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LAUNCESTON, Australia, March 27 (Reuters) - The Australian natural gas sector believes it has the solution to warnings of a shortfall in domestic supplies in coming years. But a recent report from the Australian Energy Market Operator (AMEO) warned the domestic market may have insufficient supplies from this year out to 2025. The second is that if the LNG producers are forced by legislation to satisfy the domestic market first, they risk undermining Australia's reputation in Asia as one of the most reliable suppliers of energy. There is also a time factor, with it likely to take far longer to explore, develop and build the infrastructure than is available to avoid shortfalls in the domestic market. The first is to risk Australia's reputation as an energy supplier and future investment by forcing the LNG producers to supply the domestic market and curtail exports.

☆ Alliance Aviation Services says Australian regulator delays Qantas deal review
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-19 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

March 20 (Reuters) - Australia's Alliance Aviation Services Ltd (AQZ.AX) said on Monday the country's competition regulator had delayed a review of the proposed acquisition of the charter operator by Qantas Airways Ltd (QAN.AX). The Australian Competition & Consumer Commission (ACCC) has delayed its decision until April 20, marking the fourth delay so far on the carrier's A$610.8 million ($409.97 million) buy of Alliance Aviation Services. In May last year, Qantas said it would buy the remaining 80% stake in Alliance Aviation Services in an all-stock deal to expand its footprint in the charter business. ACCC and Qantas did not immediately respond to Reuters' requests for comment. ($1 = 1.4899 Australian dollars)Reporting by Upasana Singh and Navya Mittal in Bengaluru; Editing by Tom Hogue and Rashmi AichOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ The Next Frontier in Farming? The Ocean.
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-15 | by ( Somini Sengupta | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +10 min

For centuries, it’s been treasured in kitchens in Asia and neglected almost everywhere else: Those glistening ribbons of seaweed that bend and bloom in cold ocean waves. Far beyond South Korea, new farms have cropped up in Maine, the Faroe Islands, Australia, even the North Sea. But even as its champions see it as a miracle crop for a hotter planet, others worry that the zeal to farm the ocean could replicate some of the same damages of farming on land. “Seaweed is not going to replace all plastic, but seaweed combined with other things can tackle single use plastic,” he said. Seaweed farms are a far cry from the rows of corn and wheat that make up monoculture farming on land.

☆ Heavy rain in Australia triggers flood evacuations in Queensland
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-11 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

SYDNEY, March 11 (Reuters) - Emergency services in Australia's Queensland state evacuated residents to higher ground on Saturday, as record-breaking floods sparked by heavy rain lashed the region's northwest. Fifty three residents of the isolated Gulf Country town of Burketown, about 2,115 km (1,314 miles) northwest of state capital Brisbane, had been evacuated since heavy rain triggered floods earlier this week, police said Saturday. At Burketown, the flood topped the March 2011 record of 6.87 metres after up to 293 mm of rain fell on Thursday and Friday, the Bureau of Meteorology previously said. Police were co-ordinating the evacuation via helicopter to the mining town of Mount Isa, about 425 km (264 miles) south. Flood alerts were current on Saturday for large swaths of Queensland, and there were also warnings for severe storms, heavy rainfall, and potential flash flooding in many parts, including the Gulf Country.

☆ Record retail theft puts pressure on Australian supermarket giants
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-02 | by ( Byron Kaye | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

SYDNEY, March 2 (Reuters) - Retail theft has hit record levels in Australia, government statistics show, putting pressure on grocery giants Woolworths Group Ltd (WOW.AX) and Coles Group Ltd (COL.AX) that are already struggling with soaring supply costs and freight blockages. Queensland, Australia's third-largest state, had the highest monthly rate of shop stealing on record this January, according to publicly available police data. Neither state's data specified which retailers reported theft. That may impact profit at Woolworths and Coles, which together ring up two-thirds of Australian grocery sales and noted rising store theft in trading updates last month. Supermarkets refer to goods lost to theft, expiry or payment error as stock losses.

