Podcasts about Red Square

Many people, when they hear the word propaganda, immediately associate it with Nazi Germany and torchlight parades or Putin reviewing the troops in Red Square. But propaganda has Roman Catholic church origins going as far back as 1622, when Pope Gregory issued a proclamation using the term to exhort the faithful to propagate the faith. Today, propaganda is disseminated far and wide through the internet. It is used by autocrats to shield themselves and their policies from public view. Bots are at work. Malicious actors spread fake news. Deceptive techniques are so sophisticated that it is sometimes difficult to separate fact from fiction. Misinformation is eroding public trust in institutions and stressing and straining democracy. Stories are planted, rumors are spread, lies are told, and narratives are laundered.

Pictured: Masha Slonim28 May 2026Welcome to the 42nd edition of the Russian-language podcast Then & Now with me, Teresa CherfasI'm one of thousands of Facebook followers of Russian-British journalist Masha Slonim. Masha and I met forty years ago when we were colleagues at the BBC Russian Service.Scrolling through Facebook a couple of weeks ago, I unexpectedly discovered that Masha's cousin, Nina Litvinova, had died. It was May 13. The next day, May 14, Masha posted again:“Today, RIA Novosti reported, citing law enforcement sources, that our sister Nina Litvinova had taken her own life. In other words, the cops leaked this information. They also wrote that Nina had left a handwritten suicide note.”Masha then published excerpts from Nina's suicide note, explaining: “Of course, no one—neither RIA nor Gazeta.ru, which reported this—will publish the note…'The note speaks of a feeling of helplessness, of the number of people in prison for not supporting the war against Ukraine, of how life had become unbearable. Of her shame that she had given up, surrendered. Nina LitvinovaOn the evening of 12 May 2026, at the age of 80, Nina, a human rights activist and academic, was found unconscious beneath the windows of her apartment building on 3rd Frunzenskaya Street in Moscow. Clearly, Nina had thrown herself out of the window.I found the story haunting, and not just because I could imagine where and how it happened—I had lived on 3rd Frunzenskaya Street when I worked in Moscow in 1998.I wanted to understand why Nina Litvinova's act had had such an effect not only on me, but on so many others—both those who knew her and those who didn't—in Putin's Russia and beyond.I asked Masha to talk about her sister and the significance of her decision to take her own life.QUESTIONSMasha, how did you find out that Nina had died? Did you understand straightaway what had happened?You published excerpts from the letter Nina left her family and loved ones. What do you make of her final note?You grew up with Nina in Moscow—tell us about your family. Your grandfather was Maxim Litvinov, Stalin's People's Commissar for Foreign Affairs from 1930 to 1939. How did you understand his role in the history of the Soviet Union?Nina's older brother was Pavel Litvinov, who on August 25, 1968, took part in the “Demonstration of Eight” on Red Square, protesting the Soviet invasion of Czechoslovakia. Did his actions influence the direction of Nina's future life?Pavel Litvinov left for America; you and your sister Vera also left, first to America and then to England. Why did Nina stay in Russia? What kept her there?What did Nina do in her professional life?Many people came to the wake for Nina in Moscow. What was your impression of it? You wrote on Facebook that by publishing excerpts from Nina's last note, you had taken the decision to reveal the real cause of her death and you accused Putin of Nina's murder. What exactly did you mean?Do you remember Irina Slavina, who died in 2020 after setting herself on fire in Nizhny Novgorod? She blamed the Russian Federation for her death…. And then there was Alexander Okunev in Kaliningrad who also committed an act of self-immolation on the third anniversary of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine—his death was hushed up and only came to light a little over a year later. How many more martyrs are needed for Russia to rid itself of its illusions about its president?How would you put into a few words your feelings about Nina and what the nature of her death symbolises?

In this episode, Andrew sits down with intrepid traveler and language enthusiast Ben Jovic to hear about his 2012 study abroad year. Ben skipped the typical sunny Spanish beaches his classmates preferred for a Soviet-style apartment in Yaroslavl. Surviving -40 degree winters and an endless supply of his host's homemade beetroot soup, Ben talks about culture shock and daily life in Russia at the time. He also shares some unforgettable stories that he picked up along the way. It's a funny, fascinating look at jumping headfirst into an entirely different way of life.Guest:British-born and currently living in the United States.An avid language learner. He has studied Russian, Spanish, French, and German.Chapters:00:00:00 Introduction and the origins of Ben's travel bug.00:04:36 Ben's linguistic background and learning multiple languages.00:09:14 The decision to study abroad in Russia.00:14:58 Arriving in Yaroslavl and eating the babushka's beetroot soup.00:24:36 Moving to Saint Petersburg and adjusting to Russian life.00:28:44 A late-night adventure getting a ride home from strangers.00:32:09 Encounters with metro security and the resilient local snow shovelers.00:36:39 Reflecting on the adventure and touring Moscow.00:40:55 Recent trips to Asia and future plans to visit China.Resources and Links:Yaroslavl, Russia, a city known for its Orthodox churches.Saint Petersburg, Russia, where Ben spent his second semester.Interrail Pass, which Ben used to travel Central Europe.Novodevichy Cemetery, located in Moscow.Lenin's Mausoleum, located in Red Square.Call to action:Check out our website at oneofftravelstories.com. If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, rate, and review the podcast.

This week on the NK News Podcast, Data Correspondent Anton Sokolin talks about the expanding North Korea-Russia relationship — from military pageantry in Moscow to drone training in Russia's Far East and a mysterious shipwreck off Spain's coast. Anton breaks down the significance of North Korean soldiers marching through Red Square for the first time during Russia's Victory Day parade, what their appearance says about Moscow's shifting alliances and why Kim Jong Un skipped the event despite expectations that he may eventually visit Russia again. The discussion also covers a DPRK delegation's visit to a Russian drone training facility, where officials observed UAV operations amid growing North Korean interest in battlefield drones and potential lessons from the war in Ukraine. Later, the episode turns to North Korean pharmaceutical exports to Russia, including Kumdang-5, a ginseng-based pill marketed as a cure-all remedy, and the sanctions questions raised by DPRK-made traditional medicines appearing on Russian online marketplaces. Finally, Anton walks through the still-unresolved mystery of the Ursa Major, a Russian military-linked vessel that sank off Spain in late 2024.  About the podcast: The North Korea News Podcast is a weekly podcast hosted by Alannah Hill exclusively for NK News, covering all things DPRK — from news to extended interviews with leading experts and analysts in the field, along with insight from our very own journalists.

