Podcasts about Togo

SHIGENORI TOGO AND THE JAPANESE WAR COUNCIL Colleague Evan Thomas. Thomas profiles Shigenori Togo, the Japanese Foreign Minister and the only civilian on the Supreme War Council advocating for surrender. Togonavigated a dangerous political landscape defined by the "stomach game" of indirect communication and the threat of assassination by military extremists. The discussion explores the Japanese military's adherence to the "47 Ronin" code of honor through death and their preparation for a "final battle" involving 28 million civilians. While the military hoped to bleed the Americans to gain better terms, Togo attempted a desperate and ultimately failed diplomatic outreach to the Soviet Union. NUMBER 3 1945 OKINAWA

THE EMPEROR INTERVENES Colleague Evan Thomas. Following the bombing of Hiroshima, Emperor Hirohitobroke with tradition to support Foreign Minister Togo, urging the deadlocked War Council to "bear the unbearable" and surrender. War Minister Anami, however, continued to romanticize national suicide, suggesting it would be beautiful for the nation to perish like a flower. Negotiations stalled over the status of the Emperor, as the US insisted he remain subject to the Allied commander. Ultimately, the fear of continued atomic destruction and future war crimes trials forced the Japanese leadership to accept the Potsdam Declaration. NUMBER 6 1945 OKINAWA 

POST-WAR REFLECTIONS AND REGRETS Colleague Evan Thomas. In the war's aftermath, Henry Stimsonretired feeling guilty, fearing that scientific progress, exemplified by the bomb, had outpaced human morality. General Spaatz was similarly haunted by his role in killing civilians, with his granddaughter recalling him moaning in his sleep. Conversely, Shigenori Togo, despite being sentenced to 20 years in prison, died with a clear conscience knowing he fought for peace. Thomas concludes by noting that Togo remains largely unhonored in modern Japan, a nation that remains ambivalent about its responsibility for the war. NUMBER 8 1945 OKINAWA

À la veille de la Coupe d'Afrique des Nations 2010 en Angola, le bus qui transporte la sélection du Togo subit une violente attaque armée. Comment un tel drame a-t-il pu survenir ? Et surtout à qui la faute ?Attaquant des Éperviers à cette époque, Thomas Dossevi était l'un des passagers du bus. Pour ce nouvel épisode du podcast CAN Stories produit par beIN SPORTS, il revient sur cet évènement qui a marqué sa vie. Tout comme Emmanuel Adebayor et Didier Drogba, d'autres protagonistes dans cette histoire invraisemblable.Un épisode raconté et produit par Baptiste Denis. Hébergé par Audion. Visitez https://www.audion.fm/fr/privacy-policy pour plus d'informations.

« La brouille entre les États-Unis et nous, c'est terminé », a déclaré lundi 22 décembre le ministre de l'Information du Nigeria, Mohammed Idris, qui a même annoncé un « partenariat renforcé ». Lors d'une conférence de presse, il s'est félicité également du niveau de coopération atteint entre son pays et la France. Le porte-parole du président Bola Tinubu faisait-il allusion aux événements du Bénin, le 7 décembre dernier ? Thomas Orimissan Akéré, président du Club des francophones du Nigeria, répond aux questions de RFI. RFI : Quand le ministre de l'Information du Nigeria, Mohamed Idriss, affirme que la brouille avec les États-Unis est résolue, est-ce que vous pensez qu'il a raison ou pas ? Thomas Orimissan Akéré : Il a certainement raison dans la mesure où le Nigeria a sollicité les États-Unis depuis 2014, après les enlèvements des filles de Chibok, au nord-est du Nigeria. Donc, on a toujours voulu avoir une coopération avec les États-Unis, avec les puissances étrangères qui pouvaient aider le Nigeria. Et aujourd'hui, les États-Unis sont certainement arrivés à cette conclusion que le gouvernement fédéral du Nigeria cherche à coopérer pour trouver une solution à ces problèmes de terrorisme et de banditisme au nord du Nigeria. Alors, en effet, une enquête de l'agence Reuters révèle que le conseiller à la sécurité nationale du Nigeria, Nuhu Ribadu, a rencontré le 20 novembre dernier le secrétaire d'État américain à la Défense, Pete Hegseth, et que depuis un mois, un avion de surveillance américain décolle tous les jours du Ghana pour aller survoler le Nigeria. Quel type de renseignement peut aller chercher cet avion pour le compte à la fois des États-Unis et du Nigeria ?  Étant donné que les États-Unis ont des moyens de renseignement qui sont plus importants que ceux du Nigeria, avec notamment les satellites et les mouvements dans la région, le Nigeria, depuis longtemps, a demandé donc des renseignements pour voir les mouvements des groupes terroristes. Ça peut être Boko Haram, ça peut être d'autres organisations terroristes. Il y a des groupes qui étaient déjà formés. Il y a aussi des groupes qui viennent de l'extérieur du Nigeria. Voulez-vous dire que les Américains aident les Nigerians à contrôler leur frontière nord avec le Niger ? Entre autres, oui. Ça peut être à l'intérieur du Nigeria. Ça peut être aussi le contrôle des frontières avec le Niger. Vous savez que c'est une région très poreuse. C'est pour cela que je regrette d'ailleurs que tous les pays de la région ne coopèrent pas, parce que ceux qui sont en train d'être chassés désormais depuis quelques jours maintenant du Nigeria, ils vont retourner de nouveau vers le Niger. Donc, il faut absolument une coopération globale dans la région pour pouvoir arriver à résoudre ces problèmes de mouvements et d'organisations terroristes. Alors, l'autre pays avec lequel coopère le Nigeria en ce moment, c'est ce qu'a dit le ministre de l'Information du Nigeria ce lundi, c'est la France. Quel est le type de partenariat sécuritaire entre les deux pays ?  Vous savez, nous sommes entourés par les pays francophones, donc ce sont des pays sur lesquels la France avait un certain pouvoir pour la sécurité, je vais dire dans cette région-là. D'ailleurs, la coopération avec la France ne date pas de Bola Tinubu. La coopération avec la France date de très longtemps et aussi bien la coopération économique que la coopération sécuritaire. Donc, à partir du moment où on sait que la France a une certaine aura sécuritaire dans la région, nous avons besoin de la France pour nous donner quelques renseignements dans cette région-là.  Le 7 décembre dernier, lors d'une tentative de putsch au Bénin, les armées du Nigeria et de la France sont intervenues en soutien au président Patrice Talon. Peut-on parler d'une action coordonnée entre Abuja et Paris ?  Je ne sais pas si l'action était coordonnée. Ce qui est sûr, c'est que le Nigeria ne pouvait pas laisser le Bénin dans les mains d'un régime militaire, alors qu'il connaissait déjà, à sa frontière nord, le régime militaire du Niger. Donc, le Nigeria ne voulait pas être entouré par des régimes militaires et il était de toute façon obligé d'intervenir au Bénin pour éviter cette hécatombe démocratique que nous avons dans la région.  Il y a deux ans, après le putsch de juillet 2023 au Niger, il y a eu un vrai différend entre le Français Emmanuel Macron, qui poussait à une intervention militaire au Niger, et le Nigerian Bola Tinubu, qui finalement a fait échouer cette opération. Est-ce qu'il y a toujours ce malentendu aujourd'hui entre messieurs Macron et Tinubu ?  Il faut savoir que l'intervention du Nigeria n'a pas pu avoir lieu au Niger, parce que le nom de la France a été utilisé par les autres régimes militaires au Burkina Faso, au Mali, pour dire attention, c'est la France qui veut intervenir. S'il n'y avait pas eu la France, s'il n'y avait pas eu le nom de la France, le Nigeria serait certainement intervenu pour aller rétablir au pouvoir le président Bazoum qui avait été élu à cette époque-là.  Alors, pourquoi le Nigeria n'est-il pas intervenu au Niger en 2023 ? Et pourquoi est-il intervenu au Bénin en 2025 ?  C'est qu'au Bénin, c'est différent. Au Bénin, c'est que le Nigeria était en danger parce que nous avons des relations économiques très poussées avec le Bénin. Beaucoup de Nigérians ont investi au Bénin et, si on prend le Bénin, on prend forcément le Togo avec. Et le Nigeria ne voulait pas que cette Cédéao soit aussi vite désintégrée, ce qui aurait mis le Nigeria aussi en danger. En termes de démocratie, il faut savoir que, depuis 1999, le Nigeria connaît un régime démocratique. J'ai l'habitude de dire que la démocratie n'est pas un produit fini. C'est un produit à améliorer constamment. Et le Nigeria améliore sa démocratie en termes d'avancées politiques et économiques. À lire aussiNigeria: la brouille entre Washington et Abuja «largement résolue», annonce le gouvernement

Experience an unforgettable morning of inspiration and empowerment when the President and General of the Universal African Peoples Organization, Zaki Baruti, returns to our classroom this Tuesday. With over 60 years of tireless activism, Brother Zaki’s journey began as an educator in East St. Louis and has made a global impact. Hear the powerful stories behind his lifelong crusade and discover how you can support the group’s vital book drive. But that’s not all—Reparations United’s Kamm Howard will share exclusive insights from the recent Pan African conference in Togo, bringing you the latest strategies in the global justice movement. Plus, Dr. Heru will reveal the groundbreaking results of his protocol for reversing cancer, offering hope and practical knowledge for our community.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

L'épilepsie est la maladie neurologique chronique de l'enfant la plus fréquente. Il s'agit d'une décharge électrique produisant un court-circuit au niveau du cerveau. Mouvements convulsifs, absences, hallucinations visuelles… Les symptômes varient en fonction de la zone cérébrale affectée. (Rediffusion) Comment se manifeste l'épilepsie chez l'enfant ? Quelle prise en charge existe ? Quelles sont les conséquences éventuelles sur le développement de l'enfant ? Pr Stéphane Auvin, chef du service de Neurologie pédiatrique, à l'Hôpital Robert-Debré AP-HP, à Paris Pr Mofou Belo, neurologue à Lomé au Togo, chef de division de la surveillance des maladies non transmissibles au ministère de la Santé. Un reportage de Louise Caledec. Programmation musicale : ► Aupinard – Le feu ► Hammerboi – Love Letter.    

L'épilepsie est la maladie neurologique chronique de l'enfant la plus fréquente. Il s'agit d'une décharge électrique produisant un court-circuit au niveau du cerveau. Mouvements convulsifs, absences, hallucinations visuelles… Les symptômes varient en fonction de la zone cérébrale affectée. (Rediffusion) Comment se manifeste l'épilepsie chez l'enfant ? Quelle prise en charge existe ? Quelles sont les conséquences éventuelles sur le développement de l'enfant ? Pr Stéphane Auvin, chef du service de Neurologie pédiatrique, à l'Hôpital Robert-Debré AP-HP, à Paris Pr Mofou Belo, neurologue à Lomé au Togo, chef de division de la surveillance des maladies non transmissibles au ministère de la Santé. Un reportage de Louise Caledec. Programmation musicale : ► Aupinard – Le feu ► Hammerboi – Love Letter.    

Cette partie du voyage est l'une des plus exigeantes, physiquement et mentalement, pour Charlotte et Tom.Le Togo et le Bénin, où les frontières s'enchaînent et demandent patience et vigilance ;Le Nigeria et le Cameroun, traversés avec prudence, en s'appuyant sur les conseils locaux ;Le Congo, où l'on apprend à écouter son intuition et à savoir quand il faut partir.Pour écouter l'épisode en entier :Road trip de Paris au Cap en famille-----------Si l'épisode vous a plu, laissez-moi une note 5 ⭐️ou un commentaire sur Apple Podcasts ou Spotify

La campagne de karité se termine en Afrique de l'Ouest. On parle de ces fruits qui renferment une amande qui donne après transformation du beurre de karité et des substituts utilisés dans l'industrie agroalimentaire. Cette campagne a été marquée par la fermeture des frontières de cinq producteurs ( Mali, Burkina Faso, Nigeria, Côte d'Ivoire, Togo) qui ont interdit les exportations d'amandes brutes dans l'objectif de contenir les prix et d'alimenter les usines locales. Après le Mali, le Burkina Faso, le Nigeria, la Côte d'Ivoire et le Togo, le Ghana pourrait être le prochain sur la liste. Dès janvier 2026, le pays pourrait lui aussi interdire les exportations d'amandes brutes, ont laissé entendre les autorités. Une information qui, si elle se confirmait, rebattrait encore plus les cartes pour les industriels étrangers, tels que le danois AAK et l'indien Manorama. Faute de pouvoir se fournir chez les principaux producteurs, ils ont tous misé cette saison sur le Ghana. Cette pression a fait s'envoler les prix, les acheteurs étant prêts à payer plus de 700 Francs CFA le kilo d'amandes de karité, soit près du double de ce qui a été en moyenne pratiqué dans des pays voisins.  « Ils ont paniqué et par peur de ne pas pouvoir honorer leurs contrats, ils ont tué le marché », commente un industriel installé dans la sous-région. À ce niveau de prix, il est difficile pour les transformateurs locaux de s'approvisionner, d'autant que les prix du beurre de karité en sortie d'usine ne sont pas suffisants pour réaliser une marge. La seule solution pour certains est de louer leur infrastructure à une major : c'est ce qu'on appelle le « tolling », pour ne pas fermer boutique.  Ces prix ont eu une autre conséquence. Ils ont attiré d'importants volumes d'amandes de karité du Mali et du Burkina Faso, et ce, malgré l'interdiction décrétée par ces pays. Le Ghana ne produit que 30 à 40 000 tonnes sur son sol, mais pourrait afficher cette année un chiffre d'exportation trois à quatre fois plus élevés, assure l'un de nos interlocuteurs.  Des prix contenus dans les pays qui ont cessé l'export Les interdictions d'exporter au Mali et au Burkina Faso sont perçues comme globalement efficaces dans le sens où elles ont permis de contenir les prix et ont facilité l'approvisionnement des usines locales. L'objectif de protéger le secteur a donc en partie fonctionné, mais pas totalement. L'interdiction d'exporter a été brutale et les transformateurs qui n'avaient pas le réseau de vente suffisant, ni les finances pour acheter les stocks d'amandes rendus tout d'un coup accessibles, n'en ont pas profité. En Côte d'Ivoire, l'interdiction prise en janvier, a empêché les gros industriels de se ruer vers le pays comme ils l'ont fait au Ghana, ce qui se serait fait au détriment des transformateurs locaux. « Si les exportations n'avaient pas été interdites, le secteur aurait été mis en faillite », résume un acteur local.  Mesure essentielle, mais pas suffisante en Côte d'Ivoire La mesure n'a cependant pas suffi à approvisionner toutes les usines ivoiriennes, car la capacité de transformation a explosé ces dernières années dans le pays : les usines peuvent désormais transformer environ 300 000 tonnes, soit beaucoup plus que la production ivoirienne, inférieure à 20 000 tonnes selon plusieurs sources. Ce qui a permis aux usines de ne pas sombrer, c'est soit de transformer un autre oléagineux, tel que le soja, soit de profiter des volumes passés en fraude depuis Mali et le Burkina Faso. Un industriel assure qu'en moyenne, sur dix camions qu'il a réceptionnés ces derniers mois, sept transportaient des amandes de karité du Mali, un camion des amandes du Burkina et deux acheminaient réellement de la production ivoirienne. Pour lui, « les grands gagnants de cette mesure sont les douaniers maliens et burkinabés ». À lire aussiLe commerce d'amandes de karité de plus en plus restreint en Afrique de l'Ouest

Hey Freunde, zum Jahresende haben wir auf Montes Weihnachtsevent die Corner ToGo eröffnet und sprechen mit Breitenberg, Jerry Vsan, Chris und Sep von Pietsmiet, Nooreax, Gtime und Rosemondy über das frohe Fest und vieles mehr. Viel Spaß!

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

Hear the story of how a missionary kid from Austria met someone from a village in Togo, what it has been like to move their family from Chicago to Togo, and how God has given them a vision for transformational education in West Africa. "Once we got married, we sensed that we had been called to serve but at the same time, we didn't really know what role we would be playing." - Koudjo "I could have never dreamed up this job myself and the perfect fit, but God knows this." - Chrischona "It was during those years of working with TeachBeyond that the vision for starting TeachBeyond Togo really was born." - Chrischona "I just heard story after story about how powerfully God was using education." - Chrischona "There's just something really special when there's the family of God that comes together, focusing on God and letting Him work through what He's given us, which is the tool of education." - Chrischona "Maybe some of those practical things [that take a long time] are just reminders of having to wait on God." - Chrischona "Depending on God is one of the things that is happening here." - Koudjo "I pray He will continue to use our family here for His service, and that He will help us to trust Him and depend on Him and let Him lead us in every moment of our ministry here." - Koudjo "We don't have to have it all figured out [...] before we can actually be part of making that happen in other countries." - Chrischona "My prayer is that God will continue to give us the space that we will be able to continue to do this sports ministry to be able to reach more kids in the community." - Koudjo Read the Profile of Transformation story from one of their teachers! What's changing our lives: Keane: Large monthly wall calendar for the kitchen Heather: Hosting a plaid-themed party  Chrischona: Having two teachers at the school this year Koudjo: Changes to sports ministry Weekly Spotlight: International Christian School of Togo We'd love to hear from you! podcast@teachbeyond.org Podcast Website: https://teachbeyond.org/podcast Learn about TeachBeyond: https://teachbeyond.org/

Aujourd'hui, je vous présente Charlotte, photographe et maman de deux grands garçons. C'est son fils Tom, 25 ans, qui lui a proposé ce voyage un peu fou : six mois de road trip de Paris jusqu'au Cap en Afrique du Sud, un projet qu'il a imaginé et organisé du début à la fin.Ils ont traversé l'Europe et l'Afrique, pays après pays : Espagne, Maroc, Mauritanie, Sénégal, Guinée, Côte d'Ivoire, Ghana, Togo, Bénin, Nigeria, Cameroun, Congo, Angola, Namibie… jusqu'à l'Afrique du Sud .Un récit de voyage marqué par des nuits sous la tente, des rencontres spontanées, un passage de frontière tendu à cause d'un drone, et cette scène digne d'un western quand deux silhouettes se sont approchées d'eux au Maroc pour leur dire qu'ils ne pouvaient pas camper là .Ce voyage en famille a resserré leur lien, six mois côte à côte, souvent à l'aventure, parfois dans l'inconnu.Si l'idée de suivre une route qui change tout vous parle, vous serez sûrement curieux d'entendre leur histoire.-----------Si l'épisode vous a plu, laissez-moi une note 5 ⭐️ou un commentaire sur Apple Podcasts ou Spotify

