Podcasts about Hong Kong

From the 1970s to the early 1990s a patch of land in Hong Kong the size of just a few football fields was the most densely-populated area in the world – and by a longshot. Even more remarkable, it was an outlaw land that somehow formed a tight community.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As Hong Kong approaches the 30th anniversary of its return to China, Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu has revealed that the city is exploring the development of its first-ever Five-Year Plan. The initiative is expected to focus on economic growth, improving livelihoods, and strengthening the city's global competitiveness, before undergoing public consultation. Why is Hong Kong considering a Five-Year Plan now? How would such a framework work in a city long known for its market-driven governance?

On this episode of BYABushwood, Brock White, Casey Earl Flynn, + Cory Collins link up for a special show for you.  First CEF and Blanco talk LIV's Asia swing, with back-to-back events in Hong Kong and Singapore, and preview TPC Sawgrass this coming weekend.  Then, Cory joins the show to share stories from his time in Orlando for the Arnold Palmer Invitational at Bay Hill Club & Lodge.  Golf season is rolling!!  Are you loving it too??  Tell us over on FB, IG, and/or X please!  Also, the host of this show is named Brock White and he can be found on X.  Lastly, go buy lots of BYABushwood gear from the BYAPN SHOP!

Akshay Bhatia caught fire on the back nine Sunday at Bay Hill to catch Daniel Berger and eventually beat him on the first playoff hole to win the Arnold Palmer Invitational. We will dive into the tournament, players complaining about the conditions and we will pose the question, what is wrong with Scottie Scheffler's iron play? It is Players Championship week and the best players in the world will be in Ponte Vedra for the PGA Tour's flagship event. We will break down the Players Championship and give our picks for this week. Jon Rahm won his first LIV event in a year and a half in Hong Kong. We will talk about that and his comments this week about the DP World Tour. All this and some other golf news and events. Subscribe to the Break80 Podcast on Apple, Spotify and YouTube for weekly golf content. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

BLOODSPORT (1988) - Couch Potato Theater: 1980's Cannon Films Retrospective Watch: Fandom Podcast Network YouTube Channel Link: https://www.youtube.com/@FandomPodcastNetwork Listen: Couch Potato Theater Audio Podcast Link: https://fpnet.podbean.com/category/couch-potato-theater Welcome to Couch Potato Theater, where we celebrate our favorite movies on the Fandom Podcast Network! We're celebrating 1980's Cannon action films with a retrospective on how important these movies were to our fandom then, and the nostalgic grasp they still have on us today. On this episode we discuss Jean-Claude Van Damme's cult classic movie, BLOODSPORT (1988).  Bloodsport is a 1988 American martial arts film directed by Newt Arnold and starring Jean-Claude Van Damme, with a supporting cast of Leah Ayres, Donald Gibb, Roy Chiao, Norman Burton, Forest Whitaker, and Bolo Yeung. The film centers on Frank Dux (Van Damme), a United States Army captain and ninjutsu practitioner who competes in an underground full-contact martial arts tournament called the Kumite in Hong Kong. Based on Dux's real-life claims, the film was marketed as a true story. It was one of Van Damme's first lead roles and showcased his abilities, launching his career as a mainstream action star. We will also discuss the films 1980's Cannon Films Famous Producers, Menahem Golan and Yoram Globus. We also mention the documentaries about them, Electric Boogaloo: The Wild, Untold Story of Cannon Films (2014), and The Go-Go Boys: The Inside Story of Cannon Films (2014). Fandom Podcast Network Contact Information - - Fandom Podcast Network YouTube Channel:  https://www.youtube.com/c/FandomPodcastNetwork - Master feed for all FPNet Audio Podcasts: http://fpnet.podbean.com/ - Couch Potato Theater Audio Podcast Master Feed: https://fpnet.podbean.com/category/couch-potato-theater - Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Fandompodcastnetwork - Email: fandompodcastnetwork@gmail.com - Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fandompodcastnetwork/ - X: @fanpodnetwork / https://twitter.com/fanpodnetwork -Bluesky: @fanpodnetwork / https://bsky.app/profile/fanpodnetwork.bsky.social Host & Guest Contact Info: - Kevin Reitzel on X, Instagram, Threads, Discord & Letterboxd: @spartan_phoenix / Bluesky: @spartanphoenix - Kyle Wagner on X: @AKyleW / Instagram & Threads: @Akylefandom / @akyleW on Discord / @Ksport16: Letterboxd / Bluesky: @akylew - Special Guest:  Adam O'Brien on X, Instagram, Threads, & Bluesky: @TheLethalMullet #Bloodsport #JeanClaudeVanDamme #CannonFilms #CouchPotatoTheater #FandomPodcastNetwork #FPNet #FPN #CPT #80sCannonFilms #Bloodsport1988 #BloodsportMovie #FrankDux #BoloYeung #DonaldGibb  #LeahAyres  #RoyChiao #NormanBurton #ForestWhitaker  #KenSiu #NewtArnold #MenahemGolan #YoramGlobus #TheGoGoBoys #ElectricBoogaloo #80sActionMovies #1988Movies #CultClassic #KevinReitzel #KyleWagner #AdamObrien

