This podcast episode discusses the impact of the 9/11 attacks on the United States 25 years later. It features an interview with Peter Bergen, a national security expert who once interviewed Osama Bin Laden and provides insight into the lasting effects of 9/11 and ongoing issues related to the attacks.
Key Facts
The episode marks 25 years since the 9/11 attacks in the United States.
Many Americans today have no direct memory of the attacks.
Families of 9/11 victims have petitioned New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani not to attend the 25th anniversary ceremony.
Over 100,000 people signed the petition due to objections about members of the mayor’s team.
Peter Bergen is a CNN national security analyst who interviewed Osama Bin Laden in 1997.
Bergen wrote a book called "All the Presidents' Wars," about the 25 years of conflict after 9/11.
He donated 150,000 documents about al-Qaeda to Georgetown University.
Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, suspected mastermind of 9/11, remains in detention at Guantanamo Bay without trial after more than 20 years.
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President Donald Trump said he had a good phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin, who wants to make a deal to end the war in Ukraine. The call followed meetings by Trump's envoys with Putin and Ukrainian President Zelenskyy, who aims for a fair peace to stop future attacks.
Key Facts
President Trump spoke with Vladimir Putin by phone, calling it a "great conversation."
Trump believes Putin wants to make a deal to end the war in Ukraine.
Trump's envoys Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff met with both Putin in Moscow and Zelenskyy in Kyiv over the weekend.
No White House summary confirmed the call; the Russian side provided the only official details.
Putin said ending the conflict would restore full relations between Russia and the U.S.
Zelenskyy wants a just and fair peace that stops Russia from resuming attacks.
Fighting paused during Kushner and Witkoff’s talks but resumed shortly after, causing casualties in Kyiv.
President Trump pledged to end the war by his first day but admitted this goal has been harder than expected.
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A US judge denied bail for Andrew and Tristan Tate, who remain in custody while fighting extradition to the United Kingdom. The brothers face serious charges in the UK, including rape and sex trafficking, which they deny.
Key Facts
Andrew and Tristan Tate were arrested in Miami on July 18.
British prosecutors want to extradite them to the UK on new charges of rape and sex trafficking.
The Tate brothers are dual citizens of the UK and the US.
They have been held in a federal detention center in Miami since their arrest.
A US judge ruled they are a flight risk and a danger to the community, denying bail.
The brothers’ lawyer says the UK has not yet provided evidence for the charges.
The UK government must submit evidence supporting the extradition request by September 16.
The court order contains 30 pages explaining the judge’s decision to deny bail.
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Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Pakistan formed a defense alliance called the Mecca Joint Defense Agreement in August 2026, promising to protect each other from attacks. Soon after, Yemen’s Houthi rebels launched missile and drone strikes on Saudi cities. The alliance’s leaders condemned the attacks but have not yet taken military action together.
Key Facts
The Mecca Joint Defense Agreement was signed on August 7, 2026, by Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Pakistan.
The agreement says an attack on one member is an attack on all, similar to NATO’s Article 5.
Less than a month after signing, Houthi rebels from Yemen attacked Saudi cities with ballistic missiles and drones.
The attacks targeted civilian areas and important Saudi facilities like Aramco and an air base.
Turkey and Pakistan issued strong statements supporting Saudi Arabia and condemning the attacks.
The alliance held a meeting in Istanbul to form a permanent secretariat and plan coordination.
No joint military response from Turkey or Pakistan had taken place shortly after the attacks.
NATO’s Article 5 allows members to choose their response, which may or may not include military action.
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Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy was nearly hit by a drone while flying from Moldova to Norway for King Harald V's funeral. Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store reported the incident, while a Ukrainian source said it was a warning about a drone entering nearby airspace and downplayed the danger to Zelenskyy.
Key Facts
Zelenskyy's plane almost got hit by a drone during takeoff from Moldova.
Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store shared this information on Norwegian TV.
A Ukrainian official called the threat exaggerated and said it involved a Russian drone entering Moldovan and Romanian airspace.
Zelenskyy traveled to Oslo to attend the funeral of Norway’s King Harald V, who died at age 89 on August 28, 2026.
Zelenskyy met with Norwegian leaders to discuss military and civilian aid, including air defense.
The funeral was attended by many international leaders, including Prince William and Japan’s Crown Prince Akishino.
After the funeral, Zelenskyy planned to visit Canada for talks with its leaders.
The drone incident reflects ongoing dangers related to the war in Ukraine.
