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Last time we spoke about the beginning of the Battle of Hong kong. Japan's rise as a threat to British interests accelerated through the 1920s and intensified after invading China. Britain's response remained contradictory—diplomatically conciliatory yet militarily apprehensive. While Singapore and Malaya received substantial reinforcements, Hong Kong was acknowledged indefensible, yet the 1936 Defence Scheme attempted to fortify it as an island fortress. Governor Northcote urgently advocated evacuation, recognizing the futility of defense. London rejected this, fearing it would demoralize China and forfeit sovereignty claims. Reinforcement requests from commanders like Grasett fell on deaf ears until Grasett independently lobbied Canadian leaders. This persistence finally convinced Churchill to dispatch two additional battalions. On December 8, 1941, Japanese forces attacked across three fronts with overwhelming force. Within hours, the RAF was destroyed on the ground, demolitions proved ineffective, and British units rapidly retreated toward the Gin Drinkers Line, facing an enemy that outnumbered and outmaneuvered them from the opening moments.   #217 The Battle of Hong Kong Part 2: the Island Aflame 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. Around 1500 hours on 9 December, Colonel Doi of the 228th Regiment arrived at Needle Hill, just north of the Gin Drinkers Line, ahead of his main force. For two hours he studied the British defensive positions through binoculars, noting trenches and bunkers—and to his surprise, washing lines fluttering with white clothes. The sight spoke volumes about the 2 Royal Scots' lax discipline. Then fog descended, reducing visibility to barely twenty meters, and heavy rain obscured the landscape. Doi sensed a fleeting advantage but lost radio contact with his battalions. Worse still, the Shing Mun Redoubt lay outside his regimental boundary, making an unauthorized attack a serious breach of protocol. When his units finally arrived, supporting artillery remained unavailable, held up by demolished roads. Doi chose to attack anyway. Doi ordered the 2nd Battalion to scout the eastern approach while the 3rd Battalion spearheaded the main assault. Major Nishiyana commanded the 3rd, sending Lieutenant Wakabayashi and Kasugai with 150 volunteers to lead. The Shing Mun Redoubt itself comprised five concrete pillboxes and an artillery observation post, connected by underground tunnels named after London landmarks—Piccadilly, Haymarket, and others. The whole complex sat on small rises above Jubilee Dam, then the British Empire's tallest. Defending the redoubt was A Company, 2 Royal Scots, under Captain Jones—just three officers and 39 men. One platoon of 25 soldiers under 2nd Lieutenant Thompson held the forward positions. Against this stood 150 Japanese attackers, with another 1,500 troops in reserve. Battalion orders forbade using the concrete works as fighting positions; they were meant for the Vickers machine-gun team and artillery protection. No mines could spare the redoubt's perimeter. On the night of the 9th, roughly half the defenders sheltered in the observation post while the remainder manned pillboxes 401b and 402. At 2000 hours, Thompson led a nine-man patrol northward to check Needle Hill and Shing Mun Valley. Despite two and a half hours in the field, the patrol returned at 2220 hours without detecting the Japanese force massing just 500 meters away. By that time, Lieutenant Kasugai's assault group had crossed Jubilee Dam undetected, bypassed unmanned Post X, and assembled below Pillbox 401b. At 2200 hours, Japanese sappers cut through two lines of wire. At 2300—H-Hour—Lance Corporal Laird heard movement in the bushes and opened fire. The Japanese answered with grenades and rushed the pillbox lines. One team entered the tunnel system; another hurled grenades through the air vents. Corporal Campbell swung his Vickers toward Pillbox 401, catching Japanese headquarters personnel in the open. Sergeant Robb mustered a counter-attack force of thirteen men. Five fell as casualties—Laird, Basnett, Coyle, Casey, and Jardine. Casey was killed; only Jardine escaped. The alert triggered gunfire from the observation post's defenders, and Forward Observer Wilcox called down 4.5-inch and 6-inch artillery fire. Without strong reinforcement and leadership, four Royal Scots and an Indian sentry abandoned the northern positions and withdrew to the observation post. Captain Jones received orders from Brigade to counter-attack, but delegated the task to Thompson. As Thompson attempted to leave the observation post, he found the gate locked from outside. This calamity had a backstory: just before the attack, Thompson had admitted a civilian at the request of Force 163 (SOE's sabotage unit in Singapore). Private Wylie had taken the observation post key from Lance Naik Kishan Singh and, upon exit, locked the gate behind him. The three officers were now literally locked out of the battle. Second Lieutenant Mochizuki and his platoon infiltrated through open trenches and began attacking the observation post from above, attempting to breach the hatches. The defenders held for three hours before Japanese sappers forced explosives down the air vents. At 0230 hours, the blast killed two Indian signallers inside. Thompson sustained a severe eye wound from grenade shrapnel; Jones and Warrant Officer Mead were both wounded. The remaining fifteen defenders surrendered; eleven became casualties. Meanwhile, a Rajput patrol engaging Japanese forces in the river valley managed to drive them back toward the redoubt. One final pillbox endured for another eleven hours before suffering the same sapper treatment. By 0400 hours on 10 December, the entire redoubt was lost. For just two killed, the Japanese had achieved a decisive victory—the breakthrough that would shift the entire campaign's trajectory. By dawn, a Japanese flag flew triumphantly from Point 255.   Major-General Maltby's assessment was stark: "This was calamitous, for Shing Mun was the key to the whole of the left position." Yet the Japanese perspective differed sharply. Having achieved a breakthrough, Colonel Doi received astonishing orders to withdraw—his success had transgressed into the 230th Regiment's sector and violated the meticulously prepared war plan. Doi refused. After heated confrontation with Major-General Ito and Lieutenant-General Sakai, his insubordination was later censured, though a divisional staff officer, Oyadomani, bore the scapegoat's burden of rebuke for failing to restrain Doi's initiative. With Shing Mun secured, Doi methodically fed reinforcements into the position. Throughout December 10th, the Japanese remained uncertain of their advantage and adopted a cautious strategy, probing British lines to exploit the evident disorder. Brigadier Wallis ordered the Royal Scots to mount an immediate dawn counterattack supported by the Rajputs and artillery. Lieutenant-Colonel White demurred; his battalion lacked any reasonable prospect of success. The resulting counterattack proved half-hearted at best. At first light on December 11th, the Japanese pressed Golden Hill forcefully, only to be repulsed by Captain Newton's Rajputs and gunfire from HMS Cicala. White positioned D Company in shallow shell scrapes and rusted wire—inadequate defenses against Japanese assault. Captain Pinkerton led a desperate bayonet charge that morning, temporarily clearing the Japanese and enabling the evacuation of wounded. Yet B, C, and D Companies absorbed devastating losses; Captains Rose and Richardson fell commanding their positions. With the Royal Scots collapsing, X Company of the Winnipeg Grenadiers and armored support rushed westward to seal the widening gap along Castle Peak Road. Meanwhile, Maltby grappled with alarming reports: Japanese landings on Lantau Island southwest of Hong Kong. Heavy artillery drove them back. A second probe at Aberdeen, where Special Naval Landing Forces approached within 300 yards of the naval base, was repelled by Canadian machine-gun fire. In hindsight, these were mere feints—never intended as the primary thrust. The stratagem succeeded. Maltby retained his island reserves—the Middlesex and two Canadian battalions—precisely where they would be needed. Had Wallis executed a forceful counterattack on December 10th with the Royal Scots and brigade reserves, the Rajputs might have retaken Shing Mun while the Japanese remained disorganized. Instead, Colonel Doi faced a furious Sakai, who had flown down from 38th Division headquarters at Taipo for what amounted to a pre-court-martial examination. The moment passed. After only 48 hours of combat, Maltby concluded the mainland was indefensible. The three battalions would withdraw intact to Hong Kong Island to assume their fortress defense roles. The naval commodore objected—demolitions, supply transfers, and troop ferrying required more time. The evacuation order was deferred 24 hours until noon on December 11th. At that hour, the decision was finalized: the mainland would be abandoned under cover of darkness. Further demolitions followed—the China Light and Power Station, the cement works on Tsing Yi Island, the docks. Yet Brigadier Wallis believed this merely a precautionary measure; he anticipated holding the mainland for at least another week. The withdrawal avoided Kowloon's congested streets, where street fighting and fifth columnists might have entrapped the British—a calculation that proved prescient, as an IJA advance column of 350 men from the 3/230th infiltrated Kowloon on the morning of December 12th to cut off the retreating garrison. The Royal Scots and Canadians retired south to Shamshuipo Barracks and Jordan Road Pier in western Kowloon; the Rajputs and supporting gunners withdrew eastward to Ma Lau Tong, which anchored the fortified Devil's Peak Peninsula. Maltby intended to hold this commanding position permanently—it was easily supplied across the narrow Lyemun Strait. The evacuation proceeded largely as planned. The Canadians and Royal Scots embarked on the afternoon and evening of December 11th under Punjabi covering fire. The Punjabis faced a harder journey—a moonlit scramble along steep Kowloon hills laden with supplies but critically short of mules. One group lost its way at a crucial junction, splitting into two columns. One proceeded toward Devil's Peak as planned; Battalion Headquarters descended into Kai Tak Airport, threaded through Kowloon City, and was evacuated by Star Ferry at Tsim Sha Tsui, fighting until the final moment as the last man boarded. The Rajputs' commander, unable to reach his Punjabi counterpart, abandoned Ma Lau Tong for the closer Hai Wan line near Devil's Peak. By 0400 hours on December 12th, the Punjabis and one Rajput company, accompanied by the gunners of the 25th Medium Battery, crossed Lyemun Strait to Hong Kong Island. Morning evacuations continued with minimal Japanese interference—a surprising restraint. Naval support proved crucial. The withdrawal completed by the morning of December 13th, though 170 mules were lost to the desertion of Chinese laborers—a deprivation that would haunt the subsequent campaign. During this passage, the IJN attempted shore bombardment. The Japanese cruiser and supporting vessels found themselves outranged by the defenders' 9.2-inch guns. The damage inflicted proved sufficient to discourage future naval adventures; for the remainder of the battle, the IJN maintained a cautious distance and played only a peripheral role. The speed and execution of the withdrawal apparently caught the Japanese unprepared. Their most probable expectation had been a full-scale assault on Devil's Peak accompanied by heavy bombardment—a day earlier, an assault without artillery preparation had been driven back with severe losses. The British appeared stronger than anticipated. The defense of the mainland had lasted only five days. With the mainland secured, the Japanese pivoted toward Hong Kong Island. The first move was diplomatic rather than military. At 0900 hours on December 13th, a small boat bearing a white flag crossed the harbor. It carried Colonel Toda, Lieutenant Mizuno, Mr. Othsu Dak, and two European women—the prominent and heavily pregnant Mrs. Macdonald and Mrs. C. R. Lee, wife of the Governor's secretary, accompanied by her two dachshunds. The surrender terms were flatly rejected. Major Boxer delivered the written refusal personally. Mrs. Macdonald remained in Hong Kong to give birth; Mrs. Lee and her dogs returned to Kowloon. The Japanese commenced systematic shelling of selected targets. On December 13th, a 9.2-inch gun on Mt. Davis was silenced; Belcher's Fort sustained damage. The following day, a 3-inch mount on Mt. Davis was hit, killing Chinese gunners and triggering morale collapse; some deserted. On December 15th, the barrage shifted to the northern shoreline, deliberately targeting pillboxes. At 2100 hours that night, approximately three Japanese companies attempted crossing the harbor in rubber rafts toward Pakshawan but were driven off by machine-gun fire. Fifth columnists intensified their operations—signaling with mirrors, sniping from concealed positions, spreading propaganda to encourage Chinese desertion. Their impact might have been catastrophic had not Rear-Admiral Chan and Colonel Yee, armed with tommy guns and grenades, systematically eliminated many of these saboteurs. By December 16th, half the pillboxes between the racecourse and Lyemun Strait lay destroyed. The intended crossing site was unmistakable. On December 17th, the Japanese dispatched a second peace mission—Colonel Toda's team now accompanied by Mrs. Lee with her dachshunds and a pregnant Russian woman. Again, the overtures were rebuffed. On December 18th, the bombardment reached new intensity. Oil storage tanks ignited, sending dense black smoke cascading across the northeast corner of the island—perfect concealment for what was to come. All signs pointed to imminent assault.  I want to note something here, you sometimes hear about how race played a role in the Pacific War and indeed it did. Racist attitudes were found on both the western and Japanese side of the war. There is a fantastic book dedicated to this by the way called, War without Mercy by John Dower, highly recommend it. What is interesting is how these racial attitudes actually affected decision making during the war. Take General Sakai's night amphibious assault for example. Western soldiers such as the Canadians in Hong Kong reported they were told by their commanders that quote "Don't worry about the Japanese, they can't see at night, they all wear glasses" another Canadian soldier wrote in a diary "They don't see well, especially at night we knew this as a matter of fact." Indeed the week before the outbreak of the battle of Hong Kong, Canadian officers attending a briefing by a British officer were informed that "Japan's aircraft were mostly obsolete, its air force had little practice in night flying, and its pilots were myopic and thus unable to carry out dive-bombing attacks". You might be asking yourself, why did they think the Japanese were myopic? The scientific explanation of the day was this "That the Japanese suffered widespread inner-ear damage. What caused this? Japanese motherhood, the practice of strapping babies to their mothers backs, it was explained caused their heads to bounce about, like when they harvested rice and permanently impaired their sense of balance". I particularly love this quote, one of my professors dedicated an entire class to the bizarre racial attitudes before and after the pacific war. There was a belief the Japanese could not see well at night, many western air force commanders actually believed there were times of day like at dawn or dusk where Japanese pilots would not operate because of this hindrance. American military commentator Fletcher Pratt in 1939 analyzed Japan's military strengths and explained it had four major weaknesses. The first was scarcity of resources such as iron, and steel. The second was that the Japanese "can neither make good airplanes nor fly them well" as a result of " the Japanese as a race have defects of the tubes of the inner ear, just as they are generally myopic. This gives them a defective sense of balance, the one physical sense in which an aviator is not permitted to be deficient.". The third was that the Japanese were short-tempered and were inclined to waste men unnecessarily when operations did not go well. The fourth was that the Japanese would simply never date to provoke a war with the US. Again Mr Pratt was an American military commentator whose information came from multiple accounts given by high ranking military officials! The British military maintained that the Japanese avoided night operations on land because they were simply incapable of caring them out well, while they avoided nighttime aerial attacks, as well as dive-bombing for the same reasons Pratt said quote "their pilots were poor and their aircraft inferior.". So take this all to mind when I talk about how certain ranking officers go about making their decisions. By the evening of 14 December, evacuated mainland units had regrouped on Hong Kong Island. The defensive structure was restructured into two brigades: Brigadier Wallis commanded the East Brigade from Taitam Gap, while Brigadier Lawson headed the West Brigade from Wongneichong Gap. This reorganization placed the 5/7 Rajputs across the north-east perimeter, defending over 3,500 metres of coastline with B Company positioned on the hills behind Taikoo Docks. The Royal Rifles of Canada held the north-east corner from Stanley to points south, with reserve positions at Lyemun. Two HKVDC companies supported from Taitam Valley and Pottinger Gap, while the veteran Hughsiliers manned the North Point power station. British and Canadian artillery provided fire support across the northern approaches. The West Brigade held the north-western and south-western shores. The 2/14 Punjab stretched from Causeway Bay to Belcher's Point, protecting Government House and General Maltby's headquarters, with battalion headquarters at Mid-Level. The Winnipeg Grenadiers covered the south-west from Wanchai Gap, with one company detached to the brigade headquarters at Wongneichong Gap. The 2 Royal Scots, severely mauled at Shing Mun, were held in reserve with fresh replacements from the HKVDC. The Middlesex Regiment's companies were dispersed along 72 pillboxes encircling the entire shoreline, while an improvised Z Company of clerks, musicians and cooks defended battalion headquarters at Leighton Hill. Supporting artillery included 9.2-inch and 6-inch guns on Mt Davis and 4.7-inch guns at Belcher's Point. As darkness fell on 17 December, Japanese reconnaissance swimmers reached Taikoo, confirming the crossing site despite detection. Reinforcements arrived: 18 additional heavy bombers from Guangzhou and 26 fighters from Taiwan joined the aerial assault. The crescendo of artillery fire on the 18th, combined with masses of small craft gathering across the harbour, signalled the imminent invasion. Japanese divisional headquarters shifted to Ma Tau Wei near Kai Tak Airport; the 23rd Army moved to Taipo. The invasion force disposed itself with the right flank embarking from east and west of Kai Tak, the left from Devil's Hill area. At 1800 hours, the invasion order was issued; by 1930 hours Sakai himself arrived in Kowloon to oversee the crossing. At precisely 2000 hours, the 2/228th Regiment silently paddled their collapsible craft toward Taikoo Docks and the nearby sugar factory as artillery support commenced. Colonel Doi embarked with 80 headquarters personnel aboard a large barge, leading the second wave. The conditions favoured the invaders—a moonless night, sporadic showers, and thick black smoke from burning oil tanks obscured their movement. They reached the midpoint undetected before searchlights and machine-gun fire scattered the small boats, separating commanders from their units. Despite this chaos, the assault pressed forward. At 2140 hours the artillery shifted to deeper targets; at 2145 hours the first wave of 3/230th landed at North Point, followed minutes later by 2/228th and then 2/229th. Three red flares signalled a successful landing. All six Japanese battalions were ashore by midnight, though wire fencing delayed their advance and Bren carriers added to the confusion on the beach. General Sano arrived at Taikoo one hour later. The 5/7 Rajputs bore the initial brunt of the assault. Despite days of preliminary shelling, the Rajputs mounted a stubborn defence; Japanese casualties mounted rapidly. The anti-tank company suffered so grievously that only a single gun remained operational. The Japanese plan was tactical rather than frontal—bypass isolated positions for later elimination and push rapidly toward high ground. Overwhelmed by numerical superiority and losing most of their officers, Rajput resistance gradually crumbled. Contradicting all evidence, Maltby remained convinced the main Japanese assault would strike directly at Victoria from Kowloon. He therefore withheld the counter-attack, instead dispatching a platoon of Middlesex troops, Royal Marines, naval personnel, and the Rajputs' reserve company—supported by artillery—to establish a defensive line blocking the Japanese advance toward Central District. Three HKVDC armoured cars were sent to protect East Brigade headquarters; two more reinforced the Middlesex battalion headquarters. It was manifestly inadequate against six Japanese battalions. In post-war dispatches, Maltby conceded his grave miscalculation: he believed he faced at most two battalions, not a full division. As the 3/230th broke through D Company of the 5/7 Rajputs, the 2/230th came ashore nearby and wheeled westward toward Victoria. Their advance halted abruptly at the North Point power station, held by an extraordinary force: four officers and 36 men of the HKVDC Hughsiliers Platoon—alongside 39 civilian volunteers from China Light & Power and Hong Kong Electric, including the station manager Vincent Sorby—plus eight Free French soldiers commanded by Captain Jacques Egal, a Shanghai businessman turned soldier. Without exception, these men were World War I veterans, many aged 55 or older. Some had fought in the Boer War. Major J. J. Patterson, the Hughsiliers' commander, had served with Allenby's Camel Corps and been mentioned in dispatches six times; he was chairman of Jardine Matheson and a legislative councillor. Private Sir Edward Des Voeux, 8th Baronet, a millionaire bullion trader and secretary of the Hong Kong Club, had enlisted as a private when deemed too old for mobilization. Private T. A. Pearce, 67 years old, was chairman of J. D. Hutchison & Company and secretary of the Hong Kong Jockey Club. Captain Bruch, the second-in-command, aged 60, chaired a major trading house. The list extended through Hong Kong's business elite, each choosing to fight rather than flee. These old men held an entire regiment at bay. When Patterson called for aid, Maltby dispatched an HKVDC armoured car with a platoon from Z Company, 1 Middlesex, but the reinforcement was ambushed before reaching the station; only nine soldiers, including 2nd Lieutenant Caruthers, broke through. Unable to dislodge the defenders by assault, the Japanese resorted to bombardment. By 0145 hours on 19 December, surrounded and ammunition exhausted, the defenders withdrew to King's Road behind a disabled bus. The Japanese deployed three machine guns, killing or mortally wounding all but Private Geoghan. A Japanese officer, believing all dead, cautiously approached—only to have Geoghan, despite his wounds, surge from cover and charge. He killed the officer and four soldiers before collapsing from wounds. Somehow Geoghan survived. Those old men—civilians and reservists, businessmen and veterans—held the entire western Japanese advance for 18 hours, buying Maltby precious time to withdraw forces and establish a new defensive line. Their stand at North Point became one of the campaign's most improbable acts of defiance. As the 2/229th Regiment advanced southward toward Mt Parker, the 3/229th landed at Aldrich Bay and turned eastward toward Lyemun, where they seized an HKVDC 6-inch gun. Major Bishop of the Royal Rifles of Canada, unaware of the landings, dispatched 15 Platoon under Lieutenant Scott to check on A Company of the Rajputs. Unexpectedly, they encountered armed men in civilian clothes at Lyemun's gate—the first indication of the Japanese presence on the island. Yet senior officers dismissed initial reports of landings and lost positions as exaggerated, a critical miscalculation that proved catastrophic. At Lyemun Fort, the 5th Anti-aircraft Battery of the HKVDC was caught completely unaware and surrendered after minimal resistance. The Japanese then committed one of many atrocities that would characterize the battle, bayoneting 29 survivors. Alerted by 15 Platoon's report, Bishop attempted a counter-attack with two platoons to retake the fort, but the defenders could not scale the six-meter wall and withdrew with nine men killed. As the 2/229th pressed southward toward Mt Parker, they overran the Salesian Mission, which had been converted into an Advance Dressing Station. No. 8 Company of the 2/229th systematized a massacre of medical personnel and the wounded—an atrocity that would later become pivotal evidence at Colonel Tanaka's war crimes trial. Yet amid the chaos, several medical staff and wounded survived to testify: Gunners Y. K. Chan and Martin H. C. Tso of the 5th Battery, Captain Osler Thomas of the HKVDC, Captain Martin Banfill of the Royal Canadian Medical Corps, and Corporal Norman Leath of the Royal Army Medical Corps. C Company of the Royal Rifles, reinforced with captured Japanese machine guns abandoned by fleeing Rajputs, inflicted heavy casualties on the attackers, with one Japanese company suffering over 65 percent losses. Yet overwhelmed by superior numbers and suffering nearly two platoons worth of casualties themselves, the Canadians were forced to withdraw, leaving only a reinforcement platoon under Lieutenant Blaver on Mt Parker. When Captain Clerke arrived at dawn with 16 Platoon to reinforce the position, he found over 100 Japanese already entrenched. With no artillery support and only two platoons available, Clerke had no choice but to withdraw, abandoning Mt Parker to the enemy. By dawn on the 19th, the East Brigade faced catastrophe. Infantry strength had been halved, and losses of artillery were equally devastating. A series of misunderstandings and misinterpreted orders led coastal gun crews at Capes D'Aguilar and Collinson to destroy their own guns in confusion or lose them to the advancing Japanese. Of the entire artillery complement, only one 18-pounder and two 3.7-inch field guns remained operational. Wongneichong—literally "yellow muddy creek" in Chinese—occupies the center of Hong Kong Island, a valley separating the eastern hills (Mt Parker, Mt Butler, Jardine's Lookout) from the western massif (Mt Nicholson, Mt Cameron, Victoria Peak). This narrow gap formed the critical artery linking northern and southern Hong Kong, making Brigadier Lawson's decision to place West Brigade Headquarters there strategically sound yet tactically vulnerable. Recognizing the exposed position after the landings, Major Lyndon had located an alternative site south of Mt Nicholson, scheduled to open the following day. In response to the Japanese landings, Lawson dispatched three platoons of Winnipeg Grenadiers to block the advance. Lieutenant C. D. French took 18 Platoon to Mt Butler, Lieutenant G. A. Birkett's 17 Platoon moved to Jardine's Lookout, and Lieutenant L. B. Corrigan's platoon took the north-west approach to the Gap. As on Mt Parker, both French and Birkett were killed almost immediately, their small forces overwhelmed by battalion-strength enemy forces with artillery support. By morning on the 19th, two battalions each of the 230th and 228th Regiments were pushing for the high ground. The 2/230th rapidly occupied Jardine's Lookout while the 3/230th moved to Mt Nicholson and the 2/228th advanced toward the Gap itself. No. 3 Company of the HKVDC under Major E. Stewart held pillboxes around Jardine's Lookout, while No. 1 Company under Captain Penn defended Taitam Valley with forward positions at Quarry Gap. The pillboxes, despite heavy bombardment, held longer than anticipated—some for as long as 24 hours. Stewart maintained his company headquarters until the 22nd, four days of continuous fighting without adequate ammunition, food, or water. No. 3 Company suffered 80 percent casualties and ceased to exist as a cohesive unit. Realizing that the enemy had penetrated to Mt Butler, Brigadier Lawson decided counter-attack was essential. Major A. B. Gresham of A Company, Winnipeg Grenadiers, was ordered to retake Mt Butler and clear Jardine's Lookout. The Canadians initially succeeded, with Warrant Officer 2 J. R. Osborne leading a bayonet charge, but a strong counter-attack by three Japanese companies drove them back by 2200 hours. The Canadians held firm until 1500 hours, when Gresham attempted surrender despite waving a white flag—the Japanese shot him regardless. In the chaos that followed, a Canadian killed a Japanese officer in response, triggering a grenade barrage. Warrant Officer Osborne caught the grenades and hurled them back as fast as they came, but one landed in an impossible position. Without hesitation, Osborne threw himself on the grenade to save his comrades. This act of supreme self-sacrifice earned him a Victoria Cross—the first Canadian VC of World War II. At dawn on the 19th, Maltby dispatched A Company of the 2 Royal Scots under Captain K. J. Campbell to reinforce the Gap, but they lost all their officers with only 15 men reaching Lawson's headquarters. A group of sailors under Commander A. L. Pears came from the south, but were ambushed en route; only a few reached the Postbridge—a house just south of the Gap—which became an isolated strongpoint. The 3/230th captured the police station perched on a mound at the southern point of the Gap, then swept eastward to seize the anti-aircraft guns of 7th Battery (barely 250 meters from brigade headquarters) and continued uphill toward Taitam Hill to capture additional 6-inch and 3.7-inch guns. Maltby's response was to call down final protective fire from the HKSRA in Happy Valley, inflicting massive casualties on the 3/230th. At 1000 hours on the 19th, Lawson reported that his headquarters was surrounded and he was about to "go outside and shoot it out." Captain H. A. Bush provided covering fire as Lawson and his entire staff, including Middlesex signallers, were cut down by machine-gun fire across the Gap. Lawson's body was discovered two days later halfway up the hill behind his headquarters, dead from a gunshot wound to the thigh. Lieutenant Kerfoot of the 2/14 Punjab with his three Bren carriers arrived minutes too late to save him. IJA who saw the fight made a note stating "he died heroically". At 1330 hours on the 19th, Maltby issued "Operation Order No. 6" calling for a massive counter-attack to commence 90 minutes later. The plan was ambitious: A and D Companies of the 2/14 Punjab were to attack east from Victoria to North Point to relieve the Hughsiliers, while HQ Company of the Winnipeg Grenadiers and the 2 Royal Scots were to attack the Gap and Jardine's Lookout. Eight field guns were promised but never materialized. There was no reconnaissance, no proper orders, and minimal coordination. The Canadians were to rendezvous with the 2 Royal Scots at Middle Gap at 1530 hours, but the Scots were late; the Canadians advanced without them. Captain Pinkerton of D Company, 2 Royal Scots, was ordered at the last minute to attack up Wongneichong Gap Road—the same route A Company had taken only seven hours earlier and been decimated—because it was reported as "lightly held." Captain A. M. S. Slater-Brown led the advance with three Bren carriers and attached engineers, followed by D Company of the Winnipeg Grenadiers. Just as the carriers reached the burnt-out trucks of A Company, they too were ambushed. Mortars and machine-gun fire rained down from Jardine's Lookout, where the Japanese occupied captured HKVDC pillboxes. Slater-Brown and 2nd Lieutenant Bell, the battalion intelligence officer, were killed instantly. The Royal Scots waited in the roadside ditches until 0200 hours before launching an attack on the police station, reaching the steps before Pinkerton was severely wounded. Captain Ford's composite company attack at 0300 hours also failed. Simultaneously, C Company under Lieutenant F. L. Stanier attacked Jardine's Lookout—also unsuccessfully. This series of piecemeal assaults cost the Royal Scots eight officers and 68 soldiers. Growing increasingly desperate, Maltby ordered Major Hodkinson, Officer Commanding HQ Company of the Winnipeg Grenadiers, to attack the Gap and proceed to Mt Parker. Requesting reinforcements from A Company and the Royal Scots, Hodkinson launched his assault with covering fire from Lieutenant Corrigan on Mt Nicholson. The Grenadiers managed to reach Mt Nicholson with only five unwounded men, though Corrigan's group advanced to within 300 meters of the Gap road. Then came an unexpected stroke of fortune: while skirting Mt Nicholson, Hodkinson's group stumbled upon approximately 500 Japanese—probably from the 3/230th—eating lunch without posting sentries. The Winnipeg Grenadiers unleashed devastating fire, inflicting heavy casualties. By 1745 hours, Hodkinson's force was only 100 meters from Repulse Bay Road. With four men and a 2-inch mortar, Hodkinson worked his way to the abandoned brigade headquarters, bringing 20 walking wounded with him. He established a foothold at the Gap, receiving orders to attack the police station at 2200 hours. Two HKVDC armoured cars with Vickers machine guns came in support, but accurate enemy fire disabled both. Like Pinkerton before him, Hodkinson reached near his objective before being severely wounded. For this action of determination and courage, Hodkinson was awarded the Distinguished Service Order. By the morning of the 20th, the Japanese had consolidated control of the Gap, but elements of D Company, Winnipeg Grenadiers, still held various pillboxes north of the position. Initially, 17 and 18 Platoons occupied forward positions with Company Headquarters and 16 Platoon in reserve, positioned across Wongneichong Road almost directly opposite brigade headquarters. Forward positions were rapidly overrun and cut off from the company. They fought without officers until withdrawal to battalion headquarters became necessary. With Captain A. S. Bowman killed and Captain R. W. Philips wounded, command fell to Lieutenant T. A. Blackwood. An attempt by B Company to relieve D Company on the evening of the 20th failed catastrophically, killing all officers and 29 men. With fewer than 50 men remaining—all wounded—Lieutenant Blackwood continued inflicting heavy casualties on the Japanese until 22 December, when exhaustion and the complete absence of ammunition, food, and water forced surrender. D Company killed over 200 Japanese soldiers. Post-war Japanese reports refused to believe that a single company had held the Gap for so long. For their stubborn defense, Philips and Blackwood were awarded the Military Cross, and three enlisted men received the Military Medal. The battle of Wongneichong Gap was characterized by fragmented planning and poor coordination. On the night of the 19th-20th, no fewer than three separate companies attacked the police station, with another company assaulting Jardine's Lookout—all within five hours, all independently organized by local commanders. Had these disparate actions been coordinated into a single simultaneous assault, fortress headquarters' objectives might well have been achieved. By the end of the 20th, the British had lost the vital ground of Wongneichong, though Postbridge House remained as an isolated holdout. For the Japanese, Wongneichong became the single costliest engagement since the invasion began, with over 800 casualties and the regimental commander of the 3/230th seriously wounded. 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.   Japanese landings on 18-19 December overwhelmed the East Brigade. Brigadier Lawson died defending the vital Gap. Desperate, uncoordinated counter-attacks by British and Canadian troops failed to dislodge the enemy. D Company Winnipeg Grenadiers held the position for four days against overwhelming odds before surrendering. The Japanese suffered 800 casualties but secured this critical strategic ground.

