Judge said while the complaint lists "tragic events" it could not trace a link back to US tech giants: "The only real connection is that the companies buy refined cobalt.”

The miners have been in a bidding war for the Canadian company, which owns Eagle’s Nest nickel and copper deposit in Ontario.

Duncan Wanblad, 54, will be the first South African to run the company since Tony Trahar stepped down in 2007.

It did not take long for COP26 to turn into a farce with UN Secretary General António Guterres pleading with the gathered highnesses and excellencies to declare enough is enough.