LONDON (Reuters) - Britain gave President Vladimir Putin until midnight on Tuesday to explain how a nerve agent developed by the Soviet Union was used to strike down a former Russian double agent who passed secrets to British intelligence.Sergei Skripal, 66, and his daughter Yulia, 33, have been in hospital in a critical condition since March 4 when they were found unconscious on a bench outside a...Read More

The United Kingdom's trade department has said it will work with industry to try and convince the United States to exempt British products from the Section 232 import tariffs.The UK government will be assisting UK industry "as they work with US customers to build their cases for the exemption of individual products" from US president Donald Trump's Section 232 tariffs on imported steel and alumini...Read More

(Reuters) - Rising interest rates along with strong job growth has led to more uninsured mortgages and longer tenure of car loans, putting a strain on the lending quality of Canadian banks, Moody’s Investor Service said in a report released on Tuesday.“Almost half of outstanding mortgages will have an interest rate reset within the year, which will increase the strain on households&rsq...Read More

RAPAPORT... Gem Diamonds has sold the Lesotho Legend, the 910-caratstone it unearthed at its Let??eng mine in January, for $40 million, the company said Tuesday. The miner claims the D color, type IIa stone -which it sold at tender in Antwerp to Samir Gems - is the fifth-largest gem-quality diamondever recovered. "We are delighted with the outcome of the sale of this iconicdiamond, which demo...Read More

The world's fifth biggest gem-quality diamond ever found was sold for $40 million on Monday, the company that found the massive rock said.Africa-focused Gem Diamonds (LON:GEMD) dug up the D colour, Type IIa rough diamond, which is about the size of two golf balls, at its flagship Let??eng mine in Lesotho in January.The rock, named "The Lesotho Legend," was acquired by an unnamed buyer in Ant...Read More

Richard Wolanski, CFO at Avation PLC (LON:AVAP), caught up with Proactive following the release of their first half update.The fleet is now worth over US$1bn following a spate of purchases in December.Avation started to re-jig its portfolio last June when it sold six ATR turbo-prop planes, which it replaced with its first twin-aisled jet (a Boeing 777-300ER) and three others in December.Four new a...Read More

Vietnam's ferrous scrap imports dropped 17% year on year in February, according to the country's Ministry of Finance.The country imported 299,301 tonnes of scrap last month, compared with 359,807 tonnes a year earlier.February's imports were only about half of the 593,119 tonnes of scrap that reached Vietnam's shores in January.Japan and the United States were...Read More

(IDEX Online) - Jewelers of America (JA), the national trade association for businesses serving the fine jewelry marketplace, has announced the winners of its 28th annual CASE Awards, a national jewelry design competition.   The CASE Awards recognizes JA Retail Members who exhibit creativity, artistry, style and excellence in jewelry design.   "The CASE Awards showcases the creativity...Read More

JOHANNESBURG (miningweekly.com) – Aim-listed Botswana Diamonds has started drilling at the Ontevreden kimberlite pipe, which is part of the company’s Vutomi Joint Venture in South Africa and which contains significant quantities of G10 and G9 garnets.“We are pleased to announce the commencement of drilling at the Ontevreden kimberlite pipe. We know that the pipe contains sig...Read More

HELSINKI (Reuters) - Finland’s government investment arm has spent about 844 million euros ($1.04 billion) on building a 3.3 percent stake in Nokia (NOKIA.HE) to strengthen national influence over the telecom network gear maker.Nokia ruled the global mobile phone market a decade ago and the collapse of that business was a major cause of a decade of economic stagnation from which Finland is o...Read More

RAPAPORT...Stellar Diamonds has struck a $10.8 million (GBP 7.7 million)takeover agreement with Newfield Resources, raising its hopes of bringing itsSierra Leone mine into production, the company said Monday. Stellar, which operates the Tongo-Tonguma project, last week said it might not be able toaccess enough financing for it to remain in operation if talks fell through. Under the deal, Stellar s...Read More

FTSE 100 closes down 76 ptsChancellor Spring Statement over and dullRex Tillerson replaced as Secretary of State in USFTSE 100 closed in the red as global traders were put off by  political instability in the US  and after the UK Chancellor's spring statement.FTSE 100 finished almost 76 points lower at 7,138, while the mid-cap FTSE 250 lost over 254 points at 19,863.In the US, the Dow Jo...Read More

UK ferrous scrap prices for monthly deliveries to consumers in March have rebounded, recovering losses from last month, with the prices of almost all grades up by ?30 per tonne amid firm demand, trade sources told Metal Bulletin this week.Only borings bucked the trend, with the price increasing by only ?25 per tonne.Trend-indicating grades in the UK such as HMS 1&2 (old steel) and OA (plate and...Read More

(IDEX Online) - The GIA will offer demonstrations of the GIA iD100TM gem testing device that distinguishes natural diamonds from synthetics and diamond stimulants at the Baselworld show in Switzerland from March 22-27.   It will be the first time that the GIA iD100TM gem testing device has been demonstrated at a trade show in Europe. This device uses advanced spectroscopic technology to disti...Read More

(Reuters) - U.S. stock index futures extended gains on Tuesday after data showed U.S. consumer prices cooled in February, the latest indication that an anticipated pickup in inflation probably will be only gradual.At 8:31 a.m. ET, Dow e-minis 1YMc1 were up 122 points, or 0.48 percent, while S&P 500 e-minis ESc1 were up 14 points, or 0.5 percent. Nasdaq 100 e-minis NQc1 were up 28.25 points, or...Read More

RAPAPORT... India's Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has arrestedHasmukh Shah in its ongoing investigation into Winsome Diamonds, Reuters reportedMonday. Shah is a former director and authorized signatory ofForever Precious Jewellery and Diamonds, a subsidiary of the Winsome Diamondsgroup. Both companies have been accused of defaulting on more than $939 million(INR 61 billion) in credit provi...Read More

JOHANNESBURG (miningweekly.com) – The “exceptional quality” 910 ct D-colour Type IIa diamond recovered from LSE-listed Gem Diamonds’ Letšeng mine, in Lesotho, in January, achieved a price of $40-million on tender in Antwerp, on Monday. Reflecting its significance, the diamond, which is the fifth-largest gem-quality diamond ever recovered, has been named the Leso...Read More

(IDEX Online) - Gem Diamonds announced that the exceptional quality 910 carat D color Type IIa diamond recovered from the Let??eng mine in January was sold for $40 million at tender in Antwerp on 12 March.   Reflecting its significance, the diamond, which is the fifth largest gem quality diamond ever recovered, has been named The Lesotho Legend, the miner said.    Clifford Elphick...Read More

Lead was the strongest performer on the London Metal Exchange on Tuesday March 13 - closing 2.2% higher.8,000 tonnes of lead was freshly cancelled in Antwerp this morning giving fresh support to prices while stocks tighten once again. LME warrants are also tightly held with one entity holding 30-39% of warrant positions."Lead is carrying out some much needed base-building after breaking below $2,4...Read More

Minoan Group plc (LON:MIN) was the biggest gainer in late afternoon trading, with its shares jumping 40.9% higher to 7.40p after the luxury resort developer revealed it has signed an exclusivity agreement with an unnamed potential buyer for its Travel & Leisure division.The AIM-listed firm, which said the sale would leave the company debt free, added that first-quarter trading in the division...Read More