eyes

SANTIAGO, Chile, March 18 (UPI) — The United States is continuing efforts to secure supplies of critical minerals deemed vital to national security. Alongside copper, lithium and silver, one lesser-known metal is drawing increased attention: rhenium.

Used primarily in the aerospace, energy and petrochemical industries, rhenium plays a key role in high-performance applications. Experts say it also holds potential in the global energy transition because it can act as a catalyst in producing green hydrogen.

Chile is the world’s largest rhenium producer, accounting for about 50% of global output. The metal is atomic No. 75 on the Periodic Table of Elements.

Since Friday, Chilean officials have held consultations on critical minerals and rare earth elements with the administration of President Donald Trump, seeking a bilateral agreement to strengthen supply chains and promote strategic investment.

“Chile controls nearly half of a mineral that the United States and China cannot produce in sufficient quantities. Washington reinstated rhenium to its critical minerals list in 2025 and explicitly included it in the bilateral mining agreement with Chile. That makes it a genuine geopolitical asset, not just a mining one,” mining market specialist Víctor Pérez, an engineering professor at Adolfo Ibáñez University, told UPI.

Manuel Reyes, a mining engineering professor at Andrés Bello University, said the United States considers rhenium a national security priority because of its critical role and a lack of substitutes in aerospace and defense.

“Although rhenium does not carry the financial weight of copper or lithium, it functions as a reputational asset that keeps Chile on global strategic radars. More as a necessary logistics partner than as a decision-making power,” he said.

Pérez said Chile’s rhenium exports are expected to range between $100 million and $200 million this year, compared with an estimated $60 billion in copper exports. Still, he said its strategic importance is unique “because it has no real substitute in aerospace and defense applications.”

Chile holds the world’s largest reserves at 1,300 metric tons, followed by the United States with 400 metric tons, Russia with 310 metric tons and Kazakhstan with 190 metric tons, according to Reyes.

Rhenium trades at about $2,000 per kilogram, though prices have climbed in 2026 to roughly $6,000 per kilogram, he said.

About 70% to 80% of global rhenium is used in superalloys for aviation and defense turbines. “It is the metal that allows aircraft engines and military turbines to withstand extreme temperatures without deforming,” Pérez said.

Rhenium is known as a by-product mineral because it is not found alone, but rather extracted from copper-related ores, which makes production complex. Chile’s large-scale copper mining operations enable its recovery, as processing captures gases released during molybdenum concentrate roasting and chemically extracts the metal.

Reyes said Chile remains highly dependent on external demand.

“Reserve management and supply continuity depend on the technical and national security requirements of powers such as the United States, which ultimately drive demand,” he said.

Ukraine’s leader previously said advisers were sent to Qatar, the UAE, and Saudi Arabia to help thwart Iranian drone attacks.

Ukraine wants money and technology as payback after sending specialists to the Middle East to help down Iranian drones during the ongoing Israel-United States war with Iran.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy told reporters on Sunday that three teams were sent to the region to undertake expert assessments and demonstrate how drone defences work as countries in the Middle East continue to be targeted by Iran over hosting US military bases.

“This is not about being involved in operations. We are not at war with Iran,” Zelenskyy said.

Earlier this week, Ukraine’s leader announced military teams were sent to Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, and a US military base in Jordan.

But he explained that more long-term drone deals could be negotiated with Gulf countries, and what Kyiv gets in return for its assistance still needs to be established.

“For us today, both the technology and the funding are important,” Zelenskyy said.

Throughout the four-year Russia-Ukraine war, Moscow has widely used Iranian Shahed-136 “suicide” drones, giving Kyiv expertise in knowing how to down the unmanned aerial vehicles through cheap drone interceptors, electronic jamming tools, and anti-aircraft weaponry.

However, US President Donald Trump has said he does not need Ukraine’s help in taking down Iranian drones attacking American targets.

‘Rules must be tightened’

Zelenskyy said he doesn’t know why Washington hasn’t signed a drone agreement with Kyiv, which it has pushed for months.

“I wanted to sign a deal worth about $35bn–50bn,” he said.

