UPDATE 1-Vale loses bid to block BHP's London lawsuit in Brazil dam case

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Vale on Monday lost a bid to block fellow mining giant BHP Group's bid to have it share potential liability in a 36 billion-pound ($46 billion) London lawsuit over Brazil's worst environmental disaster. More than 720,000 Brazilians are suing BHP, the world's biggest miner by market value, over the 2015 collapse of the Fundao Dam, which was owned and operated by the Samarco joint venture between BHP and Brazilian iron ore producer Vale. BHP, which denies liability, applied in December to have Vale join the case and contribute to damages if they are found liable to the claimants.