Mining News: Commodities, Resources Media Man

Dow -1.8%
S&P -2%
Nasdaq -2.3%
VIX +1.90 to 20.74
Gold +1.9% to $US4759.38 an ounce
Brent oil +0.7% to $US64.36 a barrel
Iron ore -0.4% to $US104.20 a tonne

10-year yield:
US 4.29%
Australia 4.78%

News

Numbers Double Check

Australian Dollar: $0.6730 USD (up $0.0017 USD)
Iron Ore: $104.20 USD (down $0.75 USD)
Oil Price: $60.53 USD (up $1.09 USD)
Gold Price: $4,754.77 USD (up $83.88 USD)
Copper Price (CME): $5.8060 USD (down $0.0955 USD) Dow Jones: 48,515.62 (down 843.71 points)

News

Trump jitters hit ASX as BHP, CBA sell off

The Australian sharemarket lost ground on Tuesday, with the S&P/ASX 200 shedding 0.7 per cent to close at 8,815.9 points amid the Trump administration's plans to impose tariffs on European nations that oppose his plans for Greenland. BHP was down two per cent at $47.78, the Commonwealth Bank fell 1.8 per cent to $150.48 and ARB Corporation ended the session 12 per cent lower at $28.42. However, Bellevue Gold rose five per cent to $1.78 and DroneShield was up 4.2 per cent at $4.75. (RMS)

News

Cryptocurrency

Bitcoin tumbles below $US90,000 Bitcoin slid to its lowest level in more than a week, tracking a sharp sell-off across global financial markets as investors continued to de-risk amid ongoing geopolitical tensions.The largest cryptocurrency fell below $US90,000 for the first time since January 9, moving in tandem with declines in equities, long-dated Treasuries and Japanese bonds as volatility rippled through debt markets.Small, less liquid tokens fell more, with Ether dropping more than 7 per cent and Solana slumping 5.3 per cent. Shares in crypto-linked stocks also slumped. Coinbase Global fell more than 5 per cent, while Bitcoin accumulator Strategy slumped near 10 per cent earlier.“Bitcoin’s sharp drop over the weekend mirrors a broader exodus from risk assets in traditional macro markets due to the White House’s threat of tariffs on European nations as well as geopolitical frictions over Greenland,” said Shiliang Tang, managing partner of Monarq Asset Management. “Gold and Silver’s rally as well as the dollar’s weakness all underscore this narrative of capital fleeing to safety triggered by aggressive US posturing.”

News

Gold And Silver/Markets

Gold rose past $US4700 an ounce to a record high, while silver also reached an all-time peak, as the standoff between the US and Europe over control of Greenland showed no sign of de-escalation. Markets are waiting for Europe’s response to Trump’s threat to impose tariffs on eight European nations that oppose his Greenland ambitions. The US Supreme Court once again didn’t issue a ruling on Trump’s country-specific tariffs.Elsewhere, a meltdown in Japanese government debt rippled through global bond markets, while a gauge of US dollar strength fell by the most in over a month. The US threat toward its NATO allies has rattled markets, adding renewed impetus to a record-breaking rally that lifted gold prices nearly 75 per cent over the past 12 months. Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s tax-cutting election pitch has highlighted the mounting sovereign debts among developed economies worldwide. High fiscal deficits have helped fuel bullion’s gains through 2025, as investors bet on inflation as the only path to solvency. A weaker dollar also makes commodities more affordable for buyers in other currencies. Investors are also watching for developments from Davos, where Trump said he will meet with several parties to discuss his plan to take control of the Danish territory. French President Emmanuel Macron intends to request activation of the European Union’s anti-coercion instrument, although German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said he’s trying to get him to tone down his response.

News

Crypto News

Trump, Crypto, Fintech

Trump family’s $10b fortune and crypto When Donald Trump was sworn in for his second presidential term, his trove of financial assets already differed from when he first took the oath of office. As he returned to power on a frigid day in January 2025, Trump had a social media company, a crypto platform he’d co-founded and even a new meme coin bearing his name — departures from the real estate projects and brand licensing deals that were long the main remit of the Trump Organisation. One year on, the universe of the Trump family’s wealth has expanded even further, touching industries including firearms, rare earth magnets, artificial intelligence and prediction markets. But the most notable change has been the growing concentration of the family’s net worth in cryptocurrencies: The Trumps have generated about $US1.4 billion ($2.1 billion) from crypto projects that are new to his second term, a Bloomberg analysis shows. These have gotten a boost from Trump’s own policies, as he has signed crypto legislation and appointed regulators who tossed out lawsuits against the industry.Despite the new projects, the family’s overall net worth looks remarkably similar to last year at $US6.8 billion ($10.1 billion), according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index. Even as crypto made the Trumps richer, the gains were offset by the plunging value of his social media company, Trump Media & Technology Group Corp. Its shares are down 66 per cent over the past 12 months, despite efforts to diversify into finance, crypto and most recently, fusion power.The way the Trumps’ wealth is distributed now — particularly its concentration in virtual assets and public companies, some of which didn’t exist when he left office in 2021 — represents a sea change in how they’ll earn money for years to come. (BB)

News

Australia: Coal

Nation's largest coal-fired power plant closure delayed by two more years

Origin Energy has agreed to extend the operating life of its Eraring coal-fired power station for another two years. The ageing plant was initially slated to close in 2025, but Origin struck a deal with the NSW government to keep Eraring operating until 2027. CEO Frank Calabria says the decision to further extend Eraring's operational life until 2029 will allow for more time to develop renewable energy infrastructure. However, the decision has been criticised by environmental groups such as the Nature Conservation Council of NSW. (RMS)

News

Resources And Energy: Australia

Standoff with China buyer is hurting iron ore prices: BHP

BHP has advised that its iron ore division achieved an average realised price of $US84.71 per tonne in the December quarter. This is four per cent higher than the same period in 2024, although it represents a large discount to the benchmark price. BHP is continuing to hold talks with state-run iron ore trader China Mineral Resources Group on annual contract terms, and BHP has acknowledged that the long-running dispute has affected the price it receives for the iron ore it ships from the Pilbara. BHP has also advised that the first stage of its Jansen potash project in Canada is now expected to cost $US8.4bn ($12.5bn); this compares with a previous forecast of between $US7bn and $US7.4bn. (RMS)

Rio must buy Glencore whole: shareholders

Some of Glencore's biggest shareholders have stated that Rio Tinto must agree to buy the entire company rather than merely its most desirable assets, such as its copper and zinc mines. Rio Tinto is unlikely to want to retain Glencore's coal assets if the proposed merger goes ahead, given that it exited the sector about eight years ago. However, some Glencore shareholders have warned that they are unlikely to support Rio Tinto's bid if it seeks to 'cherry-pick' the company's assets. The investors also contend that Rio Tinto will need to offer a takeover premium if its management team led by CEO Simon Trott is to run the merged group. (RMS)

News

Culture/Sports

Tennis player play claim 'business, not greed'

The prize pool for this year's Australian Open is a record $111.5 million, with this year's men's and women's winners to receive $4.15 million, a 19 percent increase on last year. However, despite the increased prize pool, tennis players still believe the AO and the other grand slam events should be paying them more prize money, arguing they should get a bigger share of the enormous amount of revenue that the events generate. Alex de Minaur claims players are not being "greedy" in their push for a bigger slice of event revenue, while Daniil Medvedev says the players just want a percentage of revenue similar to other sports. (RMS)

News

Heavy Industry News

Heavy Industry Awards

Mack Trucks wins Media Man 'Truck Manufacturer Of The Month' award

Caterpillar wins Media Man 'Heavy Equipment Manufacturer Of The Month' award

Bingo Industries wins Media Man 'Construction Brand Of The Month' award

Elders wins Media Man 'Agribusiness Of The Month' award

Landman wins Media Man 'Streaming Series Of The Month' award (Oil/mining industry based story via Paramount Plus)

News

Gold Movie

Gold is a 2016 American epic crime drama film directed by Stephen Gaghan and written by Patrick Massett and John Zinman. The film stars Matthew McConaughey, Édgar Ramírez, Bryce Dallas Howard, Corey Stoll, Toby Kebbell, Craig T. Nelson, Stacy Keach and Bruce Greenwood. The film is loosely based on the true story of the 1997 Bre-X mining scandal, when a massive gold deposit was supposedly discovered in the jungles of Indonesia; however, for legal reasons and to enhance the appeal of the film, character names and story details were changed.

Trailer

Gold (YouTube Movies and TV)
https://youtube.com/watch?v=yc0S96OZhi0

Gold is the epic tale of one man's pursuit of the American dream, to discover gold. Starring Oscar® winner Matthew McConaughey (Interstellar, Dallas Buyers Club, The Wolf Of Wall Street) as Kenny Wells, a modern day prospector desperate for a lucky break, he teams up with a similarly eager geologist and sets off on an amazing journey to find gold in the uncharted jungle of Indonesia. Getting the gold was hard, but keeping it would be even harder, sparking an adventure through the most powerful boardrooms of Wall Street. The film is inspired by a true story.

News

Streaming Wars

The "Streaming Wars" refers to the intense competition among digital media platforms to dominate the subscription video-on-demand (SVOD) market by capturing and retaining global audiences.

As of early 2026, the landscape has shifted from a period of rapid expansion into a phase of major consolidation and a focus on profitability over subscriber volume.

The "Winner" and Current State (2026)

Netflix Dominance: Industry analysts increasingly cite Netflix as the victor. In January 2026, Netflix reported 18% year-over-year revenue growth and is currently pursuing a high-stakes $83 billion all-cash acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery’s studio and streaming assets (including HBO/Max).

The "Big 3": Despite fierce competition, the market is primarily dominated by Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, and Disney+.

YouTube's Rise: Some experts argue YouTube is the true winner of the broader attention economy, surpassing traditional streaming services in total viewership by pivoting back to user-generated content.

Key Strategies in 2026

Consolidation: Smaller or struggling services are being shuttered or merged. For example, Disney recently shut down Hulu as a standalone service.

Monetization Shifts: Platforms have moved away from "growth at all costs" to strategies like password-sharing crackdowns, ad-supported tiers, and price hikes.

Live Sports & Events: Services are increasingly bidding on live sports rights (e.g., Netflix hosting WWE's Raw starting in 2025) to differentiate their offerings.

Bundling: To combat "subscription fatigue," platforms are forming strategic partnerships with telecommunications companies and banks to offer bundled service hubs.

Consumer Impact

Price Hikes: Many consumers are canceling services due to rising costs; over 40% of Americans cited price as their primary reason for unsubscribing in late 2025.

Resurgence of Piracy: Fragmented content and high costs have led to a significant comeback for pirate sites, which some users now find more comprehensive than paid services.

"South Park: The Streaming Wars": The term was popularized in mainstream culture by a 2-part South Park special released on Paramount+ in 2022, which satirized the industry's aggressive competition.

News/Profile

Hancock Prospecting Pty Ltd

Hancock Prospecting Pty Ltd (HPPL) is a privately owned Australian mineral exploration and agriculture company headquartered in Perth, Western Australia. As of 2026, it is recognized as one of the most successful private companies in Australian history.

Leadership and Ownership

Executive Chairwoman: Gina Rinehart AO, who has led the company since 1992.

CEO: Garry Korte.

Ownership: The company is owned by Gina Rinehart (76.6%) and the Hope Margaret Hancock Trust (23.4%).

Major Mining Operations

The company has transitioned from a prospecting firm into a major global miner, with primary interests in the Pilbara region:

Roy Hill: A flagship mega-project and Australia’s largest single iron ore mine, producing 60–70 million tonnes annually.

Hope Downs: A 50/50 joint venture with Rio Tinto, comprising four open-pit mines with a capacity of approximately 47Mtpa.

Atlas Iron: Acquired in 2018, it operates the Mount Webber, Sanjiv Ridge, and Miralga Creek mines.

Hancock Iron Ore: A new entity formed in July 2025 to consolidate Roy Hill and Atlas Iron operations.

Diversification and Strategic Investments

Under Rinehart’s leadership, the company has expanded significantly into other sectors:

Agriculture: Hancock is Australia's second-largest beef producer, owning over 25 properties including the iconic S. Kidman & Co. It also owns 50% of Bannister Downs Dairy.

Critical Minerals: Major stakes in lithium (Liontown Resources, Azure Minerals, Vulcan Energy) and rare earths (Arafura Rare Earths, MP Materials, Lynas Rare Earths).

Energy: Significant interests in oil and gas through Warrego Energy and Senex Energy.

International Ventures: In January 2026, the company signed a gold exploration license agreement with Saudi Arabia's state-owned miner, Ma’aden.

Current Events (January 2026)

Australia Day Sponsorship: The company is the principal partner for the 2026 Hancock Prospecting Australia Day celebrations in Perth.

Helipad Proposal: In December 2025, the City of Perth refused the company's proposal to build a helipad at its West Perth headquarters.

Financial Performance: For the 2025 fiscal year, the company reported a profit of AU$3.08 billion.

History

The company was founded on November 25, 1955, by Lang Hancock, who is credited with discovering the world's largest iron ore deposit in 1952. When Gina Rinehart took over following his death in 1992, the company was in a precarious financial state with significant debt.

News

Gold (1974)

Gold is a 1974 British action-thriller directed by Peter R. Hunt, starring Roger Moore and Susannah York. Based on the 1970 novel Gold Mine by Wilbur Smith, the film is set in the South African goldfields and follows a conspiracy by a global syndicate to manipulate the price of gold by sabotaging a rich mine.

Plot: Rod Slater (Moore), a newly appointed general manager, is manipulated by his boss, Manfred Steyner (Bradford Dillman), into drilling through a protective barrier into a subterranean lake. This is intended to flood the mine, causing a global gold shortage and driving up prices for a greedy cabal.

Production Controversy: The film was controversially shot on location in South Africa during the apartheid era. This led to a "black ban" by British film unions, though some crew members defied it to work on the production.

James Bond Connection: Many crew members were veterans of the James Bond franchise, including director Peter Hunt (On Her Majesty's Secret Service), editor John Glen, and title designer Maurice Binder.

Accolades: The film received an Academy Award nomination for Best Original Song for "Wherever Love Takes Me," composed by Elmer Bernstein and sung by Maureen McGovern.

Cast & Crew

Rod Slater: Roger Moore

Terry Steyner: Susannah York

Hurry Hirschfeld: Ray Milland

Manfred Steyner: Bradford Dillman

Farrell: John Gielgud

Director: Peter R. Hunt

Music: Elmer Bernstein

Availability in 2026

As of 2026, the film is available through several formats and platforms:

Streaming: Accessible on Prime Video, Tubi, and Roku devices.

Physical Media: High-definition restorations are available on Blu-ray and DVD from Kino Lorber and 88 Films

News

Pop Culture

"Gold" (Spandau Ballet)

"Gold" is a signature 1983 hit by the British New Romantic band Spandau Ballet, written by Gary Kemp.

Lyrics

Thank you for coming home I'm sorry that the chairs are all worn I left them here, I could have sworn These are my salad days Slowly being eaten away Just another play for today Oh, but I'm proud of you, but I'm proud of you

Nothing left to make me feel small Luck has left me standing so tall

Thank you for coming home I'm sorry that the chairs are all worn I left them here I could have sworn

These are my salad days Slowly being eaten away Just another play for today Oh but I'm proud of you but I'm proud of you

Nothing left to make me feel small Luck has left me standing so tall

Gold (gold)

Always believe in your soul You've got the power to know You're indestructible Always believe in

'Cause you are

Gold (gold)

Glad that you're bound to return There's something I could have learned You're indestructible Always believin'

Oh after the rush has gone I hope you find a little more time Remember we were partners in crime It's only two years ago

The man with the suit and the face You knew that he was there on the case Now he's in love with you he's in love with you

My love is like a high prison wall But you could leave me standing so tall

Gold (gold)

Always believe in your soul You've got the power to know You're indestructible Always believe in 'Cause you are

Gold (gold)

Glad that you're bound to return There's something I could have learned You're indestructible Always believin'

My love is like a high prison wall And you could leave me standing so tall

Gold (gold)

Oh always believe in your soul You've got the power to know You're indestructible Always believe in 'Cause you are

Gold (gold)

Glad that you're bound to return Something I could have learned You're indestructible Always believin'

Songwriter: Gary James Kemp

Spandau Ballet - Gold (HD Remastered)

https://youtube.com/watch?v=ntG50eXbBtc

Official video of Spandau Ballet performing 'Gold' from their 1983 third album 'True'.

Gary Kemp wrote both the music and lyrics; the song was produced by the partnership of Steve Jolley and Tony Swain. The music video was filmed on location in Carmona, Spain and directed by Brian Duffy. The video featured Sadie Frost as a gold-painted nymph, in one of her earlier roles. Some parts of the music video were also filmed in Leighton House, which was also used in the video for "Golden Brown" by The Stranglers.

Spandau Ballet are one of Britain’s great iconic bands having sold over 25 million records, scored numerous multi-platinum albums and amassed 23 hit singles across the globe since their humble beginnings as a group of friends with dreams of stardom in the late 1970s. It wasn’t long before they became fully-fledged members of the iconic Blitz Club scene and established themselves as one of the super-groups of the 80s.

The band's classic line-up features brothers Gary and Martin Kemp on guitars, vocalist Tony Hadley, saxophonist Steve Norman and drummer John Keeble.

Spandau Ballet’s hits include Gold, True, To Cut A Long Story Short, Through The Barricades and many more.

News

The Australian Financial Review wins Media Man 'Newspaper Of The Month' award

Roy Morgan wins Media Man 'News Services Business Of The Month' award

Sky News Australia wins Media Man 'Australian Media Outlet Of The Month' award

News/Profile

Mad Men

Mad Men is a critically acclaimed American period drama series created by Matthew Weiner that aired on AMC from 2007 to 2015. Set primarily in the 1960s, the show centers on the high-pressure world of Madison Avenue advertising and the enigmatic personal and professional life of Don Draper (Jon Hamm), a talented creative director at the fictional Sterling Cooper agency.

Core Premise and Themes

The series explores the "Golden Age" of advertising, where image is everything and truth is often a secondary concern. It serves as a historical tour of 1960s America, depicting major cultural shifts including the Civil Rights Movement, the Cold War, and the changing roles of women in society.

Key themes include:

Identity and Secrets: Much of the plot revolves around characters—specifically Don Draper—hiding their true pasts while creating new personas.

Ambition and Power: The series tracks the cutthroat competition within the office and the rise of characters like Peggy Olson from secretary to head copywriter.

Social Change: It examines the sexism, racism, and shifting moral codes of the era with high attention to historical authenticity.

Main Cast and Characters

Don Draper (Jon Hamm): The mysterious, charismatic creative lead whose hidden past haunts his professional success.

Peggy Olson (Elisabeth Moss): A pioneering career woman who starts as Don's secretary and eventually becomes his intellectual equal.

Pete Campbell (Vincent Kartheiser): An ambitious, entitled young executive from a wealthy family who often clashes with Don.

Betty Draper/Francis (January Jones): Don’s wife, who struggles with the stifling expectations of being a 1960s suburban housewife.

Joan Holloway/Harris (Christina Hendricks): The savvy office manager who uses her intelligence and power to navigate the firm's gender dynamics.

Roger Sterling (John Slattery): A witty, hard-drinking founding partner of the agency and Don's mentor-figure.

Accolades and Legacy

Emmy Awards: Mad Men was the first basic cable series to win the Primetime Emmy for Outstanding Drama Series, a feat it accomplished for four consecutive years (2008–2011).

Critical Impact: It is widely regarded as one of the greatest television dramas of all time, ranked 6th by TV Guide and 7th by the Writers Guild of America on their respective "best of" lists.

Visual Style: The show is noted for its meticulous production design and costume work, which revitalized interest in mid-century modern aesthetics.

Where to Watch

As of early 2026, the series is available for streaming on platforms such as Netflix, Disney+, and AMC+, depending on your region.

Media Man: Strong thumbs up. Must watch for media execs and media/ad execs to be! Watch and learn (or unlearn)!!!

News

Silicon Valley

Silicon Valley refers primarily to a global center of high technology and innovation in the southern San Francisco Bay Area. It also commonly refers to the acclaimed HBO comedy series that satirizes this culture.

Silicon Valley

The Region

Location: Geographically, it encompasses Santa Clara County, southeastern San Mateo County, and parts of the East Bay, with San Jose serving as its largest city.
Origins: The name was coined in 1971 by journalist Don Hoefler, referring to the high concentration of silicon chip (semiconductor) manufacturers in the Santa Clara Valley.

Economic Impact: As of 2026, it remains the premier hub for venture capital, receiving approximately one-third to 40% of all U.S. venture investment.

Key Companies: It is headquarters to global giants including Apple (Cupertino), Google/Alphabet (Mountain View), Meta (Menlo Park), Intel (Santa Clara), and Nvidia.

Current Trends (2026): While still a dominant force, the region faces challenges such as extreme wealth inequality and a continued "wealth tax" flight where some billionaires and companies relocate to states like Texas.

The Television Series

Premise: A satirical comedy created by Mike Judge that follows Richard Hendricks and his startup, Pied Piper, as they navigate the absurdities of the tech industry.

Run: The show aired on HBO for six seasons from 2014 to 2019, totaling 53 episodes.

Cast: Stars included Thomas Middleditch, T.J. Miller, Kumail Nanjiani, Martin Starr, and Zach Woods.

Mining/Energy/Resources/Biz/Politics/Culture

Australia and World

January 2026

Jan 16

Markets

Australian Dollar: $0.6701 USD (up $0.0021 USD)
Iron Ore: $107.20 USD (down $1.05 USD)
Oil Price: $59.05 USD (down $0.89 USD)
Gold Price: $4,614.43 USD (down $19.13 USD)
Copper Price): $5.9890 USD (down $0.0970 USD)
Bitcoin: $95,584.86 -1.47%
Dow Jones: 49,401.51 (up 251.88 points)

News

Rivals Rio and BHP ponder tie-up to help open new Pilbara deposits

BHP and Rio Tinto are considering a tie-up that would see them mine an previously inacessible iron ore deposit on the boundary of their adjoining Yandi and Yandicoogina operations in Western Australia's Pilbara region. The tie-up would see the two companies mine 200 million tonnes of ore, with mining expected to commence early next decade, with BHP and Rio having previously joined forces in 2023 to mine the Mungadoo Pillar, which also 'unlocked' ore on a shared boundary. (RMS)

News

Trump backs warfare-focused critical minerals reserve

The federal government's critical minerals strategic reserve is being tailored to help meet the needs of the US military in the wake of Chinese trade restrictions on minerals used in weapon-making. The reserve is likely to operate under a floor and ceiling price system, and President Donald Trump has issued a directive under the Trade Expansion Act that commits the US to working with its allies on adopting "price floors" for trade in "processed critical minerals and their derivative products". Resources Minister Madeleine King says the reserve is of "great interest to our friends in the US", while the government has prioritised three minerals that are vital in modern warfare - antimony, gallium and rare earths - in the strategic reserve. (RMS)

News

Top

Industry frustrated over delay to WA emissions reforms

The Western Australian government promised in October 2024 to hand over responsibility for policing greenhouse gas emissions to Canberra, a pledge that angered environmental groups and the WA Greens. It was welcomed by the resources sector, which was told the changes would take only months to implement, but as of January 2026, they have not happened. As a result, many resources and energy companies operating in WA are still having to report their missions to both the WA and federal governments, a situation that is causing confusion and frustration in the sector. (RMS)

News

LNG importers confident despite reservation plan

Squadron Energy's CEO Rob Wheals says LNG import terminals will be vital to the success of the federal government's domestic gas reservation scheme, and the facilities will be necessary. The Andrew Forrest-backed Squadron has invested more than $200m in its import terminal at Port Kembla in NSW. Wheals notes that the gas reservation scheme will primarily affect LNG exporters in Queensland rather than increasing gas supply in NSW and Victoria, because the gas pipelines linking Queensland to the southern states are already operating at capacity most of the time. (RMS)

News

Steps to valuing BlueScope

SGH and Steel Dynamics have launched a $30 per share bid for steelmaker BlueScope, but a scenario has been suggested that could see BlueScope valued by as much as $50 in five years time. The key figure in determining that amount is the $2 billion in cash flow that BlueScope is currently generating, and it will need to demonstrate how that figure can be maintained or boosted and how it can be used for the benefit of shareholders; it will also need to show it has no more large capital expenditure plans in mind. (RMS)

News

US president's family in talks to build Trump Tower in Surfers Paradise

It is understood that the Trump Organisation is in discussion with developers over plans to construct Australia's first Trump Tower in Surfers Paradise on the Gold Coast, with the Trump Organisation being the family business of US President Donald Trump. It is believed that the site under consideration is located on Trickett Street and was once home to the Iluka Resort, while the office of Gold Coast Mayor Tom Tate says that it would be a "great outcome for Surfers Paradise and the Gold Coast" if the idea was to go ahead. (RMS)

News

Kalshi, Polymarket race to crack ‘multis’ as sports bet stakes rise

Kalshi and Polymarket are racing to build enough liquidity to offer lucrative multi-leg sports bets, as the fast-growing prediction market providers intensify their efforts to upend the $US14 billion ($20.1 billion) US sports gambling industry.

The bets, known as “multis” in Australia, “parlays” in the US and “accumulators” in the UK, deliver bettors a big payout if a series of wagers come good. But while they form a cornerstone of the mainstream sports gambling market, parlays are difficult for prediction markets to facilitate.

Prediction markets allow gamblers to bet on binary outcomes of future events, such as the result of a football match, with the prices and implied odds determined by how participants bet.

To offer parlays, prediction markets have to establish liquidity pools for each individual bet, whereas traditional gambling groups, such as DraftKings and FanDuel owner Flutter, can simply bundle preset odds.

“The current downfall [of prediction markets] is their inability to offer the same range of exotic bets that US gamblers love so much, like same-game parlays ... but the market is beginning to find a way to serve certain sports,” said Adam Rivers, a managing director at consultancy Alvarez & Marsal. (AFR) *Full article and coverage via subscription to The Australian Financial Review

News

The Australian Financial Review wins Media Man 'Newpspaer Of The Month' award

News Lead Up

Jan 15

Mining/Exploration/Minerals

Japan plums the depths for rare earths

The Japanese government hopes a deep-sea exploration program will kickstart a domestic critical minerals program and reduce the nation's reliance on China for rare earths. A Japanese mining vessel will shortly commence a drilling program beneath the seabed around Minamitori Island. Mud from six kilometres beneath the seabed is believed to contain high levels of rare earths; it will be extracted by the vessel, and a full-scale mining trial could begin in 2027 if the test phase is successful. The Japanese government has invested about 40 billion yen ($374m) in the project since 2018; the project's importance has been underlined by China's latest move to restrict exports of critical minerals. (RMS)

News

ASX higher as energy offsets bank sell-off

The Australian sharemarket edged higher on Wednesday, with the S&P/ASX 200 adding 0.1 per cent to close at 8,820.6 points. BHP rose 1.1 per cent to $48.12, Beach Energy was up 5.2 per cent at $1.20 and Neuren Pharmaceuticals advanced 6.1 per cent to end the session at $20.47. However, the Commonwealth Bank was down 1.3 per cent at $152.88, Mayne Pharma shed 2.3 per cent to end the session at $2.94 and BlueScope Steel finished 0.3 per cent lower at $29.76. (RMS)

News

Virgin's pet-friendly flights trial extended

Virgin Australia has advised that its trial of pet-friendly flights on some domestic routes will be extended until the end of June. The trial on flights between Melbourne and the Gold Coast and Sunshine Coast began in October and was initially slated to end in late January. Up to four small cats and dogs are allowed to travel in airplanes' cabins with their owners, and more than 300 pets travelled in this way during the peak Christmas period. Virgin is believed to be planning to expand its pet-friendly flights to include the Adelaide, Launceston and Canberra routes, amid positive feedback from pet owners, cabin crew and passengers who do not have pets. (RMS)

News

Balance of power shifts in job hunt

Research from global recruitment firm Robert Half shows that the balance of power in Australia's corporate jobs market is shifting from employers to highly-skilled candidates. The firm's survey of 500 hiring managers across a range of sectors has found that 88 per cent of candidates have rejected a job offer in the last year. Some 32 per cent said they had received a better offer, and 31 per cent said the proposed salary or compensation package was not competitive. Emma Sestic from Robert Half notes that candidates with a strong skillset match and a strong fit with an organisation's values will often have a choice of jobs. (RMS)

News

Time to right a Rio wrong

Rio Tinto's proposed merger with Glencore should not be approved until its previous undertakings are honoured and control of Rio's Australian assets is returned to the Australian-listed company in the dual-listed structure. That company must have an Australian-based CEO and at least three Australians on its board; if Rio Tinto believes that this is administratively too hard, control of the whole Rio Tinto operation should come to Australia. Rio Tinto's London board has proved to be a disaster over the last three decades, so shareholders stand to benefit from proper management. (RMS)

News

Rio Tinto, Glencore deal could spark wave of mining takeovers

Rio Tinto would overtake BHP as the world's biggest mining company if its proposed merger with Glencore proceeds. Brian Szeto from Morningstar DBRS says this deal would most likely put pressure on BHP to pursue its own mega-merger. BHP has in recent years made four attempts to merge with Anglo American, but the latter opted to merge with Teck Resources. Meanwhile, Szeto adds that 2026 is likely to be a big year for mergers and acquisitions acrosss the mining sector. Freeport-McMoRan, Vale and China's Zijin Mining Group are among the other big miners that could potentially seek expansion opportunities. (RMS)

News

BHP less likely to gatecrash Rio deal

BHP is not expected to make a rival bid for Glencore; it is believed to ascribe less value to Glencore's copper assets than Rio Tinto, and is said to have doubts about Glencore's ability to meet its annual copper production targets. Meanwhile, Rio Tinto has a deadline of 5 February under the UK's Takeover Code to announce a firm intention to make a formal bid for Glencore. Sources have indicated that Rio Tinto CEO Simon Trott will not be rushed with regard to the proposed merger. The team of banks that Rio Tinto has engaged to advise on the deal include JPMorgan, Macquarie and Evercore; Simon Robey is a senior executive of the latter, and previously helped to advise Rio Tinto on Glencore's merger offer in 2014. (RMS)

News

Gold heads to $US7000 in '70s echo

The price of gold rose by 65 per cent during calendar 2025, and Cameron Judd from the Victor Smorgon Group says the current bull market in bullion has similarities to the 'supercycle' from 1978 to 1980. The gold price rose by 127 per cent in 1979, amid strong demand for 'safe haven' assets in response to geopolitical turmoil such as the Iranian Revolution and the Soviet Union's invasion of Afghanistan. Judd says that based on the rise in the gold price in 1980, the precious metal could potentially peak at more than $US7,000 per ounce in 2025; it recently reached a record high of $US4,634 an ounce. (RMS)

News

Lithium tops $US2000 as rally roars on

Rising demand for lithium saw the price of the battery metal rise above $US2,000 per tonne earlier this week, reaching this level for the first time in more than two years. Data from S&P Global Platts shows that the price of spodumene - the type of lithium that is mined in Australia - has in turn risen to $US2,305 per tonne; Barrenjoey still expects the price of spodumene to reach $US3,250 per tonne in 2026. Meanwhile, Bell Potter has upgraded its recommendation on PLS Group's share to from 'sell' to 'hold'; the firm has 'buy' ratings on Liontown Resources and Mineral Resources, and has increased its share price targets for all three stocks. (RMS)

News

Bitcoin aims to break out of a corrective rebound

Market Overview

The crypto market capitalisation has shown a slight increase to $3.26T over the past 24 hours, as it paused its growth, releasing steam after rallying to a total capitalisation of $3.30T. The recovery to a two-month high still keeps the market within a typical corrective rebound of 61.8% of the initial downward momentum. Although it would be too hasty to ignore the sequence of rising local lows, it is still worth being prepared for the recovery momentum to lose steam.

Bitcoin rose to $98K on Wednesday, gaining for the third day during the US session, while Asian and European trading saw a correction and lull, respectively. The price of BTC touched the 61.8% level of the decline from the peak of $126K to the November lows of $80K. Further growth from these levels, especially exceeding $100K, will be an important signal that the decline in October and November may have been a deep correction, but did not break the bull market.

The relatively small Dash coin is experiencing an impressive rally, gaining over 130% since the beginning of the week. Technically, buyers pushed off the 200-day moving average, which had been providing support since September. The last comparable rise in scale was in early November, after which the price fell even lower over the next month and a half. It seems that the main reason for the growth is insufficient liquidity and the pump & dump approach, rather than the start of the alt season.

News Background

The revival of institutional demand signals that investors are actively reallocating capital after a period of caution and risk reduction at the end of last year, according to LVRG Research.

For the first time since mid-2022, the 52-week correlation between Bitcoin and gold has fallen to zero. Historically, the decoupling of these assets has preceded rallies in the first cryptocurrency.

According to Validator Queue, the number of coins locked in Ethereum staking has reached a new all-time high. There are 35.8 million ETH in the Beacon Chain network, which is 29.57% of the market supply of the second-largest cryptocurrency by capitalisation.

Liquidity in cryptocurrencies ceased to be distributed evenly last year, mainly concentrating in Bitcoin, Ethereum and a few other major coins, Wintermute notes. The situation arose against the backdrop of large institutional players actively entering the market. (FxPro)

News

Jan 15

Cryptocurrency News

The crypto market has made a breakthrough

Market Overview

The crypto market capitalisation has increased by almost 5% over the past 24 hours to $3.25T. This rise above previous local highs confirms the formation of a bullish trend with a sequence of higher local highs and lows. The crypto market has few technical obstacles until it reaches $3.32T, which is the classic Fibonacci retracement level of 61.8% of the decline from the peak in early October.

The sentiment index jumped to 48. Although this is the lower half of the sentiment range, we are seeing the highest values for the indicator since the end of October, reflecting a significant change in sentiment. The crypto market did not need support from US stock indices for this, but metals and Asian markets still updated their highs.

Bitcoin is trading above $95K, its highest since November 17th. It managed to push off the 50-day MA, exceed previous highs and confirm a sequence of higher lows. What other bullish signals do you need? Technically, BTC now has a clear path towards the $100-106K area, limited by the psychologically crucial round level from below and the 200-day MA from above.

News Background

The weakening of the US dollar will be a powerful catalyst for Bitcoin’s growth, according to analysts David Brickell and Chris Mills. In their opinion, the first cryptocurrency is the optimal asset for trading depreciation.

Bitcoin is simultaneously forming three serious signals for a decline, notes analyst Doctor Profit. In his opinion, reaching the $70K level is ‘only a matter of time.’

Strategy made its largest weekly purchase of bitcoins since July last year. Between January 5 and 11, the company purchased 13,627 BTC ($1.25 billion) at an average price of $91,519 per coin. Strategy now owns 687,410 BTC, purchased for $51.8 billion at an average price of $75,353 per bitcoin.

BitMine added 24,266 ETH to its crypto reserves last week, accumulating a total of 4,167,768 ETH at an average price of $3,119. The company already owns 3.45% of the total Ethereum supply, with a stated target of 5%.

The collapse of Ethereum’s market value could disrupt the blockchain’s settlement mechanism and cause Ethereum’s infrastructure to collapse, according to a study by the Bank of Italy.

Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin outlined a set of technical requirements that will allow the blockchain to maintain long-term stability without the constant involvement of developers.
Spot crypto market trading volume reached $18.6 trillion at the end of 2025. The figure rose 9% from $17 trillion in 2024, according to CryptoQuant.

Cardano founder Charles Hoskinson called on White House cryptocurrency adviser David Sax to step down from his post for ‘complete failure.’ According to him, since the appointment of the ‘crypto czar’ at the end of 2024, the industry has not seen the progress that everyone was expecting. (FxPro)

News

Jan 14

The dollar does not tolerate dissent

US GDP growth is driven not by the White House, but by AI

The Bank of Japan's sluggishness is weighing on the yen.

JP Morgan believes that the White House's focus on lowering interest rates will have the opposite effect. Inflation will accelerate, and rates will rise. Donald Trump claims that Jamie Dimon is wrong and just wants rates to be high so that his bank can earn more. He went on to describe Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell as a “bad person” who, in his view, is hindering the prosperity of the American economy. The US economy is indeed pleasantly surprising. The World Bank has pointed to its resilience to tariffs and raised its GDP forecast for 2025 from 1.4% to 2.1% and for 2026 from 1.6% to 2.2%. The growth in these indicators is not based on White House policy, but on large-scale investments in artificial intelligence technology. However, Donald Trump has his own opinion on this matter.

According to the president, in 11 months, the American administration has achieved explosive growth in the economy and productivity, victory over inflation, and prosperity in investment. Is more to come?

However, we have to adjust the midterm election promotions. Inflation in the US may have fallen to 2.6-2.7%, but it is still significantly above the 2% target. GDP growth is impressive, but the cooling labour market is causing the Fed to cut the rate from 4.5% to 3.75% in 2025. Currently, FOMC officials believe that monetary policy is well-positioned. They intend to maintain a pause in the cycle, which supports the dollar. Meanwhile, the yen continues to get battered. Investors expect Sanae Takaichi to dissolve parliament and call new elections as early as February. This is leading to higher Japanese bond yields and a surge in USDJPY to 18-month highs, returning to the previous territory of currency intervention. The stronger the Liberal Democratic Party's footing, the more chances of higher fiscal stimulus. At the same time, the government may put pressure on the central bank to prevent interest rates from rising, as this increases the cost of servicing the national debt.

