Chile economic activity growth up 3.2%, mining continues sluggish

The oil and natural gas rich nation's stake in the coal giant is now 8% with a target of over 10%, providing crucial back for Glencore CEO Ivan Glasenberg to push through the $90 billion merger with Xstrata.

A proposal by Imperial Metals to develop the Red Chris mine in northern BC is not sitting well with a local First Nation.

Fearing a backlash by foreign investors in the mining sector – the foundation of the country's economy – Mongolian legislators on Tuesday watered down many of the provisions of draft legislation that gives the state greater control and ownership of mining projects.

With huge investments in Peruvian copper, Chinalco Mining, a division of the giant Aluminum Corp of China, follows another Chinese state-owned miner to the Hong Kong market to raise money.

Swiss commodities trader Glencore International PLC (LON:GLEN) painted a rosy outlook for the worldwide demand for raw materials this year, as China and the U.S. help offset the impact of the slump in Europe.

While 2011 was a near-record year for mining mergers and acquisitions (M&A), with over 2,600 deals worth $149 billion in the global mining sector, 2012 is not looking so good, at least not for Canada. The value of mining M&A tumbled 50% in the first quarter compared to the prior three months, with only one deal over $1 billion, said KPMG in a report.

Ivanhoe Mines (TSX:IVN)(NYSE:IVN)(NASDAQ:IVN) announced today that the company's Board of Directors has appointed four new directors.

Roman Copper Corp. is suing the Romanian government after the country backed out of a deal to sell its largest state-owned copper mine, Cupru Min Abrud.

Chile’s copper export revenue fell 8% to about $3.6 billion in April 2012, compared to the same period last year, when it was lifted by high prices of the commodity, the country’s Central Bank informed today.