Podcasts about North Africa

In this new episode of the Policy Pod, MPP students Marc Naro and Tara Shwani host François-Aïssa Touazi, a former diplomat who advised France's foreign minister on North Africa and the Middle East before joining Ardian, the largest private equity firm in Europe, where he now sits on the executive committee, chairs the Abu Dhabi arm and handles the firm's relationships with sovereign wealth funds.Mr Touazi is a 2025-26 Transformational Leadership Fellow at the Blavatnik School of Government and co-President of the France-GCC Business Council at MEDEF International.Recorded at the Blavatnik School of Government, University of Oxford.

Leading Turkish LGBTQ activist Yildiz Tar explains why Turkey's authoritarian government is escalating repression of their community. The crackdown has less to do with public morals than an effort to divert public attention away from soaring inflation, poverty and joblessness, Tar notes.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

CAPTION  1865 CALCUTTABRICS Summit Highlights Internal Geopolitical FracturesMelik Kaylan, co-host Gordon Chang: Kaylan and Chang analyze the BRICS summit in India, characterizing the bloc as an incoherent coalition marked by deep internal rivalries, particularly between China and India. Kaylan explains that while member nations grandstand against Western policies in the Middle East, they lack real unified operational strength. Turning to Turkey, Kaylan argues President Erdoğan pursues neo-Ottoman expansionism across Syria, North Africa, and the Horn of Africa to distract from severe domestic economic weakness. Chang adds that Erdoğan reversed his prior support for Uyghurs to secure Chinese financial backing. (10)

CAPTION 1916 YEMEN FIGHTING.CONTENTS-JBS-9-14-2026Houthis Expand Reach Across Strategic WaterwaysBridget Toomey discusses how Houthi rebels rapidly expanded control across Yemen's western coast, seizing the strategic port of Mocha and Perim Island in the Bab el-Mandeb choke point. Yemeni armed forces conducted counter-operations in a designated killbox around Mocha while displaying strikes on Houthi positions. Meanwhile, Saudi Arabiaclosed its critical oil pipeline following drone attacks attributed to Iran-backed Iraqi militias operating in coordination with the Houthis. The Trump administration continues offering intelligence support to Saudi Arabia while maintaining its policy of avoiding direct airstrikes under an existing mutual non-engagement agreement. (1)Israeli Strikes Target Reconstituting Hamas LeadershipSamuel Ben-Ur analyzes recent Israel Defense Forces eliminations of key Hamas figures in Gaza, notably Khan Yuniscommander Muhammad Abdul Salam al-Yuzuri. Al-Yuzuri was actively attempting to rebuild the Qassam Brigadesand plan attacks prior to his elimination. Hamas maintains military dominance across thirty percent of the yellow line and remains heavily integrated within civilian population centers. Meanwhile, progress on the Board of Peace disarmament plan remains stalled until after Israeli elections due to political sensitivity surrounding territorial concessions. Ben-Ur notes that voluntary Hamas disarmament is improbable, highlighting alternative stabilization initiatives like pilot zones. (2)Historical Roots Shape Modern Yemeni ConflictGregory Copley details the deep historical context of Yemen, tracing its lineage from the ancient Sabaean kingdom through the Mutawakkilite Kingdom. He explains how Saudi hostility toward Northern Yemen stems partly from historical Hashemite claims to Mecca and Medina. Copley emphasizes that Northern Yemeni forces are tough professional fighters rather than simple rebel groups, driven to fight for survival against Saudi strikes. He suggests that Washington and London should engage in separate diplomatic negotiations, leveraging Oman's Sultan as a discreet mediator during upcoming visits to negotiate an accommodation and establish regional peace. (3)Latin American Leaders Engage European ForumErnesto Araújo and Alejandro Peña Esclusa discuss their participation in Slovenia's Bled Strategic Forum, highlighting growing Eastern European engagement with Latin America. Araújo draws parallels between Eastern Europe's 1989 liberation and Latin America's current struggle against narco-socialism. Regarding Venezuela, Peña Esclusa emphasizes that citizens reject interim president Delcy Rodríguez despite opposition leader María Corina Machado's primary victory. Turning to Brazil's upcoming election, Araújo outlines a major judicial scandal tying Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes to a fraudulent banker, severely impacting President Lula da Silva's reelection campaign against Flavio Bolsonaro. (4)Israeli Forces Detonate Strategic Hezbollah UndergroundDavid Daoud examines an Israeli detonation of Hezbollah's subterranean nerve center at Aita al-Shaab, which caused a 4.1 magnitude seismic event. The complex was originally designed for Hezbollah's planned invasion of the Galilee, a doctrine later mirrored by Hamas on October 7th. Daoud reports that Israeli forces are turning South Lebanon into a buffer zone to eliminate threats. However, he criticizes the Lebanese Armed Forces for failing to demonstrate real will to disarm Hezbollah, noting that 86% of reported LAF weapon seizures consisted merely of militarily insignificant bullets. (5)Canada Explores Strategic European Union AllianceConrad Black evaluates Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney's proposal for a unique associate alliance with the European Union. Black notes Canadians would support freer trade and cultural exchanges, though full political submission to Brussels directives would be rejected. He highlights French President Emmanuel Macron's upcoming meeting with Carney in St. Pierre and Miquelon as a significant recognition of Canadian distinctiveness. Furthermore, Black criticizes U.S. President Donald Trump's tariff threats and trade deficit claims, pointing out that Canada sells oil at discounted rates and maintains balanced cross-border auto manufacturing integration. (6)Economic Analysis Exposes Costs Of TariffsVeronique de Rugy analyzes the economic consequences of trade wars, specifically examining cross-border tariffs between the United States and Canada. She refutes mercantilist arguments, demonstrating that domestic consumers shoulder tariff costs through higher prices and product scarcity rather than foreign producers paying the fees. De Rugy explains that protectionist tariffs harm domestic manufacturing by raising input costs on imported components. She notes that even domestic producers unexposed to foreign competition raise prices when shielded, and highlights how tariffs on Canadian lumber directly elevate American housing costs. (7)Russian Strikes Target Ukrainian Railway NetworksJohn Hardie assesses a Russian drone strike targeting a Ukrainian train near the Polish border where international VIPs and former European officials had recently passed. While French officials viewed the strike as intentional intimidation, Hardie notes precise Russian motives remain speculative. Additionally, Hardie analyzes reports surrounding President Trump's statements regarding an energy target ceasefire between Ukraine and Russia. He defends Ukraine's strategy of striking Russian oil refineries, explaining that disrupting refined diesel production effectively squeezes Moscow's military budget and creates domestic public pressure. (8)United States Secures Historic Venezuelan PetroleumSamuel Ben-Ur provides updates on Venezuela's political transition and energy sector, detailing a massive 25-year oil agreement executed with interim president Delcy Rodríguez. The deal involves North American companies redeveloping 17 oil fields containing 65 billion barrels of proved reserves, redirecting petroleum exports exclusively to the United States away from China and Russia. Ben-Ur notes that major firms like Chevron will lead a hundred-billion-dollar infrastructure revitalization effort. However, he emphasizes that no firm election date has been established, leaving the political timetable for returning to democratic governance uncertain. (9)BRICS Summit Highlights Internal Geopolitical FracturesMelik Kaylan, co-host Gordon Chang: Kaylan and Chang analyze the BRICS summit in India, characterizing the bloc as an incoherent coalition marked by deep internal rivalries, particularly between China and India. Kaylan explains that while member nations grandstand against Western policies in the Middle East, they lack real unified operational strength. Turning to Turkey, Kaylan argues President Erdoğan pursues neo-Ottoman expansionism across Syria, North Africa, and the Horn of Africa to distract from severe domestic economic weakness. Chang adds that Erdoğan reversed his prior support for Uyghurs to secure Chinese financial backing. (10)

Full Text of Readings Memorial of Saints Cornelius, Pope, and Cyprian, Bishop, Martyrs Lectionary: 445 The Saint of the day is Saint Cornelius Saint Cornelius' Story There was no pope for 14 months after the martyrdom of Saint Fabian because of the intensity of the persecution of the Church. During the interval, the Church was governed by a college of priests. Saint Cyprian, a friend of Cornelius, writes that Cornelius was elected pope “by the judgment of God and of Christ, by the testimony of most of the clergy, by the vote of the people, with the consent of aged priests and of good men.” The greatest problem of Saint Cornelius's two-year term as pope had to do with the Sacrament of Penance and centered on the readmission of Christians who had denied their faith during the time of persecution. Two extremes were finally both condemned. Cyprian, primate of North Africa, appealed to the pope to confirm his stand that the relapsed could be reconciled only by the decision of the bishop. In Rome, however, Saint Cornelius met with the opposite view. After his election, a priest named Novatian (one of those who had governed the Church) had himself consecrated a rival bishop of Rome—one of the first antipopes. He denied that the Church had any power to reconcile not only the apostates, but also those guilty of murder, adultery, fornication, or second marriage! Cornelius had the support of most of the Church (especially of Cyprian of Africa) in condemning Novatianism, though the sect persisted for several centuries. Saint Cornelius held a synod at Rome in 251 and ordered the “relapsed” to be restored to the Church with the usual “medicines of repentance.” The friendship of Cornelius and Cyprian was strained for a time when one of Cyprian's rivals made accusations about him. But the problem was cleared up. A document from Cornelius shows the extent of organization in the Church of Rome in the mid-third century: 46 priests, seven deacons, seven subdeacons. It is estimated that the number of Christians totaled about 50,000. He died as a result of the hardships of his exile in what is now Civitavecchia. Reflection It seems fairly true to say that almost every possible false doctrine has been proposed at some time or other in the history of the Church. The third century saw the resolution of a problem we scarcely consider—the penance to be done before reconciliation with the Church after mortal sin. Men like Cornelius and Cyprian were God's instruments in helping the Church find a prudent path between extremes of rigorism and laxity. They are part of the Church's ever-living stream of tradition, ensuring the continuance of what was begun by Christ, and evaluating new experiences through the wisdom and experience of those who have gone before.Saint of the Day, Copyright Franciscan Media

