Canadian defense, construction and metal mining shares stand to benefit as Ottawa commits to increased military spending and the speeding up of major infrastructure projects that could boost the economy, investors say…Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney has vowed to boost funding for the armed forces and hit NATO's initial military spending target of 2% of gross domestic product this fiscal year, five years earlier than promised…Canada has further agreed to NATO's new defense investment pledge of 5% of GDP by 2035, which includes 3.5% of GDP for core military capabilities and 1.5% for defense and security-related infrastructure. "The materials sector, we see as the main beneficiary here," said Victor Kuntzevitsky, a portfolio manager at Stonehaven, Wellington-Altus Private Counsel. "As you read through what the Canadian commitment is to NATO, a large percentage of it is the mining area, specifically metals that are required for the military and industrial complex. So anything that can help with permitting, allowing the material companies more easily and quickly and cheaply get those metals out of the ground, will help."

The Democratic Republic of Congo will permanently ban cobalt exporters that violate its new quota system, President Felix Tshisekedi has warned, as the world’s top producer tightens controls to curb fraud and stabilize prices…Congo, which accounts for about 70% of global cobalt output, halted exports in February after prices of the critical electric battery metal hit a nine-year low…Glencore, the world’s second-largest cobalt producer, supports the quota system while CMOC, the top producer, opposes it…Tshisekedi said at Friday’s meeting that the export freeze helped drive a 92% rebound in cobalt prices since March, calling the new system “a real lever to influence this strategic market” after years of “predatory strategies,” according to the minutes.

For over 50 years, silicon chips have powered everything — from computers and smartphones to satellites and AI. But silicon has reached its physical limits. Enter Bismuth, a psychedelic-looking crystal with powerful quantum properties that could change computing forever.

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