Podcasts about Penang

Malaysia is targeting 30,000 EV charging points, but simply installing more chargers isn't enough.In this episode of SoyaCincau Let's Talk About, we discuss the problems EV drivers still face with public charging in Malaysia, following Alex's frustrating experience driving the Toyota bZ4X from Kuala Lumpur to Penang and back.During the trip, we encountered issues with Gentari chargers, including a slow app and chargers that repeatedly refused to activate. These problems don't just waste time. They create unnecessary range and charging anxiety, particularly for newer EV owners.If Malaysia wants greater EV adoption, charging needs to be seamless, reliable and easy to use. Charge Point Operators need to ensure high charger availability, improve reliability and provide better customer support when things go wrong.We also discuss why alternatives such as credit card terminals, tap-and-charge and simpler payment methods should become more common, and why CPOs need to increase customer support resources during busy holiday periods.The government still has a role to play in making EV charger deployment faster and easier, but once chargers are operational, CPOs also need to be accountable as service providers.What has your EV charging experience been like in Malaysia? Let us know in the comments.#EV #EVCharger #Gentari

#money Anabelle came back from six weeks in France and posted a carousel about what wealth actually looks like. It hit 2 million views — and the comments split down the middle. So the two of us sat down to argue it out properly. Chuang grew up around Penang old money: families in mansions that look small from the street, patriarchs who make their son-in-law sell the sports car because being seen is dangerous. Five years ago he started selling things off. He drives a 2003 Toyota with 340,000km on it and wears RM9 Decathlon t-shirts. His stated ambition is to be the uncle at the kopitiam at 10 in the morning. Anabelle built a company from her kitchen to 350 employees. She's tried to minimise three times. She still can't get through the drawer. We don't land in the same place, and that's the episode. In this one: — Why old money hides and new money displays — The line between rich and wealthy (and why family offices draw it at USD 100 million) — The friend earning RM8 million a year who calls himself a highly paid dog — Nine bedrooms, ten car spaces, and a family that lives entirely in the kitchen — What Malaysia gives you that you've stopped noticing — Why chasing a retirement number is the wrong game

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

In this “On the Go” Special episode of Under the Radar, finance presenter Chua Tian Tian hit the factory floor of a company that is turning 100 years old in 2026! Bingo if you’ve guessed Polar Puffs & Cakes! Then called the Polar Cafe, the firm opened the doors of its first outlet on 51 High Street in 1926, serving up curry puffs, ice-cream and chilled beverages. The cafe soon became the go-to-place for politicians, lawyers and businessmen due to its strategic location near the trading harbour. And among them, according to the firm, is prominent Hokkien businessman Lim Bo Seng. Today, Polar Puffs & Cakes adopts mostly a takeaway concept and boasts a network of 37 stores and cafes across Singapore, with six more outlets set to open their doors in 2026 and 2027. The company also made its first step to expand abroad by opening a new store in Gurney Plaza, Penang in 2025. But how is Polar Puffs & Cakes spicing up the business looking into its next 100 years of operations? Tian Tian headed down to the firm’s factory in Woodlands Link, where she spoke with Chan Kok Yew, Executive Chairman of Polar Puffs & Cakes for more.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

¿Te imaginas viajar a una ciudad y descubrir que sus mejores obras de arte no están dentro de un museo, sino en sus calles? Hoy vamos a recorrer barrios donde las paredes cuentan historias de violencia, revolución, identidad, esperanza y transformación.1065. Descubriendo George Town, la joya cultural de Malasia. Penang.https://open.spotify.com/episode/4pWkq954kLNnPy8EgjT5Zj?si=e8W2wdsMR5iOQLLhz0sx9w&utm_source=copy-link1316. Berlín, todo lo fundamental. Actualización. Alemaniahttps://open.spotify.com/episode/6XPs6dQq2V7LM0pqXJYVFA?si=m_UpAtWJSo-tnB5QzUsixQ&utm_source=copy-link868. Valparaiso, Chilehttps://open.spotify.com/episode/6THlWny8AW5wE1rDAB9cLa?si=Xbu6eFxjRgScazoab8Sy5A&utm_source=copy-linkYa somos más de un millón de reproducciones en esta aventura y hemos superado los 1.400 episodios. Este podcast es tuyo y mío; gracias por hacerlo posible.

Bestselling author and broadcaster Fern Britton joins Philippa for a very special summer edition of Quick Book Reviews to talk about her wonderful new novel, A Cornish Legacy.Fern shares stories of solo travelling in Florence, cycling adventures across India, Madagascar, Cuba and Egypt, dream holidays to Penang, mosquito nightmares, Cornwall, family history, and the joy of finding a place to truly belong.They also discuss the emotional inspiration behind A Cornish Legacy, the real Cornish house that inspired the story, food in fiction, family secrets, wartime history, reviews, writing challenges, and why Fern thought this might be “the worst book” she'd ever written — before readers fell completely in love with it.A Cornish Legacy is a warm, emotional and uplifting novel set around a beautiful old Cornish house called Wildahoo. After heartbreak and loss, Cordelia unexpectedly inherits the crumbling house and must decide whether to destroy it or rebuild both the property and her own life. Rich with friendship, family, belonging, love and second chances, it's perfect for readers who adore atmospheric Cornish fiction. (penguin.co.uk)Perfect for fans of Fern Britton, Cornish fiction, women's fiction, uplifting novels, family stories, summer reading, author interviews, and feel-good books with heart.Books and authors mentioned:A Cornish Legacy by Fern BrittonDaughters of Cornwall by Fern BrittonStill Life by Sarah WinmanGone with the Wind by Gone with the WindDorothy L. SayersAgatha ChristieThis episode is full of travel stories, writing wisdom, Cornwall, family memories, laughter, emotion, and excellent advice about protecting your ice cream from seagulls. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A sudden five-minute monsoon just poured down before I even got moving today, so this one starts in blue skies and puddles. I'm walking along Hồ Tùng Mậu — once an actual canal until it was filled in back in the 1920s — and finally sharing some proper research I did on this neighborhood I keep saying I love. Along the way I point out a cluster of hundred-year-old shophouses, a hidden alley bar, and buildings I really hope survive the next wave of glass-and-concrete development. I also grab a rare bag of tofu with fermented shrimp paste (tofu nắm) before finally sitting down for a bowl of mì gà a few blocks from the studio.Key TakeawaysThis neighborhood has real history behind it: Hồ Tùng Mậu was once a canal, and many of the surrounding shophouses date back to the early 1900s — built with tall windows and shutters designed for the heat and rain, long before AC existed.Preservation is informal, not guaranteed: None of these century-old buildings are officially protected — some survive mostly because they're awkwardly wedged between other structures, not because anyone's actively saving them. One inspiration for wanting this area preserved: George Town in Penang, Malaysia, now a UNESCO World Heritage Site.The good stuff is easy to miss and easy to lose: Tofu nắm is a favorite that's genuinely hard to find — worth buying on sight rather than waiting until after lunch, because the seller might be sold out next time.Big personal update, worth knowing: After a year since an MS diagnosis and a strong initial recovery, a second round of treatment two months ago has brought lower energy and more frequent illness — though the latest MRI brought good news, with no new lesions and existing ones inactive.The podcast keeps growing in unexpected directions: The YouTube channel just crossed 950,000 views, and the "how's your accent understood on national TV" comments keep coming now that the VTV show is underway.Chapters and Timestamps00:00 – A surprise monsoon, then blue skies along Hồ Tùng Mậu02:00 – The canal-turned-street history and hundred-year-old shophouse architecture06:00 – A hidden alley bar and why some old buildings quietly survive12:00 – Penang as inspiration for preserving this kind of neighborhood20:00 – Podcast milestones and life on VTV's Vietnam Explained24:00 – Sitting down for mì gà and talking through the meal28:00 – Wrapping the walk, more neighborhood history, and heading back in the rain"Send me a message!"Book a free call with me here if you want to start your own podcast! Book your free tour of Saigon Podcast Studio! Support the show

Unit 10-1 Penang's Heart: George Town and the Island's Multicultural Soul 穿過檳城老街，復古景色與熱氣騰騰的美食，悄悄拼出一座城市的身世。多元文化在此交會，也讓這座古城在繁華與保存之間面臨新的拉扯。本集將帶你走進檳城的時光，看看歷史如何藏在景色與滋味之中。

Unit 10-2 Penang's Heart: George Town and the Island's Multicultural Soul 穿過檳城老街，復古景色與熱氣騰騰的美食，悄悄拼出一座城市的身世。多元文化在此交會，也讓這座古城在繁華與保存之間面臨新的拉扯。本集將帶你走進檳城的時光，看看歷史如何藏在景色與滋味之中。

Disney Cruise Line has pulled forward the completion of its 13-ship fleet to the end of 2030, moving Ship 12 to late 2029 and Ship 13 to late 2030, with Disney Believe due in late 2027 and a fifth Wish-class vessel arriving for Tokyo Disney Resort in 2029. In Malaysia, Penang's Swettenham Pier Cruise Terminal has completed a RM100 million expansion that stretches its quay wall from 540 meters to 840 meters, allowing it to berth two mega cruise ships at once, or up to four mixed-size vessels, and handle roughly 12,000 passengers at a time. And Regent Seven Seas Cruises has opened Seven Seas Voyager's Northern Europe season from Southampton, following a 14-night repositioning from Lisbon with a 20-night Isles of Myth & Magnificence roundtrip calling at 14 destinations including the Shetlands, the Faroes, the Hebrides and an overnight in Seydisfjordur.

Scaling a highly capital-intensive and technically demanding semiconductor manufacturing business from scratch is famously difficult—especially for a female founder with zero initial technical background and no bank track record. Yet, CG Global managed to crack the global supply chain, successfully expanding its manufacturing backbone to serve the stringent medical, aerospace, and automotive sectors. In this episode of Do More, we sit down with Siti Padillah, Founder of CG Global, and Faizal Jalaluddin from the Malaysian Investment Development Authority (MIDA), to dissect the playbook of how a local SME transformed into a globally certified manufacturing powerhouse. Siti shares her gritty entrepreneurial journey: from starting with used machinery and manually recording warehouse stock, to securing critical government intervention grants that fully digitized her operations. She also breaks down the relentless war for talent in Penang, her unique strategies to train non-engineering graduates to survive the MNC poaching squeeze, and the absolute necessity of securing high-level global certifications. Faizal pulls back the curtain on MIDA's "Invest Local" mandate, proving that government agencies do much more than just chase foreign direct investment. He outlines how MIDA acts as a crucial bridge—providing unbanked SMEs with intervention funds, connecting them to global giants like Infineon, and pushing vendor development programs to build Malaysia's industrial resilience. Follow CG Global and MIDA here: (MIDA): https://www.mida.gov.my/ (CG Global): https://cgglobal-cem.com/

Land reclamation is often promoted as a driver of economic growth, but it's also one of the most controversial forms of development, with lasting impacts on the environment, coastal communities, and traditional livelihoods. Now, a recent Court of Appeal judgment involving the Penang South Islands reclamation project has sparked a new debate, not just about the environmental impacts of reclamation, but about who has the legal authority to approve it in the first place. Although the appeal against the project was dismissed, the court's written judgment has prompted environmental groups to question whether the proper legal authority existed to approve reclamation over Malaysia's territorial sea and seabed. They argue the issues raised go far beyond Penang and could have implications for how future reclamation projects are governed across the country. Joining us to unpack what the ruling means, why civil society groups are still calling for answers, and what this could mean for the future of coastal development, is filmmaker and Programme Coordinator for Jaringan Ekologi dan Iklim, or JEDI, Andrew Han.*Watch Andrew's film “Doa Seorang Nelayan” here.Image Credit: Jaringan Ekologi dan Iklim FacebookSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

From the Croatian leagues to Singapore's S.League, and eventually to the pinnacle of coaching in Southeast Asia, Bojan Hodak's football journey is one built on resilience, adaptability, and relentless ambition.In this episode, Bojan takes us back to his decision to leave Croatia and embark on an adventure in Singapore, where he played for Balestier Central and Jurong FC. He shares his memories of Singapore football in the late 1990s, the challenges of adapting to a new culture, and why those years proved to be a turning point in his career.The conversation then shifts to the dugout, where Bojan reflects on the pressures of managing clubs with vastly different expectations. From winning trophies with Kelantan, Johor Darul Ta'zim, Kuala Lumpur City, and Persib Bandung, to guiding Penang to safety when survival was the only objective, he explains how success is measured differently depending on the circumstances.Finally, Bojan offers his candid assessment of Malaysian football today, discussing the issues that continue to hold it back and why he believes Indonesia has overtaken Malaysia in several key areas. It's an insightful conversation with one of Southeast Asia's most accomplished coaches, filled with stories, lessons, and honest opinions from a man who has experienced the region's football landscape from every angle.

