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Last time we spoke about the fall of Hong Kong. As dawn broke on December 20, 1941, Japanese battalions tightened their grip on Hong Kong Island. While the defenders fought desperately at Repulse Bay Hotel, Wongneichong Gap, and the heights around Mount Nicholson and Mount Cameron, piecemeal counter-attacks by exhausted Canadians, Royal Scots, Rajputs, and Hong Kong Volunteers were shattered by rain, darkness, and poor coordination.Resistance stiffened at Stanley Peninsula, but ammunition ran low and hope faded. On Christmas Eve, the Japanese stormed St Stephen's College hospital. They bayoneted wounded soldiers in their beds, murdered doctors, and raped nurses in an orgy of horror that became known as the St Stephen's Massacre.On Christmas morning—forever "Black Christmas"—Governor Young surrendered the colony after seventeen days of fighting. As white flags rose, Rear-Admiral Chan Chak and a small party made a daring escape by sea under fire, eventually rescued by Chinese Communist guerrillas of the East River Column who would save hundreds more lives in the months ahead.   #219 The Malayan Campaign Part 1: Bicycle Blitzkrieg   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. Now in the last episode we spoke about the battle of Hong Kong, which of course was fought on Chinese territory and did involve Chinese participation. I took some time to think about what aspects of the early Pacific War should be covered in depth here, ie: what pertains the most to the Chinese experience. We are not going to talk about the Philippines or Dutch East Indies, but the Malayan campaign and fall of Singapore I would argue need to be dived into. There was a lot of ethnic Chinese participation in this campaign. No worries after this brief series on the Malayan Campaign we will be jumping back to China. Following World War One, Britain sought to counter growing Japanese ambitions by establishing a major naval base in Singapore during the 1920s. The location offered strategic advantages, particularly its exemption from the Washington Naval Treaty's non-fortification clause, making it ideal for housing a powerful deterrent fleet. The plan was straightforward: maintain overwhelming naval superiority to discourage Japanese expansion. Yet this calculation proved dangerously optimistic. Japanese aggression accelerated throughout the 1930s, while the European war's outbreak in 1939 drained Britain's resources, leaving its Far Eastern colonies—Malaya, Burma, and Hong Kong—dangerously exposed. Churchill remained convinced that Japan would not strike in 1941, prompting him to channel reinforcements toward the Mediterranean theater. The defensive strategy hinged on buying time; should Japan attack, British forces would delay the enemy while holding Singapore as a fortress until relief arrived. This plan contained a fatal flaw: Britain lacked the capacity to actually send reinforcements to the region. Commander-in-Chief Robert Brooke-Popham led Britain's Far Eastern Command from Malaysia, acutely aware of the challenge ahead. Lieutenant-General Arthur Percival commanded ground forces comprising 31 poorly trained infantry battalions—approximately 88,600 personnel total—largely untrained for jungle warfare. These troops were distributed across three divisions. Air defense proved equally problematic. With only fourteen squadrons flying outdated aircraft, the RAF faced a critical shortfall. Squadrons were scattered across multiple airfields: Vickers Vildebeest and PBY Catalina aircraft at Seletar; Bristol Blenheims at Tengah; Brewster Buffalos at Sembawang and Kallang; further Buffalos and Blenheims at Sungei Patani; Lockheed Hudsons at Kota Bharu; and additional Blenheims at Kuantan and Alor Setar. Allied units occupied three strategic zones. The Indian 11th Infantry Division under Major General David Murray-Lyon held northern Malaya, defending airfields and the Thai frontier from positions near Kota Bharu, Jitra, and Alor Setar. These installations remained lightly garrisoned and vulnerable. The Indian 9th Infantry Division occupied central Malaya, tasked with holding delaying positions at Jitra and Gurun—positions themselves poorly constructed and uncoordinated. Australia's 8th Division under Gordon Bennett anchored the south near Mersing and Johor, forming the last line before Singapore's fortress. Singapore itself bristled with coastal defenses and commanded a substantial naval garrison, expected to repel any Japanese approach. A week before Japan's offensive erupted, Churchill sent Force Z to Singapore—the battleship Prince of Wales, battlecruiser Repulse, and four destroyers. Despite vigorous objections from admirals, particularly Captain William Davis, who warned the Prince of Wales without air cover would be "a hostage to fortune," Churchill overruled them, seeking to project confidence and maintain American goodwill. Admiral Sir Tom Phillips commanded Force Z. Known as "Tom Thumb" for his diminutive stature, Phillips sparked controversy—critics labeled him a "desk admiral"—yet Field Marshal Smuts called him "an admirable choice" and American Admiral Thomas Hart praised his administrative acumen. Phillips' record was mixed. He advocated astutely for tank deployment in Malaya and correctly questioned the Brewster Buffalo's effectiveness, urging Hurricanes instead. Yet he fatally underestimated the threat aircraft posed to capital ships, believing the Prince of Wales' anti-aircraft batteries could defend a maneuvering vessel. An unnoticed handicap compounded this: tropical humidity had disabled the Prince of Wales' fire-control computer before she ever fired. Force Z reached Singapore on December 2, 1941, amid misplaced confidence. Nineteen-year-old Richard Smith recalled: "Everyone believed the Japanese fleet was made of rice paper and string. We assumed we would crush them effortlessly." Churchill's public declaration seemed to goad Japan into action. Admiral Yamamoto responded decisively, dispatching thirty-six Mitsubishi bombers to reinforce existing aircraft and ordering intensive training for "ship-killing"—specialized torpedo and bombing attacks. Three air groups, led by Miyauchi, Nakanishi, and Shoji, trained relentlessly in low-level runs and ocean navigation. Phillips, stripped of air cover, commanded only aging destroyers alongside his capital ships. The stage was set for disaster. In November 1940, the German raider Atlantis captured the British steamer Automedon in the Indian Ocean, seizing documents destined for Air Marshal Brooke-Popham that exposed Singapore's vulnerabilities. The Germans shared this intelligence with Japan in December. By January 1941, the Japanese had also broken British Army codes, revealing the weakness of Singapore's defenses and enabling them to plan an invasion accordingly. The invasion of Malaya followed an audacious strategy devised by Colonel Tsuji Masanobu. Japanese forces would conduct amphibious landings in southern Thailand and northern Malaya, then push 400 miles through jungle terrain toward Singapore. The 25th Army, commanded by Lieutenant-General Yamashita Tomoyuki and initially comprising two divisions, led this operation, supported by Admiral Kondō Nobutake's 2nd Fleet, which provided convoy escort. Thailand's strategic position was crucial; the British could not defend it, offering Japan a favorable staging ground. Marshal Plaek Phibun, Thailand's leader, had informally agreed to allow Japanese passage but simultaneously negotiated with British and American diplomats, creating uncertainty. A second force, the 15th Army under Lieutenant-General Iida Shōjirō, was preparing to invade Burma through Thailand. If the Thai withheld passage by December 7, these forces would advance directly from Indochina. Brooke-Popham devised Operation Matador to counter the Japanese threat. This ambitious plan called for the 11th Indian Division to preemptively seize Singora and Patani—critical Thai ports essential to Japanese invasion plans. The operation's centerpiece was capturing the Ledge, a key terrain feature south of Patani. Control of the Ledge would allow British forces to block roads from Patani, securing retreat routes for the 11th Division and denying the Japanese access to rear areas. Failure would expose the British to encirclement and force withdrawal from Perak and Kedah. However, Matador faced insurmountable obstacles. Britain was uncertain whether Thailand would resist or accommodate Japan, and invading neutral Thai territory risked driving the Thai government into Japanese arms. Command hesitation, combined with poor intelligence, created fatal delays. Matador was never approved. Instead, authorities authorized Operation Krohcol, a scaled-down alternative named after the town of Kroh. This operation tasked a small British-Indian force with advancing into southern Thailand to capture the Ledge, destroy bridges and roads, and delay Japanese movements. Though far less ambitious than Matador, Krohcol represented Britain's final attempt at preemptive action. It would be activated only after Japan opened hostilities, but by then, opportunity had already slipped away.   On December 4, Japanese transport ships escorted by Admiral Kondō's fleet departed Hainan Island toward their objectives. Two days later, British reconnaissance spotted the fleet, but Brooke-Popham lacked authorization to intervene—he could only alert his forces. At 23:00 on December 7, Japan issued an ultimatum to Thailand, demanding passage and giving a two-hour response window. Unable to locate Prime Minister Phibun until late morning, Thailand was invaded hours later. From Indochina, Japanese Imperial Guards and the 55th Division landed at Phra Tabong and pushed northwest toward Aranyaprathet. The 5th Division's regiment landed at Patani while the division's main force seized Singora, quickly overwhelming Thai defenders. From Saigon, elements of the 15th Army conducted additional naval landings across Thailand but encountered unexpectedly fierce Thai resistance that stalled their progress. Just before Pearl Harbor came under attack, the Japanese 18th Division landed at Kota Bharu. The defenders—the 8th Indian Infantry Brigade under Brigadier B.W. Key, supported by artillery from the 21st Mountain Battery and the 73rd Field Battery—faced a daunting task. The 3/17th Dogra Regiment, commanded by Lieutenant Colonel G.A. Preston, held a 10-mile coastal stretch fortified with mines, barbed wire, and pillboxes overlooking the narrow beaches of Badang and Sabak, separated by estuaries and surrounded by creeks, lagoons, and swamp islands. The Dogras unleashed devastating fire as Japanese landing craft approached at midnight. Colonel Masanobu Tsuji observed that enemy pillboxes "responded with such overwhelming force that our men lying on the beach, partially submerged in water, could not lift their heads." The first waves were pinned down, with casualties mounting from artillery, machine gun fire, and Allied aircraft from nearby airfields. British Hudsons bombed the invasion fleet and stranded soldiers, sinking one Japanese transport and destroying seven of their own aircraft in the process. The defenders inflicted heavy casualties, but intense hand-to-hand combat eventually breached the line's center by 03:45, threatening the nearby airfield. Simultaneously, 17 Japanese bombers attacked Singapore with minimal damage and 61 casualties, surprising the British with evidence of enemy long-range aircraft. Japanese fighters and bombers dominated the skies over Kota Bharu and northern Malaysian airfields, demonstrating clear air superiority. Amid the chaos, counterattacks by Malayan battalions failed, forcing the British to destroy northern airfields to prevent capture. The defenders retreated from the beaches to Kota Bharu itself that night. As confusion engulfed British headquarters, Operation Krohcol commenced at 15:00. This scaled-down preemptive operation aimed to delay the Japanese invasion by securing and destroying the Ledge—a six-mile road carved through steep hillside with a sheer drop into a river. Blowing this section would severely impede enemy advance. The force consisted primarily of the 3/16th Punjab Regiment under Lieutenant Colonel Henry Moorhead, supplemented by engineers, traveling in Marmon-Herrington trucks provided by the Australian Motor Transport Company. Krohcol was undermanned from the start; the 5/14th Punjab Regiment and artillery battery failed to arrive on schedule, forcing the column to proceed without them. Crossing the border at Kroh, Indian troops encountered determined resistance from Thai police under Major Prayoon Rattanakit in Betong. These roadblocks delayed the Indian advance for two full days while Prayoon's officers simultaneously engaged Japanese forces at Patani. After several hours of combat, Japan and Thailand reached an armistice by midday, with Phibun granting Japan passage, though Thai forces remained neutral. Japanese forces at Patani, navigating poor roads but facing no opposition, began their advance toward the Ledge—approximately 60 miles distant—initiating a critical race against Krohcol to determine who would occupy this vital position first. Meanwhile, renewed fighting erupted at Kota Bharu as Japanese forces infiltrated around British strongpoints, causing alarm among commanders. By December 10, with the situation deteriorating, defenders received authorization to abandon Kota Bharu and withdraw south to Machang.   Just hours after the Pearl Harbor attack, Admiral Phillips ordered Force Z to intercept Japanese invasion forces in the South China Sea without air support. Phillips believed he could "finish quickly and escape to the east before the Japanese could organize a significant attack." Ten Brewster Buffaloes were assigned to support the fleet, but he departed without requesting their cover. Force Z failed to locate the Japanese fleet, which had moved northwest into the Gulf of Siam. By afternoon on December 9, Japanese submarine I-65 detected Force Z, followed by reconnaissance aircraft. When Phillips altered course toward Kuantan, crews grew complacent. Bert Wynn recalled shipboard conversation centered on sinking Japanese warships. A flag officer remarked to CBS correspondent Cecil Brown, "Oh, but they are Japanese. There's nothing to worry about." That evening, Brown questioned whether the British were overconfident given Pearl Harbor. Officers conceded theoretically but remained dismissive. One replied, "We just don't think the enemy is much good. They could not beat China for five years." At 11:00 AM on December 10, Japanese aircraft struck. Three waves of Nell and Betty bombers from Indochina, after more than five hours aloft, approached from the horizon. With no air support—Phillips had maintained radio silence—defense rested entirely on anti-aircraft batteries. Nells attacked at 12,000 feet, dropping 250 kg bombs. Repulse twisted violently, evading most, but one struck her seaplane deck, killing two dozen men instantly. At 11:30, seventeen Nells attacked at wave-top level, focusing on Prince of Wales. Nine aircraft divided their approach, flying below 100 feet from both bows. The ship's inexperienced anti-aircraft crews, hampered by inoperable radar from tropical humidity, struggled to track targets. Once torpedoes were released, the planes sped away, losing only one aircraft.   A single torpedo struck Prince of Wales near the outer propeller shaft. When restarted, water flooded engine room B. Auxiliary power failed, halting drainage and causing an 11.5-degree list to port. Her 5-inch guns became powerless; she slowed to 15 knots, severely crippled. At 12:20, twenty-six Bettys attacked in coordinated "anvil" assaults with simultaneous torpedo drops on both bows. Repulse evaded initially but two or three torpedoes found their mark. One crew member recalled, "Suddenly there was a massive explosion. I immediately knew we'd lost Repulse, for within seconds she took on a frightening list to port, so rapid no amount of counter flooding would save her." Captain's last order: "You've put up a good show, now save yourselves." At 12:23 PM, Repulse rolled over and sank stern-first, her enormous hull protruding vertically from the water. Men jumped into oil-blackened water; many drowned during hours of waiting while destroyer escorts frantically retrieved survivors. Cecil Brown described it as "a confusing, macabre game"—orange flames, white tracers, and gray aircraft "astonishingly close, like butterflies pinned on blue cardboard." With Repulse gone, bombers concentrated on the damaged Prince of Wales. At 12:44, a 500 kg bomb struck between her stacks where wounded crew sheltered, causing devastating casualties. Men ordered to abandon ship faced drowning if trapped below deck. Destroyers rushed in to save swimmers, though HMS Express nearly capsized in rescue efforts. Ten Buffaloes arrived as Prince of Wales sank—too late. One pilot recalled, "After an hour, lack of petrol forced me to leave, but during that hour I had seen many men in dire danger waving, cheering and joking, as if they were holiday-makers waving at a low-flying aircraft. It shook me, for here was something above human nature." In just over an hour, the battleship era ended: 47 British officers and 793 men perished, including Admiral Phillips. Repulse's captain later acknowledged, "The enemy's attacks were undoubtedly carried out magnificently and pressed home effectively. The high-level bombers maintained tight formation and did not veer off course." By December 10, Krohcol reached Betong, just 26 miles from the Ledge. However, a Japanese ambush caught them off-guard near the target, forcing retreat when they were only a mile away. The 5th Division's regiment reached the Ledge by midday, dealing the Indians significant casualties. By December 13, Krohcol was pushed back to Kroh, the operation failed. Meanwhile, the 5th Division advanced south from Singora toward Jitra. Major-General David Murray-Lyon commanded the 11th Indian Division's weak defensive positions at Jitra's road junction, unaware that the critical Alor Setar airfield had already been abandoned. His forces—6th Indian Brigade holding a 10-mile coastal sector, 15th Brigade covering the road, and 28th Brigade in reserve—had sent two delaying detachments on December 9. On December 11, Japanese tanks overwhelmed these covering battalions, inflicting heavy casualties. Murray-Lyon committed his reserves prematurely, leaving Alor Setar lightly defended. That night, Japanese tanks reached the main position north of Jitra, with the 5th Division following. Heavy fighting ensued between Japanese armor and demoralized Indian troops. British defenses penetrated around 06:00, forcing successive Indian units to be overrun. Murray-Lyon repeatedly requested withdrawal permission. At 19:30 on December 12, General Percival finally approved. Due to poor communication and confusion, the 11th Indian Division suffered heavy casualties but disengaged by December 13, withdrawing to Gurun. The primary British defenses in northern Malaya had been breached, the 11th Division severely weakened, and the Japanese advance down the peninsula had begun unstoppably. Percival's first significant defense occurred at Jitra on December 11th, intended to push the Japanese as far north as possible and protect remaining Allied airfields. The Japanese quickly overwhelmed the Indian defenders, and Colonel Tsuji observed the engagement firsthand: "Our tanks were ready on the road, and the twenty or so enemy armored cars ahead were literally trampled underfoot. The enemy armored cars could not escape by running away, and were sandwiched between our medium tanks. It was speed and weight of armor that decided the issue." Major General Murray-Lyon commanded the 11th Indian Division. A World War I veteran, he had served with distinction in the Highland Light Infantry, earning the Military Cross for bravery in Flanders and the Distinguished Service Order for his actions at Moeuvres. The citation stated: "For conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty. When the enemy attacked and penetrated the line after intense fighting and continual bombing attacks, by his courage and personal example he succeeded in driving them out and held his position against further heavy attacks with splendid coolness and determination." This was no desk officer, but a frontline commander faced with an impossible task. Murray-Lyon's division appeared formidable on paper but was severely compromised. It contained only two regular British battalions—the Leicestershire and East Surrey Regiments—with the remainder consisting of four newly raised Indian Army battalions and three inexperienced Gurkha battalions. The Gurkhas, though renowned as elite soldiers, were primarily composed of 18-year-old recruits fresh from deployment. Like all Allied forces in Malaya, the division lacked tanks while facing an enemy flush with armor. After only days of intense combat, Murray-Lyon sought permission to withdraw, convinced the Japanese forces greatly outnumbered him. Ironically, Yamashita's army was outnumbered two to one. The Japanese commander employed Blitzkrieg tactics inspired by his time as a military attaché in Berlin, coordinating air and ground forces with remarkable precision. His approach involved fast-moving tanks, bomber aircraft deployed as mobile artillery, and—most unusually—bicycle-mounted infantry. Prior to the invasion, Japanese planners decided bicycles were ideal for the tropical jungle terrain. Rather than shipping thousands, they seized bicycles from the local population. The offensive typically began with bombing raids on Allied defensive positions, followed by tanks smashing through. As defenders retreated, bicycle infantry continuously harassed and attacked, while coastal amphibious assaults flanked positions along the shore. Colonel Alfred Harrison of the 11th Indian Division reflected on the psychological toll: "Fatigue had stretched the men's mind to the limit and the moral ascendancy which the Japanese achieved in these few weeks included a psychic side. The troops were beginning to attribute almost supernatural powers to the Japanese." Yamashita had rehearsed these tactics extensively on Hainan Island, conducting exercises in amphibious landings, bridge destruction and repair, and jungle operations. The bicycle innovation proved revolutionary—troops covered greater distances more quickly with less fatigue, repeatedly outflanking British forces who found themselves pushed off roads and encircled. The rapid movements created a psychological multiplier effect; British commanders, mistaken about enemy numbers, believed they faced far larger forces than actually present. This "Bicycle Blitzkrieg," as it became known, echoed Mongol tactics—a single swift force striking multiple targets so quickly that enemies believed they faced several armies. Tanks were crucial to this success. The British had deployed no tanks to Malaya before the war, a fatal omission. Combined with bicycle infantry, Japanese armor allowed them to engage British forces before defensive positions could be established. Percival authorized withdrawal from Jitra, directing troops south to Gurun, but those defenses remained unfinished and the Japanese advance was too rapid. Percival later reflected in his memoir, War in Malaya: "This withdrawal would have been difficult under the most favorable conditions. With the troops tired, units mixed as the result of the fighting, communications broken and the night dark, it was inevitable that orders should be delayed and that in some cases they should never reach the addressees. This is what in fact occurred. The withdrawal, necessary as it may have been, was too fast and too complicated for disorganized and exhausted troops, whose disorganization and exhaustion it only increased." From the start, British forces stretched too thinly across a 14-mile front in challenging terrain—dense jungle on the right flank, monsoon-soaked rice fields and rubber plantations in the center, mangrove swamps to the left. Yamashita's concentrated attacks breached the line. Repeated retreats cost both personnel and equipment, as overrun positions offered no opportunity for evacuation and bicycle infantry prevented orderly withdrawal. The Jitra defeat exposed a fundamental strategic error: deploying under-resourced troops across Malaya's entire breadth rather than establishing a shorter, more defensible line further south, which could have shortened British supply lines while lengthening Japan's—a disadvantage the Japanese could not exploit. The Allied retreat continued southward to the Gurun area, though the chaotic withdrawal from Jitra itself inflicted more casualties than the fighting had—many frontline units never received withdrawal orders, while others became lost crossing the Bata River. Murray eventually fell back to the Muda River, establishing defensive positions along the Krian River some thirty miles south. Percival, increasingly desperate, realized his entire strategy had depended on holding the Japanese as far north as possible to minimize air threats to Singapore. The rapid Japanese advance made this impossible. Reluctantly, he ordered a general withdrawal south of the Perak River, while his field commanders pleaded for reinforcements they would never receive. Though Percival had an Australian division in Johor, he refused to commit them north, fearing a Japanese naval invasion further south could threaten Singapore itself.   As Yamashita's 25th Army advanced westward toward Penang, Japanese bombers subjected the island to daily raids. British command, recognizing the island as indefensible, evacuated European residents on December 17th—leaving the local Malay population to face the Japanese. Mrs Muriel Reilly's recollection captures the moment's bitter legacy: "it still hurts to think how the white race 'let down hundreds of similarly faithful servants who trusted in us, and looked to us for protection from the hated Japanese." The abandonment had strategic consequences. In their haste, the British left massive stockpiles of arms and supplies in Penang that fell directly into Yamashita's hands. More profoundly, local Malays turned against their former colonial rulers. Some historians now argue "the moral collapse of British rule in Southeast Asia occurred not at Singapore, but at Penang." Under subsequent Japanese occupation, Penang endured three years and eight months of hardship—food shortages, rampant hyperinflation from the "banana dollar," and systematic repression including comfort women camps and the Sook Ching massacres targeting Chinese communities the Japanese feared might become guerrillas.  The Japanese occupiers' fears about Chinese resistance were prescient. Among the Chinese communities of Malaya and Singapore, anti-Japanese sentiment had been building for over a decade. Since Japan's 1937 invasion of China, ethnic Chinese populations had viewed Tokyo with deep hostility. The Japanese invasion of Manchuria in 1931, followed by the escalating horrors of the Second Sino-Japanese War, had created a reservoir of determination to resist Japanese expansion wherever it might emerge. As British colonial authority crumbled, this sentiment transformed from passive resentment into active organization. The Battle of Jitra exposed a fundamental miscalculation: attempting to defend all of Malaya with an undersized army. A more strategic withdrawal to Johore would have shortened British supply lines while extending Japan's. As December ended, Murray-Lyon was dismissed from command—a casualty of circumstance. He had spent weeks preparing for the cancelled Operation Matador while neglecting proper defenses at Jitra and Gurun. At fifty-one, this decorated soldier, who had earned the Military Cross and Distinguished Service Order in the Great War, became a civilian during Britain's darkest hour. He was replaced by Brigadier Archibald Paris, equally inexperienced in jungle warfare, who paradoxically proved more effective by facilitating the retreat of Murray's division while inflicting unexpected casualties on overconfident Japanese units. By December 26th, the Japanese 5th Division and 4th Guards Regiment crossed the Perak River, preparing an assault on Kampar. This position was crucial—located halfway between Penang and Kuala Lumpur, its terrain was unsuitable for tanks and difficult to outflank, offering a rare opportunity to make a stand. Paris gathered infantry battalions, many composed of Jitra and Gurun survivors: British battalions from the Leicesters and East Surreys, along with Jat and Punjabi units including Sikhs. The 12th Brigade hastily dug trenches, strung wire, and cleared fields around Kampar's ridges to improve visibility. After three weeks of continuous fighting and retreat, the defenders' morale had collapsed. Colonel Alfred Harrison observed on Christmas Day: "fatigue had stretched the men's mind to the limit and the moral ascendancy which the Japanese had achieved in these few weeks included a 'psychic' side. The troops were beginning to attribute almost supernatural powers to the Japanese." The Japanese, by contrast, had grown accustomed to victory and approached each engagement with unshakeable confidence. Yamashita employed German-inspired tactics using aircraft as mobile artillery—vital in terrain where conventional gun placement was impossible. Engagements began with bombing raids on Allied positions, followed by frontal assaults to establish a line, then flanking maneuvers through jungle to encircle defenders. When the assault came from the western coastal roads, Japanese tanks struck the 12th Brigade along a three-mile rural stretch near Gopeng. Small arms and heavy machine gun fire erupted as infantry dismounted from trucks and spread into the brush. Some tanks advanced alone onto a bridge near Dipang, where they encountered defenders with Lanchester submachine guns and Bren gun carriers equipped with anti-tank rifles. Lt Colonel Ian Stewart noted the grim reality: "the anti-tank rifle made no impression against the Jap mediums, while their 37 mm guns went through our armour like paper." The Japanese tankers, closing their hatches in the oppressive subtropical heat—what they described as a "Turkish bath"—approached cautiously, aware of potential counterattacks. British defenders fired desperately at vision slits, their bullets ricocheting uselessly. A 2-pounder anti-tank gun destroyed a single tank, prompting Japanese armor to withdraw and wait for infantry support. Meanwhile, two hundred defenders on the opposite side prepared to destroy the bridge. Fortunately, Kampar's shallow water allowed most to wade across a mile downstream. Stewart's 12th Brigade had purchased time. The British established a strong perimeter around Kampar Hill, resembling a "goose egg" on the map. Their artillery, better supplied than the Japanese equivalent, was concealed in the jungle with two hundred rounds stacked beside each gun. The 15th/6th Brigades occupied the low ground where the road and railway ran through town. Unlike earlier battles where Japanese forces kept defenders pinned with close contact, Kampar's expansive fields of fire and terrain offered space to maneuver—a rare advantage the British would finally exploit. Major General Saburo Kawamura led the attack on Kampar with his 9th Brigade. On December 31st, he probed the 28th Gurkha Brigade entrenched on the hill. Japanese howitzer fire drew return artillery that effectively repelled their advances. At midnight on New Year's Eve, Lt. Colonel Augustus Murdoch ordered a 12-gun salute fired at the Japanese—perhaps a cheeky gesture. Seven hours later, Kawamura launched his main assault on the western side targeting the trunk road. The brunt fell on a newly formed British battalion, the Leicesters and East Surreys, under Lt. Colonel Esmond Morrison. The 48-year-old, though some dismissed him as a "polo-playing playboy," proved a serious soldier despite his peacetime reputation, frequently sharing front-line dangers with his men. Japanese infantry emerged from the mist carrying mortars. Mortar fire became intense—one casualty was a company commander whose jaw was shattered by a splinter. However, observation officers from the 88th Field Regiment pinpointed Japanese advances, unleashing devastating artillery fire. Colonel Masanobu Tsuji observed "a continuous stream of casualties coming back down the hill to safety, either carried on stretchers or supported on the shoulders of comrades who were themselves wounded." Japanese artillery pieces were covertly moved through secondary jungle to hide their positions. During the fighting, one of Morrison's lieutenants encountered Japanese soldiers in a trench, fired his revolver, and retreated. A gunnery driver named Walker, noticing a nearby Bren position overrun, exited his vehicle armed with a Thompson submachine gun and launched a surprise attack, forcing the Japanese to retreat—earning him a medal. Troop Sergeant Major Hugill, commanding an outlying observation post connected by field telephone, received a distinguished conduct medal for calmly calling in protective artillery fire while cut off. When the attack subsided, he encountered isolated Japanese soldiers who had captured a Vickers-Berthier machine gun. Hugill gathered five infantrymen and led a bayonet charge to reclaim it. Emergency commissioned officer Lt. Edgar Newland commanded a platoon of 30 men in one of the most forward positions. His platoon was surrounded for much of the battle yet successfully repelled numerous assaults over two consecutive days. General Percival specifically praised Newland and his men. Newland received a Military Cross; his platoon sergeant, Euan McDonald, received a distinguished conduct medal. After two days, Japanese forces captured part of Thompson's Ridge. Morrison ordered two platoons of Sikhs and Gujars to bayonet charge under mortar fire. Tragically, 34 soldiers died, including their 21-year-old commander, Charles Lamb, killed in the initial charge. Captain John Graham lost both legs to a grenade but continued encouraging his men, throwing grenades at Japanese trenches before bleeding to death—but they had retaken the position. Courage, artillery, and terrain proved insufficient. Yamashita decided to outflank Percival with seaborne landings on the Malayan west coast. He transported 40 small craft by rail to Alor Star and ordered landings near Telok Anson, 30 miles southeast of Kampar. If successful, he would cut off Percival's 11th Indian Division defending Kampar. Yamashita devised a three-pronged attack: the Imperial Guards Division would paddle down the Perak River into town; another force would approach from the west on landing craft entering from the opposite direction; a third would move up the Bernam River and march north toward Telok Anson. Lt. General Takuro Matsui commanded the landings. While Kampar held, 1,500 of Matsui's men crowded onto landing craft. One steamer towing ten craft went too far south, attempting the Selangor River defended by a Jat battalion with artillery. The Japanese were repelled, losing one to three craft before moving north. In Perak, four landing rafts ran aground on a sandbar and required rescue. A British patrol boat spotted them but left to report—no action followed. Percival later remarked: "unfortunately neither the navy nor the air force were able to take advantage of this unique opportunity." Despite setbacks, Japanese forces landed and advanced on Telok Anson. On January 2nd, they encountered the 3rd Indian Cavalry and 1st Independent Company under Stewart, equipped with armored cars and Thompson and Bren guns. They inflicted significant casualties but with only 250 men couldn't hold. Stewart ordered delaying actions instead. Telok Anson fell, leaving Kampar defenders at risk of encirclement. Although Kawamura's forces showed no signs of breaking after four days of fighting, Paris feared his main supply route had been cut. He requested permission from Percival to withdraw to the Slim River defensive line. Paris prioritized preserving troops over territory: "With no reserves in hand, we were still in a position of being unable to accept major losses." The 12th Brigade held while Paris organized the division's withdrawal. An unusual discovery emerged during delaying actions: Brigadier Stewart found the body of a dead European cyclist in British uniform. Earlier, a Punjabi sentry had shot a man on a bridge attempting to grab his Thompson. Both were likely German deserters from Vichy Indo-China's Foreign Legion, in contact with the Nazi embassy. The British Legation in Bangkok had warned of such infiltrators offering sabotage and espionage assistance. Percival was particularly struck by the German who tried single-handedly to disarm a sentry and seize a bridge. The 12th Brigade discovered another European body—a German political refugee and former mining engineer who had disappeared weeks earlier. Exhausted after three weeks of near-constant combat, the 12th Brigade continued delaying actions. Japanese air forces wreaked havoc on vehicles; Stewart estimated half his casualties—around 90 killed and wounded from 4,000 troops—resulted from aerial attacks. Stewart expressed satisfaction: "It had been an eminently successful battle," though it was more a series of brief skirmishes than traditional battle. Kampar fell when Telok Anson was captured. Percival might have committed Australian brigades from Johore or garrison battalions from Singapore, but concentrating forces at Kampar risked prompting Yamashita to attack elsewhere. The Kampar defenders retreated 30 miles to the Slim River. Tsuji reluctantly acknowledged Yamashita's breakthrough was impressive, if risky. On the east coast, defenders faced more resistance at Kuantan. Percival clung to the airfield, determined to deny the Japanese RAF facilities and limit their ability to strike at reinforcement convoys approaching Singapore. The first convoy from Bombay, carrying the half-trained 45th Brigade under Brigadier Horatio Duncan, was 24 hours away. The 22nd Indian Brigade, led by Brigadier George Painter, defended Kuantan against the Takumi detachment of the 18th Division. One battalion, commanded by a veteran of Kota Bharu, fortified the airfield with barbed wire and trenches. When Takumi's forces approached, the Japanese encountered 4.5-inch howitzer fire inflicting significant casualties. The defenders fought fiercely, each equipped with six grenades instead of two, creating deadly chaos. Tsuji noted the airfield "was obstinately defended," particularly at night when grenades rolled into confined trenches with devastating effect. Word reached the defenders that General Barstow's entire 9th Indian Division was retreating through Kuala Lipis-Jerantut-Raub. The 22nd Brigade demolished installations and prepared to withdraw, though their rearguard risked encirclement. One night, investigating his southern flank with Captain Ian Grimwood, battalion commander Cumming spotted Japanese soldiers climbing barbed wire meters away. Armed with a .455 Webley revolver, Cumming and Grimwood faced seven Japanese soldiers charging with bayonets. They fired as they were knocked down, killing all attackers, but Cumming suffered two bayonet wounds to his stomach. Grimwood dragged him to battalion HQ for first aid. As the airfield was overrun, Cumming ordered withdrawal. A grenade or mortar round knocked him unconscious. He regained consciousness in a vehicle where Private Albel Singh reported a Japanese roadblock ahead. Spotting a fallen tree creating passage, Cumming ordered Singh to charge through. Machine gun fire rained down; Cumming was hit again with a shattered arm, possibly from an anti-personnel mine, while Singh endured a .256 armor-piercing bullet through both thighs yet maintained control, driving 30 miles per hour. The vehicle arrived at brigade HQ covered in blood from six occupants. Cumming would receive the Victoria Cross for his heroism. Painter held the airfield long enough for reinforcements to approach, though it cost much of one of the best Indian battalions. Painter, fixated on flanking fears, believed it "better to lose half a battalion than an entire brigade." The 22nd Indian Brigade lost a third of its strength but retreated by January 3rd. While this unfolded eastward, Yamashita's forces advanced south. Defenders prepared a new defensive line at Trolak, five miles north of Slim River. Reinforcements had arrived; the 45th Brigade was immediately dispatched to repel the enemy's advance on Kuala Selangor, which held another crucial airfield. Whether defenders could withstand Yamashita's onslaught remained to be seen.   While British forces retreated in disarray toward Singapore, another chapter was quietly beginning in the shadows of the collapsing colonial order. On December 25, 1941—Christmas morning, even as Governor Young raised the white flag over Hong Kong—Chinese volunteers in Singapore formalized their resistance. That day, the Singapore Overseas Chinese Anti-Japanese Volunteer Army, officially known as Dalforce, was established under the command of Lieutenant Colonel John Dalley. Dalforce emerged from urgent necessity. As the Japanese invasion accelerated and British defenses crumbled, recruitment of local Chinese volunteers escalated dramatically. What had begun as an informal volunteer effort in 1939 now crystallized into organized military structure. The initial cadre of 200 volunteers swelled to 4,000 members as the invasion reached Singapore's doorstep. These were not professional soldiers—Dalforce members came from the Chinese civilian population, motivated by the knowledge that Japanese occupation would target them specifically. Many lacked military training; some were armed only with sporting firearms due to critical shortages of military weapons. Supply ships intended for Dalforce, such as the SS Empress of Asia, were sunk before their cargo could reach Singapore. Yet the volunteers pressed forward, organizing themselves despite severe handicaps: makeshift uniforms, inadequate equipment, and internal divisions between Communist and Kuomintang factions, each trained separately by British officers. Dalforce would soon earn the nickname "Dalley's Desperadoes" from British forces—a name reflecting both affection for their fierce combat effectiveness and incredulity that such a hastily assembled, poorly equipped force could fight with such determination. Unlike the demoralized British and Indian troops retreating southward, these Chinese volunteers were not defending a colonial order they had experienced as oppressive. They were fighting for their homes, their families, and their survival against an enemy they had every reason to fear and oppose. As the Malayan Campaign entered its final phase and the focus shifted to Singapore itself, Dalforce would play a role that British military historians had largely overlooked but that Chinese participants would never forget. I would like to take this time to remind you all that this podcast is only made possible through the efforts of Kings and Generals over at Youtube. Please go subscribe to Kings and Generals over at Youtube and to continue helping us produce this content please check out www.patreon.com/kingsandgenerals. If you are still hungry after that, give my personal channel a look over at The Pacific War Channel at Youtube, it would mean a lot to me.   In December 1941, Japan invaded Malaya. British commanders placed their faith in "impregnable" Singapore, but disaster struck immediately. On December 10, Japanese bombers sank Force Z—battleships Prince of Wales and Repulse—in a stunning air attack.Using tanks and bicycles in a lightning "Bicycle Blitzkrieg," Japanese troops shattered Allied lines at Kota Bharu and Jitra, sending exhausted British, Indian, and Australian forces reeling southward in chaos.  

