An Alaskan community is divided over Contango Silver & Gold's plan to develop a gold mine on the Johnson Tract, a property surrounded by Lake Clark National Park, amid environmental concerns and local economic hopes.
A joint US-Venezuela operation in the Venezuelan Amazon resulted in a large explosion and helicopter activity, reportedly targeting Héctor Guerrero Flores, leader of the Tren de Aragua gang. This marks a significant shift in US-Venezuela relations and US military actions in the region, potentially paving the way for mining company investment.
Archaeologists have confirmed a Roman gold mine in the Spanish Pyrenees, using sophisticated hydraulic mining techniques. A buried reservoir and OSL dating revealed the site was active from the late 2nd to early 3rd century CE, with 2 million cubic meters of earth moved.
An illegal gold mine collapsed in Angola's Bengo province, killing 28 miners and leaving three hospitalized. Thirteen of the deceased were from the same family. Search efforts are underway for two missing individuals.
Nevada Gold Mines remains the world's largest gold producer with 2,595 thousand ounces in 2025, followed by Muruntau in Uzbekistan (1,708 koz) and Olimpiada in Russia (1,357 koz). The top 10 mines are distributed across the USA, Uzbekistan, Russia, Kazakhstan, Indonesia, Canada, DR Congo, and Ghana, with combined production exceeding 10 million ounces. Some mines experienced production declines due to technical issues, weather conditions, and operational changes, while others benefited from expanded processing capacity and improved ore grades.
Theonila Roka Matbob, 35, from Papua New Guinea's Autonomous Region of Bougainville, has won the 2026 Goldman Environmental Prize for her activism addressing environmental and social harms from the Panguna copper and gold mine operated by Rio Tinto. The mine operated from 1972-1989, causing massive environmental damage and triggering a decade-long civil war that claimed thousands of lives. Roka Matbob led a landmark human rights complaint against Rio Tinto, resulting in a 2024 memorandum of understanding to address remediation.
