(SciDev.net) Researchers in South Africa are feeling the effects of the country's continuing power cuts and fear for the impact the electricity crisis is having on their research output. The crisis is due to aging infrastructure, poor management by state-owned power utility Eskom, poor investment in the power sector, and limited energy sources
Eskom Holdings SOC Ltd., South Africa's main energy provider, has been implementing what is termed load shedding, by imposing power cuts for a number of hours...
(Al Jazeera Media Network) Colombia’s Defence Minister Ivan Velasquez and the commander of its armed forces, Helder Giraldo, have landed in Caqueta province to seek the release of dozens of police officers and oilfield workers taken hostage during deadly protests.
At least 79 police officers and nine oilfield workers have been held since Thursday, as protesters demand that the oil company Emerald Energy invest in surrounding rural communities.
An officer and civilian died in confrontations between riot police...
(BBC News) U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken has told his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov to "end this war of aggression" against Ukraine.
The remarks are the first Blinken has made face to face to Lavrov since the start of Russia's invasion more than a year ago.
The two met briefly on the sidelines of the G20 summit in India's capital Delhi on Thursday.
Blinken raised the case of Paul Whelan, a U.S. citizen detained in Russia.
A...
One of Greece's worst rail disasters, which claimed at least 43 lives, was due to "tragic human error," the country's prime minister has said.
PM Kyriakos Mitsotakis spoke after visiting the site of Tuesday night's head-on collision between a passenger service and a freight train.
The local stationmaster has been charged with manslaughter. The Greek transport minister has resigned.
Rescue teams are continuing to search for survivors.
The accident happened just before midnight on Tuesday. The passenger train...
(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)...
