Torbjørn Færøvik's Blog, page 181

'Please save me': The Indians duped into fighting for Russia

Last week, the Indian government announced that Russia had discharged dozens of the 91 Indians who were duped into fighting for Russian forces in the country's war with Ukraine. Several of them have since returned home, while the process to bring others back is under way. The BBC's Neyaz Farooquee spoke to some of the men about their struggles.“I am in panic. I am not sure if I will return safely

Still reeling from crisis, Sri Lanka holds pivotal election

“I thought I’d spend my whole life here, fighting a corrupt government - but the younger generation did something.”Samadhi Paramitha Brahmananayake is looking at the field where she spent months camped out with thousands of other demonstrators in Sri Lanka’s capital in 2022. She can’t quite believe that luscious green grass has replaced the hundreds of protester tents that filled the field

China and Russia are ramping up joint military drills. What’s their end goal?

As Russia’s military last week launched globe-spanning drills widely seen as a show of strength directed at the United States, President Vladimir Putin made clear which country he sees as standing by Moscow’s side. In an opening video address, Putin said 15 “friendly” nations would observe what Moscow claimed were some 90,000 troops and more than 500 ships and aircraft mobilized for the largest

In Retrospect The Real Deng Xiaoping, by Fang Lizhi

When a scientific experiment uncovers a new phenomenon, a scientist is pleased. When an experiment fails to reveal something that the scientist originally expected, that, too, counts as a result worth analyzing. A sense of the “nonappearance of the expected” was my first impression of Ezra Vogel’s Deng Xiaoping and the Transformation of China. The term “human rights” does not appear in its index,

U.S. Firms See Record-Low Profits in China: Report

U.S. companies in China are seeing record-low profits as geopolitical tensions and a slowing Chinese economy take their toll.According to a report released Thursday by the American Chamber of Commerce (AmCham) in Shanghai, only 66% of American firms in China were profitable in 2023. This is the lowest level recorded in the survey's 20-year history.Business confidence is also at an all-time low.

China Converts Kindergartens to Nursing Homes Amid Baby Decline

As China's birthrate plummets, empty kindergartens are finding new life as nursing homes.These transitions come as the world's second-most populous country grapples with its lowest birthrates in decades and an aging population, forcing both the education and elderly care sectors to adapt. According to a recent report by Chinese state-controlled media outlet Global Times, a former kindergarten in

US Takes Action Against Temu, Shein and Other Chinese Companies

The Biden administration announced on Friday that it was taking new action against Chinese online companies like Temu and Shein. China-founded e-commerce platforms have been accused by the White House of abusing the "de minimis exemption." This exemption allows imports of an aggregate fair retail value of $800 or less to enter the U.S. duty- and tax-free.According to the White House, the number

NATO Warships Transit Taiwan Strait, Defying China's Warnings

Two German warships passed through the contested Taiwan Strait on Friday, defying warnings from China to the NATO member as Beijing claimed the self-ruled Taiwan as part of its territory. "International waters are international waters. It is the shortest and, given the weather conditions, also the safest route. So we are going through," explained Boris Pistorius, the defense minister of Germany,

India has a new nuclear-capable ballistic missile submarine. But can it catch up with China?

India’s second nuclear-capable ballistic missile submarine joined its naval fleet late last month, a move the government says strengthens its nuclear deterrent as New Delhi casts a wary eye at both China and Pakistan. But India is still playing catch-up, at least compared with China, as the People’s Liberation Army grows its fleet – as well as its land and air capabilities – amid simmering

In Retrospect: Mao’s Attempt to Remake Man

“No matter how antlike the masses of China might seem at times, they are very human beings. Their culture provides some special characteristics, but they have the usual complement of emotions, drives, ambitions. Most of them want an orderly society, a good job, good food, shelter, a happy family and a little fun out of life. It is this value system that Mao has tried to replace with a taste for