Cecilia Jamasmie , Senior Editor

After nine months of intermittent production caused by illegal strikes and social unrest, Tongon gold mine achieved its revised production target of 230,000 ounces for 2018, down from 288,680 the previous year.

The lithium miner, the world’s second largest producer of the white metal, has approved additional measures to protect corporate data considered confidential from China'a Tianqi, which recently bought almost a quarter of the Chilean company.

Copper production reached a five-year high, more than offsetting output declines at Minas Rio in Brazil and Kumba in South Africa.

World’s top diamond producer by output Alrosa and China-owned Anjin are the two foreign companies chosen by Zimbabwe's government to partner the state-diamond miner in exploring and digging up diamonds.

China’s Contemporary Amperex Technology (CATL) plans to produce 60 gigawatt hours by the fifth year of its German plant operations.

The miner, the world's largest primary silver producer and Mexico's No. 2 gold company, expects production of the grey metal to fall this year to between 58 and 61 million ounces.

The Canadian miner planned to lay off 2,500 workers due to higher mining taxes in the country, but has now decided to continue dialogue with the government over the issue.

The miner produced 220,000 tonnes of the red metal in the three months to December, up 16% from the previous quarter, boosted by higher throughput and improved copper grades.

Company said the output decline was a consequence of a week-long strike at the Mali operation.

The Canadian miner said it had churned out 24.8 million ounces of silver last year, just shy of the 25-26.5 million ounces expected.