The FTSE 100 index rose 139 points to 6,037 points, the first time it has been above the 6,000 level in 17 months, with mining shares exceptionally high.
The chance of start mining asteroids, workers told ‘death’ only excuse for not working on Christmas and MINING.com's very own list of top billionaires involved in minerals and metals, became some of the most-read stories of 2012.
The United Arab Emirates (UAE) city of Dubai, through its Gold and Jewellery association, has launched a gold promotion program that offer jewellery shoppers the chance to win 15kg of gold and cash prizes totalling $545,000 (2 million Dirham).
Relatively high gold prices during 2012 compelled companies to start mining more aggressively in the challenging terrain of the Guerrero Gold Belt (GGB), an emerging gold mining district in Mexico.
The Hanlong Group, a privately owned Chinese company, is planning to take over Australian mining company Sundance (ASX:SDL) early next year and gain control over the Mbalam iron ore project in central west Africa, China's official Xinhua News Agency reported Saturday.