Podcasts about indus

Présentée par Wolflord. Chapitre 10 : "Just One Fest 6 - Afterparty". Wolflord voyage dans une réalité alternative, où un célèbre festival l'a invité à animer une soirée au camping. Trois heures, trois sets, pour fermer les Chroniques du Loup avec un ultime chapitre... Message de Wolflord :  « Ici Wolflord. Le Just One Fest, c'est ce soir ! Un season finale qui, cette année, a une saveur unique, puisqu'il clôture les Chroniques du Loup. Je ne savais pas comment serait reçue cette saison autobiographique, qui allait forcément s'éloigner des habitudes de l'émission - et des goûts de mes auditeurs. Les retours reçus m'ont confirmé que l'idée était bonne, au moins pour une partie d'entre vous. Avant de vous laisser apprécier les trois heures du Just One Fest cette nuit (ou plus tard), je salue encore une fois celles et ceux d'entre vous qui suivent l'émission, occasionnellement ou à chaque nouvel épisode. Je dois dire que l'accueil sur la rétro Manson m'a positivement surpris, moi qui pensais voir surgir des commentaires outragés de me voir mettre en avant un artiste aussi controversé. De même, personne ne s'est ouvertement plaint que je passe du power metal ou du rap marseillais en cours de saison. Peut-être que vous ne le réalisez pas vraiment, mais c'est très encourageant pour moi de m'adresser à un public suffisamment mature pour saisir le contexte qui justifiait cette programmation. C'est de plus en plus rare sur les réseaux sociaux (et attendez de voir ce que ce sera dans quelques années quand Zuckerberg aura revendu Facebook à une IA). Je trouve important de parfois prendre le temps de s'arrêter un moment et voir où on en est, avant de repartir dans la direction qui nous semble la meilleure, ne serait-ce que pour laisser le temps au mental de retrouver un semblant d'énergie. Comme annoncé le mois dernier, la direction en question devrait mener quelques invités de choix à apparaître dans l'émission durant la prochaine saison de JOF. C'est encore trop tôt pour dévoiler qui, mais j'ai bon espoir que la plupart accepte, car Just One Fix leur offre un cadre différent pour s'exprimer sur certains sujets. Par simple curiosité, j'aimerais savoir qui vous aimeriez entendre dans l'émission, sans qu'il s'agisse nécessairement d'artistes musicaux (et dans la limite du raisonnable, parce que non, je ne vais pas interviewer Trent Reznor ou le fantôme d'Edgar Allan Poe). Pour les chanceux parmi vous qui seront à Clisson dans quelques jours, on se croisera peut-être devant Health, Shaârghot ou Eisbrecher. Les autres devront attendre la reprise en septembre ! Bon Just One Fest à toutes et tous, et fuck cancer. »

India isn't using all the water it is entitled to under IWT. Every year, Pakistan gets about 3.3 billion cubic metres of water from eastern rivers—those allocated to India.  

Nous sommes dans les années 327-325 avant notre ère. Alexandre le Grand, roi de Macédoine, lance une campagne dans le sous-continent indien). Cette campagne a pour objectif principal de soumettre le Pendjab du roi Poros. Alexandre conquiert ensuite la vallée de l'Indus pour finir par atteindre les rives de l'océan Indien et entamer le retour vers Babylone où il meurt en juin 323. Les cités de Begram et de Taxila témoignent de cette présence grecque dans le monde indien. La première, aujourd'hui en Afghanistan, est l'héritière de l'Alexandrie du Caucase fondée par celui qui fut l'élève d'Aristote et est devenu l'un des plus grands conquérants de l'histoire en prenant possession de l'immense Empire perse en s'avançant jusqu'aux rives de l'Indus. La seconde, au Pakistan actuel, la plus ancienne fut créée avant l'arrivée des Perses. Alexandre y a séjourné et l'un de ses successeurs dans la région, le roi Démétrios Ier, y a fait construire un grand quartier hellénistique. Partons aux confins de trois mondes : la Grèce, l'Inde et la Chine Avec nous : Sébastien Polet, historien-orientaliste de l'asbl Roma. Sujets traités : Alexandre le Grand, Macédoine, Pendjab, Indus, Begram, Taxila, Afghanistan, Aristote, Empire, Grèce, Antique, Pakistan, Démétrios Inde, Chine Merci pour votre écoute Un Jour dans l'Histoire, c'est également en direct tous les jours de la semaine de 13h15 à 14h30 sur www.rtbf.be/lapremiere Retrouvez tous les épisodes d'Un Jour dans l'Histoire sur notre plateforme Auvio.be :https://auvio.rtbf.be/emission/5936 Intéressés par l'histoire ? Vous pourriez également aimer nos autres podcasts : L'Histoire Continue: https://audmns.com/kSbpELwL'heure H : https://audmns.com/YagLLiKEt sa version à écouter en famille : La Mini Heure H https://audmns.com/YagLLiKAinsi que nos séries historiques :Chili, le Pays de mes Histoires : https://audmns.com/XHbnevhD-Day : https://audmns.com/JWRdPYIJoséphine Baker : https://audmns.com/wCfhoEwLa folle histoire de l'aviation : https://audmns.com/xAWjyWCLes Jeux Olympiques, l'étonnant miroir de notre Histoire : https://audmns.com/ZEIihzZMarguerite, la Voix d'une Résistante : https://audmns.com/zFDehnENapoléon, le crépuscule de l'Aigle : https://audmns.com/DcdnIUnUn Jour dans le Sport : https://audmns.com/xXlkHMHSous le sable des Pyramides : https://audmns.com/rXfVppvN'oubliez pas de vous y abonner pour ne rien manquer.Et si vous avez apprécié ce podcast, n'hésitez pas à nous donner des étoiles ou des commentaires, cela nous aide à le faire connaître plus largement. Distribué par Audiomeans. Visitez audiomeans.fr/politique-de-confidentialite pour plus d'informations.

R.R. Maintenance & Indus. Heal v. Clinton Mahoney

Horváth Gábor szombathelyi születésü fotós. A fotózással 1998 óta foglalkozik és a Népszabadságnál tanult fotóriporteri szakon 1999-2001 között. Jelenleg szabaduszó, 5 könyvet adott ki. Gábor 2 hónapot töltött 2022-ben Pakisztánban. Szoció, portré és a természet fotózást szereti a legjobban. Pakisztán lenyűgöző ország Dél-Ázsiában, ahol az ősi civilizációk öröksége, a lenyűgöző hegyvidéki tájak és a gazdag kulturális sokszínűség találkozik. Az ország területén húzódik a Himalája déli vonulata, de megtalálhatók itt sivatagok, történelmi városok és élénk bazárok is. Pakisztán fotós szemmel különösen izgalmas, hiszen a természet és az emberek is sok témát rejtenek.https://www.instagram.com/pupettgabho/https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1000115882263400:00 Beköszönés2:00 Szocio, portré, természet fotózás 3:00 Pakisztán7:00 Tervezés8:30 Jeep út a hegyekben10:00 Közlekedés11:45 Díszes teherautók12:15 Stoppálás Pakisztánban14:00 Kellemetlenségek15:10 Nőket nem lehet fotózni  16:10 Sony alfa17:20 Állvány nelkül fotózni18:25 Karakorum hegység20:00 Földrajz találkozik a történelemmel21:30 Attabad tó a Karakorum hegységben23:00 Bárki felnőtt birtokolhat fegyvert26:00 Vízum28:00 Kasmir29:00 Jelenleg katonai offenzíva India ellen, majd tűzszünet31:00 Kövezés31:30 Wagah díszszázad33:00 Légszennyezettség36:00 Lovaspoló meccs40:00 A világ legveszélyesebb hídja: Hussaini függő híd44:00 Hunza völgye46:00 Etel49:00 Csótányok, patkányok50:00 Oltások51:10 Indus völgye52:00 Szárazság52:40 Nanga54:00 Budget56:20 Könyv58:15 Szombathelyen kiállítás1:00:00 Összegzés1:02:00 Kalasok1:05:00 Pásztorok1:06:00 Kedvesség vs abszurd1:1:00 Jövőbeli tervek 1:20:00 Elköszönés #Pakisztán #utazás #utazni #természet #túra #kultúra --------------------------

Stockpicking mit System: Uwe Jaennert alias GordonGekko74 im Interview. 160 % Plus in 8 Jahren, 13 % jährlich - das wikifolio Baumberg Momentum überzeugt. Jaennert verrät, wie er geräuschlos ein- und aussteigt, warum Friedrich Vorwerk „der heiße Scheiß“ ist - und was Mensch und Maschine, Ionos, Fraport, Vossloh und Smartbroker in seinem Depot gemeinsam haben. Klartext zu Indus, Fokus auf Mittelstand und smarte Chancen. Jetzt reinhören!

Thank you to our Sponsors: Training Day Cafe, K13.ca, & Lucky Chahal Training Day Cafe: Mention the pod for exclusive welcome packK13.CA creating websites that convert. Mention the pod for $500 off website development.Lucky Chahal for all your real estate needs in the Lower MainlandWWW.STAMPEDEMELA.COM⁠ July 11, 2025! Code 'Loyaltocoach' for 50% off (expires May 15 5PM MST) or Code 'Indus' for 20% off Follow Gurk ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Desi Dontdoze Playlist⁠⁠⁠Producer/Audio Engineer ⁠⁠⁠Kyle Bhawan⁠⁠⁠Song "Be Like That" by⁠ ⁠⁠REVAY ⁠⁠⁠⁠-------------------------------00:00 Stampede Mela04:45 Mahendra Patel 11:30 Cambodian Prison17:15 Shiloh Hendrix 19:15 Stealing from the homeless 27:20 Tory Lanez stabbed30:07 Diddy Trial 33:17 Scandinavian scarves 39:04 Is depression real?! 46:43 Pregnant wife in jail 59:07 PR Boyfriend  1:05:15 Break-up msg from listener 

Der DAX macht nach vier Gewinntagen Pause – „Profi Taking Wednesday“. Nvidia im KI-Rausch, Trump mit Show bei Boeing. Brenntag enttäuscht, E.ON glänzt mit starken Zahlen. Daimler Truck wird vorsichtiger, Bilfinger wächst, Pfisterer startet erfolgreich an der Börse. Öl fällt, Gold unter Druck. Dazu: Stimmen von PNE, Indus und Jenoptik.

Kamran Bokhari answers the bat signal to join Jacob Shapiro for a wide-ranging conversation on the spike in India-Pakistan tensions following the Kashmir attack - and why it's not just business as usual. They unpack the strategic logic (or lack thereof) behind Pakistan's moves, India's dilemma over deterrence, and the escalating risk of regional miscalculation. They also dig into the broader Middle East: Iran's negotiations, Houthi missiles, and whether the U.S. is quietly brokering a regional reset. Kamran sees threads tying it all together; We're still trying to figure out if that's optimism or a warning. Either way, something's shifting... and fast.--Timestamps:(00:00) - Introduction and Guest Introduction(00:56) - Current Geopolitical Tensions(01:56) - India-Pakistan Relations and Kashmir Conflict(02:43) - US-India Strategic Partnership(04:47) - Recent Attacks and Speculations(07:51) - Historical Context and Recent Developments(11:36) - Potential Escalations and Strategic Moves(21:52) - Indus Waters Treaty and Diplomatic Channels(26:15) - Regional Dynamics and Future Outlook(27:11) - China's Strategic Interests in South Asia(28:21) - India's Two-Front Dilemma(29:43) - China's Potential Responses(31:30) - Middle East Geopolitical Threads(33:23) - Iran Nuclear Deal and Regional Implications(40:49) - US Strategy in the Middle East(45:49) - Syria's Role in Regional Stability(50:18) - Concluding Thoughts and Optimism--Referenced in the Show:--Jacob Shapiro Site: jacobshapiro.comJacob Twitter: x.com/JacobShapCI Site: cognitive.investmentsSubscribe to the Newsletter: bit.ly/weekly-sitrep--The Jacob Shapiro Show is produced and edited by Audiographies LLC. More information at audiographies.com --Jacob Shapiro is a speaker, consultant, author, and researcher covering global politics and affairs, economics, markets, technology, history, and culture. He speaks to audiences of all sizes around the world, helps global multinationals make strategic decisions about political risks and opportunities, and works directly with investors to grow and protect their assets in today's volatile global environment. His insights help audiences across industries like finance, agriculture, and energy make sense of the world.Cognitive Investments is an investment advisory firm, founded in 2019 that provides clients with a nuanced array of financial planning, investment advisory and wealth management services. We aim to grow both our clients' material wealth (i.e. their existing financial assets) and their human wealth (i.e. their ability to make good strategic decisions for their business, family, and career).--This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Podtrac - https://analytics.podtrac.com/privacy-policy-gdrp

