Lithium price: Spodumene is getting crushed

Citic Pacific Mining executive chairman Dongyi Hua says "soaring demand for Australian food, particularly beef, among China's 100 million wealthy people could buffer Australia's economy from the effects of an end to the mining boom" particularly given the risk that iron ore prices could fall further.

This was the year for Australia’s mining boom Martin Ferguson hinted on Monday. The Resources Minister highlighted the end of the high commodity prices era that will force the country’s industry to increase its productivity and develop new technologies in order to remain competitive.

The unprecedented success of Australia's mining sector, which enabled the country to successfully weather the financial crisis and has triggered a surge in the Aussie dollar, may have caused irreparable damage to the Great Barrier Reef

Former electrician turned mining tycoon Nathan Tinkler has issued a further bid for the remainder of Australia's Whitehaven Coal Ltd., following a 17% plunge in the company's shares since Tinkler's first offer for the company on June 13.

Zijin Mining Group (HK:2899), China’s largest gold producer, announced on Friday that its bid for Australia’s Norton Gold Fields Limited (ASX:NGF) had successfully obtained approval from Australian regulators.

Swiss commodity supplier Glencore International obtained approval from the Canadian federal government on Sunday for its application to buy up Canadian agribusiness titan Viterra Inc., bringing the $6.1 billion deal that much closer to completion.

Sunday Times reports (paywall) that BHP Billiton, which is shedding its non-core operations, is looking for a buyer for its Mount Nimba iron ore project in Guinea.

China plans to diversify iron ore imports and increase the ratio from independent miners to 50%, according to comments made Wang Xiaoqi, vice-chairman of the China Iron and Steel Association.

Naguib Sawiris,an Egyptian mobile phone entrepreneur, is paying $492 million for gold miner La Mancha Resources (TSE:LMA).