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The Boards of Rio Tinto plc and Rio Tinto Limited (together "Rio Tinto") announce today that they are unanimously recommending to shareholders a transaction with Aluminium Corporation of China ("Chinalco"), a leading Chinese diversified resources company. The transaction will forge a pioneering strategic partnership through the creation of joint ventures in aluminium, copper, and iron ore as well as the issue of convertible bonds to Chinalco, which would, if converted, allow Chinalco to increase its existing shareholding in Rio Tinto.

Mining giants BHP Billiton and Rio Tinto should post record half-year profits as they reap the benefits of an industrial commodities boom, and are likely to use the results to bolster their arguments in a $123 billion (66 billion pound) takeover stand-off. Both are also likely to outline big expansions in key profit sectors such as copper and iron ore, where analysts predict higher prices next year on the back of strong demand for imported raw materials from China's industrial sector. Consenus figures based on forecasts by 20 analysts and provided by BHP point to a 12 percent rise in annual net profit to $15.4 billion, suggesting second-half profit will have risen 30 percent to $9.4 billion from $7.2 billion previously. Analysts polled by Reuters Estimates forecast Rio's January-June underlying profit will have risen 40 percent to $5.2 billion. BHP's financial year ends June 30, while Rio follows the calendar year.

Rio Tinto has signed two exploration joint venture agreements with CODELCO's 100% owned subsidiary, CCM Los Andes, in Chile. These agreements follow the first exploration joint venture agreement signed between Rio Tinto and CODELCO in January 2008. CODELCO is the world's largest copper producer.

Australia`s competition regulator on Friday identified iron-ore as a potential major concern in evaluating mining giant BHP Billiton`s US$128 billion bid for rival Rio Tinto and said it would make a final ruling on the hostile takeover by October 1. The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) devoted most of its nine-page "statement of issues" to the proposed deal`s likely impact on the iron ore trade and, in particular, on Australian steel-makers. Rio Tinto and BHPB are the world`s second and third largest iron-ore producers, respectively, behind Brazil`s Vale. But the ACCC saw no major competition issues surrounding trade in copper, gold, uranium, bauxite and alumina.

LONDON (Reuters) - Copper prices could hit fresh record highs this year as the Chinese economy continues to expand despite a slowdown in the United States, the chief economist of miner Rio Tinto (RIO.L: Quote, Profile, Research) said on Thursday.

The big question now is what happens to Rio Tinto. Chinalco, the Chinese miner that bought a seat at the dealmaking table in February with an audacious dawn raid of Rio shares, will play a key role.

According to Tom Albanese, CEO of Rio Tinto, metal stocks will see a boost in the second half of 2009. "We're beginning to see some of the infrastructure-driven stimulus plan in China and in the U.S. playing into steel, aluminum, copper demand and other materials that [Rio Tinto [RTP 134.06 1.06 (+0.8%) ]] would produce," Albanese told CNBC.

Rio Tinto : Climate Change Report 2020

LONDON (Thomson Financial) - EMED Mining (News) Public Ltd., a European-based minerals exploration and development company, said Spain's largest mine, the Rio Tinto (News) (News/Aktienkurs) Mine, is advancing towards copper production restart. The AIM-listed company said in its mining quarterly report, for the three months to June that recruitment of a large workforce and mobilisation of a mining contractor is expected to proceed in the first half of 2009 and production six months later.

Rio Tinto and General Electric today announced that they are working together on two key strategic technology projects, Rio Tinto's 'Mine of the Future™' and GE's 'Ecomagination'", to develop the most energy efficient and ecologically friendly solutions to support the future of mining.

Global miner Rio Tinto expects 2009 to be a rough year in terms of both prices and volumes for key commodities, the firm's chief economist said on Wednesday

Rio Tinto's proposal to raise $19.5bn from Chinalco is seen by the mining group's board members and shareholders as an "option" to follow if there are no superior alternatives in the next three months, according to some Rio shareholders.

On Friday, international mining company Rio Tinto (nyse: RTP - news - people ) announced a huge 628 million ton upgrade in copper resources at its wholly owned Kennecott Utah Copper Bingham Canyon Mine.

"According to Arizona Republic the bill -set to be passed before the end of the year- would allow Rio to acquire 2,400 acres of the federally protected Tonto National Forest in southeast Arizona in exchange for 5,000 acres in parcels scattered around the state."