Torbjørn Færøvik's Blog, page 124

Tibetan netizens mourn death of ‘patriotic singer’ Lobsang

Popular Tibetan singer Lobsang, who was frequently detained and interrogated by Chinese authorities for music that was patriotic and critical of Chinese policies, has died following a prolonged illness, according to two sources, one in Tibet and one in exile. He was 39.Lobsang, who became famous at a young age and produced eight albums, died on Feb. 18 of a liver disease at a hospital in the city

Prominent Uyghur historian sentenced to 17 years in prison

 A prominent Uyghur historian and expert in Uyghur place names is serving a 17-year prison sentence for his writings, people with knowledge of the situation said. Ghojaniyaz Yollugh Tekin, 59, was an educator at the Aksu Education Institute in the city of Aksu in the north of China’s far-western Xinjiang region. His research and publications focused on Uyghur toponymy — the linguistic

Commercial airlines warned as Chinese navy holds live fire exercise off Australia

Airlines have been contacted by Australia’s air traffic control agency warning them of reports of live fire off the country’s east coast where a Chinese navy task group has been operating, the agency and Australian officials said. A People’s Liberation Army Navy frigate, cruiser and replenishment vessel last week entered Australia’s maritime approaches, and travelled down Australia’s east coast

Hong Kong's main opposition party announces plan to dissolve

The leaders of Hong Kong's Democratic Party have announced plans to dissolve what was once the city's largest opposition group. Members will soon vote on the final decision on whether to shut down the 31-year-old party, chairman Lo Kin-hei said. The party has been struggling to survive following moves by China to crack down on dissent in the city in the wake of the 2019 protests. Beijing and Hong

What does Jack Ma's return to the spotlight mean?

A meeting between Chinese president Xi Jinping and some of the country's foremost business leaders this week has fuelled excitement and speculation, after Alibaba founder Jack Ma was pictured at the event. The charismatic and colourful Mr Ma, who was one of China's most prominent businessmen, had withdrawn from public life after criticising China's financial sector in 2020.His reappearance at

South Korea’s Yoon attends first trial hearing for insurrection

South Korea’s impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol appeared in a Seoul court on Thursday for his first trial hearing on charges of insurrection in the country’s first criminal prosecution of an incumbent leader. Last month prosecutors indicted Yoon after accusing him of leading an insurrection with his short-lived imposition of martial law on December 3.A justice ministry motorcade took Yoon from

World’s most populous nation saw a ‘staggering’ rise in hate speech last year, report says

India’s religious minorities have faced a “staggering” rise in hate speech over the past year, including from top leaders of the ruling Hindu nationalist party of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, according to a report released Monday.The number of hate speech incidents targeting Muslim and Christian minorities rose to 1,165 in 2024 from 668 the year prior, a 74% increase, according to a report from

Report: The Chinese People’s Liberation Army in 2025

As a “partial power,” China will have significant limitations on its ability to project economic, military, and ideational power outside Asia and to force major changes in international rules and norms on a reluctant United States by 2025, even under the most optimistic assumptions about alternative futures. The ability of the U.S. to maintain its own economic growth, continue technological

China’s foreign investment sank in January. Can Beijing turn things around?

Inbound investment in China plummeted to a four-year low in January, as the world’s second-largest economy grapples with a flurry of headwinds. The Ministry of Commerce reported on Wednesday that 97.6 billion yuan ($13.4 billion) in foreign direct investment was utilized last month, a 13% drop from the same period last year.The weak start to the year came after a steep plunge of 27.1% in total

What China fears most about Trump’s turn toward Russia

US President Donald Trump’s push to end the war in Ukraine appears poised to hand key concessions to Russia, leaving Kyiv and its European supporters on the sidelines as they face the prospect of a peace deal made over their heads. But they aren’t the only major players grappling with the fallout of Trump’s pivot to Russia that has upended years of US foreign policy in a burst of rapid-fire