When Glencore Plc proposed a combination with Rio Tinto Group a decade ago, the larger company turned it down after just a few days. News this week that the two spent several months in negotiations in the second half of last year shows how the sands have shifted,

Rio Tinto and Glencore have held early-stage talks about combining their businesses, Bloomberg News reported on Thursday, citing people familiar with the matter. The potential merger between the two mining heavyweights,

STORY: Glencore reportedly approached Rio Tinto late last year about combining the two big copper producers.But a source told Reuters that the discussions are no longer active.Rio is the world's No. 2 miner.