China to kick USA in the rare earths, State Capture's growing docket

[Click here for the web version of this email]( [FIRST THING With John Stupart]( Wednesday, 29 May 2019 “Science may be described as the art of systematic oversimplification.” Karl Popper Story of the Day [No subpoenas or hardball tactics yet, but the State Capture docket is growing — and it is damning]( By Jessica Bezuidenhout The fear factor has evaporated and the big fish aren’t rushing to the door of the State Capture commission. Instead, a convenient wait-and-see game is playing out as some prime suspects plead the proverbial Fifth, while others resort to deflection tactics, no doubt hoping to first calibrate all the evidence against them. FINANCING THAT BACKS ENTREPRENEURS...[CLICK HERE FOR MORE]( WHILE YOU WERE SLEEPING [China threatens rare earths in US trade war]( China's party newspaper has threatened to use its dominance in supplying rare earths as a weapon in the ongoing trade war with the United States. Given that they are used in virtually every American product that has current flowing through it, this would be a rather big deal. China's Communist Party paper quipped "don't say we didn't warn you". [US continues blame game with North Korea]( The US State Department has called all of North Korea's weapons of mass destruction illegal. Spokeswoman Morgan Ortagus told Reuters late on Tuesday that: "I think the entire North Korean WMD programme, it's in conflict with the UN Security Council resolutions. But what the US is focused on here ... is in trying to negotiate a peaceful end to the North Korean WMD programme." Apparently blame-shaming North Korea's erratic and insult-sensitive leader is considered the best possible way to achieve this. [WHO set to clear Africa of polio]( If no new cases of "wild" polio are found in Africa, the WHO is poised to declare the continent free of the virus. The organisation made the announcement last night, paving the way for Nigeria, the last known polio-affected area, to begin the massive paperwork process to be declared free by 2020. [Yoga instructor survives 17 days in Hawaii forest]( A 35-year-old woman has managed to get out alive after 17 days lost in a Hawaii reserve. Amanda Eller went for a short hike at Makawao Forest Reserve, but lost her way after a post-meditation daze. She was spotted by helicopter over two weeks later. Eller had injured her ankle in a 20-foot fall and survived on wild plants and sleeping in wild boar dens. Expect a movie at a yoga studio near you soon. We believe that our investigations and our brand of journalism should be free for all. That's why we don't have any nasty paywalls. If you value our journalism and you appreciate what Daily Maverick does, [consider becoming a Maverick Insider.]( Picture of the Day By EPA-EFE/KIMIMASA MAYAMA Police investigate the site of a mass stabbing in Kawasaki, near Tokyo, Japan, 28 May 2019. In Numbers 1 The minimum number of dead wasps found in figs. They are therefore definitely not vegan. Facts of the Day Today in 1982 British forces defeat the Argentinian occupiers in the Falklands during the Battle of Goose Green. Nazi Germany had laid claim to Antarctica. They called it New Swabia. FINANCING THAT BACKS ENTREPRENEURS...[CLICK HERE FOR MORE]( Featured Articles [Zambia: When you get to the bottom of the hole, stop digging]( [Zambia: When you get to the bottom of the hole, stop digging]( By Greg Mills [Attacks on Gordhan intensify as ANC integrity commission and Parliament called upon to investigate him]( [Attacks on Gordhan intensify as ANC integrity commission and Parliament called upon to investigate him]( By Rebecca Davis [Unravelling the complexities of land reform in South Africa]( [Unravelling the complexities of land reform in South Africa]( By Johann Kirsten and Nick Vink [Jesse Duarte’s ‘noxious brand of anti-Israel chauvinism’ is distasteful]( By David Saks [Mabuza’s swearing in at Union Buildings sends the wrong signal]( By Marianne Merten [Alchemy of printmaking leaves an indelible mark on art world]( By Ufrieda Ho Opinionistas [The ANC is bigger than its secretary-general, Ace Magashule]( A column by Oscar Van Heerden [Regressive and deeply flawed, the Children’s Amendment Bill is rushed to the new Parliament]( A column by Robyn Wolfson Vorster [The elephants in the room – the myths informing Botswana’s hunting policy]( A column by Ross Harvey Weather BFN: min: 4° max: 19°, cloudy CPT: min: 12° max: 22°, cloudy DBN: min: 13° max: 21°, cloudy EL: min: 13° max: 21°, cloudy JHB: min: 5° max: 18°, sunny MHK: min: 8° max: 22°, sunny NLP: min: 12° max: 24°, cloudy PE: min: 13° max: 19°, cloudy PMB: min: 6° max: 19°, rainy Financial Data JSE All Share = 54,431 -0.10%▼ Dow Jones = 25,348 -0.93%▼ Brent Crude ($/bbl) = 70.03 -0.29%▼ Gold ($/oz) = 1,281 +0.12%▲ R/$ = 14.70 -0.19%▼ R/€ = 16.42 -0.05%▼ R/£ = 18.61 -0.13%▼ R/BTC = 132,699 -0.01%▼ * At +- 5am / % open to close FINANCING THAT BACKS ENTREPRENEURS...[CLICK HERE FOR MORE]( [FORWARD THIS EMAIL TO A FRIEND]( [Fb] [Tweet] [Link] [Yt] Copyright © 2019 Daily Maverick, All rights reserved. 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