chain

May 22 (Asia Today) — POSCO International said Friday it plans to enter the U.S. rare earth separation, refining and permanent magnet business through a joint investment with ReElement Technologies.

The South Korean trading company said it signed an agreement with the U.S. firm to pursue a joint venture for rare earth separation and refining production in the United States.

The signing ceremony was held in Washington, D.C., with POSCO International CEO Lee Kye-in, ReElement Technologies CEO Mark Jensen, U.S. government officials and South Korean Embassy officials in attendance.

The companies plan to jointly invest $200 million to build a rare earth separation and refining plant with annual capacity of 6,000 tons. They also plan to develop an integrated production complex that can later produce permanent magnets.

Rare earth materials are used in electric vehicle motors, robots and artificial intelligence data centers. Heavy rare earths such as dysprosium and terbium are considered essential for high-performance permanent magnets.

POSCO International will lead management of the joint venture, while ReElement Technologies will provide core separation and refining technology.

The venture plans to produce neodymium-praseodymium oxide, dysprosium oxide and terbium oxide. It will first build annual production capacity of 3,000 tons before expanding to 6,000 tons.

Trial production is scheduled for the fourth quarter of 2027, with mass production targeted for 2028.

POSCO International said the project is part of its broader plan to build an integrated value chain from raw material sourcing to separation and refining, permanent magnets and electric vehicle motor cores.

“This joint venture is more than the establishment of a refining plant. It is the starting point for building a critical minerals value chain in the United States,” Lee said.

— Reported by Asia Today; translated by UPI

© Asia Today. Unauthorized reproduction or redistribution prohibited.

Original Korean report: https://www.asiatoday.co.kr/kn/view.php?key=20260522010006592

I’M not ashamed to admit that hotel breakfast rooms have seen me in some right states.

No make-up, unbrushed hair, sunglasses on to disguise a hangover, and shorts that, yes, could be my pyjama bottoms.

No matter how early I set my alarm to make that 7.30am-to- 10am breakfast slot, it’s always a last-minute rush to get there.

After all, who wants to get up at the crack of dawn on holiday?

But finally there’s a solution — a newly made-over hotel chain squarely aimed at people who love a lie-in — and possibly multiple morning meals.

At Tent Hotels — they have nine properties in Spain, seven across Majorca then one in Girona and one in Malaga — brunch runs from 7am until 1.30pm.

OH GAUD!

I visited the Spanish city with famous 114-year-old attraction & TUI city breaks

ISLE GO

European city ‘perfect for island hopping’ with world-best beach & bars in the sand

And the best part? You can go back to load up your plate as many times as you like.

So if you try to be healthy at 9am with a fruit plate and a smoothie, then regret it, you can return at 1pm for a sausage sandwich, a plate full of pastries and three cappuccinos.

When I stayed at the Tent Bahia de Palma, in the Majorcan resort of S’Arenal about eight miles from capital city Palma, the buffet was overwhelming. It had everything from pastries to a full fry-up, salads and open sandwiches.

At one point I even considered a slice of pizza to go with my chicken sausages — surprisingly nice — and Spanish tortilla.

It’s a good thing the gym at the hotel is open 24 hours a day — but then again, so is the bar.

And after a few hours spent digesting my trip — OK, two trips — to the brunch buffet on the hotel’s Instagrammable red-and- white checked sunbeds by the pool, it was time to explore S’Arenal’s beach.

Here, the water is unbelievably clear and the sand — which I watched being lovingly raked each morning — is white and gloriously litter-free.

The main beach is flanked by a strip of bars, as well as wooden umbrellas for shade, and children’s play areas.

The bars all offer fabulous views of the ocean — but be warned, they shut at 6pm, so sunsets are best watched from the sands.

If you’re looking to snorkel, the island’s famed rocky-inlet beaches, called calas, are on the island’s south coast.

The most easily accessible from Tent Bahia de Palma is Cala Mosques. It’s ten minutes from S’Arenal on the 504 bus, then a five-minute stroll through the posh Cala Blava area, to find the steps down to the cove.

As you walk down the hill, you’ll spot a small sandy beach surrounded by majestic rock formations and lapped by the bluest water you’ve ever seen.