Pir Zia on the secret history of the world From a nondual perspective, aren't the world's great spiritual traditions expressions of a single living wisdom? In this intimate conversation, Pir Zia Inayat Khan explores the inspiration behind Tears from the Mother of the Sun, a sweeping mythic chronicle of sages, exiles, and revelations spanning continents and planes of existence. Drawing on sacred stories from Persia, India, Egypt and beyond, the book weaves the world's legends into a vision of humanity's shared spiritual inheritance. Together we discover the place of myth in a modern world, the imagination as a path of knowing, and the role of our deepest stories in restoring a sense of belonging to one another, to the Earth, and to the mystery that animates us all. Topics 00:00 Welcome 00:03 Growing up in a universalist lineage 00:06 Ferdowsi, Soroush, and the frame of the book 00:11 Why the world's traditions belong to one story 00:14 History as a living stream: the three worlds 00:16 The Mongols, violence, and unification 00:19 "I was a hidden treasure": the beginning of history 00:22 Syzygy, and the question of AI 00:29 Honoring the Earth inside our devices 00:34 Isis, Osiris, and the birth of music at Gaza 00:43 Grief, contraction, and the opening of the heart 00:49 Rabia, Noor Inayat Khan, and the green shoots Pir Zia Inayat Khan Pir Zia Inayat Khan, PhD, is a scholar of religion and teacher of Sufism in the universalist Sufi lineage of his grandfather, Hazrat Inayat Khan. He is president of the Inayatiyya and founder of Sulūk Academy, a school of Sufi contemplative study and practice. He divides his time between Richmond, Virginia and Suresnes, France. pirzia.org Inayatiyya Sulūk Academy The book Tears from the Mother of the Sun: A Secret History of the World, Inner Traditions, 2026, with full-color paintings by Amruta Patil Amruta Patil, writer, painter, and India's first female graphic novelist, author of Kari, Adi Parva, Sauptik, and Aranyaka Also by Pir Zia Immortality: A Traveler's Guide Mingled Waters: Sufism and the Mystical Unity of Religions Saracen Chivalry: Counsels on Valor, Generosity and the Mystical Quest Dream Flowers: The Collected Works of Noor Inayat Khan Caravan of Souls: An Introduction to the Sufi Path of Hazrat Inayat Khan (editor) Figures and ideas in the conversation Lineage Hazrat Inayat Khan (1882–1927), who brought universal Sufism to the West Pir Vilayat Inayat Khan, who convened interspiritual dialogues and conversations with modern science, including with David Bohm Noor Inayat Khan, storyteller, author of children's tales and retellings of the Jātaka tales, and SOE wireless operator in occupied France. Killed at Dachau in 1944. Her last word was liberté. Persia and the frame of the book Ferdowsi, author of the Shahnameh, who died in Tus believing his life's work had come to nothing Soroush, the tutelary daimon who narrates the book The Ishraqi or Illuminationist tradition Sufi teaching The Hadith Qudsi: I was a hidden treasure and I longed to be known, so I created the world that I might be known Rabia al-Adawiyya, who carried a torch to burn down paradise and water to quench the fires of hell, so that God would be loved for God's own sake Najm al-Din Kubra, killed on the battlefield during the Mongol invasion Qabz and bast, contraction and expansion Ar-Rahman, Ar-Rahim, and rahma as the action of the womb History, empire, and emanation Genghis Khan and the Palace of Myriad Peace at Karakorum Akbar and the interreligious debates at Fatehpur Sikri, under the policy of sulh-i-kul, peace with all Tahqiq, experiential knowing, as against taqlid, following what one has heard Avicenna and the three contemplations of emanation Syzygy, the alignment of beings into a molecule of spiritual work Isis and the birth of music The story of Isis and Osiris as told by Plutarch, in which Isis buries Osiris at Gaza and blesses a boy named Palestinos, who becomes the first musician Sirius, whose rising signals the Nile flood, understood as the tears of Isis Also mentioned Descending into Light: A Pilgrimage to the Center of the Earth, a seven-week series with Pir Zia and Yuz Ata, October 11 to November 22, 2026 Rumi & The Fire of Radical Love: A Path Through Global Rupture, a four-part SAND course with Omid Safi. Sessions on August 30 and September 6 still to come. The Eternal Song, SAND's collection of twelve films Support this gathering