☆ Adani in talks for $400 mln debt against Australian coal port assets - ET
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-27 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Feb 27 (Reuters) - India's Adani Group is in talks with global credit funds to raise up to $400 million in debt against a key Australian coal port assets that make up a large portion of its exports of the fossil fuel from Carmichael mine, the Economic Times reported. Adani Group and Farallon Capital did not immediately respond to Reuters' request for comments. Reuters recently reported Australia's corporate regulator said it would review a short-seller report that had flagged a wide range of concerns about the Adani Group. In Australia, the conglomerate operates the Carmichael coal mine and a related rail line, the North Queensland Export Terminal, which is a major port for Queensland coal exports, as well as a solar farm. Reporting by Sneha Bhowmik in Bengaluru; Editing by Eileen Soreng and Rashmi AichOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Super Rugby finally rolls into the post-COVID era
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-22 | by ( Nick Mulvenney | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

SYDNEY, Feb 22 (Reuters) - Finally freed of the COVID travel restrictions that sounded the death knell to the intercontinental edition and fragmented and disrupted the rump competition, Super Rugby returns in its full new normality on Friday. The second season of Super Rugby Pacific will be played with a host of law variations aimed at making the game more attractive to fans but one aspect of the competition is highly unlikely to change -- New Zealand supremacy. The Canterbury Crusaders dominated Super Rugby in the years pre-pandemic and have proved just as hard to beat with or without fans in the stadiums, through lockdowns, biosecurity protocols and in competition hubs. Despite optimistic noises coming from across the Tasman Sea in Australia, the biggest challenge to the Crusaders is likely to come from the North Island of New Zealand. The forgiving and sometimes derided playoff system that offers knockout rugby to eight of the 12 teams will give hope to all but the most hapless outfits.

As a result, the world's largest listed miner reported underlying profit attributable from continuing operations of $6.6 billion, down from $9.72 billion a year earlier. That missed a Vuma Financial estimate of $6.82 billion, as earnings from copper and coal came in lower than analysts had expected. Shares of the global miner fell as much as 2.8% to A$47.11, their lowest since Jan. 6 and were down 2% at 0138 GMT in a broader market (.AXJO) that was down 0.5%. BHP also said it expected aggressive global interest rate hikes from last year to slow growth sharply across the developed world. BHP has threatened not to invest in Queensland after the state hiked its coal royalties to the highest rate in the world.

☆ UN torture prevention panel terminates visit to Australia
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-21 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

SYDNEY, Feb 21 (Reuters) - A U.N. torture prevention panel terminated its suspended visit to Australia, saying it continued to face obstacles in getting access to some detention centres in the country. The U.N. Subcommittee on Prevention of Torture (SPT) on Monday said it had requested several assurances in order to resume its visit but some guarantees were not provided, and it could not decide on a "reasonable timeframe" for a visit. An optional protocol against torture and degrading treatment, which Australia is a signatory to, allows for SPT to visit prisons, police stations and other detention centres unannounced. The offices of the premiers of New South Wales and Queensland did not immediately respond to a Reuters request seeking comment. Jabbour said a report based on what the panel had observed during its October visit would be shared with the Australian authorities.

SummarySummary Companies H1 profit misses estimateInterim dividend beats estimatePositive on demand outlook from ChinaStarts process to sell two Queensland met coal minesFeb 21 (Reuters) - Global miner BHP Group (BHP.AX) was positive about demand outlook through to fiscal 2024 as top metals consumer China reopens and shifts policy towards its debt-laden property sector, the company said on Tuesday after its 2023 first-half profit missed estimates. However, its interim dividend of 90 cents per share, while lower than last year's $1.50 per share, beat Vuma Financial's estimate of 88 cents. "We are positive about the demand outlook in the second half of fiscal 2023 and into fiscal 2024, with strengthening activity in China on the back of recent policy decisions the major driver," Chief Executive Officer Mike Henry said. But the reopening of the world's second-biggest economy and a property sector policy shift has BHP upbeat on the commodity demand outlook. However, in an environment where central banks are aggressively tightening their monetary policy, BHP expects its operating environment to remain volatile in the near term, but expects China to be a source of stability for commodity demand.

☆ Australia to spend $5 billion on Brisbane Olympics venues
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-17 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

An aerial view of Brisbane, where the 2032 Olympics will be held. The Australian federal government and the Queensland state government said on Friday they would spend a combined $7.1 billion Australian dollars ($4.9 billion) to build new venues and refurbish existing ones ahead of the 2032 Olympics in Brisbane. The federal government will provide A$2.5 billion for the development of Brisbane Arena, a proposed 17,000-seat sports venue, while the Queensland government will fund the A$2.7 billion rebuild of the Gabba cricket ground. This event is a great event for Queensland but it's great for Australia as well," Albanese said. Brisbane will become the third Australian city to host the Summer Olympics, after Melbourne in 1956 and Sydney in 2000.

☆ Australia to spend $5 bln on Brisbane Olympics venues
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-17 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/3] A view of the city skyline of Brisbane, expected to be announced as host for the 2032 Olympic Games, in Brisbane, Australia, July 4, 2021. REUTERS/Jaimi Joy/File PhotoSYDNEY, Feb 17 (Reuters) - The Australian federal government and the Queensland state government said on Friday they would spend a combined A$7.1 billion ($4.9 billion) to build new venues and refurbish existing ones ahead of the 2032 Olympics in Brisbane. This event is a great event for Queensland but it's great for Australia as well," Albanese said. Brisbane will become the third Australian city to host the Summer Olympics, after Melbourne in 1956 and Sydney in 2000. The event is expected to deliver A$8.1 billion in economic and social benefits to Queensland, and more than A$17.6 billion to Australia, Queensland state Deputy Premier Steven Miles said.

☆ Australia mine rescue: Two miners were underground at Dugald River when a void opened beneath them
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-16 | by ( Hilary Whiteman | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

Brisbane, Australia CNN —An urgent operation is underway to find two Australian miners missing deep underground for more than 24 hours in a zinc mine in northwest Queensland. The miners disappeared early Wednesday when a void opened beneath them as they worked 125 meters (407 feet) below ground at the Dugald River mine near Cloncurry, according to a statement from mining group Perenti. It’s unclear how the drill rig operator managed to escape and how much further the two miners fell into the void. The Dugald River mine produces zinc concentrate, with byproducts including lead and silver, MMG says on its website. Dugald River mine general manager Tim Akroyd said rescue teams were trying to reach the vehicle as soon as possible.

☆ Australia's Aurizon cuts earnings forecast on prolonged wet weather
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-13 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Feb 13 (Reuters) - Australia's Aurizon Holdings (AZJ.AX) on Monday reported a 34% fall in its first-half underlying profit and slashed its annual core earnings forecast, as prolonged wet weather and a derailment dented the rail-haulage firm's freight volumes. For the first-half of 2023, the company's underlying net profit after tax stood at A$169 million, compared with A$257 million a year ago. Aurizon also declared an interim dividend of 7.0 Australian cents per share, down 33% from the 10.5 Australian cents dividend it declared a year ago. Shares of the firm fell 9.2% to A$3.35 after the earnings update. ($1 = 1.4468 Australian dollars)Reporting by Riya Sharma in Bengaluru; editing by Uttaresh.VOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Australia denies permission for coal mine near Great Barrier Reef
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-08 | by ( Lewis Jackson | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

SYDNEY, Feb 8 (Reuters) - Australia's environment minister on Wednesday declined to grant permission for a new thermal coal project owned by mining magnate Clive Palmer near the Great Barrier Reef. The Central Queensland Coal owned mine is in the Styx Coal Basin, just off the coast of central Queensland. "I've decided that the adverse environmental impacts are simply too great," Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek said in a video posted to social media. "The mine is an open-cut coal mine less than 10 km from the Great Barrier Reef, and the risk of pollution and irreversible damage to the reef is very real." Central Queensland Coal did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Coking coal prices, along with those for iron ore, have rallied on the back of this optimism, with both steel raw materials recording strong gains this year. The answer is that for coking coal there appears to be both rising demand and some supply disruptions at work. Japan, the second-biggest buyer of seaborne coking coal, imported 5.01 million tonnes in January, up from December's 3.98 million and roughly level with last January's 5.08 million. Outside of Asia, Europe's imports of coking coal rose to 3.81 million tonnes in January from December's 3.55 million, according to Kpler. The overall picture from coking coal imports is that there has been a move higher in recent months, which does provide some fundamental backing to the rally in prices.

☆ I worked as a paralegal by day and had a secret side hustle as a stripper by night. I felt like Clark Kent living a double life.
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-04 | by ( Jyoti Mann | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Raven Inferno spent three years working as both a paralegal and a stripper to afford her own home. "I'd work on contract litigation by day and give lap dances at night," she said. I'd work on contract litigation by day and give lap dances at night. I danced on stage about three to five times a night for four songs, for up to an hour a night. I stopped working as a paralegal in 2019 because I was so burned out from it.

☆ Australia's radioactive capsule: searching scientists were quietly confident
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-03 | by ( Lewis Jackson | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

[1/2] A view shows the area where a radioactive capsule was found, near Newman, Australia, February 1, 2023. Western Australian Department Of Fire And Emergency Services/Handout via REUTERSSYDNEY, Feb 3 (Reuters) - The task was daunting: find a tiny radioactive capsule that had fallen off a truck somewhere in Western Australia's vast outback sometime in January. Western Australia is buzzing with low-level rays thanks to its A$230 billion ($160 billion) mining industry. The Australian Radiation Incident Register reported six incidents of material being found, lost or stolen in 2019. That year, a radioactive gauge was stolen in Queensland state, according to police reports.

☆ Australian regulator to review short-seller report on India's Adani
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-01 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] The logo of the Adani Group is seen on the facade of its Corporate House on the outskirts of Ahmedabad, India, January 27, 2023. REUTERS/Amit DaveSYDNEY, Feb 1 (Reuters) - Australia's corporate regulator said on Wednesday it will review a short-seller report that has flagged a wide range of concerns about India's Adani Group. Bravus, an Australian Adani Group company, said in a statement that the group "refutes all allegations" made in the Hindenburg report about its Australian operations and that it has publicly provided evidence to back up its stance. Adani Group's Australian businesses all comply with the law, a spokesperson said, adding that none had been contacted by ASIC or the Australian Tax Office about Hindenburg Research's allegations. The Hindenburg report "presents transactions related to Adani's Australian businesses in a misleading way to purposefully undermine the reputation of the Adani Group, in order to pursue their own profit by short-selling shares in Adani Group companies," the statement said.

On Tuesday, the Adani group appeared to have fought back the attack by the New York-based short-seller Hindenburg and rallied investors behind the $2.5 billion share issue of flagship firm Adani Enterprises (ADEL.NS). It was a rare defeat for a man who has seemed unstoppable in recent years. In recent years, the $220 billion Adani Group empire has attracted foreign investment - France's TotalEnergies (TTEF.PA), for example, partnered with Adani last year to develop the world's biggest green hydrogen ecosystem. On Wednesday, Adani said his company felt it wasn't "morally correct" to proceed with the share sale following the volatility in the market. But he said in a statement to the exchange the company was financial stable and that the withdrawal of the share issue will not impact its future plans.

☆ Australian securities regulator reviewing short-seller report on India's Adani
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-01 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

SYDNEY, Feb 1 (Reuters) - Australia's corporate regulator is reviewing a short-seller report that accused India's Adani Group of improper use of offshore tax havens to determine whether regulatory action is required, according to a spokesperson. "ASIC will review the allegations against Adani and determine whether further inquiries are warranted," a spokesperson for the regulator told Reuters on Wednesday. The Adani Group said in a statement that the Hindenburg report "presents transactions related to Adani’s Australian businesses in a misleading way to purposefully undermine the reputation of the Adani Group, in order to pursue their own profit by short-selling shares in Adani Group companies." "All our businesses are Australian companies that comply with Australian corporations and securities legislation," the statement said. On Tuesday, a crucial $2.5 billion share sale for the Adani Group was fully subscribed with foreign institutional investors and corporate funds taking part, although participation by retail investors was low.

☆ Here are the schools and colleges that have banned the use of ChatGPT over plagiarism and misinformation fears
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-30 | by ( Beatrice Nolan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Education officials are trying to stop students from using OpenAI's ChatGPT. Seattle Public Schools and Los Angeles Unified School District put similar limits on the use of the bot in December. Seattle Public Schools also cited cheating concerns for the ban, per GeekWire. A spokesperson told the publication that "Seattle Public Schools does not allow cheating and requires original thought and work from students." In India, Bangalore's RV University banned students from using ChatGPT.

LONDON, Jan 30 (Reuters) - China raised export tariffs on unwrought primary aluminium and alloy at the start of this year after a rare burst of export activity in the first part of 2022. Russian aluminium dominated the import mix and Russian smelters were the main recipients of Chinese alumina exports last year. China's unwrought aluminium imports vs Russian metalRUSSIAN IMPORTS GROWDecember's imports of primary aluminium, by contrast, accelerated to 128,000 tonnes, the highest monthly tally in over a year. China's total alumina exports vs RussianCHINA LIFTS ALUMINA EXPORTSThe two countries' aluminium trade also extends to the intermediate alumina stage of the processing chain. It could also mean China returning to consistent net importer of unwrought aluminium, particularly if domestic smelter production continues to be plagued by power constraints.

Adani, whose home state is Gujarat in western India, built his business empire from scratch after starting as a commodities trader. Adani's business empire grew rapidly and his wealth ballooned. In recent years, the $220 billion Adani Group empire has attracted foreign investment - France's TotalEnergies (TTEF.PA), for example, partnered with Adani last year to develop the world's biggest green hydrogen ecosystem. It is not known what was discussed and Adani Group did not respond to a request for comment on Friday. Adani Group's consolidated gross debt stands at $23.34 billion, Jefferies says.

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