Nickel

Japan turns to Kazakhstan for rare earth supplies

DRC president Kabila will likely be violently removed from office should protests in major cities escalate and last longer than one week, according to a report from Exclusive Analysis, a UK-based political risk consultancy.

"I have not yet decided what my future plans will be but certainly retirement will not be part of them."

Xstrata shareholders rejected the $220 million retention bonus plan by a resounding 78.4%.

In what shouldn’t come as a surprise for those following the recent events related to the touted and long delayed $66 billion merger between diversified miner Xstrata (LON:XTA) and commodity trader giant Glencore International (LON:GLEN), the Swiss company's shareholders have approved the deal.

BHP Billiton's (NYSE:BHP), the world's largest mining company, has not been successful in its quest to find a suitable successor to Marius Kloppers, as the South African approaches his sixth year as chief.

But Xstrata management may lose out on $220 million in retention bonuses.

Environmental protests are increasingly likely to cause delays and increase contract cancellation risks to nickel and gold mining.

Oil, gas and mining companies' request to have transparency rules put on hold under 2010 financial reform act has been rejected.