52 h. ago US lawmakers propose US$2.5 billion agency to boost production of rare earths

A bipartisan group of lawmakers has proposed creating a new agency with US$2.5 billion to spur production of rare earths and the other critical minerals, while the Trump administration has already taken aggressive actions to break China’s grip on the market for these materials that are crucial to hi-tech products, including mobile phones, electric vehicles, jet fighters and missiles. It is too early to tell how the bill, if passed, could align with the White House’s policy but whatever the...

Economics

9 d. ago US will end China’s dominance of rare earths, Trump adviser Navarro predicts

US President Donald Trump’s White House trade adviser predicted American industrial breakthroughs would help boost domestic production and eliminate China’s market dominance of rare earths. “China has been flexing its muscles now in Europe, in India, in the United States saying, basically, we’re gonna do what we want, and if you try to stop us, we’re gonna take away your critical minerals,” Peter Navarro said in an interview on Bloomberg’s The Mishal Husain Show. “Because they have, they think...

Politics

9 d. ago South Korea’s proposed foreign crime bill sparks xenophobia fears over migration

Migrant rights and other civic groups have condemned a bill proposed by conservative South Korean lawmakers that would require immigration authorities to publish crime statistics on foreign nationals, broken down by nationality and visa status, warning that the measure could fuel xenophobia. Civic organisations said on Thursday that the proposal would stigmatise immigrants by singling them out as potential criminals, despite evidence showing that foreign residents are less likely to commit...

Events

1 week ago China’s DeepSeek adds advanced ‘thinking’ feature to chatbot amid buzz over next model

Chinese artificial intelligence start-up DeepSeek has updated the user interface of its flagship chatbot by adding an advanced “thinking” feature, as its app recorded a massive 90 per cent jump in monthly active users (MAU) in December. The upgrades, including a deep research mode similar to OpenAI’s namesake product, marked a rare improvement on the consumer side for the Hangzhou-based firm at a time when anticipation was building over its next-generation models, analysts said. DeepSeek’s...

Politics

1 week ago Beijing warns of war over Taiwan ruling party’s move to rebrand cross

Beijing has warned that a proposal by Taiwanese lawmakers to amend legislation is a move aimed at “de jure independence” for the island, heightening the risk of war. “This proposal disregards the mainstream public opinion in Taiwan publicly challenges the historical and legal fact that Taiwan is part of China, and blatantly promotes ‘de jure Taiwan independence’,” Taiwan Affairs Office spokesman Chen Binhua said on Sunday. “Taiwan independence means war. We have full confidence and sufficient...

Events

3 w. ago Ecobank, Bank of China partner to boost Africa – China trade

Ecobank, Bank of China partner to boost Africa – China trade  APAnews - Agence de Presse Africaine

Politics