Inside Australia’s billion-dollar bid to take on China’s rare earth dominance

Drive three hours north of Perth, and you’ll arrive in Eneabba – barren and desolate, just the odd hill in the distance.

This is Western Australia mining territory. Buried in this vast terrain is a massive pit, full of what looks like mounds of worthless dirt.

But…[Read more]

German economists disappointed by Merz government’s slow reforms, survey shows

Economists in Germany say the new government’s lack of structural reforms, particularly to curb pensions costs, poses long term problems for Germany, even though a massive spending program will boost the economy in the short run.
Germany’s anaemic economy could be…[Read more]

European leaders comment on teleconference with Trump on Ukraine

Donald Trump joined a teleconference with European leaders including Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy on Wednesday, two days before the U.S. leader is due to hold a summit in Alaska with Russia’s Vladimir Putin to discuss how to end the war in Ukraine.

UKRAINIAN PRESIDENT…[Read more]

Germany: Chancellor Friedrich Merz marks 100 days in office

Friedrich Merz has begun curbing irregular immigration and shaping foreign policy, while cracks are appearing in his government.

Germany’s largest-circulation tabloid, Bild, has passed judgment on Chancellor Friedrich Merz : “The solitary chancellor explains his biggest mistake,” the…[Read more]

Macron admits France waged a repressive war in Cameroon during its decolonization

In a letter, President Emmanuel Macron cited a report by a joint French-Cameroonian team of historians, which clearly demonstrated that France had waged a ‘war’ in Cameroon, characterized by ‘repressive violence.’

France waged a “war” in Cameroon marked by…[Read more]

UK, France and Germany ready to reimpose sanctions on Iran over nuclear programme

The UK, France and Germany have told the UN they are ready to reimpose sanctions on Iran over its nuclear programme if it fails to resume talks by the end of August.

The three countries, known as the E3, said they were prepared to trigger a “snapback” mechanism -…[Read more]

Far-right populists top polls in Germany, France and Britain for the first time

Alternative for Germany has joined France’s National Rally and Reform U.K. in becoming the most popular party in its country, according to polls.

For the first time in modern history, far-right and populist parties are simultaneously topping the polls in Europe’s t…[Read more]

‘Türkiye won’t let Netanyahu plunge region into greater disasters’

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said Monday that Türkiye will not permit Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his network of massacres to push the region toward greater disasters in a bid to extend their political survival.

“We will not allow Netanyahu and his massacre ne…[Read more]

Türkiye’s UN envoy: Gaza ceasefire ‘essential’ to secure Red Sea navigation

Türkiye on Monday stressed that a “permanent ceasefire in Gaza is essential to securing freedom of navigation in the Red Sea,” warning that Israel is fueling instability across the region.

“Türkiye places a high priority on maritime security, freedom of navigation and op…[Read more]

Türkiye mobilizes all resources, diplomatic efforts to bring hope to Gaza: Erdoğan

Türkiye has mobilized all of its resources and diplomatic capabilities to bring hope to Gaza, said President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on Monday following a Cabinet meeting in Ankara.

“We will not allow (Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin) Netanyahu and his murde…[Read more]

Türkiye mobilizes all resources, diplomatic efforts to support Gaza: Erdogan

Türkiye has mobilized all of its resources and diplomatic capabilities to bring hope to Gaza, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Monday following a Cabinet meeting in Ankara.

“We will not allow (Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin) Netanyahu and his murderous network to d…[Read more]

Japan’s deepening political woes cloud budget, rate hike timing

Japan’s deepening political uncertainty risks prolonging policy paralysis that could affect the drafting of next year’s budget and the timing of the central bank’s next interest rate hike, analysts say, clouding the outlook for the fragile economy.
Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba is…[Read more]

Japan weather bureau says 60% chance of La Nina not occurring

Japan’s weather bureau said on Tuesday that there was a 60% chance that the La Nina phenomenon would not occur and normal weather patterns would continue towards the Northern Hemisphere winter.
A La Nina weather event is characterised by unusually cold ocean temperatures in the…[Read more]

Budget Request Ceilings: Where Is The Mechanism To Curb Spending?

How can the ballooning national budget be curbed without cutting existing expenditures? Government ministries and agencies must not request funds without carefully reviewing the necessity of projects.

The government has approved at a Cabinet meeting the budget request ceilings,…[Read more]

Japan’s Nikkei Stock Average Races to Record High, SoftBank Leads Tech Surge

Japan’s Nikkei share gauge .N225 powered to an all-time high on Tuesday, driven by sharp gains for tech companies and renewed optimism over trade with the United States.

With financial markets reopening after a holiday in Japan on Monday, the stock benchmark caught up…[Read more]

Man faces jail in US for shipping 850 turtles in socks to Hong Kong

A Chinese man has pleaded guilty in a US district court to exporting around 850 protected turtles wrapped in socks and falsely labelled as toys, the US Department of Justice said.

Between August 2023 and November 2024, Wei Qiang Lin exported to Hong Kong more than 200 parcels…[Read more]

Trump names conservative economist to lead labour statistics agency

US president’s nomination comes after firing of agency head raised concerns about integrity of US government statistics.

United States President Donald Trump has tapped an economist from a conservative think tank to lead a key statistics agency after firing its previous head o…[Read more]

Why is Trump sending US National Guard to Washington, DC?

The president is deploying the National Guard in response to what he calls a crime emergency, with 800 troops slated to be sent to the capital.

United States President Donald Trump has announced that he is temporarily taking control of the Washington, DC, police department, while…[Read more]

Zelensky says Kyiv won’t give up land as US-Russia summit confirmed

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has been pushing to make next week’s meeting between Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin a three-way summit and has frequently said meeting Putin is the only way to make progress towards peace.

Ukraine won’t give up land to Russia, President…[Read more]

How RFK Jr’s vaccine funding cuts fit with Trump’s vision

Latest move to cut funding for vaccines is not down to US health secretary. It is part of Trump’s wider war on science.

United States Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr has announced that the US is to cut funding for mRNA vaccine development – a move that health…[Read more]