Podcasts about Russian

Cartel leader El Mencho of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel is killed in a military raid, triggering retaliatory violence across Mexico as Bill Roggio analyzes the limits of counterterrorism and demand. 1.John Batchelor and Bill Roggio examine the US fleet near Iran, questioning the effectiveness of air power alone against ideologically committed regimes like the Houthis. 2.Following El Mencho's death, Ernesto Araújo and Alejandro Peña Esclusa discuss the impact on Brazil and Venezuela, highlighting the Trump administration's aggressive strategy to dismantle organized crime throughout Latin America. 3.Ernesto Araújo and Alejandro Peña Esclusa explore Cuba's severe oil crisis and potential democratic transitions as Venezuelan support collapses and Lula da Silva seeks cooperation with the United States government. 4.Malcolm Hoenlein and Thaddius McCotter report on massive casualties following Iranian protests and the buildup of US forces, discussing potential regime change and regional mobilization of proxy groups. 5.Malcolm Hoenlein and Thaddius McCotter assess the US withdrawal from Syria, leaving minority groups vulnerable while ISIS resurges, while also covering Azerbaijan's regional influence and the stalemate over Hamas disarmament. 6.Bill Roggio and John Hardie reflect on four years of war in Ukraine, examining initial intelligence failures regarding Russian capabilities and the subsequent shift toward defensive, drone-centric modern warfare. 7.Bill Roggio and John Hardie analyze the conflict as it enters its fifth year, with negotiations stalled and Putinmaintaining maximalist demands, while assessing Russian casualty rates and the grinding war of exhaustion. 8.Jonathan Sayeh describes growing internal Iranian dissent, where students favor a pre-1979 Persian identity and the Crown Prince over the current "occupying" Islamic Republic of Iran. 9.General Blaine Holt analyzes China's J-35, noting it uses stolen F-35 designs but suffers from engine unreliability and systemic corruption within Chinese military procurement systems. 10.Morris Tan details the jailing of South Korea's ex-president, alleging election fraud by the current administration and a shift toward alignment with North Korea's regime. 11.David Daoud explains Israeli "policing" on the Lebanon border using quadcopters and stun grenades to deter Hezbollahand allow displaced northern residents to safely return. 12.Ahmad Sharawi and Bill Roggio discuss the closure of Al-Hol camp in Syria, warning that releasing ISIS-affiliated families risks resurgence due to deep radicalization and lack of oversight. 13.Ahmad Sharawi and Bill Roggio debate the chaotic Syrian civil war, noting the complex web of actors including the SDF and Turkey, while criticizing the US withdrawal and strategy. 14.Edmund Fitton-Brown and Bill Roggio examine Iran's potential responses to US military pressure, contrasting diplomatic signals with threats of offensive missile deployment and regional proxy warfare. 15.Edmund Fitton-Brown and Bill Roggio evaluate the limitations of air power against the Houthis and debate whether USstrikes could effectively decapitate or reform Iran's deeply unpopular and corrupt regime. 16.

Bill Roggio and John Hardie reflect on four years of war in Ukraine, examining initial intelligence failures regarding Russian capabilities and the subsequent shift toward defensive, drone-centric modern warfare.  1916 ODESSA

Bill Roggio and John Hardie analyze the conflict as it enters its fifth year, with negotiations stalled and Putinmaintaining maximalist demands, while assessing Russian casualty rates and the grinding war of exhaustion. 8.

2026-02-23 | UPDATES #139 | March 2014. Moscow. The world still pretends Crimea is a “local crisis.” Diplomats still talk about “off-ramps.” European politicians still think sanctions might gently persuade the Kremlin back to reality.And on a cold street in the Russian capital — something extraordinary happens. Thousands gather for the March of Peace. One of the speakers is a former Deputy Prime Minister — not a dissident outsider, not an exile, not a nationalist firebrand.A man who helped build post-Soviet Russia. Boris Nemtsov. And he does something almost nobody inside Russia dared to do in public. He explains exactly what this war will become.----------SUPPORT THE CHANNEL:https://www.buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtainhttps://www.patreon.com/siliconcurtainhttps://www.gofundme.com/f/scaling-up-campaign-to-fight-authoritarian-disinformation----------A REQUEST FOR HELP!I'm heading back to Kyiv this week, to film, do research and conduct interviews. The logistics and need for equipment and clothing are a little higher than for my previous trips. It will be cold, and may be dark also. If you can, please assist to ensure I can make this trip a success. My commitment to the audience of the channel, will be to bring back compelling interviews conducted in Ukraine, and to use the experience to improve the quality of the channel, it's insights and impact. Let Ukraine and democracy prevail! https://buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtain/extrashttps://www.patreon.com/siliconcurtainhttps://www.gofundme.com/f/scaling-up-campaign-to-fight-authoritarian-disinformationNONE OF THIS CAN HAPPEN WITHOUT YOU!So what's next? We're going to Kyiv in January 2026 to film on the ground, and will record interviews with some huge guests. We'll be creating opportunities for new interviews, and to connect you with the reality of a European city under escalating winter attack, from an imperialist, genocidal power. PLEASE HELP ME ME TO GROW SILICON CURTAINWe are planning our events for 2026, and to do more and have a greater impact. After achieving more than 12 events in 2025, we will aim to double that! 24 events and interviews on the ground in Ukraine, to push back against weaponized information, toxic propaganda and corrosive disinformation. Please help us make it happen!----------SOURCES: BBC News — Nemtsov assassination coverage (Feb 2015)Reuters — Kremlin reaction and investigation chronology (2015)Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty — Nemtsov's Ukraine war reports & speechesMeduza — publication of Putin. War reportHuman Rights Watch — Russia Crimea annexation documentationEuropean Council on Foreign Relations — early war analysis (2014-2016)Boris Nemtsov — March of Peace speech (Moscow, March 2014)Nemtsov & co-authors — Putin. War report (2015)Vladimir Kara-Murza essays on Nemtsov and Russian oppositionCarnegie Moscow Center — Russia-Ukraine relations post-CrimeaChatham House — Russian strategic objectives in UkraineAtlantic Council — early Donbas military involvement evidence----------

Silicon Bites Ep292 | 2026-02-23 | Russia is closed for business — the war economy that is devouring its own future. Russian opposition economist Vladimir Milov says Russia's economy now runs on one fuel: state war spending. Businesses can't invest, workers are disappearing, interest rates crush enterprise — and the Kremlin doesn't seem to care. The result? A country technically functioning, but economically shutting down, abandoning the core tenets of a market economy, and shedding all vestiges of economic rationality. Russia hasn't been sanctioned into isolation and oblivion. It's reorganising itself into a permanent wartime command economy – destroying all the economic progress of the 1990s. ----------SUPPORT THE CHANNEL:https://www.buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtainhttps://www.patreon.com/siliconcurtain----------SOURCES:AP News — wartime tax pressure on small business (2026)Reuters Breakingviews — fiscal strain and depletion of reserves (Feb 2026)The Moscow Times — stagnation, falling profits, investment slowdown The Moscow Times — taxes rising and growth ~1% PISM / economic analysis — 21% interest rates, labour shortage Wilson Center — war economy discourages investmentRUSI — inflation driven by war spendingGuardian economic analysis — labour shortages and tax increases Kyiv Independent interview with Vladimir Milov — reserves depletion and investment collapse----------SILICON CURTAIN LIVE EVENTS - FUNDRAISER CAMPAIGN Events in 2025 - Advocacy for a Ukrainian victory with Silicon Curtainhttps://buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtain/extrasOur events of the first half of the year in Lviv, Kyiv and Odesa were a huge success. Now we need to maintain this momentum, and change the tide towards a Ukrainian victory. The Silicon Curtain Roadshow is an ambitious campaign to run a minimum of 12 events in 2025, and potentially many more. Any support you can provide for the fundraising campaign would be gratefully appreciated. https://buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtain/extrasWe need to scale up our support for Ukraine, and these events are designed to have a major impact. Your support in making it happen is greatly appreciated. All events will be recorded professionally and published for free on the Silicon Curtain channel. Where possible, we will also live-stream events.https://buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtain/extras----------

