cross-posted from: https://lemmy.zip/post/53498402

China's Guangzhou Automobile Group (GAC) will build its electric AION V model at a Magna facility in Austria

Archived link

Norwegian producer of advanced battery materials Vianode has begun site preparation at its new synthetic-graphite facility Via TWO in St. Thomas, ON, Canada. The project is a major milestone in Vianode’s North American expansion plans and set to bring hundreds of new high-skilled jobs to the region.

The site preparation marks the formal start of the project to establish North America’s largest production facility for low-emission synthetic-anode graphite, with operations set to begin in 2028. Anode graphite is a critical component in electric-vehicle (EV) batteries and other strategic industries, including energy storage.

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The St. Thomas project is structured as a phased multi-billion-dollar investment, with total planned capacity of up to 150,000 tons annually, supporting delivery of synthetic graphite for around two million EVs per year. The plant is expected to create approximately 300 jobs in the first phase, and up to 1,000 at full capacity.

The company plans to invest 3.2 billion, the Ontario government will provide a CAD 670-million (EUR 412 million) loan to Vianode to support the site's construction with a total investment of CAD 3.2 billion (EUR 2 billion).

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Citing Burkhard Straube, CEO of Vianode, Canada's CSC reports that synthetic graphite from China is being supplied at "unsustainably low prices" to keep North American companies out of the market.

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“St. Thomas is exactly where we need to be, next to major manufacturing hubs and in a region with the skills to scale. We’re committed to being a good neighbor, creating high-quality jobs and working with local partners as we build Canada’s first large-scale synthetic graphite facility,” adds Emanuele Tricca, MD-Vianode Canada.

Vianode started Norwegian synthetic graphite production at its Technology Center in Kristiansand in 2021 and commissioned its first full-scale plant Via ONE at Herøya in 2024. The St. Thomas facility is an important part of the company’s goal to supply advanced materials for up to three million EVs annually by 2030.

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Goldman Sachs Research sees 5-6% annual growth in China’s exports and raised its real GDP forecasts for 2026 and 2027 to well above consensus.

China’s growth will likely come at the expense of other high-tech producers such as Europe and Japan

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.zip/post/53497484

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.zip/post/53496984

Washington has presented Ukraine with a 28-point plan, which endorses some of Russia's principal demands in the war, including that Kyiv cede additional territory, curb the size of its military and be barred from joining NATO.

No money, no hardware decoding.

Washington has presented Ukraine with a 28-point plan, which endorses some of Russia's principal demands in the war, including that Kyiv cede additional territory, curb the size of its military and be barred from joining NATO.

Would that not piss of Jesus? It came to me after watching the pope rap from WKUK.

• Ukraine's European allies have reassured Zelenskyy of their 'unwavering' support in joint call
• Zelenskyy has said Kyiv was 'working on the document prepared by the American side'
• Moscow has denied involvement in the US plan but nevertheless urged Kyiv to engage in negotiations

Archived

[...]

“The overcapacity problem is continuing to grow and it has a devastating effect on global steel markets,” Cobden, who was present at the meeting, told the Financial Times.

Global steel capacity is forecast to exceed demand by 38 per cent, or 721mn metric tonnes (mmt), by 2027, according to the OECD. A significant portion of the excess comes from China, which is responsible for more than 50 per cent of steel supply globally, after a slowdown in its property market sapped domestic demand. According to the body’s calculations, China subsidises its production at 10 times the average level of OECD countries.

In a statement issued after the meeting, the 25-member steel committee warned that excess capacity was increasing this year at the fastest pace since the 2009 global financial crisis, risking “severe trade disruptions, and leading to national and economic security risks”.

[...]

Canada in June announced tight quotas and 50 per cent tariffs on excess steel products from countries that are not part of free trade agreements. It has previously raised concerns about subsidised steel from other Asian countries, including Vietnam and South Korea.

“It is clear that free trade in the steel industry is dead. Governments are being forced to protect their industries by China’s market distorting subsidies and colossal overproduction,” said Peter Brennan, policy director of the British lobby group UK Steel, who was also present at the OECD meeting.

Eurometal, which represents downstream steel users in Europe’s manufacturing supply chains, has claimed that three million EU industrial jobs are at risk from a “silent surge” of unfairly subsidised steel embedded in imported goods.

[...]

Trade policy experts said the prospect of joined-up action to counter the strategic threat posed by Chinese steel overproduction could be the first move towards a “League of Democracies” defending common interests.

“If democracies team up in response to security threats — as they did to deny Russia access to their markets after the invasion of Ukraine — there’s nothing to stop them doing the same for economic threats,” said Simon Evenett, professor of geopolitics and strategy at IMD business school in Lausanne, Switzerland.

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AI isn’t just another tech trend — it’s at the heart of most apps, tools and technology we use today.

Google has started rolling out ads in AI mode, which is the company’s “answer engine,” not a search engine.

Getting the loud notification via phone speakers would definitely get my attention versus an overlay sound through BT.

Suggestions?

Started the next route in Fire Emblem: Three Houses, which is the second / hidden route in Black Eagle route. Already have a separate save at the fork point, so continued with that.

It's interesting to see the different point of view of things, and now that I have some experience with game mechanics I am trying out different classes for some of the characters. The fork point is far enough in the game that drastic changes won't be possible, but still, some changes can be done, and it's fun exploring that.

Started Mutant Mudd Collection on Switch, for the times when Age of Calamity becomes too repetitive and want to play something else.

It's a 2D platformer which was originally released on 3DS and the game is tough! You have to complete each level at least twice, one is the main path, and one is the alternate, more difficult path. I am having trouble enough with normal path so not sure if I'll be able to handle the difficult paths.

The difficultly is still within my playable range, even though I die a ton at certain places. Let's see how long I stick with it.

Played a bit of Hyrle Warriors: Age of Calamity and am having trouble with some of the Timed missions, may have to level up some more, will try them again later.

Didn't play much Cozy Grove this week, will get back to slowly chipping away at it from next week.

I haven't started anything on PlayStation cause I wanted to start Dark Souls Remastered and was waiting for a sale (as per dekudeals it regularly does go to sale).

And as it happens, it just went on sale! So just bought the game and have downloaded it. Will probably be playing it over the weekend. Time to see if I can finish it or it will be another game that I'll be dropping halfway through 😀

What about all of you? What have you been playing and/or plan to play?

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.sdf.org/post/45994892

• Taiwan starts handing out copies of new civil defence handbook
• Taiwan faces growing military pressure from China
• Japan PM assures support of Taiwan in case of Chinese military aggression

China is the real regional "troublemaker", a senior Taiwanese security official said on Friday, personally giving out copies of a new civil defence handbook the government is sending to every household on the island as China tensions rise.

The handbook, unveiled in September, includes for the first time instructions on what to do if citizens encounter enemy soldiers and stresses that any claims of Taiwan's surrender should be considered false.

[...]

It marks Taiwan's latest effort to prepare its population for crises ranging from natural disasters to a Chinese invasion, as Beijing steps up military and political pressure to assert its sovereignty claims over the democratically-governed island.

China has this month also been locked in an increasingly bitter dispute with Japan after Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi told parliament a hypothetical Chinese attack on Taiwan could trigger a military response from Tokyo.

Lin Fei-fan, Deputy Secretary-General of Taiwan's National Security Council who has overseen the handbook initiative, told reporters in a Taipei residential area as he handed out copies to residents that Japan had Taiwan's highest-level support.

"The Chinese communists are the real troublemaker in geopolitics of the entire region," he said.

"What we are doing now is to ensure that peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait can be continued by all means necessary and that the status quo will not be unilaterally destroyed."

[...]