Put On the Lord Jesus Jonathan Parnell Download Romans 13:11–14,“Besides this you know the time, that the hour has come for you to wake from sleep. For salvation is nearer to us now than when we first believed. 12 The night is far gone; the day is at hand. So then let us cast off the works of darkness and put on the armor of light. 13 Let us walk properly as in the daytime, not in orgies and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and sensuality, not in quarreling and jealousy. 14 But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires.” And it was this passage of God's word that once changed a man's life forever — his name was Augustine; he was from North Africa; he lived from the year 354 to 430; and the story of his conversion is the story I wanna tell you this morning as we kick off our new series, “How God Changes a Life.” The plan for this series is to look at four examples throughout church history of when God transformed someone's life through the power of his word. And the reason we're doing this is because we believe that God still does this kind of life-changing work today — my prayer has been that we as a church would be inspired by God's work in the past so that we would expect that same work in the present. And if you're here and you're not yet a Christian — if you're here and you need your life to change — first, I want you to know I'm glad you're here, and you've come to the right place. Whatever you've got going on, I can almost guarantee that Augustine's situation was worse. Let me tell you his story in three parts … We're gonna look at Augustine's context, his crisis, and his change. Part One: ContextAnd we start with the context, or the setting, because this is where every good story starts. The question here is: What kind of world did Augustine live in? Augustine was born in the year 354 in North Africa, which was part of the Roman Empire. This was about 40 years after the Emperor Constantine became a Christian and legalized Christian worship. Up until Constantine, Christians were a persecuted minority, but under his protections the gospel began to spread and the church began to grow. But the world was still a big mess — you could call it a world of conquest and confusion. ConquestIt was a world of conquest because there was constant fighting and enemy invasions, thanks to the barbarians. Now the word “barbarian” is a word in the New Testament. It was the Greek word for Gentiles outside the Greek-speaking world — these were Gentiles who spoke their own languages and maintained their own culture.Now as the Roman Empire expanded, Roman armies conquered a lot of these barbarian tribes, but over time these barbarians starting fighting back. A couple of names you've probably heard before are the Goths and Vandals (the Vikings came a few hundred years later). But the Goths and Vandals were Germanic tribes who fought against Rome. For example, in 410 (when Augustine was 56 years old), the Visigoths sacked Rome (which was a big deal — no foreign army had invaded Rome in over 800 years). This shook the whole world.Then in 430, the year Augustine died, the Vandals laid siege to the City of Hippo where Augustine lived. So while Augustine was on his deathbed, there was an invading army literally outside the walls of his city. And this was his life. This was the world as Augustine knew it — what he would later call the City of Man. It was a world full of conflict and war — Augustine's hope was not in politics. ConfusionBut then, at the same time of these physical threats, there were also layers of ideological confusion. There were all kinds of different worldviews and philosophies and Christian heresies. And one place where all this stuff was most obvious was in the biggest city of North Africa — the city of Carthage. Augustine moved there when he was 17 years old to go to college and study philosophy; it was one of the wealthiest cities in the ancient world; it was a bustling place. And this is where Augustine went off the rails.He later described the city as a “seething cauldron of shameful sex.”So while he was being indoctrinated with all kinds of junk intellectually, he was also indulging in sexual sin. He would go to church, but it was because he was trying to pick up women. He ended up getting a woman pregnant and they had a son, and then spiritually, he went all-in with a cult called Manichaeism. Manichaeism is too much to explain now, but it was basically a fusion religion that was a mix of Buddhism and Bible heresies and other stuff. And it was super weird (They believed tiny particles of Divine Light were trapped inside material things). They rejected the Old Testament, but they did respect the letters of Paul in the New Testament (that'll be important later). But suffice to say, Augustine was confused. He was lost — and I mean bad lost. Like, if you think you have a past … Augustine was a sexually deviant, heretical college philosophy student. He was a very long way from Jesus. But … he had a Christian mother.Christian MotherAugustine's mom was a woman named Monica, she's a big part of his story. We know a lot about her because Augustine wrote a lot about her. He admired his mom deeply. She was a Christian, from a Christian family (she married a man named Patrick, who was a pagan; he didn't become a Christian until right before he died). But Monica raised Augustine in Christian truth, even though he rejected it for years. … His mom never gave up on him. She prayed for him a lot, and she bugged him a lot. I think she would classify as an ancient helicopter mom, but in the best kind of way. When she found out he had embraced Manichaeism, Augustine said she wept for him “more than mothers weep for their children who die” (and he knew that because she probably told him). There's one story of Monica where she kept insisting with a local pastor to meet with Augustine. The pastor wouldn't do it because Augustine wasn't interested. But Monica kept on and on with the pastor … Did you call him? Did you meet with him? Have you seen him? She'd beg this pastor through tears.Finally, this pastor told her:“It is not possible that the son of these tears should perish.” He told her to keep praying. And she did. Monica was an amazing woman, and we all should be grateful for her. And moms in the room, be a great mom like Monica. In our cultural moment, motherhood is scorned. Understand that abortion is not just an attack on children, it's an attack on motherhood too. We see this everywhere. Right now something like half the country is defending a woman who viciously murdered her three children. That's an attack on motherhood. And it's demonic. And we should stand against it with everything we've got. One way to do that is: Moms, be great. Be like Monica.Our world needs great mothers — and if they're not coming from the church, it's not happening. Moms, you have such a high calling! You're making a difference in the world. Be great.Monica was a crucial part of Augustine's context, and her influence was part of what brought him to a crisis.Part Two: CrisisAugustine was smart and he was really good with words. He ended up moving to the city of Milan to become a professor of rhetoric. This was a highly esteemed vocation, and he was living high on the hog. He was moving up the social ladder until he met the pastor of the church in Milan, a man named Ambrose. Augustine would go to church to hear Ambrose preach, and although he still didn't believe, he asked a lot of questions. Eventually, Augustine got connected with Ambrose's mentor, a man named Simplician. And Simplician started mentoring Augustine — and this is pretty fascinating — he inspired Augustine with stories of other people's conversions.One story he told him was of a man who was a philosopher in Rome, who was also from Africa, and this man been drawn to Christianity. Apparently this man read the Bible often and came to consider himself a Christian, but he didn't get baptized (because he thought it was too embarrassing). But then he finally became ashamed that he was ashamed, and he got baptized and declared himself to be a Christian openly. Simplician told Augustine this story (and I imagine he kept clearing his throat the whole time). And this story had an impact on Augustine right as he entered into the darkest time of his life in December 384. Going by his own account, it sounds like he suffered from what we'd call a depression. He was full of despair and doubts. His pursuit of knowledge and prestige, and all his sexual immorality, had left him unfulfilled. He was not happy with his life — which was right. He should not have been happy with his life. There is a such thing as a holy misery. Maybe that's something his mother had prayed for … Y'all ever heard anybody pray like that? I heard people pray that way when I was growing up. I've been in prayer meetings before when somebody would share about a lost family member, and they want God to save them so badly, and so people would pray: God, make so-and-so absolutely miserable until they turn to Jesus!God, don't let them get any rest! Torment them in their dreams! — until they trust Christ! Maybe Monica prayed like that. Because Augustine was in a crisis. The way he was living wasn't working. He was lost and he knew it. And that's the only condition for a changed life — it's not enough to be lost, you gotta know you're lost. You have to know you need help. Augustine knew. Part Three: ChangeAugustine tells this story in a lot of detail in his autobiography, Confessions. I'll try not to get too much in the weeds, but it happened like this:It's a normal day in Milan, and Augustine has a couple of his friends over. (And these are intellectual-types who like to study and share what they've learned.) And one of these friends finds a copy of Paul's letters in a stack of Augustine's books, and he's surprised by this, and so he starts telling Augustine and this other friend about how he had heard that there were a bunch of these men, not far from Milan, who had converted to Christ and their lives had completely changed. They had renounced their careers in the imperial service and committed themselves to studying Scripture and living a quiet life.Well this story wrecks Augustine. After the one friend left, Augustine is overcome with emotion and says to his closer friend who was still with him:What is wrong with us? What is this? What did you hear? Simple folk are taking heaven by storm while we clever people without a heart wallow in the materialist world of flesh and blood. (Confessions, 8.19, Chadwick's translation, p. 26)Then Augustine goes outside to a garden, to be alone. But his friend is so worried about him, he follows him outside. And Augustine is struggling. He's having some kind of breakdown. He's weeping and just a mess and then he hears the voice of a child, chanting: “Take up and read; take up and read.”He hears this, and then he gets up and runs to his copy of Paul's letters. He grabs them and opens to a random page and he reads the first thing he sees … which was in Romans 13 … “… not in orgies and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and sensuality, not in quarreling and jealousy. But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires.” (vv. 13–14)And that was it! Augustine was born again. Later he wrote, No further would I read, nor did I need; for instantly, as the sentence ended — by a light, as it were, of security infused into my heart — all the gloom of doubt vanished away. (8.29)And … he lived happily ever after. … Not quite! (It never works that way in this world. This is the City of Man.) Augustine had become a Christian — he was 32 years old and his life had been changed — but the change was only beginning. He baptized, and then soon after became a monk, and eventually became a pastor and later he became one of the most important theologians in church history. And as a theologian one of the most enduring impacts he made was related to the doctrine of conversion. Heart TransformationWhen Augustine read Romans 13:13–14, he had read it before that day in Milan. He had read the words and understood Paul's command, but he lacked the ability in himself to obey it. He had been a divided man.He respected the commands of the gospel, at least with his mind — he knew chastity was a good thing — but he didn't really desire to live that way. His heart wasn't in it. During his wayward years, he had actually prayed to God, “Grant me chastity, but not yet.”That's how Augustine had felt about all six of the prohibitions in Romans 13:13. The apostle Paul says in verse 11 that because of where we are in redemptive history — because Jesus has lived, died, and rose again, and because he's coming back — it's time to wake up and get your life in order. That means you stop living a certain way. Paul names six sins (it's not a comprehensive list, but it's a good list to stop doing). Verse 13, Paul says:No more orgies and drunkenness — stop the slosh parties.No more sexual immorality and sensuality — stop all fornication. No more quarreling and jealously — stop despising your neighbor.This is group-think sin, sexual immortality, and hatred of others.It's fascinating that this list from the First Century world remains a list of besetting sins in our 21st century world … just like it was in Augustine's 5th century world — and look: it's all gotta stop. All of it. But how?By putting on the Lord Jesus Christ. And this is is where Augustine has so much insight. As a theologian, he stressed that our problem as sinners is that we have disordered loves. Our problem is not simply a lack of love for God, but it's that we love lesser things more than God. And we desire and pursue those lesser loves.His biographer Henry Chadwick says it like this: [Augustine's] repeated point is that the object of our love, whether high or low, is the magnet irresistibly drawing us on. He's saying we are all led by our loves, and left to ourselves, this is a bad thing. Because left to ourselves, apart from the grace of God, our loves are broken! — they're all out of whack and so they lead us down all these dead-end roads. If you follow your unconverted heart, you will not end up happy. Augustine had been there and done that. It does not work! And we know it doesn't work!And this is why we need a transformation of the heart! We need God to change us from the inside-out. We need to turn from seeking inferior mirages of beauty to seeking supreme beauty which is God himself. Augustine put it like this. He writes, How sweet all at once it was for me to be rid of those fruitless joys which I had once feared to lose! . . . You [God] drove them from me, you who are the true, the sovereign joy. You drove them from me and you took their place, you who are sweeter than all pleasure … you who outshine all light … you who surpass all honor . . . O Lord my God, my Light, my Wealth, and my Salvation. (Confessions 9.1)Do you see what he's saying? The sinful, lesser things his heart pursued were not merely taken away — they were replaced by God himself, and God himself became his joy. Augustine wrote: Do not think you are dragged to God against your will. The mind is drawn by love which is the source of inexpressible pleasure. There is a pleasure of the heart whose sweetness consists in the bread of heaven … Give me a lover, he feels what I am talking about. Give me a man in a state of desire, of hunger, a traveller thirsty on a desert road who is sighing for the spring at his eternal home; give me a man like that, he knows what I mean. (Chadwick, 156ff)This is the same insight we read 14 centuries later from the Scottish pastor Thomas Chalmers. He calls this the “expulsive power of a new affection.” A greater love conquers the lesser loves.See, we put on the Lord Jesus Christ because we want to. Because we have found in Christ a greater joy than the fleeting pleasures of sin! And that's the miracle. That is the grace of God working through the word of God. This is a changed life. Look, it doesn't mean as Christians we never sin again, but it does mean that we have a truer joy that triumphs over sin. Christian, I want you to know what Paul says in Romans 6, that sin does not have dominion over you!In Christ, you have power over sin because you have the power of a superior pleasure. And that's the only way you're gonna win this battle in the world. You will never love your sin less until you love Jesus more because you know Jesus better. So know him — Know Christ. Seek Christ. Rest in Christ. And may your hearts be restless — miserable, tormented — may our hearts be restless until we find our rest in Christ. That's what brings us to the Table. The TableI realize this morning we are coming from all kinds of different places. Again, if you're here and you're not a Christian, I'm so glad you're here. This morning I invite you to put your faith in Jesus. Right now, turn from your sin and put on the Lord Jesus Christ. He will change your life.And church, brothers and sisters in Christ, we've trusted in Jesus. Let's rest in Jesus this morning. We're not searching anymore. We're not lost. We're home. Let's rest in the love of Christ for us this morning as we remember his gospel.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is signalling a move to expand nuclear power cooperation with Russia, just as his country's first Russian-built nuclear station prepares to go live later this year. The deepening partnership is likely to unsettle Turkey's western allies. On the sidelines of a recent gathering of regional leaders in Kyrgyzstan, Erdogan told his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, that Russia and Turkey “will take steps together to open some new power plants, along with the opening of the Akkuyu nuclear power plant”. The Akkuyu nuclear power plant, built by Russia's state nuclear company Rosatom on Turkey's Mediterranean coast, is due to go online later this year. Erdogan's announcement comes amid strained ties with Russia, as the Turkish leader has deepened relations with United States President Donald Trump. Ozgur Unluhisarcikli, head of the Ankara office of US think tank the German Marshall Fund, describes Erdogan's move as a “gesture” to Putin. “Although Turkey is competing with Russia geopolitically, and although Turkey is firmly anchored in NATO and is improving its relationship with the United States, it does not intend to sever all ties with Russia,” Unluhisarcikli explained. “Indeed, Turkey sees the Turkey-Russia relationship as a long-term strategic one. And this is, by the way, consistent with Turkey's balancing act.” Trump tests Turkey's energy dependence on Russia with lure of US power Nuclear lifeline For Ankara, nuclear energy promises to help it break free from its heavy reliance on imported power. Once operational, the Akkuyu plant in southern Turkey will supply as much as 10 percent of the country's electricity. Rosatom owns the Akkuyu power plant and will recoup the estimated €21.5 billion construction costs by selling electricity to Turkey, generating annual income of around €2-3 billion. Such income could be a vital tool for Moscow to mitigate tightening sanctions by both the European Union and the United States. “The Akkuyu nuclear power plant allows Russia to build itself various state-to-state payment channels to store liquidity in Turkish banks without necessarily interfering with any sanctions regulations,” according to George Voloshin of Acams, a global organisation dedicated to anti-financial crime, training and education. Voloshin believes that, given the project's 60- to 80-year lifespan, Turkey's commitment to Russian nuclear power will shape bilateral ties for the long term, with consequences. “It will be a source of scrutiny from western partners of Turkey. At the same time, nuclear energy has been so far shielded from any sanctions, so for Russia it is clearly a kind of lifeline,” he said. Turkey seeks Black Sea shipping deal as attacks threaten grain trade Since Russia's invasion of Ukraine, Ankara has maintained that it is not bound by EU or US sanctions on Moscow. Yet behind the scenes, it has quietly followed many restrictions and secured crucial waivers, especially for Russian gas. By leveraging its pivotal location near Syria and Iran, Ankara has walked a diplomatic tightrope between its western partners and Moscow. However, deepening nuclear cooperation with Russia threatens to complicate the already difficult balancing act. “It would reinforce the already existing distrust between Turkey and Europe and Turkey and the United States,” warned Unluhisarcikli. “But at the same time, Turkey is in talks with other countries, the United States and South Korea. These are the main two competitors for Russia.”  Mutual dependency Turkey's dependence on Russian fossil fuels has stirred unease at home, and the idea of doubling down with Russian nuclear energy only heightens the sense of anxiety. “It is a dilemma,” Unluhisarcikli conceded. Yet with Russia willing to shoulder the hefty construction costs, cash-strapped Ankara has a strong incentive to continue the partnership. Russia expert Zaur Gasimov of Istanbul's Turkish-German University points out that more than a decade of joint investment makes it tough for Turkey to turn to alternative suppliers. "It's quite a profound project,” said Gasimov, “Russia conducts the training of Turkish specialists in the field of nuclear energy, which started 15 years ago. We now have three or four waves of Turkish engineers who stayed for longer periods in Russia; they learn the Russian language for two years, and you have an infrastructure of specialists.” However, Gasimov stresses that, given the scale of investment by both sides, it has created an important mutual dependency. “Its importance makes the two sides, somehow, at the end, interested in preserving a certain level of the relationship,” he said. This shared reliance might help keep Turkish-Russian rivalries in check, from North Africa to the Middle East, the Caucasus and the Black Sea. Yet any step toward deeper nuclear cooperation is bound to invite sharper scrutiny and rising suspicion from Ankara's western allies.