Send us a textOn this episode of The Sustainable Business Spotlight, I sit down with Jestine, founder of Sustainable Classrooms, a Montana-based nonprofit, turning plastic waste into building blocks for education in Togo, West Africa. We talk about tackling plastic pollution, working across cultures, and building classrooms with locally sourced materials, all while creating jobs and improving student access to food and healthcare.Jestine shares how a post-college trip turned into a mission to build more than just infrastructure. With a small but mighty team on the ground and a growing community of supporters, she's proving that one idea, and one brick at a time, can make a global impact.Whether you're working on your own eco-startup or looking for inspiration to take action, this episode highlights how grassroots solutions can drive sustainable change.In this episode: 01:33 – How a trip to Southeast Asia and Africa sparked the idea 03:54 – Living in Togo and building trust with the local community 06:34 – Turning shredded plastic into bricks for classrooms 09:05 – Connecting with students through language and shared experience 13:50 – How power outages are shaping their shift to solar energy 16:57 – Supporting students with school lunches and health programs 19:36 – Ways to support Sustainable Classrooms and follow their journeyIf you enjoyed this episode, share it with a friend who cares about sustainability!Links:Website: https://www.sustainableclassrooms.eco/Instagram: @sustainable_classroomsFacebook: Sustainable Classrooms LinkedIn: Sustainable ClassroomsTikTok: @sustainable_classroomsYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UClIUFEMKEkIa5C5kHKyK-pQAmy's Links:• Website• Alpine Start Media's Instagram• LinkedIn• Jelt's Instagram

/Summary继续划水！这期节目还是来自狂喜播客节是时候展示会聊天的能力了：）/Show Note02:01 情绪价值在商业成功中的重要性：功能价值与恐惧FOMO心理的驱动力07:18 情绪价值驱动下的不同平台选择：实用价值与心理满足的交织14:38 情感价值与品牌认知：探究产品价值的深层意义21:57 情绪价值的重要性：从抚慰到炫耀的不同需求29:14 理解情绪价值：产品背后的消费者需求和品牌影响力36:37 情绪价值主导的时代：旅行轿车销量背后的秘密43:57 情绪价值与商业决策：探讨中国公司进入AI时代的决心和打法51:14 情绪价值与汽车购买的思考：内心的追求与现实的妥协58:32 购物的快感与价值：买玩具让孩子开心，你也会开心吗？01:05:57 书店的悲凉：情绪价值导向的商业竞争与成本考量01:13:12 创意价值与情绪营销：瞬间吸引用户注意力的秘密01:20:36 品牌价值与情绪价值：探讨消费决策中的归属感和独特性/Staff主播 | 于欣烈、刘飞、东东枪、罗叔 制作 | 燃烧吧罗叔文案 | 燃烧吧罗叔后期 | FirePod莎莎日程 | 腿哥/BGM ListRiding with the King念念 罗叔/Contact新浪微博：@燃烧吧罗叔抖音：燃烧吧罗叔公众号：头号玩家toGo合作微信： luoyoucai

In deze aflevering spreek ik opnieuw met Mignon van Dutchies Emigreren. In aflevering 208 vertelde ze hoe haar gezin de keuze maakte om te emigreren naar Togo. Nu, ruim een jaar later, praten we over een compleet nieuwe fase: remigreren. Hoe voelt het om na drie jaar in West-Afrika weer terug te keren naar Nederland? Wat doet zo'n grote overgang met je kinderen, je dagelijks leven en je identiteit? En hoe weet je wanneer het tijd is om een hoofdstuk af te sluiten en terug te gaan? Mignon deelt eerlijk over twijfels, verwachtingen en hoe haar kinderen de terugkomst ervaren. Een waardevolle aflevering voor iedereen die nadenkt over emigreren, langdurig reizen of het creëren van een vrijer leven met je gezin.

Après le Mali, la Guinée, le Burkina Faso, le Niger et fin novembre la Guinée-Bissau,  le Bénin a bien failli dimanche dernier (7 décembre 2025) être le théâtre d'un coup d'État militaire... Un groupe de mutins emmené par le lieutenant colonel Pascal Tigri a tenté de prendre le pouvoir en lançant à 2h du matin une série d'attaques contre les domiciles de plusieurs hauts gradés, la résidence du chef de l'État, le Palais présidentiel et le siège de la TV nationale. Les insurgés y ont enregistré un message proclamant la destitution du président Patrice Talon. Mais l'armée régulière est restée républicaine et fidèle à son serment. Après plusieurs heures d'affrontement, le putsch a échoué. Une douzaine d'insurgés ont été arrêtés par les forces béninoises, épaulées par des troupes et l'aviation nigérianes. Mais des dizaines d'autres dont leur chef ont réussi à s'enfuir. Reste beaucoup de questions : le lieutenant colonel Tigri qui se trouverait maintenant à Lomé, au Togo, a-t-il agi de son propre chef ou cette tentative de putsch a-t-elle été commanditée, et par qui ? Cette multiplication des coups d'État ou tentative de coups d'État depuis 5 ans en Afrique de l'Ouest est-elle la conséquence de la menace jihadiste ou traduit-elle un rejet des principes démocratiques ? Quelle est la situation sécuritaire dans la région ? Pourquoi l'alliance des États du Sahel (Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger) n'arrive-t-elle pas à endiguer l'expansion des groupes jihadistes ? Que penser de la stratégie d'asphyxie économique de la junte menée depuis septembre au Mali par le JNIM, affilié à al-Qaida à travers un blocus du carburant ?    Trois invités : - Niagale Bagayoko, présidente de l'African Security Sector Network  - Bakary Sambe, directeur régional du Timbuktu Institute à Dakar  - Alain Antil, directeur du Centre Afrique subsaharienne de l'Ifri. 

Foreign Minister Togo and the Japanese Supreme War Council: Colleague Evan Thomas highlights Foreign Minister Shigenori Togo as the sole civilian in Japan's "Big Six" council advocating surrender against military leaders demanding a "final battle," noting that facing assassination risks, Togo maneuvered the complex "stomach game" of Japanese politics, hoping unsuccessfully that the Soviet Union would mediate a peace settlement. 1933 TOKYO

 HEADLINE: Post-War Guilt and the Legacy of Stimson, Spaatz, and Togo GUEST AUTHOR: Evan Thomas SUMMARY: After the war, Henry Stimson and General Spaatz were haunted by guilt, fearing science had outpaced human morality. Foreign Minister Togo died in prison serving a sentence for war crimes, believing he did his best for peace, though he remains largely uncelebrated in modern ambivalent Japan.

À l'occasion de la venue à Genève de jeunes Acteurs du changement (Changemakers) de la Fondation Kofi Annan, l'invité d'ONU Info Genève est Esso-Dong Kongah, un de ces Acteurs du changement et Directeur du Centre de documentation et de formation sur les droits de l'homme (CDFDH) au Togo.Dans cet entretien, il revient sur son engagement pour les droits humains et l'accès à la justice au Togo, les défis auxquels font face les défenseurs des droits humains, l'usage des outils numériques pour renforcer la culture du droit, et ce que lui apporte le programme Changemakers de la Fondation Kofi Annan.« Je travaille beaucoup aujourd'hui sur les questions de l'espace civique et de la participation citoyenne », explique M. Kongah. Entretien réalisé par Alexandre Carette

« Pour arrêter un putsch, il faut que la Cédéao et les États voisins du pays touché interviennent immédiatement, sans laisser le temps aux putschistes de réussir leur coup », dit en substance l'universitaire nigérian Jibrin Ibrahim, cinq jours après les frappes aériennes du Nigeria contre les putschistes du Bénin. Le professeur Jibrin Ibrahim est chercheur principal au Center for Democracy and Development, le Centre pour la démocratie et le développement, à Abuja au Nigeria. Deux jours avant le prochain sommet de la Cédéao à Abuja, il présente la nouvelle stratégie de Lagos, au micro de Christophe Boisbouvier. RFI : Jibrin Ibrahim, l'intervention militaire du Nigeria au Bénin, est-ce que c'est le signe d'un retour de votre pays sur la scène ouest-africaine ? Jibrin Ibrahim : Oui, peut-être, comme dans les années 1980-1990, quand le Nigeria était très actif, comme policier de la démocratie et de la stabilité politique de l'Afrique de l'Ouest. Est-ce que l'ère du précédent président nigérian Muhammadu Buhari est terminée avec le président Bola Tinubu qui est en poste depuis 2023 ? Absolument. Le président Tinubu est plus actif que Buhari. Buhari ne voulait pas faire quoi que ce soit. Il était au palais présidentiel et il ne faisait pas grand-chose. Pourquoi le Nigeria est-il intervenu le 7 décembre 2025 contre les putschistes béninois et pas en juillet 2023, contre les putschistes du Niger ? Je pense qu'à Niamey, en 2023, le Nigeria a essayé d'intervenir après les faits et que c'était vraiment difficile, car le nouveau régime était déjà installé. Cette fois-ci, l'idée c'était d'intervenir avant que le coup d'État ne réussisse. Et je pense que c'est une question de méthode. Donc, la leçon de ces derniers jours, c'est que si le Nigeria et la Cédéao veulent empêcher des putschs, il faut intervenir immédiatement ? Exactement. C'est le seul moyen de réussir ce genre d'intervention. Est ce qu'il y a, derrière l'intervention de dimanche dernier, la volonté de mettre un coup d'arrêt à l'épidémie des coups d'État en Afrique de l'Ouest ? Oui, effectivement, il faut savoir qu'il y a un problème de base. Chaque régime actuellement en Afrique de l'Ouest a peur d'un coup d'État. Donc, c'est pour se protéger soi-même. Quand on regarde l'Afrique de l'Ouest actuelle, le Nigeria, le Togo, la Côte d'Ivoire et d'autres pays ont peur d'un coup d'État dans leur propre pays. Donc, protéger d'autres pays contre le coup d'État, c'est se protéger soi-même. Et pour arrêter ce risque, il faut intervenir chaque fois qu'il y a une tentative dans la région. Moi, je pense qu'il est important en Afrique de l'Ouest maintenant de développer une stratégie de ceux qui veulent maintenir la démocratie, qu'ils travaillent ensemble contre les forces de déstabilisation politique et l'arrivée des militaires au pouvoir. Lors du putsch en Guinée-Bissau le mois dernier, le Nigeria n'est pas intervenu militairement, mais il a décidé d'accorder tout de même l'asile politique à l'opposant Fernando Dias, qui est donc réfugié dans l'enceinte de votre ambassade à Bissau. Est-ce que c'est un message aux putschistes  Ça fait longtemps que le Nigeria fait comme ça. Félix Malloum, l'ancien président du Tchad, a été accueilli au Nigéria en 1979, je pense. Donc, il y a cette tradition au Nigeria d'essayer d'intervenir dans les conflits africains. Et quand il y a une crise qui touche le chef de l'État, le Nigeria est toujours prêt à offrir l'exil. Il y a un autre opposant qui proclame sa victoire à une présidentielle de cette fin d'année, c'est le Camerounais Issa Tchiroma Bakary. Depuis le 7 novembre, il s'est réfugié en Gambie. Mais pour aller de Garoua à Banjul, il a dû passer nécessairement par votre pays, non ? Il semble bien qu'il est passé par le Nigeria puisqu'il a traversé la frontière. Il est allé jusqu'à Yola et, à partir de Yola, on lui a donné un avion pour l'amener. C'est ce que les gens disent. Alors pourquoi le Nigeria ne lui a pas accordé l'asile politique ? Et pourquoi Issa Tchiroma a-t-il dû s'éloigner jusqu'en Gambie ? Le Cameroun est un voisin du Nigeria et il y a des questions sur la table. Il y a la guerre contre Boko Haram. Les deux pays sont obligés de travailler ensemble. Donc, avoir Tchiroma Bakary ici au Nigeria, cela peut poser des problèmes diplomatiques et politiques, il faut éviter cela et s'éloigner est peut-être la meilleure stratégie. À lire aussiTentative de coup d'État au Bénin: le chef de la diplomatie nigériane réagit à l'appui militaire d'Abuja À lire aussiTentative de coup d'État au Bénin: comment l'intervention de la Cédéao a été décidée

Après l'occupation de la ville d'Uvira par les forces rebelles du M23, la presse congolaise s'en prend vertement au Rwanda : « Kigali poursuit sa folle aventure dans l'est de la République démocratique du Congo, dénonce La Tempête des Tropiques à Kinshasa, crachant ainsi sur la communauté internationale et sur les efforts diplomatiques consentis par les États-Unis et le Qatar. (…) Tout porte à croire que les rebelles auraient bénéficié de nouveaux renforts de l'armée rwandaise, avec pour objectif d'élargir le champ d'occupation, violant ainsi ouvertement l'Accord de paix signé le 4 décembre dernier, à Washington, en présence de Donald Trump et de plusieurs dirigeants de la région. » D'ailleurs, la communauté internationale hausse le ton également contre Kigali, relève le site congolais Actualité CD : aux États-Unis, « la majorité républicaine de la Commission des affaires étrangères de la Chambre des représentants a appelé hier à tenir “pleinement responsable“ le Rwanda des engagements pris avec la RDC lors de la signature des Accords de Washington la semaine dernière. “Ces engagements ne sont pas optionnels, et les États-Unis s'attendent à ce qu'ils soient appliqués“, a déclaré la commission, exhortant les dirigeants internationaux à “condamner sans réserve“ les actions de Kigali. (…) Plus tôt, rapporte encore Actualité CD, le Groupe de contact international pour les Grands Lacs – réunissant les États-Unis et l'Union européenne sous présidence allemande – s'est dit “profondément préoccupé“ par la nouvelle offensive du M23. » L'accord de paix piétiné… Pour les autorités congolaises, l'implication du Rwanda n'est plus à démontrer… « Aux yeux de Kinshasa, rapporte Le Monde Afrique, seul l'engagement de l'armée rwandaise a permis l'offensive sur Uvira. Lundi, le président congolais, Félix Tshisekedi, a accusé Kigali de “violer ses engagements“ pris à Washington. “Au lendemain même de la signature, des unités des forces de défense du Rwanda ont conduit et appuyé des attaques à l'arme lourde“, a-t-il dénoncé dans son discours annuel à la nation. Une très bonne source internationale au cœur du dossier, pointe encore Le Monde Afrique, affirme que l'ordre de l'assaut contre Uvira a été pris “au plus haut niveau de l'Etat rwandais avant même le 4 décembre“. Un autre interlocuteur note l'utilisation, ces derniers jours, sur le champ de bataille “de brouilleurs d'ondes de haute technologie, de lance-roquettes multiples, de mortiers de 120 mm guidés par GPS et de drones. Autant d'équipements et d'actions, ajoute-t-il, qui dépassent les capacités du M23“. » Qui plus est, croit savoir Le Monde Afrique, le dernier rapport des experts des Nations unies sur la RDC, qui sera publié prochainement, est accablant. Ce rapport « souligne en effet “la poursuite du déploiement de forces rwandaises au-delà de leurs frontières, le renforcement de leur présence au Nord et Sud-Kivu, positionnées sur les lignes de front et participant directement aux combats“. Les experts estiment qu'entre 6.000 et 7.000 militaires rwandais – “soit deux brigades et deux bataillons de forces spéciales“ – sont déployées dans les deux provinces. Kigali continue de nier sa présence en RDC, reconnaissant seulement l'existence de “mesures défensives“ sur sa frontière. » Des milliers de réfugiés… Conséquence de la chute d'Uvira : « le flot des déplacés submerge le Burundi » voisin… C'est ce que constate Le Journal de Kinshasa. « Des milliers de personnes ont franchi la frontière ces derniers jours, fuyant l'avancée des combattants de l'AFC-M23 à Uvira. Silhouettes courbées sous le poids de ballots précipités, ces civils cherchent un refuge immédiat. La frontière burundaise s'est rapidement transformée en un espace d'accueil, étroit mais vital. Sur place, l'urgence est totale. Les équipes du HCR et de l'Office national burundais de protection des réfugiés se mobilisent pour organiser les arrivées et protéger les déplacés. (…) La vie de milliers de personnes, soupire Le Journal de Kinshasa, dépend désormais de la capacité du Burundi à leur tendre la main. La réponse de la communauté internationale reste cruciale, alors que le monde risque de détourner le regard. » Tigri au Togo ? Enfin, les suites de la tentative de coup d'Etat au Bénin. D'après Jeune Afrique, « l'instigateur présumé du putsch, le lieutenant-colonel Pascal Tigri aurait trouvé refuge au Togo, à Lomé, en franchissant le fleuve Mono. Il aurait ensuite été hébergé dans le quartier de Lomé 2. » Toujours d'après Jeune Afrique, « Cotonou va demander son extradition. Contactée par le site panafricain, une source proche du président togolais Faure Gnassingbé dit ne pas être informée de cette situation. »

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

Moins connue que la ménopause, l'andropause est une période au cours de laquelle la sécrétion de testostérone diminue chez l'homme. Baisse de la libido, fatigue, augmentation du risque cardiovasculaire, irritabilité, augmentation du tour de taille… Les symptômes de l'andropause sont nombreux. Contrairement à la ménopause qui touche toutes les femmes, l'andropause n'affecte qu'une faible proportion d'hommes âgés. Comment se fait le diagnostic ? Quelle prise en charge existe ?  Si, du côté des femmes, les effets et ressentis associés à la ménopause sont abordés plus ouvertement qu'il y a quelques années, chez les hommes, l'andropause reste encore largement méconnue et rarement évoquée publiquement. Pourtant, les changements hormonaux liés au vieillissement impliquent un certain nombre de conséquences pour la santé et le bien-être des hommes. La baisse du taux de testostérone peut entraîner de multiples symptômes.  Andropause : ménopause au masculin ?  Certains spécialistes (urologue, endocrinologue, andrologue...) peuvent orienter le patient vers des analyses pour évaluer le taux de testostérone sanguin. La chute des androgènes peut provoquer une série de symptômes tels que des troubles de la fonction érectile, une baisse de la libido, une prise de poids, des troubles de l'humeur et du sommeil… Alors si certains symptômes se retrouvent chez l'homme et la femme, passé un certain âge, ménopause et andropause se distinguent par un simple fait : son caractère systématique chez la femme, autour de la cinquantaine (avec l'arrêt des règles, qui annonce la fin de la fonction reproductrice), quand, chez l'homme, ce déficit d'hormones sexuelles mâles lié à l'âge n'est pas systématique.  En finir avec le non-dit  La prise en charge de l'andropause repose sur des mesures hygiéno-diététiques : activité physique, alimentation équilibrée, baisse de la consommation d'alcool... Pour certains hommes, une supplémentation en testostérone pourra être prescrite, associée à un suivi médical. D'où l'importance de dépasser le tabou : oser en parler, pour trouver, si besoin, des solutions auprès d'un spécialiste.  Avec : Pr François Desgrandchamps, chef du service d'Urologie de l'Hôpital Saint-Louis de Paris, et professeur d'Urologie, à l'Université Paris Cité.   Dr Oumar Gaye, urologue-andrologue au Centre Hospitalier National Dalal Jamm, à Dakar, au Sénégal.   Un reportage de Raphaëlle Constant.  ► En fin d'émission, nous faisons un point sur l'étude de l'Inserm à Paris, publiée dans The Journal of the American College of Cardiology qui fait état du fardeau que représente l'hypertension artérielle en Afrique subsaharienne. Interview du Dr Aboubakari Nambiema, chercheur en Santé publique à l'Inserm au Centre de recherche cardiovasculaire de Paris et au sein de l'Unité de Recherche en Santé des Populations (URESAP) à Lomé au Togo.  Programmation musicale : ► Olivia Dean - Man I need ► Lëk Sèn - Shine.

