Torbjørn Færøvik's Blog, page 235

Bangladesh investigates huge fire at world's largest refugee camp

Bangladesh authorities are investigating the cause of a massive fire in a Rohingya refugee camp which has left 12,000 people without shelter. No casualties have been reported, but the fire on Sunday razed 2,000 shelters after spreading quickly through gas cylinders in kitchens, officials said. Police are investigating if the fire was an act of sabotage. One man has been detained, local media

India's Kochi city covered in toxic haze from waste dump fire

Indian firefighters are trying to put out a fire at a waste plant which has led to a toxic smoke cover over many areas in Kochi city in Kerala state. The fire began last week at a local waste management plant which processes tonnes of waste every day. Residents have been advised to remain indoors and use N-95 masks if they step out. Local authorities have also announced that schools will be shut

After China’s Winter of Discontent, Xi Jinping Sets Sights on Growth and Power

Xi Jinping is on the political march again. After a turbulent year that ended in faltering growth, widespread protests, and a surge of deaths after China abruptly abandoned Covid controls, China’s top leader is poised to secure even more power at the annual gathering of the national legislature that opened on Sunday. At the start of the National People’s Congress, the Chinese government laid out

Two Sessions: China looks at reforms to deepen Xi Jinping control

Xi Jinping is set to deepen his control of China's government and economy, as lawmakers meet in Beijing to pass far-reaching reforms. The National People's Congress (NPC), a rubber-stamp parliament, will confirm Mr Xi's third term as president, and the appointments of his top team. They will also name a new premier, the second-in-command after Mr Xi, as the incumbent Li Keqiang departs.The Two

China sets modest economic targets as it seeks to bounce back from Covid woes

China has set a target of 5% GDP growth in 2023, its outgoing premier has said in a speech to the ruling party’s rubber-stamp parliament – a goal that is at the lower end of analysts’ expectations and follows a 2022 figure that came in far below target. The “work report” speech on Sunday also touched on foreign affairs and re-emphasised the Chinese Communist party’s (CCP’s) aim to annex Taiwan.

China says military budget to increase again by ‘appropriate’ level

China’s military budget is set to increase again, the spokesperson for its rubber-stamping parliament has said, before a week-long political meeting expected to make big changes to China’s system of governance and increase measures to combat international sanctions. The spokesperson for the National People’s Congress, China’s legislative body, addressed the media on the eve of its annual meeting

China to increase defense spending 7.2%, sets economic growth target of ‘around 5%’ for 2023

China has set an official economic growth target of “around 5%” for 2023, as it seeks to revive the world’s second-largest economy after a year of tepid growth because of pandemic measures. It will also expand its defense budget 7.2%, marking a slight increase over growth the previous year. Both figures for the coming year were released at the opening of the annual gathering of the National

WORD(S) OF THE WEEK: “WHITE-HAIRED MOVEMENT”

The “White-haired Movement” (白发运动, Báifà Yùndòng) refers to protests led by elderly and retired workers in Wuhan and Dalian in February 2023, and in Guangzhou in January 2023. The protesters were objecting to medical insurance reforms, proposed by cash-strapped local governments, that would transfer contributions to “personal health accounts” (used by individuals to pay for doctors’ visits and

Torbjørn Færøvik: Flere hundre millioner pensjonister gir Xi Jinping hodepine

Vårsesjonen i Kinas nasjonalforsamling står for døren. Mye er uklart før det røde plysjteppet går til side i Folkets store hall i Beijing, men ett er sikkert: Xi Jinping blir ”gjenvalgt” som president og tar dermed fatt på sin tredje femårstermin. I fjor høst gikk han løs på sin tredje termin som partiets generalsekretær. Kamerat Xi Jinping. Ingen over, ingen ved siden. Likevel knytter det seg

Xi Jinping is unveiling a new deputy - why it matters

The National People's Congress, which starts this weekend, will be the symbolic culmination of Xi Jinping's epic power grab. China's leader has overhauled the Communist Party placing himself at the core and nobody else has even a remote chance of challenging him. The starkest representation of this will be in the shift in personnel to be announced at the annual political meeting, a rubber-stamp