View of Nouméa, the capital of New Caledonia. Source: Pilates.
You know protests have gotten out of hand when the government bans both TikTok and alcohol sales — which is exactly what happened this week in New Caledonia.
Driving the news: France has imposed a state of emergency on the Indo-Pacific island territory of New Caledonia after days of rioting killed five and injured at least 300 people. A thousand police reinforcements were sent in to “regain control” of certain areas.
Why it’s happening: This week, French lawmakers voted to allow French nationals who have lived in New Caledonia for at least 10 years to vote in elections there, upsetting swaths of the island’s pro-independence movement, namely the Indigenous Kanak population.
- Previously, only people living on the island before 1998 and their descendants could vote in elections — a rule that was part of an accord granting more sovereignty to the Kanaks.
Why it matters: This small island territory we’d never really thought about is the world’s third-largest nickel producer, making it a vital cog in the global critical mineral supply chain. Since the riots broke out, nickel prices have surged over fears of supply disruptions.
- In a stroke of perfect timing, a just-published International Energy Agency report flagged nickel as a critical mineral that’s vulnerable to “substantial geopolitical risks.”
Big picture: France’s interior minister has accused Russia, China, and… *checks notes* Azerbaijan of “interfering” with New Caledonia and stoking the protests. Whether or not this is true, the accusation highlights the growing East vs. West tension in the Indo-Pacific.—QH
Slovakian Prime Minister Robert Fico. Source: European Council / Flickr.
🇸🇰 Suspect charged in assassination attempt on Slovakia’s PM. Authorities say the man acted alone in shooting PM Robert Fico — who is in serious but stable condition — and that it was politically motivated. Fico’s pro-Russia views have sowed division in the country. (AP News)
🇵🇸 Aid arrives in Gaza via temporary pier. The U.S. military confirmed that the first batch of humanitarian aid has made it ashore in Gaza via a temporary pier built by U.S. forces. The goal is to deliver ~500 tonnes of humanitarian aid through the pier daily. (CNN)
🇺🇸 U.S. House sticks it to Ticketmaster. The U.S. House of Representatives passed the TICKET Act, which would require ticket sellers for concerts and other events to clearly state the final ticket price at the start of the transaction. The bill will now move to the Senate. (Pitchfork)
🇪🇺 EU investigates Meta for child safety violations. The bloc has launched a formal probe into Facebook and Instagram on suspicion Meta failed to mitigate risks to children under the Digital Services Act — in particular by stimulating addictive behaviours. (CNBC)
🇳🇱 Netherlands tries out experimental “business government.” Far-right politician Geert Wilders and his party will lead the Dutch government under an uneasy four-party coalition, but the controversial Wilders will not take the role of PM under an unusual arrangement. (The Guardian)—QH
The shut down portal in New York City. Source: @MosheIsaacian / X.
In a development surprising no one, the headline-making pair of giant video portals that allow people in NYC and Dublin to see each other via livestream have been temporarily shut down less than a week into their existence due to inappropriate behaviour from some passers-by.
- While the cities stress that most people have been chill, there have been cases of flashing, drug use, and, in one mega-viral incident, displaying a photo of 9/11.
Zoom in: Lithuanian artist Benediktas Gylys conceived the portals as a means of connecting people worldwide. He previously installed portals in Vilnius, Lithuania, and Lublin, Poland, but nobody cared much about them because they weren’t in cities most people knew of.
What’s next: Gylys and his team hope to get the portals running again next week and to try and blur bad behaviour. Dublin hopes its portal will one day connect to Poland, Brazil, and Lithuania. Gylys wants to install more portals in places like Ukraine, Iraq, and Australia.
Yes, but: Some critics doubt this will happen and feel that this was the inevitable end of the portals because we, as a species, just aren’t mature enough to handle such a thing.—QH
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“#RussiaChina relations have now reached the highest level in history,” Russia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs posted on X. Source: @mfa_russia / X.
In case you’re wondering what Vladimir Putin got up to during his state visit to China this week, it included a stop in “Little Moscow,” visiting a Soviet soldier memorial, and dreaming up plans to launch a rival singing contest to Eurovision (which banned Russia in 2022).
Most importantly, Putin was looking to firm up ties with the nation that threw Russia a lifeline after it invaded Ukraine in February 2022. Since then, Russia’s economy has held up, largely thanks to a deepening trade relationship with China, despite sanctions from the West that aimed to cut Russia out of critical supply chains and impede its efforts to fund a long war.
- The relationship has been mutually beneficial. Beijing has become a key buyer of Russian energy and a top supplier of cars, clothing, and raw materials to Russia.
- Signs point to wanting to keep the party going, especially in finalizing an agreement that would allow Russia to deliver natural gas to China via Mongolia with a new pipeline.
That’s not all: Graeme Thompson, a senior analyst with Eurasia Group, told The Peak that while Russia and China aren’t formal allies, they are co-operating more closely across a range of issues these days. He says: “Their shared aim is to slowly but surely transform the global system into one more aligned with their national interests and authoritarian systems of government, both of which are largely contrary to Canada’s interests and values.”—SB
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Artwork by Hailey Ferguson.
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