GOLD

Stock index futures tumbled on Tuesday as the deal to rescue Greece and prevent a wider sovereign debt crisis faced a new hurdle and as Asian economic data reignited fears of a slowdown in global growth.

Freeport Indonesia will take a month to fix its main sabotage-hit pipeline to take concentrate from the world's second-biggest copper mine to its port, where there are no stockpiles left for shipping.

Gold prices fell 1.5 percent Tuesday as Chinese manufacturing slowed more than expected and Greece blindsided markets with plans for a referendum on whether to accept another bailout.

The Royal Canadian Mint will begin offering exchange-traded receipts, a way to let investors own and trade gold bullion, late next month in an initiative expected to raise about $250 Canadian.

Gold prices fell 1.4 percent Monday as the bankruptcy of a broker-dealer heavily invested in European sovereign debt drove investors to the safety of the dollar.

Markets have over-interpreted comments by incoming European Central Bank chief Mario Draghi on the bank's readiness to go on buying the bonds of troubled euro zone states, outgoing ECB President Jean-Claude Trichet said.

The euro area is headed toward a sharp economic slowdown in 2012, with some countries set for negative growth, and failure to restore confidence in battered state finances could prompt a major contraction in developed countries, the OECD said on Monday.

Italian bond yields rose on Monday nearly to levels seen in August when the ECB intervened to shore up debt markets, indicating new concerns that problems in the euro zone's third largest economy could threaten the entire bloc.

Stocks fell at the open on Monday as a spike in the U.S. dollar weighed on commodity prices and dried up bids on other risky assets.

Impala Platinum's Zimbabwe unit said on Monday metal production fell 13 percent during the July-September quarter after a maintenance shutdown at its furnace, but the company was on track to submit a revised local ownership plan in November.

PNG Gold Corp. set to acquire 100 percent of New Guinea Gold Corp. after PNG fulfilled exploration expenditure requirements under an option agreement.

Ratings agency Moody's has cut its outlook for the European steel industry to negative and said it expects demand to weaken by up to 4 percent in the next 12 months, as the industry faces economic strain and weak construction and auto markets.

A slide in iron ore prices has driven miners to alter costly quarterly contracts to please Chinese clients, but spot pricing, which magnifies the impact of price swings, is still distant.

Banks led European shares lower on Monday, giving up some of last week's hefty gains as demand for detail on the recent euro zone debt deal teed up a weak end to a bumper month, with the broader market on course to snap a five-month losing streak.

Banks led European shares lower on Monday, giving up some of last week's hefty gains as demand for detail on the recent euro zone debt deal teed up a weak end to a bumper month, with the broader market on course to snap a five-month losing streak.

The Nikkei stock average ended lower on Monday, giving up sharp intraday gains made after Japanese authorities intervened to curb persistent yen strength, as investors locked in profits on concerns the yen won't stay down for long.

Oil prices eased on Monday, with Brent slipping below $110, as the dollar rose against the yen after Japan intervened in the currency markets to stem the rise of the yen.

The yen dropped to a three-month low against the dollar on Monday after Japan intervened in the market to curb the currency's rise even as traders said more official action is needed for a sustained impact.

White Tiger Gold Ltd. said its mining contractor CMAC has restarted operations at the company's Lamaque project in Quebec and that it planned to bring in drilling contractors to explore the property.

Centamin Egypt Ltd. posted quarterly net profit almost three times the year-ago level, boosted by higher gold prices, and said it was on track to hit its revised 2011 gold production target.

The China unit of investment bank JP Morgan has won approval to become a trading member of the Shanghai Gold Exchange, the eighth foreign financial institute to obtain such membership, said the exchange on its Web stie (www.sge.com.cn).

Harmony Gold, South Africa's third-largest gold producer, posted a more than three-fold increase in quarterly earnings on Monday, beating expectations as bullion's record run and a weaker rand combined to lift its profits.

Gold prices dropped about 2 percent on Monday, after Japan's intervention in the currency market triggered a rapid rally in the dollar, spooking precious metals investors.

SpongeBob SquarePants and his friends have teamed up with Nickelodeon, PFG Precious Metals and New Zealand Mint to strike 100,00 pure silver coins, each featuring the likeness of one of the most popular Bikini Beach characters.

Vancouver-based Argentex Mining Corp. said Friday that Argentina's new decree tax repatriation law will not affect the company in the near term.

Canadian stocks edged higher in early action on Friday, led by a rise in shares of gold and base metal miners, even as fading optimism over a European debt deal weighed on the broader market.

Peru's government will broker talks on Friday between townspeople and U.S.-based miner Newmont in a bid to solve a conflict over the planned $4.8 billion Minas Conga gold mine, officials said.

India gold futures eased a tad from its highest level in more than a month on global cues and a firm rupee at home, though physical buyers held back from placing new orders after the sudden spike in prices in the previous session, dealers said.

Andean American Gold Corp., a Toronto-based gold and copper miner, said it was looking to sell or enter into partnerships for some of its properties.