South Africa seeks to extract greater tax revenues from its mining companies as they struggle to deal with rising costs and declining commodities prices.
Recent avalanches affecting several points along a water channel in the area of Barrick's Pascua Lama project have not affected water quality, says the gold miner.
Renowned investment expert Stephen Leeb says gold and silver are set to embark upon "the greatest bull market people will ever see in their lifetimes" amidst an industrial squeeze and a surge in appetite for precious metals from Asia.