Podcasts about Taiwan

S&P futures are up +0.2% as of now and indicating a higher open today. Asian equities closed mostly higher Wednesday. Japan, South Korea, and Taiwan all recorded modest gains, sustained by strength in semiconductor names. Greater China markets were the underperformers. European markets are mixed in early trading with the STOXX 600 and French CAC relatively firmer. Companies Mentioned: Amazon, Samsung Electronics

Watch the full podcast! https://chinauncensored.tv/programs/podcast-339 You may have heard a lot about China's threat to invade Taiwan and felt powerless to do anything to prevent it. We asked Taiwan's ambassador to the US, Alexander Yui, what Americans can do to help a fellow democracy half way around the world that is fighting for survival. His answer: try Taiwan's stinky tofu.

Geoff shares how Gong cha grew from a single tea shop in Taiwan to over 2,200 locations across 33 countries by staying obsessive about product quality, franchisee passion, and delivering a personalized guest experience at every touchpoint. He breaks down what it takes to scale a globally loved brand into the US market, how Gong cha 2.0 is redefining the in-store experience with technology and design, and why consistency from the tea farm to the handoff moment is the foundation of lasting brand loyalty. Welcome to Elevating Brick and Mortar. A podcast about how operations and facilities drive brand performance. On today's episode, we talk with Geoff Henry, President of the Americas at Gong cha. With over 20 years in the beverage industry spanning Colgate-Palmolive, Coca-Cola, and Jamba Juice, Geoff brings a rare combination of global brand-building expertise and franchise operations know-how to one of the world's fastest-growing bubble tea concepts. Guest Bio: Geoff is a seasoned executive with over 20 years of experience leading many of the world's most recognized consumer brands, including Jamba, Coca-Cola, Colgate, Dasani, Dunkin' bottled coffee, and Gold Peak and Honest teas. Adept at scaling businesses and cultivating collaborative teams, Geoff joined Gong cha in 2023 as President of the Americas region—which includes over 400 locations in the territory, and 225 in the U.S. Under his leadership, Gong cha grew its U.S. store count by 19% YOY, was ranked #1 in the Tea category on Entrepreneur magazine's prestigious Franchise 500® list for the third consecutive year (2024), and awarded category winner of Top Food & Beverage Franchises in the Global Franchise Awards (2023). Prior to taking the helm at Gong cha, Geoff was President of Jamba, where he successfully integrated the company into Focus Brands and led its digital transformation. During his tenure, he returned the brand to growth—driving topline sales, and increasing its development pipeline. Prior to Jamba, Geoff was a senior executive with Coca-Cola for over twelve years, where he oversaw the company's portfolio of water, tea and coffee brands for the U.S. He transformed their tea portfolio to capture the #2 market share position, while also pioneering the company's entrance into the ready-to-drink coffee category. Geoff received his undergraduate degree from Duke University and his MBA from Harvard Business School. He currently serves on the board of advisors for PayQuicker, a global payments platform. TIMESTAMPS: 00:59 - About Gong cha: Brand, services & history 03:14 - Geoff's career journey: Coca-Cola, Jamba Juice & the path to Gong cha 07:36 - Gong cha's North Star 15:20 - Gong cha 2.0: New store design, kiosks, & technology 21:20 - Franchise selection & site strategy 32:37 - Macro trends: Pace of innovation, social media, & AI 38:51 - What's next for Gong cha: Path to 1,000 US locations, licensing & brand expansion SPONSOR: ServiceChannel brings you peace of mind through peak facilities performance. Rest easy knowing your locations are: Offering the best possible guest experience Living up to brand standards Operating with minimal downtime ServiceChannel partners with more than 500 leading brands globally to provide visibility across operations, the flexibility to grow and adapt to consumer expectations, and accelerated performance from their asset fleet and service providers. LINKS: Connect with Geoff Henry on LinkedIn Follow Gong cha on Instagram Follow Gong cha on LinkedIn Connect with Sid Shetty on Linkedin Check out the ServiceChannel Website Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Aisha Francis has built a career as a performer, choreographer, teacher, and one of the dance industry's most respected heels educators. In this conversation, she shares the unexpected story of how she ended up helping Beyoncé learn to dance in heels, along with the lessons she's learned from decades of working in the industry. We discuss confidence as a trainable skill, the physical and psychological foundations of performance, what dancers often misunderstand about building a career, and why training with intention matters. Aisha also opens up about burnout, losing her love for dance, finding it again through teaching, and the realities of navigating a constantly changing industry. From unforgettable stories on stage to practical insights on artistry, professionalism, and longevity, this episode offers a candid look at what it takes to grow not only as a dancer, but as a performer and person. Follow Galit: Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/gogalit Website - https://www.gogalit.com/ Fit From Home - https://galit-s-school-0397.thinkific.com/courses/fit-from-home You can connect with Aisha on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/iamaishafrancis and through her website https://aishafrancis.com/ Listen to DanceSpeak on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.

Had an AHA or Insight? Share it:Alice Kao on daily authorship, childhood trauma, and six climbing gyms.When Alice Kao was three years old, her mother walked out the door carrying two large suitcases and did not turn around. When she was fourteen, her mother dropped her off alone in America near a school with some cash and left. Alice spent the next thirty years running a story about what that meant , that she was not smart enough, not pretty enough, not worth staying for. That story became the engine. It drove her through surviving alone as a teenager in a country where she did not belong, through a devastating heartbreak in Hong Kong, through building Sender One Climbing into six locations across Southern California and raising six million dollars from 115 community investors.Then she found out the way she interpreted her story was dead wrong. The facts were not what she had believed for thirty years. The wound was real. The story was not.And the voice that generated it is still there every single morning. It still wants to tell that story.If you have ever woken up and felt the weight of a story you cannot shake,  the one that says you are not smart enough, not ready, not worth the room you are about to walk into , this episode is the one you need to hear. Because Alice did not heal the wound. She built a daily discipline around deciding what it means. Every morning she chooses who is at the keyboard through authorship and it is the most underrated business skill a founder can develop. Write your own story.In this episode we go into the phone call that broke the story open, the morning practice Alice has built around narrative authorship, and why imposter syndrome does not have to be gone before you can build something extraordinary.About Alice KaoAlice discovered climbing while living and working in London in 2008, following a difficult breakup. She was inspired by the healing and self-discovery that climbing brought her, which led her to co-found Sender One in 2011 upon returning to the United States with her business partners.Alice hates following rules but loves rallying people to believe in an idea.  She wears her heart on her sleeve and is not afraid to cry in meetings.  She was born and raised in Taiwan and moved to the US when she was 14.  Alice's superpower is her ability to ask for help relentlessly, because no one has all the answers!Connect with Alice KaoWebsite | LinkedIn_____________________We appreciate you, thank you for listening. Let us know in the comments what resonated in this episode, we want to hear from you. Leave a comment, like, share with one person who needs to hear the message our guest shared. Take our QUIZ and find out what your talent is worth in this market:  What's Your Talent Worth (http://WhatsYourTalentWorth.com)Follow us on Instagram:Check us out on Tik Tok: Work With Us

In Asien ist Live-Commerce längst ein Milliardenmarkt – in Europa winken viele Händler:innen noch ab: schon dreimal gehypt, schon dreimal verpufft. Dabei zeigt der Blick nach Osten, wie aus Livestreams echtes Geschäft wird – bis hin zur Rolex, die bei einem Euro startet und für 90.000 Euro den Besitzer wechselt. Saskia Meier-Andrae, Deutschland-Chefin von eBay, baut Live-Shopping gerade mit voller Wucht auf. Tech-Blogger Sascha Pallenberg ordnet aus Taiwan ein, was in den asiatischen Märkten wirklich abgeht. Gemeinsam übersetzen sie die Mechaniken für den deutschen Markt. Wir sprechen darüber, warum Vertrauen, Community und Entertainment zusammenkommen müssen, wieso die Nische der eigentliche Hebel ist, wie Programmdichte und feste Sendeplätze funktionieren – und warum das klassische Shopping-TV gerade in den Sonnenuntergang reitet. Du erfährst... ...wie asiatische Live-Commerce-Strategien den deutschen Markt revolutionieren. ...welche Rolle Vertrauen und Community im erfolgreichen Live-Shopping spielen. ...warum eBay auf Nischenmärkte und authentische Interaktion setzt. __________________________ ||||| PERSONEN |||||

Het gevecht om de straat van Hormuz is na 107 dagen oorlog nog niet klaar, maar wij kijken alvast naar een heel ander scenario. Stel dat Taiwan in Chinese handen zou vallen. Wat zouden dan gevolgen zijn voor Taiwan zelf, ons, en voor de wereldeconomie? Daar spreken we over met Ruben Terlou, net terug uit Taiwan, en Oost-Azië-kenner Casper Wits. Presentatie: Bram Vermeulen

Good afternoon, I'm _____ with today's episode of EZ News. Tai-Ex opening The Tai-Ex opened up 279-points this morning from yesterday's close, at 44,448 on turnover of $18.6-billion N-T. Shares in Taiwan closed more than 1,000 points higher Friday with AI-related stocks in focus amid improved sentiment after U.S. President Donald Trump cancelled planned strikes against Iran. Analysts say electronics heavyweights, notably in the semiconductor industry simply followed suit and the momentum largely reflected optimism toward AI development. And select raw material stocks also moved higher in line with the Taiex. Civil groups urge protections for migrant caregivers through agency hiring Civil groups are urging the government to allow household migrant caregivers to be hired and managed by long-term care agencies. They say, the move would prevent overwork and better protect the interests of both those providing and receiving care. Protesters demonstrated at a rally outside the Ministry of Health and Welfare, saying "exploitation (利用，剝削) is not a choice." Advocates described facing long working hours, limited opportunities for rest or leave, and increasing care responsibilities that often go beyond what one person can do. They noted that the rights to rest and take leave are "fundamental labor and human rights," and emphasized that caregivers being overworked affected the quality of care received by older adults. MOHW officials say that the proposed change would require significant regulatory changes and careful assessment. 2 Mercury viewing events coming up The Taipei Astronomical Museum says, stargazers may be able to view Mercury with the naked eye twice this week… This month Mercury is visible low in the western sky after sunset and can be seen more easily with binoculars. The first event will occur tomorrow, with one of the best chances all year to observe the planet. Then on Wednesday, Mercury will join Venus, Jupiter, and a crescent moon in the western sky,with all four objects forming a vertical arrangement. The museum recommended viewing the events between 7 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. from a location with an unobstructed (無障礙的) view of the western horizon… but they do warn of unstable weather affecting visibility. Gaza latest Gaza's Health Ministry says the Palestinian death toll from the Israel-Hamas war has surpassed 73,000. The updated toll came as Israel has continued to strike what it says are militant targets, often killing civilians, despite a fragile (脆弱的) ceasefire deal reached in October. Donna Warder again. G7 Summit Protests Thousands of demonstrators are converging in Geneva to show their discontent with the G7 group of rich countries. U.S. President Donald Trump and counterparts are set to hold a summit starting today across Lake Geneva in France. Environmentalists and feminists on Sunday joined protesters against imperialism (帝國主義), defenders of independent media and supporters of Palestinian rights and others in a lakeside park for a march across town. The summit from Monday to Wednesday in Evian-les-Bains, France, will discuss the Middle East, Ukraine and global economic issues. Demonstrators have been gathering for days. Switzerland Rejects Proposal to Cap Population Swiss voters have rejected a proposal to cap the country's population at 10 million. The initiative, led by the right-wing Swiss People's Party, was seen as a move against migration. Preliminary results showed nearly 55% opposed the measure, with a turnout of almost 59%. Critics warned it could harm Switzerland's ties with the European Union. Switzerland isn't an EU member but is surrounded by EU countries. The proposal's defeat reflects ongoing debates about immigration in Europe. Swiss democracy allows voters to directly influence policy through referendums, highlighting the country's unique approach to governance (治理). That was the I.C.R.T. EZ News, I'm _____. －－－－以下為 SoundOn 動態廣告－－－－ 暑假不想待在家？ 喜鴻假期跟妳一起『FUN暑假玩世界』！ ．清艙晚鳥旅遊最便宜！ ．跟團最低$14,900元起！ ．兒童最高省10000！ 馬上搜尋 #喜鴻假期， 從快熱暑人變成快樂旅人！ →【https://sofm.pse.is/97cxmx】 -- Hosting provided by SoundOn

The National Security Hour with LTC Sargis Sangari – China's military corruption weakens combat readiness as Beijing faces mounting pressure from energy insecurity, demographic decline, debt, surveillance expansion, and technological rivalry. The United States and its allies gain a rare opportunity to strengthen supply chains, defend Taiwan's semiconductor edge, counter authoritarian exports, and shape a safer global balance order...

