being a woman, it's not about being any nationality, any ethnicity. It's just that you have to carry value in whatever you are trying to bring to the table. Once people see value, they will forget whether you are of XYZ nationality or you're an Indian, or you are of any other you're any other gender, if I may say that. So it's the value that a person should work towards. Everybody should work towards bringing value to the table. That is what will get you noticed, and that is what will see you going places. Yes, it did. Michael Hingson ** 33:43 And again, I think one of the important things is that, from my standpoint, and I keep pushing it, but it's there is that it also is the same for for so called disabilities. One of the things that I maintain is that everybody on the planet has a disability, and the disability for most people is that you depend on light in order to function, and when suddenly light disappears, you have a big problem, unless you have a way to get light back on demand. But we are. We're not ready to accept that as a as a race yet, so people think that's cute, but, but they're not ready to accept it. It doesn't change the fact that it's really there. But the fact of the matter is that that people do have to speak up for themselves, and there are ways to do that, and there are ways not to do that. It isn't a matter of being obnoxious and demanding, but it is all about, as you expressed it earlier, being confident and showing that confidence and showing your knowledge and showing what you bring to the table absolutely well. You've been involved in PR for a long time, and I'm sure that you would agree, one of the main tools that people in the public relations world and elsewhere have to offer is storytelling. I believe the best salespeople are people who can tell stories and can help relate. But my question would be to ask you, how can storytelling bridge communities and bring people together? Shabnam Asthana ** 35:31 Storytelling is a very, very strong element of PR. Storytelling humanizes everything. It brings in a lot of connection. So people connect automatically, if your storytelling is good, so like I keep telling all my juniors as well or new interns who join in corporate fact sheets can be informative. They can give you facts, but storytelling will transform everything. So you move from information to transformation. Storytelling is the human angle to everything. All of us love you a human angle. For example, let me tell you I was in a meeting which was quite a few years ago, and the CEO of the company was telling me they've done a lot of work in corporate social responsibility. So he wanted to tell me about all the expenditure that they've done. They've uplifted so many schools. They've done so much. They've spent so much on education, they've spent so much on water, on sanitation and so many other things, which has improved the lives of the citizens there. I told him, could you tell me one story of one life that has been affected. So he was at a loss because he had not he did not dive deep into that. He didn't look beyond the numbers and the figures. So his HR person stepped in and he told me a story of a girl. She was an Indian girl. Her name was Aarti. How they had transformed her life, and she had moved on to studying in Howard, and she was being employed in one of the top American companies there. So that was something, a story of transformation. So that is so you know, I believe the power of storytelling and that connected everybody, even his own people, were not aware. The employees were not aware. They were just sort of working like robos, putting in their number of hours, doing their work, not going beyond their call of duty to actually see what was happening to the effects, the efforts of their activities. This was something which we brought out in all their corporate brochures, in all the marketing that they were doing, in all the marketing collaterals that worked wonders. We had lots of inquiries for people who wanted to support them in many ways. We had an interview of the girl, and it was something which was very we added a human angle. So like I said, storytelling humanizes the entire concept, and that is something which connects people. So, yes, it's very Michael Hingson ** 38:42 interesting. Did he learn to tell stories after that? Shabnam Asthana ** 38:46 I believe so, because he was so he was really taken aback. And he said, Wow, I never really thought about it. And you told me, You changed my perspective. You made me see it differently. And if I were to say we got a good retainership After that, because he was very happy and my contract was renewed. So that was something which sort of affected the contract too well. Speaker 1 ** 39:19 The reality is that when you tell a story, it is telling stories is something that most everyone can truly relate to, and when you tell a story that someone listens to or hears and reacts to it, Michael Hingson ** 39:40 there's nothing better than that, and it's really important that that kind of thing happens. So I'm really glad to hear that you like storytelling. I think it is so important that we have that 39:51 absolutely, Michael Hingson ** 39:54 yeah, it's so important to be able to do that. Well, you've told us a little bit. About inclusion and diversity and so on in India and in other countries. Do you think it's changing, both in India and in other countries? And how is it changing? Shabnam Asthana ** 40:15 It is changing. If you go back to the 90s to the present day, you will see that people have become I think it has a lot to do with travel. It has a lot to do with interaction. So people are interacting with each other. I speak to you, you speak to me, you tell me something about you, and I say, Hey, is that worth listening to? Yes, it is. And I try and change my mindset. I become more receptive. I try and tell you my viewpoint. You listen to me. You hear me out. So I have seen companies that have moved beyond check boxes of how many women, how many people with disabilities they've, you know, inducted in the employment stream, in their jobs, and it's become more of the CEOs or the top management asking their people, how many voices have we listened to? How many decisions have been made by these people whom we have taken in. You know, how have we evolved as a company? So that has made me see in boardrooms, in various meetings, that the top management is also very aware of what kind of decisions, what policies, are being framed with people as a diverse group. And it's not funneled or restricted to just the top few. It trickles down and it goes to the people they've hired from diverse groups, and it becomes like a voice of the company. So I have seen that changing, and I have seen that diversion is now diversity sort of is moving more towards the corporate DNA. So it is not a demand anymore. It's not a checkbox. It's more as if it is flowing in naturally, and people are more aware of it. So that's what I've seen. Michael Hingson ** 42:32 It's a mindset, it is, and people are starting to adopt that. How is it changing in India? You said that in India there's a lot more diversity. But you said inclusion isn't so much there. Shabnam Asthana ** 42:46 Yes, it is in see in India, it was globally, I saw that diversion was backed by policies, and there was a certain framework which had a set of rules. It had a set of code of conduct. But in India, it was more based on individual goodwill. So we had people, if the CEO or the top management was pro diversity, it would happen automatically, because the ones at the junior level had no choice. They had to naturally comply. But here now in India, it's become more organized, more structured, and people, there are departments now which look into issues of diversity and inclusion, and they try and make the organization work towards that. So they are big companies. They are small companies in India, all are trying to absorb this in the corporate DNA, like I said. So people are conscious. And there are conscious. There are seminars which are happening. People are being spoken to. There is workplace, you know sensitization that follows. People talk about it, people discuss it, and there is a lot of exchange of dialog which happens. So people talk, people learn, people adapt Michael Hingson ** 44:15 well. So you you work for the Swedish company, for you said, like, 12 years, and then what did you Shabnam Asthana ** 44:25 do after that? I moved on to, you know, start my own company, which was empowered solutions. That's my brain child, and it's a communications PR and communications company, and I, sort of, I'm the founder director for that the Empowered solutions is my company now, and we are completed. It was set up in 2005 October. Michael Hingson ** 44:50 2005 what? What made you decide to leave the bigger corporate world and take on all of the challenges of entrepreneur? Leadership and starting your own company, because that certainly is a major change. Shabnam Asthana ** 45:04 It is I was in the top management. I had a set job, I had the name, the recognition, everything that comes with that. But somehow there was still that kind of, I would say, curiosity, to experiment and to try on newer things. And I am a person who gets a little bored of stagnation, and I had almost reached the height of my career in these companies, and there was nothing more I could do unless I bought over those companies and sort of, you know, became the president and the chairman, which I would I could not do. So I said, Why don't I sort of diversify and take all this learning that I have, all the goodwill that I've earned over the years with the people that have been my clients, with my colleagues, with the people I've met in my business conferences. Why don't I take all this and try and set up something on of my own where I am at liberty to do whatever I want to do without the time pressure, you know, without a pressure of morning meetings and you know, things which have to be a nine to five kind of a role here, I do agree that it is a 24 by seven job that I'm doing at present, because I'm always available. And, you know, I believe that accessibility is very important if you have to be successful, you can't sort of close off and say, no, no, I'm, you know, if somebody needs you, you can't say, Okay, I'm just closing my door and my office. So that was the the, you know, the excitement of experimenting once again and seeing, of course, entrepreneurship is something which is very exciting, and that was something which I wanted to experiment and try and see how I could change that. And, you know, get it into my career. And, you know, get off the normal nine to five job. So that's what I did. I wanted to experiment. Michael Hingson ** 47:21 So tell me a little bit more about if you would what your company does and how you serve clients and so on. And where are your clients? Shabnam Asthana ** 47:29 Okay, so basically, it is a PR and communications company, and we have clients now globally. I have primarily in India, because that is where my office is. But I do have clients in Europe, in us, in Canada, where I am currently. And yes, it is more about public relations and communications, and that's what we do. So it's essentially a diversification of I have also taken on writing as part of one of my services. So I do a lot of book writing. I take on people who want to be either who want to tell a story, and who don't have either the time or the expertise. I write for them. I ghost right for them. We also do events. So we have done a couple of events globally, not on a very large scale, but yes, we do have. So it's events, it's public relations, it's communications, it's training, and it's writing. Michael Hingson ** 48:39 So that's it, right? Well, so you have written one book. Are you looking