China’s President Xi Jinping has made a rare visit to Lhasa to mark 60 years since Chinese rule was consolidated with the founding of the Tibet Autonomous Region. State media says he was greeted by 20,000 people as the tightly controlled region staged a parade and celebrations.
State media reports Chinese leader’s arrival in Tibet was greeted with people waving bouquets of flowers and dancing ‘to joyful rhythms’.
China’s President Xi Jinping has made a rare visit to Tibet to mark the 60th anniversary of the consolidation of Chinese rule over the long-contested Himalayan territory, state news reports.
The state-run Xinhua News Agency said that Xi arrived in Tibet’s regional capital, Lhasa, on Wednesday, where he was met by about 20,000 officials and local people from “all ethnic groups and all walks of life”.
In Lhasa, Xi urged the building of a “modern socialist” Tibet “that is united, prosperous, civilised, harmonious and beautiful”, Xinhua reported.
State broadcaster CCTV said Xi emphasised the need to “guide Tibetan Buddhism in adapting itself to socialist society”.
China claims Tibet has been part of its territory for centuries, but many Tibetans say they were essentially independent for most of that time under their own Buddhist theocracy.
On the morning of Thursday, a grand rally was held in Lhasa to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the founding of the #Xizang Autonomous Region. The celebration featured a large-scale parade with 26 marching contingents and floats proceeding in turn to festive music. The first… pic.twitter.com/qi2yNt09Wv
Communist forces occupied Tibet in 1951, and in 1965, Chinese leader Mao Zedong’s single-party dictatorship established the Tibet Autonomous Region.
Decades of political repression followed, and in more recent years, large-scale migration of majority Han Chinese to the high-altitude region has occurred.
Tibet is largely closed to journalists and foreigners.
China also insists on the right to appoint a reincarnation of the Dalai Lama, Tibetan Buddhism’s highest-ranking spiritual leader, who recently turned 90 and lives in self-imposed exile in neighbouring India after fleeing Chinese rule in 1959.
Xi’s arrival in Tibet coincided with another rare trip this week by China’s foreign minister Wang Yi to India, where both Beijing and New Delhi pledged to rebuild ties damaged by a deadly 2020 border clash involving troops from both countries.
Tibet is a highly strategic region for China due to its border with India, though Beijing’s latest mega hydropower project in the Tibetan plateau has also unsettled India downstream.
Xi has said the project must be “vigorously” pursued as part of China’s carbon reduction goals while protecting Asia’s “water tower”.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection agriculture specialists encountered potentially disease ridden bushmeat twice within one week at Detroit Metropolitan Airport late last month, U.S. officials said Wednesday. Photo courtesy of U.S. Customs and Border Protection
Aug. 20 (UPI) — U.S. border officials in Michigan stumbled on multiple discoveries of likely disease-ridden African bushmeat within a week’s time.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents found two different passengers twice within a week in late July at Michigan’s Detroit Metropolitan Airport. Both the unidentified were from Togo and Gabon, respectively.
“These recent bushmeat interceptions are significant in bringing attention to the illegal importation of bushmeat through our ports of entry,” Detroit Metropolitan’s Port Director Fadia Pastilong said in a statement.
Bushmeat refers to wild animals often in the form of bats, non-human primates and cane rats from certain regions that, according to U.S. health officials, pose “significant communicable disease risk.”
The border agency pointed specifically to how the incidents showcase how it works with partner agencies to prevent disease outbreaks.
Border officials in Detroit added that while rodent-type bushmeat finds were sporadic as it is, the recently-located primate interceptions, they said, were “much rarer.”
“We routinely find various agriculture items and oddities,” stated Marty C. Raybon, Detroit’s director of field operations.
The Togan native from west Africa carried around 11 ponds of rodent meat. However, both travelers also had undeclared so-called “agriculture items.”
Raybon noted other similar finds include live giant snails, animal skulls and other “exotic food items.”
The unnamed traveler from central Africa in Gabon only two days later yielded some 52 pounds primate meat falsely declared as antelope.
U.S. officials noted how the tradition also expands risk of disease spreading.
“Ebola, mpox, and other emerging diseases can have catastrophic consequences if they enter human populations,” they stated.
They added it’s also illegal to import bushmeat into the Untied States.
Last year in February a CBP K9 beagle agent named Buddey sniffed out dehydrated monkey remains from the Democratic Republic of Congo at Boston’s Logan Airport the traveler claimed was “dried fish.”
The illegal African bushmeat ultimately was turned over to CDC specialists for final disposition.
Meanwhile, the two unidentified African traveler were fined $300 each for the “undeclared agriculture items” in their attempt to bring their native “bushmeat” to U.S. shores.
Porthor, known by some as ‘Whistling Sands’, is one of only two beaches in Europe where the sand ‘sings’ under your feet – and it’s a must-visit for Brits.
As one of merely two European beaches where this extraordinary phenomenon occurs, Porthor – or Porth Oer as it’s known locally – stands as an essential destination for any traveller. Walking holiday experts Mickledore have emphasised that Porthor captivates visitors with its unusual acoustic properties, spectacular scenery, and convenient accessibility.
The experts add: “Porthor’s gentle ‘song’ is rare and beautiful. It turns a simple walk into something magical. Where else can you step on the sand and have it sing back to you?”
Alongside its singing sands, Porthor offers stunning views of the small islands of Dinas Bach and Dinas Fawr, where grey seals are sometimes spotted.
The beach also sits in an ideal spot for Wales Coast Path walkers, acting as an excellent launching point for treks to Mynydd Anelog, another site offering spectacular panoramas.
Porthor offers stunning views of the surrounding area(Image: Getty)
Visitors hoping to witness the ‘whistling sands’ phenomenon must time their trip perfectly. Head there on a dry day, stroll above the high tide mark, and either shuffle your feet or tread gently – that’s when you might catch the distinctive squeak or whistle.
Beachgoers have been singing the praises of this unique spot on TripAdvisor. One visitor gushed: “This was our favourite beach on Llyn. Perhaps more of a ‘squeak’ than a whistling beach but sure enough if you walk across the sand bare foot you’ll hear it! Dramatic location, crystal clear waters, lovely soft squeaky sand!”
Another fan penned: “What a lovely sandy beach, great car park, lovely views with rock pools and a cave for the children to explore. Could hear the sand whistling under our feet, well worth a visit.”
However, one visitor who missed out on the ‘whistling’ still had positive words to share: “Beautiful beach well worth a visit. Lovely coffee and cake served in the cafe. Sand was quite wet so I didn’t get the whistling experience.”