The National Security Hour with LTC Sargis Sangari – China's military corruption weakens combat readiness as Beijing faces mounting pressure from energy insecurity, demographic decline, debt, surveillance expansion, and technological rivalry. The United States and its allies gain a rare opportunity to strengthen supply chains, defend Taiwan's semiconductor edge, counter authoritarian exports, and shape a safer global balance order...

睽違好久的哈拉智慧王挑戰賽終於回來啦！ 這次我們邀請到謎Young前女友PODCAST的主持人濕姊 從一開始跟前男友分手十幾年後一起開節目 那種都過去了還能笑著聊的各種大尺度話題 到現在獨挑大梁但尺度不變的多元話題節目 這集四個人輪流出冷知識考題來互相比賽 結算後還有很多我們三個各種奇怪的問題 要來好好了解一下大尺度主持人私下的秘辛與生活 玩到大家勝負慾都起來的我們 一不小心就給她聊到大超時 推薦給想找點輕鬆話題順便充電的你 期待我們後續的合作唷！ -------------------------------------------- IG-濕姐 https://www.instagram.com/exbfgf2022 《謎Young前女友》收聽平台 https://linktr.ee/exbfgf -------------------------------------------- 00:00 哈拉智慧王~謎Young前女友的濕姊來啦! 06:54 第一題-愛咪-老鷹紅豆由來是? 19:17 第二題-安妞-老鼠缺少的功能會導致死亡? 29:40 第三題-跑跑-奇怪毛毛蟲的隱身術? 35:08 第四題-濕姊-飛機杯的命名由來? 44:27 第五題-愛咪-蜜蜂的方位溝通方式? 52:42 第六題-安妞-愛玉小蜂為什麼只活在台灣? 59:26 第七題-跑跑-人體可增強法郎質的東西? 01:08:02 第八題-濕姊-第一隻政府出資情趣娃娃是給誰用? 01:18:53 結算討論與訪談 --------------------------------------------

SCHEDULE THE JOHN BATCHELOR SHOW, 6-12-2026.1903 PRINCETON UNIVERSITYJeff Bliss describes massive, deadly swells hitting California beaches due to a southern hemisphere storm system. The conversation shifts to Las Vegas, where a massive, highly anticipated In-N-Out Burger recently opened on the Strip. Bliss details the chain's reputation for fresh food, cleanliness, and fair employee wages. (1)Jeff Bliss discusses the surprising results of the Los Angeles City Council primary, where Nithya Raman surged despite initially conceding. He highlights allegations of voter fraud in the Skid Row area and the impact of California's ballot harvesting laws. The segment also touches on Xavier Becerra's lead in the governor's race. (2)Richard Epstein analyzes the legal effort to prevent the removal of Donald Trump's name from the Kennedy Centerfacade. He argues that the Trump-aligned board's appeal lacks legal merit and strength, as removing a nameplate does not constitute irreparable harm. Epstein suggests the judge should consider firing the current board due to bias. (3)Richard Epstein critiques the construction of the Obama Center in Chicago, lamenting the destruction of 800 historical trees and the seizure of public land. He describes the project's design as a "monstrosity" with a flawed traffic plan and expresses concern over the foundation's lack of financial transparency and endowment. (4)Jim McTague reports on a "budget-minded hesitancy" among Pennsylvania consumers despite falling gas prices. He notes a rare layoff notice for 70 logistics workers and uneven retail activity. Meanwhile, a data center project near Costcoproceeds under heavy security, while a similar proposal was rejected by a neighboring borough. (5)Lorenzo Fiori discusses the "disaster" of the Italian national football team failing to qualify for the World Cup for the third consecutive time. The segment transitions to Pisa, highlighting the prestigious Scuola Normale Superiore and recent astronomical breakthroughs involving the James Webb Space Telescope. Fiori concludes with local wine and culinary recommendations. (6)Bob Zimmerman discusses the crew selection for NASA's Artemis 3 mission, which has been simplified to focus on Earth-orbit docking tests. He also examines private sector developments, including German startup Isar's funding, Stoke Space's reusable rocket design, and an orbital servicing mission by Catalyst intended to rescue a decaying NASAtelescope. (7)Bob Zimmerman honors the late Alan Hale, co-discoverer of the record-setting Comet Hale-Bopp. He reviews the historical significance of the first image of the moon's far side taken by Luna 3 in 1959. The segment also explores current cosmological debates regarding dark energy and the existence of "little red dots" in the early universe. (8)Peter Huessy discusses the history of "tactical" nuclear weapons and the 1950s Desert Rock exercises where U.S. troops were exposed to nuclear detonations. He details the health risks soldiers faced and parallels these actions with Sovietmaneuvers, highlighting the "ludicrous" idea of trying to operate militarily in a post-detonation environment. (9)Peter Huessy explains that Russia views low-yield, tactical nuclear weapons as usable battlefield tools to achieve victory or coerce opponents. He contrasts this with U.S. doctrine, which keeps such weapons under central command. Huessywarns of the lack of transparency regarding China's dual-use nuclear capabilities and Russia's "reckless" potential to use these weapons. (10)Colonel Jeff McCausland discusses stalled negotiations with Iran, noting the heavy influence of the Revolutionary Guard Corps over the diplomatic process. He analyzes the military difficulty of seizing Kharg Island and the profound impact of Ukrainian drones on the Russian front, suggesting that drone saturation has leveled the battlefield and interdicted Russian resupply lines. (11)Jeff McCausland draws parallels between the performative style of Civil War General Jeb Stuart and current Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth. He critiques Hegseth's recent speeches in Singapore, Normandy, and Guantanamo, arguing they prioritize individual image over grand strategy and mark significant, potentially transactional shifts in long-standing U.S. foreign policy toward Taiwan and European allies. (12)Veronique de Rugy argues that the U.S. already has the most progressive tax system among OECD countries, with the wealthy paying a disproportionate share of revenue. She critiques Thomas Piketty's proposal for a global wealth tax and mandated "degrowth," characterizing it as an effort to limit national growth under the guise of climate and social justice. (13)Mary Anastasia O'Grady questions the delay in scheduling Venezuelan elections under Delcy Rodriguez. She reports that over 400 political prisoners remain held, and the notorious Helicoide prison remains operational despite contradictory claims. O'Grady notes that the regime lacks the political will to allow a free press or fair electoral body to organize. (14)Conrad Black emphasizes the vital economic ties between the U.S. and Canada, noting Canada provides 25% of U.S.aluminum and 20% of its uranium. He expresses confidence that Prime Minister Mark Carney will build necessary oil pipelines to both coasts to benefit the Canadian economy, despite opposition from environmental groups and Carney's own "green instincts." (15)Francis Rose discusses the U.S. military's efforts to integrate AI by "gamifying" systems to make them intuitive for young, video-game-literate service members. He also highlights CISA's work in rebuilding its workforce to protect private-sector cyber infrastructure and the Army's Joint Innovation Outpost, which aims to accelerate the transition of technology from private inventors to the battlefield. (16)One name correction: (2) Nithia Raman → Nithya Raman (established style for the LA city council member).

Jeff McCausland draws parallels between the performative style of Civil War General Jeb Stuart and current Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth. He critiques Hegseth's recent speeches in Singapore, Normandy, and Guantanamo, arguing they prioritize individual image over grand strategy and mark significant, potentially transactional shifts in long-standing U.S. foreign policy toward Taiwan and European allies. (12)PERSIA

Get a better way to stay informed at https://ground.news/winston and see through biased media. Subscribe through my link for 40% off unlimited access.In this episode of The Winston Marshall Show, I sit down with former Green Beret and military veteran Nick Freitas for a conversation on modern warfare, Iran, China, terrorism, the crisis of Western confidence, and the future of Christendom.Freitas explains the realities of asymmetric warfare, arguing that America's greatest enemies are often not stronger militarily, but better able to exploit the political, cultural, and psychological weaknesses of democratic societies. Using examples from Vietnam, Iraq, Gaza, Iran, and Ukraine, he explores why public opinion, media narratives, and civilian casualties have become central battlegrounds in modern conflict.We discuss the war with Iran, regime change, nation-building, the failures of Western interventionism, and why authoritarian regimes often possess strategic advantages that democracies struggle to counter. Freitas also examines the role of international institutions, the UN, NATO, and whether the West's commitment to liberal values has unintentionally created vulnerabilities that its adversaries now exploit.Finally, we explore faith, masculinity, family, and the collapse of the post-war consensus.WATCH THE EXTENDED CONVERSATION HERE: https://www.winstonmarshall.co.uk/Chapters 00:00 Introduction 03:07 The Brutal Logic Of Asymmetric Warfare09:42 Has Trump Failed To Sell The Iran War?13:12 Could The Iranian Regime Ever Be Overthrown?18:38 Why The West Fights By Different Rules20:00 Hamas, Human Shields & The Laws Of War26:23 Why Terrorists Exploit Western Morality30:58 Just War Theory, Christianity & Warfare42:23 NATO, Europe & America's Growing Divide48:59 China, Taiwan & The Next Great Conflict1:00:40 China's Real Asymmetric Warfare Strategy1:07:42 Why Young Men Are Turning Back To Faith1:10:16 Final Thoughts

“Power trumps money fundamentally. And I think we've seen the extent to which these companies are very subservient to the US government. Because the US government can break them in an instant.” — Jack Watling on whether Anthropic and OpenAI can become geopolitical players In Cormac McCarthy's 2005 novel No Country for Old Men, an ageing Texas sheriff finds himself outmatched by a killer operating by a logic the old rules can't contain. It's the story of a man shaped by one world, and then trying to operate in an entirely different system. That's also the situation facing many statesmen today who are having to operate in an international system where the old rules no longer apply. The British military strategist Jack Watling argues in his new book Statecraft: The New Rules of Power in a Divided World that we have moved from a monopolar world to one of intensely multipolar competition where adversaries can subvert all the premises of another state's strategy. These disruptive rules of the 21st century multipolar international system aren't entirely new. There are, for example, eerie similarities with the chaotically multipolar system that led to the First World War. But they are new to the leaders who have to apply them. So, for example, they are having to deal with Vladimir Putin who is locked into an eighth-century Orthodox Holy Russian Empire fantasy. Or with the impulsive and disruptive Donald Trump whose only goal, it sometimes seems, is to subvert all the rules of the old world. These are Jack Watling's new rules of power in a divided world. New statecraft for old men. Or maybe old statecraft for new men. Five Takeaways •       The Rules Are New to the Leaders, Not the World: Watling's thesis: many of the principles in his book are old, as a historian he knows that. But they are new to the current crop of political leaders because they were formed in a monopolar world where America had primacy, crises were resolved, and the status quo was restored. We are now in a period of intense interstate competition where changes are permanent — the interventions that are being made fundamentally shift the trend. That does require a new way of thinking. The tragedy is that the leaders who most need to think in new ways — Putin and Trump in particular — are the least capable of it. •       Putin vs Trump: Two Different Kinds of Fallibility: Putin has locked himself into a rubric of looking at the world through the lens of the Orthodox Holy Russian Empire — a framework that doesn't align with how anyone else reads the map. He's not a pragmatic dealmaker; when you get him to the table, as Trump found in Alaska, he starts referring back to the eighth century. Trump is very different: much less cautious, much more impulsive, skilled at making the conversation happen on his terms by disrupting everything around him. The problem with impulsive rather than deliberate is that he has no clear idea of where he wants to get to. Both fallible. Neither predictable. •       The WWI Parallel: Over By Christmas: Watling's most sobering analogy: when we look at 1914, nobody thought it would become what it became. The assumption was over by Christmas. It grew out of any capacity to control it. Today, the rules between the great powers don't reflect where power actually sits. The capacity for a conflagration — Taiwan being the obvious tipping point — to suddenly trigger a series of escalations around the world is very real. We have to be cognisant that risk is latent in the system. The outcome we most wish to avoid is also the most mutually calamitous one. That's not a guarantee it won't happen. •       Power Trumps Money — Even Trumpian Power Trumps Trumpian Money: Andrew asks whether Anthropic and OpenAI could become geopolitical players — more powerful than middle powers like Brazil or Japan. Watling's answer: no. Russian oligarchs made this mistake in the 1990s. They thought that because they had huge amounts of money and controlled valuable resources they could play geopolitically. They were very quickly subsumed by the state. These tech companies are very subservient to the US government, which can break them in an instant. The pun lands perfectly: even Trumpian power trumps Trumpian money. •       How Smaller States Build Leverage: Stay Off the Menu: One of the book's central arguments: how do smaller states shape world events when dwarfed by superpowers? Watling's answer: leverage is not just military. It is economic, informational, reputational. The UK spends billions on aircraft carriers it struggles to support at sea — a good illustration of how a state can mistake the form of power for its substance. Smaller states that build genuine leverage — through control of chokepoints, indispensable relationships, asymmetric capabilities — can stay off the menu even in a world dominated by great powers. That requires statecraft. Not just military spending. About the Guest Jack Watling is Senior Research Fellow for Land Warfare at the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI) in London. He works closely with the British, Ukrainian, and American military and advises governments on security and strategy. He was formerly a Global Fellow at the Wilson Center in Washington, D.C. He is the author of Statecraft: The New Rules of Power in a Divided World (Pan Macmillan, 2026) and The Arms of the Future: Technology and Close Combat in the Twenty-First Century. Originally a journalist, he has contributed to Reuters, The Atlantic, Foreign Policy, and The Guardian. References: •       Statecraft: The New Rules of Power in a Divided World by Jack Watling (Pan Macmillan, 2026). •       Episode 2935: Michael Mandelbaum on The American Way of Foreign Policy — referenced in the conversation. •       RUSI (Royal United Services Institute), Whitehall, London — Watling's institutional base. About Keen On America Nobody asks more awkward questions than the Anglo-American writer and filmmaker Andrew Keen. In Keen On America, Andrew brings his pointed Transatlantic wit to making sense of the United States — hosting daily interviews about the history and future of this now venerable Republic. With nearly 2,900 episodes since the show launched on TechCrunch in 2010, Keen On America is the most prolific intellectual interview show in the history of podcasting. WebsiteSubstackYouTubeApple Podcasts

In this episode of Myopia Progression and the Role of Atropine in Managing Myopia, we speak with Dr Loren Rose about one of the fastest growing challenges in children's eye health. We explore emmetropisation, the natural process by which a child's eyes develop towards clear vision, and what happens myopia. Dr Rose explains key concepts including hyperopic reserve, what a dioptre actually measures, and why both genetics and environment play important roles in myopia development. We discuss the influential Taiwan studies showing that spending around two hours outdoors each day can help reduce the risk of myopia, as well as the evidence linking prolonged near work and screen use with increasing rates of short-sightedness. We discuss the role of atropine drops and peripheral defocus lenses.  Further reading Rose LVT. The quest for safe and effective myopia control in children. Clin Exp Ophthalmol. 2024 Jul;52(5):503-504. doi: 10.1111/ceo.14391. PMID: 38950909. - https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38950909/  Optometry Australia Position Statement on Myopia Management - https://www.optometry.org.au/wp-content/uploads/Professional_support/Guidelines/Myopia-Position-Statement-2024-v3.pdf  https://www.optometry.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2025/Documents/Myopia-management-resource-guide.pdf    

La 31ᵉ édition du festival Rio Loco se poursuit à Toulouse, dans le sud de la France, avec pour thème les imaginaires insulaires. Une thématique conçue sur mesure pour le projet musical, cinématographique et scénique Small Island Big Song. Une œuvre-fleuve qui réunit des dizaines d'artistes venus des océans Pacifique et Indien, autour de leurs traditions musicales et de leurs préoccupations pour la santé des océans et de la planète. Il y a douze ans, la productrice de théâtre taïwanaise BaoBao Chen et le cinéaste australien Tim Cole se rencontraient. Tous les deux préoccupés par les conséquences du dérèglement climatique sur les océans, ils décident de partir ensemble en terres insulaires.  « Pendant trois ans, nous avons rencontré plus d'une centaine d'artistes sur seize îles différentes. Nous sommes partis simplement avec nos micros et quelques caméras. Notre idée était d'enregistrer une chanson sur une île, puis d'emmener cette chanson sur l'île suivante pour qu'un nouvel artiste y ajoute un instrument ou une voix… et ainsi de suite, jusqu'à une autre île pour ajouter encore autre chose. Tellement de collaborations ont vu le jour », se réjouit BaoBao Chen.  La nature au centre Nouvelle-Zélande, Indonésie, Papouasie-Nouvelle-Guinée, île de Pâques, îles Salomon, Hawaï, Tahiti, Malaisie… Les îles se suivent et ne se ressemblent pas. Chacun des artistes transmet ses traditions musicales lors d'enregistrements en extérieur.  « Une des compositrices sur ce projet, c'est la nature. Nous voulions lui donner une voix. Partout où nous allions, nous demandions aux artistes de nous emmener dans un lieu qui leur était cher. Nous avons donc enregistré des volcans, des mangroves, des plages… Une multitude de sons que nous avons intégrés au spectacle », explique BaoBao Chen.  Traditions entrecroisées d'île en île Small Island Big Song met en valeur tous les liens linguistiques et culturels qu'il existe entre les îles, notamment grâce aux migrations austronésiennes. Le chanteur et musicien malgache Sammy est l'un des piliers du projet : « Dans ma tribu, il y a une danse qui vient de Taiwan, elle est pratiquée à Madagascar mais avec quelque chose qui change. Cette danse s'appelle la danse des ancêtres. Quand j'ai vu cela à Madagascar, j'ai regardé comment les gens dansaient. Et quand j'étais à Taïwan, j'ai vu qu'il y avait vraiment une connexion entre les pays, une vraie histoire », sourit-il. Comme lui, tous les autres artistes ont fait le choix de préserver l'identité culturelle de leur peuple, en chantant dans leur langue et en jouant des instruments de leur terre. Comme des gardiens de la nature, témoins de leur héritage maritime ancestral. 

Vanessa Hope, award-winning filmmaker, journalist, and director of the acclaimed documentary Invisible Nation, for a timely and thought-provoking conversation about democracy, authoritarianism, Taiwan, China, and the future of freedom around the world. Vanessa recently published a powerful and deeply personal essay:  "Four Generations, Three Chinas, One Taiwan: My Family's War Story and the Boomerang of Authoritarianism" In it, she traces an extraordinary journey spanning four generations—from her grandfather's secret World War II rescue missions in China, to her own work documenting Taiwan's democratic transformation, to the growing global challenge posed by authoritarianism in the 21st century. Our discussion explores: • Taiwan's remarkable democratic journey • Lessons from World War II and the struggle for freedom • The rise of authoritarianism around the world • The role of storytelling, film, and citizen engagement in defending democracy • What ordinary people can do to build a more peaceful, democratic future Vanessa's documentary Invisible Nation has helped bring international attention to Taiwan's vibrant democracy and the challenges it faces today. She recently screened the film at the U.S. Capitol with bi-partisan impact!  She continues to be a leading voice in global conversations about democracy, human rights, and citizen empowerment.  Among others in her film she interviews Audrey Tang, Taiwan's former digital minister who has proven that we can, with the right interactive tools, bring people together across the seemingly impossible divisions. See the interview with Audrey Tang at TheWorldIsMyCountry.com/club https://www.invisiblenation.net See the video and ask questions of future guests at:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠theworldismycountry.com/club⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Music by: „World Citizen“ Jahcoustix feat. Shaggy, courtesy of Dominik Haas, Telefonica and EoM, Universal Music Group Check out the film on World Citizen #1 Garry Davis: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠theworldismycountry.com    

【図解】日比の排他的経済水域【北京時事】中国公船が日本などへの示威を目的に、台湾東部沖海域で異例の外国籍貨物船の取り締まりに乗り出した。 Chinese official vessels have begun cracking down on foreign-registered cargo ships in waters off eastern Taiwan, showing unusual demonstrative behavior against Japan and others.