Moscow was hit by 600 Ukrainian drones overnight from Saturday to Sunday. This comes after a May 9 Victory Day parade on Red Square that was noticeably scaled back.Is Russia starting to lose momentum in its war against Ukraine?Production: By Europod, in co-production with the Sphera network.Follow us on:LinkedIn• Instagram Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Darrell Castle returns to the discussion of war by talking about a war not spoken of so much since it has been driven from the headlines by the war against Iran. Transcription / Notes VLADIMIR PUTIN, DONALD TRUMP, AND THE DECLINE OF EMPIRES Hello, this is Darrell Castle with today's Castle Report. This is Friday the 15th day of May in the year of our Lord 2026. My beat today is once again war but we visit a war not spoken of so much since it has been driven from the headlines by the war against Iran. Yes, we don't hear much about Ukraine these days but it continues to cost lives, and resources and it continues to threaten the global geopolitical order. I'm sure you remember, if you are a long-term sufferer of these Reports, that back in 2014 in the eastern provinces of Ukraine the people voted overwhelmingly to become or remain part of the Russian Federation but that decision didn't sit well with Victoria Nuland who was the U.S. State Department representative there. She helped instigate a revolution that replaced the pro-Russian government with one more pro Europe and that led to a Russian invasion and the current war. Mr. Putin, like President Trump, has found that sometimes wars are easier to get into than they are to get out of. I remember from the war archives reading the discussions from the Japanese general staff when they were planning the battle of Midway. The admiral who was to command their carriers said this will work if the Americans do exactly what we expect and want them to. Well, the Americans didn't do what the Japanese expected and the Ukrainians haven't done what the Russians expected. When a Nation which seems to have overwhelming power goes to war against a much weaker opponent the powerful nation expects a quick and decisive, not to mention cheap, victory. Some examples would be the Soviet Union in World War ll, the Iranians of today, and the Ukrainians that are the subject for today. I mention World War ll a lot because last week the 9th of May was the annual celebration in Moscow of the Russian victory over Nazi Germany in the Great Patriotic War. This year the celebration was different because for the first time in 18 years, Russia's Victory Day parade had no tanks, no missile carriers, and no armored columns going through Red Square. Smaller regions in Russia have their own smaller parades and celebrations and many of those have been canceled altogether. The people of Moscow were told to expect to have no internet service on May 9th. The reason for all the caution and the stepped down celebration was fear of Ukrainian drone and missile attacks. Yes, that's right folks, the Russian Federation, successor to the Soviet Union, cannot traditionally celebrate its victory over Nazi Germany because once again it is at war inside its own borders. The ironic thing is that once again the war is being fueled, at least partially by German arms. The two wars being fought right now, Ukraine and Iran, in which larger more powerful nations attacked smaller weaker ones are changing the dynamics of global politics and showing us once again that the unexpected results of war can totally change the geopolitics of the world. Ukraine, supplied to the tune of hundreds of billions in arms and treasure, primarily by the United States but also by the European nations has apparently perfected drone and missile warfare and has become one of the world leaders in that technology. Ukraine is now a world leader as we will see but recently Great Britain, desperate to prolong the fight I guess, gave the Ukrainians 120,000 drones from their own inventory. Ukraine, just an agricultural region on the border of Russia and only of any significance because of its proximity to Russia has become one of the world's most proficient practitioners of the new art of unmanned warfare. They are so proficient that they attack deep inside Russia seemingly at will to the point that the Russian people are afraid to conduct a parade in their community. Thousands of armed drones roam the skies looking for targets and although they are relatively easy to shoot down they are unstoppable in those numbers. Reports are that Iranian missiles and drones reach their targets about 10% of the time but that is against sophisticated air defense systems dedicated to stopping them. Against thousands, 10% is still a lot of destruction and in Ukraine/Russia I understand that they are virtually impossible to defend against. People will tolerate what they are told will be a short and decisive war but only for so long. The propaganda sent to them daily and now through Social Media minute by minute grows tiring when the people realize that it is all just lies. Reports coming from Russia indicate that Putin is feeling the heat of public dissatisfaction with the war. Nobody will tell us exact casualty figures but they obviously number in the hundreds of thousands. War you never have to feel and never see unless you look for it is one thing but when the numbers of dead reach that high and especially when the economy is crumbling as is Russia's people notice. To that end, last week, President Putin made a phone call to President Trump and proposed a new economic relationship with the United States. The internal pressure on President Putin seems to be working because he is now saying the war is coming to a settlement when there is no battlefield evidence that is the case. He says now that he wants a negotiated settlement and he wants the Europeans to be a part of it. Ironically, he seems to have singled out Germany as the leader in the settlement negotiations. He has maintained all along that he will not recognize Zelensky as the legitimate leader of Ukraine and would therefore not meet with him. That attitude has changed and now he wants to meet with him and he wants the Europeans to help the two of them broker a deal. I admit I am guessing here, but I think it's an educated guess. Putin always wanted to make Russia a part of the European community but the EU bureaucrats would not have him at their parties. These recent inquiries indicate to me that he wants to renew the efforts to make Russia part of Europe. Ordinarily, I don't think the Europeans would give him the time of day but the world is far from ordinary right now and they just might listen this time. Why, because of Iran and behind that Israel. Putin might be trying to take advantage of anti-US sentiment in Europe due to the war in Iran. The Europeans obviously want no part of that adventure that Mr. Trump started so perhaps a Europe-Russia détente is now possible. European politicians have made some astonishingly anti-US statements lately. Spain has doubled down on its refusal to let the US use its own bases in Spain for attacks on Iran. One of the leading candidates for Prime Minister of Spain is running on a campaign to take Spain out of NATO as a way to prevent that country from becoming involved in fighting Israel's wars. So, Putin seeks to turn the clock back to when relations between Russia and Europe were better, but that was when Russia was weaker than now. Just as in the U.S. regarding Iran there is massive and growing opposition in Russia to the war in Ukraine. The Russian economy is reeling and rumors are that the power brokers in Russia have turned against him. He has reportedly increased security at his private residences. It will be interesting to see how the U.S. will react to all this. President Trump left for China on Tuesday for a three-day summit with Mr. Xi. That summit has been in the planning process for months and has continued discussions despite the Iran war. The summit will obviously be primarily about the economic relationship between the U.S. and China but I'm sure Iran will be an important topic. China had Iranian officials in China just prior to Trump's visit. The question being asked By American media is, will Trump trade Taiwan for Iran, but we will see. Meanwhile back here in America the empire appears to be in decline and is always looking for someone to accelerate the process and Donald Trump appears to be the right man for the job. The empire killers of debt and war are now out of control. The debt has passed 39 trillion and interest payments have passed one trillion per year. Cutting taxes is a good idea if the cuts are matched with spending cuts but the President is removing the fuel tax to bring prices down with no corresponding spending cuts. The wars continue to cost more each day with no end in sight. So much of the world's economy depends on the price of oil so Trump starts a stupid war that closes the most important oil spigot in the world. It appears now that the U.S. cannot force Iran to do anything without risking major retaliation and resulting damage to the world economy with much higher oil prices. So, we are told the ceasefire is still in effect when it clearly isn't. According to U.S. intelligence Iran has 75% of its missile capacity intact and almost all of its underground facilities have been reopened. Iran is now a superpower in control of the most important waterway in the world. Russia's and other adversaries which depend on selling oil have had their incomes increase. So that all adds up to quite an achievement with no visible upside at all. Finally, folks, if the American Empire is in decline under the weight of debt and war what better man could we have to manage it. At least that's the way I see it. Until next time folks, This is Darrell Castle, Thanks for listening.

2026-05-11 | UPDATES #199 | While Zelenskyy was signing satirical decrees, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and his ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova were performing the other half of the regime's choreography: the threat.The Russian Foreign Ministry, captured by Pravda EN, RFE/RL, the Washington Times, and TASS, issued what RFE/RL called "a belligerent warning to Kyiv, and diplomatic missions there" — threatening to "attack the Ukrainian capital if Ukraine did in fact disrupt the May 9 events." The Foreign Ministry advised foreign embassies and international organisations located in Kyiv to evacuate their offices in case of such a strike. The Defence Ministry urged civilians to evacuate as well. Moscow is a thug and a bully, and these threats are completely in character. ----------SUPPORT THE CHANNEL:https://www.buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtainhttps://www.patreon.com/siliconcurtainhttps://www.gofundme.com/f/scaling-up-campaign-to-fight-authoritarian-disinformation----------ACTIVE CAMPAIGN:We are raising funds for 5 of 15 Vampire DronesSilicon Curtain for Kupiansk Vampires. Dzyga's Paw, together with Jonathan Fink, is joining forces to raise $40,000 to provide the Khartiia Brigade with Vampire Drones.https://dzygaspaw.com/silicon-curtain-for-kupiansk-vampiresThese heavy bombers are designed to destroy manpower and equipment, as well as for remote mining. The Vampire UAV, manufactured by Skyfall, has proven itself to be one of the most effective weapons in the Kupiansk direction. Skyfall is one of Ukraine's largest defense tech companies, producing Vampire bomber drones, various modifications of Shrike FPV drones, P1-SUN, Shahed drone interceptors, communication systems, and components.----------PLEASE HELP ME ME TO GROW SILICON CURTAINWe are planning our events for 2026, and to do more and have a greater impact. After achieving more than 12 events in 2025, we will aim to double that! 24 events and interviews on the ground in Ukraine, to push back against weaponized information, toxic propaganda and corrosive disinformation. Please help us make it happen!----------SOURCES: Ukrainska Pravda — "Ukraine officially allows Russia to hold Victory Day parade in Moscow: Zelenskyy signs decree" (8 May 2026) Mediaite — "Zelensky Trolls Putin By Announcing Ukraine Will Honor Ceasefire for Moscow Parade — By Including Exact Military Coordinates" (8 May 2026) Mezha — "Zelenskyy allows Moscow parade and excludes Red Square from weapons plan" (8 May 2026) RBC-Ukraine — "Zelenskyy allows a parade in Moscow on May 9" (8 May 2026) LIGA.net — "Zelenskyy's decree allows parade to be held in Moscow" (8 May 2026) Euronews — "Trump announces three-day of ceasefire between Ukraine and Russia" (8 May 2026) Washington Times / AP — "What Russia's low-key Victory Day celebrations reveal about Putin and the war in Ukraine" (8 May 2026)Pravda EN / English Pravda — "Lavrov Warns of 'No Mercy' for Attempts to Disrupt Victory Day Celebrations" (7-8 May 2026) Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty — "Ukraine Says It Hit Russian Caspian Sea Warship; Kremlin Boosts Security For May 9 Victory Day" (7 May 2026) TASS / Pravda Armenia — "From a briefing by the official representative of the Russian Foreign Ministry, M.V.Zakharova" (7 May 2026) Pravda Trump — Yuri Baranchik commentary (7 May 2026) ----------

For decades, Russia's Victory Day parade has brought tanks and intercontinental ballistic missiles to Red Square to celebrate the Soviet victory over Nazi Germany. But not this year. Russia's President Vladimir Putin scaled back the event due to the risk of a Ukrainian long range attack on Moscow. At the same time, media reports citing a European intelligence service suggest security is increasing around Putin and there's even a risk of a coup. Today, Matthew Sussex, Russia expert at the Australian National University on Putin's paranoia and whether Ukraine has cards to play in the conflict. Featured: Matthew Sussex, associate professor at the Centre for European Studies at the Australian National University

670,303 views  Streamed live on May 4, 2026  #Bonya #MiddleEast #TCK#Arestovich #Shelest #War #Trump #IranFundraising for a vehicle to support the logistical needs of the 5th Company, 420th Separate Battalion of Unmanned Systems.

The fallout from the local elections continues. Cabinet ministers are told by an MP to challenge PM, or she'll try and trigger a leadership race: will it work? BBC Political Editor Chris Mason has the latest. Lord Blunkett and James Harding, Chloe Hubbard and Michael Booker editors of the Observer, The Mirror and GB news react. Also on BH: a look at what's next in England, Scotland and Wales for the incoming parties, and BBC Russia Editor Steve Rosenberg sends an audio postcard from a very different World War Two Victory Parade in Moscow's Red Square.

