Farmers and community elders in coastal Kenya fear a proposed mining project could threaten their livelihoods and a sacred forest where their ancestors are buried. The government is seeking a developer for deposits containing rare earth minerals used in electric vehicles, wind turbines and defense technologies. Residents say they lack information about where mining would take place, whether they would have to move and how their land and traditions would be protected. Kenya hopes mining will create jobs and boost its economy, but questions about consultation, compensation and environmental safeguards remain unanswered.
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney has called Canada “the most European of non-European countries” early in President Donald Trump’s trade war. Now he’s hosting European leaders to pursue an unprecedented alliance, but Canada’s proposed status as an EU “associate member” may be dead before the summit begins. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Council President António Costa will join Carney in Montreal on Thursday for a two-day summit. EU officials say the proposed partnership could bring Canada closer to the bloc than any previous arrangement with a non-European country. But its structure and even its name remain unsettled, with some member states questioning the “associate member” designation.
Brazilian voters have denied Latin America’s resurgent right its ultimate prize. Leftist President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva defeated Flávio Bolsonaro with 51.8% of the vote in Sunday's runoff election. Lula's reelection limits U.S. President Donald Trump’s influence in the region and cements Brazil as a counterweight to Washington. Analysts say Lula’s victory complicates Trump’s campaign to enlist Brazil in a military coalition against cartels. Both sides see reasons to cooperate, with Washington seeking access to Brazil’s rare earths and Lula wanting foreign investment. Lula’s pragmatic approach may lead to cooperation despite political differences.
U.S. President Donald Trump says “massive” oil, gas and mineral exploration is set to begin in Greenland. He made the announcement in a post after a campaign event in Alaska on Tuesday. Greenland is a self-governing territory of Denmark. It has seen past resource extraction efforts fail because of harsh climate and lack of infrastructure. Rising energy prices are creating financial hardships for Americans and Trump's comments may aim to address voter concerns. Trump signed an agreement with Denmark and Greenland last month to strengthen security in the Arctic. But it doesn’t grant exploration rights. A politician who represents Greenland in Denmark's parliament told The Associated Press on Wednesday that she wasn’t surprised or concerned following Trump’s post.