Cela peut sembler hallucinant, mais c'est pourtant vrai : l'océan recouvre les 2/3 de notre planète, mais nous connaissons mieux la surface de la Lune que ses profondeurs. Il faut admettre que c'est compliqué d'observer ce qui se passe à plusieurs kilomètres sous la surface. Mais nous faisons des progrès technologiques formidables si bien que nous avons réussi à cartographier 26% des fonds océaniques. Et un programme baptisé Gebco a pour objectif de cartographier 100% des océans mondiaux d'ici 2030. C'est justement sous la surface que nous allons vous emmener aujourd'hui dans les abysses, à la découverte des reliefs, des climats et de la faune des fonds marins. Nos invités les appellent la dernière frontière car qui dit découvertes dit ressources potentielles : les fonds marins en regorgent, mais est-ce bien raisonnable d'envisager de les exploiter ? Avec - Juliette Ravaux, maitresse de conférences à Sorbonne Université, elle enseigne en biologie animale et mène des recherches sur les adaptations des espèces profondes aux conditions extrêmes et au stress  - Sébastien Duperron, spécialiste d'écologie microbienne, professeur au Muséum national d'histoire naturelle pour leur ouvrage Secrets de l'océan profond paru chez Quae. Nous vous proposons aussi un voyage en Malaisie, sur l'île de Penang, dans le détroit de Sumatra où les cultures et les cuisines se mêlent depuis des siècles. Ce sera Le Petit Atlas de Maxime Blondeau. Musiques diffusées dans l'émission - Flavien Berger - Abyssinie - Nu Genea - Ondas Do Mar.

Cela peut sembler hallucinant, mais c'est pourtant vrai : l'océan recouvre les 2/3 de notre planète, mais nous connaissons mieux la surface de la Lune que ses profondeurs. Il faut admettre que c'est compliqué d'observer ce qui se passe à plusieurs kilomètres sous la surface. Mais nous faisons des progrès technologiques formidables si bien que nous avons réussi à cartographier 26% des fonds océaniques. Et un programme baptisé Gebco a pour objectif de cartographier 100% des océans mondiaux d'ici 2030. C'est justement sous la surface que nous allons vous emmener aujourd'hui dans les abysses, à la découverte des reliefs, des climats et de la faune des fonds marins. Nos invités les appellent la dernière frontière car qui dit découvertes dit ressources potentielles : les fonds marins en regorgent, mais est-ce bien raisonnable d'envisager de les exploiter ? Avec - Juliette Ravaux, maitresse de conférences à Sorbonne Université, elle enseigne en biologie animale et mène des recherches sur les adaptations des espèces profondes aux conditions extrêmes et au stress  - Sébastien Duperron, spécialiste d'écologie microbienne, professeur au Muséum national d'histoire naturelle pour leur ouvrage Secrets de l'océan profond paru chez Quae. Nous vous proposons aussi un voyage en Malaisie, sur l'île de Penang, dans le détroit de Sumatra où les cultures et les cuisines se mêlent depuis des siècles. Ce sera Le Petit Atlas de Maxime Blondeau. Musiques diffusées dans l'émission - Flavien Berger - Abyssinie - Nu Genea - Ondas Do Mar.

The Malaysian island of Penang is a wonder:  a vibrant nexus of ethnicities, religions, history, trade, architecture, food and industry. Its main city is George Town, a UNESCO World Heritage site known for the harmonious co-existence of its three main cultures.  To better understand this fascinating place, meet Alexis Kerr, who with her family has spent more than three decades “Living on the Pearl of the Orient”.    

In this episode of Pagecast, Man Booker Prize-shortlisted author Tan Twan Eng joins Cape Town-based political commentator and writer Mphuthumi Ntabeni for a conversation about his latest novel, The House of Doors. Set in 1921 at Cassowary House in the Straits Settlements of Penang, the novel follows Robert Hamlyn, a well-to-do lawyer, and his steely wife Lesley, whose lives are upended by the arrival of an old friend, Willie Somerset Maugham. One of the great writers of his day, Willie is privately beleaguered by an unhappy marriage, failing health, and a struggle to write. As Lesley's friendship with him deepens, she sees him more clearly for who he truly is -- and finds herself sharing secrets of her own, including her connection to the revolutionary Dr Sun Yat Sen and a scandalous murder case in the Kuala Lumpur courts. Drawn from real events, The House of Doors is a masterful exploration of public morality and private truth, set against the shadow of empire -- a story of love, betrayal, and the masks we wear to survive. Tan Twan Eng is the bestselling author of The Garden of Evening Mists. The House of Doors is out now and available at all good bookstores.

Find us at www.crisisinvesting.com Matt and Doug discuss the proliferation of U.S. holidays, including Juneteenth and Martin Luther King Day, before turning to the opening of Obama's presidential library and Trump's competing, highly theatrical library renderings, comparing modern presidential libraries to pyramids and noting Biden's reported difficulty raising funds. They debate Trump's showmanship around his birthday and a ceasefire/peace deal they expect won't hold, citing Iran's improved position, unresolved issues, disrupted shipping in the Strait of Hormuz, and risks to oil prices. They then address Ukraine's drone attacks on Moscow and concerns about an escalating, lingering war. Doug shares his positioning in gold miners, energy, uranium, and a corn ETF, answers subscriber questions on filmmaking/royalties, the FIFA World Cup and U.S. border hassles, trade blocs like Mercosur/EU, recommended books, and impressions of Malaysia and Penang. 00:00 Holiday Overload Debate 01:06 Which Holidays Matter 02:24 Equinoxes and Global Days Off 03:25 Juneteenth and Identity Politics 05:08 Obama Library Obamalisk 06:55 Trump Library Renderings 09:38 Pyramids and Presidential Tombs 11:31 Biden Library Money Trouble 14:25 Trump Birthday Peace Deal 15:13 Hormuz Oil and Ceasefire Doubts 18:02 Ukraine Drone War Escalation 20:02 War Escalation Risks 21:01 Ceasefire Won't Hold 22:13 Crisis Investing Plays 23:34 Corn ETF Thesis 25:47 Film Investing Reality 29:55 FIFA World Cup Fallout 34:23 Trade Blocs Skepticism 36:19 Five Books To Read 38:56 Malaysia And Penang 41:35 Weekend Signoff

This week we’re trying some of the world’s best street food. We'll visit the “alley of treats” in Mumbai, try a new spin on Hokkien Mee, and the sour noodles of Penang. Plus a Lion mane mushroom satay and an East Berlin snack that you've probably never heard of. And then, we'll stretch the definition of street food with the most unusual truck stop ever and gas station burritos. [Ep 393] Show Notes: Food and Travel Guides from Destination Eat Drink Destination Eat Drink YouTube channel Mumbai food tour from A Chef’s Tour Walk with Us food tours in Berlin Simply Enak food tour in Penang Rupak Ginn on Instagram Spice Road TV show in Independent Lens

You can send a text, include contact info to get a response. Consider the British Empire in 1792, the year of Macartney's expedition to China and the year young Emperor Francis began to look askance at the French Revolution and all the ruling factions within it started to wish for a war.  Well at that time the empire was rather modest, a few spice islands, Canada, Gibraltar, New South Wales had started, there was a logging settlement in Honduras, and in India, Bombay Madras and Bengal, with Bengal the largest British territory in India.  Trade with China is substantial, around 25% of all, generating 16% of total government revenue.  But except for Penang, a stop on the way, no territory to support it.By 1803 the value of British trade increased 81%.  From the French revolutionary wars to 1803, the empire grew to include Trinidad, Ceylon and Malta, even after returning most captured possessions at the Peace of Amiens.  Then by 1814....The British position in India was massively increased, with the Mughal empire , Hyderabad, Mysore, and most of the South under various forms of British control.  Furthermore, the main waystations to get there, including the Cape colony of South Africa, and the Indian ocean islands were now under British control.The number of sugar islands increased and British Guiana became real and there were more gold Coast trading posts in Africa, and Tasmania was added to New South Wales. And before the decade was over the third Maratha war would cement control over much of the rest of India and see the establishment of the first post in Singapore.  With many supporting bases like St Helena where Napoleon was stashed along with the newly established Ascension Island to help support St Helena.I'm describing a different world now, different to 1792.  One where rivals to British sea power just do not exist. 

Body odor and nudity wind their way into the fabric of this week's show. But it's better than it sounds. Will he or won't he drop the book? Plus, why is time travel the best thing in comics? All that and the regular stuff you signed up for at the beginning. Note: Time codes are estimates due to dynamic ad insertion by the distributor. Running Time: 01:06:23 Pick of the Week:00:02:27 - Doomquest #1 Comics:00:15:22 - Swamp Thing #89 (1989 #2)00:22:57 - The Rocketeer: The Island #300:27:49 - The Flash #833 (33)00:34:33 - Void Rivals #3000:37:06 - Superman: Father of Tomorrow #100:39:27 - The Sentry #300:46:27 - X-Men #339 (30) Patron Pick:00:48:36 - Doomquest #1 Patron Thanks:00:49:52 - Destination Rancor Maine Audience Questions:00:52:51 - Pat from Penang is looking for some of our favorite long run tropes.00:56:43 - Patrick K. asks why Steve Rogers fights in the one theatre, and not the other. Brought To You By: iFanboy Patrons – Become one today for as little as $3/month! Or join for a full year and get a discount! You can also make a one time donation of any amount! iFanboy T-Shirts and Merch – Show your iFanboy pride with a t-shirt or other great merchandise on Threadless! We've got TWENTY THREE designs! Music:"Left to Right (iFanboy Theme)"Josh Flanagan Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Christopher Ramos is currently serving as Director of Bands and Assistant Professor of Music at Utah Valley University in Orem, Utah. He conducts the UVU Wind Symphony and directs instrumental studies within the music education area. He additionally teaches courses in conducting, music education, and music appreciation. He received the DMA in instrumental conducting at The Hartt School, studying with Glen Adsit and Edward Cumming. While at Hartt, he assisted in conducting Hartt's instrumental performing ensembles and the Greater Hartford Youth Wind Ensemble, and as part of the adjunct faculty he taught courses for graduates and undergraduates in conducting, brass methods, diversity and belonging, jazz pedagogy, and in the core music theory sequence. Before Hartt, Chris served as a band director at Dalat International School in Penang, Malaysia where he taught Western classical and jazz music in performing and theory courses across grades 6-12, and his students were invited to perform in international festivals across Southeast Asia. He is also an active scholar working at the intersection of musicology, wind band studies, and music education with his latest publications forthcoming in the Music Educators Journal (NAfME) and the Utah Music Educators Journal (UMEA). In 2022 he received the Goldstein Award from the University of Hartford, and in 2016 he received the Joanne Kealinohomoku Prize from the Society of Ethnomusicology Southwest for his scholarship. He holds additional degrees from the University of New Mexico where he studied with Eric Rombach-Kendall, and from East Texas A&M University (formerly Texas A&M University-Commerce) where he studied with Phillip Clements (conducting), Luis Sanchez (piano), and Mike Morrow (horn). In addition to his conducting, researching, and teaching, he actively performs both on the French horn and at the keyboard. He has produced, performed, and conducted on records for the Naxos, Summit, and Parma record labels, and he has performed in and conducted ensembles in concert halls, stages, forests, and patios across the United States and Asia. An avid supporter of new music, he has been part of numerous commissioning projects for solo horn, chamber ensembles, and wind ensembles. He is a second-place winner in The American Prize for conducting and in 2025-27 he holds the Harry Begian Conductor Scholar Award at Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp. He is an active member in the College Band Directors National Association, Utah Music Educators Association, Utah Bandmasters Association, National Band Association, American Musicological Society, and National Association for Music Education, and is an honorary member of the Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia National Music Fraternity.

Adult money sounded A LOT cooler when we were kids?Turns out it mostly goes to insurance, impulsive makeup purchases, Pokémon cards, and lots of emotional damage. In this episode, we unpack our first paychecks, childhood money trauma, and the deeply Malaysian experience of saying “I'm just looking only” before spending on Japanese knives we don't need.Watch the full episode to see how we used our adult money to heal our inner child.If you love the furniture on our new set, you can shop on ruma:You can find their outlets across Malaysia, including Petaling Jaya, Johor Bahru, Nilai, Penang, Shah Alam, and Kuantan.https://www.ruma-home.com/

Headmaster A-Lôung shared his experiences with ghosts in Penang and Korea. He also recounted how someone once suggested he make a significant change in his life to ensure he lived past 46. [ratings] http://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/penanghokkien.com/media/PgHkn-2026-05-04.mp3 Support PGHK Follow me on: Clubhouse @JohnOng Penang Hokkien Podcast House Global Hokkien Speakers House TikTok (PGHK) @PenangHokkien TikTok (John's) @John.Ong Instagram (PGHK) @PenangHokkien Instagram (John's) @John.Ong Watch this episode on YouTube: (((DOWNLOAD AUDIO FILE)))

New-York, Montréal, Penang, Berlin, Barcelone, Amsterdam... Partout dans le monde, les villes durcissent leurs réglementations pour freiner la prolifération des locations touristiques de courte durée. Principale cible : Airbnb.   En moins de 20 ans, la plateforme est devenue un acteur majeur du tourisme mondial avec une offre dans plus de 150 000 villes, plus de 8 millions d'annonces actives pour un chiffre d'affaires de 11 milliards de dollars en 2024. Au départ, alternative moins chère aux hôtels, permettant une expérience d'hébergement plus authentique pour les voyageurs et un complément de revenu pour les propriétaires, Airbnb s'est petit à petit métamorphosé et avec, les villes visitées. Pour beaucoup de propriétaires, la location courte durée est devenue une aubaine bien plus rentable que la longue durée.   Conséquences pour les habitants, une offre de logements disponibles qui s'amenuise, une hausse des loyers et une cohabitation de plus en plus tendue avec les touristes et les fameux « digital nomads ».   Les capitales ne sont pas les seules concernées. En France, par exemple, des communes de taille moyenne comme La Rochelle, Biarritz ou Nice ont vu leur centre-ville se transformer avec Airbnb. Les épiceries, les cordonneries, les magasins d'optique ou autres quincailleries laissent place à des coffee shops, des commerces de restauration rapide ou des magasins de souvenirs. Néanmoins, pour d'autres communes, l'arrivée d'Airbnb a permis d'améliorer l'offre d'hébergement touristique et de redynamiser la vie locale. Alors quelles sont réellement les conséquences d'Airbnb sur les villes ? Et comment elles s'organisent face à l'explosion du tourisme de plateforme ?   Cette émission est une rediffusion du 15 décembre 2025. Avec : • Chloé Tegny, cheffe de groupe au Département opinion de l'Ifop. Co-autrice avec Jérôme Fourquet et Sylvain Manternach d'une étude pour l'Institut Teram Tourisme 2.0 : anatomie de la France Airbnb parue en octobre 2025   • Francesca Artioli, politiste et urbaniste, maîtresse de conférences à l'École d'urbanisme de Paris de l'Université de Paris-Est Créteil. Co-autrice avec Thomas Aguilera et Claire Colomb de Housing Under Platform Capitalism : The Contentious Regulation of Short-Term Rentals in European Cities (Editions de l'Université de Californie, 2025). Un entretien avec Najet Benrabaa, correspondante de RFI à Medellin en Colombie, où l'expansion de la plateforme Airbnb a transformé le visage de la ville.  En fin d'émission, la chronique Voisins connectés d'Estelle Ndjandjo, sur l'évolution des sociétés africaines mondialisées à travers les écrans, les réseaux sociaux et la technologie. Aujourd'hui, elle s'intéresse aux filtres qui permettent aux utilisateurs noirs d'éclaircir leur peau. Une nouvelle forme de dépigmentation mais virtuelle.  Programmation musicale :   ►Trafic locaux - Limsa d'Aulnay & ISHA ►Perdon - Ruta Calavera.  

