Podcasts about Palau

Donate (no account necessary) | Subscribe (account required) Join Bryan Dean Wright, former CIA Operations Officer, as he dives into today's top stories shaping America and the world. In this New Year's Eve Headline Brief of The Wright Report, Bryan delivers major economic updates, exposes collapsing green energy narratives, explains the White House's aggressive new asylum strategy, and revisits the explosive Somali fraud scandal in Minnesota that is now dominating national politics. He closes with a reflection on truth, power, and why elites work so hard to stop Americans from asking hard questions. Good News for Your Wallet: Pending home sales jumped 3.3 percent in November, the strongest showing in three years, driven by rising wages and lower mortgage rates. Rents are falling across most major cities, creating the most renter-friendly market in at least a decade. HUD data shows that two-thirds of rental demand came from the foreign-born, meaning deportations and self deportations are directly increasing housing supply and lowering prices for native born Americans. The Cheap Labor Myth Collapses: After more than two and a half million illegal migrants have left the country, GDP and wages are rising while rents and crime fall. Bryan argues Americans were lied to for decades by elites who claimed cheap foreign labor was necessary. The data now shows the opposite, and he calls the moment revolutionary. Green Energy Reality Check: China's renewable energy boom is largely a mirage, with many wind and solar projects never connected to the grid. Beijing is simultaneously expanding coal plants across Southeast Asia. Global wind speeds and solar efficiency are declining, and Japan is restricting solar farms for environmental and aesthetic reasons. Bryan says the global green movement is now in retreat. Trump's New Asylum Strategy: The White House is canceling large numbers of asylum claims and sending others to third countries like South Sudan or Palau while cases are reviewed. The administration says most asylum claims are fraudulent and designed to exploit loopholes. Democrats accuse Trump of abandoning human rights. DOJ Targets DEI Programs: The Justice Department is using the False Claims Act to pressure federal contractors to dismantle Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion programs. Companies must either eliminate DEI or face massive fines for defrauding the government. Universities Face a Financial Shake-Up: The Trump administration wants universities and venture capital firms to share profits from taxpayer-funded research. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick is pushing for equity stakes or cash returns when patents are commercialized. Elon Musk Enters the Midterm Fight: Despite past clashes with Republicans, Elon Musk says he will spend hundreds of millions of dollars to help the GOP keep Congress. He cites fears of Democrat censorship, economic control, and what he calls ideological extremism. Minnesota's Somali Fraud Scandal Explodes: Federal investigators say Somali-run nonprofits defrauded taxpayers of at least nine billion dollars through fake daycares, autism services, food programs, and Medicaid scams. Money funded luxury lifestyles, Islamist terror groups, and Democratic campaigns. Governor Tim Walz halted earlier investigations after activists accused the state of racism. A Somali academic told the New York Times that fraud is culturally encouraged, a statement Walz has avoided addressing. Bryan explains why Elon Musk now calls the governor "Traitor Tim." A New Year's Reflection: Bryan closes by urging listeners to reject elite deflections and keep demanding the truth. He argues that the real battle ahead is not left versus right, but truth versus lies, and promises that this podcast will continue to challenge power with facts, logic, and reason in the year ahead.   "And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free." - John 8:32     Keywords: pending home sales rent decline deportations, cheap labor myth wages GDP, China coal expansion fake green energy, Trump asylum third country policy, DOJ False Claims Act DEI, university patent profit sharing Lutnick, Elon Musk GOP midterms funding, Minnesota Somali fraud nine billion dollars, Tim Walz investigation, al Shabaab terror funding

In this special year-end edition, hosts Ray Powell and Jim Carouso reflect on a transformative 2025 in the Indo-Pacific, examining the dramatic shift from conventional diplomacy to hard power politics under the Trump 2.0 administration. The episode provides a comprehensive review of the podcast's most impactful conversations, from national government leaders to topical experts, while analyzing the year's major geopolitical developments.Trump 2.0 and the Hard Power PivotJim and Ray discuss how the year began with U.S. Ambassador to Japan Rahm Emanuel's appearance, marking the podcast's first sitting ambassador interview. Following President Trump's January inauguration, 2025 witnessed a fundamental reorientation of American Indo-Pacific policy away from soft power initiatives toward military deterrence and economic leverage through tariffs. They discuss how this approach disrupted established norms and international agreements, with potential Supreme Court challenges to executive power looming in 2026.China's Gray Zone and Political Warfare CampaignsGray zone and political warfare emerged as a dominant theme, with a topical episode featuring the RAND Corporation's Todd Helmus becoming the year's most downloaded audio content. The hosts recall what they learned about China's comprehensive political warfare strategy, which treats peacetime as a mere continuation of conflict through non-military means. Notable coverage included the extraordinary incident where two Chinese Coast Guard vessels collided near Scarborough Shoal, producing the year's top video episode as Beijing's propagandists struggled for four days to craft a narrative blaming the Philippines for a setback they couldn't admit to.Regional Flashpoints and ConflictsThe podcast provided critical context for unexpected conflicts, including the India-Pakistan and Thailand-Cambodia border wars. These complex, multi-generational disputes were unpacked by regional experts like Indian strategic analyst Nitin Gokhale and former Cambodian Ambassador Pou Sothirak.The Trump-Modi Relationship UnravelsWhat began as a seemingly stable partnership deteriorated rapidly in 2025, with Washington Post columnist Josh Rogin providing blunt analysis of an unexpectedly cooling U.S.-India relationship. The Trump administration's surprising pivot toward Pakistan represented a stunning reversal from Trump 1.0 policies, raising questions about Quad's future effectiveness and regional security cooperation.Transnational Crime and Human TraffickingInvestigative reporting by the Washington Post's Sue-Lin Wong exposed the exponential expansion and brutal reality of scam compounds across Myanmar, Cambodia and the Philippines, where human trafficking victims are forced into “pig-butchering” and cryptocurrency fraud operations. We also featured Washington Post reporter Rebecca Tan discussing the methamphetamine crisis fueled by Chinese precursor chemicals flowing through lawless Myanmar territories into markets across Asia.Historic Interviews and Podcast Milestones2025 brought unprecedented access, including interviews with Philippine Defense Secretary Gilbert Teodoro and the podcast's first head-of-state guest, Palau's President Surangel Whipps Jr. Documentary filmmaker Baby Ruth Villarama also came on to discuss Beijing's failed attempt to suppress her West Philippine Sea documentary, while North Korean defector Timothy Cho shared his harrowing escape story.​The hosts also recall the podcast's experiments with live broadcasts covering Australia's election results and China-Japan tensions.2026 OutlookMonthly listenership quadrupled in 2025, establishing the podcast as the leading Indo-Pacific affairs platform. As 2026 approaches, the hosts anticipate continued geopolitical turbulence, Supreme Court tariff decisions and evolving great power competition dynamics across the region.

