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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

Fitch Upgrades Argentina to B- as Milei Reforms Strengthen Economy

Fitch Ratings has upgraded Argentinas Long-Term Foreign Currency and Local Currency Issuer Default Rating to B- from CCC+ with a Stable outlook, signaling growing confidence in the countrys economic recovery under...

Asian Currencies Rise as Middle East Tensions Ease, South Korean Won Surges After Inflation Data

Asian currencies mostly strengthened on Wednesday as easing geopolitical tensions in the Middle East boosted investor confidence and weakened the U.S. dollar. Market sentiment improved after U.S. President Donald Trump...

Asian Stocks Rally as Iran War Fears Ease and AI Boom Lifts South Korea

Asian stock markets climbed on Wednesday as investor sentiment improved amid hopes of easing tensions between the United States and Iran. A strong rally in technology shares, fueled by continued enthusiasm around...

Gold Prices Rise as Weak Dollar and Lower Oil Prices Boost Safe-Haven Demand

Gold prices climbed during Asian trading on Wednesday as a softer U.S. dollar and declining oil prices supported investor demand for the precious metal. Market sentiment improved after signs of easing tensions in the...

Wall Street Futures Climb as Trump Signals Iran Deal Progress

U.S. stock index futures moved higher Tuesday night after President Donald Trump announced a temporary pause in Operation Freedom, a military initiative aimed at reopening the Strait of Hormuz. Investors reacted positively...

Politics

US Military Strike in Eastern Pacific Sparks Debate Over ‘Narco-Terrorist’ Operations

The U.S. military confirmed on Tuesday that it carried out another deadly strike in the Eastern Pacific, targeting a vessel allegedly linked to drug trafficking operations. According to U.S. Southern Command, the operation...

Guatemala President Bernardo Arevalo Appoints Gabriel Garcia Luna as New Attorney General

Guatemalan President Bernardo Arevalo has appointed former judge and university professor Gabriel Estuardo Garcia Luna as the countrys new attorney general, marking a significant political shift in Guatemalas justice...

Rubio Signals Possible U.S. Action on Cuba, Calls Current Situation “Unacceptable”

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Tuesday that the current situation in Cuba is unacceptable, signaling that the United States intends to address ongoing concerns involving the island nation in the future. Speaking...

Lula and Trump to Discuss Brazil-U.S. Anti-Crime Partnership During Washington Meeting

Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva is expected to prioritize security cooperation and organized crime prevention during his upcoming meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump in Washington this week. According to...

Trump Pauses Strait of Hormuz Shipping Operation as Iran Deal Nears

U.S. President Donald Trump announced Tuesday that the United States will temporarily pause Project Freedom, the military operation aimed at restoring commercial shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, as Washington moves...

Science

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...

NASA Artemis II: First Crewed Moon Mission Since Apollo Takes Four Astronauts on 10-Day Lunar Journey

NASAs Artemis II mission launched Wednesday, marking humanitys return to crewed lunar exploration for the first time since the Apollo era. Carrying four astronauts aboard the Orion spacecraft, this historic 10-day mission...

NASA's Artemis II Mission: First Crewed Lunar Journey Since Apollo

NASA's Artemis II Crew Arrives in Florida for Historic Moon Mission

The four astronauts chosen for NASAs Artemis II mission have touched down at Kennedy Space Center in Florida, marking the beginning of final launch preparations for the first crewed lunar journey in over 50 years. NASA...

SpaceX Pivots Toward Moon City as Musk Reframes Long-Term Space Vision

SpaceX CEO Elon Musk has revealed a significant shift in the companys near-term space exploration strategy, announcing that SpaceX is now prioritizing the development of a self-growing city on the Moon rather than focusing...

Technology

BHP Attracts AI-Focused Investors as Copper Demand Surges

BHP Group is drawing growing attention from international investors as the global artificial intelligence boom increases the value of copper, according to Chief Financial Officer Vandita Pant. Speaking at the Macquarie...

AMD Q1 Earnings Surge on AI Demand, Stock Jumps After Strong Guidance

AMD delivered stronger-than-expected first-quarter 2026 earnings, fueled by booming demand for artificial intelligence infrastructure and data center chips. The semiconductor giant reported adjusted earnings of $1.37 per...

Agentic AI Boom to Drive Massive Growth in CPU Market, UBS Says

The rapid rise of agentic AI is reshaping the future of data center infrastructure, creating major growth opportunities for CPU manufacturers such as Arm Holdings, AMD, and Intel. According to UBS analyst Timothy Arcuri,...

Supermicro Forecasts Strong Q4 Revenue Growth as AI Server Demand Surges

Super Micro Computer (NASDAQ: SMCI) projected fourth-quarter fiscal 2026 revenue above Wall Street expectations, driven by continued growth in artificial intelligence infrastructure and strong demand for data center...

Samsung Surpasses $1 Trillion Market Cap Amid AI Chip Boom and Apple Partnership Talks

Samsung Electronics has officially crossed the $1 trillion market valuation milestone for the first time, fueled by soaring demand for AI memory chips and growing speculation about potential partnerships with Apple and...