Podcasts about Tajikistan

A hunt in Tajikistan that tops out over 19,000 feet. An argali at 1,200 yards. Kyrgyzstan on horseback and a Mongolia hunt that included wolves working the same animals. Rob Gearing shares stories from three very different Asian mountain hunts: the long, open, high-altitude country of Tajikistan near the Afghan border; camping and horses in Kyrgyzstan; and Toyotas in places they shouldn't go in the Gobi. Sponsor: Join the community I'm building on Patreon to receive exclusive bonus content, like ad-free access to the podcast a day early. Go to BigGameHuntingPodcast.com/ebook and sign up for my free e-book on the best hunting calibers at to receive the entertaining and informative emails I send out about hunting, firearms, and ballistics every weekday. Please hit that "SUBSCRIBE" or "FOLLOW" button in your podcast app to receive future episodes automatically! Resources Ep 151: Rob Gearing On Spartan Precision Bipods and Tripods – Episode referenced in podcast Ep 216: Rob Gearing From Spartan Precision (2022) – Episode referenced in podcast Ep 309: 2024 Update From Spartan Precision – Episode referenced in podcast Best Hunting Rifle Bipods – Article referenced in podcast

VOV1 - Hội nghị Thượng đỉnh Hàn Quốc - Trung Á lần thứ nhất vừa diễn ra tại Seoul, Hàn Quốc. Đây là lần đầu tiên chính phủ Hàn Quốc tổ chức một hội nghị đa phương với các quốc gia khu vực Trung Á gồm Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan và Uzbekistan.Với chủ đề “Định hướng hợp tác Hàn Quốc - Trung Á và quan hệ đối tác nhằm tăng cường đổi mới, thịnh vượng và kết nối”, lãnh đạo Hàn Quốc và 5 nước khu vực Trung Á tập trung thảo luận các biện pháp mở rộng quan hệ và xác định những lĩnh vực hợp tác ưu tiên, nhất là lĩnh vực công nghệ cao, ứng phó với biến đổi khí hậu, quản lý nguồn nước và ứng phó thiên tai.Trong bối cảnh Hàn Quốc đang thúc đẩy khuôn khổ “Chính sách Phương Bắc Mới”, việc tăng cường hợp tác với các nước Trung Á sẽ tạo ra những cơ hội gì trong việc nâng cao vị thế của Hàn Quốc ở khu vực và toàn cầu?Hội nghị thượng đỉnh Hàn Quốc - Trung Á thông qua “Tuyên bố Seoul”. Ảnh: Yonhap

VOV1 - Trong bài phát biểu tại Hội nghị thượng đỉnh Hàn Quốc - Trung Á lần thứ nhất được tổ chức tại Seoul hôm nay (16/9), Tổng thống Hàn Quốc Lee Jae Myung đã đưa ra nhiều ý tưởng cho hợp tác giữa 2 bên trong tương lai. Trước sự hiện diện của các vị Tổng thống Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgystan và Turkmenistan, Tổng thống Lee Jae Myung nhấn mạnh “Chúng ta đã xây dựng nền tảng hợp tác trong 30 năm qua và cần cùng nhau chuẩn bị cho 30 năm tiếp theo trên nền tảng đó”.Nhà lãnh đạo Hàn Quốc nhấn mạnh "Thế giới đang bước vào kỷ nguyên chuyển đổi lớn, nơi kinh tế và an ninh gắn bó chặt chẽ với nhau, từ chuỗi cung ứng và năng lượng đến thị trường và công nghệ", đồng thời nêu bật tầm quan trọng của hợp tác giữa Hàn Quốc và các nước Trung Á, khi nói rằng "tinh thần Con đường tơ lụa của Trung Á, kết nối con người, công nghệ và văn hóa của phương Đông với phương Tây, đang cần thiết hơn bao giờ hết".Ông Lee cũng tin tưởng thế mạnh của Hàn Quốc và Trung Á sẽ mang lại vô số cơ hội để cùng nhau giải quyết những thách thức riêng của mỗi bên, và hy vọng khi sự hợp tác mở rộng ra ngoài phạm vi từng quốc gia đến cấp độ khu vực, hai bên có thể đẩy nhanh hơn nữa một tương lai thịnh vượng chung.Hội nghị thượng đỉnh Hàn Quốc - Trung Á diễn ra trong bối cảnh Seoul có kế hoạch nâng cấp hệ thống hợp tác đang ở cấp bộ trưởng kể từ khi thành lập "Diễn đàn hợp tác Hàn Quốc - Trung Á" năm 2007, lên cấp nguyên thủ quốc gia, và xây dựng một khuôn khổ hợp tác đa phương bền vững thông qua tầm nhìn hợp tác trung và dài hạn trong "Tuyên bố Seoul 2026".Tuấn Nhật/VOV- TokyoTổng thống Lee Jae Myung phát biểu tại Hội nghị thượng đỉnh Hàn Quốc - Trung Á lần thứ nhất hôm 16-9-2026. Ảnh Yonhap

VOV1 - Tại hội nghị thượng đỉnh diễn ra ngày 16/9 tại Seoul, Hàn Quốc và 5 quốc gia Trung Á đã thông qua một tuyên bố chung, khẳng định tăng cường hợp tác đa lĩnh vực trong tương lai. Hội nghị thượng đỉnh Hàn Quốc - Trung Á lần đầu tiên có sự tham dự của Tổng thống Hàn Quốc Lee Jae-myung và Tổng thống 5 nước Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan và Kyrgyzstan.Phát biểu tại hội nghị, Tổng thống Lee Jae Myung nhấn mạnh “Hàn Quốc, với thế mạnh sản xuất, và các nước Trung Á, với nguồn tài nguyên dồi dào và thị trường đang phát triển, là những đối tác lý tưởng”. Ông Lee cũng khẳng định hòa bình là nền tảng của phát triển công nghiệp và tăng trưởng kinh tế và đề nghị các nước Trung Á tiếp tục ủng hộ những nỗ lực của Hàn Quốc hướng tới hòa bình và chung sống hòa bình trên bán đảo Triều Tiên.Trong "Tuyên bố Seoul" được thông qua tại hội nghị, các nhà lãnh đạo đưa ra một tầm nhìn hợp tác trung và dài hạn, hướng tới tăng cường liên kết giữa Hàn Quốc và Trung Á, cũng như mở rộng hợp tác trên nhiều lĩnh vực như hòa bình và ổn định, đổi mới và thịnh vượng, giao lưu nhân dân, đồng thời nhất trí tổ chức hội nghị thượng đỉnh 2 năm 1 lần, với cuộc gặp lần thứ 2 dự kiến ​​vào năm 2028 tại Astana - thủ đô của Kazakhstan.Sau Hội nghị thượng đỉnh, Tổng thống Lee Jae Myung và lãnh đạo các nước Trung Á còn cùng hơn 500 đại diện các cơ quan, doanh nghiệp của 6 nước tham dự "Hội nghị thượng đỉnh kinh doanh Hàn Quốc - Trung Á", với mục tiêu xây dựng mạng lưới kinh doanh giữa hai khu vực và tăng cường hợp tác thực chất trong nhiều lĩnh vực. Hội nghị kinh tế này nằm trong kế hoạch tổng thể nhằm tận dụng thế mạnh của mỗi bên, hướng tới những lợi ích thiết thực.Tuấn Nhật/VOV- TokyoTổng thống Lee Jae Myung (Ảnh: Reuters)Quang cảnh hội nghị (Ảnh: Reuters)