US BOLSTERS PACIFIC SOCIETAL RESISTANCE AS CHINA ENTRENCHES IN PALAU AND YAPColleague Cleo Paskal. Cleo Paskal details the intensifying struggle for influence in Oceania, specifically regarding Palau and Yap, which are vital for defending the corridor between Hawaii and the Philippines. In Palau, a new comprehensive agreement aims to counter China's "illegal, coercive, aggressive, and deceptive activities" by strengthening the island's law enforcement and healthcare systems to build "societal resistance." This partnership, which notably involves Palau accepting US deportees, represents a strategic shift from purely kinetic defense to political warfare, helping the nation block Chinese organized crime and preserve sovereignty. Conversely, in Yap, despite a new US commitment of nearly $1.5 billion for dual-use infrastructure, Chinese state-linked entities are aggressively embedding themselves. By underbidding on projects like rebuilding a bridge and an Imperial Japanese runway on Woleai, Beijing is effectively subsidizing expansion to gain leverage over local elites during critical access negotiations. 1900 PALAU

Laura Sintes, int

Amb Gemma Biosca conversem sobre l'evolució que ha anat seguint el Cant de la Sibil.la que s'interpreta a Sitges. Actualment, i després d'uns primers anys al Palau del Rei Moro, el Cant de la Sibil.la ja forma part de la celebració de la Missa del Gall a l'església parroquial. A la Gemma l'acompanyen Manel Sabaté (gralla-tible), Albert Soler (timbal baix), Nídia Berbegal (orgue) i el cor dels Amics de l'Orgue de Sitges. L'entrada El Cant de la Sibil.la i el seu accent sitgetà com a prèvia, un any més, de la Missa del Gall. En parlem amb Gemma Biosca ha aparegut primer a Radio Maricel.

La setmana del tradicional concert de Sant Esteve de l'Orfe

What is a call? How does a person know if God is calling them to mission service? Join in a discussion as these and other questions are addressed.

El 22 de novembre del 1970, Joan Yll, ja amb el pseudònim de J.Y.M, signà el seu primer article a l'Eco, dedicat a la crònica d'un dels tradicionals concerts dominicals al Palau de la Música. Aquella petita columna responia a la vocació que en Joan sempre ha tingut per l'escriptura, però no fou fins el 1988 quan les col·laboracions passaren a tenir caràcter setmanal. I així han seguit fins avui. Joan Yll és, hores d'ara, el col·laborador degà de l'Eco, i demà publicarà un article dedicat, precisament, a aquesta fita històrica dels 2000. Amb ell hem parlat de records i de present i futur. L'entrada 55 anys després, demà Joan Yll publica el seu article número 2000 a l’Eco ha aparegut primer a Radio Maricel.

Here is what will be QRV this week:TG – Guatemala - TG9/AF4CZ will be on the air "holiday style," December 7 to January 5, mostly digital modes on 40-10.  He will upload his log to LoTW, eQSL and Club Log. Z8 - South Sudan - YI1DZ (aka Z81D), Diya's, contract with UN-WFP in South Sudan runs until March 10, 2026, with a possible 11-month extension pending approval. Due to frequent travel and a rotating work schedule that includes leave every six weeks, radio activity is limited to free time, mostly on weekends. The author is currently in Istanbul and will return to Juba on December 15 and could be very active as Z81D the following weekend. We have a new prefix from Trinidad and Tobago. WA3DX,Earl Markey, will be on as 9Y9DX from Arouca December 17-29, 40-10M FT8 and FT4. This is the first known issuance of the 9Y prefix. Earl says to QSL direct only to WA3DX or use LoTW. U.S. stations who want direct QSLs should include a self-addressed stamped envelope. He will also upload his log to Club Log.  C5YK, The Gambia – Andre, ON7YK, is QRV from The Gambia until January 25. He is operating as C5YK on SSB, RTTY, PSK,FT8, FT4, and some CW on 20, 17, 15, 12, and 10M. QSL only via LoTW, eQSL, or direct to ON7YK. He posts his logbook on his website.   4X – Israel - 425 DX News reports that as part of celebrating Hanukkah, the Israel Association of Radio Communications will have special callsigns 4X8NER and 4Z8NER on the air December 14-22.  QSL using LoTW or direct to 4Z5MU, and there will be an online certificate as well.  VK - Australia - From now until December 24, VK2SANTA will be on the air,  allowing children and others to talk to the North Pole on various radio frequencies. Updated times and frequencies are available online at https://www.qrz.com/db/VK2SANTA T8 - Palau - Koh, JA1ADT plans to be active from Palau as T88AC until December 17, 2025. Participation in the ARRL 10m contest. Focus on low bands before / after the contest. QSL via LoTW. Paper QSL will be available if needed – send with enough return postage.  The DX Mentor features a new YouTube episode this coming weekend – a discussion with Joe, W8GEX, offering Tips and Hints for DXers to get more into the logbook.  Between Joe, and AJ8B, the host, they have almost 100 years of chasing DX. Check it out and let me know what you think!  If you want to follow all the latest DX Podcasts and YouTube releases, you should check out the DX Mentor Facebook page and subscribe to be kept up to date on all of the DX activities. 

