Podcasts about Ladakh

Center for International Policy Senior Fellow Mel Goodman: Trump Threatens to Invoke Insurrection Act as He Expands Military Occupation of U.S. CitiesFurloughed HHS federal worker Danny Tsoi: Federal Workers, Jobs on the Line, Support Shutdown to Save Endangered Healthcare Programs7 Directions of Service Co-Founder Crystal Cavalier-Keck: UN Climate Week Events Feature Presentations on the ‘Rights of Nature'Bob Nixon's Under-reported News Summary• India detains popular Ladakh, Himalayas region leader• California teachers and unions fight Trump campus witch hunt• 2020 election denier appointed to help DHS oversee U.S. electionsVisit our website at BTLonline.org for more information, in-depth interviews, related links, transcripts and subscribe to our BTL Weekly Summary and/or podcasts. New episodes every Wednesday at 12 noon ET, website updated Wednesdays after 4 p.m. ETProduced by Squeaky Wheel Productions: Scott Harris, Melinda Tuhus, Bob Nixon, Anna Manzo, Susan Bramhall, Jeff Yates and Mary Hunt. Theme music by Richard Hill and Mikata.

Shiv Kunal Verma is an Indian military historian, author, and filmmaker renowned for his extensive work documenting India's military history and cultural landscapes. Born into an army family, he received his education at The Doon School and Madras Christian College. Verma began his career by opening trekking routes between Kashmir, Zanskar, and Ladakh. He later transitioned into journalism and filmmaking, producing acclaimed documentaries such as Salt of the Earth for the Indian Air Force and The Standard Bearers on the National Defence Academy.As an author, Verma has penned several significant works, including The Long Road to Siachen: The Question Why, 1962: The War That Wasn't, and 1965: A Western Sunrise, Industani:Six degrees of separation. He also co-authored Courage and Conviction, the autobiography of General V.K. Singh.His most recent publications are Yodha-1 and Yodha-2, illustrated military histories of the Indian subcontinent. These works offer a comprehensive visual and narrative account of India's military evolution, with Yodha-1 covering the period from ancient epics to the 1857 uprising, and Yodha-2 detailing events from 1858 to the Kargil War in 1999.Hindi translation of Verma's books on 1962 and 1965 wars are now out. Order your copy here: https://www.sabreandquill.com/products/1962-and-1965-war-collection-bundle-hindi-versions-by-shiv-kunal-verma/5197527000002507429

Center for International Policy Senior Fellow Mel Goodman: Trump Threatens to Invoke Insurrection Act as He Expands Military Occupation of U.S. CitiesFurloughed HHS federal worker Danny Tsoi: Federal Workers, Jobs on the Line, Support Shutdown to Save Endangered Healthcare Programs7 Directions of Service Co-Founder Crystal Cavalier-Keck: UN Climate Week Events Feature Presentations on the ‘Rights of Nature'Bob Nixon's Under-reported News Summary• India detains popular Ladakh, Himalayas region leader• California teachers and unions fight Trump campus witch hunt• 2020 election denier appointed to help DHS oversee U.S. electionsVisit our website at BTLonline.org for more information, in-depth interviews, related links and transcripts and to sign up for our BTL Weekly Summary. New episodes every Wednesday at 12 noon ET, website updated Wednesdays after 4 p.m. ETProduced by Squeaky Wheel Productions: Scott Harris, Melinda Tuhus, Bob Nixon, Anna Manzo, Susan Bramhall, Jeff Yates and Mary Hunt. Theme music by Richard Hill and Mikata.

It takes a special talent in our politicians to make Leh's Tibetan Buddhists so belligerent, ThePrint Political Editor DK Singh elaborated in this episode of #PoliticallyCorrect   To read the latest column: https://theprint.in/opinion/politically-correct/modi-silent-on-ladakh-manipur/2757998/

Quiet, peaceful Ladakh saw violent protests break out in September, killing 4 people, and the arrest of Sonam Wangchuk. In ep. 1738 of #CutTheClutter, Editor-in-Chief Shekhar Gupta talks of the bravery of Ladakhis, their patriotism and why they are important to India. Bismee Taskin, who reported from Ladakh, joins in to explain the insecurities of the people and why they are angry. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- https://theprint.in/india/behind-ladakhs-demand-for-sixth-schedule-a-decades-old-fight-for-identity-a-place-at-the-table/2757197/ --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- https://theprint.in/india/he-fought-in-kargil-but-died-by-police-bullets-family-mourns-ex-serviceman-shot-dead-in-leh-stir/2752036/ --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Exclusive content, special privileges & more – Subscribe to ThePrint for Special benefits: https://theprint.in/subscribe/ ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The headlines of the week by The Indian Express

Pakistan Bombed East and West | Heeramandi in Shock | Israel - USA Deal | Ladakh Riots | Col Raina

First, The Indian Express' Deeptiman Tiwary talks about Ladakh, where protests demanding statehood turned violent last week, leaving four people dead and activist Sonam Wangchuk detained.Next, The Indian Express' Aiswarya Raj discusses Uttarakhand, where a recruitment exam scandal has triggered fierce protests after allegations of paper leaks. (15:09)In the end, we also discuss Prime Minister Narendra Modi writing the foreword to Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni's autobiography. (24:23)Hosted by Ichha SharmaProduced and written by Shashank Bhargava and Ichha SharmaEdited and mixed by Suresh Pawar

UNGA, Trump loving Pakistan and sidelining India, Saudi Defense Pact and Ladakh - #TWIP 035

The headlines of the week by The Indian Express

Fringed by China and Pakistan, Ladakh is India's high-altitude borderland. For years now, locals led peaceful protests demanding statehood and constitutional protections for land, jobs, and identity. But last week, that peace broke. Violence erupted in Leh city in the Union Territory of Ladakh on Wednesday (September 24, 2025), several protesters were killed as security forces launched a heavy crackdown. At the centre of it all is Sonam Wangchuk — an engineer, climate activist, and one of Ladakh's most respected voices. He was arrested under the National Security Act, a law that allows detention without trial for up to 12 months. What triggered this escalation? Why did peaceful protests turn deadly? And what does Wangchuk's detention mean for the future of Ladakh's struggle? Guest: Peerzada Ashiq, Kashmir-based journalist with The Hindu Host: Anupama Chandrasekaran Produced and edited by Jude Francis Weston Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

https://theprint.in/india/ladakh-sonam-wangchuk-detained/2751794/

First, we talk to The Indian Express' Damini Nath about the new feature that has been introduced by the Election Commission of India on their app and site as a way to eliminate gaps in their system, so that voters cannot be deleted off the voting lists without them getting informed. Next, we talk to The Indian Express' Raakhi Jagga about the current situation in Punjab which is reeling from the aftermath of the massive floods that devastated the state last month. She talks about the rehabilitation efforts and how the state is coping. (7:21)Lastly, we talk about the protests happening in Ladakh, with people demanding statehood and protection under the sixth schedule. (16;38)Hosted by Niharika NandaProduced and written by Niharika Nanda and Shashank BhargavaEdited and mixed by Suresh Pawar

The headlines of the week by The Indian Express.

In this podcast, Kushal speaks with Tushar Gupta about the recent protests in Ladakh that have turned violent. hat are the facts of this case? Why is the government of India blaming Sonam Wangchuk for this violence? Follow Tushar: X: @Tushar15_ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheAtomChannelYT/featured #LadakhProtests #LadakhStatehood #LadakhSixthSchedule #LadakhViolence #LehNews #RahulGandhi #CongressVsBJP #PhuntsogTsepag #LehShutdown #SonamWangchuk ------------------------------------------------------------ Listen to the podcasts on: SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/kushal-mehra-99891819 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1rVcDV3upgVurMVW1wwoBp Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-c%C4%81rv%C4%81ka-podcast/id1445348369 Stitcher: https://www.stitcher.com/show/the-carvaka-podcast ------------------------------------------------------------ Support The Cārvāka Podcast: Buy Kushal's Book: https://amzn.in/d/58cY4dU Become a Member on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCKPx... Become a Member on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/carvaka UPI: kushalmehra@icici Interac Canada: kushalmehra81@gmail.com To buy The Carvaka Podcast Exclusive Merch please visit: http://kushalmehra.com/shop ------------------------------------------------------------ Follow Kushal: Twitter: https://twitter.com/kushal_mehra?ref_... Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KushalMehraO... Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thecarvakap... Koo: https://www.kooapp.com/profile/kushal... Inquiries: https://kushalmehra.com/ Feedback: kushalmehra81@gmail.com

Final flight, festive highs, and financial shifts this Friday.

Nicolas Sarkozy, expresidente de Francia, ha sido condenado a 5 años de cárcel por asociación ilícita en su campaña de 2007, por intentar recibir dinero de Muamar Gaddafi para su campaña a las presidenciales de ese año, algo que no se ha podido demostrar que sucediera realmente.Hablaremos del discurso de Mahmoud Abbas ante la ONU; sabremos cómo Israel ha lanzado hoy un ataque contra Yemen en represalia por el lanzado por los hutíes ayer sobre una ciudad israelí. Volveremos a hablar de esos drones que están interfiriendo en los aeropuertos de Dinamarca, de un posible rival de Keir Starmer para liderar el Partido Laborista o de los disturbios en la región india de Ladakh, en el Himalaya.Escuchar audio

India's Strong Messaging to Trump | Gen Z Protest in Ladakh? | Pakistan की पीटाई | Col Ajay K Raina

1) “Non fermiamo i nostri sforzi fino a che non finirà il genocidio”. La Global Sumud Flottilla continua la sua navigazione verso Gaza, mentre crescono gli allarmi per altri attacchi con droni. (Valeria Schroter) 2) Parlare della Palestina senza la Palestina. Mentre Netanyahu viene accolto a New York, Abu Mazen parla all'Onu in video messaggio. (Chawki Senouci) 3) Francia, Nicolas Sarkozy andrà in carcere. L'ex presidente francese condannato a 5 anni per associazione a delinquere. (Veronica Gennari) 4) La Gen Z si ribella anche in Ladakh. Nella regione himalayana dell'india i più giovani fanno scoppiare le proteste più violente degli ultimi anni. (Nicola Missaglia - ISPI) 5) Diario americano. La furia vendicativa di Trump si scaglia contro l'ex direttore dell'FBI James Comey che aveva già licenziato nel 2017 nel pieno del russiagate. (Roberto Festa) 6) World Music. I remember I forget, il nuovo album della cantante libanese Yasmine Hamdan (Marcello Lorrai)

