Podcasts about Syria

Christian Wenaweser is a legend around the United Nations. He has served as Liechtenstein's Ambassador to the United Nations since 2002 and, despite representing one of the world's smallest states, has an impressive record of diplomatic achievements. He played an instrumental role in the development of the International Criminal Court, including efforts to define the crime of aggression. He has also spearheaded several important initiatives at the General Assembly, including the creation of a mechanism to collect and preserve evidence of war crimes in Syria and the "veto initiative," under which any veto at the Security Council triggers a meeting of the General Assembly. These may sound like fairly technical diplomatic maneuvers, but they represent something much bigger: an innovative way of thinking about how small and middle powers can work together to overcome great-power gridlock and achieve substantive goals at the United Nations. We spoke one week after UNGA — a defining theme of which was the banding together of small states and middle powers in the face of intransigence from some of the world's great powers. This included the launch of a new Partnership for Multilateralism and a political declaration on frontier AI, both of which Liechtenstein joined. In our conversation, Ambassador Wenaweser explains the emerging dynamics of an alliance between middle powers and small states at the UN, what they can actually accomplish, and why they these countries are suddenly asserting themselves. Our conversation is free for all, and was produced in partnership with [Re]Group, a substack from the UN Foundation.

In this episode of The President's Daily Brief:• New reporting says Iran is preparing plans for a harder and potentially broader retaliation if the United States resumes major strikes, even as negotiations continue through Qatar.• Hezbollah has reportedly held secret talks with Syria's new government, a remarkable shift after years spent fighting to keep Bashar al-Assad in power and one that raises new questions about Iran's influence over the group.To listen to the show ad-free, become a premium member of The President's Daily Brief by visiting https://PDBPremium.com.Please remember to subscribe if you enjoyed this episode of The President's Daily Brief. YouTube: youtube.com/@presidentsdailybriefHomeServe: Protect your home systems from expensive repairs with https://HomeServe.com/dailybriefand get 50% off your first year of coverage.Lean: Get 20% off plus free rush shipping when you go to https://TAKELEAN.com and use code PDBCardiff: Get fast business funding without bank delays—apply in minutes with Cardiff and access up to $500,000 in same‑day funding at https://Cardiff.co/PDB

Guest host Dan Buck and Kim St. Onge welcome former U.S. Senator Jim Talent to the show. The conversation opens with a retrospective on community and faith-based initiatives, highlighting non-profit models like St. Patrick Center and contrasting local community efforts with federal administrative bureaucracies. Senator Talent analyzes foreign policy and security developments in the Middle East following the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq. The discussion evaluates regional stabilization in Northern Iraq and Syria, Middle Eastern petroleum supply lines, and energy market trends. The segment concludes with election strategy analysis ahead of the 2026 midterms, examining Republican party messaging on energy production, border security, economic indicators, and household income growth. LISTEN TO 97.1 FM TALK LIVE IN ST LOUIS OR STREAM WORLDWIDE AT 971TALK.COM Hashtags: #971FMTalk #StLouis #STLNews #JimTalent #MiddleEast #MidtermElections

American journalist Austin Tice vanished in Syria 14 years ago. A secret lead suggests he may still be alive. This week we're sharing the first episode of Where Is Austin Tice? NPR's documentary podcast, Embedded, partners with BBC Radio 4 to follow reporter Josh Baker as he travels through a changing country to attempt to uncover the truth. On the Media is supported by listeners like you. Support OTM by donating today (https://pledge.wnyc.org/support/otm). Follow our show on Instagram, Bluesky, TikTok and Facebook @onthemedia, and share your thoughts with us by emailing onthemedia@wnyc.org. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

In military leadership, standard doctrine and gut instincts only get you so far. The most effective commanders are those who learn to thrive in extreme uncertainty, balance high-stakes risk, and continuously evolve.In this episode, Major General (Ret) Patrick Roberson and I dive into his 35-year Army career in Special Forces: from his early foundation as an ROTC cadet at Mankato State and platoon leader in the 82nd Airborne, to commanding Third Special Forces Group. He was part of the operations dismantling the physical caliphate of ISIS in Iraq and Syria, running the Army's JFK Special Warfare Center and School, and he served as Deputy Commanding General of U.S. Army Special Operations Command.Whether discussing the randomness of combat, the imperative of telling truth to power, or overhauling training pipelines for modern strategic competition, Maj. Gen. Roberson emphasizes that a leader's ultimate duty is to prepare their people for uncertainty.Today's episode, sponsored by Leidos offers a masterclass in risk management, authentic command, and the realities of modern warfare.

//The Wire//2300Z September 30, 2026// //ROUTINE// //BLUF: ATTEMPTED HIJACKING OF COMMERCIAL AIRLINER HALTED IN MIDDLE EAST, PILOT SEVERELY WOUNDED DURING ATTACK. SMOKE PLUMES OBSERVED AT MAJOR SAUDI OIL PROCESSING FACILITY. UNITED STATES ANNOUNCES FORMAL WITHDRAWAL FROM IRAQ. IRANIAN ATTACKS ON SHIPPING CONTINUE IN HORMUZ STRAIT.// -----BEGIN TEARLINE-----  -International Events-Middle East: Overnight a possible hijacking incident was reported onboard a FlyDubai aircraft. At 0653 local time, Flight FZ1073 departed Dubai International Airport, bound for Tel Aviv. Approximately 136 minutes into the flight, the transponder data indicates the aircraft conducted a very sharp nosedive, losing over 14,000 feet of altitude in 37 seconds. Within the aircraft, reports indicate that the copilot stabbed the pilot multiple times, and attempted to deliberately crash the aircraft. After the initial nosedive, the wounded Captain was able to open the cockpit door, allowing passengers and cabin crew to subdue the copilot. Over a period of six seconds, a passenger was able to recover from the dive, banking hard to the north. Two off-duty FlyDubai pilots who were passengers on the flight regained control off the aircraft, and twenty minutes after the incident, the aircraft turned around over Jordanian airspace and diverted to Prince Sultan International Airport in Tabuk. The aircraft landed safely despite the sharp decent causing a significant portion of the rudder to break off.Analyst Comment: If these details are true, this incident was host to multiple aspects which are nothing short of miraculous. Based on the rate of decent, the aircraft was approximately 27 seconds from hitting the ground before a passenger was reportedly able to pull up on the yoke and recover the aircraft from the dive. The presence of two other pilots onboard the aircraft is also itself remarkable, as if the copilot was the terrorist, and the lead pilot was stabbed, there was no one left to fly the aircraft except the passengers in the back. Nearly all details are known via video recordings from passengers onboard the aircraft, but the exact nature of what took place inside the cockpit (and when) is not confirmed yet. Videos from within the cabin indicate both the pilot and copilot were severely wounded during the fight, and the status of both is not known. The nationalities of all involved are also important due to the current tensions around the region. Most of the passengers were Israeli citizens traveling back to Tel Aviv. The pilot (who was stabbed) is Indian, and the alleged terrorist copilot is Omani.Iraq: This morning, the Pentagon announced the completion of the withdrawal of the last troops from Erbil Airbase, marking the official end of Operation INHERENT RESOLVE in Iraq. Officially, the only American military personnel within Iraq are located at the American Embassy in Baghdad, with the diplomatic mission being the only officially recognized deployment location at this time.Analyst Comment: While the ending of a 23 year war is significant and worthy of further reflection, in the more immediate short term, the abandonment of the Erbil Airbase confirms prior reporting that the Patriot battery had been relocated from this facility weeks ago. The withdrawal from this critical air defense sector will probably affect American bases in Jordan, if Iranian missile launches continue.Persian Gulf: This morning the UKMTO released a batch of "time late" reports, confirming that a total of three merchant vessels were struck by Iranian cruise missiles while attempting to transit the Strait of Hormuz over the past few days. Due to the delay in reporting these strikes, it is not clear when they took place, however several Iranians reported witnessing missile launches from Sirik yesterday.Iran: Civil defense preparations continue to expand in size and scope. The week of October 26 - November 2 has been designated Civil Defense Week nationwide, with various drills and exercises being planned among the civilian populace to prepare for three different scenarios: Normal natural disaster emergencies, a state of ceasefire, or a full-scale war. IRGC-affiliated social media accounts have also claimed that military units in southern Iran have been issued Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear (CBRN) protective equipment, such as gas masks and decontamination kits.Analyst Comment: These reports are sporadic at best, and the photos from one soldier on social media are not exactly indicative of what the entire 600,000-man army is doing. However, the Iranians are not taking any chances an very clearly expect and escalation of attacks, possibly to include the use of more serious weapons.Saudi Arabia: This morning an incident was reported at ARAMCO's North Ghawar processing facility, with locals on the ground observing a large smoke plume emitting from the installation. No official statements have disclosed what happened, but no missile/drone warnings were noted by locals.Analyst Comment: This may or may not be the result of a drone strike; it could be the result of an industrial accident or exceptionally abnormal gas flaring. The Abqaiq processing plant at this facility is a major complex, and critically important as it's the start point for the East-West Pipeline (the other end being the terminals at Yanbu). By now, the pipeline should be functional to some degree, pumping an unknown amount of oil to the terminals on the Red Sea, but if this was an unplanned event of some kind, it might be slow going to get this pipeline fully back online.Syria: This afternoon, a major explosion was reported at a natural gas pipeline near the Tishreen Power Plant in Damascus. The resulting fire burned throughout the evening, and the power plant was shut down. The cause of the blast has not yet been publicly released.Analyst Comment: This follows yesterday's pipeline attack in southern Syria, which was directly confirmed to be sabotage. It's not clear as to if this pipeline explosion was sabotage, but at this point malign action is likely. Various insurgent groups within Syria have been hitting gas pipelines for weeks now, but no one group has claimed responsibility for these strikes yet.India: Overnight a major explosion was reported at the MRPL refinery in Mangaluru. One worker was killed and several others injured after a rupture occurred in a high-pressure tank at the Coker Hydrotreater Unit. At the time of the explosion, this refinery was already operating at peak capacity, to refine and process as much crude as physically possible at the site.-----END TEARLINE-----Analyst Comments: Within the United Kingdom, more questions than answers remain concerning two incidents which have captured media attention for the past few days. At RAF Fairford, not many details have come to light that can be corroborated with much reliability. The US continues to claim that this was a major terror attack that the US was involved in tracking, while British authorities claim that no explosives were found in the vehicles and the contents turned out to be drums of gasoline. However, this morning British authorities radically shifted their position, with PM Burnham stating that there are "strong indications that Iran played a part" in the incident. Despite these claims, all of the assailants are still free from detention.In Rotherham, almost zero details have been released regarding yesterday's explosive incident. The individual who was killed has not been identified, but authorities have stated that the incident was the result of a "household accident", without providing any further amplifying information. Due to the sheer lack of information, speculation has run rampant, but nothing is verifiable yet. Considering the very odd circumstances of this incident, more scrutiny on this case would be worthwhile, especially considering the heightened terrorism concerns around the continent.Analyst: S2A1 Research: https://publish.obsidian.md/s2underground NomadNet: 5fa68c88be727a0e1a250a75e5e79269 Disclaimer: No LLMs were used in the writing of this report. //END REPORT//

Use Your Life And Giving To Be An Encouragement To The Church Acts 20:1-6 1When the uproar had ended, Paul sent for the disciples and, after encouraging them, said goodbye and set out for Macedonia. 2He traveled through that area, speaking many words of encouragement to the people, and finally arrived in Greece, 3where he stayed three months. Because some Jews had plotted against him just as he was about to sail for Syria, he decided to go back through Macedonia. 4He was accompanied by Sopater son of Pyrrhus from Berea, Aristarchus and Secundus from Thessalonica, Gaius from Derbe, Timothy also, and Tychicus and Trophimus from the province of Asia. 5These men went on ahead and waited for us at Troas. 6But we sailed from Philippi after the Festival of Unleavened Bread, and five days later joined the others at Troas, where we stayed seven days.

