Latest News
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FOCUS: Rio Tinto's bid to buy Glencore puts pressure on BHP
Rio Tinto's plans to acquire Glencore to?create a global industry leader? could encourage consolidation in the copper-hungry sector, and put pressure on BHP to act. The bid, depending on the final value, could be one of the largest?10?M&A transactions ever. It reflects a desire for scale, which bankers say could lead to mega-deals by 2026. Mark Kelly, CEO of advisory firm MKI Global said, "This is another example that mining is consolidating, and big firms are forced to take corporate action in order to create value." Anglo American, a London-listed company, announced in September last year what was at the time, the second largest M&A deal for that sector. The plan was to merge with Canada-based Teck Resources, and create a global heavyweight focused on copper. The deal is awaiting regulatory approval. Some analysts say BHP is under pressure to act BHP's $161 billion market capitalisation is the biggest threat to Rio's talks with Glencore. This could create a company valued at almost $207 billion. If BHP does not participate in the current negotiations, it might consider another deal for its leadership. Unnamed banking sources said this was the most likely outcome. They stated that Glencore's portfolio, which they viewed as too diverse, would benefit from asset sale. The regulatory authorities would most likely require some dispositions to alleviate competition concerns. BHP has declined to comment. Richard Hatch is an analyst at Berenberg. He said that BHP was the most likely to interfere in this deal. BHP may be tempted to bid against Glencore in order to keep the copper and divest the rest of the deal. The talks between Rio and Glencore have reached a preliminary phase. Rio has until the 5th of February to submit a formal proposal, but this deadline could be extended. Both sides have failed to reach an agreement in previous talks. George Cheveley is the Natural Resources Portfolio Manager at Ninety One. Ninety one, which owns Glencore, stated that BHP might feel compelled to intervene but may also find it emotionally difficult, given its repeated failures to purchase Anglo American. BHP attempted to buy Anglo American for months in 2024 to try and strengthen its declining dominance in the copper industry. It briefly revived the effort last November. Sources say that BHP is also preparing to name a new CEO. It will most likely be an internal candidate, who must deliver on the promise of change. BHP has declined to comment about its CEO succession. SIZE DOES MATTTER? AND SO DOES COPER Copper is the main reason for mining tie-ups, aside from the desire to scale up and increase margins while containing costs. Copper is the metal of choice for conducting electricity because it's the least expensive and most widely used. Mergers can be a good way to gain access to assets that are producing, and avoid the long, expensive, and uncertain process of searching for new reserves. Kelly said, "The copper deal was the real takeaway from this and Anglo-Teck. We know that copper is appealing and buyers want to access it." There are alternative targets that could be considered if it fails to bid for Glencore. Kelly said that "Vale and Freeport will both be on the agenda - but it is unlikely that they are for sale." Analysts say that BHP could decide to do nothing. Analyst Kaan Peker at RBC said that BHP had a better growth profile for copper than Rio/Glencore merged. "I don't believe they need to change anything," he added. "That being said, if you are successful in the transaction, you may face some pressure from shareholders who will ask: 'How is it that Rio was able to pull this off, but you weren't able to with Anglo ?'." Reporting by Anousha Saoui in London, Clara Denina and Melanie Burton in Sydney. Charlie Conchie contributed additional reporting. Editing by Veronica Brown (and Barbara Lewis).
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Concerns about oil supply are heightened by the rising price of crude and the intensifying unrest in Iran
The oil prices rose on Monday due to a?growing 'concern that the intensifying protests against Iran could disrupt the OPEC producers supply. However, efforts by Venezuela to resume exports of crude oil are limiting gains. Brent crude futures rose 31 cents or 0.49% to $63.65 per barrel at 0006 GMT, while U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude was up 30 cents or 0.51%, at $59.42. The two contracts both rose by a combined 3% in the last week, their largest weekly increase since October. This was due to Iran's clerical establishment stepping up its crackdown against the largest demonstrations since 2012. A rights group reported on Sunday that more than 500 people have been killed in the civil unrest. Donald Trump, the U.S. president, has repeatedly threatened to intervene in case force is used against protesters. A U.S. official said on Sunday that the president will meet with senior advisers to discuss Iran options on Tuesday. In a recent note, ANZ analysts headed by Daniel Hynes said that workers in the oil sector were also being asked to put down their tools in protest. They added that "the situation puts at least 1,950,000 barrels of oil per day at risk of disruption." Venezuela will resume oil exports as soon as possible following the ouster?of President Nicolas Maduro. Trump stated last week that the Caracas government is ready to hand over?as much as 50 million barrels sanctioned oil? to the United States. Four sources familiar with these operations say that oil companies are now racing to find tankers to transport the crude from the vessels to the dilapidated Venezuelan port. Trafigura told the White House in a Friday meeting that the first vessel would be loaded in the coming week.
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Stars' penalty kill is a pain point for the next Kings
The Dallas Stars are looking for a way to end their three-week slump. They have put a priority on improving their penalty kill. When they play the Los Angeles Kings in a Monday night match, the Stars will try to avoid the penalty box. If and when they are?short-handed, the Stars hope to minimize the damage. Dallas has killed just?7 out of 13 penalties over the last three games. In the Stars' last eight games they have allowed 11 power play goals. In that time, the Stars have gone 1-3-4 and are now 12 points behind Colorado Avalanche in the Central Division. Dallas lost 5-4 to the San Jose Sharks on Saturday after conceding four goals, including the game-winning overtime goal. Dallas coach Glen Gulutzan explained: "When you stop skating, you reach and take penalties." "You're reaching instead of using your feet, and we had several of these (against Sharks) from start to end. We'll take a look at it and try to fix it. It was evident in the 6-3 defeat we suffered on Tuesday (against Carolina), and it was again (in San Jose). The Stars and Kings will meet for the third time in this season. Adrian Kempe's goal 37 seconds into overtime gave the Kings a 3-2 victory in Dallas on October 23. On Dec. 15, the Stars defeated Los Angeles 4-1. The Kings are back home after a short trip to Canada, where they played the Winnipeg Jets and Edmonton Oilers in two games on Friday. Los Angeles was not motivated in Winnipeg, and the Jets won 5-1 to end an 11-game losing run. The Kings recovered the following night and won a shootout 4-3 in Edmonton. Jim Hiller, Kings coach, said: "I believe the back-tobacks are a great way to test your team's character." "We arrived really late Friday night. We don't use an excuse. We haven’t done this, and I’m really proud of our effort. It was a hard-fought match (Friday night), despite the result. We were late for the first time, but we were ready to play from the moment the puck dropped. Corey Perry returned to the Kings after missing two previous games due to a family illness. Perry scored on a power play late in the 1st period to tie the score at 1-1. Hiller stated that "he's going through a difficult time and is a hockey fan through and through." "He shows up, he is eager to play hockey and he wants his team to succeed in tough circumstances. Then he scores a goal." He plays for 15-16 minutes and often against the line of (Connor) McDavid. It's incredible. "I just have such a great deal of respect for him." Field Level Media
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Japan embarks on a rare earth search as China restricts its supply
The Japanese ship left on Monday to explore a coral atoll rich in rare Earths. This is part of Tokyo's efforts to reduce its dependence on China as the latter tightens up supply. The Chikyu test vessel will spend a month near Minamitori Island, 1,900 km (1200 miles) south of Tokyo. This is the first time in the history of mankind that sludge from the seabed can be continuously lifted onto a ship. Japan has reduced its dependency on China, as have its Western allies. These minerals are vital for the production of smartphones, military equipment and cars. This effort has become more urgent due to a major diplomatic disagreement with Beijing. The head of this government-backed project, Shoichi Ishii told reporters that one of their missions was to create a supply network for rare earths produced domestically to ensure a steady supply of minerals vital to industry. This was last month before the vessel left the port of Shizuoka, on a sunny, bright day with Mount Fuji, a snowy peak, in the distance. It won't be easy to reduce your dependence on China China banned last week the export of certain minerals and items that are used in both civilian and military applications, destined for Japan. According to The Wall Street Journal, Beijing has begun restricting exports of rare-earth minerals to Japan in a more general way. Japan condemned China's ban on dual-use but refused to comment about reports of a wider ban. China has neither confirmed nor denied the report. Chinese state media have reported that Beijing is weighing this measure. Sources familiar with the situation said that the finance ministers of the Group of Seven industrial power will meet in Washington, D.C. on Monday to discuss rare-earth supply. Japan has faced China's anger over rare earths before. China halted exports in 2010 after an incident occurred near disputed islands located in the East China Sea. Since then, Japan's reliance on China has been reduced from 90% to 60% by investing in overseas projects like the trading house Sojitz's tie up with Australia's Lynas Rare Earths, and promoting rare earths recycling and manufacturing methods that rely less minerals. However, the Minamitori Island Project is the first attempt to source rare Earths domestically. Takahide Kiuchi is the executive economist of Nomura Research Institute. He said that if the new export controls end up covering many rare earths, Japanese firms will once again try to get away from China. But I don't believe it will be an easy task. Analysts say that Japan is almost totally dependent on China for some rare earths such as magnets used in electric and hybrid vehicle motors. This poses a serious risk to its automotive industry. LONG-TERM RESOURCES PROJECT The Japanese government and private firms have been stockpiling the minerals since the 2010 scare. However, they don't