Welcome to Season 6, Episode 37! Our guest today is Cassandra Lam, the Founder of Mama Lam's, the first American business to produce, package, and distribute a Malaysian curry paste. Raised in New York City, Cassandra launched the company to create a taste of their homeland in their new home in America. We were inspired to learn about how their self-funded, self-produced venture could take the various sauces and authentic flavors that Mama Lam made at home to create a unique taste that honors their Malaysian heritage for anyone to try. Since launching their Malaysian Traditional Medium Curry Paste in 2016, they've also added a peanut satay paste, a sambar belecan (aka hot sauce), chili oil, and pandan kaya. They even have several vegan variations too! You can order directly from their website or find them through their store locator. They're sold through about 137 locations across the U.S. Once you get some of their high quality sauces, then you can visit their Recipes page to see how others are using them.  In our conversation we talk about how they got their start, expansion of products, some of the challenges of scaling to sell consumer packaged goods, difficulties with creating vegan versions, plans for focusing on different cities, and so much more. To learn more about Mama Lam's authentic Malaysian sauces, you can visit their website mamalams.com, follow them on instagram @mamalams, purchase some of their sauces, and even just get inspired by their recipe section. Enjoy the conversation.  If you like what we do, please share, follow, and like us in your podcast directory of choice or on Instagram @AAHistory101. For previous episodes and resources, please visit our site at https://asianamericanhistory101.libsyn.com or our links at http://castpie.com/AAHistory101. If you have any questions, comments or suggestions, email us at info@aahistory101.com.