[2] ‘NUNTII IN LINGUA LATINA’ ‘IN LINGUA LATINA, ANGLICA ET ITALICA’ ‘*AUDIS’! Stai ascoltando 'Nuntii in lingua latina' in latino, inglese e italiano. HISPANIA. SPAIN. SPAGNA. TRANSLATIO A CASANDRA FREIRE VERSAM EST. • ‘ENERGIAE TOTUS LAPSUS’. // ‘DIE VIGINTI NOVEM MENSIS APRILIS’, ‘ELECTRICITATIS HISPANICAE *SOCIETAS (REE)’ ‘*RETTULIT’ [‘SEX TEMPORA MATUTINA’ ‘PROPE CENTUM CENTESIMAE PATRIAE OPES’ ‘*RESTITUTAM ESSE’], ‘SUBITO ENERGIAE TOTO LAPSO’ [‘*QUI’ ‘ANTE DUODECIM ET TRIGINTA TRES PRIDIE DIEI’ ‘*ACCIDERAT’]. // ‘INTERIM CAUSAE’ ‘*INVESTIGANTUR’. // ‘SOLUM’ ‘*NOTUM EST’ [‘QUINDECIM GIGAWATTS POTESTATIS SUBITO QUINQUE SECUNDIS ‘*EVANESCERE’]. SPAGNA. Il grande blackout. Il ventinove aprile l’azienda Red eléctrica española (Ree), a partecipazione statale, ha riferito che dalle sei del mattino è stato ripristinato quasi il cento per cento della fornitura di energia del paese dopo l’improvvisa interruzione generale alle dodici trentatré del giorno prima. Intanto è in corso un’indagine per scoprire le cause del blackout. L’unica certezza è che quindici gigawatt di potenza sono improvvisamente scomparsi dalla rete elettrica per cinque secondi (INTERNAZIONALE). SPAIN. The big blackout. On April 29, the state-owned “Red Eléctrica Española (Ree)” reported that as of 6 a.m. nearly one hundred percent of the country's power supply had been restored after the sudden general outage at 12:33 p.m. the day before. Meanwhile, an investigation is underway to find out the cause of the blackout. The only certainty is that 15 gigawatts of power suddenly disappeared from the power grid for five seconds (INTERNATIONAL). CANADA. CANADA. CANADA • LIBERALES IN REGIMINE MANENT. // ‘*FACTIO LIBERALIS CANADAE’ ‘EX CENTRO-SINISTRA’ ‘COMITIIS DUODETRICESIMO APRILIS MENSE HOC ANNO’ ‘*VICIT’ ET ‘MANDATUM QUARTUM’ ‘UNUM POST UNUM’ ‘*ACQUISIVIT’. I liberali restano al potere. “Alle elezioni legislative del ventotto aprile il Partito liberale canadese, di centrosinistra, ha ottenuto un quarto mandato di governo consecutivo, al termine di una campagna elettorale condizionata dalle minacce del presidente statunitense Donald Trump”, scrive il Toronto Star (INTERNAZIONALE). Liberals remain in power. “In the April 28 general election, the center-left Liberal Party of Canada won a fourth consecutive term of government at the end of an election campaign conditioned by threats from U.S. President Donald Trump,” writes the Toronto Star (INTERNATIONAL). [2] ‘NUNTII IN LINGUA LATINA’ ‘IN LINGUA LATINA, ANGLICA ET GALLICA’ ‘*AUDIS’! Vous écoutez ‘Nuntii in Lingua latina’ en latin, anglais et français. CIVITATIBUS FOEDERATAE AMERICAE. UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. ÉTATS-UNIS TRANSLATIO A FERNANDA SOLÍS VERSAM EST. • ‘*TRUMP’ ‘THESAURUM’ ‘SUB MARI’ ‘*QUAERIT’. // ‘DIE VICESIMO CUARTO APRILIS MENSE’ ‘DONALDUS *TRUMP’ ‘LEGEM ORBIS TERRARUM’ ‘*NEGLEGIT’ ‘IUSSUM’ ‘AD MINERALIA OCEANI TERRARUM ORBIS EXHAURIENDA’ ‘*SUBSIGNAVIT’. // ‘EIUS *EST *SPES’ ‘CENTUM MILIA NEGOTIA’ ET ‘TRECENTA MILIARDA PECUNIARUM LABORUM PER ANNUM’ ‘CREARE’. // ‘*SCOPUS EIUS’ ‘*EST’ ‘QUAM PLURIMA MINERALIA SERVARE’ ‘SICUT COBALTUM, NICHELIUM, ALIAQUE’. ‘*TRUMP’ ‘DOMINIUM MINERALIUM CUPIENDORUM SINAE’ ‘COMPENSARE’ ‘*VULT’. Trump seeks 300 billion under the sea. On April 24, in defiance of international law, Donald Trump signed an executive order authorizing the exploitation of the seabed in international waters. He hopes this will generate 100,000 jobs and 300 billion in additional GDP. The aim is also to secure resources such as cobalt, nickel and rare earths, to counter China's domination of critical minerals. Trump cherche 300 milliards sous les mers. Au mépris du droit international, Donald Trump a signé, le 24 avril, un décret autorisant l’explotation manière des fonds marins dans les eaux internationals. Il espère ainsi generer 100 000 emplois et 300 milliards de PIB supplémentaires. L’objectif est aussi de sécuriser des ressources comme le cobalt, le nickel ou les terres rares, afin de contre la domination chinoise sur les minéraux critiques (L’EXPRESS). PAKISTANIA. PAKISTAN. PAKISTAN TRANSLATIO A SAID RAIMUNDO DELGADO VERSAM EST. • ‘*CACHEMIRA’ ‘TENSIONES’ ‘INTER INDIAM ET PAKISTANIAM’ ‘RURSUS’ ‘*GIGNIT’. // ‘*ATTENTATUM NON RECLAMATUM’ ‘DIE VICESIMO SECUNDO MENSIS APRILIS IN PAHALGAM’ ‘* FACTUM EST’. // ‘*QUOD’ ‘VIGINTI SEX MORTUOS’ ‘*RELIQUIT’. // ‘*NOVA DELHI ET ISLAMABAD’ ‘IACULA’ ‘POST ID EVENTUM, INTER SE’ ‘*COMMUTAVERUNT’. // ‘*GUBERNATIO NATIONALIS INDIORUM’ ‘SEQUENTES POENAS’ ‘*EXERCUIT’: [‘FOEDUS’ ‘DE DIVISIONE AQUARUM FLUMINIS INDICI’ ‘*SUSPENDIT’], [‘PRINCIPALE LIMINIS TERRESTRIS ‘*CLAUSIT’] ET [‘PLURES LEGATOS PAKISTANIANOS’ ‘*EXPELSIT’]. // ‘*GUBERNATIO PAKISTANIENSIS’ ‘SIMILIBUS POENIS PUNITIVIS’ ‘*RESPONDIT’. // ‘*HAE NATIONES’ ‘POTENTIAE NUCLEARES’ ‘AUSTRI ORIENTALIS ASIAE’ ‘*SUNT’. New escalation between India and Pakistan. Kashmir once again raises tensions between the region's two nuclear powers, India and Pakistan. Following an attack - for which no claim was made - that killed 26 people in Pahalgam on April 22, New Delhi and Islamabad exchanged fire. In retaliation, the ultranationalist Hindu government suspended a treaty on sharing the waters of the Indus, closed the main land border post and expelled several diplomats. Pakistan has also embarked on a spiral of similar punitive and retaliatory measures. Nouvelle escalade entre l’Inde et le Pakistan. Le Cachemire suscite à nouveau des tensions entre les deux puissances nucléaires de la région, l’Inde et le Pakistan. Après l’attaque -non revendiquée- ayant causé le 22 avril la mort de 26 personnes à Pahalgam, New Delhi et Islamabad ont échangé des tirs. En représailles, le gouvernement ultranationaliste hindou a suspendu un traité sur le partage des eaux de l’Indus, fermé le principal poste-frontière terrestre et expulsé plusieurs diplomates. Le Pakistan s’est lui aussi lancé dans u ne spirale de mesures punitives et de rétorsion similiares (L’EXPRESS). [2] ‘NUNTII IN LINGUA LATINA’ ‘IN LINGUA LATINA, ANGLICA ET GERMANICA ‘*AUDIS’! Sie hören Nuntii in Lingua latina auf Latein, English und Deutsch. CIVITATE VATICANA. VATICAN CITY. VATIKANSTADT. • ‘*CONCLAVE’ ‘PRO PAPAM ELIGENDO’ ‘SEPTIMO MAII MENSE’ ‘*INCIPIET’. VATICAN CITY. Conclave of cardinals to elect pope to start on 7 May. Roman Catholic cardinals will begin their secret conclave to elect the new leader of the global church on 7 May, the Vatican said on Monday (THE GUARDIAN WEEKLY). VATIKANSTADT. Konklave der Kardinäle zur Papstwahl beginnt am 7. Mai. Die römisch-katholischen Kardinäle werden ihr geheimes Konklave zur Wahl des neuen Oberhauptes der Weltkirche am 7. Mai beginnen, teilte der Vatikan am Montag mit. UCRAINA. UKRAINE. UKRAINE. • DE BELLI FACIE. // ‘*RUSSICI ET AMERICANI’ ‘IN MOSCOVIA’ ‘*NEGOTIANTUR’. // ‘*TRUMP ET ZELENS’KYJ’ ‘IN ROMA’ ‘*LOQUUNTUR’. // ‘DE PACE’ ‘IN LONDINO’ ‘*CONCIPIUNT’. // TAMEN, ‘*PYROBOLI’ ‘IN KIOVIA’ ‘*CADUUNT’. The face of war. Russians and Americans negotiate in Moscow. In Rome, at the Pope's funeral, Donald Trump and Volodymyr Zelensky push their chairs together. In London, attempts are being made to design a peacekeeping force. And in Kiev? The bombs continue to fall. People continue to be killed. And others are injured, like this man who had his face torn apart in a Russian attack. His wounds - possibly caused by flying shards of glass - had to be treated with dozens of stitches. The past week has seen some of the most serious Russian attacks since the beginning of the war. Peace? Not to be seen in Ukraine. Gesicht des Krieges. In Moskau verhandeln Russen und Amerikaner. In Rom, beim Begräbnis des Papstes, schieben Donald Trump und Wolodymyr Selenskyj ihre Stühle zusammen. In London versucht man, eine Friedenstruppe zu entwerfen. Und in Kiew? Fallen weiter die Bomben. Werden weiter Menschen getötet. Und andere verletzt, wie dieser Mann, dem es bei einem russischen Angriff das Gesicht zerfetzt hat. Mit Dutzenden Stichen mussten seine Wunden – womöglich rühren sie von herumfliegenden Glassplittern – versorgt werden. Die vergangene Woche sah einige der schwersten russischen Attacken seit Beginn des Krieges. Frieden? Ist in der Ukraine nicht zu sehen (DER STERN). Equipo 2: 5. Jimena – Inglés. 6. Luis – latín. 7. Chiara – Chino 8. Nadia - español [2] ‘NUNTII IN LINGUA LATINA’ ‘IN LINGUA LATINA, ANGLICA ET HISPANICA’ ‘*AUDIS’! Estás escuchando ‘Nuntii in lingua latina’ en latín, inglés y en español. CIVITATIBUS FOEDERATAE AMERICAE. UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. EN ESTADOS UNIDOS ‘DONALDUS *TRUMP’ ‘CENTUM DIES’ ‘IN MINISTERIO’ ‘EX SECUNDO MANDATO’ ‘*OPPLEVIT’. // ‘*PRAESES’ ‘*DIXIT’ [‘SENSUS COMUNIS REVOLUTIONEM’ INCEPISSE] ETIAM ‘*DIXIT’ [‘PERCONATIONUM INDICES’ ‘NUNTIOS FALSOS’ ‘*FUISSE’]. Trump 2: Judgment Day. Mr Trump marked the 100th day of his second term in office with a speech in Michigan. The president said he had sparked a ‘revolution of common sense’ and than opinion polls recording his waning popularity were ‘fake’ (THE ECONOMIST). Trump 2: el día del juicio final. Trump celebró el centenario de su segundo mandato con un discurso en Michigan. El presidente dijo que había desencadenado una «revolución del sentido común» y que los sondeos de opinión que registraban su menguante popularidad eran «falsos» (THE ECONOMIST). IRANIA. IRAN. EN IRÁN. SHAHID RAJAEE. DIRUPTIO CHEMICA FUIT. // ‘SALTEM SEPTUAGINTA *HOMINES’ ‘*MORTUI FUERUNT’ ET ‘PLUS QUAM MILLIA’ ‘*VULNERATI FUERUNT’ ‘DIRUPTIONE ET INCENDIO’ ‘IN SHAHID RAJAEE’. // ‘*INCENDIUM CHIMICUM’ ‘IN CISTERNIS’ ‘CAUSA PROBABILIS’ ‘*FUIT’. Shahid Rajaee. Chemical blast. At least 70 people have been killed and more than 1,000 injured by a huge explosion and its ensuing blaze at Sahid Rajaee -Iran’s largest shipping port- apparently triggered by containers of chemical catching fire (THE WEEK UK). Shahid Rajaee, Irán. Explosión química. Al menos 70 personas han muerto y más de 1.000 han resultado heridas por una enorme explosión y el consiguiente incendio en Sahid Rajaee -el mayor puerto de mercancías de Irán-, al parecer provocados por el incendio de contenedores de productos químicos (THE WEEK UK). [2] ‘NUNTII IN LINGUA LATINA’ ‘IN LINGUA LATINA, ANGLICA ET SINENSIS PINYIN’ ‘*AUDIS’! You're listening to ‘Nuntii in lingua latina’ in Latin, English and Chinese Pinyin. SINIS. CHINA. TRANSLATIO A CASANDRA FREIRE VERSAM EST. "EMERE IN SINIS" ‘*HOC’ ‘ALIUD FACTUM’ [ UT OECONOMIAM SINENSEM ‘*EXHIBERE’]. // ‘*“EMERE”’ ‘NOVUM SIGNUM RECENTIS ET APERTAE OECONOMIAE SINARUM’ ‘*FACTUM EST’. // ‘*OECONOMIA SINARUM’ ‘AB ALIENIS PERIEGESIBUS’ ‘*ADDUCTA EST’, ‘*QUAE’ ‘STUDIUM’ ‘IN URBIS PRODUCTOS, PROSPERA CONSILIA ET NOVAS RATIONES’ ‘*PORREXERANT’. "China Shopping" became another letter introducing China's economy. It has become a new symbol of China’s modern and open economy, driven by foreign tourists drawn to local products, favorable policies, and innovation. http://www.beijingreview.com.cn/ “zhōngguó gòu” chéngwéi jièshào zhōngguó jīngjì de lìng yìfēngxìn。 tā yǐchéngwéi zhōngguó xiàndài kāifàng jīngjì dexīn xiàngzhēng ， shòudào wàiguóyóukè de tuīdòng ， tāmen bèi dāng dìchǎnpǐn 、 yōuhuìzhèngcè hé chuàngxīn suǒ xīyǐn SINIS. TRANSLATIO A SAID RAIMUNDO DELGADO VERSAM EST. ‘*AETAS’ ‘AUTOMATUM IN CURA SENIORUM VERSATORUM’ ‘PROXIME’ ‘VENIRET’? // ‘*SINAE’ ‘NORMAS PRO HAC SPECIE AUTOMATUM’ ‘*STATUVERUNT’. // ‘*OBSTACULA TALIA’ TAMEN UT ‘SUMPTUS ALTOS ET TECHNOLOGIAM IMMATUREM’ ‘*SUPERANDA SUNT’. // [‘QUOD IN DOMOS INTRA TRIENNIUM INTROIBUNT’ ‘*DICITUR’]. SI NUNTII IN LINGUA LATINA TRADUCTOR ESSE VOLUERIS, QUAESO LITTERAM ELECTRONICAM AD lpesquera@up.edu.mx MITTAS’. If you would like to collaborate as a translator in Nuntii in Lingua Latina, please send an email to lpesquera@up.edu.mx

Ein Standpunkt von Stephan Ossenkopp.Das Baisaran-Tal mit seinen herrlichen Wanderwegen, Seen und wilden Bächen, umrahmt von einer malerischen Bergkulisse, galt bisher als äußerst beliebtes Ausflugsziel im indischen Teil der Region Kaschmir. Doch diese Idylle wurde auf grausame Weise zerstört, als Terroristen am 22. April in der Nähe des Ortes Pahalgam mindestens 25 überwiegend indische Ausflügler und Ortsansässige ermordeten. Zu dem Anschlag bekannte sich eine Gruppe namens The Resistance Front, die sich als Ableger der mit dem IS verbundenen Terrororganisation Lashkar-e-Taiba-a-Pakistan bezeichnet. Die indische Regierung machte umgehend die pakistanische Regierung für die Gräueltat verantwortlich. Diese dementierte umgehend. Doch seitdem hat sich die Lage derart zugespitzt, dass selbst eine heiße militärische Konfrontation zwischen den beiden südasiatischen Nachbarstaaten – die beide über Atomwaffen verfügen – nicht ausgeschlossen werden kann. Neu-Delhi ordnete die Schließung eines Grenzübergangs an, reduzierte seine diplomatische Präsenz in Islamabad und führte Visabeschränkungen ein. Ausgangssperren und Internetsperren folgten.Für einige große indische Tageszeitungen stand einzig fest, dass die Terroristen von Pakistan aus nach Kaschmir eingedrungen seien. Die näheren Umstände blieben unklar und mögliche erste Untersuchungsergebnisse wurden nicht abgewartet. Jüngste Berichte zeigten Übungen der indischen Marine mit Überschallraketen. Gleichzeitig hielt der indische Premierminister Narendra Modi eine Rede, in der er den Tätern die schlimmste Strafe androhte und Pakistan als Unterstützer des Terrorismus bezeichnete. Die Spannungen an der sogenannten Line of Control, der undefinierten Grenze zwischen Pakistan und Indien, nahmen zu und belasten den im Jahr 2021 ausgehandelten Waffenstillstand. Von verschiedenen Seiten kamen seither Beileidsbekundungen und Aufrufe zur Mäßigung. Zuletzt telefonierte der iranische Präsident Pezeshkian sowohl mit Modi als auch mit dem pakistanischen Premierminister Shehbaz Sharif. Pezeshkian bot seine Hilfe an, um Missverständnisse zwischen den beiden Ländern auszuräumen. Er verwies auf das Erbe der großen indischen Friedensführer Gandhi und Nehru und deren Botschaft der Völkerfreundschaft und friedlichen Koexistenz.Der chinesische Außenminister Wang Yi sprach sich in einem Telefonat mit seinem pakistanischen Amtskollegen Mohammad Dar für eine sofortige und unparteiische Untersuchung des Vorfalls aus und hoffte, dass beide Seiten Zurückhaltung üben, aufeinander zugehen und zusammenarbeiten würden, um die Spannungen abzubauen. Pakistans Premierminister Sharif hatte eine neutrale, transparente und glaubwürdige Untersuchung gefordert. In Richtung Indien sagte er, die ständigen Schuldzuweisungen müssten ein für alle Mal aufhören. Die pakistanische Presse reagierte ihrerseits mit Vorwürfen an die Adresse Indiens, warum es trotz der Präsenz von 7000 Mann starken Sicherheitskräften in der Region vor dem Anschlag keine Anzeichen für ein solches Attentat gegeben habe. Das gesamte Gebiet Kaschmirs hat allerdings eine Fläche von etwas mehr als 100.000 km² und ist damit etwas kleiner als Bulgarien. Indien und Pakistan stehen sich auf einer 740 km langen Frontlinie gegenüber. Das gesamte Gebiet ist gebirgig und unübersichtlich, so dass Infiltrationen unbemerkt möglich sind.Besonders alarmierend war die reflexartige Entscheidung Indiens, das Indus-Wasserabkommen auszusetzen, das seit 1960 die gemeinsame Nutzung des Wassers aus den sechs Quellflüssen des Indus regelt...hier weiterlesen: https://apolut.net/pakistans-schweres-erbe-30-jahre-drecksarbeit-fur-den-westen-von-stephan-ossenkopp/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

India’s move to hold the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) in abeyance marks a watershed moment with far-reaching consequences is the starkest example of weaponizing the natural resource in recent times. The IWT, critical to both countries and a lifestream for Pakistan, has survived 6 decades of hostilities and 4 armed conflics. But it has been marked with disputes and disagreements. The Pahalgam attacks was the last straw that made India take the extreme step of keeping it in abeyance. In this episode of The Morning Brief, host Anirban Chowdhury speaks with leading experts Anubhuti Vishnoi, Senior Editor,at The Economic Times and Pranab Dhal Samanta, Executive Editor (Politics),at The Economic Times to unpack the legal, political, and strategic dimensions of this bold decision. What does holding the treaty "in abeyance" truly mean under international law? Could this signal a shift in India’s approach to critical resource diplomacy? And as energy security takes center stage, will Jammu & Kashmir finally unlock its vast hydroelectric potential?Moreover, could India’s stance on the IWT set a powerful precedent for future water-sharing agreements across the region—and challenge the established global norms? Stay tuned as we explore the high stakes, hidden challenges, and historic opportunities emerging from this unfolding story. Tune in.Check out other interesting episodes from the host like: Tariffs trump trade, The Curious Case of IndusInd Bank, The Influencer Economy’s Quiet Reset, India’s Biggest Hospital has a Chronic Illness and much more.You can follow Anirban Chowdhury on his social media: Twitter and LinkedinYou can follow Pranab Dhal Samanta on his social media: Twitter and Linkedin You can follow Anubhuti Vishnoi on her social media: Twitter and LinkedinCatch the latest episode of ‘The Morning Brief’ on ET Play, The Economic Times Online, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, JioSaavn, Amazon Music and Youtube.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In today's episode on 28th April 2025, we tell you how keeping the Indus Waters Treaty in abeyance affects the economies of both India and Pakistan.Speak to Ditto's advisors now, by clicking the link here - https://ditto.sh/9zoz41 