Today's Headlines: On Friday, the Supreme Court ruled 6–3 that Donald Trump's tariffs are unconstitutional under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act. The dissenters: Thomas, Alito, and Kavanaugh. Trump responded by blasting Justices Gorsuch and Barrett as “disloyal” and insisting he can “destroy trade” but not “charge a little fee.” He then proposed a global 10% tariff workaround — later bumped to 15%. Meanwhile, Americans are still effectively paying 9.1% in tariffs, and the Court didn't address what happens to the $133 billion already collected. Over the weekend, Trump announced he's sending a “great hospital boat” to Greenland, despite Denmark saying it wasn't informed and doesn't need it. The Navy ships in question are reportedly in Alabama. Sure. On the Russia beat, a Trump ally signed a natural gas deal with Russian energy giant Novatek despite U.S. sanctions tied to Vladimir Putin's invasion of Ukraine — the first known new U.S.–Russia venture of its kind. Separately, ICE and other agencies contracted with phone-forensics firm Oxygen Forensics, which has ties to sanctioned former FSB figures. At the same time, DHS has issued hundreds of subpoenas to tech companies seeking identifying information on users critical of ICE. Trump is also pressuring Netflix to remove Susan Rice from its board amid maneuvering around a media acquisition deal that could affect CNN. Casual. In Florida, Secret Service agents shot and killed a 21-year-old man who allegedly breached the perimeter of Mar-a-Lagowith what appeared to be a shotgun and fuel can; the investigation is ongoing. Meanwhile, Florida lawmakers approved renaming Palm Beach International Airport after Trump — a $5.5 million rebrand. And finally, taxpayers will now provide new Secret Service agents with two tailored suits upon graduation. Inflation hits us all differently. Resources/Articles mentioned in this episode: NBC News: Trump raises global tariff to 15% shortly after implementing reworked 10% levy NYT: Denmark Rejects Trump's Plan to Send Hospital Boat to Greenland NYT: With ‘Tremendous' Deals at Stake, Trump Is Bringing Russia in From the Cold Substack: ICE Is Using Phone Extraction Software Linked to Russia's FSB-Connected Network Military: DHS Collecting Big Tech Users' Personal Data, Issuing Subpoenas For ICE-Related Criticism Financial Times: Trump demands Netflix remove former Obama official from board NBC: Law enforcement shoots and kills armed man trying to enter Mar-a-Lago, Secret Service says Politico: Now boarding: Florida Legislature approves renaming Palm Beach airport after Trump NYT: Homeland Security to Shut TSA PreCheck and Global Entry at Airports CNN: Exclusive: Secret Service will offer tailored suits to new protective detail agents Subscribe to the Betches News Room and join the Morning Announcements group chat. Go to: ⁠⁠⁠betchesnews.substack.com Morning Announcements is produced by Sami Sage and edited by Grace Hernandez-Johnson Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Day 1,460.Today, reporting live from Ukraine on the eve of the fourth anniversary of Russia's full-scale invasion, we cover fresh bombardments on both Ukrainian and Russian territory, the investigation into an explosive device that killed a police officer in Lviv and injured dozens more, and President Zelensky's claims that Ukrainian forces have liberated 300 square kilometres in southern Ukraine – and that the Third World War has “already begun.” Plus, we hear reflections from our Europe Editor, and our Chief Foreign Affairs Commentator, who was inside No 10 Downing Street when Vladimir Putin launched the invasion in February 2022, on the calculations made in London at the outset of Russia's war in Ukraine.ContributorsFrancis Dearnley (Executive Editor for Audio). @FrancisDearnley on X.James Crisp (Europe Editor). @JamesCrisp6 on X.David Blair (Chief Foreign Correspondent). @davidblairdt on X.Dominic Nicholls (Associate Editor of Defence). @DomNicholls on X.Adélie Pojzman-Pontay (Journalist and Producer). @adeliepjzon X.NOW AVAILABLE IN VIDEO WITH MAPS & BATTLEFIELD FOOTAGE:Every episode is now available on our YouTube channel shortly after the release of the audio version. You will find it here: https://www.youtube.com/@UkraineTheLatest CONTENT REFERENCED:Zelensky accuses Putin of starting World War Three (The Telegraph):https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2026/02/23/zelensky-putin-russia-ukraine-world-war-three/Russia kills Ukrainian civilians as anniversary of invasion approaches (The Telegraph):https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/02/22/russia-strikes-kyiv-with-ballistic-missiles/ Ukraine strikes long-range missile plant 1,400km behind Russian lines (The Telegraph):https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/02/21/ukraine-strikes-long-range-missile-factory-russia/ Ukrainian held after bombs kill policewoman, 23, in Lviv (The Telegraph):https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/02/22/ukrainian-woman-arrest-lviv-kremlin-terror-attacks/ Healey: I want to send British troops to Ukraine (The Telegraph):https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2026/02/21/healey-i-want-to-send-british-troops-to-ukraine/ WEEKLY NEWSLETTER:Our weekly newsletter includes maps of the frontlines and diagrams of weapons, answers your questions, provides recommended reading, and gives exclusive analysis and behind-the-scenes insights.. It's free for everyone, including non-subscribers. Join here – http://telegraph.co.uk/ukrainenewsletter EMAIL US:Contact the team on ukrainepod@telegraph.co.uk . We continue to read every message, and seek to respond to as many on air and in our newsletter as possible.Subscribe: telegraph.co.uk/ukrainethelatestEmail: ukrainepod@telegraph.co.uk Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A senior FBI cyber official warns Salt Typhoon remains an ongoing threat. Data protection authorities issue a joint statement raising serious concerns about AI image creation. A Japanese semiconductor equipment maker confirms a ransomware attack. New number formats seek to reduce AI overhead. A low-skilled Russian-speaking threat actor compromised more than 600 Fortinet FortiGate firewalls. Spanish authorities have arrested four alleged members of Anonymous. CISA tags a pair of Roundcube Webmail flaws. Cybersecurity stocks fell sharply on news of a new security feature in Claude AI. Monday business breakdown. Brandon Karpf, friend of the show discussing sovereignty in space and cyber. Digital disruption drains drumsticks. Remember to leave us a 5-star rating and review in your favorite podcast app. Miss an episode? Sign-up for our daily intelligence roundup, Daily Briefing, and you'll never miss a beat. And be sure to follow CyberWire Daily on LinkedIn. CyberWire Guest Today Dave sits down with Brandon Karpf, friend of the show, and Maria Varmazis, host of T-Minus, as they are discussing sovereignty in space and cyber. Selected Reading FBI: Threats from Salt Typhoon are ‘still very much ongoing' (CyberScoop) Joint Statement on AI-Generated Imagery and the Protection of Privacy (International Enforcement Cooperation Working Group (IEWG)) Japanese chip-testing toolmaker Advantest suffers ransomware attack (Help Net Security) AI's Math Tricks Don't Work for Scientific Computing (IEEE) Russian Cyber Threat Actor Uses GenAI to Compromise Fortinet Firewalls (Infosecurity Magazine) Suspected Anonymous members cuffed in Spain over DDoS attack (The Register) CISA: Recently patched RoundCube flaws now exploited in attacks (Bleeping Computer) Anthropic Unveils 'Claude Code Security,' Sending Cyber Stocks Lower (Bloomberg) RSAC Innovation Sandbox finalists secure $5 million each. (N2K Pro Business Briefing) Cyber attack takes major chicken processor Hazeldenes offline leaving businesses without meat (ABC News) Share your feedback. What do you think about CyberWire Daily? Please take a few minutes to share your thoughts with us by completing our brief listener survey. Thank you for helping us continue to improve our show. Want to hear your company in the show? N2K CyberWire helps you reach the industry's most influential leaders and operators, while building visibility, authority, and connectivity across the cybersecurity community. Learn more at sponsor.thecyberwire.com. The CyberWire is a production of N2K Networks, your source for strategic workforce intelligence. © N2K Networks, Inc. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Welcome to the Learn Polish Podcast – your gateway to mastering Polish through immersive, real-world conversations. Each episode blends authentic Polish dialogue with clear explanations, helping you build vocabulary naturally while exploring Polish culture, traditions, and everyday life. Whether you're a beginner or advancing your skills, join us as we make learning Polish engaging, practical, and fun. Find more episodes, lesson materials, and resources at www.learnpolishpodcast.com. You can also find us on YouTube, Rumble, Spotify, and Bitchute.   Vocabulary List / Lista słówek Table Copy Polish English Pronunciation Mężczyzna Man mensh-CHIZ-nah Kobieta Woman ko-BYEH-tah Związek Relationship ZVYON-zek Mars Mars mars Wenus Venus VEH-noos Komunikacja Communication ko-moo-nee-KA-tsya Problem Problem PRO-blem Rozwiązanie Solution ro-zvy-ZA-nyeh Konflikt Conflict KON-flikt Przestrzeń Space pshesh-TREN Bańka Bubble BAHN-kah Przepraszam I'm sorry psheh-PRA-sham Kompromis Compromise kom-pro-MEES Rozumiem I understand ro-ZOO-myem Nie rozumiem I don't understand nyeh ro-ZOO-myem Jestem tu dla ciebie I'm here for you YEH-stem too dla CHEH-byeh  

In a BBC interview, the Ukrainian president. Volodymyr Zelensky, has accused President Putin of trying to impose a different way of life on the world, warning that the Russian leader would "not stop" at Ukraine. Also on the programme: the International Criminal Court has opened hearings to decide if the former Philippine president, Rodrigo Duterte, should face trial for crimes against humanity; and we speak to Wagner Moura, star of the Oscar-nominated Brazilian film The Secret Agent.(Photo: Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky speaks during the 62nd Munich Security Conference (MSC) at the hotel 'Bayerischer Hof', in Munich, Germany. Credit: Ronald Wittek/EPA/Shutterstock.)

