Podcasts about Xi

After that opening day demolition of Partick Thistle, St Johnstone travelled to face pre-season title favourites Ross County and returned with a second "statement" win in as many games. Against Thistle, Saints were swashbuckling. Against County, they were a force to be reckoned with, both physically and with the football. What have these two wins said about Saints to their Championship rivals? Who are the unsung heroes worthy of praise? And with a League Cup clash against Motherwell on the horizon, what might Simo Valakari do to his starting XI?

After getting off to an early 1-0 lead in the 4th minute thanks to Indiana Vassilev, the Union conceded another late goal to draw 1-1 with Toronto FC. Todd discusses his thoughts from the game, including why the Union struggled after the first goal, Tai Baribo's disallowed goal, and dropping points against teams they should beat. Todd also discusses blunder of the week, which goes to LA Council member Heather Hutt for telling Son Heung-min to help the USA win the 2026 World Cup. News: MLS release playoff schedule: [5:12] Philadelphia Union v Toronto FC: Milan Iloski makes debut off bench/Jakob Glesnes suspended for New York Red Bulls/Union starting XI: [11:51] Indiana Vassilev goal: [17:30] Why the Union struggled after scoring first: [20:57] Tai Baribo disallowed goal: [34:14] Union dropping points against teams they should beat: [43:09] Blunder of The Week: LA Council member Heather Hutt tells Son Heung-min to help the USA win the 2026 World Cup: [53:00]   Social Media: Twitter: @FreeKickPod Instagram: @FreeKickPod Facebook: @FreeKickPod YouTube: The Free Kick https://thefreekick.substack.com/

A version of this essay has been published by firstpost.com at https://www.firstpost.com/opinion/shadow-warrior-from-crisis-to-advantage-how-india-can-outplay-the-trump-tariff-gambit-13923031.htmlA simple summary of the recent brouhaha about President Trump's imposition of 25% tariffs on India as well as his comment on India's ‘dead economy' is the following from Shakespeare's Macbeth: “full of sound and fury, signifying nothing”. Trump further imposed punitive tariffs totalling 50% on August 6th allegedly for India funding Russia's war machine via buying oil.As any negotiator knows, a good opening gambit is intended to set the stage for further parleys, so that you could arrive at a negotiated settlement that is acceptable to both parties. The opening gambit could well be a maximalist statement, or one's ‘dream outcome', the opposite of which is ‘the walkway point' beyond which you are simply not willing to make concessions. The usual outcome is somewhere in between these two positions or postures.Trump is both a tough negotiator, and prone to making broad statements from which he has no problem retreating later. It's down-and-dirty boardroom tactics that he's bringing to international trade. Therefore I think Indians don't need to get rattled. It's not the end of the world, and there will be climbdowns and adjustments. Think hard about the long term.I was on a panel discussion on this topic on TV just hours after Trump made his initial 25% announcement, and I mentioned an interplay between geo-politics and geo-economics. Trump is annoyed that his Ukraine-Russia play is not making much headway, and also that BRICS is making progress towards de-dollarization. India is caught in this crossfire (‘collateral damage') but the geo-economic facts on the ground are not favorable to Trump.I am in general agreement with Trump on his objectives of bringing manufacturing and investment back to the US, but I am not sure that he will succeed, and anyway his strong-arm tactics may backfire. I consider below what India should be prepared to do to turn adversity into opportunity.The anti-Thucydides Trap and the baleful influence of Whitehall on Deep StateWhat is remarkable, though, is that Trump 2.0 seems to be indistinguishable from the Deep State: I wondered last month if the Deep State had ‘turned' Trump. The main reason many people supported Trump in the first place was the damage the Deep State was wreaking on the US under the Obama-Biden regime. But it appears that the resourceful Deep State has now co-opted Trump for its agenda, and I can only speculate how.The net result is that there is the anti-Thucydides Trap: here is the incumbent power, the US, actively supporting the insurgent power, China, instead of suppressing it, as Graham Allison suggested as the historical pattern. It, in all fairness, did not start with Trump, but with Nixon in China in 1971. In 1985, the US trade deficit with China was $6 million. In 1986, $1.78 billion. In 1995, $35 billion.But it ballooned after China entered the WTO in 2001. $202 billion in 2005; $386 billion in 2022.In 2025, after threatening China with 150% tariffs, Trump retreated by postponing them; besides he has caved in to Chinese demands for Nvidia chips and for exemptions from Iran oil sanctions if I am not mistaken.All this can be explained by one word: leverage. China lured the US with the siren-song of the cost-leader ‘China price', tempting CEOs and Wall Street, who sleepwalked into surrender to the heft of the Chinese supply chain.Now China has cornered Trump via its monopoly over various things, the most obvious of which is rare earths. Trump really has no option but to give in to Chinese blackmail. That must make him furious: in addition to his inability to get Putin to listen to him, Xi is also ignoring him. Therefore, he will take out his frustrations on others, such as India, the EU, Japan, etc. Never mind that he's burning bridges with them.There's a Malayalam proverb that's relevant here: “angadiyil thottathinu ammayodu”. Meaning, you were humiliated in the marketplace, so you come home and take it out on your mother. This is quite likely what Trump is doing, because he believes India et al will not retaliate. In fact Japan and the EU did not retaliate, but gave in, also promising to invest large sums in the US. India could consider a different path: not active conflict, but not giving in either, because its equations with the US are different from those of the EU or Japan.Even the normally docile Japanese are beginning to notice.Beyond that, I suggested a couple of years ago that Deep State has a plan to enter into a condominium agreement with China, so that China gets Asia, and the US gets the Americas and the Pacific/Atlantic. This is exactly like the Vatican-brokered medieval division of the world between Spain and Portugal, and it probably will be equally bad for everyone else. And incidentally it makes the Quad infructuous, and deepens distrust of American motives.The Chinese are sure that they have achieved the condominium, or rather forced the Americans into it. Here is a headline from the Financial Express about their reaction to the tariffs: they are delighted that the principal obstacle in their quest for hegemony, a US-India military and economic alliance, is being blown up by Trump, and they lose no opportunity to deride India as not quite up to the mark, whereas they and the US have achieved a G2 detente.Two birds with one stone: gloat about the breakdown in the US-India relationship, and exhibit their racist disdain for India yet again.They laugh, but I bet India can do an end-run around them. As noted above, the G2 is a lot like the division of the world into Spanish and Portuguese spheres of influence in 1494. Well, that didn't end too well for either of them. They had their empires, which they looted for gold and slaves, but it made them fat, dumb and happy. The Dutch, English, and French capitalized on more dynamic economies, flexible colonial systems, and aggressive competition, overtaking the Iberian powers in global influence by the 17th century. This is a salutary historical parallel.I have long suspected that the US Deep State is being led by the nose by the malign Whitehall (the British Deep State): I call it the ‘master-blaster' syndrome. On August 6th, there was indirect confirmation of this in ex-British PM Boris Johnson's tweet about India. Let us remember he single-handedly ruined the chances of a peaceful resolution of the Ukraine War in 2022. Whitehall's mischief and meddling all over, if you read between the lines.Did I mention the British Special Force's views? Ah, Whitehall is getting a bit sloppy in its propaganda.Wait, so is India important (according to Whitehall) or unimportant (according to Trump)?Since I am very pro-American, I have a word of warning to Trump: you trust perfidious Albion at your peril. Their country is ruined, and they will not rest until they ruin yours too.I also wonder if there are British paw-prints in a recent and sudden spate of racist attacks on Indians in Ireland. A 6-year old girl was assaulted and kicked in the private parts. A nurse was gang-raped by a bunch of teenagers. Ireland has never been so racist against Indians (yes, I do remember the sad case of Savita Halappanavar, but that was religious bigotry more than racism). And I remember sudden spikes in anti-Indian attacks in Australia and Canada, both British vassals.There is no point in Indians whining about how the EU and America itself are buying more oil, palladium, rare earths, uranium etc. from Russia than India is. I am sorry to say this, but Western nations are known for hypocrisy. For example, exactly 80 years ago they dropped atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki in Japan, but not on Germany or Italy. Why? The answer is uncomfortable. Lovely post-facto rationalization, isn't it?Remember the late lamented British East India Company that raped and pillaged India?Applying the three winning strategies to geo-economicsAs a professor of business strategy and innovation, I emphasize to my students that there are three broad ways of gaining an advantage over others: 1. Be the cost leader, 2. Be the most customer-intimate player, 3. Innovate. The US as a nation is patently not playing the cost leader; it does have some customer intimacy, but it is shrinking; its strength is in innovation.If you look at comparative advantage, the US at one time had strengths in all three of the above. Because it had the scale of a large market (and its most obvious competitors in Europe were decimated by world wars) America did enjoy an ability to be cost-competitive, especially as the dollar is the global default reserve currency. It demonstrated this by pushing through the Plaza Accords, forcing the Japanese yen to appreciate, destroying their cost advantage.In terms of customer intimacy, the US is losing its edge. Take cars for example: Americans practically invented them, and dominated the business, but they are in headlong retreat now because they simply don't make cars that people want outside the US: Japanese, Koreans, Germans and now Chinese do. Why were Ford and GM forced to leave the India market? Their “world cars” are no good in value-conscious India and other emerging markets.Innovation, yes, has been an American strength. Iconic Americans like Thomas Edison, Henry Ford, and Steve Jobs led the way in product and process innovation. US universities have produced idea after idea, and startups have ignited Silicon Valley. In fact Big Tech and aerospace/armaments are the biggest areas where the US leads these days.The armaments and aerospace tradeThat is pertinent because of two reasons: one is Trump's peevishness at India's purchase of weapons from Russia (even though that has come down from 70+% of imports to 36% according to SIPRI); two is the fact that there are significant services and intangible imports by India from the US, of for instance Big Tech services, even some routed through third countries like Ireland.Armaments and aerospace purchases from the US by India have gone up a lot: for example the Apache helicopters that arrived recently, the GE 404 engines ordered for India's indigenous fighter aircraft, Predator drones and P8-i Poseidon maritime surveillance aircraft. I suspect Trump is intent on pushing India to buy F-35s, the $110-million dollar 5th generation fighters.Unfortunately, the F-35 has a spotty track record. There were two crashes recently, one in Albuquerque in May, and the other on July 31 in Fresno, and that's $220 million dollars gone. Besides, the spectacle of a hapless British-owned F-35B sitting, forlorn, in the rain, in Trivandrum airport for weeks, lent itself to trolls, who made it the butt of jokes. I suspect India has firmly rebuffed Trump on this front, which has led to his focus on Russian arms.There might be other pushbacks too. Personally, I think India does need more P-8i submarine hunter-killer aircraft to patrol the Bay of Bengal, but India is exerting its buyer power. There are rumors of pauses in orders for Javelin and Stryker missiles as well.On the civilian aerospace front, I am astonished that all the media stories about Air India 171 and the suspicion that Boeing and/or General Electric are at fault have disappeared without a trace. Why? There had been the big narrative push to blame the poor pilots, and now that there is more than reasonable doubt that these US MNCs are to blame, there is a media blackout?Allegations about poor manufacturing practices by Boeing in North Charleston, South Carolina by whistleblowers have been damaging for the company's brand: this is where the 787 Dreamliners are put together. It would not be surprising if there is a slew of cancellations of orders for Boeing aircraft, with customers moving to Airbus. Let us note Air India and Indigo have placed some very large, multi-billion dollar orders with Boeing that may be in jeopardy.India as a consuming economy, and the services trade is hugely in the US' favorMany observers have pointed out the obvious fact that India is not an export-oriented economy, unlike, say, Japan or China. It is more of a consuming economy with a large, growing and increasingly less frugal population, and therefore it is a target for exporters rather than a competitor for exporting countries. As such, the impact of these US tariffs on India will be somewhat muted, and there are alternative destinations for India's exports, if need be.While Trump has focused on merchandise trade and India's modest surplus there, it is likely that there is a massive services trade, which is in the US' favor. All those Big Tech firms, such as Microsoft, Meta, Google and so on run a surplus in the US' favor, which may not be immediately evident because they route their sales through third countries, e.g. Ireland.These are the figures from the US Trade Representative, and quite frankly I don't believe them: there are a lot of invisible services being sold to India, and the value of Indian data is ignored.In addition to the financial implications, there are national security concerns. Take the case of Microsoft's cloud offering, Azure, which arbitrarily turned off services to Indian oil retailer Nayara on the flimsy grounds that the latter had substantial investment from Russia's Rosneft. This is an example of jurisdictional over-reach by US companies, which has dire consequences. India has been lax about controlling Big Tech, and this has to change.India is Meta's largest customer base. Whatsapp is used for practically everything. Which means that Meta has access to enormous amounts of Indian customer data, for which India is not even enforcing local storage. This is true of all other Big Tech (see OpenAI's Sam Altman below): they are playing fast and loose with Indian data, which is not in India's interest at all.Data is the new oil, says The Economist magazine. So how much should Meta, OpenAI et al be paying for Indian data? Meta is worth trillions of dollars, OpenAI half a trillion. How much of that can be attributed to Indian data?There is at least one example of how India too can play the digital game: UPI. Despite ham-handed efforts to now handicap UPI with a fee (thank you, brilliant government bureaucrats, yes, go ahead and kill the goose that lays the golden eggs), it has become a contender in a field that has long been dominated by the American duopoly of Visa and Mastercard. In other words, India can scale up and compete.It is unfortunate that India has not built up its own Big Tech behind a firewall as has been done behind the Great Firewall of China. But it is not too late. Is it possible for India-based cloud service providers to replace US Big Tech like Amazon Web Services and Microsoft Azure? Yes, there is at least one player in that market: Zoho.Second, what are the tariffs on Big Tech exports to India these days? What if India were to decide to impose a 50% tax on revenue generated in India through advertisement or through sales of services, mirroring the US's punitive taxes on Indian goods exports? Let me hasten to add that I am not suggesting this, it is merely a hypothetical argument.There could also be non-tariff barriers as China has implemented, but not India: data locality laws, forced use of local partners, data privacy laws like the EU's GDPR, anti-monopoly laws like the EU's Digital Markets Act, strict application of IPR laws like 3(k) that absolutely prohibits the patenting of software, and so on. India too can play legalistic games. This is a reason US agri-products do not pass muster: genetically modified seeds, and milk from cows fed with cattle feed from blood, offal and ground-up body parts.Similarly, in the ‘information' industry, India is likely to become the largest English-reading country in the world. I keep getting come-hither emails from the New York Times offering me $1 a month deals on their product: they want Indian customers. There are all these American media companies present in India, untrammelled by content controls or taxes. What if India were to give a choice to Bloomberg, Reuters, NYTimes, WaPo, NPR et al: 50% tax, or exit?This attack on peddlers of fake information and manufacturing consent I do suggest, and I have been suggesting for years. It would make no difference whatsoever to India if these media outlets were ejected, and they surely could cover India (well, basically what they do is to demean India) just as well from abroad. Out with them: good riddance to bad rubbish.What India needs to doI believe India needs to play the long game. It has to use its shatrubodha to realize that the US is not its enemy: in Chanakyan terms, the US is the Far Emperor. The enemy is China, or more precisely the Chinese Empire. Han China is just a rump on their south-eastern coast, but it is their conquered (and restive) colonies such as Tibet, Xinjiang, Manchuria and Inner Mongolia, that give them their current heft.But the historical trends are against China. It has in the past had stable governments for long periods, based on strong (and brutal) imperial power. Then comes the inevitable collapse, when the center falls apart, and there is absolute chaos. It is quite possible, given various trends, including demographic changes, that this may happen to China by 2050.On the other hand, (mostly thanks, I acknowledge, to China's manufacturing growth), the center of gravity of the world economy has been steadily shifting towards Asia. The momentum might swing towards India if China stumbles, but in any case the era of Atlantic dominance is probably gone for good. That was, of course, only a historical anomaly. Asia has always dominated: see Angus Maddison's magisterial history of the world economy, referred to below as well.I am reminded of the old story of the king berating his court poet for calling him “the new moon” and the emperor “the full moon”. The poet escaped being punished by pointing out that the new moon is waxing and the full moon is waning.This is the long game India has to keep in mind. Things are coming together for India to a great extent: in particular the demographic dividend, improved infrastructure, fiscal prudence, and the increasing centrality of the Indian Ocean as the locus of trade and commerce.India can attempt to gain competitive advantage in all three ways outlined above:* Cost-leadership. With a large market (assuming companies are willing to invest at scale), a low-cost labor force, and with a proven track-record of frugal innovation, India could well aim to be a cost-leader in selected areas of manufacturing. But this requires government intervention in loosening monetary policy and in reducing barriers to ease of doing business* Customer-intimacy. What works in highly value-conscious India could well work in other developing countries. For instance, the economic environment in ASEAN is largely similar to India's, and so Indian products should appeal to their residents; similarly with East Africa. Thus the Indian Ocean Rim with its huge (and in Africa's case, rapidly growing) population should be a natural fit for Indian products* Innovation. This is the hardest part, and it requires a new mindset in education and industry, to take risks and work at the bleeding edge of technology. In general, Indians have been content to replicate others' innovations at lower cost or do jugaad (which cannot scale up). To do real, disruptive innovation, first of all the services mindset should transition to a product mindset (sorry, Raghuram Rajan). Second, the quality of human capital must be improved. Third, there should be patient risk capital. Fourth, there should be entrepreneurs willing to try risky things. All of these are difficult, but doable.And what is the end point of this game? Leverage. The ability to compel others to buy from you.China has demonstrated this through its skill at being a cost-leader in industry after industry, often hollowing out entire nations through means both fair and foul. These means include far-sighted industrial policy including the acquisition of skills, technology, and raw materials, as well as hidden subsidies that support massive scaling, which ends up driving competing firms elsewhere out of business. India can learn a few lessons from them. One possible lesson is building capabilities, as David Teece of UC Berkeley suggested in 1997, that can span multiple products, sectors and even industries: the classic example is that of Nikon, whose optics strength helps it span industries such as photography, printing, and photolithography for chip manufacturing. Here is an interesting snapshot of China's capabilities today.2025 is, in a sense, a point of inflection for India just as the crisis in 1991 was. India had been content to plod along at the Nehruvian Rate of Growth of 2-3%, believing this was all it could achieve, as a ‘wounded civilization'. From that to a 6-7% growth rate is a leap, but it is not enough, nor is it testing the boundaries of what India can accomplish.1991 was the crisis that turned into an opportunity by accident. 2025 is a crisis that can be carefully and thoughtfully turned into an opportunity.The Idi Amin syndrome and the 1000 Talents program with AIThere is a key area where an American error may well be a windfall for India. This is based on the currently fashionable H1-B bashing which is really a race-bashing of Indians, and which has been taken up with gusto by certain MAGA folks. Once again, I suspect the baleful influence of Whitehall behind it, but whatever the reason, it looks like Indians are going to have a hard time settling down in the US.There are over a million Indians on H1-Bs, a large number of them software engineers, let us assume for convenience there are 250,000 of them. Given country caps of exactly 9800 a year, they have no realistic chance of getting a Green Card in the near future, and given the increasingly fraught nature of life there for brown people, they may leave the US, and possibly return to India..I call this the Idi Amin syndrome. In 1972, the dictator of Uganda went on a rampage against Indian-origin people in his country, and forcibly expelled 80,000 of them, because they were dominating the economy. There were unintended consequences: those who were ejected mostly went to the US and UK, and they have in many cases done well. But Uganda's economy virtually collapsed.That's a salutary experience. I am by no means saying that the US economy would collapse, but am pointing to the resilience of the Indians who were expelled. If, similarly, Trump forces a large number of Indians to return to India, that might well be a case of short-term pain and long-term gain: urvashi-shapam upakaram, as in the Malayalam phrase.Their return would be akin to what happened in China and Taiwan with their successful effort to attract their diaspora back. The Chinese program was called 1000 Talents, and they scoured the globe for academics and researchers of Chinese origin, and brought them back with attractive incentives and large budgets. They had a major role in energizing the Chinese economy.Similarly, Taiwan with Hsinchu University attracted high-quality talent, among which was the founder of TSMC, the globally dominant chip giant.And here is Trump offering to India on a platter at least 100,000 software engineers, especially at a time when generativeAI is decimating low-end jobs everywhere. They can work on some very compelling projects that could revolutionize Indian education, up-skilling and so on, and I am not at liberty to discuss them. Suffice to say that these could turbo-charge the Indian software industry and get it away from mundane, routine body-shopping type jobs.ConclusionThe Trump tariff tantrum is definitely a short-term problem for India, but it can be turned around, and turned into an opportunity, if only the country plays its cards right and focuses on building long-term comparative advantages and accepting the gift of a mis-step by Trump in geo-economics.In geo-politics, India and the US need each other to contain China, and so that part, being so obvious, will be taken care of more or less by default.Thus, overall, the old SWOT analysis: strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats. On balance, I am of the opinion that the threats contain in them the germs of opportunities. It is up to Indians to figure out how to take advantage of them. This is your game to win or lose, India!4150 words, 9 Aug 2025 This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit rajeevsrinivasan.substack.com/subscribe

In this episode of The Grove, Tabs is joined by Jamie to break down Arsenal's final preseason game – a lively win over Athletic Club at the Emirates – and what it means heading into the Premier League season and the opener against Manchester United.We cover:Match reaction – why this felt like the pieces finally clicked after mixed performances vs Spurs & VillarrealKai Havertz's solo stunner and what Viktor Gyökeres brings to Arsenal's attackZubimendi, Calafiori, Saka, Madueke, Timber & Mosquera and Madueke performances and what these players mean to the squad and tactics.It's all about horses for courses, player pods and combinations across the Team not just in areas of the pitch.Penalty shootout success and the Emirates matchday atmosphereTransfer latest – do we need one more signing to “complete” the team? Rodrygo links, Eze updates & squad depth discussionPredicting Arteta's XI for Man Utd and whether we start Gyökeres or Havertz up frontFrom tactical tweaks and player chemistry to pre-match pints and jumbotron upgrades, this episode blends football insight with matchday colour – all with the excitement of a season that could deliver big.COME ON YOU GUNNERS!@ The Grove Everyone is Welcome!Find us on Bluesky, Threads and YouTube: @thegroveafcEmail us here: thegrovepodcast@outlook.com***Please take the time to rate us on your podcast app. It means a great deal to us and will make it easier for other potential listeners to find us. Thanks!***Arsenal, Gunners, COYG, Gooners, AFC

In dieser Samstagsfolge von “Alles auf Aktien” reden wir endlich nicht mal nur über Palantir, sondern mit jemandem von Palantir. Unser Gast wird es uns erklären, das derzeit wahrscheinlich spannendste und lukrativste Geschäftsmodell der Welt. Zusammen mit ihm werden wir versuchen, sie zu entschlüsseln, die DNA dieses fast schon sagenumworbenen Konzerns. Er wird erklären, warum Palantir kein Datensammel-Monster ist, seine Firma niemals Geschäfte mit Putin und Xi machen wird und der Rüstungs-SuperZyklus gerade erst am Anfang steht. Und wir müssen natürlich reden: über Peter Thiel, die Wehrpflicht-Frage und die Lichtblicke für Deutschland. Ein Gespräch mit Christoph Markson Wir freuen uns an Feedback über aaa@welt.de. Noch mehr "Alles auf Aktien" findet Ihr bei WELTplus und Apple Podcasts – inklusive aller Artikel der Hosts und AAA-Newsletter. Hier bei WELT: https://www.welt.de/podcasts/alles-auf-aktien/plus247399208/Boersen-Podcast-AAA-Bonus-Folgen-Jede-Woche-noch-mehr-Antworten-auf-Eure-Boersen-Fragen.html. Der Börsen-Podcast Disclaimer: Die im Podcast besprochenen Aktien und Fonds stellen keine spezifischen Kauf- oder Anlage-Empfehlungen dar. Die Moderatoren und der Verlag haften nicht für etwaige Verluste, die aufgrund der Umsetzung der Gedanken oder Ideen entstehen. Hörtipps: Für alle, die noch mehr wissen wollen: Holger Zschäpitz können Sie jede Woche im Finanz- und Wirtschaftspodcast "Deffner&Zschäpitz" hören. +++ Werbung +++ Du möchtest mehr über unsere Werbepartner erfahren? Hier findest du alle Infos & Rabatte! https://linktr.ee/alles_auf_aktien Impressum: https://www.welt.de/services/article7893735/Impressum.html Datenschutz: https://www.welt.de/services/article157550705/Datenschutzerklaerung-WELT-DIGITAL.html

