Podcasts about pakistani

What is the Monitor's approach to coverage of the Israel-Hamas war? Our Middle East editor, Ken Kaplan, says our coverage is distinctive because “we focus on the humanity on both sides.” In today's stories, we also look at how Israel is restricting freedom of speech for Arab citiznes, why a so-called “honor killing” has Pakistanis outraged, and how Ecuadorians are taking pride in their ice cream. Join the Monitor's Mark Sappenfield and Kendra Nordin Beato for today's news. You can also visit csmonitor.com/daily for more information.

Karima Baloch was forced to flee to Canada because of her work fighting for human rights in her home of Balochistan, a province of Pakistan. But when Karima's body washes ashore on Lake Ontario, it raises questions about the disappearances and deaths of other Pakistani dissidents. The Kill List is a 6-part podcast from the CBC's investigative series, Uncover.

This is the web version of Foreign Exchanges, but did you know you can get it delivered right to your inbox? Sign up today:TODAY IN HISTORYDecember 2, 1805: At the Battle of Austerlitz, Napoleon wins what was arguably his greatest victory against a larger joint Russian-Austrian army. The Allies suffered 36,000 dead/wounded/captured compared with only 9000 for the French. The French victory was so complete that not only did it end the War of the Third Coalition, it allowed Napoleon to create the Confederation of the Rhine among the German states that had become French clients. Emperor Francis II was then forced to dissolve the Holy Roman Empire, which had been in existence continuously since 962 and traced its origins back to Charlemagne's coronation as “emperor of the Romans” in 800.December 2, 1942: Enrico Fermi and his team create the first self-sustaining nuclear reaction at “Chicago Pile-1,” a rudimentary reactor built under the campus of the University of Chicago. This was the first milestone achievement for the Manhattan Project in its race to build a nuclear bomb before Nazi Germany.December 3, 1971: The Pakistani military undertakes preemptive airstrikes against several Indian military installations, beginning the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971, itself the final phase of the Bangladesh Liberation War. India was preparing to enter the war on Bangladesh's side anyway, so when I say these strikes were “preemptive” I am not using that term in the phony, George W. Bush “hey they might attack us someday, you never know” sense of the term. The war, to put it mildly, was a complete disaster for the Pakistanis, who were forced to surrender a scant 13 days later and had to give up their claims on “East Pakistan” (Bangladesh) while suffering around a third of their military killed, wounded, or captured. In one of Henry Kissinger's more notorious acts, the Nixon administration opted to support Pakistan despite evidence of its armed forces committing major atrocities against Bangladeshi civilians.December 3, 1984: A Union Carbide pesticide plant in Bhopal, India, spews toxic methyl isocyanate gas overnight, resulting in the deaths of between 3800 and 16,000 people and causing injury to at least 558,000 more. Union Carbide maintains that the leak was caused by deliberate sabotage, though Indian courts subsequently found several officials at the plant guilty of negligence. The “Bhopal Disaster” remains one of the worst industrial catastrophes in history and its adverse effects are still being felt by people in that region to the present day.MIDDLE EASTISRAEL-PALESTINEThe Israeli military (IDF) was advancing on the southern Gazan city of Khan Younis on Sunday, with Hamas officials and residents both reporting indications of nearby fighting and the IDF later confirming that it has sent ground forces into southern Gaza. The IDF has been ordering civilians to evacuate the eastern reaches of Khan Younis, and of course it's posted a helpful interactive map on its website that warns civilians of imminent danger provided those civilians have reliable internet access and haven't lost their special IDF secret decoder rings. Residents of Khan Younis will likely move further south to Rafah, though that city is also under heavy IDF bombardment so it's not really safe either. Israeli officials say the IDF struck more than 400 targets over the weekend, and the official Gazan death toll had risen at last check to 15,523. The real death toll may be substantially higher, given the likelihood of bodies that haven't yet been recovered and the closure of most of the hospitals that were handling casualties.Elsewhere:* Aid shipments into Gaza have resumed. The Palestinian Red Crescent Society says that 100 truckloads of aid entered the territory from Egypt on Saturday and I believe the aim was to bring in a similar number of trucks on Sunday though I have not seen any information yet as to whether that was accomplished.* The Biden administration may be “pressing” Israel and Hamas to resume negotiations, as White House spokes-ghoul John Kirby told NBC on Sunday, but there's no indication it's having any success. After the ceasefire collapsed on Friday the Israeli government recalled its Mossad negotiators from Qatar, and for Hamas's part the Islamist group's political wing has sworn off any future prisoner swaps “until the war ends.”* The administration is continuing to send large quantities of ordinance to the IDF, including massive “bunker buster” bombs. So any claim that it's really pushing the Israeli government to negotiate a ceasefire or even demonstrate greater discernment in its bombardments really doesn't hold up terribly well.* Israel Hayom is reporting that “key figures” in the US Congress have been shown the text of a “new initiative” that would condition future US aid to Egypt, Iraq, Turkey, and Yemen (all of which it identified as “Arab states,” which would be news to the Turks) on the willingness of governments in those four states to enable the ethnic cleansing of Gaza by taking in refugees. That same outlet has also reported (in Hebrew, so here's a summary from Ryan Grim) that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has asked Minister of Strategic Planning Ron Dermer to put together a plan to “thin the population in Gaza to a minimum,” which if nothing else is an incredible euphemism. The Biden administration has rejected any forced and/or permanent relocation of Gazan civilians, a point that Vice President Kamala Harris reiterated during her visit to the COP28 climate summit in Dubai over the weekend. But it perhaps could be sold on the idea of a “voluntary” (in quotes because in reality it would be anything but) evacuation that is characterized as temporary even if there's no real intention to ever let the evacuees return.* The Guardian says its reporting has confirmed the findings of that bombshell +972 Magazine piece from a few days ago, which reported that the IDF has been using an AI system called “Habsora” (“The Gospel”) to identify targets under a process that's been likened to a “mass assassination factory.” The system is producing targets faster than the IDF can attack them, including private homes where the likelihood of civilian casualties is high. Israeli officials are apparently insisting that the AI is programmed to minimize civilian risk, an assertion that cannot be squared with the high number of civilian casualties incurred so far in this conflict.* Israeli settler mobs attacked two West Bank villages in separate incidents on Saturday, killing at least one Palestinian in one of those attacks. The human rights organization Yesh Din says it's catalogued some 225 settler attacks against Palestinians in the West Bank since October 7, resulting in at least nine deaths.* On a somewhat related note, one of the people killed in last Thursday's shooting in East Jerusalem turns out to have been an Israeli civilian who shot and killed the two Hamas attackers and then was mistakenly gunned down by Israeli soldiers. Video footage apparently shows the man disarming, kneeling, and opening his shirt to demonstrate to the soldiers that he was not a threat, but one of them killed him anyway. The incident has raised issues regarding the trigger happiness of Israeli security forces and the wisdom of the Israeli government's armed vigilante program, which in addition to risking civilian Palestinian deaths also risks more “friendly fire” shootings like this one.* The Washington Post published a story this weekend about the hasty evacuation of al-Nasr Children's Hospital in northern Gaza last month. Without going into some of the grislier details, the staff was forced to evacuate by the IDF and left behind four premature infants who likely would not have survived relocation. They say Israeli officials told them the infants would be taken out in Red Cross ambulances but apparently they were left to die and, eventually, decompose. Reporters discovered their remains during the ceasefire. Israeli officials insist that they never ordered al-Nasr's evacuation and have questioned the veracity of the story, despite video evidence and a recording of a phone call that the IDF itself released in which an Israeli official appears to acknowledge the need to rescue patients from the facility. The Red Cross says it never agreed to assist the evacuation and that conditions in northern Gaza would have made it impossible for its personnel to get to al-Nasr to retrieve the infants.* I mention the al-Nasr story because it strikes me as especially galling. In general I'm trying not to focus heavily on individual atrocities or allegations of atrocities in compiling these newsletters—there would be no space for anything else otherwise. I hope readers don't mistake that for apathy about any of these stories, going back to and including the atrocities committed/allegedly committed by Gazan militants on October 7 (I know cases of sexual violence have been receiving heavy coverage of late). I feel my role here is to try to provide an overview and for me that means keeping some distance from specific events. I'm sure I don't do that consistently but it is my aim.SYRIAAccording to Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, that Saturday morning Israeli missile attack in the vicinity of Damascus killed at least two of its personnel who were in Syria on an “advisory” mission. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported that the strikes killed two Syrians who were affiliated with Hezbollah as well as two foreigners, presumably these IRGC members, while wounding five other people.YEMENHouthi rebels in northern Yemen fired a barrage of missiles and drones at ships in the Red Sea on Sunday. The group damaged three commercial ships and also fired at least three drones at the US naval destroyer USS Carney, which shot the projectiles down. There's no indication of any casualties and two of the vessels reported only minor damage (I'm unsure as to the status of the third). I would not be surprising if the US military were to retaliate against the Houthis in the near future, and there is a genuine risk that this could lead to a full-blown resumption of the Yemen war—though of course that would require Saudi Arabia's involvement.IRAQIraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shiaʿ al-Sudani reportedly told US Secretary of State Antony Blinken during a phone conversation on Saturday that Baghdad does not appreciate the US military carrying out attacks on Iraqi soil. The US attacked two Iraqi militia-linked targets on November 22 (during this newsletter's holiday pause), “killing nine pro-Iran fighters” in retaliation for attacks against US personnel according to AFP. Those attacks tapered off during the Gaza ceasefire, but as we know that ceasefire is no longer operative.On Sunday, US forces carried out a drone strike on a militia target in Iraq's Kirkuk province, killing at least five people and wounding five more. There was initially no indication as to responsibility (though one didn't exactly have to be Sherlock Holmes to solve this caper), but the US military later confirmed that it was responsible and characterized the strike as preempting “an imminent threat.”ASIAPAKISTANUnspecified gunmen attacked a bus in northern Pakistan's Gilgit-Baltistan region late Saturday, killing at least nine people and injuring at least 26 others. The bus driver was among those killed, along with the driver of a truck with which the bus collided. There's been no claim of responsibility and the main body of the Pakistani Taliban has taken the rare step of denying any involvement.PHILIPPINESA bombing targeting a Catholic mass killed at least four people and left several others wounded on the campus of Mindanao State University in the southern Philippine city of Marawi on Sunday. Islamic State claimed responsibility for the attack via Telegram. The previous day, the Philippine military said its forces killed at least 11 jihadist militants in nearby Maguindanao province in an attack targeting “suspected leaders and armed followers of the Dawla Islamiyah [i.e. ‘Islamic State'] and the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters” to borrow the AP's verbiage. I don't know whether Sunday's bombing was planned in advance or was intended as a direct retaliation for Saturday's incident.AFRICAGUINEA-BISSAUThe president of Guinea-Bissau, Umaro Sissoco Embaló, characterized Thursday night's gun battle between elements of the National Guard and his Presidential Palace Battalion as an “attempted coup” in comments to reporters on Saturday. Embaló had been out of the country attending the COP28 summit when the incident took place and said it had delayed his return to Bissau. National Guard commander Victor Tchongo is now in government custody, but Embaló appeared to suggest that there were other coup plotters behind Tchongo and said he would open an investigation into the incident on Monday. The National Guard is part of the Interior Ministry, which AFP says is “dominated” by the African Party for the Independence of Guinea and Cape Verde (PAICG). That party, which won June's parliamentary election and now controls the government, is opposed to Embaló.BURKINA FASOThe military governments of Burkina Faso and Niger announced on Saturday that they are both withdrawing from the G5 Sahel regional counterinsurgency force. That group was formed in 2014 with the aim of pooling resources to battle the various jihadist groups that were threatening Sahelian governments. It began deploying joint forces a couple of years later, but as you might already have concluded it's had minimal impact on the region's jihadist crisis. Mali's ruling junta quit last year, so of the original five member states only Mauritania and Nigeria still remain.ETHIOPIAOfficials in Ethiopia's Oromian regional government have accused the rebel Oromo Liberation Army of killing at least 36 civilians in attacks on three villages that took place on November 24 and 27. The OLA apparently hasn't commented and there's no confirmation of the government claim, but the alleged attacks took place not long after another round of peace talks between the OLA and Ethiopian government broke down, so it's conceivable the group decided to lash out in that moment. The OLA was formed as the military wing of the Oromo Liberation Front in the 1970s but broke away from the group's political leadership when the latter reached a peace accord with the Ethiopian government in 2018. It frequently attacks non-Oromo communities in Oromia, though authorities have only said that the victims of these attacks were Orthodox Christians without reference to ethnicity.EUROPEUKRAINERussian military operations in eastern Ukraine may have hit a couple of speed bumps over the weekend. For one thing, reports that emerged on Friday suggesting that the Russians had seized the town of Maryinka, southwest of the city of Donetsk, appear to have been a bit premature. Ukrainian forces are reportedly still in control of some parts of the town, including a coking plant, though that may change in relatively short order of course. Elsewhere, the Ukrainian military claimed on Saturday that Russian attacks on the city of Avdiivka had completely ceased for a full day. That too could change in a hurry, and indeed may already have changed by the time you read this, but it suggests the Russians were at least regrouping after spending the previous several days in what seemed like intense fighting to try to take the city.The Ukrainian government says it's investigating a claim that Russian soldiers summarily executed two surrendering Ukrainian military personnel. Details are minimal but there's a video of this alleged incident circulating on social media. Needless to say, intentionally killing surrendering soldiers is a war crime.FRANCEA knife-wielding attacker killed one German tourist and wounded two other people near Paris's Eiffel Tower late Saturday. The attacker is a French national who was on a French government “watch list,” had apparently pledged allegiance to Islamic State, and was also “known for having psychiatric disorders” according to Reuters. He cited the conflict in Gaza, among other triggers, to police after his arrest.AMERICASBRAZILBrazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva said on Sunday that he has no intention of bringing Brazil into full membership in the OPEC+ bloc and would stick to “observer” status only, one day after he somewhat incoherently told reporters that he wanted to join the group of major oil producing nations to try to encourage them to stop producing oil. OPEC+ extended a membership offer to Brazil on Thursday, which I gather has raised some eyebrows given Lula's stated commitment to combating climate change. Brazil's state-owned oil company, Petrobras, is continuing to pursue new oil exploration, also despite Lula's climate change position, though he says his aim is to invest oil profits in non-fossil fuel energy alternatives (and to encourage OPEC+ nations to do likewise). Oil remains the cause of, and solution to, all of humanity's problems.VENEZUELAVenezuelans, or at least the ones who participated, apparently voted overwhelmingly in Sunday's referendum to support their country's territorial claim on western Guyana's Essequibo region. Election officials said that the vote was 95 percent in favor for all of its five clauses—the most contentious of which was a question about whether or not to declare Essequibo a new Venezuelan state and extend citizenship to its residents—though there's not much insight as to turnout. There's no indication that the Venezuelan government is planning any imminent steps to try to actualize its claim on Essequibo but the referendum has nevertheless caused some consternation in Guyana and internationally.UNITED STATESFinally, HuffPost's Akbar Shahid Ahmed offers some welcome reassurance that the worst Middle East “expert” in Washington is still central to the Biden administration's regional policy:Four men in Washington shape America's policy in the Middle East. Three are obvious: President Joe Biden, Secretary of State Antony Blinken and national security adviser Jake Sullivan. The fourth is less well-known, despite his huge sway over the other three ― and despite his determination to keep championing policies that many see as fueling bloodshed in Gaza and beyond.His name is Brett McGurk. He's the White House coordinator for the Middle East and North Africa, and he's one of the most powerful people in U.S. national security.McGurk crafts the options that Biden considers on issues from negotiations with Israel to weapon sales for Saudi Arabia. He controls whether global affairs experts within the government ― including more experienced staff at the Pentagon and the State Department ― can have any impact, and he decides which outside voices have access to White House decision-making conversations. His knack for increasing his influence is the envy of other Beltway operators. And he has a clear vision of how he thinks American interests should be advanced, regarding human rights concerns as secondary at best, according to current and former colleagues and close observers.Indeed, even though McGurk has spent nearly 20 years giving bad advice about the Middle East to a succession of US presidents—and even though his fixation on Saudi-Israeli normalization at Palestinian expense may have helped trigger the October 7 attacks—his influence today appears to be greater than it's ever been. I'm sure that makes all of us feel a little better.Thanks for reading! Foreign Exchanges is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.foreignexchanges.news/subscribe

