Podcasts about Indian Ocean

In this episode, Mike is joined by Dr Arzan Tarapore, Visiting Fellow at the Hoover Institution at Stanford University, and Visiting Fellow at the European University Institute in Florence, Italy. They unpack the Pentagon's decision to revert the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command (INDOPACOM) name back to Pacific Command (PACOM). They explore the strategic and political rationale behind the change; its implications for security dynamics in the Indian Ocean and Western Pacific; and what it reveals about U.S. conceptions of the Indo-Pacific as an operational theatre in U.S. defence planning. 

Nir Peled, author of Beyond 100 Percent: Rebuilding Life After It Breaks (May 1, 2026)? Rooted in a background spanning Israeli Defense Forces leadership, high-pressure technology executive roles, and the quiet wisdom of his Holocaust-survivor grandmother, Nir built a practical system for healing that delivered results few thought possible, one that took him beyond 100%.Life can change in a heartbeat. What will you do when it happens to you?When Nir Peled collapsed on the floor of his home office from a stroke at age 49, everything changed. In an instant, he lost his speech, mobility, and sense of identity. In the months that followed, he embarked on a grueling journey of rehabilitation, rebuilding his body, mind, and cognitive function, and in the process, uncovered more than he ever expected.The stroke wasn't Nir's first brush with death. He has survived a car bombing in the Sinai Desert, anaphylaxis that ended his military career, the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami, a violent armed robbery deep in the Amazon jungle, cancer that spread fast, and a serious motorcycle accident. Each crisis taught him something different about resilience and rebuilding, but the stroke became his greatest teacher, revealing how all those lessons could come together into a framework for moving forward after life falls apart.This book began as a recovery journal. What the reader discovers alongside Nir, one honest chapter at a time, is something he didn't set out to write: a complete framework for rebuilding after everything breaks. The principles weren't planned. They were earned.Written with raw honesty and unexpected humor, this is not a clinical guide or a collection of platitudes. It's the story of a recovering high performer who had to relearn everything, and a powerful guide for anyone rebuilding life after it breaks.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/arroe-collins-like-it-s-live--4113802/support.

Episode Title : Sakili – Life is Beautiful Episode Description Sakili is a beautiful Creole expression that means, “It's going to be okay,” or simply, “Life is beautiful.” In this heartfelt episode, Lynette explores what it really means to participate in your own rescue. Recovery isn't simply about giving up alcohol—it's about reclaiming your life, expanding your world, and reconnecting with the joy that has always been available beneath the numbness. Drawing on a powerful encounter with four magnificent sperm whales in the Indian Ocean, Lynette reflects on how addiction slowly shrinks our comfort zone until life itself becomes small. True recovery begins when we stop waiting for life to change and begin courageously participating in it. In this episode you'll discover: Why recovery is about so much more than stopping drinking. How addiction gradually shrinks your world—and how to begin expanding it again. The difference between understanding your past and participating in your future. Why thoughts alone don't change the brain—behaviours do. A fresh perspective on the Hero's Journey, and why sometimes the dragon has to slay the old identity before a new life can emerge. How coming home to your body reconnects you with your joy, vitality, and life force. If you've relapsed, feel discouraged, or are wondering whether life without alcohol can ever feel joyful, this episode is a gentle reminder that healing isn't about perfection. It's about choosing one courageous step. One new behaviour. One breath at a time. Sakili. Life is beautiful.   Quote from this Episode “Every time you choose life over numbness, every time you participate in your own rescue, your world expands.”   Resources If this episode resonated with you and you'd like support on your own alcohol-free journey, you can connect with Lynette through: Website: https://www.tribesober.com/ Path to Purpose Community: https://www.tribesober.com/path-to-purpose/ Email: lynette@llrcoaching.com Music Intro & Outro Music: “Life is Beautiful” by The K Club featuring Brittany Rogers. Thank you for listening. If you enjoyed this episode, please follow the Tribe Sober Podcast, leave a review, and share it with someone who may need the reminder that recovery is not about losing your life—it's about finding it.  

Nearly seven kilometers beneath the Indian Ocean, a team of scientists went looking for hydrothermal vents — and found something else entirely. What they mistook, at first glance, for smoking chimneys turned out to be whale skulls: the opening of a necropolis stretching 1,200 kilometers across the sea floor, holding nearly 500 fossilized whales alongside active whale falls still teeming with life. In this episode, we sit down with Dr. Xikun Song of the Institute of Deep-Sea Science and Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences, one of the researchers behind this landmark discovery, newly published in Nature. Dr. Song walks us through the moment of realization on the submersible monitors, the physiology that may be driving deep-diving beaked whales to their limits, and why this site could rewrite what we know about whale evolution over the past 5.3 million years — with remains that may number in the millions, and roughly 6.7 million tons of sequestered carbon locked into the sea floor. He also shares the story in his own words — in Mandarin, with translation — describing the exact moment his team realized they'd found something extraordinary. Links mentioned in this episode: The full study in Nature: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-026-10546-z Smithsonian Magazine's coverage, with photos from the dives: https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/scientists-discover-the-worlds-largest-deepest-whale-graveyard-where-cetacean-remains-have-been-piling-up-for-five-million-years-180988942/

Maps have triggered territorial claims, saved fragile environments and brought home the fragility of the Great Barrier Reef in the face of climate change. In her book Plotting the Oceans: Stories of Powerful Maps and Their Makers, Sarah Hamylton tells the stories of five cartographers whose maps and ideas produced big results but in different ways. Charles Darwin mapped the world's coral reefs to support a theory about how they formed, and in doing so developed insights that shaped his eventual theory of evolution. The trailblazing Marie Tharp, barred from ocean expeditions in the 1950s, created the first detailed map of the ocean floor, providing key evidence for the then radical idea of continental drift. In this discussion with Robyn Williams Sarah Hamylton describes geographer and academic David Stodardt who made maps of remote atolls and whose advocacy led to the saving of Aldabra Atoll in the western Indian Ocean. It is home to hundreds of thousands of giant tortoises but was once considered as the site for an Anglo/American military base. 

SpaceX finally launched Flight 13 successfully and Starship's landing was so soft that it's still afloat in  the Indian Ocean. What are the mysterious Little Red Dots? A terrestrial exoplanet only 49 light years away has an atmosphere! The Nancy Grace Roman space telescope is prepping for a late August launch ahead of schedule!Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/made-of-stars--4746260/support.

Scott Oliver is a British writer, global strategy researcher, and former Royal Marines Commando. Born in Scotland and raised in West Africa, he has lived abroad since the mid-1980s and has made his home in twelve countries across Africa, Europe, North America, Central America, and the Indian Ocean. This extensive international exposure has shaped a practical, jurisdiction-aware approach to risk assessment, capital protection, and globally mobile lifestyles.Scott spent ten years on Wall Street working with high-net-worth individuals, followed by more than two decades working across the Cayman Islands, Costa Rica, and Guatemala. During this period, he focused on helping investors understand cross-border structures, jurisdictional risk, and long-term wealth resilience, developing a reputation for cautious, legally compliant strategies that prioritize capital preservation and clarity over short-term performance.He is the author of two widely read books—How to Buy Costa Rica Real Estate Without Losing Your Camisa and Costa Rica's Guide to Making Money Offshore in Bull and Bear Markets. Both are recognized for their plain-English, mistake-avoidance approach to offshore investing and international decision-making, and together they have helped thousands of readers avoid costly errors while making informed international choices.

In 1947, the Army announced it had recovered a crashed "flying disc" near Roswell, then reversed itself within a day — a contradiction the Air Force didn't explain until 1994, when it revealed a classified spy program called Project Mogul. Roswell wasn't even the first: unidentified wreckage and bodies had been turning up for decades before it.EPISODE BLOG PAGE (includes sources): https://weirddarkness.com/RoswellWasntFirstFEATURED STORIES IN THIS EPISODE: When you hear the words “UFO crash” you likely think of Roswell, New Mexico in 1947. And while that is the most famous of supposed extraterrestrial spaceship crashes, it is by no means the first. In fact, there were several taking place before Roswell became a household name. (UFO Crashes Before Roswell) *** But first – we'll take a look at Roswell itself… and what might have been behind the crash, the UFOs, and the aliens! (Behind Roswell's Aliens) *** Numerous travelers have gone missing in Nahanni Valley… and many whose bodies have been found, have been decapitated. It's no wonder it has been nicknamed “The Valley of Headless Men”. (The Valley of Headless Men) *** In 2016, construction in a San Francisco family's backyard unearthed a terrifying find… a glass coffin. And the history behind it tells a morbid history of the city. (The Karner's Backyard Glass Coffin) *** Former Green Beret Jeffrey MacDonald claimed that a gang of acid-crazed Manson Family copycats brutally murdered his pregnant wife and two daughters in 1970, but then he was found guilty. Did he commit the crime, or did the law convict the wrong man? (The Evil Deeds of Jeffrey MacDonald) *** It's understood that scientifically, alchemy – attempting to turn a substance or element into gold – is impossible. But then, there is that one incident that took place in the early seventeenth century that has some people wondering if that's wrong. (The Alchemy Master)CHAPTERS & TIME STAMPS (All Times Approximate)…00:00:00.000 = The Foreboding00:01:27.594 = Show Open00:03:47.621 = Behind Roswell's Aliens / UFO Crashes Before Roswell00:19:45.640 = The Valley of Headless Men ***00:33:18.357 = The Karner's Backyard Glass Coffin00:44:54.640 = The Evil Deeds of Jeffrey MacDonald ***00:55:31.498 = The Alchemy Master01:02:26.698 = Show Close*** = Begins immediately after inserted ad breakLISTEN ON PODCAST APPS: Look for this podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, iHeart Radio, Amazon Music, Pandora, TuneIn Radio, and other podcast apps. Get a list of free listening apps here: https://weirddarkness.com/wdapps*No AI Voices Are Used In The Narration Of This Podcast*SOURCES and RESOURCES:“Behind Roswell's Aliens” by Adam Janos for History.com: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/yd5fhudu“UFO Crashes Before Roswell” from Anomalien.com: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/2w6d76yh“The Valley of Headless Men” by Aleksa Vuckovic for Ancient-Origins.net: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/2p9c6zf4“The Evil Deeds of Jeffrey MacDonald” by Marco Margaritoff for AllThatsInteresting.com: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/2p8eant7“The Alchemy Master” by Ellen Lloyd for AncientPages.com: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/4xzysbwc“The Karner's Backyard Glass Coffin” by Trilby Beresford for Ranker.com's Graveyard Shift:https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/3mpvk9jh(Over time links may become invalid, disappear, or have different content. I always make sure to give authors credit for the material I use whenever possible. If I somehow overlooked doing so for a story, or if a credit is incorrect, please let me know and I will rectify it in these show notes immediately. Some links included above may benefit me financially through qualifying purchases.)WeirdDarkness® is a registered trademark. Copyright ©2026, Weird Darkness.Originally aired: January 2021This episode of Weird Darkness moves from a classified Cold War balloon program in the New Mexico desert to a Canadian valley littered with decapitated bodies, a Victorian child's glass coffin dug up in a San Francisco backyard, a Green Beret convicted of butchering his own family, and a seventeenth-century alchemist tortured for the secret of turning lead into gold.It opens with the 1947 Roswell crash, tracing how rancher W.W. "Mac" Brazel's discovery of wreckage on his Lincoln County property led Colonel William Blanchard's Roswell Army Air Field to announce the capture of a "flying disc," only for the Army to reverse itself within days and blame a weather balloon, complete with staged photos of Major Jesse Marcel posing with the debris. The story follows the account through the U.S. Air Force's 1994 admission that the wreckage actually came from Project Mogul, a secret high-altitude balloon array built to detect Soviet atomic tests, and its 1997 explanation that reported alien bodies were fallen parachute test dummies, then weighs those official conclusions against UFO researcher Donald Schmitt's objections and journalist Annie Jacobsen's competing claim that the crash involved deformed children deployed by Joseph Stalin and designed by Nazi doctor Josef Mengele.From there, the episode moves through six UFO crash reports that predate Roswell by decades, including an 1897 cigar-shaped craft said to have destroyed Judge Proctor's windmill in Aurora, Texas, and left a small humanoid body buried in the local cemetery; an 1862 wreck witnessed by shipwrecked sailors from the vessel Christine on a deserted Indian Ocean island, where they found twelve-foot-tall bodies with bronze beards; a UFO crash near Stavropol, Russia, whose three survivors reportedly died from being unable to breathe Earth's atmosphere; a 1941 crash in the Carolinas recovered by the U.S. Army during a military exercise involving soldier Guy Simeone; an 1884 debris field of gear-like metal fragments found by rancher John Ellis in Dundy County, Nebraska; and a wartime British crash investigated by journalist Dorothy Kilgallen, who died shortly after publishing claims that the recovered craft's crew stood under four feet tall.Next, the story shifts to Canada's Nahanni Valley, where at least 44 people have died or vanished since 1908, beginning with prospector brothers Willie and Frank McLeod, whose headless skeletons were found at their camp two years after they disappeared, and continuing through the decapitations of Swiss prospector Martin Jorgenson and outlaw "Yukon" Fisher, the mysterious cabin fire that killed Phil Powers, and the vanishing of Annie Laferte, who was later spotted wandering naked and disoriented near the Flat River — deaths locals attribute variously to the legendary Naha tribe, the valley's hot sulphur springs, or predators, while Dene oral history holds that the warlike Naha people simply disappeared without explanation.The episode then turns to 2016, when a construction crew remodeling John and Ericka Karner's San Francisco home unearthed a 19th-century glass-and-cast-iron coffin containing the preserved body of a toddler, later identified through DNA testing led by genealogist Elissa Davey as Edith Howard Cook, who died of malnutrition in 1876 and was accidentally left behind when San Francisco's Odd Fellows Cemetery was relocated to Colma in the 1930s — a discovery the Karner family says ended years of unexplained footsteps they'd heard from a toddler no longer in the house.From there, the story follows former Green Beret Jeffrey MacDonald, convicted of stabbing his pregnant wife Colette and daughters Kimberly and Kristen to death at Fort Bragg in 1970 after claiming a blonde intruder chanting about acid and "pigs" oversaw the killings, an account investigators concluded was staged using details from the recent Manson Family murders; the case follows his decades of appeals, including the 1983 bestseller "A Fatal Vision" that branded him a psychopath and filmmaker Errol Morris's later book arguing the evidence against him was mishandled.The episode closes with the story of Alexander Seton, a secretive Scottish alchemist known as the Cosmopolitan, who in 1602 convinced skeptical Swiss professor Wolfgang Drenheim that he had transmuted lead into gold using nothing but a wrapped powder and a goldsmith's crucible in Fribourg. Seton's success drew the attention of Emperor Rudolf II and later trapped him in the custody of Christian II, Elector of Saxony, who had him pierced with iron spikes and burned with molten lead in an attempt to force him to reveal his formula; Seton escaped in 1603 with the help of his friend Michael Sendivogius but died a broken man soon after, and the alchemical text he was said to have written, the Book of Twelve Chapters, was destroyed, leaving his method lost.