Take a mask and snorkel and you’ll be able to spot saddled sea bream and parrot fish — but watch out for brave locals jumping off the cliffs into the sea.

If you want to swap beach bars for the island’s capital, Palma, it’s just a short trip from S’Arenal — the 504 bus takes 15 minutes and costs just over £2 one way.

But remember to tap on and off the bus with your bank card to pay the correct fare.

Get off at Le Seu, the Cathedral of Santa Maria of Palma, which was built between 1229 and 1601. It’s one of the biggest cathedrals in Europe. Entry is 11 euros, or 30 euros for a guided tour.

Palma’s streets are lined with tapas restaurants and bars and the capital’s pedestrianised Passeig del Born has a lot of them, as well as a mix of high-end shops and historic buildings.

Stroll down the tree-lined road like Majorcans do after work, or step into the back streets to find Bar Espanya — a traditional tapas bar full of locals eating pintxos — small tapas snacks laid out on the bar — for £2 a plate.

I polished off a tuna paté on bread and Iberian ham croquette pintxos, but they also had prawns, deep-fried cheese and sobrasada, which is a cured pork sausage.

After dinner, don’t miss Palma’s most dramatic place to enjoy a cocktail, Bar Abaco — a no-reservations spot in an old house filled with flowers and very over-the-top decor.

With piles of fake fruit, massive bouquets and a fountain in the courtyard, it’s like stepping into an episode of TV hit The White Lotus.

I recommend getting there soon after it opens at 8pm — and it’s well worth a trip to the loos to fully explore the mansion and snap a few pictures away from the “no photography” signs downstairs.

Just a few minutes’ walk away — and on the way to the bus stop that will take you back to S’Arenal — Bar Rita is a beautiful, old locals’ bar that lies in the shadow of the Nostra Senyora dels Socors church.

With eight tables in a square, a cash-only rule and glasses of white wine for around £3, it’s the perfect place to end the night.

Barnes & Noble was turning a page on the chain’s history of declining sales, but recent comments have stirred bad blood for the bookseller.

James Daunt, the chief executive credited with breathing new life into the retailer, is clarifying the store’s stance on stocking its shelves with AI-written books.

The controversy stems from Daunt’s Monday appearance on “Today” with Jenna Bush Hager. In a viral clip from the interview, Daunt said, “I have actually no problem selling any book, as long as it doesn’t masquerade or pretend to be something that it isn’t. So, as long as an AI-written book says it’s an AI-written book, then we will stock them.”

By Wednesday, thousands of calls to boycott the bookseller had flooded social media.

Kathlin Finn, a writer and former employee of the chain, posted on social media, writing, “Hey Barnes & Not Noble, I worked for you and have supported you, but your latest AI decision is extremely disappointing. I will not be shopping or promoting B&N unless you change your AI policy.”

Author Cristin Bishara wrote, “As an author this [is] the most depressing news. I’ve been saying for a long time that this was coming. People told me I was overreacting. And I had a feeling it would start with a cute round table at the front of a B&N.”

Another social media user added, “The Barnes & Noble CEO saying they’ll stock AI generated books as long as they’re labeled and aren’t ‘ripping off somebody else’ is wild considering all generative AI is ripping off someone else.”

Daunt told The Times that the wave of backlash is based on misinterpretations of what he said, and that only a “highly edited version” of what the bookseller “actually said” had been aired.

In an emailed statement, he said the bookseller does not sell AI books, “as far as we are aware.” Barnes & Noble “demand[s] that publishers label any books that are AI generated,” and the chain takes “active measures to exclude all AI generated books.”

Daunt further stated that Barnes & Noble “will sell AI generated books if there is clear demand” and not “ban reputable books published by reputable publishers, even if AI generated, should these be published, labeled and there be clear evidence of customer demand.”

He also said that the retailer thinks it’s “very unlikely” that there will be customer demand for AI-generated books or that reputable publishers will publish them.

“The argument is nuanced, and perhaps over nuanced, but there are important principles that have to be balanced and I believe we do so as sensibly and thoughtfully as is possible,” he said. “Book banning is a clear and present danger, so we are very careful with demands to ban any books” while also remaining vigilant “not to sell AI generated books that masquerade to be by real authors.”

