Tenzin Younten wanted Tibetans living in the diaspora in Darjeeling, India, to speak in their native language. So, the 19-year-old rapper wrote a song about it. “I saw two Tibetans in my neighborhood communicating in the local dialect [Nepali] and that just triggered me,” Younten, whose stage name is Youns BoB, told Radio Free Asia. “I then thought and decided that I must empower young Tibetans in exile to at least communicate in our own language. So, I went home and wrote the song ‘Speak in Tibetan if You Are…
Month: July 2023
Moral, Personal Stances for Laos and Cambodia Over Cluster Bombs
Bangkok — Southeast Asian countries are warning about the long-term dangers of cluster bombs in Ukraine after the United States sent the explosives to Kyiv earlier this month for use in their drive to recapture territory seized during Russia’s invasion. Russia has been documented using cluster bombs against Ukraine since the beginning of its invasion. Ukraine asked Washington for the munitions, which break apart in midair and scatter smaller explosives, to target Russian troops on its territory. But Cambodia and Laos experts say cluster munitions should never be used because…
U.S. Hunts Chinese Malware That Could Disrupt American Military Operations
The Biden administration is hunting for malicious computer code it believes China has hidden deep inside the networks controlling power grids, communications systems and water supplies that feed military bases in the United States and around the world, according to American military, intelligence and national security officials. The discovery of the malware has raised fears that Chinese hackers, probably working for the People’s Liberation Army, have inserted code designed to disrupt U.S. military operations in the event of a conflict, including if Beijing moves against Taiwan in coming years. The…
Battery power: how China could take charge of the electric vehicle market
If you bought an electric vehicle in the UK this year, there’s a good chance it was an MG4. The fully electric hatchback, which launched in 2022, sold 5,200 units in the first three months of this year, the second-best selling EV behind Tesla’s Model Y. With prices starting at about £27,000, it is also substantially cheaper than the Tesla at £45,000. And while MG is one of Britain’s most famous car brands – with a century of carmaking in Birmingham until MG Rover’s 2005 collapse – the secret to…
Former Minister’s Disappearance Risks ‘Paralyzing’ China’s System, Analysts Warn
TAIPEI, TAIWAN — Questions about former Chinese foreign minister Qin Gang’s fate remain unanswered after the Chinese government abruptly replaced him with his predecessor, Wang Yi, on Tuesday. Analysts say the opaque nature of his removal will reduce global confidence in China and increase uncertainties that eventually may paralyze China’s governance system. “China’s system is compromised,” Alfred Wu, an expert on Chinese politics at the National University of Singapore, or NUS, told VOA. “When the checks and balances in the system are gone, it will force China to depend entirely…
Human rights lawyer fleeing China is arrested in Laos
A Chinese rights lawyer stripped of his licence for taking on sensitive cases has been arrested in Laos, and activists and family members are worried he will be deported back to China, where he could be jailed. Lu Siwei was seized by Laotian police on Friday morning while boarding a train for Thailand. He was on his way to Bangkok to catch a flight to the US to join his wife and daughter. “I’m extremely worried for his safety,” said his wife, Zhang Chunxiao, in a text message. “If he’s…
US and Australia insist political tussle will not damage submarine deal
Receive free Aukus updates We’ll send you a myFT Daily Digest email rounding up the latest Aukus news every morning. US and Australian officials have rejected concerns that a political fight in Washington could damage Canberra’s efforts to procure nuclear-powered submarines as agreed in the landmark 2021 Aukus deal. US secretary of state Antony Blinken said on Saturday in Brisbane that there was “robust bipartisan support” for Aukus, a trilateral agreement that includes the UK and is designed to counter China in the Indo-Pacific. Blinken’s comments, which followed an annual…
China and North Korea reaffirm close ties amid armistice anniversary
“No matter how the international storm changes, safeguarding, consolidating and developing relations between China and North Korea will always be a firm policy direction of the Chinese Communist Party and the government,” Chinese state news agency Xinhua quoted Xi as saying. The reception for the Chinese delegation was attended by prominent figures from the North Korean regime, including Kim’s sister Kim Yo-jong, according to the KCNA report. 02:22 North Korea’s Kim Jong-un oversees Korean war parade alongside Russian and Chinese officials The Xinhua report said Li told Kim that China…
Typhoon Doksuri makes landfall in eastern China causing floods and landslides – video
Typhoon Doksuri made landfall in eastern China on Friday, leaving a trail of destruction in its wake. Large parts of Fujian province were battered by torrential rains, powerful winds and widespread flooding. Footage released by state TV showed entire streets under water, as rescue workers attempted to pull people to safety. An official with Fujian province’s disaster agency said at least 800,000 people were affected by the floods and an additional 416,000 people in Fujian had already been evacuated. Doksuri is the most powerful typhoon to hit Fujian province since…
Typhoon Doksuri: thousands evacuated from Beijing as storm hits northern China
Rain soaked northern China on Saturday as Doksuri, one of the strongest storms to hit the country in years, prompted thousands to evacuate in Beijing after pummelling the Philippines and Taiwan and lashing China’s coast. A broad area encompassing the capital faces a medium to high risk of rainstorm disasters over the coming three days, China’s national forecaster said. Thunderstorms in the capital were forecast to peak on Saturday. As the storm rolls inland, cumulative rainfall of 100mm (4in) or more was forecast over 220,000 sq km (85,000 square miles),…