Podcasts about Riyadh

This episode unpacks the current state of the U.S.-Iran conflict, broader dynamics in the Middle East, and the shifting U.S. role in the region.   Host: James M. Lindsay, Mary and David Boies Distinguished Senior Fellow in U.S. Foreign Policy, CFR   Guest: Steven A. Cook, Eni Enrico Mattei Senior Fellow for Middle East and Africa Studies, CFR   We Discuss: Who, if anyone, is winning the six-month war with Iran, and how freedom of navigation through the Strait of Hormuz, Iran's ability to menace its neighbors, and its incentives to pursue a nuclear weapon have all evolved. Why the extent of the damage to Iran's nuclear program remains unknown, and why Tehran now has every incentive to dash toward weaponization. How the war's decapitation strikes produced leadership change rather than genuine regime change, leading to a situation in which the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and the hardest of Iran's hardliners now call the shots in Tehran. Whether the supposed split between Iranian "moderates" and "hardliners" is real or a Western construct that makes the regime more intelligible. What President Donald Trump's "economic D-Day" is meant to achieve, and why it remains uncertain that economic isolation will lead to regime collapse. Whether U.S. bluster carries real costs, and how doubts about U.S. credibility have pushed Gulf partners to look elsewhere for their security. What the Mecca Joint Defense Agreement between Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, and Turkey actually signals, and whether it represents an alternative to an American-sponsored regional order rather than a true Article 5-style pact. Why the United Arab Emirates was left out of the Mecca agreement, and what the rift between Abu Dhabi and Riyadh reveals about fractures within the Gulf. Where the region is headed as the U.S.-led Middle East order comes to an end, and whether a diminished U.S. role and greater regional agency is a good thing.   Mentioned on the Episode:   Steven A. Cook, The End of Ambition: America's Past, Present, and Future in the Middle East, Oxford University Press   Steven A. Cook, “The U.S.-Led Middle East Order Is Over. The Mecca Agreement Proves It.,” Council on Foreign Relations   Steven A. Cook, “After Iran, It's Time for the United States to Leave the Middle East,” Foreign Policy   Marc Lynch, “The End of the American Middle East: Iran and the Last Gasp of a Failed Order,” Foreign Affairs   Robert Kagan, “Iran Unleashed,” The Atlantic   For an episode transcript and show notes, visit The President's Inbox at: https://www.cfr.org/podcasts/presidents-inbox/six-months-of-war-with-iran   Opinions expressed on The President's Inbox are solely those of the host or guests, not of CFR, which takes no institutional positions on matters of policy.

Turnbuckle Tavern is powered by G FUEL and Official Dick Lazer. Use code TAVERN for 20% off at GFUEL.com and DickLazers.com. Episode 207 of Wrestling Tonight opens with a surprising WWE departure that appears to have come together very differently than many would have expected. Ilja Dragunov is leaving WWE, but the circumstances surrounding his exit make this much more interesting than a straightforward contract expiration. WWE reportedly wanted him to remain with the company, and the two sides were still having serious discussions about getting him back on television only a couple of months ago. So how did we go from negotiating a return to Dragunov becoming a free agent? We break down what is known about the timeline, where things apparently changed and what comes next for one of the most distinctive wrestlers to come through WWE in recent years. Then there is The Rock and WrestleMania 43. WWE is heading to Riyadh for WrestleMania next April, but a major commitment on Dwayne Johnson's schedule could make one of the biggest possibilities surrounding the show considerably more complicated. There is an important distinction between The Rock appearing at WrestleMania and actually wrestling at WrestleMania, and the latest information raises questions about whether there will realistically be enough time for the latter. We get into what his schedule looks like, why the timing matters and where that leaves WWE as the road to WrestleMania 43 begins to take shape. AEW All In is just days away, and we now have an updated look at how Wembley Stadium is filling up before Sunday. With Kenny Omega vs. Will Ospreay for the AEW World Championship at the top of the card, the latest ticket numbers give us a much clearer idea of the size of the crowd AEW could be looking at when the company returns to Wembley. We'll go through where ticket distribution currently stands, how that compares with the stadium setup and what AEW still has available heading into the final days before All In. And Wembley is not the only major European story for AEW. Grand Slam is heading to Paris, giving the company another significant international date and its first event in France. There are some notable details about when and where the show will take place, what AEW intends to tape that night and where it fits into the company's European schedule coming out of All In. We also have movement on the John Cena Classic, an event WWE announced months ago without providing many concrete details. A potential date has now emerged, and its placement on the calendar carries an obvious connection to Cena's retirement that is difficult to overlook. There are still unanswered questions about the location, the lineup and exactly how WWE plans to execute Cena's unusual fan-voting concept, but we finally may have an idea of when the event is actually happening. We'll get into the reported date, why it stands out and what Cena has said about making sure the fans legitimately determine the winner. Elsewhere, Royce Keys returned to Raw and brought OTM with him, immediately inserting the group into an already crowded situation involving The Usos, Solo Sikoa and LA Knight. Rather than choosing one side, Keys, Bronco Nima and Lucien Price made their intentions clear by going after everyone. We'll cover how WWE brought Keys back after his absence, the significance of OTM appearing alongside him and how recent developments involving Nima may have helped set up the new alliance. The Women's World Championship picture also has its next major match. Stephanie Vaquer now has a date with Liv Morgan, but Becky Lynch remains directly involved in the story after what happened on Raw. With Vaquer and Lynch both pursuing Morgan since returning after SummerSlam, WWE now has multiple directions it can take as the championship match approaches. And on SmackDown, WWE advertised Blake Monroe vs. Giulia, but fans are still waiting for Monroe's official SmackDown in-ring debut. Instead of giving away the match, WWE used the confrontation to push their rivalry another step forward. Their history goes beyond WWE, and what happened before the bell ensures there is still unfinished business between them. Episode 207 of Wrestling Tonight covers Ilja Dragunov's unexpected WWE exit and the negotiations that preceded it, the scheduling issue hanging over The Rock and WrestleMania 43, the latest numbers heading into AEW All In at Wembley, AEW's first trip to Paris and the potential date for the John Cena Classic. Plus, Royce Keys resurfaces with OTM, Stephanie Vaquer moves closer to the Women's World Championship and Blake Monroe and Giulia's rivalry takes another turn on SmackDown.  

Welcome to this week's episode of the Food & Beverage Magazine Podcast! Join the Editors of Food & Beverage Magazine as we break down the major restaurant expansions, corporate acquisitions, and menu innovations reshaping the hospitality industry.Here is what we are covering on today's program:Massive Mergers & Corporate Moves: First up, the Editors of Food & Beverage Magazine analyze Ferrero's strategic acquisition of better-for-you breakfast brand Purely Elizabeth to deepen its U.S. breakfast footprint. We also dive into Chicken Salad Chick appointing GoTo Foods veteran Drew Travis as CFO during its aggressive expansion push, Chipotle's international milestone with its first restaurant opening in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, and Red Robin's major $96 million refranchising strategy involving 116 of its locations.Menu & Retail Innovations: Discover how brands are winning back budget-conscious consumers. We discuss Red Lobster reviving its legendary Endless Shrimp deal with five fall flavors, Saladworks rolling out promotional "$6.99 Tuesdays", and Cracker Barrel launching its value-driven $9.99 fall chicken deals. On grocery shelves, we look at Sun-Maid wrapping its classic raisin six-packs in a Pokémon Pikachu design and the retail reunion of Club Crackers and Butter Wines for an exclusive co-promotion.Sustainability & Hospitality Tech: We round out the episode with a look at back-of-house advancements, including Power Knot relaunching its BCG Shredder line to streamline kitchen food waste processing. Plus, we explore how Galaxy Macau has partnered with Ant Bank to launch an innovative resort fintech services station, setting a new bar for digital guest convenience.As the Editors of Food & Beverage Magazine, we are committed to bringing you the actionable insights and trends driving the global B2B culinary market. Catch the full coverage of all these stories by visiting us at fbmagazine.com. For more daily news updates and operator resources, make sure your team is bookmarked at fbmagazine.com. To subscribe to our newsletter and keep up with what's next, head over to fbmagazine.com.

Sometimes, the most inspiring journeys begin with life's toughest challenges. Lee Starks transformed a difficult past into a lifelong mission of mentorship through boxing. Today, as the founder of TKO Fighters in Riyadh, he is helping shape the future of boxing in Saudi Arabia while mentoring a new generation of athletes and contributing to the Kingdom's rapidly evolving sports landscape.

Pembahasan Syarah Kitab Syarhus Sunnah Imam Al-Barbahari Rahimahullah Karya Syaikh DR. Shalih bin Fauzan Al Fauzan Hafizhahullah.

Pembahasan Syarah Kitab Syarhus Sunnah Imam Al-Barbahari Rahimahullah Karya Syaikh DR. Shalih bin Fauzan Al Fauzan Hafizhahullah.

