Latest news with #airstrip
BBC News
17-07-2025
- Climate
- BBC News
Grass fire at Barling Airstrip in Essex extinguished
A large grass fire at an airstrip has been extinguished by Fire Service was called to the site at Barling Magna, near Southend, at 14:17 BST on Tuesday and had put it out by 20: 37 acres (15 hectares) of grassland was alight, with six crews tackling the flames at the height of the returned overnight and in the morning to check for hotspots and carry out damping down. Southend Airport reopens after Sunday's fatal plane crashThe service said an investigation would take place to establish the cause of the fire, near Little Wakering Creek. Follow Essex news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.
The Guardian
14-07-2025
- Business
- The Guardian
Caught in the contest between China and the west, the Cook Islands asks where its future lies
On a remote stretch of land in the Cook Islands lies a second world war airstrip. Once used as a wartime supply route by American forces, the narrow runway is in dire need of resealing to allow larger tourist jets to land. Leaders on the northern island of Penrhyn have asked New Zealand, Australia and the US to help, but none have come through. Now, they hope China will step in and fund it. 'That is the dream,' says Penrhyn's executive director, Puna John Vano. 'We want to maintain our traditional partners, but if not, we're going to get assistance from elsewhere.' Funding for the airstrip is a symbol of a wider struggle unfolding in the Cook Islands, a new front in the contest between China and the west in the Pacific. The country of about 17,000 people has seen ties with its biggest ally and former colonial partner New Zealand fray as leaders draw it closer to Beijing. On the Cook Islands' main island of Rarotonga, many people are angry over the damage caused to relations with New Zealand. The Cook Islands struck major deals with China earlier this year for economic and other kinds of cooperation, sparking a diplomatic row with Wellington over a lack of consultation. Cook Islands operates in 'free association' New Zealand and while it governs its own affairs, Wellington provides assistance including in foreign affairs and defence. Tensions escalated and last month New Zealand abruptly cut off millions of dollars in critical aid and funding. Penrhyn island's executive director, Puna John Vano, says 'we're going to get assistance from elsewhere' if it doesn't come from customary partners. Now, the path ahead is unclear. On the country's main island, Rarotonga, many are angry over the damage caused to relations with New Zealand. Some welcome more Chinese investment but others raise questions over what it will bring. The Cook Islands prime minister, Mark Brown, and his government declined requests for an interview. But others, such as the opposition leader, Tina Browne, were vocal in their criticism of Beijing building its influence in the Cook Islands. 'China frightens me. Its involvement with my country scares me a bit,' Browne says. 'You have this big power and small, small us. What sort of voice would we have?' Rarotonga is a tourism hub and home to nearly three-quarters of the Cook Islands' population. The place is small enough to circle by motorbike in under an hour. In the sleepy seaside town, one of the main attractions is standing at the seawall to watch planes land. Opposition leader Tina Browne fears the Cook Islands will 'be swallowed up in China's money.' Many here share Browne's concerns over China, particularly as it begins to put pressure on the country's longstanding ties with New Zealand. This relationship is overwhelmingly popular – its citizens hold New Zealand citizenship. Cook Islanders have access to healthcare and employment opportunities in New Zealand. Fruit and vegetable seller Teremoana Napa spent 40 years living and working in New Zealand before returning to the Cook Islands. She is now on New Zealand's pension. 'The New Zealand passport gives us so much,' she says. 'We don't want a Cook Islands passport, that's a bloody dead-end passport.' Rarotonga's economy is heavily influenced by tourism, fishing revenue and the rising cost of imports. Others share concern over the loss of crucial aid from Wellington. Outside the country's main hospital, Calais Ngatan helps his heavily pregnant wife to the car. The young man fears what New Zealand's funding cuts will mean for the islands' already stretched healthcare system. New Zealand's NZ$18.2m budget support – which is tied up in the freeze – supports education, healthcare and other critical services. 'Our government decided to sign a contract with China,' Ngatan says. 'So it's limiting our resources over here.' He says he 'feels robbed' by China 'taking everything from us'. 'If we cut ties with New Zealand, it also cuts ties with all the tourists that are coming from overseas,' he says. 