Soaring metal bank Miner records profits

UK-Australian miner BHP Billiton set a profits record for an Australian company today as it benefited from soaring metal prices and demand from China and India.

Record annual production volumes for aluminium, copper, iron ore, nickel and natural gas also buoyed Billiton, which posted profits of $10.45bn (€8.1bn) in the year to June 30, up 63% on a year ago.