Podcasts about Togo

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

//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

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. »

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.

A saída de Umaro Sissoco Embaló para Dacar não prova qualquer golpe, defende o analista político Armando Lona, que garante tratar-se de “uma farsa” montada por um Presidente "derrotado nas urnas". Sem ruptura militar real, o coordenador da Frente Popular defende que o país aguarda pelo anúncio dos resultados eleitorais e que o povo guineense “derrubou a ditadura nas urnas”, exigindo agora que a ordem constitucional seja restaurada. O antigo Presidente da Guiné-Bissau, deposto por um grupo de militares chegou, ontem à noite, a Dacar num avião fretado pelo governo senegalês. Nos próximos dias, é esperada em Bissau uma missão de mediação da Comunidade Económica dos Estados da África Ocidental (CEDEAO), anunciada depois da cimeira de emergência entre os líderes regionais. O analista político guineense e coordenador da Frente Popular, Armando Lona, rejeita a leitura de que esteja em curso um golpe militar, descrevendo a situação como “uma farsa” atribuída a um Presidente “derrotado nas urnas”. Armando Lona começa por contrariar a interpretação de que exista uma crise institucional na Guiné-Bissau: “Nós não temos nenhuma crise. O que estamos a viver é uma farsa provocada por Umaro Sissoco Embaló, candidato derrotado nas eleições de 23 de Novembro”. Para o analista, a instabilidade das últimas semanas resulta de uma estratégia recorrente: “Ele perdeu as eleições. Ciente disso, voltou à sua técnica privilegiada. Ele é especialista na invenção de golpes. Inventou há três semanas um golpe e inventou outro há dois dias.” Segundo Armando Lona, Umaro Sissoco Embaló terá procurado manipular as comissões regionais de eleições e, posteriormente, a Comissão Nacional de Eleições (CNE). “Tentou (…) forjar resultados falsos e, com o fracasso, avançou para esse plano de golpe de Estado”, descreve. Contudo, rejeita que tenha havido qualquer tomada de poder por parte das Forças Armadas: “Como é possível falar em golpe de Estado de um Presidente que tem um exército atrás de si e um contingente de centenas de homens da CEDEAO, como se faz um golpe nesta situação?” Para Armando Lona, a explicação é simples: “Quem o derrotou não foram os militares, mas sim o povo da Guiné-Bissau.” Os membros da CEDEAO estiveram reunidos de emergência, esta quinta-feira ao final do dia, e anunciaram o envio de uma missão de mediação composta pelos presidentes de Serra Leoa, Senegal, Cabo Verde e Togo. Armando Lona reconhece que a organização actua em conformidade com o protocolo, mas acusa-a de falhar sistematicamente no país: “É uma obrigação da CEDEAO, que falhou várias vezes. (…) A força da CEDEAO está no país apenas para proteger o Presidente agora derrotado, Umaro Sissoco Embaló.” E questiona: “Como se pode permitir que chegássemos a este ponto com uma força incapaz de cumprir a sua função?” Apesar das críticas, considera necessária a decisão anunciada pelos líderes regionais: “A posição é clara: retorno à ordem constitucional, retomada do processo eleitoral e anúncio dos resultados da eleição de domingo, cujo vencedor já é conhecido.” Para Armando Lona, tudo depende agora da formalização dos resultados: “As missões de observação internacional têm os resultados. A CNE tem os resultados. Falta apenas anunciá-los para que o Presidente eleito tome posse.” “O povo guineense derrotou a ditadura nas urnas, derrotou o autoritarismo e derrotou o culto de personalidade”, acrescentando que “o povo guineense está disposto a novos sacrifícios para fazer respeitar a sua vontade. Não vamos permitir mais fintas”. Sobre a saída de Umaro Sissoco Embaló para Dacar, Armando Lona não exclui a hipótese de apoio internacional. “É uma suspeição legítima, tendo em conta o papel dúbio da França em relação à Guiné-Bissau”, observa, recordando que não seria a primeira vez que Paris actuaria nos bastidores de crises africanas. No entanto, distingue a França do Senegal: “Do Senegal não acredito. O Senegal tem uma opinião pública esclarecida (…) e uma consciência africana que não permite jogos obscuros.” Armando Lona rejeita a narrativa de perseguição apresentada pelo Presidente deposto: “O que ele fez foi para procurar proteção. Não teve coragem de abandonar o país reconhecendo a derrota e criou um quadro de vitimização, quando, na verdade, se tratou de um golpe fabricado por ele.” E recorda que tais episódios seriam recorrentes: “Toda a gente sabe. Não é a primeira vez; será a quinta ou sexta vez que inventa golpes.” Para o analista, a comunidade internacional tem agora um papel determinante: “Saudamos o posicionamento firme das missões de observação internacional, da CPLP, da União Africana e da CEDEAO.” Segundo o coordenador da Frente Popular, existe um alinhamento claro: “Encorajamos essas organizações a prosseguir para que sejam criadas condições para o anúncio dos resultados e a tomada de posse do novo Presidente.” Quanto à missão da CEDEAO que deve chegar a Bissau nos próximos dias, Armando Lona considera adequada a composição: “As pessoas envolvidas conhecem profundamente o país. Não são estranhas à Guiné-Bissau", reforçando que o país aguarda apenas o passo final: “Houve uma eleição transparente. Um candidato venceu. Resta criar condições para que a entidade competente anuncie os resultados.”

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.

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.

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

In der 2. Halbzeit dieses Podcasts erzählen Alemannias Stürmer Valmir Sulejmani und Abwehrspieler Pierre Nadjombe, welche Werte ihnen im Leben wichtig sind und dass ihr Glaube ihnen Kraft gibt. Außerdem erfahren die Hörer, wer ihnen auf ihrem Weg zum Fußballprofi am meisten geholfen hat und wie sie mit Rückschlägen umgehen. Im zweiten Teil des Gesprächs mit Christian Ebener und Peter Engels erzählen Valmir und Pierre auch mehr über ihre Wurzeln im Kosovo bzw. Togo. ­ Alle Folgen unseres Alemannia-Podcasts findet Ihr hier: https://www.aachener-zeitung.de/themen/you-never-talk-alleng/ - mit freundlicher Unterstützung unseres Partners Johnson & Johnson MedTech, dem Spezialisten für Herzgesundheit aus Aachen. https://www.abiomed.com/de-de. ­ Redaktion: Ebener, Engels Moderation: Ebener, Engels Produktion: Hinz, Engels Cover: Claßen Fotos: EngelsSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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?

Le concentré de tomate chinois est toujours le plus exporté de la planète, mais les indicateurs commerciaux ne sont plus aussi bons qu'avant : les ventes chinoises progressent de plus en plus lentement. Le tassement des exportations chinoises est principalement dû à la volonté de plusieurs pays de se démarquer et de moins consommer de concentré de tomates chinois, pour des raisons liées à sa qualité, mais aussi pour des questions plus idéologiques : les trois-quarts de la production viennent de la province du Xinjiang, à l'ouest de la Chine, région souvent pointée du doigt pour sa répression des populations ouïghoures. « Plus personne ne veut de ce concentré-là », résume un observateur de la filière. Au troisième trimestre, les exportations ont baissé de 13% par rapport au deuxième trimestre, et de 9% par rapport à l'année dernière, selon Tomato News, le site d'information de l'Association internationale méditerranéenne de la tomate transformée (AMITOM) et du Conseil mondial de la tomate d'industrie (CMITI). Chute des ventes en Europe de l'Ouest La situation est très contrastée avec des importations en hausse en Amérique centrale, en Extrême-Orient, dans les pays de l'Est de l'Europe tels que la Croatie, la République tchèque et la Pologne, et en parallèle, des régions du monde qui ont mis un coup de frein à leurs importations chinoises. C'est en Europe de l'Ouest que la baisse est la plus notable selon Tomato News, avec une chute de 67% entre le troisième trimestre 2025 et celui de 2024, soit 26 000 tonnes en moins. La tendance à la baisse est portée par l'Italie, mais aussi le Portugal, l'Irlande, la Suède et les Pays-Bas. Les pays d'Europe de l'Ouest n'ont pas moins consommé, mais ils essaient de se fournir plus en Europe, et peuvent aussi acheter davantage aux États-Unis grâce aux bons rendements obtenus en Californie cette année, explique un de nos interlocuteurs.  Baisse en Afrique de l'Ouest  Les exportations de concentré chinois ont baissé dans plusieurs pays d'Afrique également. Si on compare le troisième trimestre 2025 à celui de 2024, on constate une baisse des achats de près de 9 000 tonnes. Plusieurs pays ont réduit leurs importations : le Nigeria, le Ghana, la RDC et le Niger. Une baisse atténuée, mais pas totalement, par les importations du Togo, du Bénin et de la Sierra Leone, selon Tomato News. Les exportateurs chinois dominent cependant toujours le continent africain. « Très peu d'autres pays parviennent aujourd'hui à exporter vers l'Afrique, un marché qui continue de croître », a rappelé Martin Stilwell, le président de Tomato News, lors des journées de la Tomate (ANUGA) qui se sont tenues le mois dernier à Cologne en Allemagne. Chute des prix du concentré chinois  La Chine exporte moins en Europe et a vu ses recettes liées aux exportations mondiales de concentré chuter de 30% sur un an, pour atteindre le niveau bas d'avant Covid-19. Cette chute est liée à la surproduction chinoise d'il y a un an qui avait été suscitée par l'envolée des prix du concentré. La Chine a grosso modo produit cinq millions de tonnes de trop, explique un expert de la filière. Un volume impossible à absorber sur un marché globalement stable où la consommation de tomates d'industrie est plus ou moins de 38 à 40 millions de tonnes chaque année. Les stocks chinois ont grossi et les usines chinoises qui s'étaient lancées ou relancées dans la transformation l'année dernière ont dû réduire, voire geler, leur activité en 2025 en attendant de liquider leurs réserves de concentré. Des réserves vendues à des prix cassés : environ 600 dollars la tonne, soit presque la moitié des prix pratiqués par les exportateurs chinois un an plus tôt.  Les prix aux États-Unis ont suivi la même tendance, tout en restant plus élevés. En Italie, l'autre acteur qui compte sur le marché, ils se sont maintenus grâce à un positionnement sur le secteur premium, qui permet aux transformateurs de mieux valoriser leurs produits.   À lire aussiConcentré de tomates: boom historique des exportations, hausse des stocks et baisse des prix

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

Véritable problème de santé publique, il est question du diabète dans ce numéro de Capsule santé. On parle de ses causes, conséquences et sa prise en charge avec le Dr Kessy Sekpe, medecin interniste diabètologue et présidente de l'association togolaise du diabète.Mais avant, direction le Burundi où les autorités sanitaires cherchent à éradiquer le choléra.