President Trump says a short truce between Russia and Ukraine was agreed at his request. They've also each pledged to release 1,000 prisoners-of-war. The deal coincides with Russia's commemorations marking the defeat of Nazi Germany in the Second World War. A big parade in Moscow's Red Square has been scaled back, with no tanks or missiles. Also: Britain's prime minister, Keir Starmer, is facing renewed pressure after his governing Labour Party was battered in English local elections and suffered a historic defeat in Wales; the Trump administration has released a first batch of previously secret files documenting reported sightings of unidentified flying objects - or UFOs; thousands take part in the Palestine marathon three years after it was put on hold due to the Gaza war; and a royal message for the naturalist David Attenborough on his 100th birthday.The Global News Podcast brings you the breaking news you need to hear, as it happens. Listen for the latest headlines and current affairs from around the world. Politics, economics, climate, business, technology, health – we cover it all with expert analysis and insight. Get the news that matters, delivered twice a day on weekdays and daily at weekends, plus special bonus episodes reacting to urgent breaking stories. Follow or subscribe now and never miss a moment. Get in touch: globalpodcast@bbc.co.uk

Silicon Bites Ep334 | 2026-05-09 | Zelenskyy granted Putin permission to hold his own dictator parade on Red Square — and for added irony supplied them with the military coordinates in a special presidential decree. This is next level Ukrainian trolling, but it also highlights how weak and pathetic Putin has become. In this episode, Trump's claimed three-day truce, the 1,000-for-1,000 prisoner swap, and the sharpest diplomatic mockery of the war to date. Ukraine is now on top. ----------SUPPORT THE CHANNEL:https://www.buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtainhttps://www.patreon.com/siliconcurtainhttps://www.gofundme.com/f/scaling-up-campaign-to-fight-authoritarian-disinformation----------SILICON CURTAIN LIVE EVENTS - FUNDRAISER CAMPAIGN Events in 2025 - Advocacy for a Ukrainian victory with Silicon Curtainhttps://buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtain/extrasOur events of the first half of the year in Lviv, Kyiv and Odesa were a huge success. Now we need to maintain this momentum, and change the tide towards a Ukrainian victory. The Silicon Curtain Roadshow is an ambitious campaign to run a minimum of 12 events in 2025, and potentially many more. Any support you can provide for the fundraising campaign would be gratefully appreciated. https://buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtain/extrasWe need to scale up our support for Ukraine, and these events are designed to have a major impact. Your support in making it happen is greatly appreciated. All events will be recorded professionally and published for free on the Silicon Curtain channel. Where possible, we will also live-stream events.https://buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtain/extras----------SOURCES:Ukrainska Pravda — "Ukraine officially allows Russia to hold Victory Day parade in Moscow: Zelenskyy signs decree" (8 May 2026)Mediaite — "Zelensky Trolls Putin By Announcing Ukraine Will Honor Ceasefire for Moscow Parade — By Including Exact Military Coordinates" (8 May 2026) Mezha — "Zelenskyy allows Moscow parade and excludes Red Square from weapons plan" (8 May 2026) RBC-Ukraine — "Zelenskyy allows a parade in Moscow on May 9" (8 May 2026)LIGA.net — "Zelenskyy's decree allows parade to be held in Moscow" (8 May 2026) Euronews — "Trump announces three-day of ceasefire between Ukraine and Russia" (8 May 2026) Washington Times / AP — "What Russia's low-key Victory Day celebrations reveal about Putin and the war in Ukraine" (8 May 2026) Pravda EN / English Pravda — "Lavrov Warns of 'No Mercy' for Attempts to Disrupt Victory Day Celebrations" (7-8 May 2026) Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty — "Ukraine Says It Hit Russian Caspian Sea Warship; Kremlin Boosts Security For May 9 Victory Day" (7 May 2026) TASS / Pravda Armenia — "From a briefing by the official representative of the Russian Foreign Ministry, M.V.Zakharova" (7 May 2026) Pravda Trump — Yuri Baranchik commentary (7 May 2026)----------

No tanks, great camera work. Victory Day is supposed to be Russia's most unshakeable story, the moment when the state proves its strength, its allies, and its confidence on Red Square. Yet watching this year's parade, I can't escape the sense that the symbolism is working harder than the reality: fewer troops, no heavy hardware in Moscow, and security concerns hanging over the whole performance. In the rest of the podcast, I look at a leaked report on spinning peace and wonder if it part of an attempt to lobby Putin indirectly, the appointment of a new commander of Aerospace Forces, Colonel General Chaiko, and that (to me, pretty dodgy) 'European intelligence report' that has caused such a storm. The bigger point is simple and uncomfortable: disinformation and psychological warfare are part of how this conflict is fought, and they thrive on our appetite for certainty. The Kyiv Independent report I mentioned is here.The podcast's corporate partner and sponsor is Conducttr, which provides software for innovative and immersive crisis exercises in hybrid warfare, counter-terrorism, civil affairs and similar situations.You can also follow my blog, In Moscow's Shadows, and become one of the podcast's supporting Patrons and gain question-asking rights and access to exclusive extra materials including the (almost-) weekly Govorit Moskva news briefing right here. Support the show

Moscow marks Victory Day amid a three-day cease fire agreement with Ukraine. AP correspondent Jennifer King has more.

Russia's annual celebration of Victory Day, commemorating the Soviet Union's defeat of Nazi Germany in World War II, is traditionally a huge celebration in Moscow's Red Square featuring a parade with missiles, tanks and other military hardware. But this year the holiday has been scaled back considerably due to fears of Ukrainian drone attacks. Our correspondent in Moscow says the move is a symbol of Russians' growing frustrations with the war.And on the occasion of his 100th birthday we have an appreciation of iconic nature documentarian David Attenborough.See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy

In this episode of Battleground, Patrick Bishop and Roger Moorhouse dive into the complex and shifting dynamics of the Ukraine conflict.We begin by examining how the escalating tensions between the Trump administration and Iran are creating ripples that reach all the way to Kyiv. As the U.S. appears to seek a rapid exit from its "Operation Epic Fury" in the Gulf, we analyse what this perceived strategic incoherence means for future American support—or lack thereof—for Ukraine. The heart of today's discussion focuses on explosive leaked intelligence reports detailing Vladimir Putin's intensifying paranoia. From installing surveillance on his own staff to avoiding his usual residences, the Russian leader is reportedly on "high alert" for a potential coup or drone assassination attempt from within his own elite circle. We take a close look at: The Shoigu Suspicion: Why former Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu is now being viewed as a "potential destabilising actor". A "Slimmed-Down" Victory Day: Why the traditional May 9 military parade in Red Square will feature no heavy weaponry this year. The Cost of War at Home: How plummeting approval ratings, 14.5% interest rates, and a crackdown on Telegram are fuelling public dissatisfaction in Russia.Join the Conversation: If you have a question about the war in Ukraine or any of the conflicts we cover, email us at podbattleground@gmail.comFollow us on:X - @PodBattlegroundInstagram - podbattlegroundTikTok - battlegroundukraineProducer: James HodgsonA Goalhanger Podcast Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode of Battleground, Patrick Bishop and Roger Moorhouse dive into the complex and shifting dynamics of the Ukraine conflict. We begin by examining how the escalating tensions between the Trump administration and Iran are creating ripples that reach all the way to Kyiv. As the U.S. appears to seek a rapid exit from its "Operation Epic Fury" in the Gulf, we analyse what this perceived strategic incoherence means for future American support—or lack thereof—for Ukraine. The heart of today's discussion focuses on explosive leaked intelligence reports detailing Vladimir Putin's intensifying paranoia. From installing surveillance on his own staff to avoiding his usual residences, the Russian leader is reportedly on "high alert" for a potential coup or drone assassination attempt from within his own elite circle. We take a close look at: The Shoigu Suspicion: Why former Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu is now being viewed as a "potential destabilising actor". A "Slimmed-Down" Victory Day: Why the traditional May 9 military parade in Red Square will feature no heavy weaponry this year. The Cost of War at Home: How plummeting approval ratings, 14.5% interest rates, and a crackdown on Telegram are fuelling public dissatisfaction in Russia. Join the Conversation: If you have a question about the war in Ukraine or any of the conflicts we cover, email us at podbattleground@gmail.com Follow us on: X - @PodBattleground Instagram - podbattleground TikTok - battlegroundukraine Producer: James Hodgson A Goalhanger Podcast Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

