KoBold Metals, the mining company backed by US billionaires Jeff Bezos and Bill Gates, has signed an agreement with the Democratic Republic of Congo that positions the US firm to acquire the contested Manono lithium deposit and launch large-scale critical mineral exploration, it said on Friday. The deal represents a dramatic escalation in the battle for Manono in northern Congo, considered one of the world's largest lithium deposits, crucial for electric vehicle batteries. Australian-based AVZ Minerals has been locked in a prolonged legal dispute with Congo's government over mining rights. KoBold's agreement ... (full story)