Max Bergmann is joined by Hanna Notte and Natasha Hall to map the escalation risks, assess Russia's shifting military and diplomatic footprint in Syria under the new government of Ahmed al-Sharaa, and parse what a surprise CIA visit to Moscow reveals about where this global realignment is heading. Along the way, they examine Ukrainian strikes on Iranian vessels, allegations that Moscow is feeding Tehran intelligence on U.S. positions, and what a deepening Russia-Iran economic partnership means for the wider region.  Guests:  Hanna Notte | director of the Eurasia Nonproliferation Program at the James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies; senior associate (non-resident), Europe, Russia, and Eurasia program, CSIS  Natasha Hall | senior advocate for the Middle East, Refugees International;  Associate Fellow, Middle East and North Africa Program, Chatham House; senior associate (non-resident), Middle East Program, CSIS Mentioned:  Resilience Through Linkage: Russia, Iran, and Aspirations for North–South Trade – CSIS Report by Maria Snegovaya, Tina Dolbaia, and Nicholas Fenton  We Shall Outlast Them: Putin's Global Campaign to Defeat the West – Book by Hanna Notte   Feedback? Suggestions? Ideas to help us improve? Email us at erep@csis.org.  If you love Russian Roulette, let us know by subscribing and leaving a review wherever you get your podcasts.   Listen to our sister podcast, covering all things Europe through a Washington lens: CSIS Podcasts | The Eurofile 

Tajikistan is a landlocked country in the middle of Asia. It is a country with many mountains. The majority religion is Islam. Less than half a percent of the population is Christian but there is great openness. Today you will hear about what God is doing in Tajikistan as we listen to the stories from a pastor who lives there. As you listen today, I hope that you will be inspired to pray for Tajikistan and perhaps even go there to preach the Gospel. 

Welcome to PGX: Raw & Real #213PGX: Raw & Real is simple. I sit with people who've lived through something and/or made it big.This isn't meant to be inspiration or a template for life (for that, you can check out PGX Ideas).This space is different. It's their story, as they experienced it.In this episode, I spoke to Ankita Kumar — Travel Content Creator.Timestamps:0:00 - Trailer1:50 - Start3:37 - Trapped In Afghanistan's Danger Zone8:39 - The Tower Older Than Qutub Minar10:35 - Sleeping In Rural Afghanistan13:12 - Why She Avoided Kabul And Kandahar15:17 - The Girl Running School For 12,000 Students18:34 - Asking A Woman If She Hates The Taliban20:08 - What Afghan Women Really Want?23:13 - Why Afghan Kids Look Old Before Their Time25:08 - The Country No Empire Could Conquer27:57 - Crossing Into Afghanistan Alone By Road30:26 - Life Without Nightlife Or Alcohol33:13 - The Neighbor Country That Banned Burkas34:02 - Stuck Between Two Borders36:58 - Tajikistan's Hidden Rainbow Lakes41:01 - A Picnic Lunch In A War Zone42:36 - Chasing The Reindeer Tribe In Mongolia50:51 - Welcome To The Coldest City On Earth52:58 - Bathing In A Coal Sauna At -60°C54:44 - How People Use The Toilet At -70°C56:58 - Surviving Sanctions And Extreme Isolation59:04 - Cage Diving With Great White Sharks1:09:17 - The Roadies Slap Everyone Still Talks About1:20:57 - The Bengal vs Odisha Rasgulla War1:21:29 - Betting On Chicken Fights In A Village1:24:38 - A Drunk Driver's Murder Confession1:27:08 - Stranded Alone On A Remote Island1:29:38 - A Three Day Survival Challenge In The Amazon1:32:26 - An Out Of Body Experience With Ancient Medicine1:39:10 - The Secret World Of Psychedelic Plants1:44:05 - The Wild Theory Of How Humans Got Smart1:48:54 - Her Secret To Endless EnergyEnjoy.— Prakhar

Send us Fan MailAward-winning photographer and video journalist Jo Kearney joins Angela Nicholson on the SheClicks Women in Photography Podcast to talk about a career that has taken her across the world in search of stories.Jo began as a print journalist before moving into video journalism at a time when smaller digital cameras were transforming the industry. An early trip to southern Sudan led to stories that made the top news bulletin for Associated Press for three days running and helped launch a career covering major events across Asia, the Middle East and beyond.Alongside her news work, Jo developed a passion for stills photography, particularly travel photography centred on people and their stories. She explains why she likes to arrive with a rough plan but also leave room for the unexpected, how journalism shapes the way she looks for pictures and why some of her strongest projects have emerged simply through being curious about a place.Jo also shares the story behind the image that made her the overall winner of the 2026 World Food Photography Awards. Photographed in a Soviet era sanatorium in Tajikistan, it was not originally conceived as a food photograph at all.The conversation also touches on some of Jo's most challenging assignments, including the Asian tsunami and the rescue of child soldiers in Sierra Leone, as well as the changing world of news photography and video.Jo and Angela discuss the value of photography competitions, researching trips without over-planning them and why personal projects need somewhere to go rather than remaining unseen on a computer.It's a fascinating conversation about travel photography, photojournalism, curiosity and finding stories in unexpected places.Connect with JoWebsiteInstagramFacebookSupport the show

Overland Journal Podcast host Ashley Giordano interviews Jess and Dave of Global Traces from Lake Issyk-Kul, Kyrgyzstan, about five years of overlanding in their MAN HX60 expedition truck with their dog Otis and five-and-a-half-year-old daughter Isla. They explain why they chose a truck for long-term autonomy and comfort, how they bought an ex-British military HX60 cheaply with low kilometers, and how they designed and project-managed a split build to prioritize space, headroom, a raising/lowering bed, and essentials like a washing machine. They discuss tradeoffs of size and weight, common questions about cost, fuel (about 28–30 L/100 km), and toilets, plus how they afford travel through savings and Dave’s photography work. They share lessons and community support from multiple recoveries, including a major winch rescue in Tajikistan, and outline revised plans after Mongolia border restrictions for animals. Global Traces: Instagram | Facebook | YouTube | Photopositive New to Overland Journal and want to grab a subscription! Visit Overland Journal and enter code: overlandpodcast at checkout for 20% off. We thank you for being a subscriber. Tune in Apple Podcasts | Spotify | YouTubeSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

