内容摘要：Giving American companies preferential access to Ukraine would serve as leverage against Russia as most mineral deposits are located very close to front-line areas. Having U.S. companies on the ground, the thinking goes, would cement Washington’s interests in Ukraine and serve as a de facto security guarantee. Critical minerals used to manufacture weapons, aviation and batteries would also give the U.S. access to reserves in a global market dominated by China.

Giving American companies preferential access to Ukraine would serve as leverage against Russia as most mineral deposits are located very close to front-line areas. Having U.S. companies on the ground, the thinking goes, would cement Washington’s interests in Ukraine and serve as a de facto security guarantee. Critical minerals used to manufacture weapons, aviation and batteries would also give the U.S. access to reserves in a global market dominated by China.

BANGKOK (AP) — Thai officials said Wednesday they seized 238 tons of illegally imported electronic waste from the United States at the port of Bangkok, one of the biggest lots they’ve found this year.The waste, which came in 10 large containers, was declared as mixed metal scrap but turned out to be circuit boards mixed in a huge pile of metal scrap, said Theeraj Athanavanich, director-general of the Customs Department. It was found Tuesday in a random inspection.

said electronic waste is. Some 62 million tons of electronic waste was generated in 2022 and that figure is on track to reach 82 million tons by 2030, the report said. It said only 22% of the waste was properly collected and recycled in 2022 and that quantity is expected to fall to 20% by the end of the decade due to higher consumption, limited repair options, shorter product life cycles, and inadequate management infrastructure.Theeraj said Thai authorities are looking to press charges including falsely declaring imported goods, illegally importing electronic waste and planning to return the waste to its country of origin.

“It’s important that we take action on this kind of goods,” he said. “There are environmental impacts that are dangerous to the people, especially communities around factories that might import these things for processing, then recycling.”Electronic waste creates huge

. Many components are laden with lead and mercury, cadmium and other toxins. Recyclers are after gold, silver, palladium and copper, mainly from printed circuit boards, but lax controls mean that facilities often burn plastics to release encased copper and use unsafe methods to extract precious metals.

Thailand passed a ban on the import of a range of electronic waste products in 2020. The Cabinet in February approved an expanded list of the banned waste.In their desperation, Palestinians have begun scavenging warehouses and stores for anything left. Aid groups report a rise in looting incidents over the last week. At least some have been

Meanwhile, Israel is moving forward with plans to seize all of Gaza and to stay in the Palestinian territory for an unspecified amount of time. It says it will expand operations there, defying calls for an immediate renewal of a ceasefire from families whose relatives are still held hostage in Gaza.Israel’s offensive has displaced more than 90% of Gaza’s population and, Palestinian health officials say, killed more than 52,000 people, many of them women and children. Palestinian officials do not distinguish between combatants and civilians in their count.

AMMAN, Jordan (AP) — When Haitham Abu Daqa’s 5-month-old daughter developed a heart problem that could not be addressed near their home, the family sought medical help