Czech Republic big on lithium

Czech Republic is hoping to diversify its mining sector by taping into one of the hottest commodities: lithium. Demand for the metal, referred to as "white petroleum," is expected to triple by 2025, as it has become an irreplaceable component of rechargeable batteries used in high tech devices and electric cars. While global production of the metal grew by 14% last year, that wasn’t enough to meet demand, which caused prices to jump by 74% in December alone, according to London-based Benchmark Minerals Intelligence.

Banking on that growing need for lithium, a small ancient mining village is hoping to attract investors to develop a recently found lithium deposit. Something between 1.2 to 1.4 million tonnes of lithium is located around the tiny village of Cinovec, on the border with Germany. Top producers of the white metal are Australia, Chile, China and Argentina.

Grand Manan - Captain Kidd's Money Cove

Grand Manan Island is the largest of the Fundy Islands in the Bay of Fundy. It is also the primary island in the Grand Manan Archipelago, sitting at the boundary between the Bay of Fundy and the Gulf of Maine on the Atlantic coast.

As early as 1875 searches were made on the west side of the island for treasure allegedly buried by Captain William Kidd. For nearly 200 years, this remote area of the island has been called the "Money Cove".

Captain William Kidd (c. 22 January 1645 – 23 May 1701) was a Scottish sailor who was tried and executed for piracy after returning from a voyage to the Indian Ocean. He was hanged on 23 May 1701, at 'Execution Dock', Wapping, in London. During the execution, the hangman's rope broke and Kidd was hanged on the second attempt. His body was gibbeted over the River Thames at Tilbury Point—as a warning to would-be pirates—for three years. The belief that Kidd had left buried treasure contributed greatly to the growth of his legend.

Just before his death on the gallows, Captain Kidd said, "After my death, you may find treasure I have buried in a place where two tides meet." Some point to the Bay of Fundy, where two tides meet and the place where Captain Kidd hid his treasure. Indian Beach

In 2007 a wreck of a treasure ship captured by William Kidd was found in the Caribbean. Lying in just 10ft of water, the Quedah Merchant is on the seabed off the island of Hispaniola, which is split between Haiti and the Dominican Republic. Marine archaeologists were amazed that the wreck, which was scuttled in 1699, had lain undiscovered for so long. The Quedah Merchant was perhaps Kidd's greatest prize. A 400-ton Moorish trader from Armenia, it was loaded with gold, silver and fine silks.

herring "elevator" to lift fish up from the weirs

Expensive Motorcycles Sold at Auction

"Captain America" Harley-Davidson Panhead from "Easy Rider". The red, white and blue stars-and-stripes panhead chopper was designed and built by Cliff Vaughs and Ben Hardy, based on design suggestions from Fonda. It sold on October 18, 2015 for $1.35 million.

1910 Winchester 6 HP. US$580,000 August, 2013. Auburn, U.S. 1915 Cyclone Board Track Racer. US$551,200. July, 2008 Pebble Beach, U.S.

1939 BMW RS255 Kompressor. US$480,000. January 2013 Las Vegas, U.S. 1922 Brough Superior SS80. US$463,847 (sold for £291,200) October, 2012. Duxford, England

1926 Brough Superior SS100 Alpine Grand Sports. US$452,234 (sold for £280,800) October, 2012. Battersea, U.K. 1939 Brough Superior SS100. US$425,943 (sold for £253,500) April, 2014, Stafford, U.K.

1958 Ariel 650 Cyclone. US$450,000. October, 2014 Phoenix, Arizona, U.S.

The bike is the limited edition 1958 Ariel Cyclone 650 which 1950s musical sensation Buddy Holly bought from Ray Miller's Triumph and Ariel dealership in Dallas, Texas on May 13, 1958. The Crickets had just played a gig in Dallas and the three young and newly successful musicians (Holly, Joe Maudlin, and Jerry Allison) decided on a whim to cancel their flights and buy motorcycles for the 350 mile trip home. Bass player Joe Maudlin bought a Triumph Thunderbird, drummer Jerry Allison chose a Triumph Trophy and Holly bought the limited-edition black and red Ariel Cyclone 650cc – one of only 174 built.

