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

Bafta-winning stars announced for Harry Potter TV show


The actors who will play Draco Malfoy, the Dursleys, Molly Weasley and more key characters in the new Harry Potter TV series have been revealed.

Johnny Flynn, known for Netflix's Ripley and films like The Dig, will play Lucius Malfoy with young actor Lox Pratt, star of BBC's Lord of the Flies, as his son Draco - Harry's classmate and nemesis.

The Morning Show's Bel Powley will join Daniel Rigby, who won a Bafta Award for playing comedian Eric Morecambe in Eric and Ernie, as Harry's Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon Dursley.

Fellow Bafta winner Katherine Parkinson, known for shows like The IT Crowd and Rivals, will play Ron's mother Molly Weasley, portrayed by Julie Walters in the films.

Bertie Carvel, who has played roles including Tony Blair in The Crown, will be the new Cornelius Fudge.

And a string of newcomers have been cast as Hogwarts students - Leo Earley as Seamus Finnigan, Alessia Leoni as Parvati Patil, and Sienna Moosah as Lavender Brown.

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
Israel says it will allow 'basic amount' of food into Gaza, ending 10-week blockade Israel has announced it will allow a "basic amount of food" to enter Gaza to ensure that "no starvation crisis develops" after blockading the territory for 10 weeks. A statement from the prime minister's office said the move was made on recommendation of the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) and based on the need to support its renewed military offensive against Hamas. The announcement came hours after   Israel's military said it had begun "extensive ground operations" throughout Gaza. Israel has come under increasing pressure to lift its blockade, during which no food, fuel or medicines have been allowed in. Aid agencies have warned about the risk of famine among Gaza's 2.1 million population, as footage and accounts emerge of emaciated children suffering malnutrition. French foreign minister Jean-Noel Barrot called on Israel to allow the "immediate, ma...
Read more
Image
Gazans 'wasting away' as mass starvation spreads, humanitarian groups warn Israel imposed a total blockade of aid deliveries to Gaza at the start of March and resumed its military offensive against Hamas two weeks later, collapsing a two-month ceasefire. It said it wanted to put pressure on the armed group to release its remaining Israeli hostages. Although the blockade was partially eased after almost two months, amid warnings of a looming famine from global experts, the shortages of food, medicine and fuel have worsened. "Doctors report record rates of acute malnutrition, especially among children and older people. Illnesses like acute watery diarrhoea are spreading, markets are empty, waste is piling up, and adults are collapsing on the streets from hunger and dehydration," the humanitarian organisations warned. "An aid worker providing psychosocial support spoke of the devastating impact on children: 'Children tell their parents they want to go to heaven,...
Read more