Podcasts about across asia

Tommy and Ben discuss President Trump's visit to Asia: the weird dancing, his meetings with the new prime minister of Japan and Chinese President Xi Jinping, and his annoying victory laps when Trump “solves” problems he himself created. They also unpack two recent examples of blatant government corruption, including Trump's pardon of a crypto billionaire and an Army contract to purchase drones from a company “advised” by Donald Trump Jr. Then they discuss the “next generation” of the Pentagon press corps (one filled with MAGA sycophants), a rebel group's capture of a major city in Sudan and how the UAE is fueling the Sudanese civil war, more US strikes against alleged drug traffickers in the Pacific, Israeli Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu's announcement that he has ordered “forceful strikes” on Hamas and what it means for the Gaza ceasefire agreement, a legislative election win for President Javier Milei in Argentina, an anti-tariff ad in Canada that invoked Ronald Reagan, and Katy Perry and former Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau making their relationship official. Then Tommy speaks with former US Ambassador to Russia Michael McFaul about his new book Autocrats vs. Democrats: China, Russia, America, and the New Global Disorder.For a closed-captioned version of this episode, click here. For a transcript of this episode, please email transcripts@crooked.com and include the name of the podcast. Get tickets to CROOKED CON November 6-7 in Washington, D.C at http://crookedcon.com Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Across Asia, nearly one in three elephants lives in captivity—used in temples, tourism, logging, and religious festivals. In this powerful episode of the Think Wildlife Podcast, Canadian photographer and elephant conservation advocate Larry Laverty joins host Anish Banerjee to shed light on the suffering of captive elephants and the urgent need for elephant conservation across both Asia and Africa.Larry Laverty's remarkable journey began with his first book Power and Majesty, which documented the African elephant and exposed the brutal realities of the ivory trade and wildlife crime driving their decline. Traveling across ten African countries, he captured the spirit of wild elephants and the people striving to protect them. His second book, The Majestic Humanity and the Asian Elephant, turns the lens toward Asian elephants, revealing how centuries of human use—from temple elephants to those exploited in logging and tourism—have shaped their tragic fate.In this conversation, Larry explains how his camera became a tool of empathy and activism. Through conservation photography, he documents not just the beauty but the suffering of elephants—images that demand global attention to animal welfare, animal rights, and the moral questions surrounding captive elephants. He recalls heartbreaking encounters, including a baby elephant orphaned during illegal logging, and discusses the cruel realities behind elephant rides and festival processions.The discussion also highlights promising alternatives like robotic elephants being introduced in India's temples, offering a humane replacement for live elephants used in ceremonies. Larry shares how he personally contributed funds for one such robotic elephant, symbolizing a new era of compassionate conservation that honors culture without perpetuating animal abuses.The episode explores deeper cultural, ecological, and ethical contrasts between African and Asian elephant conservation. While African elephants remain largely wild, human-elephant relationships in Asia stretch back nearly 5,000 years, complicating efforts to end captivity. Larry emphasizes that saving elephants means reimagining this bond—through education, empathy, and stronger laws against illegal wildlife trade, ivory trafficking, and elephant poaching.He also discusses the potential for rewilding captive elephants, citing encouraging examples from Laos where rescued elephants are gradually returned to the wild. Yet, he warns that without stronger land protection and political will, true freedom for these elephants remains a distant dream.This episode is a tribute to elephants—creatures of immense intelligence and empathy—and to those fighting to protect them. It's also a call to listeners to act: avoid elephant rides, support ethical sanctuaries, advocate for animal welfare laws, and amplify the voices working to end exploitation.Larry Laverty's words remind us that elephant conservation is more than protecting a species—it's about redefining humanity's relationship with nature. By choosing empathy over entertainment and awareness over ignorance, we can help ensure that elephants, whether African or Asian, live the lives they were meant to—wild and free.Watch now to explore the untold stories behind captive elephants, the courage of photographers on the frontlines of conservation, and the hope that drives global efforts to protect these majestic beings.About the HostAnish Banerjee is an early career ecologist, with a MSc in Ecology, Evolution and Conservation from Imperial College London. He is the founder of Think Wildlife Foundation and a biodiversity policy analyst at Legal Atlas. He is also the author of the following field guides:Field Guide to the Common Wildlife of India: https://amzn.in/d/2TnNvSEField Guide to the Mammals of Singapore: https://amzn.in/d/gcbq8VG#elephant #elephants #elephantconservation #africanelephant #africanelephantconservation #asianelephants #asianelephantconservation #captiveelephants #templeelephants #animalabuses #animalrights #animalwelfare #ivorytrade #illegalwildlifetrade #wildlifecrime #elephantpoaching #wildlifeconservation #conservation #biodiversity Get full access to The Think Wildlife Podcast at anishbanerjee.substack.com/subscribe

The Silent Engine of Digital Resilience: Why Developer Experience Is Now a Boardroom PriorityIn the boardrooms of Jakarta, Singapore, Tokyo, and Seoul, CIOs are no longer just asking, “How fast can we ship software?” They're asking, “How sustainably can our developers innovate under mounting pressure—from regulators, customers, and competition?”Across Asia, digital transformation has shifted from optional to existential. But the hidden bottleneck isn't infrastructure or cloud spend—it's developer productivity and experience (DevEx). As regulatory landscapes tighten (think Singapore's PDPA amendments, Japan's revised APPI, and Thailand's Personal Data Protection Act enforcement), and as AI-augmented development reshapes workflows, enterprises that treat DevEx as a cost centre are falling behind those that treat it as a strategic asset.In this PodChats for FutureCIO, Toh Soon Seah (Sia), founder and CTO, Netgain, discusses why developer experience is a boardroom priority, and how to turn DevEx into a core enterprise value.What is developer experience (DevEx)?Why is DevEx suddenly a C-suite priority in Asia in 2025–2026?How are tightening data privacy regulations—from Singapore's PDPA to Korea's PIPA—reshaping the way engineering teams build software?What role does cognitive load play in developer productivity, and why are leading Asian enterprises investing in internal developer platforms (IDPs) to reduce it?Can AI-augmented development coexist with regulatory compliance, or does it introduce new risks?How are companies in Asia embedding compliance into the developer workflow—not as a gate, but as guardrails?What measurable business outcomes (beyond speed) are organizations seeing from mature DevEx practices—e.g., talent retention, audit readiness, incident reduction?Why is “developer onboarding time” now a KPI for CIOs in digitally ambitious markets like Vietnam and Indonesia?How do cultural and operational differences between countries in Asia influence DevEx strategies?What are the pitfalls of treating DevEx as an IT initiative rather than an enterprise-wide value driver? Do you see this trend towards use of platforms a positive step in appdev? Looking ahead to 2026, what will separate the digital leaders from the laggards in Asia's competitive tech landscape—code volume, or developer enablement?

Anna Ansari on Silk Roads: Tracing Food, Migration and Identity Across Asia  Iranian-American writer Anna Ansari joins Lecker to discuss her debut cookbook Silk Roads: A Flavour Odyssey with recipes from Baku to Beijing. Cooking Risotto alla Bukhara in her East London kitchen, we explore how ingredients, people, and culinary traditions have moved along ancient trade routes - and how Anna's own journey from suburban Detroit to China to Scotland connects to these stories of migration and belonging.  We cover:  The movement of ingredients across the Silk Roads (melons from Uzbekistan, spinach from Iran, apples from Kazakhstan)  How Anna's Turkic heritage connects to Central Asian and Chinese cuisines  Experiencing Uyghur food in Beijing as a teenager and recognising familiar flavours  Adapting traditional recipes like bakhash into dishes recognisable in different contexts  The immigrant experience: giving up a legal career to move countries and start over  Cooking rice as a constant across homes and continents  Authenticity, authority, and whose food stories get told  About Anna Ansari: Anna Ansari is an Iranian-American writer with a background in Asian Studies. A former trade attorney, she now writes at the intersection of food, family and history. Her debut book Silk Roads: A Flavour Odyssey is out now. Find her: Substack - Where in the World is Anna Ansari? / Instagram @thisplacetastesdelicious Find all of the Lecker Book Club reads on my Bookshop.org list. [aff link] Further Listening: What is a National Dish? with Anya von Bremzen Gastro-Spirituality with Jenny Lau --- Lecker is a podcast about how food shapes our lives. Recorded mostly in kitchens, each episode explores personal stories to examine our relationships with food – and each other. Support Lecker: Patreon: patreon.com/leckerpodcast Substack: leckerpodcast.substack.com Apple Podcasts: podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/lecker/id1158028729 Merch:  leckerpodcast.com/merch Listen everywhere: leckerpodcast.com Instagram: @leckerpodcast Full transcript available at leckerpodcast.com Lecker is part of Heritage Radio Network - heritageradionetwork.org Music by Blue Dot Sessions

