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US President Trump posted on Saturday that an agreement has largely been negotiated, subject to finalisation between the US, Iran and various Middle Eastern countries.US and Iran were reportedly close to signing an agreement involving a 60-day ceasefire extension, which could be extended by mutual consent, according to Axios.US senior officials said the naval blockade will only be lifted after Iran opens the Strait of Hormuz, and no funds will be released until enriched uranium is handed over.Crude futures declined amid hopes for a US-Iran agreement after President Trump announced on Saturday that an agreement has largely been negotiated.APAC stocks gained with risk appetite boosted; European equity futures indicate a positive cash market open with Euro Stoxx 50 futures up 1.0%.Looking ahead, holidays include cash market closures in the US and UK.Read the full report covering Equities, Forex, Fixed Income, Commodites and more on Newsquawk

It's been a week since King Charles' high-stakes state visit to the US ended in diplomatic triumph. After months of difficult headlines for the royals and the US-UK relationship, many applauded the King for steadying the ship. But what does this moment tell us about the current state of the special relationship? And how does it compare to historical ups and downs? In a final dispatch from Washington, Roya Nikkhah and Kate Mansey are joined by Susan Page, Washington bureau chief of USA Today and author of the new book, The Queen and Her Presidents: The Hidden Hand That Shaped History. Queen Elizabeth II met with thirteen sitting US presidents, more than any other head of state in history. Page talks us through the highs and lows of the special relationship during her reign, and discusses the role a monarch can play to keep important relationships on side. Susan Page's book, The Queen and Her Presidents: The Hidden Hand That Shaped History.Get in touch: theroyals@thetimes.co.ukImage: GettyProducer: Robert Wallace, Natalie KtenaExecutive Producer: Priyanka DeladiaRead more: King Charles flattered and chided Trump. The president loved it. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

