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Australia & Pacific
An explosion is pictured at an exploration site of the company Greenland Anorthosite Mining of an anorthosite deposit close to the Qeqertarsuatsiaat fjord, Greenland, on Sept. 11, 2021.
Greenlanders are set to go to the polls next month as US President Donald Trump increases pressure on Denmark to transfer sovereignty of the semi-autonomous Arctic island to the United States.
Australia-based Energy Transition Minerals, the mining company that holds the license for controversial rare earths and uranium deposits, is hoping the social-democratic Siumut Party – currently the second-largest contingent in the Greenlandic parliament, known as the Inatsisartut – will oust the ruling left-wing environmentalist Inuit Ataqatigiit Party in the March 11 election. The two parties are currently in a governing coalition together, with IA in the top position, but Siumut has attracted attention by pledging to hold a referendum on independence from Denmark this year.
After taking power in 2021, the IA banned uranium mining, effectively halting exploration of what Energy Transition Minerals bills as potentially the largest deposit of rare earth oxides in the world. Rare earths are a family of 17 metallic minerals needed for the batteries and magnets used for electric cars, power plants, and fighter jets. China dominates the supply chain, controlling roughly 70% of all mining and 90% of refining capacity.
The IA opposed the mining because of the high density of uranium mixed into the ore, which it feared would generate radioactive pollution along the island’s southwest coast, where much of the mostly indigenous population of roughly 57,000 lives.
Now, Energy Transition Minerals is betting Siumut, under whose rule the mining project was originally approved, will win and lift the moratorium to help generate more income for Greenland to achieve economic self-sufficiency and open the door to a long-sought breakaway from the Danish kingdom.
Awkward technicalities: With 7% of the company, Energy Transition’s largest shareholder is China’s Shenghe Resources, but the firm has vowed to supply the West with its metals. Thanks to America’s trade deals with the European Union and Australia, however, arcane Treasury rules may mean the Melbourne-headquartered company’s rare earths qualify for lucrative US tax credits. With the stock price trading at a fraction of a penny per share, however, Wall Street has doubts about the mining firm’s future.Endorsed by steelworkers onstage, then-Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump puts on a hard hat during his Make America Great Again Rally in Latrobe, Pennsylvania, on Oct. 19, 2024.
US President Donald Trump signed an executive order Monday imposing 25% tariffs on all steel and aluminum imports to the US. This raises the tariff rate on aluminum to 25% from the previous 10% that Trump imposed in 2018, and it reinstates a 25% tariff on “millions of tons” of steel and aluminum imports previously exempted or excluded.
“Today I’m simplifying our tariffs on steel and aluminum,” Trump stated. “It’s 25% without exceptions or exemptions.”
Cue the negotiations. On Monday, Trump reportedly took a call from Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, who is seeking a carve-out for Australian steel exports. Albanese described their conversation as “constructive and warm” but did not want to “speak on [Trump’s] behalf.”
The EU said it would respond with “firm and proportionate countermeasures.” Prime Minister Justin Trudeausaid Tuesday that the tariffs were “entirely unjustified” and “unacceptable,” noting that Canada – the US’ biggest source of aluminum and one of its top sources of steel – would respond if necessary but will try to work with the US administration to avoid them. Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum, who has also threatened countermeasures in recent weeks, said her country would keep a “cool head.”
The new US tariffs are set to take effect on March 4, and Trump added that he will also consider additional tariffs on cars, pharmaceuticals, and computer chips.
Why now? Trump’s announcement came two days after the visit of Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, who announced that Japan would increase its US investment to $1 trillion, including a commitment from Nippon Steel to “invest heavily” in US Steel, after a $15 billion buyout was nixed last year by the Biden administration. The deal is another reflection of Trump’s plan to strengthen domestic steel production and make imports less attractive – or even necessary.
Was there a connection? “It’s certainly possible,” says Eurasia Group’s Japan Director David Boling. “But we knew steel tariffs were coming — it was only a matter of time. While Trump is proud to be Tariff Man, he could also be called the Man of Steel. Steel is his favorite industry.” We’re waiting to see whether Ishiba picks up the phone like Albanese and leverages Nippon’s investment to lift the levies.Philippine Vice President Sara Duterte attends a legislative inquiry into her office's use of public funds at the House of Representatives, in Quezon City, Philippines, on Nov. 25, 2024.
The charges aren’t yet public but Duterte has previously been accused of misappropriating public funds and threatening to kill the president, Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr.
She denies the allegations and says they are politically motivated. The legislature is controlled by a Marcos ally who is positioning himself to run for president after Marcos’ term ends in 2028.
The background: It’s a clash between the country’s two most powerful political families. Duterte’s father is former President Rodrigo Duterte, a rough-spoken China-friendly populist who held power from 2016 until 2022. Marcos Jr. is the son of late dictator Ferdinand Marcos, who was deposed in a 1986 popular revolution.
In the 2022 elections, the two scions joined forces. They won handily but soon fell out over key issues, especially foreign policy: Duterte wants to maintain her father’s pro-China reorientation. Marcos Jr., wary of Beijing’s designs on Philippine territorial waters, wants to roll those policies back and follow a more traditional pro-US line.
What’s next: The Senate will schedule an impeachment trial. If found guilty, Duterte would be barred from office, upending politics ahead of this spring’s midterm elections and the 2028 presidential vote in which she’s an early frontrunner.
Why it matters: Political upheaval now looms in a key regional player on the frontlines of the US-China rivalry.Hard Numbers: Deadly Tibet earthquake, Laken Riley bill passed, Another BRICS in the wall, Remembering Charlie Hebdo massacre
Rescue teams work amid rubble in the aftermath of an earthquake in a location given as Shigatse City, Tibet Autonomous Region, China, January 7, 2025, in this screengrab obtained from a handout video.
