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America throws big money at a small rare-earths mine

America throws big money at a small rare-earths mine

Economist17-07-2025
Not since the first world war, when America's government nationalised the railroad system, has it made the kind of investment it announced on July 10th. For $400m, the Department of Defence acquired a 15% stake in MP Materials, making it the largest shareholder in the country's sole producer of rare-earth metals. The money will allow the business, with operations including a mine in California and a factory in Texas, to dramatically increase production of the magnets needed for fighter jets, electric vehicles, smartphones and more. On July 15th Apple, the iPhone-maker, joined in with a $500m deal to buy magnets from the company and help build a rare-earth recycling facility.
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Amazon's 'absolutely amazing' £50 'stylish' smartwatch is now £25
Amazon's 'absolutely amazing' £50 'stylish' smartwatch is now £25

Daily Record

timean hour ago

  • Daily Record

Amazon's 'absolutely amazing' £50 'stylish' smartwatch is now £25

Shoppers said they were 'not disappointed' by this affordable piece of tech that 'looks stylish' Amazon shoppers have been praising a smartwatch that was discounted to almost half its usual price during a sale. People loved that it's a great tool to help "improve your health and lifestyle" and offers a "tough" design. The Blackview Military Smart Watch would cost £49.99, but it has been discounted to just over £25. The "rugged" piece of tech claims to get a full charge within 2.5 hours, which "can last up to 20-30 days in standby and up to 5 days in normal use." The "robust fitness watch" offers all you'd expect from a smart device for a fraction of the price of leading models like Apple and FitBit, like call, text and social media notifications. The watch comes with two "comfortable and skin-friendly wristbands" including a silicone and a nylon option. For the fitness fanatics, the waterproof watch offers a range of "real-time health monitoring functions" to make training and tracking progress effortless. With more than 100 different programmes, the watch can help "meet your different sports needs", Amazon adds. There are similar devices on the market for people wanting an affordable way into the smartwatch world without spending hundreds of pounds. For example, Sports Direct is offering this Karrimor Smart Watch (£19.99, down from £49.99) and the Reflex Active Series 23 Smart Watch from Currys (£39.99), but hundreds preferred this Amazon deal - and the 2,440 five-star reviews speak for themselves. One said: "I wanted an inexpensive Smart Watch and, after a fair bit of deliberating on Amazon, I chose the Blackview watch and I was not disappointed. It looks and feels more expensive than the modest price tag, does everything I need it to do and usually lasts at least a week on a full charge." Another added: "Absolutely amazing watch! It does everything it says on the tin, best part and my favourite part is the battery life. I charged it nine days ago and at the time of writing this I still have 37 % battery left, whereas my wife's brand new Apple Watch needs charging every other day." But, some were unhappy with their purchase though. One claimed: "The step count is out by not 100s of steps but thousands. Atrocious. Please spend a few extra pounds and get a decent one!" Another suggested: "It makes no sound whatsoever for notifications and the vibration is so light it is barely noticeable. Watch is that price for a reason." And, one more put in their review: "A decent watch for the 38 days it worked, currently sat on my wrist randomly vibrating and choosing as and when to show me the display. Not happy!" Despite this, other continued to praise the watch. One person wrote: "Fantastic for the price. People think it is expensive, but when I tell them the actual price, they are gobsmacked." Someone else put in their review: "It is so stylish and nice watch. I like it and always like to look how stylish I am wearing it. The battery backup is fantastic as it run for months. The features provided are excellent. Really good one."

Full list of nine chains closing shops on the high street in August – is your local at risk?
Full list of nine chains closing shops on the high street in August – is your local at risk?

The Sun

time3 hours ago

  • The Sun

Full list of nine chains closing shops on the high street in August – is your local at risk?