How is the German market different to English speaking markets, and why might it be worth looking into translation? What are the best ways to translate, self-publish and market your books in German? With Skye MacKinnon. In the intro, thoughts on feeling empty after a book, and the benefits of SubStack for authors [Stark Reflections; Wish I'd Known Then]; AI-Assisted Artisan Author webinars 16 and 23 May. This episode is sponsored by Publisher Rocket, which will help you get your book in front of more Amazon readers so you can spend less time marketing and more time writing. I use Publisher Rocket for researching book titles, categories, and keywords — for new books and for updating my backlist. Check it out at www.PublisherRocket.com This show is also supported by my Patrons. Join my Community at Patreon.com/thecreativepenn Skye MacKinnon is the award-winning, USA Today bestselling author of over 70 books across romance and children's books under multiple pen names, most of which are also available in German, which is her bestselling market. Her latest book for authors is Self-Publishing in German: How to Translate, Publish and Market Your Books. You can listen above or on your favorite podcast app or read the notes and links below. Here are the highlights and the full transcript is below. Show Notes Why the German-speaking market is much bigger than just Germany, and which genres sell best there Title protection laws, the Impressum, and translator copyright How to find and vet human translators, and what a quality translation actually costs The current state of AI translation for fiction, and why quality assurance passes are essential Distribution decisions: the Tolino Alliance, Skoobe, libraries, and why IngramSpark doesn't work in Germany Marketing in German: BookDeals, LovelyBooks, ads, BookTok, and why pre-orders matter even more You can find Skye SkyeMacKinnon.com and her children's books at IslaWynter.com. Transcript of the interview with Skye MacKinnon Jo: Skye MacKinnon is the award-winning, USA Today bestselling author of over 70 books across romance and children's books under multiple pen names, most of which are also available in German, which is her bestselling market. Her latest book for authors is Self-Publishing in German: How to Translate, Publish and Market Your Books. Welcome, Skye. Skye: Hi. Thank you so much for having me. Jo: This is such an interesting topic. But first up— Tell us a bit more about you and how you got into writing and publishing. Skye: I've always loved writing, but I was always told, “Well, you can't be an author. Get a proper job.” So I became a journalist and did that for a few years, but there was always that love of creative writing. At some point when I was getting more active on social media, I was following some other indie authors and realised they're just like me. They're not special people. I had always pictured authors as these mythical beings high up above the rest of us. That gave me the courage to put out my own book. I self-published from the start, never even looked into trad publishing, and that was in 2017. I was really lucky because my first series totally hit it off. I was able to quit my job a year later and I have been a full-time author ever since. I started with romance and then, by accident, got into children's books. Which has been great fun. I don't even have children myself, but it's just that palette cleanser in between. Writing about cute animals and unicorns and just bringing some fun into everything. Nowadays I have about five or six pen names, depending on how you count, across genres, although most of it is romance, and that's my bread and butter really. Jo: Yes, I'm certainly one of those people who wish I could write romance. It always just seems to be the most profitable market in any language, I guess. Let's get into the book. It's a fantastic book. I've been through it myself. It's really packed full of everything you need, so we can't cover everything. Let's start by considering the German language in general. Why is German a good language market to consider expanding into? And for anyone who might not realise, why is it more than Germany? Skye: Well, Germans love to read, and depending on the statistic that you look at, they're generally seen as the third largest book market in the world after English and Mandarin Chinese. So it's a huge market, even though you think of Germany as a small little country in Europe. As you said, it's much more than Germany. Yes, you've got about 83 million people in Germany, but then you've also got Austria, Switzerland, Liechtenstein, parts of Belgium, Luxembourg, and even Italy. So if you look at the whole footprint on the map, it is much bigger than just the one country. A lot of young people there still read and go to bookshops. There's a huge bookshop culture. You will find, if you go to a high street there, way more bookshops than you do here in the UK, for example. There's demand for quality and for really gorgeous books. They have been way ahead of the curve when it comes to special editions and sprayed edges, and they also like translations. I found one statistic where about two thirds of all newly released titles in German are actual translations. Readers are used to translations, but until a few years ago it was all trad-published translations. So this transition is coming now. It's coming very, very fast, especially with AI. They generally are very open to translations as long as the quality is there. Jo: So what about specific genres then? Obviously we mentioned romance there, and romance is not just one genre anymore. Whatever they're writing— How can somebody tell if it's worth expanding into German? How do we do this? It takes time and effort and money, potentially. Skye: It can take a lot of money, so it is worth doing research. There's one easy way, which is just looking at your current sales and looking at how many books you're selling in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland at the moment in English. That can give you an indication of which of your books might be already quite popular there. Sometimes it's quite surprising. A lot of my books sell very differently in German than they do in English. I've got one series that did okay in English, and I almost didn't translate it. The German version is, I think, my second bestselling series in German and has completely surprised me. So sometimes it's worth just experimenting a bit. Otherwise, obviously as you said, romance is doing really well. There are a few surprises though. I had a chat with Draft2Digital and they gave me lots of information from their statistics, and they said about 40% of all the western title sales on Draft2Digital are actually in Germany, which is just a huge percentage. Jo: In English? Skye: Across languages. Jo: Mm-hmm. Skye: Germans, to be fair, they love their westerns. My dad in Germany, he has been watching westerns for I don't know how many decades. It is one of those things that is just really popular there. Another thing is anything that is set in other countries and really has the location as almost like a character. There's lots of Cornwall, Scotland, different islands, but also mountains and cities. So if your book is set in, even in New York City, if it has a clear setting—if it's not just that it could be any city—then that's a good one to think about translating. In general, most genres can do well. There's a few where you have to be a bit careful. Second World War books, for example. If you have a book that portrays every single German as a Nazi and as evil, it might not do as well in Germany. So some common sense when it comes to historical books. Otherwise, just look at German retailers, look at what is selling there—and not just Amazon. Places like Thalia, which is part of the Tolino Alliance, and they have about 40% of the market. So it's really important to look at them too, and not just at Amazon. Jo: We'll come back to the distribution in a minute. There are some important differences between the German market and the US/UK market. Obviously we're talking about a different language, but of course there are a few things that are different that some people might not think about. So give us a few of those things that people definitely need to think about. Skye: Okay, so even before you start publishing, you need to be aware that title protection is a thing in Germany. Your book can't have the same title as an already published book. That is a law that is basically there to avoid readers being confused. So if you had five books with the same title, readers might not realise which book is by which author. You have to do your research and check if anyone else is using your title. There are some exceptions—if it's a completely different category, so if there's a children's book with that title but you write spicy romance, then the chance that the reader gets confused is much lower. Quite often you can then contact either the author or the publisher and ask, “Can I get written permission to use that title?” I did that for one of my series and it was totally fine. Just be sure to get it in writing, because if your book suddenly becomes a huge bestseller, they might reconsider. So title protection is an important one. You need to research that before you publish. One thing that people sometimes get confused about is reusing their English title. That's totally fine because it's your own title. So if your English title hasn't been used and you want to keep that same title, that works. It's just about other people's books where you can't use those titles. Another important legal bit is the Impressum. It's the copyright page. To be fair, websites that are targeting German readers or a German audience have to have that Impressum. It's usually on page two of the book, and it has things like your legal name, your address, and then the usual things like the translator's name, cover design, and other things you would usually put on a copyright page. The problem is that technically you need to put your legal name in there unless you have a limited company, in which case you can also put the business name there, and your address. A lot of people obviously don't want to do that for privacy reasons, especially romance authors where it's sometimes a bit sketchy when it comes to some readers who get a bit too obsessed. There are services where you can pay a monthly or yearly fee and then use their address. It's a bit of a legal grey zone, but a lot of German authors are doing it because—especially as indie authors—we don't always want to put our legal address out there. Jo: Just for people listening, I use my accountant's address. That's quite common. I mean, you have to share your address on your email for anti-spam laws and all that kind of thing. As you say, there are ways to use other addresses. That just needs to happen. What else then do we need to think about? Skye: There are things about the translator. A lot of things that people are sometimes scared about is when they hear that there is a copyright issue with translators and they think, “Oh, my translator has the copyright. I can't do anything.” Actually, the translator is seen as an author—almost like a co-author of the translation in German law—because, to be fair, it's not just putting one word into another. Translation is quite a creative job, especially when it's fiction. It is a very creative job where the translator has to put a lot of their own creativity into it. So in German law, they're recognised as the creator of that translation and therefore have certain rights. But you as the author, as soon as you have a contract with your translator—which is why you always, always, always have to have a contract—you get the usage rights. This means it's exactly the same as with your English books. You can do with them what you want. You can get audiobooks, you can do print books, you can do whatever you want in different formats. It just needs to be clear in a contract that the translator is giving you the usage rights of that translation. That's something that people sometimes find a bit scary, but actually it's really simple. Translations have been done for so long. It's a normal thing. It's just called slightly different. It has to be set out in a contract. Jo: Just on that, that's when the translator themselves is in Germany, because if they are based somewhere else, still doing a German translation, that's not necessary. So that's something else for people to consider. Skye: Yes, definitely. To be fair— I would always try to get a translator based in the country. I mean, I'm a native German speaker, but I've been in Scotland for so long now that I am not confident enough to translate my own books anymore because I'm not surrounded by German 24/7 and my grammar is slightly off and I don't have that up-to-date, modern lingo. So if it's a translator who's only just moved somewhere else or a few years, that's fine. But if it's someone who's been in the US or UK or somewhere else for 20 years, I would be a bit more hesitant. That's just a personal perspective on that. One other thing that's different is Sie and du. There are two different kinds of “you” when you talk to someone. There's the formal Sie, which you use basically amongst adults, in business contexts. But even my German grandma—she had a friend and they used the formal Sie for about 10 years as friends because in German etiquette, the older person has to offer the younger person the informal du, and they never did that for some reason. We found it hilarious as kids that they were still using the formal Sie as really good friends. So there's an entire culture there that people who haven't been to Germany or haven't lived there for a while just find a bit difficult, because there are so many different unwritten rules about when you use Sie and when you use the informal du. It's weakened a bit over the years and nowadays even strangers would sometimes use the informal du depending on the context. It really depends. A good translator will usually handle that themselves. They will find a scene where, for example, especially in romance, you meet as strangers in the beginning, so you use the formal Sie, and then at some point that formality turns to informality. The translator will usually choose that moment and add a little extra scene or a sentence where they either offer it to each other or they just naturally switch into it. But then there might be an internal little monologue of, “Oh, he just used the informal du—I guess we're at that stage,” or, “I really appreciate that.” Just to make it more natural, because that's something I quite often see with AI translation where that doesn't happen, and readers get confused. Why did they just switch from Sie to du without any kind of acknowledgement of that? Jo: This is the same in Spanish and other languages, I imagine. Skye: Yes, French as well. Italian too, I think. A lot of European languages have this. Jo: I think that's something that English speakers just don't get. It is a really interesting moment. I guess that might not happen so much in other genres—that really is a thing in romance. I was just thinking about some of my thrillers. They may never have time to get to du. Skye: But then sometimes using du can also be a rude thing. So if you have an antagonist who really doesn't like your protagonist, they might just use du as a rude sort of address. Again, that's something that English speakers just wouldn't understand or even think of because we just have the one “you.” Jo: We just have the one. Jo: It's the tone. Of course, it's the tone. Skye: Exactly, yes. Jo: Okay, well let's get into the actual translation of the books themselves. Over the years I've worked with lots of humans. I've also licensed my rights. I've used different AI tools. I mean, there are tons, but as we record this— What are the options that are available for translations? Give us some tips on working with humans and finding humans. Because it can be super pricey. And of course most of us will never know about the quality until we publish it. Skye: Oh, yes, definitely a note on that. I found that quite often you will already have German people on your newsletter list or on your social media, and most of them will be super happy to give you some feedback on your translation. That's something I've used a lot. Not for German, because I speak the language, but when I did French and Italian translations. My French is—well, it used to be quite okay. It is passable at best now. So I would never feel confident enough to rate a translation. So I asked my newsletter list, “Are there any French people here who would be happy to read the book? I'll send you a free copy at the end, and some swag.” There were a surprising number of people who got back to me. The same applies to German and other languages, because if you don't speak the language, you sometimes lack the confidence of knowing if this is any good. Getting some reader feedback is super helpful. For finding human translators, the easiest of course is word of mouth, and I'm a big fan of that because you get instant feedback on whether someone is good or not and whether it's easy to work with them. Then there are freelancer platforms. Reedsy is one where everyone is vetted, so that's pretty good. But there are tons of other ones like Upwork and Fiverr, though there you have to do all the vetting yourself, so that takes a lot more time and effort. There are also more and more agencies—translator agencies who specialise in doing indie book translations. There's Literary Queens, there's Valentine Translations, there are tons of them. Then there's also, which I think a lot of authors ignore or don't know about, translation databases. There are two databases for German translators, for example, where you can search and you can usually narrow it down to whether you want literary translators, what kind of fiction or nonfiction you want. An important thing is that a literary translator is very different from a standard translator who translates birth certificates or formal documents. You want someone who has experience with fiction if you write fiction. Someone who knows about adding drama through language. Sometimes, for example, when you have an action scene, you might have shorter sentences. If you have someone who doesn't know about stuff like that, they might just think, “Oh, in German it sounds really nice to have this really long sentence.” Those little nuances are where having an experienced literary translator is a big bonus. There are some platforms that do royalty-split translations that have been quite popular in the past. Most of them I wouldn't really recommend because you just don't get those professional translators there. You usually get people who speak the language but don't really have much experience. So you might end up with a pretty bad translation, or people might just be using AI translations without telling you. If you use a human translator, always, always get a sample, because yes, they might have amazing credentials, but until they've actually translated one of your books or a scene from your book, you don't really know how good they are. I like to always use, if I write romance, a slightly sexy scene, because sex seems to show you if someone can translate or not. It's just what I've found, because if it sounds absolutely awkward or more like mechanical rather than an emotional, spicy thing, then that's a clear point for me to say, “No, thank you. I'll look for someone else.” Action scenes, sexy scenes, really emotional ones, dialogue that has a bit of colloquial language or humour—those are good scenes to choose as a sample because that really shows you if a translator can do their job or not. Then, again, have some German people from your list give you feedback on that. Also, if you work with human translators, always try to make sure that they will be available for your entire series. And not even just a series—if you have lots of books, try to grab that translator, lock them in your basement, and never let them go, because you want their style for all your books. Just like you have a style as an author, translators have a style and that will always shine through, as much as they try to be as close to your original. A bit of their style will always come through. It helps to have the same translator for at least the same series, preferably for as many of your books as possible. You really want to tell them in the beginning, “This series has nine books. I want you to do all of these, even if we only do a few of them at the beginning. Are you available to do the rest later?” Because you don't want to end up having to find a new translator in the middle of the series. That gives you a whole lot of extra work with trying to have a world bible that explains which words get translated and which get left as the original, and stuff like that. When it comes to non-human translation, it's very different because of course you don't need to do all that vetting. Tools have different capabilities and abilities, but in the end, if you put your book into a translation tool, you will always get a slightly different output. So it's not quite the same where you need an entire vetting process. Jo: Just on the human translation, I think I'd be right in saying that every single author in the world would love to have the best human translator translating their book, whatever genre it is. That would just be amazing for all of us. But let's face it, that's extremely expensive. So if I've got, let's say, a 70,000-word thriller, how much money are we talking about? An approximate number, so people know what that might be. Skye: Usually it goes by the word, but by the target language word count. Although it depends on the translator, traditional translators usually go by the target language because that's what they actually produce as their output. The average at the moment is anything from about seven to nine euro cents per word as the medium price. You will find cheaper people. You can go up as high as you want really. I have definitely seen translators who charge 15 cents and above per word, but those will usually be the ones who have worked with a lot of trad publishers who are used to being paid like that. Although even in trad publishing, the rates are going down. With more and more authors wanting translations, I think in general rates are going down. Good for us, not so good for the translators. You're definitely looking at thousands, even if you translate novellas. Then it depends—some translators have editing included, sometimes they don't. A lot of them will have arrangements with other translators where they give the translation to another translator for them to edit it. Sometimes that's included in the price, sometimes it's extra. Always make sure it gets edited, because just like when we write a book, it will never be exactly perfect. I say that as someone who writes very clean because I have a journalism background, so I'm used to writing really fast and clean for deadlines, but there will always be a few typos that just wriggle their way in. Typos are evil like that. It's the same with translations. Jo: So we are probably looking at 2,000 to 10,000 pounds, dollars, euros. We are talking about quite a lot, and this is the main reason I think that now, with AI becoming a lot better, people are looking at this. Originally—and I don't even know, probably eight years now since I did my first, might even be a decade or more—I did at some point do a version in DeepL, which was an early AI translation tool. This was nonfiction, and then paid an editor, a German editor, to then edit that in German. Those books still get good reviews. But now people are looking at options like GlobeScribe and ScribeShadow, or even just using Claude or ChatGPT. I'm actually working at the moment on a Claude Code pipeline through lots of different QA passes. That's been really interesting for me, because I can say, “Okay, now you are a reader who likes these kinds of books. Read it for that.” And because we can now put really big books in, I can actually get a lot of really interesting feedback. So I feel like there's a lot of potential with AI—potential for good stuff, potential for bad stuff too. So talk a bit about that and what to watch out for with AI. Skye: Okay, so I'm very much pro-AI and I use AI in lots of different things in my business, just to preface that. However, with translations, I'm still a bit wary, just because I have seen a lot of bad AI translations. To be fair, I've experimented with it myself for one of my other pen names. It was readable. It was definitely readable. It had sometimes beautiful, gorgeous prose. Really. But there were, occasionally—quite often even—bits where I stumbled as a native speaker. It's readable and, if I just need a little quick book in between, I would be mostly happy with that. I would read it. It's the same as some of the early KU days where you found a lot of bad quality writing, but you just wanted to read it because the story was pretty good or because you were reading it in KU and so it didn't really matter that much. There is that spectrum of quality where you have the, “Yes, it's good enough to read,” but, “Is it good enough to be up to your standards?” That's a decision that everyone has to make for themselves. If they want the same quality that they put into their English book, or if they're fine with just offering that book to a new audience because maybe you wouldn't be able to do it otherwise. I totally see that. Translation is so expensive. I don't even know how much I have spent on translations over the past few years. I'm lucky that most of my books make it back within the first weeks or months. I've never had a book that didn't make its money back, but I have heard a lot of people where that's not the case. It is a lot of investment and I would never tell someone to go into debt or anything to do translations. Do it when you're at a time where you can afford it, or where you can also afford the loss if it doesn't work out. Now, AI has changed that slightly because it now opens it up to almost anyone. Some of the AI translation tools are a few hundred pounds, but if you do it in Claude or ChatGPT or something where you already have a subscription, it can actually be quite cheap. You can do it for a few dollars or pounds. I love, by the way, having someone in the UK. I'm so used to automatically saying everything in dollars, but actually I should be using pounds. I think if you know what you're doing—and you clearly do, with your several passes, you know what you're doing with AI—but if someone just puts their book into Claude or ChatGPT or some random tool, it might just not be good enough. Jo: Let's say it won't be good enough if you just do that. We know that. You have to have QA passes—quality assurance. You have to have rules per genre. There are ways of doing it. It's kind of like you have to get to know how translation works. It's a process. It's not just a translation, like you put something in Google Translate or a menu or something, because we do care. I think that's really important. Skye: Yes. I think if you don't know how AI works—that you need detailed prompts, that you need a style guide, that you need all that extra material and not just your book, all those rules—then please don't do it. If you value your German readers—and I think sometimes when I see people just churn out those translations without doing any quality control, using exactly the same cover or even just putting a German flag on it or something—I really feel bad for German readers because they're not being valued as having the same sort of value to us as authors as our English-speaking readers. Maybe I'm a bit biased there because I read in multiple languages. I want to be able to get the same sort of quality in all languages. I want the author to think of me as being special because I'm their reader and I'm their customer. I think we are on the way where AI translation can be almost autonomous. I would personally always have a human look over it. I know what I'm doing, and I'm almost happy with my translation system that I've built now in AI, but it still needs that human touch for a few things. It still needs me to tell the AI, for example, “This is where we switch from Sie to du.” This is where I need to keep certain words in. For example, I write a lot of Scottish books, and so words like “glen” or “loch”—they are words I want to stay the same in my German translation. I don't want to translate it to the German equivalent of “lake” because that just misses that Scottish context. Things like that need instruction. A human translator will usually know that and chat to you about which words you want to keep and which ones you want translated. AI just needs our guidance, our helping hand, and if we don't know enough about the target language, we just miss knowing that. Now, a lot of tools do it all for you basically, and they set up all these rules. I think many of them are at a very advanced stage now. But AI isn't perfect and it likes to hallucinate, it likes to add random things. So I will always still have a human touch at the end, even if it's just a quick edit. A lot of people think that they just need a proofread after an AI translation, but AI doesn't really make typos—or not to an extent that humans do. So proofreading isn't really what's needed for an AI translation. It is actual editing where you go for the style, the phrasing, and sometimes the context. There's one example I always like to give. I have an alien romance where they go on a honeymoon, and because he's an alien and she's human, he misunderstands and thinks she wants to go to an actual moon. So it's a little pun in the book. It doesn't work in German at all because the word “honeymoon” has nothing to do with moons or planets in German. An AI would probably just try to translate that in a way that's quite close to the original. But my German translator, she had to come up with several different ways of fixing that issue, because humour is hard. It's hard even for humans to get the humour translated in a way that is still funny but also culturally appropriate. If you have a book that is full of puns, it gets harder with AI. I am not saying it's impossible, but it needs a lot of handholding. Jo: Yes, I think humour is hard to translate in general, isn't it? Let's move on to the distribution, because again, having done quite a lot of different languages over the years, I do use Amazon KU for my books in German and Italian and Spanish and some French. So I haven't gone wide in terms of ebook and print or audio, in fact, because I have a lot of books and it is hard to go wide in English, let alone in other languages. But you mentioned earlier that Thalia has 40% of the market or something, and that special editions and print books are important. So what are the decisions we have to make around the actual publishing? Skye: In Germany they did a really cool thing, and I wish they'd done that in other countries. When the bookshops saw that Amazon was growing and posing a threat to them—not just with print books but also with ebooks—a lot of the German bookstores got together and they formed the Tolino Alliance. They have big book chains like Thalia, but also I think it was over 1,500 indie bookshops that all got together. They all support this ecosystem for ebooks, which means they all share the same e-readers. They share the same sort of backend for the shops, which made it really easy for them because they didn't all have to develop an ebook system. It saved them a lot of money. It made it really easy to tell readers, “This is the Tolino system. You can get your books at our bookshops, but you can read them on your Tolino e-reader no matter where you get the books from.” The Tolino e-readers are actually the same as Kobo e-readers, just rebranded. They've got that big advantage there—these independent bookshops and book chains all got together. Now it's hard to find numbers because Amazon doesn't really like to share their numbers, but it's about 40% of the German ebook market, which means it rivals Amazon. They have about the same. Then the rest is split by Apple Books, Google Play, and some of the smaller players. So it is a huge chunk of the market. I'm wide with pretty much all my English books. So for me, I looked into KU, but when I saw that I was going to miss out on 60% of the market—even if Amazon has 45%, that's still a big chunk—I decided to go wide. To be fair, I haven't regretted it, because Tolino are amazing to work with. I like to compare them to Kobo because they have a really lovely human team where you can just email them and tell them, “I've got a new release coming up,” and they will put you into different promos and it's all free. Jo: Do you publish direct to Tolino, or do you use Draft2Digital? Skye: Yes, you can publish direct to Tolino and that's actually the best way of doing it. You don't have access to their marketing opportunities if you use a distributor. The Tolino dashboard is annoyingly all in German, but by now every browser has a translating plugin built in. I know lots of authors who don't speak a single word of German who navigate Tolino very successfully. They started with only ebooks in the beginning, and then about two weeks after the first edition of my book on German translations was published, they introduced print books, which meant my book was immediately out of date. I was fuming. But this time they introduced audiobooks a few weeks before my Kickstarter launch for the second edition, so this time the audiobook part is included. I was very happy about that, because it was a pain to just tell everyone, “Well, this book is out now but it's actually missing a big part of how to do print books in Germany.” So Tolino does print, ebooks, and audiobooks. And just because you're in KU with your ebooks doesn't mean you can't publish your print books via Tolino. I highly recommend that, because IngramSpark—which most of us indies use for distribution for print books—doesn't get you into the German bookstores. They used to. Then German stores have fixed price laws where books have to be the same price in all stores, and IngramSpark kept going against that. They kept sending them the wrong prices. So German bookstores at some point just said, “Nope, we've had enough of this. We no longer take books from IngramSpark.” So now Tolino, in my opinion, is the best way of getting your books listed in German online bookstores, but they can also help you get into brick-and-mortar stores. One of my books was featured by them, I think two years ago, and it was in about 300 of their shops all across Germany. It had its own little pedestal and it was amazing. Tolino love working with their indie authors. They also love romance, which is always a bonus because some stores are more prudish than others. It's really easy to work with them. They speak perfect English, so you can do all your communication outside of the dashboard in English. Their audiobooks feature is very new. Until they did that, it was much harder for German audiobook distribution because places like Findaway Voices and other distributors wouldn't get you into the Tolino Alliance stores for audio. That's a big chunk that we were missing out on. I was always looking for ways to get my German audiobooks into those stores, but the German distributors that I found were really difficult to upload to, to be honest. I'm a very technical person, but it challenged even me. I did not like that experience at all. At some point I really just gave up and wanted to throw my computer out of the window. So when Tolino introduced that, I was celebrating internally. The only problem with their distribution at the moment for audio, because it's so new, is that you can't exclude any shops. So it's all or nothing. They will get you into all the different places, including Audible, Spotify—you name it, lots of different streaming services and retailers—but you can't exclude any. So while they don't actually want exclusivity, if you published it yourself at the same time through ACX or Findaway Voices or something else, you would have duplicates, and of course, we try to avoid those. Jo: Is it human narration only, or do they also accept AI narration? Skye: They accept AI narration. The thing with Tolino is that they want everything made very clear. If you publish any books with them that have an AI production aspect, you need to put that into your Impressum. For audiobooks, there's a box to tick to make it clear. Jo: Hmm. Skye: So they are open to it all. You just need to declare it. Jo: Which I think should be true everywhere, to be fair. Skye: Oh, definitely. And a lot of German distributors—while I was researching for this book, one thing I always looked at is, “Do they need you to declare your AI use?” More and more German distributors and retailers now want you to do that. I think that's the way it's going. It's not a judgement thing. I think it's just making it clear to readers. In Germany, it's all about transparency. That's why there are all those laws with GDPR—everyone will have heard about that one by now. But there are lots of other laws where it's all about consumer rights and transparency, and that's one of them. Jo: Is there anything else on the distribution side we need to think about? Skye: One thing I like to highlight is libraries, because that's quite a big thing in Germany too. They love books and bookstores and they love libraries. Some of the ways we get our English books into libraries—like a distributor like Draft2Digital for OverDrive—OverDrive is growing in Germany. There are other systems like Onleihe, just to name one. You can't get into those through, for example, Draft2Digital or PublishDrive or StreetLib. Tolino gets you into those. There are also subscription platforms that are growing. I think it's the same as in the English-speaking market. People love a subscription, and I love them. I just don't like exclusivity. So I very much support any subscription platform that doesn't require me to be exclusive to them. Skoobe is one of them. They used to be an independent platform, and then the Tolino Alliance bought them. So now they're integrated into the Tolino stores. That means it's really prominent. Basically, any time you go to an ebook on, for example, Thalia, it will have a banner there saying, “You can also get this in our subscription.” So it's taken a while to grow, but actually in December I now made more with their subscription programme than I made in book sales. I think three of my books were in their top 10 in December. To be fair, that was a pretty good month. But it definitely shows that it can take a while to grow these subscription platforms, but when you do, it can be really successful and very much worth it. So I highly suggest looking into those sorts of platforms too, not just the standard retailers and the platforms that you're already used to. Jo: Fantastic. So we've now got translations, they're on the various stores, and then just like in English, one of our next challenges is actually marketing the books. Now this becomes another challenge, because one of the reasons I am in KU for foreign languages is because you get the five free days and you can do Amazon ads. I mean, you can do Amazon ads for wide books too, but it's easier to know that there are some options for marketing at all. I don't do email marketing. I don't do social media, so I'm pretty bad at marketing in foreign languages. So what are your suggestions for those who want to do more active marketing in German especially? Or even if we don't speak German, it can't be all the personal stuff. But are there also advertising things like BookBub? What are our options basically? Skye: There are quite a few things. It's not quite as easy as in English, of course, but I think sometimes you have to remember that you already have most of the material for marketing when you've released a book. You will have made graphics in English, you will have written a newsletter, you will have done some social media posts. All that material is already there, so you don't have to reinvent the wheel. You can just translate that, and for that, AI translation is really good because it's very quick. You don't have to bother your translator. You can just get that done. That's what I had to remind myself, because in the beginning I did everything from scratch and it took me forever and I was hating it. Then I realised, well, I could just look at the newsletter I wrote three years ago when that book released in English and translate that. That's done within a minute and I can send that out. So remember that you have a lot of content already. There's no BookBub or nothing as big as BookBub. There is a site called BookDeals, which sends out newsletters for both reduced or free books and also for new releases. I use them for pretty much all my new releases, or at least always the first in series. They're nowhere near as big as BookBub, so don't expect miracles, but I generally always break even or a bit more. It's hard to tell, of course, especially if you do several things for a new release. But my instinctive look on this is that it's worth it. BookDeals is the big one. There are a few other promo sites, but to be honest, I've not really found any of them to give me a positive ROI. I experiment with them occasionally and I listed them all in my book just for completeness, but BookDeals is the big one. Then there is LovelyBooks, which is the German Goodreads. Some Germans also use Goodreads, so always make sure to have all your German books listed there. But LovelyBooks is the big one. I love that place because people are so much kinder than on Goodreads. I avoid Goodreads completely. If I need a review, I send my assistant there to look at reviews. I don't go there. It is scary. LovelyBooks—the name is kind of telling. It is a more lovely place. People are generally more friendly. They are probably a bit more critical when they write reviews than they are on retailers, but I have found it really nice to build a community there. You can do these book clubs where you give away a copy of your book, either as print books—or I always do ebooks because I don't want to send books to Germany. Then people discuss the book as a sort of book club and then they review it at the end. I have had great success with that. I've built up a community of readers who will now buy my books too, even if they don't get them for free. I found some beta readers through that. So I love LovelyBooks. The annoying thing again is it's in German. However, their support all speaks English and you can email them with questions. They're really good. Even if you don't plan to run any book clubs or anything like that because you don't speak the language, I would always advise just setting up an author profile there because it makes it easier for your books to be found. You can track reviews, you can track reads, and that just gives you an extra place to get more visibility for free. Ads—there's not much difference compared to what you do for your English-language books. The one thing is with Facebook ads, now because of EU data protection laws, it's much harder to target because people can opt out of ads and targeting. In general, cost-per-click ads are cheaper than in the US or the UK, so that's a bonus. BookTok is big and only growing there. I don't really do social media for my German books because I just don't have the bandwidth. I wish I could, and I know some people who outsource that. In an ideal world, I would have a social media account for every single language, but it's not an ideal world and I just have limited hours in the day. But even just creating an account so that people can tag you, so that people can find you, can already be a good start. One thing that's not maybe a marketing strategy as such, but something I like to highlight, is pre-orders. If you write in series, always, always make sure that the next books in your series are up for pre-order, because— German readers have been burned so many times by authors or even publishers who just translate book one in a series and then stop. They are quite hesitant sometimes to start a new series when they see it's book one of something and they don't see the next book up for pre-order. To be fair, it's similar in English. I always make sure to have a pre-order up for the next book. Because people would just not read the series until it's complete or until they know it will be complete at some point. So always set up a pre-order if you can. Don't set it up when you don't actually know when your translation is being done, or choose a date far in the future. Just make it very clear to your readers that you are intending to translate the entire series, that you're not going to disappoint them, that they're not just wasting their money on a book one only to never find out what happens next. Jo: Fantastic. Well, this is a big decision for people to make, I think, because there's no point in doing one book in German and then not doing anything else, in the same way as doing one book in English or any language. You have to think about investing in an audience. So lots for people to think about. The book is fantastic. It's called Self-Publishing in German. So where can people find you and your books online? Skye: For my author-facing things, just go to SkyeMacKinnon.com/authors, and there you find the book about German translations. You also find more information on what I do. You can book consultations with me. I love doing those one-to-ones, especially about translations, because you can really dive into someone's catalogue and look at what would be a good strategy for someone, rather than just in general. Otherwise, it's SkyeMacKinnon.com for all my romance. If you want adorable children's books, it's IslaWynter.com. That's Wynter with a Y. Jo: Brilliant. Well, thanks so much for your time, Skye. That was great. Skye: Thank you so much for having me.The post Self-Publishing in German: How to Translate, Distribute, and Market Your Books with Skye MacKinnon first appeared on The Creative Penn.

