Podcasts about Hong Kong

Friday on the News Hour, a 22-year-old suspect is arrested and charged with the murder of Charlie Kirk. Violent images of Kirk’s death present difficulties for kids. Tensions rise in Europe after Russia’s drone incursion into Poland. An imprisoned Hong Kong newspaper editor’s son describes Beijing’s crackdown on speech. Plus, a retired accountant realizes his dreams by joining a marching band. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy

A Hong Kong court is set to deliver a verdict soon for democracy activist and media magnate Jimmy Lai, who has been detained for five years. He’s accused of sedition and collusion with foreign forces, but his supporters call the trial a sham and say the only thing he’s guilty of committing is journalism. Nick Schifrin spoke with Lai’s son, Sebastian Lai, for more. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy

Nick is joined by Racing Post senior writer Lee Mottershead for the latest from around the racing world. They lead with today's voluntary cancellation of racing in Britain, wonder how it might be best pitched to achieve maximum impact, and consider the bookmakers' and parliamentarians' likely response. Trainer William Haggas joins the conversation. Also on today's show, with the Hillsin enquiry reaching boiling point, we repay the interview that defendant Chris Honour gave this podcast over two years ago, the morning after the race in question. Plus, Sean Levey - booked once again for Aidan O'Brien after last year's Leger heroics - talks through who he'd like to ride out of the trio and gives his candid assessment of Rosallion after another defeat at the weekend. JA McGrath returns for the new season in Hong Kong.

It's In the News.. a look at the top headlines and stories in the diabetes community. This week's top stories: kids' A1C and tech access correlation, first generic GLP-1 for weight loss approved, Metformin cuts long covid risk, Tandem Diabetes & Eversense updates, and more! Find out more about Moms' Night Out  Please visit our Sponsors & Partners - they help make the show possible! Learn more about Gvoke Glucagon Gvoke HypoPen® (glucagon injection): Glucagon Injection For Very Low Blood Sugar (gvokeglucagon.com) Omnipod - Simplify Life Learn about Dexcom   Check out VIVI Cap to protect your insulin from extreme temperatures The best way to keep up with Stacey and the show is by signing up for our weekly newsletter: Sign up for our newsletter here Here's where to find us: Facebook (Group) Facebook (Page) Instagram Twitter Check out Stacey's books! Learn more about everything at our home page www.diabetes-connections.com  Reach out with questions or comments: info@diabetes-connections.com Episode transcription with links:   Hello and welcome to Diabetes Connections In the News! I'm Stacey Simms and every other Friday I bring you a short episode with the top diabetes stories and headlines happening now. XX Accessibility to modern diabetes technology directly correlates with A1c among children with type 1 diabetes globally. Big, cross-sectional study, conducted in 81 pediatric diabetes centers in 56 countries, found that a greater extent of reimbursement for continuous glucose monitoring (CGM), insulin pumps, glucose meters, and insulin was associated with lower A1c levels. Partha S. Kar, MD, Type 1 Diabetes & Technology lead of the National Health Service England, told Medscape Medical News, “As is now being shown in countries such as UK with widespread uptake of technology, there is now population-wide shift in A1c not seen before.”   He added, “If policymakers are serious about bringing A1c at a population level to sub-7.5% - 8% levels, then without technology it would be incredibly difficult to achieve, in my experience and opinion. Leaving the median A1c of a population at above 7.5%-8% goes with complications so that's a decision regarding investment many will have to make in the near future.”   In an accompanying editorial, Elizabeth R. Seaquist, MD, professor of diabetes, endocrinology, and metabolism and co-director of the Institute for Diabetes, Obesity, and Metabolism at the University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, called it “striking” that access to technology in and of itself was associated with improved glycemic control, given that multidisciplinary team care is also needed to provide education and behavioral or psychological support.     https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/diabetes-tech-access-linked-a1c-kids-t1d-globally-2025a1000nn6 XX A man with type 1 in Illinois has received the first FDA-approved islet-cell replacement treatment, Lantidra, and  he is now producing his own insulin. The treatment works by restoring the body's beta cells, potentially eliminating the need for insulin injections.   The FDA approved Lantidra (donislecel) in 2023. Lantidra uses donor cells and requires lifelong immunosuppressive drugs.     Lantidra is only available at University of Illinois Chicago Health. Other universities, such as the University of Pennsylvania, continue to do islet cell transplants as part of clinical trials. Early data has shown that a majority of participants in the Lantidra clinical study were able to achieve some level of insulin independence, but it's unclear whether the benefits of donislecel outweigh the treatment's safety risks. Nearly 87 percent of participants reported infection-related adverse events, and post-operation complications included liver lacerations, bruising of the liver (hepatic hematoma), and anemia. One patient died of multi-organ failure from sepsis, which Lantidra maker CellTrans stated was “probably related” to the use of either immunosuppression or study drugs.   In addition, some industry leaders have raised the question of whether it's ethical to commercialize the use of deceased donor islet cells. https://diatribe.org/diabetes-research/first-fda-approved-islet-cell-transplant-performed?utm_campaign=feed&utm_medium=social&utm_source=later   XX Patients in the U.S. now have access to the first generic GLP-1 treatment approved for weight loss as Teva has launched its copycat of Novo Nordisk's injected Saxenda (liraglutide).   The compound, which is a GLP-1 forerunner of Novo's semaglutide products Ozempic and Wegovy, has been approved by the FDA to treat adults with obesity and those who are overweight and have weight-related medical problems.     Saxenda also is endorsed for pediatric patients ages 12 through 17 who are obese and weigh at least 60 kg (132 pounds). The treatment is for both triggering and maintaining weight loss. Saxenda is not the first GLP-1 drug that is available as a generic. In June of last year, Teva also was the first company to launch a knockoff version of Novo's Victoza, which is the same compound as Saxenda but has been approved only for patients with Type 2 diabetes. Sales of the branded versions of both Victoza and Saxenda have declined significantly in recent years as demand for Novo's semaglutide and Eli Lilly's tirzepatide products have skyrocketed. In addition, marketers of compounded products have been aggressively competing for market share in the GLP-1 space. https://www.fiercepharma.com/pharma/saxenda-knockoff-teva-launches-first-generic-glp-1-obesity   XX Metformin could cut the risk of Long COVID by 64% in overweight or obese adults who started the drug within 90 days of infection. The large observational study, published in Clinical Infectious Diseases, analysed health records of over 624,000 UK adults with COVID-19 between March 2020 and July 2023. Among these, nearly 3,000 patients who began metformin treatment soon after diagnosis were tracked for a year. Compared to non-users, their likelihood of developing Long COVID, defined as persistent symptoms 90 days or more after infection, was dramatically lower. https://www.ndtv.com/health/metformin-cuts-risk-of-long-covid-by-64-why-the-diabetes-pill-is-not-for-everyone-9242332 XX Forty-four percent of people age 15 and older living with diabetes are undiagnosed, so they don't know they have it, according to data analysis published Monday in the journal The Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology. The study looked at data from 204 countries and territories from 2000 to 2023 in a systematic review of published literature and surveys. “The majority of people with diabetes that we report on in the study have type 2 diabetes,” said Lauryn Stafford , the lead author of the study.   “We found that 56% of people with diabetes are aware that they have the condition,” said Stafford, a researcher for the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation. “Globally, there's a lot of variation geographically, and also by age. So, generally, higher-income countries were doing better at diagnosing people than low- and middle-income countries.” People under 35 years were much less likely to be diagnosed if they had diabetes than people in middle age or older. Just “20% of young adults with diabetes were aware of their condition,” Stafford said. https://www.cnn.com/2025/09/08/health/diabetes-undiagnosed-half-of-americans-wellness XX A team of Hong Kong scientists is developing an injectable treatment that could potentially improve blood flow in diabetes patients' feet, in the hopes that it will reduce the need for amputation by rebuilding tissue in the arteries.   They also hope to apply the treatment to peripheral artery disease or PAD, a condition caused by the build-up of fatty deposits in arteries that affect blood circulation in the feet. “Traditional treatments for people suffering from poor blood flow in their legs are stent implantation or bypass surgery, which is invasive,” said Wong, who is also the co-founder of a biotechnology company called NutrigeneAI. He said it was his dream to turn research in the academic field into actual clinical treatments. But he added that the team still needed three to four years for further research on the treatment.   https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3324671/hong-kong-scientists-developing-new-blood-flow-treatment-aid-diabetes-patients XX   Tandem Diabetes announces Health Canada authorization for distribution of the Tandem t:slim mobile application for Android and iPhone users. The Tandem t:slim mobile app allows users to deliver a bolus from their compatible smartphone, and to wirelessly upload their pump data to the cloud-based Tandem Source platform.1 The app is expected to be available later this year.   The Tandem t:slim mobile app will be available for compatible smartphones in the Apple App Store and Google Play store later in 2025. Once available, Tandem will email eligible customers with instructions on how to download and use the app.  https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20250904665715/en/Tandem-tslim-Mobile-App-Now-Authorized-by-Health-Canada-for-iPhone-and-Android-Phones   XX Some changes to how the Eversense CGM will be rolled out.. right now it's being distributed by Ascensia Diabetes Care.  Senseonics will take back commercial control of the year long implantable CGM on January 1 in the US and expanding worldwide throughout 2026. The change was a mutual decision, according to the two companies, which said they have signed a memorandum of understanding before a definitive agreement is hammered out by the end of the year. To get started, Senseonics is also set to acquire members of Ascensia's commercial staff—including its CGM president, Brian Hansen, who is slated to become Senseonics' new chief commercial officer. https://www.fiercebiotech.com/medtech/senseonics-retake-eversense-cgm-commercial-control-ascensia-diabetes-care XX Utrecht-based medical device company ViCentra has closed an $85 million Series D round of funding led by Innovation Industries, along with existing investors Partners in Equity and Invest-NL. The round also drew support from EQT Life Sciences and Health Innovations.   The recent capital injection will be used to expand ViCentra's manufacturing capabilities, support regulatory approvals, and strengthen commercial rollout across Europe.   The funds will also be used to launch the next-generation Kaleido 2 patch pump in Europe and prepare for entry into the U.S. market.   The global insulin delivery market is growing quickly due to the increasing number of diabetes cases and demand for effective and user-friendly solutions. The market for insulin pumps is projected to exceed $14 billion by 2034. Patch pumps are the fastest-growing segment, signalling a trend toward compact and wearable devices. And here's where ViCentra is positioned to meet this need, offering a user-friendly, sleek design-led alternative to traditional systems.   Kaleido: design-led insulin delivery Kaleido is the smallest and lightest insulin patch pump developed as a lifestyle product with a particular focus on usability and personalisation.   Designed to feel more like personal technology than a traditional medical device, Kaleido features premium materials, and users can select their own favourite aluminium shells from a range of ten preset colour options.   It integrates with Diabeloop's hybrid closed-loop algorithms (DBLG1 and DBLG2) and is compatible with Dexcom CGM sensors, positioning it within the next generation of automated insulin delivery systems.   “Kaleido is a true disruptor — small, discreet, featherlight, and beautifully designed. It empowers people with diabetes by offering a more personal and distinctive choice in both function and style. Built with empathy and precision, it honours those who live with diabetes every day. With this funding, we can now meet surging European demand and fast-track our entry into the U.S. market. This is a pivotal moment — for ViCentra, and for the community we serve,” said Tom Arnold, Chief Executive Officer at ViCentra.   Improving the quality of life for diabetic patients ViCentra, led by Tom Arnold, is on a mission to improve the lives of those with diabetes.   The company reported that demand for Kaleido in Germany, France, and the Netherlands has already exceeded initial expectations.   ViCentra will present updates on Kaleido at the 61st Annual Meeting of the European Association for the Study of Diabetes (EASD), taking place September 15–19, 2025, in Vienna.   The company plans to engage with clinicians, investors, and strategic partners to further its role in the evolving diabetes care landscape.   “ViCentra is redefining insulin pump therapy with a platform that truly centres the user experience – combining clinical performance with design simplicity and wearability,” commented Caaj Greebe, Partner at Innovation Industries. “At Innovation Industries, we invest in pioneering companies that blend world-class technology with clear commercial potential. ViCentra exemplifies this by delivering a next-generation system addressing the urgent need for better treatment options in diabetes care. We're proud to lead this investment round and partner with Tom and the team as they deepen and expand their presence in Europe and prepare for U.S. entry.”   https://techfundingnews.com/dutch-vicentra-secures-85m-to-bring-insulin-patch-pump-to-more-markets/ XX Luna Diabetes announces they've raised more than 23-million dollars in early venture capital to help continue clinical trials and build out its capacity. This is the company that wants to offer a night time only, tiny, temporary insulin pump – to supplement insulin pen use. According to the company, more than 80% of the improvements in blood sugar from automated insulin delivery systems occur while the user is sleeping. Luna launched a pivotal trial late last year. https://www.fiercebiotech.com/medtech/nighttime-insulin-patch-pump-maker-luna-diabetes-raises-236m   XX Following 15 days and 150 fingerpricks, they're here. The results of the “9 sensor samba“. And what a set of a results…   Well maybe that's overplaying it a little.   Let's just say that the outcome of this n=1 experiment wasn't quite what I expected. One of the established players came out much worse than expected, while a newcomer did a lot better.   Let's dig in, and take a look at the variation. https://www.diabettech.com/cgm/the-nine-sensor-samba-results-revealed/   XX Hard work and perseverance define ranch life, but one man in eastern Montana takes it to another level. At 90, he's still living independently on the ranch he built from the ground up. Even more remarkable? He's a type 1 diabetic.   Bob Delp still begins each day just like he did decades ago, waking up on his ranch near Richey, Montana.   “I always thought if I could ever get a ranch and run a hundred cows, that's what I wanted to do from the time I was a kid,” said Delp.   He made that dream real, the hard way; after coming home from the army, he taught school, hayed for seven cents a bale and saved every cent he could.     “I worked at it real hard because I always felt like it was going to be part of getting me to that ranch that I always wanted,” said Delp.   He did it all while managing type 1 diabetes, a diagnosis that came with few answers and little hope back in the 1950s.   “The doctors tell me being a type 1 diabetic for 66 years isn't supposed to happen. Back then, it was a real challenge,” added Delp.   Statistically, it's almost unheard of. Fewer than 90 people in the world have lived more than 70 years with type 1 diabetes.     Bob credits his late wife, Donna, for helping him beat the odds.   “She has been key in that I always ate on time.”   They've faced their share of storms, both in health and out on the land. Not long after moving to Richey, a heavy snowstorm nearly tore everything apart just after they'd stepped out for dinner.   “If Donna hadn't said it was time to eat, we wouldn't have made it out of there. I guess that's one time that made me happy to have diabetes. And I think that saved us,” said Delp.     Now, he still checks his blood sugar daily but trusts his hands more than high-tech insulin pumps.   “I'm not satisfied with the sensors they have today. I just don't think they're accurate.”   To many, Bob's survival is extraordinary. To him, it's luck.   “The genes are there already, I can't change that so I guess I would have to say just lots of good luck,” said Delp.     And through it all, optimism has been his compass.   “You might fumble the ball, but if you're determined to be a winner, you'll recover that fumble someday,” said Delp.   He still welds nearly every day. Not because he has to, but because it keeps him going.   “As long as I keep doing something like this, I will not be in the nursing home,” said Delp.   https://www.kfyrtv.com/2025/08/09/against-all-odds-montana-man-thrives-with-type-1-diabetes-90/ XX Today, Dexcom is building on this belief and breaking new ground with the launch of its first open call across the U.S. and Canada in search of the next diabetes advocates—giving people with all types of diabetes a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to raise awareness and share their voice on a global scale in the company's World Diabetes Day campaign (Nov. 14) and beyond.  Who is eligible?: Anyone age 2+ living with all types of diabetes or prediabetes can be nominated by themselves or by someone who knows them. Selected candidates will embody strength, advocacy and pride in living with diabetes or prediabetes. Where and how can I nominate myself or someone I know?: Visit Dexcom.com/WorldDiabetesDay When is the deadline to submit a nomination?: Nominations are open from September 10 through September 19 at 12pm PT. What will the selected candidates experience?:   An invite to participate in a World Diabetes Day photoshoot in Los Angeles to have their unique story featured in Dexcom's World Diabetes Day campaign The ongoing opportunity to attend events, connect with community, and raise diabetes awareness around the world XX The European Association for the Study of Diabetes (EASD) 2025 Annual Meeting will feature major clinical trial results in type 2 diabetes (T2D), type 1 diabetes (T1D), obesity, several new clinical practice guidelines, and much more. The 61st annual EASD meeting will take place on September 15-19, 2025, in Vienna, Austria.   

