Indonesian forces rescue 18 Freeport workers from rebel siege in Papua

Indonesian military rescued 18 workers at gold and copper miner Freeport Indonesia that had been surrounded by armed rebels for three days at a company outpost in the insurgency-plagued Papua... 

Trump says no critical minerals tariffs for now, will seek overseas supplies

US President Donald Trump said on Wednesday he had opted for now against imposing tariffs on rare earths, lithium and other critical minerals, and instead ordered his administration to seek... 

South African rand buoyed by gold prices as markets mull US inflation prints

The South African rand was lifted by record high gold prices in early trade on Wednesday, while global markets continued to assess key US inflation indicators which could offer more clues on the... 

FACTBOX: Greenland's rich but largely untapped mineral resources

The Danish and Greenlandic foreign ministers will meet US Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Wednesday after President Donald Trump recently stepped up threats to take... 

China's December coal imports hit record high despite 10% annual drop

China's December coal imports climbed to a record monthly high, spurred by winter stockpiling and rising domestic prices, even as total imports for the year fell 10%, customs data showed on... 

China's 2025 rare earth exports hit highest since at least 2014 despite restrictions

China's rare earth exports in 2025 hit the highest level since at least 2014, even as Beijing began restricting shipments of several medium to heavy elements from April. The world's top producer... 

China's 2025 copper imports lowest since 2020 amid major price rally

China's unwrought copper imports in 2025 fell to the lowest level since 2020, China's customs data showed on Wednesday, as high prices weighed on demand. The top consumer imported 5.32-million... 

Portugal keen to launch lithium prospecting tender in 2026

Portugal's government hopes to launch a long-delayed tender for lithium prospecting licenses this year, the Environment Minister said on Tuesday, promising to ensure that local communities, some of... 

Spot silver breaks through $90/oz for first time

Spot silver jumped above the key $90/oz level for the first time as soft US inflation data cemented interest rate cut bets by the US Federal Reserve on the back of geopolitical tensions, robust... 

Rio Tinto engages three banks to advise on potential Glencore acquisition, source says

Rio Tinto has engaged JPMorgan and two other advisers on its potential acquisition of Glencore, a deal that could create the world's largest miner worth over $200-billion, a source with knowledge... 

South African rand weakens on profit taking after gold-led gains

The South African rand weakened on Tuesday as investors took profits after the currency benefited from a surge in gold prices during the previous session. At 1303 GMT the rand traded at 16.4650... 

Record start to 2026 brings prospect of $5 000 gold into view

Gold and silver's upward run has reignited, with bullion topping $4 600 an ounce for the first time and big brokerages predicting $5 000 as a range of factors intensify, boosting the metal's... 

G7, other allies discuss ways to reduce dependence on Chinese rare earths

Finance ministers from the G7 and other major economies met in Washington on Monday to discuss ways to reduce dependence on rare earths from China, including setting a price floor and new... 

Codelco expects to lift copper output by 10 000 t this year

Chilean State-run miner Codelco is expected to produce 1.344-million metric tons of copper in 2026, up about 10 000 tons from last year, Chairman Maximo Pacheco said on Monday. Speaking to Reuters... 

British Columbia seeks closer ties on trade and resources with India

British Columbia is seeking to deepen its commercial ties with India in sectors including liquefied natural gas, critical minerals, lumber and technology, the Canadian province's Premier David Eby... 

Ukraine awards State-owned lithium project to Dobra Lithium

Ukraine awarded development rights for the Dobra lithium deposit in the Kirovohrad region to Dobra Lithium Holdings under a production sharing agreement, Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko said on... 

Lynas Rare Earths CEO to retire after over a decade in role

Australia's Lynas Rare Earths said on Tuesday its CEO Amanda Lacaze was retiring after 12 years, just as Western countries seek greater security of supply for the metals for which Lynas is the top... 

Gold leaps to record high, dollar drops as US prosecutors target Fed's Powell

Gold vaulted to a record high and both the dollar and Wall Street futures fell on Monday, as a criminal investigation into Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell stoked concerns about the independence... 

Lithium soars as China to revoke battery export tax rebates

Lithium prices soared in China on Monday after Beijing said it would roll back value-added tax export rebates, as investors bet the move would spur front-loaded export demand. The most-active... 

South African rand gains as gold scales new peak

The South African rand gained in early trade on Monday, helped by gold prices reaching another record high. At 0736 GMT the rand traded at 16.4225 against the dollar, roughly up 0.4% from its... 

Ethiopia begins $12.5bn construction of 'Africa's biggest airport'

Ethiopian Airlines on Saturday officially started a $12.5-billion construction project for what officials say will be Africa's biggest airport when completed in 2030 in the Ethiopian town of... 

Australia to prioritise antimony, gallium, rare earths in A$1.2bn reserve

Australia will prioritise antimony, gallium and rare earth elements as part of its A$1.2-billion strategic reserve, it said on Monday, as its Treasurer Jim Chalmers prepares to join a G7 meeting to... 

Egypt signs renewable energy deals worth $1.8bn

Egypt has signed renewable energy deals worth a combined $1.8-billion, state TV reported on Sunday. Among the deals were contracts with Norwegian renewable energy developer Scatec and China's Sungrow. 

US EPA rejects Colorado haze plan to retire coal plants early

The US Environmental Protection Agency on Friday rejected Colorado's plan to comply with regional haze regulations by shutting its coal plants, saying the state needs the plants to remain running... 

Rio Tinto's bid for Glencore piles pressure on BHP

Rio Tinto's talks to buy Glencore and create a new global industry leader could spur consolidation efforts across the copper-hungry mining sector and heap pressure on BHP, currently the world's... 

US to push for quicker action in reducing reliance on China for rare earths

US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent will urge Group of Seven nations and others to step up their efforts to reduce reliance on critical minerals from China when he hosts a dozen top finance... 

JPMorgan M&A global head Aiyengar says rising risks to drive surge in deals

Dealmakers are set for another banner year in 2026 with a record number of deals in the pipeline, as CEOs seek out the safety of scale to weather mounting economic and geopolitical risks,... 

European stocks hit record high as Glencore jumps on Rio Tinto interest

European shares hit an all-time high on Friday, lifted by an 8.3% jump in Glencore that put the STOXX 600 index on track for its longest weekly winning streak since May 2025. The rebound, after two... 

Gold price surge boosts Swiss National Bank's profit

The Swiss National Bank made a profit of around 26-billion Swiss francs ($33-billion) in 2025, the central bank said on Friday, thanks to a sharp increase in gold prices as investors headed for... 

IPO of India's top coking coal miner oversubscribed on first day

The IPO of India's largest coking coal miner was oversubscribed on the first day of bidding on Friday, as investors lined up for the first main board listing of 2026 and the maiden public sale from... 

South African rand steady as investors eye key US data

The South African rand was steady in early trade on Friday, as traders look ahead to US labour market data later in the day for indications on the Federal Reserve's policy trajectory. At 0719 GMT,... 

Goldman Sachs expects South Africa's rand to extend gains as conditions improve

The rand may clock another year of gains supported by easing interest rates, with firmer public finances also boosting South Africa's domestic economy, Goldman Sachs said in a research note. The... 

Goldman Sachs raises first-half copper price forecast

Goldman Sachs raised its copper price forecast for the first half of 2026 to $12 750 a metric ton from $11 525 a ton on Thursday, citing a scarcity premium amid limited inventory coverage outside... 

Anglo American, Teck merger heading for EU antitrust approval

The proposed merger of London-listed miner Anglo American and Canada's Teck Resources is heading for antitrust clearance in Europe after EU regulators signalled the absence of competition concerns,... 

Trump, Congress move to undo Biden-era ban on mining in northern Minnesota

The Trump administration and US Congress are launching a plan this week to overturn former President Joe Biden's mining ban in northern Minnesota and prevent future administrations from taking... 

Glencore and Rio Tinto hold buyout talks to create $207bn mega-miner

Glencore and Rio Tinto, said late on Thursday they were in early buyout talks that could potentially create the world's largest mining company with a combined market value of nearly $207-billion.... 

Lundin Gold expects steady Ecuador mine annual output through 2028

Lundin Gold expects to produce between 475 000 oz/y and 525 000 oz/y of gold from 2026 to 2028 at its Fruta del Norte mine in Ecuador, CEO Jamie Beck told reporters on Wednesday. The projected... 

Strike continues at Capstone Copper's Mantoverde mine after negotiations fail

A workers' strike at Capstone Copper's Mantoverde mine in northern Chile will continue after negotiations between the company and the union failed, the union said on Wednesday. The union in a... 

Perth Mint's December gold, silver sales slip versus November

The Perth Mint's gold product sales fell 46.2% in December from the previous month, while silver sales slipped more than 31% during the same period, the refiner said on Thursday. The Perth Mint,... 

AI to boost copper demand 50% by 2040, but more mines needed to ensure supply, S&P says

Growth in the artificial intelligence and defence sectors will boost global copper demand 50% by 2040, but supplies are expected to fall short by more than 10-million metric tons annually without...