AI is impacting every part of our lives—and we need to start paying more attention.Watch this important conversation with Maha Jouini, a United Nations independent expert on AI, Human Rights & Technology-Facilitated Gender-Based Violence Prevention and founder of an AI platform that supports women in North Africa living with breast and cervical cancer.We discuss:Why AI shouldn't be shaped by Silicon Valley aloneHow AI can reproduce colonial narratives—and why data sovereignty mattersWhy we need more AI entrepreneurs building solutions from—and for—the Global SouthWhy empathy and cultural inclusion must be designed into AI from the startIf you care about AI ethics, digital colonialism, women in AI, human rights, and building technology that represents all of humanity—you don't want to miss this conversation.00:00 Preview01:15 Episode introduction03:58 About Maha Jouini07:04 Maha's backstory12:04 How cancer changed Maha's perspective on surveillance and responsible AI14:10 Why Western assumptions about women's health don't translate across cultures21:00 What would AI built on Arab and Islamic ethical frameworks look like?25:03 Why AI innovation needs culturally diverse voices28:31 Data sovereignty: Why Africa needs to shape its own AI future30:54 Digital colonialism: How historical inequality gets embedded into data34:22 Why the Global South needs greater ownership over its data, technology and digital future38:18 How a gap in cancer care inspired Maha to build an AI platform for women 40:09 Why empathy cannot be an optional feature in human-centered AI46:29 The danger of AI making decisions for patients without human-led medical oversight50:53 Maha Jouini's Purposeful Empathy storyEpisode #9 of Empathy in the Age of AI part II, a special 25-part series: https://tinyurl.com/exyw2nua CONNECT WITH MAHA✩ LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/maha-jouini/ ✩ Website https://mahajouini.tech CONNECT WITH ANITA✩ Email purposefulempathy@gmail.com ✩ Website https://www.anitanowak.com✩ Buy a copy of Purposeful Empathy http://tiny.cc/PurposefulEmpathyCA✩ LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/anitanowak/✩ Instagram https://tinyurl.com/anitanowakinstagram✩ Podcast Audio https://tinyurl.com/PurposefulEmpathyPodcast✩ Bluesky https://bsky.app/profile/anitanowak.bsky.socialSHOW NOTES✩ CHIFAA AI https://www.chifaa.org ✩ HIKMA AI https://hikmaai.org/✩ Context-Aware Africa-Led Designing of Responsible Artificial Intelligence Technologies https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-3-031-75674-0_7Video edited by Jad Misri, Green Horizon Studio

Banu Guven, a widely respected TV presenter, became the first Turkish journalist to host Kurdish leader Mazlum Kobane on national TV in Turkey. Until recently, interviewing the former commander of the now dissolved Syrian Democratic Forces was a punishable offense. But with Kurdish peace talks underway in Turkey and the integration of Kurdish structures in Syria's northeast advancing, the mood has shifted.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

What does Christianity actually look like in Türkiye, and how can authentic stories challenge generations of misunderstanding? In this episode of I Am Refocused Radio, Shemaiah Reed sits down with John Cerniglia, President of SAT-7 USA, to discuss faith, media, Christian identity in the Middle East and North Africa, and how SAT-7 is using television and digital platforms to reach people in places where traditional ministry can be difficult. John brings 32 years of global missions leadership across 45 countries to his role at SAT-7 USA. His experience spans Christian missions, humanitarian aid, children's welfare, philanthropy, and international ministry development. A major part of the conversation explores Türkiye, where Christians represent a small minority and can face misunderstanding, isolation, and stereotypes. SAT-7 TÜRK's program Believe if You Can takes a different approach by combining candid interviews, music, humor, personal testimony, and conversations about everyday life to present Christian faith in a relatable way. Rather than presenting faith as something distant from everyday life, the program introduces viewers to Turkish Christians working as educators, musicians, scientists, journalists, pastors, technology professionals, and more. Its goal is to create understanding by allowing people to encounter Christians through their real experiences and stories. John also shares the larger mission behind SAT-7, which uses satellite television and digital media to provide Christian programming across the Middle East and North Africa. SAT-7 currently produces programming in Arabic, Persian, and Turkish and uses media to provide biblical teaching, encouragement, discipleship, and community to viewers throughout the region. The impact is reaching beyond television. SAT-7 reports that episodes of the Turkish program have generated hundreds of thousands of online views, creating conversations among people curious about Christianity and the lives of Turkish believers. This conversation is about faith beyond stereotypes, the power of authentic storytelling, Christians living as minorities, and how modern media can create connection where physical barriers remain. Topics include: Christianity in Türkiye, SAT-7 USA, Christian media, global missions, religious stereotypes, Turkish Christians, digital ministry, satellite television, faith and culture, discipleship, storytelling, and the Middle East and North Africa. https://www.sat7usa.org/Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/i-am-refocused-radio--2671113/support.Subscribe now at YouTube.com/@RefocusedNetworkThank you for your time. 

