Latest news with #Washington-backed
Time of India
15-07-2025
- Business
- Time of India
US rare earth pricing system is poised to challenge China's dominance
US efforts to break China's dominance of the rare earths market and to drive investment in its own industry have moved up a gear with a Washington-backed plan to create a separate, higher pricing system. The West has struggled to weaken China's grip on 90 per cent of the supply of rare earths, in part because low prices set in China have removed the incentive for investment elsewhere. Miners in the West have long called for a separate pricing system to help them compete in supplying the rare earths group of 17 metals needed to make super-strong magnets of strategic importance. They are used in military applications such as drone and fighter jets, as well as to power motors in EVs and wind turbines. Under a deal made public last week, the US Department of Defense will guarantee a minimum price for its sole domestic rare earth miner MP Materials , at nearly twice the current market level. Las Vegas-based MP already produces mined and processed rare earths and said it expects to start commercial magnet production at its Texas facility around the end of this year. Analysts say the pricing deal, which takes effect immediately, should have global implications - positive for producers, but may increase costs for consumers, such as automakers and in turn their customers. "This benchmark is now a new centre of gravity in the industry that will pull prices up," said Ryan Castilloux, managing director of consultancy Adamas Intelligence. The DoD will pay MP the difference between $110 per kilogram for the two most-popular rare earths and the market price, currently set by China, but if the price rises above $110, the DoD will get 30 per cent of additional profits. Castilloux said other indirect beneficiaries of the pricing system may include companies, such as Belgian chemicals group Solvay, which launched an expansion in April. "It will give Solvay and others the impetus to command a similar price level. It will give them a floor to stand on, you could say," Castilloux added. While Solvay declined to comment, other rare earth miners, developers and their shareholders welcomed the news. Aclara Resources is developing rare earths mines in Chile and Brazil, as well as planning a separation plant in the United States. Alvaro Castellon, the company's strategy and development manager, told Reuters the deal added "new strategic paths" for the company. MP's gradual output increase MP Materials, which suffered a net loss of $65.4 million last year largely because of China's low pricing, will build up magnet production at its Texas plant initially to 1,000 metric tons a year, later expanding to 3,000 tons a year. Under last Thursday's deal, the DoD will become its largest shareholder with a 15 per cent stake and MP will construct a second rare earth magnet manufacturing facility in the US, eventually adding 7,000 tons per year. In total, production would be 10,000 tons a year - equalling US consumption of magnets in 2024. That does not include, however, the 30,000 tons imported by the United States already installed in assembled products, Adamas consultancy said. It predicts global demand for rare earth permanent magnets will more than double over the next decade to about 607,000 tons, with the US seeing the strongest percentage annual growth rate in coming years at 17 per cent. The world's reliance upon China for much of this demand was brought into focus by China's curbs on its exports as trade negotiations continue between the United States and China. So far Western governments have had little success in trying to help their own industries to compete. Attempts to agree stronger pricing have been confined to piecemeal deals that set premiums for magnets. Dominic Raab, a former deputy prime minister and former foreign secretary for the United Kingdom, said he was not surprised the Trump administration had concluded that tax breaks alone would not create the level of investment required. "The next step is, can they scale it up?" asked Raab, now head of global affairs at Appian Capital Advisory, a private equity firm that invests in mining projects. The $110 level for neodymium and praseodymium, or NdPr, guaranteed by the DoD is slightly above a $75-to-$105 per kg range that consultancy Project Blue reckons would be needed to support enough production to meet demand in coming years. It compares to a current level of about $63. David Merriman of Project Blue said it was unclear how commercial industrial consumers would respond to higher prices and whether it would make them invest in rare earths as they have more diverse supply sources. "Major non-government backed consumers are less likely to follow this same investment pattern, however, as they are not so clearly aligned to a particular regional supply route," he said. A spokesperson for German auto giant Volkswagen declined to comment on pricing when asked about the DoD floor level but said, "We welcome all efforts to strengthen long-term stability and diversification in global supply chains for critical materials."
