Civil society groups and NGOs in the Democratic Republic of Congo are calling for another reassessment of a controversial “minerals for infrastructure” deal with China. When it was renegotiated more than a year ago, it was described as the “contract of the century”, but the “Congo is not for Sale” coalition says the agreement is heavily skewed in favour of the Chinese group. It warns of financial losses and a lack of transparency which puts the Congolese state at a disadvantage. Originally signed in 2008, it granted Chinese companies access to extensive copper and cobalt mines in exchange for infrastructure…
Author: TJ Markle
In Brief The concentration of rare earth magnet supply chains in China has exposed vulnerabilities in global high-tech and defence industries, amplified by Chinese export curbs imposed in response to US tariffs. The Quad has launched a coordinated critical minerals initiative to reduce reliance on China, but long-term success hinges on overcoming regulatory, political and financing hurdles. The global production of advanced technologies — from smartphones and electric vehicles to renewable energy and military systems — relies on rare earth elements such as neodymium and dysprosium, essential for permanent magnets. As of early 2025, over 90 per cent of the…
Drive three hours north of Perth, and you’ll arrive in Eneabba – barren and desolate, just the odd hill in the distance. This is Western Australia mining territory. Buried in this vast terrain is a massive pit, full of what looks like mounds of worthless dirt. But appearances can be deceiving: this pit is home to a million-tonne stockpile containing critical minerals, better known as rare earths, which are crucial for making electric vehicles, wind turbines and defence equipment. And Australia is betting big on this discovery with a billion dollar loan to a mining company to extract these metals…
A U.S. appeals court has temporarily blocked the transfer of federal forest land in Arizona to a pair of international companies that plan to mine one of the largest copper deposits in North America. The transfer was scheduled for Tuesday. But a panel of judges with the 9th U.S. District Court of Appeals issued a temporary injunction late Monday in response to last-minute appeals by a Native American tribe and environmentalists. The land includes Oak Flat — an area used for centuries for religious ceremonies, prayer and gathering of medicinal plants by the San Carlos Apache people and other Native…
President aims to reduce Moscow’s dependence on Beijing through energy and Arctic deals The headlines say the Alaska summit between President Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin was about Ukraine. Commentators in Brussels and Washington rehearse the familiar debates: Was Trump too soft on Moscow? Did he undermine Kyiv? But that framing misses the bigger picture. The Trump administration has already set the terms of the 21st-century contest: The United States faces its greatest long-term threat not from Russia, but from China. From sweeping sanctions on Beijing’s access to advanced AI chips, to trading U.S. security guarantees for alignment in the…
The growth goals to extend output by a 3rd to 16mtpa over the subsequent 4 years. Bravus Mining and Sources has introduced a major capital funding to reinforce manufacturing at its Carmichael mine in central Queensland, Australia. The growth goals to extend output by a 3rd to 16 million tonnes every year (mtpa) over the subsequent 4 years. This strategic transfer is predicted to create lots of of recent jobs and meet rising world demand for thermal coal. Bravus chief working officer Mick Crowe mentioned: “During the last three years our Carmichael mine has safely and effectively ramped manufacturing as…
The Zambian government has dismissed claims of dangerous pollution in the Copperbelt mining region, following safety concerns raised by the US embassy. On Wednesday, the US embassy issued a health alert, ordering the immediate withdrawal of its personnel in Kitwe town and nearby areas due to concerns of “widespread contamination of water and soil” linked to a February spill at the Sino-Metals mine. The spill happened when a tailings dam, used to store toxic waste and heavy metals, collapsed into the Kafue River, a key drinking water source, following heavy rain. The US embassy said there was new information that…
A gold rush brought settlers to South Dakota’s Black Hills roughly 150 years ago, chasing the dream of wealth and displacing Native Americans in the process. Now, a new crop of miners driven by gold prices at more than $3,000 an ounce are seeking to return to the treasured landscape, promising an economic boost while raising fears of how modern gold extraction could forever change the region. “These impacts can be long term and make it so that tourism and outdoor recreation is negatively impacted,” said Lilias Jarding, executive director of the Black Hills Clean Water Alliance. “Our enjoyment of…
Despite a global shift away from coal towards renewable energy, coal remains essential for energy generation, particularly in countries such as South Africa, where it still plays a significant role in the country’s energy generation mix. As previously reported in Mining Weekly, coal has been included as one of the five most critical minerals in South Africa’s ‘Critical Minerals and Metals Strategy’, released by Mineral and Petroleum Resources Minister Gwede Mantashe, in May. Above being integral in South Africa’s energy mix, Mantashe noted that coal remains in the top five owing to the coal industry providing employment opportunities, as well…
The deep sea, the planet’s most expansive and least understood ecosystem, remains largely unexplored. Yet while the deep sea may seem a dark and distant space, events underwater directly impact our lives, from essential services like climate regulation to fisheries and the marine food web. While scientific understanding of this realm is nascent, a new industry is rapidly emerging driven by the demand for rare metals essential for batteries, microchips and AI: deep-sea mining. In the past three years, more than 38 nations have voiced support for a moratorium on deep-sea mining, a rapid pace by the standards of multilateral…