The Sahara stretches across much of North Africa and is the largest hot desert in the world. This episode explores the geography of the Sahara, its vast landscapes, the people who have lived and traveled across it, and how the desert has changed over thousands of years. Along the way, you'll hear about massive sand dunes, ancient trade routes, desert oases, and the surprisingly varied environments found across this enormous region. It's steady and consistent, with no whispering and no sudden changes, just enough to give your mind something to follow as you wind down. Happy sleeping! Read with permission from Sahara, Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sahara), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. — Ad-free episodes: ⁠icantsleep.supportingcast.fm⁠Have a topic in mind? ⁠Request a topic⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit ⁠megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Dr. Darrin Porcher, Retired NYPD Lieutenant, Criminal Justice Professor at Pace University and a former Army OfficerTopic: Latest on the Times Square stabbing Robert Greenway, Senior VP of American Global Strategies, Former Deputy Assistant to the President and Senior Director for the Middle East and North Africa in the Trump administration, and principal architect of the Abraham AccordsTopic: U.S. military strikes Iran Helen Timari, co-founder of the Foundation for DignityTopic: Staten Island Spotlight Stephen Moore, "Joe Piscopo Show" Resident Scholar of Economics, Chairman of FreedomWorks Task Force on Economic Revival, former Trump economic adviser and the author of "The Trump Economic Miracle: And the Plan to Unleash Prosperity Again"Topic: Is the USA going bankrupt? Gordon Chang, Asia expert, columnist and author of "China is Going to War"Topic: Putin, Xi, and Trump possibly holding a trilateral talk in November Sheriff Shaun Golden, Monmouth County SheriffTopic: 25 years after 9/11; Flock cameras Arthur Lih, Inventor & CEO of LifeVac and the author of "Sorry, Can't is a Lie"Topic: Motorcycle trip Dr. Jeff Gardere, America's psychologist and Associate Professor at Touro College of Osteopathic MedicineTopic: Times Square stabbing and the role mental health playedSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Washington and Caracas have signed an agreement which gives a US-led company rights over Venezuelan oilfields amounting to about a fifth of the country's reserves. Also in the programme: growing discontent in Spain at the government's handling of the sudden arrival of tens of thousands of migrants in Ceuta, a Spanish territory in North Africa; and as the British Museum launches its exhibition of the Bayeux Tapestry, why does it still speak to us almost a millennium after it was made?(Photo: Venezuelan acting president dolce Rodriguiz talking to the US energy secretary. Credit: Shutterstock)

#1 New York Times bestselling author ELIZABETH LETTS joins BOOKSTORM Podcast to discuss FALLEN FOR FRANCE! We thoroughly enjoyed diving into this riveting story that centers around forgotten aspects of history with North Africa and Europe as the backdrop. We talked about Morrocco and how the first stirrings of WWI were first evident there. We talk about horses, of course, and how they helped us build our civilization. Elizabeth says they are mirrors of our soul – not only are they our friends and helpers, but also they reflect the best aspects of humanity, including bravery, grace, strength. We talk about the destructive instruments of war, such as chemicals, as well as the noble ones, such as warhorses. We talk about the changes at the turn of the century that were about to sweep the world and forever change the roles of women. How did ordinary women wield their power during this time period? We talk about redemption and human connection. We connect those themes to current refugee crises. If you love history and historical fiction – and even if you don't --  join us! You'll be swept up! #THEEIGHTYDOLLARCHAMPION #peacecorps #midwife #historicalfiction #bookstormpodcast #bookstorm #stolenhorse #warhorse #veternarian You can find more of your favorite bestselling authors at BOOKSTORM Podcast! We're also on Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, and YouTube!

“How many valiant men, how many fair ladies, how many sprightly youths, … breakfasted in the morning with their kinsfolk, comrades and friends, and that same night supped with their ancestors in the other world.” Giovanni Boccaccio, The Decameron Between 1346 and 1353 a horrifying pestilence burned across Central Asia, North Africa and Europe. The infected, covered in bubos and burning with fever, died in agony, with no family left to care for them or priest to pray for their souls. In some areas 50% of the population was wiped out, leaving whole villages deserted with no one to bury the dead. Those who were lucky enough to be healthy, and have the means to do so, escaped disease riddled cities for the fresh, miasma-free air of the countryside. In the midst of this horror, Florentine Giovanni Boccaccio, wrote his seminal work, The Decameron, about 10 young people who flee the plague for a lavish, sexy Tuscan Villa vacation and to hopefully not die. This medieval masterpiece has recently been turned into a darkly hilarious Netflix series, which further explores the class and gender dynamics of the 14th century in a way that anyone who recently lived through a world-wide pandemic can relate to. Today lets explore the history and science behind the Black death; the plague pandemics that came before and after it, and find out if this horrendous disease is still a risk today. Plus we'll find out what the Decameron has to say about life, love, sex, and surviving the plague in 1348 and today. Music: Danse Macabre by Camille Saint-Saëns, Public Domain, Performed by Kevin MacLeod Join me every Tuesday when I'm Spilling the Tea on History! Check out my Youtube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/lindsayholiday Please consider supporting me at https://www.patreon.com/LindsayHoliday and help me make more fascinating episodes! Intro Music: Baroque Coffee House by Doug Maxwell #HistoryTeaTime #LindsayHoliday Please contact ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠advertising@airwavemedia.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ if you would like to advertise on this podcast. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What does it mean to understand ourselves as existing somewhere between the planet and the cosmos?In this episode of About Art, Heidi Zuckerman speaks with artist Lita Albuquerque as part of a special series created in collaboration with the Aspen Art Fair.For more than five decades, Albuquerque has explored our relationship to the Earth, the cosmos, time, color, consciousness, and the natural world. Born in Tunisia, raised between North Africa and Europe, and based for much of her life in California, she describes how landscape became fundamental to the way she sees and makes work.Together, they discuss the desert as a place of discovery, the relationship between nature and culture, ephemeral art and what remains after an artwork disappears, and Albuquerque's understanding of the Earth as “a sculpture in space” and the cosmos as an installation in which we participate every day.Their conversation moves between the immense and the intimate: astronomical time and everyday life, the movement of the planet and the feeling of the sun on our skin, creativity and freedom, remembering and forgetting. At its center is the possibility of another way of living—one grounded in attention, curiosity, presence, and the freedom to follow what we love.As Albuquerque says, “The more you slow down, the more you can hear yourself.”

We examine China's space diplomacy across the Middle East and North Africa with the authors of their recent Texas National Security Review article, "Choosing Orbits: China's Space Diplomacy in the Middle East." The discussion analyzes how regional states—specifically Egypt, the United Arab Emirates, and Iran—utilize space partnerships with Beijing to serve distinct domestic, economic, and security imperatives . Our guests challenge assumptions that smaller powers are passive subjects in great power rivalry and detail how Middle Eastern states exercise strategic agency through hybrid alignment strategies . Guests Lawrence Rubin | Professor at the Sam Nunn School of International Affairs at the Georgia Institute of Technology, co-director of the GTDC Pathways to Policy program, and associate fellow at the International Institute for Strategic Studies . Lincoln Hines | Assistant Professor at the Sam Nunn School of International Affairs at the Georgia Institute of Technology and Fellow with the Carnegie China Fellowship at the University of Maryland . Dayana Alagirova | PhD student at the Sam Nunn School of International Affairs at the Georgia Institute of Technology, Fulbright Scholar, and space policy researcher . Hosts: Sheena Chestnut Greitens Ryan Vest Producer: Jordan Morning

Is Islam compatible with the West? Is less than 2 weeks away! Get your tickets now before they sell out: https://winstonmarshall.eventbrite.co.uk In this episode of The Winston Marshall Show, I sit down with historian and History Debunked creator Simon Webb to uncover the forgotten story of the Barbary Corsairs and the white European slave trade. We discuss how Muslim raiders from North Africa captured Europeans from England, Ireland and across the continent, attacked coastal towns, seized ships and even established a base on Lundy Island. We explore the Ottoman Empire's role, Oliver Cromwell's military response, Britain's decision to pay tribute, America's Barbary Wars, and the 1816 bombardment of Algiers that freed Christian slaves. Finally, we turn to the decline of Christendom, Britain's changing relationship with its own history, the retreat of Christianity, the rise of Islam in Europe, and whether the West has forgotten the civilisation it inherited.Check out Simon's Channel here: https://www.youtube.com/@HistoryDebunkedsimonwebbWATCH THE EXTENDED CONVERSATION HERE: https://www.winstonmarshall.co.uk/Chapters00:00 Who Were the Barbary Corsairs?02:02 The Reconquista & the Ottoman Expansion04:37 Barbary Raids on Britain08:14 How the Corsairs Helped Trigger the English Civil War12:08 How Many Europeans Were Taken as Slaves?14:23 The Barbary Slavers' Base on Lundy Island16:53 The European Who Became a Barbary Corsair22:42 Cromwell Takes the Fight to North Africa24:28 Why Britain Paid Tribute to the Barbary States28:33 Life as a European Slave in North Africa32:27 America & the Barbary Wars37:22 Britain's “Last Crusade” Against Algiers40:05 What Happened to Christendom?43:14 Why Britain Forgot Its Christian History47:36 Christianity, Islam & Modern Britain51:40 Could Christianity Make a Comeback?

You don't need a bad man to destroy a republic. You need a competent one with a practical problem and a solution that works a little too well.Gaius Marius should never have mattered. He was a nobody from a hill town southeast of Rome. He clawed his way into the Senate through military competence because his family had no name and no network. And then he faced a genuine crisis — Rome literally could not fill its legions. He fixed it. He removed the property qualification that had kept the landless poor out of military service, saved Rome from Jugurtha in North Africa, and then saved Rome again from the Germanic tribes that nearly annihilated it in 105 BC.He did what nobody else could do. And the same reform that saved Rome killed the Republic 60 years later.This is the mechanism. Not the myth. The specific chain of cause and effect that turned a manpower reform into personal military armies loyal to individual generals rather than to the state — the mechanism Sulla would use in 88 BC to march on Rome, and Caesar would use in 49 BC to finish the Republic.This is Episode 119 of The Fall of the Republic series on The Roman Pattern.Chapters:00:00 How republics actually die01:36 Where we are in the series02:28 Marius: the new man from Arpinum04:34 Rome's manpower crisis — the property qualification problem06:35 The Jugurtha War — "a city for sale"08:07 107 BC — Marius opens the ranks11:05 Aquae Sextiae and Vercellae — Rome saved from annihilation15:07 The mechanism — how soldier loyalty shifted from Rome to the general17:46 Saturninus and the first veteran land grants (103, 100 BC)18:33 Breaking the Lex Genucia — five consecutive consulships21:11 Sulla learns the trick22:17 88 BC — Sulla marches on Rome24:18 Marius flees — two ruins looking at each other25:06 Return, purges, and 17 days26:29 Money, Borders, Power — the three fault lines28:17 The pattern — load-bearing constraints30:36 Next week: SullaSources referenced in this episode:— Sallust, Bellum Jugurthinum— Plutarch, Life of Marius— Appian, The Civil Wars, Book 1— Livy, Periochae 65-80— Orosius, Histories Against the Pagans— Mary Beard, SPQR— Ronald Syme, The Roman Revolution (1939)— H.H. Scullard, From the Gracchi to NeroThe Fall of the Republic series continues Monday with Sulla — the first man in Roman history to march his legions on Rome itself.Subscribe for The Roman Pattern every Monday.#Rome #MarianReforms #RomanRepublic

He was born around 190 to pagan parents in North Africa. Before baptism he was distinguished in Carthage as a teacher of philosophy and rhetoric. He came to faith in Christ and was baptized at a young age; as soon as he became a Christian he abandoned his prestigious teacher's position, sold his many possessions and gave all his wealth to the poor. He was ordained presbyter in 247, Bishop of Carthage in 248. He was known for his gentleness and paternal care for his flock, combined with firm opposition to heretics. His extensive writings still guide the Church today.   For his confession of Christ, he was beheaded under the Emperor Valerian on September 14; since that is the date of the Exaltation of the Cross, his feast is kept today. At the time of his execution he left twenty-five gold pieces (a huge sum) for the executioner who beheaded him.

