PLS ($20B) - PLS approved $175m pre-FID capex for the P2000 expansion at Pilgangoora, preserving schedule for a ~2Mtpa capacity build

RRL ($5.3B) - Regis reinstated 1.9Moz probable reserves at McPhillamys gold after a new PFS outlined 190koz pa at AISC $1.7k/oz, NPV₅.₅ $1.13B and $1.08B pre‑prod capex, targeting an H1 2028 FID subject to permitting

SBM ($774m) - St Barbara lodged the IPD for the 15‑Mile Processing Hub, with conformity confirmed, starting permitting for a 3Mtpa, >100kozpa, >11‑year gold operation

AR1 ($205m) - Austral reported 24m at 1.03% Cu from 74m in oxide at Canyon, 3.8km from Mt Kelly SX-EW | ▼ 6%

CVV ($173m) - Caravel updated Caravel Copper reserves to 597Mt at 0.24% Cu (1.4Mt contained), with proved tonnes up 48% to 156Mt

PHO ($80m) - PhosCo received $1.1m from EBRD and $0.6m in option conversions; a Scoping Study next quarter would trigger $7.5m EBRD equity

CHW ($76m) - Chilwa updated the Mpyupyu MRE to 110Mt at 3.3% THM, with 89% measured and indicated

LM8 ($74m) - Lunnon repaid its $6m debt; Lady Herial delivered $10.8m receipts vs $3.4m costs; cash $21m at 30 Jun

BHP takes US$2.3B writedown on Jansen potash project in Canada due to cost overruns (FT, AFR)

G7 targets 40% non-Chinese supply for magnets by 2030, boosting rare earths demand (AFR)

China defends critical minerals export controls after G7 statement urging market economy respect (Reuters)

Chinese demand for lithium rises as buying season boosts mine restarts (Bloomberg)

Zambia, US expand use of US$491m grant programme to critical metals infrastructure (Reuters)

Rio resumes copper exports from Oyu Tolgoi after protest blockade (Bloomberg)

Zimbabwe lithium miners ask for more time to build processing plants (Reuters)

Billionaire Matt Latimore and the Widjaja family snare former Sanjeev Gupta asset Tahmoor for $175m as he circles Whyalla steelworks (Australian)

Ganfeng and Lithium Argentina seek third investor for Pozuelos-Pastos Grandes lithium project in Argentina (Mining.com)

CXO ($955m) - Core will acquire Bynoe Lithium tenement from Charger for $3.8m, $1m deferred, plus 1% royalty capped at $10m

ASM ($352m) - Australian Strategic Materials is in halt pending an update on proposed schemes of arrangement

TNC ($66m) - True North issued 3m shares & 2m rights for acquiring Renegade’s Carpentaria JV stake

Energy Fuels secures US$725m Pentagon loan to expand US rare earth processing (DoW)

Cuprum Metals raises US$19.4M Series A to accelerate copper extraction tech, led by Lundin Family Office, with BHP and Woodline (CM)

HAS ($80m) - Hastings's is in a halt pending a capital raise, while also citing a proposed acquisition

JLL ($48m) - Jindalee raised $2.4m at $0.46 via an entitlement offer

Yesterday, we wrote about the Chinese regulators now holding sway over Zijin’s proposed Allied Gold takeover, expect a recut deal at a minimum there…

The Anglo-Teck tie-up now gives Beijing another chance to demonstrate why final approval rarely means a rubber stamp.

BHP’s six-month standstill from its last approach has expired, but its window is narrowing if it wants a last hoorah at the prize.

China is the final material hurdle before Anglo-Teck completion, still guided for somewhere between September and March.

That is not quite the same as saying the deal is home. SAMR has form in using the final innings of major commodities mergers to extract its pound of flesh, particularly where Chinese customers sit beneath the supply chain.

China’s Codelco-SQM lithium clearance last year is the useful precedent. SAMR approved the deal, but extracted a ten-year operating covenant: minimum supply offers for Chinese buyers, preservation of existing offtakes, benchmark-linked pricing, shortage protocols, information firewalls and a regulator-approved monitor.

Absent BHP, the deal has too much momentum to derail now, which is precisely why China, standing at the final signal box, can charge handsomely to let the train through.

MEI ($509m) - Tolga Kumova added 20m shares in Meteoric via performance-rights conversion, taking his holding to 6.7%

SVL ($319m) - Franklin took a 5.4% stake in Silver Mines after buying $2.2m

ASN ($79m) - Anson received notices from 18 shareholders (5.2%) seeking to remove directors Bruce Richardson and Gregory Knox

BEZ ($38m) - Besra director David Potter resigned

VTX ($33m) - Vertex appointed Bruce McInnes exec chair; Roger Jackson becomes exec director

Why is China holding back domestic lithium production? (Volt Insight)

Gold mining, where projects with a literal history of sovereign risk still get discounted at 5.5% p.a.