THE final batch of £1 coins featuring the late Queen Elizabeth II’s portrait will enter circulation for the last time – and they could be worth a pretty penny.
More than 23million of the coins are being released today, Wednesday August 20 by the Royal Mint has said.
1
The £1 are entering circulation
That means you could spot one in your change in the coming weeks.
These pieces will be the final ones bearing Elizabeth II’s portrait to enter circulation.
Plus, the Royal Mint said these coins dated 2022, are the rarest £1 coins in active circulation.
If you are keen to spot the coin, there are a few details you can spot.
The front, or heads side, of the coin features a portrait of the late Queen Elizabeth and the date 2022.
While the reverse, or tails side, features an image of a crown with an English rose, Scottish thistle, Welsh leek and Northern Irish shamrock.
The coin joins a raft of other rare £1 pieces, including the 2011 Edinburgh City coin that has sold for 95 times its face value.
These coins have a mintage of just 935,000, making it a rare find.
Back in June, the coin sold for £23 on eBay after 21 bids.
The coin was part of a series depicting the four capital cities of the UK and is the only £1 coin with a mintage below one million.
Five 50ps that could earn you thousands
In comparison, a recent bidder paid £7.53 for one of the coins after fighting off bids from five others.
But coins are only worth what sellers are willing to pay for them.
So another piece may sell for a higher or lower price later down the line.
It comes as the official maker of UK coins is also set to release 7.5 million new King Charles III £1 coins.
The 50p and £1 are the only denominations with Charles’s portrait to have entered circulation so far.
The King’s £1 coins feature an intricate bee design on the reverse and are part of the Definitive collection, inspired by the flora and fauna of the British Isles.
Rebecca Morgan, director of commemorative coin at the Royal Mint, said: “This release represents a pivotal moment in British coinage history.
“As we release more of the King Charles III £1 coins into circulation alongside the final coins of Queen Elizabeth II, we’re witnessing the physical representation of our monarchy’s transition.”
She added: “This dual release creates an exceptional opportunity for both seasoned numismatists and those new to coin collecting.”
“Finding these new coins in your change could spark a rewarding hobby that connects you with the heritage, history and craftsmanship behind British currency.”
And that is not the only rare coin that collectors are keen to get their hands on.
The coastline of Alicante has been placed under a red alert for hot temperatures from midday today (August 18) until the evening, while the region of Vega del Segura is also under a red alert
A rare red weather warning has been put in place today(Image: Getty Images)
British holidaymakers in Alicante and Benidorm are facing a rare red weather warning, with scorching temperatures set to hit 42C today (Monday, August 18).
The Alicante coastline and Vega del Segura region, encompassing Murcia city, have been slapped with a red alert for extreme heat from midday through to evening.
The extreme heat alert has been put in place right through to this evening
Yellow warnings have been issued for central and northeastern Spain, reports the Manchester Evening News. Whilst conditions won’t be quite as blistering here, temperatures are still forecast to climb into the high 30s.
Similar sweltering conditions are anticipated across the Balearic Islands. Ibiza, Formentera and northern Majorca are under amber heat warnings, with peaks of 39C predicted.
Menorca faces a yellow alert and could see the thermometer hit 36C. No warnings are currently in place for the country’s northwest. Looking ahead to Monday, August 18, Aemet forecasters said: “Significant drop in temperatures in the northwestern half of the Iberian Peninsula.
“They will remain significantly high in the southeastern half, as well as in parts of the Balearic and Canary Islands, reaching 40 degrees in the Guadalquivir and low-pressure areas in the southeast.”
Areas in the north east could experience downpours and thunderstorms, especially close to the Pyrenees. Majorca stays under a yellow heat alert, with temperatures reaching 36C predicted, whilst the Mediterranean coastline will continue to swelter.
Looking ahead to Tuesday, Aemet stated: “A significant drop in temperatures will occur in the southeastern and eastern parts of the Iberian Peninsula.
“However, temperatures will remain significantly high in parts of the Mediterranean peninsula, the Balearic Islands, and the Canary Islands. Showers and thunderstorms will be locally heavy with very strong gusts in the Pyrenees, the eastern Iberian Peninsula, and areas in between.”
Bangkok, Thailand – A surge in rare earth mining in rebel-held pockets of Myanmar supplying Chinese processing plants is being blamed for toxic levels of heavy metals in Thai waterways, including the Mekong River.
China dominates the global refining of rare earth metals – key inputs in everything from wind turbines to advanced missile systems – but imports much of its raw material from neighbouring Myanmar, where the mines have been blamed for poisoning local communities.
Recent satellite images and water sample testing suggest the mines are spreading, along with the environmental damage they cause.
“Since the mining operation started, there is no protection for the local people,” Sai Hor Hseng, a spokesman at the Shan Human Rights Foundation, a local advocacy group based in eastern Myanmar’s Shan state, told Al Jazeera.
“They don’t care what happens to the environment,” he said, or those living downstream of the mines in Thailand.
An estimated 1,500 people rallied in northern Thailand’s Chiang Rai province in June, urging the Thai government and China to pressure the mining operators in Myanmar to stop polluting their rivers.
Villagers in Chiang Rai first noticed an odd orange-yellow tint to the Kok River – a tributary of the Mekong that enters Thailand from Myanmar – before the start of this year’s rainy season in May.
Repeated rounds of testing by Thai authorities since then have found levels of arsenic and lead in the river several times higher than what the World Health Organization (WHO) deems safe.
Thai authorities advised locals living along the Kok to not even touch the water, while tests have also found excess arsenic levels in the Sai River, another tributary of the Mekong that flows from Myanmar into Thailand, as well as in the Mekong’s mainstream.
Locals are now worried about the harm that contaminated water could do to their crops, their livestock and themselves.
Arsenic is infamously toxic.
Medical studies have linked long-term human exposure to high levels of the chemical to neurological disorders, organ failure and cancer.
“This needs to be solved right now; it cannot wait until the next generation, for the babies to be deformed or whatever,” Pianporn Deetes, Southeast Asia campaign director at the advocacy group International Rivers, told Al Jazeera.
“People are concerned also about the irrigation, because … [they are] now using the rivers – the water from the Kok River and the Sai River – for their rice paddies, and it’s an important crop for the population here,” Pianporn said.
“We learned from other areas already … that this kind of activity should not happen in the upstream of the water source of a million people,” she said.