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The UK government has imposed sanctions on Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank, aiming to support a two-state solution. British Jews, including Rabbis Leo Dee and Jonathan Wittenberg, have expressed differing views on the sanctions, with some seeing them as unfair and others as necessary to protect both Israelis and Palestinians.
Key Facts
The UK announced sanctions targeting illegal Israeli settlements after Israel planned to build about 1,200 new homes there.
Israeli settlements in the West Bank are considered illegal under international law.
Rabbi Leo Dee, living in an Israeli settlement, called the sanctions unfair and said they mainly hurt Palestinians working in the settlements.
Rabbi Jonathan Wittenberg, visiting a Palestinian village, criticized intimidation of Palestinians by some settlers and supported the sanctions.
The sanctions aim to promote peace and keep the possibility of a two-state solution alive.
Chief Rabbi Sir Ephraim Mirvis opposed the sanctions, saying they increase risks for British Jews.
Tensions and violence in the West Bank have risen since a Hamas attack on Israel in October 2023.
UK officials, including Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband, argue that acting against settlements is needed to address injustice.
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A man named Joshua Cammidge was charged with helping a Russian military intelligence group and planning sabotage in the UK. He was arrested in Swindon and will appear in court on September 10.
Key Facts
Joshua Cammidge, 31, was arrested on September 4 in Swindon by counter-terrorism police and Wiltshire police.
He faces charges of assisting a foreign intelligence service and planning acts of sabotage.
The suspect allegedly contacted the GRU Volunteer Corps, linked to Russia's military intelligence agency.
The GRU Volunteer Corps is accused of sabotage against the UK and its allies in the past.
Cammidge was charged under the National Security Act, created in 2023 to protect the UK from threats like spying and sabotage.
The Crown Prosecution Service decided to prosecute after reviewing evidence from the investigation.
Proceedings are ongoing and Cammidge has the right to a fair trial.
He is scheduled to appear at Westminster magistrates court on September 10.
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Lady Joan Branson, the wife of Sir Richard Branson, died after a cardiac arrest caused by a blood clot that was not prevented in hospital. An inquest found that a private hospital did not give her medication to stop blood clots despite her high risk, which likely contributed to her death.
Key Facts
Lady Joan Branson died on 24 November after a cardiac arrest in the Lister Hospital in Chelsea, London.
She suffered from a pulmonary embolism, a dangerous blockage in a lung artery caused by a blood clot.
Lady Joan had a "very high risk" of blood clots due to immobility and a fracture from a fall weeks earlier.
The hospital did not provide prophylactic anticoagulants, medicine that prevents blood clots, during her stay.
The admitting doctor did not complete a bleeding risk assessment when she was admitted.
The coroner concluded the hospital failures contributed to her death but said it was not neglect.
Sir Richard Branson described his wife as the "shining star" of their family.
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A 31-year-old man from Swindon, England, named Joshua Cammidge, has been charged with helping Russia’s military intelligence. He was arrested by British counter-terrorism police and is set to appear in court.
Key Facts
Joshua Cammidge is 31 years old and from Swindon.
He was arrested on suspicion of assisting Russia’s military intelligence agency.
The agency involved is linked to the GRU Volunteer Corps, controlled by Russia’s military intelligence (GRU).
He faces charges under the UK’s National Security Act for helping a foreign intelligence service and preparatory conduct.
Police from London and Wiltshire carried out his arrest and searched two locations in Swindon.
Cammidge was taken to a London police station and detained under the National Security Act the day after his arrest.
The Crown Prosecution Service believes there is enough evidence to take the case to court.
He is due to appear at Westminster Magistrates’ Court soon.
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Andrew and Tristan Tate will stay in a Florida jail as they fight being sent back to the UK. A judge said they might try to escape because they have money and travel often, and the UK has until September 16 to ask for their extradition on serious charges.
Key Facts
The Tate brothers were arrested in Miami in July 2026.
They face 59 charges in the UK, including rape, sex trafficking, and indecent images of a child.
UK prosecutors added 38 charges in July to an original 21.
US authorities kept them in jail after the UK announced the charges.
The Tate brothers also faced sex trafficking charges in Romania and had a travel ban until 2025.
A federal judge denied their request for bail, calling them a flight risk.
The British Embassy wants them kept in custody to stop any witness interference.
The brothers deny all charges and say they have followed rules during earlier legal cases.
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President Donald Trump praised the far-right German party Alternative for Germany (AfD) for gaining significant support in Saxony-Anhalt’s state elections. The AfD is considered extremist by German intelligence and has links to controversial views on immigration and Germany’s Nazi past.
