EU antitrust regulators have issued a formal statement of objections to MMG’s planned acquisition of Anglo American’s Brazilian nickel business, focusing on low-carbon ferronickel output from the Barro Alto mine and processing plant. The European Commission warns MMG, controlled via China Minmetals and SASAC, could reroute Barro Alto ferronickel to affiliated Chinese stainless steel producers, cutting volumes available to EU buyers. For smelters and alloy producers in Europe, the case signals closer scrutiny of supply concentration and long-term offtake structures in critical nickel feedstocks.

Financial author and forecaster Harry Dent blames the latest asset bubble on unprecedented US government money-printing, warning that another “couple trillion” dollars of stimulus will be less effective because investors have already seen repeated crisis rescues. He labels gold’s surge from about $1,600 to roughly $5,600 in three years as “the fastest, most extreme bubble in history”, far above its long-term trend. Dent expects a severe deflationary downturn would drag gold down alongside commodities and equities, though with smaller percentage losses.

Western Australia is moving to convert decades of mining and petroleum investment into wider industrial capability, with WA MLA David Scaife telling the WA Mining Conference and Exhibition 2026 that the state’s mineral and petroleum sectors now generate a substantial share of gross state product and export revenue. The strategy centres on using established iron ore, LNG and critical minerals supply chains to attract downstream processing, manufacturing and technology services. For miners and engineers, this signals stronger policy backing for value-adding plants, local content requirements and skills development tied to existing operations.