Torbjørn Færøvik's Blog, page 98

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

China, Philippines raise rival flags on disputed South China Sea sandbank

China and the Philippines have staged rival flag-raising displays on a contested sandbank in the South China Sea, further escalating tensions between the two nations. The standoff occurred at Sandy Cay, near the Philippines’ outpost of Thitu Island, right when the U.S. and the Philippines launched their annual “Balikatan” military drills, which for the first time include an integrated air and

Hong Kong frees 4 former lawmakers jailed for subversion

Hong Kong authorities on Tuesday freed four former lawmakers who each spent more than four years in prison for their part in staging an unofficial primary election in 2020, local media reported. Claudia Mo, Jeremy Tam, Kwok Ka-ki and Gary Fan were among 47 activists arrested for the election activities. Only two of the 47 were acquitted after a grueling 118-day trial that ended in November 2024

Chinese man who displayed pro-democracy banners in detention: sources

Chinese authorities have detained a young man for unfurling pro-democracy banners this month at an overpass in Chengdu in southwest China – a rare form of public protest that is punishable as a criminal offence, two sources told Radio Free Asia Authorities are investigating whether Mei Shilin, 27, had any overseas connections and have taken criminal detention measures against him, said the two

Torbjørn Færøvik: "Ja, jeg var Pol Pots bror"

Takk Gud, jeg slapp å møte Pol Pot. Men min ettermiddagsstund med massemorderens yngre bror ble ganske hyggelig. I bakgrunnen sov en fredelig hund, og i palmekronene rusket en lett bris. «Sett deg ned, så skal jeg fortelle deg alt», sa han og halte fram tre kubbestoler; den tredje var til tolken min, Keo.Pol Pot huskes som en av historiens store forbrytere. I løpet av sine tre og et halvt år ved

US Doubles Stealth Jets Presence Near China

The United States has dispatched a second group of stealth fighter jets to Kadena Air Base in Japan, reinforcing its air power to counter China in the contested western Pacific Ocean. Kadena Air Base, located on the island of Okinawa, is the closest U.S. air base to Taiwan, with a distance of 370 miles. China has long threatened to use force against the self-ruled island of Taiwan, claiming it is