Still, as the Russia-Ukraine conflict continues with no end in sight, Zelenskyy raised concerns that the ongoing war in the Middle East will impact Kyiv’s supplies of air defence missiles.

“We would very much not like the United States to step away from the issue of Ukraine because of the Middle East,” he told reporters.

But as interest has grown for Ukrainian drone interceptors in light of the war, Zelenskyy said Kyiv’s rules to buy the drones must be tightened, with foreign countries and firms being unable to bypass the government and talk directly to manufacturers.

“Unfortunately, representatives of certain governments or companies want to bypass the Ukrainian state to purchase specific equipment,” Zelensky told reporters.

“Even in some free countries, we do not initially receive contracts from the private sector. A contract comes to me through the political channel. Only then does the private sector start negotiating with us.”

From “sticking a pen in a couple” while having a youthful flutter to owning a King George VI Chase winner and potential Cheltenham Gold Cup victor, Harry Redknapp has come a long way in horse racing.

The FA Cup-winning football manager’s love of the sport can be traced back to his grandmother Maggie Brown, who was a bookmaker’s runner in London’s East End, at a time when betting shops and off-course betting were illegal.

On Friday, his horse Jukebox Man will attempt to add the Cheltenham showpiece to his King George win in December.

The King George VI Chase is considered the biggest jumps race of the season before the Cheltenham Festival, while the Gold Cup is described by the Jockey Club as the most prestigious steeplechase in the world.

After claiming a photo-finish victory at Kempton Park on Boxing Day to topple 2024 King George winner Banbridge and 9-4 joint-favourite Gaelic Warrior, Redknapp said: “We’ve come into the Champions League today.”

But can he win jump racing’s equivalent of the Champions League?

“We have a chance, but it is a tough race,” Redknapp told BBC Radio 5 Live:

Among those standing in his way are Gaelic Warrior, Jango Baie, Haiti Couleur and last year’s winner Inothewayurthinkin.

Redknapp said: “Just to have a runner in the Gold Cup is a dream come true.

“We have had so much fun with Jukebox Man, which won the King George on Boxing Day, which is one of the most iconic races in the racing calendar.

“To go to the Gold Cup and to have a runner with a bit of a chance is great.”

Victory would be the crowning moment of a 70-year love affair with the sport that began during childhood.

“My nan would take the bets,” he said. “I’d come out for my school dinner when I’m eight or nine and she was getting put in the back of a police van and taken to Poplar police station.”

Redknapp’s nan would tell him to “stick a pen in a couple“ that would be her bets for the day.

Despite his love of the sport, he has never been tempted to ride – “not for all the money in the world”.

”They get injured, these jump jockeys, and then they come back about three weeks later, he said.

“They’re not like footballers, are they?”

Redknapp owns shares in 26 horses.

“You’re not always successful,” he said.

“For every Shakem Up’arry and Jukebox Man and Taurus Bay, there’s lots of others that never really did anything.”

Death in Paradise fans shared complaints about the latest episode of the long-running drama

Fans of Death in Paradise issued the same complaint as the drama shifted its setting away from Saint Marie.

The 15th series of the enduring detective drama is currently being broadcast on BBC One, with DI Mervin Wilson (Don Gilet) continuing to investigate a series of enigmatic deaths in Saint Marie.

Shantol Jackson, Shaquille Ali-Yebuah, and Élizabeth Bourgine also feature as Naomi Thomas, Sebastian Rose, and Catherine Bordey, respectively. This series has introduced a new sergeant named Mattie Fletcher (Catherine Garton), alongside an array of high-profile guest stars.

That’s not all, as Don Warrington made a notable return to the show as Selwyn Patterson this year, following the commissioner’s apparent departure at the conclusion of series 14.

Death in Paradise fans were less than thrilled when last week’s episode was pulled by the BBC due to live FA Cup coverage. The latest instalment aired on Monday (March 9) instead, with Selwyn and Naomi journeying to Antigua after Mervin landed himself in hot water, reports the Express.

At the start of the episode, Mervin stumbled upon a crime scene whilst searching for his brother, Solomon (Daniel Ward), in Antigua. Upon entering a secluded cabin, Mervin discovered a local businessman who had been shot. The detective was swiftly struck over the head by his brother, who promptly tied Mervin up.