Last time we spoke about General Zhukov's arrival to the Nomohan incident. The Kwantung Army's inexperienced 23rd Division, under General Komatsubara, suffered heavy losses in failed offensives, including Colonel Yamagata's assault and the annihilation of Lieutenant Colonel Azuma's detachment, resulting in around 500 Japanese casualties. Tensions within the Japanese command intensified as Kwantung defied Tokyo's restraint, issuing aggressive orders like 1488 and launching a June 27 air raid on Soviet bases, destroying dozens of aircraft and securing temporary air superiority. This provoked Moscow's fury and rebukes from Emperor Hirohito. On June 1, Georgy Zhukov, a rising Red Army tactician and tank expert, was summoned from Minsk. Arriving June 5, he assessed the 57th Corps as inadequate, relieved Commander Feklenko, and took charge of the redesignated 1st Army Group. Reinforcements included mechanized brigades, tanks, and aircraft. Japanese intelligence misread Soviet supply convoys as retreats, underestimating Zhukov's 12,500 troops against their 15,000. By July, both sides poised for a massive clash, fueled by miscalculations and gekokujo defiance.   #190 Zhukov Unleashes Tanks at Nomohan Welcome to the Fall and Rise of China Podcast, I am your dutiful host Craig Watson. But, before we start I want to also remind you this podcast is only made possible through the efforts of Kings and Generals over at Youtube. Perhaps you want to learn more about the history of Asia? Kings and Generals have an assortment of episodes on history of asia and much more  so go give them a look over on Youtube. So please subscribe to Kings and Generals over at Youtube and to continue helping us produce this content please check out www.patreon.com/kingsandgenerals. If you are still hungry for some more history related content, over on my channel, the Pacific War Channel where I cover the history of China and Japan from the 19th century until the end of the Pacific War. At 4:00 a.m. on July 1, 15,000 heavily laden Japanese troops began marching to their final assembly and jump-off points. The sun rose at 4:00 a.m. and set at 9:00 p.m. that day, but the Japanese advance went undetected by Soviet/MPR commanders, partly because the June 27 air raid had temporarily cleared Soviet reconnaissance from the skies. On the night of July 1, Komatsubara launched the first phase. The 23rd Division, with the Yasuoka Detachment, converged on Fui Heights, east of the Halha River, about eleven miles north of its confluence with the Holsten. The term "heights" is misleading here; a Japanese infantry colonel described Fui as a "raised pancake" roughly one to one-and-a-half miles across, about thirty to forty feet higher than the surrounding terrain. For reasons not fully explained, the small Soviet force stationed on the heights was withdrawn during the day on July 1, and that night Fui Heights was occupied by Komatsubara's forces almost unopposed. This caused little stir at Zhukov's headquarters. Komatsubara bided his time on July 2.   On the night of July 2–3, the Japanese achieved a brilliant tactical success. A battalion of the 71st Infantry Regiment silently crossed the Halha River on a moonless night and landed unopposed on the west bank opposite Fui Heights. Recent rains had swollen the river to 100–150 yards wide and six feet deep, making crossing difficult for men, horses, or vehicles. Combat engineers swiftly laid a pontoon bridge, completing it by 6:30 a.m. on July 3. The main body of Komatsubara's 71st and 72nd Infantry Regiments (23rd Division) and the 26th Regiment (7th Division) began a slow, arduous crossing. The pontoon bridge, less than eight feet wide, was a bottleneck, allowing only one truck at a time. The attackers could not cross with armored vehicles, but they did bring across their regimental artillery, 18 x 37-mm antitank guns, 12 x 75-mm mountain guns, 8 x 75-mm field guns, and 4 x 120-mm howitzers, disassembled, packed on pack animals, and reassembled on the west bank. The crossing took the entire day, and the Japanese were fortunate to go without interception. The Halha crossing was commanded personally by General Komatsubara and was supported by a small Kwantung Army contingent, including General Yano (deputy chief of staff), Colonel Hattori, and Major Tsuji from the Operations Section. Despite the big air raid having alerted Zhukov, the initial Japanese moves from July 1–3 achieved complete tactical surprise, aided by Tsuji's bold plan. The first indication of the major offensive came when General Yasuoka's tanks attacked predawn on July 3. Yasuoka suspected Soviet troops south of him attempting to retreat across the Halha to the west bank, and he ordered his tanks to attack immediately, with infantry not yet in position. The night's low clouds, no moon, and low visibility—along with a passing thunderstorm lighting the sky—made the scene dramatic. Seventy Japanese tanks roared forward, supported by infantry and artillery, and the Soviet 149th Infantry Regiment found itself overwhelmed. Zhukov, hearing of Yasuoka's assault but unaware that Komatsubara had crossed the Halha, ordered his armor to move northeast to Bain Tsagan to confront the initiative. There, Soviet armor clashed with Japanese forces in a chaotic, largely uncoordinated engagement. The Soviet counterattacks, supported by heavy artillery, halted much of the Japanese momentum, and by late afternoon Japanese infantry had to dig in west of the Halha. The crossing had been accomplished without Soviet reconnaissance detecting it in time, but Zhukov's counterattacks, the limits of Japanese armored mobility across the pontoon, and the heat and exhaustion of the troops constrained the Japanese effort. By the afternoon of July 3, Zhukov's forces were pressing hard, and the Japanese momentum began to stall. Yasuoka's tanks, supported by a lack of infantry and the fatigue and losses suffered by the infantry, could not close the gap to link with Komatsubara's forces. The Type 89 tanks, designed for infantry support, were ill-suited to penetrating Soviet armor, especially when faced with BT-5/BT-7 tanks and strong anti-tank guns. The Type 95 light tanks were faster but lightly armored, and suffered heavily from Soviet fire and air attacks. Infantry on the western bank struggled to catch up with tanks, shot through by Soviet artillery and armor, while the 64th Regiment could not keep pace with the tanks due to the infantry's lack of motorized transport. By late afternoon, Yasuoka's advance stalled far short of the river junction and the Soviet bridge. The infantry dug in to withstand Soviet bombardment, and the Japanese tank regiments withdrew to their jump-off points by nightfall. The Japanese suffered heavy losses in tanks, though some were recovered and repaired; by July 9, KwAHQ decided to withdraw its two tank regiments from the theater. Armor would play no further role in the Nomonhan conflict. The Soviets, by contrast, sustained heavier tank losses but began to replenish with new models. The July offensive, for Kwantung Army, proved a failure. Part of the failure stemmed from a difficult blend of terrain and logistics. Unusually heavy rains in late June had transformed the dirt roads between Hailar and Nomonhan into a mud-filled quagmire. Japanese truck transport, already limited, was so hampered by these conditions that combat effectiveness suffered significantly. Colonel Yamagata's 64th Infantry Regiment, proceeding on foot, could not keep pace with or support General Yasuoka's tanks on July 3–4. Komatsubara's infantry on the west bank of the Halha ran short of ammunition, food, and water. As in the May 28 battle, the main cause of the Kwantung Army's July offensive failure was wholly inadequate military intelligence. Once again, the enemy's strength had been seriously underestimated. Moreover, a troubling realization was dawning at KwAHQ and in the field: the intelligence error was not merely quantitative but qualitative. The Soviets were not only more numerous but also far more potent than anticipated. The attacking Japanese forces initially held a slight numerical edge and enjoyed tactical surprise, but the Red Army fought tenaciously, and the weight of Soviet firepower proved decisive. Japan, hampered by a relative lack of raw materials and industrial capacity, could not match the great powers in the quantitative production of military materiel. Consequently, Japanese military leaders traditionally emphasized the spiritual superiority of Japan's armed forces in doctrine and training, often underestimating the importance of material factors, including firepower. This was especially true of the army that had carried the tactic of the massed bayonet charge into World War II. This "spiritual" combat doctrine arose from necessity; admitting material superiority would have implied defeat. Japan's earlier victories in the Sino-Japanese War, Russo-Japanese War, the Manchurian incident, and the China War, along with legendary medieval victories over the Mongol hordes, seemed to confirm the transcendent importance of fighting spirit. Only within such a doctrine could the Imperial Japanese Army muster inner strength and confidence to face formidable enemies. This was especially evident against Soviet Russia, whose vast geography, population, and resources loomed large. Yet what of its spirit? The Japanese military dismissed Bolshevism as a base, materialist philosophy utterly lacking spiritual power. Consequently, the Red Army was presumed to have low morale and weak fighting effectiveness. Stalin's purges only reinforced this belief. Kwantung Army's recent experiences at Nomonhan undermined this outlook. Among ordinary soldiers and officers alike, from the 23rd Division Staff to KwAHQ—grim questions formed: Had Soviet materiel and firepower proven superior to Japanese fighting spirit? If not, did the enemy possess a fighting spirit comparable to their own? To some in Kwantung Army, these questions were grotesque and almost unthinkable. To others, the implications were too painful to face. Perhaps May and July's combat results were an aberration caused by the 23rd Division's inexperience. Nevertheless, a belief took hold at KwAHQ that this situation required radical rectification. Zhukov's 1st Army Headquarters, evaluating recent events, was not immune to self-criticism and concern for the future. The enemy's success in transporting nearly 10,000 men across the Halha without detection—despite heightened Soviet alert after the June 27 air raid—revealed a level of carelessness and lack of foresight at Zhukov's level. Zhukov, however, did not fully capitalize on Komatsubara's precarious position on July 4–5. Conversely, Zhukov and his troops reacted calmly in the crisis's early hours. Although surprised and outnumbered, Zhukov immediately recognized that "our trump cards were the armored detachments, and we decided to use them immediately." He acted decisively, and the rapid deployment of armor proved pivotal. Some criticized the uncoordinated and clumsy Soviet assault on Komatsubara's infantry on July 3, but the Japanese were only a few hours' march from the river junction and the Soviet bridge. By hurling tanks at Komatsubara's advance with insufficient infantry support, Mikhail Yakovlev (11th Tank Brigade) and A. L. Lesovoi (7th Mechanized Brigade) incurred heavy losses. Nonetheless, they halted the Japanese southward advance, forcing Komatsubara onto the defensive, from which he never regained momentum. Zhukov did not flinch from heavy casualties to achieve his objectives. He later told General Dwight D. Eisenhower that if the enemy faced a minefield, their infantry attacked as if it did not exist, treating personnel mine losses as equal to those that would have occurred if the Germans defended the area with strong troops rather than minefields. Zhukov admitted losing 120 tanks and armored cars that day—a high price, but necessary to avert defeat. Years later, Zhukov defended his Nomonhan tactics, arguing he knew his armor would suffer heavy losses, but that was the only way to prevent the Japanese from seizing the bridge at the river confluence. Had Komatsubara's forces advanced unchecked for another two or three hours, they might have fought through to the Soviet bridge and linked with the Yasuoka detachment, endangering Zhukov's forces. Zhukov credited Yakovlev, Lesovoi, and their men with stabilizing the crisis through timely and self-sacrificing counterattacks. The armored car battalion of the 8th MPR Cavalry Division also distinguished itself in this action. Zhukov and his tankmen learned valuable lessons in those two days of brutal combat. A key takeaway was the successful use of large tank formations as an independent primary attack force, contrary to then-orthodox doctrine, which saw armor mainly as infantry support and favored integrating armor into every infantry regiment rather than maintaining large, autonomous armored units. The German blitzkrieg demonstrations in Poland and Western Europe soon followed, but, until then, few major armies had absorbed the tank-warfare theories championed by Basil Liddell-Hart and Charles de Gaulle. The Soviet high command's leading proponent of large-scale tank warfare had been Marshal Mikhail Tukhachevsky. His execution in 1937 erased those ideas, and the Red Army subsequently disbanded armored divisions and dispersed tanks among infantry, misapplying battlefield lessons from the Spanish Civil War. Yet Zhukov was learning a different lesson on a different battlefield. The open terrain of eastern Mongolia favored tanks, and Zhukov was a rapid learner. The Russians also learned mundane, but crucial, lessons: Japanese infantry bravely clambering onto their vehicles taught Soviet tank crews to lock hatch lids from the inside. The BT-5 and BT-7 tanks were easily set aflame by primitive hand-thrown firebombs, and rear deck ventilation grills and exhaust manifolds were vulnerable and required shielding. Broadly, the battle suggested to future Red Army commander Zhukov that tank and motorized troops, coordinated with air power and mobile artillery, could decisively conduct rapid operations. Zhukov was not the first to envision combining mobile firepower with air and artillery, but he had rare opportunities to apply this formula in crucial tests. The July offensive confirmed to the Soviets that the Nomonhan incident was far from a border skirmish; it signaled intent for further aggression. Moscow's leadership, informed by Richard Sorge's Tokyo network, perceived Japan's renewed effort to draw Germany into an anti-Soviet alliance as a dangerous possibility. Stalin and Vyacheslav Molotov began indicating to Joachim von Ribbentrop and Adolf Hitler that Berlin's stance on the Soviet–Japanese conflict would influence Soviet-German rapprochement considerations. Meanwhile, Moscow decided to reinforce Zhukov. Tens of thousands of troops and machines were ordered to Mongolia, with imports from European Russia. Foreign diplomats traveling the Trans-Siberian Railway reported eastbound trains jammed with personnel and matériel. The buildup faced a major bottleneck at Borzya, the easternmost railhead in the MPR, about 400 miles from the Halha. To prevent a logistics choke, a massive truck transport operation was needed. Thousands of trucks, half-tracks, gun-towing tractors, and other vehicles were organized into a continuous eight-hundred-mile, five-day shuttle run. The Trans-Baikal Military District, under General Shtern, supervised the effort. East of the Halha, many Japanese officers still refused to accept a failure verdict for the July offensive. General Komatsubara did not return to Hailar, instead establishing a temporary divisional HQ at Kanchuerhmiao, where his staff grappled with overcoming Soviet firepower. They concluded that night combat—long a staple of Japanese infantry tactics—could offset Soviet advantages. On July 7 at 9:30 p.m., a thirty-minute Japanese artillery barrage preceded a nighttime assault by elements of the 64th and 72nd Regiments. The Soviet 149th Infantry Regiment and supporting Mongolian cavalry were surprised and forced to fall back toward the Halha before counterattacking. Reinforcements arrived on both sides, and in brutal close-quarters combat the Japanese gained a partial local advantage, but were eventually pushed back; Major I. M. Remizov of the 149th Regiment was killed and later posthumously named a Hero of the Soviet Union. Since late May, Soviet engineers had built at least seven bridges across the Halha and Holsten Rivers to support operations. By July 7–8, Japanese demolition teams destroyed two Soviet bridges. Komatsubara believed that destroying bridges could disrupt Soviet operations east of the Halha and help secure the border. Night attacks continued from July 8 to July 12 against the Soviet perimeter, with Japanese assaults constricting Zhukov's bridgehead while Soviet artillery and counterattacks relentlessly pressed. Casualties mounted on both sides. The Japanese suffered heavy losses but gained some positions; Soviet artillery, supported by motorized infantry and armor, gradually pushed back the attackers. The biggest problem for Japan remained Soviet artillery superiority and the lack of a commensurate counter-battery capability. Japanese infantry had to withdraw to higher ground at night to avoid daytime exposure to artillery and tanks. On the nights of July 11–12, Yamagata's 64th Regiment and elements of Colonel Sakai Mikio's 72nd Regiment attempted a major assault on the Soviet bridgehead. Despite taking heavy casualties, the Japanese managed to push defenders back to the river on occasion, but Soviet counterattacks, supported by tiresome artillery and armor, prevented a decisive breakthrough. Brigade Commander Yakovlev of the 11th Armored, who led several counterattacks, was killed and later honored as a Hero of the Soviet Union; his gun stands today as a monument at the battlefield. The July 11–12 action marked the high-water