• Podmasters is 10 years old! Get an extra 10% off a year's Patreon backing. Applauded by Congress, lauded by Trump and working his way through a spring-herbed ravioli on a golden plate? It was a tough gig for Charles. The King may have charmed the President but will his visit rescue US/UK relations from the geopolitical toilet?  Plus, Starmer evades a Commons investigation into the Mandelson affair but is it really all over bar the shouting for the PM? Why a social media ban for under-16s might be based on dodgy science. And in the Extra Bit: If they can get away with a Michael Jackson movie in 2026, which political figures ought to get their own biopic?  • Questions for But Your Emails? Thoughts? Comments? Email us at ogwn@podmasters.co.uk.  ESCAPE ROUTES • Rachel has been bingeing Guy Ritchie's Young Sherlock on Amazon Prime.   • Jonn recommends Radio 4's How To Invent A Country on BBC Sounds.  • James recommends the relaxing game Nodes – play it here. • Andrew recommends Daredevil: Born Again on Disney+, inevitably  www.patreon.com/ohgodwhatnow Presented by Andrew Harrison with Rachel Cunliffe, Jonn Elledge and James Ball. Audio Production by Tom Taylor. Art direction: James Parrett. Theme tune by Tom Taylor and Simon Williams. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. OH GOD, WHAT NOW? is a Podmasters production. www.podmasters.co.uk  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

