Antofagasta CEO Iván Arriagada has been re-appointed chair of the International Council on Mining and Metals (ICMM) for a two-year term, succeeding Newmont chief Tom Palmer, who is retiring as CEO at year-end. Arriagada, who previously chaired ICMM from 2022–2024, helped establish the Global Industry Standard on Tailings Management and backed the Consolidated Mining Standard Initiative (CMSI) on common ESG benchmarks. His return signals continuity in ICMM’s 26-member CEO council as it executes its 2025+ strategy on tailings governance and responsible project development.

A cross-party House of Lords Built Environment Committee warns that delays in the Building Safety Regulator’s gateway approval processes are stalling cladding remediation on high‑rise residential blocks. Peers say leaseholders are facing rising interim costs for waking watches, higher insurance premiums and extended scaffolding hire while schemes wait for sign‑off. The committee presses the government and BSR to streamline case handling and resource the regulator adequately so life‑critical façade works can proceed at pace.

Welsh MPs have warned that the Great British Railways (GBR) Bill, which centralises rail planning and operations under a new GBR body, fails to address Wales’s specific infrastructure and funding needs. They argue that the legislation does not correct historic underinvestment in Welsh rail, where enhancements such as electrification and capacity upgrades on key corridors like the South Wales Main Line lag behind those in England. For civil engineers, the dispute signals continued uncertainty over long-term funding envelopes and governance for major Welsh rail renewals and enhancements.