Statistics from GlobalData show that nearly half of shuttered mining operations have already restarted after the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown. Read more from Mining Journal, who have removed the paywall from their most important pandemic coverage.

This week, Mining Weekly reported that morale was high as masked and distanced South African mineworkers returned to underground mining after the South African government relaxed lockdown measures for the industry. Read more here.

Ivanhoe Mines has said its focus after the COVID-19 pandemic will be on building the Kakula copper mine in the DRC. However, the company has slammed the brakes on the Platreef PGM-nickel-copper development in South Africa and cut 2020 funding for the Kipushi zinc project, also in the DRC. Learn more here.

Feel-good story of the week! Mining Indaba exhibitor Tshipi é Ntle Manganese Mining (a subsidiary of Jupiter Minerals) has donated R5m to the Solidarity Fund set up by President Cyril Ramaphosa in response to the devastating effects of COVID-19. Read more.

Not technically breaking news, but this piece from Mining Technology is an interesting look inside the Thorny River diamond mining project in South Africa, which is using cutting edge technology first developed in the oil and gas industry. Read more. 

If you have an interesting company announcement or article that you think our #mining community would benefit from reading, send it to [email protected].