Indonesia is considering imposing a hefty tax on mineral exports to curb over-exploitation of the country’s resources, as companies scramble to beat a 2014 law requiring ores be upgraded on-shore. It’s a rational follow-up to …
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Indonesia tries keeping its minerals at home
Unrest in Indonesia’s Mines: Local Chaos and Global Injustice
Buried in Indonesia’s rich soil is a minefield of brutality, literally. Last year, the Grasberg mine of the Freeport McMoran Copper & Gold (in which Rio Tinto has a major investment and from which it …
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Massive rally in Quebec in support of locked-out Rio Tinto workers: video
More than 8,000 people marched through the streets of Alma in Lac Saint-Jean to demand an end to the lock out and to fight for the preservation of jobs at the Rio Tinto Alcan (RTA) …
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Mining boom in Michigan: economic boost or environmental nuisance?
Demand for metals on the world market is prompting a mining boom in Michigan’s rural Upper Peninsula, where jobs are scarce. But possible environmental damage to forests, lakes, and rivers alarms some locals. One of …
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Rio wields the diamond blade
About three months after BHP Billiton announced it was reviewing the future of its diamonds business with a view to selling it, Rio Tinto has followed suit with its own strategic review. The decisions of …
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Launch of Greenwash Gold 2012 Campaign
London Mining Network, UK Tar Sands Network and Bhopal Medical Appeal have launched our ‘Greenwash Gold 2012′ Campaign. See the campaign website at http://www.greenwashgold.org/ and vote for the company you think should win Greenwash Gold.
Wikileaks reveal true nature of Ivanhoe-Rio Tinto’s Burmese deal
Recently-released “wikileaks” have confirmed that an arrangement, by which Ivanhoe supposedly transferred its 50% stake in Burma’s Monwya copper mine to an independent “third party” trust, was nothing of the kind. As well as breaching …
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Australia passes controversial mining tax into law
The Australian Senate has pushed through into law a 30% tax on iron ore and coal mining companies. The tax will raise A$10.6bn ($11.2bn, £7bn) over three years from major companies including BHP Billiton, Rio …
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India: Iron fists in dubious gloves
The Indian state of Goa has pledged to close down all illegal iron ore mines. That’s welcome news, except that some “legal” outfits – such as Vedanta’s Sesa Goa – have also been accused of …
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Rio Tinto transgresses on a global scale
The Campaign Against Foreign Control of Aotearoa (CAFCA) declared its solidarity with the Canadian members of the United Steelworkers Union visiting New Zealand last week to gain support for their struggle against contracting out by …
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