A coffin lid scratched from the inside, a stalker hiding in the basement, and a plate of "fresh venison" served by a man who was never a hunter — Redditors share the true moments that still keep them up at night.EPISODE BLOG PAGE (includes sources): https://weirddarkness.com/RedditHorrorsREAD or DOWNLOAD the full transcript of this episode: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/4ywsvu9vLISTEN ON PODCAST APPS: Look for this podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, iHeart Radio, Amazon Music, Pandora, TuneIn Radio, and other podcast apps. Get a list of free listening apps here: https://weirddarkness.com/wdapps*No AI Voices Are Used In The Narration Of This Podcast*SOURCES and RESOURCES:“Creepy True Occurrences From Redditors” posted at Factinate.com: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/h9zz8vka(Over time links may become invalid, disappear, or have different content. I always make sure to give authors credit for the material I use whenever possible. If I somehow overlooked doing so for a story, or if a credit is incorrect, please let me know and I will rectify it in these show notes immediately. Some links included above may benefit me financially through qualifying purchases.)WeirdDarkness® is a registered trademark. Copyright ©2026, Weird Darkness.Originally aired: November, 2021Here's the blog synopsis in plain text, ready for your review pass before HTML conversion.Weird Darkness gathers dozens of true creepy stories submitted by Redditors, ranging from a grandmother buried alive in a backyard coffin to phantom police officers, a haunted hotel painter, a 1980s kidnapping attempt, and a dinner of "fresh venison" served by a cannibal.It opens with a coworker's family story about exhuming a grandmother who had been buried in a wooden box in the backyard, as was once customary. When the family lifted the lid to move her to a cemetery plot years later, they found claw marks covering the inside of the coffin — she had been buried alive.From there, a babysitter hears pans falling in the basement after putting the children to bed and calls the police expecting a single patrol officer. A full SWAT team arrives at the door instead, because the dispatcher heard a second phone on the line hang up after the call ended. A man wanted for multiple assaults had been listening from the basement extension.A secluded spring campground follows, where a father and his friends befriended a quiet neighbor living out of a makeshift truck camper. Days later, driving out, they spotted him hanging from a tree beside his untouched campsite, a note pinned to the trunk with a buck knife — the suicide had happened at the father's favorite camping spot, the same one where he finally told his children the story years later.Next comes a twelve-year-old girl living in a backyard trailer who heard footsteps crossing the metal roof at night, always when she was alone. Months later she woke to find the trailer sweltering, the heater cranked to full blast, and fled on instinct; investigators later found the door lock tampered with and a kitchen knife hidden behind a chair beside the heating controls, where the staring neighbor had apparently crouched in wait.After the first break, a traveler in Taiwan steps into an elevator near a night market and stops on a pitch-dark, abandoned floor that shouldn't exist. The building's fourth floor — omitted from the panel entirely, in keeping with Chinese numerical superstition — had been sealed after a hair salon employee died by suicide there, and the elevator had been professionally reprogrammed to never stop on it. It sometimes does anyway, and riders report a figure in a gown moving toward the doors.Then a 2 a.m. street fight ends with a stabbing, a daughter catching her bleeding stepfather on the porch, and an answering machine message recorded at the exact time of the attack: a school friend across town, crying, describing a dream of screaming, a fight, and her friend covered in blood — in the late 1980s, long before cell phones could have carried the news.A college student renting a basement room recounts his dog growling at one corner of the room, followed by the small dirt-floored closet under the stairs creaking open on its own with deliberate slowness, leaving him frozen in the dark hallway for five full minutes.A seven-year-old girl visiting her mother's best friend watches a burned family — a mother, a teenage boy, and two younger girls — walk the house and beckon her to come with them. Years later the friend admitted the family had moved out over hauntings: baby toys scattered overnight, blankets and pillows arranged on the floor as if people had slept there.A smashed flower pot follows, found twenty feet from its shelf in the middle of a family room floor with no dirt trail, as if it had been carried and dropped straight down. Then two brothers named Jack and Tom each spend a night silently furious at the other's loud guests, only to meet in the hallway and discover the living room full of chattering old people belonged to neither of them — the room stood empty, smelling of musk.A college party flips from paranormal dread to absurdity when a bleeding, pantsless man with wild hair forces his way through the door screaming "please"; the supposed intruder turned out to be a friend of a friend on a catastrophic acid trip who had lost his pants running through a field.The block closes with a runner who caught a prospective neighbor — a man who had complimented his physique two days earlier — standing at his bedroom window at midnight, having entered the house earlier to adjust the blinds for a better view. The chase across gravel driveways ended with a written confession, a photographed license plate, and, a full year later, a knock on the door from the same man, apologizing.Out of the second break comes a Hollywood Hills doorstep in the early 1980s: a distraught woman babbling about blood, two LAPD officers who collect her within ten minutes, and then two more officers thirty minutes later — the ones actually dispatched to the call, with no record of who the first pair were or where they took her.The night crew of a 24-hour Subway describes their resident "SubGhost," blamed for disembodied conversations, crashing noises, items sliding off counters, and a new automatic paper towel dispenser that unspooled an entire roll, sheet by sheet, in an empty room.Three children watch a white figure of a man sit atop a telephone pole, grinning at them, before he stands, jumps, and vanishes before reaching the ground. Then a basement-apartment tenant describes a man watching him through the window for ten minutes, followed weeks later by an air conditioner cover pried off in the night — and a police department that could do nothing until someone actually broke in.A newspaper carrier on a rural route in 2000 describes a drenched man in a white shirt charging out of a rain-filled ditch at 2 a.m. with what looked like a hatchet in his hand; the man took his own life within the hour, and the carrier had to pound on a farmhouse door to report it because his Motorola flip phone had no signal.A bus rider chats with an oddly unsettling woman at the stop, boards an empty bus, and hears "Hey! Remember me?" from a little girl who resembles the woman exactly — on a bus the rider is certain was empty.The episode then travels to South Africa's Eastern Cape in July 2010, where a humanitarian worker and a missionary named Piet arrive at a Xhosa village to find it deserted. A naked woman covered in cuts, missing an ear, and running on all fours charged their truck, screeching and clawing at the windows as they fled. The villagers later said only that "a bad presence" had been in the village and was now gone.Gentler hauntings follow: a clock radio scraping across a desk to face a grandson and playing opera — the late grandfather's wake-up music of choice — two weeks after the funeral; a glass bowl that shattered downstairs during a sleepover and was found already swept up, its pieces gathered into another bowl on the table; and a dying grandfather whose eyes opened wide on his final breath as he smiled, looking happier than he had in years.The dread returns with a woman home alone who hears something working at her front door lock and sees two silhouettes — one at the door, one at the living room window — standing motionless, watching her watch them. They vanished before help arrived, and she found the basement window partially kicked in the next morning.A Sacramento man recounts surviving an attempted kidnapping around age nine or ten: a white van stopped beside a late-night Frisbee game, the sliding door opened, and a man in black flew out on a rigged telescoping harness operated from inside, missing his grab by inches. The three boys hid on a school roof for nearly an hour while the van circled, searching.A small-town yard sale yields a dented silver cigarette case for two dollars; months later the same elderly seller has the identical case — same dent, same brand of cigarette inside — while the original has vanished from the buyer's nightstand drawer. A man recalls childhood dreams of gripping toys hard enough to wake up holding them, including the Skeletor figure his family swore they never bought.Then a sixteen-year-old new driver and her four-year-old half-sister are stalked across town by a purple-faced man in a white pickup truck who blocked intersections, revealed a gun under his shirt, rammed their car toward oncoming traffic, and drew a finger across his throat. The older sister's gas station escape plan — coaching the four-year-old to jump out and run to the counter — ended the pursuit, though polic

Chief Asia Economist Chetan Ahya joins Head of India Research and Chief India Equity Strategist Ridham Desai to break down India's macro outlook, capital flows and sector opportunities.Read more insights from Morgan Stanley.----- Transcript -----Chetan Ahya: Welcome to Thoughts on the Market. I'm Chetan Ahya, Morgan Stanley's Chief Asia Economist.Ridham Desai: And I'm Ridham Desai, Morgan Stanley's Head of India Research and Chief India Equity Strategist.Chetan Ahya: Today, the biggest takeaways from our India Investment Forum in Mumbai. From the shifting outlook for India's markets and flows to the sectors driving the next phase of corporate earnings and CapEx.It's Friday, June 12th at 7PM in Hong Kong.Ridham Desai: And 4:30PM in Mumbai.Chetan Ahya: Ridham, the Morgan Stanley's India Investment Forum took place in Mumbai last week, and I was there with you. These events are a great opportunity to speak with investors who come across from the globe to attend. Now that we have had a few days to process the conversations, what stood out to you? What was the biggest shift in investor sentiment that you picked on?Ridham Desai: So, Chetan, I think it's been the case of a continuing story about India. Domestic investors look that they are bullish, and foreign investors continue to stay rather cautious on the Indian markets. We could see that in the overall attendance. In contrast, I think domestic investors were looking for the next stock that they wanted to buy. They were seeking opportunities, and there was a lot of interest in meeting companies.Before we get into markets, let me turn back to you from a macro side. India's growth story remains strong, but relative growth appears to be cooling. This is in contrast to markets like Japan, Taiwan, Korea, and the US. How should investors think about India's macro positioning in that context?Chetan Ahya: So, Ridham, when I look at the macro data in India, they're all indicating a meaningful upside in the growth trend. So I'll just cite two key cyclically sensitive macro data points. One is the banking system credit growth, and number two is the auto sales, particularly the passenger vehicle. So bank credit growth is growing as of the last biweekly data point that we got. It's growing at seventeen point seven percent year-on-year, and car sales are growing at twenty-seven percent in the month of May.But as you were mentioning earlier, the relative growth opportunity is a challenge for India and to just share the numbers on the earnings growth for the first quarter that we saw across the region. So we saw Korea's earnings growth at one hundred and seventy percent. We saw Taiwan's earnings growth at forty-eight percent year on year. Japan at thirty-three percent. The US has seen a growth of about twenty-seven percent year on year.So in that context, when India is reporting thirteen percent growth, it's becoming a challenge for investors to look for opportunities in India relative to other markets. Either they are more focused on the other markets than India. So let me come back to you, Ridham. Staying with the investment implications, India projects stable valuations and strong corporate earnings, but its relative growth advantage has narrowed. How should investors reconcile this contradiction?Ridham Desai: If I go back thirty-five years, as long as we have the MSCI index series, and as far as I have been in this industry, this is the lowest relative multiple that India has traded at. And indeed, growth last year was weak. But if you see QOQ, we have started to accelerate. The broad market earnings growth trajectory has shown a doubling in the quarter that ended March over the quarter that ended December.But it underscores the point you made about the relative growth complex. It's clearly not in India's favor. And a lot of the capital in the world is short-term oriented, and it cares for what growth is gonna come in the next quarter or two. And that's the state of the market right now.However, what I would say is that equities is a quintessential long-duration asset class. In the long run, what matters is terminal growth. I don't really think India's terminal growth has moved much. It remains far superior to a lot of other countries around the world. And therefore, I think this does present itself as a great opportunity for a long-term investor while the markets are digesting this relative growth disadvantage that India seems to have over the next, say, three or four quarters.Chetan Ahya: And Ridham, another theme from the forum was policy action to attract capital. Policymakers announced a number of measures right as our conference ended and they aimed to withdraw withholding tax on debt investors, also providing banks with an incentive to take up more dollar borrowing. How central are these measures to sustaining foreign inflows into Indian markets?Ridham Desai: I think the measures taken by policymakers are very important, probably amongst the most important policy actions this year. The removal of taxation on debt investors will make a difference. The provision for hedging to external commercial borrowings as well as to foreign currency deposits will make a difference.It should boost flows into India over the next twelve months. That said, these measures may not help the equity flows because the equity flows, I think, are going to depend on the relative growth situation. Now, there's only that much India can do to lift its growth. It may accelerate to the high teens. So growth elsewhere needs to decelerate for equity investors to return. Or India needs to see the start of a major IPO cycle because in primary issuances, foreigners do come to buy, and that may change the net picture on FBI flows in the equity markets.But as far as the debt markets are concerned, I think the measures taken last week are going to prove to be quite potent, and India should see the benefits accruing over the next few weeks and months.Chetan, from your perspective, how important is the policy backdrop right now in determining whether India can keep attracting long-term global capital despite more competitive returns elsewhere in the short run?Chetan Ahya: So Ridham, I think the key focus for the policymakers had been with these measures to boost short-term capital inflows to stabilize the currency. There has been a balance of payment deficit. So from that perspective, the short-term capital inflow augmentation effort as you mentioned, has been the correct move. But from the long-term perspective, we think that the government needs to boost competitiveness of the Indian manufacturing. Because in the context in which AI could affect India's services exports, there is a need to augment more export receipts from the manufacturing sector. At the same time, if they improve the competitiveness of the manufacturing sector, it will help India to attract more capital inflows from long-term investors for the purpose of FDI.And the good news is that the government is on it. They are taking a number of measures to boost that competitiveness in the manufacturing. But we think that there is more action needed and hopefully in the intention to improve the balance of payment dynamics and exports from manufacturing sector, we will see more actions from the government in the coming months.Ridham Desai: Chetan, you've also written extensively about the structural capital spending cycle in Asia and India. Can you walk us through the key details here, especially in the Indian context?Chetan Ahya: I think the key story that we are observing, it's sort of more or less global, but definitely very clearly seen in Asia, that there seems to be a super cycle for CapEx as well as industrial activity. This CapEx cycle is effectively driven by spending in four key sectors, and that is AI and AI-related digital infrastructure, energy, defense, and industrial onshoring-related CapEx.Now, as far as India is concerned, we are seeing investments in all the four segments that I just mentioned. In fact, it's seeing a significant amount of activity in the space of energy. And, similarly, we are seeing a lot of policy measures, I mentioned earlier, in terms of boosting manufacturing competitiveness.But at the heart of it is government's effort to onshore industrial supply chain. So India's CapEx has also inflected higher. Having said that, the difference between India and, let's say, North Asia, which is Korea, Taiwan, Japan and China, is that they are also a big player in the export market for capital goods when there is global CapEx cycle upswing happening. Nevertheless, India will see the benefit of this CapEx cycle in terms of its own growth push, as well as improvement in productivity.So Ridham, how would you think about the sectoral opportunity within the Indian markets?Ridham Desai: We see a lot of interest in some of these sectors which you mentioned. But actually, I would like to start off with financials. I see the banks in a very sweet spot. Balance sheets are in pristine condition. The interest rate cycle has troughed, which means margins for the banks have also bottomed and credit growth is finally accelerating. If this CapEx cycle unfolds like the way you are describing it, I think financials will stand to gain the most.And interestingly, the valuations are quite good, both on an absolute as well as on a relative basis. Also, of course, investors can go directly into those sectors which are doing this capital spend. Energy to start with, semiconductors, fertilizers, data centers and aerospace.The only thing to note here is that not everywhere are the valuations attractive enough because in some cases the market has recognized the coming growth cycle and has started to price that in. So we have to be careful about the valuations. But I think financials and industrials are clearly great opportunities in the context of this CapEx recovery that India is likely to see in the coming five years.Chetan Ahya: And additionally, the most requested companies at the summit, Ridham, were consumer sector companies. What do you think investors are looking for at this sector over others?Ridham Desai: So, Chetan, I think from a structural perspective, the Indian consumer is quite clearly the best place to be. In fact, I would say that it's the leverage that India enjoys over the rest of the world.The one point five billion people in this country are split across, say, a hundred and fifty cohorts of ten million each, and each of these cohorts have got different consumption opportunities. So depending on what product or service you're offering to your consumers, there's a market in India, and which in nominal terms is growing between ten and fifteen percent.As we know, last year India accounted for something around seventeen or eighteen percent of global GDP growth, which means depending again on what you are selling to your consumer, India could be between ten and hundred percent of your revenue growth. So India's consumer is something that hardly anybody can avoid.So in summary, Chetan, when I look at it from an investment opportunity, financials, industrials, and consumption, not necessarily in that particular order, are probably the best places for investors to look at. However, IT services, I think could be the dark horse. It's a sector right now which is disrupted or potentially disrupted by AI, and there's a lot of confusion there.But I think as the dust settles on this, it may emerge as one of the most interesting areas for investors to look at. So there's a lot of stuff in India happening right now. I think growth is accelerating. Valuations are looking quite interesting. In fact, the best that they've been in many, many years.Trading performance suggests that investors are not positioned at all. And if things start looking up, then India could be a very good market in the coming twelve months.Chetan Ahya: Ridham, thanks for taking the time to talk.Ridham Desai: Great speaking with you, ChetanChetan Ahya: And thanks for listening. If you enjoy our Thoughts on the Market, please leave us a review wherever you listen and share the podcast with a friend or a colleague today.