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

Les femmes et les hommes ne sont pas égaux face à l'alcool. Si elles sont exposées aux mêmes risques que les hommes, les complications sont plus graves, plus rapides, et parfois spécifiques. Ainsi, l'alcool est l'un des principaux facteurs de risque pour le cancer du sein et causerait ainsi près de 40 000 nouveaux cas par an. L'alcoolisation rend les femmes plus vulnérables aux violences et aux violences sexuelles. Les tabous entourant l'alcoolisme au féminin et les représentations portées sur cette dépendance nuisent à l'expression de la maladie, comme à sa prise en charge. Comment la consommation d'alcool chez les femmes évolue-t-elle ? Comment expliquer la plus grande vulnérabilité féminine face à ces substances ? Quel accompagnement et quelles prises en charge existent ?  Dr Fatma Bouvet de la Maisonneuve, psychiatre addictologue et écrivaine, elle a créé la 1ʳᵉ consultation d'alcoologie à l'hôpital Sainte-Anne (GHU psychiatrie et neurosciences) à Paris. Auteure de l'ouvrage Les femmes face à l'alcool : résister et s'en sortir, aux éditions Odile Jacob.   Camille Emmanuelle, journaliste et écrivaine. Auteure de l'ouvrage Alcool, avons-nous un problème ?, aux éditions de la Martinière Jeunesse.  Dr Sonia Kanekatoua, psychiatre au CHU Campus de Lomé au Togo et au CEPIAK, le Centre de Prise en charge intégrée des Addictions de Kodjoviakopé.   Programmation musicale :  ► MIKA – Lonely alcooholic ► Hollie Cook - Shy girl

Les femmes et les hommes ne sont pas égaux face à l'alcool. Si elles sont exposées aux mêmes risques que les hommes, les complications sont plus graves, plus rapides, et parfois spécifiques. Ainsi, l'alcool est l'un des principaux facteurs de risque pour le cancer du sein et causerait ainsi près de 40 000 nouveaux cas par an. L'alcoolisation rend les femmes plus vulnérables aux violences et aux violences sexuelles. Les tabous entourant l'alcoolisme au féminin et les représentations portées sur cette dépendance nuisent à l'expression de la maladie, comme à sa prise en charge. Comment la consommation d'alcool chez les femmes évolue-t-elle ? Comment expliquer la plus grande vulnérabilité féminine face à ces substances ? Quel accompagnement et quelles prises en charge existent ?  Dr Fatma Bouvet de la Maisonneuve, psychiatre addictologue et écrivaine, elle a créé la 1ʳᵉ consultation d'alcoologie à l'hôpital Sainte-Anne (GHU psychiatrie et neurosciences) à Paris. Auteure de l'ouvrage Les femmes face à l'alcool : résister et s'en sortir, aux éditions Odile Jacob.   Camille Emmanuelle, journaliste et écrivaine. Auteure de l'ouvrage Alcool, avons-nous un problème ?, aux éditions de la Martinière Jeunesse.  Dr Sonia Kanekatoua, psychiatre au CHU Campus de Lomé au Togo et au CEPIAK, le Centre de Prise en charge intégrée des Addictions de Kodjoviakopé.   Programmation musicale :  ► MIKA – Lonely alcooholic ► Hollie Cook - Shy girl

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

In January 1925, a deadly diphtheria outbreak threatened the small, frozen town of Nome and the only hope was antitoxin that had to be rushed across Alaska by dog sled in the middle of a massive, subzero blizzard. In this episode, we break down the science of diphtheria, the relay that became known as the Great Serum Run, and the real story behind Togo, Balto, and the race that saved lives. Citations:The Cruelest Miles by Gay Salisbury and Laney Salisbury alaskaweb.org⁠https://www.cdc.gov/diphtheria/vaccines/index.html⁠ (tdap resource)⁠https://www.alaskamushingschool.com/learn/1925-serum-run-to-nome/⁠ (fav resource, has pictures at bottom of page)https://www.history.com/articles/the-sled-dog-relay-that-inspired-the-iditarodhttps://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK560911/https://apnews.com/article/alaska-diphtheria-outbreak-nome-anniversary-dogs-balto-3fc1889c11e5c310c1cacb186f841125https://www.cmnh.org/learn/science-blog/2025/01/23/100-years-after-the-great-serum-run-baltos-legacy-endureshttps://archives.alaska.gov/education/serum.htmlhttps://www.cdc.gov/diphtheria/about/index.html

Programmation consacrée à l'actualité musicale et aux chansons gold. Dans la séquence Génération Consciente, Bernard Bitanda, secrétaire général de l'ONG Samda Congo. Il présente Vision 2010, le concours musical de l'association qui aura lieu du 7 novembre au 28 décembre 2025 à l'espace Sony Labou Tansi, à Brazzaville. Et Guy Antoine Pepawang, directeur de l'association Nkongsamba Peguanto qui lutte contre la précarité au Cameroun. Pour visionner les clips, cliquez sur les titres des chansons :  Benjamin Epps feat Lous and the Yakuza - Le sauveur  Misie Sadik feat Mathieu White - Tèlman dou Maya Kamaty - Kaskolé Says'z - Wahala Santrinos Raphaël - On va pas divorcer Mosty - KO Ishmael - S'manje manje Moh Green - Caramel Tatiana Kruz - Tourner Guy2Bezbar et Yorssy - Malabar Poison Mobuti feat Mac Tyer, Sinto Pap - CMQP Ralycia - Fever Kim feat Guy2Bezbar - Shine Goln.B et Dj Sown - Anlè'y Retrouvez la playlist officielle de RFI Musique.

Programmation consacrée à l'actualité musicale et aux chansons gold. Dans la séquence Génération Consciente, Bernard Bitanda, secrétaire général de l'ONG Samda Congo. Il présente Vision 2010, le concours musical de l'association qui aura lieu du 7 novembre au 28 décembre 2025 à l'espace Sony Labou Tansi, à Brazzaville. Et Guy Antoine Pepawang, directeur de l'association Nkongsamba Peguanto qui lutte contre la précarité au Cameroun. Pour visionner les clips, cliquez sur les titres des chansons :  Benjamin Epps feat Lous and the Yakuza - Le sauveur  Misie Sadik feat Mathieu White - Tèlman dou Maya Kamaty - Kaskolé Says'z - Wahala Santrinos Raphaël - On va pas divorcer Mosty - KO Ishmael - S'manje manje Moh Green - Caramel Tatiana Kruz - Tourner Guy2Bezbar et Yorssy - Malabar Poison Mobuti feat Mac Tyer, Sinto Pap - CMQP Ralycia - Fever Kim feat Guy2Bezbar - Shine Goln.B et Dj Sown - Anlè'y Retrouvez la playlist officielle de RFI Musique.

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." 

Pour l'Envoyé spécial de l'ONU pour la région des Grands Lacs, Huang Xia, la Conférence de soutien à la paix et à la prospérité dans la région, organisée à Paris le 30 octobre par la France et le Togo, a été un succès à plusieurs égards.L'événement a réuni un large éventail d'acteurs — dirigeants africains, représentants régionaux et internationaux, ainsi que de nombreuses organisations humanitaires —, illustrant la mobilisation constante de la communauté internationale et rappelant que la crise dans l'est de la République démocratique du Congo n'est pas oubliée.La Conférence a mobilisé environ 1,5 milliard de dollars de promesses de dons pour l'aide humanitaire. Huang Xia exhorte désormais les partenaires à concrétiser ces engagements et à acheminer rapidement l'aide vers les populations les plus touchées. Il appelle également à renforcer les efforts conjoints afin de mettre fin une bonne fois pour toutes aux conflits récurrents dans la région des Grands Lacs.  (Extrait sonore : Huang Xia, Envoyé spécial spécial de l'ONU pour la région des Grands Lacs)

En janvier 1925, l'Alaska fut le théâtre d'une épopée héroïque restée dans l'Histoire sous le nom de “course au sérum de Nome” (Serum Run to Nome). Tout commença dans le petit port de Nome, au bord de la mer de Béring, lorsqu'une épidémie de diphtérie frappa la population. Le médecin local, Curtis Welch, vit les premiers enfants mourir en quelques jours. Sans vaccin, c'était une condamnation certaine. Il savait qu'un antidote existait : un sérum antitoxique conservé à plus de 1600 kilomètres, à Anchorage. Mais en plein hiver, les tempêtes de neige rendaient les routes, la mer et le ciel impraticables.Le seul moyen d'acheminer le remède ? Par traîneaux à chiens. L'Alaska décida d'organiser une course contre la mort : une relais de mushers, ces conducteurs de traîneaux, traverserait les plaines glacées pour livrer le sérum à Nome. En tout, 20 équipes de chiens se relayèrent sur plus de 1 000 kilomètres, dans des conditions extrêmes : -50 °C, vents polaires, blizzards aveuglants.Le départ fut donné le 27 janvier 1925 à Nenana. Chaque équipe parcourait une trentaine de kilomètres avant de transmettre le précieux colis au relais suivant. Parmi ces héros, deux noms restèrent célèbres : Leonhard Seppala, le plus expérimenté, et son chef de meute Togo, qui franchirent près de 400 km à travers la tempête ; puis Gunnar Kaasen, guidé par le chien Balto, qui mena la dernière étape jusqu'à Nome, arrivant le 2 février au matin. Dans ses bras, le petit cylindre d'aluminium contenant le sérum gelé sauva des centaines de vies.Leur exploit, largement relayé par la presse, fit le tour du monde. Balto devint une icône nationale aux États-Unis : une statue à son effigie fut érigée à Central Park, à New York, “en l'honneur de l'endurance, de la fidélité et de l'intelligence des chiens de traîneau.”Cette aventure marqua un tournant : elle inspira la création de la course annuelle de traîneaux Iditarod, entre Anchorage et Nome, en mémoire de ces mushers. Mais elle symbolise surtout la force du courage collectif face à la nature impitoyable. Dans la nuit polaire de l'hiver 1925, l'humanité et les chiens de l'Arctique coururent côte à côte pour arracher un village à la mort. Hébergé par Acast. Visitez acast.com/privacy pour plus d'informations.