Shutterstock Track 1219389 Monetization ID TFGEPGEI0LHEIJAI Kia ora. Welcome to Thursday's Economy Watch where we follow the economic events and trends that affect Aotearoa/New Zealand. I'm David Chaston and this is the international edition from interest.co.nz. Today we lead with news we may be facing a renewed oil supply shortage and this time reserves are at unusually low levels. The combined impacts of extended closures in the Persian Gulf, the Red Sea, and the Black Sea are mounting, and just as we thought the May-June stresses had faded. US mortgage applications rose slightly last week and that was despite an unexpected fall in refinance activity. But since mid-June this US housing market indicator has essentially been flat. And US mortgage rates are now at an 11 month high. US crude oil stocks rose unexpectedly last week when another fall was anticipated. Yes, it was minor, but still. Maybe it indicates that local production is rising faster than some assume. Or surging imports from Canada or Venezuela? Or maybe that demand is lackluster. Or all three. US Strategic Reserve levels fell again and to their lowest level since 1983. Today's US Treasury 20yr bond auction saw its yield surge through 5%, ending with a median yield of 5.12% and a high of 5.16%. That is up sharply from the prior equivalent event a month ago of 4.88%. And demand was lower too (-4%). It is quite the rate move. Not to be outdone, the overnight German 20 year bund auction rose to 3.60%, up from 3.38% a month ago. Across the Pacific, Japanese exports rose faster than expected in June, up more than +19% from a year earlier. The weak yen helped as did strong demand for electronics and other data center equipment. The June export level was their second highest on record, just a whisker off the March record. At the same time their imports surged as well, up +25% and also more than expected to a new record high, just eclipsing the October 2022 level. Oil prices were high but oil import volumes retreated. The net result was a modest but stable trade deficit in June (from May), but slightly worse than the small trade surplus in June a year ago. None of this helped the yen however because it fell to a 40 year low against the USD. Against the NZD it has only been this low in 2024 and 2007. In case anyone is still confused, or unaware, the Chinese regulator, China Securities Regulatory Commission, has been organising the SOE home team to bolster the Chinese stock markets recently, after they showed some negative indications. This has driven some good rises, but also a creeping state ownership in many listed Chinese companies. The Shanghai Composite closed up +1.8% yesterday, the Shenzhen Component was up +4.8%, while the ChiNext was up +7.1% and the STAR Market index jumped 8.8%. This is not to claim other governments don't manipulate markets; they do (Trump, Japan, etc.). But the Chinese moves don't seem sustainable unless the reasons for the dour conditions that prompted the artificial buying are resolved. In other economies, regulators would get punished by investors if issues aren't resolved. In China it is the other way around. The Philippine-China dispute about who controls the sea off the Philippine coast is taking an ugly turn with China posting racist trope video targeting Filipino's. It is unnecessary and grubby diplomacy. But 'going low' isn't something China invented. Surprising most observers, the Indonesian central bank did not raise its policy rate overnight following its June out-of-cycle shift higher. It judged that that earlier move was all that is needed at this time to defend the rupiah. In Australia, the latest update of the Westpac-Melbourne Institute Leading Index, which indicates the likely pace of economic activity relative to trend three to nine months into the future, suggests growth there is stalling. While the latest growth pulse is still not overly weak it is broadly consistent with stalling activity through the middle of the year. Later today the June labour market report will be released in Australia. It is expected to show tame jobs growth. The UST 10yr yield is now just on 4.66%, up +3 bps from this time yesterday and matching its recent mid-May highs.  The price of gold has risen to US$4140/oz, up +US$71 from yesterday. Silver is now just on US$60/oz, up +US$1.50 from yesterday. Oil prices are another +US$2.50 higher from yesterday at just under US$87/bbl in the US, while the international Brent price is now just on US$94/bbl and up +US$2. Hormuz transits are still just a trickle There have been just 2 crude tankers and 3 cargo ships exiting over the past 24 hours (5 dark with transponders off) and 5 entering for new loads (3 dark). Three of these outbound ships were hit by missiles. The Red Sea is also now effectively blocked at Yemen although a small handful of ships are still getting through (less than 20 each way). More than 700 vessels are waiting for things to calm down. The Kiwi dollar is another -20 bps lower from yesterday at just over 58.1 USc. Against the Aussie we are also down -10 bps at 83.2 AUc. Against the euro we are down -10 bps at just under 51 euro cents. That all means our TWI-5 starts today at 62 which is down -20 bps from this time yesterday. The bitcoin price starts today at US$66,141 and down -0.4% from this time yesterday. Volatility over the past 24 hours has again been low at just over +/-0.9%. You can get more news affecting the economy in New Zealand from interest.co.nz. Kia ora. I'm David Chaston and we'll do this again tomorrow. Track 1219389 Monetization ID TFGEPGEI0LHEIJAI Audio soundtrack opening is licensed from Shutterstock, Track 1219389 Monetization ID TFGEPGEI0LHEIJAI

In early September 1944, as Allied forces raced across France and Belgium, the German occupation of Brussels was beginning to collapse. On 2 September, around 1,500 prisoners, including members of the Belgian Resistance, Allied airmen, SOE agents, and political prisoners, were taken from Brussels prisons and loaded onto a train bound for Germany. For many, it seemed certain they were heading for concentration camps. But over the next two days, a remarkable series of delays and acts of resistance by Belgian railway workers and prison officials prevented the train from reaching its destination. The convoy became known as the Ghost Train. Joining me to discuss this extraordinary story is Greg Lewis, author of The Nazi Ghost Train.   patreon.com/ww2podcast  

Londres, mai 1941. Pierre de Vomécourt, alias " Lucas ", est l'un des premiers agents " action " du SOE parachutés sur le sol français sur ordre de Churchill. Avec René Piercy et sa femme Thérèse, ils vont créer à Lyon le noyau dur du SOE dans le Rhône. Fondée sur des documents inédits, une incroyable histoire d'amour et de Résistance, par l'auteur du Nageur d'Auschwitz .Inspirée du destin de Thérèse Leblond, René Piercy et Pierre de Vomécourt, voici l'histoire authentique des espions français de ChurchillLondres, mai 1941. Bientôt un an depuis que Churchill a créé le SOE – Special Operations Executive – et lancé le mot d'ordre : " Et maintenant, mettez le feu à l'Europe ! "Sous le pseudonyme de Lucas, Pierre de Vomécourt est l'un des premiers Français parachutés. Il recrute René Piercy et Thérèse Leblond, un couple lyonnais décidé à tout risquer pour la liberté. Ensemble, ils bâtissent le noyau dur du réseau du SOE dans la région Rhône-Alpes, au cœur d'un combat souterrain où se mêlent héroïsme, espoir et délation.Car la trahison d'une agent double, Mathilde Carré, dite " la Chatte ", va briser leurs réseaux. Arrestations, torture, déportation – et au cœur du drame, la lutte de Thérèse, prête à tout pour retrouver son mari disparu.Une femme d'exception, témoin d'un amour plus fort que la guerre.L'auteur, Renaud Leblond, est notre invité en studio* Sélection du grand prix littéraire de l'armée de Terre – Erwan Bergot 2026Hébergé par Audiomeans. Visitez audiomeans.fr/politique-de-confidentialite pour plus d'informations.

本期内容由「德国宇联表 UNION Glashütte 」特约呈现！掌控自己的专属节奏，德国宇联表，致敬每位「精准主义」生活家！德国宇联表贝利士「熊猫家族」系列，藏着时光与生活的精准答案。标志性的不对称熊猫盘，搭配利落舒展的德式简约格调，线条从容不张扬，越看越有味道。承袭德系制表对细节与精度的坚守，这份恰到好处的分寸感，也像我们向往的日常：忙碌时有条不紊，闲坐品咖时自在松弛。过去很长一段时间里，意式咖啡留给大众的印象是浓、苦、厚重，是一杯咖啡味很重的拿铁或卡布奇诺。但随着第三波精品咖啡和市场审美的变化，意式咖啡正在呈现出越来越多不同的样子：它可以是传统意大利浓缩里的日常节奏，也可以是浅烘 SOE 里的风味表达；深烘不总代表落后，浅烘也不天然高级。选择变多了，判断反而变难了。我们需要一套更完整的认知，去分辨一杯意式咖啡到底好在哪里，又差在哪里。也只有把它放回历史、文化和时间的变化里，才可能真正看清这杯饮品今天的样子。这一期，孙磊老师返场。他不只是从冠军咖啡师的角度给出参数答案，也会结合比赛、门店和市场变化的经验，拆解很多行业里习以为常的迷信：经典配方为什么会失效？漂亮的 Crema 和拉花能说明什么？奶咖到底是浓缩重要，还是牛奶重要？Combo、超萃长萃这些新形式，又该怎么理解？苦不是原罪，酸也不是高级。一杯好喝的意式咖啡，重要的是在它自己的风格里，达到平衡、清晰和愉悦。欢迎了解 UNION Glashütte 德国宇联表及活动权益：嘉宾：孙磊 Simon | 2025 WBC 世界咖啡师大赛亚军、马路咖啡 MARUS COFFEE 创始人本期内容：Part 1｜历史、审美与判断标准2:39 起源：机器、Espresso 与意大利咖啡吧文化7:09 今天的意式咖啡，不只是 Espresso16:07 如何看待当下意大利本土的浓缩文化？19:48 怎样的浓缩咖啡算是好喝的？27:05 觉得咖啡酸，就是消费者不懂精品吗？40:05 “精准萃取”时代的到来Part 2｜不再迷信标准配方47:25 经典配方 18g/36g/25–30 秒，过时了吗？53:38 Crema、虎斑纹、拉花好看，就一定好喝吗？57:51 苦是过萃，酸是萃取不足？NO1:03:04 做出一杯好喝的意式，关键是匹配1:08:41 浅烘豆怎么做好意式咖啡？1:13:20 家用机器怎么做好浅烘豆？1:15:55 奶咖好不好喝，靠浓缩还是靠奶？1:17:11 Combo 能不能兼顾浓缩和奶咖？Part 3｜设备、出品与新趋势1:18:55 做一杯合格的咖啡，家用机的底线是？1:24:01 店用咖啡机，完全不一样的选择思维1:30:50 怎么快速调磨？1:35:00 SOE：单一产地不是唯一高级答案1:39:38 怎么看待越来越多的超萃、长萃、极萃？1:43:55 致敬时间、精准与经典形式感谢 德国宇联表 UNION Glashütte 对本期节目的支持！从 30 秒里的精准萃取，到机械腕表里的分秒秩序，正如德国宇联表所代表的精准、克制与长期主义。一枚精工细造的腕表，一杯合心意的精品咖啡，都是精准生活的仪式感。主播：咖啡播客的Yujia小红书：Coffeeplus播客微信订阅号：Coffeeplus播客剪辑：甜食如果觉得内容还不错，请记得订阅节目，您的每一次评论、转发和分享，都会让这个小播客走向更远的未来！�也可以搜索添加微信yujiajia_wx, 记得备注“播客”哦，邀请您进入微信社群～

