Government has launched a six‑month review into why UK rail infrastructure schemes, such as electrification, new stations and major renewals, are significantly more expensive to deliver than comparable projects in Europe. The review will examine cost drivers across design standards, procurement models, possession regimes and risk allocation on projects delivered by Network Rail and Great British Railways Transition Team. Outcomes could influence future business cases, value‑for‑money tests and funding approvals for large schemes including HS2 extensions and Northern Powerhouse Rail.

Brazil has approved a 27‑mineral critical list, with nine high‑priority commodities – including rare earths, graphite, lithium, nickel, cobalt, copper, manganese, silicon and uranium – guiding which projects qualify for federal backing. A new risk‑reduction fund, FGAM, can receive up to R$2 billion, while the Federal Program for Critical and Strategic Minerals will provide up to R$1 billion per year from 2030–2034 for mining development and transformation. Only listed minerals in nationally registered projects will be eligible, with classifications reviewed every four years.

Australian mining leaders are warning that federal plans to replace the 50% capital gains tax discount with cost base indexation and a 30% minimum tax on gains from 1 July 2027 will choke risk capital for greenfields exploration. Evolution Mining founder Jake Klein and Westgold Resources managing director Wayne Bramwell told IMARC the exclusion of explorers from exemptions granted to tech start-ups is already drying up funding in Western Australia, Australia’s largest exploration jurisdiction. The Minerals Council of Australia and AMEC argue the policy conflicts with Canberra’s stated critical minerals ambitions and could damage the exploration ecosystem for years.