Author: Editor-In-Chief
An annealed neodymium iron boron magnet sits inside a barrel at Neo Material Technologies’ factory in Tianjin, China, June 11, 2010.Bloomberg | Bloomberg | Getty ImagesRare earth magnet manufacturers are in trouble as Western countries scramble to build domestic “mine-to-magnet” supply chains and reduce dependence on China.Rare earths have moved to the top of the agenda as geopolitical tensions between the U.S. and China continue, and a tumultuous year marked by supply constraints and the threat of tariffs has put the strategic importance of magnet manufacturers firmly in the spotlight. Magnets made from rare earths are critical components in everything…
The Ukrainian military said its troops had withdrawn from the battle-scarred town of Siversk in eastern Donetsk region after heavy fighting with Russian forces.The General Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces said in a telegraphed statement on Tuesday that the Russian military had a “significant advantage” in manpower and equipment and had constantly put pressure on the defending Ukrainian forces by launching small-unit attacks in difficult weather conditions.Recommended stories list of 4 itemsend of listThe decision to withdraw Ukrainian troops was made “to protect the lives of our soldiers and the combat capabilities of our units,” the General Staff said.Heavy…
Michael van Gerwen says Peter Wright should retire from darts and said he was “not surprised” the two-time world champion was eliminated in the second round of the World Championships.Wright suffered a 3-0 defeat to Germany’s Arno Melk on Tuesday, ending an already difficult 2025 with an early exit at Alexandra Palace. Van Gerwen’s comments come a week after Wright claimed the Dutchman’s “vision is probably moving forward”. “I wasn’t too surprised by his performance because he’s been playing badly lately,” van Gerwen said after his 3-1 win over William O’Connor.”In any case, I think it’s time for him to…
On Wednesday, November 26, 2025, a fire destroyed an apartment building in Wang Fu Court in the Tai Po district of Hong Kong, China. Bloomberg | Bloomberg | Getty ImagesWhat a year this year has been. Of course for many, this cannot end quickly. From the impact of President Donald Trump’s tariffs to natural and man-made disasters across Asia. New leaders breaking the glass ceiling and old leaders being taken to the International Criminal Court or sentenced to death in absentia. A missile was fired across the border. Terrorist attacks in South Asia and the Pacific. Continuing corruption and real…
A Waymo car stops on the street during a power outage in San Francisco, California, USA on December 20, 2025. Screenshot taken from a social media video. dReutersThree days after Waymo suspended its self-driving car service due to power outages in San Francisco. alphabetThe company that owns the vehicle said it is updating its fleet so that it can better respond in the event of a future power outage. “We have always been committed to developing the Waymo Driver as-is for the world, even in the event of an infrastructure failure,” the company said in a blog post late Tuesday.…
Reuters — British police announced on Tuesday that no further action would be taken against punk duo Bob Villain over comments he made about the Israeli military during a performance at the Glastonbury music festival in June. Avon and Somerset Police said: “Having considered all the evidence, we have concluded that this incident does not meet the criminal criteria set by the CPS (Crown Prosecution Service) for any person to be prosecuted.” Bob Vailan’s performance included lead singer Bobby Vailan shouting “Death to the Israel Defense Forces, death to the Israel Defense Forces” on stage, in reference to the Israel…
Former champions Michael van Gerwen and Gary Anderson secured their places in the third round of the World Darts Championship, but sixth seed Danny Knoppert was eliminated in the final at Alexandra Palace. Van Gerwen was not a shadow of his best in the opening match of the tournament against Mitsuhiko Tasunami, but he improved significantly against William O’Connor, averaging 100.20 points in a 3-1 victory over the Irishman at Alexandra Palace. The former world No. 1 won the first two sets and responded with O’Connor winning the third, starting the next set with back-to-back ton-plus finishes before scoring a…
SHANGHAI, CHINA – A German Christmas market lights up at the Bund Central Square near Nanjing Road Pedestrian Street in Shanghai on December 15, 2022. (Photo credit: CFOTO/Future Publishing via Getty Images)Future Publishing | Future Publishing | Getty ImagesAsia-Pacific markets traded mixed on Wednesday, with some indexes set to close early in lieu of the Christmas Eve holiday.Japanese Nikkei Stock Average The index rose by 0.14%, but TOPIX remained flat. Japan’s public broadcaster NHK reported on Wednesday that Japan plans to issue about 29.6 trillion yen (about $190 billion) in new government bonds to finance the 2026 budget.South Korea’s Kospi…
Maxence Lacroix, Crystal Palace’s villain, scored an own goal, but after a dramatic spot-kick equalizer, he missed the decisive penalty, giving Arsenal a place in the Carabao Cup semi-finals.In a turbulent ending to normal times, a long-frustrated Arsenal went through with Lacroix deflecting Julien Timber’s corner after Walter Benitez made seven superb saves to keep them at bay, but Palace were not finished. Marc Gehi scored a goal in the fifth minute of added time, silencing the Emirates team and forcing a penalty. As a result, it was a great performance from the spot. It took 15 perfect penalties for…
london Reuters — British police announced Tuesday that comedian and actor Russell Brand has been charged with new rape and sexual assault charges. The new charges, approved by the Crown Prosecution Service, concern two women and follow five charges in April involving four other women, including two counts of rape, one count of indecent assault and two counts of sexual assault, dating back more than 20 years. Mr Brand, 50, will appear at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on January 20 in relation to the new charges. A trial on the earlier charges is due to begin at Southwark Crown Court on…