Wherever you look, we're living in a world of increasing conflict and tensions.That's certainly the conclusion of the highly respected Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), which found an unprecedented rise in global military spending, the steepest increase since the end of the cold war.SIPRI senior researcher Diego Lopes da Silva joins Venetia Rainey to look at who the biggest spenders are and what's driving the spike in spending. Plus, South Asia analyst Michael Kugelman looks at the growing tensions between nuclear foes India and Pakistan following a brutal attack on Indian tourists in Kashmir. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has vowed a military response, prompting fears of an all-out war. How likely is it and can anyone stop it from escalating?Germany overtakes Britain to become Europe's largest defence spenderThe most dangerous river in the world: Why the Indus could spark WWIIIContact us with feedback or ideasbattlelines@telegraph.co.uk @venetiarainey@RolandOliphanthttps://linktr.ee/BattleLines Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

First, we talk to The Indian Express' Amitabh Sinha about the Indus Waters Treaty which was put on hold by India a day after the Pahalgam terror attack. In this segment, Amitabh talks about the treaty, the significance that it holds and what this means for both the countries.Next, we talk to The Indian Express' Dheeraj Mishra about the upcoming Rishikesh - Karnaprayag railway line. He shares what makes this railway line stand out, talks about an important milestone and how it will improve the economy and tourism of certain remote areas in Uttarakhand. (16:40)Lastly, we speak about the central government's decision to revoke visas of Pakistan nationals residing in India. (25:22)Produced and Hosted by Niharika Nanda and Shashank BhargavaEdited and mixed by Suresh Pawar

Greg Jenner is joined by guests Dr Danika Parikh and comedian Ahir Shah in the Bronze Age to explore the ancient Indus civilisation. They take a close look at the terracotta, toilets and even the unicorns of this vast civilisation which was in existence some 2,000 years before Pompeii.This is a radio edit of the original podcast episode. For the full-length version, please look further back in the feed.Research by: Aimee Hinds Scott Written by: Emmie Rose Price-Goodfellow, Aimee Hinds Scott and Greg Jenner Produced by: Emma Nagouse and Greg Jenner Assistant Producer: Emmie Rose Price-Goodfellow Project Management: Isla Matthews Audio Producer: Steve Hankey Executive Editor: Philip Sellars

India has decided to hold the treaty in abeyance in response to the Pahalgam terror attack. Signed in 1960, the treaty has remained untouched by both countries for over six decades.  

Trump is niet blij met de grote Russische aanval op Kyiv. Rusland heeft vannacht de dodelijkste aanval op de Oekraïense hoofdstad in maanden uitgevoerd. Daarbij zijn zeker tien doden gevallen en meer dan 70 mensen gewond geraakt - waaronder ook kinderen. Op Truth Social schrijft Trump: "Vladimir STOP!' Ander nieuws uit The Daily Move: Criminele groepen en geopolitieke dreiging zorgen ervoor dat veiligheid in Nederland niet meer vanzelfsprekend is. Dat stelt de Algemene Inlichtingen en Veiligheidsdienst (AIVD) in haar jaarverslag. De dreiging vanuit Rusland en China wordt steeds groter. Als je niet wil dat jouw gegevens door Meta worden gebruikt om AI te trainen, is het slim om bezwaar te maken. Die oproep doet de Autoriteit Persoonsgegevens. Grote techbedrijven als Meta trainen hun AI namelijk met openbare data en het kan heel goed dat dat met jouw data gebeurt! Het decennialange conflict tussen India en Pakistan lijkt te escaleren. India sluit belangrijke grensovergangen, geeft geen visa meer aan Pakistaanse burgers en heeft het Indus-waterverdrag opgezegd. Aan de andere kant heeft Pakistan ook verdragen met India opgezegd, alle handel met het land stilgelegd en de grenzen gesloten. Aanleiding is een aanslag in de Indiase regio Kashmir eerder deze week, waarbij 26 toeristen om het leven kwamen. India geeft Pakistan de schuld, maar dat land ontkent alle betrokkenheid. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Diplomatic relations between India and Pakistan have rapidly deteriorated following the killings of 26 people in Indian-administered Kashmir. India's government has blamed Pakistan for the attack and introduced a series of measures including the suspension of a water-sharing treaty. Pakistan has said any attempt to limit waters from the Indus would be regarded as an act of war. We hear from a Pakistani minister and a former Indian diplomat.Also on the programme: US President Donald Trump tells Vladimir Putin to stop bombing Ukraine, but Volodymyr Zelensky says "more pressure" needs to be applied on Russia; and why China is sharing its moon rocks with the world.(Photo: A member of the Pakistan Rangers stands at a checkpoint at the Pakistan-India border, as visitors arrive to witness the flag-lowering ceremony, in Wagah, Pakistan, 24 April 2025. Credit: Rahat Dar/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)

India has temporarily paused the Indus Waters Treaty—the water-sharing agreement with Pakistan. The decision came in response to the terror attack in Pahalgam that claimed the lives of 25 tourists and one Kashmiri local. This move could give India the space to expedite key infrastructure projects on its side of the border and rivers that flow here. While the treaty mandates certain obligations, India has also been pushing for amendment to its dispute resolution mechanism. In Episode 1646 of Cut The Clutter, Editor-in-Chief Shekhar Gupta and Deputy Editor Moushumi Das Gupta discuss the implications of this pause, and the potential leverage it offers India.----more----Watch Cut The Clutter episode no 1164 here: https://youtu.be/pVp93u2IgSg

This is the first instance where the Indian government has publicly stated that there is a cross-border link in the Pahalgam attack that left 25 Indians and a foreign national dead.  

Though India has constructed dams and hydro projects on the Indus basin, they are not enough to even utilise the water it is guaranteed under the 1960 Indus Water Treaty.

Pahalgam attack: India suspends Indus Waters Treaty, central to Pakistan Army Chief Asim Munir rant

Specific use of terms; Altars of clay and stone; Abraham's journey; Terah the idolator; Melchizedek (righteous king of peace); Wheat and tares; Abram's vision; Biblical metaphors; Burning smoking furnace; Driving away Vultures?; String whips?; Symbolism; Shepherding; "Lamb heads"; "Tongues"; Gen 15:17; Interpreting dreams and visions; Tree of Life; Sitting in darkness; Buddha; Tree of knowledge reliance; Indus valley flood; "Ur"; Nimrod; Life of Shem; Noah, righteous in his generations; True sons; "Patron"; "person" = legal office; Terah in Joshua 24:2; 1 Chron 1:17; Lk 3:34; Nimrod's system - Gen 10:9; One purse = cauldron = cities of blood; Making God's word of none effect; Multi-meaning words; Covetousness Israel?; Nimrod's benefits; Mystery Babylon; Smoking furnace?; Leaven; FDR?; Image of the beast; Col 3:5; Sin of Sodom; Americans following Nimrod; (dis)respecting persons; Seeing the whole truth; Eph 5:5; Eschewing covetousness; Whore of Revelation; 1 Cor 5:10; Fornicators "of this world"; Nazis?; Defending socialism; Force vs charity; Merchandise of the world; Getting to the end on the right side; Unrighteous mammon; Being sureties for debt; Learning the ways of His kingdom and righteousness; Gaining sight; 1 Cor 5:11; "Railers"; Forgiveness; Temptation of knowledge; Being Christ's candle; Lively stones of the altars; Exercising authority over others; Oppression; Debt; Josh 24:2; Degeneration of society; Leaving judgment to God; Faith; Living network; Identity politics; Fasting; Respecting Nimrod; Terah's governmental duties; Living altars - gatherings of men; Social bonds of society; Honor begets honor; Oligarchies under Nimrod and Egypt; Revelation; Identifying the solution; God as ruling judge; Apotheos; "Son of God"; Christ's peace; Setting the captive free; Finding the Tree of Life; Abraham and Moses and Christ had a different kind of society; Serving other gods; Make your choice.

Enerji Günlüğü Haber Bülteni:Türkiye'nin ve Dünyanın Enerji Gündemienerjigunlugu.net

Supreme Court justices from across the ideological spectrum appeared ready to side with a religious group seeking an unemployment tax exemption, in the first of three church-state disputes on tap in coming weeks. "I thought it was pretty fundamental that we don't treat some religions better than other religions," Justice Elena Kagan said. "And we certainly don't do it based on the content of the religious doctrine that those religions preach." Cases and Controversies hosts Kimberly Robinson and Lydia Wheeler break down arguments in Catholic Charities Bureau v. Wisconsin Labor & Indus., and take a look of some of the court's recent opinions. Do you have feedback on this episode of Cases and Controversies? Give us a call and leave a voicemail at 703-341-3690.

Fixing a time limit of one month, Sugriva dispatches Sushena and others to conduct a search for Sita in the western quarter.Recitation: 00:00 - 09:33Translation:09:37 - 22:33[ Chandrachitra = the modern district of MathuraBahlika = the modern BalkhKuksi = the modern Madhya PradeshThe river Sindhu = today's Indus]

Naseer Memon comes on The Pakistan Experience to discuss why Sindh is protesting the new Canal Project and why there should be no more new canals on Indus.On this deep dive podcast, we discuss the new six canals, the Cholistan Canal Projects, Water Availability, the Indus River System, Water Dispute with India, Karachi's issues, Mangroves, History of Resistance in Sindh, Kalabagh Dam, Sukkur barrage and more.Naseer Memon is a development professional and a consultant on climate change induced natural disasters, community resilience and public policy.Mr. Naseer Memon is the Chief Executive of Strengthening Participatory Organization (SPO) and the Chairperson of National Humanitarian Network (NHN). Mr. Memon is a renowned development professional, who has been working with prominent organizations in humanitarian and development sector, academia and corporate sector of Pakistan for more than 15 years. Mr. Memon has represented NHN on various important forums nationally and internationally i.e. Humanitarian Country Team (HCT), World Humanitarian Summit (WHS) Network of Southern NGOs etc. He has also remained a member of the Review Committee of Central Emergency Response Fund of UNOCHA. Mr. Memon remained as a Member on the Technical Group for the development of a Core Humanitarian Standard and coherent standards architecture. The Group is convened by HAP, People In Aid and the Sphere Project on the development of a Core Humanitarian Standard (CHS) and a coherent standards architecture for the sector.The Pakistan Experience is an independently produced podcast looking to tell stories about Pakistan through conversations. Please consider supporting us on Patreon:https://www.patreon.com/thepakistanexperienceTo support the channel:Jazzcash/Easypaisa - 0325 -2982912Patreon.com/thepakistanexperienceAnd Please stay in touch:https://twitter.com/ThePakistanExp1https://www.facebook.com/thepakistanexperiencehttps://instagram.com/thepakistanexpeperienceThe podcast is hosted by comedian and writer, Shehzad Ghias Shaikh. Shehzad is a Fulbright scholar with a Masters in Theatre from Brooklyn College. He is also one of the foremost Stand-up comedians in Pakistan and frequently writes for numerous publications. Instagram.com/shehzadghiasshaikhFacebook.com/Shehzadghias/Twitter.com/shehzad89Chapters:0:00 Introduction1:30 What are the six canals?5:25 Understanding the Cholistan Canal Project7:48 Water availability10:00 Understanding the indus River System19:24 Water dispute with India24:20 Quality of Water and Manchar Lake31:48 Canals ka issue Karachi ka bhi issue hay42:00 Kya Pani Samandar mai Zaya hojata hay?47:09 Mangroves55:30 Why does the state not care about Sindh?1:00:05 Sindh Card wala propaganda kyon maan leyte hain log?1:06:00 Why is there such a history of resistance in Sindh?1:20:00 Zardari, PPP and the future of this canal project1:25:45 Political alternatives to PPP in Sindh1:28:00 Kalabagh dam1:33:00 Indus Water Treaty1:36:30 Potential Solutions and Alternatives1:42:00 Sukkur Barrage1:45:12 Audience QuestionsJoin this channel to get access to perks:https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC44l9XMwecN5nSgIF2Dvivg/join

Caste and Varna System in Hindu Society: A Webinar for Indus University

A long time ago, there was a massive civilization in Illinois, way before Europeans ever arrived. It was called Cahokia, and at its peak, around 20,000 people lived there—making it bigger than London at the time! They built giant mounds, some as tall as a ten-story building, and had a complex society with trade, religion, and even sports. But then, something mysterious happened, and by the 1400s, the city was abandoned. Some say it was climate change, others think war or disease played a role, but no one knows for sure. Today, the mounds are still there, keeping the secrets of this lost civilization buried beneath them.

