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Uganda’s first Oscar-nominated film tells story of Bobi Wine persecution

Around The Globe - Fri, 01/26/2024 - 12:06
Film retells political persecution of popstar-turned-politician Bobi Wine as he takes on the longtime Ugandan leader.

Thousands protest Australia Day celebrations

Around The Globe - Fri, 01/26/2024 - 11:55
Thousands of 'Invasion Day' protesters demanded the date of the annual Australia Day celebrations be changed.

Jurgen Klopp to step down as Liverpool manager at end of season

Around The Globe - Fri, 01/26/2024 - 11:52
The 56-year-old, who took charge at Liverpool in 2015, said he is 'running out of energy'.

Russian court extends detention of US journalist Gershkovich

Around The Globe - Fri, 01/26/2024 - 11:15
Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich was arrested on espionage charges, which he denies.

Qatar PM to meet Israel, US intel chiefs on new Gaza captives deal

Around The Globe - Fri, 01/26/2024 - 10:18
CIA, Mossad heads to meet in Europe with Qatar officials to broker second captives-for-prisoners exchange and truce.

Pacific island Tuvalu votes as ties with Taiwan in spotlight

Around The Globe - Fri, 01/26/2024 - 09:04
Poll in nation threatened by climate change closely watched as China and the United State vie for influence in region.

Has Israel realised that it can’t ‘eradicate’ Hamas?

Around The Globe - Fri, 01/26/2024 - 08:48
Israel vowed to eliminate Hamas, but now the group has resurfaced in northern Gaza after 112 days of war.

Israel’s war on Gaza: List of key events, day 112

Around The Globe - Fri, 01/26/2024 - 07:58
An Israeli attack killed 20 waiting on aid in Gaza, heavy fighting is under way at hospitals.

In Hong Kong, decades of wealth gains evaporate on China’s watch

Around The Globe - Fri, 01/26/2024 - 06:31
Hong Kong's stock market is lower today than it was in 1997 when the territory returned to Chinese sovereignty.

‘Too much poison’: Attacks on Indian Muslims grow after Ram temple ceremony

Around The Globe - Fri, 01/26/2024 - 06:11
As India marks Republic Day, many fear the dawn of a new nation where minorities are made to feel like 'rubbish'.

Rohingya refugees in Indonesia still hope for a better future

Around The Globe - Fri, 01/26/2024 - 06:09
On the beach and in a car park, Rohingya refugees are taking shelter wherever they can amid a hostile reception in Aceh.

Alabama carries out first US execution by asphyxiation with nitrogen gas

Around The Globe - Fri, 01/26/2024 - 05:12
Convicted murderer Kenneth Smith, who survived an earlier execution attempt by lethal injection, was killed on Thursday.

Toppled statues, protests: Australia marks contentious national holiday

Around The Globe - Fri, 01/26/2024 - 04:29
Thousands join marches in major cities amid growing debate over holiday once known for barbecues and beach trips.

Mali’s military rulers scrap peace deal with separatist rebels

Around The Globe - Fri, 01/26/2024 - 03:30
Military leaders say Algiers Accord cancelled with 'immediate effect' due to signatories not upholding commitments.

Russia-Ukraine war: List of key events, day 702

Around The Globe - Fri, 01/26/2024 - 02:49
As the war enters its 702nd day, these are the main developments.

These Filipinos paid thousands for a job in Poland. Now they feel cheated

Around The Globe - Fri, 01/26/2024 - 01:25
Two-part Al Jazeera investigation reveals claims of deception by recruiters working across multiple countries.

Central Asia Seen as Key to Breaking China's Rare Earth Monopoly

Technology - Thu, 01/25/2024 - 23:50
WASHINGTON — U.S. officials hoping to break China's near monopoly on the production of rare earth elements needed for many cutting-edge technologies should engage the governments of Central Asia to develop high concentrations of REEs found in the region, says a new report.  The study by the U.S.-based International Tax and Investment Center warns that a failure to act could leave China with a "decisive advantage" in the sector, which is crucial to green energy, many new weapons systems and other advanced technologies.  "As the uses for these minerals has expanded, so too has global competition for them in a time of sharply increasing geostrategic and geo-economic tension," the report says.  "Advanced economies with secure, reliable access to REEs enjoy economic advantages in manufacturing, and corresponding economic disadvantages accrue for those without this access."  China, which accounts for most of the world's rare earth mining within its own borders, has not yet had to seek additional supplies from Central Asia, which enjoys plentiful reserves of minerals ranging from iron and nonferrous metals to uranium.  But, the report says, "the massive size of the Chinese economy and the Chinese Communist Party's conscious efforts to dominate the REE sector globally mean such increases are a matter of time."   Oil-rich Kazakhstan, the region's economic giant, holds the world's largest chromium reserves and the second-largest stocks of uranium, while also possessing other critical elements.   Report co-author Ariel Cohen says it is up to the governments of Central Asia to create the investment climate for development of these resources.    "They may be the next big thing in Central Asia as the engine of economic growth," Cohen said this week during a panel discussion at the Atlantic Council, a Washington think tank.   Across Central Asia, experts note, REEs are found in substantial volumes in the Kazakh steppe and uplands as well as in the Tien Shan mountains across Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan, and in the Pamir Mountains in Tajikistan.   Monazite, zircon, apatite, xenotime, pyrochlore, allanite and columbite are among Central Asia's most abundant rare metals and minerals.   In 2016, the U.S. Geological Survey listed 384 REE occurrences in the region: 160 in Kazakhstan, 87 in Uzbekistan, 75 in Kyrgyzstan, 60 in Tajikistan, and two in Turkmenistan. Wesley Hill, another expert on Central Asia's mineral reserves, says production of rare earths at present "is almost wholly monopolized by China."   "Depending on how you count, between 80 to 90% of REE refining is controlled by China and done directly inside of China," Hill said.    But, he argued, despite China's heavy involvement in Central Asia, it has yet to fully take over the region's rare earth sector. "So, this means that Central Asia is very much at a crossroads,” he said. “Central Asia has the opportunity to expand its REE production without being wholly dependent on China."  Central Asia is currently in a position where it can develop its REE refining capacities both for its national development strategies and to break the Chinese monopoly, Hill said.   "But this is only going to happen with good policy, both from the American side and the Central Asian side."   Ambassador John Herbst, Washington's former top diplomat in Uzbekistan and Ukraine, says the region's REE assets are "simply another reason for enhanced engagement by the West."  He said he is not sure that Central Asian governments appreciate how important rare earths can be to their development. "But I do know that the countries of Central Asia want a closer relationship with the United States, and that is one important part of their maintaining their hard-won independence."  Herbst added that the United States and Central Asia have a common interest in working together to develop the region's rare earths "for the economy of the future."  "We have an ability to innovate that far exceeds [China's]. Their innovation is based largely on taking our technology." Suriya Evans-Pritchard Jayanti, who serves as energy transition counsel at the U.S. Department of Commerce, says the region is eager for investment.  "It is a development opportunity. Particularly with the geostrategic energy realignment after the Russian invasion of Ukraine, but also, because of the energy transition. Lithium and other REE are necessary for different parts of that transition. So that's primarily an economic incentive," she said.  She pointed to the Mineral Strategic Partnership Initiative run by the U.S. State Department's Bureau on Energy Resources, which is able to promote foreign direct investment in the region while providing technical assistance in the mining sector.  Cohen said the Central Asian countries cannot wait long to develop their rare earths. "There is a competition, and the African countries, Latin American countries and others will compete increasingly."   Wilder Alejandro Sanchez, who heads a consultancy called Second Floor Strategies, says Central Asia needs a rare earth research center that can provide timely information to prospective customers and investors.   Transportation is key, Sanchez said. "It's not just about finding and mining them. You have to get them to the international market."   Access from the landlocked region at present is limited to China's Belt and Road infrastructure or routes through Russia. Sanchez and others recommend using the Middle Corridor, also called the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route, which can carry goods to Europe across the Caspian and Black seas.   These experts also say progress will depend on regional governments overcoming their traditional secretiveness regarding natural resources. They emphasize the importance of transparency, the rule of law, adherence to best practices and compliance with international norms if they hope to attract Western investment.

Families of Israeli captives deny leaking Netanyahu Qatar tape

Around The Globe - Thu, 01/25/2024 - 21:57
In leaked audio, Israeli PM is heard criticising Doha in its role in negotiating the release of captives held by Hamas.

Israeli forces open fire during aid distribution

Around The Globe - Thu, 01/25/2024 - 21:50
At least 20 people were killed and 150 wounded as Israeli tanks fired shells and live rounds at people in northern Gaza

Hamas blasts Israel’s plan to create buffer zone in Gaza as a ‘crime’

Around The Globe - Thu, 01/25/2024 - 21:23
Israel is reportedly working to establish a 1km-wide 'security belt' around the Gaza Strip amid disapproval from the US.

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