Xinjiang

TikTok blamed the removal of the video on a “human moderation error.” But the ordeal has reignited concerns that the Chinese-owned, short video app is censoring US-generated content to appease Beijing.

The children have been unable to speak to their parents in China. No one knows when — or if — the families will be reunited.

Turkey ended several years of conspicuous silence on China's massive incarceration campaign of Uighurs and other Muslims in Xinjiang. Some hope it's a tipping point for other Muslim nations to finally weigh in.

The Chinese government has gone to great lengths to keep a lid on its policies in the northwestern province of Xinjiang, the historic home for the Uighur Muslim population. But the details of what human rights advocates say is a massive crackdown on an entire culture are becoming more widely known.

Owners of Muslim restaurants in a village have been directed to create “eye-catching displays” to promote alcohol and cigarettes during Ramadan. And then there's the beer festival. With prizes.

Even cynics were surprised when a court in China handed moderate Uighur independence advocate Ilham Tohti a life sentence and severe economic penalties on Tuesday. Now observers think the harsh ruling may further stoke tensions and violence in China's Xinjiang province.

China says it's trying to modernize Xinjiang, the region in far western China that's home to the Muslim Uighur minority. It also claims Uighurs may be training with ISIS militants in the Middle East, but locals say its all part of a fear campaign to stamp out their culture and religion.

Uighur Muslims in the city of Karamay are banned from wearing headscarves, having beards or other religiously linked items while using public transportation for the duration of a local sports competition. But the ban may become permanent and stoke tensions between Uighurs and the Chinese government.

Climate change is a big deal, and even those with a close relationship with a higher power look to be ready to take action as well. The Church of England is threatening to put their money where their mouth is. Plus, in Belgium, the government is considering allowing children to request euthanasia.

As Han and Uighur Chinese battled each other in a flare up of ancient ethnic tensions, the Chinese President Hu Jintao had to leave the G8 meeting in Italy to attend to the situation.