NDTV
03-07-2025
- Politics
- NDTV
"There Will Be No Hamas" In Postwar Gaza: Netanyahu
Cairo: Hamas and Israel staked out their positions Wednesday ahead of expected talks on a Washington-backed ceasefire proposal, with the militant group suggesting it was open to an agreement while the Israeli prime minister vowed that "there will be no Hamas" in postwar Gaza. Both sides stopped short of accepting the proposal announced Tuesday by US President Donald Trump. Hamas insisted on its longstanding position that any deal bring an end to the war in Gaza. Trump said Israel had agreed on terms for a 60-day ceasefire in Gaza and urged Hamas to accept the deal before conditions worsen. The US leader has been increasing pressure on the Israeli government and Hamas to broker a ceasefire and hostage agreement. Trump said the 60-day period would be used to work toward ending the war - something Israel says it won't accept until Hamas is defeated. He said a deal might come together as soon as next week. But Hamas' response, which emphasized its demand that the war end, raised questions about whether the latest offer could materialize into an actual pause in fighting. Hamas official Taher al-Nunu said the militant group was "ready and serious regarding reaching an agreement." He said Hamas was "ready to accept any initiative that clearly leads to the complete end to the war." A Hamas delegation was expected to meet Wednesday with Egyptian and Qatari mediators in Cairo to discuss the proposal, according to an Egyptian official. The official spoke on condition of anonymity, because he wasn't authorized to discuss the talks with the media. Disagreement on how the war should end Throughout the nearly 21-month-long war, ceasefire talks between Israel and Hamas have repeatedly faltered over whether the war should end as part of any deal. Hamas said in a brief statement Wednesday that it had received a proposal from the mediators and was holding talks with them to "bridge gaps" to return to the negotiating table. Hamas has said it's willing to free the remaining 50 hostages, less than half of whom are said to be alive, in exchange for a complete Israeli withdrawal from Gaza and an end to the war. Israel says it will only agree to end the war if Hamas surrenders, disarms and exiles itself, something the group refuses to do. "I am announcing to you - there will be no Hamas," Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said during a speech Wednesday. An Israeli official said the latest proposal calls for a 60-day deal that would include a partial Israeli withdrawal from Gaza and a surge in humanitarian aid to the territory. The mediators and the US would provide assurances about talks to end the war, but Israel isn't committing to that as part of the latest proposal, the official said. The official wasn't authorized to discuss the details of the proposed deal with the media and spoke on condition of anonymity. It wasn't clear how many hostages would be freed as part of the agreement, but previous proposals have called for the release of about 10. "I'm holding my hands and praying that this will come about," said Idit Ohel, mother of Israeli hostage Alon Ohel. "I hope the world will help this happen, will put pressure on whoever they need to, so the war will stop and the hostages will return." On Monday, Trump is set to host Netanyahu at the White House, days after Ron Dermer, a senior Netanyahu adviser, held discussions with top US officials about Gaza, Iran and other matters. Trump issues another warning On Tuesday, Trump wrote on social media that Israel had "agreed to the necessary conditions to finalize" the 60-day ceasefire, "during which time we will work with all parties to end the War." "I hope, for the good of the Middle East, that Hamas takes this Deal, because it will not get better - IT WILL ONLY GET WORSE," he said. Trump's warning may find a skeptical audience with Hamas. Even before the expiration of the war's longest ceasefire in March, Trump had repeatedly issued dramatic ultimatums to pressure Hamas to agree to longer pauses in the fighting that would see the release of more hostages and a return of more aid for Gaza's civilians. Still, Trump views the current moment as a potential turning point in the brutal conflict that has left more than 57,000 dead in the Palestinian territory. Gaza's Health Ministry said the death count passed the 57,000 mark Tuesday into Wednesday, after hospitals received 142 bodies overnight. The ministry does not differentiate between civilians and combatants in its death count, but says that more than half of the dead are women and children. Since dawn Wednesday, Israeli strikes killed a total of 40 people across the Gaza Strip, the ministry said. Hospital officials said four children and seven women were among the dead. The Israeli military, which blames Hamas for the civilian casualties because it operates from populated areas, was looking into the reports. The war began on Oct. 7, 2023, when Hamas-led militants attacked southern Israel, killing 1,200 people and taking roughly 250 hostages. The fighting has left the coastal Palestinian territory in ruins, with much of the urban landscape flattened in the fighting. More than 90% of Gaza's 2.3 million population has been displaced, often multiple times. And the war has sparked a humanitarian crisis in Gaza, pushing hundreds of thousands of people toward hunger. Hospital director killed The director of the Indonesian Hospital, Dr. Marwan al-Sultan, was killed in an apartment in an Israeli strike west of Gaza City, a hospital statement said. The hospital is the Palestinian enclave's largest medical facility north of Gaza City and has been a critical lifeline since the start of the war. The hospital was surrounded by Israeli troops last month and evacuated alongside the other two primary hospitals in northern Gaza. The bodies of the doctor, his wife, daughter and son-in-law, arrived at Shifa Hospital torn into pieces, according to Issam Nabhan, head of the nursing department at the Indonesian Hospital. "Gaza lost a great man and doctor," Nabhan said. "He never left the hospital one moment since the war began and urged us to stay and provide humanitarian assistance. We don't know what he did to deserve getting killed." In central Gaza, the Al Awda Hospital said an Israeli strike near the entrance of a school housing displaced Palestinians killed eight people, including three children, and wounded 30 others. The hospital also said Israel struck a group of Palestinians who gathered near the entrance of the hospital's administration building in Nuseirat refugee camp. In other developments, Israel said an airstrike last week killed two Hamas members who allegedly took part in a June 24 attack in which seven Israeli soldiers were killed when a Palestinian attacker attached a bomb to their armored vehicle.