FILE 13. Headline: Starship Test 13: Success and Challenges in Reusability Guest: Doug Messier Summary: SpaceX's Starship Test 13 achieved a controlled landing of the spacecraft in the Indian Ocean, though the Super Heavy booster exploded during its Gulf landing. Doug Messier explains that while the mission successfully deployed Starlink satellites, the FAA remains concerned about future overland flights. The ultimate goal is full reusability for NASA's upcoming lunar missions and upgrading the capacity of the Starlink network for laser communications.

SCHEDULE  JOHN BATCHELOR SHOW, 7-27-26Headline: Signaling Peace Amidst Conflict: The US and Iran Standstill Guest: Ambassador Hussein Haqqani and Bill Roggio Summary: John Batchelor discusses the current tensions between Iran and the United States following a sudden halt in American bombing. Ambassador Haqqani explains that both nations are seeking a diplomatic "off-ramp," though they face severe internal political constraints that prevent either a ground invasion or a total surrender. Bill Roggio adds that while secret talks are likely, reports of depleted US munitions might be influencing the decision to pause military action.Headline: The Threat of Escalation in the Caspian Theater Guest: Ambassador Hussein Haqqani and Bill RoggioSummary: This segment examines the potential for unconventional warfare escalation across Eurasia and the specific risks within the Caspian theater. Haqqani warns that Iran's ability to hold the global economy hostage through the Red Sea and Hormuz Strait creates a complex dilemma for the US. Bill Roggio concurs that limited aerial bombardment is insufficient for regime change and notes that neighboring countries like Kuwait remain hesitant to directly engage for fear of retaliation.Headline: Somalia's Unverifiable Victories: The Death of a Shabaab Founder Guest: Caleb Weiss and Bill RoggioSummary: Somali officials claim the death of Maalim Ibrahim, a co-founder of al-Shabaab and a key military planner who held many executive hats. However, guest Caleb Weiss cautions that such claims often lack third-party verification and may be false. The US is currently threatening to cut funding for the UN mission in Somalia due to a perceived lack of progress against the group and pervasive internal political corruption.Headline: Houthi Blockades and the Siege of Saudi Energy Ports Guest: Bridget Turner and Bill Roggio Summary: Houthi rebels have initiated a maritime blockade against Saudi Arabian ports, causing ship traffic through the Bab el-Mandeb strait to fall to its lowest level in months. While the Houthis cite local grievances, their actions align with Iran's broader strategy to pressure global energy markets. Despite the threat, Saudi Arabia has retaliated by bombing Houthi ports, even as the rebels receive targeting assistance from Iranian spy ships.Headline: High Stakes Diplomacy: Netanyahu's Visit and the Iranian Threat Guest: Malcolm Hoenlein and Thaddeus McCotter Summary: Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu travels to Washington to meet with President Trump and attend the funeral of the late Senator Graham. The agenda focuses heavily on Iran's continued aggression, including reports of the "Pickaxe Mountain" facility containing thousands of centrifuges deep underground. Malcolm Hoenlein notes that despite the diplomatic pause, Iran continues to execute young dissidents and sponsor assassination plots in Israel and the United Kingdom.Headline: The Lebanese Pilot Zones: A Fragile Experiment in Peace Guest: Malcolm Hoenlein and Thaddeus McCotterSummary: Lebanon is attempting to establish humanitarian pilot zones where the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) replace withdrawing Israeli troops. Critics argue this model mirrors the failed Gaza disengagement, as Hezbollah remains entrenched and unwilling to disarm. Additionally, Hoenlein discusses a recent Ukrainian attack on an Iranian vessel in the Caspian Sea, which signals a dangerous expansion of the regional conflict that may have broader retaliatory implications for the future.Headline: Hezbollah's Surveillance and the Ineffectiveness of the LAF Guest: David Daoud and Bill Roggio Summary: The IDF recently shot down an unarmed Hezbollah drone gathering intelligence over strategic ridges in southern Lebanon. David Daoud highlights that Hezbollah continues to operate freely despite the presence of the Lebanese Armed Forces in pilot zones. The segment questions why Western leaders trust the Lebanese government, given its failure to demand nationwide disarmament and its history of coordinating with Hezbollah to hide military infrastructure from international monitors.FILE 8: Not provided in the sources.Headline: Brazil's Transnational Politics: Lula vs. the Conservative Alliance Guest: Ernesto Araújo and Alejandro Peña Esclusa Summary: President Lula da Silva of Brazil has shifted toward an anti-American stance, aligning himself with "criminal socialism" and the São Paulo Forum. Former Foreign Minister Araújo describes a growing transnational alliance between Donald Trump, Javier Milei, and Flavio Bolsonaro to counter communist penetration in Latin America. The upcoming Brazilian election is seen as a critical battleground for the future of economic freedom and regional stability against organized crime.Headline: The Venezuelan Transition and the Shield of the Americas Guest: Ernesto Araújo and Alejandro Peña EsclusaSummary: Acting Venezuelan President Delcy Rodriguez has received unexpected praise from President Trump, causing concern among opposition members who view her as a gangster. Alejandro Peña Esclusa argues that Rodriguez is a repressive figure and suggests a reconstruction government of experts instead. Meanwhile, Brazil's Flavio Bolsonaro seeks to join the "Shield of the Americas" to combat regional criminal gangs and support a democratic transition in Venezuela.FILE 11: Not provided in the sources.Headline: Iran's Drone Test: Challenging the US Strategic Pause Guest: Edmund Fitton-Brown and Bill RoggioSummary: Following a US suspension of airstrikes, Iran launched drone attacks against Saudi Arabia, Jordan, and Iraq to test the Trump administration's resolve. Edmund Fitton-Brown explains that Iran aims to prove it decides when pauses occur, not the US. The segment warns that without consistent US pressure, Iran could establish a "regional protection racket," leaving Arab states to seek separate accommodations with the bully on the block.Headline: Starship Test 13: Success and Challenges in Reusability Guest: Doug Messier Summary: SpaceX's Starship Test 13 achieved a controlled landing of the spacecraft in the Indian Ocean, though the Super Heavy booster exploded during its Gulf landing. Doug Messier explains that while the mission successfully deployed Starlink satellites, the FAA remains concerned about future overland flights. The ultimate goal is full reusability for NASA's upcoming lunar missions and upgrading the capacity of the Starlink network for laser communications.Headline: Decapitating Hamas: Targeted Strikes in Gaza Guest: Samuel Benner and Bill Roggio Summary: The IDF has conducted targeted strikes against Hamas's internal security commanders, including the head of the police force in central Gaza. Samuel Benner reports that while the upper military echelon has been largely eliminated, Israel is now targeting those responsible for imposing rule on Gazans. Despite these strikes, Hamas continues to control food distribution, effectively using humanitarian aid as a "piggy bank" for the organization.Headline: The Iran War: A Strategy Stuck in Stalemate Guest: Jonathan Schanzer and Bill Roggio Summary: After twelve days of intense US bombing, there is confusion regarding the long-term plan for achieving behavior change in Tehran. Jonathan Schanzer argues that the regime remains ideologically committed to power and is unlikely to offer concessions for money alone. Furthermore, Iran's capability to launch ballistic missiles remains significant, and the IRGC has not yet felt the impression that a total regime collapse is imminent.Headline: The AI Bubble: China's Strategic Intellectual Property Theft Guest: Brandon Ward and Gordon ChangSummary: China is allegedly using stolen American intellectual property to train its artificial intelligence models, such as Moonshot's Kimmy K3. Brandon Ward suggests this is a strategic move to collapse the inflated market value of the American AI sector. Gordon Chang warns that despite export bans, Chinese firms continue to acquire high-end Nvidia chips, complicating US strategic plans and economic dominance while threatening a potential future shooting war.

The Paradox of Sovereignty: Geopolitics vs. Human IsolationThis video essay dissects a fascinating geopolitical contradiction playing out across a single archipelago: the absolute isolation of North Sentinel Island contrasted against the massive industrialization of Great Nicobar. At the northern end, a strict exclusion zone shields the Sentinelese from demographic and epidemiological collapse, demonstrating a rare policy of absolute non-intervention. Yet, just a few hundred kilometers south, the state is executing the multi-billion dollar Great Nicobar Project—a massive transshipment port and military infrastructure driven by the hyper-strategic realities of the Malacca Strait chokepoint and the shifting power dynamics of the Indian Ocean.Through the lens of political realism, anthropology, and ethics, we analyze how geography transforms into raw power and creates systemic friction between national security imperatives and biocultural conservation. While countering naval strategies like the "String of Pearls," this megaproject inadvertently subjects the vulnerable, isolated Shompen tribe to the very existential threats barred from North Sentinel. Hit the subscribe button and join the discussion below to explore the core utilitarian calculus of modern governance: how much ecological and cultural cost can be justified in the name of sovereign security?

