GLOBAL miner Rio Tinto Plc has extended the deadline for acceptance of its US$4 billion cash offer for Riversdale Mining Ltd.

Rio Tinto had set a deadline of Wednesday to accept an offer of US$16.50 a share for Riversdale, an African coal miner, but yesterday it said it was moving the deadline to next Monday. Rio Tinto is seeking acceptances representing more than 50 percent of Riversdale's shares. So far, it has 35 percent.