This week, Michael Gove is joined by historian Simon Sebag Montefiore to discuss the rulers, revolutionaries and nation builders who shaped one of the world's most turbulent regions.From Ibn Saud's dramatic conquest of Riyadh and Atatürk's creation of modern Turkey to Ben-Gurion, Reza Shah and Nasser, Simon explores the extraordinary personalities who built states from the ruins of empire. What made these leaders so successful – and why did so many of their projects end in dictatorship, war or collapse?They also discuss Nasser's rise as the champion of Arab nationalism, Gaddafi's obsession with his Egyptian hero, and the strongmen who tried to remake the Arab world in their own image.And looking at the Middle East today, Simon explains why the legacy of the Ottoman Empire, the failure of nationalism and the rise of political Islam still shape the region's conflicts.Produced by Oscar Edmondson and Henry Lloyd. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode of The President's Daily Brief: Iran unveils a sweeping list of demands for reopening the Strait of Hormuz—conditions so maximalist that the Trump administration is almost certain to reject them. Iran-backed Houthi militants attack a major Saudi refinery just days after Riyadh signs a new defense pact with Turkey and Pakistan. The Pentagon orders defense contractors to accelerate weapons production as the war with Iran depletes America's supply of critical munitions. Israel confirms the existence of a secret mission to hunt down every terrorist who participated in the October 7 massacre. To listen to the show ad-free, become a premium member of The President's Daily Brief by visiting https://PDBPremium.com. Please remember to subscribe if you enjoyed this episode of The President's Daily Brief. YouTube: youtube.com/@presidentsdailybrief Brunt Workwear: Get $10 off at BRUNT with code PDB at https://www.bruntworkwear.com/PDBand enter THE BRUNT POTTY OF GOLD SWEEPSTAKES for your chance to win $50,000. No purchase necessary. Ends 9/18/26. Official rules apply. #Bruntpod HomeServe: Protect your home systems from expensive repairs with https://HomeServe.com/dailybriefand get 50% off your first year of coverage. Cardiff: Get fast business funding without bank delays—apply in minutes with Cardiff and access up to $500,000 in same‑day funding at https://Cardiff.co/PDB Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The modern experience of China is often viewed through a western lens, but its complex history and relationship with the Arab world reveal a much deeper story. Dr. Mohammed Alsudairi challenges the dominant narrative of a growing security footprint and intense US-China competition over the Middle East. Instead, the conversation explores the evolving diplomatic recognition, transactional dynamics, and economic connections that define Sino-Middle Eastern relations. This discussion unpacks why the Chinese experience is often neglected in the Arab intellectual tradition and how the modalities of empire are shifting in the 21st century.   00:00 Introduction 04:33 Escaping the Post 9/11 Paradigm Shift 07:23 Alternative Journeys & Transformative Intellectual Paths 14:22 Dismantling Dominant Narratives on Regional Footprints 17:13 Contextualizing China's Strategic Priorities 26:41 Historical Dimensions & Evolving Diplomatic Ties 34:34 Financial Synergy, Alternatives & Global concessions 37:48 Deconstructing Frameworks & the Myth of the Silk Road 44:40 Projecting Arab Anxieties onto a Cultural Other 52:52 Technological Realities & the Changing Modalities of Power   Mohammed Alsudairi is a Lecturer in Politics and International Relations of the Arabic Speaking World at the Centre for Arab and Islamic Studies, Australian National University. Senior Nonresident Fellow, King Faisal Center for Research and Islamic Studies   He holds a PhD in Comparative Politics from the University of Hong Kong (HKU), an MA in International Relations and International History from the London School of Economics and Peking University, and a BSc in International Politics from Georgetown University. Prior to his appointment at CAIS, he was a postdoctoral research fellow at the Institute for the Humanities and Social Sciences at HKU, working on a project examining the intersections between religion and infrastructure in the context of China's Belt and Road Initiative. Since 2015, he oversaw the development of the Asian Studies Program at the King Faisal Center for Research and Islamic Studies based in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. In 2022, he was awarded a research fellowship from the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation to work on his upcoming book manuscript. He is also a Senior Nonresident Fellow at the King Faisal Center for Research and Islamic Studies.   Connect with Mohammed Alsudairi

Iran raises the price for reopening the Strait of Hormuz, demanding U.S. reparations under June's memorandum of understanding. Yemen's Houthi rebels hit a Saudi oil refinery just days after Riyadh signs a mutual regional defence pact with Turkey and Pakistan. Berkshire Hathaway's Greg Abel pumps almost $20bn in investments in the second quarter, including almost $10bn in Alphabet.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

For review:1. Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Turkey signed a joint defense agreement in Mecca on Friday.The agreement is intended to strengthen collective deterrence against any act of aggression and stipulates that an armed attack against any of the three would be regarded as an attack on all, they said in a joint statement.2. Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan says that the defense pact his country signed yesterday with Pakistan and Saudi Arabia is technically the same as NATO's Article 5 mutual defense agreement.Egypt could potentially join the pact once certain technical matters are resolved, he adds.3. A member of Iran's Parliament and National Security and Foreign Policy Commission has criticised the new defence pact between Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Turkey and said that even though the agreement has been signed, it would not guarantee Riyadh lasting security.Ebrahim Rezaei reacted to the defence agreement on X and wrote, "Saudis must know that a paper agreement with Turkey and Pakistan will not bring them security, just as years of one-sided nursing to the Americans did not bring them security."4. Houthi attacks on a strategic Yemeni province killed at least 10 people Friday, according to a minister and military source, as the rebels escalated strikes on the oil-rich region.A source close to the Saudi military told AFP that the Saudi-led coalition supporting the Yemeni government since 2015 would not stand “idly by” against the Houthi attacks and that Marib was a “red line.”5. In an interview with Fox News, US Vice President JD Vance says that Iran has told the US that it has “no plans” to impose tolls on the Strait of Hormuz.6. As the US-backed Board of Peace pushed ahead with its roadmap for postwar Gaza, Hamas asserted Saturday it remained ready to proceed with the plan and urged Washington to pressure Israel to implement it, as Israeli officials warned that the terror organization was exploiting the process to prevent renewed military action.7. The US Senate overwhelmingly approves a punishing Russian sanctions package, the result of a year-long campaign by the late Sen. Lindsey Graham.The bipartisan legislation, which passes the Senate 86-11, would penalize countries that continue to buy Russian oil, gas and other exports.8. The U.S. Air Force has committed $75 million to an initial production run of a jet-powered guided bomb that can fly more than 300 nautical miles.Boeing's Payload Delivery Unit is a wing-and-turbojet engine kit that converts a 500-pound Joint Direct Attack Munition (JDAM) into a long-range JDAM (JDAM LR) dubbed the GBU-75. The result is a gravity bomb with the reach of a cruise missile.

We're back on a lighter weekend of action with a vacant middleweight world title fight in Ireland and a current world champion joins us to preview his upcoming title bout later in the month. It's all on the newest "Big Fight Weekend Previvew Podcast!"Host T.J. Rives returns with insider Dan Rafael to go over it all on First, they preview the Zuffa Boxing Card on Saturday in Dublin, Ireland (Paramount+)Aaron McKenna vs. Etinosa Oliha, 12 rounds, for vacant IBF middleweight title. Who are these guys and what has happened to our famed middleweight division that this is a title bout?In the co-feature Callum Walsh vs. Tyler Denny, 10 rounds, middleweights. Can Walsh take step towards a title fight, himself?Then, it's Rolly Romero with Dan, as he makes his first WBA welterweight title defense vs. good friend Teofimo Lopez on Aug. 22 on DAZN and Prime Video PPV at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas  Then, fight newsThe heavyweight clash between rising British star Moses Itauma and top contender Filip Hrgovic took on greater stakes Tuesday when it was upgraded to be for the vacant IBF world title. They are scheduled August 29 on DAZN PPV at The O2 Arena in London. Frank Sanchez took a step-aside deal and IBF signed off.Former WBO heavyweight titlist Joseph Parker has had his provisional suspension lifted by the British Boxing Board of Control and can return to the ring following positive cocaine test after a dramatic and controversial 11th-round knockout loss to Fabio Wardley in London that cost him the WBO interim belt and a due mandatory shot at then-undisputed champion Oleksandr Usyk.Dan's reporting: It is probable that Jaime Munguia, who easily outpointed Armando Resendiz to win the WBA super middleweight title in May, will make his first defense against an opponent to be determined on the undercard of Canelo Alvarez's challenge of WBC super middleweight titlist Christian Mbilli on the Oct. 31 “Mexico vs. the World” DAZN PPV card in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.WBC interim junior welterweight titlist Isaac “Pitbull” Cruz will defend against Nestor Bravo in the Mexico-Puerto Rico main event of the first non-pay-per-view card of PBC's new deal with DAZN on Sept. 19 at  Pechanga Arena in San Diego. In the co-feature, WBC interim middleweight titlist Jesus Ramos Jr. will face mandatory challenger Meiirim Nursultanov.Lineal cruiserweight champion Jai Opetaia will make his ninth defense against Noel Mikaelian on September12 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Zuffa Boxing announced on Tuesday. The bout will serve as the co-feature on the card headlined by WBC welterweight titleholder Ryan Garcia's first defense against Conor Benn but Mikaelian likely will be stripped of the WBC title and faces a  lawsuit from Don King.And, more Dan reporting: one of the Golden Boy fights in the works for that same Ryan Garcia-Conor Benn undercard on September 12 would pit former unified junior welterweight titlist Jose Ramirez and Alexis Rocha in welterweight bout.Hear it all on the "Big Fight Weekend Preview" Podcast and make sure to follow/subscribe on Apple/Spreaker/Spotify, etc.! 

In today's episode of Trending Middle East, Houthi attacks injure 11 civilians in southern Saudi Arabia and kill dozens of government troops in Yemen, as Riyadh pledges to strengthen security co-operation with regional allies. We also examine Tehran's push for sanctions relief in exchange for toll-free shipping in the Strait of Hormuz, with Pakistan expressing hope that progress on maritime routes could pave the way for renewed US-Iran peace talks. We also look at a deadly bus explosion near Damascus. And Dubai Customs foils a sophisticated attempt to smuggle 24-carat gold through the city's international airport, while the UAE introduces new excise tax rules for vape liquids that are to take effect next month. Trending Middle East is AI-assisted, using original reporting published in The National and curated and edited by humans.

We're back on a lighter weekend of action with a vacant middleweight world title fight in Ireland and a current world champion joins us to preview his upcoming title bout later in the month. It's all on the newest "Big Fight Weekend Previvew Podcast!"Host T.J. Rives returns with insider Dan Rafael to go over it all on First, they preview the Zuffa Boxing Card on Saturday in Dublin, Ireland (Paramount+)Aaron McKenna vs. Etinosa Oliha, 12 rounds, for vacant IBF middleweight title. Who are these guys and what has happened to our famed middleweight division that this is a title bout?In the co-feature Callum Walsh vs. Tyler Denny, 10 rounds, middleweights. Can Walsh take step towards a title fight, himself?Then, it's Rolly Romero with Dan, as he makes his first WBA welterweight title defense vs. good friend Teofimo Lopez on Aug. 22 on DAZN and Prime Video PPV at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas  Then, fight newsThe heavyweight clash between rising British star Moses Itauma and top contender Filip Hrgovic took on greater stakes Tuesday when it was upgraded to be for the vacant IBF world title. They are scheduled August 29 on DAZN PPV at The O2 Arena in London. Frank Sanchez took a step-aside deal and IBF signed off.Former WBO heavyweight titlist Joseph Parker has had his provisional suspension lifted by the British Boxing Board of Control and can return to the ring following positive cocaine test after a dramatic and controversial 11th-round knockout loss to Fabio Wardley in London that cost him the WBO interim belt and a due mandatory shot at then-undisputed champion Oleksandr Usyk.Dan's reporting: It is probable that Jaime Munguia, who easily outpointed Armando Resendiz to win the WBA super middleweight title in May, will make his first defense against an opponent to be determined on the undercard of Canelo Alvarez's challenge of WBC super middleweight titlist Christian Mbilli on the Oct. 31 “Mexico vs. the World” DAZN PPV card in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.WBC interim junior welterweight titlist Isaac “Pitbull” Cruz will defend against Nestor Bravo in the Mexico-Puerto Rico main event of the first non-pay-per-view card of PBC's new deal with DAZN on Sept. 19 at  Pechanga Arena in San Diego. In the co-feature, WBC interim middleweight titlist Jesus Ramos Jr. will face mandatory challenger Meiirim Nursultanov.Lineal cruiserweight champion Jai Opetaia will make his ninth defense against Noel Mikaelian on September12 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Zuffa Boxing announced on Tuesday. The bout will serve as the co-feature on the card headlined by WBC welterweight titleholder Ryan Garcia's first defense against Conor Benn but Mikaelian likely will be stripped of the WBC title and faces a  lawsuit from Don King.And, more Dan reporting: one of the Golden Boy fights in the works for that same Ryan Garcia-Conor Benn undercard on September 12 would pit former unified junior welterweight titlist Jose Ramirez and Alexis Rocha in welterweight bout.Hear it all on the "Big Fight Weekend Preview" Podcast and make sure to follow/subscribe on Apple/Spreaker/Spotify, etc.! 

Hello Interactors,I've long been a fan of “regreening” cities, imagining replacing bits of asphalt and concrete with trees, plants, mini-parks, and green roofs to cool them down. In many cases these are indeed good interventions. But even these celebrated nature-based solutions to the “urban heat island” effect require closer inspection. It turns out any land cover change alters energy, water, and momentum exchanges between the Earth's surface and the atmosphere. Which are the right ones and where?To understand why cookie cutter greening plans can fail and how planners and policy makers can build cities that can handle climate change, we need to understand how land and the air interact. Environments vary from place to place, and this puts limits on what we can do to land to create urban climates that are both beautiful and healthy.To get a handle on what the research says, I found a literature review from 2025 that synthesized findings from 84 peer-reviewed studies. In was published in the journal Climate Risk Management.Let's see what they, and others, found.BEATING HEAT WITH BIOPHYSICAL FEATSWhat better place to start than science. Let's just delve right into how urban green spaces affect temperature. It starts with determining the energy balance at the surface of the earth. This comes from a budget equation found in physical geography. When sunlight hits the Earth's surface, it breaks down into three main fluxes, or ways heat moves around* Sensible heat flux: the heat that directly warms the surrounding air, which we measure as temperature.* Latent heat flux: the heat that's used to turn water from a liquid to a gas, like when we sweat or plants release water vapor (transpiration).* Ground heat flux: the heat stored in building materials, asphalt, and soil.In conventional urban environments dominated by concrete and asphalt, latent heat flux is minimal because we've built cities in ways that rapidly drain water away as ‘waste'. As a result, incoming solar energy is funneled into sensible heat. This raises daytime air temperatures that gets stored as ground heat, which is slowly radiated back into the city at night. Urban greening can reshuffle this thermodynamic budget through three interconnected physical mechanisms: shading, evapotranspiration, and albedo modification.Mechanism 1. Shading: Intercepting Solar RadiationShading — the most immediate and reliable cooling mechanism provided by vegetation — requires precise microclimatic quantification. Vegetative canopies act as physical shields, intercepting incoming shortwave solar radiation before it strikes impervious surfaces like concrete or asphalt. By preventing these dense materials from absorbing heat and emitting sensible heat flux back into the boundary layer, shading dramatically lowers surface temperatures and reduces the baseline thermal energy transferred to the surrounding air. (Bowler, D. E., et al. 2010)The cooling benefit of urban trees is non-linear, accelerating significantly once neighborhood canopy cover crosses a critical threshold of around 40%. Measuring daytime air temperatures across urban gradients, they found that canopy cover above this 40% mark can lower local air temperatures by up to 1.5 to 2.0 degrees Celsius, effectively offsetting the thermal burden created by surrounding roads and impervious surfaces. (Ziter, C. D., et al. 2019)Mechanism 2. Evapotranspiration: Trading Sensible Heat for Latent HeatWhile shading blocks heat absorption, evapotranspiration actively removes heat from the air. Plants absorb soil moisture through their root systems and release it as water vapor through tiny microscopic pores in their leaves called stomata. This process requires thermal energy that turns phase-changing liquid water into gas. This energy transfer absorbs sensible heat and converts it into latent heat.Evapotranspiration from well-watered urban green spaces can lower local air temperatures by 2-4 degrees celsius. (Coutts, et al., 2013) However, physical geographers emphasize a crucial physical prerequisite that is easy to overlook: evapotranspiration is entirely dependent on available water. When the soil is dry or the air is super dry, plants close their stomata to save water. When stomata close, evapotranspiration shuts down. This leaves shading as the sole remaining cooling mechanism.Mechanism 3. Albedo Dynamics: The Surface Reflectivity ParadoxAlbedo measures the reflectivity of a surface on a scale from 0.0 (total absorption) to 1.0 (total reflection). Urban asphalt has a low albedo (0.05 to 0.10), absorbing up to 95% of incoming solar energy. Vegetation's albedo can range from 0.11 to 0.25.In temperate climates, replacing low-albedo asphalt with greenery or reflective surfaces increases surface reflectivity, sending more solar radiation back into space before it can be absorbed as sensible heat. One study documented that increasing urban surface albedo typically lowers peak ambient air temperatures by 0.3 degres Celsius to 1.0 degree Celsius — alongside much larger drops in surface pavement temperatures. While a temperature change under one degree Celsius may sound modest at first glance, a baseline shift of this magnitude across a neighborhood is enough to redefine a local microclimate. (Santamouris, 2014)But swapping out light urban surfaces for dark vegetation can also have a negative effect. Paradoxically, when researchers in 2023 replaced dry, light-colored desert soil with darker vegetation in hot, arid regions it reduced overall surface reflectivity. The drop in albedo caused an increase in daytime surface warming. (Schlaerth, et al., 2023)Furthermore, dense tree canopies inside narrow urban street canyons can act as thermal blankets at night. While trees provide valuable shade during the day, their foliage reduces the sky view factor at street level, trapping outgoing longwave thermal radiation emitted by surrounding building facades and asphalt. When combined with reduced wind permeability, this canopy barrier restricts nocturnal radiative cooling and holds warm air near ground level (Lee et al., 2016).These are the physical realities that can demonstrate how urban greening is not a consistently inherent cooling practice. It is a complex thermodynamic intervention whose success relies entirely on local environmental conditions.PLACEMENT, PATCHES, AND PARK PATTERNSBecause thermodynamic processes happen across physical spaces, cooling urban green space can be uneven. The literature review reveals that a green space's cooling capacity depends on four spatial and biological variables: vegetation density, species selection, spatial configuration, and urban morphology. Let's break them down individually.Cooling Factor 1. Vegetation Density and Species TraitsNot all greenery cools equally. One way to measure this is through a Leaf Area Index (LAI). This is the total leaf area per unit of ground area and is a primary predictor of thermal performance. As you might imagine, dense foliage absorbs more from the sun and then produces higher cumulative transpiration (so long as there's adequate water).Botanical traits also play a big role. Broadleaf deciduous species (like oaks or maples) feature large surface areas that maximize summer transpiration, but that goes away when they drop their leaves in winter. Evergreen coniferous trees, however, maintain continuous canopy coverage through every season.In temperate rainforest environments like Seattle or Vancouver, researchers found that conifers cooled urban surroundings up to 1.7 degrees celsius more effectively than broadleaf trees. Dense needle canopies continuously block incoming solar radiation due to higher LAI and the fact that clusters of spiny needles better trap a stable buffer of calm air which moderates heat exchange with the surrounding urban environment. (Eyster & Beckage, 2022, 2023) Cooling factor 2. Spatial Configuration: Landscape Ecology PrinciplesEcologists and geographers commonly evaluate green spaces through two main attributes: composition (how much green space exists) and configuration (how those green patches are arranged across the landscape). Over 58% of the mechanism-focused studies in the literature review analyzed spatial pattern metrics. The consensus is the spatial layout of green space is just as important as its total area!Other empirical studies consistently demonstrate that cooling effects decay the further you get from green spaces. Research done in 2016 and 2023 shows how urban parks can produce a primary “cooling footprint” that extends typically 100 to 300 meters from the park boundaries. If you're lucky enough to live within this buffer, temperatures drop between 1.9 and 3.1 degrees celsius, but beyond 300 meters, the cooling influence quickly falls off. (Bao, et al. 2016, Shi et al. 2023)This spatial limit leads to a couple spatial layout choices. A few big parks or connected networks of smaller green spaces. Large, consolidated parks (>2 hectares) generate intense, stable “cool islands” at their core, but their benefits remain localized. For example, a study in Xalapa, Mexico, revealed that parks larger than 2.8 hectares with over 21% tree cover provided reliable local cooling of around 2 degrees celsius . (Lemoine-Rodriguez et al., 2022)Connected networks of smaller green spaces distributed across a city create a more equitable cooling effect. Three studies in 2019 and 2021 show that fragmented, isolated green patches — like big parks — perform poorly compared to continuous, linear green corridors. Linear “green belts” or street-tree networks (in the right environment) can act as ventilation channels, allowing cool air generated by vegetation to flow into adjacent built-up neighborhoods. (Masoudi et al., 2019, 2021; Pramanik, 2019)Cooling factor 3. Urban Morphology: The Built Environment MatrixObviously, green spaces don't exist in isolation. They're embedded within a three-dimensional hodge podge of buildings, streets, and other bits of infrastructure. Urban morphologists can quantify this urban morphological cacophony using building height-to-street-width ratio and sky view factor - the extent to which surrounding structures and canopies obstruct a location's view of the open sky.High-density urban cores with tall buildings create deep “urban canyons” that generate their own shade. In these settings, building shade can combine with tree shade during peak daylight hours to significantly lower temperatures.However, studies show that if tree canopies in narrow street canyons are too dense — particularly in humid environments — they can trap anthropogenic heat emitted by vehicle exhaust and air conditioning condenser units. They can also significantly reduce localized wind speeds. As a result, maximizing green space cooling efficiency requires aligning vegetation density and canopy architecture with prevailing wind corridors to preserve urban ventilation channels (Cheung & Jim, 2019; Morakinyo et al., 2019).Nothing is every as easy as it seems.BRIDGING GAPS WITH BETTER MAPSWhile academic literature can offer detailed insights into microclimatic processes, there remains a big gap between academia and urban planning and governmental policy. That gap may be self-fulfilling. The literature review of 84 papers revealed 61% of the papers simply advocate for expanding green space area, whereas only 26% focus on optimizing existing green infrastructure.Recommending that dense, historical cities “add more large parks” ignores real-world urban constraints. In modern, rapidly expanding cities, urban land is expensive, highly contested, and structurally constrained. Space dedicated to a new park often competes directly with housing, transit infrastructure, or commercial development. To move beyond idealistic slogans, urban planning will have to recon with three major implementation challenges.Challenge 1. The Water-Energy-Heat Nexus in Arid CitiesThe most significant implementation challenge facing nature-based solutions occurs precisely where urban heat stress is most severe — in hot, arid regions. Cities like Phoenix, Cairo, Tehran, or Riyadh already suffer from intense summer heatwaves. You don't have to live in or visit these places to know water there is extremely scarce.Maintaining green spaces in places like this requires pumping groundwater or desalinating seawater. Pumping and desalinating water requires massive amounts of electricity, which only increases greenhouse gas emissions if that power is coming from fossil fuels. Furthermore, if irrigation water runs out during a heatwave, non-adapted vegetation dries out, loses its cooling capacity, and can even become a wildfire risk.To solve this dilemma, physical geographers advocate evaluating urban greening through a standardized resource efficiency metric: evapotranspirative cooling per unit of water applied. In plain language, this ratio measures how many degrees of cooling you get for each liter (or gallon) of water that plants and soil release into the air through evaporation and transpiration.In dry climates — where municipal water is already tightly rationed and turfgrass is increasingly discouraged but rarely banned (I'm looking at you Arizona) — urban greening strategies are going to have pivot away from high-water lawns and non-native foliage. These cities have to move from simply prioritizing or incentivizing drought-tolerant species to requiring them. While drought-tolerant plants transpire less water than many other plants and trees — and still require water — when combined with drip-irrigation using treated municipal wastewater (greywater), they can provide a pretty reliable canopy shade and even modest evaporative cooling without draining water reserves.Challenge 2. Environmental Justice and Thermal EquityUrban heat exposure is rarely, if ever, distributed evenly across socio-economic groups. In many cities worldwide, low-income neighborhoods exhibit significantly lower tree canopy cover, higher proportions of impervious asphalt, and higher building densities than the more affluent suburbs and ex-urbs. This imbalance leaves more vulnerable populations exposed to extreme heat hazards.When municipalities undertake uncoordinated “regreening” projects, they risk triggering green gentrification. Installing fancy attractive parks can then inflate surrounding property values, displacing residents while still not reducing their heat related vulnerability.To address this, requires targeted interventions like deploying small-scale, distributed interventions (think pocket parks, vegetated bus stops, and road corridors) directly in high-vulnerability, low-canopy/vegetation neighborhoods. You could focus on functional shading over high-maintenance aesthetics. This could better ensure that at least transit stops, pedestrian walkways, and playgrounds are prioritized for canopy cover. Lastly, combining situated green infrastructure with social policy could create and/or protect more affordable housing around old and new greened public corridors and spaces.Challenge 3. A Multi-Benefit, Context-Specific Design FrameworkNo single cooling intervention works everywhere. Planners and policy makers need to adopt an integrated, multi-tiered approach that combines nature-based solutions with material interventions.In arid and semi-arid environments, planners should prioritize structural canopy shading and end an over-reliance on water-intensive lawn evapotranspiration. It's time to demand drought-tolerant trees with greywater irrigation networks, shade sails, and high-albedo “cool pavements” that can better reflect solar radiation without draining water resources.In contrast, humid and more temperate climates would likely benefit most from maximizing green spatial connectivity. By linking existing parks through linear street-tree corridors — with select broadleaf and/or coniferous species — summer evapotranspiration can be enhanced while maintaining year-round microclimate regulation.Finally, within high-density, built-up cores where ground space for new parks is limited, cities should leverage vertical green walls and green roofs paired with reflective building materials. But they best also preserve prevailing wind corridors while preventing nighttime heat traps through street canyons.“Regreening” is a compelling slogan, but as physical geography demonstrates, simplistic blanket policies can yield unpredictable thermodynamic results. Simply planting trees without considering local climate, available water, species traits, spatial configuration, and urban geometry can lead to unintended consequences.The exhaustive synthesis of decade-long research provided by Hadi Soltanifard and Majid Amani-Beni (2025) offers a clear path forward. Nature-based solutions are not off-the-shelf products that can be copy-pasted across different global cities. They are dynamic, living interventions that alter energy fluxes across urban surfaces.By moving beyond blanket acreage targets and framing urban greening as the strategic reorganization of surface-energy relations, geographers, urban planners, and policymakers will need to work together. When we design green infrastructure that respects local environmental constraints, honors spatial equity, and optimizes microclimatic processes, urban greening moves from a vague policy promise toward tools of experimentation that can pragmatically evolve our cities and megaregions into truly climate-resilient urbanscapes.ReferencesBowler, D. E., Buyung-Ali, L., Knight, T. M., & Pullin, A. S. (2010). Urban greening to cool towns and cities: A systematic review of the empirical evidence. Landscape and Urban Planning, 97(3), 147-155.Cheung, P.K., Jim, C.Y., 2019. Differential cooling effects of landscape parameters in humid-subtropical urban parks. Landscape and Urban Planning 192, 103651.Coutts, A.M., Tapper, N.J., Beringer, J., et al., 2013. Watering our cities: the capacity for Water Sensitive Urban Design to support urban cooling and improve human thermal comfort in the Australian context. Progress in Physical Geography 37(1), 2–28.Eyster, H. N., & Beckage, B. (2022). Conifers may ameliorate urban heat waves better than broadleaf trees: Evidence from Vancouver, Canada. Atmosphere, 13(5), 830.Eyster, H. N., & Beckage, B. (2023). Arboreal urban cooling is driven by leaf area index, leaf boundary layer resistance, and dry leaf mass per leaf area: Evidence from a system dynamics model. Atmosphere, 14(3), 552.Lee, H., Mayer, H., & Chen, L. (2016). Contribution of trees and grasslands to the mitigation of human heat stress in a residential district of Freiburg, Southwest Germany. Landscape and Urban Planning 148:37–50.Lemoine-Rodríguez, R., Inostroza, L., Falfán, I., & MacGregor-Fors, I. (2022). Too hot to handle? On the cooling capacity of urban green spaces in a Neotropical Mexican city. Urban Forestry & Urban Greening, 74, 127633.Masoudi, M., Tan, P.Y., 2019. Multi-year comparison of the effects of spatial pattern of urban green spaces on urban land surface temperature. Landscape and Urban Planning. 184, 44–58.Masoudi, M., Tan, P.Y., Fadaei, M., 2021. The effects of land use on spatial pattern of urban green spaces and their cooling ability. Urban. Clim 35, 100743.Masoudi, M., Tan, P.Y., Liew, S.C., 2019. Multi-city comparison of the relationships between spatial pattern and cooling effect of urban green spaces in four major Asian cities. Ecol. Indic 98, 200–213.Morakinyo, T.E., Ouyang, W., Lau, K.-K.-L., et al., 2020. Right tree, right place (urban canyon): Tree species selection approach for optimum urban heat mitigation-development and evaluation. Sci. Total. Environ 719, 137461.Pramanik, M. (2019). Impacts of urban expansion on land surface temperature and urban heat island in Kolkata Municipal Corporation, India. Environmental Monitoring and Assessment, 191(12), 738.Santamouris, M. (2014). Cooling the cities—a review of reflective and green roof mitigation technologies to fight heat island and improve comfort in urban environments. Solar Energy, 103, 682-703.Schlaerth, Hannah L., et al. "Albedo as a competing warming effect of urban greening." Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres 128.24 (2023): e2023JD038764.Soltanifard, H., & Amani-Beni, M. (2025). The cooling effect of urban green spaces as nature-based solutions for mitigating urban heat: Insights from a decade-long systematic review. Climate Risk Management, 49, 100731.Ziter, C. D., Pedersen, E. J., Kucharik, C. J., & Turner, M. G. (2019). Scale-dependent interactions between tree canopy cover and impervious surfaces reduce daytime urban heat. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), 116(15), 7575-7580. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit interplace.io