New-York, Montréal, Penang, Berlin, Barcelone, Amsterdam... Partout dans le monde, les villes durcissent leurs réglementations pour freiner la prolifération des locations touristiques de courte durée. Principale cible : Airbnb.   En moins de 20 ans, la plateforme est devenue un acteur majeur du tourisme mondial avec une offre dans plus de 150 000 villes, plus de 8 millions d'annonces actives pour un chiffre d'affaires de 11 milliards de dollars en 2024. Au départ, alternative moins chère aux hôtels, permettant une expérience d'hébergement plus authentique pour les voyageurs et un complément de revenu pour les propriétaires, Airbnb s'est petit à petit métamorphosé et avec, les villes visitées. Pour beaucoup de propriétaires, la location courte durée est devenue une aubaine bien plus rentable que la longue durée.   Conséquences pour les habitants, une offre de logements disponibles qui s'amenuise, une hausse des loyers et une cohabitation de plus en plus tendue avec les touristes et les fameux « digital nomads ».   Les capitales ne sont pas les seules concernées. En France, par exemple, des communes de taille moyenne comme La Rochelle, Biarritz ou Nice ont vu leur centre-ville se transformer avec Airbnb. Les épiceries, les cordonneries, les magasins d'optique ou autres quincailleries laissent place à des coffee shops, des commerces de restauration rapide ou des magasins de souvenirs. Néanmoins, pour d'autres communes, l'arrivée d'Airbnb a permis d'améliorer l'offre d'hébergement touristique et de redynamiser la vie locale. Alors quelles sont réellement les conséquences d'Airbnb sur les villes ? Et comment elles s'organisent face à l'explosion du tourisme de plateforme ?   Cette émission est une rediffusion du 15 décembre 2025. Avec : • Chloé Tegny, cheffe de groupe au Département opinion de l'Ifop. Co-autrice avec Jérôme Fourquet et Sylvain Manternach d'une étude pour l'Institut Teram Tourisme 2.0 : anatomie de la France Airbnb parue en octobre 2025   • Francesca Artioli, politiste et urbaniste, maîtresse de conférences à l'École d'urbanisme de Paris de l'Université de Paris-Est Créteil. Co-autrice avec Thomas Aguilera et Claire Colomb de Housing Under Platform Capitalism : The Contentious Regulation of Short-Term Rentals in European Cities (Editions de l'Université de Californie, 2025). Un entretien avec Najet Benrabaa, correspondante de RFI à Medellin en Colombie, où l'expansion de la plateforme Airbnb a transformé le visage de la ville.  En fin d'émission, la chronique Voisins connectés d'Estelle Ndjandjo, sur l'évolution des sociétés africaines mondialisées à travers les écrans, les réseaux sociaux et la technologie. Aujourd'hui, elle s'intéresse aux filtres qui permettent aux utilisateurs noirs d'éclaircir leur peau. Une nouvelle forme de dépigmentation mais virtuelle.  Programmation musicale :   ►Trafic locaux - Limsa d'Aulnay & ISHA ►Perdon - Ruta Calavera.  

Episod 195 Keluar Sekejap membincangkan kesan ketegangan perang Iran–AS terhadap ekonomi Malaysia serta global, khususnya implikasinya kepada Malaysia dari sudut harga minyak, perdagangan dan kestabilan pasaran.Seterusnya, tumpuan diberikan kepada langkah UMNO melalui gagasan Rumah Bangsa, termasuk keputusan menerima semula bekas ahli tanpa syarat. Adakah ini strategi penyatuan yang mampu menguatkan parti, atau sekadar langkah survival politik?Turut dibincangkan adalah spekulasi mengenai kemungkinan penangguhan PRN — sejauh mana ia realistik, dan apakah implikasinya terhadap landskap politik serta persepsi rakyat.Akhir sekali, episod ini menyentuh tentang pemerkasaan perusahaan kecil dan sederhana (PKS) dalam suasana ketidaktentuan ekonomi global. 00:00:00 Pengenalan00:02:07 Kesan Perang Iran-AS Kepada Malaysia00:18:52 Pemerkasaan PKS00:28:49 Pergolakan Politik di Perlis & Negeri Sembilan00:30:40 UMNO & Rumah Bangsa00:43:52 Pencaturan Untuk PRN dan PRU00:54:45 Tangguh PRN?CTOS SME Biz Day 2026 merupakan acara perniagaan tahunan utama yang menghimpunkan pembuat keputusan, usahawan dan peneraju industri untuk membincangkan cabaran utama PKS, termasuk akses kepada pembiayaan, pertumbuhan dan kelestarian perniagaan serta transformasi digital.Dapatkan tiket SME Biz Day 2026 sekarang:- Petaling Jaya (9 June 2026): https://www.ticketmelon.com/ctos/smebizday2026pj?aff1=pjbiz26ks- Penang (28 July 2026): https://www.ticketmelon.com/ctos/smebizday2026pg?aff1=pgbiz26ks- Johor Bahru (8 September 2026): https://www.ticketmelon.com/ctos/smebizday2026jhb?aff1=jbbiz26ks

We had a chat with Francis Yip Cheng about his creative projects, and we also got to hear some interesting stories about his life. Francis Yip Cheng's Facebook Page Penang Kiann, Penang lang video Penang 584 video [ratings] http://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/penanghokkien.com/media/PgHkn-2026-04-20.mp3 Support PGHK Follow me on: Clubhouse @JohnOng Penang Hokkien Podcast House Global Hokkien Speakers House TikTok (PGHK) @PenangHokkien TikTok (John's) @John.Ong Instagram (PGHK) @PenangHokkien Instagram (John's) @John.Ong Watch this episode on YouTube: (((DOWNLOAD AUDIO FILE)))

This week, we're off to Malaysia with The Malay Cook, Ranie Saidi.The Malay Cook is the debut cookbook from this lawyer turned supper club host at Soho House and Curry Club London and now author.It's an homage to the memory of his grandmother, a wedding caterer who brought him up while his parents were studying. But the book is not just about her recipes as he remembers them, but about building his own identity in his new home in the UK.For Gilly, it's an opportunity to immerse herself in the tastes and smells of her earliest years growing up in Penang and Ipoh. Ranie's recent remaking of her family's curry recipe has been a highlight of her culinary year so far. Pop over to Gilly's Substack for Extra Bites to read all about it, and for the gulai recipe from the book which he reckons was its inspiration. Riches indeed.On which, if you like what you hear, you can support CTB which is advertising and sponsorship free by contributing whatever you like via this link or becoming a paid subscriber on Substack. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Shawn's InKind referral - https://app.inkind.com/refer/4FJZRGUZ Save big on Vegas with Las Vegas Advisor — get 10% off a membership with code MTM (new members, affiliate): lasvegasadvisor.com Vegas is changing this week — White Castle is leaving the Strip, the Cromwell is becoming the Vanderpump Hotel, and Nevada Gaming just told casinos how to handle life without pennies. Plus Lotus of Siam lands on InKind, Durango holds a massive casino yoga event at sunset, and the IGT/Everi merger cuts 700 jobs. In This Episode: White Castle closing at Casino Royale and Henderson — 3 of 5 Vegas locations surviving Vanderpump Hotel (formerly Cromwell): rooms booking now for May 26, from $139, "industrial romantic" design Nevada Gaming Control Board guidance on the death of the penny in casinos Lotus of Siam on InKind — pad thai, Penang curry, Thai iced tea, dirty parking lot IGT/Everi merger fallout: 700 layoffs, HQ moves to Vegas TLC, SWV & En Vogue at Fontainebleau — Oct 9, tickets on sale March 26 Durango casino yoga event at sunset — Vegas becoming a culture hub GVR new carpet update — looking a lot like Durango Silver miners, wager savers, and squeezing the most out of your last credits Episode Guide 0:00 Cosmo high limit room mouthwash hack 0:30 Durango's sunset yoga event — Vegas culture in 2026 1:50 Green Valley Ranch carpet renovation update 3:15 Casino Royale White Castle closing 5:05 Lotus of Siam on Inkind — Shawn's visit 7:20 Fountainbleau 90s concert: TLC, Salt-N-Pepa, En Vogue (Oct 9) 8:25 IGT + Everi merger: 700 layoffs, new CEO 10:05 Las Vegas Advisor — get your book with code MTM 10:30 The penny is dead — Nevada casino rounding rules 13:40 Silver miners and wager savers explained 15:40 Vanderpump Hotel reservations open — dates + pricing 17:00 Room design revealed — "industrial romantic" 18:00 What's staying + new Vanderpump cocktail lounge 18:35 Lisa Vanderpump's Vegas empire 19:55 Closing thoughts + subscribe Want more MTM Vegas? Get our exclusive weekly aftershow and join the community: patreon.com/cw/MtMVegas Subscribe to our newsletter: milestomemories.com/newsletter Watch on YouTube: youtube.com/@mtmvegas Apple Podcasts: Apple Podcasts Website: milestomemories.com Merch: mtmvegas.shop

SHOW NOTES — GoNOMAD Travel Podcast PENANG, MALAYSIA's Miao Hui New YearsIn this episode, we travel to the vibrant island of Penang, Malaysia, where Lunar New Year isn't just a date on the calendar—it's a living, breathing celebration that spills into the streets of George Town. Senior Writer Chin Liang Teh takes us home to his island to experience Miao Hui, a community‑driven festival that preserves the traditions many big cities have long forgotten.

It's time to return to Season 3 - Michelle Yeoh plays five different roles in a new short film centered on the night market in Penang, so of course we had to talk about it! ANORA and THE FLORIDA PROJECT director Sean Baker teams up with Yeoh to shine a light on a part of Malaysian culture rarely seen on film.

On this episode of The Wasting Time Podcast, we're joined by After Midnight for a conversation about momentum, identity, and putting Penang on the global pop punk map. The band break down their rapid rise over the past six months — how the buzz started, what's changed, and how they've handled the jump from local favourites to building international attention. They open up about what it's like being a pop punk band in Penang, growing a scene outside of the traditional US strongholds, and the realities of pushing the genre forward from Southeast Asia. We also dive into their US pop punk influences — the records that shaped them, the bands that made them want to start, and how they balance those inspirations with creating something that feels uniquely their own. In the intro, Chris and Nick catch up on the brand-new album Listen Up! by New Found Glory, alongside new music from The Menzingers and Social Distortion. There's also spotlight time for Ninebanks and other emerging UK artists, plus a wider conversation about the strength of non-US scene bands and why the global pop punk community feels more connected than ever. A worldwide episode with local roots — and proof that pop punk has no borders.

A-Loung and I visited the Teochew Puppet & Opera House in Penang last year, and we're lucky enough to have our previous guest Touk Touk Tshiang (Ling Goh), the owner of the museum, to give us a tour. Please visit the museum when you get a chance, what a pleasant experience. Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TeochewPuppetAndOpera/ Website: http://teochewpuppet.com/ Check out the old episode where Ling Goh was on PGHK the first time. https://penanghokkien.com/2015/05/04/pghk-509-tio-tsiu-pan-%e6%bd%ae%e6%b4%b2%e7%8f%ad/ [ratings] http://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/penanghokkien.com/media/PgHkn-2026-02-02.mp3 Support PGHK Follow me on: Clubhouse @JohnOng Penang Hokkien Podcast House Global Hokkien Speakers House TikTok (PGHK) @PenangHokkien TikTok (John's) @John.Ong Instagram (PGHK) @PenangHokkien Instagram (John's) @John.Ong Watch this episode on YouTube: (((DOWNLOAD AUDIO FILE)))

Our long-time listener, guest, and friend, Sambai Belacan, shared a recent big success and recognition of his photography work in France. Not only did his photos of Penang get some commercial usage in partnership with a tea house, his work was also recognized by the Malaysian Consulate in France. [ratings] http://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/penanghokkien.com/media/PgHkn-2026-01-26.mp3 Support PGHK Follow me on: Clubhouse @JohnOng Penang Hokkien Podcast House Global Hokkien Speakers House TikTok (PGHK) @PenangHokkien TikTok (John's) @John.Ong Instagram (PGHK) @PenangHokkien Instagram (John's) @John.Ong Watch this episode on YouTube: (((DOWNLOAD AUDIO FILE)))

It's a shiny new year, so this month on Unpacked, we're diving into Afar's ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Where to Go list⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. In 2026, we want to lessen the burden on overtouristed destinations and expand visitation to other parts of the world. So our editors carefully selected 24 emerging regions and overlooked locales that will inspire your next great adventure. Places like Penang, Malaysia, a small island with one of Southeast Asia's most fascinating and underrated food and cultural scenes. In this episode, host Aislyn Greene talks with Kathryn Romeyn, a Bali-based journalist who explored Penang for the first time last year. Kathryn shares what it's like to wander the UNESCO-listed streets of Georgetown. She digs into the food—from char kway teow to laksa to the elaborate Malaysian breakfast culture that UNESCO recently recognized—and shares what's new on the island, including boutique hotels and a weekend art market that's become a creative hub for locals and travelers alike. Plan Your Penang Getaway Stay —Book a room the Millen Penang, Autograph Collection, a hotel on Millionaire's Row —Watch for Soori Penang, a new 15-room boutique hotel opening in January 2025 Eat and Drink —Try char kway teow, the iconic Penang dish of flat rice noodles stir-fried over charcoal flames with prawns, cockles, sausage, and bean sprouts —Eat laksa, the spicy, aromatic noodle soup that's a Penang obsession —Visit Mum's, a beloved Peranakan restaurant serving home-style cooking —Experience Malaysian breakfast culture (a UNESCO intangible cultural heritage) See and Do —Visit Hin Bus Depot on weekends for the art market —Visit Kek Lok Si Temple, home to the Pagoda of 10,000 Buddhas —Ride the Penang Hill funicular, the oldest in Southeast Asia (opened 1923), for panoramic views —Join the local hiking community via the Facebook group "Hiking Trails in Penang" (nearly 50,000 members)—they've created trails in the shapes of animals like elephants, unicorns, and even Pokémon characters Resources • Follow Kathryn's work on Instagram • Visit Kathryn's website • Explore all 24 destinations on Afar's Where to Go in 2026 list • Follow us on Instagram: @afarmedia Listen to All the Episodes in our Where to Go 2026 Series E1: T⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠his Island in the Bahamas Promises Pink Sand, Historic Hideaways, and Perfect Solitude ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ E2: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Why Peru's Second City Might Be Its Best-Kept Secret⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ E3: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠The New 170-Mile Hiking Network Connecting Stockholm's Dreamy Archipelago⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ E4: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Route 66 Turns 100—and Albuquerque Is Ready to Celebrate ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ E5: ⁠⁠⁠⁠Why Morocco's Chill Capital Deserves Your Attention ⁠⁠⁠⁠ E6: ⁠⁠⁠⁠Three Hours From Nashville, the South's Next Great Food Capital Is Waiting⁠⁠⁠⁠ E7: ⁠⁠⁠⁠The French Riviera's Last Stop Before Italy—and Its Best-Kept Secret ⁠⁠⁠⁠ E8: ⁠⁠⁠⁠Skip the Serengeti Traffic Jams for This Under-the-Radar Kenyan Safari ⁠⁠⁠⁠ E9: The Pacific Northwest's 80-Mile Playground Just Got Even Better E10: The White Lotus Architect Designed a Hotel in This Vietnamese City—Now the World Is Noticing E11: Malaysia's Most Overlooked Island Is a Feast for Every Sense (this one!) Stay Connected Sign up for our podcast newsletter, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Behind the Mic⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, where we share upcoming news and behind-the-scenes details of each episode.  Explore our other podcasts, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠View From Afar⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, about the people and companies shaping the future of travel, and⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠Travel Tales⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, which celebrates first-person narratives about the way travel changes us. Unpacked by Afar is part of⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠Airwave Media⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠'s podcast network. Please contact ⁠⁠⁠advertising@airwavemedia.com⁠⁠⁠ if you would like to advertise on our podcast. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

durée : 00:09:59 - Le Point culture - par : Marie Sorbier - Dans ce second épisode de la série "Les villes de l'art", cap sur la ville de Penang en Malaisie où grâce à l'artiste et mécène singapourien Lin Xiang Xiong, le premier musée d'art contemporain de la ville a ouvert ses portes en décembre 2025. - réalisation : Laurence Malonda - invités : Lin Xiang Xiong Artiste peintre, entrepreneur et philanthrope; Alin Avila Critique d'art, historien et directeur de Area revue)s(

Join us as we explore the heart of Penang, Malaysia, where food is more than just a meal—it's a cultural inheritance. With the guidance of a local expert, Poh, we visited vibrant hawker stalls and tasted traditional dishes like char kway teow and Hokkien Mee. This journey revealed the challenges faced by aging hawkers and the importance of preserving these culinary traditions. Beyond the food, we discovered Penang's rich cultural heritage, from feng shui practices to the serene Taoist temples, offering a deeper understanding of the local way of life.

