Xstrata knocked back in Philippines

Efforts to bring the massive Tampakan copper-gold project to commercial phase suffered a major blow after the Department of Environment and Natural Resources rejected the proponent’s application for an environmental compliance certificate (ECC). Documents obtained by...

British Beowulf reported again for breach of Swedish Minerals Act

Swedish Saami Council Press Release 11 January 2012 The Saami communities of Sirges and Jåhkågaska have today submitted a complaint to the Swedish Minerals Inspectorate claiming that Beowulf Mining has allegedly conducted unauthorized exploration drilling in the...

Rio Tinto Initiates Lockout in Canada

Rio Tinto Alcan, an aluminium-production unit of Anglo-Australian mining giant Rio Tinto, locked out about 800 union workers at a Quebec smelter. See http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970203550304577136533843111036.html.  

Rio Tinto makes diamond foray in India

According to Daily News and Analysis, Rio Tinto has received approvals-in-principle from the Ministry of  Mines to begin diamond mining operations in the state of Madhya Pradesh. Rio Tinto’s maiden venture in India — in the form of a diamond mine — will come up in the...

Rio Tinto wraps up Hathor takeover

Rio Tinto Ltd has taken complete ownership of Canadian uranium company Hathor Exploration. Rio on Thursday said it had compulsorily acquired a remaining 7.9 million shares not voluntarily offered after it made a $C654 million ($A623 million) takeover bid in October...

NGOs Receive Funds from Canadian Government & Mining Companies

Some NGOs receive funds from Canadian government and mining companies to legitimize and promote mining as a good form of “development”. •World University Service of Canada (WUSC) is partnered with Rio Tinto Alcan, owned by Rio Tinto   •Plan Canada =...

Radicals working against oilsands, Ottawa says

Environmental and other “radical groups” are trying to block trade and undermine Canada’s economy, Natural Resources Minister Joe Oliver said Monday. Oliver’s comments came one day before federal regulatory hearings began on whether to approve...

Indian villagers march against POSCO oppression

Kalinganagar massacre anniversary also commemorated As 2012 opened, 2000 villagers in the POSCO concession area of Orissa protested against further repression against leaders of the local movement and pledged to halt the project. Elsewhere in Orissa, more than 2,000...

IACHR's lenience towards Goldcorp is criticised by NGOs

Goldcorp is a Canadian company. Among its major investors are British-based AXA Investment Managers UK Ltd., Blackrock Commodities Income Trust plc and City Natural High Yield Trust plc. The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR), the western...

Protests over Newmont mine resume in Peru

About 1,000 people marched in the Andean city of Cajamarca against the gold mine proposed by the U.S. miner and its Peruvian partner, Buenaventura. See http://www.minesandcommunities.org/article.php?a=11408&l=1. Among investors in Newmont are UK-based Blackrock...

DRC dispute disentangled: ENRC and FQM agree settlement

London listed miner, Eurasian Natural Resources Corporation Plc (ENRC) and Canada’s First Quantum Minerals Ltd (FQM) have resolved a rumble in the jungle with a US$1.25bn settlement for disputed mining assets in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). See...