Taiwan's delegates to the Our Ocean Conference scheduled to take place in the Kenyan port city of Mombasa next week will not be permitted to participate, according to a well-placed source. If this is the case, it would mark the third major setback for Taiwan in Africa over the past several weeks. Last month, the digital rights conference Rightscon was canceled in Lusaka, in part due to pressure from the Chinese embassy to block the participation of a small group of delegates from Taiwan. Around the same time, three African Indian Ocean island states refused to grant Taiwan President Lai Ching-te permission to overfly for a scheduled trip to Eswatini. Plus, Eric, Cobus & Géraud discuss how a labor dispute at a massive Chinese-run cobalt mine in the DRC came to an end and the latest in the U.S.-China critical minerals competition in Africa.

A U.S.-China war over Taiwan would be catastrophic for all sides and the world. Preventing such a war requires understanding how it might unfold—from start to finish—including worst-case scenarios.  How much warning would there be? Where might China strike first? Which countries join the fight? Can Taiwan defend its coasts? Would nuclear threats determine the outcome?  Charles Hooper is a retired U.S. general who served as one of the Pentagon's top China strategists and spent years living in the country. He joined Jon Bateman on The World Unpacked to give a step-by-step scenario for the war that no one wants. Find the episode transcript, and get the show direct to your inbox, here: https://carnegieendowment.org/podcasts/the-world-unpacked/how-a-us-china-war-would-unfold  Host:  Follow Jon on X: https://x.com/JonKBateman  Guest:  Lieutenant General (Ret.) Charles “Hoop” Hooper: https://x.com/LTG_CHooper  00:00 Introduction  01:42 Understanding China Through Military Engagement  09:54 How a Taiwan Conflict Could Begin  20:27 U.S. and Allied Responses  35:04 Global Economic Impact  39:03 Taiwan's Defense Prospects  47:14 Nuclear Escalation Risks  52:28 Avoiding Conflict and Looking Ahead

The Space Show Presents Rick Fisher, Tuesday, June 9, 2026Quick SummaryThe Space Show featured a discussion with national security consultant Rick Fisher about China's space program and its implications for national security. Rick explained that space has become a major component of American global national security considerations, with China positioning itself either as a major antagonist or cooperative partner depending on Earth-based conflicts. He detailed China's lunar program, including their Lanyue lunar lander and their manned capsule, while warning that Chinese dual-use systems on the moon could potentially extend Earth conflicts to lunar territory. The conversation covered China's energy independence efforts through nuclear fission, space solar power, and fusion energy development, as well as their reusable rocket capabilities with 20-25 Chinese companies developing reusable launch vehicles similar to SpaceX's approach. Rick also discussed the Artemis program's goals of establishing a semi-permanent presence on the moon by 2036, requiring 79-81 space launches and approximately $30 billion in total investment. The discussion concluded with analysis of Taiwan's potential response to Chinese aggression and the role of other Asian countries like India and Japan in balancing Chinese space ambitions.Detailed SummaryDavid and Rick discussed the role of space in national security, particularly regarding China's lunar program and its implications for Taiwan and the South China Sea. They also touched on UAPs (Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena), with John contributing insights about China's interest in UAPs and the government's handling of the topic. The conversation highlighted differing perspectives on the significance of UAPs and the potential motivations behind government secrecy regarding the subject.David, Rick, and John discussed concerns about Chinese influence and espionage in the United States, including allegations against politicians like Feinstein and a California politician. They questioned why such activities are tolerated despite being known. The conversation then shifted to SpaceX's upcoming IPO and its performance. The conversation continued with the guest continuing to discuss China's space program and its broader implications for national security.Rick discussed the increasing importance of space in American national security, particularly in relation to China's space activities. He explained that space has become a determinant factor in global security, with both countries positioning themselves as either antagonists or cooperative partners. He praised President Trump's focus on returning to the moon through the Artemis program as a way to deter conflict and secure American access to space. He noted that Trump's second-term goal of establishing a permanent presence on the moon could help prevent conflicts not only on the moon but also in low Earth orbit and potentially on Earth.Rick was asked about China's energy strategies and vulnerabilities, explaining that China's reliance on oil passing through the Straits of Hormuz presents a strategic weakness. He detailed China's multi-pronged energy approach including nuclear fission plants, space solar power research, and fusion energy development. When asked about space-based data centers, he indicated China is following the American trend with plans to launch such facilities in the near future, potentially on a large scale to support AI functions on Earth. The discussion was cut off before John's question about potential lunar conflict could be addressed.Our guest discussed the potential risks and challenges associated with China's lunar lander program, particularly regarding the Lanyue lunar lander and its propulsion stage, which could pose hazards to other lunar missions or bases. He highlighted the need for deconfliction and transparency from China regarding their lunar lander operations. Rick also mentioned the deployment of hopper drones by both the United States and China around the moon, noting the potential for these to be modified for combat purposes if tensions escalate on Earth.China's potential space ambitions were brought to our attention, noting that if China were willing to use technology for political intimidation in low Earth orbit, they might extend similar activities to lunar or Martian environments. John suggested that getting to space first could provide an advantage in staking territorial claims. Dr. Kothari asked three questions about China's plans: circumnavigating the moon with astronauts in 2027, deploying thorium molten salt reactors for terrestrial use, and developing reusable rockets. Rick acknowledged limited knowledge about China's reactor plans but noted that China has 20-25 companies working on reusable space vehicles, with the potential for first stage recovery this year.Rick discussed China's space launch vehicle developments, focusing on the Long March 12, Long March 10, and the proposed Long March 9. He explained that Long March 10 could become a popular reusable launch vehicle, while the three-stage Long March 9, if developed, would be the world's most powerful space launch vehicle with a massive 19-meter payload fairing. Rick speculated that China might be developing the three-stage Long March 9 to avoid the complexity of low Earth orbit refueling required for Elon Musk's Starship, though he acknowledged that many technical details about its feasibility remain unknown.Rick discussed the potential impact of China's Long March 9 rocket on SpaceX's Starship, noting that while the first stage would be reusable, it remained unclear whether China would pursue reusability for the second stage. When asked about credible resistance movements in China, Richard explained that while there is a will among some people to resist the government, the Chinese Communist Party effectively prevents such movements through extensive digital surveillance and control systems. He compared China's digital surveillance capabilities to Iran's and highlighted how Israel's ability to take control of Iran's digital systems and use them against the regime should serve as a warning to China about potential threats from Taiwan and Israel.Ajay asked Rick about Taiwanese opinions on potential reunification with China. Rick explained that while many Taiwanese benefit economically from China relations, over 90% of the population values their democratic freedoms and would not willing give them up to become part of a Chinese communist dictatorship. He noted that the Chinese Communist Party's failure to acknowledge historical atrocities under Mao, including the deaths of 50-70 million people, undermines their historical appeals to Taiwanese people.Rick talked about the potential for Asian and oceanic countries like India and Australia to balance China's space activities through collaboration with the United States and the Artemis program. He noted that as these countries develop their own heavy launch vehicles, they will gain more autonomy to pursue lunar and Mars programs independently of potential Chinese-American conflicts. Richard also praised NASA's Artemis program revealed on March 23, which aims to establish a semi-permanent presence on the moon by 2036 through 79-81 space launches and $30 billion total investment, describing it as essential for winning the race to the moon and potentially deterring Chinese aggression.Our guest also discussed the relationship between China's space program and the US, noting that while competition exists, cooperation could follow a similar path to Cold War-era US-Soviet relations. He expressed confidence that the Artemis program would continue regardless of political party in power, though funding levels might vary. Richard believed the program would maintain strategic importance in the Earth-Moon-Mars system and would only be disrupted by major global conflicts.The conversation ended with David thanking Rick for his participation and discussing upcoming shows featuring Chris Carberry from Explore Mars and guests from Peruvian satellite systems and Luxembourg.Special thanks to our sponsors:American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Helix Space in Luxembourg, Celestis Memorial Spaceflights, Astrox Corporation, Dr. Haym Benaroya of Rutgers University, The Space Settlement Progress Blog by John Jossy, The Atlantis Project, and Artless EntertainmentOur Toll Free Line for Live Broadcasts: 1-866-687-7223 (Not in service at this time)For real time program participation, email Dr. Space at: drspace@thespaceshow.com for instructions and access.The Space Show is a non-profit 501C3 through its parent, One Giant Leap Foundation, Inc. To donate via Pay Pal, use:To donate with Zelle, use the email address: david@onegiantleapfoundation.org.If you prefer donating with a check, please make the check payable to One Giant Leap Foundation and mail to:One Giant Leap Foundation, 11035 Lavender Hill Drive Ste. 160-306 Las Vegas, NV 89135Upcoming Programs:Broadcast 4548: Zoom: Chris Carberry | Friday 12 Jun 2026 930AM PTGuests: Chris CarberryZoom: Chris Carberry of Explore Mars, see discussion details on blog and Substack later this week.Broadcast 4549 Zoom: Manuel Cuba & Cesar Santisteban | Sunday 14 Jun 2026 1200PM PTGuests: Manuel Cuba, Cesar Sa SantistebanZoom: Manuel and Cesar or Peru space and more, Details to follow Get full access to The Space Show-One Giant Leap Foundation at doctorspace.substack.com/subscribe

Robert Ward speaks with Professor Jimbo Ken – Managing Director of the International House of Japan, President of the Asia Pacific Initiative and Professor at the Faculty of Policy Management at Keio University – for a wide-ranging analysis of the 23rd IISS Shangri-La Dialogue. This special edition of Japan Memo offers timely and in-depth analysis of the key themes and moments from this year's Dialogue.Together, they explore:● the overall strategic picture from this year's Dialogue;● US Secretary of Defense Hegseth's speech: Taiwan, China, and shifts in tone from 2025;● Minister Koizumi's address in English and its strategic significance;● the state of Japan–China relations and counter-narratives on ‘new militarism';● Japan–Southeast Asia relations and Japan's role in upholding regional order.We hope you enjoy the episode. Please follow, rate, and subscribe to Japan Memo on your preferred podcast platform. If you have any comments or questions, please contact us at japanchair@iiss.org.Date recorded: 31 May 2026Japan Memo is recorded and produced at the IISS in London. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We talk moves by Beijing to claim ownership of waters east of Taiwan, possible stricter export controls on AI chip sales to China and guidelines on AI-generated content in the media. -- Hosting provided by SoundOn

Nehring, Elisabeth www.deutschlandfunkkultur.de, Fazit

What does it take to go from sneaking into rumba rehearsals as a kid in Santa Clara, Cuba, to becoming arguably the greatest living drummer on earth?Dafnis Prieto is a Grammy Award winner, MacArthur "Genius" Fellow and one of the most gifted drummers alive. On faculty at the Frost School of Music at the University of Miami, he has three self-published books studied worldwide. Host Dana Leong has known him personally since Dana was 15 and Dafnis was 21. This is the conversation we've been waiting 30 years to have.Follow Dafnis: https://www.dafnisonmusic.com | https://linktr.ee/DafnisPrietoListen and watch everywhere:YouTube https://www.youtube.com/@UpgradeMePodSpotify https://open.spotify.com/show/7JPSb9vRaEqHt39hWXBVOYApple https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/upgrademe-with-dana-leong/id1751136432Patreon http://www.patreon.com/UpgradeMePodChapters:0:00 Cold open - "I'm going to become the healthiest person that ever died"2:15 Meet Dafnis Prieto - Grammy winner, MacArthur Genius, arguably the greatest drummer alive5:00 Why he always reminds himself of the reason he chose this life10:20 Inner world vs outer world - separating frustration from purpose14:45 What every world-class performer actually has in common17:00 Born in Santa Clara - only child, divorced parents, a mom who said yes22:30 From guitar to bongos - the House of Culture and a Cuban band26:00 Eight years of classical training - Santa Clara to Havana's National School30:15 The Big Bang - Carlos Masa, Hermeto Pascoal, and Ravi Shankar at 1435:40 First tour at 18 - special school permit, Cuba straight to Paris40:10 Getting paid in Cuba vs Paris - "a big whale and a sardine"44:30 The assembly line story - trains, 30 seconds, and Cuban teamwork51:20 The Village Voice era - how European bookers discovered New York artists55:00 "If Jesus Christ was in Times Square nobody cares" - social media and the fake artist problem1:00:10 Marketing vs selling your soul - the tension every serious artist lives with1:05:30 Why live music still matters - Dana's mom at 80, Taiwan's National Concert Hall1:10:00 Integrity as a total way of being1:15:20 The hidden instruments - classical guitar, flamenco, marimba1:19:45 Why Cuba produces champions - "you do twice the work"1:23:30 The 24/7 conservatory - living inside the National School of Music1:28:00 Getting out of Cuba - exit permits, bureaucracy, and the Stanford invitation1:34:20 Cuba sent one guy - and they sent the right one1:39:10 Cuban culture as the deep root1:43:00 The global political climate and what it means for artists1:47:00 "There is value in the objective but there is potential in the subjective"1:51:00 Pancho Quinto - tradition as a point of departure1:57:00 Learning English in New York - a notebook and self-teaching2:01:00 Mentorship at Frost School - Marcelo Perez, Bob Moses, the drum quartet2:07:00 Why Dafnis doesn't sign up for teaching - but gives it everything2:12:00 The frying pan on the drum kit - carnival, sneaking out, Chinatown2:18:00 Long-term musical relationships - what makes a real band2:23:00 The social media dilemma - practice vs posting2:29:00 Building character before the digital age - Coltrane, Chaplin2:34:00 "Don't wait for anyone to make yourself poor"2:38:00 Final words - if you have a dream, go for itUpgradeMe is hosted by Dana Leong, a 2x Grammy Winning Musician, US Music Ambassador and World Economic Forum Young Global Leader. Sponsored by https://www.TEKTONIKmusic.org (Harmony Heals).

Victoria Coates highlights Taiwan's indispensable role in the global AI revolution through TSMC's high-end chip production, which the U.S. and China currently cannot replicate. She emphasizes that Taiwan's engineering "super workers" are a state secret. Coates also discusses the political friction in Washington regarding arms sales and the need for Taiwan to increase its own defense spending. (3)1904 BEIJING

STREAMING MAKING JBS, FEATURING GIORDON CHANG, JIM HOLMES, GREG SCARLATOIU, VICTORIA COATES, 6-1-26.1905 SHANGHAIThe provided transcript features a series of discussions between John Batchelor, Gordon Chang, and various experts regarding the strategic and economic challenges posed by China and North Korea. Early segments focus on Kim Jong-un's tactical shifts, specifically his strengthening of internal security and the tacit acceptance of North Korea's nuclear status by China. The dialogue then shifts to maritime strategy, analyzing the expansion of the People's Liberation Army Navy and its ambition to field a fleet of aircraft carriers to rival the United States. Further segments examine the critical importance of Taiwan and the global reliance on TSMC for advanced semiconductors, which creates a high-stakes bottleneck for artificial intelligence. Finally, the speakers address economic security, highlighting the Pentagon's blacklisting of Chinese firms and the push for country-of-origin labeling to combat forced labor and military entanglement. Throughout the text, the experts emphasize that Chinese diplomacy and industry are inextricably linked to the state's military and geopolitical objectives.

SCHEDULE JOHN BATCHELOR SHOW, 6-10-26.Greg Scarlatoiu analyzes Xi Jinping's visit to Pyongyang, noting that Kim Jong-un now views himself as a strategic equal to Xi and Putin. Despite sanctions, North Korea's economy shows a facade of growth fueled by billions made exporting artillery and special forces to Russia. Kim is also modernizing his security apparatus into a structure similar to Russia's FSB. (1)Professor Jim Holmes discusses the naval balance between the U.S. and China, suggesting the PLA Navy aims for six aircraft carriers to project power in the Western Pacific and Indian Ocean. While China has made strides in naval aviation without the heavy losses the U.S. historically endured, Holmes believes they still lag behind in technological sophistication and human tactical proficiency. (2)Victoria Coates highlights Taiwan's indispensable role in the global AI revolution through TSMC's high-end chip production, which the U.S. and China currently cannot replicate. She emphasizes that Taiwan's engineering "super workers" are a state secret. Coates also discusses the political friction in Washington regarding arms sales and the need for Taiwan to increase its own defense spending. (3)Victoria Coates addresses the Pentagon's decision to list major Chinese companies like BYD and Alibaba as security risks due to their military ties. She argues for clear country-of-origin labeling on products to inform American consumers. Furthermore, Coates criticizes the Biden administration for prioritizing climate goals over addressing China's use of forced labor in the solar panel supply chain. (4)Natalie Ecanow details Qatar's massive $400 billion investment footprint in the United States, including high-profile real estate like New York's Park Lane Hotel and significant orders for Boeing aircraft. She argues these investments are not merely financial but serve to buy long-term political influence and goodwill with American policymakers, regardless of party affiliation, by embedding Qatari wealth into the U.S. economy. (5)Natalie Ecanow explains that Qatari wealth is controlled by the Al-Thani autocracy, whose values often conflict with U.S. interests, such as their support for Hamas and the Taliban. She highlights the lack of transparency in Qatarifunding, citing a lawsuit that revealed nearly half a billion dollars in undisclosed money sent to Texas A&M University, and calls for stricter U.S. disclosure laws. (6)Joel Kotkin examines the definition of fascism, arguing that Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni is not a fascist because she respects democratic norms. He identifies China's government-led economy as the closest modern parallel to historical fascism. Kotkin also warns of "techno-fascism," where a small group of global tech companies exert unprecedented control over public opinion and information through surveillance tools. (7)Joel Kotkin disputes the label of "fascist" for the MAGA movement, noting it lacks the youth-driven, paramilitary organization characteristic of movements led by Mussolini or Hitler. He describes MAGA as a chaotic coalition of various interest groups held together by Donald Trump's personality. Kotkin emphasizes that using the term as a political slur ruins the possibility of necessary civil discourse. (8)Michael Bernstam discusses a looming glut of liquefied natural gas driven by record U.S. shale production, which is stabilizing energy prices in Europe. Regarding Russia, he explains that while crude exports continue, Ukrainian drone strikes on refineries have created a domestic manufacturing crisis, leading to fuel shortages for Russian agriculture and industry that are difficult to repair under sanctions. (9)Michael Bernstam reveals that China has significantly reduced its oil imports by nearly half by drawing on massive strategic reserves of 1.4 billion barrels and increasing electric vehicle adoption. Simultaneously, the U.S. has reached record domestic oil production of nearly 14 million barrels per day. These factors combined help lower global oil prices despite declining inventories in other OECD countries. (10)Tal Fortgang explores Justice Scalia's legal philosophy through a biography by James Rosen, focusing on Scalia's dissent in Lee v. Weisman regarding religious benedictions at public graduations. Fortgang explains how Scaliapopularized "originalism" and "textualism," arguing that the Constitution should be interpreted based on the original public meaning of the text rather than through subjective "moral readings" by judges. (11)Tal Fortgang discusses the "Scalian revolution" that shifted the Supreme Court toward judicial restraint. He notes that while Scalia faced a hostile press and "nasty" internal criticism from colleagues like Harry Blackmun, his ideas eventually prevailed. Fortgang also observes that the modern partisan venom in confirmation hearings began during Scalia's era with the contentious treatment of Robert Bork and Clarence Thomas. (12)Simon Constable reports from France on falling global commodity prices for food and energy due to supply meeting demand. He then shifts to the immigration crisis in Britain, where violent incidents in Belfast and Southampton have fueled public outrage. Constable attributes the unrest to a failure of both major parties to manage unfettered immigration and the lack of cultural integration. (13)Simon Constable discusses the declining popularity of UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer and the potential rise of challengers like Andy Burnham. He highlights a dramatic shift in British public opinion, with polling by Lord Ashcroftshowing that a vast majority of Labour, Liberal Democrat, and Green voters—and even a third of Conservatives—now favor rejoining the European Union after a decade of Brexit. (14)Bob Zimmerman tracks the transition to commercial space, noting that private companies like Vast are leading the race to build stations to replace the aging ISS. He discusses Amazon's struggle to launch its satellite constellation due to rocket delays, contrasted with SpaceX's efficiency. Zimmerman also reports on a milestone for SpaceX, as a single Falcon 9 booster successfully completed a record 35th flight. (15)Bob Zimmerman highlights discoveries by the James Webb Space Telescope, including a black hole 6 billion times the mass of the sun located 10 billion light-years away. He also describes a "flickering" quasar from the early universe that challenges current Big Bang theories. Finally, Zimmerman provides an update on the Curiosity rover as it travels through the "Grand" valley on its ascent of Mars. (16)Two name fixes: Joel Cotkin → Joel Kotkin (7, 8) — the urbanist/scholar's correct spelling Natalie Eacano → Natalie Ecanow (5, 6) — the FDD scholar's correct spelling

Watch the full podcast! https://chinauncensored.tv/programs/podcast-339 Taiwan is increasing its defense spending to make sure any attack from the CCP is met with strong resistance. It has taken advantage of the US's Taiwan Relations Act of 1979 to buy up some of the United States' most advanced weapons systems, turning the island into a high-tech military fortress. Taiwan Ambassador Alexander Yui Tah-ray joins us.

The NDAA is two thousand pages of strategy, pork, and the occasional genuinely big idea — this year including a new robotics combatant command and the first legislated guardrails on AI in the kill chain. Senator Elissa Slotkin of Michigan, who served in OSD Policy and three terms in the House before joining the Senate Armed Services Committee, joins ChinaTalk to break down what got in, what got voted down, and why markup days are the only two days a year the Senate acts like a functioning institution. We discuss… Why NDAA markup is the Senate's best two days of the year — and what it would take to make the rest of the institution work like that, The AI Guardrails Act, the Anthropic debate, and why no one SecDef or AI company should set the rules for the kill chain, Her bipartisan bill with Bernie Moreno banning Chinese connected vehicles — and the BYDs now streaming over the Canadian border, Why Michiganders care deeply about China but not (yet) about Taiwan, The Democratic playbook if the party flips a chamber in November, Data ownership, the Midwest's data center revolt, and why a healthy democracy would be talking about AI every single day. song: https://suno.com/s/HdtwRInfqQsDTVMq Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode, you'll hear how an immigrant entrepreneur leveraged authenticity, storytelling, and smart content strategy to turn a resume platform into a powerful engine for referrals, hiring, and personal brand.   In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Jimmy Lai discuss: Using LinkedIn as an “Instagram” for lawyers and professionals Immigration journey, E-2 visa risk, and launching a law firm from scratch Clarifying goals on LinkedIn: clients, brand, or relationships Authenticity, lived experience, and personal storytelling in content Hooks, comments, and practical tactics to grow reach and engagement   Key Takeaways: Treating LinkedIn as a place to learn, be entertained, and build real relationships can transform it from a static resume into a dynamic growth channel. Before posting, get crystal clear on whether your primary goal is client acquisition, personal branding, or relationship-building, and let that drive your strategy. Consistent content built around a few focused pillars and rooted in lived experience tends to outperform generic, “professional-only” posts. Engagement doesn't start with posting; thoughtful, value-adding comments can be the safest and most effective way to warm up and build relationships. Sustainable business growth often requires letting go of the need to do everything yourself and delegating to capable people who can reliably handle 80% of the work.   "My big mistake as an entrepreneur was thinking that I'm the best at everything, and I need to do everything myself… we didn't hit exponential growth until I was ready to let go." —  Jimmy Lai   Check out my new show, Be That Lawyer Coaches Corner, and get the strategies I use with my clients to win more business and love your career again.   Join the Be That Lawyer Community and connect with ambitious lawyers who are serious about growing their book of business, strengthening their brand, and becoming confident, consistent rainmakers.   Ready to go from good to GOAT in your legal marketing game? Don't miss PIMCON—where the brightest minds in professional services gather to share what really works. Lock in your spot now: https://www.pimcon.org/   Thank you to our Sponsor! LEX Reception: https://www.lexreception.com/partners/bethatlawyer Rankings.io: https://rankings.io/ Lawyer.com: https://www.lawyer.com/   Ready to grow your law practice without selling or chasing? Book your free 30-minute strategy session now—let's make this your breakout year: https://fretzin.com/   About Jimmy Lai: Drawing from a diverse, multicultural background and a multilingual K-12 education spanning Taiwan, the United States, Japan, Germany, and England, Jimmy has always possessed a global perspective. This unique background, combined with his experience as an international student, fueled his passion for immigration law and his desire to help others achieve the American Dream. After earning his undergraduate marketing degree from the University of Central Oklahoma—where he was honored as the sole recipient of the prestigious Top Central Man award—he went on to complete his JD/MBA at the University of Oklahoma in 2021. Rather than taking the conventional route of joining an established firm as a junior associate, Jimmy co-founded Lai & Turner Law Firm PLLC in 2022 alongside his close friend Braden Turner to "do law differently." As the firm's managing attorney, Jimmy has guided Lai & Turner through rapid growth, expanding its services from immigration to include estate planning, criminal defense, real estate, and personal injury, all while ensuring every client receives premier representation rooted in the firm's core values.   Connect with Jimmy Lai:   Website: https://www.laiturnerlaw.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jimmylai-jdmba   Connect with Steve Fretzin: LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin Twitter: @stevefretzin Instagram: @fretzinsteve Facebook: Fretzin, Inc. Website: Fretzin.com Email: Steve@Fretzin.com Book: Legal Business Development Isn't Rocket Science and more! YouTube: Steve Fretzin Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911   Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it. 

As we head into the 2026 World Cup, we take a look at Taiwan's surprisingly rich football heritage. Although a minor sport today, there have been periods of intense popularity and success. The soccer story starts more than a century ago with British Presbyterian missionary Edward Band, who introduced the sport to students in Tainan. We follow the growth of football during the Japanese colonial era, the White Terror crackdown, and then the unusual “Hong Kong Legs” era when the ROC national team used “football mercenaries.” The country's greatest international success, however, came with the Mulan women's football team.

第六季第12集的 #podcast 來囉～聽眾朋友，冠軍團體來矣啦！歡迎妹迪 IN TAIWAN啥人下願的，愛聽10改喔

Where should Britain stand in the great power struggle between the US and China? Does the special relationship with Washington mean anything anymore or do all roads lead back to Europe? Gideon discusses these questions with Ben Judah, former special adviser to deputy prime minister David Lammy.Clip: Channel 4 NewsFree links to read more on this topic:Donald Trump warns US will soon hit Iran ‘hard' againWill Trump abandon Taiwan?It is time for a European Security Council Britain re-entering the EU ‘an inevitability', says Treasury ministerPutin and Trump don't have the cardsSubscribe to The Rachman Review wherever you get your podcasts - please listen, rate and subscribe.Presented by Gideon Rachman. Produced by Fiona Symon. Sound design is by Breen Turner.Follow Gideon on Bluesky or X @gideonrachman.bsky.social, @gideonrachmanRead a transcript of this episode on FT.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The NDAA is two thousand pages of strategy, pork, and the occasional genuinely big idea — this year including a new robotics combatant command and the first legislated guardrails on AI in the kill chain. Senator Elissa Slotkin of Michigan, who served in OSD Policy and three terms in the House before joining the Senate Armed Services Committee, joins ChinaTalk to break down what got in, what got voted down, and why markup days are the only two days a year the Senate acts like a functioning institution. We discuss… Why NDAA markup is the Senate's best two days of the year — and what it would take to make the rest of the institution work like that, The AI Guardrails Act, the Anthropic debate, and why no one SecDef or AI company should set the rules for the kill chain, Her bipartisan bill with Bernie Moreno banning Chinese connected vehicles — and the BYDs now streaming over the Canadian border, Why Michiganders care deeply about China but not (yet) about Taiwan, The Democratic playbook if the party flips a chamber in November, Data ownership, the Midwest's data center revolt, and why a healthy democracy would be talking about AI every single day. song: https://suno.com/s/HdtwRInfqQsDTVMq Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Links:  China Maritime Report #52: Everything Everywhere All At Once: The Growing Complexity of PLA Amphibious Exercises: Direct link to China Maritime Report #52 China Maritime Studies Institute CMSI Reports LinkedIn IngeniSPACE News Site   Bio: Jason Wang is a national security researcher and COO of ingeniSPACE, a Silicon Valley geointelligence analytics house. Marvin Bernardo is a PhD candidate at the National Jung ju University, Taiwan, and serves as a maritime domain analyst at ingeniSPACE.

The next great wave of demand for artificial intelligence chips could come not from chatbots, but from humanoid robots caring for ageing populations. That is the prediction of Wendell Huang, chief financial officer of TSMC, the Taiwanese company that manufactures the world's most advanced semiconductors. As countries grapple with rapidly ageing societies, Huang sees robot carers and autonomous vehicles as major commercial frontiers beyond the current boom in AI data centres.TSMC is already struggling to keep pace with demand. Huang says the company is expanding as fast as it can across Taiwan, the United States, Japan and Germany, but new fabrication plants take two to three years to build and a further year or two to reach full production. Despite concerns about overinvestment, he rejects the idea that AI is a bubble, describing it as a “multi-year structural megatrend” backed by the financial strength of the world's biggest cloud and technology companies.The most advanced chips will continue to be ramped up in Taiwan, Huang says, because research and manufacturing teams need to work in close proximity. Recreating Taiwan's semiconductor ecosystem in the US will take at least five to ten years, even though TSMC's Arizona lab has now matched the yield of its mother lab in Taiwan.Huang is also pointed about Elon Musk's stated ambition to manufacture chips. “There's no shortcut in semiconductor manufacturing,” he says, arguing that government subsidies alone cannot guarantee success in the foundry business. TSMC's advantage, he suggests, rests on technology, execution and nearly four decades of customer trust.Geopolitics remain unavoidable. TSMC sits at the centre of US-China tensions over technology and Taiwan, but Huang declines to be drawn on the politics, insisting the company builds capacity according to customer demand rather than government instruction. On export controls and reports of chips reaching China through third parties, he says TSMC has robust compliance systems, while acknowledging the limits of tracing products once they leave its facilities.Presenter: Suranjana Tewari Producer: Jaltson Akkanath Chummar& Olie D'AlbertansonPicture Courtesy of Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, LTD3:10 The AI chip landscape 5:21 Is the AI boom a bubble? 7:28 Humanoid robots and the future of AI demand 8:14 Will AI replace jobs? 10:25 Will cutting-edge chips stay in Taiwan? 13:27 Huawei and Chinese chip ambitions 19:08 TSMC on receiving US government subsidies 19:27 Elon Musk's chip-making ambitions 20:45 Middle East, supply chains and stockpiling 21:35 Talent challenges and cultural adjustment in Arizona

President Trump has yet to decide on a $14 Billion Dollar arms package for Taiwan. Such arms sales are a persistent source of friction with China. 

China is home to over one billion internet users, and about half are consumers of internet literature. While the industry started as a group of hobby writers, it's now a multimillion dollar industry that has spawned adaptations to TV shows, films, and games. One of the most successful genres has become a phenomenon in and of itself. It's called "alt-history" fiction, which typically follows a contemporary man traveling back in time to save ancient China from a crisis. Brooke sits down with Rongbin Han, a Chinese cyberpolitics expert at the University of Georgia, about why this particular genre of web novel has grabbed so many readers' attention, what it can teach us about how Chinese people are imagining China's rise on a global stage, and how it's an illustration of a state and its people co-producing, or negotiating, a shared vision of an ideal, powerful China.     On the Media is supported by listeners like you. Support OTM by donating today (https://pledge.wnyc.org/support/otm). Follow our show on Instagram, Bluesky, TikTok and Facebook @onthemedia, and share your thoughts with us by emailing onthemedia@wnyc.org. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Air Date: 6/10/2026 Today we explore how Taiwan's own people are stuck between the US and China. Fewer and fewer of them want to rejoin China but their faith in America is sinking just as fast as Trump treats them as a bargaining chip. Their own leaders are split on how to respond. And the place that makes most of the world's advanced chips has almost no seat at the table where its future is being decided. Full Show Notes Transcript Be part of the show! Leave a voice message, message us on Signal at the handle bestoftheleft.01, or email Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com BestOfTheLeft.com/Support (Members Get Bonus Shows + No Ads!) Use our links to shop Bookshop.org and Libro.fm for a non-evil book and audiobook purchasing experience! Join our Discord community! TOP TAKES KP 1: Xi, Putin & Trump - Who Really Runs the World? | To the Point - DW News - Air Date 5-21-26 KP 2: Can There Ever Really Be "one China?" - Vox - Air Date 5-28-26 KP 3: How the US Is Trying to Challenge China's Critical Mineral Dominance Part 1 - The China in Africa Podcast - Air Date 5-28-26 KP 4: Why Did Trump Take Elon Musk to China? - Paul Krugman - Air Date 5-14-26 KP 5: Why This Island Could Trigger World War 3 - Johnny Harris - Air Date 12-18-25 KP 6: China Will Never Beat Taiwan, Here's Why - Maxinomics - Air Date 3-37-26 (00:53:26) NOTE FROM THE EDITOR The Stories Nations Tell Will Destroy Us_ China, Taiwan, and Trump My commentaries on YouTube - Share them! DEEPER DIVES (01:04:39) SECTION A: THE MAKING OF TAIWAN A1: The Taiwan Conflict, Explained - Ryan Chapman - Air Date 10-13-22 A2: Inside China's Plan to Take Over Taiwan "peacefully" | If You're Listening - ABC NEWS In-depth - Air Date 11-28-25 (01:24:47) SECTION B: THE MULTIPOLAR WORLDVIEW B1: China Rising Part 1: How the Unipolar World Is Ending - Beyond the Ballot Box - Air Date 2-10-26 B2: US Unipolarity Vs China's Multipolarity: Whose Vision Will Shape the New Global Order? B3: China Rising Part 2: Taiwan, Xinjiang, Sovereignty and Human Rights - Beyond the Ballot Box (01:52:00) SECTION C: TAIWAN IN THE CROSSHAIRS C1: What's Behind the Record-breaking $11 Billion US-Taiwan Arms Deal? - DW News - Air Date 12-19-25 C2: Is Taiwan Moving Away From the US? - TLDR News Global - Air Date 4-20-26 (02:09:55) SECTION D: THE SUMMIT AND ITS FALLOUT D1: Xi Warns Trump of Potential "Conflict" Over Taiwan in Beijing Summit on Iran, Trade, Tech & More - Democracy Now! - Air Date 5-14-26 D2: Trump's FAILED Meeting With China's Xi Jinping Was Humiliating - Pod Save the World - Air Date 5-21-26 D3: Strait to the Abyss - The Muckrake Political Podcast - Air Date 6-2-26 D4: Xi Hosts Putin in Beijing, Cementing China-Russia Alliance After Trump's Visit - PBS NewsHour - Air Date 5-20-26 (02:39:44) SECTION E: THE RESOURCE WAR AND AFRICA E1: How the US Is Trying to Challenge China's Critical Mineral Dominance Part 2 - The China in Africa Podcast - Air Date 5-28-26 E2: Why 3 African States Said No to Taiwan - The China in Africa Podcast - Air Date 4-23-26   Produced by Jay! Tomlinson Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com Listen Anywhere! BestOfTheLeft.com/Listen Listen Anywhere! Follow BotL: Bluesky | Mastodon | Threads | X Like at Facebook.com/BestOfTheLeft Contact me directly at Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com

In this episode of The PDB Afternoon Bulletin:  • The tit-for-tat between Washington and Tehran continues. After U.S. forces struck Iranian military targets, Iran responded with missiles and drones aimed at American bases across the Middle East. We break down the latest exchange and what it could mean for the future of the conflict.  • Taiwan fires U.S.-made HIMARS rocket systems from a beach facing mainland China, offering a rare look at how Taipei plans to defend the island in the event of a Chinese invasion.   To listen to the show ad-free, become a premium member of The President's Daily Brief by visiting https://PDBPremium.com.  Please remember to subscribe if you enjoyed this episode of The President's Daily Brief.    YouTube: youtube.com/@presidentsdailybrief BUB Naturals: Live Better Longer with BUBS Naturals. For A limited time get 20% Off your entire order with code PDB at https://Bubsnaturals.com Trust & Will: Estate planning doesn't have to be complicated—create your will or trust online in minutes with Trust & Will and get 20% off at https://trustandwill.com/PDB Chapter: Compare every medicare plan call 915-671-5252 today! Chapter and its affiliates are not connected with or endorsed by any government entity or the federal Medicare program. Chapter Advisory, LLC represents Medicare Advantage HMO, PPO, and PFFS organizations and stand alone prescription drug plans that have a Medicare contract. Enrollment depends on the plan's contract renewal. While we have a database of every Medicare plan nationwide and can help you to search among all plans, we have contracts with many but not all plans. As a result, we do not offer every plan available in your area. Currently we represent 50 organizations which offer 18,160 products nationwide. We search and recommend all plans, even those we don't directly offer. You can contact a licensed Chapter agent to find out the number of products available in your specific area. Please contact https://Medicare.gov, 1-800-Medicare, or your local State Health Insurance Program (SHIP) to get information on all of your options. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The cost of goods in the United States is rising at its fastest pace in three years, with inflation driven mainly by soaring energy prices since the start of the war in Iran. Economists say the energy shock is feeding through into broader price pressures across the world's largest economy.Meanwhile, Taiwan's TSMC, a key player in the global AI boom and the centre of the US-China tech rivalry, has been speaking exclusively to the BBC about whether it can keep up with surging demand for advanced chips.And with just a day to go, large numbers of World Cup 2026 tickets are appearing on resale platforms. Presenter: Leanna Byrne Producer: David Cann

Gordon Chang and Rick Fisher analyze China's "grayzone" activities and maritime intimidation near Taiwan. They discuss the deployment of massive Coast Guard vessels and Taiwan's asymmetric defense strategy to prevent beach invasions. (12)1950 NAIROBI

SCHEDULE JOHN BATCHELOR SHOW,6-8-261823.Bill Roggio examines the intersection of Ebola and jihadist activity in Africa. ISIS-affiliated groups occupy national parks, complicating medical containment efforts amidst collapsed governance in West Africa and foreign exploitation by Russia and China. (1)Bill Roggio discusses the volatile Middle East conflict, highlighting recent missile exchanges between Israel and Iran. He notes the fragility of ceasefires and the impact of the ongoing U.S. maritime and economic blockade. (2)Bill Roggio and Jonathan Sayeh analyze Iran's strategic focus on Lebanon and Hezbollah as a "crown jewel." They discuss Iran's preemptive missile strikes against Israel and their efforts to create diplomatic rifts. (3)Bill Roggio and Jonathan Sayeh detail Iran's centralized internet restrictions and increased execution rates for dissidents. They discuss Israel's targeting of Iranian petrochemical facilities linked to ballistic missile production and covert resistance efforts. (4)Thaddeus McCotter and Malcolm Hoenlein review Israeli strikes on Iranian military infrastructure and the severe financial crisis facing the IRGC. They also discuss the Houthi movement's renewed threats to disrupt Red Sea shipping. (5)Thaddeus McCotter and Malcolm Hoenlein explore Qatar's massive U.S. investments and its role as a state sponsor of terrorism. They also address the failure of Saudi Arabia's Neom project and Hamas's weakening position. (6)Edmund Fitton-Brown evaluates the "armed standoff" between the U.S. and Iran. He explains how Iran uses Hezbollah to pressure Israel while attempting to exploit political vulnerabilities and split the U.S. from Jerusalem. (7)Edmund Fitton-Brown discusses the centrality of the nuclear file in U.S.-Iran negotiations. He emphasizes that Israelcannot withdraw from Lebanon while under threat and highlights the IRGC's strategy of absorbing long-term pain. (8)Bill Roggio and John Hardie discuss Russia's reopening of military schools to replenish its officer core. They analyze the impact of high casualties in Ukraine on Russian force quality and post-war reconstitution plans. (9)Ahmad Sharawi discusses Syria's efforts to lift its state sponsor of terror designation to attract foreign investment. He warns that unconditional sanctions relief poses risks regarding foreign fighters and Hezbollah's regional rearmament. (10)Gordon Chang and Alan Tonelson review the re-imposition of U.S. tariffs on China following a Supreme Court ruling. They discuss specific trade laws, forced labor bans, and the public's perception of trade wars. (11)Gordon Chang and Rick Fisher analyze China's "grayzone" activities and maritime intimidation near Taiwan. They discuss the deployment of massive Coast Guard vessels and Taiwan's asymmetric defense strategy to prevent beach invasions. (12)Bill Roggio and Bridget Toomey examine the Houthi movement's role in the regional conflict. They discuss leader Abdul Malik al-Houthi's ambitious vision, his coordination with Iran, and threats to Israeli shipping. (13)Conrad Black critiques Canada's "Combatting Hate Act," arguing it is a tokenistic measure that potentially infringes on free expression. He asserts existing laws are already sufficient to handle genuine incitements to criminal violence. (14)Alejandro Peña Esclusa and Ernesto Araújo report on close elections in Peru and Colombia. They discuss the rise of right-wing candidates fighting organized crime and the left's allegations of widespread electoral irregularities. (15)Alejandro Peña Esclusa and Ernesto Araújo discuss regional instability in Bolivia and Chile. They highlight the coordinated efforts of the left to provoke social unrest and the impact of transnational criminal organizations. (16)

Watch the full podcast! https://chinauncensored.tv/programs/podcast-338 Donald Trump said he discussed Taiwan arms sale with Xi Jinping, which goes against the longstanding "Six Assurances" issued by Ronald Reagan, which says that US presidents won't discuss Taiwan arms sales with Chinese leaders. This made some speculate that Trump is using Taiwan like a bargaining chip in dealings with China.

Rick Fisher explains that Taiwan's primary military strategy focuses on destroying a Chinese invasion force on the beach. This approach, encouraged by Washington, aligns with historic lessons regarding defense against amphibious attacks. (1)1910 ABORIGNES ON TAIWAN