Let's talk about older consoles and approaching games in unconventional ways, and address while we are here, developments in the gaming business this week. MK: Legacy Kollection looking very cool. Battlefield 6 also seems like things are poppin. GOG says come get these free nudie games. Kirby fans finally know what they are getting soon. Lucy from CyberPunk is coming to…Guilty Gear Strive? Guntouchables is FREE right now. And how many Power Ranges in Fortnite is enough? An Instance WoW segment with Bobby! And lots more! Shared Play This Week•Ninja Gaiden: RageboundScott•The Spell Brigade•Shapez 2Jon•Minishoot' Adventures•Juggling Final Fantasy X-2, XI, & XII.Beau•Titan Quest 2.•More Abiotic Factor.•Played War Within patch 11.3.•Tried Yakuza Kiwami 2. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

There's been plenty of memorable players that have donned the famous Aston Villa shirt over the years, but what would a best XI look like from a tenured season ticket holder? Listen in as Cole and Simon run through Simon's best Villa XI from his time as a season ticket holder (beginning in the 1997/1998 season).You can listen for FREE on Acast, Apple Podcasts, and Spotify - dig in!WHAT DO WE DISCUSS?Is Emi Martinez truly the best Aston Villa goalkeeper of the last 28 seasons?Have Villa lacked true quality in the full-back areas?Just how good was Paul Merson?Is Simon's front three spot on or are there any questionable omissions?STAY CONNECTED:Email: holtecast@gmail.comX: @HoltecastPodThreads: HoltecastBluesky: @holtecastpod.bsky.socialCole Pettem: @TalkAstonVillaSimon O'Regan: @SiOReganEPISODE NOTES:Thank you to our charity partner, Acorns Children's Hopsice.Donate today to support a fantastic charity: https://www.acorns.org.uk/get-involved/donate/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

4 thousand for 3. Okay, that's a little over the top, but it represents the chasm between Zimbabwe's test cricket team and the rest. Overnight the Black Caps turned the screws on the hopelessly out classed Africans, piling on the runs at Bulawayo, at stumps NZ had extended their lead to 476, amassing 603 for the loss of 3. Centuries for Conway, Nicholls, and Ravindra, with the latter two still at the crease, represents a sound flogging after only two days of cricket. If this was softball, the mercy law would've sent them all home. The oft used phrase in circumstances such as this is ‘you can only play who's been put in front of you', which is accurate but wholly depressing when this game has been given faux test status. This should never have been the case. This should have been part of a New Zealand A tour, which it essentially is when the lineup is taken into account. The Black Caps are without a number of their go to first XI yet are still poleaxing the opposition. The match is not part of the World Test Championship which further erodes any import the game thought it had. We all understand that Zimbabwe cricket needs to be nursed along, but is this exchange benefitting them or merely serving as a reminder of how poor Zimbabwe cricket is? This series isn't helping anyone. The fresh Black Caps aren't being exposed to any clear and present threats, the older and returning players inflating their averages, essentially masking the efficacy of their input. It may pump up their tires but with little test cricket on the horizon, is there a point to it? This series should never have been afforded test status. Still, it's cricket in whites, so I'll watch it. Tragic. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Let's talk about older consoles and approaching games in unconventional ways, and address while we are here, developments in the gaming business this week. MK: Legacy Kollection looking very cool. Battlefield 6 also seems like things are poppin. GOG says come get these free nudie games. Kirby fans finally know what they are getting soon. Lucy from CyberPunk is coming to…Guilty Gear Strive? Guntouchables is FREE right now. And how many Power Ranges in Fortnite is enough? An Instance WoW segment with Bobby! And lots more! Shared Play This Week•Ninja Gaiden: RageboundScott•The Spell Brigade•Shapez 2Jon•Minishoot' Adventures•Juggling Final Fantasy X-2, XI, & XII.Beau•Titan Quest 2.•More Abiotic Factor.•Played War Within patch 11.3.•Tried Yakuza Kiwami 2. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In 2023, Dan Kurtz-Phelan spoke with the historians Stephen Kotkin and Orville Schell about what drives Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin and how they are (and are not) like Mao and Stalin.  Xi and Putin loom over geopolitics in a way that few leaders have in decades. Not even Mao and Stalin drove global events the way Xi and Putin do today. Who they are, how they view the world, and what they want are some of the most important and pressing questions in foreign policy and international affairs.  Kotkin and Schell are two of the best scholars to explore these issues. Kotkin is the author of seminal scholarship on Russia, the Soviet Union, and global history, including an acclaimed three-volume biography of Stalin. He is a senior fellow at Stanford University's Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies and the Kleinheinz Senior Fellow at the Hoover Institution. Schell is the Arthur Ross director of the Center on U.S.-China Relations at the Asia Society. He is the author of 15 books, ten of them about China. He is also a former professor and dean at the University of California, Berkeley Graduate School of Journalism. 

Every year, hundreds of films are produced in Hengdian, a once-obscure township in Zhejiang province that is now often referred to as "China's Hollywood".Few people realize, however, that the ascent of Hengdian — and the broader transformation of Zhejiang as a cultural powerhouse — was shaped earlier when Xi Jinping served as the province's Party secretary.In 2003, months after becoming secretary of the Communist Party of China Zhejiang Provincial Committee, Xi visited Hengdian at a moment when its sprawling film sets were growing rapidly, but the industry lacked support for deeper integration across the production value chain.Private capital was still restricted from entering critical areas such as film production and distribution."He encouraged us to explore boldly and vigorously develop the film and cultural industry," recalled Xu Tianfu, vice-president of Hengdian Group.Soon after Xi's visit, Zhejiang authorities launched a provincial task force to study reforms, which led to the creation of China's first national-level film industry pilot zone in Hengdian in 2004.The move marked a turning point in widening investment opportunities for the cultural sector and laid the groundwork for what is now one of the world's busiest film production hubs.In 2005, the provincial Party committee, under Xi's leadership, adopted "eight projects" to build Zhejiang into a province with strong culture.The projects span eight areas — civic quality, cultural excellence, cultural research, cultural preservation, cultural industry promotion, cultural infrastructure, cultural communication and cultural talent development.As China pushes to build itself into a nation strong in culture, the projects have provided key references and are a critical component of Xi Jinping Thought on Culture, analysts said.The thought, first put forward at a two-day national meeting on the work of public communication and culture in October 2023, highlighted the need to meet the people's increasingly diverse, multitiered and multifaceted spiritual and cultural needs, and enhance the supply of services and products, in order to strengthen people's sense of cultural fulfillment and happiness.Chen Ye, former vice-president of the Zhejiang Academy of Social Sciences, said the eight projects reflected Xi's belief that cultural development is central to modernization."His strategic vision, forward-looking ideas, political courage and pragmatic approach laid a solid foundation for preserving cultural heritage and promoting contemporary cultural development," she said.In Zhejiang, the results have been more than palpable. More than 5,000 film and television companies operate across the province. Since 2003, the added value of Zhejiang's cultural industries has risen from 44.2 billion yuan ($6.15 billion) to over 615 billion yuan. Their share of the province's GDP has more than doubled, to over 7 percent.The province is now home to three UNESCO World Heritage sites, five national archaeological parks, 281 nationally protected heritage sites and 926 registered village museums.One of the most notable preservation efforts has focused on the archaeological ruins of Liangzhu City, a Neolithic site on the outskirts of Hangzhou.Preserving heritageDuring a 2003 visit, Xi was briefed on the status of the preservation of the site — a hub for a rice-cultivating and jade-worshiping culture dating back 4,300 to 5,300 years."The Liangzhu archaeological site is a sacred testament to China's 5,000-year civilization and a rare, invaluable treasure. We must ensure its preservation with the utmost care," Xi said during the visit.He ordered the expansion of the preservation zone, halted nearby quarrying and called for the site to be prepared for nomination as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Over the next decade, archaeological work accelerated alongside policy, legal and ecological support, and in 2019, Liangzhu was inscribed on the World Heritage List.Preservation of intangible heritage was also elevated under Xi's tenure in Zhejiang.In 2005, when he visited a Kunqu Opera troupe in Yongjia county, the troupe had been struggling to survive since losing public funding in the 1980s.After watching the performance and speaking with veteran actress Lin Meimei, Xi initiated a provincial-level plan to rescue the centuries-old Kunqu Opera.The troupe was granted heritage status and allocated funding of 1 million yuan per year. Today, it stages more than 200 shows annually and has worked with a vocational college to train new performers."We are full of gratitude," Lin said. Now recognized as a national inheritor of Kunqu Opera, she added: "The flame of Kunqu Opera in Yongjia has not gone out. We've lived up to the legacy entrusted to us by our forebears."Innovation mattersXi's emphasis on cultural innovation also extended to the animation and gaming sectors.In 2005, he visited the China Academy of Art, where he highlighted the broad potential of the animation sector and the strength for Hangzhou to build a "city of animation".That same day, he toured Zhejiang Zhongnan Animation Co, now one of the largest original animation companies in China."Animation should not be measured purely in financial terms," Xi told Wu Jianrong, chairman of Zhongnan Group, of which Zhongnan Animation is a subsidiary."It provides young people with healthy spiritual nourishment. Chinese civilization has over 5,000 years of history — you can create animated works featuring our national heroes," Xi said.Encouraged by Xi's remarks, Zhongnan produced a series of animations and began exporting them.That year, Hangzhou hosted the inaugural China International Cartoon & Animation Festival, generating over 10 million yuan in on-site sales and 3 billion yuan in potential deals.Xi later wrote to national regulators to help secure Hangzhou as the event's permanent home and supported the creation of a dedicated organizing office.Hangzhou is now home to more than 270 animation and gaming companies, employing over 12,000 people. The city is the birthplace of the hit video game Black Myth: Wukong, and 227 internet-based animated series produced in the city were licensed in 2024, accounting for 34.45 percent of the national total.Across Zhejiang, there are more than 300,000 private cultural enterprises — up from fewer than 45,000 in 2003.Chen, the former vice-president of Zhejiang Academy of Social Sciences, said that Xi's cultural initiatives during his tenure in Zhejiang and the landmark achievements in the new era highlighted the importance of sustained efforts to deliver cultural development outcomes that truly benefit the people."It also indicated that the implementation and evaluation of cultural initiatives should prioritize the production of more high-quality outcomes to meet the cultural rights and interests of the broadest segments of the population."

Australia vs South Africa T20I Series Predictions! | Cricket Today Show, Thursday August 7 The Cricket Today Show preview an exciting Australia vs South Africa T20I series in Darwin and Cairns, breaking down the squads, predicted XI and if Josh Hazlewood and Cam Green can continue strong form! The panel full of banter debates the Aussie lineup, how well Markram can go for the Proteas and finish with an in depth look at the predictions for the series and 1st match! Cricket Today panelists Liam 'Stats Guy' McAllion and Leo Mullaly talk all things cricket for Australia vs South Africa and world cricket!