Doncs bé, avui, a petició del Roger, aparcarem la cançó que us havíem preparat, la preferida de Sayon Keita i Juan Núñez, per destacar un retorn que ens ha fet molta il•lusió als qui vam créixer amb el Club Super 3. I és que des de les 8 del vespre del divendres passat dia 5 de desembre, mentre començava l'Estrella Roja Barça, la plataforma 3CAT va penjar els 242 capítols originals del Doctor Slump. podcast recorded with enacast.com

Després de cada partit al Palau, podeu escoltar la roda de premsa del nou tècnic del Barça, Xavi Pascual. En aquest espai us la recuperem perquè no us en perdeu cap detall o per si la voleu recuperar un cop s'ha acabat la transmissió. podcast recorded with enacast.com

El Guapo corta cabezas para frenar la sangría de un año aciago. Clamor del “Me Too”. Poca broma. Trump confirma que el hijo y el yerno de Aznar salen en la lista Epstein. ¡Cojonudo!  Salo, ¡de confinar, nada! Juan Fran Mazón es… ¡Mazón! ¡La Perla! Baliza V16/V320 muertos. A Abascal, Curro Jiménez, a horcajadas en su caballo, le ha robado el botín de la DANA ¿Quién? ¡Sus propias juventudes hitlerianas! Cher se casa. Leti, monocromática. Rosalía, toíto te lo perdono, en blanco y negro. El chófer, los escoltas, el halo solar de Leire y el vis a vis de Ábalos. La hija de María Corina y el novio Miami Vice Burnet/Sony Crocket de Ayuso. El clítoris de alguien del entorno de la princesa Leonor. Trump y Putin contra Europa y a por el petróleo de Venezuela… ¿Fin de ciclo? ¿Moción de censura con un elefante blanco? ¿Adelanto electoral? ¿Resistirá Perro Sanxe? Déu ens agafe confessats! La Misa del Gallo, el discurso del rey Felipe: ¡la Navidad! ¡Siente a Carlos Mazón en su mesa esta nochebuena! ¿Existe la alta sociedad valenciana? Ha nacido Juanfran, el niño Dios y el pare Camps, María José Catalá y Vicent Mompó le están peinando. El pare Camps, el xiquet en l'enterro, el voto discrepante al ataque. Barcala no puede pasar página al Nuevo Testamento. Es difícil salir del vacío… La huella del dinosaurio. De la Castellana a la playa de Madrid: Terra Mítica. De Zaplana a Zaplana y tiro porque me toca.  ¿El president de la Generalitat Valenciana son els pares? No. Son Pepe Císcar i David Serra! Torna el Aquarium! David Serra, de abogado del Juanfran empresari malfaener —no s'ha emportat a ningú, a ningú finestratí al Palau de la Generalitat Valenciana— David Serra de abogado y negociante a Súper Asesor del Juanfran president per accident.  El confesor real popular de la provincia provincial de Alicante y del País Valencià ya no tiene rey ni reina ni nadie que le comprenda… Entonces, ahora, el santo y seña, la consigna popular, la penitencia la dicta… Conchita Piquer ballant nueta amb 13 anys en New York? ¿La bata de cola de Lola Flores?  ¡No! El Benissa & La Nucía power! Yessss! ¡Pepe Císcar y David Serra! Como le dijo Alfonso XII a su mujer, entre toses, en el lecho de muerte, “Cristinita, guarda el coño y, ya sabes, de Cánovas a Sagasta y de Sagasta a Cánovas”. Que sí! Dels pecats del piu, Déu s'en riu i es pecats els de la xona, la Mare déu els perdona. Juan Fran, neurocientífic, inventor del foc, eminent físic quàntic y emperador del puerto sumergido de Alejandría, ¡ruega por nosotros! La vida no es asquerosa. Además, ¡vamos los primeros en el EGM! ¡los más escuchados!!! Ante la incertidumbre, la Cadena SER.

Mini podcast of radical history on this date from the Working Class History team.Our work is only possible because of support from you, our listeners on patreon. If you appreciate our work, please join us and access exclusive content and benefits at patreon.com/workingclasshistory.See all of our anniversaries each day, alongside sources and maps on the On This Day section of our Stories app: stories.workingclasshistory.com/date/todayBrowse all Stories by Date here on the Date index: https://stories.workingclasshistory.com/dateCheck out our Map of historical Stories: https://map.workingclasshistory.comCheck out books, posters, clothing and more in our online store, here: https://shop.workingclasshistory.comIf you enjoy this podcast, make sure to check out our flagship longform podcast, Working Class History

This session will examine key considerations for leaders, senders, and international travelers/workers in the areas of duty of care, risk assessment, contingency planning, security, and common pitfalls ("lessons learned") in international mission work.