Author Tess Woods had always dreamed of her big day, growing up watching her beloved Nana create in-demand bridal gowns. The stories of these dresses became a way for Tess to understand her family's origins in North Africa, which she left in the late 1970s. (Warning: This episode references the loss of a child.)Tess moved to Melbourne from Egypt when she was five years old.At large family gatherings, Tess dreamed of a big, fat, Egyptian wedding with 250 guests, food for days, belly dancing — the works.But after she became engaged to her sweet, mild-mannered Australian boyfriend Paul, Tess' parents' marriage imploded and she decided to elope to Fiji with a wedding party of just 11.Tess' cherished and feisty Nana made her wedding dress and her wedding underwear, and the nuptials were an unexpected hit.Tess and Paul moved their young family to Perth to begin their own story, which would unfold with ambition, tragedy and religion.Further informationThe Cairo Bridal Shop is published by Penguin Random House.This episode refers to the loss of a child. Please contact Red Nose on 1300 308 307 if you need support.This episode was produced by Alice Moldovan. The Executive Producer is Nicola Harrison.It explores migration, getting married, homemade wedding dresses, loss of a child, stillbirth, Japanese shrines, Kyoto, philosopher's walk, near death experience, collapsed lung, intubation, fear of death, religion, Coptic Christian, Catholic, lapsed Catholic, catholicism, church, Mass, Perth, physiotherapy, physiotherapist, historic fiction, divorce, family get togethers.To binge even more great episodes of the Conversations podcast with Richard Fidler and Sarah Kanowski go the ABC listen app (Australia) or wherever you get your podcasts. There you'll find hundreds of the best thought-provoking interviews with authors, writers, artists, politicians, psychologists, musicians, and celebrities.

Renovation ep. 839 Roger Ley  was born and educated mainly in London, but spent some of his formative years in Saudi Arabia. He worked as an engineer in the oilfields of North Africa and in the North Sea before starting a career in higher education teaching computer-aided engineering. His stories have been published on a multiplicity of websites and broadcast on BBC Radio. He lives in Suffolk (UK). Visit his website at rogerley.co.uk More TTTV Stories by Roger Ley: https://talltaletv.com/tag/roger-ley/ His Amazon author page is at https://www.amazon.com/stores/Roger-Ley/author/B01KOVZFHM Ancient and Modern: https://talltaletv.com/ancient-and-modern/   ---- Listen Elsewhere ---- YouTube:  https://www.youtube.com/c/TallTaleTV Website: http://www.TallTaleTV.com   ---- Story Submission ---- Got a short story you'd like to submit? Submission guidelines can be found at http://www.TallTaleTV.com   ---- About Tall Tale TV ---- Hi there! My name is Chris Herron and I'm an audiobook narrator. In 2015, I suffered from poor Type 1 diabetes control which lead me to become legally blind for almost a year. The doctors didn't give me much hope, predicting an 80% chance that I would never see again. But I refused to give up and changed my lifestyle drastically. Through sheer willpower (and an amazing eye surgeon) I beat the odds and regained my vision. During that difficult time, I couldn't read or write, which was devastating as they had always been a source of comfort for me since childhood. However, my wife took me to the local library where she read out the titles of audiobooks to me. I selected some of my favorite books, such as the Disc World series, Name of the Wind, Harry Potter, and more, and the audiobooks brought these stories to life in a way I had never experienced before. They helped me through the darkest period of my life and I fell in love with audiobooks. Once I regained my vision, I decided to pursue a career as an audiobook narrator instead of a writer. That's why I created Tall Tale TV, to support aspiring authors in the writing communities that I had grown to love before my ordeal. My goal was to help them promote their work by providing a promotional audio short story that showcases their writing skills to readers. They say the strongest form of advertising is word of mouth, so I offer a platform for readers to share these videos and help spread the word about these talented writers. Please consider sharing these stories with your friends and family to support these amazing authors. Thank you!   ---- legal ---- All stories on Tall Tale TV have been submitted in accordance with the terms of service provided on http://www.talltaletv.com or obtained with permission by the author. All images used on Tall Tale TV are either original or Royalty and Attribution free. Most stock images used are provided by http://www.pixabay.com , https://www.canstockphoto.com/ or created using AI. Image attribution will be declared only when required by the copyright owner. Common Affiliates are: Amazon, Smashwords  

In this episode of The Sound of Economics, host Rebecca Christie speaks with Bruegel's Heather Grabbe and Stefanie Walter about Iceland's referendum on restarting European Union accession talks, Switzerland's upcoming votes on EU relations and what Europe has to offer for countries inside and outside the club. Why did Icelandic voters reject the proposal to reopen talks? Why does Switzerland have such a complicated relationship with its neighbouring countries, even as it remains part of the Schengen passport-free travel zone? Economic and security concerns are more intertwined than ever with Europe's relationships with the United Kingdom, Ukraine and North Africa, especially given changes at NATO. Democracy is the cornerstone of Europe's alliances and also comes with a host of complications – how can the European institutions position Brussels best?Relevant research: Grabbe, H. (2026) ‘Jilted by Iceland – but Wider Europe is forming through new cooperation structures around the EU', First Glance, Bruegel Grabbe, H. and S. Lehne (2016) 'Can the EU survive populism?', Carnegie Endowment Malet, G. and S. Walter (2024) 'The reverberations of British Brexit politics abroad', European Union Politics, 25(1), 63-85. Malet, G. and S. Walter (2023) 'Have your cake and eat it, too? Switzerland and the feasibility of differentiated integration after Brexit', West European Politics Marini, M. and S. Walter (2024) 'Learning from precedent: how the British Brexit experience shapes nationalist rhetoric outside the UK', Journal of European Public Policy De Vries C., S. Hobolt and S. Walter (2021) 'Politicizing International Cooperation: The Mass Public, Political Entrepreneurs, and Political Opportunity Structures', International Organization Walter, S. (2021) 'Quo vadis, Swiss-European Union relations?', Blog Post, Bruegel

Kevin Roepke, Executive Director, Middle East, North Africa & South Asia at the U.S. Soybean Export Council (USSEC), joins us live from Chicago for a wide-ranging conversation on agriculture, food security, global trade, remittance, and entrepreneurship. From how American farmers approach agriculture as a business to why Nepal continues to depend on food imports and remittance, Kevin shares a global perspective on what it takes to build a stronger and more competitive agricultural economy. We explore the strategic importance of soybeans, the changing nature of globalization, food and energy security, Nepal's need for focused industries, and the importance of long-term thinking in building the country's economic future. A conversation on how Nepal can turn its agricultural potential into a focused, competitive, and globally relevant economic engine. Timestamps 00:00:00 Intro 00:01:29 Live from Chicago: Why America Celebrates Its Farmers 00:04:03  Nepal's Agriculture: Poor Image, Huge GDP 00:05:50  Remittance: A Sweet Outcome of Desperation 00:06:51 If Nepal Were a Company, What Would It Focus On? 00:10:03  The Mathematical Farmer: How US Agriculture Competes 00:16:06  Why Nepal Imports Its Staple Crops 00:17:30  Can Hydropower Replace Remittance? 00:19:59  The Soybean Problem: Nepal's Hidden Protein Gap 00:22:56  How Soybeans Shape Global Geopolitics 00:23:53  Why a “Jack of All Trades” Strategy Never Works 00:29:38  Food & Energy Security Is National Security 00:33:29  Nepal's Missing 25–40 Generation 00:37:12  Shark Tank Nepal Season 2: What Changes? 00:38:48  The Shark's Golden Rule: Deal Structure 00:40:36  Why Global Business Connections Matter Want to become a video podcaster? Get info: https://becomeadoer.com/programs/become-a-video-podcaster?utm_source=Youtube&utm_medium=Episode+Description&utm_campaign=BAVP_C2   For Collaborations ✉ Reach out to us at partners@doersnepal.com  

Joe Piscopo is broadcasting from Ocean View Restaurant in Seaside Heights, NJ. 32:46- Robert Greenway, Senior VP of American Global Strategies, Former Deputy Assistant to the President and Senior Director for the Middle East and North Africa in the Trump administration, and principal architect of the Abraham Accords Topic: Iran's response to the Economic D-Day; Iran addressing reports of an assassination plot against Barron Trump 46:23- Dr. Ken Karamichael, Associate Vice President for Professional Studies and Business Development at Georgian Court University Topic: Georgian Court University 55:50- Dana Lancellotti, Executive Director of the Monmouth-Ocean Development Council Topic: Monmouth-Ocean Spotlight 1:04:46- Nicole Parker, Special Agent with the FBI from 2010 through October 2022, Fox News contributor, and the author of "The Two FBIs: The Bravery and Betrayal I Saw in My Time at the Bureau" Topic: China-linked hackers infiltrating U.S. government networks before FBI takedown 1:19:29- Mayor Anthony Vaz, Mayor of Seaside Heights, NJ Topic: Seaside Heights 1:27:33- Pam Capaci, CEO of HOPE Sheds Light & Steve Willis, co-founder of HOPE Sheds Light Topic: HOPE Sheds Light 1:39:27- Bob McLane, General Manager of Jersey Shore Blue Claws & President of the Monmouth Ocean Development Council Topic: Jersey Shore Blue Claws; MODC 1:52:30- Councilwoman Vickie Paladino, New York City Councilmember representing District 19 of Queens Topic: CBC telling journalists not to call 9/11 "terrorist attacks" 2:01:53- Frank Sadeghi, Commissioner and Director of Ocean County Topic: Ocean CountySee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Join Fr. Chris Alar for a powerful teaching On the Feast of St. Augustine, Fr. Chris reflects on the extraordinary life and teachings of this great Doctor of the Church. St. Augustine was a Roman living in North Africa during the decline of the Roman Empire—a turbulent period that inspired some of his most important writings. Discover the significance of St. Augustine's City of God, his insights into the Church and the struggle between good and evil, and the question: Is evil a real thing? We also reflect on the remarkable moment that helped change Augustine's life when he heard the words: “Take and read.” St. Augustine, pray for us. #StAugustine #FrChrisAlar #CatholicChurch #CatholicFaith #CatholicTeaching #Prayer #PrayForPriests #Nigeria #CityOfGod #DoctorOfTheChurch ★ Support this podcast ★

