Torbjørn Færøvik's Blog, page 298

Remote island ramps up defenses as tensions rise between Japan and China

On most days, fisherman Kazushi Kinjo leaves port on the Japanese island of Yonaguni to catch deep sea red snapper in waters to the north. There, fish are plentiful -- and increasingly, so are Chinese Coast Guard ships. Chinese ships patrol the sea around the Japanese-controlled Senkaku islands, an uninhabited island chain also claimed by China and Taiwan, near where Kinjo lives. The islands,

China's economy had a good first quarter. Lockdowns leave it 'in distress'

China's economy made a solid start to the year, recording first quarter growth that surpassed expectations. But a recent slump in consumer spending and rising unemployment suggest much tougher months ahead with dozens of cities still under Covid lockdowns. China's gross domestic product grew 4.8% in the three months to March 31, compared with the same period last year, according to the National

Shanghai reports first official Covid deaths in weeks-long lockdown

Shanghai reported three Covid-19 deaths Monday, the first officially announced fatalities from a raging Omicron outbreak that has infected hundreds of thousands of people despite a government-enforced city-wide lockdown. Three elderly people aged between 89 and 91 died from Covid on Sunday, after their condition deteriorated in hospital, the Shanghai Municipal Health Commission said in a

Ukraine war: Can India feed the world?

Last week, Indian PM Narendra Modi told US President Joe Biden that India was ready to ship food to the rest of the world following supply shocks and rising prices due to the war in Ukraine. Mr Modi said India had "enough food" for its 1.4 billion people, and it was "ready to supply food stocks to the world from tomorrow" if the World Trade Organization (WTO) allowed.Commodity prices were already

Why women vote for India PM Narendra Modi's BJP

Behind every successful man is a woman, goes the popular saying. But millions of women are believed to be behind the success of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in key state elections held recently.According to two recent studies, more women than men voted for the BJP in the February-March elections held in four of the five states it won, including the bellwether

‘Hatred, bigotry and untruth’: communal violence grips India

The procession had begun peacefully. Marching through the streets of Delhi’s Jahangirpuri district on Saturday, the devotees had gathered to celebrate the Hindu festival of Hanuman Jayanti. But the peace did not last long. As the evening drew in, an unauthorised parade began to gather. This time, men clad in saffron, the signature colour of Hindu nationalism, filled the streets brandishing swords

Europe’s China Policy Has Taken a Sharp Turn. Where Will It Go Next?

In their first such meeting in nearly two years, representatives of the European Union and Chinese government met on April 1 for a virtual summit. European Council President Charles Michel and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen held meetings with both Chinese Premier Li Keqiang and Chinese Communist Party General Secretary Xi Jinping.The conversations took place against the

China is sending its most advanced fighter jet to patrol disputed seas

China has begun sending its most advanced fighter aircraft, the J-20, to patrol the East and South China Seas, Chinese state media has reported. Early versions of the J-20 stealth jet used Russian engines -- but those have since been replaced with domestically-produced twin engines. The jets were first shown to the public with the new Chinese engines last year at Airshow China.The deployment is

How China will censor the metaverse

It’s 2030, and you’re spending Saturday afternoon in your luxury virtual apartment in the metaverse. You’re sitting with a few avatar friends, on a newly purchased digital couch overlooking the pristine Pearl River, when someone brings up the breaking news of a female celebrity’s sexual assault allegations against a retired party official. You’re about to chime in when, suddenly, your mic cuts

‘I can’t believe our country is like this,’ and other conversations from the Shanghai lockdown

Earlier this week, a phone conversation between an elderly man and a neighborhood committee worker in Shanghai was posted to WeChat, where it briefly went viral before being censored. In the five-minute call, a man surnamed Yu complains about his dwindling supplies of food and medicine, and his worries about his health: He says he is running a temperature, but he is not allowed to go see a doctor