German state elections put fresh pressure on Chancellor Merz
German voters cast ballots on Sunday in two state elections that could add to the political pressure on Chancellor Friedrich Merz, as his governmen...
Moscow and Washington have initiated discussions on potential joint projects involving rare earth metals and other critical resources in Russia, according to Russia's special envoy on international economic and investment cooperation, Kirill Dmitriev.
The announcement was made in an interview with Izvestia published on Monday.
"Rare earth metals are an important area for cooperation, and, of course, we have begun discussions on various rare earth metals and (other) projects in Russia," said Dmitriev, who also serves as the CEO of the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF).
The talks reportedly come as Russian President Vladimir Putin extended an offer to the United States for a future economic agreement involving joint exploration of Russia's rare earth metal deposits. This proposal follows negotiations between the U.S. and Ukraine over a draft minerals deal.
Dmitriev, part of Russia's negotiating team during talks with U.S. officials in Saudi Arabia in February, confirmed that some companies have already expressed interest in the projects. However, he did not disclose the names of the companies or provide further details.
According to Izvestia, the possibility of cooperation may be further discussed at the next round of Russia-U.S. talks, which are tentatively scheduled for mid-April in Saudi Arabia.
Rare earth metals and other critical minerals are essential for high-tech industries, including electronics, renewable energy, and defense technologies. The discussions between Moscow and Washington come amid growing U.S. efforts to reduce dependence on China’s dominance in the global supply chain for these vital resources.
U.S. President Donald Trump has previously emphasized the importance of securing alternative sources of rare earths, with both economic and national security implications at stake.
As the U.S. and Russia explore potential cooperation in this sector, the outcome of these discussions could have significant implications for global supply chains and geopolitical dynamics.
Saudi civil defence sent an all-clear on Saturday after issuing alerts for a second time for potential danger in Riyadh and the city of Al-Kharj east of the capital, amid an uptick in attacks by Iran-aligned Houthis on the Gulf country.
Houthi attacks target Riyadh amid concerns over Saudi oil supplies, as Iran says it will not reopen the Strait of Hormuz until its conditions are met and U.S. commitments are implemented, parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said on Sunday.
The U.S. State Department approved a $2.7 billion military sale to Ukraine for air-defence development upgrades, along with related equipment and services, the department said. Meanwhile, Ukrainian authorities reported at least 10 people had died in Russian attacks over the last 24 hours.
The death toll from an overnight Russian attack on the Kyiv region rose to four, including three children, Kyiv regional authorities said on Sunday. A mother and her two 3-year-old children were killed when a Russian drone strike hit a private home, the emergency service said.
U.S. President Donald Trump said on Friday that additional news organisations could be barred from the White House, hours after announcing bans on CNN, MS NOW and Politico over coverage he described as “fake news”.
German voters cast ballots on Sunday in two state elections that could add to the political pressure on Chancellor Friedrich Merz, as his government faces growing public frustration and a resurgent far right.
Iraq has returned restricted airspace across the western part of the country to civilian authorities, ending limits imposed for military operations against Islamic State since 2016, the Transport Ministry said.
Denmark and Greenland have moved to reassure the public that their sovereignty will remain intact under a new security agreement with the United States.
World leaders are set to gather at the United Nations General Assembly in New York for several days of high-level debate, with Iran, Ukraine, artificial intelligence (AI) and a range of global crises expected to dominate discussions this week.
Ed Sheeran has broken his silence on the controversy surrounding his U.S. tour, apologising for decisions made after rapper Macklemore was removed from the line-up over his public support for Palestine.
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