Export ban sparks rush to process lithium in ZimbabweThu, 26 Feb 2026 03:18:19 GMT

Zimbabwe’s ban on raw lithium exports is forcing Chinese miners to rethink their strategy, speeding up plans to process the metal locally instead of shipping it to China’s vast rechargeable battery industry.The country is Africa’s largest lithium producer and has one of the world’s largest reserves, according to the US Geological Survey (USGS).Zimbabwe already banned …

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Pakistani sculptor turns scrap into colossal metal artworks

Sparks fly and metal groans in a cavernous workshop on the outskirts of Islamabad, where Pakistani artist Ehtisham Jadoon fuses discarded car parts into colossal pieces inspired by “Transformers” movies and dinosaurs.The 35-year-old sculptor’s studio brims with cogs, chains, hubcaps and engine parts as his hulking creations — a lion with a mane of twisted steel, a giant Tyrannosaurus rex and a towering Optimus Prime — take shape.”I have always been fascinated by metal objects,” Jadoon told AFP after assembling the 14-foot (4-metre) “Transformers” character, his biggest creation yet.”When I see metals in scrap, I imagine forms in which it could be utilised.”It took Jadoon and his team months of welding and warping to fashion his Optimus Prime, with over 90 percent of its parts sourced from discarded vehicle pieces.The arms are forged from motorbike springs and gears, its shoulders are curve from car rims, the spine is moulded from a fuel tank and its knees are pieced together with chains and suspension parts.Even its piercing eyes are crafted from vehicle bearings, completing a sculpture that is both intricate and awesome.”Whenever I see an object, I visualise a form,” Jadoon said.”I could imagine a block transforming into a shape, so I simply solve the puzzle and bring it to life.”- ‘Waste becomes valuable’ -Jadoon, a former martial artist who once worked in the steel fabrication business, has never formally studied art. He designs his gargantuan models spontaneously while working.He told AFP he has to visit a doctor almost every week due to sparks affecting his eyes and burns on his hands and arms, yet he insists this is the only work in which he can channel the energy of his training as a fighter.Jadoon’s work primarily focuses on crafting giants, beasts and powerful forms, which he describes as a reflection of aggression.”Setting the anatomy and proportions requires visualisation from multiple angles and repeated adjustments,” he said.Every week, Jadoon tours scrapyards in Islamabad, sifting through tons of discarded metal in search of pieces that fit into his imagination and then become sculptures.”What is waste to us became something valuable in his hands,” scrapyard owner Bostan Khan told AFP.”It’s incredible to witness.”

Venezuela: démission du procureur général figure de la répression sous Maduro

Le procureur général du Venezuela Tarek William Saab, figure de la répression sous Nicolas Maduro, a démissionné, moins de deux mois après la capture du président par l’armée américaine et alors que la présidente par intérim Delcy Rodriguez a promis une réforme judiciaire.Il est toutefois nommé Défenseur du peuple à titre intérimaire, une mesure qui …

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Venezuela: Tarek William Saab, atypique ex-procureur général au service du pouvoir

“Poète et avocat”, aime-t-il à se décrire. Tarek William Saab, procureur général du Venezuela pendant presque dix ans qui a démissionné mercredi, est un personnage haut en couleurs et controversé qui, tout en se disant défenseur des droits de l’Homme, a été un des grands artisans de la répression sous la présidence de Nicolas Maduro.Juste …

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Seoul hits fresh record on mixed day for Asia markets

Seoul’s Kospi index hit another record high Thursday on a mixed day for Asian equities following a strong lead from Wall Street but with traders giving a tepid response to forecast-beating earnings from chip titan Nvidia.Tech firms in the region have enjoyed a blockbuster start to the year as investors reassess their AI bets, with attention turning to “upstream” firms such as chipmakers and away from Wall Street’s “downstream” companies that run apps and software.The shift has come amid growing concerns about the hundreds of billions of dollars pumped into artificial intelligence and when that will see a return, while a slew of new tools has raised fears the technology will disrupt other businesses.Still, South Korea’s Kospi climbed two percent to a fresh peak Thursday, a day after breaking 6,000 points for the first time, led again by chipmakers Samsung and SK hynix.Tokyo also hit a new record, while Sydney, Wellington, Manila and Jakarta also enjoyed buying. Hong Kong, Shanghai, Singapore and Taipei edged down.While the mood remains upbeat, sentiment was tempered by disappointment over Nvidia’s earnings, despite posting record revenue of $68.1 billion in October-December, thanks to insatiable demand for its AI chips.It also forecast first-quarter revenue of between $76.4 billion and $79.6 billion, far above estimates of $72.8 billion.Shares in the firm — which last year became the first to top $5 trillion in market capitalisation — dipped in after-hours trade in New York, with analysts saying expectations had become almost impossible to meet.”There was a time when beating the number was enough. Now you have to beat the whisper, crush the dream, and torch the most optimistic sell-side spreadsheet in Silicon Valley just to keep the tape happy,” wrote SPI Asset Management’s Stephen Innes.”On paper, this was another thunderclap quarter. And yet the stock dipped. The market is no longer pricing growth. It is pricing perpetuity.”And Charu Chanana at Saxo said: “We’ve moved from Phase One, where (capital expenditure) automatically meant upside for the entire ecosystem, to Phase Two, where investors want proof of monetisation and spending discipline.”The key question is no longer ‘who can spend the most’, but ‘who can turn that spend into durable profits’.”That’s why AI volatility can continue even after a big Nvidia beat.”Futures in all three main indexes on Wall Street were in the red, after they had enjoyed a strong run-up Wednesday.On currency markets the yen clawed back some losses against the dollar that came after it emerged that Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi had nominated two academics to the Bank of Japan board who are considered policy doves.That came after reports had earlier said she had told the central bank’s boss Kazuo Ueda of her concern about hiking interest rates further.- Key figures at around 0230 GMT -Tokyo – Nikkei 225: UP 0.5 percent at 58,856.98 (break)Hong Kong – Hang Seng Index: DOWN 0.5 percent at 26,644.06Shanghai – Composite: DOWN 0.1 percent at 4,141.41Dollar/yen: DOWN at 155.84 yen from 156.46 yen on WednesdayEuro/dollar: UP at $1.1825 from $1.1805Pound/dollar: UP at $1.3569 from $1.3554Euro/pound: UP at 87.15 pence from 87.10 penceWest Texas Intermediate: UP 0.3 percent at $65.63 per barrelBrent North Sea Crude: UP 0.4 percent at $71.10 per barrelNew York – Dow: UP 0.6 percent at 49,482.15 (close)London – FTSE 100: UP 1.2 percent at 10,806.41 (close)