The London-listed miner is accused of violating forest-protection laws and the rights of tribal groups, but has said it will not abandon the project, which was expected to yield 78m tonnes of the aluminium-bearing ore.

ECONOMIST: Business this week

Most of Russia's aluminium plants operate by tolling, meaning that they rent out capacity to third parties, who deliver ore and take back metal.

ECONOMIST: A heavy toll

Citigroup estimates that the spot price is below the production costs for 15% of copper producers, 25% of aluminium producers, 50% of zinc producers, 30% of nickel producers and 10% of iron-ore producers.

ECONOMIST: Fortunes in the mining business come and go faster than ever