Rare earth magnet startup Vulcan Elements to build $1bn North Carolina plant

Vulcan Elements, a North Carolina-based rare earth magnet producer, said on Tuesday it will build a $1-billion manufacturing facility in its home state to supply US electronics and military... 

Harmony Gold considers Papua New Guinea copper venture with Newmont

South Africa's Harmony Gold is evaluating a substantial copper venture in Papua New Guinea in partnership with US mining giant Newmont, chairman Patrice Motsepe said on Tuesday. "There's a huge... 

Africa experts call for greater oversight of ratings agencies in G20 report

A panel of Africa experts on Tuesday urged the Group of 20 major economies to step up oversight of credit rating agencies, which they accused of using flawed and opaque methodologies that increase... 

South African rand subdued as traders cautious ahead of key local data

The South African rand was subdued in early trade on Tuesday, as a stronger dollar prompted investors to stay away from riskier assets, while local traders remained cautious ahead of key economic... 

Goldman Sachs sees continued central bank gold buying in November

Central banks likely bought large amounts of gold in November in a multi-year trend to diversify reserves to hedge geopolitical and financial risks, Goldman Sachs said on Monday. The Wall Street... 

EU's EIB to work with Australian government on critical raw materials

The EU's European Investment Bank and the Australian government said in a joint statement on Monday they would deepen cooperation on critical raw materials, as Western powers scramble to cut their... 

Viridis secures Canadian financing interest for rare earths project

Australia's Viridis Mining and Minerals said on Tuesday it received a letter of interest from Export Development Canada for up to $100-million in debt financing for its Colossus rare earths project... 

Indonesia coal power phase-out plan at risk due to stalled international funding

Indonesia's plan to retire 6.7 gigawatts of coal-fired power plant capacity by 2030 to fight climate change is at risk of failure due to stalled disbursal of funding from rich countries, the... 

Congo extends ban on trade in minerals from sites in war-hit east

The Democratic Republic of Congo has extended for six months a ban on the trading of minerals from dozens of artisanal mining sites in conflict-hit North and South Kivu provinces, the mines... 

Lithium surges in China after Ganfeng chairman predicts 2026 demand boom

China's lithium price surged on Monday after the chairman of major Chinese producer Ganfeng Lithium Group forecast demand growth of 30% or even 40% for the battery metal in 2026. The most-traded... 

South African rand steady as markets brush off credit upgrade, pivot to interest rate decision

The South African rand held its ground in early trading on Monday, shrugging off S&P Global's first credit upgrade of the country since 2005 - a move to BB from BB- with a positive outlook - as... 

Around 30 people killed in Congo copper mine incident, officials say

Around 30 people were killed at a semi-industrial copper mine in southeastern Congo on Saturday after a bridge collapsed, the country's artisanal mining agency said. An agency official told Reuters... 

Syrah, Tesla to further extend graphite supply deal deadline

Australia's Syrah Resources said on Monday that it had agreed with Tesla to extend the deadline to tackle an alleged default of their graphite supply agreement for the second time in two months as... 

China rare earths deal will 'hopefully' be done by Thanksgiving, Bessent says

A rare earths deal between the US and China will "hopefully" be done by Thanksgiving, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said in remarks that aired on Sunday. Bessent's comments follow a framework... 

Barrick Mining considers splitting into two entities, sources say

The board of Canada's Barrick Mining has raised the possibility of splitting the company into two separate entities, one focused on North America and the other on Africa and Asia, four sources... 

South Africa will hand G20 over to US 'empty chair', president says

President Cyril Ramaphosa said on Friday South Africa will symbolically hand over the G20 presidency to an "empty chair" in the absence of US leadership at the summit next week, while stressing the... 

Ghana scraps tax on minerals exploration to boost investment

Ghana will abolish value-added tax on mineral exploration and reconnaissance to boost investment in its mining sector, its finance minister said, as Africa’s top bullion producer seeks to reverse... 

BHP liable for 2015 Brazil dam collapse, UK court rules in mammoth lawsuit

BHP is liable for the 2015 collapse of a dam in southeastern Brazil, London's High Court ruled on Friday, in a lawsuit the claimants' lawyers previously valued at up to 36-billion pounds... 

South African rand pulls back from rally as traders await S&P rating decision

The rand pulled back from a rally that had lifted it to its strongest level in more than two years, as traders locked in profits on Friday and awaited S&P Global's scheduled review of South... 

China's coal output fell 2.3% year-on-year in October

China's coal output fell 2.3% year-on-year in October, official data showed on Friday, reflecting production restrictions designed to support prices. October output was 406.75-million metric tons.... 