Nahar Net
03-07-2025
- Politics
- Nahar Net
Hamas is open to ceasefire but Netanyahu says no room for Hamas in postwar Gaza
by Naharnet Newsdesk 03 July 2025, 12:36 Hamas and Israel staked out their positions Wednesday ahead of expected talks on a Washington-backed ceasefire proposal, with the militant group suggesting it was open to an agreement while the Israeli prime minister vowed that "there will be no Hamas" in postwar Gaza. Both sides stopped short of accepting the proposal announced Tuesday by U.S. President Donald Trump. Hamas insisted on its longstanding position that any deal bring an end to the war in Gaza. Trump said Israel had agreed on terms for a 60-day ceasefire in Gaza and urged Hamas to accept the deal before conditions worsen. The U.S. leader has been increasing pressure on the Israeli government and Hamas to broker a ceasefire and hostage agreement. Trump said the 60-day period would be used to work toward ending the war — something Israel says it won't accept until Hamas is defeated. He said a deal might come together as soon as next week. But Hamas' response, which emphasized its demand that the war end, raised questions about whether the latest offer could materialize into an actual pause in fighting. Hamas official Taher al-Nunu said the militant group was "ready and serious regarding reaching an agreement." He said Hamas was "ready to accept any initiative that clearly leads to the complete end to the war." A Hamas delegation was expected to meet Wednesday with Egyptian and Qatari mediators in Cairo to discuss the proposal, according to an Egyptian official. The official spoke on condition of anonymity, because he wasn't authorized to discuss the talks with the media. Disagreement on how the war should end Throughout the nearly 21-month-long war, ceasefire talks between Israel and Hamas have repeatedly faltered over whether the war should end as part of any deal. Hamas said in a brief statement Wednesday that it had received a proposal from the mediators and was holding talks with them to "bridge gaps" to return to the negotiating table. Hamas has said it's willing to free the remaining 50 hostages, less than half of whom are said to be alive, in exchange for a complete Israeli withdrawal from Gaza and an end to the war. Israel says it will only agree to end the war if Hamas surrenders, disarms and exiles itself, something the group refuses to do. "I am announcing to you — there will be no Hamas," Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said during a speech Wednesday. An Israeli official said the latest proposal calls for a 60-day deal that would include a partial Israeli withdrawal from Gaza and a surge in humanitarian aid to the territory. The mediators and the U.S. would provide assurances about talks to end the war, but Israel isn't committing to that as part of the latest proposal, the official said. The official wasn't authorized to discuss the details of the proposed deal with the media and spoke on condition of anonymity. It wasn't clear how many hostages would be freed as part of the agreement, but previous proposals have called for the release of about 10. "I'm holding my hands and praying that this will come about," said Idit Ohel, mother of Israeli hostage Alon Ohel. "I hope the world will help this happen, will put pressure on whoever they need to, so the war will stop and the hostages will return." On Monday, Trump is set to host Netanyahu at the White House, days after Ron Dermer, a senior Netanyahu adviser, held discussions with top U.S. officials about Gaza, Iran and other matters. Trump issues another warning On Tuesday, Trump wrote on social media that Israel had "agreed to the necessary conditions to finalize" the 60-day ceasefire, "during which time we will work with all parties to end the War." "I hope, for the good of the Middle East, that Hamas takes this Deal, because it will not get better — IT WILL ONLY GET WORSE," he said. Trump's warning may find a skeptical audience with Hamas. Even before the expiration of the war's longest ceasefire in March, Trump had repeatedly issued dramatic ultimatums to pressure Hamas to agree to longer pauses in the fighting that would see the release of more hostages and a return of more aid for Gaza's civilians. Still, Trump views the current moment as a potential turning point in the brutal conflict that has left more than 57,000 dead in the Palestinian territory. Gaza's Health Ministry said the death toll passed the 57,000 mark Tuesday into Wednesday, after hospitals received 142 bodies overnight. The ministry does not differentiate between civilians and combatants in its death count, but says that more than half of the dead are women and children. Since dawn Wednesday, Israeli strikes killed a total of 40 people across the Gaza Strip, the ministry said. Hospital officials said four children and seven women were among the dead. The Israeli military, which blames Hamas for the civilian casualties because it operates from populated areas, was looking into the reports. The war began on Oct. 7, 2023, when Hamas-led militants attacked southern Israel, killing 1,200 people and taking roughly 250 hostages. The fighting has left the coastal Palestinian territory in ruins, with