Torbjørn Færøvik's Blog, page 374

Tropical cyclones in Asia could have double the destructive power by the end of century, study finds

Tropical cyclones in Asia could have double the destructive power by the end of the century, according to new research, as scientists say the human-made climate crisis is already making them stronger. Using data from nearly four decades from 1979 to 2016, researchers found that the destructive power of tropical cyclones had dramatically increased, with stronger landfalling cyclones lasting longer

North Korean defector recaptured in China after more than 40 days on the run

A North Korean defector who escaped from prison in northeast China has been recaptured by authorities, after more than 40 days on the run in the biting winter cold. The 39-year-old, identified by Chinese authorities as Zhu Xianjian, was just two years short of completing his sentence, when he staged an escape that went viral, state media reported.Court documents detail that Zhu was a North Korean

Some fear China could win from US spat with Marshall Islands

For decades, the tiny Marshall Islands has been a stalwart American ally. Its location in the middle of the Pacific Ocean has made it a key strategic outpost for the U.S. military. But that loyalty is being tested amid a dispute with Washington over the terms of its “Compact of Free Association” agreement, which expires soon. The U.S. is refusing to engage the Marshallese on claims for

Japan PM vows to step up defense amid China, NK threats

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, at his first troop review Saturday, renewed his pledge to consider “all options,” including acquiring enemy base strike capability, and vowed to create a stronger Self-Defense Force to protect the country amid growing threats from China and North Korea.Kishida said the security situation around Japan is rapidly changing and that “the reality is severer than

Baltic lawmakers meet Taiwan’s Tsai, stepping up cooperation

Lawmakers from all three Baltic states met with Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen on Monday in a sign of further cooperation between European Union nations and Taiwan. It is the first joint visit to Taiwan by members of parliament from Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia, Tsai said. She welcomed the lawmakers, who are attending the 2021 Open Parliament Forum, hosted by Taiwan’s Ministry of Foreign

Taiwan, Europe must defend democracy together, president says

Taiwan and Europe must work together to defend against authoritarianism and disinformation, President Tsai Ing-wen told visiting lawmakers from the Baltic states of Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia on Monday. Lithuania has faced sustained pressure from China, which claims Taiwan as its own territory, since allowing the opening of a de facto Taiwanese embassy in its capital.Beijing has ramped up

Timothy McLaughlin: Beijing Keeps Trying to Rewrite History

Under the relentless crush of Beijing, the courtrooms of Hong Kong have become some of the few venues safe for protest in the city. Defendants accused or convicted of political crimes have turned otherwise banal hearings and bail applications into opportunities to voice dissent and challenge the arduous legal process.In mid-November Lee Cheuk-yan, a veteran prodemocracy figure, used his

Mysterious Vanishing of Advanced Chinese Civilization 4,000 Years Ago Finally Solved

About 5,300 years ago, an ancient civilization emerged in the east of China, building a brilliant city the likes of which had perhaps never been seen before in all of Asia – nor possibly even the whole world. The surviving traces of the Liangzhu culture, which rose up along the banks of the Yangtze River Delta in China's east, are a testament to what this unique Neolithic society was capable of

China extols isolation as countries rush to impose Omicron travel bans

As countries around the world scramble to impose travel bans to stem the spread of the Omicron coronavirus variant, China remains outwardly calm -- at least for now. Despite two confirmed cases of the heavily mutated variant in Hong Kong, Chinese public health experts have expressed a confidence in the country's existing border control measures.China's response -- or the lack thereof -- is hardly

Bosnian Serb leader: Putin and China will help if west imposes sanctions

The Bosnian Serb leader accused of risking war by pursuing the breakup of Bosnia-Herzegovina has dismissed the threat of western sanctions and hinted at an imminent summit with Vladimir Putin, saying: “I was not elected to be a coward”.In an interview with the Guardian, Milorad Dodik, the Serb member of the tripartite leadership of Bosnia-Herzegovina, said he would not be deterred by the outcry