All articles by Ashima Sharma

Ashima Sharma

Rio Tinto blasts another ancient rock shelter near Western Australia’s Pilbara 

Three years after the infamous Juukan Gorge blasting caused a global uproar for destroying Aboriginal heritage, Rio Tinto has blasted another shelter near Western Australia’s Pilbara.

“This is coal, don’t be afraid!”: Australia’s dramatic tryst with coal and climate change   

Will Australia achieve its new net zero targets by 2050? Ashima Sharma investigates the role of coal.

Antofagasta loses bid to revive Minnesota copper-nickel mine  

If approved, the project would have been one of the US’s largest resource pools for metals needed for the green energy transition.  

How a tiny capsule sparked debate around transport of radioactive materials 

Following  Rio Tinto’s now infamous loss of a small radioactive capsule, Ashima Sharma looks at the logistics of transporting radioactive goods and waste, asking whether regulations are appropriate for the risk involved.

Vedanta ran “covert” lobbying campaign in India to weaken environment regulations: report 

A report by the OCCRP reveals how the law in India was bypassed to loosen environmental regulations that benefit corporates.

Taliban signs $6.6bn in mining contracts in Afghanistan 

The extractive activities have garnered criticism from the public, who say that the Taliban is selling off Afghanistan’s natural resources to foreign entities.

Eramet resumes manganese mining in Gabon after military coup 

On Wednesday, the company stopped all its activities after the army in Gabon claimed they had deposed President Ali Bongo.

UK Serious Fraud Office drops investigations into Rio Tinto and ENRC 

The decision to drop multiple high-stake investigations comes after SFO director Lisa Osofsky prepares to step down from the agency in September.

Eleven people killed in China coal mine explosion 

The site of the blast was the city of Yan’an in northern China, a mountainous region in the Shaanxi province.

Climate campaigners push for legal action against Ffos-y-Fran coal mine in South Wales

The permission to operate Ffos-y-Fran mine near Merthyr Tydfil expired in September 2022, but the mine’s operations have continued ever since.