We can decide to stay home, but even then, the wider world is always close to our skin. From global trade to ideas that travel across continents, the wider world is always woven into our modern life.Since when has this been the case?There is a modern story about globalisation — a story about telecommunications and aeroplanes and such — but this is the climax of a long process, not its beginning. To find the deeper roots of globalisation, we should turn our gaze to the medieval world, and specifically to events around the year 1000.Or so argues historian Valerie Hansen.In this episode, we discuss the various curious developments around the year 1000 that began to connect the world into an interconnected web. From Viking explorers to the Silk Roads in Africa, Hansen offers many fascinating windows into the surprising connections that were already beginning to link the medieval world together. We also discuss the spread of inventions and world religions, as well as the deeper forces that Hansen thinks have long been driving world history.Enjoy!FACT-CHECKINGNo errors have been detected in this conversation. If you notice one, please get in touch via Substack or the form below.LINKSHansen's books: The Silk Road: A New History ⁠and ⁠The Year 1000.Support: ⁠⁠⁠⁠Patreon.com/OnHumans⁠⁠⁠⁠Articles & newsletter: ⁠⁠⁠⁠OnHumans.Substack.com⁠⁠⁠⁠Get in touch: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://forms.gle/h5wcmefuwvD6asos8⁠⁠⁠⁠Music credit: Aleksey Chistilin (Lexin_Music) via Pixabay.MENTIONSNames: Erik the Red | Bjarni Herjólfsson | Jacques Cartier | Vladimir the Great | Mansa Musa | William Dalrymple | Kenneth Pomeranz | Andrés Moreno-Estrada | Michael Coe | Mary Miller | Ralph Austen | Richard Davis | Paul Freedman | Thor HeyerdahlHistorical places: L'Anse aux Meadows | Greenland | Newfoundland | Chichén Itzá | the Yucatán Peninsula | the Baltic Sea | the Song dynasty | the Liao dynasty | the Abbasid Caliphate | Baghdad | the Indian Ocean | the Swahili Coast | Mali | Kaifeng | Hagia SophiaKEYWORDSglobal history | macrohistory | economic history | medieval history | early global trade | long-distance trade | Silk Roads | Indian Ocean trade | trans-Saharan trade | maritime trade networks | Viking / Norse exploration | Polynesian migrations | population genetics | pre-Columbian contact | Viking–Maya contact hypothesis | Polynesian–Native American contact hypothesis | Song dynasty | Liao dynasty | Abbasid Caliphate | medieval Africa | Swahili Coast trade | medieval slavery | trans-Saharan slave trade | slavery and serfdom | slavery in China | spread of world religions | Christianisation of Europe | spread of Islam | Buddhism in Asia | diffusion of technology | history of inventions | paper, printing, gunpowder and the compass | Indian numerals and zero | Maya mathematics | history of food

Astronomy Daily · S05E150 · “Lucky Thirteen” · Saturday 25 July 2026. Your Weekend Wrap: Starship Flight 13 finally flies and floats, the strongest exomoon candidate yet, a robotic satellite-servicer on its way to GEO, and what the Moon's far side reveals about Earth — plus a both-hemispheres skywatch. In this episode Chapter Segment 00:00 Cold open & headlines 01:30 LEAD: Starship Flight 13 flies — softest splashdown yet, first real Starlink V3 deploy 09:00 Exo-satellite at CD-35 2722 — strongest exomoon candidate yet (Nature) 11:45 Northrop Grumman MRV-MEP — a mechanic for the geostationary belt 14:30 Chang'e-6 — the Moon's far side records Earth's magnetosphere (Nature Geoscience) 17:15 Skywatch — Buck Moon, Delta Aquariids, the 12 Aug Perseids + total solar eclipse 20:45 Sign-off Sources & further reading STARSHIP FLIGHT 13 •     Space.com — Starship's “softest splashdown” yet after Flight 13 — https://www.space.com/space-exploration/launches-spacecraft/spacexs-starship-megarocket-makes-the-softest-splashdown-ever-after-launching-next-gen-starlink-satellites-in-flight-13-test-video •     UPI — Starship successful flight test, splashes down in Indian Ocean — https://www.upi.com/Top_News/US/2026/07/24/Starship-has-successful-flight-test-splash-down-in-Indian-Ocean/3791784840519/ •     CNN — Starship hits key milestones in “Lucky 13” test flight — https://www.cnn.com/2026/07/24/science/live-news/spacex-starship-flight-13-launch EXO-SATELLITE CD-35 2722 •     ESO — New “exomoon” detection challenges cosmic labels — https://www.eso.org/public/news/eso2610/ •     Nature (paper) — Planetary-mass exosatellite around a substellar companion — https://www.nature.com/ •     Phys.org — Jupiter-mass “exomoon” orbiting a brown dwarf — https://phys.org/news/2026-07-jupiter-mass-exomoon-orbiting-brown.html MRV-MEP SATELLITE SERVICING •     Northrop Grumman — MRV launches, ushering in a new era of in-space servicing — https://news.northropgrumman.com/launch/northrop-grummans-mission-robotic-vehicle-launches-ushering-in-a-new-era-of-in-space-servicing •     Spaceflight Now — Novel geosynchronous robotic servicing satellite launch — https://spaceflightnow.com/2026/07/21/live-coverage-spacex-to-launch-novel-geosynchronous-robotic-servicing-satellite-on-decade-long-mission/ CHANG'E-6 FAR-SIDE SOLAR WIND •     Nature Geoscience — Deeper solar wind penetration on the Moon's far side — https://www.nature.com/articles/s41561-026-02042-w •     EurekAlert! / CAS — Chang'e-6 samples reveal how Earth slows the solar wind — https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1136535 SKYWATCH •     EarthSky — Delta Aquariid meteor shower 2026 — https://earthsky.org/astronomy-essentials/everything-you-need-to-know-delta-aquarid-meteor-shower/ •     EarthSky — Visible planets & night-sky guide / 12 Aug total solar eclipse — https://earthsky.org/astronomy-essentials/visible-planets-tonight-mars-jupiter-venus-saturn-mercury/ Astronomy Daily is part of the Bitesz.com Podcast Network. Follow @AstroDailyPod and find every episode at astronomydaily.io.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/astronomy-daily-latest-space-news--5648921/support.Sponsor Details:Ensure your online privacy by using NordVPN. To get our special listener deal and save a lot of money, visit www.astronomydaily.io/nordvpn. You'll be glad you did!Get the best secure and private email on the planet. Stop your Government, google and who knows who else spying on every email you write. Do what we did and use ProtonMail. They beleive in privacy and there are no ads in their business model...yet they still provide a free forever service. Check them out and get out special deal at www.astronomydaily.io/protonmailBecome a supporter of Astronomy Daily by joining our Supporters Club. Commercial free episodes daily are only a click way... Click HereThis episode includes AI-generated content.

Astronomy Daily S05E148 — "Far Side" Thursday 23 July 2026 Starship gets a second shot at Flight 13 — with a schedule caveat worth knowing about. The first far-side lunar samples reveal that Earth has been quietly shielding the side of the Moon that faces us. Astronomers debate whether the lunar far side should be closed to industry. The Milky Way's only helium nova finally steps out from behind twenty-five years of dust. And the case that our entire galaxy once turned over. Plus a skywatch closer with a straightforward piece of advice about the Delta Aquariids: do not wait for the peak.In this episode Starship Flight 13 ●        Window opens 6:45pm EDT / 2245 GMT Thursday 23 July — 8:45am AEST and 10:45am NZST Friday 24 July. ●        Schedule is not locked: Starbase road and beach closure notices point to further Pad 2 testing. ●        The 16 July attempt aborted at T-0 when four of 33 Raptors missed start parameters; the limit is three. ●        Two Raptors were removed and replaced before this attempt. ●        First-ever Starship deployment of V3 Starlink satellites — 20 of them. ●        Super Heavy splashes down in the Gulf at ~7 minutes; Ship targets the Indian Ocean off Western Australia at ~65 minutes. No catch attempts. Chang'e-6 and the solar wind ●        Published in Nature Geoscience by a team at the Chinese Academy of Sciences' Institute of Geology and Geophysics. ●        Based on 1,935 grams of regolith returned from the South Pole–Aitken basin on the lunar far side. ●        First direct laboratory comparison of solar wind implantation between the near and far sides. ●        Far-side soil records faster, deeper-penetrating particles; the neon isotope ratio sits below every near-side sample measured. ●        About a quarter of the solar wind exposure at the Chang'e-5 near-side site involved wind decelerated by Earth's magnetosphere. The far-side site shows none. ●        Opens the possibility of using lunar noble gases as a fossil record of Earth's magnetic field over deep time. The far side debate — NAM 2026 ●        Held Tuesday 21 July at the RAS National Astronomy Meeting, University of Birmingham. Convened by Prof Martin Ward. ●        For the motion: Prof Joe Silk (Johns Hopkins) and Dr Jonathan McDowell (Durham Space Research Centre). ●        Against: Dr Nikita Chiu (Durham) and Dr Manuel Salvoldi (aerospace engineer and educator). ●        For: the far side is the only radio-quiet site near Earth — critical for detecting the cosmic dark ages, and an exceptional platform for gravitational wave detection. ●        Against: commercial investment is what makes lunar exploration sustainable, and governance can let science and industry coexist. ●        Audience support for the motion rose from 68% to 76% across the debate. V445 Puppis ●        Presented at NAM 2026 by John Mills, University of Warwick. ●        The only confirmed helium nova in the Milky Way. Erupted in late 2000, then vanished behind its own dust for over twenty years. ●        Now confirmed as a white dwarf accreting from a rare stripped helium star — only a few thousand such stars are thought to exist in the entire galaxy. ●        Orbital period of 3.7 days, roughly double previous estimates. Mass transfer has resumed. ●        Unexplained high-speed "bullets" of possibly oxygen-rich gas travelling up to 20 million mph (~9,000 km/s) — never seen in any other nova. ●        Data from ESO's Very Large Telescope, Hubble, the Southern African Large Telescope and TESS. ●        Helium novae may be one pathway to Type Ia supernovae, the standard candles used to measure cosmic expansion. The Milky Way disc flip ●        Presented at NAM 2026 by Kirill Batrakov, Durham University. ●        Based on 25 Milky Way-like galaxies in the Auriga simulation suite, followed across roughly 11 billion years. ●        Galaxies with the most slowly rotating stellar haloes shared a major head-on merger and a disc reorientation greater than 90 degrees. ●        Our stellar halo rotates at only 10–20 km/s; the disc moves at around 220 km/s. ●        The Gaia-Sausage-Enceladus collision roughly 10 billion years ago is the candidate trigger. ●        Batrakov describes a disc flip as likely rather than confirmed, and is looking for independent signatures. ●        Separate 2026 work led by Ling Zhu, using 600,000+ giant stars from Gaia and LAMOST, found the outer dark matter halo oriented almost vertically to the stellar disc — consistent with the disc having tilted. Skywatch ●        Southern Delta Aquariids are active now, running into late August, with maximum around 30 July. ●        Full Moon on 29 July means peak night is close to 98% illuminated — the worst conditions of the run. ●        Best window: the pre-dawn mornings from now until roughly 27 July, after moonset. ●        Radiant near Skat in Aquarius. Use Fomalhaut and the Great Square of Pegasus to locate it. ●        Australia and New Zealand: radiant climbs near overhead. Best from around 2am to first light. ●        North America: radiant sits low in the south — fewer meteors, but a better chance of long-trailed earthgrazers. Same 2am-to-dawn window, local time. ●        Sunspot region AR4493 has grown rapidly to beta-gamma-delta complexity — the highest classification — and has already fired three M-class flares in a day. Worth watching aurora alerts. Sources ●        SpaceX / Space.com — Starship Flight 13 mission details and timing ●        Nature Geoscience — noble gas analysis of Chang'e-6 regolith (Chinese Academy of Sciences, Institute of Geology and Geophysics) ●        Royal Astronomical Society — NAM 2026 far side governance debate ●        Royal Astronomical Society — NAM 2026, V445 Puppis (John Mills, University of Warwick) ●        Royal Astronomical Society — NAM 2026, Milky Way disc flip (Kirill Batrakov, Durham University) ●        EarthSky and the American Meteor Society — Delta Aquariid observing guidance ●        NOAA Space Weather Prediction Center / EarthSky Sun News — AR4493 activityBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/astronomy-daily-latest-space-news--5648921/support.Sponsor Details:Ensure your online privacy by using NordVPN. To get our special listener deal and save a lot of money, visit www.astronomydaily.io/nordvpn. You'll be glad you did!Get the best secure and private email on the planet. Stop your Government, google and who knows who else spying on every email you write. Do what we did and use ProtonMail. They beleive in privacy and there are no ads in their business model...yet they still provide a free forever service. Check them out and get out special deal at www.astronomydaily.io/protonmailBecome a supporter of Astronomy Daily by joining our Supporters Club. Commercial free episodes daily are only a click way... Click HereThis episode includes AI-generated content.

