Rio says Chinalco pact for $1B Simandou stake has lapsed

Caledonia, worth $57 million on the TSX, is up 35% so far this year and ten times the usual volume of 131,000 shares changed hands on Monday.

The government of Botswana has established a new diamond trading company that will be responsible for the purchasing, selling and marketing of the state’s portion of Debswana Diamond’s production.

Serial mega-mine developer Robert Friedland said in early February that Ivanplats will be developing the Kamoa mine in the DRC, Africa’s largest copper project that will have a lifespan that can be “measured in generations as opposed to decades.”

South Africa took a step closer on Thursday to create a standalone mining company that will take charge of the government's role in the country's rich resources and with ambitions of becoming involved in the continent's mining sector.

Anglo American (LON:AAL) can officially take over De Beers as the European Commission granted the global miner authorization to proceed with its acquisition of the world's biggest diamond company, announced in November.

MONACO, March 6, 2012 /CNW/ - Endeavour Mining Corporation ("Endeavour" or the "Corporation") (TSX:EDV, ASX:EVR) is pleased to announce it has entered into a definitive agreement with Resolute Mining Limited ("Resolute") (ASX:RSG) for the sale and transfer of its 40% interest in the licenses and associated property comprising the Finkolo Joint Venture (the "Finkolo JV") in Mali for total consideration of $20 million in cash.

Glencore on Monday expressed surprise over health and environment officials in Zambia's decision to immediately close a Mopani copper operation over complaints from residents of a nearby town. The London-listed commodities giant is also set to appear before a British inquiry over tax avoidance in the developing world.

If 2011 was a near-record year for mining mergers and acquisitions (M&A), with over 2,600 deals worth $149 billion announced in the global mining sector, 2012 will be remembered as the year of the “African Renaissance,” concludes the latest PricewaterhouseCoopers’ report released this morning.

Two of Zambia's largest copper mines, Glencore's Mopani and Xstrata's Kansanshi were shut over the weekend; the former over health concerns and the other after workers downed tools.