World’s No.1 copper miner Codelco posts historic loss of $1.4bn in 2015

Shares in China-focused miner Silvercorp Metals slumped over 7% on Monday after British Columbia security regulators said they were joining the investigation into an anonymous letter accusing the company of a $1.3 billion fraud. Silvercorp was forced on Friday 2 September to make public the letter and at the same time disclosed that someone had built up a short position of 23 million shares – more than 13% of the number outstanding. The firm with projects in China and Canada plunged after the news broke and Monday's drop brings year to date losses close to 40% despite the firm's ongoing buyback programme.

NEW YORK, NY--(Marketwire - Sep 12, 2011) - www.SignalWatcher.com provides members with proprietary analysis of over 10,000 stocks which is updated every day. Today, members can receive their complimentary stock analysis on Silvercorp Metals Inc. (NYSE: SVM) and Silver Wheaton Corp. (NYSE: SLW). Sign up now on www.SignalWatcher.com to get your free reports on these stocks.

Bard Ventures (CVE:CBS) was up 7.69% on Friday, bucking a down day in the markets when the S&P/TSX Composite index was down 2.34%, after the company announced drill results of 70.49 gm/t silver over 214.7m at Lone Pine Property. Bard Ventures said that the positive results received from drill hole BD-11-69 demonstrate the continuity of high grade molybdenum (Mo), copper (Cu) and silver (Ag) mineralization over a horizontal distance of 131 meters from drill hole BDQ-08-03 through BD-11-69 to BDQ-08-04.

Shares of Primero Minerals (TSX:P) crashed 13% Thursday after a month-long strike and lower-than-anticipated gold grades at its San Dimas silver/gold mine in Mexico forced it to revise its 2011 guidance. The Toronto-based company said it will produce 80-85,000 ounces of gold this year compared to the previous estimate of 90-100,000 ounces. The silver production target remains unchanged at 4.5 to 5 million ounces of silver.

A day after reports that the Canadian federal police have joined the investigation into who may be behind an anonymous letter alleging fraud at Silvercorp Metals from an apparent short seller, shares in the company were racing ahead 10% in brisk noon trade on Thursday. Silvercorp was forced last week Friday to make public the letter and at the same time disclosed that someone had built up a short position of 23 million shares – more than 13% of the number outstanding. The firm with projects in China and Canada plunged 10% after the news broke, but is now up a net 8.7%, helped along the way by an influential investment site that in rather dramatic fashion asks whether Silvercorp is the "perfect stock."

Bloomberg reports Silvercorp Metals was contacted by a Canada police unit called the Integrated Market Enforcement Team on Wednesday offering to help find the person behind an anonymous letter alleging a “potential $1.3 billion accounting fraud” at the company. Silvercorp Metals was forced on Friday to make public the letter, also sent to the Ontario Securities Commission, presumably from a shorter of the company's stock as it was also disclosed at the time that someone had built up a short position of some 23 million shares over the preceding two months. The firm with projects in China and Canada plunged 10% after the news broke, but has since regained much of the lost ground.

VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA--(Marketwire - Sept. 7, 2011) - Columbus Silver Corporation (TSX VENTURE:CSC) ("Columbus Silver") has entered into a memorandum of understanding (the "MOU") under which the publicly-listed U.S. company Santa Fe Gold Corporation (OTCBB:SFEG) ("Santa Fe") has conditionally agreed to acquire all of its outstanding common shares ("Shares") for CDN$0.20 per share in cash (the "Acquisition"). If successful, the Acquisition will be completed as a plan of arrangement under the Business Corporations Act (British Columbia).

VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA--(Marketwire - Sept. 7, 2011) - Astral Mining Corporation (TSX VENTURE:AA)(TSX VENTURE:AA.WT)(PINK SHEETS:AAMJF)(FRANKFURT:A7DA) ("Astral" or "the Company") is very pleased to announce commencement of diamond drilling on its 4,168ha Los Crestones gold-silver project, located within the Sierra Madre gold-silver belt of western Mexico in Sinaloa state. Three parallel vein/breccia zones, named Corona, Bohemia and Indio will be tested in this first-ever drilling program at Los Crestones. Astral plans to complete a minimum of 2,500m of HQ and NTW sized diamond core drilling during the program using a highly mobile diamond drill supplied by Energold Drilling Mexico.

VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA--(Marketwire - Sept. 6, 2011) - Entrée Gold Inc. (TSX:ETG)(NYSE Amex:EGI)(FRANKFURT:EKA) ("Entrée" or the "Company") has received assay results from three additional deep diamond drill holes on the 100% owned Ann Mason copper molybdenum porphyry deposit in the Yerington district of Nevada. Drilling continues to return long intercepts (448 metres to 814 metres) averaging from 0.35% to 0.43% copper equivalent ("CuEq"). Higher grade mineralization, including intervals greater than 0.60% CuEq, is present in these holes, as shown in Table 1 below. Hole locations and cross sections can be viewed at www.entreegold.com.