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The inside of a mine in Goslar, Germany
Image: Niels Poulsen/imageBROKER/picture alliance

Mining and minerals

Extracting minerals can bring a range of benefits, but mines can also provoke conflict and harm people and the environment.

Skip next section Reports & Analysis

Reports & Analysis

Children and a man cross a bamboo bridge over a river

The 'green' mining boom poisoning rivers in Southeast Asia

The 'green' mining boom poisoning rivers in Southeast Asia

Indigenous and rural, farmiing communities are trying to stand up to polluting mineral and gold mining.
Nature and EnvironmentMarch 17, 202614:54 min
Gold bars on a stock market chart

Ghana, center of Africa's gold rush, hikes mining royalties

Ghana, center of Africa's gold rush, hikes mining royalties

Gold prices are exploding — and Ghana, Africa's top gold producer, just lit the fuse, rattling global superpowers.
BusinessMarch 15, 202604:08 min
Ghana 2024 | Goldschürfer zeigt Ausbeute in Goldmine

Ghana's new gold royalty hike shakes mining industry

Ghana's new gold royalty hike shakes mining industry

Mining giants say the new rates could scare away new investors and force some to move elsewhere.
GlobalizationMarch 13, 2026
Flash-Galerie Internationale Bauaustellung IBA Fürst-Pückler-Land

Coal industry giants

Coal industry giants

The F60 conveyor bridge is the world's largest movable machine. But the era of this steel giant is over.
BusinessMarch 11, 202605:09 min
South African National Defense Force (SANDF) soldiers patrol during an operation in Riverlea, near Johannesburg, on March 11, 2026

South Africa deploys troops in cities to tackle crime

South Africa deploys troops in cities to tackle crime

A rise in gang-related violence has prompted South Africa to deploy the military to major cities.
CrimeMarch 11, 2026
Men stand in a mine in Indonesia

Inside Indonesia's illegal gold rush

Inside Indonesia's illegal gold rush

In Jambi, illegal gold mining booms. A move to legalize it raises fears of deeper environmental damage.
GlobalizationMarch 10, 202603:21 min
Skip next section In the spotlight

In the spotlight

A group of young miners are sitting in a tunnel; one of them is handing out leaves from a small green plastic bag to the others.

Bolivia's new silver rush, a dangerous mining boom

Around 500 years ago, Bolivia's mines made the Spanish Empire rich. Today, a new silver rush has tragic consequences.
TradeMarch 4, 20269 images
Volkswagen cars sit on a production line at a factory in Germany

China shock: Rivalry tests Merz and German economy

Merz, who is visiting China this week, is facing calls to defend German industry from intense rivalry from China.
TradeFebruary 24, 2026
A South African National Defence Forces soldier stands guard as suspects lie on the ground

South Africa mulls using military to combat organized crime

With South Africans skeptical about the president's plan, analysts say policing must be overhauled for public support.
PoliticsFebruary 18, 2026
Mother Jane Nalengo (left) sits next to her daughter Elizabeth (right) in an open outdoor area

Zambia lead poisoning victims sue mining giant

Decades after a colonial mine closed in Kabwe, toxic dust continues to contaminate homes, schools and playgrounds.
Human RightsFebruary 5, 202603:49 min
A machine selects raw materials with high content of rare earths at a mine in Bayan Obo, Mongolia, China, on October 27, 2010

How US Project Vault challenges China's rare-earth dominance

Donald Trump's Project Vault seeks to secure US access to rare earth minerals, vital for advanced tech and clean energy.
TradeFebruary 5, 2026
A jellyfish in the deep sea

The hidden money behind deep-sea mining

DW traces the hidden money behind deep-sea mining — an industry scientists warn could irreversibly harm oceans.
Nature and EnvironmentJanuary 31, 2026
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