Cecilia Jamasmie , Senior Editor

Russia-focused gold producer Highland Gold Mining Ltd. (LON:HGM) shares were falling dramatically this morning after the company announced that Canadian Barrick Gold Corp. (TSE:ABX) would to sell its 20.4 per cent stake in the company, as it no longer considered the investment as core to its business operations and strategy.

Mining companies in Australia are considering to fly foreign workers directly to their operations as the country, particularly the north-east state of Queensland, struggles to fill massive job shortages, reports local media outlet Adelaide Now.

Diamond demand will slow down significantly in 2012 said today De Beers SA, the world’s largest supplier of rough diamonds, due largely to the weak global economy.

DiamondCorp (LON:DCP), the African diamond mine development and exploration company, will not proceed with further exploration in Botswana due to the recovery of low grades in the area, announced the company today.

Swiss engineering company ABB, through its subsidiary software developer Ventyx, announced that it has completed the organizational integration of Mincom, an Australian leading global supplier of enterprise asset and work management software, following the company’s acquisition in May 2011.

Japanese companies such as Samsung, Toyota, Mitsubishi and Sumitomo are evaluating the recently opened option to tap into the lithium industry in Chile, local newspaper Diario Financiero published on Thursday.

Record annual earnings of more than $2 billion released today by key global copper producer Southern Copper Corp (NYSE:SCCO), were overshadowed by the company’s decision of pushing back the beginning of its operation at the $1 billion Tia Maria project until 2015.

Canadian merchant bank Canaccord Financial Inc. (TSX:CF) stocks were up almost 3 percent this morning after the company announced this morning that it will partner with the Import Export Bank of China to raise a US$1-billion fund promoting Chinese investment in natural resources around the world. The statement followed Canada’s Prime Minister Stephen Harper announcement of a series of multibillion-dollar trade and business deals, setting the table for a possible free trade agreement between Ottawa and Beijing.

BHP Billiton (NYSE: BHP), the world’s largest mining company, expects to increase production at its Escondida copper mine in Chile to over 1.3Mt/y in the 2015 financial year, said CEO Marius Kloppers yesterday in a webcast to discuss fiscal H1 results.