much of the urban landscape flattened in the fighting. More than 90% of Gaza's 2.3 million population has been displaced, often multiple times. And the war has sparked a humanitarian crisis in Gaza, pushing hundreds of thousands of people toward hunger. Hospital director killed The director of the Indonesian Hospital, Dr. Marwan al-Sultan, was killed in an apartment in an Israeli strike west of Gaza City, a hospital statement said. The hospital is the Palestinian enclave's largest medical facility north of Gaza City and has been a critical lifeline since the start of the war. The hospital was surrounded by Israeli troops last month and evacuated alongside the other two primary hospitals in northern Gaza. The bodies of the doctor, his wife, daughter and son-in-law, arrived at Shifa Hospital torn into pieces, according to Issam Nabhan, head of the nursing department at the Indonesian Hospital. "Gaza lost a great man and doctor," Nabhan said. "He never left the hospital one moment since the war began and urged us to stay and provide humanitarian assistance. We don't know what he did to deserve getting killed." In central Gaza, the Al Awda Hospital said an Israeli strike near the entrance of a school housing displaced Palestinians killed eight people, including three children, and wounded 30 others. The hospital also said Israel struck a group of Palestinians who gathered near the entrance of the hospital's administration building in Nuseirat refugee camp. In other developments, Israel said an airstrike last week killed two Hamas members who allegedly took part in a June 24 attack in which seven Israeli soldiers were killed when a Palestinian attacker attached a bomb to their armored vehicle.
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Business Standard
03-07-2025
- Health
- Business Standard
Israeli strikes kill 82 in Gaza, including 38 waiting for aid: Officials
Five people were killed around sites associated with the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, the newly created, secretive American organization backed by Israel to feed the Gaza Strip's population AP Tel Aviv Airstrikes and shootings killed 82 Palestinians in Gaza overnight, including 38 while attempting to get much-needed humanitarian aid, hospitals and the Health Ministry said on Thursday. Israel's military did not have immediate comment on the strikes Wednesday night and Thursday morning. Five people were killed around sites associated with the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, the newly created, secretive American organization backed by Israel to feed the Gaza Strip's population, while 33 others were killed waiting for aid trucks in other locations across the Gaza Strip. Earlier, Hamas and Israel staked out their positions on Wednesday ahead of expected talks on a Washington-backed ceasefire proposal, with the militant group suggesting it was open to an agreement while the Israeli prime minister vowed there will be no Hamas in postwar Gaza. Both stopped short of accepting the ceasefire proposal announced by US President Donald Trump on Tuesday. Hamas insisted on its longstanding position that any deal bring an end to the war in Gaza. Trump said Tuesday that Israel had agreed on terms for a 60-day ceasefire in Gaza and urged Hamas to accept the deal before conditions worsen. The US leader has been increasing pressure on the Israeli government and Hamas to broker a ceasefire, and hostage agreement and bring about an end to the war. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Yomiuri Shimbun
03-07-2025
- Politics
- Yomiuri Shimbun
Hamas Is Open to a Ceasefire. But Netanyahu Says There's No Room for Hamas in Postwar Gaza
CAIRO (AP) — Hamas and Israel staked out their positions Wednesday ahead of expected talks on a Washington-backed ceasefire proposal, with the militant group suggesting it was open to an agreement while the Israeli prime minister vowed that 'there will be no Hamas' in postwar Gaza. Both sides stopped short of accepting the proposal announced Tuesday by U.S. President Donald Trump. Hamas insisted on its longstanding position that any deal bring an end to the war in Gaza. Trump said Israel had agreed on terms for a 60-day ceasefire in Gaza and urged Hamas to accept the deal before conditions worsen. The U.S. leader has been increasing pressure on the Israeli government and Hamas to broker a ceasefire and hostage agreement. Trump said the 60-day period would be used to work toward ending the war — something Israel says it won't accept until Hamas is defeated. He said a deal might come together as soon as next week. But Hamas' response, which emphasized its demand that the war end, raised questions about whether the latest offer could materialize into an actual pause in fighting. Hamas official Taher al-Nunu said the militant group was 'ready and serious regarding reaching an agreement.' He said Hamas was 'ready to accept any initiative that clearly leads to the complete end to the war.' A Hamas delegation was expected to meet Wednesday with Egyptian and Qatari mediators in Cairo to discuss the proposal, according to an Egyptian official. The official spoke on condition of anonymity, because he wasn't authorized to discuss the talks with the media. Disagreement on how the war should end Throughout the nearly 21-month-long war, ceasefire talks between Israel and Hamas have repeatedly faltered over whether the war should end as part of any deal. Hamas said in a brief statement Wednesday that it had received a proposal from the mediators and was holding talks with them to 'bridge gaps' to return to the negotiating table. Hamas has said it's willing to free the remaining 50 hostages, less than half of whom are said to be alive, in exchange for a complete Israeli withdrawal from Gaza and an end to the war. Israel says it will only agree to end the war if Hamas surrenders, disarms and exiles itself, something the group refuses to do. 