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The Concerned Youth of Talensi is calling for the expulsion of China-based mining company Shaanxi following a series of accidents at the company’s Ghanaian operations that have resulted in 61 deaths. The group, which is comprised of local youths and relatives of the deceased miners and is based in the Talensi District of northern Ghana, intensified its protests following an explosion at Shaanxi’s Gbani mine last week. The accident killed 16 workers, the latest in a series of fatal incidents at Shaanxi mines that date back to 2013. The Concerned Youth has criticised Shaanxi for failing to protect its workers, and questioned its use of the explosive gas, which it claims was used to conduct illegal blasting work and “intentionally” harm workers. The accidents have understandably caused friction between local workers, who feel unsafe and inadequately compensated at work, and the company. The latter further damaged relations by claiming that the 16 victims were not Shaanxi employees, but...

A security researcher says he found a database listing names and details of suspected culprits. from BBC News - Technology https://bbc.in/2RQtlAR

Antofagasta, a UK-headquartered copper mining firm, is evaluating the construction of a new concentrator plant at its Centinela mine in Chile. The project is expected to cost around $3bn, according to the company’s chief executive Ivan Arriagada to local newspaper La Tercera . The firm’s copper output grew by 3% to 725,300t in 2018, which enabled the firm to explore expansion of projects and upgrades, reported Reuters. Arriagada told La Tercera : “The best option is to build a new concentrator plant [at Centinela], and we’re in the feasibility stage of that initiative.” Antofagasta estimated that its copper production will increase to between 750,000 and 790,000t this year. The firm’s copper production in Q4 2018 was 16.8% higher than the previous quarter due to increased production at all of its operations, especially at Centinela Concentrates where the output surged by 68.3%. Its full year copper production was at the higher end of revised guidance, experiencing a 3% increase c...

The former deputy prime minister has given his first speech since joining the technology giant as head of communications. from BBC News - Technology https://bbc.in/2DDRYb7

Daniel Kelley has already admitted involvement in the major hack attack on the telecoms firm in 2015. from BBC News - Technology https://bbc.in/2Sa497H

The Zimbabwean mines and mining development secretary, Onesimo Moyo, has drawn attention to conduct violations of the country’s small-scale miners, calling on officials to ensure artisanal miners are operating within the law. Small-scale mining, which refers to operations conducted by individual people or small groups as opposed to larger companies, is permitted in Zimbabwe, unlike a number of other countries. Mining law in Zimbabwe is governed by the 1961 Mines and Mineral Act, which permits any individual, provided they are a “permanent resident of Zimbabwe,” to apply for a mining licence. This has encouraged small-scale mining, whose practitioners aim to take advantage of the country’s vast mineral resources; Zimbabwe has over 4,000 gold deposits, the world’s second-largest stores of platinum group metals, and the world’s second-largest reserves of high-grade chromium ores The act also empowers the country’s minister of mines and mining development to demand payment from miners i...

The death count due to a collapsed dam at Vale’s Córrego do Feijão iron mine in Brazil has increased from 37 to 58, two days the collapse of the mine’s dam unleashed a mudslide on the local town of Brumadinho. The dam burst on Friday when around 430 people were working in the mine located in the southeastern state of Minas Gerais. According to Civil Defense spokesperson Col. Flavio Godinho, around 360 people have been found and 305 continue to be missing, including mine workers and local residents. Officials have said they are pessimistic that the lost victims will be rescued. A total of 23 people have been hospitalised and of these, 19 victims have been identified. Authorities are still assessing the extent of damage, especially in Brumadinho, which is almost buried under mining debris. On Sunday, the authorities temporarily halted rescue operations due to heavy rains. They placed around 3,000 people under evacuation orders over concerns of a rupture risk at another dam located n...