Australia and UK seal Geelong Treaty to anchor AUKUS nuclear submarine pact
Australia and the United Kingdom have signed a landmark 50-year treaty to cement their partnership under the AUKUS nuclear submarine programme....
The Democratic Republic of Congo and M23 rebels issued identical statements on Wednesday pledging to pursue peace after more than a week of talks in Qatar, where violence and mutual distrust dominated the agenda.
“Both parties reaffirm their commitment to an immediate cessation of hostilities,” the statement read. It also condemned hate speech and intimidation, calling on local communities to uphold peace efforts.
But frustrations remain. Sources from both sides said talks were slowed by disputes over confidence-building measures—especially the release of Congo-held prisoners linked to M23 and Rwanda.
“They are asking for too much,” said a Congo government source.
“Our justice system is independent. Some people must pay.”
A source from the rebel coalition said the issue derailed efforts toward deeper negotiations. The delegations left Doha earlier this week.
Despite that, diplomats say Qatar pushed both parties to agree on the joint statement, raising faint hopes of progress in a conflict that has lasted decades.
M23 launched an unprecedented advance in January, seizing eastern Congo’s two largest cities. The offensive killed thousands and raised fears of a wider regional war.
Qatar’s mediation follows a surprise meeting it brokered last month between Congolese President Félix Tshisekedi and Rwandan President Paul Kagame. Both called for a ceasefire. It was the first step toward direct dialogue between Kinshasa and M23—long dismissed by Congo as a terrorist group.
Rwanda denies backing the rebels. Congo, the UN, and Western governments say otherwise.
On Wednesday, a UN source confirmed fresh fighting in Walikale, a strategic mining hub that M23 vacated earlier this month in what it called a goodwill gesture.
“This is a crucial step towards ending the violence,” Belgian Foreign Minister Maxime Prévot said.
Still, no date has been set for further talks.
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Australian researchers have created a groundbreaking “biological AI” platform that could revolutionise drug discovery by rapidly evolving molecules within mammalian cells.
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A series of earthquakes have struck Guatemala on Tuesday afternoon, leading authorities to advise residents to evacuate from buildings as a precaution against possible aftershocks.
The U.S. economy faces a 40% risk of recession in the second half of 2025, JP Morgan analysts said on Wednesday, citing rising tariffs and stagflation concerns.
Australia and the United Kingdom have signed a landmark 50-year treaty to cement their partnership under the AUKUS nuclear submarine programme.
U.S. President Donald Trump said on Saturday he was speaking with the leaders of Thailand and Cambodia to press for a ceasefire as border fighting entered its third day.
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Beijing has issued a geological disaster alert for most of the city after intense rainfall triggered fears of landslides and flash floods. Nearby Baoding saw more than a year's worth of rain fall in just eight hours, displacing thousands and breaking historical records.
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