Hey before I begin I just want to thank all of you who have joined the patreon, you guys are awesome. Please let me know what other figures, events or other things you want to hear about in the future and I will try to make it happen.   If you are a long time listener to the Pacific War week by week podcast over at KNG or viewer of my youtube channel you have probably heard me talk about Tomoyuki Yamashita, the Tiger of Malaya quite often. It goes without saying when it comes to Japanese generals of WW2 he stands out. Not just to me, from the offset of the war he made a large impression on westerners, he achieved incredible feats early on in the war. Now if you look up books about him, you will pretty much only find information in regards to his infamous war crimes trial. Hell it was so infamous the legal doctrine of hierarchical accountability for war crimes, whereby a commanding officer is legally responsible for war crimes and crimes against humanity committed by his subordinates, was created. This is known as the command responsibility or “the Yamashita standard”. His court case was very controversial, he remains a controversial figure, certainly to the people of territories he campaigned in, but I think what can be said of him the most is he was special amongst the Japanese generals. Anyways lets get the show on the road as they say.   So who was Yamashita? When he was 59 years old commanding forces in the Philippines against General Douglas MacArthur, he weighed 220 ls and stood 5 feet 9 inches. His girth pressed out against his green army uniform. He had an egg shaped head, balding, wide spaced eyes and a flat nose. He wore a short mustache, sort of like Hitlers, until it grayed then he shaved it off. He was not a very attractive man, Filipinos referred to him as “old potato face” while Americans called him “a florid, pig faced man”.   Tomobumi Yamashita was born in 1885, he was the second son of Dr. Sakichi Yamashita and Yuu Yamashita in Osugi village, on Shikoku island. Like most males of his day he was indoctrinated into military preparatory school from a young age. Yamashita had no chosen the army as a career, in his words ‘my father suggested the idea, because I was big and healthy, and my mother did not seriously object because she believed, bless her soul, that I would never pass the highly competitive entrance examination. If I had only been cleverer or had worked harder, I would have been a doctor like my brother”Yamashita would graduate from the 18th class of the IJA academy in november of 1905, ranked 16th out of 920 cadets.    In 1908 he was promoted to the rank of Lt and during WW1 he fought against Imperial German and Austro-Hungarian forces in the famous siege of Qingdao, which if you are interested I did an episode over on my Youtube channel about this battle. Its a very overlooked battle, but many histories firsts occurred at it like the first carrier attack. In 1916 he was promoted to captain and attended the 28th class of the Army War college to graduate sixth in his class that year. He also married Hisako Nagayama in 1916, she was the daughter of the retired General Nagayama.    It seems Yamashita's brush against the Germans in 1914 had a huge influence on him, because he became fascinated with Germany and would serve as assistant military attache at Bern and Berlin from 1919-1922. He spent his time in Germany alongside Captain Hideki Tojo, both men would run into each other countless times and become bitter rivals. Both men toured the western front, visiting Hamburg and witnessed first hand the crippling inflation and food prices that came from Germany's defeat. Yamashita said to Tojo then “If Japan ever has to fight any nation, she must never surrender and get herself in a state like this.” He returned to Japan in 1922, was promoted to major and served a few different posts in the Imperial Headquarters and Staff College. Yamashita became a leading member of the Kodoha faction, while Tojo became a leading member of the rival Toseiha faction. In 1927 Yamashita was sent again to Europe, this time to Vienna as a military attache. Just prior to departing he had invested in a business selling thermometers starting by one of his wife's relatives, the business failed horribly and Yamashita was tossed into debt, bailiffs literally came to seize his house. As told to us by his biographer “For a regular officer to have contracted such a debt, however innocently, was a disgrace. He felt he should resign his commission.” Yamashita's brother refused to allow him to quit, instructing him to leave for Vienna, while he resolved his debts. His days in Vienna were the best of his life, professed Yamashita. He studied economics at Vienna university and made friends with a Japanese widow, who introduced him to a German woman named Kitty and they had an affair. This would spring forward his reputation as an eccentric officer. Yamashita was obsessed over hygiene,and refused to eat fruit unless it was thoroughly washed. He avoided ice water, hated dancing and never learnt how to drive a car. One of his most notable quirks was his habit of falling asleep often during meetings where he legendarily would snore. Like I may have said in previous podcast and youtube episodes, this guy was quite a character, often described as a big bear.    Now this is not a full biography on Yamashita so I cant devolve to far into things, such as his first fall from grace. During the February 26th coup incident of 1936, Yamashita was a leading member of the Kodoha faction and helped mediate a peaceful end to the standoff, however in truth he was backing the coup. He simply managed to not get caught red handed at the time doing too much for the mutineers, regardless he lost favor with the outraged Emperor and many young captains whom he loved like sons killed themselves in disgrace. If you want to know more about the February coup of 1936, check out my series on Emperor Hirohito or General Ishawara, they both talk about it in depth and touch upon Yamashita's role a bit.    The coup led to the dissolvement of the Kodoha faction and the dominance of the Toseiha, led by Tojo. Yamashita tried to resign from the IJA, but his superiors dissuade him. He was relegated to a post in Korea, which honestly was a punishment. Yamashita would say “When I was posted to Korea, I felt I had been given a tactful promotion but that in fact my career was over. Even when I was given my first fighting company in North China, I still felt I had no future in the Army, so I was always on the front line, where the bullets flew the thickest. I sought only a place to die.”  He had some time to reflect upon his conduct while in Korea, he began to study Zen Buddhism. He was promoted to Lt General in November of 1937 and when the China war broke out he was one of those speaking out that the incident needed to end swiftly and that peaceful relations must be made with the UK and US. He received a unimportant post in the Kwantung army and in 1938 was assigned command of the IJA 4th division. He led the forces during in northern china against insurgents until he returned to Tokyo in July of 1940. His fellow officers lauded him as Japan's finest general. Meanwhile Tojo had ascended to war minister and one of his first moves was to send a delegation to Germany. Tojo considered Yamashita a ruthless and forceful commander and feared he would become a powerful rival against him one day. Yamashita would go on the record to say then “I have nothing against Tojo, but he apparently has something against me.” You see, Yamashita had no political ambitions, unlike Tojo who was by nature a political monster. “My life, is that of a soldier; I do not seek any other life unless our Emperor calls me.” In late 1940, Tojo asked Yamashita to lead a team of 40 experts on a 6 month train tour of Germany and Italy, a move that kept him out of Tokyo, because Tojo was trying to solidify his political ambitions. This is going to become a looming theme between the two men.   He was presented to Adolf Hitler in January of 1941, passing along messages from Tojo and publicly praising the Fuhrer, though privately he was very unimpressed by the man  “He may be a great orator on a platform, with his gestures and flamboyant way of speaking. But standing behind his desk listening he seems much more like a clerk.” Hitler pressed upon him to push Japan to declare war on Britain and the US. At the time of course Japan was facing China and had two major conflicts with the USSR, thus this was absolutely not in her interest. “My country is still fighting in China, and we must finish that war as soon as possible. We are also afraid that Russia may attack us in Manchuria. This is no time for us to declare war on other countries.” Yamashita hoped to inspect Germany's military techniques and technology to help Japan. Hitler promised open exchanges of information stating “All our secrets are open to you,”, but this would prove to be a lie. “There were several pieces of equipment the Germans did not want us to see. Whenever I tried to persuade the German General Staff to show us things like radar—about which we had a rudimentary knowledge—the conversation always turned to something else.”   Yamashita met with field Marshal Hermann Goring who gave him an overview of the war in europe. Goring would complain about Yamashita falling asleep during lectures and meetings and he believed the man was drunk often. Yamashita met Benito Mussolini in June of 1941 receiving a similar rundown to what he got in Germany. Yamashita visited Kitty in Vienna for a quick fling, but overall the trip deeply impacted Yamashita's resolve that Japan should stay out of the Europeans war and that Germany made a grievous error invading the USSR in June of 1941. This is what he said the members of the commission “You know the results of our inspection as well as I do. I must ask you not to express opinion in favor of expanding the alliance between Japan, Germany and Italy. Never suggest in your report that Japan should declare war on Great Britain and the United States. We must not and cannot rely upon the power of other nations. Japan needs more time, particularly as there may be aggression against us from Russia. We must have time to rebuild our defense system and adjust the whole Japanese war machine. I cannot repeat this to you often enough.” His report was similar, and it really pissed off Tojo who was trying to develop plans for a war against America. Yamashita would then get exiled to Manchuria in July of 1941, but Tojo's resentment towards him could only go so far, because Yamashita was one of their best generals and in his planned war against Britain and America, he would need such a man.   Yamashita's time in Europe reshaped his views on how to conduct war. He saw first hand blitzkrieg warfare, it seems it fascinated him. He consistently urged the implementation of new proposals calling for the streamlining of air arms; to mechanize the Army; to integrate control of the armed forces in a defense ministry coordinated by a chairman of Joint Chiefs of staff; to create a paratroop corps and to employ effective propaganda. Basically he saw what was working for the Germans against the allies and wanted Japan to replicate it. Tojo did not like many of the proposal, hated the fact they were coming from Yamashita, so he obviously was not keen on making them happen. Luckily for Yamashita he would be given a chance to implement some of his ideas in a big way.   On November 6th of 1941, Lt General Yamashita was appointed commander of the 25th Japanese army. His orders were to seize the Malay Peninsula and then the British naval base at Singapore. The Malaya Peninsula snakes 700 miles south of Thailand, a rugged sliver of land that constricts at its narrowest point to about 60 miles wide. It hold mountains that split the peninsula in half, some going as high as 7000 feet. During this time Malaya produced around 40% of the worlds rubber, 60% of its tin, two resources vital for war. At its very southern tip lies Singapore, a diamond shaped island connected to the mainland by a 1115 stone causeway. Singapore's largest asset was its naval base guarding the passage from the Pacific and Indian oceans. Together Malay and Singapore represented the key to controlling what Japan called the Southern Resource Area.   Singapore was known as the gibraltar of the east for good reason. It was a massively fortified naval base. The base had been developed between 1923-1938 and cost 60 million pounds, around 2 billion pounds today. It was 21 square miles, had the largest dry dock in the world, the 3rd largest floating dock and enough fuel tanks to support the entire royal navy for 6 months. She was defended by 15 inch naval guns stationed at the Johre battery, Changi and Buona vista battery. And despite the infamous myth some of you may have heard, these guns were fully capable of turning in all directions including the mainland. For those unaware a myth perpetuated after the fall of Singapore that her large 15 inch guns could not turn to the mainland and that this spelt her doom, no it was not that, it was the fact they mostly had armor piercing shells which are using to hit ships and not land targets. Basically if you fire an armor piercing shell at land it imbeds itself then explodes, while HE shells would have torn any Japanese army to pieces. Alongside the 15 inch monsters, there were countless other artillery pieces such as 9.2 inch guns. By December of 1941 Malaya and Singapore held 164 first line aircraft out of a total of 253 aircraft, but many of the fighters were the obsolete Brewster F2A Buffalo, a pretty slow, fat little beast that could take a licking as it was armored, but against the Zero fighter it was unbelievably outmatched in speed and maneuverability.    The Japanese acquired a major gift prior to the outbreak of war. On november 11th, 1940, the SS Automedon, a German raider attacked the HMS Atlantis which was carrying documents intended for the British far east command. The documents indicated the British fleet was not going to help Singapore; that Britain would not declare war if Thailand was invaded and that Hong Kong was expendable. The Germans gave the documents to the Japanese who were very excited by the information.    Starting in January of 1941, Colonel Masanobu Tsuji led the Taiwan Army Research section based on Formosa to investigate how a campaign could be waged in Malay and Singapore. His findings on the defenses of Malay and Singapore were summed up in these 3 points: 1. Singapore Fortress was solid and strong facing the sea, but vulnerable on the peninsular side facing the Johore Strait;  Newspaper reports of a strong Royal Air Force (RAF) presence were propaganda;  Although British forces in Malaya numbered from five to six divisions (well over 80,000 men), less than half were Europeans.    Now just a little bit about Tsuji as he was to become the chief of staff operations and planning under Yamashita. Tsuji was extremely insubordinate and a political schemer. He was a Toseiha faction fanatic, loyal to Tojo and thus definitely an enemy to Yamashita. Yamashita wrote of Tsuji in his war diary “is egotistical and wily. He is a sly dog and unworthy to serve the country. He is a manipulator to be carefully watched.” Tsuji would go on to have a infamous reputation for ordering atrocities in the name of his superiors, often without them knowing and this would be very much the case under Yamashita. Now using Tsuji's intelligence Yamashita began plans at his HQ at Samah, a port on Hainan island, starting in November of 1941 on how to launch the campaign. He was initially offered 5 divisions for the invasion, but he felt he could accomplish the objective with only three. There are a few reasons why he believed this; first, Tsuji's research suggested the peninsula roads would be the center of the battlefront and that the flanks would extend no more than a km or so to the left or right due to the dense jungle terrain (in fact Yamashita was planning to assault from the jungle specifically); 2nd intelligence indicated the defending troops were not of the highest caliber (the British were busy in Europe thus many of the troops in southeast asia were poorly trained, half were british regulars the rest were Australian, Indian and Malayan); 3rd Yamashita was aware “the Japanese army were in the habit of flinging more troops into the battle than could possibly be maintained” boy oh boy tell that one to the future boys on Guadalcanal. Thus he calculated 3 divisions was the maximum to be fed, equipped and supplied. Based on his recommendations the 25th army was created with 3 divisions; the 5th under Lt General Takuma Matsui; 18th under Lt General Renya Mutaguchi and the Imperial guards division of Lt General Takuma Nishimura. Supporting these would be two regiment of heavy field artillery and the 3rd tank brigade. Something that made Yamashita's campaign quite interesting was the usage and amount of tanks. He was invading with around 200 or so tanks consisting of the Type 95 Ha-Go light tank, type 97 Chi-Ha and Type 89 I-Go medium tanks and Type 97 Te-Ke tankettes. For aircraft he had the 3rd Air division, 459 aircraft strong with an additional 159 aircraft from the IJN to support them. The 3rd air division had a variety of aircraft such as Nakajima Ki-27 Nate's, Nakajima ki-43 Oscars, Kitsubishi ki-51 Sonia's, Kawasaki ki-48 Lily's, Mitsubishi ki-21 sally's, Mitsubishi ki-30 Ann's, Mitsubishi ki-15 babs and Mitsubishi ki-46 dinahs. For the IJN it was the 22nd air flotilla using Mitsubishi G3M1 Nell's, Mitsubishi A5M4 Claudes and some A6M Zeros. To say it was a lot of firepower at his disposal is an understatement, Yamashita was packing heat, heat he could use in a blitzkrieg fashion.   His staff at Samah identified 5 operational objectives: 1 Simultaneous capture of Singora and Patani, Thailand and Kota Bharu, Malaya.  2 Capture of all enemy airfields in southern Thailand and Malaya.  3 Occupation of Kuala Lumpur, Malaya.  4 Occupation of Johore Bahru, and control of Johore Strait.  5 Conquest of Singapore.    Colonel Tsuji, appointed Chief of Operations and Planning for the 25th Army, proposed the following plan which was readily approved:  Land the main strength of the 5th Division simultaneously and without warning at Singora and Patani, and at the same time land a powerful section of the 18th Division to attack Kota Bharu.  The troops disembarked at Singora and Patani to press forward immediately to attack the line of the Perak River Hand capture its bridge and the Alor Star aerodrome.  The troops landed at Kota Bharu to press forward along the eastern coast as far as Kuantan.    The landing at Kota Bharu, the only one in Malaya was expected to be opposed and quite risky. But if it was successful, it would create a useful diversion away from the main force landings in Thailand.   The landings took place around 2:15am local time on December 8th, about an hour and 20 minutes before the attack on Pearl Harbor. The landings went largely unopposed, except at Kota Bahru where the Japanese saw heavy resistance. The British had anticipated this landing point and created operation Matador, a plan to pre-emptively invade southern thailand to secure defensive lines against the Japanese, however this plan was never accepted by British high command for obvious political reasons. But on December 5th, with a Japanese invasion looking certain, suddenly London gave permission to the Far east commanders to decide if Operation matador should be activated or not. The commander in Malaya, General Arthur Percival recommended forestalling it, fearing to violate Thai sovereignty, which ultimately would be the doom of a defense for Malaya.   At the battle of Kota Bharu, the 9th infantry division of Major General Barstow attempted holding off the Japanese from taking the important Kota Bharu airfield. The 8th brigade of Billy Key had fortified the beaches with pillboxes, barbed wire and land mines. The Japanese took heavy losses, but they were able to find gaps and fill them up until Brigadier Key had to ask permission to pull out. The royal air force at Kota Bharu tossed Hudson bombers to hit the troop transports, but it was a suicide mission to do so. Meanwhile the IJA 5th division landed at Pattani and Songkhla in Thailand while the Imperial guards division marched over the border from French Indochina. The Japanese encountered very little resistance, the leader of Thailand Plaek Pibulsonggram had been trying to get assurances from the allies and Japanese all the way up until the invasion, once the Japanese landed he knew his best option was to play nice and sign an armistice. This basically spelt doom for malaya as the Japanese were given access to Thailand's airfields which they used to smash the forward airfields in Malaya.   The first day of aerial encounters were a catastrophe for the British. General Percival would comment “The rapidity with which the Japanese got their air attacks going against our aerodromes was quite remarkable. Practically all the aerodromes in Kelantan, Kedah, Province Wellesley, and Penang, were attacked, and in most cases fighters escorted the bombers. The performance of Japanese aircraft of all types, and the accuracy of their bombing, came as an unpleasant surprise. By the evening our own air force had already been seriously weakened.” Brigadier Key withdrew after causing an estimated 800 casualties upon the Japanese while taking roughly 465. While Kota Bharu was being fought over, Percival unleashed Operation Krohcol, a 2.0 of Matador seeing British forces cross into Thailand to intercept the incoming enemy. It was an absolute disaster, the British attackers were defeated not only by the Japanese 5th division, but some Royal Thai police also defended their territory. The operation had basically become a race to who could seize the important focal point first and the Japanese took it first thus winning decisively. To add to that misery, force Z, consisting of the battleship HMS Prince of Wales,, battlecruiser Repulse and 4 destroyers tried to intercept the Japanese invasion fleet only to be utterly destroyed by overwhelming Japanese airforces.   Within 4 days of the landings, the 5th division advanced from Singora through the town of Jitra to capture the RAF airfield at Alor star, around 100 miles away. Yamashita managed this using flanking techniques that saw his army take town after town and airfield after airfield. There were numerous natural obstacles to the advance such as dense jungles, very long supply lines, torrential rain and heat, but he had a secret weapon, bicycles. At Jitra Percival made his first major stand. Holding Jitra would safeguard the northern airfields of Malaya, but it was a folly to do so as the airfields in question were not provided adequate aircraft and the British lacked something extremely important to be able to defend themselves, tanks. Colonel Tsuji saw the fighting at Jitra first hand and reported “Our tanks were ready on the road, and the twenty or so enemy armored cars ahead were literally trampled underfoot … The enemy armored cars could not escape by running away, and were sandwiched between our medium tanks … It was speed and weight of armor that decided the issue.” The British had spread themselves far too thinly across a 14 mile front with jungle on their right flank and rubber plantations and mangrove swamps to their left. Yamashita used a innovative blitzkrieg like tactic, he combined his air, artillery, tanks and bicycle infantry to punch holes in concentrated attacks forcing allied defenders to withdraw. As Percival would write later in his memoirs “This withdrawal would have been difficult under the most favorable conditions. With the troops tired, units mixed as the result of the fighting, communications broken and the night dark, it was inevitable that orders should be delayed and that in some cases they should never reach the addressees. This is what in fact occurred … the withdrawal, necessary as it may have been, was too fast and too complicated for disorganized and exhausted troops, whose disorganization and exhaustion it only increased”    Yamashita had ingeniously thought of employing large numbers of bicycles for his infantry so they could keep up momentum and speed with his mechanized forces. Oh and he didn't bring thousands of bicycles over to Malaya, the real genius was that they were there ready for him. His intelligence prior to the invasion indicated nearly all civilians in malaya had bicycles, so when the Japanese came over they simply stole them. Half of Yamashitas troops moved in motor vehicles while the rest road on 18,000 bicycles. As noted by Tsuji “With the infantry on bicycles, there was no traffic congestion or delay. Wherever bridges were destroyed the infantry continued their advance, wading across the rivers carrying their bicycles on their shoulders, or crossing on log bridges held up on the shoulders of engineers standing in the stream.” They Japanese overwhelmed the defenders who were forced to fight, flee into the jungles or flee along the roads where they were simply outsped by the faster Japanese. The defenders left numerous stores of food, abandoned vehicles, and supplies that Yamashita's men would dub “churchill's allowance”. British Lt Colonel Spencer Chapmanwas forced to hide on the sides of roads watching Japanese pedal past remarking “The majority were on bicycles in parties of forty or fifty, riding three or four abreast and talking and laughing just as if they were going to a football match.” The Japanese had the ability to carry their gear on the bicycles, giving them an enormous advantage over the allies fleeing on foot. The Japanese could travel faster, further and less fatigued. When the British destroyed 250 bridges during their flight, “the Japanese infantry (to continue) their advance, wading across the rivers carrying their bicycles on their shoulders, or crossing on log bridges held up on the shoulders of engineers standing in the stream”. The British could not escape the bicycle blitzkrieg as it became known, countless were forced to surrender under constant pressure and relentless pursuit.    Alongside the bicycle warfare, whenever Yamashita faced terrain unsuitable for his tanks, he ordered amphibious landings further south to outflank the enemy's  rear.   Meanwhile the war in the air went equally terrible for the allies. The RAF had pulled back its best pilots and aircraft to deal with the war for Britain against the Luftwaffe. 21 airfields were in Malaya and Singapore, few of them had modern facilities, only 15 concrete runways. The heavy rain made the grass airstrips unusable. All the airfields were allocated around 8 heavy and 8 light anti aircraft guns. Quality radar units were completely inadequate. The Super Spitfires and Hyper Hurricanes were mostly in Britain fighting the Germans, while Buffaloes were allocated to Malaya. The Japanese airforces easily overcame the allied opposition and established air superiority quickly. Launching from airfields in Vietnam, they bombed all the airfields into submission and continuously applied pressure to Singapore. . The aerial dominance of the Zero and ‘Oscar' fighters served to undermine the morale of the British infantryman on the ground. As historian H. P. Wilmot has observed, “in the opening phase of the war the Zero-sen was just what the Japanese needed, and the Allies were devastated by the appearance of a ‘super fighter.' To add insult to injury, every airfield taken starting at the most northern going further and further south towards Singapore offered the Japanese new launching points to make for faster attack.   Yamashita's forces reached the southern tip of the peninsula in just 8 weeks, his men had covered some 700 miles, about 12 miles a day on average. They fought 95 large and smaller battles doing so. Multiple lines of defense were erected one after another to try and halt the Japanese advance, to kill their momentum. Starting at the beach landings, to Jitra, then to Kampar, over the Slim river, then Johor. The British failed to employ “leave behind forces” to provide guerilla warfare in lost territories leading not only the Japanese to easily consolidate their gains, the Thai's also came down and grabbed some territory. At the battle of Muar Major General Gordon Bennet deployed the allied defenders south of the Muar River and it was widely believed here they would finally halt the Japanese. Then the Imperial Guards division outflanked them performing an amphibious landing and advancing down the coastal route. The 5th Japanese division followed a parallel route through the center and the 18th division landed near Endau. The allies were thus surrounded and took heavy casualties, countless were forced to flee through swamps and thick jungle abandoned their stuff. Gordons 45th brigade were absolutely shattered, effectively disbanded and left north of the Muar river as the rest of the allies fled south. The defeat at Muar broke the British belief they could hold even a toehold on Malay. Percivals strategy to fight delaying actions until the arrival of reinforcements to Singapore had fatally undermined his troops ability to hold onto defensive positions. As the British governor of the Johore straits settlement, Sir Shenton Thomas would say on January 6th ‘“We … have gone in for mechanized transport to the nth degree. It is a fearsomely cumbersome method. We have pinned our faith to the few roads but the enemy used tracks and paths, and gets round to our rear very much as he likes.”” Yet alongside the conquest came a series of atrocities.    At the Parit Sulong Bridge south of the Muar, Captain Rewi Snelling was left behind with 150 wounded Australian and Indian soldiers not able to trek south. The Imperial guards division herded them into buildings, denied them medical treatment, many of the Indians were beheaded, others shot. This become known as the parit sulong massacre. Its hard to saw what Yamashita would have known about this incident, it technically was under the command of Takuma nishimura. On January 22nd, Nishimura gave the orders for prisoners to be forced outside, doused with petrol and set on fire. Nishimura would be sentenced to life in prison by a Singapore court, but on a flight back to Japan he was hijacked by Australian military police in Hong Kong who grabbed him and held a trial for the Parit Sulong massacre, finding him guilty and hanging him on june 11th of 1951.    When the Japanese reached the straits of Johore, Yamashita took several days to perform reconnaissance, allowing his forces to regroup and prepare to attack the massive fortress. His plan for the invasion would see the Imperial guards perform a feint attack on the northeast side of Singapore, landing on the nearby Palau Ubin island on february 7th. The 5th and 18th division would remain concealed in the jungle until the night of the night of the 8th when they would cross the Johore and hit the northwest side of Singapore. The causeway to Singapore had been blown up by the retreating British, but the ability for Singapore to defend itself from a northern attack was lackluster. When Churchill was told by Wavell the Japanese sat on the other side of the Johore strait ready to attack the fortress he said ““I must confess to being staggered by Wavell's telegram. It never occurred to me for a moment that … Singapore … was not entirely fortified against an attack from the Northwards …””   With barely enough supplies or logistical support for his campaign, Yamashita's rapid advance down the Malay peninsula walked a tightrope of what was possible. His 70,000 men of which 30,000 were frontline troops had overcome a British force double their number. In Japan he garnered the epithet “Tiger of Malaya”, which ironically he was not too happy about. Later on in the war he would bark at a German attache “I am not a tiger. The tiger attacks its prey in stealth but I attack the enemy in a fair play”.   By this point Singapore had swollen from a population of 550,000to nearly a million. Percival had a total of 70,000 infantry of mixed experience plus 15,000 clerks and support staff to man lines if necessary. 38 battalions, 17 Indian, 13 British, 6 Australian and 2 Malayan. He placed his weakest troops west of the causeway, near the abandoned naval base rather than nearby the airfield which he considered was going to be Yamashita's thrust. He placed his best forces over there, which would prove fatally wrong as Yamashita hit west of the causeway. Yamashita meanwhile could only muster 30,000 troops, he was outnumbered 2:1 and amphibious assaults called for the attacker to hold a 2:1 advantage for success. Yamashita's men were exhausted, they had suffered 4565 casualties, roughly 1793 deaths in their 55 day advance south. Worse yet, Yamashita had a critical supply issue. He had greatly exceeded his supply lines and had been surviving on the abandoned churchill stores along the way. His ammunition was critical low, it is said he was down to 18 functional tanks, allowing his men to fire 100 rounds per day, the fuel ran out, and as Yamashita put it “My attack on Singapore was a bluff—a bluff that worked. I had 30,000 men and was outnumbered more than three to one. I knew that if I had to fight for long for Singapore, I would be beaten. That is why the surrender had to be at once. I was very frightened all the time that the British would discover our numerical weakness and lack of supplies and force me into disastrous street fighting.” He told his men of the 5th and 18th division not to build any cooking fires so they could conceal their positions in the jungle as he gathered hundreds of collapsible boats and other crafts to ford the strait. He gathered 40 divisional commanders and senior officers to a rubber plantation and with a flushed red face read out his attack orders while pouring them Kikumasamune (ceremonial wine). He made a traditional toast and said “It is a good place to die; surely we shall conquer”. He had to get the British to surrender quickly, he had to essentially ‘bluff” his enemy. He had to make the British think he was fully armed and supplied for a prolonged siege, how could he do so? He fired his artillery like a mad man, knowing full well they would run out of shells.   Starting on February 3rd,  Yamashita's artillery supported by aerial bombings hit Singapore for 5 days. On the night of the 7th, 400 Imperial Guards crossed to the Ibin island performing their feint attack. Percivals attention was grabbed to the east successfully, while on the night of the 8th the 5th and 18th divisions assembled carefully at the water's edge. At 8:30pm the first wave of 4000 Japanese troops crossed the Johore strait aboard 150 small vessels. The noise of their engines was drowned out by artillery. The thinly spread Australian lines, 3000 or so men led by Major General Bennet were breached fast leading to pockets of surrounded australian troops. As Lewis Gunner cliff olsen recalled “We were horribly spread out and it was pitch black and they [Japanese troops] were very hard to see. They walked through us half the time.” A beachhead was formed, a soon 14,000 Japanese had crossed by dawn.    Communications broke down for the allies, Percival unwilling to believe the Japanese's main thrust was in the west declined to send reinforcements there. When he did finally realize the main thrust was in the west he began to withdraw troops from quiet sectors and built up a reserve. The Japanese held air supremacy and their artillery was fierce. The big 15 inch guns of singapore held mostly armor piercing shells designed to hit ships, there were few HE shells available. When they fired upon the Japanese the shells would hit the ground they would embed deeply before exploding doing little damage. The defenders had no tanks, basically no more aircraft. The last departing ships fled the scene as everything was burning chaos around them. Morale was breaking for the defenders. By the 9th, Japanese bombers were raining bombs on allied positions unopposed. Bennet was forced to pull men back to a new line of defense from the east of the Tengah airfield to the north of Jurong. Poor communications hampered the northern sector of Brigadier Duncan Maxwell whose troops actually battered the hell out of the Imperial Guards who had landed at 10pm on the 9th. The Imperial guards gradually managed a foothold on a beach, but Maxwell feared encirclement and withdrew his men against direct orders of Bennet. The retreat opened up the flank of the 11th indian division who were overrun. All of the beaches west of the causeway fell to the enemy, when they did Yamashita brought over his tanks to smash the new Jurong line. The Japanese could have potentially stormed the city center at this point, but they held back, because in reality, Percival had created a formidable reserve in the middle. The Australian 22nd brigade took the brunt of the fighting.    Yamashita was running out of reserves and his attacks were reaching their limit, but he needed the battle to end swiftly. Yamashita was shocked and shaken when he received a report that the British troop strength within the city was twice what they believed. With covert desperation, Yamashita ordered his artillery to fire until their last rounds and sent Percival a demand for surrender. “In the spirit of chivalry we have the honour of advising your surrender. Your army, founded on the traditional spirit of Great Britain, is defending Singapore, which is completely isolated, and raising the fame of Great Britain by the ut¬ most exertions and heroic feelings. . . . From now on resistance is futile and merely increases the danger to the million civilian inhabitants without good reason, exposing them to infliction of pain by fire and sword. But the development of the general war situation has already sealed the fate of Singapore, and the continuation of futile resistance would only serve to inflict direct harm and in¬ juries to thousands of non-combatants living in the city, throwing them into further miseries and horrors of war. Furthermore we do not feel you will in¬ crease the fame of the British Army by further resistance.”   Singapore had received another order prior to this from Churchill “It is certain that our troops on Singapore Island greatly outnumber any Japanese that have crossed the Straits. We must defeat them. Our whole fighting reputation is at stake and the honour of the British Empire. The Americans have held out on the Bataan Peninsula against far greater odds, the Russians are turning back the picked strength of the Germans, the Chinese with almost complete lack of mod¬ ern equipment have held the Japanese for AVi years. It will be disgraceful if we yield our boasted fortress of Singapore to inferior enemy forces. There must be no thought ofsparing troops or the civil population and no mercy must be shown to weakness in any shape or form. Commanders and senior officers must lead their troops and if necessary die with them. There must be no question or thought of surrender. Every unit must fight it out to the end and in close contact with the enemy. ... I look to you and your men to fight to the end to prove that the fighting spirit that won our Empire still exists to enable us to defend it.”   What was Percival to do? The Japanese had seized control over Singapore water reservoirs, the population would die of thirst within 2-3 days. Japanese shells were causing fires and death everywhere. People were panicking, trying to get on the very last boats leaving the port, even though that surely meant death to the IJN. An American sailor recalled “There was a lot of chaos and people killed on the docks during these bombardments. Everywhere you looked there was death. Even in the water there were dead sharks and people floating all around.” Defeatism was endemic. Australian troops were overheard saying “Chum, to hell with Malaya and Singapore. Navy let us down, air force let us down. If the bungs [natives] won't fight for their bloody country, why pick on me?” Sensing a complete collapse Percival formed a tight defense arc in front of the city, and by the 13th his commanders were telling him they believed Singapore was already doomed. Wavell was asked for approval for surrender, but he replied  “to continue to inflict maximum damage on enemy for as long as possible by house-to-house fighting if necessary.” Percival then told him the water reservoirs were taken, so Wavell sent back “YOUR GALLANT STAND IS SERVING A PURPOSE AND MUST BE CONTINUED TO THE LIMIT OF ENDURANCE”   On the 15th, Percival held a morning conference reported there was no more fuel, field gun nor bofor ammunition. In 24 hours their water would be done. He told them he would ask for a ceasefire at 4pm, by the end of the day Wavell gave him permission to surrender. Over at his HQ on the Bukit Timah heights, Yamashita was staring at a Union Jack fluttering over Fort Canning. Then a field phone rang, and a frontline commander reported the British were sending out a flag of truce.   Meanwhile back on February the 14th, Japanese forces reached the Alexandra Barracks hospital at 1pm. At 1:40pm a British Lt greeting them waving a white flag and was bayoneted on the spot. The Japanese stormed the hospital and murdered the staff and patients. 200 male staff and patients, badly wounded were bound over night and marched to an industrial estate half a mile away. Anyone who collapsed was bayoneted. The survivors of the march were formed into small groups and hacked to death or bayoneted. For a few days over 320 men and women were massacred. Only 5 survivors would give recounts of the event. It is suspected by historians that Tsuji was the architect of the Alexandra hospital massacre. This is because he was the instigator of countless atrocities he ordered unbeknownst to his superior commanders such as Yamashita.    Percival was ordered to go to the Ford motor factory to where he met with Yamashita. Yamashita was hiding his surprise that the surrender party came and as he glanced at the surrender terms he said through his interpreter “The Japanese Army will consider nothing but surrender,” Yamashita knew his forces were on the verge of running out of ammunition and he still held half troops Percival did, he was anxious Percival would figure it out. Percival replied “I fear that we shall not be able to submit our final reply before ten-thirty p.m.,” Percival had no intention of fighting on he simply wanted to work out specific details before signing the surrender. Yamashita was sure Percival was stalling. “Reply to us only whether our terms are acceptable or not. Things must be settled swiftly. We are prepared to resume firing.Unless you do surrender, we will have to carry out our night attack as scheduled.”” Percival replied ““Cannot the Japanese Army remain in its present position? We can resume negotiations again tomorrow at five-thirty A.M”. Yamashita screamed “Nani! I want the hostilities to cease tonight and I want to remind you there can be no arguments.” Percival replied ““We shall discontinue firing by eight-thirty p.m. Had we better remain in our present positions tonight?” Yamashita said yes and that firing would cease at 8:30pm and that 1000 allied men could keep arms to maintain order within the city. Yamashita stated “You have agreed to the terms but you have not yet made yourself clear as to whether you agree to surrender or not.” Percival cleared his throat and gave a simple nod. Yamashita looked at his interpreter “There's no need for all this talk. It is a simple question and I want a simple answer.” He turned to Percival and shouted, “We want to hear ‘Yes' or ‘No' from you! Surrender or fight!” Percival finally blurted out  “Yes, I agree. I have a request to make. Will the Imperial Army protect the women and children and British civilians?”Yamashita replied  “We shall see to it. Please sign this truce agreement”. At 7:50 the surrender was signed off, 40 minutes later Singapore was in the hands of the Japanese. In 70 days Yamashita took at the cost of 9824 casualties, had seized Malaya and Singapore, nearly 120,000 British surrendered. It was the greatest land victory in Japanese history.   Churchill called the fall of Singapore to the Japanese "the worst disaster and largest capitulation in British history" Churchills physician Lord Moran wrote The fall of Singapore on February 15 stupefied the Prime Minister. How came 100,000 men (half of them of our own race) to hold up their hands to inferior numbers of Japanese? Though his mind had been gradually prepared for its fall, the surrender of the fortress stunned him. He felt it was a disgrace. It left a scar on his mind. One evening, months later, when he was sitting in his bathroom enveloped in a towel, he stopped drying himself and gloomily surveyed the floor: 'I cannot get over Singapore', he said sadly   With the fall of singapore came another atrocity, the Sook Ching massacre. After February 18th, the Japanese military began mass killings of what they deemed undesirables, mostly ethnic Chinese. It was overseen by the Kempeitai and did not stop in Singapore, but spread to Malaya. It seems the aim of the purge was to intimidate the Chinese community from performing any resistance. According to postwar testimony taken from a war correspondent embedded with the 25th army, Colonel Hishakari Takafumi, he stated an order went out to kill 50,000 Chinese, of which 20 percent of the total was issued by senior officials on Yamashita's operations staff, most likely Tsuji. It is certain at the behest of Tsuji the orders were extended to Malay. The death toll is a tricky one, the Japanese went on the record to admit to 6000 murders, the Singaporean Chinese community and the Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew allege 70,000-100,000. Historians analyzing the scale of discovered mass graves after some decades think around 25,000-50,000. How much Yamashita knew of the massacre is debatable, the orders came from his office after all, but it seems Tsuji had orchestrated it. Many of Japan's generals wanted Yamashita to be appointed war minister, a move that obviously threatened then Prime Minister Hideki Tojo, who feared his rival. Tojo retaliated, ordering Japan's new war hero back to Manchuria. On the surface, the assignment appeared worthy as Yamashita would serve as the first line of defense against a possible Soviet invasion. But since the two nations had signed a neutrality pact in April 1941, and Soviets were bogged down fighting the Germans, immediate war appeared unlikely. In reality, Tojo had parked Yamashita on the war's sidelines. Tojo went even further, he barred Yamashita any leave in Tokyo, preventing him from visiting his wife as well as from delivering a speech he had written for the emperor. No worries though, an aide of Yamashita's sent him three geishas. Allegedly he said this “I know they want to please me with these girls. But send them back—and don't forget to tip them.” The Tiger of Malaya would maintain a low profile in Manchuria where he received a promotion to full General. As months fell to years Yamashita sat on the sidelines helpless to aid the Japanese forces. His exile would come to an end in 1944 when Tojo was outed and the Tiger was required to try and save the Philippines from General Douglas MacArthur.

