Cliffs Natural Resources Inc. (NYSE: CLF) (Paris: CLF) today announced it has been added to the Fortune 500 list 2011, Fortune Magazine's annual ranking of America's largest companies by revenue. Cliffs is ranked at No. 477, with annual revenues of $4.7 billion for 2010. "We are pleased to attain this ranking in the prestigious Fortune 500," said Joseph A. Carrabba, Cliffs' chairman, president and chief executive officer. "We consider it another significant milestone in our growth."

The Company recorded first quarter earnings of $168 million or $0.88 per share (basic) compared to earnings of $55 million or $0.55 per share for the previous year. The higher earnings in the current quarter were driven by a $134 million pre-tax gain on the disposition of Gold Wheaton shares, higher average copper prices and the inclusion of the Sudbury operations following the merger with FNX. These factors were partially offset by lower sales volumes at Robinson and Carlota. Adjusted earnings for the first quarter totalled $51.8 million or $0.27 per share (basic) compared to $55.3 million or $0.56 per share (basic) for the previous year.

TAFE Western has opened three new facilities in Orange, NSW, Australia to provide students with state of the art training in trades and mining, set in a framework of green technology and green building practices.

TAFE Western institute director Kate Baxter said both the Green Skills Trade Education Centre and the mining simulator would provide world-class learning facilities right here in Orange. She said the Green Skills Trade Education Centre would train tradespeople in a range of areas including plumbing, construction, electrotechnology, manufacturing and engineering, and aimed to develop sustainable building practices.

China's Zijin Mining Group Co Ltd said on Friday it would invest $100 million as a cornerstone investor in the initial public offering of commodities group Glencore. The investment in the up to $11 billion IPO will be subject to a six-month lock up period, Zijin said in a filing to the Hong Kong bourse.

A planned dividend payment by steelmaker Siderar SID.BA was blocked by an Argentine judge on Thursday in the latest twist in a row linked to the government's efforts to tighten control over leading companies. The steel company had planned to pay a 2010 dividend of $359.5 million on Friday despite a ruling last month by the country's stock market regulator that effectively annulled the payment by declaring a shareholders meeting void.

GFMS, in its recently-published "Platinum & Palladium Survey 2011", is forecasting that platinum will sustain a gross surplus in 2011 of a similar magnitude to that of 2010. Mine production is expected to increase modestly this year, and while GFMS describes the situation in South Africa as "challenging", including risks surrounding this year's wage negotiations, the prospect of a repetition of the major disruptions of 2007 and 2008 is relatively low. The prospect of relatively buoyant prices also underpins increased supply from recycling and GFMS doubts that fabrication demand this year and keep pace with supply, let alone exceed it.

Several hundred miners attacked company security guards with wooden clubs and threw eggs outside the headquarters of mining group KGHM where CEO Herbert Wirth was meeting union leaders over a pay dispute. Unions want more than the 4.6 percent rise offered by Europe's No. 2 copper miner, which sees its profit doubling this year to a record 8.4 billion zlotys ($3.16 billion).

Eldorado Gold reported Thursday that proven and probable gold reserves have increased to 18.7 million ounces, as measured and indicated gold resources increased to 22.9 million. However, gold production declined from 164,928 ounces during the first-quarter 2010 to 148,577 ounces during the first-quarter 2011. Nevertheless, gold revenues were up 14% during the first quarter due to higher sales prices this year.

Altius Mining (ASX:AYM) has commenced an initial public offering (IPO) with the intention of raising A$12 million and a listing on the Australian Securities Exchange (ASX). The company, based in Toorak, Victoria, is offering a maximum 60 million shares at 20 cents apiece. It expects to list on the ASX by June 2nd.