Nickel

Cows shrinking to the point they turn into cats and villagers wrapped in do-it-yourself anti-radiation suits are only some of the effects of allowingAustralia's Lynas Corporation to open a rare earths plant inMalaysia, according to not-so-subtle protest short satirical films populating YouTube these days.

Environmental and community groups opposed to a nickel and copper mine being constructed in Michigan's Upper Peninsula aren't giving up the fight.

Toyota Tsusho Corp., the trading company of the Asia’s largest automaker, will help accelerate production of rare-earth metals for Canadian mining company Matamec Explorations Inc. and buy all the output from its Kipawa mine.

World #1 nickel and palladium producer Norilsk Nickel is investing heavily in new and existing mines. The Russian mining conglomerate announced today it will spend US$10.9 billion to expand its mineral resource base including development of existing mining assets and construction and commissioning of new mines.

Finance News Network reports BHP Billiton's CEO Marius Kloppers says the miner will likely stop investing in its "tough" aluminium and nickel divisions and run them as "lean and mean as possible". The comments are fuelling speculation that BHP will lob off the two divisions and come just one week after the company said it would decide by January next year whether to get out of the diamond business altogether.

Quadra FNX Mining (TSE:QUX) is up a whopping 39% today on news of a multi-billion-dollar takeout bid. The Canadian base metals producer with offices in Toronto and Vancouver said it has agreed to have all its outstanding shares and warrants acquired by KGHM Polska Miedź S.A. (KGHM) for $3.5 billion. Quadra FNX has operating mines in Ontario, Arizona, Nevada and Chile, where the company is also developing the Sierra Gorda copper-molybdenum mine. The project is a joint venture between Quadra FNX and Japanese metals producer Sumitomo Mining.

Australia-based Greenland Minerals and Energy Ltd (GME) stocks went up 10 per cent on the ASX from 58 cents to 64 cents on Monday, after the company announced it could start producing uranium on its Kvanefjeld property in Greenland.

The London Metal Exchange said Tuesday it has completed a major upgrade to its electronic trading platform to cope with record volumes and high frequency trading. A takeover of the 134-year old exchange – one of the last bastions of open outcry trading – appear to be in the offing as its major shareholders jockey for position and competition from Asia intensifies. Over the last 7 years electronic trading has grown from 2% to over 70% of the LME's market volume.

Continental Nickel Limited (TSX VENTURE:CNI) ("Continental" or "CNI" or the "Company") is pleased to announce that it has commenced a diamond drilling program on the St. Stephen nickel-copper sulphide project in New Brunswick.