'That will be a big problem for us, because that's how we survive.' Watching planes land is a popular attraction on the island of Rarotonga. On Rarotonga, many people hold two jobs to make ends meet in an economy heavily influenced by outside forces: tourism demands, weather-affected fishing revenues and the rising cost of imported goods. The deal signed in February between the Cook Islands and China encompasses a series of cooperation agreements designed to support the domestic economy. They include more cooperation in trade, tourism, infrastructure, climate resilience and seabed minerals development. They also signalled closer diplomatic cooperation, with pledges to consult and support one another in multilateral forums, including the UN and the Pacific Islands Forum. The documents did not include references to security or military cooperation. Top: deep-sea mining plans have prompted concern in the Cook Islands. Above: tourism hub Rarotonga is home to nearly three-quarters of the country's population. China has already pledged $US1.5m to the Cook Islands for a new shipping vessel and promised to support renewable energy projects. The controversial practice of seabed mining is a key part of China's deals with the Cook Islands. The Pacific nation is one of the first countries in the world to grant exploration licences for deep-sea mineral exploration, a practice that has drawn criticism from others in the region. Gary van Eck walking through the research boat from Moana Minerals. Anna Powles, associate professor at Massey University's centre for defence and security studies, says deep-sea mining is crucial to China's interest in the Cook Islands. The two countries have agreed to collaborate on scientific research, joint expeditions, education and training. Powles says there is a 'race' for critical minerals for their defence application and for that reason China is 'actively engaged in finding opportunities and formalising partnerships with countries who are interested in mining their deep-sea minerals within their waters'. The activity has prompted concern in Rarotonga. Don Beer, head of Cook Islands' Fishing Association, is firmly opposed to seabed mineral exploration, citing concerns about its potential impact on already declining fish stocks. His unease is compounded by China's growing interest not just in minerals but also in the Cook Islands' maritime resources. 'We've just got to get the best possible deal out of them. But we've got to be careful,' Beer says. 'Like with any nation, we have to make sure they respect that we have sovereignty.' Cook Islands is one example of a story playing out across the Pacific, where China has been steadily deepening its influence. In recent years Beijing has signed security and development deals with Solomon Islands, Kiribati and most recently Nauru, reshaping traditional alliances. For New Zealand and its allies, the fear is that China's growing presence in the region could eventually translate into military access or control over critical infrastructure. Powles says that for Beijing, deepening relations with the Cook Island shores up 'closer diplomatic ties with Pacific Island partners and that helps to influence and shape a regional order'. From New Zealand's perspective, she notes, the aid freeze was a sign of just how fragile the relationship has become. 'It is quite an extreme move to pause aid,' she says. 'New Zealand has been increasingly clear over the years that, particularly in the security realm, that it sees China as a disruptor and a destabilising actor in the Pacific.' Some in the Cook Islands welcome more Chinese investment but others raise questions over what it will bring. Next month, the Cook Islands will mark 60 years of self-government in free association with New Zealand. As preparations for a massive inter-island celebration unfold, the event is tinged with diplomatic unease. Cook Islands has invited New Zealand to attend – Wellington says their attendance is still 'under consideration'. In addition to pausing financial assistance, New Zealand is also not considering new funding 'until the Cook Islands Government takes concrete steps to repair the relationship and restore trust'. 'New Zealand and Cook Islands officials are engaging on this,' a New Zealand ministry of foreign affairs and trade spokesperson told the Guardian. 'New Zealand hopes that steps will be taken swiftly to address New Zealand's concerns so that this support can be resumed as soon as possible.' The Guardian contacted the Chinese embassy in New Zealand for comment, but did not receive a response. At a press briefing in Beijing last month, Foreign ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun said China's cooperation with the Cook Islands 'targets no third party, nor should it be interfered with or constrained by any third party'. He said the two countries were 'comprehensive strategic partners based on mutual respect and common development', adding that their partnership was based on 'equality and mutual benefit'. Fishing association head Don Beer on his boat. 'We have to make sure [China] respect that we have sovereignty.' But others, like Browne, are worried about China's growing influence. She fears her country will 'be swallowed up in China's money'. 'I totally support us not being too reliant on others, I see that as a real positive,' she says. 'But when I see China's involvement, I think: two steps forward, three steps back.'