Last year, Daunt spoke with BBC on the issue of AI in publishing and bookselling and said that there’s a huge proliferation of AI-generated content, and “most of it is not books that we should be selling.” He told the broadcaster that, as a bookseller, the company sells what publishers publish and that he’d be surprised by efforts to put forth an “AI-generated piece of nonsense” but that, ultimately, the decision on reading material would lie with the reader.

“We don’t dictate, and we don’t dictate around politics or any other particular issues around books,” he said. “We leave it up to the reader to decide.”

In June 2025, more than 70 authors issued a call to action to big-five publishers Penguin Random House, HarperCollins, Simon & Schuster, Hachette Book Group, and Macmillan, asking the companies to pledge that they will never release books that were created by machines. Authors Lauren Groff, R.F. Kuang, Emma Straub and Emily Henry were among the petitioners.

“At its simplest level, our job as artists is to respond to the human experience. But the art we make is a commodity, and our world wants things quickly, cheaply, and on demand,” the letter read.

“We are rushing toward a future where our novels, our biographies, our poems and our memoirs — our records of the human experience — are ‘written’ by artificial intelligence models that, by definition, cannot know what it is to be human. To bleed, or starve, or love. …

“Every time a prompt is entered into AI, the language that bot uses to respond was created in part through the synthesis of art that we, the undersigned, have spent our careers crafting. Taken without our consent, without payment, without even the courtesy of acknowledgment.”

In March, Hachette pulled “Shy Girl” from publication after widespread allegations that the horror novel appeared to be AI-generated and was swiftly scrubbed from Amazon and the Hachette website. The book’s author, Mia Ballard, denied that she had relied on AI to pen the book but said an acquaintance she had hired to edit the novel used AI.

“Hachette remains committed to protecting original creative expression and storytelling,” a Hachette spokeswoman said, per the New York Times.

A 90s heartthrob looked worlds away from his West End heyday as he was snapped in Essex this weekend.

Donning a leather jacket over an all-black ensemble, the star, 57, added a heavy chain around his neck during a shopping trip, but would you recognise him?

It’s Darren Day behind the brand new look, with the singer and actor snapped visiting a jewellery store near his home.

The star is best known for his bright blonde locks and clean-shaven look, but is now sporting a beard and moustache.

He was spotted enjoying an energy drink during the solo outing whilst popping into several shops, holding a tote bag and small cactus.

It comes after Darren became a grandfather earlier this year, with his 21-year-old son Corey welcoming his first child, a son named Colton, with girlfriend Erin Mitchell.

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Darren shares Corey with former Hear’Say singer Suzanne Shaw, whom he split from in 2005 following a whirlwind romance.

Suzanne and Darren had a short-lived romance in the early noughties, with the latter leaving soap star Suzanne when Corey was just seven weeks old.

Darren began a romance with Suzanne in 2003, while he was still engaged to fellow actress Adele Vellacot.

He then split from Adele and began a relationship with Suzanne, with the pair staying together for 18 months and even getting engaged.

But in 2005, on Mother’s Day, Darren famously walked out on Suzanne and Corey.

They became grandparents for the first time in March following Colton’s birth, and shared snaps together from hospital to show they were friendly exes – despite the historic drama.

Darren has had a famously tumultuous love life which has included six engagements – with the actor hailed as one of showbiz’s most notorious womanisers.

However, he has been with other half Sophie Ladds since 2017, getting engaged back in 2020.

Darren is also still performing on stage and recently appeared in a pantomime production of Mother Goose for Easter.

May 4 (UPI) — Retail giant Amazon announced Monday that it will open its supply chain networks to other businesses as part of its new Amazon Supply Chain Services, which includes freight, distribution, fulfillment and shipping aspects.

Stocks for FedEx and UPS, both competitors in this field, sank about 10% Monday afternoon in response, CNBC reported, while Amazon stocks stayed steady.

The announcement from Amazon said the company has built “one of the most reliable and efficient supply chains on Earth — from freight that moves cargo across air, land and sea, to fulfillment centers that pick and pack millions of orders a day, and a parcel shipping network that delivers packages every day of the week.”

