Australian carrier Qantas roars back into black

Australian carrier Qantas on Thursday roared back into the black in a stunning turnaround of fortunes driven by aggressive cost-cutting, while placing an order for eight Boeing Dreamliners. The airline posted a Aus$557 million (US$409 million) annual net profit in the year to June 30, a sharp recovery in the space of 12 months from a Aus$2.84 billion net loss in the previous corresponding period. Underlying profit before tax -- Qantas' preferred measure of financial performance, which excludes o