Crypto News: BlackRock weighs crypto ETF tokenization following the strong performance of its spot Bitcoin ETFs. DTCC lists Fidelity's Solana ETF and Canary's XRP ETF. Chainlink, UBS, DigiFT launch Hong Kong pilot for automated tokenization fund.Show Sponsor -

A Hong Kong court is set to deliver a verdict soon for democracy activist and media magnate Jimmy Lai, who has been detained for five years. He’s accused of sedition and collusion with foreign forces, but his supporters call the trial a sham and say the only thing he’s guilty of committing is journalism. Nick Schifrin spoke with Lai’s son, Sebastien Lai, for more. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy

Our Chief Asia Economist Chetan Ahya discusses how the evolving trade relationship between India and China could redefine global supply chains and unlock new investment opportunities.Read more insights from Morgan Stanley.----- Transcript ----- Welcome to Thoughts on the Market. I'm Chetan Ahya, Morgan Stanley's Chief Asia Economist. Today – one of the most important economic relationships of our time: India and China. And what the future may hold. It's Thursday, September 11th at 2 pm in Hong Kong.Trade dynamics between India and China are evolving rapidly. They are not just shaping their own futures. They are influencing global supply chains and investment flows. India's trade with China has nearly doubled in the last decade. India's bilateral trade deficit with China is its largest—currently at U.S. $120 billion. On the flip side, China's trade surplus with India is the biggest among all Asian economies. We expect this trade relationship to deepen given economic imperatives. India needs support on tech know-how, capital goods and critical inputs; and China needs to capitalize on growth opportunities in the second largest and fastest growing EM. Let's explore these issues in turn. India needs to integrate itself into the global value chain. And to do that, India needs Foreign Direct Investment from China, much like how China's rise was fueled by Foreign Direct Investment from the U.S., Europe, Japan, and Korea, which brought the technology and expertise. For India, easing restrictions on Chinese FDI could be a game-changer, enabling the transfer of tech know-how and boosting manufacturing competitiveness. Now, China is the world's manufacturing powerhouse. It accounts for more than 40 percent of the global value chain—far ahead of the U.S. at 13 percent and India at just 4 percent. The global goods trade is increasingly focused on products higher up the value chain—think semiconductors, EVs, EV batteries, and solar panels. And China is the top global exporter in six of eight key manufacturing sectors. To put it quite simply, any economy that is looking to increase its participation in global value chains will have to increase its trade with China. For India, this means that it must rely on Chinese imports to meet its increasing demand for capital goods as well as critical inputs that are necessary for its industrialization. In fact, this is already happening. More than half of India's imports from China and Hong Kong are capital goods—i.e. machinery and equipment needed for manufacturing and infrastructure investment. Industrial supplies make [up] another third of the imports, highlighting India's dependence on China for critical inputs. From China's perspective, India is the second largest and fastest-growing emerging market. And with U.S.-China trade tensions persisting, China is diversifying its exports markets, and India represents a significant opportunity. One way Chinese companies can capture this growth opportunity is to invest in and serve the domestic market. Chinese mobile phone companies have already been doing this and whether this can broaden to other sectors will depend on the opening up of India's markets. To sum up, India can leverage on China's strengths in manufacturing and technology while China can utilize India's vast market for exports and investment.However, there's a caveat: geopolitics. While economic imperatives point to deeper trade and investment ties, political developments could slow progress. Investors should watch this space closely and we will keep you updated on key developments. Thanks for listening. If you enjoy the show, please leave us a review wherever you listen and share Thoughts on the Market with a friend or colleague today.

Lamia Rahman is a Forbes 30 Under 30 honoree, TEDx speaker, and co-founder of SEEKR, a tech startup creating wearable AI devices for the blind. In this inspiring episode, Lamia shares her journey from law school in Hong Kong to the front lines of legal tech, accessibility, and advocacy.LAWYER SIDE HUSTLESSEEKR began as a passion project and has since grown into a globally recognized AI startup. The company develops wearable devices that help blind and visually impaired users navigate the world more independently. Lamia co-founded SEEKR during her law degree, blending her passion for tech with her desire to serve.“It was a small idea at first. Now we're building something that's used across countries. That's wild,” Lamia Rahman shares in Episode 209 of You Are a LawyerMore than a “side hustle,” SEEKR is a mission-driven business, fueled by Lamia's belief that tech should be inclusive and empathetic. In the episode, she shares what it's like to build a team, pitch to investors, and develop AI that solves real-world problems, all while still figuring out what comes next in her legal career.LISTEN TO LEARNHow Lamia co-founded an AI startup that creates wearable tools for the blindWhy legal knowledge helps entrepreneurs navigate business growthHow public speaking and networking open unexpected career doorsWE ALSO DISCUSSHer experience studying law in Hong Kong as an international studentHow being a woman of color in tech and law shaped her journeyWays to combine social justice, accessibility, and innovationJoin the FREE mailing list!Get behind-the-scenes content from You Are A Lawyer. 1) Visit www.youarealawyer.com2) Add your email address to the Subscribe pop-up box OR3) Enter your email address on the right side of the screen4) Get emails from me (I won't fill your inbox with junk)!Interact with You Are A LawyerKyla Denanyoh hosts the You Are A Lawyer podcast. Follow the podcast:YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@youarealawyerWebsite: https://www.youarealawyer.com

Chinese regulators are reportedly preparing to restrict mainland state-owned enterprises and banks from pursuing stablecoin and crypto initiatives in Hong Kong.~This episode is sponsored by Tangem & Gemini~Tangem ➜ https://bit.ly/TangemPBNUse Code: "PBN" for Additional Discounts!Sign up for The Gemini Credit Card and get an extra $50 in crypto!➜ https://bit.ly/GeminiPBN00:00 Intro00:10 Sponsor: Tangem00:45 China restricts Hong Kong stablecoin activity02:30 Animoca Brands03:00 China deflation gets bad03:55 CNBC: What deflation looks like in China right now05:30 China SEC corruption06:00 Utah State Rep Hints at banning china stocks06:50 RFK jr. is starting raids on Chinese consumer products08:00 JP Morgan successfully slows CLARITY BILL?08:20 Sponsor: Gemini09:00 Japan's Crypto Payment Revolution Begins09:30 Credit Card not Debit Card09:50 Cool card skins10:15 Japan Sponsors Ethereum10:55 Animoca goes all-in on Japan11:45 Ethereum Winning12:00 Outro#Crypto #Ethereum #china~China PANICS and Censors Stablecoins!

Japan devastated the United States' fleet with a surprise attack at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii on December 7th, 1941.  The Japanese followed up on their Pearl Harbor attack by seizing Guam, Wake Island, Hong Kong, Singapore, and the Philippines.  The Japanese seemed almost unstoppable while the United States asked itself, “What are we going to do, or what can we do, now?”  With direction from President Roosevelt to strike Japan, the United States came up with a plan.   On April 18, 1942, sixteen U.S. Army bombers took off from the USS Hornet on a one-way mission to bomb Japan.  James Scott explains how this raid was planned and executed in “Target Tokyo: Jimmy Doolittle and the Raid that Avenged Pearl Harbor.”  Equally important, Scott explains the outsized impact of the raid on United States' morale and Japan's sense of security.

Asian equities were mixed Thursday after a rally on Wall Street drove stocks and bonds higher, as a drop in producer prices supported bets the Federal Reserve will resume cutting interest rates next week. An index of the dollar was little changed while the yen strengthened against the greenback early Thursday. The Wednesday moves in the US reflected fresh optimism that the Fed will cut rates next week after producer prices unexpectedly declined for the first time in four months. The data soothed worries that elevated inflation would create a challenge for policymakers trying prevent a jobs downturn ahead of US inflation figures due later Thursday. We get the views of Eric Fine, Portfolio Manager & Head of Active EM Debt at VanEck. Plus - UBS Group CEO Sergio Ermotti says the impact of global tariffs on the US economy and Federal Reserve monetary policy remains unclear. He made the comments ahead of the annual UBS Disruptive Technology CEO Summit in Hong Kong, which gets underway today. Ermotti speaks exclusively with Bloomberg's David Ingles in Bloomberg's Hong Kong bureau.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

1️⃣ Blockchain DXB Podcast Shownotes

每年有不少中國內地的學生，選擇到香港攻讀碩士學位。香港院校的教學模式多樣，兩地生活文化不同，內地學生又不熟悉粵語，他們面對的學習挑戰有時或許比本地生多。這一集由Arietta訪問Jacky、Shawn（張祥）和小孫同學，各自分享他們在香港中文大學修讀人類學一年碩士課程的體驗。人類學學科的多面向特質給予他們甚麼樣的知識睿見？有哪些突破自身盲點的思維啟發？有意報讀人類學的同學們，不妨聽聽這些經驗之談，更好準備自己，盡情投入人類學浩瀚的知識世界吧！主持：Arietta（本集以普通話進行）Join us on this episode as we explore the unique journey of mainland Chinese students pursuing a master's degree in anthropology at CUHK. The academic atmosphere and local culture can be a significant shift for mainland students in Hong Kong. And not knowing Cantonese adds another layer of complexity to their academic learning. Host Arietta chats with Jacky, Shawn, and Sun to learn about their experiences taking various courses in the MA programme in Anthropology at CUHK, discovering how this discipline provided them with new perspectives on the world and profound intellectual breakthroughs. If you are considering studying anthropology, this episode is packed with practical tips and inspiring stories to help you navigate your academic adventure.Host: Arietta (This episode is conducted in Putonghua.)8'00 博物館與人類學 Museums and Anthropology13'25 飲食與文化 Food and Culture16'08 身體、愛與情感人類學 The Anthropology of the Body, Love and Emotions24'20 印象深刻的人類學田野考察經驗 Memorable Fieldwork Experience in Anthropology29'40 人類學小百科——庫拉圈 Getting to Know Anthropology: Kula Ring31'40 在香港讀人類學的挑戰 Challenges of StudyingAnthropology in Hong KongCredit:Sound effect by ZapSplatOpening and Closing Music “Paradise Found” Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com). Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License-http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/系列介紹：「瓜瓜人類學」是香港中文大學人類學系推出的podcast節目，由人類學系的畢業生和同學製作，每集邀請不同領域的來賓對談訪問，探索充滿趣味和驚喜的人類學世界。這一系列節目旨在透過主持人與受訪者嘰哩呱啦的聊天，輕鬆分享人類學學習的經歷與體悟，以聲喚友，與大家暢談流行熱話、世界趨勢，例如科技、性別、族群等多元議題。我們希望與聽眾一起，一窺人類學人腦袋裡的奇思妙想。About the Series: “Gwaa Gua Anthropology” is a podcast project of the Department of Anthropology, The Chinese University of Hong Kong and is produced by anthropology students and graduates. This series aims to find delight in surprising insights and thought-provoking experiences, with guests from different cultural backgrounds and career fields joining the conversation and sharing their perspectives of anthropology. A wide variety of topics in everyday life will be covered, from trending news to global issues, from technology to gender to ethnicity and more. Join us and discover the “out-of-ordinary” encounters in the field of anthropology! 

Eli Reed was born in the US in 1946 and studied pictorial illustration at the Newark School of Fine and Industrial Arts, graduating in 1969. In 1982, he was a Nieman Fellow at Harvard University. At Harvard's Kennedy School of Government, he studied political science, urban affairs, and the prospects for peace in Central America.Eli began photographing as a freelancer in 1970. His work from El Salvador, Guatemala and other Central American countries attracted the attention of Magnum, he was the first African American photographer, and indeed the first person of colour, to join the agency, becoming a full member in 1988.In the same year, Eli photographed the effects of poverty on America's children for a film documentary called Poorest in the Land of Plenty, narrated by Maya Angelou. He went on to work as a stills photographer for major motion pictures. His video documentary Getting Out was shown at the New York Film Festival in 1993 and honored by the 1996 Black Filmmakers Hall of Fame International Film and Video Competition in the documentary category.Eli's special reports include a long-term study which became his first, highly acclaimed book, Beirut, City of Regrets; the ousting of Baby Doc Duvalier in Haiti (1986); US military action in Panama (1989); the Walled City in Hong Kong; and, perhaps most notably, his documentation of African American experience over more than 20 years. Spanning the 1970s through the end of the 1990s, his book Black in America includes images from the Crown Heights riots and the Million Man March. In 2015, he published his first career retrospective, A Long Walk Home.Eli has lectured and taught at the International Center of Photography, Columbia University, New York University, University of Texas and Harvard University and is a member of Kamoinge, the collective of black photographers founded in 1963 and the longest continuously running non-profit group in the history of photography. On episode 264, Eli discusses, among other things:His ongoing mentoring of former studentsHow working in a hospital was good prep for the kind of work he doesGrowing up in the Delaney Homes housing project in Perth Amboy, NJHow a visiting art critic gave him early encouragement at schoolLosing his mum at 12 years oldThe importance of certain teachers and mentors, especially Donal GreenhouseHow his project Black In America came aboutWorking for the San Francisco ExaminerJoining Eugene Smith's workshop after a long waitHow Philip Jones Griffiths invited him to join MagnumWhether he is still an optimist?Photographing TrumpKamoingeA teaser about the book he is writingBeing the first person of colour to join Magnum PhotosReferenced:Jaqueline KennedyRoy De CaravaW Gene SmithBruce DavidsonEugene RichardsSusan MeiselasSon of SamGordon ParksGilles Peress Become a A Small Voice podcast member here to access exclusive additional subscriber-only content and the full archive of 200+ previous episodes for £5 per month.Subscribe to my weekly newsletter here for everything A Small Voice related and much more besides.Follow me on Instagram here.Build Yourself a Squarespace Website video course here.

Prime Minister Mark Carney spends his last days before heading back to Parliament talking about "nation-building" projects with his caucus -- and with Alberta Premier Danielle Smith. Ugandan rebel leader Joseph Kony isn't at the International Criminal Court to hear evidence of his war crimes. Our guest was born into his militia -- and says there's no justice until he's made to face his crimes. Hong Kong lawmakers reject limited rights for some same-sex couples. An advocate tells us he's disappointed -- but still certain progress will be made...eventually.A pastor in Rochester, New York explains how her community sent ICE agents packing, when they tried to arrest a group of roofers working on a house. The creatures who live near the ocean floor aren't typically known for being cute -- but a new species of bumpy snailfish is the sweetest thing in salt water. Remembering the Japanese racehorse Haru Urara, who became a national inspiration because of her remarkable consistency on the track -- where she lost 113 consecutive races. As It Happens, the Wednesday Edition. Radio that knows some heroes are larger-than-life -- and some are mare mortals.

Nick is joined by Racing Post senior writer Lee Mottershead for the latest from around the racing world. They lead with today's voluntary cancellation of racing in Britain, wonder how it might be best pitched to achieve maximum impact, and consider the bookmakers' and parliamentarians' likely response. Trainer William Haggas joins the conversation. Also on today's show, with the Hillsin enquiry reaching boiling point, we repay the interview that defendant Chris Honour gave this podcast over two years ago, the morning after the race in question. Plus, Sean Levey - booked once again for Aidan O'Brien after last year's Leger heroics - talks through who he'd like to ride out of the trio and gives his candid assessment of Rosallion after another defeat at the weekend. JA McGrath returns for the new season in Hong Kong.