King Charles III's state visit to the US won acclaim as the monarch charmed President Donald Trump. But can it really rescue US-UK relations from their current dire state? The 'special relationship' – a term first voiced by Chatham House before becoming widely popularized by Winston Churchill – now seems not so special. Our experts discuss what Britain and Europe should do now that the US wants to bear less of the burden of European defence, whether Prime Minister Starmer is right to stand up to President Trump on Iran, and where all of this leaves the NATO alliance. On this week's panel, host Bronwen Maddox is joined by Laurel Rapp, director of the US and North America Programme at Chatham House. And by General Sir Richard Barrons, a former Commander Joint Forces Command who served in Iraq and Afghanistan and was one of the leaders of the UK's Strategic Defence Review 2025. He is now a senior consulting fellow with the International Security Programme. Produced by Podmasters for Chatham House, with thanks to Stephen Farrell. Read Chatham House's latest: AI export controls are not the best bargaining chip Mali attacks show security cannot be delivered by military means alone Norway can teach the UK about energy security – but the lesson is not more North Sea drilling Follow Independent Thinking on your favourite podcast apps. 

The new trade deal struck between the UK and US came into force in April.  The deal will double the amount that the NHS spends on new medicines, by the end of 2036 (from 0.6 - 0.6% of GDP).  increase the threshold that the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) sets for drug approvals - which will allow more to be approved, but will also allow companies to charge more for their pharmaceuticals,  include a change to the rebate the NHS receives, to ensure that the extra drug spend occurs. Cumulatively this will increase our drug spend by £56 billion in the next 10 years, which will have to come out of current healthcare spending - which experts are calling a catastrophe for the NHS. Joining Kamran Abbasi to discuss are Sally Gainsbury, a senior policy analyst Nuffield Trust and Karl Claxton, professor of economics at the University of York. We also hear from Francis Ruiz, policy analyst at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. Reading list The UK government must publish a detailed impact assessment of the costs and benefits of the US-UK medicines partnership A budget apart: the case for ringfencing medicines in the UK        

1. The Special Relationship Under Scrutiny Guest: Victoria Coates and Gordon Chang Summary: Coates analyzes the historical US-UK bond, criticizing Prime Minister Keir Starmer for compromising strategic assets like Diego Garcia. She highlights Britain's degraded military capabilities and suggests Washington should prioritize "New Europe" partners like Poland. 11885

King Charles arrives in Washington and for a moment, things feel almost normal. Meghan McCain and Miranda Wilkins break down the royal visit, what it means for US-UK relations, and why the moment feels like a reset after weeks of chaos. But the internet has other plans. From nonstop online backlash to political outrage, the conversation turns to why everything feels so hostile right now and how public figures are navigating it. Plus a look at viral fashion criticism, a missing congressman mystery, and the stories everyone is talking about. A mix of serious, surreal and surprisingly funny moments that capture exactly where the culture is right now. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Has the divisive rhetoric of President Trump's administration irrevocably changed America's reputation in the eyes of its allies and adversaries? Former head of MI6 Sir Richard Dearlove and guest co-host Baroness Ayesha Hazarika sit down with Democratic US Senator Jeanne Shaheen of New Hampshire to discuss how US foreign policy has shifted during Trump's second term. Beginning with In Brief, Sir Richard and Ayesha examine the history of UK royalty visits to the US from Queen Elizabeth II to King Charles II, and the strategic importance of these visits for maintaining the “special relationship” between the US and UK. Then, Senator Shaheen argues that Trump's lax approach to Putin and Russia undermines support for Ukraine, emphasizing that a win for Ukraine is a win for the West. She criticizes the administration's China strategy, warning that the withdrawal of aid and allyship by America has put China in a position to fill the vacuum. The Senator also warns about the growing relationships between members of the “axis of resistance”—China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea—citing their increased cooperation as why America maintaining its historic alliances with NATO countries and beyond is so critical for a stable world. In this episode: 03:02 – King Charles' first official state visit to the US 13:50 – The fragility of the US-UK relationship 17:04 – Allies and adversaries behind the scenes 19:07 – Russia, Ukraine, and the Iran war 21:51 – Putin and the G20 25:10 – What's next in the Iran war? 24:49 – The blockade ‘game of chicken' at the Strait of Hormuz 32:39 – US and China relations 36:22 – China's rare earth dominance 39:26 – NATO defense spending 42:22 – One Decision: Will Iran negotiations be successful?  45:15 – Sir Richard and Ayesha discussion Hosted by Sir Richard Dearlove (former MI6 Chief) and Baroness Ayesha Hazarika (Member, House of Lords). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today, the King and Queen head to New York for the second part of their state visit to the US. We look at King Charles' address to congress, what he said… and didn't say, and if any of it is likely to have a lasting impact on US-UK relations.Adam is joined in the studio our diplomatic correspondent James Landale, and by Daniela Relph, senior royal correspondent who's in New York with the King and Queen.Plus, business editor Simon Jack tells Adam why some big players in the world of finance are worried that another financial crash might be on the horizon.They point to similarities between now and the lead up to 2008, which they say paired with the ongoing geopolitical turbulence and the AI bubble, could be a recipe for disaster.You can now listen to Newscast on a smart speaker. If you want to listen, just say "Ask BBC Sounds to play Newscast”. It works on most smart speakers. You can join our Newscast online community here: https://bbc.in/newscastdiscordGet in touch with Newscast by emailing newscast@bbc.co.uk or send us a WhatsApp on +44 0330 123 9480.New episodes released every day. If you're in the UK, for more News and Current Affairs podcasts from the BBC, listen on BBC Sounds: https://bbc.in/4guXgXd Newscast brings you daily analysis of the latest political news stories from the BBC. The presenter was Adam Fleming. It was made by Anna Harris with Shiler Mahmoudi. The social producer was Jem Westgate. The technical producers were Stephen Bailey and Ben Andrews. The assistant editor is Chris Gray. The senior news editor is Sam Bonham.

You've seen the headlines about Gen Z and church - but many popular stats are misleading or unverified. So we took the biggest claims and rated them by confidence - based on real studies and data.   ============================= Table of Contents: ============================= 0:00 - Intro 4:12 - Gen Z Churchgoers Attend More Frequently (But Read the Fine Print) 11:38 - The Gender Shift in Church Attendance 15:30 - YouTube, Instagram, TikTok Are the Big Three 19:58 - Gen Z Prefers "Authentic" Lo-Fi Content 28:07 - "Nearly Half of Gen Z Would Attend If Invited" 30:46 - "Record Bible sales prove Gen Z is coming back to faith." 32:22 - "Two-thirds of Gen Z are spiritually open." 33:39 - "Gen Z is leaving because it's too political." 36:10 - "Asbury revival proves Gen Z is returning." 36:37 - Big Takeaways   THE 167 NEWSLETTER

Given Donald Trump’s fondness for royalty, who better than King Charles III to smooth US-UK tensions? Andrew Mueller considers whether the current state visit has delivered a diplomatic win for palace soft power.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

-President Donald Trump honors King Charles III with a toast at the state dinner. -On "The Record with Greta Van Susteren," NEWSMAX CEO Christopher Ruddy spoke about the special relationship between the United States and the United Kingdom. -King Charles III addresses a Joint Session of Congress. -NEWSMAX's Greg Kelly reports on former FBI Director James Comey's recent indictment. -Sen. Kennedy: "Probably given his personality and his lack of morals, the best job for Mr. Comey would be to go to work for Panda Express and let him try to work his way up into management." -On "Ed Henry The Big Take," House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan comments on the Minnesota fraud raid. Today's podcast is sponsored by : NOBLE GOLD - Don't wait six months from now wishing you had positioned earlier. Have the conversation now. Schedule a free gold strategy session at http://NobleGoldInvestments.com/NEWSMAX Listen to Newsmax LIVE and see our entire podcast lineup at ⁠http://Newsmax.com/Listen⁠ Make the switch to NEWSMAX today! Get your 15 day free trial of NEWSMAX+ at ⁠http://NewsmaxPlus.com⁠ Looking for NEWSMAX caps, tees, mugs & more? Check out the Newsmax merchandise shop at : ⁠http://nws.mx/shop⁠ Follow NEWSMAX on Social Media:  -Facebook: ⁠http://nws.mx/FB⁠  -X/Twitter: ⁠http://nws.mx/twitter⁠ -Instagram: ⁠http://nws.mx/IG⁠ -YouTube: ⁠https://youtube.com/NewsmaxTV⁠ -Rumble: ⁠https://rumble.com/c/NewsmaxTV⁠ -TRUTH Social: ⁠https://truthsocial.com/@NEWSMAX⁠ -GETTR: ⁠https://gettr.com/user/newsmax⁠ -Threads: ⁠http://threads.net/@NEWSMAX⁠  -Telegram: ⁠http://t.me/newsmax⁠  -BlueSky: ⁠https://bsky.app/profile/newsmax.com⁠ -Parler: ⁠http://app.parler.com/newsmax⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Former FBI Director James Comey is indicted on two counts! This is the 2nd attempt to charge Comey by Trump’s DOJ. What this time? Will he finally face justice? Secret service defense: Chief Curran stands firm. Andrea shares Even more shocking details from Saturday’s assassination attempt. As plans are underway to increase security, why is Chief Curran defending what happened? King Charles visits the US to repair the US/UK relationship. Can it be saved? Charles gave a rousing speech that got a standing ovation from both parties. But has the UK changed so much that the alliance is permanently damaged? Welfare wow: thousands on SNAP in luxury rides—what’s going on? Fraud is rampant across all welfare programs. 20 locations were raided by Feds in Minneapolis related to food and childcare and 447 hospice locations were suspended today. With guests Colonel Josh McConkey, USAF (R), and Emergency Liaison for DHS, Mike O’Neill, Landmark Legal and Hillary Fordwich, British Royals Expert.Support Our Mission: https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=ZMGRBFGDJKRS8See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

King Charles has highlighted the special relationship between the UK and the US, while speaking at the White House State Dinner. He also addressed Congress this morning, marking only the second time a British monarch has spoken on Capitol Hill. US-UK relations have been strained since the US launched its war on Iran. US correspondent Dan Mitchinson says the speech was well-received, and King Charles delivered the speech with humor. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We start with King Charles' address to Congress amid recent US-UK tensions over the Iran war. One of President Donald Trump's largest political opponents has been indicted again. The Trump administration is setting up a legal battle with Disney amid the Jimmy Kimmel controversy. We'll tell you about raids tied to a fraud investigation in Minnesota. Plus, Elon Musk testified in a case that could change the path of AI. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

King Charles III and Queen Camilla began a highly anticipated state visit to the United States with a carefully choreographed Reception at the White House, where they were greeted by Donald Trump and Melania. The meeting, marked by handshakes, polite conversation, and a series of official photographs, was designed to project continuity and strength in the longstanding relationship between the two nations against a backdrop of political tension, security concerns, and renewed scrutiny of both nations' leadership Independent media has never been more important. Please support this channel by subscribing here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCkbwLFZhawBqK2b9gW08z3g?sub_confirmation=1 Join this channel with a membership for exclusive early access and bonus content: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCkbwLFZhawBqK2b9gW08z3g/join Five Minute News is an Evergreen Podcast, covering politics, inequality, health and climate - delivering independent, unbiased and essential news for the US and across the world. Visit us online at http://www.fiveminute.news Follow us on Bluesky https://bsky.app/profile/fiveminutenews.bsky.social Follow us on Instagram http://instagram.com/fiveminnews Support us on Patreon http://www.patreon.com/fiveminutenews You can subscribe to Five Minute News with your preferred podcast app, ask your smart speaker, or enable Five Minute News as your Amazon Alexa Flash Briefing skill. CONTENT DISCLAIMER The views and opinions expressed on this channel are those of the guests and authors and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of Anthony Davis or Five Minute News LLC. Any content provided by our hosts, guests or authors are of their opinion and are not intended to malign any religion, ethnic group, club, organization, company, individual or anyone or anything, in line with the First Amendment right to free and protected speech. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

King Charles comes to Washington. The AP's Jennifer King reports he and the Queen enjoyed a warm welcome at the White House.

In a speech to a joint session of the U.S. Congress, King Charles III focused on common interests with nods to current political turmoil. AP correspondent Jennifer King reports.

April 28, 2026 ~ Chris Renwick and Lloyd Jackson talk with Dickie Arbiter, former Press Secretary to Queen Elizabeth II, about King Charles III's US visit. They discuss US-UK relations and the King's address to Congress. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

This episode was recorded before the events at the White House Correspondents' Association on Saturday.King Charles arrives in America today for a state visit to mark the country's 250th birthday. But with US-UK relations at a low over Iran - and the Epstein scandal still looming large - the stakes are high. Last week Trump said the monarch could help repair the special relationship so will soft power bring the allies back together?This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today: http://thetimes.com/thestoryGuests:Kate Mansey, assistant editor, The Times.Sir David Manning, former British Ambassador to America and former advisor to the Royal Household. Host: Luke Jones. Producer: Olivia Case.We want to hear from you - email: thestory@thetimes.comRead more: King's US visit can ‘absolutely' repair relations, says TrumpFurther listening: The Pope v TrumpClips: The Art of the Surge: The Donald Trump Comeback / Instagram, BBC, DailyMotion, The Royal Family Channel / YouTube, ABC. Photo: Getty Images.This podcast was brought to you thanks to subscribers of The Times and The Sunday Times. To enjoy unlimited digital access to all our journalism subscribe here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The US could punish Britain over the Iran war by questioning UK sovereignty over the Falkland Islands - will that worsen US-UK relations ahead of the King's state visit next week? Ed Vaizey unpacks the politics of the day with Alys Denby and Michael Binyon. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Small boat convicted rapist is reported to be a murderer who has fled Egypt to come here for 'handouts'. Trump says King's visit could 'absolutely' repair UK/US relations. And Tories set out plans to help the motorists.

PREVIEW FOR LATER HEADLINE: King Charles III's Transition and the Special Relationship GUEST: Gregory Copley SUMMARY: Gregory Copley examines King Charles III's health-related pullback from public duties to train Prince William. This transition aims to preserve the crucial US-UK alliance and Western civilizational stability during a period of global uncertainty. (1)1900 VANITY FAIR

Donald Trump has heaped insults on Sir Keir Starmer in recent weeks over his stance on the Iran war. The US president labelled the UK prime minister “no Winston Churchill”, said Britain's aircraft carriers were mere “toys” and told Britain to “go get your own oil” from the Gulf. So perhaps it's unsurprising that the PM appears to be pivoting heavily towards the EU. Host Lucy Fisher unpicks the shift with colleagues Jim Pickard, Anna Gross and Robert Shrimsley. They also discuss how the Middle East conflict will play out in the upcoming local elections.Have a question for the panel? We're planning a question and answer episode. Email your questions to politicalfix@ft.comFollow Lucy on X: @LOS_Fisher, and Bluesky: @lucyfisher.ft.com; Robert: @robertshrimsley and @robertshrimsley.bsky.social; Jim @PickardJE and @pickardje.bsky.social and Anna @AnnaSophieGross & @annasophiegross.bsky.socialWant more? Keir Starmer signals major UK pivot towards EU after Donald Trump's tauntsLessons from history on how to survive a fuel crisisCracks appear in US-UK security co-operation after Trump-Starmer tensionsStarmer strikes upbeat note amid dismal polling ahead of May 7 local electionsPolitical drama reaches heart of UK's nuclear deterrentHammering Farage-Trump links could suppress Reform's poll leadSign up here for Stephen Bush's morning newsletter Inside Politics for straight-talking insight into the stories that matter, plus puns and tongue (mostly) in cheek. Get 30 days free.Presented by Lucy Fisher. Produced by Clare Williamson. Manuela Saragosa is the executive producer. Original music by Breen Turner, mix by Sean McGarrity. The broadcast engineers were Andrew Giorgiades and Petros Gioumpasis. Cheryl Brumley is the FT's global head of Audio. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Something is shifting. The questions arriving at Plan First Wealth are changing: clients rattled by geopolitical headlines wanting to know if now is the time to act, expats who've spent decades building lives in America quietly deciding they're done, and British expats returning home realising they left their financial planning far too late. In this in‑person episode from New York City, Richard Taylor and James Boyle reflect on a record‑breaking first quarter at Plan First Wealth, and the conversation reflects exactly where things stand right now.  In this episode of Expat Wealth, Richard Taylor, dual UK/US citizen and Chartered Financial Planner, sits down with James Boyle, Lead Financial Planner at Plan First Wealth, to take stock of a record-breaking quarter, dig into Roth strategy, and talk candidly about what the current political climate is doing to globally mobile families navigating dual tax UK and US rules.  You'll hear insights on:  The Iran situation, oil prices, and why staying invested through geopolitical volatility is still the right call for expats, and why timing the market almost always backfires.  A plain-English breakdown of Roth IRAs, backdoor Roths, and mega backdoor Roths, including why these accounts are particularly powerful for British expats and anyone considering leaving America.  Expat tax advice on the Roth vs ISA comparison, what matters under the US UK tax treaty, and what can go wrong if you don't understand how each account is treated across borders.  The surge in expats leaving the US, what's driving it, why timing your departure by even a few months can have major tax consequences, and why two years' lead time is the gold standard for expat wealth planning.  The underrated power of a phased retirement, and how a consultancy income or board position can protect your portfolio from early drawdown and turn a borderline plan into a great one.  --    Expat Wealth is supported by Plan First Wealth. Plan First Wealth is a Registered Investment Advisor serving fellow expatriates and immigrants living across the US on matters such as retirement planning, investment management, tax planning and non-US asset management.    https://planfirstwealth.com/    --    Expat Wealth is affiliated with Plan First Wealth LLC, an SEC registered investment advisor. The views and opinions expressed in this program are those of the speakers and do not necessarily reflect the views or positions of Plan First Wealth.      Information presented is for educational purposes only and does not intend to make an offer or solicitation for the sale or purchase of any specific securities, investments, or investment strategies. Investments involve risk and unless otherwise stated, are not guaranteed. Be sure to first consult with a qualified financial adviser and/or tax professional before implementing any strategy discussed herein. Plan First Wealth does not provide any tax and/or legal advice and strongly recommends that listeners seek their own advice in these areas. 

In this episode of The Missing Middle, Cara Stern sits down with YouTuber Paige Saunders to discuss the one structural glitch that is sabotaging Canada's economy, healthcare, and housing market: our electoral system.While most democracies have moved on to Proportional Representation, Canada remains stuck with a model that empowers swing ridings and ignores millions of voters. Paige explains why this monopoly on power prevents real innovation and how a simple change in how we vote could lead to a 20% performance increase across the board.In this video:How our voting system benefits wealthy peopleWhich voting system would a villain choose?Why Ranked Choice is a trap for multi-party democracies.The path forward: Why we need a binding Citizens' Assembly.Check out Paige Saunders' channel: https://www.youtube.com/@PaigeMTLChapters:00:37 Intro: The hidden force behind Canada's biggest problems01:12 What's broken about Canada's voting system01:48 How swing ridings control the country04:03 Why politicians ignore entire groups of voters05:26 Does proportional representation hurt suburbs?06:59 Populism, power, and lack of accountability08:59 Why this won't magically fix housing10:17 Why politicians refuse to change the system11:11 Why most Canadians don't even notice the problem12:58 Is Canada heading down the US/UK path?15:13 Why electoral reform keeps failing19:40 The real barrier to change24:24 The AI test: which system is worst?29:12 “I was shocked Canada still uses this”32:28 Is Canada falling behind on democracy?36:03 Can anything actually force reform?40:00 What a better system could look like42:45 Final thoughts: a more Canadian democracyHosted by Mike Moffatt & Cara Stern & Sabrina MaddeauxProduced by Meredith MartinThis podcast is funded by the Neptis Foundation and brought to you by the Smart Prosperity Institute.

In the past few days, Donald Trump went from threatening to obliterate Iran's power plants to announcing a surprise diplomatic reprieve and declaring that the war has been won. This episode breaks down the whiplash: what actually happened, whether the talks are real, why an agreement between the US and Iran will be extraordinarily hard to reach, and why $580 million worth of energy trades just minutes before Trump's announcement reek of insider trading and corruption. Ben and Tommy also cover: the US allowing Iran to sell $14 billion worth of oil, Iran firing missiles at a joint US-UK military base, Israel's creeping occupation of southern Lebanon, signs that Trump is actually harming far-right parties in Europe, and how a workout app put a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier at risk. Then Tommy talks with Edward Fishman, the author of Chokepoints: American Power in the Age of Economic Warfare, about the ballooning economic cost of war with Iran and how it's revealing America's economic vulnerabilities.Preorder Ben's book All We Say: The Battle for American Identity: A History in 15 Speeches (Barnes & Noble, Bookshop) and subscribe to his Substack here.

