Torbjørn Færøvik's Blog, page 306

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

How Russia's disinformation on Ukraine is spreading to democratic Taiwan, via China

Russian and Chinese disinformation about Ukraine, which is ideologically linked to ruling Chinese Communist Party (CCP) propaganda on Taiwan, is breaking through into online discourse on the democratic island, a fact-checking organization based there has said. According to Taiwan's Information Operations Research Group (IORG), which seeks to "counter authoritarian expansion with scientific

Shanghai’s Quarantine System Strained by Flood of Cases

As Shanghai fights China’s largest COVID-19 outbreak since the first wave, tens of thousands of people with mild or no symptoms are waiting in exhibition centers, stadiums, and empty apartment buildings. Isolating mild and asymptomatic cases to prevent transmission is a pillar of China’s “COVID zero” strategy. But with nearly 37,000 cases logged in March, Shanghai is struggling to find places to

COVID-19 cases rise in Shanghai with millions under lockdown

COVID-19 cases in China’s largest city of Shanghai are still rising as millions remain isolated at home under a sweeping lockdown. Health officials on Sunday reported 438 confirmed cases detected over the previous 24 hours, along with 7,788 asymptomatic cases. Both figures were up slightly from the day before. While small by the standards of some countries, the daily case numbers are some of the

Sri Lanka is in an economic crisis. Here's what it's like for people on the ground

For three straight nights last week, Upul took to the streets of Sri Lanka's capital city holding a candle or a placard as he protested the country's worst economic crisis in decades. Like his neighbors, he was frustrated by the more than 10-hour power cuts that plunged Colombo into darkness, and a shortage of gas to cook with that made it hard for his family to eat.Then on Thursday -- the fourth

Sri Lanka imposes curfew and blocks social media amid protests

Sri Lanka's government has blocked access to social media and imposed a 36-hour curfew, following protests against food and fuel shortages. President Gotabaya Rajapaksa issued a notice prohibiting anyone from being on any public road, in a park, on trains, or on the seashore, unless they have written permission from the authorities. The curfew began at dusk on Saturday.The social media sites

‘Cornered tiger’ Imran Khan makes last-ditch bid to cling to political power

Standing before tens of thousands of supporters, waving flags bearing his party’s red and green logo, Imran Khan railed against the “foreign conspiracy” to dislodge his government. Supporters had travelled from across the country for the rally last weekend, pouring into the capital, Islamabad, in cars and buses to express their support as Khan fights for his political life. “Funding is being

Shanghai ports continue to receive international ships as normal, but surrounding provinces and cities are rejecting container trucks from the city

As Shanghai shuts down, one half at a time, factories across east China are facing a wave of canceled and delayed shipments. The port of Shanghai, the world’s largest by trading volume according to the World Shipping Council, is continuing to load and unload ships, but getting containers into the city is another story as many neighboring cities restrict travel from Shanghai.Truck drivers trying