Why does India have a monsoon while many other tropical countries don't?In Part 2 of India, Explained: The Monsoon – The Season That Built India, we uncover the fascinating science behind one of Earth's most extraordinary weather systems. Discover how the Indian Ocean, the towering Himalayas, and the Western Ghats work together to create the monsoon—and how these same winds transformed India into the heart of ancient global trade.From invisible air currents to ancient spice routes, this is the story of how geography shaped India's climate, economy, and place in the world.In this episode:

President Donald Trump says Iran desperately wants to meet to end the current war escalation with the U.S., but the U.S. has no interest in doing so until 'they're ready to meet in a meaningful way', and the President says the U.S. will be able to deal with the Houthi terror group if they move to aid Iran and block oil shipments between the Red Sea and Indian Ocean; Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth testifies before the Senate Appropriations Committee on the Trump Administration's supplemental spending request, most of which is for the military and costs of the war with Iran; House debates a bill to extend federal government funding from the current deadline October 1 through December 4, after the midterm elections, as concerns grow that disagreements between Republicans and Democrats could lead to another government shutdown; Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney responds to President Trump's threat of 50% tariffs on most Canadian goods; Health & Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. announces $1 billion in Medicaid payments to California and Minnesota are being withheld because of suspected fraud; Director of the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History Anthea Hartig testifies before Congress after a White House report accused the museum of anti-American bias, telling the lawmakers, 'The museum does not take sides in America's political debates. We preserve and document the evidence of American life in all of its breadth, so that the public can encounter the past and draw their own conclusions.' Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Every year, India waits for the rain.The arrival of the monsoon fills reservoirs, waters crops, powers hydroelectric dams, and shapes the lives of more than a billion people. But the monsoon is far more than just a weather system—it has influenced India's history, economy, culture, trade, and even the rise of civilizations for thousands of years.In this episode of India, Explained, we explore the fascinating science behind the monsoon, discover how the Himalayas and the Indian Ocean work together to create one of Earth's most extraordinary weather systems, and uncover why a single season has become one of the defining forces of India.Because the monsoon didn't simply shape India's landscape.It helped shape India itself.In this episode:Why India depends on the monsoonThe science behind the southwest monsoonHow the rains shaped agriculture and civilizationWhy economists and farmers both watch the weatherThe monsoon's place in Indian culture and history The challenges of climate change and an unpredictable futureSources:• India Meteorological Department (IMD)• Government of India Economic Survey• World Bank• John Keay – India: A History• Ashok Gulati (ICRIER)• IPCC Sixth Assessment ReportInstagram: @samarthchittaTwitter: @samarthchittaEmail: samarth.chitta@gmail.com

SpaceX Starship Flight 13 is launching 20 next-generation Starlink satellites that are designed to burn up in the atmosphere shortly after deployment. Advanced hardware with laser interconnects and complex deployment mechanisms, built to operate for minutes and then turn to ash. It sounds like an engineering paradox. It isn't. This episode explains why.We break down the full Starship Flight 13 flight profile and what SpaceX is actually testing. This mission continues the Version 3 architecture that debuted on Flight 12, and the fixes SpaceX made after that flight tell you everything about where the program actually stands.What went wrong on Flight 12: at stage separation, slight differences in engine startup timing caused the Super Heavy booster to flip roughly 90 degrees off axis. Then during the boostback burn, 5 of the 33 Raptor engines failed to relight, ending the burn early. The booster survived, but barely. Also covered in this Starship Flight 13 breakdown:Why 20 Starlink satellites are being deployed just to be destroyed, and what data they capture firstThe heat shield tiles painted white on purpose to create visible flaws for camera calibrationWhy Starship is intentionally flying at higher dynamic pressure (max Q) than any previous flight, and what breaking the vehicle would proveThe in-space Raptor relight, and why restarting an engine in zero gravity is a fluid dynamics nightmareThe landing flip and the three-engine to two-engine to one-engine descent sequenceWhat the Indian Ocean splashdown means for the programThe through-line is an engineering philosophy that values extreme stress testing over cautious preservation. SpaceX is building this system by intentionally finding out exactly where it breaks. If this is the stress they apply to an uncrewed test vehicle, the safety margins they're building for crewed flights are the real story.Subscribe for more Starship coverage, SpaceX flight breakdowns, and AI and technology news.

In today's episode we sit down with a truly singular guest: Richard J. Perry—entrepreneur, seasoned guitarist, wellness advocate, and the soon‑to‑be‑published author of In Search of the Perfect Guitar: An Unexpected Journey of Awakening (coming fall  2026).Richard's story reads like a modern adventure: from tracking Soviet submarines in the Indian Ocean's convergent zones, to chasing the perfect tone on vintage and boutique guitars, to founding Red Spinach Company, a functional‑food supplement that fuels body and mind. He'll share how the “ping” of a sonar echo first sparked his fascination with vibration, how a single low‑E note can become a meditative anchor in moments of depression, and why flamenco's raw, historical sorrow resonates with him more than any playlist.We'll also dive into:The surprising parallels between sonar pings and guitar notes.The ritual of holding a guitar—how a wood's “aura” can carry the memory of centuries‑old trees and past players.Richard's go‑to “single‑note” practice for emotional reset and why he prefers the silence that follows.A lightning‑round of quick picks—acoustic vs. electric, underrated guitars, the one song that never lets him go, and the instrument that would headline his life's soundtrack.The powerful synergy of nutrition and music, and why feeling good physically amplifies artistic expression.The magic of live performance—the breath‑holding moment right before the first note, and why a small‑venue show can feel more alive than a stadium.If you've ever felt stuck in a mental fog, wondered whether a particular sound could shift your mood, or simply love the quiet mystery of a perfectly struck chord, this conversation is for you. Grab your headphones, settle in, and let Richard's journey remind us that beneath every wave—whether oceanic or sonic—lies a path toward healing.When Words Fail, Music Speaks—let's listen together.

Mauritius is the kind of place that looks almost too good to be true in the brochure - and then turns out to be exactly as advertised. A volcanic island adrift in the Indian Ocean, ringed by coral reefs and fringed with beaches of absurd perfection, it has parlayed its natural assets into one of Africa's most prosperous economies. But it is more than just a beach destination: beneath the resorts lies a complex, multicultural society shaped by Dutch, French, British, Indian, Chinese and African influences.Love the pod? Get the guide! Out with each new podcast, we publish a guide to the country. Buy the TrodPod guide to Mauritius for just $3: https://www.patreon.com/c/trodpod/shop. Better yet, become a TrodPod member for just $5 a month and access TrodPod guides to every country in the world, released weekly with each new podcast episode! Sign up now: https://www.patreon.com/trodpod/membershipThanks for all your support!TrodPod is Murray Garrard and Elle Keymer. Sound editing by Leo Audio Productions. Design and marketing by GPS: Garrard Powell Solutions Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Astronomy Daily S05E139 — Monday, 13 July 2026   Starship could fly again as soon as Wednesday — carrying its first-ever real payload. Japan quietly joins the reusable rocket club just a day after China. SpaceX asks regulators for a jaw-dropping 100,000 satellites. Physicists may have heard the accumulated whispers of every star that ever exploded. Isar Aerospace signs a $150 million deal to launch from Canada. And a ravenous black hole just 1.8 billion light-years away is giving astronomers — including teams from CSIRO and the University of Sydney — a window into the dawn of time.   In this episode •         Starship Flight 13: Booster 20's 33-engine static fire complete; launch NET Wednesday (AEST); first deployment of 20 Starlink V3 satellites; in-space Raptor relight and Indian Ocean splashdown planned. •         JAXA's RV-X reusable rocket completes its first hop at Noshiro — about 40 seconds, 10–11 metres up, landing upright — one day after China's Long March 10B sea recovery. •         SpaceX files with the FCC for a 100,000-satellite Gen3 constellation in very low Earth orbit, pitched at multi-gigabit AI-era connectivity — and entirely dependent on Starship. •         Super-Kamiokande reports the first indication of the Diffuse Supernova Neutrino Background from nearly 5,000 days of data — the accumulated neutrinos of every core-collapse supernova in cosmic history. •         Isar Aerospace signs a 10-year deal with Maritime Launch Services for a dedicated complex at Spaceport Nova Scotia — first orbital launches targeted for 2028, up to 40 per year by 2029. •         Galaxy SDSS J110546.07+145202.4: a lightweight, ferociously fast-growing black hole behaving like the early universe's titans, shining 20-fold brighter in radio for eight-plus years — with CSIRO's ATCA among the follow-up telescopes. •         Skywatching: New Moon Tuesday evening (7:44pm AEST / 9:44pm NZST); prime Milky Way core viewing; Venus brilliant in the west; Mars near Aldebaran pre-dawn; Comet 10P/Tempel 2 favours southern observers.   Sources & further reading •         Space.com — Starship Flight 13 static fire & launch outlook; Starlink Gen3 filing; Isar/MLS deal; ravenous black hole; supernova neutrino whispers •         AP / Japan Times / RTÉ — JAXA RV-X first test flight •         Max Planck Institute for Radio Astronomy press release; Komossa et al., The Astrophysical Journal (2026) •         Tohoku University / phys.org — Super-Kamiokande DSNB indication (Neutrino 2026 conference) •         CBC / The Globe and Mail / SpaceQ — Isar Aerospace & Maritime Launch Services agreement details •         NASA JPL What's Up July 2026; EarthSky; Space.com night sky guide — skywatchingBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/astronomy-daily-the-latest-space-news--5648921/support.Sponsor Details:Ensure your online privacy by using NordVPN. To get our special listener deal and save a lot of money, visit www.bitesz.com/nordvpn. You'll be glad you did!Become a supporter of Astronomy Daily by joining our Supporters Club. Commercial free episodes daily are only a click way... Click HereThis episode includes AI-generated content.