Uzair Younus comes back on The Pakistan Experience to discuss his visit to Karachi, Memon Culture, Gujrati Heritage, why India is thriving Economically and Pakistan is not, the Fitness issues of the Pakistani cricket team, stunted child growth in Pakistan, the Pakistani elites, 18th Amendment, Elections, PTI, PML-N, Smuggling, Chaliya and more. Uzair Younus is the director of the Pakistan Initiative at the Atlantic Council's South Asia Center. The Pakistan Experience is an independently produced podcast looking to tell stories about Pakistan through conversations. Please consider supporting us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/thepakistanexperience To support the channel: Jazzcash/Easypaisa - 0325 -2982912 Patreon.com/thepakistanexperience And Please stay in touch: https://twitter.com/ThePakistanExp1 https://www.facebook.com/thepakistanexperience https://instagram.com/thepakistanexpeperience The podcast is hosted by comedian and writer, Shehzad Ghias Shaikh. Shehzad is a Fulbright scholar with a Masters in Theatre from Brooklyn College. He is also one of the foremost Stand-up comedians in Pakistan and frequently writes for numerous publications. Instagram.com/shehzadghiasshaikh Facebook.com/Shehzadghias/ Twitter.com/shehzad89 Chapters 0:00 Introduction and Uzair's popularity in India 3:00 Uzair's visit to Karachi 6:00 Language issue, Gujarati, Memons and Homogenization of cultures 18:00 Difference in Gujrati Memons and Pakistani Memons 22:00 Why is India thriving Economically and Pakistan is not? 27:30 Sports and Pakistan's rejection of the Scientific Method 32:00 Pakistani cricketers fitness issues and the Sports Board 42:00 Pakistan needs to focus on Education and Healthcare 46:00 The Pakistani elites don't care about the Pakistani public 55:00 Local Taxation and the 18th Amendment 1:03:00 Finance Minister won't be able to fix everything 1:05:30 Difference in Indian and Pakistani Finance Ministry 1:10:00 Elections: PTI vs PML-N 1:19:00 Propaganda in Pakistan and Political musical chairs 1:28:00 Riko Deq 1:33:00 Jehangir Tareen's seed policy and Smuggling on the borders 1:41:00 Audience Questions

Wellness + Wisdom Podcast Host and Wellness Force Media CEO, Josh Trent, shares how we pass emotional baggage from generation to generation and how to take responsibility for it, even though it's not our fault. Limited Edition: Gold Pumpkin Spice from Organifi Save 20% with code "WELLNESSFORCE" on everyone's favorite Fall treat is here! Pumpkin Spice is more than just a taste phenomenon: it's a portal directly into the nostalgia of fall. With Gold Pumpkin Spice, that taste can also help promote relaxation and restful sleep, nourish the body, and support nightly recovery from a hard day's work.  Click HERE to order your Organifi today including the Green, Red, and traditional Gold! Are You Stressed Out Lately? Take a deep breath with the M21™ wellness guide: a simple yet powerful 21 minute morning system that melts stress and gives you more energy through 6 science-backed practices and breathwork. Click HERE to download for free. Experience Red Light Therapy at HomeSave 10% on your SaunaSpace order with the code "JOSH10" Unlike the traditional methods, near-infrared light works with your body's biology to create radiant heat from the inside out. By using near-infrared's shorter wavelengths in a way that mimics natural sunlight, the light penetrates deeply to raise your core temperature faster. ***Check out all of our other fave Black Friday + Cyber Monday deals!*** *Review The Wellness + Wisdom Podcast & WIN $150 in wellness prizes! *Join The Facebook Group In this solocast, you will learn: Are emotional epigenetics a real thing? What epigenetics is and how they conduct our DNA. “Genetics load the gun, and behavior pulls the trigger.” We are not victims of what we were born with and what our parents did. Inheriting emotions the same way we inherit biological adaptations from our parents. How we receive emotions from past lives, in utero, and our parents' trauma and stress. A study of children in orphanages: How the separation from their parents triggers biological alterations. What emotional contagion is and how it affects us. How our traumatic experiences, toxic mentality, and addictions are passed on to the next generations. How the programming in our brain unwires as we get older. Mice research: How the mother's stress affects the next 5 generations of pups. Emotional inventory: Can you be at cause of the things that happened for you in your life? The meaning of: "It's not your fault but it's your responsibility." How Josh is aware of his own hypervigilance. Is what we experience physically a manifestation of what we experience emotionally? The practices of holistic medicine and why emotional epigenetics is the missing link. Understanding what creates energy in motion and why it gets dysregulated. The opposite of addiction is connection. How emotional healing helps us achieve better health and wellness. Can you cultivate the courage to feel the feelings you're feeling?   BREATHE: Breath & Wellness Program Get 25% off of the BREATHE: Breath & Wellness Program with the code PODCAST25 Boost your immunity and calm your mind with freedom from chronic stress in the modern world. A 21 day guided breath and wellness program using ancient wisdom to boost your immunity, calm your mind, and give you freedom from chronic stress in the modern world. Combining special breathwork infused with safe vape cannabidiol, BREATHE gives you everything you need to let go of old weight, de-stress, and build immunity so you can live your best life. In this special (limited time) offer, you will receive: - Lifetime access to BREATHE - Free upgrades to all future training modules - Free additional training modules - Special VIP coupons for safe vape, essential oils, CBD, nootropics and more - Private WF group access     Listen To Episode 592 As Josh Trent Uncovers Why Emotional Epigenetics Is The Missing Link In Healing This is Josh Trent. This is a very extra special Solocast. Now, if you don't know, every single Thursday, every single week, we publish something where I can share my mental musings, the things that are lighting me up about the pentagon of wellness that I've been talking about for two years + now, the mental, physical, emotional, spiritual, and financial ways that we either nourish or choose to malnourished ourselves. Have you ever noticed that people say things like, "The apple doesn't fall far from the tree, or they're just like their mother, they're just like their father." Now, why is that? Today, we're going to talk about emotional epigenetics, which quite frankly, I think it's something that I made up. I don't find it on any DuckDuckGo, Google searches, or Brave, it's just not out there, and if it is out there, please send me an email admin@wellnessforce.com. We're talking about the missing link in holistic medicine today. By the way, if you love these Solocast, let me know. Leave us a quick review, JoshTrent.com/Review. It helps the show climb the computer algorithms so that the AI gods bear us with you actually seeing our show and your friends seeing our show, and it also allows us to get even bigger people on the podcast. So please, if you love the show from my heart to yours, I ask you, go to JoshTrent.com/Review. Leave us a quick review. [01:24] Epigentics + Emotional Trauma Let's dig in today. By the end of this Solocast, you are going to understand what epigenetics are, what gene expression happens through emotional trauma, capital T, lower-case T trauma, and why parents' emotional trauma may change, that science is showing their children's biology, literally, the biology. Think of it as the software, which is the trauma, can actually alter the hardware, which is our brain, our synapses, and so much more. So let's dig in. Here's a story that I can share with you to understand this concept of emotional epigenetics and why I believe it's the missing link in true holistic circular complete medicine today. Epigenetics is a rapidly emerging field of science that has massive implications on how we address our health and the health of our future children. The word literally means on top of the genes, and that pretty much describes the epigenetics role in the body. Look, all of us have DNA. Almost every cell in our body contains all of our DNA and all the genes that make us up. It's the fabric of who you are. This is known as the genome. But look, we're not just made of one cell. Our brains do many different things from those in our heart, for example, who behave differently than the cells in our toenails or our skin. If all of our cells have the same info, why is it that they do such different things? Well, this is where epigenetics comes in. It's basically a layer like an onion of instruction that sits on top of the DNA and gives it signals to turn off and on, and many other things. You can think of it like an orchestra. When you have a conductor with the symphony. Well, if the DNA is the music, the epigenome is the conductor, it waves its wand, it tells the cells what to do and when, and everybody has an orchestra inside. This is what biochemical individuality is. So while the epigenome doesn't necessarily change our DNA, it is responsible for deciding what genes will be expressed in your body's cells.   [03:30] "Genetics Load the Gun, Behavior Pulls the Trigger" We had Chris Kresser on the podcast, and I'll link that here in the show notes for the Solocast. He said something so profound. He said, "Genetics load the gun and behavior pulls the trigger," and just let that land for a moment. When we look at epigenetics, it's what sits on top of the DNA, on top of the genes. You are not... and I want to share this from my heart to yours, not a victim of what you were born with, what your parents did, or what your parents acted. So in other words, it's not your fault, but it is your loving responsibility. This is where things can get very challenging because if you listen to our episode with Scott Jackson about being at cause. We know that being at cause does not mean that it's your fault. There's a difference there. In the same way that we have this biological adaptation for epigenetics and epigenetic expression, I've been noodling on this for a while now, just try this on, just bear with me. If you receive certain genomic adaptations from your parents, like type 1 diabetes proclivity towards MTHFR, proclivity towards weight gain, proclivity towards sensitivity to sun, or sensitivity to caffeine based on your haplogroups. These are all things to consider from a physiological standpoint. But what about emotionally, what about emotionally, is it possible? Today, I'm going to make a case that it absolutely is. Is it possible that emotional epigenetics are the missing link in what is actually being manifested on a physical level? Here's why I believe this. Not only is the biological adaptation that we go through in life, a combination of our genes and our epigenetics, but also the stress that we incur both in-utero, and also, if you look at the work of Mark Wolynn, I'll link this, we've had him on the podcast twice. He wrote It Didn't Start With You. He's the founder of the Family Constellations, where they talk about past life trauma. So the trauma that happens, capital T, which is like physical sexual abuse, terrible things, lower case T, which is neglect, an unsupportive parent, an avoidant parent, an anxious parent. All of these things stack up. Now they're emotional trauma from parents, from in utero, from past life, maybe even from other dimensions. I mean, look, we're all figuring this out as we go along. We all know that emotional trauma can actually change our biology.   [06:12] Gene Expressions for Generations Studies show that suffering triggers changes in gene expression that last for generations. This is a study I came across that was fascinating. In Zurich, Switzerland, the children living in SOS Children's Village orphanages in Pakistan had a very rough start to life. Many lost their fathers, which in conservative Pakistani society can effectively mean losing their mothers too. Now, these widows often struggle to find enough work to support their families and may have to give up their children. That's one example. University of Zurich physician and neuroscientist Ali Jawad says that despite the support that these children received, they experience symptoms similar to PTSD, post-traumatic stress disorder, including anxiety and depression. Now, this neuroscientist wondered about a potential hidden consequence of these children's experiences. He set up a study with the orphanages to probe the disturbing possibility that the emotional trauma of separation from their parents also triggers subtle biological alterations changes so lasting that the children might even pass them off to their own offspring. If you think about this in utero perspective, your grandmother was born with your mother inside of her, and your mother created you. So if that's the case, and we know now that epigenetic transfer happens on a biological level, then why wouldn't it happen on a psychosomatic level? I think it's so fascinating that people laugh at the idea that behaviors can be contagious. But we know from so many of the people we've had on the podcast that emotional contagion is utterly real. It is palpable. In other words, you're not just the sum of the five people you hang out with the most, you're the sum of all the behaviors of the people you choose to be around. Now, that idea would've been laughed at 15 years ago. But today, the hypothesis that a child's experience and adults' experience might actually alter the cells in behavior of their children that they bring into the world and the grandchildren that come into the world, it's now been accepted across the board.   [08:20] NLP: Neuro Linguistic Programming Look, in animals exposure to stress, cold or high-fat diets definitely triggers metabolic changes in later generations. There are some small studies that have been done on humans exposed to very traumatic conditions. Among them, the children of the Holocaust survivors point to biological and health changes in their children. So look, the implications of this are profound. If our experiences can have consequences that reverberate to our children, then to our children's children. This is a huge argument against everything from smoking to poor diet to toxic mentality. That's really the big one, toxic mentality. People that say things in families like, "Oh, that's just who we are. Oh, you're a Smith. Smiths are alcoholics." I mean, what an absolutely disempowering thing. And by the way, if you look at NLP and the barrier between the conscious and unconscious mind, when you are brought into the world zero through seven, at your seventh year, your brain has a lot of neuroplasticity and essentially your hemispheres have been connected for so long that you are so suggestible when you come into the world and you're so suggestible because all the programming in your brain, it actually unwires as you get older. It creates space for new programs. So how sad is it? Honestly, I'm like my hands on my heart right now. How sad is it that this emotional trauma that is very distinct from physical stress can be passed on to generations? Well, this is what was proven in this study. Let's dig in. In the study to explore how trauma affected generations of mice. Researchers stressed the mother mice, their little pups then exhibited both molecular and behavioral changes, such as taking more risks on an elevated maze. This is the key. These changes, they persisted for up to five generations, five generations. That's 3 to 500 years, you all. So the mother separated from the pups, and traumatized, the mother would ignore the offspring. The three-month-old male offspring made it with traumatized females. The offspring showed epigenetic and behavioral changes... this is the key, without having experienced the trauma, and that breeding carried out for six generations. I mean, look, if you're a scientific person, this study should be all that you need to know about emotional epigenetics. Why the trauma that we experience before we're even born while we're in utero and also in the first seven years of our lives and more, it's almost like we're all connected. It's almost like everything is all connected.   [11:04] Taking Emotional Inventory So here's the case that I'm making to you today, and I'm curious how you feel about this. If you can take a true emotional inventory of all the things that have happened for you in this lifetime that your soul chose to experience in quite a perfection, by the way, otherwise it wouldn't be experienced. Can you, number one, be at cause for the things that have happened for you in life? I'm not saying it's your fault. I know that terrible things happen, and I know that right now, maybe it's palpable for you. Maybe in your arms or your body and your stomach and your heart, maybe you feel like, "Fuck you, Josh. What are you even talking about? You think that me being raped, that me being abused, that me being hurt, that me being neglected, you think it's my fault?" No, that's not what I'm saying, my friend. What I'm saying is it's not your fault. It's not your fault. I think of that scene in Good Will Hunting, when Robin Williams was hugging his patient, Goodwill Hunting, and he said, it's not your fault over and over and over again, and finally Will just broke down crying. It's one of the most powerful scenes I've ever seen in a movie. You have to watch Goodwill Hunting. But it points to exactly what I'm talking about, because what I'm talking about is it is not your fault, but it is your responsibility. You can either be at effect or you can be at cause. So how do we unpack this in a way that truly provides a solution? Well, here we go. Number one, you must take an emotional inventory. I've talked about this in the Solocast on hypervigilance. You can go through that entire process because I want to move forward here with us today. Go to joshtrent.com/490. That's going to be the starting point for this emotional inventory process, which by the way, you know that if you experience hypervigilance, where if you ever feel like you're a junkyard dog and everything's fine. So why are you so stressed out and what's going on? This is where you start. You start with the emotional inventory, and I can speak from my own personal experience. To this day, at 42 years old, I still have an awareness of my own hypervigilance, the things that trigger me. I'll say that my hypervigilance is an expression of my epigenetics, and really the missing link for me to dive deep into and for all of us to dive deep into, because as above, so below, so below, as above. "You cannot have the tree reach its branches to heaven unless its roots touch hell," Carl Young. So what I'm saying here is if the missing link or the bridge between what appears for us, what manifests physically, cancer disease, rheumatoid arthritis, CHD, weight gain, liver issues, all these things, if they are a manifestation, and Chinese and Western medicine, show us that they are... If what we experience physically is a manifestation of what we are experiencing emotionally, energy in motion, then today, I know I've planted a seed in your garden that allows you to see the truth around if epigenetics express themselves physically because of what the cells were told by our parents' grandparents in utero and outside dimensions, then you know that after this podcast, you can see that the emotional energy that we experience as human beings, emotionally, these things get transferred too.   [14:28] Healing Addiction I think this is really something that is worth a deeper look on your own. It's going to be in the book that I write next year. It's going to be in many of the upcoming podcasts that we do. Emotional epigenetics, I believe is the missing link in holistic medicine. In holistic medicine, there is nutrition, breathing, water, thoughts, beliefs. Many of the ways that Paul Chek, Dr. Michael Ruscio, a lot of the people that we've had on the show who are experts in their field, they all approach these basic fundamental human behaviors. But what I love about Paul's work and what I love about my own work, too, is understanding what creates energy and motion. What I believe creates energy and motion and is the true missing link here is, the curiosity about discovering why energy is dysregulated, why energy is dysregulated. This is a part of this podcast that I really want you to feel before we say goodbye, and this is what you can take to the bank. If you are experiencing energy and you try to suppress or resist that energy, a part of your heart and soul knows that it always comes out sideways. In other words, why do alcoholics, drug addicts, porn addicts, shopping addicts, work addicts, why is addiction of any kind even a thing in anyone's life? It's because the opposite of addiction is connection. If you are connected to the energy that you're experiencing in your body, and you are courageously able to open up to that energy, to learn from that energy, to learn from the pain teacher, and to learn from the things that you are experiencing in a perfect way, otherwise they wouldn't be happening, then guess what? The more you lean into your emotional experience, the greater health, the greater wellness you will have, you will be. Period, end of story, full stop, new paragraph. This is it. Now, obviously, that is a sensitive issue because the moment that a human being starts to dig into their emotional inventory, starts to actually feel what they feel, starts to actually understand what the pain teacher, what these emotions are trying to tell them, well, then hypervigilance, the subconscious strategy that slowly kills us, this is what we talked about in the podcast, joshtrent.com/490. In that podcast, I go into depth about what hypervigilance is trying to tell us, but really what hypervigilance is, it's epigenetic expression of trauma; of trauma from an emotional standpoint that is trying to be let go of. It's always been said in many circles, what's coming is going, but what's coming that's blocked, never goes. So if that's the truth and there's something in your life, my life, all of our lives that is freaking asking for permission, it's asking for permission to be let go of, this is the ultimate question today, and this is what you can take and put in the bank as well. Can I cultivate the courage to take the emotional inventory, to feel the feelings I'm feeling, and to be honest with the challenge of my life? Can I be honest with the challenge of my life? Look, there's no shame if the answer to some of those questions was no. There was a major part of my life that was ruled by pornography for so long, and I think that these synapses that are wired, they do float away. They do uncouple. But in full transparency, I still have random thoughts of porn throughout the day. Do I act on them? No, I don't act on them because they don't hold the charge anymore because I've had the deeper work and the commitment to this deeper work be an everyday part of my life. Now, if you ask my partner, Carrie Michelle, she might be like, "God, can we just have one day where we're not working on ourselves?" My answer is like, "No, we can't," because every day is an opportunity. Every day is an opportunity to work on thyself, and that is my wish for you today.   [18:35] Join our Wellness Community: M21 and Breathwork Guide We've covered emotional epigenetics. We've talked about how this plugs into holistic medicine. We've talked about the studies of science, the reality of energy, and spirit, the past life in utero, experience that we all have as human beings. Here's what I want to challenge you to do today. Here's the invitation. The invitation for you today is to go to joshtrent.com/490 and take your breath and relieve your stress. You can join us in the BREATHE: Breath and Wellness program. You're here with us on the podcast. So I'm going to give you a special coupon right now. Just go to breathwork.io. Use the code "PODCAST25" in the BREATHE program. I'm going to personally guide you for three weeks. A lot of what we uncover in this process together is going to be why is hypervigilance there? What is going on on a physiological level? How can psycho-immunology actually be the cause of some of our diseases the cause of most of our stress? In that brief program, it is my promise to you that the breath is going to set you free from many of the things you're experiencing. Your free resource is joshtrent.com/490. Go there now. Do the emotional inventory. Email me when you're done, admin@wellnessforce.com. Then head over to breathwork.io and use code podcast 25. You get 25% off the program. I'm excited for you and I to do work together. I think it's really easy to listen to a podcast and turn it off and not do anything. Well, I'm talking to your subconscious mind. I'm talking to your heart, to your soul right now. There's a reason you clicked on this episode. There's a reason you're interested in emotional epigenetics. There's a reason that your soul brought you here; otherwise you wouldn't be listening. It wasn't just pure curiosity that brought you here. It was a deeper knowing. It was a deeper knowing that what you and I were going to explore today is the peace that you're seeking, and I don't say that lightly. It's a really big deal to me that you and I spend time together and I'm so grateful for you, and I want you to accept this invitation joshjtrent.com/490, breathwork.io, use the code "PODCAST25". Until I see you again on another Solocast, I'm wishing you so much love and so much wellness.   Links From Today's Show  140 Unconventional Medicine – Chris Kresser 481 Scott Jackson | Rewire Yourself: How To Create A Life You Love With Freedom From Subconscious Sabotage 311 Mark Wolynn | It Didn't Start With You: Ending The Cycle of Inherited Trauma It Didn't Start with You: How Inherited Family Trauma Shapes Who We Are and How to End the Cycle by Mark Wolynn Good Will Hunting (Trailer) 490 SOLOCAST | Hypervigilance: The Subconscious Strategy of Survival That Slowly Kills Parents' Emotional Trauma May Change Their Children's Biology. Studies In Mice Show How 275 The Revolution Is Here: Paul Chek 236 Healing The Second Brain: Dr. Michael Ruscio Josh's Trusted Products | Up To 40% Off Shop All Products ***Check out all of our other fave Black Friday + Cyber Monday deals!*** BREATHE - 33% off with the code “PODCAST33” SiPhox - 10% off with code "JOSH" Holy Hydrogen - $100 off with code "JOSH" SinuSonic - 15% off with "JOSH15" Organifi - 20% off with the code ‘WELLNESSFORCE' QI-Shield EMF Device - 20% off with the code "JOSH" SEED Synbiotic - 30% off with the code "JOSHTRENT" BON CHARGE - 15% off with the code "JOSH15" MANNA Vitality - 20% off with the code "JOSH20" SimplyO3 - 10% off with code "JOSH10" Kineon - 10% off with code "JOSH10" Mendi.io - 20% off with the code "JOSH20" Adapt Naturals - 15% off with code "WELLNESSFORCE" SpectraSculpt - 15% off with the code "JOSH15" SaunaSpace - 10% off with the code "JOSH10" Cured Nutrition CBD - 20% off with the code "WELLNESS FORCE" PLUNGE - $150 off with the code “WELLNESSFORCE" LiftMode - 10% off with the code "JOSH10" MitoZen - 10% off with the code “WELLNESSFORCE” Paleovalley - 15% off with the link only NOOTOPIA - 10% off with the code "JOSH10" Activation Products - 20% off with the code “WELLNESSFORCE” SENSATE - $25 off with the code "JOSH25" BiOptimizers - 10% off with the code "JOSH10" ION - 15% off with the code ‘JOSH15' Feel Free from Botanic Tonics - $40 off with the code "WELLNESS40" Essential Oil Wizardry - 10% off with the code "WELLNESSFORCE" ALIVE WATERS - 33% off your first order with the code "JOSH33" Earth Runners Shoes - 10% off with code "JOSH10" DRY FARM WINES - Get an extra bottle of Pure Natural Wine with your order for just 1¢ Drink LMNT - Zero Sugar Hydration: Get your free LMNT Sample Pack, with any purchase Free Resources M21 Wellness Guide - Free 3-Week Breathwork Program with Josh Trent Join Wellness + Wisdom Community   10% Off MitoZen 10% OFF | CODE: “WELLNESSFORCE” MitoZen Scientific offers the most Advanced Natural Medicine and healing through detoxification. Relieve anxiety, calm your mind, reduce stress, or enhance your cognition. MitoZen has it all! Their carefully curated blends of ingredients are designed to support your mental and physical wellbeing. • MitoZen Nasal Spray ZEN Extra Strength + Oxytocin • MitoZen Lumetol Blue™ Bars+ • MitoZen Super SandMan Ultra™ (Melatonin Liposomal)+ • MitoZen Boca Zen™+- Vagus & Oral Health • MitoZen GlutaMax™ Bullet+- Glutathione

Stand Up is a daily podcast. I book,host,edit, post and promote new episodes with brilliant guests every day. Please subscribe now for as little as 5$ and gain access to a community of over 700 awesome, curious, kind, funny, brilliant, generous souls Check out StandUpwithPete.com to learn more Wajahat Ali is a Daily Beast columnist, public speaker, recovering attorney, and tired dad of three cute kids. Get his book Go Back To Where You Came From: And, Other Helpful Recommendations on Becoming American which will be published in January 2022 by Norton. He believes in sharing stories that are by us, for everyone: universal narratives told through a culturally specific lens to entertain, educate and bridge the global divides.  He frequently appears on television and podcasts for his brilliant, incisive, and witty political commentary. Born in the Bay Area, California to Pakistani immigrant parents, Ali went to school wearing Husky pants and knowing only three words of English. He graduated from UC Berkeley with an English major and became a licensed attorney. He knows what it feels like to be the token minority in the classroom and the darkest person in a boardroom. Like Spiderman, he's often had the power and responsibility of being the cultural ambassador of an entire group of people, those who are often marginalized, silenced, or reduced to stereotypes. His essays, interviews, and reporting have appeared in The New York Times, The Atlantic, The Washington Post, The Guardian, and New York Review of Books. Ali has spoken at many organizations, from Google to Walmart-Jet to Princeton University to the United Nations to the Chandni Indian-Pakistani Restaurant in Newark, California, and his living room in front of his three kids. Pete on YouTube Check out all things Jon Carroll Follow and Support Pete Coe Pete on Twitter Pete On Instagram Pete Personal FB page Stand Up with Pete FB page  

Chip Gibbons, CISO at Thrive, sits down with Dave to talk about how to defend against social engineering attacks in banking. Dave starts us off this week with a story about Amazon opening up its selling market to Pakistani residents, and what consequences that led to for the organization's business. Joe's story follows a scam targeting soldiers in the Army. The Army warns against unknown individuals purporting to be noncommissioned officers that are calling said soldiers and asking them for money to fix a "pay problem" and, if questioned, threatening them with a punishment. Our catch of the day comes from listener Manie who writes in about a scam found when trying to download a HDRI (High Dynamic Range Image). The scam involves a fake ad asking for people's cell phone numbers as soon as they click on a button that reads "download here". Manie shares how after she clicked the ad, she realized the mistake and immediately researched more before proceeding further. Links to stories: Amazon finally authorized Pakistani sellers. A wave of scammers followed Army Warns of Scam Targeting New Soldiers Have a Catch of the Day you'd like to share? Email it to us at hackinghumans@thecyberwire.com or hit us up on Twitter.

In this episode of the Blood Brothers Podcast, Dilly Hussain spoke with the controversial far-right figure, who was the former leader of the British Nationalist Party (BNP) and a member of the European Parliament for North West England, Nick Griffin. #Israel #Zionism #FarRight Topics of discussion include: Ten historical and current figures popular with the British far-right.  Jews, Europe, and Zionism. British Muslims, migration and Islamophobia. "Pakistani sexual grooming gangs" scandal. Western-led wars and the Muslim refugee crisis. Israel, the Zionist lobby, and the war on Gaza A truce between the Christian West and a future caliphate.       FOLLOW 5PILLARS ON:    Website: https://5pillarsuk.com YouTube: https://youtube.com/@5Pillars Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/5pillarsuk Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/5pillarsnews Twitter: https://twitter.com/5Pillarsuk Telegram: https://t.me/s/news5Pillars TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@5pillarsnews

00:00 - Intro 00:37 - Visa issues on Pakistani Passport 04:21 - InContinuation to the price of integrity (Another Story) 12:26 - The real purpose of life After all the Desires done.. 19:53 - Letter of Appreciation for Pakistani Youth 35:37 - Inspiring Video That Helped me Achieve my dream 42:39 - Brothers Marriage And Sisters Divorce Simultaneously 57:45 - Outro

Welcome to part two of our podcast with Head Table Talks. (Missed part one? Listen here.) In this special episode of GatherGeeks, BizBash chairman and founder David Adler sits in on a special event planners' luncheon—co-hosted by Melva LaJoy Legrand of LaJoy Plans and Margo Fischer of Bright Occasions—in Washington, D.C. These luncheons, known as Head Table Talks, aim to build community within the event industry and provide a safe space for event profs to network and collaborate. In part two, the focus shifts to the latest happenings in the event business and provides valuable insights into the industry's latest trends and challenges.  The group touches on topics that are shaping the fate of the industry and candidly discusses everything from the pros and cons of new technology advancements, the legacy impacts of COVID-19 on the events sector, to rising security concerns. These event profs also share their own experiences of juggling personal and professional lives. Take a listen, and keep scrolling to read more about our distinguished guests. Melva LaJoy LegrandAs a self-made entrepreneur recognized for her work in the live event industry, as well as causes rooted in social equality as it pertains to women, health, and race and identity, Melva LaJoy Legrand is a public speaker, event producer/director, community leader, and storyteller. As the founder and CEO of LaJoy Plans, an event planning firm she relaunched in 2019, Legrand has been recognized as a trailblazer in the event industry, receiving the BizBash Top Event Industry Innovator Award and the Events Industry Council Global Social Impact Award in 2022. As of 2023, Legrand has spearheaded two new initiatives: Mondays With Melva, exclusive monthly content for her subscribers, offering career guidance as well as event planning tips, and Head Table Talks, an annual luncheon she co-created as a safe space for event planners. Margo FischerMargo Fischer is the owner of Bright Occasions, a full-service event planning company specializing in bespoke weddings and milestone occasions. Fischer brings a wealth of industry knowledge and hands-on experience to her clients, from previous roles in corporate event planning and private event catering. She has a passion for curating unforgettable events. With a strong foundation in event planning and an impressive career in some of Washington, D.C.'s most prestigious venues, Fischer boasts over 14 years of expertise in the event industry. In addition to helping couples and families, Fischer has worked on community events such as the annual Art in Bloom museum experience and gala reception at Anderson House. She also co-produced the Beyond the Blackout series to highlight diversity and inclusivity within the event industry and is currently co-producing Head Table Talks networking luncheons to create a space for event planners to gather, mingle, and learn from one another. Kawania WootenKawania Wooten, CMP, brings a unique mix of experience and skills to her businesses, Howerton+Wooten Events and The Enlightened Creative. Her vast experience in the hospitality world includes hotel management, casino and gaming, the culinary industry, and 30 years as a professional meeting and event planner for Washington, D.C.'s elite. Wooten strives for professionalism, creativity, and impeccable organization within every function planned by the Howerton+Wooten Events team. She is an adjunct instructor in the hospitality, tourism, and culinary arts department at Prince George's Community College.  Aisha Malik RodriguezAisha Malik Rodriguez is the founder and owner of Aim Aro Logistics LLC, a dynamic company specializing in production and event management on a global scale. With a career spanning over 25 years in the event and hospitality industry, Malik Rodriguez has become a true expert in her field. Born and raised in Fairfax County, Va., and hailing from a rich Pakistani cultural background, Malik Rodriquez brings a unique blend of experiences and perspectives to her work. Her family, which is large and spread around the world, has instilled in her a deep appreciation for diverse cultures and traditions. Malik Rodriguez's company, Aim Aro Logistics LLC, excels in a wide range of services, including vendor management, event permitting, and emergency response management. With a passion for creating unforgettable experiences, she and her team are dedicated to helping clients navigate the entire event process from start to finish. Whether it's a festival, a government or military event, a corporate gathering, a nonprofit initiative, or a private celebration, Malik Rodriguez's expertise shines through. Jennifer CharlesJennifer Charles is a co-founder and the chief creative officer at Something Fabulous. Charles' specialty is in designing experience and storytelling marketing. She has a degree from the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York City. Charles began her career in radio, television, and film. From interning at theToday show and Good Morning America to working in production with The Food Network and New Line Cinema, she has experienced storytelling from many different angles and industries. Becca MaiBecca Mai is a West Virginia native who transplanted to the D.C. area shortly after launching a career in hospitality. She has been in the wedding industry for over 10 years specializing in planning for LGBTQ+, multicultural, and fusion weddings and events. While the majority of her career has been geared toward wedding operations, she has spent a lengthy portion of it building out platforms, training programs, and more. She is now a business strategist for wedding professionals and an inclusive wedding planner, assisting wedding business owners on the back of the business to streamline, automate, and organize with hospitality 100% in mind. 

"A rip-roaring read about spycraft and the CIA's inner workings . . . an inspiring group portrait of extraordinary CIA women whose careers are multisided profiles in courage."-Steve Coll, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of Ghost Wars The acclaimed author of Code Girls returns with a revelatory history of three generations at the CIA-the women who fought to become operatives, transformed spy craft, and tracked down Osama Bin Laden. Created in the aftermath of World War Two, the Central Intelligence Agency relied on women even as it attempted to channel their talents and keep them down. Women sent cables, made dead drops, and maintained the agency's secrets. Despite discrimination-even because of it-women who started as clerks, secretaries, or unpaid spouses rose to become some of the CIA's shrewdest operatives. They were unlikely spies-and that's exactly what made them perfect for the role. Because women were seen as unimportant, pioneering female intelligence officers moved unnoticed around Bonn, Geneva, and Moscow, stealing secrets from under the noses of their KGB adversaries. Back at headquarters, women built the CIA's critical archives-first by hand, then by computer. And they noticed things that the men at the top didn't see. As the CIA faced an identity crisis after the Cold War, it was a close-knit network of female analysts who spotted the rising threat of Al Qaeda-though their warnings were repeatedly brushed aside. After the 9/11 attacks, more women joined the Agency as a new job, "targeter," came to prominence. They showed that data analysis would be crucial to the post-9/11 national security landscape-an effort that culminated spectacularly in the CIA's successful efforts to track down Bin Laden in his Pakistani compound.

There is a mounting humanitarian emergency on the border between Afghanistan and Pakistan. Since October, hundreds of thousands of Afghans living in Pakistan have fled back to Afghanistan. They are being forcibly repatriated by the Pakistani government which began a crackdown on so-called illegal immigrants, compelling the expulsion of over three hundred thousand Afghans in just the last few weeks.  On the line to explain the unfolding humanitarian crisis is Samira Sayed-Rahman, director of policy advocacy and communications for The International Rescue Committee in Afghanistan. We kick off discussing the reasons for Pakistan's sudden crackdown and then discuss the crisis this is generating inside Afghanistan. We also discuss the complications of international humanitarian relief work in Afghanistan under Taliban rule.    

Sierra Leone has been placed under a nationwide curfew as armed men broke into a prison, setting inmates free. We are live in the capital Freetown with our correspondent Umaru Fofana and we speak to the Information Minister. Also in the programme: the latest on the hostages in the Israel Gaza conflict- including the elated mother of a Thai captive, just released; and the women who could be the last shepherdesses of the Pakistani mountains. (Photo: Hooded armed men in military fatigues stand on a street after unidentified gunmen attacked military barracks and attempted to break into an armoury in Freetown, Sierra Leone November 26, 2023. Reuters/Umaru Fofana)

Brigadier Devinder Singh had commanded the 70 Infantry Brigade in the Batalik sector during the Kargil war. He led the critical battle for Point 5203, which had been quickly overrun by Pakistani troops in the early days of the war. He also led the assaults on the Jubbar complex, one of the most difficult campaigns during the war. Brigadier Singh became a victim of prejudice and that cost him a war medal. He was recommended for a Mahavir Chakra, the second highest award for gallantry but was awarded a Vishisht Seva Medal, a peacetime decoration. Shiv Kunal Verma is the author of Ocean to Sky – India from the Air (Roli Books), a pictorial on the Military World Games and two books on the Assam Rifles. He is also the author of The Long Road to Siachen: The Question Why (Rupa & Co.) and Courage & Conviction, the autobiography of General VK Singh which was published by Aleph in October 2013; His book, 1962 – The War That Wasn't has been hailed by critics as being the most definitive work on the Indo-China conflict. A graduate of Madras Christian College, he did his schooling at the Doon School. He started his career opening trekking routes between Kashmir and the Zanskar and Ladakh regions. After a brief stint with India Today and the Associated Press he went on to direct and photograph the Project Tiger television series.

Facts and Spins For November 25, 2023: Anti-immigrant riots erupt in Dublin after a knife attack, Gaza's temporary ceasefire and hostage release deal begins, a US warship in the Red Sea reportedly shoots down Houthi drones, a report suggests that the US disrupted a plot to murder a Sikh separatist, a Pakistani court orders Imran Khan to appear before a public trial, the expiration of the NY Adult Survivors Act prompts a wave of allegations, reports suggest that Iran secretly executed a man over 2022 anti-govt protests, Joe Biden declares an emergency in the US Virgin Islands over lead contamination, the WHO says no novel pathogens are found in a China pneumonia outbreak and a NASA spacecraft beams back a laser message from 10M miles away. Sources: https://www.verity.news/

Tiger is back and this time he bites off the Pakistani patriotism train. In the number 3 sequel, #Tiger does international espionage with Zoya and lands in Pakistan to save their democracy. Hurrah to that. Is in theaters.R Balki's #Ghoomer is a delightful film of resilience and hope. Watch it on #Zee5global. And Amazon #PrimeVideo's #Pippa is how war movies should be made. Ishaan Khattar shines.Hope y'all had a wonderful Thanksgiving.LoveTeam DesisDesislive podcast delivers the latest movie and show reviews to your devices. Wherever in the world you are, tune in to desislive.

An arms trafficker is an individual or organization engaged in the illegal trade, transportation, and distribution of firearms, ammunition, explosives, and other weapons. Their activities often involve the smuggling of these items across international borders or within countries, bypassing legal regulations and sanctions. Arms traffickers operate in clandestine and often dangerous networks, supplying weapons to various actors, including criminal organizations, insurgent groups, terrorists, and even governments involved in illicit or covert activities.In this episode, we hear how these weapons have now found their way across the border into Pakistan and how the TPP (Pakistani Taliban) are using the newly aquired weapons to carry out terrorist attacks against the police, military and civilians.(commercial at 9:13)to contact me:bobbycapucci@protonmail.comsource:Pakistani premier claims US military equipment left behind in Afghanistan is now in militant hands | AP NewsThis show is part of the Spreaker Prime Network, if you are interested in advertising on this podcast, contact us at https://www.spreaker.com/show/5003294/advertisement

Get on the waitlist for Bad Bitch Empire Membership! https://www.badbitchempire.com/membership Mariam Nusrat is on a mission to empower 100 million female and diverse video game makers badass through her business Breshna.io. As a Pakistani immigrant founder, the fundraising journey has been rife with rejection, but Mariam took it in stride. Today she has has received investment from the likes of Randi Zuckerberg, Paris Hilton, Blockchain Founders Fund, and BAD BITCH EMPIRE. In just a few short years, her company is now valued at $50 Million!  In this episode, hear about her founding + fundraising journey + Why Bad Bitch Empire decided to invest!  You'll also learn: How Mariam turned her immigrant background into her superpower as a founder How to break free from societal expectations and puruse passion. The challenges faced by female founders in fundraising. The importance of resilience and leveraging strengths as a founder How to build a capital-efficient team as you scale Follow for more: BadBitchEmpire.com @LisaCarmenWang @TheBadBitchEmpire Check out Breshna.io

A Native of Holland, Loes studied in London where she met her husband. They moved to Asia where she found Jesus while attending a Baptist church. Looking for answers to her practical questions she came across the books and materials of Joy and Bruce Fleming and found them to be life changing! Greatly encouraged she wrote down her discoveries and began a website called Ministry to Silenced Women. She has been invited to speak in the Philippines, Myanmar, Hong Kong and more. Her book was translated into the languages of Pakistan. Encouraged by Loes's writings to follow the calling of Christ, 300 Pakistani women became Pastors of house churches during the pandemic!Here is her website: www.ministryto-silencedwomen.com Loes is a regular on the Tru316 FIRST Saturday monthly Q&A Sessions for Tru Partners and friends. She also has continued to study by taking the Tru School Workshops on the key passages on women and men (www.Tru316.com/workshop) Would you like to go deeper studying the Tru316 Message? ENROLL NOW to be part of the next Tru School two-week cohort, The Eden Workshop on Genesis 2-3. Here's that link: www.Tru316.com/workshopThe Tru316 Foundation(www.Tru316.com) is the home of The Eden Podcast with Bruce C. E. Fleming where we “true” the verse of Genesis 3:16. The Tru316 Message is that “God didn't curse Eve (or Adam) or limit woman in any way.” Once Genesis 3:16 is made clear the other passages on women and men become clear too.Would you like to support the work of the Tru316 Foundation? You can become a Tru Partner HERE: www.Tru316.com/partnerFor just $3.16/month or more our Tru Partners are spreading the Word that God didn't curse Eve (or Adam) or limit woman in any way. Click www.Tru316.com/partner

In this special episode of GatherGeeks, BizBash chairman and founder David Adler sits in on a special event planners' luncheon—co-hosted by Melva LaJoy Legrend of LaJoy Plans and Margo Fischer of Bright Occasions—in Washington, D.C. These luncheons, known as Head Table Talks, aim to build community within the events industry and provide a safe space for event profs to network and collaborate. At this particular Head Table Talk, held in late October at Dauphine's, Adler brings his Jeffersonian-style of discussion to the six planners gathered and asks each of them: What was your first job? And what did you learn from it? This is just part one of this thought-provoking discussion. Part two, to be released next week, will shift its focus to the latest happenings in the event business and provide valuable insights into the industry's latest trends and challenges. These are two episodes you don't want to miss.  In this special episode of GatherGeeks, BizBash chairman and founder David Adler sits in on a special event planners' luncheon—co-hosted by Melva LaJoy Legrend of LaJoy Plans and Margo Fischer of Bright Occasions—in Washington, D.C. These luncheons, known as Head Table Talks, aim to build community within the events industry and provide a safe space for event profs to network and collaborate. At this particular Head Table Talk, held in late October at Dauphine's, Adler brings his Jeffersonian-style of discussion to the six planners gathered and asks each of them: What was your first job? And what did you learn from it? This is just part one of this thought-provoking discussion. Part two, to be released next week, will shift its focus to the latest happenings in the event business and provide valuable insights into the industry's latest trends and challenges. These are two episodes you don't want to miss. Keep scrolling to learn more about our distinguished guests. Melva LaJoy Legrand As a self-made entrepreneur recognized for her work in the live events industry, as well as causes rooted in social equality as it pertains to women, health, and race and identity, Melva LaJoy Legrand is a public speaker, event producer/director, community leader, and storyteller. As the founder/CEO of LaJoy Plans, an event planning firm she re-launched in 2019, Melva has been recognized as a trailblazer in the events industry receiving the BizBash Top Event Industry Innovator Award and the Events Industry Council, Global Social Impact Award in 2022. As of 2023, Melva has spearheaded two new initiatives: Mondays With Melva, exclusive monthly content for her subscribers, offering career guidance as well as event planning tips, and Head Table Talks, an annual luncheon that she co-created as a safe space for event planners. Margo Fischer Margo Fischer is the owner of Bright Occasions, a full-service event planning company specializing in bespoke weddings and milestone occasions. Margo brings a wealth of industry knowledge and hands-on experience to her clients, from previous roles in corporate event planning and private event catering. She has a passion for curating unforgettable events. With a strong foundation in event planning and an impressive career in some of Washington, D.C.'s most prestigious venues, Margo boasts over 14 years of expertise in the event industry. In addition to helping couples and families, Margo has worked on community events such as the annual Art in Bloom museum experience and gala reception at Anderson House. And she co-produced the Beyond the Blackout series to highlight diversity and inclusivity within the event industry and is currently co-producing Head Table Talks networking luncheons to create a space for event planners to gather, mingle, and learn from one another. Kawania Wooten Kawania Wooten, CMP, brings a unique mix of experience and skills to her businesses, Howerton+Wooten Events and the Enlightened Creative. Her vast experience in the hospitality world includes hotel management, casino and gaming, the culinary industry, and 30 years as a professional meeting and event planner for the Washington D.C. elite. Kawania strives for professionalism, creativity, and impeccable organization within every function planned by the Howerton+Wooten Events team. She is an adjunct instructor in the Hospitality, Tourism, and Culinary Arts Department at Prince George's Community College.  Aisha Malik Rodriguez Aisha Malik Rodriguez is the founder and owner of Aim Aro Logistics LLC, a dynamic company specializing in production and event management on a global scale. With a career spanning over 25 years in the event and hospitality industry, Aisha has become a true expert in her field. Born and raised in Fairfax County, Va., and hailing from a rich Pakistani cultural background, Aisha brings a unique blend of experiences and perspectives to her work. Her family, which is large and spread across the world, has instilled in her a deep appreciation for diverse cultures and traditions. Aisha's company, Aim Aro Logistics LLC, excels in a wide range of services, including vendor management, event permitting, and emergency response management. With a passion for creating unforgettable experiences, she and her team are dedicated to helping clients navigate the entire event process, from start to finish. Whether it's a festival, a government or military event, a corporate gathering, a nonprofit initiative, or a private celebration, Aisha's expertise shines through. Jennifer Charles Jennifer Charles is a co-founder and the chief creative officer at Something Fabulous. Jennifer's specialty is in designing experience and storytelling marketing. Jennifer has a degree from the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York City. She began her career in radio, television, and film. From interning at The Today Show and Good Morning America to working in production with The Food Network and New Line Cinema, she has experienced storytelling from many different angles and industries. Becca Mai Becca Mai is a West Virginia native who transplanted to the D.C. area shortly after launching a career in hospitality. She has been in the wedding industry for over 10 years specializing in planning for LBGTQ+, multicultural, and fusion weddings and events. While the majority of her career has been geared toward wedding operations, she has spent a lengthy portion of it building out platforms, training programs, and more. She is now a business strategist for wedding professionals and an inclusive wedding planner, assisting wedding business owners on the back of the business to streamline, automate, and organize with hospitality 100% in mind. 

According to a recent World Bank report, more than 40 percent of children under the age of five in Pakistan suffer from stunted growth. The situation is especially worrying for some villages in Sindh province, where 66 percent of under-fives are affected. Stunting is closely linked to brain development and physical growth. If not treated before the age of two, the consequences can be irreversible. The World Bank is calling on Pakistani authorities to take emergency measures. Our correspondents Shahzaib Wahlah and Sonia Ghezali report.

An arms trafficker is an individual or organization engaged in the illegal trade, transportation, and distribution of firearms, ammunition, explosives, and other weapons. Their activities often involve the smuggling of these items across international borders or within countries, bypassing legal regulations and sanctions. Arms traffickers operate in clandestine and often dangerous networks, supplying weapons to various actors, including criminal organizations, insurgent groups, terrorists, and even governments involved in illicit or covert activities.In this episode, we hear how these weapons have now found their way across the border into Pakistan and how the TPP (Pakistani Taliban) are using the newly aquired weapons to carry out terrorist attacks against the police, military and civilians.(commercial at 9:13)to contact me:bobbycapucci@protonmail.comsource:Pakistani premier claims US military equipment left behind in Afghanistan is now in militant hands | AP NewsThis show is part of the Spreaker Prime Network, if you are interested in advertising on this podcast, contact us at https://www.spreaker.com/show/5080327/advertisement

The Indian digital media is once again on the brink of government scrutiny. The draft Broadcasting Services Bill aims to bring Cable TV and OTTs under a single regulatory framework, which can potentially stifle content innovation and autonomy. Kasthuri Akhil asks experts if the government can regulate what you watch online. Like the previous attempts, the new self-regulation for on-demand video streaming platforms is also being viewed with scepticism in light of increasing censorship. Analysts suggest that the proposed Bill needs cautious examination. Meanwhile, issues such as stubble burning incidents and groundwater depletion have fuelled intense debates in the state of Punjab. Fingers have been pointed at paddy cultivation in Punjab, prompting the Supreme Court to propose phasing out paddy in favour of ‘less water-intensive' crops. Today's Special report by Thareek Ahmed attempts to answer if Punjab needs a new crop mix. Looks like, phasing out paddy cultivation with other crops in Punjab can be a possible remedy to tackle air pollution in North India. Moving on to markets, shares of new-age companies are on a tear. Over the past three months, these stocks have rallied between 5 and 30 per cent on the bourses as against a 1 per cent rise in the benchmark indices. Nikita Vashisht spoke to experts to decode the drivers of the rally in stocks of new-age companies, and assess if they are a good investment bet at current levels. Watch this report. New age companies certainly have a promising future on the Indian stock exchanges. But just a few hundred kilometres away, Afghan refugees in Pakistan are facing an uncertain future. The Pakistani government's decision to expel 1.6 million ‘undocumented' Afghans from its territory has created a humanitarian crisis along its western borders. But why is Pakistan deporting Afghan refugees? Listen to this episode of the podcast for answers.

learn about taking a taxi

In this episode, Rob is joined by Sofia Haq, an aspiring millennial Investor, and a true Southern Californian whose life is a unique tapestry of multicultural experiences. Born to a Pakistani father, from Lahore, and Mexican mother, from Leon, who met in Downtown LA, Sofia is a proud 1st Gen advocate for those whose voices need to be heard. She is the Founder and CEO of Muslim Women Professionals (MWP), a community centered resource for Muslim women globally, and presently a Fellow at Included VC and a Venture Partner at Republic. She's a passionate advocate for diversity, for under-represented communities and for broader inclusion in the venture capital industry. Throughout the interview, Sofia and Rob delve into essential topics of the day such as Venture Capital and Diversity, the impactful initiatives of MWP's work for young Muslim women across the world, the intersectionality of advocacy, community building, and leadership. This episode is a compelling exploration of how diversity drives success and how Los Angeles serves as an inspiring market for diverse innovators! Feel free to follow and engage with SOFIA here: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sofiahaq/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sofia__haq/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/sofia__haq?lang=en Website: https://www.muslimwomenprofessionals.org We're so grateful to you, our growing audience of entrepreneurs, investors, executives and anyone interested in the human stories behind the entrepreneurial economies of the Americas, from every corner of the United States to the furthest points in Latin America. Plug in, relax and enjoy fun, inspiring, educational and empowering conversations between Rob and his friends, so that you can build the future atop their wisdom! ¡Cheers y gracias!, Mentors Today's Team --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/mentorstoday/message

Salah Fareeq Al-Feroun and his family have been farmers in southern Iraq for generations. In the living room of his house in al-Meshkhab in Najaf Province, his son Muhammad Ziyad takes out a photo of their 32-acre farm — located about five miles away from their home — which shows lush green grass as far as the eye can see, soaked in water. Photo of Salah Fareeq Al-Feroun's farmlands before the water shortages and government mandate to stop cultivating anbar rice.  Credit: Courtesy of Muhammad Ziyad But their farm doesn't look like that anymore. It's now barren and dry, with no one able to work the land anymore.Severe water shortages in Iraq have been affecting the cultivation of the country's signature anbar rice — Al-Feroun's main crop. The water has been drying up because of a combination of climate change and geopolitics.“[There's] no rice, no vegetables, [nothing],” Al-Feroun said. “There [aren't any plants], only wheat. This is the main river — dry.” Salah Fareeq Al-Feroun standing on his farm that is now dry and barren, Al-Meshkhab, Iraq, Aug. 30, 2023. Credit: Sara Hassan/The World Al-Feroun used to grow rice in the summer and wheat in the winter. Now he can only grow wheat. Because of the water shortages, he can no longer grow anbar rice, a long-grain white rice with a high fat ratio that is unique to Iraq, and which is traditionally served with every meal. The word anbar — sometimes also written as amber in English — is an Arabic word that refers to the rice's perfume-like fragrance. X post by @MohammedBaraka Credit: Mohammed Baraka/X post “Amber rice is very significant for its smell and it also [has a] very delicious taste,” al-Feroun said through a translator.For the past two years, though, the Iraqi government has banned farmers from cultivating the rice because it is a water-intensive crop. The paddy where the rice grows has to be fully submerged in water and takes around five months to mature. The government has only allowed for minimal farming of the crop in certain areas to preserve the seeds for future cultivation.Importing riceThis has forced Iraqis to import rice from other countries, including Iran, Pakistan and India. The imported rice has a different taste than anbar.“There used to be five types of anbar rice, but now there are only two,” explained Ahmed Salim, the manager of a store at Al-Warda Market in central Baghdad, as he poured out some rice into packets for weighing. “And the prices have more than doubled. We depend on Pakistani rice — Basmati.” Ahmed Salim, the manager of a store at Al-Warda Market, weighs packets of rice, central Baghdad, Sept. 24, 2023. Credit: Enas Razak Ibrahim/The World ‘The Cradle of Civilization'For centuries, Iraqis have relied on water from two main rivers: the Tigris and the Euphrates.They are what gave Iraq — or ancient Mesopotamia — the titles “The Cradle of Civilization” and “The Land Between Two Rivers.”But that land is drying up. Water sources drying up near Salah Fareeq Al-Feroun's farm, Al-Meshkhab, Najaf Province, Iraq, Aug. 30, 2023. Credit: Sara Hassan/The World Achref Chibani, who is a climate journalist, says that climate change is one factor and that it has a snowball effect. Anbar rice discoloring after a couple of years. The price of what's available now has more than doubled, forcing Iraqis to depend on imported rice, Baghdad, Iraq, Sept. 1, 2023. Credit: Sara Hassan/The World This past summer, temperatures in Iraq reached nearly 122 degrees Fahrenheit, and the country has experienced years of persistent drought.Extreme heat has also devastated crops in neighboring Turkey, which is where the Tigris and Euphrates rivers begin. There are water-sharing agreements among the countries that surround these rivers: Iraq, Iran, Turkey and Syria.Chibani says that the effects of climate change are exacerbated by poor governance and regional politics.“The impact of climate change will make geopolitics more obvious in the near future because close coordination will not be an option, it will be mandatory.”Achref Chibani, climate journalist“It's a combination of both, but the impact of climate change will make geopolitics more obvious in the near future because close coordination will not be an option, it will be mandatory,” Chibani said. A package of Iraqi anbar rice. Credit: Courtesy of Hamzeh Hadad He added that Turkey has also faced droughts and lower levels of rainfall and snowmelt in its southern mountains, which means less water is fed into the rivers. Meanwhile, Turkey has also embarked on massive construction projects in recent years, including the building of dams and hydroelectric power plants along the Tigris and Euphrates, which Chibani says is another factor.“And those decisions vis-a-vis projects in Turkey are affecting the quota of water in Iraq,” Chibani explained. Plus, the Iraqi government hasn't been involved in close negotiations over regional water-sharing because it's been preoccupied with its own internal security issues.International collaborationAl-Feroun, the farmer who can no longer grow anbar in his fields, agreed that climate change is a factor, but that geopolitics also plays a major role.In addition to being a farmer, he spent 25 years teaching at an agricultural secondary school for the Ministry of Education, which has given him insight into how geopolitics has played into what's happening on his farm. Salah Fareeq Al-Feroun's graduating class from the University of Baghdad, Al-Meshkhab, Najaf Province, Iraq, Aug. 30, 2023. Credit: Sara Hassan/The World Back at his home, there are large wooden cabinets filled with books and photos on the walls of his university graduation. And photos of himself, as a government employee, meeting with foreign leaders over the years. Salah Fareeq Al-Feroun at his home. He spent 25 years teaching at an agricultural secondary school for the Ministry of Education, Al-Meshkhab, Najaf Province, Iraq, Aug. 30, 2023. Credit: Sara Hassan/The World Al-Feroun said that a government minister visited farmers recently, telling them they would be compensated for their losses, but they have yet to see any assistance. He said that the government has to move beyond making visits and promises.“Our government has to have serious conversations,” he said, “not just with Turkey, but with the United Nations, the Arab League, the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation and the Non-Aligned Movement to get our rights.”After generations of cultivating the fields, he hopes that his children will also have the chance to be able to continue the family legacy.Enas Razak Ibrahim contributed to this report.Related: This startup is fighting to keep Iraq's palm trees alive