It listed the company’s more than 80,000 trailers, more than 24,000 intermodal containers and more than 100 aircraft operated with carrier partners and said that services will be offered to businesses of all types and sizes.

As part of Monday’s announcement, Amazon also announced that companies Procter & Gamble, 3M, Lands’ End and American Eagle Outfitters have signed on to use Amazon Supply Chain Services.

May 3 (Asia Today) — Japan and Vietnam agreed to deepen cooperation across key economic security sectors, including energy, critical minerals, semiconductors, artificial intelligence and space, as Tokyo seeks to strengthen supply chains and reduce reliance on China.

Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi met with Vietnam’s top leadership, including Communist Party General Secretary and President To Lam and Prime Minister Le Minh Hung, during her visit to Hanoi. After the meetings, she said both countries had designated economic security as a top priority in bilateral cooperation.

According to Vietnamese media and Reuters, the two countries agreed Saturday to elevate their comprehensive strategic partnership and signed six memorandums of understanding covering technology, climate response and information and communications.

Energy cooperation at the forefront

A key outcome was in energy. Vietnam said Japan will support crude oil supplies to the Nghi Son refinery through a $10 billion “Power Asia” initiative aimed at strengthening energy resilience in the region.

The program, introduced by Takaichi last month, is designed to help Southeast Asian countries affected by disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz by supporting oil procurement, storage and supply chain resilience.

Japan’s Idemitsu Kosan has already decided to send about 4 million barrels of crude oil to Vietnam via routes that bypass the Strait of Hormuz. The shipment, equivalent to about 10 days of refinery operations, followed a request from Vietnam earlier this year.

Strategic message on China

In a speech at Vietnam National University, Takaichi emphasized the risks of overdependence on a single country for critical supplies, a remark widely interpreted as targeting China.

“Overreliance on one country often stems from abnormally low prices,” she said, calling for a “level playing field” in global trade.

She also stressed that regional supply chains depend on secure and open sea lanes, referencing both the Strait of Hormuz and the South China Sea.

The speech reaffirmed Japan’s vision of a “free and open Indo-Pacific,” a framework originally proposed by former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and now updated for what Takaichi described as a more challenging global environment.

Expanding cooperation in critical minerals

The two countries also agreed to expand cooperation on critical minerals, as Japan seeks to diversify supply chains heavily dependent on China.

Vietnam holds significant reserves of rare earth elements and gallium but lacks refining capacity, leaving it reliant on Chinese processing. Strengthened cooperation could help Japan secure alternative supply sources.

Japan remains one of Vietnam’s largest economic partners, with bilateral trade exceeding $50 billion last year. It is also Vietnam’s largest provider of official development assistance.

Takaichi highlighted Vietnam’s growing role in global manufacturing, citing production of Apple AirPods and Nintendo Switch devices, as part of efforts to encourage renewed Japanese investment.

She is scheduled to travel to Australia next, where she will meet Prime Minister Anthony Albanese to mark the 50th anniversary of bilateral relations and upgrade ties to a “special strategic partnership.”

— Reported by Asia Today; translated by UPI

© Asia Today. Unauthorized reproduction or redistribution prohibited.

Original Korean report: https://www.asiatoday.co.kr/kn/view.php?key=20260503010000231

April 28 (Asia Today) — South Korea has completed deployment of a five-satellite reconnaissance system designed to strengthen its preemptive strike capabilities against North Korea, marking a major milestone in its defense space program.

The project, known as the “425 program,” gives Seoul an independent ability to monitor North Korea with high-resolution imagery at roughly two-hour intervals, officials said.

The system combines one electro-optical and infrared satellite with four synthetic aperture radar satellites, allowing surveillance regardless of weather or time of day. Military officials say the network can track mobile missile launchers and other high-value targets, enhancing the country’s “kill chain” capability – a core element of its three-axis defense system.

The satellites were launched between late 2023 and late 2025, with the final unit successfully placed into orbit in November. U.S. space company SpaceX supported the launches, providing real-time global broadcasts that demonstrated the reliability of South Korea’s space assets.