A version of this essay was published by firstpost.com at https://www.firstpost.com/opinion/the-old-quad-is-dying-time-for-a-new-quad-14030966.htmlThe Quad, a 2007 partnership broadly intended to contain China's hegemonistic ambitions in the Indo-Pacific, was a brainchild of then-Japanese Prime Minister Abe Shinzo. It makes sense: China is rampaging in its neighborhood, and gives every sign of wanting to either grab territory that belongs to others, or bully them into acquiescence and tributary status.The belligerence that created the current Chinese empire, that is the forced absorption of Tibet, Xinjiang, Inner Mongolia and Manchuria into the core Han coastal heartland, is part of a harking back to ancient Chinese empires. Xi Jinping, perhaps even more than Mao, embodies a hankering to be the almighty King-Emperor of the erstwhile Middle KingdomThe US unwittingly allowed China to rapidly de-industrialize it post joining the WTO, and to come up with a business plan that calls for massive over-production and the resultant price collapse, which is a template they use to rape and pillage industry after industry. A recent casualty is Germany's prized automobile industry: bellwether Volkswagen has been forced to lay off 100,000 workers, brutalized by a tsunami of Chinese electric vehicles.However, as Utpal Kumar points out in an insightful essay, all is not well in Xi's kingdom: e.g., the debt mountain, paranoia as seen in regular purges of military brass, and propaganda that conceals all bad news (did you hear of a small plane hitting a tower in central Beijing? Yes, a mini-9/11. But the information was blanked out). Continuing rural poverty is also censored, although Indians on x.com posted images of extreme filth and poverty, far from the glossy high-rise, bullet-train image that Chinese propaganda projects. Paradoxically, that is precisely what makes China yet more dangerous: it will probably lash out in external adventurism to preserve legitimacy internally.Thus the need for sober containment of China's destructive power. The US, which has been the natural candidate for reining in this rogue power, has now demonstrated that it is retrenching. It has, for instance, demonstrated that it is no longer willing to indefinitely support its NATO allies. The “nuclear umbrella” that it has offered Japan may also be getting a little threadbare.It is likely that President Trump invaded Iran with the good idea of denying China oil both Iranian and Venezuelan oil, as retaliation for China's squeeze on rare earths. Alas, that has turned into a fiasco, creating collateral damage for innocent bystanders such as India. In game-theoretic terms, if an isolationist “Fortress America” mood has descended on the US, then a “G2 condominium” with China may be the simplest option, as I said several years ago.If the US has indeed acquiesced to China being the hegemon in its sphere of influence, namely the Indo-Pacific, then there is good reason for the jilted Quad members (Japan, Australia and India) to enter into bilateral agreements amongst each other to look after their own national interests, including but not limited to Sinophobia. And in fact they have done so.It is true that the Quad Foreign Ministers' meeting in May 2026 in Delhi produced some agreements on critical minerals (clearly a US priority) and surveillance collaboration, but I get the feeling that this is mostly a matter of keeping up appearances. Therefore it is worth pivoting to Japanese PM Takaichi's recent visit to India, and PM Modi's trips to Indonesia and Australia.Japan and India are obvious partners, because their economies are complementary: one is resource- and technology-rich, and labor-poor, and the other is the opposite. There is also an old civilizational link between the two, going back to Bodhidharma from Kanchipuram who embarked from Muziris circa 500CE and established the Zen school of Buddhism in Japan.There are also clear civilizational links between India and Indonesia. Hindu Bali is obvious; but Java, until the Hindu-Buddhist Majapahit Empire was defeated circa 1500CE by Muslim kingdoms (encouraged by the Chinese empire of the time), was also heavily Indianized. As someone who has traveled in both Japan and Indonesia, I was delighted to see Devanagari inscriptions on the Great Bell at Hiroshima, and the Ramayana Ballet at Prambanan temple. विपुलप्रभ अतुल्यनन्त नाथ दिशि विदिशि स्फुरि सर्वबुद्धक्षेत्रा। राग प्रशमि सर्वदोषमोहां नरकगतिस्मि प्रशामि धूमकेतुम्॥१५॥ "The lord of vast light, incomparable and infinite, has illuminated all Buddha countries in all the quarters; he has quieted passions, all sins and errors; he has quieted the fire in the walk of hell." This is the inscription on the Great Bell in Hiroshima. Japan and India signed a series of agreements, including an investment target of Yen 10 trillion (about $66 billion) in areas such as critical minerals, semiconductors and pharmaceuticals. They agreed upon a new focus on Artificial Intelligence and quantum technologies and in energy self-reliance, including hydrogen and biogas.They also reaffirmed support for a Free and Open Indo-Pacific (let us note that on June 16th the US renamed its Indo-Pacific Command to just “Pacific Command”, a telling admission of retreat. The US may well be abandoning the Indian Ocean just when it is becoming the focus of trade.)The Indonesia-India agreements were significant: they included, for instance, Brahmos and Astra missile systems (which, in conjunction with other ASEAN purchases of Brahmos missiles, creates a potentially integrated sea-denial mechanism against persistent Chinese maritime aggression).Pointedly, there will be joint development on Indonesia's deep-water Sabang Port in Aceh, which is on the Malacca Straits just 90 nautical miles away from India's upcoming Great Nicobar dual-use port.The two ports can form a defensive shield that could deny transit in Malacca to hostile ships and submarines (read Chinese). Since two-thirds of China's trade and energy imports pass through Malacca, this is a potent threat, especially as we have just seen what the siege of Hormuz did to global trade. Let us also remember that, exactly 1,001 years ago, Emperor Rajendra Chola sent a large fleet to open up Malacca when the SriVijaya Empire closed it.There were also agreements on critical minerals (e.g. nickel for EV batteries, as Indonesia has the world's largest reserves, cobalt, etc.), steel, maritime security, and technology cooperation.Let us also remember the trilateral Japan-Indonesia-India naval exercises in the Andaman Sea in February 2026.PM Modi's visit to Australia is the most problematic. Earlier, under Kevin Rudd, a Sinophilic PM, Australia exited the Quad in 2008, effectively making it moribund. Besides, Australia for decades refused sniffily to sell India uranium, despite India being a committed non-proliferator. This may also have had something to do with the UK's (Whitehall's) deleterious influence on Australia.But days ago, Australia committed to supplying uranium to India, in support of the latter's quest for energy security. Oz has apparently learned that cozying up to China is not good for its own economic health.Thus, the quadrilateral of US, Japan, Australia and India may well morph into a quadrilateral of Japan, Indonesia, Australia and India, all united in their concerns about China. The US has a choice: either continue to be the anchor of the Quad (Pentagon?), or be left behind if it insists on retreating into its shell. The former option would be better for all concerned.1150 words, 11 July 2026 This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit rajeevsrinivasan.substack.com/subscribe

Nalika Gajaweera (Research Affiliate, Walter H. Capps Center, University of California, Santa Barbara; PhD, Anthropology, University of California, Irvine, 2013) is an anthropologist of Buddhism, race, and ethics, with a focus on community well-being and resilience. Her current book manuscript, Transforming the American Sangha, funded by the Kataly Foundation, is an ethnography of the Insight Meditation movement in North America, focused on the efforts of practitioners of color to raise awareness of oppressive racial conditions in these communities. Her doctoral research examined how Buddhist ethics and practices of giving shaped Sri Lankan local NGOs doing humanitarianism work in the context of two disasters: the Indian Ocean tsunami of 2004 and ethnic conflict that ended in 2009. A former Fulbright fellow, Dr. Gajaweera has conducted fieldwork in North America and South Asia, managing and conducting complex multi-stakeholder research projects, exploring power building efforts among marginalized groups. Funders for these projects included Kataly Foundation, John Templeton Foundation, Hilton Foundation and GHR. Nalika Gajawira will collaborate with Ann Gleig on a comparative ethnographic study of how Buddhist communities adopt and adapt popular spiritual exercises such as "secular" mindfulness and yoga classes within a wider Buddhist framework. Their work aims to illustrate the processes, frameworks and relationships that can enable more responsible relationships between specific religious communities and the word of spiritual wellness practices. Visit Sacred Writes: https://www.sacred-writes.org/templeton-working-group Visit Nalika Gajaweera: https://nalikagajaweera.com/ https://dornsife.usc.edu/crcc/profile/nalika-gajaweera/  

We're heading back to the beautiful island of La Réunion for this conversation with food content creator Jennie Léonie. Located in the Indian Ocean, La Réunion is a small island known for its warmth and dedication to preserving Creole culture and history. Jennie grew up in a family that shaped her strong connection to the island's culinary culture. On her Instagram page and YouTube channel, she shares easy, accessible recipes designed for active women in La Réunion, helping them bring their cultural identity into everyday cooking through small, creative twists. Her approach highlights modern, practical cooking that stays rooted in Réunionese ingredients and heritage, while documenting food experiences across the island, the Indian Ocean, and beyond. If you are looking to learn more about what make this island so special and a must-visit, you'll want to listen to this episode. Listen and Connect YouTube Instagram Related Articles from Cuisine Noir Réunion Island Celebrates Creole Gastronomy With Its First Creole Food Festival Creole Chefs Gather in Reunion Island For First-Ever Food Festival Honoring Legacy and Traditions Diaspora Food Stories is produced by The Global Food and Drink Initiative, a 501c3 nonprofit. Together with your generous donation we can continue to preserve the oral history and culture of Black food and drink stories both in English and other languages spoken throughout the African diaspora. To donate, visit globalforgood.org. Website: Diaspora Food Stories Episode Sponsor Hayti  

Trump-Modi friendship was strong, but now US-India ties are strained. What caused the severe turbulence? Synopsis: The Straits Times’ senior columnist Ravi Velloor distils 45 years of experience covering the Asian continent, with expert guests. In this episode, senior columnist Ravi speaks with Prof Sumit Ganguly, Senior Fellow at Stanford University’s Hoover Institution and Director of the Huntington Program on improving US-India relations. They discuss the severe turbulence in bilateral ties including the massive tariffs the Trump administration placed on India, India’s refusal to give Trump credit for intervening to stop the India-Pakistan conflict in May, 2025, and the removal of ‘Indo’ from the USIndoPacific Command, now reverted to its old name US Pacific Command – which Indians have taken as a deliberate slight from Washington. They also examine the question: Is India playing a waiting game to see Trump off, and can the US really do without Indian backing if it is to maintain influence in the Indian Ocean. Highlights (click/tap above) 1:04 Why USIndoPacom was changed to USPacom 3:46 ‘Body blows’ to US-India bilateral relationship 7:20 Trump-Modi personal chemistry is gone 8:47 Present situation is an “aberration” 10:48 The Pakistan factor 14:18 End of India’s muscular foreign policy 17:16 Opportunity for China to improve India ties Read Ravi's columns: https://str.sg/3xRP Follow Ravi on X: https://twitter.com/RaviVelloor Sign up for ST’s weekly Asian Insider newsletter: https://str.sg/sfpz Host: Ravi Velloor (velloor@sph.com.sg) Produced and edited by: Fa’izah Sani Executive producer: Ernest Luis Follow Asian Insider Podcast on Fridays here: Channel: https://str.sg/JWa7 Apple Podcasts: https://str.sg/JWa8 Spotify: https://str.sg/JWaX Feedback to: podcast@sph.com.sg --- Follow more ST podcast channels: All-in-one ST Podcasts channel: https://str.sg/wvz7 Get more updates: http://str.sg/stpodcasts The Usual Place Podcast YouTube: https://str.sg/4Vwsa --- Get The Straits Times app, which has a dedicated podcast player section: The App Store: https://str.sg/icyB Google Play: https://str.sg/icyX --- #STAsianInsiderSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Trump-Modi friendship was strong, but now US-India ties are strained. What caused the severe turbulence? Synopsis: The Straits Times’ senior columnist Ravi Velloor distils 45 years of experience covering the Asian continent, with expert guests. In this episode, senior columnist Ravi speaks with Prof Sumit Ganguly, Senior Fellow at Stanford University’s Hoover Institution and Director of the Huntington Program on improving US-India relations. They discuss the severe turbulence in bilateral ties including the massive tariffs the Trump administration placed on India, India’s refusal to give Trump credit for intervening to stop the India-Pakistan conflict in May, 2025, and the removal of ‘Indo’ from the USIndoPacific Command, now reverted to its old name US Pacific Command – which Indians have taken as a deliberate slight from Washington. They also examine the question: Is India playing a waiting game to see Trump off, and can the US really do without Indian backing if it is to maintain influence in the Indian Ocean. Highlights (click/tap above) 1:04 Why USIndoPacom was changed to USPacom 3:46 ‘Body blows’ to US-India bilateral relationship 7:20 Trump-Modi personal chemistry is gone 8:47 Present situation is an “aberration” 10:48 The Pakistan factor 14:18 End of India’s muscular foreign policy 17:16 Opportunity for China to improve India ties Read Ravi's columns: https://str.sg/3xRP Follow Ravi on X: https://twitter.com/RaviVelloor Sign up for ST’s weekly Asian Insider newsletter: https://str.sg/sfpz Host: Ravi Velloor (velloor@sph.com.sg) Produced and edited by: Fa’izah Sani Executive producer: Ernest Luis Follow Asian Insider Podcast on Fridays here: Channel: https://str.sg/JWa7 Apple Podcasts: https://str.sg/JWa8 Spotify: https://str.sg/JWaX Feedback to: podcast@sph.com.sg --- Follow more ST podcast channels: All-in-one ST Podcasts channel: https://str.sg/wvz7 Get more updates: http://str.sg/stpodcasts The Usual Place Podcast YouTube: https://str.sg/4Vwsa --- Get The Straits Times app, which has a dedicated podcast player section: The App Store: https://str.sg/icyB Google Play: https://str.sg/icyX --- #STAsianInsiderSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Imperialism was a masterclass in maintaining the fiction of autonomy while quietly acquiring the assets of an empire. Professor James Onley, chair of Gulf and Arab Studies at the American University of Sharjah, dissects the sophisticated loopholes used by colonial powers to exert influence without the liabilities of formal control. This conversation highlights the deep-seated socioeconomic connections between India and the Gulf, a relationship far older than the modern state system. Dr. Onley provides a nuanced look at the collaborative nature of empire on the cheap, where local elites often navigated British protection to secure their own regional interests. From the arrival of Arab nationalism to the digital preservation of over two million archival pages in the Qatar Digital Library, this dialogue reveals the shifting layers of identity and power that have shaped the Arabian Peninsula.   0:00 Introduction 5:11 Distinctive Traits of British Presence in the Gulf 9:05 Millennia of Deep-seated Indo-Gulf Ties 13:17 Divergent Theories on Imperial Motivations 15:40 Indigenous Collaboration and the Native Agent Network 18:49 Transitioning from Formal Control to Security Guarantees 19:57 The Enduring Economic Gravity of India 23:01 Navigating the Administrative Hierarchies of Empire 24:45 Legal Fictions and the Optics ofinfluence 28:04 Shared sovereignty and empire on the Cheap 32:55 Friction and Resistance Across the Regional Map 36:40 Shifting Layers of Identity Before Nationalism 41:40 Reorienting from the Indian Ocean to the Arab World 54:36 Digital Preservation and the Democratizing of Archives   James Onley is the Ahmed Seddiqi Chair in Gulf & Arab Studies and Professor of History. He specializes in the history and heritage of the Gulf region, the Gulf's historical connections with South Asia, archives and archival digitization, and digital humanities. He is Founding Editor of the Journal of Arabian Studies (est. 2011). Before joining AUS, he was Director of Historical Research at Qatar National Library, responsible for digitizing historical records for the Qatar Digital Library (www.QDL.qa), and Director of the Centre for Gulf Studies at the University of Exeter.   Connect with James Onley