Solomon and his accomplice Cheech McCarthy (Julian Rhind-Tutt) both insisted that the other was responsible for the crime, and they refused to release Mervin until each one had persuaded him of their version of events.

Elsewhere, Sterling Fox (Trieve Blackwood-Cambridge) made his comeback to the show, as Selwyn and Naomi launched their investigation into Mervin’s disappearance. “Why are you here, Mr Fox?” Selwyn questioned, to which Sterling revealed that he was given a job in Antigua as an officer in training.

Selwyn and Naomi’s frustration intensified as Sterling repeatedly obstructed their progress, before the trainee officer arrested the duo for “stealing” his vehicle.

However, BBC viewers weren’t impressed by the latest episode, as they believed that not much drama unfolded like the typically action-packed instalments.

“We’re only 15 minutes in and I already think this is the worst episode ever. Hope it picks up soon,” one viewer posted on X (formerly Twitter). Another commented: “Well this interesting. Any chance of anything happening anytime soon?” whilst a third questioned: “Is Mervin spending the entire episode tied to a chair?”

A fourth fan mirrored the feeling, saying: “This is awful,” with another likewise expressing: “Script writers I have soooooo many questions.”

Meanwhile, other viewers experienced a whirlwind of emotions as the drama played out, with one individual confessing: “Mervin about to have me bawling my eyes out at 9:36pm on a random Monday.”

Another fan penned: “I swear, if they don’t solve this soon then there’ll be another murder and we all know who the victim and perpetrators will be,” whilst a third chimed in: “Loving #DeathInParadise worth the wait.”

Death in Paradise is available to stream on BBC iPlayer

For the latest showbiz, TV, movie and streaming news, go to the new Everything Gossip website

German Chancellor visits eastern city, home to AI firm DeepSeek and e-commerce giant Alibaba, with business leaders.

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has arrived in the tech hub of Hangzhou on the second day of his first official trip to China, flanked by a delegation of business leaders seeking contracts in the eastern city.

Merz travelled from Beijing to the city of some 12 million people on Thursday, where he was due to tour some leading companies, including Germany’s Siemens Energy and Unitree, a Chinese firm producing humanoid robots.

Hangzhou is a major hub in China’s tech sector, home to giants, including artificial intelligence company DeepSeek and e-commerce platform Alibaba.

Before leaving Beijing, Merz, who is being accompanied by a delegation, including executives of German car giants Volkswagen, BMW and Mercedes, visited a Mercedes plant in the Chinese capital where he tested a self-driving vehicle.

‘Improved’ trade relationship sought

Merz’s trip to China, which became Germany’s largest trading partner last year, seeks to deepen decades-old economic ties with the world’s second-largest economy in the wake of tariffs imposed by the United States last year.

But he has also sought to address “challenges” in the relationship, most notably tackling the massive imbalance which saw Germany’s trade deficit with China hit a record 89 billion euros ($105bn) last year, fuelling complaints from German businesses that Chinese competitors are flooding the market with cheaper goods.

In a meeting with Chinese Premier Li Qiang in Beijing on Wednesday, before he met Chinese President Xi Jinping, Merz said he wanted “to improve and make fair” the cooperation between the countries.

Following the talks with Xi and top Chinese leaders, Merz said China had agreed to buy up to 120 Airbus aircraft, and said other contracts were in the pipeline.

The two leaders stressed their commitment to developing closer strategic relations, with Xi telling Merz he was willing to take relations to “new levels”.

Ukraine, Taiwan discussed

The talks between Xi and Merz also touched on geopolitical issues, with the German leader saying any “reunification” with Taiwan, the self-ruled island China claims as its territory, must be done peacefully.

Merz also told reporters that he asked the Chinese government to use its influence with Russia to help end the war in Ukraine, amid frustrations among European leaders that Beijing was not doing enough to bring the war to an end.

“We know that signals from Beijing are taken very seriously in Moscow,” Merz said.

Following the meeting, the two countries released a joint statement saying they supported efforts to achieve a ceasefire and lasting peace in Ukraine, emphasising the importance of fair competition and mutual market access, and committing to resolving any concerns through dialogue, Chinese state media reported.

