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A good trade starts with a well-timed entry and a confident exit. But that’s easier said than done. 

In this video, Joe Rabil of Rabil Stock Research reveals his go-to two-timeframe setup he uses to gain an edge in his entry and exit timings and reduce his investment risks. 

Joe shows you how he spots the big trends on a higher timeframe chart and then drops to a shorter timeframe chart to pinpoint his entries and exits. Watch him dissect the S&P sectors, overall market, and specific symbols using the multiple timeframe approach. Follow along and come up with a systematic method that can help you gain more confidence in your investment decisions.  

The video premiered on July 2, 2025. Click this link to watch on Joe’s dedicated page. 

Archived videos from Joe are available at this link. Send symbol requests to stocktalk@stockcharts.com; you can also submit a request in the comments section below the video on YouTube. Symbol Requests can be sent in throughout the week prior to the next show.

For those who focus on sector rotation, whether to adjust portfolio weightings or invest directly in sector indexes, you’re probably wondering: Amid the current “risk-on” sentiment, even with ongoing economic and geopolitical uncertainties, can seasonality help you better anticipate shifts in sector performance?

Current Sector Performance Relative to SPY

To find out, let’s first look at how sectors are performing relative to the SPDR S&P 500 ETF (SPY), our S&P 500 proxy. The StockCharts Market Summary Mini Charts tab in the US Sectors panel shows you sector ETF performance and its relative performance against SPY.

FIGURE 1. MARKET SUMMARY US SECTORS PANEL. The new micro charts feature provides a chart of each sector’s ETF plus its relative performance against SPY, allowing you to gauge a sector’s strength against the broader market.

Looking at each sector chart over a three-month time frame, only two sectors are outperforming relative to SPY:

  1. Technology Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLK): Currently outperforming SPY by 13.85%.
  2. Industrial Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLI): Outpacing SPY by a modest 2.53%.

Spotlight on Technology and Industrials: Leading Sectors in a Risk-On Market

As a side note, Technology and Industrials are two sectors that align with the risk-on narrative. This suggests that the market is currently favoring higher-beta stocks (as XLK’s performance reflects) over safer sectors and that demand for industrial goods is generally rising, a sign investors expect the economy to strengthen.

Understanding Sector Seasonality: What History Tells Us

Now, let’s turn to seasonality. In this context, seasonality refers to the tendency for certain sectors to perform better during specific periods and worse during others. While past performance never guarantees future results, it can help you anticipate how a sector might behave based on historical tendencies, not certainties. 

So, what might the seasonality charts suggest about XLK and XLI in the coming months?.

XLK Seasonality Trends: Tech Sector’s Strongest Months

Take a look at XLK’s 10-year seasonality chart.

FIGURE 2. 10-YEAR SEASONALITY CHART OF XLK. While September appears to be tech’s only bearish month from a seasonality perspective, its strongest months are November and July. 

Over 10 years, July has been XLK’s second strongest month, with positive closes 90% of the time and an average monthly return of 4%. The most profitable month is November, with an 89% positive close rate and a 5% average monthly return. August isn’t bad, but July is exceptionally strong and reflects its current overall performance.

XLI Seasonality Patterns: When Industrials Tend to Outperform

Switching over to a seasonality chart of XLI, we get a similar picture.

FIGURE 3. 10-YEAR SEASONALITY CHART OF XLI. July is XLI’s strongest month for positive closes, and November is its strongest month for average seasonal returns.

This pattern is pretty exceptional: over the last 10 years, XLI has posted a historical 100% positive close rate in July, with an average return of 3.5%. The strongest returns, however, tend to occur in November, which shows an 89% positive close rate and an average return of 6.5%. The months in between are relatively unremarkable, making July and November stand out significantly. 

Technical Analysis of XLK and XLI

Will July be another up-month for XLK and XLI? Starting with XLK, let’s switch over to a six-month daily chart.

FIGURE 4. DAILY CHART OF XLK. Tech’s upward trajectory is now in overbought territory, yet there’s little sign of slowing.

XLK is at an all-time high, and there’s no clear indication that it’s pulling back just yet. 

Meanwhile, the Relative Strength Index (RSI) is suggesting that XLK has been occupying overbought territory since late June. However, bear in mind that an RSI reading at this level can sustain itself for an extended period. And if you look at the On Balance Volume (OBV) indicator, it suggests that the buying pressure trend is still rising with no signs of slowing down.