at doing any more books? By any chance? Shabnam Asthana ** 48:49 Now I have ghost written about 16 books. So they're all ghost written and under a contract where I don't disclose the names of the books. But yes, I've authored three books, and the first one was romancing your career, a very interesting and fascinating book. That was my first book, and later on, I went on to do two biographies, and yes, I'm doing a couple more correctly, where they are being authored by me. So I'm writing the biographies. Michael Hingson ** 49:26 So today, in all the work that that you're, that you're doing, do you, do you get involved with many international projects? Shabnam Asthana ** 49:39 Yes, not many, but yes, we are doing a slow and steady progress there. And we do, I do, keep getting a lot of inquiries. And I must say that I have got a couple of inquiries recently which are very interesting. And I. Working on those. Maybe it's a little premature to tell you that, but yes, there is one big project that has come my way, and we're planning to expand from there. Well. Michael Hingson ** 50:12 So you have experienced a lot of different countries and so on, and India is certainly becoming more of an economic and a world power in the in terms of what all is happening. Do you think that that the attitudes of India and the way India deals with inclusion and so on is making a difference, and Will that continue to happen? Shabnam Asthana ** 50:43 Well, Michael, it will, because we are moving out of our country, and we have, you know, taken spots in so many other countries. So if we want to be included, it's high time we practice the same. So we have to welcome other cultures. We have to welcome other nationalities if we hope to be welcomed in other countries as well. So that is something which has really influenced the thinking of people, because we can't be rigid. We can't be, you know, thinking in our own way. And say, Well, let's not do it, because we have to welcome other countries if we have to work and move out of India. So yes, Michael, I will say that very hard. It's very heartening to note that it is changing, and it will continue to do so. In fact, you know, India is moving from being seen as an outsourced to something which people sort of welcome with open arms. But then, yes, things are changing. There are things which are happening which may limit the movement of people, or it may increase the flow of people. But then, well, we have to adopt, adapt and move on. Michael Hingson ** 52:04 Yeah, well, there's always going to be some of that which makes which makes sense. Yes. What kind of advice would you give to someone, especially young professionals, women and others who are different? What advice would you give to someone who may feel excluded or undervalued in their careers. Shabnam Asthana ** 52:25 The best thing that I would like to say is that if you hear a no, don't let it bog you down, because be sure that tomorrow you will hear a better yes, it will be something that is shaping the way for your future. So you must not let any naysayers or any projects that fail bog you down just because you're a woman or because you're different or anybody you know. You have to show your courage, you have to be resilient, and you have to lean on your inner strengths. The best magic, the you know, time tried and tested formula, which I would advocate, is leaning on your inner strengths. All of us have a lot of strengths, believe you me, we may not know it, but all of us have a lot of strengths. So when you see a situation that is not to your liking, just lean on your inner strengths. Take a deep breath and say today's no will be a yes tomorrow, and that is the courage that you must move ahead with anybody, irrespective of whether you are a woman or you are any person who is stepping into the corporate world. Just value yourself. Always Be confident. Wear the confidence. And that's the best accessory that you would have. Michael Hingson ** 54:03 How would you define unstoppable mindset? Shabnam Asthana ** 54:08 Unstoppable mindset is not something which is something which rises beyond limitations. And by limitations, I don't mean only individual limitations. It may be the limitations of the other people. Let that not define your limitation. Your the term unstoppable, to me, is a term which shows resilience. It shows something where you can fumble. It's very natural to fumble, to stumble, to fall down, to face challenges, to face, you know, rejections. It's very normal, but unstoppable is. Being able to get up again with greater strength, with a better mindset, more courageously, and more importantly, with an open heart, which says, Yes, I will do it. You cannot say you cannot. You know, sort of put me down in any way. My courage is there, my inner strength is there. I am unstoppable in that sense. Michael Hingson ** 55:28 I think the most important thing that you just said is that you have to do it with an open heart. I think everyone should do that you may learn that your idea may not be the best solution, and it might be the best solution, but you won't know that until you truly have an open heart and an open mind. Shabnam Asthana ** 55:46 Truly, yes, absolutely, an open heart, I would say, is really, really key. It's very, very important. Michael Hingson ** 55:56 What keeps you motivated as you continue to advocate for adverse diversity and inclusion and equity and so on. Shabnam Asthana ** 56:04 What keeps me motivated? Michael, are many things, but then what i If I could just zero down on a couple of them, I would say that what keeps me motivated is the trust that people had in me, and, you know, to give me certain jobs, roles, the trust that they had to sort of say, okay, you can do it. And then I did it. And the people, what keeps me motivated is something also very nice, which somebody came up to me at a recent conference in Germany, and they said, you know, the reason why I didn't give up is because of you. That is me, because I motivated them to do something, and that was your motivation for me, I was like, Okay, if I can motivate you, I too can stay motivated for a long, long time to come. And that's something which I do. I try to inspire and I try to inspire myself as well in the process. Michael Hingson ** 57:07 Well, if you could leave everyone who is involved in hearing this podcast and so on today, if you could leave them with one powerful message about embracing diversity and so on. What would that message be? Shabnam Asthana ** 57:23 Well, that message would be that whatever is happening today, if you feel that there is even a little bit of acceptability, that is because somebody else has worked towards it, so now it is your chance to give it back to society, to keep working, to keep opening doors for people, for a better tomorrow, for a more inclusive tomorrow. And diversity doesn't and inclusivity doesn't happen overnight. You have to work towards it. There is a it's the whole process, and you have to work towards it relentlessly. Continue working. Somebody else has worked. They have pushed you forward. They have done a whole lot of things. Now it's your turn to do your bit and ensure that the people who are coming after you come to a better tomorrow, a more inclusive tomorrow. Michael Hingson ** 58:27 It also, by definition, means that we need to learn how to work with each other and support and help each other, Shabnam Asthana ** 58:34 of course. And empathy. Empathy is the key, empathy, sensitivity, all that. Michael Hingson ** 58:41 So if people would like to reach out to you, maybe use your company services or talk with you. How can they do that? Shabnam Asthana ** 58:48 They could contact me. You can write to me at my email id, which is Shabnam, S, H, A, B n, a m, at empowered solutions, my company name, E, M, P, O, W, E, R, E, D, S, o, l, U, T, I O, N, S, dot, I n, that's my name. The emails will reach me. That's an inbox which you know I'm monitoring myself, and be sure that you will receive a reply. I'd love to hear from people, and I love to communicate. I love to write back. So very welcome. Michael Hingson ** 59:30 And I would ask, just sort of on principle, if anyone reaches out to Shabnam, who has heard this podcast, please mention that, just so that she knows where you where you discovered her, and I think that would be a good thing to do. Well, I want to thank you for being here. I think this has been absolutely wonderful. I think we've learned a lot I have and I value the insights that you bring. So I hope that other people will take the. Those same insights away, there's there's a lot to learn here, and there's a lot to gain from this. So I want to thank you again for being here, and maybe we'll have to do this again in the future. Shabnam Asthana ** 1:00:12 I'd love to do that. And Michael, I'd like to thank you for hosting this wonderful, wonderful show. I have seen your episodes. They are brilliant, and it's really nice. I was so looking forward to this. It's been an absolute pleasure to interact with you, and I hope that we'll be doing more of this in the near future. Michael Hingson ** 1:00:35 Well, we'll have to explore that, and I want to thank all of you who are out there watching and listening. I want to thank you for being here. We appreciate you very much. Wherever you're listening or watching. Please give us a five star review. We value that very highly. We really would appreciate you saying good things about us. A five star review is always a wonderful thing. I'd like to hear from you as well. I'd like to hear what your thoughts are about this podcast. Feel free to email me at Michael M, I, C, H, A, E, L, H, I at accessibe, A, C, C, E, S, S, i, b, e.com, love to hear from you. Love to hear your thoughts. We value them, and we take all the comments that we get from people very much to heart. So we appreciate you doing that. And if you know anyone else who ought to be a guest on our podcast, who you think ought to be a guest, let us know. Introduce us. Shabnam, that's also true for you, please. If you know anyone who ought to be a guest, we'd love to meet people and have them come on the podcast and also help us show how we're all more unstoppable than we think we are, or we thought we were. So once again, though, I want to thank you for being here. Shabnam, this has been wonderful. Thank you very much. Shabnam Asthana ** 1:01:51 Thank you, Michael, thank you to all the listeners. **Michael Hingson ** 1:01:59 You have been listening to the Unstoppable Mindset podcast. Thanks for dropping by. I hope that you'll join us again next week, and in future weeks for upcoming episodes. To subscribe to our podcast and to learn about upcoming episodes, please visit www dot Michael hingson.com slash podcast. Michael Hingson is spelled m i c h a e l h i n g s o n. While you're on the site., please use the form there to recommend people who we ought to interview in upcoming editions of the show. And also, we ask you and urge you to invite your friends to join us in the future. If you know of any one or any organization needing a speaker for an event, please email me at speaker at Michael hingson.com. I appreciate it very much. To learn more about the concept of blinded by fear, please visit www dot Michael hingson.com forward slash blinded by fear and while you're there, feel free to pick up a copy of my free eBook entitled blinded by fear. The unstoppable mindset podcast is provided by access cast an initiative of accessiBe and is sponsored by accessiBe. Please visit www.accessibe.com . AccessiBe is spelled a c c e s s i b e. There you can learn all about how you can make your website inclusive for all persons with disabilities and how you can help make the internet fully inclusive by 2025. Thanks again for Listening. Please come back and visit us again next week.