New-York, Montréal, Penang, Berlin, Barcelone, Amsterdam... Partout dans le monde, les villes durcissent leurs réglementations pour freiner la prolifération des locations touristiques de courte durée. Principale cible : Airbnb.   En moins de 20 ans, la plateforme est devenue un acteur majeur du tourisme mondial avec une offre dans plus de 150 000 villes, plus de 8 millions d'annonces actives pour un chiffre d'affaires de 11 milliards de dollars en 2024. Au départ, alternative moins chère aux hôtels, permettant une expérience d'hébergement plus authentique pour les voyageurs et un complément de revenu pour les propriétaires, Airbnb s'est petit à petit métamorphosé et avec, les villes visitées. Pour beaucoup de propriétaires, la location courte durée est devenue une aubaine bien plus rentable que la longue durée.   Conséquences pour les habitants, une offre de logements disponibles qui s'amenuise, une hausse des loyers et une cohabitation de plus en plus tendue avec les touristes et les fameux “digital nomads”.   Les capitales ne sont pas les seules concernées. En France, par exemple, des communes de taille moyenne comme La Rochelle, Biarritz ou Nice ont vu leur centre-ville se transformer avec Airbnb. Les épiceries, les cordonneries, les magasins d'optique ou autres quincailleries laissent place à des coffee shop, des commerces de restauration rapide ou des magasins de souvenirs. Néanmoins, pour d'autres communes, l'arrivée d'airbnb a permis d'améliorer l'offre d'hébergement touristique et de redynamiser la vie locale. Alors quelles sont réellement les conséquences d'Airbnb sur les villes ? Et comment elles s'organisent face à l'explosion du tourisme de plateforme ?   Avec : • Chloé Tegny, cheffe de groupe au département opinion de l'Ifop. Co-autrice avec Jérôme Fourquet et Sylvain Manternach d'une étude pour l'Institut Teram Tourisme 2.0 : anatomie de la France Airbnb parue en octobre 2025   • Francesca Artioli, politiste et urbaniste, maîtresse de conférences à l'École d'urbanisme de Paris de l'Université de Paris-Est Créteil. Co-autrice avec Thomas Aguilera et Claire Colomb de Housing Under Platform Capitalism: The Contentious Regulation of Short-Term Rentals in European Cities (Editions de l'Université de Californie, 2025)   Un entretien avec Najet Benrabaa, correspondante de RFI à Medellin en Colombie, où l'expansion de la plateforme Airbnb a transformé le visage de la ville.  En fin d'émission, la chronique Voisins connectés d'Estelle Ndjandjo, sur l'évolution des sociétés africaines mondialisées à travers les écrans, les réseaux sociaux et la technologie. Aujourd'hui, elle s'intéresse aux filtres qui permettent aux utilisateurs noirs d'éclaircir leur peau. Une nouvelle forme de dépigmentation mais virtuelle.  Programmation musicale :   ►Trafic locaux - Limsa d'Aulnay & ISHA ►Perdon - Ruta Calavera  