Merz is the latest in a string of Western leaders to visit Beijing in recent months, including the United Kingdom Prime Minister Keir Starmer, French President Emmanuel Macron and Canadian PM Mark Carney, amid the fallout from the Trump administration’s tariffs on long-established trade partners.

Russia is developing a new balloon-borne system that could provide battlefield access to high-speed data communications at a time when its forces are desperate to keep connected. The testing of the Barrage-1 balloon comes as Ukrainian troops are taking advantage of Russia’s loss of access to the SpaceX Starlink satellite constellation network. Both sides have become dependent on the SpaceX system for daily wartime operations, but the restrictions on Russia’s use of Starlink are allowing Kyiv’s forces to fend off attacks in some areas while advancing in others. You can read more about Russia’s Starlink troubles in our initial story here.

As we previously noted, the introduction of Starlink to the battlefield in Ukraine revolutionized how war is waged, giving users high bandwidth, relatively secure communications basically anywhere, all in a small, off-the-shelf package. Though Elon Musk’s SpaceX company provided them to Ukraine, Russians soon came to rely on them as well. However, earlier this month, the company created a list of verified users, cutting Russia off from the system and throwing its troops into disarray. We will talk more about that later in this story.

The Barrage-1 balloon recently underwent its first test flight, according to Russia’s Foundation for Advanced Studies (FFAS), which is developing the system. It “is designed to carry up to 100 kilograms (about 220 pounds) of payload at an altitude of up to 20 kilometers (about 12 miles),” FFAS recently announced on Telegram. One of the payloads being considered is “a promising 5G NTN terrestrial communication equipment, the testing of which is planned for the near future,” the organization claimed.

While not reaching anywhere near the low earth orbit (LEO) altitudes as the Starlink constellation – between 341 miles to 298 miles – Barrage-1 could still serve as an alternative access point for high-speed data transfer for troops on ground below. 

Regardless of FFAS intentions, however, even if it is perfected, the Barrage-1 system will not provide the same level of coverage as Starlink, which is made up of thousands of laser datalink-connected satellites covering the globe. In contrast, Barrage-1 will be guided by “a pneumatic ballast system, which allows changing the flight altitude to utilize wind currents and move in the desired direction.”

“Due to this, the platform can maneuver and stay in a specified area or move along the trajectory required for the payload,” FFAS claimed, despite being in the very earliest stages of testing. 

You can read all about how high-altitude balloons can stay on station even in the presence of prevailing winds in this past story of ours. 

Even though it wouldn’t be a direct match to Starlink, at 12 miles high, it could provide wide-area connectivity similar to that offered by Starlink, albeit over a much more limited area. A mini ‘constellation’ of these systems spread over a region and mesh-networked together, could help solve the line of sight limitations of a single balloon.

Ukrainian Defense Ministry (MoD) advisor on defense technology and drone and electronic warfare (EW) expert Serhiy “Flash” Beskrestnov sees potential in this system.

“The platform is seen as an accessible and efficient alternative to expensive satellite constellations in LEO,” Beskrestnov explained on Telegram. “One of the priority tasks for ‘Barrage’ will be to test 5G NTN communication. Placing transmitters at an altitude of 20 km will allow providing high-speed internet and communication to vast territories where the construction of ground towers is impossible.”

“In theory and in practice, by controlling the altitude of an aerostat, it can be steered, not precisely, but enough to stay over any territory,” he added.

However, the Barrage-1’s comparatively low altitudes could make them targets for Ukrainian air defense systems and other countermeasures. 

“And what’s most important for us? To have the means that can detect such objects over our territory,” Beskrestnov suggested. “And to have the ability to shoot down such targets if they pose a threat. As far as I remember, the S-300 [surface to air missile system] can engage targets at an altitude of 20-30 km (about 12 to 19 miles).”

Still, successfully targeting and engaging a balloon with a small radar signature using SAMs are two different things. Russia worked on this exact problem extensively during the Cold War, which you can read about here.

The balloons could also fall victim to other forms of attack. It isn’t hard to imagine Ukraine producing a drone to specifically hunt for these systems at longer ranges. Their emissions would make them hard to hide. Also, the electronic warfare aspect is worth noting for the same reasons.