Salah Fareeq Al-Feroun and his family have been farmers in southern Iraq for generations. In the living room of his house in al-Meshkhab in Najaf Province, his son Muhammad Ziyad takes out a photo of their 32-acre farm — located about five miles away from their home — which shows lush green grass as far as the eye can see, soaked in water. Photo of Salah Fareeq Al-Feroun's farmlands before the water shortages and government mandate to stop cultivating anbar rice.  Credit: Courtesy of Muhammad Ziyad But their farm doesn't look like that anymore. It's now barren and dry, with no one able to work the land anymore.Severe water shortages in Iraq have been affecting the cultivation of the country's signature anbar rice — Al-Feroun's main crop. The water has been drying up because of a combination of climate change and geopolitics.“[There's] no rice, no vegetables, [nothing],” Al-Feroun said. “There [aren't any plants], only wheat. This is the main river — dry.” Salah Fareeq Al-Feroun standing on his farm that is now dry and barren, Al-Meshkhab, Iraq, Aug. 30, 2023. Credit: Sara Hassan/The World Al-Feroun used to grow rice in the summer and wheat in the winter. Now he can only grow wheat. Because of the water shortages, he can no longer grow anbar rice, a long-grain white rice with a high fat ratio that is unique to Iraq, and which is traditionally served with every meal. The word anbar — sometimes also written as amber in English — is an Arabic word that refers to the rice's perfume-like fragrance. X post by @MohammedBaraka Credit: Mohammed Baraka/X post “Amber rice is very significant for its smell and it also [has a] very delicious taste,” al-Feroun said through a translator.For the past two years, though, the Iraqi government has banned farmers from cultivating the rice because it is a water-intensive crop. The paddy where the rice grows has to be fully submerged in water and takes around five months to mature. The government has only allowed for minimal farming of the crop in certain areas to preserve the seeds for future cultivation.Importing riceThis has forced Iraqis to import rice from other countries, including Iran, Pakistan and India. The imported rice has a different taste than anbar.“There used to be five types of anbar rice, but now there are only two,” explained Ahmed Salim, the manager of a store at Al-Warda Market in central Baghdad, as he poured out some rice into packets for weighing. “And the prices have more than doubled. We depend on Pakistani rice — Basmati.” Ahmed Salim, the manager of a store at Al-Warda Market, weighs packets of rice, central Baghdad, Sept. 24, 2023. Credit: Enas Razak Ibrahim/The World ‘The Cradle of Civilization'For centuries, Iraqis have relied on water from two main rivers: the Tigris and the Euphrates.They are what gave Iraq — or ancient Mesopotamia — the titles “The Cradle of Civilization” and “The Land Between Two Rivers.”But that land is drying up. Water sources drying up near Salah Fareeq Al-Feroun's farm, Al-Meshkhab, Najaf Province, Iraq, Aug. 30, 2023. Credit: Sara Hassan/The World Achref Chibani, who is a climate journalist, says that climate change is one factor and that it has a snowball effect. Anbar rice discoloring after a couple of years. The price of what's available now has more than doubled, forcing Iraqis to depend on imported rice, Baghdad, Iraq, Sept. 1, 2023. Credit: Sara Hassan/The World This past summer, temperatures in Iraq reached nearly 122 degrees Fahrenheit, and the country has experienced years of persistent drought.Extreme heat has also devastated crops in neighboring Turkey, which is where the Tigris and Euphrates rivers begin. There are water-sharing agreements among the countries that surround these rivers: Iraq, Iran, Turkey and Syria.Chibani says that the effects of climate change are exacerbated by poor governance and regional politics.“The impact of climate change will make geopolitics more obvious in the near future because close coordination will not be an option, it will be mandatory.”Achref Chibani, climate journalist“It's a combination of both, but the impact of climate change will make geopolitics more obvious in the near future because close coordination will not be an option, it will be mandatory,” Chibani said. A package of Iraqi anbar rice. Credit: Courtesy of Hamzeh Hadad He added that Turkey has also faced droughts and lower levels of rainfall and snowmelt in its southern mountains, which means less water is fed into the rivers. Meanwhile, Turkey has also embarked on massive construction projects in recent years, including the building of dams and hydroelectric power plants along the Tigris and Euphrates, which Chibani says is another factor.“And those decisions vis-a-vis projects in Turkey are affecting the quota of water in Iraq,” Chibani explained. Plus, the Iraqi government hasn't been involved in close negotiations over regional water-sharing because it's been preoccupied with its own internal security issues.International collaborationAl-Feroun, the farmer who can no longer grow anbar in his fields, agreed that climate change is a factor, but that geopolitics also plays a major role.In addition to being a farmer, he spent 25 years teaching at an agricultural secondary school for the Ministry of Education, which has given him insight into how geopolitics has played into what's happening on his farm. Salah Fareeq Al-Feroun's graduating class from the University of Baghdad, Al-Meshkhab, Najaf Province, Iraq, Aug. 30, 2023. Credit: Sara Hassan/The World Back at his home, there are large wooden cabinets filled with books and photos on the walls of his university graduation. And photos of himself, as a government employee, meeting with foreign leaders over the years. Salah Fareeq Al-Feroun at his home. He spent 25 years teaching at an agricultural secondary school for the Ministry of Education, Al-Meshkhab, Najaf Province, Iraq, Aug. 30, 2023. Credit: Sara Hassan/The World Al-Feroun said that a government minister visited farmers recently, telling them they would be compensated for their losses, but they have yet to see any assistance. He said that the government has to move beyond making visits and promises.“Our government has to have serious conversations,” he said, “not just with Turkey, but with the United Nations, the Arab League, the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation and the Non-Aligned Movement to get our rights.”After generations of cultivating the fields, he hopes that his children will also have the chance to be able to continue the family legacy.Enas Razak Ibrahim contributed to this report.Related: This startup is fighting to keep Iraq's palm trees alive

