Thursday, June 13, 2013
North Korea says South's 'sinister' moves caused talks collapse
SEOUL (Reuters) - North Korea blamed the South on Thursday for scuttling fresh dialogue that aimed to ease tensions between the rival Koreas, saying Seoul deliberately torpedoed reconciliation talks planned for this week.
PRINCESS CRUISES: Pregnant Catherine launches ship
Sporting a growing "baby bump," Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, named a cruise ship on England's south coast Thursday, in what is expected to be her last solo public engagement before her child is due next month.
RUSSIA passes anti-gay bill in 436-0 vote
Russa's 'gay pride fines' impose hefty fines for providing information about the LGBT community to minors or holding gay pride rallies. Individuals will be fined up to 5,000 rubles ($156) and 1 million rubles ($31,000) for a company, including media organizations. Foreign citizens arrested under the new law can be deported or jailed for up to 15 days and then deported.
JAPANESE teens are spreading pink eye by licking each other's eyeballs
It was with no small amount of trepidation that I approached this story about an alleged craze among Japanese teens of licking each other's eyeballs. On the one hand, this is the kind of insane, WTF news that blogs are built upon. On the other, it has to be fake right? Right?! [ more › ]
TAIWAN’s New Rocket Launchers?
Taiwan has deployed a powerful multiple rocket launcher (MRL) on the outlying island of Matsu capable of hitting targets in China’s Fujian Province, reports are saying, less than two months after the launcher was made the centerpiece of the annual Han Kuang military exercises.
Located less than 1 km from the coast of Fujian, the Matsu group of islets — there are 36 in total — have served as a forward defense for Taiwan’s military and a key interception point against Chinese amphibious forces. About 5,000 Taiwanese soldiers are deployed on the islands, from a peak of approximately 50,000 during the Cold War. The steady drop in military personnel there can be attributed in part to improving relations between Taipei and Beijing in recent years.
But aware that Beijing has not abandoned the military option to “retake” the democratic island of 23 million people, the Taiwanese military has continued to modernize its defenses while strengthening its deterrent capabilities.
According to Taiwanese media, schema provided by Matsu Defense Command to international media during a recent visit to the island inadvertently confirmed the deployment of the Ray Ting-2000 (“Thunderbolt 2000”) MRL by showing artillery ranges that went well beyond that of artillery pieces deployed on the islands, specifically 240 mm howitzers M1, which can reach targets about 23 km inside China. The schema presented to journalists showed targets 40 km inland, including the Huangqi Peninsula, the entire Minjiang estuary, as well as Pingtan and beyond.
The Taiwanese Army is procuring a total of approximately 50 of the domestically built RT-2000 MRL as part of a US$483 million program. Designed by the Chung Shan Institute of Science and Technology (CSIST), the road-mobile RT-2000 entered full service sometime in late 2012 and can fire 40 rockets per minute at a range of 15 km to 45 km, depending on the type of rocket used (MK15, MK30 or MK45). An Army official told this author during the Han Kuang exercise on the outlying island of Penghu in April that 40 systems are currently in operation, though he would not confirm their location.
Taiwan’s Ministry of National Defense, which has a policy of not discussing deployments, has refused to confirm the presence of RT-2000 systems on Matsu. However, in 2006, former Minister of National Defense Lee Jye argued that Taiwan had insufficient firepower on its outlying islands and recommended that the Army’s 30-year-old rocket systems, which are in the process of being phased out, be replaced by the RT-2000.
The RT-2000 was designed to conduct anti-landing operations, among other duties.
While the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) has expanded its list of options to invade Taiwan, an amphibious assault against major outlying islands, if not Taiwan proper (a much more challenging task), remains a plausible scenario. As The Diplomat reported recently, the PLA is in the process of acquiring “Zubr” Landing Craft Air Cushion (LCAC) vehicles, which would be suitable for such operations.
Located less than 1 km from the coast of Fujian, the Matsu group of islets — there are 36 in total — have served as a forward defense for Taiwan’s military and a key interception point against Chinese amphibious forces. About 5,000 Taiwanese soldiers are deployed on the islands, from a peak of approximately 50,000 during the Cold War. The steady drop in military personnel there can be attributed in part to improving relations between Taipei and Beijing in recent years.
But aware that Beijing has not abandoned the military option to “retake” the democratic island of 23 million people, the Taiwanese military has continued to modernize its defenses while strengthening its deterrent capabilities.
According to Taiwanese media, schema provided by Matsu Defense Command to international media during a recent visit to the island inadvertently confirmed the deployment of the Ray Ting-2000 (“Thunderbolt 2000”) MRL by showing artillery ranges that went well beyond that of artillery pieces deployed on the islands, specifically 240 mm howitzers M1, which can reach targets about 23 km inside China. The schema presented to journalists showed targets 40 km inland, including the Huangqi Peninsula, the entire Minjiang estuary, as well as Pingtan and beyond.
The Taiwanese Army is procuring a total of approximately 50 of the domestically built RT-2000 MRL as part of a US$483 million program. Designed by the Chung Shan Institute of Science and Technology (CSIST), the road-mobile RT-2000 entered full service sometime in late 2012 and can fire 40 rockets per minute at a range of 15 km to 45 km, depending on the type of rocket used (MK15, MK30 or MK45). An Army official told this author during the Han Kuang exercise on the outlying island of Penghu in April that 40 systems are currently in operation, though he would not confirm their location.
Taiwan’s Ministry of National Defense, which has a policy of not discussing deployments, has refused to confirm the presence of RT-2000 systems on Matsu. However, in 2006, former Minister of National Defense Lee Jye argued that Taiwan had insufficient firepower on its outlying islands and recommended that the Army’s 30-year-old rocket systems, which are in the process of being phased out, be replaced by the RT-2000.
The RT-2000 was designed to conduct anti-landing operations, among other duties.
While the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) has expanded its list of options to invade Taiwan, an amphibious assault against major outlying islands, if not Taiwan proper (a much more challenging task), remains a plausible scenario. As The Diplomat reported recently, the PLA is in the process of acquiring “Zubr” Landing Craft Air Cushion (LCAC) vehicles, which would be suitable for such operations.
JAPAN & CHINA: World’s Oldest People: Jiroemon Kimura of Japan, Luo Meizhen of China, Die Days Apart
It was announced today that Jiroemon Kimura, the oldest man in recorded history, has died at the age of 116 in his hometown of Kyotango, Japan.
Born to parents who were farmers in a fishing village on the coast of the Sea of Japan on April 19, 1897, Kimura managed to evade both tuberculosis and pneumonia – diseases that limited Japan’s life expectancy to 44 years at the time. His status as the oldest ever man (on record) – one of only three to reach 115 years – became official last December, with a nod from Guinness World Records.
“He has an amazingly strong will to live,” Kimura’s 80-year-old nephew Tamotsu Miyake said last December. “He is strongly confident that he lives right and well.”
According to Miyake, Kimura’s five siblings all lived past 90 – the oldest, Tetsuo, reaching 100. He is survived by five children, 14 grandchildren and 25 great grandchildren and 13 great-great grandchildren.
Underscoring the Japanese knack for living long, Misao Okawa, born March 5, 1898, is now the world’s oldest living person, according to the Genealogy Research Group. The group found that 20 of the 55 people over the age of 110 are in Japan, where the life expectancy at birth is 83 years. This number is expected to rise to 90 for women by 2050. According to Japan’s health ministry, 51,000 Japanese are more than 100 years old.
Just days before Kimura’s passing, another famously aged person – a Chinese woman named Luo Meizhen – also passed away. Luo was born in 1885 according to Chinese documents, making her 127 when she died over the weekend.
"It wasn't unexpected," Luo’s grandson Huang Heyuan said. "She was a kind person but at times had a very bad temper … she had a strong character,” he added.
While Chinese authorities claimed Luo was indeed 127, the claims were met with skepticism overseas for a few key reasons. For one, China’s birth certification system was less than unfailing at the time of her birth. Another reason: it means that she must have given birth to one of her sons when she was 61 years old.
Throughout her long life – however many years it was – Luo toiled as a farmer and bore five children, along with numerous grandchildren and great grandchildren. Indeed, a number of great-great grandchildren survive her in Longhong, a village in southern Guangxi province.
Chinafrica has compiled some very interesting findings on longevity in Luo’s home region and China as a whole, courtesy of the Gerontological Society of China (GSC). For one, authorities have claimed that more than 80 centenarians are living in Luo’s region.
As of August 1, 2010, the GSC claimed that 43,708 people over 100 years old were living in China, and the number is rising by the year.
Though unofficial in the Guinness World Records sense, even older records claim that a member of the Yao ethnic group living in Luo’s hometown lived to 142 during the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911).
While all of this is impressive to consider, according to Guinness World Records, the longest living person came not from Japan or China, but France. Jeanne Calment officially claimed the spot of the world’s oldest person, dying in 1997 at 122.
Born to parents who were farmers in a fishing village on the coast of the Sea of Japan on April 19, 1897, Kimura managed to evade both tuberculosis and pneumonia – diseases that limited Japan’s life expectancy to 44 years at the time. His status as the oldest ever man (on record) – one of only three to reach 115 years – became official last December, with a nod from Guinness World Records.
“He has an amazingly strong will to live,” Kimura’s 80-year-old nephew Tamotsu Miyake said last December. “He is strongly confident that he lives right and well.”
According to Miyake, Kimura’s five siblings all lived past 90 – the oldest, Tetsuo, reaching 100. He is survived by five children, 14 grandchildren and 25 great grandchildren and 13 great-great grandchildren.
Underscoring the Japanese knack for living long, Misao Okawa, born March 5, 1898, is now the world’s oldest living person, according to the Genealogy Research Group. The group found that 20 of the 55 people over the age of 110 are in Japan, where the life expectancy at birth is 83 years. This number is expected to rise to 90 for women by 2050. According to Japan’s health ministry, 51,000 Japanese are more than 100 years old.
Just days before Kimura’s passing, another famously aged person – a Chinese woman named Luo Meizhen – also passed away. Luo was born in 1885 according to Chinese documents, making her 127 when she died over the weekend.
"It wasn't unexpected," Luo’s grandson Huang Heyuan said. "She was a kind person but at times had a very bad temper … she had a strong character,” he added.
While Chinese authorities claimed Luo was indeed 127, the claims were met with skepticism overseas for a few key reasons. For one, China’s birth certification system was less than unfailing at the time of her birth. Another reason: it means that she must have given birth to one of her sons when she was 61 years old.
Throughout her long life – however many years it was – Luo toiled as a farmer and bore five children, along with numerous grandchildren and great grandchildren. Indeed, a number of great-great grandchildren survive her in Longhong, a village in southern Guangxi province.
Chinafrica has compiled some very interesting findings on longevity in Luo’s home region and China as a whole, courtesy of the Gerontological Society of China (GSC). For one, authorities have claimed that more than 80 centenarians are living in Luo’s region.
As of August 1, 2010, the GSC claimed that 43,708 people over 100 years old were living in China, and the number is rising by the year.
Though unofficial in the Guinness World Records sense, even older records claim that a member of the Yao ethnic group living in Luo’s hometown lived to 142 during the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911).
While all of this is impressive to consider, according to Guinness World Records, the longest living person came not from Japan or China, but France. Jeanne Calment officially claimed the spot of the world’s oldest person, dying in 1997 at 122.
Rice and the RUSSIANS
Will Obama's new national security advisor play nice and get along with Moscow?
RUSSIA: Putin's Self-Destruction
Russia's New Anti-Corruption Campaign Will Sink the Regime
A flyswatter with an image of Russia's President Vladimir Putin, part of an art installation by Russian artist Vasily Slonov, is on display at the Krasnoyarsk Museum Centre in Russia's Siberian city of Krasnoyarsk, 2012. (Ilya Naymushin / Courtesy Reuters)
In an effort to consolidate his power and drum up public support, Russian President Vladimir Putin has launched a major anti-corruption campaign. Despite its intentions, however, the policy could prove to be Putin's demise.
A flyswatter with an image of Russia's President Vladimir Putin, part of an art installation by Russian artist Vasily Slonov, is on display at the Krasnoyarsk Museum Centre in Russia's Siberian city of Krasnoyarsk, 2012. (Ilya Naymushin / Courtesy Reuters)Putin faces a critical moment and is at risk of losing his sway over the elites.
CHINA& HONG KONG: 'Freedom' Island - By Adam Rose
Is Hong Kong free, or does Beijing really call the shots?
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