Zimbabwe sees no radical change for platinum, diamond ownership

Scorpio Mining achieved record mine operating earnings of $12.5 million in Q1 2011, an increase of 823% over mine operating earnings in Q1 2010 and 123% over mine operating earnings in Q4 2010. Net earnings were $6.6 million or $0.03 per share (basic) for Q1 2011 compared to $18.6 million or $0.17 per share (basic) for Q1 2010. The Q1 2010 net earnings included a $19.8 million gain on dilution and deconsolidation of Scorpio Gold Corporation ("Scorpio Gold"). Basic earnings per share of $0.09 in Q4 2010 was due to the inclusion of $12.4 million of non-cash corporate tax recoveries.

Vulcan Minerals Inc. ("the Company")(TSX VENTURE:VUL) is pleased to announce its intention to undertake a corporate re-organization whereby the Company will spin-out certain of its mineral exploration assets into a separate publicly traded subsidiary company (NewCo). These assets consist of the mineral rights in the Bay St. George basin of western Newfoundland where the Company has discovered the Captain Cook potash deposit. The Captain Cook potash discovery was made with a core hole in 2002 and consists of a 5 meter gross interval grading up to 20.40% potassium oxide (K20) at a depth of 287 meters. It occurs in rocks which are geologically similar to those containing the Sussex potash mine in New Brunswick operated by the Potash Corporation of Saskatchewan. (Visit www.vulcanminerals.ca for further information.)

Allana Potash Corp. (TSX VENTURE:AAA) ("Allana" or the "Company") is pleased to announce that it has further extended the potential of its Dallol deposit with the completion of additional drilling and assay activity in areas beyond those included in the original resource estimate completed in 2008. This work is part of the upcoming update to Allana's National Instrument 43-101 ("NI 43-101") technical report. Drill hole DK-11-15 ("Hole 15") has intersected significant potash mineralization up to 52.40% KCl over 0.80 metres. Hole 15 intersected two strong zones of potash mineralization which appear to correlate with the Sylvinite Zone and Kainitite Zone.

Noront Resources has completed a brokered placement worth $17.4 million, the Toronto-listed junior explorer announced yesterday. The deal will give Baosteel the right to increase its stake in Noront to 19.9%. It will also give Baosteel, a large steel producer owned by the Chinese government, a seat on Noront's board of directors. Proceeds from the placement will be used for feasibility studies on Noront's Eagle's Nest nickle-copper-palladium property and the Blackbird chromite deposit in the Ring of Fire poly-metallic mining district in northern Ontario, Canada.

Barrick Gold announced today that it has received confirmation that the Investment Canada Act does not apply to Barrick's proposed acquisition of all of the issued and outstanding common shares of Equinox Minerals Limited. This confirmation has been obtained in connection with the previously-announced offer by Barrick's wholly-owned subsidiary, Barrick Canada Inc., to acquire, subject to the terms and conditions of the Offer, all of the Equinox Shares at a price of C$8.15 per Equinox Share.

Encanto Potash Corp said it is on track to meet its target of doubling resources at its flagship Saskatchewan project after a First Nation council transfers mineral rights to Canada, sending the company's shares up 18 percent in afternoon trade. Encanto, which explores and develops potash properties, expects further drilling at its Muskowekwan property to commence after a referendum by First Nation on transferring the mineral rights on the reserved land to Canada.

Richmont Mines Inc. (TSX:RIC)(NYSE Amex:RIC) is pleased to announce financial and operational results for its first quarter ended March 31, 2011. Financial results are based on International Financial Reporting Standards ("IFRS") and dollars are reported in Canadian currency, unless otherwise noted.

Following on the footsteps of an ambitious, $80 billion plan to invest in Quebec's north announced earlier this week, the provincial government is looking at changing its Mining Act, the Montreal Gazette writes: Bill 14, amending Quebec’s Mining Act “in keeping with the principles of sustainable development” was presented Thursday in the Quebec National Assembly.

IAMGOLD Corporation reported its unaudited consolidated financial and operating results for the first quarter ended March 31, 2011. Net earnings were $162.3 million ($0.41 per share), an increase of $102.1 million compared to the first quarter of 2010, and operating cash flow was $205.8 million ($0.55 per share1), representing an increase of 177% from the first quarter of 2010. "Our strong first quarter results reflect our focused strategy to maximize the value of mines that we own and operate," said Steve Letwin, IAMGOLD's President and CEO. "Attributable gold production was up 41% year-over-year driven chiefly by the inclusion of Essakane along with higher recoveries at Rosebel. We continue to benefit from higher gold prices and are implementing various initiatives to reduce our cash costs."