This is the web version of Foreign Exchanges, but did you know you can get it delivered right to your inbox? Sign up today:Friends, for family reasons and also because of my own mental exhaustion I will be taking a longer than usual break from the newsletter for this year's Thanksgiving holiday. The newsletter will be going quiet following Thursday's roundup and will return to our regular schedule on Tuesday, November 28. As I've written before here I can always tell when it's time for me to take a bit of a break from the newsletter and the truth is we probably passed that point around three or four weeks ago so I'm running on fumes. Thanks for reading and for supporting this venture!TODAY IN HISTORYNovember 14, 1965: The Battle of Ia Drang, the first major engagement between the United States and the North Vietnamese Army, begins. It ended on November 18 with both sides claiming victory, though the NVA's ability to fight the much better armed US Army to a draw was a boost to their morale and probably the battle's most important effect.November 14, 2001: Fighters with the Northern Alliance rebel coalition enter and occupy the city of Kabul, marking the end of the US war in Afghanista—just kidding. I had you going there for a second, didn't I?INTERNATIONALWith deaths due to “extreme heat” projected to increase five-fold by 2050, according to The Lancet Countdown, you'll no doubt be pleasantly surprised to learn that an AP investigative report shows that the “green transition plans” being formulated by most major fossil fuel companies are not green, not transitional, and not even really plans. Without any serious government pressure to force them to invest in genuinely renewable technologies, these firms are able to do things like, say, classify natural gas development as a “green” investment. That's absurd, of course, but who's counting?The main problem with these plans has long been, and continues to be, the fact that fossil fuel companies exempt the products they sell when assessing their progress toward “net zero” carbon emissions. Firms only account for “Scope 1” emissions, which are their direct carbon outputs, and “Scope 2” emissions, the indirect output that results from their production process. The emissions that ensue when people burn the products they sell are considered “Scope 3” and energy firms disavow any responsibility for them. Like tobacco companies, they argue that what the customer does with their products is the customer's business, not theirs. Maybe people just want to buy a barrel of oil and place it in their foyer as a conversation piece or put it to some other use that doesn't emit carbon. Who's to say?MIDDLE EASTISRAEL-PALESTINEEarly Wednesday morning Israeli forces began what they called “a precise and targeted operation against Hamas in a specified area in the Shifa hospital” involving “medical teams and Arabic speakers, who have undergone specified training to prepare for this complex and sensitive environment, with the intent that no harm is caused to the civilians.” There are hundreds of patients and thousands of other people who have been trapped in the hospital by the IDF and the chances that “no harm” will come to any of them in the next several hours are probably slim. Israeli officials have been insisting that Hamas's lair is located underneath the hospital but at this point it's too soon to know if that's the target or if this is a more limited operation. This is a developing story so there's not much more I can say about it at this time.What I can say is that the Biden administration gave a green light to this operation earlier in the day, when White House spokesperson John Kirby told reporters that the administration has “independent intelligence” (which is code for “we didn't get this from the IDF”) that “Hamas and the Palestinian Islamic Jihad use some hospitals in the Gaza Strip — including Al-Shifa — and tunnels underneath them to conceal and to support their military operations and to hold hostages.” According to Kirby this intelligence shows that the militant groups have a “command and control” center in Shifa and “have stored weapons there.” Kirby insisted that that the administration was not endorsing an Israeli attack on the hospital, but anybody with ears to hear or eyes to read what he said should have no doubt as to what the intent was.I wrote everything below prior to news of the Israeli assault breaking so some of it might no longer be relevant but I think most of it still is:Gazan health authorities said on Tuesday that some 40 patients at Shifa—three of them babies—have died since that facility ran out of generator fuel on Saturday. Without electricity the hospital cannot maintain its incubator units and so there are now 36 newborns who are at critical risk. With the IDF surrounding the hospital it's also become impossible to transfer the dead to a cemetery, so personnel are planning to bury some 120 bodies in a mass grave on site. Gazan officials have proposed evacuating the facility under the auspices of the Red Cross/Red Crescent and sending its remaining patients to Egypt but there had been no movement on that front at time of writing. The Israeli government has apparently offered to send the hospitals more incubators, a fascinating attempt at a humanitarian gesture that would be completely pointless because the problem isn't the incubators, it's the electricity.In other news:* David Ignatius at The Washington Post reported (I use that term loosely) on Monday that “Israel and Hamas are close to a hostage deal.” With the caveat that if David Ignatius told me the sky was blue I'd glance out the window to double check, the terms he reported are that Hamas would release (or facilitate the release) of the women and children that it and other Gazan militant groups took hostage during their October 7 rampage through southern Israel. This would be done in stages and be matched by the release of Palestinian women and children being held by Israeli authorities. It would also involve a ceasefire of unspecified duration but “perhaps five days” according to Ignatius. The ceasefire could allow some time to address humanitarian issues in Gaza though I don't know what that would entail and whatever it was would almost certainly be inadequate.* Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen met with International Committee of the Red Cross President Mirjana Spoljaric Egger on Tuesday and later told reporters that the ICRC has had no access to the aforementioned hostages. It's highly unlikely that the Israelis would agree to anything involving hostages without at least proof of life, so this could be a big sticking point with respect to the potential prisoner deal outlined above. Families of the hostages, meanwhile, are marching from Tel Aviv to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's residence in Jerusalem to pressure him to take some action to secure the hostages' release.* Israeli occupation forces killed at least eight Palestinians in the West Bank on Tuesday, seven of them in Tulkarm. The IDF carried out a drone strike in that city, an occurrence that's still relatively rare in the West Bank though it's certainly become more common over the past year and in particular the past month.* Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich issued a statement on Tuesday endorsing what he laughably termed the “voluntary emigration of Gaza Arabs to countries around the world.” I guess “leave or die” is a choice, right? A couple of Israeli politicians floated this idea on Monday in a Wall Street Journal editorial that was less a serious proposal than a written middle finger to Western critics of the Israeli military campaign. That piece didn't go into extensive detail about what a mass relocation would look like—again, it wasn't meant as a serious proposal—but Smotrich's intent is much easier to guess, and that's the permanent ethnic cleansing of Gaza and the relocation of its population as far away from Israel as possible. Smotrich, whose ministerial brief also includes running the Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories office, isn't part of Netanyahu's “war cabinet” but that doesn't mean he's completely lacking in influence.* The US and UK governments on Tuesday announced new sanctions targeting Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad members along with a Lebanese entity that allegedly facilitates money transfers from Iran to Gazan militant groups. This is the third round of sanctions the Biden administration has imposed since October 7. Also on Tuesday, over 400 employees of the Biden administration sent a joint letter to their boss, Joe Biden, expressing opposition to the administration's approach to the Gaza conflict.YEMENHouthi rebels say they fired another barrage of missiles toward Israel on Tuesday. There's no confirmation of this, though the IDF did say that its air defenses downed a single missile near Eilat that we can probably assume was of Houthi provenance. The leader of Yemen's Houthi movement, Abdulmalik al-Houthi, delivered a speech on Tuesday pledging that his rebel fighters would continue attacking Israel. In particular, Houthi suggested that they could target Israeli commercial vessels in the Red Sea, which would certainly be an easier target for them than Israel itself.IRAQA Turkish drone strike killed two people, both allegedly members of the Sinjar Resistance Units militia, in northern Iraq's Nineveh province on Monday evening. The Sinjar militia was formed in 2014 with assistance from the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) and is still allied with that group, which makes its personnel potential targets for the Turkish military.Elsewhere, the Iraqi Federal Supreme Court removed two members of the Iraqi parliament on Tuesday, one of whom just happened to be speaker Mohammed al-Halbusi. It's not clear why, though another MP named Laith al-Dulaimi had reportedly sued Halbusi alleging that the speaker forged Dulaimi's name on a resignation letter. Dulaimi was, as it happens, the other MP who had his term ended by the court (I assume that's not a coincidence). The ruling created a potential political crisis for Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shiaʿ al-Sudani. As speaker, Halbusi was Iraq's leading Sunni Arab politician, and his support was important to Sudani's government. Three members of his Progress Party quit their cabinet posts after the court ruling and it remains to be seen how that will impact Sudani's position.ASIAAFGHANISTANAfghan Commerce Minister Haji Nooruddin Azizi apparently visited Pakistan this week, where—according to the Afghan government—he pressed Pakistani Foreign Minister Jalil Abbas Jilani on the issue of all those Afghan migrants the Pakistani government is presently deporting. Specifically it sounds like Azizi raised the issue of allowing deportees to at least take some of their money and/or possessions to Afghanistan with them. Deportees are currently arriving with nothing and are being housed in what are effectively refugee camps—leaving aside the incongruity of being a “refugee” in one's home country—on the Afghan side of the border.MYANMARReports on Monday only hinted at some new fighting in western Myanmar's Chin state, but as more details are emerging the situation there sounds pretty serious. According to the Chin National Front, rebel fighters had by the end of the day seized two Myanmar military outposts and were working to seize control of the Myanmar-Indian border. According to Indian media the fighting has sent some 2000 people streaming across that border to escape. In neighboring Rakhine state, the rebel Arakan Army has also been seizing military outposts and authorities have imposed a curfew in the state capital, Sittwe, as a result. Rebel factions across Myanmar have launched new offensives in recent weeks, starting with the “1027” (for October 27) operations by the Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army and the Ta'ang National Liberation Army in Shan state. Myanmar's ruling junta is clearly struggling to mount a response.CHINAJoe Biden told reporters on Tuesday that his main goal in meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping in San Francisco this week is to restore “normal” communications between their governments. In particular this would involve a return to regular military-to-military contacts, something Beijing ended in the wake of former US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's visit to Taiwan last year. Any prospect of resuming those contacts was complicated by the fact that former Chinese Defense Minister Li Shangfu was under US sanction. But as he's no longer defense minister that complication is no longer an issue.AFRICALIBERIALiberian voters turned out on Tuesday for the second round of that country's presidential election, pitting incumbent George Weah against Joseph Boakai. Both candidates finished with just under 44 percent of the vote in last month's first round. Such a close finish might augur poorly for the incumbent in a head to head matchup, though that's just one of many factors that could sway this vote in either direction. Polls have closed in that contest but I have yet to see anything by way of preliminary or partial results.MALIMali's ruling junta says its security forces have seized control over the northern town of Kidal after battling with rebels in that region for several days. The Malian military and mercenary auxiliaries marched on Kidal after United Nations peacekeepers vacated the region as part of their ongoing withdrawal from Mali. Kidal has been a rebel stronghold since the initial northern Mali uprising in 2012 and government control there has been nebulous at best since then. There's been no comment as far as I know from the rebels and it's unclear what their disposition is at this point.ETHIOPIAAccording to Addis Standard, Fano militia fighters attacked a predominantly Oromo community in Ethiopia's Amhara region last week, killing at least 25 people and displacing some 3000 into the Oromia region. The Fano militia is still battling the Ethiopian government but Amhara paramilitary groups have also made a pastime of preying on ethnic Oromo communities (likewise, Oromo militias have preyed on ethnic Amhara). In this case they apparently demanded grain from the community and attacked after residents refused to comply.On a more upbeat note, the US Agency for International Development is reportedly planning to resume food distribution across Ethiopia next month under a “one-year trial period.” The agency suspended its Ethiopian food program earlier this year amid allegations that the aid was being diverted. It resumed providing food aid to Ethiopian refugees last month and is now planning to spend the next year testing whether procedural changes adopted by aid groups and the Ethiopian government are enough to stop that alleged diversion. Solid data is hard to come by but it's possible that hundreds or thousands of Ethiopians have died because of the decision (which the UN World Food Program joined) to suspend food aid.DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF THE CONGOThe death toll from Sunday's Allied Democratic Forces attack on a village in the eastern DRC's North Kivu province has risen to 33, according to provincial officials. ADF fighters are also believed to have been responsible for attacking a village in neighboring Ituri province on Tuesday, killing at least 11 people.EUROPERUSSIAVladimir Putin signed a new law on Tuesday that permits elections to be held even in parts of Russia that are under martial law. This apparently clears the way for the portions of Ukraine that Moscow claims to have annexed to participate in next year's presidential election. The effect will be to try to stitch those regions a little more tightly to Russia and complicate any possible return to Ukrainian authority.UKRAINEThe European Union promised back in March to supply the Ukrainian military with 1 million 155 mm artillery shells within 12 months. You'll never guess how that went. German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius told a meeting of EU defense ministers on Tuesday that the bloc isn't going to fulfill its commitment and even went so far as to criticize the fact that it was made in the first place. The will was apparently there, but EU member states still don't have the collective capacity to churn out that many shells that quickly. The effort has apparently sparked a boost in production capacity but not enough to meet the 12 month deadline.SWEDENSweden's NATO accession may be moving slightly forward, as the Turkish parliament's foreign affairs committee will take up the issue on Thursday. It's been about three weeks since Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan submitted Sweden's accession to parliament and it should be clear by now that the folks in Ankara are in no particular hurry to work their way through that process. There may be some impetus on the part of other NATO members to have the issue resolved in time for the alliance foreign ministers summit on November 28, but Erdoğan has proven himself to be fairly impervious to that sort of pressure in the past.AMERICASUNITED STATESFinally, TomDispatch's William Hartung wonders whether the “Arsenal of Democracy” really cares all that much about the “democracy” part:The list of major human rights abusers that receive U.S.-supplied weaponry is long and includes (but isn't faintly limited to) Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Bahrain, Egypt, Turkey, Nigeria, and the Philippines. Such sales can have devastating human consequences. They also support regimes that all too often destabilize their regions and risk embroiling the United States directly in conflicts.U.S.-supplied arms also far too regularly fall into the hands of Washington's adversaries. As an example consider the way the UAE transferred small arms and armored vehicles produced by American weapons makers to extremist militias in Yemen, with no apparent consequences, even though such acts clearly violated American arms export laws. Sometimes, recipients of such weaponry even end up fighting each other, as when Turkey used U.S.-supplied F-16s in 2019 to bomb U.S.-backed Syrian forces involved in the fight against Islamic State terrorists.Such examples underscore the need to scrutinize U.S. arms exports far more carefully. Instead, the arms industry has promoted an increasingly “streamlined” process of approval of such weapons sales, campaigning for numerous measures that would make it even easier to arm foreign regimes regardless of their human-rights records or support for the interests Washington theoretically promotes. These have included an “Export Control Reform Initiative” heavily promoted by the industry during the Obama and Trump administrations that ended up ensuring a further relaxation of scrutiny over firearms exports. It has, in fact, eased the way for sales that, in the future, could put U.S.-produced weaponry in the hands of tyrants, terrorists, and criminal organizations.Now, the industry is promoting efforts to get weapons out the door ever more quickly through “reforms” to the Foreign Military Sales program in which the Pentagon essentially serves as an arms broker between those weapons corporations and foreign governments.Thanks for reading! Foreign Exchanges is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.foreignexchanges.news/subscribe