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GAME GAME is closing several UK stores this summer as part of a wider restructuring by parent company Frasers Group. Upcoming closures include Festival Place in Basingstoke on August 10, Southend High Street later in August, and Chatham in September. The Nottingham Victoria Centre store closed in July. Stores are running 20% off clearance sales ahead of closure. BrewDog to close TEN pubs across UK as staff set to be axed Hobbycraft As part of a major restructuring, arts and crafts retailer Hobbycraft will close three stores in early August 2025. The affected locations are Bromborough, Southport, and Stratford Upon Avon. The closures follow a strategic review aimed at reshaping the business. Monki Monki, owned by H&M, is closing its Glasgow store in Buchanan Galleries in August. The retailer has already shuttered branches in Manchester, Birmingham, Newcastle, Sheffield, and London earlier this year. The online store has also closed, with the brand being integrated into H&M's Weekday line. One remaining Monki store in Bristol remains open but will either close later this year or be transformed into a new concept. New Look New Look is continuing its wave of store closures, with a branch in Neath, Wales, set to close imminently on August 6, 2025. This follows a string of 11 closures already this year, including sites in Hamilton, Birmingham, Corby, Devizes, and others across England, Scotland, and Wales. The high street stalwart has warned that nearly 100 of its 364 UK stores could be at risk when leases expire, amid ongoing cost pressures such as the National Insurance hikes earlier this year. The retailer recently secured £30million in fresh equity investment to bolster its online operations and completed a £100million refinancing deal in 2023. Last year, New Look reported sales of £769million. Poundland Poundland is closing 26 stores in August 2025 as part of a wider restructuring plan following its £1 sale to Gordon Brothers earlier this year. Closing August 1: Newquay Closing 10 August: Ammanford Birmingham Fort Cardiff Valegate Cramlington Leicester Long Eaton Port Glasgow Seaham Shrewsbury Tunbridge Wells Closing August 17: Bedford Bidston Moss Broxburn Craigavon Dartmouth East Dulwich Falmouth Hull St Andrews Newtonabbey Perth Poole Sunderland Stafford Thornaby Worcester In addition, the Whiteley store in Fareham closed unexpectedly on July 21 2025, outside the announced closures. Whitby will close on September 3. Poundland is trimming its estate from nearly 800 stores to between 650 and 700 locations. The company is removing frozen foods, ending online sales, and expanding womenswear and seasonal lines. Managing director Barry Williams called the closures regrettable but necessary to secure thousands of jobs and hundreds of stores. River Island River Island is facing serious financial trouble and could run out of money by August 2025 if creditors and landlords do not approve a rescue plan. The chain plans to close 33 stores and seek rent reductions on another 71 to cut costs. Approval from 75% of creditors is needed to unlock an emergency loan from the founding Lewis family. Despite these challenges, River Island stores and its online site remain open as usual. The retailer reported a £33.2million pre-tax loss for 2023, with sales falling 19% in the following year. Several stores have already closed this year, including locations in Corby, Banbury, and Chesterfield. Superdrug Superdrug is set to close two more stores this summer, adding to a string of recent closures. The Grantham branch in Lincolnshire will shut on August 9, followed by the Redruth store in Cornwall closing on August 16. These latest closures follow the shutdown of its Bournemouth store earlier this year. The Original Factory Shop (TOFS) The Original Factory Shop, with 178 stores, continues to close locations amid restructuring. The Caldicot branch in Wales and Kirkham in Lancashire are set to close soon, while the closure date for Blairgowrie in Scotland is still unknown. Since June, TOFS has closed several stores across the UK and launched significant closing down sales. The retailer is undergoing a Company Voluntary Arrangement (CVA) process to renegotiate rents and close loss-making outlets as part of efforts to stabilise the business. RETAIL PAIN IN 2025 The British Retail Consortium has predicted that the Treasury's hike to employer NICs will cost the retail sector £2.3billion. Research by the British Chambers of Commerce shows that more than half of companies plan to raise prices by early April. A survey of more than 4,800 firms found that 55% expect prices to increase in the next three months, up from 39% in a similar poll conducted in the latter half of 2024. Three-quarters of companies cited the cost of employing people as their primary financial pressure. The Centre for Retail Research (CRR) has also warned that around 17,350 retail sites are expected to shut down this year. It comes on the back of a tough 2024 when 13,000 shops closed their doors for good, already a 28% increase on the previous year. Professor Joshua Bamfield, director of the CRR said: "The results for 2024 show that although the outcomes for store closures overall were not as poor as in either 2020 or 2022, they are still disconcerting, with worse set to come in 2025." Professor Bamfield has also warned of a bleak outlook for 2025, predicting that as many as 202,000 jobs could be lost in the sector. "By increasing both the costs of running stores and the costs on each consumer's household it is highly likely that we will see retail job losses eclipse the height of the pandemic in 2020."

Fitbit smartwatch hailed 'best buy' by delighted tech fan drops to under £100
Fitbit smartwatch hailed 'best buy' by delighted tech fan drops to under £100

Daily Mirror

timea day ago

  • Daily Mirror

Fitbit smartwatch hailed 'best buy' by delighted tech fan drops to under £100

Amazon has slashed 29% off the Google Fitbit Charge 6 Activity Tracker with a free 6 month premium membership Smartwatches have become a must-have gadget for many, allowing the wearer to track fitness goals, sleeping patterns, and some even take calls and send texts. There are several options for shoppers to peruse, but the likes of Google Fitbit and Apple arguably dominate the market as a reliable and stylish choice. Amazon has just made it more affordable to get hold of the Google Fitbit Charge 6 by offering a deal that makes it almost 30% cheaper. On sale for £98.99 down from £139.99 in all three colours (orange, black and white), the smartwatch comes with complimentary 6 months premium membership. The Fitbit Charge 6 is compatible with iOS 15 or higher and Android OS 9.0 or higher, and has a battery life of seven days, as well as being water-resistant up to 50m. It boasts more than 40 exercise modes, sleep tracking, 24/7 heart rate monitor and a daily readiness score. Those looking for other features besides fitness can explore elements such as Google Wallet, Google Maps and when connected to a phone, the Fitbit shows notifications and allows calls and texts. Customers praise the battery life of the Google Fitbit Charge 6, with one person saying it is 'far better than the Apple watch', due to this. Someone else said: "The reason I bought this was the battery life. Having a device which you need to charge every day or every other day is just not practical for me and the battery on this lasts almost a week." Google Fitbit Charge 6 Activity Tracker £139.99 £98.99 Amazon Shop deal Product Description If the Fitbit isn't quite within budget, Amazon also offers the Fitpolo Smart Watch for £38.99. Shoppers say it is a 'good value smart watch' that is 'packed with features'. Garmin is another top-rated brand in the world of smartwatches and has currently slashed the price of the Venu 2S Smartwatch by £60. Meanwhile, Samsung's range of smart watches are also popular. The chic piece of tech would typically set shoppers back £349.99 but is now on sale for £199. Not only does it look good on the wrist, it has up to 10 days battery life, more than 25 preloaded sports apps, animated workout coaches, music storage and touch-free payments. Regarding the Fitbit Charge 6, there have been some glowing reviews left for the device. Someone said: "Really happy with the Fitbit Charge 6 so far. It's lightweight, looks good, and the tracking is super accurate — especially heart rate during workouts. Battery easily lasts a week, which is a big plus. The sleep and activity insights have actually helped me make small changes that stick. Premium membership is a nice bonus too. Overall, a solid upgrade and totally worth it." Another person pointed out that the subscription isn't a must, meaning after 6 months shoppers don't necessarily need to upgrade to make use of the watch. They wrote: "Highly recommend - slim design, high quality and fits great. Packed with useful features with no need for a premium subscription." While there are a number of features that score points with shoppers, the Fitbit Charge 6 does lack in one area. A less happy customer wrote: "Have received my tracker and all working well. A little disappointed that Fitbit chose not to include the ability to count stairs as my previous charge 4 used to do, however the additions of oxygen levels, skin temperature and ECG do make up for this." But, it helped someone else achieve their fitness goal, with the consumer leaving a five star review that reads: "From little movement to 10km every morning. The best buy I have made. Reduced weight by 2.5 stones and feel fitter than I have for years. The watch didn't actually achieve this but 100% contributed toward it."

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