The seven-year-old boy swallowed by Brazil mudslide

AFP has provided a harrowing account of the mudslide that followed Thursday’s collapse of the dam walls at the Samarco operation in Brazil.

As the tsunami of mud approached their home, seven-year-old Thiago Santos clutched his grandmother in his arms and said, "Jesus help me”, the report said.

The little boy's name is on the list of those who disappeared when a swell of mud and mining sludge smashed into the village of Bento Rodrigues in southeast Brazil on Thursday.

"My life is over. I strived to get ahead for him. I went to work for him, to give him a future. Now there's no point. Why go on?" said his devastated mother, 28-year-old Geovana Aparecida Rodrigues, her eyes red from crying.

Barnett rebuffs Redman in FIFO row

The West Australian reports that WA Premier Colin Barnett has rebuked Nationals Leader Terry Redman over claims the Premier had “screwed” a Pilbara mining town, labelling them “inappropriate”

According to the report, a visibly annoyed Barnett yesterday defended a decision to extend the life of a BHP Billiton workers camp in the iron ore town of Newman in the face of a scathing attack by Redman.

The Nationals leader on Monday broke with government solidarity to condemn Barnett’s move, saying it undermined regional development in the Pilbara.

New Bradken chairman says mining downturn to last until 2018

New Bradken chairman Phil Arnall says the company has planned for conditions in the mining sector to remain bleak until at least 2018, according to the Australian Financial Review.

Arnall, who took over from Nick Greiner, said conditions had worsened since June of this year.

It comes as Bradken shares hit a record low after the company maintained a poor outlook and said sales for this financial year would be below FY15.