Torbjørn Færøvik's Blog, page 80

Global press freedom ebbs to a new low

Press freedom is at its lowest ebb globally in more than two decades, Reporters Without Borders said Friday, as economic pressures shake the foundations of journalism. The advocacy group, also known as Reporters sans frontières or RSF, said it classified the global state of press freedom as “difficult” for the first time since it began compiling its media index in 2002.“Without economic

Temu to stop selling goods from China directly to US customers

Temu has said it will stop selling goods imported from China in the US directly to customers from its platform. The online marketplace said sales would now be handled by "locally based sellers", with orders fulfilled from within the country. The move comes as a duty-free rule for low-value packages is closed. Temu, and rival Chinese retail giant Shein, had previously relied on the so-called "de

Talks or no talks: Who blinks first in US-China trade war?

On Friday morning, a spokesperson for China's ministry of commerce announced that Beijing was assessing the possibility of tariff negotiations with the United States. It was news the rest of the world had been waiting to hear as astonishingly high tariffs - up to 245% on some Chinese exports to the US - throttle trade between the world's two biggest economies, raising the spectre of a recession."

Hong Kong police arrest family of pro-democracy activist, reports say

Police in Hong Kong have arrested the father and brother of US-based pro-democracy activist Anna Kwok for allegedly helping with her finances, according to media reports. It is the first time the relatives of an "absconder" have been charged under the territory's security law, Reuters news agency said. The authorities accused Ms Kwok, 26, of breaching Hong Kong's national security laws after

'We don't care': A defiant China looks beyond Trump's America

"We don't care about sales to the United States," says Hu Tianqiang as one of his toy fighter jets flies past our heads. It's hard to hear him above the buzzing toy planes and miniature drones, an almost rhythmic backdrop to the cacophony of toys that surround him, all clamouring for the attention of buyers. Hu's stall, Zhongxiang Toys, sits inside the world's biggest wholesale market in the

Cross-strait shadows: Inside the Chinese influence campaign against Taiwan (Part III)

Marketed as a cross-strait collaboration, “Taiwan’s Voice” presents itself as a local commentary platform. But behind the familiar hosts and studio lies a deeper link to China’s state-run media. Over the past year, the Asia Fact Check Lab has traced how content produced in Taiwan, yet aligned with Chinese narratives, is seeping into the island’s media landscape through what it calls the “Fujian

INTERVIEW: Uyghur human rights activist Rushan Abbas and her fight for freedom

Rushan Abbas is one of the most prominent international advocates for the rights of ethnic Uyghurs. Her memoir, “Unbroken: One Uyghur’s Fight for Freedom,” will be published on June 10. The book explores her personal journey from her pro-democracy activism as a student in China in the 1980s, to her move to the United States in 1989, and her efforts to draw attention to the plight of Uyghurs in

First batch of Hong Kong democrats freed after four years’ prison for subversion

The first batch of individuals jailed in the landmark Hong Kong national security trial of “47 democrats” accused of conspiracy to commit subversion was freed on Tuesday after being behind bars for more than four years. Four former pro-democracy lawmakers, including Claudia Mo, Kwok Ka-ki, Jeremy Tam and Gary Fan were driven away from three separate prisons across Hong Kong around dawn. Security

US officers who broke rank to save lives recall the fall of Saigon 50 years ago

As servicemen aboard the US Navy aircraft carrier dumped millions of dollars of military hardware into the South China Sea, the commander chose not to watch. Capt. Larry Chambers knew his order to push helicopters off the flight deck of the USS Midway could cost him his military career, but it was a chance he was willing to take. Above his head, a South Vietnamese air force major, Buang-Ly, was

China suggests Covid-19 originated in US in response to Trump allegation

China restated its case that Covid-19 may have originated in the United States in a white paper on its pandemic response released on Wednesday, after President Donald Trump’s administration blamed a lab leak in China.The White House launched a Covid-19 website on April 18 in which it said the coronavirus came from a lab leak in China while criticizing former President Joe Biden, former top US