Torbjørn Færøvik's Blog, page 1534

Beijing needs a papal line

It is very likely, although not certain, that in the next 10 years, during the
tenure of Chinese president Xi Jinping, Pope Benedict XVI (born in 1927) will
pass away. If so, the Catholic Church, the largest unitary religion in the world
and by far the most influential, will choose another pope. Read more

Truer med å avsløre umoralen til Kinas ledere

En 43 år gammel blogger, Zhu Ruifeng, har sendt sjokkbølger gjennom den kinesiske toppledelsen. Etter å ha offentliggjort en kompromitterende sexvideo med en kinesisk toppolitiker, truer han med å offentliggjøre enda flere. Les mer

Mr. Zhu Ruifeng largely relies on whistle-blowers to funnel damning evidence to him. Through the years, he said, he has exposed 100 officials, bringing down more

China: Not Rising, but "Rejuvenating"

Many talk of China "rising." Chinese view their fortunes as a return to greatness from a "century of humiliation" -- and not a rise from nothing. Read more

Politisjefen kjøpte seg 192 hus

Den korrupte politisjefen kjøpte seg 192 hus ved hjelp av falske ID-papirer. Ennå er han medlem av kommunistpartiet. I det såkalte "folkets Kina" er det meste mulig. Les mer Folk er sinte

Massive property investments by corrupt officials has contributed to a spike in housing prices, making even modest apartments unaffordable for ordinary people.

Norske Midtøsten-forskere romantiserer islam

Midtøstenstudiene er dominert av tidligere venstreradikalere med et verdensbilde som romantiserer den totalitære islamismen, skriver Alexandra Irene Larsen, stipendiat i religionssosiologi ved Universitetet i Agder. Les mer

China is the most dangerous superpower on Earth

Google's executive chairman Eric Schmidt is
brutally clear: China is the most dangerous superpower on Earth. The country is “the world’s most active and enthusiastic
filterer of information” as well as “the most sophisticated and prolific” hacker
of foreign companies. In a world that is becoming increasingly digital, the
willingness of China’s government and state companies to use cyber crime

Come on, India! Show us that freedom can outdo tyranny

How can such poverty, corruption and inequality endure in the world's largest, most diverse democracy? Why is the world's largest democracy apparently doing worse than the world's largest dictatorship? Read more

Tårevåt avskjed med Kambodsjas eks-konge

Flere hundre tusen mennesker samlet seg i Phnom Penhs gater for å ta avskjed med eks-kong Norodom Sihanouk (90), som døde i Beijing i oktober ifjor. Før kremasjonen holdt buddhistmunker en stillferdig seremoni for den døde monarken, som til tross for sine mange politiske feilgrep var populær blant sine egne. Les saken

Bao Tong: "Bring Back Self-Criticism"

A former premier's aide says the ruling Chinese Communist Party must reflect on its own mistakes before it can progress: "Amid all this talk of changing our work style, there is no mention of criticism or of self-criticism. As long as this emblematic practice is shelved, the Party's attempts at self-renewal will not go smoothly. Read more
Reformers Aim to Get China to Live Up to Own Constitution

Kina tar kontroll over viktig havn i Pakistan

Kina skal overta "den operasjonelle kontrollen" med den viktige dypvannshavnen i Gwadar i Pakistan. Utbyggingen av havnen er finansiert med kinesiske penger. Både India og USA er bekymret på grunn av Kinas voksende rolle i Indiahavet. Les mer