Torbjørn Færøvik's Blog, page 141

‘It’s impossible to breathe’: Life in the world’s most polluted city

Inside Delhi’s first ever clinic dedicated to pollution-related illnesses, Deepak Rajak struggles to catch his breath. The 64-year-old’s asthma has worsened in recent days, and his daughter rushed him to the clinic, anxious about his rapidly deteriorating health. Sitting in the waiting room, Rajak tells CNN he has become “very breathless” and cannot stop coughing. “It’s impossible to breathe. I

Hong Kong hears from jailed media tycoon Jimmy Lai for the first time in four years at his trial

Jimmy Lai, the pugnacious Hong Kong media tycoon whose now shuttered tabloid Apple Daily was a regular thorn in Beijing’s side, took the stand Wednesday in his own defense for the first time in a high stakes national security trial that could send him to prison for life.The 77 year-old, known for his decades-long support of the city’s pro-democracy movement and outspoken criticism of China’s

Trump might nix America as a climate tech leader. 5 charts show China winning that race

Hgh above the sand dunes of China’s Kubuqi desert, nearly 200,000 solar panels have been carefully placed in rows to create the outline of a galloping steed. The giant horse is a cultural symbol for Inner Mongolia, the northern Chinese region where the massive Junma solar farm is located — but it also signifies the speed at which China is racing toward a clean energy future.China is installing

In Retrospect: The Sino-British Joint Declaration, signed in 1984

The Sino-British Joint Declaration was a treatybetween the governments of the United Kingdom and People’s Republic of China signed in 1984 setting the conditions in which Hong Kong was transferred to Chinese control and for the governance of the territory after 1 July 1997.Hong Kong had been a colony of the British Empiresince 1842 after the First Opium War and its territory was expanded on two

'Never': Jimmy Lai denies foreign collusion in landmark trial

Jimmy Lai, one of Hong Kong's most influential pro-democracy figures, has taken to the stand in a national security trial that may see him sentenced to life in jail. The 76-year-old founder of the now-defunct Hong Kong tabloid Apple Daily has been accused of colluding with foreign forces.But Lai told the court on Wednesday that he had "never" used his foreign contacts, which include ex-US VP Mike

Hong Kong hears from jailed media tycoon Jimmy Lai for the first time in four years at his trial

Jimmy Lai, the pugnacious Hong Kong media tycoon whose now shuttered tabloid Apple Daily was a regular thorn in Beijing’s side, took the stand Wednesday in his own defense for the first time in a high stakes national security trial that could send him to prison for life. The 77 year-old, known for his decades-long support of the city’s pro-democracy movement and outspoken criticism of China’s

Stealth fighters and a massive mothership drone: The high-tech weapons China unveiled at its largest airshow

China showed off its rapidly advancing military technology by unveiling a string of cutting-edge hardware at the country’s largest airshow last week. The biennial event in the southern city of Zhuhai has become a rare public window into the military and industrial might of the rising communist-controlled superpower, while also providing international experts with an opportunity to assess its

EXPLAINED: How much hidden debt do local governments in China carry?

China’s Ministry of Finance has announced 10 trillion yuan (US$1.38 trillion) of new measures to alleviate debt burdens on local governments at the end of a weeklong meeting earlier this month by the National People’s Congress Standing Committee. The ministry announced that the central government will increase the local government debt limit by 6 trillion yuan (US$830 billion) over three years,

Hong Kong jails 45 democracy activists for up to 10 years

A Hong Kong court jailed 45 democracy supporters for up to 10 years on Tuesday at the end of the city’s biggest national security trial that has damaged its reputation as an outpost of freedom in Greater China and drawn criticism from the United States and other Western countries. In all, 47 Hong Kong opposition politicians and pro-democracy activists were charged with “conspiracy to commit

Taiwan to buy $2.2 bln of US weapons after Trump urged more spending

Taiwan plans to spend NT$70.6 billion (US$2.2 billion) on U.S. weapons next year, confirming recent speculation that it would make big new purchases to signal its commitment to President-elect Donald Trump’s suggestion that it pay more for U.S. “protection”. Democratically governed Taiwan, which China claims to have sovereignty over, heavily relies on U.S. support to counter Beijing’s growing