Blog Band – Page 20 – Fridayeveryday

Be careful, Taiwan: which US ally meets a good end?

In the game of geopolitics, Ukraine is on its way to being an abandoned pawn. The people of Taiwan need to take note, warns Dr. Wilson Chan. THE U.S. GOVERNMENT, under the guise of promoting “democracy” and “human rights”, helps the wicked perpetuate wicked deeds. Now, its approval rating is hitting an all-time low. It…

January 11, 20240Comments ByWilson Chan

When Giganto walked the earth – and why he disappeared

A GIANT PRIMATE called Giganto walked the earth for millions of years, but died out when its food source became scarce, scientists said this week. The massive creature was twice the height of humans, at three meters tall, and weighed as much as three or four people, at 200 to 300 kilograms. Details emerged from…

January 11, 20240Comments ByNury Vittachi

Culture

Van Gogh’s iconic painting exhibited in Hong Kong

A MASTERPIECE BY Vincent Van Gogh (梵高), Long Grass with Butterflies (長草地與蝴蝶), together with dozens of classic landscape paintings by famous western painters, are being exhibited in Hong Kong for the first time. Art lovers can now visit a western painting exhibition called “Botticelli to Van Gogh: Masterpieces from The National Gallery” at the…

January 11, 20240Comments ByH.C. Lu

Hong Kong News News Opinion

The curious case of the police ID badges

Rule of Law? Or rule by judges? Do police officers have human rights? What has a case about police officers’ identification numbers got to do with a law against torture? These questions had curious answers in 2020 declaratory judgments in Hong Kong. Henry Litton looks back at some unusual legal logic. A PRINCIPAL TENET of…

January 7, 20240Comments ByHenry Litton

News Opinion

Will the Gaza war amplify conflict for another 50 years?

If brutal ruthlessness against civilians engenders long-running wars, then Israel's merciless campaign in Gaza is seriously bad news for any hope of peace for decades - or even half a century, warns one senior military specialist. Richard Cullen reports. BEN WALLACE WAS THE UK defence secretary from 2019 to 2023. Originally appointed by…

January 4, 20240Comments ByRichard Cullen

Culture

A herdsman in Tibet just won a top literary prize

A FORMER HERDSMAN on the remote Qinghai-Tibet steppes has won a top literary prize in China—even though he left school at the age of 12. Suonan Cairang (索南才讓) first encountered modern storytelling as a child—when people set up tents in which rural people could watch videos. The organizers would sometimes play the videos so loud…

December 29, 20230Comments ByEmily Zhou

Hong Kong News News Opinion

Why is Hong Kong’s recent same-sex marriage case a western debate?

A recent court case over same-sex marriage in Hong Kong was troubling; Not because it argued in favor or against such a development, but because it was based on a law that said nothing whatsoever on the subject. Furthermore, the debate spun itself off into areas that were clearly part of a very western discussion…

December 28, 20230Comments ByHenry Litton

Chinese history Culture

The quiet Taoist who stood up to legendary slaughterer Genghis Khan

AS CHINESE AND other diplomats urge a halt to brutal wars raging in Israel and elsewhere today, this may be a good time to remember one of the most extraordinary meetings between a peacemaker and a ruthless warrior. The two characters in this story are Qiu Chuji (丘處機), a Taoist master, and Genghis Khan, the…

December 28, 20230Comments ByEmily Zhou

Chinese history Culture News

Business cards found, 18 centuries old

ARCHAEOLOGISTS FOUND wooden business cards 18 centuries old, it was revealed this week. Searching in ruins and abandoned wells in Chenzhou, Hunan province, they located nearly 10,000 thin wooden strips. These would have been ordinary throwaway documents at the time they were written—but today provide a priceless window into how people lived 1,800 years ago,…

December 28, 20230Comments ByNury Vittachi

Hong Kong News News Opinion

Is the separation of powers a dead letter in Hong Kong?

Critics say that it has become harder to become a District Councillor in Hong Kong. But that was precisely the point. When we look at the dramatic change in the council's activities in recent years, the alterations make sense, say some observers. Nevertheless, the recent legal challenge to the revisions was problematic, as…

December 18, 20230Comments ByHenry Litton

Be careful, Taiwan: which US ally meets a good end?

When Giganto walked the earth – and why he disappeared

Van Gogh’s iconic painting exhibited in Hong Kong

The curious case of the police ID badges

Will the Gaza war amplify conflict for another 50 years?

A herdsman in Tibet just won a top literary prize

Why is Hong Kong’s recent same-sex marriage case a western debate?

The quiet Taoist who stood up to legendary slaughterer Genghis Khan

Business cards found, 18 centuries old

Is the separation of powers a dead letter in Hong Kong?

FAQ: Is Hong Kong’s ‘Friday’ news project a commie plot from Beijing?

Hong Kong now has world’s top insurance penetration rate

Space: a new business frontier is opening up over our heads