After China's central government raised the proportion of after-tax profits that State-owned enterprises must remit to the State, a growing number of provinces are following suit, aiming to ease widening fiscal revenue-expenditure gaps and free up more funds for social welfare and livelihood programs.继我国中央政府上调国有企业税后利润上缴国家的比例后，越来越多的省份纷纷跟进效仿，旨在缓解日益扩大的财政收支缺口，为社会福利和民生项目腾出更多资金。The moves come as local governments face mounting fiscal pressures from a protracted property downturn, weak land sales and rising mandatory spending on pensions, healthcare and debt servicing, and tapping SOE profits has become an increasingly important lever, experts said.专家表示，当前地方政府受楼市长期低迷、土地出让收入疲软、养老金、医疗、偿债等刚性支出不断增加影响，财政压力持续加大，盘活国企利润已然成为愈发重要的调控手段。The provinces of Guangdong, Jiangxi, Jiangsu and Hainan have all signaled in their recently released 15th Five-Year Plan (2026-30) outlines that they will "reasonably raise" profit remittance ratios of local SOEs, and/or dynamically optimize collection rates.广东、江西、江苏、海南等省份在近期发布的“十五五”（2026-2030年）规划纲要中明确提出，将合理上调地方国企利润上缴比例，并动态优化征缴费率。Localities such as the provinces of Guizhou and Hunan, as well as the Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region, have already steadily increased their own ratios.贵州、湖南、广西壮族自治区等多地已稳步上调本地国企利润上缴比例。China launched its State capital operations budget in 2008, requiring wholly State-owned enterprises to hand over a portion of their after-tax profits. The rates have been raised several times since.我国于2008年设立国有资本经营预算制度，要求国有独资企业上缴部分税后利润，此后该上缴比例已历经多次上调。"Revenue growth has slowed in recent years, but mandatory spending has continued to climb. Increasing the share of SOE profits handed over to the State directly boosts funds available to bridge the gap between income and expenditure, which is the most immediate driver," said Luo Zhiheng, chief economist at Yuekai Securities.粤开证券首席经济学家罗志恒表示：“近年来财政收入增速放缓，但刚性支出持续攀升。提高国企利润上缴比例，能够直接增加可支配资金，填补财政收支缺口，这是当前最直接有效的举措。”Luo said State capital returns had been locked up within individual enterprises, making it hard to create coordinated policy. By centralizing those funds, the government can channel resources into priority areas such as major national initiatives, technological innovation, social programs and risk management.罗志恒称，以往国有资本收益留存于企业内部，难以形成统筹协同的政策效能。通过集中统筹这类资金，政府可以将资源精准投入国家重大战略、科技创新、社会民生、风险防控等重点领域。At the central level, the top rate for tobacco producers and resource-based firms — which account for the lion's share of central government revenue from State capital operations — now stands at 35 percent, up from 20 percent in 2014.在中央层面，烟草企业和资源型企业是中央国有资本经营收入的主要来源，这类企业的最高利润上缴比例已从2014年的20%上调至目前的35%。For local governments, rates vary but are also trending upward. Jilin province, for example, lifted its base rate from 20 percent to 30 percent in 2020.地方国企的利润上缴比例虽各地不一，但整体呈上调趋势。例如，吉林省已于2020年将基础上缴比例从20%提升至30%。Guangxi set a 35 percent rate for financial and resource enterprises and 30 percent for others starting in 2025.广西则自2025年起，将金融类、资源类国企上缴比例定为35%，其他类国企定为30%。"The general direction is a moderate increase, with rates differentiated by industry and region. Financial and resource firms typically pay more, while public-welfare enterprises pay less or may be temporarily exempted to encourage long-term investment," said Li Yan, a professor at Central University of Finance and Economics.中央财经大学教授李岩表示：“整体调控方向是适度上调比例，同时实行分行业、分地区差异化政策。金融、资源类企业上缴比例更高，公益类企业上缴比例较低，或可暂时减免，以此鼓励企业长期投入发展。”The impact on government coffers has been immediate. At the central level, after Beijing raised remittance rates in 2025, State capital operational revenue jumped 73.3 percent year-on-year to 390.3 billion yuan ($57.6 billion), far exceeding the budgeted figure, said the Ministry of Finance.财政部数据显示，政策对财政收入的提振效果立竿见影。2025年中央上调利润上缴比例后，中央国有资本经营收入同比大增73.3%，达到3903亿元（折合576亿美元），大幅超出预算规模。That allowed the central government to transfer 240 billion yuan into the general public budget — a record amount — to fund social welfare, education and infrastructure, the ministry said.财政部表示，这笔资金让中央政府得以向一般公共预算调入2400亿元资金，创下历史新高，专项用于保障社会福利、教育、基础设施建设等民生重点领域。At the local level, State capital operational revenue rose from about 94.7 billion yuan in 2015 to 464.4 billion yuan in 2025, a nearly fivefold increase. Transfers from the State capital budget to the general public budget also expanded, reaching 334.1 billion yuan last year.地方层面，国有资本经营收入从2015年的947亿元增长至2025年的4644亿元，涨幅接近五倍。国有资本经营预算调入一般公共预算的资金规模也持续扩大，去年达到3341亿元。"Raising remittance rates and expanding coverage could help local governments narrow their fiscal gaps and better reflect the public nature of State capital," said Deng Shulian, a professor at Shanghai University of Finance and Economics.上海财经大学教授邓淑莲表示：“上调国企利润上缴比例、扩大上缴范围，能够帮助地方政府缩小财政收支缺口，更好地彰显国有资本的公共属性。”Experts caution against a one-size-fits-all hike.专家提醒，利润上缴比例上调不可采取“一刀切”模式。"The increase should be moderate, differentiated by sector and enterprise type, and be periodically reviewed based on industry conditions, profitability and fiscal needs," Deng said.邓淑莲表示，比例上调应适度推进，根据行业、企业类型实行差异化标准，并结合行业发展形势、企业盈利状况和财政需求进行定期动态调整。remit /rɪˈmɪt/上缴（款项）；汇款；免除fiscal /ˈfɪskl/财政的；国库的protracted /prəˈtræktɪd/持久的，长期拖延的mandatory /ˈmændətɔːri/强制的，法定的，刚性的coffer /ˈkɒfə(r)/（复数）国库，金库；资金储备differentiate /ˌdɪfəˈrenʃieɪt/区分，差异化对待；辨别

Stephen Grootes speaks to Andrew Pike, Head of Bowmans Ports, Transport and Logistics, about Transnet ports hitting a 15‑year high, signalling growing momentum in the state‑owned company’s recovery and renewed confidence in South Africa’s logistics system. In other interviews, Matshela Seshibe, Acting Group CEO of South African Airways, about the state of the national carrier following the resignation of former CEO John Lamola and renewed scrutiny over the airline’s finances, governance and long-term sustainability. The Money Show is a podcast hosted by well-known journalist and radio presenter, Stephen Grootes. He explores the latest economic trends, business developments, investment opportunities, and personal finance strategies. Each episode features engaging conversations with top newsmakers, industry experts, financial advisors, entrepreneurs, and politicians, offering you thought-provoking insights to navigate the ever-changing financial landscape.    Thank you for listening to a podcast from The Money Show Listen live Primedia+ weekdays from 18:00 and 20:00 (SA Time) to The Money Show with Stephen Grootes broadcast on 702 https://buff.ly/gk3y0Kj and CapeTalk https://buff.ly/NnFM3Nk For more from the show, go to https://buff.ly/7QpH0jY or find all the catch-up podcasts here https://buff.ly/PlhvUVe Subscribe to The Money Show Daily Newsletter and the Weekly Business Wrap here https://buff.ly/v5mfetc The Money Show is brought to you by Absa     Follow us on social media   702 on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TalkRadio702 702 on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@talkradio702 702 on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/talkradio702/ 702 on X: https://x.com/CapeTalk 702 on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@radio702   CapeTalk on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CapeTalk CapeTalk on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@capetalk CapeTalk on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ CapeTalk on X: https://x.com/Radio702 CapeTalk on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@CapeTalk567See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Stephen Grootes speaks to Matshela Seshibe, Acting Group CEO of South African Airways, about the state of the national carrier following the resignation of former CEO John Lamola and renewed scrutiny over the airline’s finances, governance and long-term sustainability. The Money Show is a podcast hosted by well-known journalist and radio presenter, Stephen Grootes. He explores the latest economic trends, business developments, investment opportunities, and personal finance strategies. Each episode features engaging conversations with top newsmakers, industry experts, financial advisors, entrepreneurs, and politicians, offering you thought-provoking insights to navigate the ever-changing financial landscape.    Thank you for listening to a podcast from The Money Show Listen live Primedia+ weekdays from 18:00 and 20:00 (SA Time) to The Money Show with Stephen Grootes broadcast on 702 https://buff.ly/gk3y0Kj and CapeTalk https://buff.ly/NnFM3Nk For more from the show, go to https://buff.ly/7QpH0jY or find all the catch-up podcasts here https://buff.ly/PlhvUVe Subscribe to The Money Show Daily Newsletter and the Weekly Business Wrap here https://buff.ly/v5mfetc The Money Show is brought to you by Absa     Follow us on social media   702 on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TalkRadio702 702 on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@talkradio702 702 on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/talkradio702/ 702 on X: https://x.com/CapeTalk 702 on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@radio702   CapeTalk on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CapeTalk CapeTalk on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@capetalk CapeTalk on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ CapeTalk on X: https://x.com/Radio702 CapeTalk on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@CapeTalk567See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Kia ora. Welcome to Tuesday's Economy Watch where we follow the economic events and trends that affect Aotearoa/New Zealand. I'm David Chaston and this is the international edition from Interest.co.nz. Today we lead with news oil prices are rising as 'peace talks' stall. And the German Chancellor has said the US is being 'humiliated' by Iran. In the US, the Dallas Fed factory survey shows activity continued to rise in April but that their new orders index plummeted sharply into contraction territory. Their shipments index fell into negative territory for the first time this year, while perceptions of broader business conditions continued to worsen notably in April. There were two large US Treasury bond auctions earlier today and while the yields achieved were little different to those at the prior equivalent events a month ago, there was a notable riser in demand. The 2 year bond brought +8.7% more bid value, and the five year +1.8% more. Together that was +US$18 bln more. Canada has launched a new sovereign wealth fund, seeding it with an initial C$25 bln funding. We should note that Moody's has upgraded China's A1 credit rating outlook to 'Stable' from 'Negative' from its last change in December 2023. Despite the Middle East headwinds, China's industrial profits were +15.5% in Q1-2026 than in the same period in 2025. This maintained the good expansion in January and February. SOE profits rose +10%, local private forms were up +25%, but foreign firms in China hardly managed any increase. A large part of the result has been the huge profits their metals industry is winning, especially for rare earth minerals. Taiwanese consumer sentiment edged up in April, but only marginally from its very low level. It is still basically at its lowest since January 2023. In Malaysia, a sharp rise in oil prices in March turned their overall producer price deflation into inflation. It is sure to get sharper in subsequent months. Meanwhile in Singapore industrial production rose sharply in March, up +10% from the same month a year ago after the very lackluster February result. In Germany, the GfK Consumer Climate Indicator dropped in May more than expected and to its weakest level since February 2023. Mounting pressure on households from rising energy prices has pushed inflation higher and sentiment lower. The UST 10yr yield is now just on 4.33%, up +2 bps from this time yesterday.  The price of gold will start today down -US$28 at US$4681/oz. (If you buy gold, it might just be supporting a criminal supply chain.) Silver is little-changed at just under US$75.50/oz. American oil prices are up +US$2.50 at just under US$97/bbl, while the international Brent price is up +US$3.50, and now at US$109/bbl. A week ago these prices were US$84.50/bbl and US$91/bbl respectively, so a big net rise. And we should note that the Russian benchmark (Urals) oil price has eased by -US$1.50 to US$106/bbl The Kiwi dollar is up +30 bps from yesterday at this time at 59.1 USc. Against the Aussie we are up +10 bps at 82.3 AUc. Against the euro we are up +20 bps at just on 50.4 euro cents. That all means our TWI-5 starts today at just on 62.5 which is up +30 bps from yesterday. The bitcoin price starts today at US$76,753 and down -1.8% from this time yesterday. Volatility over the past 24 hours has been modest at just under +/- 1.9%. You can get more news affecting the economy in New Zealand from interest.co.nz. Kia ora. I'm David Chaston and we'll do this again tomorrow.

Eine kalte Nacht irgendwo über dem Ärmelkanal. Unter dem Flugzeug nur Dunkelheit, vereinzelte Lichter in besetztem Frankreich. Dann ein Sprung ins Nichts. Eine junge Frau, Anfang zwanzig, gleitet lautlos Richtung Boden. In ihrem Gepäck: ein Funkgerät, gefälschte Dokumente – und eine neue Identität. Hinter ihr England. Vor ihr ein Leben im Verborgenen, in dem jeder Fehler tödlich sein kann. In dieser Folge von BRITPOD – England at its best spricht Claus Beling mit Dr. Elisabeth Sandmann - Bestsellerautorin (Buch: Wir dachten, das Leben kommt noch), erfolgreiche Verlegerin und durch ihr Studium der Vergleichenden Literaturwissenschaft in Oxford ausgewiesene Englandkennerin. Gemeinsam öffnen sie ein Kapitel britischer Geschichte, das lange im Verborgenen lag: die geheimen Agentinnen Winston Churchills. Im Zentrum steht das Special Operations Executive, kurz SOE - eine eigens geschaffene Organisation für Sabotage, Spionage und Widerstand im besetzten Europa. Anders als die klassischen Geheimdienste setzte man hier bewusst auch auf Frauen. Nicht als Ausnahme, sondern als strategischen Vorteil. Sie wurden unterschätzt, konnten sich unauffälliger bewegen, transportierten Nachrichten, koordinierten Netzwerke und hielten die Verbindung nach London aufrecht. Oft mit einem 15 Kilo schweren Funkgerät im Gepäck, ständig auf der Flucht vor Entdeckung. Die Ausbildung war kurz, intensiv und kompromisslos. Fallschirmsprünge bei Nacht, Waffenhandling, Morsecode unter extremem Druck. Viele dieser Frauen überlebten nur wenige Wochen im Einsatz. Und doch waren sie entscheidend für den Widerstand – nicht nur in Frankreich, sondern auch in anderen Teilen Europas. Ihre Geschichten erzählen von Mut, Improvisation und einem Selbstverständnis, das seiner Zeit weit voraus war. Gleichzeitig führt die Spur direkt in die Welt der Literatur. Ian Fleming, selbst Teil des britischen Geheimdienstes, ließ sich von diesen Einsätzen und technischen Entwicklungen inspirieren. Vieles, was später James Bond ausmacht, hat hier seinen Ursprung – auch wenn die realen Vorbilder lange unsichtbar blieben. Warum wurden diese Frauen nach dem Krieg kaum gewürdigt? Wie lebte es sich mit falscher Identität im Alltag des besetzten Frankreichs? Und was erzählt ihre Geschichte über Mut, Risiko und das britische Selbstverständnis in Zeiten existenzieller Bedrohung? WhatsApp: Du kannst Alexander und Claus direkt auf ihre Handys Nachrichten schicken! Welche Ecke Englands sollten die beiden mal besuchen? Zu welchen Themen wünschst Du Dir mehr Folgen? Warst Du schon mal in Great Britain und magst ein paar Fotos mit Claus und Alexander teilen? Probiere es gleich aus: +49 8152 989770 - einfach diese Nummer einspeichern und schon kannst Du BRITPOD per WhatsApp erreichen. BRITPOD – England at its best. Ein ALL EARS ON YOU Original Podcast. Buch: Wir dachten, das Leben kommt noch. Erschienen im Piper Verlag. ISBN 978-3-492-07367-7 Youtube-Quelle: Free Documentary - History

