Deutsche Bank won’t finance any coal projects any longer

Northern B.C. is about to pass Metro Vancouver for economic growth, according to a new forecast by Central 1 Credit Union.

A federal judge said Wednesday he was outraged over a plea deal that settles criminal charges against the operator of a Utah coal mine that experienced two lethal cave-ins in 2007 that killed nine people.

UK Coal's (LON:UKC) shares plunged by more than 28% in late afternoon trading after it revealed it was considering closing a coal mine in Warwickshire.

Japanese JX Nippon Oil & Energy acquired a 25% of diversified miner Xstrata Coal operations in Western Canada for US$435 million, creating a joint venture that will build the business and market coal in Japan.

While the sordid details emerging from the proceedings are humiliating enough there may be some serious financial implications for Gina Rinehart – mining's 4th richest person with a fortune pegged at around $18 billion – as well. On top of the tax loopholes in family trusts exposed by the Rinehart saga, it has also emerged that Hancock Prospecting has not submitted annual financial statements for the past two years.

MarketWatch quotes  Nomura economist Zhiwei Zhang as saying:  "Overall, economic conditions are getting weaker at a fast pace. The slowdown is happening faster than the government expected."

Indonesia surprised the global mining community last week after a new rule – Government Regulation No. 24 of 2012 – was quietly announced on the mining ministry's website. A growing list of nations – and not just radical fringe territories such as Zimbabwe or Venezuela – are pushing for greater control and ownership of the resource sector on top of higher taxes and royalties.

Genwal Resources Inc., a Murray Energy Corp. subsidiary, has pleaded guilty to two misdemeanors to settle a federal investigation into the August 2007 fatalities at its Crandall Canyon coal mine in Utah.

Coal-reliant Poland on Friday vetoed European Union efforts to move further towards a low carbon economy, pitting itself against the rest of the 27-member bloc.