mark of the Kwantung Army's attempt to expel Soviet/MPR forces east of the Halha. Komatsubara eventually suspended the costly night attacks; by that night, the 64th Regiment had suffered roughly 80–90 killed and about three times that number wounded. The decision proved controversial, with some arguing that he had not realized how close his forces had come to seizing the bridge. Others argued that broader strategic considerations justified the pause. Throughout the Nomonhan fighting, Soviet artillery superiority, both quantitative and qualitative, became painfully evident. The Soviet guns exacted heavy tolls and repeatedly forced Japanese infantry to withdraw from exposed positions. The Japanese artillery, in contrast, could not match the Red Army's scale. By July 25, Kwantung Army ended its artillery attack, a humiliating setback. Tokyo and Hsinking recognized the futility of achieving a decisive military victory at Nomonhan and shifted toward seeking a diplomatic settlement, even if concessions to the Soviet Union and the MPR were necessary. Kwantung Army, however, opposed negotiations, fearing it would echo the "Changkufeng debacle" and be read by enemies as weakness. Tsuji lamented that Kwantung Army's insistence on framing the second phase as a tie—despite heavy Soviet losses, revealed a reluctance to concede any territory. Differences in outlook and policy between AGS and Kwantung Army—and the central army's inability to impose its will on Manchukuo's field forces—became clear. The military establishment buzzed with stories of gekokujo (the superiority of the superior) within Kwantung Army and its relations with the General Staff. To enforce compliance, AGS ordered General Isogai to Tokyo for briefings, and KwAHQ's leadership occasionally distanced itself from AGS. On July 20, Isogai arrived at General Staff Headquarters and was presented with "Essentials for Settlement of the Nomonhan Incident," a formal document outlining a step-by-step plan for Kwantung Army to maintain its defensive position east of the Halha while diplomatic negotiations proceeded. If negotiations failed, Kwantung Army would withdraw to the boundary claimed by the Soviet Union by winter. Isogai, the most restrained member of the Kwantung Army circle, argued against accepting the Essentials, insisting on preserving Kwantung Army's honor and rejecting a unilateral east-bank withdrawal. A tense exchange followed, but General Nakajima ended the dispute by noting that international boundaries cannot be determined by the army alone. Isogai pledged to report the General Staff's views to his commander and take the Essentials back to KwAHQ for study. Technically, the General Staff's Essentials were not orders; in practice, however, they were treated as such. Kwantung Army tended to view them as suggestions and retained discretion in implementation. AGS hoped the Essentials would mollify Kwantung Army's wounded pride. The August 4 decision to create a 6 Army within Kwantung Army, led by General Ogisu Rippei, further complicated the command structure. Komatsubara's 23rd Division and nearby units were attached to the 6 Army, which also took responsibility for defending west-central Manchukuo, including the Nomonhan area. The 6 Army existed largely on paper, essentially a small headquarters to insulate KwAHQ from battlefield realities. AGS sought a more accountable layer of command between KwAHQ and the combat zone, but General Ueda and KwAHQ resented the move and offered little cooperation. In the final weeks before the last battles, General Ogisu and his small staff had limited influence on Nomonhan. Meanwhile, the European crisis over German demands on Poland intensified, moving into a configuration highly favorable to the Soviet Union. By the first week of August, it became evident in the Kremlin that both Anglo-French powers and the Germans were vying to secure an alliance with Moscow. Stalin knew now that he would likely have a free hand in the coming war in the West. At the same time, Richard Sorge, the Soviet master spy in Tokyo, correctly reported that Japan's top political and military leaders sought to prevent the escalation of the Nomonhan incident into an all-out war. These developments gave the cautious Soviet dictator the confidence to commit the Red Army to large-scale combat operations in eastern Mongolia. In early August, Stalin ordered preparations for a major offensive to clear the Nomonhan area of the "Japanese samurai who had violated the territory of the friendly Outer Mongolian people." The buildup of Zhukov's 1st Army Group accelerated still further. Its July strength was augmented by the 57th and 82nd Infantry Divisions, the 6th Tank Brigade, the 212th Airborne Brigade, numerous smaller infantry, armor, and artillery units, and two Mongolian cavalry divisions. Soviet air power in the area was also greatly strengthened. When this buildup was completed by mid-August, Zhukov commanded an infantry force equivalent to four divisions, supported by two cavalry divisions, 216 artillery pieces, 498 armored vehicles, and 581 aircraft. To bring in the supplies necessary for this force to launch an offensive, General Shtern's Trans-Baikal Military District Headquarters amassed a fleet of more than 4,200 vehicles, which trucked in about 55,000 tons of materiel from the distant railway depot at Borzya. The Japanese intelligence network in Outer Mongolia was weak, a problem that went unremedied throughout the Nomonhan incident. This deficiency, coupled with the curtailment of Kwantung Army's transborder air operations, helps explain why the Japanese remained ignorant of the scope of Zhukov's buildup. They were aware that some reinforcements were flowing eastward across the Trans-Siberian Railway toward the MPR but had no idea of the volume. Then, at the end of July, Kwantung Army Intelligence intercepted part of a Soviet telegraph transmission indicating that preparations were under way for some offensive operation in the middle of August. This caused a stir at KwAHQ. Generals Ueda and Yano suspected that the enemy planned to strike across the Halha River. Ueda's initial reaction was to reinforce the 23rd Division at Nomonhan with the rest of the highly regarded 7th Division. However, the 7th Division was Kwantung Army's sole strategic reserve, and the Operations Section was reluctant to commit it to extreme western Manchukuo, fearing mobilization of Soviet forces in the Maritime Province and a possible attack in the east near Changkufeng. The Kwantung Army commander again ignored his own better judgment and accepted the Operations Section's recommendation. The main strength of the 7th Division remained at its base near Tsitsihar, but another infantry regiment, the 28th, was dispatched to the Nomonhan area, as was an infantry battalion from the Mukden Garrison. Earlier, in mid-July, Kwantung Army had sent Komatsubara 1,160 individual replacements to make up for casualties from earlier fighting. All these reinforcements combined, however, did little more than replace losses: as of July 25, 1,400 killed (including 200 officers) and 3,000 wounded. Kwantung Army directed Komatsubara to dig in, construct fortifications, and adopt a defensive posture. Colonel Numazaki, who commanded the 23rd Division's Engineer Regiment, was unhappy with the defensive line he was ordered to fortify and urged a slight pullback to more easily defensible terrain. Komatsubara, however, refused to retreat from ground his men had bled to take. He and his line officers still nourished hope of a revenge offensive. As a result, the Japanese defensive positions proved to be as weak as Numazaki feared. As Zhukov's 1st Army Group prepared to strike, the effective Japanese strength at Nomonhan was less than 1.5 divisions. Major Tsuji and his colleagues in the Operations Section had little confidence in Kwantung Army's own Intelligence Section, which is part of the reason why Tsuji frequently conducted his own reconnaissance missions. Up to this time it was gospel in the Japanese army that the maximum range for large-scale infantry operations was 125–175 miles from a railway; anything beyond 200 miles from a railway was considered logistically impossible. Since Kwantung Army had only 800 trucks available in all of Manchukuo in 1939, the massive Soviet logistical effort involving more than 4,200 trucks was almost unimaginable to the Japanese. Consequently, the Operations Staff believed it had made the correct defensive deployments if a Soviet attack were to occur, which it doubted. If the enemy did strike at Nomonhan, it was believed that it could not marshal enough strength in that remote region to threaten the reinforced 23rd Division. Furthermore, the 7th Division, based at Tsitsihar on a major rail line, could be transported to any trouble spot on the eastern or western frontier in a few days. KwAHQ advised Komatsubara to maintain a defensive posture and prepare to meet a possible enemy attack around August 14 or 15. At this time, Kwantung Army also maintained a secret organization codenamed Unit 731, officially the Epidemic Prevention and Water Purification Department of the Kwantung Army. Unit 731 specialized in biological and chemical warfare, with main facilities and laboratories in Harbin, including a notorious prison-laboratory complex. During the early August lull at Nomonhan, a detachment from Unit 731 infected the Halha River with bacteria of an acute cholera-like strain. There are no reports in Soviet or Japanese accounts that this attempted biological warfare had any effect. In the war's final days, Unit 731 was disbanded, Harbin facilities demolished, and most personnel fled to Japan—but not before they gassed the surviving 150 human subjects and burned their corpses. The unit's commander, Lieutenant General Ishii Shiro, kept his men secret and threatened retaliation against informers. Ishii and his senior colleagues escaped prosecution at the Tokyo War Crimes Trials by trading the results of their experiments to U.S. authorities in exchange for immunity. The Japanese 6th Army exerted some half-hearted effort to construct defensive fortifications, but scarcity of building materials, wood had to be trucked in from far away—helped explain the lack of enthusiasm. More importantly, Japanese doctrine despised static defense and favored offense, so Kwantung Army waited to see how events would unfold. West of the Halha, Zhukov accelerated preparations. Due to tight perimeter security, few Japanese deserters, and a near-absence of civilian presence, Soviet intelligence found it hard to glean depth on Japanese defensive positions. Combat intelligence could only reveal the frontline disposition and closest mortar and artillery emplacements. Aerial reconnaissance showed photographs, but Japanese camouflage and mock-ups limited their usefulness. The new commander of the 149th Mechanized Infantry Regiment personally directed infiltration and intelligence gathering, penetrating Japanese lines on several nights and returning crucial data: Komatsubara's northern and southern flanks were held by Manchukuoan cavalry, and mobile reserves were lacking. With this information, Zhukov crafted a plan of attack. The main Japanese strength was concentrated a few miles east of the Halha, on both banks of the Holsten River. Their infantry lacked mobility and armor, and their flanks were weak. Zhukov decided to split the 1st Army Group into three strike forces: the central force would deliver a frontal assault to pin the main Japanese strength, while the northern and southern forces, carrying the bulk of the armor, would turn the Japanese flanks and drive the enemy into a pocket to be destroyed by the three-pronged effort. The plan depended on tactical surprise and overwhelming force at the points of attack. The offensive was to begin in the latter part of August, pending final approval from Moscow. To ensure tactical surprise, Zhukov and his staff devised an elaborate program of concealment and deception, disinformation. Units and materiel arriving at Tamsag Bulak toward the Halha were moved only at night with lights out. Noting that the Japanese were tapping telephone lines and intercepting radio messages, 1st Army Headquarters sent a series of false messages in an easily decipherable code about defensive preparations and autumn-winter campaigning. Thousands of leaflets titled "What the Infantryman Should Know about Defense" were distributed among troops. About two weeks before the attack, the Soviets brought in sound equipment to simulate tank and aircraft engines and heavy construction noises, staging long, loud performances nightly. At first, the Japanese mistook the sounds for large-scale enemy activity and fired toward the sounds. After a few nights, they realized it was only sound effects, and tried to ignore the "serenade." On the eve of the attack, the actual concentration and staging sounds went largely unnoticed by the Japanese. On August 7–8, Zhukov conducted minor attacks to expand the Halha bridgehead to a depth of two to three miles. These attacks, contained relatively easily by Komatsubara's troops, reinforced Kwantung Army's false sense of confidence. The Japanese military attaché in Moscow misread Soviet press coverage. In early August, the attaché advised that unlike the Changkufeng incident a year earlier, Soviet press was largely ignoring the conflict, implying low morale and a favorable prognosis for the Red Army. Kwantung Army leaders seized on this as confirmation to refrain from any display of restraint or doubt, misplaced confidence. There were, however, portents of danger. Three weeks before the Soviet attack, Colonel Isomura Takesuki, head of Kwantung Army's Intelligence Section, warned of the vulnerability of the 23rd Division's flanks. Tsuji and colleagues dismissed this, and General Kasahara Yukio of AGS also went unheeded. The "desk jockey" General Staff officers commanded little respect at KwAHQ. Around August 10, General Hata Yuzaburo, Komatsubara's successor as chief of the Special Services Agency at Harbin, warned that enemy strength in the Mongolian salient was very great and seriously underestimated at KwAHQ. Yet no decisive action followed before Zhukov's attack. Kwantung Army's inaction and unpreparedness prior to the Soviet offensive appear to reflect faulty intelligence compounded by hubris. But a more nuanced explanation suggests a fatalistic wishful thinking rooted in the Japanese military culture—the belief that their spiritual strength would prevail, leading them to assume enemy strength was not as great as reported, or that victory was inevitable regardless of resources. Meanwhile, in the rational West, the Nazi war machine faced the Polish frontier as Adolf Hitler pressed Stalin for a nonaggression pact. The German-Soviet Nonaggression Pact would neutralize the threat of a two-front war for Germany and clear the way for Hitler's invasion of Poland. If the pact was a green light, it signaled in both directions: it would also neutralize the German threat to Russia and clear the way for Zhukov's offensive at Nomonhan. On August 18–19, Hitler pressed Stalin to receive Ribbentrop in Moscow to seal the pact. Thus, reassured in the West, Stalin dared to act boldly against Japan. Zhukov supervised final preparations for his attack. Zhukov held back forward deployments until the last minute. By August 18, he had only four infantry regiments, a machine gun brigade, and Mongolian cavalry east of the Halha. Operational security was extremely tight: a week before the attack, Soviet radio traffic in the area virtually ceased. Only Zhukov and a few key officers worked on the plan, aided by a single typist. Line officers and service chiefs received information on a need-to-know basis. The date for the attack was shared with unit commanders one to four days in advance, depending on seniority. Noncommissioned officers and ordinary soldiers learned of the offensive one day in advance and received specific orders three hours before the attack.   Heavy rain grounded Japanese aerial reconnaissance from August 17 to midday on the 19th, but on August 19 Captain Oizumi Seisho in a Japanese scout plane observed the massing of Soviet forces near the west bank of the Halha. Enemy armor and troops were advancing toward the river in dispersed formations, with no new bridges but pontoon stocks spotted near the river. Oizumi sent a warning to a frontline unit and rushed back to report. The air group dispatched additional recon planes and discovered that the Japanese garrison on Fui Heights, near the northern end of Komatsubara's line, was being encircled by Soviet armor and mechanized infantry—observed by alarmed Japanese officers on and near the heights. These late discoveries on August 19 were not reported to KwAHQ and had no effect on the 6th Army and the 23rd Division's alertness on the eve of the storm. As is common in militaries, a fatal gap persisted between those gathering intelligence and those in a position to act on it. On the night of August 19–20, under cover of darkness, the bulk of the Soviet 1st Army Group crossed the Halha into the expanded Soviet enclave on the east bank.  I would like to take this time to remind you all that this podcast is only made possible through the efforts of Kings and Generals over at Youtube. Please go subscribe to Kings and Generals over at Youtube and to continue helping us produce this content please check out www.patreon.com/kingsandgenerals. If you are still hungry after that, give my personal channel a look over at The Pacific War Channel at Youtube, it would mean a lot to me. By August, European diplomacy left Moscow confident in a foothold against Germany and Britain, while Sorge's intelligence indicated Japan aimed to avoid a full-blown war. Stalin ordered a major offensive to clear Nomonhan, fueling Zhukov's buildup in eastern Mongolia. Kwantung Army, hampered by limited logistics, weak intelligence, and defensive posture, faced mounting pressure. 

