Chinese killed in blast in Karachi

 Three Chinese nationals and their Pakistani driver were killed in an explosion in the southern city of Karachi, police say.

The blast ripped through their van, injuring at least four others near the university’s Confucius Institute.

Police have yet to determine the cause of the blast – but the separatist Baloch Liberation Army said the van was attacked by a female suicide bomber.

The group opposes Chinese investment in Pakistan, saying locals do not benefit.

If confirmed, it would be the first time an attack by the group has been carried out by a female militant.

The group has targeted Chinese nationals on a number of occasions, as has the Pakistani Taliban.

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Bitcoin becomes official currency in Central African Republic

 The Central African Republic has approved Bitcoin as legal tender – just the second country to do so.

CAR is one of the world’s poorest countries, but is rich in diamonds, gold and uranium.

It has been wracked by conflict for decades and is a close Russian ally, with mercenaries from the Wagner Group helping fight rebel forces.

Lawmakers voted unanimously to adopt Bitcoin as legal tender, said a statement from the CAR presidency.

The move puts CAR “on the map of the world’s boldest and most visionary countries”, it said.

El Salvador became the first country to adopt Bitcoin as an official currency in September 2021 – a move criticised by many economists, including the international Monetary Fund.

CAR currently uses the French-backed CFA franc as its currency, along with most other former French colonies in Africa.

Some see the adoption of Bitcoin as an attempt to undermine the CFA, amid a contest for influence over the resource-rich country between Russia and France.

“The context, given the systemic corruption and a Russian partner facing international sanctions, does encourage suspicion,” French analyst Thierry Vircoulon told the AFP news agency.

CAR abstained from condemning Russia in the UN General Assembly

The CAR has suffered from ongoing conflict since its independence in 1960.

In 2013, mainly Muslim rebels seized control of the largely Christian country. Self-defence militias were formed to fight back, leading to widespread massacres along sectarian lines.

After President Faustin-Archange Touadéra came to office in 2016, the country started shifting its strategic alliance from France towards Russia.

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