At a news conference in early November, Overheard reports that Vladimir Putin became quite critical of hydraulic fracturing claiming that the practice causes too much damage to the environment.

Rambler Metals and Mining plc (CVE:RAB, LON:RMM) enjoyed a 2.5% bump in its stock price Thursday on news that the Toronto and London-listed company has poured the first gold from its Ming Copper-Gold Mine in Newfoundland/Labrador, Canada.

Glencore International plc today announced that a subsidiary has entered into an agreement with Exxaro Base Metals and Industrial Holdings (Proprietary) Limited to acquire Exxaro’s entire 50.04 per cent shareholding in Rosh Pinah Zinc Corporation (Proprietary) Limited, a zinc mining business in Namibia.

The French bank has announced plans to stop trading commodities and cut down on commodities trade financing as it struggles to cope with a credit crunch.

Poland's finance ministry says it does not plan to alter its proposed mining tax aimed mainly at state-controlled copper miner KGHM, whose shares are at their lowest since August 2010.

Australian Paladin Energy (ASX:PDN) sees its ambitions of becoming a major uranium mining house a step closer. After three years of stand-by due to a moratorium on uranium mining on indigenous lands in Labrador, Canada, the Perth-based miner is able to start operations in the area in 2012.

Seven miners have been pulled from Hecla Mining's Lucky Friday mine after a collapse Wednesday evening. Media reports say that six of the workers were treated at the scene while a seventh was treated at hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.

Agrium Inc. (TSX and NYSE: AGU) announced today that its Board of Directors has approved a one million tonne brownfield potash capacity expansion at its Vanscoy potash facility in Saskatchewan, Canada.

B.C., Alberta and Saskatchewan are preparing a "Canadian energy strategy" to present to Ottawa by this spring.