Image
  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 ...
Post a Comment

 Is Trump backing away from his plan to occupy Gaza?


Egypt and Jordan believe they have succeeded in dissuading US President Donald Trump from his plan to occupy Gaza. He wants not only to occupy Gaza but also to evict the Palestinian residents from it and send them elsewhere.

A senior Egyptian official told Middle East Eye that Trump has been briefed on their proposed post-war alternative plan for Gaza. He seems to have agreed to it.

The official said that Egypt, with the support of the Arab world, is working on an alternative plan for Gaza. President Trump has agreed to the plan.

The Egyptian official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said on Tuesday that Jordan’s King Abdullah II discussed the issue of evicting Palestinians from Gaza with Trump during his visit to Washington. He played a key role in convincing Trump to go along with the plan. Cairo and the Arab world are viewing the Jordanian king’s meeting with Trump as an initial victory.

The Egyptian official told Middle East Eye that the closed-door meeting yielded great results.

Jordan's King Abdullah II did not publicly criticize the US president over Trump's proposal to occupy the Gaza Strip. However, the Egyptian official said that King Abdullah warned Trump in a private meeting that his plan could incite "Islamic extremism" in the Middle East. That would be counterproductive. It could put pro-US governments in the region in turmoil.

The Egyptian official added that the US president listened to King Abdullah's speech with "very close attention and sympathy."

An Egyptian official told Middle East Eye that there is no need for any conflict to implement Egypt's plan. Because Hamas has agreed to distance itself from the establishment of a new government in Gaza. However, their only condition is that no senior PA officials can be included in that government.

An AP report yesterday said that no Hamas or PA officials were included in Egypt's post-war Gaza plan. The report said that the part of the PA police force that has been on duty in Gaza since 2007 will work to govern Gaza. Hamas formed the government in Gaza after winning the 2007 elections.

A report published by Middle East Eye in May said that Hamas would be somewhat "flexible" on the question of forming a future government in Gaza. Their condition is that the Palestinians will form the government in Gaza. There will be no government imposed by the United States or Israel.

However, the question is who will be in charge of security in the Gaza Strip. For example, in Lebanon, a new government was formed in 1990 after a civil war. However, Hezbollah remains armed and continues to operate as a separate armed force outside the state.

The Egyptian official told Middle East Eye that the Gulf states want to ensure that a situation like that in Lebanon does not occur here. For this reason, they will have an active role in the “Gaza Strip”. They will play this role by investing in the reconstruction of Gaza.

A joint assessment by the United Nations, the European Union and the World Bank, published yesterday, said that the reconstruction of Gaza and the occupied West Bank will cost $50 billion. At least $20 billion will be needed in the first three years.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Image
'DeepSeek moved me to tears': How young Chinese find therapy in AI Before she goes to bed each night, Holly Wang logs on to DeepSeek for "therapy sessions". Ever since January, when the breakout Chinese AI app launched, the 28-year-old has brought her dilemmas and sorrows, including the recent death of her grandmother, to the chatbot. Its responses have resonated so deeply they have at times brought her to tears. "DeepSeek has been such an amazing counsellor. It has helped me look at things from different perspectives and does a better job than the paid counselling services I have tried," says Holly, who asked for her real name to be withheld to protect her privacy. From writing reports and Excel formulas to planning trips, workouts and learning new skills, AI apps have found their way into many people's lives across the world. In China, though, young people like Holly have been looking to AI for something not typically expected of computing and algorith...
Read more
Image
Disney holds small-scale Snow White premiere amid controversy Disney's live-action remake of Snow White is set to be released in UK cinemas next week, marking the latest efforts by the film studio to revive a beloved old classic. But the film, which stars Rachel Zegler and Gal Gadot, has faced several issues throughout its production. The movie is being released amid a debate about how the seven dwarfs are represented on screen, while Zegler has made headlines for critical comments about the original 1937 film. The European premiere was held on Wednesday at a castle in Northern Spain, instead of a more traditional and high-profile location such as London's Leicester Square. The film's European premiere took place on Wednesday at a remote castle in Spain, which was the inspiration behind the castle in the 1937 original animated film. Zegler performed a rendition of original song Waiting On a Wish at the event on Wednesday evening in Segrovia, north-West of Madrid. Most media...
Read more
Image
  Venezuela frees six US men after Trump envoy meets Maduro Venezuela has freed six US detainees after talks in Caracas between President Nicolás Maduro and a senior Trump administration official. The release of the men was announced on social media by Donald Trump and his special envoy, Richard Grenell. Grenell - who published online a photo of the six on board his plane - said they had spoken by phone to President Trump to thank him. Earlier, the White House had called on Venezuela to release "US hostages" - as well as agreeing to receive Venezuelan criminals deported by the US - or face consequences. Venezuela's Maduro sworn in for third term after contested elections US announces $25m reward for arrest of Venezuela's Maduro 'I thought I was going to die': Jailed Venezuelan activist Grenell did not name the six men, who were seen dressed in light blue outfits used by the Venezuelan prison system. "We are wheels up and headed home with these 6 American ...
Read more