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  China controls the rare earths the world buys - can Trump's new deals change that? US President Donald Trump has signed a flurry of deals on his Asia visit to secure the supply of rare earths, a critical sector that China has long dominated. The deals with Japan, Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam and Cambodia differ in size and substance and it's too early to assess their tangible impact. But they all include efforts to diversify access to the minerals that have become essential for advanced manufacturing, from electric vehicles to smartphones. The agreements, which aim to lock partners into trading with the US, are a clear bid to reduce dependence on China, ahead of a key meeting with its leader Xi Jinping. They could eventually challenge Beijing's stranglehold over rare earths, but experts say it will be a costly process that will take years. "Building new mines, refining facilities, and processing plants in regions such as Australia, the United States, and Europe comes ...
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 Prince Andrew says he 'ceased all contact' with alleged Chinese spy


Prince Andrew has said he "ceased all contact" with a businessman accused of being a Chinese spy after receiving advice from the government.

In a statement, his office said Prince Andrew had met the man "through official channels" and there was "nothing of a sensitive nature ever discussed".

The alleged spy has been banned from the UK following a judgement by the UK's semi-secret national security court.

The man, known only as H6, was described in court as a "close confidant" of Prince Andrew who had formed an "unusual degree of trust" with the duke.

In 2023, H6 brought an appeal against his initial ban but the decision has been upheld by the court.

Judges were told the businessman was attempting to leverage Prince Andrew's influence.

The duke's office said he was "unable to comment further on matters relating to national security".

His statement did not specify when he ceased contact with the man nor the duration of their communications.

Buckingham Palace declined to comment, saying they do not act for the prince, who is not a working royal.

China's embassy in the UK has denied the espionage claim saying "some individuals in the UK are always eager to fabricate baseless 'spy' stories targeting China".

"Their purpose is to smear China and disrupt normal exchanges between Chinese and British personnel," a spokesperson for the embassy said.

The former home secretary Suella Braverman banned H6 from the UK in March 2023.

He then brought his case to the Special Immigration Appeals Commission, a court set up to consider appeals against decisions to ban or remove someone from the country on national security or related grounds.

In the published ruling, the judges upheld Braverman's decision.

The court was told that H6 was invited to Prince Andrew's birthday party in 2020 and was told he could act on his behalf when dealing with potential investors in China.

It is not clear how H6 became close to the prince, but in November 2021 police officers stopped and questioned him at the UK border under powers to investigate suspicions of "hostile activity" by a foreign state.

During that stop H6 surrendered a number of electronic devices including a mobile phone.

What officers found on them so concerned the security service MI5, that Braverman used her exceptional powers to ban H6 from the country

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