"What happens when a nation fears its own people more than its enemies?" In this gripping episode of Kent Hance, The Best Storyteller in Texas, Kent opens with a powerful reflection on the timeless saying: "War is hell." From the ongoing turmoil between Russia and Ukraine to rising tensions in Iran, Kent unpacks the complex history and real-time consequences of global conflict — all with his trademark clarity, depth, and unmistakable Texas storytelling.

Does the former German Chancellor think that Germany was wrong to rely on Russian gas in the run up to the war in Ukraine? What does Olaf Scholz think is behind the rise of the far-right Alternative for Germany? Why will building respect help bring about a more equal and resilient society?  Rory and Alastair are joined by Olaf Scholz, former German chancellor, to answer all this and more.  Join The Rest Is Politics Plus: Start your free trial at therestispolitics.com to unlock exclusive bonus content – including Rory and Alastair's miniseries – plus ad-free listening, early access to episodes and live show tickets, an exclusive members' newsletter, discounted book prices, and a private chatroom on Discord. Social Producer: Celine Charles Video Editor: Josh Smith + James Clayden Producer: Alice Horrell Senior Producer: Nicole Maslen Head of Politics: Tom Whiter Exec Producers: Tony Pastor + Jack Davenport Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Your daily news in under three minutes. At Al Jazeera Podcasts, we want to hear from you, our listeners. So, please head to https://www.aljazeera.com/survey and tell us your thoughts about this show and other Al Jazeera podcasts. It only takes a few minutes! Connect with us: @AJEPodcasts on X, Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube

A winter storm is impacting parts of 11 states along the East Coast with blizzard warnings in effect for 41 million people. A ban on nonessential travel is in effect in New York City. Meanwhile, New England could get up to 2 feet of snow with wind gusts over 60 mph. This week, Russia's war in Ukraine marks four years as negotiations have failed to end the fighting. Holly Williams reconnected with a Ukrainian man she met at the start of the war, who reflects on surviving being shot by a Russian sniper, and the loss of his fellow soldiers. The 2026 Winter Olympics wrapped up Sunday in Italy. But before the closing ceremony, Team USA captured a thrilling victory, beating Canada 2-1 in overtime to win gold for the first time since 1980. The U.S. finished with 33 medals total, the most since 2010, including 12 gold medals. CBS News contributor David Begnaud announced on "CBS Mornings" the launch of his company, "Do Good Crew" - which celebrates everyday heroes. At the heart of it is a podcast "The Person who Believed in Me." Norah O'Donnell joins "CBS Mornings" to speak about her new book, "We the Women: The Hidden Heroes Who Shaped America." O'Donnell highlights women who are often overlooked or forgotten in history. She said "women in history are so important to the shaping of this country," but later added "they don't get the praise that they deserve." Contestant Colby Donaldson talks about returning to play "Survivor" again, why he wanted to play originally and how the 50th season is all about the fans. Isabel May speaks with "CBS Mornings" about starring in "Scream 7" after her breakout performance in the Yellowstone prequel "1883." May discusses joining the cult classic franchise, which takes place 30 years after the first murders, what it was like to work with Neve Campbell and how she prepared for the role. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Linda Eastburn Book: https://amzn.to/4qQCZPkBethany Shipley: www.bethanyshipley.comYour Magic Program: https://bethanyshipley.myflodesk.com/yourmagicEmail me: bethany@bethanyshipley.comLinda Eastburn is an author of four books, a real estate investor, and an intuition coach and guide.1Linda's most recent book is titled S.P.I. Your Way to Power and Success, which is about creating deliberate intuition for the manifestation of a positive life. This book is available on Amazon and is the latest of her four books.45Linda teaches others to actively engage their intuition by creating and taking in questions to have a daily dialogue, rather than letting it "randomly happen".13Linda learned a practical application of intuition called remote viewing after hearing a lecture about the Russian remote viewing program. Remote viewing is "being able to see it without seeing it with your eyes".1415To test her intuition, Linda would randomly select an address from the phone book for a street she had never visited, connect with it, and then describe the property before driving by to check the accuracy.17She initially described a house, getting two details wrong (transposing the garage and the color), but the next-door property was the baby blue house she had first seen, which made her realize she had to watch out for being drawn to a "target that's more interesting" than the one she was focusing on.18Linda found that she had an 85% success rate in seeing things correctly, but when she was wrong, she was "totally wrong," leading her to conclude she could trust it, but not 100%.19Linda began real estate investing in the 1980s.21In 2003 or 2004, she received a clear intuitive message to sell her real estate.22In 2008 and 2009, she started reinvesting when prices were low, allowing her to triple her money as the market recovered.25She and her ex-husband started small, putting the profit from flipping houses toward paying off the loans on their rental properties, which allowed them to build equity and owe almost nothing by the time of her divorce.26After her mother had a stroke in 2013 and needed 24/7 care, Linda quickly bought and restored 12 houses to generate the income needed to support her parents' care. She saw this as an insight (a predictive insight) to take action, rather than a warning.2728Linda operates her real estate business with a humble and empathetic attitude, treating her tenants "fairly and justly".29Linda notes that most people think of intuition as warnings (e.g., "don't get on that plane") that signal anxiety or fear to keep them out of harm's way.30Linda prefers to take charge of her intuition by asking questions rather than waiting for it to randomly come in.31Intuition will deliver opportunities if you ask for them, but if you constantly ask for a "safety net," that's what you will receive. She tends to have more positive experiences with her intuition by being pollyanna (optimistic).3233Synchronicity, which Linda describes as "an amazing thing," has been a prominent part of her life.She believes that we "live past, present and future simultaneously" and that our thoughts are connected to all of these various connections.34Linda suggests that reality is more "interconnected" than people realize, referring to consciousness as a "singular universal type of mind" where past, present, and future all exist.35She advises people to keep a journal to record these events, as this helps retain the information of how often they occur.36Linda's book S.P.I. Your Way to Power and Success emphasizes that people "contribute to creating" reality and that one should focus on seeing the most positive outcome possible because the person's "light is going to shine on that".37She warns against the ego, explaining that she always has to work from her heart center with "a lot of love and empathy" for the person she is guiding, otherwise she loses her "truth detector".38

Man found illegally carrying cocealed knife in Ireland claims he had it for 'buttering bread', Russian missile has hit the Oreo factory in Unkraine, Pittsburgh medic accused of stealing boxes of medical gloves and trading them for pizza, BBC does big story on drug for restless leg syndrome that is causing users to exhibit multiple different types of impulsive behavior,

Today on What's My Frame, I'm joined by casting director Leeba Zakharov, a native New Yorker whose career spans more than two decades across film and television. An immigrant raised on the Lower East Side, Leeba's journey into storytelling is deeply personal. She minored in theater at SUNY Albany. Prior to transitioning into casting, she built a foundation in development and acquisitions, serving as an assistant at Miramax and Madstone Films, and later joining Focus Features.Leeba proudly credits legendary casting director Avy Kaufman as a pivotal mentor and someone who instilled in her a lifelong commitment to collaboration, trust, and honoring the vulnerability of actors. That philosophy continues to shape her work today. Bilingual in Russian and English, Leeba brings a culturally nuanced perspective to the stories she helps bring to life.

Romanian minister Romy Petrina of 99 for the 1 Ministries shares about the situation in Ukraine four years into the Russian invasion of that country.  He also talks about how 99 for the 1 have been there supporting the pastors and churches to love and support their people and communities.  Political scientist Daniel Bennett, author of "Uneasy Citizenship," offers analysis on the recent Supreme Court ruling against the President's unilateral tariffs.  He also talks about Secretary of State Marco Rubio gave in Munich last week that was not just well received, but did a great job of offering a positive vision for the future relationship between the US and our European allies.  Plus, he talks about the hopeful dying of Ben Sasse.  The Reconnect with Carmen and all Faith Radio podcasts are made possible by your support. Give now: Click here

Siobhán O' Grady, Ukraine Bureau Chief for the Washington Post, discusses the latest in Ukraine as fourth anniversary of the Russian invasion approaches.

The shadow fleet has started the year under pressure. Millions of barrels of unsold Iranian and Russian crude have accumulated in storage due to buyers switching to unsanctioned barrels at reasonable prices. But as the fourth anniversary of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine looms, a step change in sanctions enforcement has the potential to disrupt shadow fleet trades much more dramatically. The US is rumoured to be looking at more shadow fleet targets to intercept and usher off into the scrapyards. Meanwhile, there is a crackdown looming in Europe, and this time they are serious. The EU's long-trailed shift to a full maritime services ban still have hit a few political hurdles, but the immediate direction of EU policy promises to significantly ratchet up the sanctions imposed on Russian oil. This increased pressure coincides with an influx of shadow fleet tonnage back into the Russian flag, a lot of which switched following US intervention in Venezuela. That Moscow is keeping a closer eye on its fleet may be evidence that Europe's pressure (not to mention US boardings) is working and the shadow fleet is beginning to feel the heat. Speaking on this week's edition of the Lloyd's List podcast: Bridget Diakun, Senior Risk and Compliance Analyst Tomer Raanan, Maritime Risk Analyst Richard Meade, Editor-in-Chief

Программу SBS Russian в прямом эфире можно слушать по радио, на нашем сайте и в приложении SBS Audio. Программа также доступна в записи, в подкастах.

NHK WORLD RADIO JAPAN - Russian News at 12:30 (JST), February 23

What's up, everybody? It's Tom Bilyeu here: If you want my help... STARTING a business:⁠ join me here at ZERO TO FOUNDER⁠:  ⁠https://tombilyeu.com/zero-to-founder?utm_campaign=Podcast%20Offer&utm_source=podca[%E2%80%A6]d%20end%20of%20show&utm_content=podcast%20ad%20end%20of%20show⁠ SCALING a business:⁠ see if you qualify here.⁠:  ⁠https://tombilyeu.com/call⁠ Get my battle-tested strategies and insights delivered weekly to your inbox:⁠ sign up here.⁠: ⁠https://tombilyeu.com/⁠ ********************************************************************** If you're serious about leveling up your life, I urge you to check out my new podcast,⁠ Tom Bilyeu's Mindset Playbook⁠ —a goldmine of my most impactful episodes on mindset, business, and health. Trust me, your future self will thank you. ********************************************************************** FOLLOW TOM: Instagram:⁠ https://www.instagram.com/tombilyeu/⁠ Tik Tok:⁠ https://www.tiktok.com/@tombilyeu?lang=en⁠ Twitter:⁠ https://twitter.com/tombilyeu⁠ YouTube:⁠ https://www.youtube.com/@TomBilyeu Huel: High-Protein Starter Kit 20% off for new customers at https://huel.com/impact code impact Ketone IQ: Visit https://ketone.com/IMPACT for 30% OFF your subscription order Quince: Free shipping and 365-day returns at https://quince.com/impactpod Shopify: Sign up for your one-dollar-per-month trial period at https://shopify.com/impact Pique: 20% off at https://piquelife.com/impact Cape: 33% off your first 6 months with code IMPACT at https://cape.co/impact Plaud: Get 10% off with code TOM10 at https://plaud.ai/tom Duck.Ai: Protect your privacy at https://duck.ai/impact Raycon: 15% off at https://buyraycon.com/impacttheorybc Summ: code TOMVIP20 for 20% off your first year at https://summ.com?via=tombilyeu&coupon=TOMVIP20 Link to Live: https://www.youtube.com/live/NBV9VuftD80?si=EfZJ2PuP1EtQctiU Welcome back to Impact Theory with Tom Bilyeu. In today's episode, Tom sits down with co-host Drew to unpack the Dutch government's controversial proposal: a 36% tax on unrealized capital gains. Together, they dive deep into the potential consequences for investors, entrepreneurs, and the broader economy—explaining how taxing money you never actually receive could force harmful decisions, crush incentives, and reshape the landscape for startups and long-term investments. You'll hear examples that bring these abstract policies to life, why real estate and certain startup investments get exemptions, and the possible ripple effects for both average investors and major players like Elon Musk. Plus, Tom lays out his vision for a simpler, fairer tax system to solve the core issues plaguing economies today. If you're curious about wealth taxes, economic reform, and the real-world impact of government policies, this conversation is a must-listen. Tom and Drew dive into the controversial property tax hike proposed by Zoran Mamdani in New York City—a move that arrives less than two months after Mamdani campaigned on freezing rents and protecting working-class New Yorkers. Together, Tom Bilyeu and Drew break down how NYC's budget has ballooned over the past two decades, while city services and quality of life have declined. Tom and co-host Drew dive into one of the most urgent and tense global topics—are we on the brink of World War III? With U.S., Iranian, Russian, and Chinese warships converging off Iran's coast, negotiations over nuclear deals underway, and military buildups at unprecedented levels, Tom breaks down the complex web of alliances, threats, and geopolitical maneuvers that are fueling anxiety worldwide. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

*Ukraine says Russia has carried out another massive overnight attack, involving 50 missiles and nearly 300 drones.Speaking two days before the fourth anniversary of Russia's invasion, Ukraine's president Volodymyr Zelensky said the latest attacks targeted his country's energy sector as well as residential buildings.We'll hear from a Ukrainian professional sportsman-turned-soldier on what the nearly four years of war have done to his country.Also in the programme: The students protesting in Iran for the first time since last month's deadly crackdown; Canada and the US face off in the men's ice hockey final. And the Norwegian crowned the Winter Olympics' greatest ever athlete.(Photo shows houses heavily damaged by a Russian missile strike, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Kyiv, Ukraine on 22 February 2026. Credit: Valentyn Ogirenko/Reuters)

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy joins POLITICO's Dasha Burns to discuss the United States' role in ending the war, where Europe fits into the equation, and his frank thoughts on Russians living abroad. Then, CNN's chief international correspondent Clarissa Ward calls in from Ukraine to discuss the current climate in the country and how the Ukrainian people are doing.

Monday, February 19th, 2024 Judge Engoron fines Donald Trump and his associates $364M and bars Trump from running a business in New York for 3 years; the immunity issue has been fully briefed to the Supreme Court; Comer's star witness in his impeachment investigation into Joe Biden has been indicted for making false statements to Bill Barr's DoJ; Fani Willis and her father both testify in the recusal hearing in Fulton County; Putin dissident Alexei Navalny has died in a Russian prison camp; Trump is booed at sneaker convention in Pennsylvania; a whistleblower has says the top Border Patrol medical officer tried to order fentanyl lollipops for his trip to a UN General Assembly meeting in NY; and a judge has rejected Ken Paxton's efforts to delay his fraud trial in Texas. Plus, Allison and Dana deliver your good news. Our Guest Rep. Jared Moskowitzhttps://twitter.com/RepMoskowitzhttps://moskowitz.house.gov/Judge Engoron fines Donald Trump and his associates $364M and bars Trump from running a business in New York for 3 yearshttps://www.axios.com/2024/02/16/trump-new-york-civil-fraud-trial-penalty-2024 Navalny died from  ‘sudden death syndrome,' mother is toldhttps://www.politico.eu/article/navalny-died-from-sudden-death-syndrome-mother-told Donald Trump Booed While Promoting $399 Sneakers 1 Day After Court Orders Him to Pay $355 Millionhttps://people.com/donald-trump-booed-while-promoting-shoes-after-court-order-for-millions-8584671 Judge rejects Texas AG Ken Paxton's request to throw out nearly decade-old criminal chargeshttps://apnews.com/article/ken-paxton-texas-houston-7a2fcdd3951050a2298e83cb5d18ef9b The top doctor for CBP tried to order fentanyl lollipops for a helicopter mission in New York, whistleblowers sayhttps://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/national-international/cbp-doctor-tried-to-order-fentanyl-lollipops-for-helicopter-mission-in-new-york-whistleblowers-say/5144214/ Grand Jury Returns Indictment Charging FBI Confidential Human Source with Felony False Statement and Obstruction Crimes https://www.justice.gov/sco-weiss/pr/grand-jury-returns-indictment-charging-fbi-confidential-human-source-felony-false# Reminder - you can see the pod pics if you become a Patron. The good news pics are at the bottom of the show notes of each Patreon episode! That's just one of the perks of subscribing! patreon.com/muellershewrote Listener Survey:http://survey.podtrac.com/start-survey.aspx?pubid=BffJOlI7qQcF&ver=shortFollow the Podcast on Apple:https://apple.co/3XNx7ckWant to support the show and get it ad-free and early?https://patreon.com/thedailybeanshttps://dailybeans.supercast.com/https://apple.co/3UKzKt0 Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

2 Hours and 55 MinutesPG-13This is the complete audio of Thomas777 talking about Soviet/Russia-Syrian relations post-WW2.Thomas' SubstackRadio Free Chicago - T777 and J BurdenThomas777 MerchandiseThomas' Book "Steelstorm Pt. 1"Thomas' Book "Steelstorm Pt. 2"Thomas on TwitterThomas' CashApp - $7homas777Pete and Thomas777 'At the Movies'Support Pete on His WebsitePete's PatreonPete's SubstackPete's SubscribestarPete's GUMROADPete's VenmoPete's Buy Me a CoffeePete on FacebookPete on TwitterBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-pete-quinones-show--6071361/support.

The biological attack on the studio continues! With Kristaps completely out of commission battling a nasty flu and an eye infection, Evita takes the mic once again to guide you through the latest descent into Russian geopolitical madness.The Russian Ministry of Defense is burning its own "Paper Victories" as the Ukrainian counter-offensive reclaims 200 sq km in Zaporizhzhia. While generals lie to Putin's face on federal television, the true cost of the war is tearing the home front apart. We break down the absolute economic absurdity of $15 cucumbers, Soviet-style rationing, and the collapse of the Russian coal industry.We also expose the terrifying "Dead Souls" scam, where corrupt commanders brand fallen soldiers as deserters to legally steal their death benefits. Finally, we look at the impending April 1st digital iron curtain: why the Kremlin is willing to destroy its own frontline communications by blocking Telegram, and why the ultra-nationalists are in a state of absolute panic over a geopolitical capitulation disguised as "Perestroika 2.0."Happiness is mandatory.Support The Eastern Border: Want to give us a direct, one-time boost? Head over to theeasternborder.lv and hit the donate button. To be completely honest, we could really use it this week. Kristaps isn't just battling a standard flu anymore—his tonsillitis has leveled up and decided to attack his eyes, too. Between the pharmacy runs and the fact that keeping the house from freezing this month completely drained our heating budget, any little bit helps us keep the microphones on and the medical tea flowing. Thank you guys, as always, for having our backs.Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/TheEasternBorderMerch Shop: https://theeasternborder-shop.fourthwall.com/Car4Ukraine: https://car4ukraine.com/en-US/campaigns/christmas-tree-trucks-2025-the-eastern-borderSupport this show http://supporter.acast.com/theeasternborder. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What if dying is not an ending, but a moment of radical clarity? In his new novel "Vigil," George Saunders conjures a strange and often comic world of bickering angels visiting a dying, deeply flawed man—debating and waiting to see whether he can face the truth about himself before it's too late.In this conversation, Steve Paulson talks with Saunders about the evolution of his ideas about death and the possibility of an afterlife. Dying, he says, may be “the ultimate experience of wonder,” and he believes ghost stories can open powerful imaginative spaces for novelists. Saunders reflects on his own Buddhist practice as he considers these life-and-death questions, and he tells us why he thinks fiction is uniquely suited to grappling with complex moral issues and why Tolstoy and Chekhov are his personal sources of inspiration.Saunders is the author of such celebrated books as “Tenth of December,” “Pastoralia,” and the Booker Prize-winning “Lincoln in the Bardo.”  His nonfiction book about the great Russian writers is “A Swim in a Pond in the Rain.”This interview was recorded at the Central Library in downtown Madison shortly before Saunders spoke at the Wisconsin Book Festival.— To the Best of Our Knowledge — On his short story collection “Tenth of December.  To the Best of Our Knowledge: Reflecting on “Lincoln in the Bardo.” Substack Story Club with George Saunders —00:00:00 Introduction and Reading from Vigil00:07:50 The Plane Crash and Death Obsession00:15:00 The Writing Process and Wonder00:24:30 Moral Accountability in Fiction00:32:20 Chekhov, Succession, and Accuracy00:40:00 Kindness, Criticism, and Final Thoughts Wonder Cabinet is hosted by Anne Strainchamps and Steve Paulson. Find out more about the show at https://wondercabinetproductions.com, where you can subscribe to the podcast and our newsletter.

February 24 marks the fourth anniversary of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine. After Moscow's initial onslaught, Ukrainian counteroffensives, and slow Russian gains since, the war has settled into a brutal pattern of attrition, adaptation, and endurance. Ukrainian cities are rationing electricity, as the Ukrainian military struggles to muster the manpower and munitions needed to gain a decisive edge. Meanwhile, the battlefield has become a hellscape of drones and artillery fire—with no clear breakthrough for either side in sight. Michael Kofman has been one of the sharpest observers and analysts of the changing nature of the war, from Russia's troop buildup in late 2021 to the present, in the pages of Foreign Affairs and elsewhere. He has also considered the geopolitical implications of each new phase of fighting—what the continued threat of a belligerent Russia means for the West, and how Ukraine's allies can prepare it for sustained conflict. Now, as the war enters its fifth year, Kofman, a senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, argues that “Russia retains battlefield advantages, but they have not proved decisive, and more and more, time is working against Moscow.” “Yet ending the conflict on terms acceptable to Ukraine,” he writes, “will not be an easy feat, either.” In this special bonus episode, Dan Kurtz-Phelan spoke with Kofman on Wednesday, February 18 about where the war stands four years in, and how it might change in the weeks and months ahead. You can find sources, transcripts, and more episodes of The Foreign Affairs Interview at https://www.foreignaffairs.com/podcasts/foreign-affairs-interview.

Silicon Bites Ep290 | 2026-02-21 | Milan is hosting a festival of “unity” — while Ukraine is hosting funerals. This week, international sport's governing class has managed a truly grotesque trick that discredits the sporting events their preside over: punishing remembrance of the victim, while rehabilitating symbols of the aggressor. They have sought to strip dignity from the nation defending itself and handed a propaganda triumph to the invading state. In the process they have turned what ought to be a symbol for peace and unity, into a blood sport, with grotesque optics. IOC hypocrisy, Paralympic flag washing, and FIFA's peace-prize theatre — plus why Ukraine and Europe say the message is simple: this isn't neutrality… it's complicity in aggression and illegality. Sports is not neutral, because the participation of an aggressor nation, with an imperial mindset, in any activity, be it sport, culture, literature or film is never neutral, but an extension of their aggression. This is especially true of Russia. (The Washington Post)----------SUPPORT THE CHANNEL:https://www.buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtainhttps://www.patreon.com/siliconcurtain----------SOURCES:Reuters on Infantino attending Trump-linked “Board of Peace,” IOC President Coventry response, and Trump receiving a FIFA peace prize (reported as awarded in December).AP / Euronews on Heraskevych disqualification over “helmet of memory,” and wider context of political-expression enforcement.AP / ESPN on Fischnaller helmet flag controversy and IOC stance. Reuters / Washington Post / Guardian / Euronews on IPC allowing Russian and Belarusian flags and anthems at 2026 Winter Paralympics, boycott reactions (Ukraine, Italy, EU Commissioner). Sky News / Independent / Al Jazeera on Infantino comments about reconsidering Russia's football ban and Ukraine's reaction. U.S. Department of Justice press release (2015) on FIFA indictments; historical reporting on FIFA scandal scale.Guardian on Russia 2018 bid investigation issues (destroyed computers / missing documents).AP on Jack Warner extradition case referencing alleged bribes linked to Russia 2018 support. Britannica overview on IOC corruption history (Salt Lake City bidding scandal).----------SILICON CURTAIN LIVE EVENTS - FUNDRAISER CAMPAIGN Events in 2025 - Advocacy for a Ukrainian victory with Silicon Curtainhttps://buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtain/extrasOur events of the first half of the year in Lviv, Kyiv and Odesa were a huge success. Now we need to maintain this momentum, and change the tide towards a Ukrainian victory. The Silicon Curtain Roadshow is an ambitious campaign to run a minimum of 12 events in 2025, and potentially many more. Any support you can provide for the fundraising campaign would be gratefully appreciated. https://buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtain/extrasWe need to scale up our support for Ukraine, and these events are designed to have a major impact. Your support in making it happen is greatly appreciated. All events will be recorded professionally and published for free on the Silicon Curtain channel. Where possible, we will also live-stream events.https://buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtain/extras----------

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The invasion of Ukraine in 2022 began a new episode in history and was surrounded by a miscellany of historical claims. The Short History of Russia: Returning to Another Country (Amberley, 2026) is a succinct, up-to-date guide to the histories on offer about and from Russia, one that seeks to make sense of present issues and future prospects, as well as of the past. There is a heavy emphasis on war and international relations, but that is appropriate not only for the past but also for a present in which both are to the fore. Peter the Great (r. 1689-1725), an eager moderniser, was viewed as an un-Russian evil phenomenon in light of his denial of the divine identity of traditional Russian monarchy, his blasphemy, his theft of time from God when he changed the calendar, and his sacrilegious violation of the image of God in man when he forced men to cut off their beards. Vladimir Putin cuts off no beards, he is no moderniser; the fall of the Berlin Wall left him with an abiding mistrust of democracy and ‘People's Power'. At Davos in 2000, American journalist Trudy Rubin asked a panel of top Russian officials: ‘Who is Mr Putin?' None of them could answer, except to say: ‘He is the President of Russia.' How did this KGB foreign intelligence officer become (temporarily) Trump's favourite running dog of capitalism? To answer the question, we have to understand what Russia was. There is a continuity that will give us a clue about what it is and will become. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/new-books-network

A milestone... Stooges talk...Doug is uncomfortableMatt lies to live and lives to lie...Lego talk...Doug speaks Russian...Matt tries to speak Russian...Great mother of God he's up...A top tier Clint or lower level Eastwood...

The invasion of Ukraine in 2022 began a new episode in history and was surrounded by a miscellany of historical claims. The Short History of Russia: Returning to Another Country (Amberley, 2026) is a succinct, up-to-date guide to the histories on offer about and from Russia, one that seeks to make sense of present issues and future prospects, as well as of the past. There is a heavy emphasis on war and international relations, but that is appropriate not only for the past but also for a present in which both are to the fore. Peter the Great (r. 1689-1725), an eager moderniser, was viewed as an un-Russian evil phenomenon in light of his denial of the divine identity of traditional Russian monarchy, his blasphemy, his theft of time from God when he changed the calendar, and his sacrilegious violation of the image of God in man when he forced men to cut off their beards. Vladimir Putin cuts off no beards, he is no moderniser; the fall of the Berlin Wall left him with an abiding mistrust of democracy and ‘People's Power'. At Davos in 2000, American journalist Trudy Rubin asked a panel of top Russian officials: ‘Who is Mr Putin?' None of them could answer, except to say: ‘He is the President of Russia.' How did this KGB foreign intelligence officer become (temporarily) Trump's favourite running dog of capitalism? To answer the question, we have to understand what Russia was. There is a continuity that will give us a clue about what it is and will become. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/history

Benjamin Wittes, editor-in-chief of Lawfare, joins Matt and Chris after spending two weeks traveling across Ukraine—from Kyiv to Kharkiv and Odesa—as the war enters its fourth year. What he describes is sobering. Cities that appear functional on the surface are living through freezing temperatures, rolling blackouts, nightly missile strikes, and the constant threat of drone attacks. Families endure shattered infrastructure and relentless uncertainty, while society strains to maintain some semblance of normal life. Ben reflects on the exhaustion and resilience of the Ukrainian people, the rapidly evolving drone war reshaping modern combat, and why Western audiences often misunderstand the reality on the ground. The conversation also examines Zelensky's standing at home, skepticism around current peace efforts, and why Ukraine's fight remains central to Europe's future security.This is an unfiltered look at a nation still holding the line.Ben's "Project Batteries" has raised over $79,000 to put portable power stations in the hands of Ukrainians enduring the depths of winter without heat, water, or electricity amid Russian bombardment. If you'd like to help keep that number climbing, find his latest updates with Venmo/PayPal links below.https://www.dogshirtdaily.com/p/de-iceing-in-krakowBen's work with Lawfare: https://www.lawfaremedia.org/Ben's Substack, Dog Shirt Daily: https://www.dogshirtdaily.com/Follow Ben on Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/benjaminwittes.lawfaremedia.orgUkrainian Aid Charities https://dignitas.fund/https://unitedhelpukraine.org/https://savelife.in.ua/en/Please share this episode using these linksAudio: https://pod.fo/e/393dbcYouTube: https://youtu.be/il-e6y_eJg8Support Secrets and SpiesBecome a “Friend of the Podcast” on Patreon for £3/$4: https://www.patreon.com/SecretsAndSpiesBuy merchandise from our shop: https://www.redbubble.com/shop/ap/60934996Buy us a coffee: https://buymeacoffee.com/secretsandspiesSubscribe to our YouTube page: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCDVB23lrHr3KFeXq4VU36dgFor more information about the podcast, check out our website: https://secretsandspiespodcast.comConnect with us on social media Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/secretsandspies.bsky.socialInstagram: https://instagram.com/secretsandspiesFacebook: https://facebook.com/secretsandspiesSpoutible: https://spoutible.com/SecretsAndSpiesFollow Chris and Matt on Bluesky:https://bsky.app/profile/chriscarrfilm.bsky.socialhttps://bsky.app/profile/mattfulton.netSecrets and Spies is produced by Films & Podcasts LTD: https://filmsandpodcasts.co.uk/Music by Andrew R. BirdSecrets and Spies sits at the intersection of intelligence, covert action, real-world espionage, and broader geopolitics in a way that is digestible but serious. Hosted by filmmaker Chris Carr and writer Matt Fulton, each episode examines the very topics that real intelligence officers and analysts consider on a daily basis through the lens of global events and geopolitics, featuring expert insights from former spies, authors, and journalists.