Penang's Boom Contrasts with China's Decline: Colleague Charles Ortel contrasts Penang's economic boom and diverse hardworking culture with China's decline, discussing China's suppressed financial data and property crisis with Gordon Chang, arguing Western elites were "bought off" by Beijing while investors should demand transparency regarding assets trapped in ChiNA. 1916

SHOW 12-9-25 CBS EYE ON THE WORLD WITH JOHN BATCHELOR 1916 MONTENEGRO THE SHOW BEGINS IN THE DOUBTS ABOUT THE HUBBLE CONSTANT. FIRST HOUR 9-915 Baltic Defenses and NATO's Uncertain Resolve: Colleague Blaine Holt discusses the Baltics preparing defensive "Mino lines" and bunkers fearing a potential Russian attack, noting Baltic citizens feel trapped between NATO bureaucracy and Russian hybrid warfare while doubting NATO's resolve to intervene, arguing diplomatic solutions are necessary as Europe lacks resources for a cohesive defense. 915-930 NATO's Viability and Europe's Demographic Shifts: Colleague Blaine Holt questions NATO's viability through 2050, citing rising US sentiment to withdraw and Europe's demographic shifts due to mass migration, warning that diverging values and economic instability could lead to civil unrest or new geopolitical alignments between Russia, China, and the US. 930-945 European Leaders Meet Zelenskyy Amid Strategic Dilemmas: Colleague Judy Dempsey discusses the "Big Three" European leaders meeting Zelenskyy, questioning their ability to resolve the war without wider coalitions, noting the EU is bypassing unanimity rules to seize Russian assets but struggles with the dilemma of offering Ukraine EU membership while demanding territorial concessions. 945-1000 Europe's Lack of Self-Confidence Facing Global Challenges: Colleague Judy Dempsey criticizes Europe's lack of self-confidence and ambition when facing Trump's transactional administration and Chinese aggression, arguing European leaders complain about US criticism rather than leveraging their own economic power, noting they are "sleepwalking" regarding the auto industry and dependencies on China. SECOND HOUR 10-1015 The National Security Strategy and the First Island Chain: Colleague Steve Yates analyzes the National Security Strategy's focus on the "first island chain" and deterrence against China's bullying of Japan and the Philippines, noting the CCP's obsession with WWII-era Japan for propaganda fails to resonate regionally as neighbors face modern Chinese aggression and grey zone tactics. 1015-1030 Nvidia Chip Sales to China Raise National Security Concerns: Colleague Brandon Weichert reports on the Trump administration approving Nvidia H200 chip sales to China while taking a 25% cut, warning this transactional approach compromises national security by aiding China's military AI, signaling a shift from hawkish policies to favoring business interests like soybeans. 1030-1045 SpaceX Dominance and the Golden Dome Defense Project: Colleague Bob Zimmerman highlights SpaceX's dominance with record-breaking booster reuse and launch frequency compared to rivals, discussing the secretive "Golden Dome" defense project, defects on the Orion capsule's hatch threatening the Artemis mission, and Airbus surprisingly choosing a Chinese satellite constellation for in-flight internet. 1045-1100 Cosmological Crises and Mars Rover Progress: Colleague Bob Zimmerman details cosmological crises including the "Hubble tension" where expansion rates conflict and a baffling 7-hour gamma-ray burst, reporting on Comet Tsuchinshan-ATLAS images confirming it is a comet rather than a spacecraft, and the Perseverance rover moving toward promising mining terrain on Mars.           THIRD HOUR 1100-1115 The 1605 Gunpowder Plot and Catholic Desperation: Colleague Claire Jackson explains the 1605 Gunpowder Plot as a desperate attempt by Catholics, frustrated by James I's retention of penal laws and peace with Spain, to destroy the Protestant establishment, with the plotters aiming to kill the king and install a puppet Catholic monarch amidst the ensuing chaos. 1115-1130 The Mirror of Great Britain and James I's Violent Childhood: Colleague Claire Jackson explains the "Mirror of Great Britain" jewel symbolizing James I's union plans, though it was destroyed during the Civil Wars, detailing his violent childhood in Scotland, his father Darnley's murder, and his separation from his mother Mary Queen of Scots, which shaped his intellectual upbringing. 1130-1145 The Hampton Court Conference and the King James Bible: Colleague Claire Jackson describes how James I convened the Hampton Court Conference to resolve religious differences, resulting in the King James Bible, highlighting his unique role as an author of works like Basilikon Doron, using print to converse with subjects and establish the divine right of kings. 1145-1200 James I as Ecumenicist Amid Confessional Complexity: Colleague Claire Jackson portrays James I as an ecumenicist seeking accommodation, provided Catholics recognized his temporal authority via an Oath of Allegiance, noting he faced a "confessional complexity" ruling Protestant Scotland and England alongside Catholic Ireland, aiming to isolate radical Jesuits from the loyal majority. FOURTH HOUR 12-1215 Commodities Update from France: Colleague Simon Constable reports from France on unseasonably warm weather and rising copper prices driven by tech demand, noting cocoa prices dropped while coffee remains expensive, discussing farmers' effective non-violent protests in Europe and contrasting European energy shortages with the electricity needs of AI development. 1215-1230 UK Labour's Struggles and the Workers' Rights Bill: Colleague Simon Constable analyzes the UK Labour Party's struggles despite a large majority, citing Keir Starmer's low approval, warning that the return of "Red Rayner" and a new workers' rights bill preventing easy firing could stifle economic growth and deter foreign investment, worsening Britain's debt. 1230-1245 The National Security Strategy as Transatlantic "Divorce Papers": Colleague Blaine Holt argues the National Security Strategy resembles "divorce papers" for a perilous transatlantic relationship, contending Europe, having de-industrialized, refuses Trump's diplomatic efforts to end the Ukraine war, fearing the aftermath of a conflict they cannot sustain against a re-industrialized Russia. 1245-100 AM Penang's Boom Contrasts with China's Decline: Colleague Charles Ortel contrasts Penang's economic boom and diverse hardworking culture with China's decline, discussing China's suppressed financial data and property crisis with Gordon Chang, arguing Western elites were "bought off" by Beijing while investors should demand transparency regarding assets trapped in ChiNA.

Our first stop in Asia was nothing short of unforgettable. In this episode, we take you with us to Lombok, Indonesia—just east of Bali—where we spent one of the most meaningful travel days of our lives. From learning traditional weaving techniques in a quiet village to riding motorbikes through a rainforest (crutches and all), and snorkeling with clownfish off the Gili Islands, this day was packed with adventure, connection, and soul. It was the kind of day that reminded us exactly why we travel—and why Indonesia is so much more than Bali. Some links are affiliate links. See our disclosure. Help Support the Podcast by Buying us a Coffee ☕️ Book the Private Tour we did in Lombok with Andy Lombok Driver Other Related Episodes You'll Love: Episode 140 - Lombok, Indonesia: What Bali Was Like Before the Crowds Episode 142 - Discovering Malaysia: Insider Tips on Kuala Lumpur and Penang with Colin + Meg What You'll Discover in This Episode: What it felt like stepping onto Asian soil for the first time How we planned a private, authentic tour in Lombok (and why we skipped the cruise excursion) Getting strapped into a loom and weaving with the women of a local village The wild motorbike ride that left us breathless and laughing in disbelief Scott's heartwarming chat with locals using Google Translate Hiking (and not hiking) to the stunning Kelambu Waterfalls The moment we climbed onto the roof of a traditional jukung boat Snorkeling off the Gili Islands with thousands of fish—and unexpected clownfish The GoPro deal of a lifetime (complete with a private underwater photographer!) Why our lunch of nasi goreng and homemade sambal was worth the trip alone Dodging a missed cruise departure—and what to know if you're booking excursions on your own How Indonesia welcomed us in ways we never expected—and why we can't wait to return Destinations Covered in this Episode: Lombok, Indonesia Kelambu Waterfalls Gili Islands Traditional Weaving Village in Lombok Local beachside warung (restaurant) Helpful Links and Travel Resources Want curated travel deals every week? Subscribe to Travel Deal Insiders — the best travel deals sent straight to your inbox. Get Our Ultimate Packing Guide for Traveling Smart and Packing Light + Access to Exclusive Weekly Content here. Don't waste your precious vacation time with Jet Lag, get Flykitt and watch Jet Lag disappear! Protect your privacy, boost your security, and keep your browsing data safe with Express VPN. Plus, get 3 months free with a yearly plan. Follow Sunshine Travelers Listen on Apple Podcasts | Spotify | YouTube Read more about this and other travel destinations on our BLOG Follow our travels on TikTok @sunshinetravelerspodcast Follow us on X @sunshinetrvlrs Connect with us on LinkedIn @sunshinetravelerspodcast Get travel tips and follow our travels on Instagram: @sunshinetravelerspodcast Connect with us on Threads @sunshinetravelerspodcast Connect with us on Threads See our travel videos on YouTube @sunshinetravelerspodcast Save our travel ideas on Pinterest @sunshinetravelerspodcast Music: This Acoustic Happy Music by Dmitrii Kolesnikov from Pixabay

Recapping the first two days of our big 20th anniversary celebrations in Georgetown, Penang. If you're there, I hope this will bring some sweet memories back to you. And if you're not there, hopefully this will give you a sense of what happened that weekend. Putting together this video really brought lots of warm and fuzzy feeling I felt that weekend. Thank you all for being a part of the PGHK family. Let's get to another 20 years! [ratings] http://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/penanghokkien.com/media/PgHkn-2025-12-08.mp3 Support PGHK Follow me on: Clubhouse @JohnOng Penang Hokkien Podcast House Global Hokkien Speakers House TikTok (PGHK) @PenangHokkien TikTok (John's) @John.Ong Instagram (PGHK) @PenangHokkien Instagram (John's) @John.Ong Watch this episode on YouTube: (((DOWNLOAD AUDIO FILE)))

What are the things that you love about Penang? If you were to leave Penang now. What are the things you'll miss Penang the most? Food and non-food. Come listen to what our guests have to say. Share yours in the comments. Special thanks to our recording location sponsor Citadines Connect George Town, Penang. Food sponsor: Momogu - Blind in the Kitchen [ratings] http://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/penanghokkien.com/media/PgHkn-2025-12-01.mp3 Support PGHK Follow me on: Clubhouse @JohnOng Penang Hokkien Podcast House Global Hokkien Speakers House TikTok (PGHK) @PenangHokkien TikTok (John's) @John.Ong Instagram (PGHK) @PenangHokkien Instagram (John's) @John.Ong Watch this episode on YouTube: (((DOWNLOAD AUDIO FILE)))

It's such a rare occasion where a bunch of our regular guests and listeners would be recording in a physical space, so I took this opportunity to ask them to recall their favorite episodes or moments over the past 20 years of Penang Hokkien Podcast episodes. Special thanks to our recording location sponsor Citadines Connect George Town, Penang. Food sponsor: Momogu - Blind in the Kitchen [ratings] http://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/penanghokkien.com/media/PgHkn-2025-11-24.mp3 Support PGHK Follow me on: Clubhouse @JohnOng Penang Hokkien Podcast House Global Hokkien Speakers House TikTok (PGHK) @PenangHokkien TikTok (John's) @John.Ong Instagram (PGHK) @PenangHokkien Instagram (John's) @John.Ong Watch this episode on YouTube: (((DOWNLOAD AUDIO FILE)))

Christopher Ramos is currently serving as Director of Bands and Assistant Professor of Music at Utah Valley University in Orem, Utah. He conducts the UVU Wind Symphony and directs instrumental studies within the music education area. He additionally teaches courses in conducting, music education, and music appreciation. He received the DMA in instrumental conducting at The Hartt School, studying with Glen Adsit and Edward Cumming. While at Hartt, he assisted in conducting Hartt's instrumental performing ensembles and the Greater Hartford Youth Wind Ensemble, and as part of the adjunct faculty he taught courses for graduates and undergraduates in conducting, brass methods, diversity and belonging, jazz pedagogy, and in the core music theory sequence. Before Hartt, Chris served as a band director at Dalat International School in Penang, Malaysia where he taught Western classical and jazz music in performing and theory courses across grades 6-12, and his students were invited to perform in international festivals across Southeast Asia. He is also an active scholar working at the intersection of musicology, wind band studies, and music education with his latest publications forthcoming in the Music Educators Journal (NAfME) and the Utah Music Educators Journal (UMEA). In 2022 he received the Goldstein Award from the University of Hartford, and in 2016 he received the Joanne Kealinohomoku Prize from the Society of Ethnomusicology Southwest for his scholarship. He holds additional degrees from the University of New Mexico where he studied with Eric Rombach-Kendall, and from East Texas A&M University (formerly Texas A&M University-Commerce) where he studied with Phillip Clements (conducting), Luis Sanchez (piano), and Mike Morrow (horn). In addition to his conducting, researching, and teaching, he actively performs both on the French horn and at the keyboard. He has produced, performed, and conducted on records for the Naxos, Summit, and Parma record labels, and he has performed in and conducted ensembles in concert halls, stages, forests, and patios across the United States and Asia. An avid supporter of new music, he has been part of numerous commissioning projects for solo horn, chamber ensembles, and wind ensembles. He is a second-place winner in The American Prize for conducting and in 2025-27 he holds the Harry Begian Conductor Scholar Award at Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp. He is an active member in the College Band Directors National Association, Utah Music Educators Association, Utah Bandmasters Association, National Band Association, American Musicological Society, and National Association for Music Education, and is an honorary member of the Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia National Music Fraternity.

In this episode, we are live from aboard the Crown Princess as we sail along the coast of Australia and are sharing the highs, hiccups, and unforgettable moments from the start of our 3-week adventure through Australia, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Singapore. From emergency medical landings and luggage weight surprises to whale sightings and stunning views in Hobart, this episode captures the real, raw, and magical moments that happen when you travel across the world (sometimes on crutches). Whether you're dreaming of cruising through the South Pacific or just want to hear what happens when your carry-on is too heavy in Australia, you're going to love this behind-the-scenes peek into life at sea. What You'll Learn in This Episode: Why getting to Tasmania is no small feat from Florida Why Virgin Australia's strict carry-on weight limits caught them off guard A review of the Tasman Hotel in Hobart (Marriott Luxury Collection) How locals in Tasmania and Eden warmly welcome cruise travelers What makes the Salamanca Market a must-do Saturday experience The once-in-a-lifetime whale encounter in Eden you have to hear to believe Our first impressions of Princess Cruises vs. Holland America Real talk about traveling in an inside cabin for 3 weeks (and how to make the most of it!) How this cruise gets us prepared to check the final continent off their list Related Episodes You'll Love: Episode 139 - Seeing the World, from Tasmania to Singapore - In Memory of Gene Bright Episode 142 - Discovering Malaysia: Insider Tips on Kuala Lumpur and Penang with Colin + Meg Some links are affiliate links. See our disclosure. More Resources & Links Want curated travel deals every week? Subscribe to Travel Deal Insiders — the best travel deals sent straight to your inbox. Get Our Ultimate Packing Guide for Traveling Smart and Packing Light + Access to Exclusive Weekly Content here. Don't waste your precious vacation time with Jet Lag, get Flykitt and watch Jet Lag disappear! Protect your privacy, boost your security, and keep your browsing data safe with Express VPN. Plus, get 3 months free with a yearly plan. Follow Sunshine Travelers Listen on Apple Podcasts | Spotify | YouTube Read more about this and other travel destinations on our BLOG Follow our travels on TikTok @sunshinetravelerspodcast Follow us on X @sunshinetrvlrs Connect with us on LinkedIn @sunshinetravelerspodcast Get travel tips and follow our travels on Instagram: @sunshinetravelerspodcast Connect with us on Threads @sunshinetravelerspodcast Connect with us on Threads See our travel videos on YouTube @sunshinetravelerspodcast Save our travel ideas on Pinterest @sunshinetravelerspodcast Music: This Acoustic Happy Music by Dmitrii Kolesnikov from Pixabay

We invited a professional master of building paper houses and effigies for the dead to share his career. He also shared his journey into this profession and the future of this industry in Penang. Facebook: 358 亚福糊纸店 358 Custom Effigies Workshop [ratings] http://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/penanghokkien.com/media/PgHkn-2025-11-10.mp3 Support PGHK Follow me on: Clubhouse @JohnOng Penang Hokkien Podcast House Global Hokkien Speakers House TikTok (PGHK) @PenangHokkien TikTok (John's) @John.Ong Instagram (PGHK) @PenangHokkien Instagram (John's) @John.Ong Watch this episode on YouTube: (((DOWNLOAD AUDIO FILE)))

What happens when you have just one day in Singapore—and limited mobility? In this episode, Scott and Melissa share their one-day itinerary for Singapore, designed around accessibility, intention, and immersive experiences. From Gardens by the Bay to the Marina Bay Sands rooftop and an unforgettable hawker center dinner, they show how even a short stay can be meaningful and inspiring. Whether you're navigating an injury, a layover, or just want to slow down and soak up Singapore's energy, this episode proves you don't need a week (or perfect health) to experience something extraordinary. What You'll Discover in This Episode: What to do if you forget your ID at the airport (TSA tips & tricks) How Singapore ranks in accessibility and why it's perfect for travelers with mobility challenges How to make the most of Gardens by the Bay—Cloud Forest, Flower Dome, and Supertree Grove Where to eat with a view at Marina Bay Sands (Spago, CÉ LA VI) How to experience a Michelin-rated hawker center meal for just a few dollars Best way to enjoy the Marina Bay Light & Water Show Why Singapore's Changi Airport is a destination in itself (and how to plan time there!) What to pack for Singapore's hot, humid, and rainy weather Listen to our last Episode, Episode 142 - Discovering Malaysia: Insider Tips on Kuala Lumpur and Penang with Colin + Meg Our Planned Singapore in a Day Itinerary: Morning: Drop bags at the hotel near Marina Bay Explore Gardens by the Bay: Cloud Forest & Flower Dome (fully accessible) Stroll through Supertree Grove Midday: Head to Marina Bay Sands for lunch with a skyline view (or we may book the observation deck ticket Afternoon to Evening: Visit Lau Pa Sat hawker center for iconic Singapore street food: satay skewers, chili crab, and Hainanese chicken rice End with the Spectra Light & Water Show along the promenade Next Morning: Plan extra time to explore Jewel Changi Airport before your flight: Rain Vortex, lush gardens, and 250+ shops & cafes Relax with a coffee in one of the world's most beautiful airports Tips for Your Trip: Singapore is one of the most accessible cities in the world, with elevators, smooth walkways, and air-conditioned paths throughout Pack lightweight, moisture-wicking clothing and a compact umbrella for Singapore's wet, hot climate Choose a centrally located hotel to cut down on transport and walking Save room for the hawker center food—it's more than a meal, it's a cultural experience About Sunshine Travelers Podcast: We're Scott and Melissa Barronton, a married couple on a mission to help you travel more and better. Each week we bring you practical travel tips, destination guides, and personal stories from our global adventures. Subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts Follow us on Instagram Subscribe to our Channel us on YouTube and follow our Travels Start planning your next trip with us Other Travel Resources You'll Love: Want curated travel deals every week? Subscribe to Travel Deal Insiders — the best travel deals sent straight to your inbox. Get Our Ultimate Packing Guide for Traveling Smart and Packing Light + Access to Exclusive Weekly Content here. Don't waste your precious vacation time with Jet Lag, get Flykitt and watch Jet Lag disappear! Protect your privacy, boost your security, and keep your browsing data safe with Express VPN. Plus, get 3 months free with a yearly plan. Follow Sunshine Travelers Listen on Apple Podcasts | Spotify | YouTube Read more about this and other travel destinations on our BLOG Follow our travels on TikTok @sunshinetravelerspodcast Follow us on X @sunshinetrvlrs Connect with us on LinkedIn @sunshinetravelerspodcast Get travel tips and follow our travels on Instagram: @sunshinetravelerspodcast Connect with us on Threads @sunshinetravelerspodcast Connect with us on Threads See our travel videos on YouTube @sunshinetravelerspodcast Save our travel ideas on Pinterest @sunshinetravelerspodcast Music: This Acoustic Happy Music by Dmitrii Kolesnikov from Pixabay