The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) held 12 hours of stacked hearings in Chicago on Thursday, allowing the public to express their opinions (mostly adulation according to The Huffington Post) about the proposed carbon pollution standards for new power plants.

A second major physical iron ore trading platform, supported by major mining companies and Chinese steelmakers will launch this Wednesday, competing directly with China's new own platform in a race to create an industry price benchmark.

Australia’s decision to grant first ever right to hire foreign workers at the Roy Hill project in the Pilbara on Friday has sparked heated critics by local unions and the mining community.

Lake Shore Gold Corp.(TSX:LSG)(NYSE MKT:LSG) ("Lake Shore Gold" or the "Company") today announced that the Company has commenced safety, ventilation and maintenance checks at its Timmins West Mineas of 7:00 pm on Sunday, May 27, 2012, with full production at the mine to resume tomorrow morning (Monday, May 28, 2012) at 7:00 am.

It raises questions about demand for such assets, just as peer Rio Tinto starts work on a potential sale of its diamond division.

Smaller miners are waiting for production cutbacks by the market leaders to prop up prices the way Saudi-Arabia comes to the rescue of oil producing nations whenever the crude price begins to flag.

The prospectus giving details of the creation of a $90 billion mining and commodities trading behemoth will find its way to the inboxes of shareholders this week.

If there is one mining project anywhere in the world that could warrant the old Hollywood blockbuster title of Back to the Future it must be EMED Mining’s Rio Tinto copper venture in Andalucía, Spain.

Gold faces a crucial test in the coming holiday-shortened week with crucial US jobs numbers out on Friday and the ongoing Eurozone crisis making or breaking the yellow metal's assault on $1,600 and higher.