1940 Crocker "Big Tank" twin. US$302,000 August, 2012

One of the rarest of all American motorcycles, roughly one hundred Crocker V-twins were produced between 1936 and 1942 when the war effort saw the company turn its attention to making aircraft parts. 1937 Crocker "Small Tank" twin. US$302,000 August, 2012

Debswana starts processing Cut 8 ore

Botswana's Debswana Diamond Company has started processing ore from the $3-billion expansion of its Jwaneng diamond mine, known as Cut 8.

88% of an estimated 500-million tonnes of waste above diamond bearing ore had been stripped away by the end of March. Debswana, jointly owned by Botswana's government and De Beers is expected to produce about 20.5-million carats this year.

Figures by Anglo American, which owns 85% of DeBeers, show that Debswana's production dropped slightly to 5.2-million carats in the first quarter of 2017 compared with the same period in 2016. Cut 8 will extend Jwaneng's life span by seven years to 2024. Jwaneng is the largest producing mine in the world by value. In 2015, it produced more than 11 million carats, with a total value of over $2.3 billion. Cut-8 will bring the depth of the mine to 850 meters and produce an open pit that will be 2.7 km long and 1.8 km wide. This will put it in the category of a global ‘super-pit’, among the largest in the world for any mining operation.

Approval of Mount Polley Mine Waste Dumping Irks Critics

On April 7th Mount Polley Mining Corporation received a Mines Act permit amendment allowing for a return to full operations at the Mount Polley mine. It was granted permission to drain treated mining waste water into Quesnel Lake, a glacial lake that provides drinking water to residents of Likely B.C., northeast of Williams Lake. Environment Minister Mary Polak said the decision was made by neutral civil servants based on science that confirmed draining treated water into the river, as opposed to the lake, was riskier.

The Mount Polley mine disaster in the Cariboo region of central British Columbia began 4 August 2014 with a breach of the Mount Polley copper and gold mine tailings pond, releasing its water and slurry mining waste into Polley Lake. The spill flooded Polley Lake, its outflow Hazeltine Creek, and continued into nearby Quesnel Lake and Cariboo River. Mine safety experts called the spill one of the biggest environmental disasters in modern Canadian history. Imperial Metals had a history of operating the pond beyond capacity since at least 2011.

Edwards helped organize a $1-million fundraiser for B.C. Premier Christy Clark’s re-election.

The controlling shareholder of Imperial Metals is billionaire N. Murray Edwards. He donated half a million dollars in campaign contributions to the B.C. Liberal party since 2005.

World's top gold miners

The top producing gold mine in the world is Uzbekistan's Muruntau which pours more than 2 million ounces per year. Using proven & probable reserves Freeport's Grasberg in Indonesia is the top followed by Gold Fields' South Deep Mine.

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2016 Ford Mustang Shelby GT350, GT350R

The all-new Shelby GT350 picks up where the Boss 302 left off, with more power, performance, and poise. Power comes from its naturally aspirated 5.2-liter flat-plane-crank V-8 producing 526 hp and 429 lb-ft. A six-speed manual is the sole transmission; a Torsen rear diff is also standard. Giant brakes promise eye-popping deceleration while magnetic ride control keeps handling and ride sharp yet civilized.

Adjustable chassis settings are available in every GT350 and GT350R.

There are five modes—Normal, Sport, Weather, Track, and Drag—that act on the accelerator response, the traction- and stability-control system, steering effort, magnetorheological dampers, exhaust system, and launch-control program.

The GT350R’s 19-inch carbon-fiber wheels are said to save 60 pounds total over the aluminum ones fitted to the GT350. Light enough to lift with one hand—approximately 18 pounds each—the carbon wheels are finished in gloss black. Measuring 11 inches wide in the front and 11.5 inches wide at the back, the wheels wear Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 tires (305/30 front and 315/30 rear) that were specially engineered for the GT350R.

Estimated Base Price: $63,500