Actionable Tip: Remember, July is one of XLK’s historically strong seasonal months. 

  • But if it does pull back soon, you might expect a bounce near $242.50, which is an area marked by a series of historical swing highs. 
  • Notice how the ZigZag line highlights these key swing points. 
  • Other areas of support sit around $235, its most recent swing low, and $225, the level of its most recent swing low.

Now let’s turn to the daily chart of XLI.

FIGURE 5. DAILY CHART OF XLI. Industrials are also surging, although buying pressure may be starting to decline.

Similar to the previous chart, XLI shows a move higher that places it well into all-time high territory. July is also an exceptionally strong month for XLI, but does it have enough fuel to return the seasonal 3.5% that it typically averages this month?

The RSI signals that XLI may be overbought, which, again, can remain there for some time, while the OBV suggests that buying pressure may be easing into a pullback. However, price continues its upward trajectory.

Actionable Tip: If XLI dips, the pullback may be shallow, potentially bouncing near $145, its most recent swing high. A more substantial support level lies around $141, where multiple swing lows have formed. If XLI drops below $141, you can expect further downside movement.

At the Close

While no strategy can guarantee success, combining seasonality insights with price action can help improve your market timing. Keep an eye on support levels as well as momentum and volume. Remember that the strongest months for XLK and XLI tend to be July (the current month) and November. You can add XLK and XLI to your ChartLists and keep an eye on them, especially in the months ahead. 

However, the big takeaway here is to consider using seasonality charts alongside the various tools in the Market Summary, whether you’re considering an individual stock, index (sector or industry), or other asset classes, like commodities and monetary metals. While price action can help you nail down specific market opportunities, seasonality charts can help contextualize current price action and anticipate potential future market scenarios.


Disclaimer: This blog is for educational purposes only and should not be construed as financial advice. The ideas and strategies should never be used without first assessing your own personal and financial situation, or without consulting a financial professional.

Mining giant BHP (ASX:BHP,NYSE:BHP,LSE:BHP) has been ordered to pay 2,200 of its Central Queensland coal miners an average of AU$30,000 more following a ruling from the Fair Work Commission (FWC).

The ruling stems from a case brought by the Mining and Energy Union and the Australian Manufacturing Workers’ Union against BHP. It was centered on 2024’s Same Job, Same Pay reforms.

The unions argue that BHP is underpaying workers at its Queensland coal operations by using an internal labor hire firm, OS Production and Maintenance.The case cites the Same Job, Same Pay legislation, which requires labor hire workers to receive equivalent pay and conditions as direct employees performing the same roles.

The FWC made the ruling on Monday (July 7), saying BHP must adjust each of its 2,200 workers at the Sarahi, Peak Downs and Goonyella Riverside coal mines’ wages with an additional AU$30,000.

The amount will align the workers’ wages with those of BHP’s direct employees performing the same roles, and could total to roughly AU$1.3 billion per year for the major mining company.

Several local and national labor groups commented on the decision, with the Australian Council of Trade Unions (ACTU) calling it a “winning wage justice for workers.”

“(This) stops labor hire workers (from) being treated as second class citizens,” said ACTU Secretary Sally McManus in a Monday release. “Wealthy mining companies like BHP have clawed money out of workers’ pay packets for many years when the income should be returned to workers, their families and the communities they support.”

She added that the ruling will have “a flow-on effect” throughout the mining industry and beyond, highlighting that the use of labor hire rorts to undercut wages is no longer lawful.

Meanwhile, the Mineral Council of Australia commented that the ruling is “incredibly disappointing.”

In a Monday statement, Minerals Council of Australia CEO Tania Constable said the decision will “directly threaten thousands of specialized contractors who play a vital role in mining operations across the country.”

She added, “(It) also confirms that instead of a ‘straight exclusion’ for service contractors, almost any service contractor could be captured by the legislation unless they can litigate their way out.’

Constable also noted that the Australian mining industry supports 1.25 million jobs, adding that service contractors contribute essential expertise across a wide range of tasks.

BHP has not yet released a statement following the reports, but a spokesperson told NewsWire that it notes the ruling and is studying the decision; it will comply with any orders made.

“Clearly this will have implications for our business,’ the spokesperson said.

Securities Disclosure: I, Gabrielle de la Cruz, hold no direct investment interest in any company mentioned in this article.

This post appeared first on investingnews.com

Royal Gold (NASDAQ:RGLD) has announced plans to acquire Sandstorm Gold (TSX:SSL,NYSE:SAND) and Horizon Copper (TSXV:HCU,OTCQB:HNCUF) in a pair of deals valued at a combined US$3.7 billion.

The companies involved confirmed the transactions in back-to-back press releases on Monday (July 7).

Royal Gold will acquire Sandstorm Gold in an all-share transaction worth approximately US$3.5 billion, and will separately acquire Horizon Copper for US$196 million in cash.

The deal will consolidate three complementary portfolios into a single entity operating under the Royal Gold name, with 393 royalty and streaming interests, including 80 cash-flowing assets. Upon closing, Sandstorm shareholders will own 23 percent of the newly combined Royal Gold, with existing Royal Gold shareholders retaining 77 percent.

Sandstorm President and CEO Nolan Watson called the announcement “a significant milestone.’

“This transaction rewards Sandstorm shareholders in the near term while also offering a compelling opportunity to own a large-scale, world-class streaming and royalty company with continued upside potential,” he said. “Joining forces with Royal Gold will amplify the strengths of Sandstorm’s portfolio and unlock new opportunities for our shareholders.”

The resulting pro-forma Royal Gold will be heavily weighted toward precious metals, with gold contributing 75 percent of 2025 revenues. Its portfolio will span North and South America, Africa and select operations in Asia and Europe.

The expanded company will also inherit exposure to a pipeline of high-profile development assets, including the MARA copper-gold project in Argentina by Glencore (LSE:GLEN,OTC Pink:GLCNF), Hod Maden in Turkey by SSR Mining (TSX:SSRM,NASDAQ:SSRM,ASX:SSR), Platreef in South Africa by Ivanhoe Mines (TSX:IVN,OTCQX:IVPAF) and the Warintza copper project in Ecuador under Solaris Resources (TSX:SLS,NYSEAMERICAN:SLSR).

Another notable addition is the Mount Milligan mine in BC, where Royal Gold holds rights to significant gold and copper streams. The site, operated by Centerra Gold (TSX:CG,NYSE:CGAU), is expected to produce up to 185,000 ounces of gold and 60 million pounds of copper in 2025.

Royal Gold will also strengthen its interests in assets like the Cortez Complex and Pueblo Viejo mine. Jointly owned by Barrick Mining (TSX:ABX,NYSE:GOLD) and Newmont (TSX:NGT,NYSE:NEM), Pueblo Viejo’s plant was recently expanded; output is targeted at an average of 800,000 ounces of gold annually on a 100 percent basis through the mid-2040s.

Also included is a 1.66 percent net profit interest in Antamina, a major copper producer in Peru operated by a Glencore-led joint venture. A US$2 billion expansion was recently approved to extend mine life through 2036.

Securities Disclosure: I, Giann Liguid, hold no direct investment interest in any company mentioned in this article.

This post appeared first on investingnews.com

China’s grip on the battery metals sector has drawn increasing scrutiny in recent years as nations confront growing concerns around supply chain risk and resource security.

Through a blend of domestic output and aggressive overseas investment, particularly in Africa and South America, Chinese companies now command a significant share of upstream supply.

The country is responsible for roughly 60 percent of global rare earths production and controls over 70 percent of cobalt supply through its stakes in mines across the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Meanwhile, its lithium footprint continues to grow through key assets in Chile, Argentina and Australia, reinforcing China’s strategic control across the entire battery metals value chain.

In addition to resource extraction China also firmly controls the global midstream of the battery metals supply chain, particularly in refining and processing. The country currently accounts for approximately 70 to 72 percent of lithium refining and 68 percent of cobalt refining, with similar dominance in graphite and rare earth processing.

China’s control of the battery metals supply chain was a dominant theme at the Fastmarkets Lithium Supply & Battery Raw Materials conference held at the end of June in Las Vegas.

During the “Building North America’s Sustainable EV and ESS Supply Chain” expert panelists explored complex forces shaping the battery supply chain, pointing to the intersection of commodities, geopolitics and evolving technologies as critical pressure points.

Chris Berry, founder and president of House Mountain Partners, stressed the importance of mastering midstream production amid shifting chemistries, and called for bold action, specifically, increased funding for refining and next-generation processing.

He also advocated for selective collaboration with China, highlighting the necessity of leveraging mutual strengths in a deeply interlinked global market.