Moins connue que la ménopause, l'andropause est une période au cours de laquelle la sécrétion de testostérone diminue chez l'homme. Baisse de la libido, fatigue, augmentation du risque cardiovasculaire, irritabilité, augmentation du tour de taille… Les symptômes de l'andropause sont nombreux. Contrairement à la ménopause qui touche toutes les femmes, l'andropause n'affecte qu'une faible proportion d'hommes âgés. Comment se fait le diagnostic ? Quelle prise en charge existe ?  Si, du côté des femmes, les effets et ressentis associés à la ménopause sont abordés plus ouvertement qu'il y a quelques années, chez les hommes, l'andropause reste encore largement méconnue et rarement évoquée publiquement. Pourtant, les changements hormonaux liés au vieillissement impliquent un certain nombre de conséquences pour la santé et le bien-être des hommes. La baisse du taux de testostérone peut entraîner de multiples symptômes.  Andropause : ménopause au masculin ?  Certains spécialistes (urologue, endocrinologue, andrologue...) peuvent orienter le patient vers des analyses pour évaluer le taux de testostérone sanguin. La chute des androgènes peut provoquer une série de symptômes tels que des troubles de la fonction érectile, une baisse de la libido, une prise de poids, des troubles de l'humeur et du sommeil… Alors si certains symptômes se retrouvent chez l'homme et la femme, passé un certain âge, ménopause et andropause se distinguent par un simple fait : son caractère systématique chez la femme, autour de la cinquantaine (avec l'arrêt des règles, qui annonce la fin de la fonction reproductrice), quand, chez l'homme, ce déficit d'hormones sexuelles mâles lié à l'âge n'est pas systématique.  En finir avec le non-dit  La prise en charge de l'andropause repose sur des mesures hygiéno-diététiques : activité physique, alimentation équilibrée, baisse de la consommation d'alcool... Pour certains hommes, une supplémentation en testostérone pourra être prescrite, associée à un suivi médical. D'où l'importance de dépasser le tabou : oser en parler, pour trouver, si besoin, des solutions auprès d'un spécialiste.  Avec : Pr François Desgrandchamps, chef du service d'Urologie de l'Hôpital Saint-Louis de Paris, et professeur d'Urologie, à l'Université Paris Cité.   Dr Oumar Gaye, urologue-andrologue au Centre Hospitalier National Dalal Jamm, à Dakar, au Sénégal.   Un reportage de Raphaëlle Constant.  ► En fin d'émission, nous faisons un point sur l'étude de l'Inserm à Paris, publiée dans The Journal of the American College of Cardiology qui fait état du fardeau que représente l'hypertension artérielle en Afrique subsaharienne. Interview du Dr Aboubakari Nambiema, chercheur en Santé publique à l'Inserm au Centre de recherche cardiovasculaire de Paris et au sein de l'Unité de Recherche en Santé des Populations (URESAP) à Lomé au Togo.  Programmation musicale : ► Olivia Dean - Man I need ► Lëk Sèn - Shine.

President Donald Trump has made new moves in recent days to crack down on immigration into the U.S.    After Trump vowed to pause immigration from “developing nations countries,” the U.S. has frozen all immigration applications for foreigners from 19 counties, and is reviewing applications that were approved during the four years of the Biden administration. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem confirmed on Fox News Thursday that the list will be expanded to “over 30” nations, but did not specify.     For now, the list includes: Afghanistan, Myanmar, Burundi, Chad, Cuba, Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Laos, Libya, Sierra Leone, Somalia, Sudan, Togo, Turkmenistan, Venezuela, and Yemen.     The president has specifically criticized the Somalia immigrant population in the U.S. after news broke that a fraud scheme among Minnesota's Somali population costs taxpayers over $1 billion.     Additionally, Trump has paused all visas for Afghan nationals after a man from Afghanistan who has been living in the U.S. since the fall of Kabul in 2021 shot two National Guard Members near the White House the day before Thanksgiving, killing U.S. Army Spc. Sarah Beckstrom.     On this week's edition of “Problematic Women,” we discuss President Donald Trump's heightened immigration crackdown, and why assimilation has to be a key part of immigration policy.     Plus, what is going on with the narco-terrorist boat strikes in the Caribbean and Pacific? We break it down. And Sabrina Carpenter is mad at the White House for using her music in an immigration enforcement video. All this and more on this week's show!   Subscribe to The Tony Kinnett Cast:    https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-tony-kinnett-cast/id1714879044   Don't forget our other shows: Virginia Allen's Problematic Women: https://www.dailysignal.com/problematic-women  Bradley Devlin's The Signal Sitdown: https://www.dailysignal.com/the-signal-sitdown  Follow The Daily Signal:  X: https://x.com/DailySignal  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thedailysignal/  Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheDailySignalNews/  Truth Social: https://truthsocial.com/@DailySignal  YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/DailySignal  Rumble: https://rumble.com/c/TheDailySignal    Thanks for making The Daily Signal Podcast your trusted source for the day's top news. Subscribe on your favorite podcast platform and never miss an episode. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

/Summary继续划水！这期节目还是来自狂喜播客节不知道你们中间，有没有红魔的球迷呢！评论区里聊聊呀，今年原本好起来了......原本........这期录制现场，三个人居然没有提前打招呼，就默契的穿了曼联秋衣，只是混进了一名热刺的探子，好歹套了件红衫：）/Show Note02:00 足球比赛中的气氛与记氛围，以及球队表现的评价。05:06 曼联的变迁：从巅峰到挣扎，你心中是否还有那个激情燃烧的岁月？10:16 足球热情的多重动因：球队归属、情感共鸣与球场所的魅力15:24 曼联的超级明星：小贝、C罗和未来商业价值的潜力20:32 曼联的挑战：重建文化与重塑球队信念25:44 曼联的收入奇迹：贝克汉姆、弗格森和九十年代的魅力延续30:52 球队成绩与生意之间的平衡：纽约球队的挑战与策略36:00 加里奥特曼和克劳奇的对话：曼联与奥斯卡的抉择41:08 弗格森：曼联时代的缔造者与个体魅力46:16 教练权力与球员影响力：弗格森在时代的铸就51:25 揭秘穆里尼奥和孔蒂：三年之痒为何总是困扰顶级教练？56:37 穆里尼奥与列维：欧联决赛的影响力与球队变化/Staff主播 | 老A、Kyth、赵渌汀、罗叔 制作 | 燃烧吧罗叔文案 | 燃烧吧罗叔后期 | FirePod莎莎日程 | 腿哥/BGM ListRiding with the King念念 罗叔/Contact新浪微博：@燃烧吧罗叔抖音：燃烧吧罗叔公众号：头号玩家toGo合作微信： luoyoucai

Neste programa, olhamos para alguns dos temas que mais marcaram as nossas emissões desta semana, com destaque para a actualidade na Guiné-Bissau, dias depois da tomada do poder pelos militares, a 26 de Novembro, véspera da suposta divulgação dos resultados das eleições gerais de 23 de Novembro. Os resultados acabaram por não ser divulgados pela CNE devido ao alegado confisco, por “homens armados”, das actas e equipamentos.  Esta quinta-feira, o Chefe da Missão de Observação Eleitoral da União Africana para as eleições gerais de 23 de Novembro na Guiné-Bissau, Filipe Nyusi, disse que há resultados da votação e “vencedor” do escrutínio e declarou que os resultados devem ser publicados. Em resposta, José Paulo Semedo, representante da candidatura do ex-Presidente, Umaro Sissoco Embaló, acusou o antigo Presidente de Moçambique de interferência. Recordo que há uma semana, a União Africana suspendeu a Guiné-Bissau dos seus órgãos, alegando a instabilidade política que se vive no país.  Na terça-feira, numa comunicação à imprensa, sem direito a perguntas, o porta-voz do presidente da Comissão Nacional de Eleições (CNE), Idriça Djaló, anunciou que não tem condições de continuar com o processo eleitoral, por confisco de equipamentos e actas por “homens armados” no dia 26 de Novembro. Na quarta-feira, a candidatura de Fernando Dias, que reclama vitória nas presidenciais, acusou a CNE de colaboração com o golpe de Estado que afirma ser encenado, como forma de inviabilizar o processo eleitoral. Por outro lado, exigiu à Comissão Nacional de Eleições a convocação da plenária do órgão para que os resultados eleitorais sejam declarados “o mais rápido possível”. Há uma semana, perante o Parlamento, o primeiro-ministro senegalês, Ousmane Sonko, afirmou que o golpe na vizinha Guiné-Bissau foi uma “farsa” e exigiu que as eleições interrompidas pelo golpe fossem autorizadas a prosseguir. Também o antigo Presidente da Nigéria Goodluck Jonathan acusou o ex-presidente da Guiné-Bissau, Umaro Sissoco Embaló, de encenar uma espécie de “golpe cerimonial” para se manter no poder e questionou como é que Embaló conseguiu falar com os meios de comunicação durante a alegada detenção. Na segunda-feira, houve uma reunião entre uma missão de alto nível da CEDEAO e as autoridades de transição. De notar que Guiné-Bissau também foi suspensa da CEDEAO na sequência do alegado golpe militar de 26 de Novembro. A delegação da CEDEAO que foi a Bissau não tinha os presidentes de Cabo Verde, Senegal, Togo e Serra Leoa.  À saída do encontro com a delegação da CEDEAO, o recém-empossado ministro dos Negócios Estrangeiros, João Bernardo Vieira, falou sobre “uma reunião muito positiva”. Para 14 de Dezembro ficou marcada uma cimeira da CEDEAO em que se vai falar sobre a Guiné-Bissau. Por outro lado, a delegação da CEDEAO não se reuniu com nenhuma figura da sociedade civil, segundo a Liga Guineense dos Direitos Humanos, nem com Fernando Dias, obrigado a estar escondido e que reivindica a vitória nas presidenciais, nem com Domingos Simões Pereira, que continua detido. Quanto à CPLP, o ministro português dos Negócios Estrangeiros, Paulo Rangel, disse que os chefes da diplomacia da Comunidade dos Países de Língua Portuguesa, se vão reunir nos próximos dias e apelou a um regresso “imediato à normalidade constitucional” na Guiné-Bissau e à libertação de todos os cidadãos detidos, inclusive “pessoas que tinham intervenção política e cívica de grande relevo”. No domingo, foi anunciado o novo Governo de transição, liderado pelo primeiro-ministro Ilídio Vieira Té, e que conta com 23 ministros, incluindo cinco militares e nomes do executivo deposto entre os nomeados. João Bernardo Vieira é o novo titular da pasta dos Negócios Estrangeiros, ele que foi e candidato às últimas eleições presidenciais e que avançou para a corrida eleitoral como independente com críticas do seu partido, o PAIGC, que decidiu apoiar outro candidato, Fernando Dias.  Na quinta-feira, o Presidente de transição, general Horta Inta-A, exonerou Fernando Gomes do cargo de Procurador-Geral da República e nomeou para o lugar Tdjane Baldé, que era presidente do Tribunal de Contas. As mudanças ocorreram no mesmo dia em que foi anunciada a dissolução do Conselho Superior de Magistratura do Ministério Público durante os 12 meses previstos para durar a transição no país. Também na quinta-feira, foi anunciada a criação de um Conselho Nacional de Transição, com competências de fiscalização dos órgãos que a Constituição conferia ao parlamento. Também esta semana, várias organizações da sociedade civil guineense rubricaram em Bissau um “Pacto Social” para exigir o regresso à legalidade constitucional, a publicação dos resultados eleitorais e a libertação dos presos políticos. O pacto foi subscrito por quadros técnicos, académicos, partidos políticos, organizações religiosas, sindicatos, líderes tradicionais, organizações juvenis e das mulheres e a Ordem dos Advogados.    Moçambique: Recuos no megaprojecto de gás em Cabo Delgado e desaparecimento preocupante de activista Na terça-feira, a TotalEnergies esclareceu que o megaprojecto de gás em Cabo Delgado, norte de Moçambique, vai continuar sem o financiamento do Reino Unido e dos Países Baixos e adiantou que os restantes financiadores vão garantir essa parte, equivalente a 10% do total. Porém, o governo ainda não foi notificado, de acordo com o porta-voz do executivo. Em Moçambique, o activista e apresentador de televisão Sismo Eduardo está desaparecido há dez dias. A situação foi denunciada às autoridades governamentais na cidade de Nampula pela Rede Moçambicana dos Defensores dos Direitos Humanos, que exige esclarecimentos urgentes sobre o caso e apela a uma investigação transparente.   Angola: Adalberto Costa Júnior reeleito para a presidência da UNITA Em Angola, no domingo, Adalberto Costa Júnior foi reeleito a presidente da UNITA, com  91% dos votos contra  9% obtidos por Rafael Massanga Savimbi, filho do líder fundador do partido. Adalberto Costa Júnior falou em “honra renovada” para continuar a liderar a UNITA.

//The Wire//2300Z December 3, 2025////ROUTINE////BLUF: MOLOTOV ATTACK TARGETS ICE FACILITY IN LOS ANGELES. ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT RETURNS TO JOB AS POLICE OFFICER IN CHICAGO, DESPITE AWAITING TRIAL FOR IMMIGRATION FRAUD. CRACKDOWN ON THOUGHT AND SPEECH CRIMES CONTINUES TO SPREAD IN THE UNITED KINGDOM.// -----BEGIN TEARLINE------International Events-United Kingdom: The crackdown on speech continues, with several developments taking place this week. A man was arrested a few days ago for the "possession of extreme music", which allegedly violates terrorism laws. Separately, a woman was arrested for using a slur in a private text-message exchange to describe the man who attacked her, and a another case came to light involving a man who was arrested after posting vacation pictures online, which featured him visiting a shooting range in the United States.-HomeFront-Washington D.C. - This morning the Department of Homeland Security formally halted all immigration and naturalization from 19x nations labeled as High-Risk Countries. The list of these nations is as follows: Afghanistan, Burma, Burundi, Chad, Cuba, Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Laos, Libya, Sierra Leone, Somalia, Sudan, Togo, Turkmenistan, Venezuela, and Yemen.Analyst Comment: The halt of immigration from these nations is not new by any means, this was announced back in June as part of Presidential Proclamation 10949, but this policy is just being implemented now.West Virginia: Winter weather conditions resulted in a technical rescue taking place on Route 35 near Sixteen Mile Road in Mason County. Mason Bridge was closed for over 5 hours while the high-angle rescue was being conducted. The driver was uninjured and refused medical treatment at the scene. The cause of the accident is not known.Minnesota: Locals have reported ICE operations beginning in Minneapolis, as a few illegals from Somalia have been arrested over the past few days.Analyst Comment: This may or may not be the beginning of a larger campaign; ICE agents have been conducting low-level operations in Minneapolis for months now, so it's not clear as to if the arrests that have been made recently are part of that routine effort, or part of a much larger campaign. Either way, resistance throughout the city is significant as Somalis form a more cohesive effort to halt the enforcement of immigration law.Maryland: This afternoon a shooting was reported at the food court inside MGM National Harbor casino in Prince George County. One person was killed and another wounded during the attack. Local authorities state that the shooting was targeted, and that the shooter sought out the victim personally. No further details on the shooter or the motive have been released. The food court at the casino remains closed while the murder investigation continues, but the rest of the casino is open as usual.California: On Monday an arson attack was carried out in Los Angeles, which took the form of an assailant using multiple Molotov devices to attack the Los Angeles Federal Building (LAFB). Per the notice provided by DHS officials yesterday, the man approached the facility and threw two Molotovs at the security guards outside the facility, before being detained. Neither device functioned as designed, and the suspect was arrested at the scene. Yesterday the DOJ identified the suspect as Jose Francisco Jovel, a resident of Koreatown.Analyst Comment: As arson attacks remain fairly constant nationwide during times of heightened unrest, the use of fire as a weapon is becoming more of a concern for the prepared citizen. Molotovs are a common sight in Los Angeles at this point, however this man attempted to use his devices to immolate two security officers posted at the entrance to the facility.Nebraska: A series of shootings were reported in Omaha this morning. The f