A satellite image of a rare earths mine site on the west side of the Kok River in Myanmar’s Shan state, as seen on May 6, 2025 [Courtesy of the Shan Human Rights Foundation]
‘A very good correlation’
Thai authorities blame upstream mining in Myanmar for the toxic rivers, but they have been vague about the exact source or sources.
Rights groups and environmental activists say the mine sites are nestled in pockets of Shan state under the control of the United Wa State Army (UWSA), a well-armed, secretive rebel group that runs two semi-autonomous enclaves in the area, one bordering China and the other Thailand.
That makes the sites hard to access. Not even Myanmar’s military regime dares to send troops into UWSA-held territory.
While some have blamed the recent river pollution on the UWSA’s gold mines, the latest tests in Thailand lay most of the fault on the mining of rare earth minerals.
In a study commissioned by the Thai government, Tanapon Phenrat, an associate professor of civil engineering at Naresuan University, took seven water samples from the Kok and surrounding rivers in early June.
Tanapon told Al Jazeera that the samples collected closest to the border with Myanmar showed the highest levels of heavy metals and confirmed that the source of the contamination lay upstream of Thailand in Shan state.
Mekong River Commission (MRC) staff take a water sample for testing from the Mekong River along the Thai-Laos border on June 10, 2025 [Courtesy of the MRC]
Significantly, Tanapon said, the water samples contained the same “fingerprint” of heavy metals, and in roughly the same concentrations, as had earlier water samples from Myanmar’s Kachin State, north of Shan, where rare earth mining has been thriving for the past decade.
“We compared that with the concentrations we found in the Kok River, and we found that it has a very good correlation,” Tanapon said.
“Concentrations in the Kok River can be attributed about 60 to 70 percent … [to] rare earth mining,” he added.
The presence of rare earth mines along the Kok River in Myanmar was first exposed by the Shan Human Rights Foundation in May.
Satellite images available on Google Earth showed two new mine sites inside the UWSA’s enclave on the Thai border developed over the past one to two years – one on the western slope of the river, another on the east.
The foundation also used satellite images to identify what it said are another 26 rare earth mines inside the UWSA’s enclave next to China.
All but three of those mines were built over the past few years, and many are located at the headwaters of the Loei River, yet another tributary of the Mekong.
Researchers who have studied Myanmar’s rare earth mining industry say the large, round mineral collection pools visible in the satellite images give the sites away as rare earth mines.
The Shan Human Rights Foundation says villagers living near the new mines in Shan state have also told how workers there are scooping up a pasty white powder from the collection pools, just as they have seen in online videos of the rare earth mines further north in Kachin.
Two men stand inside the collection pool of a rare earths mine in Kachin state, Myanmar, in February 2022 [Courtesy of Global Witness]
‘Zero environmental monitoring’
Patrick Meehan, a lecturer at the University of Manchester in the UK who has studied Myanmar’s rare earth mines, said reports emerging from Shan state fit with what he knows of similar operations in Kachin.
“The way companies tend to operate in Myanmar is that there is zero pre-mining environmental assessment, zero environmental monitoring, and there are none of those sorts of regulations or protections in place,” Meehan said.
The leaching process being used involves pumping chemicals into the hillsides to draw the rare earth metals out of the rock. That watery mixture of chemicals and minerals is then pumped out of the ground and into the collection pools, where the rare earths are then separated and gathered up.
Without careful attention to keeping everything contained at a mine, said Meehan, the risks of contaminating local rivers and groundwater could be high.
Rare earth mines are situated close to rivers because of the large volumes of water needed for pumping the extractive chemicals into the hills, he said.
The contaminated water is then often pumped back into the river, he added, while the groundwater polluted by the leaching can end up in the river as well.
“There is definitely scope for that,” said Meehan.
He and others have tracked the effect such mines have already had in Kachin – where hundreds of mining sites now dot the state’s border with China – from once-teeming streams now barren of fish to rice stalks yielding fewer grains and livestock falling ill and dying after drinking from local creeks.
In a 2024 report, the environmental group Global Witness called the fallout from Kachin’s mining boom “devastating”.
Ben Hardman, Mekong legal director for the US advocacy group EarthRights International, said locals in Kachin have also told his team about mineworkers dying in unusually high numbers.
The worry now, he adds, is that Shan state and the neighbouring countries into which Myanmar’s rivers flow will suffer the same fate as has Kachin, especially if the mine sites continue to multiply as global demand for rare earth minerals grows.
“There’s a long history of rare earth mining causing serious environmental harms that are very long-term, and with pretty egregious health implications for communities,” Hardman said.
“That was the case in China in the 2010s, and is the case in Kachin now. And it’s the same situation now evolving in Shan state, and so we can expect to see the same harms,” he added.
‘You need to stop it at the source’
Most, if not all, of the rare earths mined in Myanmar are sent to China to be refined, processed, and either exported or put to use in a range of green-energy and, increasingly, military hardware.
But, unlike China, neither Myanmar, Laos nor Thailand have the sophisticated processing plants that can transform raw ore into valuable material, according to SFA (Oxford), a critical minerals and metals consulting firm.
The Institute for Strategy and Policy-Myanmar, a local think tank, says Chinese customs data also show that Myanmar has been China’s main source of rare earths from abroad since at least 2017, including a record $1.4bn-worth in 2023.
A signboard at the Thai village of Sop Ruak on the Mekong River where the borders of Thailand, Laos and Myanmar meet [File: Sukree Sukplang/Reuters]
Myanmar’s exports of rare earth minerals were growing at the same time as China was placing tough new curbs on mining them at home, after witnessing the environmental damage it was doing to its own communities. Buying the minerals from Myanmar has allowed China to outsource much of the problem.
That is why many are blaming not only the mine operators and the UWSA for the environmental fallout from Myanmar’s mines, but China.
The UWSA could not be reached for comment, and neither China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs nor its embassy in Myanmar replied to Al Jazeera’s emails seeking a response.
In a June 8 Facebook post, reacting to reports of Chinese-run mines in Myanmar allegedly polluting Thai rivers, the Chinese embassy in Thailand said all Chinese companies operating abroad had to follow local laws and regulations.
The embassy also said China was open to cooperating with Mekong River countries to protect the local environment, but gave no details on what that might entail.
Thailand has said it is working with both China and Myanmar to solve the problem.
In a bid to tackle the problem, though, the Thai government has proposed building dams along the affected rivers in Chiang Rai province to filter their waters for pollutants.
Local politicians and environmentalists question whether such dams would work.
International Rivers’ Pianporn Deetes said there was no known precedent of dams working in such a manner in rivers on the scale of the Mekong and its tributaries.
“If it’s [a] limited area, a small creek or in a faraway standalone mining area, it could work. It’s not going to work with this international river,” she said.
Naresuan University’s Tanapon said he was building computer models to study whether a series of cascading weirs – small, dam-like barriers that are built across a river to control water flow – could help.
But he, too, said such efforts would only mitigate the problem at best.
Dams and weirs, Tanapon said, “can just slow down or reduce the impact”.
Idyllic hidden beach in the UK is an oasis of calm with golden sand and turquoise sea ‘like the Caribbean’ – one visitor felt like they’d ‘died and gone to heaven’ after finding the bay
The area, home to the hidden beach, has been described as one of the most spectacular wildlife locations on the planet. Wildlife cameraman Hamza Yassin set out to capture iconic species like red deer, pine martens, white tailed sea eagles and puffins that live on his doorstep(Image: Channel 4)
A lesser-known beach gem in the UK with sparkling turquoise sea and white sandy beaches is a haven for nature lovers. The stunning scenery and views have been likened to the Caribbean by some, while another visitor said they thought they’d “died and gone to heaven” after visiting the beauty spot.
Beautiful rare eagles circle the spot and otters duck and dive in the sea – you may spot them if you’re lucky. The large bay is a fantastic family day out, a romantic spot for couples, or a chilled place for solo visitors – Sanna Bay in Scotland has been praised time and time again for its amazing scenery.
The beach can be reached by a delightful coastal walk, however it is also accessible by car – and a short walk over dunes down to the sand and sea. A rocky headland, sand dunes and cliffs surround four sandy beaches in this most western point of mainland Britain, described as a “Scottish oasis”.
Located on the Ardnamurchan peninsula in the Scottish Highlands, this is a great place for observing wildlife, reports Wild About Lochaber. There are also holiday cottages, camping options and places to stay in the nearby area for an unforgettable away-from-home experience.
The wild area where the hidden beach is situated has several places relatively nearby to stay in (Image: www.unique-cottages.co.uk)
The Wild About Lochaber website describes Sanna Bay as “one of the most stunning beaches on the Ardnamurchan peninsula”. The dune cliffs “reach up to 3m in height” and there is a unique sand isthmus – a narrow piece of land – “connected to a low rocky platform”.
Wild About Lochaber detailed the uniqueness of this beauty spot: “Sanna Bay is renowned for its stunning scenery, white sandy beaches and clear turquoise seas. The bay also offers some fabulous views of Ardnamurchan Point and The Small Isles.
“In spring and summer, the dunes are a riot of colour. This is a great place for wildlife watching. Look out for butterflies nectaring on the machair flora, dragonflies and damselflies scouting the wee burn, sand martens nesting in the dune cliffs, coastal birds and otters foraging along the shoreline.
“You can also scan the coastal cliffs for a good chance of seeing white-tailed eagle. There are also some lovely rock pools waiting to be explored by the young and older alike.”
They added the stunning beach “is popular with botanists, wildlife watchers, walkers, geologists, artists, and photographers”, describing it as a “great place to explore and enjoy”. One TripAdvisor reviewer wrote that “Sanna Beach is akin to the Caribbean in Scotland”.
A review of Sanna Beach by JJC said: “The walk was about five minutes over the sand dunes to the beach. Once there…wow, wow wow. The water was turquoise, the sand pure white.
“If the temperature was higher it could have been the Caribbean. Behind us were about 10 wild swimmers who jumped into the water. I can highly recommend Sanna Beach.”
Another claimed they thought they’d “died and gone to heaven” after a visit to the spot. In a TripAdvisor review the visitor wrote: “No pubs, cafes or shops but who cares, this is one of the most stunning white sand beaches in Scotland.
“With the beautiful blue and turquoise sea you could be in the Bahamas . A great place for a walk, take photos or just sit and enjoy the view.”
Thunderstorms triggered flash floods in New York City and New Jersey on Monday, stranding commuters and motorists. The downpour was the city’s second-wettest hour in history, with more than two inches of rain. Authorities say two people were killed in New Jersey when their vehicle was swept away.
Keeley Hawes stars in Prime Video’s upcoming thriller series, The Assassin, opposite Freddie Highmore
Keeley Hawes admitted, “I find them funny”, as she made a rare family admission.
The Bodyguard actor is set to star in Prime Video’s upcoming thriller series, The Assassin, which comes from The Tourist writers Harry and Jack Williams.
The six-part drama follows a retired assassin called Julie, played by Keeley, who has made a new life for herself on an idyllic Greek island.
However, when her estranged son, Edward (Freddie Highmore), turns up with questions about his father, Julie’s dangerous past soon catches up with her.
“With questions around Edward’s paternity and Julie’s past life as a hitwoman, the pair go on the run across Europe, working together in a fight for survival,” reads the official synopsis, reports the Express.
Keeley Hawes plays retired assassin Julie(Image: Prime Video/Robert Viglasky)
“Along the way, their dysfunctional relationship is tested to its limits. They uncover a dark conspiracy they believe to be their only threat, but a greater danger emerges that could destroy their relationship entirely.”
The description concludes: “In a race against time, Julie fights to save Edward and salvage their relationship as past and present collide in a showdown across the globe.”
Alongside Keeley and Freddie, the series also stars Shalom Brune-Franklin, Devon Terrell, Gina Gershon, Jack Davenport, Alan Dale, Richard Dormer and David Dencik.
Speaking to Reach and other press ahead of the show’s premiere, Keeley shared how her real-life parenting experiences helped inform her character Julie’s relationship with her son.
Freddie Highmore plays Julie’s son Edward(Image: Prime Video/Robert Viglasky)
The 49-year-old actor shares 20-year-old daughter Maggie and 18-year-old son Ralph with her husband, Succession actor Matthew Macfadyen, and is also mum to 24-year-old Myles McCallum, whom she shares with her first husband, Spencer.
“I have two sons – three children, two sons… So, I can totally relate to it,” Keeley said.
“What I loved about it is quite often you see relationships on screen and it’s people getting along and they don’t feel particularly real. Whereas, this feels very honest, very authentic.”
Reflecting on her own home life, she added: “You know, you do get p***** off with each other when you have children, and they certainly get p***** off with me. There is quite a lot of sarcasm and my kids, I find them very funny so I really related to this and loved how truthful it felt.”
The Assassin will premiere on Prime Video later this month(Image: Prime Video/Marq Riley)
When discussing Julie and Edward’s dynamic, Keeley noted: “They’re brutal with each other a lot of the time, and those relationships that you have with your children, sometimes they’re the only people that you can be that brutal with, because they can’t get rid of you.