President Xi Jinping called on Tuesday for the Shanghai Cooperation Organization to prioritize development and security to usher in a future of shared prosperity and foster an environment of universal security.Xi made the remarks when addressing the 26th Meeting of the Council of Heads of State of the SCO, which was held in Bishkek, the capital of Kyrgyzstan. He underlined the need for the SCO to remain committed to dialogue and consultation for more equitable and orderly governance.In his speech, Xi hailed the extraordinary journey of the regional organization over the past 25 years, saying that it has grown into a new type of regional cooperation grouping with the largest land area and population and enormous development potential. Founded in 2001 by China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan, the SCO now comprises 10 member states, two observer states and 15 dialogue partners.Xi said that the most valuable spiritual asset of the regional grouping is that it pioneered, and has since invariably followed, the Shanghai Spirit featuring mutual trust, mutual benefit, equality, consultation, respect for the diversity of civilizations and pursuit of common development.Its most important cooperation experience is that it has found the right way of coexistence, featuring nonalliance, nonconfrontation and not targeting any third party, enabling countries in the region to build a common home together, he added.As the world is undergoing accelerated changes unseen in a century, with the intensifying rivalry between dialogue and confrontation, win-win and zero-sum, and multilateralism and unilateralism, Xi urged the SCO to step forward to shoulder its historical responsibility and proactively steer the course for the future.He also called for the SCO to advocate universally beneficial and inclusive economic globalization, solidify cooperation in traditional fields such as trade, investment, mutual connectivity, energy and resources, and expand cooperation in emerging fields like artificial intelligence, digital economy, green industry and green mining in order to deepen and upgrade regional cooperation.China sees the SCO as a priority area for promoting high-quality Belt and Road cooperation and implementing the Global Development Initiative, he said.In 2025, China's trade with other SCO members reached $523.5 billion and accounted for 8 percent of the country's total foreign trade, up from $12.1 billion in 2001, according to statistics from the Ministry of Commerce.Xi urged the SCO countries to take coordinated measures to tackle traditional and nontraditional security threats, and he called for efforts to prevent external forces from interfering in their internal affairs, endangering their political security and undermining regional stability.China is willing to work with all parties to practice a common, comprehensive, cooperative and sustainable security concept and make the SCO an important platform for implementing the Global Security Initiative, he added.Xi also emphasized the need for the SCO countries to uphold a people-centered approach and cement the foundation for everlasting friendship. China stands ready to work with all parties to implement the Global Civilization Initiative, he added.The summit was chaired by President Sadyr Japarov of Kyrgyzstan, which holds the current rotating presidency of the SCO.The leaders of the SCO member states fully affirmed the development achievements of the SCO over the past 25 years, recognizing that the SCO provides important guarantees for regional security and prosperity and has become one of the cornerstones of global stability and economic development.They praised China's significant contributions as a founding member state in promoting the organization's development and agreed to actively implement the strategic blueprint from the SCO Tianjin Summit in 2025.In the face of a complex international situation, SCO member states should work together to enhance the organization's influence, promote the building of a more just and reasonable global governance system, and play a greater role in safeguarding the peace, stability and prosperity of the region and the world, they said.Leaders of the SCO member states signed and issued the Bishkek Declaration on the 25th Anniversary of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, approved the Protocol on Amending and Supplementing the Charter of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, the Regulations on the SCO Universal Center for Countering Security Challenges and Threats, and the Regulations on the SCO Anti-Drug Center, and adopted 28 outcome documents covering security, economic, people-to-people and cultural cooperation, as well as organizational development.It was decided at the summit that Pakistan will assume the rotating presidency of the SCO for 2026-27.Li Ziguo, director and research fellow in the Department for European-Central Asian Studies at the China Institute of International Studies, said the summit could give fresh impetus to implementing the outcomes of last year's summit and help move the SCO into a stage of pursuing development in tandem.Sun Zhuangzhi, director of the Institute of Russian, Eastern European and Central Asian Studies at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, described China's efforts in practicing the Shanghai Spirit as an important driving force behind the SCO.prosperity / prɒˈsperəti / n.繁荣；兴旺governance / ˈɡʌvənəns / n.治理；管理；治理体系mutual benefit / ˌmjuːtʃuəl ˈbenɪfɪt / n.互利；共同利益win-win / ˌwɪn ˈwɪn / adj./n.双赢的；双赢局面zero-sum / ˌzɪərəʊ ˈsʌm / adj.零和的；一方获益必然意味着另一方受损的multilateralism / ˌmʌltiˈlætərəlɪzəm / n.多边主义unilateralism / ˌjuːnɪˈlætərəlɪzəm / n.单边主义mutual connectivity / ˌmjuːtʃuəl ˌkɒnekˈtɪvəti / n.互联互通

Imagine a place where every single person in your community is on high alert, watching and waiting for you to make a single misstep that will reveal something that could put your life in danger: you are a Christian. Join Joyce and Sarah as they explore the pressure of persecution across the region of Central Asia, and what life is like for believers in some of these countries, including Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan.

Maria Snegovaya sits down with Pavel Talankin –– a Russian schoolteacher who became an unlikely lens into the Russian propaganda machine. His documentary, Mr. Nobody Against Putin, captured two years of footage from inside a provincial Russian classroom as Putin's war transformed his students into instruments of the state. The film won the 2026 Oscar for Best Documentary. Talankin joins Russian Roulette's first episode recorded in Russian to discuss his inspiration, experience making the film, and what his story reveals about the depths of propaganda in Russia's education system today.  NOTE: This episode is in Russian. An English version of the audio (created using AI dubbing software and reviewed by native speakers) is available in the Russian Roulette podcast feed.  Mentioned:  Mr. Nobody Against Putin | Documentary film directed by David Borenstein and Pavel Talankin  Feedback? Suggestions? Ideas to help us improve? Email us at erep@csis.org.  If you love Russian Roulette, let us know by subscribing and leaving a review wherever you get your podcasts.   Listen to our sister podcast, covering all things Europe through a Washington lens: CSIS Podcasts | The Eurofile 

NOTE: This interview was conducted in Russian. The English audio was created with AI dubbing software and reviewed by native speakers of both languages for accuracy.  Maria Snegovaya sits down with Pavel Talankin –– a Russian schoolteacher who became an unlikely lens into the Russian propaganda machine. His documentary, Mr. Nobody Against Putin, captured two years of footage from inside a provincial Russian classroom as Putin's war transformed his students into instruments of the state. The film won the 2026 Oscar for Best Documentary. Talankin joins Russian Roulette to discuss what he witnessed, the process of making the film, and what his story reveals about the depths of propaganda in Russia's education system today.  Mentioned:  Mr. Nobody Against Putin | Documentary film directed by David Borenstein and Pavel Talankin  Feedback? Suggestions? Ideas to help us improve? Email us at erep@csis.org.  If you love Russian Roulette, let us know by subscribing and leaving a review wherever you get your podcasts.   Listen to our sister podcast, covering all things Europe through a Washington lens: CSIS Podcasts | The Eurofile 

//The Wire//2300Z August 19, 2026// //ROUTINE// //BLUF: PRESIDENT TRUMP ANNOUNCES HALT TO DIPLOMATIC EFFORTS WITH IRAN. DUBAI CONFIRMS YESTERDAY'S MISSILE ATTACK ORIGINATED FROM IRAN. ISRAELIS STRIKE AIRBASE IN SYRIA. TAJIK NATIONAL FLEES MURDER CONVICTION IN UNITED STATES AFTER VIRGINIA ALLOWS HIM TO OBTAIN PASSPORT.// -----BEGIN TEARLINE------International Events-Persian Gulf: Following yesterday's missile warnings in Dubai, the culprit of the missile attack was revealed to be not the Houthis, but Iran. Two ballistic missiles were launched from within Iran, with one impacting in the Gulf, and the other landing somewhere outside the UAE. Emirati officials have stated that the missiles were not intended for them, and that the missiles were attempting to target merchant vessels within the Strait of Hormuz. Nevertheless, the UAE has allegedly halted trade and financial transactions with Iran, until further notice.Analyst Comment: Prior to the war, Dubai was Tehran's gateway to the west, and served as a major hub for trade, but especially for banking. If the Emirs have indeed shut down Iran's access to financial markets, this will probably have more significant impact than it seems at first.Syria: Last night Israeli forces conducted airstrikes at Al Duhur Airbase, targeting the runway and several maintenance facilities at the airfield.Analyst Comment: This is a message to Turkey. Turkish forces have been at this airfield for a few months, trying to fix the airstrip enough for it to open once again, which would in turn allow for the recreation of the Syrian Air Force, but also another place for Turkish forces to run operations out of. The Israelis striking this runway is probably an effort to put the Syrians back in their box, and also inflame tensions with the Turks even more, to prevent their expansion into Israel's back yard.-HomeFront-USA: Around the nation, the energy crisis continues to worsen as gas prices climb steadily higher. This morning, the national average for diesel rose to over $5.50, as reflected by the current global diesel shortage. This afternoon bond yields dropped after the Treasury Department announced that the US will be doubling the repurchases of debt.Washington D.C. - Yesterday President Trump stated that no diplomatic efforts with Iran are taking place, sharply reversing the months of prior rhetoric that the White House has become legendary for. Up until this statement, the official stance has been that indirect talks are occurring, and that Iran frequently calls the White House "wanting to make a deal". Yesterday's statement by President Trump is a very sharp reversal regarding the diplomatic efforts in the region.Virginia: Yesterday local authorities revealed that a Tajik man fled the United States last month following his detention in a mental facility. In 2019, Abdulloi Toshpulodzoda stabbed his landlord to death, but was found not guilty by reason of insanity in 2022. He was sentenced to detention in a mental facility, before being deemed to be a candidate for early release last year. While serving his sentence, he was allowed by the prosecution to visit the Tajik Embassy in Washington D.C. where he was allowed to obtain a passport for his home country of Tajikistan. He was also allowed to have prison vacation time, when he could have two-day vacations outside the detention facility. During one of these vacation slots on July 6th, Toshpulodzoda used his passport to flee the United States.-----END TEARLINE-----Analyst Comments: In Utah, overnight more details have come to light regarding Monday's funeral shooting. The lead suspect at the moment is Afuhia Masiu Manatau, who pulled out a gun and attempted to kill an unidentified person at the funeral. At some point during the shootout, his son Tusi took his father's gun and continued to shoot at members of the Angilau family.Concerning the alleged victims, a correction to yesterday's report is needed as the fatality in this case is not the same person who was previously convicted of murder. The victim was Vilisoni Angilau (aged 18), and Vilisoni Angilau (aged 33) was previously convicted of crimes related to gang affiliation. Same exact name, same exact area, same exact family, same exact affiliation with the Ward, but different people. Turns out, the 18-year-old who was killed yesterday is also affiliated with the Tongan Crips, as evidenced by confirmed gang members and shotcallers mourning his death on Facebook. Local Tongans are claiming the victim is not affiliated with the gang, but social media posts indicate this is not true.The reason for why this matters is due to the elevated potential for a gang war to kick off, if it hasn't done so already. Clearly local police thought the same at the time, as they rolled way harder than they needed to in order to protect the hospital. Gang violence is very likely to continue to escalate within Utah over the next few weeks, and this is going to affect more people than just those in the gang. When the only Level 1 Trauma Center for hundreds of miles is locked down because hordes of Tongan Crips are trying to break down the doors after a gang shooting, this becomes more of a substantial concern than just some random gang war. Even in the legendary gang epicenters around the country, local hospitals don't have to worry about literally being overrun as if they were a forward-deployed military base in a foreign land. But in Salt Lake City, this is now a genuine concern that is all brought about by a demographic that comprises less than one percent of the population.Analyst: S2A1 Research: https://publish.obsidian.md/s2underground NomadNet: 5fa68c88be727a0e1a250a75e5e79269 Disclaimer: No LLMs were used in the writing of this report. //END REPORT//