Chris and Dan are here to react to the Champions League Draw as Liverpool find out their 8 opponents for the 2026/27 league phase.Win DAILY PRIZES from as little as 99p on OOOSCH.CO.UKUse code REDMEN for 20% off PLAY to WIN: https://www.ooosch.co.uk/product/mystery-box-instant-scratch?utm_source=redmen_tv&utm_medium=partner&utm_campaign=mystery_box_instant_scratch&utm_content=redmen_tv_promoLiverpool John Lennon Airport connects the North West and North Wales with more than 70 destinations direct across Europe and North Africa. Visit LiverpoolAirport.com for more information. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Send us Fan MailSome prayers don't feel heroic. They feel repetitive, lonely, and a little embarrassing, like you're asking for the same miracle on a loop. That's why we keep coming back to Saint Monica, the patron saint of mothers and anyone pleading for a loved one who has drifted from the faith.We walk through Monica's real story: a devout Christian woman in fourth-century North Africa, a marriage marked by spiritual tension, and a son, Augustine, whose brilliance only made his wandering more painful. Monica doesn't “fix” him with the perfect speech. She stays close to Christ through daily Mass, fasting, tears, and relentless intercessory prayer, and she seeks wisdom from the Church, including shepherds like St Ambrose. Her perseverance becomes the quiet scaffolding God uses to bring about one of the most famous conversions in Christian history: the conversion of Saint Augustine.Along the way, we talk about what Monica's example means for modern Catholic life, especially if you are praying for a prodigal child, a spouse, or a friend to return to the sacraments. We explore practical spiritual supports like frequent reception of the Eucharist, confession, the Rosary, novenas, and sacramentals such as holy water and blessed medals, not as superstition, but as embodied reminders that grace is real and God is working even when progress feels invisible. If your hope is tired, Monica offers a steady kind of courage rooted in surrender to God's providence.If this gave you strength, subscribe, share it with someone who needs hope, and leave a review so more people looking for Catholic encouragement and prayer for conversion can find the show.Open by Steve Bailey Support the showJourneys of Faith brings you Super Saints PodcastsVisit our blog for full text of our podcasts https://journeysoffaith.com/blogs/eucharist-mary-saintsDownload Journeys of Faith App for Iphone or Android FREE https://journeysoffaith.com/pages/download-our-appPlease consider subscribing to this podcast or making a donation to Journeys of Faith Help us Grow!Journeys of Faith is blessed to provide Catholic media, including podcasts and inspirational content, free of charge across multiple media platforms for viewers and listeners around the world. While access to this content remains free, there are significant and continually increasing costs associated with producing, hosting, and distributing these programs. Your support helps us continue sharing the beauty of the Catholic faith with souls everywhere. We want to reach more souls and you can help us do that by becoming a Mission Angel. Make a Donation Any AmountRefer a FriendYou can help us by referring a friend! When they upgrade you get $20 and so does Journeys of Faith...

Many Kurds across the region feel angered by the Aug. 25 announcement by Syrian Democratic Forces commander-in-chief Mazlum Kobane that the force has been formally dissolved. Ibrahim Hamidi, a veteran Syrian journalist and editor-in-chief of Al Majalla, argues that the push for Kurdish rights is by no means over, and that Kobane's new role as an advisor to Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa will present the Kurds with fresh opportunities.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

A.M. Edition for Aug. 26. President Trump sends his landmark nuclear accord with Saudi Arabia to Congress for review, kicking off what's likely to be months of debate among lawmakers. Oxford Analytica's Rawan Maayeh breaks down whether the kingdom is likely to normalize relations with Israel as a part of the deal, as Trump has insisted. Plus, Bill Gates issues a stark warning on AI's impact on jobs and humanity, saying big tech has “no plan”. And we look ahead to Nvidia's earnings, with sky-high investor expectations for the world's most valuable company. And Luke Vargas hosts. Sign up for the WSJ's free What's News newsletter. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Full Text of Readings Memorial of Saint Monica Lectionary: 428 The Saint of the day is Saint Monica Saint Monica's Story The circumstances of Saint Monica's life could have made her a nagging wife, a bitter daughter-in-law, and a despairing parent, yet she did not give way to any of these temptations. Although she was a Christian, her parents gave her in marriage to a pagan, Patricius, who lived in her hometown of Tagaste in North Africa. Patricius had some redeeming features, but he had a violent temper and was licentious. Monica also had to bear with a cantankerous mother-in-law who lived in her home. Patricius criticized his wife because of her charity and piety, but always respected her. Monica's prayers and example finally won her husband and mother-in-law to Christianity. Her husband died in 371, one year after his baptism. Monica had at least three children who survived infancy. The oldest, Augustine, is the most famous. At the time of his father's death, Augustine was 17 and a rhetoric student in Carthage. Saint Monica was distressed to learn that her son had accepted the Manichean heresy—”all flesh is evil”—and was living an immoral life. For a while, she refused to let him eat or sleep in her house. Then one night she had a vision that assured her Augustine would return to the faith. From that time on, she stayed close to her son, praying and fasting for him. In fact she often stayed much closer than Augustine wanted. When he was 29, Augustine decided to go to Rome to teach rhetoric. Saint Monica was determined to go along. One night he told his mother that he was going to the dock to say goodbye to a friend. Instead he set sail for Rome. Monica was heartbroken when she learned of Augustine's trick, but she still followed him. She arrived in Rome only to find that he had left for Milan. Although travel was difficult, Monica pursued him to Milan. In Milan, Augustine came under the influence of the bishop, Saint Ambrose, who also became Monica's spiritual director. She accepted his advice in everything and had the humility to give up some practices that had become second nature to her. Saint Monica became a leader of the devout women in Milan as she had been in Tagaste. She continued her prayers for Augustine during his years of instruction. At Easter 387, Saint Ambrose baptized Augustine and several of his friends. Soon after, his party left for Africa. Although no one else was aware of it, Saint Monica knew her life was near the end. She told Augustine, “Son, nothing in this world now affords me delight. I do not know what there is now left for me to do or why I am still here, all my hopes in this world being now fulfilled.” She became ill shortly after and suffered severely for nine days before her death. Almost all we know about Saint Monica is in the writings of Saint Augustine, especially his Confessions. Reflection Today, with Google searches, online shopping, text messages, tweets, and instant credit, we have little patience for things that take time. Likewise, we want instant answers to our prayers. Monica is a model of patience. Her long years of prayer, coupled with a strong, well-disciplined character, finally led to the conversion of her hot-tempered husband, her cantankerous mother-in-law and her brilliant but wayward son, Augustine.Saint of the Day, Copyright Franciscan Media

Coming in at number 1 in our top five is the 6 May 2026 podcast with the North Africa analyst and ECFR visiting fellow Tarek Megerisi. Sign up NOW at ArabDigest.org for free to join the club and start receiving our daily newsletter & weekly podcasts.

Are you frustrated by chicken breasts drying out on the grill? That won't happen with this recipe for BBQ chicken breasts that are tender and juicy every time! Recipe: Juicy BBQ Chicken Breasts from TheCookful. Here are the links mentioned in this episode:How to Brine Chicken Breasts There's a brand new recipe over on COOKtheSTORY for a wonderful Chermoula Sauce, an herby sauce from North Africa. Here's the Recipe Of The Day podcast episode page with all of our recipe links, and you can subscribe to the show there too. Join my COOKforTWO Community here! Follow me on social media TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, or PinterestGet My Newsletter! Websites: COOKtheSTORY.com and TheCookful.com Let's get cooking! -Christine xo

In 533, a twenty-eight-year-old general named Belisarius sailed from Constantinople with 15,000 men to reconquer North Africa from the Vandals, a kingdom that had held it for nearly a century since the sack of Rome. The last time the Eastern Empire had attempted the crossing, the entire fleet had been destroyed. Belisarius landed, defeated the Vandal king in two battles, entered Carthage without a fight, sat on the enemy's throne, and was awarded the first proper Roman triumph in five hundred years. Then Justinian sent him to retake Italy with 7,000 troops. He took Sicily, took Naples, took Rome, and held it against a Gothic army that outnumbered him roughly twenty-to-one for over a year, personally leading cavalry charges from the crumbling Aurelian Walls. When the Goths offered him the crown of the Western Roman Empire, he pretended to accept, walked into Ravenna, arrested the Gothic leadership, and shipped them to Constantinople. Italy was Roman again. And Justinian, terrified of the man who had made it possible, recalled him, stripped his command, and never gave him the resources to finish anything again. Today's guests are Matteo and Matthew Storm, the father-and-son hosts of Lost Roman Heroes, who devoted a five-part series and over five hours to the life of Belisarius. We discuss why a man who did more than anyone since Aurelian to restore the Roman Empire has been almost completely erased from popular memory, how the Plague of Justinian and a volcanic winter destroyed everything Belisarius had reconquered, why Procopius wrote two radically contradictory portraits of the same man, and whether Antonina was the most unfairly maligned woman in Byzantine history or one of its most destructive. We look at why Justinian gave the eunuch Narses everything he never gave Belisarius and what that reveals about how empires manage the men they depend on, why the legend of Belisarius blinded and begging in the streets has persisted for fifteen hundred years despite being almost certainly false, and whether a civilization truly dies when its last true believer falls.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

  How will current issues or past discrimination against Mizrahi Israelis influence this election? Dan and sociologist Mijal Bitton discuss the history, identity, and political narratives of Mizrahi Jews—whose families came to Israel from across the Middle East and North Africa—and how those narratives continue to shape Israeli politics. They unpack the factors of historical discrimination by an Ashkenazi elite, questions of economic opportunity, dignity and belonging of the Mizrahi community, and the Mizrahi devotion to maintaining the Jewish character of the state of Israel. —- Get your tickets to a live taping of Call me Back at the Streicker Center in NYC on October 22.    —- Call Me Back is made possible by our subscribers. If these conversations are where you turn to understand Israel and the Jewish world, consider joining them. It's what keeps this show going. Become a Subscriber - Inside Call me Back This episode is sponsored by The Shalom Hartman Institute. Register for The Road to the Israeli Elections webinar with the Shalom Hartman Institute's Tani Frank and Masua Sagiv.  ___ In this episode:  -Historical roots of the Mizrahi and Ashkenazi divide -Cultural and religious differences in their countries of origin -Do Mizrahis still resent how they were treated by Ashkenazis during immigration? -Israelis political realignment in 1977 and Mizrahi powerful support for Likud -The rise of Mizrahi political movements like Shas -How Mizrahi voters think about the “deep state” in Israel -Contemporary Mizrahi identity and integration into Israeli society and politics ___ More Ark Media: Want to join Ark Media? Check out our careers page for new openings. Explore Israel Votes Listen to Ark News Daily Listen to For Heaven's Sake Listen to What's Your Number? Newsletters | Ark Media | Amit Segal | Nadav Eyal Instagram | Ark Media | Dan X | Dan Dan Senor & Saul Singer's book, The Genius of Israel Get in touch Credits: Ilan Benatar, Beth Pearlman, Brittany Cohen, Ava Weiner, Martin Huergo, Mariangeles Burgos, and Yuval Semo

How will current issues or past discrimination against Mizrahi Israelis influence this election? Dan and sociologist Mijal Bitton discuss the history, identity, and political narratives of Mizrahi Jews—whose families came to Israel from across the Middle East and North Africa—and how those narratives continue to shape Israeli politics. They unpack the factors of historical discrimination […]

