Japan's Marubeni Corp will invest in a mineral sands project owned by Australia's RZ Resources, following in the footsteps of compatriot JX Advanced Metals, which struck a similar deal with RZ earlier this year. If the project's feasibility is confirmed, Marubeni will contribute A$15 million ($9.75 million) for options granting it up to 5% equity participation in RZ's Copi mineral sands mine project in New South Wales along with certain marketing rights. Learn More

A planned tie-up between Chilean state copper giant Codelco and local producer SQM to produce lithium has won approval from China's antitrust regulator, paving the way for the joint venture to go into effect. China's green light was the last major remaining condition for the companies to close a deal, first announced nearly two years ago, to produce lithium in Chile's Atacama salt flat as a part of the government push to widen state control of the industry and expand output.

The longest government shutdown in U.S. history could end this week after a compromise that would restore federal funding cleared an initial Senate hurdle late on Sunday, though it was unclear when Congress would give its final approval. The deal would restore funding for federal agencies that lawmakers allowed to expire on October 1, bringing welcome relief to low-income families that have seen food subsidies disrupted, hundreds of thousands of federal workers who have go