(Al Jazeera Media Network) The Ukraine crisis seems to be driven by an invisible hand pushing for the protraction and escalation of the conflict, according to China’s Foreign Minister Qin Gang.
The “invisible hand” is “using the Ukraine crisis to serve certain geopolitical agendas,” Qin said at a press conference on the sidelines of the country’s annual parliamentary meeting in Beijing.
He called for dialogue to begin as soon as possible.
“Conflict, sanctions, and pressure will not...
(Al Jazeera Media Network) A massive fire raced through a crammed refugee camp for Rohingya people in southern Bangladesh, leaving thousands homeless, a fire official and the United Nations said.
At least 2,000 huts were damaged or burned by the fire that broke out on Sunday, officials from the Balukhali fire department told Al Jazeera.
The blaze hit Camp 11 in Cox’s Bazar, a border district where more than one million Rohingya refugees live, with most...
(BBC News) China will increase military spending by more than 7% this year, while warning of "escalating" threats.
It was announced at the National People's Congress (NPC), a rubber-stamp parliament, which is due to confirm President Xi Jinping's third term.
Beijing's stated military budget of around $225 billion is still dwarfed by that of the United States, which is about four times greater.
But analysts believe China downplays how much it spends on defence.
Outgoing Premier Li Keqiang...
(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...