Full Text of Readings Tuesday of the Twenty-first Week in Ordinary Time Lectionary: 426 The Saint of the day is Saint Louis of France Saint Louis of France's Story At his coronation as king of France, Louis IX bound himself by oath to behave as God's anointed, as the father of his people and feudal lord of the King of Peace. Other kings had done the same, of course. Louis was different in that he actually interpreted his kingly duties in the light of faith. After the violence of two previous reigns, he brought peace and justice. Saint Louis of France “took the cross” for a Crusade when he was 30. His army seized Damietta in Egypt but not long after, weakened by dysentery and without support, they were surrounded and captured. Louis obtained the release of the army by giving up the city of Damietta in addition to paying a ransom. He stayed in Syria four years. Louis deserves credit for extending justice in civil administration. His regulations for royal officials became the first of a series of reform laws. He replaced trial by battle with a form of examination of witnesses and encouraged the use of written records in court. Saint Louis of France was always respectful of the papacy, but defended royal interests against the popes, and refused to acknowledge Innocent IV's sentence against Emperor Frederick II. Saint Louis of France was devoted to his people, founding hospitals, visiting the sick, and like his patron Saint Francis, caring even for people with leprosy. He is one of the patrons of the Secular Franciscan Order. Louis united France—lords and townsfolk, peasants and priests and knights—by the force of his personality and holiness. For many years the nation was at peace. Every day, Louis had 13 special guests from among the poor to eat with him, and a large number of poor were served meals near his palace. During Advent and Lent, all who presented themselves were given a meal, and Louis often served them in person. He kept lists of needy people, whom he regularly relieved, in every province of his dominion. Disturbed by new Muslim advances, Louis led another crusade to North Africa in 1270. Within a month of their landing at Carthage, the army camp was decimated by disease. Louis himself died there at the age of 56. He was canonized 27 years later. Reflection Saint Louis of France was strong-willed, strong-minded. His word was trusted utterly, and his courage in action was remarkable. What is most remarkable was his sense of respect for anyone with whom he dealt, especially the “humble folk of the Lord.” To care for his people he built cathedrals, churches, libraries, hospitals and orphanages. He dealt with princes honestly and equitably. He hoped to be treated the same way by the King of Kings, to whom he gave his life, his family and his country.Saint of the Day, Copyright Franciscan Media

Dr. Sebastian Gorka, Deputy Assistant to the President and Senior Director for Counter Terrorism in the Trump AdministrationTopic: Alleged ISIS-inspired bomb plot against the NYS Capitol Robert Greenway, Senior VP of American Global Strategies, Former Deputy Assistant to the President and Senior Director for the Middle East and North Africa in the Trump administration, and principal architect of the Abraham AccordsTopic: ISIS influence on America; Latest in Iran Tom Arnone, Monmouth County Commissioner and DirectorTopic: Monmouth/Ocean County Spotlight Mehek Cooke, Attorney, Political Strategist, and Media CommentatorTopic: "Redistricting gives Republicans an edge, but affordability will decide the midterms" (Fox News op ed) Chris Swecker, attorney who served as assistant director of the FBI for the Criminal Investigative Division from 2004 to 2006 Topic: Alleged ISIS-inspired bomb plot against the NYS Capitol Thomas Homan, Border Czar for the Trump administrationTopic: ICE arrests Captain in New York boating accident that killed two people Cristo Foufas, Broadcaster and royal commentator based in LondonTopic: Harry and Meghan returning to the U.K.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode of Tank Talks, host Matt Cohen sits down with Karl Holmqvist, co-founder and CEO of Lastwall, a FedRAMP-certified identity security platform built for the highest-risk use cases. Karl has been deep in cybersecurity since the 1990s, with early experience building critical infrastructure, including Canada's first high-speed mobile data network, and a recent focus on identity security at the forefront of making systems quantum-resilient. In this conversation, they explore the evolution of Lastwall from early behavioral biometrics and cognitive signals to today's hybrid post-quantum cryptography.They also dig into the journey to FedRAMP approval and what it really takes to sell to the hardest customers on the planet, from the DOD's Innovation Unit to critical infrastructure operators globally. Karl shares his view on why hybrid cryptography is the only responsible path right now, the magnified risk of the AI agent era, and his strongly held belief that when it comes to quantum resiliency, you're either going to be too early or too late.Whether you're a founder navigating a path into regulated markets, a security leader thinking about the agentic AI era, or just curious about what it takes to protect critical infrastructure, Karl delivers a grounded, technical, and occasionally unsettling look at where identity security is headed.–A big thanks to our sponsor, Moomoo CanadaThis is the kind of tooling that used to live on a Bloomberg terminal, but now it is on your phone, just a few taps away. They offer real-time data, full options chains, and an AI assistant that actually explains trading strategies.Moomoo is the perfect place for people who want to take their money seriously. Open an account today at moomoo.caGrowing Up in Dubai During the Gulf War (03:50)* Karl's childhood in Dubai as an expat during the Gulf War* Visiting the USS Nimitz and seeing 5,000 people living on an aircraft carrier* How jets overhead and allied ships shaped his early view of technology and defense* The BBS era and the thrill of finding information that wasn't available to everyoneFrom Mobile Data Skepticism to Building Canada's First High-Speed Network (05:31)* Why people thought mobile internet was “the stupidest thing” in the early 2000s* Building a data-only carrier when no one believed you'd want internet everywhere* The Nokia Communicator as his favorite tech gadget and early glimpse of mobile data* Connecting critical infrastructure and discovering default credentials left wide openThe Wake-Up Call: Wastewater Plants and Unsecured Dams (12:58)* Finding a wastewater flow control valve dangling on the internet with admin/admin credentials* The “air-gapped” power plant where an engineer plugged his BlackBerry in to charge* How Shodan and friends revealed dams and power facilities publicly accessible* The founding of Lastwall: “Hackers will be everywhere. We've got to do something.”From Behavioral Biometrics to Quantum Resilience (19:11)* Why 85% of hacks still use valid stolen credentials, the same as the 1990s* Early experiments with keyboard dynamics, mouse movements, and cognitive biometrics* Tracking Peter Shor's algorithm since university and the IBM factorization of 15 in 2001* The 2017 to 2018 decision to embed quantum resiliency natively into LastwallSelling to the Pentagon: DIU and the “Hard Mode First” Strategy (26:07)* Landing the first major deployment with the U.S. Department of Defense Innovation Unit* How DIU pioneered procurement that matches innovation cycles, months instead of years* The advice from Carbon Black founders: build the regulated stack first* Why defense tech used to shut VC doors and how times have changedFedRAMP, Canada, and the Case for Harmonization (33:25)* FedRAMP as the gold standard: do compliance once, reuse everywhere* The Canadian challenge: every agency doing its own security review* Why Canada should base its program on NIST 800 and harmonize with the U.S.* The reality of the integrated North American power grid and shared defenseAI Agents and the Blast Radius of Credential Theft (37:44)* Why 50 to 100 agents per human in 2 to 3 years will magnify damage exponentially* The OpenClaw lesson: agents do what agents do, not what you expect* The “YOLO” approach to AI deployment and why enterprises aren't calling enough* Advice for founders: sandbox first, don't connect your whole drive, go slowlyThe $60M Series A Extension and the Path Forward (43:13)* Raising BDC Capital's Strong North Fund led by Major General (Ret.) Peter Dawe* The milestone of FedRAMP certification and opening the floodgates to U.S. agencies* Deploying in disconnected environments: field containers for critical infrastructure* Why defense is ultimately about protecting the economyAbout Karl HolmqvistKarl Holmqvist is co-founder and CEO of Lastwall, an identity-as-a-service platform built on Zero Trust principles and public key infrastructure, hardened with post-quantum cryptographic resilience. Lastwall serves the U.S. Department of Defense and a growing number of civilian government agencies and critical infrastructure operators. Karl has been a cybersecurity enthusiast since the 1990s, with a background spanning telecommunications infrastructure (including building one of Canada's first high-speed mobile data networks), renewable energy infrastructure across the Middle East, North Africa, and Southern Europe, and international investing. He studied at Mount Allison University and is based in Vancouver, BC.Connect with Karl Holmqvist on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/karlholmqvist/Visit Lastwall's website: https://www.lastwall.com/Connect with Matt Cohen on LinkedIn: https://ca.linkedin.com/in/matt-cohen1Visit the Ripple Ventures website: https://www.rippleventures.com/ This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit tanktalks.substack.com

The summer of 2026 burned the largest wildfire in Spain's recorded history and the largest France has seen since the Second World War. June's heat killed more than 10,000 people across Europe. A heat dome held North Africa and the Sahel above 45°C for days. In Assam, the Brahmaputra put 700,000 people out of their homes.But it was in the United States, in its hottest month in 132 years of records, that climate reporting found its biggest audience of the summer, in the least likely slot imaginable.Footballers at the FIFA Men's World Cup had to stop mid-half to drink, cool down and put on ice vests. Two US broadcasters held the rights to those three minutes. One sold them to advertisers. The other used them to explain why the players were stopping at all. This week Christiana Figueres speaks with Vanessa Hauc, Emmy award-winning anchor at Noticias Telemundo and creator of its climate unit, Planeta Tierra. Vanessa got Telemundo to hand her time during the hydration breaks. Forty seconds, Saudi Aramco's branding in shot, to tell viewers why the players needed to stop. While competitors sold advertising slots generating an estimated $1bn globally, millions tuned in to Vanessa explaining how human-driven climate change, caused by burning fossil fuels, was responsible for the crisis.Tom Rivett-Carnac and Paul Dickinson join Christiana to pick apart why simply reporting a hotter world is still treated as a provocation, and the three of them take stock of a summer of record heat, Spain's tumbling power prices and the case for telling the economic story better.What does it take to reach people who will never open a scientific paper but will not miss a match? And why is telling it like it is still the risky option?Plus, a first look at the next three episodes. Tom has been somewhere that holds the best and the worst of this transition at once. Stay tuned for the end of the episode.Learn More⚽ Read Climate Change Big Player at FIFA World Cup 2026, the World Weather Attribution study Vanessa's team built the reporting on

Author Pam Webber discusses her new novel, Massawa. This historical romance is the first book in a new series. Set in North African during World War II, it is inspired by the real American women who were recruited to serve as spies. The novel follows Kit, a newly minted spy with no field experience but plenty of courage, as she's sent to the coastal city of Massawa in Eritrea, to investigate a conspiracy that threatens the only Allied naval base on the Red Sea—a strategic outpost crucial to halting the Nazi advance in North Africa. Blending real historical events with espionage, danger, adventure, and romance, Massawa shines a light on a fascinating and little-known chapter of WWII history. In this episode, Pam and I chat about her writing journey, the extensive research behind the novel, and the remarkable event known as the "Miracle of Massawa," which played an important role in the Allied war effort.

A viral interview raises an uncomfortable question: what does it mean when a high-profile US political influencer sits down with a commander tied to the Azov movement and the “clean up the optics” answer is basically no? We take that clip seriously, not as clickbait, but as a window into how the Ukraine war is sold to the public, how propaganda works when facts are inconvenient, and why the neo-Nazi imagery controversy never actually went away. From there, we pull on a bigger thread that keeps showing up in foreign policy: the push to connect wars into one narrative. We talk about the incentives for Ukraine to tie itself to an Iran-centered conflict, what Israel's leadership may want, and how US priorities shift when munitions, media attention, and political will are finite. We also dig into the hard part that rarely gets discussed honestly: even if you think a war is provoked or justified, what is the endgame, and what happens to public opinion when strikes land inside Russia? We then pivot to US politics and the pro-Israel lobby ecosystem, reacting to John Fetterman's meeting with Benjamin Netanyahu and what that symbolism says about party discipline, image management, and who gets rewarded. After that, we highlight journalist Sam Husseini confronting Chuck Schumer, and why real accountability often only happens when someone is willing to get shoved out of the room for asking the question. Finally, we unpack the “Morocco invaded Spain” claim by looking at Ceuta, asylum pathways, Abraham Accords-era leverage, spyware, and how migration routes tie back to destabilization across North Africa and the Sahel. If you care about Ukraine, Gaza, Iran, NATO, and the Israel lobby, this conversation connects the dots. Subscribe, share the show, and leave a review with the part you think the media is getting most wrong.