️ ¡Vuelve Team Barça Podcast! El Barça remontó al Eintracht en una noche de Champions sufrida… y TBP lo vivió con su primera narración en Club TBP. En este episodio hablamos de: • ️ La experiencia de narrar el Barça–Eintracht en Club TBP. • El análisis futbolero y puntos TBP: con Juanma, Tony y Sergi. • El Triple de Epi: con David Fusté (La Resistencia del Palau) sobre el Barça de basket de Xavi Pascual, su impacto inmediato y la buena dinámica reciente del equipo. ⏰ BLOQUES DEL EPISODIO 00:00 – Sintonía TBP 01:27 – Post partido Barça 2-1 Eintracht con Juanma y Tony 25:42 – Conectamos con Sergi a su salida del Camp Nou 42:43 – Segundo bloque tertulia post partido Barça-Eintracht 51:28 – Los Puntos TBP del Barça-Eintracht 1:00:14 – El Retrovisor: el Osasuna 1:05:28 – El Triple de Epi: el Barça de Xavi Pascual con David Fusté 1:30:36 – Despedida y cierre ⸻ Contenido exclusivo y apoyo: •⁠ Hazte socio en Patreon: teambarca.com/patreon •⁠ Fan en iVoox: Sin publicidad por 1,49 €/mes •⁠ Invítanos un café: ☕️ ko-fi.com/teambarcapod Colabora con TBP: •⁠ Betbrothers → https://betbrothers.es/?utm_source=page&utm_medium=cta&utm_campaign=n0001&utm_id=0001 Participa: •⁠ Fantasy Biwenger: https://biwenger.as.com/go/team-barca-podcast-26 •⁠ Encuesta TBP: https://bit.ly/EncuestaTBP Tienda oficial: •⁠ https://www.teambarca.com/tienda Conecta: •⁠ X: @TeamBarcaPod •⁠ Telegram: bit.ly/ChatTBP •⁠ Discord: bit.ly/DiscordTBP •⁠ Contacto: oyentes@teambarca.com Música: Jamendo.com

Con Gonzalo Velasco, Javier Aroca y Joan Subirats. El Supremo decide hoy si enviar a Ábalos y Koldo a prisión preventiva. Ábalos cargó ayer contra el gobierno en un cambio de estrategia. Dijo que Pedro Sánchez se reunió con Otegi y que Yolanda Díaz hace un uso irregular de su vivienda de ministra. Se cumple una semana desde que conocimos la condena a García Ortiz por parte del Supremo, siete días después seguimos esperando conocer las razones en su sentencia. Además, uno de los jueces que condenó al fiscal general codirigió la tesis del abogado del novio de Ayuso. Hoy Les Corts votan la investidura de Pérez Llorca sin que Vox haya confirmado su apoyo. Feijóo ni ningún alto cargo de Génova estará presente. Además, Mazón dice que fue andando al Palau la tarde de la DANA y que este se ha convertido en un asunto de "Sálvame".

Con Eduardo Madina, Mariola Urrea e Ignasi Guardans. Maribel Vilaplana pagó el parking donde tenía su coche el día de la DANA a las 7 y 47 de la tarde. Una hora después de su salida de El Ventorro con Carlos Mazón. Según el diario Levante, la periodista llevó al president en coche al Palau de la Generalitat, a pesar de que él dijo que fue andando y ella que se despidieron en el aparcamiento. Tres jueces del Supremo que condenaron al fiscal general impartieron tras el juicio un curso pagado por una acusación, según adelanta Eldiario.es. El Poder Judicial emite hoy el informe no vinculante sobre la idoneidad de Teresa Peramato como nueva fiscal general. Será, previsiblemente, favorable por unanimidad, con el visto bueno de vocales progresistas y conservadores. 

El Poder Judicial se reúne para pronunciarse sobre si la fiscal general propuesta del Gobierno, Teresa Peramato, es apta para el puesto. El informe no es vinculante y se espera que sea simbólico porque se lleve el aval unánime de los vocales. Además, el ticket de la periodista que comió con Mazón el día de la DANA confirma que pagó el aparcamiento a las 19:47, una hora después de que saliese con el 'president' de El Ventorro. El diario Levante-EMV cuenta que fue la propia Vilaplana la que llevó a Mazón en coche al Palau, en contra de lo que ambos en defendido frente a la jueza y en el Congreso, respectivamente. Y el 25 de noviembre terminó con unas 40 manifestaciones en toda España en contra de la violencia de género.

Tres semanas después de testificar ante la jueza que investiga la DANA, la factura del parking de Maribel Vilaplana confirma que la periodista pagó el aparcamiento a las 19:47, una hora después de que ella y Mazón abandonaran El Ventorro. El president aseguró que, tras acompañarla, fue andando al Palau de la Generalitat, pero el diario Levante-EMV desmonta esta versión y asegura, citando a fuentes del PP, que fue la propia Vilaplana quien le llevó en coche. Además, miles de personas salieron ayer a las calles en más de 40 marchas con motivo del día contra la violencia de género. Y el PP critica la elección de Teresa Peramato, la propuesta como nueva fiscal general del Estado, porque la nombra el propio Ejecutivo.

Resaca de Champions con derrotas de Barça y Villarreal y empate del Athletic Club: los culés perdieron ante el Chelsea mientras que el submarino cayó ante el Dortmund. Los leones acabaron en tablas con el Slavia de Praga. Previas de Real Madrid y Atlético de Madrid: los merengues se miden al Olympiacos. Los colchoneros, al Inter de Milán. Barça - ASVEL Basket de Euroliga con el debut de Xavi Pascual en casa: el técnico vuelve a sentarse en el banquillo del Palau. Entrevista a Antía Pérez, jugadora de fútbol sala: la gallega atiende a SER Deportivos en mitad de la concentración con la selección en el Mundial de Filipinas.

