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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

Asian Currencies Slide as Strong US Dollar and Hawkish Fed Pressure Regional FX Markets

Asian currencies weakened on Thursday as a stronger US dollar and hawkish signals from Federal Reserve officials weighed on regional foreign exchange markets. The South Korean won and Indian rupee led losses, while the...

BOJ Rate Hike to 1% by June in Focus as Inflation and Weak Yen Pressure Mount

The Bank of Japan (BOJ) is increasingly expected to raise its key interest rate to 1% by the end of June, according to a recent Reuters poll of economists. The shift in forecasts reflects growing concerns about rising...

Sanae Takaichi Seeks Market Trust as Japan Weighs Spending and Tax Cuts

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi is preparing to defend her proactive fiscal policies as parliament begins deliberations on her flagship spending and tax cut plans next week. While Takaichi has pledged to boost...

RBNZ Signals Potential Interest Rate Hike as Inflation Outlook Remains Uncertain

New Zealands central bank has indicated that the next move in interest rates is likely to be upward, although economic uncertainty continues to cloud the timing. Karen Silk, Assistant Governor of the Reserve Bank of New...

Oil Prices Ease After 4% Surge as U.S.-Iran Tensions and Supply Risks Remain in Focus

Oil prices edged lower during early Asian trading on Thursday, retreating slightly after a sharp 4% rally in the previous session. Investors are closely monitoring rising geopolitical tensions between the United States and...

Politics

Bill Gates Pulls Out of India’s AI Impact Summit Amid Controversy and Event Mismanagement

Bill Gates withdrew from Indias AI Impact Summit just hours before his scheduled keynote address, dealing a major setback to the high-profile artificial intelligence event in New Delhi. The Gates Foundation confirmed that...

Trump Convenes Board of Peace as $5 Billion Gaza Reconstruction Fund Announced

U.S. President Donald Trump will chair the first meeting of his newly formed Board of Peace on Thursday, placing the future of Gaza reconstruction and regional stability at the center of global attention. The high-profile...

Peru Elects Jose Balcazar as Interim President Ahead of April General Elections

Peruvian lawmakers have elected veteran left-wing legislator Jose Balcazar as the countrys new interim president, marking Perus eighth president in just eight years and underscoring the nations ongoing political...

Trump Says U.S. Trade Deficit Shrinking Sharply as 2026 Trade Surplus Looms

U.S. President Donald Trump said Wednesday that Americas trade deficit has narrowed significantly due to his 2025 trade tariffs, adding that the country could post its first trade surplus in decades as early as this year....

Lavrov Warns of Serious Consequences if U.S. Launches New Strike on Iran

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has warned that any new U.S. strike on Iran would trigger serious consequences and further destabilize the Middle East. In an interview aired by Saudi Arabias Al-Arabiya television...

Science

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...

SpaceX Prioritizes Moon Mission Before Mars as Starship Development Accelerates

Elon Musks SpaceX is shifting its near-term space exploration strategy, choosing to prioritize a return to the Moon before pursuing missions to Mars, according to a recent Wall Street Journal report citing sources familiar...

NASA and SpaceX Target Crew-11 Undocking From ISS Amid Medical Concern

NASA has confirmed that the agency, in coordination with SpaceX, is targeting no earlier than 5 p.m. Eastern Time (2200 GMT) on Wednesday, January 14, for the undocking of the SpaceX Crew-11 mission from the International...

Neuralink Plans High-Volume Brain Implant Production and Fully Automated Surgery by 2026

Elon Musks brain-computer interface company Neuralink is preparing for a major expansion, announcing plans to begin high-volume production of its brain implant devices and transition to a fully automated surgical procedure...

Jared Isaacman Confirmed as NASA Administrator, Becomes 15th Leader of U.S. Space Agency

The U.S. Senate has officially confirmed billionaire private astronaut Jared Isaacman as the new NASA administrator, making him the 15th leader in the agencys history. The confirmation, which took place on Wednesday, marks...

Technology

OpenAI Nears $100 Billion Funding Round at $850 Billion Valuation: Bloomberg Report

OpenAI is reportedly close to completing the first phase of a massive new funding round expected to raise more than $100 billion, according to a Bloomberg report citing sources familiar with the matter. The deal could push...

Microsoft Responds to ICE Surveillance Concerns Amid Azure Cloud Expansion

Microsoft said Wednesday it does not believe U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is using its technology for mass surveillance of civilians, following a report that the agency significantly expanded its use of...

Mark Zuckerberg Testifies in Youth Social Media Addiction Trial Over Instagram Policies

Meta Platforms CEO Mark Zuckerberg testified in a landmark Los Angeles trial addressing allegations that Instagram and YouTube contributed to youth social media addiction and harmed a young users mental health. The...

European IT Hardware Stocks to Watch as Gaming Demand Outpaces Smartphones, Says BofA

BofA Researchs February report highlights a clear split in European IT hardware demand trends, with gaming spending significantly outperforming other consumer technology categories while smartphone sales remain under...

Microsoft Plans $50 Billion AI Investment to Accelerate Growth in the Global South

Microsoft has announced plans to invest up to $50 billion by the end of the decade to expand artificial intelligence (AI) infrastructure and digital capabilities across countries in the Global South. The announcement was...