South African and Zambian competition authorities have approved China’s Jinchuan Group’s $1.1-billion takeover of copper miner Metorex.

Glencore, the world’s largest commodity trader, has said that it had almost doubled its stake in South African takeover target Optimum Coal to 23.9%.

China’s state-backed miners have looked at Xstrata but are unlikely to bid for it, leaving Brazil’s Vale or Anglo-American best placed to snap up the Anglo-Swiss miner. Vale,…