This episode we will finish up the travels of Xuanzang, who circumnavigated the Indian subcontinent while he was there, spending over a decade and a half travelings, visiting important Buddhist pilgrimage sites, and studying at the feet of learned monks of India, and in particular at Nalanda monastery--a true center of learning from this period. For more, check out our blogpost page:  https://sengokudaimyo.com/podcast/episode-122 Rough Transcript Welcome to Sengoku Daimyo's Chronicles of Japan.  My name is Joshua and this is episode 122:  Journey to the West, Part 3 The courtyard at Nalanda was quiet.  Although hundreds of people were crowded in, trying to hear what was being said, they were all doing their best to be silent and still.  Only the wind or an errant bird dared speak up.  The master's voice may not have been what it once was—he was definitely getting on in years—but Silabhadra's mind was as sharp as ever. At the front of the crowd was a relatively young face from a far off land.  Xuanzang had made it to the greatest center of learning in the world, and he had been accepted as a student of perhaps the greatest sage of his era.  Here he was, receiving lessons on some of the deepest teachings of the Mahayana Buddhist sect, the very thing he had come to learn and bring home. As he watched and listened with rapt attention, the ancient teacher began to speak….   For the last two episodes, and continuing with this one, we have been covering the travels of the monk Xuanzang in the early 7th century, starting around 629 and concluding in 645.  Born during the Sui dynasty, Xuanzang felt that the translations of the Buddhist sutras available in China were insufficient—many of them had been made long ago, and often were translations of translations.  Xuanzang decided to travel to India in the hopes of getting copies in the original language to provide more accurate translations of the sutras, particularly the Mahayana sutras.  His own accounts of his journeys, even if drawn from his memory years afterwards, provide some of our most detailed contemporary evidence of the Silk Road and the people and places along the way.  After he returned, he got to work on his translations, and became quite famous.  Several of the Japanese students of Buddhism who traveled to the Tang dynasty in the 650s studied under him directly and brought his teachings back to Japan with them.  His school of “Faxiang” Buddhism became known in Japan as the Hosso sect, and was quite popular during the 7th and 8th centuries.  Xuanzang himself, known as Genjou in Japan, would continue to be venerated as an important monk in the history of Buddhism, and his travels would eventually be popularized in fantastic ways across East Asia. Over the last couple of episodes we talked about Xuanzang's illegal and harrowing departure from the Tang empire, where he had to sneak across the border into the deserts of the Western Regions.  We then covered his time traveling from Gaochang, to Suyab, and down to Balkh, in modern Afghanistan.  This was all territory under the at least nominal control of the Gokturk empire.  From Balkh he traveled to Bamyan, and then on to Kapisa, north of modern Kabul, Afghanistan.  However, after Kapisa, Xuanzang was finally entering into the northern territories of what he knew as “India”, or “Tianzhu”. Here I would note that I'm using “India” to refer not to a single country, but to the entirety of the Indian subcontinent, and all of the various kingdoms there -- including areas now part of the modern countries of Afghanistan, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka.  The Sinitic characters used to denote this region are pronounced, today, as “Tianzhu”, with a rough meaning of “Center of Heaven”, but it is likely that these characters were originally pronounced in such a way that the name likely came from terms like “Sindhu” or “Induka”.  This is related to the name of the Sindh or Indus river, from which India gets its name.  Xuanzang's “Record of the Western Regions” notes that the proper pronunciation of the land should be “Indu”.  In Japan, this term was transmitted through the Sinitic characters, or kanji, and pronounced as “Tenjiku”.  Since it featured so prominently in the stories of the life of the Buddha and many of the Buddhist sutras, Tenjiku was known to the people of the Japanese archipelago as a far off place that was both real and fantastical. In the 12th century, over a thousand stories were captured for the “Konjaku Monogatarishu”, or the “Collection of Tales Old and New”, which is divided up into tales from Japan, China, and India.  In the famous 9th or 10th century story, “Taketori Monogatari”, or the “Bamboo-Cutter's Tale”, about princess Kaguya hime, one of the tasks the princess sets to her suitors is to go to India to find the begging bowl of the Buddha.  Records like those produced by Xuanzang and his fellow monks, along with the stories in the sutras, likely provided the majority of what people in the Japanese archipelago knew about India, at least to begin with. Xuanzang talks about the land of India as being divided into five distinct parts—roughly the north, south, east, west, and center.  He notes that three sides face the sea and that the Snow Mountains—aka the Himalayas—are in the north.  It is, he says, “Wide in the north and narrow in the south, in the shape of a crescent moon”.  Certainly the “Wide in the north and narrow in the south” fit the subcontinent accurately enough, and it is largely surrounded by the waters of what we know as the Indian Ocean to the west, the east, and the south.  The note about the Crescent Moon might be driven by Xuanzang's understanding of a false etymology for the term “Indus”, which he claims comes from the word for “moon”.  Rather, this term appears to refer to the Indus River, also known as the Sindh or Sindhus, which comes from an ancient word meaning something like “River” or “Stream”. Xuanzang also notes that the people of the land were divided into castes, with the Brahman caste at the top of the social hierarchy.    The land was further divided into approximately 70 different countries, according to his accounts.  This is known broadly as the Early Medieval period, in India, in which the region was divided into different kingdoms and empires that rose and fell across the subcontinent, with a total size roughly equivalent to that covered by the countries of the modern European Union.  Just like Europe, there were many different polities and different languages spoken across the land – but just as Latin was the common language in Europe, due to its use in Christianity, Sanskrit was the scholarly and religious language in much of India, and could also be used as a bridge language.  Presumably, Xuanzang understood Sanskrit to some extent as a Buddhist monk.  And, just a quick note, all of this was before the introduction of Islam, though there were other religions also practiced throughout the subcontinent, but Xuanzang was primarily focused on his Buddhist studies. Xuanzang describes India as having three distinct seasons—The hot season, the rainy season, and the cold season, in that order.  Each of these were four month long periods.  Even today, the cycle of the monsoon rains is a major impact on the life of people in South Asia.  During the rainy season, the monks themselves would retreat back to their monasteries and cease their wanderings about the countryside. This tradition, called “Vassa”, is still a central practice in many Theravada Buddhist societies such as Thailand and Laos today, where they likewise experience this kind of intensely wet monsoon season. Xuanzang goes on to give an in depth analysis of the people and customs of the Indian subcontinent, as he traveled from country to country. So, as we've done before, we'll follow his lead in describing the different locations he visited. The first country of India that Xuanzang came to was the country of Lampa, or Lamapaka, thought to be modern Laghman province in Afghanistan.  At the time it was a dependency of Kapisa.  The Snow Mountains, likely meaning the Hindu Kush, the western edge of the Himalayas, lay at its north, while the “Black Mountains” surrounded it on the other three sides.  Xuanzang mentions how the people of Lampa grow non-glutinous rice—likely something similar to basmati rice, which is more prevalent in South Asian cuisine, as compared to glutinous rice like more often used in East Asia. From Lampa he headed to Nagarahara, likely referring to a site near the Kabul River associated with the ruins of a stupa called Nagara Gundi, about 4 kilometers west of modern Jalalabad, Afghanistan.  This was another vassal city-state of Kapisa.  They were still Mahayana Buddhists, but there were other religions as well, which Xuanzang refers to as “heretical”, though I'm not entirely sure how that is meant in this context.  He does say that many of the stupas were dilapidated and in poor condition. Xuanzang was now entering areas where he likely believed the historical Buddha had once walked.  In fact, Lampa was perhaps the extent of historical Buddha's travels, according to the stories and the sutras, though this seems unlikely to have been true.  The most plausible locations for the Historical Buddha's pilgrimages were along the Ganges river, which was on the other side of the subcontinent, flowing east towards modern Kolkatta and the Bengal Bay.  However, as Buddhism spread, so, too, did stories of the Buddha's travels.  And so, as far as Xuanzang was concerned, he was following in the footsteps of the Buddha. Speaking of which, at Nagarahara, Xuanzang mentions “footprints” of the Buddha.  This is a Buddhist tradition found in many places.  Xuanzang claims that the Tathagatha, the Englightened One, or the Buddha, would fly, because when he walked the land itself shook.  Footprint shapes in rock could be said to be evidence of the Buddha's travels.  Today, in many Buddhist areas you can find footprints carved into rock conforming to stories about the Buddha, such as all the toes being of the same length, or other various signs.  These may have started out as natural depressions in the rock, or pieces of artwork, but they were believed by many to be the actual point at which the Buddha himself touched down.  There are famous examples of these footprints in Sri Lanka, Thailand, and China.  Of course there are also traditions of creating images of the footprint as an object of worship.  Images of footprints, similar to images of the Great Wheel of the Law, may have been some of the earliest images for veneration, as images of the Buddha himself did not appear until much later in the tradition.  One of the oldest such footprints in Japan is at Yakushiji temple, and dated to 753.  It was created based on a rubbing brought back by an envoy to the Tang court, while they were in Chang'an. Like Buddha footprints, there are many other images and stories that show up multiple times in different places, even in Xuanzang's own narrative.  For example, in Nagarahara Xuanzang also shares a story of a cave, where an image of the Buddha could be just barely made out on the wall – maybe maybe an old carving that had just worn away, or maybe an image that was deliberately placed in the darkness as a metaphor for finding the Buddha—finding enlightenment.  This is not an uncommon theme in Buddhism as a whole.  In any case, the story around this image was that it had been placed there to subdue a naga. Now a naga is a mythical snake-like being, and  we are told that this particular naga was the reincarnation of a man who had invoked a curse on the nearby kingdom, then threw himself from a cliff in order to become a naga and sow destruction.  As the story went, the man was indeed reborn, but before he could bring destruction, the Buddha showed up and subdued him, convincing him that this was not right.  And so the naga agreed to stay in the cave, where the Buddha left an image—a shadow—to remind the naga any time that its thoughts might turn to destruction. Later in his travels, at a place name Kausambi, Xuanzang mentions another cave where the Buddha had subdued a venomous dragon and left his shadow on the cave wall.  Allowing for the possibility that the Buddha just had a particular M.O. when dealing with destructive beings, we should also consider the possibility that the story developed in one region—probably closer to the early center of Buddhism, and then traveled outward, such that it was later adopted and adapted to local traditions.  From Nagarahara, Xuanzang continued to the country of Gandhara and its capital city of Purushapura, aka modern Peshwar.  This kingdom was also under vassalage to the Kapisan king.  Here and elsewhere in the journey, Xuanzang notes not only evidence of the historical Buddha, but also monasteries and stupas purported to have been built by King Kanishka and King Asoka.  These were important figures who were held in high regard for spreading Buddhism during their reign.  Continuing through the region of Gandhara, he also passed through Udakhand and the city of Salatura, known as the birthplace of the ancient Sanskrit grammarian, Daksiputra Panini, author of the Astadhyayi [Aestudjayi].  This work is the oldest surviving description of classical Sanskrit, and used grammatical and other concepts that wouldn't be introduced into Western linguistics for eons.  Daksiputra Panini thrived around the 5th or 4th century BCE, but was likely one of the reasons that Sanskrit continued to be used as a language of scholarship and learning even as it died out of usage as the day to day language of the common people.  His works and legacy would have been invaluable to translators like Xuanzang in understanding and translating from Sanskrit. Xuanzang continued on his journey to Kashmira, situated in the Kashmir Valley.  This valley sits between the modern states of Pakistan and India, and its ownership is actively disputed by each.  It is the namesake of the famous cashmere wool—wool from the winter coats of a type of goat that was bred in the mountainous regions.  The winter coat would be made of soft, downy fibers and would naturally fall out in the spring, which the goatherds harvested and made into an extremely fine wool.  In the 7th century and earlier, however, the region was known not as much for its wool, but as a center for Hindu and Buddhist studies.  Xuanzang ended up spending two years in Kashmira studying with teachers there.  Eventually, though, he continued on, passing through the country of Rajpura, and continuing on to Takka and the city of Sakala—modern day Sialkot in the Punjab region of modern Pakistan.  Leaving Sakala, he was traveling with a group when suddenly disaster struck and they were accosted by a group of bandits.  They took the clothes and money of Xuanzang and those with him and then they drove the group into a dry pond in an attempt to corral them while they figured out what they would do—presumably meaning kill them all.  Fortunately for the group, there was a water drain at the southern edge of the pond large enough for one man to pass through.  Xuanzang and one other went through the gap and they were able to escape to a nearby village.  Once they got there, they told the people what had happened, and the villagers quickly gathered weapons and ran out to confront the brigands, who saw a large group coming and ran away.  Thus they were able to rescue the rest of Xuanzang's traveling companions.  Xuanzang's companions were devastated, having lost all of their possessions.  However, Xuanzang comforted them.  After all, they still had their lives.  By this time, Xuanzang had certainly seen his fair share of life and death problems along the road.  They continued on, still in the country of Takka, to the next great city.  There they met a Brahman, and once they told him what had happened, he started marshalling the forces of the city on their behalf.  During Xuanzang's stay in Kashmira, he had built a reputation, and people knew of the quote-unquote “Chinese monk”.  And even though the people in this region were not necessarily Buddhist—many were “heretics” likely referring to those of Hindu faith—the people responded to this pre-Internet “GoFundMe” request with incredible generosity.  They brought Xuanzang food and cloth to make into suits of clothes.  Xuanzang distributed this to his travel companions, and ended up still having enough cloth for 50 suits of clothes himself.  He then stayed at that city a month. It is odd that they don't seem to mention the name of this location.  Perhaps there is something unspeakable about it?  Still, it seems that they were quite generous, even if they were “heretics” according to Xuanzang. From the country of Takka, he next proceeded to the kingdom of Cinabhukti, where he spent 14 months—just over a year—studying with the monks there.  Once he had learned what he could, he proceeded onwards, passing through several countries in northern India until he came to the headwaters of the sacred Ganges rivers.  The Indus and the Ganges rivers are in many ways similar to the Yellow River and Yangzi, at least in regards to their importance to the people of India.  However, whereas the Yellow River and Yangzi both flow east towards the Pacific Ocean, the Indus and Ganges flow in opposite directions.  The Indus flows southwest, from the Himalayas down through modern India into modern Pakistan, emptying into the western Indian Ocean.  The Ganges flows east along the base of the Himalayas and enters the eastern Indian Ocean at Kolkatta.   At the headwaters of the Ganges, Xuanzang found a Buddhist monk named Jayagupta and chose to spend the winter and half of the following spring listening to his sermons and learning at his feet. From there he continued his travels, and ended up being summoned by King Harshavardhana of Kanyakubja, known today as the modern city of Kannauj.  Harshavardhana ruled an immense state that covered much of the territory around the sacred Ganges river.  As word of this strange monk from a far off land reached him, the King wanted to see him for himself.  Xuanzang stayed in Kannauj for three months, completing his studies of the Vibhasha Shastra, aka the Abhidarmma Mahavibhasha Shastra, known in Japanese as the Abidatsuma Daibibasharon, or just as the Daibibasharon or the Basharon, with the latter two terms referring to the translations that Xuanzang performed.   This work is not a sutra, per se, but rather an encyclopedic work that attempted to speak on all of the various doctrinal issues of its day.  It is thought to have been authored around 150 CE, and was influential in the Buddhist teachings of Kashmira, when that was a center of Orthodoxy at the time.  This is what Xuanzang had started studying, and it seems that in Kannauj he was finally able to grasp everything he felt he needed to know about it in order to effectively translate it and teach it when he returned.  That said, his quest was not over.  And after his time in Kannauj, he decided to continue on. His next stop was at the city of Ayodhya.  This was—and is—a city of particular importance in Hindu traditions.  It is said to be the city mentioned in the epic tale known as the Ramayana, though many argue that it was simply named that later in honor of that ancient city.  It does appear to be a city that the historical Buddha, Siddhartha Gautama, visited and where he preached.  It was also the home of a famous monk from Gandhara who authored a number of Buddhist tomes and was considered, at least by Xuanzang, a proper Boddhisatva.  And so Xuanzang spent some time paying homage to the places where the Buddha and other holy figures had once walked. “Ayodhya” appears in many forms across Asia.  It is a major pilgrimage center, and the city of “Ayutthaya” in Thailand was named for it, evoking the Ramayana—known in Thai as the Ramakien—which they would adopt as their own national story.  In Silla, there is a story that queen Boju, aka Heo Hwang-ok, wife to the 2nd century King Suro of Geumgwan Gaya, traveled to the peninsula all the way from the foreign country of “Ayuta”, thought to mean Ayodhya.  Her story was written down in the Gaya histories and survives as a fragment found in the Samguk Yusa.  Members of the Gimhae Kim, Gimhae Heo, and Incheon Yi clans all trace their lineage back to her and King Suro. From Ayodhya, Xuanzang took a trip down the Ganges river.  The boat was packed to bursting with some 80 other travelers, and as they traveled towards a particularly heavily forested area, they were set upon by bandits, who rowed their ships out from hiding in the trees and forced the travelers to the shore.  There the bandits made all the travelers strip down and take off their clothing so that the bandits could search for gold or valuables.  According to Xuanzang's biography, these bandits were followers of Durga, a Hindu warrior-goddess, and it is said that each year they would look for someone of particularly handsome features to sacrifice to her.  With Xuanzang's foreign features, they chose him.  And so they took him to be killed.  Xuanzang mentioned that he was on a pilgrimage, and that by interrupting him before they finished he was worried it might be inauspicious for them, but he didn't put up a fight and merely asked to be given time to meditate and calm his mind and that they perform the execution quickly so that he wouldn't even notice. From there, according to the story, a series of miracles occurred that ended up with Xuanzang being released and the bandits worshipping at his feet.  It is times like this we must remember that this biography was being written by Xuanzang's students based on stories he told them about his travels.  While being accosted by bandits on the river strikes me as perfectly plausible, we don't necessarily have the most reliable narrators, so I'm going to have to wonder about the rest.  Speaking of unreliable narration, the exact route that Xuanzang traveled from here on is unclear to me, based on his stated goals and where he was going.  It is possible that he was wandering as opportunities presented themselves —I don't know that he had any kind of map or GPS, like we've said in the past.  And it may be that the routes from one place to another were not always straightforward.  Regardless, he seems to wander southeast for a period before turning again to the north and eventually reaching the city of Shravasti. Shravasti appeared in our discussion of the men of Tukhara in Episode 119.  With the men of Tukhara there was also mentioned a woman from Shravasti.  While it is unlikely that was actually the case—the names were probably about individuals from the Ryukyuan island chain rather than from India—it is probably worth nothing that Shravasti was a thriving place in ancient times.  It was at one time the capital city of the kingdom of Kosala, sharing that distinction with the city of Ayodhya, back in the 7th to 5th centuries BCE.  It is also where the historical Buddha, Siddhartha Gautama, was said to have spend many years of his life.  This latter fact would have no doubt made it a place of particular importance to Xuanzang on his journeys. From there he traveled east, ending up following the foothills of the Himalayas, and finally came to some of the most central pilgrimages sites for followers of the historical Buddha.  First, he reached Lumbini wood, in modern Nepal, said to have been the birthplace of Prince Siddhartha Gautama, the Buddha.  And then he visited Kushinagara, the site where the Buddha ascended to nirvana—in other words, the place where he passed away.  From there, he traveled to Varanasi, and the deer park monastery, at the place where the Buddha is said to have given one of his most famous sermons.  He even visited the Bodhi tree, the tree under which Siddhartha Gautama is said to have attained enlightenment.  He spent eight or nine days there at Bodhgaya, and word must have spread about his arrival, because several monks from the eminent Nalanda Monastery called upon him and asked him to come to the monastery with them. Nalanda Monastery was about 80 km from Bodhgaya.  This was a grand monastery and center of learning—some say that it was, for a time, the greatest in the world.  It had been founded in the 5th century by the Gupta dynasty, and many of the Gupta rulers and others donated to support the monastery, which also acted as a university.  After the fall of the Gupta dynasty, the monastery was supported by King Harsha of Kannauj, whom Xuanzang had visited earlier.  It ultimately thrived for some 750 years, and is considered by some to be the oldest residential university—meaning that students would come to the temple complex and stay in residence for years at a time to study.  According to Xuanzang, Nalanda hosted some 10,000 monks. Including hosts and guests.  They didn't only study Buddhist teachings, but also logic, grammar, medicine, and divination.  Lectures were given at more than 100 separate places—or classrooms—every day.  It was at Nalanda, that Xuanzang would meet the teacher Silabhadra, who was known as the Right Dharma Store.  Xuanzang requested that he be allowed to study the Yogacharabhumi Shastra—the Yugashijiron, in Japanese.  This is the work that Xuanzang is said to have been most interested in, and one of the works that he is credited with bringing back in one of the first full translations to the Tang dynasty and then to others in East Asia.  It is an encyclopedic work dedicated to the various forms of Yogacara practice, which focuses on the mental disciplines, and includes yoga and meditation practices.  It has a huge influence on nearly all Mahayana schools, including things like the famous Zen and Pure Land schools of Buddhism.  The Yogacharabhumi Shastra is the earliest such encyclopedic work, compiled between the 3rd and 5th centuries—so even if the monk Faxian had brought portions of it back, it was probably not in the final form that Xuanzang was able to access. Silabhadra, for his part, was an ancient teacher—some put his age at 106 years, and his son was in his 70s.  He was one of the few at Nalandra who supposedly knew all of the various texts that they had at the monastery, including the Yogacarabhumi Shastra.  Xuanzang seems to have been quite pleased to study under him.  Xuanzang stayed at the house of Silabhadra's son, Buddhabhadra, and they welcomed him with entertainment that lasted seven days.  We are told that he was then given his own lodgings, a stipend of spices, incense, rice, oil, butter, and milk, along with a servant and a Brahman.  As a visiting monk, he was not responsible for the normal monastic duties, instead being expected to spend the time in study.  Going out, he was carried around by an elephant.   This was certainly the royal treatment. Xuanzang's life at Nalandra wasn't all books: south of the monastery was the city of Rajagrha, the old capital of the kingdom of Magadha, where the ancient Gupta kings had once lived, and on occasional breaks from his studies, Xuanzang would venture out to see the various holy sites.  This included the famous Mt. Grdhrakuta, or Vulture Peak, a location said to be favored by the historical Buddha and central to the Lotus Sutra, arguably the founding document of Mahayana Buddhist tradition. After all, “Mahayana” means “Greater Vehicle” and it is in the Lotus Sutra that we see the metaphor of using different vehicles to escape a burning house.   We've already talked a bit about how the image of Vulture Peak had already become important in Japanese Buddhism: In Episode 112 we talked about how in 648, Abe no Oho-omi had drums piled up at Shitennoji in the shape of Vulture Peak. But although the sightseeing definitely enhanced his experience, Xuanzang was first and foremost there to study.  He spent 15 months just listening to his teacher expound on the Yogacarabhumi Shastra, but he also heard expositions on various other teachings as well.  He ended up studying at Nalandra Monastery for 5 years, gaining a much better understanding of Sanskrit and the various texts, which would be critically important when it came to translating them, later. But, Xuanzang was not one to stay in any one place forever, and so after 5 years—some 8 years or more into his journey, he continued on, following the Ganges east, to modern Bangladesh.  Here he heard about various other lands, such as Dvarapati—possibly referring to Dvaravati, in modern Thailand, as well as Kamalanka and Isanapura.  The latter was in modern Cambodia, the capital of the ancient Chenla kingdom.  Then Mahacampa—possibly referring to the Champa region of Vietnam—and the country of Yamanadvipa.  But there was still more of India for Xuanzang to discover, and more teachings to uncover, and so Xuanzang decided instead to head southwest, following the coast.  He heard of the country of Sinhala, referring to the island of Sri Lanka, but he was urged not to go by ship, as the long journey was perilous.  Instead he could stay on relatively dry land and head down to the southern tip of the subcontinent and then make a quick hop from there across to the island.  He traveled a long distance, all the way down to Kancipuram, the seat of the Pallava dynasty, near modern day Chennai.  From the seaport near Kancipuram, it was only three days to Sinhala—that is to say Sri Lanka—but before he could set out, he met a group of monks who had just arrived.  They told him that the king of Sinhala had died , and there was a great famine and civil disturbances.  So they had fled with some 300 other monks. Xuanzang eventually decided not to make the journey, but he did talk with the monks and gathered information on the lands to the south, on Sri Lanka, and on the islands south of that, by which I suspect he may have meant the Maldives.  While Sri Lanka is an area important to Buddhist scholarship, particularly to the Theravada schools, this likely did not impress Xuanzang, and indeed he seemed to feel that his studies in Nalanda had more than provided him what he needed.  Sri Lanka, however, is the source of the Pali canon, one of the most complete early canons of Buddhism, which had a huge influence on Theravada Buddhism in Southeast Asia and elsewhere. So Xuanzang took plenty of notes but decided to forego the ocean voyage and headed northwest, instead.  He traveled across the breadth of India to Gujarat, and then turned back east, returning to pay respects once more to his teacher in Nalanda.  While there he heard of another virtuous monk named Prajnabhadra at a nearby monastery.  And so he went to spend several months with him, as well.  He also studied with a layman, Sastrin Jayasena, at Stickwood Hill.  Jayasena was a ksatriya, or nobleman, by birth, and studied both Buddhist and non-Buddhist texts.  He was courted by kings, but had left to continue his studies.  Xuanzang studied with him for another couple of years. Xuanzang remained at Nalanda, learning and teaching, expounding on what he had learned and gathering many copies of the various documents that he wished to take back with him, though he wondered how he might do it.  In the meantime, he also acquired quite the reputation.  We are told that King Siladitya had asked Nalanda for monks who could refute Theravada teachings, and Xuanzang agreed to go.  It isn't clear, but it seems that “Siladitya” was a title, and likely referred to King Harsha of Kannauj, whom we mentioned earlier.  Since he was a foreigner, then there could be no trouble that was brought on Nalanda and the other monks if he did poorly.  While he was waiting to hear back from Siladitya's court, which was apparently taking time to arrange things, the king of Kamarupta reached out to Nalanda with a request that Xuanzang come visit them.  While Xuanzang was reluctant to be gone too long, he was eventually encouraged to go and assuage the king. Kamarupta was a kingdom around the modern Assam region, ruled by King Bhaskaravarman, also known as King Kumara, a royal title.  This kingdom included parts of Bangladesh, Bhutan, and Nepal.  Bhaskaravarman, like so many other regents, seems to have been intrigued by the presence of this foreign monk, who had traveled all this way and who had studied at the famous Nalanda Monastery in Magadha. He invited Xuanzang to come to him.  Xuanzang's teacher, Silabhadra, had exhorted him to spread the right Dharma, and to even go to those non-Buddhists in hopes that they might be converted, or at least partially swayed. King Bhaskaravarman was quite taken with Xuanzang, wining and dining him while listening to him preach.  While there, Xuanzang learned about the country of Kamarupta.  He also learned about a path north, by which it was said it was a two month journey to arrive at the land of Shu, in the Sichuan Basin, on the upper reaches of the Yangzi – a kind of shortcut back to the Tang court.  However, the journey was treacherous—possibly even more treacherous than the journey to India had been. Eventually word reached the ears of King Siladitya that Xuanzang was at the court of King Bhaskaravarman, and Siladitya got quite upset.  Xuanzang had not yet come to *his* court, so Siladitya demanded that Bhaskaravarman send the monk to him immediately.  Bhaskaravarman refused, saying he'd rather give Siladitya his own head, which Siladitya said he would gladly accept.  Bhaskaravarman realized he may have miscalculated, and so he sailed up the Ganges with a host of men and Xuanzang to meet with Siladitya.  After a bit of posturing, Siladitya met with Xuanzang, who went with him, and eventually confronted the members of the Theravada sect in debate.  Apparently it almost got ugly, but for the King's intervention.  After a particularly devastating critique of the Theravada position, the Theravada monks are blamed for trying to use violence against Xuanzang and his fellow Mahayana monks from Nalanda, who were prepared to defend themselves.  The King had to step in and break it up before it went too far. Ultimately, Xuanzang was a celebrity at this point and both kings seem to have supported him, especially as he was realizing it was about time to head back to his own country.  Both kings was offered ships, should Xuanzang wish to sail south and then up the coast.  However, Xuanzang elected to take the northern route, hoping to go back through Gaochang, and see that city and its ruler again.  And so the Kings gave him money and valuables , along with wagons for all of the texts.  They also sent an army to protect all of the treasures, and even an elephant and more – sending him back in style with a huge send-off. So Xuanzang retraced his earlier steps, this time on an elephant.  He traveled back to Taxila, to Kashmir, and beyond.  He was invited to stay in Kashmira, but because of his retinue, he wasn't quite at leisure to just go where he wanted.  At one point, near Kapisa—modern Bagram, north of Kabul—they had to cross a river, and about 50 of the almost 700 documents were lost.  The King of Kapisa heard of this and had his own monks make copies to replace them based on their own schools.  The King of Kasmira, hearing that he was in Kapisa, also came to pay his respects. Xuanzang traveled with the King of Kapisa northwest for over a month and reached Lampaka, where he did take some time to visit the various holy sites before continuing northwest.  They had to cross the Snow Mountains—the outskirts of the Himalayas, and even though it wasn't the highest part of the range it was still challenging.  He had to dismount his elephant and travel on foot.  Finally, after going over the high mountains and coming down, he arrived back in the region of Tukhara, in the country of Khowst.  He then came to Kunduz, and paid his respects to the grandson of Yehu Khan.  He was given more guards to escort him eastward, traveling with some merchants.  This was back in Gokturk controlled lands, over a decade later than when he had last visited.  He continued east to Badakshan, stopping there for a month because of the cold weather and snow.  He eventually traveled through the regions of Tukhara and over the Pamir range.  He came down on the side of the Tarim Basin, and noted how the rivers on one side flowed west, while on the other side they flowed east.  The goings were treacherous, and at one point they were beset by bandits.  Though he and the documents were safe, his elephant panicked and fled into the river and drowned.  He eventually ended up in the country of Kashgar, in modern Xinjiang province, at the western edge of the Taklamakan desert. From there he had two options.  He could go north and hug the southern edge of the Tianshan mountains, or he could stay to the south, along the northern edge of the Himalayan range and the Tibetan plateau.  He chose to go south.  He traveled through Khotan, a land of wool and carpets.  This was a major trade kingdom, and they also grew mulberry trees for silkworms, and were known for their jade.  The king himself heard of Xuanzang and welcomed him, as many others had done.  While he was staying at the Khotanese capital, Xuanzang penned a letter to the Tang court, letting them know of his journey, and that he was returning.  He sent it with some merchants and a man of Gaochang to deliver it to the court. Remember, Xuanzang had left the Tang empire illegally.  Unless he wanted to sneak back in his best hope was that the court was willing to forgive and forget all of that, given everything that he was bringing back with him.  The wait was no doubt agonizing, but he did get a letter back.  It assured him that he was welcome back, and that all of the kingdoms from Khotan back to the governor of Dunhuang had been made aware and were ready to receive him. With such assurances, Xuanzang packed up and headed out.  The king of Khotan granted him more gifts to help see him on his way.  Nonetheless, there was still a perilous journey ahead.  Even knowing the way, the road went through miles and miles of desert, such that in some places you could only tell the trail by the bleached bones of horses and travelers who had not been so fortunate.  Eventually, however, Xuanzang made it to the Jumo River and then on to Dunhuang, from whence he was eventually escorted back to the capital city. It was now the year 645, the year of the Isshi Incident in Yamato and the death of Soga.  Xuanzang had been gone for approximately 16 years.  In that time, the Tang had defeated the Gokturks and taken Gaochang, expanding their control over the trade routes in the desert.  Xuanzang, for his part, was bringing back 657 scriptures, bound in 520 bundles carried by a train of some 20 horses.  He was given a hero's welcome, and eventually he would be set up in a monastery where he could begin the next part of his journey:  Translating all of these books. This was the work of a lifetime, but it is one that would have a profound impact on Buddhism across East Asia.  Xuanzang's translations would revolutionize the understanding of Mahayana Buddhist teachings, and students would come from as far away as the Yamato court to study under him and learn from the teacher who studied and taught at none other than Nalanda monastery itself.  His school would become popular in the Yamato capital, and the main school of several temples, at least for a time.  In addition, his accounts and his biography would introduce many people to the wider world of central and south Asia.  While I could go on, this has already been a story in three parts, and this is, after all, the Chronicles of Japan, so we should probably tune back into what is going on with Yamato.  Next episode, we'll look at one of the most detailed accounts we have of a mission to Chang'an. Until then, I hope that this has been enjoyable.  Xuanzang's story is one of those that isn't just about him, but about the interconnected nature of the entire world at the time.  While his journey is quite epic, there were many people traveling the roads, though most of them didn't write about it afterwards.  People, artifacts, and ideas traveled much greater distances than we often consider at this time, well before any kind of modern travel.  It was dangerous, but often lucrative, and it meant that various regions could have influence well beyond what one might expect. And so, thank you once again for listening and for all of your support. If you like what we are doing, please tell your friends and feel free to rate us wherever you listen to podcasts.  If you feel the need to do more, and want to help us keep this going, we have information about how you can donate on Patreon or through our KoFi site, ko-fi.com/sengokudaimyo, or find the links over at our main website,  SengokuDaimyo.com/Podcast, where we will have some more discussion on topics from this episode. Also, feel free to reach out to our Sengoku Daimyo Facebook page.  You can also email us at the.sengoku.daimyo@gmail.com.  Thank you, also, to Ellen for their work editing the podcast. And that's all for now.  Thank you again, and I'll see you next episode on Sengoku Daimyo's Chronicles of Japan

