Photos of relatives, friends and rescue workers making contact with the 33 trapped miners in the San Jose mine in Copiapo, Chile.

Pike River Coal has reported an annual net loss of $39 million and will not be paying any dividend.

A US law means supplies of the gas - a vital component in MRI scans - are vanishing fast.

Nearly 2000 engineering and manufacturing workers have agreed to accept a 3 per cent pay rise this year and the same again next year.

Better an utter, total if humiliating backdown than a messy compromise that keeps the mining issue alive into election year.

Despite environmental concerns persisting, local MPs are hopeful mining in Northland and on the West Coast will boost jobs.

The Govt this morning withdrew its proposal to open up more than 7000ha of conservation land to prospecting and mining.