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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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 Maldives bans entry of Israelis


The Maldives has banned Israelis from entering the country in protest of the war in Gaza and in "strong solidarity" with the Palestinian people. A law was approved by parliament on Tuesday. It was signed by the country's President Mohamed Morsi. Under the law, no person holding an Israeli passport will be able to enter the Maldives.

Morsi's cabinet initially decided to ban all Israeli passport holders from entering the country until the attacks on Palestine stop in June 2024, but progress on the law has been stalled.

In May 2024, a bill was introduced in the Maldivian parliament by Mikail Ahmed Nasim, a lawmaker from the Maldivian Democratic Party (the main opposition party), who sought to amend the country's immigration law. The cabinet then decided to change the country's law to ban holders of Israeli passports, including dual citizenship. After several amendments, the bill passed this week after more than 300 days. “This approval reflects the government’s firm stance against Israel’s continued atrocities and genocide against the Palestinian people,” Muizz’s office said in a statement.

The Gaza Health Ministry said on Sunday that at least 1,613 Palestinians have been killed since the ceasefire collapsed on March 18, bringing the total death toll since Israel’s war in Gaza began in October 2023 to 50,983. The statement added that “the Maldives reiterates its strong solidarity with the Palestinians.”

The Maldives is an Islamic republic made up of 1,129 islands. The country is known as one of the world’s leading beach holiday destinations.

This is not the first time that the Maldives has imposed a travel ban on Israelis. The Maldives has previously imposed a travel ban on Israeli tourists. The ban was later lifted in the early 1990s.

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