Last time we spoke about the end of the battle of khalkin gol. In the summer of 1939, the Nomonhan Incident escalated into a major border conflict between Soviet-Mongolian forces and Japan's Kwantung Army along the Halha River. Despite Japanese successes in July, Zhukov launched a decisive offensive on August 20. Under cover of darkness, Soviet troops crossed the river, unleashing over 200 bombers and intense artillery barrages that devastated Japanese positions. Zhukov's northern, central, and southern forces encircled General Komatsubara's 23rd Division, supported by Manchukuoan units. Fierce fighting ensued: the southern flank collapsed under Colonel Potapov's armor, while the northern Fui Heights held briefly before falling to relentless assaults, including flame-throwing tanks. Failed Japanese counterattacks on August 24 resulted in heavy losses, with regiments shattered by superior Soviet firepower and tactics. By August 25, encircled pockets were systematically eliminated, leading to the annihilation of the Japanese 6th Army. The defeat, coinciding with the Hitler-Stalin Pact, forced Japan to negotiate a ceasefire on September 15-16, redrawing borders. Zhukov's victory exposed Japanese weaknesses in mechanized warfare, influencing future strategies and deterring further northern expansion.   #192 The Soviet–Japanese Neutrality Pact Welcome to the Fall and Rise of China Podcast, I am your dutiful host Craig Watson. But, before we start I want to also remind you this podcast is only made possible through the efforts of Kings and Generals over at Youtube. Perhaps you want to learn more about the history of Asia? Kings and Generals have an assortment of episodes on history of asia and much more  so go give them a look over on Youtube. So please subscribe to Kings and Generals over at Youtube and to continue helping us produce this content please check out www.patreon.com/kingsandgenerals. If you are still hungry for some more history related content, over on my channel, the Pacific War Channel where I cover the history of China and Japan from the 19th century until the end of the Pacific War. Despite the fact this technically will go into future events, I thought it was important we talk about a key moment in Sino history. Even though the battle of changkufeng and khalkin gol were not part of the second sino-Japanese war, their outcomes certainly would affect it.  Policymaking by the Soviet Union alone was not the primary factor in ending Moscow's diplomatic isolation in the late 1930s. After the Munich Conference signaled the failure of the popular front/united front approach, Neville Chamberlain, Adolf Hitler, and Poland's Józef Beck unintentionally strengthened Joseph Stalin's position in early 1939. Once the strategic cards were in his hands, Stalin capitalized on them. His handling of negotiations with Britain and France, as well as with Germany, from April to August was deft and effective. The spring and summer negotiations among the European powers are well documented and have been examined from many angles. In May 1939, while Stalin seemed to have the upper hand in Europe, yet before Hitler had signaled that a German–Soviet agreement might be possible, the Nomonhan incident erupted, a conflict initiated and escalated by the Kwantung Army. For a few months, the prospect of a Soviet–Japanese war revived concerns in Moscow about a two-front conflict. Reviewing Soviet talks with Britain, France, and Germany in the spring and summer of 1939 from an East Asian perspective sheds fresh light on the events that led to the German–Soviet Nonaggression Pact and, more broadly, to the outbreak of World War II. The second week of May marked the start of fighting at Nomonhan, during which negotiations between Germany and the USSR barely advanced beyond mutual scrutiny. Moscow signaled that an understanding with Nazi Germany might be possible. Notably, on May 4, the removal of Maksim Litvinov as foreign commissar and his replacement by Vyacheslav Molotov suggested a shift in approach. Litvinov, an urbane diplomat of Jewish origin and married to an Englishwoman, had been the leading Soviet proponent of the united-front policy and a steadfast critic of Nazi Germany. If a settlement with Hitler was sought, Litvinov was an unsuitable figure to lead the effort. Molotov, though with limited international experience, carried weight as chairman of the Council of Ministers and, more importantly, as one of Stalin's closest lieutenants. This personnel change seemed to accomplish its aim in Berlin, where the press was instructed on May 5 to halt polemical attacks on the Soviet Union and Bolshevism. On the same day, Karl Schnurre, head of the German Foreign Ministry's East European trade section, told Soviet chargé d'affaires Georgi Astakhov that Skoda, the German-controlled Czech arms manufacturer, would honor existing arms contracts with Russia. Astakhov asked whether, with Litvinov's departure, Germany might resume negotiations for a trade treaty Berlin had halted months earlier. By May 17, during discussions with Schnurre, Astakhov asserted that "there were no conflicts in foreign policy between Germany and the Soviet Union and that there was no reason for enmity between the two countries," and that Britain and France's negotiations appeared unpromising. The next day, Ribbentrop personally instructed Schulenburg to green-light trade talks. Molotov, however, insisted that a "political basis" for economic negotiations had to be established first. Suspicion remained high on both sides. Stalin feared Berlin might use reports of German–Soviet talks to destabilize a potential triple alliance with Britain and France; Hitler feared Stalin might use such reports to entice Tokyo away from an anti-German pact. The attempt to form a tripartite military alliance among Germany, Italy, and Japan foundered over divergent aims: Berlin targeted Britain and France; Tokyo aimed at the Soviet Union. Yet talks persisted through August 1939, with Japanese efforts to draw Germany into an anti-Soviet alignment continually reported to Moscow by Richard Sorge. Hitler and Mussolini, frustrated by Japanese objections, first concluded the bilateral Pact of Steel on May 22. The next day, Hitler, addressing his generals, stressed the inevitability of war with Poland and warned that opposition from Britain would be crushed militarily. He then hinted that Russia might "prove disinterested in the destruction of Poland," suggesting closer ties with Japan if Moscow opposed Germany. The exchange was quickly leaked to the press. Five days later, the first pitched battle of the Nomonhan campaign began. Although Hitler's timing with the Yamagata detachment's foray was coincidental, Moscow may have found the coincidence ominous. Despite the inducement of Molotov's call for a political basis before economic talks, Hitler and Ribbentrop did not immediately respond. On June 14, Astakhov signaled to Parvan Draganov, Bulgaria's ambassador in Berlin, that the USSR faced three options: ally with Britain and France, continue inconclusive talks with them, or align with Germany, the latter being closest to Soviet desires. Draganov relayed to the German Foreign Ministry that Moscow preferred a non-aggression agreement if Germany would pledge not to attack the Soviet Union. Two days later, Schulenburg told Astakhov that Germany recognized the link between economic and political relations and was prepared for far-reaching talks, a view echoed by Ribbentrop. The situation remained tangled: the Soviets pursued overt talks with Britain and France, while Stalin sought to maximize Soviet leverage. Chamberlain's stance toward Moscow remained wary but recognized a "psychological value" to an Anglo–Soviet rapprochement, tempered by his insistence on a hard bargain. American ambassador William C. Bullitt urged London to avoid the appearance of pursuing the Soviets, a view that resonated with Chamberlain's own distrust. Public confidence in a real Anglo–Soviet alliance remained low. By July 19, cabinet minutes show Chamberlain could not quite believe a genuine Russia–Germany alliance was possible, though he recognized the necessity of negotiations with Moscow to deter Hitler and to mollify an increasingly skeptical British public. Despite reservations, both sides kept the talks alive. Stalin's own bargaining style, with swift Soviet replies but frequent questions and demands, often produced delays. Molotov pressed on questions such as whether Britain and France would pledge to defend the Baltic states, intervene if Japan attacked the USSR, or join in opposing Germany if Hitler pressured Poland or Romania. These considerations were not trivial; they produced extended deliberations. On July 23, Molotov demanded that plans for coordinated military action among the three powers be fleshed out before a political pact. Britain and France accepted most political terms, and an Anglo-French military mission arrived in Moscow on August 11. The British commander, Admiral Sir Reginald Plunket-Ernle-Erle-Drax, conducted staff talks but could not conclude a military agreement. The French counterpart, General Joseph Doumenc, could sign but not bind his government. By then, Hitler had set August 26 as the date for war with Poland. With that looming, Hitler pressed for Soviet neutrality, or closer cooperation. In July and August, secret German–Soviet negotiations favored the Germans, who pressed for a rapid settlement and made most concessions. Yet Stalin benefited from keeping the British and French engaged, creating leverage against Hitler and safeguarding a potential Anglo–Soviet option as a fallback. To lengthen the talks and avoid immediate resolution, Moscow emphasized the Polish issue. Voroshilov demanded the Red Army be allowed to operate through Polish territory to defend Poland, a demand Warsaw would never accept. Moscow even floated a provocative plan: if Britain and France could compel Poland to permit Baltic State naval operations, the Western fleets would occupy Baltic ports, an idea that would have been militarily perilous and diplomatically explosive. Despite this, Stalin sought an agreement with Germany. Through Richard Sorge's intelligence, Moscow knew Tokyo aimed to avoid large-scale war with the USSR, and Moscow pressed for a German–Soviet settlement, including a nonaggression pact and measures to influence Japan to ease Sino–Japanese tensions. On August 16, Ribbentrop instructed Schulenburg to urge Molotov and Stalin toward a nonaggression pact and to coordinate with Japan. Stalin signaled willingness, and August 23–24 saw the drafting of the pact and the collapse of the Soviet and Japanese resistance elsewhere. That night, in a memorandum of Ribbentrop's staff, seven topics were summarized, with Soviet–Japanese relations and Molotov's insistence that Berlin demonstrate good faith standing out. Ribbentrop reiterated his willingness to influence Japan for a more favorable Soviet–Japanese relationship, and Stalin's reply indicated a path toward a détente in the East alongside the European agreement: "M. Stalin replied that the Soviet Union indeed desired an improvement in its relations with Japan, but that there were limits to its patience with regard to Japanese provocations. If Japan desired war she could have it. The Soviet Union was not afraid of it and was prepared for it. If Japan desired peace—so much the better! M. Stalin considered the assistance of Germany in bringing about an improvement in Soviet-Japanese relations as useful, but he did not want the Japanese to get the impression that the initiative in this direction had been taken by the Soviet Union."  Second, the assertion that the Soviet Union was prepared for and unafraid of war with Japan is an overstatement, though Stalin certainly had grounds for optimism regarding the battlefield situation and the broader East Asian strategic balance. It is notable that, despite the USSR's immediate diplomatic and military gains against Japan, Stalin remained anxious to conceal from Tokyo any peace initiative that originated in Moscow. That stance suggests that Tokyo or Hsinking might read such openness as a sign of Soviet weakness or confidence overextended. The Japanese danger, it would seem, did not disappear from Stalin's mind. Even at the height of his diplomatic coup, Stalin was determined not to burn bridges prematurely. On August 21, while he urged Hitler to send Ribbentrop to Moscow, he did not sever talks with Britain and France. Voroshilov requested a temporary postponement on the grounds that Soviet delegation officers were needed for autumn maneuvers. It was not until August 25, after Britain reiterated its resolve to stand by Poland despite the German–Soviet pact, that Stalin sent the Anglo–French military mission home. Fortified by the nonaggression pact, which he hoped would deter Britain and France from action, Hitler unleashed his army on Poland on September 1. Two days later, as Zhukov's First Army Group was completing its operations at Nomonhan, Hitler faced a setback when Britain and France declared war. Hitler had hoped to finish Poland quickly in 1939 and avoid fighting Britain and France until 1940. World War II in Europe had begun. The Soviet–Japanese conflict at Nomonhan was not the sole, nor even the principal, factor prompting Stalin to conclude an alliance with Hitler. Standing aside from a European war that could fracture the major capitalist powers might have been reason enough. Yet the conflict with Japan in the East was also a factor in Stalin's calculations, a dimension that has received relatively little attention in standard accounts of the outbreak of the war. This East Asian focus seeks to clarify the record without proposing a revolutionary reinterpretation of Soviet foreign policy; rather, it adds an important piece often overlooked in the "origins of the Second World War" puzzle, helping to reduce the overall confusion. The German–Soviet agreement provided for the Soviet occupation of the eastern half of Poland soon after Germany's invasion. On September 3, just forty-eight hours after the invasion and on the day Britain and France declared war, Ribbentrop urged Moscow to invade Poland from the east. Yet, for two more weeks, Poland's eastern frontier remained inviolate; Soviet divisions waited at the border, as most Polish forces were engaged against Germany. The German inquiries about the timing of the Soviet invasion continued, but the Red Army did not move. This inactivity is often attributed to Stalin's caution and suspicion, but that caution extended beyond Europe. Throughout early September, sporadic ground and air combat continued at Nomonhan, including significant activity by Kwantung Army forces on September 8–9, and large-scale air engagements on September 1–2, 4–5, and 14–15. Not until September 15 was the Molotov–Togo cease-fire arrangement finalized, to take effect on September 16. The very next morning, September 17, the Red Army crossed the Polish frontier into a country collapsed at its feet. It appears that Stalin wanted to ensure that fighting on his eastern flank had concluded before engaging in Western battles, avoiding a two-front war. Through such policies, Stalin avoided the disaster of a two-front war. Each principal in the 1939 diplomatic maneuvering pursued distinct objectives. The British sought an arrangement with the USSR that would deter Hitler from attacking Poland and, if deterred, bind Moscow to the Anglo–French alliance. Hitler sought an alliance with the USSR to deter Britain and France from aiding Poland and, if they did aid Poland, to secure Soviet neutrality. Japan sought a military alliance with Germany against the USSR, or failing that, stronger Anti-Comintern ties. Stalin aimed for an outcome in which Germany would fight the Western democracies, leaving him freedom to operate in both the West and East; failing that, he sought military reassurance from Britain and France in case he had to confront Germany. Of the four, only Stalin achieved his primary objective. Hitler secured his secondary objective; the British and Japanese failed to realize theirs. Stalin won the diplomatic contest in 1939. Yet, as diplomats gave way to generals, the display of German military power in Poland and in Western Europe soon eclipsed Stalin's diplomatic triumph. By playing Germany against Britain and France, Stalin gained leverage and a potential fallback, but at the cost of unleashing a devastating European war. As with the aftermath of the Portsmouth Treaty in 1905, Russo-Japanese relations improved rapidly after hostilities ceased at Nomonhan. The Molotov–Togo agreement of September 15 and the local truces arranged around Nomonhan on September 19 were observed scrupulously by both sides. On October 27, the two nations settled another long-standing dispute by agreeing to mutual release of fishing boats detained on charges of illegal fishing in each other's territorial waters. On November 6, the USSR appointed Konstantin Smetanin as ambassador to Tokyo, replacing the previous fourteen-month tenure of a chargé d'affaires. Smetanin's first meeting with the new Japanese foreign minister, Nomura Kichisaburö, in November 1939 attracted broad, favorable coverage in the Japanese press. In a break with routine diplomatic practice, Nomura delivered a draft proposal for a new fisheries agreement and a memo outlining the functioning of the joint border commission to be established in the Nomonhan area before Smetanin presented his credentials. On December 31, an agreement finalizing Manchukuo's payment to the USSR for the sale of the Chinese Eastern Railway was reached, and the Soviet–Japanese Fisheries Convention was renewed for 1940. In due course, the boundary near Nomonhan was formally redefined. A November 1939 agreement between Molotov and Togo established a mixed border commission representing the four parties to the dispute. After protracted negotiations, the border commission completed its redemarcation on June 14, 1941, with new border markers erected in August 1941. The resulting boundary largely followed the Soviet–MPR position, lying ten to twelve miles east of the Halha River. With that, the Nomonhan incident was officially closed.  Kwantung Army and Red Army leaders alike sought to "teach a lesson" to their foe at Nomonhan. The refrain recurs in documents and memoirs from both sides, "we must teach them a lesson." The incident provided lessons for both sides, but not all were well learned. For the Red Army, the lessons of Nomonhan intertwined with the laurels of victory, gratifying but sometimes distracting. Georgy Zhukov grasped the experience of modern warfare that summer, gaining more than a raised profile: command experience, confidence, and a set of hallmarks he would employ later. He demonstrated the ability to grasp complex strategic problems quickly, decisive crisis leadership, meticulous attention to logistics and deception, patience in building superior strength before striking at the enemy's weakest point, and the coordination of massed artillery, tanks, mechanized infantry, and tactical air power in large-scale double envelopment. These capabilities informed his actions at Moscow, Stalingrad, Kursk, and ultimately Berlin. It is tempting to wonder how Zhukov might have fared in the crucial autumn and winter of 1941 without Nomonhan, or whether he would have been entrusted with the Moscow front in 1941 had he not distinguished himself at Nomonhan. Yet the Soviet High Command overlooked an important lesson. Despite Zhukov's successes with independent tank formations and mechanized infantry, the command misapplied Spanish Civil War-era experience by disbanding armored divisions and redistributing tanks to infantry units to serve as support. It was not until after Germany demonstrated tank warfare in 1940 that the Soviets began reconstituting armored divisions and corps, a process still incomplete when the 1941 invasion began. The Red Army's performance at Nomonhan went largely unseen in the West. Western intelligence and military establishments largely believed the Red Army was fundamentally rotten, a view reinforced by the battlefield's remoteness and by both sides' reluctance to publicize the defeat. The Polish crisis and the outbreak of war in Europe drew attention away from Nomonhan, and the later Finnish Winter War reinforced negative Western judgments of Soviet military capability. U.S. military attaché Raymond Faymonville observed that the Soviets, anticipating a quick victory over Finland, relied on hastily summoned reserves ill-suited for winter fighting—an assessment that led some to judge the Red Army by its performance at Nomonhan. Even in Washington, this view persisted; Hitler reportedly called the Red Army "a paralytic on crutches" after Finland and then ordered invasion planning in 1941. Defeat can be a stronger teacher than victory. Because Nomonhan was a limited war, Japan's defeat was likewise limited, and its impact on Tokyo did not immediately recalibrate Japanese assessments. Yet Nomonhan did force Japan to revise its estimation of Soviet strength: the Imperial Army abandoned its strategic Plan Eight-B and adopted a more defensive posture toward the Soviet Union. An official inquiry into the debacle, submitted November 29, 1939, recognized Soviet superiority in materiel and firepower and urged Japan to bolster its own capabilities. The Kwantung Army's leadership, chastened, returned to the frontier with a more realistic sense of capability, even as the Army Ministry and AGS failed to translate lessons into policy. The enduring tendency toward gekokujo, the dominance of local and mid-level officers over central authority, remained persistent, and Tokyo did not fully purge it after Nomonhan. The Kwantung Army's operatives who helped drive the Nomonhan episode resurfaced in key posts at Imperial General Headquarters, contributing to Japan's 1941 decision to go to war. The defeat of the Kwantung Army at Nomonhan, together with the Stalin–Hitler pact and the outbreak of war in Europe, triggered a reorientation of Japanese strategy and foreign policy. The new government, led by the politically inexperienced and cautious General Abe Nobuyuki, pursued a conservative foreign policy. Chiang Kai-shek's retreat to Chongqing left the Chinese war at a stalemate: the Japanese Expeditionary Army could still inflict defeats on Chinese nationalist forces, but it had no viable path to a decisive victory. China remained Japan's principal focus. Still, the option of cutting Soviet aid to China and of moving north into Outer Mongolia and Siberia was discredited in Tokyo by the August 1939 double defeat. Northward expansion never again regained its ascendancy, though it briefly resurfaced in mid-1941 after Germany's invasion of the Soviet Union. Germany's alliance with the USSR during Nomonhan was viewed by Tokyo as a betrayal, cooling German–Japanese relations. Japan also stepped back from its confrontation with Britain over Tientsin. Tokyo recognized that the European war represented a momentous development that could reshape East Asia, as World War I had reshaped it before. The short-lived Abe government (September–December 1939) and its successor under Admiral Yonai Mitsumasa (December 1939–July 1940) adopted a cautious wait-and-see attitude toward the European war. That stance shifted in the summer of 1940, however, after Germany's successes in the West. With Germany's conquest of France and the Low Countries and Britain's fight for survival, Tokyo reassessed the global balance of power. Less than a year after Zhukov had effectively blocked further Japanese expansion northward, Hitler's victories seemed to open a southern expansion path. The prospect of seizing the resource-rich colonies in Southeast Asia, Dutch, French, and British and, more importantly, resolving the China problem in Japan's favor, tempted many in Tokyo. If Western aid to Chiang Kai-shek, channeled through Hong Kong, French Indochina, and Burma could be cut off, some in Tokyo believed Chiang might abandon resistance. If not, Japan could launch new operations against Chiang from Indochina and Burma, effectively turning China's southern flank. To facilitate a southward advance, Japan sought closer alignment with Germany and the USSR. Foreign Minister Yosuke Matsuoka brought Japan into the Tripartite Pact with Germany and Italy, in the hope of neutralizing the United States, and concluded a neutrality pact with the Soviet Union to secure calm in the north. Because of the European military situation, only the United States could check Japan's southward expansion. President Franklin D. Roosevelt appeared determined to do so and confident that he could. If the Manchurian incident and the Stimson Doctrine strained U.S.–Japanese relations, and the China War and U.S. aid to Chiang Kai-shek deepened mutual resentment, it was Japan's decision to press south against French, British, and Dutch colonies, and Roosevelt's resolve to prevent such a move, that put the two nations on a collision course. The dust had barely settled on the Mongolian plains following the Nomonhan ceasefire when the ripples of that distant conflict began to reshape the broader theater of the Second Sino-Japanese War. The defeat at Nomonhan in August 1939, coupled with the shocking revelation of the German-Soviet Nonaggression Pact, delivered a profound strategic blow to Japan's imperial ambitions. No longer could Tokyo entertain serious notions of a "northern advance" into Soviet territory, a strategy that had long tantalized military planners as a means to secure resources and buffer against communism. Instead, the Kwantung Army's humiliation exposed glaring deficiencies in Japanese mechanized warfare, logistics, and intelligence, forcing a pivot southward. This reorientation not only cooled tensions with the Soviet Union but also allowed Japan to redirect its military focus toward the protracted stalemate in China. As we transition from the border clashes of the north to the heartland tensions in central China, it's essential to trace how these events propelled Japan toward the brink of a major offensive in Hunan Province, setting the stage for what would become a critical confrontation. In the immediate aftermath of Nomonhan, Japan's military high command grappled with the implications of their setback. The Kwantung Army, once a symbol of unchecked aggression, was compelled to adopt a defensive posture along the Manchurian-Soviet border. The ceasefire agreement, formalized on September 15-16, 1939, effectively neutralized the northern front, freeing up significant resources and manpower that had been tied down in the escalating border skirmishes. This was no small relief; the Nomonhan campaign had drained Japanese forces, with estimates of over 18,000 casualties and the near-total annihilation of the 23rd Division. The psychological impact was equally severe, shattering the myth of Japanese invincibility against a modern, mechanized opponent. Georgy Zhukov's masterful use of combined arms—tanks, artillery, and air power—highlighted Japan's vulnerabilities, prompting internal reviews that urged reforms in tank production, artillery doctrine, and supply chains. Yet, these lessons were slow to implement, and in the short term, the primary benefit was the opportunity to consolidate efforts elsewhere. For Japan, "elsewhere" meant China, where the war had devolved into a grinding attrition since the fall of Wuhan in October 1938. The capture of Wuhan, a major transportation hub and temporary capital of the Nationalist government under Chiang Kai-shek, had been hailed as a turning point. Japanese forces, under the command of General Shunroku Hata, had pushed deep into central China, aiming to decapitate Chinese resistance. However, Chiang's strategic retreat to Chongqing transformed the conflict into a war of endurance. Nationalist forces, bolstered by guerrilla tactics and international aid, harassed Japanese supply lines and prevented a decisive knockout blow. By mid-1939, Japan controlled vast swaths of eastern and northern China, including key cities like Beijing, Shanghai, and Nanjing, but the cost was immense: stretched logistics, mounting casualties, and an inability to fully pacify occupied territories. The Nomonhan defeat exacerbated these issues by underscoring the limits of Japan's military overextension. With the northern threat abated, Tokyo's Army General Staff saw an opening to intensify operations in China, hoping to force Chiang to the negotiating table before global events further complicated the picture. The diplomatic fallout from Nomonhan and the Hitler-Stalin Pact further influenced this shift. Japan's betrayal by Germany, its nominal ally under the Anti-Comintern Pact—fostered distrust and isolation. Tokyo's flirtations with a full Axis alliance stalled, as the pact with Moscow revealed Hitler's willingness to prioritize European gains over Asian solidarity. This isolation prompted Japan to reassess its priorities, emphasizing self-reliance in China while eyeing opportunistic expansions elsewhere. Domestically, the Hiranuma cabinet collapsed in August 1939 amid the diplomatic shock, paving the way for the more cautious Abe Nobuyuki government. Abe's administration, though short-lived, signaled a temporary de-escalation in aggressive posturing, but the underlying imperative to resolve the "China Incident" persisted. Japanese strategists believed that capturing additional strategic points in central China could sever Chiang's lifelines, particularly the routes funneling aid from the Soviet Union and the West via Burma and Indochina. The seismic shifts triggered by Nomonhan compelled Japan to fundamentally readjust its China policy and war plans, marking a pivotal transition from overambitious northern dreams to a more focused, albeit desperate, campaign in the south. With the Kwantung Army's defeat fresh in mind, Tokyo's Imperial General Headquarters initiated a comprehensive strategic review in late August 1939. The once-dominant "Northern Advance" doctrine, which envisioned rapid conquests into Siberia for resources like oil and minerals, was officially shelved. In its place emerged a "Southern Advance" framework, prioritizing the consolidation of gains in China and potential expansions into Southeast Asia. This pivot was not merely tactical; it reflected a profound policy recalibration aimed at ending the quagmire in China, where two years of war had yielded territorial control but no decisive victory over Chiang Kai-shek's Nationalists. Central to this readjustment was a renewed emphasis on economic and military self-sufficiency. The Nomonhan debacle had exposed Japan's vulnerabilities in mechanized warfare, leading to urgent reforms in industrial production. Tank manufacturing was ramped up, with designs influenced by observed Soviet models, and artillery stockpiles were bolstered to match the firepower discrepancies seen on the Mongolian steppes. Logistically, the Army General Staff prioritized streamlining supply lines in China, recognizing that prolonged engagements demanded better resource allocation. Politically, the Abe Nobuyuki cabinet, installed in September 1939, adopted a "wait-and-see" approach toward Europe but aggressively pursued diplomatic maneuvers to isolate China. Efforts to negotiate with Wang Jingwei's puppet regime in Nanjing intensified, aiming to undermine Chiang's legitimacy and splinter Chinese resistance. Japan also pressured Vichy France for concessions in Indochina, seeking to choke off aid routes to Chongqing. War plans evolved accordingly, shifting from broad-front offensives to targeted strikes designed to disrupt Chinese command and supply networks. The China Expeditionary Army, under General Yasuji Okamura, was restructured to emphasize mobility and combined arms operations, drawing partial lessons from Zhukov's tactics. Intelligence operations were enhanced, with greater focus on infiltrating Nationalist strongholds in central provinces. By early September, plans coalesced around a major push into Hunan Province, a vital crossroads linking northern and southern China. Hunan's river systems and rail lines made it a linchpin for Chinese logistics, funneling men and materiel to the front lines. Japanese strategists identified key urban centers in the region as critical objectives, believing their capture could sever Chiang's western supply corridors and force a strategic retreat. This readjustment was not without internal friction. Hardliners in the military lamented the abandonment of northern ambitions, but the reality of Soviet strength—and the neutrality pacts that followed—left little room for debate. Economically, Japan ramped up exploitation of occupied Chinese territories, extracting coal, iron, and rice to fuel the war machine. Diplomatically, Tokyo sought to mend fences with the Soviets through the 1941 Neutrality Pact, ensuring northern security while eyes turned south. Yet, these changes brewed tension with the United States, whose embargoes on scrap metal and oil threatened to cripple Japan's ambitions. As autumn approached, the stage was set for a bold gambit in central China. Japanese divisions massed along the Yangtze River, poised to strike at the heart of Hunan's defenses. Intelligence reports hinted at Chinese preparations, with Xue Yue's forces fortifying positions around a major provincial hub. The air thickened with anticipation of a clash that could tip the balance in the interminable war—a test of Japan's revamped strategies against a resilient foe determined to hold the line. What unfolded would reveal whether Tokyo's post-Nomonhan pivot could deliver the breakthrough so desperately needed, or if it would merely prolong the bloody stalemate. I would like to take this time to remind you all that this podcast is only made possible through the efforts of Kings and Generals over at Youtube. Please go subscribe to Kings and Generals over at Youtube and to continue helping us produce this content please check out www.patreon.com/kingsandgenerals. If you are still hungry after that, give my personal channel a look over at The Pacific War Channel at Youtube, it would mean a lot to me. In 1939, the Nomonhan Incident saw Soviet forces under Georgy Zhukov decisively defeat Japan's Kwantung Army at Khalkin Gol, exposing Japanese weaknesses in mechanized warfare. This setback, coupled with the Hitler-Stalin Nonaggression Pact, shattered Japan's northern expansion plans and prompted a strategic pivot southward. Diplomatic maneuvers involving Stalin, Hitler, Britain, France, and Japan reshaped alliances, leading to the Soviet-Japanese Neutrality Pact in 1941. Japan refocused on China, intensifying operations in Hunan Province to isolate Chiang Kai-shek.   

