Torbjørn Færøvik's Blog, page 152

South Korea bans president from traveling overseas as insurrection probe widens

South Korean authorities have imposed an overseas travel ban on President Yoon Suk Yeol as prosecutors weigh possible insurrection charges over his botched attempt to impose martial law last week.While Yoon survived an impeachment vote in an opposition-led parliament on Saturday, his political survival now hangs in tatters. The travel ban on the country’s embattled leader was confirmed by the

China begins military movements around Taiwan as the island braces for potential drills

Multiple formations of Chinese naval and coast guard vessels are moving in waters around the Taiwan Strait and the Western Pacific, Taiwan’s Defense Ministry said Monday, as the island braces for potential military drills by Beijing. Taiwan’s armed forces had identified Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) vessels from the Eastern, Northern, and Southern Theater commands, as well as coast guard

More China trade ‘hawks’ among Trump’s top State Department picks

Two leading proponents of reduced U.S. trade with China are among President-elect Donald Trump’s picks for three of the top roles at the State Department, Trump announced. However, one of choices -– Michael Anton, who Trump selected to serve as director of policy planning –- has previously argued it is not in U.S. interests to defend Taiwan from an invasion by China.In a series of three posts on

Truong My Lan: Vietnamese tycoon in a race to repay $9 billion to avoid execution

Property tycoon Truong My Lan was one of Vietnam’s richest businesswomen. She amassed an eye-wateringly valuable portfolio of luxury homes, hotels and commercial properties all over the country and abroad – allegedly by effectively turning a major bank into her own personal ATM.On Tuesday, the 68-year-old lost her appeal against the death sentence for masterminding one of the biggest frauds in

Torbjørn Færøvik: Ayutthaya - Thailands glemte skjønnhet

Guiden min påstår det er lett å reise til Ayutthaya, men vanskelig å dra herfra. Jeg er så enig, for nå ønsker jeg bare å bli. «Du kan om du vil», sier hun og ler. «Vi har plass til flere.»Ayutthaya? Du seiler inn Thailandbukta og smyger båten inn på Chao Phraya, landets lengste elv. Timer senere får du øye på Bangkoks forgylte spir og det uforliknelige Wat Arun. Fortsetter du i enda noen timer -

White House official: 8 US telecom providers hacked by Chinese

US officials believe Chinese hackers breached at least eight US telecommunications providers in their quest to spy on top US political figures as part of a hacking campaign that has affected dozens of countries worldwide, a White House official said Wednesday. “Right now, we do not believe any have fully removed the Chinese actors from these networks … so there is a risk of ongoing compromises to

What is high bandwidth memory and why is the US trying to block China’s access to it?

The US government has imposed fresh export controls on the sale of high tech memory chips used in artificial intelligence (AI) applications to China. The rules apply to US-made high bandwidth memory (HBM) technology as well as foreign-produced ones. Here’s everything you need to know about these cutting-edge semiconductors, which have seen demand soar along with the global frenzy for AI.Read more

Chinese aid cannot overcome Myanmar junta’s declining finances and morale

Despite being bolstered by an unprecedented degree of Chinese diplomatic and material support, Myanmar’s military has had mixed results in the past few weeks, in the face of mounting economic and fiscal challenges. The State Administrative Council (SAC) - as the junta is officially called - has continued to suffer military setbacks that have economic implications of their own.With the capture of

Nepal’s leader visits Beijing, joint statement uses ‘Xizang’ to refer to Tibet

Nepal referred to Tibet as “Xizang” in a statement issued after its new Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli completed a four-day visit to Beijing this week, his first trip outside the country after his election -- not India, as is traditionally the case.  Xizang is a term promoted by Beijing, but Tibetan advocates say it is yet another attempt by China to erase their distinct cultural heritage.Both

3 years on, displaced families await compensation for Lao-China Railway project

At least 371 families displaced by the construction of the Laos-China Railway project, completed three years ago, have yet to receive full compensation after refusing to accept what they say are inadequate offers from the Lao government. The families, who mostly live in the capital of Vientiane, were forced from their land by the project, part of Chinese President Xi Jinping’s “Belt and Road