Torbjørn Færøvik's Blog, page 45

US Military Trains To Defend Panama Canal From China Threat

The United States has trained for the defense of the Panama Canal during a joint exercise with the Central American country amid concerns over China's growing presence in the region. The exercise, code-named PANAMAX-Alpha Phase I and scheduled from July 13 to 18, was designed to "reinforce preparation for threats to the security of the Panama Canal and other strategic infrastructure,"

Japan and India To Unveil New Bullet Train in High-Speed Rail Collaboration

India's Mumbai-Ahmedabad high-speed rail corridor will become the launch site for Japan's next-generation E10 Shinkansen bullet trains. The Indian Ministry of Railways announced on Monday that the E10 trains, the successor to Japan's current generation of E5 Shinkansen, would make their debut in both countries simultaneously.Newsweek contacted the Ministry of Railways and the Japanese

Asians are avoiding trips to the U.S. this year — for a variety of reasons

Tough talk on tariffs, reports of border detentions and unfavorable exchange rates are putting some travelers, especially Canadians, off trips to the United States this year. But those in Asia say they’re avoiding trips to the U.S. for different reasons.Nearly 80% of Southeast Asian travelers said the United States is losing appeal as a travel destination, according to a CNBC Travel survey.&

Jensen Huang lauds China’s AI models as Nvidia gears up to resume chip exports

Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang praised China’s generative artificial intelligence models, a day after the U.S. chipmaker said it expected to resume sales of a key AI chip to the country soon.“Models like DeepSeek, Alibaba, Tencent, MiniMax, and BaiduErnie bot are world class, developed here and shared openly [and] have spurred AI developments worldwide,” Huang said. He was speaking Wednesday at the

Foreign investors are returning to China in search of opportunities in artificial intelligence startups

There’s a murmur of excitement in China’s venture capital circles these days: foreign investors are starting to return with U.S. dollars. It’s a result of DeepSeek’s AI disruption, coupled with a buoyant Hong Kong IPO market on track to surpass Wall Street this year as the world’s largest by money raised. Beijing’s signals to support businesses in recent months have also helped.The Hang Seng

‘Utterly foolish’: 12 hours before World War II ended, the US firebombed this Japanese city

Eighty years later, the scars of the last American firebombing of a Japanese city remain — on the skin of a man who still lives mere yards from where hundreds died, on the surface of a statue of a revered Buddhist monk, and in the minds of those whose city was turned to ash in a matter of hours.Almost 90 US B-29 bombers dropped about 6,000 tons of jellied gasoline — napalm — on Kumagaya, Japan,

China, North Korea and Russia represent biggest security challenge since World War II, Japan says

Japan is facing its most severe security environment since World War II as three potential adversaries in East Asia – China, Russia and North Korea – ramp up military activities in the region, the country’s defense minister said Tuesday.“The existing order of world peace is being seriously challenged, and Japan finds itself in the most severe and complex security environment of the post-war era,”

Iran Seeks Backing from China and Russia After U.S. Airstrikes

Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has urged security coordination from countries of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), which includes China and Russia, at a summit of the group in China.The summit highlights Tehran's growing relationship with Beijing — and Moscow — following its recent conflict with Israel, which was joined by the United States in attacking Iranian nuclear sites.

Donald Trump Gives Republicans New Demand In Race With China

President Donald Trump has ordered Republicans to get behind a new bill headed to the House on Tuesday, which he says will put the United States "lightyears ahead of China, Europe, and all others." The GENIUS Act or Guiding and Establishing National Innovation for U.S. Stablecoins Act, aims to regulate stablecoins, a type of cryptocurrency pegged to assets like the U.S. dollar. The bill has

How Can Washington Break Beijing’s Encirclement of Taiwan?

U.S.-China relations are increasingly caught in a spiral of mutual suspicion and reactive escalation. In June, China’s navy deployed its dual aircraft carrier groups — Liaoning and Shandong — beyond the Second Island Chain for the first time, conducting more than 700 aerial sorties near Japan’s exclusive economic zone. For many in Washington, this unprecedented move signaled a heightened risk of