Continental Nickel Limited (TSX VENTURE:CNI) ("Continental" or "CNI" or the "Company") is pleased to announce that it has commenced a diamond drilling program on the St. Stephen nickel-copper sulphide project in New Brunswick.

Norsk Hydro, one of the world's top aluminum producers, sees growth in global aluminum demand weakening in 2012 as a result of economic turbulence that is creating a weak market and pushing many industry players into the red. In a press release, Hydro's President and CEO Svein Richard Brandtzæg showed confidence in the market and he company, despite the fact Hydro's stocks dropped 2.9 percent after the prediction.

Nature reports that quantum entanglement, odd behaviour at the subatomic level coined 'spooky action at a distance' by Albert Einstein, has been scaled up to the level of two macroscopic diamonds.

London-listed Churchill Mining Plc is threatening Indonesia to seek international arbitration, saying that the company was unlawfully deprived of a US$1.8 billion coal discovery in the jungles of Borneo Island. The East Kutai project is a huge resource with a JORC compliant estimate of 2.7 billion tonnes of coal, acquired by Churchill in 2007 through an acquisition of a 75% stake in Indonesian group Ridlatama.

U.K.-listed London Mining PLC said Friday it has started production of high grade iron ore from its Sierra Leone Marampa project and expects to ship its first iron ore later this month.

Expert from Cornell University, said that authorities should wait for results of the several ongoing studies on health and environmental dangers of fracking before granting rights to mining companies. In a talk given last night in New Brunswick, Canada, Dr. Ingraffea, said that one of the biggest problems of fracking is the failure of wells, which allowes methane gas to escape, polluting drinking water and entering the atmosphere.

The environmental impacts of what would be the Northwest Territories' fourth diamond mine are being studied in Yellowknife, the capital.

Rio Tinto has given the green light to an additional US$2.7 billion capital investment to modernize its aluminium smelter in Kitimat, British Columbia. This new investment will allow for completion of the US$3.3 billion project in 2014.

Kenya is set to join the league of gold-producing nations following the granting of the first mining lease to UK company Goldplat.