South African mining output rebounded strongly in April, rising by 12.4% year-on-year, after contracting 1.4% in the previous month, a report by Statistics South Africa showed on Thursday. Year-to-date production increased by 5.2%, on the back of surging output of nickel, manganese, platinum group metals and copper but gold production continued to lag, only managing a 1.5% increase. Analysts warned that the outlook for the rest of year was clouded by scheduled wage negotiations across the industry that could lead to strikes and a strong currency which hampers competitiveness.

IC Potash Corp. on Thursday announced that the company has received final approval from the Toronto Stock Exchange to graduate from the TSX Venture Exchange and list its common shares on the TSX. The common shares of IC Potash are expected to commence trading on the TSX on Friday, June 10, 2011 under the symbol "ICP".

Northland is a development-stage mining company with a portfolio of iron ore projects in northern Sweden and Finland. The Company's Kaunisvaara Project will exploit magnetite iron ore deposits, feeding a single, multi-line processing facility in Sweden. The process yields a very high-grade, high-quality magnetite iron concentrate. The Company is also preparing a Definitive Feasibility Study for the Hannukainen Iron Oxide Copper Gold Project in Kolari, northern Finland.

The NWT Mine Training Society, Aurora College and the local mines in the north of Canada are looking to fill positions in a wide variety of fields with local talent. The Up Here Business Magazine reports: Vice-president of operations for Avalon Rare Metals, with a mine near Yellowknife in the pre-construction phase, is estimating his mine alone will need more than 200 workers in a variety of fields. John Kearney, president of Canadian Zinc Corporation, says that the Prairie Creek Mine in Deh Cho will directly employ 340 workers as it hits startup.

Both men would like their needs to be met locally, if possible. But their demands for a sophisticated and high tech workforce have created an urgent need for basic and higher-level education. While the industry can provide some basic skills and in-house, on-the-job training, its need for a more skilled workforce requires collaborations.

Australia said the Fukushima nuclear disaster in Japan would not curb the world's appetite for uranium and predicted its exports will continue to rise as its develops more mines. Spending on exploration in Australia to find more uranium is expected to rise by more than third this year, Australia's minister for mines, Martin Ferguson, said in a speech to geologists on Thursday.

Australian prospectors are scouring remote outback locations for new sources of iron ore to rival the big western lodes dominated by Rio Tinto and BHP Billiton , spurred on by China's swelling appetite. Analysts expect most of Australia's iron ore to keep coming from Western Australia's Pilbara region, the world's single largest deposit, which is seen producing about 400 million tonnes this year.

Harry Winston Diamond Corporation (TSX: HW) (NYSE:HWD) (the "Company") today announced its first quarter Fiscal 2012 results for the quarter ending April 30, 2011. Robert Gannicott, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer stated, "This quarter's results reflect improving rough diamond prices combined with increasing sales and profit for the luxury brand segment.

CanAlaska Uranium Ltd. (TSXV: CVV)  ("CanAlaska" or the "Company") is pleased to announce that its common shares will be listed and commence trading on the Toronto Stock Exchange ("TSX") within the next two weeks.  The company's current trading symbol, CVV, will remain unchanged. "This graduation to the senior TSX board represents another milestone in the development of CanAlaska Uranium," said Mr. Peter Dasler, President & CEO.

On Wednesday the Vancouver Sun released its list of the highest paid executives in B.C. with several miners making it to the […]