Australia and the United States sealed a multi-billion dollar deal to boost rare earth production, a direct challenge to China’s grip on critical minerals and a signal that the next cold war runs on batteries. The IMF projected ASEAN economies to grow 4.3 percent this year, crediting steady trade recovery and surging tech investment. Markets shifted back to risk assets as oil steadied near 67 dollars and gold retreated, with investors betting the U.S.–China tariff freeze will hold through winter. The global mood feels less like optimism and more like denial in motion, humming along to the sound of supply chains being redrawn by hand.

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