Kyle and Wayne chat with Hendra Wardi, co-creator of the hit Malaysian comedy animation, Kisah Bawah Tanah. Hendra shares the journey of creating an animation inspired by Malaysian folklore and most importantly, ghost stories from Malaysia, Singapore, Japan and even Africa!►THIS EPISODE'S HORROR RECOMMENDATIONS:Kisah Bawah TanahWatch Kisah Bawah Tanah on NetflixFollow Kisah Bawah TanahGhostbusters (1984)Silent Hill 2 (2001)True Singapore Ghost Stories►DEAD AIR CREDITS:Wayne Rée - Host / WriterKyle Ong - Host / Director / ProducerJoline Lim - Art DirectorElla May Walker - Camera Operator / Art AssistantIman - Camera Operator / Art Assistant►SUPPORT & FIND US HERE:HANTU InstagramHANTU YouTubeHANTU TikTokHANTU FacebookHANTU TwitterHANTU WebsiteHANTU Patreon ►MUSIC CREDITS:Kevin Macleod: https://incompetech.comMyuu: https://www.youtube.com/user/myuujiArtlist: https://artlist.io/ ►EQUIPMENTS:Dead Air is shot on Nikon ZRs & recorded on Audio-Technica Mics.#horror #horrorpodcast #wearehantu #hantusg #deadair #ghostmaps Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This episode is a supplementary full interview with Professor Helena Varkkey from Episode 3 of the Edible Empire podcast series. Here, we trace the global impact of the palm oil industry from its indigenous roots to modern supply chains. Dr Helena Varkkey then unpacks the political economy of Malaysian production, exposing how entrenched relationships between political elites and conglomerates shield the industry from regulation. Helena critiques the effectiveness of voluntary sustainability certification schemes like the RSPO and debates whether palm oil can ever be truly sustainable at scale.Resources from this interview:https://seapeat.wixsite.com/homehttps://cgsea.org/https://umexpert.um.edu.my/helenavTo view all the links to the websites and documents, visit the show notes on our website.Please support our work and enable us to deliver more content by buying us a coffee or becoming a member of Athletes for Nature.Follow us on Instagram and Facebook, subscribe to this podcast, and share this episode with your friends and family.

DBS is facing a lawsuit seeking around $1.3 billion in damages linked to the 1MDB scandal. The claim was filed by liquidators of four companies trying to recover money tied to the Malaysian state fund. DBS has rejected the claim and says it will fight the lawsuit. So why is DBS being drawn into the 1MDB saga more than a decade later, and what could this mean for the bank? On The Big Story, Hongbin Jeong speaks to Soh Wee Boon, Trading Representative, UOB Kay Hian to find out more.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week on the pod, Seth and Josh welcome Jon Cryer and Lisa Joyner! They chat about the very different paths that brought them to their careers including Lisa's podcast, Plus One, and Jon's Broadway run in The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee. Lisa opens up about being adopted, searching for her birth family, discovering her Malaysian heritage, and connecting with relatives she never knew she had. Jon reflects on growing up on the Upper East Side, his Broadway family background, and the unique experience of being raised around the theater. They also share stories from their extensive travels, including a life-changing trip to India for a potable water project, meeting the King of Jodhpur, and navigating some unexpected adventures along the way. Watch this episode on the Family Trips YouTube or Spotify, or listen wherever you get your podcasts! Watch more Family Trips episodes: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLlqYOfxU_jQem4_NRJPM8_wLBrEEQ17B6 00:00 Introduction with Seth Meyers and Josh Meyers02:00 Edinburgh Fringe Memories05:32 Tech Support for Mom and Dad11:04 Meet John Cryer and Lisa Joyner15:10 Broadway Life in NYC21:47 Lisa Adoption and Finding Family39:14 Bonus Sister Moves In40:26 Sibling Fights and Trauma42:37 Vacations Growing Up45:52 India Charity Trip Chaos52:34 Bollywood and Water Station01:01:00 Malaysia Roots and Speed Round01:11:23 Grand Canyon Debate01:12:38 Farewell and Wrap Up Support our sponsors: Cologuard If you're 45 or older and at average risk, talk to your healthcare provider about screening for colon cancer and ask if Cologuard Plus could be right for you. You can also request a Cologuard prescription online today at https://Cologuard.com Ethos Get your free quote at https://ethos.com/trips IQ Bar Text TRIPS to 64000 to get twenty percent off all IQBAR products, plus FREE shipping. Message and data rates may apply. Whisker Get ten percent off a Whisker Litter-Robot at https://whisker.com/TRIPS Mint Mobile To get your new wireless plan for just 15 bucks a month, go to https://mintmobile.com/trips Upfront payment of: $45 for 3-months, $90 for 6-months, or $180 for 12-months, plan required, $15 per month equivalent. Taxes & fees extra. Initial plan term only. Greater than 50GB may slow when network is busy. Includes up to 20GB hotspot. Capable device required. Availability, speed & coverage varies. See MintMobile.com. Song Title - Strawberry StrawberryParody of - Cherry Cherry by Neil Diamond Josh Meyers performs “Strawberry Strawberry,” a parody of Neil Diamond's “Cherry Cherry,” weaving Jon Cryer and Lisa Joyner's family stories into a playful musical trip down memory lane—from military-family moves and Trailways upgrades to a luxurious trip to India, an unexpected water-station celebrity, and Lisa discovering a sibling named Strawberry. Family Trips is produced by Rabbit Grin Productions. Theme song written and performed by Jeff Tweedy. About the Show: Lifelong brothers Seth Meyers and Josh Meyers ask guests to relive childhood memories, unforgettable family trips, and other disasters! New Episodes of Family Trips with the Meyers Brothers are available every Tuesday. Executive Producers: Rob Holysz, Jeph Porter, Natalie Holysz Creative Producer: Sam Skelton Coordinating Producer: Derek Johnson Video Editor: Josh Windisch Mix & Master: Josh Windisch Episode Artwork: Analise Jorgensen Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Following a viral debut on ERA FM, Wirabot shares how Malaysian enterprises can easily test humanoid robots and robot dogs, while preparing next-gen tech talent through WIRA Academy. Wirabot Sdn Bhd City: Petaling Jaya Address: Unit 705, Block A, Pusat Dagangan, Phileo Damansara Il, Website: https://wirabot.com/ Phone: +60 19 222 0019 Email: hello@wirabot.com

This week, our Host, Thilan Wickramasinghe opens to rising geopolitical and inflation risk, with US-Iran attacks in the Straits of Hormuz prompting Goldman to flag possible USD120 oil, alongside a stronger US jobs print stoking Fed rate hike odds. Against this backdrop, the team hunts for structural winners in Singapore.The show leads with our Bank's Analyst Desmond Ch'ng's roundup of Malaysian banks post-results, covering 1H26's pressure points, the 2027 outlook, and his top picks.Next up is our new initiation on Keppel Corp, where our REITs and Industrials Analylst, Krishna, argues it's no longer the conglomerate investors grew up with. He rates it BUY, citing its asset-light shift toward asset management, broad AI/data centre infrastructure exposure, planned divestments, and dividends rising from 42 to 49 cents by FY28. Execution risk remains the key watch item.In the terms of tech, our analyst Jarick discusses two small caps: Addvalue, where a new USD5m order and a US government-linked partnership underpin his BUY despite a 35% one-month rally, and IsoTeam, addressing FY26 misses, project delays, the stalled drone-painting catalyst, and whether the stock offers value now.Finally, our Telcos Analyst Hussaini Saifee examines Foodpanda-Grab dynamics, arguing the real question is who ends up owning Foodpanda, not whether it survives — pointing to Singapore's two-player market as proof of its strategic value. He outlines three buyer scenarios (Uber, ShopeeFood, Meituan), notes the main risk sits in Grab's Deliveries segment rather than its sturdier Mobility business, flags currency and Uber-stake overhangs, but keeps a BUY given resilient growth and a ~33% YTD share price decline.Wishing you a profitable trading week ahead!

FEARLESS, ALWAYS EVOLVING. Michelle Yeoh, the Malaysian actress born in 1962, is considered to be one of the greatest female action movie stars. In a career spanning over four decades, she has acted in film and television productions covering a wide range of genres and received various accolades. Yeoh gained global recognition in the James Bond film Tomorrow Never Dies (1997) and starred in Ang Lee's Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000). Her versatility continued in Memoirs of a Geisha (2005) and The Lady (2011), a biopic about Aung San Suu Kyi. In 2023 she became the first Asian performer to win the Academy Award for Best Actress for Everything Everywhere All at Once (2022) and she received the Honorary Golden Bear for lifetime achievement at the 76th Berlin International Film Festival in February, 2026. "When I set out to do a movie, the main intention is to do a good movie, to be very satisfied that it's something that you will be proud of." "The movies and the characters that I have done are not the same, and I tried my very best to do that so that I am constantly evolving and learning." "I do believe that the harder you work, the luckier you become, so that when the opportunity does arise you are prepared for it." https://www.alainelkanninterviews.com/michelle-yeoh

Most people who follow Malaysian equities know John Huo as the author of Malaysian Multibaggers — the book that breaks down why some stocks turn a company worth RM60 million into one worth RM13 billion, while others sit flat for a decade. But the story that opens this episode isn't from his research. It's personal: a CEO he interviewed as a young financial journalist back in 2011, when the company barely registered. He wrote it off. By 2023, that same company was worth over RM13 billion. He still hasn't forgiven himself for it. In this episode, John breaks down the actual mechanics behind Malaysia's biggest stock winners — not vague investing wisdom, but industry-specific economics: why export exposure is non-negotiable, how to read a quarterly report like a professional instead of just checking the share price, and the five competitive moats that separate a real multibagger from a company that just got lucky for one quarter. He also unpacks how he built his own AI research stack using Claude and Gemini, why some of Malaysia's best-run companies will probably never be multibaggers, and what it actually takes — in hours, not just capital — to find the next one yourself. TL/DW of the episode: → From RM60 million to RM13 billion: the company he passed on as a journalist in 2011 → The 3 non-negotiable rules of a multibagger: skin in the game, export driven, and a real catalyst → The 5 economic moats that actually protect a business — and why the glove industry lost theirs → Reading quarterly disclosures like a professional: the "watch the announcement" method → Is Google still a buy, and could it really 10x from here? → What separates a genuine value trap from a stock that's just temporarily out of favor → How he built his own AI research workflow with Claude, Gemini, and Perplexity John Huo, Investor, Business owner and author of Malaysian Multibaggers: Inside the Companies That Delivered 10–100x Returns on Bursa Follow John here: URL: https://johnhuo.com/ Linkedin:   / johnhuo  

Global data-centre politics increasingly separates credible infrastructure from speculative megaprojects. In Perak's Sungai Samak Estate, five development parcels are framed around land availability, on-site renewable power, water resources and connectivity, answering investor demand for resilient, sustainable digital infrastructure in Malaysia and Southeast Asia's AI economy. Sungai Samak Estate City: Kuala Lumpur Address: 2 Jalan Sempurna off Jalan Gombak Website: https://sgsamak.com

Rebecca Maria Goldschmidt speaks with Norma Hashim and Dr. Nazari Ismail from the Hashim Sani Center for Palestine Studies at Universiti Malaya in Kuala Lumpur in this two-part podcast with solidarity activists from Malaysia. Hashim and Dr. Ismail share reflections on almost two decades of grassroots organizing with BDS Malaysia and Viva Palestina Malaysia. They discuss the recent closure of The Network School, an experimental project in “tech zionism”, and other successful campaigns to divest from Israeli companies. The Malaysian consumer boycott of Starbucks led to the closure of over 45+ locations. Their McDonald's boycott sparked a viral legal battle, and the struggle continues against complicit corporations like Google, Amazon, Caterpillar, and resource extraction companies that serve the Pentagon, including the Australian rare earth miner Lynas. Alongside their advocacy work, Hashim shares updates from daily relief work to support communities in Gaza, who continue to survive in the unbearable living conditions. The post People Power w/ Norma Hashim & Dr. Nazari Ismail of BDS Malaysia appeared first on CounterPunch.org.

Most people know Dato' Sri Francis Lee for his work in the food and beverage industry, but his second act as an automotive titan is where the real high-stakes drama unfolded. Transitioning into the car business in the late 90s, he partnered with industry veterans to build Hyundai into the #1 non-national car brand in Malaysia, only to orchestrate a strategic exit to Sime Darby in 2004. From securing the iconic Mazda franchise on the first day of Chinese New Year to experiencing a literal misaligned disaster with early Chinese imports in 2005, Dato' Francis has seen every cycle of the automotive industry. Under his leadership, Bermaz Auto grew into a dividend-darling powerhouse, mastering the delicate balance of brand prestige, residual value, and exceptional after-sales service. In Part 2 of this exclusive interview, Dato' Sri Francis Lee tackles the most pressing issue in the auto industry today: the Chinese EV invasion. He breaks down the brutal realities of market dumping, why the Malaysian government instituted the RM200,000 CIF floor price policy, and how legacy brands are fighting back. Plus, he reveals why Bermaz chose to partner with tech-forward Xpeng and shares his vision for a future filled with autonomous and flying cars. TL/DW of the episode: → The Hyundai Hustle: How Berjaya made Hyundai the #1 non-national car in Malaysia by 2004 and the strategic sale to Sime Darby → Early China Car Disasters: The hilarious (and costly) story of importing Chinese cars in 2005 that only swerved left → The Mazda Miracle: Securing the franchise in Bangkok and ordering the first batch of cars during a Chinese New Year dinner → Surviving the EV Price War: Why Chinese EV dumping is destroying resale values and how legacy brands are responding → The RM200,000 CIF Policy Explained: Why the government stepped in to regulate imported EVs and protect local investments → The Xpeng Partnership: Why Bermaz chose AI, autonomous driving, and flying cars for its EV strategy → Business Philosophy: Prioritizing sustainable volumes, consistent shareholder dividends, and employee welfare over aggressive market share

