Some see it as a strategic masterstroke by China, others, a shocking oversight by the United States. And while the truth lies somewhere in the middle, the fact remains that the US is now wholly dependent on China for some of the most critical components of its modern military hardware.

Platts reported that Israel Chemicals (TLV:ICL) will supply potash to an Indian company for eight months.

Green Bay Press Gazette reports the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History has accepted several hundred rough diamonds.

Bloomberg reports that OAO Sberbank will receive 35 percent of Belaruskali, the Belarusian potash producer, as collateral for a $2 billion loan.

Bloomberg reports that Silver plunged to the biggest weekly drop in three months.

Reuters reports that Minmetals has urged all firms in the rare earth sector to maintain the national output quota by suspending production starting from the beginning of August.

Mineweb reports on Denison Mines' (TSE:DML,AMEX:DNN) downgrading 2011 uranium sales projections.

The recent passing of a carbon capture and storage (CCS) technology bill by the Bundestag (German Parliament) should be seen as a small victory in the battle to make CCS technology and ‘clean coal’ a reality. However, numerous political and economic barriers continue to persist, around the commercialization of CCS and raise the question as to whether CCS and clean coal are a pipe dream rather than an end-of-pipe solution.

Bloomberg reports palladium and platinum fell today as amid concerns that the global economic recovery may stall.

Production of Peru's gold, copper, silver and zinc fell in June, continuing a trend of lower output this year, the The Ministry of Mines and Energy said Wednesday. Silver production in Peru, the world's largest producer of that precious metal, fell 22.34% in June to 252,331 kilograms, compared to the prior year's period. Copper production decreased 6.43% to 101,562 metric tons in June on declines at Southern Copper Corp., Antamina and Xstrata's Tintaya mine. Zinc production was 104,498 tons in June, down 22.57% from the year-earlier period while gold output declined more than 5%.

Woulfe Mining Corp. announced Tuesday it has received permit approval for development of production at its Sangdong tungsten/molybdenum mine. The company’s primary focus is bringing one of the world’s largest past producing tungsten mines, the Sangdong mine, back into production. Woulfe’s goal is to commence production at the mine in the fourth quarter 2012 at an initial production rate of 1.2 million tonnes per annum.

SF Diamond Co., a Chinese maker of drill bits and cutting tools, gained the most since its trading debut in Shenzhen more than five months ago after saying first- half profit rose 7 percent from a year earlier. SF Diamond’s first-half earnings report implies a 53 percent increase in second-quarter net income from a year earlier, compared with a 57 percent decline for profit in the first-three months of the year. The company, based in the city of Zhengzhou in central China’s Henan province, said first- quarter profits fell partly due to one-time expenses associated with its listing.