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With sanctions on Russian zinc supply adding pressure on Sweden – Europe’s second largest zinc producer, to increase supplies – Alicanto’s Sala resource might just be the missing link (reports Stockhead).

The turn-around underway at Gascoyne illustrates this upside while Ivory Coast gold mine developer Tietto is also in line for a re-rate. Plus, Bellevue Gold insulates itself against rising costs.

To buy, or not to buy, that is the question dogging investors as they’re swamped with the competing evidence driving volatile financial and commodity markets, with gold leading the way down and copper trying to lead the way up.

Bellevue Gold has awarded the engineering, procurement and construction contract for its 1 million tonne per annum Bellevue plant to GR Engineering Services (reports MiningNews).

The huge size of an Aussie-listed miner’s two gold-copper discoveries in Ecuador is becoming increasingly clear, with two of Australia’s most experienced analysts saying they could host up to 15 million ounces of gold equivalent (reports Stockhead).

A lithium producer for car makers including BMW and Tesla is beginning work to assess battery metals projects in Xinjiang, deepening links between electric vehicle supply chains and a region at the heart of human rights allegations against China (reports Bloomberg).

E79 Gold Mines (ASX: E79) has started a major new phase of aircore drilling at its flagship Laverton South gold project in Western Australia (reports Small Caps).

Trigg Mining has announced the completion of a sighter evaporation trial on brine samples from its flagship Lake Throssell sulphate of potash (SOP) project in the Laverton region of Western Australia (reports Small Caps).

Rare earth stocks, like the rest of the mining sector, have been sold down for much of the past six months, but three clues can be found, which point to the potential for a strong recovery (reports Tim Treadgold on Small Caps).