The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) have appointed a special "diamond cop" to combat the smuggling of gemstones and precious metals as the illegal trade flourishes on the back of demand from drug dealers.
A new report published in Australia has found that coal mining communities around the world suffer from elevated levels of death, disease and birth defects.
In September Chinese mines already churned out a whopping 20% more ore compared to last year. There are also 66 new mines producing 490 million tonnes in development. That at a time when steel output is growing at 1.7%.