These are the top headlines from Arab News, the Middle East's leading English-language daily, on Wednesday Sept. 30th at 6am GMT. - Saudi crown prince welcomes UAE vice president in Riyadh - Saudi Arabia denies representatives attended Israel-UAE meeting - Syria arrests alleged Hezbollah cell in Daraa over planned rocket attacks - US sanctions 10 over allegedly procuring weapons for Iran - Rival says Netanyahu ‘fear-mongering' over warning of pre-vote attack Check out the latest updates on https://arabnews.com

VOV1 - Bộ Ngoại giao Mỹ ngày 29/9 đã công bố báo cáo tổng kết hoạt động của nước này tại Tuần lễ cấp cao Đại hội đồng Liên Hợp Quốc. Chính quyền Tổng thống Donald Trump cho biết chương trình nghị sự của Mỹ tập trung vào ba trụ cột gồm hòa bình, thịnh vượng và đề cao vai trò của các quốc gia.Theo Bộ Ngoại giao Mỹ, trong lĩnh vực hòa bình, Washington công bố hạn chế thị thực đối với 32 cá nhân bị cáo buộc tham gia hoặc tiếp tay cho các hoạt động lừa đảo người Mỹ thông qua tội phạm mạng. Phần lớn những người này được cho là có liên hệ với Prince Group, một tổ chức tội phạm xuyên quốc gia.Mỹ cũng cam kết thúc đẩy chấm dứt cuộc chiến tại Sudan, phối hợp với Bahrain kêu gọi mở lại ngay lập tức Eo biển Hormuz và bảo đảm hoạt động đi lại an toàn, không bị cản trở hoặc thu phí trái phép.Trong khuôn khổ hợp tác bảo tồn di sản, Mỹ trao trả cổ vật cho Syria và hoàn trả 15 hiện vật có tổng trị giá gần 3 triệu USD cho Hy Lạp.Về trụ cột thịnh vượng, Washington công bố thêm 267 triệu USD hỗ trợ y tế và nhân đạo nhằm ứng phó dịch Ebola tại Cộng hòa Dân chủ Congo. Khoản hỗ trợ được sử dụng để xây dựng các đơn vị điều trị, cung cấp thiết bị bảo hộ, tăng cường giám sát dịch bệnh và truy vết tiếp xúc.Mỹ và Argentina khởi động Hành lang Andes - Đại Tây Dương nhằm nâng cấp hạ tầng kết nối các khu vực kinh tế của Argentina với những cảng lớn. Washington cũng công bố 201 triệu USD cho Quỹ Doanh nghiệp xuyên Caspi và dự kiến dành gần 200 triệu USD hỗ trợ tuyến hạ tầng quốc tế.Ngoại trưởng Mỹ Marco Rubio và người đồng cấp Italy Antonio Tajani ký biên bản hợp tác về khoáng sản chiến lược. Mỹ đồng thời thiết lập khuôn khổ hợp tác khoáng sản với Nigeria và thúc đẩy các dự án hạ tầng tại châu Phi.Trong lĩnh vực công nghệ, Bộ Ngoại giao Mỹ ra mắt mạng lưới NExT, kết nối doanh nghiệp khởi nghiệp quốc tế với công nghệ, đào tạo và tư vấn từ Amazon, Google, Meta, Microsoft và NVIDIA. Mỹ cũng cho biết đã có thêm 19 quốc gia tham gia khuôn khổ hợp tác về chuỗi cung ứng công nghệ và trí tuệ nhân tạo.Ở trụ cột đề cao chủ quyền quốc gia, chính quyền Tổng thống Trump công bố chính sách hạn chế thị thực đối với những người tham gia hoặc hỗ trợ hoạt động sang Mỹ sinh con để lấy quốc tịch.Mỹ và 14 đối tác trong khu vực cũng cam kết tăng cường phối hợp bảo vệ Tây bán cầu, đồng thời công bố các biện pháp trừng phạt, cấm thị thực và xử lý hình sự nhằm vào 24 tổ chức bị Washington xác định là khủng bố ma túy./.Quang Trung/VOV-Washington

Israel's election to form the country's next government is less than four weeks away, with voters in Israel going to the polls on Oct. 27. Long serving Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is once again leading the right-wing Likud party's hopes to return to office ,which he has held on and off for nearly 19 of the last thirty years, since 1996. This election comes after Israel's longest war since Independence in 1948, with the Oct. 7 Hamas massacres and resulting wars in Gaza weighing heavily on the voters. Ongoing military campaigns on other fronts including Lebanon, Syria and with Iran are also shaping the campaign. And just this week, Netanyahu appeared at an IDF air force base, vowing to continue hunting down Oct. 7 perpetrators, while warning Israel's enemies not to think about launching an attack on the country to disrupt the elections. So who's likely to win this crucial ballot? Can the diverse left, centre and right opposition slates, with five rival leaders known as "the change bloc" – Gadi Eisenkot, Naftali Bennett, Yair Lapid, Avigdor Liberman and Yair Golan - who met this weekend to seal a joint statement of principals, win enough together to oust Netanyahu, as happened briefly in 2021. Or will the growing religious-Zionist and ultra-Orthodox smaller parties remain strong enough and agree to help send Bibi back to power?And what role will the Arab parties play, now that Israel's election authority just disqualified two of them from the election, for supporting Hamas. On today's episode of The CJN's North Star podcast, Prof. Nikolenyi breaks down the Israeli election for us, including the 38 different lists of candidates, the main leaders, their backroom deals, and why it might be closer to December before Israel actually has a sworn in government. Related links What these young pro-democracy Israelis want to see ahead of the Oct. 27 elections, taped in Dec. 2025 during a special live panel discussion by the Hartman Institute, in Toronto, on The CJN's North Star podcast. Hear Sharren Haskel, Israel's deputy foreign minister in the last government, warn Canada “there will be blood” spilled here, after spate of synagogue shootings in March, on The CJN's North Star podcast. Read our interview with MK Dan Illouz from Feb. 2023 about why his former Likud party was trying to reform the Israeli justice system, on The CJN's North Star .Credits Host and writer: Ellin Bessner ( @ebessner ) Production team: Zachary Kauffman (senior producer), Izzie Helenchilde (producer and video editor),l Michael Fraiman (executive producer), Alicia Richler (editorial director) Music: Bret Higgins Support our show Subscribe to The CJN newsletter Watch our podcasts on YouTube Donate to The CJN (+ get a charitable tax receipt)

The U.S. military has successfully completed its full withdrawal from Iraq, marking the end of its military operations in the nation after more than twenty years of presence. The concluding stage of this departure was accomplished on September 30, 2026, when the last contingent of forces evacuated from Erbil Air Base, their final position in northern Iraq.Coalition military forces were initially stationed in Iraq and Syria beginning in 2014 to counter the Islamic State (IS) organization, which had taken control of extensive territories across both nations and perpetrated horrific massacres and atrocities.Although IS was militarily defeated in Iraq by 2017 and in Syria by 2019, coalition personnel remained to suppress the organization's surviving elements. In 2024, Baghdad and Washington reached an agreement to gradually reduce the coalition's operational footprint, leading to a phased withdrawal from military installations throughout the country, with forces concentrating their remaining activities in the self-governing Kurdistan region in the north. Their complete departure from this final location is set for Wednesday.Iraqi leadership contends that removing coalition forces eliminates the justification that Iran-aligned militant organizations have leveraged to maintain their arsenals. Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi has proclaimed that October 1, immediately following the coalition's exit, should be recognized as Sovereignty Day.This represents "a historic milestone celebrating Iraq's achievement of full sovereignty and reinforcing the strength of the state and its governmental structures," according to statements from the heads of Iraq's executive, legislative, and judicial authorities released on Monday.They further emphasized that “the presence of weapons outside state authority must be addressed… in line with timelines set by the government, in a manner that strengthens state sovereignty”.

The Japanese government has approved the lifting of sanctions imposed on 16 organizations linked to Syria.

Khalil was born in a Palestinian refugee camp in Syria and fled the country at 18. He had a green card to be in the United States, and had become one of the most visible faces of the pro-Palestinian protests at Columbia University, where he had been a graduate student and a negotiator between the protesters and the administration. In 2025, he was arrested by ICE and sent to a detention center in Louisiana. He spoke with Tonya Mosley about the events, the pro-Palestine movement, and his hopes for the future. His memoir is No Land to Stand On.See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy

1814 BATTLE OF NEW ORLEANSCONTENTS JOHN BATCHELOR SHOW, 9-28-2026Analyzing Security Crises Across BattlefrontsBill Roggio and Edmund Fitton-Brown discuss multiple interconnected global conflict zones. In London, five suspects were arrested following an explosive plot against a UK air base hosting American B-1 bombers, potentially linked to Iran, al-Qaeda, or ISIS. Meanwhile, Iran offered a revised diplomatic proposal after rejecting a prior memorandum of understanding, though it lacks nuclear concessions. In Yemen, Houthi forces captured the port of Mocha and advanced southward toward the Bab el-Mandeb strait. In Lebanon, Israel maintains operations north of the Litani River while the Lebanese government fails to disarm Hezbollah. Lastly, Hamas remains unyielding regarding disarmament in Gaza. (1)Evaluating US China Diplomacy StrategySteve Yates evaluates the recent summit between President Trump and Xi Jinping, noting grand pomp but little substantive policy movement on Taiwan. A critical fourteen billion dollar arms sales package to Taiwan remains in stasis, which Yates warns increases regional security risks if delayed further. Commenting on Ambassador David Perdue's remark about selling arms to China, Yates interprets it as sarcastic banter rather than actual policy. Furthermore, Yates highlights statements from the US Pacific commander emphasizing America's military capability to inflict severe devastation in a conflict. Ultimately, Yates advocates delivering Taiwan's defense package promptly. (2)Critiquing US China Trade PoliciesAlan Tonelson expresses strong disappointment regarding recent US-China trade negotiations, which produced minor tariff concessions on labor-intensive goods that primarily relieve China's domestic unemployment crisis. Tonelson criticizes the Trump administration for failing to reinstate major tariffs counteracting China's industrial overcapacity and market dumping after earlier court rulings. He highlights how China uses its control over rare earth exports as strategic leverage, offering vague promises to restore export levels. Additionally, Tonelson notes that negotiations completely failed to tackle China's pervasive non-tariff trade barriers, warning that weak American leadership threatens long-term economic decoupling efforts. (3)Hamas Governance Stalls Reconstruction PlansSamuel Ben-Ur and Bill Roggio: Ben-Ur details how the Board of Peace unveiled a two point five billion dollar reconstruction plan for Gaza, which remains completely stalled because it requires Hamas to disarm and relinquish power. Hamas exhibits no intention to surrender its arms. Internal Hamas elections for its Gaza political chief resulted in a stalemate between factions backed by Doha-based leaders Khaled Mashal and Khalil al-Hayya. Meanwhile, the Board of Peace has completely excluded UNRWA from reconstruction efforts. Though massive humanitarian aid prevents famine, roughly two million Gazans endure harsh tent conditions while Hamas continues seizing aid for profit. (4Examining Hezbollah Deterrence and RegenerationDavid Daoud and Bill Roggio: Daoud examines how Hezbollah uses unclaimed FPV drone strikes in southern Lebanonto test Israeli and American resolve while maintaining media narratives of victory. Daoud criticizes the Lebanesegovernment for demanding full Israeli withdrawal before addressing Hezbollah's disarmament, repeating post-2006 failures. Furthermore, Lebanese Armed Forces deployments in pilot zones lack any mandate to confront Hezbollah, seizing minor ammunition rather than heavy weaponry. Under Naim Qassem's quiet leadership, Hezbollah relies on unsanctioned crowdfunding entities like Watawanu to fund social services and maintains weapons smuggling via Syriato sustain its long-term regeneration. (5)Houthi Offensives Escalating Across YemenBridget Toomey discusses the intensifying Houthi military offensives across Yemen, specifically targeting the strategic Taiz governorate. After seizing coastal territory down to the Bab el-Mandeb strait, Houthi forces are pushing into mountainous highlands to encircle Taiz city and cut off key supply roads. Toomey explains that Houthi advances are enabled by deep divisions among eight anti-Houthi coalition factions, Houthi control of national telecommunications infrastructure, and extensive Iranian operational support. By moving resources onto coastal islands and isolating government forces, the Houthis ultimately aim to encircle Aden and solidify single-party rule over all of Yemen. (6)Assessing Syria Governance Under SharaAhmad Sharawi analyzes Syria's political transformation under Ahmed al-Sharaa following the collapse of the Assadregime. Sharawi highlights controversial army appointments, including Omar Jeffi—a Turkish citizen and former HTSmember—to lead the Damascus division. During a Western media interview, al-Sharaa evaded explicitly renouncing his past oath of allegiance to al-Qaeda, deflecting questions as past history rather than demonstrating genuine ideological reform. Sharawi notes that Turkey uses Syria to project regional power into Lebanon and Iraq while securing lucrative reconstruction contracts, though al-Sharaa's attempt to balance relations among Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Israel will inevitably trigger regional friction. (7)Analyzing Strategic Waterways Regional ConflictsEdmund Fitton-Brown examines maritime choke points in the Strait of Hormuz and Bab el-Mandeb, highlighting how Iranian proxies strategically target Saudi oil transit routes. Fitton-Brown urges skepticism regarding Iran's temporary proposal to reopen Hormuz, warning against accepting deals that ignore Iran's nuclear program. He notes that the Saudi-Turkey-Pakistan defense pact lacks practical military enforcement in Yemen. Furthermore, deep personal friction between leaders in Saudi Arabia and the UAE led to Emirati troop withdrawals, weakening anti-Houthi forces as Houthis advance toward Taiz, Marib, and Aden. Fitton-Brown calls for a unified US strategy addressing Iran and Yemen together. (8)Unpacking Iran Global Operations StrategyJanatyn Sayeh exposes Tehran's global coercion strategy, including the crowdsourced intelligence platform Alaj used to target dissidents and Western interests. Commenting on arrests near a UK airbase hosting American forces, Sayeh explains how Iran contracts organized crime gangs, Hell's Angels, and ideological operatives for transnational plots while routinely denying state involvement. Domestically, the IRGC is increasingly militarizing society—training civilians, women, and youth—in preparation for enduring conflict. Meanwhile, a rebranded Baloch insurgency demonstrates heightened military and intelligence capabilities against IRGC commanders. Sayeh concludes that former Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi represents the most viable opposition leadership option. (9)Countering Chinese Influence In MicronesiaCleo Paskal details the geopolitical contest between the US and China in the Federated States of Micronesia, focusing on Yap state. A Chinese state-owned enterprise completed rebuilding an Imperial Japanese airfield on Woleai island and is expanding infrastructure across Yap. Despite US plans for two billion dollars in dual-use port and airport investments, mismanaged local engagement led INDOPACOM commander Admiral Paparo to warn of seeking alternative sites. Paskal criticizes Washington for relying on flawed advisors and artificial intelligence unsuited for non-digital Pacific societies. Consequently, China continues making strategic inroads by proposing alternative airline routes to exploit local dissatisfaction. (10)Analyzing South American Political ShiftsErnesto Araújo and Alejandro Peña Esclusa analyze critical political dynamics in Brazil and Venezuela. In Venezuela, Delcy Rodríguez faces immense pressure to schedule elections due to severe economic collapse, public protests, and left-wing accusations of treason following Nicolás Maduro's arrest. Meanwhile, opposition figure María Corina Machadoremains blocked from returning home. In Brazil, Araújo argues that President Lula da Silva's UN speech failed domestically because Lula ignored economic mismanagement and rampant drug cartel growth. Araújo highlights Flavio Bolsonaro's rising momentum in Brazil's election, framing it as a pivotal anti-system contest against entrenched institutional corruption. (11)

In this episode of the Explaining History Podcast, we return to Susan Pedersen's *The Guardians* – the definitive history of the mandate system – to examine one of its darkest chapters: the French bombing of Damascus in October 1925.The French had acquired Syria under the Sykes-Picot Agreement, though the British never really accepted their claim to it. Lawrence of Arabia had raced to Damascus in 1918 to deliver it to the Arabs – and by extension to the British – in defiance of the agreement. But the French got their mandate, and they ran it with a combination of arrogance, ignorance, and violence.The revolt that erupted in 1925 was not, as the French insisted, the work of brigands and agitators. It was the product of accumulated grievances: the division of Syria into four statelets, the creation of Greater Lebanon, the subordination of Syrian officials to French approval, the demotion of Ottoman-trained officers, and an economic policy that pegged the Syrian pound to the unstable franc. The Druze leader Sultan al-Atrash – a Syrian nationalist who had served in the Ottoman army and joined the Arab Revolt – was not a local warlord, as the French imagined, but a man with a vision of complete independence and free elections.The French response was brutal. Villages were burned. Circassian, Kurdish and Armenian irregulars were unleashed to loot and terrorise. Corpses were paraded through the streets of Damascus and strung up in Marjeh Square. And then, on 18 October 1925, French tanks rolled through the narrow streets and the bombardment began – two days of shelling and aerial bombing of an undefended city.The international outcry was immediate. The *Times* of London, hardly a radical publication, ran reports that turned colonial assumptions on their heads. Readers who knew nothing of Syrian villages could place them in the category of the primitive – but every biblically literate child had heard of Damascus. And now its ancient streets were being blasted by a European power that claimed to be a civilising force.This episode explores the bombing of Damascus as a moment of crisis for the mandate system – a moment when the gap between the rhetoric of tutelage and the reality of colonial violence became impossible to ignore.**Topics covered:**- The French acquisition of Syria under Sykes-Picot- The revolt of Sultan al-Atrash and the Druze- General Sarrail and the blindness of French colonial officials- The use of irregular forces and aerial bombardment- The bombing of Damascus, October 1925- The international outcry and the *Times* coverage- The crisis of legitimacy for the mandate system---*If you enjoy the podcast, please consider supporting us – we are migrating from Patreon to Substack. Details in the show notes.*Explaining History helps you understand the 20th Century through critical conversations and expert interviews. We connect the past to the present. If you enjoy the show, please subscribe and share.▸ Support the Show & Get Exclusive ContentBecome a Patron: patreon.com/explaininghistory▸ Join the Community & Continue the ConversationFacebook Group: facebook.com/groups/ExplainingHistoryPodcastSubstack: theexplaininghistorypodcast.substack.com▸ Read Articles & Go DeeperWebsite: explaininghistory.org Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

“What if we fell out with the Brits? What if the agency and the Brits started spying on each other again?” — David McCloskeyWhat if the Americans and the British started spying on each other again? That's the premise of London Station, David McCloskey's fifth novel, out today. It isn't as far-fetched as it sounds. Before the Second World War those perfidious Brits did spy on America, breaking American ciphers and running influence campaigns in New York to drag the United States into the war.McCloskey spent eight years as a CIA analyst working on Syria, then a spell at McKinsey, before writing a series of successful spy novels and co-hosting the popular The Rest Is Classified podcast. The Dallas-based author has also, he admits, become an Anglophile — which hasn't stopped him giving MI6 what the Brits would call a “good kicking” in London Station.His returning heroine is Artemis Aphrodite Procter, so named by a father obsessed with Greek mythology and raised on a Florida alligator farm. Described by another of McCloskey's characters as a competent extremist, she is short, dark, hard-drinking and equally mirthful and menacing. Probably not the type of Yank best suited to a pseudo-diplomatic posting in the capital of the former empire. Although I'm guessing there are many British fellows, both inside and outside MI6, not averse to spying on Ms Artemis Aphrodite Procter.Further Reading:• London Station by David McCloskey (W. W. Norton, September 29, 2026) — his fifth novel, after Damascus Station, Moscow X, The Seventh Floor and The Persian.• The Rest Is Classified — the espionage podcast McCloskey co-hosts with the BBC's Gordon Corera, where he and Gordon Corera have also discussed Patrick Radden Keefe's London Falling.• London Falling by Patrick Radden Keefe, a recent guest on this show — the dark-money London that runs in parallel with McCloskey's subterranean city of espionage.• Earlier this year on Keen On: Daniel Silva on Gabriel Allon — the other American spy novelist with a thing for the Brits.  Five Takeaways •       What If We Fell Out With the Brits? McCloskey never expected to set a novel in Britain, for a technical reason: the CIA–MI6 relationship is so institutionalized that it is hard to get the stakes right, and a thriller needs life or death. Then the question arrived — what if we fell out? What if the two services started spying on each other again? That is not fantasy, and the history is the reverse of what most people assume: before the Second World War the British spied on the Americans, broke their ciphers and ran influence campaigns in New York designed to pull the United States into the war. The novel imagines a new administration installing a brash CIA director skeptical of the cousins across the Atlantic, agents on both sides beginning to die, and a thriller that turns into a mole hunt. He is rude about MI6 throughout, which his British friends appear to enjoy — his theory being that Brits are self-deprecating enough to relish being picked on.•       Classified Journalism. He joined the CIA in 2006 as an undergraduate intern and left in 2014, working almost the whole time on Syria. His description of the job is the best short account of intelligence analysis you will hear: it is classified journalism. You have a question your consumer needs answered — and when your consumer is the president and the question is how long Assad can hold on, the sourcing is satellite imagery, stolen documents, intercepted calls and texts, all of it fragmentary and some of it more credible than the rest. You stitch together the what, the why and the so what, and you write it up clean and apolitical so someone can decide something. Everything he publishes now, from a novel to a résumé, still goes to the agency's publication review board — though he argues the genuinely sensitive material would make for bad fiction anyway. Afterwards came McKinsey, where the work was pricing concrete pipe and clearing a rail bottleneck through Chicago, and where he was, as far as he knows, the only McCloskey.•       Artemis Aphrodite Procter. The character began with a real colleague — short, dark curly hair, not physically imposing but with a genuine physicality, and possessed of what he calls a mix of mirth and menace: someone you can drink and gamble with who will terrify you two days later. Then, as good characters do, she started speaking for herself. Her biography is a small comic masterpiece: named by a father obsessed with Greek mythology, raised outside Kissimmee in central Florida on the family business, the nation's third largest alligator-themed amusement park, called Gatorville; university in Ohio; a first husband who didn't work out; an application to the agency made more or less on a whim. Not upper class, not really middle class, and it shows in how she dresses, eats and speaks to people — which is exactly why putting her in London was irresistible. One character calls her a competent extremist. The running question across the books, he says, is what it means to be loyal to a place that is not loyal to you.•       Can a Man Write Her? AK put the objection directly: some literary thought police would say a male former CIA officer has no business inventing a female one. Two answers. First, the same logic throws out Anna Karenina, and he would rather part company than follow it. Second, and more interestingly, he thinks the objection misunderstands what novelists do: you are not inhabiting a character's skin, you are hearing a voice and putting it on the page. His analogy is a reporter interviewing WNBA players — not sharing their background means more work, more research, more time with the subject, not a prohibition. On whether women make different spies he declines the generalization, while noting a real asymmetry: his analytical teams at the agency were at least half women, often majority, while the case officer cadre and the upper rungs of the Directorate of Operations remain heavily male. Which leaves the question he finds genuinely interesting about Procter — how much of her was always there, and how much the organization made.•       No Smiley Without Philby. On traitors, he separates the fiction from the trade. In literature they are everything, and Philby above all — not only because he turned an institution inside out but because his betrayal said something deep about the British class system that still resonates. Hence the line of the hour: you probably don't have George Smiley without Kim Philby, le Carré having essentially novelized the wound. (AK's reversal: perhaps you don't have Philby, in the public mind, without Smiley.) Inside the actual bureaucracies, though, nobody is wrestling with those ghosts day to day. And on Britain's place in all this, he refuses AK's harsher framing — a subtext to a subtext — while conceding the structural reality: the agency is much larger and much richer, and when it wants to do somet...

