Gold edges higher even as US and China agree to ease trade war

Gold edged higher even after the US and China said they had agreed on a plan to ease trade tensions during talks in London. Bullion traded near $3 330 an ounce, and is up modestly for the week. US... 

South Africa statistics chief defends jobless-data calculations

The head of South Africa’s statistics agency defended the methodology of his organisation’s unemployment data after the chief of the nation’s top bank by customers said misclassification of traders... 

Gold rally brings riches to rural Zimbabwe

In Filabusi, in south-eastern Zimbabwe the streets are packed with BMW X5s and Land Rover Defenders, modern houses paid for in cash are springing up and whisky is only sold by the bottle in the... 

Musk’s Starlink licence decision up to South African regulator, Malatsi says

The decision whether to award Elon Musk’s Starlink an operating license in South Africa will ultimately rest with the country’s industry regulator, a government minister said. The Pretoria-born... 

India’s swelling coal stockpiles test State-owned mining giant

Recent rains may have provided the world’s most populous nation some relief from scorching summer heat, but they shattered state-owned mining giant Coal India’s hopes of denting record-high... 

Freeport CEO says tariffs threaten to hinder US copper mining

The threat of US levies on copper imports has been a boon for Freeport-McMoRan, with North America’s top producer cashing in on selling the metal at a premium. Still, the firm’s top boss warns that... 

South Africa wins $1.5bn World Bank infrastructure loan

The World Bank has approved a $1.5-billion loan to support structural reforms aimed at boosting South Africa’s infrastructure. The Washington-based lender said in a statement the operation will... 

Zambia seeks carmakers to make EV components near copper mines

Zambia has held talks with carmakers to entice suppliers to build electric vehicle (EV) components plants near its copper mines. “We have been talking, even last week when I was in Germany, telling... 

China’s copper boom under threat as miners test bargaining power

The unrelenting expansion of Chinese copper processing capacity over the past few years has now become a global headache, as smelters scramble to secure the ore they need to produce the vital... 

China builds most coal-fired plants in decade for power security

China and India have approved the construction of the largest capacity of new coal-fired power plants in a decade, as the world’s two most populous nations seek to bolster energy security,... 

Gold-mining ETFs losing their shine following torrid 2025 rally

Investors are exiting exchange-traded funds that track the shares of gold-mining companies, a sign that the high-flying sector’s allure may be dimming even as prices for the precious metal remain... 

Gold’s cheaper precious metals cousins surge to multi-year highs

Silver held near a 13-year high, supported by a technical breakout that also drove platinum to the highest level since 2022, signaling growing investor appetite for precious metals used by the... 

De Beers draws interest from former CEOs as Anglo starts sale

Anglo American is about to begin a formal sales process for De Beers, after receiving indications of interest from potential buyers that include two former chief executives of the iconic diamond... 

Carney holds back on tariff retaliation, says US-Canada talks are progressing

Prime Minister Mark Carney said Canada won’t respond immediately to the Trump administration’s doubling of steel and aluminum tariffs, and indicated that officials are in “intensive discussions”... 

Lucid inks US graphite deal in bid for domestic battery material

Automaker Lucid Group signed a third agreement for US-processed graphite, extending its bid for domestic supplies of an essential component in its electric vehicle batteries. The agreement with... 

Algeria plans to allow foreign firms to mine for critical metals

Algeria is poised to allow wider foreign ownership of mines as the gas-rich nation looks to boost production of minerals including phosphate, iron ore and lithium to diversify its economy. New... 

Godongwana awaiting inflation-targeting report

Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana said he is waiting for a report on the country’s inflation-targeting dispensation and he hasn’t decided whether it should be adjusted. “I do not have any views at... 

Volkswagen looks at making cars in Egypt to sell across Africa

Volkswagen is considering producing cars in Egypt, part of plans to tap new African markets as it grapples with weaker demand at home. “We are very interested in Egypt as a production hub and... 

Trump, Xi have crossed wires on rare earths, trade expert says

The US and China appear to have different understandings of what was agreed on rare earths at last month’s trade talks in Geneva, according to an expert on critical minerals policy. China’s... 

Peru says large-scale informal copper mining exists and could grow

Peru’s government is acknowledging for the first time the existence of large-scale informal mining of copper, warning that high prices could see the activity grow in the near future. The... 

BHP-backed startup delivers first copper at Chile leaching plant

A Chilean startup backed by BHP Group has delivered its first copper cathodes from a demonstration plant at a mine site in northern Chile as the industry looks to squeeze out more metal from lower... 

South Africa sees R870bn of debt savings with new CPI goal

A lower South African inflation target coupled with a revised borrowing strategy could save the government as much as R870-billion in debt-service costs, according to a research document published... 

China’s grip on rare earths gives Xi leverage in US trade duel

After the US and China agreed in Geneva to lower tariffs from astronomical heights, tensions are now surging over access to chips and rare earths. And Beijing increasingly appears to have an edge.... 

Aluminium premium for US buyers soars after Trump doubles tariffs

Premiums for consumers buying aluminium on the physical market in the United States soared on Monday after US President Donald Trump said he planned to increase tariffs on imported steel and... 

South Africa farm exports surge 10% as US shipments climb

South African agricultural exports rose 10% in the first quarter to $3.36-billion from a year earlier as port performance improved and shipments to the US climbed, an industry body said. The 14%... 

Kganyago provides fuel for best bond return in emerging markets

South Africa’s central bank chief has given the country’s local-currency bonds another reason to add to their market-leading returns. Investors are piling into the debt after South African Reserve... 

Glencore consolidates global coal portfolio in Australian entity

Mining and trading house Glencore consolidated its global portfolio of coal and ferroalloy assets under one company registered in Australia, according to its annual report lodged with the country’s... 

Flooded mine in Congo is latest threat to global copper supply

The status of one of the world’s most important copper mines remains clouded in uncertainty, more than a week after seismic activity caused widespread flooding deep below ground. Ivanhoe Mines’s... 

Burkina Faso sees restart of gold mines boosting output in 2025

Burkina Faso is poised to increase its industrial gold mining this year as a project by Mauritius’s Soleil Resources International rises to full production and a new mine by Australia’s West... 

China’s steel output cuts could intensify coking coal’s plunge

China’s declining steel demand is sweeping through related markets, with prices of the coking coal and coke used in blast furnaces plunging to their lowest since 2016. Steel mills are expected to... 

EFF asks court to stop proposed fuel levy hike

South Africa’s leftist Economic Freedom Fighters filed court papers in a bid to halt a proposed increase in fuel levies, the latest twist in a months-long tussle over the annual budget. The higher... 

South Africa poised for rate cut to bolster economy

The South African Reserve Bank looks set to ease borrowing costs on Thursday to support a faltering economy, before pausing to assess any further fallout from US President Donald Trump’s trade war.... 

Gold falls for fourth day as US court blocks Trump tariffs

Gold extended declines for a fourth day, as markets absorbed news that the US trade court has blocked President Donald Trump’s global tariff agenda. Bullion fell as much as 1.1% on Thursday,... 

Chile lifts copper price call as supply disappoints and trade fears ease

Chile, the biggest copper-producing country, raised its price projections for the metal this year and next on easing trade-war tensions and supply disruptions that signal the market is swinging... 

SQM feeds global lithium glut with record-high sales volume

SQM sold record amounts of lithium in the first quarter, despite prices languishing at multiyear lows as one of the world’s top producers of the battery metal counts on low costs to grow market... 

Icasa probes illegal use of Starlink service in South Africa

A South African regulator started a probe into allegations that Elon Musk-led SpaceX’s Starlink internet-satellite service was operating in the country illegally. The Independent Communications... 

Guinea takes Endeavour gold permits in latest round of removals

Guinea has revoked four gold exploration permits from Endeavour Mining as it continues to reclaim inactive and non-compliant mining rights. The four exploration licenses were granted in 2020 and... 

Agnico Eagle’s ascent to most valuable gold stock lifts Paulson

When billionaire hedge fund manager John Paulson’s firm made a big bet on gold after the 2008 financial crisis, his fund picked several small- and mid-size gold miners. One of those is now vying to... 

Chinese miner joins rush to tap lure of gold in bond market

One of China’s biggest gold miners is planning its second dollar bond offering in two weeks, the latest in a slew of global companies looking to tap growing investor interest in the precious... 

Coal India to take first unit public with consultancy firm IPO

Coal India will sell as much as 10% of its holding in mining consultancy unit Central Mine Planning & Design Institute Ltd. (CMPDI) through an initial public offering. The Ranchi-based unit of the...