Welcome to RIMScast. Your host is Justin Smulison, Business Content Manager at RIMS, the Risk and Insurance Management Society.   In this episode, Justin interviews Cari Stinebower about sanctions as an enterprise risk management issue. They discuss the holistic view of the maritime space and enterprise risk. They cover aspects of the Terrorism Risk Insurance Act (TRIA) and how insurance companies, brokers, and reinsurers work with the U.S. Government to mitigate terrorism risk.   Listen for advice on keeping your organization compliant with respect to sanctions and terrorism risk.   Key Takeaways: [:01] About RIMS and RIMScast. [:16] About this episode of RIMScast. We will discuss geopolitical risk, sanctions, and TRIA with Cari Stinebower, a partner in the Washington, D.C. office of Steptoe. But first… [:42] RIMS-CRMP Virtual Workshops. RIMS will partner with PARIMA for the RIMS-CRMP on September 1st and 2nd for a two-day virtual workshop. Registration links are in this episode's show notes. [:55] Also on the webinars page, you will see a two-part series hosted by the RIMS Membership Department. The "Classroom to Career" webinar series highlights how RIMS equips students with the knowledge, skills, and connections needed to thrive in risk management careers. [1:10] Participants will gain insights into industry trends, career pathways, and practical tools that help them confidently step into the evolving world of risk management after graduation. These sessions will be hosted on September 1st and 9th. [1:24] These sessions are member exclusives and are complimentary for RIMS members, of course. So, if you are interested in becoming a member, this would be the time. Visit RIMS.org/membership. [1:34] Webinars: On September 17th, AXA XL returns to present the session, "Beyond the Loss Count: What Property Claims Reveal About Frequency, Severity, and Resilience." [1:46] On October 1st, Brown and Brown will make their RIMS Webinar debut with "The Future of Captives: What Risk Managers Should Think About Now." Visit RIMS.org/Webinars to register. [1:59] RIMS is back on YouTube. Our handle is @RIMSOfficialChannel. We've got plenty of videos there, including RIMScast, RIMScast Canada video podcasts, and other informative and entertaining content from RIMS. Subscribe to the channel today! [2:17] On with the Show! Our guest today is Cari Stinebower. She is a partner at Steptoe in Washington, D.C., and a former U.S. Department of the Treasury and Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) Attorney-Adviser. [2:32] Cari focuses her practice on regulatory risk where U.S. National Security and Foreign Policy objectives intersect with cross-border business. [2:39] We will talk about fraud, money laundering detection, and cybersecurity, and how this can be connected to the Terrorism Risk Insurance Act (TRIA). [2:50] We'll also talk about how international sanctions can impact any organization, and why risk managers should be strategizing now, if they haven't already. There is so much to discuss!  Let's get to it! [3:04] Interview! Cari Stinebower, welcome to RIMScast! [3:24] Cari says she was at OFAC at an interesting time. She came in after a Hill job doing the campaign finance cleanup for the Democrats for three years, from 1996 to 1999. [3:38] Cari says that OFAC sank their teeth into anti-money laundering and the detection of fraud and corruption. When Cari joined Treasury as an analyst within OFAC, they slotted her into a position focused on counter-narcotics work, and also on the Milošević tribunal. [4:03] Cari says there was lots of work to do and not enough staff to do it. Everyone ot OFAC had then, and still has, multiple portfolios. Cari was splitting between Milošević and counter-narcotics work. [4:20] Cari says she spent a lot of time in Colombia working with banks and the Colombian government on anti-money laundering, focused on the cartels. The drug dealers were very sophisticated and were spectacular at establishing front companies and money laundering. [4:54] Cari says it was a very good lesson for what was to come through the counter-terrorism work. The Colombian narcotics traffickers and their front companies were light-years ahead on money laundering techniques and sanctions evasion. [5:44] Cari says in Colombia, at that time, the narcotics traffickers were excellent businessmen. It was such a lucrative career that they had to find ways to wash the cash. They were buying agricultural businesses, tourism businesses, pharmacies; anything they could to launder cash. [6:18] Cari says they could have been fabulous businessmen if they had gone legitimate. She says some of them tried. [6:32] Cari says 9/11 happened, so the world changed overnight. Cari switched from a counter-narcotics focus to a counter-terrorism focus. [6:44] They started chasing the money. Who was the source of the funds? Where was it going? Which financial institutions were involved? Were they doing it knowingly? Were they being used by governments? Were they being used by "charities"? How is it flowing? [7:03] Cari says that became her focus at OFAC for the next five years after 0/11, before she hopped into the private sector. [7:39] Justin asks about sanctions against nations. Cari says the old way Treasury used to do sanctions was by jurisdiction. A jurisdiction would be identified as prohibited, off-limits for U.S persons, meaning individuals and entities. [8:01] Any funds, transactions, or contracts that came into the possession or control of the U.S. person or entity would, by operation of law, be blocked or frozen; the title remained with the sanctioned party, but the U.S. person or entity had to freeze it and report it to the Treasury. [6:26] The original sanctions on Iran were jurisdictional, based on the government, based on persons located within the jurisdiction of Iran. The Department of the Treasury was aggressive in pursuing enforcement actions. [8:44] Financial institutions were sanctioned with multi-million-dollar penalties. The world started to voluntarily comply. It was U.S. driven initially, but European financial institutions and some of the Emirati financial institutions got on board and complied with the sanctions. [9:20] The Departments of the Treasury and Justice used a clause within the underlying statute for the Iran sanctions that allowed penalties to be imposed on non-U.S. financial institutions that were causing a U.S. bank to process transactions on behalf of the sanctioned party. [9:43] That was the line of the European banking cases that came out. Cari says banks were penalized from 2005 through 2015, which pretty much swept in everyone. [9:56] That was the modern buildout of the compliance program where the U.S. established it was applying its sanctions requirements not only to U.S. persons but to non-US. persons where they could also identify a nexus. [10:12] The favorite nexus was the use of U.S. dollars through the clearing system. Sanctions exploded. It was identifying ways to reach non-U.S. parties through the use of dollars, servers located in the U.S., call centers, approvals, or whatever they could, as a hook to get U.S. nexus. [10:51] Justin asks about sanctions against Russia, Iran, and North Korea. Cari says North Korea has sort of fallen off. There's a big focus on North Korea's use of forced labor. They've also been active in cyberspace and ransomware. [11:20] Cari says we don't see North Korea as often as we see Iran, Russia, and, to a certain degree, Cuba. It depends on the administration. For a while, Venezuela was really hot, from an anti-corruption, anti-money-laundering perspective, rather than a sanctioned invasion. [11:46] Justin speaks of the latest AML bill, passed in 2023. Cari says the big overhaul was under the Patriot Act, which updated and modernized the Bank Secrecy Act. It also updated and modernized the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA), OPEC's big statute. [12:09] Cari says there have been updates since. When you hear M&A partners or private equity guys talking, they often refer back to the Patriot Act. The Patriot Act becomes this overarching term for updates to the AML laws and regulations. [12:48] Cari says there has been a growing evolution of the anti-corruption, anti-bribery statutes, the anti-money-laundering statutes, the sanctions world, and the adjacents like the whistleblower protections and the Terrorism Risk Insurance Act. [13:09] Cari says all of these components are part of this growing collective focus on upgrading U.S. Government abilities to protect against threats to national security and the economy. [13:32] Justin says risk managers are accustomed to thinking about operational and financial risks, but sanctions can feel like a legal issue. Part of the problem is you may have a legal officer who is not a risk manager or a risk manager who is not a legal officer. [13:48] Justin asks, When should sanctions become an Enterprise Risk Management issue? Cari says, looking at OFAC's enforcement actions, sanctions should always be an Enterprise Risk Management focus. [14:04] It's very easy for the bad guys to take advantage of a business if it's siloed. The easiest way to detect a problem, whether it's financial sanctions evasion or exposure to corruption, is if the enterprise is looking holistically at its business, its counterparties, and its transactions. [14:26] Cari says, when we're working with clients on building a global compliance policy or procedure, we keep telling them that it's better to have a holistic view of the business, customers, and geography. [14:43] Not only geographic risk, customer risk, or service risk, but also across the regulatory schemes. If you have sanctions exposure somewhere in your enterprise, you're also likely going to have an anti-money-laundering issue, a corruption issue, and/or an export controls issue.  [15:06] Cari says when you're building out compliance, you want to have a 1,000-foot view of the business units, your customers, your geographies, and the regulatory components, so that you can take advantage of what you may be seeing in one area. It's silos that cause the problems. [15:26] A Quick Break! Many fantastic RIMS events are coming up in 2026. The 11th Annual Chicagoland Risk Forum will return to the Old Post Office on Thursday, September 24th, 2026. Visit ChicagolandRiskForum.org for more information. [15:42] The RIMS Western Regional Conference will be held from October 4th through the 7th in Seattle, Washington. The agenda is live, and registration is open. Visit RIMSWesternRegional.com and the link in this episode's show notes for more information. [15:59] Save the dates: October 18th through the 21st. In Quebec City, we will be hosting the 50th Annual RIMS Canada Conference. Booth sales are open, and sponsorship opportunities are still available. Visit RIMSCanadaConference.ca for more information. [16:16] Also, remember to check out RIMS.org/Canada for our spinoff show, RIMScast Canada, hosted by National Conference Committee Chair, Aaron Lukoni. [16:27] The RIMS ERM Conference 2026 will be held on November 19th and 20th in Columbus, Ohio. Registration is open. Visit RIMS.org/ERM2026. [16:40] We're already looking to RISKWORLD 2027, which will be held over four days in New Orleans, Louisiana, from April 18th through the 21st! [16:50] RIMS members can exclusively register by September 4th for the best rate. And get first access to the hotel block. Hotel reservations open on October 28th, ahead of public registration. Sitting this out is the real risk! The link to registration is in this episode's show notes. [17:10] Let's Return to Our Interview with Cari Stinebower! [17:26] Cari says an example of sanctions risk is Iranian oil or Venezuelan oil. Typically, the pattern is you have a Greek shipment manager under charter to deliver oil and gas to China.  The Bill of Lading says the cargo is of Omani origin or Malaysian blend. [18:08] It looks clean. They have all the sanctions exclusions language in the Charter Agreement; the insurers, the reinsurers, and the P&I quotes have all established that the vessel cannot carry Iranian cargo. The documents say it's Omani or Malaysian, and off you go. [18:28] Then you get a call from the U.S. State Department or the Treasury Department saying you've got Iranian cargo on board. The U.S. Government typically knows that because they're using satellite tracking software. They know that the cargo was loaded by ship-to-ship transfer. [18:58] If you go back through the satellite imagery, you can see that it's happened probably two or three times, and when the vessel called on the Omani port that was supposed to be the source of the cargo, it came in at the same draft as it left. Calling on the port was clearly a ruse. [19:34] When you get to the financial payments, that's where you have the money laundering side, and you can see that the Omani seller of the cargo is just a front company with a brand new website, secretly run by the Revolutionary Guard. [19:56] Cari says that when we start talking about the compliance policies and procedures, it's not good enough just to rely on the Bill of Lading. The expectation is that you're going to be doing something a little deeper. [20:11] In 2019, the Department of Justice started to pursue a lot of ship owners and ship managers for carrying Iranian cargo. Sometimes it was Iranian cargo going to Venezuela or going to China. [20:32] In a decent batch of those cases, the ship owners or ship managers would be contacted by the U.S. Government and agree that the Government was right and ask what they could do not to get sanctioned. [20:51] Cari says there were a series of cases where the ships were brought to the U.S. and the cargo was sold by the U.S. Government, with the proceeds going to the Victims of Terrorism Fund, for parties who registered with the Special Master and were entitled to a pro rata share. [21:20] That was the U.S. Government's solution to what to do with all this cargo that they can seize, and they had been seizing, under the Foreign Terrorist Organization Statute. We're now seeing the same focus on the narcotics trafficking cartels in Mexico, Brazil, and Venezuela. [21:46] Cari says, You see the evolution of the U.S. Government's thinking over the years, how the Iranian oil cases are now relevant to countering narcotics trafficking caused by the cartels in South America. [22:00] Justin asks about supply chain risk and sanctions-related risks companies may overlook when they evaluate suppliers. Cari says the supply chain, particularly when you're dealing with raw materials or manufacturers coming out of China, has been an issue for a long time. [22:29] Cari says it's not difficult for a U.S. importer who's bringing in parts and components for widgets to know that their manufacturer or warehouse in China is who they say they are. That's easy enough. [22:48] Where we see issues is when the Chinese manufacturer subcontracts to second or third parties, who ostensibly are also compliant, but it becomes difficult in a more opaque jurisdiction like China to do the tracing down to the actual mine or source of the raw materials. [23:14] That leads up to the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act (UFLPA), which has forced companies to look at supply chains where there's a Chinese component, for several years. [23:31] Where are the raw materials coming from? Do you know where all of the raw materials are coming from, or do you just know where some are? Under the UFLPA, companies were particularly focused on identifying those risks in China. [23:50] Cari says, under the first Trump Administration, and under the Biden Administration, you started to see a lot of companies moving away from sole-sourcing goods from China, specifically because of that risk. [24:02] The National Drug Control Strategy Report that came out in May 2026 is digging deep into supply chain issues. [24:13] It says two things: first, that the U.S. Government needs to act as a whole. The Departments of Justice, Treasury, and Homeland Security need to work together on tackling supply chain issues and addressing where the gaps are. [24:35] Supply chains are being exploited, not only by narcotics traffickers, but across the board. [24:41] The report is also telling businesses that it's not enough to have an OFAC sanctions compliance program where you screen your counterparties against the SDN list. [24:54] There's an expectation for businesses to go deeper, using analytics and AI, looking at their records, and knowing who the suppliers of their suppliers are. [25:17] The expectation is for businesses to step up their game, but also for the U.S. Government to partner with businesses to figure out how to do that. [25:35] Cari says we've also been telling other jurisdictions, like those in the Caribbean and South America, that this is a really good opportunity. [26:44] The first Trump Administration, the Biden Administration, and the second Trump Administration have said to stop sole-sourcing in China. Let's near-shore and friend-shore, and let's bring business and infrastructure back to the Western Hemisphere. [26:00] Cari says we're starting to see jurisdictions offer tax incentives for setting up manufacturing spaces, or finding ways to invest in the United States to bring back manufacturing. [26:14] Cari says the big issue of late has been how to bring shipbuilding back to the United States. Is there a way to do it in Latin America without relying on China as the major shipyard? [26:29] Those issues are interesting because they trigger a series of other questions: cost of labor, sourcing raw materials, and more. It's a longer-term problem. If you're building out your supply chain nose-to-tail, it's going to require a more transparent jurisdiction than China. [26:52] One more Quick Break! RIMS, The Foundation for Risk ManagementTM, is dedicated to shaping the future of the profession. By making a contribution, you are strengthening the global risk management community and investing in the future of the industry. [27:11] The Foundation also supports the Spencer Educational Foundation but has a different mission. The Foundation focuses on providing opportunities for those professionals who have already decided to enter risk management and are just getting started. [27:26] You can learn more about the Foundation by visiting www.RIMS.org/FRM.  While you're there, be sure to check out information about the Susan Meltzer Scholarship Fund, which was established to honor Ms. Meltzer, who was RIMS President in 1999 and 2000. [27:44] Susan Meltzer was a cherished RIMS President and contributed so much to RIMS and the greater risk community. Learn more at RIMS.org/FRM. [27:53] Let's return to our interview with Cari Stinebower! [28:14] Justin asks if other countries sanction the United States or U.S. companies. Cari says it has become a new trend. The jurisdictions doing it are China, with the National Security Law; Russia, identifying Hostile Jurisdictions that have imposed sanctions against Russia. [29:12] Cari says it's a quid pro quo. Ukraine has a sanctions program against entities that do business with Russia. Canada and Europe are well-known for their Blocking Statutes. [29:48] They have Antidote Sanctions that prohibit their nationals from complying with the U.S.'s Cuba Sanctions. Those jurisdictions see the U.S. sanctions on Cuba as territorial. There is a quid pro quo. [30:08] Sometimes it triggers conflict-of-law issues, and companies have to decide how and when they're going to comply with which set of sanctions. [30:46] Cari says, if you don't have a holistic view of which jurisdictions you're operating in, and where your U.S. nationals are located, there's no way to build out a robust, comprehensive sanctions program. [31:01] If you have a U.S. person located in or in a business position in Canada, you wouldn't want them dealing with the Canadian company's Cuba business. You need to know where they are located in advance so you can protect the U.S. person. [31:27] Justin notes that RIMS is a global society. Canada is the second-largest RIMS membership base. [31:40] Justin says there's so much due diligence to be done. You have to vet the company you're going to be doing business with and do your second- and third-tier supply chain risk management deep dive to make sure that everything is above board. [32:02] Cari says there are many examples where the Canadian Government has aggressively stepped up its sanctions components. The Canadian sanctions on Russian targets may be more aggressive than the U.S. or EU sanctions on Russia. [32:19] If you have a financial institution or insurance company based in Canada, but operating in the U.S. and the EU, because they're complying with the Canadian sanctions, they're blocking transactions that a U.S. party wouldn't have to block. [32:44] You want to know what the entire web of sanctions regulations is before you figure out who your business parties are and how you're going to navigate something. [32:55] Justin surmises that a small company without a dedicated risk professional would need to reach out to a company like Steptoe. Cari agrees; a lot of people will use a law firm and a consultant to build out their compliance programs or to do the risk analysis. [33:13] Cari says, then they will either find someone in-house or outsource it to a consultant or a specialist to keep costs down. [33:23]  Cari says, we also see this pop up in Mergers & Acquisitions. One of the things that is often difficult is that they will see the compliance function either as redundant or as a cost center, and not as a profit center. [33:47] The guidance is always: Don't save costs by getting rid of your Compliance function, because it will cost you money in the long run. But often, that is what you will see. [34:00] Justin brings up the Terrorism Risk Insurance Act (TRIA), a legislative priority for RIMS. RIMS sends an External Affairs Team to Capitol Hill every year to talk about TRIA with their Representatives in Congress. [34:19] Justin says RIMS helped lead the charge, over 20 years ago, to get TRIA passed into law. [34:30] The nature of terrorism risk has evolved since TRIA's enactment. Justin asks how risk managers should be thinking about terrorism exposure today, compared to when the program was established. [34:44] Cari says terrorism, like the narcotics traffickers, evolves. It's cash-intensive. There's more you can do now through technology, AI, cybersecurity, and cryptocurrency. [35:01] You can sit completely offshore and wreak havoc on the electrical grid or a utilities provider, or a financial institution, through cyberattacks or cybercrimes. It can be crippling if terrorists go after the grid. [35:28] Cari says we have seen an overlap between what could be a terrorist attack and what is more likely a ransomware grab, when they're going after smaller utilities located somewhere in the Midwest. That seems to be a trend. [35:45] They're not always sophisticated. You don't always know who the counterparties are. Going back to the Drug Control Strategy report, the Government is saying that there has to be a holistic approach to ransomware and cyberattacks. [36:03] A couple of years ago, the FBI and Homeland Security set up a task force to work with the utilities or other U.S. businesses that see themselves faced with a ransomware attack that is either just for the money or is something more nefarious. [36:24] Cari says, if the question is, is it terrorism or is it something else, but the way you would attack it would be the same if you're the utilities manager; it doesn't matter if it's terrorism or cybercrime. [36:48] You've got to work with law enforcement to protect your infrastructure, to figure out whether you're going to pay the ransom or not, so that you can protect your customers' data. [37:02] It's up to the Government to figure out who the illicit party was. Is it a hacker group sitting in Russia? Is it a terrorist group? Why were they doing it, and how do you stop it from happening in the future? [37:18] If you're the Business Manager or the Compliance Officer, you need to build in your risks, your risk mitigation strategies, redundancies, and backup servers that are not connected. The problem for you isn't: Is this a hacker or a terrorist doing this to me? [37:53] Cari says there are many insurance working groups. We've worked with clients, some of these groups, and the U.S. Government to come up with language that makes sense. We see it in the context of Iran or Russia, or with respect to language for War Risk in the Strait of Hormuz. [38:32] Cari says, The partnership between the insurers, reinsurers, brokers, and Government is pretty deep. [38:41] These working groups have been around for a long time because insurers, brokers, and reinsurers need buy-in from the Government to get assurances that the language they're putting out there is enough to get them out of trouble if they're acting in good faith. [39:00] Generally, everyone is, but you want that nod from the Government that what you've done is sufficient from the Government's perspective. [39:37] Cari's advice to risk professionals in August 2026: The most important thing is that the risk professionals and the business units know and trust each other. [39:47] Cari continues: A risk professional isn't going to be able to build out a compliance program that works unless they know what the business units are up to and what the business priorities are, and they have the trust of the business professionals. [40:05] Some critics warn that you don't want the compliance person to become a captive of the business units, driven by profit rather than compliance. Cari says the business compliance person needs the business unit and the compliance unit to work hand in glove. She explains it. [40:46] Cari says we've seen this a lot with all of these businesses jumping into the Venezuela market. There's a lot of business upside but also a lot of risk. It may not be that there's a sanctions risk, but the longer-term risks are the money-laundering and corruption risks. [41:26] Cari asks what happens ten years from now? If you're a compliance officer, you need to understand the upside to the business, which is lots of profit, but when you're drafting contracts and working with the business unit, how are you mitigating the risk that's five or 10 years out? [41:44] Cari says the only way you do that is if the compliance and business units have a certain amount of trust and respect for each other. [41:57] Cari says the Compliance Officer is not always the Risk Manager. Some businesses will have it siloed; some will have someone embedded. In some cases, there's no compliance person. They throw it onto a legal officer, and the legal officer can be spread fairly thin. [42:13] Cari says you can work through trade associations to understand industry risk. You can hire consultants. You can hire law firms. The benchmarking is incredibly important to understand not only the opportunity but also the appropriate risk. [42:49] Justin says this has been one of the most informative RIMScasts we've had in a while. I'm so glad we got a chance to tackle this topic. Cari, thank you so much for joining us here on RIMScast! [42:45] Special thanks again to Cari Stinebower of Steptoe for joining us here on RIMScast! A link to her LinkedIn profile is in this episode's show notes. [42:58] I have links on this episode's show notes to other RIMS coverage on sanctions, geopolitical tensions, and related supply chain risk. Also visit RMMagazine.com. [43:08] Plug Time! Become a RIMS member and get access to the tools, thought leadership, and network you need to succeed. Visit RIMS.org/membership or email membershipdept@RIMS.org for more information. [43:26] Risk Knowledge is the RIMS searchable content library that provides relevant information for today's risk professionals. Materials include RIMS executive reports, survey findings, contributed articles, industry research, benchmarking data, and more. [43:42] For the best reporting on the profession of risk management, read Risk Management Magazine at RMMagazine.com. It is written and published by the best minds in risk management. [43:56] Justin Smulison is the Business Content Manager at RIMS. Please remember to subscribe to RIMScast on your favorite podcasting app. You can email us at Content@RIMS.org. [44:08] Practice good risk management, stay safe, and thank you again for your continued support!   Links: Spencer Educational Foundation's 2026 Funding Their Future Gala | Sept. 17, 2026 ChicagoLand Risk Forum | Sept. 24, 2026 RIMS Certification Week: Sept. 21‒24 | Complimentary For All RIMS Western Regional Conference — Oct. 4‒7, 2026 | Seattle, WA | Register Today. RIMS Canada Conference — Oct. 18‒21, 2026 | Quebec City | www.rimscanadaconference.ca | Sponsorship Opportunities Available RIMS ERM Conference 2026 | November 19‒20 in Columbus, Ohio | Registration Now Open! | www.rims.org/ERM2026 | RISKWORLD 2027 Registration | RIMS members can lock in 2026 rates now through Sept. 4 RIMScast Canada — Episodes Now Live — Watch the new video with Sophie Grégoire Trudeau. The Strategic and Enterprise Risk CenterRIMS, the Foundation for Risk Management Spencer Educational Foundation — Scholarships and Grants | Open Calls and Timelines. RIMS Now RIMS-Certified Risk Management Professional (RIMS-CRMP) | Insights Video Series Featuring Joe Milan! RIMS Diversity Equity Inclusion Council RIMS-CRMP Stories RISK PAC | RIMS Advocacy RIMScast on YouTube! RIMS Risk Management Magazine | Contribute | Q2 2026 Issue Now Available Sponsor RIMScast — Sales@RIMS.org Cari Stinebower — Biography page Cari Stinebower on LinkedIn Upcoming RIMS-CRMP Virtual Workshops: RIMS-CRMP Exam Prep with PARIMA | Sept 1‒2 Full RIMS-CRMP Prep Course Schedule See the full calendar of RIMS Virtual Workshops   Upcoming RIMS Webinars: RIMS.org/Webinars "Beyond the Loss Count: What Property Claims Reveal About Frequency, Severity, and Resilience" | Sponsored by AXA XL | Sept. 17, 2026 "The Future of Captives: What Risk Managers Should Be Thinking About Now" | Sponsored by Brown & Brown | Oct. 1, 2026 "RIMS Student Series: Classroom to Career Part 1" | Sept 1 "RIMS Student Series: Classroom to Career Part 2" | Sept 9 RIMS Certification Week: Sept. 22‒24 | Complimentary For All   Related RIMScast Episodes: "Mid-Year Risk Roundup 2026 with Morgan O'Rourke and Hilary Tuttle" "Money Laundering Risks with Crystal Trout" (2025)   Sponsored RIMScast Episodes: "48 Hours From a Storm: What to Do Before A Hurricane Strikes" | Sponsored by Global Risk Consultants, a TÜV SÜD Company (New!) 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RIMS Virtual Workshops On-Demand Webinars RIMS-Certified Risk Management Professional (RIMS-CRMP) RISK PAC | RIMS Advocacy RIMS Strategic & Enterprise Risk Center RIMS-CRMP Stories — Featuring RIMS President Manny Padilla!   RIMS Events, Education, and Services: RIMS Risk Maturity Model®   Sponsor RIMScast: Contact sales@rims.org or pd@rims.org for more information.   Want to Learn More? Keep up with the podcast on RIMS.org, and listen on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.   Have a question or suggestion? Email: Content@rims.org.   Join the Conversation! Follow @RIMSorg on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn.   About our guest: Cari Stinebower, Partner, Steptoe   Production and engineering provided by Podfly.

If you were here for our episode on studying abroad in the UK- we've got a continuation of it!Loro is back from the UK and he's here to share how much he's missed home! To celebrate this Merdeka season, we talk about everything that makes us truly Malaysian, and what we love about Malaysia while attempting to avoid the obvious answer (food). Spoiler: we fail.Wishing everyone a Selamat Hari Merdeka!

Ceddy is back on the pod and gets unhinged even before we hit record

Shutterstock Track 1219389 Monetization ID TFGEPGEI0LHEIJAI Kia ora. Welcome to Friday's Economy Watch where we follow the economic events and trends that affect Aotearoa/New Zealand. I'm David Chaston and this is the international edition from interest.co.nz. Today we lead with news we may be seeing the end of markets regarding US Treasuries as safe-haven assets – although to be fair it isn't clear what would replace it. Long-maturity US Treasury yields rose today to reverse the drop we noted yesterday. The yield on the US 10-year bond rose back towards the earlier 20-month high this week before the Bessent action, and the yield on the 30-year bond rose back too. A couple of points are worth making first before we review today's data updates. The first is that it has been the role of the Fed to do QE activity. Maybe Warsh isn't keen now because he is committed to shrinking the Fed's balance sheet. It grew because the Fed wanted to push down rates, and that came with the consequence of massive bond buying. In fact, they moved the needle with "whatever it takes" to the tune of US$3.5 tln in the GFC and the subsequent stabilisation. And then another US$4.5 tln for the pandemic response that started in 2020. They have only paid down US$2.5 tln since. Warsh wants to get that significatly lower. Now Bessent wants to do his own QE, in his case to avoid the political consequence his boss will face - at least push it off "till later'. But his announcement talks of a 'doubling', and that is only an extra of +$2 bln. The Fed was effective with trillions. But Bessent wants to do the same thing with billions. Wall Street hedge funds will be looking for a Bessent put, and unless he delivers his objective the hole thing might collapse rather quickly. Bessent should know - he was a billionaire hedge fund manager on Wall Street who made his fortune gaming the system. The Bessent initiative hardly lasted one day. And this comes as the US Treasury's latest daily cash and debt balances statement shows public debt now exceeds US$40 tln (Table IIIC). Why is this important for us? Well, the world's economy is still being driven by US middle-class consumer demand, the only economic engine large enough to shift the global needle. And we rely on a healthy upbeat global economy. China says it is making an attempt to duplicate this internal consumer demand, but by all accounts it is not succeeding, in part because Chinese consumers are still very risk averse and prioritising savings over consumption, and more so recently. Meanwhile, initial jobless claims in the US fell to 172,000 last week, a slightly larger dip than seasonal factors would have indicated. There are now 1.8 mln people on these benefits, also marginally lower than the week before. The August Philly Fed factory survey came in much stronger than expected, building on an outsized July expansion. This is all about current activity. Oddly, new order levels fell. But price pressures did moderate this month. The Conference Board said its Leading Index for the US ticked up in July, marking the fourth increase over the past six months. Most components were positive in July except consumer expectations, which continued to be a notable drag. In Canada, their July producer prices index rose from the prior month to be -12.4% higher than year ago levels. Their raw materials index is up more than +18% on the same basis. Across the Pacific, Japan said its exports swelled +23% in July from a year ago and to an all-time record high, boosted by AI-related semiconductors and data center equipment. Meanwhile, imports were up almost +28%, boosted by fuel imports which were up more than +53% in value. and total imports also hit a new record high. The net was a small trade deficit on merchandise. China held its key lending rates at ultra low levels in the regular monthly update. But these very low rates aren't exactly generating a boom, more just holding things together. The People's Bank of China kept its key lending rates at these record lows for a 15th straight month. And that is what analysts were expecting. And remember Evergrande? Well yesterday a Chinese court sentenced its founder and boss to life imprisonment for "massive fraud". Orders for Taiwanese exports soared +62% in July from a year ago to a new record high of US$98 bln. That follows an outstanding +59% jump in June. Booming global demand for AI-related and technology products continued to fuel overseas sales. This is on top of a July 2025 increase of +21% which at the time seemed like an outstanding achievement. Malaysian exportsjumped an outstanding +38% in July from a year ago to a record high. This was led my electronic exports to the US. Meanwhile, their imports rose +36%, with the fastest rises from India, South Korea, and then China. In Europe, German producer prices rose in July too, only at a +3.0% year-on-year rate but that was their fastest since April 2023. Australian inflation expectations rose by 0.2 percentage points in August to 4.9%. This follows a three-month period of moderating inflation expectations. Wage expectations also rose in August, after remaining static for a prolonged period. Staying in Australia, full-time jobs rose +16,300 in July but part-time jobs fell -32,200 in the month for a new decrease in employment levels. So instead of the expected +15,000 rise in jobs, they had a -15,800 net fall. While this may seem like a big movement, in fact the June positive result was quite elevated so a leveling out is probably to be expected. Global container freight rates were up +4% last week from the prior week to be double what they were a year ago. Outbound rates from China to the US drove the increase with those up +9% for the week, up +180% from a year ago. Meanwhile bulk cargo rates fell -7.5% this past week to be +40% higher than year-ago levels. The UST 10yr yield is now just on 4.70%, up +5 bps from this time yesterday. The 30 year yield is at 5.24% and up +4 bps.  The price of gold is up sharply, now at US$4520/oz, up +US$17 from yesterday at this time. Silver has risen another +US$2 to just over US$68. Oil prices are up US$1 from yesterday at just over US$86.50/bbl in the US, while the international Brent price is now just over US$93.50/bbl and up +US$2.  The Kiwi dollar is up +10 bps from yesterday at just over 59.4 USc. Against the Aussie we have risen +30 bps to 83.6 AUc. Against the euro we are up +10 bps at 50.9 euro cents. That all means our TWI-5 starts today at just over 62.9, up +10 bps from this time yesterday. The bitcoin price starts today at US$72,813 and up another large +6.8% from yesterday. Volatility over the past 24 hours has also been high at just on +/-3.5%. You can get more news affecting the economy in New Zealand from interest.co.nz. Kia ora. I'm David Chaston and we'll do this again on Monday. Track 1219389 Monetization ID TFGEPGEI0LHEIJAI Audio soundtrack opening is licensed from Shutterstock, Track 1219389 Monetization ID TFGEPGEI0LHEIJAI

Cristina Gomez reviews the latest UFO / UAP news and covers a new Euronews investigation showing the European Commission has secretly monitored UFOs since 2023, a Malaysian astronomer case tied to nuclear and military sites, testimony from European airline pilots, and a new CBS News poll showing eighty four percent of Americans believe their government is withholding UFO information. To see the VIDEO of this episode, click or copy link - https://youtu.be/1PP9X93Vv4UVisit my website with International UFO News, Articles, Videos, and Podcast direct links -www.ufonews.co00:00 - EU's Hidden UFO Secret00:38 - UFO Documents Exposed01:09 - Malaysia's UFO Case02:27 - Pilots Confirm UFO Sightings03:34 - New UFO Poll Numbers05:06 - UFOs Near Nuclear Sites06:08 - Europe's UFO Response Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/strange-and-unexplained--5235662/support.

