South32 cuts Australia manganese outlook on cyclone impact, flags Middle East risks Its production missed the Visible Alpha consensus estimate of 1.25 million wet metric tons. Reuters | April 21, 2026 | 3:27 pm
Laps of icy roads in China show sodium batteries making an EV breakthrough IEA says 2026 “could prove to be a pivotal year” for sodium batteries, and see the category begin to displace some demand for lithium-ion technology. Bloomberg News | April 21, 2026 | 2:41 pm
Aluminum faces ‘black swan’ supply shock, Mercuria says Disruptions due to the Middle East war trigger a supply shock that will lead to major shortages this year, trader's top metals analyst says. Reuters | April 21, 2026 | 1:38 pm
Liberty Star expands Arizona footprint with new claims, now largest non-major holding The newly staked claims complete Liberty Star's planned district-scale consolidation within the Tombstone mining district. Staff Writer | April 21, 2026 | 1:24 pm
Komatsu becomes first OEM to commission 1,000 ultra-class autonomous haul trucks The 1,000th commissioned autonomous haul truck is a Komatsu 930E-5AT, an ultra-class electric drive truck with a 290-metric-ton payload. Komatsu | April 21, 2026 | 12:44 pm
Mining investors jittery about politics in Peru as vote count drags on, analysts say Investors are particularly worried about leftist Roberto Sanchez and his support for stronger state control over natural resources. Reuters | April 21, 2026 | 10:52 am
HSBC hires JPMorgan executive as global precious metals sales lead James Willis, who spent 20 years at JPMorgan, is expected to join HSBC in mid-2026. Reuters | April 21, 2026 | 10:41 am
Argentina Lithium enters $100M deal with Chinese partner to advance Rincon West Lanshen will provide the funding across three stages of project development at Rincon West. Staff Writer | April 21, 2026 | 10:32 am
Chinese copper output hits record on tailwind from sulfuric acid Production of the metal rose to 1.33 million tons in March, the highest in data going back to 1990. Bloomberg News | April 21, 2026 | 9:41 am