Here is all of the reference I material I used for this segment. Feel free to read on this yourself! -Oxygen leadership pages: https://www.oxygenforensics.com/en/company/team/ https://www.oxygenforensics.com/news/note-from-ceo/) -Oxygen Forensics, Inc. Alexandria, VA address (company site): https://www.oxygenforensics.com/en/subscribe-to-newsletter/ -Privacy policy repeats address: https://www.oxygenforensics.com/en/privacy-policy/ -OpenCorporates listing): https://opencorporates.com/companies/us_va/07613078 -EPIC ICE FOIA request (mobile forensic contracts incl. Oxygen): https://epic.org/wp-content/uploads/foia/dhs/ice/mobile-forensics/EPIC-17-06-13-ICE-FOIA-20170613-Request.pdf -DHS test results for Oxygen Forensic Detective (tool validation context): https://www.dhs.gov/sites/default/files/2025-05/25_0501_st_test_results_for_mobile_device_acquisition_tool_oxygen_forensic_detective_v17.1.0.131.pdf -Access Now report tying Oxygen Forensics to its parent company Oxygen Software and Central Asia reseller marketing: https://www.accessnow.org/cms/assets/uploads/archive/docs/Commonwealth_of_Surveillance_States_ENG_1.pdf -Oxygen's list of Resellers, many of whom are in authoritarian nations: https://www.oxygenforensics.com/company/resellers/ -Forbes 2017 on Oxygen's "distance from Russian connections” framing: https://www.forbes.com/sites/thomasbrewster/2017/08/30/russian-hackers-help-us-with-encryption-nightmare/ -Oxygen's "Reflecting on 25 years of Oxygen Forensics Innovation" article. Note there is no mention of Russian origins. https://www.oxygenforensics.com/resources/25-years-of-innovation/ -Forbes 2023 lawsuit information describing Oxygen as founded by two Russian entrepreneurs: https://www.forbes.com/sites/thomasbrewster/2023/12/04/russian-hacker-lawsuit-exposes-flaws-in-apples-ios-16/ -Oxygen's explanation for its cloud and Android extraction capabilities and training: https://www.oxygenforensics.com/training/events/ofce-on-demand/ https://www.oxygenforensics.com/resources/android-agent/

Ukrainian forces attack a Russian missile plant a day after talks to end their war end with no sign of a breakthrough. AP correspondent Donna Warder reports.

569,807 views Streamed live on Feb 16, 2026 #negotiations #mobilization #rustle#arestovych #rustle #war #zelensky #trump

Программу SBS Russian в прямом эфире можно слушать по радио, на нашем сайте и в приложении SBS Audio. Программа также доступна в записи, в подкастах.

Donald Trump's sweeping global tariffs have been struck down by the US Supreme Court, in a major blow to the President's economic agenda. With a 6-3 majority, judges ruled that President Trump exceeded his authority when he imposed the levies using a law reserved for national emergencies.Also: an AI summit in India has ended without a global agreement on governing the technology, after strong opposition from the United States. British police continue to search the former home of Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, after the former Prince was released under investigation. Iran says it will be ready to submit its plan for a possible nuclear agreement with the US in the next two or three days. The BBC has identified the names of more than 180,000 Russian soldiers killed in the war in Ukraine. In a world first, lion DNA has helped to convict poachers in Zimbabwe. And Spanish construction workers have finished work on the tallest tower of the Sagrada Familia basilica in Barcelona.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

Viktor Orban's Dangerous Alliances with Russia and China. Facing domestic electoral pressures, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban manipulatively courts the Trump administration while deepening dangerous alliances with Russia and China. Ivana Stradner explains that Orban leverages these relationships to project global relevance and maintain power, falsely claiming that Hungary is a victim of unavoidable Russian energy dependence. #131906 INDEPENDENCE FORESTERS

2-19-261970 IRAN The European Left and the Ukraine Conflict. John Batchelor and Anatol Lieven discuss the European left's evolving stance on the Ukraine war. Facing economic strain, radical leftist parties are prioritizing peace and domestic issues over punishing Russia, driven by historical anti-NATO sentiments and deep skepticism toward European military expansion and the United States. #1 Negotiated Settlements and Expanding Security States. Anatol Lieven explains the European left's growing concerns about the Ukraine war fueling authoritarian security and surveillance measures. While a negotiated settlement requiring Ukraine to surrender the Donbas seems impossible in Kyiv, the conflict risks becoming a prolonged war of attrition dictated by modern drone warfare. #2 Truman, the Fed, and the 1951 Accord. Professor John Cochrane explores the 1951 Treasury-Fed Accordduring the Korean War. Fearing another World War II-style crisis, President Harry Truman pressured FedChairman Thomas McCabe to keep interest rates low. Instead, the Fed fought for its independence to combat inflation, establishing modern monetary policy precedents. #3 Modern Lessons from the Fed-Treasury Accord. Drawing parallels between 1951 and today, John Cochraneexamines the tension between presidential administrations and the Federal Reserve during crises. He emphasizes that the Fed must maintain its independence, warning against perpetually funding government spending and urging a strict focus on inflation control over politically motivated easy money. #4 Peru's Political Crisis and Chinese Influence. Professor Evan Ellis details Peru's chronic political instability following the appointment of its eighth president in eight years. Amidst endemic corruption and a fragmented Congress, the nation is deeply intertwined with Chinese investments, particularly in telecommunications, mining, and the strategically vital, Chinese-controlled deep-water port of Chancay. #5 Cuba's Severe Energy and Economic Collapse. Evan Ellis describes the catastrophic collapse of Cuba'seconomy. Cut off from Venezuelan and Mexican oil, the island faces severe rationing, blackouts, halted public services, and completely collapsed tourism. With millions fleeing the dire conditions, the communist regime's survival is heavily strained as basic resources fail. #6 Border Drone Threats, USMCA, and Venezuela. Evan Ellis discusses the closure of El Paso's airspace due to sophisticated cartel drones. He also highlights the critical necessity of renegotiating the USMCA to preserve Mexico's economy and cooperative security posture. Finally, he notes a surprising US military delegation visit to negotiate with Venezuela's Maduro regime. #7 Guyana's Massive Oil Boom. Evan Ellis highlights the profound economic transformation of Guyana following the discovery of billions of barrels of light, sweet crude oil. Driven by massive investments from ExxonMobil and Chevron, the South American nation serves as a prime example of effective management and foreign partnerships generating transformative national wealth. #8 Israel's Initial Response to the October 7 Atrocities. Following the horrific October 7 attacks by Hamas, Israelileaders reacted with understandable outrage and mobilized forcefully to neutralize the threat. While Hamas is currently severely degraded militarily and controls less territory, the group remains armed and continues to pose an ongoing security challenge fueled by Iranian backing. #9Defining Israel's Deep Political and Demographic Divides. Peter Berkowitz clarifies crucial definitions in Israelipolitics, explaining why a one-state solution would destroy Israel's democratic and Jewish character. He outlines how traditional left-right divisions have morphed into pro- or anti-Netanyahu factions, heavily influenced by religious demographics and the ultra-Orthodox community's contentious role in military service. #10Trump's Middle East Legacy and Israel's Judicial Crisis. Examining the Trump administration's lasting diplomatic legacy, Peter Berkowitz praises the embassy move to Jerusalem, the withdrawal from the flawed Iran deal, and the strategic Abraham Accords. He also analyzes Israel's internal turmoil over its overly activist Supreme Court, which sparked mass protests prior to the ongoing war. #11Confronting the Ignorance Fueling Anti-Israel Protests. Dismantling the arguments of global anti-Israel protesters, Peter Berkowitz highlights their culpable ignorance regarding Israel's defensive sovereignty. He refutes false accusations of colonialism, exposing how Hamas deliberately uses Palestinian civilians as human shields and actively seeks to destroy both the Jewish state and broader Western democratic civilization. #12Viktor Orban's Dangerous Alliances with Russia and China. Facing domestic electoral pressures, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban manipulatively courts the Trump administration while deepening dangerous alliances with Russia and China. Ivana Stradner explains that Orban leverages these relationships to project global relevance and maintain power, falsely claiming that Hungary is a victim of unavoidable Russian energy dependence. #13Bangladesh's Political Turmoil and Rising Islamist Influence. Following the violent ouster of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, Bangladesh faces severe political and economic instability under Tariq Rahman. Sadanand Dhume warns of a concerning Islamic revival, highlighting the growing parliamentary power of the radical Jamaat-e-Islami movement and the critical need to pragmatically repair fractured diplomatic relations with India. #14Justice Scalia and the Unitary Executive Theory. Reflecting on Justice Antonin Scalia's legacy, Professor John Yoodetails the concept of the unitary executive. Scalia powerfully argued that the Constitution vests all executive power directly in the president, warning that independent agencies fragment federal authority, diminish democratic accountability, and disrupt the essential separation of powers. #15The Supreme Court's Threat to Independent Agencies. Analyzing upcoming Supreme Court cases, John Yoopredicts the potential overturning of the historic Humphrey's Executor precedent. Such a ruling would fundamentally dismantle the protections shielding independent agencies like the Federal Trade Commission from direct presidential control, sparking a massive structural revolution within the federal government's executive branch. #16

In this episode of The PDB Afternoon Bulletin:  First—President Trump is now weighing an initial military strike on Iran — a limited attack designed to force Tehran into a nuclear deal, but one that could escalate quickly if it fails to extract compromises from the mullahs. Later in the show—Russian bombers are back near Alaska, and U.S. fighter jets were forced into the skies on Thursday to meet them. The aircraft never crossed into American airspace, but the timing comes as tensions spike in the Middle East. I'll bring you the details. 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 Stash Financial: Don't Let your money sit around. Go to https://get.stash.com/PDB to see how you can receive $25 towards your first stock purchase and to view important disclosures. Cozy Earth: Visit https://www.CozyEarth.com/PDB & Use code PDB for up to 20% off DeleteMe: Get 20% off your DeleteMe plan when you go to https://joindeleteme.com/PDB and use promo code PDB at checkout. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today, amid reports that Russian forces' loss of Starlink is reducing the intensity of drone attacks along the frontline, we examine claims that Russian commanders are charging soldiers up to £30,000 to avoid deployment to the most dangerous sectors. We then bring you the latest from the first meeting of Donald Trump's so-called “Board of Peace”, and finally hear the view from Belarus as Putin seeks to place more nuclear missiles there.ContributorsDominic Nicholls (Associate Editor of Defence). @DomNicholls on X.Francis Dearnley (Executive Editor for Audio). @FrancisDearnley on X.Rozina Sabur (National Security Editor). @RozinaSaburon X.With thanks to Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya. SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEW YOUTUBE CHANNEL – WATCH EVERY EPISODE WITH MAPS & BATTLEFIELD FOOTAGE:From next week, every episode will be available on our YouTube channel. Subscribe here: https://www.youtube.com/@UkraineTheLatestCONTENT REFERENCED:US presses NATO for major reset, ending mission in Iraq (The Telegraph):https://www.politico.eu/article/us-presses-nato-reset-cut-foreign-missions-allies-peacekeeping-iraq-kosovo/Russian commanders demand £30k to spare soldiers from front line (The Telegraph):https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/02/19/russian-commanders-demand-30k-spare-soldiers-front-line/Over 1,000 Kenyans enlisted to fight in Russia-Ukraine war, report says (BBC):https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/ce8w266769go Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy joins POLITICO's Dasha Burns to discuss the United States' role in ending the war, where Europe fits into the equation, and his frank thoughts on Russians living abroad. Then, CNN's chief international correspondent Clarissa Ward calls in from Ukraine to discuss the current climate in the country and how the Ukrainian people are doing. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The hosts guide listeners through practical phrases like ordering a kids' meal (menu dziecięce) and asking about toys, but repeatedly breaks the fourth wall to discuss McDonald's "toxic" aspects: low wages, processed ingredients, lobbying power, and its role in global health issues. The episode name-checks competitors (KFC, Subway, Burger King) and touches on institutional investors like BlackRock and Vanguard, framing language learning within a critique of American corporate culture exported globally.