In this episode of The PDB Afternoon Bulletin:  First—Saudi Arabia may be preparing to re-enter a war it has spent years trying to leave behind. Riyadh is reportedly considering a much broader military campaign against the Iran-backed Houthis, potentially marking one of the kingdom's most significant strategic shifts since the 2022 truce. If those plans move forward, they could open another major front in the region's widening confrontation with Iran.  Later in the show—President Trump says Hamas has finally agreed to disarm as part of his Gaza peace plan. But Hamas says there's a catch, and it raises fresh questions about whether the agreement can actually be implemented. To listen to the show ad-free, become a premium member of The President's Daily Brief by visiting PDBPremium.com. Please remember to subscribe if you enjoyed this episode of The President's Daily Brief. YouTube: youtube.com/@presidentsdailybrief Pendulum: Ditch the afternoon crashes and naturally curb your cravings with 20% off the doctor-recommended Pendulum Metabolic Daily at https://pendulumlife.com  Sundays for Dogs: Upgrade your dog's food without the hassle—try Sundays for Dogs and get 50% off your first order at https://sundaysfordogs.com/PDB  or use code PDB at checkout. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It has been five months since the US and Israel launched their war with Iran, and the conflict has never really been contained. Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, the UAE and Jordan have all been hit by Iranian missiles and drones, Hezbollah drew Lebanon into a fight that is still going on, and the Strait of Hormuz remains closed, with neither talks nor military action producing a lasting reopening. Right now, though, no front is moving faster than the one closing in on Saudi Arabia, and it is coming from two directions at once. In Yemen, a strike on Sanaa airport and Houthi accusations against Riyadh in July reignited a conflict that had been largely dormant, leading within days to attacks on Saudi shipping, a Saudi strike on Hodeidah port, and a Houthi claim to have hit oil facilities in Jizan and Yanbu, potentially the first direct strike on Saudi oil infrastructure since 2022. In Iraq, months of accusations that Iran-backed militias were launching drones from Iraqi soil culminated this week in Saudi Arabia joining the US in direct, public strikes for the first time, a move Riyadh justified as an exercise of its right to self-defence under the UN Charter. In this episode of Beyond the Headlines, host Nada AlTaher is joined by Douglas Silliman, former US Ambassador to Iraq and now President of the Arab Gulf States Institute in Washington, Hasan Alhasan, senior fellow for Middle East Policy at the International Institute for Strategic Studies, and Elizabeth Dent, senior fellow at the Washington Institute, to look at how Saudi Arabia's escalation fits into the broader trajectory of the US-Iran war.

As the US-Israel-Iran war enters its sixth month, the conflict has taken a sharp turn. After a brief lull in the fighting, Iran launched a surprise ballistic missile attack on US forces on July 28, and the US and Saudi Arabia struck back at Iran-backed militias in Iraq, marking Riyadh's entry into the war. MEI Senior Fellow Alex Vatanka joins host Alistair Taylor to discuss the escalation, what may come next, and the state of talks over sharing the Strait of Hormuz. Recorded on July 29, 2026.