閣議に臨む高市早苗首相、２９日午前、首相官邸日本政府は２９日の閣議で、シリア制裁の一環として科している１６団体への措置を解除することを了解した。 The Japanese government has approved the lifting of sanctions imposed on 16 organizations linked to Syria.

1920 DAMASCUSAhmad Sharawi analyzes Syria's political transformation under Ahmed al-Sharaa following the collapse of the Assadregime. Sharawi highlights controversial army appointments, including Omar Jeffi—a Turkish citizen and former HTSmember—to lead the Damascus division. During a Western media interview, al-Sharaa evaded explicitly renouncing his past oath of allegiance to al-Qaeda, deflecting questions as past history rather than demonstrating genuine ideological reform. Sharawi notes that Turkey uses Syria to project regional power into Lebanon and Iraq while securing lucrative reconstruction contracts, though al-Sharaa's attempt to balance relations among Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Israel will inevitably trigger regional friction. (7)

Brad Young spent six years in the Air Force as a Korean linguist, including time at the National Security Agency in Hawaii, before an inter-service transfer put him in Army warrant officer flight school. He flew the AH-64D and then the AH-64E for just shy of 17 years across four combat deployments to Afghanistan, Iraq and Syria, and retired in 2025 out of 5-17 Air Cavalry in Korea. His unit at Fort Lewis was the first to receive and combat deploy the Echo model.Brad's book "Full Blooded Apache: An Attack Pilot's True Story of Family, Faith and the Fight" https://amzn.to/4hOLb1j0:00 The most feared helicopter in the world0:48 From Air Force linguist to Apache pilot4:37 9/11, a schoolteacher, and four recruiters8:58 The DLAB: learning a made-up language11:25 Korean linguist at DLI and NSA Hawaii13:16 How a Google Earth search ended in a kill cam16:51 Crossing over to Army aviation22:45 Army aviation paths and flight school24:38 The dunker and stress inoculation30:01 TH-67 primary and the airframe selection board34:09 Please bless daddy to get Apaches34:47 AH-64D vs AH-64E: what the Echo changed40:55 APKWS and the counter-drone fight43:19 Drones hunting helicopters44:34 The Apache 30mm and its new proximity fuze48:30 FPV drones vs helicopters49:40 Staying over the shoulder of ground forces50:57 Hit twice near Jalalabad53:18 The round that nearly brought him down55:02 Counter tech and the 3 to 1 advantage57:25 Two cockpits that can't see each other59:52 Flying night combat through one eye1:03:00 Front seat vs back seat sensors1:04:48 Why he wrote Full Blooded Apache1:07:20 Four Hellfires in eight minutes1:12:55 Wrap-up Have a story? Program and partnership inquiries: https://theafterburnpodcast.com/contact/

What's worse than a bad vacation? A horrible travel story you can't stop thinking about. The Korean skincare brand everyone is talking about. Get 20% off your entire order with code HONK @ https://jiyuskin.com/HONK #JIYU #ad Machine Washable Rugs, Made Better. For a limited time only, our listeners get 10% off + free shipping @ https://tumbleliving.com/HONK #Tumble #ad On this episode of Tea Time with Gabby Lamb and Harper-Rose Drummond, we read the most unhinged, chaotic, and relatable listener-submitted travel stories — from a destination wedding that turned into a full-blown sickness nightmare to bizarre family trips, disastrous vacations, questionable travel decisions, and stories that absolutely should have stayed private. Plus, we spill the tea on our own travel experiences, including Syria, Florida, Scotland, and more. If you love comedy podcasts, true stories, funny travel stories, embarrassing stories, and unfiltered tea spilling, this episode is for you. ☕ Submit your stories for future episodes teatimestories42069@gmail.com ☕ Subscribe for more listener stories, comedy storytelling, and unhinged conversations. ☕ Leave a comment with your favorite moment from this week's chaos. If you love the show and want to support us, join our growing community on Patreon to see what we're giving for $5 a month! JOIN OUR PATREON https://www.patreon.com/teatime42069 Join our new Membership channel right here on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCMnl2Nk5B-ONmUh6jF5MP9A/join

In 2000, Bashar al-Assad became president of Syria, also known as the authoritarian "Kingdom of Fear" that his father Hafez al-Assad had created three decades earlier. The younger Assad continued and intensified the use of imprisonment, torture and surveillance as tools of domination. His crackdown on a pro-democracy revolution turned into a 13-year civil war. Nahlah Ayed and panelists discuss what we can learn about the rise and collapse of authoritarianism from Assad's rule and the 2024 collapse of his regime. Listen to other episodes in our series, How to Defeat Authoritarianism:How to Defeat Authoritarianism | Benito Mussolini's ItalyHow to Defeat Authoritarianism | Idi Amin's UgandaHow to Defeat Authoritarianism | Augusto Pinochet's ChileGuests on this podcast:Basilios Zeno is assistant professor in the Department of Political Studies at Trent University in Canada. His work combines research, advocacy, and policy work on forced migration and asylum, legal violence, social movement, and interpretive decolonizing methodologies. Marie-Joelle Zahar is a professor of political science at the University de Montréal. She has served multiple terms as a mediation expert, in fact, still serving in that role, for the United Nations, including as senior expert in the office of the Special Envoy for Syria in 2017. Abdulrahman Matar is a Syrian-Canadian writer and journalist, a novelist, poet, and a painter. He is the founder and director of the Seagull Cultural Forum and executive director of the Syrian Writers Association. He was arrested five times and spent nearly 10 years in prison as a result of his writing and his positions on issues of freedom and human rights.Tareq Yousbasi is a journalist and a producer at the CBC of Syrian origin, who assisted with live translation.

Mo Good Eats is a food review influencer. On this episode, Mo opens up about his family dynamic and shares details how his family immigrated over from Iraq. Mo explains leaving Iraq due to the war back in the early 2000s and moving to Syria with his family. Then, Mo and his family got the opportunity to come to the US. He discusses some of the early struggles in school due to the language barrier. Mo talks about having to overcome a lot of things, but he finally felt like he was fitting in by senior year. Mo decided to go to college, but due to covid and other circumstances he left. Eventually, Mo transitioned from fitness to nutritional content and began reviewing local food places in New England. We discuss the importance of having patient and remaining grateful for the opportunities we have in life. Join us in this inspiring conversation on family, food, and mental health. The Five Pillars to Create a Meaningful Life Available on Amazon: https://a.co/d/9kXIt9u

Suleiman Khalil is a Syrian Christian and also a hero. As a mayor of a small Christian village, Suleiman resisted two assaults on his community by ISIS. His actions saved many lives. Yet today, Suleiman rots in a Syrian prison. Even though he has never been charged with anything, Suleiman has been behind bars for almost two years. His condition is worsening. Why would the Syrian Islamist regime carry out this injustice? How are other Christians faring today in Syria? Joining us todiscuss all of these topics is Joel Veldkamp. He will share the latest updates on Suleiman, his family and the Christians of Syria. If you find this episode helpful, please give us a positive rating and review wherever you listen to your favorite podcasts.Also share this episode with a friend so they too can be blessed by these insights. To learn more about resources mentioned in this episode, see the following:Christian Solidarity International (Website): https://www.csi-int.org/ Christian Emergency Alliance (Website): https://www.christianemergency.com/ Christian Emergency Alliance (Twitter / X): https://x.com/ChristianEmerg1 In Days of Darkness: A Manual for Ordinary Christians Facing Unusual Times (Book): https://www.amazon.com/Days-Darkness-Ordinary-Christians-Unusual/dp/1636985734 Christian Emergency Alliance (Facebook): https://www.facebook.com/christianemergency Christian Emergency Alliance (Instagram): https://www.instagram.com/christianemergencyalliance/ The Christian Emergency Podcast is a production of the Christian Emergency Alliance.Soli Deo Gloria

