US President Trump declared that, before long, the Strait of Hormuz would be reopened “with ease,” at which point the US would “take the oil.” He also claimed that the US military “has not yet begun destroying Iran’s remaining facilities” and plans to launch follow-up strikes on Iran’s bridges and power plants. In response, the Iranian military issued a statement saying that if the US dares to take action against Iran’s infrastructure, Iran will destroy “all assets and infrastructure” of the US and Israel in the Middle East.

France's TotalEnergies and the UAE's Masdar have formed a $2.2 billion 50-50 joint venture to merge their onshore renewable activities across nine Asian countries. The 'JV' will act as the sole vehicle for developing solar, wind, and battery storage projects in markets including Japan, South Korea, and Malaysia. It will launch with 3 GW of operational assets and a 6 GW pipeline expected to be operational by 2030. Headquartered in Abu Dhabi with roughly 200 employees, the partnership aims to accelerate clean energy deployment across Asia.

An India-US consortium has acquired CHEMAF’s copper-cobalt assets in the DRC, with plans to scale copper output significantly. The deal underscores intensifying geopolitical competition for critical mineral resources.

[ION Minerals Expands Its Lithium Resources Footprint in Texas and Saskatchewan] ION Minerals said it had achieved a major expansion of its diversified lithium resources portfolio in the US and Canada. In a late-March news release, the Houston-based company said the expanded land footprint was achieved through prudent acquisitions, targeted leasing, and focused geological assessments. ION now controls more than 280,000 acres across three project areas, further cementing its position as a leading developer of critical lithium resources for the North American battery supply chain. Smackover is a subsurface geological formation stretching from Florida to Texas and is rich in lithium brine. Source: https://www.mining.com/ [EnergyX's "Lone Star" Project Revolutionizes Domestic Lithium Production in the US] EnergyX's groundbreaking "Lone Star" project marked a major milestone in the US pursuit of critical minerals independence through advanced direct lithium extraction technology. This pioneering facility is the first commercial-scale direct lithium extraction plant to enter operation in the US, addressing long-standing supply chain vulnerabilities while establishing an operational framework for domestic battery-grade lithium production. As demand for critical minerals accelerates amid the global energy transition, the project demonstrates how innovative extraction technologies can transform regional resources into strategic assets. Direct lithium extraction differs fundamentally from traditional mining methods, targeting subsurface brine rather than hard-rock deposits or surface evaporation systems. EnergyX's "Lone Star" project demonstrated this approach through its GET-Lit™ technology, which uses advanced filtration and chemical separation processes to treat brine from the Smackover formation. Source: https://discoveryalert.com.au/ [University of Surrey Develops a Lithium-Ion Battery Anode to Enhance Energy Storage] Researchers at the University of Surrey's Advanced Technology Institute (ATI) developed a new-type battery design that could significantly extend EV driving range. In a study published in ACS Applied Energy Materials, the researchers introduced a lithium-ion battery anode. The anode achieved one of the highest energy storage capacities reported to date in a silicon-carbon nanotube system, while remaining stable after hundreds of charge cycles. Lithium-ion batteries power a wide range of devices in modern technology. Graphite is the most commonly used anode material, offering high stability but limited energy storage capacity. By contrast, silicon has a much higher capacity, but it expands during charging, causing cracking and performance degradation over time. Source: https://www.automotivepowertraintechnologyinternational.com/

US firm Virtus Minerals has acquired Congolese cobalt and copper producer Chemaf, US Under Secretary of State for Economic Affairs Jacob Helberg said on Tuesday. Congo has been seeking to develop a minerals partnership with Washington and has drawn up a list of assets, including Chemaf’s mines, to attract US investment into a sector long dominated by Chinese firms.Virtus had earlier said it had agreed to acquire Chemaf for about $30 million. Chemaf also has $200 million in unsecured debt and $700 million in secured debt.The deal had faced opposition from the CEO and chair of state miner Gecamines, prompting Congo to remove them from their positions.

[How Should Zinc Consumption Be Viewed Against the Backdrop of Geopolitical Conflicts?] Q1 2026 had passed, and the overall recovery in post-holiday consumption was somewhat delayed. How would consumption perform going forward?