Environmental group National Parks Conservation Association, represented by Earthjustice, is suing the US Department of the Interior and National Park Service over approval of Dateline Resources’ Colosseum rare earth and gold project inside the Mojave National Preserve’s Clark Mountain region, about 10 km from MP Materials’ Mountain Pass mine. The suit alleges NPS authorised mining without a valid plan of operations or required permits, breaching multiple federal laws and long-standing park protections. Dateline says exploration and project work will continue, but its shares fell 9.5%, cutting market capitalisation to about A$1.23 billion.

Copper futures in New York climbed more than 5% this week to $6.11/lb ($13,480/t), nearing January’s record close as satellite data show Chinese smelters running at unprecedented levels. Earth-i’s SAVANT index reports China’s inactive capacity at just 3.9%, driving an all-time high active capacity of 10.73 Mt, 775,000 t above a year ago, while North American smelter inactivity has surged to 32.3%. Spot TC/RCs have flipped from +$50/t in January 2024 to about –$78.50/t, with Antofagasta’s 2026 benchmark with a Chinese smelter settling at zero, the lowest on record.

BHP Invent has signed two Memorandums of Understanding with China ENFI, a subsidiary of China Metallurgical Group Corporation, and BGRIMM Technology Group to co-develop technologies for mineral processing, leaching and complex ore treatment. The partnerships focus on flowsheet innovation and metallurgical testwork for challenging ores, including operations in high-altitude environments common to western China. For miners, this signals potential new process routes and reagent schemes for low-grade or refractory deposits, with Chinese engineering houses positioned as key design and pilot-plant partners.