EY appoints new global mining and metals leader

BHP Billiton (NYSE:BHP), the world's largest diversified miner, is considering a withdrawal from aluminum and nickel operations as part of a general retreat from non-profitable sides projects by key mining players, and the company has appointed advisors to look into the possible sale of these assets.

The largest pink diamond ever discovered, an 8.01 carat sparkler found earlier this year at Rio Tinto’s Argyle mine, in Western Australia, went on permanent display in a Melbourne museum Thursday morning.

Rio Tinto's long-standing Chief Financial Officer, Guy Elliott, will retire at the end of 2013 announced the miner on Thursday, along with a few other senior management changes.

Mining giants Rio Tinto and BHP Billiton came up tops in the 2012 report by an anti-corruption group which analyzed the 105 largest publicly listed companies across the world.

Giant miner Xstrata has set Sep. 7 as the day for its shareholders to vote on the $26 billion takeover by Glencore, giving the commodities trader six weeks to reach an agreement on the conditions.

In a move to produce an extra 4.6 million tonnes per year, Xstrata Zinc announced plans to extend the life of its zinc mine another 100 meters below surface level.

Gina Rinehart's Hancock Prospecting is pouring $26 million to local training in the face of an increasing opposition to the company's workforce plans to hire foreign workers.

Australia's northern Queensland state plans to challenge the federal government's mining tax in the High Court, saying the tax unfairly discriminates against the resource-rich state, The Australian newspaper reported on Monday.

The Australian Financial Review reports instructions for "nibble food" consumption and the display of work-related awards feature among "a bewildering array of dos and don'ts" for 3,000 BHP Billiton office workers who are moving into the miner's new Perth headquarters.