In this regard, Kazuo Ueda's speech on continuing the cycle of monetary policy normalisation while meeting the conditions required by the Bank of Japan can be seen as justifiable. Investors do not expect an overnight rate hike before June, which, against the backdrop of a prolonged pause by the Fed, allows USDJPY to rise. (FxPro)

News

Mining, Energy, Resources, Markets, Biz, Heavy Industry, Blue Collar, Energy, Culture, News

Australia, Asia Pacific And World

January 2026

Heavy Industry Awards

Mack Trucks wins Media Man 'Truck Manufacturer Of The Month' award

Caterpillar wins Media Man 'Heavy Equipment Manufacturer Of The Month' award

Bingo Industries wins Media Man 'Construction Brand Of The Month' award

Elders wins Media Man 'Agribusiness Of The Month' award

Landman wins Media Man 'Streaming Series Of The Month' award (Oil/mining industry based story via Paramount Plus)

Jim's Mowing wins Media Man 'Australian Business Of The Month' award

News

Pop Culture News

Landman (Paramount Plus)

(In Case You Missed It)

Plot

Set against the backdrop of the booming West Texas oilfields, Landman follows Tommy Norris (Billy Bob Thornton), a crisis manager and landman for an independent oil company. Tommy navigates cutthroat deals, family tensions, and moral dilemmas while trying to keep his business afloat. The story kicks off with an investigation into a fatal accident involving an out-of-town lawyer, weaving in elements of drug cartels.

Landman is an American drama television series created by Taylor Sheridan and Christian Wallace, inspired by Wallace's podcast Boomtown. It explores the high-stakes world of the oil industry in West Texas, blending themes of fortune-seeking, corporate intrigue, and personal drama amid roughnecks, billionaires, and geopolitical shifts.

The series premiered on Paramount+ on November 17, 2024, and has been renewed for a second season.

Landman: Season 2. Trailer (Paramount Plus)
https://youtube.com/watch?v=mhzQawESdqg

"You think you understand how this business works, but you don't." Things are heating up in the final Landman trailer. Season 2 premieres November 16, 2025, only on Paramount+.

"Death and a Sunset"
November 16, 2025

"Sins of the Father"
November 23, 2025

"Almost a Home"
November 30, 2025

"Dancing Rainbows"
December 7, 2025

"The Pirate Dinner"
December 14, 2025

"Dark Night of the Soul"
December 21, 2025

"Forever Is an Instant"
December 28, 2025

"Handsome Touched Me"
January 4, 2026

"Plans, Tears and Sirens"
January 11, 2026

"Tragedy and Flies"
January 18, 2026

News

Gold Movie

Trailer

Gold (YouTube Movies and TV)
https://youtube.com/watch?v=yc0S96OZhi0

News

Best Quotes

The best and biggest gold mine is in between your ears."

"You are a gold mine of potential power. You have to dig to find it and make it real."

"Your mind is like a gold mine, if you dig deep you will find something golden."

"Don't die without mining the gold in your mind."

"We're like goldfields. Until we dig deep to find what's inside us, our true potentials may be hidden forever."

"If you want to find gold, you've got to love the process of digging."

"Even if you're sitting on a gold mine, you still have to dig."

"Develop men the same way gold is mined"

"Don't go into the mine looking for dirt; instead, go in looking for the gold."

"A prospector's job is to remove dirt as quickly as possible"

Media Man

Roy Morgan wins Media Man 'News Services Provider Of The Month' award; Runner-ups: X, Google News, Yahoo! Finance

News

Markets

Jan 8

AUD -0.2% to US67.27¢

Bitcoin $91,371.91 -1.10%

Wall St:
Dow -0.7% S&P -0.2%
Nasdaq +0.3%
VIX +0.24 to 14.99
Gold -0.8% to $US4457.23 an ounce
Brent oil -0.9% to $US60.16 a barrel
Iron ore +2.4% to $US109.00 a ton

10-year yield:
US 4.13%
Australia 4.76%

News

The crypto market has hit the upper limit of its rebound

Market Overview

This week's strengthening of the crypto market has hit local resistance near the $3.2 trillion total capitalisation level. The market recovery in early December also stalled at around these levels, which is why the current level is attracting some cautious sellers. For now, the recovery is being stifled by intense selling pressure, which allows us to remain cautious about the near-term outlook.

The sentiment index has risen sharply over the last two days, buoyed by rising prices, and has returned to neutral territory from the fear zone. Notably, this shift in sentiment has been reflected in altcoins, which have experienced significant price increases since the start of the year.

On Monday and Tuesday, Bitcoin rose to the upper limit of its trading range since mid-November, at $95K, followed by a drop to $91K and a further recovery to $92.6K, where the quotes stand at the time of writing. Clearly, the easy part of the BTC rebound is behind us, and further growth can be seen as a signal of a prolonged recovery, which bears are still strongly resisting.

News Background

The risks of a deep fall in Bitcoin in the current market cycle remain limited, as do the chances of a significant rally. Bitcoin's four-year cycle remains in place, and 2026 is likely to be a period of consolidation and sideways movement, according to VanEck.

Over the past week, the Binance exchange has recorded the most significant inflow of Bitcoin and Ethereum in a month, amounting to nearly $2.4 billion. The inflow of cryptocurrency may be linked to holders' desire to sell their assets, according to CryptoOnchain.

The myth that crypto whales are aggressively buying up Bitcoin is not true. Their activity is overestimated due to distortions associated with the work of crypto exchanges, according to CryptoQuant. Exchanges consolidate funds from many small wallets into a few large ones for regulatory reasons, which leads to the misclassification of such activity.

A rare buy signal has appeared on the weekly Bitcoin chart according to the McMillan Volatility Band indicator, said analyst Lawrence McMillan. In the entire history of BTC, such a signal has appeared only three times, and each time it coincided with successful buying points.

According to Token Terminal, the Ethereum network has set a new record for the volume of stablecoin transfers. The figure in the fourth quarter of last year exceeded $8 trillion — in six months, the volume has almost doubled.

Starting this year, crypto services in 48 countries are required to begin collecting information on cryptocurrency transactions. Member states of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) intend to exchange this data to increase tax revenues. (FxPro)

News

Old fears about the euro have returned

The resurgence of the political crisis in France is weighing on EURUSD.

The US dollar is rising on expectations of strong labour market statistics.

Buy the rumour, sell the fact. The strengthening of the US dollar is due to expectations of positive labour market statistics, a chance of another easing from the Fed in March fell to 45%, and demand for safe-haven assets in a changing world. Donald Trump does not rule out the seizure of Greenland by force, while Denmark and the rest of Europe are talking about the collapse of NATO, and the US may take control of about 30% of world oil reserves. This allows them to dictate rules to the market.

One way or another, Donald Trump wants to lower rates to 1%, which, given the rapid growth of GDP, contradicts economic theory. However, if the composition of the FOMC changes, everything would be possible. In this regard, the court's verdict in the Lisa Cook case is of fundamental importance. A precedent may be set that gives the president the power to dismiss members of the Federal Reserve.

Donald Trump intends to achieve a further slowdown in inflation. Why not capture the president of Venezuela to accomplish this? Washington is now demanding that Caracas sell it 50 million barrels of oil and cut all ties with Beijing, Moscow, Tehran and Havana.

Deglobalisation is intensifying, and the world is becoming increasingly bipolar. In the short term, the greenback can benefit from growing demand for safe-haven assets.

The fall in EURUSD is also due to the vulnerability of the European economy. Following Italian and French inflation, consumer prices in Germany slowed in December from 2.6% to 2%. If the disinflation process gains momentum, the ECB may start to consider resuming its easing cycle, which is bearish for the euro.

According to Chancellor Friedrich Merz, some sectors of the German economy are in critical condition, and the government has not done enough in the eight months since he took office. The French Ministry of Finance announced that the budget deficit would rise to 5.4% if parliament did not compromise. As a result, the risks of a credit rating downgrade increased, and EURUSD moved south.

The strengthening of the US dollar caused gold to retreat. Nevertheless, the precious metal remains in a strong position. This is partly due to the likely increase in central bank activity in the bullion market in a bipolar world. (FxPro)

News

Silver

Extreme silver price moves to persist: Goldman

Stunning swings in the price of silver are “likely” to persist and volatility– averse investors should “remain cautious”, Goldman Sachs commodity strategists Lina Thomas and Daan Struyven said in a note.Silver prices rose 138 per cent in 2025 – the largest annual gain since 1979 when the Hunt brothers famously cornered the silver market – and are now trading in the high $70s, the strategists said.“As long as silver remains dislocated in the US and liquidity in London is not restored with silver from elsewhere, prices could rise even further if investor enthusiasm persists,” they also said.ETF holdings remain below their 2021 peak and are likely to rise further on Fed cuts and a potential ‘diversification’ theme, while net managed money on COMEX is below historical averages – suggesting investor demand is not overstretched despite the 138 per cent rally in 2025. Spot silver fell 3.6 per cent to $US78.13 an ounce at 2.54pm in New York trading on Wednesday (Thursday AEDT).

News

Markets Numbers Double Check

Jan 8

Australian Dollar: $0.6720 USD (down $0.0010 USD)
Iron Ore: $109.00 USD (up $2.45 USD)
Oil Price: $56.20 USD (down $0.69 USD)
Gold Price: $4,457.30 USD (down $27.66 USD)
Copper Price: $5.8480 USD (down 0.2055 USD)
Dow Jones: 48,977.67 (down 484.41 points)

News

ASX rises as inflation slows, miners rally

The Australian sharemarket posted a small gain on Wednesday, in response to a lower-than-expected inflation reading for November. The S&P/ASX 200 added 0.2 per cent to close at 8,695.6 points, while bond traders pared back expectations of an interest rate rise in February. Rio Tinto rose 1.6 per cent to $154.73 and Newmont Corporation was up 2.8 per cent at $155.50. However, Woodside Energy was down 2.8 per cent at $22.86 after President Donald Trump announced that Venezuela will supply the US with up to 50 million barrels of crude oil at market prices. (RMS)

News

As metal prices rip, fundies name top bets

The S&P/ASX 200 Resources Index gained 30 per cent during calendar 2025, which is its best performance since 2016. Sam Berridge from Perennial has identified PC Gold as one of the resources stocks that he expects to perform well in 2026, while Rick Squire from Acorn Capital favours Bellevue Gold. John Forwood from Lowell Resources in turn is upbeat about Alvo Minerals, while Matthew Langsford from Terra Capital likes rare earths miner Lindian Resources. (RMS)

News

BlueScope rejects $13.2bn bid

Directors of BlueScope Steel have formally rejected the $13.2bn takeover bid from SGH Limited and US-based Steel Dynamics, with chair Jane McAloon stating that it drastically undervalues the company. BlueScope has revealed that the two suitors had made the non-binding takeover offer on 12 December. However, the board chose not to diclose the offer to the market and advised the bidders that it would engage with them in mid-January in order to avoid disrupting Christmas for BlueScope's leadership team. BlueScope also recently disclosed that Steel Dynamics had made three previous takeover offers for the company. (Roy Morgan Summary)

News

A Kraken lesson to value

The takeover bid for BlueScope Steel raises similar issues to private equity firm Brookfield's failed bid for Origin Energy in 2023. Origin and BlueScope both have unique overseas assets that Australian markets tend to discount. It is important that BlueScope's directors do not make the same mistakes as Origin; its board endorsed Brookfield's bid based on short-term market considerations, rather than the huge long-term potential of assets such as its stake in UK-based Kraken Technologies. Likewise, BlueScope owns a substantial US steel business that appears to have considerable upside potential under the Trump administration. (RMS)

News

ASX miner cheers Trump's 'involvement' in Greenland

Energy Transition Minerals' MD Daniel Mamadou contends that the potential for increased US involvement in Greenland is a "positive", and that it will benefit companies which operate in the Danish self-governed territory. Energy Transition Minerals is engaged in a long-running dispute with the Greenland government over its Kvanefjeld rare earths project; the deposit also contains uranium, and the government banned uranium mining in 2021. Kvanefjeld is estimated to contain up to one billion tonnes of rare earth minerals, including terbium. Energy Transition Minerals' share price rose 44.9 per cent to $0.145 on Wednesday. (RMS)

News

Nickel price offers respite for last few Australian mines

The price of nickel has risen to $US18,785 per tonne in London trading, which is its highest level since October 2024. The rally follows Vale's decision to suspend nickel production in Indonesia until the nation's government approves its annual production plan. Meanwhile, Fitch Ratings subsidiary BMI has downgraded its nickel price forecast for 2026 due to expectations that the global surplus will rise; the firm now expects the nickel price to average $US15,000 per tonne. However, BMI is upbeat about the longer-term price outlook, contending that rising demand for nickel will reduce the glut. (RMS)

News

Japan Inc keeping close eye on Woodside CEO succession

Woodside Energy is widely tipped to select an internal candidate to succeed former CEO Meg O'Neill. However, industry sources claim that Woodside's key LNG buyers in Asia are concerned that some of the potential successors are largely unknown to them. Angus Rodger from Wood Mackenzie says that maintaining Woodside's relationship with its customers in countries such as Japan and South Korea will be a "natural focus" for the new CEO; he notes that expanding the company's gas and LNG operations in North America will also be a top priority. Woodside aims to appoint a new CEO by the end of March. (Roy Morgan Summary)

News

The Lead Up

Jan 6

BHP iron ore carrier docks in China after a month in limbo

A BHP spokesman has indicated that it is continuing to negotiate with China Mineral Resources Group regarding a long-running dispute over iron ore shipments. However, one of two bulk carriers was allowed to enter a Chinese port on 31 December, having been moored off the coast of China since late November; the second vessel carrying BHP's Pilbara iron ore has yet to dock at the port of Qingdao, having arrived in Chinese waters in early December. Meanwhile, BHP has declined to comment on whether CMRG is exerting pressure to change the index it uses to price iron ore shipments to China; recent media reports suggest that both Rio Tinto and Fortescue have agreed to do so. (Roy Morgan Summary)

News

AI digs out more profits at mining giant BHP

BHP's chief technical officer Johan van Jaarsveld says the resources group aims to generate annual savings and revenue gains of about $250m via the use of artificial intelligence technology. BHP is deploying AI across its operations, but it has had particular success at the Escondida copper mine in Chile. Machine learning technology has been used to help design the blast patterns that are used to break up orebodies at the mine; van Jaarsveld says mill throughout rose by five per cent on the day BHP started using the technology. (RMS)

News

Geologists uncover Earth's largest iron ore deposit ever recorded, worth $5.7 trillion

It was previously thought that the Pilbara Craton's iron ore bodies were formed at least two billion years ago. However, new dating techniques applied at key sites in the Hamersley Basin have concluded that these ore bodies were formed between 1.4 and 1.1 billion years ago; the new age range has been confirmed across multiple ore bodies in the region. The research has also found that the Pilbara Craton may contain about 55 billion metric tonnes of ore; this would be worth more than $5.7trn based on the current price of iron ore.(RMS)

News

Northern Star cops a crusher blow to forecast

Morgans Financial has downgraded its recommendation on Northern Star Resources' stock from 'accumulate' to 'hold' in response to the gold miner's reduced production guidance. Northern Star recently advised that it now expects to produce between 1.6 million and 1.7 million ounces of gold in 2025-26, compared with previous guidance of 1.7 million to 1.85 million ounces. The lower production outlook has been attributed to a series of equipment failures during the December quarter, including the breakdown of the primary crusher at the company's Kalgoorlie operations. (RMS)

News

Coronado halts Queensland production after death

Production at Coronado Global Resources' Mammoth coal mine in Queensland has been put on hold in the wake of a fatal accident. One worker died and another was injured on Friday when a roof collapsed at the underground mine, which is part of Coronado's Curragh mining complex. Resources Safety & Health Queensland will investigate the incident, which is the third fatality at Coronado's Queensland coal operations in recent years. A worker at its Lower War Eagle mine in the US also died in mid-December. (RMS)

News

Australia

Northern Star loses lustre as gold giant cuts production forecasts

Northern Star Resources has blamed a catalogue of equipment failures for slashing the amount of bullion it expects to produce this year, prompting investors to punish its stock.

Australia’s biggest listed gold miner took almost a month to alert the market that the primary crusher at its famed Super Pit mine in Western Australia had broken down in December.

Investors sold down Northern Star stock after the miner said it would produce up to 13 per cent less gold this year than previously forecast. Shares slumped 10 per cent on Friday, when the new estimate was first disclosed, and rose slightly to close at $24.95 on Monday after a call with analysts.

Northern Star, led by managing director Stuart Tonkin, had told investors that it now expected to produce as few as 1.6 million ounces in the year, down from earlier guidance of up to 1.85 million ounces.

“The full-year reduction has been necessary due to a number of isolated operational events late in the December quarter, which have largely now been rectified,” Tonkin told analysts on Monday.

“I’d like to reinforce our confidence in the underlying asset portfolio... Our long-term value creation strategy is sound,” he added.

The miner said the crusher problems at the Super Pit were expected to be resolved by the end of January, but that they were just the tip of the iceberg.

Other technical problems included a slip in the open-cut wall at its South Kalgoorlie mine in October, and a failure at its crushing circuit at Jundee that is twice as bad as previously anticipated, resulting in 20,000 fewer ounces than forecast. Simon Jessop, Northern Star’s chief operating officer, blamed October’s wall slip on heavy rainfall around Kalgoorlie. (AFR) *Full article and coverage via subscription to The Australian Financial Review

News

Australian Mining News

Tragic Incident at Queensland Coal Mine

A worker was found dead following a roof collapse at the Curragh coal mine in central Queensland. The incident occurred on January 2, with the miner trapped underground; search teams recovered the body on January 3-4. This has prompted investigations into safety protocols at the site, operated by Coronado Global Resources.

Acquisitions and Deals

IPD Group (ASX:IPG) acquired Platinum Cables, a key supplier of cables for the mining and resources sector, for $37.5 million. The deal aims to bolster electrification efforts in Australian mining operations.

Ongoing asset sales and agreements, such as Horizon Minerals divesting the Lake Johnston Project to Forrestania Resources for $35 million.

Capricorn Metals is advancing acquisition of the Yalgoo gold project in Western Australia from Tempest Minerals.

Critical Minerals and Future Outlook

Several ASX-listed companies are positioning for growth in critical minerals, with projects expected to ramp up supply in 2026. This includes advancements in rare earths processing (e.g., a new facility in Sydney set for completion) and antimony-gold developments.

Government support continues for domestic processing to reduce reliance on overseas supply chains.Industry Trends and ForecastsGold production remains strong, with high prices driving earnings forecasts to around $60 billion for 2025-26 and 2026-27.

Preparations for 2026 include industry-government alignments in Western Australia for decarbonisation, digital transformation, and critical minerals demand.

Workforce projections indicate over 22,000 new jobs from 96 mining and energy projects by 2030, though challenges like skills shortages persist.

Upcoming events: Future of Mining Australia 2026 conference and potential shareholder votes on major takeovers (e.g., Fortescue's interest in copper projects).

News

Pop Culture News

Landman (Paramount Plus)

(In Case You Missed It)

Plot

The series premiered on Paramount+ on November 17, 2024, and has been renewed for a second season.

Landman: Season 2. Trailer (Paramount Plus)
https://youtube.com/watch?v=mhzQawESdqg

"You think you understand how this business works, but you don't." Things are heating up in the final Landman trailer. Season 2 premieres November 16, 2025, only on Paramount+.

"Death and a Sunset"
November 16, 2025

"Sins of the Father"
November 23, 2025

"Almost a Home"
November 30, 2025

"Dancing Rainbows"
December 7, 2025

"The Pirate Dinner"
December 14, 2025

"Dark Night of the Soul"
December 21, 2025

"Forever Is an Instant"
December 28, 2025

"Handsome Touched Me"
January 4, 2026

"Plans, Tears and Sirens"
January 11, 2026

"Tragedy and Flies"
January 18, 2026

News

Gold Movie

Trailer

Gold (YouTube Movies and TV)
https://youtube.com/watch?v=yc0S96OZhi0

News

Best Quotes

The best and biggest gold mine is in between your ears."

"You are a gold mine of potential power. You have to dig to find it and make it real."

"Your mind is like a gold mine, if you dig deep you will find something golden."

"Don't die without mining the gold in your mind."

"We're like goldfields. Until we dig deep to find what's inside us, our true potentials may be hidden forever."

"If you want to find gold, you've got to love the process of digging."

"Even if you're sitting on a gold mine, you still have to dig."

"Develop men the same way gold is mined"

"Don't go into the mine looking for dirt; instead, go in looking for the gold."

"A prospector's job is to remove dirt as quickly as possible"

"A prospector who analyses every speck of dirt won't find much gold"

"The world is sitting on a gold mine but knows it not." "Make new friends, but keep the old; Those are silver, these are gold."

"All that is gold does not glitter."

"Gold is forever. It is beautiful, useful, and never wears out"

"Gold is the money of kings"

"Mining is the art of exploiting mineral deposits at a profit. An unprofitable mine is fit only for the sepulcher of a dead mule."

"Anyone can find the dirt in someone. Be the one that finds the gold."

"True gold fears no fire."

"The desire of gold is not for gold. It is for the means of freedom and benefit."

"Make new friends, but keep the old; Those are silver, these are gold."

"When taken for granted, gold in one's hand is sometimes considered like cheap copper – so are people."

Media Man

Roy Morgan wins Media Man 'News Services Provider Of The Month' award; Runner-ups: X, Google News, Yahoo! Finance

Markets, Mining, Rare Earths, Politics: Australia and USA Connection

Thirsty Thursday: Media Watercooler

Sin City, Sydney, Australia: From The Sea To The Outback And Beyond ...

October 2025

Oct 23

Australian Dollar: $0.6490 USD
Iron Ore: $104.15 USD (up $0.15 USD)
Oil: $59.22 USD (up $1.36 USD)
Gold: $4,092.94 USD (down $28.55 USD)
Copper: $5.0110 USD (up $0.0610 USD)
Bitcoin: $107,652.80 USD (down 2.81%)
Dow Jones: 46,590.41 (down 334.33 points)

Mining Stocks: (Near Live)

BHP Group Ltd $43.51
Fortescue Ltd $20.36
Rio Tinto $130.40
Northern Star $23.56
Evolution Mining Ltd $10.40
Lynas Rare Earths Ltd $18.33
Mineral Resources Ltd $41.02

Gold Price Today: 4,085.15 -12.66 -0.31%

News

Albanese-Trump Summit Secures $2 Billion Critical Minerals Deal Amid Rudd Backlash

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and U.S. President Donald Trump finalized a critical minerals framework on October 20, with each nation committing $1 billion to secure supply chains for rare earths and technology resources against Chinese influence. The agreement includes a projection for Australian superannuation funds to reach $1.44 trillion in U.S. investments by 2035 through independent growth. Trump's comment on Ambassador Kevin Rudd prompted initial calls for his dismissal from Opposition Leader Sussan Ley, which she later retracted amid internal Liberal Party criticism.

News

Cryptocurrency Sector For Most Is Flat At Present; Many Lost Gamble Over Past Week And Months!

News

Mining/Minerals

Critical minerals deal likened to Manhattan Project

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese says the $13bn critical minerals deal has taken the partnership between Australia and the US to "another level". He has also described the deal as a job-creating "game changer" for Australia. The US Secretary of the Interior, Doug Burgum, has in turn emphasised the importance of critical minerals in giving the US an advantage in artificial intelligence technology; he has stated that winning the AI arms race will be just as important to the US as the Manhattan Project was in building the first atom bomb. (RMS)

News

China's reaction to the Trump-Albanese talkfest

Experts say the Chinese government is unlikely to be unduly concerned about Australia's critical minerals and rare earths deal with the US. Fudan University's dean of international studies, Wu Xinbo, says the key issue is the processing of rare earths, rather than mining them. Wu, who is also an adviser to China's foreign affairs ministry, argues that it will take a long time for countries such as Australia and the US to build the same rare earths processing capacity as China. Meanwhile, China's response to the Australia-US deal has been somewhat restrained to date, but Richard McGregor from the Lowy Institute says this could change if China feels that it is being unfairly locked out of investing in Australia's rare earths sector. (SMH/RMS)

News

Restrict sales of critical minerals: NT Chief Minister

The Northern Territory's Chief Minister Lia Finocchiaco says it makes sense for Australia to develop resources such as critical minerals in the national interest and in the interest of allies such as the US. She adds that China has developed its mineral resources for its people and industries, so Australia and the US should do so as well. Finocchiaco contends that there is a strong case for restricting the sale of rare earths and other critical minerals to China in the wake of the landmark agreement between Australia and the US. China's dominance in the processing of critical minerals has been is partly built on supply from mines in Australia and the US. (Roy Morgan Summary)

News

Defence orders brutal cost cuts

The federal government still aims to increase defence spending by $5.7bn over the next four years and $57bn over a decade. However, the budget papers from May show that defence spending is slated to rise by just $770m overall in 2025-26 and $730m in 2026-27. This has prompted the Australian Defence Force to implement austerity measures; the Chief of the Air Force, Stephen Chappell, recently commissioned reviews of capability priorities and sustainment costs. The Chief of the Defence Force, David Johnston, has in turn imposed a cap on the number of days ADF reservists can work each year. The spending restraints have coincided with the rising cost of the AUKUS submarines program and projects such as the Hunter-class frigates. (Roy Morgan Summary)

News

'No one's going to get money back': Taxpayers exposed to $130m hit in Rex sale

Regional Express Holdings' shareholders will not recover any of their investment following the collapsed airline's sale to US-based Air T. Ian Douglas, an honorary senior lecturer at the University of NSW, also doubts that creditors will recover any money. They include the federal government, which initially provided Rex Airlines with an $80m loan to enable it to keep servicing regional routes after going into administration in mid-2024; the government subsequently bought $50m of Rex's debt from one of its creditors. Douglas adds that the government may have to continue funding Rex to ensure that it continues to provide regional flights.

News

ASX falls as gold, rare earths stocks tumble

The Australian sharemarket retreated on Wednesday, after a sharp fall in the gold price weighed on resources stocks; the S&P/ASX 200 fell 0.7 per cent to close at 9,030 points. Newmont Corporation shed 9.6 per cent to end the session at $131.36 and Arafura Rare Earths was down 13.5 per cent at $0.42. However, Woodside Energy rose 3.5 per cent to $23.17, Adairs was up 8.3 per cent at $2.36 and 4DMedical advanced 2.8 per cent to finish at $1.85. (RMS)

News

Gold hits wall just as $1b pours into ETFs

Data from Global X shows that inflows into Australian-listed gold exchange-traded funds have totalled $997bn so far in 2025. The previous calendar-year record of $981m was set at the height of the pandemic in 2020. The record inflows have coincided with a sharp fall in the price of both gold and silver, with the bullion price posting its biggest one-day fall in 12 years. However, strategists have downplayed the fall in the gold price, arguing that gold producers will continue to make big profits given that the price of bullion remains well above the average cost of production. (RMS)

News

Southern Cross to save $30m but core jobs 'safe'

Southern Cross Media Group's chairman Heith Mackay-Cruise says the vast majority of its shareholders support the proposed merger with Seven West Media. He adds that while Southern Cross's board listens to the views of shareholders, it makes decisions based on what is in the best interests of the company, which may not necessarily be in the best interests of a particular shareholder. Mackay-Cruise adds that the company's employees will not be impacted by the merger, with no changes to its on-air hosts, producers or sales teams. (RMS)

News

Entertainment/Arts

Indian films out-perform Australian releases at the local box office

A new report shows that Australian box-office takings for Indian films are expected to top $50m in 2025, compared with $32.5m in 2021. In contrast, ticket sales for Australian films are forecast to fall from $54.2m in 2021 to just $16.8m this year. The report has been released by film industry executive Nick Hayes, who says films in Hindi, Telugu and other Indian languages are now the third-most popular in Australia, behind US and British films. The report also notes that the market share of English-language films in Australia has fallen to 91 per cent since 2021. (RMS)

News

Lithium miners cool on Labor price floor plan

Resources Minister Madeleine King has stated that a guaranteed price floor could be a key part of the federal government's proposed critical minerals strategic reserve. The rare earths industry is generally supportive of a price floor, although sources have indicated that there is lack of agreement on the issue amongst major lithium producers. Cameron Perks from Benchmark Mineral Intelligence believes that lithium miners are likely to oppose a price floor, as such a mechanism tends to benefit new projects rather than companies that already have operating mines. (RMS)

News

Controversial rare earth mine in Victorian town fast-tracked by government deal

Astron Corporation's proposed Donald rare earths and mineral sands mine in regional Victoria has been given 'major project status' by the federal government. The mine, which is a joint venture between Astron and US-based Energy Fuels, has already received final approval from the state government. Astron's MD Tiger Brown says the company aims to make a final investment decision on the Donald project by the end of 2025. The mine is expected to eventually be the fourth-largest rare earth mine outside of China. (RMS)

News

Best Quotes

The best and biggest gold mine is in between your ears."

"You are a gold mine of potential power. You have to dig to find it and make it real."

"Your mind is like a gold mine, if you dig deep you will find something golden."

"Don't die without mining the gold in your mind."

"We're like goldfields. Until we dig deep to find what's inside us, our true potentials may be hidden forever."

"If you want to find gold, you've got to love the process of digging."

"Even if you're sitting on a gold mine, you still have to dig."

"Develop men the same way gold is mined"

"Don't go into the mine looking for dirt; instead, go in looking for the gold."

"A prospector's job is to remove dirt as quickly as possible"

"A prospector who analyses every speck of dirt won't find much gold"

"The world is sitting on a gold mine but knows it not." "Make new friends, but keep the old; Those are silver, these are gold."

"All that is gold does not glitter."

"Gold is forever. It is beautiful, useful, and never wears out"

"Gold is the money of kings"

"Mining is the art of exploiting mineral deposits at a profit. An unprofitable mine is fit only for the sepulcher of a dead mule."

"Anyone can find the dirt in someone. Be the one that finds the gold."

"True gold fears no fire."

"The desire of gold is not for gold. It is for the means of freedom and benefit."

"Make new friends, but keep the old; Those are silver, these are gold."

"When taken for granted, gold in one's hand is sometimes considered like cheap copper – so are people."

Media Man

Roy Morgan wins Media Man 'News Services Provider Of The Month' award; Runner-ups: X, Google News, Yahoo! Finance

Markets, Cryptos and Culture

October 23, 2025

Sin City Sydney, Australia
Gold lost more shine!

ASX futures down 52 points/0.6% to 8983

Wall Street:
S&P 500 -0.5%
Dow Jones -0.7%
Nasdaq -0.9%
Europe: Stoxx 50 -0.8%
FTSE +0.9%
DAX -0.7%
CAC -0.6%

Australian dollar: US64.89 cents

Bitcoin -3.3% to $US108,067

Gold -0.5% to $US4102.77 per ounce
Oil +4.2% to $US59.67 a barrel
Brent crude oil +4% to $US63.74 a barrel
Iron ore +0.6% to $US104.15 per ton

10-year yield:
US 3.95%
Australia 4.11%
Germany 2.56%

News Update: (Near Live)

Bitcoin:

New York/Wall St via Mr Wolf!
Oct 22

Cryptos Today:
(Near Live) Moody: Part Corrective! Up Again! Salt Of The Earth In Metals Right Chess Move?! Trump Trade Done! All That Glitters Not Digital Gold?!

Bitcoin $107,034.44 -3.50%
Ethereum $3,748.00 -5.13%
Tether $1.0002 -0.03%
Binance Coin $1,060.11 -1.96%
XRP $2.3425 -5.84%
Solana $178.75 -6.74%
TRON $0.3188 -1.61%
Dogecoin $0.1876 -5.97%
Cardano $0.6166 -6.86%

Market part corrective again! Mood: Suspicious! Regaining smiles a little! Hardcores keep the dream! Never give up! Pivot if required!

Media Man Favs:

(Near Live)
Wall St, New York

TKO Group Holdings Inc $186.97 +0.81 +0.44%
NVIDIA Corp $180.28 -0.88 -0.49%
Formula One Group Series C $97.78 +0.64 +0.66%
Alphabet Inc Class A $251.69 +1.23 +0.49%
News Corp Class A $26.25 -0.13 -0.49%
Netflix Inc $1,116.37 -10.07%
Caterpillar Inc $513.91 -10.74 -2.05%
Trump Media & Technology Group Corp $15.66
-0.30 -1.88%
Tesla Inc $438.97 -3.63 -0.82%
Walt Disney Co $113.08 -1.22 -1.07%
Wynn Resorts Ltd $119.39 -1.74 -1.44%
Meta Platforms Inc $733.41 +0.14 +0.019%
BHP Group Ltd $43.51 -0.62 -1.40%
Mercedes Benz Group ADR $15.30 -0.33 -2.11%
Elders Ltd $7.39 -0.15 -1.99%
Rio Tinto Ltd $130.40 -1.49 -1.13%

News
Japanese bulls went to recharge

For the first time in Japan, a woman has become prime minister. Although this result was largely anticipated, lingering risks led to a noticeable market response. However, the overall effect so far has been to sell Japanese assets, from the yen to stocks.

Takaichi’s position (stimulating the economy and lowering interest rates) has led to speculative buying in Japanese stocks. From its lows in early October, the Nikkei 225 has risen by almost 13% and on Tuesday morning was on the verge of reaching 50,000. As it approached this psychologically important round level, a wave of profit-taking pushed the index down to 49,000 during the day. However, this technical sell-off has not yet changed the long-term positive outlook for the market. Takaichi is expected to intensify efforts to stimulate economic growth, focusing less on the budget balance and accumulated public debt.

On weekly timeframes, the Nikkei225 is close to, but has not yet entered, the overbought zone on the RSI. Over the past 10 years, powerful corrections after rallies have occurred when the index was close to 80, and now it is at 75. Overall, these are relatively high values, but in such cases, rallies often become extreme, knocking out the positions of early sellers. To be cont (FxPro)

News Flashback

Bitcoin: bull market may be in its final stages

Market Overview

The crypto market capitalisation fell by 3.1% to $3.65 trillion during the day. The bulls failed to push the market above the recent highs of $3.95 trillion, and we are seeing the formation of an active short-term downtrend. This will be confirmed if the next local low is $3.35 trillion. These levels are already below the 200-day average, which will attract the attention of long-term sellers. So, we continue to closely monitor market dynamics near $3.5 trillion, where a meaningful moving average is located.

Bitcoin at $108K has again fallen to its 200-day moving average. It is pointing upwards and is now 30% higher than the levels seen in March-April, when BTC last dipped below it. The spring scenario of prolonged consolidation around a critical line and a further breakout now looks like a hopeful scenario for bulls. However, there are still risks that the first prerequisites for the next prolonged bear market are forming.

News Background

BTC's rebound from its lows is encouraging, but the structure remains fragile. The decline in trading volumes on spot platforms and derivatives markets signals a decline in confidence and demand, according to Glassnode. According to Galaxy Digital CEO Mike Novogratz, the recent sharp correction in the crypto market is unrelated to manipulation. According to him, the leading sellers were long-term investors and miners. Sixty-seven per cent of institutional investors are optimistic about Bitcoin's prospects for the next three to six months, according to a Coinbase Institutional survey of 124 respondents. At the same time, 45% of institutional investors believe the bull market is in its late stages. Publicly traded companies continue to build up their crypto reserves. Strategy acquired 168 BTC over the past week. BitMine bought 203,826 ETH. According to Jefferies, in September, the profitability of BTC mining fell by more than 7%, and the daily income per 1 EH/s of hash rate decreased from $56,000 to $52,000. In October, a sharp correction in the asset increased pressure on the economics of its mining. (FxPro)

News

Oil prices could fall another 15% by the end of the year

Crude oil prices fell 0.7% on Monday after three consecutive weeks of decline. Global production is growing while global economic growth is slowing, putting pressure on prices. In addition, the risk premium on signing the gas agreement and intensifying efforts to resolve the Ukrainian conflict has begun to decline. At the same time, oil prices are far from oversold, leaving room for further decline in the coming months. Baker Hughes reported on Friday that 418 oil rigs are operating in the US, the same as a week earlier, undermining the recovery trend seen since August. However, America is increasing production efficiency, extracting more oil from each well.

Bloomberg noted that there are now nearly 1.2 billion barrels of oil at sea, a record since the peak in 2020, when US production was at historic highs and Saudi Arabia and Russia were fighting for market share, boasting of their potential.

The current situation strongly resonates with what happened more than five years ago. The latest weekly data showed a record high in daily production in the US, with supplies of 13.64 million barrels per day.

Inventory figures are a stabilising factor. Commercial inventories in the US are at the lower end of the range for the last decade, but they were about the same in January 2020, and six months later, this figure set a new record. However, without a collapse in consumption, such rapid growth should not be expected. The US government may also move to more actively rebuild the strategic petroleum reserve sold off in 2022.

The price of oil has been in a downward channel for just over three years, and at the end of September, it accelerated its decline as it approached the 50-week moving average and the upper limit of the range. The lower limit of this range is now close to $53 per barrel of Brent, with a decline towards the end of the year closer to $50.50 against the current $61.00.

The main scenario for oil is a decline towards $50 in the next 2-4 months. At the same time, the potential for an increase in US inventories is a potential stabilising factor. We assume that the situation with inventories is roughly similar worldwide, excluding the abundance of oil at sea. (FxPro)

News Flashback

Oil Holds Strong Despite Bearish Fundamentals

Weekly data from the EIA noted that the US returned to record oil production rates last week, supplying an average of 13.6 million barrels per day to the market, according to the latest EIA data. The trend towards increased supply began in August, but producers have only now returned to the peak levels recorded at the end of last year. Despite a 5.5-million-barrel increase in US commercial inventories over the past two weeks, inventories stay at the lower end of the range seen over the past decade, leaving considerable room for growth. The same can be said for the strategic reserve, which holds nearly 40% less oil than it did five years ago, before the start of the active sell-off. It is an interesting game in which, on the one hand, the US (the largest oil producer) is increasing supplies, while OPEC+ is increasing quotas on a monthly basis. This extremely bearish combination of factors did not cause oil prices to collapse; it was only because of global trade in currency depreciation that caused precious metals, stock indices, and cryptocurrencies to rise. Oil prices have not peaked in recent weeks .. To be cont .. (FxPro)

News

Gold hits new highs due to political turmoil

Gold is outside the realm of politics.

While currencies and securities depend on the actions of presidents and governments, precious metals do not. Therefore, political turmoil forces investors to use them as safe-haven assets.

The impressive 52% rally in gold started in April with the introduction of tariffs on America's Liberation Day. It continued due to the US government shutdown, the political crisis in France, and the change of leadership in Japan. he rise of gold above 4,000 dollars per ounce is not only the result of the weakness of fiat currencies. There are tectonic shifts in the structure of investment portfolios and fears of financial crises due to government recklessness.

The share of precious metals is growing both in speculators' assets and in the gold and foreign exchange reserves of central banks. The indicator has already exceeded the share of the euro. According to Eurizon Capital, if it equals the share of the US dollar, the price per ounce will soar to 8,500 dollars. The Supreme Court's abolition of tariffs will inflate the US budget deficit. France does not intend to reduce it, and Japan plans to increase bond issuance. All this creates a tailwind for commodity assets. (FxPro)

News

Politics remains the main driver of FX

The US government shutdown did not have a noticeable impact on the dollar's performance last week. However, it did help the stock market to grow slightly by strengthening expectations of monetary policy easing. However, these events pale in comparison to the change in Japan's ruling elite and the resignation of the French prime minister less than a day after the formation of the government in terms of their impact on the currency market. In Japan, Sanae Takaichi was chosen head of the Liberal Democratic Party over the weekend and is on track to become the country's first female prime minister. This event caused the yen to fall 2% to 150.49 from Friday's level before correcting to 149.80 at the time of writing. Takaichi is considered a supporter of aggressive government spending, structural reforms, and soft monetary policy, echoing the basic principles of Shinzo Abe. Overall, she has a more right-wing approach to national policy and is also a supporter of revising Japan's pacifist constitution. The market reaction clearly shows that they are considering Takaichi to be the new prime minister. If she does not change her political views (and she has softened them recently to win the party elections), we should be prepared for a further weakening of the yen, which reached its highest level since 1991 in the EURJPY pair, exceeding 176. However, the single currency is also facing uncertainty today due to a new political crisis in France. Prime Minister Lecornu, who had been trying to form a government for a month, resigned the day after he finally presented his new cabinet. His appointments drew criticism from both left-wing and right-wing allies. The EURUSD fell to 1.1650 at its lowest point on Monday, losing a full cent against Friday's levels. Unlike Japan, where a 2% drop in the JPY was accompanied by a 5% jump in the Nikkei225 index, France's CAC40 lost more than 2% intraday, paring its losses to 1.2% towards the end of the trading day in Europe. The EURUSD stopped its climb in July and has been hovering around 1.1700 all this time, not least because of the political crisis in France. Without it, the single currency would have had a much better chance of exploiting political divisions in the US to its advantage. It would be an exaggeration to call the situation in Japan and France a drama. Still, these events once again emphasise that as soon as the dollar's throne begin.

News

Pop Culture News

Dream Matches: Fantasy Booking/Sports; Media Man Group Dream Match Series; Crack The Code!

Million Dollar Man vs IRS
Michael Wall Street vs Billionaire Ted
Mr X vs Mr BTC
Mr Green vs Mr Cash
VKM vs Easy E
Vinnie Vegas vs Mr Corbin
Mr Corp Merch vs Mr Freelance
Masked Superstar vs John McAfee
Sid Justice vs Mr Blood Diamond
Mr Bluey Chipper vs Street Fighter - King Of The Streets Mr Dotcom vs Mr Wiki
Mr Gold vs Mr Green - Money In The Bank Ladder Match Khan vs Khan - Winner Take All Match
Mr Wolff vs The Cleaner
Mr News vs Mr Vice - U.S Market Footprint Stipulation Mr Paramount vs Mr Netflix
Mr ESPN vs Mr Fox
Mr Kross vs Mr H
Cesaro vs Rollins
Dirty Dom vs Mr AAA
Punks vs Egos
Kross vs H
Murdoch Title vs Title
Mr Black Coffee vs Mr Claudio's Cafe Blend
Mr Warner vs Mr Netflix: Broadway draw thus far! Re-match! Winner take all?!
TMZ vs Riddle UFC vs PFL
The Oracle vs Cincinnati, Ohio
Mr X vs Hollyweird
Succession vs Billions
Mouse House vs Art House
NFL vs UFL
ABC vs Mainstream Aussies
Reigns vs Blanka
Cody Rhodes vs Joe
E. Honda vs NJPW
Capcom vs Warner
Cena vs ACME
Combat Sports Players vs Father Time
NXT vs TNA Wrestling (Showdown, not Invasion)!
Alpha vs Meta
TED X vs The Others
WWE's Solo vs Western Australia
UFC Predator vs MMA Predator
Bulls vs Bears

News

Cryptocurrency Movies
Documentaries

The Rise and Rise of Bitcoin (2014)
Follows early Bitcoin adopter Daniel Mross, exploring Bitcoin’s origins, its volatile rise, and the community behind it. Great for understanding Bitcoin’s early days and its potential to disrupt finance.

Banking on Bitcoin (2016)
Examines Bitcoin’s history, ideological roots, and impact on global financial systems through interviews with pioneers and experts. A solid primer for newcomers.

Cryptopia: Bitcoin, Blockchains, and the Future of the Internet (2020)
Directed by Torsten Hoffmann, this documentary dives into blockchain’s broader applications beyond cryptocurrency, addressing scalability and regulatory challenges. Ideal for those interested in blockchain’s transformative potential.

Trust Machine: The Story of Blockchain (2018) Narrated by Rosario Dawson, it explores blockchain’s societal impact, from financial inclusion to voting systems. A comprehensive look at real-world applications.

Bitcoin: The End of Money as We Know It (2015)
Traces the history of money and introduces Bitcoin as a decentralized alternative, critiquing centralized financial systems. Features interviews with crypto experts.

Deep Web (2015) Narrated by Keanu Reeves, this documentary focuses on the Silk Road marketplace and its creator, Ross Ulbricht, highlighting Bitcoin’s role in dark web transactions.

Bitconned (2024) Explores the Centra Tech crypto scam, detailing how three individuals defrauded investors during the 2010s crypto boom. A cautionary tale about unregulated markets.

Feature Films

Crypto (2019)
A crime thriller starring Beau Knapp, Luke Hemsworth, and Kurt Russell. It follows a young anti-money laundering agent investigating corruption and cryptocurrency in his hometown. Critics note its exaggerated portrayal but praise its entertainment value.

Silk Road (2021)
A dramatization of Ross Ulbricht’s creation of the Silk Road, a dark web marketplace using Bitcoin. It explores his rise and fall, blending crime and drama.

Dope (2015) A coming-of-age comedy-drama featuring Bitcoin as a plot device. High schooler Malcolm uses Bitcoin for a dark web transaction, reflecting its early association with illicit activities.

Bonus Mentions

Life on Bitcoin (2014): Follows a couple attempting to live solely on Bitcoin for 100 days, showcasing early adoption challenges.

Bitcoin Heist (2016): A Vietnamese action-comedy about hackers chasing a crypto criminal, blending humor and thrills.

Notes Documentaries are generally more educational, focusing on Bitcoin’s history, blockchain technology, and real-world implications. They’re great for beginners and enthusiasts alike.

Feature films often dramatize crypto’s association with crime or scams, sometimes oversimplifying or exaggerating for effect. They prioritize entertainment over accuracy. For a deeper dive, check streaming platforms like Prime Video, Fandango at Home, or YouTube, where many of these are available.

News

Wall Street (Movie)
Wall Street (1987), directed by Oliver Stone, is a drama about ambition and greed in the 1980s financial world. It follows Bud Fox (Charlie Sheen), a young stockbroker desperate to succeed, who gets entangled with Gordon Gekko (Michael Douglas), a ruthless corporate raider. Gekko’s mantra, “Greed is good,” drives the story as Bud is lured into insider trading and unethical deals, compromising his morals for wealth and power.

The film explores themes of capitalism, loyalty, and betrayal, with Bud navigating pressures from Gekko, his father (Martin Sheen), and his own conscience.

Key Details: Cast: Michael Douglas (Gordon Gekko), Charlie Sheen (Bud Fox), Daryl Hannah (Darien Taylor), Martin Sheen (Carl Fox).
Runtime: 2h 6m.
Genre: Drama/Crime.
Rating: R. Box Office: ~$44 million (US).

Awards: Michael Douglas won the Academy Award for Best Actor.

Notable Aspects:

Gekko’s “Greed is good” speech is iconic, reflecting 1980s excess. Inspired by real-life figures like Ivan Boesky and Michael Milken.

A sequel, Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps (2010), continued the story.

Where to Watch (as of 2025):
Streaming: Available on platforms like Peacock or rentable on Amazon, YouTube, or Apple TV (check current availability).
Physical: DVD/Blu-ray via retailers like Amazon.

News Flashback

Gold, copper, & silver:

How metals are moving this year

Metal futures have made some pretty dramatic moves lately from safe haven gold to tariff sensitive copper. So let's take a look at the longer term trends. I'm Jared Blikre, host of Stocks in Translation. And I'm going to start by charting some of the moves in Dr. Copper because this is where we have the most zig and zags over the last 25 years. So this goes back to the beginning of the century and we can see right now, we're at $5.51 per pound. That is a record high. But if we go back to the beginning of the century, guess what? Uh we had a little bit of a slump in the wake of the dot com boom and then bust, but starting in 2003, we saw a big rise there. And that was as China actually joined the World Trade Organization or the WTO. That lasted into the global financial crisis. Then we had a pretty big bust in in Dr. Copper, and then we had another rise. And that rise was due to unprecedented stimulus, not only from the Chinese government, but also from the United States government, QE was in force, and then we saw kind of a strong dollar play. That weighed on this metal all the way into the beginning of 2016. The entire world, most of the world indices went through a bear market in 2015, and then 2016, we found the footing. And that was actually the year that Trump won, began his first presidency. And from there, we saw some zig and zags, and then we saw a shock into the pandemic. A couple of, a couple of years of deflation or a semi-deflation, disinflation, that caught up with it in 2022, but then it was off to the races again. And especially with the Trump tariffs now on copper, threatening to be threatening to be 50% on August 1st, we're seeing a lot of front running in this trade. Now, I also want to show you gold futures and I'm going to show you silver as well. And they follow a very similar pattern. We're not seeing the dramatic zig and zags that we did in copper, but we did see the same pattern of China joining the WTO, contributing to that huge rise in price to 1800, almost $2,000 an ounce by the beginning of the global financial crisis. So a little bit of a meltdown there. But in 2016 into 2018, we saw a bit of a rise into the pandemic, a little bit of a whipsaw there, and consolidation over a few years. Again, that 2022 bare market in US stocks that contributed to some deflation and disinflation globally, supply chain chain shocks came into force again, and then we saw this huge rise beginning in late 2023, and we are now at 3353. We've seen a high of as much as $3,500 per ounce. And gold is kind of unique among the precious metals and also the industrial metals, and this is because central banks have been a huge determining force in their buying of it. This is a bar chart that shows central bank buying in tons going back all the way to 2010. And what you notice here is the last three years, 2022, 2023, 2024, all of those had gold being bought by central banks of in the amount of over 1,000 tons. And so that's a pretty big dramatic increase from the prior years. And this has to do with the ongoing dedollarization in China, as well as Russia, but also a host of other countries, even some in western and eastern Europe. So this is a trend that we want to follow. Uh, I want to close out here with silver, and I'm going to just chart the price action. Again, very similar chart to gold and copper in terms of the big movements here. We saw a big price spike into almost $50 per ounce, and that was just as the global financial crisis was getting underway. And then the QE area in 2011, that's when we saw that high. Then we saw a dramatic, dramatic crash into 2016, kind of found its footing, saw a big squeeze in the early pandemic, 2020 was a great year for silver, but then we saw a little bit of a fallout. And again, silver is on the rise here at $38. It's still off of that $50 record high, but it is increasing very quickly. To round out the conversation, I want to just put on a table here. I have all three medals and just kind of grouping them together. I want to display how they are moving with their specific patterns with a trigger, and then to tell you which one of these is featured in these specific criteria. So here, under the pattern, we have acceleration. So that would be an economic acceleration. The trigger would be liquidity. And when that happens, we see all metals benefiting from that. And then when there's a safe haven scare, and that trigger would be a crisis of some sorts, you're going to see gold and silver outperforming the most, kind of leaving Dr. Copper behind. And then here's a bearish one, industrial drags, that affects copper disproportionately here, and the trigger there is typically a stronger US dollar because the US dollar surges when global global industrials tend to drag, and that's because the US is the least dirty shirt in the laundry basket of the world. And then finally here, we have a policy shock. This will affect all three medals, but especially copper and gold here. Um, arguably, the biggest reason is tariffs and debt, and we've seen both of those contribute to silver rising. So we could put all three in that basket as well. But when you put it all together, we have the perfect explosive mix for all three of these metals, including palladium and also platinum, which we didn't get to have time for, but all of these are experiencing huge thrust in 2025. And we'll have to see how these tariffs play out, especially on Dr. Copper with respect to that August 1st deadline. Remember, 50% there. So tune into Stocks in Translation for more jargon busting deep dives, new episodes on Tuesdays and Thursdays on Yahoo Finances website, or wherever you find your podcast. (Transcript from Yahoo! Finance podcast)

News

Best Quotes

An investment in knowledge pays the best interest." — Benjamin Franklin

"Bottoms in the investment world don't end with four-year lows; they end with 10- or 15-year lows." — Jim Rogers

Be fearful when others are greedy and greedy only when others are fearful." — Warren Buffett

Media Man "Bullish is a mindset"

Mining/Energy/Resources: Australia and World

October 2025

October 21, 2025

Monday Money: All That Glitters ...

(New York, Wall St)

Mining Stocks: (Near Live)

BHP Group Ltd $43.63 -0.50 -1.13%
Fortescue Ltd $20.31 -0.56%
Rio Tinto $130.11 -1.78 -1.35%
Northern Star $23.46 -2.38 -9.21%
Evolution Mining Ltd $10.58 -1.01 -8.71%
Lynas Rare Earths Ltd $18.11 -0.86 -4.51%
Mineral Resources Ltd $41.38 -0.79 -1.87%

Gold Price Today: 4,122.58 -219.77 -5.06%

News

Oct 22

Australia

Trump and Albanese Seal $8.5 Billion Critical Minerals Pact Amid Rudd Rebuke

President Donald Trump and Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese signed a framework agreement on October 20, 2025, at the White House, valued at up to $8.5 billion, to enhance supply chains for critical minerals and rare earths, including over $3 billion in investments for mining and processing 30 essential metals for defense, technology, and clean energy. The deal aims to reduce reliance on China's dominance in these resources while reinforcing the U.S.-Australia alliance, including AUKUS submarine efforts. During the meeting, Trump publicly confronted Australian Ambassador Kevin Rudd over his prior criticisms, stating 'I don't like you either,' prompting varied reactions from Australian officials and widespread social media attention.

News

Albanese hits critical mass

The $US8.5bn ($13bn) critical minerals framework agreement between Australia and the US will result in each country contributing at least US$1bn to critical minerals and rare earths projects over the next six months. They include a gallium project in Western Australia and the Nolans rare earths project in the Northern Territory. Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump says the AUKUS alliance will be a "deterrence" to Chinese aggression in the Indo-Pacific region. Trump contends that AUKUS will not be needed to defend Taiwan, because he does not think China will invade the self-governed territory. Trump has also ruled out reviewing the current tariffs on Australian imports, stating that the nation "pays among the lowest tariffs"; this includes a baseline tariff of 10 per cent and a 50 per cent levy on steel and aluminium products. (RMS)

News

The Victorian towns poised to benefit from critical minerals deal

Edith Cowan University's Amir Razmjou says Western Australia, Queensland and South Australia will benefit the most from the landmark critical minerals deal with the US, followed by Victoria. Meanwhile, the Victorian government notes that the state has "globally significant" quantities of titanium, zirconium and rare-earth elements, as well as Australia's only operating antimony mine. It adds that growth in critical minerals could "inject billions of dollars of benefits" into regional Victoria; the Gippsland, Wimmera and Mallee regions account for the bulk of the state's critical minerals. However, farmers have warned that developing these deposits must not jeopardise the state's food bowl.

News Flashback

News Lead Up

PM to meet White House mining gurus to help solve crisis

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese will attend an event in Washington on Tuesday to mark the 140th anniversary of mining company BHP. US Interior Secretary Doug Burgum and National Security Council adviser David Copley will be present at the event, with both men heavily involved in trying to solve the US's critical minerals crisis. A former executive of US gold, copper and zinc miner Newmont, Copley is viewed as the White House's unofficial mining guru, while Burgum has taken a keen interest in the efforts of BHP and fellow Australian mining firm Rio Tinto to establish a large copper mine in Arizona. (RMS)

News

NuCoal to blight pitch on minerals

There are claims that the cancellation of a coal mining licence by the NSW government in 2014 represents a breach of the Australian-US free trade act. The licence was held by NuCoal, with US investors in NuCoal seeking as much as $500 million in compensation for the cancellation. Nick Farr-Jones, director of Taurus Funds Management, which represents US shareholders in NuCoal, says Prime Minister Anthony Albanese should use his trip to Washington and his meeting with US President Donald Trump as an opportunity to compensate the US investors. Farr-Jones says Australia needs to "right this wrong" if the federal government is to have any credibility when it comes to mineral rights. (RMS)

News

Gold Bulls have no choice but to push

Gold's rally to record highs above $4,300 per ounce resulted from a debasement trade. Governments cannot cope with budget deficits, are accumulating debt and demanding that central banks cut interest rates, as in the US, or keep them low, as in Japan. As a result, investors are losing confidence in government bonds and currencies. They are looking for alternatives and turning their attention to precious metals. As a result, gold has been gaining for the last nine weeks, the fifth time in the history of free currency conversion since the 1970s. However, there has never been a 10-week consecutive growth period. The gap from the 200-week moving average also shows the excessiveness of the rally. The spot price at its peak exceeded this line by 90%. There has only been one larger gap once before, in 1980. At the very least, the market needs a technical respite. But historically, its beginning could be the start of a significant multi-year reversal. Now, we are on the side of the bears, but at the same time, we understand that the bulls simply have no choice but to push the price further up, as stopping would ruin the whole game. Each time, gold finds a new driver of growth. In the summer, there were expectations of a resumption of the Fed's easing cycle. To be cont... (FxPro)

News

Rinehart's rare earths shares top $3.5b as Trump needles China

Hancock Prospecting has increased its exposure to the rare earths sector after participating in St George Mining's $72.5m capital raising. The latter had initially sought to raise $40m, but increased this to $50m in response to strong demand from institutional investors. St George subsequently also agreed to issue Hancock with $22.5m worth of shares, lifting the Gina Rinehart-controlled company's stake to around six per cent. St George will use the proceeds of the capital raising to expand its Araxa project in Brazil. Hancock's other investments in the sector include Lynas Rare Earths, Arafura Rare Earths and US-based MP Materials. (RMS)

News Flashback

PM has his work cut out striking rare earths deal with Trump

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese is hoping to secure a deal with US President Donald Trump regarding the US getting access to Australia's rare earths, but it may not be as easy as Albanese might hope. The Trump administration is seen as being divided into two camps on the issue, namely the resource nationalists and the economic rationalists, and the first one is currently holding sway. They believe the US should create an end-to-end critical mineral supply chain, and it was probably behind the recent US government investments and equity stakes in US critical minerals mining firms Lithium Americas and MP Materials. The economic rationalists camp believes the US needs the help of its allies to meet its critical mineral needs, at least in the short term, with it being noted it can take more than 20 years to open a new mine in the US. (RMS)

News

Minerals/Politics

Stockpile of critical metals urgent: miners

The federal government aims to establish its $1.2bn critical minerals strategic reserve by late 2026. However, the mining industry has warned the government that it must act more quickly to build the minerals stockpile, contending that another mining nation could potentially trump Australia and become a supplier of choice to defence partners such as the US and Japan. Meanwhile, the industry is believed to have been told that the government may use contracts for difference to set a 'floor price' for critical minerals. The strategic reserve is expected to a priority when Prime Minister Anthony Albanese meets US President Donald Trump at the White House next week. (RMS)

News

Australian/Asia Pacific News

Rio set to shutter Tomago smelter

The Tomago aluminium smelter's coal-fired power supply contract with AGL Energy is set to expire in 2028, and it faces the prospect of a massive increase in power costs under any new supply agreement. This makes it highly likely that Rio Tinto and its partners in Tomago will permanently shut down the NSW smelter in 2028, unless investment in renewable energy in the state is ramped up significantly in the next few years. The cost of electricity is also a major threat to the future of Rio Tinto's Bell Bay aluminium smelter in Tasmania, with its current supply deal to expire at the end of this year. The Tomago smelter employs more than 1,000 people. (RMS)

News

Ellison loses key ally in MinRes board exodus

Iron ore and lithium producer Mineral Resources has appointed Colin Moorhead and Susan Ferrier as non-executive directors. Their recruitment follows the departure of six members of Mineral Resources' board in recent months; this includes Zimi Meka, whose resignation was announced on Friday. The recent departures mean that only three of the nine MinRes directors who attended its 2024 AGM will front shareholders at this year's meeting; they include embattled MD Chris Ellison, who has previously committed to stepping down by mid-2026. (RMS)

News

Rare earths market splits into light and medium-heavy segments

There are increasing signs that the rare earths market is splitting into two distinct segments, namely light elements such as as neodymium and praseodymium, and medium-heavy elements such as dysprosium and terbium. The Shanghai Metal Market suggests that while demand for light elements remains stable, demand for medium-heavy elements is weak, and procurement teams need to differentiate between these segments when negotiating contracts. US buyers need to cultivate relationships with non-Chinese suppliers, as well as keeping an eye on government equity moves, as Washington's willingness to take direct stakes in projects like Tanbreez suggests future deals are likely.

News

Rio, Japanese in Pilbara mine deal

Rio Tinto has secured state and federal government approvals to develop new iron ore deposits at the West Angelas hub in the Pilbara. Rio Tinto and its Robe River joint venture partners, Mitsui and Nippon Steel, will invest $US733m ($1.1bn) to expand the West Angelas mine, with Rio Tinto to contribute $US389m. The expansion of West Angelas will maintain its annual production capacity of 35 million tonnes. Rio Tinto launched its Western Range iron ore joint venture with China-based Baowu in June, as part of its ongoing commitment to the Pilbara. (RMS)

News

Loophole use in $2.4b gold deal leads to reform calls

Shares in gold miner Predictive Discovery have rallied in the wake of a proposed merger with Toronto-listed Robex. Predictive's shareholders will control 51 per cent of the merged group, although they will not be given a vote on the deal. In contrast, the merger will need to be approved by at least two-thirds of Robex shareholders. The proposed merger has prompted renewed scrutiny of the ASX's listing rules, which allow companies to waive the requirement for a shareholder vote under certain circumstances. Simon Mawhinney from Allan Gray Australia has likened the Predictive deal to James Hardie's merger with Azek earlier this year. (RMS)

News

GoldMining Inc. launches 2025 exploration at São Jorge, Brazil

Comprehensive program targets copper-gold zones; recent drilling hit 2.79 g/t AuEq over 79m, including antimony mineralization. Company also expands land package and updates mineral resource estimates.

News

Nevada Gold Mines deploys autonomous haul trucks

Fleet of 300- and 230-tonne trucks automated using Komatsu's FrontRunner system across U.S. surface operations for efficiency gains.

News

Calls for uranium listing as US goes all out on nuclear power

Shadow energy minister Dan Tehan says White House officials emphasised during his recent visit to the US thart a secure supply of uranium is a priority for the Trump administration. Tehan contends that the federal government should therefore add uranium to its critical minerals list, and include it in any deal with the US for an exemption from its reciprocal tariffs regime. Australia accounts for about one-third of the world's known reserves, although the nation's exports of unenriched uranium comprises just 10 per cent of global supply at present. Tehan recently reiterated that nuclear power will remain part of the Coalition's energy policy. (RMS)

News

BHP salutes Japan 'trust'

BHP's president of its Australian operations, Geraldine Slattery, addressed an Australia-Japan business conference on Monday. She declined to comment on unconfirmed reports that China has banned the resources group's Pilbara iron ore shipments. Instead, she emphasised BHP's "deep" relationship with Japan and the free-trade relations between the two nations. Slattery highlighted the level of trust and transparency in the relationship between Australia and Japan. (RMS)

News

MinRes appoints company secretary

Iron ore and lithium producer Mineral Resources has appointed Sarah Standish as its joint company secretary. Standish will replace CFO Mark Wilson in the role, which she will share with Derek Oelofse. Mineral Resources has released a statement in which it notes that Standish has 20 years of experience in legal, governance, risk and compliance functions at both ASX-listed and international companies in the mining and energy sectors. Her appointment has coincided with the Australian Securities & Investments Commission investigation into corporate governance issues at Mineral Resources. (RMS)

News

Upstart glisters among surging gold miners

The gold price has risen by almost 50 per cent in US dollar terms so far in 2025. This has in turn boosted the share prices of Australian gold producers; Northern Star Resources' market capitalisation has increased by 60 per cent so far in 2025, reaching a record high of $35bn last week. Meanwhile, Westgold Resources' share price rose by 24 per cent last week, lifting its market capitalisation from $4bn to $5.1bn; this followed its announcement of plans to lift gold production by 45 per cent to 470,000 ounces over the next three years. (RMS)

News

Lynas revisited: Can it reclaim its crown in rare earths?

Lynas Rare Earths is one of the few players in the sector outside China with genuine scale, but it is now at a critical juncture. A vertically integrated business model allows Lynas to produce a range of refined products, particularly neodymium and praseodymium. However, its product mix has leaned heavily toward light rare earths, leaving it exposed to pricing volatility. The most notable development in 2025 has been Lynas's breakthrough into heavy rare earths; the company announced its first production of dysprosium oxide in May, followed by terbium oxide at its Malaysian plant in June. This milestone currently makes Lynas the only commercial-scale producer of separated heavy rare earths outside China. Potential risks for Lynas include cost inflation, the ongoing threat of competition from China and uncertainty regarding the future of its licence in Malaysia. (RMS)

News

MinRes scores legal win on port levies

The Supreme Court of Western Australia has ruled that Mineral Resources and its lawyers should be allowed to see details of a controversial agreement between the state government and Chevron. The state-owned Pilbara Ports Authority had sought to block access to the agreement, which requires MinRes to pay a levy for using a cargo wharf and part of a shipping channel that had been dredged by Chevron for its Wheatstone LNG project. Chevron also built the Port of Ashburton, which MinRes now uses to export iron ore from its Onslow Iron project. (RMS)

News

Rare earth magnets have become the new battleground for global power

The unique properties of rare earth magnets have resulted in them becoming strategic assets, and supply chain control is increasingly being viewed as a matter of national security. China dominates the global production and supply of rare earth magnets, and this dependence on China was underlined earlier this year when the nation imposed export controls. Four rare earth magnet factories are currently under construction in the US, but China has been investing in rare earths processing for decades; it also manufactures most of the world's refining equipment and employs most of the specialised technicians, so ending China's dominance is likely to take years. (RMS)

News

BHP Faces Chinese Iron Ore Ban Amid Pricing Dispute:

Reports emerged that China's state-run iron ore buyers have instructed steelmakers to halt purchases of dollar-denominated cargoes from BHP, causing the company's shares to drop 1.8%. This escalates a broader pricing row, with BHP's stock closing at A$41.91 (down 0.73%). Analysts warn of potential supply chain disruptions for Australia's largest exporter.

Rio Tinto Eyes Early Closure of Queensland's Largest Coal Power Station:

The mining giant notified the Australian Energy Market Operator of a potential shutdown of its 1,000 MW coal-fired plant at the Tarong site as early as March 2029—six years ahead of schedule. This aligns with Rio's decarbonization push but raises concerns over energy reliability in coal-dependent Queensland.

Alcoa Permanently Closes Kwinana Alumina Refinery:

The U.S.-based firm confirmed the shutdown of its Western Australian facility after 60 years, citing high energy costs and global oversupply. This impacts 400 jobs and underscores aluminium sector struggles, with WA's government exploring support for affected workers.

Coal Royalty Pressures Lead to Job Cuts:

BHP's closure of the Saraji South mine in Queensland's Bowen Basin will eliminate 750 jobs, blamed on royalties eight times higher than 2024 profits.

Anglo American announced further redundancies at its Grosvenor mine and Brisbane office (potentially 1,000+ roles). Queensland's government offers fee relief but resists royalty cuts.

News Flashback

Events

The sector gears up for major gatherings focusing on innovation and investment:

WA Mining Conference & Exhibition: October 8–9, Perth Convention Centre—spotlighting future tech, sustainability, and critical minerals. Expected to draw thousands for networking and demos.

International Mining & Resources Conference (IMARC): October 21–23, Sydney—featuring leaders from 120+ countries, including Federal Resources Minister Madeleine King. Themes include global investment and decarbonization.

Asia-Pacific International Mining Exhibition (AIMEX):

September 23–25, Adelaide (ongoing as of early October)—showcasing automation and safety, with the Australian Mining Prospect Awards at Adelaide Oval.

News Flashback

Trump seeks equity stakes in critical mineral producers

The US Department of Defense bought $US400m ($607m) worth of shares in rare earths producer MP Materials earlier in 2025. The Trump administration is said to be looking at buying equity-like stakes in other producers of critical minerals, according to executives of Australian mining companies who recently held talks with officials from various US government agencies. Amongst other things, the government is said to be interested in buying stock warrants, which would grant it the right to buy shares in a mining company. The US aims to reduce its reliance on China for minerals that are crucial for defence technology and the energy transition. (RMS)

News

Argonaut tips gold to hit $US4500, lithium revival as supply tightens

The gold price has risen by 45 per cent so far in 2025, and it is currently trading above $US3,800 per ounce. Perth-based stockbroker Argonaut is bullish about the outlook for bullion, lifting its peak price forecast to US$4,500. Argonaut's executive chairman and co-founder Eddie Rigg also anticipates further consolidation in the gold sector. Meanwhile, Rigg expects the lithium price to rebound, arguing that proposed new projects in South America and Africa are unlikely to proceed in the near-term; he notes that they will be capital-intensive, while many are in volatile jurisdictions. (RMS)

News

News Flashback

Profile

Hancock Prospecting

Hancock Prospecting Pty Ltd is an Australian-owned mining and agricultural business run by Executive Chairwoman Gina Rinehart and CEO Garry Korte. At various stages of its trading history, the company has been known as Hancock Prospecting Ltd, Hancock Resources Ltd, Hanwright Pty Ltd, Hancock & Wright Ltd, and Hancock Prospecting Pty Ltd.

Hancock Prospecting Pty Ltd is owned by Rinehart (76.6%) and the Hope Margaret Hancock Trust (23.4%).

The company was founded in 1955 by Rinehart's father, the late Lang Hancock. Hancock Prospecting holds the mineral rights to some of the largest Crown land leases in the Pilbara region of Western Australia.

Gina Rinehart has disputed accusations that she is an heiress. Through Rinehart's spokesperson and chief financial officer at Hancock Prospecting, Jay Newby, Rinehart has claimed that upon assuming the role of the Executive Chairwoman, she took over a company that was in a perilous financial position with significant debt and major assets mortgages and under threat of seizure.

Projects:

Balfour Downs Station Manganese Operation, northeast of Newman, a joint venture with Mineral Resources

Hope Downs mine, northwest of Newman, a joint venture with Rio Tinto

Roy Hill project, south of Port Hedland, a joint venture between Hancock Prospecting (70%), Marubeni (15%), POSCO (12.5%), and China Steel Corporation (2.5%)

Alpha Coal project, Galilee Basin in Central Queensland

Kevin's Corner coal project, Galilee Basin in Central Queensland

Nicholas Downs mine, northwest of Newman, a joint venture with Mineral Resources

(Developing profile/news). To be cont ...

News

Best Quotes

The best and biggest gold mine is in between your ears."

"You are a gold mine of potential power. You have to dig to find it and make it real."

"Your mind is like a gold mine, if you dig deep you will find something golden."

"Don't die without mining the gold in your mind."

"We're like goldfields. Until we dig deep to find what's inside us, our true potentials may be hidden forever."

"If you want to find gold, you've got to love the process of digging."

"Even if you're sitting on a gold mine, you still have to dig."

"Develop men the same way gold is mined"

"Don't go into the mine looking for dirt; instead, go in looking for the gold."

"A prospector's job is to remove dirt as quickly as possible"

"A prospector who analyses every speck of dirt won't find much gold"

"The world is sitting on a gold mine but knows it not." "Make new friends, but keep the old; Those are silver, these are gold."

"All that is gold does not glitter."

"Gold is forever. It is beautiful, useful, and never wears out"

"Gold is the money of kings"

"Mining is the art of exploiting mineral deposits at a profit. An unprofitable mine is fit only for the sepulcher of a dead mule."

"Anyone can find the dirt in someone. Be the one that finds the gold."

"True gold fears no fire."

"The desire of gold is not for gold. It is for the means of freedom and benefit."

"Make new friends, but keep the old; Those are silver, these are gold."

"When taken for granted, gold in one's hand is sometimes considered like cheap copper – so are people."

Media Man

Roy Morgan wins Media Man 'News Services Provider Of The Month' award; Runner-ups: X, Google News, Yahoo! Finance

News, Markets, Comms and Culture

May 15, 2025

Sydney, Australia

Markets

Australian Dollar: $0.6420 USD (down $0.0050 USD)
Iron Ore June Spot Price (SGX): $101.70 USD (up $2.10 )
Oil Price (WTI): $62.89 USD (down $0.74)
Gold Price: $3,179.41 USD (down $72.13)
Copper Price (CME): $4.6435 USD (down $0.0650)
Bitcoin: $103,541.08 USD (down 0.93%)
Dow Jones: 42,051.06 (down 89.37 points)

News

Australia

Miners, energy help ASX to sixth day of gains

The Australian sharemarket posted a modest gain on Wednesday, with the S&P/ASX 200 adding 0.1 per cent to close at 8,279.6 points. Fortescue was up 2.2 per cent at $16.97, Woodside Energy rose 3.4 per cent to $22.31 and the Commonwealth Bank firmed 0.8 per cent to end the session at $167.50. However, Insignia Financial shed 15.8 per cent to finish at $3.37 and Aristocrat Leisure was down 8.9 per cent at $62.10. (Roy Morgan Summary)

News

Media

CNN and Fox take on their own legacies with new streaming services

Fox Corporation is set to launch its third streaming service in the US. Fox One will feature content from across the media group's operations, including news, sport and entertainment. It will complement Fox Corp's existing Fox Nation streaming news channel and Tubi, a free advertising supported general entertainment streaming platform. Meanwhile, Warner Bros Discovery-owned CNN plans to launch a news streaming service that will be bundled with subscriptions to http://cnn.com. Fox Corp and CNN are both confident that their new streaming products will not cannabilise the customer base for their cable TV services. (RMS)

News

Rio shows we must invest in green iron: Fortescue boss

Rio Tinto recently advised that the iron content of its flagship 'Pilbara Blend Fines' product will be downgraded by nearly one percentage point, to 60.8 per cent; BHP had previously reduced the iron content of two iron ore products in 2024. Fortescue CEO Dino Otranto says the trend underlines the need for Australia to invest in more domestic refining, in order to produce higher-grade iron ore. Otranto has indicated that Fortescue is on track to finish construction of a green iron plant at its Christmas Creek iron ore hub and produce commercial quantities of green iron by the end of 2025. (Roy Morgan Summary)

News

Beware the rally in iron ore above $US100, it might not last

The iron ore price has peaked at more than $US101 per tonne in Singapore trading on Wednesday, which is its highest level in about six weeks. Factors such as the easing of trade tensions between the US and China have bolstered the price of the steel input, although market watchers say the rebound is unlikely to be sustained. Headwinds include steel production cutbacks in China and a looming increase in global iron ore supply as new projects in Africa start to commence shipments. (RMS)

News

Core Lithium plan to revive mothballed Finniss

Perth-based Core Lithium has advised that it may resume operations at its Finniss mine in the Northern Territory. The mine was placed in 'care and maintenance' mode in 2024, in response to a sharp downturn in the price of lithium. Core hopes a plan to significantly reduce mining and processing costs at Finniss, while also boosting productivity, will enable the mine to reopen. CEO Paul Brown says the quality of the Finniss deposit and its proximity to the Port of Darwin gives it an advantage over rival lithium mines in Western Australia. (RMS)

News

Australian Mining News

WA Mining Conference and Exhibition: Scheduled for October 8–9, 2025, in Perth, this event will focus on critical minerals, mine waste management, and innovative technologies shaping the industry’s future. It aims to be a key platform for networking and industry insights.

Global Resources Innovation Expo (GRX25): Set for May 20–22, 2025, in Brisbane, GRX25 will feature industry leaders like Owen Hegarty, discussing transformation and sustainability in mining.

Carbine Resources: The company secured a 21-year mining lease for its Muchea West silica sand project in Western Australia, marking a significant milestone.

Federal Government Cabinet: Following the re-election of Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, the new cabinet has been welcomed by mining bodies. The government is pushing the Critical Minerals Production Tax Incentive (10% refundable tax offset for processing 31 critical minerals) and a Hydrogen Production Tax Incentive ($2/kg for renewable hydrogen).

Prospect Awards 2025: Nominations are open for the Australian Mining Prospect Awards, recognizing excellence in safety, occupational health, and industry leadership.

Legacy Minerals: The company is advancing the Nico Young nickel-cobalt project in New South Wales, leveraging prior work by Jervois Global to reduce costs and accelerate development.

Rio Tinto’s Winu Project: Rio Tinto and Sumitomo Metal Mining signed final joint venture agreements for the Winu copper-gold project in Western Australia’s Great Sandy Desert.

Sibanye-Stillwater: The company reported a 92% increase in zinc production (25,000 tonnes) at its Century zinc retreatment operation in Queensland for the March 2025 quarter, with a feasibility study for the Mt Lyell copper mine in Tasmania due by late 2025.

Tivan’s Speewah Fluorite Project: Tivan formed a joint venture with Sumitomo Corporation, supported by a $5.3 million investment and government funding, to develop Australia’s first fluorite operation in Western Australia.

Hillgrove Resources: The Kanmantoo copper mine in South Australia produced 811 tonnes of copper in April, with annual guidance set at 12,000–14,000 tonnes for 2025.

Critical Minerals and Sustainability: Australia’s mining sector is poised to lead in the global energy transition, with growing demand for critical minerals and a focus on innovation and sustainable practices.

Queensland Mining Coroner: Wayne Pennell was appointed Queensland’s first mining and resources coroner to investigate fatalities and address a backlog of inquests, enhancing safety accountability.

Social Media Sentiment: Posts on X highlight ongoing exploration (e.g., Verity Resources’ Monument Gold Project) and acquisitions (e.g., Terra Metals’ Dante Project expansion), reflecting active industry momentum. However, a 119% mining rate hike by a Goldfields council has sparked concern among local explorers. (Grok)

News

Pop Culture/Entertainment

Media Movies

Network (1976) - Directed by Sidney Lumet, this satirical drama follows a TV network exploiting a deranged anchor’s rants for profit, highlighting media sensationalism. Stars Faye Dunaway and Peter Finch.

Nightcrawler (2014) - A thriller by Dan Gilroy about a drifter (Jake Gyllenhaal) who becomes a freelance crime journalist, blurring ethical lines for fame. It’s a sharp critique of modern media’s vulture-like tendencies.

Zodiac (2007) - Directed by David Fincher, this film chronicles a cartoonist-turned-detective’s obsession with the Zodiac Killer, exploring media’s role in public fear and fascination.

Citizen Kane (1941) - Orson Welles’ classic traces the life of a newspaper magnate, loosely based on William Randolph Hearst, examining media power and personal ambition.

Sweet Smell of Success (1957) - A biting satire about a ruthless press agent and a powerful columnist, showcasing media manipulation with sharp dialogue.

News

Gold: Movie

Gold (2016) is a crime drama inspired by the 1990s Bre-X mining scandal. Matthew McConaughey stars as Kenny Wells, a prospector who partners with geologist Michael Acosta (Édgar Ramírez) to find gold in Indonesia. After striking it rich, their success unravels amid fraud and betrayal. Directed by Stephen Gaghan, the film explores greed and ambition but received mixed reviews for its uneven tone and pacing. It grossed $14.8 million against a $20 million budget. Available on platforms like Hulu or Amazon Prime (check current listings). (Grok)

News/Profile

Gold (1974)

Gold (1974) is a British thriller directed by Peter R. Hunt, based on Wilbur Smith's novel Gold Mine. Set in South Africa, it follows Rod Slater (Roger Moore), a mining engineer, who uncovers a conspiracy to flood a gold mine to manipulate global gold prices. The plot involves corporate greed, sabotage, and high-stakes action, with Slater racing to stop the scheme.

Cast: Roger Moore, Susannah York, Ray Milland, Bradford Dillman.

Key Details: 120 min, rated PG, released August 1974 (UK). Filmed on location in Johannesburg, featuring intense mining scenes.

Reception: Mixed reviews; praised for action and Moore’s charisma, criticized for pacing and dated elements. IMDb rating: 5.7/10.

Availability: Limited streaming; available for rent/purchase on platforms like Amazon or on DVD.

News

Bitcoin Movies Streaming

Money Electric: The Bitcoin Mystery (2024, HBO)

A documentary by Cullen Hoback exploring Bitcoin’s origins and the identity of Satoshi Nakamoto. It’s a thrilling investigation into Bitcoin’s rise and its potential impact on global finance.

Streaming: Available on HBO’s streaming platform, Max. Check JustWatch for additional services or free options like Apple TV+ trials.

Bitconned (2024, Netflix) A true-crime documentary about three individuals who scammed millions in the unregulated crypto market to fund lavish lifestyles. Streaming: Exclusively on Netflix.

Banking on Bitcoin (2016)

A popular documentary diving into Bitcoin’s impact, its challenge to centralized banking, and its early history. It’s a great pick for understanding Bitcoin’s ethos. Streaming: Available on Amazon Prime Video (free for subscribers), Fandango at Home, and for purchase/rent on Amazon, YouTube Primetime, or Apple TV.

The Rise and Rise of Bitcoin (2014)

Follows programmer Daniel Mross and early Bitcoin adopters, offering insights into Bitcoin’s volatile early days. Ideal for beginners.
Streaming: Available on Prime Video, Fandango at Home, and for purchase on iTunes or Amazon.

Bitcoin: The End of Money as We Know It (2015)

A concise documentary tracing the history of money and Bitcoin’s potential to disrupt fiat systems. Features experts like Andreas Antonopoulos.

Streaming: Available on Amazon Prime, YouTube, and Fandango at Home. Free on YouTube in some regions (e.g., Ulterior States).

Notes on Streaming with Bitcoin:

Major platforms like Netflix and HBO Max don’t directly accept Bitcoin payments. However, you can use crypto via gift cards purchased from platforms like Bitrefill, Coinsbee, or eGifter, which offer cards for services like Amazon, Fandango, or Rakuten, usable for streaming or movie tickets.

For example, Bitrefill sells Showtime or Rakuten gift cards (for US, Spain, Portugal, Italy) payable with Bitcoin, Ethereum, or Dogecoin.

Crypto debit cards from providers like http://Crypto.com or Coinbase can also convert Bitcoin to fiat for subscriptions or purchases at non-crypto-accepting platforms.

Additional Tips:

Check platforms like JustWatch or IMDb for real-time streaming availability, as services change frequently.

Some older documentaries, like Ulterior States (2014), are freely available on YouTube, offering ideological perspectives on Bitcoin’s early days.

Be cautious with free streaming sites; some, like Openload or Streamango, have been linked to crypto-jacking schemes that mine Monero using your device’s CPU. (Grok)

Rio Tinto increases Australian supplier spend to A$17.7 billion

MELBOURNE, Australia--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Rio Tinto strengthened its spend with Australian businesses to over A$17.7 billion in 2024, supporting both national and local suppliers.

This is an increase of 9.9% from the previous year and was spent with more than 6,000 suppliers across the country. This spend has helped boost local, regional, and national economies, contributing to employment and strengthening Australian owned and managed businesses.

As part of this spend, more than A$926 million was spent with 182 Indigenous businesses across Australia – an increase of about 27% since 2023. Of this, A$671 million was spent with Traditional Owner businesses that we have land use agreements with, contributing directly to the economic strength of the communities where we operate.

Spending with local suppliers across Australia also increased by 14.8%, reaching A$1.3 billion.

Rio Tinto Chief Executive, Australia, Kellie Parker said: “From one side of the country to the other, our suppliers - including Indigenous, small, and regional businesses - are at the heart of our success and ability to operate in Australia. Their contributions help keep local communities strong.

“We recognise the important role these Australian businesses play in creating jobs, strengthening local economies and supporting our operations. That’s why we continue to increase our investment with them.

“In 2024, we expanded our spend with Australian Indigenous businesses by 27.5% to A$926 million and with local businesses across Australia by 14.8% to A$1.38 billion. These partnerships drive economic growth and strengthen the communities they serve.”

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20250403505411/en/

Mining. Energy and Resources: Australia

February 20, 21, 2025

Hydrogen rethink for Fortescue

Iron ore miner Fortescue released its interim results on Thursday, posting a net profit after tax of $US1.55 billion. This was significantly down on the $US3.3 billion result it posted a year ago, while revenue was down one-fifth at $US7.6 billion and Fortescue's interim dividend was down from $1.08 per share to $0.50. Meanwhile, Fortescue revealed that it is considering pausing almost $1 billion worth of approved hydrogen projects in Australia and the US while it evaluates the stance of the second Trump administration on clean energy. (RMS)

News

Investors dump big miners as iron ore heads for a glut

The iron ore price shed nearly 30 per cent during 2024, which was reflected in the latest financial results of Australia's biggest producers of the steel input. BHP, Rio Tinto and Fortescue have significantly reduced their interim or full-year dividends, which has in turn weighed on their share prices. Sam Berridge from Perennial expects the outlook for the nation's iron ore miners to remain challenging; he forecasts that the iron ore price will average $US80 per tonne in 2026, compared with around $US106 in Singapore trading at present. Berridge notes that the addition of iron ore from the Simandou project in Guinea will provide an additional headwind for the sector.

News

Japan Inc returns to the Pilbara

Japanese company Mitsui has paid $US5.34 billion ($8.4 billion) to acquire a 40 per cent in the Rio Tinto-led Rhodes Ridge project in Western Australia's Pilbara region, with Mitsui buying the stake from two descendants of noted WA iron ore explorer Peter Wright. Rhodes Ridge is set to produce its first iron ore in 2030, and contains enough ore to operate for 140 years to operate at its initial production rate of 40 million tonnes per year. Rio's CEO Jakob Stausholm says that Mitsui's investment shows that the Pilbara still "has got many, many great – not years – but decades ahead".

News

Lithium producer IGO falls to $782m loss

IGO Limited has posted revenue of $284m for the first half of 2024-25, which is 35 per cent lower than previously. The company has booked an interim net loss of $782m, compared with a $288.3m profit for the previous corresponding period. The result was marred by a $524.6m impairment charge on the lithium hydroxide refinery at Kwinana in Western Australia, which IGO owns in partnership with China's Tianqi Lithium. The impairment charge reflects the fact that the existing production unit at the refinery has never reached full capacity of 24,000 tonnes a year, as well as the partners' recent decision to cancel plans for a second production unit.

News

Boost for rare earths as lithium miners reveal big losses

Lithium producers Pilbara Minerals and IGO reported significant losses on Thursday, due to the ongoing downturn in the price of lithium. Pilbara Mineral announced an interim loss of $69 million, while IGO disclosed a loss of $782.1 million, which includes its share of a $525 million impairment on a lithium hydroxide plant owned in partnership with Chinese firm Tianqi. The announcement of the big losses by Pilbara Minerals and IGO comes as the Andrew Forrest-owned Wyloo announced it will form a joint venture with Hastings Technology Metals to develop the Yangibana rare earths and niobium project in Western Australia, in a deal that also sees Wyloo secure a 19.9 per cent stake in Toronto-listed Neo Performance Materials. (Roy Morgan Summary)

News

Roy Morgan wins Media Man 'News Services Company Of The Month' award

Mining News

Mining industry ‘critical’ to future energy transition

Breton Technology Middle East and Australia Chairman Lance Kawaguchi says the mining industry is “critical” to the future energy transition.

A prominent tech and manufacturing company is pushing the boundaries of sustainable mining globally through the deployment of battery-electric machinery and advanced autonomous technology.

“Our mission is to try to do our part to be sustainable,” Mr Kawaguchi told Sky News Australia.

“What we are trying to do is to find solutions ... to still be able to mine but reduce the carbon footprint and energy consumption.”

Media Man: Sky's the limited with the right resources, media and business associates, vision and hard and smart work!

News

Mining via Grok

Mining is an essential industry that involves the extraction of valuable minerals or other geological materials from the Earth. Here's an overview based on general knowledge and contemporary information:

Methods of Mining:

Underground Mining: Used for deep mineral deposits. This method involves creating shafts or tunnels to reach the ore. It's more expensive and can be hazardous but is necessary for high-value minerals located deep underground.

Open Surface (Pit) Mining: Best for minerals located near the surface. This method creates an open pit to extract the ore. It's generally safer and less expensive than underground mining when the ore body is near the surface.

Placer Mining: Utilizes water to extract minerals, typically gold, from sediments in river channels or other alluvial deposits.

In-Situ Mining: Involves dissolving the mineral resource in place using chemicals and then processing it at the surface without moving the rock. This method is often used for uranium.

Environmental Impact:

Mining has significant environmental impacts:

Land Disturbance: Open pits, spoil heaps, and tailings change landscapes dramatically, often leading to deforestation and habitat destruction.

Water Pollution: Mining can lead to acid mine drainage, where acids and heavy metals leach into water sources, which is harmful to aquatic life and human health.

Air Pollution: Dust from mining operations can affect air quality, and processing some ores releases harmful gases.

Rehabilitation: Modern mining practices often include plans for land rehabilitation post-mining, though the success of these efforts can vary widely.

Technological and Economic Aspects:

Technology: Modern mining uses advanced technology for exploration (like satellite imagery, geophysical methods), extraction (automated machinery), and processing (bioleaching, for instance).

Economics: Mining can be extremely lucrative, driving economic growth in many regions. However, the volatility in mineral prices can lead to boom-and-bust cycles in mining-dependent communities.

Energy Transition: There's an increasing focus on mining due to the demand for minerals critical for renewable energy technologies (like lithium for batteries).

Social and Political Dynamics:

Labor: Mining often employs significant numbers of workers, but conditions can be tough, leading to labor disputes. Automation in mining aims to reduce human risk but also affects employment.

Community Impact: Mining operations can bring development to remote areas but also social displacement, health issues, and conflicts over land use and water rights.

International Relations: Countries rich in resources can become focal points for international partnerships or competition, as seen with rare earth elements or, historically, with uranium, like the recent interest in Niger's uranium by countries like Turkey.

Bitcoin and Cryptomining:

Unlike traditional mining, cryptocurrency mining involves solving complex mathematical problems to validate transactions on the blockchain, which requires significant computational power and energy. Recent X posts highlight a growing intersection between digital and physical mining worlds through themes like Bitcoin mining games and the environmental debate around the energy consumption of crypto mining.

This overview captures the multifaceted nature of mining, from its methodologies to its broader implications on society, technology, environment, and global politics. (Grok)

News/Profile via Grok

Mining Industry

The mining industry continues to evolve, influenced by various economic, environmental, technological, and regulatory factors:

Technological Advancements: The industry is seeing a push towards automation and the use of advanced machinery, aiming for efficiency, safety, and reduced environmental impact. Technologies like autonomous drilling systems, AI for exploration and mine planning, and IoT for real-time monitoring of equipment are becoming more common.

Environmental Concerns and Sustainability: There's increasing pressure for the mining industry to adopt more sustainable practices. This includes efforts to reduce water usage, lower emissions, rehabilitate mined lands, and use renewable energy sources in mining operations. The concept of "green mining" is gaining traction, where the focus is on minimizing the environmental footprint throughout the lifecycle of a mine.

Regulatory Changes: Governments around the world are updating mining laws to boost growth while ensuring environmental protection and community rights. For instance, as seen in posts on X, Indonesia has updated its mining regulations to streamline operations but also to ensure compliance and environmental protection.

Demand for Critical Minerals: The rise in demand for electric vehicles and renewable energy technologies has shifted focus towards minerals like lithium, cobalt, nickel, and copper. These are crucial for batteries and electronics, leading to what might be described as a new mining boom for these specific resources.

Economic Impact and Market Dynamics: The mining sector's health often serves as a barometer for global economic activity. Recent sentiment, as reflected on platforms like X, indicates optimism with expectations of increased investment in the sector, though there are calls for more favorable conditions like lower power tariffs and stable policies.

Supply Shortfalls: There's growing concern over supply shortfalls for several key metals due to insufficient current mining output to meet the rising demand, especially for those used in high-tech products and green technologies.

Investment and Expansion: The industry is looking at significant expansion, with equipment industries related to mining expected to grow by a substantial margin. This growth is driven not just by traditional mining but also by the need for new mines to meet the demand for metals critical for the tech and green industries.

Global Perspective: While the U.S. remains a significant player, countries like Australia, with its gold rushes in the past, and now regions in Africa and South America, are central to the global supply of various minerals. The strategic importance of mining in national economies and for global supply chains continues to be a focal point in geopolitical discussions.

Social License to Operate: Mining companies are increasingly aware of the need for a social license, meaning gaining community and societal approval, not just regulatory permits. This involves better engagement with local communities, more transparent operations, and contributing positively to the areas they operate in.

