6 h. ago What are rare earths and critical minerals – explained in 30 seconds

Rare earths are a specific category of critical minerals crucial for defence, auto and electronic industries that have become a flashpoint in diplomacy and tradeCritical minerals are vital for the global economy and include nickel, manganese and cobalt.Rare earths are a specific, highly useful category of critical minerals that are used to make magnets essential for the auto, electronic and defence industries, as well as in renewable energy. Securing reserves and production of rare earths has become a flashpoint in global diplomacy and trade. Continue reading...

Politics

8 h. ago Major rare earth firm scraps plans for £190m UK plant in favour of US

UK-listed firm Pensana had planned to build the £190million Saltend site near Hull, to process raw materials used in technologies such as electric cars and wind turbines.

Economics

17 h. ago Two green comets are streaming close to earth. Here’s how skygazers can see this rare occurrence

Two bright green comets are streaming through the skies and are visible to skygazers in the Northern Hemisphere

Politics

54 h. ago US and China begin collecting port fees on each other’s vessels amid trade war

A return to an all-out trade war appeared imminent last week, after China announced a major expansion of its rare earths export controls

Events

2 d. ago US treasury secretary accuses Beijing of trying to damage global economy; silver hits record high – business live

Rolling coverage of the latest economic and financial newsWhy has US-China trade war restarted and how have markets reacted?A flurry of takeover talk speculation has pushed up shares in budget airline EasyJet this morning.EasyJet’s shares are up over 7%, leading the risers on the FTSE 100 share index.“[The group] does not believe the redress methodology proposed by the FCA appropriately reflects actual customer loss or achieves a proportionate outcome.“...the FCA’s proposed approach to assessing unfairness does not align with the legal clarity provided by the supreme court judgement in respect of the “Johnson” case, which confirmed that the test for unfairness is highly fact specific and must take into account a broad range of factors. The group will continue to engage with the FCA in respect of these points.“Many motor finance lenders did not comply with the law or the rules. It’s time their customers get fair compensation. Recent court judgments show that liabilities exist no matt...

Events

3 d. ago Scott Bessent accuses China of trying to damage global economy

US Treasury secretary tells FT Beijing’s restrictions on critical mineral exports will hurt its own international standing

Events

3 d. ago Trump's rare earth row with China casts a dark shadow over the global economy, says ALEX BRUMMER

Washington and Beijing are at daggers, despite Trump's claims of a good relationship with supreme Chinese leader Xi Jinping (pictured together).

Politics

4 d. ago The IMF boss is right to say ‘buckle up’ – the global economy is facing multiple menaces

Trump’s latest tariff tantrum and rising fears of an AI bubble have very quickly borne out Kristina Georgieva’s claim that ‘uncertainty is the new normal’Trump threatens 100% tariffs as Beijing restricts rare-earth exportsLittle more than 48 hours passed last week between IMF chief Kristalina Georgieva’s warning that “uncertainty is the new normal” and Donald Trump’s latest tariff onslaught – this time aimed at China.Markets plunged on Friday after Trump threatened to levy punitive additional tariffs of 100% on Chinese goods in retaliation for Beijing’s blocks on exports of rare earth minerals. Continue reading...

Economics

5 d. ago Pentagon steps up stockpiling of critical minerals with $1bn buying spree

Trump administration challenges Chinese dominance of supply chain for metals essential to defence industry

Economics

6 d. ago Markets tumble as Trump escalates trade war with 100% tariff on China ‘over and above’ current rates

Stocks had been dropping all day after Trump announced a ‘massive increase of Tariffs on Chinese products,’ to counter the country’s new export controls on rare earth minerals

Politics

6 d. ago Trump threatens 100% China tariffs as Beijing restricts rare

President accuses China of ‘very hostile’ moves and says additional tariffs could come on 1 November ‘or sooner’Donald Trump has threatened to impose additional US tariffs of 100% on China from next month, accusing Beijing of “very hostile” moves to restrict exports of rare earths needed for American industry.Wall Street fell sharply after the US president reignited public tensions with the Chinese government, and raised the prospect of another acrimonious trade war between the world’s two largest economies. Continue reading...

Politics

6 d. ago The Guardian view on an AI bubble: capitalism still hasn’t evolved to protect itself | Editorial

Warnings about inflated tech stocks suggest investors never learn and central bankers learn too lateThe message from global regulators this week was blunt: the AI boom is driving stocks to dotcom-bubble highs – and the world is finally listening. With so much cash riding on so few firms, any loss of faith could send shares tumbling and drag down the wider economy. China’s proposed export controls on rare earths add a fresh threat: not just to sentiment, but to advanced chip supply chains themselves. It’s a long way down from such dizzying heights if gravity reasserts itself.Warnings from the past abound in Charles Kindleberger’s history of financial crises, Manias, Panics and Crashes, which begins with tulip mania in 1636. What commonly happens, he wrote, is “that some event changes the economic outlook. New opportunities for profits are seized, and overdone.” Once the mistake is realised, there’s a panicked exit with a crash in the price of “whatever has been the subject of the man...

Politics

6 d. ago UK stocks spooked by new Trump threat of fresh tariffs on China

The US President said ‘countermeasures’ were possible as part of a dispute over critical minerals.

Politics

6 d. ago Trump threatens ‘massive’ tariffs on China amid critical minerals dispute

US president signals he may cancel planned meeting with Xi Jinping over the move

Politics

7 d. ago China tightens grip on rare earths export amid US trade tensions

Sweeping restrictions mark first expansion of Beijing’s jurisdiction over its materials used abroad

Events

8 d. ago China outlines more controls on exports of rare earths and technology

China has outlined new curbs on exports of rare earths and related technologies, extending controls over the use of the elements critical for many products

Politics

3 w. ago China has device 5 times larger than New York City that helps it dominate critical minerals exploration

Transmitter system originally built for submarine communication enables geologists to send signals deep underground to map resources

Politics