R.I. Update for Monday, 8 December 2008

TOP STORIES    Pouroulis In New Mining Venture By Charlotte Mathews, 05 Dec 2008, 10:37 AM Mining entrepreneur Loucas Pouroulis has launched his fourth mining venture, a platinum exploration company, since the successful listing, rapid early development and sale of Eland Platinum to Xstrata for $1 billion last year. "Blood Tantalum” Profiteers in Congo Set to Capitalize on Dramatic 2009 Price Spike for Australian Tantalum By Marc Davis, President, Davis & Associates Capital Corp., 05 Dec 2008, 11:38 AM The bloody civil war that is creating another humanitarian crisis in the central African nation of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) is set to get far worse because of events a world away in Australia. Sentula Investors Say No To Directors' Payment By Charlotte Mathews, 05 Dec 2008, 10:29 AM Shareholders in coal and mining services company Sentula took the unusual step of voting down the standard proposal to approve the remuneration of non-executive directors at the company's annual meeting yesterday. Credit Rating Agencies By Charles A.E. Goodhart, 05 Dec 2008, 10:54 AM Credit rating agencies were at the heart of the rise of securitisation, and securitised assets were at the heart of the Subprime problems. Plainly these agencies are slated for major reforms. This article presents the statement of an eminent group of financial economists on such reform. Third Of South African Companies Plan Retrenchments By Sanchia Temkin, 05 Dec 2008, 10:45 AM KPMG snap survey finds 65% of businesses are likely to offer staff voluntary packages instead of forcing them out of work. The Crisis And Protectionism: Steps World Leaders Should Take By Richard Baldwin and Simon J Evenett, 05 Dec 2008, 01:00 AM VoxEU.org has just published another Ebook in our "What leaders should do in the Crisis” series; this one focuses on trade. Unless world leaders strengthen trade cooperation, new tariffs and competitive devaluations could trigger a protectionist spiral of WTO-consistent trade barriers. To rule this out, world leaders should: 1) Reduce protectionist pressures by fighting the recession with macroeconomic polices; 2) Translate APEC and G20 leaders' words into deeds by agreeing a framework for concluding the Doha Round; and 3) Establish a real-time WTO/IMF surveillance mechanism to track new protection. Crisis Management In the E.U. By Sylvester Eijffinger, 04 Dec 2008, 11:41 AM This article introduces the newest Policy Insight on what the E.U. has been doing and should be doing in terms of managing the global crisis. Does Daylight Saving Time Save Electricity? By Laura E. Grant and Matthew J. Kotchen, 06 Dec 2008, 05:00 AM Daylight saving time, designed for energy conservation purposes, is among the most widespread regulations on the planet. Surprisingly little evidence exists that it actually saves energy. This article, using a natural experiment, concludes that "saving” daylight has cost electricity. Botswana Project To Power South Africa As Well By Siseko Njobeni, 05 Dec 2008, 10:24 AM CIC Energy has turned to development finance institutions, export credit agencies and banks for the financing of its Mmamabula energy project in Botswana, the company said yesterday. Eskom Drops New Nuclear Project On Financial Woes By Dick Phelps, 05 Dec 2008, 10:20 AM Eskom said on Friday it had cancelled its plan to build a second nuclear power plant as the project has become too expensive in the current economic environment”. Cabinet Approves R7.3 Billion Water Plan By Wyndham Hartley, 05 Dec 2008, 10:26 AM The second phase of Lesotho Highlands scheme aims to ensure water security for industry and consumers. Should the Big Three Be Allowed to Fail? By Olivier Garret, CEO, Casey Research, 06 Dec 2008, 06:00 AM The fact that after over 30 years of consistent mismanagement and decline, there is still any discussion on whether or not we should allow the now significantly smaller "Big Three” automakers to fail is clear evidence that Washington has lost all common sense.
PITPUNDIT BLOG  China's initial 100-million 'coal base' online  Analysts reward prudence of energy trust  Does every "dog" have its day?  Interested in junior quintuplets with good management?  Sudbury's views go 'south' (figuratively)  Albertan oilsands springs another 'leak'  Thompson Creeek Metals cuts  Time for consolidation in oil  Sibir Energy shares have a 'blowout'  Nuclear reactors taking flight  Oil may hit $25/barrel  Financial "A-bomb" in U.K.?  Indiginous title holders 'furious' over gas hub development  Miners in pursuit of ethics  Fortescue to customers: ship it yourself  Russia seeks Indian nuclear power foothold  Unprecedented move in Canada  More Obama campaign rhetoric thrown overboard  NASA scientist exposes global-warming fantasies  Mexican miners' strike  Enami takes a pass on Anglo American  Nuke nixed in South Africa  Falcondo nickel operations' shutdown extended  Xstrata's reduced 'galvanisation'  Rio Tinto confident of demand  Santa Claus not visiting iron ore mines  Lumps of coal a treat for the Chinese New Year?  U.S. government agrees to fixing automakers' "flat tyres"  Mackenzie pipeline 'plug,' impediment or permanent?  China's intentions and the consequent uncertainty in metals  "In my experience most prospectors die poor...."  Crown(s) rests uneasily on the head(s) at Rio Tinto
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