Not every journey to Saudi Arabia begins with a lifelong dream—sometimes, it starts with a single opportunity. When Susan Allen first arrived in Riyadh from the United Kingdom more than eight years ago, she never imagined that the Kingdom would one day feel like home. Today, through her social media, she shares the places, people, and everyday moments that have made Saudi Arabia such a meaningful part of her life. Watch the previous episodes on: https://arabnews.com/maymanshow

Iran warns sustained naval pressure risks wider war as Oman advances strait plan伊朗警告：持续海上施压或将引发更大规模战争，阿曼推进海峡管控方案US President Donald Trump said on Monday that "very friendly negotiations" with Iran were underway and touted the US Navy's "good blockade", even as Tehran warned that a continuous naval blockade would amount to an expansion of the war.美国总统唐纳德·特朗普周一称，美国正与伊朗进行“十分友好的谈判”，并夸赞美国海军实施的封锁举措成效良好；与此同时，德黑兰方面警告，持续海上封锁行为等同于扩大战事。Iran's Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters accused the US on Monday of threatening Iranian vessels, commercial ships and tankers in Iran's coastal and territorial waters over the past three days as part of an "illegal naval blockade".伊朗哈塔姆安比亚中央总部周一指责美国近三日在伊朗沿岸及领海水域，威胁伊朗船只、民用商船与油轮，实施非法海上封锁。"We warn that this American action is considered an expansion of war in the region," it said in a statement, adding that Iran's armed forces would respond to any threat posed by the US military.该机构在声明中表示：“我们警告，美方此举属于在中东地区扩大战争范畴”，并补充称伊朗武装部队将对美军带来的任何威胁予以回击。Trump also told US news outlet Axios that Washington was engaged in "very deep talks" with Tehran, but warned, "If they don't work out, we will go back to very strong military action."特朗普还向美国新闻网阿克西奥斯透露，华盛顿正与德黑兰展开深度磋商，但同时发出警告：“倘若谈判无果，美国将重启高强度军事行动。”Control of the Strait of Hormuz has remained a major point of contention since Iran and the US reached an interim memorandum of understanding last month, with tensions over the strategic waterway repeatedly fueling regional instability.自上月美伊达成临时谅解备忘录以来，霍尔木兹海峡的管控权一直是双方主要争端焦点，这条战略水道周边的紧张局势不断加剧，持续破坏地区稳定。Oman has proposed a joint regional mechanism for managing the strait with voluntary fees, Reuters reported on Tuesday, citing a Gulf source.路透社周二援引海湾地区消息人士消息称，阿曼提议建立区域性联合海峡管控机制，并推行自愿缴费制度。The proposal, which reportedly has regional backing, would prevent Iran from exercising sole control over the waterway. It is modeled on the Strait of Malacca, where users voluntarily contribute to navigation, environmental protection and search-and-rescue efforts.据悉该提案已获得多国支持，旨在杜绝伊朗独自掌控这条航道。方案参照马六甲海峡管理模式设计：航道使用方自愿出资，用于航道通航维护、生态保护以及海上搜救工作。Omani Foreign Minister Sayyid Badr bin Hamad Al Busaidi held phone talks with his counterparts in Qatar, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Iran to discuss ways to advance "practical, fair and sustainable understandings" on navigation and supply chain flows through the strait, Oman's Foreign Ministry said on Monday.阿曼外交部周一发布消息，阿曼外交大臣巴德尔同卡塔尔、科威特、沙特阿拉伯、埃及以及伊朗外长通电话，商议如何围绕海峡通航、供应链运输达成务实、公平且具备长效性的共识。The developments follow weekend talks between Iranian and Omani officials on navigation security, transit arrangements and sovereign rights, according to Tehran.伊朗方面表示，上述外交互动的背景是：上周末伊阿两国官员已就通航安全、过境安排以及国家主权事宜举行会谈。Meanwhile, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is visiting Washington for his eighth meeting with Trump since the US president began his second term, which is "more than any other international leader", according to Netanyahu's office.另一边，以色列总理本雅明·内塔尼亚胡正在出访华盛顿，这是特朗普开启第二任期以来二人第八次会面；以色列总理办公室称，会面频次远超其他各国领导人。"We will discuss all the issues on the agenda, first and foremost, Iran," Netanyahu said before leaving for the US on Monday. "Naturally, our goal is to safeguard our security and also to expand the circle of peace around us."内塔尼亚胡周一启程赴美前表态：“我们将商讨所有议程议题，伊朗问题位列首位。我们的核心目标是保障以色列自身安全，同时不断扩大周边和平伙伴圈层。”Sujata Ashwarya, a professor at the Centre for West Asian Studies at Jamia Millia Islamia University in New Delhi, told China Daily that Netanyahu has little influence over when Washington launches attacks and is unlikely to use the meeting to press for it.新德里的贾米亚·米利亚伊斯兰教大学西亚研究中心教授苏雅塔·阿什瓦里亚接受《中国日报》采访时表示，内塔尼亚胡无法左右美国发动军事打击的时机，也难以借此次会晤敦促美方开战。"His purpose is to shape the terms of whatever settlement follows, which is where Israeli absence from the negotiations has cost most," Ashwarya said.阿什瓦里亚称：“内塔尼亚胡此行意在敲定后续任何和平协议的条款内容；以色列此前始终未能参与谈判，已经为此蒙受了诸多损失。”She explained that the interim US-Iran deal lacked any agreement on Israel's main sticking points: limits on Iran's ballistic missile program, preventing the rebuilding of its network of regional allies, and International Atomic Energy Agency inspections of nuclear sites.她解释道，美伊临时协议并未敲定以色列最为关切的几大分歧事项：限制伊朗弹道导弹研发计划、阻止伊朗重建地区盟友网络、允许国际原子能机构核查伊朗核设施。Ashwarya added that Netanyahu's departing remarks were "revealing".阿什瓦里亚补充说道，内塔尼亚胡临行前的一番话颇具深意，暴露了其真实诉求。A prime minister who measures a relationship in meetings cannot yet measure it in outcomes, she said.她表示：一位只能依靠会面次数来衡量双边关系的总理，尚且无法用实际成果印证两国情谊。"His stated goal also carries a second clause, expanding the circle of peace, and with Saudi normalization now attached to Washington's nuclear offer to Riyadh, that is where Israeli leverage actually sits," she said.“他宣称的目标包含两层含义，扩大和平圈层便是其二；当下沙特关系正常化事宜与美国向沙特提供核合作提议深度绑定，这恰恰是以色列手中最关键的筹码。”The two leaders want different things from the same war, she added. "Trump wants closure he can present as an achievement; Netanyahu wants Iranian recovery prevented, which is served by keeping options open."她最后指出，两位领导人对于这场冲突抱有截然不同的诉求：特朗普希望结束争端，并将停战包装成自身执政政绩；内塔尼亚胡则意图遏制伊朗国力复苏，而保留一切军事选项最有利于实现这一目的。tout /taʊt/大肆宣扬；吹捧；标榜contention /kənˈtenʃn/争端；争执；争论焦点interim /ˈɪntərɪm/临时的；过渡性的memorandum /ˌmeməˈrændəm/备忘录ballistic /bəˈlɪstɪk/弹道的leverage /ˈliːvərɪdʒ/影响力；筹码；优势

VOV1 - Mỹ và Saudi Arabia vừa đạt được một thỏa thuận hợp tác hạt nhân dân sự mang tính bước ngoặt, mở đường cho chương trình điện hạt nhân đầu tiên của Riyadh với sự tham gia của các doanh nghiệp Mỹ.Thỏa thuận vẫn cần được Quốc hội Mỹ xem xét trước khi chính thức có hiệu lực. Tuy nhiên, với việc đảng Cộng hòa đang kiểm soát cả hai viện Quốc hội, nhiều chuyên gia nhận định khả năng văn kiện này được thông qua là khá lớn. Hiện điều được giới quan sát quan tâm hơn cả là những tác động lâu dài mà thỏa thuận này có thể tạo ra đối với cục diện chiến lược và môi trường an ninh ở Trung Đông. Đây cũng sẽ là phép thử đối với các nỗ lực duy trì cơ chế không phổ biến hạt nhân trong khu vực./.Tổng thống Mỹ Donald Trump đón tiếp Thái tử Saudi Arabia Mohammed Bin Salman tại Nhà Trắng tháng 11/2025 (Ảnh: The White House)

Johnny Mac delivers poolside comedy news, starting with a Variety conversation between Tracy Morgan and Marcello Hernandez about bonding on SNL, Hernandez's plain-slice pizza order, Eddie Murphy advice, a “Domingo” character note, and Morgan's controversial remark about teachers. Mac also recaps a NorthJersey.com poll of favorite New Jersey comedians led by Jon Stewart, and discusses Jessica Kirson's story about being scolded on The View for not saying “Star Jones Reynolds,” followed by Kirson using a gay slur about Jones's ex-husband. Other items include Gary Gulman on wandering a mall as a kid, Weird Al turning down a seven-figure offer to play the Riyadh Comedy Festival, Abu Dhabi Comedy Festival headliners and dates, Derek Sheen's new hour Unrelatable, Jeff Arcuri's wedding after a cancer misdiagnosis, and a Cracked interview with Myq Kaplan. 00:32 Marcello Pizza Chat01:13 Tracy Teacher Rant01:33 SNL Season Stories02:45 New Jersey Poll03:38 Kirson View Drama05:10 Gulman Mall Memories05:56 Weird Al Turned Down Riyadh's 7 Figures07:10 Abu Dhabi Lineup08:05 Derek Sheen Special08:41 Jeff Atkuri Update09:32 Myq Kaplan InterviewBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/daily-comedy-news-with-johnny-mac--4522158/support.Daily Comedy News is hosted by Johnny Mac and releases every weekday. Subscribe on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or your favorite app. Part of the Caloroga Shark Media network. For transcripts and show notes visit www.dailycomedynews.comDaily Comedy News with Johnny Mac is a daily podcast covering comedians, stand-up comedy, late night television, and the comedy industry. New episodes every morning. Follow on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen.  Contact John at John@thesharkdeck dot com For Uninterrupted Listening, use the Apple Podcast App and click the banner that says Uninterrupted Listening.  $4.99/month John's Substack about media is free. 

