The halcyon decade that China's coal industry has enjoyed since 2002 market reforms has reached its terminus with a major dive in first half profits this year.

Brad Wall, premier of the Canadian province of Saskatchewan, says the negotiation of a nuclear agreement between Canada and China could lead to huge exports of uranium from the prairie province to the PRC. Wall made the comments during an interview with Canada's CBCin Hong Kong during a group visit to China with other Canadian premiers for the purpose of boosting business ties. According to Wall the Canadian prime minister's negotiation of the Nuclear Cooperation Agreement with China could enable Saskatchewan to export $3 billion into what he refers to as the "most robust nuclear power program in the world." Wall extolled the benefits of trade with China for Saskatchewan, saying China's food and energy needs will serve as an immense boon for the province's potash and uranium exports.

For Saskatchewan there's a great importance here. We've seen our exports to China from Saskatchewan triple from 2006. We've moved past Ontario and Quebec in terms of the exports to China specifically. In the first half of this year we're up 103% over the first half of last year and typically our best exporting months come at the back end of the year.

Image courtesy of the Saskatchewan Premier's channel via Youtube

Michael Pento has become feverishly bullish on gold in the wake of Fed chairman Ben Bernanke's announcement of indefinite stimulus spending, predicting that the Fed's actions will propel gold to an "all time high."

A belated rebalancing of the Chinese economy will lead to a collapse in commodities prices by 2015 according one of the West's leading experts on the PRC's economy.

BHP Billiton (ASX:BHP) has scrapped plans to purchase exploratory land in the area adjacent to the Olympic Dam project.

Chinese mining stocks are amongst the big winners in the wake of signalling by both Wen Jiabao and Ben Bernanke that central banks on either side of the Pacific are set to pursue further stimulus measures.

The absence of Xi Jinping from several key occasions of state this month has triggered grave concerns about the well-being of China's presumptive heir to power on the eve of the country's decennial leadership transition.

Australian businessman Dennis Connell has been convicted by an Indonesian court of embezzlement in relation to a botched business deal.

Richard Russell of Dow Theory Letters says the USA is approaching a "fiscal cliff" which will lead to a bullish outlook for gold.

Mining junior Ivanplats has applied for listing on the Toronto Stock Exchange in what is set to be one of the largest IPO's in Canada this year.

An alumnus of the University of Arizona is promoting the use of copper alloys as hygienic, alternative construction materials in the healthcare sector.

Silvercorp Metals (TSX/NYSE:SVM) is alleged to have procured the assistance of police in arresting and silencing critics of the company who sought to profit from the short-selling of its stock.