The Secretary of Transportation says that if the shutdown continues into next week there will be chaos. This is the Business News Headlines for Tuesday the 4th day of November, election day here and yes, I'm running for re-election to my City Council seat. In other news, Denny's is sold and is going private. US Steel to invest billions in upgrading their facilities. In Paris a prosecutor is looking into TikTok and youth suicides. A former Atlanta Hawks executive faces charges that he stole millions from the team. Chrysler is recalling thousands of Jeep vehicles worried about fire chances. We'll check the numbers in The Wall Street Report and the future of Pizza Hut made the news. For the conversation you'll meet Rick Tollakson the CEO of Hubbell Realty, their many charitable donations, the issue of affordable housing and his new book. But, first the news. Thanks for listening! The award winning Insight on Business the News Hour with Michael Libbie is the only weekday business news podcast in the Midwest. The national, regional and some local business news along with long-form business interviews can be heard Monday - Friday. You can subscribe on PlayerFM, Podbean, iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher or TuneIn Radio. And you can catch The Business News Hour Week in Review each Sunday Noon Central on News/Talk 1540 KXEL. The Business News Hour is a production of Insight Advertising, Marketing & Communications. You can follow us on Twitter @IoB_NewsHour...and on Threads @Insight_On_Business.
In this engaging conversation, David Peck interviews Guillaume Marbeck, the star of Richard Linklater's film Nouvelle Vague. They discuss Guillaume's journey from being an extra to a lead actor, the importance of trust and authenticity in filmmaking, and the unique directing style of Linklater. The conversation delves into the challenges of acting without the use of eyes, the dynamics on set, and the personal growth that comes from taking risks in the creative process.“You don't make a film, the film makes you.” Jean- Luc GodardGuillaume MarbeckGuillaume Marbeck, is a professional photographer in the capital. His training at ESRA, supplemented by acting training at the Actors Factory and short film experience in the United States with Rock and a Hard Place, laid the foundations for a career in which he brilliantly combines art and technique. In Paris, Marbeck stands out for his ability to create portraits that are both refined and authentic. Whether outdoors, where he exploits natural light to reveal the true essence of his subjects, or in the studio, where he uses sophisticated equipment to create precisely sculpted images, his work is a perfect blend of naturalness and elegance for your actor book, model book or corporate CV photo. Alongside his career as a photographer, Guillaume Marbeck is preparing to make his big screen debut. He will play Jean-Luc Godard in the lead role in Richard Linklater 's upcoming film Nouvelle Vague, a film about the genesis of Breathless, an iconic film of the Nouvelle Vague with Jean Paul Belmondo and Jean Seberg.David Peck is a writer, speaker, and award-winning podcaster who works at the intersection of storytelling, social change, and meaningful dialogue. As the host of Face2Face and former host of Toronto Threads on 640 AM, he has published over 650 in-depth interviews with some of the world's most compelling thinkers, artists and storytellers, including Viggo Mortensen, Sarah Polley, Raoul Peck, Werner Herzog, Chris Hadfield, David Cronenberg, Jason Issacs, Gillian Anderson and Wade Davis. With a background in philosophy and international development, David brings a thoughtful, globally aware perspective to every conversation. He's a published author and experienced keynote speaker, known for creating spaces where complexity is welcomed and ideas come alive. Whether moderating panels, hosting live events, or speaking on issues ranging from ethics to media, David's work is grounded in a deep curiosity about people. At heart, he simply loves good conversation — and believes it's one of the best ways we grow, connect, and make sense of the world.For more information about David Peck's podcasting, writing and public speaking please visit his site here.F2F Music and Image Copyright: David Peck, ICBL and Face2Face. Used with permission. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Angela White (formerly Blac Chyna) says she and Rob Kardashian are “going with the flow” as they rekindle their relationship, emphasizing healing and faith while co-parenting their daughter Dream. Jennifer Lopez's ex-husband Ojani Noa accused her of cheating and slammed her claims about never being truly loved, saying she's the one who was unfaithful. A private investigator in the D4vd case believes there was a “sadistic” plan to dispose of Celeste Rivas' body, calling the gruesome Tesla discovery part of a larger cover-up still under investigation. In Paris, the Louvre was forced to close after a high-stakes jewel heist saw masked thieves use power tools and a lift to steal priceless Napoleonic-era treasures in just minutes, with footage showing one suspect sawing through a display case. Hosts: Charlie Cotton & Deven Rall Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Im Nahen Osten beginnt Tag eins nach Trump. In Paris könnte die erste Regierungserklärung Lecornus auch schon die letzte werden. Und in Berlin rebelliert die Junge Gruppe gegen das Rentenpaket. Das ist die Lage am Dienstagmorgen. Hier die Artikel zum Nachlesen: Empfang des Erlösers Frankreichs Premierminister Lecornu gibt neues Kabinett bekannt Junge Unionsabgeordnete rebellieren gegen Rentenpaket+++ Alle Infos zu unseren Werbepartnern finden Sie hier. Die SPIEGEL-Gruppe ist nicht für den Inhalt dieser Seite verantwortlich. +++ Den SPIEGEL-WhatsApp-Kanal finden Sie hier. Alle SPIEGEL Podcasts finden Sie hier. Mehr Hintergründe zum Thema erhalten Sie mit SPIEGEL+. Entdecken Sie die digitale Welt des SPIEGEL, unter spiegel.de/abonnieren finden Sie das passende Angebot. Informationen zu unserer Datenschutzerklärung.
Wine Talks is deeply connected to the Judgement of Paris. Not only were the Barretts good customers of our wine shop, Warren Winiarski stayed in our home on a trip to Los Angeles. The industry was completely different then. California wine had always been a thing, particularly before prohibition. It had even made its way to the east coast in the 1800's. But then came that fateful day in Paris at the Intercontinental Hotel, the Americans won. In Paris, there was a journalist named George Taber. He had heard about this tasting pitting California's boutique gems against the equivalent (at least from a grape standpoint) French stars. It turned out to be no contest and set the wine world on its ears. Can you imagine, French judges choosing American vintages over their beloved French wines? George Taber was the only journalist to show up...and almost didn't. George Taber never meant to shake the wine world—he just happened to be the only journalist in the room when California shattered centuries of French pride. As you join us on Wine Talks, you'll walk beside Taber through the candlelit salons of 1970s Paris, where the unsuspecting French sat down to a blind tasting designed to showcase their invincibility, only to watch that myth dissolve, glass by glass. In this episode, you'll learn how a simple event—what began as a friendly challenge orchestrated by Steven Spurrier—ended up catalyzing the global rise of American wine and undermining the Old World's complacency. You'll get an intimate portrait of the Parisian wine scene in its heyday: corner wine shops, eager expatriates, and the odd British merchant shaking things up with unorthodox ideas. Follow Taber's transformation from a young Time magazine reporter, new to France and mostly ignorant of wine, to the accidental chronicler of one of history's most dramatic palate shifts. Discover how logistical headaches and legal loopholes almost kept California's best bottles out of the competition, and what happened when French wine judges realized—too late—that their favorite “Meursault” was actually a Napa Chardonnay. You'll hear about the aftershocks reverberating through both continents; how careers were built, fortunes made, and the entire wine business transformed overnight. Plus, Taber reveals the stubborn role of luck in history and how something as small as attending the right tasting at the right time can change everything. By the end, you'll not only understand the Judgment of Paris, but also the passion, humility, and disruption that lie inside every bottle. #WineTalks #JudgmentOfParis #CaliforniaWine #FrenchWine #GeorgeTaber #StevenSpurrier #ChateauMontelena #StagsLeapWineCellars #NapaValley #WineHistory #WineTasting #WineEducation #BlindTasting #WineIndustry #PodcastInterview #WineStorytelling #WineCulture #CorkHistory #FrenchLifestyle #NewWorldWines Time Magazine Website: https://time.com (Armen refers to working as a journalist at Time magazine.) Chateau Montelena Website: https://www.montelena.com (Referenced in the discussion about the Judgment of Paris tasting.) Stag's Leap Wine Cellars Website: https://www.cask23.com (Mentioned as one of the winning wineries in the Judgment of Paris.) Charles Krug Winery Website: https://www.charleskrug.com (Referenced in a story about being poured at an event with President Eisenhower.) Sebastiani Vineyards & Winery Website: https://www.sebastiani.com (Mentioned when Paul recalls stocking the shelves.) Ackerman Wines Website: https://www.ackermanwines.com (Ackerman, a major New York wine retailer, is referenced.) St. Francis Winery & Vineyards Website: https://www.stfranciswinery.com (Discussed in context of early synthetic cork usage.) Barefoot Cellars Website: https://www.barefootwine.com (Mentioned regarding synthetic corks.) Taylor Wine Company (Taylor Cellars) Website: https://www.taylorwine.com (Referenced in the cork closure story.)
*Includes Spoilers from the Show and Book Series*In the last episode of Season 3 of 'The Summer I Turned Pretty' called "At Last" we finally get our endgame. The will they/won't they of Conrad and Belly finally comes to the forefront of the series in plot IN PARIS. This was as seamless and perfect as one could ask of a series finale! We are so excited to breakdown all of the scenes. From Jeremiah finding his way the new culinary world & making real progress in moving on from Belly with new goals/attitude/focus to Staylor trying to navigate a big decision to move to San Francisco... the episode gave direction and meaning to everyone. When Conrad gets to Paris, there is awkwardness, tenderness and enough sexy tension between Belly and him to cut with a knife. The Parisian friends are on board but the beautiful journey these two go on is something that is so intriguing to watch even with the love triangle part of the series in the rearview. Conrad lays it all out there and Belly is faced with answering some big questions... but are there things we don't get? Yup. But don't worry, the series and Jenny Han handled that for us too. Enjoy this listen of the END of TSITP TV Show Series :) but not the last chapter.
