Russ Mould

If you think about it, they've all got at least a billion users, whether it's Gmail, Maps, Drive, Android, YouTube.

It's a really powerful business.

And maybe he's just deciding this is an AI winner because he's already so powerfully entrenched.

Yeah, Tim Cook's turning 65 this year, next year, and he's been in charge for 14 years.

So I think they're looking maybe it's time for a carefully planned succession and the FT suggesting it may happen in the spring.

Morning, Jonathan.

I've got a lovely weekend.

They are.

So these are minerals like scandium, yttrium, terbium, all buried away at the bottom of the periodic table, but rising in importance.

They're vital for everything from fighter jets to electric vehicles to solar panels.

And China controls a vast amount of the production and even more of the processing.

And they're a key bargaining tool between America and China as these trade talks continue.

So now, in theory, this week we've got American markets,

Treasury Secretary Scott Besant and Chinese Vice Premier Li Yifeng meeting in Malaysia to discuss rare earth supply because China is currently pulling the shutters down as a negotiating tool in this trade tussle with America.

And the thinking is, if these talks go well, that may pave the way and confirm a possible meeting between President Trump and President Xi of America and China at an economic conference in South Korea at the end of the month to try and find a solution to this trade fight all once and for all.

About 90% of the world's processing and a not too dissimilar percentage of the world's actual output at the moment.

But America is busily, if you look at what the American government's been doing, it's been buying shares and stakes in mining companies in America, Latin America, where it can find them to try and lock in some supply.

So America's gone into these Chinese negotiations thinking as all leverage because of things like intellectual property.

But China is proving it's got some intellectual property of its own and some negotiating muscle through its control of these minerals.

Yeah, they must have had a good weekend with a 100-1 and a 200-1 winner at Ascot's big Champions Day meeting on Saturday.