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

The UN climate convention known as COP30 is now underway in Brazil. As the nations of the world gather to discuss their efforts to rein in climate disruption, the facts are clear: we're not doing enough, fast enough, to meet the Paris Agreement goal of limiting warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius above preindustrial levels. Climate-fueled disasters are increasingly impacting nearly every part of the world. And in Belém, Brazil, near the heart of the Amazon rainforest where the conference is being held, organizers have promised that Indigenous voices will play a bigger role than in the past. They've also billed this as an “implementation COP” where past promises will be turned into action. What practical steps can we hope countries achieve in this year's negotiations? Episode Guests: Ilana Seid, Permanent Representative of Palau to the United Nations; Chair, Alliance of Small Island States (AOSIS) Davi Neustein, Sustainability Consultant; Advisor to Marcelo Behar, COP30 Special Envoy  Deborah Sanchez, Director, CLARIFI (Community Land Rights and Conservation Finance Initiative), Rights and Resources InitiativeFor show notes and related links, visit ClimateOne.org. ***** Support Climate One by going ad-free! By subscribing to Climate One on Patreon, you'll receive exclusive access to all future episodes free of ads, opportunities to connect with fellow Climate One listeners, and access to the Climate One Discord. Sign up today. Ad sales by Multitude. Contact them for ad inquiries at multitude.productions/ads Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The UN climate convention known as COP30 is now underway in Brazil. As the nations of the world gather to discuss their efforts to rein in climate disruption, the facts are clear: we're not doing enough, fast enough, to meet the Paris Agreement goal of limiting warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius above preindustrial levels. Climate-fueled disasters are increasingly impacting nearly every part of the world. And in Belém, Brazil, near the heart of the Amazon rainforest where the conference is being held, organizers have promised that Indigenous voices will play a bigger role than in the past. They've also billed this as an “implementation COP” where past promises will be turned into action. What practical steps can we hope countries achieve in this year's negotiations? Episode Guests: Ilana Seid, Permanent Representative of Palau to the United Nations; Chair, Alliance of Small Island States (AOSIS) Davi Neustein, Sustainability Consultant; Advisor to Marcelo Behar, COP30 Special Envoy  Deborah Sanchez, Director, CLARIFI (Community Land Rights and Conservation Finance Initiative), Rights and Resources InitiativeFor show notes and related links, visit ⁠ClimateOne.org⁠. Highlights: 00:00 - Intro 00:30 – Voters responding to energy and affordability in most recent election 02:00 – COP30 is happening in Brazil, opening remarks by UN leaders 07:00 – Major items on the COP30 agenda 10:30 – Davi Neustein on deliberate choice to hold COP30 in Belém 14:00 – Brazil can speak to Global South and Global North 19:00 – Neustein's hopes for the COP30 action agenda 21:30 – Weeks before COP, Brazil approved new oil drilling in Amazon 27:00 – Ilana Seid shares climate impacts to her home nation of Palau 29:30 – What an “implementation” COP means 35:30 – Is there a need for a new narrative around climate change? 42:00 – Deborah Sanchez shares story of securing land rights for her community 47:00 – Example of a project funded through CLARIFI (Community Land Rights and Conservation Finance Initiative) 51:00 – How COP goal of elevating Indigenous voices is working out in reality 55:00 – What can we learn from the Amazon and how its managed 56:30 – Climate One More Thing ***** Support Climate One by going ad-free! By subscribing to Climate One on ⁠Patreon⁠, you'll receive exclusive access to all future episodes free of ads, opportunities to connect with fellow Climate One listeners, and access to the Climate One Discord. ⁠Sign up today⁠. Ad sales by ⁠Multitude⁠. Contact them for ad inquiries at ⁠multitude.productions/ads Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Daily Quiz - Geography Today's Questions: Question 1: What is the capital city of Bahrain? Question 2: What is the capital city of Mauritius? Question 3: Which region of the world uses '.ch' at the end of its web addresses? Question 4: The country of Palau is on which continent? Question 5: In which US state is Mount Washington? Question 6: What is the capital city of Estonia? Question 7: What is the capital city of India? Question 8: Which Country Has The Longest Coastline? This podcast is produced by Klassic Studios Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Listeners of Tonebenders sent in their favourite stories of their adventures recording sounds out in the world. This is part one, of two, featuring these amazing soundscapes from all over the world. Recordings were sent in of sounds from Kenya, Zimbabwe, Australia, England, Palau, Laos, Poland, Botswana, Germany, Albania, Switzerland, Canada and The USA. So get ready for a sonic trip around the world! This episode features contributions from Nathan Moody, Simon Panayi, Tim Kahn, Chris Bolte, Andrew Dawson, JååN Verschoren, David Thomas, Philipp Feit,  Diego Lukumy and Lamar Samuels. Stay tuned in the coming weeks for Part 2. Congrats to Diego Lukumy and Lamar Samuels for winning the draw to receive a free pair of O-Mini high-sensitivity, miniature omnidirectional electret microphones, kindly donated by Chris Trevino. Sponsors: This Black Friday, Sound Ideas is offering its biggest savings of the year! Enjoy 50% off all proprietary sound libraries and memberships: our best deal yet on world-class audio collections. But that's just the beginning. Each week, we'll spotlight one of our most popular libraries with an exclusive, limited-time discount. Visit https://www.sound-ideas.com/ regularly to discover which library is featured and grab these weekly sound specials before they're gone!_______ If you are interested in field recording, you should know about the O-Mini P48 and the brand new O-Mini PIP miniature omni-directional electret microphones. Each one is hand made by Chris Trevino, a practicing field recordist, and a really engaged member of the sound community. He puts a lot of work into making and testing each mic to ensure they live up to his high standards. They are ultra-sonic capable, which makes manipulating your recordings with them a lot of fun. They are also extremely affordable. At $150us for the P48 & $130 for the PIP, they offer a lot of value for a stereo matched pair. Go to https://www.chrisatrevino.com/store to get more information.________ Have you been using Subquake by The Cargo Cult? Get the low end to cut through in your mixes, in ways you were never able to achieve before. We have all used many different low frequency generator plugins over the years, but Subquake is an entirely different beast. Don't fall into the trap of delivering boring, ho hum sub. Add character and shape to your mixes by having more impact from less signal. Get Subquake, and shake the plaster right off the walls. Head to https://www.thecargocult.nz/ to learn more _______ Episode Notes: https://tonebenderspodcast.com/334-2025-listener-field-recording-stories-pt-1/ Podcast Homepage: https://tonebenderspodcast.com This episode is hosted by Timothy Muirhead

"You Are Welcome": One Woman's Experience with Solo Travel, Food Adventures, and the Kindness of Strangers | Conversations with a Chiropractor Episode Description What actually happens when you travel the world alone—on purpose? In this warm, high-signal episode, Dr. Stephanie Wautier sits down with a dear friend, a seasoned solo traveler who's collected stories from San Francisco to Morocco, Palau, Vietnam, and Greece. You'll hear how one spontaneous weekend changed everything, why a great meal can open doors, and how culture, safety, and serendipity weave together when you give yourself permission to go. She shares her simple starter plan for first-time solo travelers, the "prop" that makes dining alone easier, and the mindset that turns awkward moments into invitations. From sharing a table with strangers who became friends to a full picnic waiting atop an Atlas Mountain summit, this conversation is a reminder that most people, most places, are better than the headlines. As one Moroccan shopkeeper told her: "You are welcome."