Is the centre-right cracking? From Westminster defections to French fiscal chaos, this week has delivered a sharp shock to Europe's conservative mainstream. In London, Tory MP Danny Kruger crossed the floor to join Reform UK, denouncing his former party as “over.” In Paris, a fresh downgrade to France's credit rating has cast a long shadow over President Macron's government as strikes loom and talk of wealth taxes rattles business leaders.In this timely edition of The Capitalist, host Marc Sidwell is joined by policy analyst François Valentin and Conservative Home deputy editor Henry Hill to explore what these moments reveal about the state of centre-right politics across the continent. Are voters turning away from moderation? Can mainstream parties adapt — or are they being outflanked on both sides?Sharp analysis, calm insight — and the questions every serious observer of European politics should be asking.Stay informed with CapX's unmissable daily briefings from the heart of Westminster. Go to capx.co to subscribe. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Nach dem Sturz von François Bayrou braucht Frankreich einen neuen Premier und eine neue Regierung. Es wird die Fünfte in zwei Jahren sein. Längst sind die Beliebtheitswerte von Präsident Emmanuel Macron im Keller. Dass er eine Neuwahl ausruft ist unwahrscheinlich, denn schon bei der letzten vorgezogenen Wahl erlangte sein Regierungsbündnis keine Mehrheit mehr. Die Französinnen und Franzosen sind Umfragen zufolge unzufrieden. Die Staatsverschuldung ist auf einem Rekordhoch, an den Sozialausgaben soll stark gespart werden, die wirtschaftliche Lage stockt. Zwei Drittel der Franzosen wünschen sich eine vorgezogene Präsidentschaftswahl. Sie stehen nicht mehr hinter Macron. Kämpft Frankreich mit mehr als nur einer Regierungskrise? Befinden sich die französische Demokratie und Gesellschaft auch längst tief in der Krise? Darüber sprechen wir mit der Politikwissenschaftlerin Claire Demesmay, dem Chefvolkswirt Carsten Brzeski von der ING und der Journalistin und Filmemacherin Géraldine Schwarz. Podcasttipp: Breitengrad - Bayern2 Frankreich - die Macht der rechten Meinungsmacher In Paris fand im Juni ein Gipfeltreffen von Meinungsmachern der besonderen Art statt. Im altehrwürdigen Casino de Paris im Herzen der französischen Hauptstadt trafen sich Parteienvertreter, Unternehmer und Journalisten des extrem rechten politischen Spektrums zu einem "sommet des libertés" - einem sogenannten "Gipfel der Freiheiten". Organisiert und finanziert wurde dieses Rendezvous der Rechten von zwei Milliardären: Vincent Bolloré und Pierre-Édouard Stérin. Während Bolloré seit Jahren Medien und Verlagshäuser aufkauft und auf rechts dreht, finanziert Sterin andere gesellschaftliche Einrichtungen, wie etwa eine Journalistenschule, ein Fortbildungsinstitut für Politiker, Vereine gegen Abtreibung etc. Gemeinsam streben sie eine gesellschaftliche Wende an, einen nationalistisch-identitären Rechtsruck und die politische Union der Rechten, damit diese die nächsten Wahlen gewinnt. ARD-Frankreich-Korrespondentin Julia Borutta berichtet. https://www.ardaudiothek.de/episode/urn:ard:episode:5d97a5722ca774be/
Nach dem Sturz von François Bayrou braucht Frankreich einen neuen Premier und eine neue Regierung. Es wird die Fünfte in zwei Jahren sein. Längst sind die Beliebtheitswerte von Präsident Emmanuel Macron im Keller. Dass er eine Neuwahl ausruft ist unwahrscheinlich, denn schon bei der letzten vorgezogenen Wahl erlangte sein Regierungsbündnis keine Mehrheit mehr. Die Französinnen und Franzosen sind Umfragen zufolge unzufrieden. Die Staatsverschuldung ist auf einem Rekordhoch, an den Sozialausgaben soll stark gespart werden, die wirtschaftliche Lage stockt. Zwei Drittel der Franzosen wünschen sich eine vorgezogene Präsidentschaftswahl. Sie stehen nicht mehr hinter Macron. Kämpft Frankreich mit mehr als nur einer Regierungskrise? Befinden sich die französische Demokratie und Gesellschaft auch längst tief in der Krise? Darüber sprechen wir mit der Politikwissenschaftlerin Claire Demesmay, dem Chefvolkswirt Carsten Brzeski von der ING und der Journalistin und Filmemacherin Géraldine Schwarz. Podcasttipp: Breitengrad - Bayern2 Frankreich - die Macht der rechten Meinungsmacher In Paris fand im Juni ein Gipfeltreffen von Meinungsmachern der besonderen Art statt. Im altehrwürdigen Casino de Paris im Herzen der französischen Hauptstadt trafen sich Parteienvertreter, Unternehmer und Journalisten des extrem rechten politischen Spektrums zu einem "sommet des libertés" - einem sogenannten "Gipfel der Freiheiten". Organisiert und finanziert wurde dieses Rendezvous der Rechten von zwei Milliardären: Vincent Bolloré und Pierre-Édouard Stérin. Während Bolloré seit Jahren Medien und Verlagshäuser aufkauft und auf rechts dreht, finanziert Sterin andere gesellschaftliche Einrichtungen, wie etwa eine Journalistenschule, ein Fortbildungsinstitut für Politiker, Vereine gegen Abtreibung etc. Gemeinsam streben sie eine gesellschaftliche Wende an, einen nationalistisch-identitären Rechtsruck und die politische Union der Rechten, damit diese die nächsten Wahlen gewinnt. ARD-Frankreich-Korrespondentin Julia Borutta berichtet. https://www.ardaudiothek.de/episode/urn:ard:episode:5d97a5722ca774be/
In 1940, with the Nazis sweeping through France, Henri Matisse found himself at a personal and artistic crossroads. His 42-year marriage had ended, he was gravely ill, and after decades at the forefront of modern art, he was beset by doubt. As scores of famous figures escaped the country, Matisse took refuge in Nice, with his companion, Lydia Delectorskaya. By defiantly remaining, Matisse was a source of inspiration for his nation. While enemy agents and Resistance fighters played cat-and-mouse in the alleyways of Nice, Matisse's son, Jean, engaged in sabotage efforts with the Allies. In Paris, under the swastika, Matisse's estranged wife, Amélie, worked for the Communist underground. His beloved daughter, Marguerite, active in the French Resistance, was arrested and tortured by the Gestapo, sentenced to Ravensbruck concentration camp—and miraculously escaped when her train was halted by Allied bombs. His younger, son, Pierre helped Jewish artists escape to New York; even his teenaged grandson risked his life by defying the Germans and their Vichy collaborators. Amidst this chaos, Matisse responded to the dark days of war by inventing a dazzling new paper technique that led to some of his most iconic pieces, including The Fall of Icarus, his profile of Charles De Gaulle, Monsieur Loyal, and his groundbreaking cut-out book, Jazz. His wartime works were acts of resistance, subtly patriotic and daringly new.Drawing on intimate letters and a multitude of other sources, Christopher C. Gorham illuminates this momentous stage of Matisse's life as never before in Matisse at War: Art and Resistance in Nazi Occupied France (Citadel Press, 2025), revealing an artist on a journey of reinvention, wrenching meaning from the suffering of war, and holding up the light of human imagination against the torch of fascism to create some of the most exciting work of his career, of the 20th century, and in the history of art. Guest: Christopher C. Gorham (he/him) is a lawyer, educator, and acclaimed author whose books include Matisse at War and the Goodreads Choice Award finalist, The Confidante. He lives in Boston, and can be found at ChristopherCGorham.com and on social media @christophercgorham. Host: Jenna Pittman (she/her), a Ph.D. student in the Department of History at Duke University. She studies modern European history, political economy, and Germany from 1945-1990. Scholars@Duke Profile here Linktree here 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
In 1940, with the Nazis sweeping through France, Henri Matisse found himself at a personal and artistic crossroads. His 42-year marriage had ended, he was gravely ill, and after decades at the forefront of modern art, he was beset by doubt. As scores of famous figures escaped the country, Matisse took refuge in Nice, with his companion, Lydia Delectorskaya. By defiantly remaining, Matisse was a source of inspiration for his nation. While enemy agents and Resistance fighters played cat-and-mouse in the alleyways of Nice, Matisse's son, Jean, engaged in sabotage efforts with the Allies. In Paris, under the swastika, Matisse's estranged wife, Amélie, worked for the Communist underground. His beloved daughter, Marguerite, active in the French Resistance, was arrested and tortured by the Gestapo, sentenced to Ravensbruck concentration camp—and miraculously escaped when her train was halted by Allied bombs. His younger, son, Pierre helped Jewish artists escape to New York; even his teenaged grandson risked his life by defying the Germans and their Vichy collaborators. Amidst this chaos, Matisse responded to the dark days of war by inventing a dazzling new paper technique that led to some of his most iconic pieces, including The Fall of Icarus, his profile of Charles De Gaulle, Monsieur Loyal, and his groundbreaking cut-out book, Jazz. His wartime works were acts of resistance, subtly patriotic and daringly new.Drawing on intimate letters and a multitude of other sources, Christopher C. Gorham illuminates this momentous stage of Matisse's life as never before in Matisse at War: Art and Resistance in Nazi Occupied France (Citadel Press, 2025), revealing an artist on a journey of reinvention, wrenching meaning from the suffering of war, and holding up the light of human imagination against the torch of fascism to create some of the most exciting work of his career, of the 20th century, and in the history of art. Guest: Christopher C. Gorham (he/him) is a lawyer, educator, and acclaimed author whose books include Matisse at War and the Goodreads Choice Award finalist, The Confidante. He lives in Boston, and can be found at ChristopherCGorham.com and on social media @christophercgorham. Host: Jenna Pittman (she/her), a Ph.D. student in the Department of History at Duke University. She studies modern European history, political economy, and Germany from 1945-1990. Scholars@Duke Profile here Linktree here Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/jewish-studies
