Torbjørn Færøvik's Blog, page 291

Sri Lanka MPs leave Gotabaya Rajapaksa-led coalition

More than 40 MPs have left Sri Lankan president Gotabaya Rajapaksa's coalition government. MPs from parties aligned with Mr Rajapaksa's Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) led coalition said they would now independently represent themselves. It comes as the South Asian nation is grappling with power cuts and shortages due to an economic and foreign exchange crisis. This has led to mass protests

81-year-old Tibet man dies after self-immolation protest at Kirti Monastery

An 81-year-old Tibetan man has died after a self-immolation protest over Chinese rule, setting himself on fire last week at a police station in front of a major monastery in the western Chinese province of Sichuan, a source from the monastery’s branch in India told RFA late Saturday. The burning death on March 27 of a man identified as Taphun raises to 160 the number of Tibetans confirmed to have

‘Taiwan is not Ukraine’ – but Beijing’s attempt to explain the difference ignores key questions

On the face of it, China’s Xi Jinping and Russia’s Vladimir Putin have a lot in common. Both are ageing all-powerful national leaders, both are survivors of the 20th century’s communist-led revolutions, and both are looking to create legacy projects worthy of their grand ambitions.  That means righting wrongs imposed by the past victories of Western intruders and restoring what was lost to the

Satisfaction with Hong Kong’s press freedom drops to record low, poll finds

Hongkongers’ satisfaction with press freedom and media outlets in the city has dropped to a record low, a poll has found. The Hong Kong Public Opinion Research Institute (HKPORI) published the results of a telephone survey involving 1,004 respondents’ “appraisal of news media.” The survey found that 28 per cent of respondents said they were satisfied with the level of press freedom in Hong Kong,

China’s Position on Ukraine Will Be Determined by Events on the Battlefield

When Moscow ordered tanks to roll into its neighbor’s capital, the world watched with dismay as Beijing stayed silent. The “situation is rather complicated,” read one Foreign Ministry cable to its local embassy; “‘much listening, little speaking’ is necessary.” On the day of the invasion, the Chinese government called for “mutual respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity.” But when the

Shanghai lockdown: Economy shaken by zero-Covid measures

From Tesla's giga factory to a huge Disney resort, many multinational companies have their Chinese foothold in Shanghai. But in recent days the usually bustling financial centre has been stopped in its tracks after a spike in coronavirus cases. With little notice, officials imposed two staggered waves of lockdowns on the city's more than 26m residents. The eastern side of Shanghai has just been

Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam won't seek second term

Hong Kong's leader Carrie Lam announced she would not seek a second term in office after a controversial tenure that has seen many of the territory's civil freedoms eroded. As chief executive, Ms Lam oversaw a turbulent period where massive pro-democracy protests led to greater Chinese control in Hong Kong.Ms Lam, 64, was Beijing's handpicked choice entering office in 2017. On Monday, she told

Sri Lanka: Cabinet resigns as crisis protesters defy curfew

Sri Lanka's cabinet ministers have resigned en masse after protests over the government's handling of the worst economic crisis in decades. All 26 ministers submitted letters of resignation - but not Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa or his brother, President Gotabaya Rajapaksa. Many angry protesters demanding the resignation of the Rajapaksa family say the move is meaningless.On Sunday, many

Imran Khan appears to want to keep power in Pakistan at any cost

Imran Khan’s dramatic move to dissolve Pakistan’s parliament on Sunday morning, ahead of a vote that almost certainly would have removed him from office, reads to many like the desperate actions of a prime minister who will try to hold on to power at any cost.While his repeated allegations of a “foreign conspiracy” and pressure from the US being behind the no-confidence vote has played well to

China blocks use of Tibetan language on learning apps, streaming services

Chinese government restrictions on use of the Tibetan language have now spread to video services and other online platforms, as Beijing continues to push the assimilation of China’s ethnic minorities into the dominant Han Chinese culture, according to Tibetan sources.Following recent Chinese government directives, the China-based language learning app Talkmate and video streaming service Bilibili