Titulares. La convocatoria de España. El Real Madrid asalta una vez más el Palau. Empate entre Elche y Real Sociedad. El domingo arrancan en Turín las ATP Finals. La emoción de Laporta en el regreso al Camp Nou del Barcelona. #OasisDeLibertad. Actualidad del Real Madrid. #Campodelgas.

Talavera y Xavi Saisó analizan la victoria del Real Madrid ante el Barça en el Palau Blaugrana. Previa de la jornada de sábado de LaLiga y la Hypermotion. El Sanedrín Ilustrado, con Besa y Jabois, analiza si Flick debería cambiar algo en su modelo de juego, por qué el Real Madrid baja el nivel en los encuentros de máxima exigencia y la vuelta de Lamine Yamal a la convocatoria de Luis de la Fuente.

Elche y Real Sociedad empatan a uno en el primer partido de la duodécima jornada de LaLiga. El Real Madrid gana el primer Clásico europeo de la temporada y pañolada en el Palau Blaugrana. El Sanedrín analiza la vuelta de Lamine Yamal a la convocatoria de la selección española

Agradece a este podcast tantas horas de entretenimiento y disfruta de episodios exclusivos como éste. ¡Apóyale en iVoox! Tertulia con Mikel y Logi sobre la paliza del Madrid al Barsa en el Palau. Pañuelos blancos del publico y ridiculo de la sección desde hace añosEscucha este episodio completo y accede a todo el contenido exclusivo de Podcast de La Hora de Walter. Descubre antes que nadie los nuevos episodios, y participa en la comunidad exclusiva de oyentes en https://go.ivoox.com/sq/79870

Coming up in Tagata o te Moana: Pacific leaders in Brazil for COP30. Palau's President wants the Pacific to be the first renewable energy region in the world. And parents of conjoined twins in PNG launch global appeal to separate and save their sons. All that and more stories from RNZ Pacific.Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

The president of the Pacific island nation, Palau, considers whether COP is still worth it. Also on the programme, thousands of flights have been cancelled or delayed in the US on the first day of reduced air traffic caused by the government shutdown; and, the so-called "Google Maps" of Roman Roads -- the most extensive digital map that reveals hundreds of thousand of kilometres of old roads.(Photo: Brazil's President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez embrace next to European Council President Antonio Costa and Para state Governor Helder Barbalho as delegates attending the Belem Climate Summit ahead of the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP30) gather for a family photo, in Belem, Brazil, November 7, 2025. REUTERS/Adriano Machado)

7 DE NOVIEMBRE  - BEATO FRANCISCO PALAU, PRESBÍTERO Y FUNDADOR

Per fi, el nou disc de Rosal

El PP de Valencia depende de Vox para elegir al nuevo president y evitar así unas elecciones. Mazón dimitió pero no abandonó su acta de diputados por lo que sigue aforado. No hizo autocrítica y señaló al Gobierno central con algunas afirmaciones incorrectas. Además, las asociaciones de víctimas de la dana se concentraron a las puertas del Palau para pedir la prisión de Mazón. 

Las noticias que debes conocer esta tarde, con Aimar Bretos

Una semana, la del primer aniversario de la DANA, que comenzó con Carlos Mazón volviendo a dar otra versión sobre lo que hizo aquel 29 de octubre. El president acompañó a la periodista Maribel Vilaplana al aparcamiento después de la comida en el Ventorro, con lo que no fue directo al Palau como hasta ahora había defendido. Mazón no ha querido explicarlo.Además, según su relación de llamadas estuvo casi 40 minutos desconectado. Desde antes de las 7 hasta pasadas las siete y media. A esa hora, según la jueza, muchos pueblos estaban ya inundados y había decenas de muertos.En la SER, Joan Baldoví, de Compromís, le llamaba el President más mentiroso de la historia de la Comunitat. Está convencido de que estaba duchándose para espabilarse.Para Santiago Abascal, de Vox, el partido que apoya al Consell de Mazón, el president ha mentido, pero en Cuatro decía...Pero el presidente del PP ejercía de gallego.En fin.El martes con Aimar Bretos en Hora 25 estuvo Saray, una vecina de Montserrat, que perdió a su padre en la DANA. Salvó a sus nietos subiéndolos a un coche, pero a él se le llevó la corriente. Un año después su cuerpo no ha aparecido.Además, Amparo, la dueña de un estudio de Pilates de Benetússer, contó que su negocio quedó arrasado por la riada. Ella se salvó de milagro. El aviso les llegó muy tarde.Y decía que lo material, con dinero, lo han podido rehacer. Lo difícil está siendo la reconstrucción emocional.Y es que no es fácil. Que se lo digan a Ruth Moyano. Ella rescató a 20 personas en su casa la noche de la DANA y en el especial del Hoy por Hoy con Àngels Barceló este miércoles en València nos dejaba a todos el corazón encogido con su historia.Y por cosas como esta, por las mentiras y los cambios de versión, la delegada del gobierno, Pilar Bernabé, calificaba así la gestión del Consell.Ahí también escuchamos a Rosa Álvarez, la presidenta de la Asociación de Víctimas Mortales de la DANA, que le pedía a Mazón que dimita y se ponga a disposición judicial.Pues Mazón ejerció de president y arropado por los suyos anunció que a partir de ahora todos los 29 de octubre serán de luto oficial en recuerdo a las víctimas de la DANA y reconocía...Fue en una declaración institucional que así se vivía en la Rambleta en el especial del Hoy por Hoy.Aunque donde de verdad se notó la rabia de las víctimas fue durante el funeral de Estado que se celebró por la tarde en el museo de las Ciencias de València. Mientras los Reyes y el presidente del Gobierno saludaban a algunas de ellas en una sala anexa, en la calle Mayor del Museo Príncipe Felipe las víctimas reaccionaron así cuando tuvieron en frente a Mazón.Improperios contra Mazón que se repitieron a la salida de un funeral muy emotivo.Un funeral en el que la periodista Lara Siscar, que condujo el acto, fue leyendo los nombres de las víctimas.Luego llegaron los discursos a cargo de tres familiares de víctimas en nombre de todas. La primera fue Andrea Ferarri, que recordaba a quienes perdieron la vida como su madre.Slim, el marido de Naiara, falleció cuando salía de su trabajo. Y Virginia Ortiz, que perdió a su primo en Letur, fue la que hizo un discurso más duro contra los responsables políticos.El rey Felipe VI pedía a todos aprender de lo sucedido y hacer lo necesario para que tragedias así no se vuelvan a repetir nunca.Y ayer, unas horas después de ese funeral de Estado, de nuevo Mazón en estado puro, diciendo ahora una cosa y al rato la contraria.Y así estamos, con un president reflexionando no sabemos qué y con la oposición pidiéndole que se vaya porque vivimos una anomalía democrática inédita en España.