2026-05-05 | UPDATES #194 | Moscow goes dark, Putin begs for calm and for ‘permission' to run his tin pot victory day parade. Zelenskyy dictates the terms, in one of the greatest political inflections of history. Ukraine now calls the shots about what happens and does not happen in the swamp empire. Putin does not control, the agenda in Moscow, and Red Square, Ukraine does. Putin's panic hits maximum velocity four days before the May 9 parade, as he seeks to trade Ukrainian prisoners for a promise of clear skies to act the cosplay dictator one last time on Red Square. The streets of Moscow on the morning of 5 May 2026. A cashier at a corner café tries to charge a customer through a contactless card terminal. The terminal beeps and refuses. The customer stares at it. The cashier shrugs. The taxi app on the customer's phone shows a grey screen and a spinning circle that will not finish. The Yandex maps will not load. The messenger notifications make their familiar sound — but when the customer taps to read, the messages will not open. A landline phone in the back of the café rings. Pagers, last seen in 1999, are reportedly being procured by some Moscow firms. AFP reporters in Moscow this morning watched as multiple shops were unable to process card payments at all. ATMs are intermittent. The Russian capital — the political and financial heart of the largest country on earth — has been thrown back into a mid-1990s pre-digital state on the orders of its own government. Mobile phone subscribers are being warned that their devices will turn into useless bricks both before and during the Victory Day parade period. ----------SUPPORT THE CHANNEL:https://www.buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtainhttps://www.patreon.com/siliconcurtainhttps://www.gofundme.com/f/scaling-up-campaign-to-fight-authoritarian-disinformation----------ACTIVE CAMPAIGN:We are raising funds for 5 of 15 Vampire DronesSilicon Curtain for Kupiansk Vampires. Dzyga's Paw, together with Jonathan Fink, is joining forces to raise $40,000 to provide the Khartiia Brigade with Vampire Drones.https://dzygaspaw.com/silicon-curtain-for-kupiansk-vampiresThese heavy bombers are designed to destroy manpower and equipment, as well as for remote mining. The Vampire UAV, manufactured by Skyfall, has proven itself to be one of the most effective weapons in the Kupiansk direction. Skyfall is one of Ukraine's largest defense tech companies, producing Vampire bomber drones, various modifications of Shrike FPV drones, P1-SUN, Shahed drone interceptors, communication systems, and components.----------PLEASE HELP ME ME TO GROW SILICON CURTAINWe are planning our events for 2026, and to do more and have a greater impact. After achieving more than 12 events in 2025, we will aim to double that! 24 events and interviews on the ground in Ukraine, to push back against weaponized information, toxic propaganda and corrosive disinformation. Please help us make it happen!----------SOURCES: CNN — "Analysis: Putin will host a scaled-back parade in Red Square this year, amid mounting pressures and threats" (29 April 2026) Tempo — "Russia Offers Ukraine May 8-9 WWII Anniversary Ceasefire" (4 May 2026)Al Jazeera — "Russia and Ukraine declare competing ceasefires" (4 May 2026)Euronews — "Russia unilaterally declares Victory Day ceasefire while Zelenskyy tables own truce" (4 May 2026) Kyiv Post — "Russia Blacks Out Mobile Internet in Moscow, St. Petersburg Ahead of Victory Day Showcase" (5 May 2026) Al Arabiya / AFP — "Moscow shuts off mobile internet ahead of Victory Day parade" (5 May 2026)Human Rights Watch — "Russia: Internet Shutdowns Escalate" (31 March 2026)NBC News — "Mobile internet blackouts sweep Moscow, leaving residents feeling 'powerless'" (March 2026) Chatham House — "Moscow internet blackouts: the Kremlin tightens its grip on Russia's digital space" (27 March 2026) RBC-Ukraine — "Parade in Moscow to trigger mobile internet shutdown" (4 May 2026)----------

2026-05-05 | UPDATES #195 | This is the surreal physical reality of Moscow this week. The Kyiv Post and AFP, reporting on 5 May, documented what is happening on the streets of the Russian capital. Mobile internet access began dropping sharply after 7am. Apps, websites, payment systems all failing to load. Even the so-called white-list services — the ones the Kremlin had publicly committed to keeping accessible during shutdowns — were unavailable. SMS messaging stopped working. Across both Moscow and Saint Petersburg, the disruption has now been continuous for days.----------SUPPORT THE CHANNEL:https://www.buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtainhttps://www.patreon.com/siliconcurtainhttps://www.gofundme.com/f/scaling-up-campaign-to-fight-authoritarian-disinformation----------ACTIVE CAMPAIGN:We are raising funds for 5 of 15 Vampire DronesSilicon Curtain for Kupiansk Vampires. Dzyga's Paw, together with Jonathan Fink, is joining forces to raise $40,000 to provide the Khartiia Brigade with Vampire Drones.https://dzygaspaw.com/silicon-curtain-for-kupiansk-vampiresThese heavy bombers are designed to destroy manpower and equipment, as well as for remote mining. The Vampire UAV, manufactured by Skyfall, has proven itself to be one of the most effective weapons in the Kupiansk direction. Skyfall is one of Ukraine's largest defense tech companies, producing Vampire bomber drones, various modifications of Shrike FPV drones, P1-SUN, Shahed drone interceptors, communication systems, and components.----------PLEASE HELP ME ME TO GROW SILICON CURTAINWe are planning our events for 2026, and to do more and have a greater impact. After achieving more than 12 events in 2025, we will aim to double that! 24 events and interviews on the ground in Ukraine, to push back against weaponized information, toxic propaganda and corrosive disinformation. Please help us make it happen!----------SOURCES: CNN — "Analysis: Putin will host a scaled-back parade in Red Square this year, amid mounting pressures and threats" (29 April 2026) Tempo — "Russia Offers Ukraine May 8-9 WWII Anniversary Ceasefire" (4 May 2026)Al Jazeera — "Russia and Ukraine declare competing ceasefires" (4 May 2026)Euronews — "Russia unilaterally declares Victory Day ceasefire while Zelenskyy tables own truce" (4 May 2026) Kyiv Post — "Russia Blacks Out Mobile Internet in Moscow, St. Petersburg Ahead of Victory Day Showcase" (5 May 2026) Al Arabiya / AFP — "Moscow shuts off mobile internet ahead of Victory Day parade" (5 May 2026)Human Rights Watch — "Russia: Internet Shutdowns Escalate" (31 March 2026)NBC News — "Mobile internet blackouts sweep Moscow, leaving residents feeling 'powerless'" (March 2026) Chatham House — "Moscow internet blackouts: the Kremlin tightens its grip on Russia's digital space" (27 March 2026) RBC-Ukraine — "Parade in Moscow to trigger mobile internet shutdown" (4 May 2026)----------

In this episode of Battleground Ukraine, Roger Moorhouse and Saul David explore how Ukraine's "kinetic sanctions" are successfully targeting the heart of the Russian economy where Western diplomacy has stalled. With 55% of Russia's refining capacity now in the crosshairs, the strategic impact of long-range drone strikes is becoming impossible for the Kremlin to ignore.We also discuss: The Vanishing Victory Parade: Why Moscow has stripped its iconic Red Square celebration of vehicles and cadets, citing "terrorist threats." The Cyber Front: From the "Tehran-style" internet clampdown in Russia to a daring Ukrainian hack of a military recruitment event at a Russian university. Robot Wars: The implications of the first-ever capture of a military position using exclusively unmanned systems and the mounting Russian personnel losses. Domestic Discontent: How the "Special Military Operation" is finally coming home to the Russian people through "black rain," internet restrictions, and VPN cat-and-mouse games.Join the Conversation: If you have a question about the war in Ukraine or any of the conflicts we cover, email us at podbattleground@gmail.com Follow us on:X - @PodBattlegroundInstagram - podbattlegroundProducer: James HodgsonA Goalhanger Podcast Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode of Battleground Ukraine, Roger Moorhouse and Saul David explore how Ukraine's "kinetic sanctions" are successfully targeting the heart of the Russian economy where Western diplomacy has stalled. With 55% of Russia's refining capacity now in the crosshairs, the strategic impact of long-range drone strikes is becoming impossible for the Kremlin to ignore. We also discuss: The Vanishing Victory Parade: Why Moscow has stripped its iconic Red Square celebration of vehicles and cadets, citing "terrorist threats." The Cyber Front: From the "Tehran-style" internet clampdown in Russia to a daring Ukrainian hack of a military recruitment event at a Russian university. Robot Wars: The implications of the first-ever capture of a military position using exclusively unmanned systems and the mounting Russian personnel losses. Domestic Discontent: How the "Special Military Operation" is finally coming home to the Russian people through "black rain," internet restrictions, and VPN cat-and-mouse games. Join the Conversation: If you have a question about the war in Ukraine or any of the conflicts we cover, email us at podbattleground@gmail.com Follow us on: X - @PodBattleground Instagram - podbattleground Producer: James Hodgson A Goalhanger Podcast Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Russia has announced that its annual military parade in Moscow, which commemorates its victory in World War Two, will be scaled back this year because of the threat from Ukraine. For the first time since 1945, there will be no armoured vehicles or missiles systems on show across Red Square. Also: the British Government rules that a woman abused by the late Harrods owner Mohammed El-Fayed was a victim of modern slavery; a new report suggests extreme heat, wildfires and record sea temperatures have affected much of the continent of Europe; police in Colombia say they've arrested a guerrilla leader accused of orchestrating the country's deadliest bomb attack on civilians in decades; and London Zoo is planning a new wildlife health centre to allow people to see everything from animal medical checks to post mortem examinations.The Global News Podcast brings you the breaking news you need to hear, as it happens. Listen for the latest headlines and current affairs from around the world. Politics, economics, climate, business, technology, health – we cover it all with expert analysis and insight. Get the news that matters, delivered twice a day on weekdays and daily at weekends, plus special bonus episodes reacting to urgent breaking stories. Follow or subscribe now and never miss a moment. Get in touch: globalpodcast@bbc.co.uk

The ABC journalist explains how competing, overlapping narratives and outright myths form our understanding of events of the past, featuring an impersonation of Winston Churchill talking about a lemon tree.Matt presents and writes the ABC TV show and podcast “If You're listening”, where he says he explains the world's most important stories while hiding in his basement from assassins and authoritarian regimes.He applies his Australian lens on major turning points in history; the villains, visionaries and vanquished and invites us to question what we think we know about the world. From the assassination of Julius Ceaser to the collapse of the Soviet Union, Matt has uncovered unknown, often bizarre and at times laughable tales swirling in the murky waters of history.Further informationIf You're Listening: Declassified is published by HarperCollins.You can watch and listen to Matt's program, If You're Listening. This episode was produced by Alice Moldovan. The Executive Producer is Eliza Kirsch.It covers world politics, Trump, Putin, Winston Churchill, Matthias Rust, Red Square, Iron Curtain, Soviet Union, Chernobyl, M Gessen, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Wagner Group, Cessna, Yalta Conference, Stalin, Alexander Downer, Papadopoulos, Hillary Clinton, hinge moments, the butterfly effect, To binge even more great episodes of the Conversations podcast with Richard Fidler and Sarah Kanowski go the ABC listen app (Australia) or wherever you get your podcasts. There you'll find hundreds of the best thought-provoking interviews with authors, writers, artists, politicians, psychologists, musicians, and celebrities.

A U.S. Air Force veteran and UFO whistleblowerreveals documented UAP encounters at Vandenberg,including the massive “Red Square” craft witnessedby multiple personnel. With official records, Congress testimony,and FBI involvement, this episode explores military UFOsightings, drone incursions, orbs, and unexplained technology near sensitive defense systems.   Follow Matt Beall Podcast: https://x.com/MattBeallPodhttps://www.tiktok.com/@mattbeallpodhttps://www.instagram.com/mattbeallpodcast/https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61556879741320 Check out our Shorts & ClipsShorts Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@MattBeallShortsClip Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@MattBeallClips Listen Everywhere: YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@MattBeallPodcastApple:https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/matt-beall-limitless/id1712917413  Rumble: https://rumble.com/c/c-6727221 Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/MattBeallPodcast Check out Jeff Nuccetelli: https://x.com/Ice_Alchemist11https://www.youtube.com/@TheJeffNuccetelliPodcasthttps://www.instagram.com/the_jeff_nuccetelli_podcast/ Timeline:00:00:00              Introductions00:02:45              Congressional Testimony00:06:06              The Vandenberg Event00:15:27              Craft Activity & Intentions00:28:52              Other Witnesses?00:30:45              Post Experience00:34:56              The Phenomenon in Totality00:39:52              New Jersey Drones00:51:13              Preparing for Congress00:59:47              Classification of the Incident01:03:43              Family Experiences01:10:40              Near Death Experience01:20:07              Closing #UFO #UAP #UFODisclosure #Whistleblower #Vandenberg #RedSquareUFO #Aliens #UFOsighting #MilitaryUFO #CongressTestimony #AARO #FBI #UAPDisclosure#DroneMystery #NonHumanIntelligence #UFOEvidence #SpaceForce #UFOEncounters#BreakingUFO #Paranormal The views and opinions expressed on this podcast are notnecessarily the views of the host or of any business related to the host.

In this episode of VISITORS, Kelly sits down with Jeff Nuccetelli, Air Force veteran, federal law enforcement officer, and congressional UAP witness, whose 20-year silence about what happened at Vandenberg finally broke in front of Congress. Jeff walks through the October 2003 Red Square incursion, the night a craft landed on the flight line and an OSI colonel showed up the next morning, and why witnesses stopped calling in lights after one of his best officers was quietly threatened with career destruction. He gets into what it cost him personally to testify, the flood of new witnesses that came forward after the September hearing, and why he's convinced no help is coming from the UAP community or Congress and what he and Dylan Borland and Matthew Brown are doing about it.  He also talks about growing up with the Presque Isle landing in his family, traveling to Brazil with James Fox, and why he thinks reality itself is the thing that's actually classified. Find Jeff: X: https://twitter.com/Ice_Alchemist11 Instagram: @the_jeff_nuccetelli_podcast Podcast: https://www.youtube.com/@TheJeffNuccetelliPodcast Support Jeff: https://gofund.me/53a2558ef Subscribe on Apple Podcasts:  https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/frightday/id951360425 Stream on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/14ioP0zfFczK8hKPsDUmko?si=cff351ada3944a9a Want more? Join the Frightday Society, at http://thefrightdaysociety.org As a Society Member, you'll have access to all Screamium content (Behind the Screams, It's Been a Weird Week, A Conversation With..., Toast to Toast PM with Wine Kelly, Cinema Autopsy, the Writers' Room, bonus episodes of Captain Kelly's Cryptids & Conspiracies, Byron's Serial Corner, and so much more! You'll also be part of our interactive community dedicated to the advancement of horror, hauntings, cryptids, conspiracies, aliens, and true crime. All things frightening. Keep our mini-fridges full of blood...I mean...not blood...normal things that people drink...by going to http://shop.frightday.com  Theme music by Yawns Produced by Byron McKoy Follow us in the shadows at the following places: @byronmckoy @kellyfrightday @frightday  This is an Audio Wool Original. Keywords: UFO, UAP, Vandenberg, military, whistleblower, government secrecy, extraterrestrial, disclosure, paranormal, UFO incidents

Published on Victory Day - deliberately. While Putin's tanks roll across Red Square on 9 May (if the parade goes ahead), Ukrainian drone operators are dismantling that same military in real time. The Dark Heart of Russia is published on that date as an ironic statement: the war Russia says it is winning is the war it has already lost.WHO IS IN IT: Four NATO commanding officers. The former NSC Russia director. The man who broke the Kremlin's money. A chess grandmaster. A Nobel Peace Prize laureate. The Russian Duma deputy who cast the lone vote against the annexation of Crimea - who now fights for Ukraine. 30 of the world's leading experts deliver the verdict the West has been too timid to hear. General David H. Petraeus, General Sir Richard Shirreff, General Mark Hertling, Lt. Gen. Ben Hodges, Fiona Hill, Garry Kasparov, Bill Browder, Peter Pomerantsev, Luke Harding, Mark Galeotti, Oleksandra Romantsova, Ilya Ponomarev, and fourteen more.Edited by Jonathan Fink | Gibson Square | Publication date 9 May 2026. Drawn for their exceptional insight into Russia's political soul from nearly 1,000 long-form interviews recorded for the leading Geopolitical podcast Silicon Curtain (YouTube) - 2M+ views/month, 180k subscribers.----------The Dark Heart of Russia - NOW available from the following stores: Bookshop.orghttps://uk.bookshop.org/p/books/the-dark-heart-of-russia-a-startling-journey-through-russia-s-sinister-culture-jonathan-fink/a452423d870823fcWorld of Bookshttps://www.worldofbooks.com/en-gb/products/dark-heart-of-russia-book-jonathan-fink-9781783342662Waterstoneshttps://www.waterstones.com/book/the-dark-heart-of-russia/jonathan-fink//9781783342662Blackwellshttps://blackwells.co.uk/bookshop/product/9781783342662Hatchardshttps://www.hatchards.co.uk/book/the-dark-heart-of-russia/bill-browder/9781783342679Amazon UKhttps://www.amazon.co.uk/Dark-Heart-Russia-Journey-Startling/dp/1783342668/ref=mp_s_a_1_3----------FOUR ARGUMENTS THE WEST HAS REFUSED TO MAKE1. Russians are also the problem.The fiction that Putin alone is responsible does not survive the evidence. Vast sections of Russian society have participated actively in an imperial project that has killed hundreds of thousands.2. Something is structurally wrong with Russia.The rot predates Putin and will outlast him. Contributors trace it from the totalitarian inheritance to today's Orwellian state. Regime change alone is not a solution, for an empire wired for aggression.3. Russia is the global export hub for kleptocracy.The Kremlin is the laboratory for ‘kleptocratism': capturing democracies, weaponising grievance, installing strongmen, exporting chaos. From Trump's America to Orbán's Hungary - Moscow's playbook is everywhere.4. This war is the hinge of the century.How it ends - and on whose terms - will determine whether constitutional democracies or the authoritarian-kleptocrat model prevails. There is no separating Ukraine from the wider crisis of the West.“The West is, once again, being lulled to sleep. The thirty voices in this book are the ones who have spent their careers refusing to let that happen.” - Jonathan Fink----------SUPPORT THE CHANNEL:https://www.buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtainhttps://www.patreon.com/siliconcurtainhttps://www.gofundme.com/f/scaling-up-campaign-to-fight-authoritarian-disinformation----------TRUSTED CHARITIES ON THE GROUND:Car4Ukrainehttps://car4ukraine.com/en-US/campaignsDzyga's Pawhttps://dzygaspaw.com/projectsSuperhumans - Hospital for traumashttps://superhumans.com/en/UNBROKEN - Treatment. Prosthesis. Rehabilitation for Ukrainians in Ukrainehttps://unbroken.org.ua/Come Back Alivehttps://savelife.in.ua/en/Chefs For Ukraine - World Central Kitchenhttps://wck.org/relief/activation-chefs-for-ukraineUNITED24 - An initiative of President Zelenskyyhttps://u24.gov.ua/Serhiy Prytula Charity Foundationhttps://prytulafoundation.org----------

