Latest news for 9 October 2025

CHINA

Rare-er earths.

Beijing has imposed additional controls on its rare earth exports (used by US defence and tech firms), including a requirement for foreign firms to get licenses. (WP)

Comment: Mirroring some of DC’s extraterritorial curbs on China’s chip access, it’s a classic attempt to use China’s rare earth dominance to build leverage just as Trump and Xi weigh up a possible face-to-face at APEC in Korea later this month.

UNITED STATES

Not Guilty.

Former FBI director James Comey has pleaded not guilty to charges of lying to Congress, with his legal counsel framing the case as politically motivated. The court has set Comey’s trial for 5 January. (NYT $)

GERMANY

Throwback.

Germany just recorded some of its worst industrial output numbers in years, led by a nearly 18.5% drop in the country’s automotive sector, month-on-month. Some of that drop likely relates to annual plant closures, but Germany’s output is still ~15% below pre-pandemic levels. (AA)

Comment: Merz won the election on promises to reboot Europe’s biggest economy, but that’s tricky amid challenges from Germany’s top two trade partners: tariffs out of the US and over-capacity out of China (neither of which are solvable for Merz alone).

SOUTH KOREA

Whodunnit.

Cybersecurity experts are debating who was ultimately behind the massive hack on South Korea’s government revealed earlier this year, amid evidence it came from China but with possible North Korean involvement. (The Diplomat)

Comment: Theories include North Korea outsourcing the hack to independent actors in China, or the two allies even working together. Both could be plausible, though China’s involvement against South Korea (a US ally) would be an escalation.

MYANMAR

Another atrocity.

The military junta has left dozens dead after a motorised paraglider dropped two bombs on protestors gathered for a national holiday. Armed ethnic groups had managed to seize control of more than half the country by the start of this year, but the junta has now (with kit and technical help from China and Russia) regained significant chunks of territory. (BBC)

CANADA

No deal (yet).

Prime Minister Carney has left Washington without a deal, following trade talks with President Trump. (CNN)

Comment: While not a success, Carney’s visit wasn’t exactly a failure either, with the Trump-Carney dialogue now at least appearing to be on a more cordial trajectory.

MALI

Fuel blockade.

The capital, Bamako, is facing fuel shortages after jihadi groups started blockading energy imports last month, including via attacks that destroyed a military-escorted convoy of ~40 tankers. This week’s deliveries from neighbouring Ivory Coast seem to have eased some of the pressure for now. (AP)