Exactly a month into his new term, President Donald Trump's latest major pick, Kash Patel, has been appointed as the Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation after a grueling confirmation in the US Senate. Tulsi Gabbard had earlier been confirmed as the Director of National Intelligence. Both these are positive from India's point of view: they signal that the sinister Deep State may well be reined in, after decades of anti-India activism on its part.Over the last week or two, there have been revelations after revelations of bad faith on the part of the disgraced US establishment, most notably in the shadowy USAID agency, which, it appears, was the absolute “Heart of Darkness” of the Deep State, neck-deep in covert operations, election interference, and general mayhem all over the world, and certainly in India.Trump himself emphasized that $21 million in covert funds had gone towards affecting election outcomes in India. Presumably the reduced majority Modi got in 2024 could be traced back to this. Fortress AmericaThe general contours of Trump's foreign policy are beginning to emerge. I predicted a month ago, before Trump had taken over, in ‘Greenland, Canada, Panama: Chronicles of a Foreign Policy Foretold', that Western Europe, and the United Kingdom in particular, would find themselves treated as irrelevant to the new order to come. That has happened.In fact, things have gone beyond what I anticipated. In a nutshell, Trump is downgrading the Atlantic, and his focus will be on the Americas, the Middle East, and the Indo-Pacific. Which, from a historical perspective, makes sense: the world's economic center of gravity is moving towards Asia; trade flows in the Pacific and the Indian Oceans are increasingly more important than in the Atlantic; and a few centuries of European domination are pretty much over.Sorry Europe, Atlanticism is at an endTo put it bluntly, the vanity that Europe is a ‘continent' is now being exposed as hollow: to be precise, it is merely an appendage, an outpost, to vast Asia. Europe is at best a subcontinent, like India is; it should probably be renamed as ‘Northwest Asia'. The saga of ‘Guns, Germs and Steel' post the Industrial Revolution is winding down rapidly. There is some schadenfreude in that the UK becomes even more irrelevant: just a small, rainy island off NW Asia.The Putin-Trump dialog suggests that Ukraine, and even NATO, are now superfluous. Atlanticism has been a constant in US foreign policy, mostly pushed by two forces:* Eastern European-origin State Department officials who have inherited a blood-feud with Russia from their ancestors, eg. Brzezinski, Albright, Nuland, Blinken, Vindman* an ancient intra-Christian schism between the Eastern Orthodox Church and (for a change) an alliance of Roman Catholics and Western Protestants like Lutherans, Anglicans and Calvinists.It is time that the Americans realized they've been turned into cats'-paws by these forces, and turned their backs on these ancient animosities, which have almost no relevance today. In fact one could argue that a NATO-Russian alliance is the right solution in the medium term, because otherwise both could become puppets of China. Bringing the Ukraine war to an end is a start.The general tone of the Trump White House implies a Fortress America. In practice, this seems to mean that instead of being Globocop, the US focuses on a) the Americas, North and South, b) the Pacific Ocean, d) the Indian Ocean, in that order.A new Monroe Doctrine in the AmericasThe attention being paid to Canada and Mexico over and above the tariffs issues suggests that there is a plan to create a stronger and more unified North American entity; the noises about “Canada the 51st state” and “Gulf of America” suggest that maybe a new NAFTA-style agreement could be inked, especially now that the warming Arctic Ocean makes the thawing tundra of Canada more appealing.It is true that there is no immediate thrust for a Monroe Doctrine-style exclusive US ‘sphere of influence' in South America, but I suspect it is coming. Already, there have been positive vibes between Trump and Argentina's Milei, and Salvador's Bukele: the former for his DOGE-style chainsaw-wielding that's showing results, and the latter for his strong law enforcement.The Island Chains and other red lines in the PacificIn the Pacific, there has been pushback against China's moves on the Panama Canal: there are two Hong-Kong-based entities (read proxies of the Chinese government) controlling ports around it: Balboa on the Pacific side, and Cristobal on the Atlantic side.On the other hand, there is increasing global support (with the judicious use of Chinese carrots such as BRI) for the annexation of Taiwan by China, including, if necessary, by force. A Lowy Institute study (“Five One Chinas: The Contest to Define Taiwan”) suggests that some 119 UN member states accept the official Chinese position on ‘reunification'. Only 40 countries are not on board with China's claim of sovereignty over Taiwan.It is very likely that there will be a showdown between the US and China over Taiwan, within the next two years. It is said that Xi Jinping has given a timeframe of 2027 for all this. It will be interesting to see how many states that condemned Russia's invasion of Ukraine will condemn China's future attack on Taiwan. Chances are that many will be strategically silent.Japan, Australia, South Korea and other friends of the US will have a hard time keeping the peace in the Pacific. The “Three Island Chains” act as increasingly critical red lines to contain an aggressive China. In fact, the Asia Maritime Initiative is speaking of five island chains (“China's Reach Has Grown, So Should the Island Chains”), including those in the Indian Ocean (remember the “String of Pearls” intended to tighten around India's throat).The three island chains: 1. Taiwan, Japan, Philippines; 2. Guam, Marianas; 3. Hawaii(Source: China is making waves in the Pacific, Alexandra Tirziu, Jan 2024 https://www.gisreportsonline.com/r/china-pacific-conflict/)Meanwhile, in a show of aggression far from its shores, three Chinese warships indulged in “live firing” in international waters between Australia and New Zealand, and commercial aircraft were warned to keep away. This is a warning to Australia, which, thanks to AUKUS foolishness, cancelled French submarines and now await British submarines… in the 2040s.The increasing relevance of the Indian Ocean and the Middle EastMuch of the world's trade, including 75% of global maritime trade and 50% of its daily oil shipments, go through the Indian Ocean.The main issues will be the control of the Straits of Malacca and Hormuz, and the alternative routes being explored by China via the Isthmus of Kra in Thailand, possible use of Coco Islands and other Myanmarese ports including Sittwe and (a bit of a stretch for China) access to Chittagong. There are also troublesome pirates, including Houthis, that make for perilous journeys leading to the Suez Canal, the Gulf of Aden, and the Red Sea.Interestingly, the US is making moves in the Indian Ocean that will support both the IMEC (India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor) and I2U2, the India-Israel-UAE-US economic partnership. IMEC is the old Spice Route, revivified.There is also the proposed Ben-Gurion Canal through the Negev Desert in Israel that would benefit Saudi Arabia as well (its futuristic NEOM city is nearby), and this would be made feasible by Trump's proposed transformation of Gaza. It would be an alternative to Suez.Following up on the Abraham Accords, Trump 2.0 would like to bring the Gaza war to an end, and create an environment in the Middle East where Israel, Saudi Arabia, the UAE et al will form a counter and a buffer to the machinations of Iran and Turkey.The Indo-US joint communique is a statement of intentIt is in this global context that we need to analyze the joint communique between the US and India after the Trump-Modi summit. Both nations will be attempting to advance their own strategic doctrines. The US would like India to become a non-treaty ally. India would like to keep its multi-alignment policy going, along with Atmanirbharatha. These may make any bilateral progress a little rough but some give and take will work.There are a few specific areas of interest:* Defense* There is an effort by the US to wean India away from its dependency on Russia for weapons. The most evident carrot here is the F-35 advanced fighter jet, which has now been offered to India for the first time, along with other conventional weapons such as Javelin anti-tank missiles, Stryker infantry combat vehicles, as well as the P8i Poseidon anti-submarine patrol aircraft, and various drones* The P8i is already in service in India, and it would help keep an eye on the southern Bay of Bengal with its proximity to China's submarine pen on Hainan Island* The F-35 raises some questions. In the Bangalore Air Show it was pitted against the Russian Su-57, which is a lot less expensive. Also, the F-35 needs extraordinary levels of maintenance for its ‘stealth' coating. Finally, should India invest in building its own AMCA 5th-generation fighter jet rather than buying?* Even though there will be co-production agreements, the US is a whimsical supplier (remember Tarapur), and there will be little transfer of technology, so military procurement and cooperation must be carefully thought through by India* Trade and Investment* The goal is to reach $500 billion in bilateral trade by 2030, which would involve a doubling from current levels ($200 billion in 2023). Besides, the Trump doctrine of reciprocal tariffs and zero trade imbalance may make some of this difficult* Indian firms are planning to invest $7.35 billion in the US* Energy* India will now get access to US civil nuclear technology, but there's a small twist: the clauses invoking civil liability for nuclear damage will be deleted. This is reminiscent of Pfizer's covid-era contract with developing countries: Pfizer was assured of indemnity (with the local governments being liable) in case of injury or death caused by its vaccine. This sounds like a bad idea* India will increase its purchases of US oil and natural gas. This is a win-win: it will increase US imports to India, thus reducing the trade deficit, and India will be assured of additional supplies* Technology and Innovation* A whole raft of actions have been proposed, including a tie-up between the US National Science Foundation and the Anusandhan National Research Foundation in India, a program called TRUST, another called INDUS innovation, and one in the area of space collaboration, titled NISAR* Multilateral Cooperation* The Quad, IMEC and I2U2 figured in communique, but also something called the Indian Ocean Strategic Venture. I note this nomenclature progress with approval: there used to be the Asia-Pacific, then it was the Indo-Pacific, and now the Indian Ocean is being singled out* In the area of counter-terrorism, the communique explicitly named Pakistani entities such as Jaish-e-Mohammed and Lashkar-e-Toiba, among others. This is a welcome change from the shadow-boxing indulged in by the Biden administration and others, whereby Pakistani terrorists were treated as ‘assets'* The extradition of Tahawwur Rana, a Pakistani-Canadian now in a Los Angeles jail, to India for investigation into his role supporting David Headley, in the 26/11/2008 terror attacks in Mumbai, is a welcome sign, after the curious Biden exertions in the Pannun case* People to people links* Indian parents are spending $8 billion a year to support 300,000 Indian students in the US. This amounts to a sort of ‘foreign aid', and also incidentally supplies a lot of especially STEM graduates to the US economy* Facilitating visas, which have become frustratingly difficult for Indian business and leisure travelers to the US. Last year, the wait for just a visa interview was 452 days in Chennai (as compared to 15 days in Beijing), which probably was the result ot the Biden State Department ‘punishing' India for refusing to toe their Ukraine sanctions line* The legal movement of students and professionals between the two countries is to be eased.Overall, this is a statement of intent: both Modi and Trump are laying their cards on the table, and they will both (as they should) bargain hard to benefit their own nations. But India is no longer being treated as a pariah as it was since the Pokhran blasts, the denial of cryogenic rocket engines (via, yes, the Biden Amendment), and so on.As Trump moves towards the inevitable multipolar world, he does not wish to leave Asia to eager hegemon China; as he wishes to move the US out of military entanglements in far-off places (for which he expects Europe and others to bear the burden of their own defense), it is natural for him to want India to punch its weight in Asia.A mutually beneficial relationship free of the supercilious lectures by previous Democratic administrations (eg Daleep Singh on Ukraine sanctions, and he was, ironically enough, the great-grand-nephew of Dalip Singh Saund) would be welcome from the Indian point of view. Having a counterweight to China, and a G3 instead of a G2, would likewise be useful from the US point of view. Thus, there are glimpses of a possible win-win situation.2222 words, 22-02-2025 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