“The World Cup is a kind of religious feast. It's like Easter, or Passover, or Eid, but it's for all of humanity.” — A Church of England vicar, quoted by Simon KuperNick Hornby measured his (sad) life in Arsenal fixtures. The FT columnist Simon Kuper has measured his in World Cups. His new book, World Cup Fever: A Soccer Journey in Nine Tournaments, is the Kuper story told through the nine tournaments he attended as a journalist — from Italy 1990 to Qatar 2022.World Cup Fever is as irresistible as a Maradona slalom or a Pelé feint. In 1990, three Oxford students blag their way into Italy on Mars corporate tickets, pulling out library cards at the Swiss border to prove they're not Liverpool hooligans. In 1998, France's World Cup victory changes Kuper's life — he buys an apartment/office in Paris and never really leaves, even writing World Cup Fever there. In 2006, the newly reunited Germany reinvents itself as the nice guy of World Cups, and the German Football Association's designated handler of World War Two queries receives exactly zero calls. In 2014, Brazil loses one–seven to Germany in the most stunning result in tournament history — and Kuper watches Brazilian football lovers line the road to applaud the German bus.But, after Russia in 2018 and Qatar in 2022, those glory days might now be history, Kuper fears. The North American World Cup this summer will be the biggest yet — forty-eight teams, three host countries, and a grifter FIFA president (Gianni Infantino) not unlike Donald Trump. What could possibly go wrong?So who will win in 2026? Kuper thinks England have their best squad since 1966. Spain are probably the best team. Messi will be thirty-nine. But the World Cup has so many random elements that none of that really counts. What matters, a Church of England vicar told Kuper, is that the World Cup is a religious feast for all of humanity. In a time when we're increasingly lonely and miserable, it's the most joyous communal event we have. As the non-doctrinal Kuper promises, “it's like Easter, or Passover, or Eid, but it's for all of humanity.” Five Takeaways•       Every World Cup, You Remember Where You Were: Kuper's first was 1978 — eight years old, sitting with his parents and grandparents in the Netherlands. His mother is now dead. His grandparents are long dead. But he can see it: June 25th, 1978. Nick Hornby measured his life in Arsenal fixtures. Kuper has measured his in World Cups.•       The Oxford Library Card Got Them Past the Border Guards: Italy 1990. Three students blag World Cup tickets from Mars. The Italian border guards see “Liverpool” on a passport and think: hooligans. Five years after Heysel. They pull out their Oxford library cards. “Studenti, Oxford.” The guards make a snap sociological analysis and let them in.•       One–Seven: The Wall Came Down: Brazil 2014. The home of World Cup football loses to Germany in the most shocking result in tournament history. Brazilian fans line the road to applaud the German bus. They've accepted it: the era is over. Brazil will never again be impregnable. Kuper compares it to the fall of the Berlin Wall — equally stunning, no going back.•       The World Cup Is a Religious Feast for All of Humanity: A Church of England vicar told Kuper: it's like Easter, Passover, or Eid, but everyone's allowed to join. In a time when we're all atomised and on separate screens, the World Cup is the biggest communal event we have. Fans hug, exchange shirts, celebrate shared nationhood and shared humanity.•       England's Best Chance Since 1966: Kuper and his co-author Stefan Szymanski say this is the strongest England squad in sixty years. One-in-six chance of winning. Spain are probably the best team. Messi will be thirty-nine. France have reached four of the last seven finals. But the World Cup has so many random elements that quality alone won't decide it. About the GuestSimon Kuper is a columnist for the Financial Times and the author of Soccernomics (with Stefan Szymanski), The Barcelona Complex, and World Cup Fever. Born in Uganda to South African parents, raised in the Netherlands, educated at Oxford, he lives in Paris.References:•       World Cup Fever by Simon Kuper — the book under discussion.•       Simon Kuper's FT column — his political and society writing for the Financial Times.About Keen On AmericaNobody asks more awkward questions than the Anglo-American writer and filmmaker Andrew Keen. In Keen On America, Andrew brings his pointed Transatlantic wit to making sense of the United States — hosting daily interviews about the history and future of this now venerable Republic. With nearly 2,800 episodes since the show launched on TechCrunch in 2010, Keen On America is the most prolific intellectual interview show in the history of podcasting.WebsiteSubstackYouTubeApple PodcastsSpotify Chapters:(00:00) - (00:31) - Introduction: life measured in four-year increments (02:07) - First World Cup: Holland 1978, sitting with the dead (05:45) - Nine tournaments in a row: the double life of a football writer (09:25) - Italy 1990: Oxford library cards, Italian border guards, and Mars tickets (12:35) - Gascoigne, Cameroon, and England's last real chance (16:03) - USA 1994: Maradona's primal scream and the end of Germany as villain (18:23) - France 1998: the World Cup that changed his life (22:16) - Korea/Japan 2002: feeling four years old in Tokyo (24:36) - Germany 2006: Wannsee, the new Germany, and zero queries about the war (31:20) - South Africa 2010: nation building in his parents' backyard (34:26) - Brazil 2014: one–seven and the end of an era (38:48) - Russia 2018: Peruvians on Red Square and the policeman who'd never met a foreigner (43:46) - Qatar 2022: the World Cup of the Global South (46:30) - USA 2026: forty-eight teams, Trump, Infantino, and why we shouldn't boycott

Jason welcomes U.S. Air Force veteran and congressional witness Jeff Nuccetelli for a conversation about his firsthand experiences at Vandenberg Air Force Base (now Vandenberg Space Force Base)Jeff, a former military police officer with 16 years of active-duty service, recently testified before Congress on Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena (UAPs), detailing a series of extraordinary events that occurred between 2003 and 2005 at this highly secure installation—home to critical missile defense and space launch operations. He recounts the now-infamous "Red Square" incident—a massive, glowing red square object, the size of a football field, silently hovering over missile silos— and multiple incursions over heavily guarded zones. These events left witnesses shaken and forever changed.The glaring lack of training, protocols, and institutional support for handling such incursions in restricted military airspaceDeeper questions of spirituality, the potential role of predestiny, and how these experiences challenge our understanding of reality in profoundly random yet meaningful waysIt's a candid look at the human side of UAP phenomena, the courage required to speak out, and the urgent need for transparency and better support systems. Whether you're a longtime researcher or new to the topic, Jeff's testimony and reflections offer rare insight from someone who lived it and recently brought it to Congress. Disclosure comes from people like him, not our governments. Jeff will be a guest speaker at @contactinthedesert 2026, May 28-june 1#UAP #UFO #MilitaryWitness #podcast

"It's been three years since I was last in Tauranga and it's so uplifting to see cranes in the sky, the glossy sheen of brand-new buildings, and the civic centre's sure-footed makeover taking shape. Fresh and inviting public spaces are continuing to unfurl across the Te Papa peninsula and waterfront. After paying my regards to the delightful Hairy Maclary and friends sculptures adorning the fabulously enticing children's playground on Tauranga's waterfront in a story book setting, I checked out The Strand Reserve and waterfront boardwalk. It has immeasurably enhanced the city centre's sense of connection with Tauranga Harbour. There's a great new sense of art-filled vitality sprouting in the city centre. A starring specimen in Red Square is the stunning public sculpture called Rauhea." Read Mike's full article. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The corpse of Vladimir Lenin, founder of the Soviet Union, was placed on display in Moscow's Red Square on 27th January, 1924 - where, astonishingly, he remains viewable to this day.  He'd wanted to be buried next to his mother in Saint Petersburg, but after he suffered a series of strokes, the Soviet government instead secretly planned to build a mausoleum for his body, in part to deify him as a quasi-religious figure. In this episode, Arion, Rebecca and Olly explain how pioneering embalming techniques were created by ‘The Lenin Lab' to look after the cadaver; ponder how mausoleum architect Alexey Shchusev contented with the January freeze; and consider whether an embalmed Queen Victoria would be just as popular a tourist attraction… Further Reading: • ‘Death of Lenin' (The Guardian, 1924): ⁠https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/jan/23/death-of-lenin-archive-1924⁠ • ‘Lenin's Body Improves with Age' (Scientific American, 2015): ⁠https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/lenin-s-body-improves-with-age1/⁠ • ‘Russia: 100 Years on from Revolution' (BBC News, 2017): ⁠https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MPmlX4kWgjs⁠ Love the show? Support us!  Join 

A humongous red square hovered over Vandenberg Air Force Base in California in the Santa Barbara county in 2003. for 45 seconds. however during that 45 seconds amazing things happened and dozens of witnesses saw what they can only describe to be a craft from another galaxy let's find out what really happened from the veterans that were there!!

In this Trawl, Jemma and Marina dive into the political earthquake shaking Reform UK after former Welsh leader Nathan Gill was jailed for taking bribes linked to pro-Russian interests. With the party insisting there's no need for an internal investigation, social media has been left... unconvinced.We pick through the online reaction, the disbelief, and the dark humour as Westminster scrambles to respond. From Farage's denials over his own past controversies to questions about transparency inside Reform, the timeline is an absolute mess and the internet has thoughts.Plus: the memes, the meltdowns, and the moments that defined a week where one conviction sets off a political chain reaction.Thank you for sharing and please do follow us @MarinaPurkiss @jemmaforte @TheTrawlPodcast Patreonhttps://patreon.com/TheTrawlPodcast Youtubehttps://www.youtube.com/@TheTrawl Twitterhttps://twitter.com/TheTrawlPodcastIf you've even mildly enjoyed The Trawl, you'll love the unfiltered, no-holds-barred extras from Jemma & Marina over on Patreon, including:• Exclusive episodes of The Trawl Goss – where Jemma and Marina spill backstage gossip, dive into their personal lives, and often forget the mic is on• Early access to The Trawl Meets…• Glorious ad-free episodesPlus, there's a bell-free community of over 3,300 legends sparking brilliant chat.And it's your way to support the pod which the ladies pour their hearts, souls (and occasional anxiety) into. All for your listening pleasure and reassurance that through this geopolitical s**tstorm… you're not alone.Come join the fun:https://www.patreon.com/TheTrawlPodcast?utm_campaign=creatorshare_creator Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jasper Fforde is a writer based in Wales. He writes absurdist fiction which I love, but I only recently discovered after 20 years of reading his books, that he's also a photographer. Shooting film pretty much exclusively he has a collection of amazing vintage film cameras that rivals any selection I've ever come across.In the episode we talk about Alice Longstaff's photos and you can find out more about her by listening to a previous episode. I couldn't find the Red Square photographer unfortunately.More about this show:A camera is just a tool but spend enough time with photographers and you'll see them go misty eyed when they talk about their first camera or a small fast prime that they had in their youth. Prime Lenses is a series of interviews with photographers talking about their photography by way of three lenses that mean a lot to them. These can be interchangeable, attached to a camera, integrated into a gadget, I'm interested in the sometimes complex relationship we have with the tools we choose, why they can mean so much and how they make us feel.