•⁠ ⁠லடாக்கிலும் ஜென் Z போராட்டம்? •⁠ ⁠sonam wangchuk தான் லடாக் வன்முறைக்கு காரணம்! - மத்திய அரசு•⁠ ⁠ரயில்வே ஊழியர்களுக்கு 78 நாள் தீபாவளி போனஸ் வழங்க ஒன்றிய அமைச்சரவை ஒப்புதல்!•⁠ ⁠நாடு முழுவதும் கோடி கணக்கான வாக்காளர்களை நீக்க போகிறார்கள் - கார்கே•⁠ ⁠'சீமான் - விஜயலட்சுமி பரஸ்பரம் மன்னிப்பு கேட்க வேண்டும்' - உச்சநீதிமன்றத்தின் உத்தரவு என்ன?•⁠ ⁠"கூட்டணி பெயரால் காங்கிரஸுக்கு அவமரியாதை” - செந்தில் பாலாஜிக்கு ஜோதிமணி எம்பி கண்டனம்•⁠ ⁠``இந்த டிரஸ் எல்லாம் போட்டு வரக்கூடாது'' - கோவை கல்லூரி மாணவியை திட்டிய பூ வியாபாரிகள்•⁠ ⁠தலைமை செயலரை சந்திக்கும் ராமதாஸ் ஆதரவாளர்கள்•⁠ ⁠ரசிகர் மன்றம் முதல் தனிக்கட்சி வரை.. என்ன செய்யப்போகிறார் அண்ணாமலை? பாஜகவில் அடுத்த பரபரப்பு..!•⁠ ⁠எடப்பாடி Vs செல்வப்பெருந்தகை வார்த்தை மோதல்!•⁠ ⁠டிடிவி தினகரனை நேற்று சந்தித்ததாக வெளியான தகவலுக்கு செங்கோட்டையன் மறுப்பு.•⁠ ⁠அதிமுக சென்னை அலுவலகத்துக்கு வெடிகுண்டு மிரட்டல்?•⁠ ⁠அதிமுக கூட்டணி குறித்து முன்னாள் அமைச்சர் கடம்பூர் ராஜூ பரபரப்பு கருத்து•⁠ ⁠ஜெ.பி.நட்டா செப். 6 சென்னை வருகை?•⁠ ⁠முன்னாள் அமைச்சர் எச்.வி.ஹண்டேவின் இல்லத்திற்கு நேரில் சென்று அவரை சந்தித்துப் பேசிய முதலமைச்சர் மு.க.ஸ்டாலின்•⁠ ⁠90 பேருக்கு கலைமாமணி விருதுகள் அறிவித்த தமிழக அரசு?•⁠ ⁠Beela Venkatesan: அரசு செயலாளர் பீலா வெங்கடேசன் காலமானார்! •⁠ ⁠இந்தியா எங்களுடன் நிற்கும் - ஜெலன்ஸ்கி

Hello, this is your daily dose of news from Onmanorama. Tune in to get updated about the major news stories of the day.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Welcome to Top of the Morning by Mint.. I'm Nelson John and here are today's top stories. Ladakh Erupts in Violence What began as a hunger strike turned into Ladakh's deadliest unrest in years. Four dead, 60+ injured, and Leh under lockdown after protesters demanding statehood and Sixth Schedule protections clashed with security forces, torching buildings and vehicles. Activist Sonam Wangchuk is accused by the Home Ministry of provoking “Arab Spring-style” protests, though he denies it. Talks with Delhi are set for October 6. Private Sector Enters Stealth Race L&T and BEL are teaming up to bid for India's stealth fighter project, the Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft. With ₹15,000 crore sanctioned for prototypes, the IAF plans to induct 120 jets by 2035. This marks a major shift from HAL's monopoly as private defense firms compete in India's biggest aerospace contract. India-Australia Organic Pact A new deal recognizes each other's organic certifications, unlocking smoother trade. India exports just $9M worth of organics to Australia today, but the pact could boost prices for farmers and open markets in cereals, spices, tea, and wine. Australia leads with 53M hectares of organic farmland; India has the most organic producers worldwide. Trump's “Triple Sabotage” at UN Donald Trump cried foul after his UN speech was marred by an escalator stop, a dead teleprompter, and sound glitches. He called it “sabotage,” but UN officials said the mishaps were linked to his own team and budget cuts triggered by delayed US payments. Big Boost for Medical Seats The cabinet cleared ₹15,034 crore to add 5,023 MBBS and 5,000 PG seats. India has doubled capacity since 2014, yet 20 lakh aspirants still chase limited spots. The rapid expansion faces hurdles: faculty shortages and unaffordable private fees. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The headlines of the day by The Indian Express

Hello, this is your daily dose of news from Onmanorama. Tune in to get updated about the major news stories of the day.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Earlier this month, Prime Minister Narendra Modi concluded his much-anticipated visit to China. Mr. Modi attended the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit and also held talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping on the sidelines of the summit. The two leaders decided to restart bilateral trade and air connectivity, and underlined the importance of peace and tranquility along the border. These decisions were significant as they were made five years after the deadly border clashes between the two neighbours in the Galwan Valley in Ladakh; and months after India launched Operation Sindoor against Pakistan (at the time, China supported the Pakistani military forces). Both leaders reaffirmed that the two countries were “development partners and not rivals, and their differences should not turn to disputes,” the Ministry of External Affairs said in a statement after the meeting. Should India overlook boundary issues while normalising ties with China? Here we discuss the question. Tune in! Guest: Vivek Katju, former Indian diplomat and Antara Ghosal Singh, fellow at the Observer Research Foundation Host: Kallol Bhattacherjee Produced by Jude Francis Weston Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Welcome to Top of the Morning by Mint.. I'm Nelson John and here are today's top stories. Wangchuk's Hunger Protest in Ladakh Sonam Wangchuk has begun a 35-day fast, demanding statehood and Sixth Schedule protection for Ladakh. With Gandhi Jayanti as a symbolic milestone, Wangchuk says Delhi's silence has pushed locals to the edge. Patience is running thin since Article 370's revocation left the region without autonomy. UPI Levels Up Digital payments just got a boost. Starting Sept 15, UPI limits rise to ₹10 lakh for insurance, travel, and capital markets, and ₹6 lakh for credit card and jewellery purchases. With over 10 billion monthly transactions, UPI is now more than small payments — it's India's financial backbone. Modi Rebukes Israel Over Qatar Strike Israel's hit on Hamas leaders inside Doha drew an unusually sharp response from PM Modi, condemning the “violation of Qatar's sovereignty.” With 8.3 lakh Indians in Qatar and $14 billion trade ties, India's balancing act between Israel and Qatar just got trickier as ceasefire efforts wobble. Defense Deals Survive Tariff Storm Despite Trump's tariff offensive, the US and India are moving ahead with talks for six more P-8I surveillance aircraft worth $4B. With China looming in the Indian Ocean, both sides know defense ties outweigh political spats. India's Diplomatic Punch at UN When Switzerland criticized India on minority rights, diplomat Kshitij Tyagi hit back, citing Swiss racism and xenophobia. With Switzerland chairing the UNHRC, India's rebuttal was sharp and unapologetic — a sign of growing confidence to push back on global criticism. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

C dans l'air du 2 septembre 2025 - Xi Jinping, Poutine, Modi : ils font trembler l'Occident Ce sont des images qui en disent long sur l'évolution du monde. Vladimir Poutine, Xi Jinping et Narendra Modi se tenant par la main, tout sourire. Le sommet de Tianjin, près de Pékin, organisé par le président chinois, vient de s'achever, avec sur la photo officielle 26 chefs d'État ou de gouvernement. Parmi eux, les dirigeants russe, biélorusse, indien, iranien, turc, et une vingtaine de leaders eurasiatiques représentant presque la moitié de la population mondiale. Des dirigeants qui ne sont pas d'accord sur tout, mais qui entendent se tenir à distance de l'Occident, et en premier lieu de l'Amérique de Donald Trump.Un front du refus mis en scène avec un objectif : montrer, à l'heure des droits de douane américains et des tensions géostratégiques, qu'un autre modèle international est possible, avec la Chine en son centre.Un peu plus de deux semaines après avoir été reçu en grande pompe par Donald Trump en Alaska, Vladimir Poutine est présent en Chine. Il aura des discussions avec son hôte et grand allié chinois ce mardi à Pékin, après avoir parlé du conflit en Ukraine lundi à Tianjin avec son homologue turc, et du dossier nucléaire avec son homologue iranien. Une rencontre était également à l'agenda ce jour-là avec le Premier ministre indien. Car Narendra Modi, qui est loin d'être le meilleur ami du président chinois, était aussi présent. Il s'agissait en effet de la première visite en Chine du nationaliste hindou depuis 2018.Les deux dirigeants étaient en froid depuis l'affrontement, en 2020, de leurs soldats sur les hauteurs du Ladakh, une région himalayenne contestée, qui avait fait 20 morts du côté indien et un nombre indéterminé du côté chinois. Mais les tarifs douaniers de 50 % récemment imposés aux marchandises indiennes par le président américain ont semble-t-il convaincu le Premier ministre indien de faire baisser la tension avec Xi Jinping.Un dirigeant chinois qui a d'ailleurs débuté son discours inaugural par une charge à peine voilée contre les États-Unis, évoquant la nécessité de s'opposer à la "mentalité de guerre froide et de confrontation de blocs, ainsi qu'aux actes d'intimidation". Au-delà du discours politique, le défilé militaire qui aura lieu mercredi sur la place Tian'anmen, en présence du leader nord-coréen, s'annonce comme une nouvelle démonstration de force. La Chine, dont la flotte dépasse aujourd'hui en nombre celle des États-Unis, entend apparaître comme un rival crédible.Alors, pourquoi cette rencontre entre les dirigeants russe, chinois et indien est-elle si importante ? La politique de Donald Trump est-elle en train de renforcer la Chine ?LES EXPERTS :- Isabelle LASSERRE - Correspondante diplomatique - Le Figaro, spécialiste des questions de stratégie et de géopolitique- Pierre HASKI - Chroniqueur international - France Inter et Le Nouvel Obs - Valérie NIQUET - Spécialiste de l'Asie - Fondation pour la Recherche Stratégique, auteure de L'Indo-Pacifique, nouveau centre du monde - Agatha KRATZ - Economiste, Spécialiste des relations Chine-Union Européenne et Chine- États Unis- Alain BAUER (en duplex des États-Unis) -Professeur de criminologie au CNAM responsable du Pole Sécurité Défense Renseignement

Sudul global strânge rândurile, pe măsură ce Statele Unite sub Donald Trump se îndepărtează de Europa. La reuniunea Organizației de Cooperare de la Shanghai (SCO) de la Tianjin, gazda Xi Jinping a cerut o mai mare unitate între membri și a anunțat un program cuprinzător de creditare. Printre participanți s-au numărat președintele rus Vladimir Putin. Presa internațională analizează situația. ”Beijingul se profilează ca un al doilea centru de putere globală”, observă ziarul italian Corriere della Sera, citat de Eurotopics, „Prezența lui Modi, Putin și a altora, precum președintele turc Erdoğan și președintele iranian Masoud Pezeshkian, i-a oferit lui Xi Jinping oportunitatea de a-și relansa ideea unei alternative la ordinea mondială occidentală. ... La cina de gală, președintele chinez a subliniat convergența intereselor dintre țările «Sudului global»,.” Însă contururile alianței sunt încă neclare, notează ziarul german Handelsblat, observând slăbiciunile grupului: „Diferențele dintre India și China, neîncrederea republicilor din Asia Centrală față de Kremlin, conflictul dintre Pakistan și India: Occidentul poate folosi toate acestea pentru a menține deschise liniile de falie din cadrul alianței. SCO este încă mai degrabă un mozaic fragil decât un bloc monolitic.” Iar Financial Times consideră că prezența lui Vladimir Putin „subminează imaginea pe care Beijingul dorește să o proiecteze ca mare campion al stabilității și multilateralismului”. ”Umilită de Donald Trump, India își relansează relațiile cu China”, titrează Le Monde. ”Încolțit de sancțiuni vamale americane luate brusc – penalități de 50% pentru produsele indiene, tarife motivate, potrivit președintelui Donald Trump, de importurile de petrol rusesc – prim-ministrul indian Narendra Modi a decis să se apropie de Beijing, rivalul și dușmanul său”. ”În mijlocul unui conflict comercial cu Washingtonul, strângerea de mână este încărcată de simbolism”, consideră Le Figaro.   Dar ”deși tensiunile dintre cele două puteri nucleare s-au relaxat (...), punctele de dispută rămân. În 2020, cele două armate s-au ciocnit în apropierea regiunii indiene Ladakh, lăsând cel puțin 24 de morți pe câmpul de luptă. Iar anul trecut, India a înregistrat un deficit comercial de 99 de miliarde de dolari cu China”   mai scrie ziarul francez. A fost „un summit prezentat pe scară largă ca o oportunitate unică pentru China de a-și etala aura geopolitică”, comentează ziarul japonez Nikkei Asia, preluat de Courrier International. Liderul de la Beijing a pledat pentru „o lume multipolară bazată pe egalitate și ordine”. „India este piatra de temelie a strategiei americane de a împiedica China să domine Asia” notează The Wall Street Journal. ”Cu toate acestea, relațiile cu India au devenit ”execrabile de la decizia republicanului de a impune tarife punitive de 50% din cauza achizițiilor masive de petrol din Rusia (...). Washingtonul nu dă nici cel mai mic semn de dorință de a-și schimba poziția și niciun prim-ministru al Indiei, cea mai mare democrație din lume, nu își poate permite să ignore opinia publică”. A fost un eveniment conceput, așa cum explică Foreign Policy, „atât pentru Statele Unite, Japonia, Taiwan și alte țări de la granițele maritime ale Chinei, cât și pentru spectatorii chinezi”, dar și ca o modalitate prin care Xi Jinping (...) a face mai mult loc Chinei”.

In this episode of The Hydrogen Podcast, we go deep into the latest hydrogen developments from India and the U.S.—and what they mean for the global energy future.

Send us a textRigzen Wangmo shares her journey from a small village in Ladakh to Harvard Kennedy School and back, where she founded the Village Lab Foundation to revolutionize education by integrating local context, culture, and community.• Grew up in Nubra Valley near Siachen, spending early years exploring freely before being sent to boarding school• Discovered her passion for teaching while volunteering in communities during her zoology studies in Delhi• Joined Teach for India program in Pune, where she taught for two years despite language barriers• Returned to Ladakh after discovering SECMOL, an alternative school that impressed her with its educational approach• Founded Village Lab Foundation on the principle that curriculum should fit children, not children fitting into a curriculum• Uses the entire village as a learning laboratory with community members as volunteer facilitators• Shifted from viewing her village identity through a deficit lens to recognizing its rich assets• Focuses on creating education rooted in culture, nature, and community living• Believes in taking a long-term view of education, planning for generations rather than just years ahead• Emphasizes the importance of pausing, reflecting, and practicing gratitude as leadership practicesTo learn more about the Village Lab Foundation or to visit us in Nubra Valley, Ladakh, reach out through our website or social media channels.Have you purchased the copy of Inspire Someone Today, yet - Give it a go geni.us/istbook Available on all podcast platforms, including, Apple Podcasts, YouTube, Spotify

Filmmaker Bharat Bala joins Cyrus to share jaw-dropping stories from his extraordinary career — from creating the iconic Vande Mataram with A.R. Rahman to walking 2 km through Gaza’s no-man’s land to meet Yasser Arafat. He recalls gifting Nelson Mandela two Kaju Katlis, discussing compassion with the Dalai Lama, and laughing with Archbishop Desmond Tutu. Bala also opens up about the time he declared “Humanity is imprisoned in Tihar Jail” after screening Bicycle Thief for inmates, his father’s moving war photography, and how a self-funded passion led him to work with some of the world’s greatest leaders. Plus, he talks about directing large-scale campaigns like Incredible India, capturing the Kumbh Mela, and flying helicopters over Ladakh’s mountains — all while keeping his love for big ideas alive. It’s an epic journey through art, courage, and creativity. Look for a bittersweet Indian Army Story in the Episode!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Výuka tibetské medicíny a bylinkaření přímo v Malém Tibetu zaujala pardubickou bylinkářku Radku Svatošovou natolik, že zorganizovala devatenáctičlennou skupinu a v červenci vyrazila na cestu do indického státu Ladakh.Všechny díly podcastu Radioporadna můžete pohodlně poslouchat v mobilní aplikaci mujRozhlas pro Android a iOS nebo na webu mujRozhlas.cz.

Helena Norberg-Hodge is a writer, filmmaker, international speaker and leader of the global localisation movement. She's been promoting an economics of personal, social and ecological well-being for more than 40 years, and is one of the world's most treasured environmentalists and visionaries.Today Helena pulls up an apple crate at the Futuresteading campfire to share stories from Ladakh, lament the madness of globalization and light the way back (and forward) to oneness.We discuss the true wealth of traditional societies, the dangers of scale and tech solutions, pressure to conform to a consumer monoculture, and the real economy of Mother Gaia. Oh, she's brilliant folks. We're so excited to welcome you into this conversation. LINKS YOU'LL LOVEWorld Localization DayLocal FuturesNoam ChomskySmall is Beautiful ~ E F SchumacherNaomi KleinRussel BrandBrian EnoSupport the ShowCasual Support - Buy Me A CoffeeRegular Support - PatreonBuy the Book - Futuresteading - live like tomorrow matters, Huddle - creating a tomorrow of togethernessPod Partners Rock: Australian Medicinal Herbs    Code: Future5We Talked AboutHow she ended up on a remote plateau in Tibetan India.Discovering the healthiest, happiest, most peaceful people she had ever met.Existing under surveillance in times of political tension.The true wealth of traditional societies.Why people everywhere are being pressured to conform to a consumer monoculture.A  need for a deeper dialogue between the west and the global south.The path of separation; being herded into urban centres and separated from the land. Instead of being dependent on the land, we became dependent on enormous institutions to meet our needs.Manufactured scarcity.The luxury of using more energy per person per capita… is it actually a luxury?Policy change is needed to make decentralisation possiblePollies on auto-pilot re. urbanisation. Governments are separating us from the sources of our food, creating unsustainable, toxic, energy-hungry situations in the name of growth.Why most people are getting poorer despite our obsession with growth. Towards smaller towns and smaller cities. When you shorten the distance between farm and table, you have market pressure towards diversity.What happens when people are replaced by energy and technology.Stay away from the propaganda that's saying we need technological fixes.In Ladakh, everyone grows up with a multi-dimensional knowledge of how to grow, build, make clothes, dance, create. How modernity negatively affects young people versus radiantly confident youth in Ladakh.Australia flies food to China to be processed before being flown back again.The things we aren't hearing about in the climate movement.Are people in power totally evil? Localisation is Support the show

Fluent Fiction - Hindi: Unearthing Ladakh: A Journalist's Secret Bunker Adventure Find the full episode transcript, vocabulary words, and more:fluentfiction.com/hi/episode/2025-07-18-22-34-02-hi Story Transcript:Hi: लद्दाख की ऊंची पहाड़ियों के बीच गर्मी का मौसम अपने चरम पर था।En: Amidst the high mountains of Ladakh, the summer season was at its peak.Hi: आसमान नीला और साफ़ था।En: The sky was blue and clear.Hi: यहाँ के नरम-मखमल जैसे आभास देने वाले पहाड़ों के बीच एक गुप्त बंकर छिपा हुआ था।En: Hidden among these soft, velvet-like hills was a secret bunker.Hi: Rohan, एक युवा पत्रकार, अपने जीवन की सबसे बड़ी कहानी खोजने के लिए बेचैन था।En: Rohan, a young journalist, was restless to find the biggest story of his life.Hi: उसे पता चला था कि यहाँ पर लद्दाख के पुरातन इतिहास से जुड़ी एक अनोखी गाथा छुपी हुई है।En: He had learned that an unusual tale related to the ancient history of Ladakh was hidden here.Hi: Rohan के साथ Meera भी थी, जो लद्दाख की एक अनुभवी गाइड थी।En: Along with Rohan was Meera, an experienced guide from Ladakh.Hi: उसने Rohan को इस बंकर की मुसीबतें पहले ही बता दी थीं।En: She had already warned Rohan about the troubles of this bunker.Hi: मगर, Rohan की जिज्ञासा का कोई ठिकाना नहीं था।En: However, Rohan's curiosity knew no bounds.Hi: "हमें इस रास्ते से चलना चाहिए," Rohan ने सुझाव दिया।En: "We should take this path," Rohan suggested.Hi: Meera ने चेतावनी दी, "यह रास्ता खतरनाक है।En: Meera warned, "This path is dangerous.Hi: लेकिन हम त्यौहार में देर नहीं कर सकते।En: But we can't be late for the festival."Hi: "Rohan की आँखों में समाचार की ललक थी।En: In Rohan's eyes was the eagerness of news.Hi: वह बोला, "यह कहानी मेरी जिंदगी बदल सकती है।En: He said, "This story can change my life.Hi: मुझे इसे खोजना है।En: I have to find it."Hi: " Meera ने माथे पर शिकन डालकर उसे सहमति दे दी।En: With a furrowed brow, Meera gave her consent.Hi: पहाड़ों के पेचदार रास्तों को पार करते हुए वे बंकर के पास पहुंचे।En: Crossing the winding paths of the mountains, they reached near the bunker.Hi: वहाँ की सुंदरता के बीच, इतिहास बोलता था।En: Amidst the beauty there, history spoke.Hi: एक पुराना दरवाजा खड़का और दोनों उसमें प्रवेश कर गए।En: An old door creaked, and they both entered.Hi: अंदर, वे प्राचीन कलाकृतियों के संग्रह को देखकर चकित रह गए।En: Inside, they were amazed to see a collection of ancient artifacts.Hi: लेकिन तभी उन्हें लगा, वे अकेले नहीं हैं।En: But then they realized, they were not alone.Hi: कुछ और लोग भी उनके पीछे आ पहुँचे थे।En: Some other people had also followed them in.Hi: लगता था उनका आशय अनुकूल नहीं था।En: It seemed their intentions were not favorable.Hi: Rohan और Meera ने बेहतरी की सोचते हुए शांतिपूर्वक बाहर निकलने का निर्णय लिया।En: Rohan and Meera decided to quietly exit, thinking it best.Hi: जब वे बाहर आए, तो सामान के साथ और भी अधिक जानकारी उनके पास थी।En: When they came out, they had more information along with their belongings.Hi: इस खोज ने Rohan के अंदर बदलाव ला दिया।En: This discovery brought a change within Rohan.Hi: उसने पाया कि कहानी में केवल सनसनीखेज तत्वों का नहीं, बल्कि सांस्कृतिक और ऐतिहासिक तत्वों का मूल्य भी होना चाहिए।En: He found that a story should value not just sensational elements but also cultural and historical aspects.Hi: लद्दाख के पारंपरिक त्योहार में उन्होंने समय से पहुँचकर उत्सव के उत्साह का अनुभव किया।En: They arrived on time at Ladakh's traditional festival to experience the enthusiasm of the celebration.Hi: Rohan ने पहली बार महसूस किया कि यह त्यौहार केवल आनंद का नहीं, बल्कि एक जीवनदायिनी संस्कृति की गहराईयों को जानने का मौका भी देता है।En: For the first time, Rohan realized that this festival was not just about enjoyment but also an opportunity to delve into the depths of a life-giving culture.Hi: उसके अनुभव ने उसे एक बेहतर पत्रकार और एक ज्यादा समझदार इंसान बना दिया।En: His experience made him a better journalist and a more understanding person. Vocabulary Words:amidst: बीचvelvet-like: मखमल जैसेbunker: बंकरrestless: बेचैनunusual: अनोखीcuriosity: जिज्ञासाconsent: सहमतिwinding: पेचदारeagerness: ललकfurrowed: शिकन डालाartifact: कलाकृतिcreaked: खड़काintentions: आशयfavorable: अनुकूलexit: बाहर निकलनाdiscovery: खोजsensation: सनसनीखेजcultural: सांस्कृतिकhistorical: ऐतिहासिकenthusiasm: उत्साहopportunity: मौकाdelve: गहराईयों को जाननाlife-giving: जीवनदायिनीexperienced: अनुभवीwarned: चेतावनी दीsensational: सनसनीखेजcollection: संग्रहrealized: महसूस कियाjournalist: पत्रकारtraditional: पारंपरिक