Join us to hear from renowned historian Frank Dikötter, who offers a commanding history recasting how communists seized power in China. In April 1927, soldiers and detectives descended upon the Russian Embassy in Beijing, revolvers drawn. An hour later, they emerged with a trove of documents, some of them partly damaged by Russians who had tried quickly to destroy them. In these singed and soggy papers was proof that Moscow, despite agreeing three years earlier not to “propagate communistic doctrines,” had, in fact, sent what amounts to millions in today's dollars—along with shiploads of arms and advisors—to support nothing less than a revolution in China.  These findings are hardly ever mentioned by historians—until now. Dikötter says the history of modern China has long been framed as an organic enterprise, wherein Communists mobilized the “peasants,” took land from the rich and redistributed it to the poor. Drawing on the Beijing raid as well as several other overlooked archives, Dikötter's new book Red Dawn Over China reveals how unlikely a communist victory actually was, had it not been for massive financial and military support from the Soviet Union; a brutal war of occupation by Japan; severe miscalculations by the United States; and—most of all—the Communist Party's unflinching will to conquer at all costs. Dikötter reveals how what began in 1921 with 13 delegates in a dusty room led to a red flag being raised over the Forbidden City in 1949, forever altering the course of history for a quarter of humanity and shaping the global balance of power as we know it today.  About the Speaker: Frank Dikötter is the Milias Senior Fellow at the Hoover Institution, Stanford University. He is also Chair Professor of Humanities at the University of Hong Kong. His books have changed the way historians view China, from the classic The Discourse of Race in Modern China to his award-winning People's Trilogy, a series of books that document the lives of ordinary people under Mao: Mao's Great Famine: The History of China's Most Devastating Catastrophe; The Tragedy of Liberation: A History of the Chinese Revolution, 1945-1957; and The Cultural Revolution: A People's History, 1962-1976. An Asia-Pacific Affairs Member-led Forum program. Forums and chapters at the Club are organized and run by volunteer programmers who are members of The Commonwealth Club, and they cover a diverse range of topics. Learn more about our Forums. Organizer: Lillian K NakagawaNotes Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

I sat down with Shady from HUMAN.TECH during Consensus Week in Hong Kong. We talked about how he entered Web3 through neuroscience, why HUMAN.TECH is focused on putting humans at the center of technology, and what digital rights should look like in an AI-driven world. This episode goes deep into self custody, decentralized identity, wallet infrastructure, sustainable token economies, and why timing matters so much when building in Web3.We also explored what it takes to build products that last. Shady shared how HUMAN.TECH thinks about revenue, long-term incentives, and real utility beyond hype. We also discussed AI agents, identity delegation, and why founders need to answer one simple question: why does what they are building actually matter for the world?Key pointsIntro from Consensus Week in Hong Kong and welcome to Shady from HUMAN.TECHHow Shady entered Web3 through a neuroscience data-sharing problemDiscovering IPFS and the path into decentralizationWhy Holonym evolved and how HUMAN.TECH was bornBuilding technology with digital rights embedded by designWhy sustainability is still one of Web3's biggest problemsThe gap between crypto hype and real-world utilityHow HUMAN.TECH plans to monetize identity proofs and wallet infrastructureCreating sustainable economic loops through node staking and network demandWhy self custody is the guiding star for HUMAN.TECHHow AI changes the conversation around ownership, identity, and private keysA future where AI agents may need delegated human identityWhy timing matters in startups and how to tell if a market is readyWhy crypto is still early, especially for self custodyThe next 12 months for HUMAN.TECH and the upcoming token launchWhat developers can build today with HUMAN.TECH and WAPThe vision for easier multichain wallet experiencesThe one question every Web3 founder should be askedConnect https://www.linkedin.com/in/shadyeldamaty/ https://human.tech/https://x.com/humntech https://linktr.ee/human.tech DisclaimerNothing mentioned in this podcast is investment advice and please do your own research.It would mean a lot if you can leave a review of this podcast on ApplePodcasts or Spotify and share this podcast with a friend.Be a guest on the podcast or contact us - https://www.web3pod.xyz/

The Middle East conflict is causing a supply chain shock. Natalie Gill, Portfolio Strategist at the BlackRock Investment Institute, explains how energy disruptions are driving regional market effects and adding to inflation risk. 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©2026 BlackRock, Inc. All Rights Reserved. BLACKROCK is a registered trademark of BlackRock, Inc. All other trademarks are those of their respective owners.BII0326-5284926-EXP0327

AeroEngines Asia-Pacific just wrapped up in Hong Kong. Speaking from the event, Aviation Week editors Lee Ann Shay and James Pozzi and analyze what's trending in the region with special guest Lars Moeslein from HAECO.

To get 15% off at https://www.shotscope.com ; use promo code: GOLFLOVERTo get $20 off your next purchase of $100 at https://www.greysonclothiers.com send your email to progolfcritic@gmail.com or DM your email to @progolfcritic on twitter.If you like to support this content, the podcast and ‪‪Golf Lovers United GC, feel free to visit us at the links below! https://www.glugc.com https://www.glugc.com/supportGLU GC is a collective of golfers that truly love golf, and every part of thegame. The podcast is hosted by Golf Lover UK, Pro Golf Critic and Red Harrington - 3 people that love golf, and love to discuss the ever changing world of professional golf, on and off the course.Golf Lovers United Fanzone!Fan of the show? Get involved even more by visiting our fanzone, with a range of membership and support options to bring you even closer to the action and to give you chance to have your say on the show!Vist the fanzone now: https://www.glugc.com/support--Thanks to our current GLU Brand Ambassadors:LIV Golf Forecasting - https://www.twitter.com/LIVGolf54Red Harrington - https://www.twitter.com/RedHarrington44Kevin Dignan - https://www.twitter.com/VivaLa54Andy Moore - https://www.twitter.com/AndyFreelance1Padmini Krishnan - https://www.twitter.com/YoungPadawan051Thanks to our current GLU Golf Lovers:Lisa Lamagna - https://www.twitter.com/LisaLamagna--If you like the show, remember to tell your golf-loving friends that they can subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and at https://www.glugc.com. The easiest way to do all of that is at https://www.glugc.com/listen.If you want to support the show, we appreciate you and you can do that at https://www.glugc.com/support.Golf Lovers United is produced by Mark (@MrAsquith), Ben (@GolfLoverUK) and J (@ProGolfCritic) every week.

Aside from lechon, other Asian dishes will also be featured, such as Thailand's Pad Thai, Singapore's Chilli Crab, Malaysia and Indonesia's Nasi Lemak, Hong Kong's Har Gow, and Japan's Sushi and Ramen. - Bukod sa lechon, bibida rin ang iba pang pagkain sa Asya gaya ng Pad Thai ng Thailand, Chilli Crab ng Singapore, Nasi Lemak ng Malaysia at Indonesia, Har Gow sa Hong Kong, at Sushi at Ramen ng Japan.

Jon Rahm vuelve a ganar un torneo individual en Hong Kong

What counts as China, and who counts as Chinese? China became a capitalist superpower by investing in globalization. Now that it has established its credentials—and emerged as a major US competitor—its leaders are looking within, focused on suppressing dissent and fostering cohesion. The result has been an increasingly nationalist cultural agenda, celebrating a Chinese identity steeped in the mystique of the Middle Kingdom and nostalgia for heroic twentieth-century resistance. Yet Chinese nationalism, like nationalism everywhere, is fraught. Few Westerners, and even fewer Chinese, recognize that the very idea of China is up for grabs.  Xu Guoqi is the founding director of the Institute of Transnational History of China at the University of Hong Kong, and author of The Idea of China: A Contested History (Harvard UP, 2026) Lucas Tse is Examination Fellow at All Souls College, Oxford. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/new-books-network

What counts as China, and who counts as Chinese? China became a capitalist superpower by investing in globalization. Now that it has established its credentials—and emerged as a major US competitor—its leaders are looking within, focused on suppressing dissent and fostering cohesion. The result has been an increasingly nationalist cultural agenda, celebrating a Chinese identity steeped in the mystique of the Middle Kingdom and nostalgia for heroic twentieth-century resistance. Yet Chinese nationalism, like nationalism everywhere, is fraught. Few Westerners, and even fewer Chinese, recognize that the very idea of China is up for grabs.  Xu Guoqi is the founding director of the Institute of Transnational History of China at the University of Hong Kong, and author of The Idea of China: A Contested History (Harvard UP, 2026) Lucas Tse is Examination Fellow at All Souls College, Oxford. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/history

What counts as China, and who counts as Chinese? China became a capitalist superpower by investing in globalization. Now that it has established its credentials—and emerged as a major US competitor—its leaders are looking within, focused on suppressing dissent and fostering cohesion. The result has been an increasingly nationalist cultural agenda, celebrating a Chinese identity steeped in the mystique of the Middle Kingdom and nostalgia for heroic twentieth-century resistance. Yet Chinese nationalism, like nationalism everywhere, is fraught. Few Westerners, and even fewer Chinese, recognize that the very idea of China is up for grabs.  Xu Guoqi is the founding director of the Institute of Transnational History of China at the University of Hong Kong, and author of The Idea of China: A Contested History (Harvard UP, 2026) Lucas Tse is Examination Fellow at All Souls College, Oxford. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/east-asian-studies

What counts as China, and who counts as Chinese? China became a capitalist superpower by investing in globalization. Now that it has established its credentials—and emerged as a major US competitor—its leaders are looking within, focused on suppressing dissent and fostering cohesion. The result has been an increasingly nationalist cultural agenda, celebrating a Chinese identity steeped in the mystique of the Middle Kingdom and nostalgia for heroic twentieth-century resistance. Yet Chinese nationalism, like nationalism everywhere, is fraught. Few Westerners, and even fewer Chinese, recognize that the very idea of China is up for grabs.  Xu Guoqi is the founding director of the Institute of Transnational History of China at the University of Hong Kong, and author of The Idea of China: A Contested History (Harvard UP, 2026) Lucas Tse is Examination Fellow at All Souls College, Oxford. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/asian-american-studies

In this episode of the Self-Publishing with ALLi Member Q&A podcast, hosts Michael La Ronn and Sacha Black discuss creative strategies for getting books into independent bookstores, including sending signed copies, bookmarks, and promotional materials to stores that stock your books. Other questions include: How can authors monetize a new podcast beyond just encouraging listeners to buy their books When should traditionally published authors make the leap to self-publishing if their agent hasn't secured a publisher What options exist for self-publishing a Chinese translation of a book in Hong Kong and reaching that market How can authors evaluate whether a publishing service is legitimate or making too many promises What technical settings with distributors like Gardners might prevent bookstores from ordering indie books And more! Find more author advice, tips, and tools at our Self-Publishing Author Advice Center, with a huge archive of nearly 2,000 blog posts and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need. And, if you haven't already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. About the Hosts Michael La Ronn is ALLi's Outreach Manager. He is the author of over 80 science fiction & fantasy books and self-help books for writers. He writes from the great plains of Iowa and has managed to write while raising a family, working a full-time job, and even attending law school classes in the evenings (now graduated!). You can find his fiction at www.michaellaronn.com and his videos and books for writers at www.authorlevelup.com. Sacha Black is a bestselling and competition winning author, rebel podcaster, speaker and casual rule breaker. She writes fiction under a secret pen name and other books about the art of writing. When Sacha isn't writing, she runs ALLi's blog. She lives in England, with her wife and genius, giant of a son. You can find her on her website, her podcast, and on Instagram.

On this day, 8 March 1922, seamen in Hong Kong and Canton (now Guangzhou) won pay rises of 15-30%, ending their strike which began in January. The British colonial government had declared the strike illegal, brought in the army and tried to use scabs from the Chinese mainland, and forced labour to break the strike. But the strike spread, was joined by rail workers, dockers, cooks and servants, and workers set up an armed militia to blockade food to the island by rail or sea. Eventually bosses were forced to cave in. They did not agree to a union shop, but they gave substantial pay rises, legalised the Seaman's Union, freed imprisoned strike leaders and back paid half pay to workers for the strike days. More information, sources and map: https://stories.workingclasshistory.com/article/10828/hong-kong-seamen's-strike-endsOur work is only possible because of support from you, our listeners on patreon. If you appreciate our work, please join us and access exclusive content and benefits at patreon.com/workingclasshistory.See all of our anniversaries each day, alongside sources and maps on the On This Day section of our Stories app: stories.workingclasshistory.com/date/todayBrowse all Stories by Date here on the Date index: https://stories.workingclasshistory.com/dateCheck out our Map of historical Stories: https://map.workingclasshistory.comCheck out books, posters, clothing and more in our online store, here: https://shop.workingclasshistory.comIf you enjoy this podcast, make sure to check out our flagship longform podcast, Working Class History

What counts as China, and who counts as Chinese? China became a capitalist superpower by investing in globalization. Now that it has established its credentials—and emerged as a major US competitor—its leaders are looking within, focused on suppressing dissent and fostering cohesion. The result has been an increasingly nationalist cultural agenda, celebrating a Chinese identity steeped in the mystique of the Middle Kingdom and nostalgia for heroic twentieth-century resistance. Yet Chinese nationalism, like nationalism everywhere, is fraught. Few Westerners, and even fewer Chinese, recognize that the very idea of China is up for grabs.  Xu Guoqi is the founding director of the Institute of Transnational History of China at the University of Hong Kong, and author of The Idea of China: A Contested History (Harvard UP, 2026) Lucas Tse is Examination Fellow at All Souls College, Oxford. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/chinese-studies

In episode 41 of Midnight Ghost Stories, you will hear a story about a man lurking at the foot of the bed,  someone's experience living in a haunted house, and an Urban Legend from Hong Kong. Please share your stories at midnightghoststoriespodcast@gmail.comFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100076181409486Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/midnightghoststoriespodcast/profilecard/?igsh=MWptNGNybHRjdWxsOQ==Subscribe to In The Eyes Of True CrimeApple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/in-the-eyes-of-true-crime/id1602138542Spotify: https://spotify.link/QiNGD7Yn9CbHung: Ghost Stories &  Urban Legends https://youtube.com/@hung.ghost.official?si=roSrY0FiKLucnkjQMusic from #Uppbeat (free for Creators!):https://uppbeat.io/t/kevin-macleod/classic-horror-1License code: URGWQ5CQ4EOZTPS8

Iran claims a strike on the USS Abraham Lincoln as the Mideast conflict continues, President Trump predicts that Cuba will "fall soon," the U.S. grants India a 30-day waiver to buy Russian oil, Sudan's army retakes a strategic city, Hungary is accused of taking Ukrainian bank staff hostage, reports claim that the U.S. military used Anthropic's Claude AI in strikes against Iran, a House panel advances a kids' online safety bill, Jimmy Lai won't appeal his 20-year sentence in Hong Kong, Polymarket removes its nuclear detonation betting market, and Germany's Lower House passes a wolf-hunting bill. Sources: Verity.News

On Saturday morning, Feb. 28, the U.S. and Israel launched strikes on Iran, killing its leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei along with other senior regime figures. The following day, Pope Leo appealed for peace, urging world leaders to stop “the spiral of violence before it becomes an unbridgeable chasm.” This week on “Inside the Vatican,” Veteran Vatican Correspondent Gerard O'Connell explains why he saw Leo's comments as relatively restrained compared to John Paul II's at the beginning of the Iraq War. In the second part of the show, Gerry shares a story from his forthcoming book on the 2025 conclave. 0:00 Intro 2:20 Vatican response to Iran war 7:05 John Paul II on the 2003 Iraq War 9:07 Pope Leo decries 'zeal for war' 10:48 Archbishop Coakley speaks out on war 11:30 On the Christian communities of Tehran 12:50 Pope Leo talks on Hong Kong activist Jimmy Lai 14:18 Cardinal Parolin's statements on the war 19:00 What difference the Vatican make 22:14 Stories from Gerry's new book on the conclave 25:40 Cardinal forgets to give away his phone 27:25 Cardinals unused to having no phones 29:00 Behind the scenes of the conclave 32:05 Is the conclave not 'top secret'? 33:26 Outro Links: Pope Leo urges a halt to ‘spiral of violence' across Iran and Middle East Cardinal Parolin on Iran war: ‘The force of law has been replaced by the law of force' Address of Pope Leo XIV to Members of the Diplomatic Corps Accredited to the Holy See, Jan. 9, 2026 Against Unjust and Unjustified War with Iran I regret supporting the Iraq War. We shouldn't repeat our mistakes in Iran now. Book Excerpt: Behind the scenes of Pope Leo XIV's election The Election of Pope Leo XIV: The Last Surprise of Pope Francis Follow Gerry on X: @gerryorome  Follow Colleen on Instagram: @colleendulle  Support Inside the Vatican by becoming a subscriber to America Magazine! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

S&P futures are down (0.3%) and pointing to a slightly lower open today. Asian markets traded mixed on Friday, with Hong Kong the notable outperformer. Mainland China and Japan were modestly higher, South Korea and Singapore finished flat, and Australia underperformed. Indonesia saw the sharpest losses after Fitch downgraded its credit outlook. European markets are higher but remain on track for their worst weekly performance in a year, as energy price concerns and inflation risks dominate. Companies Mentioned: Whitestone REIT, UniFirst, Inspire Brands

Two media professionals who have chronicled their love of the Thoroughbred game are featured this week on the Ron Flatter Racing Pod. Tommy Smyth with a Y, who has been a longtime sports personality in New York, discusses his ongoing trips to tracks both in the U.S. and his native Ireland. Smyth voices his concerns about computer bettors and how they have impacted his playing. He also advocates for fixed-odds wagering to be lined up alongside pari-mutuels. Alex Evers, one of racing's top photographers, talks about his frequent trips overseas to shoot races, especially in Hong Kong. He shares memories of stars like Romantic Warrior and Golden Sixty and how his close access to top horses might help him bet. John Cherwa of the Los Angeles Times and Keith Nelson from Fairmount Park are along with their weekly host chat. The Ron Flatter Racing Pod via Horse Racing Nation is available via free subscription from Apple, Firefox, iHeart and Spotify as well as HorseRacingNation.com.

Animoca Brands Chairman Yat Siu makes a bold prediction: within the next few years, there will be 30 to 50 billion AI agents operating online. And they won't live on Facebook or Google — they'll live on the blockchain.In this wide-ranging conversation, Yat breaks down why crypto infrastructure was built for this moment, why Europe faces "technology colonization," and what Apple's 30% Patreon fee reveals about platform power.In this conversation:• Bitcoin acting as a safe haven vs. risk asset• Hong Kong's position as Asia's financial hub• The real state of NFTs and gaming• Animoca Combines: AI agents for everyone• His prediction: 30-50 billion agents on-chain• Why digital identity matters more for agents than humans• Agent swarm security experiments at AnimocaAbout the Guest:Yat Siu is the Chairman and Co-founder of Animoca Brands, one of the world's leading blockchain gaming and investment companies. Animoca Brands has made over 400 investments in Web3 projects.

Hekki Allmo,Le jeu de Sunset Visitor veut nous parler de beaucoup de choses : Le Covid, Hong-Kong et sa diaspora, le trauma intergénérationnel, la lutte dans un système autoritaire, repartir de zéro... Le tout avec des aliens, des clones et un soupçon de post-apo dans une narration déstructurée.On s'est replongés dans tout ça en espérant vous préparer au mieux pour la Grande Communion.Hair to Hair.Merci à nos patreotes qui financent l'émission sur https://www.patreon.com/findugameRejoignez le club de lecture sur Discord : https://discord.gg/YTGbSkNSi vous réalisez un achat sur Top Achat, vous pouvez entrer le code créateur FINDUGAME pour soutenir l'émission. Hébergé par Acast. Visitez acast.com/privacy pour plus d'informations.

Renaissance history is so much wilder and weirder than you would have expected. Very fun chatting with Ada Palmer (historian, novelist, and composer based at the University of Chicago).Some especially fascinating things I learned from the conversation and her excellent book, Inventing the Renaissance:Not only did Gutenberg go bankrupt in the 1450s (after inventing the printing press), but so did the bank that foreclosed on him, and so did his apprentices. This is because paper was still very expensive, and so you had to make this big upfront CAPEX decision to print a batch of 300 copies of a book - say the Bible. But he's in a small landlocked German town where only priests are allowed to read the Bible - so he sells maybe 7 copies. It's only when this technology ends up in Venice, where you can hand 10 copies to each of 30 ship captains going to 30 different cities, that it starts taking off.Speaking of which, the printing revolution wasn't just one single discrete event, just as the computer revolution has been this whole century of going from mainframes -> personal computers -> phones -> social media, each with different and accelerating social impact. Books came first, but they're slow to print, and made in small batches. The real revolution is pamphlets - much faster, much harder to censor. Pamphlet runners are how you can have Luther's 95 Theses go from Wittenberg to London in 17 days.So much other wild stuff from this episode. For example, did you know that the largest and best-funded experimental laboratory in 17th century Europe was very likely the Roman one run by inquisitors? Ada jokes that the Inquisition accidentally invented peer review. The focus of the Inquisition is really misunderstood - it was obsessed with catching dangerous new heretics like Lutherans and Calvinists - it only executed one person for doing science.And this leads Ada to make an observation that I think is really wise: the authorities and censors are always worried about the exact wrong things given 20/20 hindsight. When Inquisition raids an underground bookshop during the French Enlightenment, they don't mind the Rousseau, Voltaire, and Encyclopédie, but they lose their minds about some Jansenist treatises about the technical nature of the Trinity.More broadly, a lesson for me from this episode is that it's just really hard to shape history in the specific way that you want to impact things. One of the most famous medieval scholars is this guy Petrarch. He survives the Black Death in the 1340s, watches his friends die to plague and bandits, and says: our leaders are selfish and terrible, we need to raise them on the Roman classics so they'll act like Cicero. So Europe pours money into finding ancient manuscripts, building libraries, and educating princes on classical virtues. Those princes grow up and fight bigger, nastier wars than ever before with new deadlier technology. And this, combined with greater urbanization and endemic plague, results in European life expectancy decreasing from 35 in the medieval period to 18 during the Renaissance (the period which we in retrospect think of as a golden age but which many people living through it thought of as the continuation of the dark ages that had persisted since the fall of Rome).Anyways, the libraries Petrarch inspires stick around, the printing press makes them accessible to everyone, and 200 years later a generation of medical students is reading Lucretius and asking “what if there are atoms and that's how diseases work?” which eventually leads to germ theory, vaccines, and a cure for the Black Death (Ada has longer more involved explanation of how cosplaying the Romans results through a series of many steps to the scientific revolution). Petrarch wanted to produce philosopher-kings that shared his values. Instead he created a world that doesn't share his values at all but can cure the disease that destroyed his.Watch on YouTube; read the transcript.Sponsors* Jane Street is still waiting on someone to solve their backdoor puzzle… They're accepting submissions until April 1st and have set aside $50,000 for the best attempts. Separately, applications are live for Jane Street's summer ML internships in NY, London, and Hong Kong. Go check all of this out at janestreet.com/dwarkesh.* Labelbox can help ensure your agents don't need to rely on overspecified prompts. They tailor real-world scenarios to whatever domain you're focused on, and they make sure the data you train on rewards real understanding, not just instruction-following. Learn more at labelbox.com/dwarkesh* Mercury's personal accounts let you add users, issue cards, and customize permissions. This is super useful for sharing finances with a partner, a roommate… or even an OpenClaw agent. And, if you're already a Mercury Business user, your personal account is free! See terms and conditions below, and learn more at mercury.com/personal-bankingEligible Mercury Business users who apply for and maintain a Mercury Personal account may have their Mercury Personal subscription fee waived provided they remain a user on an active Mercury Business account in good standing. Standard Mercury Platform Subscription fees will apply if they no longer meet eligibility requirements, including but not limited to no longer being associated with an eligible Mercury Business account, or if the program is modified or terminated. Mercury may modify or discontinue this offering at any time and will provide notice as required by law. See Subscription Terms for full details.* To sponsor a future episode, visit dwarkesh.com/advertise.Timestamps(00:00:00) - How cosplaying Ancient Rome led to the Renaissance(00:28:49) - How Florence's weird republic worked(00:38:13) - How the Medicis took over Florence(00:58:12) - Why it was so hard for Gutenberg to make any money off the printing press(01:17:34) - Why the industrial revolution didn't happen in Italy(01:23:02) - The Library of Alexandria isn't where most ancient books were lost(01:41:21) - The Inquisition accidentally invented peer review Get full access to Dwarkesh Podcast at www.dwarkesh.com/subscribe

John Mietus is a composer, double bassist, and conductor, currently Associate Principal Bass with the Auckland Philharmonia. Born in Hong Kong and raised in Ohio, John started playing bass at age four and went on to study with some legendary teachers while building a career that spans orchestral playing, chamber music, teaching, and composition. In this episode, John and Jason dig into John's world-premiere performance of the "Butterfly Lovers Violin Concerto" (He Zhanhao and Chen Gang) on double bass with orchestra in Changsha, China, on January 1, 2026, and what it took to make a faithful transcription of such an iconic work. John shares how he approached the arranging process, why he ultimately chose fifths tuning, the practical realities of living in that tuning for months, and the string setup that helped him pull it off. They also discuss expanding the bass repertoire through transcription, the ways conducting and composing enhance a bassist's musicianship, and John's work as a teacher. Enjoy, and follow John on his website, Instagram, and YouTube!   Connect with DBHQ Join Our Newsletter Double Bass Resources Double Bass Sheet Music Double Bass Merch Gear used to record this podcast Zoom H6 studio 8-Track 32-Bit Float Handy Recorder Rode Podmic Sony Alpha 7 IV Full-frame Mirrorless Interchangeable Lens Camera Sony FE 16-35mm F2.8 GM Lens Sony FE 24-70mm F2.8 GM Lens   When you buy a product using a link on this page, we may receive a commission at no additional cost to you. Thank you for supporting DBHQ.   Theme music by Eric Hochberg

I've spent a lot of time studying China — the culture, the power, the politics — and I thought I knew the story, but my guest today, historian Frank Dikötter, absolutely blew my mind, because the founding myth of the world's most powerful authoritarian state is built on a lie. Stick around, because this conversation is going to change the way you see China forever.

Send a textA shy compliment at Art Basel turned into a passport to the world. We sit down with Miami native and freelance writer Amber Love Bond to unpack how she left corporate finance and built a career that spotlights chefs, bartenders and destinations through stories with heart. From the early days covering Miami's cocktail scene to filing features from Hong Kong, New Orleans and the Caribbean, Amber shows how curiosity, consistency and relationships can take you farther than a perfect plan.We dig into the rituals that make bars and restaurants feel alive—glassware choices, ice and the people behind the stick—and why a strong sense of place is the secret ingredient in travel writing. Amber explains how she evaluates hosted trips, the subtle red flags that can surface only after planning starts, and the simple test she uses when her inbox fills with invites. She also shares straight-talk advice for PR pros: personalized pitches win, strong relationships matter and once a freelancer files, publication timing is out of their hands.Trend-watchers will find plenty to savor. We explore why early dinners now top reservation charts, how Gen Z is reshaping drink menus, and the rise of martini flights and “tiny teenies.” Amber makes a case for New Orleans as a must-visit food and cocktail city and relives a Tuscan feast with the world's most famous butcher that still lingers in memory. Along the way, she offers practical guidance for breaking into food, drink and travel writing without a journalism degree—be kind, answer emails and invest in the relationships that become your career's backbone.If you love food journalism, cocktail culture or travel stories that feel lived-in and local, this conversation is for you. Connect with Amber on Instagram. Tap play, then follow and subscribe for more media insider interviews—and leave a quick review. 

We are back with a brand new episode featuring the return of Black Santa himself! He brings along his elf Mia, as she comes on answers our horny questions and tells us about her not so long relationship history. Plus Gee tells us about some Mia Mishaps at HQ The Lounge. Follow us on social media @AaronScenesAfterParty

Adriana Forte is a Brazilian-born writer, facilitator, and developmental thinker currently based in a rural intentional community in Bellingen, New South Wales, Australia. Originally trained as a journalist, Adriana has spent years investigating the intersection of women's cyclical biology, embodied knowing, and the structures of modern life. She runs retreats and workshops through her Substack platform C-Lab (A Lab for a Cyclically Informed Society), and is currently completing a book on the spell of modernity and the role of the matriarch as a force for cultural repair.________________In this conversation, James sits down with Adriana to explore one of the most under-examined questions in contemporary culture: what happens when society is built around a linear, continuous model of productivity — and half the population runs on a fundamentally cyclical one? Drawing on her own journey from Brazil through Hong Kong and India to off-grid life in rural Australia, Adriana maps the hormonal landscape of the female cycle and argues that the oscillation between estrogen and progesterone doesn't just produce moods — it produces a distinct mode of subjectivity, perception, and thought. We explore the cultural erasure of rites of passage, the psychological costs of the contraceptive pill, the wisdom encoded in perimenopause and menopause, and why Adriana believes the matriarch — the post-menopausal woman — may be the missing counter-energy to the relentless forward drive of modernity. The conversation moves through evolutionary biology, embodied philosophy, grassroots community-building, and genuine hope for a more rhythmically intelligent future.________________You can find Adriana's work at:Substack (C-Lab): https://theclab.substack.com/________________⏳ Timestamps:0:00 Intro - Our Bellingen Connection5:41 How Adriana ended up on this journey12:56 Critique of Modernity and Birth Interventions15:23 Rhythms and female psychology24:38 A map of the menstrual cycle39:11 The Influence of Modernity on Women's Psyche45:59 Transgender and phenomenology of hormones52:01 The oscillating nature of female psychology59:25 The spell of the System on modern psychology1:09:15 The challenge of organising around cyclical society1:15:03 Adriana's Matriarch Book1:18:43 Where to get more from Adriana1:19:39 Adriana's Guest Recommendation

Forth Bagley — Principal Architect at KPF (Kohn Pedersen Fox) — is in good traffic this week for a conversation about designing at scale, threading the needle between progressive design and commercial realities, and why tall buildings owe a responsibility to the cities they define. As an architect involved in transforming places from Covent Garden, to Changi Airport, to Hudson Yards, to Central Hong Kong, Forth brings a strong perspective on what it takes to actually get ambitious projects built, and what happens when iconic architecture becomes the backdrop for everything — good and bad — in a city.Forth walks through how KPF finds itself embedded in neighborhoods for decades, often through clients who follow them across continents — like the developer who hired them in Hong Kong, then brought them to Covent Garden in London to upgrade what had become a tourist trap into a lifestyle destination for everyday Londoners. He explains how Hudson Yards, the largest private development in North American history, required building over active rail lines, threading complicated funding mechanisms, and pulling back architectural ambition at the right moments to ensure the project could actually get built and generate the tax revenue New York desperately needed. The conversation touches on Bill Pedersen's theory that tall buildings become the church spires of modern cities — responsible not just to owners but to skylines, wayfinding, and civic identity — and the uncomfortable reality that a decade-long project can launch in 2008 and emerge into a completely different world of Uber, Amazon deliveries, and viral photography.We also touch on: Why built precedent matters more than renderings. Threading the needle between pushing boundaries and staying on budget. Half of all designs ending up on the cutting room floor. Tall buildings as wayfinding tools and civic markers. Architecture as public relations and its downsides. Why Hudson Yards saved New York from deeper fiscal crisis. Austin's Waterline and green terraces. Hong Kong's seamless infrastructure.Timeline:00:00 Intro.02:24 Introducing Forth Bagley from KPF.02:47 The architect's perspective on the show.03:12 KPF's mission: elevating basic building blocks.03:47 From single buildings to neighborhoods over 50 years.04:09 How KPF gets hired for major projects.05:12 Covent Garden: from Hong Kong client to London.06:34 Upgrading a tourist trap for everyday Londoners.07:19 Hudson Yards: largest private development in North America.08:47 Building over active rail lines.09:12 The West Side as a net negative on tax rolls.10:33 Why built precedent matters.11:55 Threading the needle between ambition and reality.13:22 Half of designs end up on the floor.14:38 The difference between getting built and not.18:45 Bill Pedersen's theory of tall building responsibility.21:17 Tall buildings as church spires and civic markers.24:33 Looking different from different points of view.26:58 The responsibility to the skyline.31:42 Hudson Yards and the iPhone problem.34:19 Starting in 2008, emerging into a different world.38:27 Hudson Yards and New York's tax revenue crisis.41:53 Public school kids educated because of the project.44:14 Architecture as public relations problem.45:02 When iconic buildings become protest backdrops.46:21 Making buildings harmonious with existing skylines.47:07 Hudson Yards preventing fiscal disaster.47:51 Austin's Waterline and green terraces.48:14 The commute question.48:51 JFK to Hong Kong W hotel without stepping outside.49:42 Hong Kong's seamless infrastructure systems.50:02 Wrapping up.Further context:KPF's work.On Instagram.

Comedian and actor Jimmy O. Yang returns to the studio and gets dragged into Bobby’s chaotic dating philosophy. We chat Asian tour stories, Hong Kong comedy speicial, a Chow Yun-Fat suprise, Jimmy O. Chang, crushing every minute, Terrace House, Bobby's dating show. For simple, online access to personalized and affordable care for Hair Loss, Weight Loss, and more, visit www.hims.com/belly Get 10% off your first month of BlueChew Gold with code BELLY. That’s promo code BELLY. Visit www.bluechew.com for more details and important safety information, and we thank BlueChew for sponsoring the podcast. Join the loyalty program for renters at www.joinbilt.com/belly

Brendan! is on edge early in this episode ahead of a win-and-in Jupiter Links match rounding out TGL's regular season. He shares his favorite team's lineup for the match with Andy and highlights management's decision to send out Kevin Kisner for this pivotal moment in team history. Things quickly transition into the Schedule for the Week for another loaded weekend of outdoor golf. The PGA Tour returns to Bay Hill Club & Lodge for the Arnold Palmer Invitational, one of the premier iron tests on the schedule. Brendan claims that you "cannot be a fraud" this week and believes imposters will be exposed around Arnold's Place. Andy's "5 Guys to Monitor" puts the spotlight on two players making their first PGA Tour starts of 2026 and some other big-name players searching for a win in Florida. There are some laments from Andy about the smaller, Signature Event field making Bay Hill not as fun for PGA Tour Live viewing, but Brendan pushes back and is excited to see all the screened-in porches. PJ jumps in to run the year's first installment of In/Out/Alternate in honor of this week's Puerto Rico Open, where the Past Champions category is putting in work after a slew of withdrawals. Ben Crane's much-anticipated (and highly bet on!) Champions Tour debut is blown by in the rundown in favor of a discussion about Jon Rahm's comments in Hong Kong. Many LIV players are stuck in the Middle East and reserves will be in action, but Rahm made the trip and decided to prolong his fight with the DP World Tour. He has taken exception to the DP World Tour mandating that LIV members play six events, making for a busy fall following the LIV season's end. Andy and Brendan do not feel any pain for Rahm, wondering how he's gone this far in his "delusional" fight against the DPWT. Will this mark the end of Rahm's Ryder Cup career? It looks like things are trending that way. Use promo code SGS30 to shop the Draddy Sport Spring collection: ⁠https://bdraddy.com/collections/draddy-sport-spring-26-collection

Nick is joined by Lydia Hislop for a canter through today's racing news. Among guests today are trainer Joseph O'Brien, who talks through his Festival team, Cheltenham clerk Jon Pullin on watering plans and going updates, Mick and David Easterby on their new Old Gold horse and recently released documentary, second season trainer Max Comley on an exciting runner next week, JA McGrath in Hong Kong, and Women in Racing Chair Cheryl Caves on the midlife and menopause study undertaken for the organisation. Plus, Nick and Lydia continue to assess the fallout from the Lord Allen exit.

We're joined by Anatole Pang in Hong Kong to talk through why this Spurs mess feels so much scarier than the 90s. We get into the “oil tanker” problem, the Levy exit and the vacuum it's left, and why it's suddenly hard to even work out who's responsible for what. Then we dig into Romero speaking out, the director of football muddle, and why Spurs recruitment keeps feeling reactive. Finally, we look at takeover rumours, the kind of “tycoons” circling, and the grim question of whether relegation might actually make Spurs more attractive to buy. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Today we're heading to one of the most complex, energetic, and endlessly fascinating cities in the world. Hong Kong.  The city is layered, fast moving, deeply local, and full of contrasts. Towering skylines and quiet temples. Global finance and everyday rituals. World class dining and wild, unexpected nature just beyond the city streets. Joining me today are two people who know Hong Kong from very different, deeply personal perspectives. Gerald Hatherly, who has lived in Hong Kong for decades and helped shape how travelers experience Asia, and Yim Tom, a Hong Kong based artist whose work bridges history, craftsmanship, and contemporary design. We talk about everything from food and art to unspoken cultural rules, nature escapes, pop culture, and what Hong Kong reveals about the world when you really take the time to see it. Sit back, relax, and enjoy this interesting episode of Luxury Travel Insider.   Looking to book a luxury hotel? Get special perks and support the podcast by booking here: https://www.virtuoso.com/advisor/sarahgroen/travel/luxury-hotels If you want our expert guidance and help planning a luxury trip with experiences you can't find online, tell us more here and we'll reach out: https://bellandblytravel.com/book-a-trip/   Learn more at www.luxtravelinsider.com   Connect with me on Social: Instagram LinkedIn

Melissa Chan joins to discuss her career reporting across Asia and why she pivoted from journalism to co-creating the graphic novel "You Must Take Part In Revolution" with activist-artist Badiucao. We discuss the book's visual style (Chinese watercolor influences, Frank Miller's Sin City palette, and manga elements), the subversive Mao-derived title, and a near-future plot spanning Hong Kong to a 2035 war over Taiwan amid surveillance, drones, and AI. Chan describes choices around depicting resistance, representation, and hidden "Easter eggs," and reflects on the book's strong reception. Hosts: Sheena Chestnut Greitens and Ryan Vest Producer: Jordan Morning

Life can be overwhelming sometimes, right? A huge wave of despair can come out of nowhere and push us toward disaster.Anita's life was like that, growing up in Hong Kong, where revolutionary movements brought violence and loss of hope. She couldn't see how the pieces of her life could be put together. She would ask herself, “How do you make peace with a potential that is frustrated?Philippians 4:19 says, “But my God shall supply all your needs according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.”Over time, Anita saw that God had always been shaping her to find her calling in Christ. She did that, and today operates a ministry that helps women see that they are daughters of the Living God! Truly, Anita didn't always have it together, but her life is living proof that God puts us back together for His purposes!Let's pray. Lord, someone listening today needs a dramatic move from you in their life. Please bring your peace and comfort to them today. In Jesus' name, amen. Change your shirt, and you can change the world! Save 15% Off your entire purchase of faith-based apparel + gifts at Kerusso.com with code KDD15.

In this week's episode of the ArtTactic Podcast, host Adam Green speaks with Angelle Siyang-Le, Director of Art Basel Hong Kong, ahead of the fair's 2026 edition opening on March 25. After a period of rapid growth during and immediately following the pandemic, the Chinese art market began to soften in 2021 alongside broader economic challenges. As the region prepares for its most important art market event of the year, Adam and Angelle discuss the current state of the market in China, whether signs of renewed confidence are emerging, and how Art Basel Hong Kong fits within an increasingly competitive landscape of art fairs across Asia. They also preview what to expect at this year's fair, including how galleries are feeling heading into the week, notable presentations to watch, and the Asia debut of Art Basel's digital art initiative, Zero 10.

Nick is joined by Lydia Hislop for a canter through today's racing news. Among guests today are trainer Joseph O'Brien, who talks through his Festival team, Cheltenham clerk Jon Pullin on watering plans and going updates, Mick and David Easterby on their new Old Gold horse and recently released documentary, second season trainer Max Comley on an exciting runner next week, JA McGrath in Hong Kong, and Women in Racing Chair Cheryl Caves on the midlife and menopause study undertaken for the organisation. Plus, Nick and Lydia continue to assess the fallout from the Lord Allen exit.

The Transformation Ground Control podcast covers a number of topics important to digital and business transformation. This episode covers the following topics and interviews:   Mastercard AI Payment Demo, Q&A (Darian Chwialkowski, Third Stage Consulting) Inside the Mission Control AI War Room Why Employees Are Quietly Resisting AI We also cover a number of other relevant topics related to digital and business transformation throughout the show.  

Our Hong Kong/China Transportation & Infrastructure Analyst Qianlei Fan discusses how China's travel industry is shifting from a post-pandemic rebound to a multi-year expansion.Read more insights from Morgan Stanley.----- Transcript -----Welcome to Thoughts on the Market. I'm Qianlei Fan, Morgan Stanley's Hong Kong / China Transportation Analyst. Today, I'll share my thoughts on why travel is quickly emerging as one of [the] key drivers of China's economic rebalancing.It's Tuesday, March the 3rd, at 2pm in Hong Kong. I've just gotten back from my Lunar New Year trip to mainland China. With the longest Chinese New Year break in history, people were out roaming, exploring, laughing, and the whole country felt like it was buzzing with people on a mission to enjoy every minute. According to the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, total domestic tourism spending recorded a robust 19 percent year-on-year growth during the holiday. In fact, China's tourism industry isn't just rebounding after the pandemic. It's entering a structurally stronger phase, supported by policy tailwinds, demographic shifts, and a clear pivot toward experience-driven consumption. By 2030, tourism revenue could reach RMB 12 trillion – equal to roughly USD $1.7 trillion – implying 11 percent annual growth from the mid-2020s. Over the next five years, cumulative domestic and inbound revenue may approach RMB 50 trillion, or USD $7.2 trillion. That scale makes travel more than a cyclical recovery – it's becoming a core pillar of China's consumption-led growth. We expect tourism's share of GDP to rise to about 6.7 percent by 2030, up from 4.8 percent in 2024.Domestic travel remains the backbone. People aren't just traveling again; they're traveling more than before. Policy is reinforcing demand. Extended public holidays, new school breaks, and event-driven tourism are boosting activity. In 2025 alone, around 3,000 large-scale performances attracted more than 43 million attendees. And spending reflects that shift. Domestic tourism spending reached RMB 6.3 trillion in 2025, about 11 percent above pre-COVID levels. Even with slightly lower spend per trip, more frequent travel is lifting overall revenue.International travel is emerging as a second growth engine. By 2030, inbound travel could represent 16 percent of total tourism revenue. In late 2025, inbound visitor growth in major cities was up about 30–50 percent year-over-year, supported by expanded visa-free access, which now accounts for the majority of foreign arrivals. These visitors often stay longer and spend more. Outbound travel is strengthening too. International air traffic grew 22 percent in 2025, far outpacing domestic growth, and now contributes a meaningful share of airline revenue. Demographics and technology are reinforcing the trend. Younger consumers prioritize travel, while older households – with substantial savings – are beginning to spend more as services improve. At the same time, smart hotels, virtual reality attractions, and data-driven operations are enhancing engagement and willingness to pay. This isn't just pent-up demand. It's policy, demographics, technology, and supply aligning at once. – with travel at the center of China's consumption story.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.

Richie is joined from Hong Kong by jet-setting British barrister Robert Hanson. On today's show, Robert shares his thoughts on a range of issues including why we need to pay more attention to the influence of the Tony Blair Institute on global governments and the big tech magnates who finance him. Also on the show: Robert discusses the UK government's plan to limit jury trials, the crisis in the Middle East, the ongoing threat to free speech and much more. www.nutrahealth365.com Discount Code RICHIE13  

Shan Ng follows acclaimed Hong Kong and Taiwan cinematographer Kwan Pun Leung as he creates a new music video, Fragile Love. Known for his work on landmark films including In the Mood for Love and 2046, Kwan has built a reputation for crafting deeply poetic and emotionally resonant images. Across a career spanning decades, Kwan has developed a distinctive creative philosophy that places intuition and responsiveness at the centre of cinematography. Rather than focusing solely on the technical, he views film-making as a collaborative process with actors, directors and the natural environment. Light, movement and atmosphere are not simply tools but his partners in shaping meaning. For him, cinematography is not simply about capturing reality, but allowing unexpected moments to shape the emotional language of the frame.

In this CA, Jesse covers two major Virginia murder cases: first, the sentencing of the Banfield au pair, who received the maximum 10 years for her role in the staged home invasion that killed Christine Banfield and Joseph Ryan, and then a disturbing new case out of Norfolk, where Lina Maria Guerra was found dead in her apartment freezer after her Navy reservist husband allegedly fled to Hong Kong and fabricated a story about her imprisonment, triggering an international manhunt with potential extradition and national security complications.Current Affairs is Love Murder's shorter show about the cases of love gone fatally wrong that are in the news right now.Sources:https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Murders_of_Christine_Banfield_and_Joseph_Ryanhttps://abc7chicago.com/post/lina-guerra-case-us-navy-husband-david-varela-flew-hong-kong-missing-wife-was-found-kitchen-freezer-norfolk-virginia/18616404/https://www.fox5dc.com/news/navy-reservist-accused-murdering-wife-believed-have-fled-hong-konghttps://www.wtkr.com/investigations/international-manhunt-underway-for-norfolk-man-accused-of-killing-wife-hiding-body-in-freezerhttps://gtvnewshd.com/world/2026/02/18/virginia-woman-lina-guerra-found-dead-in-freezer-husband-david-varela-flees-to-hong-kong/Find LOVE MURDER online:Website: lovemurder.loveInstagram: @lovemurderpodTwitter: @lovemurderpodFacebook: LoveMrdrPodTikTok: @LoveMurderPodPatreon: /LoveMurderPodCredits: Love Murder is hosted by Jessie Pray and Andie Cassette, researched by Sarah Lynn Robinson and researched and written by Jessie Pray, produced by Nathaniel Whittemore and edited by Kyle Barbour-HoffmanSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

When pro-democracy protesters marched in the streets in Hong Kong in 2019, China responded by arresting thousands, including the leaders of the movement. One of the arrested was Jimmy Lai, who had used his newspaper to campaign for democracy. This month, he received a 20-year jail sentence. In an interview, Michael Barbaro speaks to Mr. Lai's son, Sebastien Lai, about the sentence, what it means for the pro-democracy movement and where Hong Kong may go from here. Guest: Sebastien Lai, a democracy activist and the son of the pro-democracy media entrepreneur Jimmy Lai. Background reading: A Hong Kong court sentenced Jimmy Lai to 20 years in prison. The sentence for the media mogul shows how Hong Kong enforces Xi Jinping's red lines with a new severity. Listen to our interview with Jimmy Lai from 2020. Photo: Andrew Testa for The New York Times For more information on today's episode, visit nytimes.com/thedaily. Transcripts of each episode will be made available by the next workday.  Subscribe today at nytimes.com/podcasts or on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. You can also subscribe via your favorite podcast app here https://www.nytimes.com/activate-access/audio?source=podcatcher. For more podcasts and narrated articles, download The New York Times app at nytimes.com/app. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Welcome to Channel Nine. This week Chico Brenes sits in with us to talk about the new Antihero video "Dumpster Dive" featuring Finn Pope, Gus Gordon & Crew, the downtime video out of Portland, Budget Or Buttery, The Retail Report featuring 8Five2 shop in Hong Kong and much more! Become a Channel Member & Receive Perks: https://www.youtube.com/TheNineClub/join New Merch: https://thenineclub.com Sponsored By: AG1: Get a FREE Welcome Kit worth $76 when you subscribe, including 5 AG1Travel Packs, a shaker, canister, scoop & bottle of AG Vitamin D3+K2. https://drinkag1.com/nineclubLMNT: Grab a free Sample Pack with 8 flavors when you buy any drink mix or Sparkling. https://drinklmnt.com/nineclubWoodward: Purchase camp with code NINECLUB and receive a $150 discount off of summer camp. https://www.woodwardpa.comMonster Energy: Monster Energy's got the punch you need to stay focused and fired up. https://www.monsterenergy.comYeti: Built for the wild, Yeti keeps you ready for any adventure. https://www.yeti.comRichardson: Custom headwear for teams, brands, and businesses crafted with quality in every stitch. https://richardsonsports.comEtnies: Get 20% off your purchase using our code NINECLUB or use our custom link. https://etnies.com/NINECLUBéS Footwear: Get 20% off your purchase using our code NINECLUB or use our custom link. https://esskateboarding.com/NINECLUBEmerica: Get 20% off your purchase using our code NINECLUB or use our custom link. https://emerica.com/NINECLUB Find The Nine Club: Website: https://thenineclub.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thenineclub X: https://www.twitter.com/thenineclub Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thenineclub Discord: https://discord.gg/thenineclub Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/nineclub Nine Club Clips: https://www.youtube.com/nineclubclips More Nine Club: https://www.youtube.com/morenineclub I'm Glad I'm Not Me: https://www.youtube.com/chrisroberts Chris Roberts: https://linktr.ee/Chrisroberts Links We Talked About: Antihero: Dumpster Dive | Finn Pope, Gus Gordon & Crew: https://youtu.be/BVEMwYhCnmY?si=Dd7cug4ggNYcWx9w downtime: https://youtu.be/IfqTLkHDgMs Chico Brenes Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chicobrenes Chico Stix: https://www.chicostix.com 8Five2 Website: https://shop.8five2.com 8Five2 Instagram: https://instagram.com/8five2shop Timestamps (00:00:00) Channel Nine (00:00:20) Chico Brenes is in the Building! (00:06:00) Chico Stixx Preview (00:14:00) Bed Time! Legendary tour stories from Chris and Chico (00:17:00) Chico Brenes sponsor me tape (00:32:00) The Retail Report: 8Five2 Shop in Hong Kong (00:55:00) Downtime video review (01:04:00) Budget or Buttery (01:12:00) Anti Hero "Dumpster Dive" review (01:22:00) Thank you Chico! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices