High concentrations of rare earths found in Utah, Colorado coal mines

If confirmed, this would be the first ever US investment in an Australian rare earths project.

The ties upgrade marks the latest success for Communist-ruled Vietnam's "bamboo diplomacy".

The miner this month provided an updated mineral resource estimate for its Halleck Creek project, showing a 64% increase in its in-situ tonnage.

The initial startup supply will be sourced from local artisanal mining cooperatives, promoting responsible sourcing, the company said.

The company posted a quarterly net loss of $16.3 million.

Hastings, which is backed by Andrew Forrest, will supply a minimum of 10,000 tons per annum of concentrate for an initial seven years.

Defense Metals says metallurgical testing of samples from its Wicheeda project has shown a 50% total rate earth oxide concentrate can be made.

Canada plans to reduce the time to approve mining permits by better funding the regulatory agency to get rid of paperwork backlogs.

The IEA's move comes as countries escalate efforts to cut emissions.