Torbjørn Færøvik's Blog, page 264

Ukraine: US sanctions Chinese firm helping Russia's Wagner Group

The US has sanctioned a Chinese company for allegedly providing satellite imagery of Ukraine to support the mercenary Wagner Group's combat operations for Russia. Changsha Tianyi Space Science and Technology Research Institute is among 16 entities slapped with curbs by the Treasury Department. The firm, also known as Spacety China, has offices in Beijing and Luxembourg. Wagner supplies Russia

China claims Covid wave has peaked with severe cases, deaths falling fast

China’s health authorities have said the Covid wave is past its peak, with rapid decline in both severe cases and deaths in hospitals, but experts remain wary of the government’s official data. According to China’s Center for Disease Control (CDC), the number of critically ill patients in hospital peaked in the first week of January, then rapidly declined by more than 70%. The number of deaths

Russian warship armed with hypersonic missiles to train with Chinese, South African navies

A Russian warship armed with advanced hypersonic missiles completed a drill in the Atlantic Ocean, ahead of joint naval exercises with the Chinese and South African navies scheduled for next month, the Russian Defense Ministry said Wednesday. Russia’s Admiral Gorshkov frigate, armed with Zircon hypersonic missiles, practiced “delivering a missile strike against an enemy surface target,” the

After 3 years of Covid, CNN went into rural China for Lunar New Year. Here’s what we found and how officials tried stopping us

In China’s southern Guizhou province, there’s a tiny village in the southeast corner, nestled deep within the mountains, called Dali. A wall of lush green trees and bamboo surround this village of about one-thousand people, who’ve lived in wooden homes with gray-tiled roofs for centuries.It’s the Lunar New Year, and during the daytime, the doors are rarely closed. People here say they’re all

Rahul Gandhi’s yatra: how a 2,200-mile march revitalised India’s ailing opposition

On a piercingly cold Punjab morning, as a bitter frost crusted the ground, they gathered. Some were bundled up in blankets, others clutched feeble cups of chai for warmth. But not Rahul Gandhi. Wearing only a white T-shirt and cargo trousers, Gandhi began to pace forward at speed, leaving fellow marchers in his wake. “I’ve heard he doesn’t feel the cold,” said Raju, an admiring local onlooker, as

Opium production in Myanmar surges to nine-year high

The production of opium increased sharply in Myanmar, rising to a nine-year high, according to the UN. It touched nearly 795 metric tonnes in 2022, nearly double the production in 2021 - 423 metric tonnes - the year of the military coup. The UN believes this is driven by economic hardship and insecurity, along with higher global prices for the opium resin that is used to make heroin. The coup

China offers Sri Lanka debt moratorium, IMF help still in doubt

The Export-Import Bank of China has offered Sri Lanka a two-year moratorium on its debt and said it would support the country's efforts to secure a $2.9 billion loan from the International Monetary Fund, according to a letter reviewed by Reuters.Regional rivals China and India are the biggest bilateral lenders to Sri Lanka, a country of 22 million people that is facing its worst economic crisis

China’s Downturn Fuels a Worrying New Trend: a Surge in Foreclosures

When Ya bought an apartment in the central Chinese city of Zhengzhou in 2018, he thought it was the start of a bright new chapter.  At 1.2 million yuan ($174,000), the 85-square-meter home was pricey by local standards. But Ya liked the location, and figured property prices were likely to keep rising. Plus, the 5,300 yuan monthly mortgage payments seemed affordable.Yet, five years later, Ya is

China’s University Students Dance Like Nobody’s Watching

One Wednesday night in late 2022, Qiao Feifei, a sophomore majoring in Chinese international education at Beijing Foreign Studies University (BFSU), dashed out of the cafeteria and headed for the small square in front of the auditorium. His plan was to snag a spot in the first row of the square dance.Not to be confused with the famous American square dance, this dance, popular amongst older women

It’s ‘now or never’ to reverse Japan’s population crisis, prime minister says

Japan’s prime minister issued a dire warning about the country’s population crisis on Monday, saying it was “on the brink of not being able to maintain social functions” due to the falling birth rate. In a policy address to lawmakers, Fumio Kishida said it was a case of solving the issue “now or never,” and that it “simply cannot wait any longer.” “In thinking of the sustainability and