Chaque mois, le coach Didier Acouetey, président d'AfricSearch, conseille un jeune entrepreneur sur ses difficultés. En deuxième partie, débat avec des patrons de PME du continent. Cette semaine, financer les TPE, PME grâce aux diasporas.  Cette émission est une rediffusion du 21 juillet 2025.   Partie 1 : conseils à un jeune entrepreneur - Didier Acouetey, président du cabinet AfricSearch - Nelly Chaby, créatrice de Macajou entreprise de fabrication de macarons à base de produits locaux à Cotonou, Bénin.   Partie 2 : Financer les TPE, PME grâce aux diasporas - Felix Edoh Kossi Amenounve, directeur général de la Bourse Régionale des Valeurs Mobilières (BRVM) et président de l'Association des Bourses Africaines (ASEA) - Duplex Eric Kamgang, président et fondateur de Studely, société qui propose une solution complète à destination des étudiants afin de faciliter leur accès à l'enseignement supérieur français - Didier Acouetey, président du cabinet AfricSearch.   Programmation musicale :  ► Ghanaian Stallion – Finish Line (ft. Patrice) ► Abou Tall – Bats-toi (playlist).

Chaque mois, le coach Didier Acouetey, président d'AfricSearch, conseille un jeune entrepreneur sur ses difficultés. En deuxième partie, débat avec des patrons de PME du continent. Cette semaine, financer les TPE, PME grâce aux diasporas.  Cette émission est une rediffusion du 21 juillet 2025.   Partie 1 : conseils à un jeune entrepreneur - Didier Acouetey, président du cabinet AfricSearch - Nelly Chaby, créatrice de Macajou entreprise de fabrication de macarons à base de produits locaux à Cotonou, Bénin.   Partie 2 : Financer les TPE, PME grâce aux diasporas - Felix Edoh Kossi Amenounve, directeur général de la Bourse Régionale des Valeurs Mobilières (BRVM) et président de l'Association des Bourses Africaines (ASEA) - Duplex Eric Kamgang, président et fondateur de Studely, société qui propose une solution complète à destination des étudiants afin de faciliter leur accès à l'enseignement supérieur français - Didier Acouetey, président du cabinet AfricSearch.   Programmation musicale :  ► Ghanaian Stallion – Finish Line (ft. Patrice) ► Abou Tall – Bats-toi (playlist).

Nous sommes en compagnie de Charlotte Terrero pour compléter son enquête sur la colère qui gronde en Indonésie et avec Igor Strauss pour parler du changement climatique au Togo, en seconde partie d'émission. Indonésie: la frustration et la colère de la Génération Z  Du Maroc au Népal, une jeunesse identifiée Génération Z secoue plusieurs pays de ses cris de colère ces dernières semaines. À Djakarta, une première manifestation de cette Gen Z s'est tenue fin août, contre les élites, contre la corruption. Du jamais vu en Indonésie depuis vingt ans. Un mois plus tard, pas de réponse concrète. La répression a freiné le mouvement, mais la colère gronde toujours. Un Grand reportage de Charlotte Terrero qui s'entretient avec Jacques Allix.   Au Togo, la difficile adaptation au changement climatique  Le changement climatique se poursuit et les sommets internationaux tentent régulièrement une contre-offensive. Sommet de New York du 24 septembre. COP 30, de Belem en novembre. «Le changement climatique : la plus grande arnaque jamais menée contre le monde», a déclaré Donald Trump à la tribune des Nations unies. Nous nous plongeons aujourd'hui dans le quotidien de citoyens qui sont en prise avec ces bouleversements. Une question de survie. Direction le Togo du Nord et ses sécheresses à répétition ; le Sud frappé d'inondations et d'érosion côtière.  Nous voici dans un petit village de la région de Kara. Un Grand reportage d'Igor Strauss qui s'entretient avec Jacques Allix.

This special report zooms in on the smaller fashion houses that sparkled during Paris Fashion Week. Vincent Pressiat, like Victor Weinsanto, looked to the past, when the king's favourites ruled the roost. Alain Paul recalled his first auditions as a young dancer. Ukrainian Lilia Litkovska is still designing, despite the war. Last but not least, Afro-Caribbean designers were celebrated at the Paris edition of Togo's International Fashion Festival.

Le changement climatique se poursuit et les sommets internationaux tentent régulièrement une contre-offensive. Sommet de New York du 24 septembre. COP 30, de Belem en novembre. «Le changement climatique : la plus grande arnaque jamais menée contre le monde», a déclaré Donald Trump à la tribune des Nations unies. Nous nous plongeons aujourd'hui dans le quotidien de citoyens qui sont en prise avec ces bouleversements. Une question de survie. Direction le Togo du Nord et ses sécheresses à répétition ; le Sud frappé d'inondations et d'érosion côtière.  Nous voici dans un petit village de la région de Kara. «Au Togo, la difficile adaptation au changement climatique», un Grand reportage d'Igor Strauss. Réalisation : Stéphane Defossez.

Cameroon holds presidential elections this Sunday with Paul Biya, the world's oldest ruler, seeking another seven-year term. At 92 years old, there have been concerns about his health and ability to rule. The credibility of the election commission has also been questioned. And insecurity is rife in the English speaking parts of  the country.  So, can the polls on Sunday be free and fair?Also in the programme: should advertising boards be removed from football pitches to avoid accidents like the injury suffered by Togo's Samuel Asamoah during a game in ChinaAnd Somalia is to introduce Swahili, the lingua franca of East Africa, to its national curriculumPresenter: Nyasha Michelle Producers: Jospeh Keen, Mark Wilberforce and Tanya Hines Technical Producer: Craig Kingham Senior Journalist: Sunita Nahar Editors: Andre Lombard and Karnie Sharp

