Cecilia Jamasmie , Senior Editor

Nova Scotia's natural resources minister Cleve Higgins will have to decide soon whether an Australian mining conglomerate or a Christmas-tree family farm has the rights over eight-hectares of land in Moose River, near Middle Musquodoboit.

Canadian First Nickel Inc (TSX:FNI) shares were down almost 22% this morning (11:11 ET) to 70 Canadian cents, after the company was ordered to stop work at its key mine Lockerby by The Ontario's Ministry of Labour over safety issues.

Google's billionaire co-founders Larry Page and Eric Schmidt and filmmaker James Cameron will officially announce today plans to mine asteroids. The company's presentation will be broadcast live today at 1:30 p.m. ET.

Billionaire Australian Gina Rinehart, is taking Rio Tinto to court, demanding the world's third largest miner pay her 2.5% of the income streams from iron ore production at the Channar and Eastern Ranges mines on top of the royalties from three other Pilbara properties she is already receiving.

Diversified miner Anglo American Plc. (LON:AAL), announced today it has sold the South African Scaw Metals Group business for $430 million to a group of partners, on a move to refocus on its core mining business.

Canadian Peregrine Diamonds has discovered a third kimberlite during its winter drill program in the Lac de Gras region, Canada, one of the most prolific diamond districts in the world since kimberlite was first discovered there in 1991.

More than 2,000 international experts will meet in Montreal, Canada, next week to discuss the latest research about how climate change is altering the Arctic faster than the inhabitants, and the governments that regulate the phenomenon, can keep up with.

Anglo American’s CEO, Cynthia Carroll, said yesterday the company faces further disruption to its US$6 billion Minas-Rio iron ore operation in Brazil, although it hopes to resume construction at the site.

The South African mining industry, the backbone of the country’s US$357 billion economy, is at a crossroads, says Johannesburg-based international legal powerhouse Webber Wentzel in the article “Whither the South African mining industry?” published late March.

Mumbrella may face defamation charges from Xstrata Coal after it published a parody video of the anti mining taxes campaign, re-launched last week by The Minerals Council of Australia.