A Time WarpBy FinalStand. Listen to the Podcast at Explicit Novels.What follows is a diversion from the central storyline, but it is crucial to understanding why certain members of the supporting cast are behaving the way they are.808 BCE near Halab in what is today's Northern Syria:For me, Cael Nyilas, it was a return to last night's horrifying scene that engulfed me. The screams of dying horses and moribund men crying the pantheon of life's final regrets. Blood, piss, voided bowels and the stench of comingled sweat and leather filled my nostrils. The true cacophony of battle was all about. The battle shock faded into an innocuous background distraction.In my heart of hearts, I felt at ease, even content. We were cut off and surrounded yet hardly hopeless. Men, my brothers-in-arms and the younger noble sons of Assur and Nineveh combined to put a press of shields, armor and flesh encircling us. Those 'pampered' aristocrats stank with fear and well they should. Death was still possible before their relief arrived.I hurt, Shara (my deity?), I was wounded, but it meant nothing. I laughed; a primitive version of 'atheists and foxholes' passing through my mind. This body had lived through much worse. The closest man, her deceased husband's cousin, and I lifted the shattered wooden chariot off the person our circle was centered on. My arm was extended to her.She was glorious, fierce and half-drunk with battle lust. I could feel her talon-like fingers through the leather and 'parzillu' scales guarding my bicep. She half jumped and was half pulled to her feet. Her kinsman presented her 'misplaced' sword, hilt first. In her eyes, I saw the burning intensity of the Shamash (Sun God, consort of Aya?) at the height of the Burning Season.Her martial mirth exceeded any other noise as it passed her lips."You took your time getting here," Shammuramat taunted me, not a true reproach. "I was so bored, I decide to take a nap in the shade of my conveniently overturned chariot." She defied all fortunes that conspired toward her demise; her own breed of madness."You looked so peaceful in your sleep, I didn't want to wake you," I bantered back. Her 'kinsman' scowled at my familiarity with his monarch. My champions, more like brothers to me than any kin born of my blood, had carved a gory swath to her stranded bodyguard. Mounted on Median steeds, we had pressed back the entourages of two Aramean kings bent on her violent passing.A barricade of overturned, or unattended chariots gave us space to dismount and perform our very visible rescue mission. All the pieces were right where she wanted them; everything unfolding according to her plan. Focus the enemy in the center with her person and the banner of Assur while the rest of her chariots and all of her cavalry swept through an unguarded wadi and fell upon them from behind.Brilliant. Somewhat less brilliant when faced with the desperate energy of our enemies, but her victory was already a certainty. The allied Western Kings were sure my command was attempting to snatch the Queen back to the safety of her infantry. Those hardy, foot-bound souls were still holding their own against the greater mass of the enemy footmen.The children of rebellious nobles bent every bit of their remaining energy, squandered their last reserves to ensure Shammuramat didn't escape. If the positons were reversed, they would have eagerly abandoned their troops and sought safety to the rear. The idea of Shammuramat being overwrought with terror was absurd.Our opponents' bellows for our blood turned into wails of despair. The charging, plumaged steeds of Assyria had appeared behind them. Our enemies had nothing left to slow the new arrivals down, much less stop them. For those who dared defy Shammuramat, Queen of all the Akkadians, the slaughter was just beginning."Come 'Alal' (that was me); I promised 'Atarshumki' I would kick his head over his own city walls before sunset and I always keep my promises," she shoved one of my horse-holders aside and took one of my steeds. 'Alal' was not the name my father gave me. It meant destroyer and it was blasphemy to lay claim to it."Killing kings will cost you extra," was my impious response.Assyrians nobility barely tolerated mercenaries most of the time. My men and I didn't care. I hadn't taken up the killing business to make friends and my troops felt the same way. What mattered to us was that their coin was good and delivered on time. That was a good thing because whores and merchants were loath to advance 'our kind' anything on credit."I'll meet you half way," she grinned manically at me while my fighters and I raced for our mounts. (Saving the junior nobility wasn't what she were paying us for.) "I'll let you take any prince you capture as a hostage." I nodded. My men cheered hungrily, despite the choking dust. As long as I didn't get too greedy, the Kings would pay for their sons. Now we had to capture the bastards."Tūbātu," I reminded them. 'Goodwill'. It was a polite way of saying 'stop your chariot, rest your arms and your mother won't have to come begging for your corpse'. It was best to let opposing nobility keep their dignity in our business. Today's enemy might be tomorrow's paymaster.I blinked and things changed.Planting followed harvest and harvest followed planting. It had long ago become a blur. Shammuramat had grown older. Her first son became king when he was of age. I had long exceeded my welcome and my desire to stay. I was fixed to this small patch of the greater world by a rare emotion, empathy.It had come out of nowhere. We were campaigning against the Scythians raiding over the Zagros Mountains and followed them into Urartu. Night had fallen and I walked the camp as was my habit; being killed a few times in your sleep will make you err on the side of caution. Shammuramat was gazing out over the river Arkas."I though all the scouts have returned," I asked as I stepped to her side. A cool, early autumn breeze blew down the valley, tossing a few loose locks of her greying hair. She always had one patch shorn short which made her left-side braids prone to unwind."They have. We head back for Nineveh with the dawn," she murmured, her mind elsewhere."Do you ever dream of home?" she asked me out of the blue."No. I don't dream anymore. I rarely sleep and if I did, I would hope to dream of something less boring," I snorted in amusement. She had never talked about her home, to anyone as far as I knew."You will be going to Lydia when winter comes," she stated tensely."King Gyges needs someone with experience beating Cimmerians," I answered. The true reason was that I was no longer welcome on the Assyrian payroll because I insisted on recruiting only non-Assyrians into the ranks of my ferociously effective little band of one hundred; never more and rarely less."Shemtsu is a fool," she grumbled."That is unfair," I countered. My willingness to argue with her was one of my charms in her eyes. "He is an excellent Treasurer and he makes sure your vassals pay their tribute on time and in its full amount."The silence was hurtful to me because Shammuramat was never one to obfuscate her thoughts, especially around me. It was one of her charms, to my way of thinking."Salmu Eretu, the northern night sky has no answers for what ails you. Get some sleep. Tomorrow is going to start out cold before it bakes us." I called her 'Black Cloud' in Akkadian.I had first used that name twenty years ago to insult her, highlighting her tempestuous nature. In the Assyrian court, having just received recognition for my quick thinking, Shammuramat had belittled my accomplishment, throwing my body between her, her unborn child (the man who was now not-so-gently ushering me to the border) and a Kassite noble and his retainer bent on killing them both.Had my deed not been witnessed by half a dozen reliable sources, I wouldn't even have received that tawdry token."He sought glory without risk," she spat out her insult in a Hittite tongue alien to this court. Unfortunately for us both, I had worked for a Babylonian family for a few generations and they had been kind enough to turn me from an illiterate commoner to a man of some education.Ironically, they even taught me my native cuneiform long after my birthplace was barely a memory."Well aren't you a black cloud on an otherwise waste of a day," I replied somewhat bitterly. Her eyes widened, then narrowed and then I heard her laugh for the first time."Should I tell them what you said?" she mocked me and my predicament."But of course," I grunted in Akkadian. I'd screwed up. My inner thoughts were 'please not decapitation, please not decapitation' because getting my head on straight after that was a real bitch."You've been nothing but a black cloud bent on turning the choking dust at my feet into a grasping, muddy morass. Why stop now?" I announced loudly. If you are going to die, die well. Having died too many times to count, remembering my last words were all I had left to look forward to.The guards, familiar with the Queen's temper and stunned into inaction by me clearly embracing a long, messy death, stood around uselessly. Had I been allowed a weapon in the royal presence, I might have thought which one to kill first."I gift you, a lowborn man of the South (Sumerian), with honors and you respond by insulting my wife?" King, Shamshi Adad V growled as he rose from his throne."Husband," she stood to join him. I thought it was a pity she rarely smiled. "You asked that I too give a gift to my savior and the savior of our son (all unborn babies were sons back then until roughly half had the audacity to gender switch while exiting the womb). I have chosen." I was expecting my life for the moment and a day's head start to the border."It is your choice to make," the King allowed."From this day, until my passing, this man may always speak his mind in our lands," she demanded. She had a habit of fatally correcting anyone who saw her as less than co-ruler. The hesitation was deafening."As you will," Shamshi Adad V acquiesced to yet another of his wife's odd 'requests'. From that day forth we had been fast friends. She never asked about my immortality, where I was from, or how I ended up with my elite band of professional killers. I returned the favor. It was an unspoken understanding that in a few years, or decades, she would die and I would leave, not necessarily in that order. We had shared more years than I had given to any one person in quite some time."There is nothing left for me but ash," she declared with morbid certainty."Should any of us expect any better?" I did my best to offer words of comfort she would accept."Oh no," her noise was too bitter to be a laugh. "I had my own 'Life beyond Death' and it was stolen from me, along with my birthright.""We are chasing the thieves?" I asked."Yes and no," her face grew grim once more. "These were not the ones I was looking for. They share some bonds with some of the Scythian tribes who live on the far side of the Sea of Death (the Black Sea). These raiders weren't from those tribes.""Why are you turning back?" I questioned. "You know your Assyrians are loyal. They will follow wherever you lead. Your son won't begrudge you these few hundred. I'll come too.""Why?" she turned and looked into my eyes. She still had that blazing fire in her eyes. She was teasing me. If she asked, I too would follow and my men would follow me."The Scythians have been raiding the Lands of the Two Rivers from, well, before I graduated from 'spear for hire' to a 'seeker of a mastery of war'. The rich plunder of their camps will provide plenty of incentive for my men plus we can sell the horses when we come back," I stated."I do not have the years left to spend on such a campaign," she sighed. I had never heard a hint of defeat in her speech before. It was unsettling and rather tragic."I have squandered my years in marriage, being Queen and raising my boys. I tried to make Assyria my new family and I am revealed to be a fool. You had it right. We will always be outlanders. No matter how brave, loyal, just and smart, we would never be allowed in their sanctimonious circle," she said. "You. I should have ridden off with you after my first born was acknowledged (the present King Adad-nirari the 3rd).""We could have gathered up some more fighters, ridden over shattered Phrygia, to the narrows (Bosporus) and into the lands of the Thracians. There is a legend of a great river that pours out from the western shore of the Death Sea. What I seek is up that river.""How many would we face?" I grew equally serious."One," she coughed. "Me." My confusion was obvious. "I am not asking you to fight me, Alal. I want you to come back for me.""I can't. That is not how it works," I stated."How does it work then?" she looked into my eyes. The fire was there, but banked and waning. I didn't say anything. "I have never seen, or heard of you entering a temple.""Your men go. You do not stop them, but you have given up any pretense of worship," she pressed. "Do you not believe that anything exists beyond your senses?""I believe," I sighed. "I believe people are fools for giving offering, pledging their fidelity, pleading for mercy, or extending thanks to any deity. Those Shar-an (gnats) do as they will, unless it is to punish us for treating them like the spoiled children they are."Shammuramat regained her long-stilled laughter."I have always felt a kinship with you through our mutual bitterness.""Bitterness comes with familiarity," I snorted in amusement. Lovers had passion. We shared a simmering anger that came from being irredeemably wronged."I was born Baraqu, the first son of a potter in some city that no longer matters. I was a failure as a potter and an embarrassment to my house and my clan," I began a story I hadn't told another soul in, I couldn't recall. "In those days, the Priest-Kings declared wars and demanded each clan of the city give forth a certain number of males to fight. My family volunteered me and two rowdy cousins.Outside the gates, my clan elder gave each of us a cowhide shield and a spear with a small spindle of copper at the tip so we wouldn't think it was a staff. We marched, I forget which city we were fighting that time. Three days later we found the enemy behind a deep irrigation ditch that had dried out for the season. Our orders were simple, 'There they are. Attack!'My elder was at the back of our mob, making sure none of us ran away. My older cousin made it across the ditch first, but was speared twice; once in the right kidney, I can still remember my first sight of blood, and once, piercing the shield and lodging in his ribcage. My second cousin and I were pushed from behind into the fighting. I stabbed at one shield, doing no harm.Then my surviving cousin's morale broke and he tried to claw his way back into our ranks. He was stabbed in the back, his dying body tangling with mine and bearing us both to the ground. I saw this howling mad face over me. He was a commoner, like me, driven to violence by the terror of battle. His shoddily crafted spear plunged first into my right lung. The second stab found my heart. I died.From there, my spirit fell down toward the wretched dank caverns where all pitiful lowborn dregs are doomed to end up without hope of parole. Instead of endless misery, the Goddess Sarrat Irkalli appeared before me, barring my descent. With icy claws, she trisected my soul. I cannot begin to describe that agony. She snatched up my tattered bits and dragged me back into the world.Sarrat Irkalli is Goddess of the Netherworld, whispered a word that penetrated my brain through the left ear of my cooling corpse. It was an utterance so catastrophic to the fabric of the Veil I dare not repeat it even now.Baraqu? she blew a dark wind upon the first bit of my essence and it flew away.Cael, she whispered to the second portion and off it went in another direction. You are Baraqu no more. The second name was meaningless to me at the time but my name. Do you know that if you have your true name, your spirit can not find its way to your reward, no matter how foul, or pleasing? To the third part of my soul. I name you Alal, he who stands witness to the end of all he desires; their destroyer. Powerful yet powerless.}With that, she left me. My body was stiff from being dead so long. The next few hours were extremely painful. The Sun had set and the Moon was not in evidence. Jackals barked and hyenas laughed as they fought and feasted on the dead. I pushed the body of my cousin off me then crawled down into the ditch to hide. Hardly the reaction of a hero.""Not the actions of the man I know," Shammuramat smirked. "So, your name is Baraqu.""Was and I never much liked the name," I countered. "The priests gave it to me because right before my naming ceremony, a bolt of lightning from a spring storm struck the temple of Shara. So they named me Baraqu, which means 'struck by lightning'.""That sound likes a good name," the Queen Dowager regarded me."That is the noble meaning. The common meaning is less eloquent, it means 'idiot'."Another deep laugh from my treasured compatriot. So few had ever mattered so much to me."Struck by lightning, stricken dumb," she guffawed. "Still not the 'you' I know.""What does the other name mean?""I have no idea. In all my travels I have never found a people familiar with it," I shrugged. She looked out over the low waves lapping against the stony shore."No explanation?" she grudgingly inquired. She had wanted me to continue."No. I have never again come face to face with Sarrat Irkalli, been visited by a messenger, divine, or demonic, received an omen, or any otherworldly presence of any kind," I shrugged. I was long past any resentment. "After the battle I made my way back home, we'd lost, and resumed my life for a few years. My father took the excuse of me 'letting' my kinsmen die to place my younger brother over me.I didn't care. I always hated being a potter, so I ended up being a piddling nuisance all the time and a drunken brawler whenever I had wrangled some beer. I was always the first choice of my clan to send into battle. Despite my lack of training, I began surviving more battles than I died in. At some point, the priests began getting suspicious that I was still hanging around my great-grandnephew's house, so my house Elder suggested I leave the city.I was given a nice copper-headed mace that I had taken in a recent skirmish. Tradition dictated I offer it to the Elder, so he could give it back to me as a sign of my value to the clan. He had taken it for his own. Now he was giving it back out of fear that it held some part of my taint. I had no idea how to live on my own. Two days out, I was robbed and murdered for the first, but not last, time. That inaugural event, I got really angry and hunted those two farmers down.I got my mace back. I also relieved them of an onager, three slaves and a few ingots of silver. I guessed they had been rather successful robbers until they met me."

