Madagascar lifts 16-year ban on new mining permits, excludes gold

Madagascar has lifted a 16-year moratorium on new mining permits for most minerals, the government said late on Thursday, but the suspension on gold permits will remain due to regulatory... 

Bougainville rejects Chinese partner for mine that will fund independence

The Pacific island of Bougainville has rejected a partnership with Chinese miner CMOC to reopen a gold and copper mine that was among the world's largest before it was shut by a bloody civil war,... 

Eskom ups wage hike offer in ongoing union talks

State-owned power utility Eskom has raised its salary increase offer to trade unions to 5.5% from the 3.5% it proposed last year, a document seen by Reuters showed, though it remains well below... 

Brazilian authorities find erosion at Vale unit after water overflow

Brazilian inspection teams found that Vale's Viga mine presented signs of erosion and ordered the iron-ore miner to shut its operation until further notice, Minas Gerais state government... 

UBS raises gold target to $6 200/oz, sees slight dip by year‑end

UBS on Thursday increased its gold price target to $6 200/oz for March, June and September 2026, compared with a prior forecast of $5,000, citing stronger-than-expected demand stemming from... 

PLS considers plant restart, logs 73% rise in Q2 revenue as lithium sales improve

Australian lithium producer PLS Group signalled a possible restart of a plant under care and maintenance on Friday after posting a surge in December-quarter revenue, as improving demand helped buoy... 

Copper's ascent above $14 000 creates investor dilemma

Copper's red-hot run to above $14 000 a metric ton on Thursday leaves investors facing a decision over whether or not to chase the market higher. Benchmark copper on the London Metal Exchange CMCU3... 

Gold eyes best monthly gain in over 50 years; silver breaks $120

Gold extended its record-breaking rally on Thursday and was on track for its best monthly performance since 1973, as rising economic and geopolitical uncertainties drove investors to the safe-haven... 

Copper hits record high above $14 000 as speculators pile in

Copper prices hit a record high of more than $14 000 a metric ton on Thursday, as speculators extended their buying spree, encouraged by expectations of strong demand and supported by a weak dollar... 

Reserve Bank keeps repo rate steady in split decision

South Africa's central bank kept its main lending rate unchanged at 6.75% on Thursday, saying it wanted to see inflation expectations fall further and citing potential price pressures including... 

Energy regulator approves power cost relief for ferrochrome makers

South Africa's energy regulator on Thursday approved an application by Eskom to reduce electricity tariffs by 35% for two distressed ferrochrome operations battling high power costs. More than a... 

Speculators push illiquid tin to records, ignoring fundamentals

Funds and speculators are having an outsize impact in the thin-volume tin trade, driving it to a series of record peaks in defiance of warnings from analysts and regulators that the market is... 

Antofagasta 2025 copper output misses guidance

Antofagasta on Thursday reported a 1.6% fall in 2025 copper production to 653 700 metric tons, missing its guidance, as higher output at key projects was offset by lower ore grades. The miner had... 

South African rand stretches gains before central bank rate decision

The rand extended its recent strong gains against the dollar on Thursday while traders awaited the South African Reserve Bank's first rate-setting meeting this year for signals on its monetary... 

Mozambique, TotalEnergies relaunch $20bn LNG project

Mozambique and TotalEnergies agreed on Thursday to relaunch construction on the French energy major's $20-billion liquefied natural gas project in the country, even as they continue negotiations... 

Mantoverde makes workers new offer as strike continues

Capstone Copper's Mantoverde copper and gold mine in northern Chile said on Wednesday it presented a new contract offer to workers in a bid to end a strike that began in early January, after talks... 

Whitehaven Coal beats second-quarter output view, shares jump

Whitehaven Coal logged a bigger-than-expected 13.5% rise in second-quarter output on Thursday, helped by improved mining conditions and higher output from its Queensland and New South Wales... 

US moves away from critical mineral price floors, sources say

The Trump administration is stepping back from plans to guarantee a minimum price for US critical minerals projects, a tacit acknowledgment of a lack of congressional funding and the complexity of... 

Australian critical minerals miner Iluka falls on flagging impairment of minerals sands unit

Australia's Iluka Resources said on Thursday it expects to recognise two exceptional items, including an impairment of its mineral sands business, putting its shares on course for their largest... 

Gold nears $5 600/oz as investors seek safety, silver eyes $120

Spot gold extended its blistering rally on Thursday to hit a record high just shy of $5 600 an ounce, as investors sought safety amid geopolitical and economic uncertainties, while silver came... 

Gold breaches $5 300/oz to record high

Gold broke through $5 300 for the first time on Wednesday as the dollar plunged to a near four-year low, ahead of a Federal Reserve monetary policy decision. Spot gold climbed 2.3% to $5 305.65... 

South African rand gains as gold hits fresh peak before key interest rate decisions

South Africa's commodity-linked rand edged higher in early trade on Wednesday, boosted by record gold prices as markets awaited interest rate decisions from the United States and Africa's most... 

Deutsche Bank sees gold reaching $6 000 per ounce in 2026; Citi lifts near-term silver forecast

Deutsche Bank said on Tuesday that the price of gold could climb to $6 000 per ounce in 2026, while Citi raised its short-term forecast for silver to $150 an ounce. Spot gold notched a record high... 

Vale's iron-ore output hits seven-year high in 2025, surpassing Rio Tinto's Pilbara

Brazilian miner Vale's iron-ore production rose to 336.1-million metric tons in 2025, the company said on Tuesday, marking the first time since 2018 that its output surpassed that of rival Rio... 

Woodside beats Q4 revenue estimates despite oil slump, flags lower 2026 output

Australia's Woodside Energy on Wednesday flagged a lower production outlook for 2026, tempering stronger-than-expected fourth-quarter revenue that was underpinned by resilient output despite weaker... 

India considers tighter mining auction rules to deter laggards, sources say

India is considering tightening mining auction rules to weed out developers that delay seeking clearances to mine on blocks they win at auctions, two sources familiar with the matter told Reuters,... 

Gold's blistering rally continues past $5 200 as dollar plunges

Gold broke through $5 200 for the first time on Wednesday, as the dollar plunged to a near four-year low amid persisting geopolitical concerns, ahead of a US Federal Reserve monetary policy... 

Mali detains five gold mine managers over alleged code breaches, sources say

Mali has detained five managers from the local entity operating the Yanfolila gold mine over alleged breaches of the country's mining code, two sources told Reuters. The employees from Societe des... 

Vale halts two units after water overflow triggers permit suspension

Brazilian miner Vale has halted operations at units that analysts say account for about 2% of its iron-ore production outlook for this year after water overflowed at the sites, a securities filing... 

Chinese buyers and sellers expect gold rush to continue despite record prices

With gold prices setting new all-time highs this week, customers have been cramming into stores in Shanghai and Hong Kong that sell the precious metal, with some betting the price could rise even... 

Japan, US eye synthetic diamond production under $550bn investment plan

A plan to build a synthetic diamond plant in the United States is a prime prospect in Japan's $550-billion investment package, as the allies push to expand production of a material vital to chip... 

Sandvik gets a boost from safe-haven gold boom

Swedish mining equipment and metal-cutting tool maker Sandvik reported slightly larger-than-expected fourth-quarter core profit on Tuesday and proposed a higher dividend, after mining activity and... 

US to back $1.6bn USA Rare Earth funding, shares jump

USA Rare Earth said on Monday that the Trump administration would back a $1.6-billion debt-and-equity funding package to help it build a Texas mine and magnet facility to supply the defense and... 

Sundance Resources loses arbitration over Congo iron-ore permit revocation

Australia's Sundance Resources said on Monday that an arbitration panel had dismissed its challenge to what the mining company has called Congo's unlawful expropriation of subsidiary Congo Iron's... 

Flood in Vale mining area damaged Brazilian river, state government says

Overflowing water in a mining area owned by Brazil's Vale caused environmental damage as it reached the local Maranhao River, Minas Gerais state government said in a statement on Monday. The... 

Mali takes 51% stake in China-backed local explosives venture

Mali has taken a 51% stake in a new industrial‑explosives venture with China’s Auxin Chemical Technology, its Council of Ministers said, tightening state control over critical mining inputs and... 

Guinea's bauxite exports jump 25% to 183 million tons in 2025 on Chinese demand

Guinea's bauxite exports rose 25% in 2025 to 182.8-million metric tons, official data seen by Reuters showed, cementing its dominance in aluminium ore supply. A record 74% of shipments went to... 

USA Rare Earth shares surge on report of Trump administration investment

Shares of USA Rare Earth jumped as much as 62% in premarket trading on Monday after reports that the Trump administration was taking a 10% stake in the miner as part of a $1.6-billion... 

Gold miner shares jump as bullion prices hit $5 100/oz record high

Shares of gold miners jumped in premarket trading on Monday, as bullion prices surged to a record high of $5 100 an ounce, extending a historic rally driven by safe-haven demand amid geopolitical... 

South African rand at strongest since 2022 as precious metals surge

The South African rand hit its strongest level against the dollar in 3-1/2 years on Monday, boosted by record precious metal prices and optimism about the country's economic outlook. The rand...