Lithium and other elements that the U.S. needs for vital defense, energy and other applications could become harder to obtain if the Trump administration goes ahead with tariffs and other protectionist policies aimed at China.

China refines more than 90% of the global supply of so-called "rare earth elements," which include neodymium and dysprosium. Not actually rare, these 17 elements are difficult to mine and refine because they're not often found in concentrated deposits. Some elements, like Lithium, are usually mentioned along with rare earth elements, because they are also critical for the tech sector.

Global shares traded mixed Thursday, with French and German shares gaining, while falling in Britain. Earlier in Asia, major benchmarks finished lower.

Worries about U.S. President Donald Trump's tariff policies remain high on global investors' minds.

At least seven civilians, including a woman and a child, were killed on Thursday when unexploded munitions ignited at a house in northwestern Syria, a war monitor said.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported the deadly blast a day after another organization said two-thirds of Syrians risked being killed or wounded by unexploded ordnance.

Lionel Messi did what Lionel Messi does.

The eight-time Ballon d'Or winner scored from the right side of the box in the 56th minute to lift Inter Miami past Sporting Kansas City 1-0 on a bitterly cold Wednesday night in the first leg of the CONCACAF Champions Cup's first round.

Kylian Mbappé scored a hat trick, Erling Haaland stayed on the bench injured and Real Madrid dumped Manchester City out of the Champions League on Wednesday.

Mbappé's stellar trio of goals in the fourth, 33rd and 61st minutes in a 3-1 win gave Madrid a 6-3 victory on aggregate over the 2023 champion in their two-leg knockout playoff.

Are Liverpool showing cracks in its pursuit of the Premier League title?

Arne Slot doesn't think so.

The polar vortex hit its peak across much of America on Wednesday, with an icy grip that made Arctic Greenland seem like a toasty vacation spot in comparison. Even Mars has been warmer than North Dakota this week.

But there's hope. Some of the coldest parts of the United States are forecast to see as much as a 90-degree warmup early next week, before the expected return of yet another polar plunge of freezing air the first week in March, meteorologists said.

The European Union's executive on Wednesday heeded the call of activist agricultural organizations and the complaints of hard-right parties by proposing a vision for the future of farming and food production that aims to cut deep into the complicated rules designed to protect the environment.

The blueprint, which seek to better protect local production from what is seen as unfair global competition, come after a year which saw protests by disgruntled farmers using tractors to paralyze many European capitals as part of a campaign lionized by the far right in the runup to their successful showing in EU-wide elections last June.

Apple has released a sleeker and more expensive version of its lowest priced iPhone in an attempt to widen the audience for a bundle of artificial intelligence technology that the company has been hoping will revive demand for its most profitable product lineup.

The iPhone 16e unveiled Wednesday is the fourth-generation of a model that's sold at a dramatically lower price than the iPhone's standard and premium models. The previous bargain-bin models were called the iPhone SE, with the last version coming out in 2022.

A wintry gust of wind raises hopes that the giant sails of a centuries-old windmill near Amsterdam will start turning. On the mill's cutting floor, six blades briefly rise and fall, sawing into a rough-hewn plank.

But the wind drops and the mill's sails and saws grind to a halt.