Cetshwayo had sought refuge in Nkandla as his arch enemy, Zibhebhu, turned his attention to the royalists living along the Zululand Coastal plain. Soon Somkhele of the Mphukunyoni and the emaNgweni people were hiding in the swamps and reed-beds of the sub-tropical bush along the Indian Ocean. Melmoth Osborne was the resident commissioner of Zululand and a committed foe of Cetshwayo's royal line, a supporter of Zibhebhu. As Cetshwayo waited for the civil war to die down, he came to the conclusion that it was imperative to convince Melmoth of his right to rule. It was time to come out of hiding and to seek shelter from the commissioner — which he did under Henry Francis Fynn's junior's escort in October 1883. Cetshwayo was placed in a small house alongside his father's old kwaGqikazi homestead where he could contemplate how far he'd fallen. There he remained until 8th February 1884. Had he lived longer, he would have heard that his old Nduna and councillor, Mnyamana, had escaped with his life after being poisoned. The Zulu king was another going to be so fortunate. Shortly after he ate, at 2.30 pm on 8th February, he was overtaken by convulsions, then he collapsed and died a short while later. His family members refused permission for a post-morten, surgeon Scott declared the death had been caused by heart disease. However, historians know the truth - Cetshwayo had most likely been poisoned - placed either in his beer, or his snuff. While it's not known what poison was used, my research into the symptoms and passage of death points to Erythrophleum lasianthum, commonly known as the Swazi ordeal tree, is a medium to large leguminous tree native to southern Africa. It is notable for its exceptionally toxic bark and seeds, traditional cultural significance, and ecological value as a component of woodlands and forests across parts of South Africa, Eswatini and Mozambique. All parts of the tree—especially the bark, seeds, and roots—contain powerful alkaloids and cardiac toxins. Historically, extracts from the bark were used in ordeal poison practices in parts of southern Africa, giving rise to the common name "ordeal tree." The tree has also been used in traditional medicine, but these practices carry substantial risk because the difference between a toxic and potentially therapeutic dose is extremely small. Symptoms of poisoning can include vomiting, tremors, irregular heartbeat, seizures, respiratory failure, and death. The second option is Boophone disticha — a bulb known across southern Africa for centuries and Zulu herbalists were fully aware of its toxicity. Every part of the plant—especially the bulb—contains powerful Amaryllidaceae alkaloids and is highly poisonous to people, livestock, and pets. Traditional healers have employed carefully prepared doses for medicinal and ceremonial purposes but like the Swazi Ordeal Tree, there is a tight margin between a traditional dose and a dangerous one. Exposure to flowers in confined spaces alone causes eye irritation or headaches, giving rise to the common name sore-eye flower. Still, this bulb is highly sought after by modern collectors because of the bulb's beauty. Just wash your hands after fiddling with it, folks. A third possibility is the Acokanthera which causes death through cerebral hypoxia, and a fourth, poison beans, the species of Abrus precatorius in particular — but those can take days to kill you and Cetshwayo perished in an hour or two. Zibhebhu was immediately blamed and he would pay eventually for his actions. But first, the king had to be buried. First he was placed in a sitting position and tied to his hut's central post. The building was sealed with clay and mud so that no smell could emerge and Cetshwayo's body was left there for a few weeks to putrefy. The royal attendants asked Melmoth Osborne for permission to take the body to the emaKhosini valley so he could be buried with his ancestors, but the commissioner refused.

A seawater flood deep under the Indian Ocean has crippled the Royal Australian Navy submarine HMAS Dechaineux. It cannot rise to the surface because it has taken on too much water. The 60 men and women on board are fighting to save the submarine and themselves from sinking to the ocean floor. They stabilise the boat briefly, but then, to their horror, it begins to sink further. Some think of their families, others put their arms around each other. In Episode 3 we reveal how the crew confront their mortality while they fight to survive. Subscribers hear new episodes of The Flood first. Listen at thefloodpodcast.com, in The Australian’s app or search for “The Flood” on Apple Podcasts to connect your subscription. Plus, get exclusive access to photos, videos, timelines, and more at the website.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

India appears to be in the middle of a naval shipbuilding boom. Destroyers, frigates, submarines, anti-submarine vessels and support ships are entering service with striking regularity. But commissioning ceremonies tell us what India decided to build years ago. They do not necessarily tell us what is being ordered for the 2030s and 2040s. In this season finale episode of In Our Defence, host Dev Goswami and national security expert Sandeep Unnithan examine how the Indian Navy became unusually capable of designing, integrating and supervising the construction of its own warships. The two decode the Navy's alphabet soup of Project 15B, Project 17A, Project 75I, Project 76 and the proposed next-generation programmes. The two also ask whether India risks losing the continuous production rhythm required to build complex destroyers, frigates and submarines. Smaller vessels may keep shipyards occupied, but can they preserve the skills and supply chains needed for the next generation of frontline combatants? And finally, the two get to the larger strategic argument: what kind of Navy does India actually want? Should it focus on controlling the waters close to home, dominate key parts of the Indian Ocean, operate from Africa to Southeast Asia, or develop a more expeditionary force? Does India need a third aircraft carrier or would submarines, escorts, maritime aircraft and unmanned systems provide greater value? Because before India decides which ships to build, it must decide what it expects its Navy to do. Tune in! Produced by Taniya Dutta Sound mixed by Aman Pal

From The Australian, this is The Flood. The true story of 60 Australian men and women trapped in a submarine deep under the Indian Ocean when an explosion threatens to sink the vessel and send its crew to the bottom. In Episode 2: Shut all hull valves, Commander Scott initiates emergency procedures, Petty Officer Bunting battles for his life in a submerged motor room. Exclusive interviews with the captain, crew and top brass reveal the terror and emotion that still haunts this group of proud warriors, who risked their own lives every day in the defence of Australia. The Flood is a truly inspirational story of human courage, resilience, teamwork and ingenuity. The Flood is a four-part audio and video series by Cameron Stewart, Claire Harvey and Jasper Leak. Listen to all of The Flood by searching ‘The Flood’ wherever you listen, or watch The Flood and find graphics, stories and pictures at thefloodpodcast.com.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In a time of desperate need, people can go beyond what is expected. They are people who go the extra mile. Austin Applebee is thirteen years old. His mother, Joanne, and his two younger siblings were stranded in shark infested waters off the coast of western Australia. They were on inflatable paddle boards and a kayak when strong winds unexpectedly swept them out into the Indian Ocean. Applebee swam for four hours to reach the shore. When asked how he did it he said, “I kept thinking—just keep swimming, just keep swimming.” Emergency crews were able to rescue his mom and siblings. A 13-year-old boy swimming in shark infested water for four hours—how can we complain about some “safe job” we are not sure we want to do?

Winile Mntungwa, deputy director of Durban Tourism, talks with Jeanie Fang of Insider Travel Report at Africa's Travel Indaba about Durban's role as the longtime host city for the trade event, its warm climate, Indian Ocean beachfront, promenade, city sightseeing, culture, cuisine, nightlife and events. Mntungwa also discusses attractions including uShaka Marine World, new hotel development, including Club Med's planned opening, plus medical tourism and resources for travel advisors. For more information, visit www.visitdurban.travel.  All our Insider Travel Report video interviews are archived and available on our Youtube channel  (youtube.com/insidertravelreport), and as podcasts with the same title on: Spotify, Pandora, Stitcher, PlayerFM, Listen Notes, Podchaser, TuneIn + Alexa, Podbean,  iHeartRadio,  Google, Amazon Music/Audible, Deezer, Podcast Addict, and iTunes Apple Podcasts, which supports Overcast, Pocket Cast, Castro and Castbox. 

In May 2021, keen yachtsman Glenn Anderson is sailing up the coast of Western Australia with his 11-year-old daughter, Ruby. As they near the halfway point of their adventure, conditions turn brutally rough. And when their yacht is struck by a freak wave, father and daughter will be sent tumbling into the seething, danger-filled waters of the Indian Ocean. But falling overboard is just the beginning. With their vessel disappearing in the storm, Glenn will find himself in a terrible position as a captain... and an even worse one as a father... A Noiser podcast production. Hosted by John Hopkins. Written by Joe Viner | Produced by Ed Baranski | Assistant Producer: Luke Lonergan | Production Assistant: Chris McDonald | Exec produced by Joel Duddell | Sound Supervisor: Matt Peaty | Sound design by Jacob Booth | Assembly edit by Rob Plummer | Compositions by Oliver Baines, Dorry Macaulay, Tom Pink | Mix & mastering: Ralph Tittley. For ad-free listening, bonus material and early access to new episodes, join Noiser+. Click the subscription banner at the top of the feed to get started. Or go to noiser.com/subscriptions If you have an amazing survival story of your own that you'd like to put forward for the show, let us know. Drop us an email at support@noiser.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

On the island of Great Nicobar, India is planning to build a state-of-the-art deep-sea port, military infrastructure and a new city. The project is intended to strategically limit China's influence in the Indian Ocean and strengthen control over important shipping routes. At the same time, there are potential serious effects on indigenous communities and sensitive ecosystems in the area. - Auf der Insel Great Nicobar plant Indien den Bau eines hochmodernen Tiefseehafens, militärischer Infrastruktur und einer neuen Stadt. Das Projekt soll strategisch Chinas Einfluss im Indischen Ozean begrenzen und die Kontrolle über wichtige Schifffahrtsrouten stärken. Gleichzeitig stehen mögliche gravierende Auswirkungen auf indigene Gemeinschaften sowie empfindliche Ökosysteme im Raum.

