Torbjørn Færøvik's Blog, page 106

Flower Power: Spring Spurs Tomb-sweeping Day Travel Boom

With summer just around the corner, Chinese travelers are flocking to parks, mountains, and flower festivals during the tomb-sweeping day holiday. The three-day break, traditionally a time to honor ancestors, has also become a prime occasion for spring outings, with tourism platforms reportingspikes in short-distance travel, nature-themed activities, and flower-viewing tours.According to a report

Wanted world leaders cast a wary eye at The Hague as Duterte languishes in ICC custody

The dramatic arrest of the Philippines’ controversial former president in March sent shock waves through much of the world – and cast a renewed spotlight on the other leaders wanted by the International Criminal Court (ICC).Former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte, who was whisked off to the Netherlands to answer for alleged crimes against humanity, had long been under scrutiny over a brutal

Trump to extend TikTok ban enforcement deadline after China tariffs derail deal

President Donald Trump announced on Friday that he will again postpone enforcement of the TikTok sale-or-ban law for 75 days. The delay comes after Trump’s tariff announcement derailed a deal that had been set to transfer control of the app’s US operations to American ownership, a source familiar with the deal told CNN.“My Administration has been working very hard on a Deal to SAVE TIKTOK, and we

Will Trump’s Tariffs Drive Europe Into China’s Arms, or Into a Fight?

President Trump’s tariffs mean that companies across the European Union and around the world are at risk of losing access to the world’s largest consumer market. Naturally, they are looking for the next big thing. Statistically speaking, that would mean China.The E.U. has the second-largest consumer market in the world behind America; China is third. But China and the E.U. have not exactly been

Trump's tariffs are hitting China's friends hard — and giving Beijing a golden opportunity

Trump's new tariffs give China room to play the foil to the US and bolster its hold on a region it values.Cambodia, Laos, and Myanmar hold great strategic value for China as it seeks to expand its influence.On Friday, China responded to Trump's tariffs with a 34% tariff on all goods imported from the US.President Donald Trump's sweeping tariffs are expected to cut deep against both friend and foe

Reading the tree leaves: Why a no-show by China’s No.2 general has speculation running wild

The Chinese military officials in brown uniforms fan out around rows of young trees, shoveling soil into freshly dug pits. The camera pans to the most senior leaders one by one, in order of rank. But one prominent face is conspicuously absent.The news segment, aired Wednesday night on China’s state broadcaster, features a tree-planting event in the outskirts of the capital Beijing – an annual

China and US are at each other's throats on tariffs, and neither is backing down

American companies looking to sell into the huge Chinese market have just taken a big hit. A 34% price increase on all US goods entering the country will knock some out of here altogether. This is especially bad for US agricultural producers. They already had 10 or 15% tariffs on their produce entering China, in response to the last round of Trump tariffs. Now, if you add 34% on top of that, it

Rubio dismisses criticism over US response to Myanmar quake

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has dismissed accusations that Washington was left unable to help in the Myanmar earthquake due to the Donald Trump administration's shuttering of its humanitarian aid agency. Asked by the BBC why the US had not meaningfully responded, as it routinely has to past such disasters, Rubio said "we are not the government of the world". Earlier this week, former

Secret papers reveal new details about Andrew's ties to Chinese 'spy'

Prince Andrew's involvement with an alleged Chinese spy came at a time his chief aide and other royals believed his reputation was "irrecoverable". Previously secret documents detail how ex-advisor Dominic Hampshire saw Yang Tengbo as Andrew's "only light at the end of the tunnel" after his Newsnight interview in 2019.The documents also reveal details of Andrew's "communication channel" with

South Korea's president is out - but he leaves behind a polarised country

Pained cries rang out in front of former South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol's official residence on Friday, as judges of the Constitutional Court judges confirmed his impeachment. "I came here with hope in my heart, believing we would win ... It's so unfair," 64-year-old Won Bog-sil told BBC Korean from the rally, where thousands had gathered in support of Yoon.These scenes were live streamed