The concept of using balloons as communications nodes is far from new. It has been around for many years. The U.S. military continues to eye using balloons to lug communications relays and gateways aloft as well. As we previously noted, the U.S. once even considered sending balloons over Cuba with equipment that would allow citizens to have access after the government cut it off. For homeland applications, high altitude balloons have been eyed to replace cellular towers, especially after natural disasters have wiped-out ground-based communications.

The SpaceX restrictions have impacted everything from Russia’s high-level command and control, to basic communications and data exchange between troops across the entire battlespace. It has also affected Russia’s drone warfare, including interfering with long-range aerial weapons and uncrewed ground vehicles (UGV). The Kyiv Post article claims that some Russian UGVs have relied on Starlink to operate.

“The loss of Starlink has now forced Russian military logistics troops to return to the use of manned trucks, cars, motorcycles or quad-cycle vehicles,” noted Mick Ryan, a retired Australian major general now serving as a military analyst. “These have proven to be more vulnerable to drone strikes.”

Losing Starlink has slowed down Russian offensive actions and increased their casualties while opening up opportunities for Ukraine to advance, Ukrainian military officials have claimed.

“For three to four days after the shutdown, they really reduced the assault operations,”  Lt. Denis Yaroslavsky, who commands a special reconnaissance unit for the Ukraine Armed Forces, told the New York Post.

“The disruption comes as Russia suffers its worst death rate since the start of the four-year-old war,” U.S. and Ukrainian intelligence officials told the publication.

Bed rest can go pound sand: Ray J gave his all on stage on Friday night, it seems, with fan videos showing his eyes appearing to bleed as he worked the crowd.

The singer also doffed the top of his orange jumpsuit to reveal some sort of medical port or device inserted on the upper left side of his chest.

The “Love & Hip-Hop: Hollywood” star, who is singer-actor Brandy’s brother, was performing in Shreveport, La.

In the first clip, red liquid — which many assumed was blood — ran down one of the R&B singer’s cheeks like tears as he handed out long-stemmed red roses to people in the audience. Another clip showed him singing into a mic while climbing down from the stage after shedding the top part of his jumpsuit.

“Hey, y’all, we perfectly fine. Ain’t nobody sick. Look at me, I’m fine,” he says in a later clip, which takes place off stage. The 45-year-old appears to be annoyed, saying that people have been laughing at him because he’s sick.

“He loves the camera. He loves the attention,” Tommy Nard II of Nard Multimedia Group, who was behind the scenes that night, told Shreveport news station KTAL separately. “It’s all theatrical … I seen him literally put on the fake blood and go out there.”

A concertgoer told KTAL that it was “very concerning to see blood, what appeared to be blood, coming from his eyes.”

Ray J told TMZ in late January that he was under doctor’s orders to stay on bed rest and avoid drugs and alcohol. He said he was on eight medications related to his heart, which he said had been damaged because of his excessive drug and alcohol use.

“I thought I could handle all the alcohol, I could handle all the Adderall,” he said in a video livestream in late January.

Doctors told Ray J — real name William Ray Norwood Jr. — that he should prepare for the chance that he might need a pacemaker or defibrillator soon, the singer told the celebrity site. He expected to get an update when he went back in two weeks for a checkup.

Two weeks was up over the weekend.

Ray J told followers in a video posted Jan. 25 that he wanted to “thank everyone for praying for me.”

“I was in the hospital,” he said. “My heart is only beating like 25%, but as long as I stay focused and stay on the right path, then everything will be all right.” In a video, he said the right side of his heart was “like, black. It’s like done.”

Ray J said elsewhere that his heart was beating at 60%. The number likely refers to his heart’s ejection fraction, which measures the volume of blood coming out of the heart’s left ventricle or being drawn into the right ventricle when the heart beats. Right-sided heart failure is far less common, according to WebMD.

A representative for Ray J did not respond immediately Tuesday to The Times’ request for comment.

However, in an Instagram story posted Monday, Ray J put up this quote: “‘If you want to know who your real friends & family are, lose your job, get sick, or go through hard times. You’ll see clearly.”