In 1940, with the Nazis sweeping through France, Henri Matisse found himself at a personal and artistic crossroads. His 42-year marriage had ended, he was gravely ill, and after decades at the forefront of modern art, he was beset by doubt. As scores of famous figures escaped the country, Matisse took refuge in Nice, with his companion, Lydia Delectorskaya. By defiantly remaining, Matisse was a source of inspiration for his nation. While enemy agents and Resistance fighters played cat-and-mouse in the alleyways of Nice, Matisse's son, Jean, engaged in sabotage efforts with the Allies. In Paris, under the swastika, Matisse's estranged wife, Amélie, worked for the Communist underground. His beloved daughter, Marguerite, active in the French Resistance, was arrested and tortured by the Gestapo, sentenced to Ravensbruck concentration camp—and miraculously escaped when her train was halted by Allied bombs. His younger, son, Pierre helped Jewish artists escape to New York; even his teenaged grandson risked his life by defying the Germans and their Vichy collaborators. Amidst this chaos, Matisse responded to the dark days of war by inventing a dazzling new paper technique that led to some of his most iconic pieces, including The Fall of Icarus, his profile of Charles De Gaulle, Monsieur Loyal, and his groundbreaking cut-out book, Jazz. His wartime works were acts of resistance, subtly patriotic and daringly new.Drawing on intimate letters and a multitude of other sources, Christopher C. Gorham illuminates this momentous stage of Matisse's life as never before in Matisse at War: Art and Resistance in Nazi Occupied France (Citadel Press, 2025), revealing an artist on a journey of reinvention, wrenching meaning from the suffering of war, and holding up the light of human imagination against the torch of fascism to create some of the most exciting work of his career, of the 20th century, and in the history of art. Guest: Christopher C. Gorham (he/him) is a lawyer, educator, and acclaimed author whose books include Matisse at War and the Goodreads Choice Award finalist, The Confidante. He lives in Boston, and can be found at ChristopherCGorham.com and on social media @christophercgorham. Host: Jenna Pittman (she/her), a Ph.D. student in the Department of History at Duke University. She studies modern European history, political economy, and Germany from 1945-1990. Scholars@Duke Profile here Linktree here Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/art
In 1940, with the Nazis sweeping through France, Henri Matisse found himself at a personal and artistic crossroads. His 42-year marriage had ended, he was gravely ill, and after decades at the forefront of modern art, he was beset by doubt. As scores of famous figures escaped the country, Matisse took refuge in Nice, with his companion, Lydia Delectorskaya. By defiantly remaining, Matisse was a source of inspiration for his nation. While enemy agents and Resistance fighters played cat-and-mouse in the alleyways of Nice, Matisse's son, Jean, engaged in sabotage efforts with the Allies. In Paris, under the swastika, Matisse's estranged wife, Amélie, worked for the Communist underground. His beloved daughter, Marguerite, active in the French Resistance, was arrested and tortured by the Gestapo, sentenced to Ravensbruck concentration camp—and miraculously escaped when her train was halted by Allied bombs. His younger, son, Pierre helped Jewish artists escape to New York; even his teenaged grandson risked his life by defying the Germans and their Vichy collaborators. Amidst this chaos, Matisse responded to the dark days of war by inventing a dazzling new paper technique that led to some of his most iconic pieces, including The Fall of Icarus, his profile of Charles De Gaulle, Monsieur Loyal, and his groundbreaking cut-out book, Jazz. His wartime works were acts of resistance, subtly patriotic and daringly new.Drawing on intimate letters and a multitude of other sources, Christopher C. Gorham illuminates this momentous stage of Matisse's life as never before in Matisse at War: Art and Resistance in Nazi Occupied France (Citadel Press, 2025), revealing an artist on a journey of reinvention, wrenching meaning from the suffering of war, and holding up the light of human imagination against the torch of fascism to create some of the most exciting work of his career, of the 20th century, and in the history of art. Guest: Christopher C. Gorham (he/him) is a lawyer, educator, and acclaimed author whose books include Matisse at War and the Goodreads Choice Award finalist, The Confidante. He lives in Boston, and can be found at ChristopherCGorham.com and on social media @christophercgorham. Host: Jenna Pittman (she/her), a Ph.D. student in the Department of History at Duke University. She studies modern European history, political economy, and Germany from 1945-1990. Scholars@Duke Profile here Linktree here Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/french-studies
Edition No242 | 06-09-2025 - Europe gears up—again—for tougher sanctions on Russia but always seems to keep one foot on the brake at the same time as the accelerator. In Paris, the U.S. envoy, Witless Witkoff stormed in, then stormed out again, of a high stakes meeting with Zelenskyy and European leaders. And in Washington, the Trump White House talks tough, yet holds back on hitting Putin directly — every single time – while scolding Europe about Russian oil that still seeps in through economic cracks. Let's connect the dots, call out the pressures, and say the quiet part out loud: neither Europe, nor the U.S. have done anything that has real deterrence power. No wonder Putin is intent on continuing his war, with a sense of complete impunity. Europe's Sanctions Jitters, Paris Drama, and the Fine Art of Trump ManagementFirst the good news: Europe does understand the threat. After a Paris summit of the so-called “Coalition of the Willing,” European Council President António Costa confirmed that a team is flying to Washington to co-write a joint Russia sanctions package—explicitly including secondary sanctions in the draft. His words in Uzhhorod were unambiguous: “We are working with the U.S. and other partners to intensify our pressure through additional sanctions, both direct and secondary sanctions.” (Kyiv Independent, Sept. 5, 2025) Ukrainska Pravda reported the same: Brussels has already begun work on the next package and is sending a team to coordinate it with U.S. counterparts. (Українська правда)----------SOURCES: https://www.politico.eu/article/eu-delegation-us-prepare-joint-sanctions-russia-ukraine-war/https://www.pravda.com.ua/eng/news/2025/09/5/7529510/https://kyivindependent.com/zelensky-announces-upcoming-talks-with-trump-on-strengthening-sanctions-against-russia/https://kyivindependent.com/europe-sends-team-to-washington-to-work-on-russia-sanctions-eu-council-chief-says/https://www.atlanticcouncil.org/content-series/inflection-points/its-time-for-trump-to-put-maximum-pressure-on-putin/https://www.cnbc.com/2025/09/01/why-does-trump-hold-back-on-punishing-russia-and-putin.htmlhttps://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2025-09-02/us-holds-back-china-trade-threats-as-it-weighs-russia-sanctionshttps://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c4g7dze5n1vohttps://newsukraine.rbc.ua/news/witkoff-walks-out-of-coalition-of-willing-1756986589.html----------SILICON CURTAIN FILM FUNDRAISERA project to make a documentary film in Ukraine, to raise awareness of Ukraine's struggle and in supporting a team running aid convoys to Ukraine's front-line towns.https://buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtain/extras----------SUPPORT THE CHANNEL:https://www.buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtainhttps://www.patreon.com/siliconcurtain----------DESCRIPTION: Europe's Sanctions & America's Mixed Signals: The Real StoryIn this episode of Silicon Bites, we dissect the fraught geopolitical landscape between the US, Europe, and Russia. Explore how Europe prepares for tougher sanctions against Russia while simultaneously trying to avoid economic disruptions. Understand the discrepancy between the strong rhetoric from the Trump administration and its actual actions. Get insights into Paris meetings, American diplomatic stunts, and the rumored hidden agendas behind political maneuverings. Discover why Europe's cautious approach and Washington's indecisive stance might be giving Putin a strategic advantage in the ongoing war. Learn what actions are urgently needed to create a significant deterrent and pressure on Russia, and why Europe may need to take the lead without waiting for U.S. cooperation.----------CHAPTERS:00:00 Introduction and Channel Support00:28 Europe's Sanction Dilemma03:21 US and Europe's Mixed Signals04:55 Paris Drama and Diplomatic Tensions09:12 Washington's Paradox and Critique12:54 Europe's Strategy and Trump's Influence15:46 Conclusion and Future Steps----------
In Paris, Claire and Jamie navigate their own issues regarding Black Jack Randall while making new friends and influencing others. An invitation to meet the king at Versailles takes a shocking turn when Claire runs into the Duke of Sandringham.Follow all of the Stranded Panda network shows at strandedpanda.comFind Ashley on Bill and Ashley's Terror Theaterhttps://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/bill-ashleys-terror-theater/id1630376625Find Hayley at The Source Pages Podcast.https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/source-pages-a-reading-collective-andor/id1573495735
In Paris fand im Juni ein Gipfeltreffen von Meinungsmachern der besonderen Art statt. Im altehrwürdigen Casino de Paris im Herzen der französischen Hauptstadt trafen sich Parteienvertreter, Unternehmer und Journalisten des extrem rechten politischen Spektrums zu einem "sommet des libertés" - einem sogenannten "Gipfel der Freiheiten". Organisiert und finanziert wurde dieses Rendezvous der Rechten von zwei Milliardären: Vincent Bolloré und Pierre-Édouard Stérin. Während Bolloré seit Jahren Medien und Verlagshäuser aufkauft und auf rechts dreht, finanziert Sterin andere gesellschaftliche Einrichtungen, wie etwa eine Journalistenschule, ein Fortbildungsinstitut für Politiker, Vereine gegen Abtreibung etc. Gemeinsam streben sie eine gesellschaftliche Wende an, einen nationalistisch-identitären Rechtsruck und die politische Union der Rechten, damit diese die nächsten Wahlen gewinnt. ARD-Frankreich-Korrespondentin Julia Borutta berichtet.