'I am announcing to you — there will be no Hamas,' Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said during a speech Wednesday. An Israeli official said the latest proposal calls for a 60-day deal that would include a partial Israeli withdrawal from Gaza and a surge in humanitarian aid to the territory. The mediators and the U.S. would provide assurances about talks to end the war, but Israel isn't committing to that as part of the latest proposal, the official said. The official wasn't authorized to discuss the details of the proposed deal with the media and spoke on condition of anonymity. It wasn't clear how many hostages would be freed as part of the agreement, but previous proposals have called for the release of about 10. 'I'm holding my hands and praying that this will come about,' said Idit Ohel, mother of Israeli hostage Alon Ohel. 'I hope the world will help this happen, will put pressure on whoever they need to, so the war will stop and the hostages will return.' On Monday, Trump is set to host Netanyahu at the White House, days after Ron Dermer, a senior Netanyahu adviser, held discussions with top U.S. officials about Gaza, Iran and other matters. Trump issues another warning On Tuesday, Trump wrote on social media that Israel had 'agreed to the necessary conditions to finalize' the 60-day ceasefire, 'during which time we will work with all parties to end the War.' 'I hope, for the good of the Middle East, that Hamas takes this Deal, because it will not get better — IT WILL ONLY GET WORSE,' he said. Trump's warning may find a skeptical audience with Hamas. Even before the expiration of the war's longest ceasefire in March, Trump had repeatedly issued dramatic ultimatums to pressure Hamas to agree to longer pauses in the fighting that would see the release of more hostages and a return of more aid for Gaza's civilians. Still, Trump views the current moment as a potential turning point in the brutal conflict that has left more than 57,000 dead in the Palestinian territory. Gaza's Health Ministry said the death toll passed the 57,000 mark Tuesday into Wednesday, after hospitals received 142 bodies overnight. The ministry does not differentiate between civilians and combatants in its death count, but says that more than half of the dead are women and children. Since dawn Wednesday, Israeli strikes killed a total of 40 people across the Gaza Strip, the ministry said. Hospital officials said four children and seven women were among the dead. The Israeli military, which blames Hamas for the civilian casualties because it operates from populated areas, was looking into the reports. The war began on Oct. 7, 2023, when Hamas-led militants attacked southern Israel, killing 1,200 people and taking roughly 250 hostages. The fighting has left the coastal Palestinian territory in ruins, with much of the urban landscape flattened in the fighting. More than 90% of Gaza's 2.3 million population has been displaced, often multiple times. And the war has sparked a humanitarian crisis in Gaza, pushing hundreds of thousands of people toward hunger. Hospital director killed The director of the Indonesian Hospital, Dr. Marwan al-Sultan, was killed in an apartment in an Israeli strike west of Gaza City, a hospital statement said. The hospital is the Palestinian enclave's largest medical facility north of Gaza City and has been a critical lifeline since the start of the war. The hospital was surrounded by Israeli troops last month and evacuated alongside the other two primary hospitals in northern Gaza. The bodies of the doctor, his wife, daughter and son-in-law, arrived at Shifa Hospital torn into pieces, according to Issam Nabhan, head of the nursing department at the Indonesian Hospital. 'Gaza lost a great man and doctor,' Nabhan said. 'He never left the hospital one moment since the war began and urged us to stay and provide humanitarian assistance. We don't know what he did to deserve getting killed.' In central Gaza, the Al Awda Hospital said an Israeli strike near the entrance of a school housing displaced Palestinians killed eight people, including three children, and wounded 30 others. The hospital also said Israel struck a group of Palestinians who gathered near the entrance of the hospital's administration building in Nuseirat refugee camp. In other developments, Israel said an airstrike last week killed two Hamas members who allegedly took part in a June 24 attack in which seven Israeli soldiers were killed when a Palestinian attacker attached a bomb to their armored vehicle.
