SYDNEY Feb 27 (Reuters) - In July 2017, Reuters withdrew a May 18 article headlined “Australian billionaire uses indigenous land laws to keep prospectors off farm” that referred to Andrew Forrest, founder and chairman of Fortescue Metals Group, the world’s fourth biggest iron ore miner. The article discussed how the Warden’s Court denied licenses to prospectors to search for minerals on land where Forrest holds a pastoral lease.

Reuters did not intend to convey that Forrest misused the Mining Act, lacks respect for the indigenous people and their spiritual beliefs, or acted in a hypocritical fashion. We regret any misimpression created by the article.

The article did not adequately provide comment from all involved, and Reuters failed to give Forrest an opportunity to respond to certain criticisms that he rejects. The article also mischaracterized a criticism attributed to the head of an entity that oversees landholdings of an Aboriginal group. Our demonstrated commitment to the Reuters Trust Principles of fair, accurate and reliable journalism is unwavering, and we apologize for departing from that commitment here.