Frank Gardner has lived, by his own description, two very different lives — and found a way to carry the best of the first into the second. Twenty years on from the attack in Riyadh that nearly killed him, the BBC Security Correspondent is still reporting from the places most of us wouldn't dare go.In this bonus episode of Crisis What Crisis, Andy sits down with Frank to discuss his Crisis Compass. The four points of navigation that he turns to in order to help survive a crisis.Frank is the BBC's Security Correspondent and the author of a series of best-selling thrillers — the latest, Ballistic, is out now. If you haven't heard the full conversation yet, go back and find it in the feed. It's well worth your time.POWERED BY KINGSLEY NAPLEY:I know what it is to have the right legal support around you when facing crisis. Kingsley Napley are the kind of lawyers I wish more people knew about – there to help you make the right decisions, protect what matters and build real resilience when the pressure is on.This episode is powered by Kingsley Napley, visit www.kingsleynapley.co.uk for more details.CHAPTERS:00:53 A Person – Himself01:21 A Habit – Lifting his eyes to the horizon, the birdwatcher's discipline of really looking02:23 A Comfort – Driving. 03:40 A Piece of Advice – Grieve it, deal with it, but don't keep defining yourself by what happenedBUY FRANK'S BOOKBallistic – https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/178763549X?tag=prhmarketing2552-21FOLLOW FRANK GARDNERInstagram – https://www.instagram.com/frank.gardner/?hl=enX – https://x.com/FrankRGardnerFOLLOW CRISIS WHAT CRISIS?Instagram – www.instagram.com/crisiswhatcrisispodcastTikTok – www.tiktok.com/@crisispodThis was a Crisis What Crisis Production – Rex Fisher (producer), Ioana Barbu (studio manager), Fred Sharp (research), Johnny Seifert (audio), Jasper Cullen (video)

Ian speaks with Azniv Korkejian, AKA Bedouine, about the weather, working in the Los Angeles scene, antiquated genre terminology, the puzzle of submitting to the Grammys, Leonard Cohen, Lisa Simpson, rebelling as a teen, parenthood advice, growing up in Riyadh, observing strife in Syria and Lebanon from the US, her family's unique journey, her excellent new record Neon Summer Skin, and much more. FOLLOW BEDOUINE ON INSTAGRAM "NEON SUMMER SKIN" AVAILABLE NOW

A new front opens in the Iran war as the Houthis attack the Saudis and declare a blockade of the Red Sea. Also, Trump flubs a nuclear deal with the Saudis. Does he have the leverage to push the Saudis into the Abraham Accords? Hear analysis from Riyadh, Israel and Iran.  

At the GEOINT 2026 Symposium in Denver, Colorado, Project Geospatial's Adam Simmons sits down with Kelly Kroegel, a former Marine Special Operations geospatial intelligence analyst now working with Torchlight.In this segment, Kelly provides an exclusive look into Torchlight's powerful location analytics platform, demonstrating how anonymized, aggregated mobile device data is transformed into actionable intelligence for marketing, security, and the defense community.Watch the full demo to see how Torchlight analyzes massive datasets—pulling from 9 petabytes of hot storage—to track patterns of life, trace cross-border device movements from special operations headquarters, and unmask unidentified training facilities globally using behavioral indicators.Key Highlights in this Video:00:00:36 – Meet Kelly Kroegel and learn about her journey from Marine Special Operations to Torchlight.00:01:04 – How Torchlight leverages anonymized mobile device location data without compromising PII (Personally Identifiable Information).00:02:08 – Live Platform Demo: Analyzing device deployments from the UK's 22nd SAS Base.00:03:00 – Inside the Data Scale: Sifting through 9 petabytes of storage to isolate patterns.00:04:00 – Threat Detection & Pattern of Life: Tracking international military movements and cross-border travel (Poland, Cyprus, Greece, Saudi Arabia).00:04:55 – Uncovering Unmarked Facilities: How behavioral data maps out hidden compounds in Riyadh.00:07:15 – Enterprise Solutions: Torchlight platform subscriptions, API integration, and future predictive analytics algorithms.Learn More About Torchlight:

Welcome to The Times of Israel's Lazar Focus. Each Friday, join host diplomatic correspondent Lazar Berman for a deep dive into what's behind the news that spins the globe. Even for Israeli standards, it's been a pretty wild week in Israel's neighborhood. The ceasefire war between the US and Iran continues to escalate. The threats from US President Donald Trump against Iran grow ever more bombastic, but there is a real feeling that he might carry out a significant attack soon that goes well beyond the limited strikes that we have seen over the past two weeks. Of course, Iran is hitting back, primarily at Kuwait, Bahrain, and Jordan, saying it is targeting US bases in those countries. The Iran-backed Houthis struck two Saudi oil tankers, as that conflict begins to heat up. Houthi threats to the Bab al-Mandeb would mean the Iranian axis is closing the two waterways connecting the Middle East and Europe to Asian markets. There was slightly better news to the north. After six rounds of direct talks and an agreement that envisions peace between Israel and Lebanon, Lebanese forces began moving into the first pilot zone vacated by Israeli forces. Joined by Times of Israel colleague Nava Freiberg, Lazar made sense of the interconnected but distinct theaters that Israeli leaders and citizens are paying close attention to. He explained what Iran is trying to do with its attack on Arab countries. It is determined to impose its reading of the MOU on the world, especially as it comes to control over the Strait of Hormuz. That is why it hasn't hit Israel. Iran knows that Israel, Lazar said, isn't about to run to Trump and ask him to give in to Iran's demands to get it stop firing. Instead, Israel would relish the opportunity to carry out some of the attacks that it had to call off in April, and would likely go well beyond what the Americans are doing. It doesn't make sense for Israel to go out of its way to get involved either. For now, Iran is being degraded, it isn't getting economic relief, and Trump is becoming increasingly frustrated with his Iranian interlocutors. Meanwhile, life is fairly normal in Israel, with flights returning to Ben Gurion Airport and citizens focusing on the election fight. Lazar also shed light on alternative energy pathways being developed in the wake of Iranian threats to the Strait of Hormuz. Israel might have an opportunity to be key element of some of these plans, but it has to change the tenor of relations with some of its Arab partners. Lazar explained why the Saudi-US nuclear deal is a problem for Israel. First of Israel, it shows that Israel is not being consulted by the White House on strategic decisions. In addition, it represents a potential proliferation risk, especially if the current regime in Riyadh is replaced. Turning to Lebanon, Lazar said that progress on the first pilot zone is undoubtedly a positive step. Still, the Lebanese army is incapable of taking on Hezbollah at this stage, and a lot will have to happen before disarming Hezbollah is a likely outcome. It will be important to help the Lebanese government show the public that negotiations with Israel achieve results, especially the return of some civilians to their homes. Lazar Focus can be found on all podcast platforms. This episode was produced by Gabriella Jacobs and video edited by Ari Schlacht.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Congress is asking whether Jeffrey Epstein was doing more than cultivating powerful international contacts and may have been acting as an unregistered intermediary for foreign governments. House Judiciary Committee Democrats, led by Rep. Jamie Raskin, say newly released communications show Epstein offering advice, access and influence to officials connected to Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Russia and Israel, particularly during the first Trump administration. The records reportedly include Epstein offering to represent Saudi interests, advising Kuwaiti contacts ahead of Trump's 2017 trip to Riyadh, proposing himself as a backchannel between Russian officials and the White House, and assisting former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak with political strategy and contacts. Investigators want to know whether these activities required Epstein to register under the Foreign Agents Registration Act and whether his relationships with influential Americans were used to advance foreign policy objectives.Congress is also asking what the Justice Department, State Department and intelligence agencies knew about Epstein's foreign relationships, whether they ever investigated him for possible FARA violations and why no enforcement action was taken. Lawmakers are seeking records that could show whether Epstein was merely selling the appearance of access or whether he actually served as a conduit between foreign officials and people inside the U.S. government. The inquiry also raises the broader and more troubling question of whether Epstein's trafficking operation, collection of compromising information and connections to senior political and business figures had an intelligence dimension. None of that has yet established that Epstein was formally employed by a foreign intelligence service, but Congress is arguing that the evidence is serious enough that the government can no longer dismiss the foreign-agent question without producing the underlying records and explaining what investigators previously found.to contact me:bobbycapucci@protonmail.com

On this week's Defense & Aerospace Report Washington Roundtable, Dr. Patrick Cronin of the Hudson Institute think tank, Michael Herson of American Defense International, former DoD Europe chief Jim Townsend of the Center for a New American Security, and former Pentagon Comptroller Dr. Dov Zakheim of the Center for Strategic and International Studies join Defense & Aerospace Report Editor Vago Muradian to discuss intensifying US and Iran military operations; Washington and Riyadh strike a nuclear pact; Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth testified before the Senate Appropriations Committee; update on the NDAA; Russia pounds Ukraine clouding the critically important Ukrainian port in Odessa; a week firing former Defense Minister Mykhailo Federov, Volodymyr Zelenskyy has fired his chief of defense staff, Gen. Oleksandr Syrskyi; Russia conducts live fire exercises 46miles, off Britain's key Portsmouth naval base as Andy Burnham becomes the UK's new prime minister with John Healy at the Treasury; the People's Liberation Army Daily blasts Tokyo and it's drone capabilities as China and Russia step up military exercises off the Japanese coast that included a Chinese live fire drill; Secretary of State Marco Rubio prepares for Trump's summit with Xi Jinping as he meets his Quad counterparts in Manila at the ASEAN Foreign Ministers' meeting; Beijing and Manila spar over Second Thomas Shoal Incident and racist video posted by China Daily; the region braces for new US tariffs as the continuing Iran war drives energy prices up again; and the White House accused China of stealing American technology to improve its AI program.

Donald Trump has announced a landmark nuclear deal with Saudi Arabia while pressing ahead with efforts to stop Tehran from developing a nuclear weapon. What's driving Trump's new agreement with Riyadh? And how is it likely to be received at home and across the Gulf? Jonathan Freedland speaks to Robert Jimison, who covers Congress for the New York Times with a focus on defence and foreign policy, about what the agreement contains, why it matters and the political challenges it could face.

President Trump said on Thursday that a new nuclear energy deal with Saudi Arabia will require the Arab kingdom to normalize relations with Israel. That marked a turn, a day after the administration announced the signing of the agreement without mentioning that precondition. Trump said in an online post that the deal “will be approved, but is totally subject to Saudi Arabia joining the very respected and successful Abraham Accords.” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu welcomed Trump's condition that Saudi Arabia join the accords that would establish relations with Israel. And tick, tock, goes the end times clock.“And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week: and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease, and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate.” Daniel 9:27 (KJB)On this episode of the Prophecy News Podcast, the stunning part of this announcement is not simply that Washington and Riyadh have negotiated a civilian nuclear partnership. It is that President Trump has now placed Israel at the hinge of the entire arrangement. The Energy Department announced a decades-long nuclear-cooperation agreement on July 22; Trump then declared that its implementation is “totally subject” to Saudi Arabia joining the Abraham Accords and normalizing relations with Israel. Nuclear power, American technology, Saudi wealth, regional security and peace with Israel are being bound together inside one enormous geopolitical package. Saudi Arabia has always been the crown jewel of Trump's Abraham Accords. Bringing the kingdom into formal relations with Israel would transform the accords from a collection of normalization agreements into the framework for an entirely new Middle Eastern order.Psalm 83 presents Israel surrounded by enemies conspiring against its continued existence. Jeremiah 30:7 points forward to the unparalleled “time of Jacob's trouble.” Daniel 9:27 reveals a covenant that appears to provide order and security before producing betrayal, abomination and desolation. Taken together, these passages paint a sobering picture: Israel's search for peace will ultimately produce an agreement powerful enough to reorganize the region, persuasive enough to gain Israel's confidence and broad enough to include “many.” Trump may not be the man who ultimately confirms Daniel's covenant, but he is absolutely helping construct the diplomatic machinery that the coming man of sin will inherit. The names and circumstances are impossible to ignore: the Abraham Accords, Israel at the center, Saudi Arabia as the decisive partner, multiple nations being gathered, promises of peace and security, and now nuclear technology being used as leverage to seal the deal. Come with us as we take another ‘giant step' on the end times timeline!!