Langsam gesprochene Nachrichten | Deutsch lernen | Deutsche Welle
04.09.2025 – Langsam Gesprochene Nachrichten – Trainiere dein Hörverstehen mit den Nachrichten der DW von Donnerstag – als Text und als verständlich gesprochene Audio-Datei.
Zustimmung für Steuererhöhung / Porsche und Sartorius scheiden aus DAX aus / Portugal Seilbahn-Unglück / Rekordentschädigung für Robodebt-Opfer / Milliarden Kosten für Abschiebungen nach Nauru / Senator Pocock fordert strengere Regeln für Lobbyarbeit / Ex-Premierminister John Howard kritisiert Entscheidung Palästina als Staat anzuerkennen / Zwei Männer wegen Herstellung und Weitergabe von selbstgebauten Schusswaffen angeklagt / Epstein-Opfer fordern Freigabe aller Ermittlungsunterlagen Der ukrainische Präsident Selenskyj ruft US-Präsident Trump dazu auf, den Druck auf Russland für Friedensgespräche zu erhöhen. In Paris bereitet er sich auf ein Gipfeltreffen mit europäischen Staatschefs zu künftigen Sicherheitsgarantien vor.
The Book of Travels Ḥannā Diyāb: A Conversation with Johannes StephanThe Book of Travels is Ḥannā Diyāb's remarkable first-person account of his travels as a young man from his hometown of Aleppo to the court of Versailles and back again, which forever linked him to one of the most popular pieces of world literature, the Thousand and One Nights.Diyāb, a Maronite Christian, served as a guide and interpreter for the French naturalist and antiquarian Paul Lucas. Between 1706 and 1716, Diyāb and Lucas traveled through Syria, Cyprus, Egypt, Tripolitania, Tunis, Italy, and France. In Paris, Ḥannā Diyāb met Antoine Galland, who added to his wildly popular translation of the Thousand and One Nights several tales related by Diyāb, including “Aladdin” and “Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves.” When Lucas failed to make good on his promise of a position for Diyāb at Louis XIV's Royal Library, Diyāb returned to Aleppo. In his old age, he wrote this engaging account of his youthful adventures, from capture by pirates in the Mediterranean to quack medicine and near-death experiences.Translated into English for the first time, The Book of Travels introduces readers to the young Syrian responsible for some of the most beloved stories from the Thousand and One Nights. Johannes Stephan is a postdoctoral researcher in the ERC-funded project Kalīlah and Dimnah—AnonymClassic at the Freie Universität Berlin. He studied Islamic and Middle Eastern Studies in Halle an der Saale, Damascus, and Bern. Morteza Hajizadeh is a Ph.D. graduate in English from the University of Auckland in New Zealand. His research interests are Cultural Studies; Critical Theory; Environmental History; Medieval (Intellectual) History; Gothic Studies; 18th and 19th Century British Literature. YouTube channel. Twitter. 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
The Book of Travels Ḥannā Diyāb: A Conversation with Johannes StephanThe Book of Travels is Ḥannā Diyāb's remarkable first-person account of his travels as a young man from his hometown of Aleppo to the court of Versailles and back again, which forever linked him to one of the most popular pieces of world literature, the Thousand and One Nights.Diyāb, a Maronite Christian, served as a guide and interpreter for the French naturalist and antiquarian Paul Lucas. Between 1706 and 1716, Diyāb and Lucas traveled through Syria, Cyprus, Egypt, Tripolitania, Tunis, Italy, and France. In Paris, Ḥannā Diyāb met Antoine Galland, who added to his wildly popular translation of the Thousand and One Nights several tales related by Diyāb, including “Aladdin” and “Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves.” When Lucas failed to make good on his promise of a position for Diyāb at Louis XIV's Royal Library, Diyāb returned to Aleppo. In his old age, he wrote this engaging account of his youthful adventures, from capture by pirates in the Mediterranean to quack medicine and near-death experiences.Translated into English for the first time, The Book of Travels introduces readers to the young Syrian responsible for some of the most beloved stories from the Thousand and One Nights. Johannes Stephan is a postdoctoral researcher in the ERC-funded project Kalīlah and Dimnah—AnonymClassic at the Freie Universität Berlin. He studied Islamic and Middle Eastern Studies in Halle an der Saale, Damascus, and Bern. Morteza Hajizadeh is a Ph.D. graduate in English from the University of Auckland in New Zealand. His research interests are Cultural Studies; Critical Theory; Environmental History; Medieval (Intellectual) History; Gothic Studies; 18th and 19th Century British Literature. YouTube channel. Twitter. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/literary-studies
The Book of Travels Ḥannā Diyāb: A Conversation with Johannes StephanThe Book of Travels is Ḥannā Diyāb's remarkable first-person account of his travels as a young man from his hometown of Aleppo to the court of Versailles and back again, which forever linked him to one of the most popular pieces of world literature, the Thousand and One Nights.Diyāb, a Maronite Christian, served as a guide and interpreter for the French naturalist and antiquarian Paul Lucas. Between 1706 and 1716, Diyāb and Lucas traveled through Syria, Cyprus, Egypt, Tripolitania, Tunis, Italy, and France. In Paris, Ḥannā Diyāb met Antoine Galland, who added to his wildly popular translation of the Thousand and One Nights several tales related by Diyāb, including “Aladdin” and “Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves.” When Lucas failed to make good on his promise of a position for Diyāb at Louis XIV's Royal Library, Diyāb returned to Aleppo. In his old age, he wrote this engaging account of his youthful adventures, from capture by pirates in the Mediterranean to quack medicine and near-death experiences.Translated into English for the first time, The Book of Travels introduces readers to the young Syrian responsible for some of the most beloved stories from the Thousand and One Nights. Johannes Stephan is a postdoctoral researcher in the ERC-funded project Kalīlah and Dimnah—AnonymClassic at the Freie Universität Berlin. He studied Islamic and Middle Eastern Studies in Halle an der Saale, Damascus, and Bern. Morteza Hajizadeh is a Ph.D. graduate in English from the University of Auckland in New Zealand. His research interests are Cultural Studies; Critical Theory; Environmental History; Medieval (Intellectual) History; Gothic Studies; 18th and 19th Century British Literature. YouTube channel. Twitter. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/middle-eastern-studies
The Book of Travels Ḥannā Diyāb: A Conversation with Johannes StephanThe Book of Travels is Ḥannā Diyāb's remarkable first-person account of his travels as a young man from his hometown of Aleppo to the court of Versailles and back again, which forever linked him to one of the most popular pieces of world literature, the Thousand and One Nights.Diyāb, a Maronite Christian, served as a guide and interpreter for the French naturalist and antiquarian Paul Lucas. Between 1706 and 1716, Diyāb and Lucas traveled through Syria, Cyprus, Egypt, Tripolitania, Tunis, Italy, and France. In Paris, Ḥannā Diyāb met Antoine Galland, who added to his wildly popular translation of the Thousand and One Nights several tales related by Diyāb, including “Aladdin” and “Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves.” When Lucas failed to make good on his promise of a position for Diyāb at Louis XIV's Royal Library, Diyāb returned to Aleppo. In his old age, he wrote this engaging account of his youthful adventures, from capture by pirates in the Mediterranean to quack medicine and near-death experiences.Translated into English for the first time, The Book of Travels introduces readers to the young Syrian responsible for some of the most beloved stories from the Thousand and One Nights. Johannes Stephan is a postdoctoral researcher in the ERC-funded project Kalīlah and Dimnah—AnonymClassic at the Freie Universität Berlin. He studied Islamic and Middle Eastern Studies in Halle an der Saale, Damascus, and Bern. Morteza Hajizadeh is a Ph.D. graduate in English from the University of Auckland in New Zealand. His research interests are Cultural Studies; Critical Theory; Environmental History; Medieval (Intellectual) History; Gothic Studies; 18th and 19th Century British Literature. YouTube channel. Twitter. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/intellectual-history
The Book of Travels Ḥannā Diyāb: A Conversation with Johannes StephanThe Book of Travels is Ḥannā Diyāb's remarkable first-person account of his travels as a young man from his hometown of Aleppo to the court of Versailles and back again, which forever linked him to one of the most popular pieces of world literature, the Thousand and One Nights.Diyāb, a Maronite Christian, served as a guide and interpreter for the French naturalist and antiquarian Paul Lucas. Between 1706 and 1716, Diyāb and Lucas traveled through Syria, Cyprus, Egypt, Tripolitania, Tunis, Italy, and France. In Paris, Ḥannā Diyāb met Antoine Galland, who added to his wildly popular translation of the Thousand and One Nights several tales related by Diyāb, including “Aladdin” and “Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves.” When Lucas failed to make good on his promise of a position for Diyāb at Louis XIV's Royal Library, Diyāb returned to Aleppo. In his old age, he wrote this engaging account of his youthful adventures, from capture by pirates in the Mediterranean to quack medicine and near-death experiences.Translated into English for the first time, The Book of Travels introduces readers to the young Syrian responsible for some of the most beloved stories from the Thousand and One Nights. Johannes Stephan is a postdoctoral researcher in the ERC-funded project Kalīlah and Dimnah—AnonymClassic at the Freie Universität Berlin. He studied Islamic and Middle Eastern Studies in Halle an der Saale, Damascus, and Bern. Morteza Hajizadeh is a Ph.D. graduate in English from the University of Auckland in New Zealand. His research interests are Cultural Studies; Critical Theory; Environmental History; Medieval (Intellectual) History; Gothic Studies; 18th and 19th Century British Literature. YouTube channel. Twitter. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
One of my favorite things about Roseanna M. White's books is her attention to detail not just with historic facts but LOCATIONS. She does a fabulous job of ensuring that the faiths of her characters match their locales (she has a great blog post about this that you don't want to miss, too!). Speaking of research and faith, listen in to learn more what went into The Collector of Burned Books. note: links may be affiliate links that provide me with a small commission at no extra expense to you. Of course, when you talk to a historical fiction author, you learn all kinds of new facts you didn't know. I think my favorite (and most surprising!) fact was that the Catholic sectors were most against Nazis. I shouldn't be surprised, but I was. I love how she wove the horrible facts of history together with a beautiful commitment to truth and freedom and created this story. You won't want to miss it. The Collector of Burned Books by Roseanna M. White In this gripping World War II historical about the power of words, two people form an unlikely friendship amid the Nazi occupation in Paris and fight to preserve the truth that enemies of freedom long to destroy. Paris, 1940. Ever since the Nazi Party began burning books, German writers exiled for their opinions or heritage have been taking up residence in Paris. There they opened a library meant to celebrate the freedom of ideas and gathered every book on the banned list . . . and even incognito versions of the forbidden books that were smuggled back into Germany. For the last six years, Corinne Bastien has been reading those books and making that library a second home. But when the German army takes possession of Paris, she loses access to the library and all the secrets she'd hidden there. Secrets the Allies will need if they have any hope of liberating the city she calls home. Christian Bauer may be German, but he never wanted anything to do with the Nazi Party―he is a professor, one who's done his best to protect his family as well as the books that were a threat to Nazi ideals. But when Goebbels sends him to Paris to handle the “relocation” of France's libraries, he's forced into an army uniform and given a rank he doesn't want. In Paris, he tries to protect whoever and whatever he can from the madness of the Party and preserve the ideas that Germans will need again when that madness is over, and maybe find a lost piece of his heart. Learn more about Roseanna M. White on her WEBSITE (with all the bookish merch) and follow her on BookBub and GoodReads. Like to listen on the go? You can find Because Fiction Podcast at: Apple Castbox Google Play Libsyn RSS Spotify Amazon and more!