Les journalistes et experts de RFI répondent également à vos questions sur l'aide chinoise à la Russie dans la guerre et les pénuries d'essence en Russie. RDC : démantèlement d'un réseau clandestin d'exploitation d'or   Une vaste opération menée dans la province du Haut-Uélé, dans le nord-est de la RDC, a permis de démanteler un réseau d'exploitation illégale d'or impliquant des ressortissants chinois. Comment ce réseau a-t-il pu opérer en toute illégalité ? Quelles mesures les autorités mettent-elles en place pour mettre fin à la fraude minière ? Avec Patient Ligodi, journaliste au service Afrique de RFI.       Guerre en Ukraine : comment la Chine facilite les bombardements russes ?  Kiev accuse Pékin de jouer un rôle indirect dans les attaques russes en fournissant à Moscou des renseignements satellitaires pour lui permettre de mieux cibler les infrastructures ukrainiennes. Quel intérêt la Chine aurait-elle à coopérer avec la Russie alors qu'officiellement elle affiche une neutralité dans le conflit ? Quels sont les risques diplomatiques pour la Chine si ces soupçons se confirment ?    Avec Emmanuel Véron, géographe, spécialiste de la Chine contemporaine, chercheur associé à l'Inalco, membre de l'IFRAE.       Russie : des pénuries d'essence après des attaques ukrainiennes    Troisième producteur mondial de pétrole, la Russie se retrouve à court d'essence après une série d'attaques de drones ukrainiens sur de nombreuses raffineries. Cette pénurie peut-elle affecter la logistique militaire russe, notamment sur le front ukrainien ? Cette situation pourrait-elle perturber le marché mondial du pétrole ?  Avec Ulrich Bounat, analyste géopolitique, chercheur-associé chez Euro Créative.     Et en fin d'émission, la chronique « Un œil sur les réseaux » de Jessica Taieb. Au programme, une polémique au Togo alors que les internautes peuvent désormais être sanctionnés par la justice pour un commentaire, un « j'aime » ou un partage sur des publications jugées « illicites » par les autorités.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XIwEc64h-BE 0:00 เริ่ม ทักทาย พูดถึงความประทับใจงาน WiT meet ที่จบไป 15:10 เล่าเรื่องเคยเจอคุณ Jane Goodall 20:47 กลับมาเล่าเรื่องแฟนมีตต่อ รีแคปเรื่องตราปั๊มพ์ เพลง และพิธีกรรมเปิดงาน 33:03 เพลงบูชาเทพ เอนุสซู 44:05 ลิสต์รางวัล Ig Nobel 2025 สาขาต่างๆ 1:09:01 เล่ารายละเอียด กิ้งก่ากินพิซซ่า 1:19:17 คุยยาวเรื่อง narcissist 1:59:39 ชั้นรองเท้าดับกลิ่น 2:05:19 อาบันเสริมเรื่อง narcissist ต่ออีกหน่อย 2:17:08 unbox อวดผลงานชาวเบร้อ art toy ธีมแมลงโดนเชื้อราซอมบี้จากอวกาศ ซีรีส์ Bug Light Year โดย @vectorfigure 2:25:51 ค้างคาวเมา 2:41:49 วัวลาย เหลือบไม่ชอบตอม 2:51:49 แม่นมกระเทียม 3:12:35 ประชาสัมพันธ์ และบอกลาผู้ฟัง https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UiGLm7_-la4 รางวัลสาขา โภชนาการ มอบให้ Daniele Dendi และคณะ กับผลงานศึกษาว่า กิ้งก่าชนิดเจาะจงชนิดหนึ่ง มีความชอบกินพิซซ่าแต่ละหน้าแตกต่างกันมากน้อยแค่ไหน REFERENCE: “Opportunistic Foraging Strategy of Rainbow Lizards at a Seaside Resort in Togo,” Daniele Dendi, Gabriel H. Segniagbeto, Roger Meek, and Luca Luiselli, African Journal of Ecology, vol. 61, no. 1, 2023, pp. 226-227. เกร็ดเสริมเรื่องกิ้งก่าขี้ไม่ออก https://www.livescience.com/constipated-lizard-record-breaking-poo.html รางวัลสาขา จิตวิทยา มอบให้ Marcin Zajenkowski และ Gilles Gignac กับผลงานศึกษาว่าเกิดอะไรขึ้น เมื่อคุณบอกคนที่เป็นนาร์ซิซิสต์ หรือใครก็ตาม ว่าเขานั้นฉลาดกว่าคนอื่น REFERENCE: “Telling People They Are Intelligent Correlates with the Feeling of Narcissistic Uniqueness: The Influence of IQ Feedback on Temporary State Narcissism,” Marcin Zajenkowski and Gilles E. Gignac, Intelligence, vol. 89, November–December 2021, 101595. รางวัลสาขา การออกแบบทางวิศวกรรม มอบให้ Vikash Kumar และ Sarthak Mittal ผู้ทำการวิเคราะห์จากมุมมองของการออกแบบเชิงวิศวกรรมว่า รองเท้าที่เหม็นโฉ่วนั้นส่งผลลบต่อประสบการณ์ที่ดีในการใช้ชั้นรองเท้า REFERENCE: “Smelly Shoes — An Opportunity for Shoe Rack Re-Design,” Vikash Kumar and Sarthak Mittal, Ergonomics for Improved Productivity: Proceedings of HWWE 2017, vol. 2, pp. 287-293. Springer Singapore, 2022. ผลงานชาวเบร้อ Art toy ธีมแมลงกับเชื้อราซอมบี้ต่างดาว โดย https://www.instagram.com/vectorfigure รางวัลสาขา การบิน มอบให้ Francisco Sánchez และคณะ สำหรับการศึกษาที่ค้นพบว่า การบริโภคแอลกอฮอลสามารถลดสมรรถนะการบินของค้างคาว ตลอดจนขัดขวางทักษะการใช้เสียงสะท้อนนำร่อง REFERENCE: “Ethanol Ingestion Affects Flight Performance and Echolocation in Egyptian Fruit Bats,” Francisco Sánchez, Mariana Melcón, Carmi Korine, and Berry Pinshow, Behavioural Processes, vol. 84, no. 2, 2010, pp. 555-558. แถมเรื่องค้าวคาวลึงค์ใหญ่ รางวัลสาขา ชีววิทยา มอบให้กับ Tomoki Kojima และคณะ กับผลงานวิจัยที่ทดสอบว่า วัวซึ่งถูกทาสีเป็นลายม้าลาย จะโดนเหลือบกัดน้อยลงหรือไม่ REFERENCE: “Cows Painted with Zebra-Like Striping Can Avoid Biting Fly Attack,” Tomoki Kojima, Kazato Oishi, Yasushi Matsubara, Yuki Uchiyama, Yoshihiko Fukushima, Naoto Aoki, Say Sato, Tatsuaki Masuda, Junichi Ueda, Hiroyuki Hirooka, and Katsutoshi Kino, PLoS ONE, vol. 14, no. 10, 2019, e0223447. รางวัลสาขา กุมารเวช มอบให้ Julie Mennella และ Gary Beauchamp สำหรับงานวิจัยประสบการณ์ของเด็กทารกเมื่อแม่กินกระเทียมแล้วมาให้นม REFERENCE: “Maternal Diet Alters the Sensory Qualities of Human Milk and the Nursling's Behavior,” Julie A. Mennella and Gary K. Beauchamp, Pediatrics, vol. 88, no. 4, 1991, pp. 737-744. รวม podcast ที่เล่า Ig Nobel ปีนี้ หรือสัมภาษณ์นักวิจัยที่ได้รางวัล Stuff to Blow Your Mind 632 nm podcast

Une blessure à la tête peut causer des lésions au cerveau plus ou moins graves, pouvant se manifester par des symptômes variables, comme des troubles de la vision, des pertes d'équilibre, des vertiges, mais aussi une perte de connaissance ou des troubles de la mémoire... On parle alors de traumatisme crânien léger ou sévère.  (Rediffusion) Comment détecter les signes d'un traumatisme crânien ? Comment le prendre en charge en fonction de son degré de sévérité ? Quelles peuvent être les séquelles ?  Pr Nozar Aghakhani, neurochirurgien et enseignant chercheur à l'Université Paris-Saclay, coordonnateur du Centre d'évaluation et de prise en charge des traumatismes crâniens légers au sein de l'Hôpital Bicêtre APHP, au Kremlin-Bicêtre Dr Jean-François Chermann, neurologue, spécialiste en France des commotions cérébrales chez les sportifs, à l'origine de la 1ère consultation «Commotion cérébrale et sport» à l'hôpital en France en 2010   Pr Essossinam Kpelao, neurochirurgien, chef du service de Neurochirurgie du CHU Sylvanus Olympio à Lomé et professeur à la Faculté des sciences de santé de l'Université de Lomé au Togo.  ► En fin d'émission, nous parlerons de l'ouverture de la 5è Maison des femmes de l'APHP, au sein de l'Hôpital Antoine-Béclère, à Clamart, un lieu d'accueil pour les femmes victimes de violences. Interview de Marine Muscat-Orbach, sage-femme, chargée de la coordination du parcours de soins de la Maison des femmes.  Programmation musicale : ► Alabama Shakes – Don't wanna fight ► James BKS – On my way.

Une blessure à la tête peut causer des lésions au cerveau plus ou moins graves, pouvant se manifester par des symptômes variables, comme des troubles de la vision, des pertes d'équilibre, des vertiges, mais aussi une perte de connaissance ou des troubles de la mémoire... On parle alors de traumatisme crânien léger ou sévère.  (Rediffusion) Comment détecter les signes d'un traumatisme crânien ? Comment le prendre en charge en fonction de son degré de sévérité ? Quelles peuvent être les séquelles ?  Pr Nozar Aghakhani, neurochirurgien et enseignant chercheur à l'Université Paris-Saclay, coordonnateur du Centre d'évaluation et de prise en charge des traumatismes crâniens légers au sein de l'Hôpital Bicêtre APHP, au Kremlin-Bicêtre Dr Jean-François Chermann, neurologue, spécialiste en France des commotions cérébrales chez les sportifs, à l'origine de la 1ère consultation «Commotion cérébrale et sport» à l'hôpital en France en 2010   Pr Essossinam Kpelao, neurochirurgien, chef du service de Neurochirurgie du CHU Sylvanus Olympio à Lomé et professeur à la Faculté des sciences de santé de l'Université de Lomé au Togo.  ► En fin d'émission, nous parlerons de l'ouverture de la 5è Maison des femmes de l'APHP, au sein de l'Hôpital Antoine-Béclère, à Clamart, un lieu d'accueil pour les femmes victimes de violences. Interview de Marine Muscat-Orbach, sage-femme, chargée de la coordination du parcours de soins de la Maison des femmes.  Programmation musicale : ► Alabama Shakes – Don't wanna fight ► James BKS – On my way.

October 5, 2025 [Speaker: Missionary Gloria Biffert] – This week we have the privilege to have Gloria Biffert as our guest speaker.  She is a missionary to Togo, West Africa. She preached the message talking about the five benefits of suffering. Suffering in Jesus always brings hope. (John 16:33)    In our suffering we are never alone. (2 Cor 4:10)

Chaque mois, le coach Didier Acouetey, président d'AfricSearch, conseille un jeune entrepreneur sur ses difficultés. En deuxième partie, débat avec des patrons de PME du continent. Cette semaine, comment faire face à la fraude numérique. Partie 1 : conseils à un jeune entrepreneur • Didier Acouetey, président du cabinet AfricSearch • Linda Elobo Elomo, créatrice de Mandy Tea, Une entreprise qui fabrique et commercialise du thé à base de cacao à Douala au Cameroun.   Partie 2 : faire face aux défis de la fraude numérique  • Franck Kie, fondateur du Cyber Africa forum • Ezekiel Ocansey, ingénieur télécom, directeur d'exploitation chez Neurotech, opérateur panafricain de services informatiques spécialisé dans les solutions de transformation numérique, la cybersécurité et l'infrastructure réseau • Didier Acouetey, président du cabinet AfricSearch.   Programmation musicale :  ► Pas Contente - Vaudou Game  ► Disco Life - Say She She.

Hey guys, what you are about to listen to is an extremely graphic episode that will contain many scenes of gore, rape, human experimentation, honestly it will run the gambit. If you got a weak stomach, this episode might not be for you. You have been warned.  I just want to take a chance to say a big thanks to all of you guys who decided to join the patreon, you guys are awesome! Please leave a comment on this episode to let me know what more you want to hear about in the future. With all of that said and done lets jump right into it.   Where to begin with this one? Let start off with one of the major figures of Unit 731, Shiro Ishii. Born June 25th, 1892 in the village of Chiyoda Mura in Kamo District of Chiba Prefecture, Ishii was the product of his era. He came from a landowning class, had a very privileged childhood. His primary and secondary schoolmates described him to be brash, abrasive and arrogant. He was a teacher's pet, extremely intelligent, known to have excellent memory. He grew up during Japans ultra militarism/nationalism age, thus like any of his schoolmates was drawn towards the military. Less than a month after graduating from the Medical department of Kyoto Imperial University at the age of 28, he began military training as a probation officer in the 3rd regiment of the Imperial Guards division. Within 6 months he became a surgeon 1st Lt. During his postgraduate studies at Kyoto Imperial university he networked successfully to climb the career ladder. As a researcher he was sent out to help cure an epidemic that broke out in Japan. It was then he invented a water filter that could be carried alongside the troops.   He eventually came across a report of the Geneva Protocol and conference reports of Harada Toyoji as well as other military doctors. He became impressed with the potential of chemical and biological warfare. During WW1 chemical warfare had been highly explored, leading 44 nations to pass the Geneva Protocol or more specifically  “Protocol for the Prohibition of the Use in War of Asphyxiating, Poisonous or other Gases, and of Bacteriological Methods of Warfare”. Representatives from Japan were present at this conference and were involving in the drafting and signing of the Geneva Protocol, but it was not ratified in Japan at the time. Ishii's university mentor, Kiyano Kenji suggested he travel western countries and he did so for 2 years. Many nations were secretive about their research, but some places such as MIT were quite open. After his visit Ishii came to believe Japan was far behind everyone else in biological warfare research. After returning to Japan Ishii became an instructor at the Imperial Japanese Army Medical School. Japan of course lacked significant natural resources, thus it was a perfect nation to pursue biological weapons research. Ishii began lobbying the IJA, proposing to establish a military agency to develop biological weapons. One of his most compelling arguments was “that biological warfare must possess distinct possibilities, otherwise, it would not have been outlawed by the League of Nations.”   Ishii networked his way into good favor with the Minister of Health, Koizumi Chikahiko who lended his support in August of 1932 to allow Ishii to head an Epidemic Prevention Laboratory. Ishii secured a 1795 square meter complex at the Army Medical College. Yet this did not satisfy Ishii, it simply was not the type of work he wanted to do. The location of Tokyo allowed too many eyes on his work, he could not perform human experimentation. For what he wanted to do, he had to leave Japan, and in the 1930's Japan had a few colonies or sphere's of influence, the most appetizing one being Manchuria. In 1932 alongside his childhood friend Masuda Tomosada, Ishii took a tour of Harbin and he fell in love with the location.   During the 1930's Harbin was quite a cosmopolitan city, it was a major trading port and diverse in ethnicities and religions. Here there were Mongols, Russians, Chinese, Japanese, various other western groups in lesser numbers. Just about every religion was represented, it was a researcher's paradise for subjects. Ishii sought human experimentation and needed to find somewhere covert with maximum secrecy. He chose a place in the Nan Gang District of Beiyinhe village, roughly 70 kms southeast of Harbin. It was here and then he began human experimentation. One day in 1932, Ishii and the IJA entered the village and evacuated an entire block where Xuan Hua and Wu Miao intersected. They began occupying a multi-use structure that had been supporting 100 Chinese vendors who sold clothes and food to the locals. They then began drafting Chinese laborers to construct the Zhong Ma complex to house the “Togo Unit” named after the legendary admiral, Togo Heihachiro. The Chinese laborers were underpaid and under constant watch from Japanese guards, limiting their movement and preventing them from understanding what they were building, or what was occurring within the complex. The complex was built in under a year, it held 100 rooms, 3 meter high brick walls and had an electric fence surrounding the perimeter. One thousand captives at any given time could be imprisoned within the complex. To ensure absolute secrecy, security guards patrolled the complex 24/7. Saburo Endo, director of Operations for the Kwantung Army once inspected the Togo Unit and described it in his book “The Fifteen Years' Sino-Japanese War and Me”, as such:   [It was] converted from a rather large soy sauce workshop, surrounded by high rammed earth wall. All the attending military doctors had pseudonyms, and they were strictly regulated and were not allowed to communicate with the outsiders. The name of the unit was “Tōgō Unit.” One by one, the subjects of the experiments were imprisoned in a sturdy iron lattice and inoculated with various pathogenic bacteria to observe changes in their conditions. They used prisoners on death row in the prisons of Harbin for these experiments. It was said that it was for national defense purposes, but the experiments were performed with appalling brutality.The dead were burned in high-voltage electric furnaces, leaving no trace.    A local from the region added this about the complex “We heard rumors of people having blood drawn in there but we never went near the place. We were too afraid. When the construction started, there were about forty houses in our village, and a lot of people were driven out. About one person from each home was taken to work on the construction. People were gathered from villages from all around here, maybe about a thousand people in all. The only things we worked on were the surrounding wall and the earthen walls. The Chinese that worked on the buildings were brought in from somewhere, but we didn't know where. After everything was finished, those people were killed.”    Despite all the secrecy, it was soon discovered prisoners were being taken, primarily from the CCP and bandits who were being subjected to tests. One such test was to gradually drain a victim of blood to see at what point they would die. The unit drew 500 cc of blood from each prisoner every 3-5 days. As their bodies drew weaker, they were dissected for further research, the average prisoner lasted a maximum of a month. Due to the climate of Manchuria, it was soon established that finding methods to treat frostbite would benefit the Kwantung army. Ishii's team gathered human subjects and began freezing and unfreezing them. Sometimes these experiments included observing test subjects whose limbs had been frozen and severed. The Togo team reported to General Okamura Yasuji, the deputy commander in chief of the Kwantung army from 1933-1934 that the best way to treat frostbite was to soak a limb in 37 degree water. According to the testimony of a witness named Furuichi at trial done in Khabarovsk , “Experiments in freezing human beings were performed every year in the detachment, in the coldest months of the year—November, December, January and February. The experimental technique was as follows: the test subjects were taken out into the frost at about 11 o'clock at night, compelled to dip their hands into a barrel of cold water and forced to stand with wet hands in the frost for a long time. Alternatively, some were taken out dressed, but with bare feet and compelled to stand at night in the frost during the coldest period of the year. When frostbite had developed, the subjects were taken to a room and forced to put their feet in water of 5 degrees Celsius, after which the temperature was gradually increased.”   Sergeant Major Kurakazu who was with Unit 731 later on in 1940 and taken prisoner by the Soviets in 1945 stated during the Khabarovsk trial , “I saw experiments performed on living people for the first time in December 1940. I was shown these experiments by researcher Yoshimura, a member of the 1st Division. These experiments were performed in the prison laboratory. When I walked into the prison laboratory, ve Chinese experimentees were sitting there; two of these Chinese had no fingers at all, their hands were black; in those of three others the bones were visible. They had fingers, but they were only bones. Yoshimura told me that this was the result of freezing experiments.”   According to Major Karasawa during the same trial Ishii became curious about using plague as a weapon of war and captured plague infected mice to test on subjects in the Zhong Ma Complex “Ishii told me that he had experimented with cholera and plague on the mounted bandits of Manchuria during 1933-1934 and discovered that the plague was effective.”   According to Lt General Endo Saburo's diary entry on November 16th of 1933, at the Zhong Ma complex “The second squad which was responsible for poison gas, liquid poison; and the First Squad which was responsible for electrical experiments. Two bandits were used by each squad for the experiments.  Phosgene gas—5-minute injection of gas into a brick-lined room; the subject was still alive one day aer inhalation of gas; critically ill with pneumonia.  Potassium cyanide—the subject was injected with 15 mg.; subject lost consciousness approximately 20 minutes later.  20,000 volts—several jolts were not enough to kill the subject; injection of poison required to kill the subject.  5000 volts—several jolts were not enough; aer several minutes of continuous current, subject was burned to death.”    The Togo Unit established a strict security system to keep its research highly confidential. Yet in 1934, 16 Chinese prisoners escaped, compromising the Zhong Ma location. One of the guards had gotten drunk and a prisoner named Li smashed a bottle over his head and stole his keys. He freed 15 other prisoners and of them 4 died of cold, hunger and other ailments incurred by the Togo unit. 12 managed to flee to the 3rd route army of the Northeast Anti Japanese united Army. Upon hearing the horrifying report, the 3rd route army attacked the Togo unit at Beiyinhe and within a year, the Zhong Ma complex was exploded.    After the destruction of the Zhong Ma complex, Ishii needed a better structure. The Togo unit had impressed their superior and received a large budget. Then on May 30th of 1936 Emperor Hirohito authorized the creation of Unit 731. Thus Ishii and his colleagues were no longer part of the Epidemic Prevention Institute of the Army Medical School, now they were officially under the Kwantung Army as the Central Epidemic Prevention and Water Purification Department. Their new HQ was located in Pingfan, closer to Harbin. Their initial budget was 3 million yen for the personnel, 200-300 thousand yen per autonomous unit and 6 million yen for experimentation and research. Thus their new annual budget was over 10 million yen.    Pingfan was evacuated by the Kwantung army. Hundreds of families were forced to move out and sell their land at cheap prices. To increase security this time, people required a special pass to enter Pingfan. Then the airspace over the area became off-limits, excluding IJA aircraft, all violators would be shot down. The new Pingfan complex was within a walled city with more than 70 buildings over a 6 km tract of land. The complex's huge size drew some international attention, and when asked what the structure was, the scientists replied it was a lumber mill. Rather grotesquely, prisoners would be referred to as “maruta” or “logs” to keep up the charade. Suzuki, a Japanese construction company back then, worked day and night to construct the complex.    Now many of you probably know a bit about Unit 731, but did you know it's one of countless units?  The Army's Noborito Laboratory was established (1937) The Central Epidemic Prevention and Water Purification Department of the North China Army/ Unit 1855 was established (1938)  The Central Epidemic Prevention and Water Purification Department of Central China/ Unit 1644 (1939)  Thee Guangzhou Epidemic Prevention and Water Purification Department of South China Army/ Unit 8604 (1942)  The Central Epidemic Prevention and Water Purification Department of the Southern Expeditionary Army/ Unit 9620 (1942).    There were countless others, detachments included Unit 1855 in Beijing, Unit Ei 1644 in Nanjing, Unit 8604 in Guangzhou, and later Unit 9420 in Singapore. All of these units comprised Ishii's network, which, at its height in 1939, oversaw over 10,000 personnel.   Victims were normally brought to Pingfan during the dead of night within crammed freight cars with number logs on top. They were brought into the building via a secret tunnel. According to a witness named Fang Shen Yu, technicians in white lab coats handled the victims who were tied in bags. The victims included anyone charge with a crime, could be anti-japanese activity, opium smoking, espionage, being a communist, homelessness, being mentally handicap, etc. Victims included chinese, Mongolians, Koreans, White Russians, Harbin's jewish population and any Europeans accused of espionage. During the Khabarovsk trial, Major Iijima Yoshia admitted to personally subjecting 40 Soviet citizens to human experimentation. Harbin's diversity provided great research data. Each prisoner was assigned a number starting with 101 and ending at 1500. Onec 1500 was reached, they began again at 101, making it nearly impossible to estimate the total number of victims. Since the complex had been labeled a lumber mill to the locals, most did not worry about it or were too afraid to do so. The prison's warden was Ishii's brother Mitsuo who made sure to keep it all a secret.    Ethics did not exist within Ishii's network of horrors. Everything was done efficiently in the name of science. Pingfang was equipped for disposing the evidence of their work in 3 large incinerators. As a former member who worked with the incinerators recalled “the bodies always burned up fast because all the organ were gone; the bodies were empty”. Human experimentation allowed the researchers their first chance to actually examine the organs of a living person at will to see the progress of a disease. Yeah you heard me right, living person, a lot of the vivisections were done on live people. As one former researcher explained "the results of the effects of infection cannot be obtained accurately once the person dies because putrefactive bacteria set in. Putrefactive bacteria are stronger than plague germs. So, for obtaining accurate results, it is important whether the subject is alive or not." Another former researcher said this “"As soon as the symptoms were observed, the prisoner was taken from his cell and into the dissection room. He was stripped and placed on the table, screaming, trying to fight back. He was strapped down, still screaming frightfully. One of the doctors stuffed a towel into his mouth, then with one quick slice of the scalpel he was opened up." Witnesses of some of these vivisections reported that victims usually let out a horrible scream when the initial cuts were made, but that the voice stops soon after. The researchers often removed the organ of interest, leaving others in the body and the victims usually died of blood loss or because of the removed organ. There are accounts of experiments benign carried out on mothers and children, because yes children were in fact born in the facilities. Many human specimens were placed in jars to be viewed by Tokyo's army medical college. Sometimes these jars were filled with limbs or organs but some giant ones had entire bodies.   Vivisection was conducted on human beings to observe how disease affected each organ once a human dies. According to testimony given by a technician named Ogawa Fukumatsu “I participated in vivisections. I did them every day. I cannot remember the amount of people dissected. At first, I refused to do it. But then, they would not allow me to eat because it was an order; gradually I changed.” Another technician Masakuni Kuri testified  “I did vivisection at the time. Experiments were conducted on a Chinese woman with syphilis. Because she was alive, the blood poured out like water from a tap.”   A report done by Shozo Kondo studied the effects of bubonic plague on humans. The number of subjects was 57 with age ranging from toddlers to 80 years old with mixed gender. The study used fleas carrying plague that were dispersed upon the local population in June of 1940 at Changchun. 7 plague victims were Japanese residents. The report stated the plague spread because of lack of immunity by the townspeople. Subjects' survival time ranged from 2-5 days, with only 3 surviving 12, 18 and 21 days. The subjects were infected with Glandular, Cutaneous or Septicemic plague, but most had the Glandular variety.     In addition to the central units of Pingfang were others set up in Beijing, Nanjing, Guangzhou and Singapore. The total number of personnel was 20,000. These satellite facilities all had their own unique horror stories. One was located in Anda, 100km from Pingfang where outdoor tests for plague, cholera and other pathogens were down. They would expose human subjects to biological bombs, typically by putting 10-40 people in the path of a biological bomb. A lot of the research was done to see the effective radius of the bombs, so victims were placed at different distances. At Xinjing was Unit 100 and its research was done against domesticated animals, horses particularly. Unit 100 was a bacteria factory producing glanders, anthrax and other pathogens. They often ran tests by mixing poisons with food and studied its effects on animals, but they also researched chemical warfare against crops. At Guangzhou was unit 8604 with its HQ at Zhongshan medical university. It is believed starvation tests ran there, such as the water test I mentioned. They also performed typhoid tests and bred rats to spread plague. Witness testimony from a Chinese volunteer states they often dissolved the bodies of victims in acid. In Beijing was Unit 1855 which was a combination of a prison and experiment center. They ran plague, cholera and typhus tests. Prisoners were forced to ingest mixtures of germs and some were vaccinated against the ailments. In Singapore after its capture in February of 1942 there was a secret laboratory. One Mr. Othman Wok gave testimony in the 1990s that when he was 17 years old he was employed to work at this secret lab. He states 7 Chinese, Indian and Malay boys worked in the lab, picking fleas from rats and placing them in containers. Some 40 rat catchers, would haul rats to the lab for the boys to do their work. The containers with fleas went to Japanese researchers and Othman says he saw rats being injected with plague pathogens. The fleas were transferred to kerosene cans which contained dried horse blood and an unidentified chemical left to breed for weeks. Once they had plague infected fleas in large quantity Othman said "A driver who drove the trucks which transported the fleas to the railway station said that these bottles of fleas were sent off to Thailand." If this is true, it gives evidence to claims Unit 731 had a branch in Thailand as well. Othman stated he never understood or knew what was really going on at the lab, but when he read in 1944 about biological attacks on Chongqing using fleas, he decided to leave the lab. Othman states the unit was called Unit 9240.  As you can imagine rats and insects played a large role in all of this. They harvested Manchuria rat population and enlisted schoolchildren to raise them. In the 1990s the Asahi Broadcasting company made a documentary titled “the mystery of the rats that went to the continent”. It involved a small group of high school children in Saitama prefecture asked local farmers if they knew anything about rat farming during the war years. Many stated everybody back then was raising rats, it was a major source of income. One family said they had rat cages piled up in a shed, each cage built to carry 6 rat, but they had no idea what the rats were being used for. Now hear this, after the war, the US military kept these same families in business. The US army unit 406 which was established in Tokyo to research viruses wink wink, would often drive out to these farms in their american jeeps collecting rats.  Getting fleas was a much tricker task. One method was taking older Chinese prisoners and quarantining them with clothes carrying flea or flea eggs and allowing them to live in isolated rooms to cultivate more fleas. These poor guys had to live in filth and not shave for weeks to produce around 100 fleas a day. Now Unit 731 dealt with numerous diseases such as Cholera.  Some experiments used dogs to spread cholera to villages. They would steal dogs from villages, feed them pork laced with cholera germs and return them to the villages. When the disease finished incubating the dogs would vomit and other dogs would come and eat the vomit spread it more and more. The dogs were also stricken with diarrhea and the feces spread it to other dogs as well. 20% of the people in villages hit by this died of the disease. Former army captain Kojima Takeo was a unit member involved in a Cholera campaign and added this testimony "We were told that we were going out on a cholera campaign, and we were all given inoculations against cholera ten days before starting out. Our objective was to infect all the people in the area. The disease had already developed before we got there, and as we moved into the village everyone scattered. The only ones left were those who were too sick to move. The number of people coming down with the disease kept increasing. Cholera produces a face like a skeleton, vomiting, and diarrhea. And the vomiting and defecating of the people lying sick brought flies swarming around. One after the other, people died." I've mentioned it a lot, Plague was a staple of Unit 731. The IJA wanted a disease that was fast and fatal, Cholera for instance took about 20 days, plague on the other hand starts killing in 3 days. Plague also has a very long history of use going back to the medieval times. It was one of the very first diseases Ishii focused on. In october of 1940 a plague attack was conducted against the Kaimingjie area in the port city of Ningbo. This was a joint operation with Unit 731 and the Nanjing based Unit 1644. During this operation plague germs were mixed with wheat, corn, cloth scraps and cotton and dropped from the air. More than 100 people died within a few days of the attack and the affected area was sealed off from the public until the 1960s.  Another horrifying test was the frostbite experiments. Army Engineer Hisato Yoshimura conducted these types of experiments by taking prisoners outside, dipping various appendages into water of varying temperatures and allowing the limbs to freeze. Once frozen, Yoshimura would strike their affected limbs with a short stick and in his words “they would emit a sound resembling that which a board gives when it is struck”. Ice was then chipping away with the affected area being subjected to various treatments, such as being doused in water, exposed to heat and so on. I have to mentioned here, that to my shock there is film of these specific frostbite experiments and one of our animators at Kings and Generals found it, I have seen a lot of things in my day, but seeing this was absolute nightmare fuel. If you have seen the movie or series Snowpiercer, they pretty much nail what it looked like.  Members of Unit 731 referred to Yoshimura as a “scientific devil” and a “cold blooded animal” because he would conduct his work with strictness. Naoji Uezono another member of Unit 731, described in a 1980s interview a disgusting scene where Yoshimura had "two naked men put in an area 40–50 degrees below zero and researchers filmed the whole process until [the subjects] died. [The subjects] suffered such agony they were digging their nails into each other's flesh". Yoshimuras lack of any remorse was evident in an article he wrote for the Journal of Japanese Physiology in 1950 where he admitted to using 20 children and 3 day old infant in experiments which exposed them to zero degree celsius ice and salt water. The article drew criticism and no shit, but Yoshimura denied any guilt when contacted by a reporter from the Mainichi Shimbun. Yoshimura developed a “resistance index of frostbite” based on the mean temperature of 5 - 30 minutes after immersion in freezing water, the temperature of the first rise after immersion and the time until the temperature first rises after immersion. In a number of separate experiments he determined how these parameters depended on the time of day a victim's body part was immersed in freezing water, the surrounding temperature and humidity during immersion, how the victim had been treated before the immersion ("after keeping awake for a night", "after hunger for 24 hours", "after hunger for 48 hours", "immediately after heavy meal", "immediately after hot meal", "immediately after muscular exercise", "immediately after cold bath", "immediately after hot bath"), what type of food the victim had been fed over the five days preceding the immersions with regard to dietary nutrient intake ("high protein (of animal nature)", "high protein (of vegetable nature)", "low protein intake", and "standard diet"), and salt intake. Members of Unit 731 also worked with Syphilis, where they orchestrated forced sex acts between infected and noninfected prisoners to transmit the disease. One testimony given by a prisoner guard was as follows “Infection of venereal disease by injection was abandoned, and the researchers started forcing the prisoners into sexual acts with each other. Four or five unit members, dressed in white laboratory clothing completely covering the body with only eyes and mouth visible, rest covered, handled the tests. A male and female, one infected with syphilis, would be brought together in a cell and forced into sex with each other. It was made clear that anyone resisting would be shot.” After victims were infected, they would be vivisected at differing stages of infection so that the internal and external organs could be observed as the disease progressed. Testimony from multiple guards blamed the female victims as being hosts of the diseases, even as they were forcibly infected. Genitals of female prisoners were infected with syphilis and the guards would call them “jam filled buns”. Even some children were born or grew up in the walls of Unit 731, infected with syphilis. One researcher recalled “one was a Chinese women holding an infant, one was a white russian woman with a daughter of 4 or 5 years of age, and the last was a white russian women with a boy of about 6 or 7”. The children of these women were tested in ways similar to the adults.  There was also of course rape and forced pregnancies as you could guess. Female prisoners were forced to become pregnant for use in experiments. The hypothetical possibility of transmission from mother to child of diseases, particularly syphilis was the rationale for the experiments. Fetal survival and damage to the womans reproductive organs were objects of interest. A large number of babies were born in captivity and there had been no accounts of any survivor of Unit 731, children included. It is suspected that the children of the female prisoners were killed after birth or aborted. One guard gave a testimony “One of the former researchers I located told me that one day he had a human experiment scheduled, but there was still time to kill. So he and another unit member took the keys to the cells and opened one that housed a Chinese woman. One of the unit members raped her; the other member took the keys and opened another cell. There was a Chinese woman in there who had been used in a frostbite experiment. She had several fingers missing and her bones were black, with gangrene set in. He was about to rape her anyway, then he saw that her sex organ was festering, with pus oozing to the surface. He gave up the idea, left and locked the door, then later went on to his experimental work.” In a testimony given on December 28 by witness Furuichi during the Khabarovsk Trial, he described how “a Russian woman was infected with syphilis to allow the scientists to and out how to prevent the spread of the disease.  Many babies were born to women who had been captured and become experimental subjects. Some women were kidnapped while pregnant; others became pregnant aer forced sex acts in the prisons, enabling researchers to study the transmission of venereal disease   Initially Unit 731 and Unit 100 were going to support Japan's Kantokuen plan. The Kantokuen plan an operation plan to be carried out by the Kwantung army to invade the USSR far east, capitalizing on the success of operation barbarossa. Unit 731 and 100 were to prepare bacteriological weapons to help the invasion. The plan was created by the IJA general staff and approved by Emperor Hirohito. It would have involved three-steps to isolate and destroy the Soviet Army and occupy the eastern soviet cities over the course of 6 months. It would have involved heavy use of chemical and biological weapons. The Japanese planned to spread disease using three methods; direct spraying from aircraft, bacteria bombs and saboteurs on the ground. This would have included plague, cholera, typhus and other diseases against troops, civilian populations, livestocks, crops and water supplies. The main targets were Blagoveshchensk, Khabarovsk, Voroshilov, and Chita. If successful the Soviet Far East would be incorporated into Japan's greater east asia co-prosperity sphere. Within Kantokuen documents, Emperor Hirohtio instructed Ishii to increase production rate at the units, for those not convinced Hirohito was deeply involved in some of the worst actions of the war. Yet in the end both Emperor Hirohito and Hideki Tojo pulled their support for the invasion of the USSR and opted for the Nanshin-ron strategy instead.    On August 9th of 1945 the Soviet Union declared war on Japan and invaded Manchuria. In response, the Japanese government ordered all research facilities in Manchuria to be destroyed and to erase all incriminating materials. A skeleton crew began the liquidation of unit 731 on August 9th or 10th, while the rest of the unit evacuated. All test subjects were killed and cremated so no remains would be found. The design of the facilities however, made them hard to destroy via bombing, several parts of the buildings left standing when the Soviets arrived. While most of the unit's staff managed to escape, including Ishii, some were captured by the soviets. Some of these prisoners told the Soviets about the atrocities committed at Pingfang and Changchun. At first the claims seemed so outrageous, the Soviets sent their own Biological Weapons specialists to examine the ruins of Ping Fang. After a thorough investigation, the Soviet experts confirmed the experiments had been done there. The real soviet investigation into the secrets of Unit 731 and 100 began in early 1946, thus information was not readily available during the Tokyo Tribunal. Both the Americans and SOviets had collected evidence during the war that indicated the Japanese were in possession of bacteriological weapons though. Amongst the 600,000 Japanese prisoners of war in the USSR, Major General Kiyoshi Kawashima and Major Tomoio Karasawa would become essential to uncovering the Japanese bacteriological warfare secrets and opening the path to hold the Khabarovsk trial. The Soviets and Americans spent quite a few years performing investigations, many of which led to no arrests. The major reason for this was similar to Operation Paperclip. For those unaware, paperclip was a American secret intelligence program where 1600 German scientists were taken after the war and employed, many of whom were nazi party officials. The most famous of course was Wernher von Braun. When the Americans looked into the Japanese bacteriological work, they were surprised to find the Japanese were ahead of them in some specific areas, notably ones involving human experimentation. General Charles Willoughby of G-2 american intelligence called to attention that all the data extracted from live human testing was out of the reach of the USA. By the end of 1947, with the CCP looking like they might defeat Chiang Kai-Shek and the Soviet Union proving to be their new enemy, the US sought to form an alliance with Japan, and this included their Bacteriological specialists. From October to December, Drs Edwin Hill and Joseph Victor from Camp Detrick were sent to Tokyo to gather information from Ishii and his colleagues. Their final conclusion laid out the importance of continuing to learn from the Japanese teams, and grant them immunity. The British were also receiving some reports from the Americans about the Japanese Bacteriological research and human experimentation. The British agreed with the Americans that the information was invaluable due to the live human beings used in the tests. The UK and US formed some arrangements to retain the information and keep it secret. By late 1948 the Tokyo War Crimes Trial was coming to an end as the cold war tension was heating up in Korea, pushing the US more and more to want to retain the information and keep it all under wraps.  With formal acceptance, final steps were undertaken, much of which was overseen by General Douglas MacArthur. On May 6, 1947, Douglas MacArthur wrote to Washington that "additional data, possibly some statements from Ishii probably can be obtained by informing Japanese involved that information will be retained in intelligence channels and will not be employed as 'War Crimes' evidence.” Ishii and his colleagues received full immunity from the Tokyo War Crimes Trial. Ishii was hired by the US government to lecture American officers at Fort Detrick on bioweapons and the findings made by Unit 731. During the Korean War Ishii reportedly traveled to Korea to take part in alleged American biological warfare activities. On February 22nd of 1952, Ishiiwas explicitly named in a statement made by the North Korean FOreign Minister, claiming he along with other "Japanese bacteriological war criminals had been involved in systematically spreading large quantities of bacteria-carrying insects by aircraft in order to disseminate contagious diseases over our frontline positions and our rear". Ishii would eventually return to Japan, where he opened a clinic, performing examinations and treatments for free. He would die from laryngeal cancer in 1959 and according to his daughter became a Roman Catholic shortly before his death.  According to an investigation by The Guardian, after the war, former members of Unit 731 conducted human experiments on Japanese prisoners, babies, and mental patients under the guise of vaccine development, with covert funding from the U.S. government. Masami Kitaoka, a graduate of Unit 1644, continued performing experiments on unwilling Japanese subjects from 1947 to 1956 while working at Japan's National Institute of Health Sciences. He infected prisoners with rickettsia and mentally ill patients with typhus. Shiro Ishii, the chief of the unit, was granted immunity from prosecution for war crimes by American occupation authorities in exchange for providing them with human experimentation research materials. From 1948 to 1958, less than five percent of these documents were transferred to microfilm and stored in the U.S. National Archives before being shipped back to Japan.

Togolese Prime Minister Faure Gnassingbe's sister-in-law, who's also the ex Defence Minister, has been arrested after calling for end to family rule.How aid cuts and crocodile attacks are contributing to malnutrition in northern Kenya.And why do Niger, Mali and Burkina Faso apparently want to leave the International Criminal Court?Presenter: Charles Gitonga Producers : Mark Wilberforce, Bella Hassan, Nyasha Michelle and Sunita Nahar in London. Jewel Kiriungi in Nairobi. Senior Producer: Paul Bakibinga Technical producer: Jack Graysmark. Editors: Andre Lombard, Samuel Murunga, Maryam Abdalla and Alice Muthengi

Chegou o momento do já tradicional episódio duplo sobre o IgNobel, que tem como missão "honrar estudos e experiências que primeiro fazem as pessoas rir e depois pensar", com as descobertas científicas mais estranhas do ano.Esta é a primeira de duas partes sobre a edição 2025 do prêmio, com as categorias Literatura, Psicologia, Nutrição, Biologia e Química.Confira no papo entre o leigo curioso, Ken Fujioka, e o cientista PhD, Altay de Souza.> OUÇA (52min 22s)*Naruhodo! é o podcast pra quem tem fome de aprender. Ciência, senso comum, curiosidades, desafios e muito mais. Com o leigo curioso, Ken Fujioka, e o cientista PhD, Altay de Souza.Edição: Reginaldo Cursino.http://naruhodo.b9.com.br*APOIO: INSIDERIlustríssima ouvinte, ilustríssimo ouvinte do Naruhodo,sabe qual a minha peça coringa no guarda-roupas?É a Camiseta Oversized T-Shirt da INSIDER.Trampo? Ela cai bem.Lazer? Ela cai muito bem.É macia.É elástica.É anti-odor.Não desbota com o tempo.Não precisa passar.Regula a temperatura corporal.Entendeu por que ela é minha peça coringa?E, em Setembro, o Mês do Cliente, você tem a melhor oportunidade para começar a comprar INSIDER: combinando o cupom NARUHODO com os descontos do site, o seu desconto total pode chegar a até 50%!Isso mesmo: sua compra pode sair até pela metade do preço.Mas tem que acessar pela URL especial:creators.insiderstore.com.br/NARUHODOOu clicar no link da descrição deste episódio:o cupom será aplicado automaticamente no carrinho.INSIDER: inteligência em cada escolha.#InsiderStore*REFERÊNCIASThe 35th First Annual Ig Nobel Ceremony (2025)https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z1cP4xKd_L4PRÊMIO DE LITERATURA [EUA]O falecido Dr. William B. Bean, por registrar e analisar persistentemente, durante 35 anos, a taxa de crescimento de uma de suas unhas. “A Note on Fingernail Growth,” William B. Bean, Journal of Investigative Dermatology, vol. 20, no. 1, January 1953, pp. 27-31. “A Discourse on Nail Growth and Unusual Fingernails,” William B. Bean, Transactions of the American Clinical and Climatological Association, vol. 74, 1962; pp. 152-67. “Nail Growth. Twenty-Five Years' Observation,” William B. Bean, Archives of Internal Medicine, vol. 122, no. 4, October 1968, pp. 359-61. “Nail Growth: 30 Years of Observation,” William B. Bean, Archives of Internal Medicine, vol. 134, no. 3, September 1974, pp. 497-502. “Some Notes of an Aging Nail Watcher,” William B. Bean, International Journal of Dermatology, vol. 15, no. 3, April 1976, pp. 225-30. “Nail Growth. Thirty-Five Years of Observation,” William B. Bean, Archives of Internal Medicine, vol. 140, no. 1, January 1980, pp. 73-6.  Vreeman, R. C; Carroll, A. E (2007). "Medical myths". BMJ. 335 (7633): 1288–9. doi:10.1136/bmj.39420.420370.25PRÊMIO DE PSICOLOGIA [POLÔNIA, AUSTRÁLIA, CANADÁ]Marcin Zajenkowski e Gilles Gignac, por investigarem o que acontece quando você diz a pessoas narcisistas — ou a qualquer outra pessoa — que elas são inteligentes. “Telling People They Are Intelligent Correlates with the Feeling of Narcissistic Uniqueness: The Influence of IQ Feedback on Temporary State Narcissism,” Marcin Zajenkowski and Gilles E. Gignac, Intelligence, vol. 89, November–December 2021, 101595.  PRÊMIO DE NUTRIÇÃO [NIGÉRIA, TOGO, ITÁLIA, FRANÇA]Daniele Dendi, Gabriel H. Segniagbeto, Roger Meek e Luca Luiselli, por estudarem em que medida um certo tipo de lagarto escolhe comer certos tipos de pizza. “Opportunistic Foraging Strategy of Rainbow Lizards at a Seaside Resort in Togo,” Daniele Dendi, Gabriel H. Segniagbeto, Roger Meek, and Luca Luiselli, African Journal of Ecology, vol. 61, no. 1, 2023, pp. 226-227.  PRÊMIO DE BIOLOGIA [JAPÃO]Tomoki Kojima, Kazato Oishi, Yasushi Matsubara, Yuki Uchiyama, Yoshihiko Fukushima, Naoto Aoki, Say Sato, Tatsuaki Masuda, Junichi Ueda, Hiroyuki Hirooka e Katsutoshi Kino, por seus experimentos para descobrir se vacas pintadas com listras semelhantes às de zebras podem evitar ser picadas por moscas. “Cows Painted with Zebra-Like Striping Can Avoid Biting Fly Attack,” Tomoki Kojima, Kazato Oishi, Yasushi Matsubara, Yuki Uchiyama, Yoshihiko Fukushima, Naoto Aoki, Say Sato, Tatsuaki Masuda, Junichi Ueda, Hiroyuki Hirooka, and Katsutoshi Kino, PLoS ONE, vol. 14, no. 10, 2019, e0223447.  PRÊMIO DE QUÍMICA [EUA, ISRAEL]Rotem Naftalovich, Daniel Naftalovich e Frank Greenway, por experimentos para testar se comer Teflon [uma forma de plástico mais formalmente chamada “politetrafluoretileno”] é uma boa maneira de aumentar o volume do alimento e, portanto, a saciedade sem aumentar o conteúdo calórico. “Polytetrafluoroethylene Ingestion as a Way to Increase Food Volume and Hence Satiety Without Increasing Calorie Content,” Rotem Naftalovich, Daniel Naftalovich, and Frank L. Greenway, Journal of Diabetes Science and Technology, vol. 10, no. 4, July 2016, pp. 971–976. “Use of Nondigestible Nonfibrous Volumizer of Meal Content as a Method for Increasing Feeling of Satiety,” Rotem Naftalovich  and Daniel Naftalovich, U.S. Patent 9,924,736, issued March 27, 2018.  *APOIE O NARUHODO!O Altay e eu temos duas mensagens pra você.A primeira é: muito, muito obrigado pela sua audiência. Sem ela, o Naruhodo sequer teria sentido de existir. Você nos ajuda demais não só quando ouve, mas também quando espalha episódios para familiares, amigos - e, por que não?, inimigos.A segunda mensagem é: existe uma outra forma de apoiar o Naruhodo, a ciência e o pensamento científico - apoiando financeiramente o nosso projeto de podcast semanal independente, que só descansa no recesso do fim de ano.Manter o Naruhodo tem custos e despesas: servidores, domínio, pesquisa, produção, edição, atendimento, tempo... Enfim, muitas coisas para cobrir - e, algumas delas, em dólar.A gente sabe que nem todo mundo pode apoiar financeiramente. E tá tudo bem. Tente mandar um episódio para alguém que você conhece e acha que vai gostar.A gente sabe que alguns podem, mas não mensalmente. E tá tudo bem também. Você pode apoiar quando puder e cancelar quando quiser. O apoio mínimo é de 15 reais e pode ser feito pela plataforma ORELO ou pela plataforma APOIA-SE. Para quem está fora do Brasil, temos até a plataforma PATREON.É isso, gente. Estamos enfrentando um momento importante e você pode ajudar a combater o negacionismo e manter a chama da ciência acesa. Então, fica aqui o nosso convite: apóie o Naruhodo como puder.bit.ly/naruhodo-no-orelo

Why I Have Chosen Jesus over My Father's Voodoo by Adolph Dagan https://www.amazon.com/Have-Chosen-Jesus-Fathers-Voodoo/dp/B0DSGPLZWP Adolphdagan.com Do you think your situation cannot change? Come closer to God; He is able to do something for you that you never imagined. Adolph Dagan was born in a little village called Daganhoé in Togo, West Africa, where his father was a voodoo priest. Almost every day he would go to the voodoo temple/shrine to worship, and Adolph was always with him. As the youngest boy, his father decided Adolph would replace him someday, but God had other plans. Instead, God brought Adolph to the United States, where he went through financial issues and sicknesses, but because of his unshakable belief in God and his faithfulness, God brought him through it all and gave him a powerful testimony.About the author Adolph A. Dagan was born in Daganhoé, Moyen-Mono Prefecture, in Togo, West Africa on July 20, 1974. He was raised in Daganhoé and went to elementary school in Ahassomé; middle school in Kpékpléme and Nyékonakpoè Atakpamé; and high school in Aplahoué in the Republic of Bénin, Atakpamé (LYATA), and Notsé (LYNO) in Togo. Adolph graduated with a bachelor's degree at American Military University (AMU) and a master's degree at Austin Peay State University (APSU) in the United States of America.

Jimmy Mellado leads Compassion International, a global, church-driven ministry serving children in poverty across 29 countries. Born in El Salvador (full name: Santiago “Jimmy” Mellado), he grew up across Latin America and Asia, ran decathlon at SMU, and later represented El Salvador in the 1988 Seoul Olympics. His life and leadership are anchored in faith, family, and a deep conviction that true impact starts with who we're becoming—then flows into what we do. In this episode, Brad sits down with Jimmy at Compassion's global ministry center in Colorado Springs for a candid conversation about identity, calling, technology, and the local church. Jimmy shares formative stories from his childhood and athletic journey, the moment he sensed a calling to serve the church after the Olympics, and the identity wake-up that led him to embrace his heritage.  He talks about following Wess Stafford as CEO, why Compassion is first a church-equipping child discipleship organization (sponsorship is the funding mechanism, not the identity), and how the ministry is modernizing—moving to the cloud, piloting secure, real-time communication, and using AI to protect children online. Along the way, Jimmy offers grounded wisdom on leadership burdens, character, and doing God's work without sacrificing God's work in you. “Let's not do God's work in ways that hurt His work in us.” – Jimmy Mellado “His yoke is easy and His burden is light—so if it's heavy, who made it heavy?” – Jimmy Mellado “Special gifts can take a leader places where the absence of character won't let them stay.” – Jimmy Mellado This Week on The Wow Factor: Jimmy's upbringing: born in El Salvador, moving 40+ times as his engineer father built infrastructure across the developing world Early faith formation: parents as his “first pastors,” family as his first church while on the move Track to the Olympics: SMU scholarship and competing for El Salvador at the 1988 Seoul Olympics A calling in Seoul: witnessing church revival in South Korea and returning with a mission to serve the church Identity moment: embracing “Santiago” and his Latino heritage after being told “you don't count”—and how God used it to realign his calling Friendship with Wess Stafford and the path to leading Compassion What Compassion is: a church-equipping, child-discipleship ministry (sponsorship fuels the work but doesn't define it) The need right now: millions registered, hundreds of thousands awaiting sponsors—why the gap matters at the child level Modernizing at scale: retiring custom code, moving to cloud platforms, and building for quality, security, and growth Pilots in Peru and Ghana: secure, real-time communication among sponsors, children, and local church leaders Safety by design: using AI to flag inappropriate content and grooming language to protect kids A pastor's six-hour drive in Togo to make the plea: “Let me thank our sponsors and tell the story of impact.” Leadership and soul care: trading anxiety for gratitude, resisting the urge to carry what only God can carry Being vs. doing: why who you're becoming is the most important contribution you'll ever make Jimmy Mellado's Word of Wisdom: Become first, then do. Stay rooted in Christ, invite trusted voices to speak truth, and steward your assignment without making it heavy. The most enduring impact isn't what you accomplish—it's the person you're becoming as you walk with God. Connect With Compassion Compassion's Website Compassion's YouTube Compassion's Facebook Compassion's Instagram Compassion's LinkedIn Jimmy's LinkedIn Connect with The Wow Factor:   WOW Factor Website   Brad Formsma on LinkedIn    Brad Formsma on Instagram    Brad Formsma on Facebook    X (formerly Twitter)