The report by American Security Project Research Assistant, Emily Coppel, released Tuesday, noted that the United States has the "second-biggest deposit of rare earth minerals in the world. North American mines alone could supply U.S. rare earth needs."

The 158bhp petrol engine is the more satisfying, purely on account of its extra zing at the top end, but in both configurations this is a refined, well-mannered unit.

Another five civilians were killed in the city of Fayoum, south of Cairo, a hospital official told Reuters.

The scientists were jointly awarded the prize for the theory of how particles acquire mass.

So key to the success of his trip and also to the success of the businesses he took to China is perhaps one simple thing: "We do have to jolt some pre-conceived ideas in Britain."NOW TO MORE serious matters Part Two of Whitehalls desk wars. I fear there is growing pressure on Sir Bob Kerslake, the new, part-time head of the Civil Service. There seems to be mutiny among the mandarins over his appointment, and nor are MPs happy. As I reported last week, Sir Bob thought he had bagged a posh office next to that of Sir Jeremy Heywood, the new Cabinet Secretary. Yet there is another claimant to this prestigious perch Foreign Office grandee Sir Kim Darroch, the new, full-time National Security Adviser. Now Sir Bobs appointment is about to come in for criticism from a different quarter.