Cecilia Jamasmie , Senior Editor

Firestone Energy Limited (ASX/JSE:FSE) rejected today an offer from Tata Power to invest in a joint venture with Sekoko Resources to develop a coal mine in the Waterberg area of South Africa, saying the offer under-valued the assets.

Canadian base-metals miner Hudbay Minerals (TSX:HBM)(NYSE:HBM), rose the capital cost estimated of its giant Constancia copper project in Peru by about 50% to $1.5 billion, mentioning both scope changes and inflation as reasons.

Christy Clark, the Premier of Canada’s British Columbia unveiled details of a C$25 billion public and private sector plan to expand trade with Asia, by improving the province's transportation system.

The Canadian oil sands will need to more than double its workforce over the next decade, as expansion projects create new positions and existing workers retire, says the Petroleum Human Resources Council of Canada.

First Uranium (TSX:FIU) announced Monday it has sold its South African-based Elzuwini Mining Co. to Gold One International for US$70 million, transaction that should be completed by June 29.

Canadian Abacus Mining and Exploration Corp. (TSXV:AME) is looking for potential buyers, partners or other alternatives under a strategic review initiated Monday, shortly after its partner moved to increase its holding in their B.C. joint venture.

Lake Shore Gold Corp.(TSX:LSG)(NYSE Amex:LSG) today announced a new reserve estimate for the Company's Timmins West Mine, located 18 kilometres west of theTimmins, Ontario. Timmins West Mine is a commercial producing underground mining operation involving the extraction of ore from two adjacent deposits, Timmins Deposit and Thunder Creek Deposit.

The creation of the world’s first national protocol on sustainable and socially responsible mining was discussed at a meeting held in Argentina last week, called by the government of president Cristina Fernandez.

In a move to curb the rampant domestic illegal mining of rare earth, as well as regulate its rare earths players, China is launching an industry association for the precious metal commodity on April 8.

The Yunong Qian project, located in the highlands of Nepal, might become world’s first carbon neutral mine, as Gekko Systems Pty Ltd announced today the final funding approval of the project, which will apply Gekko’s technology to achieve net zero carbon emissions.