Find the Blunder Exercise: The audio will lead you through a series of moves from the beginning of a game. One player will blunder and the other will not punish them for it. Can you find the blunder and the best punishment? To learn more about Don't Move Until You See It and get the free 5-day Conceptualizing Chess Series, head over to https://dontmoveuntilyousee.it/conceptualization PGN for today's exercise: Adapted from the game Palau vs Kolste (London, 1927). 1. Nf3 Nf6 2. d4 g6 3. Nc3 d5 4. Bf4 Nh5 5. Be5 f6 6. Bg3 Nxg3 7. hxg3 c6 8. e3 Bg7 9. Bd3 e5 10. dxe5 f5 11. Nd4 Bxe5 12. Nce2 * And the answer is... 10. Rxh7 Rxh7 11. Bxg6+

Kevin Palau, President of the Palau ministry, and Sam Adams, former mayor of Portland, Oregon, talk about their friendship formed in the context of meeting social needs in the city. Sam was the first openly gay mayor of a major U.S. city. These two men describe their surprise at discovering that Evangelical Christians and people in the LGBT community can agree on most social issues and can work together to solve problems without compromising their core beliefs. They offer a practical example of how Christians can dialogue respectfully and share the love of Christ with those who hold different views. Buy your copy of Jim Daly’s book, ReFOCUS! He shares how believers can engage others in the culture with the love of Christ and reveal the heart of God. TRUTH RISING, a powerful new documentary from Focus on the Family and the Colson Center, reveals the cultural crisis and calls the church into action. Stand firm, engage boldly, and be part of the movement to reclaim truth. Watch now! And sign up for Truth Rising: The Study. City Gospel Movements – strengthen faith sharing efforts in your city. SUPPORT REFOCUS! GIVE HERE! Send Jim a voicemail! Click here. Send your feedback or questions to Jim in the Contact Form.

This episode is brought to you by Villa Carina Apartments in beautiful Bonaire. In this exciting episode, we sit down with Benji, the newly crowned wing foiling world champion, and Tom Hartmann, to discuss Benji's incredible rise in the sport. Broadcasting from different corners of the world, we dive into Benji's journey, the evolution of wing foiling, and the vibrant community pushing the sport to new heights.From Rookie to Champion: Benji shares his meteoric rise to the 2025 world title in his first full year on the GWA tour. Training with former world champion Chris MacDonald Jr in La Ventana, Mexico, Benji's determination and skill led to a standout performance at Gran Canaria's El Burrero, where perfect conditions and huge kickers fueled his victory.Mastering the Art of Freestyle: Benji and Tom break down the high-flying, stylish Palau combinations that dominated the tour, with Benji's clean, massive tricks—like the Palau front flip—earning top scores. Tom highlights the sport's progression, from mobes to double flips, and the push for height and power over technicality.The Gran Canaria Arena: Tom paints a vivid picture of El Burrero, a new gem on the GWA tour with consistent winds and ideal kickers. The spot's setup, with spectators close to the action on a pier, made it a perfect stage for Benji's championship-winning performance.Gear Matters: Benji credits his switch to Gong gear for its phenomenal hang time, emphasizing the critical role of equipment in competition. From wings to foils, having the right setup for conditions like Gran Canaria's 30-35 knots was key to his success.Community and Competition: Tom celebrates the growth of wing foiling, spotlighting the women's freestyle scene, led by talents like Marie, and the influx of young riders. Benji reflects on the camaraderie and rivalry with competitors like the Ajar brothers, pushing each other to go bigger.Looking Ahead: With his sights set on defending his title, Benji shares his plans to return to La Ventana in November and aim for “at least ten” championships. Tom hints at potential judging tweaks to encourage trick variety, promising an even more thrilling 2026 season.Join us for an action-packed conversation filled with insights into wing foiling's cutting edge, the thrill of competition, and the passion driving its global community. Benji's story is a testament to hard work, fearless commitment, and the joy of soaring through the air. Visit: https://www.instagram.com/wingfoilworldtour & https://www.instagram.com/benjamincastenskiold_07/

Aunque James Rhodes (Londres, 1975) dejó de tocar el piano durante 10 años por presión familiar, su talento y su trabajo le han llevado a tocar en algunos de los teatros y recintos más importantes del mundo como el Royal Albert Hall de Londres o el Palau de la Música de Barcelona. La música clásica cambió la vida de Rhodes de muchas formas, por eso en su último trabajo, 'MANíA', ha querido narrar a través de las canciones su recorrido desde el infierno en el Reino Unido hasta el paraíso que ha encontrado en España.