Wed, Oct 1 11:15 PM → 2 Thu 12:42 AM UWPD responded to a large mob chasing an individual involved in a classroom disruption Radio Systems: - Puget Sound Emergency Radio Network PSERN Full

HEADLINE: Russian Spy Ships Target Vulnerable Undersea Communication Cables GUEST NAME: Kevin Frazier50 WORD SUMMARY: Undersea cables are highly vulnerable to sabotage or accidental breaks. Russia uses sophisticated naval technology, including the spy ship Yantar, to map and potentially break these cables in sensitive locations. The US is less vulnerable due to redundancy. However, protection is fragmented, relying on private owners who often lack incentives to adopt sophisticated defense techniques. 1945 RED SQUARE

Russian Probes Test NATO Resolve; European Powers Debate UN Reform and Palestinian Statehood Judy Dempsey Judy Dempsey discusses Russian probes into NATO airspace and the disappointing response from President Trump. She notes European countries are divided over recognizing a Palestinian state and highlights Germany's economic decline. 1945 RED SQUARE. POLISH TROOPS

This week the Vampires are sating themselves at Red Square, so check out this clip from our first annual Sandwich Draft. If you want to check out more from this goofy episode go on over to our Patreon, and consider subscribing. If you want more content from us consider supporting us on Patreon! Warp Lords is a product of Bandit Gang Entertainment, and the game is used with their permission. Buy the game, take the ride! Buy/Download Warp Lords Here Follow our Sosh-Meds! Warp Lords Podcast Tweeter: @WarpLordsPod Warp Lords Tweeter: @Warplords Warp Lords Facebook: Warp Lords Warp Lords Podcast Patreon: Demand an apology Warp Lords Podcast Tik Tok: @warplordspodcast Credits: GM (Vampire The Masquerade): Devin Malinowski Herbert "Stormin'" Gorman: Mike Danger Vautour Greg Spatcho: Graham Banas Matthew Pettelier: Jared Cryan Music: Jared Cryan Editing: Devin Malinowski Art: Mike "Danger" Vautour If you like what you heard, then please spread the word. Any characters, items, animals, blob monsters, trees, instruments, bad voices, manic lawyers, power tools, pocket pickles or shitty jokes that bear resemblance to another intellectual property or otherwise non-original content are used in parody or satire or other harmless ways and are in no way related to or a depiction of another subject in or around reality. This is a silly podcast with silly people, and is not intended to be taken seriously by anyone in any way.

This week our party is bricked up, and they hit Red Square. A fitting place. Plans are formed, and made. Find out this and much, much more on What we do in the Shadows of the U-Mall. We release new episodes every Wednesday morning! If you want more content from us consider supporting us on Patreon! Warp Lords is a product of Bandit Gang Entertainment, and the game is used with their permission. Buy the game, take the ride! Buy/Download Warp Lords Here Follow our Sosh-Meds! Warp Lords Podcast Tweeter: @WarpLordsPod Warp Lords Tweeter: @Warplords Warp Lords Facebook: Warp Lords Warp Lords Podcast Patreon: Demand an apology Warp Lords Podcast Tik Tok: @warplordspodcast Credits: GM (Vampire The Masquerade): Devin Malinowski Herbert "Stormin'" Gorman: Mike Danger Vautour Greg Spatcho: Graham Banas Matthew Pettelier: Jared Cryan Music: Jared Cryan Editing: Devin Malinowski Art: Mike "Danger" Vautour If you like what you heard, then please spread the word. Any characters, items, animals, blob monsters, trees, instruments, bad voices, manic lawyers, power tools, pocket pickles or shitty jokes that bear resemblance to another intellectual property or otherwise non-original content are used in parody or satire or other harmless ways and are in no way related to or a depiction of another subject in or around reality. This is a silly podcast with silly people, and is not intended to be taken seriously by anyone in any way.

“They will never see their gold again, just as they do not see their own ears.”Josef StalinGold's strength is that its value exists in and of itself. It's nobody else's liability. Unlike money in the bank or a bond, it carries no promise from a third party, and its value is not dependent on the creditworthiness of any issuer or guarantor. Hand it to someone else and its value is transferred. It is a “bearer” asset, effectively owned by whoever has possession of it. For this reason gold has been the target of many a heist. Quickly resmelt it, and its provenance is very hard to prove.So there is one obvious problem with gold: that is keeping it safe. It's all very well having a pot of gold, but if somebody comes along and takes it from you, as Alexander did from the Persians, or the Conquistadors from the Incas, then you're left with nothing at all.When the Spanish Civil War broke out in 1936, the Soviet Union, under Joseph Stalin, supported the Spanish Republican government. The Nazis supported their opponents, the revolutionary fascist forces led by General Franco. At the time Spanish gold reserves, some 635 tonnes, were the fourth largest in the world.Much of that treasure had been accumulated during WWI, when Spain had stayed neutral. Selling stuff to the British seems to have been the really big earner: 70% of Spanish gold holdings were British sovereigns.With Franco just 20 miles from the capital, the Republicans were on the verge of defeat. Never mind the fascists, there were also rumours that Catalan separatists had hatched plans to take the gold from Madrid to Barcelona. All that gold was at risk.Finance minister, Juan Negrín, and Prime Minister, Francisco Largo Caballero, leant on President Azaña to sign a secret decree to move the gold - some 10,000 cases - to a place “which in his [Negrín's] opinion offers the best security”. Azaña signed and the gold was moved, starting the next day, to Cartajena on the south coast, as far from Franco's armies as possible. The Spanish soldiers who transported the cases thought they were lifting munitions. A fifth of it was then shipped to Marseille where it was traded for French francs, which the Republicans used to fund their side of the war. The rest, 510 tonnes, would be sent to Joseph Stalin in Moscow for safekeeping.Even if Bolshevik sympathisers, what were Negrín and Caballero thinking? The Russians had already demonstrated that they had no qualms about seizing other people's gold. In 1916, the Romanian government sent its treasury of 91 tonnes of gold to Tsarist Russia for safekeeping, worried that it was vulnerable to the Axis powers when Romania had just joined WWI on the side of the Entente. Shortly afterwards, during the Great October Revolution, communists, led by Lenin, seized power, sequestered the gold and refused to give it back. Though small amounts were returned in 1935, 1956, and 2008, “as a gesture of goodwill”, the large majority was retained. As you can imagine, it has been something of a sore spot in diplomatic relations between the two nations ever since.It seems Negrín and Caballero did not know the story. In any case, Caballero actually wrote to Stalin asking if he would “agree to the deposit of approximately 500 tonnes of gold.” Two days later, he got a reply from the Soviet leader, not previously known for his prompt responses. No surprise: Stalin would be “glad” to take the gold.Buying gold or silver to protect yourself in these ‘interesting' times? The bullion dealer I use and recommend is the Pure Gold Company. Pricing is competitive, quality of service is high. They deliver to the UK, the US, Canada and Europe or you can store your gold with them. More here.Alexander Orlov was the Russian agent in charge of transporting the booty. Negrín gave him fake documents to show he was an US official from the Bank of America, in case he should be stopped. Negrín, who, remember, was finance minister, had thought Bank of America was the US central bank. That would be the Federal Reserve. Russian agent Orlov didn't realise either. It's extraordinary.Four Russian ships came to Cartagena to collect the bounty, and the gold was loaded on. There was a discrepancy of 100 cases between Orlov and Spanish treasurer Mendez Aspe's number: Aspe said 7,800 cases, Orlov 7,900. Orlov said nothing. He reported the discrepancy to his superiors, who told him, “Do not worry about figures. Everything will be counted anew in Moscow. Do not mention your figure to anybody.” Aspe didn't even get a receipt off Orlov (who had been instructed not to give him one). “Don't worry, my friend,” said Orlov, “it will be issued by the State Bank of the Soviet Union, when everything is checked and weighed.” We will never know whether Orlov miscounted or whether those 100 boxes went missing.It took them three nights to load the four ships. The Russians then left Cartagena for Odessa in the Black Sea, escorted by the Spanish as far as Italy. From Odessa it was loaded onto a freight train bound for Moscow. "If all the boxes of gold that we piled up on the wharfs of Odessa were to be placed here side by side,” said one of the officials. “They would completely cover up the Red Square".When the gold arrived in Moscow, Stalin celebrated with a banquet at the Kremlin. “They will never see their gold again”, he laughed. “Just as they do not see their own ears.”The Spanish eventually got their receipt: for 5,619 standard cases and 126 damaged. Some distance below both Aspe and Orlov's figure. But three months later the Russians completed the audit, calculating that the shipments totalled 510 tonnes of gold coins and ingots, 90% pure, thus around 460 tonnes of pure gold. There were gold coins from across Europe and Latin America, especially those British sovereigns and Portuguese escudos, but also Spanish pesetas, French, Swiss and Belgian francs, German marks,, Russian rubles, Austrian schillings, Dutch guilders, and Mexican, Argentine and Chilean pesos. The numismatic value of the coins was higher than their gold content.The following year Spain met with a currency crisis. With exceptional chutzpah, even by the standards of politicians, Republicans blamed the inflation on the free market. Nothing to do with the absence of all that gold!Later, the Franco regime was happy to let the story of the "Moscow gold" stolen by Russia spread, as part of its anti-communist propaganda. And yet it appears sell orders from Negrín were actually carried out in 1937 and 1938, for which Spain received pounds, dollars and francs. Spain also received planes, tanks, machine guns, artillery, rifles, cartridges, food and fuel from Russia. The Soviets demanded some compensation for what they had sent during the war, but it's believed that aside from various expenses, the Soviets did not abuse their position and defraud the Spanish. Ultimately then, most of the gold went, one way or another, on the cost of the civil war. Such is the way with war. It is expensive.And just a couple or three years later, as Nazi forces advanced through Europe, the farce of transporting gold would be repeated many times over, and across the continent.Stories like this fill the pages of The Secret History of Gold (although this one didn't actually make the cut).The Secret History of Gold is available to pre-order at Amazon, Waterstones and all good bookshops. I hear the audiobook, read by me, is excellent. The book comes out on August 28. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.theflyingfrisby.com/subscribe

