Qatar steps in to buy Rosneft stake after China deal collapses

The descendants of the last Maharaja of the Sikh Empire, who was forced to hand over the Koh-i-noor diamond to Queen Victoria, launched a court action Monday for his body and possessions to be returned to India.

Disputes between China and Japan over offshore territory have proceeded a step further with both countries competing for exploratory licenses to large swathes of the Pacific Ocean floor.

Gunmen in the southern Philippines ambushed a tribal chieftain who was campaigning against mining and destruction of forests, killing his 11-year-old son in the latest of several attacks on environmental activists, human rights group Amnesty International said Wednesday.

Malaysia's Atomic Energy Licensing Board granted a temporary licence for an initial two-year period under strict safety requirements.

G-Resources Group (HKSX:1051)has announced an increase in estimates of its gold and silver deposits at Martabe in Indonesia.

Over 10,000 of environmentalists took the streets of Raub, in the Malaysian state of Pahang on Sunday, to oppose the use of cyanide at the nearby Bukit Koman gold mine, which they claim has been using the chemical compound to the detriment of their health.

Is the great gold rush over? The price of the precious metal has soared over the last decade, jumping from below $300 (£189) in 2001 to peak at $1,920 (£1,211) in September 2011. But, since then, it has fallen to around $1,660 (£1,047) defying predictions – and the hopes of speculators – that it would continue to hit new peaks during the ongoing financial turmoil.

Political controversy surrounding suspect allocations of coal mining concessions in India threaten to topple Prime Minister Manmohan Singh with chief opposition party the BJP issuing calls for his resignation.

Athabasca Oil Corp. (TSX:ATH) confirmed Friday that it is in the preliminary stages of establishing a joint venture for two of its Alberta oil sands assets, but it declined to identify its partner.