Dutch vote in test of European populism's reach
Dutch voters headed to the polls on Wednesday to decide whether to continue the anti-immigration nationalism championed by populist leader Geert Wilde...
The United States has begun discussions with the Cook Islands to survey and potentially develop seabed minerals in the archipelago’s vast exclusive economic zone, a step that could reshape strategic competition with China in the South Pacific.
The State Department said on Tuesday that the two governments had “begun discussions … to support the research necessary to inform seabed exploration and responsible development within the Cook Islands Exclusive Economic Zone.”
It added that U.S-linked companies “sit at the forefront” of deep-sea mineral research in the territory.
Washington’s initiative follows a “strategic partnership” the Cook Islands signed with China earlier this year, which covered areas from deep-sea mining to scholarships but specifically ruled out security ties. Western capitals have grown increasingly anxious about Beijing’s economic reach in Pacific island states that control more than 15 million sq km of ocean.
A U.S. official said the talks aimed to ensure that any mining of cobalt- and nickel-rich polymetallic nodules is carried out “to the highest environmental standards”, although the Cook Islands has yet to license full-scale extraction. Independent studies estimate the Pacific seabed could supply more than 20 % of the world’s demand for battery metals by 2040.
Home to about 15,000 people, the Cook Islands has been self-governing in free association with New Zealand since 1965, with King Charles III as head of state. In June, New Zealand suspended several million New Zealand dollars in budget support, citing concern at the island group’s deepening ties with Beijing.
The State Department did not set a timetable for the research programme but said any future commercial activity would require “transparent regulation and strong scientific data.”
Cook Islands Prime Minister Mark Brown, who also holds the mining portfolio, has previously said seabed resources could diversify an economy reliant on tourism, which accounts for more than half of GDP.
A small, silent object from another star is cutting through the Solar System. It’s real, not a film, and one scientist thinks it might be sending a message.
At least 69 people have died and almost 150 injured following a powerful 6.9-magnitude earthquake off the coast of Cebu City in the central Visayas region of the Philippines, officials said, making it one of the country’s deadliest disasters this year.
A tsunami threat was issued in Chile after a magnitude 7.8 earthquake struck the Drake Passage on Friday. The epicenter was located 135 miles south of Puerto Williams on the north coast of Navarino Island.
The war in Ukraine has reached a strategic impasse, and it seems that the conflict will not be solved by military means. This creates a path toward one of two alternatives: either a “frozen” phase that can last indefinitely or a quest for a durable political regulation.
A shooting in Nice, southeastern France, left two people dead and five injured on Friday, authorities said.
Dutch voters headed to the polls on Wednesday to decide whether to continue the anti-immigration nationalism championed by populist leader Geert Wilders, who collapsed the previous conservative coalition after two turbulent years, or to steer the country back towards the political centre.
The British government announced on Wednesday that it had struck a series of trade and investment agreements worth $8.6 billion with Saudi Arabia, marking a major step in the UK’s efforts to boost economic relations across the Gulf.
U.S. Secretary of Defence Pete Hegseth on Wednesday urged Japan to move swiftly on its plan to raise defence spending but said he had not made any specific requests regarding the scale of the increase during talks with his Japanese counterpart.
Start your day informed with AnewZ Morning Brief: here are the top news stories for 29 October, covering the latest developments you need to know.
U.S. President Donald Trump arrived in South Korea on the final stop of his Asia tour, seeking breakthroughs on trade talks with Seoul and Beijing as President Lee Jae Myung rolled out a lavish welcome featuring the nation’s highest honour and a symbolic golden crown.
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