disclose the volume. Several executives at a New Years party for Japan's Mining Industry on Wednesday said that they were better prepared to deal with any disruptions, citing Japan’s diversification efforts. Kazumi Nishikawa is the principal director for economic security in the Trade Ministry. He said that the government must constantly remind companies to diversify supply chains. "Sometimes you know, an event happens, and then the business reacts. But the event ends, and the business forgets." Nishikawa stated this week on the China Talk Podcast that we must maintain our efforts. The Minamitori project, into which the government has invested 40 billion yen (about $250 million) since 2018 is also a play for the long term. The estimated reserves of the company have not been revealed and no production target has yet been established. If the trial is successful, then a full-scale mine will be set up in February 2027. The high cost of mining mud made it uneconomical. Kotaro Shimizu is a principal analyst at Mitsubishi UFJ Research and Consulting. He said that if the supply disruptions from China continue and buyers are willing to pay higher prices in future years, then this project may become viable. China keeps a close eye on the situation. Ishii stated that a fleet Chinese naval ships were nearby when the ship conducted surveys around the island last June. He said: "We are deeply disturbed by the intimidatory actions taken." China claimed that its actions were compliant with international law, and called upon Japan to "refrain" from making threats. (Reporting from Yuka Obayashi, Shizuoka. Katya Golubkova in Tokyo. Writing by John Geddie. Editing by William Mallard.)
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After the Russian strike, a thousand Kyiv apartment buildings still lack heating
Local authorities in Kyiv, Ukraine's capital city, said that more than 1,000 apartment blocks are still without heating after a Russian attack this week. Since the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Russia has intensified its bombardment of Ukraine's power system. Volodymyr Zelenskiy, the President of Ukraine, said that Russia has launched over 1,100 drones as well as more than 890 guided aerial weapons and 50 missiles against Ukraine in the last week. These include?ballistic and cruise missiles', A missile strike on Kyiv, Ukraine, left the city virtually without electricity and heat during a cold snap. It wasn't until Sunday, however, that the authorities were able to partially restore power and heating. GRAID SUFFERING ACCUMULATED DAMAGE Zelenskiy stated that "Russia deliberately waited until freezing weather occurred to make the situation worse for Ukrainians, and it was a cynical Russian terror against civilians." Moscow made no immediate response. This winter's war could be the darkest and coldest ever. The accumulated grid damage has brought utilities to the edge, and the temperatures are set to drop to minus 20 (-4 F) by the end of this week. "Restoration works are ongoing." Vitali Klitschko, Kyiv mayor, said on Telegram that the situation with energy in the capital is still very difficult. Forecasts indicate that the severe 'frosts' are unlikely to abate in the next few days. The difficult situation in the capital will continue, he said. This week, there has not been a single day without an attack The Ukrainian energy ministry reported that Russian forces attacked Ukraine's power system during the night and briefly cut off electricity in the south-eastern Dnipropetrovsk region and Zaporizhzhia. "This week, not a single day went by without an attack on critical infrastructure and energy facilities. "A total of 44 incidents were reported," Ukrainian Prime Minster Yulia?Svyrydenko stated on Telegram. Svyrydenko noted that the restoration of heat, electricity and water supplies in Kyiv was progressing at a record speed. He added that significant improvements would take time but could occur by Thursday. (Reporting and editing by David Holmes; Pavel Polityuk)
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Trump warns Cuba about oil and suggests a deal between the US and Cuba
Donald Trump, the U.S. president, suggested on Sunday that Cuba make a 'deal' with Washington. He warned that the island nation would no longer be receiving oil or money from Venezuela. Venezuela is Cuba's largest oil supplier. However, since U.S. forces captured Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, Trump has successfully pressured interim president Delcy Rodrguez to send Venezuelan crude oil to the United States. "THERE WON'T BE ANY?MORE?OIL OR MONEY GOING CUBA – ZERO!" Trump said on Sunday that he strongly suggested they "make a deal" BEFORE it is too late. Trump stated that "Cuba has lived for many years on large amounts OIL and MONEY coming from Venezuela." U.S. Intelligence has painted a 'dark picture' of Cuba's political and economic situation. However, the assessments do not support Trump's claim that the island was "ready to collapse", reported on Saturday. According to the CIA, blackouts and trade sanctions are causing major problems in key sectors of Cuba's economy. These include agriculture and tourism. Venezuela's potential loss of oil imports, and other support, which has been a key ally for decades, could make it more difficult to govern Cuba. The loss of Venezuelan crude oil for Cuba is devastating. Venezuela sent an average of 27,500 barrels of oil per day (bpd), covering about 50% of Cuba's deficit in oil, between January and November last year.
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Queensland tropical cyclone leaves thousands of Australians powerless
On Sunday, thousands of people in Australia’s northeastern state?of Queensland lacked power after a tropical cyclone swept across the coast and brought heavy rains and destructive winds. The nation's forecaster said that Koji, a Category One cyclone, made its landfall between Ayr, and Bowen (about 500 km / 310 miles north of the state capital Brisbane) before fading to a Tropical Low. It said that the storm with its wind gusts up to 95 km/h (59mph) and heavy rain hit coastal towns, including Mackay. Mackay is a tourist destination, as well as the gateway to 'Great Barrier Reef. Queensland Premier David Crisafulli stated that around?15,000 homes had lost electricity due to Koji. The storm also damaged boats and property, and closed the roads. Crisafulli stated that Koji, which brought rains of up to 200mm (7.8") to some areas over night, was expected to bring 'heavy downpours' in the next 24 to48 hours. In televised remarks, he stated that Queenslanders would be able to handle the flooding. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese had earlier described flash floods as a major risk along a large stretch on Queensland's coastline. The?weather report said that the severe weather would likely continue through Sunday, before possibly abating on Monday. Koji follows the March storm Alfred which brought heavy rains and damaging winds to the state, cutting off power for hundreds of thousands.
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Bob Weir died aged 78.
Bob Weir was a veteran rock musician who played rhythm guitar for the Grateful Dead. He helped guide the band through decades of change and success. A statement on his verified Instagram page said that he died at the age of 78. The statement stated that he was diagnosed with lung cancer in July. He died surrounded by his loved ones. The statement did not specify when or where he died. Weir, along with late Grateful Dead co-founder and lead guitar Jerry Garcia who was the center of the?universe of Deadheads, was one of?two main vocalists and frontmen for the majority of the band's existence. Weir sang the verses of the trademark boogie song, "Truckin'." He also wrote key songs like "Jack Straw," "Playing in the Band," and "Sugar Magnolia." "Bobby", a young, ponytailed singer who grew up to be an eclectic songwriter with a handsome appearance and varied musical influences?helped widen the appeal of the band. The Independent newspaper in Britain called?Weir?rock's greatest rhythm guitarist, even if it was eccentric. Weir, who died in 1995 at the age of 53, had a 'interesting but somewhat neglected solo career. He spent most of his time with his band RatDog and took part in various reunions between surviving Dead members. (Reporting and writing by Steve Gorman, Los Angeles; Additional reporting by Matthew Lewis, Chicago; Editing by Diane Craft).
VHM, an Australian rare earths mining company, cancels offtake agreement with China's Shenghe Resources
VHM, an Australian rare earths mining company, announced on Monday that it has terminated the?offtake contract with China's Shenghe Resources in relation to its Goschen rare Earths project? after conditions precedent were not met.
If current trends continue, shares of?VHM could rise as much as 12.1% in early trading to A$0.465. This would be their best day since the 10th November.
VHM stated that the decision was a sign of its intention to reach out to a larger pool of buyers, as global demand for minerals critical is increasing from buyers outside China.
Macquarie Capital was hired by the company to help with its Goschen project, located in Victoria, Australia.
VHM's flagship project, the Goschen?project, focuses on extracting minerals, such as rare earths and titanium minerals, that?power clean power systems, electric mobility and advanced defence applications, and modern digital technology.
The agreement with Shenghe announced in 2024 set forth terms for the initial supply of 6,400 tons of rare earth mineral concentrate per year, including other valuable minerals, from VHM’s Goschen Project, for a three-year period.
The company stated that the project was to begin producing rare earths, mineral sands, and concentrates by the end of 2027.
In 2025, the Melbourne-headquartered ?firm secured up to $200 million in funding from the U.S. Export-Import Bank (EXIM) to support development ?of the Goschen project.
Shenghe is expanding its presence in the rare earths industry in Australia. In 2022, Shenghe will purchase nearly 20% of Peak Rare Earths and sign a contract to buy products from Peak’s Ngualla Project in Tanzania.
Shenghe, a Chinese rare earths producer owned by Shenghe, acquired Peak in September after the firm approved a $130 million purchase offer from Peak.
The deal was struck as Australia looked at a price floor in order to support important minerals projects, and to position itself as a viable alternative to China as the dominant supplier. (Reporting and editing by Deepa Babington, Jamie Freed, and Rajasik Mukherjee)
(source: Reuters)