S&P futures are pointing to a higher open today, up +0.5%. Asian markets traded higher today with the Nikkei outperforming and Hang Seng setting a third consecutive day of gains. European markets are also firmer in early trades. In a CNBC interview, President Trump reiterated key trade positions, particularly targeting India and China. He criticized India's Russian energy purchases, BRICS participation, high tariffs, and resistance to market access, threatening to hike existing 25% tariffs with a decision expected shortly. India is reportedly considering responses, including easing dairy market access and supporting affected exporters. On China, Trump stated that a trade deal is very close, with a potential meeting with President Xi by year-end, contingent on progress.Companies Mentioned: Walt Disney, OpenAI, Boeing

Fluent Fiction - Mandarin Chinese: Unlocking Secrets Beneath Xi'an: A Tale of Heritage and Invention Find the full episode transcript, vocabulary words, and more:fluentfiction.com/zh/episode/2025-08-06-22-34-02-zh Story Transcript:Zh: 正值盛夏，西安古城墙下，一个不为人知的实验室悄然隐藏在岁月的尘埃中。En: At the peak of summer, beneath Xi'an's ancient city walls, an unknown laboratory quietly lay hidden in the dust of ages.Zh: 梅琳和哥哥峻，站在入口前，看着手中蓝图出神。En: Mei Lin and her brother Jun stood before the entrance, staring intently at the blueprint in their hands.Zh: 这些图纸来自他们已故的祖父，传说中是一项了不起的发明。En: These drawings came from their late grandfather, said to be a remarkable invention.Zh: 白日里，古城熙熙攘攘，但到了夜晚，尤其是中元节的夜晚，空气里却弥漫着香火气息，冥冥之中仿佛祖先的灵魂在游荡。En: During the day, the ancient city was bustling, but by night, especially on the night of the Zhong Yuan Jie, the air was thick with incense, as if the spirits of ancestors were wandering mysteriously.Zh: 梅琳心中涌动着迫切的渴望，她要揭开蓝图的秘密，为家族找回荣誉。En: An urgent desire surged in Mei Lin's heart; she wanted to uncover the secrets of the blueprint and restore her family's honor.Zh: 峻在旁边略显犹豫。En: Jun, standing beside her, appeared slightly hesitant.Zh: “这可能很危险，”他低声说，“而且那些开发商很快就要来拆掉这里。”En: "This could be dangerous," he whispered, "and those developers will soon come to demolish this place."Zh: 梅琳点了点头，眼神坚定。En: Mei Lin nodded, her gaze firm.Zh: “祖父的智慧不能就这样消失。我们必须进去。”En: "Grandfather's wisdom cannot vanish just like that. We must go in."Zh: 在地面上，他们找到了一个隐蔽的入口。En: On the ground, they found a hidden entrance.Zh: 在梅琳细心辨别蓝图的指引下，他们顺利打开了通道。En: Guided carefully by the blueprint deciphered by Mei Lin, they successfully opened the passage.Zh: 黑暗的阶梯通往一个微光的世界，实验室里充满了尘封的古物和纸张交错的气息。En: The dark staircase led to a dim world where the laboratory was filled with dusty relics and the intertwined presence of paper.Zh: 脚步声在墙壁间回荡，与外面的烟火形成鲜明对比。En: Their footsteps echoed off the walls, in stark contrast to the fireworks outside.Zh: 正当两人专注于寻找祖父的发明时，他们意外触动了一个机关，入口开始缓缓关闭。En: Just as the two focused on finding their grandfather's invention, they accidentally triggered a mechanism, and the entrance began to close slowly.Zh: “快！”峻大喊，心跳加速。En: "Hurry!" Jun shouted, his heart racing.Zh: “我们得赶紧走！”En: "We need to get out, fast!"Zh: 梅琳飞快地合上笔记本，然后拉起峻的手，两人一同奔向出口。En: Mei Lin quickly closed her notebook, then grabbed Jun's hand, and together they dashed towards the exit.Zh: 在最后一刻，他们奋力跃过门槛，实验室的入口在身后轰然闭合。En: At the last moment, they leaped over the threshold, as the entrance to the laboratory closed shut with a roar behind them.Zh: 在浑浊的夜色中，梅琳和峻气喘吁吁地跪在古城的地面上，手中紧握祖父的蓝图。En: In the murky night, Mei Lin and Jun knelt on the ground of the ancient city, panting and clutching their grandfather's blueprint tightly.Zh: 梅琳展开图纸，眼中闪烁着新生的希望。En: Mei Lin unfolded the paper, her eyes shimmering with newfound hope.Zh: 图纸上的设计指向一个清洁能源的装置，奇妙而宏伟。En: The design pointed to a device for clean energy, wondrous and grand.Zh: “这不仅是祖父的遗产，也是未来的钥匙。”梅琳说，声音充满敬意。En: "This is not only grandfather's legacy but also the key to the future," Mei Lin said, her voice full of reverence.Zh: 峻的心中充满了对祖父的尊敬和对妹妹的信任。En: Jun's heart was filled with respect for his grandfather and trust in his sister.Zh: “我们一定要好好保护它。”En: "We must protect it well."Zh: 于是，兄妹俩决定携手努力，让这个发明脱离阴影，成为改变未来的重要力量。En: Thus, the siblings decided to work together, bringing this invention out of the shadows to become a powerful force for change in the future.Zh: 而他们也在这个过程中，找到了对家族、更重要的是对彼此的信任和理解。En: In the process, they found trust and understanding not just for their family but, more importantly, for each other. Vocabulary Words:peak: 盛夏ancient: 古laboratory: 实验室blueprint: 蓝图remarkable: 了不起的bustling: 熙熙攘攘incense: 香火ancestors: 祖先surged: 涌动uncover: 揭开demolish: 拆掉firm: 坚定deciphered: 辨别dim: 微光relics: 古物intertwined: 交错的echoed: 回荡fireworks: 烟火mechanism: 机关threshold: 门槛murky: 浑浊panting: 气喘吁吁unfolded: 展开shimmering: 闪烁legacy: 遗产reverence: 敬意trust: 信任understanding: 理解restore: 找回honor: 荣誉

Feyenoord 2-1 FenerbahçeTek golümüz Amrabatİlk yarıyı 1-0 geride kapattık. İkinci yarıda eşitlik geldi ancak 90+1 de yedik.Rövanş haftaya Kadıköy'de.Fenerbahçe XI: İrfan Can, Mert Müldür, Skriniar, Oosterwolde, Oğuz, Archie, Fred, Amrabat, İrfan Can, Syzmanski, En Nesyry

#LFC #LiverpoolFC #LiverpoolFootballClub Download SAILY in your app store and use our code bloodred at checkout to get an exclusive 15% off your first purchase. For further details go to https://saily.com/bloodred Liverpool ensured a second win over Athletic Bilbao in their friendly double-header with a 3-2 triumph at Anfield on Monday evening. A Mohamed Salah goal and two from Cody Gakpo were sufficient after the visitors had twice equalised, first through Oihan Sancet and then an inadvertent own goal from Gakpo. Arne Slot selected a strong starting XI for the second match which included five new signings and perhaps offered hints of how his team could line up for the Premier League opener at home to Bournemouth on Friday week. Join Ian Doyle and Theo Squires for the latest Blood Red podcast.  *#BeMoreDan: Fascinating Tales From Liverpool's Incredible History* https://reachsportshop.com/book/lfc-stories/ Download SAILY in your app store and use our code bloodred at checkout to get an exclusive 15% off your first purchase. For further details go to https://saily.com/bloodred Get exclusive Liverpool FC podcasts and video content everyday right here.  Subscribe to the Blood Red Liverpool FC YouTube Channel and watch daily live shows HERE: https://bit.ly/3OkL9iT Listen and subscribe to the Blood Red Podcast for all your latest Liverpool FC content via Apple and Spotify: APPLE: https://bit.ly/3HfBvKq SPOTIFY: https://bit.ly/3SdsjeH Join our Blood Red podcast group on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1656599847979758/ Visit the Liverpool ECHO website: https://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/all-about/liverpool-fc Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/LivEchoLFC Follow us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LiverpoolEchoLFC Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bloodred_lfc Follow us on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@bloodred_lfc Subscribe to us on Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/bloodredliverpoolfc Download our Liverpool FC app for free: Apple - https://apps.apple.com/gb/app/lfc-echo/id1255495425Android - https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.mirror.liverpoolfc Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In the blink of an eye, summer is practically over and we're less than two weeks away from the start of Gameweek 1! In this first episode of our sixth season, Jacob and Jiayang finally get the gears turning again in order to assemble a first draft together. In the process, we talk through key considerations such as ideal premium structure, mid-priced and budget enablers, and the potential impact of the newly added defensive contributions to the defender landscape. With the addition of a second set of chips, we also toy with the idea of the Gameweek 1 Bench Boost—perhaps the flexibility that comes with having 15 playing players at the start of the season outweighs the siphoning of funds away from one's starting XI? And who knows what havoc the transfer market could wreak on our plans before the deadline? Until then, happy tinkering!

Mark Butcher, Phil Walker and Yas Rana attempt to make sense of a completely bonkers fifth and final Test of the series between England and India. 0:00 Intro / 1:19 Final day / 8:18 England's approach / 19:07 Injury substitutes / 25:15 Joe Root / 27:05 Mohammed Siraj's workload / 34:43 Live show / 35:14 Undercooked cricketers / 41:04 Kia's Young Cricketers competition / 41:29 How will both sides be feeling? / 52:22 Remitly / 53:08 Picking our combined XI / 59:27 The Hundred starts... tomorrow! / 1:01:06 Outro

Don't Stop Believing, Part 3 A sermon by Pastor Richard Sfameni, Lead Pastor at Victory Church in Providence, RI I. Introduction Welcome and purpose of the podcast: sharing powerful messages from services. Victory Church's mission: reaching the lost, restoring the broken, reviving believers. Call to engagement: readiness to receive the Word of God. Message title: "Don't Stop Believing" (better phrased as "Keep Believing"). Central theme: The necessity and critical importance of living by faith. II. The Nature and Gift of Faith Biblical definition: Faith as the “substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen” (Hebrews 11:1). Faith is confidence in God's promises and His character. Every believer has a “seed/measure” of faith—faith given by God (Romans 12). Faith as a muscle: grows stronger through use, challenges, and spiritual exercise. Warning against comparing levels of faith among believers. Personal testimony: growth through spiritual trials and resistance, analogy to physical training. III. The Importance of Faith (Scriptural Emphasis) Essential for pleasing God: “Without faith it is impossible to please God” (Hebrews 11:6). Two elements: belief that God exists and that He rewards those who seek Him. Faith is required in every circumstance; God knows individual limits and provides grace for endurance. IV. Faith as the Primary Metric in the Church Examination of Paul's concern for faith in the church (1 Thessalonians 3). Paul's repeated focus on the faith of the congregation rather than external measures. What Paul didn't emphasize: not the size, budget, or facilities of the church. Critique of cultural (non-biblical) values in assessing church success. Dangers of equating “bigness” or material signs with spiritual greatness. Examples: 85% of American churches have fewer than 200 people, illustrating that size is not the key measure. Example from church history: Charles Spurgeon's conversion in a small chapel, demonstrating greatness is about spiritual impact, not size. V. Keeping Faith Central The importance of keeping “the main thing the main thing”—focus on the growth and exercise of faith. Individuals and churches must prioritize spiritual metrics over worldly metrics. VI. Lessons from the Heroes of Faith Review of “the cloud of witnesses” in Hebrews 11-12. Faith exemplars: those who faced challenges and saw God's faithfulness. The value of biographies/autobiographies of Christians for practical insights into a life of faith. Example: George Mueller's dependence on faith for provision. Recognition of current church members as examples of faith and faithfulness. VII. Hindrances to Faith Identifying and “laying aside every weight”: Bitterness, unforgiveness, distractions, and past failures. Analogy of running a race: shed anything that slows spiritual progress. Biblical example: Paul “forgets what is behind and presses on.” The need for “divine forgetfulness” and remembrance of what matters (the cross, God's promises). VIII. Perseverance of Faith Faith requires perseverance, endurance—keep moving forward despite obstacles and struggles. Examples of perseverance from secular figures (Walt Disney, Einstein, Churchill, Lincoln) to illustrate endurance. Claim: with the Spirit of God, believers have even greater potential for perseverance. Encouragement for listeners to resolve to succeed and trust in God's enabling power. IX. The Focus of Faith: Fixing Eyes on Jesus The source and goal (“author and finisher”) of faith is Jesus. Spiritual direction comes from focusing on Christ—not on people or circumstances. Analogy: Just as a runner focuses on the finish line, Christians must fix their gaze on Jesus. Biblical example: Peter walking on water by looking at Jesus, sinking when distracted by the storm (Matthew 14). Isaiah 26:3—Perfect peace comes from “mind stayed on Thee.” Hymn: “Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus” used to reinforce the point. The danger of spiritual distraction; importance of continual refocusing on Christ. X. The Cross as Spiritual North Point Story: Beach analogy—currents can pull us off course unnoticed, requiring realignment. The cross of Christ as a central, guiding reference for believers. Regular course corrections are necessary due to “the currents” of worldly distractions and sin. Importance of always coming back to Christ and the cross. XI. Application and Call to Action Self-examination: Is your faith growing? Are you focused on Jesus? Urge to lay aside distractions/weights and make the necessary spiritual adjustments. Invitaton for reflection, response, prayer, and renewed commitment as the service closes.

Yesterday, the Canadian writer Diane Francis argued that Donald Trump should consider Xi Jinping's China a competitor rather than an enemy. Perhaps. But in this zero-sum “competition” between Trump and Xi for top tough guy, there can only be one winner. As Xi Jinping's father's biographer, Joseph Torigian explains, Xi had a brutally harsh upbringing. In his new book about Xi's father, Xi Zhongxun, Torigian explains that it was a childhood descent from privileged son of a communist party aristocrat to utter poverty, political exile and literal homelessness. That's the kind of tough guy that our self-styled “tough guy” President is competing with in today's Hobbesian bipolar world of international politics. I'm pretty sure that only one of these tough guys will come out on top. And it won't be the pampered middle son of a real-estate mogul from Queens.1. Xi Jinping's "Toughness" is Genuine, Not PerformativeUnlike privileged leaders who talk tough, Xi was forged by real hardship - his father was purged five times, spent 16 years in political exile, and Xi himself experienced homelessness, street battles, and rural exile. This created authentic resilience, not manufactured bravado.2. China's System Remains Dangerously Leader-DependentDespite assumptions about "collective leadership," Chinese politics never escaped the strongman model. Even Deng Xiaoping, supposedly constrained by colleagues, made unilateral decisions like Tiananmen. Xi isn't breaking the system - he's following its core logic that only a powerful "core" leader can hold China together.3. Taiwan is Personal, Not Just Political for XiHis father Xi Zhongxun was the party's leading "United Front" strategist who handled Taiwan relations in the 1980s through secret back-channels. For Xi, Taiwan represents both unfinished family business and his promise not to be "the one to lose" Chinese territory bequeathed by ancestors.4. Xi's Strategy is Patience, Not RecklessnessGrowing up watching his father navigate purges taught Xi when to act and when to "bide his time." Unlike Putin's sledgehammer approach, Xi moves "deliberately and competitively, but cautiously" - preferring to win without fighting rather than risk catastrophic failure.5. The Party's Biggest Fear is Losing the Next GenerationXi obsesses over whether young Chinese will remain loyal to the revolutionary cause without experiencing the hardship that dedicated his generation. With property crashes and youth unemployment, he's trying to recreate commitment through "national sacrifice" narratives - but it's unclear if this will work on a generation that expects prosperity, not suffering.1. Xi Jinping's "Toughness" is Genuine, Not PerformativeUnlike privileged leaders who talk tough, Xi was forged by real hardship - his father was purged five times, spent 16 years in political exile, and Xi himself experienced homelessness, street battles, and rural exile. This created authentic resilience, not manufactured bravado.2. China's System Remains Dangerously Leader-DependentDespite assumptions about "collective leadership," Chinese politics never escaped the strongman model. Even Deng Xiaoping, supposedly constrained by colleagues, made unilateral decisions like Tiananmen. Xi isn't breaking the system - he's following its core logic that only a powerful "core" leader can hold China together.3. Taiwan is Personal, Not Just Political for XiHis father Xi Zhongxun was the party's leading "United Front" strategist who handled Taiwan relations in the 1980s through secret back-channels. For Xi, Taiwan represents both unfinished family business and his promise not to be "the one to lose" Chinese territory bequeathed by ancestors.4. Xi's Strategy is Patience, Not RecklessnessGrowing up watching his father navigate purges taught Xi when to act and when to "bide his time." Unlike Putin's sledgehammer approach, Xi moves "deliberately and competitively, but cautiously" - preferring to win without fighting rather than risk catastrophic failure.5. The Party's Biggest Fear is Losing the Next GenerationXi obsesses over whether young Chinese will remain loyal to the revolutionary cause without experiencing the hardship that dedicated his generation. With property crashes and youth unemployment, he's trying to recreate commitment through "national sacrifice" narratives - but it's unclear if this will work on a generation that expects prosperity, not suffering. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit keenon.substack.com/subscribe

Conversamos con el escritor, filósofo e investigador Ángel Luis Fernández, presidente de la Fundación 1A1, sobre la XI Conferencia Mundial de la Paz y de la Luz, un evento de carácter internacional que promueve el despertar de la conciencia, la armonía y la transformación espiritual. Esta conferencia reunirá a líderes, pensadores y visionarios del mundo en un llamado por la paz universal y la luz interior, con República Dominicana como sede. ¿De qué trata exactamente este evento y por qué es tan relevante para el momento que vive el planeta? Lo analizamos con su organizador.

大稻埕夏日節 Dàdàochéng xià rì jié – Dadaocheng Summer Festival大稻埕煙火 Dàdàochéng yān huǒ – Dadaocheng fireworks市集 shì jí – market or fair (often temporary and festive)煙火秀 yān huǒ xiù – fireworks show七夕情人節 Qīxī qíng rén jié – Qixi Festival; Chinese Valentine's Day北門站 Běi Mén zhàn – Beimen Station (on the Taipei MRT Green Line)靜修女中 Jìng xiū nǚ zhōng – Jinxiou Girls' High School (a local bus stop name)雙連站 Shuāng lián zhàn – Shuanglian Station (on the Taipei MRT Red Line)大橋頭站 Dà qiáo tóu zhàn – Daqiaotou Station (on the Taipei MRT Orange Line)大稻埕碼頭 Dàdàochéng mǎ tóu – Dadaocheng Wharf貨櫃市集 huò guì shì jí – container market (market made from shipping containers)異國料理 yì guó liào lǐ – exotic/international cuisine冰涼 bīng liáng – icy and refreshing; cold調酒 tiáo jiǔ – mixed drink; cocktail夕陽 xì yáng – sunset街頭藝人 jiē tóu yì rén – street performer迪化街 Dí huà jiē – Dihua Street (a historic and traditional street in Taipei)南北貨 nán běi huò – traditional dry goods and groceries from all over Taiwan中藥 zhōng yào – traditional Chinese medicine霞海城隍廟 Xiá hǎi chéng huáng miào – Xiahai City God Temple (famous temple in Taipei)月老 Yuè lǎo – the Chinese god of love and marriage求姻緣 qiú yīn yuán – to pray for a romantic relationship or a good marriage match靈驗 líng yàn – effective; spiritually responsive or miraculous景點 jǐng diǎn – tourist attraction; scenic spot水岸光廊 shuǐ àn guāng láng – Riverside Light Corridor (a decorative light installation along the river)沿著 yán zhe – along (a road, river, etc.)淡水河邊 Dàn shuǐ hé biān – by the Tamsui River燈飾裝置 dēng shì zhuāng zhì – decorative light installationPlanning to travel or move to Taiwan? If you'd like to improve your Chinese before you go, feel free to book a one-on-one lesson with me.I'll help you improve your Chinese so you can settle in more comfortably when you arrive.Book a one-on-one trial lesson with me !

Dr. Li-Meng Yan w/ The Voice of Dr. Yan – On July 8, an explosive audio recording from Trump's 2024 campaign fundraiser was leaked, in which Trump revealed that he had once directly told Xi Jinping: “If the CCP uses force against Taiwan, I'll bomb Beijing.” According to Trump, Xi was visibly stunned. Trump added that Xi “only needed to believe it 10%, even 5% was enough.” China's state-run media went completely silent...

Le 4 septembre 2004, dans le XIème arrondissement, à Paris. Deux hommes braquent un café pour voler la recette avant de prendre la fuite, poursuivis par le patron et un ami de ce dernier. Abdelah, serveur du bar, est alors froidement abattu par un des braqueur qu'il tentait d'arrêter. Pierrick Guillaume, commandant à la police judiciaire de Paris, se remémore cette affaire de meurtre qui l'a suivi jusque dans sa vie de famille.Une enquête dans la peau est un podcast coproduit par Initial Studio et Caméra Subjective, adapté de la série documentaire audiovisuelle “L'enquête de ma vie” produite par Caméra Subjective avec la participation de Planète+ Crime. Cet épisode a été écrit par Margaux Carpentier et réalisé par Margaux Carpentier et Benjamin Malherbe.Pour découvrir nos autres podcasts, suivez Initial Studio sur Instagram et Facebook. Production exécutive du podcast : Initial StudioProduction éditoriale : Sarah Koskievic et Mandy LebourgMontage : Camille LegrasAvec la voix de Vincent Couesme Hébergé par Audion. Visitez https://www.audion.fm/fr/privacy-policy pour plus d'informations.

Le 4 septembre 2004, dans le XIème arrondissement, à Paris. Deux hommes braquent un café pour voler la recette avant de prendre la fuite, poursuivis par le patron et un ami de ce dernier. Abdelah, serveur du bar, est alors froidement abattu par un des braqueur qu'il tentait d'arrêter. Pierrick Guillaume, commandant à la police judiciaire de Paris, se remémore cette affaire de meurtre qui l'a suivi jusque dans sa vie de famille.Une enquête dans la peau est un podcast coproduit par Initial Studio et Caméra Subjective, adapté de la série documentaire audiovisuelle “L'enquête de ma vie” produite par Caméra Subjective, avec la participation de Planète+ Crime. Cet épisode a été écrit par Margaux Carpentier et réalisé par Margaux Carpentier et Benjamin Malherbe.Pour découvrir nos autres podcasts, suivez Initial Studio sur Instagram et Facebook. Production exécutive du podcast : Initial StudioProduction éditoriale : Sarah Koskievic et Mandy LebourgMontage : Camille LegrasAvec la voix de Vincent Couesme Hébergé par Audion. Visitez https://www.audion.fm/fr/privacy-policy pour plus d'informations.

The 20th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China will hold its fourth plenary session in October in Beijing, with a focus on deliberating the next five-year plan for the country's social and economic development.The announcement came on Wednesday after a meeting of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, which was presided over by Xi Jinping, general secretary of the CPC Central Committee.According to the main agenda of the upcoming session, the Political Bureau will report its work to the CPC Central Committee and study the proposals for formulating the 15th Five-Year Plan, China's strategic road map for national economic and social development between 2026 and 2030, according to a statement issued after Wednesday's meeting.It was noted at the meeting that the next five years is a crucial period for consolidating the foundation and making comprehensive efforts to basically realize socialist modernization.As China is facing profound and complex changes in its development environment, with strategic opportunities, risks and challenges coexisting and uncertainties and unforeseen factors growing, it is essential to maintain strategic focus, strengthen confidence in certain victory, actively adapt to the changes, secure strategic initiative in fierce international competitions, and make significant breakthroughs in the strategic task of promoting Chinese modernization, the statement said.It is important to accelerate the building of a new development paradigm, consider both domestic and international situations in a coordinated way, and balance development and security, in order to promote the economy's effective upgrade in terms of quality and facilitate its appropriate growth in terms of quantity, the statement added.The meeting's participants highlighted the need to promote the overall well-being of the people, make solid strides toward common prosperity for all, and ensure that decisive progress is made in realizing socialist modernization.Five-year plans serve as comprehensive blueprints for China's economic and social advancement, outlining the goals, strategies and priorities across various sectors for each period.Featuring continuity, forward-looking strategic planning and effective implementation, the five-year plans have been instrumental in pushing forward the country's development in all sectors over the past decades since the launch of the first Five-Year Plan (1953-57).At the Political Bureau meeting on Wednesday, the current economic situation was analyzed and the arrangement for the economic work in the second half of the year was made.The meeting's participants emphasized the need to give full play to macroeconomic policies, strive to expand domestic demand on all fronts, steadfastly deepen reform and opening-up, promote the deep integration of technological and industrial innovations, and make solid steps to ensure people's livelihoods.In exercising monetary policy, they emphasized the need to maintain ample liquidity to help reduce overall social financing cost. It is necessary to effectively utilize various structural monetary policy tools to support technological innovation, boost consumption, assist small and micro-sized enterprises, and stabilize foreign trade, they said.It was noted at the meeting that efforts should be made to stimulate the vitality of private capital and expand effective investment, address production capacity issues in key industries, and energize the vitality of various types of market entities.While highlighting the need to stabilize the fundamentals of foreign trade and foreign investment, the meeting's participants called for assisting foreign trade enterprises facing significant shocks, optimizing export tax rebate policies, and building high-level pilot free trade zones and other platforms for opening-up.They also underlined the need to actively and prudently resolve local government debt risks, enhance the attractiveness and inclusiveness of the domestic capital market, and consolidate the momentum of the upturn in the country's capital market.Further efforts should be made to manage flood response and ensure energy supply in summer, they added.Prior to Wednesday's Political Bureau meeting, the CPC Central Committee held a symposium on July 23 with non-CPC personages to solicit opinions and suggestions on the current economic situation and the economic work for the second half of this year.While presiding over the symposium, Xi said that in the first half of the year, China's economy made steady progress while maintaining stability, and it also helped maintain overall social stability.This demonstrates that China's economic foundation is solid and has multiple strengths, strong resilience and great potential, and that the positive factors supporting high-quality development are continuously accumulating, he said.Noting that the country's economy still faces many risks and challenges, Xi underscored the need to properly understand the situation, enhance the awareness of potential dangers, think about the worst-case scenario, and make good use of development opportunities, potential and advantages to consolidate and expand the positive momentum of economic recovery and improvement.In terms of economic work in the second half, Xi emphasized the importance of maintaining the consistency and stability of policies and enhancing their flexibility and foreseeability, as well as stabilizing employment, enterprises, the market and expectations.He underscored the need to vigorously boost consumption, address "rat race" competition, facilitate domestic circulation while reinforcing the dual circulation of domestic and international markets, and strive to meet the economic and social development goals for the year.It has been a long-held practice for the CPC to solicit suggestions and opinions on major policies and decisions of the CPC and the country from non-Communist parties, leading figures of the All-China Federation of Industry and Commerce and those with no party affiliation.

In dieser Episode 37 von "Mit IHM Betrachten" dieser neuen Serie (nach Wunsch und Erfordernis) zum SELBST-Reflektieren sehen wir uns genauer an, was uns CHRISTUS Jesus in Bezug auf die Idee der Ausbildung unserer Wachsamkeit über GOTT und das HIMMELREICH aufzeigen und lehren will. Es geht um das Thema, das der menschliche Geist eine Notwendigkeit verspürt, sein "Trachten nach dem Himmelreich" als einziges Streben für sich selbst anzunehmen und entsprechend zu entwickeln. Jesus zeigt uns im Kurs dazu auf, dass kein Kompromiss mit den selbstgemachten Illusionen in Bezug darauf, was unsere Wirklichkeit ist, eingegangen werden kann.Wir teilen einen Moment von Gegenwärtigkeit der Gnade der LIEBE GOTTES, erfahren damit Heilung im wahren Sinn, und sehen uns dazu auch einige praktische Beispiele aus unseren persönlichen Erfahrungen an, die wir mit IHM betrachten und – so neu ausgerichtet – verstehen lernen, was unser Verständnis darüber uns anbietet und in uns an Erkenntnisse eröffnet. ◊ ◊"#MitIHMBetrachten" mit #Devavan und EKIW – #einkursinwundern * — aus dem Textbuch, Kap. 6-IV-7.-9. & Kap. 14-XI-6. von Ein Kurs in Wundern - EKIW  ◊ ◊YouTube: https://youtu.be/jn_-eoy_Jj8

Steeds meer landen kunnen het gruwelijke leed van de mensen in Gaza niet meer aanzien en komen met maatregelen tegen Israël. Volgens religiewetenschapper en Israël-kenner Martine van den Berg is het duidelijk dat Israël de voedseldistributie beheert en dus in actie moet komen om de hongersnood te beëindigen. Alleen is dat niet voldoende. 'Als de oorlog stopt heb je nog geen pad naar vrede.' Luister ook | 'Met een nieuwe handelsdeal met de VS zijn we geen steek opgeschoten' Ook zijn er inmiddels twee Israëlische mensenrechtenorganisaties die spreken van genocide. Om de druk op Israël op te voeren overwegen steeds meer landen om de Palestijnse staat te erkennen. Volgens Van den Berg is dit een goede stap, vooral op de manier zoals Canada het wil. 'Het is een goedkoop en simpel middel om je afkeuring uit te spreken. Maar Canada wil dat Hamas wordt ontwapend en dat er echt één Palestijnse regering moet komen voor beide gebieden.' Nu zijn Gaza en de Westelijke Jordaanoever nog los van elkaar en leven ook die op voet van oorlog met elkaar. Volgens Van den Berg moet dat ook opgelost worden wil je echt vrede kunnen bereiken. Europa-verslaggever Geert Jan Hahn ziet een Europa dat nu echt klaar is met de houding van Israël, maar ook dat de maatregelen nog voorzichtig zijn. Lees ook | Trump zet druk op India met importheffing van 25 procent China is niet gevoelig voor Trumps praatjes Waar Europa een handelsoorlog met Amerika heeft afgewend met een - volgens sommigen slechte - deal, zijn de onderhandelingen tussen China en Amerika nog in volle gang. President Xi lijkt niet gevoelig voor de dreigementen van Trump, en dus ziet het er naar uit dat de deadline van 1 augustus met 90 dagen wordt uitgesteld. Te gast is sinoloog Henk Schulte Nordholt. Luister ook | Amerika Podcast Rechtse media loven Trumps handelsdeal | Postma in Amerika Bij de rechtse media in de VS is veel lof voor Trumps handelsdeal met de EU. Zelfs de 'daddy'-bijnaam die Rutte Trump gaf wordt daarbij aangehaald op Fox News. Je hoort Amerika-correspondent Jan Postma.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

China's military is not a real army - it's the armed wing of the Chinese Communist Party. Ideology is paramount and corruption is endemic. Plus, the People's Liberation Army hasn't fought a war since 1979. Xi Jinping calls it “the peace disease”. In episode two of this three-part series, Venetia Rainey looks at the PLA's weaknesses and how the Chinese president Xi is trying to fix them, from endless purges of top generals to a specially built training centre in Mongolia and live-fire drills around Taiwan. This series on China's military dives into the strengths and weaknesses of China's military and its remarkable transformation over the last few decades from obsolete to world-class.How significant is China's military buildup? What does Xi Jinping's ongoing purge mean for the People's Liberation Army? And how likely is an invasion of Taiwan in the next few years? As the US pivots to the Indo-Pacific and the threat of a truly global war looms, understanding the evolving role of China's military on the world stage has never been more important.Listen to episode one of this series on China's military here. With thanks to Dr Phillip Saunders and Joel Wuthnow from the Center for the Study of Chinese Military Affairs at the Institute for National Strategic Studies, Oriana Skylar Mastro from the Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies at Stanford University, Meia Nouwens from the China Programme at the International Institute for Strategic Studies, Timothy Heath at RAND,  and Amanda Hsiao at Eurasia Group. Archive used: WION, SBS News, PBS News Hour, Channel 4, NATO, DRM News, Shortwave Radio Audio Archive, Reuters Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Phil Walker and Yas Rana react to England's XI for the fifth Test against India at The Kia Oval.

President Xi Jinping has called for all-out search and rescue of the missing and trapped and immediate relocation of those in danger in order to minimize casualties following recent floods and geological disasters triggered by torrential rain across East China, North China and Northeast China.Xi, who is also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, made the remarks on Monday in an instruction on flood and disaster relief work.Noting that the storms have led to significant casualties and property losses in Beijing, as well as in Hebei, Jilin and Shandong provinces, Xi said that solid efforts must be made in all aspects of flood prevention, emergency rescue and disaster relief.No effort should be spared to search for and rescue those missing or trapped, to transfer and resettle residents in affected areas, and to reduce casualties to the greatest extent possible, he said.As China enters the peak flood season, Xi said that all localities and departments should be prepared for worst-case and extreme scenarios, fully assume their political responsibilities, and implement flood control measures with meticulous attention to detail.He also urged them to closely monitor and firmly guard weak points and key areas, allocate rescue forces and disaster relief supplies in a scientific way, and ensure an immediate response and prompt handling in the event of emergencies, with every effort made to safeguard people's lives and property.Noting the significant casualties caused by the torrential rain and flooding in Beijing's Miyun district, Premier Li Qiang ordered in an instruction on Monday that every effort must be made to search for the missing, properly resettle those affected, and do everything possible to minimize further loss of life.Li said that given the continued heavy rainfall in parts of North China, the State Flood Control and Drought Relief Headquarters should guide local governments in enhancing disaster preparedness and improving early warning systems.He also urged efforts to strengthen patrols and inspections for risk at rivers, reservoirs and dikes, as well as investigations into urban flooding hazards, and promptly relocate people in danger in order to effectively safeguard people's lives and property.Beijing issued its first red alert of the year for rainstorms on Monday as torrential rains battered northern China and triggered deadly landslides in neighboring regions.The Beijing Meteorological Service forecast that from 8 pm on Monday to 7 am on Tuesday, most districts would see more than 150 millimeters of rain within six hours, with some areas receiving up to 300 mm. Authorities warned of the heightened risk of secondary disasters such as flash floods, landslides and waterlogging in low-lying urban areas.In response, the capital city initiated a top-level flood emergency response at 8 pm on Monday, urging residents to stay indoors. In-person classes were suspended, and nonessential businesses were advised to implement remote working, the city's emergency management authority said.Residents near rivers or flood-prone zones were told to prepare for possible evacuations, while emergency crews remained on high alert.Beijing's mountainous districts — including Miyun, Yanqing and Huairou — have endured consecutive days of downpours. The city mobilized personnel, vehicles and communication systems and deployed specialized equipment including drones, amphibious vehicles and mobile charging stations.Beijing revised contingency plans this year for managing risks at reservoirs, rivers, flood-prone zones and mountain torrent areas. Emergency supplies and trained rescue teams were deployed ahead of the flood season.To maintain communication in extreme weather, all villages in Beijing are now equipped with satellite phones and shortwave radios. In Bulaotun township — one of the three hardest-hit areas in Miyun — residents reached emergency responders using satellite phones several hours after rainstorms battered the area.As of 5 pm on Monday, more than 6,400 residents in Miyun district, over 6,700 residents in Pinggu district and over 10,400 residents in Huairou district had been evacuated, according to the Beijing News.Elsewhere in northern China, heavy rains have also caused severe disruptions and fatalities.The National Commission for Disaster Reduction activated an emergency relief response on Monday and sent a working team to assess damage and support local rescue efforts.

One way to examine the thinking and ruling style of Chinese President Xi Jinping: his father's role in the rise and evolution of Chinese-brand communism. Hoover research fellow Joseph Torigian, author of the recently released The Party's Interests Come First: The Life of Xi Zhongxun, Father of Xi Jinping, discusses how the elder Xi's involvement in the Red Army, economic political reform, working alongside Zhou Enlai and dealing with ethnic minorities and organized religion – plus years of political exile after running afoul of Maoist sensibilities – all play into how his son runs the modern-day Chinese Communist Party.

In our latest episode, the lads mull over a busy week for Wrexham on the transfer front with THREE new signings following the arrivals of George Thomason, Josh Windass and Lewis O'Brien. We discuss further possible signings, including Kieffer Moore, and whether Max Cleworth could be on his way out. - Ask if the pre-season has been a success- Looks where we still need to strengthen- Pick out XI if the season were to start tomorrowPlus we're joined by former Wrexham striker Neil Roberts to reminisce about Joey Jones following the club legend's sad passing this week, including his huge influence on Robbo's career, love of cream cakes and how he once gatescrashed George Michael's album launch. We also#wxmafc #wrexham #wrexhamfc #efl #liverpool #chelsea Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Neil Manthorp is joined by the former England fast bowler Steve Harmison to look back at the fourth Test between England and India at Old Trafford, which ended in a draw. They ask if England are being let down by their own surfaces, debate who may play in the XI for the final Test at The Oval, and discuss if India were right not to shake hands at the earliest opportunity. They also get the thoughts of ESPNCricinfo's Sidharth Monga. They also review the latest round of County Championship games, as Rehan Ahmed continues his stellar season with a century and 13 wickets in the match for Leicestershire, plus they speak with the Lancashire all-rounder Tom Hartley! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

RUMOURS OF XI JINPING'S UPCOMING REBUKE JUST LIKE HIS FATHER: 1/8 The Party's Interests Come First: The Life of XI Zhongxun, Father of XI Jinping Hardcover – 3 June 2025 by  Joseph Torigian  (Author) https://www.amazon.com.au/Partys-Interests-Come-First-Zhongxun/dp/1503634752/ref=tmm_hrd_swatch_0 1949 XI ZHONGXUN China's leader, Xi Jinping, is one Cf the most powerful individuals inCtheCworld--and one of the least understood. Much can be learned, however, about both Xi Jinping and the nature of the party he leads from the memory and legacy of his father, the revolutionary Xi Zhongxun (1913-2002). The elder Xi served the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) for more than seven decades. He worked at the right hand of prominent leaders Zhou Enlai and Hu Yaobang. He helped build the Communist base area that saved Mao Zedong in 1935, and he initiated the Special Economic Zones that launched China into the reform era after Mao's death. He led the Party's United Front efforts toward Tibetans, Uyghurs, and Taiwanese. And though in 1989 he initially sought to avoid violence, he ultimately supported the Party's crackdown on the Tiananmen protesters. The Party's Interests Come First is the first biography of Xi Zhongxun written in English. This biography is at once a sweeping story of the Chinese revolution and the first several decades of the People's Republic of China and a deeply personal story about making sense of one's own identity within a larger political context. Drawing on an array of new documents, interviews, diaries, and periodicals, Joseph Torigian vividly tells the life story of Xi Zhongxun, a man who spent his entire life struggling to balance his own feelings with the Party's demands. Through the eyes of Xi Jinping's father, Torigian reveals the extraordinary organizational, ideological, and coercive power of the CCP--and the terrible cost in human suffering that comes with it.

WE'RE BACK with the FINAL episode of Boots, Balls & Bras, powered by Pepsi Max – proud partner of the UEFA Women's EUROs!

Ahead of Seattle's Matchday 27 clash at Atlanta United, we'll break out the lineup builder and project the XI for Saturday's match at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, then talk with Sydney Hunte of Scarves and Spikes about Atlanta United's 2025 season. We'll also react to some Brian Schmetzer sound and talk injury updates to João Paulo and Paul Rothrock.SPONSORSHaxan Ferments - Specializing in unique, small-batch fermented hot sauces and vinegars, Haxan Ferments is handcrafted in Georgetown and made with the best local ingredients from across the Pacific Northwest. Use Code LS for a FREE Hot Sauce w/ purchase!Sounder at Heart - Our network host and biggest supporter, Sounder at Heart covers the Seattle Sounders, Seattle Reign, and MUCH MORE! Subscribe and Support to the BEST independent Seattle Soccer coverage.Podium Edmonds - Located at 114 4th Ave N, just off Main Street in the heart of Downtown Edmonds, come shop and explore the best menswear in the Pacific Northwest. Tell them Lobbing Scorchers sent you!Full Pull Wines - Founded in 2009, they the best boutique wines of the world to members, with special focus on our home, the Pacific Northwest.My Data Removal - Data brokers are selling your personal information! Fight back with My Data Removal. Hunt down and scrub your sensitive information from the internet. Use code "LS" for $10 off your annual plan.Seattle Sounders Tickets - Get tickets to an upcoming match straight from the club and help support the show at the same time.MLS Season Pass - MLS Season Pass is back on Apple TV with access to every single MLS match—including Leagues Cup and the entire Audi MLS Cup Playoffs—with no blackouts! Subscribe today to support the show.MLS Store - New year, new gear! The 2025 MLS jerseys are here, and MLSStore is the ultimate destination for every fan. Every purchase helps support our show!Follow Lobbing Scorchers: YouTube Instagram Bluesky TikTok Ari Liljenwall Noah RiffeLobbing Scorchers is a production of Just Once Media.Lobbing Scorchers is a Seattle Sounders and MLS focused show brought to you by Sounder at Heart. Hosted by Major League Soccer's Ari Liljenwall and Producer Noah Riffe. Join us as we lob our scorching takes on the American soccer landscape, Seattle Sounders, Major League Soccer, USMNT and more.

The International News Review, where global headlines meet real-time analysis. Steve Okun, CEO of APAC Advisors is back in the studio! First up, the recent US-Japan trade agreement: what does this mean for Singapore’s economic outlook and Asia’s broader strategic positioning? Next, we turn to troubling developments in Indonesia as the U.S. expands pressure on forced labor investigations. We’ll keep a high-level lens on the latest unrest along the Thailand-Cambodia border, with implications for regional stability. And finally, China and the EU lock horns in Beijing as President Xi urges Europe to choose wisely amid growing trade tensions. Join “Saturday Mornings Show” host Glenn van Zutphen and co-host Neil Humphreys.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode James and I are in a hotel room in Singapore, and we discuss the time out here, and then Arsenal's pre-season win over AC Milan. We chat about Ethan Nwaneri and his first 45 minute performance, other individuals like Martin Zubimendi who we saw in an Arsenal shirt for the first time, and the youthful XI that finished the game, with two 15 year olds on the pitch at the final whistle. We also talk about the tour itself, answer questions about Mikel Arteta's tier system, Mikel Merino, further additions to the squad, and lots more.Get extra bonus content and help support Arseblog by becoming an Arseblog Member on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/arseblog Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Aitana Bonmatí settled it with a cheeky moment of magic last night – but has a poor game left us feeling more optimistic about England's chances?Chloe and Rachel discuss a tale of two goalkeepers and how Germany managed to restrict Spain so effectively. Plus, we answer your burning questions ahead of the final on Sunday! Will Wiegman change her starting XI? Will England thrive without the ball? And has Chloe's impersonation of Rachel got any better? Tune in to find out!Follow us on X, Instagram, Bluesky and YouTube! Email us show@upfrontpod.com.For ad-free episodes and much more from across our football shows, head over to the Football Ramble Patreon and subscribe: patreon.com/footballramble.**Please take the time to rate us on your podcast app. It means a great deal to the show and will make it easier for other potential listeners to find us. Thanks!** Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

MRKT Matrix - Thursday, July 24th Nasdaq, S&P 500 hit fresh records after strong Alphabet earnings (CNBC) Trump Says Countries Will Face Tariffs Ranging From 15% to 50% (Bloomberg) Tensions simmer as Xi courts EU while Brussels demands trade rebalance (CNBC) Tesla Braces for ‘Rough' Quarters as US Ends EV Incentives (Bloomberg) Is AI Killing Google Search? It Might Be Doing the Opposite (WSJ) Sydney Sweeney sparks latest meme stock rally as American Eagle soars 18% (CNBC) -- Subscribe to our newsletter: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://riskreversalmedia.beehiiv.com/subscribe⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ MRKT Matrix by RiskReversal Media is a daily AI powered podcast bringing you the top stories moving financial markets Story curation by RiskReversal, scripts by Perplexity Pro, voice by ElevenLabs

Gipfeltreffen in China mit EU-Kommissionspräsidentin von der Leyen und Präsident Xi, Entscheidung des Verwaltungsgerichts Potsdam: Abgeschobene jesidische Familie hätte in Deutschland bleiben dürfen, Duisburg gedenkt am 15. Jahrestag der Opfer des Loveparade-Unglücks, 48 Tote bei Flugzeugabsturz eines Passagierflugzeugs in Russland, Ukraines Präsident Selenskyj legt neues Anti-Korruptionsgesetz vor, Zehn Tote durch verheerende Waldbrände in der Türkei, Fußball-EM der Frauen: Deutschland verliert gegen Spanien mit 0:1, 18. Etappe der Tour de France, US-Wrestling-Star Hulk Hogan im Alter von 71 Jahren gestorben, Das Wetter Hinweis: Der Filmbeitrag zur Tour de France darf aus rechtlichen Gründen nicht auf tagesschau.de gezeigt werden.

Gipfeltreffen in China mit EU-Kommissionspräsidentin von der Leyen und Präsident Xi, Entscheidung des Verwaltungsgerichts Potsdam: Abgeschobene jesidische Familie hätte in Deutschland bleiben dürfen, Türkischer Präsident Erdogan lässt viele Mitglieder und Bürgermeister der Oppositionspartei CHP verhaften, Weitere Meldungen im Überblick, Fußball-EM der Frauen: Deutschland verliert gegen Spanien mit 0:1, Die Meinung, #mittendrin: Unterwegs mit Gurkenfliegern aus Eichendorf, Neuverfilmung des 80er-Jahre-Filmklassikers "Die nackte Kanone", Das Wetter

Los hunos fueron unos guerreros de la estepa que llegaron a Europa oriental a finales del siglo IV d.C. Primero atacaron a los germanos que vivían allá, después trabaron alianzas con ellos y con los romanos, y finalmente, gracias al liderazgo de su rey Atila, pusieron en jaque a todo el imperio romano. Han pasado más de 1500 años desde entonces, pero a día de hoy los hunos nos siguen planteando las mismas preguntas que se hacían los romanos: ¿de dónde salió esa gente? ¿Cómo lograron armar una de las maquinarias militares más formidables de la historia? Lamentablemente los hunos, como la gran mayoría de pueblos de la estepa, eran nómadas y no encontraron tiempo para lujos como el de escribir su propia historia, así que nos toca a nosotros reconstruirla con las pistas que su paso por esta tierra fue dejando. Hoy os hablamos de una investigación que analiza lo poco que ha quedado de la lengua de los hunos y trata de encontrar vínculos con otros habitantes de la estepa. La imagen que emerge de este artículo es que el "núcleo duro" de la sociedad huna podría estar formado por gentes paleosiberianas, un grupo étnico que en la actualidad se reduce a apenas 1000 personas que viven en pequeñas aldeas en el corazón de Siberia. Si estos autores están en lo cierto, los hunos habrían realizado una migración épica entre China y Europa. Si queréis leer el artículo, se trata de "Linguistic Evidence Suggests that Xiōng-nú and Huns Spoke the Same Paleo-Siberian Language", de Svenja Bonmann y Simon Fries. Es de acceso libre y lo podéis encontrar aquí: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/1467-968X.12321 Si, como a mí, os interesan los pueblos de la estepa y lo que la lingüística nos puede contar sobre ellos, os recomiendo que revisitéis el episodio s11e15 de La Brújula. En él os hablamos sobre otra familia lingüística, la transeuroasiática, que nos habla de otro viaje extraordinario a través de la estepa: el de los antepasados de los mongoles y los turcos, que resultarían ser primos de japoneses y coreanos. Este programa se emitió originalmente el 16 de julio de 2025. Podéis escuchar el resto de audios de La Brújula en la app de Onda Cero y en su web, ondacero.es

In this episode Phil Costa is standing in for James, and we begin by chatting about the 30 man squad that has traveled to Singapore for the start of the pre-season tour, and a couple who aren't quite men yet due to their tender age. Then we move to Ethan Nwaneri's new contract and his role next season, the confirmed arrival of Noni Madueke, and the latest from the Viktor Gyokeres saga with reports of a crying dad and a moving sofa. In part two we answer questions about the summer's business so far and whether we've improved the first XI, Christian Norgaard, how Martin Zubimendi can help the team attack, chaos factor, the need for another attacking signing, and lots more.Get extra bonus content and help support Arseblog by becoming an Arseblog Member on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/arseblog Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

SPONSORS: 1) MANDO: Control Body Odor ANYWHERE with @shop.mando and get 20% off + free shipping with promo code JULIAN at https://shopmando.com ! #mando (***TIMESTAMPS in description below) ~ Dr. Kenneth Dekleva is a former physician-diplomat with the U.S. State Department and a Professor of Psychiatry at UT Southwestern Medical Center. He is also a senior fellow at the George H. W. Bush Foundation for U.S.-China Relations and the author of two novels, The Negotiator's Cross and The Last Violinist. PATREON: https://www.patreon.com/JulianDorey KEN's LINKS - IG: https://www.instagram.com/thecipherbrief/# - X: https://x.com/thecipherbrief - WEBSITE: https://www.thecipherbrief.com/experts/kenneth-dekleva - KEN WORK: https://www.blackwoodadvisorysolutions.com/ FOLLOW JULIAN DOREY INSTAGRAM (Podcast): https://www.instagram.com/juliandoreypodcast/ INSTAGRAM (Personal): https://www.instagram.com/julianddorey/ X: https://twitter.com/julianddorey JULIAN YT CHANNELS - SUBSCRIBE to Julian Dorey Clips YT: https://www.youtube.com/@juliandoreyclips - SUBSCRIBE to Julian Dorey Daily YT: https://www.youtube.com/@JulianDoreyDaily - SUBSCRIBE to Best of JDP: https://www.youtube.com/@bestofJDP ****TIMESTAMPS**** 00:00 – Ken's Past Guests, Role in State Admissions, Starting in Moscow, Truth About US Diplomats Abroad 09:23 – Intro to Psychiatry, Jim Grigson, Forensic Evaluation Techniques 20:45 – Ken's Most Intense Case, Prison Psychiatry Reality, Core Philosophy: “Nothing Human is Alien,” Language Shifts in Interviews 32:45 – Having Empathy for Monsters, Emotional Toll, Testifying in Child Abuse Trials, Evaluating Inmates for Release 41:24 – Causes of Predatory Urges, Shocking Classmate Reveal, Reconciling Faith with Catholic Abuse Scandals 49:33 – POW Camp Stories, Parents Meeting Post-WWII, Love for Language and History 57:35 – Why Psychiatry, Ken's Biggest Influence, Most Brilliant Interviewer Ever Met 01:07:31 – Trait of Elite Interviewers, Joining State Department 01:15:47 – First Day in Moscow, Love for Russia, Stress of Diplomatic Work 01:26:41 – Why People Distrust Psychiatrists, Balancing Career & Marriage Abroad 01:32:51 – Benefits for Kids Raised Overseas 01:37:06 – Havana Diplomats, Monthly Parties, Falling Into Geopolitics 01:47:49 – Presenting with Jerrold Post, Karadžić's Shift, T4 Program, Why Humans Commit Atrocities 01:59:02 – Studying Putin, Evil in Human Nature, Social Media's Dark Path 02:03:27 – Challenging Radical Beliefs, Stalin's Hero Revival, Is Kim Jong Un Rational?, What Worries Ken 02:18:01 – Profiling Xi Jinping, His Father's Story, Rumors of Xi's Fall, China's AI Race 02:26:25 – Retaining Foreign Talent, New Cold War, Kai-Fu Lee, National Space Heroes 02:35:32 – The Most Evil Mind Ken Studied, Guardrails for Social Media, Youth Mental Health, COVID Fallout 02:45:52 – Staying Tied to Government, Working with Cancer Patients, Human Side of Medicine, Does Ken Fear Death? CREDITS: - Host & Producer: Julian Dorey - Producer & Editor: Alessi Allaman - https://www.youtube.com/@UCyLKzv5fKxGmVQg3cMJJzyQ Julian Dorey Podcast Episode 321 - Ken Dekleva Music by Artlist.io Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

It is easy for believers to believe that women who have abortions have no Christian affiliation or background. But that simply is not true. On In The Market with Janet Parshall this week we had a sobering yet encouraging conversation with a woman who despite her Christian background chose to have an abortion. She shared the shame and struggle that she and others have gone through dealing with not only the loss of the child but the feeling that they have committed a sin that God will never forgive them for. Through her vulnerability we saw God’s love and forgiveness demonstrated as an encouragement to others who struggle with the same guilt and shame after their choice. At first blush the arguments of atheists against the belief in God sound plausible and logical and that often stops Christians in their tracks from engaging and challenging those who subscribe to such beliefs. But we gave you some tools to enter into the fray with the help of a regular friend of the program who used his skills as an apologist along with common sense biblical insight to address some of those common arguments. He showed us that underneath those high-minded words are arguments that cannot stand up to intense scrutiny and biblically grounded truth. China continues to push its agenda of world domination. We turned once again to a highly respected expert on security at home and abroad to get the latest from him about how President XI is preparing for war with Taiwan, how Chinese hackers were able to breach Microsoft and the multiple other avenues that government is using to wage war against the United States. Is it possible to win an argument with a narcissist? That is just one of many questions tackled by our expert in this damaging personality type as she continues to address your concerns by grounding her answers in solid therapeutic practice and solid biblical insight. As we come to the end of another week, the need for us to be ever vigilant watchmen on the wall does not subside. We invite you to sharpen your vision and discernment skills as Janet and Criag continue teaching us how to use God’s word as a defense against the enemies that attack our faith and our familiesBecome a Parshall Partner: http://moodyradio.org/donateto/inthemarket/partnersSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Joe's Premium Subscription: www.standardgrain.comGrain Markets and Other Stuff Links-Apple PodcastsSpotifyTikTokYouTubeFutures and options trading involves risk of loss and is not suitable for everyone.0:00 Trump and Coke3:17 Soybean Rally4:41 US Weather8:23 US/China Tensions Ease9:37 Ethanol Production10:28 Trump and Powell

SHOW SCHEDULE 7-9-25. Good evening. The show begins in Ukraine still waiting for air defense supply... 1856 BLACK SEA FLEET CBS EYE ON THE WORLD WITH JOHN BATCHELOR FIRST HOUR 9:00-9:15 #Ukraine: Air power cannot win a war. Colonel Jeff McCausland, USA (Retired) @mccauslj @cbsnews @dickinsoncol 9:15-9:30 #Ukraine: NATO prepares Rotterdam. Colonel Jeff McCausland, USA (Retired) @mccauslj @cbsnews @dickinsoncol 9:30-9:45 Harvard: What is to be done? Peter Berkowitz, Hoover. 9:45-10:00 Harvard: What is to be done? Peter Berkowitz, Hoover continued. SECOND HOUR 10:00-10:15 Atomic bomb education. Peter Huessy, @gordongchang, Gatestone, Newsweek, The Hill 10:15-10:30 LEO: Weaponizing lasers vs Germany EU. Rick Fisher, @gordongchang, Gatestone, Newsweek, The Hill 10:30-10:45 PRC: Rumors of Xi. Charles Burton, @gordongchang, Gatestone, Newsweek, The Hill 10:45-11:00 PRC: Weaponizing LEO. Brandon Weichert, @gordongchang, Gatestone, Newsweek, The Hill THIRD HOUR 11:00-11:15 Solomons vs PRC. Cleo Paskal, FDD 11:15-11:30 Solomons vs PRC. Cleo Paskal, FDD continued 11:30-11:45 End of Russiagate. @andrewcmccarthy @nro @thadmccotter @theamgreatness 11:45-12:00 Russia asset seizures. Michael Bernstam FOURTH HOUR 12:00-12:15 France: Wildfires at Marseilles. Simon Constable 12:15-12:30 England: Bayeux comes to the UK. Simon Constable 12:30-12:45 ULA: Is the Vulcan ready? Bob Zimmerman behindtheblack.com 12:45-1:00 AM Mars: Meteorite for sale. Bob Zimmerman behindtheblack.com Key corrections made:

Watch The X22 Report On Video No videos found (function(w,d,s,i){w.ldAdInit=w.ldAdInit||[];w.ldAdInit.push({slot:17532056201798502,size:[0, 0],id:"ld-9437-3289"});if(!d.getElementById(i)){var j=d.createElement(s),p=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0];j.async=true;j.src="https://cdn2.decide.dev/_js/ajs.js";j.id=i;p.parentNode.insertBefore(j,p);}})(window,document,"script","ld-ajs");pt> Click On Picture To See Larger Picture The BRICS are struggling, the big boys did not show up. Bezos sells more of his shares. Trump puts a 50% tariff on copper, removes regs and shorten permit time. Costs are coming down because of Trump, the Fed is now trapped, and waiting for the [DS] event. Countries are now using Bitcoin as currency. Trump is now competing with the Fed for currency dominance. Trump played the D's once again. They took the bait and believe that Trump is hiding something fro them or he is involved with Epstein. Comey and Brennan are now being investigated. The storm has started. Both investigations are connected via Mueller. The coverup always gets you in the end. Multiple agencies investigated the treasonous crimes.   Economy BRICS without the Big Boys becomes a Buzzkill  There's nothing like being an event planner when the big invites that are the “Flagship Speakers” of the event are no shows.  Not just no shows, it is known well in advance they will not be there at all.    Xi, sent a minion, Putin suddenly must suddenly organize his sock drawer, Iran is digging out from the rubble, South Africa doesn't know what to do without guidance from their new colonial master of China, and Brazil is being put on notice for their mistreatment of President Bolsonaro. Source: thegatewaypundit.com (function(w,d,s,i){w.ldAdInit=w.ldAdInit||[];w.ldAdInit.push({slot:18510697282300316,size:[0, 0],id:"ld-8599-9832"});if(!d.getElementById(i)){var j=d.createElement(s),p=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0];j.async=true;j.src="https://cdn2.decide.dev/_js/ajs.js";j.id=i;p.parentNode.insertBefore(j,p);}})(window,document,"script","ld-ajs"); https://twitter.com/disclosetv/status/1942701909837766924 Copper Spikes to Record High After Trump's 50 Percent Tariff Announcement Number of Copper Mines in the US: As of 2023, there are 28 copper mines in operation in the United States, according to GlobalData's mining database. These mines are primarily located in western states, with Arizona, Utah, New Mexico, Nevada, and Montana accounting for over 99% of domestic copper production.  The tariff, announced to counter imports (primarily from Chile, Canada, and Peru, which supply over 90% of US refined copper imports), may incentivize domestic production but won't immediately resolve capacity issues. Posts on X suggest US producers might see fatter margins without significantly increasing output due to the time required to develop new mines (years) and smelting constraints. Current Production Capacity: In 2024, US copper mine production was approximately 1.17 million metric tons, a slight decline from previous years (1.3 million tons in 2022). Major producers like Freeport-McMoRan, Rio Tinto, and Grupo Mexico (Asarco) operate key mines such as Morenci (Arizona, 399,100 metric tons in 2023) and Kennecott (Utah, 169,300 metric tons in 2023). These mines are fully operational, but some face challenges like declining ore grades (averaging 0.4% copper compared to 0.6% in Chile) and labor shortages.  : While the US has significant copper reserves (estimated at 48 trillion tons), production is limited by long permitting timelines (often decades), environmental regulations, and insufficient smelting/refining capacity. Only two primary smelters operate in the US (Rio Tinto's Kennecott and Freeport-McMoRan's Miami), and about 30% of mined copper is exported for processing due to this bottleneck.  Several development projects,