GeoPulse

🇵🇬 Bougainville’s 2019 independence referendum won 97.7% support. Now leaders see the reopening of Panguna’s copper and gold mine as a way to fund statehood. But the mine helped fuel a decade-long conflict. Can it deliver independence without reopening old wounds? 🧵

🇵🇭 Duterte’s ICC trial is set to begin November 30. Prosecutors want to introduce testimony about alleged kill lists and financial rewards for police involved in killings. The central question is whether the drug war’s thousands of deaths can be linked to orders from the top. 🧵

🤖 A cybercriminal group reportedly used AI agents to target more than 400 financial institutions and related targets across Latin America. The system combined models from Anthropic, xAI and China’s Moonshot AI to automate different stages of its operations. 🧵

🇲🇾 Malaysia is negotiating a settlement with Deutsche Bank over a $1.1 billion lawsuit linked to 1MDB. The talks could offer another route to recover money from one of the country’s biggest financial scandals. 🧵

🇬🇧 Britain and 🇯🇵 Japan are urging households to stockpile food and water for emergencies. Britain recommends supplies for at least 72 hours. Japan advises preparing for three days without government assistance, preferably a full week. 🧵

🇨🇦 Canada is betting $24 billion on becoming an LNG giant. The expansion of its Kitimat terminal will double capacity to 28 million tonnes a year as war and disruption in the Strait of Hormuz increase demand for alternative suppliers. 🧵

🇺🇸 The US is reopening talks with 🇲🇲 Myanmar’s military-backed leadership after the 2021 coup. Washington wants to tackle scam centers and may seek alternatives to 🇨🇳 China’s rare earth dominance. Can it pursue those interests without legitimizing the junta? 🧵

🇬🇾 Guyana’s opposition leader Azruddin Mohamed is due back in court on October 21 as the United States seeks his extradition on financial crime charges. The case puts a political rivalry under pressure because Mohamed is President Irfaan Ali’s main opponent. 🧵

🇨🇳 “You are now on the list.” China’s Embassy in Manila directed that menacing message at nine 🇵🇭 lawmakers after they called for its ambassador’s expulsion. Marcos must now decide whether keeping diplomatic ties smooth is worth the political cost at home. 🧵

🇺🇦 Ukraine’s future could be discussed by 🇺🇸 Trump, 🇷🇺 Putin and 🇨🇳 Xi, without Ukraine at the table. Putin reportedly wants a new Yalta, where major powers negotiate spheres of influence. Who gets to decide another country’s future? 🧵