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US Seeks to Counter China's Mineral Dominance; UK Research Faces Cuts; X Offices Raided
The United States launched an initiative to create a trade zone for critical minerals, essential for manufacturing smartphones, weapons, and computers, in an effort to challenge China's dominance in the industry, according to the BBC. The State Department hosted the first Critical Minerals Ministerial event on Wednesday, attended by representatives from countries and organizations including the UK, the European Union, Japan, India, South Korea, Australia, and the Democratic Republic of Congo. Delegates discussed the availability of and access to these crucial minerals.
Meanwhile, in the UK, the public body responsible for allocating £8 billion annually to research and innovation, UK Research and Innovation (UKRI), is facing significant funding challenges. Ian Chapman, the head of UKRI, warned in an open letter that the organization faces "hard decisions" regarding future project funding. The government has instructed UKRI to "focus and do fewer things better," which Chapman acknowledged "will result in negative outcomes for some." This represents a major reorganization of how Britain's scientific research and innovation is prioritized and funded, a move that has reportedly angered many in the research community. Chapman indicated that the changes have not yet been finalized but are expected to be fully implemented soon.
In separate news, the French offices of Elon Musk's social media platform X were raided by the Paris prosecutor's cyber-crime unit, according to BBC Technology. The raid is part of an investigation into suspected offenses, including unlawful data extraction and complicity in the possession of child pornography. The prosecutor's office stated that both Musk and former X chief executive Linda Yaccarino have been summoned to appear at hearings in April. Adding to Musk's challenges, the UK's Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) announced an investigation into Musk's AI tool, Grok, concerning its "potential to produce harmful sexualised image and video content." Musk responded to the raid on X, calling it a "political attack." The company issued a statement regarding the raid.
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