The Guardian
14-07-2025
- Business
- The Guardian
Caught in the contest between China and the west, the Cook Islands asks where its future lies
On a remote stretch of land in the Cook Islands lies a second world war airstrip. Once used as a wartime supply route by American forces, the narrow runway is in dire need of resealing to allow larger tourist jets to land. Leaders on the northern island of Penrhyn have asked New Zealand, Australia and the US to help, but none have come through. Now, they hope China will step in and fund it. 'That is the dream,' says Penrhyn's executive director, Puna John Vano. 'We want to maintain our traditional partners, but if not, we're going to get assistance from elsewhere.' Funding for the airstrip is a symbol of a wider struggle unfolding in the Cook Islands, a new front in the contest between China and the west in the Pacific. The country of about 17,000 people has seen ties with its biggest ally and former colonial partner New Zealand fray as leaders draw it closer to Beijing. On the Cook Islands' main island of Rarotonga, many people are angry over the damage caused to relations with New Zealand. The Cook Islands struck major deals with China earlier this year for economic and other kinds of cooperation, sparking a diplomatic row with Wellington over a lack of consultation. Cook Islands operates in 'free association' New Zealand and while it governs its own affairs, Wellington provides assistance including in foreign affairs and defence. Tensions escalated and last month New Zealand abruptly cut off millions of dollars in critical aid and funding. Penrhyn island's executive director, Puna John Vano, says 'we're going to get assistance from elsewhere' if it doesn't come from customary partners. Now, the path ahead is unclear. On the country's main island, Rarotonga, many are angry over the damage caused to relations with New Zealand. Some welcome more Chinese investment but others raise questions over what it will bring. The Cook Islands prime minister, Mark Brown, and his government declined requests for an interview. But others, such as the opposition leader, Tina Browne, were vocal in their criticism of Beijing building its influence in the Cook Islands. 'China frightens me. Its involvement with my country scares me a bit,' Browne says. 'You have this big power and small, small us. What sort of voice would we have?' Rarotonga is a tourism hub and home to nearly three-quarters of the Cook Islands' population. The place is small enough to circle by motorbike in under an hour. In the sleepy seaside town, one of the main attractions is standing at the seawall to watch planes land. Opposition leader Tina Browne fears the Cook Islands will 'be swallowed up in China's money.' Many here share Browne's concerns over China, particularly as it begins to put pressure on the country's longstanding ties with New Zealand. This relationship is overwhelmingly popular – its citizens hold New Zealand citizenship. Cook Islanders have access to healthcare and employment opportunities in New Zealand. Fruit and vegetable seller Teremoana Napa spent 40 years living and working in New Zealand before returning to the Cook Islands. She is now on New Zealand's pension. 'The New Zealand passport gives us so much,' she says. 'We don't want a Cook Islands passport, that's a bloody dead-end passport.' Rarotonga's economy is heavily influenced by tourism, fishing revenue and the rising cost of imports. Others share concern over the loss of crucial aid from Wellington. Outside the country's main hospital, Calais Ngatan helps his heavily pregnant wife to the car. The young man fears what New Zealand's funding cuts will mean for the islands' already stretched healthcare system. New Zealand's NZ$18.2m budget support – which is tied up in the freeze – supports education, healthcare and other critical services. 'Our government decided to sign a contract with China,' Ngatan says. 'So it's limiting our resources over here.' He says he 'feels robbed' by China 'taking everything from us'. 'If we cut ties with New Zealand, it also cuts ties with all the tourists that are coming from overseas,' he says. 'That will be a big problem for us, because that's how we survive.' Watching planes land is a popular attraction on the island of Rarotonga. On Rarotonga, many people hold two jobs to make ends meet in an economy heavily influenced by outside forces: tourism demands, weather-affected fishing revenues and the rising cost of imported goods. The deal signed in February between the Cook Islands and China encompasses a series of cooperation agreements designed to support the domestic economy. They include more cooperation in trade, tourism, infrastructure, climate resilience and seabed minerals development. They also signalled closer diplomatic cooperation, with pledges to consult and support one another in multilateral forums, including the UN and the Pacific Islands Forum. The documents did not include references to security or military cooperation. Top: deep-sea mining plans have prompted concern in the Cook Islands. Above: tourism hub Rarotonga is home to nearly three-quarters of the country's population. China has already pledged $US1.5m to the Cook Islands for a new shipping vessel and promised to support renewable energy projects. The controversial practice of seabed mining is a key part of China's deals with the Cook Islands. The Pacific nation is one of the first countries in the world to grant exploration licences for deep-sea mineral exploration, a practice that has drawn criticism from others in the region. Gary van Eck walking through the research boat from Moana Minerals. Anna Powles, associate professor at Massey University's centre for defence and security studies, says deep-sea mining is crucial to China's interest in the Cook Islands. The two countries have agreed to collaborate on scientific research, joint expeditions, education and training. Powles says there is a 'race' for critical minerals for their defence application and for that reason China is 'actively engaged in finding opportunities and formalising partnerships with countries who are interested in mining their deep-sea minerals within their waters'. The activity has prompted concern in Rarotonga. Don Beer, head of Cook Islands' Fishing Association, is firmly opposed to seabed mineral exploration, citing concerns about its potential impact on already declining fish stocks. His unease is compounded by China's growing interest not just in minerals but also in the Cook Islands' maritime resources. 'We've just got to get the best possible deal out of them. But we've got to be careful,' Beer says. 'Like with any nation, we have to make sure they respect that we have sovereignty.' Cook Islands is one example of a story playing out across the Pacific, where China has been steadily deepening its influence. In recent years Beijing has signed security and development deals with Solomon Islands, Kiribati and most recently Nauru, reshaping traditional alliances. For New Zealand and its allies, the fear is that China's growing presence in the region could eventually translate into military access or control over critical infrastructure. Powles says that for Beijing, deepening relations with the Cook Island shores up 'closer diplomatic ties with Pacific Island partners and that helps to influence and shape a regional order'. From New Zealand's perspective, she notes, the aid freeze was a sign of just how fragile the relationship has become. 'It is quite an extreme move to pause aid,' she says. 'New Zealand has been increasingly clear over the years that, particularly in the security realm, that it sees China as a disruptor and a destabilising actor in the Pacific.' Some in the Cook Islands welcome more Chinese investment but others raise questions over what it will bring. Next month, the Cook Islands will mark 60 years of self-government in free association with New Zealand. As preparations for a massive inter-island celebration unfold, the event is tinged with diplomatic unease. Cook Islands has invited New Zealand to attend – Wellington says their attendance is still 'under consideration'. In addition to pausing financial assistance, New Zealand is also not considering new funding 'until the Cook Islands Government takes concrete steps to repair the relationship and restore trust'. 'New Zealand and Cook Islands officials are engaging on this,' a New Zealand ministry of foreign affairs and trade spokesperson told the Guardian. 'New Zealand hopes that steps will be taken swiftly to address New Zealand's concerns so that this support can be resumed as soon as possible.' The Guardian contacted the Chinese embassy in New Zealand for comment, but did not receive a response. At a press briefing in Beijing last month, Foreign ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun said China's cooperation with the Cook Islands 'targets no third party, nor should it be interfered with or constrained by any third party'. He said the two countries were 'comprehensive strategic partners based on mutual respect and common development', adding that their partnership was based on 'equality and mutual benefit'. Fishing association head Don Beer on his boat. 'We have to make sure [China] respect that we have sovereignty.' But others, like Browne, are worried about China's growing influence. She fears her country will 'be swallowed up in China's money'. 'I totally support us not being too reliant on others, I see that as a real positive,' she says. 'But when I see China's involvement, I think: two steps forward, three steps back.'
The Review Geek
11-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Review Geek
Poker Face – Season 2 Episode 3 'Whack-a Mole' Recap & Review
Episode 3 Episode 3 of Poker Face Season 2 begins with Beatrix Hasp holding Charlie at gunpoint and telling her she needs her help. The gang war has left her in dire straits and she is planning to leave with her few supporters on a plane going out of the country. But her group has a mole and she needs Charlie to figure out who it is. On the way, Beatrix makes them stop at a store where she gets a note from a man in a suit. The note says the safe house is compromised, so Beatrix tells Charlie to drive somewhere else. At the new safe house, Charlie speaks to Beatrix's three men and learns that none of them are working for the feds. She also meets Jeffrey, Beatrix's husband. But this is not the end of her job. Beatrix tells Charlie she has to come with them to the plane. Charlie goes to the toilet before they leave. At the airstrip, Beatrix makes Charlie approach the plane first. She goes inside and finds a doll instead of a human pilot. Suddenly, the FBI arrives, with Luca in charge. Jeffrey panics and begins to run and ends up getting shot by Luca. Beatrix takes the gun and shoots Luca. She then runs into the plane and we hear a shot being fired inside as well. A flashback shows Luca and his team discussing the plan to get Beatrix at the FBI office. Luca has an informant inside Beatrix's gang but nobody else knows who he is. His friend and colleague, Danny, keeps trying to get him to give up the name. Danny turns out to be Beatrix's mole inside the FBI. He meets her at the store and tells her Luca knows about her safe house. As a result, Luca and his team end up waiting for Beatrix at an empty house. Luca then meets his informant, who turns out to be none other than Jeffrey. He is tired of Beatrix putting her work over him. Unbeknownst to them, Danny is spying on them with the help of a lip reader. Luca shows Jeffrey pictures of the FBI agents. Jeffrey recognises Danny but says he will only tell Luca after he gets him into witness protection. Danny realises he's in trouble. Luca describes his plan to raid the plane that Beatrix is planning on using to escape. He says the best way is to fake Jeffrey's death. He gives Jeffrey a shirt with squibs on it and tells him to press the button to set them off on Luca's cue. Back at the safe house, Charlie realises that Jeffrey is the mole but doesn't expose him. When she goes to the toilet, she takes out a hidden phone and calls Luca, who tells her about the plan. At this point, the flashback circles around to the present. We learn that Danny added a real bullet to Luca's set of fake bullets which leads to Jeffrey's death. Beatrix then takes Luca's gun and shoots him but there are only blanks left in it now. She gets inside the plane and pulls out her own gun on Charlie. With Charlie hostage, Beatrix demands the police for a pilot. Charlie secretly calls Luca on her hidden phone and reveals that Beatrix has a mole in the FBI. But Beatrix finds her phone and breaks it. Charlie convinces Beatrix that the FBI mole is the only one who had the motive to kill Jeffrey, to keep his identity secret. Luca then makes his way inside the plane and offers to help Beatrix because he failed her husband. Danny realises they're winning her over and goes in to attack them himself, revealing his identity as the mole. Thanks to a loose shoelace, he falls over and in the ensuing fight, the three of them overpower Danny. With Danny in handcuffs, Luca offers Beatrix witness protection for her help with Danny and for testifying against the other Five Families. On the condition that she takes the hit off of Charlie. Beatrix agrees and Charlie muses on her chance at a fresh start. She heads to her car, brings out a map, closes her eyes, and randomly places her finger on it at the end of Poker Face Season 2 Episode 3. The Episode Review Poker Face Season 2 Episode 3 offers a surprising turn of events! It is quite a surprise to see the show diverge from its regular structure of murder followed by investigation. Instead, the Big Bad who has sent Charlie on the run in the first place, shows up. Not only does Beatrix Hasp bring new trouble for Charlie but her storyline seemingly wraps up, which is the most unexpected element of the episode. It'll be interesting to see how the show moves forward now, with no larger storyline fueling Charlie's travels. All in all, this is still a highly engaging episode. Despite it deviating from the general Poker Face structure, we do get a murder and its subsequent explanation. It does seem a bit too convenient for the threat of Beatrix to be nullified this easily, but then again, Poker Face has been known to take liberties every now and then. And despite that, with jokes about Danny's ulcer and Charlie's quintessential banter, the episode is still incredibly fun. Previous Episode Next Episode Expect A Full Season Write-Up When This Season Concludes!