Palau, an independent island nation in the western Pacific Ocean, consists of more than 300 islands in Micronesia. It's a popular destination for divers and ecotourists and visitors are required to take the "Palau Pledge" to protect its ecosystems. But Palau is already facing the immediate reality of climate change, with rising sea levels, coral bleaching, extreme weather events, and biodiversity loss. Surangel Whipps Junior, the President of Palau, has spoken at the United Nations General Assembly in New York, and wants to see the COP31 global climate conference held in the Pacific region rather than in Turkiye, because this is where climate change is already having devastating impacts. He's been talking to SBS Senior International Correspondent Ben Lewis, and told him that Palau and Australia are family - and the two countries need to work together.

Fighting overfishing with AI is transforming how we protect the ocean. A new study revealed that nearly half of all coastal marine protected areas (MPAs) showed fishing vessel presence, with many ships operating “dark” without AIS tracking. This means that even in places meant to be safe havens for biodiversity, industrial fishing has been creeping in unnoticed. Satellites and artificial intelligence are changing that reality. By detecting untracked vessels and guiding patrols, this technology is already leading to arrests in Gabon, better enforcement in Palau, transparency in Chile, and effective oversight in the UK Blue Belt program. In this episode, I'll break down the science behind the study, the risks remote MPAs face, and the real-world success stories that give us hope. Join the Undertow: https://www.speakupforblue.com/jointheundertow Connect with Speak Up For Blue Website: https://bit.ly/3fOF3Wf Instagram: https://bit.ly/3rIaJSG TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@speakupforblue Twitter: https://bit.ly/3rHZxpc YouTube: www.speakupforblue.com/youtube    

HEADLINE: Tupaia's Chart and the Future of Pacific Archaeology AUTHOR NAME: Nicholas Thomas SUMMARY: During Cook's first voyage, the Tahitian priest and navigator Tupaia created a unique diagram—"not quite a map"—detailing many Polynesian islands. This chart, compiled from personal voyages and traditional history, reflects the extraordinary geographic knowledge and navigational ability of Polynesians. Modern archaeology is rapidly advancing, giving increased space to the expertise of Pacific Islanders themselves. 1900 PALAU

Una nueva y loca aventura de El Pelos de Ripollet en donde sufrirá una serie de catastróficas desdichas en el restaurante de comida rápida POPEYES, además de su paso e interacción con otros podcasters actuales en las Podtalks 2025. Sigue las andanzas del Pelos en su nuevo (y efímero) trabajo en POPEYES, en donde una desafortunada mezcla de un jefe intransigente, una joven Gipsy con ganas de jarana, y unos pantalones obscenamente ceñidos que no dejan nada a la imaginación provocarán un fulgurante y explosivo despido de nuestro héroe amateur de Ripollet. Daremos paso a los mensajes y sugerencias de nuestros oyentes Dankistas a través de sus escritos en info@losdanko.com y https://t.me/mondodanko En la última parte del episodio, el pelos relatará su experiencia en las Podtalks 2025 que se celebraron en Palau-solità i Plegamans y que generó algunas situaciones curiosas y divertidas al interactuar con los otros podcasters. Hazte Patreon y disfruta de miles de contenidos extra, aparte de apoyar la vida del programa. http://www.losdanko.com/ https://www.patreon.com/losdanko Únete a nuestro canal de telegram: @mondodanko

Send us fan responses! Step into the hidden world of private banking as we pull back the curtain on how wealthy families truly protect and grow their assets. This eye-opening conversation reveals the fundamental truth that "you can never own anything in America" – and what you can do about it.Discover why making your name a business through LLCs and holding companies creates a protective barrier between your assets and potential threats. We explore the five charging order protection states (Nevada, Wyoming, Delaware, South Dakota, and Alaska) and why they're crucial for proper asset structuring.The conversation takes a fascinating turn when we uncover how Research and Development tax credits allow businesses to recover up to $500,000 per year – a strategy most tax professionals never mention. You'll learn about forms 6765, 8974, and 941, and how to leverage them properly.Ministry trusts and 508(c)(1)(a) organizations emerge as the cornerstone of private family wealth, offering both tax advantages and independence unlike their 501(c)(3) counterparts. We discuss how family Bibles and baptismal certificates can serve as legitimate identification, and why Social Security numbers represent a public trust system rather than a path to financial freedom.International banking strategies reveal how establishing accounts in countries like Palau, Georgia, Russia, or Ukraine can provide legitimate alternatives without U.S. identification requirements. We also cover the legal foundations for these strategies, including 28 CFR 802.23, which protects your right to privacy.Whether you're looking to protect existing assets or build generational wealth from scratch, this episode provides the framework for thinking and operating like the private families who have preserved wealth for centuries. It's not about evading responsibilities – it's about understanding the difference between public and private relationships and making informed choices for your financial future.https://donkilam.com FOLLOW THE YELLOW BRICK ROAD - DON KILAMGO GET HIS BOOK ON AMAZON NOW! https://www.amazon.com/Cant-Touch-This-Diplomatic-Immunity/dp/B09X1FXMNQ https://open.spotify.com/track/5QOUWyNahqcWvQ4WQAvwjj?autoplay=trueSupport the showhttps://donkilam.com

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

Dr. Li-Meng Yan w/ The Voice of Dr. Yan – What truly stands out is not tourism development or hotel investments, but the CCP's systematic gray-zone warfare against America's “Second Island Chain.” These activities are not ordinary business ventures, but carefully premeditated moves designed to be transformed into military assets at any moment — an approach that vividly reflects the CCP's...