Shares of North American base metal miners tumbled on Monday along with the price of copper, zinc, and nickel after the downgrade of the U.S. credit rating by S&P amplified fears of a global economic slowdown.

After the S&P downgrade announced Friday evening, North American markets opened Monday and tumbled. The Australian stock market, measured by the S&P/ASX 200, finished the day down 2.91%, while the S&P/TSX composite was down 3.4% in morning trading to 11,796, its lowest level since August 2010. Gold breached $1,710 an ounces before settling back to $1,700/oz.

Rio Tinto and Mitsubishi are being pressured to offer a special dividend to seal a $1.49 billion attempt to mop up the shares of 150-year-old Hunter Valley miner Coal & Allied that they don't already own. The pair, which already have a combined 85.91 per cent stake in the target, made an indicative offer of $122 a share to Coal & Allied's independent directors on the weekend.

Harmony Gold Mining Company Limited (Harmony) is pleased to announce that it has reached a mutually acceptable settlement with the lead plaintiff in the class action filed against it in the United States (US) District Court for the Southern District of New York in May 2008. The settlement requires final approval from the court on or after a hearing scheduled for the 10th of November 2011 and no assurance can be given that the settlement will ultimately be approved.

Gold priced in Canadian dollars hit a record C$1,686.00 an ounce on Monday as a shock downgrade of the U.S. credit rating late on Friday sparked a rush among investors into assets seen as lower risk, and as euro zone debt concerns simmered.

AngloGold Ashanti is struggling after a big drop, and the prognosis is bleak in the eyes of one trader.

South African focused thermal coal mining producer Continental Coal Limited (ASX: CCC) confirmed an initial JORC compliant saleable coal reserve of approx. 44 Mt for the De Wittekrans Coal Project.

The Calgary Herald reports the debate over a controversial BC pipeline and port project to ship Alberta crude oil to Asian markets escalated recently with Canada's politicians and business leaders advancing new support for the initiative. Both federal Natural Resources Minister Joe Oliver and the Canadian Council of Chief Executives gave strong backing to the Northern Gateway Project with Oliver calling the pipeline in the national interest. Slowing demand in the US is also adding to pressure for a go-ahead on the pipeline that will stretch for more than 1,100km to a new port facility at Kitimat, northern BC and will cost $5.5 billion.

Reuters reports Canada's IPO market could roar back to life in the final months of 2011 after a dismal first half – but only if a fresh bout of global market turbulence doesn't overwhelm any revival. Investment bankers say commodity producers could get the market sailing again once the summer doldrums are over. In contrast to new listings mergers and acquisitions in the mining sector have stayed robust in 2011 and Canadian companies – both as acquirers and as the targets of buyers – dominated corporate finance activity in the first half shaking on 325 deals and accounting for almost two-thirds of all the metals and minerals transactions carried out around the world.