Congress is asking whether Jeffrey Epstein was doing more than cultivating powerful international contacts and may have been acting as an unregistered intermediary for foreign governments. House Judiciary Committee Democrats, led by Rep. Jamie Raskin, say newly released communications show Epstein offering advice, access and influence to officials connected to Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Russia and Israel, particularly during the first Trump administration. The records reportedly include Epstein offering to represent Saudi interests, advising Kuwaiti contacts ahead of Trump's 2017 trip to Riyadh, proposing himself as a backchannel between Russian officials and the White House, and assisting former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak with political strategy and contacts. Investigators want to know whether these activities required Epstein to register under the Foreign Agents Registration Act and whether his relationships with influential Americans were used to advance foreign policy objectives.Congress is also asking what the Justice Department, State Department and intelligence agencies knew about Epstein's foreign relationships, whether they ever investigated him for possible FARA violations and why no enforcement action was taken. Lawmakers are seeking records that could show whether Epstein was merely selling the appearance of access or whether he actually served as a conduit between foreign officials and people inside the U.S. government. The inquiry also raises the broader and more troubling question of whether Epstein's trafficking operation, collection of compromising information and connections to senior political and business figures had an intelligence dimension. None of that has yet established that Epstein was formally employed by a foreign intelligence service, but Congress is arguing that the evidence is serious enough that the government can no longer dismiss the foreign-agent question without producing the underlying records and explaining what investigators previously found.to contact me:bobbycapucci@protonmail.comBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-moscow-murders-and-more--5852883/support.

Iran has reportedly rejected a ceasefire proposal delivered by Iraqi Prime Minister Ali Al Zaidi during his first visit to Tehran. This comes as US President Donald Trump considers conducting a “massive attack” against Iran. During his visit, Mr Al Zaidi announced the establishment of an Iraqi-Iranian Joint Economic Committee. The two countries also signed several agreements concerning foreign affairs, finance and energy. Mr Trump said a US-Saudi civil nuclear agreement signed a day earlier, would advance only if Riyadh joins the Abraham Accords with Israel, marking a shift from his administration's original position. A new report on Gaza has found that reconstruction will cost seven times more than the combined cost of the three previous wars in the territory. And in the UAE, researchers at New York University Abu Dhabi have discovered a weakness in malaria parasites that could be instrumental in developing future treatments. Trending Middle East is AI-assisted, using original reporting published in The National and curated and edited by humans

VOV1 - Mỹ và Saudi Arabia vừa đạt được một thỏa thuận hợp tác hạt nhân dân sự mang tính bước ngoặt, mở đường cho chương trình điện hạt nhân đầu tiên của Riyadh với sự tham gia của các doanh nghiệp Mỹ.Không chỉ đánh dấu bước phát triển mới trong quan hệ giữa hai nước đồng minh, thỏa thuận còn được xem là tín hiệu cho thấy Washington đang có sự điều chỉnh đáng kể trong cách tiếp cận đối với hợp tác hạt nhân ở Trung Đông. Đáng chú ý, thỏa thuận được công bố trong bối cảnh khu vực vẫn đang trải qua những biến động an ninh sâu sắc, đặc biệt là căng thẳng liên quan đến chương trình hạt nhân của Iran, làm dấy lên nhiều tranh luận về những tác động địa chính trị có thể kéo theo.

President Donald Trump approves a landmark energy deal that will establish a civilian nuclear programme in Saudi Arabia. US lawmakers and Israel warn that if the agreement allows the Gulf state to enrich its own uranium, it could pave the way for it to build its own nuclear weapons - but the US insists the deal upholds the "highest standards of nuclear safety". Saudi Arabia has long wanted US nuclear technology, while the US gets a leg up in the competition with China and Russia to develop civilian nuclear infrastructure in the region.Also: A Florida teenager who sued Meta claiming that he was addicted to and harmed by his use of social media platforms, has dropped his lawsuit. Our correspondent in Lebanon travels to the so-called pilot zones in the south, where residents are trying to return home while the army vows to disarm Hezbollah. The Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo becomes the third largest on record with more than 1,000 people dead. In India, the youth-led 'cockroach' party supporters protesting in Delhi ramp up their demands for education reform. How young Nigerians are using AI tools to learn new languages in pursuit of a life abroad. And Christopher Nolan's Odyssey movie is boosting sales of the book versions.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 Photo: US President Donald Trump and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud attend the Keynote Address at the Saudi-US Investment Forum in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, 13 May 2025. Credit: ALI HAIDER/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock

A nuclear deal between Washington and Riyadh breaks overnight — and Israel learns the terms from the same press release as everyone else. This week, Yonit and Jonathan dig into what the US–Saudi agreement does and doesn't include, why the normalization clause that was supposed to be attached appeared to be missing - before it was hastily added by Donald Trump, after the event - and what a nuclear-armed Saudi Arabia might mean a generation from now. Iran tensions rise again over Natanz, and Israel's election pregame produces a poll number that should worry Benjamin Netanyahu more than it seems to. Plus: a Likud campaign ad triggers exactly the backlash its makers intended, while this week's Mensch award category hails both a Hungarian chess master and a legendary Israeli anchor.   Visit our new website: www.unholy-podcast.com

Washington and Riyadh have inked a landmark pact which could allow the Gulf kingdom to develop its own civilian nuclear programme. We look at why the US president is letting Saudi Arabia achieve what it has fought so hard to prevent Iran from accomplishing. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The US and Saudi Arabia have reportedly signed a landmark deal that could pave the way for a Saudi nuclear programme, sparking fears it could eventually allow the Gulf kingdom to develop its own nuclear weapon.President Donald Trump has denied that the agreement permits Saudi Arabia to enrich uranium, and says any deal is dependent on Riyadh joining the Abraham Accords and recognising Israel, a move many experts say remains unlikely.Meanwhile, tensions in the region have escalated after Houthi attacks on Saudi ships in the Bab el Mandab strait pushed oil prices higher. Trump has warned that further attacks could trigger “major military punishment” against Iran and the Houthis.On this episode of The Fourcast, Matt Frei is joined by Channel 4 News foreign affairs correspondent Jonathan Rugman to examine the US-Saudi nuclear deal, the growing confrontation with the Houthis, and what it means for the future of the Middle East.

Saudi Arabia and the US have signed a peaceful nuclear cooperation agreement, with Riyadh saying the deal will expand technology exchange, investment and energy cooperation while adhering to international non-proliferation standards.

American lawmakers and Israeli officials have expressed unease over a landmark nuclear deal between the US and Saudi Arabia, but the US Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, says that the agreement won't lead to proliferation.Also in the programme: the trial of Venezuela's ousted leader, Nicolas Maduro, on drugs trafficking charges is due to be held next June in New York; and the American jazz musician, Plas Johnson, famous for his Pink Panther saxophone theme, has died at the age of 94.(Photo: President Trump and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud attend the Saudi-US Investment Forum in Riyadh on 13 May 2025. Credit: Ali Haider/ EPA-EFE Shutterstock)

Congress is asking whether Jeffrey Epstein was doing more than cultivating powerful international contacts and may have been acting as an unregistered intermediary for foreign governments. House Judiciary Committee Democrats, led by Rep. Jamie Raskin, say newly released communications show Epstein offering advice, access and influence to officials connected to Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Russia and Israel, particularly during the first Trump administration. The records reportedly include Epstein offering to represent Saudi interests, advising Kuwaiti contacts ahead of Trump's 2017 trip to Riyadh, proposing himself as a backchannel between Russian officials and the White House, and assisting former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak with political strategy and contacts. Investigators want to know whether these activities required Epstein to register under the Foreign Agents Registration Act and whether his relationships with influential Americans were used to advance foreign policy objectives.Congress is also asking what the Justice Department, State Department and intelligence agencies knew about Epstein's foreign relationships, whether they ever investigated him for possible FARA violations and why no enforcement action was taken. Lawmakers are seeking records that could show whether Epstein was merely selling the appearance of access or whether he actually served as a conduit between foreign officials and people inside the U.S. government. The inquiry also raises the broader and more troubling question of whether Epstein's trafficking operation, collection of compromising information and connections to senior political and business figures had an intelligence dimension. None of that has yet established that Epstein was formally employed by a foreign intelligence service, but Congress is arguing that the evidence is serious enough that the government can no longer dismiss the foreign-agent question without producing the underlying records and explaining what investigators previously found.to contact me:bobbycapucci@protonmail.comBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-epstein-chronicles--5003294/support.