Did you know there were mega cities in history that were way ahead of their time? Take Mohenjo-Daro in ancient India—it had an advanced drainage system and grid-like streets 4,500 years ago! Or the Mayan city of Tikal, with its towering pyramids and complex water management systems hidden deep in the jungle. PBS / YouTube National Geographic / YouTube CC BY-SA 4.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/... Indus river: by Avani Tanya, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Fi... Mine Action in Syria: by Mil.ru, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Fi... Monks Mound: by Skubasteve834, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Fi... CC BY 3.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/... Ilex vomitoria: by Luteus, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Fi... Mohenjodaro: by Saqib Qayyum, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Fi... Mohenjo-daro: by Saqib Qayyum, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Fi... Other side of Moenjodaro: by Usman.pg, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Fi... Kos castle: by kallerna, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Fi... Temple of Bel: by Zeledi, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Fi... Kos-harbour: by Chris Vlachos, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Fi... Indus Valley: by KennyOMG, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:In... Gate of Temple of Bel, CC BY-SA 2.5 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/..., https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Fi... CC BY 2.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/... Palmyra, Syria: by James Gordon, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Fi..., https://www.flickr.com/photos/7913927... Odeon, Kos Town: by Michal Osmenda, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Fi..., https://flic.kr/p/9BCfR4 CC SA 1.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/... Mohenjodaro Sindh: by M.Imran, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Fi... Mohenjo-daro Priesterkönig: by Mamoon Mengal, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Fi..., http://www.world66.com/asia/southasia... Palmyre Vue Generale: by Eustache Diemert, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Fi... Zanskar rivers: by Bernard Gagnon, CC BY-SA 4.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/..., CC BY-SA 3.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/..., CC BY-SA 2.5 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/..., CC BY-SA 2.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/..., CC BY-SA 1.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/..., https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Fi... Temple of Bel: by Bernard Gagnon, CC BY-SA 3.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/..., CC BY-SA 2.5 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/..., CC BY-SA 2.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/..., CC BY-SA 1.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/..., https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Fi... City of Tadmor: by Bernard Gagnon, CC BY-SA 3.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/..., CC BY-SA 2.5 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/..., CC BY-SA 2.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/..., CC BY-SA 1.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/..., https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Fi... Agora of Athens: by DerHexer, CC BY-SA 4.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/..., CC BY-SA 3.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/..., CC BY-SA 2.5 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/..., CC BY-SA 2.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/..., CC BY-SA 1.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/..., https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Fi... Temple of Bel: by haitham alfalah, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Fi... Diocletian's camp: by Ulrich Waack, CC BY-SA 3.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/..., CC BY-SA 3.0 DE https://creativecommons.org/licenses/..., https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Fi... Greece kos city: by Arne Müseler / www.arne-mueseler.com, CC BY-SA 3.0 DE https://creativecommons.org/licenses/..., https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Fi... Animation is created by Bright Side. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Neutral Expert has said that it has the 'competence' to decide on differences between India & Pakistan related to the design of 2 hydroelectric projects in J&K.  

Show Notes: In this episode of Unleashed, Will Bachman interviews Bart Sayer, an expert on the beauty industry. Bart worked for nine years at the Estée Lauder Companies, most recently as the International General Manager for one of its largest brands, Clinique, managing the $1B P&L. Previously, Bart was a partner at Booz & Company (now Strategy&, part of PwC), focused on strategy and commercial transformation in the Consumer & Retail sectors. The conversation focuses on understanding the structure of the beauty market and the main drivers of value creation.   The Beauty Industry Explained Bart explains that the beauty industry is divided into four main categories: skincare, makeup, hair, care, and body. The market is divided into luxury and mass segments, with luxury beauty expected to grow between six and 8% in the foreseeable future. Taking the example of the United States, mass brands are more likely to be found in drugstores, such as Walgreens and CVs. Premium brands are more available in department stores or specialty multi, such as Sephora and Ulta, and a third channel being direct to consumer. At Estee Lauder they believed that distribution defines your equity, so prestige brands are careful about where they appear, hence the careful consideration and strict conditions associated with entering a channel like Amazon. Looking beyond the NA market, Travel Retail has been an important growth vehicle for luxury beauty brands over the past decade, though this growth has tempered in the past few years. Future growth of the beauty industry will remain defined by its two largest markets, the United States and China, while up-and-coming middle market countries will also represent attractive opportunities (e.g., India, Mexico, Brazil).   Manufacturing, Testing and Ingredients The ingredients in mass and prestige products can differ in terms of the scarcity or rarity of the actives, including use of proprietary ingredients and formulations. Formulation philosophies vary widely across different entities. Many brands, for example, put extra protections in place to ensure product safety for sensitive skin and/or to conduct rigorous allergy testing. Bart discusses the importance of clinical testing in product and research development, highlighting that it is a high barrier to entry for indie brands. He also discusses the evolution of more nimble production models, including the prevalence of contract manufacturers that can manufacture the latest ingredients and bespoke formulations in quicker and more cost-effective ways than many of the brands themselves. This approach is not binary, as L'Oreal has over 40 different manufacturing facilities worldwide. Before leaving the manufacturing discussion, Bart quickly hit upon another topic, that of the evolution to more earned media-led marketing models, whereby companies seize organic market buzz before amplifying these messages with paid media. Local vs. Global Adaptation The concept of local versus global adaptation is crucial in the beauty industry. Brands must find a locally relevant articulation of their brand essence. Large media companies often have global ambassadors who can speak for the brand, but if a local face is not available, the brand may not get the traction needed. To succeed, brands must be more reactive to local market trends, deploying local influencers, tailored messaging and selecting locally relevant forums for generating PR, both online and offline.   Indie and Newer Brands The conversation turned to the shift towards indie and newer brands in the beauty retail industry. The reasons behind the growth of the indies include lower barriers to entry on social media channels, an agile marketing model, the wide availability of contract manufacturers, and channel partners like Sephora that are focused on curating exclusive collections of the next “it” beauty brands. Often for these indie brands, the problem is not the launch itself (recruitment), but the stickiness (retention). Many of these companies struggle with repeat purchases, which are the key to success.   Sales and Distribution in the Beauty Industry Bart discussed several high growth channels, including Sephora, a leading premium beauty retailer owned by the LVMH group, travel retailer and beauty e-tailers such as Zalando and Notino. Traditional points of distribution, such as department stores and perfumeries, have seen slower growth, especially in the West (and far less so in the East). Whatever the channel, the importance of constructing good “self-navigating experience” for prestige consumers is key. Across many of these newer retailers, clean beauty is a key theme, as is green and sustainable, free of parabens, sulfates, certain ingredients and fragrances. This raises the bar for brands to prove their bona fides in terms of ingredient publishing and sourcing. The conversation then pivoted to challenges in the supply chain, including shelf life of products (especially for consumers in the East) and SKU proliferation.   Demand Forecasting Robust demand forecasting is crucial for brands to succeed to avoid out-of-stock situations and, conversely, the proliferation of excess. This can be particularly problematic when trying to create buzz and excitement with limited edition collections such as those sold over the holidays. Given profit, brand equity and sustainability concerns, rands have increasingly tried to err on the side of caution in their forecasts (FOMO). SKU periphery proliferation is another issue that brands are constantly fighting, seeking a balance between getting new out there while staying consistent and building out their portfolio. Store Design and Staffing Models In department stores, cosmetics brands often have significant control over the design of their stores, including all signage, key visuals and other elements of visual merchandising (e.g., gondola design, planogram setup). Done correctly, these can be huge differentiators. Unsurprisingly, prestige beauty brands have armies of store design, visual merchandising and staff (beauty advisor) education teams. Cost sharing with retail partners – CAPEX, staffing, promo – vary by channel and partner, thus representing a critical point in commercial negotiations (along with other topics like trade margin).   The Lucrative Nature of the Beauty Industry  The cosmetics industry is a highly lucrative business with operating profits ranging from 10 to 25%. Gross margins can be 65% or more, depending on the brand and the type of product. Highest gross margin categories include skincare and luxury fragrances. However, there is no room for complacency, with many waging a constant war to lower the cost of goods through a combination of gross to net improvements, price increases, mix optimization, promo efficiencies and, of course, manufacturing savings. A hero-product focus is needed to get scale, thus providing ballast for marketing investments. Premiumization trade trends are continuing across categories and subcategories, with no sign of these trends abating.  Timestamps: 03:30: Structure of the Cosmetics Industry and Market Segments 05:26: Specialty Channels and Distribution Strategies  07:58: Differences Between Mass and Prestige Brands 10:06: Analyzing the Cosmetics Industry: Product and Research Development  13:44: Marketing and Consumer Insights 18:33: Sales and Distribution Channels 22:49: Operations and Supply Chain  31:57: Gross Margin Analysis and Financial Performance  Website Links: #1, Beauty Market Outlook: https://www.mckinsey.com/industries/consumer-packaged-goods/our-insights/the-beauty-boom-and-beyond-can-the-industry-maintain-its-growth #2, FDA Regulations of Cosmetics: https://www.fda.gov/cosmetics/cosmetics-science-research/product-testing-cosmetics #3, Risk of Indie Beauty Brands: https://cosmeticsbusiness.com/how-indie-beauty-brands-can-break-america#:~:text=Indie%20brands%20are%20greatly%20influencing,and%20most%20likely%20through%202025. #4, Beauty and Travel Retail: https://wwd.com/beauty-industry-news/beauty-features/tackling-beautys-travel-retail-conundrum-estee-lauder-loreal-clarins-bulgari-dfs-heinemann-1236682262/ #5, Green Beauty: https://www.forbes.com/sites/meimeifox/2023/12/22/green-glamour-12-clean-beauty-brands-leading-the-eco-revolution/ #6, Beauty & Supply Chain Challenges: https://www.voguebusiness.com/beauty/new-ingredients-higher-prices-reformulating-beauty-in-the-supply-crisis #7, QVC and Beauty: https://entm.ag/1wEfOci #8, Love, Indus (company referenced by Will and I during the discussion): https://loveindus.com/collections/shop?gad_source=1&gclid=Cj0KCQiAkJO8BhCGARIsAMkswyiVNdA36DRltbku4DqHeLj-dAbZxAfsVOWmkyEP6Ah9bsxaNi3L4g4aAqP4EALw_wcB Unleashed is produced by Umbrex, which has a mission of connecting independent management consultants with one another, creating opportunities for members to meet, build relationships, and share lessons learned. Learn more at www.umbrex.com.

