This lifted a gauge of Australian mining stocks to within striking distance of an all-time high, with the S & P/ASX 200 Materials Index adding a further 0.2 per cent on Friday. It sits about 2 per cent off its April 2022 record. Gains across the resources sector helped the Australian sharemarket to a 0.7 per cent rise on Friday, ending the week at a six-week high of 7328.1 points. The benchmark index is now up 4.1 per cent this year and is about 4 per cent off its record high. BHP rose 0.5 per cent to $49.64 and Rio...