Trump orders deportation drive targeting Democratic-run cities
United States President Donald Trump has directed federal authorities to ramp up deportation efforts in Democratic-led cities, doubling down on a politicised anti-immigration drive after major protests in Los Angeles.
'We must expand efforts to detain and deport Illegal Aliens in America's largest Cities, such as Los Angeles, Chicago,
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Otago Daily Times
2 hours ago
- Otago Daily Times
Israel says Tehran to 'pay price' after Tel Aviv attacks
Iranian missiles struck Israel's Tel Aviv and the port city of Haifa, killing at least eight people and destroying homes, prompting Israel's defence minister to warn that Tehran residents would "pay the price and soon". The dangers of further escalation loomed over a meeting of the Group of Seven leaders in Canada, with US President Donald Trump expressing hope that a deal could be done but no sign of the fighting abating on a fourth day of war. The latest fatalities in Israel, reported by Israel's national emergency services, raised its death toll to 23 since Friday. Israeli attacks in Iran have killed at least 224 people since Friday, Iran's health ministry has said. At least 100 more were wounded in Israel in the overnight blitz, part of a wave of attacks by Tehran in retaliation for Israel's strikes targeting the nuclear and ballistic missile programmes of sworn enemy Iran. Search and rescue operations were underway in Haifa where around 30 people were wounded, emergency authorities said, as dozens of first responders rushed to the strike zones. Fires were seen burning at a power plant near the port, media reported. Video footage showed several missiles over Tel Aviv and explosions could be heard there and over Jerusalem. Several residential buildings in a densely populated neighbourhood of Tel Aviv were destroyed in a strike that blew out the windows of hotels and other nearby homes just a few hundred meters from the US Embassy branch in the city. The US ambassador said the building sustained minor damage, but there were no injuries to personnel. Guydo Tetelbaun was in his apartment in Tel Aviv when the alerts came in shortly after 4am. "As usual, we went into the (shelter) that's right across the street there. And within minutes, the door of the (shelter) blew in," the 31-year-old chef said. "A couple of people came in bloody, all cut up. And then when we came to the apartment, after it quietened down, we saw there wasn't much of it... Walls are caved in, no more glass," he added. "It's terrifying because it's so unknown. This could be the beginning of a long time like this, or it could get worse, or hopefully better, but it's the unknown that's the scariest.' The predawn missiles also struck near Shuk HaCarmel, a popular market in Tel Aviv that typically draws large crowds of residents and tourists buying fresh fruit and vegetables, and to popular bars and restaurants. A residential street in nearby Petah Tikva and a school in ultra-Orthodox Jewish city Bnei Brak were also hit. Iran's Revolutionary Guards said the latest attack employed a new method that caused Israel's multi-layered defence systems to target each other and allowed Tehran to successfully hit many targets, without providing further details. The Israeli Defence Force did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the strikes. There were no reports in Israel of interceptor missiles hitting each other. Israeli officials have repeatedly said its defence systems are not 100% and have warned of tough days ahead. Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz said in a statement: "The arrogant dictator of Tehran has become a cowardly murderer who targets the civilian home front in Israel to deter the IDF from continuing the attack that is collapsing his capabilities." "The residents of Tehran will pay the price, and soon." The death toll in Iran was already at least 224, with 90% of the casualties reported to be civilians, an Iranian health ministry spokesperson said. All the fatalities in Israel have been civilians, according to Israeli authorities. Israel's military said on Monday morning it had struck again at command centres belonging to the Revolutionary Guard and Iran's military. Group of Seven leaders began gathering in the Canadian Rockies on Sunday with the Israel-Iran conflict expected to be a top priority. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said his goals for the summit include for Iran to not develop or possess nuclear weapons, ensuring Israel's right to defend itself, avoiding escalation of the conflict and creating room for diplomacy. "This issue will be very high on the agenda of the G7 summit," Merz told reporters. Before leaving for the summit on Sunday, Trump was asked what he was doing to de-escalate the situation. "I hope there's going to be a deal. I think it's time for a deal," he told reporters. "Sometimes they have to fight it out."