Thanks to Elizabeth, Alexandra, Kimberly, Ezra, Eilee, Leon, and Simon for their suggestions this week! Further reading: New population of blue whales discovered in the western Indian Ocean An Endangered Dolphin Finds an Unlikely Savior--Fisherfolk The humpback whale: The gigantic blue whale: The tiny vaquita: The Indus river dolphin: The false killer whale: Show transcript: Welcome to Strange Animals Podcast. I'm your host, Kate Shaw. This week we're going to have a big episode about various dolphins and whales! We've had lots of requests for these animals lately, so let's talk about a bunch of them. Thanks to Elizabeth, Alexandra, Kimberly, Ezra, Eilee, Leon, and Simon for their suggestions. We'll start with a quick overview about dolphins, porpoises, and whales, which are called cetaceans. All cetaceans alive today are carnivorous, meaning they eat other animals instead of plants. This includes the big baleen whales that filter feed, even though the animals they eat are tiny. Cetaceans are mammals that are fully aquatic, meaning they spend their entire lives in the water, and they have adaptations to life in the water that are simply astounding. All cetaceans alive today belong to either the baleen whale group, which filter feed, or the toothed whale group, which includes dolphins and porpoises. The two groups started evolving separately about 34 million years ago and are actually very different. Toothed whales are the ones that echolocate, while baleen whales are the ones that have extremely loud, often beautiful songs that they use to communicate with each other over long distances. It's possible that baleen whales also use a limited type of echolocation to navigate, but we don't know for sure. There's still a lot we don't know about cetaceans. Now let's talk about some specific whales. Ezra wanted to learn more about humpback and blue whales, so we'll start with those. Both are baleen whales, specifically rorquals. Rorquals are long, slender whales with throat pleats that allow them to expand their mouths when they gulp water in. After the whale fills its mouth with water, it closes its jaws, pushing its enormous tongue up, and forces all that water out through the baleen. Any tiny animals like krill, copepods, small squid, small fish, and so on, get trapped in the baleen. It can then swallow all that food and open its mouth to do it again. The humpback mostly eats tiny crustaceans called krill, and little fish. The humpback grows up to 56 feet long, or 17 meters, with females being a little larger than males on average. It's mostly black in color, with mottled white or gray markings underneath and on its flippers. Its flippers are long and narrow, which allows it to make sharp turns. The humpback is closely related to the blue whale, which is the largest animal ever known to have lived. It can grow up to 98 feet long, or 30 meters, and it's probable that individuals can grow even longer. It can weigh around 200 tons, and by comparison a really big male African elephant can weigh as much as 7 tons. Estimates of the weight of various of the largest sauropod dinosaurs, the largest land animal ever known to have lived, is only about 80 tons. So the blue whale is extremely large. The blue whale only eats krill and lots of it. To give you an example of how much water it can engulf in its enormous mouth in order to get enough krill to keep its massive body going, this is how the blue whale feeds. When it finds an area with a lot of krill floating around, it swims fast toward the krill and opens its giant mouth extremely wide. When its mouth is completely full, its weight—body and water together—has more than doubled. Its mouth can hold up to 220 tons of water. Since the whale is in the water, it doesn't feel the weight of the water in its mouth. Blue whales live throughout the world's oceans, but a few years ago scientists analyzing recordings of whale song from the we...

Support the show to get full episodes, full archive, and join the Discord community. Today I'm in conversation with Rajesh Rao, a distinguished professor of computer science and engineering at the University of Washington, where he also co-directs the Center for Neurotechnology. Back in 1999, Raj and Dana Ballard published what became quite a famous paper, which proposed how predictive coding might be implemented in brains. What is predictive coding, you may be wondering? It's roughly the idea that your brain is constantly predicting incoming sensory signals, and it generates that prediction as a top-down signal that meets the bottom-up sensory signals. Then the brain computes a difference between the prediction and the actual sensory input, and that difference is sent back up to the "top" where the brain then updates its internal model to make better future predictions. So that was 25 years ago, and it was focused on how the brain handles sensory information. But Raj just recently published an update to the predictive coding framework, one that incorporates actions and perception, suggests how it might be implemented in the cortex - specifically which cortical layers do what - something he calls "Active predictive coding." So we discuss that new proposal, we also talk about his engineering work on brain-computer interface technologies, like BrainNet, which basically connects two brains together, and like neural co-processors, which use an artificial neural network as a prosthetic that can do things like enhance memories, optimize learning, and help restore brain function after strokes, for example. Finally, we discuss Raj's interest and work on deciphering an ancient Indian text, the mysterious Indus script. Raj's website. Related papers A sensory–motor theory of the neocortex. Brain co-processors: using AI to restore and augment brain function. Towards neural co-processors for the brain: combining decoding and encoding in brain–computer interfaces. BrainNet: A Multi-Person Brain-to-Brain Interface for Direct Collaboration Between Brains. Read the transcript. 0:00 - Intro 7:40 - Predictive coding origins 16:14 - Early appreciation of recurrence 17:08 - Prediction as a general theory of the brain 18:38 - Rao and Ballard 1999 26:32 - Prediction as a general theory of the brain 33:24 - Perception vs action 33:28 - Active predictive coding 45:04 - Evolving to augment our brains 53:03 - BrainNet 57:12 - Neural co-processors 1:11:19 - Decoding the Indus Script 1:20:18 - Transformer models relation to active predictive coding

W szóstym, ostatnim odcinku trzeciego sezonu Opowieści arabskich Jan Natkański opowie o wędrówce Arabów do Afryki. W historii tych podbojów kluczową rolę odegrało dążenie do krzewienia islamu. W ciągu stu lat od śmierci proroka Mahometa armie muzułmańskie zajęły obszary Pirenejów i Afryki Północnej na zachodzie do rzeki Indus, Azji Centralnej i pogranicza Chin na wschodzie. Była to kulminacja podbojów arabskich i jak wskazują arabscy historycy, w dziejach ludzkości imperium muzułmańskie dorównywało rozmiarami rosyjskiemu i brytyjskiemu. Zaprasza Agata Kasprolewicz. Gość: Jan Natkański Realizuje: Kris Wawrzak --------------------------------------------- Raport o stanie świata to audycja, która istnieje dzięki naszym Patronom, dołącz się do zbiórki ➡️ ⁠https://patronite.pl/DariuszRosiak⁠ Subskrybuj newsletter Raportu o stanie świata ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠➡️ ⁠https://dariuszrosiak.substack.com⁠ Koszulki i kubki Raportu ➡️ ⁠https://patronite-sklep.pl/kolekcja/raport-o-stanie-swiata/⁠ [Autopromocja]

pWotD Episode 2776: India Welcome to Popular Wiki of the Day, spotlighting Wikipedia's most visited pages, giving you a peek into what the world is curious about today.With 327,180 views on Saturday, 7 December 2024 our article of the day is India.India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country in the world by area and the most populous country. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the south, the Arabian Sea on the southwest, and the Bay of Bengal on the southeast, it shares land borders with Pakistan to the west; China, Nepal, and Bhutan to the north; and Bangladesh and Myanmar to the east. In the Indian Ocean, India is in the vicinity of Sri Lanka and the Maldives; its Andaman and Nicobar Islands share a maritime border with Thailand, Myanmar, and Indonesia.Modern humans arrived on the Indian subcontinent from Africa no later than 55,000 years ago. Their long occupation, initially in varying forms of isolation as hunter-gatherers, has made the region highly diverse, second only to Africa in human genetic diversity. Settled life emerged on the subcontinent in the western margins of the Indus river basin 9,000 years ago, evolving gradually into the Indus Valley Civilisation of the third millennium BCE. By at least 1200 BCE, an archaic form of Sanskrit, an Indo-European language, had diffused into India from the northwest. Its evidence today is found in the hymns of the Rigveda. Preserved by an oral tradition that was resolutely vigilant, the Rigveda records the dawning of Hinduism in India. The Dravidian languages of India were supplanted in the northern and western regions. By 400 BCE, stratification and exclusion by caste had emerged within Hinduism, and Buddhism and Jainism had arisen, proclaiming social orders unlinked to heredity. Early political consolidations gave rise to the loose-knit Maurya and Gupta Empires based in the Ganges Basin. Their collective era was suffused with wide-ranging creativity, but also marked by the declining status of women, and the incorporation of untouchability into an organised system of belief. The Middle kingdoms exported the Indian influences, and religions of Hinduism and Buddhism to the Southeast Asia.In the early mediaeval era, Christianity, Islam, Judaism, and Zoroastrianism became established on India's southern and western coasts. Muslim armies from Central Asia intermittently overran India's northern plains, eventually founding the Delhi Sultanate and drawing northern India into the cosmopolitan networks of mediaeval Islam. Under the Rajaraja I and his son Rajendra I, the Cholas of south India became the greatest Indian state of its era, and also led to the apex of Indian influence in Southeast Asia. In the 15th century, the Vijayanagara Empire created a long-lasting composite Hindu culture in south India. In the Punjab, Sikhism emerged, rejecting institutionalised religion. The Mughal Empire, in 1526, ushered in two centuries of relative peace, leaving a legacy of luminous architecture. Gradually expanding rule of the British East India Company followed, turning India into a colonial economy but also consolidating its sovereignty. British Crown rule began in 1858. The rights promised to Indians were granted slowly, but technological changes were introduced, and modern ideas of education and public life took root. A pioneering and influential nationalist movement emerged, which was noted for nonviolent resistance and became the major factor in ending British rule. In 1947, the British Indian Empire was partitioned into two independent dominions, a Hindu-majority dominion of India and a Muslim-majority dominion of Pakistan, amid large-scale loss of life and an unprecedented migration.India has been a federal republic since 1950, governed through a democratic parliamentary system, and has been the world's most populous democracy since the time of its independence in 1947. It is a pluralistic, multilingual and multi-ethnic society. India's nominal per capita income increased from US$64 annually in 1951 to US$2,601 in 2022, and its literacy rate from 16.6% to 74%. During the same time, its population grew from 361 million to almost 1.4 billion, and India became the most populous country in 2023. From being a comparatively destitute country in 1951, India has become a fast-growing major economy and a hub for information technology services, with an expanding middle class. India has a space programme with several planned or completed extraterrestrial missions. Indian movies, music, and spiritual teachings play an increasing role in global culture. India has substantially reduced its rate of poverty, though at the cost of increasing economic inequality. India is a nuclear-weapon state, which ranks high in military expenditure. It has disputes over Kashmir with its neighbours, Pakistan and China, unresolved since the mid-20th century. Among the socio-economic challenges India faces are gender inequality, child malnutrition, and rising levels of air pollution. India's land is megadiverse, with four biodiversity hotspots. Its forest cover comprises 21.7% of its area. India's wildlife, which has traditionally been viewed with tolerance in India's culture, is supported among these forests, and elsewhere, in protected habitats.This recording reflects the Wikipedia text as of 02:00 UTC on Sunday, 8 December 2024.For the full current version of the article, see India on Wikipedia.This podcast uses content from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License.Visit our archives at wikioftheday.com and subscribe to stay updated on new episodes.Follow us on Mastodon at @wikioftheday@masto.ai.Also check out Curmudgeon's Corner, a current events podcast.Until next time, I'm neural Kajal.

In this episode of Market Minutes, Neeshita Beura explores whether financial stocks can drive the market rally ahead. The podcast also highlights Vodafone's stake sale plans in Indus Towers, Bharat Forge's QIP launch, and the latest updates on L&T's strategic acquisitions. In the Voice of the Day segment, Amit Jain, Co-Founder of Ashika Global Family Office Services, shares his insights on PSU banks and their outlook. Market Minutes is a morning podcast, putting the spotlight on trending stocks, crucial data points, and evolving market trends.

Welcome to CNBC-TV18's Marketbuzz Podcast. Here are top news from around the world ahead of the trading session on December 5 -A quick recap: The Indian equity market gained for the fourth straight day, marking its longest winning streak in two months. The Nifty 50 shifted into consolidation on December 4 after a sustained up move over the past three trading sessions. While the index closed in the green, it ended off its intraday highs due to a tug of war between positive domestic factors and weak Asian cues. -Despite a largely positive tone during the session, profit-booking in select heavyweights limited the upside. Sectorally, the performance was mixed, with banking and realty outperforming, while energy, auto, and FMCG faced selling pressure. -Looking ahead, the market will closely monitor comments from Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell and the US jobs data, set to be released today. -As of this morning, GIFT Nifty was lower, trading at a discount of nearly 50 points from Nifty Futures Wednesday close, indicating a start in the red for the Indian market. -Stocks to track: Torrent Pharma, Indus Towers, IGL, Bharat Forge -Global cues: Shares in Asia rose while currency markets opened Thursday on a note of relative calm as traders digested the effects of political crises in France and South Korea. Equities in Japan and Australia climbed, while those in South Korea fell as the country's opposition party sought to impeach President Yoon Suk Yeol after he briefly imposed martial law. Shares in Hong Kong fell, while those in China were little changed. -Overnight in the US, benchmark indices on Wall Street scaled new peaks after comments from Fed Chair Jerome Powell ahead of the policy announcement on December 18. The Dow Jones closed above the mark of 45,000 for the first time, the S&P 500 added 0.6% to close near 6,100, while the Nasdaq Composite outperformed, gaining 1.3%. The tech-heavy index is now 1.3% away from the 20,000 mark. -In terms of commodities, oil steadied after a decline, with traders looking ahead to an OPEC+ meeting on Thursday that's expected to see the cartel again defer a move to revive output in an already well-supplied market. Brent crude traded above $72 a barrel after sliding by nearly 2% on Wednesday, with West Texas Intermediate below $69. Tune in to Marketbuzz Podcast for more news and cues

Our second episode on the Upanishads (c. 800-300 BCE), we look at some of the striking similarities between Greek mythology and philosophy and Indian mythology and philosophy, and walk through some of the evidence that shows how societies may have been far more interconnected than we thought in ancient times.Also, Alexander the Great asks a bunch of nude yogis to dinner. Want a transcript? Read it here. Don't forget to rate and review us! It helps others find this show (and so does sharing us on your socials). Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The History Museum at the Castle shares more about a new exhibit on Afghan Refugees that just opened in collaboration with World Relief. We hear from Dustin and Farah, who wants her new neighbors in the Fox Valley to know more about her beloved Afghan homeland and its rich culture than what they see in the media.History Museum at the CastleWorld ReliefThe Appleton Public Library shares how they're helping kids understand the democratic process. We also learn about their upcoming Dinovember event. IndUs of the Fox Valley hosts their 24th IndUS Banquet "Festivals of India" on November 9th from 5:00-9:00 PM at the Hyatt Regency, Green Bay. IndUs of Fox Valley 

How to Scrap Indus Waters Treaty | History and Future | Aadi Achint with Sanjay Dixit

En este capítulo conversaremos con Gerardo García, presidente de la Cámara de la Indus­tria Química Farma­céutica (Cifarma).

The medicinal cannabis industry says changes to drug laws that have finally taken effect will be a game changer. 

Guy Adami is flying solo this morning and bringing you three things he is watching this week in markets. Get a quick primer on what to look out for, from more S&P 500 price target upgrades to crucial manufacturing data set to release.  After the break, Guy Adami and Kaitlin Malin, COO of iConnections, are joined by Jim Shannon, founding partner and CEO of Indus Capital, to discuss global market trends and investment strategies. Jim shares his extensive career background, from his time at Soros Fund Management to founding Indus Capital. The conversation covers the current state of the Japanese and Asian markets, focusing on Japan's corporate governance reforms and the influence of macroeconomic factors such as the yen and interest rates. Jim elaborates on Indus Capital's long-short equity approach, team structure, and regional focus. The discussion also touches on the geopolitical risks concerning China and Taiwan, the impact of upcoming U.S. elections on global markets, and emerging investment opportunities in countries like Korea and India. Learn More About Indus Capital: IndusCap.com Reach out to Jim: JShannon@induscap.com Learn More about iConnections & Its Partnership with MFA Subscribe to our newsletter: https://riskreversalmedia.beehiiv.com/subscribe — About the Show: On The Tape is a weekly podcast with CNBC Fast Money's Guy Adami, Dan Nathan and Danny Moses. They're offering takes on the biggest market-moving headlines of the week, trade ideas, in-depth analysis, tips and advice. Each episode, they are joined by prominent Wall Street participants to help viewers make smarter investment decisions. Bear market, bull market, recession, inflation or deflation… we're here to help guide your portfolio into the green. Risk Reversal brings you years of experience from former Wall Street insiders trading stocks to experts in the commodity market. — Check out our show notes here See what adding futures can do for you at cmegroup.com/onthetape. — Shoot us an email at OnTheTape@riskreversal.com with any feedback, suggestions, or questions for us to answer on the pod and follow us @OnTheTapePod on Twitter or @riskreversalmedia on Threads — We're on social: Follow @GuyAdami on Twitter Follow Danny Moses @DMoses34 on Twitter Follow Liz Young @LizYoungStrat on Twitter Follow us on Instagram @RiskReversalMedia Subscribe to our YouTube page The financial opinions expressed in Risk Reversal content are for information purposes only. The opinions expressed by the hosts and participants are not an attempt to influence specific trading behavior, investments, or strategies. Past performance does not necessarily predict future outcomes. No specific results or profits are assured when relying on Risk Reversal. Before making any investment or trade, evaluate its suitability for your circumstances and consider consulting your own financial or investment advisor. The financial products discussed in Risk Reversal carry a high level of risk and may not be appropriate for many investors. If you have uncertainties, it's advisable to seek professional advice. Remember that trading involves a risk to your capital, so only invest money that you can afford to lose. Derivatives are not suitable for all investors and involve the risk of losing more than the amount originally deposited and any profit you might have made. This communication is not a recommendation or offer to buy, sell or retain any specific investment or service.

In today's episode for 27th April 2024, we explain the role of tower companies in the telecom industry.