The Transformation Ground Control podcast covers a number of topics important to digital and business transformation. This episode covers the following topics and interviews:   The Microsoft Study About Jobs Being At Risk From AI, Q&A (Darian Chwialkowski, Third Stage Consulting) How Microsoft is Approaching Enterprise Technology (Mason Whitaker, CEO of Volt Technologies) Metcash's ERP Failure   We also cover a number of other relevant topics related to digital and business transformation throughout the show.  

Hongkong statt Heidelberg heißt es mittlerweile für unseren Gast in der heutigen Folge. Moderatorin Annet Sattler begrüßt Kim Ekdahl du Rietz zu einem Zeitpunkt, an dem das neue und alte Leben des Schweden in Heidelberg aufeinandertreffen. Du Rietz war vor wenigen Wochen in seiner Funktion als Nationaltrainer Hongkongs für ein Trainingslager mit seiner Mannschaft bei den Rhein-Neckar Löwen zu Gast. Im Podcast berichtet er ausführlich über diese Aufgabe und wie er die DAIKIN HBL auch in Asien weiter verfolgt. Im Gespräch wird auch klar, dass du Rietz ein besonderer Sportler und Mensch ist. Er berichtet von den Gründen für sein überraschendes Karriereende 2017, gemischte Gefühle beim Rückblick auf Olympia-Silber 2012 und seine mehreren Comebacks in den vergangenen Jahren. Viel Spaß mit Folge #134 von „Hand aufs Harz“ mit Kim Ekdahl du Rietz.

World news in 7 minutes. Thursday 11th September 2025.Today: Poland Russian drones. Sweden child crime. EU state of union. Indonesia floods. China reserve. Hong Kong bill veto. Cuba power. United States megachurch leader. Congo Ebola. Botswana wealth fund. Africa school meals.With Juliet MartinSEND7 is supported by our amazing listeners like you.Our supporters get access to the transcripts written by us every day.Our supporters get access to an English worksheet made by us once per week. Our supporters get access to our weekly news quiz made by us once per week. We give 10% of our profit to Effective Altruism charities. You can become a supporter at send7.org/supportContact us at podcast@send7.org or send an audio message at speakpipe.com/send7Please leave a rating on Apple podcasts or Spotify.We don't use AI! Every word is written and recorded by us!Since 2020, SEND7 (Simple English News Daily in 7 minutes) has been telling the most important world news stories in intermediate English. Every day, listen to the most important stories from every part of the world in slow, clear English. Whether you are an intermediate learner trying to improve your advanced, technical and business English, or if you are a native speaker who just wants to hear a summary of world news as fast as possible, join Stephen Devincenzi, Ben Mallett and Juliet Martin every morning. Transcripts, worksheets and our weekly world news quiz are available for our amazing supporters at send7.org. Simple English News Daily is the perfect way to start your day, by practising your listening skills and understanding complicated stories in a simple way. It is also highly valuable for IELTS and TOEFL students. Students, teachers, TEFL teachers, and people with English as a second language, tell us that they use SEND7 because they can learn English through hard topics, but simple grammar. We believe that the best way to improve your spoken English is to immerse yourself in real-life content, such as what our podcast provides. SEND7 covers all news including politics, business, natural events and human rights. Whether it is happening in Europe, Africa, Asia, the Americas or Oceania, you will hear it on SEND7, and you will understand it.For more information visit send7.org/contact or send an email to podcast@send7.org

2️⃣ AI Takeover Episode

Luke McGregor joined us to talk Perth shows, creepy sleep fears and his trip to Hong Kong with Joel, while Jessica Gomes popped into the studio to chat outfits and the summer season ahead. Plus, the new iPhone 17 made headlines, Ed Sheeran might be moving to the US, and Shaun kept the footy trip hype alive with another boarding pass winner.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

1️⃣ Blockchain DXB Podcast

Crypto News: Crypto users urged to take extreme care as NPM attack hits core JavaScript libraries. SwissBorg hacked for $41M SOL after third-party API compromise. CoinShares to go public in the US through $1.2B SPAC merger. HashKey launches $500M digital asset treasury fund in Hong Kong.Show Sponsor -

Frank Dux decides to leave the US Military to compete in a secret martial arts tournament in Hong Kong where participants can be killed in the fight.  He's told not to go by his superiors but does it anyways and finds himself in the fight for his life.  Jean Claude Van Damme stars in the martial arts cult classic, Bloodsport. We also discuss the latest episode of Alien: Earth, talk the new trailer for Tron: Aeres and more this week and a preview of next week's film, The Fast & The Furious. Visit us for all episodes & more at the www.therebelradiopodcast.com Please leave us a 5-Star review on iTunes! You can also find us on Spotify iHeartRadio Follow us on Facebook

