Free Republic

After years of Russiagate conspiracy theories about how the Russians had somehow rigged the 2016 presidential election using Facebook ads, the Senate Intelligence report awkwardly revealed that the Russian operation had focused most of its attention on black nationalists. The Senate report revealed that "most of the videos" put out by the Russian IRA troll factory on YouTube "pertained to police brutality and the activist efforts of the Black Lives Matter organization" and found that "no single group of Americans was targeted... more than African-Americans" around "race and related issues". But that was an understatement. The Russians had created their...

The union representing workers at Chile’s La Escondida copper mine said its members voted to reject the most recent contract offer from the mine’s owner and go on strike, potentially risking disruptions to the supply of a key metal as the world’s economy continues to recover from the impact of the coronavirus pandemic. BHP Group Ltd. -controlled Minera Escondida, located in Chile’s northern Atacama Desert, is the world’s largest copper mine, producing almost 5% of the world’s supply of the metal, which is used to make electrical wiring and motors and in construction, among many other applications. By law, the...

BHP Billiton is understood to be planning to push ahead with its $119 billion (£61 billion) offer to buy Rio Tinto, despite a last-minute attempt by China’s Government to break up the deal. China’s purchase of a 9 per cent stake in Rio Tinto on Friday stunned the markets and BHP and cast doubt on whether the mining group would be able to launch a full offer by a Takeover Panel deadline on Wednesday. Sources said that it would be hard for BHP to proceed, given that Bejing effectively now has a blocking stake in Rio Tinto and is determined...

BHP shuts world’s biggest copper mine after blockade Posted online: Saturday, August 19, 2006 at 0000 hours IST AUG 18: BHP Billiton shut the world’s biggest copper mine after striking workers in Chile blocked all roads to the site, cutting off metal supplies at a time of surging demand. Copper prices jumped 2.7% after BHP Billiton, the world’s largest mining company, said it called off talks with the union following the blockade. A 12-day-old strike by 2,052 miners seeking higher pay at the Escondida mine had already cut production to as little as 40% of capacity. Prices of copper, used...

Howard hits LA for gasbag with Arnie SOME politicians are born snake-oil salesmen but John Howard turned spruiker of a different commodity - liquefied natural gas - as he pressed BHP Billiton's case at a meeting with California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger in Los Angeles early today. At the start of a whirlwind overseas trip, which will see the Prime Minister travel to Washington, London and the beaches of Normandy over the next five days, Mr Howard met the actor turned politician to discuss BHP's plans to build an LNG terminal. The mining giant is hoping to secure a firm contract...