Our daily trip around the world

🇬🇧 Nearly two dozen UK officials are under investigation for betting on the election date. Around 15 members of the ruling UK Conservative Party are being probed by gambling regulators for placing small bets on a potential election date days before PM Rishi Sunak announced a surprise general election for July 4. Additionally, PM Sunak’s personal protection officer and seven other Metropolitan Police officers are under investigation for allegedly betting on the date. UK politicians are allowed to bet on politics (and do regularly), as long as they don’t cheat by using insider information.

🇨🇳 China declared all local rare-earth resources property of the state. The new regulation, which takes effect in October, extends Chinese government oversight to the entire production process of rare earth resources, which are critical to manufacturing semiconductors and EVs. China currently accounts for 60% of the world’s rare earth production and 90% of all refining.

🇧🇴 Bolivia’s president is facing accusations that he staged last week’s failed coup attempt against himself. On Wednesday, General Juan José Zúñiga attempted to breach Bolivia’s presidential palace with hundreds of troops, but was eventually stopped and arrested. Zúñiga claims President Luis Arce ordered him to stage a fake coup to boost Arce’s popularity ahead of presidential elections, which Arce denies. Bolivia's former president also accused Arce of staging a self-coup, though there isn't any evidence of such actions.