Our Chief Asia Economist Chetan Ahya discusses how youth unemployment will impact future growth and stability across China, India, and Indonesia.Read more insights from Morgan Stanley.----- Transcript ----- Welcome to Thoughts on the Market. I'm Chetan Ahya, Morgan Stanley's Chief Asia Economist. Today – Asia's young workforce is facing a significant challenge. How a soft labor market will shape everything from consumer demand to social stability and long-term growth. It's Tuesday, October 14th, at 2pm in Hong Kong. Across Asia, a concerning trend is emerging. The region's younger generations face mounting challenges in the job market. Asia's youth unemployment averages 16 percent, which is much higher than the U.S. rate of 10.5 percent. Youth unemployment rates are running two to three times higher than headline unemployment rates. The underlying situation is even weaker than what is represented by [the] unemployment rate. And within Asia, the challenge is most acute in China, India, and Indonesia, the three most populous economies. Youth unemployment rates for these three economies are running close to double, as compared to other economies in Asia. Now let's take a closer look at China. The urban youth unemployment rate, i.e. for 16–24-year-olds, has steadily increased since 2019. What's driving this rise in unemployment? A mismatch in labor demand and supply. The number of university graduates surged 40 percent over the last five years to close to 12 million. But economy-wide employment has declined by 20 million over the same period. Entry-level wages are sluggish, and automation plus subdued services growth mean fewer opportunities for newer entrants. Turning to India, their unemployment rate is the highest in the region at 17.6 percent. Employment creation has been subdued. And on top of it, India also faces another issue: underemployment. Post-COVID, primary sector – i.e. farming and mining – employment rose by 50 million, reaching a 17-year high. Note that these jobs are relatively low productivity jobs. And this is explained by the fact that [the] primary sector now accounts for less than 20 percent of GDP but it employs about 40 percent of the workforce. That's a sign of COVID-induced underemployment. How fast must growth be to tackle the unemployment challenge? In our base case, India's GDP will grow at an average of 6.5 percent over the coming decade – and this will mean that India will be one of the fastest-growing economies globally. But this pace of growth will not be sufficient to generate enough jobs. To keep [the] unemployment rate stable, India needs an average GDP growth of close to 7.5 percent; and to address underemployment, the required run rate in GDP growth must be even higher at 12 percent. Shifting to Indonesia, its youth unemployment rate is the second highest in the region. Moreover, close to 60 percent of jobs are in the informal sector. And many of these jobs pay below minimum wage. Similar to India, both these trends signal underemployment. The key reason behind this challenge is weak investment growth. Indonesia's investment-to-GDP ratio has dropped meaningfully over the last five years. So, what's the way forward? For China, shifting towards consumption and services could reduce labor market mismatches. And for India and Indonesia, boosting investment is key. India in particular needs much stronger growth in its industrial and exports sectors. If reforms fall short, policy makers may need to fall back on increasing social welfare spending to manage social stability risks. Thanks for listening. If you enjoy the show, please leave us a review wherever you listen and share Thoughts on the Market with a friend or colleague today.

Chinese exports are booming—but ties with the U.S. are collapsing. Across Asia, from Beijing to Manila, Washington's shifting strategy under Trump is reshaping alliances and testing security guarantees that have underpinned the region for decades. Eric speaks with James Crabtree, a distinguished visiting fellow at the European Council on Foreign Relations and the Asia Society, about how Asia's leaders are adapting to a world in flux: China's mix of confidence and anxiety amid its own economic slowdown How Trump's erratic policy is breaking apart the anti-China coalition Growing doubts in Tokyo, Seoul, and Manila about U.S. security guarantees Taiwan's precarious position and fears of being left alone Vietnam's balancing act between U.S. tariffs and China's dominance Why India is quietly building backup plans with Europe JOIN THE DISCUSSION: X: @ChinaGSProject | @eric_olander Facebook: www.facebook.com/ChinaAfricaProject YouTube: www.youtube.com/@ChinaGlobalSouth Now on Bluesky! Follow CGSP at @chinagsproject.bsky.social FOLLOW CGSP IN FRENCH: www.projetafriquechine.com | @AfrikChine JOIN US ON PATREON! Become a CGSP Patreon member and get all sorts of cool stuff, including our Week in Review report, an invitation to join monthly Zoom calls with Eric & Cobus, and even an awesome new CGSP Podcast mug! www.patreon.com/chinaglobalsouth

Across Asia, a new wave of collectors in their 30s is turning wine into more than just a drink, it’s becoming an investment. But what makes a bottle worth holding or selling, years down the line? On Wealth Tracker, Hongbin Jeong speaks to Victor Choy, Executive Director of K Cellars and certified sommelier, to find out more. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode Intro:Ross Chambless: In September 2025, the Wilkes Center awarded its annual Wilkes Climate Launch Prize to the organization Build up Nepal.Build up Nepal has developed a new approach to building homes for very low-income Nepalese using bricks that are not made by burning coal, but instead are compressed, and made with locally available materials, and with minimal cement. The technology is becoming a much more affordable, safer – and cleaner – design approach for tens of thousands of Nepalese families who lost their homes in destructive earthquakes.I spoke with Björn Söderberg, the co-founder of Build up Nepal, when he visited Utah to accept the award.  He talked about being a social entrepreneur and why Build up Nepal is successfully disrupting Nepal's conventional homebuilding industry. Söderberg, originally from Sweden, has lived in Nepal for the past 25 years. This conversation offers much wisdom for aspiring climate tech entrepreneurs.  Interview Summary:Build up Nepal, co‑founded by Björn Söderberg after the 2015 earthquakes, produces compressed interlocking earth bricks made from local soil, sand, and minimal cement using manual presses; the approach delivers cheaper, stronger, earthquake‑ and flood‑resistant homes, cuts brick‑making emissions dramatically, creates local micro‑enterprises and jobs, and has been validated when buildings survived the 2023 quake—now the organization is scaling a network of local entrepreneurs and system‑level training to meet urgent reconstruction needs and to enable rapid, climate‑friendly replication across the Global South.Episode webpage:wilkescenter.utah.edu/podcast/30-build-up-nepal/

Wall Street started the new trading week with some fresh records as big names like Nvidia boosted investor optimism about the future of AI. The S&P500 rose 0.44% to hit a fresh record high at the close while the Nasdaq jumped 0.7% and the Dow Jones ended the day up 0.14%. Nvidia shares rose 3.9% on Monday after announcing a partnership with OpenAI through the investment of $100bn to build out data centres. Across European markets overnight it was mostly a sea of red as investors continue to assess President Trump's visa crackdown. The STOXX 600 fell 0.5%, Germany's DAX lost 0.48%, the French CAC fell 0.3% and, in the UK, the FTSE100 ended the day up 0.11%.Across Asia markets on Monday, markets closed mixed as investors in the region also responded to Trump's hefty H-1B visa fees. Indian tech stocks fell overnight 3% in response to the newly imposed visa fees, while Japan's Nikkei rose 0.99%, Hong Kong's Hang Seng fell 0.76%, and South Korea's Kospi index gained 0.68%.Locally to start the new trading week, the ASX200 posted a 0.43% gain amid a boost in commodity prices driving a rally for materials stocks, especially in the form of gold after the price of the precious metal hit yet another fresh recover overnight over US$3700/ounce.Regis Healthcare (ASX:REG) shares plunged 26% on Tuesday after the company warned that the Federal Government's 4.7% funding increase for aged care was below expectations and won't cover rising staff costs, creating a funding gap. As a result, Regis downgraded its earnings outlook, guiding to only modest EBITDA growth (3–7%) for FY2025, disappointing investors and sparking a sharp sell-off on Monday.What to watch today:On the commodities front this morning oil is trading 0.13% lower at US$62.32/barrel, gold is up a further 1.71% to a fresh record US$3747/ounce and iron ore is trading 0.05% at US$105.49/tonne.The Aussie dollar has strengthened against the greenback to buy 66.02 US cents, 97.50 Japanese yen, 47.06 British pence and 1 New Zealand dollar and 12 cents.Ahead of Tuesday's trading session the SPI futures are anticipating the ASX will open the day up 0.19% tracking Wall Street's gains overnight. Trading ideas:Bell Potter has initiated coverage of Generation Development (ASX:GDG) with a buy and a 12-month price target of $8.20. Generation Development Group (GDG) is a financial services company that offers a range of tax-effective investment solutions, annuities, managed accounts and research services. The analyst sees GDG as a Buy due to its transformative earnings growth, strategic acquisitions, strong managed accounts positioning, supportive regulatory tailwinds, and a major vote of confidence from BlackRock, all pointing to a long runway for scalable, high-margin growth.And Trading Central has identified a bullish signal on Acrow (ASX:ACF) following the formation of a pattern over a period of 337-days which is roughly the same amount of time the share price may rise from the close of $1.06 to the range of $1.30 to $1.36 according to standard principles of technical analysis.

The STI opened higher at 4,315 points but closed down 0.2% at 4,302 as early momentum faded. Across Asia, markets were mixed after the Fed’s rate shift, with eyes on an upcoming Trump-Xi call.Japan’s Nikkei slipped 0.59% after the BOJ held rates steady, while Taiwan is poised to overtake South Korea in GDP per capita as early as 2025. What do these signals mean for investors? And where might the next opportunities or risks emerge?On Market View, Nadiah Koh breaks down these developments with Benjamin Goh, Head of Research and Investor Education at SIAS.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Asia Pacific Report | FORUM-ASIA Reports Shrinking Civic Space Across Asia | Hye Joon Lee by Radio Islam

Equity investment analysts Celia Huey outlines current investment opportunities in China, innovation in the technology and healthcare sectors and the benefits of local fundamental research. #CapGroupGlobal For our latest insights, practice management ideas and more, subscribe to Capital Ideas at getcapitalideas.com. If you're based outside of the U.S., visit capitalgroup.com for Capital Group insights.  Watch our latest podcast, Conversations with Mike Gitlin, on YouTube: https://bit.ly/CG-Gitlin-playlist  This content is published by Capital Client Group, Inc.   U.K. investors can view a glossary of technical terms here: https://bit.ly/49rdcFq  To stay informed, follow us  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/capital-group/posts/?feedView=all YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@CapitalGroup/videos Follow Mike Gitlin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mikegitlin/  About Capital Group  Capital Group was established in 1931 in Los Angeles, California, with the mission to improve people's lives through successful investing. With our clients at the core of everything we do, we offer carefully researched products and services to help them achieve their financial goals.  Learn more: capitalgroup.com  Join us: capitalgroup.com/about-us/careers.html  Copyright ©2025 Capital Group 

In this episode, you'll listen to we're going to tell you the story of two billionaires of Indian origin, their love for Bollywood movies and how they helped in popularizing Hindi movies in Asian countries, especially in Iran, Israel, Arab world and Lebanon.       And if you stay till the end, you can learn a useful Hindi phrase, as well.     Its Hindi version's transcript, which has expressions with their meanings and worksheets based on it, can be downloaded after becoming a Patron from - https://www.patreon.com/allaboutindiapodcast   or https://www.patreon.com/learnhindionthego To take a free trial for online Hindi lessons visit: https://learnhindischool Find out more at https://learn-hindi-on-the-go.pinecast.co This podcast is powered by Pinecast.

Asia’s payments landscape is booming and getting more complex by the day. From QR codes, real-time bank transfers, BNPL, digital wallets, local rails, customers want them all, and businesses are scrambling to keep up. But what if there was a way to simplify all that complexity under one roof? The Breakfast Show chats with Nakul Kothari, Head of APAC and Middle East, Juspay, who’s helping shape how payment experiences are built, scaled, and localized across APAC and the Middle East. Presented and edited by: Audrey Siek Produced by: Dan KohSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The International News Review, where global headlines meet real-time analysis. Steve Okun, CEO of APAC Advisors is back in the studio! First up, the recent US-Japan trade agreement: what does this mean for Singapore’s economic outlook and Asia’s broader strategic positioning? Next, we turn to troubling developments in Indonesia as the U.S. expands pressure on forced labor investigations. We’ll keep a high-level lens on the latest unrest along the Thailand-Cambodia border, with implications for regional stability. And finally, China and the EU lock horns in Beijing as President Xi urges Europe to choose wisely amid growing trade tensions. Join “Saturday Mornings Show” host Glenn van Zutphen and co-host Neil Humphreys.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Asia correspondent Adam Hancock spoke to Melissa Chan-Green about severe wet weather across Asia which has killed dozens of people, as well as two North Korean defectors who have made their debut in a brand new K-pop group.

For centuries, scribes across East Asia used Chinese characters to write things down–even in languages based on very different foundations than Chinese. In southern China, Japan, Korea and Vietnam, people used Chinese to read and write–and never thought it was odd. It was, after all, how things were done. Even today, Cantonese speakers use Chinese characters to reflect their dialect with no issues, while kanji remains a key part of Japanese writing. Even in South Korea, the Chosun Ilbo newspaper uses Chinese characters for its title, even as most of Korea has turned to hangul. Zev Handel talks about how classical Chinese came to dominate East Asia in his book Chinese Characters across Asia: How the Chinese Script Came to Write Japanese, Korean, and Vietnamese (University of Washington Press, 2025). How do Chinese characters even work? How did Chinese script spread across the region? And what was it like to read and write in a language that you couldn't even speak? Zev Handel is professor of Chinese linguistics in the Department of Asian Languages and Literature at the University of Washington. He is author of Sinography: The Borrowing and Adaptation of the Chinese Script and associate coeditor of Encyclopedia of Chinese Language and Linguistics. You can find more reviews, excerpts, interviews, and essays at The Asian Review of Books, including its review of Chinese Characters Across Asia. Follow on Twitter at @BookReviewsAsia. Nicholas Gordon is an editor for a global magazine, and a reviewer for the Asian Review of Books. He can be found on Twitter at @nickrigordon. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/new-books-network

For centuries, scribes across East Asia used Chinese characters to write things down–even in languages based on very different foundations than Chinese. In southern China, Japan, Korea and Vietnam, people used Chinese to read and write–and never thought it was odd. It was, after all, how things were done. Even today, Cantonese speakers use Chinese characters to reflect their dialect with no issues, while kanji remains a key part of Japanese writing. Even in South Korea, the Chosun Ilbo newspaper uses Chinese characters for its title, even as most of Korea has turned to hangul. Zev Handel talks about how classical Chinese came to dominate East Asia in his book Chinese Characters across Asia: How the Chinese Script Came to Write Japanese, Korean, and Vietnamese (University of Washington Press, 2025). How do Chinese characters even work? How did Chinese script spread across the region? And what was it like to read and write in a language that you couldn't even speak? Zev Handel is professor of Chinese linguistics in the Department of Asian Languages and Literature at the University of Washington. He is author of Sinography: The Borrowing and Adaptation of the Chinese Script and associate coeditor of Encyclopedia of Chinese Language and Linguistics. You can find more reviews, excerpts, interviews, and essays at The Asian Review of Books, including its review of Chinese Characters Across Asia. Follow on Twitter at @BookReviewsAsia. Nicholas Gordon is an editor for a global magazine, and a reviewer for the Asian Review of Books. He can be found on Twitter at @nickrigordon. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/east-asian-studies

For centuries, scribes across East Asia used Chinese characters to write things down–even in languages based on very different foundations than Chinese. In southern China, Japan, Korea and Vietnam, people used Chinese to read and write–and never thought it was odd. It was, after all, how things were done. Even today, Cantonese speakers use Chinese characters to reflect their dialect with no issues, while kanji remains a key part of Japanese writing. Even in South Korea, the Chosun Ilbo newspaper uses Chinese characters for its title, even as most of Korea has turned to hangul. Zev Handel talks about how classical Chinese came to dominate East Asia in his book Chinese Characters across Asia: How the Chinese Script Came to Write Japanese, Korean, and Vietnamese (University of Washington Press, 2025). How do Chinese characters even work? How did Chinese script spread across the region? And what was it like to read and write in a language that you couldn't even speak? Zev Handel is professor of Chinese linguistics in the Department of Asian Languages and Literature at the University of Washington. He is author of Sinography: The Borrowing and Adaptation of the Chinese Script and associate coeditor of Encyclopedia of Chinese Language and Linguistics. You can find more reviews, excerpts, interviews, and essays at The Asian Review of Books, including its review of Chinese Characters Across Asia. Follow on Twitter at @BookReviewsAsia. Nicholas Gordon is an editor for a global magazine, and a reviewer for the Asian Review of Books. He can be found on Twitter at @nickrigordon. Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/southeast-asian-studies

For centuries, scribes across East Asia used Chinese characters to write things down–even in languages based on very different foundations than Chinese. In southern China, Japan, Korea and Vietnam, people used Chinese to read and write–and never thought it was odd. It was, after all, how things were done. Even today, Cantonese speakers use Chinese characters to reflect their dialect with no issues, while kanji remains a key part of Japanese writing. Even in South Korea, the Chosun Ilbo newspaper uses Chinese characters for its title, even as most of Korea has turned to hangul. Zev Handel talks about how classical Chinese came to dominate East Asia in his book Chinese Characters across Asia: How the Chinese Script Came to Write Japanese, Korean, and Vietnamese (University of Washington Press, 2025). How do Chinese characters even work? How did Chinese script spread across the region? And what was it like to read and write in a language that you couldn't even speak? Zev Handel is professor of Chinese linguistics in the Department of Asian Languages and Literature at the University of Washington. He is author of Sinography: The Borrowing and Adaptation of the Chinese Script and associate coeditor of Encyclopedia of Chinese Language and Linguistics. You can find more reviews, excerpts, interviews, and essays at The Asian Review of Books, including its review of Chinese Characters Across Asia. Follow on Twitter at @BookReviewsAsia. Nicholas Gordon is an editor for a global magazine, and a reviewer for the Asian Review of Books. He can be found on Twitter at @nickrigordon. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/chinese-studies

For centuries, scribes across East Asia used Chinese characters to write things down–even in languages based on very different foundations than Chinese. In southern China, Japan, Korea and Vietnam, people used Chinese to read and write–and never thought it was odd. It was, after all, how things were done. Even today, Cantonese speakers use Chinese characters to reflect their dialect with no issues, while kanji remains a key part of Japanese writing. Even in South Korea, the Chosun Ilbo newspaper uses Chinese characters for its title, even as most of Korea has turned to hangul. Zev Handel talks about how classical Chinese came to dominate East Asia in his book Chinese Characters across Asia: How the Chinese Script Came to Write Japanese, Korean, and Vietnamese (University of Washington Press, 2025). How do Chinese characters even work? How did Chinese script spread across the region? And what was it like to read and write in a language that you couldn't even speak? Zev Handel is professor of Chinese linguistics in the Department of Asian Languages and Literature at the University of Washington. He is author of Sinography: The Borrowing and Adaptation of the Chinese Script and associate coeditor of Encyclopedia of Chinese Language and Linguistics. You can find more reviews, excerpts, interviews, and essays at The Asian Review of Books, including its review of Chinese Characters Across Asia. Follow on Twitter at @BookReviewsAsia. Nicholas Gordon is an editor for a global magazine, and a reviewer for the Asian Review of Books. He can be found on Twitter at @nickrigordon. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/language

For centuries, scribes across East Asia used Chinese characters to write things down–even in languages based on very different foundations than Chinese. In southern China, Japan, Korea and Vietnam, people used Chinese to read and write–and never thought it was odd. It was, after all, how things were done. Even today, Cantonese speakers use Chinese characters to reflect their dialect with no issues, while kanji remains a key part of Japanese writing. Even in South Korea, the Chosun Ilbo newspaper uses Chinese characters for its title, even as most of Korea has turned to hangul. Zev Handel talks about how classical Chinese came to dominate East Asia in his book Chinese Characters across Asia: How the Chinese Script Came to Write Japanese, Korean, and Vietnamese (University of Washington Press, 2025). How do Chinese characters even work? How did Chinese script spread across the region? And what was it like to read and write in a language that you couldn't even speak? Zev Handel is professor of Chinese linguistics in the Department of Asian Languages and Literature at the University of Washington. He is author of Sinography: The Borrowing and Adaptation of the Chinese Script and associate coeditor of Encyclopedia of Chinese Language and Linguistics. You can find more reviews, excerpts, interviews, and essays at The Asian Review of Books, including its review of Chinese Characters Across Asia. Follow on Twitter at @BookReviewsAsia. Nicholas Gordon is an editor for a global magazine, and a reviewer for the Asian Review of Books. He can be found on Twitter at @nickrigordon. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/communications

For centuries, scribes across East Asia used Chinese characters to write things down–even in languages based on very different foundations than Chinese. In southern China, Japan, Korea and Vietnam, people used Chinese to read and write–and never thought it was odd. It was, after all, how things were done. Even today, Cantonese speakers use Chinese characters to reflect their dialect with no issues, while kanji remains a key part of Japanese writing. Even in South Korea, the Chosun Ilbo newspaper uses Chinese characters for its title, even as most of Korea has turned to hangul. Zev Handel talks about how classical Chinese came to dominate East Asia in his book Chinese Characters across Asia: How the Chinese Script Came to Write Japanese, Korean, and Vietnamese (University of Washington Press, 2025). How do Chinese characters even work? How did Chinese script spread across the region? And what was it like to read and write in a language that you couldn't even speak? Zev Handel is professor of Chinese linguistics in the Department of Asian Languages and Literature at the University of Washington. He is author of Sinography: The Borrowing and Adaptation of the Chinese Script and associate coeditor of Encyclopedia of Chinese Language and Linguistics. You can find more reviews, excerpts, interviews, and essays at The Asian Review of Books, including its review of Chinese Characters Across Asia. Follow on Twitter at @BookReviewsAsia. Nicholas Gordon is an editor for a global magazine, and a reviewer for the Asian Review of Books. He can be found on Twitter at @nickrigordon. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/japanese-studies

For centuries, scribes across East Asia used Chinese characters to write things down–even in languages based on very different foundations than Chinese. In southern China, Japan, Korea and Vietnam, people used Chinese to read and write–and never thought it was odd. It was, after all, how things were done. Even today, Cantonese speakers use Chinese characters to reflect their dialect with no issues, while kanji remains a key part of Japanese writing. Even in South Korea, the Chosun Ilbo newspaper uses Chinese characters for its title, even as most of Korea has turned to hangul. Zev Handel talks about how classical Chinese came to dominate East Asia in his book Chinese Characters across Asia: How the Chinese Script Came to Write Japanese, Korean, and Vietnamese (University of Washington Press, 2025). How do Chinese characters even work? How did Chinese script spread across the region? And what was it like to read and write in a language that you couldn't even speak? Zev Handel is professor of Chinese linguistics in the Department of Asian Languages and Literature at the University of Washington. He is author of Sinography: The Borrowing and Adaptation of the Chinese Script and associate coeditor of Encyclopedia of Chinese Language and Linguistics. You can find more reviews, excerpts, interviews, and essays at The Asian Review of Books, including its review of Chinese Characters Across Asia. Follow on Twitter at @BookReviewsAsia. Nicholas Gordon is an editor for a global magazine, and a reviewer for the Asian Review of Books. He can be found on Twitter at @nickrigordon. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/korean-studies

For centuries, scribes across East Asia used Chinese characters to write things down–even in languages based on very different foundations than Chinese. In southern China, Japan, Korea and Vietnam, people used Chinese to read and write–and never thought it was odd. It was, after all, how things were done. Even today, Cantonese speakers use Chinese characters to reflect their dialect with no issues, while kanji remains a key part of Japanese writing. Even in South Korea, the Chosun Ilbo newspaper uses Chinese characters for its title, even as most of Korea has turned to hangul. Zev Handel talks about how classical Chinese came to dominate East Asia in his book Chinese Characters across Asia: How the Chinese Script Came to Write Japanese, Korean, and Vietnamese (University of Washington Press, 2025). How do Chinese characters even work? How did Chinese script spread across the region? And what was it like to read and write in a language that you couldn't even speak? Zev Handel is professor of Chinese linguistics in the Department of Asian Languages and Literature at the University of Washington. He is author of Sinography: The Borrowing and Adaptation of the Chinese Script and associate coeditor of Encyclopedia of Chinese Language and Linguistics. You can find more reviews, excerpts, interviews, and essays at The Asian Review of Books, including its review of Chinese Characters Across Asia. Follow on Twitter at @BookReviewsAsia. Nicholas Gordon is an editor for a global magazine, and a reviewer for the Asian Review of Books. He can be found on Twitter at @nickrigordon. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/asian-review

For centuries, scribes across East Asia used Chinese characters to write things down–even in languages based on very different foundations than Chinese. In southern China, Japan, Korea and Vietnam, people used Chinese to read and write–and never thought it was odd. It was, after all, how things were done. Even today, Cantonese speakers use Chinese characters to reflect their dialect with no issues, while kanji remains a key part of Japanese writing. Even in South Korea, the Chosun Ilbo newspaper uses Chinese characters for its title, even as most of Korea has turned to hangul. Zev Handel talks about how classical Chinese came to dominate East Asia in his book Chinese Characters across Asia: How the Chinese Script Came to Write Japanese, Korean, and Vietnamese (University of Washington Press, 2025). How do Chinese characters even work? How did Chinese script spread across the region? And what was it like to read and write in a language that you couldn't even speak? Zev Handel is professor of Chinese linguistics in the Department of Asian Languages and Literature at the University of Washington. He is author of Sinography: The Borrowing and Adaptation of the Chinese Script and associate coeditor of Encyclopedia of Chinese Language and Linguistics. You can find more reviews, excerpts, interviews, and essays at The Asian Review of Books, including its review of Chinese Characters Across Asia. Follow on Twitter at @BookReviewsAsia. Nicholas Gordon is an editor for a global magazine, and a reviewer for the Asian Review of Books. He can be found on Twitter at @nickrigordon. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/book-of-the-day

Naina Batra, CEO of AVPN, offers a forward-looking and strategic view into the evolution of social investment across Asia. With the upcoming launch of ImpactCollab, AVPN is not merely introducing a platform — it is catalyzing an infrastructure for cross-border philanthropy and capital deployment across Asia's fragmented social impact landscape. AVPN is a social investment network based in Asia and a leading ecosystem-builder that aims to move capital towards impact. ImpactCollab is a platform that has been designed with the support of the Monetary Authority of Singapore and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. It has been designed to address long-standing inefficiencies and trust deficits that hamper giving in the region. It targets a critical and under-leveraged segment: the region's burgeoning population of centi-millionaires and high-net-worth individuals who are eager to give back but often lack the guidance, transparency, and assurance necessary to do so confidently. By functioning simultaneously as a knowledge base, a due diligence engine, and a matchmaking platform, ImpactCollab seeks to bridge the trust gap and remove systemic friction from philanthropic flows. Batra notes this is Asia's moment to lead. Faced with mounting social inequities, climate disasters, and reversals in gender parity and nutrition, the region demands urgent, coordinated responses. AVPN's expansion underscores its commitment to mobilizing a pan-Asian community of social investors — from grantmakers and family offices to development finance institutions and policymakers. An interesting feature of ImpactCollab lies in its governance maturity framework and data-driven nonprofit scorecard. These tools serve dual purposes: instilling confidence in funders while streamlining reporting burdens for nonprofits, many of whom face opaque and restrictive foreign funding environments. AVPN's approach — aggregating capital, reducing duplicative reporting, and embedding transparency — is aimed at producing systemic change. Batra's conviction is clear: wealth in Asia is abundant; what is lacking is a trusted, efficient conduit to mobilize that wealth toward lasting impact. ImpactCollab is AVPN's bold answer to that challenge. Thank you for downloading this episode of the Do One Better Podcast. Visit our Knowledge Hub at Lidji.org for information on 300 case studies and interviews with remarkable leaders in philanthropy, sustainability and social entrepreneurship.  

Wall Street ended Friday's session mixed as investors remained concerned about escalating tensions in the Middle East. The S&P500 fell 0.22%, the Dow Jones rose 0.08%, and the Nasdaq ended the day down 0.51%. Chip stocks came under pressure on Friday on reports that the U.S. may revoke some wavers placed on tariffs for chip stocks, leading to Nvidia shares dropping 1% on Friday.In Europe on Friday markets closed mostly higher for the session but lower across markets for the week amid escalating tensions on a global geopolitical scale. The STOXX 600 rose 0.1% on Friday, Germany's DAX added 1.21%, the French CAC rose 0.5% and, in the UK the FTSE 100 ended the day down 0.2%.Across Asia markets on Friday, it was a mixed session as investors assessed the potential U.S. involvement in the Middle East at the same time as China held rates steady despite its economy being in deflationary mode. Hong Kong's Hang Seng rose 1.26%, China's CSI index closed flat, Japan's Nikkei fell 0.22% and South Korea's Kospi index ended the day up 1.5%.Locally to end the last trading week, the ASX200 posted a 0.21% loss amid growing investor uncertainty on a global scale. Utilities stocks rose 0.74% on Friday while consumer staples and discretionary stocks fell 0.87% and 0.63% respectively.Betr rose 5.3% on Friday after lobbing an all-scrip bid for PointsBet (ASX:PBH), while Bowen Coking Coal (ASX:BCB) plummeted almost 50% after announcing the weak coal markets and the ‘unsustainable' QLD coal royalty regime could spark the company to temporarily pause operations.What to watch todayOn the commodities front this morning oil is trading 0.73% higher at US$74.04/barrel, gold is down just 0.05% at US$3367.91/ounce, uranium is up 1.47% at US$75.90/pound after the US attacked 3 nuclear sites in Iran, and iron ore is trading 0.06% higher at US$94.77/tonne.The Aussie dollar has weakened against the greenback to buy 64.33 US cents, 94.35 Japanese Yen, 47.95 British pence and 1 New Zealand dollar and 8 cents.Ahead of Monday's trading session the SPI futures are anticipating the ASX will open the day down 0.24% after the U.S. attacked Iran over the weekend, further escalating geopolitical tensions in the Middle East.Trading IdeasBell Potter has downgraded the rating on REA Group (ASX:REA) a buy to a hold and have slightly reduced the 12-month price target on the leading online real estate platform from $267 to $262 following soft May volumes of national listings and the outlook for eased listings into FY26.And Trading Central has identified a bearish signal on TechnologyOne (ASX:TNE) following the formation of a pattern over a period of 23-days which is roughly the same amount of time the share price may fall from the close of $40.58 to the range of $36.40 to $37.20 according to standard principles of technical analysis.

Across Asia, reports of passengers having valuables stolen mid-flight are on the rise with some cases pointing to coordinated criminal groups targeting specific routes. In 2024 alone, Hong Kong saw a 75% surge in cases, while airports in Tokyo and Singapore have reported similar upticks. In Singapore, there were 4 reported cases between January 2023 and September 2024, with one case involving a man who stole the equivalent of about S$120,000 from a jeweller on a Singapore Airlines (SIA) flight in March 2024. The issue has grown serious enough for the International Air Transport Association (IATA) to put it on the agenda this year, highlighting concerns around onboard security and cross-border enforcement. This Morning Shot episode explores what’s driving this trend, why certain routes are more vulnerable, and what’s being done, or not done, to deter in-flight theft. Dr. Alan Tan, Professor, NUS Law School (specialising in Aviation Law) joins the Breakfast Show to share his insights.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Interpol's Operation Secure dismantles a major cybercrime network, and Singapore takes down scam centers. GitLab patches multiple vulnerabilities in its DevSecOps platform. Researchers unveil a covert method for exfiltrating data using smartwatches. EchoLeak allows for data exfiltration from Microsoft Copilot. Journalists are confirmed targets of Paragon's Graphite spyware. France calls for comments on tracking pixels. Fog ransomware operators deploy an unusual mix of tools. Skeleton Spider targets recruiters by posing as job seekers on LinkedIn and Indeed. Erie Insurance suffers ongoing outages following a cyberattack. Our N2K Lead Analyst Ethan Cook shares insights on Trump's antitrust policies. DNS neglect leads to AI subdomain exploits. Remember to leave us a 5-star rating and review in your favorite podcast app. Miss an episode? Sign-up for our daily intelligence roundup, Daily Briefing, and you'll never miss a beat. And be sure to follow CyberWire Daily on LinkedIn. CyberWire Guest Today, we share a selection from today's Caveat podcast where Dave Bittner and Ben Yelin are joined by N2K's Lead Analyst, Ethan Cook, to take a Policy Deep Dive into “The art of the breakup: Trump's antitrust surge.” You can listen to the full episode here and find new episodes of Caveat in your favorite podcast app each Thursday.   Selected Reading Interpol takes down 20,000 malicious IPs and domains (Cybernews) Singapore leads multinational operation to shutter scam centers tied to $225 million in thefts (The Record) GitLab patches high severity account takeover, missing auth issues (Bleeping Computer) SmartAttack uses smartwatches to steal data from air-gapped systems (Bleeping Computer) Critical vulnerability in Microsoft 365 Copilot AI called EchoLeak enabled data exfiltration (Beyond Machines) Researchers confirm two journalists were hacked with Paragon spyware (TechCrunch) Tracking pixels: CNIL launches public consultation on its draft recommendation (CNIL) Fog ransomware attack uses unusual mix of legitimate and open-source tools (Bleeping Computer) FIN6 cybercriminals pose as job seekers on LinkedIn to hack recruiters (The Record) Erie Insurance confirms cyberattack behind business disruptions (Bleeping Computer) Why Was Nvidia Hosting Blogs About 'Brazilian Facesitting Fart Games'? (404 Media)  Secure your public DNS presence from subdomain takeovers and dangling DNS exploits (Silent Push) Want to hear your company in the show? You too can reach the most influential leaders and operators in the industry. Here's our media kit. Contact us at cyberwire@n2k.com to request more info. The CyberWire is a production of N2K Networks, your source for strategic workforce intelligence. © N2K Networks, Inc. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Reason #2: Spread of Buddhism Across Asia

Across Asia's factories, hospitals, and retail outlets, AI is revolutionising frontline work by collaborating with employees in real time—enhancing safety, personalising customer service, and providing instant knowledge access. However, this transformation faces challenges from diverse regulations, evolving labour laws, and data privacy concerns, alongside issues of trust, fairness, and digital literacy. Successful AI adoption demands a human-centred approach that involves frontline workers in design and feedback, offers tailored training to bridge digital divides, and implements ethical governance to ensure fairness and accountability. Beyond productivity, organisations must measure impact through employee engagement and customer experience, investing in people and fostering human-AI collaboration to build resilient, agile teams ready for Asia's dynamic future.In this PodChats for FutureCOO, Steven Kramer, CEO and president at WorkJam offers his insights on how AI innovations that are transforming frontline industries.Steven, welcome to PodChats for FutureCOO.How is artificial intelligence (AI) reshaping the daily tasks and overall roles of frontline workers across Asia's diverse industries?Name 3 of the most promising AI-enabled tools currently empowering frontline teams, and how do these technologies vary between sectors such as healthcare, retail, manufacturing, and logistics.How do evolving regulatory frameworks in Asia—covering data privacy, labour laws, and safety standards—affect the deployment and design of AI solutions for frontline work?What are the key challenges organisations face in building trust, ensuring reliability, and maintaining fairness when integrating AI tools alongside tools used frontline employees?In what ways is AI enhancing frontline training, knowledge access, and on-the-job learning, and what potential drawbacks should companies be mindful of?How can organisations ensure AI adoption is inclusive, addressing digital literacy gaps and language barriers to prevent frontline worker exclusion?How can frontline workers be more actively involved in shaping AI tools, and what ethical or governance considerations should companies prioritise as they scale AI across large, distributed workforces?Outside of AI boards to ensure better/proper use of the technology, what metrics will be of interest to the CFO and CIO in terms of metrics for measuring the effective of the technology (the impact and return on investment of AI deployments on the frontline, balancing productivity with employee and customer experience)?

While other ancient nonalphabetic scripts—Sumerian cuneiform, Egyptian hieroglyphs, and Mayan hieroglyphs—are long extinct, Chinese characters, invented over three thousand years ago, are today used by well over a billion people to write Chinese and Japanese. In medieval East Asia, the written Classical Chinese language knit the region together in a common intellectual enterprise that encompassed religion, philosophy, historiography, political theory, art, and literature. Literacy in Classical Chinese set the stage for the adaptation of Chinese characters into ways of writing non-Chinese languages like Vietnamese and Korean, which differ dramatically from Chinese in vocabularies and grammatical structures.Because of its unique status in the modern world, myths and misunderstandings about Chinese characters abound. Where does this writing system, so different in form and function from alphabetic writing, come from? How does it really work? How did it come to be used to write non-Chinese languages? And why has it proven so resilient? By exploring the spread and adaptation of the script across two millennia and thousands of miles, Chinese Characters across Asia: How the Chinese Script Came to Write Japanese, Korean, and Vietnamese (University of Washington Press, 2025) by Dr. Zev Handel addresses these questions and provides insights into human cognition and culture. Written in an approachable style and meant for readers with no prior knowledge of Chinese script or Asian languages, it presents a fascinating story that challenges assumptions about speech and writing. This interview was conducted by Dr. Miranda Melcher whose book focuses on post-conflict military integration, understanding treaty negotiation and implementation in civil war contexts, with qualitative analysis of the Angolan and Mozambican civil wars. You can find Miranda's interviews on New Books with Miranda Melcher, wherever you get your podcasts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/communications

While other ancient nonalphabetic scripts—Sumerian cuneiform, Egyptian hieroglyphs, and Mayan hieroglyphs—are long extinct, Chinese characters, invented over three thousand years ago, are today used by well over a billion people to write Chinese and Japanese. In medieval East Asia, the written Classical Chinese language knit the region together in a common intellectual enterprise that encompassed religion, philosophy, historiography, political theory, art, and literature. Literacy in Classical Chinese set the stage for the adaptation of Chinese characters into ways of writing non-Chinese languages like Vietnamese and Korean, which differ dramatically from Chinese in vocabularies and grammatical structures.Because of its unique status in the modern world, myths and misunderstandings about Chinese characters abound. Where does this writing system, so different in form and function from alphabetic writing, come from? How does it really work? How did it come to be used to write non-Chinese languages? And why has it proven so resilient? By exploring the spread and adaptation of the script across two millennia and thousands of miles, Chinese Characters across Asia: How the Chinese Script Came to Write Japanese, Korean, and Vietnamese (University of Washington Press, 2025) by Dr. Zev Handel addresses these questions and provides insights into human cognition and culture. Written in an approachable style and meant for readers with no prior knowledge of Chinese script or Asian languages, it presents a fascinating story that challenges assumptions about speech and writing. This interview was conducted by Dr. Miranda Melcher whose book focuses on post-conflict military integration, understanding treaty negotiation and implementation in civil war contexts, with qualitative analysis of the Angolan and Mozambican civil wars. You can find Miranda's interviews on New Books with Miranda Melcher, wherever you get your podcasts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/new-books-network

While other ancient nonalphabetic scripts—Sumerian cuneiform, Egyptian hieroglyphs, and Mayan hieroglyphs—are long extinct, Chinese characters, invented over three thousand years ago, are today used by well over a billion people to write Chinese and Japanese. In medieval East Asia, the written Classical Chinese language knit the region together in a common intellectual enterprise that encompassed religion, philosophy, historiography, political theory, art, and literature. Literacy in Classical Chinese set the stage for the adaptation of Chinese characters into ways of writing non-Chinese languages like Vietnamese and Korean, which differ dramatically from Chinese in vocabularies and grammatical structures.Because of its unique status in the modern world, myths and misunderstandings about Chinese characters abound. Where does this writing system, so different in form and function from alphabetic writing, come from? How does it really work? How did it come to be used to write non-Chinese languages? And why has it proven so resilient? By exploring the spread and adaptation of the script across two millennia and thousands of miles, Chinese Characters across Asia: How the Chinese Script Came to Write Japanese, Korean, and Vietnamese (University of Washington Press, 2025) by Dr. Zev Handel addresses these questions and provides insights into human cognition and culture. Written in an approachable style and meant for readers with no prior knowledge of Chinese script or Asian languages, it presents a fascinating story that challenges assumptions about speech and writing. This interview was conducted by Dr. Miranda Melcher whose book focuses on post-conflict military integration, understanding treaty negotiation and implementation in civil war contexts, with qualitative analysis of the Angolan and Mozambican civil wars. You can find Miranda's interviews on New Books with Miranda Melcher, wherever you get your podcasts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/east-asian-studies

While other ancient nonalphabetic scripts—Sumerian cuneiform, Egyptian hieroglyphs, and Mayan hieroglyphs—are long extinct, Chinese characters, invented over three thousand years ago, are today used by well over a billion people to write Chinese and Japanese. In medieval East Asia, the written Classical Chinese language knit the region together in a common intellectual enterprise that encompassed religion, philosophy, historiography, political theory, art, and literature. Literacy in Classical Chinese set the stage for the adaptation of Chinese characters into ways of writing non-Chinese languages like Vietnamese and Korean, which differ dramatically from Chinese in vocabularies and grammatical structures.Because of its unique status in the modern world, myths and misunderstandings about Chinese characters abound. Where does this writing system, so different in form and function from alphabetic writing, come from? How does it really work? How did it come to be used to write non-Chinese languages? And why has it proven so resilient? By exploring the spread and adaptation of the script across two millennia and thousands of miles, Chinese Characters across Asia: How the Chinese Script Came to Write Japanese, Korean, and Vietnamese (University of Washington Press, 2025) by Dr. Zev Handel addresses these questions and provides insights into human cognition and culture. Written in an approachable style and meant for readers with no prior knowledge of Chinese script or Asian languages, it presents a fascinating story that challenges assumptions about speech and writing. This interview was conducted by Dr. Miranda Melcher whose book focuses on post-conflict military integration, understanding treaty negotiation and implementation in civil war contexts, with qualitative analysis of the Angolan and Mozambican civil wars. You can find Miranda's interviews on New Books with Miranda Melcher, wherever you get your podcasts. Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/southeast-asian-studies

While other ancient nonalphabetic scripts—Sumerian cuneiform, Egyptian hieroglyphs, and Mayan hieroglyphs—are long extinct, Chinese characters, invented over three thousand years ago, are today used by well over a billion people to write Chinese and Japanese. In medieval East Asia, the written Classical Chinese language knit the region together in a common intellectual enterprise that encompassed religion, philosophy, historiography, political theory, art, and literature. Literacy in Classical Chinese set the stage for the adaptation of Chinese characters into ways of writing non-Chinese languages like Vietnamese and Korean, which differ dramatically from Chinese in vocabularies and grammatical structures.Because of its unique status in the modern world, myths and misunderstandings about Chinese characters abound. Where does this writing system, so different in form and function from alphabetic writing, come from? How does it really work? How did it come to be used to write non-Chinese languages? And why has it proven so resilient? By exploring the spread and adaptation of the script across two millennia and thousands of miles, Chinese Characters across Asia: How the Chinese Script Came to Write Japanese, Korean, and Vietnamese (University of Washington Press, 2025) by Dr. Zev Handel addresses these questions and provides insights into human cognition and culture. Written in an approachable style and meant for readers with no prior knowledge of Chinese script or Asian languages, it presents a fascinating story that challenges assumptions about speech and writing. This interview was conducted by Dr. Miranda Melcher whose book focuses on post-conflict military integration, understanding treaty negotiation and implementation in civil war contexts, with qualitative analysis of the Angolan and Mozambican civil wars. You can find Miranda's interviews on New Books with Miranda Melcher, wherever you get your podcasts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/chinese-studies

While other ancient nonalphabetic scripts—Sumerian cuneiform, Egyptian hieroglyphs, and Mayan hieroglyphs—are long extinct, Chinese characters, invented over three thousand years ago, are today used by well over a billion people to write Chinese and Japanese. In medieval East Asia, the written Classical Chinese language knit the region together in a common intellectual enterprise that encompassed religion, philosophy, historiography, political theory, art, and literature. Literacy in Classical Chinese set the stage for the adaptation of Chinese characters into ways of writing non-Chinese languages like Vietnamese and Korean, which differ dramatically from Chinese in vocabularies and grammatical structures.Because of its unique status in the modern world, myths and misunderstandings about Chinese characters abound. Where does this writing system, so different in form and function from alphabetic writing, come from? How does it really work? How did it come to be used to write non-Chinese languages? And why has it proven so resilient? By exploring the spread and adaptation of the script across two millennia and thousands of miles, Chinese Characters across Asia: How the Chinese Script Came to Write Japanese, Korean, and Vietnamese (University of Washington Press, 2025) by Dr. Zev Handel addresses these questions and provides insights into human cognition and culture. Written in an approachable style and meant for readers with no prior knowledge of Chinese script or Asian languages, it presents a fascinating story that challenges assumptions about speech and writing. This interview was conducted by Dr. Miranda Melcher whose book focuses on post-conflict military integration, understanding treaty negotiation and implementation in civil war contexts, with qualitative analysis of the Angolan and Mozambican civil wars. You can find Miranda's interviews on New Books with Miranda Melcher, wherever you get your podcasts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/language

While other ancient nonalphabetic scripts—Sumerian cuneiform, Egyptian hieroglyphs, and Mayan hieroglyphs—are long extinct, Chinese characters, invented over three thousand years ago, are today used by well over a billion people to write Chinese and Japanese. In medieval East Asia, the written Classical Chinese language knit the region together in a common intellectual enterprise that encompassed religion, philosophy, historiography, political theory, art, and literature. Literacy in Classical Chinese set the stage for the adaptation of Chinese characters into ways of writing non-Chinese languages like Vietnamese and Korean, which differ dramatically from Chinese in vocabularies and grammatical structures.Because of its unique status in the modern world, myths and misunderstandings about Chinese characters abound. Where does this writing system, so different in form and function from alphabetic writing, come from? How does it really work? How did it come to be used to write non-Chinese languages? And why has it proven so resilient? By exploring the spread and adaptation of the script across two millennia and thousands of miles, Chinese Characters across Asia: How the Chinese Script Came to Write Japanese, Korean, and Vietnamese (University of Washington Press, 2025) by Dr. Zev Handel addresses these questions and provides insights into human cognition and culture. Written in an approachable style and meant for readers with no prior knowledge of Chinese script or Asian languages, it presents a fascinating story that challenges assumptions about speech and writing. This interview was conducted by Dr. Miranda Melcher whose book focuses on post-conflict military integration, understanding treaty negotiation and implementation in civil war contexts, with qualitative analysis of the Angolan and Mozambican civil wars. You can find Miranda's interviews on New Books with Miranda Melcher, wherever you get your podcasts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/japanese-studies

While other ancient nonalphabetic scripts—Sumerian cuneiform, Egyptian hieroglyphs, and Mayan hieroglyphs—are long extinct, Chinese characters, invented over three thousand years ago, are today used by well over a billion people to write Chinese and Japanese. In medieval East Asia, the written Classical Chinese language knit the region together in a common intellectual enterprise that encompassed religion, philosophy, historiography, political theory, art, and literature. Literacy in Classical Chinese set the stage for the adaptation of Chinese characters into ways of writing non-Chinese languages like Vietnamese and Korean, which differ dramatically from Chinese in vocabularies and grammatical structures.Because of its unique status in the modern world, myths and misunderstandings about Chinese characters abound. Where does this writing system, so different in form and function from alphabetic writing, come from? How does it really work? How did it come to be used to write non-Chinese languages? And why has it proven so resilient? By exploring the spread and adaptation of the script across two millennia and thousands of miles, Chinese Characters across Asia: How the Chinese Script Came to Write Japanese, Korean, and Vietnamese (University of Washington Press, 2025) by Dr. Zev Handel addresses these questions and provides insights into human cognition and culture. Written in an approachable style and meant for readers with no prior knowledge of Chinese script or Asian languages, it presents a fascinating story that challenges assumptions about speech and writing. This interview was conducted by Dr. Miranda Melcher whose book focuses on post-conflict military integration, understanding treaty negotiation and implementation in civil war contexts, with qualitative analysis of the Angolan and Mozambican civil wars. You can find Miranda's interviews on New Books with Miranda Melcher, wherever you get your podcasts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/korean-studies

Sometimes, to transform an entire food system we have to start small. Across Asia and the Pacific, slight changes in food and farming habits are bringing vital nutritional improvements to entire communities. On this episode, we head to Cambodia to learn more. Experts from across the region recently gathered here at an IFAD workshop on nutrition-sensitive agriculture, discussing common challenges and sharing best practices. From Papua New Guinea to Pakistan, hear their diverse perspectives as they figure out how to make the region's food systems work for everyone. Featuring Maryam Barodawala, Fathimath Fazuna, Elizabeth Ngolo, Boreth Sun, Kapila Rasnayaka, and Dr. Muhammad Ahsan Riaz.For more information:Food that packs a punch in Asia and the Pacific - Episode 82

We have seen some calm return this week, which has coincided with President Trump making some tariff concessions for tech companies and for auto parts, suggesting that a 'Trump put' is in play, and with the President also signalling “big progress” in talks with Japanese officials. However, we have to say this is an uneasy calm; new sectoral tariffs are still likely coming and tensions with China remain elevated. We discuss the latest tariff twists and turns, fresh communication from Fed Chair Powell and upcoming US data, as well as the ECB's recent 25bp rate cut. Across Asia, we will look out for Bank Indonesia's policy meeting, Korea export data and Tokyo CPI. Chapters: US (02:16), Europe (08:47), Asia (13:13).

Hosts Mitsuaki Sawano, MD, and co-host Satoshi Shoji, MD, welcome Kenji Inoue, MD, to discuss the DROP-Asian ACS study—a multicenter trial evaluating the 0/1-hour algorithm for chest pain assessment across 12 hospitals in five Asian countries presented as a Late Breaking Clinical Trial at the ACC.25. Dr. Inoue shares key findings from this cluster-randomized trial of nearly 4,000 patients, highlighting the algorithm's practicality in Asia's diverse healthcare settings. Despite regional differences, the 0/1-hour approach—requiring only two high-sensitivity troponin measurements—proved effective and accessible, even in low-resource environments. He also reflects on presenting at ACC, the importance of early preparation, and the growth that comes from taking on complex international research. Dr. Inoue encourages young clinicians to embrace challenges and actively engage with global networks for clinical research development.

Uploaded every Friday, Nikkei Asia News Roundup delivers a collection of articles from Nikkei's English language media, Nikkei Asia. ・A selection of news headlines ・A glimpse into a notable story for deeper understanding ・A discussion on a recent hot topic ・Today's discussion topic is: "Pet care market surges across Asia" ・You can read more at: https://asia.nikkei.com/  

Learn about traveling through Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh, and what it's like to travel across a country by Tuk-Tuk.  ____________________________________ Subscribe to The Maverick Show's Monday Minute Newsletter where I email you 3 short items of value to start each week that you can consume in 60 seconds (all personal recommendations like the latest travel gear I'm using, my favorite destinations, discounts for special events, etc.). Follow The Maverick Show on Instagram ____________________________________ Ric Gazarian starts off talking about his family's history escaping the Armenian Genocide in 1915 and eventually making their way to Boston, Massachusetts where he grew up. He reflects on his first visit to Armenia and how his Armenian identity has evolved as he visited every year for over 20 years. Ric explains the history of Nagorno-Karabakh and shares his experience visiting multiple times. Next, he talks about his experience racing through the Caucuses, and then about driving across both India and Cambodia in a Tuk-Tuk. Ric reflects on the unique experiences and local encounters that this mode of travel enables, and what it was like to capture it all in an award-winning documentary film. He then talks about his love for Southeast Asia, shares tips on the most interesting festivals in Thailand, and why Myanmar is so special to him. Finally, Ric talks about being the Asia coordinator for Travel Massive, a 60,000 person travel industry network. FULL SHOW NOTES AND DIRECT LINKS TO EVERYTHING DISCUSSED ARE AVAILABLE HERE.  ____________________________________ See my Top 10 Apps For Digital Nomads See my Top 10 Books For Digital Nomads See my 7 Keys For Building A Remote Business (Even in a space that's not traditionally virtual) Watch my Video Training on Stylish Minimalist Packing so you can join #TeamCarryOn  See the Travel Gear I Use and Recommend See How I Produce The Maverick Show Podcast (The equipment, services & vendors I use) ____________________________________ ENJOYING THE SHOW? Please Leave a Rating and Review. It really helps the show and I read each one personally.  You Can Buy Me a Coffee. Espressos help me produce significantly better podcast episodes! :)

In this episode of AI-volution: Redefining HR, Mercer Global HR Transformation COE Leader, Emily Liddle, interviews Mercer Asia Regional HR Transformation Leader, Miriam Daucher, about the impact of AI in the APAC and Asia market. Daucher shares her insights on the trends and themes she has observed since AI has become more prevalent in her region. She highlights the diversity and cultural differences in Asia, as well as the varying levels of AI adoption and governance. Daucher also discusses specific examples of how AI is being leveraged in different countries, such as Japan's transformation of work models and China's unique AI solutions. She emphasizes the openness and ambition of Asian countries to embrace AI innovations. They conclude by discussing the opportunities and challenges of AI implementation in Southeast Asia and the importance of data protection and employee engagement. Takeaways: Asia is a diverse region with varying levels of AI adoption and governance. Japan is undergoing a transformation in work models, moving from a lifetime employment contract to a job-based model. China has its own AI solutions and is open to embracing AI innovations. Southeast Asia is a major disruptor in the AI space, with countries like Indonesia and Malaysia leading the way. Data protection and employee engagement are important considerations in AI implementation.

Authorities in the Philippines are racing to contain a major oil spill from a capsized ship in Manila Bay. Clean up operations are being hampered by strong winds and high waves brought by Typhoon Gaemi, which is now making landfall in southern China. Also in this podcast: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is to meet with US President Joe Biden as pressure builds for a hostage deal. The Israeli army has recovered another five bodies from Gaza. Accusations that Sudan's bloody civil war is being fuelled by the illegal trade in weapons, how the battlefield in Ukraine has been transformed into a war of drones, and we take a look inside the Olympic Village ahead of the games kicking off in Paris.

Narrator: Thomas Jones