Torbjørn Færøvik's Blog, page 64

Martial law fractured South Korea. Can this election heal the nation?

The striking feature of this election has been the leading opposition candidate, Lee Jae-myung, campaigning in a bullet-proof vest. At a recent rally, he was escorted to the podium by close protection officers, ready to shield him with their ballistic briefcases. He then addressed the crowd from behind bullet-proof glass, under the gaze of rooftop watchers.This is not South Korean politics as

Mongolia PM resigns after losing confidence vote

Mongolian prime minister Luvsannamsrain Oyun-Erdene has resigned after losing a confidence vote in parliament. The vote followed days of mass protests over corruption allegations - fuelled by social media posts about his son's lavish birthday party and engagement. Oyun-Erdene, who took office in 2021, will remain as caretaker PM until a successor is appointed within 30 days."It was an honour to

From China's Past: The Secrets of the Shang

“Powerful.” “Mysterious.” “Bloody.” Those are the words that tend to come to mind when Chinese are asked about the Shang — an ancient dynasty that ruled China’s Central Plains for over 500 years until its sudden collapse in the 11th century BC.But for the archaeologists excavating the dynasty’s last capital, Yinxu, in what is today the central Chinese province of Henan, the Shang is like an

How protests over designer handbags threw Mongolia into political crisis

Mongolia has been thrown into fresh political crisis with protesters calling for the resignation of the country’s prime minister over his family’s lavish displays of wealth. For two weeks, young Mongolians have taken to the streets of the capital putting pressure on Prime Minister Oyun-Erdene Luvsannamsrai who will face a vote of confidence in his government on Monday.Democratic Mongolia is a

Report: US Pacific Marines Strategy 2025

Pacific Marines simultaneously face both the most challenging terrain and the most dangerous adversaries across the geographic combatant commands. The Indo-Pacific is a vast and diverse region that includes the majority of the world’s population spread across 38 countries and thousands of islands. It includes both the world’s largest military and economic powers as well as some of the smallest.

Remarks by Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth at the 2025 Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore (As Delivered)

Well, good morning. It is great to be in Singapore. And Bastian, thank you very much for your warm welcome. The Shangri-La Dialogue is an important forum for bringing together defense leaders from across the Indo-Pacific and the world. And I want to thank IISS for hosting us this morning. As was mentioned, I'm certainly proud to be back into the Indo-Pacific for the second time as the Secretary

Ex-Trump Official Lays Out Why China Might Be 'Worried' To Cut Tariff Deal

A former Trump administration official and expert on Asia highlighted on Friday why China might hesitate to strike a trade deal with the United States amid President Donald Trump's tariff threats. Tensions between Washington and Beijing hit a boiling point last month, when Trump ratcheted up tariffs on Chinese imports to a whopping 145 percent, to which China responded with a 125 percent

US Simulates Missile Strikes on Warships at China Choke Point

The United States has conducted a simulated military operation using anti-ship weapons during a war game in the Philippines, as China expands its naval presence in nearby contested waters. The Philippines—Washington's mutual defense treaty ally—is part of the First Island Chain, along with Japan and Taiwan, under the U.S. containment strategy, which seeks to restrict China's naval access to the

China Accuses Trump of Violation, Threatens 'Forceful Measures'

China accused the U.S. of violating an agreement made at their tariff-cutting discussions in Geneva in May, and said it will take further action as the trade dispute between the world's two largest economies blows open again.President Donald Trump's administration has in recent days issued AI chip export control guidelines, stopped the sale of chip design software to China, and is planning to

Xi Jinping's Daughter Faces Call to be Deported From US

Chinese President Xi Jinping's daughter is facing calls to be deported by far-right conservative commentator Laura Loomer. Xi Jinping's daughter, Xi Mingze, graduated from Harvard University with a Bachelor of Arts degree in psychology in 2014.Loomer said that Xi Mingze still resides in Massachusetts as a foreign student. However, there is no publicly available evidence that she remains in the