^[1]By Daniella D'Alimonte - Exclusive to Potash Investing News

The S&P/TSX experienced its fourth day of bad trading September 5 after the benchmark index lost 957 points since the previous week.

"This isn't just a resource story any more," said Anthony Demarin, president of BCV Asset Management in Winnipeg in an interview ^[2] with Globe and Mail. "It may have started as a correction in the overheated commodities market, but it's certainly gone beyond that."

Potash Corp. of Saskatchewan (TSX: POT) provided the biggest rise in the index with a nearly 12 per cent rise September 5. It is currently around US$172.35 per share, compared to last week's close of nearly US$185.

About two-thirds of Potash Corp.'s striking workers have found ^[3] alternative Canadian labour market positions, reported Financial Post in a recent Reuters dispatch, according to a union spokesperson. With labour shortages in the province due to energy and commodity demands, the company risks losing workers permanently, said the report.

With the strike further limiting the already tight potash supply, the company may have to declare ^[4] force majeure. This is a legal clause that would allow the company to miss certain contractual commitments because of circumstances which it has no control over.

However, RBC Capital was reported ^[5] in the National Post as predicting Potash Corp.'s stocks to double after upcoming negotiations with Chinese potash buyers. The negotiations are expected to produce high contract prices.

Belarusian Potash Company as well as Russia's Uralkaliy OAO are also expected to negotiate high prices with Chinese buyers.

Uralkaliy has stated ^[5] it hopes to begin producing at its Mine-5 greenfield potash mine in 2013. It plans to sacrifice sales volume for higher prices.

"We believe this is a significant statement and very positive for potash prices in the long term," said the report.

The company was also awarded a tender from Bangladesh at US$1,100 per tonne. This is set for delivery in October.

K+S AG is about US$93.5 per share currently. The company, which is Europe's largest potash producer, is set to join ^[6] Germany's DAX Index this month. This is a list of the countries 30 biggest companies. Replacing the owner of Europe's largest tourism company, TU AG, K+S AG will mark the first commodities company to be listed. It will also be the fifth chemical maker on the list.

"It is an honour and a challenge for all of the employees of the company," said Norbert Steiner, chairman of the board of executives of executive directors of K+S Aktiengesellschaft in the company's press release. "Without their flexibility and personal commitment we would not have achieved this."

Israel Chemicals Ltd.'s intentions to create ^[7] a stock repurchase program has been approved by its board of directors. The program is the largest ever initiated by an Israeli company. It includes up to five per cent of its outstanding Ordinary shares over a ten month period through June 30 2009. It could amount to about US$971 million according to early September share prices.

Israel Chemicals' shares will be bought back in open and off market transactions by the company itself or its subsidiaries.

A German mine, described ^[8] by the country's environmental minister, Sigmar Gabriel, as "the most problematic nuclear facility in Europe," has sprung a leak.

The old salt and potash mine, which is now used as a nuclear waste storage facility, is said to be leaking radioactive water. There are fears that the waste, which has radiation levels eight times higher than what is deemed 'safe', will work its way into the public water supply.

Renate Kunst, leader of Germany's Green Party, has filed a criminal complaint against the Helmholtz Center for Health and Environment and the state mining office in Lower Saxony. These are the agencies responsible for the mine.