Trump administration revokes Biden-era limits on Alaska oil drilling

The Trump administration on Thursday finalised its rollback of Biden-era limits on oil and gas drilling in an Alaska area that is the nation's largest tract of undisturbed public land. The move is... 

Congo produces first 1 000 t of traceable artisanal cobalt

The State cobalt agency in Democratic Republic of Congo has produced its first 1,000 metric tons of traceable artisanal cobalt, a key step in formalizing the sector in a country that supplies much... 

South African media get funding package from Google after antitrust probe

South Africa's competition regulator announced on Thursday a series of concessions from global tech platforms, including a R688-million media support package agreed with Google and YouTube,... 

South African rand rallies to strongest level since February 2023

South Africa's currency, stocks and bonds extended their rally on Thursday as investors cheered signs of fiscal discipline after the government's medium-term budget policy statement. The rand... 

China's copper exports boom on rising arbitrage, supply

Chinese copper exports are on pace to set a record in 2025, with October shipments set to exceed 100 000 metric tons for only the third time ever, as rising domestic supply and higher foreign... 

TotalEnergies' Mozambique gas 'fortress' fuels local anger and insurgency fears

Hotel manager Fernando Cuna waited four years for TotalEnergies to resume construction of its $20-billion liquefied natural gas project on Mozambique's coast, hoping it would bring clients to the... 

Nigeria's Dangote plans $1bn investments in Zimbabwe

Nigeria's Dangote Group will invest at least $1-billion in a pipeline, power generation and cement plant in Zimbabwe, its founder and CEO Aliko Dangote said on Wednesday. Dangote, Africa's richest... 

Boeing ordered to pay more than $28m to 737 MAX crash victim's family

A jury in federal court in Chicago ordered Boeing on Wednesday to pay more than $28 million to the family of a United Nations environmental worker who was killed in the 2019 crash of a 737 MAX jet... 

US House report accuses China of minerals market interference

China for decades has sought to manipulate global critical minerals prices, using its control as an economic weapon to expand its manufacturing sector and its geopolitical influence, a US House of... 

CEO of Australia's PLS says government support could boost lithium supply chains

Global supply chains for lithium could benefit from collaboration among governments but any intervention on prices would need to be handled carefully, Dale Henderson, CEO of Australian lithium... 

Ramaphosa names new environment, deputy trade ministers

President Cyril Ramaphosa has named new environment and deputy trade ministers, appointing people from his party's main coalition partner, the Democratic Alliance. Ramaphosa's office said in a... 

Iron-ore gains as China stimulus hopes dominate

Iron-ore futures gained on Wednesday, as hopes of fresh stimulus from top consumer China outweighed concerns over a gloomy outlook stemming from growing supply and diminishing demand. The... 

South African rand steady before mid-year budget review

The South African rand was stable in early trade on Wednesday, before a mid-year review of public finances that is widely expected to contain positive news for investors. At 0540 GMT the rand... 

MinRes inks $765m deal with Posco for lithium JV stake, shares surge

Australia's Mineral Resources said on Wednesday it would sell a 30% stake in part of its lithium business to South Korea's Posco for $765-million as it seeks to cut debt and repair its balance... 

South Africa's official unemployment rate dips in third quarter

South Africa's unemployment rate fell slightly in the third quarter of this year, as jobs were added in construction, social services and trade, the statistics agency said on Tuesday. The official... 

Guinea to fast-track alumina, iron-ore processing, mines minister says

Guinea will fast-track the development of alumina refineries and iron-ore pellet plants to end decades of raw ore exports, its mines minister told reporters, as the country prepares for the first... 

Mercedes-Benz South Africa CEO-designate resigns

Mercedes-Benz South Africa said on Monday CEO-designate Abey Kgotle has resigned for personal reasons, less than a month before he was set to take on the role. Kgotle, who joined Mercedes-Benz... 

Botswana taking steps to acquire majority stake in De Beers, President says

Botswana is working on acquiring a majority stake in De Beers, President Duma Boko said on Monday, after Angola announced a rival bid to control the giant diamond company. Botswana, which owns 15%... 

Australia watchdog sues AVZ Minerals over Congo disclosure breaches

Australia's corporate regulator said on Tuesday it has sued AVZ Minerals and two of its directors, alleging the miner failed to disclose an escalating legal dispute with the Democratic Republic of... 

Vale gearing up to meet Indian demand as China steel output stagnates, CEO says

Brazilian miner Vale is preparing to meet rising iron ore demand from India, which could double its steel production by the end of the decade, CEO Gustavo Pimenta told Reuters. Rising sales to...