LIVESTREAM REPLAY: A declassified NSA memo just confirmed what we've said for years: the NSA deliberately buried intelligence on 2016 election interference because leadership feared being lumped in with the "Deep State." Plus — DOJ fights to reinstate criminal charges, Kash Patel's FBI HQ move gets blocked by an Obama judge, blue states sue to shield illegal immigrant truckers, Minnesota's AG sues Texas Gov. Abbott, and a Virginia court lets an accused killer flee the country.00:00 DEM State AGs Are Out Of Control12:48 MN Vs TX. Gov. Abbot Comes Out On Top18:48 DOJ Once Again Go After Kilmar Obrego Garcia22:58 NSA MEMO EXPOSES DEEP STATE COVER-UP FROM TRUMPSTORIES COVERED IN THIS REPORT:

In this session, attendees will be equipped to navigate the discernment process of identifying the best-fit sending agency for them.

Islamic finance is growing globally, but the companies pushing it forward are not always the ones talking about it the loudest.In this episode of Couchonomics with Arjun, Abdullo Kurbanov, CEO and Co-founder of Ayan Capital, shares how he helped build Alif from a $200,000 start in Tajikistan into a profitable fintech processing $1.2 billion in transactions every month, and why he is now building again from scratch in the UK.They unpack what Islamic finance actually changes for customers, why Sharia-compliant fintechs still need to compete on speed, pricing and experience, how building technology in-house became a major advantage, and why Abdullo believes the next big Islamic fintech opportunity could come from Central Asia or the UK.

This week we look at the Solar Eclipse; Earthquakes in Colombia and Indonesia; Is there famine in Gaza?  Islam in Tajikistan;  Country of the Week - Afghanistan; Islam in the US and the UK; Swedish injustice;  Ireland's anti-semitism grounds planes; German swimming pool apartheid; Australia's Maoist school children; Miatta Fahnbulleh's private school hypocrisy; fraud within the UK education,  health and justice systems; Edwina Currie suggests government provided brothels for illegal immigrants; Italian works of art recovered; Ritchie Blackmore feud with Deep Purple ends after 33 years;  Top ten classical - no. 9;  the death of Jason Arday; The great Isaiah Scroll; good news from Australia about the environment; Song of the Week - where do you go to my lovely? Feedback; 'prophetess' Katie Souza claims that her eggs have been harvested by Aliens; the Final Word - Psalm 63.  with music from  Elton John; Carole King; Aryana Sayeed ;  Pink Floyd; Don McLean; Deep Purple; Shostakovich;   NEEDTOBREATHE;  Peter Sarstedt;  and Wes Bayliss. 

That bright orange yolk you're paying a premium for? There's a good chance it's been manipulated.

Maria Snegovaya sits down with Nate Vance — a U.S. Marine Corps veteran who enlisted in the Ukrainian Armed Forces after the 2022 invasion — to discuss Ukrainian and Russian military tactics, life as an infantryman on the front lines, and the impact of Soviet legacies on military culture.   Vance spent three years with the Da Vinci Wolves, seeing action from Bakhmut to Pokrovsk, before leaving in early 2025 when his first cousin JD Vance's rise to the vice presidency made him a potential Russian target.    Mentioned:  Russian Blood and Treasure: The Ballooning Costs of Putin's War: CSIS Publication by Seth Jones and Riley McCabe      Feedback? Suggestions? Ideas to help us improve? Email us at erep@csis.org.  If you love Russian Roulette, let us know by subscribing and leaving a review wherever you get your podcasts.   Listen to our sister podcast, covering all things Europe through a Washington lens: CSIS Podcasts | The Eurofile   

Homosexuality in Central Asia: Stories of Hardship and Hope (Barnes and Noble Press, 2026) is Ryan Michael Schweitzer's collection of first-hand narratives from LGBTQ individuals across Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan. Drawing on years of fieldwork in the region, Schweitzer gathers stories of violence, blackmail, forced marriage, surveillance, and exile alongside quieter accounts of love, friendship, and endurance. Rather than presenting a single Central Asian LGBTQ experience, the book traces how legal status, state security apparatuses, family structure, and religious revival intersect differently in each country to shape what visibility and safety look like for queer people in the region. About the host Cholpon Ramizova is a London-based creator and researcher. She holds a Master's in Migration, Mobility and Development from SOAS, University of London. Her thematic interests are in migration, displacement, identity, gender and nationalism—and in the ways these intersect within the Central Asia context. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/new-books-network

Homosexuality in Central Asia: Stories of Hardship and Hope (Barnes and Noble Press, 2026) is Ryan Michael Schweitzer's collection of first-hand narratives from LGBTQ individuals across Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan. Drawing on years of fieldwork in the region, Schweitzer gathers stories of violence, blackmail, forced marriage, surveillance, and exile alongside quieter accounts of love, friendship, and endurance. Rather than presenting a single Central Asian LGBTQ experience, the book traces how legal status, state security apparatuses, family structure, and religious revival intersect differently in each country to shape what visibility and safety look like for queer people in the region. About the host Cholpon Ramizova is a London-based creator and researcher. She holds a Master's in Migration, Mobility and Development from SOAS, University of London. Her thematic interests are in migration, displacement, identity, gender and nationalism—and in the ways these intersect within the Central Asia context. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/central-asian-studies

Homosexuality in Central Asia: Stories of Hardship and Hope (Barnes and Noble Press, 2026) is Ryan Michael Schweitzer's collection of first-hand narratives from LGBTQ individuals across Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan. Drawing on years of fieldwork in the region, Schweitzer gathers stories of violence, blackmail, forced marriage, surveillance, and exile alongside quieter accounts of love, friendship, and endurance. Rather than presenting a single Central Asian LGBTQ experience, the book traces how legal status, state security apparatuses, family structure, and religious revival intersect differently in each country to shape what visibility and safety look like for queer people in the region. About the host Cholpon Ramizova is a London-based creator and researcher. She holds a Master's in Migration, Mobility and Development from SOAS, University of London. Her thematic interests are in migration, displacement, identity, gender and nationalism—and in the ways these intersect within the Central Asia context. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/lgbtq-studies

Homosexuality in Central Asia: Stories of Hardship and Hope (Barnes and Noble Press, 2026) is Ryan Michael Schweitzer's collection of first-hand narratives from LGBTQ individuals across Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan. Drawing on years of fieldwork in the region, Schweitzer gathers stories of violence, blackmail, forced marriage, surveillance, and exile alongside quieter accounts of love, friendship, and endurance. Rather than presenting a single Central Asian LGBTQ experience, the book traces how legal status, state security apparatuses, family structure, and religious revival intersect differently in each country to shape what visibility and safety look like for queer people in the region. About the host Cholpon Ramizova is a London-based creator and researcher. She holds a Master's in Migration, Mobility and Development from SOAS, University of London. Her thematic interests are in migration, displacement, identity, gender and nationalism—and in the ways these intersect within the Central Asia context. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/religion

Homosexuality in Central Asia: Stories of Hardship and Hope (Barnes and Noble Press, 2026) is Ryan Michael Schweitzer's collection of first-hand narratives from LGBTQ individuals across Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan. Drawing on years of fieldwork in the region, Schweitzer gathers stories of violence, blackmail, forced marriage, surveillance, and exile alongside quieter accounts of love, friendship, and endurance. Rather than presenting a single Central Asian LGBTQ experience, the book traces how legal status, state security apparatuses, family structure, and religious revival intersect differently in each country to shape what visibility and safety look like for queer people in the region. About the host Cholpon Ramizova is a London-based creator and researcher. She holds a Master's in Migration, Mobility and Development from SOAS, University of London. Her thematic interests are in migration, displacement, identity, gender and nationalism—and in the ways these intersect within the Central Asia context. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/law

The Daily Quiz - Geography Today's Questions: Question 1: What is the world's largest sea? Question 2: What is the capital city of Saint Lucia? Question 3: What is the capital city of Tajikistan? Question 4: What is the capital city of Hungary? Question 5: Which of these cities is in Italy? Question 6: In which country would you find Tikal National Park? Question 7: What is the name of the street that runs from the White House to the Capitol and is used for ceremonial parades? Question 8: What is the capital city of Malaysia? This podcast is produced by Klassic Studios Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Max Bergmann sits down with Maria Snegovaya and Jade McGlynn, senior associate (non-resident) with the CSIS Europe, Russia, and Eurasia Program and senior research fellow / head of the Ukraine and Russia Program at King's College London, to discuss how Russians have responded to major shocks over the past four years, and whether polling data in Russia truly indicates shifting attitudes toward the war. Mentioned:  Russian Attitudes Are Shifting as the War's Effects Come Home, Maria Snegovaya and Jade McGlynn  Feedback? Suggestions? Ideas to help us improve? Email us at erep@csis.org.  If you love Russian Roulette, let us know by subscribing and leaving a review wherever you get your podcasts.   Listen to our sister podcast, covering all things Europe through a Washington lens: CSIS Podcasts | The Eurofile  

In this Church on the Move Roswell message, guest speaker Chad Robichaux shares his lifelong struggle with fear and explains that God commands believers to be strong and courageous, citing scriptures like Joshua 1:9 and the Bible's repeated “do not fear.” Drawing from his Force Recon and special operations experience, he recounts the Afghan evacuation efforts that formed Task Force 68, rescuing Aziz, his family, and 17,000 others, and describes the chaos and tragedy at the Kabul airport, including the suicide bombing that killed 13 service members. He later details a terrifying Tajikistan border mission to help women and children escape via the Panjshir River. He teaches that fear is Satan's primary weapon, faith is the counterattack, and Jesus' courage at Gethsemane and Calvary is the ultimate model, closing with an invitation to begin or renew a relationship with Christ.

What's the best country to take a bike adventure? I put that question to the Seek Travel Ride Instagram community, and the answers poured in, from expected favourites to a few genuine curveballs. This episode is dedicated to running through every single one.It comes on the back of a scorching European summer and a roadside afternoon spectating the Tour de France, which got me reflecting on how the race first brought me to France  and ultimately to the Pyrenees back in 2013, where I now live.Countries featured in this episode:Most votes: France, Turkey, SpainMountain destinations: Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Bolivia, NorwayOff the beaten path: Tunisia, New Caledonia, El Salvador, Saudi ArabiaClassic bike-adventure countries: New Zealand, Thailand, Japan, China, Peru, IranThe philosophical answer: "Wherever you haven't been yet" (and "any country" will do)Got a country to add to the list? Get in touch and let me know your pick for the best country to take a bike adventure.Mentioned in this episodeSlauka' Macurak's Norway episode (recently re-released)Leonie Katekar's episode on cycling solo from Antigua to UshuaiaMy YouTube series on crossing the Pyrenees coast to coast Support the showBuy me a coffee!I'm an affiliate for a few brands I genuinely use and recommend including:

Medical missionaries are often called upon to provide care that is beyond the scope of their training and previous experience. This interactive case presentation looks at the realities of clinical decision-making in a critically ill snakebitten patient, and offers suggestions on how to navigate similar challenging situations.

Investigative journalist Tim Mak, who has been stationed in Ukraine since 2022, joins Max and Maria for a discussion about life in Kyiv, the processes and challenges driving innovation in Ukraine's dynamic civilian defense combat hubs, and the impact of AI and information integration on the battlefield. Mentioned:  The Counteroffensive by Tim Mak, Substack  The Arsenal, Tim Mak  Build Back Ukraine, Tim Mak  Feedback? Suggestions? Ideas to help us improve? Email us at erep@csis.org.  If you love Russian Roulette, let us know by subscribing and leaving a review wherever you get your podcasts.   Listen to our sister podcast, covering all things Europe through a Washington lens: CSIS Podcasts | The Eurofile  

Can Europe afford to stand back as China rewrites the global electric vehicle (EV) ecosystem? In this episode, Julie Yu-Wen Chen at the University of Helsinki talks to United Nations Senior Adviser Matthew Gray for Europe and Central Asia Markets, who discusses the rapid international expansion of Chinese EVs. The conversation highlights how Chinese brands have moved beyond public buses to growing passenger car markets in the Nordic region and Central Asia through superior technology, lower price points, and patient policy. While European markets face limited model availability due to protectionism and strategic caution, Central Asian nations have seen an immediate and total transformation of their transport infrastructure with far higher and lower end Chinese EVs than in Europe - and dramatic new challenges in electrification capacity. Based in Copenhagen, with 20+ experience in the regions, Gray is speaking freshly with us after two recent months in Tajikistan and China. He compares EV and soft power growth in Scandinavia vs Central Asia, and explains that modern EVs act as geopolitical infrastructure, shifting the focus from simple manufacturing to long-term digital service ecosystems, data control, and entry into more vertical industries. As the West maintains protective barriers, China's control over the battery supply chain and hybrid innovations will likely force a global shift in both consumer and freight industries. Listeners can find Gray's fact-finding recap of Chinese EVs in Tajikistan here. Julie Yu‑Wen Chen is Professor of Chinese Studies and Director of the Master's Programme in Area and Cultural Studies at the University of Helsinki in Finland. Her new book, Global Knowledge Production about China, explores how the practice of “China‑watching” has evolved over the decades. The book is freely accessible online. The Nordic Asia Podcast is a collaboration sharing expertise on Asia across the Nordic region, brought to you by the following academic partners: Asia Centre, University of Tartu (Estonia), Asian studies, University of Helsinki (Finland), Centre for Asian Studies, Vytautas Magnus University (Lithuania), Centre for East Asian Studies, University of Turku (Finland), Centre for East and South-East Asian Studies, Lund University (Sweden) and Centre for South Asian Democracy, University of Oslo (Norway). We aim to produce timely, topical and well-edited discussions of new research and developments about Asia. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/technology