Remember, while these insights reflect general trends and sentiments, the mining industry's specifics can vary greatly by region, the mineral in question, and current global economic conditions. Always consider the latest reports and local news for the most current state of affairs in the mining sector. (Grok)

News

Bitcoin Mining Profile And News via Grok

Bitcoin mining is the process by which new bitcoins are entered into circulation, but it's also a critical component of the maintenance and development of the blockchain ledger. Here's a simplified overview of how it works:

Transaction Verification: Miners collect transactions broadcasted to the network into a block. They verify that these transactions are legitimate according to the rules of the Bitcoin network (e.g., checking for double-spending).

Creating a Block: Once a set of transactions are verified, they are added to a block. Each block contains a reference to the previous block, forming a chain (hence, blockchain).

Proof of Work: Miners must solve a complex mathematical puzzle that requires significant computational power. This puzzle is essentially finding a hash that meets certain criteria (the hash must start with a certain number of zeros). The difficulty of this puzzle adjusts to ensure that a new block is mined approximately every 10 minutes.

Hash: A hash is a function that converts an input of letters and numbers into an encrypted output of a fixed length. In Bitcoin, the SHA-256 hashing function is used.

Finding the Solution: The first miner to solve the puzzle gets to place the next block on the blockchain and claim the rewards. This process involves a lot of trial and error, with miners adjusting a value called the "nonce" in the block header to try to produce a hash that meets the criteria.

Rewards: The successful miner is rewarded with:
Block Reward: A set amount of newly minted bitcoins. This reward halves approximately every four years in what's known as the "halving." As of my last update, the block reward was 6.25 bitcoins, but by 2024, it would have halved again if the schedule continued as planned.
Transaction Fees: All the transaction fees from the transactions included in the block.

Energy Consumption: Bitcoin mining is notorious for its energy consumption due to the computational power required for proof of work. This has led to discussions about the environmental impact of Bitcoin.

Mining Pools: Because the probability of mining a block solo has become very low due to the network's total computational power, many miners join mining pools. Here, miners combine their computational resources and share the block rewards according to the amount of work they contributed to the probability of finding a block.

Equipment: Over time, mining has evolved from using CPUs to GPUs, FPGAs, and now ASICs (Application-Specific Integrated Circuits), which are designed specifically for mining and offer significant efficiency improvements.

Decentralization and Security: The mining process helps to secure the network by making it economically infeasible to attack or alter the blockchain. For an attacker to change any part of the blockchain, they would need to redo the proof of work for all subsequent blocks and outpace the honest nodes, which is impractical without controlling more than 50% of the network's mining power.

Since we're now in 2024, if there have been significant changes or updates to Bitcoin mining practices, technology, or regulations since my last update, those would be worth checking out for the most current information. Would you like me to search for any recent developments in Bitcoin mining? (Grok)

#Mining #MiningNews #MiningIndustry #MiningStocks #Energy #Resources #Technology #Innovation #Blockchaing #Bitcoin #BTC #newsfeed #newsfeeds #newswire #Grok #MiningPR #PR #News #media #mediaman #mediamanint #XMining

Markets and Commodities

October 10, 2024

Australian Dollar: $0.6710 USD (down $0.0040 USD)

Iron Ore Nov Spot Price (SGX): $105.15 USD (unchanged - public holiday)

Oil Price (WTI): $73.36 USD (down $0.55 USD)

Gold Price: $2,607.14 USD (down $15.75 USD)

Copper Price (CME): $4.4080 USD (down 0.0605 USD)

Bitcoin: $60,908.07 USD (down 2.11% in last 24 hours)

Dow Jones: 42,512.00 at 4.20pm NY time (up 431.63 points on yesterday's close)

Gina Rinehart upgrades her airport (and email signature)

By Mark Di Stefano

September 23, 2024

What’s the point of being the country’s wealthiest person if you can’t make unilateral changes to drab office life that give you a cute little thrill?

Take Gina Rinehart, who treats her Hancock Prospecting workforce to all sorts of perks. There’s the high salaries. But also the $100,000 cash gifts she draws out in a random ballot for workers on her birthday each year.

Rinehart recently appears to have hijacked the email signatures of her Hancock underlings (something she does quite regularly).

Under their names and contact now sits a gargantuan goose to announce her National Mining Day, which will be held at Santos’ Moomba plant in November. (AFR)
@FinancialReview

Full article and coverage via subscription to The Australian Financial Review

https://afr.com/rear-window/gina-rinehart-upgrades-her-airport-and-email-signature-20240923-p5kcsp

Energy, Resources And Mining News: Australia

September 30, 2024

Exports shock on ore to hit $39bn

Treasurer Jim Chalmers is set to reveal a final budget surplus of $15.8bn for 2023-24; this is $6.4bn higher than was forecast in the budget on 14 May. Chalmers claims that Labor's second successive surplus is solely due to lower government spending. However, falling commodity prices are set to weigh on the budget bottom-line in coming years. Revised government forecasts show that resources and energy export earnings will fall to $372bn in 2024-25, compared with $415bn in 2023-24; the value of iron ore exports is forecast to fall to $107bn in 2024-25, down from $138bn in 2023-24. Nickel and lithium export earnings are also expected to fall sharply.

(Roy Morgan Australia)

News

Minister told ERA wouldn't sue over lease

Federal Resources Minister Madeleine King moved to formally cancel Energy Resources of Australia's long-standing lease on the Jabiluka uranium deposit in late July. The Northern Territory government subsequently rejected ERA's application to renew the lease. It has been revealed that King's advisers had told her that ERA would be unlikely to pursue legal action if the Jabiluka lease was cancelled, given that major shareholder Rio Tinto opposes mining at Jabiluka without the consent of the traditional owners. ERA launched a Federal Court challenge to King's ruling in early August, claiming that it was denied procedural fairness.

(Roy Morgan Summary)

News

Telco turned miner vies for desert gas

Australian-listed Jade Gas Holdings has a market capitalisation of about $70m. However, one broker has suggested that this could potentially rise to around $500m due to its coal-seam gas project in Mongolia. Jade Gas was initially listed on the ASX as a Telstra reseller called Westel Group, before transitioning to a resources group. Meanwhile, Jade Gas is under scrutiny for commissioning Hong Kong-based DWK to undertake a drilling program at its Mongolian tenements; it claimed that DWK had been drilling gas wells for a decade, but documents show that the company had not been registered when Jade announced the contract in June.

(Roy Morgan Summary)

News

Federal police drop foreign bribery investigation into Australian miner

September 28, 2024
The Australian Federal Police launched an investigation into foreign bribery allegations against Sundance Resources in 2016. However, an AFP spokeswoman has advised that the probe has failed to yield sufficient admissable evidence to refer criminal proceedings to the Director of Public Prosecutions. The police investigation centred on allegations that Sundance had bribed government officials in the Republic of Congo between 2006 and 2008 in order to advance its Mbalam-Nabeba iron ore project. The investigation was complicated by the deaths of several Sundance executives in a plane crash in the Congo in 2010.

News

Prospector Mark Creasy wins support for Calidus Resources rescue

September 28, 2024
Creditors of Calidus Resources have backed a proposal from veteran prospector Mark Creasy to rescue the failed gold miner from administration. Creasy's proposal was supported by the majority of Calidus shareholders, and will result in his West Coast Lending assuming full ownership of Calidus. The deal with Creasy was backed after Calidus directors withdrew their support for an alternative proposal from Petra Capital. West Coast Lending, which is controlled by Creasy's Yandal Investments, aims to resume production at Calidus's Warrawoona gold mine in the Pilbara within months.

(Roy Morgan Summary)

News

De Grey quick to snuff out takeover speculation

September 28, 2024
De Grey Mining has dismissed recent media reports which suggested that the listed gold miner has received a buyout proposal from Canada-based Agnico Eagle. De Grey has advised that the article which appeared in The Australian is 'pure speculation'. De Grey owns the Hemi deposit in the Pilbara, and it aims to commence developing a gold mine at the site before the end of 2024. Agnico Eagle owns the Fosterville mine near Bendigo in Victoria, and there has been speculation in recent months that the company is keen to acquire assets in Western Australia.

News

Victorian gas projects approved

September 28, 2024

The federal government has approved two new gas production licences for Beach Energy near existing projects off the coast of Victoria. Resources Minister Madeleine King says gas produced at the Artisan and La Bella fields will be reserved solely for domestic use and will help to put downward pressure on gas prices in NSW and Victoria. The government's decision to approve the new licences has coincided with the release of the Australian Competition & Consumer Commission's latest gas inquiry report, which has warned that the east coast's gas supply surplus for the March 2025 quarter is likely to be significantly lower than was previously forecast.

(Roy Morgan Summary)

Mining via Grok

Mining refers to the extraction of valuable minerals or other geological materials from the Earth, which can range from traditional minerals like gold, silver, coal, and iron to more modern interests like lithium for batteries or rare earth elements for technology. Here's a detailed look into the concept of mining:

Traditional Mining

Historical Context: Mining has been pivotal since ancient times, initially for materials like flint, ochre for body painting, and later for metals like copper, tin, and iron which ushered in the Bronze and Iron Ages.

Process: Modern mining involves several steps: Exploration: Identifying potential deposits through geological surveys.
Feasibility Studies: Analyzing the economic viability of mining operations, including costs, market conditions, and environmental impact.
Extraction: Methods vary from open-pit mining for near-surface deposits to underground mining for deeper ores. Techniques include drilling, blasting, and mechanical extraction.
Processing: Ore is usually refined to extract the desired mineral, often involving crushing, grinding, and chemical processes.
Reclamation: After mining, efforts are made to restore the land, though this aspect has historically been controversial due to environmental impacts.

Environmental and Social Impact: Mining can lead to habitat destruction, pollution (e.g., acid mine drainage), and social displacement. However, it's also crucial for economic development in many regions, providing jobs and contributing to national economies.

Cryptocurrency Mining

Concept: In the context of cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin, mining does not involve physical digging but rather computational work. Here, miners validate transactions and add them to the blockchain, a public ledger of all transactions.

Process:
Transaction Verification: Miners collect transactions into blocks.
Proof of Work: Miners compete to solve complex mathematical problems (hashing), requiring significant computational power.
Block Creation: The first to solve the problem adds the new block to the blockchain, earning newly minted cryptocurrency and transaction fees as a reward.
Security: This process also secures the network against fraudulent transactions.

Energy Consumption: Cryptocurrency mining, especially for Bitcoin, has been criticized for its high energy consumption, leading to discussions on its environmental footprint.

Modern Innovations and Issues

Sustainable Practices: There's a push towards more sustainable mining practices, including the use of renewable energy for operations, better waste management, and rehabilitation of mined lands.

Critical Minerals: The demand for minerals essential for technology like lithium, cobalt, and rare earth elements has surged, highlighting new challenges in mining ethics, geopolitics of mineral supply, and the environmental impact.

Artisanal and Small-Scale Mining (ASM): Often seen in developing countries, ASM provides livelihood but also poses significant health and environmental risks due to methods like mercury use in gold extraction.

Technological Advancements: From autonomous mining vehicles to drones for exploration, technology is transforming mining operations, making them safer, more efficient, and potentially less harmful to the environment.

Mining, in both its traditional and digital forms, remains a cornerstone of human civilization, supporting economic, technological, and societal development, while also presenting ongoing challenges regarding sustainability and ethics. (Grok)

Roy Morgan is a former Media Man 'News Outlet Of The Month' award winner

Mining, Energy and Resources: Australia and Oceania

August 9, 2024

News

Legal fees for BHP class action top $680m

Law firm Pogust Goodhead is representing about 600,000 participants in a class action over Brazil's Samarco iron ore tailings dam collapse in 2015. The firm estimates that its legal fees could be around Stg250m, while total legal fees arising from the case could exceed Stg350m. Documents filed with the UK's High Court show that BHP's share of the legal costs have been forecast at around Stg108m; however, this is just for the first stage of the trial, and BHP will face a further legal bill if the resources group is found liable for the disaster in Brazil. Samarco is a joint venture between BHP and Vale.

(Roy Morgan Summary)

News

Win for Fortescue in private eye battle

Federal Court judge Brigitte Markovic has dismissed an application by Element Zero's founders to access the instructions that Fortescue gave to private investigators who had been hired to put them under surveillance. Fortescue alleges that its former employees Bart Kolodziejczyk, Bjorn Winther-Jensen and Michael Masterman used its intellectual property to develop Element Zero's rival green steel technology. Justice Markovic ruled that the instructions given to the private investigators are likely to be subject to legal professional privilege.

News

Creasy in talks for Macquarie's $148m debt at miner Calidus

Macquarie Bank has a four per cent stake in Calidus Resources, while it holds $148m of the failed gold producer's debt. Sources have indicated that Macquarie has finalised the terms of a deal to sell its Calidus loan at a price that is at or near its carrying value. The buyer of the debt is believed to be Yandal Investments, the private investment vehicle of Western Australian billionaire Mark Creasy. His deal to acquire Macquarie's debt could give Creasy an edge over other potential bidders for Calidus or its assets, which include the Warrawoona gold project and a 40 per cent stake in the Pirra lithium joint venture.

News

Win for Whitehaven, MACH as court rejects climate bid

The High Court has dismissed the Environment Council of Central Queensland's application for special leave to appeal the Federal Court's decision to allow two NSW coal mine extension projects to proceed. The court had ruled in May that federal Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek had acted lawfully in handling the environmental approvals process for the Whitehaven Coal and MACH Energy projects. The ECCQ had initiated legal action against the proposed mine expansions in 2022.

(Roy Morgan Summary)

Mining, Energy and Resources: Australia and Oceania

August 7, 2024

News

Liontown wants lithium breaks as prices teeter

Association of Mining & Exploration Companies CEO Warren Pearce says it is holding talks with the Western Australian government with regard to royalty relief for lithium producers. The price of spodumene has fallen to $US870 ($1,337) per tonne, and Liontown Resources CEO Tony Ottaviano contends that the government should intervene in order to avert a similar crisis to the rout that hit the nation's industry. He has also suggested that the federal government should expand its production tax credit scheme to include the upstream processing of spodumene.

(Roy Morgan Summary)

News

MinRes job cuts add to thousands lost in WA's mining sector route

A spokesman for Mineral Resources has confirmed that the iron ore and lithium producer will reduce its head count, although the bulk of the job cuts will be at its Perth head office. Mineral Resources has not disclosed the extent of the job losses, although it is believed to be about 100. The move follows the company's recent decision to mothball its high-cost iron ore mines in Western Australia's Yilgarn region and a delay in the expansion of the Wodgina lithium mine. WA's mining sector has already been hit by massive job losses in the nickel industry in 2024.

(Roy Morgan Summary)

News

Iron ore 'must learn from nickel pain'

Dino Otranto, the CEO of Fortescue's mining arm, has warned that Australia risks missing out amid the global shift to 'green' steel'. He has called for increased collaboration between industry and government to ensure that the nation capitalises on the decarbonisation of the steel industry. He adds that the demise of Australia's nickel industry provides a timely warning for iron ore producers.

News

Jilted ERA heads to court over Jabiluka mine axing

Energy Resources of Australia wants the Federal Court to undertake a judicial review of the Northern Territory government's decision to not renew its mining lease for the Jabiluka uranium deposit. ERA contends that it was denied "procedural fairness and natural justice" in the decision to permanently ban mining at Jabiluka. Amongst other things, ERA has questioned the haste with which federal Resources Minister Madeleine King advised the NT government to reject an extension of the mining lease, which is slated to expire on 11 August.

News

Newmont fights $130m 'restructuring' tax bill

The Australian Taxation Office contends that Newmont Corporation owes it some $132.6m in capital gains tax liabilities arising from a restructuring in 2011. The tax dispute is believed to centre on Newmont's decision to consolidate ownership of its local mines under its Newmont Australia subsidiary; this included a transaction in which two of the mining giant's North American subsidiaries sold their holdings in Newmont Australia back to it. Newmont contends that the transfer was an internal restructure rather than a share sale, and it should therefore not attract capital gain taxes

News

Watchdog threatens 'critical' Browse

Woodside Energy's CEO Meg O'Neill has emphasised the importance of the company's Browse LNG project. She contends that Browse is the only gas field of sufficient size to meet the forecast demand for energy over the near-term. The Browse project's future is under scrutiny following a preliminary ruling from Western Australia's Environmental Protection Authority that it presents a "unacceptable risk" to marine ecology. The EPA is expected to make a final recommendation on the project in 2025, although it can be overruled by the federal government. O'Neill has also defended Woodside's deal to acquire a low-carbon ammonia project in the US.

(Roy Morgan Summary)

Markets and Commodities

July 18, 2024

Australian Dollar: $0.6730 USD (unchanged)

Iron Ore Aug Spot Price (SGX): $105.05 USD (down $2.10 USD)

Oil Price (WTI): $83.10 USD (up $2.28 USD)

Gold Price: $2,458.69 USD (down $10.15 USD)

Copper Price (CME): $4.4165 USD (down $0.0405 USD)

Bitcoin: $64,196.81 USD (down 0.80% in last 24 hours)

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(Roy Morgan Summary)

Rio Tinto appoints new Copper Chief Executive

July 17, 2024

LONDON--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Rio Tinto has appointed Katie Jackson to lead its Copper business, succeeding Bold Baatar, who as previously announced, will become Chief Commercial Officer later this year.

Katie is currently President of National Grid Ventures, responsible for the development and operation of large-scale energy infrastructure assets. She will join Rio Tinto on 1 September 2024 and be based in London.

Katie has strong international experience in the energy sector, across both operational and commercial roles, starting at Shell as a Drilling Engineer and working in Asia, Europe, Eastern Europe, the Middle East and the USA. Following stints at Anadarko and Equinor, where she latterly ran Development and Production operations across Europe and Asia, she joined BG Group as Executive Vice President for Global Business Development and Strategy. Having rejoined Shell, she was subsequently promoted to Executive Vice President of Acquisition, Divestment and New Business Development with responsibility across the Shell portfolio.

Rio Tinto Chief Executive Jakob Stausholm said: "Katie brings diverse experience from across the energy sector. Her leadership will be invaluable as we shape our copper business for a successful future. As we continue the ramp up of Oyu Tolgoi to become one of the world’s largest copper suppliers, we are also looking to the future with new opportunities across the world. We are very excited that Rio Tinto will benefit from Katie’s global perspective, proven operational and strategic leadership capability and her passion for driving sustainable growth.”

Katie Jackson said: “I am inspired by Rio Tinto's ambition to deliver the materials the world needs. It is an exciting time to lead the copper business when we have such a central role to play in delivering a low carbon future and I believe my current role delivering major infrastructure projects will help me bring a new perspective. I look forward to collaborating with our teams across the globe, in partnership with communities and governments, and lead the business to an even stronger future.”

This announcement is authorised for release to the market by Andy Hodges, Rio Tinto’s Group Company Secretary.

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