Today's Headlines: Week four of the Iran war and it's giving WW3 vibes. Trump gave Iran a 48-hour ultimatum to open the Strait of Hormuz or face bombed power plants; Iran responded by threatening to close the Strait entirely and launched two intermediate-range ballistic missiles at a shared U.S.-UK base in the Indian Ocean — over 2,000 miles away, farther than Iran was previously believed capable of reaching. Iran also struck Israel's main nuclear research center this weekend, and Saudi Arabia expelled Iran's military attaché and embassy staff after Iranian strikes hit their country. Trump then posted that Iran is "dead" and pivoted immediately to attacking Democrats.  At home, TSA workers are entering week five without pay — over 350 have already quit, airport security lines have hit five hours in some cities — and Senate Republicans voted down a bill that would have funded their salaries, 49-41. Trump's solution is to deploy ICE agents to airports instead. Elon Musk offered to personally pay TSA workers' salaries, which conveniently dropped the same day a California jury found him liable for defrauding Twitter shareholders when he acquired the company for $44 billion. Damages could reach $2.6 billion. Trump's special envoy Paolo Zampolli — the man who allegedly introduced Donald and Melania — was exposed by the New York Times for calling in a favor to ICE to have his ex-girlfriend, the mother of his child, detained and deported while they were in a custody battle. She arrived in the U.S. on Jeffrey Epstein's plane in 2002, when she was 17. Zampolli was 32 when they met. In media consolidation news, The FCC approved a $6.2 billion merger between Nexstar and Tegna, waiving federal ownership limits to let one company control local news for 60% of U.S. households — eight state attorneys general immediately sued. Nevada temporarily banned Kalshi from offering sports and election betting until it gets proper gambling licenses. And Trump celebrated the death of Robert Mueller on social media, writing "Good. I'm glad he's dead." Resources/Articles mentioned in this episode: AP News: Iran threatens to 'completely' close Strait of Hormuz and hit power plants after Trump ultimatum CNN: Iran launched missiles at US-UK military base in the Indian Ocean. Here's what that says about its capabilities WSJ: Saudi Arabia Expels Iranian Embassy Staff Axios: Trump to deploy ICE agents to airports Monday The Hill: Republicans reject Democrats' effort to pay TSA by suspending Senate rules Axios: Musk offers to pay TSA salaries, as Trump floats ICE at airports CNBC: Elon Musk misled Twitter investors ahead of $44 billion acquisition, jury says NYT: Trump Friend Asked ICE to Detain the Mother of His Child NBC News: 8 states file emergency motion to block Nexstar-Tegna merger after FCC approval WSJ: Nevada Wins Temporary Ban on Sports Betting on Kalshi NYT: Trump's Reaction to Mueller's Death: ‘Good, I'm Glad.' Subscribe to the Betches News Room and join the Morning Announcements group chat. Go to: ⁠⁠⁠betchesnews.substack.com Morning Announcements is produced by Sami Sage and edited by Grace Hernandez-Johnson Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In the 6 AM Hour: Larry O’Connor and Beverly Hallberg discussed: Robert Mueller: Larry and Beverly examine the former FBI Director’s legacy and discuss Trump celebrating his passing. Iran Update: Iran launched missiles at US-UK military base in the Indian Ocean, Trump sets a deadline of tonight for Iran to open the Strait of Hormuz. JT’S DUI Video: Footage of Justin Timberlake’s Drunk-Driving Arrest Is Released. Where to find more about WMAL's morning show: Follow Podcasts on Apple Podcasts, Audible, and Spotify Follow WMAL's "O'Connor and Company" on X: @WMALDC, @LarryOConnor, @JGunlock, @PatricePinkfile, and @HeatherHunterDC Facebook: WMALDC and Larry O'Connor Instagram: WMALDC Website: WMAL.com/OConnor-Company Episode: Monday, March 23, 2026 / 6 AM HourSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

President Trump sets then extends deadline for Iran to open Strait of Hormuz; Iranian missiles hit Israel, and US-UK base some 2500 miles away; Iran's 47-year war against the US; Trump moves to stop gender change treatments for minors.

President Trump sets then extends deadline for Iran to open Strait of Hormuz; Iranian missiles hit Israel, and US-UK base some 2500 miles away; Iran's 47-year war against the US; Trump moves to stop gender change treatments for minors.

President Trump sets then extends deadline for Iran to open Strait of Hormuz; Iranian missiles hit Israel, and US-UK base some 2500 miles away; Iran's 47-year war against the US; Trump moves to stop gender change treatments for minors.

President Trump sets then extends deadline for Iran to open Strait of Hormuz; Iranian missiles hit Israel, and US-UK base some 2500 miles away; Iran's 47-year war against the US; Trump moves to stop gender change treatments for minors.

Today, Morgan, Les, Jess, and Matt examine Iran's latest escalation after Tehran launched two intermediate-range missiles at Diego Garcia, a US-UK joint base on Friday. This morning, President Trump announced a five-day pause on strikes against Iranian energy infrastructure, claiming weekend progress in talks with Iran. The announcement comes as Iran demonstrates it can now hold more than just the Middle East hostage, with its longer-range capabilities potentially dragging Europe directly into the conflict. Is Trump's pause a genuine diplomatic opening or a negotiation tactic? With Iran's longer-range capabilities in play and the Strait of Hormuz increasingly unstable, will European capitals finally be compelled to act? What does this mean for U.S. marines deploying to the region?Check out the answers to these questions and more in this episode of Fault Lines.Check out the answers to these questions and more in this episode of Fault Lines.@morganlroach@nottvjessjones@lestermunson@WMattHaydenLike what we're doing here? Be sure to rate, review, and subscribe. And don't forget to follow @faultlines_pod and @masonnatsec on Twitter!We are also on YouTube; watch today's episode here: https://youtu.be/3I3w-gcbrlQ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Last week, Iran tried to target the joint US-UK military base on Diego Garcia – more than 2,000 miles away in the Indian Ocean.That attack failed but it led an Israel military spokesperson to suggest London could be vulnerable to an Iranian ballistic missile strike.With Keir Starmer now allowing the use of British air bases for US operations against attacks in the Strait of Hormuz, is Iran capable of direct retaliation against the UK?What is the state of Britain's air defences? And what other means does Tehran have at its disposal to threaten us?Niall speaks to Sky's defence analyst, Professor Michael Clarke.Do you have a question for the podcast? Email us: why@sky.uk

Bongani Bingwa speaks with Adam Gilchrist about three major news stories: Iran’s recent missile launch toward a US‑UK military base in the Indian Ocean, reflecting a significant escalation in the ongoing conflict; the rare case of a pro‑Kremlin blogger who publicly denounced Vladimir Putin as a “war criminal and thief” and was subsequently admitted to a psychiatric facility; and the large public gathering in Seoul, South Korea, where tens of thousands of people came together for the first time in four years to mark a major cultural event 702 Breakfast with Bongani Bingwa is broadcast on 702, a Johannesburg based talk radio station. Bongani makes sense of the news, interviews the key newsmakers of the day, and holds those in power to account on your behalf. The team bring you all you need to know to start your day Thank you for listening to a podcast from 702 Breakfast with Bongani Bingwa Listen live on Primedia+ weekdays from 06:00 and 09:00 (SA Time) to Breakfast with Bongani Bingwa broadcast on 702: https://buff.ly/gk3y0Kj For more from the show go to https://buff.ly/36edSLV or find all the catch-up podcasts here https://buff.ly/zEcM35T Subscribe to the 702 Daily and Weekly Newsletters https://buff.ly/v5mfetc Follow us on social media: 702 on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TalkRadio702 702 on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@talkradio702 702 on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/talkradio702/ 702 on X: https://x.com/Radio702 702 on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@radio7See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Bongani Bingwa speaks with Adam Gilchrist about three major news stories: Iran’s recent missile launch toward a US‑UK military base in the Indian Ocean, reflecting a significant escalation in the ongoing conflict; the rare case of a pro‑Kremlin blogger who publicly denounced Vladimir Putin as a “war criminal and thief” and was subsequently admitted to a psychiatric facility; and the large public gathering in Seoul, South Korea, where tens of thousands of people came together for the first time in four years to mark a major cultural event 702 Breakfast with Bongani Bingwa is broadcast on 702, a Johannesburg based talk radio station. Bongani makes sense of the news, interviews the key newsmakers of the day, and holds those in power to account on your behalf. The team bring you all you need to know to start your day Thank you for listening to a podcast from 702 Breakfast with Bongani Bingwa Listen live on Primedia+ weekdays from 06:00 and 09:00 (SA Time) to Breakfast with Bongani Bingwa broadcast on 702: https://buff.ly/gk3y0Kj For more from the show go to https://buff.ly/36edSLV or find all the catch-up podcasts here https://buff.ly/zEcM35T Subscribe to the 702 Daily and Weekly Newsletters https://buff.ly/v5mfetc Follow us on social media: 702 on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TalkRadio702 702 on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@talkradio702 702 on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/talkradio702/ 702 on X: https://x.com/Radio702 702 on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@radio7See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

President Trump sets then extends deadline for Iran to open Strait of Hormuz; Iranian missiles hit Israel, and US-UK base some 2500 miles away; Iran's 47-year war against the US; Trump moves to stop gender change treatments for minors.

President Trump sets then extends deadline for Iran to open Strait of Hormuz; Iranian missiles hit Israel, and US-UK base some 2500 miles away; Iran's 47-year war against the US; Trump moves to stop gender change treatments for minors.

In this Bonus Episode, dive into Iran's bold escalation: launching intermediate-range ballistic missiles (IRBMs) toward the US-UK base on Diego Garcia, marking their longest-range strike yet and showcasing advanced capabilities. Explore ongoing voter integrity concerns, including dead voters lingering on election rolls and risks of fraud. Highlight recent guilty pleas in Minnesota's massive Feeding Our Future fraud scheme, where more defendants admitted to wire fraud in a multimillion-dollar child nutrition scandal. Plus, examine AI's possible introduction to the Georgia Supreme Court where an attorney might be in significant trouble for citing cases that don't exist. Don't miss this timely breakdown of global threats, election security, corruption, and tech in the courts. Please take a moment to rate and review the show and then share the episode on social media. You can find me on Facebook, X, Instagram, GETTR, TRUTH Social, TikTok, YouTube and Rumble by searching for The Alan Sanders Show. And, consider becoming a sponsor of the show by visiting my Patreon page!

Okay so it seems that episode 148 hasn't actually gone up yet. So I will do that later. Yes, 148 goes before 149 but we are post modern and cool like that. And hey, now you can liten to episode 148 and know HKJ is wrong instead of wondering if he will be wrong. Hindsight is 20/20 indeed. This AI slop is brought to you by Copilot 'premium' which is the one that makes the talky guns and tracky cameras. Episode summaryA non‑news episode that examines personal media habits, the shifting political spectrum (using the ABC Vote Compass), the economics of modern journalism, social platforms and the disruptive risks and benefits of AI — plus a run through books, magazines, streamers and sport. The hosts compare how they start the day, which outlets they trust, and how AI is already changing creative and legal work. Key theme: media survival depends on business models, editorial craft and sensible regulation of new technologies.“Well, g'day listeners and welcome once again to the Two Jacks. We've got a slightly different program today for you. We're not going to cover the news. We're going to cover media and who we like in it and and the pressures that are on media at the moment, where that all might lead to, the role of social media, AI, et cetera.”.Show notes with timestamps (all timestamps shifted +25 seconds to allow for theme music)- 00:00:25 — Intro & episode focus — Hosts set out the plan: a media‑focused episode rather than the usual news rundown.- 00:01:47 — Political identity & background — Hong Kong Jack describes his political journey (centre‑left, former Socialist Left faction).- 00:03:38 — On the “well‑trodden path” — Discussion of how political views used to shift with age and why that pattern is changing for younger voters.- 00:06:54 — ABC Vote Compass exercise — Jack completes the Vote Compass and they discuss how algorithms and question framing shape results.- 00:21:08 — Vote Compass results & interpretation — Jack's alignment scores (e.g., 75% with Coalition, 54% with Labor, 20% with Greens) and the hosts' take on what that means.- 00:27:13 — Daily media routines — What each host reads and listens to first thing (newspapers, RN, X/Twitter scans, US/UK outlets). Practical notes on tabloids vs broadsheets for breaking local news.- 00:39:32 — Opinion vs reporting — How to spot news reporting vs opinion pages and why craftful writing (examples: Marina Hyde, Andrew Sullivan) matters.- 01:03:35 — Magazines & books — Short detour on the decline of magazines, favourite authors (PG Wodehouse, Ian Rankin, Patrick Radden Keefe).- 01:03:35 — Streamers & sport viewing — How the hosts manage subscriptions, Foxtel/streamer fatigue and watching AFL/NRL.- 00:50:45 — AI: opportunities and risks — Start of the AI segment: research uses, creative pitfalls, and legal/compliance concerns.- 00:56:21 — ByteDance / C‑Dance & IP concerns — Discussion of AI‑generated video, likeness rights and the potential for major intellectual‑property disputes.- 01:01:46 — Regulation debate — Should AI be regulated now or allowed to evolve? The hosts weigh the tradeoffs and recall missed regulatory opportunities with social media.- 01:13:03 — Sport roundup — AFL, NRL and international sport highlights and controversies (Sydney Swans commemoration, fixture fairness, early season form).- 01:29:08 — Wrap & final thoughts — Media matters; paying for quality journalism and the need to balance innovation with safeguards.Key takeaways- Media habits shape perception — where you start your day (tabloid, broadsheet, radio, X) affects what you notice and how you interpret events.- Quality writing still matters — craft, clarity and wit keep readers engaged and build trust.- AI is a double‑edged sword — powerful for research and diagnostics, risky for copyright, fabrication and legal accuracy; human verification remains essential.- Business model = survival — subscriptions and reliable revenue streams determine whether outlets can afford deep reporting.

Kemi Badenoch has described Donald Trump's criticism of Keir Starmer as ‘childish' and said it ‘sends the wrong signal to our opponents in Iran or in Russia'. Trump repeated his previous attack on the prime minister on Tuesday, saying: ‘Unfortunately Keir is no Winston Churchill.' Are cracks starting to appear in the US-UK special relationship? Lucy Hough speaks to our senior political correspondent Peter Walker – watch on YouTube. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/infocus

The First Hymn is coming to the big screens on both sides of the Atlantic!Find tickets here.

Has Trump’s Operation Epic Fury damaged US/UK relations? the big exit by Westerners from the UAE is well underway - with football star Cristiano Ronaldo one of the first to flee; and why it's your ears that will give away your real age. Vicki Turner shares details on these stories with Lester Kiewit. Good Morning Cape Town with Lester Kiewit is a podcast of the CapeTalk breakfast show. This programme is your authentic Cape Town wake-up call. Good Morning Cape Town with Lester Kiewit is informative, enlightening and accessible. The team’s ability to spot & share relevant and unusual stories make the programme inclusive and thought-provoking. Don’t miss the popular World View feature at 7:45am daily. Listen out for #LesterInYourLounge which is an outside broadcast – from the home of a listener in a different part of Cape Town - on the first Wednesday of every month. This show introduces you to interesting Capetonians as well as their favourite communities, habits, local personalities and neighbourhood news. Thank you for listening to a podcast from Good Morning Cape Town with Lester Kiewit. Listen live on Primedia+ weekdays between 06:00 and 09:00 (SA Time) to Good Morning CapeTalk with Lester Kiewit broadcast on CapeTalk https://buff.ly/NnFM3Nk For more from the show go to https://buff.ly/xGkqLbT or find all the catch-up podcasts here https://buff.ly/f9Eeb7i Subscribe to the CapeTalk Daily and Weekly Newsletters https://buff.ly/sbvVZD5 Follow us on social media CapeTalk on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CapeTalk CapeTalk on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@capetalk CapeTalk on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ CapeTalk on X: https://x.com/CapeTalk CapeTalk on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@CapeTalk5See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We're going LIVE Monday night at 8PM.Tonight we're breaking down the escalating attacks on Iran involving the United States and Israel and what Iran's retaliation could mean for the region and the world. Is this the start of something bigger?We'll also dive into: • The viral “Jim Carrey clone” conspiracy — coincidence or something deeper? • China's rapid AI robot expansion and what it means for global jobs • Universal Basic Income (UBI) — solution to automation or control mechanism? • And more headlines the mainstream media isn't unpacking properly.No scripts. No teleprompters. Just real conversation.

In this edition of Between Two Nerds Tom Uren and The Grugq how the use of cyber operations in the war in Ukraine has evolved over time. This episode is also available on Youtube. Show notes Russia using cyber espionage to direct grid missile strikes The Spectator article on US-UK relations BTN72 on the Taurus missile leak

SHOW 12-17-25 THE SHOW BEGINS WITH DOUBTS ABOUT THE US CONFLICT WITH VENEZUELA... 1926 USS OMAHA IN THE PANAMA CANAL. Colonel Jeff McCausland discusses the US "blockade" of sanctioned Venezuelan oil tankers and the potential for escalation into a regional conflict involving Colombia. He also analyzes the Pentagon's refusal to release videos of destroyed drug boats, suggesting possible war crime concerns, and notes stalled Ukraine negotiations. Colonel McCausland reports on NATO's eastern flank "digging in," with Baltic states building defensive bunkers and Germany significantly increasing military spending. He highlights a divergence where European allies prepare for existential Russian threats while US leadership may prioritize "strategic stability" and economic cooperation with Moscow. General Blaine Holt warns that integrating Artificial Intelligence into military command increases the risks of deliberate, inadvertent, and accidental escalation. He argues that while AI accelerates decision-making, it lacks human judgment, potentially leading to catastrophic miscalculations if adversaries rely on algorithms during crises. General Holt explains that AI models in war games demonstrate a bias toward violent escalation, often prioritizing "winning" over negotiation, which leads to nuclear conflict. He emphasizes the necessity of keeping humans in the loop and maintaining direct communications between rival nations to prevent automated catastrophe. Simon Constable reports from France on high copper prices and slowing European energy demand. He describes protests by French farmers burning hay to oppose government orders to cull cattle exposed to disease and notes a significant rise in electric vehicle sales across the European Union. Simon Constable discusses the political troubles of UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer and the suspension of a US-UK tech deal due to clashes over AI regulation. He explains that Britain's "Online Safety Act" aims to tax and regulate tech giants, which threatens to stifle American AI companies operating there. Bob Zimmerman highlights a record-breaking year with over 300 global rocket launches, driven largely by private enterprise competition. He notes that Amazon was forced to contract SpaceX for satellite launches due to delays from rivals like Blue Origin and reports on safety concerns involving Russian launch pad negligence. Bob Zimmerman reports on the success of commercial space station company Vast and orbital tug tests that outperformed government efforts. Conversely, he details problems with NASA's Maven orbiter at Mars, which has lost communication, potentially jeopardizing data relays for surface rovers. David Shedd critiques the bipartisan failure of allowing China into the World Trade Organization in 2001, which was based on the false assumption that economic engagement would lead to democratization. Instead, this decision facilitated a massive transfer of intellectual property, fueling China's rise as a predatory economic rival. David Shedd explains how China's Ministry of State Security operates as a massive intelligence entity combining the functions of the CIA, FBI, and NSA. He traces this economic espionage to Deng Xiaoping's 1984 strategy, noting that Chinese officers view theft as repayment for past Western oppression. David Shedd details espionage cases, including an Apple engineer stealing "Project Titan" car schematics for a Chinese competitor. He also describes a Google employee who stole AI data while secretly working for a Chinese firm, highlighting how corporate greed and weak internal security enable intellectual property theft. David Shedd outlines strategies to counter Chinese espionage, advocating for "partial decoupling" to protect critical technologies like semiconductors and AI. He argues for modernizing legal deterrence to prosecute theft effectively and warns that Chinese platforms like DeepSeek harvest user data to advance their "Great Heist" of American wealth. Nury Turkel discusses the plight of Guan Hang, a whistleblower facing deportation from the US despite documenting Uyghur concentration camps. Turkel criticizes the inconsistent enforcement of forced labor laws and highlights new evidence linking Uyghur slave labor to the excavation and processing of critical minerals. Rebecca Grant argues against the planned retirement of the USS Nimitz in 2026, suggesting it should be kept in reserve given delays in new Ford-class carriers. Despite the ship's age, Grant asserts that retaining the carrier offers crucial strategic depth against threats like China's PLA Navy. Rick Fisher analyzes the emerging race to build AI data centers in low Earth orbit, noting advantages like natural cooling and zero real estate costs. While Elon Musk's Starlink positions the US well, Fisher warns that China has detailed plans to use space-based data centers to support expansion into the solar system. Alan Tonelson evaluates China's economic strengths, acknowledging their dominance in rare earth processing and solar panels, often achieved through subsidies. He argues that China's heavy investment in industrial robots attempts to offset a looming demographic crash, while questioning the true market demand for their subsidized electric vehicles.

Simon Constable discusses the political troubles of UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer and the suspension of a US-UKtech deal due to clashes over AI regulation. He explains that Britain's "Online Safety Act" aims to tax and regulate tech giants, which threatens to stifle American AI companies operating there. 1940 THE BLITZ