Relocated residents praise life in city as schools, public services continue to grow搬迁居民点赞新生活公共服务配套持续完善For Zhu Fuqiang, an employee of China Huaneng Group and an avid runner, the appeal of life in the Xiong'an New Area is measured in kilometers of well-maintained tracks and easy access to green space.对于中国华能集团员工、酷爱跑步的朱富强而言，雄安新区的吸引力在于这里四通八达的健身步道和触手可及的绿色空间。"The sports facilities here are excellent, and there are so many green spaces," said Zhu, who often runs in the Central Green Valley Park near his office.他常在办公室附近的中央绿谷公园跑步："这里的体育设施很棒，绿化空间非常多。"The simple pleasure is part of a larger life change. Zhu moved to Xiong'an from Beijing last autumn, when the central State-owned enterprise relocated its headquarters and more than 1,000 employees to the new area.这种简单的惬意是其生活变迁的缩影。去年秋天，当这家中央企业将总部及千余名员工迁至雄安时，朱富强随同从北京来到新区。On Monday, Zhu became one of the company employees who got the chance to speak with President Xi Jinping during his inspection tour to Xiong'an.3月23日，朱富强作为企业员工代表，在习近平总书记考察雄安期间与总书记面对面交流。"I was thrilled and deeply inspired to listen to the president's remarks up close, and Xi's encouragement to take pride in being part of Xiong'an resonates deeply with me," said Zhu, whose wife and younger son have also settled in Xiong'an. He said he was satisfied with life here and ready to better integrate into Xiong'an's development."能够近距离聆听总书记讲话，我倍感振奋、深受鼓舞。总书记勉励大家以参与雄安建设为荣，这话说到了我心坎里，"如今，他的妻子和小儿子也已在雄安定居，朱富强表示，他对这里的生活很满意，已准备好更深度融入雄安发展。As a "millennium plan" and a project with national significance, the Xiong'an New Area, about 100 kilometers southwest of Beijing, has been designed to relieve Beijing of functions that are nonessential to its role as the nation's capital, and to boost the coordinated development of the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region.作为"千年大计"、国家大事，位于北京西南约100公里处的雄安新区，被赋予疏解北京非首都功能、推动京津冀协同发展的使命。Since China announced plans to establish the Xiong'an New Area in April 2017, it has evolved from a blueprint into a vibrant city. Xi's trip on Monday marked his fourth inspection tour of Xiong'an in nine years.自2017年4月国家宣布设立雄安新区以来，这座新城已从蓝图蜕变为活力之城。此次是习近平总书记九年来第四次考察雄安。Shen Yan, head of Beijing Jiaotong University's Xiong'an campus construction office, was also present during Xi's address to representatives from relocated organizations at Huaneng.北京交通大学雄安校区建设办公室主任沈岩，当天也在华能集团现场聆听了总书记对疏解单位代表的讲话。President Xi's speech reinforced the university's view of the relocation as a historic opportunity, he said.他表示，总书记的讲话让校方更加坚定了搬迁是历史性机遇的信念。To mark a new chapter, the university will celebrate the 130th anniversary of its founding at the Xiong'an campus in September, inviting alumni to see the site's progress firsthand, Shen added.沈岩透露，为开启新篇章，学校将于九月在雄安校区举办建校130周年庆典，邀请校友实地感受建设进展。The university's relocation follows a clear timeline: About 1,000 students will begin studies at the new campus by March next year, with an additional 5,000 joining by September 2027. The large-scale move will conclude by September 2028, eventually accommodating nearly 20,000 faculty members and students.该校搬迁时间表清晰：明年3月首批约千名学生入驻，2027年9月再增5000人，2028年9月完成大规模搬迁，最终校区师生规模将达近2万人。"Building our new campus is building Xiong'an," Shen said. "It is a commitment to the future.""建设新校区就是建设雄安，这是我们对未来的承诺。"沈岩表示。To date, eight central SOE headquarters have either fully relocated or are accelerating the construction of their offices in Xiong'an, and more than 4,000 Beijing-based companies have established a presence in the new area.目前，已有8家央企总部全面或加速推进在雄安建设，超4000家北京来源企业在新区扎根。In addition, four Beijing universities have broken ground for their Xiong'an campuses, and two hospitals are building new branches here.此外，4所北京高校雄安校区已破土动工，2所医院正建设新院区。This influx is physically transforming the skyline, with more than 5,300 buildings now standing where fields once lay.随着疏解加速，昔日的田野间已矗立起5300余栋建筑，城市天际线日新月异。While chairing a symposium on Monday afternoon on further advancing the high-quality construction and development of the new area, Xi acknowledged that important progress has been achieved, and he emphasized the need to firmly uphold Xiong'an's positioning as the major recipient of Beijing's noncapital functions.当天下午，习近平总书记主持召开深入推进雄安新区高质量建设和发展座谈会，肯定新区建设已取得重要阶段性成果，并要求牢牢把握雄安新区作为北京非首都功能疏解集中承载地的定位。To step up efforts to improve public services and safeguard and enhance the well-being of local residents, Xiong'an has put into operation 105 schools and kindergartens, 80 elderly care service facilities and 43 community activity centers.为提升公共服务水平、持续增进民生福祉，雄安新区已开办学校及幼儿园105所、养老服务机构80家、社区活动中心43处。The Xiong'an campus of Beijing No 4 High School opened in August 2023, and its student enrollment has grown from an initial 49 to nearly 400. Huang Chun, principal of the campus, accompanied Xi during his visit to the campus on Monday.北京四中雄安校区于2023年8月投用，在校生从最初的49人增至近400人。校长黄春23日陪同总书记考察校园。Huang said the president showed great care for the students, asking in detail about their lives and studies. The principal added that he was impressed by Xi's emphasis on bringing Beijing's effective educational concepts and methods to Xiong'an to ensure students' well-rounded development.他表示，总书记十分关心学生成长，细致询问学习生活情况。"总书记强调要将北京先进教育理念和教学方法带到雄安，促进学生全面发展，这让我印象深刻。"With the relocation of Beijing's noncapital functions projected to accelerate during the 15th Five-Year Plan (2026-30) period, Huang noted that more families are expected to arrive. To meet the growing demand, his school has established an education group in Xiong'an that has launched two primary schools, with plans to open more in the future, according to Huang.随着"十五五"时期（2026-2030年）北京非首都功能疏解将加速推进，黄春预计未来将有更多家庭落户雄安。为满足需求，该校已在雄安成立教育集团，开办两所小学，未来计划增设更多分校。"We are committed to ensuring that every child of those building Xiong'an can receive a high-quality education at our schools here,"Huang said."我们承诺要让每一位雄安建设者的子女都能在这里享受优质教育。"黄春说。Xiong'an New Area /ʃiɒŋˈæn njuː ˈeəriə/雄安新区millennium plan /mɪˈleniəm plæn/千年大计influx /ˈɪnflʌks/涌入；流入symposium /sɪmˈpəʊziəm/座谈会；专题研讨会

Stephen Grootes speaks to Business Rescue Practitioner, Anoosh Rooplal, about the confusion surrounding the South African Post Office’s business rescue process, the BRPs’ clarification to Parliament, and what the shared documents really mean for the future of SAPO. The Money Show is a podcast hosted by well-known journalist and radio presenter, Stephen Grootes. He explores the latest economic trends, business developments, investment opportunities, and personal finance strategies. Each episode features engaging conversations with top newsmakers, industry experts, financial advisors, entrepreneurs, and politicians, offering you thought-provoking insights to navigate the ever-changing financial landscape.    Thank you for listening to a podcast from The Money Show Listen live Primedia+ weekdays from 18:00 to 20:00 (SA Time) to The Money Show with Stephen Grootes broadcast on 702 https://buff.ly/gk3y0Kj and CapeTalk https://buff.ly/NnFM3Nk For more from the show, go to https://buff.ly/7QpH0jY or find all the catch-up podcasts here https://buff.ly/PlhvUVe Subscribe to The Money Show Daily Newsletter and the Weekly Business Wrap here https://buff.ly/v5mfetc The Money Show is brought to you by Absa     Follow us on social media   702 on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TalkRadio702 702 on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@talkradio702 702 on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/talkradio702/ 702 on X: https://x.com/CapeTalk 702 on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@radio702   CapeTalk on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CapeTalk CapeTalk on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@capetalk CapeTalk on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ CapeTalk on X: https://x.com/Radio702 CapeTalk on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@CapeTalk567 See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jungle warfare that reshaped the war – and history forgot itStep into the dense, unforgiving jungles of Burma in WWII as Dr Richard Duckett and Duncan Gilmour uncover the astonishing, largely untold story of Lt. Col. Edgar Peacock – the man they argue was Britain's greatest SOE commander. In this gripping episode of History Rage, we expose the scale, the bravery, and the strategic brilliance of Operation Character, the SOE mission whose impact rivals anything achieved in Europe… yet is almost never discussed.Episode SummaryHear how Peacock's unique upbringing in the jungles of India and Burma forged a commander with unmatched environmental mastery; how SOE recruited thousands from 19 different ethnic groups; how Operation Character halted entire Japanese divisions; and why internal politics and secrecy kept these achievements out of mainstream military history for decades.This is military history at its rawest and most revealing.What You'll Learn in This EpisodeThe true scale of SOE activity in Burma—far larger than in EuropeWhy Lt. Col. Edgar Peacock may be the most effective SOE commander of the warThe astonishing numbers: 12,000 Japanese casualties for just 22 Allied (Caucasian) lossesThe pivotal role of Operation Character in enabling 14th Army's race to RangoonThe overlooked role of SOE's 723 women working behind the linesHow ethnic groups long thought incapable of cooperation fought side-by-sideWhy Peacock and his officers were deliberately denied recognitionThe brutal post-VJ Day fighting few histories ever mentionHow secrecy and missing archives buried Burma's SOE achievements for 80 yearsAbout the GuestsDr. Richard Duckett - Historian, researcher, and leading authority on SOE operations in the Far East.Website & SOE Burma Database: https://www.soeinburma.comFollow Richard on X/Twitter: @RichardDuckettDuncan Gilmour - Author, researcher, and grandson of Lt. Col. Edgar Peacock.Follow Duncan on X/Twitter: @DuncanGilm4133Discover the full story of Edgar Peacock and SOE's epic Burma operations in“Jungle Warrior: Britain's Greatest SOE Commander”https://uk.bookshop.org/a/10120/9781916556843This is the definitive account of the unseen heroes who helped turn the tide in the Far East.Further ListeningEpisode 126 – Richard Duckett on why SOE is not just FranceEpisode 150 – Claire Mulley on the Polish Home ArmySupport History RageIf you enjoy the show, spread the word—tell a friend, share the episode, or post online. Independent history podcasts grow because of you.Support History Rage directly:Apple Podcasts: £3/month for ad-free listeningPatreon: £5/month for ad-free episodes, monthly livestreams, and the coveted History Rage mug → https://patreon.com/historyrageFollow & Contact History Rage:Twitter/X: @HistoryRageInstagram: @HistoryRageEmail: historyragepod@gmail.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Send a textBelinda Swan brings front-line insight from NCMEC's CyberTipline, where reports of sadistic online exploitation (SOE) jumped more than 200%. Unlike traditional sextortion, the goal here isn't profit or sexual contact—it's terror. It's a threat that twists fear into action: hurt yourself, hurt someone else, or we'll ruin you. We discuss how parents can spot it, stop it, and protect their kids.Belinda Swan is the Partnerships Program Manager for the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. Belinda manages NCMEC's programmatic relationships with government and nonprofit organizations across the country. She also implements NCMEC's Community Education Partner Program and delivers NCMEC's child safety programming. Belinda is passionate about bringing communities and organizations together to recognize, address, and prevent safety issues affecting children, especially online exploitation.  Resources: My child was a victim of sextortion. What should I do? - https://nexttalk.org/podcast_episode/my-child-was-a-victim-of-sextortion-what-should-i-do/ Sextortion: The Hidden Epidemic Killing Teens - https://nexttalk.org/podcast_episode/16-year-olds-suicide-from-sextortion-how-do-we-protect-our-kids/ Teach Red Flag Reporting - https://nexttalk.org/podcast_episode/teach-red-flag-reporting/ Talking to Kids about Grooming - https://nexttalk.org/podcast_episode/talking-to-your-kid-about-grooming/ AI, Deepfakes, and Nudes - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hvGll8RVkxc FREE Guide: Red Flag Alert - https://nexttalk.org/red-flag-alert/ K2P Tips2Protect Against Sadistic Online Exploitation for Law Enforcement Support the showKEEPING KIDS SAFE ONLINEConnect with us...www.nextTalk.orgFacebookInstagramContact Us...admin@nextTalk.orgP.O. BOX 160111 San Antonio, TX 78280

Schalk Louw from PSG Old Oak weighs in on Spar after the stock shed a quarter of its value in the week following the CEO's sudden departure. He also unpacks solid results from Spur and reflects on a market that, as we close out month two of the year, remains firmly driven by resources. Sylvester Kobo of STANLIB Asset Management assesses the state of SOE bond issuance and where the real opportunities lie in fixed income. And Simon considers the positive wealth implications of the latest budget – a notable shift after decades of little meaningful change.

Today we are talking about Spaniards - Spanish Republicans - the defeated side of the Civil War… men who get driven into exile and scattered across Europe. Some end up in British uniform before the fall of France. Some join the Pioneer Corps and then quietly drift into far sharper corners of the war: commandos, SOE networks, North Africa, Italy, Normandy… even the long road to Berlin. Yet again and again they prove themselves as soldiers. Our guest today is Sean Scullion — a serving British soldier and a lifelong Spain specialist. This is the story of the men who kept going - after Spain, after France, and after the world decided to forget them. Sean's book is called Churchill's Spaniards and is available from Helion and company. Here is a link to buy - https://amzn.to/3MG2pkR  If you want to support British military history and keep this channel going then please join my Patreon - https://patreon.com/RedcoatHistory 

Stephen Grootes speaks to Dr Kameshnee Naidoo, Visiting Adjunct Professor at Wits University’s Southern Centre for Inequality, about how reimagining the South African Post Office as a developmental institution, rather than a failing legacy entity, could unlock digital inclusion, strengthen state capability and bring millions of marginalised citizens into meaningful economic participation. The Money Show is a podcast hosted by well-known journalist and radio presenter, Stephen Grootes. He explores the latest economic trends, business developments, investment opportunities, and personal finance strategies. Each episode features engaging conversations with top newsmakers, industry experts, financial advisors, entrepreneurs, and politicians, offering you thought-provoking insights to navigate the ever-changing financial landscape.    Thank you for listening to a podcast from The Money Show Listen live Primedia+ weekdays from 18:00 and 20:00 (SA Time) to The Money Show with Stephen Grootes broadcast on 702 https://buff.ly/gk3y0Kj and CapeTalk https://buff.ly/NnFM3Nk For more from the show, go to https://buff.ly/7QpH0jY or find all the catch-up podcasts here https://buff.ly/PlhvUVe Subscribe to The Money Show Daily Newsletter and the Weekly Business Wrap here https://buff.ly/v5mfetc The Money Show is brought to you by Absa     Follow us on social media   702 on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TalkRadio702 702 on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@talkradio702 702 on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/talkradio702/ 702 on X: https://x.com/CapeTalk 702 on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@radio702   CapeTalk on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CapeTalk CapeTalk on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@capetalk CapeTalk on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ CapeTalk on X: https://x.com/Radio702 CapeTalk on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@CapeTalk567 See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Howard Linskey chats to Paul about is new novel Muse Of Fire, love of Shakespeare, Heydrich, the SOE, the Globe, London - population 200,000! Picking up a theatre and moving it across the river. Muse of Fire: William Shakespeare is moving up in the world, his name respected both at court and the theatre. Accepted by Queen Elizabeth, he is trusted to write plays for her, so long as she likes them...When one of the queen's ladies-in-waiting is found dead, almost everyone suspects murder. But who stood to gain? And are the rumours that she was with child true?Sir Robert Cecil, Elizabeth's spymaster, senses an opportunity to finally rid himself of his bitter rival, the Earl of Essex, who was seen with the girl before she died, and tasks Will to uncover the truth.But Shakespeare knows that the Earl of Southampton, his patron, is allied to the Earl of Essex. Will is caught between powerful foes. But this time, he must choose a side if he is to survive.The Bard turns sleuth once more in this fascinating second instalment in the investigations of William Shakespeare.Howard Linskey is a former journalist whose works include crime series and standalones set in the north-east, including the DC Ian Bradshaw series published by Penguin, and two espionage novels. He also writes historical fiction and non-fiction. His books have been published in nine countries. Originally from County Durham, he lives in Herts with his wife and daughter.Recommended: Stan Barstow. Trevor Wood,, Mari Hannah, Robert Scragg, The Chrysalids John Wymdham.Paul Burke is the editor of Crime Time FM and Aspects of Crime, his first book Eyes Only: Spy Films from Silent to Streaming will be published in September, 2026.Produced by Junkyard DogCrime TimeCrime Time FM is the official podcast ofGwyl Crime Cymru Festival 2023 & 2025CrimeFest 2023CWA Daggers 2023 & 2024 & National Crime Reading Month& Newcastle Noir 2023 and 20242024 Slaughterfest,

As the world slows down in the quiet space between years, Chanie invites school leaders into a powerful reflection:What did this year build in you?Not what you accomplished…Not what you finished…Not what you checked off the list…But what was formed within you as a leader navigating exhaustion, momentum, setbacks, breakthroughs, culture challenges, enrollment pressures, financial strain, team transition, and the very real humanity of leadership.In this deeply personal episode, Chanie shares her own journey through 2025 — a year that stretched her capacity, reshaped her identity as a leader, and forced her to develop new rhythms of discernment, emotional regulation, faith, marriage, health, and operational leadership.And while the details are her own, the themes are universal for school leaders:The invisible weight you carryThe pressure to remember everythingThe instinct to manage every outcomeThe exhaustion of holding everyone's emotionsThe desire for relief without guiltThe dance of relationshipsThe need for rhythms, not more systemsThis episode is a mirror, reflecting back the capacity you've built this year, often without even noticing.What You'll Learn in This EpisodeThe Leadership Lessons Inside a Full Year of StretchWhy capacity is built in friction, stretch, and tension — not in easeHow slowing down becomes a leadership strategy, not a setbackThe hidden emotional labor behind writing This Can't Be NormalWhat the Five Gears framework revealed about school operations and leadershipWhy memory can't be your leadership system — and how rhythms carry what your brain shouldn'tHow marriage, teams, and leadership all share the same “choreography” of conflictWhat it means to return — and why trust is built in the returnHow faith, steadiness, and presence become leadership anchorsThe power of “living the question” instead of rushing toward clarityWhy you're not behind — you're in a season that's building youKey Insights for School Leaders1. Capacity is being built right now — even if it feels messy.Your stretch is the training ground for deeper leadership.2. Rhythms protect your energy more than systems ever will.This is the heart of SOE: predictable rhythms outperform reactive solutions.3. Slowing down keeps you steady — it never means you're behind.Hustle creates fragility. Rhythm builds...

Dr. John W. Barile, Sr., Dean of SOE at Central Connecticut State University, discusses his book, “Leading From the Core”, how he established the School of Education, and his superintendency along with the importance of the SBO relationship.

How does China's economic model work? Political economist Ben Norton explains the ideas behind Socialism with Chinese Characteristics, discussing China's socialist market economy, historical development, reform process, poverty reduction, industrial policy, and more. VIDEO with charts here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6E89qUXTX-k Topics 0:00 Introduction 1:07 China has world's largest economy 3:01 China's economic development 3:54 Poverty reduction 6:56 Rising incomes 7:42 Life expectancy 8:57 Mortality rates 9:34 Reform and Opening Up 10:16 To get rich is glorious? 11:35 Deng Xiaoping's ideology 13:54 Primary stage of socialism 14:28 Chinese capitalists 15:54 Industrialization & urbanization 16:55 Birdcage economy (Chen Yun) 18:17 State ownership 19:40 State-owned enterprises (SOEs) 20:49 Grasp the large, let go of the small 22:22 Public property 23:16 SOE assets 24:14 Provincial & local governments 25:51 Golden shares in tech companies 26:54 Huawei, biggest worker-owned company 27:17 Rural cooperatives 29:09 Democracy in China? 31:40 Foreign investment in China 33:49 Global value chain 34:34 Foreign direct investment (FDI) 35:48 Industrial policy evolution 38:22 New quality productive forces 39:23 China's green energy revolution 40:24 World's manufacturing superpower 41:04 US deindustrialization & financialization 43:22 US bubble economy 44:37 China popped real estate bubble 46:50 Inequality & uneven development 48:31 Eras of the PRC 49:01 Common prosperity in New Era 49:34 Gini coefficient 50:26 Labor income vs capital income 51:48 Poverty alleviation 52:17 Wages of Chinese workers 52:44 Labor unions in China 55:19 USA funds anti-China labor groups 57:02 Marco Rubio takes over NED 57:32 Delivery workers 58:30 996 system is banned 59:23 Working hours in China 1:00:25 Imperialism & division of labor 1:03:51 AI & new cold war 1:04:45 Silicon Valley model: monopoly 1:05:43 Market competition in China 1:07:44 China opposes private monopolies 1:08:10 State planning 1:09:05 Cold War Two

Fund manager Kokkie Kooymans warns of looming global market risks as Mr Price places a bold R9.6bn offshore bet, Eskom's last-minute deal with Glencore saves 15,000 smelter jobs, Grindrod surges as a Transnet alternative, HCI buys back R650m of its shares, Uzbekistan's SOE playbook raises eyebrows, and thousands of SA expats regain citizenship through the new online portal.

In an era of shifting global economic alliances, few countries find themselves more strategically positioned than Colombia. Caught between the massive state-backed investment initiatives of China and the established political and economic influence of the United States, Bogotá's policy decisions have never held higher stakes for investors, the region, or especially, the country's own citizens.At the 2025 Colombia Gold Summit, Finance Colombia Executive Editor Loren Moss spoke with Daniel Giraldo, a Managing Director at FTI Consulting (NYSE: FCN), a global business advisory firm specializing in cross-border investment and corporate finance. Giraldo offered his perspective on the geopolitical chessboard, examining what Colombia's recent decision to join the Belt and Road Initiative means for its future relationship with its largest long-standing ally, the United States.Read the article at: https://www.financecolombia.com/daniel-giraldo-of-fti-consulting-unpacks-the-significance-of-colombia-joining-chinas-belt-road-initiative/ Read more at Finance Colombia: https://www.financecolombia.com/ Subscribe to Finance Colombia for free: https://www.fcsubscribe.com/ More about Loren Moss: https://lorenmoss.com/writeContact us: https://unidodigital.media/contact-unido-digital-llc/Read more at Finance Colombia: https://www.financecolombia.com/ Subscribe to Finance Colombia for free: https://www.fcsubscribe.com/ Read more at Cognitive Business News: https://cognitivebusiness.news/ The place for bilingual talent! https://empleobilingue.com/ More about Loren Moss: https://lorenmoss.com/write Contact us: https://unidodigital.media/contact-unido-digital-llc/

Stephen Grootes speaks with Eskom’s Chief Financial Officer, Calib Cassim, about the utility’s FY 2026 interim results. Continued execution of their turnaround plan drove the group’s profitability and sustainability, resulting in profit after tax increase of R24.3 billion for the first 6 months. This is to be reinvested in critical infrastructure. In other interviews, Stephen Grootes is joined by Aviation Expert, Linden Burns, to speak about King Phalo Airport in East London being down to one day’s jet fuel supply amid SARS licensing crisis. The Money Show is a podcast hosted by well-known journalist and radio presenter, Stephen Grootes. He explores the latest economic trends, business developments, investment opportunities, and personal finance strategies. Each episode features engaging conversations with top newsmakers, industry experts, financial advisors, entrepreneurs, and politicians, offering you thought-provoking insights to navigate the ever-changing financial landscape.    Thank you for listening to a podcast from The Money Show Listen live Primedia+ weekdays from 18:00 and 20:00 (SA Time) to The Money Show with Stephen Grootes broadcast on 702 https://buff.ly/gk3y0Kj and CapeTalk https://buff.ly/NnFM3Nk For more from the show, go to https://buff.ly/7QpH0jY or find all the catch-up podcasts here https://buff.ly/PlhvUVe Subscribe to The Money Show Daily Newsletter and the Weekly Business Wrap here https://buff.ly/v5mfetc The Money Show is brought to you by Absa     Follow us on social media   702 on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TalkRadio702 702 on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@talkradio702 702 on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/talkradio702/ 702 on X: https://x.com/CapeTalk 702 on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@radio702   CapeTalk on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CapeTalk CapeTalk on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@capetalk CapeTalk on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ CapeTalk on X: https://x.com/Radio702 CapeTalk on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@CapeTalk567 See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Speaker: Professor Ernest Lim (National University of Singapore)This presentation explores the external dimension of directors' duties—whether directors can and should address climate impacts and other externalities even absent financial benefits to the company's shareholders—in contrast to the shareholder value maximisation focus. Its significance stems from universal investors, the EU due diligence regime, and high emitting SOEs. I examine three arguments: UK nature clauses are constrained by shareholder primacy; US shareholder preference claims are undermined by financially driven activism; and SOE directors' duties can align with state ownership (as shown in China).3CL runs the 3CL Travers Smith Lunchtime Seminar Series, featuring leading academics from the Faculty, and high-profile practitioners.For more information see the Centre for Corporate and Commercial Law website:http://www.3cl.law.cam.ac.uk/

Churchill's Spaniards: The Spanish Republicans Who Fought for Britain in WWII — with Sean F. Scullion In this episode, I speak with historian Sean F. Scullion, author of Churchill's Spaniards, about a remarkable and little-known story: the Spanish Republicans who escaped the fall of the Second Republic, endured internment under Vichy France, and later volunteered to fight in the British Army against fascism from 1940 to 1945. Drawing on multi-lingual archival work and over 110 family interviews, Scullion reconstructs the routes these veterans took—from the French Foreign Legion and North African labour camps to the Pioneer Corps, Commandos, SOE, and even the SAS—and explores why many kept fighting despite exile, wounds, and the bitter knowledge that Franco would survive the war.Scullion also discusses his research method (triangulating sources across British, French, and Spanish archives), the challenge of language barriers inside British units, the post-war lives of these men in Britain (including the Spanish Ex-Servicemen's Association and links with trade unions), and the complicated geopolitics surrounding Churchill's efforts to keep Spain out of the war.What we coverWho were “Churchill's Spaniards”? From Republican veterans to exiles who re-entered the fight under British command.Two waves of enlistment: 1940 (after service with French forces) and 1942–44 (after release from Vichy internment in North Africa).Across the theatres: Norway, North Africa, Italy, Greece, the Mediterranean, Western Europe— as far as Burma.Units and roles: From enlistment via the Pioneer Corps to transfers into infantry, Commandos, SOE, and the SAS (with c. 15 Spaniards serving in the SAS).Motivation and ideology: Anti-fascist commitment, complex politics (including anarchist backgrounds), and hopes—ultimately disappointed—that the Allies would remove Franco.After 1945: Settlement in Britain, union activism, campaigning against Franco's regime, and the memory-work of families today.About today's guestSean F. Scullion is a historian and serving British Army officer. A bilingual Spanish–English (and fluent French) researcher, he has spent nine years tracing this diaspora of Republican veterans and their wartime service under British command, combining multilingual archival research with a large and growing network of families across Britain, Spain, and France.Recommended readingSean F. Scullion, Churchill's Spaniards (paperback edition available now; check independent booksellers or buy direct from the publisher).Background on the Spanish Republicans in exile, Vichy internment in North Africa, and the Pioneer Corps in WWII.CreditsHost: Nick Shepley • Explaining History Podcast Guest: Sean F. Scullion Production: Explaining HistoryIf you enjoy the show, please rate and review on your podcast app and share with a friend or colleague teaching/learning modern European history.Explaining History helps you understand the 20th Century through critical conversations and expert interviews. We connect the past to the present. If you enjoy the show, please subscribe and share.▸ Support the Show & Get Exclusive ContentBecome a Patron: patreon.com/explaininghistory▸ Join the Community & Continue the ConversationFacebook Group: facebook.com/groups/ExplainingHistoryPodcastSubstack: theexplaininghistorypodcast.substack.com▸ Read Articles & Go DeeperWebsite: explaininghistory.org Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

(November 06, 2025) Host of ‘How to Money’ Joel Larsgaard joins the show to discuss workers planning ahead for a potential layoff, people refinancing into 84-month car loans, and ads infiltrating your fridge and car. Bed shortage could lead to release of mentally ill inmates; Orange County DA Todd Spitzer joins the show. A boy and his thousands of bees took on this California city… and won. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

John is joined by Leslie Zhang Weihua, Vice President and General Counsel of United Energy Group, China, one of the largest independent oil and gas companies in the world.  They discuss Leslie's extensive experience in international legal affairs, including his experience as general counsel for both large state-owned enterprises (SOEs) and private companies in China.   They discuss the differences between providing legal services for SOEs and private companies, including the additional procedures SOEs must follow in making business decisions, the strategic issues in addition to return on investment that SOEs must consider and how rate sensitive SOE's procurement procedures are and how that applies to hiring counsel.  They also discuss the expectations that Chinese clients have with respect to counsel finding creative solutions to regulatory issues, the rates paid for unsuccessful legal projects, and responsiveness in providing legal analysis. They also compare Chinese and Western law firms with respect to training, expertise, and specialization while noting the ongoing expansion of Chinese firms into international work and the Chinese government's policy of encouraging the continued development of international arbitration centers in Hong Kong and Singapore.  Finally, they discuss the role lawyers can play in improving relations between the United States and China including the importance of recognizing the risks and costs of decoupling.Podcast Link: Law-disrupted.fmHost: John B. Quinn Producer: Alexis HydeMusic and Editing by: Alexander Rossi

Vision Jet owner Ken joins Max Trescott to recount an unforgettable five-day training adventure that bridged the gap between piston flying and turbine jet proficiency. As a longtime Cirrus SR22 pilot from the Boston area, Ken had spent nearly a decade flying for both business and family trips, rarely exceeding 300 nautical miles from home. When he decided to upgrade to a 2019 G2 Vision Jet, he wanted more than a checkout—he wanted a head start on mastering the airplane before tackling the Cirrus type rating course in Knoxville.   In this episode, Ken explains how his "pre-SOE" plan came together. After reaching out to Max, the two pilots scheduled nearly a week of flying to experience diverse weather, airports, and procedures. The goal: to learn the G3000 avionics, improve cockpit workflow, and build real-world familiarity before entering formal training. Their first day took them from Bedford, Massachusetts, to Burlington, Vermont, and then to Lancaster, Pennsylvania, where Max demonstrated how to safely cancel IFR and load a visual approach when haze and sun glare limited visibility. That night, while returning to Bedford, they learned the importance of aiming for runway aiming points—not the numbers—especially during night landings in jets. Day two brought a new challenge: deciding whether to fly west toward the Rockies or south toward better weather. A massive cold front made the decision easy, and the pair headed south instead. After a scenic leg along Long Island to Atlantic City, Ken received what Max called "the longest IFR clearance ever." Rather than manually entering the clearance into the G3000, Max showed how to import the flight plan directly from ForeFlight—a huge time-saver for managing long routes. That evening's destination was Greene County, Georgia (3J7), near Ken's in-laws' home at Lake Oconee. The stop held sentimental value: it was the same airport where Ken had first landed years earlier with his brand-new SR22. The next morning brought low fog and another teachable moment. When poor cell coverage prevented them from obtaining an IFR release, Max used the Vision Jet's SAT phone to call clearance delivery—a practical use for a feature many pilots overlook. Later that day, while practicing a VX climb—a maximum-performance takeoff used for steep departure gradients—Ken forgot to raise the landing gear, a common mistake during the high-workload maneuver. The oversight led to a discussion about better cues, timing, and division of tasks between pilots to avoid forgetting critical steps. They also discovered that one set of keys had been left in the cabin door—a harmless but memorable moment that required returning to the airport to retrieve them. From Georgia, they flew to Asheville, North Carolina, for real-world mountain experience, and then to John C. Tune Airport in Nashville. When ATC issued a last-minute vector, Max demonstrated how to safely "do nothing"—allowing the autopilot to intercept as planned instead of overcomplicating things. On day four, they returned to Boston. At night, controllers twice ignored their request for an ILS approach into Bedford, forcing a visual approach at higher altitude and steeper descent rates. Max explained why instrument approaches at night are always safer, and how overworked controllers sometimes inadvertently increase pilot workload. The final day offered a lighter tone: a short hop to Nantucket, one of Ken's favorite destinations. There, Max illustrated how adjusting throttle settings and altitude can drastically change fuel burn—saving nearly 18 gallons on a short leg by reducing power. Ken wrapped up by reflecting on what he gained from the experience: confidence, familiarity with the Vision Jet's systems, and a deeper appreciation for proactive learning. "I encourage other pilots to build their own syllabus," he said, "because flying with an instructor like Max before formal training was both incredibly valuable and a lot of fun." Whether you fly a Cirrus SR22 or aspire to own a Vision Jet, this episode is packed with insights about transition training, pre-type preparation, and real-world decision-making that can make any pilot safer and more capable. If you're getting value from this show, please support the show via PayPal, Venmo, Zelle or Patreon. Support the Show by buying a Lightspeed ANR Headsets Max has been using only Lightspeed headsets for nearly 25 years! I love their tradeup program that let's you trade in an older Lightspeed headset for a newer model. Start with one of the links below, and Lightspeed will pay a referral fee to support Aviation News Talk. Lightspeed Delta Zulu Headset $1299 NEW – Lightspeed Zulu 4 Headset $1099 Lightspeed Zulu 3 Headset $949Lightspeed Sierra Headset $749 My Review on the Lightspeed Delta Zulu Send us your feedback or comments via email If you have a question you'd like answered on the show, let listeners hear you ask the question, by recording your listener question using your phone. News Stories Hurricane Melissa relief by GA groups has begun Shutdown Driving Controllers Away From the Profession Garmin unveils two new pilot watches Pocket carbon monoxide detector for pilots introduced Missionary Pilot Kidnapped in Niger's Capital Fuel exhaustion leads to crash Dehavilland Beaver Crashes in Alaska after spotting Wolves After an emergency landing in Minnesota, plane seized by Indians Mentioned on the Show Buy Max Trescott's G3000 Book Call 800-247-6553 Lightspeed Delta Zulu Headset Giveaway NTSB News Talk Podcast UAV News Talk Podcast Rotary Wing Show Podcast Buy ForeFlight Sentry ADS-B Receiver Montana small aircraft crash rate among highest in the nation Free Index to the first 282 episodes of Aviation New Talk So You Want To Learn to Fly or Buy a Cirrus seminars Online Version of the Seminar Coming Soon – Register for Notification Check out our recommended ADS-B receivers, and order one for yourself. Yes, we'll make a couple of dollars if you do. Get the Free Aviation News Talk app for iOS or Android. Check out Max's Online Courses: G1000 VFR, G1000 IFR, and Flying WAAS & GPS Approaches. Find them all at: https://www.pilotlearning.com/ Social Media Like Aviation News Talk podcast on Facebook Follow Max on Instagram Follow Max on Twitter Listen to all Aviation News Talk podcasts on YouTube or YouTube Premium "Go Around" song used by permission of Ken Dravis; you can buy his music at kendravis.com If you purchase a product through a link on our site, we may receive compensation.

This week, Mitch and Dawn discuss the proposal to change port oversight, citizens pleading with state legislators to reverse SB 180, the SOE audit, ICE hiring faux pas, and dueling efforts to "protect" the upcoming elections.

In this gripping episode of History Rage, host Paul Bavill welcomes back acclaimed historian Dr Helen Fry to uncover the hidden world of Belgium's wartime intelligence networks — the unsung heroes of espionage who risked everything to fight from behind enemy lines. Drawing from her new book The White Lady, Helen reveals how Belgian agents shaped the course of both World Wars, often at extraordinary personal cost.Far from the glamorous myths of spies in tuxedos and coded martinis, this conversation exposes the real stories of courage, sacrifice, and moral complexity. You'll hear how intelligence flowed from occupied Belgium to Britain, how messages were smuggled in the most ingenious ways, and why Belgium's location made it one of the most important hubs of wartime espionage.Helen also explores the vital – and too often overlooked – role of women in intelligence, from couriers and code-runners to key figures in networks like the White Lady. These were ordinary citizens performing extraordinary acts of defiance, held together by trust, loyalty, and an unwavering sense of duty.If you think WWII espionage was all about the SOE and France, think again. This episode pulls back the curtain on a hidden front of the intelligence war, filled with daring operations, hidden heroes, and a vast archive of untold stories waiting to be rediscovered.

Our pod guest Krista Shennum from Climate Rights International discussed CRI's extensive field research on nickel sector impacts on communities across a swathe of Eastern Indonesia -- from pollution such as acid rain, health adversities such as skin afflictions, disasters such as dam breaks and disputes over land rights and compensation.  An interviewee asked, 'Does anyone care?', which is CRI's report title.  Also in this episode: Erin & Kevin discuss the "Hari" referred to by two presidents, Trans7's pesantren debacle and expatriate directors in an SOE.Read Climate Rights International report here: https://cri.org/reports/does-anyone-care/It takes a lot of money to run a podcast. You need subscription fees for hosting, audio recording services, editor's salary and music licensing. Luckily, you, estemeed listeners of Reformasi Dispatch podcast can help us.You can donate to us on buymeacoffee.com/reformasi and help us grow!

正面交锋咖啡圈那些根深蒂固的“优越感”，酣畅淋漓！和老高再次坐下来聊天，是因为他做了一个破釜沉舟的决定：砍掉所有浅烘产品线，All in 深烘焙精品咖啡。在这个“浅烘＝好咖啡”几乎成了行业共识的时代，这个决定本身就足够有争议。这不只是一个商业选择，更是一次对咖啡定义的重新提问：谁说精品咖啡就不能做深烘？这场对谈，是一次酣畅淋漓的正面交锋。我们从深烘焙到浅烘焙的发展脉络聊起，从“精品咖啡”梳理到“第三波精品咖啡”出现的历史背景，理解为什么“酸”会成为过去二十年咖啡世界的中心口味。也正是在这样的脉络下，我们一步步拆解关于深烘精品的诸多争议：它和连锁深烘的本质区别？这是历史的倒退吗？好的深烘应该是什么样子？也许你就是“不爱酸”的人——曾被咖啡师、爱好者朋友暗暗嫌弃，甚至自我怀疑“是不是我不懂咖啡”；也许你是那个曾经用“只有酸才是精品”去审视他人的人。无论你是谁，这期节目都会让我们更加包容和开放，而关于深烘的争论，也超越了风味和工艺，它关乎我们如何理解彼此、如何学会放下执念，重新看待“好咖啡”的无数种可能！李想珈咖啡上新：单一产地深烘精品咖啡品鉴装。每组套装包含六款不同产区、不同处理法、不同品种的单一产地精品咖啡，既可以做手冲，也可以做美式和拿铁；可以单独喝，还可以根据自己的喜好在家玩拼配，比如根据附送的配方比例，做成水果香型、或者坚果香型的拼配；除了这些玩法，也可自由拼配找到自己的专属口味。嘉宾：老高｜李想珈咖啡�店铺：#微信小店://李想珈咖啡/8AcTqyKP0qGyILg本期内容：Part 1 关于深烘焙的“原罪”与误解01:46 谁说精品咖啡不能深烘焙！08:35 深烘精品是历史的倒退，还是新的起点？17:09 从海鲜到咖啡：口味接受的文化心理21:50 深烘焙“遮丑史” vs 酸的“时代使命”28:56 好的深烘不一定苦，好的浅烘也不该酸掉牙Part 2 深烘精品咖啡怎么做？35:12 为什么老高决定破釜沉舟做深烘精品40:21 “卖了很多浅烘焙之后，我变了！”47:26 和商业连锁深烘焙咖啡的区别？51:15 “这么好的瑰夏做深烘焙，暴殄天物吗？”55:46 烘焙口诀：“磨酸、增甜、留香气”Part 3 深陷“知识的诅咒”的行内人 vs 大众市场认知58:18 咖啡人，你多久没认真听市场的声音了？01:04:32 “不提供磨粉”是行内人的傲慢与偏见吗？01:15:09 会被行内人评价为歪门邪道吗？01:19:31 “我想用深烘精品咖啡，打一场注定不会赢的比赛”01:23:19 深烘焙精品咖啡的尴尬定价区间？01:27:36 就让曼特宁的归曼特宁，瑰夏的给瑰夏吧01:40:25 深烘单一产地精品咖啡，不...就是SOE吗？01:43:25 深烘≠苦味，深烘焙精品咖啡怎么冲才好喝？01:46:40 深烘精品咖啡会成为下一个细分赛道吗？01:52:37 关于好咖啡：深烘不是问题，浅烘也不是答案主播：咖啡播客的Yujia小红书：Coffeeplus播客微信订阅号：Coffeeplus播客如果觉得内容还不错，请记得订阅节目，您的每一次评论、转发和分享，都会让这个小播客走向更远的未来！�也可以搜索添加微信yujiajia_wx, 记得备注“播客”哦，邀请您进入微信社群～�Coffeeplus播客全网独家首发李想珈新品：单一产地深烘精品咖啡品鉴装�

Historian Tom Trumble tells the story of the cunning World War II Australian sabotage mission known as Operation Jaywick, and how two survivors outsmarted the Imperial Japanese Army police, the Kempeh Tai.Deep in the years of World War II, Australian commandos in the Pacific theatre executed a cunning and quite dastardly plan to sneak up on Japanese warships in the occupied Singapore Harbour.They managed to get away with an incredible operation, but in doing so, triggered intense paranoia and embarrassment for Japan.The Japanese were furious, and were convinced Chinese-Singaporeans were behind this humiliating setback.They enacted a terrifying regime of massacres, arrests and torture.Japanese authorities suspected Elizabeth Choy and Robert Heatlie Scott were involved with the sabotage, and the two paid dearly for that assumption during their time in prison.Further informationSurvival in Singapore: The triumph and tragedy of Australia's greatest commando operation is published by Penguin Random House.This episode was produced by Alice Moldovan, Conversations' Executive Producer is Nicola Harrison. It explores Changi, Changi Prison, smuggling money, the double tenth incident, sook ching massacre, fall of Singapore, WWII, military history, WWII history, fishing vessel, sabotage, commando operation, Australian commandos, Ivan Lyon, SOE, Special Operations Executive, revenge, Sumida Haruzo and spies.To binge even more great episodes of the Conversations podcast with Richard Fidler and Sarah Kanowski go the ABC listen app (Australia) or wherever you get your podcasts. There you'll find hundreds of the best thought-provoking interviews with authors, writers, artists, politicians, psychologists, musicians, and celebrities.

Historian Tom Trumble tells the story of the cunning World War II Australian sabotage mission known as Operation Jaywick, and how two survivors outsmarted the Imperial Japanese Army police, the Kempeh Tai.Deep in the years of World War II, Australian commandos in the Pacific theatre executed a cunning plan to sneak up on Japanese warships in the occupied Singapore Harbour.They managed to get away with an incredible operation, but in doing so, triggered intense paranoia and embarrassment for Japan.The Japanese were furious, and were convinced Chinese-Singaporeans were behind this humiliating setback.They enacted a terrifying regime of massacres, arrests and torture.Japanese authorities suspected Elizabeth Choy and Robert Heatlie Scott were involved with the sabotage, and the two paid dearly for that assumption during their time in prison.Further informationSurvival in Singapore: The triumph and tragedy of Australia's greatest commando operation is published by Penguin Random House.This episode was produced by Alice Moldovan, Conversations' Executive Producer is Nicola Harrison. It explores Changi, Changi Prison, smuggling money, the double tenth incident, sook ching massacre, fall of Singapore, WWII, military history, WWII history, fishing vessel, sabotage, commando operation, Australian commandos, Ivan Lyon, SOE, Special Operations Executive, revenge, Sumida Haruzo and spies.To binge even more great episodes of the Conversations podcast with Richard Fidler and Sarah Kanowski go the ABC listen app (Australia) or wherever you get your podcasts. There you'll find hundreds of the best thought-provoking interviews with authors, writers, artists, politicians, psychologists, musicians, and celebrities.

Presenter John Maytham is an actor and author-turned-talk radio veteran and seasoned journalist. His show serves a round-up of local and international news coupled with the latest in business, sport, traffic and weather. The host’s eclectic interests mean the program often surprises the audience with intriguing book reviews and inspiring interviews profiling artists. Professor Anton Eberhard breaks down the reasons for Eskom turning a profit for the first time in eight years. He speaks to John Maytham about why this turnaround for the embattled SOE is important. A daily highlight is Rapid Fire, just after 5:30pm. CapeTalk fans call in, to stump the presenter with their general knowledge questions. Another firm favourite is the humorous Thursday crossing with award-winning journalist Rebecca Davis, called “Plan B”. Thank you for listening to a podcast from Afternoon Drive with John Maytham Listen live on Primedia+ weekdays from 15:00 and 18:00 (SA Time) to Afternoon Drive with John Maytham broadcast on CapeTalk https://buff.ly/NnFM3Nk For more from the show go to https://buff.ly/BSFy4Cn or find all the catch-up podcasts here https://buff.ly/n8nWt4x Subscribe to the CapeTalk Daily and Weekly Newsletters https://buff.ly/sbvVZD5 Follow us on social media: CapeTalk on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CapeTalk CapeTalk on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@capetalk CapeTalk on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ CapeTalk on X: https://x.com/CapeTalk CapeTalk on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@CapeTalk567 See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode, Tu Le and Lei Xing unpack a busy week in the global EV world — from the Chengdu Motor Show to the explosive 42,000 Zeekr 9X reservations in just one hour.We dive deep into:

Jean Claude Guiet was recruited into the top-secret OSS in World War II, only to be sent to England to join the British equivalent of the American Spy and Espionage agency, the SOE. He jumped into France with a team following D-Day to organize factions of the French Resistance to keep the Germans away from the landing beaches in Normandy, France in June of 1944.

Jackson HOLY cow what a move.... SOE's get used to it - We are now China. Airline consolidation or murder? Bond yields - Long bond yields up. PLUS we are now on Spotify and Amazon Music/Podcasts! Click HERE for Show Notes and Links DHUnplugged is now streaming live - with listener chat. Click on link on the right sidebar. Love the Show? Then how about a Donation? Follow John C. Dvorak on Twitter Follow Andrew Horowitz on Twitter Warm-Up - Excitement over a change in tone from Powell (Powell throws the towel?) - Crypto surges - then comes back down - SOE - Get used to that - Bond yields - Long bond up Markets - Hitting all-time highs - Airline consolidation or murder? - NVDA earnings - reports this week - Some crypto really moving Fed Firing - How do we feel about the firing of Fed's Cook? - Allegations, not confirmed - Could this be a play to actually fire Powell? --- Trump now says that this paves the way to him having a majority that soon will push rate lower (after firing Cook) Windless - Shutting down the alt-energy projects - Wind turbines ugly and no good - Shares in wind farm developer Orsted - The U.S. government last week ordered the company to halt construction of an almost completed project. - Late on Friday the U.S.? Bureau of Ocean Energy Management had issued a stop-work order for the Revolution Wind Project off of Rhode Island. According to Orsted, the project is 80% complete and 45 out of 65 wind turbines have been installed Pricing Power - News that Spotify will raise prices as it invests in new features and targets 1 billion users - said the price will rise to 11.99 euros ($14.05) from 10.99 euros in markets including South Asia, the Middle East, Africa, Europe, Latin America and the Asia-Pacific region. - Price increases combined with cost-cutting efforts in recent years helped Spotify achieve its first annual profit last year. Jackson Holy !! - Powell hinted that maybe there would be a change to his thinking - In his final address as Fed chair at the Jackson Hole, Wyoming, economic symposium, Powell hinted at a September interest rate cut but stopped short of committing, striking a careful balance between mounting job-market risks and lingering inflation worries. - In particular, the market was enthused by Mr. Powell's line noting that "with policy in restrictive territory, the baseline outlook and the shifting balance of risks may warrant adjusting our policy stance," which the market took as an open-mindedness to easing. - The probability of a 25-basis point rate cut at the September FOMC meeting now stands at 83.1%, up from 75.0% yesterday, according to the CME FedWatch tool. Jackson - HOLY 2 - Markets reacted strongly in favor of a rate cut - hope - DJIA up 800 - S&P and NASDAQ rallied - Small Caps up close to 4% - USD dove - Yields - slightly lower - Crypto - ETHER rallied hard - ATH ---- Give it a day and Ether and Bitcoin came back down to earth Misunderstanding - Cut rates so houses more affordable? - Long rates moved higher - NVDA - Earnings due Wednesday After the close - Nvidia makes up about 7.5% of the S&P 500. - Earnings Per Share (EPS) Estimates Zacks Consensus: $1.00 Kiplinger Forecast: $1.01, up 48.5% year-over-year MarketBeat Average: $0.97 (range: $0.92–$1.05) - Revenue Estimates Zacks Consensus: $46.14 billion Kiplinger Forecast: $46.0 billion, a 53.1% increase YoY MarketBeat Range: $44.1–$45.9 billion - Forward-Looking EPS FY 2026: $4.28 (Zacks), $4.12 (MarketBeat) FY 2027: $5.70 (Zacks) SOE - State Owned Enterprises - We had better get use to it - All the anger directed at China for this - as unfair practice - Now, US takes a piece of Intel (10% for $2B ?) - Wait - 10% is $10B value - is that right? Intel Math (MATH?) - The U.S. government acquired a 10% stake in Intel by converting $11.1 billion in previously issued grants and pledges into equity.

Green finance has been a hot topic for several years, and in some respects China is an overall leader in green finance -- at least in terms of the overall volume of green bonds and green loans. More green finance products are coming out at a steady stream. So what does all this mean for China's energy transition? Has it really helped, and is it contributing to greening China's investments abroad? In today's podcast, we talk to longtime Beijing Energy Network green finance guru Calvin Quek about these and other questions. Calvin is the Executive Director, Nature Finance, Oxford Sustainable Finance Group, and he is also Director at Transition Asia. Previously he was Senior Environmental Specialist at the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) in Beijing. We specifically discuss a column Calvin authored together with Mathias Larsen, Research Associate at Brown University's Watson Institute for International and Public Affairs and Non-resident Fellow at the Green Finance and Development Center at Fudan University.  The column, 'What other countries can learn from how China financed a green transformation,' was published in Environmental Finance and can be found here: https://www.environmental-finance.com/content/analysis/what-other-countries-can-learn-from-how-china-financed-a-green-transformation.html.  Here's a look at the discussion: 2:00 What is green finance? What does it mean, in terms of incentives and disincentives for investment decisions or corporate decisions? 4:07 What are green bonds and how do green bonds in China differ? 5:27 What is the evidence about where funds from green bonds and loans go in China? (Short answer: we have limited data, and there is some evidence that funds don't necessarily go to green activities.) 6:45 What is a taxonomy? 9:20 Are green taxonomies or green finance instruments still going towards ‘clean coal' or fossil fuels, and is that still a live part of the debate in China? (Short answer: yes.) 9:45 Did green finance play any role in China becoming the leader in clean energy technology? If so, how big?  (Short answer: yes, but only a small role.) 12:30 Additionality: In general, financing costs for favored sectors and for SOE-built infrastructure is already benefitting from incredibly low costs of capital. So in that context, is green finance providing any additional incentive – at least in China? 15:00 If most green finance goes to SOE projects that might have happened anyway, does it help some marginal green projects around the edges, or does the huge state sector actually crowd out green finance for marginal projects and innovative new tech? 16:45 For green hydrogen or other technologies that are not close to economic viability on their own, green finance is not going to make the difference? 18:00 Role of green finance in China's overseas investments. 23:00 If green energy is more distributed, does that work against China's green finance model, based on large loans for big projects? Or can small be beautiful?  

Phil returns to the secret side of WW2 with the incredible story of Elzbieta Zawacka, the WW2 female resistance fighter known as Agent Zo. As writer Clare Mulley explains, she was the only woman to reach London from Warsaw during the Second World War as an emissary of the Polish Home Army command, and then in Britain she became the only woman to join the Polish elite Special Forces, known as the 'Silent Unseen'. She was secretly trained in the British countryside, and then the only female member of these SOE affiliated forces to be parachuted back behind enemy lines to Nazi-occupied Poland. There, whilst being hunted by the Gestapo who arrested her entire family, she took a leading role in the Warsaw Uprising and the liberation of Poland.After the war she was demobbed as one of the most highly decorated women in Polish history. Yet the Soviet-backed post-war Communist regime not only imprisoned her, but also ensured that her remarkable story remained hidden for over forty years.You can buy Claire's book here...https://www.amazon.com/Agent-Zo-Fearless-Resistance-Elzbieta/dp/1399601067There's also information and extracts from Phil's new book here...https://sites.google.com/view/1945thereckoning/homeYou can order his book now on Amazon UK and Amazon Australia, India and NZ - and it is available all around the world as an e-book and an audio book...https://www.amazon.co.uk/1945-Reckoning-Empire-Struggle-World/dp/139971449X/ref=tmm_hrd_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=#***We now have a Thank You button (next to the 'three dots') for small donations that help support our work***Looking for the perfect gift for a special scandalous someone - or someone you'd like to get scandalous with? We're here to help...https://www.etsy.com/uk/shop/ScandalMongers...*** If you enjoy our work please consider clicking the YouTube subscribe button, even if you listen to us on an audio app. It will help our brand to grow and our content to reach new ears.THE SCANDAL MONGERS PODCAST is also available to watch on YouTube...https://www.youtube.com/@thescandalmongerspodcastThe Scandal Mongers...https://x.com/mongerspodcastPhil Craig...https://x.com/philmcraigYou can get in touch with the show via...team@podcastworld.org(place 'Scandal Mongers' in the heading) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Oui, c'est tout à fait vrai — c'est un de ces petits épisodes insolites et méconnus de la guerre secrète menée par les Britanniques pendant la Seconde Guerre mondiale.Les services secrets britanniques, notamment la branche des opérations spéciales connue sous le nom de SOE (Special Operations Executive), étaient passés maîtres dans l'art de la guerre non conventionnelle : sabotage, désinformation, gadgets… et même utilisation de poil à gratter !Le produit en question était effectivement fabriqué à partir de la poudre de graines de pois mascate (Mucuna pruriens), une plante tropicale dont les poils provoquent une démangeaison intense au contact de la peau. Les Britanniques appelaient cette poudre Itching Powder.Le but était de perturber le moral et le confort des marins allemands. La poudre était clandestinement répandue sur les vêtements, notamment sur les sous-vêtements, les chaussettes ou les uniformes. Pour cela, des agents et des résistants pouvaient intervenir dans les ports où les navires allemands faisaient escale, ou contaminer les lots de vêtements envoyés aux forces allemandes.Bien sûr, cette arme était plus psychologique que stratégique. On ne s'attendait pas à faire couler des navires avec du poil à gratter ! Mais il est avéré qu'au moins une fois, un navire allemand a été contraint de faire demi-tour vers le port pour que l'équipage puisse se débarrasser des vêtements contaminés, les démangeaisons étant insupportables et rendant la vie à bord invivable.Ces méthodes illustrent bien l'esprit d'innovation des Britanniques dans la guerre secrète. En parallèle des actions de sabotage plus classiques, ils expérimentaient des moyens de semer le désordre et le malaise chez l'ennemi, parfois avec une bonne dose d'humour noir.On ignore en revanche l'ampleur réelle de cette tactique : les archives et témoignages sur ces opérations restent rares. Mais ce fait est bien documenté dans les travaux d'historiens de la guerre secrète, et cité par exemple dans les livres sur les "gadgets" du SOE ou sur les techniques de guerre psychologique utilisées par les Alliés.Donc oui : c'est une histoire véridique… et un excellent sujet pour piquer la curiosité de tes auditeurs ! Hébergé par Acast. Visitez acast.com/privacy pour plus d'informations.

The SOE's secret war in Burma is one of the most overlooked chapters of WWII. In this episode, historian Richard Duckett uncovers the remarkable story of Lt. Col. Edgar Peacock—a jungle-hardened guerrilla leader who fought the Japanese with a force of locals deep behind enemy lines. Denied medals and buried by bureaucracy, their story is only now being told. Lt. Colonel Peacock's Grandson Duncan also joined us in this episode.  The book can be purchased here - https://amzn.to/4miUoz6  Join my mailing list here - https://redcoathistory.com/newsletter/  Patreon, for early access to videos and podcasts - https://www.patreon.com/RedcoatHistory 

In this episode of our Chalke History Festival Special Series we sit down to talk with Author and Historian Kate Vigurs to talk about her brand new book 'Mission Europe: The Secret History of the Women of the SOE'. In this episode Kate builds upon her world leading research to tell the story of the women of the SOE who were severing across Europe to resist German occupation in places such as the Netherlands, Poland, and even in collaborating countries such as Hungary.Grab a copy of Mission EuropeKeep up to date with Kate via her website, or her Xgrab your tickets for Chalke History Festival hereTo learn more about Chalke and grab tickets head to their website, TikTok, Instagram, X or Facebook!If you want to get in touch with History with Jackson email: jackson@historywithjackson.co.ukTo catch up on everything to do with History with Jackson head to www.HistorywithJackson.co.ukFollow us on Facebook at @HistorywithJacksonFollow us on Instagram at @HistorywithJacksonFollow us on X/Twitter at @HistorywJacksonFollow us on TikTok at @HistorywithJackson Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Soe reflections on the Champions Cup semifinals. JB was in Dublin to witness Saints amazing win and can bring a firsthand account of 'Lisan Al Gaib' Henry Pollock. That and the rest of the rugby week. LTBP! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This month's episode looks at the history of Chinese industrialization by focusing on Anshan Iron and Steel Works or Angang, located in Manchuria. Long portrayed as the quintessential model of Mao-era socialist industrialization, Angang, as Koji Hirata shows, was, in many ways, built on the material and ideological foundations laid by imperial Japan and nationalist China. Moving forward in time, Hirata analyzes Angang's role in the making of socialist China, including revealing the relativley understudied political tensions that existed within China's largest state-owned enterprise (SOE) between factory directors, who answered to Beijing, and local party officials in Anshan; the political education of workers; and much more. The episode concludes by taking a long look at Anshan's shifting fortunes—and Manchuria, more broadly—amid a series of reforms during the late 20th century, and its transformation into a Chinese Rustbelt.

In 1942, several years into the Second World War, the British government sent out a series of bulletins requesting any personal photos the public might have of the French coastline. Odette Hallowes, a French woman living in the UK with her three young children, answered the call and was invited to London where she was offered a role in the Special Operations Executive (SOE). The SOE, formed under the direct orders of British Prime Minister Winston Churchill, aimed to create a top-secret underground army to help local resistance movements and conduct espionage and sabotage in enemy-held territories. Odette eventually agreed and arrived in France in November 1942, where she worked undercover, under the code-name ‘Lise'.The following year, Odette was captured, interrogated, and tortured by the Gestapo. She was sentenced to death and transported to Ravensbrück, a concentration camp for women in northern Germany. In the midst of her suffering and isolation, Odette found solace in the most unexpected form – a tiny, beautiful green leaf on the otherwise desolate camp grounds. This leaf became her lifeline, a symbol of freedom beyond the prison walls.Shortly after her 33rd birthday and with the war coming to a close, Odette was handed over to the advancing American army and eventually reunited with her children. For her remarkable bravery and stark refusal to betray her fellow secret agents, she was awarded both the George Cross and France's Légion d'Honneur. She even had a major film made about her.Almost 80 years later, Odette's granddaughter, Sophie Parker was looking through some of Odette's possessions when she rediscovered that tiny leaf. As Sophie recounts, this leaf wasn't just a piece of foliage; it symbolised hope and survival and became a tangible connection to her grandmother's incredible story.Presenter: Asya Fouks Producer: Thomas Harding AssinderGet in touch: liveslessordinary@bbc.co.uk or WhatsApp: 0044 330 678 2784

The Agents of SOE did more than undermine the Nazi occupation of France, but how far did their reach extend? What theatres of war did these female agents excel in, and what impact and legacy did they leave behind after 1945? Join James Holland and Al Murray as they talk to SOE expert, Clare Mulley, on a thrilling series about the extraordinary women of SOE in an epic, but overlooked, part of WW2 history. A Goalhanger Production Produced by James Regan Exec Producer: Tony Pastor Social: @WeHaveWaysPod Email: wehavewayspodcast@gmail.com Join our ‘Independent Company' to watch our livestreams, get earlybird tickets and our weekly newsletter - packed with deals. Membership Club: patreon.com/wehaveways Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In the years and months before the liberation of Europe and D-Day, the female agents of SOE played an integral and highly dangerous role in undermining Nazi rule. Many paid the ultimate sacrifice, often alone and in horrific circumstances - including Noor Inayat Khan, 'The Spy Who Never Lied.' Join James Holland and Al Murray as they talk to SOE expert, Clare Mulley, on a thrilling series about the extraordinary women of SOE in an epic, but overlooked, part of WW2 history. A Goalhanger Production Produced by James Regan Exec Producer: Tony Pastor Social: @WeHaveWaysPod Email: wehavewayspodcast@gmail.com Join our ‘Independent Company' to watch our livestreams, get earlybird tickets and our weekly newsletter - packed with deals. Membership Club: patreon.com/wehaveways Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices