Foreign correspondent Sebastian Usher in Israel
Indirect talks between Hamas and Israel about a ceasefire in Gaza are taking place in Qatar. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is under increasing pressure at home to end the fighting and is due to meet US President Donald Trump in Washington shortly. Sebastian Usher brings us the latest on the negotiations.

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Scoop
2 hours ago
- Scoop
Albanese Government Must Act, CSIRO Research Fuels Calls For Deep Sea Mining Moratorium
As the peak international body on deep sea mining begins a three-week meeting, CSIRO has released a series of reports commissioned by mining proponent The Metals Company (TMC) that underscore the severe environmental risks and scientific uncertainty surrounding the dangerous industry. The findings confirm international consensus; the deep ocean is too poorly understood to proceed with deep sea mining safely or responsibly, prompting major environmental organisations to call on the Albanese Government to support a moratorium. Advertisement - scroll to continue reading The timing of the CSIRO reports appears to align with what was, until recently, TMC's plan to submit an application to the ISA on June 27 – plans the company has now abandoned in favour of a controversial U.S. based pathway via a dormant 1980s law and enabled by the Trump administration. Pressure is mounting on the Albanese Government to adopt a precautionary stance supporting a moratorium at the ISA in line with many of its major partners, including the UK, Canada, France, Germany and New Zealand. Currently, 37 countries back a deep sea mining moratorium. TMC continues to apply pressure on international regulators to accelerate approvals for this high-risk untested industry. With a state-funded agency producing research likely to be used to legitimise mining in international waters, ocean advocates are calling on the Albanese Government to direct CSIRO to take no further actions on behalf of TMC. The CSIRO reports confirm the likely damage to the seafloor and to the marine environment that civil society, Indigenous Pacific communities, and independent scientists have warned about; deep sea mining is too destructive and there is too much uncertainty to proceed. 'These findings echo the concerns we've heard right across the Pacific region – that the deep ocean is a highly complex, precious environment, and that accelerating deep sea mining would be dangerous,' said Phil McCabe, Pacific Regional Coordinator at the Deep Sea Conservation Coalition. There remains a severe lack of real-world data about deep sea ecosystems – particularly in relation to the long-term environmental impacts and the risk of toxic pollution entering the food chain. Scientists warn that many of these impacts are likely to be irreversible in human timeframes. The CSIRO reports acknowledge the potential for heavy metals to bioaccumulate in marine life, including tuna, swordfish, whales, and dolphins. 'We've seen this before; traffic light systems, digital twin technology, adaptive management systems – all designed to give the illusion of sustainable management,' said Dr. Helen Rosenbaum, Research Coordinator at the Deep Sea Mining Campaign. 'When the science is this uncertain, the only responsible signal is red.' TMC's recent decision to abandon its application to the ISA and instead issue permits through a dormant U.S. law has been widely condemned by governments and legal experts as a direct challenge to international law and multilateralism. The move undermines the ISA's authority just as states prepare to negotiate key regulations. 'Australia's credibility is on the line,' said Duncan Currie, International Lawyer and advisor to the Deep Sea Conservation Coalition. 'CSIRO's involvement with The Metals Company (TMC) risks implicating Australia in their attempt to sidestep international governance. The Albanese Government must now draw a clear line; support a moratorium at the International Seabed Authority, and ensure CSIRO takes no further action on TMC's behalf.' 'At the ISA, a moratorium or precautionary pause on deep sea mining is the only viable path to protecting the deep sea,' said Shiva Gounden, Head of Pacific at Greenpeace Australia Pacific. 'Delegates at the ISA must listen to the science and the voices of Pacific nations and back a moratorium to stop deep sea mining before it starts.' The Deep Sea Mining Campaign, Deep Sea Conservation Coalition, Greenpeace Australia Pacific, and Surfrider Australia call on the Albanese Government to announce its support for a Moratorium at the upcoming ISA meeting in Jamaica; and direct CSIRO to take no further actions on behalf of TMC.

RNZ News
5 hours ago
- RNZ News
Nearly 300 visa applications from Israelis, Palestinians and Iranians in past month
Photo: RNZ Immigration New Zealand has received nearly 300 offshore visa applications from Israeli, Palestinian and Iranian nationals since 1 June 2025. It follows the most recent armed conflict between Israel and Iran, which started on 13 June when Israel launched an air attack on Iranian nuclear facilities and killed top military commanders. In a statement to RNZ, Immigration New Zealand (INZ) said the government agency "understands the difficult situation this crisis is causing for many and has great sympathy for those separated from their loved ones during this stressful time". INZ acting director visa Marcelle Foley said 277 offshore visa applications from Israelis , Palestinians and Iranians had been made across all visa categories since the start of last month. The vast majority were Iranian nationals. "230 visa applications were submitted from Iranian nationals," Foley said. "Of those, 93 have been approved and seven declined. The remaining applications are either still under assessment or have been withdrawn. "Forty-one applications were submitted by Israeli nationals. Twenty-four have been approved, one was declined, and the remainder are still being processed. "Six applications were submitted from Palestinian nationals, with two approved and the rest currently under assessment." INZ also revealed that since 7 October 2023, a total of 8634 New Zealand Electronic Travel Authority (NZeTA) applications have been granted to Israeli nationals. "Israel is a visa waiver country. This means Israeli citizens visiting New Zealand temporarily do not need to apply for a visitor visa but must obtain a New Zealand Electronic Travel Authority (NZeTA)," said Marcelle Foley, Acting Director Visa. Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.

1News
7 hours ago
- 1News
Musk forms new political party in fallout after Trump split
Elon Musk said he's carrying out his threat to form a new political party after his fissure with US President Donald Trump, announcing the America Party in response to the president's sweeping tax cuts law. Musk, once an ever-present ally to Trump as he headed up the slashing agency known as the Department of Government Efficiency, broke with the Republican president over his signature legislation, which was signed into law Friday. As the bill made its way through Congress, Musk threatened to form the 'America Party' if 'this insane spending bill passes.' 'When it comes to bankrupting our country with waste & graft, we live in a one-party system, not a democracy,' Musk said Saturday on X, the social media company he owns. 'Today, the America Party is formed to give you back your freedom.' ADVERTISEMENT The formation of new political parties is not uncommon, but they typically struggle to pull any significant support away from the Republican and Democratic parties. But Musk, the world's richest man, who spent at least US$250 million supporting Trump in the 2024 election, could impact the 2026 elections determining control of Congress if he is willing to spend significant amounts of money. His reignited feud with the president could also be costly for Musk, whose businesses rely on billions of dollars in government contracts and the publicly traded company Tesla has taken a hit in the market. It wasn't clear whether Musk had taken steps to formally create the new political party. Spokespeople for Musk and his political action committee, America PAC, didn't immediately comment Sunday. As of Sunday morning, there were multiple political parties listed in the Federal Election Commission database that had been formed in the the hours since Musk's Saturday X post with versions of 'America Party' of 'DOGE' or 'X' in the name, or Musk listed among people affiliated with the entity. But none appeared to be authentic, listing contacts for the organisation as email addresses such as 'wentsnowboarding@ or untraceable Protonmail addresses. ADVERTISEMENT Musk on Sunday spent the morning on X taking feedback from users about the party and indicated he'd use the party to get involved in the 2026 midterm elections. Last month, he threatened to try to oust every member of Congress that voted for Trump's bill. Musk had called the tax breaks and spending cuts package a 'disgusting abomination," warning it would increase the federal deficit, among other critiques. 'The Republican Party has a clean sweep of the executive, legislative and judicial branches and STILL had the nerve to massively increase the size of government, expanding the national debt by a record FIVE TRILLION DOLLARS,' Musk said Sunday on X. His critiques of the bill and move to form a political party mark a reversal from May, when his time in the White House was winding down and the head of rocket company SpaceX and electric vehicle maker Tesla said he would spend 'a lot less' on politics in the future. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, who clashed with Musk while he ran DOGE, said on CNN's "State of the Union" on Sunday that DOGE's 'principles' were popular, but 'if you look at the polling, Elon was not.' 'I imagine that those board of directors did not like this announcement yesterday and will be encouraging him to focus on his business activities, not his political activities,' he said.