Matthew Campbell is an editor at Bloomberg Businessweek who spent a decade reporting out of Europe before relocating to Singapore, filing from more than twenty-five countries on crime, corruption, terrorism, economics, public health and the environment along the way. He co-broke the investigation into how Goldman Sachs made hundreds of millions of dollars on bond deals with Muammar Gaddafi's Libya while the country lost over a billion, dug into South Africa's Gupta "state capture" scandal, investigated the still-unsolved murder of Canadian pharmaceutical billionaire Barry Sherman, and exposed massive undisclosed methane emissions leaking out of Central Asia's oil and gas fields. He's a seven-time Loeb finalist with honors from the National Press Club, SOPA and SABEW. His new book, The Man Who Stole the Gods, follows the decades-long, industrial-scale looting of ancient Khmer treasures out of Cambodia, and the British art dealer at the centre of it all, Douglas Latchford, who spent fifty years selling stolen antiquities to the world's biggest museums and private collectors on forged provenance nobody bothered to check. We follow the story from Latchford's arrival in 1950s Bangkok, through the horror of the Khmer Rouge and the thirty-year civil war that followed, into the private homes of American billionaires, the boardroom of the Met and even the Jeffrey Epstein files.Link To 'The Man Who Stole the Gods'Link To 'Curious Worldview Substack'Leave a review on Apple or Spotify (nothing does more to help grow the show)It's an enormous pleasure to have spoken with Matt, we discussed...How the story landed on his radar — a stray 2019 headline about a British art dealer indicted for fraud, the detail that he was also the principal financial sponsor of bodybuilding in Southeast Asia, and the COVID delay before he was confident, from his first day reporting in Phnom Penh, that there was a book in itMeeting Brad Gordon, the American lawyer hired by the US Department of Justice who ended up working for the Cambodian government instead — and why Matt built the book around the people chasing the statues rather than the man who stole themWhether the book might push other nations to take looting more seriously, from the century-long fight over the Elgin Marbles to looting still happening today in Iraq, Syria, Sudan and UkraineThe closest historical analogue to Cambodia's scale of loss — Nazi-looted art — and why the Khmer Rouge were "sui generis," even among history's worst regimesLife under Pol Pot: "to keep you is no profit, to destroy you is no loss" — and a regime so absolute it abolished money itself, something not even Stalin or Mao attemptedWhy the Khmer Rouge's brand of communism was so viciously effective and yet, within four years, collapsed like "a house of cards" — at a cost of two million livesDouglas Latchford's arrival in 1950s Bangkok, the CIA-adjacent expat demimonde built around Cold War espionage, and his mentor Jim Thompson — the "Thai Silk King" who vanished without a trace on a walk in Malaysia in 1967The Khmer Empire itself: Angkor at its 12th–13th century peak housing something like 750,000 people against London's 30,000–40,000 — and how little historical record survives because looters don't take notesToek Tik — "Lion" — the Khmer Rouge child soldier turned reluctant executioner turned escapee turned the most prolific looter in Cambodia, and how Brad Gordon spent over a decade coaxing his memories into evidence that kept matching the groundHow Latchford faked provenance — a forged letter from "Ian Donaldson," a man who conveniently died in 2001 but kept "signing" documents into the 2010s — and why almost nobody who saw the paperwork actually believed itWhy Americans developed a taste for Southeast Asian art in the 1960s (the Beatles and the Maharishi, the Hare Krishna movement founded on the Lower East Side) and how that fed straight into 1980s Wall Street fortunesThomas Hoving, the Met director who invented the blockbuster exhibition and corporate sponsorship as we know them — and the Met's refusal to sit for an interview or meaningfully engage with the bookTracing the loot today — an anonymous Architectural Digest spread, and how Jeffrey Epstein's email archive surfaced financier Leon Black's roughly $30 million in Cambodian purchasesArt as a money-laundering vehicle: Latchford's Jersey trusts, the push to finally bring art dealers under the Bank Secrecy Act, and Oliver Bullough's estimate that up to 70% of the secondhand watch trade may be laundering in disguiseWhether large-scale looting still happens — Cambodia's temples are effectively "cleaned out," but Sudan's National Museum lost more than 60% of its collection when the RSF took Khartoum in 2023Closing questions: which empty ancient civilisation he'd walk through if he could (Cambodia, then Mexico) — and the role serendipity has played in every story he's ever chasedCurious Worldview (catalogue connections to this ep)The blurbs made flesh — Matt name-checks both journalists who blurbed his book in conversation: Oliver Bullough, on his new book Everybody Loves Our Dollars and the eye-watering share of the secondhand watch and handbag trade that's really laundering, and Zeke Faux, whose Number Go Up mapped the same "value is whatever somebody says it is" logic onto crypto.The most important crime in the world — Matt's line that no significant criminal enterprise works without laundering its proceeds sits right alongside Nathan Lynch on why Australia became a laundering haven almost by accident.The exploited periphery — the scam compounds in Cambodia and Myanmar that come up near the end are Matt Friedman's exact territory, and Toek Tik — paid a pittance to dig up gods worth millions abroad — is a museum-world version of the same economy.The lone crusader — Brad Gordon spending over a decade, likely the rest of his life, chasing looted statues with no real system built to do it, echoes Bill Browder turning Sergei Magnitsky's death into a one-man campaign.Timestamps... 00:00 — Intro 02:04 — How the story found him 04:42 — Could this book push other nations to take looting seriously? 07:21 — Nazi-looted art as the closest analogue; why the Khmer Rouge were unique 08:45 — "To keep you is no profit, to destroy you is no loss" 13:29 — Latchford's Bangkok arrival and Jim Thompson's 1967 disappearance 17:45 — The Khmer Empire at its peak 24:58 — Toek Tik's story 29:47 — Faking provenance: the dead man's letter 34:20 — Why Americans fell for Southeast Asian art in the 60s 35:49 — Thomas Hoving's Met, and its refusal to engage 41:37 — Tracing the loot: the magazine spread and the Epstein archive 43:13 — Art as money laundering 47:18 — Does the looting continue? 49:45 — Closing questions

These are the top headlines from Arab News, the Middle East's leading English-language daily, on Monnday Sept. 28th at 6pm GMT. - Officials say mediators are still working with Iran and the US on a possible deal - Israeli strikes kill at least two people in Gaza, officials say - UK PM will hold emergency talks on airbase plot - Qatar-linked LNG traffic through Hormuz strait picks up despite conflict - Syria expects over $1 billion in foreign capital for new banks, central bank governor says Check out the latest updates on https://arabnews.com

Attacks by Yemen's Houthi rebels on Saudi Arabia are putting Turkey's new defence pact with the kingdom to its first major test – forcing Ankara to weigh support for its ally against the risk of being drawn deeper into the conflict. Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan signed the Mecca Joint Defence Agreement on 7 August, committing themselves to the principle that an attack on one is an attack on all. The three countries' military chiefs met in the Saudi capital on Friday, a day after the Iran-backed Houthis launched their latest barrage of missiles targeting Riyadh and Saudi Aramco oil facilities in Yanbu. In recent weeks, Saudi Arabia has reported intercepting numerous Houthi drone and ballistic missile attacks from neighbouring Yemen. The military chiefs discussed intelligence sharing, military coordination and integrating their capabilities, Saudi and Pakistani statements said. Turkey's defence ministry did not comment on the meeting. Erdogan hints at larger nuclear partnership with Russia, unsettling Turkey's allies Saudi expectations Turkey has so far stopped short of committing itself to military action. Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said this month that Ankara was looking into providing what he called “technical support”, without elaborating on what that could involve. Saudi Arabia could look to Turkey for air defence systems, counter-drone technology, radars and maritime security, given the expertise and capabilities of the Turkish military and defence industry, said Amed Khuzaie of the Washington-based think tank N7 Foundation. “The Mecca Agreement pact will prove its vitality and importance only if it's deemed to be functional,” Khuzaie told RFI. The Riyadh meeting followed talks in New York on Thursday involving the Saudi and Turkish foreign ministers and Pakistan's deputy prime minister and foreign minister on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly. Turkish media citing foreign ministry sources said the meeting focused on ongoing “technical negotiations”. But providing support to Saudi Arabia could expose Turkey to retaliation from the Houthis. “By God, if Turkey and Pakistan become involved, we will strike them with an iron fist,” Mohammed al-Bukhaiti, a senior member of the Houthis, said in an Iraqi television interview. Turkey seeks Black Sea shipping deal as attacks threaten grain trade Risk of retaliation The warning should be taken seriously given the Houthis' military presence around the Bab al-Mandeb strait, a critical waterway linking the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden, explained Amed Nagi, a Yemen expert at the International Crisis Group. “[The Houthis] targeted US and UK shipping in the Red Sea,” Nagi said. “They could do the same beyond [that] to the Gulf of Aden, because we know Turkey is very active in the Horn of Africa. "So I think these are the areas that the Houthis will think about if there is any sort of retaliation against Turkey.” In 2024, the Houthis attacked US military and commercial shipping in the Red Sea, damaging the Gibraltar Eagle bulk carrier with a cruise missile and sinking the British-linked cargo ship MV Rubymar. Saudi Arabia could also look to Israel for support if its new partners do not provide what it needs, Khuzaie said. “Who has better intelligence in the region than the Israelis today?” he said. “Diversifying resources, if one fails you, you have another side that could assist.” The risks for Ankara go beyond possible Houthi retaliation. Turkey must also manage its relationship with Iran, which backs the Yemeni group. “It is not in the interest of Turkey to have a direct confrontation with any actor in the region, and the Houthis have become a proxy of Iran; Turkey doesn't want a confrontation with Iran directly," said Bilgehan Alagoz, an international relations professor at Istanbul's Marmara University. "Turkey is trying to solve the issue from a diplomatic point of view.” In a joint statement last week, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Egypt said that dialogue and diplomacy were the only sustainable way to resolve the region's conflicts, while affirming Saudi Arabia's right to defend itself under international law. Fidan met his Iranian counterpart Abbas Araghchi in New York on Friday. Fidan later said they discussed Iran's negotiations with the United States and conditions for reopening the Strait of Hormuz, but that diplomatic efforts had yet to produce a breakthrough. What the SDF's dissolution means for Syria's Kurds and neighbouring Turkey Iran balancing act The diplomatic efforts come as Turkey's relationship with Iran faces other strains. Turkey-based international relations analyst Soli Ozel said Ankara has for decades walked a “fine line” between rivalry and cooperation with Tehran while balancing its relationships with Iran and Western allies, particularly the United States. Turkey's banking regulator recently revoked the operating licence of Iran's Bank Mellat branch in Istanbul, although the official notice did not say the move was intended to enforce US sanctions. The US Treasury also said Ankara had agreed after talks with Washington to stop flights by Iran's Mahan Air as part of efforts to comply with US measures against Tehran. Three Turkish airlines also suspended flights to Iran. Turkish authorities have also repeatedly accused Iran of hostile operations inside the country, including assassinations and abductions of Iranian dissidents. In January, security forces arrested six people suspected of spying for Iran and gathering information about the Incirlik air base, which is used by US forces. Becoming involved in the conflict against the Houthis could upset Ankara's already delicate relationship with Tehran, Ozel told RFI. “The Iranians who actually have a lot of [intelligence] capabilities in Turkey, we've seen that before, then you find yourself in a hot or cold war,” he said.

Gary Stearman welcomes Israeli author Avi Lipkin for a revealing discussion about Turkey's desire to restore the Islamic Caliphate, the strategic importance of Cyprus and the growing rivalry between Sunni and Shiite powers. Avi explains why the struggle involving Turkey, Iran, Syria, Lebanon and Israel could help set the stage for the prophetic wars described in Scripture.

Gary Stearman welcomes Israeli author Avi Lipkin for a revealing discussion about Turkey's desire to restore the Islamic Caliphate, the strategic importance of Cyprus and the growing rivalry between Sunni and Shiite powers. Avi explains why the struggle involving Turkey, Iran, Syria, Lebanon and Israel could help set the stage for the prophetic wars described in Scripture.

Former Science of Identity Foundation insider Rebecca Saltzburg, a source for the Washington Post's investigation into Tulsi Gabbard, goes deeper into how its guru Chris Butler shaped Gabbard's political career. Then, as Director of National Intelligence, who was she working for? Why was the deal with her and Syria, China and Russia?Watch Mission Implausible on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@MissionImplausiblePod

Have you ever had a dream that was so vivid, so intense, that you were convinced it was real? While ill and on the verge of death in Syria, Jerome of Stridon had one such dream — and it changed his life forever. Hear the details of the nightmare that turned a lukewarm 5th-century Christian into a beloved saint, and one of four Great Latin Church Fathers, on this episode of Legends of the Saints, titled “The Dream of Saint Jerome,” adapted by Tim Papciak. A production of We Are One Body® Audio Theatre.

Last week Mosaic convened an important discussion about Turkey, Israel, and the Middle East, framed by the Turkish-Israeli analyst Hay Eytan Cohen Yanarocak's September essay, "How Turkey Is Forging a New Ring of Fire around Israel." Joining Yanarocak and Mosaic's editor Jonathan Silver were the Israeli strategist Dan Schueftan, and the American Hudson Institute scholar Michael Doran. The day before that conversation took place, video footage emerged out of Saudi Arabia showing an intercepted drone that was aimed at Mecca. The Saudis claim that the drone was fired by the Houthis, the Iranian proxy in Yemen. And now, aside from being the holiest city in Islam, Mecca is also the name of a new defense pact that Saudi Arabia signed just over a month ago with Turkey and Pakistan. The Mecca Joint Defense Agreement is modeled after NATO's Article 5, which treats an attack on one as an attack on all. The first test has arrived, and its partners offered statements of condemnation, but not much more. Turkish and Pakistani officials have told reporters that they haven't been asked for help, and that the alliance still needs to be institutionalized. Yet, as Yanarocak points out, the Mecca pact is one of several frameworks Ankara has created that by design exclude Israel. In his view, that fact, combined with the Turkish military presence in Syria, is far more disquieting than any of the inflamed rhetoric coming from Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Yanarocak thus asks us to take seriously a scenario that Bernard Lewis put to him personally, more than a decade ago: Turkey and Iran might one day exchange roles as the primary strategic threat to Israel. This week, we bring you the full proceedings of his discussion about that question with Michael Doran and Dan Schueftan. You can also read the transcript, or watch the video, on the Mosaic website. This episode of The Tikvah Podcast is generously sponsored by Marina Solovey and Leo Goldstein in honor of the yahrzeit of Isidoro Solovey (alav ha-shalom). If you are interested in sponsoring an episode of The Tikvah Podcast, we invite you to join the Tikvah Ideas Circle. Visit tikvah.org/circle to learn more and join.

Today we welcome a reappearance of author Simon Sebag Montefiore. These few lines set the tone for an outstanding book and brilliant guest:“But even in easier times, the Middle East has the ability to surprise even the most informed observers and intelligence maestros. After all, the experts failed to predict the emergence of Turkey in 1922, the crowning of Reza Shah in Persia in 1925, the creation of Israel in 1948, Gamal Abdel Nasser's Suez gambit in 1956 and his union of Egypt and Syria in 1958, Israel's victory in 1967, the fall of Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi and rise of Ruhollah Khomeini, 9/11, the Arab Spring, October 7, 2023, Midnight Hammer, and much that has followed.”The Money Maze Podcast is kindly sponsored by J.P. Morgan Asset Management*, IFM Investors, World Gold Council and LSEG.*During the episode we cite J.P. Morgan Asset Management as Europe's leading active ETF provider by assets under management. This is sourced from J.P. Morgan Asset management and Bloomberg, data as of 30 March 2026.

The number of people forced from their homes by war, violence and persecution continues to grow, while the international system created to protect them is under increasing strain. On the sidelines of the 81st UN General Assembly in New York, The National's Editor-in-Chief Mina Al-Oraibi speaks to Barham Salih, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees and former president of Iraq, about the mounting pressures on the global refugee system. Mr Salih says protecting those forced to flee is not only a humanitarian and legal responsibility, but also a matter of national interest. With conflicts lasting longer and displacement increasing, he argues that the international community cannot afford to look away. In this special episode of Beyond the Headlines, they discuss shrinking humanitarian funding, the strain on the asylum system, and the worsening crises in Yemen and Sudan. They also look at what Syria and Iraq can teach the region about displacement and returning to rebuild lives after conflict.

Ahmad Joudeh is a ballet dancer of unusual grace and grit. He was born stateless in a Palestinian refugee camp in Damascus, Syria. He has traveled far on the power of his dreams and the elegance of his dance. He survived a traumatic childhood, much of Syria's civil war and constant threats of execution by ISIS. We met Joudeh in his new home in San Diego. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy

Proletarian TV | 14 September 2026 Comrade Samira, leading organiser of the Palestine Encampment, speaks outside the US embassy in Nine Elms, London, on the second anniversary of the camp. She lists the US imperialist crimes around the world and puts the Israeli genocide in Palestine in this context. From agent orange, to 1953 overthrow of Mossadeg in Iran, to Iraq in 1999 and 2003 and Afghanistan, Syria, Libya, and Lebanon, to the kidnapping of Maduro and drowning the resistance of the world's people in blood. US and Britain are responsible for the genocide. Israel is not a nation with whom a peace deal can be negotiated. No genocidal state can seriously engage in peace negotiations. It must be dismantled in its entirety. Israel is not a nation - it is a settler colonial project past its historical sell-by date. Build the axis of resistance. Join the antifascist international here: https://antifascistinternational.uk -------------------------------------------------- Subscribe! Donate! Join us in building a bright future for humanity! www.thecommunists.org www.lalkar.org www.redyouth.org Telegram: t.me/thecommunists Twitter: twitter.com/cpgbml Soundcloud: @proletarianradio Rumble: rumble.com/c/theCommunists Odysee: odysee.com/@proletariantv:2 Facebook: www.facebook.com/cpgbml Online Shop: https://shop.thecommunists.org/ Education Program: https://thecommunists.org/education-programme/ Each one teach one! www.londonworker.org/education-programme/ Join the struggle www.thecommunists.org/join/ Donate: www.thecommunists.org/donate/

Josh uncovers a hidden world of secret negotiations, backchannels, and high-level talks. And, after years of failed promises, Austin's mother Debra decides to go to Syria herself - alone. She believes the U.S. government could have done more to get her son home. Josh finds the men who took part in covert talks between Washington and Damascus. Could Austin's release have been possible? And what was Syria offered in return?Support public media with NPR+ and enjoy perks for over 25 podcasts like this one. This show's perks include early access and sponsor-free listening (perks may vary between seasons). Learn more at plus.npr.org.See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy

Josh uncovers a hidden world of secret negotiations, backchannels, and high-level talks. And, after years of failed promises, Austin's mother Debra decides to go to Syria herself - alone.She believes the US government could have done more to get her son home. Josh finds the men who took part in covert talks between Washington and Damascus. Could Austin's release have been possible? And what was Syria offered in return?Archive: NBC; NPR; CBS; CNN; BBC; Fox; The White House.Writer and showrunner: Josh Baker Investigative producer: Sara Obeidat Series producer: Simon Maybin Field producing: Ouday Al Hussein Additional producing: Lucy Burns Open source intelligence: Thomas Bordeaux & Gabor Friesen Production coordinator: Gemma Ashman Series editor: Clare Fordham Head of BBC News Long Form Audio: Emma Rippon BBC Radio 4 commissioning editor: Dan Clarke NPR producer: Monika Evstatieva NPR editors: Robert Little & Katie Simon NPR executive producer for Embedded: Irene Noguchi BBC World Service commissioning editor: Jon Manel Composer: Firas Abou Fakher Additional music: Karim Chehoury Theme music: Sam Slater Mix and sound design: Tom Brignell

Annie F. Downs joins the show to talk about why every leader needs a personal board of directors and who actually belongs there. Carey and Annie discuss why AI friendship can never replace the real thing and why Christians need to stay in the secular world instead of retreating from it. Plus, we get a massive update on her recent marriage and what that does to her singles ministry.

US Treasury yields soared on Wednesday, Iran's President Masoud Pezeshkian said Tehran was prepared to negotiate with the US, and the FT's Sam Fleming explains why the UK budget is in a tight spot. Plus, billions of dollars of Rosneft's foreign earnings were funnelled through a Kremlin-backed money-laundering network, and Syria's search for justice for Assad-era crimes could spark more unrest.Mentioned in this podcast:US Treasury yields soar most since ‘liberation day' tariffs shook marketsTreasury open to smaller fiscal headroom to reduce tax hikesThe FT's Budget dashboard: the data confronting Chancellor John HealeyRosneft billions fed Kremlin-backed money laundering networkSyria: a dangerous search for justiceCrime and punishment in the Middle EastCredit: PBSWant to get in touch? Email us at podcasts@ft.comNote: The FT does not use generative AI to voice its podcastsThe FT News Briefing is produced by Sonja Hutson, Saffeya Ahmed, Katya Kumkova, and Josh Gabert-Doyon. Our editor is Marc Filippino. Our show is mixed by Sam Giovinco and Kelly Garry. Additional help from Gavin Kallmann, Michael Lello, Peter Barber and David da Silva. Our executive producer is Topher Forhecz. Flo Phillips is the FT's global head of audio. The show's theme music is by Metaphor Music.Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