“It doesn’t matter what you say or what they say, so that’s what I took from it that was quite useful for me.”
Keeley went on to reveal that she is “great friends” with her eldest son, which she feels translates into Julie’s layered on-screen relationship with Edward.
“My oldest son is 25 next month… I was young when I had him,” she shared.
“I am his mother, I’m very much his mother but at the same time, we have a relationship that is not like siblings, but we’re great friends as well. And I think something similar has happened there.”
The Assassin will premiere on Prime Video on Friday, July 25
The head of production at Dhar Mann Studios, which makes shows for YouTube and other online platforms, said entertainment industry friends in Los Angeles had once held out before seeking work in the digital realm.
But now, with jobs few and far between at the legacy studios, they are reaching out “all the time” looking for opportunities at the Burbank-based studio, known for posting family-friendly dramas addressing topics like bullying.
Seeing some of her peers now flock to be a part of production companies built for distribution on YouTube and other online platforms is exciting for Gray, who worked in traditional television for more than a decade and joined Dhar Mann Studios in February.
“It’s giving people hope that they can get back to work again,” she said. “And it’s not just monetary hope for their house and their kids. It actually is giving their own being life again to bring their creative element.”
Pave Studios founder Max Cutler.
(Christina House / Los Angeles Times)
In Hollywood’s TV and film industries, droves of workers are competing for jobs at a time when many companies are consolidating and laying off hundreds of people at a time. But one segment of the entertainment industry has emerged as a bright spot — the economy made up of people creating video for YouTube and social media.
That part of the industry, once dominated by amateurs making funny viral videos with smartphones has blossomed into a formidable entertainment force, where video creators are setting up real businesses with large studios in Southern California funded through advertising by major brands.
Dhar Mann Studios plans to add 15 positions to its staff of about 75 full-time employees. In Sherman Oaks, Pave Studios, which produces wellness- and true-crime-related shows, is adding 16 full-time workers to its staff of 67 contractors and employees.
Nationwide, there were more than 490,000 jobs supported by YouTube’s creative ecosystem last year, according to the Google-owned video platform, citing data from Oxford Economics. That’s roughly 60,000 more jobs than in 2023, YouTube said.
“It’s beginning to mature into creators really building businesses,” said Thomas Kim, YouTube’s director of product management for creator monetization. “We see more and more of that, and that also means that the number of employees and help that they need to sustain their business has grown over time.”
Sean Atkins, chief executive of Dhar Mann Studios, called it a big growth opportunity in the market. YouTube is a major player in streaming, representing 12.5% of U.S. TV viewing in May, according to Nielsen, more than streaming services including Netflix and Amazon Prime Video.
“Everything is so new and nascent,” said Atkins, a former president at MTV. “I imagine, particularly when you walk around our studio … that this is what it looked like in the ‘20s when MGM and Disney and Warner [Bros.] were [founded]. Just this enthusiastic chaos where everyone’s trying to figure out what this environment is.”
The growth in Southern California influencer businesses is a boon to the local production economy that is otherwise struggling. L.A. County saw a 27% decline to 108,564 employees from 2022 to 2024 in the motion picture and sound recording industries, according to data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Many Hollywood workers have struggled to find roles, as studios cut down on their programming after the 2023 actor and writer strikes and after overspending during the streaming wars. For years, productions have fled the area to take advantage of lucrative financial incentives out of state and abroad. Production in L.A. County also took a hit following devastating wildfires in January.
Meanwhile, the amount of employment in the creator economy is trending up, according to the Los Angeles County Economic Development Corp. Total workers in the L.A. County creator economy, composed of businesses such as media streaming distribution services and social networks, as well as independent artists, writers and performers, increased 5% to 70,012 from 2022 to 2024, LAEDC said. Companies in the creator economy space also increased 5% to 46,425 businesses during the same time period, according to LAEDC.
The bleak job market has caused more people who have worked in traditional studio and TV networks to apply for jobs at digital media companies that produce content for platforms such as YouTube or work with influencers who are growing their staffs.
The migration reflects changing realities in the business. Consumers’ habits have shifted, where more people are watching YouTube on TV screens these days instead of on smartphones in the U.S., eating into territory held by broadcast and cable television. Video creators have adapted, building production teams and expanding into podcasts, merchandise and sometimes scoring streaming deals.
For example, one of YouTube’s top creators, Jimmy Donaldson, known as MrBeast, has a reality competition show on Amazon Prime Video, sells products such as Feastables chocolates and has brand partnerships and sponsorships. His North Carolina holding company, Beast Industries, employs more than 500 people.
Kyle Hjelmeseth, chief executive of talent representation firm G&B Digital Management, said he is receiving more calls from people coming with traditional media backgrounds seeking collaborations with influencers.
“Five years ago, it would have been very different,” he said. “Anytime that somebody from Hollywood or the entertainment complex talked about creators, it was with such a different lens … a little bit like nose in the air.”
His company, which has 25 contractors, part-time and full time employees, added four people last month with plans to hire more.
“All the pressures of what’s happening in Hollywood and the growth of the creator economy [are] crashing into each other in this moment, and that’s why we’re having a conversation about jobs, because there’s such a shift in the energy, and we’re certainly feeling it,” he said.
Morgan Absher, left, and Kaelyn Moore, right, record “Clues” podcast at Pave Studios.
(Christina House / Los Angeles Times)
Pave Studios launched last year with fewer than 10 employees and now has grown to 67 contractors and employees. Part of that growth is fueled by the increasing audience for its videos and podcasts available on platforms including YouTube, Spotify and Apple Podcasts. The company is hiring for roles including executive producers, with a pay range of $95,000 to $145,000, depending on the show, said founder Max Cutler.
“As we grow and as the business becomes more complicated, you need more specialists and more people,” Cutler said. “Video is definitely a leading growth area for us.”
Jen Passovoy joined Pave Studios in January as a producer, after working for 10 years at Paramount on competition series such as “RuPaul’s Drag Race” and “Ink Master.”
“Coming from a traditional TV background, I was drawn to how nimble and audience-focused the company is,” Passovoy said in an email. “There’s less red tape and more room to actually create. You get the energy of a startup with the same high-quality content you’d expect from a major studio.”
Passovoy, 34, said the job market for traditional studio and TV network workers is really tough right now.
“I know more people out of work right now than working, which says a lot,” she said. “The traditional TV model just doesn’t exist in the same way anymore. Budgets are shrinking and the jobs that used to be steady aren’t there. There have been so many layoffs across the industry, and it’s forced a lot of incredibly talented people to rethink how and where they create.”
