Reuters looks at the demand for mining school graduates and profiles some students who get to be picky about who they work for and what they get paid:

The U.S. Defense Department needs to realize the dangerous consequences a potential lack of domestic rare earths may have on the U.S. weapon industry, suggests a latest study by the Congress released last week.

Anglo American (LON:AAL) and Xstrata (LON:XTA) coal mines are among the four operations being investigated over probable environmental violations, after they were accused of discharging contaminated water into the Fitzroy River, located in the North East state of Queensland, Australia.

Rough diamond prices were expected to continue climbing “across the market” this year, London-listed Gem Diamonds said on Monday.

Anglo American has halted preliminary work for installation of a power line at its Minas Rio iron ore project in Brazil, following a judge's decision to suspend the installation license for the line.

Xstrata is using former coal mine Baal Bone as a training facility for underground miners, reports Australian Mining.

Mark Bulkeley, Xstrata Coal's Baal Bone health safety and training manager, said the first group of 12 trainees graduated a few weeks ago and are already working at the Ulan West mine. "The feedback we've received from them is that the Baal Bone training facility enabled them to have a better understanding and knowledge before going into production," Bulkeley said.

MINING.com counts more than 90 billionaires involved in minerals, metals and mining on the planet with a combined wealth of well over $300 billion.

The world's largest copper miner has been forced to buy from other miners and traders to meet its deliveries to customers, a rare move that underscores how the mining industry is struggling to lift output to meet demand for the red metal.

Private equity firm Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co. wants to buy the diamond mining operations of BHP Billiton Ltd. and Rio Tinto PLC and merge them to create a challenger to the two diamond industry leaders De Beers and Alrosa, reports The Sunday Times.