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ICEM Condemns Tactics of BHP Billiton, Mitsubishi in Australia Coal Talks
Australia - The International Federation of Chemical, Energy, Mine & General Workers' Unions (ICEM) condemned the bad-faith bargaining strategy of BHP Billiton-Mitsubishi Alliance (BMA) in coal talks in Australia. See...
World Rainforest Movement newsletter on mining and communities
Issue 167 - June 2011 Mining is a destructive activity that has particularly serious impacts on forests and on the communities who depend on them. It is a direct cause of deforestation and some of its impacts are discussed in this bulletin. But what is behind mining?...
Toronto and London Stock Exchanges terminate merger deal
Less than 24 hours before a historic vote on the control of Canada's stock markets, the TMX Group and the London Stock Exchange called off their merger due to lack of shareholder support. See...
UK anti-competition watchdog turns gaze once more to metals warehouses
The UK's Office of Fair Trading will once more look at activity by large metals traders who also own warehouses after a parliamentary committee raised concerns. See http://www.mineweb.com/mineweb/view/mineweb/en/page67?oid=130467&sn=Detail&pid=92730.
Barrick, Antofagasta likely to win mining rights in Pakistan
London-listed Chilean company Antofagasta and Canada's Barrick Gold are likely to win mining rights for a $3.3 billion copper and gold project in Pakistan, a senior provincial government official said. The companies are partners in the Tethyan Copper Co (TCC) joint...
Zambia seeks taxes from mining companies
First Quantum Minerals has agreed to pay Zambia $224-million in tax arrears. The company has also been singled out along with Konkola Copper Mines (KCM), owned by London-listed Vedanta Resources, and Glencore's local unit Mopani, for tax issues related to audits. The...
UK aid cash funds 'dirty' coal-fired power plants while at home Ministers champion greener energy
Millions of pounds of British aid money is funding coal-fired power stations in developing countries – even though their use is being scaled back in this country. The level of spending on fossil-fuel plants by the World Bank, which receives billions from Britain, is...
MEPs vested interests uncovered in EU's raw materials strategy
Corporate Europe Observatory Press release 27 June 2011 Brussels - Europe's future strategy on access to raw materials - due to be voted on in the Parliament on Thursday 30 June - is being shaped by MEPs with vested interests in related industry sectors, a new report...
Long but hopeful path towards legislation on conflict minerals
On 26 May, SOMO organised a Roundtable in the European Parliament, together with Judith Sargentini (Member of European Parliament, GroenLinks). This well attended meeting focused on conflict minerals from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). This Roundtable focused...
Canada blocks move to deem asbestos hazardous
Last week, a total ban on global trading of white asbestos moved closer, as all but four signatories to the Rotterdam Convention agreed to include the material on its hazardous chemicals list. The Convention guarantees the right of governments to exercise "prior...