Can Europe afford to stand back as China rewrites the global electric vehicle (EV) ecosystem? In this episode, Julie Yu-Wen Chen at the University of Helsinki talks to United Nations Senior Adviser Matthew Gray for Europe and Central Asia Markets, who discusses the rapid international expansion of Chinese EVs. The conversation highlights how Chinese brands have moved beyond public buses to growing passenger car markets in the Nordic region and Central Asia through superior technology, lower price points, and patient policy. While European markets face limited model availability due to protectionism and strategic caution, Central Asian nations have seen an immediate and total transformation of their transport infrastructure with far higher and lower end Chinese EVs than in Europe - and dramatic new challenges in electrification capacity. Based in Copenhagen, with 20+ experience in the regions, Gray is speaking freshly with us after two recent months in Tajikistan and China. He compares EV and soft power growth in Scandinavia vs Central Asia, and explains that modern EVs act as geopolitical infrastructure, shifting the focus from simple manufacturing to long-term digital service ecosystems, data control, and entry into more vertical industries. As the West maintains protective barriers, China's control over the battery supply chain and hybrid innovations will likely force a global shift in both consumer and freight industries. Listeners can find Gray's fact-finding recap of Chinese EVs in Tajikistan here. Julie Yu‑Wen Chen is Professor of Chinese Studies and Director of the Master's Programme in Area and Cultural Studies at the University of Helsinki in Finland. Her new book, Global Knowledge Production about China, explores how the practice of “China‑watching” has evolved over the decades. The book is freely accessible online. The Nordic Asia Podcast is a collaboration sharing expertise on Asia across the Nordic region, brought to you by the following academic partners: Asia Centre, University of Tartu (Estonia), Asian studies, University of Helsinki (Finland), Centre for Asian Studies, Vytautas Magnus University (Lithuania), Centre for East Asian Studies, University of Turku (Finland), Centre for East and South-East Asian Studies, Lund University (Sweden) and Centre for South Asian Democracy, University of Oslo (Norway). We aim to produce timely, topical and well-edited discussions of new research and developments about Asia. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/new-books-network

Can Europe afford to stand back as China rewrites the global electric vehicle (EV) ecosystem? In this episode, Julie Yu-Wen Chen at the University of Helsinki talks to United Nations Senior Adviser Matthew Gray for Europe and Central Asia Markets, who discusses the rapid international expansion of Chinese EVs. The conversation highlights how Chinese brands have moved beyond public buses to growing passenger car markets in the Nordic region and Central Asia through superior technology, lower price points, and patient policy. While European markets face limited model availability due to protectionism and strategic caution, Central Asian nations have seen an immediate and total transformation of their transport infrastructure with far higher and lower end Chinese EVs than in Europe - and dramatic new challenges in electrification capacity. Based in Copenhagen, with 20+ experience in the regions, Gray is speaking freshly with us after two recent months in Tajikistan and China. He compares EV and soft power growth in Scandinavia vs Central Asia, and explains that modern EVs act as geopolitical infrastructure, shifting the focus from simple manufacturing to long-term digital service ecosystems, data control, and entry into more vertical industries. As the West maintains protective barriers, China's control over the battery supply chain and hybrid innovations will likely force a global shift in both consumer and freight industries. Listeners can find Gray's fact-finding recap of Chinese EVs in Tajikistan here. Julie Yu‑Wen Chen is Professor of Chinese Studies and Director of the Master's Programme in Area and Cultural Studies at the University of Helsinki in Finland. Her new book, Global Knowledge Production about China, explores how the practice of “China‑watching” has evolved over the decades. The book is freely accessible online. The Nordic Asia Podcast is a collaboration sharing expertise on Asia across the Nordic region, brought to you by the following academic partners: Asia Centre, University of Tartu (Estonia), Asian studies, University of Helsinki (Finland), Centre for Asian Studies, Vytautas Magnus University (Lithuania), Centre for East Asian Studies, University of Turku (Finland), Centre for East and South-East Asian Studies, Lund University (Sweden) and Centre for South Asian Democracy, University of Oslo (Norway). We aim to produce timely, topical and well-edited discussions of new research and developments about Asia. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/central-asian-studies

Can Europe afford to stand back as China rewrites the global electric vehicle (EV) ecosystem? In this episode, Julie Yu-Wen Chen at the University of Helsinki talks to United Nations Senior Adviser Matthew Gray for Europe and Central Asia Markets, who discusses the rapid international expansion of Chinese EVs. The conversation highlights how Chinese brands have moved beyond public buses to growing passenger car markets in the Nordic region and Central Asia through superior technology, lower price points, and patient policy. While European markets face limited model availability due to protectionism and strategic caution, Central Asian nations have seen an immediate and total transformation of their transport infrastructure with far higher and lower end Chinese EVs than in Europe - and dramatic new challenges in electrification capacity. Based in Copenhagen, with 20+ experience in the regions, Gray is speaking freshly with us after two recent months in Tajikistan and China. He compares EV and soft power growth in Scandinavia vs Central Asia, and explains that modern EVs act as geopolitical infrastructure, shifting the focus from simple manufacturing to long-term digital service ecosystems, data control, and entry into more vertical industries. As the West maintains protective barriers, China's control over the battery supply chain and hybrid innovations will likely force a global shift in both consumer and freight industries. Listeners can find Gray's fact-finding recap of Chinese EVs in Tajikistan here. Julie Yu‑Wen Chen is Professor of Chinese Studies and Director of the Master's Programme in Area and Cultural Studies at the University of Helsinki in Finland. Her new book, Global Knowledge Production about China, explores how the practice of “China‑watching” has evolved over the decades. The book is freely accessible online. The Nordic Asia Podcast is a collaboration sharing expertise on Asia across the Nordic region, brought to you by the following academic partners: Asia Centre, University of Tartu (Estonia), Asian studies, University of Helsinki (Finland), Centre for Asian Studies, Vytautas Magnus University (Lithuania), Centre for East Asian Studies, University of Turku (Finland), Centre for East and South-East Asian Studies, Lund University (Sweden) and Centre for South Asian Democracy, University of Oslo (Norway). We aim to produce timely, topical and well-edited discussions of new research and developments about Asia. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/chinese-studies

Can Europe afford to stand back as China rewrites the global electric vehicle (EV) ecosystem? In this episode, Julie Yu-Wen Chen at the University of Helsinki talks to United Nations Senior Adviser Matthew Gray for Europe and Central Asia Markets, who discusses the rapid international expansion of Chinese EVs. The conversation highlights how Chinese brands have moved beyond public buses to growing passenger car markets in the Nordic region and Central Asia through superior technology, lower price points, and patient policy. While European markets face limited model availability due to protectionism and strategic caution, Central Asian nations have seen an immediate and total transformation of their transport infrastructure with far higher and lower end Chinese EVs than in Europe - and dramatic new challenges in electrification capacity. Based in Copenhagen, with 20+ experience in the regions, Gray is speaking freshly with us after two recent months in Tajikistan and China. He compares EV and soft power growth in Scandinavia vs Central Asia, and explains that modern EVs act as geopolitical infrastructure, shifting the focus from simple manufacturing to long-term digital service ecosystems, data control, and entry into more vertical industries. As the West maintains protective barriers, China's control over the battery supply chain and hybrid innovations will likely force a global shift in both consumer and freight industries. Listeners can find Gray's fact-finding recap of Chinese EVs in Tajikistan here. Julie Yu‑Wen Chen is Professor of Chinese Studies and Director of the Master's Programme in Area and Cultural Studies at the University of Helsinki in Finland. Her new book, Global Knowledge Production about China, explores how the practice of “China‑watching” has evolved over the decades. The book is freely accessible online. The Nordic Asia Podcast is a collaboration sharing expertise on Asia across the Nordic region, brought to you by the following academic partners: Asia Centre, University of Tartu (Estonia), Asian studies, University of Helsinki (Finland), Centre for Asian Studies, Vytautas Magnus University (Lithuania), Centre for East Asian Studies, University of Turku (Finland), Centre for East and South-East Asian Studies, Lund University (Sweden) and Centre for South Asian Democracy, University of Oslo (Norway). We aim to produce timely, topical and well-edited discussions of new research and developments about Asia. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/european-studies