John Azar fled Syria at 16 in the middle of a civil war, arrived in Charlotte, North Carolina not speaking a word of English, and eventually built his way to an MBA in finance and a career in commercial real estate. Then came 2008. His first company collapsed with no clients, no money, and a brand new baby at home.He rebuilt, more than once. Along the way, his own therapist gave him a label he still carries: toxic optimist. He believes, almost unshakably, in people's capacity to change, and he's had to learn what that belief costs him when the other person never actually does the work.On this episode of FINE is a 4-Letter Word, John talks with Lori Saitz about what failure actually means once you separate the event from the emotion attached to it, why he believes mastery requires periods of genuine imbalance, and what he tells business leaders facing circumstances completely outside their control.What You'll Take AwayWhy believing in people's inherent goodness can work against you, according to what John's own therapist told himWhy failure is whatever you decide it is, and why the event itself is different from the emotion you attach to itWhat John did in 2008 with no clients, no money, and a newborn at home, and what it teaches about controlling only what's actually yours to controlWhy sometimes the answer isn't what to add to your life, but what to stop doingWhy mastery requires periods of genuine imbalance, and why that imbalance has to come in sustainable chunks rather than foreverGuest BioJohn Azar is a public speaker, coach, and founder. He speaks and coaches about entrepreneurship, resilience, and the myth surrounding balance and failure. He founded Peak15 Capital, a private equity firm specializing in commercial real estate, with talks drawing on two decades of deal-making, including work on a cumulative portfolio worth over $2 billion nationwide. Prior leadership roles at MACC Venture Partners and Boston Venture Partners, which he co-founded, round out his operating background, and he is also co-founder of Forja, an institutional-grade education and coaching ecosystem for commercial real estate investing and capital markets. He is a graduate of UNC Charlotte and Boston University's Questrom School of Business.Chapters & Key Timestamps01:25 The values he was raised with, and growing up the youngest of five in Syria02:52 Growing up “raised by the wild,” and a childhood shaped by civil war04:09 Immigrating to Charlotte, North Carolina at 16 with no English05:32 The people who became his avatars: his father, brother, mother, and sisters08:46 The term his therapist gave him: “toxic optimist”10:53 Why failure is whatever you decide it is14:14 His failed marriage, and what he's learned about facing himself18:09 Building and closing multiple companies, including through the 2008 crisis20:49 What to say to leaders facing circumstances completely outside their control23:15 Commission and omission: sometimes the answer is what to stop doing24:34 The daily practices that keep him grounded25:00 Embracing imbalance as a requirement for mastery31:04 The free diver metaphor: why imbalance has to come in chunks, not forever32:27 The song that gets him going, and its unlikely origin33:20 Where to find John: his coaching site and Peak 15 CapitalResources MentionedCompany: Peak15 Capital — private equity firm specializing in commercial real estateCompany: Forja — institutional-grade education and coaching ecosystem for CRE investing and capital markets, co-founded by JohnTV Show: Ballers (HBO) — the source of John's energy songSong: Right Above It by Lil Wayne and Drake — open.spotify.com/track/1kMuU3TNQvHbqvXCWBodmPConnect With John AzarCompany: Peak15 CapitalCompany: ForjaWebsite: johnazar.comWebsite: peak15cap.comLinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/jalalazarInstagram: @jjazarEmail: azar@peak15cap.comContinue With LoriWebsite: zenrabbit.comLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lorisaitz/Email: Lori@ZenRabbit.comInvitation From LoriThis episode is sponsored by Zen Rabbit. Trust is the foundation of all great workplaces, and in today's hybrid, fast-moving work culture, it's built through consistent, clear, human communication.Quarterly town halls, Slack messages, or team-building events are rarely enough to create the connection employees need. That's why forward-thinking companies are hiring Lori to create internal and private podcasts that bring leaders and employees together through authentic stories and real conversations.Think of it as the old-school company newsletter reinvented for the modern workplace.If your company wants to strengthen communication, connection, community, and culture, connect with Lori at Lori@ZenRabbit.com or on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lorisaitz/Related ConversationEpisode 240: Amanda Van Der Heiden — on “win or learn,” her own reframe of failure that closely parallels John's view that failure is whatever you decide it is.About FINE is a 4-Letter WordFINE is a 4-Letter Word is the show for leaders who are tired of pretending everything is fine. We explore what it takes to lead with empathy, vulnerability, gratitude, and courage, especially during the seasons when life and leadership feel anything but fine. Listen for honest conversations about how human connection influences innovation, retention, leadership, and real impact. New episodes every week.Follow FINE is a 4-Letter WordFollow or subscribe so you never miss an episode. If this conversation gave you something useful to think about, leave a review. Reviews help more people discover the show and join the conversation.

As the BBC's Chief International Correspondent, Lyse Doucet has witnessed and reported on some of the most consequential events of our time. She has reported from Iran and Afghanistan since 1988, played a leading role in the BBC's coverage of the Arab Spring uprisings reporting from Tunisia, Egypt, Libya, and Syria, and has covered major wars as well as efforts to make peace in the Middle East since 1994. In 2022 she covered the Russian invasion of Ukraine live from Kyiv as Putin's tanks crossed the border. And most recently having reported on the ground in Iran in February 2026, Doucet has been a hugely insightful voice explaining the consequences of the U.S-Israeli led war on the country and what it means for the world. Doucet is renowned for her compassionate, human-centred reporting often in times of war and suffering. In September 2026, she came to the Intelligence Squared stage to share her reflections and insights from the frontlines. Doucet also discussed the themes and approach of her Women's Prize-winning book, The Finest Hotel in Kabul, a vivid history of Afghanistan as seen from the iconic Inter-Continental Hotel. Drawing on years of interviews with its staff and guests, the book traces the country's tumultuous history – from the Soviet withdrawal and civil war to the US invasion and the return of the Taliban – through the prism of this landmark hotel and the lives of the staff who kept it running during war and peace. --- If you'd like to become a Member and get access to all our full ad free conversations, plus all of our Members-only content, just visit intelligencesquared.com/membership to find out more. For £4.99 per month you'll also receive: - Full-length and ad-free Intelligence Squared episodes, wherever you get your podcasts - Bonus Intelligence Squared podcasts, curated feeds and members exclusive series - 15% discount on livestreams and in-person tickets for all Intelligence Squared events  ...  Or Subscribe on Apple for £4.99: - Full-length and ad-free Intelligence Squared podcasts - Bonus Intelligence Squared podcasts, curated feeds and members exclusive series … Already a subscriber? Thank you for supporting our mission to foster honest debate and compelling conversations! Visit intelligencesquared.com to explore all your benefits including ad-free podcasts, exclusive bonus content and early access. … Subscribe to our newsletter here to hear about our latest events, discounts and much more. https://www.intelligencesquared.com/newsletter-signup/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

It's Wednesday, September 23rd, A.D. 2026. This is The Worldview in 5 Minutes heard on 140 radio stations and at www.TheWorldview.com.  I'm Adam McManus. (Adam@TheWorldview.com) By Jonathan Clark Christians call for release of Syrian former mayor A persecution watchdog group is calling for the release of a Christian in Syria.  Suleiman Khalil used to be the mayor of the historic Christian town of Sadad. Syrian authorities arrested him last year. He's been in prison without charges for 19 months.  Listen to comments from Richard Ghazal with In Defense of Christians.  GHAZAL: “He was abducted from his home and thrown in prison, without access to counsel, limited access to family medical care. This event is not unique. This is happening all across Syria in many different ways, but it sends a message to Christians that you are not welcome in Syria. You are not Syrians. You are visitors, you are guests, and this is how you will be treated.” You can sign a petition to free Khalil though a link in our transcript today at TheWorldview.com. Canadian officials euthanized 83-year Christian great-grandmother Law enforcement officials in Canada are now investigating the killing of a Christian great-grandmother. Eighty-three-year-old Brigitte Stegemann was euthanized on July 10. This happened against her will and against the will of her family. Her granddaughter Brigette Kranendonk said, “I truly believe that one nurse really saw us as an obstacle. We were getting in the way of her doing [euthanasia] on my grandmother. I think she really, truly believes that [euthanasia] is the best for people, and shame on me for trying to stop that.” Proverbs 12:10 says, “The tender mercies of the wicked are cruel.” Will European Union add Canada? The European Union is exploring ways to add Canada as an associate member, reports the Epoch Times.  European Union Commissioner Ursula von der Leyen told Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, “I would like to work with you on opening the door for Canada to be the first associate member of the European Union.” Von der Leyen continued, “Our cultural, historical, and personal links run deep in the fabric of our societies and thanks to the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement our trade and goods has grown by 75 percent in less than a decade.”  Carney responded on X, “With President von der Leyen and [European Parliament] President [Roberta] Metsola, we focused on what comes next: a closer partnership that strengthens our mutual sovereignty in order to create more opportunities and prosperity for our people.”  However, the idea has received pushback from conservatives in Canada.  Trump's Greenland deal allows America's military presence The United States is establishing a larger military presence on Greenland. President Donald Trump signed an agreement with the leaders of Greenland and Denmark on Tuesday.  The agreement does not make Greenland a territory of the U.S. But it does allow the U.S. military to use the region for its missile defense shield.  Listen to comments from President Trump. TRUMP: “We will have the complete ability to do what is necessary to defend the American continent and also Europe and other places. No U.S. adversary will ever be permitted to establish a military presence in Greenland anymore or make sensitive investments there without our express written approval. “We will immediately begin the process of developing a large military presence in the appropriate locations. We'll be building two very major military bases.” How Christians are reaching the deaf And finally, Christian ministries are reaching the deaf and hard-of-hearing with the Gospel of Jesus Christ. RevelationMedia, in partnership with the International Mission Board, launched an animated Bible resource. It's the Gospel of Luke, word-for-word, in American Sign Language. In it, the characters themselves sign through the story. Steve Cleary, Founder of RevelationMedia, said, “In many parts of the world, deaf individuals are treated as second-class citizens. Disconnected from the hearing world, these individuals often feel forgotten and unloved. Our mission is to bring the hope and good news of the Gospel into their hands through a compelling, visual format they can understand.” In Luke 7:22, Jesus said, “Go and tell John the things you have seen and heard: that the blind see, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the poor have the Gospel preached to them.” Close And that's The Worldview on this Wednesday, September 23rd, in the year of our Lord 2026. Subscribe for free by Spotify, Amazon Music, or by iTunes or email to our unique Christian newscast at www.TheWorldview.com.  Plus, you can get the Generations app through Google Play or The App Store. I'm Adam McManus (Adam@TheWorldview.com). Seize the day for Jesus Christ.

In this episode, we examine the aesthetic of the Dictator's Wife, a 20th century archetype of conspicuous luxury, scary elegance, and icy detachment. We catalog the aesthetic's signatures, from exotic furs and bulletproof coiffs to monochrome coordination and maximalist millinery. We consider how rigidly controlled femininity functions as armor and propaganda and survey the historical canon: Imelda Marcos's infamous wardrobe, Elena Ceaușescu's ugly-chic vanity crashouts, Asma al-Assad's Vogue-approved Euro minimalism, and more. We also relate these issues to America's current political climate, including the “edifice complex” ravaging our nation's capitol, Melania's beleaguered glam squad, and the gilded tyranny of Mar-a-Lago glamour. Links: Image boardCardi B dictator's wife memeCardi B by Szilveszter Makó for Vogue ArabiaRama Duwaji by Szilveszter Makó for The Cut“Fashion Twitter is mad Daniel Roseberry Dressed a MAGA heiress.” by Louis Pisano on SubstackLouis Pisano's “Couture & Corruption” series on TikTokLady Macbeth monologue from Act 1, Scene 5 of Macbeth“Shoes, furs and hypocrisy: Why we love to hate despots' wives” by Rebecca Seales in BBC NewsBond villain nationality masterlist“Womanliness as a Masquerade” by Joan Riviere “Women Behind the Throne” by Camille Paglia MAGA women research by Style Analytics on TikTokThe Kingmaker (2019) dir. Lauren GreenfieldGeneration Wealth by Lauren GreenfieldImelda (2003) dir. Ramona S. Diaz“5 Shopping Sprees So Wild, They Made History” by Maureen O'Connor in New YorkEva Peron Rainbow Tour of Europe cover story for TimeSanta Evita by Tomás Eloy Martínez“Behind Mugabe's fall: Gucci Grace versus the Crocodile” by Norimitsu Onishi in The Sydney Morning Herald“The Vanity Cult of Elena Ceausescu – Hated Wife of Romania's Dictator” by Matthew Gaskill in Vintage News“Ceausescu sale: Everything must go” (auction report) by Kate Connolly in The Guardian“The Party that Toppled a Dynasty and Changed the Middle East Forever” by Jeff Zhou in Young Diplomats Society“Asma al-Assad: A Rose in the Desert” by Joan Juliet Buck in Vogue“Syrian first lady Adma Al-Assad's outfits” by Aya Lowe in Monocle“How China Fell in Love with Syria's First Lady” in Worldcrunch“Armour of Couture” by Szilveszter Makó in Vogue Hong KongGucci Spring/Summer 2026 “La Famiglia” portrait campaign by Catherine OpieMelania Trump's “I Really Don't Care. Do U?” Zara jacket This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.nymphetalumni.com/subscribe

A video appears online titled: “Austin Tice Still Alive”. It shows Austin bound, blindfolded and terrified, surrounded by armed men. But as Josh and Sara dig deeper, the story begins to change. They uncover a trail that leads to the door of the most powerful man in Syria. Austin's case is like no other. Support public media with NPR+ and enjoy perks for over 25 podcasts like this one. This show's perks include early access and sponsor-free listening (perks may vary between seasons). Learn more at plus.npr.org.See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy

A video appears online titled: “Austin Tice Still Alive”. It shows Austin bound, blindfolded and terrified, surrounded by armed men. But as Josh and Sara dig deeper, the story begins to change. They uncover a trail that leads to the door of the most powerful man in Syria. Austin's case is like no other.Archive: CBS; NPR; CNN; khalidfree75; Al Jazeera; BBC; ABC; Middle East Eye.Writer and showrunner: Josh Baker Investigative producer: Sara Obeidat Series producer: Simon Maybin Field producing: Ouday Al Hussein Additional producing: Lucy Burns Open source intelligence: Thomas Bordeaux & Gabor Friesen Production coordinator: Gemma Ashman Series editor: Clare Fordham Head of BBC News Long Form Audio: Emma Rippon BBC Radio 4 commissioning editor: Dan Clarke NPR producer: Monika Evstatieva NPR editors: Robert Little & Katie Simon NPR executive producer for Embedded: Irene Noguchi BBC World Service commissioning editor: Jon Manel Composer: Firas Abou Fakher Additional music: Karim Chehoury Theme music: Sam Slater Mix and sound design: Tom Brignell

The world has never faced so many humanitarian crises at once, and the systems built to respond to them are fraying. Tjada McKenna, CEO of Prosper Global — the organization long known as Mercy Corps — joins Rapid Response during UN General Assembly week to share what she's seeing firsthand from Syria to Sudan to Ukraine to Gaza, and why she rebranded a 40-year-old institution in the middle of a funding crisis rather than in spite of one. She explains how the Strait of Hormuz conflict is quietly writing next year's food shortages into fragile countries right now, why Russia's playbook of attacking civilian infrastructure has spread to conflicts around the world, and what she's asking AI companies to do that no one has figured out yet. Visit the Rapid Response website here: https://www.rapidresponseshow.com/See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

1941 PEARL HARBORCONTENTS THE JOHN BATCHELOR SHOW, 9-21-26.Examining Houthi Resilience And Arabian HistoryEdmund Fitton-Brown analyzes the escalating offensive by Houthi forces as they push to control the Yemen highlands. President Trump reportedly halted planned American airstrikes while Houthis targeted Riyadh and threatened key Saudi Arabian infrastructure. Fitton-Brown emphasizes that the Houthis represent a Zaydi revivalist movement with revolutionary ambitions extending from Mecca to Hormuz. Their expansion presents an existential threat to Saudi Arabia, which remains vulnerable due to deep internal divisions among anti-Houthi coalition partners and the withdrawal of Emirati forces. Furthermore, historical precedents highlight North Yemen's longstanding resistance to external domination, while security concerns continue to grow across the entire region. (1)Honoring Pearl Harbor Hero Doris MillerTom Modly discusses his decision as Acting Secretary of the Navy to name a Gerald R. Ford-class supercarrier after Doris Miller, a Pearl Harbor hero. During the 1941 attack, Miller, an untrained African American messman serving in a segregated Navy, heroically operated a machine gun to defend his ship. Awarded the Navy Cross, Miller later died in combat in 1943 aboard the USS Liscome Bay. Modly emphasizes the importance of preserving Miller's enduring example for future sailors. He expresses deep concern over recent rumors suggesting a potential renaming of the vessel by naval authorities in the coming months ahead. (2)Analyzing Public Discontent Within Regime IranJanatyn Sayeh and Edmund Fitton-Brown examine the internal state of Iran amidst ongoing public discontent and economic hardship. Sayeh notes that state-sponsored rallies rely on a small regime support base, often utilizing basic incentives to bus participants into Tehran. Despite severe repression, daily demonstrations persist across multiple societal sectors, including workers, students, and retirees. Severe economic degradation, power grid failures, high unemployment, and inflation continue to fuel widespread resentment against the government. As President Pezeshkian addresses the United Nations, the regime struggles to project control while facing an increasingly alienated and frustrated population across the entire nation. (3)Investigating Rumors Surrounding Xi Jinping's HealthBill Gertz, co-host Gordon Chang: Gertz and Chang discuss intense speculation regarding Chinese leader Xi Jinping's health following unusual behavior at the BRICS summit in New Delhi. Reports indicate Xi grimaced during sessions, missed a major banquet, and prompted rumors of medical treatment at Hospital 301 in Beijing. Chang notes that senior leadership health remains strictly guarded, with periodic disappearances historically used to gauge political loyalty. The uncertainty unfolds shortly before a planned high-stakes summit in Washington between Xi and President Trump. Discussions are expected to cover trade truce extensions, artificial intelligence, rare earth minerals, and ongoing cross-strait tensions regarding Taiwan. (4)Evaluating Economic Challenges Facing Modern ChinaAndrew Collier, co-host Gordon Chang: Collier and Chang evaluate China's economic headwinds ahead of an upcoming bilateral summit between President Trump and Xi Jinping. Collier highlights China's slowing economy, growing isolationism, exit bans, and severe youth unemployment officially reported above nineteen percent. Describing China as an I-shaped economy where technology dominates while broader consumer sectors struggle, Collier notes that economic recovery faces significant hurdles. Both analysts express skepticism about major breakthroughs from the Trump-Xi meeting. Meanwhile, impending European Union tariff threats against Chinese electric vehicle exports pose a far greater long-term risk to Beijing's primary economic export engine moving forward. (5)Global Conflict Disruption And Geopolitical InstabilityColonel Jeff McCausland analyzes multifaceted geopolitical crises spanning the Middle East and Eastern Europe. In Yemen, expanding Houthi strikes against critical shipping lanes and Saudi oil infrastructure threaten global energy supplies while complicating United States regional security commitments. McCausland also examines internal political turmoil in Israel surrounding Prime Minister Netanyahu ahead of upcoming elections. Regarding the war in Ukraine, he highlights Russian parliamentary elections that solidified Putin's political dominance. He warns that Moscow continues a persistent hybrid warfare campaign against NATO nations while negotiations over Ukrainian sovereignty remain deeply contentious among key global stakeholders. (6)Humanitarian Crisis And Houthi Regional ExpansionBridget Toomey and Edmund Fitton-Brown assess the expanding Houthi offensive in Yemen and its severe humanitarian ramifications. Toomey outlines how Houthi movements toward Taiz and Marib aim to isolate Aden and force Saudi Arabia into political concessions. Over one hundred thousand civilians have been displaced along Yemen's west coast due to ongoing fighting, worsening an already desperate economic crisis. Toomey cautions that American diplomatic strategy regarding the Houthis remains shortsighted, warning that temporary reassurances mask long-term hostile ambitions. She also criticizes Oman's role, arguing it acts as a Houthi enabler rather than a neutral negotiator in regional peace talks. (7)rForeign Influence And Syrian Military RearmamentAhmad Sharawi and Edmund Fitton-Brown discuss the rearming of Syria under President Ahmed al-Sharaafollowing the fall of the Assad regime. Sharawi details how the Syrian military increasingly relies on foreign jihadists, Turkish-backed militias, and integrated veteran fighters to consolidate its armed forces. While Turkey exerts significant command influence, Syria also maintains vital economic and military ties with Russia. Sharawi highlights growing friction between Turkey and Israel, noting Israeli airstrikes against strategic facilities to enforce red lines. The United States continues diplomatic efforts to prevent direct conflict between Turkey and Israel within Syria's complex and volatile post-war environment. (8)Venezuelan Political Transition And Brazilian CorruptionErnesto Araújo and Alejandro Peña Esclusa address political instability in Venezuela and judicial corruption in Brazil. Peña Esclusa criticizes the illegitimate interim presidency of Delcy Rodríguez and opposes transferring Venezuelan gold reserves from London to New York without democratic oversight. He emphasizes that opposition leader María Corina Machado faces grave danger if she returns home, urging a clear election timeline for a transparent transition. Meanwhile, Araújo details major corruption scandals surrounding Brazilian Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes. Both guests reflect on historical colonial legacies affecting Latin American sovereignty and broader Western Hemisphere diplomatic alignment. (9)

1898 DAMASCUSForeign Influence And Syrian Military RearmamentAhmad Sharawi and Edmund Fitton-Brown discuss the rearming of Syria under President Ahmed al-Sharaafollowing the fall of the Assad regime. Sharawi details how the Syrian military increasingly relies on foreign jihadists, Turkish-backed militias, and integrated veteran fighters to consolidate its armed forces. While Turkey exerts significant command influence, Syria also maintains vital economic and military ties with Russia. Sharawi highlights growing friction between Turkey and Israel, noting Israeli airstrikes against strategic facilities to enforce red lines. The United States continues diplomatic efforts to prevent direct conflict between Turkey and Israel within Syria's complex and volatile post-war environment. (8)

I'm Not A Monster Presents... Where is Austin Tice?Josh Baker investigates one of the biggest missing-person cases of our time. American journalist Austin Tice vanished in Syria, but the US president says he's alive. For more than a decade Austin's mother Debra has been leading the search for her son. As Josh Baker and Sara Obeidat travel to Syria to help Austin's mother's search, a source gives Josh information that might unlock where he is - and a simple instruction: “Find Austin.”Josh - creator of two of the BBC's most award-winning and widely listened-to investigative podcasts, I'm Not a Monster and The Shamima Begum Story - returns for his most ambitious chapter yet, in a major new series from BBC Radio 4 and NPR's Embedded.Listen to the podcast - search for 'I'm Not a Monster presents'.Archive: Houston Public Media; NBC; PBS; CNN; C-SPAN; MSNBC; The White House; BBC.Writer and showrunner: Josh Baker Investigative producer: Sara Obeidat Series producer: Simon Maybin Field producing: Ouday Al Hussein Additional producing: Lucy Burns Open source intelligence: Thomas Bordeaux & Gabor Friesen Production coordinator: Gemma Ashman Series editor: Clare Fordham Head of BBC News Long Form Audio: Emma Rippon BBC Radio 4 commissioning editor: Dan Clarke NPR producer: Monika Evstatieva NPR editors: Robert Little & Katie Simon NPR executive producer for Embedded: Irene Noguchi BBC World Service commissioning editor: Jon Manel Composer: Firas Abou Fakher Additional music: Karim Chehoury Theme music: Sam Slater Mix and sound design: Tom Brignell

This is the story of one of the biggest missing-person cases of our time. It's been more than fourteen years since American journalist Austin Tice vanished in Syria. There have been many stories about what happened to him. His disappearance has reached the highest levels of power and yet, so little is actually known. BBC's award-winning investigative journalist Josh Baker brings us Where is Austin Tice?, a new series from NPR's Embedded and BBC Radio 4. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy