Podcasts about foreign affairs

The New Yorker staff writer Andrew Marantz is joined by the political scientists Steven Levitsky and Daniel Ziblatt, who teach at Harvard, and Lucan A. Way, who teaches at the University of Toronto, for an installment of “How Bad Is It?,” a monthly series on the health of American democracy. In a new essay for the journal Foreign Affairs, “The Price of American Authoritarianism,” the scholars of government assert that President Trump's rapid consolidation of power in the first year of his second term has tipped the United States into authoritarianism—specifically, into competitive authoritarianism, in which elections persist but the ruling party rigs the system in its favor. The panel discusses how they arrived at their conclusions and suggests that not all is lost: America's authoritarian moment could be temporary. “The United States is in a very good place to resist,” Levitsky says. “Civil society is very robust and so there is a very high likelihood that Trump will fail.” The Political Scene draws on the reporting and analysis found in The New Yorker for lively conversations about the big questions in American politics. Join the magazine's writers and editors as they put into context the latest news—about elections, the economy, the White House, the Supreme Court, and much more. New episodes are available three times a week. Tune in wherever you get your podcasts. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Last week, the Trump administration released its National Security Strategy. Such documents are usually fairly staid exercises in lofty rhetoric. Not this one. It harshly rebukes the strategies of prior administrations, highlighting what Trump's team sees as the failures of traditional foreign policy elites. It pointedly criticizes Washington's traditional allies in Europe and fixates on security issues in the Western Hemisphere, but it has little to say about American rivals such as China and Russia. In recent weeks, the administration has provided a demonstration of what its strategy looks like in practice, launching controversial strikes against boats allegedly trafficking drugs in the Caribbean and mulling military intervention in Venezuela, while also putting the trade war with China on hold and pushing for a negotiated end to the war in Ukraine. To Kori Schake, this approach represents a fundamental misunderstanding of the means and ends of American power. Now a senior fellow and director of foreign and defense policy studies at the American Enterprise Institute, Schake served on the National Security Council and in the State Department in the George W. Bush administration, and she has become one of Trump's sharpest critics. What she sees from the administration is “solipsism masquerading as strategy,” as she put it in her most recent piece for Foreign Affairs. Schake argues that the administration's actions—and the worldview undergirding them—are based on “faulty assumptions” with potentially dire consequences: a United States hostile to its longtime allies, a brewing civil-military crisis at home, and a world order that could leave Washington behind.  You can find sources, transcripts, and more episodes of The Foreign Affairs Interview at https://www.foreignaffairs.com/podcasts/foreign-affairs-interview.

Former Australian diplomat Jane Hardy joins this episode to discuss how Australia has engaged with North Korea over the past few decades, and what that experience reveals about diplomacy, deterrence and nuclear risk today.  Hardy, who spent over 30 years in the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, shares insights from her work on Korean Peninsula issues during the Sunshine Policy era, including Australia's brief normalization with Pyongyang and her own visit to North Korea in 2001.  Jane Hardy is a former senior Australian diplomat who has served in seven long-term overseas missions, four at ambassador level. She also held numerous senior executive positions at the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Canberra, during her 33-year career. Jane is now a senior fellow at the U.S. Studies Center, Sydney University advising the Women in the Alliance program.  About the podcast: The North Korea News Podcast is a weekly podcast hosted by Jacco Zwetsloot exclusively for NK News, covering all things DPRK — from news to extended interviews with leading experts and analysts in the field, along with insight from our very own journalists. NK News subscribers can listen to this and other exclusive episodes from their preferred podcast player by accessing the private podcast feed. For more detailed instructions, please see the step-by-step guide at nknews.org/private-feed.

 The U.S. and China may be the world's current superpowers – but that doesn't mean they can ignore other countries. Emma Ashford is a senior fellow at the Stimson Center, and she joins guest host John McCaa to discuss the implications of moving to a multipolarity, in which Russia, India and others hold increasing sway over global affairs. Her article “Making Multipolarity Work” was published by Foreign Affairs.  Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Welcome to The Times of Israel's Daily Briefing, your 20-minute audio update on what's happening in Israel, the Middle East and the Jewish world. US bureau chief Jacob Magid joins host Amanda Borschel-Dan for today's episode. Magid joins us from the Doha Forum, an annual gathering bringing together government officials, policymakers, civil society representatives and business leaders from around the world to discuss major global challenges. Qatar’s Prime Minister said yesterday that Doha does not consider the current situation in Gaza to be a ceasefire, arguing that this would require an Israeli withdrawal from the entirety of the enclave. At the same time, Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty called for deploying the International Stabilization Force (ISF) in Gaza “as soon as possible,” claiming that Israel is using the absence of international monitors on the ground in Gaza to violate the ceasefire on a daily basis. We hear additional statements critical of Israel and discuss their significance, even as the Trump administration appears to announce that Phase 2 of the Gaza ceasefire will commence in the coming weeks. Also yesterday at the Doha Forum, Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa accused Israel of “exporting crises” to other countries around the region to distract from its “horrifying massacres” in Gaza. We learn how those at the forum consider that the Syrian president, once denounced as a terrorist, is a legitimate actor in the region, whereas Israel is not. Piling on to the criticism against Israel at the forum, also yesterday, a senior Saudi diplomat said that while there is much focus in the international community on the need for the Palestinian Authority to engage in a comprehensive reform process, a reform of the Israeli government is what is most needed for peace in the region. Magid puts this new Saudi statement in the context of what we also learned yesterday: that the US and Saudi Arabia had reached understandings on the eve of Hamas’s October 7 attack regarding the concessions Israel would have to make vis-à-vis the Palestinians for Riyadh to normalize relations with Jerusalem. Magid previews what he has uncovered, which will be discussed more in depth in Friday's Lazar Focus podcast. Check out The Times of Israel's ongoing liveblog for more updates. For further reading: Qatari PM: Gaza truce can’t be considered ceasefire until Israel leaves the Strip Trump says next phase of his Gaza plan will soon commence amid concern it’s stalling Syria’s Sharaa slams Israel for ‘exporting’ conflict to region to hide Gaza ‘massacres’ Senior Saudi diplomat: It’s Israel, not PA , that most needs reform to secure peace ToI reveals: US and Saudis reached understandings on Palestinian component of normalization before Oct. 7 The day after that never came: How time ran out on Blinken’s plan for postwar Gaza Subscribe to The Times of Israel Daily Briefing on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts. This episode was produced by Pod-Waves. IMAGE: (From L) CEO and President of the International Crisis Group Comfort Ero, Spain's Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares, Egypt's Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty, Norway's Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide and Saudi Cabinet of the Minister of Foreign Affairs's minister plenipotentiary Manal Radwan attend the opening day of the Doha Forum, an annual diplomatic conference, in Doha on December 6, 2025. (Mahmud HAMS / AFP)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

New START, the last bilateral nuclear arms control treaty between the United States and Russia, will expire in February 2026 if Washington and Moscow do not reach an understanding on its extension—as they have signaled they are interested to do. What would the end of New START mean for U.S.-Russia relations and the arms control architecture that had for decades contributed to stability among great powers?Lawfare Public Service Fellow Ariane Tabatabai sits down with John Drennan, Robert A. Belfer International Affairs Fellow in European Security, at the Council on Foreign Relations, and Matthew Sharp, Fellow at MIT's Center for Nuclear Security Policy, to discuss what New START is, the implications of its expiration, and where the arms control regime might go from here.For further reading, see:“Putin's Nuclear Offer: How to Navigate a New START Extension,” by John Drennan and Erin D. Dumbacher, Council on Foreign Relations“No New START: Renewing the U.S.-Russian Deal Won't Solve Today's Nuclear Dilemmas,” by Eric S. Edelman and Franklin C. Miller, Foreign Affairs“2024 Report to Congress on Implementation of the New START Treaty,” from the Bureau of Arms Control, Deterrence, and Stability, U.S. Department of StateTo receive ad-free podcasts, become a Lawfare Material Supporter at www.patreon.com/lawfare. You can also support Lawfare by making a one-time donation at https://givebutter.com/lawfare-institute.Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/lawfare. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Day 1,379.Today, after Tuesday's inconsequential meeting in Moscow, Ukrainian negotiators are updating European counterparts on Kyiv's response before flying to meet Steve Witkoff in Miami. We consider why U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau has lambasted European NATO allies for prioritising their own defence industries over American suppliers – comments made just as another billion dollars was added to the PURL fund – and we ask whether, if Pokrovsk has indeed fallen, Russia will now shift its efforts toward Zaporizhzhia oblast. And later, we return to the GRU's murder of British woman Dawn Sturgess by nerve agent in 2018, as the final report into her death is released.ContributorsDominic Nicholls (Associate Editor of Defence). @DomNicholls on X.Francis Dearnley (Executive Editor for Audio). @FrancisDearnley on X.Hamish De Bretton-Gordon (Former British Army Tank Commander). @HamishDBGon on X.SIGN UP TO THE ‘UKRAINE: THE LATEST' WEEKLY NEWSLETTER:http://telegraph.co.uk/ukrainenewsletter Each week, Dom Nicholls and Francis Dearnley answer your questions, provide recommended reading, and give exclusive analysis and behind-the-scenes insights – plus maps of the frontlines and diagrams of weapons to complement our daily reporting. It's free for everyone, including non-subscribers.CONTENT REFERENCED:Trump: I don't know what the Kremlin is doing (The Telegraph):https://www.telegraph.co.uk/us/news/2025/12/03/trump-i-dont-know-what-the-kremlin-is-doing/ Britain can't let the man Putin hates most die in prison (Sir Tom Stoppard in The Telegraph):https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2023/05/19/britain-cant-let-the-man-putin-hates-most-die-in-prison/ The West's Last Chance (Alexander Stubb, Finland's President, in Foreign Affairs):https://www.foreignaffairs.com/united-states/wests-last-chance Top US official berates Europe over cutting American industry out of defense buildup (POLITICO):https://www.politico.eu/article/christopher-landau-top-us-official-berates-europe-nato-cut-industry-defense-buildup/ LISTEN TO THIS PODCAST IN NEW LANGUAGES:The Telegraph has launched translated versions of Ukraine: The Latest in Ukrainian and Russian, making its reporting accessible to audiences on both sides of the battle lines and across the wider region, including Central Asia and the Caucasus. Just search Україна: Останні Новини (Ukr) and Украина: Последние Новости (Ru) on your on your preferred podcast app to find them. Listen here: https://linktr.ee/ukrainethelatestSubscribe: telegraph.co.uk/ukrainethelatestEmail: ukrainepod@telegraph.co.uk Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In the last decade, American foreign policymakers have been forced to reckon with a shifting global balance of power. Theorists have long argued over the shape of international order. But such questions now occupy practitioners, as well, as they grapple with the end of the unipolar moment that followed the Cold War and struggle to shape new strategies that account for new geopolitical realities. Emma Ashford is a leading proponent of a more restrained U.S. foreign policy. In an essay for Foreign Affairs, as well as in her new book First Among Equals, she argues that American policymakers must, above all, get comfortable with the fact of a multipolar world. “Instead of artificially cleaving the world in two,” she writes, “the United States should choose to embrace multipolarity and craft strategy accordingly.”  Ashford joined Dan Kurtz-Phelan on Monday, November 17, to discuss this new order, how the Biden and Trump administrations have dealt with these changes, and how the United States must adapt to thrive in a multipolar age. You can find sources, transcripts, and more episodes of The Foreign Affairs Interview at https://www.foreignaffairs.com/podcasts/foreign-affairs-interview.

Pastor Rich Jones and Dr. Matthew Dodd were invited by the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Friends of Zion Ministry to travel to Israel for the Ambassador Summit 2025 – 1,000 Pastors United. In this episode of the Blessors of Israel Podcast, Dr. Dodd shares his initial reflections from the Nova Festival site, where Hamas terrorists launched a brutal attack on October 7, 2023, resulting in the tragic deaths of 400 individuals and the hostage-taking of over 40 others.Visit the Blessors of Israel Website: https://www.blessors.org/ Thank you for supporting Blessors of Israel. Donate Online: https://blessors.org/donate/Please Subscribe and Like our YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCUfbl_rf8O_uwKrfzCh04jgSubscribe to our ⁠Spotify Channel⁠: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/blessorsofisrael Subscribe to our Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/blessors-of-israedl/id1699662615Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BlessorsofIsrael/Twitter: https://twitter.com/BlessorsIGettr: https://gettr.com/i/blessorsofisrael Rumble: https://rumble.com/c/c-1670015Thank you for watching. Please like and share this video.We would love to hear your comments.Those who bless Israel will be blessed (Genesis 12:3).Pastor Rich JonesPastor Matthew DoddDr. Matthew DoddRich Jones Blessors of IsraelMatthew Dodd Blessors of IsraelBlessors of IsraelBlessers of IsraelTags:Pastor Rich JonesPastor Matthew DoddRich JonesDr. Matthew DoddRich Jones, Blessors of Israel, Rich Jones, Blessers of Israel, Matthew Dodd, Blessors of Israel, Matthew Dodd, Blessers of Israel, Blessers of Israel, Blessors of Israel, Two-State Solution, Palestine, Modern Palestinian Problem, Israel, Jesus Christ, Anti-Semitism, Prophecy Update, End Times Prophecy, Latter Days, Bible Prophecy, The Great Tribulation, Hamas, Gaza Strip, Terrorism, Hezbollah, Iran, Russia, Persia, Gog and Magog, BRICS, China, CCP, Persia, Iran, Turkey, Russia, South Africa, Saudi Arabia, India, Yahya Sinwar, Nasrallah, Ismail Haniyeh, Deif, United Nations, Terrorism, Antisemitism, Syria, Bashar al Assad, HTS, Damascus, Mount Hermon, Erdogan, Netanyahu, Trump, Putin, Ceasefire, Hostages, al Jolani, al Sharaa, Holocaust Day of Remembrance, China, Egypt, Iran Nuclear Deal, Trump, War, WWIII, Hamas, Anti-Semitism, October 7, 2023, Trump's 20-Point Peace Plan, Qatar, Egypt, Palestinian Authority, Mahmoud Abbas, Erdogan, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Hostages, Nova Festival Site

Interview recorded - 2nd of December, 2025On this episode of the WTFinance podcast I had the pleasure of welcoming back Warwick Powell. Warwick is an Adjunct Professor at Queensland University of Professor working at the intersection of China, digital technologies, supply chains, financial flows and global political economy & governance.During our conversation we spoke about Warwick's overview of 2025, accelerating shift away from US hegemony, BRICS institution, currency and more. I hope you enjoy!0:00 - Introduction0:57 - Overview of 20256:50 - Accelerating US hegemonic shift?12:25 - Drivers of Western challenges18:28 - Real capital investment into US23:44 - AI impact on employment28:18 - Shifting alliances33:25 - BRICS institutions39:03 - European type alliance42:01 - BRICS currency48:33 - One message to takeaway?Warwick began his career in academia, teaching Chinese history and European cultural history at Griffith University. He graduated with First Class Honours and is the recipient of the prestigious University Medal for Academic Excellence. Warwick was also awarded a Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade scholarship to undertake postgraduate studies at People's University, Beijing. He deferred his studies to begin work for Kevin Rudd in the Queensland Government.He is the chairman and founder of Sister City Partners Limited, a not-for-profit investment bank focusing on developing links between regional Australia and the markets of Asia. Through this work, Warwick has experience in diverse industries including cattle and sheep production and processing, information and communication technology, infrastructure, energy, natural resources, travel and tourism and property development.He is a director of a number of funds management companies responsible for funds established under an ASIC-approved Australian Financial Services License. He is a member of the Central Highlands Accelerate Agribusiness Advisory Board and was the founding Treasurer of Innovation NQ Inc., a not-for-profit innovation incubator in North Queensland.He continues to teach professional courses in areas such as innovation, creativity, regional economic development and blockchain technology with James Cook University, QUT and Edith Cowan University.Warwick Powell: LinkedIn - https://au.linkedin.com/in/warwickpowellSubstack - https://substack.com/@warwickpowell Twitter - https://x.com/baoshaoshanWTFinance -Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/wtfinancee/Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/67rpmjG92PNBW0doLyPvfniTunes - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/wtfinance/id1554934665?uo=4Twitter - https://twitter.com/AnthonyFatseas

On Tuesday, U.S. President Donald Trump's envoy Steve Witkoff and Trump's son-in-law, Jared Kushner, met with Russia President Vladimir Putin at the Kremlin to discuss a potential peace deal in Ukraine. Dmytro Kuleba, the former Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, joins the FOX News Rundown: Evening Edition to discuss how the war has impacted the country, the need for more international support to fight back against Russia, and what he thinks Ukrainians will and will not accept in a peace deal. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

On Tuesday, U.S. President Donald Trump's envoy Steve Witkoff and Trump's son-in-law, Jared Kushner, met with Russia President Vladimir Putin at the Kremlin to discuss a potential peace deal in Ukraine. Dmytro Kuleba, the former Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, joins the FOX News Rundown: Evening Edition to discuss how the war has impacted the country, the need for more international support to fight back against Russia, and what he thinks Ukrainians will and will not accept in a peace deal. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

What are Greenland's vision and priorities in the Arctic and the world? And how is the government addressing opportunities and challenges in the region?Joining the conversation are:Vivian Motzfeldt, Greenland's Minister for Foreign Affairs and ResearchNaaja H. Nathanielsen, Greenland's Minister for Business, Energy, Natural Resources, Justice and EqualityNivi Olsen, Greenland's Minister for Education, Culture, Sports and ChurchModerating is Ólafur Ragnar Grímsson, Chairman of Arctic Circle and former President of Iceland.This Session was recorded live at the 2025 Arctic Circle Assembly, held in Reykjavík, Iceland, from October 16th to 18th.Arctic Circle is the largest network of international dialogue and cooperation on the future of the Arctic. It is an open democratic platform with participation from governments, organizations, corporations, universities, think tanks, environmental associations, Indigenous communities, concerned citizens, and others interested in the development of the Arctic and its consequences for the future of the globe. It is a nonprofit and nonpartisan organization. Learn more about Arctic Circle at www.ArcticCircle.org or contact us at secretariat@arcticcircle.orgTWITTER:@_Arctic_CircleFACEBOOK:The Arctic CircleINSTAGRAM:arctic_circle_org

In this episode of the Technology & Security podcast, host Dr. Miah Hammond-Errey is joined by Kate Carruthers. Kate is currently the head of data analytics and AI at the Australian Institute of Company Directors. She shares her journey from defending Westfield against state and non-state cyber attacks to leading UNSW's enterprise data, AI, and cybersecurity efforts, including delivering the university's first production AI system in 2019 and re-architecting its cloud data platform for AI and ML. She notes boardrooms are evolving from basic cyber literacy to probing AI risks like models, data, and risk registers.  Carruthers outlines some real-world examples, such as UNSW's enterprise AI program, including a machine learning model that predicted which students were likely to fail a course, with 95%+ accuracy, so the university could design careful, humane intervention protocols to reduce self-harm risk. She argues that while frontier models like OpenAI and Gemini have a place, their compute costs, water intensity and general-purpose design make them poorly suited to some business problems, and that the future lies in smaller, industry-specific models trained on highly relevant data. The conversation covers the rise of agentic AI coding tools, the risk of deskilling junior developers, and the need for diverse, product-focused teams to translate technical systems into workable human processes.​ On security, she prioritizes CIA triad integrity over confidentiality, warning of data alterations in cars, medical devices, and government systems via poisoning or underinvestment in encryption. Carruthers urges Australian AI sovereignty—opting for open-source like Databricks over proprietary stacks—amid US-China model contrasts and outage risks from providers like AWS or CrowdStrike. Throughout, she encourages leaders not just to read about AI but to use multiple systems themselves, understand their limitations as probabilistic tools in deterministic business environments, and ground every deployment in clearly defined problems, ethics, and user needs.​

Foreign Affairs, a supposedly respectable publication, recently published an article entitled “America's Allies Should Go Nuclear” , which argues that U.S. allies like Germany, Japan, or Canada ought to be sold nuclear arsenals. Foreign Affairs+1We dismantle that argument, laying out why proliferating nukes among American-aligned nations would be a reckless misstep — not a “strengthening” of global order but a dangerous gamble with global stability. We explore the risks: undermining treaty frameworks like the Nuclear Non‑Proliferation Treaty (NPT), increasing nuclear arms races, and making deterrence less predictable and more volatile.Most importantly, we argue that U.S. allies don't need nuclear weapons — they need a renewed commitment to non-proliferation. Instead of spreading the bomb, let's spread trust — not knot the world tighter into a nuclear standoff.Tune in for a hard-hitting, no-punches-pulled breakdown of why arguments for “selective proliferation” are dangerously short-sighted.

Good afternoon, I'm _____ with today's episode of EZ News. Tai-Ex opening The Tai-Ex opened up 47-points this morning from Friday's close, at 27,674 on turnover of 7.5-billion N-T. The market closed slightly higher Friday, as positive investor sentiment carried over from the previous session amid hopes that the U-S Federal Reserve will cut key interest rates later this month. Taiwan's ambassador meets with new SVG leader Taiwan's ambassador to Saint Vincent and the Grenadines has met with the newly elected prime minister of the Caribbean ally, Godwin Friday, to convey (傳達) congratulations from President Lai Ching-te. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs says Ambassador Fiona Fan delivered Lai's message during their meeting, and that the prime minister asked her to relay (傳達) his thanks in return. The ministry has not said when the meeting took place or provided any further details. However, the meeting took place as Friday's New Democratic Party has previously proposed switching recognition from Taiwan to Beijing. CAA confirms that local airlines have completed Airbus A320 software fix And, The Civil Aviation Administration has confirmed that local airlines completed the required software restoration on Airbus A320-series aircraft before a 7AM deadline on Sunday. The software restoration followed an emergency directive (指示) issued after a technical failure in the U-S. Airbus announced on Friday that around 6,000 A320-family jets worldwide must undergo software updates and may not be operated without the fix. The announcement come after reports of a flight-control system malfunction linked to solar flare interference. Honduras Presidential Vote Hondurans are voting to elect new president in a close race under shadow of Trump's surprise intervention (干涉). AP correspondent Rica Ann Garcia reports Report: Global Arms Producers Saw Revenue Increase A new report says that the world's biggest weapons-producing companies saw a 5.9% increase in revenue from sales of arms and military services last year as demand was fed by (由…供給/提供) the wars in Ukraine and Gaza as well as countries' rising military spending. The Stockholm International Peace Research Institute says today that the revenues of the 100 largest arms makers grew to $679 billion in 2024, the highest figure it has recorded. The bulk of the increase was down to companies based in Europe and the United States, but there were increases around the world — except in Asia and Oceania, where problems in the Chinese arms industry led to a slight fall. Italy Digital Copies of Masterpieces for Museum Funds Italian cultural officials are offering digital copies of Italian masterpieces as part of a new project to help museums raise money. The nonprofit Save the Artistic Heritage, with its technical partner Cinello, is behind this initiative. They provide digital projections of Italian masterpieces, complete with certificates of authenticity (真正的，真實性). Participating museums receive 50% of the profits. Over two years, Save the Artistic Heritage has contributed about $347-thousand US dollars to Italian museums. Each digital artwork is sold in a limited series of nine. The project aims to help museums access new income streams and expand globally, including plans for the United States. That was the I.C.R.T. EZ News, I'm _____. -- Hosting provided by SoundOn

Chris and Nikki complete the run down of Waits' Asylum Records albums with Small Change, Foreign Affairs, Blue Valentine and Heartattack & Vine.

Today's topics:1)  Trump 28 Point Peace Plan For Ending Ukraine -Russia War:  A mysterious new plan was presented in Kiev to Ukraine President Zelensky by US Army Secretary Dan Driscoll.  It demanded surrendering Donbas Region of Ukraine along with the Crimea to Russia, and blocking Ukraine from joining NATO .  Can Ukraine agree to these terms? 2) Trump Calls China's President XI?:  On Monday, Trump called President Xi.  It is not clear who requested the phone call.  He supposedly talked about the Ukraine war, and proposed US sanctions on countries importing Russian oil---like China.  But was that the main reason for the call?  What do you think? 3)  Is Brazil's Former President Bolsenaro  Going To Jail?  Bolsenaro was recently sentenced to 27 yrs in prison for organizing a 'coup d'etat' to take over the democratic system of Brazil.  But his son Edwardo has called from large protests to oppose any jail time.  What will happen next? 4) Operation 'Iron Wall' in the West Bank':  In 2025,  Israeli military engaged in massive attacks and even depopulation of  'refugee camps' in the occupied West Bank.  Over 40,000 Palestinians have been displaced there, forced to flee to other parts of the West Bank.  Why is Israel attacking these West Bank refugee camps now, which were established in 1948?  Support the show

This episode of The New Abnormal podcast features Velislava Petrova, Chief Programme Officer at the Centre for Future Generations. She oversees CFG's technical and cross-cutting programs, monitoring impact, aligning with political priorities and identifying strategic directions. Velisalva is also an ex-Senior Policy Consultant with the World Health Organization, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Bulgaria, Senior Manager at Gavi Vaccine Alliance, and a Disaster Risk Management Specialist with the World Bank. We discuss all the above and more in what I found to be a deeply interesting discussion - and I hope you enjoy listening to her views as much as I did.

In the last few years, artificial intelligence has become a central focus of geopolitical competition, and especially of U.S.-Chinese rivalry. For much of that time, the United States, or at least U.S. companies, seemed to have the advantage. But Ben Buchanan, a leading scholar of technology who crafted the Biden administration's AI strategy, worries that the United States' AI superiority isn't nearly as assured as many have assumed. In an essay in the November/December issue of Foreign Affairs, Buchanan, writing with Tantum Collins, warns that “the American way of developing AI is reaching its limits,” and as those limits become clear, “they will start to erode—and perhaps even end—U.S. dominance.” The essay calls for a new grand bargain between tech and the U.S. government—a bargain necessary to advancing American AI and to ensuring that it enhances, rather than undermines, U.S. national security. Dan Kurtz-Phelan spoke to Buchanan about the future of AI competition and how it could reshape not just American power but global order itself. You can find sources, transcripts, and more episodes of The Foreign Affairs Interview at https://www.foreignaffairs.com/podcasts/foreign-affairs-interview. 

Back for Business, the free programme aimed at supporting returned or soon-to-be-returning Irish emigrants to start and develop a business in Ireland, is seeking new applicants for its ninth cycle. The development programme, which is funded by the Irish Abroad Unit, Department of Foreign Affairs, was created to foster and support entrepreneurial activity among emigrants recently returned to Ireland. In opening the call for applicants, Neale Richmond, TD, Minister of State for International Development and Diaspora, said: "I am acutely aware of the barriers that are faced by those returning to Ireland, and this is why the Programme for Government contains a specific commitment to provide support to assist Irish people living abroad who want to return. "Back for Business is a concrete example of the practical support that is provided through the Government's Emigrant Support Programme, to equip early-stage entrepreneurs with the knowledge, confidence, and networks to successfully start and develop sustainable businesses." Those interested in finding out more about the programme should check out the website and register their interest on www.backforbusiness.com, and an application form will be sent to them, with the deadline to apply Friday, January 16th. Up to 50 places will be available on Back for Business 9, which will run from February to June 2026. The Launch Forum and first round table event will take place on February 13th. Back for Business is for returned Irish emigrants who have lived abroad for at least a year and have returned to Ireland in the last three years, or for emigrants currently living abroad who are planning to return to Ireland in the near future. Since launching in 2017, the programme has helped participants to significantly grow sales and employment. It addresses challenges that all early-stage entrepreneurs encounter but also focuses on additional barriers faced by emigrants who have been living away from Ireland. Those who completed last year's programme, Back for Business 8, were very positive in their feedback with 100% saying they would recommend the programme to others and would like to stay in contact with the Back for Business community. In terms of their overall experience, Back for Business 8 participants rated it 4.5 out of a possible 5, with 93% considering the experience either extremely positive or very positive. A total of 97% felt nearer to achieving their ambitions since participating in Back for Business. At the start of the last cycle, under half of the group were trading, but over the course of the programme, this had increased to over two-thirds. The combined turnover of the participants was €1,425,000 at the start of the cycle. By the end, this had increased to €2,594,000, while employment numbers increased from 29 to 80 during the six months. Participants on Back for Business 9 will meet once a month on a peer-supported round table, facilitated by voluntary Lead Entrepreneurs who have experience of successfully starting and growing a business. Many of them have also lived abroad before returning to Ireland to start their business. This year's Lead Entrepreneurs are: Gillian O'Dowd, Director at Azon; Paul Duggan of The Gardiner Group; Seamus Reilly, co-founder and formerly of Critical Healthcare; Sinéad Doherty, founder and CEO of Fenero; and Thomas Ennis, founder of the Thomas Ennis Group. Back for Business past participant Aoife Mathews was based in Madrid when she co-founded SISTERLY, a female supplement company, alongside Jennifer O' Connell and Louise O'Riordan. She is very clear about the importance of that early support. "One of the best decisions I made when I began my entrepreneurial journey was joining the Back for Business programme. Having spent most of my career outside of Ireland, the programme provided not only structure and guidance, but also a collaborative community of ambitious founders." Back for Business past participant Dave McCormack of Fluent says: "Back ...

What are Denmark's vision and priorities in the Arctic? And how is the country addressing emerging challenges and opportunities in the region?Joining the conversation is Lars Løkke Rasmussen, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Denmark. His remarks are followed by an open Q&A with Jonas Bering Liisberg, State Secretary for European Affairs and the Arctic of Denmark, and moderated by Ólafur Ragnar Grímsson, Chairman of Arctic Circle and former President of Iceland.This Session was recorded live at the 2025 Arctic Circle Assembly, held in Reykjavík, Iceland, from October 16th to 18th.Arctic Circle is the largest network of international dialogue and cooperation on the future of the Arctic. It is an open democratic platform with participation from governments, organizations, corporations, universities, think tanks, environmental associations, Indigenous communities, concerned citizens, and others interested in the development of the Arctic and its consequences for the future of the globe. It is a nonprofit and nonpartisan organization. Learn more about Arctic Circle at www.ArcticCircle.org or contact us at secretariat@arcticcircle.orgTWITTER:@_Arctic_CircleFACEBOOK:The Arctic CircleINSTAGRAM:arctic_circle_org

This episode of The Food Professor Podcast takes a deep dive into one of the most powerful forces now reshaping the food industry: the rapid rise of GLP-1 weight-loss drugs such as Ozempic and Wegovy. Hosts Michael LeBlanc and Dr. Sylvain Charlebois begin with a run-through of current food and retail headlines, including controversy at Campbell Soup, conversations around AI adoption and innovation in the food sector, and early teasers from the 2026 Canada Food Price Report. These stories set the stage for this week's feature discussion: how GLP-1 medications are altering what consumers eat, where they shop, and which products they choose.The heart of the episode features an in-depth interview with Ransom Hawley, Founder and CEO of Caddle, a Canadian mobile-first consumer insights platform with access to real-time behavioural data. Hawley shares new Canadian research showing GLP-1 household usage has jumped from 10% to 14% over two years, a dramatic 40% increase. Equally important is the shift in why people are taking these drugs: where most users initially relied on them to manage type-2 diabetes, an increasing number now use them primarily for weight loss. That consumer pivot mirrors rapid adoption trends in the United States and offers important clues about what's coming next for Canadian retailers, manufacturers and restaurants.Hawley reveals that GLP-1 users report eating less, losing weight, buying fewer groceries, and reducing restaurant visits. Consumption of alcohol, sugary beverages and impulse-driven snack foods is falling, while protein-rich foods, functional beverages and satiety-oriented products are gaining momentum. Categories seeing the steepest declines include bakery goods, packaged cookies, chocolates, soft drinks and sweet snacks—all long-time staples of convenience-driven food consumption. This suggests a structural shift, not a temporary fad.The conversation expands to consider the broader implications. As GLP-1 usage rises, brands face new challenges and opportunities: How should they reformulate products for consumers who eat less? Should retailers redesign planograms to reflect category shrinkage? Will foodservice operators pivot toward protein-forward meals, smoothies and portion-smart menu strategies? As the hosts discuss, this is the first time since COVID-era lockdowns that such a large segment of the population is simultaneously changing eating behaviours, and its ripple effects will reshape category strategies, promotional plans, and innovation pipelines.By the end of the episode, one thing is clear: GLP-1 drugs are not just a pharmaceutical phenomenon—they are transforming food culture, retail economics, and consumer expectations. Retailers and brands that ignore this shift risk falling behind; those who understand it may unlock a once-in-a-generation competitive advantage. The Food Professor #podcast is presented by Caddle. About UsDr. Sylvain Charlebois is a Professor in food distribution and policy in the Faculties of Management and Agriculture at Dalhousie University in Halifax. He is also the Senior Director of the Agri-food Analytics Lab, also located at Dalhousie University. Before joining Dalhousie, he was affiliated with the University of Guelph's Arrell Food Institute, which he co-founded. Known as “The Food Professor”, his current research interest lies in the broad area of food distribution, security and safety. Google Scholar ranks him as one of the world's most cited scholars in food supply chain management, food value chains and traceability.He has authored five books on global food systems, his most recent one published in 2017 by Wiley-Blackwell entitled “Food Safety, Risk Intelligence and Benchmarking”. He has also published over 500 peer-reviewed journal articles in several academic publications. Furthermore, his research has been featured in several newspapers and media groups, including The Lancet, The Economist, the New York Times, the Boston Globe, the Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, BBC, NBC, ABC, Fox News, Foreign Affairs, the Globe & Mail, the National Post and the Toronto Star.Dr. Charlebois sits on a few company boards, and supports many organizations as a special advisor, including some publicly traded companies. Charlebois is also a member of the Scientific Council of the Business Scientific Institute, based in Luxemburg. Dr. Charlebois is a member of the Global Food Traceability Centre's Advisory Board based in Washington DC, and a member of the National Scientific Committee of the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) in Ottawa. Michael LeBlanc is the president and founder of M.E. LeBlanc & Company Inc, a senior retail advisor, keynote speaker and now, media entrepreneur. He has been on the front lines of retail industry change for his entire career. Michael has delivered keynotes, hosted fire-side discussions and participated worldwide in thought leadership panels, most recently on the main stage in Toronto at Retail Council of Canada's Retail Marketing conference with leaders from Walmart & Google. He brings 25+ years of brand/retail/marketing & eCommerce leadership experience with Levi's, Black & Decker, Hudson's Bay, CanWest Media, Pandora Jewellery, The Shopping Channel and Retail Council of Canada to his advisory, speaking and media practice.Michael produces and hosts a network of leading retail trade podcasts, including the award-winning No.1 independent retail industry podcast in America, Remarkable Retail with his partner, Dallas-based best-selling author Steve Dennis; Canada's top retail industry podcast The Voice of Retail and Canada's top food industry and one of the top Canadian-produced management independent podcasts in the country, The Food Professor with Dr. Sylvain Charlebois from Dalhousie University in Halifax.Rethink Retail has recognized Michael as one of the top global retail experts for the fourth year in a row, Thinkers 360 has named him on of the Top 50 global thought leaders in retail, RTIH has named him a top 100 global though leader in retail technology and Coresight Research has named Michael a Retail AI Influencer. If you are a BBQ fan, you can tune into Michael's cooking show, Last Request BBQ, on YouTube, Instagram, X and yes, TikTok.Michael is available for keynote presentations helping retailers, brands and retail industry insiders explaining the current state and future of the retail industry in North America and around the world.

Good afternoon, I'm _____ with today's episode of EZ News. Tai-Ex opening The Tai-Ex opened up 151-points this morning from yesterday's close, at 27,063 on turnover of 6.5-billion N-T. The market moved sharply higher on Tuesday - adding just over 400-points - on the back of investor hopes that the U-S Federal Reserve will initiate more rate cuts next month and that led to a surge in interest for large cap semiconductor stocks. Panama lawmakers arrive in Taiwan despite reported China pressure A group of Panamanian lawmakers have arrived in Taiwan in apparent defiance of reported Chinese requests that they cancel the trip. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs says the nine-member delegation (代表團) will meet with Vice President Hsiao Bi-khim, Legislative Speaker Han Kuo-yu and attend a banquet hosted by Foreign Minister Lin Chia-lung during their stay. An Associated Press report citing a Panamanian daily newspaper as saying Chinese embassy staff in Panama asked a total of 10 lawmakers to "immediately cancel" plans to visit Taiwan. The foreign ministry here is condemning (譴責) Beijing for trying to intervene in what it's calling Taiwan's "normal exchanges with other countries." Tropical storm forms over Philippine waters; no direct impact on Taiwan And, The Central Weather Administration says Tropical Storm Koto will not have a direct impact on Taiwan. The storm formed yesterday evening and is currently located west of the Philippines. Based on the weather administration's latest tracking chart, the storm will approach (逼近) the coast of Vietnam in the coming days before veering in a northerly direction towards China's Hainan Island on Saturday. Koto is the 27th tropical storm of this year Pacific typhoon season. Trump sending envoy Steve Witkoff to discuss possible Ukraine peace deal with Putin Donald Trump says he's sending his Special Envoy Steve Witkoff to Russia to meet with President Vladimir Putin - as he tries to finalize a Ukraine peace deal. The US president says he believes a deal is close, but that he won't personally (親自) meet with the leaders of Ukraine or Russia until the deal is final or in its final stages. Toni Waterman has more. Italy Approves Law Adding Femicide to Criminal Law Italy's parliament has approved a law that introduces femicide (殺害女性) into the country's criminal law and punishes it with life in prison. Tuesday's final vote saw bipartisan support. The law is backed by the conservative government of Premier Giorgia Meloni. It comes in response to a series of killings and other violence targeting women in Italy. Italy's statistics agency recorded 106 femicides in 2024, with over half of them committed by partners (伴侶) or former partners. The law includes stronger measures against gender-based crimes including stalking and revenge porn. While the center-left opposition supported the law in parliament, it stressed that the government approach only tackles the criminal aspect of the problem while leaving economic and cultural divides unaddressed. That was the I.C.R.T. EZ News, I'm _____. －－－－以下為 SoundOn 動態廣告－－－－ 有些傷,不只存在於身體,也留在心裡。 《歷史的傷,心會記得》,帶你聽見那些被時代壓抑的聲音。 一起走進政治創傷的故事,聆聽他們如何在黑暗中,尋找療癒與理解。 https://sofm.pse.is/8dvccd 本節目由衛福部廣告製作 -- 全台南最多分店、最齊全物件，在地團隊懂台南，也懂你的需求。 不管是買屋、賣屋，還是從築夢到圓夢， 房子的大小事，交給台南住商，讓你更安心。 了解更多：https://sofm.pse.is/8e8alp -- Hosting provided by SoundOn

Voices is a new mini-series from Humanitarian AI Today. In daily five-minute flashpods we pass the mic to humanitarian experts and technology pioneers, to hear about new projects, events, and perspectives on topics of importance to the humanitarian community. In this flashpod, Radek Wierzbicki, CEO of Unsung Heroes, speaks with Humanitarian AI Today producer Brent Phillips about his team's work connecting startups with humanitarian organizations and Unsung Heroes' Humanity Badge initiative, a platform that builds the reputation of humanitarian and development workers and their organizations. They discuss Unsung Heroes' core interests in advancing digital literacy and entrepreneurship and their work in Tanzania supported by the Polish Minister of Foreign Affairs and the Polish Embassy in Tanzania helping mentor young people interested in launching technology startups. They also discuss Unsung Heroes' work distributing and training people on using computers and AI applications, and their work launching and partnering on technology incubators and accelerators advancing digital entrepreneurship. Substack notes: https://humanitarianaitoday.substack.com/p/radek-wierzbicki-from-unsung-heroes

Where do Pacific and western MEL approaches naturally align, and where do they clash?  Margaret Eastgate, Seraseini Vulavou and ‘Aulola ‘Ake discuss how MEL practice may honour Pacific ideas and ways of knowing in how we design, implement, and evaluate programs – including the concepts of tā (time) and vā (relational space).  This podcast was made possible through SPC's Funding with Intent initiative, funded by the New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade.    Please provide us feedback here: https://forms.office.com/r/yHK0eDhrex     Guests:  Margaret Eastgate, consultant - Pacific Magaret has worked in the development space for over 30 years. She is a Pacific MEL Influencer who has: co-authored the Pacific MEL Capacity Strengthening Rebbilib “For the Pacific, By the Pacific, With the Pacific” which situates MEL; co-curated & co-convened the Inaugural Pacific MEL Convening; and was a Member of the MEL Technical Experts Group that endorsed the Pacific MEL Diploma programme.  Seraseini Vulavou, Performance Quality and Learning (MERLA) Manager for Balance of Power - Fiji Seraseini works in the space of legitimizing the leadership of women – politically, culturally and socially – at a regional level, particularly across Vanuatu, Fiji and Tonga.  She has been a MEL practitioner for more than 10 years having worked in 9 Pacific island countries in the health sector (International Planned Parenthood Federation), as well as UN entities (UN Women, World Food Program and UNICEF) and Oxfam. ‘Aulola ‘Ake, Programme Officer at SPC – Tonga  ‘Aulola is part of a team that supports Pacific Women Lead at SPC's portfolio of grants, providing technical advice, assistance and capacity building, planning, monitoring and reporting at country and regional level. Prior to SPC, she worked for the Australian High Commission Nuku'alofa as Senior Program Manager managing Australia's bilateral investments in governance, gender equality and infrastructure. Her background is international affairs and development holding both a BA and MA in International Relations from Victoria University of Wellington, NZ, and Monash University, Australia. Links: Pacific MEL Rebbilib: https://www.spc.int/updates/blog/2020/08/pacific-mel-rebbilib-report-on-mel-capacity-available-for-download  Pacific MEL Diploma: https://www.spc.int/DigitalLibrary/SPC/Collection/Pacific_MEL  Reflections on tā and vā  by Ōkusitino Māhina: https://i-m-m.org/onewebmedia/IMM_PDFs/2021_imm_archiv/_archiv_sprache/210406_Ta_VA_Moana_by_Mahina_01.pdf  https://www.vamoana.org/news/talanoa-hufanga-he-ako-moe-lotu-dr-okusitino-mahina  Tongan sociospatial relations by Tevita Ka'ili: https://kealakai.byuh.edu/tevita-kaili-presents-new-book-on-tongan-sociospatial-relations  Decolonisation & Locally Led Development (including practical ideas for action): https://acfid.asn.au/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/ACFID-Decolonisation-and-Locally-Led-Development-Discussion-Paper.pdf  How can aid be decolonized and localized in the Pacific? by Theresa Meki and Jope Tarai: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/dpr.12732  Kakala Research Framework: (PDF) Kakala Research Framework  Kakala_Research.pdf  Kakala Research Framework | SpringerLink  

Jerry spoke to former Tánaiste, Minister for Foreign Affairs and Labour Party leader, Dick Spring, who was also a long-serving TD for North Kerry.

Are we finally seeing a breakthrough in the search for peace in Ukraine? After a dramatic series of talks in Geneva, with Ireland's new Minister of Foreign Affairs, Helen McEntee, calling it “extremely positive”. But, is real progress being made and can peace be achieved by the touted date of Thanksgiving?Joining Ciara Doherty to discuss is Shona Murray, Europe Correspondent with Euronews.

Cormac Smith has worked in Public Relations and Corporate Communications for over three decades. In 2016 he traveled to Ukraine to take up a special appointment as the ‘Strategic Communication Advisor' to Pavlo Klimkin, then the Foreign Minister of Ukraine. He was attached to the British Embassy in Kyiv but was embedded in Ukraine's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the first foreigner to hold such a position. While in Kyiv, he also advised and provided training for five other government ministries and worked directly with three other cabinet ministers: Health, Education and the Deputy Prime Minister. ----------LINKS:https://defencebrink.uk/https://x.com/CormacS63https://x.com/philipingmbe----------CHAPTERS:----------SUPPORT THE CHANNEL:https://www.buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtainhttps://www.patreon.com/siliconcurtain----------TRUSTED CHARITIES ON THE GROUND:Save Ukrainehttps://www.saveukraineua.org/Superhumans - Hospital for war traumashttps://superhumans.com/en/UNBROKEN - Treatment. Prosthesis. Rehabilitation for Ukrainians in Ukrainehttps://unbroken.org.ua/Come Back Alivehttps://savelife.in.ua/en/Chefs For Ukraine - World Central Kitchenhttps://wck.org/relief/activation-chefs-for-ukraineUNITED24 - An initiative of President Zelenskyyhttps://u24.gov.ua/Serhiy Prytula Charity Foundationhttps://prytulafoundation.orgNGO “Herojam Slava”https://heroiamslava.org/kharpp - Reconstruction project supporting communities in Kharkiv and Przemyślhttps://kharpp.com/NOR DOG Animal Rescuehttps://www.nor-dog.org/home/----------

At May's UK-EU summit, Keir Starmer and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen unveiled a new Common Understanding between the EU and the UK. The government hailed a new “deal” with the EU which included an agreement on fisheries and a joint commitment to negotiate a ‘youth experience scheme', as well as new arrangements for agriculture, emissions trading,  energy cooperation and defence.  Many of these changes will involve the UK accepting dynamic alignment, with its potential role in “decision-shaping” to be defined. Six months on, how much progress has been made? Have new stumbling blocks emerged? And now the government has started to highlight the economic consequences of Brexit, will it start to seek an even closer relationship?  To explore these questions and more, we were joined by our expert panel: Baroness Ashton, former High Representative of the EU for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and member of House of Lords and European Affairs Committee Professor Anand Menon, Director of UK in a Changing Europe Calum Miller MP, Liberal Democrat Spokesperson (Foreign Affairs) Sir Ivan Rogers, former UK Permanent Representative to the EU The event was chaired by Jill Rutter, Senior Fellow at the Institute for Government. We would like to thank UK in a Changing Europe for kindly supporting this event. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Members of the foreign policy world have talked a lot about great-power competition over the last decade. But no one can entirely agree on the contours of today's competition. Whether it's a battle of autocracies and democracies. Or revisionists and status quo powers. Or whether, as the realists would argue, it's just states doing what states do.  S. C. M. Paine, a longtime professor of strategy and policy at the U.S. Naval War College, sees something else going on. To her, the great-power competition we talk about today is just the latest example of the centuries-old tension between maritime and continental powers. For maritime powers—such as, for most of its history, the United States—money and trade serve as the basis of influence. And that leads them to promote rules and order. Continental powers—such as Russia most clearly and China in most but not all ways—focus their security objectives on territory, which they seek to defend, and control, and expand. From this divide rises two very different visions of global order. It also, Paine argues in a new essay in Foreign Affairs, explains the basic drivers of today's great-power competition. But as she looks at more recent developments, Paine lays out an additional concern. The United States has long been an exemplar of maritime power. But it is starting to behave in ways that suggest a shift away from the maritime strategies that have served it so well. Paine's focus on the contest between land and sea makes clear the stakes of that shift. You can find sources, transcripts, and more episodes of The Foreign Affairs Interview at https://www.foreignaffairs.com/podcasts/foreign-affairs-interview. 

At May's UK-EU summit, Keir Starmer and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen unveiled a new Common Understanding between the EU and the UK. The government hailed a new “deal” with the EU which included an agreement on fisheries and a joint commitment to negotiate a ‘youth experience scheme', as well as new arrangements for agriculture, emissions trading, energy cooperation and defence. Many of these changes will involve the UK accepting dynamic alignment, with its potential role in “decision-shaping” to be defined. Six months on, how much progress has been made? Have new stumbling blocks emerged? And now the government has started to highlight the economic consequences of Brexit, will it start to seek an even closer relationship? To explore these questions and more, we were joined by our expert panel: Baroness Ashton, former High Representative of the EU for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and member of House of Lords and European Affairs Committee Professor Anand Menon, Director of UK in a Changing Europe Calum Miller MP, Liberal Democrat Spokesperson (Foreign Affairs) Sir Ivan Rogers, former UK Permanent Representative to the EU The event was chaired by Jill Rutter, Senior Fellow at the Institute for Government. We would like to thank UK in a Changing Europe for kindly supporting this event.

Speaking at the United Nations General Assembly's plenary meeting on Security Council reform on Tuesday, China's permanent representative to the UN Fu Cong said that Japan is "totally unqualified" to seek a permanent seat on the UN Security Council.在联合国大会周二举行的安理会改革全体会议上，中国常驻联合国代表傅聪指出，日本“完全不具备”谋求联合国安理会常任理事国席位的资格。This is a justified position. Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's provocative remarks on Taiwan in the Diet on Nov 7 were not only gross interference in China's internal affairs, they were also an affront to international justice.这一立场完全正当。日本首相高市早苗11月7日在国会发表的涉台挑衅言论，不仅是对中国内政的粗暴干涉，也是对国际公义的严重冒犯。As Fu correctly pointed out, her remarks were "extremely erroneous and dangerous", as they deny the postwar international order, trample on the basic norms of international relations and represent a blatant departure from Japan's commitment to peaceful development.正如傅聪所指出，高市的言论“极其错误且危险”，因为它否定了二战后国际秩序，践踏国际关系基本准则，并公然背离了日本对和平发展的承诺。Her remarks, which run counter to Japan's commitments enshrined in the four political documents between China and Japan, have done grave damage to bilateral relations and sparked concern both within and outside Japan.她的言论违背了中日四个政治文件中日本所作的承诺，严重损害双边关系，并在日本国内外引发广泛担忧。Should Takaichi continue to challenge the one-China principle as a cornerstone of the postwar order, Stephane Dujarric, spokesman for the UN Secretary-General, has left her no room to plead ignorance. When answering a question concerning Takaichi's recent remarks on Taiwan, Dujarric said that the official position of the UN on Taiwan is based on the relevant General Assembly Resolution 2758. And in addressing a follow-up question for confirmation that the official language in documents is still Taiwan, a province of China, he said "I'm not aware of any change in General Assembly texts", adding that every member state should support and respect the UN Charter.如果高市继续挑战作为战后秩序基石的一个中国原则，联合国秘书长发言人斯特凡纳·迪雅里克的表态已让她无可推诿。在回答有关高市涉台言论的问题时，迪雅里克表示，联合国对台湾问题的官方立场基于联大第2758号决议。面对记者追问联合国文件中仍将台湾表述为“中国的一个省”是否仍然适用，他回应称：“我没有听说联大文本有任何变化。”并强调所有会员国都应支持和尊重《联合国宪章》。As Fu pointed out, given Takaichi's egregious remarks, how can Japan's professed commitment to peaceful development be trusted? How can it be trusted to uphold fairness and justice? How can it be trusted to shoulder the responsibility of maintaining international peace and security?正如傅聪指出，在高市发表如此恶劣言论的情况下，日本所谓“坚持和平发展”如何令人信任？它又如何能被信任去维护公平与正义？如何能承担维护国际和平与安全的责任？On Sunday, citing the growing number of crimes against Chinese citizens in Japan, the Ministry of Education released an overseas study alert, advising Chinese students to plan their studies prudently. On the same day, the Ministry of Culture and Tourism also issued a cautionary travel notice for Chinese tourists.上周日，鉴于在日中国公民遭遇侵害案件增多，中国教育部发布海外留学预警，提醒中国学生谨慎规划赴日留学。同日，文化和旅游部也向中国游客发布赴日旅行风险提示。Needless to say, these warnings are making Chinese people think twice about studying in Japan or visiting the country. Already, tens of thousands of Chinese tourists have reportedly canceled trips to Japan.不言而喻，这些警示正让中国民众重新考虑赴日留学或旅行。据报道，目前已有数以万计的中国游客取消赴日行程。And Japan's self-made troubles do not end there. On Wednesday, Mao Ning, a spokeswoman for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of China, said that under the current circumstances, even if Japanese seafood were exported to China, there would be no market for it. She also stressed that if Japan continues on its erroneous course, China will have no choice but to take severe and resolute countermeasures.日本自造的麻烦还不止这些。周三，中国外交部发言人毛宁表示，在当前情况下，即便日本水产品出口至中国，也不会有市场。她强调，如果日方继续在错误道路上滑行，中方将不得不采取严厉而坚决的反制措施。Japan should bear all the consequences of Takaichi's irresponsible remarks. Her attempts to distort, deny and glorify Japan's history of aggression and colonial rule and the ascendancy of ultrarightist sentiment in Japan have produced an international wave of concern at the possible consequences of militarism raising its ugly head in Japan again.日本应承担高市不负责任言论造成的全部后果。她试图歪曲、否认并美化日本侵略与殖民统治历史，加之日本国内极右势力抬头，引发了国际社会对日本军国主义可能再次抬头的强烈担忧。Japan's history of aggression has left lasting scars on neighboring countries, and its stubborn unwillingness to reflect on its wrongdoings has led to them festering. Takaichi's whitewashing of Japan's historical aggression and her accelerated remilitarization agenda have only served to rub more salt in the wounds.日本的侵略历史给周边国家留下深重伤痕，而其长期拒绝反省的态度让这些伤痕不断恶化。高市对白洗日本侵略历史的行为，以及她推动的加速军事化议程，无异于在伤口上撒盐。Takaichi's rhetoric in the Japanese parliament that the Dokdo islands, or Takeshima islets as the Japanese call them, are Japan's "inherent territory" has sparked anger in the Republic of Korea. The ROK's Foreign Ministry responded quickly by summoning the Japanese ambassador to Seoul to lodge a protest, strongly urging Japan to correct its erroneous stance.高市在日本国会声称独岛（日本称竹岛）是日本“固有领土”的言论，引发韩国强烈不满。韩国外交部迅速召见日本驻韩大使提出严正抗议，强烈敦促日方纠正错误立场。Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova also said that Japanese militarism brought profound disasters to Asia and the world, and caused Japan to pay a heavy price. She urged Takaichi and her like-minded Japanese politicians to deeply reflect on history and be wary of the serious consequences that their erroneous words and actions may cause.俄罗斯外交部发言人扎哈罗娃也表示，日本军国主义曾给亚洲和世界带来深重灾难，并让日本付出惨重代价。她敦促高市及其同类政客深刻反省历史，警惕其错误言行可能造成的严重后果。Despite the regional alarm, it seems Takaichi is determined to continue down the wrong path: According to Japanese media reports, under growing pressure from nationalist conservatives, she is considering paying homage at Yasukuni Shrine, which honors convicted war criminals among others, next month. Something most previous Japanese leaders have refrained from doing in their official capacity as prime minister.尽管区域国家已纷纷示警，但高市似乎仍执意走在错误道路上：据日本媒体报道，在民族主义保守派的压力下，她正考虑下月以首相身份参拜供奉有甲级战犯的靖国神社——这是大多数历任日本首相都避免在任内进行的行为。The Japanese leader should know that such a visit will drag Japan into an abyss of mistrust. "Normalization" will be an even more elusive aspiration for Japan if Takaichi continues on her current trajectory.日本领导人应当明白，此类行为将把日本拖入不信任的深渊。如果高市继续沿着当前路线前行，日本所谓“正常化”的愿望将更加遥不可及。an affront to 冒犯...run counter to 与……背道而驰；违反……rub salt in the wounds在伤口上撒盐drag ... into an abyss of mistrust将……拖入不信任的深渊（常用于评论类文章形容外交或关系迅速恶化）

In this can't-miss episode of The Food Professor Podcast, Michael LeBlanc and Sylvain Charlebois return with Part Two of their exclusive, final official interview with Michael Medline, former President & CEO of Empire/Sobeys. Medline offers unusually candid reflections on leadership, culture, vendor relationships, and the evolution of one of Canada's largest food retailers.The conversation opens with a deep dive into vendor relations and the Canadian Grocery Code of Conduct. Medline explains his early shock at the combative nature of vendor–retailer dynamics and details his personal commitment to transforming the ecosystem into one built on fairness, respect, and partnership. He reflects on how mentorship from industry leaders like Michael Graydon and collaboration with executives such as Mark Taylor helped advance the Code from concept to reality — ultimately becoming one of the proudest achievements of his tenure.Medline also shares rare behind-the-scenes reflections on working with the Sobey family, leading through disruption, and preparing the company for the next era of food retail. From AI-driven transformation to the duty of stewarding an organization with 129,000 teammates, he speaks openly about responsibility, succession, and what comes next in his career. His insights offer a masterclass in modern leadership during one of the most transformative decades in grocery retail.The episode also features a rich and timely news segment. Michael and Sylvain break down Health Canada's pause on cloned beef and swine approvals, a fast-moving story with major implications for transparency, labeling, science communication, and cross-border food integration. They examine why Canada's decision diverges from the U.S., where cloned-animal offspring have been permitted for nearly two decades — often without consumer awareness.The hosts then analyze the newest edition of the Canadian Food Sentiment Index, highlighting renewed concerns about food inflation, declining trust in grocers, shifting loyalty behaviours, and the end of Canada's “couponing era.” They explore evolving consumer habits, smarter comparison shopping, and the influence of younger digital-first generations.Other key topics include:• The Lancet's callout of ultra-processed foods — and why Sylvain believes the academic narrative is oversimplified.• The rapid rise of GLP-1 drugs and their early impact on grocery and foodservice behaviour.• Nutrien's reported decision to build a major potash terminal in Washington State rather than Canada.• The tangled story behind beef prices and the federal policies that may be limiting supply.• A big win for Canadian agriculture as GoodLeaf Farms raises $52 million to expand capacity and boost controlled-environment production. Go Here for the The Canadian Food Sentiment Index, Volume 2, no. 1  The Food Professor #podcast is presented by Caddle. About UsDr. Sylvain Charlebois is a Professor in food distribution and policy in the Faculties of Management and Agriculture at Dalhousie University in Halifax. He is also the Senior Director of the Agri-food Analytics Lab, also located at Dalhousie University. Before joining Dalhousie, he was affiliated with the University of Guelph's Arrell Food Institute, which he co-founded. Known as “The Food Professor”, his current research interest lies in the broad area of food distribution, security and safety. Google Scholar ranks him as one of the world's most cited scholars in food supply chain management, food value chains and traceability.He has authored five books on global food systems, his most recent one published in 2017 by Wiley-Blackwell entitled “Food Safety, Risk Intelligence and Benchmarking”. He has also published over 500 peer-reviewed journal articles in several academic publications. Furthermore, his research has been featured in several newspapers and media groups, including The Lancet, The Economist, the New York Times, the Boston Globe, the Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, BBC, NBC, ABC, Fox News, Foreign Affairs, the Globe & Mail, the National Post and the Toronto Star.Dr. Charlebois sits on a few company boards, and supports many organizations as a special advisor, including some publicly traded companies. Charlebois is also a member of the Scientific Council of the Business Scientific Institute, based in Luxemburg. Dr. Charlebois is a member of the Global Food Traceability Centre's Advisory Board based in Washington DC, and a member of the National Scientific Committee of the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) in Ottawa. Michael LeBlanc is the president and founder of M.E. LeBlanc & Company Inc, a senior retail advisor, keynote speaker and now, media entrepreneur. He has been on the front lines of retail industry change for his entire career. Michael has delivered keynotes, hosted fire-side discussions and participated worldwide in thought leadership panels, most recently on the main stage in Toronto at Retail Council of Canada's Retail Marketing conference with leaders from Walmart & Google. He brings 25+ years of brand/retail/marketing & eCommerce leadership experience with Levi's, Black & Decker, Hudson's Bay, CanWest Media, Pandora Jewellery, The Shopping Channel and Retail Council of Canada to his advisory, speaking and media practice.Michael produces and hosts a network of leading retail trade podcasts, including the award-winning No.1 independent retail industry podcast in America, Remarkable Retail with his partner, Dallas-based best-selling author Steve Dennis; Canada's top retail industry podcast The Voice of Retail and Canada's top food industry and one of the top Canadian-produced management independent podcasts in the country, The Food Professor with Dr. Sylvain Charlebois from Dalhousie University in Halifax.Rethink Retail has recognized Michael as one of the top global retail experts for the fourth year in a row, Thinkers 360 has named him on of the Top 50 global thought leaders in retail, RTIH has named him a top 100 global though leader in retail technology and Coresight Research has named Michael a Retail AI Influencer. If you are a BBQ fan, you can tune into Michael's cooking show, Last Request BBQ, on YouTube, Instagram, X and yes, TikTok.Michael is available for keynote presentations helping retailers, brands and retail industry insiders explaining the current state and future of the retail industry in North America and around the world.

Today's episode takes on a special format. We will be sharing with our listeners a recording of the 2025 Anna Lindh Lecture as it was delivered. The Anna Lindh Lecture is an annual public event co-organized by the Raoul Wallenberg Institute, the Anna Lindh Memorial Foundation, Lund University and Lund University Association of Foreign Affairs. It commemorates the late Anna Lindh, a Swedish Minister for Foreign Affairs who was assassinated in 2003. The 2025 Anna Lindh Lecture was delivered by Hadja Lahbib, European Commissioner for Equality; Preparedness and Crisis Management.

Good afternoon, I'm _____ with today's episode of EZ News. Tai-Ex opening The Tai-Ex opened down 137-points this morning from yesterday's close, at 27,310 on turnover of $7.7-billion N-T. Shares in Taiwan ended slightly higher Monday after profit-taking eroded most of the initial gains amid lingering concerns over stretched artificial intelligence stocks at home and abroad. Analysts say the market was initially led by the electronics sector as investors took cues from a rebound enjoyed by tech stocks on the U.S. markets on Friday. But this strength was compromised by the end of the session as many investors shifted to the sell side. MOFA names new ambassador to Palau The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has approved the appointment of Andy Chen as Taiwan's new ambassador to Palau. Chen has been the director general of the ministry's Office of Parliamentarian Affairs since February. He will replace sitting ambassador Jessica Lee, who'll be returning to the MOFA headquarters in Taipei. Chen previously (先前) served as Taiwan's representative to Oman and head of Taiwan's office in Vancouver, Brunei, and the Philippines. He received his bachelor's degree in Arabic Language and Culture from National Chengchi University. (AH) Bangladesh's former leader Sheikh Hasina sentenced to death In Bangladesh, former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has been sentenced to death by a special tribunal (特別法庭 ) that found her guilty of committing crimes against humanity. She was put on trial in absentia and was found guilty of overseeing a crackdown on protesters last July. According to a UN report 1400 people were killed during the demonstrations last year, most by security forces firing live ammunition. Hasina claims she's innocent. Neha Poonia has more. Canada Budget Vote Passes Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney won a vote on his budget in Parliament that could have triggered (觸發) a possible election. Carney's Liberal government does not have enough votes to pass the budget on its own but it passed 170-168 with the support of a Green Party member of Parliament and some New Democrat abstentions. The Liberals don't have a majority of seats in the House of Commons and must rely on an opposition party to pass legislation. The budget vote is considered a vote of confidence in the minority Liberal government. Carney's Liberal Party scored a stunning comeback victory in an election last April in a vote widely seen as a rebuke of U.S. President Donald Trump. But the Liberals fell just short of winning an outright majority in Parliament. British Royal Mint Issues Freddie Mercury Coin Design Britain's Royal Mint is celebrating Freddie Mercury with a new coin design. The coin marks 40 years since his iconic Live Aid performance. It features an image of the Queen front man midperformance, with a musical stave (五線譜 ) representing his vocal range. Mercury's sister struck the first coin at the Royal Mint in Wales last week. She said the coin captures his passion and joy. The coins go on sale Tuesday. Mercury died at age 45 in 1991, just one day after he publicly (公開地) announced he was HIV positive. That was the I.C.R.T. EZ News, I'm _____. AI 不只是科技，更是投資的新藍海 您還沒上車嗎? 11/22下午二點，由ICRT與元大投信共同舉辦的免費講座 會中邀請理財專家阮幕驊和元大投顧分析師及專業團隊 帶你掌握「AI 投資機會」 加碼好康！ 只要「報名並親臨現場參加活動」 就有機會抽中 全家禮券200元，共計5名幸運得主！ 活動地點：台北文化大學APA藝文中心--數位演講廳（台北市中正區延平南路127號4樓） 免費入場，名額倒數中!! 立即報名：https://www.icrt.com.tw/app/2025yuanta/ 「投資一定有風險，基金投資有賺有賠，申購前應詳閱公開說明書」 #AI投資 #元大投信 #理財講座 #免費講座 #投資趨勢 #ETF -- Hosting provided by SoundOn

781,094 views Streamed live on Nov 11, 2025 #mіndіch #pokrovsk #nabu#arestovych #rustle #zelensky #putin #trumpStarlink fundraising for the 43rd separate separate brigade. Link under Original stream: https://youtu.be/I8dfNJLK6C4

Day 1,359.Today, as Ukraine launches more projectiles at Russia than it receives in return, we examine the worsening situation on the ground in the Zaporizhzhia region and the growing domestic turmoil facing President Zelensky, as the corruption scandal rattles his government. We then look at the latest defence measures being adopted across Germany, Norway, and Poland, and end with voices from a Ukrainian women's film festival highlighting resilience, creativity, and the power of cultural resistance amid war.ContributorsFrancis Dearnley (Executive Editor for Audio). @FrancisDearnley on X.James Rothwell (Berlin Correspondent). @JamesERothwell on X.Adélie Pojzman-Pontay (Journalist and Producer). @adeliepjz on X.With thanks to Mariia Vynogradova and Ksenia Bugrimova from the Women and the World International Film Festival.SIGN UP TO THE ‘UKRAINE: THE LATEST' WEEKLY NEWSLETTER:http://telegraph.co.uk/ukrainenewsletter Each week, Dom Nicholls and Francis Dearnley answer your questions, provide recommended reading, and give exclusive analysis and behind-the-scenes insights – plus maps of the frontlines and diagrams of weapons to complement our daily reporting. It's free for everyone, including non-subscribers.CONTENT REFERENCED:Tanks or drones? German defence giants clash over how to rebuild military (James Rothwell in The Telegraph):https://tinyurl.com/yc7tdthuPolish civilians arm themselves in case of Russian invasion (James Rothwell in The Telegraph):https://tinyurl.com/56y9m2s4Russia massing nuclear fleet in Arctic Circle ‘for war with Nato' (James Rothwell in The Telegraph):https://tinyurl.com/bdv28359More Soldiers, More Gold (Bild):https://tinyurl.com/bdurmwxfUkraine's Hardest Winter (Jack Watling in Foreign Affairs):https://www.foreignaffairs.com/ukraine/ukraines-hardest-winter Ukraine withdraws from positions near settlement in Zaporizhzhia (Kyiv Independent):https://kyivindependent.com/ukraine-withdraws-from-another-settlement-in-zaporizhzhia-oblast-amid-ongoing-russian-offensive/?mc_cid=73117cc8fa&mc_eid=08d0680a95 Women and the World International Film Festival:https://www.iffww.com/Trailer to Dad's Lullaby, a documentary about a Ukrainian veteran by Lesia Diak:https://cineuropa.org/en/video/464790/Hitler's DNA proves he really did have only one ball (The Telegraph):https://www.telegraph.co.uk/tv/2025/11/12/scientists-secrets-adolf-hitler-dna-adhd/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Robert O'Brien served as Donald Trump's national security adviser from 2019 to 2021. O'Brien's predecessors in that position left the administration to become some of the most vociferous critics of their former boss. O'Brien, in contrast, remained a staunch defender of Trump's foreign policy through the Biden administration and into Trump's second term. And perhaps as a result, he can help make some sense of the thinking behind Trump's approach on key national security issues, drawing out the objectives and assumptions driving policy on China, Ukraine, the Middle East, Venezuela, and much else. Shortly before the 2024 election, O'Brien wrote an essay in Foreign Affairs called “The Return of Peace Through Strength: Making the Case for Trump's Foreign Policy.” Last week, he published a follow-up to that essay, giving Trump high marks for his approach to the world over the past ten months. O'Brien and Dan Kurtz-Phelan spoke on Monday, November 10, about the second-term policy so far, about where he sees continuity and where he sees change from the first term, and about where Trump's foreign policy may be going from here. You can find sources, transcripts, and more episodes of The Foreign Affairs Interview at https://www.foreignaffairs.com/podcasts/foreign-affairs-interview.

Canada's Minister of Foreign Affairs joins Matt Galloway as the G7 foreign ministers meeting gets underway in Ontario's Niagara region. She defends Canada's approach to relations with the U.S. and policy of engagement with countries like India and China.

Last time we spoke about the Changsha fire. Chiang Kai-shek faced a brutal choice: defend Wuhan to the last man or flood the land to slow the invaders. He chose both, pushing rivers and rallying a fractured army as Japanese forces pressed along the Yangtze. Fortresses at Madang held long, but the cost was high—troops lost, civilians displaced, a city's heart burning in the night. Wuhan fell after months of brutal fighting, yet the battle did not break China's will. Mao Zedong urged strategy over martyrdom, preferring to drain the enemy and buy time for a broader struggle. The Japanese, though victorious tactically, found their strength ebbing, resource strains, supply gaps, and a war that felt endless. In the wake of Wuhan, Changsha stood next in the Japanese crosshairs, its evacuation and a devastating fire leaving ash and memory in its wake. Behind these prices, political currents swirled. Wang Jingwei defected again, seeking power beyond Chiang's grasp, while Chongqing rose as a western bastion of resistance. The war hardened into a protracted stalemate, turning Japan from an aggressive assailant into a wary occupier, and leaving China to endure, persist, and fight on.   #175  The Soviet-Japanese Border Conflicts Welcome to the Fall and Rise of China Podcast, I am your dutiful host Craig Watson. But, before we start I want to also remind you this podcast is only made possible through the efforts of Kings and Generals over at Youtube. Perhaps you want to learn more about the history of Asia? Kings and Generals have an assortment of episodes on history of asia and much more  so go give them a look over on Youtube. So please subscribe to Kings and Generals over at Youtube and to continue helping us produce this content please check out www.patreon.com/kingsandgenerals. If you are still hungry for some more history related content, over on my channel, the Pacific War Channel where I cover the history of China and Japan from the 19th century until the end of the Pacific War. So based on the title of this one, you probably can see we are taking a bit of a detour. For quite some time we have focused on the Japanese campaigns into China proper 1937-1938. Now the way the second sino-japanese war is traditionally broken down is in phases. 1937-1938, 1939-1942 and 1942-1945. However there is actually even more going on in China aside from the war with Japan. In Xinjiang province a large full blown Islamic revolution breaks out in 1937. We will be covering that story at a later date, but another significant event is escalating border skirmishes in Manchukuo. Now these border skirmishes had been raging ever since the USSR consolidated its hold over the far east. We talked about some of those skirmishes prior to the Sino-Soviet war in 1929. However when Japan created the puppet government of Manchukuo, this was a significant escalation in tensions with the reds. Today we are going to talk about the escalating border conflicts between the Soviets and Japan. A tongue of poorly demarcated land extends southeast from Hunchun, hugging the east bank of the Tumen River between Lake Khasan to the east and Korea to the west. Within this tongue stands Changkufeng Hill, one of a long chain of highlands sweeping from upstream along the rivers and moors toward the sea. The twin-peaked hill sits at the confluence area several miles northwest of the point where Manchuria, Korea, and the Russian Far East meet. The hill's shape reminded Koreans of their changgo, which is a long snare drum constricted at the center and tapped with the hands at each end. When the Manchus came to the Tumen, they rendered the phonetic sounds into three ideographic characters meaning "taut drum peaks" or Chang-ku-feng. The Japanese admired the imagery and preserved the Chinese readings, which they pronounce Cho-ko-ho. From their eastern vantage, the Russians called it Zaozernaya, "hill behind the lake." Soviet troops referred to it as a sugar-loaf hill. For many years, natives and a handful of officials in the region cultivated a relaxed attitude toward borders and sovereignty. Even after the Japanese seized Manchuria in 1931, the issue did not immediately come to a head. With the expansion of Manchukuo and the Soviet Far East under Stalin's Five-Year plans, both sides began to attend more closely to frontier delimitation. Whenever either party acted aggressively, force majeure was invoked to justify the unexpected and disruptive events recognized in international law. Most often, these incidents erupted along the eastern Manchurian borders with the USSR or along the 350-mile frontier south of Lake Khanka, each skirmish carrying the seeds of all-out warfare. Now we need to talk a little bit about border history. The borders in question essentially dated to pacts concluded by the Qing dynasty and the Tsardom. Between the first Sino-Russian Treaty of Nerchinsk in 1689 and the Mukden Agreement of 1924, there were over a dozen accords governing the borders. Relevant to Changkufeng were the basic 15-article Convention of Peking, supplementing the Tientsin Treaties of November 1860, some maps made in 1861, and the eight-article Hunchun Border Protocol of 1886. By the 1860 treaty, the Qing ceded to Tsarist Russia the entire maritime province of Siberia, but the meaning of "lands south of Lake Khanka" remained rather vague. Consequently, a further border agreement was negotiated in June 1861 known as "the Lake Khanka Border Pact", by which demarcations were drawn on maps and eight wooden markers erected. The border was to run from Khanka along ridgelines between the Hunchun River and the sea, past Suifenho and Tungning, terminating about 6 miles from the mouth of the Tumen. Then a Russo-Chinese commission established in 1886 drew up the Hunchun Border Pact, proposing new or modified markers along the 1860–1861 lines and arranging a Russian resurvey. However, for the Japanese, in 1938, the Chinese or Manchu texts of the 1886 Hunchun agreement were considered controlling. The Soviets argued the border ran along every summit west of Khasan, thereby granting them jurisdiction over at least the eastern slopes of all elevations, including Changkufeng and Shachaofeng.  Since the Qing dynasty and the house of Romanov were already defunct, the new sovereignties publicly appealed to opposing texts, and the Soviet side would not concede that the Russian-language version had never been deemed binding by the Qing commissioners. Yet, even in 1938, the Japanese knew that only the Chinese text had survived or could be located.    Now both the Chinese and Russian military maps generally drew the frontier along the watershed east of Khasan; this aligned with the 1861 readings based on the Khanka agreement. The Chinese Republican Army conducted new surveys sometime between 1915 and 1920. The latest Chinese military map of the Changkufeng area drew the border considerably closer to the old "red line" of 1886, running west of Khasan but near the shore rather than traversing the highland crests. None of the military delimitations of the border was sanctified by an official agreement. Hence, the Hunchun Protocol, whether well known or not, invaluable or worthless, remained the only government-to-government pact dealing with the frontiers.  Before we jump into it, how about a little summary of what became known as the Soviet-Japanese border conflicts. The first major conflict would obviously be the Russo-Japanese war of 1904-1905. Following years of conflict between the Russian Empire and Japan culminating in the costly Battle of Tsushima, Tsar Nicholas II's government sought peace, recognizing Japan's claims to Korea and agreeing to evacuate Manchuria.  From 1918 to 1920, the Imperial Japanese Army, under Emperor Taishō after the death of Meiji, assisted the White Army and Alexander Kerensky against the Bolshevik Red Army. They also aided the Czechoslovak Legion in Siberia to facilitate its return to Europe after an Austrian-Hungarian armoured train purportedly went astray. By 1920, with Austria-Hungary dissolved and Czechoslovakia established two years earlier, the Czechoslovak Legion reached Europe. Japan withdrew from the Russian Revolution and the Civil War in 1922. Following Japan's 1919-1920 occupations and the Soviet intervention in Mongolia in 1921, the Republic of China also withdrew from Outer Mongolia in 1921. In 1922, after capturing Vladivostok in 1918 to halt Bolshevik advances, Japanese forces retreated to Japan as Bolshevik power grew and the postwar fatigue among combatants increased. After Hirohito's invasion of Manchuria in 1931–1932, following Taishō's death in 1926, border disputes between Manchukuo, the Mongolian People's Republic, and the Soviet Union increased. Many clashes stemmed from poorly defined borders, though some involved espionage. Between 1932 and 1934, the Imperial Japanese Army reported 152 border disputes, largely tied to Soviet intelligence activity in Manchuria, while the Soviets accused Japan of 15 border violations, six air intrusions, and 20 cases of "spy smuggling" in 1933 alone. Numerous additional violations followed in the ensuing years. By the mid-1930s, Soviet-Japanese diplomacy and trust had deteriorated further, with the Japanese being openly labeled "fascist enemies" at the Seventh Comintern Congress in July 1935. Beginning in 1935, conflicts significantly escalated. On 8 January 1935, the first armed clash, known as the Halhamiao incident, took place on the border between Mongolia and Manchukuo. Several dozen cavalrymen of the Mongolian People's Army crossed into Manchuria near disputed fishing grounds and engaged an 11‑man Manchukuo Imperial Army patrol near the Buddhist temple at Halhamiao, led by a Japanese military advisor. The Manchukuo Army sustained 6 wounded and 2 dead, including the Japanese officer; the Mongols suffered no casualties and withdrew after the Japanese sent a punitive expedition to reclaim the area. Two motorized cavalry companies, a machine‑gun company, and a tankette platoon occupied the position for three weeks without resistance. In June 1935, the first direct exchange of fire between the Japanese and Soviets occurred when an 11‑man Japanese patrol west of Lake Khanka was attacked by six Soviet horsemen, reportedly inside Manchukuo territory. In the firefight, one Soviet soldier was killed and two horses were captured. The Japanese requested a joint investigation, but the Soviets rejected the proposal. In October 1935, nine Japanese and 32 Manchukuoan border guards were establishing a post about 20 kilometers north of Suifenho when they were attacked by 50 Soviet soldiers. The Soviets opened fire with rifles and five heavy machine guns. Two Japanese and four Manchukuoan soldiers were killed, and another five were wounded. The Manchukuoan foreign affairs representative lodged a verbal protest with the Soviet consul at Suifenho. The Kwantung Army of Japan also sent an intelligence officer to investigate the clash. On 19 December 1935, a Manchukuoan unit reconnoitering southwest of Buir Lake clashed with a Mongolian party, reportedly capturing 10 soldiers. Five days later, 60 truck‑borne Mongolian troops assaulted the Manchukuoans and were repulsed, at the cost of three Manchukuoan dead. On the same day, at Brunders, Mongolian forces attempted three times to drive out Manchukuoan outposts, and again at night, but all attempts failed. Further small attempts occurred in January, with Mongolians using airplanes for reconnaissance. The arrival of a small Japanese force in three trucks helped foil these attempts; casualties occurred on both sides, though Mongolian casualties are unknown aside from 10 prisoners taken. In February 1936, Lieutenant-Colonel Sugimoto Yasuo was ordered to form a detachment from the 14th Cavalry Regiment to "drive the Outer Mongol intruders from the Olankhuduk region," a directive attributed to Lieutenant-General Kasai Heijuro. Sugimoto's detachment included cavalry guns, heavy machine guns, and tankettes. They faced a force of about 140 Mongolians equipped with heavy machine guns and light artillery. On February 12, Sugimoto's men drove the Mongolians south, at the cost of eight Japanese killed, four wounded, and one tankette destroyed. The Japanese began to withdraw, but were attacked by 5–6 Mongolian armored cars and two bombers, which briefly disrupted the column. The situation was stabilized when the Japanese unit received artillery support, allowing them to destroy or repel the armored cars. In March 1936, the Tauran incident occurred. In this clash, both the Japanese Army and the Mongolian Army deployed a small number of armored fighting vehicles and aircraft. The incident began when 100 Mongolian and six Soviet troops attacked and occupied the disputed village of Tauran, Mongolia, driving off the small Manchurian garrison. They were supported by light bombers and armored cars, though the bombing sorties failed to inflict damage on the Japanese, and three bombers were shot down by Japanese heavy machine guns. Local Japanese forces counter-attacked, conducting dozens of bombing sorties and finally assaulting Tauran with 400 men and 10 tankettes. The result was a Mongolian rout, with 56 Mongolian soldiers killed, including three Soviet advisors, and an unknown number wounded. Japanese losses were 27 killed and 9 wounded. Later in March 1936, another border clash occurred between Japanese and Soviet forces. Reports of border violations prompted the Japanese Korean Army to send ten men by truck to investigate, but the patrol was ambushed by 20 Soviet NKVD soldiers deployed about 300 meters inside territory claimed by Japan. After suffering several casualties, the Japanese patrol withdrew and was reinforced with 100 men, who then drove off the Soviets. Fighting resumed later that day when the NKVD brought reinforcements. By nightfall, the fighting had ceased and both sides had pulled back. The Soviets agreed to return the bodies of two Japanese soldiers who had died in the fighting, a development viewed by the Japanese government as encouraging. In early April 1936, three Japanese soldiers were killed near Suifenho in another minor affray. This incident was notable because the Soviets again returned the bodies of the fallen servicemen. In June 1937, the Kanchazu Island incident occurred on the Amur River along the Soviet–Manchukuo border. Three Soviet gunboats crossed the river's center line, disembarked troops, and occupied Kanchazu Island. Japanese forces from the IJA 1st Division, equipped with two horse-drawn 37 mm artillery pieces, quickly established improvised firing positions and loaded their guns with both high-explosive and armor-piercing shells. They shelled the Soviet vessels, sinking the lead gunboat, crippling the second, and driving off the third. Japanese troops subsequently fired on the swimming crewmen from the sunken ships using machine guns. Thirty-seven Soviet soldiers were killed, while Japanese casualties were zero. The Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs protested and demanded the Soviet forces withdraw from the island. The Soviet leadership, apparently shocked by the incident and reluctant to escalate, agreed to evacuate their troops. By 1938 the border situation had deteriorated. The tangled terrain features, mountain, bog, stream, forest, and valley, would have complicated even careful observers' discernment of the old red line drawn in 1886. Fifty years later, the markers themselves had undergone a metamorphosis. Japanese investigators could find, at most, only 14 to 17 markers standing fairly intact between the Tumen estuary and Khanka—roughly one every 25 miles at best. The remainder were missing or ruined; five were found in new locations. Marker "K," for example, was 40 meters deeper inside Manchuria, away from Khanka. Japanese military experts noted that of the 20 markers originally set along the boundaries of Hunchun Prefecture alone, only four could be found by the summer of 1938. The rest had either been wrecked or arbitrarily moved and discarded by Russian or Chinese officials and inhabitants. It is even said that one missing marker could be seen on display in Khabarovsk. The Chinese had generally interpreted the boundary as the road line just west of Khasan, at least in practice. Free road movement, however, had become a problem even 20 years before the Japanese overran Manchuria in 1931–1932 during the so-called Manchurian Incident. The Japanese adopted, or inherited, the Chinese interpretation, which was based on the 1886 agreement on border roads; the key clause held that the frontier west of Khasan would be the road along the lake. Japanese sources emphasize that local residents' anger toward gradual Soviet oppression and penetrations westward into Manchurian territory fueled the conflict. Many natives believed the original boundaries lay east of the lake, but the Soviets adjusted the situation to suit their own convenience. In practice, the Russians were restricting road use just west of Khasan by Manchurian and Korean residents. There was speculation that this was a prelude to taking over the ridgelines, depending on the reaction of the Manchukuoan–Japanese side. Villagers who went to streams or the lake to launder clothing found themselves subjected to sniper fire. Along a 25-mile stretch of road near Shachaofeng, farmers reported coming under fire from new Soviet positions as early as November 1935. Nevertheless, Japanese and Koreans familiar with the Tumen area noted agrarian, seasonal Korean religious rites atop Changkufeng Hill, including fattened pigs sacrificed and changgo drums beaten. Village elders told Japanese visitors in 1938 that, until early the preceding year, no Russians had come as far as Changkufeng Hill. Looking only at the border sector around Changkufeng, the easy days were clearly behind us. In the summer of 1938, Gaimusho "Foreign Ministry" observers described the explosive situation along the Korea–Manchuria–USSR borders as a matter of de facto frontiers. Both sides pressed against each other, and their trigger-happy posture was summed up in the colloquial refrain: "Take another step and we'll let you have it." Near dawn on 13 June 1938, a Manchurian patrol detected a suspicious figure in the fog swirling over Changlingtzu Hill on the Siberian–Manchurian frontier. Challenged at 15 feet, the suspect hurled two pistols to the ground and raised his hands in surrender. At headquarters, the police soon realized this was no routine border-trespassing case. The man was a defector and he was a Russian general, in fact he was the director of all NKVD forces in the Soviet Far East. Beneath a mufti of spring coat and hunting cap, he wore a full uniform with medals. His identification card No. 83 designated him as G. S. Lyushkov, Commissar 3rd Class, countersigned by Nikolai Yezhov, NKVD head in Moscow. Lyushkov was promptly turned over to the Japanese military authorities, who transferred him to Seoul and then to Tokyo under close escort. On 1 July, the Japanese press was permitted to disclose that Lyushkov had sought refuge in Japan. Ten days later, to capitalize on the commissar's notoriety and to confound skeptics, the Japanese produced Lyushkov at a press conference in Tokyo. For the Japanese and foreign correspondents, who met separately with him, Lyushkov described Soviet Far East strength and the turmoil wracking the USSR, because for those of you unfamiliar this was during the Stalinist purges. Clearly, the Japanese had gained a unique reservoir of high-level intelligence and a wealth of materials, including notes scratched in blood by suspects incarcerated at Khabarovsk. A general tightening of Russian frontier security had recently been reported. Natives of Fangchuanting asserted that a Soviet cavalry patrol appeared in June, seemingly for the first time. Contact with Yangkuanping, northwest of Khasan, was severed. More importantly, Japanese Army Signal Corps intelligence detected a surge of Soviet message traffic from the Posyet Bay district. After Lyushkov's defection, a drastic reshuffle in the local Russian command apparently occurred, and responsibility for border surveillance seems to have been reallocated. Japanese records indicate that the Novokievsk security force commander was relieved and the sector garrison replaced by troops from Vladivostok. Gaimusho intelligence also received reports that a border garrison unit had been transferred from Khabarovsk or Chita to the Tumen sector. The Kwantung Army signal monitors also intercepted two significant frontline messages on 6 July from the new Russian local commander in the Posyet region, addressed to Lieutenant General Sokolov in Khabarovsk. Decoded, the messages suggested (1) that ammunition for infantry mortars amounted to less than half the required supply; and  (2) a recommendation that higher headquarters authorize Russian elements to secure certain unoccupied high ground west of Khasan.  The commander noted terrain advantages and the contemplated construction of emplacements that would command Najin and the Korean railway. As a start, at least one Russian platoon should be authorized to dig in on the highest ground (presumably Changkufeng) and deploy four tons of entanglements to stake out the Soviet claim. Korea Army Headquarters received a telegram from the Kwantung Army on 7 July conveying the deciphered messages. On the same day, the 19th Division in North Korea telephoned Seoul that, on 6 July, three or four Soviet horsemen had been observed reconnoitering Manchurian territory from atop a hill called Changkufeng. The alarming intelligence from the Kwantung Army and the front warranted immediate attention by the Korea Army. Some Kwantung Army officers doubted the significance of the developments, with one intelligence official even suggesting the Russian messages might be a deliberate ploy designed to entrap the Japanese at Changkufeng. On 7–8 July, all staff officers in Seoul convened at army headquarters. The name of Changkufeng Hill was not well known, but maps and other data suggested that neither the Japanese nor the Russians had previously stationed border units in the ridge complex west of Khasan. As early as March 1936, Army Commander Koiso Kuniaki had distributed maps to subordinate units, indicating which sectors were in dispute. No patrol was to enter zones lacking definitive demarcation. Until then, the only Japanese element east of the Tumen was a Manchurian policeman at Fangchuanting. Ownership of the high ground emerged as an early issue. A number of other points were raised by  the Kwantung Army: At present, Soviet elements in the area were negligible. The intrusion must not be overlooked. The Russians could be expected to exploit any weakness, and half-measures would not suffice, especially regarding the Japanese defense mission along a 125-mile frontier. In Japanese hands, Changkufeng Hill would be useful, but two excellent observation posts already existed in the neighboring sector of the Manchurian tongue. With dissidence and purges underway, the Russians may have judged it necessary to seal border gaps, particularly after Lyushkov's defection. They may also have sought to control Changkufeng to offset Japanese dominance of the high ground to the north. Soviet seizure of Changkufeng would upset the delicate status quo and could provoke a contest for equivalent observation posts. In broader terms, it mattered little whether the Russians sought a permanent observation post on Changkufeng Hill, which was of relatively minor strategic value. Japan's primary concern lay in the China theater; Changkufeng was peripheral. The Japanese should not expend limited resources or become distracted. The matter required consultation with the high command in Tokyo. In the absence of more comprehensive intelligence, the assembled staff officers concluded that the Korea Army should, at a minimum, ignore or disregard Soviet actions for the time being, while maintaining vigilant observation of the area. The consensus was communicated to Major General Kitano Kenzo, the Korea Army chief of staff, who concurred, and to Koiso. Upon learning that the recommendation advocated a low posture, Koiso inquired only whether the opinion reflected the unanimous view of the staff. Having been assured that it did, he approved the policy. Koiso, then 58, was at the threshold of the routine personnel changes occurring around 15 July. He had just been informed that he would retire and that General Nakamura Kotaro would succeed him. Those acquainted with Koiso perceived him as treating the border difficulties as a minor anticlimax in the course of his command tour. He appeared unemphatic or relaxed as he prepared to depart from a post he had held for twenty-one years. Although neither Koiso nor his staff welcomed the Soviet activities that appeared under way, his reaction likely reflected a reluctance to make decisions that could constrain his soon-to-arrive successor. On 8 July Koiso authorized the dispatch of warnings to the 19th Division at Nanam, to the Hunchun garrison, and to the intelligence branch at Hunchun. These units were instructed to exercise maximum precautions and to tighten frontier security north of Shuiliufeng. In response to the initial appearance of Soviet horsemen at Changkufeng, the Kucheng Border Garrison Unit of the 76th Infantry Regiment maintained close surveillance across the Tumen. By about noon on 9 July, patrols detected approximately a dozen Russian troops commencing construction atop Changkufeng. Between 11 and 13 July, the number of soldiers on the slopes increased to forty; there were also thirty horses and eleven camouflaged tents. Operating in shifts on the western side, thirty meters from the crest, the Russians erected barbed wire and firing trenches; fifty meters forward, they excavated observation trenches. In addition to existing telephone lines between Changkufeng, Lake Khasan, and Kozando, the Russians installed a portable telephone net. Logistical support was provided by three boats on the lake. Approximately twenty kilometers to the east, well within Soviet territory, large forces were being mobilized, and steamship traffic into Posyet Bay intensified. Upon learning of the "intrusion" at Changkufeng on 9 July, Lt. General Suetaka Kamezo, the commander of the 19th Division, dispatched staff officers to the front and prepared to send elements to reinforce border units.  The special significance of Suetaka and his division stemmed from a series of unusual circumstances. Chientao Province, the same zone into which Lyushkov had fled and the sector where Soviet horsemen had appeared, fell within Manchukuo geographically and administratively. Yet, in terms of defense, the configuration of the frontier, the terrain, and the transportation network more closely connected the region with North Korea than with southeastern Manchuria. Approximately 80% of the population was of Korean origin, which implied Japanese rather than Manchukuoan allegiance. Consequently, the Korea Army had been made operationally responsible for the defense of Chientao and controlled not only the three-battalion garrison at Hunchun but also the intelligence detachment located there. In the event of war, the Korea Army's mission was defined as mobilization and execution of subsidiary operational tasks against the USSR, under the control and in support of the Kwantung Army.  The Korea Army ordinarily possessed two infantry divisions, the 19th in North Korea and the 20th stationed at Seoul, but the 20th Division had already departed for China, leaving only the 20th Depot Division in the capital. Beyond sparse ground units, devoid of armor and with weak heavy artillery, there were only two air regiments in Korea, the nearest being the unit at Hoeryong. The Korea Army was designed to maintain public security within Korea as well as fulfill minimal defensive responsibilities. Such an army did not require a full-time operations officer, and none was maintained. When needed, as in mid-1938, the task fell to the senior staff officer, in this case Colonel Iwasaki Tamio. In peacetime, training constituted the primary focus.  Thus, the 19th Division was entrusted with defending northeastern Korea. Its commander, Suetaka, a seasoned infantryman, resented the fact that his elite force had never engaged in combat in China. He intensified training with zeal, emphasizing strict discipline, bravery, aggressiveness, and thorough preparation. Japanese veterans characterized him as severe, bullish, short-tempered, hot-blooded, highly strung, unbending, and stubborn. Nonetheless, there was widespread respect for his realistic training program, maintained under firm, even violent, personal supervision. His men regarded Suetaka as a professional, a modern samurai who forged the division into superb condition. Privately, he was reputed for sensitivity and warmth; a Japanese phrase "yakamashii oyaji" captures the dual sense of stern father and martinet in his character. At the outset, however, Suetaka displayed little aggression. Although not widely known, he did not welcome the orders from army headquarters to deploy to the Tumen. Until late July, he remained somewhat opposed to the notion of dislodging the Soviets from the crest, a proposition arising from neither the division staff nor, initially, Suetaka himself. Colonel Sato noted that, for a week after reports of Soviet excavation at Changkufeng, the division's response was limited to preparations for a possible emergency, as they perceived the matter as a local issue best settled through diplomacy. Korea Army officers acknowledged that, around the time the Soviets consolidated their outpost strength at Changkufeng, an informal and personal telegram arrived in Seoul from a Kwantung Army Intelligence field-grade officer who specialized in Soviet affairs. If the Korea Army hesitated, the Kwantung Army would be obliged to eject the Russians; the matter could not be ignored. While the telegram did not demand a reply and struck several officers as presumptuous and implausible, the message was promptly shown to Koiso. Koiso was driven to immediate action, he wired Tokyo asserting that only the Korea Army could and would handle the incident. One staff officer recalled "We felt we had to act, out of a sense of responsibility. But we resented the Kwantung Army's interference." The Korea Army staff convened shortly after receipt of the unofficial telegram from Hsinking. Based on the latest intelligence from the division dated 13 July, the officers prepared an assessment for submission to the army commander. The hypotheses were distilled into three scenarios: The USSR, or the Far East authorities, desires hostilities. Conclusion: Slightly possible. The USSR seeks to restrain Japan on the eve of the pivotal operations in China: the major Japanese offensive to seize Hankow. Conclusion: Highly probable. The Posyet district commander is new in his post; by occupying the Changkufeng ridges, he would demonstrate loyalty, impress superiors, and seek glory. Conclusion: Possible. Late on 13 July or early on 14 July, Koiso approved the dispatch of a message to the vice minister of war, and the Kwantung Army chief of staff:  "Lake Khasan area lies in troublesome sector USSR has been claiming . . . in accordance with treaties [said Secret Message No. 913], but we interpret it to be Manchukuoan territory, evident even from maps published by Soviet side. Russian actions are patently illegal, but, considering that area does not exert major or immediate influence on operations [Japan] is intending and that China Incident is in full swing, we are not going to conduct counterattack measures immediately. This army is thinking of reasoning with Soviets and requesting pullback, directly on spot. . . . In case Russians do not accede in long run, we have intention to drive Soviet soldiers out of area east of Khasan firmly by use of force."  The message concluded with a request that the Tokyo authorities lodge a formal protest with the USSR, on behalf of Manchukuo and Japan, and guide matters so that the Russians would withdraw quickly. Dominant in Japanese high command thinking in 1938 was the China theater; the Changkufeng episode constituted a mere digression. A sequence of Japanese tactical victories had preceded the summer: Tsingtao fell in January; the Yellow River was reached in March; a "reformed government of the Republic of China" was installed at Nanking several weeks later; Amoy fell in early May; Suchow fell on the 20th. With these gains, northern and central fronts could be linked by the Japanese. Yet Chinese resistance persisted, and while public statements anticipated imminent Chinese dissension, private admissions acknowledged that the partial effects of Suchow's fall were ominous: control might pass from Chiang Kai-shek to the Communists, Chinese defiance might intensify, and Soviet involvement could ensue. A Hankow drive appeared desirable to symbolize the conclusion of the military phase of hostilities. The Japanese and their adversaries were in accord regarding the importance of the summer and autumn campaigns. Even after Suchow's fall, the government discouraged public insinuations that enemy resistance was collapsing; when Chiang addressed the nation on the first anniversary of hostilities, Premier Konoe prophetically proclaimed, "The war has just begun." Colonel Inada Masazum served as the Army General Staff's principal figure for the Changkufeng affair, occupying the position of chief of the 2nd Operations Section within the Operations Bureau in March 1938. A distinguished graduate of the Military Academy, Inada completed the War College program and held a combination of line, instructional, and staff assignments at the War College, the Army General Staff, and the War Ministry. He was recognized as a sharp, highly capable, and driveful personality, though some regarded him as enigmatic. Following the capture of Suchow, Imperial General Headquarters on 18 June ordered field forces to undertake operational preparations for a drive to seize the Wuhan complex. Inada favored a decisive move aimed at achieving a rapid political settlement. He acknowledged that Soviet intervention in 1938, during Japan's involvement in China, would have been critical. Although Japanese forces could still defeat the Chinese, an overextended Japanese Army might be fatally compromised against the Russians. Soviet assistance to China was already pronouncedly unwelcome. The Soviets were reported to possess roughly 20 rifle divisions, four to five cavalry divisions, 1,500 tanks, and 1,560 aircraft, including 300 bombers with a range of approximately 3,000 kilometers, enabling reach from Vladivostok to Tokyo. Soviet manpower in Siberia was likely near 370,000. In response, Japanese central authorities stressed a no-trouble policy toward the USSR while seeking to "wall off" the border and bolster the Kwantung Army as quickly as possible. Nevertheless, the envisaged correction of the strategic imbalance could not occur before 1943, given shortages in ammunition, manpower, and materiel across existing theaters in China. By the end of 1937 Japan had committed 16 of its 24 divisions to China, bringing the standing force to roughly 700,000. Army General Staff planners reallocated three ground divisions, intended for a northern contingency, from north to central China, even as the Kwantung Army operated from a less favorable posture. Attitudes toward the northern problem varied within senior military circles. While concern persisted, it was not universal. As campaigns in China widened, planning at the high command level deteriorated, propagating confusion and anxiety to field armies in China. The Japanese Navy suspected that the Army general staff was invoking the USSR as a pretext for broader strategic aims—namely, to provoke a more consequential confrontation with the USSR while the Navy contended with its own strategic rivalries with the Army, centered on the United States and Britain. Army leaders, however, denied aggressive intent against the USSR at that time. The Hankow plan encountered substantial internal opposition at high levels. Private assessments among army planners suggested that a two-front war would be premature given operational readiness and troop strength. Not only were new War Ministry officials cautious, but many high-ranking Army general staff officers and court circles shared doubts.  Aggressive tendencies, influenced by subordinates and the Kwantung Army, were evident in Inada, who repeatedly pressed Tada Shun, the deputy army chief of staff, to endorse the Wuhan drive as both necessary and feasible, arguing that the USSR would gain from Japan's weakening without incurring substantial losses. Inada contended that Stalin was rational and that time favored the USSR in the Far East, where industrial buildup and military modernization were ongoing. He argued that the Soviet purges impeded opportunistic ventures with Japan. He posited that Nazi Germany posed a growing threat on the western front, and thus the USSR should be avoided by both Japan, due to China and Russia, due to Germany. While most of the army remained engaged in China, Tada did not initially share Inada's views; only after inspecting the Manchurian borders in April 1938 did he finally align with Inada's broader vision, which encompassed both northern and Chinese considerations. During this period, Inada studied daily intelligence from the Kwantung Army, and after Lyushkov's defection in June, reports suggested the Soviets were following their sector commander's recommendations. Russian troops appeared at Changkufeng, seemingly prepared to dig in. Inada recollects his reaction: "That's nice, my chance has come." I would like to take this time to remind you all that this podcast is only made possible through the efforts of Kings and Generals over at Youtube. Please go subscribe to Kings and Generals over at Youtube and to continue helping us produce this content please check out www.patreon.com/kingsandgenerals. If you are still hungry after that, give my personal channel a look over at The Pacific War Channel at Youtube, it would mean a lot to me. The simmering Soviet–Japanese border clashes centered on Changkufeng Hill near Lake Khanka, set within a broader history of contested frontiers dating to Qing and Tsarist treaties. Japan, prioritizing China, considered Changkufeng peripheral but ready to confront Soviet encroachment; Moscow aimed to consolidate border gains, with high-level war planning overlaying regional skirmishes. Conflict loomed over Manchuria.

What was it like for Radek Sikorski to be a refugee in the UK from communist Poland in the 80s? How will the war in Ukraine come to an end? Why is populism on the rise in Europe and how do we fight it? Rory and Alastair are joined by Radek Sikorski, Polish Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, to answer all this and more.  Get more from The Rest Is Politics with TRIP+. Enjoy bonus episodes, ad-free listening, early access, live show ticket priority, our members' newsletter, and private Discord community – plus exclusive mini-series like The Rise and Fall of Rupert Murdoch. Start your 7-day free trial today at ⁠therestispolitics.com For Leading listeners, there's free access to the Wordsmith Academy - plus their report on the future of legal skills. Visit https://www.wordsmithai/politics To save your company time and money, open a Revolut Business account today via https://get.revolut.com/z4lF/leading, and add money to your account by 31st of December 2025 to get a £200 welcome bonus or equivalent in your local currency. Feature availability varies by plan. This offer's available for New Business customers in the UK, US, Australia and Ireland. Fees and Terms & Conditions apply. For US customers, Revolut is not a bank. Banking services and card issuance are provided by Lead Bank, Member FDIC. Visa® and Mastercard® cards issued under license. Funds are FDIC insured up to $250,000 through Lead Bank, in the event Lead Bank fails. Fees may apply. See full terms in description. For Irish customers, Revolut Bank UAB is authorised and regulated by the Bank of Lithuania in the Republic of Lithuania and by the European Central Bank and is regulated by the Central Bank of Ireland for conduct of business rules. For AU customers, consider PDS & TMD at revolut.com/en-AU. Revolut Payments Australia Pty Ltd (AFSL 517589). Social Producer: Celine Charles Video Editor: Josh Smith Producer: Alice Horrell Senior Producer: Nicole Maslen Head of Politics: Tom Whiter Exec Producers: Tony Pastor + Jack Davenport Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Annelle Sheline is a research fellow at the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft. She previously served as a Foreign Affairs Officer at the U.S. Department of State's Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor's Office of Near Eastern Affairs (DRL/NEA), before resigning in March 2024 to protest the Biden administration's unconditional support for Israeli military operations in Gaza. She is a senior non-resident fellow at the Arab Center of Washington DC and a non-resident fellow at Rice University's Baker Institute for Public Policy. She holds a PhD in political science from George Washington University. She has written for Foreign Affairs, The Washington Post, The Nation, Foreign Policy, and The New Republic, and has appeared on the BBC, CNN, CBS, and Al Jazeera

Can a retired professor with a Phd in Political Inquiry, Comparative Politics, Political Psychology from Syracuse University Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs find retired happiness crocheting and selling children's sweaters? Krisan Everson says, "Yes". Residing in her home state of New Hampshire, Krisan creates distinctive (and warm) children's sweaters and sells them in weekend community markets. She explains how her academic background in Foreign Affairs illuminates the cultural significance of handmade crafts. 

Last week's meeting between Donald Trump and Xi Jinping may have brought a respite in the trade war. But it hardly touched the more fundamental drivers of U.S.-Chinese rivalry, a rivalry that has come to shape more and more dimensions of geopolitics, the global economy, and beyond. Few have spent as much time observing and chronicling the interactions between Washington and Beijing as Orville Schell. Schell, one of America's foremost China hands and the author of too many books on China to name, has been in the room for encounters between a slew of American presidents and Chinese leaders. He has also, for decades, interpreted the bitter factional struggles and geopolitical jockeying of the Chinese Communist Party. And as Xi's attempt to remake the Chinese state continues, Schell has mined China's history and its present for insight—into how the country thinks of its place in the world, and into the unresolved contradictions that continue to roil the party. “Peek behind the veil,” Schell writes in the latest issue of Foreign Affairs, “and a different reality reveals itself: a dog-eat-dog world of power struggles, artifice, hubris, treachery, and duplicity—yet also an enormous amount of sacrifice.” Dan Kurtz-Phelan spoke with Schell on Tuesday, November 4, about Trump and Xi, about the state of the United States' China policy, and about both the past and future of China itself. You can find sources, transcripts, and more episodes of The Foreign Affairs Interview at https://www.foreignaffairs.com/podcasts/foreign-affairs-interview.

This week on Sinica, I chat with Lizzi Lee, a fellow on the Chinese economy at the Asia Society Policy Institute and one of the sharpest China analysts working today. We dig into the 4th Plenary Session of the 20th Party Congress and what it reveals about China's evolving growth model — particularly the much-discussed but often misunderstood push against "involution" in key sectors like EVs and solar. Lizzi walks us through the structural incentives driving overcompetition, from local government finance and VAT collection to the challenges of rebalancing supply and demand. We also discuss her recent Foreign Affairs piece on China's manufacturing model, why "overcapacity" is a misleading frame, the unexpected upsides of China's industrial strategy for the global green transition, and what happened at the Trump-Xi meeting in Busan. This is a conversation about getting beyond the binaries and understanding the actual mechanisms — and contradictions — shaping China's economic trajectory.4:43 – What Western reporting missed in the 4th Plenum communique 6:34 – The "anti-involution" push and what it really means 9:57 – Is China's domestic demand abnormally low? Context and comparisons 12:41 – Why cash transfers and consumption subsidies are running out of steam 15:00 – The supply-side approach: creating better products to drive demand 18:33 – GDP vs. GNI: why China is focusing on global corporate footprints 20:13 – Service exports and China's ascent along the global supply chain 24:02 – The People's Daily editorial on price wars and profit margins 27:31 – Why addressing involution is harder now than in 2015 29:56 – How China's VAT system incentivizes local governments to build entire supply chains 33:20 – The difficulty of reforming fiscal structures and local government finance 35:12 – What got lost in the Foreign Affairs editing process 38:14 – Why "overcapacity" is a misleading and morally loaded term 40:02 – The underappreciated upside: China's model and the global green transition 43:14 – How politically potent deindustrialization fears are in Washington and Brussels 46:29 – Industry self-discipline vs. structural reform: can moral suasion work? 50:15 – BYD's negotiating power and the squeeze on suppliers 53:54 – The Trump-Xi meeting in Busan: genuine thaw or tactical pause? 57:23 – Pete Hegseth's "God bless both China and the USA" tweet 1:00:01 – How China's leadership views Trump: transactional or unpredictable? 1:03:32 – The pragmatic off-ramp and what Paul Triolo predicted 1:05:26 – China's AI strategy: labor-augmenting vs. labor-replacing technology 1:08:13 – What systemic changes could realistically fix involution? 1:10:26 – Capital market reform and the challenge of decelerating slowly 1:12:36 – The "health first" strategy and investing in peoplePaying it forward: Paul TrioloRecommendations: Lizzi: Chokepoints: American Power in the Age of Economic Warfare by Edward Fishman Kaiser: Morning Coffee guitar practice book by Alex RockwellSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

From July 18, 2024: On today's episode, Matt Gluck, Research Fellow at Lawfare, spoke with Michael Beckley, Associate Professor of Political Science at Tufts, and Arne Westad, the Elihu Professor of History at Yale.They discussed Beckley's and Westad's articles in Foreign Affairs on the best path forward for the U.S.-China strategic relationship—in the economic and military contexts. Beckley argues that in the short term, the U.S. should focus on winning its security competition with China, rather than significant engagement, to prevent conflict. Westad compares the current moment to the period preceding World War I. He cautions that the U.S. and China should maintain strategic communication and avoid an overly narrow focus on competition to stave off large-scale conflict.They broke down the authors' arguments and where they agree and disagree. Does U.S. engagement lower the temperature in the relationship? Will entrenched economic interests move the countries closer to conflict? How can the U.S. credibly deter China from invading Taiwan without provoking Beijing?To receive ad-free podcasts, become a Lawfare Material Supporter at www.patreon.com/lawfare. You can also support Lawfare by making a one-time donation at https://givebutter.com/lawfare-institute.Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/lawfare. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week on Sinica, I chat with Daniel Kurtz-Phelan, editor of Foreign Affairs, about how the journal has both shaped and reflected American discourse on China during a period of dramatic shifts in the relationship. We discuss his deliberate editorial choices to include heterodox voices, the changing nature of the supposed "consensus" on China policy, and what I've called the "vibe shift" in how Americans across the political spectrum think about China. Daniel also reflects on his own intellectual formation, including his work on George Marshall's failed mission to mediate China's Civil War and the cautionary lessons that history holds for today's debates. We explore the challenges of bringing Chinese voices into Foreign Affairs, the balance between driving and reflecting policy debates, and whether we're witnessing a genuine opening of the Overton window on China discussions.7:15 – Foreign Affairs in the era of Iraq and "China's peaceful rise" 12:09 – The Marshall mission and the "Who Lost China?" debate 17:17 – China's changing role and the journal's coverage density 19:43 – The Campbell-Ratner "China Reckoning" and subsequent debates 25:00 – The challenge of including authentic Chinese voices 29:42 – How Chinese leadership perceives and reads Foreign Affairs 32:12 – The "vibe shift" on China across the American political spectrum 35:56 – Cultivating contrarian voices: Van Jackson, Jonathan Czin, and David Kang 40:17 – Avoiding the trap of making everything about U.S.-China competition 43:12 – Diversifying perspectives beyond the Washington-Beijing binary 48:18 – The big questions: American exceptionalism and Chinese identity in a new era 51:42 – The dangers of cutting off U.S.-China scholarly conversations 56:26 – The uses and misuses of historical analogies 58:09 – Spain's Golden Age and late Qing memes as contemporary analogiesPaying it forward: The unsung editorial staff at Foreign AffairsRecommendations: Daniel: Equator.org; The Rise of the Meritocracy by Michael Young; Granta's new India issue; The Party's Interests Come First by Joseph Torigian; The Coming Storm by Odd Arne Westad Kaiser: The Spoils of Time by C.V. WedgwoodSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

If one thing can be said to characterize the first months of Donald Trump's second term, it is his expansive and often norm-breaking use of presidential power, both abroad and at home. There are the lethal strikes on boats alleged to be smuggling drugs; the range of tariffs he's imposed; the way he's gone after enemies, withheld funds, and restructured the federal workforce; the list could go on. Trump has disregarded constraint after constraint on the power of the executive, and many of the forces expected to check that power—in the courts, in Congress, in the private sector or media—have shown little ability or willingness to do so. In the early weeks of Trump's second term, Mariano-Florentino Cuéllar wrote an essay in Foreign Affairs called “How to Survive a Constitutional Crisis.” Cuéllar, a former justice on the California Supreme Court who now serves as president of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, looked at Trump's early moves and tried to lay out a framework for understanding which of them represented just radical shifts in policy, and which of them posed a threat to the very foundations of the American system. Cuéllar believes that the country's courts, its system of federalism, and its independent media can still provide meaningful checks on presidential power. But time is of the essence, he warns, before these pillars of American democracy could start to crack. You can find sources, transcripts, and more episodes of The Foreign Affairs Interview at https://www.foreignaffairs.com/podcasts/foreign-affairs-interview. 

Welcome to The Times of Israel's Daily Briefing, your 20-minute audio update on what's happening in Israel, the Middle East and the Jewish world. Editor David Horovitz joins host Amanda Borschel-Dan for today's episode. The IDF announced this morning that the ceasefire in the Gaza Strip is now once again in effect, following “a series of significant strikes” targeting dozens of Hamas targets and operatives. The strikes came after Palestinian operatives carried out an attack on troops stationed in the Rafah area of the southern Gaza Strip on Tuesday, killing soldier Master Sgt. (res.) Yona Efraim Feldbaum. This strike on IDF soldiers, along with Hamas’s failure to return the deceased Israeli hostages -- even faking the recovery of one slain hostage -- led to Israel's retaliation, which, according to the Hamas-run Health Ministry, killed over 100. Horovitz weighs in on the nature of Hamas and the White House's recognition of Israel's right to retaliate. We hear how Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu informed the US of his intention to strike, and today appears bent on continuing with the Trump-brokered ceasefire. The Haredi community in Israel is planning a massive protest at the entrance of Jerusalem tomorrow, while the High Court is hearing petitions that the IDF draft tens of thousands of ultra-Orthodox young men, and at the same time, the Knesset is working to draft a bill that will allow most of the Haredi young men to continue to avoid conscription. We learn some details of the leaked bill being discussed by the Knesset’s Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee and hear about some of the Likud MKs who are speaking out against it. Check out The Times of Israel's ongoing liveblog for more updates. For further reading: IDF reservist killed in Tuesday attack in Rafah; Israel says ceasefire restored Hamas fakes ‘unearthing’ partial remains of hostage whose body IDF recovered in 2023, Israel says Trump: ‘Nothing’ will jeopardize Gaza ceasefire, Israel ‘should hit back’ if troops killed Revised ultra-Orthodox military draft bill said to reduce penalties for dodgers Subscribe to The Times of Israel Daily Briefing on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts. This episode was produced by Pod-Waves. Illustrative image: Hamas terrorists carry a white bag believed to contain a body, after retrieving it from a tunnel during a search for the remains of hostages in Hamad City, Khan Younis, in southern Gaza, October 28, 2025. (AP Photo/Jehad Alshrafi)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.