Skills that people develop in traditional studio and TV roles can translate to digital-first roles, including video editors for influencers and digital media companies, industry observers said.
The creator economy also has more specialized roles, such as thumbnail designers — people who create the images used to tease videos on sites including YouTube. Those jobs can pay six figures annually, as they can be instrumental for getting audiences to click on those videos.
Roster, a hiring platform that lists job postings in the creator space, said the number of employers signing up to hire on the site has increased by nearly 80% from January to June 2025. Based on a sampling of 1,430 creator job posts in 2025, Roster said the most popular open position was video editor (representing 42.5%), followed by thumbnail designer (16.1%) and producer (10.6%).
There are downsides. Not all jobs are full-time. Many creators opt to hire freelancers.
“Their production needs need to expand and shrink like an accordion,” said Sherry Wong, CEO of Roster. “That’s why we see a lot of creators, even if they’re really big established creators, they are hiring freelancers, contractors, and being able to keep it as lean as possible.”
With so many people looking for work, there‘s intense competition for those jobs, and the ways to apply can be creative and involved.
Miami-based creator Jenny Hoyos found freelancers through a hiring challenge she hosted on Roster. Applicants were given 10 minutes of raw video footage and instructed to edit it down to a video short, roughly 30 to 60 seconds long.
Hoyos, 20, requested that applicants create a final product that was engaging, cohesive and matched her specific style. She received more than 100 submissions.
While there were strong contenders from California, the winners ended up being from Brazil and India. They became her two go-to freelancers, who she said are essentially working an amount equivalent to full-time editors.
This method of seeking talent was Hoyos’ way of making sure the people she brought on to her team were willing to go the extra mile, she said. Those hoping to break into the digital media world don’t necessarily have to have grown up with YouTube and social media like she did, but they do have to “commit to being addicted to watching” content, she said.
Not everyone who works for YouTube creators gets paid.
Screenwriter Natalie Badillo isn’t earning a salary while she tries to build up an audience on YouTube. Badillo, who sold a self-titled project to HBO Max a few years ago, said she was looking for a way to “not wait 8 billion years for a TV show to get picked up,” and creating a YouTube channel, “Great Job Nat,” was a way to get her material out into the world.
“Why wait for somebody to throw you a party when you can just throw your own party?” she said.
Badillo draws on her connections with folks from the traditional film and TV world to produce the YouTube videos. While the channel is getting up and running, collaborators work for low pay or simply for the fun of it and to gain experience. Still, her ambitions are big. “I want to be the Jon Stewart of the West,” she said.
The pay disparities can be an issue for people from traditional media industries looking for jobs. While some programs featuring influencers and vertical excerpts of TV shows and movies are covered by union agreements, other projects don’t have those protections.
“With temporary hiring, it’s like everything else in Hollywood — you either need to have another job that balances things out or you need to get to a critical mass of enough work on enough different projects,” said Kevin Klowden, executive director at Milken Institute Finance. “The number of sustainable Hollywood jobs has shrunk.”
But as the two worlds collide, traditional media companies are already paying attention to the popularity of creator shows and are trying to find ways to partner with influencers. Amazon earlier this year announced more seasons of MrBeast’s reality competition series “Beast Games,” and digital media companies are adding people with traditional media backgrounds to their staffs.
“It’s still a lot more tiptoeing,” Hjelmeseth said. “Everybody’s kind of like looking at each other from across the room, like, ‘Should we dance?’”
Joseph Paintsil had two goals, Matheus Nascimento also scored a goal and the Galaxy beat the Vancouver Whitecaps 3-0 on Friday night to snap a three-game winless streak.
The Whitecaps (11-4-5) have lost three of their last four. Vancouver is second in the Western Conference with 38 points, behind San Diego (39).
Edwin Cerrillo flicked a shot from 30 yards outs that was deflected by goalkeeper Yohei Takaoka and Nascimento put away the rebound with a first-touch finish to open the scoring in the second minute.
Paintsil made it 2-0 in the 60th. Gabriel Pec played an long arcing ball to the top of the penalty box, where Marco Reus tapped a first-touch pass to a wide-open Paintsil, who calmly flicked a shot inside the back post from the left side of the area.
Paintsil converted from the penalty spot in the 77th minute for his first career multi-goal game. The 27-year-old forward has three goals and one assist this season after he finished with 10 goals and 10 assists last season, his first in MLS.
Takaoka had five saves for Vancouver. Jayden Nelson was shown a yellow card in the 55th minute and another in stoppage time as the Whitecaps played a man down for the final few minutes.
Novak Micovic had a save for LA. The Galaxy had 55% possession and outshot Vancouver 12-6, 8-1 on target.
The Whitecaps beat the Galaxy 2-1 at home on March 2.
Talks lay groundwork for a summit between EU and Chinese leaders in Beijing on July 24 and 25.
The European Union’s foreign policy chief has urged China to end restrictions on the export of rare earth elements and warned that Chinese firms’ support for Russia’s war in Ukraine posed a serious threat to European security.
The statement from Kaja Kallas came on Wednesday after a meeting with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Brussels.
The EU is seeking to improve its relations with China amid United States President Donald Trump’s tariff war, which has rocked major trading powers.
But instead of improvements, a trade spat has only deepened between Brussels and Beijing over alleged unfair practices by China. The 27-nation bloc is also railing against the flow of vital tech to Russia’s military through China.
On Wednesday in her meeting with Wang, Kallas “called on China to put an end to its distortive practices, including its restrictions on rare earths exports, which pose significant risks to European companies and endanger the reliability of global supply chains”, a statement from her office said.
On trade, Kallas urged “concrete solutions to rebalance the economic relationship, level the playing field and improve reciprocity in market access”.
She also “highlighted the serious threat Chinese companies’ support for Russia’s illegal war poses to European security”.
China says it does not provide military support to Russia for the war in Ukraine. But European officials say Chinese companies provide many of the vital components for Russian drones and other weapons used in Ukraine.
Kallas called on China “to immediately cease all material support that sustains Russia’s military industrial complex” and support “a full and unconditional ceasefire” and a “just and lasting peace in Ukraine”.
Wednesday’s discussions were to lay the groundwork for a summit between EU and Chinese leaders on July 24 and 25. European Council President Antonio Costa and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen will travel to China for the summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Qiang.
Earlier in the day, Wang also met Costa as part of those preparations.
In that meeting, Wang called on both sides to respect each other’s core interests and increase mutual understanding, adding that “unilateralism and acts of bullying have seriously undermined the international order and rules”, according to a Chinese Foreign Ministry statement.
China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi, left, shakes hands with European Council President Antonio Costa during a meeting in Brussels [Francois Walschaerts/AFP]
Besides discussions on improving bilateral ties, Kallas and Wang also discussed the situation in Iran.
While both leaders welcomed the de-escalation between Israel and Iran, Kallas said she had “urged Iran to immediately restart negotiations on its nuclear programme and that Europe stands ready to facilitate talks”, according to a statement from her office.
Kallas and Wang also “agreed on the importance of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty as the cornerstone of the global nuclear non-proliferation regime”.
The EU, the United Kingdom, France and Germany are parties to a 2015 nuclear deal with Iran that the United States abandoned in 2018, which they hope to revive. Iran has always said its nuclear programme is peaceful and denies seeking a weapon.
Harriet Cowan has been a huge hit with fans of Clarkson’s Farm, with many praising the 24-year-old’s passion for farming and her dedication to show how women can thrive in male-dominant industries
15:22, 20 Jun 2025Updated 15:40, 20 Jun 2025
Fans want Harriet back on Clarkson’s Farm(Image: Amazon Prime)
Harriet Cowan, the fresh face on ‘Clarkson’s Farm’, has spilled the beans on her romantic life. People have been curious about the 24-year-old’s life off-screen ever since she appeared on the Amazon Prime show.
Joining the latest series, Harriet has been a major help to ex-‘Top Gear’ host Jeremy Clarkson at Diddly Squat Farm, particularly when fan-favourite Kaleb Cooper headed off to work on various projects across the UK.
Viewers have been cheering for nurse turned farm worker, marvelling at her passion for rural living and ambition to demonstrate that ‘girly girls’ like her can handle tractors and livestock as competently as her male counterparts.
Nevertheless, her time on the programme was short-lived because of Kaleb’s return, which left her new-found fans yearning for more. Yet, her online video shares let followers stay tuned into her daily adventures, drawing in millions of views.
Then, last night [June 19], Harriet dropped a bit of personal news on her TikTok page as she introduced her beau James Booth to followers. A recent cosy snapshot was shared alongside a throwback pic from their teen days at 18.
Clarkson’s Farm star Harriet Cowan has sent out a message to viewers(Image: Prime Video)
Harriet expressed: “From party teenagers in 2018, to mid-to-late 20s in 2025 and like to be in bed before 10. I hope I get to this life with you forever.”
Harriet and her beau James, who is said to be a third-generation farmer, first crossed paths at a Young Farmer’s meeting. Harriet often gives her followers a peek into their life together via social media.
In one of her recent posts, she shared a clip of James behind the wheel of a tractor, hinting that he is four years her senior. In another post, she mused: “The ‘butterfly effect’ is crazy because if I didn’t join Young Farmers we’d never have met.”
She continued: “YFC gave me my whole life and for that I will be forever grateful!” Harriet also urged others to consider joining community groups, promising they will “meet the greatest people”.
Her followers were delighted to see the couple together. One commented: “Wishing you both eternal happiness,” while another added: “You two are so cute,”.
One follower, who has been in a relationship for a similar duration, shared: “Me and my partner begun our relationship in 2018 too! 7 years, 1 dog, 2 kids and two homes later, we made it.”
Some fans hinted at wedding bells, too. One joked: “Buddy needs to put a ring on your finger.” And another cheekily asked: “When’s the wedding?.”
Aside from her love life, Harriet has been concentrating on her own business since her stint on the show. Recently, she directed her 493,000 Instagram followers to her new contracting page, Cowan Contracting.
The description of the page reads: “Cowan Contracting ~ family business. Eddy Cowan / Harriet Cowan. Contracting needs over Derbyshire. Based in Belper.”
However, fans hope she’ll leave some time to come back to our screens. After the new Clarkson’s Farm episodes aired, one fan begged: “Harriet was amazing, brought so much to the show, please bring her back.”
Another commented: “Please bring Harriet back, she was a fantastic addition.” And a third chimed in with praise, saying: “Thought she was such a hard worker, bless her.”
China’s export of rare earth elements is central to the trade deal struck this week with the United States.
Beijing has a virtual monopoly on the supply of the critical minerals, which are used to make everything from cars to drones and wind turbines.
Earlier this year, Beijing leveraged its dominance of the sector to hit back at US President Donald Trump’s sweeping tariffs, placing export controls on seven rare earths and related products.
The restrictions created a headache for global manufacturers, particularly automakers, who rely on the materials.
After talks in Geneva in May, the US and China announced a 90-day pause on their escalating tit-for-tat tariffs, during which time US levies would be reduced from 145 percent to 30 percent and Chinese duties from 125 percent to 10 percent.
The truce had appeared to be in jeopardy in recent weeks after Washington accused Beijing of not moving fast enough to ease its restrictions on rare earths exports.
After two days of marathon talks in London, the two sides on Wednesday announced a “framework” to get trade back on track.
Trump said the deal would see rare earth minerals “supplied, up front,” though many details of the agreement are still unclear.
What are rare earths, and why are they important?
Rare earths are a group of 17 elements that are essential to numerous manufacturing industries.
The auto industry has become particularly reliant on rare-earth magnets for steering systems, engines, brakes and many other parts.
China has long dominated the mining and processing of rare earth minerals, as well as the production of related components like rare earth magnets.
It mines about 70 percent of the world’s rare earths and processes approximately 90 percent of the supply. China also maintains near-total control over the supply of heavy rare earths, including dysprosium and terbium.
China’s hold over the industry had been a concern for the US and other countries for some time, but their alarm grew after Beijing imposed export controls in April.
The restrictions affected supplies of samarium, gadolinium, terbium, dysprosium, lutetium, scandium, and yttrium, and required companies shipping materials and finished products overseas to obtain export licences.
The restrictions followed a similar move by China in February, when it placed export controls on tungsten, bismuth and three other “niche metals”.
While news of a deal on rare earths signals a potential reprieve for manufacturers, the details of its implementation remain largely unclear.
What has been the impact of the export restrictions?
Chinese customs data shows the sale of rare earths to the US dropped 37 percent in April, while the sale of rare earth magnets fell 58 percent for the US and 51 percent worldwide, according to Bloomberg.
Global rare earth exports recovered 23 percent in May, following talks between US and Chinese officials in Geneva, but they are still down overall from a year earlier.
The greatest alarm has been felt by carmakers and auto parts manufacturers in the US and Europe, who reported bottlenecks after working their way through inventories of rare earth magnets.
“The automobile industry is now using words like panic. This isn’t something that the auto industry is just talking about and trying to make a big stir. This is serious right now, and they’re talking about shutting down production lines,” Mark Smith, a mining and mineral processing expert and the CEO of the US-based NioCorp Developments, told Al Jazeera.
Even with news of a breakthrough, Western companies are still worried about their future access to rare earths and magnets and how their dependence on China’s supply chain could be leveraged against them.
The Financial Times reported on Thursday that China’s Ministry of Commerce has been demanding “sensitive business information to secure rare earths and magnets” from Western companies in China, including production details and customer lists.
What have the US and China said about rare earth exports?
Trump shared some details of the agreement on his social media platform, Truth Social, where he also addressed concerns about rare earths and rare earth magnets.
“We are getting a total of 55% tariffs, China is getting 10%. The relationship is excellent,” Trump said, using a figure for US duties that includes levies introduced during his first term.
“Full magnets, and any necessary rare earths, will be supplied, up front, by China. Likewise, we will provide to China what was agreed to, including Chinese students using our colleges and universities (which has always been good with me),” Trump said.
Ahead of the negotiations in London, China’s Ministry of Commerce had said it approved an unspecified number of export licences for rare earths, and it was willing to “further strengthen communication and dialogue on export controls with relevant countries”.
However, an op-ed published by state news outlet Xinhua this week said rare earth export controls were not “short-term bargaining tools” or “tactical countermeasures” but a necessary measure because rare earths can be used for both civilian and military purposes.
NioCorp Developments’ Smith said Beijing is unlikely to quickly give up such powerful leverage over the US entirely.
“There’s going to be a whole bunch of words, but I really think China is going to hold the US hostage on this issue, because why not?” he said.
“They’ve worked really hard to get into the position that they’re in. They have 100 percent control over the heavy rare earth production in the world. Why not use that?”
Deborah Elms, the head of trade policy at the Hinrich Foundation in Singapore, said it was hard to predict how rare earths would be treated in negotiations, which would need to balance other US concerns like China’s role in exporting the deadly opioid fentanyl to the US.
Beijing, for its part, will want guarantees that it can access advanced critical US technology to make advanced semiconductors, she said.
Disney Plus has brought back a mega monthly deal that shaves 60% off its usual price and makes it the cheapest streamer compared to Netflix, Prime Video and Apple TV+
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Brits can get Disney+ for £1.99 per month
Disney+ is offering a subscription for £1.99 with the return of a hugely popular streaming deal. The streamer from the House of Mouse has just kicked off a ‘limited-time promotion’ that saves 60% compared to the usual price.
It allows both new and returning customers to subscribe to Disney+ Standard with Ads for £1.99 per month for four months. This would usually cost a total of £19.96 but is now up for grabs for £7.96 – a £12 discount.
However, the deal won’t be around for long and is due to expire on June 30. After the four-month promotional period, Disney+ Standard with Ads will automatically renew at the then-current monthly retail price until cancelled.
The deal makes Disney+ the most affordable major streamer compared to the cheapest subscription tiers of Netflix (£5.99), Amazon’s Prime Video (£5.99) and Apple TV+ (£8.99). It comes ahead of a packed summer slate of new and returning films and series, led by Disney blockbuster Snow White, streaming now.
Also on the way this summer are Marvel’s Ironheart (June 25), season four of The Bear (June 26) and new prequel series Alien: Earth (August 13). They’re set to join an ever-growing library featuring recent hits and critically acclaimed series, Andor, Welcome to Wrexham, Rivals, Only Murders in the Building and Shōgun.
Disney+ has brought back its popular deal that lets new and returning customers join its Standard with Ads plan for £1.99 per month for four months.
This means members can stream hit shows like Andor, The Bear and Alien: Earth, plus countless titles from Star Wars and Marvel, for a fraction of the usual price.
The £1.99 deal also provides access to the Stolen Girl, Good American Family and season two of the beloved reality series, The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives. For those put off by the prospect of adverts interrupting their viewing, the Disney+ plan plays on average less than four minutes of ads per hour of TV, which is less than on terrestrial TV.
What’s more, adverts will only play before a film starts and not during. Aside from the deal, Disney+ also offers the equivalent of two months free to those paying for a year upfront on the Standard or Premium plan.
Opting for an annual plan provides 12 months access for the price of 10 and saves up to £25.98, as well as higher video quality up to 4K UHD and HDR and the ability to stream on four devices simultaneously. Of the many positive reviews left by Disney+ members on Trustpilot, one says: “Offering a fantastic and constantly updated collection.”
Rachel Zegler’s Snow White is streaming now on Disney+
Another says: “I love Disney+. I’m a Star Wars and Marvel fan but since the addition of Starz it boosted my love, there’s even more content for adults now that’s worth it all round.
However, the same user added: “Only reason it didn’t get five stars is Disney are not using their other brands in the subscription. If they did this could easily be the best subscription service ever but there is much more content locked behind their own service.”
However, another five-star review says: “Good servers, good services, this nostalgia when watching old cartoons from TV. The subscription is really cheap compared to other streaming services.”
The father and son duo wrote the screenplay together, with the film described as an “exploration of the relationships between fathers, sons and brothers, and the dynamics of familial bonds”.
June 9 (UPI) — Delegates from the United States and China are set to meet Monday in London after a phone call between the nations’ leaders seemingly led to a cooling of tensions related to their otherwise heated recent trade dispute.
“We are a nation that champions free trade and have always been clear that a trade war is in nobody’s interests, so we welcome these talks,” said a British government spokesperson.
The U.K. has provided the space for the countries to chat but hasn’t publicly disclosed its location.
American attendees are slated to include U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer, while Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng will lead his country’s delegation. It is expected the discussion will put a fair amount of focus on the rare earth minerals situation.
The Trump administration had expected China to back down on export restrictions it had imposed in April on such minerals after talks held in May. China imposed those restrictions in response to tariffs levied by Trump on Chinese goods.
The resulting trade disruption has led to a 2.9% decrease on exports to the United States from April to May, the decrease from May 2024 is 3.4% and the cumulative year-on-year decrease from January to May is at 4.9%, according to Chinese customs data.
However President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping spoke on the phone last week, and the conversation was reportedly so friendly it not only led to Monday’s meeting but each invited the other to make a personal visit.
American and Chinese representatives had met last month in Geneva and reportedly reached an agreement to suspend most of the tariffs that had been reciprocally imposed, but both countries have since been accused of agreement violations by the other.