Last time we spoke about the beginning of the Pacific War. In late 1941, the Second Battle of Changsha ended with Chinese forces claiming victory despite suffering nearly 100,000 casualties against roughly 1,670 Japanese losses. Chiang Kai-shek's government launched an aggressive propaganda campaign, flooding international press with fabricated triumph narratives to sustain national morale. Behind closed doors, Chiang was furious at his generals' tactical failures, executing commanders and dismantling units. Meanwhile, geopolitical forces threatened China's survival. Japan's 1939 defeat at Nomonhan crushed hopes for a Soviet alliance against Tokyo. Germany's pact with the Soviet Union left China isolated, while Western powers remained reluctant to commit meaningful support. Britain offered little; the US provided only modest loans. By 1941, facing potential collapse, Chiang desperately searched for allies while Wang Jingwei's Japanese-backed rival government beckoned as an alternative. China's exhausted people endured horror—including a 1941 bombing massacre in Chongqing that killed over 400 trapped civilians. Then Japan unleashed a surprise attack on Pearl Harbor.   #215 An Implosion in the East 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.   In the early morning of December 7, 1941, the US Pacific Fleet was anchored at Pearl Harbor in Hawaii. Two waves of Japanese bomber aircraft, launched from six aircraft carriers, attacked the vessels and their sleeping crews, destroying the battleship Arizona outright and damaging seventeen others, as well as most of the military aircraft parked nearby. Some 2,400 Americans died, and another 1,100 were wounded. Within a day Japanese invasion forces had attacked Siam, Malaya, and the Philippines. Chiang Kai-shek heard the news at one o'clock in the morning and immediately dictated a letter of support to President Roosevelt, pledging commitment to a new "common battle." The news reached Zhou Fohai in Shanghai as well. On December 8 across the international date line from Hawaii he had heard the sounds of firing as the Japanese took over the rest of the city, and then received reports that Japan had declared war on the Western powers. "I heard they'd bombed Honolulu, Manila, Singapore, and Hong Kong. From now on, the Pacific becomes a killing ground."   When Japanese carrier planes descended on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, they were executing far more than a tactical strike. They were unleashing the culmination of a strategic vision that had shaped Japanese military planning since the 1920s: the Nanshin-ron, or "Southern Advance" doctrine.    The Nanshin-ron represented a critical strategic choice that emerged from internal Japanese debates during the 1920s and 1930s. Japan faced an inescapable vulnerability: it was an island nation with virtually no natural resources of its own. The nation's population had doubled since the Meiji Restoration, growing to over 70 million by 1941. An industrial economy of tremendous sophistication, capable of producing world-class warships, aircraft, and military equipment, depended entirely on imported raw materials. Oil, rubber, tin, iron ore, bauxite, copper, and manganese all had to be acquired through foreign trade or conquest. This resource dependency was not a luxury problem; it was an existential one. A nation that could not feed itself or fuel its economy was a nation vulnerable to strangulation by enemies who controlled the resources it needed. Japanese strategic thinkers divided into two camps on how to resolve this vulnerability. The Hokushin-ron advocates, primarily within the Army, pushed for expansion northward into Siberia and Mongolia, seeking to conquer Soviet territory and resources. The Soviet Union possessed vast tracts of land, mineral wealth, timber, and agricultural output. From a purely materialist perspective, the Northern Advance made geographic sense—it was contiguous with Manchuria, which Japan had already secured in 1931. Yet by the late 1930s, the Hokushin-ron strategy had suffered a catastrophic blow. In 1938 and 1939, Japanese and Soviet forces clashed at Khalkhin Gol in Mongolia in what the Japanese called the Nomonhan Incident. The battles revealed a terrifying truth: the Soviet Red Army, under General Georgy Zhukov, was far more formidable than Japanese military planners had anticipated. Soviet armor, air power, and coordinated tactics annihilated Japanese forces. Japan suffered over 60,000 casualties while inflicting perhaps 10,000 on the Soviets. The defeat was concealed from the Japanese public, but it was unmistakable to military planners. A direct clash with Soviet power could end catastrophically. The Northern Advance, it became clear, would almost certainly provoke war with a nation capable of destroying the Japanese Army. This strategic defeat tilted the balance decisively toward the Nanshin-ron. If Japan could not safely expand northward, it must expand southward, toward Southeast Asia, the Dutch East Indies, Indochina, and the western Pacific. The appeal of the Nanshin-ron was immediately apparent to the Navy, which had always been more oriented toward maritime commerce and expansion across the ocean. The territories to the south were not militarily formidable. The colonial powers, Britain, the Netherlands, France, were either already defeated in 1940 or distracted by their own desperate struggles leaving Britain fighting alone against Germany. The United States, though potentially a formidable adversary, was not yet at war, and there was a chance, however slender, that a decisive blow against American naval power might convince America to negotiate rather than fight. But beyond strategic opportunity, the Nanshin-ron offered something that the Hokushin-ron did not: it offered resources of staggering abundance. The Dutch East Indies possessed oil reserves that could dwarf Japan's consumption for years. Malaya produced the world's rubber. Thailand offered agricultural bounty and geographic position. Burma's timber and agricultural products could feed Japan's growing empire. The Philippines possessed harbors, airfields, and economic output. These were not marginal additions to Japan's economy—they were transformative. Together, they would convert Japan from a resource-hungry island nation into the master of an imperial domain encompassing hundreds of millions of people and containing most of the strategic materials necessary for sustained industrial warfare. In the last episode I explained the western sanctions and embargoes that drained Japan's military of the resources they required to continue the China War. By 1941, Japan faced a civilization crisis. Japan imported roughly 90 percent of its petroleum, and the bulk of that came from the Dutch East Indies and the United States. Suddenly, the American supply was cut off entirely. Reserves would last perhaps 18 months if Japan's military and industrial consumption continued at existing rates. After that, the military machine would sputter and die. The industrial economy would collapse. Even civilian life would become impossible to sustain. Japan was facing not merely economic inconvenience but literal strangulation by the Western powers.   Yet it would be a mistake to reduce Japanese motivation to just materialism. Japanese military leaders wrapped their conquests in an ideological framework, one that many of them genuinely believed, or wanted to believe, served a higher historical purpose. The concept of the Daitoa Kyoeiken, the "Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere," posited a new regional order in which Japan would play the leading role in liberating Asian peoples from Western colonial domination and creating an Asian-centered political and economic system. This ideology drew on genuine anti-colonial sentiment. For a century, Western powers had dominated Asia, treating Asian peoples and nations as subordinate, colonized territories existing to serve Western economic interests. Japan, which had modernized and Westernized enough to avoid colonization, saw itself as the natural leader of an Asian renaissance—a civilizing force that would restore Asian dignity and independence even as it established Japanese hegemony. Of course, this was propagandistic. Japanese conquest represented a substitution of one imperial master for another, and often a harsher and more brutal one at that. But for understanding Japanese decision-making, the ideology mattered profoundly. It provided Japanese leaders with a moral narrative for conquest. It allowed them to understand themselves as liberators rather than mere conquerors. It provided a rationale for extracting resources from occupied territories and for mobilizing subject populations to support the Japanese war effort. And it resonated with anti-Western sentiment throughout Asia, making Japanese occupation seem, in some quarters, preferable to continued Western colonial rule. The slogan Hakko ichiu—"eight corners under one roof", captured this ideological vision: a unified Asia and eventually world under Japanese guidance. Whether Japanese leaders truly believed this vision or cynically deployed it as propaganda, it shaped how they understood their actions and justified them to their subjects. Now I know this is a podcast dedicated to the century of humiliation, ie: China's experience. But I thought it was necessary just to have one episode explain what Dan Carlin titled "a supernova in the east" and I have titled an implosion in the east. I won't go into depth into the campaigns as some of them have a lot of Chinese involvement and we will be covering them in depth, but rather I will explain the rationale for Japan's numerous invasions following the surprise attack on Pearl Harbor.   Japan's assault on Malaya began within hours of the Pearl Harbor attack, indeed, Japanese troops were already landing on the Kota Bharu beachhead on the Malaysian peninsula before dawn on December 8, 1941 local time. Malaya was one of the world's largest rubber producers, and Singapore, at the tip of the peninsula, was the linchpin of British naval power in the Far East.The Japanese interest in Malaya was straightforward but crucial: rubber. The Japanese military consumed vast quantities of rubber for tires, gaskets, hoses, and countless other applications. American and Dutch rubber supplies were now cut off by embargo. Malaya's rubber plantations represented perhaps the world's richest reservoir of this strategic material. Beyond rubber, Malaya and the surrounding region were major tin producers—essential for alloys and manufacturing. For Japan to conduct prolonged warfare, Malaya was not a luxury target; it was a necessity. Singapore represented something different: a symbol of Western power in Asia and a strategic chokepoint. As the major British naval base in the region, Singapore served as the anchor of British imperial authority across the South China Sea. By seizing Singapore, Japan would not only capture crucial resources and port facilities but would also deliver a psychological blow to the entire edifice of Western dominance in Asia. The fortress city that the British considered nearly impregnable fell within seventy days, a stunning demonstration of Japanese military capability and the vulnerability of overextended Western empires. If Malaya was critical for rubber, the Dutch East Indies was essential for oil. The region, comprising present-day Indonesia, was the world's third-largest oil producer and had reserves that could sustain Japanese military operations for years. This was the jewel of the resource-conquest strategy. Japanese planners had long eyed the East Indies, but direct conquest had seemed risky while Britain and America remained neutral or opposed. With both now at war, the window of opportunity had opened. Japan needed the oil so desperately that when the Dutch East Indies Petroleum Company initially agreed to some Japanese oil purchases before the war, Tokyo was already planning its takeover. The conquest of the Dutch East Indies would provide not just oil but also tin, nickel, bauxite, and other materials essential to an industrial war machine. The islands would also provide air and naval bases from which Japan could defend its new empire and potentially threaten Australia. The Japanese invasion of the Dutch East Indies, which began in late December 1941 and accelerated through January and February 1942, was methodical and comprehensive. Various island groups were targeted systematically: Java, Borneo, Celebes, and the Moluccas. Dutch military forces, though brave, were overwhelmed. By March 1942, Japan had secured the entire archipelago,a stunning logistical and military achievement that delivered vast resources into Japanese hands. Thailand presented a fundamentally different case from Japan's other targets. Rather than conquest, Japan pursued alliance with military strongman Plaek Phibunsongkhram, who had seized power in a 1938 coup as a nationalist ideologue determined to reassert Thai sovereignty and recover territory lost to French colonialism in the nineteenth century. Thailand was the last independent state in mainland Southeast Asia, hemmed in by British-controlled Burma and Malaya to the west, and French Indochina to the east. For a century, Thailand had survived by playing European imperial powers against each other. But by the late 1930s, this strategy was becoming obsolete. Europe was distracted by Hitler's Germany. Colonial powers were weakening. Japanese power was visibly ascending. Phibunsongkhram recognized both danger and opportunity. He could resist Japan and invite invasion, or he could ally with Japan and profit from rising Asian power. Japanese diplomats approached Thailand with sophistication: they offered military alliance and support for Thai territorial expansion at French expense. This addressed Thailand's deepest national wound, the humiliation of nineteenth-century territorial losses to France. The Franco-Thai War of 1940-1941 became transformative. With Japan providing military support, advisors, tanks, aircraft, Thai forces defeated the French for the first time in history. By May 1941, Thailand had recovered 54,000 square kilometers of Cambodian territory and portions of Laos. For Phibunsongkhram, this was extraordinary: he had achieved what Thai leaders could not in a century, reclaiming territory from a Western imperial power. Domestically, his position was dramatically strengthened. The parallel to China's century of humiliation—the foundation of your podcast is striking: Thailand too was reversing colonial diminishment through association with rising Asian power. The Thai-Japanese relationship was unique. Unlike the Philippines, Malaya, or the Dutch East Indies, Thailand would retain nominal independence. Phibunsongkhram remained in power. Japanese occupation was light. Thai forces maintained their own command structure. Most importantly, Thailand's territorial gains from the Franco-Thai War were recognized and secured. Japan valued Thai cooperation more than conquest. Burma, controlled by the British, was the next target in Japan's southwestward advance. Japanese planners had multiple motivations for invading Burma. First, it was strategically positioned on India's eastern frontier, and Japan harbored ambitions of eventually striking toward India and linking up with Germany in the Middle East or at least destabilizing the British position in South Asia. Second, Burma was a significant producer of timber and agricultural products. Third, and perhaps most importantly, the invasion of Burma was meant to cut the Burma Road, the crucial supply line that allowed American aid to reach Nationalist China. The invasion of Burma began in late 1941 and accelerated through early 1942.  The invasion of the Philippines, which began on December 10, 1941, just days after Pearl Harbor, served multiple strategic purposes. Like the assault on Pearl Harbor itself, it was meant to neutralize American military power in the region, in this case, the American garrison under General Douglas MacArthur and the American colonial administration. But the Philippines were also valuable in their own right. The islands sat directly in the path of what Japan envisioned as its defensive perimeter. By controlling the Philippines, Japan would make it extraordinarily difficult for American forces to project power westward into Southeast Asia. The territory would provide naval and air bases critical to defending Japan's new empire. Additionally, the Philippines possessed some agricultural and industrial resources valuable to the war effort, and their conquest delivered a psychological victory, defeating American forces and ending American colonial rule in Asia, which appealed to anti-Western sentiment that Japan tried to cultivate. Beyond Southeast Asia and the Philippines, Japan rapidly invaded Guam and Wake island to extend Japan's defensive perimeter further into the Pacific and eliminate American air and naval bases that could threaten Japanese operations. Guam, seized on December 10, 1941, fell within two days, the American garrison was small and the island's strategic value lay primarily in denying the United States a forward staging ground for any counteroffensive. Wake Island, attacked the same day and finally captured on December 23 after a brief but heroic American defense, served similar purposes: cutting off American reconnaissance and interdicting potential supply lines to the Philippines.  Now I believe that's enough of the implosion in the east, let's get back to the situation in China. After Chiang Kai-shek sent his letter of support to President Franklin D. Roosevelt, pledging Chinese commitment to what he termed a new "common battle." he did something most revealing about his mood towards the global war. He played "Ave Maria" on his gramophone, celebrating with an almost spiritual gratitude the implications of what had just transpired in the American Pacific. This moment crystallized the profound difference Pearl Harbor would mean to different members of the emerging Allied coalition. For the United States, the attack was pure shock, a violation of the sanctity of American soil and the complacency of American isolationism. For Britain, it was like the pricking of a large, painful blister—painful but perhaps not entirely unexpected given Japan's regional ambitions. But for China, the relief that surged through the government and the consciousness of the Chinese people surpassed even Britain's response. For four long years, China had fought Japan almost alone, watching as Western nations remained neutral or limited their commitment to rhetorical support and modest material assistance. Now, suddenly, the trajectory of the entire conflict had shifted with breathtaking speed. Chiang's emotional state at this moment could scarcely be contained, and those close to him understood that beneath his carefully maintained Confucian composure burned an intoxicating sensation of vindication. These Western powers who had been so impatient with Chinese strategy, who had mocked the retreats of the Nationalist Army and spoken scornfully of Japanese capabilities, were now themselves in headlong retreat from those very islanders. In Hong Kong, Singapore, and Manila, British and American forces would be fighting desperately for their lives against the Japanese military that China had been contending with for years. Chiang could not have failed to perceive the irony: the Japanese had conquered vast stretches of China through relentless campaigns, yet Westerners had dismissed Chinese resistance as inadequate. Now the Japanese were proving that they posed a formidable challenge to Western military power as well. There was a bitter satisfaction in this vindication, even as Chiang understood that the strategic implications of American entry far outweighed any emotional satisfaction. What was pragmatic and strategically clear to Chiang, however, was far more important than any emotional satisfaction. The United States was now at war, and it was on China's side. This represented the transformation for which Chiang had labored for years, bringing the full weight of American industrial capacity and military might to bear against the Japanese enemy. The diplomatic foundations for this alliance had already been laid in the months preceding Pearl Harbor. Beginning in the spring of 1941, the United States had begun to commit significant resources to supporting China. In April 1941, following the conclusion of the Soviet-Japanese neutrality agreement, which had devastated Chinese morale by suggesting that Japan might attack the Soviet Union rather than move southward, the Roosevelt administration had determined to provide $45 million worth of militarily useful commodities to China as an immediate gesture of support. Then, on May 6, 1941, President Roosevelt had made a more formal commitment by announcing that the munitions provisions of the Lend-Lease Act applied to China, declaring a phrase that captured the strategic logic of American assistance: "defending China is the key to defending America." This declaration represented a significant shift in American policy, elevating China from a regional concern to a central element of American grand strategy in Asia. Subsequently, in July 1941, Roosevelt had sent Owen Lattimore to China to serve as political adviser to the Chinese government, a position that signaled deepening American engagement with Chinese affairs. In August, the administration appointed John Magruder as military attaché and head of the American Military Mission to China (AMMISCA), with the primary responsibility of overseeing the delivery of Lend-Lease material to the Chinese armed forces. On the diplomatic front, Chiang moved with remarkable alacrity. He had already severed relations with Germany on July 2, 1941, the very day after Hitler had formally recognized the Wang Jingwei puppet government in an attempt to appease Japan and encourage it to finally implement the Southern Advance. Now, on December 8, 1941, just one day after the Pearl Harbor attack, Chiang took the decisive step of formally declaring war against the Axis powers, Germany, Italy, and Japan. This declaration transformed China's position from a beleaguered nation fighting a war of survival into a formal member of the Allied coalition. Chiang had seized the opportunity that Pearl Harbor presented to ally China with a genuinely strong power against Japan, a gambit that fundamentally altered the diplomatic weight and international legitimacy of both the Chinese government and the Chinese cause. From a strategic perspective, the Japanese had committed what Chiang and others immediately recognized as a catastrophic blunder. On the operational level, Pearl Harbor was indeed a devastating tactical success, the American Pacific Fleet was crippled, and Japanese forces now enjoyed temporary naval superiority throughout much of the Pacific and Southeast Asia. Yet strategically, Pearl Harbor represented a failure of epic proportions, a miscalculation rooted in a fundamental misunderstanding of the intangibles of warfare: what motivated the Chinese people and what motivated the Americans. The Chinese had understood, through four years of brutal conflict, that warfare was about more than territorial conquest and resource acquisition. It was about will, about endurance, about the capacity to absorb punishment and continue fighting. The Japanese had learned this lesson imperfectly in China, where despite overwhelming military advantages they had been unable to force a decisive conclusion or compel Chinese surrender. The Americans would teach the Japanese this lesson even more emphatically. The attack on American sailors in Hawaii instantly galvanized the American population to prosecute an unlimited war, with Tokyo itself as the ultimate destination of American counterattack. While Americans would remember the "date that will live in infamy" primarily because of the assault on Pearl Harbor itself, the strategic consequence was that Japanese actions in Hawaii had introduced numerous new adversaries into the Pacific conflict: not only the United States, but also Britain, Australia, New Zealand, and the Netherlands. These additions transformed what had been, from the Japanese perspective, a regional conflict with manageable parameters into a global war that Japan could not possibly win through any conceivable means. What made this particularly disastrous for Japan was the context in which the new theater had been opened. Japan was already deeply mired in a quagmire in China—a "malignant quagmire," as one observer would later characterize it, that had consumed vast resources, inflicted enormous casualties, and failed to produce decisive victory. In military strategy, it is sometimes wise to open a new theater in order to attack an enemy from an additional and unexpected direction, thereby dispersing their forces and creating new challenges for them to manage. But opening a new theater that introduces an entirely new, powerful adversary, and doing so when one is already overextended in an existing theater is a prescription for strategic catastrophe. This was precisely what Japan had done at Pearl Harbor. Chiang Kai-shek understood the magnitude of Japan's miscalculation with crystalline clarity. He understood that whatever the military complexities that lay ahead, whatever the challenges of coordinating with Western allies, and whatever the limitations of Western military assistance to China might be, the fundamental equation had changed. The United States would ultimately defeat Japan. The Chinese did not need to defeat Japan by themselves; they merely needed to survive long enough for American industrial and military capacity to grind the Japanese military into defeat. In the immediate aftermath of Pearl Harbor, Chinese and American officials moved swiftly to formalize the alliance and establish the mechanisms of wartime cooperation. Roosevelt asked Chiang Kai-shek to serve as commander in chief of the Allied forces in the China theater, a designation that recognized China's central role in the Pacific War and elevated Chiang's international standing to something he had long sought: a position as an equal partner in the Allied coalition, a seat at the "top table of global decision-making" alongside Roosevelt, Churchill, and Stalin. To support this expanded role and to ensure effective coordination of the military effort, Roosevelt dispatched Lieutenant General Joseph W. Stilwell to China. Stilwell was not chosen randomly; he brought fifteen years of experience in China, a deep familiarity with the country, its military, and its complexities that few American officers possessed. Stilwell was appointed to serve simultaneously as the U.S. government's military representative in China, as chief of staff of the China Theater, and as commander in chief of the American forces in the China-Burma-India (CBI) theater. This appointment established the framework for joint Chinese-American military cooperation and represented an American commitment to the Asian theater that, while never receiving the resources devoted to the European theater, nonetheless signified recognition of China's strategic importance. Trust me, going forward we will be having a lot of time dedicated to the hilarious bromance / bro hatred of Vinegar Joe and Peanut.  Yet the formation of an alliance and the establishment of command structures was easier than the practical implementation of military cooperation. The fundamental challenge that would plague Chinese-American relations throughout the war emerged almost immediately: the problem of delivering military assistance to China. Before Pearl Harbor, the United States and China had reached agreement on three major points regarding military assistance. First, the United States would provide training and technical support to assist China in establishing a modern air force. Second, the United States would provide training and equipment for a ground army consisting of thirty divisions. Third, the United States would assist China in constructing railways and highways from Yunnan to Burma, along with the provision of rolling stock and vehicles to support these new transportation routes. These were ambitious plans, reflecting the extent of Chinese need and American willingness to support the Chinese war effort. However, the outbreak of the Pacific War threw American plans into disarray. The fundamental strategic doctrine guiding American policy was the "Europe first" strategy, which meant that the European theater and the defeat of Nazi Germany received priority over the Pacific theater. Additionally, China's geography made it extraordinarily difficult to supply. China could only be reached through supply lines of extraordinary length and complexity, either through the port of Rangoon in Burma and then overland via the treacherous Yunnan-Burma Road, or through the port of Hong Kong, which immediately fell into Japanese hands after Pearl Harbor. The first Sino-American loan agreement had specified that the United States would deliver commodities worth $45 million to China in 1941. However, shipping shortages meant that only $26 million worth of commodities actually left the United States. These commodities were shipped to the transit port of Rangoon, where a massive traffic jam developed as supplies accumulated faster than they could be distributed onward to China. Along the Yunnan-Burma Road, that "much-contested life line" as it came to be known, conditions were chaotic. The road had always been a source of trouble: it was long, extraordinarily difficult to keep in repair, fantastically dangerous to travel, and too narrow to permit much volume of traffic at any one time. Due to mismanagement and pilfering, the commodities that were shipped out of Burma suffered heavy losses in transit, and only one-third of them eventually arrived in Chongqing. Yet the United States had already established one valuable asset in China that could be deployed relatively quickly: an air force nucleus. Just before Pearl Harbor, a group of American aviators had been formally organized in Chongqing who worked on volunteer status for China under the command of Colonel Claire Chennault, an American aviation officer who served as instructor at the Chinese Air Force Cadet School. Some of these men had been flying in China since the Kuomintang first began purchasing American aircraft, having come to demonstrate the aircraft and remaining to pilot and teach. Others had hurried to China after being released from their volunteer service in Spain, where they had gained combat experience during the Spanish Civil War. It was a familiar joke that pilots from both sides of the Spanish conflict were likely to meet and work side by side in China, but political convictions proved immaterial to these professional aviators, they got on well enough with each other, mercenaries of the twentieth century united by their expertise and their willingness to fight. When American traffic on the Burma Road swelled in volume and became chaotic, with cargo lost to pilfering and trucks breaking down from mishandling, the air freight service into Chongqing became increasingly vital to maintaining Chinese military capabilities. The backbone of this organization was American, and it had been in operation for months before the Japanese attack. Halfway down the Burma Road, over the border in Burma, was a plane factory backed by American and Chinese capital, providing some degree of repair and maintenance capacity for the aircraft operating out of China. Recognizing the strategic value of these experienced aviators and the need to formalize and expand their operations, American and Chinese officials moved quickly to incorporate this volunteer group, formally known as the American Volunteer Group or "Flying Tigers," into the U.S. Army Air Force. This transformation of volunteer aviators into official American military personnel represented a commitment to providing air support to Chinese operations, recognizing that air power could compensate to some degree for Chinese numerical disadvantages in ground combat. In Chongqing, it was clear that among the United Nations fighting Japan, America was the only one taking China seriously, the only one prepared to invest significant resources in Chinese military capabilities and the Chinese war effort. Yet Pearl Harbor brought consequences that extended far beyond the strategic and diplomatic spheres. For Western civilians living in China,missionaries, teachers, doctors, businessmen, and journalists, the attack represented a catastrophic change in their status and their fate. Until December 8, 1941, Westerners residing in China had maintained a curious protected status as foreign neutrals, even in areas nominally controlled by the Japanese. This status had provided them with a measure of distance from, and protection against, the grinding reality of the war that had devastated Chinese populations. For a century, Americans had been part of an imperial presence in China, sometimes benevolent, sometimes violent, but always ultimately under Western control. That world came to an abrupt end on December 8, 1941. All across eastern China, Americans and Britons were rounded up and interned. The International Settlement of Shanghai—that remarkable oasis of neutrality that had persisted in the midst of a war-torn city—was now reunified under Japanese control. Thousands of foreigners with Allied nationality were sent to holding camps scattered throughout occupied China. Some, like the eleven-year-old British boy Jim Ballard, would remain imprisoned for the remainder of the war, enduring hunger, cold, and disease in camps like Longhua, which housed approximately 2,000 detainees. Forty years later, as the novelist J. G. Ballard, he would memorialized this experience in his semi-autobiographical novel Empire of the Sun. For missionaries like Velva Brown, the evacuation process was degrading and final. The missionary staff were permitted to pack no more than three suitcases with their belongings. As they prepared to leave, Japanese and Taiwanese "sightseeing" parties arrived to decide which houses they might want to occupy. The journey home aboard crowded Japanese ships offered no concessions to status or dignity; ambassadors, consuls, merchants, and missionaries alike were given "bed-sized strips of Chinese matting which we spread side by side on the iron floor of the hold," as Brown recorded. The humiliation was compounded by the finality of it all. For many, their decades-long presence in China was ending not in orderly retreat but in hasty evacuation, leaving behind "servants, many of whom had been with us for fifteen or twenty years." Despite these immediate human tragedies, the strategic transformation that Pearl Harbor wrought for China was undeniable. Chiang Kai-shek now embarked on an entirely new sort of life, heavily involved with the leaders and generals of the Western powers. He held diplomatic discussions with the leaders of the United Nations and military planning sessions with Western generals. In these unfamiliar circumstances, he did his best to live up to the Confucian ideal of the gentleman, seldom permitting the mask to slip—though the pressure of these new responsibilities and the intoxicating combination of vindication and anxiety would occasionally prove too much even for his considerable self-control. Within weeks of Pearl Harbor, Chiang demonstrated the value he could bring to the new alliance. He visited India and spoke with the leaders of the Indian independence struggle as an ally and friend, as a fellow non-European speaking to others seeking to escape from colonialism and imperial domination. He joined the Allies in their first joint campaign, not in China but in the jungles of neighboring Burma, committing Chinese forces to operations outside China's borders in support of the broader Allied military strategy. Yet the price that Chiang would pay for China's belated entry into the global alliance against the Axis powers would prove to be a heavy one. Chiang desperately needed his new American and British partners, but accepting this alliance would unleash forces within Chinese society that would threaten the very basis of his political control. The complexities of this bargain would become most visible in the four-year struggle between Chiang and General Joseph Warren Stilwell, the American officer who would become simultaneously his chief of staff and the administrator of American military assistance to China. This relationship, shaped by mutual suspicion, different strategic visions, and incompatible political agendas, would define Chinese-American military cooperation during the Pacific War and would have profound implications extending far beyond the battlefields of Asia. 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. Pearl Harbor's shock reverberated through Asia. Japan's assault on Hawaii, combined with invasions of Burma, the Philippines, Guam, and Wake Island, inadvertently transformed regional conflict into global war. Chiang Kai-shek, vindicated after four years of isolation fighting Japan, embraced American alliance with profound relief. The U.S. committed military aid, appointed General Stilwell as chief of staff, and recognized China as a co-belligerent. For Chiang, this partnership brought diplomatic status but also internal tensions that would define the Pacific War's final chapter.

In this episode, Michael and Jake recap Laracon US Boston, from Malaysian food and an undefeated dodgeball run to Laraprom, the great nachos-with-rice debate, conference logistics, Aaron Francis stepping into Laravel's VP of Marketing and Community role, and a reminder to make room for silly software.Jake shares his work rebuilding Boom Party, the fast-paced Bomberman clone his team used to play after stand-up, along with hosting decisions and a creative workflow involving Claude, Gemini, and Suno.Michael closes things out with what was supposed to be an easy Pest 5 upgrade but turned into a much bigger test-suite adventure: converting old PHPUnit-style tests, untangling inheritance, tracking down mysterious parallel test failures, discovering the pain of stray exit statements, and ultimately getting repeat runs across an approximately 18,000-test suite down to just eight seconds.Show linksPomplamooseSpindriftIZZELaracon USAaron FrancisSidecarWhimsy-driven development by Christina MartinezBoom PartyFly.io

Max Pearson presents a collection of the week's Witness History episodes.This week, we hear about the end of decades-long martial law in Taiwan and discuss its impact on the country's literature with Ti-han Chang, the Deputy Director of Centre of Taiwan Studies at SOAS University of London.Next, the making of City of God, the film that showed the raw reality of children's gangs in Brazil's favelas.Plus, we remember Ashley Kriel, the young activist who became an anti-apartheid icon on the Cape Flats.We also hear about the first carbon offset scheme that planted millions of trees in Guatemala.We go back 50 years to the first time women played basketball in the Olympic Games.And the birth of Club Med, the resort that pioneered the all-inclusive holiday.Contributors: Fred Chin - former Malaysian student imprisoned during Taiwan's White Terror. Katia Lund - co-director of City of God. Adiel 'Gorie' November - former anti-apartheid activist. Roberto Antonio Alvarado - planted the saplings that became some of the world's first carbon offsets. Pierre-Xavier Bécret - son of Club Med employees. Juliene Brazinski Simpson - former US basketball player.(Photo: Green Island former prison, Taiwan. Credit: James Wendlinger/South China Morning Post via Getty Images)

Today on AirTalk: Tips for surviving this job market (0:30) What makes a good (or bad) sequel? (18:10) Fusion restaurant Rasarumah (36:54) FilmWeek (51:30) Romance movies adapted from novels (1:23:16) Visit www.preppi.com/LAist to receive a FREE Preppi Emergency Kit (with any purchase over $100) and be prepared for the next wildfire, earthquake or emergency.

