(17 February 2012) — After years of fractious squabbling and several delays, Indonesia finally has its own tin market. The lead up to its creation was marked by a late-December breaking of ranks from an export ban and a petty spat over the name of the new exchange in January, which caused more companies to withdraw their support.

(17 February 2012) — The latest protests against the building of a rare-earths refinery in Malaysia’s southern state of Pahang echo the panic that surrounded the country’s last such plant when it was built 20 years ago.