Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo have signed a peace deal in Washington to end fighting in eastern DRC, although questions remain over what the agreement means and […]
Read More‘A timebomb’: could a French mine full of waste poison the drinking water of millions?
Eight police officers linger with their backs to the two-hectare (five-acre) site known as Stocamine. The place is nondescript in the morning drizzle: two mine shafts, some modern-looking office buildings, […]
Read More‘Scratch the earth, there’s gold!’: Small miners, big firms and armed gangs fight over Peru’s mineral wealth
Deep in the mountains of northern Peru, a bloody war is being fought over gold. As its international price sets successive record highs above $3,000 (£2,220) an ounce, criminal gangs, […]
Read MoreFast-track to where? The new law opening up New Zealand to a mining boom
Kate Selby Smith strides through the undergrowth of a track on the North Island’s east coast when the bush suddenly thins to reveal a hidden treasure. “Welcome to my heaven,” […]
Read MoreMinerals, mobile phones and militias: how war unfolded in DRC
Hello and welcome to The Long Wave. This week, after three months of fighting, a peace agreement in the Democratic Republic of the Congo is in the works. I spoke […]
Read More‘It’s like putting a whale in a blender’: the rise of deadly ship collisions in Chile
The memory of a blue whale gliding past his small boat haunts Patricio Ortiz. A deep wound disfigured the cetacean’s giant body – a big chunk had been ripped from […]
Read MoreGold mining suspended in Peru’s north after 13 miners killed
Peru’s president, Dina Boluarte, has suspended gold mining and announced a 12-hour curfew in Pataz, in the northern region, after criminals kidnapped and killed 13 gold mine workers. A Peruvian […]
Read MoreCautious optimism in Ukraine over minerals deal with Trump
There is cautious optimism in Kyiv over the terms of the long-discussed US-Ukraine minerals deal, signed on Wednesday, which appear to be more advantageous for Ukraine than most had expected. […]
Read MoreCompany supplying critical EV metal ‘did not disclose’ Erin Brockovich pollutant in drinking water
One of Indonesia’s largest nickel-mining companies, which supplies a mineral critical to the global electric car industry, did not tell the public that local drinking water was polluted, according to […]
Read MoreChina trade war poses threat to US arms firms’ rare earths supply, analysts warn
America’s advanced weapons manufacturers are likely to face a critical shortfall of key rare-earth minerals that they import from China as a consequence of Donald Trump’s escalating trade war with […]
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