India takes first step to end state coal monopoly

Kalahari Minerals (LON:KAH), whose main asset is the Husab uranium project in Namibia, has accepted a cash offer from Chinese Guangdong Nuclear Power Corp (CGNPC) valuing the London-listed company at $993 million.

A layer of gold nanodots on the surface of indium-tin oxide (ITO) coated glass may improve the efficiency of organic photovoltaic cells, according to new research published in the journal, Gold Bulletin.

Eric Friedland reports that he has exercised rights under the rights offering of Peregrine Diamonds Ltd. ("Peregrine") completed on December 6, 2011 to acquire deemed beneficial ownership of a total of 2,818,465 common shares of Peregrine, representing 2.5% of the deemed outstanding common shares of Peregrine.

Codelco, the world's largest copper producer, will invest US$ 244 million to speed up the development of its Quetena copper deposit in northern Chile, an open pit operation that will produce 62,000 tons of fine copper per year.

Donald Blankenship, whose former coal company Massey Energy was fined a record $10.8 million for safety violations connected to the worst mining accident in 40 years, has started a new mining company in Kentucky.

Brazilian gold miner Jaguar (NYSE:JAG), which last month became the subject of takeover rumours, fell more than 10% on Wednesday, after the sudden resignation of its CEO and president Daniel Titcomb.

Potash Corporation of Saskatchewan on Thursday announced the settlement of its litigation with Mosaic over their respective rights and obligations at Mosaic's Esterhazy mine. Potash Corp says the end of the legal battle "dovetails" with its expansion programme designed to increase production to 17.1 million tonnes a year by 2015.

Gold today rallied to an all-time high of Rs 29,540 per 10 grams in the bullion market here by adding Rs 240 on the back of marriage season demand amid a firming global trend.

Finance News Network reports BHP Billiton's CEO Marius Kloppers says the miner will likely stop investing in its "tough" aluminium and nickel divisions and run them as "lean and mean as possible". The comments are fuelling speculation that BHP will lob off the two divisions and come just one week after the company said it would decide by January next year whether to get out of the diamond business altogether.