The Ottawa Citizen reports that the Ontario NDP, which is fighting a provincial election and challenging the incumbent Liberal Party, want to change the provincial mining act so more mine processing work stays in the province. The Liberal Party says such legislation would ultimately hurt the industry.

VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA--(Marketwire - Sept. 26, 2011) - Empire Mining Corporation (TSX VENTURE:EPC) ("Empire") is pleased to report that an ongoing sampling program at the newly-identified Southwest Zone of the Demirtepe wollastonite-hosted copper-gold-silver and molybdenum project in Turkey, has identified a continuous copper-gold anomalous zone currently about 1.8 km long and up to 800 metres wide and still open to the southwest. The new Southwest Zone is located approx. 1 km to the southwest of the Main Zone.

TORONTO, ONTARIO--(Marketwire - Sept. 26, 2011) - Romios Gold Resources Inc. (TSX VENTURE:RG)(OTCBB:RMIOF)(FRANKFURT:D4R) ("Romios" or the "Company") is pleased to announce assay results from the initial portion of the 2011 drill program on the Trek Property in northwestern British Columbia. The property is located 12.0 km southeast of the Galore Creek copper-gold-silver porphyry deposit and adjacent to the Galore Creek Mining Corporation's proposed mill and tailings facilities.

Although its future is unclear, significant expansion of nuclear power capacity is projected to occur in non-OECD countries, especially China, India and Russia, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration. The government agency released its International Energy Outlook 2011 last week. "China, Russia, and India account for the largest increment in world net installed nuclear power from 2008 to 2035: China adds 106 gigawatts of nuclear capacity over the period, Russia 28 gigawatts, and India 24 gigawatts."

Fin24 is reporting that a huge tailings dam being built in Kuma township could get kyboshed due to opposition from environmental groups, pressure groups and demands from landowners. The Kareerand tailings dam being built by First Uranium TSX:FIU, JSE:FUM 15km outside Stilfontein is a R400 million project motivated by a need to solve the ubiquitous dust cloud that currently envelops Kuma residents from 15 old tailings dams — relics from the Buffelsfontein and Hartbeesfontein gold mines — says Fin24, which describes the dam in some detail:

It may not be quite the same as hitting the local ATM, but China is making it easier for consumers to buy bullion. AFP reported on Sunday that the Beijing Agricultural Commercial Bank and a gold trading company have installed China's first gold vending machine in a busy shopping district of Beijing:

The State of Wisconsin is being forced to weigh the age-old concerns over environmental protection versus economic development as it looks to rewrite its mine law to accomodate a huge iron ore mine in an impoverished region of the state. Asked earlier this year to shorten its environmental permitting process from 5 years to 300 days, the State is now taking a second crack at rewriting its mining legislation after draft legislation was scrapped due to public outcry regarding the secretive nature of the process. Groups opposed to the open-pit mine, which would stretch four miles along Ashland and Iron Counties, say the mine would endanger water and air quality and create an ugly scar on the landscape.

Mongolia wants to bring forward the raising of its stake in the Oyu Tolgoi copper project that’s being developed by Rio Tinto Group and Ivanhoe Mines Ltd. to 50 percent from 34 percent, according to the minerals minister. “We have sent the proposal to Ivanhoe to renegotiate the timeframe for us to increase the government stake,” Dashdorj Zorigt told reporters at Oyu Tolgoi yesterday. Such an increase is permitted after only 30 years, according to a summary of the $16 billion project agreement from London-based Rio Tinto.

One of the world's most exclusive jewellery sellers says it is prepared to cut more deals with diamond mines in exchange for preferential access to the precious stones, reports the FT. Tiffany & Co told the Financial Times it would repeat a deal it make this year to lend $50 million to a mine in Sierra Leone in exchange for the right to buy its rough diamonds.