Can Europe afford to stand back as China rewrites the global electric vehicle (EV) ecosystem? In this episode, Julie Yu-Wen Chen at the University of Helsinki talks to United Nations Senior Adviser Matthew Gray for Europe and Central Asia Markets, who discusses the rapid international expansion of Chinese EVs. The conversation highlights how Chinese brands have moved beyond public buses to growing passenger car markets in the Nordic region and Central Asia through superior technology, lower price points, and patient policy. While European markets face limited model availability due to protectionism and strategic caution, Central Asian nations have seen an immediate and total transformation of their transport infrastructure with far higher and lower end Chinese EVs than in Europe - and dramatic new challenges in electrification capacity. Based in Copenhagen, with 20+ experience in the regions, Gray is speaking freshly with us after two recent months in Tajikistan and China. He compares EV and soft power growth in Scandinavia vs Central Asia, and explains that modern EVs act as geopolitical infrastructure, shifting the focus from simple manufacturing to long-term digital service ecosystems, data control, and entry into more vertical industries. As the West maintains protective barriers, China's control over the battery supply chain and hybrid innovations will likely force a global shift in both consumer and freight industries. Listeners can find Gray's fact-finding recap of Chinese EVs in Tajikistan here. Julie Yu‑Wen Chen is Professor of Chinese Studies and Director of the Master's Programme in Area and Cultural Studies at the University of Helsinki in Finland. Her new book, Global Knowledge Production about China, explores how the practice of “China‑watching” has evolved over the decades. The book is freely accessible online. The Nordic Asia Podcast is a collaboration sharing expertise on Asia across the Nordic region, brought to you by the following academic partners: Asia Centre, University of Tartu (Estonia), Asian studies, University of Helsinki (Finland), Centre for Asian Studies, Vytautas Magnus University (Lithuania), Centre for East Asian Studies, University of Turku (Finland), Centre for East and South-East Asian Studies, Lund University (Sweden) and Centre for South Asian Democracy, University of Oslo (Norway). We aim to produce timely, topical and well-edited discussions of new research and developments about Asia.

Can Europe afford to stand back as China rewrites the global electric vehicle (EV) ecosystem? In this episode, Julie Yu-Wen Chen at the University of Helsinki talks to United Nations Senior Adviser Matthew Gray for Europe and Central Asia Markets, who discusses the rapid international expansion of Chinese EVs. The conversation highlights how Chinese brands have moved beyond public buses to growing passenger car markets in the Nordic region and Central Asia through superior technology, lower price points, and patient policy. While European markets face limited model availability due to protectionism and strategic caution, Central Asian nations have seen an immediate and total transformation of their transport infrastructure with far higher and lower end Chinese EVs than in Europe - and dramatic new challenges in electrification capacity. Based in Copenhagen, with 20+ experience in the regions, Gray is speaking freshly with us after two recent months in Tajikistan and China. He compares EV and soft power growth in Scandinavia vs Central Asia, and explains that modern EVs act as geopolitical infrastructure, shifting the focus from simple manufacturing to long-term digital service ecosystems, data control, and entry into more vertical industries. As the West maintains protective barriers, China's control over the battery supply chain and hybrid innovations will likely force a global shift in both consumer and freight industries. Listeners can find Gray's fact-finding recap of Chinese EVs in Tajikistan here. Julie Yu‑Wen Chen is Professor of Chinese Studies and Director of the Master's Programme in Area and Cultural Studies at the University of Helsinki in Finland. Her new book, Global Knowledge Production about China, explores how the practice of “China‑watching” has evolved over the decades. The book is freely accessible online. The Nordic Asia Podcast is a collaboration sharing expertise on Asia across the Nordic region, brought to you by the following academic partners: Asia Centre, University of Tartu (Estonia), Asian studies, University of Helsinki (Finland), Centre for Asian Studies, Vytautas Magnus University (Lithuania), Centre for East Asian Studies, University of Turku (Finland), Centre for East and South-East Asian Studies, Lund University (Sweden) and Centre for South Asian Democracy, University of Oslo (Norway). We aim to produce timely, topical and well-edited discussions of new research and developments about Asia. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/science-technology-and-society

Understanding how values and communication styles differ across cultures is key to succeeding internationally. That’s why training in cross-cultural communication has become commonplace in the international business world. In this session, we’ll look at 6 dimensions of cross-cultural communication and their application to medical scenarios.

The war in Ukraine is very close to exploding into Europe, including the cities where your kids are taking a semester abroad. No one in the West seems to be paying any attention at all. A warning from Viktor Bout in Moscow. (00:00) The Escalation in Ukraine (15:27) What Is the Motive for a War With Russia? (26:05) Is This a Religious Conflict? Why Are Civilians Sent to the Frontlines? (31:27) Why Does Zelensky Not Want an Election? (50:08) How Many Have Died in This War? Viktor Bout is a Russian entrepreneur and public figure. He was born on January 13, 1967, in Dushanbe, Tajikistan, which was then part of the USSR. After serving in the Soviet Army, he trained as a military interpreter specializing in Portuguese. He worked in his field in Mozambique, Southern Africa. Since 1992, he has been engaged in business activities related to intercontinental air transportation. In 2008, he was arrested and extradited to the United States, where he was held until 2022. With the assistance of the Russian diplomatic mission, he was returned to his homeland. He later became involved in public service and was elected as a deputy of the Legislative Assembly of the Ulyanovsk Region. He is married and has a daughter. Paid partnerships with: Ethos: Protect your family with life insurance from Ethos. Get up to $3 million in coverage in as little as 10 minutes at https://ethos.com/TUCKER American Financing: NMLS 182334, nmlsconsumeraccess.org. APR for rates in the 5s start at 6.327% for well qualified borrowers. Call 800-685-5696 for details about credit costs and terms. Visit http://www.AmericanFinancing.net/Tucker. Defend: Enter code "Tucker" for 20% off your purchase at https://defendcellcam.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Max and Maria sit down with Kate Bondar, Senior Fellow at CSIS's Wadhwani AI Center and expert on autonomous warfare, to discuss the role of drones in combat in Ukraine, including Russia's innovation tactics and takeaways from the recent increase in strikes on Moscow and Kyiv.   Mentioned:  How Russia Is Building a Sovereign Drone Ecosystem for AI-Driven Autonomy | CSIS report by Kate Bondar  Defining Autonomy: Why Software, Not Drones, Will Decide the Next War | CSIS report by Kate Bondar and Matt Mande  Russia Is Building Tomorrow's War Machine | Kate Bondar in The New York Times  Feedback? Suggestions? Ideas to help us improve? Email us at erep@csis.org.  If you love Russian Roulette, let us know by subscribing and leaving a review wherever you get your podcasts.   Listen to our sister podcast, covering all things Europe through a Washington lens: CSIS Podcasts | The Eurofile  

It's a transatlantic effort this week as Houston based Dan joins up with JW from the city that will play host to Pico Lopes' final World Cup group game late on Friday night as his journey now looks likely to continue. From meeting Tajikistan lads in the lift or the travails of tuning into LOITV from a multinational press room, Dan gives his take on the last week while Johnny poses the big questions from home after another puzzling Shels-Bohs encounter, a win for St Patrick's Athletic that might build belief and the verdict on Galway's temporary home. In a packed mailbag there's James McClean book discussions, substitute host feedback and another dose of dodgy box chat. All of this familiarity is brought to you with the help of our friends at Collar & Cuff, Chido, Future Ticketing and Planify

With nearly 1.3 billion disabled people in the world, we assume that the medical community focuses on physical health. But who is helping people with the emotional and spiritual impact of disability? In this session, we will explore the emotional and spiritual impact of disability and how the church and global workers can effectively support the disabled community with this critical need.

From Shipping in Paraguay to Photojournalism in Kyrgyzstan: Luke Oppenheimer's Journey & the Making of Ottuk

Max and Maria sit down with Dr. Nina Khrushcheva, Professor of International Affairs at the New School and one of the world's leading experts on Russia, to discuss her new Russian‑language book Nikita Khrushchev: Vozhd vne sistemy (“Nikita Khrushchev: An Outlier of the System”) and her experience as one of the few scholars still traveling to and from Russia. As Nikita Khrushchev's great‑granddaughter and adoptive granddaughter, she offers a rare, personal view of how Russian culture, politics, and society are evolving. Mentioned:  No Exit from Stalin | by Nina L. Khrushcheva in Project Syndicate (April 2026)  Russia's Descent Into Tyranny: How Four Years of War Have Remade Society | by Nina L. Khrushcheva in Foreign Affairs (Dec. 2025)  Nikita Khrushchev: Vozhd vne sistemy (Nikita Khrushchev: An Outlier of the System) | Book by Nina L. Khrushcheva  Feedback? Suggestions? Ideas to help us improve? Email us at erep@csis.org.  If you love Russian Roulette, let us know by subscribing and leaving a review wherever you get your podcasts.   Listen to our sister podcast, covering all things Europe through a Washington lens: CSIS Podcasts | The Eurofile 

Max and Maria welcome Sir Lawrence Freedman, historian, author, and Emeritus Professor of War Studies, King's College London, to discuss the future of the war in Ukraine, how he sees the conflict evolving, and what to expect in the critical months ahead. Is Ukraine winning the drone race? by Sir Lawrence Freedman  Link to Substack: Comment is Freed   Thoughts? Guest suggestions? Ideas to help us improve? Email us at erep@csis.org.  If you love Russian Roulette, let us know by subscribing and leaving a review wherever you get your podcasts.   Listen to our sister podcast, covering all things Europe through a Washington lens: CSIS Podcasts | The Eurofile  

This is the Man who Would be Khan.  While a first-year Russian student at West Point, then Major Mark Derber dropped an article from The Atlantic on my desk, Robert D. Kaplan's "The Man Who Would Be Khan". It changed my life. 20 years later, you get to hear my interview with the Man himself. COL (R) Tom Wilhelm shares his path from West Point (commissioned infantry in 1980) through a dual-track infantry/aviation start, declining the new Aviation Branch, and entering the FAO program in the mid-1980s as a Soviet/Russian FAO. Wilhelm recounts an extensive Cold War-era pipeline (FAO course, DLI Russian—joined fully by his wife—graduate school, a summer in Leningrad, and the US Army Russian Institute/Marshall Center), then FAO work with OSIA conducting arms-control inspections (Vienna Document, INF, CFE) and the Provide Hope humanitarian mission in Tajikistan amid civil war. He describes a “knife fight” to regain infantry key jobs during post–Cold War drawdowns, deployments in Macedonia and Bosnia, being imbedded with a Russian airborne brigade, a later Tajikistan attaché tour with family hardships and evacuation, Marshall Center faculty/FAO mentorship, Mongolia as dual-hatted defense attaché/security cooperation chief, an Afghanistan/Pakistan tour, retirement, and directing the Foreign Military Studies Office. He emphasizes FAO risk-taking, networking, access, and conveying what partners think, not what Americans want to hear. To read the original Robert D. Kaplan article you can find it on The Atlantic's website.  If you don't have a subscription, the WayBack Machine is your friend: https://web.archive.org/web/20121020120633/https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2004/03/the-man-who-would-be-khan/302899/   COL(R) Tom Wilhelm's Recommended Reading List: GENERAL FMSO https://oe.t2com.army.mil  Look for FMSO stuff but many products from T2Com G2 are useful for FAOs. Association for Diplomatic Studies and Training https://adst.org Exceptional repository of detailed interviews that provide unparalleled country and regional backgrounds over eras. Red Team Handbook https://home.army.mil/wood/application/files/6115/8222/0759/RedTeamHB.pdf  There are actually ways to approach alternative, critical thinking—very helpful to cross-cultural communication and telling us how “they” think. Culture Shock: Leadership Lessons from the Military's Diplomatic Corps (ed. Graham Plaster, Jason Criss Howk—Book by FAOs for FAOs)  The Worldly Philosophers (Robert Heilbroner; entry level book into developing an understanding of economics and society—a baseline subject for all FAOs. Try also The Mystery of Capitalism by Hernando deSoto) The Cave and the Light: Plato Versus Aristotle, and the Struggle for the Soul of Western Civilization (Arthur Herman—before you can tell us what we think they think, you should probably want to know how “we think.”)    RUSSIA The Russian Way of War (Les Grau and Charles Bartles—on FMSO website [above] or just Google it.) How Russia Fights https://www.army.mil/article/286922/how_russia_fights (Ted Donnelly, Jeff Hartman, Tom Butler, et.al.) Swimming the Volga: A US Army Officer's Experiences in Pre-Putin Russia (Peter Zwack) The Leviathan (Movie; award winning Russian film has good representation of the individual's relationship to power in Russia, among other cultural and political-social insights. Made me feel that I was back in Russia, drinking vodka and shooting bottles with an AK47.) The Trauma Zone (Seven-part series on YouTube; for a sense of post-Cold War chaos in Russia. “Chaos” conjures something tangible in Russia; it's not just an adjective.) Seventeen Moments of Spring (12-part series on YouTube; addresses the question: Why a 2025 statue to this 1973 Soviet spy thriller television series was recently installed in Moscow. Part of the answer has to do with those untrustworthy Americans in secret alliance with Nazis against Russia—a once and current theme.)   WHILE YOU LAYOVER AT THE SERRAI The Empire of the Steppes (Renee Grousset—dense but essential for anybody that thinks they are a Eurasianist, and mandatory for all Silk Road FAOs.) Mission to Tashkent (F.M. Bailey) News From Tartary (Peter Flemming) Eastern Approaches (Fitzroy Maclean) The Great Game (Peter Hopkirk) Some Far and Distant Place (Jonathan Addleton) Across Mongolian Plains (Roy Chapman Andrews—American FAO archetype, 1916-17) The Wilder Shores of Love (Lesley Blanch—Isabel Burton, Jane Digby, Amiee Dubucq, and Isabelle Eberhrdt join my long-suffering bride, Cheri, in FAO-like misadventures abroad)   00:00 Meet Tom Wilhelm 01:28 The Man Who Would Be Khan 02:24 West Point to Dual Track 07:11 Choosing the FAO Path 11:05 Soviet FAO Pipeline 14:01 Leningrad Language Adventure 19:12 Russian Institute and IRTs 23:33 Wall Comes Down Up Close 27:02 Echo Network and Mentorship 31:04 First FAO Job Arms Control 35:32 Provide Hope in Tajikistan 40:31 Back to Infantry in Europe 42:39 RIF Era Career Knife Fight 44:36 FAO Cuts and Reassignments 45:54 Branch Qualifying Knife Fight 46:08 Macedonia to Bosnia Pivot 48:42 Self Deploying to Bosnia 50:27 Joint Commission in War Zone 53:03 Inside the Russian Brigade 55:11 How Russians Command 58:48 FAO Lesson on Mission Command 01:06:51 Tajikistan Arrival and Isolation 01:09:17 Embassy Life and Local Allies 01:13:29 Surviving Dushanbe Living Conditions 01:18:15 Civil War and Afghan Spillover 01:23:55 Family Evacuation and Zinni Meeting 01:28:28 Soft Power And Access 01:28:51 Peacekeeping Expertise Built 01:31:20 FAO Track And Command List 01:34:19 Marshall Center Fellowship 01:37:03 Mongolia Dual Hat Role 01:44:32 9/11 And Mongolia Pivot 01:46:33 Building Mongolian Peacekeeping 01:55:10 Mongolian Curse Artifact 02:01:27 Back To Marshall Center 02:04:43 Afghanistan To Pakistan Liaison 02:07:23 Retirement And FIMSO 02:09:16 Hall Of Fame And Farewell