Last time we spoke about the surrender of Japan. Emperor Hirohito announced the surrender on August 15, prompting mixed public reactions: grief, shock, and sympathy for the Emperor, tempered by fear of hardship and occupation. The government's response included resignations and suicide as new leadership was brought in under Prime Minister Higashikuni, with Mamoru Shigemitsu as Foreign Minister and Kawabe Torashiro heading a delegation to Manila. General MacArthur directed the occupation plan, “Blacklist,” prioritizing rapid, phased entry into key Japanese areas and Korea, while demobilizing enemy forces. The surrender ceremony occurred aboard the Missouri in Tokyo Bay on September 2, with Wainwright, Percival, Nimitz, and UN representatives in attendance. Civilians and soldiers across Asia began surrendering, and postwar rehabilitation, Indochina and Vietnam's independence movements, and Southeast Asian transitions rapidly unfolded as Allied forces established control. This episode is the Aftermath of the Pacific War Welcome to the Pacific War Podcast Week by Week, 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 world war two? Kings and Generals have an assortment of episodes on world war two 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 you can find a few videos all the way from the Opium Wars of the 1800's until the end of the Pacific War in 1945.  The Pacific War has ended. Peace has been restored by the Allies and most of the places conquered by the Japanese Empire have been liberated. In this post-war period, new challenges would be faced for those who won the war; and from the ashes of an empire, a defeated nation was also seeking to rebuild. As the Japanese demobilized their armed forces, many young boys were set to return to their homeland, even if they had previously thought that they wouldn't survive the ordeal. And yet, there were some cases of isolated men that would continue to fight for decades even, unaware that the war had already ended.  As we last saw, after the Japanese surrender, General MacArthur's forces began the occupation of the Japanese home islands, while their overseas empire was being dismantled by the Allies. To handle civil administration, MacArthur established the Military Government Section, commanded by Brigadier-General William Crist, staffed by hundreds of US experts trained in civil governance who were reassigned from Okinawa and the Philippines. As the occupation began, Americans dispatched tactical units and Military Government Teams to each prefecture to ensure that policies were faithfully carried out. By mid-September, General Eichelberger's 8th Army had taken over the Tokyo Bay region and began deploying to occupy Hokkaido and the northern half of Honshu. Then General Krueger's 6th Army arrived in late September, taking southern Honshu and Shikoku, with its base in Kyoto. In December, 6th Army was relieved of its occupation duties; in January 1946, it was deactivated, leaving the 8th Army as the main garrison force. By late 1945, about 430,000 American soldiers were garrisoned across Japan. President Truman approved inviting Allied involvement on American terms, with occupation armies integrated into a US command structure. Yet with the Chinese civil war and Russia's reluctance to place its forces under MacArthur's control, only Australia, Britain, India, and New Zealand sent brigades, more than 40,000 troops in southwestern Japan. Japanese troops were gradually disarmed by order of their own commanders, so the stigma of surrender would be less keenly felt by the individual soldier. In the homeland, about 1.5 million men were discharged and returned home by the end of August. Demobilization overseas, however, proceeded, not quickly, but as a long, difficult process of repatriation. In compliance with General Order No. 1, the Japanese Imperial General Headquarters disbanded on September 13 and was superseded by the Japanese War Department to manage demobilization. By November 1, the homeland had demobilized 2,228,761 personnel, roughly 97% of the Homeland Army. Yet some 6,413,215 men remained to be repatriated from overseas. On December 1, the Japanese War Ministry dissolved, and the First Demobilization Ministry took its place. The Second Demobilization Ministry was established to handle IJN demobilization, with 1,299,868 sailors, 81% of the Navy, demobilized by December 17. Japanese warships and merchant ships had their weapons rendered inoperative, and suicide craft were destroyed. Forty percent of naval vessels were allocated to evacuations in the Philippines, and 60% to evacuations of other Pacific islands. This effort eventually repatriated about 823,984 men to Japan by February 15, 1946. As repatriation accelerated, by October 15 only 1,909,401 men remained to be repatriated, most of them in the Soviet Union. Meanwhile, the Higashikuni Cabinet and Foreign Minister Shigemitsu Mamoru managed to persuade MacArthur not to impose direct military rule or martial law over all of Japan. Instead, the occupation would be indirect, guided by the Japanese government under the Emperor's direction. An early decision to feed occupation forces from American supplies, and to allow the Japanese to use their own limited food stores, helped ease a core fear: that Imperial forces would impose forced deliveries on the people they conquered. On September 17, MacArthur transferred his headquarters from Yokohama to Tokyo, setting up primary offices on the sixth floor of the Dai-Ichi Mutual Life Insurance Building, an imposing edifice overlooking the moat and the Imperial palace grounds in Hibiya, a symbolic heart of the nation.  While the average soldier did not fit the rapacious image of wartime Japanese propagandists, occupation personnel often behaved like neo-colonial overlords. The conquerors claimed privileges unimaginable to most Japanese. Entire trains and train compartments, fitted with dining cars, were set aside for the exclusive use of occupation forces. These silenced, half-empty trains sped past crowded platforms, provoking ire as Japanese passengers were forced to enter and exit packed cars through punched-out windows, or perch on carriage roofs, couplings, and running boards, often with tragic consequences. The luxury express coaches became irresistible targets for anonymous stone-throwers. During the war, retrenchment measures had closed restaurants, cabarets, beer halls, geisha houses, and theatres in Tokyo and other large cities. Now, a vast leisure industry sprang up to cater to the needs of the foreign occupants. Reopened restaurants and theatres, along with train stations, buses, and streetcars, were sometimes kept off limits to Allied personnel, partly for security, partly to avoid burdening Japanese resources, but a costly service infrastructure was built to the occupiers' specifications. Facilities reserved for occupation troops bore large signs reading “Japanese Keep Out” or “For Allied Personnel Only.” In downtown Tokyo, important public buildings requisitioned for occupation use had separate entrances for Americans and Japanese. The effect? A subtle but clear colour bar between the predominantly white conquerors and the conquered “Asiatic” Japanese. Although MacArthur was ready to work through the Japanese government, he lacked the organizational infrastructure to administer a nation of 74 million. Consequently, on October 2, MacArthur dissolved the Military Government Section and inaugurated General Headquarters, Supreme Commander for the Allied Powers, a separate headquarters focused on civil affairs and operating in tandem with the Army high command. SCAP immediately assumed responsibility for administering the Japanese home islands. It commandeered every large building not burned down to house thousands of civilians and requisitioned vast tracts of prime real estate to quarter several hundred thousand troops in the Tokyo–Yokohama area alone. Amidst the rise of American privilege, entire buildings were refurbished as officers' clubs, replete with slot machines and gambling parlours installed at occupation expense. The Stars and Stripes were hoisted over Tokyo, while the display of the Rising Sun was banned; and the downtown area, known as “Little America,” was transformed into a US enclave. The enclave mentality of this cocooned existence was reinforced by the arrival within the first six months of roughly 700 American families. At the peak of the occupation, about 14,800 families employed some 25,000 Japanese servants to ease the “rigours” of overseas duty. Even enlisted men in the sparse quonset-hut towns around the city lived like kings compared with ordinary Japanese. Japanese workers cleaned barracks, did kitchen chores, and handled other base duties. The lowest private earned a 25% hardship bonus until these special allotments were discontinued in 1949. Most military families quickly adjusted to a pampered lifestyle that went beyond maids and “boys,” including cooks, laundresses, babysitters, gardeners, and masseuses. Perks included spacious quarters with swimming pools, central heating, hot running water, and modern plumbing. Two observers compared GHQ to the British Raj at its height. George F. Kennan, head of the State Department's Policy Planning Staff, warned during his 1948 mission to Japan that Americans had monopolized “everything that smacks of comfort or elegance or luxury,” criticizing what he called the “American brand of philistinism” and the “monumental imperviousness” of MacArthur's staff to the Japanese suffering. This conqueror's mentality also showed in the bullying attitudes many top occupation officials displayed toward the Japanese with whom they dealt. Major Faubion Bowers, MacArthur's military secretary, later said, “I and nearly all the occupation people I knew were extremely conceited and extremely arrogant and used our power every inch of the way.” Initially, there were spasms of defiance against the occupation forces, such as anonymous stone-throwing, while armed robbery and minor assaults against occupation personnel were rife in the weeks and months after capitulation. Yet active resistance was neither widespread nor organized. The Americans successfully completed their initial deployment without violence, an astonishing feat given a heavily armed and vastly superior enemy operating on home terrain. The average citizen regarded the occupation as akin to force majeure, the unfortunate but inevitable aftermath of a natural calamity. Japan lay prostrate. Industrial output had fallen to about 10% of pre-war levels, and as late as 1946, more than 13 million remained unemployed. Nearly 40% of Japan's urban areas had been turned to rubble, and some 9 million people were homeless. The war-displaced, many of them orphans, slept in doorways and hallways, in bombed-out ruins, dugouts and packing crates, under bridges or on pavements, and crowded the hallways of train and subway stations. As winter 1945 descended, with food, fuel, and clothing scarce, people froze to death. Bonfires lit the streets to ward off the chill. "The only warm hands I have shaken thus far in Japan belonged to Americans," Mark Gayn noted in December 1945. "The Japanese do not have much of a chance to thaw out, and their hands are cold and red." Unable to afford shoes, many wore straw sandals; those with geta felt themselves privileged. The sight of a man wearing a woman's high-buttoned shoes in winter epitomized the daily struggle to stay dry and warm. Shantytowns built of scrap wood, rusted metal, and scavenged odds and ends sprang up everywhere, resembling vast junk yards. The poorest searched smouldering refuse heaps for castoffs that might be bartered for a scrap to eat or wear. Black markets (yami'ichi) run by Japanese, Koreans, and For-mosans mushroomed to replace collapsed distribution channels and cash in on inflated prices. Tokyo became "a world of scarcity in which every nail, every rag, and even a tangerine peel [had a] market value." Psychologically numbed, disoriented, and disillusioned with their leaders, demobilized veterans and civilians alike struggled to get their bearings, shed militaristic ideologies, and begin to embrace new values. In the vacuum of defeat, the Japanese people appeared ready to reject the past and grasp at the straw held out by the former enemy. Relations between occupier and occupied were not smooth, however. American troops comported themselves like conquerors, especially in the early weeks and months of occupation. Much of the violence was directed against women, with the first attacks beginning within hours after the landing of advance units. When US paratroopers landed in Sapporo, an orgy of looting, sexual violence, and drunken brawling ensued. Newspaper accounts reported 931 serious offences by GIs in the Yokohama area during the first week of occupation, including 487 armed robberies, 411 thefts of currency or goods, 9 rapes, 5 break-ins, 3 cases of assault and battery, and 16 other acts of lawlessness. In the first 10 days of occupation, there were 1,336 reported rapes by US soldiers in Kanagawa Prefecture alone. Americans were not the only perpetrators. A former prostitute recalled that when Australian troops arrived in Kure in early 1946, they “dragged young women into their jeeps, took them to the mountain, and then raped them. I heard them screaming for help nearly every night.” Such behaviour was commonplace, but news of criminal activity by occupation forces was quickly suppressed. On September 10, 1945, SCAP issued press and pre-censorship codes outlawing the publication of reports and statistics "inimical to the objectives of the occupation." In the sole instance of self-help General Eichelberger records in his memoirs, when locals formed a vigilante group and retaliated against off-duty GIs, 8th Army ordered armored vehicles into the streets and arrested the ringleaders, who received lengthy prison terms. Misbehavior ranged from black-market activity, petty theft, reckless driving, and disorderly conduct to vandalism, arson, murder, and rape. Soldiers and sailors often broke the law with impunity, and incidents of robbery, rape, and even murder were widely reported. Gang rapes and other sex atrocities were not infrequent; victims, shunned as outcasts, sometimes turned to prostitution in desperation, while others took their own lives to avoid bringing shame to their families. Military courts arrested relatively few soldiers for these offenses and convicted even fewer; Japanese attempts at self-defense were punished severely, and restitution for victims was rare. Fearing the worst, Japanese authorities had already prepared countermeasures against the supposed rapacity of foreign soldiers. Imperial troops in East Asia and the Pacific had behaved brutally toward women, so the government established “sexual comfort-stations” manned by geisha, bar hostesses, and prostitutes to “satisfy the lust of the Occupation forces,” as the Higashikuni Cabinet put it. A budget of 100 million yen was set aside for these Recreation and Amusement Associations, financed initially with public funds but run as private enterprises under police supervision. Through these, the government hoped to protect the daughters of the well-born and middle class by turning to lower-class women to satisfy the soldiers' sexual appetites. By the end of 1945, brothel operators had rounded up an estimated 20,000 young women and herded them into RAA establishments nationwide. Eventually, as many as 70,000 are said to have ended up in the state-run sex industry. Thankfully, as military discipline took hold and fresh troops replaced the Allied veterans responsible for the early crime wave, violence subsided and the occupier's patronising behavior and the ugly misdeeds of a lawless few were gradually overlooked. However, fraternisation was frowned upon by both sides, and segregation was practiced in principle, with the Japanese excluded from areas reserved for Allied personnel until September 1949, when MacArthur lifted virtually all restrictions on friendly association, stating that he was “establishing the same relations between occupation personnel and the Japanese population as exists between troops stationed in the United States and the American people.” In principle, the Occupation's administrative structure was highly complex. The Far Eastern Commission, based in Washington, included representatives from all 13 countries that had fought against Japan and was established in 1946 to formulate basic principles. The Allied Council for Japan was created in the same year to assist in developing and implementing surrender terms and in administering the country. It consisted of representatives from the USA, the USSR, Nationalist China, and the British Commonwealth. Although both bodies were active at first, they were largely ineffectual due to unwieldy decision-making, disagreements between the national delegations (especially the USA and USSR), and the obstructionism of General Douglas MacArthur. In practice, SCAP, the executive authority of the occupation, effectively ruled Japan from 1945 to 1952. And since it took orders only from the US government, the Occupation became primarily an American affair. The US occupation program, effectively carried out by SCAP, was revolutionary and rested on a two-pronged approach. To ensure Japan would never again become a menace to the United States or to world peace, SCAP pursued disarmament and demilitarization, with continuing control over Japan's capacity to make war. This involved destroying military supplies and installations, demobilizing more than five million Japanese soldiers, and thoroughly discrediting the military establishment. Accordingly, SCAP ordered the purge of tens of thousands of designated persons from public service positions, including accused war criminals, military officers, leaders of ultranationalist societies, leaders in the Imperial Rule Assistance Association, business leaders tied to overseas expansion, governors of former Japanese colonies, and national leaders who had steered Japan into war. In addition, MacArthur's International Military Tribunal for the Far East established a military court in Tokyo. It had jurisdiction over those charged with Class A crimes, top leaders who had planned and directed the war. Also considered were Class B charges, covering conventional war crimes, and Class C charges, covering crimes against humanity. Yet the military court in Tokyo wouldn't be the only one. More than 5,700 lower-ranking personnel were charged with conventional war crimes in separate trials convened by Australia, China, France, the Dutch East Indies, the Philippines, the United Kingdom, and the United States. Of the 5,700 Japanese individuals indicted for Class B war crimes, 984 were sentenced to death; 475 received life sentences; 2,944 were given more limited prison terms; 1,018 were acquitted; and 279 were never brought to trial or not sentenced. Among these, many, like General Ando Rikichi and Lieutenant-General Nomi Toshio, chose to commit suicide before facing prosecution. Notable cases include Lieutenant-General Tani Hisao, who was sentenced to death by the Nanjing War Crimes Tribunal for his role in the Nanjing Massacre; Lieutenant-General Sakai Takashi, who was executed in Nanjing for the murder of British and Chinese civilians during the occupation of Hong Kong. General Okamura Yasuji was convicted of war crimes by the Tribunal, yet he was immediately protected by the personal order of Nationalist leader Chiang Kai-Shek, who kept him as a military adviser for the Kuomintang. In the Manila trials, General Yamashita Tomoyuki was sentenced to death as he was in overall command during the Sook Ching massacre, the Rape of Manila, and other atrocities. Lieutenant-General Homma Masaharu was likewise executed in Manila for atrocities committed by troops under his command during the Bataan Death March. General Imamura Hitoshi was sentenced to ten years in prison, but he considered the punishment too light and even had a replica of the prison built in his garden, remaining there until his death in 1968. Lieutenant-General Kanda Masatane received a 14-year sentence for war crimes on Bougainville, though he served only four years. Lieutenant-General Adachi Hatazo was sentenced to life imprisonment for war crimes in New Guinea and subsequently committed suicide on September 10, 1947. Lieutenant-General Teshima Fusataro received three years of forced labour for using a hospital ship to transport troops. Lieutenant-General Baba Masao was sentenced to death for ordering the Sandakan Death Marches, during which over 2,200 Australian and British prisoners of war perished. Lieutenant-General Tanabe Moritake was sentenced to death by a Dutch military tribunal for unspecified war crimes. Rear-Admiral Sakaibara Shigematsu was executed in Guam for ordering the Wake Island massacre, in which 98 American civilians were murdered. Lieutenant-General Inoue Sadae was condemned to death in Guam for permitting subordinates to execute three downed American airmen captured in Palau, though his sentence was commuted to life imprisonment in 1951 and he was released in 1953. Lieutenant-General Tachibana Yoshio was sentenced to death in Guam for his role in the Chichijima Incident, in which eight American airmen were cannibalized. By mid-1945, due to the Allied naval blockade, the 25,000 Japanese troops on Chichijima had run low on supplies. However, although the daily rice ration had been reduced from 400 grams per person per day to 240 grams, the troops were not at risk of starvation. In February and March 1945, in what would later be called the Chichijima incident, Tachibana Yoshio's senior staff turned to cannibalism. Nine American airmen had escaped from their planes after being shot down during bombing raids on Chichijima, eight of whom were captured. The ninth, the only one to evade capture, was future US President George H. W. Bush, then a 20-year-old pilot. Over several months, the prisoners were executed, and reportedly by the order of Major Matoba Sueyo, their bodies were butchered by the division's medical orderlies, with the livers and other organs consumed by the senior staff, including Matoba's superior Tachibana. In the Yokohama War Crimes Trials, Lieutenant-Generals Inada Masazumi and Yokoyama Isamu were convicted for their complicity in vivisection and other human medical experiments performed at Kyushu Imperial University on downed Allied airmen. The Tokyo War Crimes Trial, which began in May 1946 and lasted two and a half years, resulted in the execution by hanging of Generals Doihara Kenji and Itagaki Seishiro, and former Prime Ministers Hirota Koki and Tojo Hideki, for war crimes, crimes against humanity, and crimes against peace, specifically for the escalation of the Pacific War and for permitting the inhumane treatment of prisoners of war. Also sentenced to death were Lieutenant-General Muto Akira for his role in the Nanjing and Manila massacres; General Kimura Heitaro for planning the war strategy in China and Southeast Asia and for laxity in preventing atrocities against prisoners of war in Burma; and General Matsui Iwane for his involvement in the Rape of Nanjing. The seven defendants who were sentenced to death were executed at Sugamo Prison in Ikebukuro on December 23, 1948. Sixteen others were sentenced to life imprisonment, including the last Field Marshal Hata Shunroku, Generals Araki Sadao, Minami Hiro, and Umezu Shojiro, Admiral Shimada Shigetaro, former Prime Ministers Hiranuma Kiichiro and Koiso Kuniaki, Marquis Kido Koichi, and Colonel Hashimoto Kingoro, a major instigator of the second Sino-Japanese War. Additionally, former Foreign Ministers Togo Shigenori and Shigemitsu Mamoru received seven- and twenty-year sentences, respectively. The Soviet Union and Chinese Communist forces also held trials of Japanese war criminals, including the Khabarovsk War Crime Trials, which tried and found guilty some members of Japan's bacteriological and chemical warfare unit known as Unit 731. However, those who surrendered to the Americans were never brought to trial, as MacArthur granted immunity to Lieutenant-General Ishii Shiro and all members of the bacteriological research units in exchange for germ-w warfare data derived from human experimentation. If you would like to learn more about what I like to call Japan's Operation Paper clip, whereupon the US grabbed many scientists from Unit 731, check out my exclusive podcast. The SCAP-turn to democratization began with the drafting of a new constitution in 1947, addressing Japan's enduring feudal social structure. In the charter, sovereignty was vested in the people, and the emperor was designated a “symbol of the state and the unity of the people, deriving his position from the will of the people in whom resides sovereign power.” Because the emperor now possessed fewer powers than European constitutional monarchs, some have gone so far as to say that Japan became “a republic in fact if not in name.” Yet the retention of the emperor was, in fact, a compromise that suited both those who wanted to preserve the essence of the nation for stability and those who demanded that the emperor system, though not necessarily the emperor, should be expunged. In line with the democratic spirit of the new constitution, the peerage was abolished and the two-chamber Diet, to which the cabinet was now responsible, became the highest organ of state. The judiciary was made independent and local autonomy was granted in vital areas of jurisdiction such as education and the police. Moreover, the constitution stipulated that “the people shall not be prevented from enjoying any of the fundamental human rights,” that they “shall be respected as individuals,” and that “their right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness shall … be the supreme consideration in legislation.” Its 29 articles guaranteed basic human rights: equality, freedom from discrimination on the basis of race, creed, sex, social status or family origin, freedom of thought and freedom of religion. Finally, in its most controversial section, Article 9, the “peace clause,” Japan “renounce[d] war as a sovereign right of the nation” and vowed not to maintain any military forces and “other war potential.” To instill a thoroughly democratic ethos, reforms touched every facet of society. The dissolution of the zaibatsu decentralised economic power; the 1945 Labour Union Law and the 1946 Labour Relations Act guaranteed workers the right to collective action; the 1947 Labour Standards Law established basic working standards for men and women; and the revised Civil Code of 1948 abolished the patriarchal household and enshrined sexual equality. Reflecting core American principles, SCAP introduced a 6-3-3 schooling system, six years of compulsory elementary education, three years of junior high, and an optional three years of senior high, along with the aim of secular, locally controlled education. More crucially, ideological reform followed: censorship of feudal material in media, revision of textbooks, and prohibition of ideas glorifying war, dying for the emperor, or venerating war heroes. With women enfranchised and young people shaped to counter militarism and ultranationalism, rural Japan was transformed to undermine lingering class divisions. The land reform program provided for the purchase of all land held by absentee landlords, allowed resident landlords and owner-farmers to retain a set amount of land, and required that the remaining land be sold to the government so it could be offered to existing tenants. In 1948, amid the intensifying tensions of the Cold War that would soon culminate in the Korean War, the occupation's focus shifted from demilitarization and democratization toward economic rehabilitation and, ultimately, the remilitarization of Japan, an shift now known as the “Reverse Course.” The country was thus rebuilt as the Pacific region's primary bulwark against the spread of Communism. An Economic Stabilisation Programme was introduced, including a five-year plan to coordinate production and target capital through the Reconstruction Finance Bank. In 1949, the anti-inflationary Dodge Plan was adopted, advocating balanced budgets, fixing the exchange rate at 360 yen to the dollar, and ending broad government intervention. Additionally, the Ministry of International Trade and Industry was formed and supported the formation of conglomerates centered around banks, which encouraged the reemergence of a somewhat weakened set of zaibatsu, including Mitsui and Mitsubishi. By the end of the Occupation era, Japan was on the verge of surpassing its 1934–1936 levels of economic growth. Equally important was Japan's rearmament in alignment with American foreign policy: a National Police Reserve of about 75,000 was created with the outbreak of the Korean War; by 1952 it had expanded to 110,000 and was renamed the Self-Defense Force after the inclusion of an air force. However, the Reverse Course also facilitated the reestablishment of conservative politics and the rollback of gains made by women and the reforms of local autonomy and education. As the Occupation progressed, the Americans permitted greater Japanese initiative, and power gradually shifted from the reformers to the moderates. By 1949, the purge of the right came under review, and many who had been condemned began returning to influence, if not to the Diet, then to behind-the-scenes power. At the same time, Japanese authorities, with MacArthur's support, began purging left-wing activists. In June 1950, for example, the central office of the Japan Communist Party and the editorial board of The Red Flag were purged. The gains made by women also seemed to be reversed. Women were elected to 8% of available seats in the first lower-house election in 1946, but to only 2% in 1952, a trend not reversed until the so-called Madonna Boom of the 1980s. Although the number of women voting continued to rise, female politicisation remained more superficial than might be imagined. Women's employment also appeared little affected by labour legislation: though women formed nearly 40% of the labor force in 1952, they earned only 45% as much as men. Indeed, women's attitudes toward labor were influenced less by the new ethos of fulfilling individual potential than by traditional views of family and workplace responsibilities. In the areas of local autonomy and education, substantial modifications were made to the reforms. Because local authorities lacked sufficient power to tax, they were unable to realise their extensive powers, and, as a result, key responsibilities were transferred back to national jurisdiction. In 1951, for example, 90% of villages and towns placed their police forces under the control of the newly formed National Police Agency. Central control over education was also gradually reasserted; in 1951, the Yoshida government attempted to reintroduce ethics classes, proposed tighter central oversight of textbooks, and recommended abolishing local school board elections. By the end of the decade, all these changes had been implemented. The Soviet occupation of the Kurile Islands and the Habomai Islets was completed with Russian troops fully deployed by September 5. Immediately after the onset of the occupation, amid a climate of insecurity and fear marked by reports of sporadic rape and physical assault and widespread looting by occupying troops, an estimated 4,000 islanders fled to Hokkaido rather than face an uncertain repatriation. As Soviet forces moved in, they seized or destroyed telephone and telegraph installations and halted ship movements into and out of the islands, leaving residents without adequate food and other winter provisions. Yet, unlike Manchuria, where Japanese civilians faced widespread sexual violence and pillage, systematic violence against the civilian population on the Kuriles appears to have been exceptional. A series of military government proclamations assured islanders of safety so long as they did not resist Soviet rule and carried on normally; however, these orders also prohibited activities not explicitly authorized by the Red Army, which imposed many hardships on civilians. Residents endured harsh conditions under Soviet rule until late 1948, when Japanese repatriation out of the Kurils was completed. The Kuriles posed a special diplomatic problem, as the occupation of the southernmost islands—the Northern Territories—ignited a long-standing dispute between Tokyo and Moscow that continues to impede the normalisation of relations today. Although the Kuriles were promised to the Soviet Union in the Yalta agreement, Japan and the United States argued that this did not apply to the Northern Territories, since they were not part of the Kurile Islands. A substantial dispute regarding the status of the Kurile Islands arose between the United States and the Soviet Union during the preparation of the Treaty of San Francisco, which was intended as a permanent peace treaty between Japan and the Allied Powers of World War II. The treaty was ultimately signed by 49 nations in San Francisco on September 8, 1951, and came into force on April 28, 1952. It ended Japan's role as an imperial power, allocated compensation to Allied nations and former prisoners of war who had suffered Japanese war crimes, ended the Allied post-war occupation of Japan, and returned full sovereignty to Japan. Effectively, the document officially renounced Japan's treaty rights derived from the Boxer Protocol of 1901 and its rights to Korea, Formosa and the Pescadores, the Kurile Islands, the Spratly Islands, Antarctica, and South Sakhalin. Japan's South Seas Mandate, namely the Mariana Islands, Marshall Islands, and Caroline Islands, had already been formally revoked by the United Nations on July 18, 1947, making the United States responsible for administration of those islands under a UN trusteeship agreement that established the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands. In turn, the Bonin, Volcano, and Ryukyu Islands were progressively restored to Japan between 1953 and 1972, along with the Senkaku Islands, which were disputed by both Communist and Nationalist China. In addition, alongside the Treaty of San Francisco, Japan and the United States signed a Security Treaty that established a long-lasting military alliance between them. Although Japan renounced its rights to the Kuriles, the U.S. State Department later clarified that “the Habomai Islands and Shikotan ... are properly part of Hokkaido and that Japan is entitled to sovereignty over them,” hence why the Soviets refused to sign the treaty. Britain and the United States agreed that territorial rights would not be granted to nations that did not sign the Treaty of San Francisco, and as a result the Kurile Islands were not formally recognized as Soviet territory. A separate peace treaty, the Treaty of Taipei (formally the Sino-Japanese Peace Treaty), was signed in Taipei on April 28, 1952 between Japan and the Kuomintang, and on June 9 of that year the Treaty of Peace Between Japan and India followed. Finally, Japan and the Soviet Union ended their formal state of war with the Soviet–Japanese Joint Declaration of 1956, though this did not settle the Kurile Islands dispute. Even after these formal steps, Japan as a nation was not in a formal state of war, and many Japanese continued to believe the war was ongoing; those who held out after the surrender came to be known as Japanese holdouts.  Captain Oba Sakae and his medical company participated in the Saipan campaign beginning on July 7, 1944, and took part in what would become the largest banzai charge of the Pacific War. After 15 hours of intense hand-to-hand combat, almost 4,300 Japanese soldiers were dead, and Oba and his men were presumed among them. In reality, however, he survived the battle and gradually assumed command of over a hundred additional soldiers. Only five men from his original unit survived the battle, two of whom died in the following months. Oba then led over 200 Japanese civilians deeper into the jungles to evade capture, organizing them into mountain caves and hidden jungle villages. When the soldiers were not assisting the civilians with survival tasks, Oba and his men continued their battle against the garrison of US Marines. He used the 1,552‑ft Mount Tapochau as their primary base, which offered an unobstructed 360-degree view of the island. From their base camp on the western slope of the mountain, Oba and his men occasionally conducted guerrilla-style raids on American positions. Due to the speed and stealth of these operations, and the Marines' frustrated attempts to find him, the Saipan Marines eventually referred to Oba as “The Fox.” Oba and his men held out on the island for 512 days, or about 16 months. On November 27, 1945, former Major-General Amo Umahachi was able to draw out some of the Japanese in hiding by singing the anthem of the Japanese infantry branch. Amo was then able to present documents from the defunct IGHQ to Oba ordering him and his 46 remaining men to surrender themselves to the Americans. On December 1, the Japanese soldiers gathered on Tapochau and sang a song of departure to the spirits of the war dead; Oba led his people out of the jungle and they presented themselves to the Marines of the 18th Anti-Aircraft Artillery Company. With great formality and commensurate dignity, Oba surrendered his sword to Lieutenant Colonel Howard G. Kirgis, and his men surrendered their arms and colors. On January 2, 1946, 20 Japanese soldiers hiding in a tunnel at Corregidor Island surrendered after learning the war had ended from a newspaper found while collecting water. In that same month, 120 Japanese were routed after a battle in the mountains 150 miles south of Manila. In April, during a seven-week campaign to clear Lubang Island, 41 more Japanese emerged from the jungle, unaware that the war had ended; however, a group of four Japanese continued to resist. In early 1947, Lieutenant Yamaguchi Ei and his band of 33 soldiers renewed fighting with the small Marine garrison on Peleliu, prompting reinforcements under Rear-Admiral Charles Pownall to be brought to the island to hunt down the guerrilla group. Along with them came former Rear-Admiral Sumikawa Michio, who ultimately convinced Yamaguchi to surrender in April after almost three years of guerrilla warfare. Also in April, seven Japanese emerged from Palawan Island and fifteen armed stragglers emerged from Luzon. In January 1948, 200 troops surrendered on Mindanao; and on May 12, the Associated Press reported that two unnamed Japanese soldiers had surrendered to civilian policemen in Guam the day before. On January 6, 1949, two former IJN soldiers, machine gunners Matsudo Rikio and Yamakage Kufuku, were discovered on Iwo Jima and surrendered peacefully. In March 1950, Private Akatsu Yūichi surrendered in the village of Looc, leaving only three Japanese still resisting on Lubang. By 1951 a group of Japanese on Anatahan Island refused to believe that the war was over and resisted every attempt by the Navy to remove them. This group was first discovered in February 1945, when several Chamorros from Saipan were sent to the island to recover the bodies of a Saipan-based B-29. The Chamorros reported that there were about thirty Japanese survivors from three ships sunk in June 1944, one of which was an Okinawan woman. Personal aggravations developed from the close confines of a small group on a small island and from tuba drinking; among the holdouts, 6 of 11 deaths were the result of violence, and one man displayed 13 knife wounds. The presence of only one woman, Higa Kazuko, caused considerable difficulty as she would transfer her affections among at least four men after each of them mysteriously disappeared, purportedly “swallowed by the waves while fishing.” According to the more sensational versions of the Anatahan tale, 11 of the 30 navy sailors stranded on the island died due to violent struggles over her affections. In July 1950, Higa went to the beach when an American vessel appeared offshore and finally asked to be removed from the island. She was taken to Saipan aboard the Miss Susie and, upon arrival, told authorities that the men on the island did not believe the war was over. As the Japanese government showed interest in the situation on Anatahan, the families of the holdouts were contacted in Japan and urged by the Navy to write letters stating that the war was over and that the holdouts should surrender. The letters were dropped by air on June 26 and ultimately convinced the holdouts to give themselves up. Thus, six years after the end of World War II, “Operation Removal” commenced from Saipan under the command of Lt. Commander James B. Johnson, USNR, aboard the Navy Tug USS Cocopa. Johnson and an interpreter went ashore by rubber boat and formally accepted the surrender on the morning of June 30, 1951. The Anatahan femme fatale story later inspired the 1953 Japanese film Anatahan and the 1998 novel Cage on the Sea. In 1953, Murata Susumu, the last holdout on Tinian, was finally captured. The next year, on May 7, Corporal Sumada Shoichi was killed in a clash with Filipino soldiers, leaving only two Japanese still resisting on Lubang. In November 1955, Seaman Kinoshita Noboru was captured in the Luzon jungle but soon after committed suicide rather than “return to Japan in defeat.” That same year, four Japanese airmen surrendered at Hollandia in Dutch New Guinea; and in 1956, nine soldiers were located and sent home from Morotai, while four men surrendered on Mindoro. In May 1960, Sergeant Ito Masashi became one of the last Japanese to surrender at Guam after the capture of his comrade Private Minagawa Bunzo, but the final surrender at Guam would come later with Sergeant Yokoi Shoichi. Sergeant Yokoi Shoichi survived in the jungles of Guam by living for years in an elaborately dug hole, subsisting on snails and lizards, a fate that, while undignified, showcased his ingenuity and resilience and earned him a warm welcome on his return to Japan. His capture was not heroic in the traditional sense: he was found half-starving by a group of villagers while foraging for shrimp in a stream, and the broader context included his awareness as early as 1952 that the war had ended. He explained that the wartime bushido code, emphasizing self-sacrifice or suicide rather than self-preservation, had left him fearing that repatriation would label him a deserter and likely lead to execution. Emerging from the jungle, Yokoi also became a vocal critic of Japan's wartime leadership, including Emperor Hirohito, which fits a view of him as a product of, and a prisoner within, his own education, military training, and the censorship and propaganda of the era. When asked by a young nephew how he survived so long on an island just a short distance from a major American airbase, he replied simply, “I was really good at hide and seek.”  That same year, Private Kozuka Kinshichi was killed in a shootout with Philippine police in October, leaving Lieutenant Onoda Hiroo still resisting on Lubang. Lieutenant Onoda Hiroo had been on Lubang since 1944, a few months before the Americans retook the Philippines. The last instructions he had received from his immediate superior ordered him to retreat to the interior of the island and harass the Allied occupying forces until the IJA eventually returned. Despite efforts by the Philippine Army, letters and newspapers left for him, radio broadcasts, and even a plea from Onoda's brother, he did not believe the war was over. On February 20, 1974, Onoda encountered a young Japanese university dropout named Suzuki Norio, who was traveling the world and had told friends that he planned to “look for Lieutenant Onoda, a panda, and the abominable snowman, in that order.” The two became friends, but Onoda stated that he was waiting for orders from one of his commanders. On March 9, 1974, Onoda went to an agreed-upon place and found a note left by Suzuki. Suzuki had brought along Onoda's former commander, Major Taniguchi, who delivered the oral orders for Onoda to surrender. Intelligence Officer 2nd Lt. Onoda Hiroo thus emerged from Lubang's jungle with his .25 caliber rifle, 500 rounds of ammunition, and several hand grenades. He surrendered 29 years after Japan's formal surrender, and 15 years after being declared legally dead in Japan. When he accepted that the war was over, he wept openly. He received a hero's welcome upon his return to Japan in 1974. The Japanese government offered him a large sum of money in back pay, which he refused. When money was pressed on him by well-wishers, he donated it to Yasukuni Shrine. Onoda was reportedly unhappy with the attention and what he saw as the withering of traditional Japanese values. He wrote No Surrender: My Thirty-Year War, a best-selling autobiography published in 1974. Yet the last Japanese to surrender would be Private Nakamura Teruo, an Amis aborigine from Formosa and a member of the Takasago Volunteers. Private Nakamura Teruo spent the tail end of World War II with a dwindling band on Morotai, repeatedly dispersing and reassembling in the jungle as they hunted for food. The group suffered continuous losses to starvation and disease, and survivors described Nakamura as highly self-sufficient. He left to live alone somewhere in the Morotai highlands between 1946 and 1947, rejoined the main group in 1950, and then disappeared again a few years later. Nakamura hinted in print that he fled into the jungle because he feared the other holdouts might murder him. He survives for decades beyond the war, eventually being found by 11 Indonesian soldiers. The emergence of an indigenous Taiwanese soldier among the search party embarrassed Japan as it sought to move past its imperial past. Many Japanese felt Nakamura deserved compensation for decades of loyalty, only to learn that his back pay for three decades of service amounted to 68,000 yen.   Nakamura's experience of peace was complex. When a journalist asked how he felt about “wasting” three decades of his life on Morotai, he replied that the years had not been wasted; he had been serving his country. Yet the country he returned to was Taiwan, and upon disembarking in Taipei in early January 1975, he learned that his wife had a son he had never met and that she had remarried a decade after his official death. Nakamura eventually lived with a daughter, and his story concluded with a bittersweet note when his wife reconsidered and reconciled with him. Several Japanese soldiers joined local Communist and insurgent groups after the war to avoid surrender. Notably, in 1956 and 1958, two soldiers returned to Japan after service in China's People's Liberation Army. Two others who defected with a larger group to the Malayan Communist Party around 1945 laid down their arms in 1989 and repatriated the next year, becoming among the last to return home. That is all for today, but fear not I will provide a few more goodies over the next few weeks. I will be releasing some of my exclusive podcast episodes from my youtube membership and patreon that are about pacific war subjects. Like I promised the first one will be on why Emperor Hirohito surrendered. Until then if you need your fix you know where to find me: eastern front week by week, fall and rise of china, echoes of war or on my Youtube membership of patreon at www.patreon.com/pacificwarchannel.

John and Paige are back, and they're sitting down with Grace Koon of Grace Vonderkuhn. Grace talks about the music community in Wilmington, Delaware, and how being even just a little outside of the greater Philadlephia area can change the whole way you form and flourish as a band. She talks about her bandmates, Brian Bartling and DaveMcGrory, and how they've refined the sound of the band over ten years together. And she takes us all through the long process that it took to release their newest LP, 'In The Morning', out now wherever you get your digital music, and also available on vinyl from the band's website.  Grace is kind enough to play us an acoustic version of "Be Mine" from the new record. The band plays their release show on September 12th at Kelly's Logan House in Wilmington, and will head up to South Philadelphia on September 18th to play at Century.  Dan keeps you all up to speed with his life over in Hong Kong, and some of the upcoming shows he hopes to catch this year (Any of y'all ever heard of the Clockenflap?). Enjoy the beginnings of fall wherever you are. We'll be putting out a new playlist episode at the end of this month, so if you're a Philadelphia artists and have new material that you want to share, send it our way to dan.drago@25oclockpod.com. Episode photo by Paige Walter 

Happy Tuesday! It's time for Rob & Rob to answer two more great questions from our listeners!  (0:49) Toff's a high-rate taxpayer with a well-performing buy-to-let in his personal name. He's now looking to buy his own home but faces higher stamp duty that'll add at least £10,000 to the cost. Weighing up whether to sell the rental and lose a good investment, move it into a limited company, or just accept the extra bill – he asks Rob & Rob if there's a smarter move he's missing.  (3:42) Jane's living in Hong Kong and preparing to return to the UK after 15 years as an expat. With £300k to invest, she wants to build a portfolio that provides enough income to work part-time. Her current student HMO has worked well and she's wondering if she should use the pot to buy four more student houses for cash flow.  Enjoy the show?  Leave us a review on Apple Podcasts - it really helps others find us!  Sign up for our free weekly newsletter, Property Pulse  Send us your question here – just hit record!.  Find out more about Property Hub Invest 