Key Facts
President Trump celebrated the AfD’s strong election result and criticized Germany’s immigration policies on social media.
The AfD won 44% of votes in Saxony-Anhalt, nearing control of a state government for the first time since World War II.
Germany’s mainstream parties have worked to keep the AfD out of power due to its far-right extremist classification.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz postponed a call with President Trump after Trump’s comments supporting the AfD.
The AfD challenges Germany’s postwar culture of remembering the Holocaust and has been accused of antisemitic and anti-Muslim rhetoric.
Critics warn that praising the AfD risks minimizing the dark history linked to nationalistic nostalgia in Germany.
Some U.S. figures like Elon Musk and JD Vance have also shown support for or contact with the AfD.
Jewish groups in Germany are concerned about the AfD’s influence on education and potential increase in antisemitism.
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Researchers found evidence that ancient foragers in Indonesia used mind-altering betel nuts as early as 25,000 years ago. Analysis of their teeth showed grooves caused by sucking on the nuts, along with traces of the psychoactive substance arecoline.
Key Facts
Two skeletons from Sulawesi, Indonesia, dated between 7,000 and 25,000 years old, had unusual tooth wear.
The tooth grooves were deep and rounded, indicating repeated holding or sucking of hard, abrasive objects.
Scientists linked the grooves to betel nuts, seeds commonly chewed for their psychoactive effects in many Asia-Pacific cultures.
Betel nuts contain arecoline, a substance that can produce a mild "high" when chewed or sucked.
Researchers confirmed arecoline traces in the dental tissues of the skeletons.
Betel nuts are often chewed wrapped in betel leaves and mixed with slaked lime to increase drug effects today.
The habit of chewing betel nuts may have started as a way to relieve toothache but caused dental damage over time.
This study provides the earliest known physical evidence of psychoactive plant use by humans.
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Senior rabbis in the UK have shown different views on sanctions against Israeli settlements in the occupied Palestinian territories. While the UK chief rabbi criticized the sanctions, other senior rabbis supported them, highlighting the need to address violence by settlers and support peace efforts.
Key Facts
The UK government announced sanctions on Israeli settlements in occupied Palestinian territories.
The UK Chief Rabbi Sir Ephraim Mirvis called these sanctions a “dark day for British Jews.”
Other senior rabbis, many from progressive Jewish groups, support the sanctions.
They say settler violence harms Palestinians, Israelis, and Israel’s reputation.
Rabbi Jonathan Wittenberg witnessed settler violence firsthand in a Palestinian village.
Rabbi Alexandra Wright sees sanctions as support for a peaceful two-state solution.
Rabbi Jeremy Gordon opposes silence and inaction on settler violence.
Rabbi Lev Taylor believes the sanctions show the UK is moving in the right direction.
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Uganda has decided to withdraw from the Invictus Games, a sports event for wounded service members, to show respect for King Charles III of the United Kingdom. The decision was made by Uganda's military chief, Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba, who supports the king amid internal disagreements relating to Prince Harry and Meghan.
Key Facts
Uganda will not take part in the Invictus Games to respect King Charles III.
Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba made the announcement on social media.
Kainerugaba supports King Charles and opposes the involvement of Prince Harry and Meghan in such events.
Uganda was set to be the 26th country to join the Invictus Games.
The decision came shortly after an official letter from King Charles’s office about Harry and Meghan’s royal status.
Gen Kainerugaba is the son of Uganda’s president and was appointed army chief in 2024.
Uganda’s government confirmed that Kainerugaba alone decides on Uganda’s participation.
Kainerugaba has a history of making controversial public statements.
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Nearly 1 million people along the Great Lakes were warned to avoid swimming due to dangerous strong currents, large waves, and rough water conditions. These warnings cover lakes Michigan, Superior, Huron, Erie, and Ontario, where many drownings have occurred this year.
Key Facts
The National Weather Service issued beach hazard statements for areas along all five Great Lakes.
Strong currents and high waves can make swimming dangerous and cause people to be swept off piers and shorelines.
In 2024, at least 65 people have drowned in the Great Lakes, with 35 deaths in Lake Michigan alone.
The warnings cover about 145 miles of the Lake Michigan shoreline and parts of other lakes including Lake Superior, Lake Huron, Lake Erie, and Lake Ontario.
Rip currents are narrow, fast-moving channels that pull swimmers away from shore and are caused by strong winds and waves.
Officials advise swimmers to stay out of the water and avoid piers to prevent accidents.
If caught in a rip current, experts recommend staying calm, not swimming against the current, and swimming parallel to the shore until free.
The warnings are active through Wednesday and into Thursday, depending on the lake and location.
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Friends and family honored Welles Crowther, known as the "man in the red bandana," for his brave actions during the attacks on September 11, 2001. Crowther is remembered for his heroism on that day.
Key Facts
Welles Crowther is called the "man in the red bandana."
He showed courage during the 9/11 terrorist attacks.
Crowther helped others on September 11, 2001.
His legacy is remembered by friends and family.
The article highlights a tribute honoring his actions.
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The article discusses a recent US involvement in Venezuela’s oil industry under President Donald Trump. It describes how the US supports Venezuelan leader Delcy Rodríguez, who signed a deal giving a large share of Venezuela’s oil reserves to a US-linked company, showing a form of control without direct rule.
Key Facts
President Trump backed Delcy Rodríguez as Venezuela’s leader after capturing Nicolás Maduro.
Rodríguez signed an agreement giving a US-related company access to 20% of Venezuela’s proven oil reserves.
The US military was positioned near Venezuela to pressure Maduro before this leadership change.
A Venezuelan oil billionaire’s company, Blue Energy Partners, received long-term rights to 17 oilfields.
The US Department of Defense got a 35% stake in Blue Energy Partners at no cost.
The oil deal is called the largest in history by President Trump but is unlikely to lower US gas prices soon.
Critics say this deal represents a modern form of imperialism, with the US controlling Venezuelan resources indirectly.
Delcy Rodríguez claims cooperation with the US will bring investment and large oil revenues to Venezuela.
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Singapore’s Prime Minister Lawrence Wong will get a big raise to an annual salary of about $2.85 million starting October 15, 2024. This is much higher than other world leaders, including U.S. President Donald Trump, who earns $400,000 a year. Wong said he plans to donate the increase to charity.
Key Facts
Lawrence Wong became Singapore’s Prime Minister in 2024.
His salary will rise 64% from about 2.2 million Singapore dollars ($1.74 million) to 3.6 million Singapore dollars (~$2.85 million).
The pay increase is part of Singapore’s system that links politicians’ salaries to private sector earnings.
Wong promised to donate the entire raise to suitable charities.
President Trump’s annual salary is $400,000, last set in 2001.
Wong’s salary will be more than seven times higher than the U.S. president’s.
Singapore’s prime minister earns more than leaders of Australia, Canada, New Zealand, South Korea, and Switzerland combined.
Other leaders like Britain’s prime minister earn around $230,000 a year, and Switzerland’s president about $600,000 annually.
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The UK announced new sanctions targeting Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank, which have been welcomed by several prominent Israeli figures. These sanctions aim to address the expansion of settlements and violence, and are supported by other countries including France, Canada, and several European nations.
Key Facts
The UK introduced new sanctions on Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank.
Prominent Israelis, including a former prime minister and ex-military leaders, supported the sanctions.
The sanctions target individuals involved in violence related to settlements, not the state of Israel itself.
Other countries like France, Canada, and 10 European nations announced or backed similar measures.
The UK’s foreign secretary announced the sanctions with unusually strong language.
A poll shows nearly 75% of Jewish Israelis support partial or full annexation of the West Bank.
Many leading Israeli political candidates oppose creating a Palestinian state.
Some Israeli security and cultural leaders have legally challenged their government over settler violence and policies in the West Bank.
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An RNLI volunteer in Portsmouth was wrongly accused online of helping migrants arrive by small boat, leading to abuse and being called a "traitor." The volunteer explained that the RNLI was there to keep people safe and denied assisting migrants, while the charity said the abuse towards its volunteers is unacceptable.
Key Facts
An RNLI volunteer and colleagues were filmed in lifeboat gear near Portsmouth during anti-migrant protests.
Protesters blocked roads after migrants were brought to shore at Eastney port.
Online posts wrongly identified the volunteer as someone helping migrants and shared abusive messages.
The RNLI volunteer said their role was to protect protesters’ safety and denied being a "traitor."
The RNLI chief called the abuse of volunteers unacceptable and said their main work is rescuing people at sea.
Only a small portion (1.2%) of RNLI rescue missions last year involved people in distress in the Channel.
The UK Border Force intercepted about 95% of small migrant boats crossing the Channel.
Government officials are concerned about personal details of RNLI staff being shared online and are talking to tech companies about it.
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