Rio terminates employment of convicted Shanghai employees

Diversified miner Rio Tinto on Monday distanced itself from its four Shanghai employees, who were found guilty of receiving bribes and obtaining commercial secrets. The miner said in a statement that it had terminated the employment of the four...

Daily podcast – March 29, 2010

Anglo American and Shell International apply to explore for shale gas in South Africa's arid Karoo; and BHP Billiton halts production at its Groote Eylandt manganese mine owing to a tropical cyclone threat.

Verdict on China Rio trial on Monday, Australia says

Australia said on Thursday it had been told by China that the verdict in the trial of four Rio Tinto executives charged with bribery and stealing commercial secrets will be handed down on Monday. The case in Shanghai has raised tensions between...

Daily podcast – March 24, 2010

The trial of four Rio Tinto executives in Shanghai ends; BHP Billiton declares a force majeure at its Hay Point coal terminal.

Rio will help China grow resource assets - Albanese

Diversified giant Rio Tinto's CEO Tom Albanese on Monday said that the company remained committed to strengthening its relationship with China. Speaking at the China Development Forum, Albanese said that China was currently the company’s...

Daily podcast – March 18, 2010

Australia urges China to allow its diplomats full access to the trial of four Rio Tinto staff; and DRDGold wants the Blyvoor judicial management order lifted.

Australia urges access to China trial of Rio staff

Australia urged China on Thursday to allow its diplomats full access to the trial of four Rio Tinto staff charged with commercial spying in a case that could hurt political and economic ties. "The world will be watching how this particular court...

Campbell to head BHP’s iron-ore operations

Australia-based diversified miner BHP Billiton has appointed Chris Campbell as president of its iron-ore division, succeeding Ian Ashby, who would become CEO of the Western Australian iron-ore production joint venture (JV) with Rio Tinto. In his...

Rio Tinto moves to improve ties with China

Mining giant Rio Tinto has appointed Ian Bauert as MD for its Chinese operations, with immediate effect. Bauert, who will be based in Shanghai, will lead a 160-strong team. Rio Tinto CEO Tom Albanese said on Friday that the new position filled...

Daily podcast – January 11, 2010

Chinese authorities are expected to say today whether four Rio Tinto employees will have their cases referred to prosecutors; and Homeland Energy concludes a loan arrangement with GMR Energy.

‘Provisional' iron-ore prices poised to become settlement prices – analysts

There may not be an iron-ore price settlement at all this year, and the "provisional" prices that are being charged by iron-ore producers may become the effective benchmark settlement prices, analysts tell Mining Weekly Online. Drama clouded this...

Daily podcast – October 12, 2009

China has extended by a month a probe into suspected corporate espionage by employees of Rio Tinto; and Eskom's planned tariff increases could lead to a second wave of widespread retrenchments in the country's mining industry.