In 1987, Taiwan finally lifted martial law after nearly four decades of authoritarian rule.The moment marked a profound shift for a society long shaped by censorship, surveillance and political fear.For many who had lived through the ‘White Terror', it opened the possibility of speaking openly for the first time.Among them was Malaysian student Fred Chin, who had arrived in Taiwan in the late 1960s with little sense of the political tensions around him.What followed would draw him into a world of secret policing and military justice that operated far from public view, leaving lasting effects on his life and identity.Ashley Byrne speaks to Fred Chin about his story and what the lifting of martial law meant for him. A Made in Manchester production.Eye-witness accounts brought to life by archive. Witness History is for those fascinated by and curious about the past. We take you to the events that have shaped our world through the eyes of the people who were there. For nine minutes every day, we take you back in time and all over the world, to examine wars, coups, scientific discoveries, cultural moments and much more. Recent episodes explore everything from how the Excel spreadsheet was developed, the creation of cartoon rabbit Miffy and how the sound barrier was broken.We look at the lives of some of the most famous leaders, artists, scientists and personalities in history, including: the moment Reagan and Gorbachev met in Geneva, Haitian singer Emerante de Pradines' life and Omar Sharif's legendary movie entrance in Lawrence of Arabia.You can learn all about fascinating and surprising stories, like the invention of a stent which has saved lives around the world; the birth of the G7; and the meeting of Maldives' ministers underwater. We cover everything from World War Two and Cold War stories to Black History Month and our journeys into space.(Photo: Former Jingmei Military Detention Center, where political dissidents were imprisoned during the White Terror. Credit: Craig Ferguson/LightRocket via Getty Images)

A 40-year-old physician associate and his wife walked away from their jobs with $50,000 earmarked for a year of world travel. They returned having spent just $30,000—and visited 15+ countries across four continents. This isn't a story about deprivation or cutting corners. It's about strategic geography, intentional choices, and the freedom that comes from knowing exactly what you value. Key Topics Discussed Introduction and Background 00:00:00 Ginger introduces Zack, the "winner of life" from the 2025 end-of-year wins episode. Now 40 with a seven-month-old baby in Arizona, Zack reflects on how a year of travel reset his life trajectory. The Genesis of the Trip 00:03:30 Growing up poor but playing travel soccer planted early seeds. Working short emergency medicine shifts gave Zack flexible scheduling and the mental space to plan an exit strategy with his wife. Financial Foundation and Savings Rate 00:07:00 A 90%+ savings rate funded their dream. Complete financial transparency in marriage and childhood memories of family bankruptcy drove Zack to master personal finance young. Planning and Budgeting 00:10:00 They allocated $50,000 for travel plus another $50,000 for job hunting upon return. Research through books and blogs introduced "low burn and high burn" countries. Chasing the sun meant packing only lightweight clothing. The $30,000 Reality 00:15:00 Final spend: under $30,000. Strategies included medical volunteering, Workaway exchanges, teaching English for pay in London, hostels, homestays, and ruthless geo-arbitrage in Southeast Asia and South America. Travel Strategies and Workaway 00:20:00 Workaway connected them to free accommodation in exchange for skills. They secured a paid two-month teaching position in London and applied to opportunities like an alpaca farm in Norway (visa restrictions prevented that one). Building Community on the Road 00:28:00 Hostels, hiking groups, public transportation, and intentional conversations created friendships. A Malaysian engineer they met on a volcano hike later hosted them. Connection required showing up and being open. Life-Changing Inflection Points 00:33:00 Two moments shaped everything: his family's bankruptcy as a teenager and waking up in an ICU coma in 2018. The latter injected urgency into postponed dreams and clarified what mattered most. Overcoming Scarcity Mindset 00:38:00 Shifting from scarcity to abundance meant building systems aligned with core values. Evidence from past good decisions created confidence to bet on themselves. Favorite Destinations 00:44:00 Guatemala's active volcano El Fuego, cooking classes in Thailand, Colombia's unexpected beauty and value, Vietnam's month-long immersion, and the dream bucket-list destination of New Zealand. Reintegration and Lessons Learned 00:52:00 Coming home brought culture shock and relief from decision fatigue. They found jobs they loved. Travel isn't vacation—it's exhausting in different ways. Resources and Closing Thoughts 00:58:00 Rolf Potts' Vagabonding shaped their philosophy. Journaling preserved memories. No single resource fits everyone; customize your approach by exploring multiple perspectives. Notable Quotes Zack: "We ended up spending just under thirty thousand dollars. If I told you the list of activities we did and the places we visited, you would not think it was possible." Zack: "Easy decisions, hard life. Hard decisions, easy life. When you spend a lot of time thinking about the hard decisions and you go really deep on the core values of your life, then I think it makes it easier to create systems that will help you move forward." Zack: "Traveling teaches you simplicity in a very interesting way. When we came home at the end of the year, we had plenty of room to spare in our backpacks. Your mindset just really shifts from 'this is what we think we need' to 'this is what we need.'" Zack: "I woke up in a coma in the ICU. That experience really brought into perspective mortality and some sense of urgency to do…

A Hateful Homicide – Season 7, Episode 5Synopsis:In the heart of Singapore's bustling Bugis district, a community already living in the shadows is shaken by a brutal act of violence. On October 27, 1990, 30-year-old Malaysian fashion designer and gender-nonconforming individual Lim Yeow Chuan, affectionately known as "Susan," was found stabbed to death on Johore Road near Queen Street—an area that had become a refuge for transgender and gender-diverse sex workers facing widespread discrimination and limited economic opportunities. (Wikipedia)As investigators searched for answers, the case revealed a violent confrontation involving two men who claimed they were attempting to recover property allegedly stolen from a friend. What began as a murder prosecution ultimately transformed into a landmark legal case when Singapore's highest court concluded that the killing occurred during a sudden fight, reducing the principal defendant's conviction from murder to manslaughter. The decision ignited debate over self-defense, proportionality, and accountability in cases involving marginalized victims. (Wikipedia)In this episode of A Hateful Homicide, we examine not only the investigation and courtroom proceedings, but also the social climate that made transgender and gender-diverse people especially vulnerable to violence in Singapore during the late 20th century. Through historical context, legal records, and the voices of advocates, we explore how prejudice, criminalization, and invisibility can shape both public perception and the pursuit of justice.More than three decades later, "A Killing on Queen Street" asks difficult questions that continue to resonate today: How does society value the lives of transgender and gender-diverse people? Does justice look different when the victim comes from a marginalized community? And what can Lim Yeow Chuan's story teach us about dignity, remembrance, and the ongoing fight against anti-transgender violence?Viewer discretion is advised. This episode contains discussions of homicide, violence, and discrimination against transgender and gender-diverse individuals."A Killing on Queen Street"

Welcome to the forty third episode of the Zoology Ramblings Podcast! In this episode, Robi starts by talking about the unusual fake news claiming that the government is planning to cull 95% of the ponies on Dartmoor. Emma discusses the unprecedented global temperatures we've been experiencing this summer. Robi and Emma then compete for the sexiest bird in their species of the week. Robi talks about the Malaysian rail babbler, and Emma sheds light on the plight of the Javan magpie. To end, Robi and Emma delve into the secret return of the Eurasian eagle owl to Britain. Robi Watkinson is a Conservation Biologist and wildlife filmmaker specialising in the spatial and movement ecology of large carnivores, camera trapping survey methods, rewilding, metapopulation dynamics and conservation planning. He has an MSc in Conservation Biology from the FitzPatrick Institute of African Ornithology, and the Institute of Communities and Wildlife in Africa, University of Cape Town. He is based between Cape Town and London, and has strong interests in equitable and inclusive conservation, palaeontology and wildlife taxonomy and evolution!Emma Hodson is a Zoologist and wildlife content creator, currently working in the community and engagement team at Avon Wildlife Trust. Emma's role as a Wildlife Champions Project Officer involves supporting and upskilling people to take action for nature in their local communities. Emma has experience in remote wildlife fieldwork, and has been part of Arctic fox, macaw and cetacean research teams in Iceland, Peru and Wales respectively. She has also been involved in animal care and rehabilitation work in Costa Rica and South Africa. Emma is particularly passionate about the interface between community engagement and wildlife monitoring, and enjoys running workshops and giving talks on topics including camera trapping, beaver ecology and rewilding. You can follow more of our weird and wonderful wildlife adventures on instagram: @zoologyramblingspodcast & @robi_watkinson_wildlife & @emma_hodson_wildlife Zoology Ramblings Merch: https://zoology-ramblings.teemill.com/

Send us Fan MailWelcome to Episode 256!  It's been a talking point for over 6 years at this point and what some refer to as "The Big Lie".  The rhetoric is now getting more aggressive despite the same statements being repeated for a decade when discussing elections -- by one man on one side of the aisle. Of course we are referring to the Big Lie of the 2020 election. Within the last week Dumpy Don took to the podium in a primetime address and spouted lies, misrepresentation, and released documents proving there was no actual election fraud evidence and in fact, evidence was presented Russian interference and worked to re-elect Dumpy Don.  The Boys are breaking it down for you, giving you talking points, and the true tea.Kicking things off is the Tea Party this week with a caller voice memo to discuss multi-season television shows and the latest on the sudden tubbing of Lady G.Trash Talk topics this week cover a Florida women received upsetting, random vanity plates for her car, how to get banned from Olive Garden, a Malaysian official is warning the people about what turns people LGBGTQ+, and one Oscar winning actor had such a horrific smelling fart -- it's still a topic of conversation over 20 years later.  Whose was it?All this and recommendations too!  This one's a goodie!  So getcha a fresh diaper, fill a glass with a tasty port vintage, and pull up chair to the table to join your GBFFS.  It's time to paint!=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-Let The Boys of Painted Trash know your thoughts on this week's topics and episode! What street festivals do you attend? Do you like street fests? What is your favorite festival??Have a topic idea or story you recommend for Trash Talk, be sure to send it in to our email or through the "contact us" on our website.Follow us on:Instagram: instragram.com/paintedtrashpodTwitter: twitter.com/paintedtrashpodFacebook: facebookcom/paintedtrashpodcastDon't forget to click Subscribe and/or Follow and  leave us a review!email: paintedtrashpodcast@gmail.comweb: www.paintedtrashpodcast.com

This is episode 3 of a six-part series on food imperialism. Welcome to Edible Empire, a podcast by Planet Pulse Pacific about the hidden cost of our food.Food isn't just about taste—it's power. This podcast explores how empires and corporations built control through agriculture, reshaping cultures and feeding some at the expense of others.This episode traces the global impact of the palm oil industry from its indigenous roots to modern supply chains through three expert interviews.Dr Jonathan Robins opens by detailing the pre-colonial history of oil palm in West Africa and explaining how European empires weaponised the crop to fuel the Industrial Revolution, establishing structural patterns that mirror today's agribusiness models.Dr Helena Varkkey then unpacks the political economy of Malaysian production, exposing how entrenched relationships between political elites and conglomerates shield the industry from regulation.Farwiza Farhan brings a frontline conservation perspective from Indonesia, documenting how government-incentivised monoculture plantations drive deforestation, threaten endangered species, and violate Indigenous land rights. Together, the experts critique the effectiveness of voluntary sustainability certification schemes like the RSPO, debate whether palm oil can ever be truly sustainable at scale, and highlight the efforts of local communities fighting back against corporate food imperialism.Make sure you subscribe so you don't miss out on the next episode!Resources from this episode:https://www.mtu.edu/social-sciences/department/faculty/robins/https://commoditiesofempire.org.uk/about/jonathan-robins/https://theconversation.com/profiles/jonathan-e-robins-1227071https://seapeat.wixsite.com/homehttps://cgsea.org/https://umexpert.um.edu.my/helenav To view all the links to the websites and documents, visit the show notes on our website.Please support our work and enable us to deliver more content by buying us a coffee or becoming a member of Athletes for Nature.Follow us on Instagram and Facebook, subscribe to this podcast, and share this episode with your friends and family.

This episode, we'll explore stories inspired by the ImpossibleQuest that Commodus is calling The Contest of Godly Strength. So, when I think about gods and heroes who have performed feats of incredible strength, there are really two who leap immediately to mind. One of them is Heracles, who we've talked about a lot on this podcast – and another is the Norse god Thor. I'll tell some of their stories, as well as introducing you to the bronze giant Talos and the Malaysian hero Badang! All stories told on Myths & Muses are original family-friendly adaptations of ancient myths and legends. Stories from ancient mythology can also sometimes deal with complicated topics for young listeners — to the mortal parents and caretakers reading this, we encourage listening along with your young demigods to help them navigate those topics as they explore these epic tales. [Transcript for Episode 6] If you'd like to submit something creative you've done inspired by the stories in Myths & Muses, use this form (with a Mortal Guardian's permission!). ----more---- Stuff to Read:  The Tale of Utgarda-Loki from Norse Mythology for Smart People Thor's Adventures in Jotunheim Talos at THEOI and Mythopedia Antaeus at THEOI and Mythopedia Badang the Magnificent The Legend of Badang: When Strength Carved History Stuff to Watch: Our curated YouTube playlist for the stories in this episode!

Soon to be seen in series 3 of The Traitors on Channel 10, Alvin Quah is a well known face thanks to his two standout seasons on MasterChef. Alvin gives us an insight into the machinations of The Traitors and some special memories of his MasterChef days as well. He is proudly Malaysian born and his insight to the best food from his homeland is brilliant. We also learn of Alvin's little-known skill that has absolutely nothing to do with cooking or television cameras, but one he shares with Sarah. When Kevin asked Sarah what the Food Poll for this week was going to be, 'She just smiled and gave him a Vegemite sandwich.' So keeping the show as bright as bright can be, we ask are you a happy little Vegemite sandwich eater or not? Broadcast each Sunday on the ACE Radio Network - https://aceradio.com.au/ Catch us also on: Radio 2DD - Easy Listening - On Line - https://www.2dd.online/ Follow us on Facebook...https://www.facebook.com/foodbyteswithsarahpatterson/ Twitter & Instagram - @sarahfoodbytes Producer - Christopher Gates © 2026 Howdy Partners MediaSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Subscribe to This Week in Hospitality wherever you get you podcasts: Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/5oPExA0txHMjEI5Ye13IUy Apple Podcasts - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/this-week-in-hospitality/id1849637233 Youtube - https://www.youtube.com/@ThisWeekinHospitality   James McBride, Co-Founder & CEO of NIHI Hotels, joins the core four for a wide-ranging conversation on what it actually takes to build a legendary independent hospitality brand — from the jungles of Sumba to the halls of the Ritz-Carlton. James traces his career across some of the most storied names in luxury hospitality — Ritz-Carlton, Rosewood, the Carlisle, YTL — before partnering with Chris Burch to build NIHI Sumba, now widely regarded as one of the world's most exceptional and emotionally resonant hotel experiences. He breaks down the difference between operating inside a behemoth brand versus building something from scratch, and what it really costs — personally and professionally — to go independent. The conversation covers demand creation in the pre-algorithm era (think hot cookies at Malaysian airports and a chef moonlighting as a "technology butler"), how a yoga teacher ran NIHI's Instagram for its first five years, and why NIHI's most viral post — horses casting shadows on a beach at sunset — gets mistaken for AI-generated content daily. James also shares his philosophy on guerrilla marketing, the power of generosity as a brand strategy, and why scarcity may be the most underutilized asset in luxury hospitality today. On the business side, James gets candid about partner selection, equity, the emotional toll of betting on yourself, and what independent operators consistently get wrong: great product, poor storytelling. He argues that the GM running a flagged property matters more than the flag itself — that soul can't be systemized, only lived. A masterclass in brand building, emotional hospitality, and the courage it takes to build something the world hasn't seen yet.   Your Hosts: Zach Busekrus — Journey LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/zachbusekrus/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/behindthestays/   Scott Eddy — Global Travel & Hospitality Expert @MrScottEddy LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mrscotteddy/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mrscotteddy/   Ben Wolff — Founder of Onera & Oasi LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ben-wolff/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/iambenwolff/   Edwin Kramer — Luxury Hotelier Consultant & Former GM LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/edwinckramer/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/edwinkramer/

From filming Red Bull stunts and chasing Malaysian princes around racetracks, to landing in Johannesburg and having $40k worth of camera gear stolen before a wild midnight Maccas run. Geordie Lillis is back with another proper true yarn, and this one gets loose quick.

Jesrina Arshad didn't have money for marketing. She didn't have a product yet. What she had was four years of trust built through pure education — no selling, no pitching, just genuinely helping her audience understand an ancient Malaysian herb called pegaga. So when she finally asked her community to pre-pay for a product that wouldn't ship for three months, she sold out 250 units in two weeks. With zero marketing spend.   In this episode of Running With Wolves, Savannah sits down with Jesrina Arshad, founder and CEO of PurelyB, to talk about healing a decade of chronic health issues in one week, building an all-women founding team, and the exact trust-first marketing strategy that took her from an educational platform with zero revenue to an eight-figure wellness brand now expanding into the US.   Here's what this episode covers: How Jesrina turned a personal health crisis into the foundation of an eight-figure company The pre-order strategy that sold 250 units of a product that didn't exist yet — with zero marketing Why trust has to come before the sale, especially in wellness — and how Jesrina built that trust for free The guerrilla pitch that got PurelyB into conversation with Erewhon's co-founder   Connect with Jesrina (Jess) Arshad on Instagram at @jessarshad — https://www.instagram.com/jessarshad — or visit https://purelyb.com   Apply to work with Savannah HERE: http://bit.ly/applywlfpodcast or DM her on Instagram @itssavannahjordan ( / itssavannahjordan ) with your takeaway.   PurelyB, Jess founder, trust based marketing, female founder, wellness brand, pre-order strategy, eight figure brand, organic marketing 2026

Episode #561: The third episode in a three part series, this was recorded inside Malaysia's Parliament during the final stretch of Malaysia's ASEAN chairmanship. It sits where diplomacy meets consequence—non-interference, the limits of influence, and the reset button of rotating leadership. Beneath that is Malaysia's lived reality: refugees arriving as people, not headlines, often in legal limbo and reliant on UNHCR papers. MPs speak of gaps in data, barriers to legal work and schooling, strained clinics, and the politics of backlash. The first guest is Zahir Hassan, a first-term MP for Wangsa Maju in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia's most densely populated constituency. An engineer and disaster-risk advocate, he treats displacement as a systems failure that has turned permanent. Refugees were meant to be part of “a few months transition,” yet some families are now third or fourth generation in Malaysia. With no legal status, “they technically cannot work. They cannot earn a living here, [so] for them to survive over the years, they have got to work illegally,” he says. Hassan also warns that Malaysia can't drift year after year without proper data, planning, burden-sharing, and serious leadership at regional levels, and that stronger action needs to be taken towards the crisis. Mohammed Suhaimi Abdullah, MP for Langkawi and a former two-term senator, describes Bukit Malut as a settlement that began in 1982 with about 12 Rohingya families, and has grown to nearly 15,000 today. Some residents, he says, “have got blue identity card,” adding, “when you have a blue card, you have to treat them like Malaysians;” despite this, he laments that much of the region is plagued by poor infrastructure and few schools. Abdullah rejects stereotypes, asserting that these Rohingya communities are “not poor people! They're very hard-working,” and adds that this fact that has created resentment among local populations who are not willing to take on equally strenuous jobs. Finally, Hassan Karim is a MP for Pasir Gudang and a lawyer shaped by civil-liberties fights. Referencing his youth, he says: “We fought any attempt by the [Malaysian] government tosuppress the space for democracy.” Karim's actions aligned with his words then, as he notes that he was arrested on sedition charges for protesting authoritarian tendencies. Concerning thecurrent influx of refugees, he calls out Malaysian society for not extending sympathy to those fleeing conflict. “This kind of humanism must transcend religions and race,” he insists. If Malaysians can mobilize around Palestinians in Gaza as a matter of human rights, he argues, they cannot practice moral compartmentalization when the persecuted are nearer, poorer, and politically inconvenient. As Karim ask openly, if Muslim solidarity is invoked loudly elsewhere, why is it so thin here? His harshest criticism, however, is for Myanmar's military, adding that currently, “I feel pessimistic. I never heard or saw any tangible effort [of progress.]”

