ALBAWABA- Japan launched the world’s first deep-sea rare earth mining trial, marking a strategic move to secure critical mineral supplies and reduce dependence on China. The month-long operation involves the research vessel Chikyu extracting mineral-rich seabed mud from depths of about 6,000 meters near Minamitori Island in the Pacific Ocean. The project is led by the Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology and is aimed at developing domestic sources ...