Trading has been suspended for Focus Metals (CVE:FMS) pending a material announcement.

Shares of Chilean miner Antofagasta PLC (LON:ANTO) were down over 4% at 11:20 ET after the company announced yesterday that its first-quarter copper production fell almost 13% amid rising development and maintenance costs.

Argentina's Congress voted 208-32 to move forward with a bill giving President Cristina Kirchner the green light to seize a 51% stake in the country's largest oil and gas producer, YPF SA from Spain's Repsol YPF SA.

Once tinted by drug cartels and civil war, Colombia is now one of Latin America’s fastest growing markets and, according to the World Bank, the most secure country in the region in which to do business. Since yesterday, the country also has a new national mining agency, which is already looking for foreign investments to expand existing production and explore areas where rich deposits of key resources are suspected.

Matt Manson, Stornoway's President and CEO, stated: "This financing announcement is another important milestone in the development of Quebec's first diamond mine. This loan will provide Stornoway with good funding flexibility as we begin the ramp-up to the capital programs anticipated at Renard in 2013 and 2014.

Brazilian mining giant Vale (NYSE:VALE) announced the country's Superior Court of Justice ruled in favour of the federal tax authority in its appeal against an injunction granted in March suspending payment of taxes on overseas profits by the company.

The consideration now consists of an initial payment to AuRico of C$65 million on closing, comprised of C$55 million in cash and C$10 million in Crocodile Gold common shares.

Mine access roads blockaded by contractors at BHP Billiton's Escondida mine have been re-opened.

Fluor Corporation (NYSE: FLR) announced today that it was awarded a contract from Teck (NYSE: TCK) to provide engineering, procurement and construction management (EPCM) services for the Highland Valley Copper Mill Optimization project in British Columbia, Canada.