Latin America virus surge puts world’s biggest mines at risk

China's largest rare earths producer has bought nine regional mining companies.

Four people died over the weekend in two different coal mine explosions in Central and southwest China.

B.C. saw several projects expand, as well as new mines to begin construction, which drove job creation. But mining also faced opposition and labour shortage.

Predictions of a hard landing in China will not pan out and global emerging market growth will accelerate in 2014 lifting demand for metals and minerals.

Gold jumped again on Friday and with shorts climbing to a record 8,3m ounces any sustained rally will spark a scramble by hedge funds to cover their positions.

Moderating Chinese manufacturing growth and worries about new supply give pause to the bulls.

Beijing wants toi reduce country's dependence on coal by at least 5% by 2017.

But bubbly stock markets could see investors return to the sector as 2013's plunge in commodity prices make metals and minerals look cheap.

Overall this year copper slipped 7.4%, but the losses were more modest than many anticipated.