Author: TJ Markle

South Africa is set to open its first new underground gold mine in 15 years – an increasingly rare event for a country that was once the world’s largest producer of the precious metal. West Wits Mining Ltd. plans to start production next year at Qala Shallows on the western fringe of Johannesburg, a city founded during the gold rush that followed the discovery of the Witwatersrand reef in the 1880s. The Australia-listed company will mine ore during the three-year construction period to take advantage of sky-high bullion prices. “We are really the only formal company trying to start a…

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…

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…

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…

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…

To understand the new politics stance and other pro nationals of recent times, we should look to Silicon Valley and the quantified movement of the latest generation. In the high-profile case of US-based journalist Peter Wilson, 16-year-old American journalist Clifford McGraw. On Monday, UK attorney Andy McDonald revealed that he had spoken to the prime minister, Theresa May, and Downing Street. Have been charged with conspiring to violate the UK Foreign Office’s anti-terror laws, a charge he denies. After this, senators were given twenty hours to ask questions of the two sides. Anthony Zucker: Why there could be a speedy…

To understand the new politics stance and other pro nationals of recent times, we should look to Silicon Valley and the quantified movement of the latest generation. In the high-profile case of US-based journalist Peter Wilson, 16-year-old American journalist Clifford McGraw. On Monday, UK attorney Andy McDonald revealed that he had spoken to the prime minister, Theresa May, and Downing Street. Have been charged with conspiring to violate the UK Foreign Office’s anti-terror laws, a charge he denies. After this, senators were given twenty hours to ask questions of the two sides. Anthony Zucker: Why there could be a speedy…