Free Republic

With 2020 being such a chaotic year, we'd think that things can't get any more bizarre than they already are. However, this viral video of a realistic-looking dinosaur has proven us wrong. In a 30-second clip circulating on Twitter this week, The video comes with the caption "Alhamdulillah piaraan baru udah nyampe", which translates to "Praise God, the new pet has arrived". While the Triceratops looks unnervingly realistic, it is actually a very elaborate costume that was done up for Mojosemi Forest Park's promotional holiday video, and hidden underneath the dinosaur were a bunch of park employees, Indonesian media reported....

In the middle of a conflict with China, India has taken a significant step by authorising the defence forces to enhance their stocking of weapons and ammunition for a 15-day intense war now. Making use of the extended stocking requirements and the emergency financial powers in the ongoing conflict with China in Eastern Ladakh, the defence forces are expected to spend over Rs 50,000 crore for acquisition of equipment and ammunition from both local and foreign sources. The authorisation to increase the weapon and ammunition reserves to minimum 15-I levels from the earlier existing 10-day stocking is to prepare the...

Some experts argue that the success of China and its neighbors in slowing the spread of the virus without resorting to costly shutdowns gives these countries a leg up in getting their economies back on track once the crisis subsides. Some even go as far as to predict that this will propel East Asia to dominate the post-COVID economy. However, such rosy predictions of a dawning of a new “East Asian era” may be premature in light of the ticking demographic timebomb that looms over the region.

The highest point on Earth got a bit higher Tuesday (Dec 8) as China and Nepal finally agreed on a precise elevation for Mount Everest after decades of debate. The agreed height unveiled at a joint news conference in Kathmandu of 8,848.86m was 86cm higher than the measurement previously recognised by Nepal, and more than four metres above China's official figure. The discrepancy was due to China measuring the rock base on the summit and not - as with the new reading - the covering of snow and ice on the peak.

Widespread, severe flooding has killed at least nine people and affected 210 000 households or more than half a million people in southern Thailand, officials reported Friday, December 4, 2020, describing the situation as the worst they have seen in 50 years. A state of emergency has been declared for Nakhon Si Thammarat Province, where all the fatalities occurred. Thailand's Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation (DDPM) said another person reportedly went missing. The youngest victim was a child aged five. DDPM added that the affected provinces are Surat Thani, Phatthalung, Trang, Songkhla, Pattani, Narathiwat, and the worst-hit, Nakhon Si...

By rejecting the RCEP membership, we have given China a free hand to integrate its economy with Asian nations. Maybe India should look West now The "Act East" policy, with a focus on an extended neighbourhood in the Asia-Pacific Region, has been the cornerstone of India's diplomacy in the current decade. While it was originally conceived as an economic initiative, in recent years, it has gained political, strategic and cultural dimensions, including the establishment of institutional mechanisms for dialogue and cooperation. India has upgraded its relations to a strategic partnership with Indonesia, Vietnam, Malaysia, Japan, the Republic of Korea, Australia,...

Chinese “military harassment” of Taiwan is stoking suspicions that Beijing will attempt to seize control of the territory before the U.S. military finishes reorienting to stymy such attacks. “It is just a matter of time before things backfire and seriously harm the CCP’s image on the international stage,” Taiwanese cabinet minister Ming-Tong Chen said during a Heritage Foundation webinar Wednesday morning. Beijing’s desire for a good reputation may soon be outweighed by the perceived balance of power off the coasts of China, officials and analysts fear. Former White House national security adviser H.R. McMaster suspects that Chinese officials feel a...

President-Elect Joe Biden announced additional nominations to his cabinet on Monday, including a National Security Adviser who has advocated for supporting China’s “rise” in the past. Jake Sullivan has been tapped to fill the role, after previously advising Biden when he served as vice president in the Obama administration. Sullivan also worked for Hillary Clinton when she served as Secretary of State. Sullivan could bring in a fresh perspective to relations with China when compared with the Trump administration if his past comments are an indication. During a lecture he delivered on behalf of the Lowy Institute in 2017, Sullivan...

The Villa Villa Cafe and Bar in Hong Kong published a photo of a custom cake it baked for a customer this week depicting American presidential candidate Joe Biden sniffing the hair of a distressed cartoon girl drawn in the Japanese anime style. The Asian outlet Coconuts, which highlighted the bizarre cake order, described the image of Biden as one of “a handsy pedophile.” Coconuts translated the Chinese text on the cake as reading, “Warmly celebrate Uncle Biden for his election as the 46th US president.” Villa Villa Cafe and Bar advertised the cake as available in multiple flavors and...

With US Treasury yields capped around 0.90% amid concerns that in the absence of fiscal stimulus the Fed will need to step in with more easing (either in the form of extending QE maturities, or an outright expansion in QE), China is facing a different set of challenges and following the recent rout in the bond market following several unprecedented SOE defaults, overnight the Chinese 10Y yield rose another 2bps to 3.36%, and almost 90bps from the all time low of 2.48% hit in April.As a result, the premium for China’s 10-year government bonds over U.S. Treasuries of same duration...

(Photos Courtesy of Korchnoi Pasaribu) ========================================================================= A stunning ocular photoshoot has been shared on social media featuring an indigenous Indonesian island tribe full of people with startling blue eyes. The members of the Buton Island tribe have what is known as Waardenburg syndrome, a rare genetic condition that affects pigmentation and that can cause congenital hearing loss. Korchnoi Pasaribu, a geologist from Jakarta, Indonesia, captured the sapphire gazes of several tribe members on camera on Sept. 17. His pictures created quite the internet buzz, going viral on Instagram and drawing attention to the unique and distinctive Buton tribe. Epoch Times...

Nothing less than a major milestone in global economic history and a huge victory for China over increasing US regional hegemony has been realized on Sunday with the signing of the biggest free trade deal ever among fifteen Asia Pacific Nations.Called the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership, or RCEP, the agreement was signed virtually during the annual summit of the 10-nation Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), and effectively establishes the world's largest trading block that is expected to encompass almost one-third of all global economic activity, crucially without the United States.Via Grain.orgIt's being further seen as a massive blow to...

Georgia Democrat and Senate candidate Jon Ossoff has been compensated by a Hong Kong media conglomerate whose owner has spoken out against pro-democracy protests in Hong Kong, according to his most recent financial disclosure. Ossoff, whose role as CEO of a London-based producer of investigative documentaries has drawn scrutiny over the years, reported in an amended financial statement that he has received at least $5,000 from PCCW Media Limited over the last two years — a detail that has previously gone unreported. Ossoff did not disclose his ties to PCCW in his initial financial report, which he filed in May....

BREAKING: Joe Biden spoke to South Korean President about North Korean nuclear issue in 14-minute phone call; both agreed to meet shortly after inauguration - @YonhapNews

Armed pirates attacked three ships in the eastbound lane of the Singapore Strait between Sunday night and Monday morning (Nov 8-9). The incidents took place within the span of six hours on three nearby ships. As none of the perpetrators has been arrested, the pirates might strike again, said the Regional Cooperation Agreement on Combating Piracy and Armed Robbery against Ships in Asia (ReCAAP) Information Sharing Centre (ISC) on Monday. There was no confrontation between the perpetrators and the crew in all three incidents and none the crew was injured, ReCAAP said. Ship equipment was stolen from one ship, and...

In 2020, most countries in the world locked down their societies with the goal of controlling the Covid-19 pandemic. There were some outliers. Sweden, Belarus, Tanzania, and some US states deployed little in the way of “nonpharmaceutical interventions.” Another fascinating outlier – often cited as a case in which a government handled the pandemic the correct way – was Taiwan. Indeed, Taiwan presents an anomaly in the mitigation and overall handling of the Covid-19 pandemic. In terms of stringency, Taiwan ranks among the lowest in the world, with fewer controls than Sweden and far lower than the U.S. The government...

Vietnam’s leadership this year of a Southeast Asian negotiating bloc has opened a door to bolster its defense against longtime rival China through stronger relations with the West, experts say. The Quadrilateral Security Dialogue, or Quad, a U.S.-led grouping that also includes Australia, India and Japan, invited Vietnam to join talks on COVID-19 and economic impacts in March, and its members have conferred with Vietnamese officials regularly since then. U.S. Secretary of State Michael Pompeo finished his five-nation Asia visit with a stop in Vietnam Friday. He praised the host country’s “sovereignty” when he met Friday with Foreign Minister Pham...

HANOI — Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Thursday that the “tide is turning” against China amid a growing recognition of the threat Beijing’s policies pose to the U.S. and countries across Asia. Mr. Pompeo held talks this week with leaders of five southern Asian states and said in an interview that he found growing support for U.S.-led efforts to oppose Chinese efforts at financial and military dominance. (Please see full article at the link)

...the attack ... roster of fighters involved a multinational group that included Afghans, Indians, Tajiks, and Pakistanis. ... Some of the group's dramatic attacks like the Easter 2019 Sri Lanka bombings, the attack on a Turkish nightclub on New Year's Eve 2017, or the 2017 truck attacks in New York City and Stockhol revealed jihadism's persistent appeal to a global audience. ... the Syria.. battlefield was one that drew in Muslims from almost 100 different countries and from every continent. This included Indians and Central Asians, ... Since the Islamic State's emergence, Central Asians have been involved in repeated attacks...

Japan and Vietnam agreed on Monday to strengthen security and economic ties, including an agreement in principle for Japan to export military gear and technology to the Southeast Asian nation, amid concerns about China’s regional assertiveness. “It is a big step in the field of security for both countries that we reached an agreement in principle on the transfers of defence equipment and technology,” Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga told reporters after meeting his Vietnamese counterpart, Nguyen Xuan Phuc, in Hanoi. “Vietnam, which is serving as ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian nations) chair this year, is key to realise a...