Gold price: ETF holdings jump to near 5-year high

Despite paying the highest wages – average $40.42/hour vs a $25/hour across sectors – the mining industry faces an uphill struggle filling more than 100,000 new positions by 2021.

Mongolia is capping foreign investment in certain industries, including mining, in an attempt to keep profits inside the mineral-rich nation's borders.

If the EU joins the US in flooding the market with cheap money it will be a massive boon for gold. It is worth remembering that before the Fed kicked off QE1 on 16 December 2008 an ounce of gold was changing hands for $837.

Africa's economic indicators are all pointing up, but executive pay packages and living arrangements for expatriates are changing too.

Miner Rio Tinto has announced plans to double its mine trainee and apprenticeship programs to meet future demands in Australia, reports Australian Mining.

Mexican miner Timmins Gold (TSX:TMM) has lost 22% for the year and hit a 52-week low of $1.58 after reporting Q1 on Tuesday.

"As equities fall, as the Greeks take money out of the banks and the banking sector collapses, I suppose you'd have to be wary of further price falls just to cover for losses in other markets."

Canadian gold producer Aurizon Mines has discovered three new lenses at its Casa Berardi mine in northwestern Quebec.

“Where the industry previously lacked investment opportunities and choice, it now has more projects than cash flows. All of us in the industry are having to make choices.”