Wall Street little changed after Fed holds rates steady
U.S. stock markets finished mixed on Wednesday (28 January) as investors reacted calmly after the Federal Reserve left interest rates unchanged, a dec...
China has started granting export licences for rare earth elements and magnets to companies in the European Union, according to a report by the South China Morning Post, citing EU officials.
The move follows sustained pressure from European governments and firms, which have urged Beijing to ease export curbs introduced after U.S. President Donald Trump imposed reciprocal tariffs in April.
China’s Ministry of Commerce confirmed on Thursday that it is “accelerating approval of rare earth export licences” for EU firms “in accordance with the law,” state-run Global Times reported.
At a news briefing in Beijing, ministry spokesman He Yadong said China aims to resolve the rare earth issue before an upcoming China-EU leadership meeting in July. “Progress on the licensing process is being made,” he added.
Earlier this month, China’s JL MAG Rare-Earth – a major producer of high-performance magnets – said it had obtained export permits from national authorities to ship products to the U.S., Europe, and Southeast Asia.
China dominates global production of rare earth materials, supplying more than 80% of the world’s total. In May, rare earth exports rose 23% to 5,864.60 tonnes compared to the previous month. For the first five months of 2025, exports totalled 24,827 tonnes – a 2.3% year-on-year increase, according to official figures.
France’s National Assembly has approved a bill banning access to social media for children under 15, a move backed by President Emmanuel Macron and the government as part of efforts to protect teenagers’ mental and physical health.
The S&P 500 edged to a record closing high on Tuesday, marking its fifth consecutive day of gains, as strong advances in technology stocks offset a sharp selloff in healthcare shares and a mixed batch of corporate earnings.
Israel has recovered the remains of the last remaining hostage held in Gaza, the military said on Monday, fulfilling a key condition of the initial phase of U.S. President Donald Trump's plan to end the war in the Palestinian territory.
Sanctions are a long-used tool designed as an alternative to military force and with the objective of changing governments’ behaviour, but they also end up hurting civilian citizens.
A routine military training exercise turned into a major recovery mission this week after a catastrophic mudslide swept through a hillside in West Java, Indonesia.
Life will be particularly tough for Ukrainians over the next three weeks due to plunging temperatures and a compromised energy infrastructure that has been pummeled by intense Russian attacks, depriving millions of light and heat, a senior lawmaker said on Wednesday.
Storm Kristin has killed at least three people and left more than 800,000 residents without electricity across central and northern Portugal, as violent winds, heavy rain and snowfall battered the country before moving into Spain.
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani has called for tax increases on the city’s wealthiest residents and most profitable corporations, warning that the city is facing a fiscal crisis on a scale greater than the Great Recession.
The United States is handing over a tanker to Venezuela that it seized earlier this month, according to two U.S. officials, marking the first known case of Donald Trump’s administration returning such a vessel, Reuters reported.
Colombian authorities on Wednesday located a missing plane carrying 15 people in the northeast of the country, with no survivors found, an Air Force source and local media said.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment