Torbjørn Færøvik's Blog, page 81

Torbjørn Færøvik: Krigen som kom inn i stuene

I dag er det femti år siden Vietnam-krigen sluttet. «Kjør!» sa den nord-vietnamesiske stridsvognoffiseren. «Ikke stopp. Bare kjør!»I neste øyeblikk braste det buldrende uhyret gjennom jernporten foran presidentpalasset i Saigon. Minutter senerestormet en gruppe soldater inn i palasset, hvor president Van Minh satt ved sitt store skrivebord. «Jeg har ventet på dere i flere timer og er klar til å

China’s factories take a big blow as Trump’s tariffs bite

China’s factory activity contracted at its fastest pace in 16 months in April, as steep US tariffs took a heavy toll on the manufacturing sector, adding urgency to Beijing’s efforts to roll out fresh economic stimulus. The manufacturing Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) fell to 49.0 in April, the weakest reading since December 2023, according to data released by the National Bureau of Statistics (

Fifty years after the war, Vietnam faces a new US threat - tariffs

On a searing afternoon in Vietnam, Tung Linh declared she "basically knows nothing" about the bloody, decades-long war that pitted her country's Communist-run North against the United States-backed South."My grandparents fought in the war and because of that today we can look at the sky and see an airplane and we don't feel scared, like they did," says the 20-year-old college student. Stuck to

Xi's real test is not Trump's trade war

If you say the name Donald Trump in the halls of wholesale markets and trade fairs in China, you'll hear a faint chuckle.The US president and his 145% tariffs have not instilled fear in many Chinese traders. Instead, they have inspired an army of online Chinese nationalists to create mocking memes in a series of viral videos and reels – some of which include an AI-generated President Trump,

Pakistan claims it has ‘credible intelligence’ India will strike within 36 hours

Tensions between India and Pakistan have escalated further after a top Pakistani official claimed early Wednesday to have “credible intelligence” that New Delhi will carry out a military action against Islamabad within the next two days. The claim came as both the United States and China urged restraint.“Pakistan has credible intelligence that India intends carrying out military action against

China Targets: How Beijing abuses international institutions to terrorize its critics and extend its repressive tactics worldwide.

Amid fluttering Chinese and French flags, President Xi Jinping and his wife, Peng Liyuan, stepped off their state plane under a rainy Paris sky last May. Arriving for the first leg of a five-day tour to strengthen European ties, China’s first couple was warmly greeted by throngs of Chinese bystanders waving their country’s red flag and groups performing traditional dragon and lion dances to the

Konfidensielle dokumenter avslører Kinas overvåkning: «Kutte oksygenet»

«Det finnes metoder som «kutte oksygenet», «binde hender», «dekke øyne» og «tette ører»».Det skriver kinesisk politi i hittil ukjente dokumenter om hvordan landets kritikere i inn- og utland skal holdes i sjakk av myndighetene. Kina er en av Norges og Europas viktigste handelspartnere og medlem av FNs sikkerhetsråd. Nå avsløres Kinas metoder for å undertrykke i et prosjekt ledet av International

California overtakes Japan to become the world’s fourth-largest economy

California has surpassed Japan to become the world’s fourth-largest economy, Gov. Gavin Newsom said, as he warned of the threat posed by President Donald Trump’s tariffs to the tech powerhouse’s fast-growing wealth. The Golden State’s nominal gross domestic product (GDP) reached $4.1 trillion in 2024, according to preliminary data from the US Bureau of Economic Analysis, edging past Japan’s $4.02

‘Don’t come here’: Warning from the frontlines to Chinese nationals thinking of fighting for Russia

A Chinese man fighting for the Russian Army claims his superiors locked him in a dark steel-barred pit, with barely enough room to stand, for 21 days. His offense, he said, was a dispute with his commander over lifesaving protective gear. Michael, not his real name, said he joined Russia’s fight against Ukraine to “have a taste for military life abroad” but after a brutal year on the frontlines

N Korea confirms it sent troops to fight for Russia in Ukraine war

North Korea has for the first time confirmed that it sent troops to fight for Russia against Ukraine. In a report on state news agency KCNA, Pyongyang's military claimed its soldiers helped Russian forces "completely liberate" the Kursk border region, according to an order given by leader Kim Jong Un. Pyongyang's announcement comes just days after Russian Chief of Staff Valery Gerasimov praised