I will never forget that day in Kaohsiung, around 2010, when we held our engagement banquet at my family's house. A college friend came to congratulate me and said, “You've made it.” But in that moment, I didn't feel a trace of joy.我永远忘不了那天，在高雄家里举办订婚酒席，大概是2010年。一位大学同学来祝贺我，说我“成功了”，可那一刻，我心里却没有一丝喜悦。At the time, I was preparing to marry the man I thought was my prince charming. But the wedding preparations nearly broke me: invitations, outfits, makeup, and hair were all left to me to arrange. I had to take care of my father's feelings, while also hosting my fiancé's parents who had flown all the way from Ireland, along with their friends from Hong Kong. Thankfully, my half-sister—though we don't share the same mother, she has always been caring—was by my side to help. Without her, I wouldn't have made it through.那时的我，正准备嫁给当时心目中的白马王子。但筹备过程中，我几乎被压垮：邀约、服装、妆发全得自己张罗，还要照顾爸爸那边的情绪，同时也迎接从爱尔兰远道而来的未婚夫父母与他们在香港的朋友。幸好有我同父异母的贴心姐姐陪我一起帮忙，不然我真的撑不住。But what exhausted me the most was the criticism from my in-laws after the engagement: my table manners, my clothing, my behavior… I had been bullied as a child and a teenager, and that same feeling of “being disliked when I was myself, and still not being loved when I tried to please others” came flooding back.但最让我无力的，是在订婚之后，婆家对我的各种不满：餐桌礼仪、穿着打扮……我从小曾被霸凌，那种“做自己被讨厌、委屈自己也不被喜欢”的情绪，再次涌上心头。His parents even told him, “If you insist on marrying Lily, we will cut ties with you.”Yet I was moved by his determination and his love. Even when we went to Hong Kong to register our marriage without either set of parents present, he still chose to stand by me.他的父母甚至对他说：“如果你坚持娶Lily，我们就断绝关系。”我却感动于他的坚持与深爱——即使在我们到香港公证结婚那天，双方父母都没有出席，他还是一样选择站在我这边。But in the end, the marriage still fell apart. Barely a year and a half later, I discovered his affair with his assistant. To be honest, I hadn't been happy for quite some time. Looking back now, perhaps what he did actually gave me a way out.只是，这段婚姻最后还是走向破裂。结婚不到一年半，我发现他与助理的婚外情。诚实地说，那时候的我早已不快乐。现在回头看，也许他所做的，反而是给我一条出路。I left him, and I also left behind the home and the seven years of life I had built in Shanghai. It was a true new beginning.我离开了他，也离开了我在上海筑起的家和七年的生活。那是一场真正的重新开始。I set out with $10,000, planning to travel for three months. But one journey turned into ten years, and I have now traveled through more than forty countries. My luggage, once heavy, has been reduced to less than seven kilos.我带着一万元美金上路，原本只打算旅行三个月，没想到这一走就是十年，踏遍四十多个国家。行李从沉重到精简，如今只剩下不到7公斤的随行装备。I discovered freedom—the freedom to go wherever I wanted, to meet whoever I wanted, and most importantly, to carry an inner peace with me.我体验了自由——想去哪就去哪，想见谁就见谁，还有一份心灵的平静。Along the way, I went through deep transformation in body, mind, and spirit. I learned to forgive, to accept, to release, and to surrender. I learned to live in peace with myself.因为在这段旅程中，我也经历了身心灵的蜕变。我学会了宽恕、接受、放下与臣服。我学会与自己和平共处。Many people say they envy my life. To be honest, I also envy the version of me who exists today. Over these years, I have cried, broken down, and even thought of ending my life. But I have also experienced the sweetness of love, the ecstasy of life, and now, a quiet contentment.很多人说羡慕我的生活，说实话，我自己也很羡慕现在的自己。这些年，我哭过、崩溃过、也曾想过结束生命。但我也经历过爱情的甜蜜、生命的狂喜，还有如今的恬淡自在。In the past, I often struggled to write, feeling blocked and empty. Now, with the help of AI tools, I can create with flow and share my emotions, stories, and reflections. This is something unimaginable for our parents' generation, and I feel grateful to live in a time with such possibilities.过去的我，常常写不出东西，觉得文思枯竭。现在，透过AI工具，我能流畅地创作，分享我的心情、故事与体悟。这是我们父母辈无法想像的事情，我为自己能活在这个时代、拥有这样的可能性感到感恩。This memoir is dedicated to myself, and also to you, who may be searching for direction in the midst of uncertainty.这本回忆录，是献给我自己，也是献给在迷途中寻找方向的你。May these stories bring you comfort, and a little courage.希望这些故事能带来陪伴与一点点勇气。If you'd like to connect, feel free to write to me at boss@flywithlily.com.You are also welcome to join my Morning Club, my entrepreneurship community, or visit my website: flywithlily.com.如果你愿意与我交流，欢迎写信到 boss@flywithlily.com。也邀请你加入我的双语女子晨间俱乐部、创业社群，或来逛逛我的网站：flywithlily.com。We meet on the road. May we light the way for each other.我们在路上相遇，愿彼此照亮。This memoir series will be updated weekly on Fly with Lily podcast.I'd love for you to come back often, listen, and leave me a message.You can also support me by leaving a 5-star review on Ximalaya, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify—I'll be sharing some of your reviews in future episodes.本回忆录系列预计在《学英语环游世界》播客中一周更新一次，欢迎常回来收听或留言给我。并在喜马拉雅、Apple Podcast和Spotify留下五星的评价给我鼓励，我会在节目中分享出来。

AP correspondent Charles de Ledesma reports on further Russian attacks on Ukraine; a surprise resignation in Nepal; Israel tightens grip on Gaza City; and a Hong Kong judge rules in favor of lesbian couple's parental recognition in a landmark case.

BP boys preview the 2025 Asia Cup. Use code "BP10" for an exclusive 10% off your purchase at Yashi Sports: https://www.yashisports.com

Asian stocks climbed for a fourth day on Tuesday as Wall Street's upbeat mood ahead of expected Federal Reserve rate cuts flowed into regional trading. MSCI's Asia-Pacific equities gauge reached its highest level since February 2021 with tech firms like Taiwan Semiconductor and Alibaba Group contributing most to the gains. Shares in Japan, South Korea and Hong Kong rose, while those in Australia declined. The moves followed a surge in bets on rate cuts by the US central bank that pushed stocks near record highs on hopes that easier policy will bolster corporate America. We look at the market landscape with Carol Schleif, Chief Market Strategist at BMO Private Wealth.In Japan, the implications of the nation's latest political turmoil have spilled into markets. The Nikkei 225 advanced to touch a new intraday record high in the morning. The country's government bonds were firmer after having slumped Monday as Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba's decision to step down underscored expectations for looser fiscal policy. Bloomberg Opinion Columnist Gearoid Reidy joins with insight on the road ahead for Japan's ruling bloc.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Chinese star Xin Zhilei won the Best Actress award at the 82nd Venice International Film Festival on Saturday, becoming the second actress from the Chinese mainland to receive the honor, more than three decades after Gong Li's historic win in 1992.当地时间周六，中国演员辛芷蕾在第82 届威尼斯国际电影节上斩获最佳女演员奖，成为继 1992 年巩俐历史性获奖后，第二位摘得该荣誉的中国内地女演员。With her vivid portrayal of a woman trapped in a love triangle in the arthouse flick The Sun Rises on Us All, Xin received the Volpi Cup for Best Actress from Zhao Tao, also a famous Chinese actress who served as one of this year's international jurors.在影片《日掛中天》中，辛芷蕾生动演绎了一位深陷情感纠葛的女性角色。这部艺术电影的颁奖环节，由本届电影节国际评审团成员、中国知名演员赵涛为辛芷蕾颁发了最佳女演员沃尔皮杯。Directed by Cai Shangjun, who is regarded as a leading figure in Chinese neo-noir cinema, the film — shot in multiple cities across South China's Guangdong province — tells the story of two former lovers who reunite after seven years, only to find their encounter ending in tragedy at the hands of an inescapable fate.《日掛中天》由中国新黑色电影代表导演蔡尚君执导，取景于中国南方广东省多个城市。影片讲述了一对昔日恋人时隔七年重逢，却在命运的捉弄下，最终以悲剧收场的故事。Overcome with joy, Xin, the 39-year-old actress, tearfully said in her acceptance speech: "This feels like a dream. Over a decade ago, when I first started in the film industry, I made a bold claim — I wanted to become an international superstar on a world-class stage. Back then, I faced a lot of ridicule."39 岁的辛芷蕾在领奖时难掩激动，含泪发表获奖感言：“这感觉像一场梦。十几年前刚进入电影行业时，我曾大胆立下目标 —— 要在世界级舞台上成为国际巨星。那时，我遭到了不少嘲讽。”Having begun her showbiz career in 2005, the actress overcame many difficulties to stand on the award stage in Venice, one of the three most prestigious film festivals in Europe. She said she felt proud of herself and encouraged all women by saying: "If you have a dream, dare to dream big and dare to go for it. Who knows — one day it might just come true, just like it did for me."辛芷蕾于2005 年开启演艺生涯，历经诸多挑战，最终站上了欧洲三大顶级电影节之一 —— 威尼斯国际电影节的领奖台。她表示，为自己感到骄傲，同时鼓励所有女性：“只要心怀梦想，就大胆去畅想、勇敢去追逐。说不定有一天，梦想就会像我这样，照进现实。”The film's title is inspired by a line from a Cantonese Opera, which is based on a script by Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) playwright Tang Xianzu. The original work depicts a tragic romance between a poet and a young woman during the Tang Dynasty (618-907).该片片名灵感源自一部粤剧的台词，而这部粤剧改编自明代（1368-1644 年）戏曲家汤显祖的剧本。原著讲述了唐代（618-907 年）一位诗人与一名女子之间的悲情爱情故事。Xin revealed she was captivated by her character — an ordinary person striving to overcome a painful past and build a better life. She explained that the character is difficult to define as simply "good" or "bad", and that audiences may find her choices challenging to understand.辛芷蕾透露，自己被所饰演的角色深深吸引—— 这个普通人物努力摆脱痛苦过往、追寻美好生活的经历极具感染力。她解释道，这个角色难以简单用 “好” 或 “坏” 来定义，观众或许会对角色的选择感到费解。Recounted through a delicate and nuanced narrative, the film focuses not on a dramatic plotline, but on the inner emotional journey of a woman grappling with her own tsunami-like feelings, added Xin.辛芷蕾补充说，影片采用细腻入微的叙事手法，并未侧重紧张刺激的剧情，而是聚焦于女性角色的内心情感历程，展现她如何应对汹涌如潮的复杂情绪。According to her agency, filming in Guangdong was challenging due to the humid temperatures, which frequently left Xin's costume and hair drenched. Despite this, she gave her best performance in every scene.据辛芷蕾所属经纪公司介绍，影片在广东拍摄期间，当地潮湿的气候给拍摄带来不小挑战，辛芷蕾的戏服和头发常常被汗水浸湿。即便如此，她在每一场戏中都展现出最佳状态。A native of Northeast China's Heilongjiang province, Xin first earned international recognition for the 2016 Chinese film Crosscurrent, which won the Silver Bear for Outstanding Artistic Contribution for Cinematography at the 66th Berlin International Film Festival. Her most popular roles include an emperor's favored concubine in the hit costume drama Ruyi's Royal Love in the Palace (2018) and a mysterious restaurant operator in Hong Kong auteur Wong Kar-wai's directorial TV debut Blossoms Shanghai (2023).辛芷蕾籍贯为中国东北黑龙江省。2016 年，她凭借中国电影《长江图》首次获得国际关注，该片曾在第 66 届柏林国际电影节上荣获杰出艺术贡献银熊奖（摄影奖）。她的代表作还包括 2018 年热门古装剧《如懿传》中饰演的皇帝宠妃，以及 2023 年香港导演王家卫首部电视剧《繁花》中塑造的神秘餐厅经营者。In an earlier interview, director Cai recalled that because the film is told from a woman's perspective, it placed particularly high demands on casting the female lead. After an initial struggle — having reached out to around 20 actresses and 10 actors for the two leading roles — Cai finally chose Xin, with the recommendation from his wife and co-writer, Han Nianjin, who saw Xin on a variety show and was impressed by her natural, easygoing and decisive temperament.导演蔡尚君在早前采访中回忆，由于影片以女性视角展开叙事，对女主角的选角要求极高。起初，为男女主角两个核心角色，剧组接触了约20 位女演员和 10 位男演员，选角工作一度陷入困境。最终，在妻子兼联合编剧韩念瑾的推荐下，蔡尚君确定由辛芷蕾出演。韩念瑾此前在一档综艺节目中关注到辛芷蕾，被她自然随性、果断干练的气质所打动。Cai said that China's film industry has undergone a significant transformation in recent years, challenged by a shrinking box office, as well as the unprecedented expansion of short videos and micro-dramas. In this climate, an enduring event like the Venice International Film Festival becomes a cherished destination for artists, he added.蔡尚君表示，近年来中国电影行业经历了显著变革，不仅面临票房下滑的压力，还受到短视频和微短剧爆发式发展带来的冲击。他认为，在此背景下，威尼斯国际电影节这样具有持久影响力的国际影展，成为了电影人珍视的展示平台。

China wurde nie vollständig kolonialisiert, hatte jedoch lange den Status einer Semikolonie. Welche Spuren dieser Zeit sind heute noch sichtbar - und wie prägen sie Gesellschaft, Politik und Außenbeziehungen?   Host Joyce Lee und ARD-Korrespondent Benjamin Eyssel werfen in Qingdao einen Blick auf deutsche Einflüsse, die bis heute erkennbar sind. Mit Korrespondentin Eva Lamby-Schmitt geht es weiter nach Macau und Hongkong, wo das britische und portugiesische Erbe noch immer präsent ist.   Gemeinsam mit China-Expertin Prof. Mechthild Leutner beleuchtet Joyce Lee, wie der Kolonialismus Chinas Geschichte und Gegenwart formte - und welche Rolle er in der heutigen Innen- und Außenpolitik spielt.   "Welt.Macht.China" ist der China-Podcast der ARD. Aktuelle und ehemalige Korrespondent*innen und Expert*innen haben sich zusammengetan, um einen vielfältigen Einblick zu geben in das riesige Land. Es geht um Politik, Wirtschaft, Kultur, das Leben und den Alltag in der Volksrepublik, außerdem um Klischees und Chinas Rolle in der Welt. Eine neue Folge gibt es jeden zweiten Dienstag in der ARD Audiothek und in allen anderen Podcast-Apps: https://www.ardaudiothek.de/sendung/welt-macht-china/10494211/ Ihr habt Anmerkungen, Lob und Kritik? Schreibt uns an weltmachtchina@rbb-online.de.   Und hier noch ein Podcast-Tipp von uns: Kann Deutschland Putin für Kriegsverbrechen in der Ukraine anklagen? Die neue Staffel des Podcasts "Die Entscheidung" fragt sich genau das. Es geht um die Macht internationaler Strafverfolgung und um die Menschen, die gerade dabei sind, Beweise zu sammeln für russische Kriegsverbrechen in der Ukraine. Für den Tag X, an dem einer der mächtigsten Männer der Welt tatsächlich vor Gericht stehen könnte. Es geht also um Macht, Gerechtigkeit und die Frage: Wie weit reicht das Recht? Zu finden in der ARD Audiothek und überall wo es Podcasts gibt.

