Plus: Australia's billion-dollar bid to take on China's rare earth dominance ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏
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| Hello. Speculation is swirling that a summit to discuss ending the war in Ukraine between US President Donald Trump and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin could result in the map of Ukraine being forcibly redrawn. Diplomatic correspondent Paul Adams takes a look at the territories at the heart of this. In Australia, the government is seeking to disrupt China's rare earths hegemony with a billion-dollar bid to extract critical minerals. And finally, watch as the Perseid meteor shower lights up night skies. | |
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TOP OF THE AGENDA | The war-ravaged Ukrainian territories at the heart of the Trump-Putin summit |
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|  | Russian forces continue to advance into Ukraine's east, but very slowly and at a great cost. Credit: BBC | With one day to go until the Trump-Putin summit in Alaska, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and other European leaders are feeling uneasy. They are concerned that the Russian president could persuade Trump to concede land in exchange for a ceasefire. While the Europeans were left cautiously optimistic following a virtual meeting with the US president on Wednesday, in which he agreed that any territorial agreements must be decided with Ukraine's involvement, the US president's previous reference to "land swapping" between Kyiv and Moscow means nervousness remains. Maps show the war-ravaged Ukrainian territories that could be at the heart of any concessions - an outcome Ukraine has repeatedly insisted it will not accept. |
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| | | | - European support: Zelensky met the UK PM in London on Thursday for what our political reporter said was a "carefully co-ordinated show of support".
- India warned: Delhi could see tariffs increased if the Trump-Putin talks don't go well, the US has cautioned.
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| 'Israel vetting process stopping Gaza aid' | Some 100 organisations have signed a letter calling on Israel to stop the "weaponisation of aid" in Gaza. | Read more > |
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| Melania threatens to sue Hunter Biden for $1bn | It comes after Joe Biden's son claimed the first lady had been introduced to Donald Trump by sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. | More on the row > |
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| N Korea denies removing border loudspeakers | North Korea uses the speakers to blast out propaganda and unsettling noises, while South Korea also broadcasts K-pop songs. | More on the dispute > |
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| What we learned about Taylor Swift's new album | The singer also gave a rare insight into her relationship with boyfriend Travis Kelce as she appearance on his podcast. | What she said > |
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| Baby Shark song not plagiarised, court rules | In a six-year battle, a US composer claimed the producers of the inescapably catchy children's song had copied his work. | More on this > |
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| BEYOND THE HEADLINES | Inside Australia's billion-dollar bid to take on China's rare earth dominance |
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| |  | Rare earths are crucial for making electric vehicles, wind turbines and defence equipment. Credit: Bloomberg via Getty Images | You've probably never heard of Eneabba, a small town three hours north of Perth. But following a government loan of A$1.65bn ($1bn; £798m) to a rare earths mining company, the town hopes to be central to supplying the West's demand for the critical minerals by 2030. Australia is betting big on this discovery and hoping to disrupt a supply chain that China has monopolised. So, will the gamble pay off? |
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SOMETHING DIFFERENT | Master of mirage | Georges Seurat's Bathers at Asnières is more complex than it seems. | |
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