In questo episodio del nostro Simple Italian Podcast vi parlo un po' della mia esperienza in Ladakh e di come ho imparato a meditare camminando.Buon ascolto!▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬

The Himalaya are the highest and greatest mountain range on earth, and their importance to Asian culture and history cannot be overstated.  1.6 billion people rely on fresh water that drains from the Himalaya and the Tibetan Plateau. In this episode, we focus on Ladakh, the northernmost territory in India, the "Land of High Passes" where the most prominent passes over the Himalaya could be found, passes that brought Buddhism to Tibet, Islam to India, and culture to all parts of Asia.  Leading a caravan over the passes was not for the faint of heart - or the faint of oxygen. Since Ladakh is next door to Kashmir, we will talk about one of my favorite Kashmiri dishes: Rogan Josh! Photo by Reflectionsbyprajakta

Over the last few decades, humanity has globalized everything – from food production and supply chains to communication and information systems – making countries, businesses, and individuals more connected and reliant on each other than ever before. Yet, with this increased interconnectedness comes more complexity and fragility. What have we lost through the globalization process, and how might we fortify our communities by investing in local economies?  In this episode, Nate is joined by Helena Norberg-Hodge – a leading voice in the localization movement – to explore the deep systemic challenges posed by economic globalization. Together, they examine how the global growth model has fueled environmental degradation, social fragmentation, and cultural erosion, and why shifting toward localized economies might be one of the most effective (and overlooked) responses to our predicament. Drawing on decades of firsthand experience, Helena invites us to question the assumptions underpinning our globalized lives and imagine a future rooted in local reconnection. How might we rekindle a sense of enough in a world that constantly tells us we need more? As globalization begins to retreat, what small but meaningful steps can we take to relocalize our lives and reconnect with each other? And what kind of futures might be possible if we centered our communities around systems that regenerate the very places we call home? (Conversation recorded on May 7th, 2025)    About Helena Norberg-Hodge: Linguist, author and filmmaker, Helena Norberg-Hodge is the founder and director of the international non-profit organisation, Local Futures. She is also a pioneer of the new economy movement, the convenor of World Localization Day, and an expert in understanding the ecological, social, and psychological effects of the global economy on diverse cultures.  Additionally, Helena is the author of several books, including ‘Ancient Futures: Learning from Ladakh', an eye-opening tale of tradition and change in Ladakh, or “Little Tibet”. Together with a film of the same title, Ancient Futures has been translated into more than 40 languages, and sold half a million copies. Helena has continued to produce several other short films, including the award-winning documentary ‘The Economics of Happiness'. Helena specialized in linguistics, including studies at the University of London and with Noam Chomsky at MIT. Her work, spanning almost half a century, has received the support of a wide range of international figures, including Jane Goodall, HH the Dalai Lama, HRH Prince Charles and Indira Gandhi.   Show Notes and More Watch this video episode on YouTube   Want to learn the broad overview of The Great Simplification in 30 minutes? Watch our Animated Movie.   — Support The Institute for the Study of Energy and Our Future Join our Substack newsletter Join our Discord channel and connect with other listeners  

First, we talk to The Indian Express' Deeptiman Tiwary about the Centre's newly notified regulations for Ladakh, why key demands like Sixth Schedule protections remain unmet, and how Ladakhis are responding to the move.Next, we speak to The Indian Express' Ankita Upadhyay about an emerging health crisis among Indian children - metabolic malnutrition, the hidden health risks, and the signs schools and parents should be watching out for. (13:45)And in the end, we discuss Canada's invitation to India for the upcoming G7 Summit and why this outreach signals a possible thaw in diplomatic ties between the two countries after years of strain. (21:45)Hosted by Ichha SharmaProduced and written by Shashank Bhargava and Ichha SharmaEdited and mixed by Suresh Pawar

Shiv Kunal Verma is an Indian military historian, author, and filmmaker renowned for his extensive work documenting India's military history and cultural landscapes. Born into an army family, he received his education at The Doon School and Madras Christian College.Verma began his career by opening trekking routes between Kashmir, Zanskar, and Ladakh. He later transitioned into journalism and filmmaking, producing acclaimed documentaries such as Salt of the Earth for the Indian Air Force and The Standard Bearers on the National Defence Academy.As an author, Verma has penned several significant works, including The Long Road to Siachen: The Question Why, 1962: The War That Wasn't, and 1965: A Western Sunrise, Industani:Six degrees of separation. He also co-authored Courage and Conviction, the autobiography of General V.K. Singh.His most recent publications are Yodha-1 and Yodha-2, illustrated military histories of the Indian subcontinent.

Hello Beloved. ”THE MYSTERIES OF GOD HAVE BEEN REVEALED.”For those that knock - and demand the truth….text everything and bring it into light. Today we dip our toe into the lost books of teh bible and how the walk of Jesus far outstretched in what is portrayed in the bible according to the validity of the Essenes ( lost books of the bible discovered ). This is not a religious belief conversation, it is a historic overview of curiosity and deeper revelation of truth through a open mind and heart. That said…..LET'S HOP IN! POINT BLANK: One of the greatest spiritual enigmas of all time—the kind that makes you tilt your head and whisper, “Wait, what?”—is the missing 18 years of Jesus's life.You know the ones.The Gospels tell us about his birth, his moment of brilliance at age 12 in the temple, and then… silence.Until he reappears at 30, ready to turn the world inside out.It's as if the most formative years of the most influential spiritual teacher in history were tucked away behind a curtain.But what if that curtain is ready to be pulled back?Exploring the Lost YearsNow, I'm not here to sell you on conspiracy theories or fringe ideas just for the thrill of it.But I am here to explore the beautiful, messy, and fascinating mosaic of possibilities that suggest Jesus's “lost years” were anything but idle.There's a growing body of scholarship, oral tradition, and even ancient manuscripts that hint Jesus may have spent these years not in obscurity, but in study, in pilgrimage, and in deep spiritual practice across some of the most sacred lands on Earth.The Essene ConnectionLet's start with the Essenes.These weren't your average desert dwellers.They were a mystical Jewish sect living near the Dead Sea, devoted to ritual purity, communal living, and a prophetic vision of a coming teacher who would uplift humanity.Some scholars, like Edmund Bordeaux Szekely in The Essene Gospel of Peace, suggest Jesus was trained by them—immersed in their practices of fasting, healing, and spiritual discipline.The Dead Sea Scrolls, discovered in 1947 at Qumran, echo teachings of divine justice, purity, and a “Teacher of Righteousness” that feel uncannily similar to Jesus's later message (see: Vermes, G., The Complete Dead Sea Scrolls in English).Echoes of KabbalahAnd then there's the thread of Kabbalah, the Jewish mystical tradition that dives deep into the nature of God, the soul, and the cosmos.Lawrence Gardner, in The Magdalene Legacy, proposes that Jesus was not just a preacher but a mystic—someone who understood the Tree of Life, the sacred geometry of creation, and the divine spark within all beings.When Jesus says in the Gospel of John, “I and the Father are one,” he's not just being poetic.He's articulating a mystical truth that resonates deeply with Kabbalistic teachings on unity and divine emanation.Journeys to EgyptBut the trail doesn't stop in Judea.It winds its way south to Egypt, where the ancient Mystery Schools taught the secrets of resurrection, inner alchemy, and soul initiation.Gerald Massey, in The Historical Jesus and the Mythical Christ, draws parallels between Jesus and Osiris—the Egyptian god of death and rebirth.Manly P. Hall, in The Secret Teachings of All Ages, even suggests Jesus may have been initiated in the Great Pyramid itself, undergoing the sacred rites of transformation.Egypt wasn't just a place of pyramids and pharaohs—it was a spiritual university, and Jesus may have been one of its most dedicated students.The Indian SojournAnd then—this is where it gets really juicy—there's India.Yes, India.The land of sages, yogis, and the Upanishads.The connection begins at his birth, with the Magi—wise men from the East, possibly Hindu rishis—who followed a star not just in the sky, but in their inner vision.In Indian spiritual tradition, the “star in the east” refers to the third eye, the gateway to divine insight.Their gifts—gold, frankincense, and myrrh—were traditional offerings for newborns in India, not just symbolic tokens.Fast forward a few decades, and we find the most intriguing account of all: The Unknown Life of Jesus Christ by Russian journalist Nicolas Notovitch.In the late 1800s, Notovitch claimed to have discovered Tibetan manuscripts in a monastery in Ladakh, describing the life of “Issa”—a name used for Jesus—who traveled through India, Nepal, and Tibet.These texts describe a young man fleeing societal expectations, studying the Vedas in Puri, challenging the caste system, and preaching universal love and nonviolence.Later, in Tibet, he studied Buddhist sutras—teachings that echo in his later messages about humility, renunciation, and inner peace.Now, Notovitch's claims were met with skepticism, of course.But Swami Abhedananda, a respected Indian monk, later traveled to the same monastery and corroborated the existence of the texts.Paramahansa Yogananda, in his spiritual classic Autobiography of a Yogi, also referenced Jesus's time in India, emphasizing the harmony between Christ's teachings and the yogic path of self-realization.This wasn't about borrowing ideas—it was a soul recognizing truth across borders.The Aquarian GospelAnd if you're still with me (thank you), let's talk about The Aquarian Gospel of Jesus the Christ, written by Levi H. Dowling in 1908.Dowling claimed to have transcribed the book from the Akashic Records—a kind of cosmic memory bank.The Aquarian Gospel offers a sweeping narrative of Jesus's travels through India, Persia, Greece, and Egypt, learning from every major spiritual tradition of the time.Whether or not you believe in the Akashic Records, the book paints a compelling picture of a Jesus who was not only divine but deeply human—curious, humble, and committed to understanding the universal truths that bind us all.Mainstream PerspectivesOf course, mainstream Christianity has struggled with these ideas.The Gospels are silent on these years, and the Church has historically resisted narratives that suggest Jesus learned from other traditions.But let's be honest: the Bible has been edited, translated, and reinterpreted countless times.Can we really say we have the whole story?Or is it possible that what we've been given is just one chapter in a much larger, richer tale?A Bridge Between WorldsBecause here's the thing: When we allow ourselves to explore these possibilities—not as dogma, but as sacred curiosity—we begin to see Jesus not just as a figure of worship, but as a bridge.A bridge between East and West.Between the mystical and the practical.Between the divine and the human.His teachings on inward prayer, fasting, and the kingdom of God within mirror the meditative practices of yoga and the self-inquiry of the Upanishads.His parables echo the allegorical wisdom of Egyptian initiation rites.His message of love, compassion, and inner transformation is, in essence, the heart of every great spiritual tradition.And maybe, just maybe, that's the point.That truth is not a possession, but a path.That divinity is not a hierarchy, but a homecoming.And that Jesus, in his lost years, wasn't lost at all—but walking the long, sacred road that would prepare him to light the way for us all.Your thoughts? xo Kassandra. PS: Look for the next drop on our Lady Sophia and her uprising of the Divine feminine.Sources:* Szekely, E. B. (1981). The Essene Gospel of Peace.* Vermes, G. (2004). The Complete Dead Sea Scrolls in English.* Gardner, L. (2005). The Magdalene Legacy.* Massey, G. (1900). The Historical Jesus and the Mythical Christ.* Hall, M. P. (1928). The Secret Teachings of All Ages.* Notovitch, N. (1894). The Unknown Life of Jesus Christ.* Abhedananda, S. (1922). Journey into Kashmir and Tibet.* Yogananda, P. (1946). Autobiography of a Yogi.* Dowling, L. H. (1908). The Aquarian Gospel of Jesus the Christ.Thank you for being open to this journey.Keep seeking, keep questioning, and above all—keep your heart open to the divine mystery that is always unfolding.Love KassandraThe Light Between is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Get full access to The Light Between at thelightbetween.substack.com/subscribe

You know about North Pole and the South Pole, where polar bears and penguins live. Have you heard of a third pole? West and south of the Tibetan Plateau, a mountainous area holds more glaciers than any place in the world outside the Arctic and Antarctic poles. This region has a special significance for fiber artists: it is the home and habitat of the goats that produce much of the world's cashmere. And as at the North and South Poles, climate change is threatening the animals and people who call this region home. To bring attention to the threat to glaciers in the region, engineer Sonam Wangchuk climbed into the Himalayas of in Ladakh, India, and carried back a 7 kilogram chunk of glacier. It began a journey across two continents, wrapped in 3 kilograms of cashmere, and finally arrived at the United Nations in New York. The UN has named 2025 the International Year of Glaciers' Preservation (https://www.un-glaciers.org/en), and Wangchuk's Travelling Glacier brought the threat of climate change to the world's door. The cashmere covering the sample not only insulated the ice, it also demonstrates what's at risk when glaciers melt. The animals and people living in these regions depend on glaciers for water; when the glaciers melt too abruptly, the overflow of water sweeps away whole villages and cities in devastating floods. Stories of people and animals on other continents can seem remote, abstract, and hopeless, but joining in the movement to preserve this important resource can be as near as your fingertips. Long Thread Media is joining with Wild Fibers to sponsor the Cashmere on Ice Contest (https://cashmere.longthreadmedia.com/), which invites fiber artists to make a project containing cashmere. Projects can be wearable or decorative; a special category highlights fiber grown in the Ladakh region from which Wangchuk sourced his Travelling Glacier. In this episode, celebrated storyteller and wild fiber expert Linda Cortright shares details about why she cares passionately about this crisis and what fiber artists can do to help the cause. Learn about the contest (https://cashmere.longthreadmedia.com/) and find an FAQ (https://spinoffmagazine.com/a-fiber-contest-with-global-impact) for more details. Discover the Wild Fibers (https://www.wildfibersmagazine.com/cashmereonice) resource page. Hear about the effects of glacial melt in another high-elevation fiber-producing region: the Andes. (https://spinoffmagazine.com/alpaca-for-life/)

We caught up with our friend Surya Ramachandran: Indian naturalist, author, big-cat tracker, and awesome guy.Highlights of our chat include:Home patch leopards: Surya's Nilgiri backyard hosts a multigenerational family of both black and rosetted leopards that he's watched closely for yearsSnow-leopard obsession: why eight straight winters in Ladakh still haven't dulled the thrill of the ghost of the HimalayasKing-cobra lore: nest-building serpents, roadside rescues, and the eerie pressure-cooker hiss they can emitHimalayan lowland magic: the diversity of Assam's Kaziranga–Manas–Nameri circuit—and why March should be peak time for Bengal floricans, Finn's weavers, and maybe even tiger...Life List tour: details on the 2026 Life List Assam Safari, with optional Taj Mahal/Bharatpur pre-trip and Kanha tiger post-extensionField-guide series update: Surya's next book covers India's deserts, salt pans, and forests of Western IndiaCome for the leopard cubs and king-cobra growls...stay for the tips on getting to see the best of India's birds and animals!Get more Life list by subscribing to our newsletter and joining our Patreon for bonus content. Talk to us and share your topic ideas at lifelistpodcast.com. Thanks to Kowa Optics for sponsoring our podcast! Want to know more about us? Check out George's company, Hillstar Nature; Alvaro's company, Alvaro's Adventures, and Mollee's company, Nighthawk Agency, to see more about what we're up to.

Welcome to Iggy Garcia, the TV Podcast where amazing things happen. Explore the metaphysical and holistic worlds through the Urban Suburban Shamanism/Medicine Man Series.My guest is SadaNah Sigh: I have been an artist, musician, and a nature-loving mystic my entire life since childhood, but I was also extremely shy and emotional, crying every day with social anxiety and anger. At 11 years old, I learned how to meditate to relax my body/mind, and in 2007, studying at OSU, I took 8 years of yoga, Tai-Chi, and philosophy courses, which taught me to breathe, release pain and tension, focus my mind, and manage emotions. In 2009, I began regular Kundalini Yoga classes, which led me into even more ecstatic states to live as my highest self with abundant energy and discipline! At the same time, I was also introduced to shamanism, sweat lodge ceremonies, and cacao/superfood workshops, which expanded my knowledge and deepened my practice. This transformation from fear to love and service has been so profound that the greatest purpose in my life is to share these practices to uplift every soul I can. I've completed over 700 hours of Kundalini teacher training in Cincinnati, Rishikesh, the Himalayas of Leh, Ladakh, India, and at my yoga studio, Elevate Yoga & Healing Arts in Columbus. I've also led yoga, sound healing, and medicine ceremonies since 2010 at dozens of studios, conventions, and festivals across the country. I named my studio Elevate. Because my life's mission is to teach people to uplift their energy, health, and well-being to unimaginable heights so we can grow together in a healthy, loving community! For more information, please visit: IggyGarcia.com & WithInsightsRadio.com The statements expressed in this podcast or video are not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice. THE VIEWS AND OPINIONS EXPRESSED BY INDIVIDUALS IN THE FOLLOWING PROGRAM DO NOT NECESSARILY REFLECT THOSE OF THE NETWORK OR ITS AFFILIATES. Copyright © WithInsightRadio.com

In today's episode, I'm joined by Ms. Ellie Penner, an art historian whose work has taken her across the globe—from studying Himalayan art forms in Nepal and Ladakh to exploring ancient sculptures at Ajanta and Ellora, and observing masterpieces in the museums of the U.S. But beyond her deep love for centuries-old art, Ellie is an adventurer at heart. Raised in Colorado, she's an outdoors enthusiast who jumps at any chance to head into the mountains.And that's exactly what she did—on a 32-day, 483-milethru-hike on the breathtaking Colorado Trail, accompanied by two of her best friends. What followed was a trail full of stories: hitchhiking into nearby towns, camping under the stars, weathering hailstorms, naming each other with quirky trail nicknames, dodging wildlife, and pushing through sore,blistered feet—all while laughing nonstop.This episode is full of warmth, adventure, and some seriously hilarious moments. I don't consider myself a hiker, but after talking to Ellie, I found myself itching to plan a trip like this with my best friends. Come along for the ride—you'll laugh as much as I did.Tune in and get inspired—whether you're an art lover, anaspiring hiker, or just here for the wild stories.---------------------------------------------Follow Ellie on Instagram ---------------------------------------------To buy yourself a copy of the travel journal, click here: Travel Journal (currently shipping within India only)---------------------------------------------To support our team and donate generously, please click ⁠⁠⁠⁠SUPPORT ⁠⁠⁠⁠.Like our work? Follow, Like & Subscribe to our podcast from wherever you are listening in. We would also love to hear from you, so do write to us at:Email: ⁠⁠⁠⁠misadventuresofasneaker@gmail.com⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠@misadventuresofasneaker⁠⁠⁠⁠Blog: misadventuresofasneaker.substack.com-------------------------------------------------Episodes referred to in the episode:Episode on Spain: S02 Ep12

This Episode Was Recorded On 19th March, 2025 In this episode, we sit down with Sanjog, Asheem, and Hemanta for a deep and unfiltered conversation on travel, politics, economy, and personal growth. From parenting in Nepal to unforgettable travel experiences in Ladakh, Manang, Mustang, and Manali, the trio shares their insights on how these places compare and why Nepal tourism potential remains untapped. Sanjog's Kumbh Mela experience opens up a fascinating discussion about the scope of religious tourism in Nepal, while Asheem Basnyat talks about the realities of loadshedding in Nepal and its impact on daily life. The conversation takes a critical turn toward Nepali politics, the recent social media bill in Nepal, and the struggles of startups in Nepal—exploring why many fail and how the government can support entrepreneurship. Hemanta dives into his passion for nature and discusses his work and travel to remote areas like Koshi Tappu, sharing what drives him in this creative field. We also talk about Thar vs Jimny, travel tips, Nepali music festivals, and the evolving mindset of the Nepali youth. Whether you're interested in entrepreneurship, the economy, or just love a good travel conversation, this episode is packed with raw insights and inspiring stories. GET CONNECTED WITH Sanjog Koirala: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sanjogkoirala_/?hl=en Asheem Basnyat: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/asheembasnyat/?hl=en Hemanta Bhandari: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hemantabhandari_/?hl=en  

From a semi-nomadic childhood in Ladakh to winning a gold medal in physical education from Delhi University, Ngawang Lhadon's journey is one of resilience and dedication. A scholar, athlete, and international footballer, she continues to inspire with her achievements. Watch our conversation to learn more about her incredible story!