During what he calls a “terrible soccer game” his son was playing, Ademir Sarcevic picked up a recruiter's call that would change his career. The game was lopsided, but the timing was fortunate. Within months, Sarcevic was interviewing with Standex International's leadership team. By 2019, he was CFO of the diversified manufacturer, helping guide a portfolio that spans precision electronics to specialty machinery.Sarcevic's readiness for that moment was shaped years earlier in Sarajevo. He came to the United States during the Bosnian war in the mid-1990s, an experience that taught him to “be ready for anything.” His first job after graduate school was at General Instrument Corporation, where a finance rotational program exposed him to audit, FP&A, and accounting. Later, at a pre-IPO company, he helped take the firm public—only to see the dot-com crash unfold immediately after. It was a lesson in resilience and the unpredictability of markets, Sarcevic tells us.International assignments added new perspectives. In Paris, he served as controller for a billion-dollar Tyco business, and in Switzerland he became CFO for a Pentair global unit. Along the way, he experienced more mergers, acquisitions, and divestitures than he can count, reinforcing the value of flexibility and objectivity.At Standex, Sarcevic applies these lessons through a disciplined M&A approach. Every acquisition, he tells us, must meet three tests: “strategic fit, financial sense, and culture.” That rigor has paid off—recent acquisitions, he notes, “have been phenomenal…performing better than we even thought.”
In 1989, Keith LaMar (aka Bomani Shakur) was sent to prison at age 19 for murder. He had been living in Cleveland, Ohio, where he sold drugs as a means of survival in the Crack-infested streets he knew as home. On a day that would forever change his life, Keith was robbed at gunpoint and exchanged gunfire with his robbers. He was shot twice in his legs and hit one of the other men in the chest. That young man, one a childhood friend, died. Keith pled guilty and was sent to prison for 18 years-to-life. Four years later, Keith was attempting to put together the broken pieces of his life at the Southern Ohio Correctional Facility, hoping for another chance at life. It was an Easter Sunday, and the weather had just turned warmer; Keith and about 400 other men were outside exercising in the rec-yard when commotion broke out inside and it became clear that some type of protest was underway. Keith made a quick decision to slip inside for a few minutes to secure his personal belongings (since his cell assignment was in the area being taken over). Once back out in the yard, he and the others waited to see what would transpire, watching as the bodies of several men were dumped onto the yard. As Easter came to an end, the Ohio State Highway Patrol rounded up those on the yard and secured them into another part of the facility. Prison records prove that Keith was among them. Though no one could have predicted what exactly was happening, or how it would all result, an 11-day siege ensued. In the end, nine inmates and one guard ultimately lost their lives. When the dust began to settle, the State of Ohio needed someone on whom to pin several of the early inmate deaths. This is where Keith's troubles began… A few months later, several prisoners were enticed with the promise of early paroles and/or dropped charges if only they would come up with a reasonable story to help the State sweep up the “mess” at their out-of-control prison. They determined Keith would be the fall guy, and they pointed their fingers at him. Thus, to make it all come together convincingly, the prosecution withheld actual confessions from his defense, as well as eyewitness statements that contradicted their fabricated version of events. In spite of zero DNA or forensic evidence, they moved forward with their accusations against Keith. In fact, they made sure his trial would be racially biased in their favor by calling for the removal of the few potential black jurors, and by holding his trial in an all-white county in southern Ohio. In spite of having no motive to kill anyone, no actual proof connecting him, nor any affiliation with any of the groups organizing the uprising, the jury didn't take long to find Keith LaMar guilty of the murder of five of the inmates. He was sentenced to death. Albert Marquès is a pianist, composer, and political activist from a working class, industrial town outside of Barcelona, where he worked in factories through school. A member of a Catalan anti-capitalist organization as a teenager, he narrowly escaped being detained for his activism. Influenced by the local punk scene, as well as jazz recordings of musicians like Chick Corea, Brad Mehldau, Michel Camilo and Herbie Hancock, he was self-taught until he attended Conservatori Superior de Música del Liceu. After graduation, he made two pivotal trips which changed his life, spending a month in the West Bank in Palestine and a month in Cuba. During his four years in Barcelona, he played with the best musicians of the scene, such as Marc Miralta, thanks to his unique, non-academic sound. Upon graduating, he moved to Paris, where he worked in a McDonald's until he learned French. In Paris, he played with musicians such as Remi Vignolo and Pierre Perchaud, and became the pianist in African American drummer Leon Parker's quartet. At 25, Albert moved to New York City, without knowing even one person, to play jazz. After a year and a half working as a waiter and going to jam sessions every night, he met his mentor Arturo O'Farrill, who gave him his own baby grand piano. In addition to his musical influence and encouragement, O'Farrill hired him to teach with his organization, the Afro Latin Jazz Alliance, a non-profit that gives free Latin jazz music lessons in the most disadvantaged New York City public schools. Albert also plays and collaborates with his sons, Adam and Zack O'Farrill. In 2014, he married the sculptor Mia Pearlman, with whom he has two children, Aviva and Sol. It is in New York that he finally combined his biggest influences: contemporary jazz, flamenco, Afro Cuban music and social justice by creating Freedom First. He has recorded four albums as a band leader, and regularly collaborates with rhythm master Ari Hoenig, Spanish flamenco singer and saxophonist Antonio Lizana, and other American and European musicians. Marques is the Music Director at the Institute for Collaborative Education in NY, a progressive, public middle and high school in downtown Manhattan.
Christian Historical Fiction Talk is listener supported. When you buy things through this site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Become a patron and enjoy special perks and bonus content.Roseanna M. White returns to the podcast, this time to talk about her recent release, The Collector of Banned Books. We discuss the real library in Paris that held many of the books that were banned in Germany during the time of the Nazis and the power of words and how we need to be responsible with our words. She also shares an update on her cancer journey. Patrons get to hear her call out for us to read dangerously.The Collector of Banned Books by Roseanna M. WhiteIn this gripping World War II historical about the power of words, two people form an unlikely friendship amid the Nazi occupation in Paris and fight to preserve the truth that enemies of freedom long to destroy.Paris, 1940. Ever since the Nazi Party began burning books, German writers exiled for their opinions or heritage have been taking up residence in Paris. There they opened a library meant to celebrate the freedom of ideas and gathered every book on the banned list . . . and even incognito versions of the forbidden books that were smuggled back into Germany.For the last six years, Corinne Bastien has been reading those books and making that library a second home. But when the German army takes possession of Paris, she loses access to the library and all the secrets she'd hidden there. Secrets the Allies will need if they have any hope of liberating the city she calls home.Christian Bauer may be German, but he never wanted anything to do with the Nazi Party―he is a professor, one who's done his best to protect his family as well as the books that were a threat to Nazi ideals. But when Goebbels sends him to Paris to handle the “relocation” of France's libraries, he's forced into an army uniform and given a rank he doesn't want. In Paris, he tries to protect whoever and whatever he can from the madness of the Party and preserve the ideas that Germans will need again when that madness is over, and maybe find a lost piece of his heart.Stand-alone historical fiction from a bestselling, Christy Award-winning authorA thought-provoking novel perfect for book clubsIncludes discussion questionsGet The Collector of Banned Books by Roseanna M. White.Roseanna M. White is a bestselling, Christy Award winning author who has long claimed that words are the air she breathes. When not writing fiction, she's homeschooling, editing, designing book covers, and pretending her house will clean itself. Roseanna is the author of a slew of historical novels that span several continents and thousands of years. Spies and war and mayhem always seem to find their way into her books…to offset her real life, which is blessedly ordinary. You can learn more about her and her stories at www.RoseannaMWhite.com.
Episode #370: "Why are [Asian women] not allowed to dream that we can open our own thing and lead our own work?" This question by human rights lawyer Emilie Palamy Pradichit slices through the silence, exposing the systemic barriers that have historically muted and marginalized Asian women in leadership. Pradichit's journey as a young Lao refugee navigating discrimination in a low-income Parisian suburb crowded with migrants cemented this perspective. In Paris, she witnessed firsthand the insidious nature of inequality. These early encounters ignited a vision within her to dismantle entrenched norms - by centering the voices of underrepresented communities. Her passion to challenge injustice took her through studying human rights law at Sorbonne University and roles at the United Nations and UPR-Asia. However, her experience revealed the limitations of top-down approaches in achieving genuine grassroots change. “I was learning a lot, but I was surrounded by people with privilege. I was sitting at headquarters, and I didn't know what it was like on the ground!” This realization sparked the creation of Manushya Foundation, envisioned as a distinctly feminist, intersectional, and decolonial human rights organization dedicated to amplifying the agency of marginalized communities in Asia. Pradichit's work challenges what she terms “white feminism” and the imposition of external agendas. Her approach in the Myanmar context prioritizes the voices of ethnic minority women. As she puts it, “How can you be a human rights activist and exclude Rohingya people?” Pradichit's sentiments reflect the important role of a decolonial lens in her work. “In the global majority work, it's very important for the people from lived experience to be the ones leading the human rights work.” She believes this isn't just a strategy; it's reclaiming the power of lived truth leading the way towards real justice.
LARGE LANGUAGE MODEL OF THE EIGHTEENTH CENTURY: 4/4: Ingenious: A Biography of Benjamin Franklin, Scientist by Richard Munson (Author) https://www.amazon.com/Ingenious-Biography-Benjamin-Franklin-Scientist/dp/0393882233 Benjamin Franklin was one of the preeminent scientists of his time. Driven by curiosity, he conducted cutting-edge research on electricity, heat, ocean currents, weather patterns, chemical bonds, and plants. But today, Franklin is remembered more for his political prowess and diplomatic achievements than his scientific creativity. In this incisive and rich account of Benjamin Franklin's life and career, Richard Munson recovers this vital part of Franklin's story, reveals his modern relevance, and offers a compelling portrait of a shrewd experimenter, clever innovator, and visionary physicist whose fame opened doors to negotiate French support and funding for American independence. Munson's riveting narrative explores how science underpins Franklin's entire story―from tradesman to inventor to nation-founder―and argues that Franklin's political life cannot be understood without giving proper credit to his scientific accomplishments. 1867 IN PARIS
Subscribe to our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@CallMeBackPodcast?sub_confirmation=1 Subscribe to Ark Media's new podcast ‘What's Your Number?': https://www.youtube.com/@wyn.podcast?sub_confirmation=1 For sponsorship inquiries, please contact: callmeback@arkmedia.orgTo contact us, sign up for updates, and access transcripts, visit: https://arkmedia.org/Ark Media on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/arkmediaorgDan on X: https://x.com/dansenorDan on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dansenorToday's episode:On Sunday, a peaceful demonstration in Boulder, Colorado, advocating the release of the 58 remaining Israeli hostages held by Hamas, was violently disrupted when 45-year-old Mohamed Sabry Soliman, disguising himself as a gardener, attacked participants with Molotov cocktails and a makeshift flamethrower. The assault injured six elderly individuals, aged between 67 and 88 — including a survivor of the Holocaust — with at least one victim in critical condition. In Paris, vandals defaced the Holocaust Memorial, two synagogues, and a Jewish restaurant in a coordinated act of antisemitic violence. These horrific events come just over one week after Elias Rodriguez, a radical, leftist activist, murdered two Israeli embassy staffers outside the Jewish museum in Washington DC. We have been hearing from Israelis who lived through the Intifada in Israel, as they reflect on what “Globalize the Intifada” means when it reaches our country; we hear one Israeli's perspective in today's episode. Meanwhile, just as it appeared that Israel was facing increasing international pressure, it is Hamas's position in the hostage negotiations that is weakening with time, according to U.S. officials. Late on Wednesday, the United States vetoed a United Nations Security Council resolution calling for an “immediate, unconditional and permanent ceasefire” between Israel and Hamas in Gaza, the release of all the hostages and unhindered aid access across the enclave. Dorothy Shea, Acting US Ambassador to the UN cited the failure to condemn Hamas and calling for its disarmament as the reason for the veto. Nadav Eyal, senior analyst at Yedioth Achronot, joins us to discuss the implications of the antisemitic terror attack in Boulder as well as the turmoil in Gaza. CREDITS:ILAN BENATAR - Producer & EditorMARTIN HUERGO - Sound EditorMARIANGELES BURGOS - Additional EditingGABE SILVERSTEIN - ResearchYUVAL SEMO - Music Composer
Watch on Philo! - Philo.tv/DTHNick and Audrey Spitz, are now full-time private detectives after their high profile success 4 years ago. But they find their agency struggling after several failed cases. Turns out, they're not actually very good. One night, while debating their future, they receive an unexpected invitation to a lavish wedding on a private island from their rapper friend from the first movie.During the ceremony, Audrey spots a cloaked figure trailing Vikram's elephant. Suddenly, Vik's bodyguard Lou falls dead from the elephant. Nick suspects it's a distraction and soon witnesses Vik's kidnapping by a masked figure who escapes by boat. The couple figures there must be two baddies: one to create the diversion and another to execute the abduction.The next day, a team of elite investigators led by former MI6 hostage negotiator, and Audrey's personal hero, Connor Miller arrives. The kidnapper calls and demands $70 million. In Paris, Nick and Audrey accompany Miller to the meeting point but are ambushed and forced into a van. A scuffle leads to a crash, and the kidnappers frame the couple. Miller appears to die in a car explosion, but a mysterious thief snatches the briefcase, only to be killed by a second assailant in a garbage truck who steals the money.The duo arranges a final confrontation at the Eiffel Tower. Vik arrives strapped with a bomb, but Nick assumes that the real mastermind wouldn't endanger the ransom. Miller reappears, revealing he faked his death. After Audrey is pulled to the top floor in a struggle, Nick follows, defeats Miller's henchmen, and destroys the bomb's detonator.Miller throws Audrey off the tower while tethered to his harness. Audrey survives, and together they tie Miller's harness to the elevator system, hurling him into his own helicopter's blades, which crashes into the river.Back at the restaurant, Audrey notices that Saira's smeared henna contradicts her earlier claim, realizing she's the second conspirator. Saira had previously tried to kill Vik in Mumbai out of jealousy over their family business. She attempts to shoot Vik, but the bodyguard takes the bullet, and Saira get knocked out with the briefcase.After the chaos, Vik and Claudette elope and gift Nick and Audrey $10 million plus a helicopter. But during their honeymoon flight over Greece, their pilot pulls a gun, reveals himself as American, steals the money, and jumps, leaving the couple to fight for control midair.
‘Still more traitors, still more treason…" It is 1792 and France has been at war since April; it is not going well. In Paris, the Tuileries Palace has been stormed, and the royal family imprisoned. Meanwhile, tensions are rising between the main political factions of the Revolution, the Girondins and the Montagnard, led by the icy Maximilien Robespierre. The streets of Paris teem with armed young men - the Federes and the Sans-Culottes - responsible for the brutal slaughtering of the Swiss Guard earlier that year. They have arrested and imprisoned thousands of people. It is into this progressively febrile atmosphere of paranoia and fear that terrible news arrives: the Prussians, hungry for vengeance, have taken the fortress of Verdin. Rumours swirl of treason and betrayal from deep within Paris itself, and a new, chilling idea is raised to wash the city of counter revolutionaries once and for all: cleanse the prisons. So it is that on the 2nd of September, a group of Prisoners being escorted from one prison to another is stopped, and methodically hacked to death. The survivors face an impromptu tribunal before receiving the same treatment. Over the next few days, all prisoners across Paris are likewise judged, and many similarly damned and mutilated. A tide of bloodshed is rising, which will soon flood the streets of Paris, taking thousands of lives with it. Who will survive the massacre? Join Dominic and Tom for the next series of the French Revolution, as they pick up this epic story - one of the most resounding and complex historical events of all time - with arguably the most horrific episode of the whole revolution: the September massacres… EXCLUSIVE NordVPN Deal ➼ https://nordvpn.com/restishistory Try it risk-free now with a 30-day money-back guarantee! _______ Twitter: @TheRestHistory @holland_tom @dcsandbrook Producer: Theo Young-Smith Assistant Producer: Tabby Syrett + Aaliyah Akude Executive Producers: Jack Davenport + Tony Pastor Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices