Australia's New South Wales state said on Wednesday it would buy back half of a coal exploration licence from China Shenhua Energy Co Ltd , bowing to pressure from farmers and environmentalists opposed to mining on prime agricultural land.

Ma'aden operates six gold mines in the Central Arabian Gold Region, western Saudi Arabia which contains much of the Kingdom's gold rich ore deposits.

Democratic Republic of Congo has decided to more than double the size of its planned Inga 3 hydroelectric plant to make it more economical, after the $14 billion project was hit by financing problems.

NFEx says in talks with several clearing houses

India's gold imports in June more than tripled from a year ago

Indonesia says it will invite the head of mining giant Freeport McMoRan Inc to Jakarta this month to try to settle a festering dispute over a new deal to operate the world's second-largest copper mine.

Rapidly spreading wildfires in British Columbia disrupted operations at two mining companies and damaged public utilities on Monday as 14,000 people were forced from their homes in the interior of the Western Canadian province.

Twelve companies from seven countries have applied to manufacture lithium-linked products in Chile, officials told journalists on Monday, in what they called a victory for the mining country's push to add value to its exports.

Cuba plans to produce 54,500 tonnes of nickel and cobalt sulfides this year, state-run television said at the weekend.

Democratic Republic of Congo's government has formally requested financial support from international donors as it confronts a worsening economic crisis, a letter seen by Reuters on Thursday showed.

Case has potential to set precedent for other foreign claims.

China's supply of steel scrap is surging as aged buildings, bridges and cars produced over decades of rapid economic growth are knocked down, dismantled or crushed.