For Berry, a convergence of high interest rates, volatile metal prices and deepening policy uncertainty is keeping critical investment sidelined at a time when it’s most needed.

Speaking to current market dynamics, Berry noted that while capital was readily available two years ago — when lithium traded around US$80,000 per tonne and other metals saw record highs — today’s environment is far less favorable.

“The cost of capital is much higher, and policy uncertainty is the biggest issue investors are grappling with,” he said, pointing to unpredictable tariff measures and export controls as key deterrents.

For institutional investors and private equity funds, that lack of clarity makes it nearly impossible to deploy capital into battery supply chains with confidence.

The timing couldn’t be worse, Berry added, as nations seek to reindustrialize and compete with China’s dominant position. “Any delay in getting money into the ground today means falling further behind tomorrow.”

Lithium’s boom/bust cycle

After 15 years in the lithium space and three boom-bust cycles, Berry sees the market once again caught between extremes.

“In each cycle, prices have overshot on the upside and overcorrected on the downside,” he said, noting that lithium peaked around US$85,000 per metric ton in late 2022 — well above sustainable levels.

Fast forward to mid-2025, and the price has tumbled to just over US$8,000, a level Berry also considers unsustainable given the strength of long-term demand.

Despite price volatility, he still expects lithium demand to grow by 20 percent annually through the end of the decade — requiring the industry to double in size by 2030. But with investor hesitation and incentive pricing far off, capital is slow to flow into new supply.

“How is it supposed to double when the economics aren’t there?” he asked, warning that delays today could set the stage for the next inevitable boom. For now, opaque pricing and limited market visibility continue to challenge investors and developers alike.

Western refining capacity

During his panel discussion Berry suggested that the west look to the midstream segment of the battery metals supply chain as an opportunity for growth.

“I would fund the refining portion of the supply chain, whether that’s refining raw materials, lithium, nickel, what have you, or magnets, next generation technology. That to me, is really the bottom line and where the government should focus,” he told the attendees.

Berry expanded on his answer explaining that mines can take over a decade to be fully permitted while refining and processing sites have a much shorter lead time.

For Berry, the buildout of western refining and processing is the logical step in wresting some of the supply chain control out of China’s hands.

“If we’re talking about how we can lessen dependence on China? That’s how you do it. You strike a deal with raw material providers or producers. Maybe they’re Canadian, maybe they’re Australian, maybe it’s Chilean. Maybe it’s a country in Africa. But, the process of capacity is absolutely critical. It’s much faster to production,” he said.

Partnership and collaboration

While Berry is adamant that more refining capacity outside of China is needed, he is not opposed to strategic partnerships and alliances with the nation.

“It’s a US$500 billion a year relationship. You think about trade between the US and China, and I don’t even know if it’s feasible to unwind that,” he said during the panel.

“I don’t think it’s wise to be honest with you, but with respect to the EV supply chain, I just think, why wouldn’t we try and find a way to selectively partner and leverage each other’s strengths?”

Securities Disclosure: I, Georgia Williams, hold no direct investment interest in any company mentioned in this article.

This post appeared first on investingnews.com

Torex Gold (TSX:TXG,OTCQX:TORXF) is taking a step toward diversification with its planned acquisition of Reyna Silver (TSXV:RSLV,OYCQB:RSNVF), a junior explorer with early stage projects in Mexico and the US.

The US$26 million all-share deal, announced in late June, is set to close later this year and marks Torex’s first major move outside its flagship Mexico-based Morelos Complex.

The acquisition comes at a pivotal moment for Torex. The company is in the early ramp-up phase at its Media Luna project, part of the Morelos Complex southwest of Mexico City.

The site also includes the ELG underground and open-pit mines, which together produced 452,523 ounces of gold in 2024, meeting guidance for the sixth consecutive year at an all-in sustaining cost (AISC) of US$1,156 per ounce.

Looking ahead to 2025, Torex is forecasting production of 400,000 to 450,000 gold equivalent ounces, but expects a higher AISC range of US$1,400 to US$1,600 per ounce as development spending continues.

CEO Jody Kuzenko said the Reyna deal reflects Torex’s broader strategy to build out a pipeline of earlier-stage projects.

Reyna’s exploration-stage portfolio offers Torex low-cost entry into silver-rich terrain, while also signaling a shift in the producer’s long-term vision — one that includes earlier-stage risk and greater geographic flexibility.

Kuzenko stated that, with the company’s exploration team already having spent months conducting due diligence, Torex is ready to hit the ground running once the transaction is complete. She also noted the company had already developed conceptual programs and expects to commence work shortly after closing.

“We plan to leverage the same systematic approach to exploration employed at Morelos through which we effectively identify, rank, evaluate and prioritize targets with the success of the system demonstrated by the reserve and resource growth we have experienced at Morelos over the last several years,” Kuzenko said.

With the acquisition, Torex will gain immediate access to Reyna’s Mexican silver assets, including:

  • Guigui, a 4,750 hectare property covering a significant portion of the Santa Eulalia Mining District in Chihuahua. The area has a history of mining dating back to the 1700s and has recorded the production of 450 million ounces of silver.
  • Batopilas, a 1,183 hectare site that covers 94 percent of the Batopilas Mining District, which has significant deposits of native silver. Historic mining at the site produced an estimated 200 million to 300 million ounces of silver dating back to the mid-1600s.

Until now, Torex has primarily focused on operations in Mexico; however, with the takeover of Reyna, the company also has the option to acquire a 70 percent stake in the Griffin Summit project, located along the Carlin Trend in Nevada, US. The project covers an area of 10,300 hectares and is prospective for gold, silver and critical minerals.

Additionally, Torex will also have an option to acquire a 100 percent interest in the Medicine Springs project, also located in Nevada. The property spans 4,831 hectares south of Elko and is situated in a region with several large gold mines operated by major companies, including Newmont (TSX:NGT,NYSE:NEM) and Barrick Mining (TSX:ABX,NYSE:B).

Previous exploration at the site identified lead, zinc and silver mineralization.

“What attracted us to Reyna Silver is the immediate exposure to a portfolio of four properties in key mining regions of northern Mexico and Nevada,” Kuzenko said. She added that with the completion of Media Luna, Morelos is now positioned as the company’s flagship operation and serves as a foundation upon which it can build from.

Although shareholders won’t vote on the transaction until August, Kuzenko noted that the acquisition has the full support of management and the board of directors at Reyna Silver.

Securities Disclosure: I, Dean Belder, hold no direct investment interest in any company mentioned in this article.

This post appeared first on investingnews.com

For Ekin Ober, bringing generative artificial intelligence (AI) to the critical metals sector through her work at Aethos Labs wasn’t just about technological innovation — it reshaped how she thinks about strategy and sustainability in mining.

Now a principal at Kinterra Capital, Ober applies that broad, cross-disciplinary lens to investment decisions, emphasizing the importance of digital fluency, stakeholder alignment and long-term viability.

Her experience helps her identify operational bottlenecks and social license challenges early — essential in guiding assets like nickel and copper projects from concept to production.

While mining has long been viewed as a slow adopter of new technologies, Ekin Ober sees the tide turning — especially when it comes to AI.

However one of the largest learning curves has been educating industry stakeholders about the value of generative AI.

“They don’t need to be tech experts,” she said, “but it’s our job to show them how the tools work, and how their concerns can be addressed.”

As AI gains traction across the sector, she noted that even conservative markets are beginning to host dedicated discussions on the technology — a sign that change is accelerating.

How AI is being deployed

In addition to benefiting project planning through better modeling and digital twin, AI is making mining more efficient, safe and environmentally responsible.

In exploration, startups like KoBold use machine learning to analyze geological data, drastically cutting the time and cost of identifying potential lithium, copper, nickel and cobalt deposits

Operationally, majors such as Rio Tinto (ASX:RIO,NYSE:RIO,LSE:RIO), BHP (ASX:BHP,NYSE:BHP,LSE:BHP) and Freeport-McMoRan (NYSE:FCX), deploy AI-powered autonomous haul trucks, drills and predictive maintenance systems that have slashed downtime and fuel use by up to 15 percent, while boosting throughput by 10 to 15 percent.

On the environmental front, AI tools optimize water management, monitor air quality and reduce waste, BHP’s Escondida mine reportedly saved over 3 gigaliters of water and 118 gigawatt hours of energy since 2022.

While AI isn’t without its own controversy, usually arising from its energy consumption, Ober explained that AI integration can help reduce a mining site’s overall energy intensity.

It is estimated that one billion daily AI prompts utilize 340 megawatt hours of electricity each day, while a mining site can use upwards of 1000 – 5000 megawatt hours. According to data from Natural Resources Canada, global mining operations consume 3 percent – 6 percent of the world’s electricity.