Max Pearson presents a collection of this week's Witness History episodes from the BBC World Service.Our guest is Dr Lara Douds, Assistant Professor of Russian history.We start in 1907, the men who would go on to lead the Russian Revolution met in London for a crucial congress marking a point of no return between the Bolsheviks and the Mensheviks. Then, in 2000, the launch of Steel Dragon 2000 at Nagashima Spa Land in Japan, becoming the world's longest rollercoaster at nearly 2.5 km in length.Next, the political assisination of Juan Mari Jauregui, a retired Spanish politician and long-time campaigner for independence, by Basque separatists in 2000.Plus, how in 1986, during a world record attempt and publicity stunt, one and a half million balloons were released as a storm rolled over the city.Finally, the story of Chuquicamata, Chile's abandoned mining town after its 25,000 residents left due to pollution concerns .Contributors: Henry Brailsford - British journalist Dr Lara Douds - Assistant Professor of Russian history Steve Okamoto - rollercoaster designer Maixabel Lasa - widow of Juan Mari Jauregui Tom Holowatch - project manager of BalloonFest '86 Patricia Rojas - former resident of Chuquicamata(Photo: Lenin giving a speech in Red Square. Credit: Universal History Archive/Getty Images)

Russia celebrated the Soviet Union’s victory over Nazi Germany in World War II in an annual parade that filled Red Square with military hardware and dozens of foreign leaders. Vladimir Putin once again tied Russia’s past triumphs to today’s war in Ukraine and further tied Russia’s fate to that of China. Nick Schifrin reports. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

There's a moral panic in Russia and several former Soviet states about a craze in which teenagers and children dress up as animals and walk on all fours like their favourite animals. In one TikTok video, a group of youngsters are seen scampering across Moscow's Red Square wearing fox masks and tails. Politicians and religious leaders have warned the trend is a threat to civilised values and a cover for LGBT and western ideology. Legislation is now being considered to ban quadrobics and fine or arrest parents of enthusiasts. But quadrobics has a longer history as a form of exercise. We speak to the pioneering Japanese athlete who holds the world record for covering 100m on all fours in 15.7 seconds, which he set in 2015.

1/2: #RUSSIA: Provocation Parade. Anatol Lieven, Quincy Institute 1945 Poles Victory Parade, Red Square

2/2: #RUSSIA: Provocation Parade. Anatol Lieven, Quincy Institute 1945 Zhukov im Red Square

HOW STALIN'S NKVD MANAGED THE INFORMATION WAR, 1941-45: 4/8: The Red Hotel: Moscow 1941, the Metropol Hotel, and the Untold Story of Stalin's Propaganda War by  Alan Philps  (Author) https://www.amazon.com/Red-Hotel-Metropol-Stalins-Propaganda/dp/1639364277/ref=tmm_hrd_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr= In 1941, when German armies were marching towards Moscow, Lenin's body was moved from his tomb on Red Square and taken to Siberia. By 1945, a victorious Stalin had turned a poor country into a victorious superpower. Over the course of those four years, Stalin, at Churchill's insistence, accepted an Anglo-American press corps in Moscow to cover the Eastern Front. To turn these reporters into Kremlin mouthpieces, Stalin imposed the most draconian controls – unbending censorship, no visits to the battle front, and a ban on contact with ordinary citizens. The Red Hotel explores this gilded cage of the Metropol Hotel. They enjoyed lavish supplies of caviar and had their choice of young women to employ as translators and share their beds. On the surface, this regime served Stalin well: his plans to control Eastern Europe as a Sovietised ‘outer empire' were never reported and the most outrageous Soviet lies went unchallenged.1914

HOW STALIN'S NKVD MANAGED THE INFORMATION WAR, 1941-45: 5/8: The Red Hotel: Moscow 1941, the Metropol Hotel, and the Untold Story of Stalin's Propaganda War by  Alan Philps  (Author) https://www.amazon.com/Red-Hotel-Metropol-Stalins-Propaganda/dp/1639364277/ref=tmm_hrd_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr= In 1941, when German armies were marching towards Moscow, Lenin's body was moved from his tomb on Red Square and taken to Siberia. By 1945, a victorious Stalin had turned a poor country into a victorious superpower. Over the course of those four years, Stalin, at Churchill's insistence, accepted an Anglo-American press corps in Moscow to cover the Eastern Front. To turn these reporters into Kremlin mouthpieces, Stalin imposed the most draconian controls – unbending censorship, no visits to the battle front, and a ban on contact with ordinary citizens. The Red Hotel explores this gilded cage of the Metropol Hotel. They enjoyed lavish supplies of caviar and had their choice of young women to employ as translators and share their beds. On the surface, this regime served Stalin well: his plans to control Eastern Europe as a Sovietised ‘outer empire' were never reported and the most outrageous Soviet lies went unchallenged.1918 REVOLUTION

HOW STALIN'S NKVD MANAGED THE INFORMATION WAR, 1941-45: 6/8: The Red Hotel: Moscow 1941, the Metropol Hotel, and the Untold Story of Stalin's Propaganda War by  Alan Philps  (Author) https://www.amazon.com/Red-Hotel-Metropol-Stalins-Propaganda/dp/1639364277/ref=tmm_hrd_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr= In 1941, when German armies were marching towards Moscow, Lenin's body was moved from his tomb on Red Square and taken to Siberia. By 1945, a victorious Stalin had turned a poor country into a victorious superpower. Over the course of those four years, Stalin, at Churchill's insistence, accepted an Anglo-American press corps in Moscow to cover the Eastern Front. To turn these reporters into Kremlin mouthpieces, Stalin imposed the most draconian controls – unbending censorship, no visits to the battle front, and a ban on contact with ordinary citizens. The Red Hotel explores this gilded cage of the Metropol Hotel. They enjoyed lavish supplies of caviar and had their choice of young women to employ as translators and share their beds. On the surface, this regime served Stalin well: his plans to control Eastern Europe as a Sovietised ‘outer empire' were never reported and the most outrageous Soviet lies went unchallenged.1911 BORODINO

HOW STALIN'S NKVD MANAGED THE INFORMATION WAR, 1941-45: 2/8: The Red Hotel: Moscow 1941, the Metropol Hotel, and the Untold Story of Stalin's Propaganda War by  Alan Philps  (Author) https://www.amazon.com/Red-Hotel-Metropol-Stalins-Propaganda/dp/1639364277/ref=tmm_hrd_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr= In 1941, when German armies were marching towards Moscow, Lenin's body was moved from his tomb on Red Square and taken to Siberia. By 1945, a victorious Stalin had turned a poor country into a victorious superpower. Over the course of those four years, Stalin, at Churchill's insistence, accepted an Anglo-American press corps in Moscow to cover the Eastern Front. To turn these reporters into Kremlin mouthpieces, Stalin imposed the most draconian controls – unbending censorship, no visits to the battle front, and a ban on contact with ordinary citizens. The Red Hotel explores this gilded cage of the Metropol Hotel. They enjoyed lavish supplies of caviar and had their choice of young women to employ as translators and share their beds. On the surface, this regime served Stalin well: his plans to control Eastern Europe as a Sovietised ‘outer empire' were never reported and the most outrageous Soviet lies went unchallenged.1945

HOW STALIN'S NKVD MANAGED THE INFORMATION WAR, 1941-45: 1/8: The Red Hotel: Moscow 1941, the Metropol Hotel, and the Untold Story of Stalin's Propaganda War by  Alan Philps  (Author) https://www.amazon.com/Red-Hotel-Metropol-Stalins-Propaganda/dp/1639364277/ref=tmm_hrd_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr= In 1941, when German armies were marching towards Moscow, Lenin's body was moved from his tomb on Red Square and taken to Siberia. By 1945, a victorious Stalin had turned a poor country into a victorious superpower. Over the course of those four years, Stalin, at Churchill's insistence, accepted an Anglo-American press corps in Moscow to cover the Eastern Front. To turn these reporters into Kremlin mouthpieces, Stalin imposed the most draconian controls – unbending censorship, no visits to the battle front, and a ban on contact with ordinary citizens. The Red Hotel explores this gilded cage of the Metropol Hotel. They enjoyed lavish supplies of caviar and had their choice of young women to employ as translators and share their beds. On the surface, this regime served Stalin well: his plans to control Eastern Europe as a Sovietised ‘outer empire' were never reported and the most outrageous Soviet lies went unchallenged.1945

HOW STALIN'S NKVD MANAGED THE INFORMATION WAR, 1941-45: 8/8: The Red Hotel: Moscow 1941, the Metropol Hotel, and the Untold Story of Stalin's Propaganda War by  Alan Philps  (Author) https://www.amazon.com/Red-Hotel-Metropol-Stalins-Propaganda/dp/1639364277/ref=tmm_hrd_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr= In 1941, when German armies were marching towards Moscow, Lenin's body was moved from his tomb on Red Square and taken to Siberia. By 1945, a victorious Stalin had turned a poor country into a victorious superpower. Over the course of those four years, Stalin, at Churchill's insistence, accepted an Anglo-American press corps in Moscow to cover the Eastern Front. To turn these reporters into Kremlin mouthpieces, Stalin imposed the most draconian controls – unbending censorship, no visits to the battle front, and a ban on contact with ordinary citizens. The Red Hotel explores this gilded cage of the Metropol Hotel. They enjoyed lavish supplies of caviar and had their choice of young women to employ as translators and share their beds. On the surface, this regime served Stalin well: his plans to control Eastern Europe as a Sovietised ‘outer empire' were never reported and the most outrageous Soviet lies went unchallenged.1917 KREMLIN