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Future of Coal Series

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Despite major shifts in the industry and serious worries in coal communities, today coal still supplies nearly 40% of our electricity. According to the Bureau of Land Management, one out of every five homes and business in the US use electricity made from Wyoming coal. But what does the future look like for fossil fuels in a world where there is increasing pressure to keep them in the ground? In this series, we examine the role of coal as an energy source in a world where constraints on carbon emissions are adopted to mitigate global warming. Indeed, the challenge for governments and industry is to find a path that mitigates carbon emissions yet continues to utilize coal to meet urgent energy needs, especially in developing economies.

Future of Coal Series

Australian trade deficit narrows in September, driven by firmer coal exports

Nov 03, 2016 05:25 am UTC| Commentary Economy

Australias trade balance improved during the month of September, driven by strong exports of coal and significantly beating market expectations. This surprise improvement was driven by a spike in resource exports, with...

Future of Coal Series

Australia's coal politics are undermining democratic and Indigenous rights

Oct 26, 2016 09:45 am UTC| Insights & Views Politics

Can Australia achieve fair and open decision-making when big coal players are involved? The case of Adanis proposed Carmichael coal mine suggests the answer is no, and Indigenous land owners are bearing the brunt. The...

Future of Coal Series

The gas industry needs a carbon price to compete with coal

Oct 25, 2016 17:20 pm UTC| Insights & Views

Putting a price on carbon would benefit the Australian gas industry, at least in the short term. It is therefore in the interests of gas producers to lobby for the emissions trading scheme proposed for the electricity...

Future of Coal Series

China’s coal imports likely to remain strong, policy measures to dictate prices

Oct 20, 2016 06:36 am UTC| Economy Commentary

Coal imports in China are expected to remain strong in the near term, despite efforts to limit the impact of capacity closures on utilities, while prices are likely to be dictated by the countrys policy...

Future of Coal Series

Bangladesh is building a dirty and expensive coal plant next to the world's largest mangrove forest

Sep 27, 2016 13:42 pm UTC| Insights & Views

A controversial new coal power plant being built in Bangladesh is already running out of friends. Environmentalists worry it will spell disaster for the worlds largest mangrove forest, while locals worry about pollution...

Future of Coal Series

King Coal is dethroned in the US – and that's good news for the environment

Sep 23, 2016 08:08 am UTC| Insights & Views

This is the worst year in decades for U.S. coal. During the first six months of 2016, U.S. coal production was down a staggering 28 percent compared to 2015, and down 33 percent compared to 2014. For the first time ever,...

Future of Coal Series

Pacific pariah: how Australia’s love of coal has left it out in the diplomatic cold

Sep 23, 2016 08:06 am UTC| Insights & Views

Australias Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull will have some explaining to do when he attends the Pacific Islands Forum leaders meeting in Pohnpei, Micronesia, this week. Australias continued determination to dig up coal,...

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Economy

Bernstein Raises 2026 Nickel Price Forecast as Indonesia Tightens Supply

Bernstein has increased its 2026 nickel price forecast to $17,357 per metric ton, up from an estimated average of $15,164 per ton in 2025, citing a significantly more balanced global nickel market than previously expected....

Dollar Slips After Fed Minutes as Iran Tensions, Inflation Risks Keep Markets Cautious

The U.S. dollar edged lower on Thursday after the Federal Reserves June meeting minutes appeared less hawkish than investors had anticipated, although escalating geopolitical tensions in the Middle East limited the...

US Back-to-School Spending Seen Falling as Families Focus on Essentials

U.S. back-to-school spending is expected to decline in 2026 as families become more cautious about their finances amid growing economic uncertainty, according to a Deloitte survey released on Thursday. While parents remain...

Gold Prices Slip as Stronger Dollar, Fed Rate Outlook Weigh on Bullion

Gold prices edged lower on Thursday as a stronger U.S. dollar and renewed geopolitical tensions in the Middle East weighed on investor sentiment. Rising concerns that higher energy prices could keep inflation elevated and...

Asian Stocks Slip as Iran Tensions, Samsung Weakness and Fed Caution Weigh on Markets

Asian stock markets mostly declined on Thursday as renewed geopolitical tensions in the Middle East, higher oil prices and cautious signals from the U.S. Federal Reserve weakened investor sentiment. Concerns over Samsung...

