It is bitterly cold on the deck of the Allankay and the bosun, Luca Massari, is checking that none of us are wearing contact lenses before we descend into Antarctic waters. There is a risk, he warns, that lenses will freeze solid over the eyes. Massari himself is prepared for his surroundings. He is wearing thick goggles that make him look like an Olympic ski jumper. Massari is a burly, heavily tattooed veteran of the environmental organisation Sea Shepherd, which campaigns against exploitating the oceans. His deck team are preparing…
Day: March 24, 2026
China slams Japan’s ‘kill network’ as long-range missile deployment looms
The official newspaper of the People’s Liberation Army has slammed Japan’s deployment of stand-off weapons, including upgraded Type-12 missiles, as forming a “kill network” capable of targeting coastal and inland areas of neighbouring countries. Japan’s enhanced Type-12 surface-to-ship missiles are set to be deployed at Camp Kengun in Japan’s southwestern Kumamoto prefecture by the end of this month. The missiles are capable of reaching China’s coastal cities. On Tuesday, PLA Daily reported that the upgraded Type-12 missile featured a significantly increased range of about 1,000km (621 miles) – up from…
Japanese ‘soldier’ forces way into Chinese embassy in Tokyo
A Japanese person who claimed to be an active officer of Japan’s Self-Defence Forces illegally and forcibly entered the Chinese embassy in Tokyo, Beijing said. The person admitted to the illegality of their actions and threatened to kill Chinese diplomatic personnel in the name of a so-called “deity”, Lin Jian, spokesman of China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, told a regular media briefing on Tuesday. The ministry did not identify the person’s gender. Advertisement More to follow… South China Morning Post
Group of dogs that went missing in China go viral after walking 17km home
A group of seven dogs that went missing in China have gone viral after a video emerged of them walking more than 17km back home to their village, reuniting with owners who had been searching for them for days. The video, first posted online on 15 March, shows the dogs – including a golden retriever, labrador, German shepherd and Pekinese – walking along the highway in Changchun, the capital of China’s north-east Jilin province, where temperatures are dropping below 0C overnight. Leading the pack is a corgi, later identified in…
Global South to bear the brunt of Strait of Hormuz crisis amid worsening food scarcity
The deepening Strait of Hormuz crisis amid the war in the Middle East is choking the critical flow of not just oil but also fertilisers and perishable goods, and the Global South may face worsening food scarcity, warned the chief of a leading international business organisation. “We’re seeing the impact play out on fertilisers. A lot of people are not fully aware of the importance of the trade, particularly the shipment [of fertilisers] through the Strait of Hormuz and access,” said John Denton, secretary general of the International Chamber of…