
-
Japan's high-tech sunscreens tap into skincare craze
-
Tesla expected to launch long-discussed robotaxi service
-
South Korea counts on shipbuilding to ease US tariff woes
-
Bombing Iran, Trump gambles on force over diplomacy
-
Trump says US attack 'obliterated' Iran nuclear sites
-
Itoje to Valetini: five to watch when the Lions face Australia
-
Wallabies confident but wary of wounded British and irish Lions
-
Utopia and fragile democracy at Art Basel fair
-
Freed Israeli hostage recounts 484-day nightmare in Gaza
-
River Plate frustrated by Monterrey in 0-0 stalemate
-
Panama cuts internet, cell phones in restive province
-
Tens of thousands join pro-Palestinian marches across Europe
-
Coach Penney unsure of return to Super Rugby champions Crusaders
-
Trump says US 'obliterated' Iran nuclear sites, threatens more
-
Olympic chief Kirsty Coventry's steeliness honed by hard knocks
-
Outgoing IOC president Thomas Bach faced mammoth challenges
-
Maro Itoje comes of age with Lions captaincy
-
Trump says US bombs Iran nuclear sites, joining Israeli campaign
-
In New York, Vermeer show reveals art of the love letter
-
Ex-members of secret US abortion group fear return to dark era
-
Trump says US launched 'very successful' attack on Iran nuclear sites
-
Man City squad must be trimmed: Guardiola
-
Minjee Lee grabs four-shot lead at 'brutal' Women's PGA Championship
-
Olympic balloon rises again in Paris
-
Inter Milan, Dortmund claim first wins at Club World Cup
-
South American teams lay down the gauntlet to Europe at Club World Cup
-
Fleetwood grabs PGA Travelers lead as top-ranked stars fade
-
'Lucky' Lamothe hat-trick guides Bordeaux-Begles into Top 14 final
-
Lamothe hat-trick guides Bordeaux-Begles into Top 14 final
-
UK PM Starmer says Kneecap should not perform Glastonbury
-
Inter Milan strike late to beat Urawa Reds at Club World Cup
-
Dortmund stars hide from sun at Club World Cup 'sauna'
-
One game to win it all: Thunder host Pacers in NBA Finals game 7
-
Russell says he's buried Sexton hatchet as old rivals united in quest for Lions glory
-
Nigeria receives over 100 looted artifacts from the Netherlands
-
I. Coast president Ouattara tapped to run for fourth term
-
Protesters slam war profiteering, Israel at French air fair
-
Belarus frees jailed opposition leader after appeal from US
-
Medvedev dispatches home hope Zverev to meet Bublik in Halle final
-
Nigeria receives over 100 looted artifacts from Netherlands
-
Hundred hero Pope answers England's prayers as Bumrah strikes in first Test
-
Bellingham strikes as Dortmund sink Sundowns in Club World Cup thriller
-
Feyi-Waboso sees red as France beat England in unofficial Test
-
From attendances to NBA-style walkouts: Club World Cup talking points
-
Eight dead in Brazil hot air balloon accident
-
Bellingham strikes as Dortmund sink Sundowns
-
Alcaraz sets up Queen's final clash with Lehecka
-
MLB suspends Padres pitcher three games for hitting Ohtani
-
Belarus opposition leader freed from jail after US mediation
-
Medvedev dispatches home hope Zverev to reach Halle final

Prospect of copper mine reopening revives tensions in Panama
Piles of copper concentrate from a Canadian-owned mine closed by the Panama courts in 2023 sit on the shores of the Caribbean Sea and are now approved for export, to the dismay of environmentalists.
A red and white chimney serves as a beacon for ships, but none have docked for more than a year at the Cobre Panama mine, which had been operated since February 2019 by Canada's First Quantum Minerals.
Earlier this month, Panamanian President Jose Raul Mulino announced that he had authorized the firm to export the copper concentrate it had already extracted before Central America's largest open-pit mine was shut.
Around 130,000 tons of it are stored in a huge shed near the dock.
In response, the mine operator signaled that it was ready to suspend multibillion-dollar arbitration proceedings against Panama over the closure.
Supporters and opponents of the mine see it as a first step toward its reopening, although Mulino said there are still issues to be negotiated.
"The president has given us a light at the end of the tunnel," Sebastian Rojas, port maintenance manager at Cobre Panama, said during a visit Friday by journalists.
In November 2023, following weeks of crippling protests over the mine's environmental impact, Panama's Supreme Court ruled that a concession contract signed by former president Laurentino Cortizo's government was unconstitutional.
In response, the company initiated international arbitration proceedings seeking $20 billion in compensation.
- Machinery sits idle -
Not far from the chimney of Cobre Panama's thermoelectric plant, which has also been given the green light to operate again, there is a huge hole in the ground made with explosives and huge drills.
Kilometers of pipelines and long conveyor belts resemble the structures of an elevated train.
"This is an industrial city," said Hugo Mendoza, who used to operate heavy machinery and now serves as a mine tour guide.
Cobre Panama had produced about 300,000 tons of copper concentrate a year, representing 75 percent of the country's exports and about five percent of its national economic output.
Its shutdown deprived the Panamanian treasury of nearly $600 million a year in royalties and raised doubts about the security of foreign investment in the country.
The closure also left around 36,000 direct and indirect workers unemployed. The mining company now has only about 1,300 employees performing maintenance tasks.
Mulino said this week that he was willing to negotiate with First Quantum about a possible reopening of the mine, angering opponents of mining.
"The government acts like it's the company's lawyer or legal advisor," said Lilian Guevara, one of the leaders of the Panama Is Worth More Without Mining movement, which brings together 45 NGOs.
"It's trying to illegally reopen this mine," she added.
In nearby communities, there are both supporters and opponents of the mine, due to the jobs it brings as well as environmental concerns.
Since the stoppage, the company has spent about $20 million a month on equipment maintenance, salary payments and other expenses.
Dozens of enormous trucks sit idle, each one worth several million dollars, along with other heavy machinery, some of it slowly rusting.
U.Shaheen--SF-PST