Torbjørn Færøvik's Blog, page 179

From China's Past: Aurel Stein and the Caves of the Thousand Buddhas

The Silk Road, the Eurasian trade route linking China with the Mediterranean seashore was used not only for the purpose of commerce, but it also was the meeting point of the large civilizations of the East and West. From the 2nd century B. C. for more than a thousand years, silk, luxury items and other assorted merchandise was carried along this road to be exchanged in the towns and oases. It

US to revamp military command in Japan amid China’s threats

The United States has announced plans to overhaul its military command in Japan to bolster defence cooperation as the two countries face what they call the greatest strategic challenge from China.“The United States will upgrade the US Forces Japan to a joint force headquarters with expanded missions and operational responsibilities,” US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin told reporters on Sunday

The US says it has successfully practiced using a low-cost bomb to sink a major surface ship. China is taking note

A very specialized part of the world’s largest naval drills off the northern Hawaiian island of Kauai is gaining attention on both sides of the Pacific. Earlier this month, the US and allies practiced taking out a large surface ship with long-range weapons, including, for the first time, a US Air Force B-2 bomber. In one test that analysts called “very significant” in what it could mean for the

Taiwan holds war games amid tensions and typhoon: What you need to know

Taiwan is currently in the midst of the 40th edition of its annual Han Kuang war games, intended to assess its readiness to withstand a full-scale invasion from China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA).But amid rising cross-strait tensions, Taiwanese defence officials have said this year’s five-day military drill, which began on Monday and will finish on Friday, will be the largest-ever held and a

Torbjørn Færøvik: Da kongen av Siam reiste til Nordkapp

Biler og busser kjører i kø til Nordkapp, leser jeg i avisen. Hvordan var det å ankomme det ytterste nøgne punkt i 1907? Svaret finner vi i dagboken til kong Chulalongkorn, som det året besøkte Norge. Den avholdte kongen av Siam (Thailand) ville gjøre seg kjent med forholdene i Europa. Rundreisen i Norge varte i 25 dager.Kong Chulalongkorn var nysgjerrig som få og dro fra sted til sted med bil og

China’s Cyber Operations: The Rising Threat to American Security

This study is based on open source materials. It utilizes a large body of data collected by the research team to examine China’s strategy, tactics, and operations in cyberspace as well as Internet communications in Chinese software development and cyber operations. China’s interest in cyber grew rapidly in response to what it observed in U.S. military operations starting with Operation Desert

‘Could we have imagined this moment would come?’: Kamala Harris and the rise of Indian American politicians

“We are here! We are here! We have arrived!” cheered the lawyer and activist Valarie Kaur, to more than 4,000 south Asian participants mobilizing for Kamala Harris on a Zoom call on Wednesday night.“I want to name this a historic moment – and as a moment for all of us to come together.” If elected, the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee would become the first woman, first Black woman,

Justice Department responds to TikTok lawsuit, argues algorithm could allow Chinese government to influence US elections

Allowing TikTok to continue to be operated by its current parent company could allow the Chinese government to covertly influence US elections, the Justice Department said in a court filing late Friday. In a federal appeals court filing, prosecutors raised concerns that TikTok’s algorithm could be used in a “secret manipulation” campaign to “influence the views of Americans for its own purposes.”

'Atomic bomb hell must never be repeated' say Japan's last survivors

It was early in the day, but already hot. As she wiped sweat from her brow, Chieko Kiriake searched for some shade. As she did so, there was a blinding light - it was like nothing the 15-year-old had ever experienced. It was 08:15 on 6 August 1945.“It felt like the sun had fallen - and I grew dizzy,” she recalls.The United States had just dropped an atomic bomb on Chieko's home city of Hiroshima

Opinion: China’s ‘monster’ ship is a sign of a much bigger problem

For nearly 234 years, the US Coast Guard has been true to that ethos in carrying out its many missions around the country and the globe. Around the world, many countries with a coast guard use a facsimile of the distinguishing US Coast Guard ‘racing stripe’ and white paint scheme, which differentiates these vessels from the Navy, to mark their ships or cutters. It’s an homage, intended or