Avec tout d'abord cette vague de répression orchestrée par le nouveau pouvoir militaire. Samedi, rapporte Afrik.com, « des hommes armés ont fait irruption dans plusieurs sièges de partis politiques à Bissau, dont celui du PAIGC ainsi que celui du PRS, le Parti de la rénovation sociale, dont Fernando Dias était le candidat à la présidence. Les assaillants ont chassé les employés et dévasté les bureaux. L'opposant a été contraint de se cacher, tandis que l'ancien Premier ministre Domingos Simoes Pereira, leader du PAIGC, demeure détenu au ministère de l'Intérieur. Au quartier de Hafia, toujours dans la capitale, note encore Afrik.com, des jeunes manifestants ont été arrêtés de manière violente alors qu'ils protestaient contre la situation politique.  » Et puis, il y a ce soupçon de coup d'État monté de toute pièce. L'opposition dénonce une manœuvre du président Umaro Sissoco Embalo qui, voyant le pouvoir lui échapper par les urnes, aurait fait intervenir l'armée. Pour Maître Saïd Larifou, avocat de Domingos Simoes Pereira, dont les propositions sont rapportées par Afrik.com , « la Cédéao doit intervenir pour exiger la libération des opposants. Le président sortant a manigancé ce coup d'État électoral et est protégé, tandis que ceux qui revendiquent la victoire sont persécutés. Cette situation est une agression grave qui exige une réponse internationale immédiate. » Des proximités suspectes entre Embalo et le nouvel homme fort du pays D'autres voix et non des moindres s'élèvent aussi hors des frontières pour dénoncer une mascarade, à commencer par celle d'Ousmane Sonko, le Premier ministre sénégalais qui parle de « combiner. » Et la presse dakaroise n'est pas en reste. WalfQuotidien note que « presque tous les ministres de la nouvelle équipe dirigeante nommés par les militaires sont des proches de l'ex-chef de l'État. C'est ce qu'on appelle faire du neuf avec du vieux. (…) Umaro Sissoco Embalo a lui-même fait le service après-vente (…). » Exemple, relève le quotidien sénégalais : « le nouveau Premier ministre, Ilidio Té Vieira, était le directeur de campagne d'Embalo lors des élections présidentielles et législatives. » Et puis il y a aussi la proximité entre Embalo et le nouvel homme fort du pays, remarque notamment le Monde Afrique. « Le général Horta N'Tam, auteur d'un étrange coup d'État », titre le journal qui constate que « les deux hommes se connaissent bien. En septembre 2023, le chef de l'État l'avait nommé chef d'état-major particulier. Avant d'en faire, quelques mois plus tard, le chef d'état-major de l'armée de terre. Pour plusieurs opposants donc, constate également Le Monde Afrique, ces liens entre Embalo et le général N'Tam accréditeraient l'hypothèse que ce coup d'État serait une manœuvre du clan présidentiel pour empêcher la victoire dans les urnes de l'opposant Fernando Dias – qui vit caché depuis le putsch. » Que peut la Cédéao ? Pour sa part, relève WakatSéra à Ouagadougou, « la délégation de la Cédéao, qui se rend en principe ce lundi à Bissau pour y rencontrer les nouveaux maîtres militaires, ne s'attend certainement pas à une partie de plaisir. Face au général Horta N'Tam, le président sierra-léonais et président en exercice de la Cédéao, Julius Maada Bio, et ses pairs du Sénégal, du Togo et du Cap-Vert, exigent un retour immédiat à l'ordre constitutionnel. » Mais, s'interroge le site burkinabé, « le coup est-il jouable alors que les résultats des élections n'ont pas été publiés et que les deux candidats, l'un en fuite et l'autre caché, revendiquent toujours la victoire ? » Et « pendant ce temps, soupire le Pays, Embalo, réfugié à bonne distance au Congo-Brazzaville, apparaît tel un marionnettiste ayant quitté la scène sans renoncer tout à fait à tirer les ficelles. Sans doute espère-t-il revenir rapidement à Bissau, porté par une transition qui lui doit tout et a priori ne lui refusera rien. La Guinée-Bissau, déjà marquée par les cicatrices d'un passé politique douloureux, marche désormais sur une ligne de crête, suspendue au-dessus du vide, pointe encore Le Pays. Et ce ne sont ni les injonctions, ni les menaces de la Cédéao ou de l'Union africaine qui suffiront à restaurer la confiance entre les acteurs politiques d'un pays plusieurs fois mordu par l'Histoire. »

Des courts métrages sénégalais pour la première fois visibles au cinéma. Cela se passe à Dakar. Depuis une semaine, quatre films de jeunes cinéastes africains sont projetés deux fois par semaine, le mardi et le jeudi dans les deux grandes salles de la capitale. Le Pathé et le Seanema et suivi d'un débat avec le public. L'occasion jusqu'au 11 décembre de voir le travail de tout jeunes cinéastes qui seront peut-être les grands noms de demain. Kaay Seetaan, (« Viens voir ») en wolof, s'affiche en lettres capitales sur le grand écran. Installé dans un fauteuil de la salle obscure, Armand Komla Sousou 27 ans, originaire du Togo, formé à la réalisation à Lomé puis à Dakar à l'écriture du scénario, peine encore à y croire. Voir son premier film, Marco au cinéma, c'est : « Fabuleux. Je me rappelle encore écrire dans ma petite chambre d'étudiant un scénario et du jour au lendemain le voir porter à l'écran avec des gens qui ont des étoiles dans les yeux, c'est juste fabuleux. » Penda Seck, elle, s'est essayée au métier de réalisatrice et elle aussi est encore émerveillée de l'apprentissage qu'elle vient de faire après cinq mois de formation, à tout juste 22 ans : « Quand tu te retrouves pour la première fois sur un plateau et qu'il y a près de quarante personnes et que tu dois parler à tout le monde en gardant son sang-froid et bien gérer une équipe. Avoir une bonne ambiance sur le plateau, et tout ça pour une première fois : c'est énorme. » « Ça peut être des films d'horreur » Apprendre, c'est bien l'enjeu de cette formation en cinq mois. Financé par la coopération culturelle britannique (le British Council) Le Film Lab, c'est son nom, veut professionnaliser un secteur en pleine expansion, comme l'explique Chloé Orthole Diop-productrice elle-même et qui a supervisé la formation : « Au Sénégal, on est très bon en technique et cinéma, mais pas assez de technicien, en particulier en son, en image et en production. C'est ça qu'on a identifié comme les terrains prioritaires à former. » En tout, seize jeunes, des Sénégalais pour l'essentiel, ont été formés aux métiers de chef opérateur, prise du son, mais aussi compositeur de musique de film ou encore scénariste et réalisateur. Un côté laboratoire que Penda Seck, directrice artistique jusqu'ici, a particulièrement apprécié en tant que réalisatrice : « Tu peux avoir envie de faire autre chose et autre chose, ça peut être des films d'horreur ou du cinéma expérimental. Ce n'est pas parce que je suis Africaine que je ne peux pas faire un film d'horreur. » Au final, c'est le drame psychologique que la jeune femme a exploré. Une histoire très personnelle sur la dépression et le poids du silence qui pèse encore trop souvent au Sénégal sur les femmes mariées qui se doivent d'être des épouses exemplaires. À lire aussiCinéma: au Sénégal, la nostalgie des salles de cinéma d'antan se conjugue avec un renouveau de la fréquentation

Each year, the Ig Nobel Prizes recognize scientific research that first makes you laugh, then makes you think. For instance, researchers who investigated the pizza preferences of lizards on the island of Togo. Or a man who kept track of his fingernail growth for 35 years.As is Thanksgiving tradition, we're sharing highlights from this year's Ig Nobels on Science Friday. Annals of Improbable Research editor Marc Abrahams acts as master of ceremonies for the 35th First Annual Ig Nobel Prizes, which include 10 awards, several 24-second scientific lectures, and a mini-opera about indigestion.Guest: Marc Abrahams is the editor and co-founder of Annals of Improbable Research and the founder and master of ceremonies for the Ig Nobel Prize Ceremony in Cambridge, Massachusetts.Transcripts for each episode are available within 1-3 days at sciencefriday.com. Subscribe to this podcast. Plus, to stay updated on all things science, sign up for Science Friday's newsletters.

To unpack how this covert defence partnership unfolded, what the whistleblower’s documents reveal, and what this means for oversight of South Africa’s arms exports, John Maytham is joined by Michael Marchant, Head of Investigations at Open Secrets — the organisation that broke this story after a three-week court gag order was lifted. Michael walks us through the findings and the troubling implications for accountability at home and abroad. Presenter John Maytham is an actor and author-turned-talk radio veteran and seasoned journalist. His show serves a round-up of local and international news coupled with the latest in business, sport, traffic and weather. The host’s eclectic interests mean the program often surprises the audience with intriguing book reviews and inspiring interviews profiling artists. A daily highlight is Rapid Fire, just after 5:30pm. CapeTalk fans call in, to stump the presenter with their general knowledge questions. Another firm favourite is the humorous Thursday crossing with award-winning journalist Rebecca Davis, called “Plan B”. Thank you for listening to a podcast from Afternoon Drive with John Maytham Listen live on Primedia+ weekdays from 15:00 and 18:00 (SA Time) to Afternoon Drive with John Maytham broadcast on CapeTalk https://buff.ly/NnFM3Nk For more from the show go to https://buff.ly/BSFy4Cn or find all the catch-up podcasts here https://buff.ly/n8nWt4x Subscribe to the CapeTalk Daily and Weekly Newsletters https://buff.ly/sbvVZD5 Follow us on social media: CapeTalk on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CapeTalk CapeTalk on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@capetalk CapeTalk on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ CapeTalk on X: https://x.com/CapeTalk CapeTalk on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@CapeTalk567 See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dans l'idéal, chaque instituteur aurait 3 yeux, 4 oreilles pour suivre ce qui se passe partout dans sa classe et un don d'ubiquité pour répondre à plusieurs demandes d'élèves en même temps. Dans la réalité, les enseignants se retrouvent le plus souvent seuls devant des classes surchargées, un manque de matériel, et des élèves plus ou moins attentifs qui apprennent à des rythmes différents. Une situation qui implique de fixer des règles, de mettre en place des routines et des rituels pour créer un environnement favorable aux apprentissages. C'est ce qu'on appelle la gestion de la classe. Un élément essentiel dans la réussite scolaire des enfants qui ne se limite pas au contrôle disciplinaire. Gérer sa classe nécessite de comprendre le fonctionnement des élèves, leurs difficultés, de capter leur attention, de définir les moments d'échange, de régler les conflits éventuels, rétablir le calme... Des compétences qui se révèlent précieuses et d'autant plus indispensables pour des instituteurs confrontés à des effectifs pléthoriques. Dans ce contexte, comment former les enseignants à la gestion de classe ? Quelles sont les méthodes à privilégier selon le type de classe ? L'enseignement par les pairs dans le cas d'effectifs nombreux a-t-il fait ses preuves ?   Avec : • Fabricia Devignes, responsable de Programme Initiative Priorité à l'Égalité à l'IIPE-UNESCO • Vanessa Joinel Alvarez, professeure associée en gestion de classe et autorité éducative à la Haute école pédagogique du canton de Vaud en Suisse • Issaka Gnossi, enseignant à l'école Sètrah-1 à Copargo, une commune du nord-ouest du Bénin, proche de la frontière avec le Togo.  En première partie de l'émission, l'école autour du Monde avec Loubna Anaki, correspondante de RFI à New-York pour nous parler de l'immersion de l'IA dans les écoles américaines.   En fin d'émission, la chronique Un parent, une question et les conseils du psychologue Ibrahima Giroux, professeur à l'Université Gaston Berger de Saint-Louis du Sénégal. Il répond à la question de Patrick à Kananga, dans la province du Kasaï du centre, RDC qui se demande comment expliquer à son neveu d'où viennent les bébés. Programmation musicale : ► Dieu est grande - Youssoupha ► Barbès (Remix amapiano) - Yend feat. TjaroSuperstar.

Dans l'idéal, chaque instituteur aurait 3 yeux, 4 oreilles pour suivre ce qui se passe partout dans sa classe et un don d'ubiquité pour répondre à plusieurs demandes d'élèves en même temps. Dans la réalité, les enseignants se retrouvent le plus souvent seuls devant des classes surchargées, un manque de matériel, et des élèves plus ou moins attentifs qui apprennent à des rythmes différents. Une situation qui implique de fixer des règles, de mettre en place des routines et des rituels pour créer un environnement favorable aux apprentissages. C'est ce qu'on appelle la gestion de la classe. Un élément essentiel dans la réussite scolaire des enfants qui ne se limite pas au contrôle disciplinaire. Gérer sa classe nécessite de comprendre le fonctionnement des élèves, leurs difficultés, de capter leur attention, de définir les moments d'échange, de régler les conflits éventuels, rétablir le calme... Des compétences qui se révèlent précieuses et d'autant plus indispensables pour des instituteurs confrontés à des effectifs pléthoriques. Dans ce contexte, comment former les enseignants à la gestion de classe ? Quelles sont les méthodes à privilégier selon le type de classe ? L'enseignement par les pairs dans le cas d'effectifs nombreux a-t-il fait ses preuves ?   Avec : • Fabricia Devignes, responsable de Programme Initiative Priorité à l'Égalité à l'IIPE-UNESCO • Vanessa Joinel Alvarez, professeure associée en gestion de classe et autorité éducative à la Haute école pédagogique du canton de Vaud en Suisse • Issaka Gnossi, enseignant à l'école Sètrah-1 à Copargo, une commune du nord-ouest du Bénin, proche de la frontière avec le Togo.  En première partie de l'émission, l'école autour du Monde avec Loubna Anaki, correspondante de RFI à New-York pour nous parler de l'immersion de l'IA dans les écoles américaines.   En fin d'émission, la chronique Un parent, une question et les conseils du psychologue Ibrahima Giroux, professeur à l'Université Gaston Berger de Saint-Louis du Sénégal. Il répond à la question de Patrick à Kananga, dans la province du Kasaï du centre, RDC qui se demande comment expliquer à son neveu d'où viennent les bébés. Programmation musicale : ► Dieu est grande - Youssoupha ► Barbès (Remix amapiano) - Yend feat. TjaroSuperstar.

Urban areas represent both opportunities and risks for animals, and they adapt their behaviour in many ways to cope with this fast-paced lifestyle. Now, a new study has detailed how urban wall lizards in Croatia have richer social lives than their rural counterparts. Then we chat about a listener-submitted story detailing wild lizards eating pizza. Become a Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/herphighlights Merch: https://www.redbubble.com/people/herphighlights/shop Full reference list available here: http://www.herphighlights.podbean.com Main Paper References: Maune AL, Wittenbreder T, Lisičić D, Caspers BA, Camerlenghi E, Damas-Moreira I. 2025. City lizards are more social. Biology Letters 21:20250326. DOI: 10.1098/rsbl.2025.0326. Other Mentioned Papers/Studies: Dendi, D., Segniagbeto, G. H., Meek, R., & Luiselli, L. (2023). Opportunistic foraging strategy of rainbow lizards at a seaside resort in Togo. African Journal of Ecology, 61(1), 226-227. Editing and Music: Intro/outro – Treehouse by Ed Nelson Species Bi-week theme – Michael Timothy Other Music – The Passion HiFi, https://www.thepassionhifi.com  

Hello everyone, a big thanks to all of you who joined the patreon and voted for this to be the next episode, you all are awesome. This is a part 2 about Hirohito's responsibility during the wars of 1931-1945, so if you have not heard part 1, perhaps go do so, or maybe you just don't care about 1931-1940 and just want to hear about the 1941-1945 period, hell by all means enjoy.   So last time we kind of left it on a bit of a dramatic cliff hanger. I spoke about Emperor Hirohito's involvement in what was called at the time the “China Incident”. It was not an official declared war until December of 1941. We left off in 1940, Hirohito was struggling with a situation of juggling two things: 1) how the hell to finally end the China War 2) how to do it without receiving horrible ramifications from the international world. On July 22nd of 1940, Konoe was back and formed a second cabinet. Notably General Hideki Tojo went from vice to army Minister during this time. If you guys ever want a podcast on Hideki Tojo, let me know, he is one rather bizarre figure that's for sure. Konoe tackled his job by holding an imperial HQ government liaison conference. For 90 minutes everyone worked on a new national policy designed to exploit the international situation, IE: Germany bulldozing europe.  The result was a document on national policy dated July 27th. It shifted focus to the “southern area” IE: southeast asia and the Pacific if the China war did not end quickly. Its basis was to exploit the foreign nations that had their hands full in europe, France, Britain and the Netherlands. It called for an invasion of French Indochina to establish bases to launch assaults against the Dutch East Indies for natural resources if diplomatic means failed. It acknowledged if the Dutch East Indies were seized through military means, Japan would also seek to fight Britain, but not the US, instead Japan would prepare for a possible war with the Americans. To all of this Hirohito approved. The army also kept pressuring its desire to ally with Germany. Throughout 1939-1940 Hirohito rejected this idea, not because of any ideological differences, it was because of Germans anti aggression pact with the USSR. If Japan were to ally to Germany, Hirohito wanted it to be mutually to fight the USSR. The Navy likewise opposed allying to Germany because they believed it would force Britain and the US to increase their aid to Chiang Kai-shek.   However the Blitzkrieg changed everything. Everyone was shocked at how well Germany was doing. Prince Chichibu repeatedly argued with Hirohito to change his mind over the alliance idea. Then suddenly the Navy changed their mind and began favoring an alliance. This changed came about in June of 1940 when the France fell. The Navy changed their mind based on a few factors, a major component was the belief if Germany and the USSR were allied, than at least Japan would not have to worry about the USSR and could focus on the pacific. Both the IJA and the IJN believed Hitler would soon take Britain and thus there was a huge desire to join the new international order on the winning side. A third factor was a new clause in negotiations with Germany and Japan, that if they allied Japan would not automatically be drawn into a war with Britain against her will. Some in the navy also believed perhaps Germany could help their diplomatic situation with the Americans. So the army and navy were now both demanding an alliance with Germany, it was all up to hirohito.    At an imperial briefing on June 19th of 1940, Hirohito asked chief of staff Prince Kan'in and the Army Minister Hata “At a time when peace will soon come in the European situation, will there be a deployment of troops to the Netherlands Indies and French Indochina?” Such as question revealed Hirohito's perception at the time that Germany was on the verge of victory and that he was gradually considering the deployment of troops in French Indochina and the Dutch East Indies as neither parent nation were in a position to defend their holdings. In regards to the China war, the Japanese sought to end leaks of materials getting into China from places like Hong Kong. Hirohito received reports indicated Britain would not accept closing the movement of materials into China via Hong Kong. The military acknowledged it would probably be required to invade Hong Kong and thus declare war on Britain. Upon hearing of this Hirohito remarked “Should that happen, I am sure America will use the method of an embargo, don't you agree?” To this his lord of the privy seal, Kido reassured him stating “the nation must be fully resolved to resist to proceed cautiously and not to be dragged into events precipitated by the overseas agencies”. Konoe's second cabinet resolved to end the China war, construct a new order in greater east asia and to complete war preparations as a national defense state. On July 27th at a liaison conference a document was adopted, affirming a course of advancing to the south and to ally with Germany. Japan would incorporate the Dutch East Indies, British Malaya and other resource rich areas of Southeast Asia into its new order while simultaneously bolstering its relationship with the Axis states. After hearing and reading everything, Hirohito sanctioned it all. Thus Hirohito had sanctioned the preliminary actions that would set Japan into a collision course with the US.   In September Japan began sending troops into northern French Indochina after concluding its Tripartite alliance with Germany and Italy. Now Hirohito was briefed beforehand by Army Minister Tojo and other chiefs of staff about securing bases in northern French indochina. Hirohito agreed to this under the belief acquiring such bases would stop more leaked materials going into China and thus contribute to the fall of Chongqing. But Hirohito also sanctioned it under the full knowledge it was preparing the Nanshin-ron advance and that carried a risk of going to war with Britain and by proxy the US. Naturally he wanted to thwart any war breaking out with the US by it seems his officials had convinced him they could manage most of their plans without aggravating the US.   On July 29th with the German offensive aimed at finishing off Britain, Hirohito summoned his chiefs and vice chiefs of staff to the imperial HQ. He began to question the prospects of war with the US. Prince Fushimi replied “[u]nless we complete our domestic preparations, particularly the preparation of our material resources, I do not think we should lightly start war even if there is a good opportunity to do so.” Hirohito then asked if  “the Army were planning to occupy points in India, Australia, and New Zealand.” But overall Hirohito seemed to be the most concerned about the US, Germany and the USSR. “Could Japan, obtain a victory in a naval battle with the United States as we once did in the Battle of the Japan Sea? . . . I heard that the United States will ban exports of oil and scrap iron [to Japan]. We can probably obtain oil from other sources, but don't you think we will have a problem with scrap iron?” In regards to the USSR “If a Japan-Soviet nonaggression treaty is made and we advance to the south, the navy will become the main actor. Has the army given thought to reducing the size of its forces in that case? . . . How do you assess the future national power of Germany? . . . Both Germany and the Soviet Union are untrustworthy countries. Don't you think there will be a problem if one of them betrays us and takes advantage of our exhaustion fighting the United States?I]t seems as though you people are thinking of implementing this plan by force because there is a good opportunity at this moment for resolving the southern problem even though some dangers are involved. . . . What does a good opportunity mean? [To this question Sawada replied: “For example, if a German landing in England commences.”] In that case wouldn't the United States move to aid Britain? . . . Well, I've heard enough. I take it, in short, that you people are trying to resolve the southern problem by availing yourselves of today's good opportunities.”   You can tell Hirohito understood the very real threat of an Anglo-American alliance and was very cautious. It seemed to Hirohito, that his officials were trying to take the limelight off the abysmal situation in China but emphasizing a southern advance. Well Americans response to the Japanese movement into northern French indochina was to see it as a direct threat. Something I have not paid much attention to was Hirohito's decision making being the direct result of trying to mediate between competing entities, ie: the IJA and IJN. At this point in time the IJA and IJN top officials had the power to simply stop governmental functions from occurring altogether whenever they were displeased with a decision. As you can imagine the IJA and IJN were also competing for resources and political power. Thus Hirohito spent a lot of time and effort trying to formulate decisions that at a minimum kept the governance going.    In the end Hirohito sanctioned Imperial HQ army order number 458, ordering the area army to begin the entry into French Indochina. Thus once again Hirohito sanctioned aggression aboard. America began what it called a “moral embargo” on aircraft parts, scrap iron and aviation gasoline. This was one of many gradual steps America took to incrementally sanction Japan, while aiding China to keep it bogged down. Japan's direct response was joining the Axis with a clause “to assist one another with all political, economic and military means if attacked by a power at present not involved in the European War or in the Sino-Japanese conflict”. This clause was designed specifically to check Britain and the US. Hirohito knew this was a turning point carrying the possibility of war with the US. Later he would blame some officials and even his brothers Chichibu and Takamatsu, but not his own actions sanctioning the Axis pact.    Speaking of his brothers, at this time Chichibu got severely ill with tuberculosis and as a result retired from active public life, now Prince Takamatsu stood as next regent. Thus Takamatsu would begin reading reports and advise Hirohito. Takamatsu like Chichibu approved the Tripartite Pact and found his brother Hirohito's performance lacking. Meanwhile Britain responded to the Tripartite pact by opening up the Burma road and America made a loan to Chiang Kai-shek.   The Soviets came to Japan for a neutrality pact and sweetened the deal by offering Soviet coal and oil concessions in North Sakhalin. Hirohito ratified the treaty on April 25th of 1941. 5 weeks later on June 5th, the Japanese ambassador to Berlin, General Oshima Hiroshi reported to Hirohito and the high command that Hitler was about to invade the Soviets. The Army high command sprang into action drafting plans to open a war with the Soviets while simultaneously advancing south into French Indochina. But many in the military also sought to wait until the time was ripe, and a rift emerged. Operation barbarossa commenced and on June 23rd the IJN high command gave their opinion that Japan should seize all military bases and airfields in southern French Indochina even at the risk of war with Britain and America. Can you say boy that escalated quickly?   There was obvious temptation to invade Siberia towards Lake Baikal, but at the same time the western powers were tightening sanctions on Japan, she needed resources. At this point Japan had been stuck in China for 4 years and 5 months, the army had expanded from 17 divisions totalling 250,000 men in july of 1937 to 51 divisions at 2.1 million men in December 8th of 1941. On July 2nd, 10 tens into Operation barbarossa, Konoe summoned an imperial conference to debate actions going forward. The consensus was that southern French Indochina needed to be taken and that it probably would not provoke the US going to war with Japan. Hirohito sanctioned it and on July 30th made a major operational intervention by advising General Sugiyama to build up forces in Manchukuo to prevent the Soviet Far Eastern Army.   Japan negotiated with Vichy France to allow Japanese troops to occupy southern parts of French Indochina. What was to be originally just 40,000 IJA forces turned into 185,000 and in response America increased sanctions and began preparing the Philippines for war. Roosevelt froze Japanese assets in the US on July 26th and by August the 1st a total embargo of oil and gasoline exports to Japan. Konoe's cabinet, the military high command, pretty much everyone was shocked by how harsh the economic sanctions were. Emperor Hirohito told Sugiyama to halt mobilizing forces in Manchukuo and the army basically dropped all plans of attacking the USSR. A month after the US oil embargo suddenly the army had changed its mind to go all in on the southern advance. Britain likewise began sanctions against Japan and both Britain and the US managed to convince the Dutch to follow suit by refusing to sell oil to Japan. The Dutch even took it a step further and followed Americans lead in freezing Japanese assets.    Konoe was in full panic mode, be believed his ambassador to washington was a moron and sought to go in person to speak to Roosevelt. At 11:40am on August 4th Konoe spoke to Hirohito about the plan, but Washington kept making up excuses prolonging any meeting from taking place. Meanwhile Washington was building up its navy, and the IJN were stressing, in the words of Admiral Takagai “As time passes and this situation continues, our empire will either be totally defeated or forced to fight a hopeless war. Therefore we should pursue war and diplomacy together. If there is no prospect of securing our final line of national survival by diplomatic negotiations, we must be resolved to fight.” Hirohito understood the predicament full well, that each day Japan was wasting its oil reserves, if they were to strike it had to be quickly.    On september 3rd at a liaison conference it was decided Japan was to prepare for a war against the US, UK and Netherlands while simultaneously pursuing diplomacy. If diplomacy failed by early October the decision for war would be made. Konoe presented everything to Hirohito on September 5th and requested an imperial conference on the matter. The most important decision of his life was about to be made.    Now take a second to feel the moment. Germany's invasion of the USSR was in its 6th week and not producing a decisive victory; Britain was still in the fight and the Japanese ambassador to London reported back Britain would allow Japan to maintain its great power status and exert influence in asia if they stayed out of the European War and “re-examined their current policy”. An olive branch. Hirohito had options is what I am arguing. He could stale things, he could mobilize units into Manchukuo to simply threaten the Soviet border, he could simply stay out of new wars, even it the China war would get worse, but try to profit from the situation in Europe. He could stop the southern advance, lose the chance to seize the resource in southeast asia, but perhaps the US, UK and Netherlands would lift some sanctions.   After speaking back and forth with Konoe while scolding Sugiyama here is a bit of their conversation:    Emperor: In the event we must finally open hostilities, will our operations have a probability of victory?  Sugiyama: Yes, they will.  Emperor: At the time of the China Incident, the army told me that we could achieve peace immediately after dealing them one blow with three divisions. Sugiyama, you were army minister at that time. . . .  Sugiyama: China is a vast area with many ways in and many ways out, and we met unexpectedly big difficulties. . . . [ellipses in original]  Emperor: Didn't I caution you each time about those matters? Sugiyama, are you lying to me? Nagano: If Your Majesty will grant me permission, I would like to make a statement.  Emperor: Go ahead.  Nagano: There is no 100 percent probability of victory for the troops stationed there. . . . Sun Tzu says that in war between states of similar strength, it is very difficult to calculate victory. Assume, however, there is a sick person and we leave him alone; he will definitely die. But if the doctor's diagnosis offers a seventy percent chance of survival, provided the patient is operated on, then don't you think one must try surgery? And if, after the surgery, the patient dies, one must say that was meant to be. This indeed is the situation we face today. . . . If we waste time, let the days pass, and are forced to fight after it it is too late to fight, then we won't be able to do a thing about it.  Emperor: All right, I understand. [He answered in a better mood.]  Konoe: Shall I make changes in tomorrow's agenda? How would you like me to go about it? Emperor: There is no need to change anything.   There is no need to change anything. Konoe grabbed Hirohito for a private audience afterwards and tried to get Hirohito to revise the outline, but Hirohito ignored this. Hirohito at that point could have stopped or at least slowed down the countdown to all out war. Hirohito instead did not want to displease the pro-war factions in his military, perhaps he saw them as a threat to his authority. Hirohito was not at all pleased with the policy plan. When he was shown in on september 5th, he looked extremely irritated and blew up on Sugiyama and the army high command as a whole. 20 minutes before the Imperial conference on September 6th, Hirohito spoke with his lord of the privy Kido and told him he was going to raise some questions at the meeting. Kido told him that it would be best to leave the questions at the very end, basically he was advising to allow for things to go through. Thus Hirohito sat through the meeting and sanction the preparations for war. Here is a conversation between Hirohito and the Chiefs of the general staff:   Emperor: You may go ahead and mobilize. But if the Konoe-Roosevelt talks go well, you'll stop, won't you?  Chief of the General Staff: Indeed, your majesty, we will.  Emperor: I will ask you one more time: Is there any possibility that the north [that is, the Soviet Union] may move against us while we are engaged in the south [emphasis added]?  Chief of the General Staff: I cannot say that will absolutely not occur. However, because of the season it is inconceivable that large forces will be able to attack us   Meanwhile Konoe's deadline to reach a diplomatic resolution with the US was fast approaching. On October 13th Hirohito told Kido “In the present situation there seems to be little hope for the Japan–U.S. negotiations. If hostilities erupt this time, I think I may have to issue a declaration of war.” The next day Konoe held his last cabinet meeting and Army minister Tojo took the lionshare of talking:   For the past six months, ever since April, the foreign minister has made painstaking efforts to adjust relations [with the United States.] Although I respect him for that, we remain deadlocked. . . . Our decision was “to start the war . . . if by early October we cannot thoroughly achieve our demands through negotiations.” Today is the fourteenth. . . . We are mobilizing hundreds of thousands of soldiers. Others are being moved from China and Manchuria, and we have requisitioned two million tons of ships, causing difficulties for many people. As I speak ships are en route to their destinations. I would not mind stopping them, and indeed would have to stop them, if there was a way for a diplomatic breakthrough. . . . The heart of the matter is the [imposition on us of] withdrawal [from Indochina and China]. ...If we yield to America's demands, it will destroy the fruits of the China Incident. Manchukuo will be endangered and our control of Korea undermined   And so Konoe resigned two days later, but before he did his last official action was to recommend Prince Higashikuni to succeed him, in fact he got Tojo to do the same. Prince Higashikuni was deemed capable of controlling both the Army and Navy. And what did Hirohito say to this? He said no, and appointed Hideki Tojo. Why? As going back to the beginning of this series, to protect the Kokutai. He did not want a member of the royal family to hold the seat as Prime Minister during a time when war might be declared, a war that Japan might lose, which would toss the responsibility onto the imperial house. It was a threat to the Kokutai. Hirohito chose Tojo because Tojo was 100% loyal subject to the emperor. Tojo was the perfect fall guy if one ever existed.    Between November 8-15th, Hirohito received a full rundown of the Pearl Harbor surprise attack plan and sanctioned it. The deadline to reach a diplomatic solution with the US was set for midnight December 1st.    Hirohito ever since the Mukden Incident had expressed fear that not taking warlike actions, not pumping up the kokutai or not suppressing dissent would jeopardize the imperial system of government and damage the imperial institution itself. For Hirohito domestic conflicts were more dangerous than external ones, because they carried the risk of eroding the monarchy. As the time approached for his finally decision on declaring war, Hirohito requested a last round of discussion. The carriers enroute to Pearl harbor departed on november 27th, while on December 1st, 19 leaders, the entire Tojo cabinet and Emperor met. Tojo pulled a rather cheeky maneuver, he reported the response from America, the famous Hull note by stating “the United States . . . has demanded that we withdraw troops from all of China [emphasis added],” but in fact, Hull had used only the word “China.” Hara asked “I would like to know,whether Manchukuo is included in the term ‘China'? Did our two ambassadors confirm this point?” Togo's reply to this was “However . . . the American proposal [early in the negotiations on] April 16 stated that they would recognize the state of Manchukuo, so Manchukuo would not be part of China. . . . On the other hand . . . there has been a change in their position . . . they look upon Chungking as the one and only legitimate regime, and . . . they want to destroy the Nanking regime, [so] they may retract what they have said previously” A nonsensical gibberish answer, intentionally done to make everyone think America did in fact include Manchukuo, thus forcing everyone to see the demands as impossible to comply with. Togo finished the meeting : “Once His Majesty decides to commence hostilities, we will all strive to meet our obligations to him, bring the government and the military ever closer together, resolve that the nation united will go on to victory, make an all-out effort to achieve our war aims, and set his majesty's mind at ease. I now adjourn the meeting.” Hirohito simply nodded. Sugiyama remarked that the emperor did not show the slightest sign of anxiety, in fact he looked like he was in a good mood.   Hirohito's naval aid Jo Eiichiro wrote minutes on the first day of the pacific war, recording the emperors actions. 4 A.M. (Japan time): Japan issued a final ultimatum to the United States. 3:30 A.M.: the Hawaiian surprise attack was successful. 5:30 A.M.: Singapore bombed. Great results. Air attacks on Davao, Guam, Wake. 7:10 A.M.: All the above was reported to the emperor. The American gunboat Wake was captured on the Shanghai front. The British gunboat Petrel was sunk. From 7:15 to 7:30 the chief of the Navy General Staff reported on the war situation. At 7:30 the prime minister informally reported to the emperor on the imperial rescript declaring war. (Cabinet meeting from 7 A.M.). At 7:35 the chief of the Army General Staff reported on the war situation. At 10:45 the emperor attended an emergency meeting of the privy council. At 11:00 A.M. the imperial rescript declaring war was promulgated. 11:40 A.M. Hirohito conferred with Kido for about twenty minutes.] At 2:00 P.M. the emperor summoned the army and navy ministers and bestowed an imperial rescript on them. The army minister, representing both services, replied to the emperor. [At 3:05 P.M. the emperor had a second meeting with Kido, lasting for about twenty minutes.] At 4:30 P.M. the chiefs of staff formally reported on the draft of the Tripartite (Germany-Italy-Japan) Military Pact. At 8:30 P.M. the chief of the Navy General Staff reported on the achievements of the Hawaii air attack. . . . Throughout the day the emperor wore his naval uniform and seemed to be in a splendid mood.   Hirohito believed Germany would win, thus if with their help he believed Japan could thwart off the US until a negotiated peace. Having made his choice, Hirohito devoted himself to presiding over and guiding the war to victory at all costs. He was a extremely cautious person, every single campaign he looked for what could go wrong, made worse case scenario predictions and was very suspicious of reports from his high officials. He was notably very harsh and critical on said high commanders. Although he did not visit the war theaters as did other commanders in chief, he exercised and controlled influence on theater operations, both in the planning and execution whenever he chose to do so. As was the same case with the China war before it, he issued the highest military orders of the Imperial HQ, performed audited conferences and led to decisions transmitted in his name. He received generals and admirals to the imperial palace who gave full reports of the battlefront. He visited bases, battleships, various army and naval headquarters. He inspected military schools, you know the full shebang.    After 26 months of war, the naval air force had lost 26,006 aircraft, nearly a third of its total power, thousands of veteran pilots were dead. Hundreds of thousands of tons of warship was sunk, the merchant and transport fleet was crippled. Late 1943 saw the Americans turning the initiative of the war, Japan was on the defensive. Guadalcanal had been the major turning point. During the staled battle for the philippines, Hirohito pressed upon Army chief of staff Sugiyama to increase troop strength to knock out Bataan. The problem persisted, on February 9th and 26th Hirohito pressed Sugiyama again about getting more troops to take Bataan.   Hirohito was confronted with the prisoner of war issue after the doolittle raid. When the pilots were caught, Togo initially opposed executions, but many in the IJA sought all 8 men executed. Hirohito chose to intervene and commuted the execution of 5 out of the 8. Why just 5, no one knows to this day, but its theorized it was to demonstrate his benevolence while simultaneously giving a bit of what the army wanted.    The CBI theater took the lionshare of his attention in 1942, he continuously pressed up Sugiyama when a final blow would be delivered against Chongqing. When the Midway disaster occurred, Hirohito was given a full report of what happened, but he chose to hid the extent of the loss from the IJA. In fact in response to the Guadalcanal campaign he was heard once asking “I wonder if this is not the start of the AmericanBritish counteroffensive?” He urged his commanders to increase offensive activities and to toss all weapons possible at the enemy, because Japan needed more time to secure its reserves of vital oil, rubber and iron. When he heard the first report of the Ichiki detachment being wiped out, he simply stated “I am sure it [Guadalcanal] can be held.” With numerous reports pouring in about the men dying from tropical disease and starvation, Hirohito kept demanding greater efforts from them. Hirohito continuously applied pressure on his naval and land commanders to recapture the island. On September 15th, November 5th and November 11th he called for more IJA troops and aircraft to be allocated to it. Sugiyama was nervous about sending more IJA pilots as they were inexperienced in transoceanic combat and he sought to reinforce the north china army to hit Chongqing. Hirohito demanded it a second time and Sugiyama replied the IJA had deployed its air power instead to New Guinea and Rabaul. Hirohito continuously hammered the issue despite the high level commanders disagreeing with it. By late november it was clear guadalcanal was a lost cause.    At an imperial HQ conference on December 31st of 1942, the chiefs of staff reported they would cancel the attempts to recapture guadalcanal. Hirohito sanctioned it but stated “It is unacceptable to just give up on capturing Guadalcanal. We must launch an offensive elsewhere.” Hirohito forced the issue and it was decided the new strategic points would be in the solomons north of New Georgia and the Stanley range on New Guinea. Hirohito in fact threatened not to authorize the withdrawal of men from Guadalcanal until such a plan was made. Hirohito would go on to oppose the withdrawal from the Munda airfield on New Georgia since it contradicted the new defensive line. As the defensive perimeter in the central and northern solomons was crumbling, Hirohito continued to demand the navy fight decisive battles to regain the initiative so ships could begin transports supplies to the countless soldiers trapped on islands without them. When Hirohito heard of the navy's failure to reinforce Lae on March 3rd he stated  “Then why didn't you change plans immediately and land at Madan? This is a failure, but it can teach us a good lesson and become a source of future success. Do this for me so I can have peace of mind for awhile.” “Do this for me” would become his signature message.    In August of 1943 as the fall of the solomons progressed, Hirohito lambasted “Isn't there someplace where we can strike the United States? . . . When and where on earth are you [people] ever going to put up a good fight? And when are you ever going to fight a decisive battle?Well, this time, after suffering all these defeats, why don't you study how not to let the Americans keep saying ‘We won! We won!'[emphasis added]”” Hirohito berated his chiefs of staff and in the face of mounting defeats he remained undismayed, rigidly self disciplined and aggressive as ever. When he received a report on September 21st of 1943 that the allies were heading for Finschhafen he replied “Being ready to defend isn't enough. We have to do the attacking.”   When the Americans destroyed the main naval anchorage at Truk forcing the navy to evacuate it, leaving behind numerous tanks, the dream of fighting one great decisive naval battle in the central pacific was over.    On February 21st of 1944, Hirohito took the unprecedented action to force Sugiyama to resign so Tojo could assume his position, alongside that of army minister and prime minister. He did this to end dissent. Hirohito and Tojo oversaw the haymaker attempts in 1944, like operation Ichi-go and the Imphal campaign fall into ruins. It looked like the Philippines, Taiwan, Okinawa, the Bonin islands and eventually the home islands would be invaded. When Saipan fell, the home islands had at last come into range of the dreaded B-29 Super flying fortresses. Hirohito had warned Tojo “If we ever lose Saipan, repeated air attacks on Tokyo will follow. No matter what it takes, we have to hold there.” For two days his chiefs of staff explained the dire situation on Saipan was hopeless, but Hirohito ignored their advice and ordered Admiral Shimada to recapture it, the first department of the navy general staff immediately poured themselves into the problem. Day and night they worked, until a draft plan was created on June 21st, 3 days later the combined fleet gave opposition. Tojo and Shimada formally reported to Hirohito the recapture plan needed to be canceled. Hirohito refused to accept the loss of Saipan and ordered his chief aide General Hasunuma to convene in his presence the board of field marshals and fleet admirals. They all met on the 25th, upon which they all unanimously stated the reports indicating Saipan was a lost cause were valid, Hirohito simply told them to put it in writing and he left the room.    Hirohito finally decided to withdraw his support of Tojo, allowing Tojo's numerous enemies to take down his cabinet on July 18th 1944. But Hirohito was undaunted in determination to steal victory from the allies. Imperial HQ on October 18th ordered a decisive naval battle and the battle of Leyte Gulf was it. After the war Hirohito would go on the record stating “Contrary to the views of the Army and Navy General Staffs, I agreed to the showdown battle of Leyte thinking that if we attacked at Leyte and America flinched, then we would probably be able to find room to negotiate.” This statement shows the facts as they were, Hirohito and his chiefs of staff forced the field commander, General Tomoyuki Yamashita to engage the American invasion force in a place Yamashita did not want to fight nor prepared adequate defenses. It was a horrible loss.   The Kamikaze attacks increased as Japan's desperation wore on. On new years day of 1945 Hirohito inspected the special last meal rations given to departing kamikaze units. Iwo Jima fell. Okinawa remained, and Hirohito lashed out “Is it because we failed to sink enemy transports that we've let the enemy get ashore? Isn't there any way to defend Okinawa from the landing enemy forces?”  On the second day of Okinawa's invasion Hirohito ordered a counter landing by the 32nd army and urged the navy to counterattack in every way possible. It was a horrible failure, it cost the lives of up to 120,000 Japanese combatants, 170,000 noncombatants. The Americans lost 12,500 killed and 33,000 wounded. An absolute bloodbath.    Konoe re-entered the stage writing to Hirohito pleading with him to order a surrender because from his perspective “The Soviet Union is Japan's biggest threat. Defeat was inevitable, but more to be feared than defeat was the destruction of the Kokutai. Sue quickly for peace, before a Communist revolution occurred that would make preservation of the kokutai impossible”. Hirohito was taken aback by this, as he shared his military's hope that the Soviets would help Japan reach a peace settlement. So he rejected the advice of Konoe. Hirohito remarked “If we hold out long enough in this war, we may be able to win, but what worries me is whether the nation will be able to endure it until then.” Then Japan's intelligence units reported the Soviets were going to break the neutrality pact and join the war once the Germans were done. Meanwhile Tokyo was turned to rubble on March 9th 1945 by 334 B-29's dropping firebombs, 40% of the capital was destroyed, up to 100,000 were dead. Hirohito remained undaunted. 60 Japanese cities were leveled by firebomb campaigns. Europe's war finished. Then the battle for Okinawa was lost, suddenly Hirohito began looking for ways to end the war.   On June 22nd Hirohito personally informed the supreme war leadership council his desire to see diplomatic maneuvers to end the war. A special envoy was sent to Moscow, while Hirohito publicly issued an imperial rescript ordering the nation “to smash the inordinate ambitions of the enemy nations and achieve the goals of the war”. B-29's began dropping leaflets with joint declarations issued by the US, UK and China requesting the citizens of Japan demand their government surrender. Prefectural governors, police chiefs and officers began submitting home ministry reports on the rapid deterioration of the nations spirit.   Germany signed the unconditional surrender documents on May 7th and 8th of 1945, Japan was alone. Newly installed President Truman declared on May 8th, Japan's surrender would not mean the extermination or enslavement of the Japanese people, but the unconditional surrender principles remained unaltered. The Japanese meanwhile were awaiting word from the Soviets. The Americans unleashed their first atomic bomb on Hiroshima on August 6th of 1945 killing up to 140,000 people. Then on August 8th the Soviet Union declared war on Japan and began an invasion of Manchuria. On August 9th the second atomic bomb hit Nagasaki killing around 40,000 people.   Thus began the surrender clock as I like to say. After the first atomic bomb, Hirohito said and did nothing about the surrender terms. Hirohito then authorized Togo to notify the world on August 10th that Japan would accept the allied terms of surrender with one condition “that the said declaration does not comprise any demand which prejudices the prerogatives of His Majesty as a Sovereign Ruler.” The next day, Secretary of State Byrnes replied by alluding to the subordination of the emperors authority to the supreme commander of the allied powers. It was ambiguous as hell. The Japanese leaders erupted into arguments, and on August 14th, Hirohito went before a microphone and recorded his capitulation announcement which aired on August 15th to all in Japan, they surrendered. Why did it take so long?   The peace talks between the Japanese and Soviets went on through June, July and early August. Japan offered the Soviets limited territorial concessions and they refused to accept the envoy on July 22nd because the Japanese were being too ambiguous in their terms. There was continuous back and forth between the intelligence of Moscow and Japan trying to figure out the stance of the other, but then Stalin heard about the atomic bombing of Hiroshima, he was shocked and ordered an invasion of Manchuria in response. In the meantime the Japanese were tossing all sorts of concessions at Moscow, they stated they would allow Japanese to be used as forced laborers in Siberia, a form of reparation as it were, that they would demobilize the military and so on. The response was the invasion of Manchuria.    Hirohito knew prior to the bombing of Hiroshima that the cabinet was divided on accepting the Potsdam terms. Hirohito also knew he and he alone could unify governmental affairs and military command. Why then did he wait until the evening of August 9th to surrender?   The reality of the matter is its complicated, numerous variables at play, but let me try to pick at it. The people of japan under the firebomb campaigns were becoming hostile towards the military, the government and many began to criticize the emperor. Hirohito was given reports from the Home Ministry from governors and police chiefs all over Japan revealing people were speaking of the emperor as an incompetent leader who was responsible for worsening the war situation. Does that sound like a threat to the Kokutai? People were starving en masse, the atomic bomb is flashy, but what really was killing the Japanese, it was starvation. The home islands were blockaded and the sea approaches mined as pertaining to the optimally named “operation starvation”. Hirohito knew full well how bad his people were suffering but he did not surrender for so long.   After Hiroshima was bombed, Hirohito delayed for 2 days before telling Kido at 10am on August 9th “quickly control the situation, the Soviet Union has declared war and today began hostilities against us”. Now here is a piece of Hirohito's surrender proclamation to the citizens of Japan    “Moreover, the enemy has begun to employ a new and most cruel bomb, the power of which to do damage is, indeed, incalculable, taking the toll of many innocent lives. Should we continue to fight, not only would it result in an ultimate collapse and obliteration of the Japanese nation, but also it would lead to the total extinction of human civilization. Such being the case, how are We to save the millions of Our subjects, or to atone Ourselves before the hallowed spirits of Our Imperial Ancestors? This is the reason why We have ordered the acceptance of the provisions of the Joint Declaration of the Powers... The hardships and sufferings to which Our nation is to be subjected hereafter will be certainly great. We are keenly aware of the inmost feelings of all of you, Our subjects. However, it is according to the dictates of time and fate that We have resolved to pave the way for a grand peace for all the generations to come by enduring the unendurable and suffering what is unsufferable ”.   Hirohito wanted to obfuscate the issue of accountability, to prevent expressions of strife and anger and to strengthen domestic unity around himself, to protect and raise the kokutai. Did you know there was a rescript of this proclamation that was made to the entire IJA and IJN? Yes Emperor Hirohito gave out two different proclamations for surrender, here is what the armed forces heard.   “ Now that the Soviet Union has entered the war against us, to continue . . . under the present conditions at home and abroad would only recklessly incur even more damage to ourselves and result in endangering the very foundation of the empire's existence. Therefore, even though enormous fighting spirit still exists in the Imperial Navy and Army, I am going to make peace with the United States, Britain, and the Soviet Union, as well as with Chungking, in order to maintain our glorious national polity”.   The proclamation does not speak of the atomic weapons, but emphasizes the Soviet invasion of Manchuria. Hirohito was presented as a benevolent sage and an apolitical ruler that had ended the war. Hirohito sought to justify the surrender upon the bombs to the public, but did he believe so, did his armed forces believe so? People debate to this day why the surrender occurred, I love the fact there are two message offered because both are true. Hirohito's decision to surrender was based on numerous variables, the atomic bombs, the invasion of Manchuria by the soviets, but above all else, what really was important to the man, the emperor, the god? The kokutai. The Soviets were more of a threat to the kokutai, thus Hirohito jumped into the arms of the Americans. The language between the Americans and Japanese in the communications for unconditional surrender were ambiguous, but Hirohito and the high commanders knew there was zero chance of the kokutai surviving if the Soviets invaded Japan, perhaps the Americans would allow it to continue, which is just what they ended up doing. The entire purpose of this series would to emphasize how Hirohito definitely had a active role in the war of 1931-1945, he had numerous occasions where he could put the hammer down to stop the situation from escalating. But in the end when his back was against the wall, he did what he did to cling on to the Kokutai.   I shall leave you with this. On August 12th, as Hirohito came to inform the imperial family of his decision to surrender, Prince Asaka asked him whether the war would continue if the Kokutai could not be preserved, what do you think he said? “Of Course”. 

Cette semaine, dans IDÉES, Pierre-Edouard Deldique reçoit la philosophe Camille Froidevaux-Metterie, la conceptrice d'un livre majeur intitulé sobrement : «Théories féministes». Il s'agit d'une œuvre collective de plus de cent textes écrits par des auteures et chercheuses du monde entier.   L'ouvrage se présente comme une cartographie des pensées féministes à travers les siècles toutes orientées vers le même but car «le féminisme se caractérise par un foisonnement de théories mises au service d'un projet commun : renverser l'ordre patriarcal du monde» écrit notre invitée. Durant l'émission, Camille Froidevaux-Metterie parle avec passion de quelques-uns des articles de cet ouvrage afin de nous offrir un aperçu des idées sur le féminisme. Ce livre complet n'est pas seulement un panorama historique mais une véritable source vivante qui met en lumière la richesse et la diversité des approches théoriques mais aussi des témoignages personnels car «penser en féministe, c'est penser ensemble à partir de soi». On y parle par exemple des voix féminines médiévales affirmant la liberté de penser, des luttes pour les droits civils et politiques au XIXè siècle, des années 70 du XXè et la libération des corps ainsi que la critique radicale du patriarcat et, aujourd'hui des perspectives intersectionnelles, queer et décoloniales. Cette évolution montre que le féminisme n'est pas une suite de revendications isolées, mais un projet global de réinvention du monde commun avec, au-delà de sa diversité, une pensée structurée afin de déconstruire les logiques de domination : patriarcat, exploitation économique, hiérarchies raciales et sexuelles et de proposer une émancipation universelle. Le féminisme est conçu comme une philosophie visant à transformer radicalement les rapports sociaux. Camille Froidevaux-Metterie souligne d'ailleurs au micro «la nature intrinsèquement politique du féminisme». «Théories féministes» est salué à juste titre comme une somme intellectuelle inédite, un outil indispensable à la compréhension des débats du moment sur l'égalité, les corps, les identités et les luttes sociales. Il fera date.   Programmation musicale Debout les femmes - Hymne du MLF Calle Silencio - Anne Paceo J'ai compris - Nana Benz du Togo.

This missions-focused panel emphasizes that God has written Himself into humanity's story through Christ, and now the church is called to help others discover this truth. Using C.S. Lewis's illustration of Macbeth and Shakespeare, Pastor Tom Messer explains that we could never know God unless He revealed Himself to us—which He did through the incarnation. The sermon features testimonies from multiple missionaries, including Ed Gibson (53 years in missions), Jeff and Deanne Duvall (Ecuador), and Mackenzie Beamer (heading to Scotland), highlighting Trinity's rich missions heritage. The central message is that missions isn't optional—it's the heartbeat of the church's purpose. Every believer is called to participate through praying, giving, sending, and going. The church celebrates strategic partnerships in Togo (working toward 190,000 disciples by 2030), Guatemala, Guyana, and other nations, emphasizing that the strength of a church isn't measured by attendance but by how many people it sends out to advance the gospel.

This missions-focused panel emphasizes that God has written Himself into humanity's story through Christ, and now the church is called to help others discover this truth. Using C.S. Lewis's illustration of Macbeth and Shakespeare, Pastor Tom Messer explains that we could never know God unless He revealed Himself to us—which He did through the incarnation. The sermon features testimonies from multiple missionaries, including Ed Gibson (53 years in missions), Jeff and Deanne Duvall (Ecuador), and Mackenzie Beamer (heading to Scotland), highlighting Trinity's rich missions heritage. The central message is that missions isn't optional—it's the heartbeat of the church's purpose. Every believer is called to participate through praying, giving, sending, and going. The church celebrates strategic partnerships in Togo (working toward 190,000 disciples by 2030), Guatemala, Guyana, and other nations, emphasizing that the strength of a church isn't measured by attendance but by how many people it sends out to advance the gospel.

President Trump hosts NYC Mayor-Elect Mamdani at the White House, Haiti's electoral council proposes an Aug. 30 for general elections, Russia and Togo will mutually open embassies for the first time 65 Years, Japan approves a 21.3 trillion yen stimulus package, Brazil sees U.S.-imposed tariffs on agricultural goods drop by 40%, U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee reportedly met with Jonathan Pollard, President Trump proposes 34 offshore drilling leases in a five-year plan, the CDC updates its website on vaccine-autism claims, the U.S. Transportation and Security Agency proposes an $18 fee for travelers without a REAL ID, and the U.K. opens a new AI-powered underwater drone facility. Sources: www.verity.news

Hello again Pacific War Week by Week listeners, it is I your dutiful host Craig Watson with more goodies from my exclusive patreon podcast series. This is actually going to be a two parter specifically looking at the failure and responsibility of Emperor Hirohito during the 15 year war Japan unleashed in 1931. Again a big thanks to all of you for listening all these years, you are all awesome.   Hello everyone, a big thanks to all of you who joined the patreon and voted for this to be the next episode, you all are awesome.    Now I realize very well when I jumped into my former patreon episode on Ishiwara Kanji, I fell into a rabbit hole and it became a rather long series. I wanted to get this one done in a single episode but its also kind of a behemoth subject, so I will do this in two parts: this episode will be on Hirohito's failure and responsibility in regards to the China War from 1931-1941. The next one will cover Hirohito's failure and responsibility in the world war from 1941-1945.   I am not going to cover the entire life of Hirohito, no what I want is to specifically cover his actions from 1931-1945. Nw I want you to understand the purpose of this episode is to destroy a narrative, a narrative that carried on from 1945-1989. That narrative has always been that Emperor Hirohito was nothing more than a hostage during the war years of 1931-1945. This narrative was largely built by himself and the United States as a means of keeping the peace after 1945. However upon his death in 1989 many meeting notes and diaries from those who worked close to him began emerging and much work was done by historians like Herbert P Bix and Francis Pike. The narrative had it that Hirohito was powerless to stop things, did not know or was being misled by those around him, but this is far from the truth. Hirohito was very active in matters that led to the horrors of the 15 year war and he had his own reasons for why or when he acted and when he did not.   For this episode to be able to contain it into a single one, I am going to focus on Hirohito's involvement in the undeclared war with China, that's 1931-1941. For those of you who don't know, China and Japan were very much at war in 1931-1937 and certainly 1937 onwards, but it was undeclared for various reasons. If you guys really like this one, let me know and I can hit Hirohito 1941-1945 which is honestly a different beast of its own.   For those of you who don't know, Hirohito was born on April 29th of 1901, the grandson of Emperor Meiji. Hirohito entered the world right at the dawn of a new era of imperial rivalry in Asia and the Pacific. According to custom, Japanese royals were raised apart from their parents, at the age of 3 he was placed in the care of the Kwamura family who vowed to raise him to be unselfish, persevering in the face of difficulties, respectful of the views of others and immune to fear. In 1908 he entered elementary education at the age of 7 and would be taught first be General Nogi Maresuke who notoriously did not pamper the prince. Nogi rigorously had Hirohito train in physical education and specifically implanted virtues and traits he thought appropriate for the future sovereign: frugality, diligence, patience, manliness, and the ability to exercise self-control under difficult conditions. Hirohito learnt what hard work was from Nogi and that education could overcome all shortcomings. Emperor Meiji made sure his grandson received military training.   When Emperor Meiji died in 1912, Hirohito's father, Yoshihito took the throne as emperor Taisho. Taisho for a lack of better words, suffered from cerebral meningitis at an early age and this led to cognitive deficiency's and in reality the Genro would really be running the show so to say. When Taisho took the throne it was understood immediately, Hirohito needed to be prepared quickly to take the throne. After Meiji's funeral General Nogi politely told the family he could no longer be a teacher and committed seppuku with his wife. He wrote a suicide letter explained he wanted to expiate his disgrace during the russo japanese war for all the casualties that occurred at Port Arthur, hardcore as fuck. Hirohito would view Nogi nearly as much of an iconic hero as his grandfather Meiji, the most important figure in his life.   Hirohito's next teacher was the absolute legendary Fleet Admiral Togo Heihachiro who would instill national defense policy into him. Hirohito would be taught Admiral Alfred Thayer Mahans theories as all the great minds were taught at the time. Now I know it sucks but I cant delve deep into all this. What I want you to envision is a growing Man, instilled with the belief above all else, the Kokutai was most important. The Kokutai was the national essence of Japan. It was all aspects of Japanese polity, derived from history, tradition and customs all focused around the cult of the Emperor. The government run by politicians was secondary, at any given time the kokutai was the belief the Emperor could come in and directly rule.   If you are confused, dont worry, I am too haha. Its confusing. The Meiji constitution was extremely ambiguous. It dictated a form of constitutional monarchy with the kokutai sovereign emperor and the “seitai” that being the actual government. Basically on paper the government runs things, but the feeling of the Japanese people was that the wishes of the emperor should be followed. Thus the kokutai was like an extra-judicial structure built into the constitution without real legal framework, its a nightmare I know.    Let me make an example, most of you are American I imagine. Your congress and senate actually run the country, wink wink lets forget about lobbyists from raytheon. The president does not have actual executive powers to override any and all things, but what if all Americans simply felt he did. Thus everyone acted in accordance to his wishes as they assumed them to be, thats my best way of explaining Japan under Hirohito.    Emperor Taisho dies in 1926, and Hirohito takes the throne ushering in the Showa Era. He inherited a financial crisis and a military that was increasingly seizing control of governmental policies. Hirohito sought to restore the image of a strong charismatic leader on par with his grandfather Meiji, which was sorely lacking in his father Taishos reign. He was pressured immediately by the Navy that the national sphere of defense needed to be expanded upon, they felt threatened by the west, specifically by the US and Britain who had enacted the Washington Naval Treaty. Hirohito agreed a large navy was necessary for Japan's future, he was a proponent of the decisive naval battle doctrine, remember his teacher was Togo.    From the very beginning Hirohito intensely followed all military decisions. In 1928 the Japanese covertly assassinated the warlord of Manchuria, Zhang Zuolin. The current prime minister Tanaka Giichi had performed a thorough investigation of the incident and presented his report to Hirohito on December 24th of 1928. He told Hirohito he intended to court martial the criminals, purge the army and re-establish discipline. However the rest of Tanaka's cabinet wished to allow the army to deal with the matter and quiet the entire thing down. Hirohito responded by stating he had lost confidence in Tanaka and admonished his report. Hirohito allowed the army to cover up the incident, he sought to have it hushed up as well. Thus Hirohito had indulged the army in its insubordination and the kwantung army officers now felt they could take matters into their own hands.   Also in 1928 the Tanaka cabinet failed to endorse the international protocol banning chemical and biological warfare. The next year the privy council, pressured by the military, failed to ratify the full geneva convention of prisoners of war. Hirohito in response began doing something Emperor Meiji never had done, he began to scold officials to force them to retire from positions. Tanaka Giichi was bullied out. Hirohito then stated his endorsement of Hamaguchi Osachi as Tanaka's successors.   Just a few months after Hamaguchi cabinet formed, Hirohito overrode the advice of his naval chief of staff and vice chief of staff, Admiral Kato and Vice Admiral Suetsugu. The Americans and British were hinting they might form a naval alliance against Japan if she did not abide by the Washington Conference mandates on naval tonnage. Kato and Suetsugu refused to accept the terms, but prime minister Hamaguchi stood firm against them. The navy leaders were outraged and accused Hamaguchi of signing the treaty without the support of the Navy General Staff thereby infringing upon the “emperor's right of supreme command”. Two months after signing the treaty, Hamaguchi was assassinated and upon learning of this Hirohito's first concern apparently was “that constitutional politics not be interrupted”. The military felt greatly emboldened, and thus began the age of the military feeling “its right of supreme command”. Generals and Admirals fought back against arms reduction talks, discipline within the officer corps loosened, things spiraled out of control. Alongside this came the increasing cult of the emperor, that they were all doing this in his name.   When rumors emerged of the emerging Mukden Incident in 1931, Hirohito  demanded the army be reigned in. Attempts were made, but on September 18th of 1931, Kwantung army officer detonated an explosion at Liut'iaokou north of Mukden as a false flag operation. The next day the imperial palace were given a report and Hirohito was advised by chief aide de camp Nara Takeji “this incident would not spread and if the Emperor was to convene an imperial conference to take control of the situation, the virtue of his majesty might be soiled if the decisions of such a conference should prove impossible to implement”. This will be a key theme in Hirohito's decision making, protect the kokutai from any threats.   As the Mukden incident was getting worse, the Kwantung officers began to demand reinforcement be sent from the Korea army. The current Wakatsuki cabinet met on the issue and decided the Mukden incident had to remain an incident, they needed to avoid a declaration of war. The official orders were for no reinforcements of the Korea army to mobilize, however the field commander took it upon his own authority and mobilized them. The army chief of staff Kanaya reported to Hirohito the Korea army was marching into Manchuria against orders. At 31 years of age Hirohito now had an excellent opportunity to back the current cabinet, to control the military and stop the incident from getting worse. At this time the military was greatly divided on the issue, politically still weak compared to what they would become in a few years, if Hirohito wanted to rule as a constitutional monarch instead of an autocratic monarch, well this was his chance. Hirohito said to Kanaya at 4:20pm on September 22nd “although this time it couldn't be helped, [the army] had to be more careful in the future”. Thus Hirohito accepted the situation as fait accompli, he was not seriously opposed to seeing his army expand his empire. If it involved a brief usurpation of his authority so bit, as long as the operation was successful. Within two weeks of the incident, most of Japan had rallied being the kwantung army's cause. Hirohito knew it was a false flag, all of what they had done. Hirohito planned the lightests punishments for those responsible. Hirohito then officially sanctioned the aerial strike against Chinchou, the first air attack since ww1.   A message had gone out to the young officers in the Japanese military that the emperors main concern was success; obedience to central command was secondary. After the Mukden incident Prime Minister Wakatsuki resigned in december after failing to control the army and failing to contain the financial depression. The new Priminister Inukai took to action requesting permission from Hirohito to dispatch battalions to Tientsin and a brigade to Manchuria to help the Kwantung army take Chinchou. Hirohito responded by advising caution when attacking Chinchou and to keep a close eye on international public perception. Nevertheless Chinchou was taken and Hirohito issued an imperial rescript praising the insubordinate Kwantung army for fighting a courageous self defense against Chinese bandits. In a few more years Hirohito would grant awards and promotions to 3000 military and civil officials involved in the Manchurian war. When incidents broke out in Shanghai in 1932 involved the IJN, Tokyo high command organized a full fledged Shanghai expeditionary force under General Shirakawa with 2 full divisions. But within Shanghai were western powers, like Britain and America, whom Hirohito knew full well could place economic sanctions upon Japan if things got out of hand. Hirohito went out of his way to demand Shirakawa settle the Shanghai matter quickly and return to Japan.   And thus here is a major problem with Hirohito during the war years. On one end with Manchuria he let pretty much everything slide, but with Shanghai he suddenly cracks the whip. Hirohito had a real tendency of choosing when he wanted to act and this influenced the military heavily. On May 15th of 1932, young naval officers assassinated prime minister Inukai at his office. In the political chaos, Hirohito and his advisors agreed to abandon the experiment in party cabinets that had been the custom since the Taisho era. Now Hirohito endorsed a fully bureaucratic system of policy making, cabinet parties would no longer depend on the two main conservative parties existing in the diet. When the diet looked to the genro as to who should be the next prime minister, Hirohito wrote up “his wishes regarding the choice of the next prime minister”. Loyal officials backed Hirohito's wishes, the cult of the emperor grew in power. To the military it looked like Hirohito was blaming the party based cabinets rather than insubordinate officers for the erosion of his own authority as commander in chief. The young military officers who already were distrustful of the politicians were now being emboldened further.    After Manchuria was seized and Manchukuo was ushered in many in the Japanese military saw a crisis emerge, that required a “showa restoration' to solve. There were two emerging political factions within the military, the Kodoha and Toseiha factions. Both aimed to create military dictatorships under the emperor. The Kodoha saw the USSR as the number one threat to Japan and advocated an invasion of them, aka the Hokushin-ron doctrine, but the Toseiha faction prioritized a national defense state built on the idea they must build Japans industrial capabilities to face multiple enemies in the future. What separated the two, was the Kodoha sought to use a violent coup d'etat to do so, the Toseiha were unwilling to go so far. The Kodoha faction was made up of junior and youthful officers who greatly distrusted the capitalists and industrialists of Japan, like the Zaibatsu and believed they were undermining the Emperor. The Toseiha faction were willing to work with the Zaibatsu to make Japan stronger. Hirohito's brother Prince Chichibu sympathized with the Kodoha faction and repeatedly counseled his brother that he should implement direct imperial rule even if it meant suspending the constitution, aka a show restoration. Hirohito believed his brother who was active in the IJA at the time was being radicalized. Chichibu might I add was in the 3rd infantry regiment under the leadership of Colonel Tomoyuki Yamashita.   This time period has been deemed the government by assassination period. Military leaders in both the IJA and IJN and from both the Kodoha and Toseiha began performing violence against politicians and senior officers to get things done.    A enormous event took place in 1936 known as the february 26 incident. Kodoha faction officers of the IJA attempted a coup d'etat to usher in a showa restoration. They assassinated several leading officials, such as two former prime ministers and occupied the government center of Tokyo. They failed to assassinate the current prime minister Keisuke Okada or take control over the Imperial palace. These men believed Japan was straying from the Kokutai and that the capitalist/industrialists were exploiting the people of the nation by deceiving the emperor and usurping his power. The only solution to them was to purge such people and place Hirohito as an absolute leader over a military dictatorship.    Now the insurrectionists failed horribly, within just a few hours they failed to kill the current prime minister, and failed to seize the Sakashita Gate to the imperial palace, thus allowing the palace to continue communicating with the outside, and they never thought about what the IJN might do about all of this. The IJN sent marines immediately to suppress them. The insurrectionists had planned to have the army minister General Kwashima who was a Kodoha backer, report their intentions to Hirohito who they presumed would declare a showa restoration. They falsely assumed the emperor was a puppet being taken hostage by his advisers and devoid of his own will.   At 5:40am on February the 26th Hirohito was awakened and informed of the assassinations and coup attempt. From the moment he learnt of this, he was outraged and demanded the coup be suppressed and something I would love to highlight is he also immediately demanded his brother Prince Chichibu be brought over to him. Why would this be important? Hirohito believed the insurrectionists might enlist his brother to force him to abdicate. Hirohito put on his army uniform and ordered the military to “end it immediately and turn this misfortune into a blessing”. Hirohito then met with Kwashima who presented him with the insurrectionists demands to “clarify the kokutai, stabilize national life and fulfill national defense, aka showa restoration”. Hirohito scolded Kwashima and ordered him to suppress the mutiny. On the morning of the 27th Hirohito declared administrative martial law on the basis of Article 8 of the Imperial Constitution, pertaining to emergency imperial ordinances. Formally he was invoking his sovereign power to handle a crisis. Hirohito displayed an incredible amount of energy to crush the mutiny as noted by those around him at the time. Every few hours he demanded reports to be given to him by top officials and at one point he was so angry he threatened to lead the Imperial Guard division himself to go out and quell it. Hirohito met with Chichibu and its alleged he told his brother to end any relationships he had with the Kodoha members. By february 29th, Hirohito had firmly crushed the mutiny, most of the ringleaders were arrested. In april they were court martialed secretly without even given a chance to defend themselves in court and 17 were executed by firing squad in July. As a result of it all, the Kodoha faction dissolved and the Toseiha faction reigned supreme.    On the morning of July 8th of 1937 came the Marco Polo Bridge incident, a nearly identical false flag operation to what occurred at Mukden in 1931. Hirohito's reaction was first to consider the possible threat of the USSR. He wondered if the communists would seize the opportunity to attack Manchukuo. This is what he said to Prime Minister Konoe and army minister Sugiyama “What will you do if the Soviets attack us from the rear?” he asked the prince. Kan'in answered, “I believe the army will rise to the occasion.” The emperor repeated his question: “That's no more than army dogma. What will you actually do in the unlikely event that Soviet [forces] attack?” The prince said only, “We will have no choice.” His Majesty seemed very dissatisfied.    Hirohito demanded to know what contingency plans existed. After this he approved the decision of the Konoe cabinet to move troops into Northern China and fixed his seal to the orders of dispatch. The emperor had tacitly agreed to it all from the start. With each action taken for the following months, Hirohito would explicitly sanction them after the fact. In his mind he kept thinking about a fight with the USSR, he believed he had no choice in the China matter. All of his top ranking officials like Sugiyama would tell him “even if war with China came… it could be finished up within two or three months”. Hirohito was not convinced, he went to Konoe, to imperial conferences, to other military officials to get their views. None convinced him but as Hirohito put it  “they agreed with each other on the time factor, and that made a big difference; so all right, we'll go ahead.”     Two weeks into the conflict, the kwangtung army and Korean army were reinforced by 3 divisions from Japan and on July 25th were reaching Beijing. What did the man who was not responsible in such decision making say? On July 27 Hirohito sanctioned an imperial order directing the commander of the China Garrison Force to “chastise the Chinese army in the Peking-Tientsin area and bring stability to the main strategic places in that region.” Hirohito wanted a killing blow to end the war, and thus he escalated the incident. Historian Fujiwara Akira noted “it was the [Konoe] government itself that had resolved on war, dispatched an army, and expanded the conflict,” and Hirohito had fully supported it”   Chiang Kai-shek abandoned northern China pulling into the Interior and unleashed a campaign in Shanghai to draw the Japanese into a battle showcased in front of western audiences. Chiang Kai-shek tossed the creme of his military all into Shanghai to make it as long and explosive as possible to try and win support from other great powers. On August 18 Hirohito summoned his army and navy chiefs for a pointed recommendation. The war, he told them, “is gradually spreading; our situation in Shanghai is critical; Tsingtao is also at risk. If under these circumstances we try to deploy troops everywhere, the war will merely drag on and on. Wouldn't it be better to concentrate a large force at the most critical point and deliver one overwhelming blow? Based on our attitude of fairness, Do you, have in hand plans for such action? In other words, do we have any way worked out to force the Chinese to reflect on their actions?”   The chiefs of staff returned 3 days later with an aerial campaign to break China's will to fight and strategic cities needed to be seized. Hirohito gave his sanction and on August 31st gave the order “for the Dispatch of the North China Area Army. [D]estroy the enemy's will to fight and wipe out resistance in the central part of Hepei Province,” Over the course of weeks Hirohito sanctioned 6 troop mobilizations to the Shanghai area where the fighting had bogged down. Then he sanctioned 3 divisions from Taiwan to Shanghai, but for units in northern Manchuria to stand guard firmly in case the USSR attacked. The entire time this was happening both China and Japan referred to it as an incident and not a real war lest either of them lose the backing of their great power allies. Japan needed oil, iron and rubber from America, China was likewise received materials from the USSR/America/Britain and even Germany.    By november the war was not going well and Hirohito had the Imperial Headquarters established within his palace as a means to exercise his constitutional role as supreme commander, the army and navy would act in concert. For a few hours in the morning a few days every week, the chiefs of staff, army and navy ministers and chiefs of operations would meet with Hirohito. At these imperial conferences Hirohito presided over and approved decisions impacting the war. This was Hirohito's device for legally transforming the will of the emperor into the will of the state. Hirohito not only involved himself, sometimes on a daily basis he would shape strategy and decide the planning, timing and so on of military campaigns. He even intervened in ongoing field operations. He monitored and occasionally issued orders through commanders to subordinate units. Now I can't go through the entire 1937-1945 war and showcase all the things he did but I will highlight things I think we're important.    On November 9th, the Shanghai battle was finally falling apart for the Chinese as they began a withdrawal to the Nanking area some 180 miles away. The Japanese forces chased them and for the first time were really coming into direct contact with Chinese civilians, when it came to Shanghai most had evacuated the areas. The Japanese burned, plundered and raped villages and towns as they marched towards Nanking. On december 1st, Hirohito's imperial HQ ordered the 10th army and Shanghai expeditionary force to close in on Nanking from different directions, a pincer maneuver. Prince Asaka took command of the Shanghai expeditionary force and General Matsui commanded the Central China Area Army consisted of the Shanghai force and 10th army. Asaka led the forces to assault the walled city of Nanking with a population estimated to be 4-5 hundred thousand and it would fall on December 13th. Was there an order to “rape Nanking”, no. The Imperial HQ did not order the total extermination of the Chinese in Nanking, they had ordered an encirclement campaign. However, the standing orders at this time were to take no prisoners. Once Nanking fell, the Japanese began to execute en massage military prisoners and unarmed troops who surrendered willingly. There was a orgy of rape, arson, pillage and murder. The horror was seen in Nanking and the 6 adjacent villages over the course of 3 months far exceeding any atrocities seen during the battle for Shanghai or even the march to Nanking. General Nakajima's 16th division on its first day in Nanking was estimated to have murdered 30,000 POWs. Estimate range insanely, but perhaps 200,000 POW's and civilians were butchered over the course of 6 weeks.   Prince Asaka the 54 year old grand uncle to Hirohito and other members of the Imperial Family commanded the attack on Nanking and supervised the horrors. 49 year old General Prince Higashikuni chief of the army air force alongside Prince Kan'in knew of the atrocities occurring. Army minister Sugiyama knew, many middle echelon officers of the Imperial HQ knew. Hirohito was at the top of the chain of command, there is no way he was not informed. Hirohito followed the war extensively, reading daily reports, questioned his aides. It was under his orders that his army “chastise China”, but did he show any concern for the breakdown of his army's discipline? There is no documented evidence he ordered an investigation, all we are met with as historians is a bizarre period of silence. Hirohito goes from supervising the war with OCD precision, to silence, then back to normal precision. Did Hirohito show anything publicly to show angry, displeasure or remorse, at the time he energetically began spurring his generals and admirals on their great victories and the national project to induce “Chinese self-reflection”.    On November 24th Hirohito gave an after the fact sanction to the decision of General Matsui to attack and occupy Nanking. Hirohito was informed the city was going to be bombarded by aircraft and artillery and he sanctioned that as well. That was basically him removing any restrictions on the army's conduct. On December 14th the day after Nankings fall, he made an imperial message to his chiefs of staff expressing his pleasure at the news of the city's capture and occupation. Hirohito granted General Matsui an imperial rescript for his great military accomplishments in 1938 and gave the order of the golden early to Prince Asaka in 1940. Perhaps Hirohito privately agonized over what happened, but publicly did nothing about the conduct of his armed forces, especially in regards to the treatment of POW's.   Emperor Hirohito was presented with several opportunities to cause cease-fires or peace settlements during the war years. One of the best possible moments to end it all came during the attack on Naking when Chiang Kai-sheks military were in disarray. Chiang Kai-shek had hoped to end the fighting by enticing the other great powers to intervene. At the 9 power treaty conference in Brussel in november of 1937, Britain and the US proposed boycotting Japan. However the conference ended without any sanctions being enacted upon Japan. The Konoe government and Imperial HQ immediately expanded the combat zone. Chiang Kai-shek in desperation accepted a previous offer by Germany to mediate. Oscar Trautmann, the German ambassador to China attempted to negotiate with Japan, but it failed. China was offered harsh terms; to formally recognize Manchukuo, cooperate with it and Japan to fight communism, permit the indefinite stationg of Japanese forces and pay war reparations.    On January 9th of 1938, Imperial HQ formed a policy for handling the China incident which was reported to Hirohito. Konoe asked Hirohito to convene an imperial conference for it, but not to speak out at it  “For we just want to formally decide the matter in your majesty's presence.” Konoe and Hirohito were concerned with anti expansionists within the army general staff and wanted to prevent German interference in Japanese affairs. On January 11th, the policy was showcased and adopted, there would be no peace until Chiang kai-shek's regime was dissolved and a more compliant regime followed. Hirohito presided over the conference in full army dress uniform and gave his approval. He sat there for 27 minutes without uttering a word, appearing to be neutral in the matter, though in fact he was firmly backing a stronger military policy towards China.    The Konoe cabinet inaugurated a second phase to the China incident, greatly escalating the war. By this point in time Japanese had seen combat casualties at 62,007 killed, 160,000 wounded. In 1939 it would be 30,081 killed, 55,970 wounded, then 15,827 killed and 72,653 wounded in 1940. Major cities were under Japanese control ranging from the north east and south. Chiang Kai-shek fled to Chongqing, the war was deadlocked without any prospect of victory in sight.    On July 11 of 1938, the commander of the 19th division fought a border clash with the USSR known to us in the west as the battle of Lake Khasan. It was a costly defeat for Japan and in the diary of Harada Kumao he noted Hirohito scolded Army minister Itagaki “Hereafter not a single soldier is to be moved without my permission.” When it looked like the USSR would not press for a counter attack across the border, Hirohito gave the order for offensives in China to recommence, again an example of him deciding when to lay down the hammer. Konoe resigned in disgrace in 1939 having failed to bring the China war to an end and being outed by his colleagues who sought an alliance with Germany, which he did not agree with. His successor was Hiranuma a man Hirohito considered a outright fascist. Hiranuma only received the job because he promised Hirohito he would not make enemies of Britain or the US by entering in a hasty alliance with Nazi Germany. However his enter prime ministership would be engulfed by the alliance question.   In May of 1939 there was another border clash with the USSR, the battle of Khalkhin Gol. This one was much larger in scale, involving armored warfare, aircraft and though it seems it was not used, the Japanese brought biological warfare weapons as well. The Japanese had nearly 20,000 casualties, it was an unbelievable defeat that shocked everyone. Hirohito refrained from punishing anyone because they technically followed orders based on a document “outline for dealing with disputes along the manchurian soviet border” that Hirohito had sanctioned shortly before the conflict arose.   In July of 1939, the US told Hiranuma's government they intended not to renew the US-Japan treaty of commerce and navigation. Until this point Roosevelt had been very lenient towards Japan, but now it looked to him war would break out in europe and he wanted Japan to know they could expect serious economic sanctions if they escalated things. Hirohito complained to his chief aide de camp Hata Shunroku on August 5th “It could be a great blow to scrap metal and oil”. Then suddenly as Japan was engaging in a truce with the USSR to stop the border conflict, Germany shocked the world and signed a nonaggression pact with them. This completely contravened the 1936 Japan-German anti-comintern pact. Hiranuma resigned in disgrace on august 28th.    Hirohito was livid and scolded many of his top officials and forced the appointment of General Abe to prime minister and demanded of him “to cooperate with the US and Britain and preserve internal order”. Then Germany invaded Poland and began a new European War. Abe's cabinet collapsed from the unbelievable amount of international actions by January 14th 1940. Hirohito appointed Admiral Yonai as prime minister  and General Tojo to vice army minister. As we have seen Hirohito played a active role appointing high level personnel and imposed conditions upon their appointments.    Hirohito dictated what Yonai was to do, who he was to appoint to certain positions so on and so forth. When a large part of the military were calling for an alliance with Germany, Hirohito resisted, arguing Japan should focus on the China war and not ally itself to Germany unless it was to counter the USSR. Three months passed by and Germany began invading western europe. Norway fell, Denmark fell, Luxembourg, Belgium, the netherlands and then France, it was simply stunning. While Japan had been locked in a deadlock against China, Germany was crushing multiple nations with ease, and this had a large effect on asia. Britain, France and the Netherlands could not hope to protect their holdings in asia. But Hirohito kept pressuring Yonai not to begin any talks of an alliance, and the military leaders forced Yonai's cabinet to collapse.    So Hirohito stood by while Hiranuma, Abe and Yonai met each crisis and collapses. He watched as the China war went nowhere and the military was gradually pushing for the Nanshin-ron doctrine to open a southern war up with the west. Not once did he make a public effort on his lonesome to end the war in China. Japan's demands of China were unchanged, relations with the west were getting worse each day. The China war was undeclared, hell it was from the Japanese viewpoint “chastising China”. Japan was no respecting any rules of war in China, atrocities were performed regularly and for that Hirohito shared responsibility. For he alone was free to act in this area, he needed to act, but he did not. He could have intervened and insisted on respecting the rules of war, especially in regards to POW's and the results could have been dramatically different. Hirohito bore direct responsibility for the use of poison gas upon Chinese and Mongolian combatants and non combatants even before the undeclared war of 1937.    Then on July 28th of 1937 Hirohito made his first directive authorizing the use of chemical weapons which was transmitted by the chief of the army general staff prince Kan'in. It stated that in mopping up the Beijing-Tientsin area, “[Y]ou may use tear gas at suitable times.” Then on September 11th of 1937 he transmitted again through Kan'in the authorization to deploy special chemical warfare units in Shanghai. Gas weapons were one weapon the imperial HQ, aka Hirohito held effective control over throughout the China war. Front line units were never free to employ it at their own discretion, it required explicit authorization from the imperial HQ. During the Wuhan offensive of August to October 1938, imperial HQ authorized the use of poison gas 375 separate times. Hirohito authorized on May 15th of 1939 the carrying out of field studies of chemical warfare along the Manchukuo-soviet border.  In 1940 Hirohito sanctioned the first experimental use of bacteriological weapons in China, though there is no documented evidence of this, given the nature of how he micro managed everything it goes without saying he would have treated it the same as the poison gas. He was a man of science, a person who questioned everything and refused to put his seal on orders without first examining them. Imperial HQ directives went to unit 731 and as a rule Hirohito overlooked them. There again is no documents directly linking him to it, but Hirohito should be held responsibility for strategic bombing campaigns performing on cities like Chongqing. Alongside such horror Hirohito sanctioned annihilation campaigns in China. Such military campaigns were on the scale of what occurred at Nanking. Take for example the Hebei offensive which saw the infamous “three alls policy, burn all, kill all, steal all”.    Before Pearl Harbor and the ushering in of the war against the west, look at the scene that had unfolded. China and Japan were not officially at war until December of 1941. Not to say it would have been easy by any means, but look at the countless opportunities the man, emperor, so called god if you will, held in his hands to stop it all or at the very least stop escalating it. Why did he not do so? To protect the Kokutai. Above all else, the role and survival of the emperor's divinity over the people of Japan was always at the forefront of his mind. He did what he thought was always necessary to thwart threats internal and external. He allowed his military to do horrible things, because they did so in his name, and likewise they were a threat to him. I know its abrupt to end it like this, but for those of you who perhaps say to yourself “well he really was powerless to stop it, they would have killed him or something”, who chose suddenly to intervene in 1945 and made the decision to surrender?

Chinazam Ikechi, marketing representative for Akwaaba African Travel Market in Lagos, Nigeria, talks with David Cogswell of Insider Travel Report about West African tourism opportunities for African American travelers. Ikechi highlights popular destinations including Badagry, where visitors can see the first building constructed in Nigeria, and multi-country tours through Nigeria, Benin, Togo and Ghana. For more information, visit https://akwaabatravelmarket.com. All our Insider Travel Report video interviews are archived and available on our Youtube channel (youtube.com/insidertravelreport), and as podcasts with the same title on: Spotify, Pandora, Stitcher, PlayerFM, Listen Notes, Podchaser, TuneIn + Alexa, Podbean,  iHeartRadio,  Google, Amazon Music/Audible, Deezer, Podcast Addict, and iTunes Apple Podcasts, which supports Overcast, Pocket Cast, Castro and Castbox.

« L'Afrique est-elle le prochain califat ? », demandait il y a deux ans l'universitaire français Luis Martinez, dans un ouvrage au titre provocateur, paru aux éditions Tallandier. Aujourd'hui, la question se pose au Mali, où les jihadistes du Jnim essayent d'imposer le blocus de Bamako et où les États-Unis et la France conseillent à leurs ressortissants de quitter le pays au plus vite. Mais y a-t-il vraiment une menace sécuritaire de la part des jihadistes sur la ville de Bamako ? Luis Martinez, qui est directeur de recherches au Centre de recherches internationales (CERI), répond aux questions de Christophe Boisbouvier. RFI : Deux ans après la sortie de votre livre, continuez-vous de penser que l'Afrique peut devenir le prochain califat ? Luis Martinez : Je pense qu'en Afrique, et en particulier dans le Sahel, il y a des conditions pour voir émerger des territoires qui seraient gouvernés par des jihadistes, qui chercheraient à mettre en œuvre ce qu'ils cherchent depuis quelques années, à savoir un califat. Quand vous dites que le jihadisme est en expansion, pensez-vous en priorité à l'Afrique de l'Ouest ou à l'Afrique de l'Est ? Disons que le vivier, le cœur ou l'épicentre, c'est clairement le Sahel. Tout simplement parce que les conditions de ces dix dernières années nous montrent qu'il y a eu une constellation qui a favorisé leur expansion. Je ne reviens pas sur les déterminants intérieurs et régionaux, mais les conditions ont été vraiment propices à leur développement. Et leur projet ne s'arrête pas là. Il est clair qu'on voit bien qu'il y a des tentatives vers l'Afrique de l'Ouest, sur le Bénin, le Togo, le Nigeria, bien évidemment, et depuis longtemps dans certaines régions. Mais le Sahel reste quand même l'épicentre en raison d'un certain nombre de conditions qui sont quand même très favorables. Certains observateurs disent qu'après ses échecs en Irak et en Syrie, le groupe État islamique essaie de faire de l'Afrique de l'Est une base de repli, notamment en Somalie ? En Somalie, c'est clair qu'il y a dans l'État semi-autonome du Puntland ou d'autres régions, là aussi, des conditions qui pourraient amener à une installation. Mais en même temps, on est en Somalie, c'est un environnement qui, peut-être, n'est pas celui du Sahel, avec un engagement des États-Unis qui, sans doute, limite ou limiterait, dans la durée, la possibilité de vraiment s'y installer. Pour revenir à l'Afrique de l'Ouest, quel est, à votre avis, le pays le plus exposé à l'instauration d'un éventuel califat jihadiste ? Clairement, c'est le Mali qui apparaît dans l'agenda jihadiste comme celui qui pourrait le plus facilement, dans les semaines, les mois, voire les années à venir, constituer un terrain nouveau d'instauration d'un califat. Alors pourquoi ? Tout simplement parce qu'il y a quand même un isolement de Bamako, à la fois vis-à-vis de la France et vis-à-vis du voisin algérien. Mais également, ses partenaires et alliés, que ce soit le Burkina ou le Niger, ont eux-mêmes de graves difficultés sur place pour pouvoir lui venir en aide. Quant à la Russie, je pense que les quelque 2 000 ou 3 000 mercenaires de l'Africa Corps ne peuvent strictement rien faire face à une insurrection jihadiste. On l'a vu avec la France avec ses 6 000 hommes, ce ne sont pas les 2 000 ou 3 000 hommes de la Russie qui vont modifier la donne. Je pense que l'approche militaire, de toute manière, est vouée à l'échec. Parce qu'il faudrait vraiment passer par les armes et faire des massacres dans toutes les régions du Mali pour restaurer l'ordre et la sécurité, ce que quasiment aucun État occidental n'assumerait de faire. Et évidemment, la Russie a d'autres soucis en Europe et en Ukraine pour pouvoir considérer que le Mali est stratégique dans sa politique. Aujourd'hui, l'armée malienne est quand même assez isolée pour pouvoir bénéficier d'une capacité, non seulement de résistance, mais de reconquête de son territoire. Cela me semble, comme beaucoup d'observateurs, voué à l'échec. Quand vous voyez que les États-Unis et les grands pays européens appellent leurs ressortissants à quitter Bamako, y voyez-vous le signe d'une prise possible de cette capitale africaine, notamment par le Jnim d'Iyad Ag Ghaly ? Je ne sais pas dans les détails. Aujourd'hui, Bamako peut tomber ou pas. Ce qui est sûr, c'est que depuis quelques années, le Jnim a construit une vraie stratégie pour, entre guillemets, isoler Bamako sur le plan territorial, isoler le pouvoir politique sur le plan sociétal, dont l'influence est limitée. Et maintenant, sans doute, chercher à l'isoler économiquement, financièrement. Toutes ces conditions vont-elles faire que les militaires à Bamako vont considérer qu'il n'y a plus d'échappatoire ? Ou bien vont-ils estimer qu'ils peuvent s'en accommoder ? Un peu comme à Kaboul où, pendant des années, on s'est accommodé de ne pas pouvoir sortir au-delà de 30 km de Kaboul, parce qu'il y avait les talibans à côté. Voilà, cela va dépendre. Le Jnim n'a aucune capacité, aujourd'hui, de conquête, au sens militaire du terme, d'entrer dans Bamako. Le Jnim a toujours recherché ce qu'on pourrait appeler des partenaires politiques, militaires et religieux pour lui ouvrir les portes de Bamako. C'est-à-dire faire en sorte que, de l'intérieur, on se débarrasse de la junte et on négocie des alliances avec le Jnim dans ce qu'on pourrait appeler une co-gouvernance de la capitale et de l'État malien. À une époque passée, pas très lointaine, il y avait l'imam Mahmoud Dicko qui aurait pu remplir ce rôle. Lui-même avait fondé le Coordination des mouvements, associations et sympathisants de l'imam Dicko (CMAS), ce qui est donc une sorte de coordination de mouvements civils et religieux qui avait encouragé un dialogue jusqu'en 2019 et 2020. À partir de 2022, les militaires au pouvoir à Bamako l'ont quasiment pourchassé. Il est exilé en Algérie en ce moment. Mais c'est ce type de personnage que les groupes jihadistes recherchent. C'est-à-dire des figures religieuses, politiques, voire demain militaires, qui puissent être des passerelles pour ouvrir les portes de Bamako. Parce que les djihadistes du Sahel sont pour beaucoup des Arabes et des Touaregs qui seraient minoritaires dans la ville de Bamako ? Il y a à la fois cette dimension ethnique, communautaire qui jouerait, mais en même temps, il y a l'expérience passée, c'est-à-dire la conquête militaire d'une ville, voire sa prise complète du pouvoir. Le Jnim a bien regardé ce qui s'est passé avec le groupe État islamique du côté de Syrte, en Libye. Cela a généré immédiatement une coalition internationale pour déloger le groupe État islamique de la ville de Syrte en 2014 et 2015. Donc il y a cette idée que le Jnim ne veut pas apparaître comme un projet politique radical qui s'imposerait à la société, mais comme une alternative politique et religieuse que la société serait prête à accompagner. Cela fait quelques années que le Jnim, entre guillemets, gouverne un certain nombre de régions, et Bamako serait un peu la vitrine. Entrer par la force à Bamako pourrait susciter des réactions tout à fait contraires à son projet. Il y a dix ans, les attentats de Paris et de Saint-Denis ont été prémédités et préparés au Moyen-Orient, et donc pas en Afrique de l'Ouest. Est-ce à dire que les jihadistes qui opèrent en Afrique et au Sahel ne représentent pas une menace terroriste pour l'Europe ? Il me semble que le contexte du Moyen-Orient, qui était quand même un contexte d'ingérence de forces étrangères extrêmement importantes – la guerre d'Irak, la guerre contre Al-Qaïda, et toute une série de variables – avait construit une vraie haine de l'Occident et des pays alliés à l'Occident. Il me semble que l'on n'a pas cette configuration aujourd'hui dans le Sahel. À la rigueur, je dirais presque que c'est une chance pour la France aujourd'hui de ne pas être associée à cette avancée spectaculaire des jihadistes et de ne pas chercher à les combattre militairement sur place. Tout simplement parce qu'ainsi cela ne va pas générer un certain nombre de griefs, de colère contre la France. Il y a déjà le passé colonial. Il y a déjà le passé post-colonial de la Françafrique. Je pense qu'aujourd'hui, la France est, entre guillemets, mieux lotie en étant loin de ce type de transformation de la société du Sahel plutôt qu'en y étant présente. Cela ne veut pas dire demain que cette région ne pourrait pas, bien évidemment, devenir une base pour certains groupes qui, entre guillemets, échapperaient à la gouvernance du Jnim et chercheraient à exploiter les failles d'une gouvernance califale pour frapper l'Occident. Cela, en toute sincérité, je n'en sais rien aujourd'hui.   À lire aussiMali: record d'enlèvements d'étrangers par les jihadistes

10 ans après les attentats de Paris, le terrorisme islamiste reste une menace mondiale. Mais son influence s'étend particulièrement en Afrique, surtout au Sahel où les jihadistes tentent de progresser vers les pays du golfe de Guinée. Comment vivez-vous cette menace ? Quel est l'impact sur votre quotidien ? Comment votre pays peut-il relever le défi sécuritaire ? 

On this week's episode of Toe2Toe, Andy Scott and Gary Logan are joined by special guests, English Super Welterweight Champion Bilal Fawaz and Commonwealth Silver title holder Martin Hillman.Bilal shares his inspiring journey to the English Super Welterweight title and Martin reveals how he ended up fighting for the Commonwealth Silver title on a beach in Togo.The panel also preview the full Chris Eubank Jr vs Conor Benn 2 fight card and react to the latest news in the boxing world, including the announcement of Moses Itauma's fight against Jermaine Franklin. Toe2Toe is a Sky Sports podcast. Listen to every episode here: skysports.com/toe-2-toeYou can listen to Toe2Toe on your smart speaker by saying "ask Global Player to play Ringside Toe2Toe".For all the latest boxing news, head to skysports.com/boxingFor advertising opportunities email: skysportspodcasts@sky.uk

Host Dennis Scully and BOH editor in chief Kaitlin Petersen discuss the biggest news in the design world, including the latest on housing, how to get hired in a slowdown, and whether are designers finally paying attention to accessibility. Later, designer Billy Cotton joins the show to talk about his latest collaboration. This episode is sponsored by Eichholtz and Renewal by AndersenLINKSBilly CottonBusiness of Home

First, we discuss a rather ridiculous care sheet that someone sent me, which was posted by a pet store.Then, we discuss a new trapdoor spider species identified in California.For our main topic, I'm going to share care and behavior notes on one of the most unjustly villainized spiders in the hobby...the Heteroscodra maculata or "Togo Starburst Baboon."