By , MELBOURNE (Reuters) - Coal deliveries to Australia’s Port of Newcastle, the world’s biggest coal export port, have been halted because flooding in the Hunter Valley region has shut rail lines, with heavy rains also slowing ship movements at the port.Heavy rains along Australia’s east coast over several days have caused the worst flooding in half a century, with thousands of people being forced to evacuate their homes. The downpour is expected to continue over the next few days, the weather bureau warned on Monday.The Australian Rail Track Corp (ARTC), which runs the Hunter Valley...…By , MELBOURNE (Reuters) - Coal deliveries to Australia’s Port of Newcastle, the world’s biggest coal export port, have been halted because flooding in the Hunter Valley region has shut rail lines, with heavy rains also slowing ship movements at the port.Heavy rains along Australia’s east coast over several days have caused the worst flooding in half a century, with thousands of people being forced to evacuate their homes. The downpour is expected to continue over the next few days, the weather bureau warned on Monday.The Australian Rail Track Corp (ARTC), which runs the Hunter Valley...WW…

By MELBOURNE (Reuters) - Former Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd has called for a major government inquiry into the tight ownership of Australian media by Rupert Murdoch’s News Corp, securing more than 46,000 signatures on a petition after just two days.Slideshow Rudd, who was prime minister from 2007 to 2010 and briefly in 2013, filed a petition calling on parliament to set up a royal commission to investigate what he called the “abuse of media monopoly in Australia in particular by the Murdoch media”.“The truth is Murdoch has become a cancer, an arrogant cancer on our democracy,” Rudd...…By MELBOURNE (Reuters) - Former Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd has called for a major government inquiry into the tight ownership of Australian media by Rupert Murdoch’s News Corp, securing more than 46,000 signatures on a petition after just two days.Slideshow Rudd, who was prime minister from 2007 to 2010 and briefly in 2013, filed a petition calling on parliament to set up a royal commission to investigate what he called the “abuse of media monopoly in Australia in particular by the Murdoch media”.“The truth is Murdoch has become a cancer, an arrogant cancer on our democracy,” Rudd...WW…

By MELBOURNE (Reuters) - Australia plans to invest A$18 billion ($13 billion) over the next 10 years in technologies to cut carbon emissions in the fight against climate change, the country’s energy minister said on Monday.The technology investment roadmap is the latest attempt by Australia, the world’s top coal and gas exporter, to come up with a climate and energy policy after 13 years of wrangling over carbon prices and emissions targets.It stops short of proposing a net zero emissions target by 2050 or a carbon price, the measures a wide range of a groups, from Australia’s biggest...…By MELBOURNE (Reuters) - Australia plans to invest A$18 billion ($13 billion) over the next 10 years in technologies to cut carbon emissions in the fight against climate change, the country’s energy minister said on Monday.The technology investment roadmap is the latest attempt by Australia, the world’s top coal and gas exporter, to come up with a climate and energy policy after 13 years of wrangling over carbon prices and emissions targets.It stops short of proposing a net zero emissions target by 2050 or a carbon price, the measures a wide range of a groups, from Australia’s biggest...WW…

By NEW YORK (Reuters) - Oil futures gained more than 2% on Thursday, supported by a drop in U.S. unemployment and a drawdown in crude inventories, but a resurgence in U.S. coronavirus infections fanned concerns that economic activity will weaken in coming weeks.New COVID-19 cases in the United States rose by nearly 50,000 on Wednesday, the biggest one-day increase since the start of the pandemic.Numerous states are advising citizens to restrict movements and closing businesses and restaurants again, which is expected to hamper job growth.“At this time, the economic data seems to be...…By NEW YORK (Reuters) - Oil futures gained more than 2% on Thursday, supported by a drop in U.S. unemployment and a drawdown in crude inventories, but a resurgence in U.S. coronavirus infections fanned concerns that economic activity will weaken in coming weeks.New COVID-19 cases in the United States rose by nearly 50,000 on Wednesday, the biggest one-day increase since the start of the pandemic.Numerous states are advising citizens to restrict movements and closing businesses and restaurants again, which is expected to hamper job growth.“At this time, the economic data seems to be...WW…

By The carbon storage project was delayed by more than two years after Chevron discovered problems with valves and pipeline equipment during commissioning of the A$2.5 billion ($1.7 billion) injection system.Gorgon is the biggest emitter of carbon emissions out of Australia’s 10 LNG plants, with gas from the Gorgon field containing 14% CO2. Growth in LNG exports has been a big contributor to Australia’s rising CO2 emissions, according to the Environment and Energy Department.“We are pleased to reach the first milestone of safely starting the operation of the Gorgon carbon dioxide injection...…By The carbon storage project was delayed by more than two years after Chevron discovered problems with valves and pipeline equipment during commissioning of the A$2.5 billion ($1.7 billion) injection system.Gorgon is the biggest emitter of carbon emissions out of Australia’s 10 LNG plants, with gas from the Gorgon field containing 14% CO2. Growth in LNG exports has been a big contributor to Australia’s rising CO2 emissions, according to the Environment and Energy Department.“We are pleased to reach the first milestone of safely starting the operation of the Gorgon carbon dioxide injection...WW…

By MELBOURNE (Reuters) - Australian police have dropped their investigation of a News Corp journalist over the disclosure of a national security document in 2018, citing a lack of evidence.The Australian Federal Police (AFP) last June raided the home of a News Corp editor, Annika Smethurst, and a day later raided the Australian Broadcasting Corp (ABC), both over allegations they had published classified material.The raids sparked an outcry about the need for media freedom to scrutinise national security and defence issues.AFP Deputy Commissioner Ian McCartney said police had “reviewed all...…By MELBOURNE (Reuters) - Australian police have dropped their investigation of a News Corp journalist over the disclosure of a national security document in 2018, citing a lack of evidence.The Australian Federal Police (AFP) last June raided the home of a News Corp editor, Annika Smethurst, and a day later raided the Australian Broadcasting Corp (ABC), both over allegations they had published classified material.The raids sparked an outcry about the need for media freedom to scrutinise national security and defence issues.AFP Deputy Commissioner Ian McCartney said police had “reviewed all...WW…