Torbjørn Færøvik's Blog, page 353

As Kazakhstan Descends Into Chaos, Crypto Miners Are at a Loss

Last week, chaos engulfed Kazakhstan as protests in the south of the country over a spike in fuel prices resulted in police repression, the removal of former president Nursultan Nazarbayev from his role as head of the security council, and an internet shutdown. Russian-led troops acting under the orders of the CSTO, a military alliance of post-Soviet states, were deployed to the country. The

China’s December exports rose 20.9% from a year ago, slightly more than expected

China’s exports grew slightly more than expected in December, while imports rose less than expected, according to customs data released Friday. Exports rose by 20.9% year-on-year in U.S. dollar-terms, above the 20% increase forecast by a Reuters poll. Imports grew by 19.5% in U.S. dollar-terms, missing expectations of a 26.3% increase. December’s figure also marked a sharp slowdown from November,

Dr. Subhash Kapila: China’s Claims For ‘Chinese Exceptionalism’ Not Acceded Globally

China’s fixative obsession that China with its exponentially increasing military power and economic strengths be globally accorded the geopolitical and strategic status of “Chinese Exceptionalism” was first analysed by me in my Book: ‘China-India Military Confrontation: 21st Century Perspectives’ (2015). It was ruled out then and the reasons advanced earlier are more than valid today.Historically

China Upholds 7-Year Jail Term For Christian Bookstore Owner

An appeal court in China has upheld a seven-year jail term for a Christian online bookstore owner who was sentenced in 2020 on charges of selling Christian religious books illegally. Linhai City Court in Taizhou in Zhejiang province of eastern China dismissed the appeal and confirmed the sentence against Chen Yu, the head of Wheat Bookstore in Taizhou, Bitter Winter reported on Jan. 11.Chen was

US Lays Out Case Against 'Unlawful' China Maritime Claims

The United States on Wednesday laid out its most detailed case yet against Beijing's "unlawful" claims in the South China Sea, rejecting both the geographic and historic bases for its vast, divisive map. In a 47-page research paper, the State Department's Bureau of Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs said China had no basis under international law for claims that have

Chinese woman stuck in blind date's house by sudden Covid lockdown

It was supposed to be a quick get-to-know-you -- but a snap Covidlockdown forced a Chinese woman to stay with her blind date at his house for days on end. The 30-year-old woman, identified only by her surname Wang, went to meet her blind date for a home-cooked dinner on January 6 in her hometown of Zhengzhou, a city in central China grappling with a coronavirus outbreak."I'm getting old now, my

Why warehouses are Asia's new hot property

They are not glamorous, there are no chandeliers or luxury furnishings, yet warehouses are hot property around the world. But why? In short, it is because businesses, especially retailers, are running out of space to put the many things we order online. Since the pandemic began at the end of 2019, online shopping is estimated to have grown by 43.5% to reach $2.87tn (£2.1tn) globally, almost half

China and Taiwan: A really simple guide to a growing conflict

Pressure between China and Taiwan has been building, with the past year seeing a record number of Chinese warplane incursions sent into Taiwan's air defence zone. At the heart of this is the issue of reunification. China's President Xi Jinping has said "reunification" with Taiwan "must be fulfilled" - and has not ruled out the possible use of force to achieve this. China sees self-ruled Taiwan as

Tibetan monks beaten, arrested for sharing Buddha statue destruction news

Authorities in western China’s Sichuan province are beating and arresting Tibetan monks suspected of informing outside contacts about the destruction of a sacred statue, Tibetan sources say. The 99-foot tall Buddha which stood in Drago (in Chinese, Luhuo) county in the Kardze (Ganzi) Tibetan Autonomous Region was targeted for demolition in December by officials who said the statue had been built

China destroys second revered Tibetan statue in Sichuan

Radio Free Asia has verified the destruction of a second Buddhist statue revered by Tibetans since late last month in western China’s Sichuan province, part of an campaign the ethnic minority says is targeting its religion and traditions. RFA has analyzed commercial satellite imagery to verify the destruction of a three-story statue of Maitreya Buddha at Gaden Namyal Ling monastery in Drago (in