Africa attracts smaller EU nations scrambling for influence

When the rains fall over Madrid, a quiet rural town in the southern Philippines, muddy brown torrents sweep through rice fields and homes. For Beth Samblado, the floodwater is a recurring reminder of a struggle she and her neighbours in Surigao del Sur province have waged, largely alone, against nickel mining. “We’re asking the government again to please stop the mining,” the 51-year-old told This Week in Asia in Filipino from her modest eatery in the town centre. Years ago, she and her fellow… Source link

India earlier this month inaugurated a high-altitude airbase near its disputed border with China, prompting analysts to suggest the development capped long-term efforts to upgrade infrastructure there rather than posing a threat to Beijing. According to reports from multiple media outlets, the base, named Mudh-Nyoma Air Force Station, is perched at a height of about 13,700 feet (4,176 metres) and only 30km (19 miles) from the Line of Actual Control, the de facto boundary separating the two… Source link

Beijing reimposes 2023 ban, citing Japan PM’s comment that military would respond to Chinese attack on island China has suspended imports of Japanese seafood again, as the fallout over the Japanese prime minister’s comments about Taiwan continues to escalate in one of worst bilateral disputes in years. The ban was first reported on Wednesday by the Japanese outlets Kyodo News and NHK, and appeared to be confirmed by China’s foreign ministry, which said there was “no market for Japanese seafood in the current climate”. Continue reading… Source link