U.S. President Donald Trump has approved a 30-year agreement with Saudi Arabia to share civilian nuclear power technology. The deal, estimated to be worth tens of billions of dollars, aims to give U.S. companies a central role in developing Saudi Arabia’s nuclear infrastructure while explicitly excluding foreign competitors. Normalization with Israel was not mentioned. KAN's Mark Weiss spoke with Prof Yossi Mann, a researcher in the Department of Middle Eastern studies in Bar-Ilan University. (Photo: AP)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

US hits Iran for 11th consecutive day. Trump approves nuclear power deal with Riyadh. Monday.com to lay off 350 Tel Aviv workers.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On June 6th 2004, Frank Gardner was in Riyadh filming what was meant to be a routine piece of background footage when an Al-Qaeda cell opened fire. His cameraman, Simon Cumbers, was killed. Frank was shot six times and left for dead. One surgeon later told him he'd arrived at hospital the colour of a lab coat, bleeding from every wound faster than they could pour the plasma in. It was, in the truest sense, the day Frank should have died.That day split his life in two. Before it, he was a restless Arabist who'd hitchhiked across the Middle East with nothing in his pocket, spent a decade in banking, turned down MI6, and talked his way into the BBC in his mid-30s to become its first ever security correspondent. After it, he was partially paralysed and in daily pain – yet back at work within ten months, and has spent the twenty years since reporting from the very places that nearly killed him. He describes crossing an invisible bridge to a new version of himself, this conversation is about what that crossing actually cost.POWERED BY KINGSLEY NAPLEYI know what it is to have the right legal support around you when facing a crisis. Kingsley Napley are the kind of lawyers I wish more people knew about – there to help you make the right decisions, protect what matters, and build real resilience when the pressure is on.This episode is powered by Kingsley Napley. Visit www.kingsleynapley.co.uk for more details.FOUR LESSONS FROM FRANKDon't waste your energy mourning what you can no longer change. Pour it into what you still can. When crisis hits, there's a fork in the road. One path is self-pity – and it's entirely justifiable. The other is deciding to make the most of what you've got left. Choosing the second is a daily struggle.Look outwards, not inwards. Fill your life with the things that make you feel useful and alive. Fixating on your own troubles is a trap – curiosity about the world around you is the way out.Volunteer for the work no one else wants – the weekends, the bank holidays, the night shifts. It's how you make yourself indispensable, and how you get your shot when it finally comes.CHAPTERS 05:18 – The daily indignities most people never see 08:57 – Why he refuses to let it define him 11:33 – Where his grit really came from: two extraordinary parents 14:19 – The bold early decisions that shaped a life 20:38 – Turning down MI6 – and the self-awareness to know why 27:45 – How to break into a career when there's no job at the end of it 30:27 – The attack: what actually happened that day 31:02 – Seven months in hospital, and living with the what-ifs 39:45 – The one thing he's still bitter about 42:15 – Losing Simon, and finding a way through the grief 44:37 – "You'll never walk again" – the second hammer blow 48:05 – The letter from the BBC that gave him something to aim for 50:42 – Going back to Saudi Arabia to face it down 53:52 – Why he doesn't spend his life grievingBUY FRANK'S BOOKBallistic – https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/178763549X?tag=prhmarketing2552-21FOLLOW FRANK GARDNERInstagram – https://www.instagram.com/frank.gardner/?hl=en X – https://x.com/FrankRGardnerFOLLOW CRISIS WHAT CRISIS?Instagram – www.instagram.com/crisiswhatcrisispodcast TikTok – www.tiktok.com/@crisispodThis was a Crisis What Crisis Production – Rex Fisher (producer), Ioana Barbu (studio manager), Fred Sharp (research), Johnny Seifert (audio), Jasper Cullen (video)

Lucien, who is dividing the summer weeks between Riyadh and the USA, and Hanaa, who is all over the world this summer and recording from another London heat wave, begin the episode with a catch up on a topical menu of excellence, which quickly turns into a realization about working weeks in two hemispheres and how the two-day weekend quietly disappears for those who work often travel between Saudi Arabia, Europe, and the U.S. - no doubt a problem for many who listen to the show.  After a lengthy catchup, Hanaa's discusses her recent hosting of the Middle East Sports Investment Forum at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. She landed on a single thesis with co-host Kamil Badawi of Aspire, and it is the thing outsiders keep missing about doing business in the region. The hosts discuss what sports investment actually is and what it can mean. Lucien's discusses his recent on-stage interview with Danny Townsend, CEO of Surj Sports and PIF's investment arm for sport and his view on how Saudi investors are thinking about sports and economic growth. 

Is the software business dying? Loulou sits down with Ahmad AlZaini, co-founder and CEO of Foodics, at the 11-year mark of the company for the operator's read on the biggest question in tech this year: what happens to software when AI agents replace the human at the login screen. Foodics is the restaurant operating system for the region: 40,000+ locations across the GCC, Egypt and Jordan, $13B in payments processed to date, on track for $14B by end of year, 700 people, licensed by the Saudi Central Bank, backed by a $198M capital raise including a record $170M Series C. Ahmad is a Forbes-recognized entrepreneur with executive credentials from Harvard, Stanford and MIT, and was appointed to the Endeavor Saudi board of directors in 2026. Subscribe for weekly conversations on business, investing, leadership and what is actually happening in the Arab world. Chapters 01:42 Foodics at 11: the top line, $13B GMV, 40,000 locations, 40% revenue outside Saudi  04:08 From Al Khobar to Aramco to Foodics: why the founder was never supposed to be a founder  09:43 Investor due diligence in reverse: not all money is equal, cap-table hygiene from an acquirer's chair  14:47 Growth capital advice: do not take from Saudi at growth stage, go global, come back with matched terms  18:36 40 SF VC meetings, 3 term sheets: how to raise when nobody knows where Riyadh is  21:04 Talent reverse migration: C-suite relocating from Boston, NY, SF, Paris and London to Riyadh  23:54 AI is out of the box: the Anthropic February 2026 SaaS selloff explained  31:15 The PhD intern: how a fresh graduate should show up with an AI use case, not a certificate  33:37 The pricing shift: nobody pays for logins in 2030, everyone pays for outcomes and usage  43:09 The exit conversation: if for one minute you decide you need to exit, you are not in the right business  48:45 Secondary markets, buybacks, and why every employee should have liquidity options  53:46 The under-30 Saudi generation: high-school AI hackathons, curiosity, and where they spend Follow Loulou Khazen Instagram: /louloukhazen LinkedIn: /louloukhazen X (Twitter): /louloukhazen Follow the guests Ahmad AlZaini Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alzaini/ Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Sameer Hashmi travels to Riyadh to examine the progress of Vision 2030, an ambitious plan launched nearly a decade ago to transform one of the world's biggest oil producers into a more diverse economy. The kingdom has invested hundreds of billions of dollars in tourism, entertainment, sport and mega-projects, while introducing sweeping social reforms that have reshaped everyday life. But oil remains central to the economy, some flagship projects have been scaled back, and now the conflict with Iran is creating fresh uncertainty over the kingdom's plans to diversify its economy.Presenter/producer: Sameer HashmiYou can email the team: businessdaily@bbc.co.uk(Picture: A Saudi man walks past the logo of Vision 2030 after a news conference in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia June 7, 2016. Credit: REUTERS/Faisal Al Nasser)

Full show notes: https://bengreenfieldlife.com/zenospodcast In this episode with Mazen Karnaby, founder of Zenos Health, you'll hear how a pharmacist who spent 17 years filling prescriptions behind the counter ended up building one of the more rigorously formulated supplement lines on the market. You'll hear his full story, including a melanoma diagnosis that reframed his entire approach to health, get into the formulation details behind his most talked about products, from the creatine gummies people get genuinely addicted to, to UriZen for kidney and urinary tract support, VZen for the vaginal microbiome, and BeautyZen for skin and hair, and hear about Zenos Alive and the Zenos Health Summit, a new wellness festival and conference coming to Riyadh, Saudi Arabia in 2027. Mazen Karnaby is a US trained pharmacist and the founder of Zenos Health. After a melanoma diagnosis several years ago, his focus shifted from reactive care toward prevention and long term resilience. He co-owns Cedra Pharmacy locations across California, Texas, and New York, and built Zenos Health around science backed formulations designed to take the guesswork out of supplementation. Find him at zenoshealth.com. Use code BENGRF for 10% off at bengreenfieldlife.com/zenos. Join Ben at Zenos Alive and the Zenos Health Summit in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia in 2027. Episode Sponsors: Quantum Upgrade: Recent research has revealed that the Quantum Upgrade was able to increase ATP production by a jaw-dropping 20–25% in human cells. Unlock a 15-day free trial with the code BEN15 at quantumupgrade.io. Fatty15: Fatty15 is on a mission to optimize your C15:0 levels and help you live healthier, longer. You can get an additional 15% off their 90-day subscription Starter Kit by going to fatty15.com/BEN and using code BEN at checkout. Hiya: Give your kids the full-body nourishment they need to grow into healthy adults. I’ve secured a special deal with Hiya on their best-selling children's vitamin—get 50% off your first order today! To claim this deal, you must go to hiyahealth.com/BEN (it is not available on their regular website). Anthros: You can train hard and still undo a lot of that progress by sitting for the next eight hours, which is why Anthros takes a different approach, starting with a Precision Posture System at the pelvis so your spine naturally aligns, plus a built-in Clinical Posture Consult that helps identify issues you may not even realize you have. Go to anthros.com and use code BEN for an exclusive $200 discount and try it risk-free for 60 days. BON CHARGE: BON CHARGE is a holistic wellness brand with a wide range of products that naturally address the issues of modern life. Their products can help you sleep better, perform better, recover faster, balance hormones, reduce inflammation, and so much more. Go to boncharge.com/GREENFIELD and use coupon code GREENFIELD to save 15%.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

0:00 Show Open and Mike Briefly Talks DOOM.9:00 Well, Marc Maron is at it again.1:03:45 Nate Barnazi1:41:00 Carlos Mencia Tax Troubles1:45:30 Ari on Riyadh.1:50:35 Big Jay Hates Kevin Hart?2:01:30 Road Back to Philly Over?FOR ALL THINGS BLIND MIKEhttp://blindmike.netFOR ALL THINGS CRAIGGERShttp://www.verygoodshow.org

WWE is holding its Night of Champions show next weekend and I've got PREDICTIONS, including for the King of the Ring and Queen of the Ring finals, thoughts on what happened on Smackdown and why Sami Zayn should win the WWE championship in Riyadh.But it was also a WILD WEEK FOR TNA and I'm covering more TNA news in this one episode than I've ever done in the 19 years of this podcast... with thoughts on Tessa Blanchard LEAVING TNA, Tommy Dreamer "mutually" parting ways with the company (sure thing), Sami Callihan making some noise on his way out after getting the axe and questions about exactly how much money TNA is getting out of this AMC deal as talent continues to flee.On the AEW side, Jim Ross is back in the hospital again, FTR is taking time away from the ring and thoughts on Maya World's SHOCKING WIN over Athena in the Owen Hart tournament and where things may be headed there with Mercedes Mone in the finals.Plus, the death of Duke Doherty, thoughts on Cyndi Lauper getting her own WWE action figure and what that means for the Hall of Fame, could a Razor Ramon World title run have worked and my review for the new TOY STORY 5 movie.Support my sponsors this week by using the links below!EXPRESSVPN ▶ Get an extra FOUR MONTHS FREE of the #1 trusted VPN at http://www.expressvpn.com/solomonsterZOCDOC ▶ Visit http://www.zocdoc.com/solomonster to find and INSTANTLY book a doctor you love today!WIX HARMONY ▶ The NEW WAY to create websites!  Try it FREE at http://www.wix.com/harmony***Follow Solomonster on X (formerly Twitter) for news and opinion:http://x.com/solomonsterSubscribe to the Solomonster Sounds Off on YouTube:https://www.youtube.com/user/TheSolomonster?sub_confirmation=1Become a Solomonster Sounds Off Channel Member:https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC9jcg7mk93fGNqWPMfl_Aig/join