MINING.COM MINUTE: Biggest stories of the week

Mining hits a BRIC wall.

The ratings agency expects physical supply/demand imbalance to widen further, leaving miners in extremely weak conditions.

The company has now at least 60 days to come up with a plan to address and fix pollution problems tied to its operations Tubarão, one of Vale's most important ports.

China’s slowdown is nothing new. Growth peaked in 2007 and had been on a clear downward trend since 2011.

Iran is opening $29 billion of projects to foreign investors now that sanctions have been lifted.

The suspension of activities at Vale's Port of Tubarão, ordered by a Brazilian federal court on Thursday, is likely to cause strong reaction in the global iron ore market.

Top miners BHP Billiton, Rio Tinto, Vale and Anglo American are among the firms at risk of rating downgrade.

He said he would open up after a creditors meeting next week in Townsville, where his his Queensland Nickel company is based.

CEO Ricardo Vescovi and operations chief Kleber Terra were among those accused of environmental crimes by Brazil’s Federal Police earlier this month.