Importance of rare earth metals mining makes it into COP24

The “Jade Rabbit,” China's first lunar rover, is equipped with a round-penetrating radar to measure the Moon's soil and crust.

Alkane Resources' zirconium and rare earths project, if approved, would be built near Dubbo.

For a free market to be successful, capital must be able to flow to new ideas and endeavours.

Over the past decade, the number of disputes that have resulted in international arbitration has increased tenfold for the oil and gas sector and fourfold for the mining industry. And these conflicts will only escalate.

Canada accounted for just over 13% of the total, the smallest share in 14 years. The DRC made it to the top 10 mining destinations for the first time.

The country is seeing a transition from the investment phase to the production phase and this transition is 'only just the beginning.'

But based on the large numbers of juniors to begin 2014 with no funding, experts say the level of drilling activity could be the lowest in years.

They can even affect the prices of certain commodities, study warns.

Unveiling the plans last week, Samsung said it would invest in seven areas of research into new materials.