Torbjørn Færøvik's Blog, page 386

China urges developed countries to take the lead in cutting out coal

As Cop26 drew to a close over the weekend, Chinese media highlighted Beijing’s contribution over the last fortnight in Glasgow. “The Chinese delegation took a constructive attitude, actively communicated and negotiated with all parties,” said CCTV’s main evening news bulletin on Sunday. “[It] provided China’s wisdom and China’s solution …”But when China and India chose the last few hours of

China took control of an Italian military drone maker without authorities knowing it, report says

Two Chinese state firms took control of an Italian military drone maker more than three years ago via an offshore company — without the knowledge of authorities in Italy and Europe, the Wall Street Journal reported Monday.  The offshore company, Mars (HK) Information Technology, started the process of transferring Alpi’s technical and intellectual property to a new production site in China, the

Chinese official seeks Interpol role, sparking fears for dissidents

A senior official at China’s ministry of public security is seeking election to Interpol’s executive committee, prompting concerns from human rights activists and international politicians that China could misuse the global criminal police organisation’s capabilities to track down overseas dissidents.Hu Binchen, the deputy director-general of the ministry’s international cooperation department,

Simon Tisdall: From Nicaragua to China, reckless autocrats betray the promises of revolution

Do revolutions always end in betrayal? Sudanese citizens are but the latest group to see a democratic dawn blotted out by the forces of reaction. It’s an age-old story. Napoleon subverted the French Revolution, imposing an imperium where freedom briefly reigned. Stalin purloined the power of the proletariat to build a totalitarian dictatorship.From southern Africa to Cuba to Myanmar, today’s

China threatens Australia with a 'heavy attack'

China has issued a chilling warning to Australians declaring a 'heavy attack' would quickly follow if our forces came to the defence of Taiwan. In explosive comments published in Chinese tabloid The Global Times on Saturday, editor-in-chief Hu Xijin was blunt in his analysis of Australia's promise to come to Taiwan's aid should US allied forces get involved in the conflict.'If Australian troops

Biden-Xi virtual summit set for Monday evening amid rising China tensions

President Joe Biden will hold a highly anticipated virtual summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping on Monday evening, CNBC has confirmed. Biden and Xi have held two phone calls since Biden took office in January, the most recently on September 9. But Monday’s summit will be the first time in Biden’s term that they have communicated face-to-face in a formal summit format. Traditionally, world

China and India face a deepening energy crunch

Two of Asia's largest economies are racing to contain a worsening energy crunch.China is trying to assuage concerns about skyrocketing prices as its major coal mining hubs grapple with heavy rains and deadly accidents, problems that are compounding efforts to address power shortages. Some leaders in India, meanwhile, are warning that key regions including the capital, New Delhi, could face a "

Schools in New Delhi to close for a week amid severe air pollution crisis

Schools in India's capital Delhi -- often ranked as one of the world's most polluted capitals -- will be physically closed for a week from Monday as severe air pollution blankets the city, the chief minister of the National Capital Territory of Delhi, Arvind Kejriwal, said Saturday. "Virtual classes will continue so that children don't have to come out and breathe polluted air," Kejriwal said at

New Delhi braces for emergency measures as toxic smog worsens

India's federal pollution control board on Friday ordered states and local bodies to be in "complete readiness" to tackle New Delhi's worsening smog conditions due to a drop in temperature and wind speeds. A thick haze of toxic smog hung over the Indian capital, exacerbated by a spike in the burning of crop waste in surrounding farmlands.It reduced visibility and the Air Quality Index (AQI) hit

Ship-load of 'toxic' Chinese fertilizer causes diplomatic stink

Why is a ship carrying cargo from China refusing to leave Sri Lankan waters despite being asked to do so by authorities? The answer is a crucial shipment gone horribly wrong, leading to a rare diplomatic tussle between two close allies, the blacklisting of a bank, and a group of farmers and scientists up in arms. The ship in question - the Hippo Spirit - departed from China in September carrying