COPPER

Canadian stocks looked set to open lower on Wednesday along with commodities on investor fear of contagion from the weakest debt-ridden euro zone economies such as Greece into bigger ones such as Italy, Spain and even France.

Striking union workers at Freeport Indonesia's giant Grasberg copper mine are sticking to pay demands for $7.50 an hour, pouring cold water on government claims that they are nearing a deal to resolve the country's longest-running mining dispute.

Newmont Mining Corp's Indonesian unit said output was unaffected at its copper and gold mine even though 400 workers had gone on strike in a dispute over working shifts.

Pakistan's Baluchistan province has rejected a mining lease application from Chilean copper producer Antofagasta and Canada's Barrick Gold , raising questions over the future of their Reko Diq copper-gold project.

China's Shandong Gold Group, the parent of Shandong Gold Mining and a big gold producer, has made a $1 billion offer to acquire Brazil's Jaguar Mining, two sources close to the deal told Reuters on Wednesday.

Latin American gold production should increase more than 10 percent this year, Metals Economics Group said Wednesday.

Union workers at Freeport Indonesia are extending their strike into a third month, keeping production and exports halted from the world's second biggest copper mine.

Ivanhoe Mines said on Monday that construction at its Oyu Tolgoi copper-gold project in Mongolia will be 70 percent complete by the end of 2011, with commercial production seen in the first half of 2013.

Miners in Africa's top copper producer Zambia may have to scale down in the face of a move to raise royalties by the new government of President Michael Sata, the general manager of the country's chamber of mines said on Monday.

As copper prices soar, the Lincoln Tomb is robbed of a 3-foot-tall sword.

The London Metal Exchange has suspended the validity of 274 steel billet warrants belonging to bankrupt brokerage firm MF Global, an exchange spokesman said on Saturday.

Toronto's main stock index was up more than 1 percent at midday on Friday as commodity prices rose on optimism that Italy would pass an austerity package that would calm fears about Europe's debt crisis.

Chinese importers are buying less spot copper as it has become more difficult to secure U.S. dollar letters of credit and on sufficient domestic supply, traders said on Friday.

After a series of tightening measures by China's central bank choked off bank loans to small- and medium-sized companies (SMEs), many resorted to importing copper and other commodities as a way to get cheap loans.

Zambia's new government unveiled an expansive 2012 budget on Friday, with big increases in social spending and farming subsidies to be paid for by a rise in mineral royalties and a debut $500 million Eurobond.

Peru said on Friday that it will crack down on violent anti-mining protesters after clashes with police injured 40 people, the first skirmishes since President Ollanta Humala took office vowing to defuse conflicts over natural resources.

Asian shares rebounded on Friday and the euro clawed higher, with European stocks also expected to make gains after brighter corporate news lifted U.S. stocks and debt-laden Italy was able to fund itself at a bond auction.

Asian shares rebounded Friday and the euro clawed higher, with European stocks also expected to make gains after brighter corporate news lifted U.S. stocks and debt-laden Italy was able to fund itself at a bond auction.

Sitting in China's copper and steel warehouses is a hidden risk to the world's second-largest economy -- banks' indirect exposure to a property market that is showing signs of stress.

Zambian finance minister Alexander Chikwanda is expected to unveil a pro-poor budget on Friday, reflecting the shift in political priorities in Africa's biggest copper producer since opposition leader Michael Sata's September election upset.

Investors stuck with gold exchange-traded products (ETPs) in October, but most other commodities ETPs saw outflows as investors remained cautious about the outlook for economic growth.