May 30 in Sichuan, China Rare Earth Group GM Li Zhihui met Dongfang Electric chairman Luo Qianyi to discuss industrial coordination and joint technology development. Both expressed intent to deepen cooperation on new-materials development, frontier-tech joint R&D, rare-earth permanent magnet applications and domestic substitution to help safeguard China’s energy and strategic resource security.

Putin says Russia has not threatened Europe.

On May 29, U.S. Southern Command said that at the direction of Gen. Francis L. Donovan its Southern Spear joint task force carried out a lethal kinetic strike in the eastern Pacific on a vessel determined to be controlled by a designated terrorist organization. Intelligence showed the ship was transiting a known drug-smuggling route and engaged in narcotics trafficking. The strike killed three male members; U.S. forces reported no casualties. Southern Command said it will continue to apply systematic, comprehensive pressure on trafficking networks.