Together, AI can help the mining sector better target deposits and reduce the amount of energy deployed.

“Drill holes (alone) use 3000 liters of diesel. And when you look at grinding, grinding ore is 70 percent of the mine’s electricity (consumption),” said Ober.

She added: So if you’re using the technology for scans, you’re able to use computer vision and scan a core, or look at the geography to reduce the number of drills, or the grinding exercise that you’re going through, then it can actually save 1000s of hours of energy, conserving more than it consumes.”

From policy bottlenecks to permit approvals

This efficiency has made AI data sets appealing to governments as well. Through initiatives like DARPA’s CriticalMAAS and a collaboration with the US Geological Survey, AI models can now transform geologic map processing — from years to mere days — by automating georeferencing and mineral feature extraction.

These tools help rapidly assess hundreds of critical minerals across vast regions, accelerating decision-making and reducing exploration risk.

Meanwhile, the Pentagon’s AI-driven metals forecasting program, now managed by the Critical Minerals Forum, models supply, pricing and policy scenarios to bolster US sourcing strategies — especially for rare earths, nickel and cobalt.

For Ober, AI can also be integral to the often extended permitting process, while also implementing ESG goals and best practices. She explained that at Kinterra, AI is already playing a key role in streamlining permitting assessments, one of the most complex hurdles in mine development.

The firm has built a closed-loop system using large language models layered with its own criteria and values, including permitting stages, Indigenous engagement and community sentiment. The tool filters thousands of data points — from state filings to news releases and emails — extracting only what’s relevant.

Jurisdiction-specific updates are then summarized and delivered directly into Microsoft Teams, offering a real-time, digestible overview of key permitting signals.

“We need the company and the community to be engaged,” she said. “We take a very proactive approach. We engage very early on.”

Industry wide Ober sees AI improving the efficiency and transparency of mining permitting.

“One of the biggest concerns we hear is around security,” said Ober. “But we already trust companies like Google, Microsoft and Apple with sensitive data every day. If you’re using legitimate tools with strong policies in place, it’s manageable.”

Ober believes AI’s biggest value lies in its ability to accelerate slow, document-heavy government processes.

“Permitting can stall a project for years — not because of technical issues, but because no one has time to read the documents,” she said. “That’s where AI can help. Large language models can extract key information, layer in governance or environmental criteria and summarize it in a way that’s actionable.”

To address the risk of accuracy, Kinterra has designed its systems to generate traceable outputs.

“You can click a link and go straight to the original document and quote,” she explained, adding that this level of transparency is crucial for regulators and investors alike.

“It’s hard to commit capital when you don’t know if or when a permit will be granted,” she said. “AI won’t replace people, but it can get us to decision points faster — something the entire sector needs.”

Securities Disclosure: I, Georgia Williams, hold no direct investment interest in any company mentioned in this article.

This post appeared first on investingnews.com

Germany summoned the Chinese ambassador to the Foreign Ministry on Tuesday after saying China’s military had laser targeted a German aircraft taking part in an European Union operation in the Red Sea.

The flare up in tensions comes as concerns mount in the EU about Chinese influence on critical technologies and security infrastructure in Europe.

“Putting German personnel at risk and disrupting the operation is completely unacceptable,” said Germany’s Foreign Ministry on social media platform X.

There was no immediate response from China’s Foreign Ministry, and the Chinese Embassy in Berlin did not immediately respond to an emailed request for comment.

Germany’s Defense Ministry said the aircraft, taking part in the EU’s ASPIDES mission which protects international sea routes in the Red Sea, had been contributing a Multi-Sensor Platform, or “flying eye” for reconnaissance of the area since October.

A Chinese warship, which had been encountered several times in the area, had laser targeted the aircraft with no reason or prior communication during a routine mission flight, said a ministry spokesperson. The incident took place at the beginning of July.

“By using the laser, the warship put at risk the safety of personnel and material,” said the spokesperson, adding the mission flight was aborted as a precaution and the aircraft landed safely at a base in Djibouti.

The deployment of the MSP in ASPIDES has since been resumed, he said.

The MSP is operated by a civilian commercial service provider and German armed forces personnel are involved, said the ministry, adding the data collected significantly contributes to awareness for partners.

China has previously denied accusations of firing or pointing lasers at US planes. Incidents involving a European NATO member and China are more unusual.

In 2020, the US Pacific Fleet said a Chinese warship had fired a laser at a US naval patrol aircraft flying in airspace above international waters west of Guam. China said that did not accord with the facts.

This post appeared first on cnn.com

More than 80 years ago, the crew of the USS New Orleans, having been hit by a Japanese torpedo and losing scores of sailors, performed hasty repairs with coconut logs, before an 1,800-mile voyage across the Pacific in reverse.

The front of the ship, or the bow, had sunk to the sea floor. But over the weekend, the Nautilus Live expedition from the Ocean Exploration Trust located it in 675 meters (2,214 feet) of water in Iron Bottom Sound in the Solomon Islands.

Using remotely operated underwater vehicles, scientists and historians observed “details in the ship’s structure, painting, and anchor to positively identify the wreckage as New Orleans,” the expedition’s website said.

On November 30, 1942, New Orleans was struck on its portside bow during the Battle of Tassafaronga, off Guadalcanal island, according to an official Navy report of the incident.

The torpedo’s explosion ignited ammunition in the New Orleans’ forward ammunition magazine, severing the first 20% of the 588-foot warship and killing more than 180 of its 900 crew members, records state.

The crew worked to close off bulkheads to prevent flooding in the rest of the ship, and it limped into the harbor on the island of Tulagi, where sailors went into the jungle to get repair supplies.

“Camouflaging their ship from air attack, the crew jury-rigged a bow of coconut logs,” a US Navy account states.

With that makeshift bow, the ship steamed – in reverse – some 1,800 miles across the Pacific to Australia for sturdier repairs, according to an account from the National World War II Museum in Louisiana.

“‘Difficult’ does not adequately describe the challenge,” Schuster said.

While a ship’s bow is designed to cut through waves, the stern is not, meaning wave action lifts and drops the stern with each trough, he said.

When the stern rises, rudders lose bite in the water, making steering more difficult, Schuster said.

And losing the front portion of the ship changes the ship’s center of maneuverability, or its “pivot point,” he said.

“That affects how the ship responds to sea and wind effects and changes the ship’s response to rudder and propellor actions,” he said.

The New Orleans’ officers would have had to learn – on the go – a whole new set of actions and commands to keep it stable and moving in the right direction, he said.

The ingenuity and adaptiveness that saved the New Orleans at the Battle of Tassafaronga enabled it to be a force later in the war.

After making it across the Pacific from Australia to the US naval yard at Puget Sound, Washington state – facing the right way this time – the New Orleans undertook permanent repairs. It later participated in actions across the Pacific, including the decisive battles of Saipan and Okinawa, which led to the US gaining airfields that enabled the final blows to be made on Imperial Japan.

The ship was awarded 17 battle stars for its actions in the Pacific, tying it for the third most such decorations in the Pacific theater, according to the World War II Museum.

The New Orleans’ bow was found during the 21-day Maritime Archaeology of Guadalcanal expedition of Iron Bottom Sound by Nautilus Live, a cooperative effort among NOAA Ocean Exploration, the Ocean Exploration Cooperative Institute, the University of New Hampshire and the Naval History and Heritage Command.

Iron Bottom Sound was called Savo Sound before World War II, but Allied sailors gave it its current moniker for the huge numbers of warships that sank in battle there.

According to the expedition, five major naval battles were fought there between August and December 1942, resulting in the loss of more than 20,000 lives, 111 naval vessels and 1,450 planes on all sides.

Before the expedition, “fewer than 100 of these US, Japanese, Australian, and New Zealand military ships and planes have been located,” it says on its website.

The expedition began on July 2 and continues until July 23. Its continuing searches are being live streamed at nautiluslive.org.

This post appeared first on cnn.com

More than 200 kindergarten students in northwestern China were found to have abnormal blood lead levels after kitchen staff used paint as food coloring, authorities said, in a case that’s stoked outrage in a country long plagued by food safety scandals.

Eight people, including the principal of the private kindergarten that the children attended, have been detained “on suspicion of producing toxic and harmful food,” according to a report released Tuesday by Tianshui city government, as cited by Chinese state broadcaster CCTV.

The principal and a financial backer of the school had allowed kitchen staff at the Heshi Peixin Kindergarten to use paint pigments to color the children’s food, leading to contamination, according to the report, which followed a days-long but ongoing probe into the cases.

Of the 251 students enrolled at the kindergarten, 233 were found to have abnormal levels of lead in their blood, the report found. The children were undergoing medical treatment with 201 of them currently in hospital, authorities said. Medical evaluation on the effects of their exposure, which can cause long-term and developmental harm, were not yet made public.

Local media cited a pediatrics professor as saying aspects of the case suggest there could be chronic lead poisoning, meaning exposure over a period of more than three months.

During the investigation, two food samples from the kindergarten – a red date steamed breakfast cake and a sausage corn roll – were found to have lead levels more than 2,000 times the national food safety standard for contamination, according to figures cited in the investigation report.

Authorities said they launched the probe on July 1 after becoming aware of reports that children at the school had abnormal blood lead levels. Lead exposure in children can lead to severe consequences, including impacting children’s brain development, behavior and IQ.

The government report did not disclose how long the exposure had gone on, with some affected parents interviewed by state media saying they had noticed abnormal signs in their children’s health and behavior for months – and clamoring for more answers about how the exposure happened.

“My mind went blank,” a mother of one affected student told state media after learning from a hospital in a nearby city that her child had a blood lead level of 528 micrograms per liter – a revelation that came after she said a local department in Tianshui told her the blood levels were normal, according to a report published by outlet China National Radio (CNR). China’s National Health Agency classifies “severe lead poisoning” as anything above 450 micrograms per liter.

“Right now, I’m not thinking about compensation – I just want my child to be healthy,” she was quoted as saying.

‘How could they be poisoned so seriously?’

The case has raised all-too-familiar concerns in China about food safety as well as the levels of transparency with which such cases are handled – especially in a system where independent journalism is tightly controlled and officials are under pressure to resolve issues quickly.

Earlier this month, after the school conducted tests on the students but did not issue individual results, many parents took their children to Xi’an – a major city a roughly four-hour drive from Tianshui – for testing, according to a report published by a news outlet affiliated with the official People’s Daily.

Reports from state-affiliated media found that 70 children who were tested in Xi’an had blood lead levels surpassing the threshold of lead poisoning, with six of those cases exceeding 450 micrograms per liter. According to China’s official guidelines, this level is classified as “severe.” A full picture of the results from all the students with abnormal levels was not publicly available.

One mother told the People’s Daily-affiliated outlet that she had been confused by her daughter’s constant stomach aches, loss of appetite and behavioral changes over the past six months, which didn’t improve after treating her with traditional Chinese medicine.

Others expressed skepticism about the results of the official investigation.

“The children only eat three-color jujube steamed cake and corn sausage rolls once or twice a week, how could they be poisoned so seriously?” one mother, who gave her surname Wu, told CNR. “If something like this happened to the children in school, at least give us an explanation. Now there is nothing.”

Earlier this week, Tianshui’s mayor Liu Lijiang said the city would “do everything possible to ensure the children’s treatment, rehabilitation and follow-up protection,” while vowing to close “loopholes” in Tianshui’s public food safety supervision.

‘Serious accountability’

The case has led to widespread expressions of outrage across Chinese social media, the latest among dozens of high-profile scandals have been reported by local media since the early 2000s.

“Serious accountability must be maintained and food safety issues cannot be ignored or slacked off. When it involves the life safety of young children, severe punishment must be imposed,” wrote one commentator on the X-like platform Weibo.

“Children are the hope of a family. I hope they can recover soon and grow up healthily,” said another.

Past scandals have also impacted children. In one of the most egregious examples, six infants died and some 300,000 others were sickened by milk powder formula containing the toxic industrial chemical melamine. Several executives found to be responsible for the 2008 case were ultimately handed death sentences, and the tragedy drove deep mistrust of domestic products and food safety in China.

Lead poisoning used to be a more widespread issue in China. In 2010, the central government for the first time allocated special funds for heavy metal pollution prevention in response to at least 12 high-profile cases the previous year that left more than 4,000 people with elevated blood lead levels, according to state media.

Officials have also moved to tighten food safety regulations in recent years, but pervasive cases have shown more needs to be done in terms of enforcement and to build back public trust, experts say.

Improving the food regulatory system calls for “more transparency, more thorough investigation of food safety cases,” said Yanzhong Huang, a senior fellow for global health at the Council on Foreign Relations in New York and author of the book “Toxic Politics: China’s Environmental Health Crisis and its Challenge to the Chinese State.”

Huang also said a lack of public confidence in the safety systems could evolve into a “trust crisis.”

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