Teck to axe 600 jobs, postpones Quintette coal mine restart

Gold futures added to record levels set earlier on Tuesday as Europe finance ministers consider allowing Greece to default on some of its debt, Italy's borrowing costs soar and US Federal Reserve minutes indicate the possibility of additional financial stimulus. Gold is considered a hedge against inflation and further quantitative easing could flood financial markets with cheap money as it did in the previous round – QE2 – when US monetary authorities injected some $600bn to drive down interest rates. Gold for August delivery on the New York Mercantile Exchange was trading at $1,568.40 an ounce in late trade after settling at a record $1,562.30 an ounce earlier.

Reuters reports China's Puda Coal said its auditor Moore Stephens has resigned, effective immediately, and the auditor warned that audit reports for fiscal years 2009 and 2010 should no longer be relied upon. In April, the Puda stock had been halted by the American Stock Exchange after the company said it will investigate unauthorized transactions in the shares of subsidiary Shanxi Coal by Chairman Ming Zhao, alleged by an website.

World demand for aluminium will double in the next decade, driven by growing use in aircraft, transportation and luxury cars, the head of major European products maker Amag said on Monday. "We forecast that demand for aluminium will double within the next 10 to 12 years, so a global growth rate of 7 percent. Picture is from Images of Elements.

It has been reported that copper output in Zambia, Africa's top producer of the metal declined to 308,777 tonnes in the first five months of 2011 from 326,877 tonnes in the same period last year, the central bank said.

NEW DELHI: There was no change in the pattern of trade in the bullion market today as silver tumbled by Rs 1,320 to Rs 53,200 per kg, while gold added another Rs 165 to Rs 22,810 per 10 grams in line with a similar trend in overseas markets. Silver coins

The ruins poke out of a monotonous stretch of scrub and beckon the world to visit Afghanistan as it was more than 1,400 years ago, when Buddhist monasteries dotted the landscape. An ancient citadel juts from a tall crag, standing sentinel over what once was a flourishing settlement. Image is from Reuters Video.

Gold mines in Mali are an underexploited treasure trove for commodity investors, the supervisory board chairman of German-listed Pearl Gold told Reuters in an interview, Mineweb reports.

Macarthur Coal shares soared almost 40 per cent after Peabody Energy's near $5 billion takeover bid, providing a stock price boost to others in the Australian coal sector. The shares closed up $4.06, or 36.64 per cent, at $15.14 on Tuesday, Macarthur's highest finish since late April.

Network Alliance, a specialist IT and network solutions provider for small and medium enterprises, has announced the successful completion of the South African phase of its first major Riverbed project.