Canada’s proposed “buyers’ club” for critical minerals, raised by Prime Minister Mark Carney in meetings with Rio Tinto and Australian officials, would see like‑minded countries jointly contracting long‑term offtake for battery and magnet metals such as lithium, nickel and rare earths. For Australia, participation could de‑risk financing for new mines and refineries by underpinning bankable offtake, but would also expose producers to tighter ESG conditions and potential price caps. The move signals a shift from ad‑hoc spot sales towards coordinated, government‑backed demand aggregation in critical minerals supply chains.

CITB has set a £11.5m employer networks budget for 2026-27, restricting access to micro, small and medium-sized firms (fewer than 249 staff) while creating a separate large employer fund. From April, these smaller employers can book training through networks at 50% match funding, subject to new annual caps of £1,500 for micro (up to nine staff), £2,000 for small (10–49) and £4,500 for medium (50–249). Large employers will instead access a £18,000-per-year large employer fund for any in-scope training, tied to an agreed training plan.

The Financial Reporting Council has launched an investigation into two former Vistry accountants over a £165m costing error on nine housing development sites in the south of England in 2023–24. The misstatement is linked to forecasting and financial reporting in Vistry’s South division and is speculated to involve failure to account properly for construction cost inflation within its partnership model, where sale prices are fixed before build. The probe targets only the two unnamed individuals, with Vistry stating they have left the company and that it will cooperate fully.