Scoop
3 hours ago
- Scoop
Seabed Mining Is Becoming An Environmental Flashpoint – NZ Will Have To Pick A Side Soon
Seabed mining could become one of the defining environmental battles of 2025. Around the world, governments are weighing up whether to allow mining of the ocean floor for metal ores and minerals. New Zealand is among them. The stakes are high. Deep-sea mining is highly controversial, with evidence showing mining activity can cause lasting damage to fragile marine ecosystems. One area off the east coast of the United States, mined as an experiment 50 years ago, still bears scars and shows little sign of recovery. With the world facing competing pressures – climate action and conservation versus demand for resources – New Zealand must now decide whether to fast-track mining, regulate it tightly, or pause it entirely. Who controls international seabed mining? A major flashpoint is governance in international waters. Under international law, seabed mining beyond national jurisdiction is managed by the International Seabed Authority (ISA), created by the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). But the US has never ratified UNCLOS. In April this year, President Donald Trump issued an executive order to bypass the ISA and allow companies to begin mining in international waters. The ISA has pushed back, warning unilateral action breaches international law. However, the declaration from the recently concluded UN Ocean Conference in France does not urge countries to adopt a precautionary approach, nor does it ban deep seabed mining. The declaration does 'reiterate the need to increase scientific knowledge on deep sea ecosystems' and recognises the role of the ISA in setting 'robust rules, regulations and procedures for exploitation of resources' in international waters. So, while the international community supports multilateralism and international law, deep-sea mining in the near future remains a real possibility. Fast-track approvals In the Pacific, some countries have already made up their minds about which way they will go. Nauru recently updated its agreement with Canadian-based The Metals Company to begin mining in the nearby Clarion Clipperton Zone. The deal favours the US's go-it-alone approach over the ISA model. By contrast, in 2022, New Zealand's Labour government backed the ISA's moratorium and committed to a holistic ocean management strategy. Whether that position still holds is unclear, given the current government's policies. The list of applications under the Fast-track Approvals Act 2024 – described by Regional Development Minister Shane Jones as 'arguably the most permissive regime' in Australasia – includes two controversial seabed mining proposals in Bream Bay and off the Taranaki coast: Trans-Tasman Resources' proposal to extract up to 50 million tonnes of Taranaki seabed material annually to recover heavy mineral sands that contain iron ore as well as rare metal elements titanium and vanadium. McCallum Brothers Ltd's Bream Bay proposal to dredge up to 150,000 cubic metres of sand yearly for three years, and up to 250,000 cubic metres after that. Legal landscape changing Māori and environmental groups have opposed the fast-track policy, and the Treaty of Waitangi has so far been a powerful safeguard in seabed mining cases. Provisions referencing Treaty principles appear in key laws, including the Crown Minerals Act and the Exclusive Economic Zone and Continental Shelf (Environmental Effects) Act. In 2021, the Supreme Court cited these obligations when it rejected a 2016 marine discharge application by Trans-Tasman Resources to mine the seabed in the Taranaki Bight. The court ruled Treaty clauses must be interpreted in a 'broad and generous' way, recognising tikanga Māori and customary marine rights. But that legal landscape could soon change. The Regulatory Standards Bill, now before parliament, would give priority to property rights over environmental or Indigenous protections in the formulation of new laws and regulations. The bill also allows for the review of existing legislation. In theory, if the Regulatory Standards Bill becomes law, it could result in the removal of Treaty principles clauses from legislation. This in turn could deny courts the tools they've previously used to uphold environmental and Treaty-based protections to block seabed mining applications. That would make it easier to approve fast-tracked projects such as the Bream Bay and Taranaki projects. Setting a precedent Meanwhile, Hawai'i has gone in a different direction. In 2024, the US state passed a law banning seabed mining in state waters – joining California (2022), Washington (2021) and Oregon (1991). Under the Hawai'i Seabed Mining Prevention Act, mining is banned except in rare cases such as beach restoration. The law cites the public's right to a clean and healthy environment. As global conflict brews over seabed governance, New Zealand's eventual position could set a precedent. Choosing to prohibit seabed mining in New Zealand waters, as Hawai'i has done, would send a strong message that environmental stewardship and Indigenous rights matter more than short-term resource extraction interests. If New Zealand does decide to go ahead with seabed mining, however, it could trigger a cascade of mining efforts across New Zealand and the Pacific. A crucial decision is fast approaching.
Scoop
4 hours ago
- Scoop
Three Pacific Nations In Trump's Expanded Travel Ban List
Three Pacific Island nations are caught in the crosshairs of President Donald Trump's crackdown on foreign nationals from countries that fail to meet "established benchmarks and requirements" for remaining in the United States. Tonga, Tuvalu and Vanuatu have reportedly been included in an expanded list of 36 additional countries that the Trump administration is considering for travel restrictions on entering the US, according to an internal State Department cable seen by Reuters. Earlier this month, President Trump signed a proclamation that banned the entry of citizens from 12 countries, citing threats from "foreign terrorists" and other national security concerns. Reuters reports that the directive is part of an immigration crackdown Trump launched this year at the start of his second term. The news agency said that, in an internal diplomatic cable signed by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, the State Department outlined a dozen concerns about the countries in question and called for corrective action. "The Department has identified 36 countries of concern that might be recommended for full or partial suspension of entry if they do not meet established benchmarks and requirements within 60 days," the cable sent out over the weekend said. The cable was first reported by the Washington Post. The governments of Tonga, Tuvalu and Vanuatu have yet to respond to the issue. Kaniva Tonga reported that travelling to America had been a major concern for Tongans due to the high cost of obtaining a visa, which required having to travel to the US Embassy in Fiji. "It was one of the key issues Tonga used to negotiate the establishment of a US Embassy in Nukualofa last year," the news outlet reported. "In 2020, the US Census reported that 78,871 people in the US have Tongan ancestry." In February, Tongan Prime Minister Dr 'Aisake Eke had expressed concerns about Trump's immigration policies, saying that deported migrants would worsen existing challenges in the kingdom.
