Central African rebels attack mining town before election results announced

Signs of resurgence in platinum, a stronger gold price and growing coal exports to India should be triggers for South Africa’s mining leadership to grasp the opportunities that it missed in the last commodity boom, according to consulting engineers and scientists SRK Consulting (South Africa).

The country began shipping lithium to China this week, in what is considered the first step towards fulfilling its ambitions to becoming the world’s No. 1 exporter of the commodity.

China's domestic iron ore, copper, nickel, zinc, lead and bauxite mining output is slowing dramatically.

And one that's ultra-bearish.

The potential acquisition fits in the South African gold producer’s plans to expand operations across Africa.

Beijing cuts off power to 26 mines in key Chinese zinc, lead production region.

Bolivia seized three of Glencore’s operations in nine years and the Swiss giant is now initiating arbitration proceedings against the South American nation.

Two years after the mine’s massive tailings pond collapse, the tarnished Golden Triangle environmental and economic fallout continues.

Not even counting the $7.7 billion in write-downs and charges, BHP’s underlying profit dropped by a painful 81% to $1.2 billion for the year to June.