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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

US-Iran Gulf Clash Raises Oil Market and Defense Stock Concerns

A fresh military confrontation between the United States and Iran has intensified concerns over global oil supplies, defense sector performance, and Middle East security. According to reports citing U.S. Central Command...

Oil Prices Slip but End Two-Week Losing Streak as Middle East Tensions Persist in 2026

Global oil prices moved lower on Friday after operations resumed at Omans key Mina al Fahal oil terminal following reports of a drone-related incident. Despite the daily decline, both Brent crude and West Texas...

Gold Prices Tumble as Strong U.S. Jobs Report Fuels Fed Rate Hike Expectations

Gold prices recorded a sharp decline on Friday and were set for a weekly loss after stronger-than-expected U.S. employment data increased expectations that the Federal Reserve may raise interest rates later in 2026. The...

US Dollar Hits Near Two-Month High as Strong Jobs Data and Middle East Tensions Boost Rate Hike Expectations

The U.S. dollar climbed to its highest level in nearly two months on Friday, supported by stronger-than-expected labor market data and escalating geopolitical tensions in the Middle East. The U.S. Dollar Index (DXY), which...

US Stock Market Tumbles as Tech and Semiconductor Stocks Lead Massive Selloff

U.S. stocks suffered a sharp decline on Friday, ending Wall Streets impressive nine-week winning streak as technology and semiconductor shares experienced heavy selling pressure. The market downturn came after a...

Politics

Russian Strikes Kill Five in Ukraine’s Kherson Region as Border Attacks Continue

Russian attacks killed five people in Ukraines southern Kherson region on Friday, according to regional governor Oleksandr Prokudin, highlighting the continued intensity of the Russia-Ukraine war. The incidents occurred in...

US Approves $1.5 Billion Seahawk Helicopter Sale to New Zealand Amid Defense Spending Surge

The United States has approved a potential $1.5 billion Foreign Military Sale (FMS) to New Zealand for five MH-60R Seahawk multi-mission maritime helicopters and related military equipment, marking a significant step in...

US Strikes Iranian Radar Sites After Drones Threaten Strait of Hormuz

The United States military confirmed that it carried out targeted strikes against Iranian radar installations on Friday after Iran allegedly launched four attack drones toward the strategically important Strait of Hormuz....

Trump Forced Labour Tariff Plan Faces Criticism as Experts Question Effectiveness

President Donald Trumps proposed tariffs targeting countries accused of failing to combat forced labour are drawing criticism from trade experts, business organizations, and human rights advocates, who argue the measures...

Putin Says Ukraine War Could End Through Compromise as Russian Forces Continue Advances

Russian President Vladimir Putin reaffirmed Russias hardline position on the Ukraine war, stating that Russian troops continue to make battlefield gains while signaling that a peace agreement remains possible if Kyiv...

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

Apollo and Blackstone Complete $35 Billion Anthropic AI Infrastructure Financing Deal

Apollo Global Management (NYSE: APO) and Blackstone (NYSE: BX) have completed a landmark $35 billion financing package for artificial intelligence company Anthropic, marking one of the largest private credit transactions...

US Officials Explore AI Company Equity Stakes Ahead of OpenAI and Anthropic IPO Plans

Senior U.S. government officials have reportedly held preliminary discussions with leading artificial intelligence companies regarding the possibility of the federal government acquiring equity stakes in their businesses....

Switch Eyes Multi-Billion-Dollar Funding Round at $50 Billion Valuation Ahead of Potential IPO

Data center operator Switch is reportedly in discussions to raise billions of dollars in a new funding round that could value the company at more than $50 billion, according to a report from The Information. The potential...

South Korea Weighs AI Profit Sharing as Samsung and SK Hynix Earnings Surge

South Koreas Labor Minister Kim Young-hoon has called for a national discussion on how to distribute the extraordinary profits generated by the countrys booming artificial intelligence (AI) and semiconductor industries....

Jensen Huang Strengthens Nvidia’s South Korea Ties Amid AI Expansion

Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang is set to make his second visit to South Korea in just seven months, underscoring the countrys growing importance in the global artificial intelligence ecosystem. Beyond high-level business...