Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese came to the White House Monday offering cheaper access to the continent’s rare earth minerals and an invitation to visit to play golf. President Donald Trump gifted his fellow world leader a pledge to not only honor a Biden-era agreement on nuclear-powered submarines, but speed up production in an effort to boost allied naval power in the Pacific.
China’s influence loomed over both deals, as well as Albanese’s entire visit. Over the course of the meeting in the Cabinet Room, the longstanding alliance between Australia and the U.S. seemed bolstered as both countries made moves to counter Beijing’s creeping influence over the Pacific and China’s dominance of the raw materials used in new technologies.
The US shouldn’t have ignored a warning shot that was fired a decade and a half ago about China’s ability to use its dominance in the mining and refining of rare-earth metals to disrupt global manufacturing.
In 2010, China restricted the supply of rare-earth materials for a few months after Japanese coast guard vessels collided with a Chinese fishing boat near disputed islands in the East China Sea, resulting in a diplomatic crisis when the captain was arrested.
Following the spat, Japan rushed to develop its own supply of rare-earth elements and is now the second-largest maker of permanent magnets behind China. The US government started a review of its rare-earth dependency and joined Japan in filing a case to the World Trade Organization, but the US response was mostly muted.
This unheeded warning has now resulted in a national security crisis in which China has the ability to disrupt global production by withholding supply. The US government can turn the crisis into opportunity by stepping up funding for both research and production of rare-earth materials, but it’s headed in the wrong direction in some vital areas.
Trade and investments, re-establishing Canada India Ministerial Energy dialogue, relaunching the Joint Science and Technology Cooperation Committee are among some of the major agreements, the two sides said in a joint statement after a meeting between External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar and Canadian Foreign Minister Anita Anand.
Beijing ramped up sweeping restrictions on rare earth exports on Thursday, expanding the list of minerals under control and extending curbs to target their production technologies and their overseas use, including for military and semiconductor applications.
China dominates the global processing of rare earths – essential in everything from everyday electronics to fighter jets. The latest move came as Beijing broadened its leverage in trade talks with the United States and ahead of an expected meeting between Chinese leader Xi Jinping and President Donald Trump on the sidelines of the APEC summit in South Korea later this month.
Under the new rules, Beijing further asserts its dominance in the sector by adding five rare-earth elements, including holmium, erbium, thulium, europium, ytterbium, and related magnets and materials, to its existing control list, requiring export licenses. The announcement on Thursday brought the total number of restricted elements to 12, out of the 17 types of rare earths.
What do magnets, smartphones and medical imaging devices have in common? They all depend on rare earth elements called lanthanides, which are vital for modern technology. Yet, separating these chemically similar elements from one another has long been one of chemistry’s toughest puzzles.
Now, scientists at the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Argonne National Laboratory have cracked open the mystery, revealing the molecular choreography that governs lanthanide separation — a breakthrough that could transform how we process these critical materials.
The team at Argonne used advanced computer simulations and experiments to reveal the hidden choreography of molecules during the extraction process. Traditionally, lanthanides are separated using a method called solvent extraction. In this process, the lanthanides are dissolved in an acidic solution and then selectively separated into an oil phase. Special molecules in the oil, called extractant molecules, bind to the lanthanides and help separate them.
McIlvenna Bay and Red Chris among first five projects to move under Ottawa’s new framework
Prime Minister Mark Carney has named several mining operations among the first five major projects to undergo fast-track approval under Canada’s new Major Projects Office (MPO).
Key among them is the Foran Mining’s McIlvenna Bay copper-zinc mine in east-central Saskatchewan, operating in one of Canada’s richest mineral belts, which will supply critical minerals for clean energy, advanced manufacturing, and modern infrastructure.
Also included is the expansion of the Red Chris copper mine in northwestern British Columbia, which will increase annual copper production by over 15% and extend the mine’s lifespan by more than a decade, while reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by over 70% when the expanded operations are in full swing.
Both projects include collaboration with Indigenous Nations — the Peter Ballantyne Cree Nation in Saskatchewan and the Tahltan Nation in B.C. — underscoring the government’s emphasis on Indigenous partnership in mining operations.
The other projects referred to the MPO are LNG Canada Phase 2 in Kitimat, B.C., which would double LNG Canada’s output; the Darlington New Nuclear Project in Bowmanville, Ont. — Canada’s first G7 small modular reactor; and the Contrecœur Terminal Container Project near Montréal, which would expand the Port of Montréal’s capacity by about 60%. Together with the two mining ventures, these initiatives reflect the federal government’s priority of expediting critical energy and resource projects that underpin Canada’s transition to a net-zero economy.
A U.S. metals company signed a $500 million investment deal with Pakistan on Monday.
Pakistan’s Frontier Works Organization — which is the country’s largest miner of critical minerals — signed a memorandum of understanding with Missouri-based U.S. Strategic Metals for collaboration plans that include setting up a poly-metallic refinery in Pakistan.
U.S.-mined and processed rare earth elements have been successfully manufactured into permanent magnets for use in electric vehicles and hybrids.
This development represents a significant milestone in establishing a China-independent “mine-to-magnet” supply chain using rare earth oxides produced in the United States. The NdPr oxide has been qualified for use in high-temperature drive units installed in EVs and hybrid vehicles manufactured by major automotive companies across North America, Europe, Japan, and Korea.
“We are excited to announce that rare earth oxides mined, processed and produced in America are expected to be powering EVs and hybrids for sale around the world very soon, representing a major achievement in restoring domestic critical mineral supply chains,” said Mark S. Chalmers, CEO of Energy Fuels .
Burkina Faso is accelerating its drive to nationalize natural resources, requesting this week to acquire another 35% of West African Resources’ (ASX: WAF) Kiaka gold mine — a move that forced the miner into a trading halt on Thursday.
The company said the government wants to raise its stake in Kiaka, which poured first gold in June, “for valuable paid consideration”. It added the trading should resume Monday.
WAF has grown from a struggling explorer into one of West Africa’s biggest success stories, producing about 500,000 ounces of gold a year at low cost. The company says it has already paid hundreds of millions of dollars in taxes and royalties to Burkina Faso, with revenues expected to reach the billions once Kiaka ramps up.
Orezone Gold (ASX, TSX: ORE), which operates the Bomboré mine, also halted trading after the news. The company said it has received no similar request from the government but plans to meet with officials this weekend.
The development highlights the fragile investment climate in West Africa, already rattled by political instability in Mali.
Burkina Faso, Africa’s fourth-largest gold producer, has added key assets to the portfolio of its new state-owned miner, Société de Participation Minière du Burkina (SOPAMIB).
New ‘safe’ destinations
For foreign miners, the upheaval underscores how quickly long-term agreements can collapse. Countries such as Ghana, Egypt, Namibia and Botswana continue to offer more predictable frameworks, while Côte d’Ivoire and Guinea are emerging as new magnets for investment.
Rio Tinto’s (ASX, LON: RIO) multibillion-dollar Simandou iron ore project highlights growing confidence in Guinea’s commitment to the rule of law.
Yet the risks remain high. Success in much of Africa often depends on global majors with world-class mines, diversified portfolios and close government ties. Canada’s Barrick Mining (TSX: ABX)(NYSE: B) continues to navigate these challenges in Mali, but smaller players such as WAF now face sharper uncertainty.
It is undeniable several South Asian, mainly Indian, intellectual minds made a lasting impact on Silicon Valley.
As per Chat GPT:
Influence on Tech Culture
The Indian diaspora has significantly influenced the culture and work ethic in Silicon Valley. With many tech leaders hailing from India, the focus on rigorous education, a strong work ethic, and an emphasis on innovation and risk-taking is central to the region’s identity.
Indian-Americans make up nearly 30% of Silicon Valley’s tech workforce, even though they are just a small percentage of the U.S. population.
Silicon Valley’s emphasis on meritocracy and innovation aligns well with many cultural values in India, including a focus on education, technical prowess, and entrepreneurship.
It seems that the impact of Indian intellectual minds on the US intellectual innovations might be changing in the future.
For decades Indians did not trust US administrations.
But in the past two decades, the US administrations were trying to change the perception, with a landmark visit by former President Bill Clinton in 2000, followed by George W Bush administration recognising India to be treated with the likes of great power like Britain, France and China and signing a historic nuclear deal under former PM Manmohan Singh. President Barack Obama’s pivot to Asia and his administration’s bid to support India to become a permanent member of the UN Security Council also marked a turning point in the two countries’ relations.
This US strategic outreach towards India has been in a bipartisan manner over the past 25 years but the carefully built diplomatic progress has been “undone” in a few weeks by US administration 2025.
As per Fareed Zakaria of CNN, due to the US Administration 2025 policies, the Indians believe that America has shown its true colors, its unreliable, its willingness to be brutal to those it calls its friends. They will understandably feel that they need to hedge their bets. Stay close to Russia, and even make amends with China.
If Canada could bring these intellectual minds and investments from South Asia along with Europeans, Canada could build Silicon Valley in Canada to help not only Canada but also the world.
[2025 US Admin Wants to Own Patents of New Inventions – Newsweek
Former Prime Minister of #Canada #JustinTrudeau relax the immigration policies with criticism but I believe it is the first step towards to attract the intellectual minds and investment. Time will justify his optimism.
Current Prime Minister of Canada #MarkCarney is after intellectual minds and investments from all friendly and law-abiding nations.
Current Premier of #Ontario #DougFord is opened to opportunities with his courage decision making.
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