Congregants are expected to throng the Shree Swaminarayan temple in New Jersey this Sunday to ceremonially weigh their guru in honour of his 70th birthday. Preliminary estimates are that Swami Purushottampriyadasji's good works are worth just under $4 million or the equivalent of 40,000 catalytic converters.
Three protestors are dead and 20 are injured at Aquarius Platinum's Kwezi shaft when 200 disgruntled former contractors, some carrying petrol bombs, forced their way onto the company's property.
Bongani Mbindwane, CEO of South African junior explorer Platfields (SJ:PLL), has written an open letter to South Africa's mineral resources minister calling for direct assistance in dealing with the platinum sector's dire condition.
Platinum's poor performance relative to gold of late may be due to its lack of status as a safe-haven investment and a credible means of storing value.
The Royal Bafokeng nation, who control vast parts of the platinum belt in the north west province of South Africa warned that earnings at its main investment vehicle could be down by between 52% and 62% over the first six months of 2012.
Deutsche Bank expects that platinum supply could see further cutbacks as economic/social pressures in South Africa mount and the price could be dragged higher by stronger gold prices over the remainder of 2012.
South Africa's Anglo Platinum, the world's largest primary platinum producer, has confirmed the lay-off of 725 employees from its central services and support functions, provoking the ire of the mining's industry's national union.
Arguably the richest prize in mining, the Pebble project pits a watershed where up to 40 million salmon spawn each year against copper and gold reserves worth as much as $500 billion according to a new documentary.
