Iran and Europe meet in Istanbul amid threats of sanctions
Iran is currently facing threats of a reimposition of sanctions at the UN security council that were originally lifted under a deal made ten years ago...
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 powerful eruption at Japan’s Shinmoedake volcano sent an ash plume more than 3,000 metres high on Sunday morning, prompting safety warnings from authorities.
According to the German Research Centre for Geosciences (GFZ), a magnitude 5.7 earthquake struck the Oaxaca region of Mexico on Saturday.
The UK is gearing up for Exercise Pegasus 2025, its largest pandemic readiness test since COVID-19. Running from September to November, this full-scale simulation will challenge the country's response to a fast-moving respiratory outbreak.
Kuwait says oil prices will likely stay below $72 per barrel as OPEC monitors global supply trends and U.S. policy signals. The remarks come during market uncertainty fueled by new U.S. tariffs on India and possible sanctions on Russia.
Iran is currently facing threats of a reimposition of sanctions at the UN security council that were originally lifted under a deal made ten years ago.
The Paris prosecutor said on Tuesday it has opened a preliminary investigation into Australian-owned firm Kick following the online death of a French streamer on the livestreaming platform last week.
An overnight blaze has gutted half of the Marshall Islands' parliament building, known as the Nitijela in Majuro. The remaining structure is unusable, with archives, library, chambers, and offices destroyed. Firefighters extinguished the flames, but the nation faces a critical recovery challenge.
A senior Chinese trade delegation led by veteran negotiator Li Chenggang is traveling to Washington this week to restart high-level trade talks with the United States, in what officials describe as a critical step toward stabilizing economic ties between the world’s two largest economies.
Nigel Farage, leader of Britain’s anti-migration Reform UK party, unveiled a sweeping plan on Tuesday to scrap human rights protections and enable mass deportations of asylum seekers, a move he said was necessary to avert “major civil disorder.”
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