Politics

Qatar Urges U.S.-Iran Diplomacy as Fresh Strikes Threaten Fragile Ceasefire

Qatar urged Iran and the United States to recommit to diplomacy on Thursday as both countries exchanged fresh military strikes, raising fears that their fragile ceasefire could collapse and further destabilize the Middle...

Iran Buries Ayatollah Ali Khamenei as Successor Mojtaba Remains Out of Public View

Iran buried slain Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Thursday at the revered Shrine of Imam Reza in Mashhad, marking the end of a week of nationwide mourning ceremonies following his death in a U.S. strike. The...

Trump, Erdogan Strengthen U.S.-Turkey Ties at NATO Summit in Ankara

Turkey used the NATO summit in Ankara to showcase its growing ties with the United States, rolling out a high-profile welcome for President Donald Trump that underscored Ankaras ambitions to strengthen its role within the...

ICC Says Darfur War Crimes Probe Reaches Breakthrough in Sudan Investigation

The International Criminal Court (ICC) says it has made a significant breakthrough in its investigation into alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity committed during Sudans conflict in the Darfur region, with...

Houston ICE Shooting Sparks Protests, Demands for Independent Investigation

Hundreds of demonstrators gathered in Houston on Wednesday to protest the fatal shooting of a Mexican national by a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officer, intensifying concerns over the Trump...

Science

Blue Origin New Glenn Explosion Could Delay Launch Operations Until 2028

Blue Origin is facing a significant setback after a dramatic explosion involving its New Glenn rocket severely damaged a launch pad at Cape Canaveral, Florida. According to NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman, repairs to the...

Blue Origin New Glenn Rocket Explodes During Launch Pad Test, Delaying Space Ambitions

Blue Origin suffered a major setback after its uncrewed New Glenn rocket exploded during a launch pad test in Florida on Thursday, raising new challenges for Jeff Bezos space company as it competes with Elon Musks SpaceX...

SpaceX Delays Starship V3 Launch Ahead of Potential Record IPO

SpaceX on Thursday postponed the highly anticipated launch of its 12th Starship rocket test from Texas after technical issues interrupted the final countdown. The company now plans to attempt the Starship V3 launch again...

Trump Administration Releases New UFO Files and Apollo Mission Records

The U.S. Defense Department has released dozens of previously classified UFO-related files following an order from President Donald Trump, sparking renewed debate over unidentified anomalous phenomena (UAP) and government...

China vs. NASA: The New Moon Race and What's at Stake by 2030

The space race is back and this time, its a direct competition between the United States and China for dominance on the lunar surface. NASAs Artemis II mission recently made history when four astronauts flew farther into...

Technology

Bain Capital Exits Kioxia After AI-Fueled Valuation Surge

Bain Capital has fully exited its investment in Japanese flash memory manufacturer Kioxia, marking the end of a highly profitable private equity deal driven by the rapid expansion of the artificial intelligence (AI)...

SK Hynix’s $28 Billion U.S. Share Sale Draws Massive Demand Amid AI Chip Boom

SK Hynixs planned $28 billion U.S. share sale attracted demand worth more than seven times the number of shares available, highlighting strong investor confidence in the South Korean memory chip maker and the rapidly...

Zhipu AI Raises HK$31.37 Billion in Discounted Share Sale to Accelerate AI Growth

Chinese artificial intelligence company Zhipu AI, listed in Hong Kong as Knowledge Atlas Tech Joint Stock (HK:2513), has raised approximately HK$31.37 billion (US$4 billion) through a discounted share sale, strengthening...

Nvidia Invests $500M in Firmus Technologies Ahead of Planned ASX IPO

Nvidia (NASDAQ: NVDA) has agreed to invest approximately A$720 million (US$500 million) in Australian cloud infrastructure startup Firmus Technologies, becoming the largest participant in the companys planned A$2 billion...

SK Hynix’s $28B U.S. IPO Draws Strong Demand as AI Chip Boom Fuels Investor Interest

SK Hynix Inc. is seeing overwhelming investor interest in its planned $28 billion U.S. listing, with demand reportedly exceeding the number of shares available by several times, according to a Bloomberg News report on...