The tank first appeared on the battlefields of the First World War as an experimental weapon designed to break the deadlock of trench warfare. Within a generation, it had become the defining weapon of modern land warfare, playing a central role in campaigns across Europe, North Africa and beyond. In this episode, I'm joined by Hamish de Bretton Gordon, former tank commander and author of Tank Command: How the Tank Changed the Face of Battle. We explore how the tank evolved from the lumbering machines of 1916 into the formidable armoured vehicles that dominated the Second World War, and how the lessons of those early decades shaped the development of the Chieftain and the tanks that followed. patreon.com/ww2podcast    

Journalist Lindsey Snell returns to the show to talk about Syria. She first recounts her experience getting kidnapped by the Jihadists who now control the country. Scott and Snell then debunk all the propaganda we're being fed about Jolani and the rest of his “moderate” rebels who now, with Western backing, are closer than ever to establishing their caliphate in the Middle East. Discussed on the show: Things Aren't Great with Lindsey Snell Lindsey Snell is a journalist covering conflict and crises in the Middle East and North Africa, especially Syria, Iraq, Turkey, and Tunisia. She currently lives in Germany. Follow her on X @LindseySnell  Sign up for the Scott Horton Academy of Foreign Policy and Freedom at scotthortonacademy.com For more on Scott's work: Check out The Libertarian Institute: https://www.libertarianinstitute.org Check out Scott's other show, Provoked, with Darryl Cooper https://youtube.com/@Provoked_Show Read Scott's books: Provoked: How Washington Started the New Cold War with Russia and the Catastrophe in Ukraine https://amzn.to/43D82oY (The audiobook of Provoked is being published in sections at https://scotthortonshow.com) Enough Already: Time to End the War on Terrorism: https://amzn.to/4eMQblu Fool's Errand: Time to End the War in Afghanistan https://amzn.to/4a5fKvx Follow Scott on X @scotthortonshow And check out Scott's full interview archives: https://scotthorton.org/all-interviews This episode of the Scott Horton Show is sponsored by: Tax Attorney Matt Sercely https://agoristtaxadvice.com; Moon Does Artisan Coffee https://scotthorton.org/coffee; Tom Woods' Liberty Classroom https://www.libertyclassroom.com/dap/a/?a=1616 and Dissident Media https://dissidentmedia.com; and Crowdhealth https://www.joincrowdhealth.com/ (use promocode Horton) You can also support Scott's work by making a one-time or recurring donation at https://scotthorton.org/donate/ or https://patreon.com/scotthortonshow Audio cleaned up with the Podsworth app: https://podsworth.com Use code HORTON50 for 50% off your first order at Podsworth.com to clean up your voice recordings, sound like a pro, and also support the Scott Horton Show! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

 Download Audio. Journalist Lindsey Snell returns to the show to talk about Syria. She first recounts her experience getting kidnapped by the Jihadists who now control the country. Scott and Snell then debunk all the propaganda we're being fed about Jolani and the rest of his “moderate” rebels who now, with Western backing, are closer than ever to establishing their caliphate in the Middle East. Discussed on the show: Things Aren’t Great with Lindsey Snell Lindsey Snell is a journalist covering conflict and crises in the Middle East and North Africa, especially Syria, Iraq, Turkey, and Tunisia. She currently lives in Germany. Follow her on X @LindseySnell  Sign up for the Scott Horton Academy of Foreign Policy and Freedom at scotthortonacademy.com For more on Scott’s work: Check out The Libertarian Institute: https://www.libertarianinstitute.org Check out Scott’s other show, Provoked, with Darryl Cooper https://youtube.com/@Provoked_Show Read Scott’s books: Provoked: How Washington Started the New Cold War with Russia and the Catastrophe in Ukraine https://amzn.to/43D82oY (The audiobook of Provoked is being published in sections at https://scotthortonshow.com) Enough Already: Time to End the War on Terrorism: https://amzn.to/4eMQblu Fool's Errand: Time to End the War in Afghanistan https://amzn.to/4a5fKvx Follow Scott on X @scotthortonshow And check out Scott's full interview archives: https://scotthorton.org/all-interviews This episode of the Scott Horton Show is sponsored by: Tax Attorney Matt Sercely https://agoristtaxadvice.com; Moon Does Artisan Coffee https://scotthorton.org/coffee; Tom Woods' Liberty Classroom https://www.libertyclassroom.com/dap/a/?a=1616 and Dissident Media https://dissidentmedia.com; and Crowdhealth https://www.joincrowdhealth.com/ (use promocode Horton) You can also support Scott's work by making a one-time or recurring donation at https://scotthorton.org/donate/ or https://patreon.com/scotthortonshow Audio cleaned up with the Podsworth app: https://podsworth.com Use code HORTON50 for 50% off your first order at Podsworth.com to clean up your voice recordings, sound like a pro, and also support the Scott Horton Show!

Today on the show, after the destabilizing Iran war and a new NATO-style defense alliance between Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Turkey, is the Gulf moving toward a new, post-American order? Fareed speaks with Tarek Masoud, director of the Middle East Initiative at the Harvard Kennedy School, and Danny Citrinowicz, former head of the Iran branch of Israel's military intelligence. Then, Russia's war in Ukraine is increasingly being fought in the skies. Russia bombarded Kyiv this week with ballistic missiles and Ukraine has recently successfully struck targets deep in Russian territory. Fareed discusses with Ben Hodges, the former commanding general of US Army Europe. Finally, last week, more than 70,000 migrants from Morocco arrived on the shores of Ceuta, a Spanish territory in North Africa. It appeared to be a coordinated event. So who was behind it? Fareed talks to Anne Applebaum of The Atlantic. GUESTS: Tarek Masoud, Danny Citrinowicz (@citrinowicz), Ben Hodges (@general_ben), Anne Applebaum (@anneapplebaum) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

On Tuesday's Mark Levin Show, Abdul El-Sayed, who is running for the Democratic nomination for Senate from Michigan, is a very sick person, full of hate. He is on record supporting driver's licenses for illegals, opposing cooperation with ICE, and says America was founded on slavery. Slavery actually existed all over the world when America was founded: Black tribes sold other Africans to Europeans. Slavery exists today in Africa - where Islamists kill and capture Christians in Nigeria -- and in the Middle East. Women are treated horribly in the Middle East, North Africa and Pakistan -- all Islamic areas. America fought a Civil War and amended our Constitution to rid this country of slavery. Nirvana has never existed anywhere, but the America of today is as close as it has ever come. Meanwhile, issues like universal healthcare are falsely cast as civil rights to advance a Marxist agenda that expands “democracy” and “rights” while threatening programs like Medicare and opposing enforcement against illegal immigration; supporting candidates like Abdul El-Sayed in Michigan would harm both the state and the country. Also, Sen Chris Van Hollen is a radical nut job, Jew hater, and Israel hater. Van Hollen defends Democrats against communist labels by citing Republican attacks on FDR over Social Security. What did FDR do? FDR created internment camps of 120,000 Japanese Americans, refusing to sign a bipartisan anti-lynching bill to protect Southern votes, imposing Jewish immigration quotas during the Holocaust, and enacting socialist policies including industrial trusts and price/wage controls that prolonged the Depression, arguing socialism redistributes rather than creates wealth. Later, Wisconsin Governor candidate Francesca Hong views Thanksgiving as racist and posted in 2021 that Americans should cancel it. This is the problem with insufficiently patriotic immigrants welcomed into the Democratic Party's big tent. In breaking news, authorities arrested a man Sunday at President Trump's Los Angeles-area golf course after he appeared to monitor security preparations two days ahead of a fundraiser there. The man, who was taking photos and video, carried a 16-round magazine with ammunition in his pocket; a loaded pistol was recovered from his car. He was charged with allegedly carrying a concealed firearm and possessing prohibited ammunition. The arrest was announced by the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department as Trump prepared to arrive for a Republican National Committee fundraising dinner at the Trump National Golf Course in Rancho Palos Verdes. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

President Trump said the U.S. brokered a deal for Hamas to disarm and for Israel to leave Gaza, but neither side has moved on it yet. The Washington Post’s Michael Birnbaum explains why. Wall Street firms can now pay up to $100,000 a month for early access to Trump’s Truth Social posts. The Wall Street Journal’s Caitlin Ostroff breaks down the edge this new service gives investors — and the insider-trading concerns it’s raising. Tens of thousands of migrants rushed into the Spanish territory of Ceuta in North Africa last week, only to be turned away almost immediately. Reuters’s Victoria Waldersee unpacks the factors that contributed to the surge. Plus, how a bitter family feud between two Ohio lawmakers over abuse allegations is threatening an otherwise likely safe GOP seat, why FIFA's president is facing a mutiny, and women’s professional baseball players have a new league of their own.

Today on the show, the Iran war seems to be caught between sudden outbursts of fighting and fragile pauses for diplomacy. How are Iranians responding? Fareed asks Abdi Latif Dahir of The New York Times, who just spent 10 days in Iran after he was granted rare access to report on last month's funeral of former Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei. Then, despite a June memorandum on hostilities, the US and Iran remain locked in a tit-for-tat conflict. Does Iran want a deal? Fareed speaks with Sanam Vakil, director of the Middle East and North Africa program at Chatham House. Later, Black fourth-graders in Mississippi now score higher in reading, on average, than those in Massachusetts. For a state with historically weak educational rankings, how did they make such remarkable progress? Fareed talks with Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Nicholas Kristof. Finally, when Theo Baker enrolled at Stanford University he was passionate about coding and excited to be in Silicon Valley. But over time, he grew troubled by what he saw as the influence of big tech over the university. He has written a new book about this and more, called “How to Rule the World: An Education in Power at Stanford University.” GUESTS: Abdi Latif Dahir (@Lattif); Sanam Vakil (@SanamVakil); Nicholas Kristof (@NickKristof); Theo Baker (@tab_delete) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

On Friday's Mark Levin Show, the Iranian regime cannot be overthrown from the air alone. We need to take an aggressive posture without ground troops: provide arms to the Iranian resistance movements, destroy Kharg Island (through which 85% of Iran's oil and gas flows, much of it to China), and rebuild later with private investment. Don't listen to the isolationists who favor an Iran deal. Meanwhile, we need to support Ukraine's licensing to build Patriot missile systems while withholding F-35s from Erdogan, who threatens Israel and Greece, occupies a third of Cyprus, and pursues neo-Ottoman ambitions. Also, an estimated 60,000 or more Moroccans and others from North Africa have invaded Spain, breaking into stores, burning cars, and rioting. Socialists, like Spain's PM, Marxists, and the Democrat Party create such conditions worldwide by opening borders and, in the U.S., by refusing to enforce immigration law. Democrats created unlawful sanctuary cities and states that nullify federal immigration statutes, withhold information from ICE, and encourage well-funded radical left groups to obstruct enforcement—even of those who have committed serious crimes. Later, Michael Whatley, the Republican Senate nominee in North Carolina, calls in and reports strong momentum after touring all 100 counties, where voters consistently seek a fighter focused on family success, economic opportunity, and safe communities rather than the record of his opponent, former Governor Roy Cooper. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices