(Al Jazeera Media Network) Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has signed a bill that takes control of a special tax district surrounding Walt Disney World that for a half-century allowed Walt Disney Co. to operate with a high degree of autonomy.
“The corporate kingdom finally comes to an end,” DeSantis said on Monday.
State Republicans last year targeted Disney after it publicly clashed with DeSantis, who is widely considered to be running for United States president in 2024,...
(BBC News) Canada will ban video app TikTok from all government-issued devices starting on Tuesday.
The decision follows a review by Canada's chief information officer, and the app "presents an unacceptable level of risk to privacy and security," a government spokesperson said in a statement.
A TikTok spokesperson said the company was disappointed by the decision.
It comes just days after the European Commission announced a similar ban.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said there was enough concern about...
(BBC News) At least 59 migrants, including 12 children, have died, and dozens more are feared missing after their boat sank in rough seas off southern Italy. The vessel broke apart while trying to land near the coastal town of Crotone in the Calabria region. Survivors said at least 150 people were aboard. Many of them were fleeing difficult conditions, Italy's president said.
Interior Minister Matteo Piantedosi, who visited the scene, said as many as 30 people...
(Al Jazeera Media Network) China has released its much-anticipated position paper on the Russia-Ukraine war, in which it calls for a ceasefire and talks between the two parties.
Conflict and war “benefit no one”, China said on Friday in the 12-point paper, timed to coincide with the first anniversary of Russia’s invasion of neighbouring Ukraine.
“All parties must stay rational and exercise restraint, avoid fanning the flames and aggravating tensions, and prevent the crisis from deteriorating...
(BBC News) Canadian privacy protection regulators have launched an investigation into TikTok over its collection of users' data.
The video-sharing platform, owned by Chinese giant ByteDance, has come under scrutiny over concerns that it hands information to Beijing.
Canada's move comes after European Commission staff were ordered to remove the app to "protect" the institution.
TikTok said privacy is "a top priority."
Canada's Office of the Privacy Commissioner said it had launched the probe into TikTok alongside provincial privacy regulators...
(BBC News) A fierce winter storm has caused widespread disruptions in the U.S., while southeastern parts of the country brace for record-high temperatures.
As of Wednesday, about 75 million people in 28 states have been placed under winter weather alerts.
Blizzards in the Dakotas, Minnesota, and Wisconsin have forced many schools and businesses to close.
Meanwhile, high temperatures in Washington DC are expected to break a nearly 150-year-old record.
Some parts of the U.S. will be 100F (38C)...
(BBC News) Vladimir Putin has sharpened his vitriol towards the West as U.S. President Joe Biden, fresh from a visit to Kyiv, praised western democracy for standing up to naked Russian aggression.
In a week heavy with events ahead of Friday's anniversary of Russia's Ukraine invasion, Putin spoke first.
The West had enabled Nazi Germany, he claimed, and had turned Ukraine into a neo-Nazi regime that was "anti-Russia".
Hours later, Biden said autocrats understood only one word:...
(Al Jazeera Media Network) At least eight Nigerian police officers have been killed in attacks by suspected rebels in the country’s southeast just days ahead of presidential elections.
The killings come as more than 90 million people are registered to vote this Saturday to elect a successor to Nigeria’s President Muhammadu Bihari, who is stepping down after two terms in office.
Four officers were killed in an attack on a police station in Anambra state on Monday,...
(BBC News) Russia's economy shrank last year by less than had been expected given its invasion of Ukraine, figures suggest.
The economy contracted by 2.1%, according to the country's statistics agency, but this was less than an earlier prediction of a 12% fall.
While questions have been raised about the reliability of the data, many commentators have been surprised at the Russian economy's resilience.
High oil prices and military spending have helped to support the economy.
After the...
(Al Jazeera Media Network) North Korea launched a long-range ballistic missile into the sea off Japan’s west coast after warning of a strong response to upcoming military drills by South Korea and the United States.
Japanese authorities said the missile plunged into waters today (Saturday) inside Japan’s exclusive economic zone (EEZ), more than an hour after it was launched, suggesting the weapon was one of Pyongyang’s largest missiles.
“North Korea fires an unidentified ballistic missile into (the) East...
