Zambia is negotiating a critical minerals deal with the US government after “decoupling” it from a separate health funding agreement it signed on Thursday, its foreign minister said.“There was this (Memorandum of Understanding) on health and another on critical minerals, and we were saying that these need to be decoupled, and this has been done,” Mulambo Haimbe said at a signing ceremony for the health pact, which will see the US provide $1.5 billion in funding.

Swiss precious metals refiner Valcambi and Shiu Wing Steel, Hong Kong’s only steel mill, have signed a letter of intent to establish a precious metals refining and vaulting operation in Hong Kong, the companies said on Thursday.The proposed joint venture would be based at Shiu Wing Steel’s facility in Tuen Mun, Hong Kong, and would target customers across the Asia-Pacific region.Shiu Wing Steel said the venture would help the company’s diversification beyond its core business of steel rebar production.

WASHINGTON, Oct 8 (Reuters) - The average rate on the popular US 30-year fixed-rate mortgage surged to a near three-year high this week, and could ​increase further as concerns over inflation boost Treasury yields.

NEW YORK, Oct 8 (Reuters) - Federal Reserve ​Bank of St. Louis ‌President Alberto Musalem said on Thursday that the US ​central bank will need ​to hike rates again ⁠to bring inflation back ​to the 2% target.“To ​bring inflation back to target in a timely manner, more monetary ​policy firming will ​be required,” the official said at ‌an ⁠event held by Bloomberg in New York.When asked about what the Fed ​should do ​at ⁠its late October policy meeting, the ​official said, “I go into ​every ⁠meeting with a very open mind and I ⁠haven’t ​prejudged” what ​should happen then.

Anglo American’s (LON: AAL) proposed $54 billion merger with Canada’s Teck Resources (TSX: TECK.B) and the sale of its Brazilian nickel business have become test cases for navigating geopolitical complexities as they await antitrust approval, CEO Duncan Wanblad said on Wednesday.The Anglo-Teck merger, announced in 2025, has received approval from all countries where the companies operate except China. Both expect the deal to close by March 2027.

Anglo American (LON: AAL) will likely shut down its Brazilian nickel operation if EU antitrust regulators block its sale to Hong Kong-listed mining and metals company MMG, its chief operating officer will warn regulators at a closed hearing on Thursday, according to prepared comments obtained by Reuters.Anglo American Brazil COO Ruben Fernandes and Cristina Morgan, the company’s chief financial officer in Brazil, will seek to convince the European Commission that the $500 million deal with MMG will not hurt European stainless steel producers.

Zimbabwe recorded lithium export sales worth $2.16 billion during the nine months to September 30, nearly four times the total sales for last year, the government’s minerals marketing agency said on Wednesday.The increase was mainly due to a 283% increase in the price of spodumene concentrate, a lithium-bearing mineral which is a key source of the battery metal, the Minerals Marketing Corporation of Zimbabwe’s General Manager Nomusa Moyo said during a briefing.

BOSTON/LONDON/SYDNEY, Oct 8 (Reuters) - Global shares slid on Thursday as strains in sovereign bond markets were aggravated by a jump in oil prices and reports that some major tech firms were ​seeking to raise billions in debt in direct competition for limited funding.

NEW YORK, Oct 8 (Reuters) - US Treasuries weakened on Thursday, pushing yields higher for a second consecutive session, as rising oil prices fueled inflation concerns and investors eyed a 30-year bond auction for fresh clues on appetite for long-term debt.In late morning trading, the benchmark 10-year yield was up 2.8 basis points at 5.305% after hitting a 24-year high on Wednesday. US 30-year yields, on the other hand, were flat to slightly higher at 5.666% .Rising bond yields mean Treasury debt prices are lower.

GENEVA, Oct 8 (Reuters) - The World Trade Organization upgraded its forecast for global merchandise trade growth ​on Thursday, saying demand for AI-related products had helped offset the impact of disruptions caused by the US-Israeli war with ‌Iran.World merchandise trade volume growth was stronger than expected and is now projected to reach 3.9% in 2026, up from 1.9% in the WTO's baseline forecast issued in March.It expects 4.1% growth in 2027, up from a previous forecast of 2.6%, and marginally below 2025 trade volume growth of 4.2%.

Oct 8 (Reuters) - Gold prices ‌edged up on Thursday after hitting a two-month low in the previous session, as investors assessed the minutes of the US Federal Reserve's September meeting for clues on its interest rate trajectory.

Oct 8 (Reuters) - US stock index ​futures fell on Thursday as oil prices soared and Treasury yields hovered near multi-year highs, fueling inflation concerns ‌ahead of an earnings season that will test whether corporate profits can sustain the momentum.Brent crude futures jumped 4.8% to more than $105 a barrel on persistent worries about supply from the Middle East after increasing attacks on shipping in the Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz.

LONDON, Oct 8 (Reuters) - The dollar rose towards its strongest ​level in 18 months on Thursday, after minutes from the US Federal Reserve signalled policymakers viewed inflation ‌as the biggest risk to their outlook, while higher oil prices and rising euro zone bond yields have weighed on the euro.

WASHINGTON, Oct 8 (Reuters) - US Federal Reserve Governor Christopher Waller said ​on Thursday that additional rate hikes will likely be needed to lower inflation to the Fed's 2% target, but added there was "flexibility" about ‌the pace of increases and left the door open for a pause at the Fed's upcoming October meeting.

NEW YORK, Oct 8 (Reuters) - Investors will scrutinize US quarterly bank earnings next week for signs that a recent spike in Treasury ​yields may curb dealmaking and lending growth and raise funding costs across the industry.

London-listed Savannah Resources (LON: SAV) is close to signing a key second offtake deal for future output from its flagship Barroso lithium project in northern Portugal, with an agreement expected this quarter, CEO Emanuel Proenca said on an analyst call on Wednesday.The Barroso project hosts more than 39 million tonnes of spodumene resources, Europe’s largest deposit of the lithium-bearing mineral.The company has said further exploration upside could lift resources above 100 million tonnes and extend the mine’s life beyond 50 years.

NEW YORK, Oct 7 (Reuters) - Wall Street pulled back from ​all-time highs on Wednesday as long-dated US Treasury yields resumed their climb, reviving fears over inflation and mounting debt.All three major ‌US stock indexes were modestly lower, with the S&P 500 and the Dow poised to snap their four-day winning streaks. The Nasdaq was on track for its first down day in six.The small-cap Russell 2000 (.RUT), underperformed its larger cap counterparts.

Indonesia is discussing a plan to impose a moratorium on development of new nickel processing facilities that produce partly processed metals, the senior minister overseeing mining, Bahlil Lahadalia, said on Wednesday.The plan is part of the country’s efforts to prop up prices of nickel products, said Bahlil.

WASHINGTON, Oct 7 (Reuters) - Federal Reserve ​policymakers were divided last month over the rationale for raising interest rates, with "some participants" seeing a hike ‌as needed to keep the impact of energy and other price shocks at bay, but a more hawkish core viewing it as necessary to guard against emerging demand-driven inflation.

India’s steel ministry is unlikely to push for any new measures to curb cheap imports in the near term, turning down a request from domestic steelmakers, according to a government source with direct knowledge of the matter.India, the world’s second-biggest crude steel producer, was a net importer of finished steel in April-August, shipping in ​3.5 million metric tons of the alloy, up 29.5% from a year ago. China accounted ​for 31.8% of imports, making it the top exporter of finished steel to India in the period.