SpaceX Surpasses Amazon in Market Value as Post-IPO Rally Accelerates 
Frank Stronach Found Guilty of Sexual Assault and Indecent Assault in Ontario Court 
Trump Administration Delays DeepSeek and CXMT Trade Blacklist Designations Amid U.S.-China Tensions 
Microsoft Taps AWS to Support GitHub Amid AI Coding Boom 
Meta Seeks Legal Shield From Child-Harm Lawsuits Amid KOSA Talks 
US Raises Concerns Over Possible ASML EUV Machine Transfer to China 
John Jumper Leaves Google DeepMind for Anthropic Amid Intensifying AI Talent Race 
SpaceX Stock Slides After IPO Rally as Valuation Concerns Grow 
Ukrainian Drone Makers Target Japan and Asia Defense Market 
SoftBank Shares Drop as OpenAI Losses and Rising Costs Spark Investor Concerns 
TD Bank Expands Employee Monitoring Software to Boost Productivity Amid Privacy Concerns 
Jio IPO Filing Nears as Reliance Targets $4 Billion Market Debut 
Samsung Gains Interest from BYD, Google, AMD as AI Chip Demand Strains TSMC Capacity 
Qantas Nears Launch of World’s Longest Non-Stop Flights to London and New York 
Hyundai to Acquire SoftBank’s Remaining Boston Dynamics Stake for $325 Million 
Saudi Aramco Explores Sulphur Business Stake Sale to Raise Billions 
Trump Says Anthropic No Longer Seen as National Security Threat 
BHP Group (ASX: BHP), the world’s largest mining company, reported record-high iron ore production for the first six months of its current fiscal year, highlighting the strength of its core operations even as it warned of potential pricing pressure from China and rising project costs in Canada.
In an update released Tuesday, BHP said its Western Australia Iron Ore (WAIO) operations produced 146.6 million tonnes of iron ore on a 100% basis in the half-year to December 31. This marked a 1% increase compared with the same period last year and represented the highest half-year output on record. Quarterly production for the three months to December reached 76.3 million tonnes, up 4% year-on-year, supported by strong operational performance and improved supply chain reliability.
Iron ore shipments also reached a record level during the half-year period, while BHP reaffirmed its full-year iron ore production guidance of between 251 million tonnes and 262 million tonnes. The miner achieved an average realized iron ore price of $84.71 per wet metric tonne during the period. However, BHP cautioned that ongoing negotiations with China Mineral Resources Group could result in lower realized prices, reflecting shifting dynamics in global iron ore contract terms. The company said it continues to optimize product placement and maintain operational flexibility to manage potential impacts on pricing.
Beyond iron ore, BHP upgraded its annual copper production outlook to a range of 1.9 million to 2.0 million tonnes, up from a previous forecast of 1.8 million to 2.0 million tonnes. Copper production for the half-year totaled 984.1 thousand tonnes, broadly unchanged from the prior year.
BHP also flagged higher costs at its Jansen Stage 1 potash project in Canada, estimating total investment at $8.4 billion, up from the previous guidance range of $7.0 billion to $7.4 billion. The increase reflects higher inflation, design and scope changes, and lower-than-expected productivity. First production at Jansen is now expected in mid-2027, underscoring the long-term nature of BHP’s diversification strategy.
