Cecilia Jamasmie , Senior Editor

Managers, unions and workers at the troubled platinum miner Lonmin's (LON:JSE) Marikana mine, started talks with South African government mediators on Wednesday as thousands of miners continued a strike that has left 44 dead.

Gold producer Newcrest Mining (ASX:NCM) resumed its operations at the Lihir project, in Papua New Guinea, following the resolution of a dispute lodged by the Lihir Mining Area Landowners Association (LMALA).

Australia’s largest listed gold company by market capitalization, Newcrest Mining (ASX:NCM), said Tuesday it had to suspend production at its flagship Lihir mine in Papua New Guinea, as protests from a local landowners’ group keep escalating.

Shares of Eco Oro Minerals Corp. (TSX:EOM) plunged over 50% on Tuesday to $94 cents in early trade after Colombia’s national mining agency scrapped most of its concession on environmental grounds.

The president of Venezuela's national mining chamber (Camiven), Luis Rojas, called the country leader Hugo Chavez to boost the local gold industry, as bullion production levels are close to historic lows.

Gold miner Perseus Mining (ASX & TSX:PRU) reported Tuesday a maiden profit of A$52.4-million for the 12 months ended June, after the company reported its first half year of commercial production.

Paragon Diamonds (LON:PRG) has signed a financing agreement for its Motete Dyke project in Lesotho, paving the way for production to start in 2013.

Canadian junior Atlanta Gold (TSX:AGC) on Tuesday reported that it was cut off from accessing its Atlanta gold property by a forest fire, and might not be able to continue court-ordered remediation work to the water treatment facility until mid-October.

About 100 coal miners are barricaded inside an underground mine in Sardinia, Italy, and have armed themselves with explosives to prevent the mine's closure.

Financial Times analysts are the latest ones singing the “supercycle is over” song, as the paper points today to recent profit reports from major miners, including Anglo American, BHP Billiton, Rio Tinto and Xstrata as the most recent evidence.