Researchers just published details of a massive undersea graveyard of whales deep in the Indian Ocean. Spanning about 1,200 kilometers (745 miles), it contains whale remains dating back more than 5 million years—and at least five active whale fall sites still teeming with life. Fossil whale expert Nick Pyenson joins Host Flora Lichtman to discuss these findings. Then, marine biologists Rachel Sipler and Sara Jobson join Ira Flatow to describe an unusual discovery in certain species of sea cucumbers: If a foot or tentacle becomes detached, the parts don't wither up and rot away. Even without a stomach, these parts appear to directly extract nutrients from the surrounding seawater. “Zombie” sea cucumber parts have been observed surviving for more than three years. Guests: Dr. Nick Pyenson is curator of fossil marine mammals at the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History. Dr. Rachel Sipler is a senior research scientist in the Bigelow Laboratory in East Boothbay, Maine. Sara Jobson a PhD student at the Memorial University of Newfoundland in St. Johns, Canada. Other episodes you may enjoy: Remembering Roger Payne, Who Helped Save The Whales Can A Microbe Conservation Movement Take Off? Transcripts for each episode are available within 1-3 days at sciencefriday.com. Subscribe to this podcast. Follow our show on Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, and Bluesky @scifri and sign up for our newsletters. Got a science question that's keeping you up at night? Call us: 877-472-4374 Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

From The Australian, this is The Flood. The true story of 60 Australian men and women trapped in a submarine deep under the Indian Ocean when an explosion threatens to sink the vessel and send its crew to the bottom. In Episode 1: Explosion, the commander takes his submarine down to its deepest diving depth when a loud noise at the back of the boat changes the lives of everyone on board. An extraordinary battle for survival is just beginning. Exclusive interviews with the captain, crew and top brass reveal the terror and emotion that still haunts this group of proud warriors, who risked their own lives every day in the defence of Australia. The Flood is a truly inspirational story of human courage, resilience, teamwork and ingenuity. The Flood is a four-part audio and video series by Cameron Stewart, Claire Harvey and Jasper Leak. Listen to all of The Flood by searching ‘The Flood’ wherever you listen, or watch The Flood and find graphics, stories and pictures at thefloodpodcast.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this special return episode of Major's Mess Hall, Gavin and Chris are back after a six-week break. Gavin shares a personal update about the loss of his mum, and the hosts reflect on being away. They also dive into some big headlines, like Elon Musk becoming the world's first trillionaire. Plus, they discuss the adventures of Lara Vafiadis, and the Monkey Fist team as they prepare to row cross the Indian Ocean. And stay tuned—Gavin announces the next Major's Mess Hall pub crawl, coming this August in Halifax, Nova Scotia!

Permit to Think — Episode 33Cosmoledo | Blue Safari Fly FishingHost: Mike Dawes, Westbank Anglers Guests: Colin (Operations Manager, Westbank Anglers) | Keith Rose-Innes (Managing Director, Blue Safari / Alphonse Fishing Company)Episode DescriptionWhat happens when the GT capital of the world lives up to every bit of the hype? In Episode 33 of Permit to Think, host Mike Dawes sits down with Westbank Anglers Operations Manager Colin and Blue Safari Managing Director Keith Rose-Innes to break down one of the most remote, raw, and unforgettable fly fishing destinations on the planet — Cosmoledo Atoll in the Seychelles.Keith brings nearly 30 years of Seychelles experience to the table, including a firsthand account of witnessing GTs eat birds off the water — the original discovery that sparked the now-famous footage seen on Blue Planet 2. Colin brings the wide-eyed perspective of a first-time Cosmo angler, fresh off a trip that left him, in Mike's words, "glowing like he'd just met his first girlfriend."Together, they map out the full Blue Safari operation — from permit-junky flats to the bumphead parrotfish of Farquhar, the iconic milkfish fishery at Alphonse, and the wild, barely-explored Astove — before zeroing in on what makes Cosmoledo something else entirely.About the GuestsKeith Rose-Innes is the Managing Director of Blue Safari and the Alphonse Fishing Company. With nearly 30 years in the Seychelles, Keith has guided, explored, built lodges, and pioneered fisheries across the Indian Ocean. He is widely credited as the first person to document GTs eating birds at Farquhar — footage that later became part of Blue Planet 2. He is also a co-designer of the Schulten reel.Colin is the Operations Manager at Westbank Anglers in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. A former guest on the Mexico episode of Permit to Think, Colin made his first trip to Cosmoledo as part of a Westbank-hosted group and came back a changed man.About Permit to ThinkPermit to Think is a fly fishing podcast hosted by Mike Dawes of Westbank Anglers. Each episode digs into the people, places, and fish that define the sport — from technical conversations about gear and tactics to big-picture discussions on conservation and culture. New episodes available wherever you listen to podcasts.Westbank Anglers | Jackson Hole, Wyoming

Professor Jim Holmes discusses the naval balance between the U.S. and China, suggesting the PLA Navy aims for six aircraft carriers to project power in the Western Pacific and Indian Ocean. While China has made strides in naval aviation without the heavy losses the U.S. historically endured, Holmes believes they still lag behind in technological sophistication and human tactical proficiency. (2)

SCHEDULE JOHN BATCHELOR SHOW, 6-10-26.Greg Scarlatoiu analyzes Xi Jinping's visit to Pyongyang, noting that Kim Jong-un now views himself as a strategic equal to Xi and Putin. Despite sanctions, North Korea's economy shows a facade of growth fueled by billions made exporting artillery and special forces to Russia. Kim is also modernizing his security apparatus into a structure similar to Russia's FSB. (1)Professor Jim Holmes discusses the naval balance between the U.S. and China, suggesting the PLA Navy aims for six aircraft carriers to project power in the Western Pacific and Indian Ocean. While China has made strides in naval aviation without the heavy losses the U.S. historically endured, Holmes believes they still lag behind in technological sophistication and human tactical proficiency. (2)Victoria Coates highlights Taiwan's indispensable role in the global AI revolution through TSMC's high-end chip production, which the U.S. and China currently cannot replicate. She emphasizes that Taiwan's engineering "super workers" are a state secret. Coates also discusses the political friction in Washington regarding arms sales and the need for Taiwan to increase its own defense spending. (3)Victoria Coates addresses the Pentagon's decision to list major Chinese companies like BYD and Alibaba as security risks due to their military ties. She argues for clear country-of-origin labeling on products to inform American consumers. Furthermore, Coates criticizes the Biden administration for prioritizing climate goals over addressing China's use of forced labor in the solar panel supply chain. (4)Natalie Ecanow details Qatar's massive $400 billion investment footprint in the United States, including high-profile real estate like New York's Park Lane Hotel and significant orders for Boeing aircraft. She argues these investments are not merely financial but serve to buy long-term political influence and goodwill with American policymakers, regardless of party affiliation, by embedding Qatari wealth into the U.S. economy. (5)Natalie Ecanow explains that Qatari wealth is controlled by the Al-Thani autocracy, whose values often conflict with U.S. interests, such as their support for Hamas and the Taliban. She highlights the lack of transparency in Qatarifunding, citing a lawsuit that revealed nearly half a billion dollars in undisclosed money sent to Texas A&M University, and calls for stricter U.S. disclosure laws. (6)Joel Kotkin examines the definition of fascism, arguing that Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni is not a fascist because she respects democratic norms. He identifies China's government-led economy as the closest modern parallel to historical fascism. Kotkin also warns of "techno-fascism," where a small group of global tech companies exert unprecedented control over public opinion and information through surveillance tools. (7)Joel Kotkin disputes the label of "fascist" for the MAGA movement, noting it lacks the youth-driven, paramilitary organization characteristic of movements led by Mussolini or Hitler. He describes MAGA as a chaotic coalition of various interest groups held together by Donald Trump's personality. Kotkin emphasizes that using the term as a political slur ruins the possibility of necessary civil discourse. (8)Michael Bernstam discusses a looming glut of liquefied natural gas driven by record U.S. shale production, which is stabilizing energy prices in Europe. Regarding Russia, he explains that while crude exports continue, Ukrainian drone strikes on refineries have created a domestic manufacturing crisis, leading to fuel shortages for Russian agriculture and industry that are difficult to repair under sanctions. (9)Michael Bernstam reveals that China has significantly reduced its oil imports by nearly half by drawing on massive strategic reserves of 1.4 billion barrels and increasing electric vehicle adoption. Simultaneously, the U.S. has reached record domestic oil production of nearly 14 million barrels per day. These factors combined help lower global oil prices despite declining inventories in other OECD countries. (10)Tal Fortgang explores Justice Scalia's legal philosophy through a biography by James Rosen, focusing on Scalia's dissent in Lee v. Weisman regarding religious benedictions at public graduations. Fortgang explains how Scaliapopularized "originalism" and "textualism," arguing that the Constitution should be interpreted based on the original public meaning of the text rather than through subjective "moral readings" by judges. (11)Tal Fortgang discusses the "Scalian revolution" that shifted the Supreme Court toward judicial restraint. He notes that while Scalia faced a hostile press and "nasty" internal criticism from colleagues like Harry Blackmun, his ideas eventually prevailed. Fortgang also observes that the modern partisan venom in confirmation hearings began during Scalia's era with the contentious treatment of Robert Bork and Clarence Thomas. (12)Simon Constable reports from France on falling global commodity prices for food and energy due to supply meeting demand. He then shifts to the immigration crisis in Britain, where violent incidents in Belfast and Southampton have fueled public outrage. Constable attributes the unrest to a failure of both major parties to manage unfettered immigration and the lack of cultural integration. (13)Simon Constable discusses the declining popularity of UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer and the potential rise of challengers like Andy Burnham. He highlights a dramatic shift in British public opinion, with polling by Lord Ashcroftshowing that a vast majority of Labour, Liberal Democrat, and Green voters—and even a third of Conservatives—now favor rejoining the European Union after a decade of Brexit. (14)Bob Zimmerman tracks the transition to commercial space, noting that private companies like Vast are leading the race to build stations to replace the aging ISS. He discusses Amazon's struggle to launch its satellite constellation due to rocket delays, contrasted with SpaceX's efficiency. Zimmerman also reports on a milestone for SpaceX, as a single Falcon 9 booster successfully completed a record 35th flight. (15)Bob Zimmerman highlights discoveries by the James Webb Space Telescope, including a black hole 6 billion times the mass of the sun located 10 billion light-years away. He also describes a "flickering" quasar from the early universe that challenges current Big Bang theories. Finally, Zimmerman provides an update on the Curiosity rover as it travels through the "Grand" valley on its ascent of Mars. (16)Two name fixes: Joel Cotkin → Joel Kotkin (7, 8) — the urbanist/scholar's correct spelling Natalie Eacano → Natalie Ecanow (5, 6) — the FDD scholar's correct spelling

Chris and Ed kick off the second annual Summer of Fear with guests Cassidy and Amanda from "Drinking the Koolaid" for a terrifying deep dive into tsunamis. From the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami and the 2011 disaster in Japan to ancient waves that may have helped topple civilizations, the crew explores what causes tsunamis, why they don't look like movie waves, and why seeing one usually means it's already too late to run.SHOW NOTESBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/scared-all-the-time--7084296/support.Get the latest episodes of our bonus show NEW FEAR UNLOCKED -- and a whole lot more! --by supporting the show on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/ScaredAllTheTime

