Reuters Africa reports that China has ordered local governments to cut a total 2.04 million tonnes of aluminium, copper, lead and zinc smelting capacity in 2011.

The world's largest copper producer is shut down in a 24-hour strike that has the potential to cause severe losses for Chile's state mining company. Codelco says it could lose $41 million from today's strike

SAN FRANCISCO (MarketWatch) — Gold futures gained Monday on continuing concerns about Europe’s sovereign-debt crisis and as investors eschewed investments considered riskier, such as U.S. stocks. Gold for August delivery added $13.20, or 0.9%, to

Chronic labour shortages in resource-rich Western Australia could put mining projects at risk, as the state struggles to plug a shortfall of skilled workers set to balloon to 150,000 by 2017.

Recruiters in Western Australia are seeing a steady flow of people heading into the state in search of lucrative jobs in the mining industry, but they need to be realistic about the salaries they can receive and the training they need, Perth Now reports.

Recruitment agencies told The Sunday Times that highly skilled positions, such as heavy diesel fitters, drillers and boilermakers, were in shortest supply and workers with experience in most areas of the resources industry were highly sought after. Hays regional director Simon Winfield said people often thought they could get jobs on mines without any qualifications and were "misguided" about salaries.

Driven by a key strategic imperative to expand its leadership and support for customers in the mining industry, Caterpillar Inc. (NYSE: CAT) today announced it has completed its acquisition of Bucyrus International, Inc. Caterpillar funded the acquisition, valued at approximately $8.8 billion (including net debt), using cash from its balance sheet and debt. The company did not issue equity to help fund the transaction.

Reuters reports that nickel went untraded today, but still managed to fall as copper, aluminum and zinc also fell.

Five Turkish companies have been named among the world's biggest steel producers. ANKARA- Turkish companies Erdemir Group, Habas, Icdas, Diler Group and Colakoglu Metalurji were included in the world's leading steel & metal markets publication Metal

Peabody Energy has teamed up with ArcelorMittal to offer $5 billion for Australia's Macarthur Coal , the world's biggest producer of pulverised coal, as demand for steel-making raw materials intensifies. The cash offer of A$15.50 a share represents a 40-percent premium to Monday's close and comes just a day after Australia unveiled a plan to tax carbon emissions from the nation's worst polluters, or about 500 companies, including coal miners.