126: At least 126 people have died following a major 7.1-magnitude earthquake that struck Tibet and parts of Nepal on Tuesday. The exact death toll is still unknown as the rough terrain in the world’s highest mountains makes it difficult to access affected communities. Dozens more people are believed to be trapped in rubble, and China’s government has deployed over 3,000 rescue workers to save as many as possible.
264-159: The US House of Representatives on Tuesday passed the so-called Laken Riley Act mandating the detention of undocumented immigrants accused of certain minor crimes by a margin of 264-159. It had bipartisan support, with 48 Democrats voting for the bill, as the party faces pressure to toughen up on immigration.
10: Indonesia became the 10th member of the BRICS multilateral organization on Tuesday, as new President Prabowo Subianto attempts to position his country as one of the leading emerging economies. He’ll need to watch his step, however, as incoming US President Donald Trump has threatened 100% tariffs on countries that attempt to displace the US dollar, which BRICS has long set as one of its aims.
10: France marked the 10-year anniversary of the brutal terrorist massacre of the staff of Charlie Hebdo magazine by two al-Qaida-linked gunmen on Tuesday. The terrorists killed 12 people in retaliation for the magazine publishing cartoons depicting the Islamic prophet Mohammed, prompting a massive outpouring of support for the slain staff, whom many French and European voters see as having died in the name of freedom of speech and thought.People gather ahead of a march to the parliament in protest of the Treaty Principles Bill, in Wellington, New Zealand, November 19, 2024.
Over the past few days you might have seen that viral clip of New Zealand lawmakers interrupting a legislative session with a haka -- the foot-stamping, tongue-wagging, eyes-bulging, loud-chanting ceremonial dance of the nation’s indigenous Maori communities.
What was that about? The haka was led by Maori lawmakers opposed to a new bill that would curtail certain special privileges for their community, which has historically suffered discrimination. Thousands of Kiwis have also marched to the capital, Wellington, as part of a broader protest against the bill.
The back story: Maori rights were first spelled out in a 19th century treaty with the British Crown. But it was never codified or properly translated, opening the way for exploitation of the Maori, who today make up about 18% of the population.
In recent decades, courts have brought the spirit of the treaty into various laws seeking to address that legacy of discrimination. Some have included quotas for Maori communities in public institutions.
The bill’s backers say that’s unfair. The small, rightwing ACT party, part of the governing center-right coalition, wants to codify Maori sovereignty but outlaw preferential treatment for any groups.
But critics from across the political spectrum say the bill would upend one of the world’s most successful experiments in equitable relations with indigenous communities, opening the way to fresh exploitation of Maori people and lands.
The bill won’t pass. Even the prime minister is opposed to it.
But it brings to New Zealand one of the most contentious culture war questions of the day: do communities that have suffered exploitation or discrimination have a right to preferential treatment in the name of social justice – or does that spotlight race and ethnicity in ways that deepen social divides?
U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin poses with Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr during a courtesy call at the Malacanang Palace in Manila, Philippines, November 18, 2024.
Manila’s top defense official Gilberto Teodorosigned a treaty with the US on Monday that will allow the Philippines to access more closely-held military intelligence and purchase more advanced technology to defend itself from China. US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said the agreement was meant to display Washington’s commitment, saying, “We are more than allies. We are family.”
Unlike some other US allies, Manila feels quite confident that its relationship with Washington will stay strong under incoming President Donald Trump. Trump and Filipino President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. spoke over the phone on Tuesday about strengthening the alliance, which Marcos said was “very productive.”
Trump is pledging a hawkish approach to China, and the Philippines is eager to upgrade its own defenses given ongoing conflicts over the South China Sea. The strong alignment on shared interests and Marcos’praise for Trump’s “robust leadership” seem promising, as long as he can make the case to Trump that the US is coming out ahead in the transaction.
How is China preparing for Trump? President Xi Jinping attempted to set boundaries in the relationship at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in Peru over the weekend. He drew “four red lines” for Trump to avoid: undermining the Communist Party, pushing China toward democracy, stifling China’s economic rise, and encouraging Taiwanese independence.
“These are the most important guardrails and safety nets for China-US relations,” he said. But with Trump promising punitive tariffs up to 60% on Chinese goods, and appointing China hardliners like Marco Rubio and Mike Waltz, confrontation looks likely.
U.S. President Joe Biden, Japan's Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, Australia's Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi take part in a Quad leaders summit family photo in Claymont, Delaware, U.S., September 21, 2024.
In his final months in office, US President Joe Biden is looking to bolster the China-wary alliance known as “The Quad,” which brings together the US, Australia, Japan, and India. This weekend he hosted Quad leaders at his home in Wilmington, Delaware.
While the White House claimed the summit targeted no specific country, a joint statement condemned “coercive and intimidating maneuvers in the South China Sea,” a clear shot at Beijing. And in a so-called “hot mic” moment, Biden commented that “China continues to behave aggressively, testing us all across the region.”
Beijing, for its part, sees the Quad as a “threat and challenge to regional peace and security.”
The Quad summit announced expanded collaboration in maritime patrols, disaster relief, cervical cancer vaccines, tech fellowships, and clean energy projects.
The Quad hasn’t always been a top priority for its members – it lapsed almost entirely between 2008 and 2017. But when asked about the future of the group following the approaching departures of both Biden and Japanese PM Fumio Kishida, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese predicted the Quad will endure, while Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi stated “The Quad is here to stay.” To underscore that, he offered to host the group’s next gathering in 2025.