Torbjørn Færøvik's Blog, page 278

Female suicide bomber behind Karachi attack that killed 3 Chinese citizens: police

Three teachers from China and a driver have been killed in a suspected suicide bombing near a Chinese language learning center in Pakistan's largest city, Karachi.The four were in a van near the University of Karachi's Confucius Institute when the blast ripped through the vehicle on Tuesday evening, Pakistan's Interior Minister Rana Sana Ullah told CNN. A female suicide bomber was responsible for

China's Xi calls for 'all-out' infrastructure splurge to rescue economy

China is about to embark on a new infrastructure spending spree in a bid to fix an economy nearing breaking point because of Covid lockdowns. President Xi Jinping told a meeting of senior economic officials Tuesday that "all out efforts" must be made to boost construction to increase domestic demand and promote growth. He said that the nation's infrastructure was still "incompatible" with the

Five Chinese Companies Have Suspended Business in Russia

The number of Chinese companies that have suspended operations in the Russian market has now reached five, following drone maker DJI's decision to halt business activities in Russia and Ukraine this week.DJI's civilian drones are used by both Russian and Ukrainian forces in their ongoing conflict, aiding operations ranging from general battlefield surveillance to precise artillery targeting. The

U.S. Navy Riles China by Sailing Destroyer Near Taiwan

A U.S. Navy warship sailed through the Taiwan Strait on Tuesday in a now regular exercise that China has decried as "provocative." The 7th Fleet, headquartered in Japan, said the Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Sampson conducted a "routine Taiwan Strait transit" on April 26, sailing "through international waters in accordance with international law." The operation "demonstrates

As Pakistan and Iran Face Afghan Unrest, Militants Wage War on China's Ties

As Pakistan and Iran grapple with growing unrest exploited by militants groups operating in Afghanistan, the separatist Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) has declared war on Chinese presence in the Balochistan region, which sits at the heart of Asia and China's economic interests at the center of the continent. In the latest eruption of violence to beset Pakistan since the Taliban took over

Shanghai's 'Zero-COVID' Lockdown Gets Metal Barriers: 'So Disrespectful'

Authorities in Shanghai, China, have erected metal barriers as part of the city's ongoing fight against COVID-19 outbreaks, sparking fresh backlash from residents. The green barriers recently went up around residential buildings in the city, Reuters reported on Sunday. Workers in white hazmat suits were spotted erecting the two-meter high fences, further sealing off blocks of housing and even

Professor Seth D. Kaplan: Should We Sanction China Too?

The State Department's recently released annual human rights report once again condemned China's abuses. It reiterates that the Chinese government is committing genocide against the Uyghur Muslims in Xinjiang and subjecting them to forced labor, forced sterilization and arbitrary imprisonment. Meanwhile, Beijing is leveraging its economic heft to build up its military so as to challenge America's

Foreign investors are ditching China. Russia's war is the latest trigger

Investors are ditching China on an unprecedented scale as a cocktail of political and business risks, and rising interest rates elsewhere, make the world's second biggest economy a less attractive place to keep their money.China witnessed $17.5 billion worth of portfolio outflows last month, an all-time high, according to most recent data from the Institute of International Finance (IIF). The

'Voices of April': China's internet erupts in protest against censorship of Shanghai lockdown video

The shouts of locked-down residents demanding basic necessities, the cries of babies separated from their parents in quarantine, the pleas of a son repeatedly rejected by hospitals to treat his critically ill father, and the sobs of an exhausted local official who admits there is "no good policy" coming from higher authorities for her to explain to residents.These voices, charged with raw

This is the video Chinese censors don't want you to see or share

Voices charged with raw frustration, agony and desperation are among the montage of audio recordings featured in "Voices of April," a video documenting the harsh impact of Shanghai's nearly month-long lockdown. CNN's David Culver reports.Video