As workers in South America and Indonesia strike for better wages and to receive more of a share of mineral wealth wrought by rising copper prices, a mine in South Africa is handing over cash to its employees. The Financial Post reports on Kumba Iron Ore's employee share ownership scheme, whereby workers who have been at the mine more than five years can earn a lump sum of 345,000 rand (about US$43,000).

While large zinc stockpiles, weak prices and cloudy global economic projections cast a veil of gloom over zinc markets, salvation is not far away.

Canada is reviewing a policy that restricts foreign ownership of uranium mines, but there has been no decision on revising those rules at this time, Natural Resources Minister Joe Oliver said on Friday.

Silver Bull Resources Inc. (SVB.TO,SVBL) is trading over 7% higher today at 58 cents a share and the company receiving a $5-million investment from Coeur d'Alene Mines Corp. (CDM.TO,CDE) as part of a larger non-brokered sale of stock raising $7.525 million in gross proceeds.

A group of First Nations in British Columbia says it will do “whatever means necessary” to stop exports of crude oil from Alberta’s oilsands through their territories — including the controversial Enbridge Northern Gateway oil pipeline.

Bloomberg reported copper traders are bullish on signs that demand is rising due to a drop in global inventories.

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.

Norsk Hydro, one of the world's top aluminum producers, sees growth in global aluminum demand weakening in 2012 as a result of economic turbulence that is creating a weak market and pushing many industry players into the red. In a press release, Hydro's President and CEO Svein Richard Brandtzæg showed confidence in the market and he company, despite the fact Hydro's stocks dropped 2.9 percent after the prediction.

Nature reports that quantum entanglement, odd behaviour at the subatomic level coined 'spooky action at a distance' by Albert Einstein, has been scaled up to the level of two macroscopic diamonds.