Endeavour Mining to buy True Gold and new African gold mine

The US Department of Defense and Japanese automaker Toyota (NYSE:TM) have embarked upon simultaneous bids to overcome China's strangehold on rare earth metals via the development of North American supply sources.

The market for the soil nutrient is dominated by a handful of countries and a few giant companies. And it's made some people fabulously wealthy.

Vancouver-based Baja Mining Corp. (TSX: BAJ) announced this morning that it has landed two extensions of a standstill agreement with lenders to its Minera y Metalúrgica del Boleo S.A. de C.V. subsidiary.

Production at Chile's Escondida, the world's largest copper mine, was up 72.4% in the third quarter compared with the same period of 2011, said Wednesday the country’s copper commission, Cochilco.

Inspired by the German pop song from the eighties “99 Luffballoons”, a Canadian urban design company created a concept installation piece of 99 giant red balloons to produce clean, solar-generated energy enough to power 4,500 homes.

Enbridge Inc. (TSX:ENB), the largest transporter of Canadian oil to the U.S., posted Wednesday better third-quarter results compared to the same period last year driven by recovering earnings from its liquids pipelines and a reduced loss from derivatives contracts.

The Democratic Republic of Congo's intentions to increase the government stake in mining projects by 35% will be first discussed with mining companies and also consulted with the World Bank and the IMF, said a source from the country’s ministry of mines.

Uranium miner Paladin Energy (TSX:PDN)(ASX:PDN) is targeting up to $80 million in cost reductions over the next two years and putting a freeze on development as the price for uranium spot has weakened.

Tata Steel Ltd. (NSE:TATASTEEL), India’s largest private steelmaker, is contesting a $1 billion for allegedly mining above the limit volumes in the mineral-rich eastern state of Orissa, which —ironically— is one of the South Asian country’s poorest regions.