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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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Meet the Apple Girls from Charli XCX's Belsonic gig


Thousands of fans who attended Charli XCX's Belsonic gig on Wednesday night will have been waking up to watch clips of her performance back on their phones.

But two fans have been replaying their own performances again and again.

Anna Lawther and Maisie Smith were picked to be Belfast's 'Apple Girls' at the gig, selected from the crowd to perform a viral dance, projected on the big screens, during Charli's song Apple.

Maisie was originally going to make a sign that said "Hello from Bishop's Stortford" - her hometown, which is also where Charli went to school.

In the end, they did not get round to that and she said they were just "genuinely enjoying [themselves]" and not even trying to attract attention when they were spotted by a crew member.

He came over and typed on his phone: "Do you know the Apple Dance?"

"We just looked at each other and went: 'Oh my word, no way'," Anna said.

"And we were like: 'Yes, yes, yes'."

A few songs later, the girls were on the big screen.

"It's all a bit of a blur," Anna said, adding that they were so focused on the camera they didn't actually look at the screen.

Snow Patrol, Alanis Morissette, Charli XCX, Justin Timberlake and Irish DJ BLK are among a host of big names taking to the stage this year.

Also featuring are Stereophonics, Madness, Catfish and the Bottlemen and Lush! Classical.

For dance music fans, the Boiler Room will see Dutch DJ and producer Chris Stussy team up with KETTAMA, a DJ and producer from Galway.

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