- The Guardian
- Issue #2202
CONGO: The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) has imposed an immediate ban on exports of copper and cobalt concentrates. It marks a major step in the government’s strategy to expand domestic mineral processing and retain a larger share of the value generated by its vast mineral sector. The DRC is the world’s largest producer of cobalt and one of the leading suppliers of copper, both of which are essential for electric vehicle batteries, renewable energy technologies, and the global energy transition. Officials said the latest measures were intended to encourage mining companies to process minerals domestically rather than exporting raw concentrates.
GREENLAND: A Texas oil company, Greenland Energy, founded last year and connected to US President Donald Trump, has been bringing drilling equipment to Greenland’s eastern coast despite lacking approval from local authorities. The company is preparing to explore Jamison Land, a region which may hold up to AU$1.4 trn in crude reserves. The company planned to spend AU$85 million drilling two wells. The move comes despite Greenland having halted new oil licensing in 2021 due to environmental concerns. The reported drilling site sits within a wetland area protected under the Ramsar Convention. A vessel carrying 300 containers of equipment is due to leave Canada on 12 September, with drilling expected to commence in October.
COLOMBIA: Colombia’s outgoing President Gustavo Petro claims that Israeli entities manipulated vote-counting software and altered as many as 1.8 million votes to help the right-wing candidate Abelardo de la Espriella defeat Ivan Cepeda. Petro described a major attack on Colombia’s democracy and sovereignty. However, Colombia’s electoral authorities and observers rejected claims of systemic fraud and de la Espriella’s victory was officially certified.
PUERTO RICO: Puerto Rico has begun a 48-hour water rationing for more than 180,000 households as severe drought depleted reservoirs. Residents are relying on water tankers and storage tanks as dry conditions persist.
US: The Trump administration’s war on science continues with a presidential order calling for fewer childhood vaccines. The order also recommends splitting the MMR (mumps, measles and rubella) injections into three, in line with long-discredited concerns about the ‘triple jab.’ The American Academy of Pediatrics has called the order “dangerous.” Measles cases have reached a 35-year high in the US and are rising globally.
BULGARIA: Bulgarian Prime Minister Rumen Radev said that a drone of a type used by the Ukrainian military entered Bulgarian airspace from Romania before exploding near Kardam, about 50km from the Black Sea. No casualties or infrastructure damage were reported. The blast occurred 1,000 meters from a compressor station on Bulgaria’s Trans-Balkan gas pipeline which runs from Turkey to Ukraine, and 200 meters from a compression station in Romania.
CHINA: China will launch regular container shipping to Europe via Russia’s Northern Sea Route (NSR) this month, with eight voyages planned through October. The Arctic shipping route remains the shortest maritime passage between the Asia-Pacific region and northern Europe. Russia, which operates the world’s largest icebreaker fleet of more than 40 conventional and nuclear vessels, is investing in the NSR with the aim of making it a pivotal global trade artery.
FRANCE: French farmers will need billions of euros in aid to offset losses from extreme heat and wildfires and drought it has caused, said Arnaud Rousseau, chairman of the National Federation of Farmers’ Union. Europe is experiencing one of the worst heat waves in years, with Spain, Portugal, France, Italy, and Greece hit the hardest.