Helena Norberg-Hodge, Founder and Director of Local Futures, shares the power of local connections and building resilience - even against the globally-scaled abstract monsters threatening human sustainability and sanctity today.About Helena Norberg-HodgeHelena Norberg-Hodge is the founder and director of the international non-profit organisation, Local Futures, a pioneer of the new economy movement, and the convenor of World Localization Day and the International Alliance for Localisation. Helena is the author of several books, including Ancient Futures (“the inspirational classic” -- Random House), an eye-opening tale of tradition and change in Ladakh, or “Little Tibet”. Together with a film of the same title, Ancient Futures has been translated into more than 40 languages, and sold half a million copies. Her latest book is Local is Our Future: Steps to an Economics of Happiness.Team Human is made possible thanks to the generous support of our listeners on Patreon.-------------------Hosted by Douglas RushkoffProduced by Josh ChapdelaineAudio Edited & Mixed by Luke Robert Mason Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Last time we continued to speak about the insane battle over Southern Xinjiang. In Yarkland, chaos erupted as inflation soared, prompting Chinese officials to retreat to fortified New City. Panic led to desperate measures, including the use of dummy figures for defense. As insurgents advanced, Colonel Chin's forces looted and fled, sparking violence against Uyghurs and Hindu moneylenders. By April, rebel forces captured Kashgar, fracturing Chinese control. Amid shifting alliances, Ma Chanzeng sought power, but internal strife among leaders like Temur culminated in further violence and betrayal, with power ultimately shifting to the Khotanlik provisional government under Muhammad Amin Bughra. Abdullah's revelation ignited conflict among Muslim troops. The Uyghurs and Kirghiz briefly united against the Chinese, ultimately capturing the New City. As tensions rose, massacres occurred, fracturing alliances and leading to a power struggle. After the execution of Uyghur leader Temur, Abdullah seized control of Yarkland, while charismatic Tawfiq Bay rallied forces against the Tungans. Eventually, the Khotan Amirs dominated the region, achieving unity amidst chaos, leaving only the besieged Tungans at bay.   #135 Kumul Rebellion part 4: The reunification of Xinjiang 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. Do you remember Ma Chongying, basically the guy that started most of this madness? Following him getting severely wounded at Liaotun in autumn of 1932, he had withdrawn the majority of his forces to his old domain in northwestern Gansu. He set up a HQ at Anxi and through his subordinates began expanding territory and increasing recruitment via conscription. The British missionaries Mildred Cable and Francesca French were living in Tunhuang at the time and wrote extensively about Ma Congying's recruitment efforts “The town was robbed of everything in the nature of food, goods and money ... next to food the most coveted possessions of the oases were the young, vigorous, hardy men ... These were the men whom Ma Chung-ying wanted for gun fodder, and orders were issued to the press-gang to fetch them in from every farm of the neighborhood, and collect them in Tunhuang City. Every day we saw them being rounded up. The ropes which they themselves had twisted from desert grass were used to tie their hands behind their backs, and to noose their necks in a running-knot. Roped together in droves of twenty to thirty, according to the success of the raid, they were brought to town by captors who rode the horses levied from these boys' own stables. Thrust behind the high palings of temple courtyards, the imprisoned youths lined the barriers, looking out for some passers-by who might belong to their own group of farmsteads and would take a report home that son or husband had been captured”. After initial training at Tunhuang, the recruits were taken to Anxi for further training. Cable and French were ordered to Anxi to aid Ma Chongying with his wounds and to  take care of other Tungans who reportedly had been injured by fire arrows during the siege of Kumul Old City. They did a good job as within a short amount of time Ma Chongying was able to ride again.  Back in Xinjiang, following the failed Uyghur led rebellion at Kumul and facing another imminent Tungant invasion in the Turfan area Jin Shujen turned increasingly to the USSR for help. In September of 1931 he bought two biplanes for the Soviets at 40,000 Mexican silver dollars each. The planes came with two Russian pilots and on October 1st, Jin signed a secret trade deal with the USSR allowing 8 Soviet trading agencies to set up shop in Urumqi, Chuguchak, Kashgar, Kulja, Aksu, Kucha, Khotan and Yarkland. Customs duties on Soviets goods were reduced and a new Xinjiang-Soviet telegraph line and radio communications were established. Jin signed these deals illegally without notifying Nanjing and in return received economic and military assistance from the Soviets. In July of 1932 he would receive another 8 aircraft. Yet despite the Soviet assistance, Jin's provincial forces with the exception of Peppengut's White Russian detachment remained ill trained and ill officered. Following the relief of Kumul Old City and Ma Chongyings retreat back to Gansu, Chang Peiyuan, the provincial commander in chief and military governor of Ili went to Urumqi. It appears that Jin did not fully trust Chang Peiyuan, possibly fearing that the victory at Kumul had stirred up dangerous ambitions in Chang. This distrust seemed to be mutual, as Chang, upon receiving orders to transfer to the provincial capital, chose to defy them and returned to Ili in an act bordering on open rebellion. In response, Jin appointed Sheng Shihtsai, Chang's Chief-of-Staff during the Kumul campaign, as the new Provincial Commander-in-Chief. This decision would have significant implications both for Jin's future and for the future of Xinjiang. Sheng Shihtsai was born in 1895 in Liaoning Manchuria. He was the son of a small landowner. In 1917 he traveled to Japan to study political economics at Waseda University and came back to China in 1919 to participate in the May 4th movement. During that time he developed radical and anti-Japanese stances. He then joined the military training school in Guangdong and later enrolled in the northeastern military academy. He entered military service under Guo Songling, haha that old cry baby, who was deputy under Zhang Zuolin. Sheng Shihtsai rose through the ranks becoming a Lt Colonel. In 1924 Guo Songling sponsored Sheng's admission to the Shikan Gakko military academy in Japan. Sheng returned briefly to help Guo Songlings failed coup against Zhang Zuolin, but was able to escape imprisonment with support from Feng Yuxiang and Chiang Kai-Shek. They got him a ticket back to Japan, and he returned to China in 1927 to participate in the northern expedition as a staff officer attached to Chiang Kai-Sheks HQ. After the northern expedition, he was made chief of war operations section of the General staff at Nanjing, but in 1929 resigned as he did not get along with his superiors. After all of this he took an interest in China's border defences. At the time a delegation from Xinjiang visited Nanjing searching for financial aid. Jin Shujen had instructed one of his delegates, Kuang Lu the deputy General secretary of Xinjiang, to find an able bodied officer to help reorganize Xinjiang's military. Kuang Lu fished around and found Sheng who looked like a very promising man. Sheng then traveled via the USSR arriving to Urumqi in the winter of 1929. His initial welcome was a luke warm one as Jin was suspicious of this highly qualified overseas educated man, obviously seeing him as a potential threat. Moreover, Jin's brother Jin Shuxin hated Sheng's appointment because the man outshined him. Despite the jealousy, Jin was basically grasping at straws and needed the help so he made Sheng the chief of staff over the Xinjiang Frontier Army and also the instructor at the provincial military college.  In the words of historian Chan Fooklam “Sheng's appointment was like Jin burying a time bomb under his bed, he had brought upon himself his own doom”. Despite receiving aid from the Soviets and British, Jin's grip over Xinjiang was slipping away. In May of 1932 Ma Chongying had dispatched Ma Shuming to take over the Tungan operation against Turfan. As we talked about, Ma Fuming, leading the provincial forces at Turfan simply defected. Also at this time Chang Peiyuan's insubordination was breaking out, easing the way for Sheng to be promoted to commander in chief. Sheng was directing an unsuccessful campaign against Uyghur insurgents at Karlik Tagh. Following news of Ma Fumings defection and the Tungan capture of Turfan, Sheng advanced west from Kumul to try and prevent the combined Muslim forces from marching upon Urumqi. After a bloody two day battle he recaptured Turfan, but this has little effect over Ma Shuming who had already moved his HQ to Kara Shahr.  During mid-winter, Ma Shuming's Tungan cavalry and Ma Fumings Turkic insurgents began an advance to Urumqi. At some point a force of provincial troops sent to Urumqi by Jin, specifically to guard the Dawan Cheng Pass were ambushed and annihilated by the Tungans. Meanwhile full scale rebellions had broken out at Kucha led by Temur and at Khotan led by the Amirs. To this Jin responded by expanding Pappenguts White Russian detachment from its original strength of 250 to 1500 men. The White Russians, most of whom came from Ili Valley, had literally no choice but to enlist. Alongside threatening any White Russians with deportation to the USSR, Jin also arrested many Russian women to compel their husbands to enlist. By early January of 1933, Ma Shumings Tungans had crossed the Dawan Cheng and were now operating at will in the Chaiwupao corridor, to the immediate south of the capital. Wu Aichen the political envoy on behalf of Nanjing reported on January 29th, that the city gates were suddenly closed and a month of food shortages and communal tensions rose. Wu Aichen would witness the brutality of the war. In his reports, the Tungans advanced towards the city during the night, seizing the Great West Bridge after a heavy fight. The Provincial commander defending the city only had 700 troops under him and if it was not for 300 White Russian troops suddenly arriving, the city most likely would have fallen then. Wu Aichen described the White Russian troops as superb fighters, albeit savagely drunk as they drove back the Tungan and Uyghurs during two days of hand to hand combat. Meanwhile Tungans had captured the radio station and a nearby height called Devil's Hill which overlooked the Urumqi suburbs. The Chinese officials feared letting in any more Muslim civilians to the Old City, thus they kept the city gates causing large numbers of refugees from the suburbs to gather outside the walls. This was particularly evident at the west gate which became the focal point of the fighting. Wu Aichen witnessed much of it and had this to say. “In times of peace this street was one of the most prosperous in the city, but now it was crowded With innocent fugitives, whose plight was terrible indeed. There was was worse to come, however, for now the advancing rebels came to this quarter and seizing the houses made loop-holes in the walls. In the flat roofs they set up machine-gun posts which could enfilade Government positions on either side of them. I could see for myself that the situation was desperate and that our troops would be pinned against the walls. General Pai, who was in command, did not hesitate. He gave the order that the street of the small religion should be set on fire. Then followed a scene so frightful that the reader's imagination must suffice. As the flames swept down the long lane of wooden structures they became an inferno of horror, for the roar of the conflagration was added to the rattle of gunfire, .and the hideous shrieks of those who were trapped. The rebels sought safety in flight, and as they crossed the open were machine-gunned from the Red Mountain; but the fugitives had nowhere to fly to and perished to the last man, woman and child. Nevertheless the city was saved, and when at last the flames died down the approach to the West Bridge was strewn with the bodies of our assailants. On the evening of the second day I had completed ten thousand words of copying. I asked how many were dead. I was told at least two thousand. Once again I returned to my task, reflecting that a human life had been taken at every fifth word”. Following the defeat, the Muslim forces had to pull back from the West Gate area, however, they still held control over the West Bridge, a mere half mile northwest. This gave them a great launchpad for night raids and many would be killed trying to scale the walls under the mouths of guns. The White Russian troops emerged as the backbone of the defenses, holding the city walls and making occasional sorties. Urumqi would have fallen if it was not for Sheng Shihtsai who came to her aid with his troops from Turfan. Upon seeing his relief forces the Muslim insurgents broke off their attack and withdrew into the surrounding countryside. With winter coming to an end, with fear of a cholera outbreak looming the Chinese went to work burying the dead. Wu Aichen was one of those who helped with the burials and wrote a horrifying description about the conditions of the city. Over 1000 bodies were buried in a single mass grave within the suburbs and the final death toll was estimated to exceed 6000. Following the relief of Urumqi, the Muslim insurgents seized all they could in the countryside such as Dawan Cheng, the districts of Fukang and parts of Santopao where an estimated 900 Han Chinese were killed. The insurgents burned the stocks of rice that usually fed the capital and on March 1st a detachment of 100 provincial troops were ambushed and annihilated at Chitaowan. The situation throughout the province deteriorated; to the south Ma Shaowu had isolated Kashgar and in the north a Kazakh rebellion broke out in the Sahara Sume region under Sharif Khan. The Kazakh uprising convinced the Soviets that Jin Sujen was going to inevitably lose Xinjiang. They acted without any notice to Nanjing by dispatching forces to help hold up Urumqi. Fate would have it, 2000 battle hardened Chinese troops had recently been driven over the Heilongjiang border into Siberia by the Japanese during the invasion of Manchuria. So Stalin signed off on sending them over the trans-siberian and Turk-sib railways to the Xinjiang frontier of Chuguchak. This force designated the Northeast National Salvation Army consisted of regular soldiers who were well trained and held good morale. They arrived to Urumqi on March 27th of 1933, substantially bolstering the provincial military, more particularly that of the new Provincial commander in chief, Sheng Shihtsai who just so happened to also be a Manchurian.  Sheng led the new forces to push back the invading Tungans of Ma Shuming who was forced over the Dawan Cheng back to his HQ at Kara Shahr. The Uyghur insurgents were demoralized and Khoja Niyas Hajji who controlled a belt around the Xinjiang-Gansu frontier began begining for assistance from Ma Chongying. Meanwhile Jin basically was undermined by Sheng and was seeing further unrest in Urumqi. The White Russians who had bore the brunt of the fighting to defend Urumqi were royally pissed off as they had not all been paid and were provided the worst horses and ammunition of all the defenders. Moreover Jin's popularity with all nationalities, even Han Chinese had fallen dramatically because his brother Jin Shuxin had reportedly exorted the granaries during the siege. Following the relief of Urumqi, Pappengut and the other White Russians approached the leaders of the northeast national salvation army with grievances against Jin Shujen and were given assurances of support to mount a coup against him. On April 12th, around 400 White Russians stormed the capital with 200 of them seizing the city gates and yamen. Jin managed to escape over the city walls and fled to the USSR via Chuguchak. From there he returned to China via the Turk-Sib and Trans-Siberian. Meanwhile his younger brother Jin Shuxin was captured and executed. Sheng Shihtsai was encamped at Uruba at the time of the coup and insisted in his future memoirs he had nothing to do with the coup and that it was all the USSR's doing. Regardless after the coup Sheng was urged to go to Urumqi where negotiations began with Liu Wenlung who was appointed Provincial Chairman while Sheng was made Tupan or “border defense commissioner”. Ie; Sheng was made the de facto ruler of Xinjiang.  After Ma Shumings failure to take Urumqi and Khoja Niyas Hajji's pleas for help, Ma Chongying determined to reenter the fray in person. Despite the setbacks, the Tungans had crossed the Dawan Cheng and nearly taken the capital, coupled with the seizure of Kashgar, Ma Chongying most likely believed there was still a great chance to take it all. He had spent 18 months rebuilding his army and better yet, because of the USSR's illegal move to save Urumqi, Nanjing officially recognizing his Tungan forces as the 36th division of the NRA. Ma Chongying moved his HQ from Anxi to Suzhou and really improved his military. A German engineer named Vasel working with him described him as a man who admired Napoleon, Bismarck and Hindenburg and who “was frequently to be seen running at the head of his troops during training, even in sub-zero temperature. Military training was pursued with a spartan rigour, pushed to the verge of utter ruthlessness. Desertion was punishable by death, and on one occasion I saw Ma personally behead five such offenders. In one of those sudden fits of exuberance that were typical of him, snatching up casually some hand grenades, which he had made himself, and hurling them, one by one, against the lofty clay-coloured walls of the city. And then he laughed heartily when he saw his men fling themselves flat on the ground as splinters of steel hurtled in all directions. He scorned to seek safety by throwing himself on the ground, and was quite delighted when he saw that I too did not seek cover”. During spring of 1933, Ma Chongying prepared to reinvade Xinjiang. A Swedish man named Bexeill was working along the Gansu-Qinghai border and noted Ma Chongying heavily taxed his territory in northwestern Gansu to the limits of the peasants endurance. He apparently even sent troops into Qinghai to illegally tax them. By May of 1933 his army departed Suhou for Yumen and Vasel gives us this description of them. “A dark mass of human beings, camels and oxen, was pouring out of the city gate towards the west amid clouds of dust. There were hundreds of heavily-laden camels, the bells on their necks clanging monotonously, their drivers easily discernible by their gaudy headgear. In the rear followed high-wheeled ox-carts, flanked on either side by infantry. Behind them again came a company of cavalry, which presently galloped past the lumbering camels and oxen along the track through the desert ... and now I had an opportunity of seeing at close range General Ma's famous cavalry riding past me and keeping its post at the head of the marching columns. This was the famous white cavalry regiment of which General Ma was especially proud. The broad iron swords of the dragoons clanked as they rode along on their magnificent white horses, while on their shoulders they carried carbines of the most varied and antiquated patterns. Next came the brown regiment, while in the rear followed the black regiment, comprising some two thousand horsemen. A short distance behind the cavalry came the infantry - regiment after regiment, headed by the Chinese (Kuomintang) standard. On they swept, platoon after platoon, followed by their officers, with their mausers at the ready. The columns strode along, keeping perfect time with their shrill, high-pitched, mournful, Asiatic marching songs. Sandwiched between some of these trained and trustworthy soldiers I saw large drafts of recruits who had been compelled to join General Ma's forces. These raw levies were constantly kept under very close observation'. On Top of Ma Chongyings new Tungan army, young Uyghurs were also conscripted into his ranks. 2500 Tungans under the command of his younger brother Ma Chongjie captured Kumul in May with little opposition. This was because the area was dominated by Ma Chongyings ally Khoja Niyas Hajji. After this Ma Chongjie issued bilingual proclamations to the people of Kumul, stating they were free of Jin Shujen's tyranny, who at the time was in the USSR. Meanwhile Sheng hurriedly prepared a force of 5000 to meet the invaders near Urumqi. Ma Chongying advanced upon Qiqiaoqing unopposed, getting even further west than his first invasion of 1931. Instead of taking the main road to Turgan, the Tungans crossed the narrow defile between Barkul Tagh and Bogdo Ula to hit the garrison town of Kitai. The first major battle broke out near Mulei, due east of Kitai on May 15th. Two days later a mixed force of 4000 Tungans and Turkic Muslims attacked Kitai led by Ma Chongjie. On May 26th Sheng sortied from Urumqi at the head of 5000 men, 1000 of whom were White Russians. Sheng planned to hold Santai, the halfway point between Urumqi and Kitai. Sheng's men attacked the invaders around Kitai, but lost the battle for the city, though Ma Chongjie was killed in battle. Sheng then retreated back to Urumqi by June 1st. Things looked dire for Sheng, he was unsure how Nanjing would react to the coup against Jin Shujen, his position was threatened to the east by Ma Chongying now headquartered at Kitai and to the west by Chang Peiyuan the military governor of Ili whom he suspected was not loyal to Urumqi and in league with the Tungans. Ma Chongying was now within striking distance of Urumqi, when he suddenly halted his attack and sent a telegram with terms. It turns out Ma Chongying had no idea Jin Shujen had been overthrown, so he was unsure how to proceed. This bought Sheng more time to raise defenses, sending the White Russians to hold Fukang as he dispatched Wu Aichen on a peace mission to Kitai. Wu Aichen's mission failed, so Sheng went to Fukang to take personal command of the army and to meet Ma Chongying around the hamlet of Zuniquan. During the battle of mid June, the provincial forces managed to gain the upper hand due to severe weather conditions for which the lightly clothed Tungans were ill prepared for. The Uyghurs forces of Khoja Niyas Hajji also took no part in the fighting despite being in the immediate area. The Tungans were defeated at Zuniquan, but not routed. Ma Chongyings men managed to retreat in well order to Qiqiaoqing and from there advanced to Turfan joined Tungan forces under Ma Shuming. Combined the Tungans marched to Dawan Cheng. At the same time a Pacification Commissioner, Huang Musung was sent by Nanjing to Urumqi. His mission was to establish peace between the provincial forces and Ma Chongying, both of whom claimed loyalty to Nanjing. Sheng was suspicious of Huang Musung and felt Nanjing might be simply backing the Tungans. Thus Sheng had Huang Musung placed under house arrest. Then Sheng accused three Xinjiang officials of plotting with Huang Musung, Chang Peiyuan and Ma Chongying to overthrow him and had them all executed via a firing squad. Thus Sheng clearly had distanced himself from Nanjing and turned 100% to the USSR for help. During early Autumn Ma Chongying was still in Turfan reorganizing the forces while Sheng was consolidating his position in Urumqi and quelling the Kazakh rebellion.  Meanwhile Khoja Niyas Hajji was growing uneasy with his alliance to Ma Chongying and began to open up secret negotiations with Sheng and soon was appointed Chief Defense commissioner for Southern Xinjiang. He then took his Uyghurs across the Dawan Cheng and occupied Toksun only to be surprise attacked and decisively defeated by Tungans under Ma Shuming. By late July Khoja Niyas Hajji took his battered survivors and fled for Kucha. At this point Huang Musung managed to secure his release from house arrest by telegramming Nanjing the recommendation that Sheng Shihtsai and Liu Wenlung be confirmed in their posts as the chief military and civil authorities over Xinjiang. Nanjing had really no options other than to comply.  On September 2nd Lo Wenkan, the foreign minister of Nanjing, came to Urumqi and officially confirmed Sheng into office and then mediated between Sheng and Ma Chongying. To compensate Ma Chongying he was offered the post of Garrison Commander of Eastern Xinjiang which he accepted, thus gaining control over Kumul, Barkul and part of Turfan. After Lo Wenkan departed in early October, suddenly Sheng announced the discovery of a new plot against him. He accused Liu Wenlung of conspiring with Ma Chongying, Chang Peiyuan and Lo Wenkan to overthrow him. Liu Wenlung was forced to resign and was replaced as the provincial chairman by Zhu Juixi. Sheng then prepared a final hammer blow against Ma Chongying. However Ma Chongying had secretly been working with Ma Shuming to deliver a lighting stroke against Urumqi which came in December of 1933. Tungan forces passed Dawan Cheng and began attacking the capital. Likewise in response to the constant accusations, Chang Peiyuan finally threw his support to the Tungans. He led his troops across the Talki Pass into Zungharia and attacked the Provincial forces stationed at Wusu. Meanwhile encouraged by the advance of the Gansu Tungans, the indigenous Tungans of Zungharia rose en masse to Ma Chongyings banner. In late december a detachment of the 36th NRA led by Ma Shuming bypassed Urumqi and attacked Chuguchak. Vasel happened to witness this and described the battle as such “The sun's rays, by this time, were shining obliquely across the street and showed us the Tungan army entering the town ... Stirrup to stirrup, the young regular soldiers in their smart uniforms looked a well-disciplined, trim and efficient force. r recognised one of their officers, Ma Shih-ming, the Commander-in-Chief's adjutant, who had frequently been my guest in Soochow. These regular soldiers rode past on beautiful horses, while huge red flags floated in the breeze above their heads, bearing the character 'Ma' in black letters on a white ground. At a short distance followed a horde that was tolerably well equipped . . . I saw needle-guns, blunderbusses and muzzle-loaders ... In their rear dense clouds of dust, which shut out the light, billowed onward, and then came the infantry. . . men with wild eyes and matted hair. . . outlaws who had nothing to lose and everything to gain from the upheaval that was going on. After the infantry followed a huge horde of camels, with their rhythmical swaying gait, laden with produce and goods of every conceivable type ... the breath came from their mouths like smoke - their necks were craned forward, and their heads kept bobbing up and down.”With the Tungans taking Zunghaira, the Khotan Amirs running amok in the south and Chang Peiyuan joining the fray, Sheng's position at Urumqi was hopeless. While Ma Chongying and Sheng Shihtsai continued their struggle in the north, in the south Muhammad Amin Bughra woo'd Khoja Niyas Hajji to become president of a new secessionist Islamic state. Thus was born the Turkic Islamic Republic of Eastern Turkestan ie TIRET. While Khoja Niyas Kajji was the quote president, this was simply symbolic, the real leadership remained with the Amirs. Amir Abdulah retained control over Yarkland, Amir Nur Ahmad Jan over Yangi Hissar and Kashgar and Bughra over Khotan. Shari a law was implemented, a national flag with a white star and crescent over a blue ground was made and the new state sought aid and recognition from Britain. But the TIRET would never receive said recognition or aid, for Britain respected Nanjing's government as the sole authority in Xinjiang. TIRET turned next to Turkey, but found no real help. Then they turned to Afghanistan who likewise could not help them. TIRET was doomed from the very beginning. Meanwhile the battles raged between Sheng and Ma Chongying. Sheng knew Nanjing would not assist him so he turned to the USSR. Sheng dispatched diplomats Chen Teli and Yaoxiong to Moscow pleading for assistance. The Soviets were sympathetic and quite concerned with events such as the rise of TIRET and the possibility of Ma Chongying capturing Urumqi as they suspected him and TIRET to have ties to the Japanese. Weary of Germany and Japan, the USSR took up a policy of curbing any influence from either, especially in her Central Asian frontiers. The Soviets sent this warning to Nanjing “'We do not mind if you Chinese develop [Eastern] Turkestan. But if you permit [Eastern] Turkestan to become a second Manchuria, we must act to protect ourselves. '” Thus in late 1933, following pleas for help from Sheng Shihtsai, the Soviets chose to intervene on behalf of Sheng, whom was known to be a loose cannon and unreliable, but atleast was anti-Japanese. The USSR appointed Apresoff as the new consul-general at Urumqi and upon his arrival Sheng conducted a purge. Officers from the Northeast National Salvation army and White Russian volunteers were arrested and shot, including Pappengut. The White Russians units were reorganized under the command of new Soviet officers. Sheng signed a secret deal with the USSR to allow them to build a railway from Sergiopol, through Chuguchak to Urumqi. Sheng also announced 6 new principles going forward (I) anti-imperialism, (2) kinship to Sovietism, (3) racial or national equality, (4) 'clean' government, (5) peace, and (6) reconstruction.  The Soviets were pleased and after receiving approval from Nanjing dispatched two brigades, numbered some 7000 men supported by tanks, artillery and aircraft against the insurgent positions at Kulja and Chuguchak. The Soviets had orders to “clear the roads and liquidate the rebellion”. They rapidly overwhelmed the forces of Chang Peiyuan who committed suicide in shame. The Tungans of Ma Shuming put up a better fight but were dislodged from the Chuguchak area. According to Vasel, the Tungans managed to beat back some attacks during 30 days of battle. In one instance the Tungans foiled a Soviet pincer attack by “crawling through the snow, camouflaged by reversed sheepskins, and storming, from a very short distance, Soviet machine-gun posts whilst wielding the characteristic curved sword of Islam”. The main battle broke out on the frost-bound banks of the Tutun River, 30 miles northwest of Urumqi. According to The Times correspondent Peter Fleming , “the Battle of the Tutun River 'raged for several days; but the Tungans' unskilled ferocity was no match for a mechanised foe, and the troops ... were badly demoralised by gas bombs dropped by the Soviet airmen”.  Both the Soviets and Tungans took heavy casualties, but ultimately the Soviets won, forcing Ma Chongying to retreat from Urumqi to the Dawan Cheng, pursued by a mixed force of Soviets, White Russians and Chinese. The Tungans attempted to make a stand at Dawan Cheng, but according to Vasel “a detachment of Soviet troops supported by armoured cars was attacked by a force of some 500 Tungans. After savage hand-to-hand fighting the Soviet forces were driven back, and their armoured cars were rolled off the mountainside by the victorious Tungans. At this juncture, by a strange twist of fate, the surviving Soviet troops were relieved by a force of White Russian 'volunteers', and Ma Chung-ying was forced to continue his retreat through Toksun to Korla”. Meanwhile in Southern Xinjiang, the Soviets tried to break the TIRET. A Soviet backed force of irregulars known as the “Tortunjis” was set up at Ulug Chat, led by Yusuf Jan. The Soviets also negotiated secretly with Khoja Niyas Hajji who despite being the president of the TIRET had taken all of his forces to Aksu. As a result Khoja Niyas Hajji received Soviet arms in return for turning against his anti-soviet colleagues. Yet despite Soviet support, Khoja Niyas Hajji's Uyghur forces were decisively defeated by 800 Tungans under Ma Chongying. Khoja Niyas Hajji had to abandon his HQ at Aksu fleeing for Kashgar with 1500 men on January 13th of 1934. The Tungans soon besieged Kashgar New City forcing Khoja Niyas Hajji and local forces under Sabit Damullah to withdrew towards Yangi-Hissar, then held by Nur Ahmad Jan. Within 24 hours the Tungan advance guard led by Ma Fuyuan entered Kashgar meeting little resistance. According to British Consulate General Thomson-Glover “'some 800 Tungans and 1,200 conscripts caused nearly 10,000 rebel troops to flee from Kashgar'” To make thing more complicated at this time Ma Shaowu assumed senior military and civil control on behalf of Nanjing and at the request of Ma Chanzeng and Ma Fuyuan. Thus the capital of TIRET was recaptured for Nanjing, but not by their approved forces under Sheng, but of those under Ma Chongying. Following the fall of Kashgar, TIRET moved its administration to Yangi-Hissar. Meanwhile Khoja Niyas Hajji fled to Irkeshtam on the Soviet border and there signed a treaty with the USSR to dissolve the TIRET and relinquished his forces to be used by the Xinjiang provincial authorities against the Tungans and Khotan Amirs. For this he was rewarded Civil Governor for life over Xinjiang with Sheng Shihtsai retaining military governorship. On February 14th, the Khotanlik forces tried but failed to recapture Kashgar. In response for two days the Tungans systematically looted Kashgar old city while they massacred nearly 2000 of its citizenry. Then Ma Chanzeng and Ma Fuyuan advanced to Yangi-Hissar where on March 28th looted its old city and killed everyone they got their hands on. In the face of the Tungan onslaught, Amir Nur Ahmad Jan fled into Yangi Hissar New City and Sabit Damullah fled for Yarkland. Nur Ahmad Jan led a fierce resistance at the New City until April 2nd when Amir Abdullah arrived from Yarkland with several thousand troops. However caught out in the open, Abdullah's men were obliterated by the Tungans and Abdullah was cut down and his severed head was sent to Kashgar to be exhibited outside the Id-gah Mosque. Yangi-Hissar New City continued to resist, “wielding only rifles and conserving their scanty ammunition and rolling back the attackers scaling the walls by means of large stones and tree trunks”. The Tungans took New City on April 12th, putting 500 of its defenders and Nur Ahmad Jan to the sword. Meanwhile the administration of TIRET received word of Khoja Niyas Hajji's deal with the Soviets and refused to dissolve. Thus Khoja Niyas Hajji went to Yarkland to try and convince Amir Muhammad Amin Bughra to dissolve the TIRET. He arrived there in Mid April, only a few days before the Tungas would. Bughra fled towards Khotan as Khoja Niyas Hajji looted Yarkland taking Sabit Damullah prisoner and advanced to Aksu. The Tungans arrived at Yarkland on the 20th and immediately pursued Khoja Niyas Hajji. Khoja Niyas Hajji managed to get to Aksu where he handed over Sabit Damullah who was promptly hung. Meanwhile Ma Chongying arrived at Kashgar with 10,000 men on April 6th where he denounced Sheng Shihtsai as a Soviet Puppet and stressed loyalty to Nanjing to its population. Other Tungan forces captured Sarikol and together marched upon Khotan. Khotan was taken on June 12th without a fight and unlike at Kashgar and Yangi-Hissar, the Tungans did not loot, but instead hunted down Muhammad Amin Bughra who had escaped with 3000 troops towards Keriya. Bughra managed to give them all the slip and fled with several ponies carrying hold to Ladakh in British India where he received permission to travel to Srinagar. Thus ended the TIRET experiment as Ma Chongying claimed he had recaptured southern Xinjiang for Nanjing. Ma Chongying then met with Thomson Glover “that he had come to Kashgar 'to try and save south Sinkiang from Russian influence', and continued to stress his loyalty to Nanjing”.  Meanwhile Ma Chongying set up a defensive line at Maral Bashi and Fayzabad with his brother in law, Ma Hushan in command. During May and June of 1934 Ma Chongying tried to gain sympathy from the British for his cause, but they refused to get involved. In a surprising turn of events, as told to us by Thomson Glover “Ma Chung-ying left Kashgar for Irkeshtam early on 7th July with three or four of his officers. . . and an escort of some 50 Tungans and one or more members of the USSR Consulate or Trade Agency. Arrived near the border to Russia the escort were met by Russian or Russian-employed troops. The Tungan escort dispersed or handed over their arms to some of Khoja Niyas' levies, and Ma Chung-ying disappeared into Russia”. Why the courageous Tungan threw in the towel is a mystery. He had not yet been deceive beaten, he could have taken his Tungan force and held out for 3 years before returning back to Gansu. Regardless the Soviets had offered him sanctuary and he just took it. His fate is a complete mystery, some say he was killed by the Soviets, some say he rotted in a dungeon, that he lived a life of luxury as a Soviet guest, and one claim is that in 1938, when Sheng Shihtsai visited Moscow, Stalin had him executed as a gift. Ma Chongyings command passed to Ma Hushan who set up a HQ at Khotan and carved out a sphere of influence extending from Karghalik to CHarkhlik. The provincial forces did nothing to stop him, and instead signed a truce, ending the wars with the Tungans. Sheng Shihtsai had won, he now held absolute power over Xinjiang, though as we will see much later on, Xinjiang was certainly not done seeing battles. 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. Thus in the end, after all of these different groups of people formed uprisings, betrayed one another and fought this large game of thrones for Xinjiang, it was Sheng Shihtsai who prevailed above all. Xinjiang was by no means stable and would continue to see chaos well into WW2 however.