BHP Billiton, the world’s biggest miner, has announced pre-tax earnings of £7.5bn. “Simply put, what a year," Chief Executive Chip Goodyear said after announcing the results. The company, which has its headquarters in Melbourne, employs 37,000 people at more than 100 sites in 25 countries.

The announcement was overshadowed by a strike at its Escondida copper mine in Chile, where, ironically, workers are demanding better pay. The site provides 8% of the world’s annual copper supply.