Episode 375 The world's deepest known whale graveyard has been discovered in the southern Indian Ocean. Located at a depth of seven kilometres, it contains millions of whale bones and has been described as a “deep-sea fossil megasite” and a whale necropolis. Chinese researchers, diving in the crewed Fendouzhe submersible, undertook 32 dives along 1200 kilometres of the seafloor in an area known as the Diamantina Zone. They discovered a vast amount of whale bones of different ages.  Recent carcasses support a thriving ecosystem of invertebrates such as bone eating worms and brittle stars, but there are also fossil bones up to 5 million years old.  Why are the bones collected in this area? Join host Rowan Hooper and reporter James Woodford as they discuss the startling and eerie discovery.To read more about these stories, visit https://www.newscientist.com/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Donate (no account necessary) | Subscribe (account required) Join Bryan Dean Wright, former CIA Operations Officer, as he covers today's top stories shaping America and the world. In this Monday Headline Brief of The Wright Report, Bryan breaks down Iran's first direct ballistic missile attack on Israel since the April ceasefire, Israel's decision to fire back despite Trump's direct orders not to, and what the 100-day mark of this war actually tells us about where it is headed. With global oil stocks now roughly two weeks from critical levels and Iran demanding $24 billion in frozen assets before serious negotiations can begin, Bryan lays out why a fast resolution is increasingly unlikely and what it would actually take to change that calculus. He also digs into a Democratic Socialist professor openly cheering for Iran to bring down the American empire, the Anthropic AI model called Mythos that is alarming even its own creators, and a surprising area of agreement between Bernie Sanders and Donald Trump on government ownership of AI companies. Plus, Bryan profiles the Islamist Democratic Senate candidate in Michigan who just landed the UAW endorsement and could be headed to a razor-thin general election, covers Antifa attacks on the ICE facility in Newark, a fired Hawaii immigration judge who immediately announced plans to work for the Democratic Party, a Biden-appointed Boston judge blocking Trump's DEI and Title IX enforcement, and closes with the geopolitical chess match over Diego Garcia and the Chagos Islands that Bryan says he would personally volunteer to govern. "And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free." - John 8:32   Keywords: Bryan Dean Wright, The Wright Report, Iran missile attack Israel, Iran Israel war, ceasefire collapse, Benjamin Netanyahu, Trump Iran deal, Strait of Hormuz oil crisis, oil prices 150 per barrel, global oil shortage, Iran frozen assets 24 billion, Corinna Mullin Democrat Socialists of America, DSA Iran support, Anthropic Mythos AI, AI recursive self-improvement, AI national security threat, Bernie Sanders AI ownership, Trump sovereign wealth fund, universal basic income UBI, Sam Altman OpenAI UBI experiment, Abdul El-Sayed Michigan Senate, UAW endorsement Michigan, Islamist Democrat candidate, Antifa Newark ICE Delaney Hall, Don Lemon Minneapolis church attack, immigration judge fired Clarence Wagner, Judge Myong Joun Boston DEI ruling, Title IX transgender sports, Diego Garcia Chagos Islands, US territory Indian Ocean, Mauritius China, Candace Owens Russia St. Petersburg, Ukraine satellite imagery Colorado, Russia Ukraine war, Pope Leo Spain, Pedro Sanchez Spain immigration, Catholic Spain Marxism

Three more forgotten campaigns… The strange, sprawling, global war fought by British soldiers, sailors, marines and East India Company troops in places most people never associate with the redcoat at all. Today we are heading first to the River Plate, where Britain tries to break into Spanish South America through Montevideo and Buenos Aires with some courage, some skill, and quite a lot of  misplaced optimism Then we go to Mauritius, or Isle de France, a French base in the Indian Ocean where Napoleon's ships were making life deeply unpleasant for British trade. And finally, we end up in Java, where a British expeditionary force lands in the East Indies to take on a Dutch colony that had effectively become part of Napoleon's empire. Three campaigns. Three continents. Three very different stories. Support the channel and join my Patreon here - https://www.patreon.com/RedcoatHistory  Buy Steve's books here - https://www.helion.co.uk/people/steve-brown.php 

Happy Mindful Monday Everyone! In this week's episode, our host Allie Brooke sits down with Katarzyna (Kasia) Dodd. She  is a European-licensed psychologist, therapist, and author who is completely shifting how we approach subconscious healing. She is the developer of the Inner Parent Theory—a powerful and necessary missing piece of the traditional Inner Child framework —which she explores deeply in her book, You Are the Dream of the Universe. As a true pioneer in somatic and energy work, Katarzyna introduced Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT) to Poland and created the Inherence® Process, a dedicated method for restoring an unshakeable connection with your deepest Self. Born in Kraków, she spent 22 years in the United States before relocating to the Indian Ocean coast of Africa, bringing a highly global and expansive perspective to her practice. Her newest book, The Chameleon's Game, exposes the hidden psychological traps of covert narcissism. In this episode, she breaks down those draining dynamics and provides a clear, actionable roadmap for reclaiming your self-trust, personal clarity, and peace.   In this episode, they discuss; Rebuilding from the Ground Up: The vital first step to constructing a supportive, protective "Inner Parent" immediately following a relationship that shattered self-worth. Embodiment vs. Intellectualizing Healing: Why logically understanding toxic dynamics isn't enough to heal, and how the Inherence® Process bridges that gap to restore connection with the "deep Self." Real-Time Nervous System Regulation: Navigating sudden triggers, fear, or intrusive memories using immediate somatic tools (like EFT and meditation) rather than defaulting to old subconscious safety mechanisms. The Anatomy of a Grounded Boundary: The critical energetic difference between setting a boundary fueled by reactive fear and anger versus one anchored by a calm, empowered Inner Parent. How To Connect w| Kasia https://katarzynadodd.com https://peakpowereft.com The Growth METHOD. FREE Membership◦ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Join Here!⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 1:1⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ GROWTH MINDSET COACHING PROGRAMS!◦ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Application Form ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ What are the coaching sessions like?⁠⁠• Tailored weekly discussion questions and activities to spark introspection and self-discovery.• Guided reflections to help you delve deeper into your thoughts and feelings.• Thoughtfully facilitated sessions to provide maximum support, accountability, and growth.• Please apply for a FREE discovery call with me!• Allie's Socials• Instagram:@thegrowthmindsetgal• TikTok: @growthmindsetgal• Email: thegrowthmindsetgal@gmail.comLinks from the episode• Growth Mindset Gang ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Broadcast Channel⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠• Growth Mindset Gang ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Newsletter ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠• Growth Mindset Gal ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠• Better Help Link: Save 10%SubstackDonate to GLOWIGloci 10% off Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

In this week's China in Africa podcast episode, which also serves as a Round Table episode, C. Geraud Neema and Cobus van Staden break down why Europe is increasingly concerned about Chinese investment in Morocco's electric vehicle industry supply chain, and whether Brussels is ignoring Morocco's own industrial strategy. The conversation then turns to the Ebola outbreak in the DRC and Uganda, comparing the U.S. quarantine response with China's medical aid approach. The controversy in Kenya over a proposed U.S. Ebola facility shows how African public opinion toward Washington may be shifting in the post-USAID era. Finally, new Afrobarometer data from Seychelles reveals howshows that India and China are gaining positive influence in the Indian Ocean, while the U.S. continues to fall behind. Join the Discussion: X: @ChinaGSProject | @stadenesque | @christiangeraud  Facebook: www.facebook.com/ChinaAfricaProject YouTube: www.youtube.com/@chinaglobalsouth Now on Bluesky! Follow CGSP at @chinagsproject.bsky.social  Follow CGSP in French and Spanish: French: www.projetafriquechine.com | @AfrikChine Spanish: www.chinalasamericas.com | @ChinaAmericas Join us on Patreon! Become a CGSP Patreon member and get all sorts of cool stuff, including our Week in Review report, an invitation to join monthly Zoom calls with Eric & Cobus, and even an awesome new CGSP Podcast mug! www.patreon.com/chinaglobalsouth

In this episode of the Explaining History Podcast, we examine the opening moves of the Ottoman Empire's war against Britain – a desperate, audacious campaign to seize the Suez Canal that has been largely forgotten but which revealed the fragility of the British Empire and the resilience of the Ottoman army.At the outbreak of the First World War, the Ottoman Empire saw itself surrounded by enemies: the British in Egypt, the Russians to the north, a hostile Habsburg Empire to the west, and a recently hostile Italy in the Mediterranean. The Young Turk government initially hoped to stay out of the war. But when they looked at Britain, France, and Russia, they saw voraciously hungry powers intent on dismembering their empire. Germany offered a security guarantee – unreliable, but the best available.The German High Command placed a high priority on cutting the Suez Canal. Between August and December 1914, 376 transport ships carried nearly 164,000 Allied troops through the canal. It was the vital artery connecting the Indian Ocean to the Mediterranean – the lifeline of Britain's Asian empire. If the Ottomans could pinch it off, they could deal Britain a mortal blow and perhaps inspire a pan‑Islamic jihad against British rule.The man chosen to lead the attack was Cemal Pasha. In November 1914, he stood in Istanbul's central train station and publicly proclaimed his intention to conquer Egypt. The British dismissed his pledge as empty rhetoric. They did not believe he could raise an army large enough or cross the waterless, hostile Sinai desert.But Cemal assembled a heterogeneous, multi‑ethnic force – regular soldiers from the Arab provinces, volunteers from Bedouin, Druze, Circassian, Kurdish, Albanian, and even Jewish communities. He wrote to the Sharif of Mecca, Hussein ibn Ali, asking for troops under one of his sons. Hussein's son Ali went no further than Medina – a warning sign Cemal chose to ignore.Against all odds, Cemal's force marched across the Sinai in 12 days, losing neither a man nor a beast. They carried light rations of dates, biscuit, and olives, water carefully rationed, marching through the freezing nights and resting by day. British aerial surveillance initially failed to detect them – early aircraft lacked the range to reach central Sinai.By late January 1915, the British realised the impossible was happening. They withdrew all troops to the western shore of the canal, chained guard dogs on the east bank, and waited. The odds were stacked against the Ottomans – 25,000 attackers against 50,000 dug‑in defenders, backed by warships, armoured trains, and the canal itself. But Cemal had achieved surprise. What happened next would shape the course of the war in the Middle East.Drawing on Eugene Rogan's *The Fall of the Ottomans*, this episode explores the political context of the Ottoman decision to enter the war, the challenges of mobilising a multi‑ethnic army, the incredible logistics of the Sinai crossing, and the early use of aerial reconnaissance in desert warfare.**Topics covered:**- The Ottoman Empire's strategic dilemma in 1914- The alliance with Germany and the promise of jihad- The importance of the Suez Canal to the British war effort- Cemal Pasha and his public proclamation- The composition of the Ottoman expeditionary force- Sharif Hussein's reluctant cooperation- The 12‑day march across the Sinai- British aerial reconnaissance and its limitations- The defence of the canal: warships, armoured trains, and guard dogs- The moment of surprise before the attack---*If you enjoy the podcast, please consider supporting us – we are migrating from Patreon to Substack. Details in the show notes.*Explaining History helps you understand the 20th Century through critical conversations and expert interviews. We connect the past to the present. If you enjoy the show, please subscribe and share.▸ Support the Show & Get Exclusive ContentBecome a Patron: patreon.com/explaininghistory▸ Join the Community & Continue the ConversationFacebook Group: facebook.com/groups/ExplainingHistoryPodcastSubstack: theexplaininghistorypodcast.substack.com▸ Read Articles & Go DeeperWebsite: explaininghistory.org Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

For thousands of years, Yemen has been one of the most important crossroads in the world.  It was home to ancient kingdoms, the legendary land of Sheba, the port that gave mocha coffee its name, and a strategic gateway between the Red Sea and the Indian Ocean.  Its mountains, tribes, empires, and divisions have shaped a history as rich as it is complicated.  Learn more about the history of Yemen on this episode of Everything Everywhere Daily. Sponsors Newspapers.com Honor the past by uncovering its stories at Newspapers.com  Promo Code EVERYTHINGEVERWHERE Samsara Don't wait for the next accident to take action. Head to Samsara.com/EVERYTHING ButcherBox Get your choice between chicken breast or top sirloin for a year OR ground beef for life, PLUS $20 off when you go to ButcherBox.com/everything Quince Go to quince.com/daily for 365-day returns, plus free shipping on your order! Mint Mobile Save 50% on Unlimited premium wireless plans starting at $15/month at MintMobile.com/EED Audible Listen to Project Hail Mary Audible.com/hailmary Fast Growing Trees Get 20% off your first purchase when using the code DAILY at checkout at fastgrowingtrees.com/daily Subscribe to the podcast!  https://everything-everywhere.com/everything-everywhere-daily-podcast/ -------------------------------- Executive Producer: Charles Daniel Associate Producers: Austin Oetken & Cameron Kieffer   Become a supporter on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/everythingeverywhere Discord Server: https://discord.gg/Ds7Rx7jvPJ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/everythingeverywhere/ Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/everythingeverywheredaily Twitter: https://twitter.com/everywheretrip Website: https://everything-everywhere.com/  Disce aliquid novi cotidie Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Preview for Later Today: Jeremy Zakis details Australia's winter weather, warning of a severe storm hitting Western Australia that will soon bring floods to the east. He explains how El Niño and the Indian Ocean Dipole create a "vacuum" effect, drawing Antarctic air in a unique "S-bend" pattern toward Sydney.1919 ANZAC DAY