AI Takeover (via Notebook LM)

Este episodio de El Sonido: Cancioneros presenta la historia de Karen y Los Remedios, un proyecto musical formado por Ana Karen Barajas junto a Jiony y Guillermo, que cruza raíces populares, dream pop, downtempo y cumbia rebajada. Con base en México y Hong Kong, la banda lanzó su álbum debut Silencio en 2023, un disco que viaja entre la psicodelia y los ritmos latinos y que los llevó a presentarse en Live on KEXP disponible en nuestro canal de Youtube.. En este episodio, Albina explora el cancionero personal de Karen, que decidió hacer cumbia psicodélica cuando emigró de México a China encontrando en la distancia y desarraigo, su motor creativo. Cancionero curado por Karen y Los Remedios · “Corazón de Poeta” – Jeanette· “Carmen” – La Sonora Dinamita· “L’Via L’Viaquez” – The Mars Volta· “No Morirá Jamás” – Los Ángeles Negros· “Presagio” – Karen y Los Remedios Una producción original de KEXP en español.Más info en kexp.org/el-sonido Créditos: Host & Producer: Albina CabreraProduction Assistant: Dev Vasquez GonzalezEditorial Editing: Dusty HenryEditorial Director: Larry Mizell Jr.Audio Mastering: Jackson LongOriginal Podcast Music: Roberto Carlos Lange (Helado Negro)Support El Sonido: kexp.org/el-sonido This episode of El Sonido: Cancioneros presents the story of Karen y Los Remedios, a musical project formed by Ana Karen Barajas together with Jiony and Guillermo, blending popular roots, dream pop, downtempo, and slowed-down cumbia. Based between Mexico and Hong Kong, the band released their debut album Silencio in 2023, a record that travels between psychedelia and Latin rhythms and led them to perform on Live on KEXP, now available on our YouTube channel. In this episode, Albina explores Karen’s personal songbook, and how she decided to make psychedelic cumbia after emigrating from Mexico to China—finding in distance and uprootedness her creative drive. Songbook curated by Karen y Los Remedios · “Corazón de Poeta” – Jeanette· “Carmen” – La Sonora Dinamita· “L’Via L’Viaquez” – The Mars Volta· “No Morirá Jamás” – Los Ángeles Negros· “Presagio” – Karen y Los Remedios An original production by KEXP in Spanish.More info at kexp.org/el-sonido Credits: Host & Producer: Albina CabreraProduction Assistant: Dev Vasquez GonzalezEditorial Editing: Dusty HenryEditorial Director: Larry Mizell Jr.Audio Mastering: Jackson LongOriginal Podcast Music: Roberto Carlos Lange (Helado Negro)Support El Sonido: kexp.org/el-sonido Photo credit: Melissa X DeAunSupport the show: http://kexp.org/elsonidoSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Emerging markets have had a stellar year so far. Axel Christensen, BlackRock Chief Investment Strategist for Latin America, shares the three key drivers we see powering returns and unpacks why selectivity across countries and sectors is key. General disclosure: This material is intended for information purposes only, and does not constitute investment advice, a recommendation or an offer or solicitation to purchase or sell any securities, funds or strategies to any person in any jurisdiction in which an offer, solicitation, purchase or sale would be unlawful under the securities laws of such jurisdiction. The opinions expressed are as of the date of publication and are subject to change without notice. Reliance upon information in this material is at the sole discretion of the reader. Investing involves risks. BlackRock does and may seek to do business with companies covered in this podcast. As a result, readers should be aware that the firm may have a conflict of interest that could affect the objectivity of this podcast.In the U.S. and Canada, this material is intended for public distribution.In the UK and Non-European Economic Area (EEA) countries: this is Issued by BlackRock Investment Management (UK) Limited, authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. Registered office: 12 Throgmorton Avenue, London, EC2N 2DL. Tel:+ 44 (0)20 7743 3000. Registered in England and Wales No. 02020394. For your protection telephone calls are usually recorded. Please refer to the Financial Conduct Authority website for a list of authorised activities conducted by BlackRock.In the European Economic Area (EEA): this is Issued by BlackRock (Netherlands) B.V. is authorised and regulated by the Netherlands Authority for the Financial Markets. Registered office Amstelplein 1, 1096 HA, Amsterdam, Tel: 020 – 549 5200, Tel: 31-20- 549-5200. Trade Register No. 17068311 For your protection telephone calls are usually recorded.For Investors in Switzerland: This document is marketing material.In South Africa: Please be advised that BlackRock Investment Management (UK) Limited is an authorised Financial Services provider with the South African Financial Services Board, FSP No. 43288.In Singapore, this is issued by BlackRock (Singapore) Limited (Co. registration no. 200010143N). This advertisement or publication has not been reviewed by the Monetary Authority of Singapore. In Hong Kong, this material is issued by BlackRock Asset Management North Asia Limited and has not been reviewed by the Securities and Futures Commission of Hong Kong. In Australia, issued by BlackRock Investment Management (Australia) Limited ABN 13 006 165 975, AFSL 230 523 (BIMAL). This material provides general information only and does not take into account your individual objectives, financial situation, needs or circumstances. Before making any investment decision, you should assess whether the material is appropriate for you and obtain financial advice tailored to you having regard to your individual objectives, financial situation, needs and circumstances. Refer to BIMAL's Financial Services Guide on its website for more information. This material is not a financial product recommendation or an offer or solicitation with respect to the purchase or sale of any financial product in any jurisdictionIn Latin America: this material is for educational purposes only and does not constitute investment advice nor an offer or solicitation to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy any shares of any Fund (nor shall any such shares be offered or sold to any person) in any jurisdiction in which an offer, solicitation, purchase or sale would be unlawful under the securities law of that jurisdiction. If any funds are mentioned or inferred to in this material, it is possible that some or all of the funds may not have been registered with the securities regulator of Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Mexico, Panama, Peru, Uruguay or any other securities regulator in any Latin American country and thus might not be publicly offered within any such country. The securities regulators of such countries have not confirmed the accuracy of any information contained herein. The provision of investment management and investment advisory services is a regulated activity in Mexico thus is subject to strict rules. For more information on the Investment Advisory Services offered by BlackRock Mexico please refer to the Investment Services Guide available at www.blackrock.com/mx©2025 BlackRock, Inc. All Rights Reserved. BLACKROCK is a registered trademark of BlackRock, Inc. All other trademarks are those of their respective owners.BIIM0925U/M-4802520

A deep dive into Bangladesh's chances at the Men's Asia Cup 2025, which takes place in the UAE. Bangladesh are in Group B with Afghanistan, Sri Lanka and Hong Kong - can they survive the group of death? And which players are worth looking out for? Roushan is joined by Naeem Monsur to chat about all of this and more!

Hosts Josh and Jamie and special returning guest Christian (of @DailySquibs) discuss two 90s Hong Kong action-thrillers featuring lots of beautiful squibs: Clarence Fok's NAKED KILLER (1992) and Ringo Lam's FULL CONTACT (1992). Next week's episode is a patron-exclusive bonus episode on THE TOXIC AVENGER PART II + PART III (1989), you can get access to that episode (and all past + future bonus episodes) by subscribing to our $5 tier on Patreon: www.patreon.com/sleazoidspodcast Intro // 00:00-14:56 NAKED KILLER // 14:56-1:23:12 FULL CONTACT // 1:23:12-2:35:16 Outro // 2:35:16-2:38:12 Check out Daily Squibs: https://x.com/DailySquibs NEW SLEAZOIDS SHIRT + HAT: https://blackbeltcinema.ca/search?q=sleazoids&options%5Bprefix%5D=last WEBSITE: www.sleazoidspodcast.com/ Pod Twitter: twitter.com/sleazoidspod Pod Letterboxd: letterboxd.com/SLEAZOIDS/ Josh's Twitter: twitter.com/thejoshl Josh's Letterboxd: letterboxd.com/thejoshl Jamie's Twitter: twitter.com/jamiemilleracas Jamie's Letterboxd: letterboxd.com/jamiemiller

Send us a text however note we cannot reply through these means. Please message the instagram or email if you are wanting a response. On todays Zero Limits Podcast host Matty Morris chats with Michael Yu former Victorian Police Officer now Athletic Performance Coach @YUPERFORMMichael and his family immigrated from Hong Kong when he was 2 years old growing up on the East side of Melbourne. After finishing schooling and moving into the workforce Michael had ambitions of joining the Victorian Police Force. Michael Joined the police in 2018 and spent his career in general duties, a secondment to the Detectives unit and also spending time in the Police Communications more specifically the call centre.Throughout his career he maintained a higher standard of fitness which led to after leaving the job he moved into the fitness space providing athletic performance coaching with now over 100 clients predominantly first responders and putting out video content on social media. Website - www.zerolimitspodcast.comInstagram - https://www.instagram.com/zero.limits.podcast/?hl=enHost - Matty Morris www.instagram.com/matty.m.morrisSponsors Instagram - @gatorzaustralia www.gatorzaustralia.com15% Discount Code - ZERO15(former/current military & first responders 20% discount to order please email orders@gatorzaustralia.com.au Instagram - @3zeroscoffee 3 Zeros Coffee - www.3zeroscoffee.com.au 10% Discount Code - 3ZLimits Instagram - @getsome_au GetSome Jocko Fuel - www.getsome.com.au 10% Discount Code - ZEROLIMITS

“ The work is never ending. In schools, there's always more work in terms of preparing lessons and being prepared and worrying about students and the support they might or might not be receiving at home as well.” Steve Francis Top Five Tips For Teacher Well Being1. Teaching is stressful because it is important work.2. It isn't a one size fits all solution.3. Teachers need to make informed choices to put in place boundaries that work for them.4. Fixing teacher well-being is NOT the Principals job.5. School leaders should focus their efforts on building a positive school culture to ensure their school is a great place to work. TIME STAMP SUMMARY01:27  Challenges and Importance of Teacher Stress Management 06:01  Maintaining personal boundaries and finding time for self-care activities like exercise.14:51   Limitations of top-down solutions and the need for teachers to make informed choices about their wellbeing.19:44  The significance of remembering names and using them to foster personal connections. Where to find Steve?Website                       https://happyschool.com.au/ LinkedIn                      https://au.linkedin.com/in/stevefrancisaus  Steve Francis BioSteve Francis works with staff in schools across Australia and New Zealand. As well as having been the Principal of a number of Queensland schools from a one-teacher school through to a large metropolitan school, he was Principal of an international school in Hong Kong. He understands the challenges and demands of working in schools.    Steve completed his Masters on stress in schools. This led him to develop the Happy School program. Almost 700 schools subscribe to receive Steve's weekly articles and use them to improve staff well-being.    For the past five years Steve has been recognized by Educator magazine as one of the top 50 most influential educators in Australia.  Steve is passionate about keeping things simple and helping staff in schools get work – life satisfaction.

We welcome Bridge Hudson, founding instructor of Hong Kong's leading cycling brand XYZ, to discuss how they create consistent five-star experiences, their recruitment tips and what makes the perfect member journey.   SHOW SPONSORS Our sponsors are helping us to raise the standards of Asia's fitness industry. Show these great companies some support! Hapana, our preferred gym management software Ezypay, our preferred subscription and payment solution Ride High Magazine, The Fit Guide's cycling media partner   NEWSLETTER For fitness business tips, insights and news - subscribe to The Fit Guide Newsletter   THE FIT GUIDE The Fit Guide helps you find and experience the world's best fitness clubs and studios; and helps clubs create incredible, five star client experiences every time. Visit The Fit Guide The Fit Guide on LinkedIn The Fit Guide on Instagram   SHOW RESOURCES Jack Thomas on LinkedIn Fitness Business Asia Website Fitness Business Asia Instagram   GUEST RESOURCES Bridge Hudson on Instagram XYZ

From new attractions and overlays at Walt Disney World to Disney Cruise Line surprises and Villains Land details, we're breaking down everything announced at D23 and what it means for your next trip. RDR 485: D23 Announcements & Walt Disney World Updates Disney just dropped a wave of announcements at D23, and in this episode of Rope Drop Radio we're breaking down all the Walt Disney World updates and what they mean for your next trip. From new attractions to overlays, construction walls, and even the future of Villains Land, this is your guide to every big change revealed at D23 Expo. We go park by park to cover the latest: Animal Kingdom: Dinoland closing, Indiana Jones overlay, Encanto-themed expansion, and Zootopia show opening November 7. EPCOT: Test Track updates and Spaceship Earth's downtime. Hollywood Studios: Muppets moving, Monsters-themed coaster, and Smugglers Run update. Magic Kingdom: Big Thunder closure, Carousel of Progress refresh with a new Walt Disney animatronic, Tron Ares overlay, Cinderella Castle's new paint, and Villains Land officially in development at D23. But D23 wasn't just about the parks—Disney also announced: Movies & Disney+: Zootopia 2 casting, Hexed (new animated film), Ice Age 6, and a Disneyland documentary. Disney Cruise Line: First look at Disney Destiny's Sanctum bar, pirate-themed lounge, and Dr. Facilier's Parlor Tricks. International Parks: Moana-inspired dining in Hong Kong, Villains Takeover event, World of Frozen in Paris, and updates at Disneyland Resort. Plus: details on the next D23 Expo (2026 in Anaheim) and why Disney fans everywhere should be paying attention to these announcements. If you love Disney news, D23 reveals, and keeping up with the latest Walt Disney World changes, this is an episode you won't want to miss. ✨ Patreon shout-out to Angela Caffaratti and listener review from Dr. Dance Mom! Support the show on Patreon: Patreon.com/RopeDropRadio Follow us on social media for Disney news, tips, and updates Leave a ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ review on Apple Podcasts! ✈️ New Sponsor Alert! We're excited to welcome The Lincoln Airport as the official airport of Rope Drop Radio! With direct flights to Orlando (MCO) on Breeze Airways starting December 10th, you can skip the stress and get to the magic faster—just in time for the holidays!

Our correspondent meets Iraq's prime minister Muhammad al-Sudani to discuss the country's construction boom, its future aspirations and the obstacles that must still be overcome. Visit America's YIMBYiest neighbourhood: the place where Americans actually want to increase the local population. And how superstition in Hong Kong can haunt the economy.  Listen to what matters most, from global politics and business to science and technology—Subscribe to Economist Podcasts+For more information about how to access Economist Podcasts+, please visit our FAQs page or watch our video explaining how to link your account. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Our correspondent meets Iraq's prime minister Muhammad al-Sudani to discuss the country's construction boom, its future aspirations and the obstacles that must still be overcome. Visit America's YIMBYiest neighbourhood: the place where Americans actually want to increase the local population. And how superstition in Hong Kong can haunt the economy.  Listen to what matters most, from global politics and business to science and technology—Subscribe to Economist Podcasts+For more information about how to access Economist Podcasts+, please visit our FAQs page or watch our video explaining how to link your account. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Brea and Mallory talk about their most anticipated books for September and October! Email us at readingglassespodcast at gmail dot com!Reading Glasses MerchRecommendations StoreLinks -Reading Glasses Facebook GroupReading Glasses Goodreads GroupAmazon Wish ListNewsletterLibro.fmTo join our Discord channel, email us proof of your Reading-Glasses-supporting Maximum Fun membership!www.maximumfun.org/joinReadathon - 9/13Glasser Book Club Pick - The BewitchingBooks Mentioned -The Good House by Tananarive DueAnother by Paul TremblaySeptember Mother Mary Comes to Me by Arundhati RoyNonfiction, memoir, mother/daughter relationship, IndiaHot Desk by Laura DickermanRomance, book world, rival book editorsWild Reverence by Rebecca RossSet in the Divine Rivals universeAll the Way to the River by Elizabeth GilbertMemoir, love, queer, addiction, codependencyThe Secret of Secrets by Dan BrownNew Robert Langdon bookHistory Matters by David McCulloughEssay collectionAwake by Jen HatmakerMemoir, grief, divorce, infidelity, marriageWhat Can We Know by Ian McEwanSci fi, a hundred years in the future an academic searches for a mysterious poem read out loud in 2014What a Time to Be Alive by Jade ChangGrieving broke young woman accidentally become viral self help guruIt's Me They Follow by Jeannine CookMagical realism, bookstore owner helps people find love through books but is lonely herselfBest Woman by Rose DommuLiterary fiction, family dramedy, coming-of-age, trans protagonist, wedding dramaThe Wilderness by Angela FlournoyLiterary fiction, female friendship across 25 yearsVianne by Joanne HarrisSequel to ChocolatWhatever Happened to Lori Lovely? by Sarah McCoyLiterary fiction, 1950s actress leaves to become a nunLife and Death and Giants by Ron RindoLiterary fiction, teenage boy who is almost eight feet tall and changes people who meet himThe Healing Hippo of Hinode Park by Michiko Aoyama, translated by Takami NiedaLiterary fiction, feel good, Japan, people get emotionally healed by a hippo ride at a playgroundWe Love You, Bunny by Mona AwadWeird fiction, both prequel and sequel to BunnyOne of Us by Dan ChaonHorror, historical, 1915, orphaned twins on the run join a carnivalDinner at the Night Library by Hika Harada, translated by Philip GabrielLiterary, Japan, food, Tokyo library/cafe that is only open at night and serves meals inspired by books by dead authorsA Different Kind of Tension by Jonathan LethemShort stories, literary, surreal, specificWill There Ever Be Another You by Patricia LockwoodLiterary, woman with strange disease starts to lose grip on reality in pandemicLittle Movements by Lauren MorrowLiterary, race, class, art, small town, choreographySympathy Tower Tokyo by Rie Qudan, translated by Jesse KirkwoodSci fi, Japan, near future, architect designing a skyscraper for housing criminals becomes friends with chatbotThe Killer Question by Janice HallettMystery, amateur sleuth must solve a murder set during pub trivia, clubs are revealed through trivia questions, texts, and emailsA Killer Wedding by Joan O'LearyMystery, matriarch of ultra-rich Irish family is found dead at expensive weddingA Murderous Business by Cathy PegauMystery, queer, historical, NYCA Rather Peculiar Poisoning by Chrystal SchleyerHistorical cozy mystery, turn of the century, two brothers vie for the same woman, one gets poisonedThe Librarians by Sherry ThomasMystery, four librarians band together after two patrons show up deadThe Belles by Lacey N. DunhamThriller, dark academia, historical, 1950s, secluded collegeOld Money by Kelsey MillerThriller, returning to a small town twenty years later to solve murder of family memberHot Wax by M. L. RioThriller, rock and roll, road tripWitch You Would by Lia AmadorContemporary romance, paranormal, low stakes, witchesSweet Heat by Bolu BabalolaContemporary romance, second chance, wedding dramaThe Austen Affair by Madeline BellParanormal romance, feuding stars of an Austen film adaptation accidentally travel back in timeIt Seemed Like a Good Idea by Lauren BlakelyContemporary romance, small town, rom com, grumpy/sunshine, bodyguard, mistaken identity, forbidden romance, only one bedEvery Step She Takes by Alison CochrunQueer contemporary romance, travel, Portugal, sapphic, “practice” relationship that turns realIt Had to be Him by Adib KhorramGay contemporary romance, spicy, second chance, former classmates reuniting in ItalyLady Like by Mackenzi LeeHistorical queer romance, Regency, two women vying for the same duke fall in love with each otherThe Most Unusual Haunting of Edgar Lovejoy by Roan ParrishGay contemporary romance, New Orleans, low stakes, ghosts, toasty, hauntsBy the Horns by Ruby DixonSecond book in Royal Artifactual Guild seriesWitch of the Wolves by Kaylee ArcherRomantasy, witches, werewolves, Victorian, enemies to loversSpellcaster by Jaymin EveRomantasy, slow burn, dark academia, enemies to lovers, spicy, magicWhat Fury Brings by Tricia LevensellerRomantasy, spicy, princess in matriarchal fantasy world must kidnap a husband to become queenThe Shattering Peace by John ScalziOld Man's War, book 7A Ruin, Great and Free by Cadwell TurnbullThe Convergence Saga, book 3The First Thousand Trees by Premee MohamedAnnual Migration of Clouds, book 3Sunward by William AlexanderLow stakes sci fi, found family, space, courier training androidsExtremity by Nicholas BingeSci fi horror, time travel, police procedural, end of the world, Philip K Dick meets True DetectiveThief of Night by Holly BlackSequel to Book of NightThe Formidable Miss Cassidy by Meihan BoeyFantasy, horror, supernatural creatures, historical, Singapore, governessFate's Bane by C.L. ClarkNovella, sapphic romantasy, tragic, adventure, warring clansA Land So Wide by Erin A. CraigHistorical romantasy, gothic, Scottish fairytale retelling, Canadian wildernessThe Macabre by Kosoko JacksonQueer horror, art history, gay, fantasy, cursed paintingsSaltcrop by Yume KitaseiSci fi, cli fi, dystopian, two sisters on search for thirdThe Maiden and Her Monster by Maddie MartinezSapphic romantasy, Jewish folklore, gothic horror, golemsThe Faerie Morgana by Louisa MorganFantasy, Morgan le Fay reimaginingThe Summer War by Naomi NovikFantasy novella, young witch trying to undo spellAmong the Burning Flowers by Samantha ShannonFantasy, prequel to Priory of the Orange TreeUncharmed by Lucy Jane WoodRomantasy, low stakes, witches, found familyAcquired Taste by Clay McLeod ChapmanHorror, short storiesThe Autumn Springs Retirement Home Massacre by Philip FracassiHorror, funny, final girl, slasherSpread Me by Sarah GaileyHorror, erotic, novella, sci fi, mysterious specimen in remote lab breaks freePlay Nice by Rachel HarrisonHorror, haunted houseFiend by Alma KatsuHorror, powerful family with evil secretsWe Are Always Tender with Our Dead by Eric LaRoccaHorror, queer, small town, New England, violence, goreGalloway's Gospel by Sam RebeleinHorror, cult, small townWhy I Love Horror by Becky SpratfordNonfiction anthology with essays about horrorThe October Film Haunt by Michael WehuntHorror, cult horror movie, filmmakingYou Weren't Meant to be Human by Andrew Joseph WhiteQueer horror, Alien meets MidsommarWhat Stalks the Deep by T. KingfisherSworn Soldier, book 3I Want to Be Where the Song Is by Mary J. BligeMemoirStill Bobbi by Bobbi BrownMemoir, makeup industryThe Improbable Victoria Woodhull: Suffrage, Free Love, and the First Woman To Run for President by Eden CollinsworthWomen's historyArticulate: A Deaf Memoir of Voice by Rachel Renee KolbMemoirLin-Manuel Miranda: The Education of an Artist by Daniel Pollack-PelznerBiographyTruly by Lionel RichieMemoirNight People: How To Be a DJ in '90s New York City by Mark RonsonMemoirSuper Natural: How Life Thrives in Impossible Places by Alex RileyScience, creatures who live in extreme environmentsReplaceable You: Adventures in Human Anatomy by Mary RoachScience, human bodyOctoberThe Irish Goodbye by Heather Aimee O'NeillLiterary fiction, sisters returning home, Long Island, family secretsOverdue by Stephanie PerkinsLiterary fiction, librarian protagonist, couple agrees to a month of dating other people before they get marriedTom's Crossing by Mark Z. DanielewskiEpic Western, 1980s, Utah, two friends determined to rescue a pair of horsesThe Devil is a SouthpawLiterary fiction, story within a story, teen escaping from a detention centerWe'll Prescribe You Another Cat by Syou Ishida, translated by E. Madison ShimodaSequelBad Bad Girl by Gish JenAuto-fiction, mother-daughter relationship, China, moving to USSoyangri Book Kitchen by Jee-hye Kim, translated by Shanna TanLiterary fiction, woman opens bookstore/cafe and transforms communityHeart the Lover by Lily KingPrequel/sequel to Writers and LoversThe Lucky Ride by Yasushi Kitagawa, translated by Takami NiedaMagical realism, a depressed man takes a magical taxi that changes his lifeThe Land of Sweet Forever by Harper LeeShort stories, essay collectionBog Queen by Anna NorthLiterary fiction, forensic anthropologist investigates strange ancient body found in bogMinor Black Figures by Brandon TaylorLiterary fiction, NYC, queer, Blackness, art worldMenu of Happiness by Hisashi Kashiwai, translated by Jesse KirkwoodKamogawa Food Detectives, book 3We Had a Hunch by Tom RyanMystery, 3 former famous teen detectives return home to solve a new murderMockingbird Court by Juneau BlackShady Hollow, book 6Mirage City by Lev AC RosenEvander Mills, book 4The Wayfinder by Adam JohnsonHistorical fiction, Polynesian Islands, young girl on quest to save her peopleChristmas at the Women's Hotel by Daniel M. LaverySequel to Women's HotelThe Women of Artemis by Hannah LynnGreek retelling, Amazon warriors building an army to fight abusive menI am Cleopatra by Natasha SolomonsCleopatra reimaginingThe Haunting of Paynes Hollow by Kelley ArmstrongHorror, strange inheritance, lakefront cottage, secrets, something in lakeThe Unveiling by Quan BarryHorror, survival horror, film scout on cruise to Antarctic, gets stuckGirl Dinner by Olivie BlakeHorror, dark academia, exclusive sorority with secretsHerculine by Grace ByronHorror, woman stalked by malevolent force flees to commune of trans women in IndianaThe Last Witch by C.J. CookeHistorical horror, 1400s Austria, witchcraft, witch huntsIf the Dead Belong Here by Carson FaustHorror, Indigenous Southern gothic, family ghosts, search for missing kidKing Sorrow by Joe HillHorror, dark academia, rare book thief, dragon who wants bloodCrafting for Sinners by Jenny KieferHorror, queer, religious cult, craftingThe Hong Kong Widow by Kristen LoeschHistorical horror, 1950s Hong Kong, competition between mediums in a haunted houseFutility by Nuzo OnohHorror, Nigeria, women summoning spirit to get revenge on bad menHer Wicked Roots by Tanya PellHorror, queer reimagining of Rappaccini's DaughterThe Graceview Patient by Caitling StarlingHorror, autoimmune disease, experimental medical trial at weird hospitalNowhere Burning by Catriona WardHorror, abandoned ranch of infamous movie star becomes refuge for teen runaways…but with a priceThe Salvage by Anbara SalamHorror, historical, gothic, Scotland, haunted shipwreckThe Devil She Knows by Alexandria BellefleurSapphic paranormal romance, deal with a sexy demonMate by Ali HazelwoodSequel to BrideWhen I Picture You by Sasha LaurensQueer contemporary romance, sapphic, music, forced proximity, workplace romanceJulia Song is Undateable by Susan LeeContemporary romance, high powered CEO hires dating coachThirsty by Lucy LehaneGay vampire romance, rom-com, screwball comedy, enemies to loversCover Story by Mhairi McFarlaneContemporary romance, fake dating, office cultureDealing with a Desperate Demon by Charlotte SteinParanormal romance, bookstore owner, demon, magicAnd Then There Was the One by Martha WatersHistorical romance, 1930s England, murder mysteryOur Vicious Oaths by N.E. DavenportRomantasy, magic, political intrigue, enemies to loversThe Ordeals by Rachel GreenlawRomantasy, elite magical college, deadly trials, dark academia, supernatural creaturesCinder House by Freya MarskeRomantasy, queer, Gothic romance, sapphic, Cinderella retellingThe Isle in the Silver Sea by Tasha SuriRomantasy, historical, sapphic, medieval folklore, Britain, knight and witchAlchemy of Secrets by Stephanie GarberFantasy, romantasy, dark academia, historical, Los Angeles, magicThe Everlasting by Alix E. HarrowFantasy, romance, genre-bendy, reluctant lady knight and historian travel through time to rewrite their fatesWhen They Burned the Butterfly by Wen-yi LeeFantasy, sapphic, reimagining of the secret societies of postcolonial SingaporeAll That We See or Seem by Ken LieSci fi thriller, hacking, technology, virtual reality mysteryRed City by Marie LuFantasy, romance, alternative Los Angeles, magic warfare, dystopiaWitches of Dubious Origin by Jenn McKinlayLow stakes fantasy, books, witches, magic, New EnglandThe Women of Wild Hill by Kirsten MillerFantasy, modern day witches waging war on the patriarchyPsychopomp and Circumstance by Eden RoyceFantasy, Southern gothic, historical, post Reconstruction, family funeral dramaKill the Beast by Serra SwiftFantasy, The Witcher meets Howl's Moving CastleQueen Demon by Martha WellsRising World, book 2A Mouthful of Dust by Nghi VoSinging Hills, book 6The Uncool by Cameron CroweMemoirVagabond by Tim CurryMemoirFuture Boy: Back to the Future and My Journey through the Space-Time Continuum by Michael J. Fox and Nelle FortenberryMemoirJoyride by Susan OrleanMemoir, creativityPride and Pleasure: The Schuyler Sisters in an Age of Revolution by Amanda VaillHistoryThe Man of Many Fathers by Roy Wood Jr.MemoirQueer Enlightenments: A Hidden History of Lovers, Lawbreakers, and Homemakers by Anthony DelaneyHistoryThe Zorg: A Tale of Greed and Murder That Inspired the Abolition of Slavery Siddharth KaraLetter from Japan by Marie Kondo and Marie IidaNonfiction, Japanese customs that inspired Kondo's philosophy

2. When Politicians Panicked: The New Corona Virus, Expert Opinion, and a Tragic Lapse of Reason by John Tamney, argues that the severe economic contraction experienced in 2020 was primarily a consequence of politicians' panicked reactions and forced lockdowns, rather than the inherent lethality of the COVID-19 virus itself. Tamney highlights Governor Cuomo's March 20, 2020, decision to shut down New York, portraying the economy as a "valve" that could be arbitrarily opened and closed, which led to an immediate and severe contraction that persisted long after. The book contends that financial markets had already accounted for the virus's severity based on early signals from China, where US companies like Apple, GM, Nike, and Starbucks maintained strong performance, indicating the virus was not indiscriminately lethal. The real market panic, leading to a "very quick correction," occurred when politicians demonstrated their ability to "wreck an economy" through drastic actions like shutting down events such as South by Southwest in Texas. This response is contrasted with the 1968 Hong Kong flu pandemic, which caused 100,000 American deaths (equivalent to 250,000 today) but saw no significant market reaction or political lockdowns, primarily because technology at the time made such widespread closures impractical without risking "mass riots". Tamney criticizes the government's subsequent interventions, such as the CARES Act and the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), for being akin to "central planning" imposed on top of political decrees. He argues these programs indiscriminately propped up entities like private schools, Harvard, and the Los Angeles Lakers, instead of allowing market forces to determine which businesses would adapt or fail. This "nationalization of investment" through government checks and loans was deemed anti-investment and merely delayed recovery by diverting capital from those most capable of investing to those most likely to consume, which does not drive economic growth. The author advocates for economic growth and individual freedom as the most effective responses to health threats. He points to examples like the voluntary disappearance of hand sanitizer and toilet paper before official shutdowns, and an individual living in a tent in Florida to protect his family despite no mandates, demonstrating that people don't need laws to avoid illness. Tamney suggests that a constitutional "right to contract" and return to work should protect individuals from such mandates. He concludes that the resilience shown by private enterprise, such as Pfizer developing a vaccine without "Operation Warp Speed" money, underscores that a healthy economy fostered by freedom is the best defense against disease. The core lesson, he asserts, is "never again take away people's freedom". 1918 SEATTLE

3. When Politicians Panicked: The New Corona Virus, Expert Opinion, and a Tragic Lapse of Reason by John Tamney, argues that the severe economic contraction experienced in 2020 was primarily a consequence of politicians' panicked reactions and forced lockdowns, rather than the inherent lethality of the COVID-19 virus itself. Tamney highlights Governor Cuomo's March 20, 2020, decision to shut down New York, portraying the economy as a "valve" that could be arbitrarily opened and closed, which led to an immediate and severe contraction that persisted long after. The book contends that financial markets had already accounted for the virus's severity based on early signals from China, where US companies like Apple, GM, Nike, and Starbucks maintained strong performance, indicating the virus was not indiscriminately lethal. The real market panic, leading to a "very quick correction," occurred when politicians demonstrated their ability to "wreck an economy" through drastic actions like shutting down events such as South by Southwest in Texas. This response is contrasted with the 1968 Hong Kong flu pandemic, which caused 100,000 American deaths (equivalent to 250,000 today) but saw no significant market reaction or political lockdowns, primarily because technology at the time made such widespread closures impractical without risking "mass riots". Tamney criticizes the government's subsequent interventions, such as the CARES Act and the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), for being akin to "central planning" imposed on top of political decrees. He argues these programs indiscriminately propped up entities like private schools, Harvard, and the Los Angeles Lakers, instead of allowing market forces to determine which businesses would adapt or fail. This "nationalization of investment" through government checks and loans was deemed anti-investment and merely delayed recovery by diverting capital from those most capable of investing to those most likely to consume, which does not drive economic growth. The author advocates for economic growth and individual freedom as the most effective responses to health threats. He points to examples like the voluntary disappearance of hand sanitizer and toilet paper before official shutdowns, and an individual living in a tent in Florida to protect his family despite no mandates, demonstrating that people don't need laws to avoid illness. Tamney suggests that a constitutional "right to contract" and return to work should protect individuals from such mandates. He concludes that the resilience shown by private enterprise, such as Pfizer developing a vaccine without "Operation Warp Speed" money, underscores that a healthy economy fostered by freedom is the best defense against disease. The core lesson, he asserts, is "never again take away people's freedom". 1919 DC.