The deployment marks a shift away from reliance on U.S. intelligence toward what officials describe as “independent surveillance,” enabling South Korea to observe targets at times of its choosing.

Despite the progress, military officials and analysts warn of a critical challenge: delays in real-time intelligence sharing with the United States.

Sources said that during the satellite deployment process, some U.S. intelligence inputs were delayed or limited, raising concerns about coordination between South Korea’s independent assets and allied systems.

The issue has implications for the effectiveness of the kill chain, which relies on rapid detection, identification and strike decisions within a narrow time window.

To address coordination gaps, U.S. Forces Korea has established a new unit known as J10, or Integrated Strategy Division, to support nuclear-conventional integration between the allies.

The unit is intended to act as a control hub linking U.S. nuclear deterrence capabilities with South Korea’s precision strike assets, enabling real-time operational coordination under the bilateral Nuclear Consultative Group framework.

Defense experts say the effort reflects growing complexity in integrating allied systems, particularly as both sides seek to align security protocols and data standards.

“The challenge is not just hardware, but digital synchronization,” one analyst said. “If delays persist, the kill chain could miss its critical response window.”

Another limitation is the system’s revisit rate. With North Korea believed to be able to prepare missile launches within 30 to 40 minutes, a two-hour surveillance cycle leaves potential gaps.

To address this, South Korea is accelerating plans to deploy constellations of small satellites in low Earth orbit, aiming to reduce revisit times to under 30 minutes.

Officials also emphasized the need for artificial intelligence-based analysis platforms capable of processing large volumes of satellite data in seconds to detect early warning signs.

Experts say the long-term success of the program will depend on software capabilities as much as hardware.

“When South Korea can produce intelligence as quickly and accurately as its allies, real-time data sharing will naturally deepen,” a defense expert said.

— Reported by Asia Today; translated by UPI

© Asia Today. Unauthorized reproduction or redistribution prohibited.

Original Korean report: https://www.asiatoday.co.kr/kn/view.php?key=20260428010008986

April 22 (Asia Today) — South Korean President Lee Jae-myung held summit talks with Vietnam’s top leader on Tuesday to strengthen cooperation in nuclear energy, infrastructure and supply chains, as both countries seek to navigate rising global uncertainties.

Lee met with To Lam in Hanoi during a state visit, where the two sides discussed expanding strategic cooperation across key sectors, including energy security and critical minerals.

The talks come as prolonged conflict in the Middle East heightens concerns over global energy supply disruptions, prompting both countries to pursue more resilient and diversified supply chains.

South Korea and Vietnam, each among the other’s top three trading partners, agreed to deepen cooperation not only in trade and investment but also in nuclear power, infrastructure, defense and other strategic industries.

The two countries have set a goal of increasing bilateral trade from $94.6 billion in 2025 to $150 billion by 2030.

Lee is expected to express support for South Korean companies seeking to participate in major Vietnamese infrastructure projects, including a new urban development project valued at about 1.1 trillion won ($740 million) and a new airport project estimated at 102.7 billion won ($69 million).

The leaders are also expected to discuss expanding cooperation in science and technology, climate response, artificial intelligence semiconductors and cultural industries, as well as boosting people-to-people exchanges such as tourism.

Ahead of the summit, Lee said relations between the two countries had reached a “comprehensive strategic partnership” following the 30th anniversary of diplomatic ties in 2022.

“Through this visit, we aim to further develop our highest-level cooperation into a more future-oriented and strategic partnership,” Lee said during a meeting with Korean residents in Vietnam.

Lee also paid tribute at the mausoleum of Ho Chi Minh before the summit and is scheduled to attend a state banquet hosted by the Vietnamese leadership.

On Wednesday, Lee is expected to meet Vietnam’s prime minister and National Assembly chair, and attend a business forum with executives from major South Korean conglomerates, including Lee Jae-yong, Chey Tae-won and Koo Kwang-mo.

— Reported by Asia Today; translated by UPI

© Asia Today. Unauthorized reproduction or redistribution prohibited.

Original Korean report: https://www.asiatoday.co.kr/kn/view.php?key=20260422010007161