You may know her as the internet's bestpren, but we know her as Yazmin Aziz. The accent, the features, and not being Malaysian enough. Kids made fun of her for all of it growing up. Now, she's THE ‘bespren' to a growing community of two million strong.Maggy gets the full Yazmin experience- loud, soft, funny, and raw all in one sitting.In this episode you'll learn:•⁠ ⁠What it's like growing up a third-culture kid in Malaysia•⁠ ⁠Filipino vs Malaysian identity, and why she stopped choosing just one•⁠ ⁠The bullying that shaped her drive for success•⁠ ⁠Turning your culture into content that people connect with•⁠ ⁠How joining competitions build your strength and work ethic•⁠ ⁠How Yazmin caught herself self-sabotaging a good relationship•⁠ ⁠What it's really like dating someone in your own industry•⁠ ⁠Red flags Yazmin used to ignore, and the ones she doesn't anymore•⁠ ⁠Why she stopped overthinking love and started trusting itFollow Yazmin Aziz: @yazmin.aziz----------------------------------------------------------------------Hosted by Maggy Wang, this podcast is where real talk meets real life — messy, mundane, and everything in between. From everyday struggles to smashing through stigmas, we know you're here for the unfiltered conversations. There will be laughter, there will be awkward silence and maybe some tears.One thing's for sure: You won't get enough. So kick off your shoes (or heels), grab a seat and #letsgetheadoverheelsLet us know if you enjoyed this episode and found it helpful! We wanna hear what YOU want to do & talk about next. NEW WEEKLY HOH EPISODES EVERY THURSDAY AT 6PMFollow us on:Instagram: @theheadoverheelspodMaggy: @themaggywang

A ghost that can copy your face, sit on your porch while you're miles away, and keep you trapped in a brutal death rattle until you “pass it on” to your kid? That is where our deep dive into Hantu spirits begins, and it only gets stranger from there.We're Josh, Jamey, and Aleca, and we're digging into Malaysian and Indonesian paranormal folklore where “Hantu” is a broad category for spirits, ghosts, and demons. We talk through the Hantu Raya contract and the idea of a familiar that demands offerings for protection, plus the chilling inheritance angle that turns a haunting into a family problem. Then we move into Pontianak lore, a terrifying figure tied to childbirth fears, roadside encounters, and the disturbing iron nail legend that claims she can be forced into human form.From there, we hit the Pocong, the shroud-bound ghost that hops or glides through the night, and the Penanggalan, a witch whose head detaches and flies with glowing organs, hunted with thorns, chilies, and the smell of vinegar. We also cover the Hantu Bomo, the shaman who falls into darkness, and the Toyol, a toddler-like stealing spirit distracted by marbles and beans. We connect these myths to broader questions about how legends spread, why certain patterns show up in the US too, and how AI videos make the modern paranormal harder to trust.Subscribe for more paranormal history and folklore, share this with a friend who loves ghost stories, and leave a review. Which Hantu story stuck with you the most?Thank you for listening to the Paranormal Peeps Podcast. Check us out on Facebook Paranormal Peeps Podcast or Coldspot Paranormal Research and on Instagram coldspot_paranormal_researchSupport the show

When Greg Jenkins' mother, Anna, vanished in Malaysia, local authorities provided little to no assistance. Determined to uncover the truth, Greg launched his own investigation and ultimately found Anna's remains. But the discovery only deepened the mystery surrounding her disappearance and the subsequent inaction of Malaysian authorities. This episode was originally released in January 2025. Anna's family continues to fight for justice. You can keep up to date with their journey on social media here: Facebook, Instagram, TikTok Do you have information regarding any of the cases discussed on this podcast? Please report it on the Crime Stoppers website or by calling 1800 333 000. You can donate to and support Greg's cause by visiting his GoFundMe here. For Support: Lifeline on 13 11 14 13 YARN on 13 92 76 (24/7 crisis support phone line for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples) 1800RESPECT: 1800 737 732 CREDITS: Host: Meshel Laurie. You can find her on Instagram Guest: Greg Jenkins Executive Producer/Editor: Matthew Tankard This episode contains extra content from ABC News. GET IN TOUCH: https://www.australiantruecrimethepodcast.com/ Follow the show on Instagram @australiantruecrimepodcast and Facebook Send us a question to have played on the show by recording a voice message here. Email the show at AusTrueCrimePodcast@gmail.com

We'll be back soon with new episodes. In the meantime, enjoy this episode about Jho Low, the fraudster who charmed Hollywood's elite while allegedly stealing over $4 billion from one of Malaysia's sovereign wealth funds.Jho Low, a Malaysian-born businessman, will do anything to climb the social ladder. After attending Wharton business school, he establishes himself as a globe-trotting playboy with a celebrity entourage. He uses his money to get near Leonardo DiCaprio, Miranda Kerr, Paris Hilton, Britney Spears, and Kim Kardashian. But the source of Jho Low's seemingly endless cash is a mystery…. Until one of his former associates decides to blow the whistle.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Looking toward the “futures” and determining “good value” Soybean oil futures market evolution since the start of the Iran war What happened in deferred contracts? Is palm oil next? Comparing the last strong El Niño event against an impending one A look at pricing dynamics for Malaysian palm oil futures (BMD exchange) Not a client on McKeany-Flavell's IQ Intelligence Platform? Visit iq.mckeany-flavell.com to learn more! Commodity dashboards Dynamic data & interactive charts Analytics & calculators Price forecasts Downloadable data, charts, and tables Our next webinar: Seasonal Market Outlook Wed., Jun 24, 2026 at 2pm ET / 11am PT Invites rolling out soon! Host: Michael Caughlan, President & CEO Expert: Nicole Thomas, Vice President – Information Services  

Mr. T returns to the show after 3 years - this time revealing his face, his updated trading strategy, and the mindset that helped him grow small accounts aggressively through gold trading. Full episode + show notes: https://tradingnut.com/mr-t-2/ Key moments - [03:36] “The only thing that matters in order to increase your win rate is just confluence.” - [05:37] “If a level that isn't supposed to break starts breaking, then you're in for a direction change.” - [06:38] “Direction, key level filtering, and confirmation — those are my three pillars of trading.” - [07:58] “It's not about how often you win or lose. It's about how much you win when you're right and how much you lose when you're wrong.” - [09:30] “Sessions only determine volatility. The market moves by the same rules throughout the entire day.” - [16:29] “There is no 100% win rate strategy. There's just good probabilities and bad probabilities.” - [20:50] “Never change your risk no matter how deep in drawdown you are.” - [23:51] “All you have to do is get one huge runner and your account is good.” - [27:00] “Get your money from trading and invest it somewhere else. Trading shouldn't be the end-all be-all.” - [28:09] “The market doesn't repeat itself, but it rhymes.” Watch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U1HfPBvW5Zo --- Sponsors BlackBull Markets - 100% deposit bonus & free TradingView — NZ-regulated broker. https://tradingnut.com/go/blackbull/ PropFirmMatch - Find the right prop firm challenge — PropFirmMatch.com https://tradingnut.com/go/pfm/ --- More from Trading Nut Strategy Vault - Free guest setups organised by market & method. https://tradingnut.com/go/vault/ TraderZen - Free trade control & mindset app for active traders. https://tradingnut.com/go/traderzen/ Dynamic Traders Club - Free 7-minute rule strategy — mechanical intraday setup. https://tradingnut.com/go/dtc/ --- Educational only - not financial advice. Risk: https://tradingnut.com/disclaimers/ Some links are affiliate partnerships.

Malaysian SNR trader Mr. T returns to break down his evolved trading strategy, including confluence-based entries, equilibrium levels, risk management, and why he believes one massive runner can completely transform a trading account. In this interview, Mr. T explains: ✅ His 3 pillars of trading ✅ Why confluence matters more than indicators ✅ How he trades gold exclusively ✅ His thoughts on ICT, SMC, and market structure ✅ Why he risks aggressively to grow accounts ✅ The mindset behind holding huge runners ✅ Why most traders fail at consistency ✅ How he turned small accounts into large gains If you're into gold trading, Malaysian SNR, price action, ICT concepts, or high risk-to-reward trading strategies, this episode is packed with valuable insights. https://tradingnut.com/mr-t-2/ - Mr. T's Links

This week on Kitchen Tape, Rose and Crystal sit down with Helen Goh, internationally acclaimed pastry chef, longtime Ottolenghi collaborator, columnist for the Sydney Morning Herald and The Guardian, and author of Baking and the Meaning of Life and Sweet. Featuring 100 recipes that weave together Helen's Malaysian and Australian heritage with Western and Middle Eastern influences, Baking and the Meaning of Life asks a larger question beneath the recipes: how do we build meaning in our lives? Through eight essays woven throughout the book, Helen explores baking as a practice of mindfulness, agency, competence, ritual, and connection — not simply as a way to make food, but as one of the many small acts that help us create purpose and community in a chaotic world. The conversation moves through her enviable cookbook collection, existentialism, the meanings of color, psychology, flavor, memory, and the quiet rigor behind recipes that feel both deeply comforting and profoundly intentional.Mentioned in this episode:• Baking and the Meaning of Life: How to Find Joy in 100 Recipes• Sweet by Helen Goh and Yotam Ottolenghi• Cooking: Simply and Well, for One or Many by Jeremy Lee• Kate Spade Green• The Australian Women's Weekly Children's Birthday Cake Book• The Flavor Thesaurus by Niki Segnit• Stars Desserts by Emily Luchetti• Flour Hour Baking Podcast hosted by Jeremiah Duarte Bills and Amanda Faber• Bird by Bird by Anne Lamott• Ma Vie en Rose by Rose Levy Beranbaum• The Artful Baker by Cenk Sonmezsoy• Jikoni by Ravinder Bhogal

Today we'll be talking about a British driver who's been arrested after a serious hit and run incident on Koh Pha Ngan, then, former formula 1 driver Mika Salo was injured in a suspected bangkok knife attack, plus, a tourist couple flees from a Jomtien convenience store after an alleged energy drink theft turns physical, in ASEAN news Cambodia is activating mandatory military service amidst border tensions with Thailand, in wildlife news a Malaysian passenger was caught attempting to smuggle 251 live animals and also Phuket tourists are facing scrutiny after controversial pictures with a sea turtle, and is it acceptable to skip out on part of a bill if your order doesn't meet your standards? One woman in Phuket seems to think so.

#430 The Imp from Impington - Rich has a problem with his daughter's favourite song, and shows that he is up to date with all the music playing at the discos nowadays. His guest is the irrepressible timkey, back for a third time in 18 months!. They talk about Tim's time as a white van man, a woman who survived eight days in a snow drift (for a bit), the places that Tim is and isn't going for his (basically sold out) tour https://www.plosive.co.uk/events/tim-key-mulberry-tour-2023, where he gets his crazy ideas, the incredible baguette deal in Pret, which comedian would make the best Prime Minister, being the answer to a question of University Challenge and what it's like to do a gig to a mainly Malaysian audience.There's a new and exciting instalment of the adventures of timkey the monkey and the pair compare cancers and then Rich asks the occasionally dynamite question, “What's it like being Tim Key?” Who can be sure. All I know is it's always a rollercoaster of fun and danger to be in his company!Come and see us live http://richardherring.com/rhlstpSUPPORT THE SHOW!See details of the RHLSTP LIVE DATES Watch our TWITCH CHANNELBecome a badger and see extra content at our WEBSITE Buy DVDs and books from GO FASTER STRIPE Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What does it take to project true authority before you even speak a word? Welcome to Part Two of the Sheepdog Strong series on the Mark Divine Show, where retired Navy SEAL Commander Mark Divine shifts from building internal attributes to forging ten core internal skills, starting with Command Presence. Discover how to project "calm authority" through your body, voice, and mind to deliberately regulate the emotional temperature of any room. Mark shares a tense, real-life encounter with three men in a Malaysian alleyway to illustrate how a grounded, intentional presence can change the math of a situation and neutralize threats without violence. Learn how your internal ethos and courage power your external posture, and challenge yourself with two actionable weekly missions: the Mirror Drill and the Threshold Drill. By mastering these daily repetitions, you can make command presence your arriving default rather than an emergency response.Special thanks to Will Potter for providing the incredible track "Easy Day" featured in this episode!200,000+ leaders have become unbeatable with my operating system, will you be the next? Join The Unbeatable Leader Challenge Today: https://www.unbeatableleader.com#leadership #mental toughness #mindset #peakperformance #NavySEAL #executivecoaching #resilience #selfimprovement #growthmindset #unbeatablemind #highperformance #mindfulness #personaldevelopment #warriormindset #stoicleadership

I had a really fun time chatting with Cassandra Lam, the co-founder of Mama Lam's, a maker of authentic Malaysian sauces. Visiting from Queens, New York, Cassandra and her husband, Ken, joined me @onwaverly 's Clubhouse to share their origin story as well as their favorite ways to eat Mama Lam's sauces! You can get Mama Lam's sauces online or perhaps locally at a store near you! Check out https://mamalams.com/ to find out where.  Come check out our new website www.infatuasian.com and see what's new at the pod! Follow us @infatuasianpodcast on social media, or write to us at infatuasianpodcast@gmail.com Our Theme: “Super Happy J-Pop Fun-Time” by Prismic Studios was arranged and performed by @invictusquartet Cover Art and Logo designed by Justin Chuan @w.a.h.w (We Are Half the World) #asianpodcast #asianamerican #infatuasian #representationmatters

It's Tuesday, April 21st, A.D. 2026. This is The Worldview in 5 Minutes heard on 140 radio stations and at www.TheWorldview.com.  I'm Adam McManus. (Adam@TheWorldview.com) By Kevin Swanson and Timothy Reed Pope claims communion between Christians and Muslims Pope Leo XIV visited Algeria, Africa last week, and celebrated what he called “communion between Christians and Muslims” and the “shared aspiration for dignity, love, justice, and peace” -- whatever that is. Leo made no mention of the forced closure of Protestant churches as well as laws criminalizing evangelism, the distribution of Bibles, and posting Christian messages online. Out of the top ten countries in the world named for persecuting Christians, nine are Muslim-controlled nations. Psalm 12:1-2 is the cry of God's people in every age: “Help, Lord, for the godly man ceases!  For the faithful disappear from among the sons of men.   Everyone utters lies to his neighbor; they speak with flattering lips and a double heart.” Japan's major earthquake On Monday, Japan was hit with a major 7.7 earthquake on the Richter scale located on the northeastern side of Honshu. That's the biggest quake since 2015 to hit the island country. Experts are warning of another bigger quake potentially striking within a week. Fire on Borneo Island A huge fire displaced thousands on the Malaysian island of Borneo, reports NBC News. Almost 1,000 homes were consumed in the fire.  America's drought today worse than Dust Bowl days of 1934 God's hand is upon the United States.   The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Drought Monitor is registering worse drought conditions in America today than the Dust Bowl days of the Great Depression in 1934 — and the worst conditions since the monitor began in 1895. Over 60% of the 48 contiguous states are under moderate to exceptional drought conditions right now. That would include 97% of the Southeast, and 65% of the West. Also, the Drought Monitor places the last ten years, running from 2017 to 2026, as equally as severe as the ten years running from 1932 to 1941. These will be the two worst drought periods in recorded history for this country. In Leviticus 26:18-20, God warns of national droughts. He said, “If you do not obey Me, then I will punish you seven times more for your sins. I will break the pride of your power; I will make your heavens like iron and your Earth like bronze. And your strength shall be spent in vain; for your land shall not yield its produce, nor shall the trees of the land yield their fruit.” President Trump vs. Rep. Chip Roy on “no-warrant surveillance” President Donald Trump has drawn criticism after expressing his support for the reauthorization of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act 702, which gives the government power to spy on citizens, in what is known as “no-warrant surveillance.” President Trump took to Truth Social, asking House Republicans to pass a “clean extension of FISA 702.”  Back in 2024, Trump wrote, “KILL FISA, IT WAS ILLEGALLY USED AGAINST ME, AND MANY OTHERS.” Republican Congressman Chip Roy of Texas explained to Fox News why Americans should be wary of federal overreach. Listen. ROY: “As one of my colleagues, Michael Cloud, said the other day: ‘Never does the intelligence community ever walk into the room and say, ‘Hey guys, you know what? We have all this power to go look at a lot of stuff. You know, today we're going to give some of it back.' “That literally never happens. So, Congress, representing the people, has to say, ‘Hold on. We need to stand up for people, make sure they're being protected.” Democrats trying to impeach War Secretary Pete Hegseth House Democrats are working to impeach War Secretary Pete Hegseth over his role in the Iran War, reports News Nation.  The impeachment articles, crafted by Democratic Congresswoman Yassamin Ansari of Arizona, allege that the Secretary of War “broke his oath to the Constitution, put U.S. troops at grave risk through the unauthorized disclosure of classified information, and engaged in abuse of office and conduct beneath the dignity of his office.” Eight Democrats are co-sponsoring the resolution, which is all but ensured to fail as Republicans control the House and Senate.  60% of Americans: Abortion should be legal in most cases Sixty percent of Americans now say abortion should be legal in most cases. That's the latest revelation from Pew Research. That's up from 51% in 2015 -- 10 years ago. Plus, 66% of younger Millennials, those between their  late 20s and early 30s, take this pro-abortion position compared to 57% of those over 65.   Among the 50 U.S. states, only Arkansas was pro-life in that the majority wanted abortion illegal in most cases. Vermont, New Hampshire, and Massachusetts were the most pro-death states in America, according to this survey. Nebraska's new law on homeschooling The State of Nebraska enacted a law, Bill 937, requiring a 14-day waiting period for public-school families who decide to homeschool their children. The law also bans parents who have prior convictions involving sexual crimes from homeschooling their children, reports World Magazine. Record-breaking stock market U.S. stock market euphoria is setting records, reports MarketWatch.com.   The Nasdaq Composite Index has jumped 18% in just 13 trading days — that's the biggest winning streak since 1992. Anniversary of Paul Revere's famous midnight ride And finally, this weekend marked the 251st anniversary of Paul Revere's famous midnight ride and the battles of Lexington and Concord. Revere, who undertook his night journey along with fellow patriots William Dawes and Samuel Prescott, warned American patriots on the night of April 18th that the British, under the leadership of General Thomas Gage, were on the march. The next morning, April 19th, the “shot heard round the world” was fired on Lexington Green, and the first blood of the American Revolution was shed. The patriotic minutemen ultimately forced the British back into Boston in a running battle, securing the colonies their first victory. The American Revolutionary War would last until 1783, when the American colonies finally won their independence.  Close And that's The Worldview on this Tuesday, April 21st, in the year of our Lord 2026. Follow us on X or subscribe for free by Spotify, Amazon Music, or by iTunes or email to our unique Christian newscast at www.TheWorldview.com.  Plus, you can get the Generations app through Google Play or The App Store. I'm Adam McManus (Adam@TheWorldview.com). Seize the day for Jesus Christ.

In 1966, the fabric of reality was torn to shreds by a bizarre beast, thrusting a group of Malaysian students and their terrified teacher headlong into a state of paranormal pandemonium… The high strangeness continues with a Tennessee family who were not only terrorized by a freakish, hairy, wart-faced fiend, but violently attacked in their own home by the savage thing who could vanish in a puff of smoke. The Cryptonaut Hotline:315-370-6853  The Cryptonaut Podcast Patreon:https://www.patreon.com/cryptonautpodcast  The Cryptonaut Podcast Merch Stores:Hellorspace.com - Cryptonautmerch.com Stay Connected with the Cryptonaut Podcast: Website - Instagram - TikTok - YouTube- Twitter - Facebook 

Episode 1923 - brought to you by our incredible sponsors: LUCY - Get 20% off your first order when you buy online with code HARDFACTOR at lucy.co.  00:00:00 Timestamps 00:04:50 Good news, “we've won” the war in Iran 00:13:40 Irish Youtuber convicted of killing pregnant girlfriend after GTA live stream alibi fail 00:21:40 Malaysian couple caught having sex in broad daylight at a cemetery  00:25:10 New video game ‘Five Nights at Epstein's' is sweeping through schools 00:30:20 Boner Bears Honey recalled for having unlabled Viagra ingredients Thank you for listening! Go to ⁠https://patreon.com/hardfactor⁠ to join our community!! But most importantly, get out there and HAGFD Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices